Guyana Chronicle E-Paper 27-08-2022

27th AUGUST, 2022 SATURDAY $100 No. 106827 - 2,000 part-time jobs for Region Nine residents; $1M each for 600 land allottees - GBTI, NBS agree to provide $2M loans at 3.5 per cent interest; no collateral, job letter required Contractors, sub-contractors warned to desist from contract bundling Minister Teixeira: ‘APNU+AFC’s attacks against GECOM Chair must end’ Jobs and housingElderlycoupleseekshelpafterhousecollapses PAGESEE3 PAGESEE2 PAGESEE14PresidentPAGESEE9Irfaan Ali addressing a section of the gathering at that Tabatinga Sports Complex in Lethem on Friday (Office of the President photo)

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In a press statement, Teixeira accused Oppo sition Leader, Aubrey Norton and the coalition of consistently attacking GECOM’s top official since the commence ment of the 2020 General and Regional Elections (GRE) in March of that year.These threats, Teixeira said, expose the opposi tion’s plot to bully and intimidate the head of the constitutional body.

Minister Teixeira says, urges police investigation

Minister of Parliamentary Affairs andGailGovernance,Teixeira GECOM Chair, Justice Claudette(Ret’d)Singh community should also make known their con cerns for Singh’s safety and the efforts by the Opposition Leader to destabilise the electoral process. Minister Teixeira in dicated that she will be formally writing the diplomatic and inter national community in relation to the threats to the GECOM chair and the opposition’s plot to undermine GECOM and the electoral system in the country.

‘We’re guided by the Constitution’ – GECOM says on voters’ list queries

THE Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), on Friday, made it clear that it cannot act contrary to the legal provisions set out in the National Regis tration Act (NRA). This was disclosed in a press release which GECOM says comes as it had taken note of the con cerns and public opinions expressed relating to the Preliminary List of Electors (PLE).Opposition Leader, Aubrey Norton has criti cised the list of electors, calling for changes in con travention of a ruling of the HighGECOMCourt. maintained that the NRA dictates the pro cedures for the registration of eligible persons along with the removal of persons from the National Regis ter of Registrants Database (NRRDB).Withthat, they added that it was not that the con cerns of the stakeholders were being ignored, but that the Commission had to act within the framework of the Tolaws.this end, it was noted that the legislation provides for the removal of names from the NRRDB only through the legal methodol ogy which, it said, includes the receipt of monthly re ports from the General Reg ister’s Office or through a “Claims and Objections” process.This ‘objections’ process allows for any elector or suitably qualified scruti neers or political parties to object to the inclusion of names on the Preliminary List of Electors (PLE) which they suspect may not be eligible.Additionally, it was not ed that a similar matter was ruled upon by the Chief Justice (ag), Roxane George in 2019 which solidified that only by way of the enact ments within the legisla tion can persons’ names be removed from the NRRDB. Further, it was noted that GECOM is currently conducting claims and ob jections which commenced on Monday.Theexercise allows for eligible persons to make a claim to be included on the Official List of Electors (OLE) and also provides op portunities for persons who are already registered to check the accuracy of their registration records in the Preliminary List of Electors (PLE).Additionally, these per sons can apply for changes or corrections on or before September 11, 2022, if nec essary.Further, GECOM urged members of the public to scrutinise the Preliminary List of Electors and object to the inclusion of names of persons that they sus pect may not be eligible for inclusion, on or before September 15. This, the constitutional body noted, must come with original documentary evidence to support the ob jection in accordance with the constitution.

“These threats are un acceptable in any civi lized society and must not be allowed to contin ue without consequenc es,” she said. As such, Minister Teixeira noted it is time for the Guyana Police Force to investigate the numerous threats. She added that civ il society leaders and women’s right organisa tions should call out the misogynistic attacks on the Additionally,chair. the statement noted, the dip lomatic and international

MINISTER of Parlia mentary Affairs and Governance, Gail Teix eira, on Friday, called out the Opposition, A Partnership for Nation al Unity+Alliance For Change Singh.ticesionanathecontinuous(APNU+AFC)’sattacksonchairoftheGuyElectionsCommis(GECOM),Jus(Ret’d)Claudette

‘APNU+AFC’s attacks against GECOM ‘Chair’ must end’

The Minister noted that Norton’s strategy was exposed late last year when a prominent mem ber of the party spoke on a programme of “break ing up” the elections commission and bringing “everything to a halt.”

It was noted that in other countries such threats are a criminal of fence.“Clearly, Mr. Norton, his party [the People’s National Congress/Re form (PNC/R)] and the APNU+AFC coalition have not deviated from these bullyism and in timidation tactics which we witnessed during the Granger administration,” Teixeira said. She said that Jus tice Singh, who chairs GECOM, has served Guyana for decades and has guarded her integrity and adherence to the con stitution and rule of law.

Further, the statement attributed to Minister Teixeira said that state ments made by the Oppo sition Leader hinting that there is need to “pressure her to resign or face un specified action” should be urgently investigated by the Guyana Police Force (GPF).

2 GUYANA CHRONICLE, Saturday August 27, 2022

The President had previously said that this and other supporting initiatives are geared at making homeownership more affordable and to boost the quality of life of Guyanese.AtLethem on Friday, he emphasised that his government is caring and responsive and is doing everything in its power to minimise the impact of the increased cost of living on Guya nese.The government has distributed COVID-19 cash grants, the ‘Be cause We Care’ cash grants and support for farmers, among other initiatives to improve the lives of citizens, in cluding those in Region Nine.“We promise you that we are going to create the necessary en vironment to ensure that your life is improved,” President Ali told the residents of Region Nine.He acknowledged that tremendous invest ment is still needed for Region Nine to be compa rable with the coastlands and on this note, said all of the roads in Lethem will be paved roads. The government also wants to work with young people of the re gion to ensure that they are a part of the new phase of development in theOpportunitiescountry. for young persons to be come health workers, nurses, doctors, engi neers and heavy equip ment operators will be brought to the region, the President said.

To ensure as many per sons as possible own a home, President Ali said the government will give $1M to each person owning a lot, starting with the cur rent 600 allottees in the region. This is $600M being invested by the Government in Region Nine.In addition, he said that after discussions with the Guyana Bank for Trade and Indus try (GBTI) and the New Building Soci ety (NBS), they have agreed to finance the re maining $2M (of 3M re quired to build a house) at an interest rate of 3.5 per cent, without the need for collateral or a jobNotletter.only is that the lowest rate in the country, but homeown ers would only have to repay $14,000 each month but under the condition of the mate rial and labour being procured locally. “So, you get the $600 million from us [and] you will get the remainder financed and the repayment will be $14, 000,” President Ali said. A total of $1.8 bil lion is being invested by the Government into housing in Lethem. This programme is expected to stimulate the local economy, create jobs for residents, improve occupancy, increase the net value asset and pro vide opportunities for refinancing for invest ments.The President also reminded Region Nine residents of the initia tive which caters for persons constructing homes below $6 mil lion.Under this initiative, persons constructing homes at the value of $6 million or less will receive one sling of ce ment, along with the steel to be used for the foundation of the home.

“We have already said to the Ministry of Health, all those persons with minimum qualifi cations in the entire re gion who would like to come into the healthcare system as nurses, tech nicians, health workers, let us assemble them and the government is committed to providing the necessary resources to have them trained to take up those jobs right here in the region,” the President said. He added: “We want people of this region to benefit from the oppor tunities right here in the region.”Healso said a mas sive investment will be injected into food pro duction in the region.

SOME 2,000 part-time jobs will soon be avail able in Region Nine (Upper announceddent,Essequibo),Takatu-UpperPresiDrIrfaanAlionFriday.

“We must produce more within our communities and we want to work with all com munities in developing plans and programmes to ensure that our food production capacity is improved,” President Ali said.

The Head of State made this announce ment during his threeday visit to Region Nine which started on Friday. He is accompanied on the visit by Amerindian Affairs Minister, Paul ine Sukhai; Local Gov ernment and Regional Development Minister, Nigel Dharamlall and the Minister within the Ministry of Housing and Water, Susan Rod rigues.Each person em ployed will receive $40,000 per month to supplement income at the household level to cushion the impact of rising cost of Governmentliving.has so far injected more than $5B into communities for the creation of more than 10,000 part-time jobs.This was not the only big announcement for the region. Houses that cost $3M will be built.

