Guyana Chronicle E-Paper 28-03-2023

Confidence in local economy

THE production capacity of Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL) will be further enhanced with the aid of an Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) loan.

An approximately US $22 million contract was signed Monday between the two groups at the DDL Bottling Plant, Diamond,

East Bank Demerara.

Senior Minister in the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance, Dr Ashni Singh, said the transaction speaks to the IDB’s confidence in Guyana’s economy.

He commended the financial institution for responding to the government’s call for

–– demonstrated by IDB’s granting of US$22M to DDL for enhanced production, Dr. Singh says

more involvement with the private sector.

“We have for a long time been advocating the IDB doing more for the private sector of Guyana,” he said.

The investment will potentially create a larger market for local farmers, and Guyana’s agricultural sector, as the demand for fresh

Guyana becoming a hub for air travel

fruits grows to expand the group’s Topco operations.

“This investment will also create a larger market for farmers who grow fruits.

S

1,085 roads being constructed across

‘Oppositional defiance’ is contrary to national healing

–– local businessman says

‘Do not fall prey to appeals for violence’

–– former President Jagan’s nephew warns the nation

the coastland

British Airways officially arrived on Monday evening, commencing the introduction of its twice-weekly flights to Guyana via the St. Lucia route (DPI photos)

–Minister Edghill says, after British Airways ‘touches down’ at CJIA

‘Oppositional defiance’ is contrary to national healing ––

RENOWNED Guyanese

businessman Terrence Campbell believes that the People’s National Congress/Reform (PNC/R) cannot solely rely on “oppositional defiance” to regain power.

Campbell, in a Facebook post, said that in order to convince a majority of Guyanese to vote for them, the PNC/R must demonstrate that they have the capacity to govern, promote economic growth, eliminate inequities, and foster national healing.

“I am always amused when folks seek to decipher my position from a single post or comment…. I am concerned about Guyana and my friends in the opposition. I ask myself when will wisdom surface?

“Here is the issue. You can’t return to power by pure oppositional defiance. To return to power, you must convince a majority of

Guyanese that you have the capacity to govern; that you have the knowledge to push economic growth; the desire to remove inequities and the ability to promote healing,” he said.

Campbell argued that oppositional defiance may sound good within the party, but it is not effective in the national theatre.

He emphasised that pure oppositional defiance is counterproductive to national healing and can result in a landslide and two-thirds majority, which would lead to unilateral constitutional changes that might make the PNC/R irrelevant.

“Pure oppositional defiance is also contrary to national healing. Pure oppositional defiance will probably lead to a landslide and two-thirds majority. Pure oppositional defiance is adolescent. Let me spell it out for you. A two-thirds major-

local businessman says

ity means unilateral constitutional change, a change that will make you irrelevant,” he said.

On Sunday, General-Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C), Bharrat Jagdeo, said that the PNC/R’s philosophy of racism and oppositional defiance will ultimately lead to its rapid demise.

Jagdeo went on to explain that such a philosophy is not in line with the values of a modern, democratic society and that the PNC/R needs to embrace a more inclusive and progressive approach if it hopes to remain relevant in the political landscape.

This is an important message, as it highlights the need for political parties to evolve with the times and adapt to the changing needs and values of their constituents -- especially to foster a

“One Guyana.”

Jagdeo pointed out that Aubrey Norton has been the Leader of the Opposition for over a year, and the party has already changed two Indo-Guyanese general secretaries and a treasurer.

The PPP/C General Secretary also mentioned an attempt by David Hinds, an Executive member of the Working People’s Alliance (WPA), to disparage several Indo-Guyanese members of the PNC/R for speaking out against racist and incendiary remarks made by the WPA.

Hinds had suggested that the PNC/R Indo-Guyanese

members were only there to attract Indo-Guyanese voters.

“That’s their only purpose in the party. Not to promote a multi-ethnic and to respect people of every race and every faith as this party does. They (PNC/R) saw them as outsiders. That philosophy, the racism of the PNC will lead to their demise, and now they are rapidly dying as an organisation. At the next elections, not just the local government one.

We will prove that definitively in the one in 2025,” Jagdeo said.

By Clestine Juan

DR Clive Jagan, nephew of the late Dr Cheddi and Janet Jagan, has urged the nation to stay alert and avoid falling prey to the opposition’s attempts to incite violence and spread misinformation through race-baiting tactics.

Dr Jagan made this appeal on Sunday during a speech to a large gathering at Babu Jaan, Port Mourant, East Berbice-Corentyne, where he paid tribute to the founding leaders of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C).

He highlighted the importance of peaceful and respectful political discourse, emphasising the need for unity in the face of political divisiveness.

Dr Jagan related that the nation must remain vigilant and avoid being swayed by the rhetoric of those who seek to promote violence or sow discord among different groups.

“I take the opportunity to call on my brothers and sisters on the other side of the political divide, not to fall prey to the appeals to violence and turning guns and those politically opposed to us,” he said.

He was at the time making reference to the Working People’s Alliance (WPA) which is currently making headlines following the pub-

lic’s condemnation of racially inflammatory remarks recently made by the party’s executive members.

WPA’s executive member, Tacuma Ogunseye, during a gathering at Buxton on the East Coast of Demerara, said: “I don’t understand how people complain that they are oppressed, and they are holding guns in their hands. They are the majority in the army, in the police and they say they are oppressed. And they still say our problem is our own making. Anytime we turn those guns in the right direction it is over.”

He also made incendiary remarks about Guyana’s Indo-Guyanese. Since the utterance of those statements, numerous persons have called out and condemned the remarks as racist and inciting. Ogunseye had also called for the Disciplined Services “to

turn their guns on the State.”

Dr Jagan, as he paid tribute made reference to the legacy of his uncle, who had dedicated his life to promoting democracy and equal rights for all Guyanese, regardless of their skin colour. He underscored the importance of building on this legacy and continuing to work towards a more just and equitable society.

His message to the nation was clear: “Do not allow yourself to be swayed by appeals to violence or divisive rhetoric. Instead, work together to build a society that is inclusive, respectful, and just for all.

“He [Dr Cheddi Jagan] struggled all his life to crush these distances and for all human beings to be recognised as equals, and not to be judged by the colour of their skin. Racism for him was repulsive. Thanks to uncle Cheddi’s efforts and the efforts of a large number of others, we [PPP/C] have closed the distances separating one group from another, but there is still more to be done.”

Dr. Jagan went on to say: “...He [Dr Cheddi Jagan] never wavered from his dedication to the struggle for freedom and the upliftment of all.

And in this struggle, he remains committed, and through the peaceful and democratic methods.”

‘Do not fall prey to appeals for violence’

–– former President Jagan’s nephew warns the nation

Dr Clive Jagan

Businessman Terrence Campbell

Confidence in local economy

THE production capacity of Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL) will be further enhanced with the aid of an Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) loan.

An approximately US $22 million contract was signed Monday between the two groups at the DDL Bottling Plant, Diamond, East Bank Demerara.

Senior Minister in the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance, Dr Ashni Singh, said the transaction speaks to the IDB’s confidence in Guyana’s economy.

He commended the financial institution for responding to the government’s call for more involvement with the private sector.

“We have for a long time been advocating the IDB

doing more for the private sector of Guyana,” he said.

The investment will potentially create a larger mar-

ket for local farmers, and Guyana’s agricultural sector,

as the demand for fresh fruits grows to expand the group’s Topco operations.

“This investment will also create a larger market for farmers who grow fruits. From that perspective, it fits perfectly within the 25 by 25 initiative that is being led by President Ali… the Caribbean initiative for promoting greater food security, for promoting agro-business and agro-processing, and primary agriculture production,” Minister Singh added.

He stated that Guyana has long produced fresh agricultural products, with deficient value-added food products.

The investment will see a new packaging line for juice products and milk, increasing the group’s capacity to produce value-added output.

Meanwhile, the Group

Chairman, Komal Samaroo, said the investment would advance the group’s diversification agenda.

“With this project, we will contribute to strengthening national food security, and develop local knowledge and expertise,” the chairman added.

Further, the coming years will see greater investment in social amenities for the staff, with established plans for a medical centre and the intensification and expansion of training. DDL has been in production for over 300 years, distinguishing itself as a Guyanese staple. The ‘El Dorado’ brand, especially, has been established and is recognised internationally as one of calibre. (DPI)

First phase of Ogle to Eccles road linkage taking shape

WORK on the US$106.4 million East Bank to East Coast Road Linkage Project [Ogle to Eccles (Haags Bosch) road network] is progressing smoothly.

The new thoroughfare will develop the country’s infrastructure, as well as open up land to meet the needs of the agriculture, housing,

and oil-and-gas sectors, significantly complementing the PPP/C Administration’s comprehensive master plan for Guyana.

When completed, the new road artery will link the Eugene F. Correia International Airport with the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA).

Thus far, contractor Ashoka Buildcon Limited, with guidance from RITES Limited in association with CB & Associates Inc., has completed clearing the site from a stretch of 2.3 kilometres, with a width of 120 metres on the main alignment. Similarly, trees, bushes, and other obstacles have been

removed from a portion of the path that spans 1.14 kilometres and another section that spans 0.6 kilometres on the main alignment.

A base layer of white sand materials, 500 millimetres thick, has been filled in over a portion of the path, and another portion spans 0.31 kilometres over the full

width of the path.

Prefabricated Vertical Drains (PVDs) is a geotechnical engineering method that are vertical columns made of plastic or other synthetic materials, which are installed into the ground to improve soft and compressible soils. This method has been implemented to improve

the ground condition of the path that spans 0.57 kilometres and another section that spans 0.27 kilometres, along the main alignment. Works are ongoing from both ends of Ogle and Eccles in an effort to meet the two-year project deadline. (DPI)

— demonstrated by IDB’s granting of US$22M to DDL for enhanced production, Dr. Singh says

From left to right: Aito Ezcurra, Division Chief of Corporates at IDB Invest, Lorena Solorzano Salazar, Country Representative in Guyana at IDB Group, Komal Samaroo, DDL Group Chairman, Dr Ashni Singh, Senior Finance Minister and Mark Peters, Investment Officer at IDB Invest

Construction works on the US$106.4 million East Bank to East Coast Road Linkage Project [Ogle to Eccles (Haags Bosch) road network] are progressing smoothly (DPI photos)

56 more teachers complete postgraduate programmes with GOAL

GUYANA’S education system is set to be boosted with more trained teachers in several areas.

The Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand, on Monday, met with 56 teachers who recently completed programmes offered through the Guyana Online Academy of Learning (GOAL). The meeting was held in the auditorium at National Centre for Educational Resource Development (NCERD).

In brief remarks, Minister Manickchand congratulated the teachers on completing their respective programmes.

She said that as Guyana evolves, teachers have a significant role to play in moulding the future gener-

ation.

The Education Minister highlighted that recently an

aggressive literacy campaign was launched. She said that the literacy and robotics programme is aimed at collectively changing the abilities of pupils in the nursery and primary levels.

She further added that monitoring the progress of the pupils is a key part of the programme. As such, the teachers who recently completed their programmes through GOAL would be an asset to the process.

Director of GOAL, Professor Jacob Opadeyi also congratulated the educators on successfully completing their programmes.

Nine teachers completed their certificate in primary teaching offered by the Indira Ghandi National Open University (IGNOU).

Two teachers completed their Post Graduate Diploma in Instructional Design and Technology, 13 completed the Post Graduate Diploma in Literacy Instruction, 11 completed the Post Graduate in Teaching and Learning with Emerging Technologies and 21 now have a certificate in Teaching of Reading. All these programmes were offered by the University of the West Indies Open Campus (UWIOC).

Also present at the meeting were the Chief Education Officer, Saddam Hussain; Assistant Chief Education Officer (Literacy), Samantha Williams and Head of the Curriculum Unit Omawattie Ramdin.

Minister of Education Priya Manickchand on Monday met with 56 teachers who recently completed programmes offered through GOAL

Guyana becoming a hub for air travel

— Minister Edghill says, after British Airways ‘touches down’ at CJIA

By Shamar Meusa

THE official flag carrier of the United Kingdom, British Airways (BA), on Monday evening landed its inaugural flight at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA).

At an official welcoming ceremony for the inaugural flight, Minister of Public Works Juan Edghill said that this forms part of the country’s ongoing transformational agenda.

According to the Public Works Minister, this was a decisive and deliberate move to transform the country into a hub for air travel, connecting the Caribbean and South America with other parts of the world while providing services to every possible

destination.

“We have been working very hard in signing air services agreements, negotiating that and engaging airlines as well. The record is there about the amount of new airlines that have come to Guyana since the PPP/C came to government in August 2020,” Edghill said.

He added that British Airways coming to Guyana provides the country with great opportunities, noting that this will not be the only European airline that will come to Guyana.

Edghill related that the landing of the flight here makes more sense, as visa-free travel for Guyanese to the United Kingdom was recently greenlit.

Meanwhile, Minister of

Tourism, Industry and Commerce, Oneidge Walrond, during her address said that the government was pleased to have been able to work with the management of British Airways to add destination Guyana to BA’s route.

She added that the flight comes just under a year after President, Dr Irfaan Ali met with representatives of British Airways in London in April 2022.

At that time, it was agreed that both parties would work on bringing British Airways to Guyana as part of the government’s strategic thrust to connect Guyana to the wider world.

“We returned home and thereafter what followed was a lot of work to make this moment a reality,” she said.

That, she said, brought the country to this moment which brings myriad opportunities, whilst also connecting Guyana to the wider world.

“Connecting the world with Guyana remains a priority of this government and we see Guyana as an active part of global travel networks, and we are continually engaging major airlines with a view to encouraging them to serve this destination,” Walrond added.

This, she said, is part of a wider strategic economic objective to make Guyana easily and affordably accessible for all businesses in all sectors.

Against this backdrop, she added that it can be said that many travellers from the UK are interested in eco-tour-

ism and the general nature experiences.

As such, Walrond indicated that these travellers will find that Guyana has much to offer as the country continues to receive international accolades for its eco-tourism products and community tourism experiences.

“We take great pride in developing sustainable tourism, understanding that as we do so with the responsibility for future generations in mind,” she said.

The introduction of the flight, the Tourism Minister indicated, also provides greater opportunities for partnership between Guyana and St Lucia as the two countries share the route.

Meanwhile, British High Commissioner to Guyana,

Jane Miller, said that this move feels transformative as it is a huge step both personally and professionally.

Addressing a personal aspect, she said that this move brings better and easier connectivity for her and her family who reside in the UK, as she said they will soon visit Guyana via a British Airways flight and vice versa.

“I do think this marks a new step in the UK-Guyana relationship,” she said.

The first British Airways flight to Guyana which came from the United Kingdom stopped in St Lucia and made its way to Guyana.

The Boeing 777 aircraft was also led by a pilot who has Guyanese parentage. Over 100 passengers arrived on the inaugural flight.

Guyana better positioned to facilitate larger aircraft

--with commissioning of two new air bridges

during the commissioning ceremony said that the boarding bridges are an integral part of the development and

add capacity to be able to cater to the increased traffic seen at the airport.

By Shamar Meusa

TWO new air bridges were on Monday commissioned at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA), thereby broadening the airport’s capacity to facilitate larger aircraft.

The addition of the two new passenger air bridges forms part of the expansion of the airport to further support the vision of having CJIA as a hub for aviation activity in the region.

Against this backdrop, Minister of Public Works Juan Edghill, who cut the ribbons to officially open the new air bridges, said that one of the first things that the PPP/C government did since entering office in 2020 was to indicate that they would not accept the reduced approach to the expansion and modernisation of the airport.

He said that when the contract was initially signed some years back, it was envisaged that there would be eight air-boarding bridges. However, after entering office in 2020, only four air bridges were done at the facility.

“We said to the contractor at that time, we are holding you accountable to the original contract that was signed in 2015, we are holding you accountable to what was agreed on and what was designed and as a result of that we made every effort to negotiate a new arrangement,” Edghill said.

In this new arrangement, the contractor was tasked to provide two additional boarding bridges, an added corridor and further expansion works on the airport that would provide spaces for concessions and restaurants, among other things.

The Public Works Minister said that President, Dr Irfaan Ali led the charge of the renegotiation with the contractor to have these works done at the cost of the contractor.

“That was important because we knew as a country the vision was to bring the Cheddi Jagan International Airport into a place of becoming a hub of aviation activity in this part of the world, and there is no way that we would have been able to achieve that with what we met when we came to government in August 2020,” he added.

These facilities, Edghill said, play a key role in accommodating much larger airlines with larger aircraft as many operators have expressed their interest in operating in Guyana.

This, he said, is a signal

that the Head of State was able to stand and lead the charge in letting the contractors know that what was done previously was unacceptable.

Chairman of the CJIA board, Sanjeev Datadin,

One of the new air bridges (air bridge six) at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (Shamar Meusa photo)

From left: Minister within the Ministry of Public Works, Deodat Indar; Chief Executive Officer of CJIA, Ramesh Ghir; Minister of Public Works, Juan Edghill and Chairman of the CJIA board, Sanjeev Datadin (DPI photo)

Pseudo-Economists and Misnamed Experts

GRIPES and grouses always drive those harbouring them to only see the dark side of everything and never the silver lining, ever-willing to present crystal-ball predictions of only doom and gloom, even when the sun is shining brightly.

Never looking beyond their eyebrows, pseudo-economists and misnamed “experts” in that bracket will likewise only see the dark clouds they wish and imagine.

Fitting that bracket are those who predict Guyana “will go nowhere” and its new wealth will be wasted, squandered and stolen by politicians and technocrats who know nothing about handling money. To hear some insult the

intelligence of those successfully managing Guyana’s economy today, you’d believe it’s a basket-case of a failed state in the hands of people born to be unable to see and learn from the lessons of history and avoid others’ past mistakes.

The confounded critics seek and find only bad in every major new government project announced and many point to a supposedly-inevitable ‘Dutch Disease’ or ‘Resource Curse’ that somehow, thankfully only in their eyes, only affects developing countries led by Black and Brown people.

But no such criticism is made of industrialised nations with oil and gas, from where some of the loudest mouths

blast.

Like the recently exposed local entities parading sanctimoniously while pinching public pennies and denying the state its due taxes, the half-blind speculators can only see Guyana failing and falling under any PPP/C government.

However, under this Dr Irfaan Ali administration, Guyanese are quickly outgrowing the strictures inherited from six decades of partisan political and racial divisions, as more of the older and younger generations refuse to be misguided by those hanging on to a distant past that hardly ever delivered anything but hard times and national heartbreaks.

The masked critics cannot

hide that this PPP/C administration is led by a President bubbling with enthusiasm and ever eager to march forward, assisted by a Vice-President who served twice in the presidency and aided in full by a government led by a disciplined retired brigadier, with a Cabinet of ministers reflective of the wider society.

This government has taken steps to avoid over-dependence on oil and gas; and it’s also widening the base of international investments in energy, while using new resources to better and bolster other sectors, which is why Guyana was able, in 2022, to join the short list of nations posting admirable growth in the non-oil sectors.

The mindless critics can-

not deny either, that under this administration, more money is coming in and going into the national coffers every year; and more income is being earned from innovative actions such as selling carbon credits and dedicating allocated sums to Amerindian development.

Nor can they deny that at the end of last month (February 2023), Guyana’s Natural Resource Fund (NRF), which includes oil profits and royalties paid by the petroleum sector, had a closing balance of US$1,379,353,505.59; or that one year ago (May 2022), some US$607.6 million was transferred; or that on February 10, another 2023 US$200 million (G$41.6B) was deposited

into the national vault. So, while the ever-losing pundits near and far continue to bet only on negative possibilities and engage in speculation about imagined scary possibilities, Guyana’s new wealth continues to be spread across the nation –and in greater sums -- like never before dreamed or imagined.

This PPP/C administration has, therefore, clearly shown it’s up to the task of learning from the mistakes of others and continues leading Guyana out of the 28 years of persistent poverty into which it was sunk by those who mismanaged earlier natural-resource incomes and are today complaining the loudest.

