Guyana Chronicle E-paper 7-29-2020

WEDNESDAY 29th July, 2020

’ No. 106075

Guyana’s outlook positive

…due to the sheer volume of expected oil production

…but IDB says settling the elections crucial to government’s response to COVID-19 pandemic

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‘GECOM counted spoiled votes’ 02 PAGE

… APNU+AFC’s Mahipaul says National Recount riddled with illegalities

City Hall holds hammer on LIDCO building 03 PAGE

… says company owes over $700M in taxes

Seven new cases of COVID-19 05 PAGE

Stabroek Market vendors offload goods from a truck. (Photo by Delano Williams)

– Regions 7 and 9 identified as new ‘hotspots’

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GUYANA CHRONICLE wednesday, july 29, 2020

‘GECOM counted spoiled votes’ … APNU+AFC’s Mahipaul says National Recount riddled with illegalities NOT only was the National Recount illegal but it was conducted in an illegal manner when the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) took it upon itself to count and validate ballots deemed as spoiled for more than half of the process.

This was highlighted by former APNU+AFC Counting Agent during the National Recount, Ganesh Mahipaul, at an interview with radio 104.1 Guyana Lite FM on Monday.

Mahipaul said that while some politicians are seeking to uphold the National Recount as legitimate, Guyana’s apex Court has already picked it apart for being “in tension” with the Constitution while other acts during the process, under the Elections Commission’s watch, have also rendered it illegal.

In telling of some of the wrongdoings that took place during the recount that many have overlooked, Mahipaul explained that one of the ways a ballot paper is deemed spoiled is when an elector makes a mistake that they wish to and can undo.

For example, if an elector, in the process of voting, mistakenly places his/her ‘X’ for a political party that he/she had no intention of voting for, the elector can approach the Presiding Officer (PO) for a replacement.

The Presiding Officer, on being satisfied that it was not intentionally done, takes the spoiled ballot from the elector, cancels the counterfoil and ballot paper by writing the word “cancelled” and places the spoiled ballot paper in envelope PE3 marked ‘Spoiled Ballot Paper and Spoiled Tendered Ballot Paper’.

The Presiding Officer then issues a new ballot paper, properly stamped, to the elector and redirects him/her to vote.

However, Mahipaul stated: “What GECOM was doing at the recount [is that] they opened those PE3s, those spoiled ballot papers; they opened them, examined them and counted them and validate them which is illegal in its entirety and they did that from May 6 to May 23.”

The said time period accounts for 17 days out of the

APNU+AFC Representative, Ganesh Mahipaul 33-day National Recount, more than half of the process.

“What it simply means is that they counted more than one ballot for one person which is not what our elections require. When they recognised it on May 23, then they decided to say that spoiled ballots will not

be considered,” the APNU+AFC representative stated.

Mahipaul said that the proof of his remarks can be found in the ‘Basket of Issues’ established by GECOM during the National Recount in which it noted that important changes needed to be

made to the means in which they were operating.

“GECOM itself was breaking the rules and they were fixing different, different rules as we were going on with the recount…the Basket of Issues is what they were taking into consideration to deal with problems and that is electoral fraud,” Mahipaul said.

Indeed, People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Executive, Anil Nandlall had told media operatives on May 10, during the National Recount: “Some votes that were deemed spoiled votes, when you examined the ballots…they were PPP votes that were unlawfully deemed spoilt.”

Meanwhile, on the same day, GECOM’s Public Relations Officer (PRO), Yolanda Ward said: “I’ve been seeing conflicting reports in the press about the need to go to the other envelopes such as those containing spoiled, valid and rejected ballots.

So, hence, you now see why there is a critical reason why that is very important; you now have rejected ballots that now become valid. Once the intention is clear, that ballot

is valid.”

In an Affidavit in support of the Misenga Jones v The Guyana Elections Commission et al High Court case, Mahipaul told the Court that during the recount exercise, which spanned from May 6 to June 7, 2020, GECOM arrogated unto itself the function and authority to decide on the validity of votes cast at the March 2, 2020 General and Regional Elections.

He explained that the Elections Commission developed a string of criteria and standards for the determination of the validity of votes cast which were inconsistent with the requirements of the Representation of the People Act (ROPA).

