Guyana Chronicle E-Paper 30-12-2022

1,500 houses under construction from Cummings Lodge to Eccles

as part of ongoing Cummings Lodge Housing Development project

President, Dr Irfaan Ali on Thursday inspected works ongoing under the Cummings Lodge Housing Development project, through which some 1,500 houses are being built alongside massive infrastructural upgrades to accompany the housing development and improve transportation along the East Bank of Demerara (Latchman Singh photos)

Low-interest loans now available to forestry stakeholders

By Shamar Meusa

THE Ministry of Finance on Thursday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Demerara Bank for the establishment of a $900 million revolving fund to

boost production in Guyana’s forestry sector.

The agreement was signed in the Ministry of Finance’s boardroom by Senior Minister within the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance, Dr Ashni Singh and Gen-

eral Manager of the Demerara Bank Limited, Dowlat Parbhu.

In his address during the signing ceremony, Dr Singh said that the facility is $900 million, of which the government is provid-

- following signing of MoU between gov’t, Demerara Bank for $900M revolving fund

- over 100 concessions granted to small loggers, Minister Bharrat says

Senior Minister within the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance, Dr Ashni Singh and General Manager of Demerara Bank Limited, Dowlat Parbhu, sign the agreement as Minister of Natural Resources, Vickram Bharrat and other officials look on (Delano Williams photo)

1,500 houses under construction from Cummings Lodge to Eccles

PRESIDENT, Dr. Irfaan Ali, on Thursday, inspected works ongoing under the Cum -

ment of the East Coast to East Bank Demerara road linkage project.

The Head of State was

because there’s a commitment to go beyond Diamond, so it was along those lines that we vis -

- as part of ongoing Cummings Lodge Housing Development project

works are currently ongoing at the new Cummings Lodge Housing Development, with works being undertaken including land clearing, and the creation of road networks such as the Aubrey Barker Road access.

The government is constructing a number of elevated and flat housing

feet) elevated house was constructed by the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CHPA) and sold at $7.5 million.

The ministry has already moved ahead with placing street lights in the massive community, having investing heavily to ensure the community is equipped with the neces-

An area is also being cleared to commence the construction of a massive water-treatment plant. The Cummings Lodge Housing Development is part of the government’s national housing programme which involves the creation of sustainable schemes.

Meanwhile, works

mings Lodge Housing Development project, through which some 1,500 houses are being built alongside massive infrastructural upgrades to accompany the housing development and improve transportation along the East Bank of Demerara.

The housing development starts from Cummings Lodge and ends in the vicinity of Eccles, East Bank Demerara. Over $1.4 billion is being invested in developing the area.

The President also used the opportunity to do a walk-through and assess-

accompanied on the visit by Minister of Housing and Water Colin Croal, and Central Housing and Planning Authority Director of Projects, Omar Narine, among other officials from the agency.

“The visit was twofold. Earlier on we dealt with the development taking place in Cummings Lodge and the inter link of Eccles coming through the Aubrey Barker Road. Then there’s the Eccles to Diamond four-lane work ongoing.

“As well are looking at the further realignment, for further expansion

ited,” Minister Croal said. Massive infrastructural

units. A number of persons have also begun to occupy their homes, while the ministry is working to complete the remaining homes earmarked for that scheme. Some 300 houses in the area, costing $2.3 billion, were expected to be completed by this month.

Each two-bedroom, 20 feet by 30 feet (600 square

sary services.

The area is already equipped with a brand new $7 million police outpost and will soon have an established community ground.

The Cummings Lodge Housing Development project is also expected to unlock a commercial and medical zone at the southern end of the scheme.

are moving apace on the US$106.4 million first phase of the East Coast to East Bank Demerara (EBD) road linkage project.

India-based construction company, Ashoka Buildcon Limited, is currently undertaking the project which is scheduled to be carried out over a 24-month period.

(Latchman Singh photos)

Low-interest loans now available...

ing $300 million while Demerara Bank is providing $600 million from its internal capital to provide affordable lending to the forestry sector.

“When I say affordable lending, an agreement has been reached with Demerara Bank that the interest rate to be charged for lending out of this fund will be capped at four per cent,”

he said.

The signing of this agreement, Dr Singh related, should be viewed against the background of President, Dr Irfaan Ali’s commitment to maintain the resilience of Guyana’s economy by ensuring that the economy is one that is not solely dependent on an individual productive sector.

He added: “So, not -

withstanding the incredibly exciting developments that are happening in oil and gas, we feel very strongly about ensuring a vibrant, competitive, dynamic and rapidly growing non-oil economy.”

As part of this, the senior minister added that the forestry sector remains an extremely important part of the country’s economy, noting that Guyana remains a

country that is firmly committed to sustainable forest management.

Minister of Natural Resources, Vickram Bharrat, said too that the MoU is a commitment being fulfilled by the government to ensure that work continues to be done in the traditional productive sectors.

Bharrat related that after entering office, there were several issues with which

the Guyana Forestry Commission was faced, including access to finance for small loggers.

He went on to say that the associations that exist in Region One and in Region 10, in particular, were crying out for finance to capitalise or recapitalise their operations in order to boost production.

To aid this, the Natural Resources Minister added that to date the commission has allocated over 100 concessions to small and local loggers and further, with the signing of the MoU, the issue of access to financing is being addressed.

“We have bargained of course with the intervention of President Ali bargain with Demerara Bank that we can now access finance for our small loggers and our saw millers, to ensure that the forestry sector is being restored and returned to its former glory days,” Minister Bharrat said.

He further related that significant development is taking place across the country that has significantly increased the demand for timber and timber products. As such, this initiative would aid in the sector being able to meet those demands.

Meanwhile, General Manager of the Demerara Bank Limited, Dowlat Parbhu, said that the bank was excited to be part of this initiative, noting that it is important for his organisation to ensure that credit is diversified for the development of all sectors.

Parbhu added that Guyanese can see the commitment of the government and also the private sector to

ensure that the indigenous sectors are not left behind.

He said: “Today, we are also part of this monumental signing to ensure another important sector in Guyana that credit is available. We see it and it has always been the mission and vision of the bank to empower people and this will see that concessional credit is given to those who may not be able to negotiate a commercial line.”

In its mid-year report, the Ministry of Finance had reported that the country’s forestry sector had grown by an estimated 47.1 per cent in the first half of the year, largely on account of significant growth in log production.

According to the report, at the end of June, 203,220 cubic metres of timber products were produced, compared with 137,040 cubic metres at the end of June last year, driven by higher-than-anticipated production of logs.

Log production is up 59.8 per cent, when compared with the position at the end of the first six months of 2021, following a substantive increase in production from large concessions.

Additionally, the local demand for primary lumber has also increased year on year, driven by ramped-up construction activities countrywide. The report further stated that with log production slowing as concessionaires’ quotas are used up, the expected growth rate for the sector is holding steady at 13.5 per cent for 2022.

Football star Pele, Brazilian legend of the beautiful game, dies at 82

(Reuters) - PELE, the legendary Brazilian soccer player who rose from barefoot poverty to become one of the greatest and best-known athletes in modern history, died on Thursday at the age of 82.

Sao Paulo’s Albert Einstein Hospital, where Pele was undergoing treatment, said he died at 3:27 p.m. “due to multiple organ failures resulting from the progression of colon cancer associated with his previous medical condition.”

The death of the only man to win the World Cup three times as a player was confirmed on his Instagram account.

“Inspiration and love marked the journey of King Pele, who peacefully passed away today,” it read, adding he had “enchanted the world with his genius in sport, stopped a war, carried out social works all over the world and spread what he most believed to be the cure for all our problems: love.”

Tributes poured in from across the worlds of sport, politics and popular culture for a figure who epitomised Brazil’s dominance of the beautiful game.

The government of President Jair Bolsonaro, who leaves office on Sunday, declared three days of mourning, and said in a statement that Pele was “a great citizen and patriot, raising the name of Brazil wherever he went.”

Bolsonaro’s successor, President-elect Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, wrote on Twitter that “few Brazilians carried the name of our country as far as he did.”

French President Emmanuel Macron said Pele’s legacy would live forever. “The game. The king. Eternity,” Macron tweeted.

Pele had been undergoing chemotherapy since he had a tumor removed

from his colon in September 2021.

He also had difficulty walking unaided since an unsuccessful hip operation in 2012. In February 2020, on the eve of the coronavirus pandemic, his son Edinho said Pele’s ailing physical state had left him depressed.

On Monday, a 24-hour wake will be held for Pele in the centre of the field at the stadium of Santos, his hometown club where he started playing as a teenager and quickly rose to fame.

The next day, a parade carrying his coffin will pass through the streets of Santos, passing the neighborhood where his 100-year-old mother lives, and ending at the Ecumenical Memorial Necropolis cemetery, where he will be buried in a private ceremony.

Pele, whose given name was Edson Arantes do Nascimento, joined Santos in 1956 and turned the small coastal club into one of the most famous names in football.

In addition to a host of regional and national titles, Pele won two Copa Libertadores, the South American equivalent of the Champions League,

and two Intercontinental Cups, the annual tournament held between the best teams in Europe and South America.

