Guyana Chronicle E-Paper 30-08-2021

MONDAY 30th August, 2021

No.106469

Guyana has few daily COVID-19 cases

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- compared to most Caribbean countries, IDB report highlights

Hundreds of children vaccinated - at COVID-19 vaccination drive at MovieTowne

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Health Minister, Dr. Frank Anthony, administering a ‘jab’ of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine to a child, during the COVID-19 drive through at the MovieTowne parking lot, East Coast Demerara, on Sunday. In photo on right, President, Dr Irfaan Ali, poses with vaccinated children and an adult (Elvin Croker, Office of the President photos)

13 11 arrested for IDB: Export earnings FARMSUP could reach commissions $100M Pandit Barrat’s 07 branch in Corentyne murder 16 US$8B by 2024 PAGE

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Hundreds of children vaccinated _

By Jared Liddell

HUNDREDS of children between the ages of 12 and 18 received their first dose of the American-manufactured PfizerBioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, at the Ministry of Health’s COVID-19 vaccination drive at the MovieTowne parking lot, East Coast Demerara (ECD) on Sunday.

Education Minister, Priya Manickchand described the vaccination drive as “incredible”, noting that it marks a momentous occasion for Guyana as a nation as it proves the commitment of parents to protect their children against the deadly effects of the COVID-19 virus.

The Ministry of Health, through the Ministry of Education, on Thursday, began its vaccination campaign of children between the ages of 12 and 18, after receiving a donation of 146,250 doses of the Pfizer vaccine from the United States. The Ministry of Health managed to vaccinate 213 students on the first day of the roll out of the Pfizer vaccine.

The Ministry of Health had informed the Education Ministry that to mitigate the effects of COVID-19, all students, ages 12 to 18 years, should be vaccinated before returning to the classrooms. The Ministry of Education, in early August, began sending out consent forms to parents of over 50,000 students in secondary schools.

“The demand is there; we are very happy to see that this is really the only

GUYANA CHRONICLE, MONDAY AUGUST 30, 2021

at COVID-19 vaccination drive at MovieTowne

way we can get back to normalcy in the education sector, and if we are to deliver to our children education that would make it effective and make them employable and marketable, knowledgeable productive Guyanese citizens then normalcy is what has to happen with that,” said Minister Manickchand.

Gove rnme nt ea rmarked the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 12 to 18 years.

The vaccine, on August 23, 2021, became the first COVID-19 vaccine to receive the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval. The batch of Pfizer vaccines given to Guyana is part of a donation of 5.5 million doses from the United States Government to the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). This donation is intended to lend support to the ongoing battle against the COVID-19 pandemic.

Although the target group for this vaccination initiative is children

Health Minister, Dr. Frank Anthony, administering a ‘jab’ of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine to a child during the COVID-19 drive through at the MovieTowne parking lot, East Coast Demerara on Sunday (Elvin Croker photo)

who will be returning to school, Minister Manickchand reminded that it is not limited to them.

She said all children ages 12 to 18 years, who obtain permission from their parents or legal guardians, would be able to receive the vaccine.

MORE THAN 50 PER CENT OF TEACHERS VACCINATED M ean wh i l e, wi t h schools slated for reopening on September 06, 2021, for the new

academic school year, Minister Manickchand highlighted that more than 50 per cent of teachers in the public education system have been vaccinated against COVID-19.

“We are very glad that we have more than 50 per cent of our teachers vaccinated, that’s not a number that people know, people have been bashing teachers but the majority of teachers have done the right thing. We expect that in the coming days

we will see more teachers getting vaccinated. I think people needed their own time and so on which we understand but are now at the place where school opening iS upon us; we have to make the right decisions,” said the Education Minister.

The vaccination rollout for children ages 12 to 18 is expected to continue throughout the coming week. Minister Manickchand noted that the min-

A section of the persons who turned out to the Ministry of Health’s COVID-19 vaccination drive for children at the MovieTowne parking lot, East Coast Demerara (Elvin Croker photo)

Education Minister, Priya Manickchand

istry intends to take the vaccine efforts “school to school” to ensure that each child has the opportunity to take a dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine.

She lauded the hundreds of parents who turned out on Sunday and reminded that while parents could choose whether they want their children to be vaccinated, inoculation is the best defence against the deadly effects of COVID-19.

“The quicker we get back to a normal place the quicker we can resume our life and start thriving; right now we’re trying to fend off something. We can fend it off effectively if we are all vaccinated or if enough of us are vaccinated and so this is just the only thing left to do, the sensible thing left to do,” the Education Minister emphasised.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, MONDAY AUGUST 30, 2021

Guyana has few daily COVID-19 cases WITH the exception of Barbados, Guyana has been recording fewer daily new coronavirus cases within the region.

This is according to the Inter-American Development Bank (IBD)’s second Caribbean Quarterly Bulletin titled ‘The Fragile Path to Recovery’.

The report, released at the weekend, indicated that notwithstanding Guyana’s ranking, new COVID -19 cases increased significantly towards the end of the first half of 2021 and that a similar trend was detected in other Caribbean territories.

“The average number of daily new cases per month increased from 42 in January to 118 in May and declined to 80 in July,” the report highlighted.

It explained that similarly, the total number of deaths per month increased from 12 in January to 93 in May, declining to 72 in July. “In relative terms, the seven-day rolling average of new cases per day peaked on May 28, with 180 cases per million population before declining to 50 on August 10, below the peaks of Trinidad and Tobago, Suriname, and The Bahamas,” the IDB report said.

The document also outlined Guyana’s robust vaccination efforts, which has been comprehensive enough to cover the country’s entire adult population of approximately 600,000.

Added to that, the country has already begun the vaccination of its adolescent population, using Pfizer BioNTech, the first coronavirus vaccine to receive full approval from the United States’ Food and Drug Administration.

The Pfizer vaccine was given to Guyana as part of a donation of 5.5 million doses by the United States Government to the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), in an effort to lend support to the ongoing battle against the COVID-19 pandemic. According to Health Minister, Dr. Frank Anthony, Guyana is poised to have enough of the vaccine to inoculate all Guyanese from the ages of 12 – 17.

Even amid aggressive global demands, Guyana is one of the very few countries that have managed to secure enough vaccines for its entire adult, and soon enough, adolescent population. In addition to the ongoing vaccinations, the government has also instituted a number of preventative measures, which continue to be amended each month, in keeping with the country’s COVID-19 status.

The IDB, in its report, also referenced the latest measures which require persons entering government buildings to either show proof of vaccination or seek services by appointment only.

“Similarly, all operators of transportation

services, both domestic and international, must also be able to show proof of vaccination to conduct their business activities,” the IDB recognised.

SUFFICIENT TIME It also highlighted the two-week extension which was instituted to give persons sufficient time to get vaccinated and therefore become compliant with the new measures.

As it relates to international travel, effective August 8, all incoming adult travellers must show proof of vaccination of at least one dose, along with a negative PCR test.

The report also outlined the various COVID-19 relief measures which were put in place to assist citizens. “The main policy tools introduced by the Bank of Guyana relied on

extending debt payment schedules and reduced interest rates for certain loans,” the report recognised.

It explained that the relief period was introduced in 2020 and extended through June 2021.

These measures allowed beneficiaries to not have their loans classified as non-performing.

The IDB highlighted that to support liquidity, the Central Bank made efforts to reduce a series of policy rates such as “the reserve requirements, liquid as set requirements for demand deposits, and savings and time deposits, freeing up resources for loans.”

The report also pointed to the fact that commercial banks agreed to provide short-term loans at concessional rates between 5- 6 per

cent, lower than the prime lending rate of 10.3 per cent. Added to that, “Commercial banks agreed to offer general concessional reductions of interest rates of one per cent and up to two per cent on consumer loans below G$10 million (US$48,000).”

The report specified too that the total loan portfolio of deposit-taking institutions was approximately US$1.5 billion in December 2020.

Of that total, approximately US$69 million benefitted from relief measures, accounting for 4.6 per cent of total loans. The Bank of Guyana in its 2020 Annual Report said that it would be monitoring that figure to balance financial flexibility and financial stability.

In addition to all the measures outlined above, the People’s

Progressive Party/ Civic Government also expended billions to provide all households with a one-off cash grant of $25,000.

With Guyana’s challenges compounded by the floods which began in May and continues to devastate some areas, the government also announced a series of flood-relief grants which totalled $7.8 billion.

Added to that, President, Dr. Irfaan Ali also announced separate cash grants for pensioners and other vulnerable persons, including those with disabilities; these totalled $2.6 billion. There is also the $19,000 education cash grants which aims to assist children within the public school system.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, MONDAY AUGUST 30, 2021

New Orleans loses power as storm strikes

The US city of New Orleans has lost power, with only generators working, as Hurricane Ida batters Louisiana.

The storm brought 150mph (240km/h) winds when it made landfall and those people who did not flee have been advised to shelter in place.

Ida will test the city’s flood defences, strengthened after Hurricane Katrina killed 1,800 people in 2005.

President Joe Biden said Ida would be “life-threatening”, with immense devastation likely beyond the coasts.

Over 750,000 homes in Louisiana are without power, and Biden said it could take weeks to restore supplies.

Ida gathered strength over the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico during the weekend.

It made landfall on Sunday south of New Orleans as a category four hurricane - meaning it will cause severe damage to buildings, trees and power lines.

It has since weakened slightly to a category three storm.

In some places the storm surge could be as high as 16ft (4.8m), potentially submerging parts of the low-lying

Ida brought heavy winds to the southwest of New Orleans (BBC/GETTY IMAGES)

coastline.

Ida came ashore on the 16th anniversary of Katrina, a category three storm.

Since then, billions of dollars have been spent on flood defences, known as levees. So far, the levees have held, though a flash flood warning

is in place for New Orleans.

“There is no doubt that the coming days and weeks are going to be extremely difficult for our state and many, many people are going to be tested in ways that we can only imagine today.

But I can also tell you

that as a state we’ve never been more prepared,” state Governor John Bel Edwards said.

High winds tore part of the roof off a hospital in the town of Cut Off, Louisiana, just inland from the Gulf of Mexico. The hospital said it had suffered “significant damage” but that its patients were safe.