Chris Ram does not fully understand the foreign currency issue

Dear Editor, CHRISTOPHER Ram, in his quest for relevance from time to time, has once again failed to demonstrate a thorough understanding of the foreign currency issue. The dynamics of the foreign exchange (forex) market and the economy at large are very different from six years ago.

For the students of finance and economics who may read Ram’s article, he is not entirely correct when he said that “the central bank does not make policy but only carries out policies set by the government.” This is not a correct interpretation of how the central bank operates. Macroeconomic

policies include both fiscal policies, which is a function of the central government, and monetary policy, which is a function of the central bank.

This means that the central bank’s primary function is to manage the money supply of the economy and implement appropriate monetary policy that synchronises with the fiscal-policy stance or philosophy of the government. The fiscal policy stance can either be contractionary or expansionary. To facilitate growth and development, you need to implement expansionary fiscal policies.

In respect of Ram’s argument that the Production Sharing Agreement (PSA)/

the oil companies is/are responsible for the forex shortage, I must say that he is completely off on this one. The PSA has nothing to do with the forex shortage and as I have argued and demonstrated previously (which the authorities also confirmed), is that there is no real forex shortage.

As of January 2023, the commercial banks’ net foreign sector assets/forex stood at US$446 million, and for the same period, the international reserve of the central bank stood at US$932 million? so where’s the shortage?

The forex issue is a temporary problem and more so, it is a microeconomic problem and not a macro -

economic problem, given the numbers cited above on the banking sector’s foreign-sector assets.

Following the government’s intervention which was instructive, the appropriate remedy was proposed-and that is, for the market players, namely, the private sector, the Bankers’ Association, and the central bank-to meet and collaboratively seek to resolve the issues among themselves.

There is no need for a policy intervention on the part of the government or the central bank because the issue has not manifested into a macro issue. There are certain deficiencies in how the market operates, for example, the inter-bank mar-

ket, which has to be resolved among the market players.

Moreover, there is a far more critical reason why the government or central bank cannot intervene in a major way (which is what the private sector had been pushing for) that is for the central bank to inject forex into the system. The government cannot afford to flood the market with forex because this will naturally engender the dreaded Dutch Disease. If the market is flooded, there is a real risk of a sharp appreciation of the G$ against the US$.

For the sake of demonstration, let’s say this happens, and the exchange rate appreciates to $112 (where it previously was in 1991, fol-

lowed by the devaluation of the currency back then), and let’s use the Bank of Guyana average rate of $208.5, this is effectively an appreciation $96.5 or 86 per cent.

In 2021, non-oil exports stood at US$1.343 billion, and imports stood at US$4.376 billion. Using the BoG’s current (average) exchange rate of $208.5, the G$ equivalent are, imports - $912.4 billion and non-oil exports - $280 billion. Now, let’s adjust the rate at $112, the adjusted G$ equivalent are as follows: Imports -$490 billion, down from $912 billion, and non-oil exports -- $150.4 billion, down from $280 billion.

Continued on page 7

GHRA has changed since the time of its founding

Dear Editor

The GHRA of today is far removed from the organisation that was formed in 1979. This point was clearly made by General Secretary of the PPP, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo at the Cheddi Jagan memorial event at Babu Jaan on Sunday.

While no one doubts that GHRA played an important role in exposing the sustained attacks on human rights in Guyana under Burnham and the PNC, it must be noted that the organisation has changed beyond recognition since those days of endemic state repression.

It is especially important to note that the old GHRA was not a one-man show at that time. The organisation

was active and impactful because many distinguished Guyanese leaders were active in the organisation.

Among them were Ashton Chase, Gordon Todd, N.K. Gopaul, Fr. Malcom Rodrigues, Maulvi Azeez, and others.

These stalwarts represented a cross section of Guyanese society known for militancy against the authoritarian PNC. All of them were dedicated to free and fair elections, a matter of national survival, given that by 1979 the PNC had mastered electoral banditry.

The strength of the old GHRA was not on account of one man. In fact, when GHRA was formed, Chase, Todd, Gopaul, Maulvi, Azeez and Rodrigues had already established a track record of fighting the dicta-

torship.

Chase, of course, was a founding member of the Political Affairs Committee and the PPP, and had by 1979 earned the reputation as a brilliant and steadfast champion of the labour movement.

He was Minister of Labour in Cheddi Jagan’s first government in 1953. Todd was the leader of the powerful Clerical and Commercial Workers’ Union, with strong groundings in the urban areas.

For Chamanlall Naipaul, Todd “was one of those principled, fearless, unflinching and uncompromising advocates and leaders in the struggle of the working class, and indeed a true patriot and son of the soil.” (Guyana Chronicle, 1/5/2007).

N.K. Gopaul, a coura -

geous and battle-tested anti-dictatorship fighter, was General Secretary (and later President) of the National Association of Agricultural, Commercial and Industrial Employees (NACCIE).

GHRA also benefitted from the presence and leadership of Jesuit priest Fr. Malcom Rodrigues, who was also Head of the Physics Department at UG, and later Vice Chancellor at the same institution. And, among many others who shoredup GHRA, there was the reputable architect, Albert Rodrigues, and the Muslim leader Maulvi Azeez, from West Coast Demerara.

During the heydays of the anti-dictatorship struggles against the PNC, therefore, the GHRA had multiple people who had long track records in human rights,

Chris Ram does not fully ...

From page 6

Effectively, this translates to imports becoming cheaper where there is a saving of some $422.3 billion that the importers will benefit from, which they are unlikely to pass on to consumers. So, therefore, these huge savings will go straight to the importer’s bottom line.

Conversely, the non-oil exporters will suffer a loss of export earnings to the tune of $129.6 billion, wherein their export earnings suddenly fell from $280 billion to $150 billion. In other words, exports become more expensive or less competitive in the international markets and imports become cheaper.

The end result, the nonoil export sector will die at the expense of the importers. The importers will get stinking richer and the exporters poorer. Imagine companies in the export sector going bankrupt, loss of thousands of jobs, aggregate demand

will start to dwindle as a consequence, imagine what will happen to the broader economy. This demonstration is exactly what characterises the Dutch Disease.

It is for this reason that the hoarding of forex by commercial banks is both a good thing and a bad thing, which needs to be managed carefully, given the sensitivities, and this is precisely why the government said to the private sector, that they need to resolve these issues with the bankers and the central bank.

The overseas investment (hoarding) of forex is helping to stave off the Dutch Disease as previously demonstrated. The temporary shortage can be fixed in the short term because the commercial banks are comforted by the fact that the drawdown from the Natural Resource Fund (NRF) brings in forex inflows as well to the central bank, which they can purchase to meet the domestic demand, instead of breaking their overseas

investments.

With this in mind, it is through moral suasion that the government is confident that the forex issue can be dealt with and resolved because the alternative, which is to strong-arm the banks to release all those foreign exchange into the system, would be dangerous to the macro economy (Dutch Disease).

Ironically, with this explanation, if it is understood well, one would quickly recognise that what Chris Ram is suggesting will in fact engender the Dutch Disease because he wants the oil companies to have all of their forex balances in the local banking system.

We have long moved away from the days when we were not a free-market economy and there were tight forex controls, price controls, and capital control by the state (the socialist days). We no longer have these controls and that is how an open market economy works?wherein there

and deep connections to the society. They were also active players rather than mere names on a piece of paper (or website). They pulled no punches, but instead took the fight against the extant machinery of repression.

That is a far cry from what exists as the GHRA today. The organisation now has been reduced to a single voice, something that should never happen in an organisation that is intended to protect human rights.

The current GHRA has become too politicised, and there is widespread belief that it is biased towards, and a cover for, a small clique of Georgetown elites, along with some overseas academics who have only peripheral connections to Guyana.

The GHRA is so dysfunctional because of one-man-

ism, issues of human rights can be bent, ignored, or simply dismissed. This is precisely what happened when Mr. McCormack ignored the Tacuma Ogunseye’s racebased call for violent subversion of the government. May I remind readers that the WPA leader called for turning guns on people? His fanatical call was reinforced by Associate Professor David Hinds of Arizona State University who called for 750,000 Ogunseyes.

To the best of my knowledge, Mike McCormack is yet to condemn the WPA’s call to racial violence. I previously called on Mike to do the right thing. So far, nothing.

Yours sincerely, Dr. Randolph Persaud

is free movement of capital inflows and outflows.

Mr Ram seems to want us to revert to those socialist days from where we came from: a once bankrupt economy. Manifestly, he doesn’t fully understand the issues and all of the different variables and risks.

The government clearly understands the dynamism of these macro and micro issues and the inherent and systemic risks. As such, the government has employed an appropriate strategy to address this situation, inter alia, moral suasion. Considering as well that this is a temporary issue that may occur from time to time for short periods, and more so, it is a microeconomic issue and not a macroeconomic issue. Therefore, it does not merit a macro response on the part of the government.

Yours sincerely,

Joel Bhagwandin Financial, Economic and Public Policy Analyst

All eyes on the Press Association

Dear Editor,

I am pleased to report that after the publication of the letter on Monday under the headline, “The tenure of the Press Association’s executive body has long expired,” the de facto President released a statement hours later revealing that the elections will be held in May this year.

The statement noted that this decision was made at the “most recent” meeting with its three-member executive. Editor, one needs to question exactly when this “most recent” meeting was held.

The long-expired executive body of the Guyana Press Association (GPA) sought to blame the COVID-19 pandemic for the three-year delay in holding the polls. But while this excuse can be accepted for 2020 and to some extent 2021, what happened in 2022?

The ruling PPP government removed all COVID-19 restrictions in early March 2022. We may never get the truth from the de facto President as to why she failed to call the elections earlier.

Nonetheless, we are happy that the elections will be held in May and we hope that there won’t be another ploy to delay again.

South Rupununi Conservation Society releases newest book — focuses on species of amphibians, reptiles

THE South Rupununi Conservation Society (SRCS) recently released its newest publication, “Amphibians and Reptiles of the Rupununi” created in collaboration with ReWild and Caiman House.