He took home three World Cup winner’s medals, the first time as a 17-year-old in Sweden in 1958, the second in Chile four years later - even though he missed most of the tournament through injury - and the third in Mexico in 1970, when he led what is considered to be one of the greatest sides ever to play the game.

He retired from Santos in 1974 but a year later made a surprise comeback by signing a lucrative deal to join the New York Cosmos in the then

nascent North American Soccer League.

In a glorious 21-year career he scored between 1,281 and 1,283 goals, depending on how matches are counted.

Pele, though, transcended soccer, like no player before or since, became one of the first global icons of the 20th century.

With his winning smile and an aw-shucks humility that charmed legions of fans, he was better known than many Hollywood stars, popes or presidents – many if not most of whom he met during a six-decade-long career as player and corporate pitchman.

“I am sad, but I am also proud to be Brazilian, to be from Pele’s country, a guy who was a great athlete,” said Ciro Campos, a 49-year-old biologist in Rio de Janeiro. “And also off the field, he was a cool person, not an arrogant athlete.”

Pele credited his oneof-a-kind mix of talent, creative genius and technical skill to a youth spent playing pick-up games in small-town Brazil, often using grapefruit or wadded-up rags because his family could not afford a real ball.

Pele was named “Athlete of the Century” by the International Olympic Committee, co-”Football Player of the Century” by world soccer body FIFA,

and a “national treasure” by Brazil’s government.

His celebrity was often overwhelming. Grown adults broke down crying in his presence with regularity. As a player, souvenir-seeking fans often rushed the field following games and tore off his shorts, socks and even underwear.

His house in Brazil was less than a mile from a beach, but he didn’t go there for some two decades because of fear of crowds.

Yet even in unguarded moments among friends, he rarely complained. He believed that his talent was a divine gift, and he spoke movingly about how soccer allowed him to travel the world, bring cheer to cancer patients and survivors of wars and

famine, and provide for a family that, growing up, often did not know the source of their next meal.

“God gave me this ability for one reason: To make people happy,” he said during a 2013 interview with Reuters. “No matter what I did, I tried not to forget that.”

Brazil’s CBF soccer federation said “Pele was much more than the greatest sportsman of all time ... The King of Soccer was the ultimate exponent of a victorious Brazil.”

Kylian Mbappé, the French star many view as the current best soccer player in the world, also offered his condolences.

“The king of football has left us but his legacy will never be forgotten,” he wrote on Twitter. “RIP KING.”

Legendary Brazilian soccer player Pele waves to the spectators before the start of the under-17 boys’ final soccer match of the Subroto Cup tournament at Ambedkar stadium in New Delhi, India, October 16, 2015 (REUTERS/Anindito Mukherjee)

Bright Year Ahead

AS each year ends, many thoughts of failures and accomplishments will fill our minds. In our quiet moments, we will begin planning for the year ahead. We will make a mental list of unrealistic New Year resolutions that will cause only unnecessary stress by the end of the first quarter of the year.

But, we will make them anyway because we all have dreams of a perfect life. We will set some ridiculous timelines for these goals, whether it is finding love, losing weight, spending less, saving more, good health and wellness, regular visits to the dentist or buying a car.

Regardless of our age,

we all long to own our own homes, but many believe it is a big dream that is unlikely to be realised—or so they thought.

When you realise that you have a small source of income, six children and 10 years before the age of retirement, that homeowner dream leaves your mind as fast as it came.

However, remarkable things have happened in the last few weeks that give us all hope. One cannot help but conclude that 2023 will be a prosperous year for all Guyanese. After all, President, Dr Irfaan Ali and the members of his cabinet have shown that the government means business.

It would be foolhardy

to think that everyone would be touched by this prosperity at the same time. President Ali has to start somewhere.

So far, many sections of society have benefitted. The farmers, the canecutters, those in need of a new house, fishermen, and of course, public servants.

What is noteworthy though is that members of the joint services received more than they had anticipated.

President Ali has given our men and women in uniform the opportunity to dream big. For many, their biggest dream, that is home ownership, and to get that perfect life, might be fulfilled in 2023.

The man who is known

to keep his word came bearing many gifts for them. In addition to the retroactive salary increases and one-month tax-free bonus, a housing outreach which gave them hasslefree access to housing loans and the steel-andcement subsidy was held.

The number of ranks who turned up at Camp Ayanganna earlier this week is testimony to the desire to own a house.

“I think that this is a great initiative, making an effort to reach the soldiers. Because we know that not all of us can have that time to come to housing. And housing [ministry] coming to us is a great help. Most of these soldiers are on deployment or at work and

they don’t have the time,” one of the ranks said.

Another related: “It’s refreshing to know that we’re being thought of and an initiative like this could be instituted for us. Securing a house and land for my family is of paramount importance. Today, I hope to maximise on this opportunity.”

These two comments are a reflection of how much the government’s efforts are appreciated.

Since being elected to office, the government has embarked on a very aggressive housing drive. What is significant in this instance, is that President Ali has paid retroactive salaries and bonuses, which would mean many

persons would have more cash in hand to either approach a financial institution to build their homes, or to do some much-needed work on an existing structure.

We all know that Joint Services ranks hardly have free time, which makes it extremely difficult for them to attend to personal business such as applying for a house lot or accessing loan services. Bringing such services to the ranks is a clear indication of President Ali’s compassion, his drive to improve lives and his mission to ensure that goals are met and dreams are realised.

2023 will no doubt be an exciting and fulfilling year.

The culture shock that is here

Dear Editor

I write to clarify arguments I recently made concerning cultural change in Guyana, and some of the challenges that lay ahead. I was keen on showing that developments in Guyana are of such forms and magnitude that we are experiencing culture shock.

Regrettably, some took umbrage at the core arguments because they mistook aspects of my analysis, for recommendations. Yet, this is bound to happen in any society that moves from bicycles to SUVs in a decade, or from roti to cereal in much shorter time-span. What we are experienc-

ing is not easy to decipher. The principal reason for this is that the rate of economic transformation is moving at the speed of Secretariat, the thoroughbred from Caroline County, Virginia, while our culture is crawling along at the speed of Shell Beach turtles.

There should be no shame with the sluggish rate of cultural adjustments. It is quite normal, and academic studies have repeatedly found that values and beliefs are more difficult to change, compared to changing behaviour.

The truth is that the dynamic of change is an amalgam of differential tem -

poral speeds, with aspects of economy, culture, and society moving in sync at times, while at other times, generating contradictions or even chaos.

No one less that Peeping Tom, for instance, appears to be shocked that “… some businesses opened on Christmas afternoon, something which is usually unheard of…” (Kaieteur News 12/29/2022). Tom might recall that Sunday shopping was at one time seen as a violation of religious principles.

Editor, I would like to connect the observations above with some developments that highlight the

problems posed by the quick-time of economic transformation, with the slow-time of cultural adjustment.

The efforts by the current administration to remove encumbrances from the roadside and vending from the streets of Georgetown have been met with charges of “inter-class warfare” (KN, 12/29/2022, p. 9) and other derogatory characterizations. The same folks, however, are the ones who usually cuss-down the government for allowing donkey-cart cultural practices to persist.

Well, you can’t have it both ways. If you want a society based on systems of

systems, standard operating procedures, and the other ‘technologies’ of modern life, you need not only give charity, but give up many of the informal institutions long embedded in the society.

I fully agree with KN columnist Freddie Kissoon that the government must be even-handed in executing its clean-up and clearout campaigns. Established businesses cannot want it in both ways, namely practice pavement theft while hiding behind the elasticity of the informal sector, and at the same time complain about street vendors stealing customers, or littering. Stop it!

I wrote before, and I re-

peat now, “[w]hat is needed is systematic and systemic re-socialisation of individuals into functioning citizenship, beginning with the family. Religious practices perhaps need to become a bit more secular and address problems of everyday life rather than focus on the principles of abstract salvation and deliverance. Educational institutions need to go beyond exam preparation and inculcate a culture of reciprocal obligations in a new regime of norms.”

And again “[n]o disrespect intended.”

Sincerely Dr. Randolph (Randy) Persaud

Questions for Ms. Melinda Janki

Dear Editor, IN further reference to my letter to the editor published in the Guyana Times and Guyana Chronicle daily of December 29, 2022, an interesting revelation was brought to my attention which I believe needs to be placed in the public domain for your readers’ consumption.

Ms. Janki is known to have amassed a record of questions she posed publicly for answers from the government and the oil companies on financial matters.

Some of those include the feasibility of the gasto-shore project, rate of recovery for the oil companies’ investments (which I dealt with in my previous letter), among others. Most, if not all of the answers to her questions are publicly available and subject to public scrutiny.

I have addressed many of her questions (though not in direct response to her) in previous writings which can be found in mainstream media.

As I have established in one of my previous letters months ago when

I was taking on the misinformation and flawed analyses propagated by Tom Sanzillo et.al from the IEEFA, I had also exposed their real agenda.