In his remarks on the radio programme, Mahipaul maintained that the National Recount, as pointed out by Guyana’s apex Court, was flawed and, furthermore, parts of the process were conducted contrary to Elections Law which begs to question the motives of those clamoring to have the results declare upon recount data.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, July 29, 2020

Guyana outlook positive … due to the sheer volume of expected oil production

… but IDB says settling the elections crucial to govt’s response to COVID-19 pandemic THE Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) said that despite uncertainties related to the coronavirus, the political context, and the fall in oil prices earlier in the year, Guyana’s outlook remains positive due to the sheer volume of expected oil production.

With Guyana beginning oil production in December 2019, one of the main transmission mechanisms of the global economic and health crises is through its impact on commodity prices, namely oil and gold, which are expected to be Guyana’s largest exports in 2020. In its Caribbean Quarterly Bulletin report, the IDB noted that plummeting oil prices have contributed to updated estimates for Guyanese oil exports, government revenues, and GDP growth. The report noted that the IMF revised the value of Guyana’s oil exports in 2020 from US$2.4 billion to US$1.3 billion, still representing Guyana’s largest productive sector.

Similarly, while government revenues were originally expected to grow by 25.9 per

cent in 2020, this estimate has been revised down to 12.8 per cent. Finally, Guyana’s GDP growth estimate was revised down from 85.6 to 52.8 per cent, still a remarkable growth figure and the only positive one in 26 Latin American and Caribbean countries, the IDB stated.

In the other leading sectors of the economy such as agriculture and mining, authorities are reporting signs of limited impact. Agriculture and mining were the

largest sector of the Guyanese before oil production, representing approximately 16 and 14 per cent of GDP, respectively. The mining sector is expected to benefit from higher profit margins due to lower fuel costs and higher prices of gold. Globally, the price of gold increased from US$1,400 at the end of June 2019 to approximately US$ 1,720 currently, a 23 per cent increase. Despite the favorable financial conditions, the public health sit-

uation and travel restrictions have affected both gold and bauxite operations in terms of worker availability and private sector measures prioritising the safety of workers.

The IDB report noted also that government authorities in the mining sector report expecting some impact, though the magnitude of the impact remains uncertain.

Other sectors of the economy are expected to have varied outcomes. Private sector authorities have reported

that construction, retail, and tourism have been negatively affected, while food manufacturing and fish production have not been significantly affected.

The three largest sectors following agriculture and mining are retail sales, construction, and transportation making up 35 per cent of the economy. Government authorities related to rice production have painted an optimistic picture, indicating that falls in demand for rice in Europe has been offset by greater demand in the region. After gold, rice is Guyana’s greatest export representing approximately 14 per cent of total exports.

Tax revenue collections are expected to remain flat in Guyana. Non-oil economic activity in Guyana could be approximated by tax revenue collections, which do not include oil-related income. Both GDP growth and tax collections are generally expected to contract across the region in 2020. The IMF estimates tax collections are expected to remain flat in Guyana, growing by 0.5 per cent, while they are estimated

to decline by an average of 4.5 per cent across the region.

In terms of the external accounts, the current account and trade balance have been updated to reflect significant deficits beginning in 2018. The IMF updates show trade and current account balances reaching their low point in 2019 right before the beginning of oil production.

The trade deficit declined to 53 per cent of GDP and the current account deficit to 40 per cent of GDP. Regarding the current political situation, IDB recounted what happened thus far and stressed that settling the elections is important for the government to respond to the coronavirus pandemic.

The bank noted that as Parliament was dissolved for the elections in December 2019, the government cannot pass legislation on economic policy or access oil revenues accumulating in the Natural Resource Fund. In the first semester of 2020, the government reported receiving approximately US$95 million in oil revenues.

City Hall holds hammer on LIDCO building … says company owes over $700M in taxes

OVER $700 million in rates and taxes is owed to the City by the Livestock Development Company (LIDCO), which led to a move to demolish one of the company’s properties on Cowan Street Kingston.

The demolition was halted. The Cowan Street property is currently being overseen by the company’s Chairman, Vic Oditt. The property is currently being utilised by Jus Waters, for which Oditt is the Managing Director. Oditt is a shareholder in LIDCO, for which shares are also owned by the government, reportedly through NICIL, as well as through the Ministry of Education (MoE). The taxes the company owes is said to be for a period of over 20 years.