The authors are Neal Millar, Andrew Snyder, Rudolph Roberts Jr., and Nicholas Cyril.

According to Neal Millar, Programme Coordinator of SRCS, this book contains many species of amphibians and reptiles of the Rupununi, including the Black Caiman, the Giant Amazon River Turtle, and the Bushmaster.

“The book contains information on the scientific name, the common name, the Makushi and Wapichan names, and information about their habitats, how to identify them and their IUCN (Inter-

national Union for Conservation of Nature) status,” he said.

It also contains information about how to identify venomous snakes; why some snakes change the colour of their skin, and adaptations in frogs.

A previously released book, the publication of the Mammals of the Rupununi as well as Amphibians and Reptiles of the Rupununi books was supported by the Sustainable Wildlife Management (SWM) Programme in Guyana, an initiative of the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS), which the European Union funds with co-funding from the French Facility for Global Environment (FFEM) and the French Development Agency (AFD).

The books have been

distributed to communities across the Rupununi for free, and residents have found them very useful for learning the local names of the species and for teaching their children about the wildlife of the Rupununi.

The SRCS, according to Millar, is proud that communities now have a resource to preserve this information.

“The organization also hopes to distribute these books across Guyana and to help other regions to produce similar books to educate residents on the amazing wildlife that is found in Guyana,” he said.

He added that the SRCS plans to sell these books in the future to raise funds for their important conservation

work to residents of Guyana, tourists, and abroad.

“The next books in the series that SRCS are working on are Fish of the Rupununi, Plants of the Rupununi and Birds of the Rupununi Volume 2. If persons are interested in more information about the books, they can email srcs.rupununi@gmail.com,” Millar related.

Since the formation of SRCS in 2002, its members have been aware that knowledge about local wildlife in the Rupununi is less prevalent than it used to be.

Millar stated that their members particularly noticed that children in the Rupununi only know a few of the wildlife species that surround them despite living close to them.

“For example, while many children know about jaguars, they are unaware that there are five other types of wild cats that can be found in the Rupununi - the puma, the jaguarundi, the ocelot, the margay and the oncilla,” he explained.

Further, SRCS members were concerned that if the youngest generation is not knowledgeable about their local wildlife, they will be unable to manage it sustainably.

“SRCS members have also become aware that knowledge about the names of local wildlife in the local Wapichan and Makushi languages is being lost. There are, therefore, many people, particularly youths, who do not know the local names for many local species of wildlife,” he said.

Millar added: “As such, if this information is not preserved for future generations, then the culture of the Wapichan and Makushi people of Guyana will be negatively impacted.”

To resolve this, the SRCS decided to create a series of books about the wildlife of the Rupununi. This was started in 2017 when the first book, “Birds of the Rupununi” was published.

This book, according to Millar, contained 100 of some of the most interesting and common birds of the Rupununi, including the Red Siskin, the Jabiru Stork, and the Amazon Kingfisher.

“The book contained in-

formation on the scientific name, the common name, the Makushi and Wapichan names, and information about their habitats, how to identify them and their IUCN status,” he said.

The book was created in collaboration with the Rupununi Learners and with support from the Small Grants Programme Guyana and the Conservation Leadership Programme.

Due to the success of the first book, SRCS then created “Mammals of the Rupununi” in 2021 in collaboration with Jacksonville Zoo and the Royal Ontario Museum.

This book contained all the large and medium mammals of the Rupununi such as the Giant Anteater, the Capybara, and the Bush Dog as well as many of the small mammals.

“The book contained information on the scientific name, the common name, the Makushi and Wapichan names, and information about their habitats, how to identify them and their IUCN status. It also contained other information such as footprints of certain mammals and instructions on how to use a camera trap. The authors were Neal Millar, Matt Hallett, Burton Lim and Leroy Ignacio,” he said.

The SRCS is one of the leading grassroots conservation Non-Government Organisations in Guyana, and its members are primarily local indigenous people of the Rupununi.

Their projects focus on preserving Region Nine’s environment, wildlife, and culture (Upper Takatu-Upper Essequibo) through community-based conservation, research, and environmental education.

The SRCS is currently implementing projects to conserve the Red Siskin (Spinus cucullatus), the Giant Anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla), and the Yellow-spotted River Turtle (Podocnemis unifilis) in the Rupununi as well as implementing an environmental education curriculum and facilitating Traditional Knowledge classes.

Construction of 154 low-income houses progressing smoothly in Region Three

CONTRACTORS are feverishly working on completing the first batch of two-bedroom, low-income units in Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara), as the ministry forges ahead with its housing drive to ease the backlog of ap-

plicants.

On Monday, Minister of Housing and Water, Collin Croal; Republic Bank’s Managing Director, Stephen Grell; Permanent Secretary Andre Ally and Chief Executive Officer of the Central Housing and Planning Au -

thority, Sherwyn Greaves, toured the two locations where the houses are being built.

While the units are all in various stages of completion, Minister Croal noted that within the coming weeks some 20 beneficiaries are

expected to be presented with the keys to their new houses. Meanwhile, Mr Greaves also expressed his satisfaction with the progress of the project, noting that even as contractors continue to work on the units, the agency has begun the beneficiary-

selection process from its database. Already, several persons who had indicated their interest in the units have been sent to commercial banks to be pre-qualified for the homes.

“We’ve been working with persons to ensure that

they pre-approved so as to ensure they can get in their homes as quickly as possible as we see the rapid development of communities as a significant benefit to the region’s economy.”

Low-income houses being built in Region Three

Minister of Housing and Water, Collin Croal, inspects one of the many low-income houses under construction in Region Three

1,085 roads being constructed across the coastland

MINISTER within the Ministry of Public Works

Deodat Indar said on Saturday during visits to several ongoing infrastructure projects in Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara), with President Dr. Irfaan Ali, that 1,085 roads are being constructed on the coastline.

“From the standpoint of the Ministry of Public Works, Ministry of Housing and Water and the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development; the entire coastline, we have 1,085 roads under construction,” he said.

Minister Indar related that this is just since the beginning of the year and that there are more roads to be constructed.

He explained that many

of the roads under construction are concrete roads because they are constructed faster; to some extent are cheaper and last longer.

The government has advanced plans to upgrade several major roads across Georgetown as part of its overarching objective to transform Guyana’s infrastructural landscape significantly.

Over $150 billion has been set aside in Budget 2023 to advance major infrastructural projects across the country.

Senior Minister in the Office of the President with Responsibility for Finance, Dr Ashni Singh, had said previously that the government has been reorienting the focus of the national budget to invest heavily in the things

that matter for long-term economic growth, particularly as it pertains to addressing the country’s infrastructural gap.

“We recognise the importance of seizing the moment to lay the foundation for investment; we see this as the moment to ensure that we address historic infrastructure impediments to long-term economic growth. Notwithstanding emphasis on infrastructure, we are doing all of this in the context where we maintain a disciplined fiscal stance,” Dr Singh related.

The government has done this through a conscious decision to shift expenditure from being heavy on government consumption of goods and services to a greater focus on government investment in infrastructure.

Bids open to rebuild Christ Church Secondary School

THE Ministry of Education has officially opened bids for contractors to rebuild the Christ Church Secondary School which was ravaged by a fire earlier this year.

According to an invitation for bids (IFB) issued by the Ministry of Education and published by several print and online media platforms, reputable contractors are being sought for reconstruction and furnishing of the school.

Bids for the project are to be submitted no later than April 13, 2023 at the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) office.

According to the IFB, bidding will be conducted through the National Committee Bidding (NCB) procedures, specified in the Procurement Act 2003, and Regulations 2004.

No estimated cost for the project has yet been released; however, some $12.4 billion was allocated to the ministry for construction, rehabilitation, extension, and maintenance of education facilities across the country in the 2023 national budget.

On January 12, 2023, a fire which was confirmed to have been maliciously set ravaged the Christ Church Secondary School.

Firefighters, prior to January 12, had responded to a chemical reaction at the school’s science laboratory. Firefighters had saved the building from burning then and had removed all chemicals from the building to prevent a recurrence.

An investigation after the second fire determined that it was maliciously set, as several points of origin were found.

The Guyana Fire Service had explained that following the first incident which was caused

by a chemical reaction combustion, all chemicals were removed from the building.

The school was later inspected and certified by the Government Electrical Inspectorate, which ruled out the possibility of the second fire being electrical in origin. This led authorities to believe that the second fire was an act of arson.

Approximately 502 students and 39 teachers displaced from the institution, are currently being accommodated at the Cyril Potter College of Education (CPCE) located at Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown.

Roads being constructed on the coastline

The charred remains of the Christ Church Secondary School (Photo courtesy News Room)

MoM rebuilding single-parent house destroyed by fire

— Region Nine mother of six expresses gratitude for intervention

THE Regional Executive Officer (REO) of Region Nine, Karl Singh, and the Police Divisional Commander Raphael Rose, on Sunday led the Men on Mission (MoM) to Parikwarnau Village, Central Rupununi, to commence construction of a house for a single-parent mother and her six children, whose home was destroyed by fire last Thursday.

According to the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) Region Nine , a request was made by

the mother for assistance and help was immediately rendered to the family, which had lost everything due to the tragic incident.

The house is being constructed in collaboration among the MoM, the RDC, private contractors, and the private sector in the region. Materials for the house were donated by the business community, who came on board to aid in the project.

The construction of the house is expected to be completed in two weeks.

The mother extended her gratitude to the Regional Executive Officer and team for their prompt intervention in building a new home for her family, so they could return to a life of normalcy.

Also part of the visiting team was His Worship the Mayor, John Macedo; Regional Education Officer, Sherwyn Blackman; Agriculture Programme Manager, Dr Darren Halley; ranks of the Guyana Defence

Force;staff of the Public Works Department, Region Nine, and other stakeholders.

Men on Mission is an initiative by President, Dr Irfaan Ali launched in the 10 administrative regions of Guyana.

The Men on Mission (Region Nine) is actively engaged with regional projects and will continue to assist communities.