It is true that every individual, every stakeholder group has an agenda. It is not a difficult task to discern one’s or a group’s agenda; some are transparent, and some are covert. When professionals with a perceived credible background and qualifications start to propagate unusually skewed narratives disguised as analysis, this leaves much to be desired and leads one to question what their hidden motives are, if any.

This is exactly the case with the IEEFA, which I

have dealt with, and they no longer produce reports on Guyana after I exposed them; and similarly, as it appears, this is also the case with Ms. Melinda Janki.

The above screenshot is taken from the 1999 Petroleum Prospecting License, a document that is available on the internet, which confirmed that Ms. Melinda Janki was hired to represent ExxonMobil at the time either in her individual capacity or as part of a firm she worked with at the time.

In view of this revelation, can Ms. Melinda Janki confirm whether she was indeed working for ExxonMobil at the time in respect to their operations

In quest of a knowledge-based society

THE Ministry of Education is playing a key role is laying the education infrastructure to propel the social and economic transformation of the country that would lead to “fairness” in the allocation of state resources to all Guyanese, irrespective of race, gender, region, or religious affiliation.

However, one formidable challenge to the pursuit of fairness is the high poverty level which, according to the World Bank, was 48 per cent (calculated at US$5.50 per

day minimum earning per household) in 2019. Given the country’s rapid development, including job creation, this poverty level is likely to decline to 40 per cent by year end (2022).

When a sizeable impact of the country’s oil wealth is realised by 2028-2030, the poverty level is expected to decline to 10 per cent. A bright spark to push forth poverty reduction is for more citizens to acquire a good education. And the PPP/C government says that it is providing the resources to

make this happen.

The government’s transformative statement on education is captured in the Education Sector Plan, 2021-2025: “Education has been signalled as a national priority by successive administrations. There was, and continues to be, a clear recognition that greater national development and a reduction in poverty are integrally associated with a sound education system.”

Consistent with this statement, the PPP/C government

in Guyana back in 1999? Clearly, ExxonMobil did not retain her or her firm’s services in the 2016 contract. Is this the reason she is vexatious to the extent she is fueling

a series of preposterous contentions? Is she upset with Exxon for not renewing her or her firm’s contract? Might I point out that since ExxonMobil was operating in 1999 in

Guyana, all of her public writings through various forums and articles are in the post-2016 period. None of her criticisms are dated between the period 1999 and 2016.

Editor, Ms. Janki, in this circumstance, needs to do the ethical thing and come clean with the Guyanese public. What is her motive/agenda? Yours faithfully, Joel Bhagwandin Director

SphereX Analytics | Business Intelligence, Financial and Economic Analysis

SPHEREX Professional Services

Brothers remanded for land surveyor’s murder

TWO brothers were remanded to prison for the murder of land surveyor, Ricky Ambrose, whose lifeless body, with multiple injuries, was found at ‘Guana’ Sand Trail, Cuyuni River, Region Seven.

Randel Layne and Mario Moses both of Goed Intent, West Bank Demerara appeared before Magistrate Crystal Lambert at the Bartica Magistrate’s Court.

The men were not required to plead to the

capital offence of murder which alleged that they murdered Ambrose on December 18 on the Guana Sand Trail.

The siblings were remanded to prison until January 18, 2023.

According to a police release, Ambrose, 40, of Profit’s Square, South Ruimveldt, Georgetown, was a licensed firearm holder of a 32. pistol and was also employed as a ranger with Alphonso Mining in the Cuyuni

River.

Investigations revealed that, at approximately 05:00 hours on Sunday, Ambrose left Arimu Landing en route to Guana Sand Landing with his ATV #CK 3965.

However, at approximately 11:00 hours on the said day, a 24-yearold miner was heading from his worksite to the camp ground when he stumbled upon Ambrose’s body.

Ambrose was dis -

covered lying motionless, with multiple injuries, about 20 feet from his ATV. An alarm was

raised, and a report was subsequently made at the Bartica Police Station.

In quest of a knowledge-based...

FROM PAGE 7

has ensured that education receives the highest budgetary allocation of G$74.4 billion (or 11.5 per cent) in 2022.

The Ministry of Education has been working to stall and reverse the teacher attrition; increase the number of trained teachers across all schools; reduce the number of ‘out-of-school’ children; expand connectivity; fill existing teaching vacancies swiftly; introduce computer coding; address the posting of teachers to hinterland locations, and continue to strive for excellence in the quest to modernise the education system, through GOAL and other such meas-

ures as computer coding and skills-technical development.

The Ministry of Education says that the GOAL (Guyana Online Academy of Learning) scholarship programme (6,000 awards were made in 2021 and 4,500 awards made in 2022) should also attract enough indigenous people to become qualified teachers and to fill vacancies in their communities.

The GOAL project has brought many students who would have been previously excluded from secondary and tertiary education into the higher education stream.

The attrition rate among female teachers is eightnine per cent compared with two-three per cent for males.

Significantly, proportionately more females are trained as teachers compared with males.

For example, there are 69 per cent trained female teachers compared with less than one per cent male trained teachers at the nursery level; while there are 55 per cent female trained teachers at the secondary level compared with 16 per cent for male trained teachers.

The Education Ministry says that its goal is to achieve full training for all 100 per cent of teachers in the system by 2025.

Students’ enrollment in 2017-2018 was “95 per cent at both primary and secondary levels through to grade

nine,” but the average daily attendance (2019-2020) at nursery level was 75 per cent; at primary it was 79 per cent, and at secondary it was 74 per cent.

The existing dropout rate is not available but the UNICEF study (2017) notes: “At risk of dropping out are 11.7 per cent for children across grades one to six, and 4.8 per cent across grades seven to nine. Students stay home or drop out of school due to inequities in economic conditions, religion, child labour, abuse, among other factors.”

The Ministry of Education is also moving swiftly to fill 500 teaching vacancies by January 2023. There are currently 178,962 public school students with 11,906 teachers (which provides a ratio of 15 students per teacher).

This ratio varies across regions and at the three

school levels: 17.5 students per teacher at primary; 14.1 at the secondary level, and 11.7 at the nursery level. The Education Ministry plans to have all teachers trained (both in coastland and hinterland) by 2025. The status of teachers’ remuneration has recently been hinted upon by the President.

Recognising the need to help immigrants like Venezuelans adjust to their new lives, the Education Ministry has established a Migrant Unit for this purpose. Venezuelan children at schools (nursery, primary, secondary) number 740 as of May 2022.

Those in primary schools are being taught English in an after-school class. The goal is to expand these classes by doubling their number to 30 in 2023. Appreciating diversity in the country’s education system is crucial to building the President’s “One

Guyana” society.

To complement the MoE’s leadership role in educational and societal transformation, there are other agencies (both public and private) that are integral to this mission. There are, for example, the Port Mourant Oil and Gas Institute, and various Technical Vocational and Education Training (VET) programmes for which the Board of Industrial Training (BIT) has oversight responsibility.

Notwithstanding the challenges, Education Minister Priya Manickchand expresses her deep pleasure at the wonderful results Guyanese students have achieved at the 2022 CSEC and CAPE examinations. These accomplishments set the stage for greater things to come.

Yours respectfully, Dr. Tara Singh

Ricky Ambrose

Amid global turmoil, UN doggedly pursues international climate agreements

DESPITE strong evidence that human activity played a role in catastrophic weather events, and the emergence of a fuel crisis sparked by the war in Ukraine, greenhouse gas emissions continued to rise.

Nevertheless, the United Nations (UN) kept the climate emergency high on the international agenda, reaching major agreements on financing and biodiversity.

At the end of 2021, when the UN climate conference (COP26) wrapped up in Glasgow, none of those present could have suspected that a war in Ukraine would throw the global economy into turmoil, convincing many nations to suspend their commitments to a low carbon economy, as they scrambled to reduce their dependence on Russian oil and gas supplies, and secure fossil fuel supplies elsewhere.

Meanwhile, a host

of studies pointed to the continued warming of the Earth, and the failure of humanity to lower carbon emissions, and come to grips with the existential threat of the climate emergency.

Nevertheless, the UN continued to lead on the slow, painstaking, but essential task of achieving international climate agreements, whilst putting sustained pressure on major economies to make greater

efforts to cut their fossil fuel use, and support developing countries, whose citizens are bearing the brunt of the droughts, floods and extreme weather resulting from man-made climate change.

RECORD HEATWAVES, DROUGHT, AND FLOODS

The World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) released a litany of stark reports throughout the year.

A January study, announcing that 2021 had joined the top seven warmest years on record, set the tone for the year.

In Summer, when record heatwaves were recorded in several European countries, the agency warned that we should get used to more to come over the next few years, whilst Africa can expect a worsening food crisis, centred on the Horn of Africa, displacing millions of people: four out of five countries on the continent are unlikely to

have sustainably managed water resources by 2030.

Whilst some regions suffered from a lack of water, others were hit by catastrophic floods. In Pakistan, a national emergency was declared in August, following heavy flooding and landslides caused by monsoon rains which, at the height of the crisis, saw around a third of the country underwater. Tens of millions were displaced.

Unprecedented floods in Chad affected

Fossil fuel power plants are one of the largest emitters of greenhouse gases TURN TO PAGE 10

Amid global turmoil, UN doggedly...