Mayor of Georgetown, Ubraj Narine, explained that the municipality has been in

discussions with the company for approximately a month about monies owed to the Mayor and City Council (MCC), and noted that approval cannot be granted for works of any nature to be carried out on any property in the City for which taxes is still owed.

“It’s over $700 million owed to the council in compound interest and principal for every year. It’s across many years, over 25 years to 26 years,” Narine related.

Narine says he has no issues with Oditt, nor works or plans for the company or the property, but the city must get what is owed to it.

“I have no problem with Mr Oditt nor LIDCO, or how they intend to remodel their building. I am just fighting for the right amount of taxes that they owe us at the MCC,” Narine said.

He said it was that reason that prompted him to visit the property last Saturday, after he witnessed works continuing on the property.

Narine said notwithstanding the engagements for an arrangement for the payment of the rates and taxes owed, no agreement has been settled on; hence demolition works at the property were halted.

“We had a meeting on how we would go about with this matter. He showed me several letters he wrote to this government and previous government, and not getting anywhere with it. He said he wanted to do some work, but we did stop him because [Chapter] 28:01 clearly states that no work can be done on a property if you owe rates and taxes,” Narine further explained.

Oditt argued that it was a cleaning exercise and not

demolition works that were being carried out at the site over the weekend. Oditt said it is the lack of an approved building plan that caused the ‘cease work’ on the property.

“The Mayor and his officers have requested that we stop construction which we have and what we are doing is cleaning out the garbage today when the Mayor came. The reason they said we must stop construction is we need a plan for all works including internal works, I told them in that case they need to charge the whole of Georgetown, but still we halted and haven’t done any additional work to the building since,” Oditt explained Mayor Narine explained that once an arrangement is made to get that money paid out, and the company complies with the By-laws of

The LIDCO Cowan Street property where the demolition works have been halted the City, and building plans are presented to the City engineer, the company will be able to continue its demolition without any interference from the MCC. Narine said he has reached out to the other shareholders of LIDCO for a way forward on having the monies paid. “It’s a three party something, and the

government has to play a role as well, because to my understanding LIDCO has no money,” Narine said.

MOE Permanent Secretary, Alfred King, however, said he did not know of the MOE having any stake in LIDCO, but the Ministry’s records are being searched for any evidence of shares in the company.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, July 29, 2020

President, First Lady Trotman urges Guyanese to remain strong take COVID-19 test

amidst poll impasse

MINISTER of Natural Resources and Chairman of the Alliance For Change (AFC), Raphael Trotman, said that the Guyanese people should continue to be strong amidst the present political state in Guyana.

The Minister made the statement on Monday at a community meeting held at the Amelia’s Ward Community Centre in Linden, Region 10, where Regional Officials and supporters of the ‘A Partnership for National Unity and the Alliance For

PRESIDENT David Granger and First Lady, Mrs. Sandra Granger were on Monday tested for the Novel Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19).

In an invited comment, President Granger urged Guyanese to adhere to the various precautionary measures promulgated since March 2020 to prevent the further spread of COVID-19.

The President urged also that all persons who develop signs and symptoms of the disease to seek urgent medical attention.

The Head of State reminded that COVID-19 is a global pandemic for which there is no cure. He said fighting the pandemic requires collective and continuous action by all.

Change’ (APNU+AFC) coalition were present.

In his remarks, Trotman addressed rumours that have been circulating on social media and in society about President David Arthur Granger being uninvolved and “going quiet” amidst all the political havoc.

The Minister noted that President Granger is a man who is calm, responsible, and one who has to ensure that what he says is in equilibrium with the Law, the Constitution and all Guyanese.

Minister of Natural Resources and Chairman of the Alliance For Change (AFC), Raphael Trotman

A section of the APNU+AFC coalition’s community meeting “President Granger is a man of his own stance.

He may not be loud and boisterous, insulting people on television everyday but that does not mean that he is not involved, so don’t be fooled by silence,” Minister Trotman went on to say.

Additionally, the Minister highlighted that unlike Wednesday, July 29, 12:30hrs - 14:00hrs other countries experiencing political dispute, Guyana’s streets do not have “terror and confusion,” and as such, Guyanese should not allow outsiders to cause a ‘kerfuffle’ among the population, but Guyanese should “trust in what you believe in, despite of what you may hear and see.”

He pointed out the fraudulent votes that the National Recount would have revealed noting that only valid votes matter.