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By Cassandra Khan

2,000 part-time jobs for Region Nine residents; $1M each for 600 land allottees - GBTI, NBS agree to provide $2M loans at 3.5 per cent interest; no collateral, job letter required

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Saturday August 27, 2022 3

President, Dr Irfaan Ali receiving a warm welcome from residents of Region Nine (Office of the President photo)

More jobs and housing for Region Nine

“We are who we are, based on the decisions we made in our lives, and it will also influence who we will be as we grow old. This forum is an opportunity for us to influence the youths at an early stage in their lives, to make decisions that will have good consequences for them as they develop and thus be better able to positively influence their peers and the environment in which they operate,” he said.On the issue of reading, Khan said that the associa tion should foster a culture of reading by establishing an electronic portal that will allow youths to access literature.“Reading gives informa tion and information aids good decision-making,” he stressed.Chairman of the Carib bean Cadet Association, St. Lucian Lieutenant Colonel, Nathan Hyacinth,, observed that this year’s conference is extremely unique since the world is learning to adapt to new norms following the COVID -19 pandemic which had made the world a smaller place. He referenced the school system which has adopted a blended learning process and noted that the associa tion must adjust to meet the changing“Together,environment.wemust see ourselves as the solution to the issues facing youths, and work together to meet mandates in promoting good citizens for our countries,” he said.Assistant Chief Educa tion Officer (Secondary), Tiffany Harvey reassured the Ministry of Education’s commitment to the local Cadet“TheProgramme.Ministryof Educa tion stand committed to this programme. We join hands with the Guyana Defence Force as we advance our mission to produce wellrounded students, the ideal Caribbean citizen who can compete in the global are na,” she explained. The Guyana National Cadet Corps (GNCC) was resuscitated in 2018 and is operational in all 11 edu cational districts within the country. Some 34 schools, 2,400 students and 337 teachers are participating in the programme. The GNCC was ac cepted as a member of the Caribbean Cadet Associa tion at its 2019 meeting in Trinidad and Tobago.

Chief-of-Staff (ag), Colonel Omar Khan

4 GUYANA CHRONICLE, Saturday August 27, 2022 C 10 16 18 19 20 27 12 AUGUST 24, 2022 26/8/2022: 1 3 20 21 24 26/8/2022: 6 2 5 26/8/2022: 2 1 3 26/8/2022: 1 4 6 8 17 20 21

Guyana hosting 35th Caribbean Cadet Association Conference

The 35th Caribbean Cadet Association Command ments Conference is being held in Guyana and in at tendance are leaders from the association from across the region. The five-day conference commenced on Tuesday, with 16 member countries, eight of which are partici patingAccordingvirtually.to a recent post on the Guyana Defence Force’s (GDF) page, this forum provides a platform for member countries to work together and share best practices and maintain a unified approach to build character and teach young people vital life skills for tomorrow’s world.

The conference is being hosted by the GDF through the Guyana National Cadet Corps.Chief-of-Staff (ag), Colonel Omar Khan, on Tuesday, said that the GDF is pleased to host this year’s conference as it comes at a time when youths are yield ing to other influences in an evolving and increasingly complex social environ ment.In this regard, he noted that efforts to innovate and maintain a unified approach are critical, and as such, he encouraged that the current challenges be discussed to addressThisthem.year’s conference is themed, “Building Resil ience, Fostering Networks and embracing new Norms”. Colonel Khan recommend ed that delegates focus on decision-making and read ing which would be benefi cial to youth development.

Additionally, Am bassador Guo added that the government of China, since the begin ning of this year, has made arrangements for the safe return of in ternational students to study in China.Some of the awardees of the Chinese Scholarships for 2022 pictured with Minister of the Public Service, Sonia Parag (standing at centre), Ambassador of China to Guyana, Guo Haiyan (fifth from left) and Director of the Department of International Co-operation at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Forbes July (sixth from right) (Delano Williams photo)

THE award of scholar ships to 12 Guyanese for study in the People’s Republic of China at various tertiary institu tions was announced on Friday. The scholarships were handed out at the Chi nese Embassy in Guyana where the awardees were urged to take full advan tage of the opportunity of studyingDeliveringabroad.remarks at the ceremony was Minis ter of Public Service, So nia Parag, who reminded that Guyana and China have enjoyed a long standing relationship in many sectors including education.Against this back drop, she praised the scholarship programme by the Government of China, noting that such an initiative is impor tant even as the Govern ment of Guyana has also embarked on a strong scholarship programme targeted to all Guyanese. It was then that she congratulated the awar dees who will be leaving for China soon and urged them to strike a balance between pursuing their academics and learning about a new culture and country.With that, she told the scholars to ensure that they learn the language, experience the culture and to stay dedicated to success in their studies. The public service minister further noted that focusing on selfdevelopment and creat ing independence can be two of the most valuable things that young per sons can do for them selves.“So, as you students go off and as you start this new journey I wish you all the best. I look forward to you coming back,” Parag ana,sadorMeanwhile,expressed.AmbasofChinatoGuyGuoHaiyan,said that in this year’s cohort twelve scholarships have been awarded, nine of which are being funded by China’s central gov ernment while another three are being funded by Jiangsu Provincial government.Itwasrevealed that of the 12 scholarships awarded, seven persons will be pursuing studies in the medical field while the other five accounts

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Saturday August 27, 2022 5

Twelve Guyanese scholars awarded China-funded scholarships

for a number of other fields.The Ambassador said that the Chinese Govern ment has been continu ously supporting Guy ana’s development and transformation, adding that this is just another way of continuing this support.With that, she noted that since the beginning of 2022, China has pro vided a number of shortterm training sessions among other interven tions to better support the socio-economic transfor mation of Guyana. This, she said, is also part of the ongoing work and training being done by the 17th Chinese Medical Brigade here.

A FEW hallmarks of good leadership are foresight, con sistency, and quick, strategic action.

Visitors,

The influx of investors and the ease with which each they can do business transactions here, which might require their own modes of transportation, means increased prosperity for Guyanese. Added to that, we must also consider the capacity of the Guy ana Revenue Authority (GRA) which handles drivers’ licensing and whether there is a more strate gic way to ease off the burden from the GRA while, at the same time, building Guyana’s investor confi dence by providing more options for the mobility of investors here.

With the recent action, con sidering the number of persons who would likely need drivers’ permits considering the eco nomic and tourism activities in the country, and the fact that those will definitely increase over the coming years, this cur rent amendment to the Motor Vehicles and Road Traffic Act is planning for the future. For the historic Caribbean Premier League (CPL) finals and Guyana’s inaugural Cricket Car nival which will both happen here in the coming months, the 2022 in coming visitors’ data would likely spike as local hotels are already reporting booked-out rooms.

The announcement by President Irfaan Ali that visi tors to Guyana will be allowed to use their international driv er’s licences for 60 days without a permit must be grounded in a few scenarios which all relate to Guyana’s growth trajectory as a major player in petroleum, tourism, and sport.

Robust efforts being made to fix deplorable conditions in health sector left by APNU+AFC Coalition

“In 2021, most visitors trav elled to destination Guyana for holiday (64 per cent); business (12 per cent), and visiting friends and relatives (10 per cent), among other reasons (14 per cent). So far, Guyana has earned approximately $24B (up to Sep tember 2021), based on the aver age expenditure per visitor per type at US$1,060,” the Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA). Visitors can enjoy some amount of independence mov ing around the country at their own pace which could ultimately result in increased transfer of income to small and microbusinesses along the routes to, and at major tourist destinations in Georgetown and elsewhere. Guyana remains one of the world’s most lucrative invest ment destinations. Added to the International Monetary Fund (IMF)’s declaration earlier this year that Guyana’s economy remains resilient in the face of global economic tensions with a 47.2 per cent growth projection by the end of 2022, the country recorded positive economic growth on account of sustain able production in both oil and non-oil sectors, this newspaper reported in June 2022. With the aggressive push of the Guyana Office for Invest ment (GO-Invest) to secure investors from around the world, including the Middle East, the country must position itself to sustain the momentum already built through good economic planning at the local level.