FROM PAGE 9

more than 340,000 people in August and, in October, the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) declared that some 3.4 million people in west and central Africa needed aid, amid the worst floods in a decade.

A ‘DELUSIONAL’ ADDICTION TO FOSSIL FUELS

In its October Greenhouse Gas Bulletin, WMO detailed record levels of the three main gases –carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, and methane, which saw the biggest year-on-year jump in concentrations in 40 years, identifying human activity as a principal factor in the changing climate.

Yet, despite all the evidence that a shift to a low-carbon economy

is urgently needed, the world’s major economies responded to the energy crisis precipitated by the war in Ukraine by reopening old power plants and searching for new oil and gas suppliers.

UN SecretaryGeneral António Guterres decried their reaction, calling it delusional, at an Austrian climate summit in June, and arguing that if they had invested in renewable energy in the past, these countries would have avoided the price instability of the fossil fuel markets.

At an energy event held in Washington DC the same month, Mr. Guterres compared the behaviour of the fossil fuel industry to the activities of major tobacco companies in the

mid-twentieth century: “like tobacco interests, fossil fuel interests and their financial accomplices must not escape responsibility”, he said “The argument of putting climate action aside to deal with domestic problems also rings hollow”.

CLEAN, HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT A UNIVERSAL HUMAN RIGHT

The July decision by the UN General Assembly to declare that access to a clean and healthy environment is a universal human right was hailed as an important milestone, building on a similar text adopted by the Human Rights Council in 2021.

Mr. Guterres said in statement that the landmark development would help to reduce

environmental injustices, close protection gaps and empower people, especially those that are in vulnerable situations, including environmental human rights defenders, children, youth, women and Indigenous Peoples.

The importance of this move was underscored in October by Ian Fry, the first UN Special Rapporteur on the Protection of Human Rights in the context of Climate Change. Mr. Fry told UN News that the resolution is already starting to have an effect, with the European Union discussing how to incorporate it within national legislation and constitutions.

BREAKTHROUGH

AGREEMENTS

REACHED AT UN

CLIMATE CONFERENCES

The year was punctuated by three important climate-related UN summits – the Ocean Conference in June, the COP27 Climate Conference in November, and the muchdelayed COP15 Biodiversity Conference in December – which demonstrated that the organisation achieves far more than simply stating the dire climate situation, and calling for change.

At each event progress was made on advancing international commitments to protect the environment, and reducing the harm and destruction caused by human activity.

The Ocean Conference saw critical issues discussed, and

new ideas generated. World leaders admitted to deep alarm at the global emergency facing the Ocean, and renewed their commitment to take urgent action, cooperate at all levels, and fully achieve targets as soon as possible.

More than 6,000 participants, including 24 Heads of State and Government, and over 2,000 representatives of civil society attended the Conference, advocating for urgent and concrete actions to tackle the ocean crisis.

They stressed that science-based and innovative actions, along with international co-operation, are essential to provide the necessary solutions. (UN News)

Main suspect in custody for D’Urban Street murder

in Berbice

ANDREW Ridley called “Aids Man” and “Orin” of Campbell Street, Albouystown, is currently in police custody over the fatal shooting and robbery of 41-year-old businessman Shimron Adams on Boxing Day.

Ridley, who is the main suspect, was arrested by police on Wednesday after Adams’ girlfriend and another woman were questioned by police. The murder weapon was also allegedly recovered at his home.

Police, on Thursday, also managed to arrest the second suspect in Berbice.

The Guyana Chronicle was made to understand that the victim’s girlfriend reportedly shared a relationship with Ridley. It is alleged that the woman was at her lover’s business at

D’Urban and Chapel Street, Georgetown during the robbery/murder.

On December 26, 2022, at around 23:40 hours, two masked men, one armed with a handgun, stormed the business premises.

The said business place is fitted with a zinc shutter to the northern side (front) and has CCTV cameras.

The victim’s 29-yearold girlfriend had told police that, at the time, Adams had a gold finger ring and one gold band with a small bag hanging on his shoulder.

She recalled that he started closing the business place around 23:30 hours and opened the shutter for them to exit the bottom flat.

“At that point, two suspects entered the building through the said shutter and

ordered them to lie on the ground, and they complied.

The unarmed suspect then took off the businessman’s jewellery and ordered him to get up, which he did.

The suspect then held onto the businessman’s shoulder bag and pulled at it, but Adams continued to hold onto the bag to prevent the suspect from taking it.

“The suspect, who was armed with the firearm, discharged a round at Adams, which struck him to his right abdomen and exited through his right side in the vicinity of his groin,” the police in a report stated.

The businessman then released the bag and fell to the ground helplessly while bleeding from the gunshot wound.

The suspect reportedly

removed the shoulder bag, picked up the businessman’s phone and the cell phone from his girlfriend, and made good his escape through the shutter.

The businessman was picked-up by ranks from an anti-crime patrol and escorted to the Georgetown Public Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

The area was canvassed for CCTV cameras which were seen and captured when the suspects went to the said business place and left on a black and white XR motorcycle.

The investigation is still ongoing.

Ridley is also wanted in connection with the murder of Dexter McFarlene, who was killed during a shootout in Laing Avenue, West Ruimveldt, George -

town, on November 11, 2022. Two other men are currently on remand for their alleged role in the murder.

Additionally, Ridley is currently before the court for discharging a loaded firearm at a man with intent to harm him back in July 2022.

In January, he was charged with robbing a woman at gunpoint of over $4.5 million in jewellery, cash and cell phones.

Last year, he was ar-

raigned before the same court for breaking into a woman’s West Ruimveldt, Georgetown home on August 11, 2021, and stealing over $70,000 in items.

He is currently out on bail for that matter.

Meanwhile, in 2019, he was sentenced to a total of three years in prison for two counts of robbery and two counts of assault committed on two police officers during his arrest.

He was released from prison in June 2021.

Shimron Adams

In Custody: Andrew Ridley

- alleged accomplice arrested

Guyana’s mortgage interest rates amongst the lowest in the world

- Minister Rodrigues says

day.

Minister Rodrigues said that the President, Dr. Irfaan Ali-led government is keen on making the process easier for obtaining a loan.

interest rates. Some of the lowest interest rates in the world.

GUYANA has one of the lowest mortgage interest rates in the Caribbean and the wider world.

This was highlight-

ed by Minister within the Housing and Water Ministry, Susan Rodrigues, during her weekly programme “Making The Case,” on Wednes-

Further, the minister related that the collaboration and responsiveness of the commercial banks have also contributed to improvements in the housing sector.

“You have seen a collaboration with the ministry and with all of the commercial banks to guarantee reduced

“If you look at the news globally of what is taking place in an effort to curb inflation, countries around the globe have been increasing interest rates,” she said.

Meanwhile, in Guyana, the government has reduced the interest rates for mortgages to make access to homeownership more affordable for Guyanese.

Many people are taking advantage of the investment climate since banks have lowered their interest rates significantly.

This has added to an already robust system set in play by the government to assist citizens to become homeowners.

Recently, the government was able to

negotiate with three commercial banks and the New Building Society (NBS) to allow soldiers to repay at an interest rate of 3.5 per cent for loans below $4 million and an interest rate of 3.75 per cent for loans below $8 million.

Minister Rodrigues underscored that the interventions undertaken by the government during the COVID-19 pandemic were unprecedented, at a time when paychecks were being cut around the world, and cost of living and the rate of employment increased.

The interventions by the government included various cash grants for various groups, the removal of VAT on electricity and water, and a range of other incentives.

Since being elected to office in August 2020, the PPP/C Gov-

ernment has consistently helped citizens wherever they might be, despite external factors.

The policy solutions to the worldwide inflation rate, which has been above historical levels since mid-June 2021 due to the adverse global climate, led by rising energy costs and disrupted supply chains, have been praised by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).

Minister Rodrigues said the government is working every day to ensure citizens’ lives are improved.

The PPP/C government has provided thousands of families with house lots, and they have attested that their dreams of owning a home are now becoming a reality as a result of the government’s consistent achievement of its goals in the housing sector. (DPI)

Minister within the Ministry of Housing and Water, Susan Rodrigues

Adopt a ‘sympathetic’ attitude towards patients

- Health Minister tells trainee nursing assistants

TRAINEE nursing assistants have been encouraged to provide care to patients with a professional and sympathetic attitude.

Minister of Health Dr Frank Anthony, who made the call recently at the launch of a Nursing Assistants’ programme in Region Two, encouraged persons to remember why they pursued the profession.

Those trainees, once certified, will provide direct care to patients in hospitals and nursing homes, as well as home-care. They are a vital part of a larger care team that helps patients with basic needs including eating, bathing, grooming, mobility and more.

“If we adopt that attitude, then you would see that things would change and we’ll have a lot of people who would want to come to the institute [sic] because they recognise that when they come to the institution, they’re getting somebody who can care for them and that is very important,” Dr. Anthony said.

The public healthcare system has been criticised by the public concerning how care is provided.

However, Dr Anthony believes this perception can change if professionals adopt the proper attitude.