The impact of climate change on the frequency of storms is still unclear, but increased sea surface temperatures warm the air above, making more energy available to drive hurricanes.

As a result, they are likely to be more intense with more extreme rainfall.

New Orleans resident Tanya Gulliver Garcia, who works for the Center of Disaster Philanthropy, told the BBC she was staying put.

“I’m fairly worried - more than I thought I would be. I’ve volunteered in disasters for a number of

years... but it’s different when it’s in your own home, instead of a nice, safe, sheltered place,” she said.

In a tweet, the US National Weather Service (NWS) told New Orleans residents: “Go to an interior room or a small room with no windows.

Stay put during this time.”

Louisiana hospitals are already under pressure from Covid-19. The state has the third-highest rate of infections in the US. Normally, hospitals in the predicted path of the hurricane would be evacuated, but this time there are few beds available, even at facilities further inland.

“We don’t have any place to bring those patients. Not in state, not out of state,” Edwards said.

More than 90 per cent of oil production in the Gulf of Mexico has been shut down.

(BBC)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, MONDAY AUGUST 30, 2021

Jamaican soul of reggae Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry dies aged 85 The legendary Jamaican singer and music producer Lee “Scratch” Perry has died at the age of 85.

He died in hospital in Lucea, north-west Jamaica, local media reported.

Perry is known for his pioneering experiments in dub, which revolutionised not only reggae, but also hip hop, dance and other genres.

Jamaica’s Prime Minister Andrew Holness paid tribute to an “unforgettable” Perry on Twitter, praising his “sterling contribution” to music.

Perry was born in rural Jamaica in 1936

and moved to the capital Kingston in the early 1960s.

In a 1984 interview with NME magazine, he said: “My father worked on the road, my mother in the fields. We were very poor. I went to school… I learned nothing at all. Everything I have learned has come from nature.”

He started his music career in the 1950s as an assistant at a reggae music label, before moving up to becoming a recording artist with the same label.

Over the next seven decades Perry went

on to work with a number of fellow music legends, including Bob Marley and the Beastie Boys.

He also won a Grammy in 2002, was nominated four other times - in 2007, 2008, 2010 and 2014 - and received a Jamaican national honour, the Order of Distinction.

In a 2010 interview with Rolling Stone, Keith Richards described Perry as “the Salvador Dali of music”.

“He’s a mystery.

The world is his instrument. You just have to listen,” Richards said. “More than a producer, he knows

Perry is known for his pioneering work in dub (BBC/GETTY IMAGES)

how to inspire the artist’s soul.”

Mike D, from the Beastie Boys, paid tribute to Perry on Instagram with photos of the time they spent working together.

“We send the most

love and respect we can to Lee Perry who passed today, to his family and loved ones and the many he influenced with his pioneering spirit and work,” Mike D wrote. “ We a r e t r u l y

grateful to have been inspired by, worked with and collaborated with this true legend.

Let us all listen to his deep catalogue in tribute.” (BBC)

Bolsonaro: I’ll be killed, arrested or re-elected

Bolsonaro is planning to run for a second term next year (BBC/AFP photo)

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has said he sees three alternatives for his future: prison, death or victory in next year’s presidential election.

The right-wing populist leader is trailing left-wing former

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in the polls.

“I have three alternatives for my future: being arrested, killed or victory,” he told evangelical leaders.

But the former military officer said there

was no chance of prison because “no man on Earth will threaten me”.

Bolsonaro was nearly stabbed to death on the campaign trail in 2018.

His remarks come amid fierce tensions

between him and the country’s judiciary and election authorities.

The 66-year-old President, who hopes for a second term next year, has been questioning Brazil’s electronic voting system and threatened not to accept the result of next year’s presidential election.

On Wednesday, the head of Brazil’s electoral court insisted there was no problem with the voting system.

But at a meeting with Christian leaders on Saturday, Bolsonaro refused to back down in his criticism.

“We have a President who neither desires nor provokes a rupture, but everything has a limit in

life. I can’t continue to live with this,” he said.

The President urged the evangelical leaders to join planned nationwide demonstrations on 7 September in support of him.

On Friday, 150 indigenous people protested in front of his presidential palace ahead of a key supreme court ruling on

their ancestral lands.

Bolsonaro has backed a roll-back of indigenous rights, saying they are a block on agricultural expansion.

While grappling with coronavirus, which has killed more than half a million Brazilians, the country is also struggling with high inflation, hunger and unemployment. (BBC)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, MONDAY AUGUST 30, 2021

Empowering Women THERE is a close correlation between women’s empowerment and national development. According to studies done, women as leaders and decision-makers are crucial in terms of advancing economic, social and political progress.

This is true for Guyana as it is for any other country in the world. There are, however, many societies where, mainly out of cultural reasons, women are confined to the home and are denied opportunities to develop their potential to the fullest and to participate in the political life of society.

This is unfortunate.

Women constitute nearly half of the world’s population and are therefore an organic part of human development. The underutil-

isation of women is a loss to society, both economically and socially.

Guyana has come a long way in terms of empowering women. Several policy interventions were made by the PPP/C administration to advance the cause of women and to help them to play a more meaningful role in the development of themselves, their families and, by extension, the country as a whole.

It is now an established fact that when women are meaningfully represented and engaged in decision-making bodies such as the legislature, courts, executive bodies, decisions are more likely to be inclusive, representative, technically sound and fair.

It is in the above context that the government has implemented several measures

to provide a level playing field for women to contribute to national development.

Women today dominate several areas of our national life such as teaching, nursing and the public service.

Thanks to greater access to tertiary education, women are now taking up senior management positions both in the public and the private sectors.

The contributions of women go beyond professional and technical competencies. Women’s leadership within households improves access to education and healthcare for their families.

Guyana has made great strides in terms of women’s participation in decision-making at the political, judicial and administrative levels. Indeed, we are one of the few countries in the region where it is mandatory

for women to constitute at least one-third of the list of candidates for national and regional elections.

The government is continuing to examine new ways to empower our women and girls. The Guyana Women’s Leadership Institute (GLI) located at Cove and John, East Coast Demerara has now been offering a variety of programmes in non-traditional areas such as Information Communication Technology (ICT) videography, video-editing, interior design and catering.

In addition, the institute will offer training in business management and marketing and participants will be offered guidance on how to access loans and grants from lending agencies.

Training is also being done in diverse areas such as gender-based violence,

women and gender equality and other relevant areas.

The PPP/C administration must be commended for once again putting women’s issues on the front burner. As pointed out by the Human Services Minister, Dr. Vindhya Persaud, the institute has been there for a long time but was not being utilised by the former APNU+AFC administration. A new board was installed and it is expected that several new initiatives will be taken, aimed at the further empowerment of our women.

These initiatives will complement several existing government programmes such as garment and accessories cottage industry where participants are trained in making masks, functional business literacy, sustainable business and micro-enterprise.

These initiatives are consistent with the PPP/C Government’s commitment to advancing and protecting

the rights of women and gender equality by way of empowerment.

As President Ali correctly observed, Guyanese women are strong, resilient and resourceful.

‘I don’t have the capability to understand the level of challenges that a woman would go through in her life cycle... but women have the potential to do anything.’ According to the President, not only are women designed stronger than men but beyond that strength is an inner soul which is transformational and essential in any society.

The idea of women being the weaker sex has now been questioned.

Women are perhaps the fairer sex but certainly not weaker. That glass ceiling is now gradually being broken and our Guyanese women are now taking their rightful place as key players in the exciting task of nation building.

It is time GTU sees that teachers, students are vaccinated Dear Editor, “Because We Care” takes on a whole new meaning as over two hundred students received their vaccines at the St Stanislaus College. This is a timely humanitarian gesture from the United States Government which donated 146,250 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine as our Minister of Education is placing emphasis on the re-opening of our schools.

This is the same vaccine which is now being administered to students in the USA and has a 95 per cent efficacy rate.

The current protests by anti-vaxxers must be seen for what it is: it is simply a political ploy which is sup-

ported by the Opposition due to lack of any concrete issues to tackle. This was substantiated by a survey done by Dr Vishnu Bisram.

The Opposition just needed an excuse and anything is something. At this juncture in Guyana, the Opposition is simply splitting hairs to find issues which can be used and commandeered to their advantage.

Imagine the New York Schools (148,000) has made it mandatory for teachers to become vaccinated by September 27th, a mandate which already applies to City employees and health workers. This mandate will not allow school personnel to even submit a negative COVID-19 test result in place of getting

vaccinated. Yet, in Guyana, the government’s guidelines are not so stringent.

A teacher can still submit a negative test report and gain entry. We have now seen that the anti-vaxxers have now triggered another wave of infections in the USA. Currently, there is a dramatic surge in the infections among children, especially older teens in the 16 and 17 age range and this is now happening in Guyana as well.

We must not for one moment feel that the surge of infections in the US is not happening in Guyana.

The daily infection rate in the US is now over 150,000 with a population of approximately 330 million and for a small population

like ours with less than 800,000 persons our daily infection rate of approximately 150 is actually the same (.001%). But whilst this rate of infection causes great alarm in the US, the Opposition and its anti-vaxxers see this as an opportunity to gain political mileage at the expense of our peoples’ lives.

COVID-19 vaccination is a critical strategy to ensure that our children are back in school and the GTU must not be swayed by political considerations.

I have noted with interest that the FDA has approved the use of the Pfizer vaccine and that the GTU has signaled that some teachers may be inclined to take the US-made Pfizer Vaccines. I

do feel that the GTU should advise its members to do so immediately and not to be involved in wasteful obfuscation. Our children’s health and education are of paramount importance.

GTU needs to be reminded that the right to work as guaranteed by our Constitution should not be overlooked by Articles 25 and 40 which state as follows: ‘Every citizen has a duty to participate in activities designed to improve the environment and protect the health of the nation and ‘every person in Guyana is entitled to the basic right to a happy, creative and productive life, free from hunger, disease, ignorance and want.’

These Article spoke about

‘protect(ing) the health of the nation’ and every Guyanese is entitled ‘to a happy, creative and productive life free from… disease’. These are fundamental rights which must be secured and protected at all cost. How can these articles be achieved when the teachers union is frustrating the efforts of the government?