Dear Editor, BY 2020, there was no X-Ray service at the New Amsterdam Hospital. The laboratory was unable to provide basic testing because either equipment was down or reagents were unavail able. Common medicines critical for patient care were mostly unavailable almost all the time. Beds, bathrooms/ restrooms and the building in general were in need of urgent maintenance, the total environment was in deplorable state. The operat ing theatre had leaks, fungus/ mold had taken over the walls, basic equipment was in need of repairs, the wards were in shameful conditions, even sheets and pillows were missing and urgent painting was needed across the board. Operating room tables and delivery beds were in poor condition. The CTG foetal-monitoring equip ment no longer existed in the delivery rooms. The dental suite, including the broken dental chair, was in shameful condition. The oxygen-therapy system was unreliable. The hospital back-up generator’s ATS for automatic switching on was not function ing. Washing machines and dryers were no longer function ing. Basic medical supplies were in severe shortage. The solar panels needed rehabilitation. The hospital roofs were leaking. There was a general clutter in the hospital compound and the sewer system was overflowing. Adding to the unseemly sight in the hospital environment, the incinerator required major overhaul and rehabilitation. The mortuary was out of service. The hospital’s ambulances were barely serviceable. This was the sad state at the New Amsterdam Hospital in Au gust 2020. It was disappointing that the media paid no attention. This was not a unique situation at the New Amsterdam Hospital. The whole health sector had been totally neglected. While the media was preoccupied with other mat ters, they paid little to no attention to the dire situation at the New Amsterdam Hospital and across the health sector. Since that time, beginning in August 2020, when a new Minis ter of Health was appointed and a new PPP government came into office, major initiatives have been taken to remedy the situation at the New Amsterdam Hospital and throughout the health sector. The description that Kaieteur News used in an editorial on Wednes day, September 24 and in earlier articles that they claimed the IDB now has found in a study refers to the conditions the MoH was addressing from August 2020 and used as the basis for rehabilitation and upgrading plans that were put together since that time. At New Amsterdam Hospital, a new X-Ray machine has been functioning since early 2021; ear lier in 2022 a new mobile digital X-ray was procured and function ing, presently a new fixed-site digital X-Ray is being installed. A CT machine has been provided and has been operationalised, laboratory equipment has been procured, ECG equipment, ultra sound machines, CTG for foetal monitoring in the delivery rooms, better systems for supplies have been put in place, basic mainte nance work on the existing oper ating theatres have been done, a new maternity building, with three new operating theatres is about to be commissioned, operating room tables, new delivery beds and new ICU beds have been procured, new ventilators and anaesthetic machines have been installed. A new oxygen-therapy system is in place. The ATS for the backup generator has been installed. The solar system now contributes 20 per cent of the energy needs of the hospital. There are now new ambulances for the hospital. A new chemotherapy building will be operationalised in a few weeks. The dialysis centre has been reac tivated. A new, fully-equipped In fectious Disease Building has been constructed and operationalised. General environmental clean-up has been put in place. Upgrading of the laundry services has been embarked on. In addition, a major upgrade of the hospital is planned under the IDB project that the government has negotiated. The plans devel oped by the MoH include a new emergency and trauma building, expansion of the operating theatre suites, a new ICU and HDU area, new neonatal unit, etc. Already a chemotherapy area is ready to be commissioned. The work identi fied at the New Amsterdam Hos pital is what the government has planned. The IDB project will be a part of the planned work. While it is encouraging that news entities like KN are again interested in what occurs in the health sector, we completely reject the attempt by the KN to transfer the neglect that was evident at the New Amsterdam Hospital before August 2020 to the PPP govern ment. KN must have reasons why when those deplorable situations existed it paid no attention as it stood by before 2020 without ever highlighting the scandalous situation at the New Amsterdam Hospital. We would like to assure everyone that what is described in KN for New Amsterdam Hospital is far from what really exists at the hospital presently. While we have made significant progress, the MoH and the Region Six admin istration are well aware that con ditions are not yet what the MoH would want the New Amsterdam Hospital to be. The IDB project being for mulated for the New Amsterdam Hospital is using the state of the hospital at the time the MoH began putting together the plan in 2020 to correct the situation and to upgrade the hospital. While the situation is very different today, this is still a work in progress right now. Thus, the urgency to imple ment the major upgrading plan which the MoH has put together and which the IDB will fund.

Immediately, the move cre ates more business for car-rental services in Guyana. This news paper reported at the begin ning of this year that for 2021 alone, Guyana recorded 106,428 visitors to the country up to September 2021.

Welcome!

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Two years ago, when a new Minister of Health took office and a new Government was in place, the health sector was in a desperate place. It was clear that those in charge of the health sec tor in the years preceding 2020 had thoroughly neglected the sector. Significant investments have been made to address the many areas of neglect that were evident in August 2020. Much progress has been made, even as the health sector was occupied with a COVID-19 response. The reports in the media, particularly in KN, are referring to the state of affairs the PPP Government inherited, identified and have been correcting. The media essentially remain two years late. The work identified, some of which have been on-going over the last two years, are works which the PPP government has put in place to upgrade services in our hospitals. The IDB has agreed to work with us to finance some of the various works we have undertaken.Outside of the New Amster dam Hospital, the situation at other hospitals was not differ ent. Similarly, the neglect of the health centres and health posts was shameful. The IDB conducted an assessment of more than 330 health centres and health posts in all 10 regions in 2018/2019. The assessment was a Service Avail ability and Readiness Assessment (SARA). The report showed that the primary health care system was, like the hospitals, totally neglected. Many of the health cen tres and health posts had broken beds and furniture, leaking roofs, broken windows and doors, many had problems with utilities, such as electricity and water and many otherSinceproblems.August 2020, a massive effort to remedy this situation in health centres and health posts has been undertaken, with an in vestment over the two years that amount to more than $1.5B. From RHOs’ reports over this past year, greater than 90 per cent of health posts/health centres today have electricity and water. Most of the health centres/posts today benefit from improvement. Many have been repainted, most had waiting areas constructed, wash rooms have been upgraded, most have running water, most have access to electricity, etc. In the coming years, every one of these facilities will benefit from further upgrad ing in infrastructure, technology, medicine and supplies and human resource.Asfar as the hospitals are con cerned, including the New Am sterdam Hospital, the government has made significant progress in improving the conditions. While efforts at rehabilitation and im proved maintenance are continu ing, the government recognises the need for massive investment

Meanwhile, government is working to ensure that adequate, temporary housing is provided through encouraging citizens to open sections of their homes as Air B&Bs, or also through the initiative announced by Presi dent Ali earlier this year where 300 prefabricated houses will be built on lands set aside to accommodate CPL visitors. The revenue generated from that arrangement will go towards supporting local low-income, first-time home owners. With the influx of visi tors expected this year, the President’s announcement of the amendment to the driving laws, which creates greater leeway for visitors to use their official drivers’ licences from their countries of origin once those are issued by the official authority there and once those visitors can demonstrate their legal entry and permission to stay in Guyana, is timely, and, as noted earlier, a reflection of visionary leadership needed in an ever-growing Guyana.

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The Berbice Expo returns as well with more than 25,000 persons expected to attend, with participation from Suriname. The Rupununi Expo will also be back along the Christmas Village on Main Street. The Ministry of Tourism, Industry and Commerce care fully budgeted funding for these expositions (and other programmes) by which our small businesses (including agro-processors) receive valu able exposure for their prod ucts. This track record in forms my humble view that the government is and will remain committed to “aid[ing] recovery from COVID busi ness blues” not only for agroprocessors, but also for all small businesses through and beyond the pandemic. Yours truly, John DirectorEdghillofBusiness and Entrepreneur Development Ministry of Tourism, In dustry and Commerce to upgrade many of the facilities. The sector has developed an ambitious plan for upgrading all existing hospitals in the country. The IDB has been a major partner in the health sector for a long time. The IDB is partnering with the Government of Guyana in the upgrading of three facilities: the GPHC, the New Amsterdam Hospital and the Linden Hospital. The Government of Guyana has identified areas for upgrades in these hospitals, including more comfortable, more modern fa cilities for emergency medicine, better operating theatres, better diagnostic facilities and improved in-patient areas. For these three hospitals, the government has al located US$160M from the IDB portfolio to support major upgrade of these facilities. In the first phase, US$460M is being earmarked from this loan. Just over US$48M will flow towards improvement of three hospitals. More than U$S7M will flow towards introduction and rolling out of a telemedicine pro gramme. Just over US$3M will be directed to overall service delivery across the health sector. Outside of the three hospitals which are the target hospitals for the IDB loan, other invest ments are being made to upgrade existing hospitals. Among major inputs, Suddie, West Demerara and Bartica Hospitals are pres ently on the books, with designs for new hospitals completed and new construction for these hospitals planned. Presently, fi nancing is being arranged by the government for these hospitals. Skeldon and Fort Wellington Hospitals are being replaced by new construction at new sites. Land preparations for these two hospitals have already begun. In addition, the construction of new hospitals are being started now at Enmore, Little Diamond, De Kendren and Anna Regina. Construction of a new Maternal and Children’s Hospital will start in weeks at Ogle. Since August 2020, given the deplorable conditions in the health sector, these plans were being put together by the new government. The urgency of mobilising resources for the plans the ministry put together for correcting the neglect and upgrading the sector was im mediately recognised. The IDB reports reflect the need that existed then and the reason why resources were being mobilised. We urge newspapers and others to be more conversant with the reasons why the rehabilitation and upgrading are being done. The works being done are works that have been put together, not by the IDB, but by the Ministry of Health. The IDB will help fund some of the works still to be done.Yours sincerely, Dr Leslie Ramsammy financial support with unplanned expenditure

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Saturday August 27, 2022 7

Yearwood should do some thinking before talking Not always possible to provide

Editor, Jonathan Year wood’s position on the removal of migrated Guyanese from General Register/PLE and/ or OLE has been dealt with by the judiciary which had ruled that to do so would be unconstitutional. I do however respect Yearwood’s right to his opinion and while I wonder if this position is to disqualify the majority of the ANUG execu tive from participating in elec tions, I would suggest he does some thinking before talking, failing which he should stick to pugilistic exploits with his nemesis Carol Smith-Joseph and leave the politics to those who use more than Google searches to form opinions and represent the rights of ALL Guyanese. The actual number of schoolchildren eligible for the ‘Because we care’ grant is 202,613; a little knowledge is a dangerous thing, even more so in the age of Google where ‘Artificial intelligence has more than one meaning.