As a result, he said that the government through the Health Ministry is working aggressively to improve the overall healthcare system in Guyana.

“We can have the best improvements in the health care system but if you got one person who got the wrong attitude… then it turns everything else that the whole team has been doing,” the Health Minister said. (DPI)

Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony

Business owners have role to play in curbing illegal vending

- Attorney-General Nandlall says

BUSINESS owners have been urged to do their part in mitigating illegal vending and other encumbrances along streets, parapets

and public roads within Georgetown, utilising the legal route.

This was according to Attorney-General and Legal Affairs Minis -

ter, Anil Nandlall, S.C., during his television programme ‘Issues in the news’ aired recently.

Nandlall said: “A resident whose house or

living accommodation is blocked by unlawful vending …can go to a judge and get an order directing the City Council to come and clear

that vendor or clear that encumbrance, so can the owners of businesses in Georgetown.

“This must not be a government fight alone, this involves everyone…it’s a matter of public order, it is a matter of the rule of law.”

He related too that the Mayor and City Council (M&CC) is obligated to prohibit illegal vending or encumbrances on streets, parapets, pavements and public roads found within their jurisdiction.

This responsibility is found in the Municipal and District Councils Act, Chapter 28:01. If the M&CC fails to fulfill its statutory responsibilities, the central government can take over.

However, the Attorney-General said: “It is not something that central government would like to do, but the Mayor and City Council must understand that if they neglect to execute their statutory functions… if they act in breach of

their statutory duties, if they neglect and refuse to carry out their obligations under the law then they can be sued and central government can take over.”

The Attorney-General’s statements follow a standoff between Georgetown Mayor Ubraj Narine and the Public Works Ministry during the removal of illegal vendors outside of the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC).

The vendors who were occupying spaces along New Market Street, Thomas and East Streets were issued final notices to remove all encumbrances that were used for vending.

A statement from the ministry explained that these were impeding the smooth flow of traffic at the main public health institution.

Nandlall said that although persons want to make a living, “They have to do so within the confines of the law.” (DPI)

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

Shrimp production to increase rapidly

- Agriculture Minister says

By Naomi Parris

FOLLOWING a successful trial phase and the establishment of 1,833 acres of ponds in Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne),

shrimp farming in Berbice”.

He announced then that his ministry will be spending $58 million on shrimp ponds in Region Six to boost production.

He also reiterated that

geared toward the enhanced production and quality of brackish water shrimp in Guyana.

The strategy is divided into four parts focusing on the promotion of an intensive model of farming, the expansion of the

industry through multispecies diversification, the fostering of partnerships to strengthen trade and marketing, and the strengthening of a supportive and enabling environment for the best value chain.

Guyana’s shrimp production has been increasing rapidly, Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha has said.

Minister Mustapha, in a recent exclusive interview with the Guyana Chronicle, said that the brackish water shrimp project which was launched in July 2021 with 75 interested farmers, has exceeded its target of producing 10,000 kilogrammes of shrimp monthly.

“That has been a successful project in the aquaculture sector,” Mustapha said, adding that the government has recorded an increase in production over the past year.

“We have seen an improvement by over 300 per cent in aquaculture especially in brackish water shrimp, where we started out with 10,000 kilogrammes per month. We are now producing 80,000100,000 kilogrammes monthly,” the minister said.

The project he reiterated is “a success story.”

In 2021, Minister Mustapha met with various stakeholders at the Albion Sports Complex, where he said that the government was “looking to improve

the government had been working “assiduously” to ramp up production.

Some $153 million was earned after the production of approximately 127,400 kilogrammes of shrimp between January and March 2022.

The total showed 81,740 kilogrammes more when compared to the 45,660 kilogrammes of shrimp produced during the same period in 2021, at an estimated value of $40 million.

In an effort to boost productivity, the Government of Guyana and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has partnered over the last two years to conduct a study and gather information for the piloting and implementation of a strategy to enhance shrimp production in Guyana and several other Caribbean states.

At a workshop held at the St Francis Community Centre, Port Mourant, Berbice, held back in August, Denis David, a fisheries officer attached to the ministry, told shrimp farmers that the proposed strategy will see the establishment of several action plans

Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha

A brackish-water shrimp

Petroleum measurement standards, new offices, Made in Guyana certifications

- among 2022 achievements of Guyana National Bureau of Standards

THE Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS) has recorded a successful year with several outstanding achievements for 2022.

Focusing on the standards and measurement needs of consumers, businesses and organisations, the bureau managed to surpass its targets in a timely manner.

According to a press release from the GNBS, leading these achievements was the opening of three new sub-offices, and the certification of over 20 companies under the Made in Guyana Certification Mark Programme.

The bureau also devel -

oped dozens of standards for various sectors, continued the verification of measuring instruments, and monitored its list of products for quality.

“In its quest to promote the use of standards in all sectors of the economy, the bureau developed, revised and adopted a total of 75 standards including petroleum measurement standards relevant to the oil and gas sector. In addition, 466 voluntary and 69 compulsory standards were sold,” GNBS said.

The bureau added: “To promote the use of standards across the country, the GNBS expanded its reach with the

opening of three new branch offices this year in the Fort Wellington Office, Region Five in September, and in Lethem Office Region Nine and Mabaruma Office Region One in November.”

The offices were opened to allow the GNBS to better serve businesses and consumers in the respective regions.

The bureau, in 2022, commenced the certification of products under its Made in Guyana Certification Mark Programme.

“From April to December of 2022, 21 companies were certified under the programme, which permits them to place the Made in Guyana Standards Mark on their authentic Guyanese products. These companies, which met the specified criteria, include large businesses as well as small agro-processors in Regions Two, Four, Six and 10,” GNBS related.

Under the other GNBS certification programmes, two new medical laboratories were certified, and nine laboratories were recertified based on the GYS 170 Standard - General Requirements for the Operation of a Laboratory. The two new certified laboratories were Home Care Medical Laboratory of Columbia, Essequibo Coast and Caribbean Surgery Inc. Laboratory in Georgetown.

“Certified laboratories provide accurate and reliable results for clients or patients. Under the GNBS Product Certification programme, one new hollow block manufac-

turer was certified while six other products were recertified to the respective standards,” the bureau said.

The certification department also completed 15 management system audits for companies, implementing the requirements of international standards. The GNBS’ Business Development Department also worked with many companies to promote the implementation of national and international standards.

In 2022, the department conducted 73 training courses in which 863 persons from the public and private sector were trained on Management System Standards and other requirements. The GNBS also provided technical assistance to 38 companies towards certification or accreditation to international standards including the ISO 9001 –

Quality Management System Standard.

Additionally, the GNBS continued to monitor 17 categories of products to ensure only quality gets to consumers. Importantly, the product compliance department conducted 2,735 inspections of products at the dealers and manufacturers premises as well as sale outlets. Further, 5,645 import inspections were conducted to ensure consumers get quality products.

Meanwhile, the bureau continued to meet its objectives as the country’s National Measurement Institute (NMI).

“One of the Bureau’s main roles is the verification of measuring instruments. In 2022, the GNBS’ Legal Metrology Department verified 39,807 measuring instruments used in trade including scales, masses, petrol pumps,

breathalysers, speed guns, electricity meters and other devices,” the press release stated.

In addition, throughout 2022, the Legal Metrology Department conducted 3,878 surveillance visits to shops, markets and other retail outlets to ensure the measuring instruments comply.

Amongst GNBS’ key achievements for 2022, the Industrial Metrology and Testing Laboratory launched new services, non-destructive testing of gold, calibration of steel rules, tapes and depth gauges, testing of crude oil and medium distillate fuels for five parameters, and testing of percentage acid and base.

The department also calibrated 2,039 measuring instruments which includes 938 weights, 216 electronic balances, 360 thermometers, 181 volumetric meters, 183 pressure gauges, and 37 torque wrenches.

“Finally, to create awareness on its product and services, the GNBS conducted several outreaches inclusive of school lectures at the secondary schools and meetings with stakeholders.

Primary Schools were also engaged in Regions Two, Three, Four, Five and 10 in its Standards in Academia Quiz Competition with Bath Settlement Primary School emerging the winner,” GNBS stated.

In the New Year 2023, GNBA said that they will continue to work to create a culture of quality in Guyana through its responsiveness to the needs of industry and the education and protection of consumers.

(From left) Executive Director (Ag) of GNBS, Ramrattie Karan; GM of PGI Lesley Ramlall; Executive Director of GMSA, Nizam Hassan and Minister Oneidge Walrond at a MIG Certification in May

$1M up for grabs at Hard Rock Café’s Old Year’s Night party

SIMPLY “dressing up” this Old Year’s Night can win you a lot of cash once you catch the piercing eyes of the judges who will be roving

about the Hard Rock Café to see which of the couples and individuals look the most outstanding.

Hard Rock Café, at Mov-

ietowne Mall, Turkeyen, East Coast Demerara, promises an “amazing” night that will see multiple persons winning cash totaling $1 million, by

simply showing up and looking great.

Persons going for dinner do not have to pay an entrance fee. According to Marketing Manager, Selina Seecharran, they can show up dressed to win.