It is time that the GTU sees the benefits of our teachers and our students [being] vaccinated. If the Leader of the Opposition is honest then he should convene a meeting with the GTU and advise them to act in this nation’s interests.

Yours sincerely, Haseef Yusuf

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, MONDAY AUGUST 30, 2021

Export earnings could reach _ says IDB report US$8B by 2024 GUYANA’S total export earnings, which stood at US$998.8 million in the first quarter of 2021, could possibly increase up to US$8 billion by 2024, according to a Caribbean Quarterly Bulletin published by the Inter-American Bank (IDB).

The report, titled, ‘The Fragile Path to Recovery,’ said that Guyana’s exports in all areas are expected to increase exponentially, before experiencing a decline in 2026, which will see export earnings accounting for 59 per cent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

The report, which was released at the weekend, outlined that oil exports would be the driving force of the aforementioned growth, as it is projected to reach US$5.5 billion by 2024.

The report specified that oil exports are estimated to increase from US$1 billion in 2020 to US$5.5 billion in 2024, pushing total exports up to US$8 billion.

“These increased exports are supporting a higher current account balance, which increased from -34 per cent of GDP in 2019 to -13.5 per cent in 2020. High levels of Foreign Direct In-

vestment (FDI) inflows of 33 per cent and 32 per cent of GDP in 2019 and 2020, respectively, were driven by commercial activities of foreign oil operators and contributed to financing the current account deficits,” the report explained.

It outlined that net FDI inflows for the country increased from an average of US$ 122 million per year in 2015- 2017 to US$ 1,580 million in 2018- 2020. It was noted that positive export inflows are offset by negative labour/investment income outflows, reflecting the export earning of the oil consortium reaching 43 per cent of GDP in 2023 and almost perfectly mirroring oil export earnings, as indicated by the International Monetary Fund’s April 2021 World Economic Outlook.

On net, capital inflows exceeded current account outflows by US$60 million and contributed to strengthening international reserves from US$576 million in 2019 to US$680 million in 2020, approximately 12 per cent of GDP, according to the Bank of Guyana’s 2020 report.

It was only recently that Minister of Natural Resources, Vickram Bharrat,

informed the 31st Sitting of the National Assembly that Guyana’s Natural Resources Fund (NRF) contained a total of US$436 million, which remains untouched.

RECOMMITTED As he stood to defend the Petroleum (Exploration and Production) Amendment Bill, Minister Bharrat recommitted the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Government’s promise to be transparent in relation to the use and management of the oil funds.

Minister Bharrat further assured that he and his colleagues in government “intend to ensure there is strong parliamentary oversight” of the country’s oil revenues, especially as the earnings from the country’s petroleum sector alone could very well surpass US$500 million by the end of the year.

President, Dr. Irfaan Ali, had pledged the government’s commitment to strengthening the existing systems that govern the use of Guyana’s oil revenues.

“We committed, during the campaign, that there will be no secrecy in revenues received by the country from our natural resources, especially oil and gas, and we have stuck to that commitment,” President Ali told

reporters during his latest press conference.

He said that, in doing so, the government has always ensured that the public was notified of all the monies deposited into the NRF, also known as the Sovereign Wealth Fund.

The oil earnings, the President related, are also gazetted. Even further, Dr. Ali said that the oil revenues will also be documented online. “We are moving a step further in creating a balance sheet that persons can examine, online, and be kept abreast of revenues and expenditure,” the Head of State said previously.

SAFEGUARDING RESOURCES He reasoned that the NRF is critical to safeguarding resources for future generations of Guyanese. President Ali noted, however, that such efforts coincide with the fact that the country has “immediate needs” that have to be financed. Dr. Ali had affirmed that even if the government decides to dip into the NRF, mechanisms are in place to ensure that any and every withdrawal has to receive the requisite approval from the National Assembly. “Any projects to be financed from these

Oil exports, projected to reach US$5.5 billion by 2024, would be the driving force of the country’s export increases

funds must be approved by the National Assembly,” President Ali stressed.

Added to that, the Head of State had said that efforts were underway to craft a new legislative framework to govern the important Natural Resources Fund. He related that even though the PPP/C Government would have liked for the legislation to have been presented to Parliament before it went into recess, the document was still being finalised.

Dr. Ali is hopeful that the significant pieces of legislation could be presented to the House by the end of this year. Currently, even with oil prices on a global rise, Guyana has still been reaping the benefits of a bur-

geoning petroleum sector.

Guyana sold its first one million barrels of crude on February 19, 2020, raking in nearly US$55 million.

In its second million-barrel sale, the country received US$35 million, and another US$46 million as proceeds from the sale of its third million-barrel of crude, and US$49.3 million from its fourth oil lift.

Further, it earned in excess of US$60 million from the sale of its sixth oil lift, and US$79.6 million for its seventh. The country also received US$13.9 million in royalties during the first quarter of this year. (By Rehana Ahamad)

The crisis in Georgetown

Dear Editor,

I would be grateful if my concerns and disappointment with the crisis after crisis Georgetown has been experiencing for the past decades, under continuous PNC management, can be afforded space in your publication.

I spent the first 11 years of my life in Regent Street, between Bourda and Alexander Streets, in the yard of the store of my uncle, S B Nawbatt, the first to be burnt in the disturbances of the 60s.

The next 30 years plus were spent in Wortmanville, so I am a product of Georgetown.

I remember the days w h e n G e o rg e t o w n w a s proudly and legitimately described as the Garden City.

Sadly, that description was savagely damaged by the

continuous political mismanagement of the City. It is inconceivable and baffles one’s imagination as to how such incompetence could be rewarded by being voted into office election after election.

I’m convinced that therein lies the basis for the deplorable situation and condition of Georgetown and is exactly the reason for me, a few weeks ago, advocating for the installation of an Interim Management Committee for the City, as a previous government had to successfully do some years ago.

I was prompted to write again, following a recent letter, in which a “Senior Citizen” raised, among other items, the condition of the La Repentir Cemetery. My brother and grandfather are buried there and many at-

tempts to locate their graves have been impossible due to inaccessibility to get anywhere near to where their final resting places are.

I often wonder if such a situation exists anywhere else in the world.

For those who like to take to the streets protesting (as recently as the unimaginable anti- vaccine protests), I suggest their efforts can be very well appreciated by protesting against the conditions of this cemetery. I am sure their loved ones are similarly inaccessible.

However, I have a suggestion, which I know is going to raise a fire storm.

The Bourda Cemetery, which has not been a burial site for decades (maybe for plus or minus a hundred years?) is also in a deplorable condi-

tion, resembling a jungle, in the heart of Georgetown.

I remember a suggestion to convert this area into usable space was raised before and since consensus could not be reached, the idea was abandoned.

I am throwing out a suggestion for this cemetery, with all the necessary precautions taken to preserve the sanctity of the deceased, to be converted into a parking lot. The City Council, with efficient management, can garner much-needed revenue.

Another suggestion, also made previously, is for the canals along South Road/ Croal Street/Avenue of the Republic and other such spaces, be covered (to permit removal of the covers to allow cleaning) and for vehicles to park, for fees.

I am impressed by the owner of SleepIn Hotel, for his initiative in converting a part of Merriman’s Mall for parking. The voice “in the wilderness” in this case, being that of the now irrelevant former Mayor, Hamilton Greene. It is obvious that his motives for opposing this arrangement were motivated by reasons only such a relic can contemplate.

Many more businesses need to follow this example, if only to ease the problem of finding safe parking spaces in Georgetown and for financial gains, both for the Council and the businesses.

I am well aware that both these suggestions would rightfully generate much discussion, but am convinced that there is much room for improvement of the City, and therefore any suggestion

for ending the crisis being engendered by the clique headed for a few years now by the “travelling pandit”, must be open for public discussion.

I have stayed away at this time, at least, to mention other matters which I’m sure the majority of citizens of Georgetown are fed up with, including the now ongoing attempts by those at City Hall to oppose the appointment of a Town Clerk. My hope is that sensible judgement would prevail, and should this not be forthcoming, an NCM may need to be considered for this Council as well. Tek warning wid the NCM now engaging the Region Four administration.

Yours sincerely, H N Nawbatt

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, MONDAY AUGUST 30, 2021

‘I will spend every ounce of my energy to unite Guyana’ _President Ali tells religious gathering

President, Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali

PRESIDENT, Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali, said he will spend every ounce of his energy to unite Guyana.

The President gave that affirmation during a ceremony held, on Sun-

Attorney-General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Mohabir Anil Nandlall, S.C.

day, to commemorate the 125th birth anniversary of Srila Prabhupada at the Hare Krishna Study Centre, Cummings Lodge.

“I can tell you today that I will spend every ounce of my energy in

Indian High Commissioner to Guyana, Dr. K. J. Srinivasa

leading the effort to unite this country. But all of us in this room, all of us across this country must also commit to spending every ounce of our energy to achieve the same outcome.”

Minister within the Office of the Prime Minister with responsibility for Public Affairs, Kwame McCoy places garland on statue of Srila Prabhupada

During his address, Dr. Ali drew inspiration from the late Prabhupada. He was an Indian guru who founded the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) in New York City in 1966, a little over a decade before his passing.

The Hare Krishna Study Centre serves as the ISKCON Guyana chapter.

Devotees to Prabhupada’s teachings often espouse the need for unity in diversity.

Dr. Ali said the effort to unite Guyana has to be a collective one, explaining that the Constitution sets out the guiding principles for Guyanese to abide by to achieve national unity.

“Every Guyanese citizen must first of all fundamentally understand that we must govern ourselves by certain principles and values that make up the society. That is the first thing.

“We must all subscribe to freedom. We must all subscribe to fundamental rights. We must all subscribe to democracy.

We must all subscribe to the rule of law. We must all subscribe to equitable treatment. We must all subscribe to fair opportunity in our country.”

Attorney-General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Mohabir Anil Nandlall, SC, also honoured Srila Prabhupada. He said the guru has been one of the most outstanding human beings of the last century, and congratulated the chapter in Guyana which has sustained his traditions.

The Attorney-General also re-affirmed the PPP/C Government’s commitment to working for national unity. He found it notable that the Hare Krishna Study Centre is accepting of persons of all faiths. He reminded that in some parts of the world, wars are still being fought and people are still dying for basic freedoms, such as the right to worship.