Yours sincerely, Robin Singh Dear Editor, I HAVE taken note of the Sta broek Business article titled, “Local agro processors hopeful that Florida Trade Expo will aid recovery from COVID busi ness blues” (Stabroek Business August 26, 2022). This follows a Stabroek Business Edito rial of August 19, 2022, titled: “Gov’t must ‘cough up’ for agro-processors participation in Florida Trade Fair.” Editor, an inescapable fea ture in the task of governing, is the need to manage finite resources in the face of compet ing priorities. Thus, while the Ministry of Tourism, Industry and Commerce works tirelessly to support small business devel opment in the face of finite re sources, the unfortunate reality is that not all deserving initiatives can receive financial support. Additionally, such initiatives as are supported, are usually those for which provision has been made in the Appropriations Act which is carefully crafted prior to the year of expenditure to execute the vision of the govern ment. It is therefore not always possible to provide financial support to unplanned expendi ture, such as participation in the Florida Trade Fair. I should note that attendance at trade fairs is only one of the ways in which government sup ports small businesses. We have for example disbursed grants to over 700 small businesses in clusive of agro-processors, and we have assisted with training and capacity development. We should not forget that it is this government which implemented the measures by which 20 per cent of all government procure ment is earmarked for small businesses. This would include agr0-processors who have the chance to supply many govern ment institutions which procure dietary supplies.

Robust efforts being made to... FROM PAGE 6

With specific reference to business and trade develop ment, I can attest that this year, Guyana and Guyanese products were well represented at the World Expo in Dubai, with thousands of persons from 190 countries being exposed to their items. The inaugural investment Agri-Investment Forum and Expo brought investors from the CARICOM region and beyond in contact with local exhibi tors, including small businesses. Similarly, at the recently con cluded second Agri-Investment Forum and Expo in Trinidad and Tobago, our local agro-proces sors were on show with support from the government. Addition ally, over 50 businesses also attended the three–day AgroFest in Barbados, again with support from the government. Govern ment’s financial support to small business also includes our sup port to GCCI’s National Small Business Week and Expo, To gether We Win’s Small Business Conference and Expo, GMSA’s Uncapped Marketplace and the International Building Expo. All of these ventures were hailed as great successes by the organisers and much more importantly, by the exhibitors themselves. Looking forward to the re mainder of the year, Guyana’s premier trade fair and expo— GuyExpo, returns in December and more than 400 businesses are expected to be on display, including small agro-processors.

Dear GUYANESEEditor, should be wary of the ‘Google politicians,’ for Google gives access to in formation but does not teach logic and reasoning. Jonathan Yearwood (founding member ANUG) proves this in his latest outburst on Facebook, “Ac cording to Google, Guyana’s population in Guyana was 786,559 in 2020. According to the Because We Care Cash Grant 2022, there are some 194,000 schoolchildren who are therefore not eligible to vote.” Guyana will undertake a new census which begins on the 15th September, 2022 and will give us detailed informa tion on the size and composi tion of the populace when completed. Google will duly use this information to update its database and Yearwood can regurgitate with every confi dence. To unravel (debunk is now a bad word) Yearwood’s arguments on the size of the Preliminary Voters List (PLE) will take some patience. Guyanese are eligible to be registered at age 14 on the National Register of Registrants, this is the list from which the PLE is extracted; only persons who are 18 or older (there is a cutoff date before every elec tion) are eligible to vote, hence, as the date of the election chang es, so does the size of the PLE. Preliminary is the important word in the PLE, as this list is published in the public domain nationwide (outside GECOM of fices) for a period called ‘Claims and Objections.’ It is here that Yearwood can object to any person’s eligibility to participate in our democracy. The PLE is scoured by the large number of party activists in every area for inclusions and exclusions; one can forgive Yearwood’s lack of understanding of the machinery as ANUG had Kian Jabour, an executive member who was not on the General Register, the PLE, or Official List of Electors (OLE) and therefore was not eligible to vote in 2020. When someone’s name is omitted from the PLE, a claim is made; the person presents his/her self to the GECOM officials and is processed for inclusion in the OLE. Objections can be made to any name on a PLE (by a person on the same list or a scrutineer for that district) if a name is on the PLE and he/she is not known to reside at the address that ac companies that name or is known to have died; the burden is on the objector to provide evidence to support the Yearwoodobjection.alsoclaims that names of the deceased populate the list, “Yes we know that per sons who are on the List may have migrated and maybe died, but their families have never sent a copy of the death certificate to the GRO for the names to be removed from the List.” While families are not precluded from sending death certificates to GECOM, the GRO (General Register Office) produces that certificate and there is no logical reason for the families to send the GRO a copy; the GRO as a matter of routine, sends a monthly death report to the Commissioner of Registration which is used to remove names from the General Register. In the odd event of a name not being removed from the register, not noticed/objected to by area residents/party scruti neers, and being included in an OLE, there are other systemic methods to prevent someone from using that name to vote, GECOM staff, the folio, ink, party polling day agents and observer missions. The days of the voting dead are well behind this nation and the systems are near infallible and would require criminal collusion of at least five people at any poll ing station.

sector.issuesthatitselfAPNU+AFC,opposition-hasfoundstillcraftingaplanaddressesthecriticalintheoilandgasOnTuesday,sevenyearssincetheAPNU+AFCtookofficein2015,andtwoyearssinceitsdefeatatthe2020GeneralandRegionalElections(GRE)despiteattemptstorigtheelectioninfullviewoftheworld,OppositionLeaderAubreyNorton,alsoPNC/RLeader,foundhimselffacingabarrageofquestionsfromjournalistsathisweeklypressconferenceonhisparty’splansforthepetroleumsector.Inthepast,thecoalitionparties,whileingov

The Production Shar ing Agreement (PSA) be tween the Government of Guyana and ExxonMobil affiliate Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited was signed in 2016.Discussions have been ongoing about the nature of the Production Sharing Agreement (PSA) Guyana has entered with Exxon Mobil for the Stabroek Block since oil was dis covered back in 2015. It should also be not ed that it was under the APNU+AFC government that production got under way in December 2019. By all appearances, the APNU + AFC, while in government, spent much time celebrating the idea of first oil, including with grand fireworks displays, but was not preparing Guyana administratively to deal with first oil. The Dr. Irfaan Ali-led People’s Progressive Par ty/Civic administration entered government in August 2020. The party has main tained that the failure of the coalition government to manage the oil and gas sector has left the current administration saddled with the task of prepar ing the country for the industry.ThePPP/C adminis tration has been firm on positions in the oil and gas sector. President Ali and Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo have maintained that while the 2016 PSA was too generous, future contracts would seek to secure a more favourable deal for Guyanese. The Government has been focused on build ing up Guyana’s institu tional capacity to oversee and manage the oil and gas sector, while, at the same time, enhancing the legislative framework for greater accountability and safeguards to ensure that Guyanese benefit from the sector.

Pressed further by reporters to explain the party’s position on the re negotiation of the existing production sharing agree ment (PSA) signed by the APNU+AFC admin istration in 2016, Norton stated, “All I would say to you, there will be at some stage shortly… a clear document setting out our position on oil and gas.”