The RDC said they will continue to work in partnership with the

Men on Mission (MoM) as they continue in the development of communities, building better relationships and cohesion among community members, and being involved in capacity-building, development, and improving welfare in a bid to frontally address the issues faced by men and boys and redirect them to their rightful place in society.

In launching the Men on Mission (MoM)

initiative, the President had said: “This 1,000men programme is to reverse the strategy in dealing with the problems faced by young boys and men in our society. The mission of these 1,000 men is to work in every community to eradicate hunger, to work in every single community to lift those who are emotionally affected, and socially affected.”

Asset recovery necessary in Guyana’s growing economy

–– related legislative framework necessary in order to seize assets that are proceeds of crime

WITH Guyana’s current economic growth, particularly in its burgeoning oil and gas sector, it is crucial for judicial officers to stay up to date with the latest best practices on asset recovery and civil forfeiture to ensure proper adjudication of cases related to these matters.

This was according to Chancellor of the Judiciary, Yonette Cummings-Edwards, who was addressing the opening of the two-day “Judicial Asset Recovery Conference” at the Marriott Hotel in Georgetown on Monday.

“We were told growing up that crime does not pay and the proceeds of crime, the ill-gotten gains, are only for a time.

And this is so because the state and the law-enforcement agencies will come after those elements who tried to get rich by criminal means and to get their assets,” the Chancellor said.

She added that the goal of the conference is to engage members of the judiciary in the area of asset recovery, building knowledge, and sharing best practices in conviction-based and non-conviction-based asset recovery.

“It’s no secret that Guyana has experienced an economic boom, or we’ve been on that trajectory. And with that, that development and the type and magnitude of such development is historic.

“The spin-off oil and gas and its related industries, and the challenges and legal issues associated with such economic development are well known.

The judiciary of Guyana must meet those challenges legally and we must be above par in dealing with those issues,” Justice Cum-

mings-Edwards said.

She encouraged the judicial officers to view the conference as an opportunity to build and enhance their capacity, and to develop key strategies for combatting asset recovery and civil forfeiture.

Also speaking at the event was the United States (US) Ambassador Sarah-Ann Lynch, who said that the conference will be an avenue for “an understanding of trends, discussing typical relevant issues, exploring new methods of solving problems….”

She said that the conference is aimed at advancing capacity within the judiciary of Guyana to further promote timely and rea-

soned adjudication on asset recovery.

“Asset Recovery legislative frameworks are critical to taking the profit from crime. While we understand the challenge of reform, we encourage counterparts to update existing legislation to give judicial officers the best possible framework through which to adjudicate these cases.

“…This conference is well timed, as it comes in the midst of Guyana’s rapid economic transformation.

It brings together regional partners to enhance knowledge of the law and share local, regional, and international best practices that will help build expertise in areas of conviction-based and non-conviction-based asset recovery in Guyana,” the US Ambassador said.

Currently, both the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) and Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (Control) Act have provisions for asset recovery and civil forfeiture.

Asset recovery and civil forfeiture are legal processes used by governments to seize assets that are suspected to be the proceeds of crime, in order to prevent criminals from profiting from their illegal activities.

Asset recovery refers to the process of recovering assets that were obtained through illegal means, while civil forfeiture allows governments to seize assets, even if the owner has not been convicted of a crime, if there is evidence that the assets were obtained through illegal means.

The attendees, consisting of Judges, Magistrates, Commissioners of Titles, State

Prosecutors, and Registrars, will get to interact with expert faculty including Hon. Chief Justice of Belize, the Justice of Appeal from the Supreme Court of Jamaica, High Court Judges from the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court, and the Judiciary of Trinidad and Tobago, among others.

The conference was made possible by the National Center for State Courts (NCSC), which partnered with the Judicial Education Institute of Guyana, in recognition of the increased collaboration between the Government of Guyana and the Government of the United States of America on security, rule of law, and countering organised crime.

More investments, collaborations to be pursued to boost seabob sector

says Agriculture Minister

ALTHOUGH Guyana is the leading exporter of seabob shrimp globally, government is taking steps to increase investments and collaborations, so as to boost production and expand the list of international buyers.

This is according to Agriculture Minister, Zulfikar Mustapha, who, in an invited comment to the Guyana Chronicle on Monday, said that the government has been, and will continue to be, supportive of the industry through its locally established trawler association.

“We will continue to work with the Guyana Trawler Association; we have been helping them, and we have been working along with them, helping them with devices such as tracking devices and so for the trawlers,” Minister Mustapha said, adding:

“Continuously, we will be working and giving the support to the Guyana Trawler Association and to individ-

ual trawlers so that we can increase the production of seabob.”

He further explained that the aim is to further magnify the country’s status as a major exporter of Atlantic seabob shrimp, which will ensure the long-term stability of the stock, and enhance individual wealth in the sector and beyond.

He said this is also in keeping with the country’s food security agenda, as Guyana continues to take the charge in reducing the Caribbean’s high food import bill by 25 per cent by 2025.

According to the January 2023 summary report released by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) titled, ‘The Seabob value chain in Guyana’, approximately 99 per cent of the average annual seabob catch (from 2015 to 2020) comes from the industrial channel, and 93 per cent of that amount is exported, mostly to the United States of

America, where the demand is still high.

Between 2015 and 2020, three industrial seabob businesses in Guyana produced about 7, 600 tonnes of peeled seabob annually (17,000 tonnes of fresh, whole weight equivalent) of which about 93 per cent was exported to markets in the United States (US) and the European Union (EU), and seven per cent was sold to regional supermarkets, hotels, and restaurants.

The Guyana seabob fishery received conditional Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) accreditation in 2019.

The 76 licensed trawlers owned by the three largest industrial companies, along with the 11 independently-owned trawlers that they employ, are responsible for 87 per cent of all fishing activity.

The report explained that key opportunities are available, with a strong demand from the United States of America and the European Union for increased volumes of higher-value seabob, if stock issues can be addressed, and bigger shrimp can be caught; and strong domestic demand for fresh,

minimally processed (that is peeled) seabob that meets food safety and quality requirements can be sold to restaurants and supermarkets to meet projected demand by the tourism and oil-and-gas sectors.

Guyana will, however, be supported by the ongoing global fish value-chain development programme, FISH4ACP being implemented by the FAO, which will see the country focusing on making fisheries and aquaculture value chains more productive and sustainable, with an emphasis on supporting women, given their crucial role in fish value chains.

According to the FAO, the seabob shrimp value chain in Guyana is one of 12 value chains competitively selected from over 70 proposals worldwide for support from the FISH4ACP programme, which is being implemented by the FAO, in collaboration with the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) to make the fisheries and aquaculture value

chains more productive and sustainable.

Already, studies have been conducted, and design works have been completed during 2021 and early 2022 to conclude a functional analysis of the value chain.

The report stated that Guyana would have strengthened its position as a leading exporter of seabob shrimp, globally, by “ensuring a sustainable and resilient value chain for seabob across the industrial and artisanal channels, that is well-regulated and supported by data, with improved infrastructure for artisanal fishers and empowerment of women across both channels.”

Guyana harvests 20,000 tonnes of seabob annually, at an estimated value of US $50 million.

Guaranteeing the economic, social, and environmental sustainability of fisheries and aquaculture in Guyana will help to advance food and nutrition security, economic success, and the creation of jobs, the report added.

United States Ambassador Sarah-Ann Lynch (Shaniece Bamfield photo)

Chancellor of the Judiciary Yonette Cummings-Edwards (Shaniece Bamfield photo)

Moruca Hospital increases healthcare capacity

TO further increase capacity and deliver a higher level of care to the residents of Region One, the Moruca Hospital is already offering surgeries, ultrasounds, and X-rays that were not available before as other institutions improve their services in 2023.

In an effort to improve healthcare delivery across the country, the Ministry of Health has taken a hands-on approach by visiting all regions and facilities.

The progress in healthcare delivery that was halted in 2015 is now back on track,

and the pace has increased to make up for the lost five years of neglect during the APNU+AFC period in office, and the Health Ministry officials have visited all facilities in the region at least twice before December 2022.

These visits were made in consultation with the communities, allowing the Health Ministry to make decisions in the people’s best interest.

According to a Regional Health Department report, meetings were held with community leaders and members to listen to their concerns and address them.

Meetings were also held with the Regional Councillors and the head of the Regional Administration to ensure that everyone is on the same journey together.

“The visits to the communities will continue to ensure that the Ministry does not lose touch with the people they serve. The Ministry of Health’s ‘hands-on’ approach to healthcare delivery is a positive step towards achieving the goal of improving healthcare delivery in the country,” the report stated.

Continued on page 15

(Second from right) Director General Dr. Vishwa Mahadeo flanked by the surgical and ophthalmology team along with RHO Dr. Steven Cheefoon and hospital staff at the Moruca Hospital on a recent visit

(From right) Surgeon Dr. Amir, Director General Dr. Vishwa Mahadeo; Regional Health Officer, Dr. Steven Cheefoon, and Mr Gouveia upon landing in Moruca for the first ever surgeries at the Moruca Hospital

Vocational training facility for East Coast residents

THE Labour Ministry, through the Board of Industrial Training (BIT), will continue in its effort to build a skilled workforce along the East Coast corridor with the establishment of a new vocational training facility at Unity, East Coast Demerara (ECD).

Subject Minister, Joseph Hamilton, on Saturday, disclosed that at a community outreach in Victoria, ECD, where he told residents that works are ongoing to complete the facility within the next six months.

“The intention is that all the people on the East Coast who have some skill and some trade they are involved in can go to that facility and train and ensure that they can be certified and accredited,” Hamilton told the gathering.

He said the initiative aligns with the government’s policy of delivering technical and vocational training programmes to address the demand for skills in various sectors.

“In Guyana you have a lot of people who do technical work but the reality

is in today’s world, you really don’t know it unless you’re accredited and certified and that is what we have to change,” Minister Hamilton added.

Meanwhile, as it relates to the community of Victoria, the Minister vowed to provide much-needed support to the existing facilities in the community.

Currently, there are two operational facilities in the community.

“I will visit the facility, and we can work together to have some technical programmes there. I hope that

Victoria and the surrounding areas take the opportunity and to have us execute some programmes this 2023 to develop the community.”