“In Guyana, we have religious freedom guaranteed by our Constitution as a fundamental right, and we must not take that freedom for granted. We have that in Guyana and we must cherish that. When one right is threatened, the rights of all are threatened.

We just came out of a very important period in our history, where our rights were being threatened,” the

Attorney-General said, referring to the protracted 2020 electoral saga.

“Fortunately, we were able to prevail,” he said.

Other speakers espoused the principle of mutual respect between all Guyanese, and wished the President strength and goodwill as he seeks to unite the country. These included the Study Centre’s Temple President, His Grace Prabhupadadeva Dasa; Chairman of the Inter-Religious Organisation (IRO), Reverend Dr. Ronald McGarrell; ViceChancellor of the University of Guyana, Professor Paloma Mohamed; Chief Executive Officer of Demerara Bank Limited, Pravinchandra Dave; and Indian High Commissioner to Guyana, Dr. K. J. Srinivasa. (DPI)

Hare Krishna Study Centre

GUYANA CHRONICLE, MONDAY AUGUST 30, 2021

Iwokrama keeps focus on partnership building to strengthen conservation efforts

Iwokrama Senior Ranger, Richardson Haynes, and Volunteer, Accalia Khan, with Leatherback turtle -Shell beach THE Corps of Wardens recently visited Iwokrama where they participated in a ranger exchange programme and a joint operation to check on illegal gold mining in the Siparuni area, along with Iwokrama staff and the members of the Guyana Police Force.

Iwokrama and the Guyana Police Force share a long-term and solid relationship.

According to a release, over the past few months, Iwokrama was invited by the Protected Areas Commission (PAC) to send rangers and other staff to assist and learn about sea turtle monitoring. Iwokrama and the PAC collaborate very often with training exchanges being held for staffers on a wide variety of courses/ workshops over the years.

Guyana has had a long history of good conservation practices and Iwokrama was a flagship initiative created in 1989 and later formalised in 1996 with the Iwokrama Act being passed.

The foundation of Iwokrama is about partnerships where, at the highest level, the Government of Guyana developed a special agreement with the Commonwealth to create models of sustainable use of tropical rain forests, within the one million-acre Iwokrama Forest that lies in Central Guyana, above the North Rupununi Wetlands.

Critical partners have been on many levels including government and non-governmental agencies, donors, academic institutions, business entities, zoos, corporate sponsors to name a few.

The Indigenous communities in the area, which have ancestral ties to the Iwokrama forest are linked to Iwokrama through the North Rupununi District De-

velopment Board (NRDDB) and since 1996 has worked closely with Iwokrama on many projects and other developmental activities in the area. The two agencies have a collaborative management agreement that gives the communities a direct say in how Iwokrama is managed.

The release noted that within the past month, Iwokrama has seen formalised memoranda of understanding signed with the Guyana Wildlife Conservation and Management Commission and the Guyana Marine Conservation Society (GMCS).

Iwokrama also continues to be grateful for the support given by the Minister and Ministry of Natural Resources and was happy to host several groups of youth apprentices recently.

Some other key agencies giving Iwokrama support over the years include the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission, the Guyana Forestry Commission, the Environmental Protection Agency, the World Wildlife Fund, Conservation International – Guyana, Hydromet, Fisheries Department, and more.

The media continue to provide stalwart support to Iwokrama and noteworthy are the National Communications Network (NCN) and Real FM 93.1.

“Iwokrama continues to celebrate 2021 as a special year which represents 25 years since the Iwokrama Act was signed and would like to express appreciation to all agencies that have joined forces to ensure that Iwokrama, and, by extension, Guyana’s natural resources, is managed and protected.

Partnerships matter as at the core of conservation is always the people,” the release concluded.

Iwokrama ranger and volunteer with PAC rangers and staffers

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, MONDAY AUGUST 30, 2021

Adult Reaction Quiz

SOONER or later, children grow up and create their personal identity - they have their own minds, preferences and friendships – and, if raised correctly, a set of morals, values and a sense of purpose and responsibility. Children seldom accomplish these qualities by chance. They become valuable members of society due to the input from parents (including foster and adoptive), grandparents,

teachers and other adults who contribute positively to their development.

However, at times young people test adults; they do things that make grown-ups see red.

Could you remain levelheaded under pressure?

We all know about the ‘two good thumps, or two hot lashes will set them straight’ approach.

But having consideration and understanding can be more beneficial than confrontation and mis-

treatment. Try our quiz and see how you would handle the following situations.

A) Your 19-year-old daughter says she is an adult and where she goes and who she talks to online is not your concern.

Do you 1. Confiscate her cell phone to show her who is boss?

2. Talk to her about your role as a parent and work through the problem?

3. Tell her two women can’t live under one roof and send her packing?

B) You love your 17-year-old son to the point where you ‘clean up’ behind him. But while trying to impress his friends he commits a crime. Do you 1. Find out what strings you can pull to get him released?

2. Go to see him and tell him he is an embarrassment to the family?

3. Realise a problem needs addressing, so there’s no repeat of this behavior?

C) After being caught stealing money from his granny and lying your 11-year-old son wants to go camping with the Scouts for four days. Do you 1. Allow him to go and punish him on his return?

2. Ban him from going on this occasion because of what he did?

3. Ask the scout master to talk some sense into him during the trip?

D) You arrive home to find 2 teenage boys in your front yard with your daughter (14) listening to music on their phones.

Do you 1. Say good day and walk pass them into the house, but scold your daughter, later with disparaging words?

2. Start yelling at your daughter about bringing ‘man’ to your house while grabbing her and pushing her inside?

3. Ask the boys’ names, introduce yourself and speak to your daughter at an appropriate time?

E) Your 14-year-old son wants to attend a concert in the National Park, but you said No, he is safer at home. He is upset as his friends are allowed to go. Do you 1. Explain your fears

to him again and stick to your decision?

2. Talk through the hazards of large crowds and why you dislike them?

3. Consider the possibility, by talking to his friends’ parents to learn more facts?

ANSWERS A) (2) Young adults need guidance regardless of how grown up they think they are. They are still vulnerable. Try to keep a good connection but don’t allow rudeness.

Be aware of their goings and comings to ensure they are safe. You don’t have to be overbearing; ask them to drop you a text when they reach their destination. Once they are under your roof, you have a right to set rules and expectations, but you must also allow them freedom. Young adults are entitled to privacy, but there’s no harm in reminding your child about the dangers that lurk online. You can remind her from time to time how others were conned or groomed by predators.

You are not nagging but simply protecting them.

B) (3) When parents consistently ‘mollycoddle’ children, it gives them a false sense of entitlement. They are aware of how much their parents over-protect them and therefore feel they can get away with anything. Children indulged in this fashion become self-centered and grow with a warped sense of accountability. Instead of spoiling them, parents should prepare children gradually for adulthood by teaching them how to be independent and resilient and by allowing them to clean and maintain their own space, clothes and personal hygiene.

C) (2) It may be a

harsh lesson to teach, but responsibility comes with privilege. If your child is proving to be untrustworthy, you must not overlook this trait.

Highlight, discuss and work towards changing it with the child. When the behaviour improves, so do the privileges. Freedom, within reason, is granted to respectful, reliable children.

D) (3) Parents should make rules and set boundaries with their children’s input, so the family is clear on what is allowed, disallowed, and why. Children can create recommendations and expectations with parents; their valuable contributions to family regulations help them make smart life choices.

E) (3) When ‘No’ is all children hear, you are telling them you don’t care about their experiences or their pleasures and that your authority or your fears are all that matters. When children have their parents’ trust, they work harder to keep it and not let them down.

At some point, parents have to bite the bullet and loosen the reins a little. A risk assessment might be necessary and due consideration paid to travel safely to and from a venue. Don’t let your parental misgivings deny children of fun and enlightening experiences.

Teach them how to stay safe.

If you are concerned about the welfare of a child, call the CPA hotline on 227 0979 or write to us at childcaregy@ gmail.com A MESSAGE FROM THE CHILDCARE AND PROTECTION AGENCY, MINISTRY OF HUMAN SERVICES AND SOCIAL SECURITY.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, MONDAY AUGUST 30, 2021

School re-opening plans published on Education Ministry’s website WITH schools scheduled to physically re-open from September 6, using a variety of individualised plans, the Ministry of Education (MoE), over the weekend, posted, on its website, the re-opening plans being utilised by each school, in each of the 11 education districts.

For each school, the re-opening plans cover attendance for specific grades from Monday to Friday. The list includes the nursery, primary, and secondary schools as well as practical instruction centres (PICs).

Some schools will be opened to all classes at all levels throughout the week, while some schools will alternate between grades on differing days. In many cases, particular grade levels, will not have school every day.

The plans can be viewed on the Ministry’s website at https:// education.gov.gy/en/ index.php/sr#gsc.tab=0 The school reopening plans are based on the school’s location, capacity, enrolment and teachers on staff. All schools will be required to adhere to COVID-19 protocols.

Forty one of the 348 nursery schools across the country will be reopening fully, to regular classes, while 44 of the 457 primary schools will be opening fully to all classes every day, and, for secondary schools, seven of the 133 schools will be opened fully as per normal.

At a press conference held last Friday, where the MoE laid out its reopening programme, Chief Education Officer (CEO), Dr. Marcel Hutson, had called on parents to ensure they check with

Schools will be reopening for physical learning on September 6 with individualised plans their children’s respective schools to understand the attendance plans, and know when their child is expected to be at school, so as to avoid confusion at the schools, and for the COVID-19 protocols to be observed.

Parents can also check with the schools’ plans on the website.

“Parents could have access to it so people could have access to information to help them.

When that information is placed on the different modes of communication parents could see it to minimise any sort of confusion. This breakdown [by each school] was done so parents would know you don’t have to come to school every day so we can have some order to things,” the CEO said.

In most cases, the primary and secondary schools have placed emphasis on their higher level classes which have to prepare to write the national examination, having them attend school on as many days as possible.

At the nursery schools, Assistant CEO,

Samantha Williams, at Friday’s press conference, had explained that each level will be engaged for a minimum of four hours per week, and class sizes will not exceed five children per teacher.