Trotman said that whether the Court of Appeal

rules in favour of the APNU+AFC or not, the coalition’s position remains firm and solid, on the basis that only valid votes matter.

The Appeal Court – comprising Justices of Appeal Dawn Gregory and Rishi Persaud, and High Court Judge, Priya Beharry – will hand down its decision on Thursday (July 30).

The ultimate intention of the appeal is to overturn Chief Justice (ag), Roxane George-Wiltshire’s decision that the elections results must be declared using data from the National Recount, which was executed in May-June under Order No. 60, the Recount Order.

The meeting also included a ‘question and answer’ segment which allowed persons to voice complaints and gain clarity on Guyana’s current political state.

Young supporter of the APNU+AFC coalition, Rennisa Webb stated the meeting was very informative and calming.

“Hearing from Minister Raphael Trotman clarified a lot and calmed my frustration because I am really tired of this hold up,” Webb said.

There were also meetings of this kind in Berbice, Essequibo, Bartica, and Georgetown, which took place under observation of the COVID-19 guidelines.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, July 29, 2020

Seven new cases of COVID-19 – Regions 7 & 9 the new ‘hotspots’

EVEN as the authorities continue to intensify efforts across the country to combat the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, there seems to be no end in sight, as cases have been climbing consistently, with recent statistics showing that seven new cases were recorded within the past 24 hours.

Authorities found those cases after conducting 62 tests between Monday and Tuesday. Some 4,478 persons have been tested so far, with 4,082 proving negative and 396 positive.

Unfortunately, the country has lost 20 persons to this disease, but while the loss of life is never pleasant, there is much to be grateful for, as 181 persons have recovered so far.

The reality, however, remains that the country has 195 active cases, with four of those persons being treated in the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit (ICU).

Chief Medical Officer (CMO), Dr. Shamdeo Persaud says persons need to take note of the existing situation, especially in the hinterland regions where cases continue to rise daily.

“Of the seven new cases

today, six cases are coming from Arau in Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni), and one case from the city,” said Dr. Persaud during a virtual COVID-19 update on Tuesday.

The country, in the early days of the pandemic, had grown accustomed to Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica) being the epicentre for the disease, but this has since changed, and Regions Seven and Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) are now the “hotspots” for the disease.

“The majority are coming from Region Seven, and yesterday (Monday) all the new cases (19) were reported in Region Nine,” said the CMO. Region Nine shares a wide border with Brazil, where COVID-19 is rampant. Globally, Brazil ranks second for the most cases of COVID-19 after the United States of America, and has reported a total of 2, 455, 905 cases, with 88,017 deaths.

A member of the Amerindian People’s Association (APA), Ron James, had said communities in Region Nine are struggling because resources are limited.

“Some persons are fearful; some of the villages are underprepared for this

pandemic… We are calling on health authorities to see if more assistance can be brought to those communities in a timely manner,” James said during a press briefing on Monday.

The APA representative also called for the authorities to “ramp up” testing for COVID-19 in Region Nine and other hinterland areas.

DOING EVERYTHING POSSIBLE Dr. Persaud, in his update on Tuesday, sought to reassure the residents of Region Nine and the nation by extension that the Ministry of Public Health is doing everything possible to keep Guyanese safe.

“Residents, the ministry continues to plead with you to adhere to the health guidelines, and to intensify your community action. Village councillors, gate keepers and prominent members of the communities, your role is to work collectively to ensure compliance with the regulations if you wish to keep down the transmission of the disease,” said the CMO. He advised against cross-border movement, and urged that residents report

CDC closely monitoring weather pattern

OVER the last few days, the Civil Defence Commission along with the National Weather Watch Centre has been closely monitoring the weather patterns in Guyana, particularly along coastal areas.

In a release on Tuesday it was advised that “heavy and continuous rainfall with thundershowers is anticipated over Guyana due to a large area of convection originating from the broad low-pressure system situated in the Atlantic, which is East-Northeast of the country.”

These forecasted conditions will likely lead to flooding in low-lying areas and possible landslides over hilly areas. CDC Director-General, Lt. Col Kester Craig, in an invited comment, assured that the commission has been continuously monitoring for potential hazards across Guyana. “We have been monitoring the weather system through close collaboration with the Maritime Administration Department to understand the level of tides,” he said.