The outreach saw several ministers on the ground speaking with the residents, listening to their concerns and offering solutions to existing issues.

Issues with the roadways, works needed on the drainage and employment opportunities and business support were some of the primary concerns raised by the residents during the packed interactive session.

Moruca Hospital increases...

From page 14

The regional health report stated that it had made significant achievements in its healthcare system from 2020 to 2022. The Regional Health Department has been committed to fulfilling the government’s manifesto promises, resulting in better access to healthcare and quality care for its citizens.

One of the report’s significant achievements was the completion of the first-ever Health Census and Situational analysis of health in the entire region.

The report classified citizens into four groups, allowing the department to plan and implement better primary healthcare services.

The department report added that expanded primary healthcare services and upgraded health facilities, including constructing health huts and renovating health centres and health posts. In addition, equipment such as desktop computers, foetal dopplers, and electronic foetal dopplers were purchased, increasing diagnostic capacity.

In addition, the report stated that the department has upgraded health facilities across the country, including the expansion of diagnostic services and tertiary care. This includes completing the SMART Hospital Project at Mabaruma, the expansion of Kumaka District Hospital, and the expansion of Mabaruma Hospital.

“The department has also ensured an adequate supply of pharmaceuticals and increased the range of medical personnel and support staff. This includes an increase in the staff complement, the addition of specialists, and the training of community health workers,” the report stated.

When contacted by this publication, the Director General of the Ministry of Health, Dr. Vishwa Mahadeo, commended the Regional Health Officer (RHO), Dr. Steven Cheefoon, for his work within the region.

“I visited all the facilities with the RHO and had meetings with the community and their leaders to discuss their issues and plan the way forward together,” he

emphasised.

Dr. Mahadeo said other achievements include a decrease in mortality within the region, the reintegration of disabled students into schools, and the improvement of nurse-to-patient ratios. The department has also initiated the half-yearly deworming campaign and the school dental health programme.

The region has also procured new vehicles, including water ambulances, 4x4 minibuses, and ambulances for Mabaruma, Port Kaituma, and Moruca Hospitals.

Overall, Dr. Mahadeo noted that the Region One Health Department has made significant strides towards fulfilling the Government’s Manifesto Promises, resulting in better access to healthcare and quality of care for its citizens.

The Health Ministry’s Director General noted that he is executing a mandate given by President Irfan Ali to improve healthcare delivery in the hinterland for it to be on par with the coast.

— to be completed in six months; BIT to introduce programmes in Victoria, surrounding communities, Labour Minister says

Minister Hamilton interacting with a resident (Ministry of Labour photo)

Chase Academic Foundation...

FROM BACK PAGE

minster Secondary leading with six points after three games, with New Central second in the group on four points (one win and one draw), with Charity on one point (one loss and one draw), and Annandale yet to score.

Christianburg Wismar Secondary leads Group D with 6 points from two wins, with 8th of May Secondary on three points (1 win and one draw) ahead of Vryman’s Erven Secondary (same number of points, wins and draws) by a +2 to +1 goal difference.

Mackenzie High leads the E group with 6 points from two games ahead of Patentia and President’s College, both of which are on

three points, with the former having a +1 goal difference to the latter’s -1 West Ruimveldt holds a +14 to +7 Goal difference advantage over Ann’s Grove for the lead of Group F, with both teams having secured two wins each from two games. Queen’s College and Vergenoegen are both winless.**

The competition is sponsored by Nestle’ (MILO) through MASSY Distribution. It is sanctioned by the Ministry of Education and the Guyana Football Federation. It is co-ordinated by the Petra Organisation, and also supported by: MVPSports, GenEquip Guyana Ltd. and GINMIN Guyana.

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER

(Tuesday March 28, 2023) COMPLIMENTS OF CUMMINGS ELECTRICAL COMPANY LTD- 83 GARNETT STREET, CAMPBELLVILLE, GEORGETOWN (TEL: 225-6158)

Answers to yesterday’s quiz:

(1) Andre Fletcher: 6 – 5 catches; 1 stumping (7 matches)

(2) A B De Villers: 6 – 4 catches; 2 stumpings (7 matches)

Today’s Quiz:

1) What was the result of the recent WI/SA T20 International series?

(

(2) Who was declared Man of the Series?

Answers in tomorrow’s issue South Africa

2026 and 2030 men’s World Cups: Payments for players’ release from clubs increased

FIFA has increased its payments to clubs for the release of players for each of the next two men’s World Cups to £298.74m ($355m).

For the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, clubs received a combined £170.58m ($209m).

The move is the central component of a new Memorandum of Understanding between Fifa and the European Clubs’ Association, which will run to 2030.

The next men’s World Cup, hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, takes place in June and July 2026.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino and UEFA counterpart Aleksander Ceferin were present at the ECA general assembly in Budapest for the announcement.

It brings to an end months of bickering between the two bodies, who had initially been at loggerheads over Infantino’s desire to host a biennial World Cup, an idea that was met with huge opposition.

An expanded 32- team Club World Cup, featuring 12 European teams, has been agreed in its place, with Uefa and ECA support guaranteeing this will be put into the international calendar from 2025 despite opposition from leagues and unease among player unions.

Agreement has also been

reached over the concept of a Women’s Club World Cup, although the format of this is still to be decided.

In addition, the ECA has backed FIFA’s plan for a player welfare taskforce, which players’ union Fifpro believes is essential.

The new agreed international match calendar will also include an annual match between the Champions League winner and the winner of an intercontinental playoff.

Infantino said: “This is a significant day for the future of football and its long-term stability. We are very happy to renew and strengthen our cooperation agreement with ECA, an important stakeholder

representing clubs from all over Europe.

“To have the new international match calendar endorsed by ECA provides the necessary balance between club and national team football. We have exciting projects ahead, including the new Fifa Club World Cup in 2025 and the new FIFA Women’s Club World Cup.

“A close collaboration with clubs in Europe, and the rest of the world, will be essential for the success of those events.”

The precise format for the Club World Cup is to be determined but as the four winners prior to the tour-

Indore pitch rating changed from ‘poor’ to ‘below average’

nament up to 2024 will be included, Chelsea are already guaranteed entry after winning the 2021 Champions League.

In addition, ECA chairman Nasser Al-Khelaifi, who is also president of Paris St-Germain, touched on the close relationship between his organisation and European governing body Uefa in his opening address.

This included another rebuke at Juventus, Real Madrid and Barcelona, who are awaiting a ruling from the European Courts of Justice over UEFA’s monopoly position, which they believe has put barriers in the way of their cherished European Super League concept.

“In this next era of the ECA, I am determined that we will be recognized for driving financial prosperity and distribution for the entire football pyramid, not just the elite,” Al-Khelaifi said.

“Thinking back to the sorry events in April 2021 - which we should not forget - the ECA’s relationship with UEFA has changed completely in the past two years.

“Today, it is founded on trust, respect and common interest. As a result, we are both much stronger. Thank you President Ceferin.”(BBC Sport)

Domination! WA thump Victoria to go back-to-back

FOR the second successive season, Western Australia is the undisputed benchmark of men’s cricket having emphatically added the Marsh Sheffield Shield to a trophy cabinet already bulging with national one-day and T20 silverware.

Having secured the Shield last year on the back of a dogged batting effort that secured a draw, WA dominated this year’s playoff and completed a nine-wicket win over Victoria at the WACA Ground with more than a day and half to spare.

The win was sealed at 1.44pm local time when opener Cameron Bancroft – leading runs scorer for Shield season – fittingly lifted part-time spinner Matt Short to the long-on boundary as the crowd that had swelled to around 2000 and had cheered every run of the pursuit, stood as one.

Bancroft finished unbeaten on 39 while his 18-year-old batting partner Teague Wyllie, who now owns two Shield winners’ medallions, 43no from his 50-ball cameo at number three

Recalled batter Ashton Turner was voted player of the match by Fox Cricket’s broadcast commentators for his game-changing 128 (from 227 balls), the only triple-figure score of the final having

gone to the wicket with his team reeling at 4-53 on day two.

It was a unanimous verdict given difficulties every other specialist batter encountered on the well-grassed WACA pitch, although Victoria allrounder Will Sutherland’s return of five wickets and 83 runs might have seen him in the reckoning had his team genuinely threatened for the title.

It’s WA’s 17th Shield title having joined in 1947-48, extending their lead over South Australia (13) and Queensland (9) who have both been in the 130-year competition longer and behind other foundation teams New South Wales (47) and Victoria (32).

They also become the first team since Victoria (2014-17) to lift the Shield in successive summers, and the first WA outfit to claim consecutive crowns since the star-studded line-up of 1997-98 and 1998-99 led by Tom Moody

But perhaps most symbolically, WA becomes the first state to have secured all three domestic men’s titles – the Shield, Marsh One-Day Cup and KFC BBL – in consecutive seasons, which underscores the strength and depth of their cricket program.

The only other state to complete that trifecta in the 17 seasons since the domestic T20 tournament

was introduced is Victoria, after their Shield and One-Day Cup double was complemented by Melbourne Renegades’ triumph in the BBL local derby final of 2018-19.

While yesterday’s victory target of 91 was never going to seriously challenge the team that’s dominated the Shield competition this summer, it did include a couple of anxious moments as Victoria’s feared fast bowling unit battled to the end.

Test seamer Scott Boland ended a season of stark contrasts for WA’s stand-in skipper Sam Whiteman who was pinned lbw before he had scored

It was Whiteman ’s seventh duck of the Shield season, equalling the unwanted record held by former Australia Test quick Peter George whose first-class career batting average of 3.63 entitles him to accredited tailender status.

It also heralded a significant moment for Boland whose 300th Shield wicket means only former Test quick turned international umpire Paul Reiffel (318) sits ahead of him as more prolific with the ball for Victoria.

WA might then have slipped to 2-15 in the fifth over when Teague Wyllie drove lazily at a wide ball from Boland that flew above headheight to the left of Peter Handscomb at second slip who was un-

The ICC (International Cricket Council) has changed the rating of the pitch used for the third Test between India and Australia to ‘below average’ after an appeal by the BCCI.