The children will also each be given a learning package that

will include stationery and learning materials such as flash cards. ““We believe that the four-hour instructions along with the parental support will be adequate to help our children to acquire early literacy, numeracy and life skills. This package is necessary

because we are operating under strict COVID-19 protocols and want to avoid sharing of resources,” Williams explained.

Schools in Guyana have been closed to physical learning since March 16, 2020, as part of measures to curb the spread of the

COVID-19 pandemic.

Schools reopened virtually to learning in September, 2020, while in November 2020 it was partially reopened physically to Grades 10, 11 and 12 for these students to prepare for their Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) exams.

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How are we coping?

By Vanessa Cort

SOMEONE walking down the street in this country and apparently talking to himself or herself may immediately be labelled ‘mad’, when in fact that person may simply be using ear buds and talking on his/her cell phones But this leads me to ask the question, ‘How are we coping in the face of a pandemic which has devastated the world?’

We have been told

to socially distance, which has meant that normal social interaction had to stop as people were urged to stay at home and keep contact to a minimum.

For those who depend on visits from family, especially the elderly, the feeling of isolation and of being abandoned must have led to untold worry and anxiety.

Wage earners were suddenly faced with decreased working hours and many were laid-off, causing wide-

spread financial hardship to families and in particular those with only one breadwinner.

One of my sons had his working hours reduced to the point where he said it made ‘no sense’ going to work because his salary had shrunk so much.

A daughter, working at the airport, found herself out of work as flights stopped coming into the country and the airport closed down, leaving her with the prospect of looking for other employment in a

shrinking job market.

Mothers were suddenly having to ‘put

GUYANA CHRONICLE, MONDAY AUGUST 30, 2021

food on the table’ with far less money available to them. Those who were working often found themselves jobless, with a spouse either on a reduced income or also out of work.

Single parent families, more often than not, run by a woman have been particularly affected. One woman with two children told me she actually felt like one of the ‘lucky’ ones, because she had some savings and opened a stand selling snacks she made, in front of her home. “At first I didn’t know what to do,” she said, recounting her confusion when she was told that her job as a cleaner was no longer available.

But then she lost her job because her employers, who owned a small business, could no longer pay her and were themselves struggling to ‘keep their doors open’.

Schools in this country have been closed for almost 18 months now and parents have been faced with the daunting prospect of trying to keep their children educated, via Zoom and other online Apps, or simply keeping them occupied. School-aged children have themselves been dealing with the frustration of being away from school for such a prolonged period and often having no

physical contact with their friends.

And online learning is only an option for those households with a computer and with Internet service or the wherewithal to buy data and keep their children connected to those teachers who are able to offer online classes.

This all adds an increased financial burden to some, while for the majority it has meant that their children are at home, with nothing to do and as one mother remarked, “all day to do it”.

What of those households with several school-aged children? How are mothWers managing with their children at home all day? And what of those who depended on day-care facilities in order to work? Not only were they forced to quit work, as the centres closed their doors, but they were also faced with the unenviable prospect of having young children constantly underfoot.

Given all of this pressure, how do we cope?

This is really a question for the experts, particularly now that there is an ongoing debate surrounding the whole issue of vaccination and how we move on from here.

Next week I’ll be talking with som e of

those most qualified to answer this question.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, MONDAY AUGUST 30, 2021

FARMSUP commissions $100M branch in Corentyne

Some of the equipment available at the newly-opened FARMSUP branch at Number 73 Village, East Berbice, Corentyne

Minister within the Ministry of Public Works, Deodat Indar, and FARMSUP Managing Director, Renger Van Dijk, cut the ribbon to officially open the company’s Berbice branch

By Nafeeza Yahya-Sukar FARM Supplies Limited (FARMSUP) officially opened the doors of its third branch with the commissioning of a spanking $100M facility at Number 73 Village, East Berbice, Corentyne, on Saturday.

The commissioning ceremony of the Berbice branch marks another major milestone for the company that first started operations in Guyana in 1993.

According to the Managing Director of the company, Renger Van Dijk, the property which houses the business was strategically acquired six years ago to serve the agriculture industry, specifically farmers and fisherfolk.

However, with the closure of the Skeldon and Rose Hall estates, the economic climate in the region changed and the opening was placed on hold. However, with the massive investments in the agriculture sector by the Dr Irfaan Aliled government, the company started construction in October 2020 and was able to complete the facility for a $100M price tag to serve the needs of the people in Region Six. “When the property was purchased six years ago, the Skeldon Estate was still in operation and we wanted to be close to the fisherfolk but things changed. Skeldon closed and the outlook for farmers in general changed as well, so we put it on a back

burner but recently things changed again and we have more confidence in what is going on here and we decided to build the facility.”

He continued that the company’s success was mainly due to its after-sale service, and for the Berbice branch they recognised that the farmers were the backbone of the region which is why the company will be offering training sessions at the new location, as well as in the fields, to help farmers increase their yields and be more successful in their ventures.

“We have been the leaders in providing quality and high performance equipment and we will continue to do that. We don’t simply sell the products and that is the end of it, for example, sell tractors to farmers, no, we offer a complete solution for the farmers. We offer after-market service that has made us successful; we see you as a partner after we sell you equipment and work with you.... We are not here to only sell equipment; here in Berbice we are part of the farming industry and have been since 1991 and when you do well we do well; when you suffer we will suffer so we offer training sessions in this building and also in the fields as well to assist you to make your farms more profitable.”

INVESTORS’ CONFIDENCE Meanwhile, Minister within the Ministry of Public Works and acting Minister of Agriculture, Deodat Indar, commended the company for making the

investment while noting that it is proof of the confidence investors have in the government and the timing of the opening coincides with the demand for more heavyduty equipment in both the agriculture and construction sectors.

“This is testament of expansion in Guyana. His Excellency, Dr. Irfaan Ali always speaks of the expansion of Guyana. Agriculture, the sector that every farmer participates in, contributed 27.1 per cent of the GDP in 2020.... Some $22.6B was invested in the agriculture sector, so it tells you the

amount of things we have to do to expand Guyana. The construction sector in Public Works Ministry in the 2021 budget has 35.6B in capital works. It is the largest that the ministry has ever seen; that tells you the need for equipment, it tells you the need for massive amount of projects and obviously any contractor cannot use an equipment here and wait when a job is finished to move it to another one; they have to have equipment to round projects simultaneously so it says to a company like Farm Supplies that the volume is going to go up

and the right thing to do is to come to Region Six where it’s needed.”

He continued that the government understands the role agriculture plays in the economy and has decided to remove the taxes on farming and mining equipment upon assumption of office so that the farmers and miners can have more monies in their pockets to spend as they see fit.

FARMSUP first opened its doors on January 22, 1993 and has been serving the productive sectors of farming, fishing, construction, mining, forestry and

manufacturing by providing quality services and equipment with excellent after-sale services.

Apart from the sale of equipment, the company at its Berbice branch has laser levelling equipment for rental or will take on jobs and execute them. They have become a household name over the past 30 years and have been instrumental in introducing new products to farmers that have changed the methodology of farming. One notable product has been the introduction of the grain cart for the rice industry.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs responds to erroneous Stabroek News editorial

THE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation wishes to refer to the Stabroek News Editorial of 29 August 2021 titled “Fishing Licences”, the opening sentence of which reads, in part, that Guyana and Suriname have agreed that “licences would be issued by Paramaribo to this country’s fishermen to operate in the Corentyne beginning in January 2022.” The Ministry wishes to state that the 150 licences are to permit Guyanese to fish in Suriname’s exclusive economic zone – that is off of its coast – and not for fishing in the Corentyne River.

Having clarified that, the premise

of the entire editorial is incorrect, and not based on fact; there seems to be no need to correct the other statements and assertions that directly flow from that inaccuracy in the Editorial.

The Ministry hopes that the editorial board of the Stabroek News will find it appropriate to acknowledge the efforts of the leaders of Guyana and Suriname to meet on common ground on issues of day-to-day interest to their peoples now that it is known that a desire harboured by Guyanese fisherfolk for decades has official sanction.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, MONDAY AUGUST 30, 2021

50 per cent of Region Five adult population immunised against COVID-19

Region Five Regional Vice-Chairman, Rion Peters ABOUT 50 per cent of Region Five’s adult population has been vaccinated against COVID-19, Regional Vice-Chairman, Rion Peters has confirmed.

Speaking with the Department for Pub-

lic Information (DPI) on Friday, Peters said there has been vaccine hesitancy from residents, hence, the progress made thus far is one which the regional administration welcomes.

Since the first COV-

ID case was discovered in March 2020, the region launched a robust COVID-19 education campaign, which helped the region to maintain a low number of positive cases. Checkpoints were also implemented for

persons entering the region from Regions Four and Six. Individuals were screened for elevated body temperatures and other symptoms for early diagnosis, isolation and treatment of positive cases.

A quarantine facility with 22 beds was also established at the Experiment Health Centre.

However, the region saw an upsurge in COVID cases after the first quarter of this year.

As such, Peters said the administration remains committed to enforcing the measures outlined by the Ministry of Health to help prevent the transmission of the deadly disease.

The regional COVID-19

Task Force conducts daily checks at restaurants, bars and other public places to ensure residents are abiding by these measures.

“We continue to encourage our citizens to get vaccinated because that is the only way we as a region and, by extension, the country can truly beat COVID-19.

So, we continue to educate our people and continue to visit communities to speak this message to help protect them from the disease,” he added.

Communities such as Bush Lot, Mahaicony,

Rose Hall and the Bath Market, among others were identified as hotspots in the region.

As of August 27, Region Five had recorded 818 cases.

Additionally, the Vice-Chairman said the region’s health sector continues to make significant strides in the delivery of health care services.

Peters added that the administration intends to assist in meeting the government’s goal of providing adequate universal primary and secondary healthcare services. (DPI)

‘Bajan’ wanted in relation to 540lbs ‘ganja’ bust

Wanted: Dexter Morris called “Bajan” THE Customs AntiNarcotics Unit (CANU) has issued a wanted bulletin for Dexter Morris, also known as “Bajan”, whose last known address is Lot 26 Second Street, Cummings Lodge, Georgetown, in relation to a major marijuana bust.