“Customers can dress elegantly just to win,” she told the Buzz this week before letting out a hearty laugh.

“We just want persons to come out and enjoy breaking the New Year with us. It’s going to be really amazing,”

she continued.

Apart from the regular menu, Seecharran said there will also be a variety of champagnes to choose from.

Just in case all this sounds too fancy and expensive, Seecharran was keen to point out that everything will be available at affordable prices. “Basically we’re giving back to our customers,” she added.

While the regular Christmas decorations were up for the holidays in the café, the same ones apparently cannot be used for the Old Year’s/ New Year’s party. Seecharran told the Buzz that the staff will be working hard to have the venue beautifully decorated in time for Saturday night.

To add to a delightful night, ‘Gully Ras’ will be the DJ at the event, which will commence at 21:00 hours.

“We will look at your outfit. If you look really good, you will win. For example, if you and your fiancé come in and y’all look lovely, you could be winners,” Receptionist Shemaine Thompson said.

According to her, the same event was held last year and was successfully pulled off. While the café can hold some 206 persons, about half of that number has already made reservations and there will also be people walking in.

Hard Rock Café, at Movietowne Mall, Turkeyen

Marketing Manager, Selina Seecharran and Receptionist, Shemaine Thompson

Health scheme for entertainers

playing her part as members of the entertainment and cultural community will soon be beneficiaries of a Government health insurance scheme.

The announcement was made by Grange at Rebel Salute’s media launch at ROK Hotel, downtown Kingston, on December 21. The two-day festival is slated for January 20 and 21 at Grizzly’s Plantation Cove in St Ann.

legacy… we ensure that we introduce insurance coverage for our artistes, our writers, our cultural practitioners, to ensure that they benefit from what they have provided to this country,” she said.

Grange noted that some veterans of the cultural and entertainment fraternities, who have reached an advanced age, need this kind of assistance.

“Every day, we lose one of our veterans. If they are very ill or they pass, there is always an issue about dealing with the funeral; there is always an issue about dealing with the health insurance or health coverage, and I thought it was about time,” she said, adding that the scheme is a way of giving back to a community whose talents in promoting Jamaican

culture internationally is inestimable.

Promoted by Organic Heart Productions, Rebel Salute was first held in 1994 by deejay Tony Rebel. This year’s line-up of performers includes Big Mountain, Ghanaian artiste Stonebwoy, Third World, Kabaka Pyramid, Capleton, TOK, and I-Wayne. (Jamaica Observer)

DURING singer Frankie Paul’s funeral service in 2017, Minister of Entertainment and Culture, Olivia “Babsy” Grange, appealed to the entertainment fraternity to put things in place for their “departure”.

“Let us get our act together! I don’t want to come to another funeral and hear stories that the individual has nothing in

place for their death. Death is inevitable. Plan for it!

It is unfair to your family and me. Organise yourselves and don’t leave the pressure on us when you go... You have to have a plan when you’re earning. The entertainment business is seasonal, but try getting into an insurance scheme. What if I’m not here?” she said.

Grange appears to be

Actuarial consulting firm, Eckler Limited, has been engaged to assist in the tender process.

According to Grange, the scheme will provide critical assistance to persons who have made significant contributions to the development of Brand Jamaica.

“Wherever you go in the world they speak about our music, and I felt it was important that as part of our Jamaica 60

Jury finds Canadian rapper, Tory Lanez, guilty of shooting Megan Thee Stallion

DAYSTAR Peterson, the Canadian rapper known as Tory Lanez, was recently found guilty by a Los Angeles jury of shooting fellow artist, Megan Thee Stallion, in both of her feet, after an argument in 2020.

The jury found Lanez, 30, guilty of three felony counts: carrying a loaded and unregistered firearm in a vehicle; assault with a semiautomatic handgun; and discharging a firearm with gross negligence. Lanez faces over 20 years in prison and a potential deportation to Canada.

A lawyer for Megan Thee Stallion said after the verdict: “The jury got it right. I am thankful there is justice for Meg.”

Grammy-winning rapper Megan Thee Stallion, 27, had earlier testified that Lanez shot at her feet after a pool party in the Hollywood Hills in July 2020, adding the shooting was preceded by an argument that got heated when the two began attacking each other’s music careers.

Megan Thee Stallion,

whose real name is Megan Pete, needed surgery to remove bullet fragments in her feet, CBS News quoted her as saying.

The sentencing was scheduled for January 27. Megan Thee Stallion was not present in court.

Lanez, who was free on bail during the trial after a period of house arrest, was taken into custody.

Jurors reached a verdict on December 23 following hours of deliberation across two days after a trial of about two weeks.

“Women, especially

Black women, are afraid to report crimes like assault and sexual violence because they are too often not believed,” Los Angeles County District Attorney, George Gascón, said in a statement after the verdict.

“You (Megan Thee Stallion) showed incredible courage and vulnerability with your testimony despite repeated and grotesque attacks you did not deserve.

You faced unjust and despicable scrutiny that no woman should ever face,” Gascón added.

(Reuters)

Keith Duncan (right), co-chair of Project Star, speaking with Tony Rebel, conceptualiser of Rebel Salute, and Olivia “Babsy” Grange, Minister of Entertainment and Culture, at Rebel Salute launch held at ROK Hotel in Kingston (Jamaica Observer photo)

Megan Thee Stallion arrives to attend the 2022 Billboard Music Awards at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, on May 15, 2022. (REUTERS/Steve Marcus)

‘Jo Mersa’ Marley dead at 31

lences to Jo’s mom, Kerry, the Marleys and other family members. My heartfelt sympathies to Joseph’s friends and associates and to the reggae music fraternity and fans everywhere. His untimely passing at the young age of 31 years is a huge loss to the music as we look to the next generation. May he find eternal peace as we mourn his loss during this season of goodwill when we celebrate with family and friends our love for each other,” the statement concluded.

Opposition Leader Mark Golding also took to social media to send his heartfelt wishes.

JOSEPH “Jo Mersa” Marley, son of Stephen Marley and grandson of Bob Marley, died on Tuesday of a reported asthma attack, according to South Florida radio station WZPP.

The 31-year-old was allegedly found unresponsive in his motor car at an undisclosed location in the United States.

Shortly after the news broke Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, Olivia “Babsy” Grange, expressed sympathy at the young entertainer’s sudden passing.

In an official statement to the Jamaica Observer, she hailed the entertainer as an integral part

of the Jamaica 60 celebrations in the United States this year.

“I am deeply saddened by the news that artiste Joseph Marley, son of reggae star Stephen Marley and grandson of reggae superstar Bob Marley, has died. We were graced by Joseph, whose stage name was Jo Mersa, performing at our Jamaica 60 Launch in Miramar, Florida, United States, in May this year,” the statement read in part.

Grange further extended her condolences to the singer’s family, noting that his contribution will be missed in the music fraternity.

“I extend my deepest condo-

“The loss of a child is a devastating blow and something no parent is prepared for. I send my condolences to Stephen and the entire Marley family. May he rest in eternal peace,” he said in a statement on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Leah Tavares-Finson, sister of Jo Mersa’s uncle, Damian Marley, posted, “Rest easy my darling nephew,” with crying emojis.

Jo Mersa was known for songs such as Burn it Down, Made It, and No Way Out.

Reggae king Bob Marley died on May 11, 1981 of cancer. He was 36. (Jamaica Observer)

Nigeria dance carnival helps residents reclaim the streets

IN a street in a poor neighbourhood of Lagos, a bare-chested young man, Gift Eze, holds his screaming partner, helping calm the rage within and stop him fighting.

Residents of Oworonshoki have seen their share of violence, with robberies and tit-for-tat gang murders once commonplace in this part of Nigeria’s vast, boisterous commercial capital.

But the scene on Christmas Eve, a dance routine between two men caked in chalk, showed how far the community has come since the annual Slum Party, an art event using dance to tell stories of the local community, was established four years ago.

Days of dance workshops culminated with an all-day carnival aiming to reclaim the streets and reduce tensions between rival gangs. Before long, onlookers were dancing along with the drums, blurring the lines between performers and their audience.

“We are using dance as a focal point ... to come to the community and just talk about the various socio-political issues that needed to be addressed, using a party as the template,” said Sunday Ozegbe-Obiajulu, who founded the event.

Eze, one of the Slum Party’s participants, said the event has been transformational.

“I’ve been able to achieve a big goal in my life, and Slum Party has really changed a whole lot for me,” he said.

Community leader Oriyomi Akeem said

Slum Party has helped bring peace to a neighbourhood once known as a no-go area overrun by gangs. “Now everything is calm and good,” Akeem said.

Ozegbe-Obiajulu hopes the carnival’s success could be replicated by people in other troubled areas of Nigeria and beyond.

“With their dance, their poetry, their music, they can definitely use it to bring some sort of attention to their community; they can also use it to inspire the young ones.” (Reuters)

Jo Mersa (Jamaica Observer photo)

Dancers perform during an annual slum party in Oworonshoki, Lagos, Nigeria on December 23, 2022 (REUTERS/Temilade Adelaja photo)

Stephen Marley means business

MULTI-AWARD-WINNING reggae artiste turned Kx Family Care founder, Stephen Marley, is making provisions to expand his CBD personal care line to boost employment opportunities for Jamaicans.