The pitch had been rated ‘Poor’ by match referee Chris Broad following a finish before lunch on the third day, with Australia winning the match.

Following the initial rating, where Indore was awarded three demerit points, it has now been changed to one demerit point.

“Having reviewed footage of the Test match, the ICC appeal

able to hang on to the sharp chance.

Nerves had settled by the time lunch was served, with the target reduced to 56 and Bancroft (13no) and Wyllie (18no) having ridden their luck in the overs immediately prior to the break

But it was smooth sailing under bright sunshine in the afternoon session as the pair of right-handers rattled on the remaining runs at the rate of more than three an over with barely a false shot.

Despite Victoria chasing the game from the time they were sent into bat and slipped to 6-129 on their opening afternoon, they held hopes of taking the game into day five when they resumed at 6-122 – nursing an overall lead of two –this morning.

WA’s victory push might have gained immediate impetus when Sutherland attempted to flick the third ball of the morning through mid -wicket but instead lifted a waist-high catch to mid-on

However, Lance Morris moved with all the alacrity of someone who had sent down 30 overs across previous days on a preparatory regime of net bowling in India, and the chance flew past his forlornly outstretched hands to the chagrin of the bowler, Matt Kelly.

Sutherland, who was forced

Indore’s three demerit points have now been revised to one © (BCCI)

panel, consisting of Mr. Wasim Khan, ICC General ManagerCricket, and Mr. Roger Harper, ICC Men’s Cricket Committee Member, were of the opinion that, while the guidelines had been followed by the Match Referee in accordance with Appendix A of the Pitch Monitoring Process, it was deemed that there was not enough excessive variable bounce to warrant the “poor” rating. Instead, the appeal panel concluded that the pitch should be rated as “below average”,” said the ICC in a media release.

Initially, Broad in his report had said, “The pitch, which was very dry, did not provide a balance between bat and ball, favouring spinners from the start. The fifth ball of the match broke through the pitch surface and continued to occasionally break the surface providing little or no seam movement and there was excessive and uneven bounce throughout the match.”

According to ICC’s Pitch and Outfield Monitoring process, a venue could be suspended for 12 months if they accumulate five or more demerit points.(Cricbuzz).

from the field on Saturday afternoon with back soreness and dropped down the batting order to number eight because of the injury, then notched an impressive half-century to add to the 5-75 he claimed in WA’s first innings

It rounded out a breakthrough summer for the 23-year-old allrounder who began this Shield campaign with a maiden first-class century against South Australia in Adelaide and ended it as the competition’s leading wicket-taker ahead of Shield player of the year Michael Neser.

But having surpassed his skipper Handscomb (52) to post Victoria’s highest individual score of the match, Sutherland found himself running out of partners as another batting wobble took hold.

Mitch Perry, the ‘night hawk’ who had survived almost four hours in scoring 75 in last year’s decider at the same venue , became the day’s first casualty when nicked off to Kelly three balls after Sutherland mutedly celebrated his milestone.

Next ball, Fergus O’Neill –who had marched to the wicket bristling with defiant resolve –turned and stalked back clearly fuming with disappointment after failing to cover a ball from Kelly

that angled into the right-hander and thudded into his stumps.

Kelly was deprived of the first ever hat-trick in a Shield final when Test spinner Todd Murphy stoically defended but with the end nigh, Sutherland opened his broad shoulders in the vain hope of setting WA a target that extended beyond nominal Victoria’s penultimate pair briefly raised the spectre of a challenging fourth innings run chase with a combative ninth-wicket stand that yielded 60 runs from 78 balls through a mixture of solid stroke play and calculated risk.

After Murphy holed out to point shortly after the day’s first drinks break, Sutherland’s hopes of finding the 18 runs needed to make history as the first player to score a century and claim a five-for in a Shield final relied on him hitting out in a hurry.

He fell 17 shy of that unprecedented feat when his attempt to clear the mid-off boundary failed by a few metres, and the toll taken by his bold knock of 83 from 84 balls was laid bare when he was unable to take the field as Victoria began their ultimately futile attempt to defend 91. (Cricket.com.au)

Gianni Infantino (left, with UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin) was re-elected for a third term as FIFA president earlier this month

Farooqi stars as Afghanistan clinch historic series win

AFHANISTAN sealed a famous series win against Pakistan with a seven-wicket win in the second T20I in Sharjah.

After Fazalhaq Farooqi’s 2 for 19 helped restrict Pakistan to 130/6 on a sluggish pitch, Najibullah Zadran (23* off 12) and Mohammad Nabi (14* off 9) paddled through a tense last few overs to deliver Afghanistan over the finish line.

Scores: Pakistan 130/6 (Imad 64*; Farooqi 2-19) lost to Afghanistan 133/3 in 19.5 overs (Gurbaz 44; Zaman 1-22) by 7 wickets

Needing 22 off the final two overs, Afghanistan edged ahead

lah’s thick edge ran through for a boundary and sealed the game with a ball to spare.

Afghanistan’s good start played a big role in the victory too. Rahmanullah Gurbaz (44 off 49) added 56 runs for the second wicket with Ibrahim Zadran (38 off 40), totalling up 45/1 in the PowerPlay. It stood in stark contrast to Pakistan’s “nervous” batting - in captain Shadab Khan’s words - after opting to bat.

Pakistan lost Saim Ayub and Abdullah Shafique in the first over of the game to Farooqi and failed to get any sort of momentum thereafter. They were

Bartica Easter Regatta 2023… Mings Products & Services and ETK Inc. lend more corporate support

WITH football action kicking off on Sunday evening last at the Bartica Community Centre Ground, more corporate support for the 2023 edition of the Bartica Easter Regatta continues to flow in.

Chairman of the Organising

Douglas Nespoli de Mello, Deputy Project Director of ETK Inc. Toroparu Project said that they are pleased to be on board with the event that is nationally recognised.

“Regatta is a huge product for the town of Bartica, and by extension Guyana, and we are more than

products, including outboard motors, water vehicles, motorcycles,

product, and we at Mings are pleased to have been part of build-

in the penultimate over bowled by Naseem Shah, who conceded 17 runs, with both Nabi and Najibullah hitting a six each. But the last over bowled by Zaman Khan brought some more drama and a scorching yorker before Najibul-

reeling at 63/5 after 11 overs when Imad Wasim (64* off 57) and Shadab (32* off 25) got together for a 67-run stand and got Pakistan to a respectable total but it wasn’t quite enough on the night. (Cricbuzz)

Committee, Kenneth Williams, who is also the Regional Chairman for Region Seven (CuyuniMazaruni), has expressed thanks to the principals of ETK Inc., a company operating mainly in the Mining & Metals sector, and Mings Products & Services Limited, of Urquhart Street, North Cummingsburg, Georgetown. Both entities have demonstrated their commitment to the success of the event by making substantial contributions.

happy to be contributing towards its continued success,” de Mello said, adding: “Many of the youths are involved in multiple sports activities, which augurs well for the development of themselves and the community.

“As a company, we are committed to this development pathway, and will continue to make this a reality.”

John Chin, of Mings Products and Services, the exclusive distributor for the entire line of Yamaha

and generators in Guyana, posited that their company and products have been associated with the Bartica Regatta for as long as the event has been around.

“So, we are basically continuing our commitment towards the sustained development of this community, through this event, which has various components. Easter Regatta is a household

ing this product and making it sustainable,” Chin said. Williams, in response to both ETC Inc. and MPS, conveyed the gratitude of the Organising Committee and the community of Bartica for the sustained commitment from both companies towards the growth of the Bartica Easter Regatta.

Soesdyke needle Waiakabra to take the top prize; Neron Barrow is MVP

TWO days of exciting seven-a-side football culminated on Sunday evening when Soesdyke, through a Mark Barker second-half goal, emerged as the inaugural champions of the People’s Progressive Party’s Soesdyke/Timehri/Highway Cluster organised competition.

Played at the Banakari Ground, situated at Long Creek on the Soesdyke-Linden Highway, Minister within the Office of the Prime Minister, Honourable Kwame McCoy was amongst other officials, including Michelle Drepaul, Askari Ferrier, Everton Poole, and Pierre Andrews, who witnessed exciting action as the twelve (12) teams all displayed skills of some sort. But it was the Soesdyke boys who claimed the top prize of $100,000, medals, and a trophy, with their win over Waiakabra, which walked away with $50,000 and a trophy.

Following Saturday’s opening rivalry, which saw all 12 teams competing, the quarter-finals were contested on Sunday, when Soesdyke defeated Hauraruni 2-0, through

goals from the tournament’s Most Valuable Player, Neron Barrow Jonathan Bailey. Waiakabra were then pushed to the hilt to turn back the challenge of Yarrowkabra, 3-2, on kicks from the penalty mark as both regulation and extra time failed to produce any goals. Bamia trounced Kuru Kuru College 3-1, thanks to goals from Marcus

Johnson, Jvonte Lewis, and Kevin Charles. Kuru Kuru College’s consolation strike came from Steven Smith.

Swan Madewani eased into the semi-finals on account of a brace from Edson Williams, and Circuit Ville failed to score.

Both semi-finals were decided by respective 1-0 score lines, Waiakabra’s Josh-

ua Grant netting the winner against Bamia, with Soesdyke’s Tyrone Khan sealing his side’s place in the final and subsequent title, with the winner against Swan Madaweni.

Khan, along with Edson Williams of Swam Madaweni and Yarrowkabra’s Terrence Glasgow ended as the competition’s joint leading goal scorers, with a brace each. Waiakabra’s Marlon Fernandez was adjudged the tournament’s Best Goalkeeper.

Minister McCoy, in brief remarks following the presentation of prizes to the top individual performers and teams, thanked them all for making the tournament a resounding success. Gratitude was also extended to the hundreds of fans who turned up over the two days to cheer their teams on.

Minister McCoy promised the communities that His Excellency, Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali and the Government of Guyana are fully committed to their development in the area of sports, and would be working hand-in- hand with the Ministry of Sport to ensure that their needs are taken care of. Similar activities are planned for the near future.