According to CANU, on August 27, 2021, CANU officers conducted a joint operation with the Guyana Police Force at three different locations

which resulted in the seizure of over 540lbs of marijuana.

Two individuals are currently in CANU’s custody pertaining to the bust, and CANU is appealing to anyone knowing the whereabouts of Morris to contact CANU headquarters on telephone numbers 227-3507 or 226-0431, as investigations are ongoing.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, MONDAY AUGUST 30, 2021

Management of world’s forests must be water-centred Forested watersheds contribute substantially to the world’s accessible freshwater for agricultural, industrial, environmental, and domestic uses, with the world’s major cities increasingly reliant on water from forested watersheds (FAO photo)

FORESTS and trees play a vital role in meeting the world’s increasing demand for water and need to be managed for water-related ecosystem services.

This is according to a new guide co-published by the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO), the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission, the United States Forest Service and partners, and launched recently in observance of World Water Week.

A Guide to ForestWater Management is the first comprehensive global publication to provide guidance on the contribution of forests for a holistic approach to water resource management, including the management, monitoring and valuation of forests to deliver water-related ecosystem services.

Forested watersheds contribute substantially to the world’s accessible freshwater for agricultural, industrial, environmental, and domestic uses, with the world’s major cities increasingly reliant on water from forested watersheds.

Two-thirds of urban water supplies would benefit from increased water quality with improved forest management, such as protection, restoration and/or reducing forest fuel loads to minimise fire risk.

“Water security is a significant global challenge, with repercussions for agriculture, energy production, people’s basic needs and our supporting ecosystems,” said FAO Deputy DirectorGeneral, Maria Helena Semedo. “The twin challenges of climate change and a growing population are increasing pressure on our ecosystems. We need to recognise that forests play a key role in water security and prioritise water in forest

management and governance decisions,” she continued.

ACCESSIBLE FRESHWATER The forest and water connection is essential to achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, especially Goals 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation), 14 (Life below Water), 15 (Life on Land) and 13 (Climate Action).

Forests and trees are integral to the water cycle. They also play significant roles in regulating water quantity, quality and timing and provide protective functions against soil and coastal erosion, flooding and avalanches, collectively known as water-related ecosystem services.

According to FAO’s Global Forest Resources Assessment 2020, only 12 per cent of the world’s forests are managed with soil and water protection as a primary objective.

The guide calls for enhanced forest management that prioritises the provision of water-related ecosystem services. This is needed to ensure forests also fulfil their potential as a nature-based solution to address water security, helping ensure sufficient quality water to sustain resilient communities and ecosystems.

“We are convinced that the valuation of ecosystem services is the starting point for managing forests and all the benefits they provide,” said Shirong Liu, IUFRO Vice-President and Deputy Co-ordinator of the IUFRO Task Force on Forests and Water Interactions in a Changing Environment.

PRACTICAL GUIDANCE The new guide is aimed at natural resources practitioners with the goal of upholding and actively managing forests for the provision of water services and engaging the community, policy makers and investors in this

commitment.

The guide reviews emerging techniques and methodologies provide practical guidance and recommendations on how to manage forests for water ecosystem services, and features case studies from ecosystems where the two resources are strongly connected, such as mangroves, peatland, drylands and tropical montane cloud forest.

The publication also suggests that citizen science -- public participation in scientific research and monitoring -- as well as new online tools can help improve forest-water assessment and in turn beneficially influence policy and management decisions. In particular, FAO’s System for Earth Observation Data Access, Processing and Analysis for Land Monitoring (SEPAL), which is based on user-friendly image-processing technologies, and its Forest and Landscape Water Ecosystem Services (FL-WES) tools are highlighted as new ways of monitoring and reporting on the forest-water nexus. A mechanism for benefit-sharing and cooperation between the forest and water sectors, payments for watershed services (PWS) is also outlined.

Related to this report, FAO and the Stockholm International Water In-

stitute have produced an e-learning course, the Forest and Water Nexus, also launched this week, to help people under-

stand the links between forests and water and how they translate these into benefits for people and the planet.

These new products add to FAO’s vast collection of guidance and tools on water resource management. (FAO)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, MONDAY AUGUST 30, 2021

11 arrested for Pandit Barrat’s murder

ing used in front of his property.

She explained that A RELIGIOUS leader who confronted several at around 18:00 hrs, a men who were imbib- group of boys were iming and using indecent bibing on the bridge and language in front of his it continued around 21:00 premises was brutally hrs when her husband, beaten to death on Satur- from the window asked the men to desist, saying day evening.

Dead is Rishi Barrat that the area was not a called “Haribol”, 60, a rum shop and he was tryfather of four and a priest ing to sleep.

She noted that soon and joiner by profession.

A c c o r d i n g t o h i s after they began verbally distraught wife, Jasmin abusing him, and she Bharrat, 36, her husband called the police, who only wanted a peaceful told her they will send a night’s rest to work the patrol.

“After they continue I next day and to stop the expletives that were be- went to make up the bed

By Nafeeza Yahya-Sukar

and he went outside to talk to them, and, after a few minutes, I heard a big commotion and screaming and yelling of beat him! Kill him!

Hit him on the head! I feel like something gone wrong and I run down.

When I reach down I see them start move away.”

The woman, in tears, said she saw her husband lying in a pool of blood with injuries to the head.

“He was calling out for help! Help! Somebody please help me!

Bring water and eventually some neighbours came out. A few minutes

after a family friend came and assisted and took him to the hospital.”

She added that her 12-year-old son, who went with him downstairs, witnessed the ordeal and is in a traumatic state. She noted that while his father was being attacked, he used his hands to cushion the blows and was hurt in the process.

Mrs. Barrat is pleading for justice since for years they have been faced with torment in the area.

She said several complaints were made to the police but they fell on deaf ears. She told this newspaper that, given that they have three daughters and nothing was being done about the constant verbal abuse, her husband finally decided that they will move. The family has been living in the area for the past 16 years.

“They cause trouble, every, every week; we suffer from this. They are all regular here and we always get this issue and nothing was being done. We made complaints to the police several times,” the now widow said, adding that: “Those who cruelly killed my husband need to be jailed for a lifetime because for the rest of my life we won’t forget this.

He only wanted a peaceful environment because we have three daughters and he didn’t like things like lawlessness and ex-

Dead: Rishi Barrat treme noise and cursing in front of our house, and when we complain to the boys, even nicely we talk to them, they will eventually curse my daughters and that’s very irritating and they would threaten to kills us, burn out place down. They would pelt us with stones, break our windows and even thief from the temple. I never thought it would end like this because he was making plans to move, but before he could move this happened; he never get to move, never had a peaceful life.”

The police, in a press release, stated that 11 persons have been arrested thus far as investigation continues.

According to the police, eight men were in front of the premises of the deceased imbibing and using foul language.

The decease then went out to the men with a

piece of wood and told them to remove from the area. The men became annoyed and armed themselves and lashed the pandit several times about his body, which cause him to fall to the street. He was picked up by his relatives in an unconscious state and rushed to the Skeldon Public Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival. Subsequently, three other persons were arrested bringing the total to 11.

The Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha, on Sunday, expressed heartfelt condolences to the family of Pandit Bharrat as they condemned the “savage and heinous beating” of the pandit which led to his “horrific death” and asked that the perpetrators of the brutal act face the full force of the law.

An emotional Jasmin Barrat is being comforted by one of her daughters

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, MONDAY AUGUST 30, 2021

What now for Afghans arriving in America?

A thin length of yellow tape cordoned off the new arrivals - hundreds of Afghan refugees fresh off the plane from Kabul airport - from the intrusion of their new world, the grounds of an exhibition centre in Chantilly, Virginia.

Masoud, his wife and four children were among them, clutching plastic bags filled with blankets, toothbrushes and the like.

Someone had given the girls notebooks, the kind American children will be going back to school with this week.

He had been a driver for US forces and then the Afghan government, he told BBC Persian. “Everyone knew who I was working for,” Masoud said.

As soon as Kabul fell to Taliban hands on 15 August, he shut his house and went straight to the airport, though not with his car, today perhaps still abandoned in his driveway. “I could not stay longer” he said, realising he had a target on his

back. “For years people had seen me with these [government-marked] cars”.

It was just as well Masoud fled quickly.

Those lucky enough to have escaped before the allied troop withdrawal deadline of 31 August can look forward to a new life in the US or one of two dozen countries that have opened their doors to Afghan refugees - even as hope dims for those trapped in Afghanistan when evacuations end.

When they landed at Dulles Airport, just outside Washington DC, men, women, children and the elderly were shepherded aboard a fleet of buses and taken to the centre that would give them temporary shelter.

Rows of neatly made beds with green covers made the cavernous place resemble the inside of a military barracks. A fleet of 20 or 30 portable toilets had been put in a back lot.

Some 300 people would spend the night there, BBC

Persian was told before access to the centre was cut off to journalists.

A translator volunteering at the centre described seeing among the arrivals a young girl who had come with only a sister and cousins, but no parents.

“Her mother had to choose between sending her daughter alone or keeping her in Afghanistan,” BBC Persian was told. Her relatives did not know when or if the girl’s mother would make it.

Another woman had just given birth five days earlier, but had kept quiet about her condition, bearing the pain all the way from Kabul to Virginia. The translator discovered that she was bleeding and called an ambulance, she said.

Over 110,000 people have been airlifted from Afghanistan since the start of the evacuations in July, with over a third flown out of Kabul in just 48 hours between Tuesday and Thursday in over 180 US military

Bus driver found with narcotics

The parcels containing a quantity of leaves, seeds and stems suspected to be cannabis A 53-year-old male bus driver was intercepted at Kurupukari Crossing with two parcels containing suspected cannabis during a search of his vehicle by police on Saturday evening.

According to Police Headquarters, acting on information received, police made contact with the

driver of minibus, BWW 8540, and informed the driver of the allegation that he is suspected to be transporting narcotics.

Subsequently, a search was conducted on the minibus and a large brown parcel was found in the back seat which contained a quantity of leaves, seeds and stems suspected to be

cannabis while a black taped parcel was also found concealed in a compartment.

The suspect was cautioned, arrested and taken to the Lethem Police Station, along with the suspected cannabis where he was placed into custody pending investigations.

and coalition flights.