“We have already begun looking into distribution for expansion into Caribbean markets wherever possible. We have Jamaican roots that we are proud of,” he told the Jamaica Observer.

Officially launched on December 12, the debut collection features the brand’s limited edition holiday bundle, including two of Marley’s favourite products, the multi-purpose hair and beard oil and the pain relief balm. Manufacturing is currently done in Los Angeles, California.

According to Marley, the products have been well received by consumers.

“Sales are going very well; we have been approached by some of the biggest international retailers all within our first week of business,” he said.

Marley and co-founder Shelly O’Neill spent the last three years researching and developing plant-based, multi-use products for busy families. The idea for Kx Family Care was born and fostered through their existing working relationship at Kaya Fest, Marley’s own yearly world music festival.

While Kaya Fest supports education around the

many uses of the hemp plant, it is by virtue of their mutual desire and like-mindedness to create a line of multi-purpose, family-focused hemp products that are ecologically sound, affordable and safe for the entire family that Kx Family Care came to fruition.

Meanwhile, Marley noted that this venture is long term, and more plans will be made to popularise the

organic products.

“We hope to expand internationally and continue our mission in promoting education around the many responsible uses of the hemp plant, by opening up additional verticals within the hemp industry via our umbrella company, Kaya Lifestyle. Kaya Lifestyle also operates Kaya Fest, our in-house hemp awareness concert property,” he said.

H&M confirms it has rights to Justin Bieber’s merchandise

SWEDISH clothes retailer

H&M (HMb.ST) has said it had the rights to sell the Justin Bieber merchandise it recently pulled from stores after the popstar said he had not given his approval.

“Justin’s licence holder has confirmed that H&M had the right contracts in place and followed all proper approval procedures for each selected design,” H&M wrote in a statement.

On December 19, Bieber urged his 270 million Instagram followers not to buy the merchandise, calling it “trash” and said it was on sale without his approval. H&M pulled the items from sale.

“Out of respect for Justin, we removed the products from our site and stores, and we’re working to find the best way to make use of

them,” H&M said, adding that the company had been Bieber’s merchandise partner since 2016.

H&M, the world’s second biggest fashion retailer,

offered hoodies, t-shirts and sweatshirts with pictures of Bieber or quotes from his lyrics such as “I miss you more than life” from the song “Ghost”. (Reuters)

Stephen Marley has made his name as a singer/ songwriter and producer, first with his siblings in

Ziggy Marley and The Melody Makers, then as a solo act with albums like Mind Control and Revelation Part

1: The Fruits of Life. He has won a total of eight Grammys. (Jamaica Observer)

Stephen Marley (Jamaica Observer photo)

Justin Bieber performs a medley of songs at the 2016 Billboard Awards in Las Vegas, Nevada, on May 22, 2016 (REUTERS/ Mario Anzuoni/File Photo)

Australia claim first home series win against South Africa since 2005

(ESPNCRICINFO)Australia claimed a first home series win against South Africa since the 2005-06 summer with a crushing triumph in the Boxing Day Test.

The result meant South Africa's streak of three successive series victories in Australia cannot become four and they go to Sydney with their World Test Championship (WTC) final hopes hanging by a thread. They must win the final match of the series to stay in contention for the final.

On the evidence of their batting so far, that seems a long shot. They avoided being dismissed for under 200 for an eighth successive Test innings but were bowled out inside 69 overs in the second innings at the MCG. Temba Bavuma was the only batter to reach a half-century and his 63-run fifth-wicket stand with Kyle Verreynne was the only partnership that grew to over 50. No other South

African scored more than Verreynne's 33.

Nathan Lyon enjoyed the most success among the Australian attack and finished with 3 for 58. Scott Boland was among the wickets against and finished with two but mention must be made of Pat Cummins' strangling effort - he bowled 16 overs and only conceded 20 runs - and his use of the DRS. Australia reviewed the decisions to remove Sarel

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER

(Friday December 30, 2022)

CUMMINGS ELECTRICAL COMPANY LTD

-83 Garnett Street, Georgetown (Tel: 225-6158)

Answers to yesterday’s quiz: (1) 215-Chris Gayle (vs ZIM, Canberra, 2015)

(2) 148-Desmond Haynes (vs AUST, ARG, 1978)

Today’s Quiz:

(1) What is the highest score made by a WI opener in a T20 International game to date?

(2) What is the highest score made by a WI opener on his T20 International debut to date?

Answers in tomorrow’s issue

Erwee and Marco Jansen successfully, which proved crucial in hastening the final outcome.

So too, a word for Mitchell Starc's bravery. Starc bowled with a damaged middle finger and repeatedly had to mop up blood from his opening wound. As a result and despite being without Cameron Green, Australia only required two overs from Steven Smith's part-time legspin. It was he who finished the match, bowling Lungi Ngidi, to end the Shane Warne Test in fitting style.

RACING TIPS

English Racing Tips

Haydock

08:30 hrs Shighness

09:30 hrs Matata

10:00 hrs Easy As That

10:30 hrs Holmes St

Georges

11:00 hrs All About Joe

11:30 hrs Forcing Bull

South Africa would be particularly disappointed with their two run-outs and the number of soft dismissals. Even to the uncritical eye, there were several batters who could have made better choices in shot selections or stance and the means by which they were removed suggests the deep-set problems in technique and mindset in the line-up remain.

Dean Elgar was the first to be dismissed, on the third evening, when he chased a Cummins delivery off his hip

Taunton

08:45 hrs Blueking D’Oroux

09:15 hrs Timeforatune

09:45 hrs Kayf Hernando

10:15 hrs Sredrojava

10:45 hrs The Changing Man

11:15 hrs Lucjello

11:45 hrs Fame And Fun

Wolverhampton

12:30 hrs Eagle Eyed Freddie

down leg and edged behind. That was the second time in the series Elgar had been dismissed in the same fashion.

Sarel Erwee has also been guilty of going out the same way: most often by driving loosely outside the off stump but appeared tighter in the second innings. He worked his way to his highest score of the series - 21 - before he was hit on the toe by a Starc yorker in front of middle and leg. Cummins reviewed and ball-tracking confirmed the delivery would have gone on to

13:00 hrs Man On A Mission

13:30 hrs Baby Steps

14:00 hrs Mr Alan

14:30 hrs Kardinya

15:00 hrs City Escape

15:30 hrs Brave Display

American Racing Tips

Aqueduct Race 1 Vax

Race 2 Tough Street

Race 3 Provision Race 4 Sheriff Bianco

hit the stumps which gave them their first wicket of the morning.

At the other end, Theunis de Bruyn was unconvincing as the new No. 3. He inside-edged Cummins short of Alex Carey, outside-edged Starc short of Smith at second slip, and nicked Boland short of third slip. His luck ran out when he slashed Boland over the slips before his luck ran out. He was kept on the back foot and edged a back-of-alength, Boland delivery to second slip, where Smith took the catch despite Marnus Labuschagne diving across him.

It was up to Bavuma and Khaya Zondo to rebuild but they struggled to get going and frustration got the better of their stand. They scored just three runs from 29 balls between them when Bavuma called Zondo through for a single after pushing Cummins to mid-off. Zondo responded but Travis Head's throw to the striker's end was quick and accurate and found him well short of his ground.

Race 5 Frost Point

Race 6 Scilly Cay

Race 7 Greely And Ben Race 8 Infringement

South Africa Racing Tips

Fairview

08:20 hrs Global Drummer

08:55 hrs El Romiachi

09:25 hrs Guy Alexander

09:55 hrs Divine Odyssey

Scott Boland appeals successfully for the wicket of Kyle Verreynne (Getty Images)

FORMER Sports Editor of the Guyana Chronicle, Norman Brent Chapman, has died at the age of 74, following a prolonged illness.

Born on June 8, 1949, Brent Chapman, as he is popularly known, passed away last Monday, December 26 - Boxing Day, in New York.

He entered the field of journalism in 1975 as a general news reporter attached to the Guyana Graphic and stayed on

when the Chronicle and Graphic merged.

He later joined the Guyana Broadcasting Service (GBS) where he rose to the position of Sports Producer.

In 1982, he returned to the Guyana Chronicle as Senior Sportswriter and later, Sports Editor.

The former Sportscaster at one time hosted a groundbreaking radio series featuring outstanding Guyanese sportspersons on Radio Demerara and

was known for his forthrightness in his popular column ‘On The Ball’ in the Guyana Chronicle.

He covered several international sporting events at home and abroad, for radio and newspapers, notably the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics and the 1985 International Boxing Federation (IBF) world title fight in Atlantic City, New Jersey, between Guyana's Terrence Ali and IBF lightweight champion Harry Arroyo.

Chapman also served as sports correspondent for the Caribbean News Agency (CANA) and Radio Antilles.

Migrating to the United States in the late 1980s, he pivoted and carved out a successful career as an editor in New York publishing and advertising.

He is survived by a daughter and a large extended family.