Mings Products and Services Representative, Mr. John Chin hands over cheque to Kenneth Williams

Mr. Kenneth Williams collects donation from Deputy Project Director of ETK Inc. Toroparu Project, Mr. Douglas Nespoli de Mello

Farooqi finished with match-winning figures of 2 for 19 • (Afghanistan Cricket Board)

Champs! The victorious Soesdyke team poses with Minister McCoy and other officials following the presentation of prizes

CONCACAF Nations League Reggae Boyz hold Mexico, Barbados stun Antigua

MIAMI, Florida, (CMC) – Jamaica’s Reggae Boyz twice surrendered first half leads before producing a sterling defensive second half effort, to come away with a 2-2 draw against giants Mexico in the CONCACAF Nations League on Sunday.

Playing in Group A of League at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, Fulham’s Bobby Reid put the visitors ahead in the eighth minute before Orbelín Pineda levelled in the 17th minute.

An Edson Álvarez own goal in the 33rd minute fortuitously put the Reggae Boyz in front for the second time until the stroke of halftime when Napoli winger Hirving Lozano converted from the spot.

With the win – their second of the campaign – unbeaten Mexico moved to eight points from four games while booking their spot in

the Nations League finals in June.

Bobby Reid (front) is joined by teammate Ravel Morrison after scoring Jamaica’s opener on Sunday.

Jamaica, meanwhile, lie second on six points and are also unbeaten. However, they have won just once – a 3-1 verdict over Suriname last June – and drawn three times.

The 30-year-old UK-born Reid gave them a scent of success when he unleashed a rasping 20yard drive from the top of the box, after a ball fell nicely for him when defenders failed to clear.

And moments later Jamaica had a glorious chance to double their lead when Jamal Lowe was played through but the Queen’s Park Rangers winger failed to get the ball out of his feet at close range, allowing Mexico to quickly snuffed out the threat.

The equaliser came when Lozano combined with Henry Martín in a clever move on the left side of the box which resulted in Pineda finding himself unmarked

on the edge of the six-yard box, to tap past goalkeeper Jahmali Waite. Jamaica reclaimed the lead in heavy rain when Reid swung a corner into the area and captain Damion Lowe missed the header

at the far post, only for the ball to bounce off the thigh of Ajax’s Edson Álvarez and past his own ’keeper.

Following a safety break due to lightning in the area, MLS midfielder Ravel Morrison brought down Martín just inside the box and Lozano struck the resulting penalty firmly down the middle, Waite diving in vain to his right.

In the second half, Shamar Nicholson watched a near point blank header saved by Italy-based goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa in the 57th minute before Jesús Gallardo teed up substitute Raúl Jiménez in the 70th only for the Wolves forward to drive wide.

Diego Lainez found the crossbar with a rasping drive from outside the 18-yard box in the 76th before Jiménez and Gallardo combined again to nearly find the winner in the third minute of stoppage.

In League B, Barbados won their first game when they came from behind to beat hosts Antigua and Barbuda 2-1, thanks to second half goals from Thierry Gale (62) and Tajio James (87).

Down 1-0 at the break at the Vivian Richards Cricket Stadium through Myles Weston’s 31st minute strike, Barbados levelled when Gale burst from midfield to thump a right-footed drive past goalkeeper Nicholas Townsend from the top of the box.

And the winner came just minutes from full time when James latched on to a long ball out of the back, held off centre back Daniel Bowry before deftly lobbing the advancing Townsend.

In the same group in Havana, hosts Cuba beat Guadeloupe 1-0 while in League C, Puerto Rico thrashed visiting Cayman Islands 5-1.

Shabazz impressed with Jaguars, Lightbourne laments ‘poor’ Bermuda

Two club Walsall, and defender Jeremy Garrett.

“Realistically, we don’t expect to win the group because we think Haiti will run away with it,” Shabazz said

the ball and kept their shape and discipline,” the Trinidadian, whose side won the home fixture 2-1 last June, added.

happen.

HAMILTON, Bermuda, (CMC) – Guyana head coach

Jamaal Shabazz said he was happy with his side’s disciplined performance after they convincingly beat Bermuda 2-0 on Saturday last to cement second spot behind Haiti in Group

B, League B of the CONCACAF Nations League.

Playing here at the Flora Duffy Stadium in the Nations League qualifier. Guyana sealed victory with second-half goals from midfielder Liam Gordon, who plays for English League

“We’ re really realistically looking for one of the preliminary spots, and that’s looking good for us now. We are happy for that. I thought we showed good confidence to put the ball down and play. We didn’t just play kick-ball.

“Even at times when Bermuda really piled on the pressure, I am proud of how the guys kept

By contrast, his opposite number Kyle Lightbourne admitted Bermuda were well beaten as they saw their slim hopes of qualifying for a second CONCACAF Gold Cup ended.

“I thought it was a poor game from us,” said Lightbourne, whose side competed in the 2019 Gold Cup,

“We didn’ t really play the way we would have liked to. For whatever reason, it just didn’t

“I was disappointed with the way we played in the first half we started the second half a little brighter but we let in two very sloppy goals.

“It was not a disgraceful performance, but it was a performance that we could have done better in possession of the ball. We didn’t use the ball as good as we can.”

Bermuda’s UK-based captain Nahki Wells had a quiet afternoon in what was almost certainly his final international appearance and the only bright spot for the hosts

were the performances of younger players Lightbourne drafted into the squad, including Harry Twite, Jai Bean, Ahria Simmons and Sincere Hall, who were making their senior international debuts.

“I think the guys that had debuts did themselves proud, especially Harry Twite. I thought he did really well for an international debut,” Lightbourne said.

In today’s final matches, Guyana face Montserrat at the Wildey Turf Stadium in Barbados while Bermuda take on Haiti in San Cristóbal, Dominican Republic.

GDF march to victory in John Lewis Memorial 7s

THE annual John Lewis Memorial Sevens culminated Saturday afternoon in the National Park with GDF B carting off top honours.

After failing to taste glory in over a year, the Coach Oslen Ollivierre-led outfit edged Panthers in the final, to win the tournament.

In the nail-biting encounter, both teams ended the first half 7-7, and looked structurally sound and fit for an exciting second half. However, the GDF B outfit proved too much for the Panthers unit that looked untouchable in the previous matches. Two solid tries from veteran Av-

ery Corbin sealed the match for GDF B in the second half. Panthers’ Godfrey Broomes’ try in the second half was complimentary, with the match ending 24-12.

Earlier in the day, GDF B defeated Police Falcons and GDF A to reach the finals, while Panthers also recorded victories over them. Falcons ended the tournament third.

Rugby action continues in the National Park at 16:00hrs this Sunday, with a clash between GDF and Panthers in the ongoing 12s tournament. So far , Panthers have won the previous two matches against GDF.

Bobby Reid (front) is joined by teammate Ravel Morrison after scoring Jamaica’s opener on Sunday.

Guyana Jaguars head coach Jamaal Shabazz.

The victorious GDF B team

WIPA congratulates new CWI President, Vice-President

THE West Indies Players’ Association

(WIPA) congratulates Dr. Kishore Shallow and Mr. Azim Bassarath on being elected President and Vice-President respectively of Cricket West Indies (CWI).

Dr. Shallow and Mr. Bassarath ran unopposed and were elected for a two-year term at CWI’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Saturday, March 25, 2023.

“Congratulations are in order for both

Harpy Eagles eyeing title with 10-point lead ahead of final round

President Dr. Shallow and Vice President

Mr. Bassarath. WIPA looks forward to a meaningful and fruitful working relationship. We wish both gentlemen well for their future stewardship of West indies cricket,” said Wavell Hinds, President and CEO of the West Indies Players’ Association.

(Press Release by West Indies Players’ Association)

Chase Academic Foundation leading Group A; CWSS heads Group D

ST JOHN’S, Antigua, (CMC) – Unbeaten Guyana Harpy Eagles enter the final round of the West Indies Championship with a 10-point lead and a chance to clinch their first title in three seasons.

The leaders, who have won three of their four games, will host Leeward Islands Hurricanes at the Guyana National Stadium starting Wednesday knowing that a victory will secure them success in the tournament.

Harpy Eagles – then Jaguars –won the first five titles of the new professional era starting in 2015 until Barbados Pride emerged to win the

GDF

next two.

In the last round, Harpy Eagles condemned bottom-dwellers Jamaica Scorpions to a third defeat in four games with a comprehensive 228-run thrashing, to move to 68.2 points.

Windward Islands Volcanoes, also unbeaten, lie second on 58 points after coming away from the fourth round with an impressive six-wicket victory over Hurricanes at Brian Lara Stadium in Tarouba, Trinidad.

They will take on third placed Barbados Pride at Queen’s Park Oval in Port of Spain, a clash which will be decisive in the title outcome.

Volcanoes are the only side within real touching distance of Harpy Eagles as Pride are 18 points adrift of the leaders on 50 points.

Pride were impressive nonetheless in the last round, showing the tenacity to beat hosts Trinidad and Tobago Red Force by seven wickets at Queen’s Park Oval.

Hurricanes, who have won just once in the campaign, lie fourth on 41.4 points while Red Force are fifth on 28.6 and Scorpions last on 21.2.

Red Force and Scorpions are yet to win a game in the tournament.

The MILO Schools football tournament is at the half-way phase

CHASE Academic Foundation are the leaders of Group A in the 2023 Edition of the MILO schools football tournament.

After last weekend’s round of matches, the tournament has gone just over the halfway stage, with Chase sitting on 6 points ahead of Carmel, but with a +23 goal difference to +9.

Bygeval and Dora are also in that group, but are yet to score a point. All the teams have played two games each

In Group B, East Ruimveldt leads with six points from two games, with Bartica second on three points, having won one game and lost the other. Marian Academy and Bushlot have one point each.

Group C has West-

to victory in John Lewis Memorial 7s

Dr. Kishore Shallow (left) and Azim Bassarath were elected as President and Vice-President respectively of CWI (Photo: CWI Media)

Guyana Harpy Eagles enter the final round 10 points clear.