Craig further noted that the information gathered is then used to issue advisories promptly to ensure citizens are well prepared in the event of a flood. He explained that this is done through the National Emergency Operations Cen-

tre (NECO) -- a 24-hour system which monitors social media platforms and has a hotline where hazards can be reported.

The CDC Director also noted that over the years, the commission has ensured that a response system has been established in each region, to ensure each area is prepared in the event of a disaster.

“Our response mechanism entails the community responding, the Regional Democratic Council and the Neighborhood Democratic Council responding.

However, when they cannot cope with the situation, the CDC lends their assistance.”

Citizens are always urged to be aware of the weather and take the necessary precautions. Residents in high-risk areas are asked to take the following safeguards: · Place sandbags where needed. · Unplug all electrical items which may come into contact with floodwaters. · Elevate all household furniture and appliances situated on the ground floor. · Relocate livestock to higher ground. · Use purification tablet as prescribed. · Ensure children and the elderly stay clear of floodwaters.

To report flooding in your community, call the 24-hour National Emergency Monitoring System (NEMS) on 6231700, 600-7500, or 226-1114.

migrants who enter their communities.

Dr. Persaud further advised persons to stay at home and only leave if there is an urgent need, and to wear a mask in public. Persons were also encouraged to practise social distancing, avoid gatherings of more than 10 persons, and sanitise properly.

Noting that preventative measures are important because there is still no cure or vaccine available for this disease, Dr Persaud said: “So you have to live with this for a few more months, or for as long as the disease persists. Therefore you have to ensure that these practices become part of your routine.”

Considering the prevalence of the disease, Dep-

uty Chief Medical Officer (DCMO) Dr. Karen Boyle had also said: “I plead with you not to tire of wearing your mask, washing your hands and staying six feet apart. These simple activities are the key to protecting ourselves and others.” She reminded persons that a collective effort is needed in order for Guyana not to be overwhelmed by the highly-infectious coronavirus disease.

COVID-19 remains a serious issue not just here in Guyana, but globally as well, and according to global statistics, there are 16.1 million cases of COVID-19, with over 646,000 deaths. And, with no approved treatment or cure, there is no assurance

Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Shamdeo Persaud that persons will survive after contracting the disease.

In the absence of approved medications, governments and authorities across the world have employed a number of preventive measures to contain the spread of the disease.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, July 29, 2020

Arson attacks

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n the aftermath of a rash of arsons and attempts in recent weeks Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan, had urged members of the public to keep an eye out for persons seeking to destroy the country’s national landmarks or other properties and to make reports to the police if they have knowledge that such plans are afoot.

His appeal came one day after fire was set to the Lusignan Prison as well as the Umana Yana. “We have asked all Disciplined Forces and we are also asking members of the public to have an eye out on all of these mischief-makers who they can then inform the police about,” Ramjattan requested. “That can help. We just cannot have our 4,000 or 5,000 policemen all across the country just looking after public infrastructure, that requires the help of the citizenry too and whatever information that the citizenry has in relation to potential arson, potential destruction of buildings, malicious damage to property; we would like to hear from them.”

Reports coming out of the attempted arson indicate that a female rank of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) was on duty when she observed a man scaling the north-eastern fence of the compound with what appeared to be a bottle in his hand.

The man was subsequently seen running to the western side of the building where he set the lower branches to the roof of the Umana Yana on fire. The constable, in an attempt to apprehend the man, ran in his direction and subsequently used a fire extinguisher to put out the small flames. However, the suspect made good his escape on foot in the eastern

direction away from the building. The attempted arson had also followed the successful torching of well-known Journalist Travis Chase’s car and the attempted arson at the Suddie Magistrates’ Court the week before. Ramjattan said: “The actual security forces are on very high alert and that has been since elections time. Elections have not been completed, we are almost there and, to that extent then, we would just urge members of the public to help in that regard.”

Arson is a criminal act of deliberately setting fire to property. Arson has a negative impact whether it is committed against commercial enterprises, state properties or residential properties. At the commercial level it brings about economic dislocation and impact on the financial wellbeing of those who are affected. Such losses also adversely impact the community within which the businesses are located and the dependency of those who rely on its service. For the residential properties arson brings with it displacement and separation of family, where some may have to seek refuge at different locations. Such acts also result in the loss of material possessions, the achievements of which came through sacrifices and accumulation overtime. On Sunday yet another attack was made- this time on the Guyana Human Rights Association centre on Hadfield Street.