8 GUYANA CHRONICLE, Saturday August 27, 2022

SINCE 2015, the world, Guyanese included, knew that commercial quanti ties of oil were found offshore Guyana, open ing the door for the rapid transformation of the country. The announcement came around the time the A Partnership for Nation al Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC), then led by David Granger, enteredDespiteoffice.a myriad of resources at its fingertips in government including access to research, techni cal skills, and the very seat of power to effect change, the People’s National Con gress/Reform (PNC/R), still the dominant part in the now ernment, offered sporadic responses on issues which arose in the sector. True to form, Mr Nor ton, on Tuesday, told the media corps: “The law says that and there are a number of things we can do. Renegotiation might be one, but there are many other things we can do and, like I said, at some stage in the near future, we will outline a clear position on this“Remember,issue. we are a political party, we got to keep something to cam paign on and we will out line them and make a posi tion much clearer on these issues.”Mr.Norton added, “We have an oil and gas com

Parliamentary Opposition Leader and PNC/R Leader, Aubrey Norton mittee of which Mr. Elson Lowe is a part. We have worked out our views and proposals and we have continued to refine them. “Yes, we have ideas and as we see fit, we will release those ideas.”

failed to ‘prep’ Guyana for oil boom - failed to outline vision for oil and gas sector in gov’t and opposition

APNU+AFC

Desist from contract bundling

Local Content Secretariat issues final caution to contractors and sub-contractors

Natural Resources Minister, Vickram Bharrat minimum local content levels as set out in the First Schedule, in keep ing with section 7(1) of the Act.“By failing to achieve the minimum local content levels, the contractor or subcontractor will not be awarded the Certificate of Compliance by the Secretariat at the end of the calendar year. Without a Certificate of Compliance, it means that the contractor or sub-contractor has failed to carry out petroleum operations without the minimum local content requirement, thereby committing an offence and is liable on sum mary conviction to a fine of fifty (50) million dollars.

Rest assured that the Ministry of Natu ral Resources and the Local Content Secre tariat are committed to working continuously with all stakeholders in Guyana’s oil and gas sector to ensure maximum participa tion of locals and the attainment of leasedevelopment,”capacitytheresaid.

THE Local Content Secretariat has issued a final caution to con tractors and sub-con tractors to desist from the practice of contract bundling in Guyana as stated on the First Schedule of the Local Content Act with re spect to any competi tive bidding award. A release from the secretariat was at the time responding to two articles headlined “There is nothing we can do” and Local Con tent law gives Minis ter Bharrat the power to regulate bundling of contracts, payment de lays published in the Kaieteur News on Au gustAccording18. to the re lease, the government through the Ministry of Natural Resources continues to dialogue with all stakeholders of Guyana’s petroleum sec tor, including the private sector.Such dialogue, it said, is aimed at ensur ing that the goals of the Local Content Act are achieved to ensure Guyanese reap the ben efits of this lucrative and rapidly expanding sec tor. On August 16, 2022, Natural Resources Min ister, Vickram Bharrat, met with the Private Sector Commission’s Local Content Adviso ry Committee (LCAG) where a slew of princi ple local content matters wereThediscussed.release noted that among the multi tude of issues discussed, specific emphasis was placed on the bundling of contracts and lengthy payment periods. There was a general agree ment to continue push ing for the unbundling of contracts as well as examining a 30-day pay ment period for small and medium-sized busi nesses, the release said. It also noted that the secretariat reminded that any contract awarded after the Act came into force, where there is the bundling of con tracts with respect to services stated on the First Schedule of the Act, will not be rec ognised or counted to wards the measurement of compliance with the

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Saturday August 27, 2022 9

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GIVEN that mercury is in all the gold it receives, the Guyana Gold Board’s laboratory staff are tested twice per week for the presence of the toxic metal in their bodies. This is according to the assistant head of the laboratory, Chandradat Per saud, who spoke to the Guyana Chronicle at the Mining Expo which was recently held at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC).Hesaid that gold miners are able to visit the labora tory to have their gold tested and refined after extraction.

10 GUYANA CHRONICLE, Saturday August 27, 2022

In 2018, the Guyana Geology and Mines Com mission (GGMC) began making the gold cube -- a unique piece of gold pros pecting equipment -- avail able to miners at its Brick dam location at a cost of US$400 safestequipmentmercuryforG$80,000).(approximatelyAstheworldpreparesthephasingoutofuseby2027,thisissaidtobethewaytoextractgold.

During the Mining Expo, a gold cube was on display and officials were on hand to demonstrate how it (Storyworks.by Onessa Brotherson, Qaaim Fordyce, Steve Sookraj and Fayon Williams)

A gold cube on display at the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) booth at the recently held Mining Expo

Persaud emphasised that almost all of the gold that is brought has mercury present and as such all employees are equipped with safety gear and are given urine and blood tests at least twice a week to check their mercury levels.He added that if safety precautions are not main tained, employees will be come exposed to several health risks including mem ory loss, decreased vision, decreased hearing and the poor control of hands and feet.“Quicksilver” as it is commonly known, has long been a key component in the extraction of gold. This liq uid metal is mixed with ore containing gold to form an amalgam, following which the unwanted material is washed away. The amalgam is then heated to burn off the mercury, and the gold is left behind.Mercury is one of the most poisonous substances on earth, and its effects on human health and the en vironment are catastrophic.

Gold Board ‘lab’ staff being tested weekly for mercury poisoning

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12 GUYANA CHRONICLE, Saturday August 27, 2022

Tax-free day’s pay for qualified Albion/Port Mourant Estate

Albion Port Mourant, Estate Manager (ag), Balraj Dhanraj

. According to the re lease, this is the second consecutive weekly target achieved by this estate, exceeding its last target by two per cent. As a result of this achievement, quali fied employees who worked 80 per cent or more days available for that week will ben efit from an additional tax-free day’s pay.

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Saturday August 27, 2022 13

tionanareleaseendingtargetsugaragainMourantAlbion/PortEstatehassurpasseditsproductionfortheweekAugust27,afromtheGuySugarCorpora(GuySuCo)said

THE

He added that de spite the three days of inclement weather the past week, workers’ motivation remained high after the previous week’s achievement of 13.5 per cent.

Balraj Dhanraj, Es tate Manager Albion Estate (ag) is happy with the performance of the “Theworkers.estatehas met all of the operating parameters and the tonnes cane to tonnes sugar ratio (Tc/TS) for the week is 11.46 ver sus the budgeted 12.8 Tc/Ts. This is consid ered a plus for the es tate in achieving the target, since we are utilising less cane to produce more sugar.”

“The theproductionsurpasstourgesonAlbion/Portmentulatesmanagementexecutivecongrat-themanageandworkersofMouranttheirsuccessandalltheestatescontinuestrivingtotheirweeklytargets,”releasesaid. workers - estate surpasses weekly production target for second consecutive week

While the Rupununi region has always had a good history of hosting LGBTQ+ guests in the past, Mc Turk pointed out that being able to feel safe and be respected is what everyone desires when looking for a holiday des tination.“With this in mind it is important for the Rupu nuni that we continue to equip ourselves with the skills and knowledge to appeal to an ever-growing market base to ensuring that all visitors to the Ru pununi are treated with equal respect and consid eration,” Mc Turk said. According to the re lease, the Memorandum of Understanding formal ises the partnership be tween these organisations whose common goal is to promote the Rupununi as a tourism destination that is LGBTQ+ friendly. “One of the ways the parties to the agreement plan to do this is hav ing the Guyana LGBTQ+ Coalition train members of Visit Rupununi on LGBTQ+ issues in order to sensitise their repre sentatives. The Guyana LGBTQ+ Coalition will begin by training 15-20 Visit Rupununi trainers, and the training will teach them how to deliver the training themselves within their class,personssafepununitobeBTQ+laborationsaybillion,power,perinthebillionworthBTQ+Turkdollar”andforward,”organization,goingthereleasesaid.Notingtheimportancevalueofthe“pinkinternationally,Mcsharedthat“theLGtravelmarketwasmorethanUS$218worldwidewhileLGBTQ+communitytheUSalone,spends10centofitspurchasingornearlyUS$100onluxurytravel.”McTurkwentontothat“throughourcolwiththeLGCoalition,wewilltakingthefirststepsensuringthattheRuisaregionthatisandwelcomingtoallregardlessofrace,orsexualorienta tion.”In supporting the sen timents of the Visit Rupu nuni President, Simpson said that “certainly from a business perspective, the private sector understands that there is no room for discrimination, money doesn’t discriminate, when you make money, you don’t make gay or straight money.” He went on to say that “all of us will benefit the more inclusive our society becomes in every single, sector and this is something Guyanese believe, that if we allow everybody to participate in the economy, we al low everybody to work, to earn a living without discrimination, all of us will benefit, all of us will experience development.”

VISIT Rupununi and the Guyana LGBTQ+ Coalition on Thursday signed a Memorandum of Understanding, signi fying the beginning of a partnership to promote the Rupununi region of Guyana as a warm and welcoming destination for LGBTQ+ tourists.