Tens of thousands are now awaiting background checks at bases in a network of transit centres - dubbed “lily pads” - across the Persian Gulf and Europe before being brought to the US or sent to a third country for relocation.

John Kirby, the Pentagon spokesman, has said that the US plans to start the resettlement of those who arrived in America by first placing some 25,000 refugees at four military bases.

From Fort Bliss, Texas; Fort McCoy, Wisconsin; Fort Lee, Virginia or Joint Base McGuire-DixLakehurst, New Jersey, the refugees can move to more permanent shelter, arranged

An Afghan woman arrives at Dulles airport after fleeing the Taliban (BBC/GETTY IMAGES)

with the help of religious and private charities and community efforts.

Over the weekend, volunteers arrived at the Mustafa Mosque in Annandale, just down the road from Dulles, to help sort donations for distribution to

refugees.

Many new faces and young people had come, happy to help, said Ruhina Baser Panah. “But at the same time, they are depressed for the reason they are here.” (BBC)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, August 30, 2021

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, August 30, 2021

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, August 30, 2021

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER (Monday August 30, 2021) CUMMINGS ELECTRICAL COMPANY LTD-83 Garnett Street, Georgetown (Tel: 225-6158) Answers to yesterday’s quiz: (1) Chris Kuggeleijn-17 wickets (Zouks) (2) Mohammad Nabi-5/15 (Zouks vs Patriots) Today’s Quiz: (1) Who struck most sixes in a single innings in CPL 2020?

(2) Who hit most sixes in CPL 2020?

Answers in tomorrow’s issue

21

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, August 30, 2021

Messi debuts as PSG beat Reims 2-0

(BBC) - Lionel Messi made his Paris St-Germain debut as a 66th-minute substitute in a 2-0 win at Reims in Ligue 1.

The Argentine, wearing his new number 30 PSG shirt, received a standing ovation as he replaced his friend Neymar in front of a sell-out crowd.

It was the first club game of his career for a team other than Barcelona.

“He is still far away from his best form but he has been training well and he will be fit in the next two weeks,” boss Mauricio Pochettino told Amazon.

“We are waiting for the best from him. I’m very happy that he made his debut. It was very important for him.

“He was good, from his first touches he gave the team peace of mind. It’s good for

Lionel Messi drew several fouls, including this one

him to start with a win.

“It was good to hear the crowd cheering for him, not just our supporters, it’s something Leo has earned.”

Kylian Mbappe scored both goals on what could be his final appearance for the club, with Real Madrid keen to sign him before

Tuesday’s transfer deadline.

Real Madrid have made a 160m euro (£137m) bid to sign the 22-year-old, who has now scored 135 goals in 175 games for PSG. His first goal was a header from an Angel di Maria cross and for his second he

Pocknall named stand in New Zealand coach

(ESPNCRICINFO) - Glenn Pocknall was shocked to find out he was named stand-in coach for New Zealand’s tours of Bangladesh and Pakistan.

Pocknall, who has had tremendous success with Wellington Firebirds, was appointed as Gary Stead’s replacement for the T20Is in Bangladesh and ODIs in Pakistan before Shane Jurgensen takes over for the Pakistan T20Is. “I recalled the story with the players in our first team meeting: I was at the indoor centre in Wellington when I got a call,” Pocknall said at his first press conference in Dhaka. “I was pretty shocked and overwhelmed. It was totally out of the blue. I spoke to my partner when I got home. I got excited very quickly.

“As much as I have always wanted to coach the Black Caps, it wasn’t something in the front of my mind.

I am very proud and privileged to be working here with this great bunch of guys.”

The appointment is in line with NZC’s mental health policy that applies to both players and coaches, something Pocknall touched upon too.

“New Zealand Cricket’s well-being policy is put in

Glenn Pocknall has successfully coached the Wellington Firebirds to the Plunket Shield title Getty Images

place for both players and coaches,” he said. “It allows the players in the starting XI and main coaches an opportunity to really refresh.

Otherwise they have five or six months on the road which can become mentally draining in the world we are living in, at the moment.

“It is a fantastic initiative

by NZC. They will see how this goes and there will be feedback from stakeholders, to give them an idea if this can continue in the future.”

What is his coaching style like? Pocknall admits to being drawn in by data, but won’t let it be the only point of influence. He also believes in how conditions and opponents can change

in a moment, and wants to prepare his team accordingly.

“I use the data to get some information to discuss plans and have conversations, but also in the back of your mind, have the ability to change if that’s required in a match situation,” he explained.

“Data gives you a snapshot of history. It is important as cricket is a number’s game. At the same time, the beauty of the game is that conditions and oppositions can change. Sometimes you need to adapt and change on the fly.”

The Shere Bangla National Stadium, particularly in September when it is still officially off-season in Bangladesh, can have unpredictable pitches. Earlier this month, Bangladesh crushed Australia 4-1 on pitches that offered a lot for the spinners and any pace bowler willing to cut his fingers across the ball. The scoring rate was lower than how teams often score in T20s at this venue.

Pocknall said New Zealand are ready for a similar experience although he hopes the surfaces will be better. However, when it comes to preparation, he insisted they will train keeping in mind how things panned out when Australia toured.

swept home Achraf Hakimi’s cross.

“Kylian is our player and you know that in football and in business there is always gossip and rumours,” Pochettino said.

“I think our president and our sporting director were very clear and he is still here.

I am really happy to have Kylian.

“He is one of the best, one of the most important players in the world today, and for him to be with us is a gift.”

But the headlines will be about 34-year-old Messi, who came on moments after that second goal.

Tickets for the game were being resold for about 6,000 euros after Reims sold over 20,000 tickets for the Stade Auguste-Delaune match. Before Messi’s signing only about 6,000 had been sold.

Their purchasers may have been disappointed to see Messi only named on the bench - although he got an ovation as he warmed up, with fans chanting his name, and an even bigger one when he came on.

He played some nice passes and was involved in good link-up play, drawing several fouls. However he had few touches in the penalty area and no shooting opportunities.

“He brings serenity to the team. His energy and his optimism trickle down on the rest of the team,” said Pochettino.

Messi had missed the first few games for PSG since his free transfer move following his exit from Barcelona. This was his first game since winning the Copa America with Argentina in July.

He joined Barcelona as a 13-year-old and scored a record 672 goals in 778 games for the club.

He has won six Ballons d’Or - also a record - and is considered one of the greatest footballers ever.

Jos Buttler averages 33.33 in Test cricket, but only 14.44 in this series

Buttler out of England squad for fourth test against India

(BBC) - Wicketkeeper Jos Buttler will miss the fourth Test against India starting on Thursday because his wife is expecting their second child.

Jonny Bairstow, who played as a specialist batsman in the first three Tests, will deputise at the Kia Oval.

All-rounder Chris Woakes returns to a 15-man squad after a heel injury.

Pace bowler Mark Wood has recovered from the shoulder problem that kept him out of the innings-and-76-run win in the third Test.

Fast bowler Saqib Mahmood, part of the squad at Emerald Headingley but overlooked for the final XI, is left out to accommodate Wood’s return.

Sam Billings, who has 25 one-day and 32 Twen-

ty20 caps for England but never played a Test, will provide wicketkeeping cover for Bairstow.

The five-match series is level at 1-1.

Bairstow takes the gloves Bairstow, 31, has kept wicket in 48 of his 77 Tests, but not since the final Ashes Test of 2019. Buttler, Ben Foakes, James Bracey and Ollie Pope have kept for England since then.

Bairstow averages 37.85 with the bat in Tests as a keeper, and 27.41 when he plays as a specialist batsman.

However, he has only just regained a settled spot batting at number five after two years in and out of the side and being moved up and down the order.

England head coach Chris Silverwood said Bairstow is

“relishing” keeping. “As we all know, he has the skills to seamlessly take over from Jos and the ability to score crucial runs in the middle order if called upon,” he said.

In the absence of Buttler, who bats at six, Ollie Pope is likely to return to the side. He has been part of the squad for the first three Tests without playing.

Woakes made his first XI comeback on Friday after more than a month out, taking 1-37 and scoring 14 in Birmingham Bears’ T20 Blast quarter-final defeat by Kent.

“For the first time in this series, it is pleasing to have several options with our bowling stocks as we approach the latter stages of the series,” said Silverwood.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, August 30, 2021

Kings triumph over Knight Riders to take opening CPL win THE Saint Lucia Kings claimed their first victory of the 2021 Hero Caribbean Premier League with a thrilling win over the Trinbago Knight Riders by five runs.

Tim David was once again the star for the Kings with 43 from 32 balls that saw his side post 157/5 from their 20 overs.

The Knight Riders looked to take the game deep thanks to a brilliant 40 from 16 balls from Tim Seifert but the Kings claimed a last ball win.

The Kings started brightly after being put into bat with Andre Fletcher and Rahkeem Cornwall putting on 51 for the first wicket. It was Cornwall who went first, when he lobbed

a ball from Ravi Rampaul to extra cover.

A burst of three wickets for the addition of just four runs pegged back the Kings and they looked to rebuild. A partnership of 68 between Roston Chase and Tim David brought the Kings back into the match with Chase playing the anchor role to David’s more aggressive approach.

An enterprising stand between Chase and Keemo Paul took the Kings to 157/5 with Chase finishing on 30 not out.

The Kings bowlers kept things tight at the start with the Knight Riders scoring at less than a run a ball inside the PowerPlay with Jeavor Royal particularly impressive with

his left-arm spin.

In the face of some excellent bowling, Lendl Simmons and Colin Munro struggled to kick on with Simmons falling to Paul for 25 from 30 balls. At the fall of Simmons wicket, the Knight Riders needed 88 from 43 balls.

When Kieron Pollard fell for 9 from 10 balls it was down to the New Zealand pair of Munro and Tim Seifert to get their side home. Seifert’s brilliant hitting took his team tantalisingly close to a victory, but Wahab Riaz successfully defended 14 runs from the final over.

Manchester United beat Wolverhampton

(BBC) - Cristiano Ronaldo’s presence was felt as Manchester United beat Wolves in their first game since announcing they had reached an agreement to re-sign the forward.