Arson brings about setbacks. Every property that suffers from arson impacts on societal wellbeing.

Every case of arson is an act of not only threatening the economic existence of business, family or person, but also the foundation of the rule of law, which society is built on, and must be safeguarded at all times. Given that such acts

result in the destruction of property, it threatens each and every one and needs to be treated from this perspective.

The individual who owns the property cannot be allowed to make the decision as to whether such matter ought to be prosecuted. For such act did not only threaten his or her life and property, or those residing in the immediate environment where it was committed, but also respect for the rule of law.

Arson is not a civil act against a person but a criminal act which must be pursued by the State. Criminal acts are acts of intentional harm against individuals, but which in a larger sense are offenses against all of us. For instance, the neighbour’s property during the time of the fire also stood the risk of being destroyed, and in trying to secure his property, also had to work to help save the property that was been targeted. Every time there is a fire the Guyana Fire Service is called upon and expected to respond. This requires the use of manpower, water, and equipment which are unnecessary costs borne by the State, given that the act was deliberately committed with the aim of bringing destruction to property. This type of wastage impacts all.

It is important that the State sends a strong signal to those who contemplate or utilise arson to resolve differences or any other matter; that such is never the proper approach. Sending such a signal could aid people in understanding that their dealing with issues must be confined within the parameters of the law. No person should think vigilante justice is the best approach or will find acceptance in our society.

If Order 60’s intent can’t be honoured, Mr. President cancel these elections Dear Editor,

I

CALL on President David Granger not to allow history to record him as it did Nero. You have been elected leader in a free, fair and transparent election. You are perceived by many in society as a man of demonstrated integrity, decency and a commitment to all Guyanese, way above that of your opponents. Under your leadership Guyanese feel safe, mothers no longer weep for their children and drug dealers know they have no heaven.

You have embraced all to the extent where you have kept in office key operatives of the previous regime even as others believe it to be unwise and somewhat naive. But in so doing you have also demonstrated that you are prepared to nurture a national commitment, a professional public service where all can serve their country faithfully and loyally.

Mr. President, you cannot be Nero. You have the power vested in your office to correct this public hijacking of Guyana’s elections, this confounded brazen highway robbery, this piracy, this buccaneering politics unleashed on Guyana.

You, Mr. President, must be prepared to say to this world, to our judiciary, to GECOM and to all, that if you could have approved a recount that is accepted by law to declare results, then you have a duty and responsibility, at the very least, to ensure the national recount sets out to achieve its DECLARED INTENT. I repeat, its DECLARED INTENT. You, Mr. President, must further say to this nation that you will not allow any declaration that rewards electoral fraud.

It was this principle that caused you in the first instance to enter into an agreement, and I call on you now to uphold that

principle for this country that you lead, which today stands at the crossroads of law versus lawlessness. We cannot build a society for all on the vulgarity of the lawless.

Whereas history is replete with examples of glorifying thieves, pirates and brigands and their tales captured in various writings and works; and whereas these are taught as glorious lessons for centuries to those whom they pillage; in today’s world such acts and other unlawful acts are condemned and punishable in a court of law and in public opinion. No law breaker is glorified and rewarded for acts of lawlessness in civilised society, save by sick and equally lawless minds.

This is no longer only about electoral victory. This is an appeal to the better angels in each of us. It is about rights and the rule of law. It is about our national interest and that of our youth, our future. It is about the heart and soul of Guyana. It is about halting our progression along a pathway paved for ethnic conflict and external forces taking advantage of our weakness and internal rifts. Guyana remains stronger as one united force - One People, One Nation, One Destiny.

In a court of law infractions of the law are never rewarded.

We must ask ourselves which decent society, which decent court of law, which decent people any part of the world governed by moral principles, by principles of good justice would reward wrongdoing? It is a shame for GECOM to attempt to declare any election using confirmed fraudulent votes. I have said it before and repeat today - for democracy to stand GECOM cannot afford to fail.

If GECOM cannot fulfil its intent as set out in Order 60, when it placed in abeyance 10 declarations based at that time on speculation of fraud and today still not

deemed invalid by any court but “superseded” by confirmed massive fraud, then GECOM would have failed.

Failed in the sense of taking something that is deemed to be bad and asking us to accept what is proven to be far worse. If GECOM felt it could not declare the 10 declarations, based at that time on assumed irregularities, then it boggles the mind how in heaven’s name GECOM could even think it is OK to declare on confirmed massive irregularities in the 10 regions.