Rupununi being promoted as welcoming destination for LGBTQ+ tourists

Elderly couple seeks

FLOOD-RELIEF sup plies have been distrib uted to residents of Kai kan and other neigh bouring villages along the Cuyuni River in Region Seven (CuyuniMazaruni), who were affected by the high tides earlier this week. The Civil Defence Commission (CDC) in a press release said un der the guidance of the National Flood Monitor ing Taskforce, the body responded to reports of inundation in several vil lages including Carboo, Rock Landing, Wenamu andTheEteringbang.CDCalso said at least 100 persons residing along the Cuyuni River have been affected by the rising waters. As such, relief sup plies have been distrib uted to several areas through the regional au thorities and the Guyana Defence Force, and more supplies are scheduled to be delivered shortly. Meanwhile, the CDC has an assessment team in the region working to further assess the developing situation. Residents countrywide are encouraged to re port all flood impacts to local authorities or the National Emergen cy Monitoring System (NEMS) on 600-7500 or 226-1114.

The badly damaged house

Visit Rupununi is a non-profit regional des tination marketing and management organisation which has been develop ing sustainable eco-tour ism products within the Rupununi region, while conserving the naturebased, traditional heritage of local indigenous peo ples and the wider Rupu nuni region, a release said. The Guyana LGBTQ+ Coalition comprises the Guyana Trans United (GTU), SASOD Guy ana and SWAG. Together, these organisations have been tirelessly advocating for the rights of LGBTQ+ people in ProvidingGuyana.brief re marks before signing the historic agreement, Presi dent of Visit Rupununi, Melanie McTurk, shared details about their ecotourism products which are centred on nature, wildlife conservation and outstanding hospitality.

Visit MelaniePresident,RupununiMcTurk the Memorandum of Understanding signi fies the beginning of a strong partnership between the Guyana LGBTQ+ Coalition and Visit Rupununi. The parties are com mitted to promoting Guyana as a safe and warm tourism destina tion that is LGBTQ+ friendly for everyone within and outside of Guyana,” the release said. help after house collapses

Meanwhile, Budhoo is seeking assistance from the public to rebuild the house. She is also in need of food supplies.Sherelated that she was asleep when she heard a loud noise followed by the house shaking. Within seconds, the wooden house began to col lapse. The woman said she hurriedly jumped through a window and began calling for help as her husband was trapped inside. They are currently stay ing with a neighbour. Any one desirous of helping the couple can make contact with them on 658-2899.

Region Seven residents get flood-relief supplies

Residents manoeuvring through floodwaters (Kenneth Williams photo)

“The signing of

14 GUYANA CHRONICLE, Saturday August 27, 2022

AN elderly Number 68 Vil lage, Corentyne couple is contemplating their next move after their house col lapsed with them inside on Thursday evening. Parbattie Budhoo called “Sisto” and her husband Natool Madray, who is in his sixties and is bedridden, were found beneath the rubble by neighbours who rushed to the scene after hearing loud sounds and cries for help. Budhoo managed to jump through a bedroom window to safety.Speaking with the media on Friday, Tehtree Bridgelall recalled that she woke her family members and quickly went to the couple’s home after hearing Budhoo calling for help.“Ihear ‘Ow! Ow! All yuh come help meh.’ So, me and my family hurry out. Me say come like ah house fall top them so we went in to assist. My son went in and picked up the uncle from under the bed and make sure them ok,” she Shesaid. added: “It’s very devastating and sad for the elderly couple as they have no one to care for them and Budhoo is the sole breadwin ner who works for a small salary which she uses to take care of herself and sickly husband.”

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Saturday August 27, 2022 15

“…But the surround ing area and the infra structure that was there is totally gone,” he added. According to Sears, the Regional Democrat ic Council (RDC) had undertaken the cleaning and maintenance of the airstrip. However, heavy infrastructural repairs are needed to restore it.

Sears told this publica tion that if funding is se cured and once the work has been completed, the project will have the ca pacity to expand tourism in the region as it could welcome regional and in ternational flights as well as cargo, which will open doors for the extensive trading of goods. The airstrip is inter mittently used to facilitate the ‘Fly over Linden’ tours.The Linden airstrip is 5,000 feet long with a clearance of 300 feet and lies in the heart of the bauxite mining area. With Linden being strategically located, this transporta tion port can be used by the hundreds of miners, entrepreneurs and persons residing and working in interior locations, who pass through Linden by road daily. Back in 2018, some upgrades were done. These included fencing, installation of a hangar, adequate lighting, wait ing area, toilet facilities, security, and a taxi ser vice. There was also a recommendation for the construction of a nearby hotel for passengers.

Rehabilitation of Linden airstrip being discussed

Head of Region 10 TourismDevinCommittee,Sears Work being done on the airstrip

TALKS are underway to secure funding for the rehabilitation of the airstrip in Linden, Re gion 10, according to the head of the region’s tourism committee, Devin Sears. Sears, in a recent in terview with the Guyana Chronicle, said the com mittee has been engaging the Guyana Office for Investment (Go-Invest), and other key stakehold ers to secure funding for the Heproject.revealed that the airstrip was first built in the 1950s and was mostly used by privately-owned mining“Thecompanies.airstripis more than a half mile long and it is fully asphalt. It was privately-owned by the bauxite company initially during the 50s and they use to use that to bring in worker’s salary and transport goods,” Sears explained.

“The RDC [Region al Democratic Coun cil] carried out several projects with clearing the area, but you know there was poor main tenance, so right now it is in a terrible state. What we are pushing for right now is [to] try to rehabilitate the entire airstrip, put back infra structure,” he CoomackawillIfBOSAI’stoisairstrip.andcontributesThecompanyedairstrip,toaccessnotedAdditionally,said.Searsthatanadditionalroadisalsoneededgettotheairstrip.CurrentlytoaccessthearoadconstructbytheBosaiMiningisbeingused.miningcompanyalsototheclearingmaintenanceofthe“Anotheraccessroadneeded.Theonlywaygetthereisthroughprivateroad.thatisdone,theroadhavetocomefromMines,”he said.He noted that some efforts were made by the Linden Town Council to acquire funding for the airstrip, however, those efforts were futile.

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22 GUYANA CHRONICLE, Saturday, August 27, 2022 SouthRACINGTIPSAfricaRacingTips Scottsville 08:25 hrs Over The Ice 09:00 hrs Mysterious Girl 09:35 hrs Master Tobe 10:05 hrs Gallic Chief 10:40 hrs Slim Jannie Irish Racing Tips Curragh 08:20 hrs Cairo 08:55 hrs Caroline Street 09:30 hrs Treasure Trove 10:05 hrs King Of Bavaria 10:40 hrs Juncture 11:15 hrs Saltonstall 11:50 hrs One Sweet Day 12:25 hrs Karoke English Racing Tips Newmarket 08:45 hrs Endeared 09:10 hrs Wowzers 09:45 hrs Eddie’s Boy 10:15 hrs 10:50AmbassadorGreathrsSoapy Stevens 11:25 hrs Poet11:55SoundhelmSimplyhrsThePrinces Goodwood 08:50 hrs Queen Olly 09:25 hrs Lyndon B 10:00 HRS Hoo Ya Mal 10:35 hrs Mutasaabeq 11:10 hrs Lavender 11:45Beautyhrs Precisely 12:20 hrs Aggagio Cartmel 09:50 hrs No Trouble 10:25 hrs Simply Red 11:00 hrs Hereditary 11:34Rule hrs Joly Maker 12:05 hrs The Grey 12:40Montyhrs Mandocello 13:10 hrs Redwood Queen American Racing Tips Saratoga Race 2 Alexis Zorba Race 3 Bold Journey Race 3 Lomista Race 5 Jackie’s Warrior Race 6 Life Changer Race 7 Ranger Fox Race 8 Jack Christopher Race 9 Race10ClairiereBroome Canadian Racing Tips Woodbine Race 1 Everyday Magic Race 2 Salady Race 3 Flowers’n Berries Race 4 Juragery Race 5 Coltons Dream Race 6 Fortyfiveseventy Race 7 Loaded Vixen Race 8Ghaleb The Great Race 9 Guileful

(1) Kyle Mayers-105 (Third ODI, Barbados) (2) Finn Allen-96 (Second ODI, Barbados) Today’s Quiz:

Stokes, Foakes centuries give England control

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Saturday, August 27, 2022 23

Harmer’s solitary over on the first eve ning hadn’t given much away about his impend ing impact, although his reputation precedes him following his exploits for Essex. However, his first delivery of the day - to Foakes - was a juicy full toss, stroked through the covers for four, and when Stokes greeted him in the same over with an easy heave over midwicket for his first six, the die was cast for an uncomfortable day’s work, in which Harm er’s solitary wicket would be that of Broad in his 23rd and final over of the innings.

(1) What were the best bowling figures by a WI bowler in the recent ODI series versus NZ? (2) What were the best bowling figures by a NZ bowler in the series?

For South Africa’s se nior pair could not go on forever, and having opted to include the second spinner in Simon Harmer in place of the left-arm pace of Marco Jansen, Elgar’s options were severely limited, given that Harmer and Maharaj would have been banking on a South Africa first in nings extending beyond a mere 53.2 overs, and a more used surface on which to ply their trade.