He will be cremated and his ashes will be brought to Guyana.

Region Four, Three to contest final

THE semi-final round of the inaugural One Guyana President’s Cup football concluded on Wednesday night at the National Track & Field Centre (NTFC), Leonora where tournament favourites Region Four and Region Three booked their places in the final.

Both matches were high-scoring. In the first semi-final, Region Four demolished Region Five 8-1, before Region Three overcame a 1-0 deficit to eventually defeat Region Seven 5-2.

In the opening encounter, the men from Demerara-Mahaica continued their goal-scoring spree, breaching the defence of Region Five almost at will.

Nicholas McArthur (17th, 30th) and Omari Glasgow (51st, 55th) netted a double each, while Jeremy Garrett (42nd), Kelsey Benjamin (45th), Daniel Wilson (53rd) and Samuel Garnett (71st) each added a goal.

Region Five’s lone goal came off the cleats of Abumchi Benjamin in the 85th minute.

In semi-final two, Region Seven took an early lead when Whitney Welcome netted in the third minute of play. However, Region Three took a 2-1 lead by half-time

with Delon Lanferman (24th) and Trayon Bobb (31st) on target.

Upon resumption, Lanferman scored his second goal in the 55th minute to give Region Three a 3-1 advantage, before Andrew Simmons pulled one back for Region Seven in the 69th minute to make it 3-2.

Jamal Perreira (72nd) and

Colwyn Adams (81st) then put the game beyond Region Seven to give Region Three a place in the final on January 1, 2023.

The overall winners are guaranteed $2M, while the losing finalists will pocket $1M.

The tournament’s MVP will receive a house lot, compliments of the Government

of Guyana, and the highest goalscorer one Honda motorcycle compliments of Marics & Company Ltd.

The One Guyana President’s Cup is collaboration between the Government of Guyana, the Guyana Football Federation and the Kashif & Shanghai Organisation.

Football icon Pele dead at 82

(BBC) - Brazilian football legend Pele, arguably the greatest player ever, has died at the age of 82.

He is credited with scoring a world record 1 281 goals in 1 363 appearances during a 21-year career, including 77 goals in 92 matches for his country.

The only player to win the World Cup three times, lifting the trophy in 1958, 1962 and 1970, Pele was named FIFA's Player of the Century in 2000.

He had been suffering with kidney and prostate problems in recent years.

Pele had surgery to remove a tumour from his colon in September 2021 at the Albert Einstein Hospital in Sao Paulo, after the tumour was detected in routine tests. He was readmitted to hospital in late November 2022.

His daughter, Kely Nascimento, had kept fans updated on her father's condition with regular social media updates from hospital.

Yesterday she posted a picture of what appeared to be Pele's family's hands on his body in hospital and wrote: "Everything we are is thanks to you. We love you infinitely. Rest in Peace."

The hospital confirmed that Pele died "due to the failure of multiple organs, a result of the progression of colon cancer associated with his previous clinical condition".

Pele's Twitter account posted: "Inspiration and love marked the journey of King Pele, who peacefully passed away today. Love, love and love, forever."

The Brazilian Football Confederation said: "Pele was much more than the greatest sportsperson of all-time.

"Our king of football was the greatest exponent of a victorious Brazil, who was never afraid when faced with difficulty. He promised his father a World Cup and he presented us with three.

"The King gave us a new Brazil and we are so thankful for his legacy. Thank you, Pele."

Edson Arantes do Nascimento, better known as Pele, became a global star when, aged 17, he helped Brazil win the 1958 World Cup in Sweden, forcing his

way into the starting line-up by the knockout stages.

He scored the only goal in a 1-0 victory over Wales in the quarter-finals, a hattrick against France in the semi-final and two in a 5-2 triumph over the hosts in the final.

Pele had made his debut for club side Santos two years earlier at the age of 15, scoring in a 7-1 win over Corinthians de Santo Andre.

It was the first of 643 goals he would score for the club in official competitions over 19 years, although Santos claim the total is more than 1 000 once exhibition matches - often against high-profile European opposition - are taken into account.

The Brazilian Football Confederation and Santos say Pele scored 1 283 goals in 1 367 matches, while FIFA claims it was 1 281 goals in 1 366 games.

At the 1962 World Cup, Pele, then 21, scored a brilliant individual goal in a 2-0 win over Mexico to open their campaign, but was injured in the next match and watched from the sidelines as his team defended their title.

The final part of his trilogy of World Cup wins was his most iconic. After being fouled out of the 1966 tournament in England, he was the fulcrum of a thrilling attacking team that swept to the title in 1970, scoring the opening goal in a 4-1 win over Italy in the final.

From his joyful tears on the chest of team-mate Nilton Santos to his embrace with England captain Bobby Moore, Pele's moments of magic have spanned eras and defined the history of the sport.

He finished his club career as part of a star-studded New York Cosmos side, playing alongside German legend Franz Beckenbauer and fellow 1970 World Cup winner Carlos Alberto.

"In music there is Beethoven and the rest. In football, there is Pele and the rest," he said in 2000.

In a poll conducted by BBC Sport in 2020, Pele was voted the greatest player, ahead of Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Diego Maradona and Johan Cruyff.

Region Three scorers from left: Jamal Perreira, Dexroy Adams, Trayon Bobb and Delon Lanferman

Sixteen-member women’s team for Tri Series against South Africa, India

THE Cricket West Indies (CWI) Selection Panel today named the 16-member West Indies Women’s squad to play in a T20 International (T20I) Tri-Series against South Africa and India in East London from January 19 to 30, 2023 as part of their final preparations for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in February.

The West Indies Women will play at least four matches, playing two matches each against hosts South Africa and India. The two leading teams will then play each other in the Tri-Series Final at Buffalo Park on February 2. West Indies will also play a warm-up match against South Africa ahead of the Tri-Series at Beacon Bay on January 16.

Lead Selector Ann BrowneJohn said: “The selection panel has named a squad that we believe has the talent and experience to compete against India and South Africa. The squad sees the return of Stafanie Taylor who missed the recent series against England due to injury and Britney Cooper, the middle-order

batter who last played against South Africa Women in September 2021.

Browne-John added: “Our batting in the most recent series was less than par against a very good England bowling attack. We believe that with the return of some experienced batters, they will be able to support captain Hayley Matthews at the top of the order. Shamilia Connell and Shakera Selman also return after injury and will fortify the pace attack with Chinelle Henry, Cherry Ann Fraser and Aaliyah Alleyne.

“The team had commendable performances in South Africa in early 2022 and we know that the entire team will be drawing on that experience as they take on the home team and India in this Tri-Series and then potentially again at the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup also in South Africa.”

All matches in the Tri-Series will be played at the Buffalo Park in East London.

Final squads for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in

South Africa must be submitted by February 2. The eighth edition of the marquee ICC Women’s Event will begin on Febru-

ary 10 with hosts South Africa taking on Sri Lanka. West Indies have been drawn in Group 2 alongside England, India, Paki-

stan and Ireland.

Newlands, Cape Town, Boland Park, Paarl and St. George’s Park, Gqeberha are the host venues for the tournament with both Semi-Finals and Final being played in Cape Town. The Final at Newlands will be held on February 26.

FULL SQUAD

Hayley Matthews (captain), Aaliyah Alleyne, Shemaine Campbelle, Shamilia Connell, Britney Cooper, Chedean Nation, Cherry Ann Fraser, Afy Fletcher, Shabika Gajnabi, Sheneta Grimmond, Chinelle Henry, Karishma Ramharack, Kaysia Schultz, Shakera Selman. Stafanie Taylor, Rashada Williams.

MATCH SCHEDULE

January 16: Warm-up Match vs South Africa, Beacon Bay

T20I Tri-Series West Indies Match Schedule – all matches to be played at Buffalo Park, East London

January: 21: vs South Africa, 15:00hrs local time (09:00hrs Eastern Caribbean/08:00hrs Jamaica)

January 23: vs India,

19:00hrs local time (13:00hrs Eastern Caribbean/12:00hrs Jamaica)

January 25: vs South Africa, 15:00hrs local time (09:00hrs Eastern Caribbean/08:00hrs Jamaica)

January 30: vs India, 15:00hrs local time (09:00hrs Eastern Caribbean/08:00hrs Jamaica) February 2: Tri-Series Final, 15:00hrs local time (09:00hrs Eastern Caribbean/08:00hrs Jamaica) ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Group 2 West Indies Match Schedule

February 13: vs England, Boland Park, Paarl, 15:00hrs local time (09:00hrs Eastern Caribbean/08:00hrs Jamaica)

February 15: vs India, Newlands, Cape Town, 15:00hrs local time (09:00hrs Eastern Caribbean/08:00hrs Jamaica) February 17: vs Ireland, Newlands, Cape Town, 19:00hrs (13:00hrs Eastern Caribbean/12:00hrs Jamaica)

February 19: vs Pakistan, Boland Park, Paarl, 15:00hrs local time (09:00hrs Eastern Caribbean/08:00hrs Jamaica).

Chinelle Henry and Afy Fletcher

Jeremy Garrett celebrates after scoring a power

Edson