If GECOM cannot declare election on credible votes or declarations never challenged or deemed invalid in a court of law, then Mr. President, it behoves you to cancel these elections. You have the power, you have the right to so do.

This that we face is about Rights and the Rule of Law, it is about protecting the vote which the Trade Union Movement, under the leadership of Hubert Nathaniel Critchlow, led the charge for. It is about one man, one credible vote.

Foremost, this is about Guyana and we have got to fight for her and the values that shaped this nation.

As a unified people we must continue to guide her.

It is recognised some would prefer us to accept the recount superseding the count. We cannot take bad, make it worse, and then try to shove it down people’s throats. If you condemn bad, you don’t replace bad with something worse. It defies logic. Mr. President, for the good of Guyana, her laws and people, cancel these elections.

Regards Lincoln Lewis

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, July 29, 2020

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Min. Jordan responds to letter in Stabroek News titled, ‘State of economy is likely to worsen more than casually projected’, dated July 22, 2020 Dear Editor,

O

N July 22, 2020, Stabroek News carried a letter titled “State of economy is likely to worsen more than casually projected”, in which the author conjures Guyana’s economy being in distress at the end of the first quarter, a situation he blames on alleged poor management and policy. However, in the absence of any supporting evidence one, obviously, must question the basis of his many assertions. Allow me to put forward some evidence that not only rebuts many of the claims made, but, also, emphasises to your readers the importance of reviewing publicly available data for their own benefit, and not take as “gospel” the opinions of every “expert”.

As highlighted in the 2019 End of Year Outcome Statement, Guyana’s economy grew in real terms, in 2019, by 5.4 per cent, with the non-oil economy growing by 4.3 per cent. This persisted into the first quarter of the year. However, we must keep in mind that Guyana’s first COVID-19 case was reported in March and resulted in several emergency measures being implemented to ensure the safety of Guyanese, which would have stymied economic activity since then. Additionally, the absence of a national budget and the protracted delay in finalising the General and Regional Elections would have also dampened further economic expansion this year. Despite these challenges, our economy is not on the verge of collapse. Indeed, the outlook is for real economic growth in excess of 40 per cent.

CONSUMPTION AND ECONOMIC COLLAPSE In a subsequent interview with Guyana Diaspora News, the author notes that consumption spending is drying up and the economy is on the verge of collapse. He offers no data to support this conclusion. Here are some numbers to consider: Using total imported consumption goods as a proxy for overall consumption, we see that since 2015, there has been an upward trend (see chart below), with preliminary numbers for 2020Q1 indicating growth of approximately 6.3 per cent, or US$6.4 million, over the same period in 2019. The growth from 2019 spilled over to 2020, as the wholesale and retail trade industry continued to expand in 2020Q1 amid notable demand. Total imported consumption goods were supported by food for final consumption, “other durables” and motor cars.

Obviously, the pandemic would have led to many households and businesses changing their spending priorities and patterns. This is the reality of the pandemic and government continues to work within budgetary constraints to ensure that all are able to meet their basic needs. Since March, some of the measures put in place to help the citizens include tax waivers on medical supplies, deferment of payment of both corporate and individual advance taxes and PAYE, deferred loan payments, debt deferrals for up to six months for University of Guyana students, grants to small businesses, and food vouchers and hampers for those most affected by the pandemic. Government has also drafted several other measures to help accelerate post-pandemic growth, which, unfortunately, cannot be implemented within the current environment.

SUPPORT TO AGRICULTURE Moving on, the author joins a long list of detractors who seek to politicise the downsizing of the sugar industry, categorising it as part of some “ill-conceived scheme” with racial undertones. As is known, publicly, in 2014, the Wales, Skeldon and Enmore estates operated at losses in excess of $1.5 billion. Guysuco was incurring massive losses and racking up huge debts, in the process, putting excessive pressure on the treasury. We cannot ignore the fact that the closed estates were not viable. With new restructured, cost profiles, the remaining estates were given an opportunity to succeed. With the backing of the Government, a $30 billion bond has been secured and, hopefully, an inefficient public corporation, heavily dependent of the Treasury for survival, can become a model to be emulated, producing about 150,000 tonnes of sugar in the medium term.

With respect to the administration starving the agriculture sector of essential funding, I would like to draw your attention to the charts below.