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER (Saturday August 27, 2022)

(ESPNCRICINFO)For all that he has overseen a radical transfor mation in his team’s success and self-belief, this summer has been a curious one for Ben Stokes, the Test-match batter. There had been a se ries of starts -particularly against New Zealandbut a succession of shortlived slogs too, as if his desire to communicate a message of overt posi tivity to his team had run in direct opposition to the oddly accumulative methods that have tended to produce his best Test innings.Buton the second day at Emirates Old Traf ford, Stokes finally had the stage upon which to craft a finished article. His magnificent innings of 103 from 163 balls - his 12th Test century, and his first since the tour of the West Indies in March - came in the midst of a game-seizing stand of 173 for the sixth wicket with Ben Foakes, who went on to top-score with an unbeaten 113, his second England hun dred after a memorable debut against Sri Lanka in 2018.Between them, Stokes and Foakes turned a po sition of English domi nance into one of utter serenity - one in which the sight of Stokes him self giving his innings away with a mad mow, moments after reaching his hundred, resulted not in recriminations at a position of dominance squandered, but in a glee fully freewheeling re sponse from the tail. As Foakes ticked along to his own beat, resolutely providing the adult supervision to En gland’s innings before seizing his moment of glory with a cut for four through backward point, the afternoon gave way to a series of cameos from Stuart Broad, Ollie Robinson and perhaps most preposterously, Jack Leach, whose switch-hit four through extra cover off Keshav Maharaj re duced a visibly relaxed home balcony to hys terics.By this stage, James Anderson had aban doned his batting pads, and sure enough Stokes waved them in at the fall of Leach’s wicket, to expose South Africa’s browbeaten fielders to nine overs of new-ball pressure.Dean Elgar and Sarel Erwee ground their way to the close with few alarms, but with a per manent coterie of close catchers in position - a reminder that England are minded to make ev ery error count, with no fewer than three full days yawning in front of their opponents.Ithad briefly been a different game in the far-distant morning ses sion, in which England resumed on 111 for 3 in reply to South Africa’s sub-par 151 - a healthy position, but far from a dominant one, least of all with a pumped-up Anrich Nortje breathing fire once more from the Brian Statham End. With reverse-swing and pace in abundance, Nortje blasted out both of England’s overnight batters, Jonny Bairstow and Zak Crawley, before the remnants of their 40run overnight deficit had been written off, and at 147 for 5 in the 36th over, there was a frisson of jeopardy in the air as Stokes and Foakes came together. Suddenly, En gland’s twin collapses to 161 and 149 at Lord’s felt very recent indeed. But if Dean Elgar, South Africa’s captain, was not already ruing his match choices, after foregoing those prime seam-bowling conditions on the first morning, he surely was by the midpoint of a flaccid after noon’s performance.

Ben Foakes and Ben Stokes’ surfeit of early caution gave way to gentle acceleration (Getty Images)

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Answers to yesterday’s quiz:

Answers in tomorrow’s issue

24 GUYANA CHRONICLE, Saturday, August 27, 2022 (BBC) - Title rivals Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc will start the Bel gian Grand Prix from the back of the grid. The Red Bull and Ferra ri stars are two of six driv ers to be penalised for using too many engine parts, with McLaren’s Lando Norris beingVerstappen,another. who leads Leclerc by 80 points in the championship, set the pace in Friday practice, an eye-opening 0.862secs quicker than Leclerc. Norris was third, with Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton in sixth. Lance Stroll’s Aston Martin, normally outside the top 10, was a surprise fourth ahead of Carlos Sainz’s Ferrari. Fernando Alonso’s Alpine, George Russell’s Mercedes, Daniel Ricciardo’s McLaren and Sergio Perez’s Red Bull completed the top 10. The other drivers with engine penalties are Alfa Romeo’s Valtteri Bottas, Alpine’s Esteban Ocon and Haas’ Mick withthingsworkingaspossiblesetlookedstappen45.5gineer,informedanlysivelookedVerstappen’sSchumacher.pacehugelyimpresandLeclerccertainseemedtothinkitwasimposingtime.WhenofitbyhisenLeclercsaid:“Oh.isquick.”Afterthesession,Versaid:“Wejustathowwecouldupthecarinthebestwayandassoonwewentoutthecarwasprettywell.“Therearealwayslittleyouhavetofine-tunebalancebutbasically from the first run I was happy with the car. So far it has been a good start.” Sainz said: “I was com fortable and happy with the car. The end result is not looking very competitive, but I was very happy with the car in P1. “We did some changes in P2 that we know they might have not gone in the right direction but if you give me back the car of P1 we can be on the pace. “It is true that Verstap pen looked very quick to day in P2 with the new soft. In the long run we were closer but he seems to be on it this weekend and we are going to need to extract the maximum out of it.”

Both Mercedes drivers were struggling. Hamilton was 1.386 seconds slower than Verstappen and Rus sell 0.149 seconds further back.

Leclerc said: “Overall it wasn’t too bad a day. We tested quite a lot of things, I think everybody was on quite a different programme so difficult to compare on this first day back from the holidays. Low-fuel pace seems to be poor but high fuel seems to be quite OK. So we will try to come back stronger tomorrow.”

Max Verstappen (Oracle Red Bull Racing) during the 2nd free practice session ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Belgium at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps yesterday in SPA, Belgium. (Photo by ANP via Getty Images)

Verstappen; Leclerc and others take Engine penalties in Belgium

Hobbs LeagueDiamondwins100msprint

Hobbs was part of the American quartet that won gold in the women’s 4x100m relay at the World Championships last month

ExxonMobil U 14 Football Tournament Quarter-finals on today (BBC) - America’s Aleia Hobbs was a surprise winner in a highly antic ipated, women’s 100m after Jamaica’s ShellyAnn Fraser-Pryce pulled out with an injury and Elaine Thompson-Herah was disqualified at the Diamond League in Lausanne. Fraser-Pryce set the fourth-fastest ever women’s 100m in Monaco last“Beenmonth.struggling with some discomfort in my hamstring a couple of days now,” Fraser-Pryce posted on social “Unfortunatelymedia. it doesn’t seem to be getting anyThebetter.”35-year-old, who also won a record fifth women’s 100m world ti tle last month in Oregon, said she was “extremely disappointed” not to com pete but was hopeful she would recover in time for the meeting in Brussels next“Noweek.matter how hard we prepare sometimes things just don’t go as planned. The last thing I want to do is gain an injury or injure myself,” she said. Olympic Thompson-Herahchampionwasdis qualified following a false start as Hobbs finished in 10.87 seconds, ahead of Jamaica’s Shericka Jack son and Marie-Josee Ta Lou of the Ivory Coast. In the men’s 1500m, Olympic champion Ja kob Ingebrigtsen of Nor way ran the fastest time in the world this year with 3:29.05.The 21-year-old, who missed out to Britain’s Jake Wightman at the World clockingoneica’sfinalsabaBurundi’siccamewhileMcSweynAbelfinishedChampionships,aheadofKenya’sKipsangandStewartofAustralia,Britain’sJoshKerrfourth.Elsewhere,inadramatwomen’s3000mrace,FrancineNiyonchargedthroughthestraighttopipAmerAliciaMonsonbyhundredthofasecond,ameetingrecord time of Britain’s8:26.80.Laura Muir, who claimed bronze in the 1500m at the World Cham pionships, crossed the line in seventh with a time of 8:30.53 - her personal best over the distance outdoors.

Fellow Briton Jemma Reekie came third in the women’s 800m, behind France’s Renelle Lamote and Allie Wilson of Amer ica, who both ran personal bests.World champion Noah Lyles and compatriot Mi chael Norman recorded an American one-two in the men’s 200m. Norman, who won gold in Oregon last month over 400m, was passed by Lyles on the bend but ran a season’s best to finish ahead of Commonwealth cham pion Jereem Richards of Trinidad and Tobago.

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Saturday, August 27, 2022 25

ACTION in the quarter-finals of the ExxonMobil U14 football tournament will get underway today at the Ministry of Educa tion ground, Carifesta Avenue. In the Girls’ quarters, there will be a clash of the Ruimveldt schools, as East battle West for a semi-final spot, while New Central High battle Tucville. At 12:00hrs, New Camp bellville will face Ann’s Grove on pitch one while at 14:00hrs, Dolphin meet Charlestown. In the male section, Cum mings Lodge and Dolphin Second ary play from 12:00hrs. West Ruimveldt clash with New Central High while Lodge Secondary oppose Ann’s Grove. Both games are billed for 13:00hrs North Ruimveldt will clash with Charlestown Secondary from 14:00hrs. The tournament is support ed by Pepsi and is being coordi nated by the Petra Organisation, in collaboration with the Minis try of Education.