Ronaldo was not at Molineux but United’s travelling fans sang his name, with the Red Devils expected to confirm the arrival of the five-time Ballon d’Or winner from Juventus in the coming days for £12.8m.

On the pitch, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side were second-best to a lively Wolves for long periods before Mason Greenwood scored a contentious late winner.

Wolves felt Ruben Neves was fouled in the build-up but the goal was allowed to stand.

Wolves could have been 3-0 up inside 15 minutes, with Raul Jimenez forcing David de Gea into an early save, Aaron Wan-Bissaka

making a goal-saving block to deny Trincao and Joao Moutinho volleying over after a mistake by Jadon Sancho.

United were second best for long periods and it required a spectacular double save by De Gea from Romain Saiss to prevent Wolves from taking the lead before Greenwood’s finish.

Cardboard cutouts and ‘Viva Ronaldo’ chants There was a carnival atmosphere at Molineux.

Wolves fans were excited at the arrival of new striker Hwang Hee-chan - who was presented on the pitch after arriving from RB Leipzig - while United’s travelling supporters sang about Ronaldo from start to finish.

Chants of ‘Viva Ronaldo’ could be heard outside the ground two hours before kick-off.

Inside Molineux, United fans wore CR7 T-shirts, held

up ‘welcome back Ronaldo’ signs and wore replica shirts with his name on the back.

Supporters also displayed a cardboard cutout of Ronaldo, while Solskjaer spoke excitedly before the match about the imminent return of the 36-year-old.

“I’m excited to keep building this squad. He will bring something completely different,” said the United boss.

“Hopefully Cristiano can come in and show what he has done in his career.

“I am sure he likes all the talk about being old. Make it personal and he will show what he can do.”

Familiar story for Wolves Wolves remain without a point under new boss Bruno Lage after a third successive 1-0 defeat.

The unparalleled pace of Adama Traore ensured his side started on the front foot against a United side who

Manchester United have seven points from their opening three games

struggled to hit the heights of their opening-weekend win over Leeds.

However, it was a familiar ending for Wolves.

Having managed 15 attempts on target in their opening three games, they

have yet to score and and have now lost their past six Premier League matches.

Raphael Varane marked his first United start by making an important block to frustrate Trincao, while De Gea’s second stop from Saiss

was an early contender for save of the season.

Wolves were angry Greenwood’s goal was allowed to stand, with Neves protesting to referee Mike Dean at the final whistle.

Verstappen declared winner of Belgium Grand prix (BBC) - Red Bull’s Max Verstappen was declared the winner of a Belgian Grand Prix that lasted two laps behind the safety car.

Heavy rain prevented any competitive racing at the Spa-Francorchamps track.

The start was delayed by half an hour before two attempts were made to start the race - with a gap of nearly three hours between them.

But conditions were deemed too dangerous and the red flag was flown after two and a half laps behind the safety car.

The result was therefore

declared from the grid order, with Verstappen ahead of Williams driver George Russell and Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton.

Two laps was enough to award half points, according to the regulations, so Verstappen has cut Hamilton’s championship lead to three points.

And Russell has achieved his first podium finish, thanks to a qualifying lap in the wet on Saturday that will go down as one of the greatest in F1 history.

Russell, 23, said: “We don’t often get rewarded for great qualifyings, but we

Red Bull’s Dutch driver Max Verstappen celebrates with his trophy on the podium. (Photo by KENZO TRIBOUILLARD/AFP via Getty Images)

absolutely did today.

“It was a shame we did not get the race under way but, from my side, and the team’s side it’s an amazing result.

“The whole team deserve it because there has been so much hard work going into work over the last few years and there has been nothing to show for it, but we absolutely nailed it yesterday.”

History, of a sort The race will

have its own place in history as the only F1 grand prix to involve no racing.

The initial start was delayed before the cars followed the safety car briefly - only for the track to be declared too wet.

Then there was a delay of nearly three hours before the cars again followed the safety car out of the pit lane at 18:17 local time, only to return three laps later.

Verstappen said: “Now, in hindsight, it was very important to get that pole position. It’s a shame to not get proper laps, but the conditions were very tricky.

“At 3.30pm the conditions were decent but the visibility was very low. I think if we’d started at 3pm we would have had a decent chance.

“Big credit to the fans for staying here all day.”

Hamilton added: “They knew, at the end, the track wasn’t any better and they did it just so they could do two laps and declare a race. I really hope the fans get their money back.

“You couldn’t see even five metres in front of you on the straight. You couldn’t even see the flashing light in front of you.”

23

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday, August 30, 2021

NYNCL 30-Over playoff Saturday Tournament quarter-finals…

Meten-Meer-Zorg CC beat Everest/ACS METEN-MEER-ZORG Cricket Club defeated fellow USbased Guyanese team, Everest/ACS by six wickets in the quarter-finals of the New York National Cricket League (NYNCL) 30-Over playoffs Saturday Tournament which was held at Lido Beach over the weekend.

Leading the charge was the much improved Ushardeva Balgobin, who has switched his wicket-keeping gloves for the ball. The Demerara youth cricketer spun out the lower and middle-order of Everest/ACS after they had won the toss and opted to bat.

Former national cricketer Rajiv Ivan held the side together with an even 50 (2X4s, 3X6s from 41 balls), but he also became a victim of the leg-spin bowling of the 18-year-old Balgobin. Along with his 4-34 from six overs, Balgobin also took two catches.

Skipper Kelvin Shewprasad supported with 3-34, while Keith Edie finished with 2-21.

A few of the Everest/ACS batsmen had starts, including opener Dayanand Roopnarine, who finished with 30 (2X4s, 1X6, 29 balls) and Marinaro Dixon 20 (2X6s from 23 balls), which pushed the regular season number one side to 165 before they were bowled out in 29 overs.

In their turn at the wicket, openers Richard Allen and Keith Edie carried Meten-Meer-Zorg to 80 runs before the first wicket fell, which spurred the others to play themselves in and eventually secure a victory.

Allen finished with 47 from 44 balls (6X6s), while Edie made 31 from 32 balls (2x4s, 1x6).

Andy Mohammed (27 not out) and Shewprasad (21 not out) registered an unbeaten 51-run fifth-wicket partnership in the latter stage of the chase to ensure that the side reached the needed 171 in 28.2 overs.

Dave Johnson, who bowled both openers, finished with Ushardeva Balgobin finished with four wickets and 15 runs.

3-20 from six overs.

St Kitts & Nevis Patriots player forced out of HERO CPL

Leg spinner Mikyle Louis

ST Kitts & Nevis Patriots player Mikyle Louis has been forced to leave the 2021 Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) following a breach of the tournament operating protocols, and will take no further part in this year’s tournament.

The Hero CPL protocols for 2021 state, inter alia, the following: “The tournament bubble will be maintained for the entire duration of the tournament and no one from outside the bubble will be allowed in at any of the bubble locations. Conversely, no one from inside the bubble will be

allowed out of the main bubble areas. Persons who break these rules will be expelled from the tournament – no exceptions.”

Speaking on the incident, Hero CPL’s Tournament Operations Director, Michael Hall said: “Following the receipt of some tragic news about a close friend, the player took the unfortunate and ill-advised decision to leave the hotel bubble without permission. While the league is sympathetic about the circumstances which led to the player’s decision, it cannot allow the integrity of its Covid-secure bubble to be compromised.”

Rutherford fireworks thwarts Guyana Amazon Warriors ST KITTS & Nevis Patriots maintained their unbeaten start to the 2021 Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) with a dramatic six wicket victory over the Guyana Amazon Warriors.

The Amazon Warriors won the toss and opted to bat first and posted a very challenging 166/3 buttressed by a sparkling partnership between Mohammed Hafeez and Shimron Hetmyer.

In reply, the Patriots fired once more with the bat, to chase down the target, led by Sherfane Rutherford’s unbeaten 59 from 34 balls.

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The Amazon Warriors had paced their innings superbly and they had Hafeez to thank, his 70 runs from 59 balls anchored the innings allowing Hetmyer to play his natural game.

The pair put on a 101-run partnership from 67 deliveries, but both fell in successive balls in the 18th over. Nicholas Pooran and Brandon King then scrambled some late runs to ensure the Amazon Warriors posted their highest score of the tournament so far.

A target of 167 looked a hard task, but the Patriots openers, Evin Lewis and Devon Thomas, laid the foundation for

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the chase with an opening stand of 69.

The introduction of Imran Tahir proved crucial for the Amazon Warriors as he removed both openers to swing the game back in their favour.

However, the heroes from the Patriots opening game, Rutherford and Dwayne Bravo, forged another match winning partnership to bring the Patriots to the verge of victory.

Bravo was dismissed with 18 runs still needed but Rutherford made light work of the equation with his second 50 of the tournament to seal a memorable win.

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Rutherford fireworks thwarts Guyana Amazon Warriors

Sherfane Rutherford of Saint Kitts & Nevis Patriots celebrates his half century during the 2021 Hero Caribbean Premier League match 8 between Saint Kitts & Nevis Patriots and Guyana Amazon Warriors at Warner Park Sporting Complex on August 29, 2021 in Basseterre, St Kitts, Saint Kitts and Nevis.

(Photo by Randy Brooks - CPL T20/Getty Images)

SEE STORY ON PAGE 22 Andre Fletcher (2L) of Saint Lucia Kings celebrates winning the 2021 Hero Caribbean Premier League Match 7 between Saint Lucia Kings and Trinbago Knight Riders at Warner Park Sporting Complex on August 29, 2021 in Basseterre, St Kitts, Saint Kitts and Nevis. (Photo by Randy Brooks - CPL T20/Getty Images)”

Fabian Allen (L) and Dwayne Bravo (2L) hug as Sherfane Rutherford (2R) of Saint Kitts & Nevis Patriots is being congratulated by Kevin Sinclair (R) of Guyana Amazon Warriors during the 2021 Hero Caribbean Premier League match 8 between Saint Kitts & Nevis Patriots and Guyana Amazon Warriors at Warner Park Sporting Complex on August 29, 2021 in Basseterre, St Kitts, Saint Kitts and Nevis. (Photo by Randy Brooks - CPL T20/Getty Images)”

SEE STORY ON PAGE 23

Kings triumph over Knight Riders to take opening CPL win

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Monday, August 30, 2021