GFF U14s to play Suriname’s Voorwarts club today

The U14 team prior to departure from Guyana

The Junior Jaguars will take on Transvaal, Voor warts and Inter Wanica in Suriname to provide an alternative platform to develop individually and as a“Wegroup.are happy to fulfil our promise to the players and parents after the diffi cult decision to withdraw from the CFU Challenge Series for issues beyond our control,” said Guyana Football Federation (GFF) acting Technical Director, Bryan“WeJoseph.were able to bro ker an agreement with the Suriname FA for three development games against established U16 club teams,” Joseph, a for mer senior national player, said. “We believe this pres ents a great opportunity for our boys to have some international exposure. It will mean a lot to their overall development. They have all worked hard to be able to represent the nation and I wish the players and staff best of luck and a great

27thMatchesvs Voorwarts (16:30hrs)28thvs Transvaal (16:30hrs)30thvs Inter Wanica (17:30hrs)

26 GUYANA CHRONICLE, Saturday, August 27, 2022

THE Guyana U14 Boys’ National team will start their three-match friendly encounter against Surinamese clubs today. The Guyanese arrived in Suriname for a run of three friendly matches against U16 club teams – a tour intended to compen sate for the lost develop ment opportunity of com peting in the Caribbean Football Union Challenge Series.The U14 squad pulled out of the regional com petition earlier this month, due to a lack of available flight options between Guyana and host nation, the Dominican Republic.

DeCaioprises:CFUbeentravellingdecisioncoachingTheexperience.”GFFnationalstafftookthetosendthesamepartyashadearmarkedforthecompetition.TheU14squadcomKemronPellew,Paul,JosephEusebio,AngeloDick,Machaia DeFreitas, Mikkel Mills, La Andre Garnett, Ezekiel Baldeo, Michael Joseph, Jason Felix, Delyman Hendricks, Luke Lavigne, Keshon Leacock, Jemeal Garnett, Nicholas Tixey, Shaquan David, Isaiah Ifill, Jaden Harris, Levi Sampson, and Malcolm Hendricks.Thecoaching staff comprises Devnon Winter (head coach), Joyann Wil liams (team manager), Sel wyn Issacs (asst. coach), Andre Gibbs (GK coach), and Mark DeFreitas (assis tant manager).

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Saturday, August 27, 2022 27

THE crowds were par tying, the sun was shin ing and the cricket was red hot. It could only mean one thing – an other day of SKYECH 6IXTY action from Warner Park. Undeniably the standout performance of the day came from the bats of Amir Jangoo and Ray mon Reifer who blasted the ball to all parts as the Jamaica Tallawahs rocketed to the high est score in the SKY ECH 6IXTY so far and booked themselves a spot in the semi-final. When it comes to fe rocious batting,, look no further than to this Tall awahsTheypair.brought up the team’s 150 with two balls remaining and put together a staggering partnership of 102. Ten sixes were hit throughout the innings, and it was an incredible display of bat ting of the highest level as they made 162-3 even finishing with a bang hitting a huge six off the finalThedelivery.Royals’ bowl ers had no answer for the sublime batting and could only watch as the ball continued to sail to all Unperturbedparts. by the mammoth total, Rah keem Cornwall came out with boundaries on the brain and launched four huge sixes in a row. Going for a fifth was a step too far and he was caught on the boundary. Corbin Bosch and Harry Tector continued to bludgeon the ball and, at the half-way mark in the chase, the Royals were 76-2 and chasing hard. A chase that had looked well out of reach was suddenly looming closer, but there just wasn’t enough firepower in the chase to get the Royals over the line. But there was no miracle for the Royals and the party was over when they lost their sixth wicket on the 59thTheball.41-run victory meant the Tallawahs qualify for the semi-fi nals and will be the team to beat. With Raymon Reifer batting at a 300 strike-rate and taking three-fors, he is a force to be reckoned with. While fans were having a great day, no one was having more of a party than the two Trinbago Knight Rid ers teams. Both sides enjoyed emphatic vic tories over the Guyana Amazon Warriors and both look in fine form as we head towards the business end of the com petition.Thechange in per formance by the Knight Riders’ women was starkly evident yesterday and there’s no ignoring the substantial impact of the return of their cap tain, the ‘World Boss,’ Deandra Dottin. She led her team to their second victory today as they got revenge on the team that beat them on the opening day.In a must-win game it was an all-round team performance with the ball and in the field that saw the Warriors dis missed for 33 from just eight overs. It was ignited by the run-out of Chamari Athapaththu by Shene ta Grimmond and from there, the wickets tum bled. Sune Luus claimed two wickets while Gee tika Kodali was again picking up huge names, claiming the wicket of the dangerous Stafanie Taylor for 3. Not one to be far from the action, it took a sensational catch from Dottin to send her opposite number pack ing.In response, Dottin and Lee-Ann Kirby were quick to get going. While the Warriors hadn’t man aged a single bound ary in their innings, the World Boss smashed one off just the second ball. It took them just 3.5 overs to knock off the runs and stay in pursuit of a spot in the final. They now sit top of the table having won two and because they have the highest num ber of SKYECH sixes. These will prove huge ly important for final positions should teams finish equal on number of wins.Forthe men’s side it was also an emphatic win against the Warriors.

Tion Webster hit 27 from 23 but it was the 23 off nine balls from Terrance Hinds that pushed them to a competitive total. He hit back-to-back sixes and a four off the final over and finished with a strike rate of 256. These boundar ies, alongside the six smashed by Prasana off the final ball (and the only one he faced) were vital. It was again Odean Smith and Waqar Salam kheil who were the pick of the Warriors’ bowl ers. Smith picked up 2-11 while Salamkheil was economical taking a wicket and leaking just sevenTheruns.Warriors strug gled in their response, much due to a collective bowling effort from the Knight Riders. Jayden Seales was the pick of the bowlers taking 2-10. After losing Shai Hope in the opening over, the Warriors never really got going and found them selves 26-4 at the halfway mark. While Keemo Paul and Heinrich Klas sen tried to swing the bat, it wasn’t enough and they fell 47 runs short. The day also saw an impressive performance by the St Kitts & Nev is Patriots Men who claimed victory over Saint Lucia Kings Men to win by three wickets with 24 balls remaining. While Charles smashed three SKYECH sixes in the first two overs, the Kings’ run-rate slowed and at 30 balls they were 47-2. Car michael was on flying form taking two wickets and claiming a run-out as the Kings limped to 66. The chase took just six overs much thanks to Johnson Charles’ 28 including three sixes and two fours. It was a day of ex tremes in the SKY ECH 6IXTY and those in the crowd had front row seats to cricket’s most exciting new for mat. Surely more will flock to Warner Park over the weekend as the game nears the finals.

6IXTY continues

GAW males, females thrashed by TKR as SKYECH Rahkeem Cornwall (R) of Barbados Royals hits 4 and Amir Jangoo (L) of Jamaica Tallawahs watch during the 2022 Hero Caribbean Premier League 6IXTY Men’s Match 6 between Jamaica Tallawahs and Barbados Royals at Warner Park Sporting Complex yesterday in Basseterre, Saint Kitts and Nevis (Photo by Randy Brooks - CPL T20/CPL T20 via Getty Images)

The of the 2022 football tournament

Quarter-finals

Terrance Hinds (C) of Trinbago Knight Riders celebrate winning the 2022 Hero Caribbean Premier League 6IXTY Men’s Match 5 between Trinbago Knight Riders and Guyana Amazon Warriors at Warner Park Sporting Complex yesterday in Basseterre, Saint Kitts and Nevis (Photo by Randy Brooks - CPL T20/CPL T20 via Getty Images)

Chamari Athapaththu (L) of Guyana Amazon Warriors is run out by Sheneta Grimmond (R) of Trinbago Knight Riders during the 2022 Hero Caribbean Premier League 6IXTY Women’s Match 5 between Guyana Amazon Warriors and Trinbago Knight Riders at Warner Park Sporting Complex yesterday in Basseterre, Saint Kitts and Nevis (Photo by Randy Brooks - CPL T20/ CPL T20 via Getty Images)

ExxonMobil U14

Continued on page 27 Continued on page 25 UExxonMobil14FootballTournament

28 GUYANA CHRONICLE, Saturday, August 27, 2022 Printed and Published by Guyana National Newspapers Limited, Lama Avenue, Bel Air Park, Georgetown. Telephone 226-3243-9 (General); Editorial: 227-5204, 227-5216. Fax:227-5208 | SATURDAY, AUGUST 27, 2022 GAW males, females thrashed by TKR as SKYECH 6IXTY continues

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