In 2015, when this government took office, the support to the agriculture sector through the national budget increased by approximately 25 per cent, or from $18.1 billion, in 2014, to $22.7 billion, in 2015. Post 2015, it appears as though budgetary allocations declined. However, once we consider government transfers to GuySuCo – and exclude those from the figures - a truer picture of the allocations to the agriculture sector is gleaned.

For the period 2010 to 2014, approximately $11 billion was budgeted to be transferred to GuySuCo. In 2015 alone, the budgeted support for the ailing corporation exceeded this amount, to reach $12 billion. For the period 2015 to 2019, the total budgeted transfers to the corporation was $38 billion. What does this mean? In 2015 and 2016, more than half of the budgeted sums to the sector were for transfers to GuySuCo. This meant that the available support for other sub-sectors was significantly reduced. Once the substantial transfers to GuySuCo declined, and eventually disappeared, the funds available for other sub-sectors within agriculture rose, from $11.6 billion in 2016 to $17.1 billion in 2019. Clearly this sector has not been starved of essential funding.

Additionally, despite the author’s claim, this government has placed much emphasis on the promotion of non-traditional agriculture. Since 2015 we have invested every year in the promotion of agricultural diversification in the urban, rural, hinterland and riverain communities and in the intermediate and Rupununi savannahs. Government has supported the development of agricultural research through investment in research stations and demonstration farms in areas like Ebini, Hosororo and Mabaruma, all geared toward non-traditional crop production and development across the country. It is important to also highlight that through the Ministerial Roundtable engagement with the Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association, Government has worked alongside the private sector to catalyse the manufacturing sector, particularly agro-processing, by addressing issues such as taxation, access to land, and transportation and trade barriers. One notable achievement, in this regard, is the reduction of the corporation tax rate for non-commercial companies from 30 per cent to 25 per cent. I have provided the evidence that this government, in any way, have not starved the agriculture sector. Can he do the same to support his contrary view?

TAXES ON HOUSEHOLDS In making his claim that the administration sought to “tax its way to prosperity”, the author failed to examine the multiple measures put in place to increase the disposable incomes of households. Unquestionably, since 2015, tax policy and administration have evolved to rid the TURN TO PAGE 8

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, July 29, 2020

Economic independence, climate-friendly development necessary ― Says Regional Economist ECONOMIC independence and climate-friendly development among Caribbean countries should be part of the region’s developmental trajectory, according to Regional Economist, Dr. Justin Ram. Dr. Ram, the Former Director of Economics at the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), highlighted that even before the devastating ramifications of the COVID-19 pandemic, many Caribbean countries were experiencing low levels of economic growth. The economies also contend with high levels of debt and uncompetitiveness, and countries are characterised by high levels of poverty and unemployment. Beyond that, the Caribbean countries are highly susceptible to the adverse effects of climate change.

“If you’re starting to think about coming out of this (pandemic), we need considerable innovative ideas and considerable stimulus that actually now targets all the deficiencies we had in our economies- even before this,” he said, in a recent online forum.

Climate-friendly development should be a key focus, according to the economist, since countries all over the world are becoming more conscious of the imminent threat of climate change.

In fact, the recovery packages announced by many of the developed countries of the world include climate considerations. The $826 billion recovery package of the European Union is one such example; 25 percent of that amount has been set aside for climate-friendly measures.

“Although Guyana is on the brink of a great windfall from the oil and gas industry, I think no oil and gas economy should be sitting on its laurels right now... It is time for Guyana to pay attention to that,” Dr. Ram said in specific reference to Guyana’s burgeoning oil sector and global climate change considerations.

Bloomberg Green has reported that countries across the world are turning towards renewable energy, since the COVID-19 pandemic illustrated the adverse effects of being overly dependent upon fossil fuels.

Dr. Ram stressed that while revenues from this industry may be substantial for Guyana, the country- like all other Caribbean countries- should ensure that the revenues are used in ways which align with the Paris Agreement and the global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). That is, the revenues should be channelled in sustainable development avenues; this is a key priority of the government and has been articulated in the Green State Development Strategy (GSDS).

The Paris Agreement sets out a global framework to mitigate climate change by limiting global warming to well below 2°C and pursuing efforts to limit it to 1.5°C. Meanwhile, the 17 SDGs are a framework which attempts to guide the world towards achieving a better and more sustainable future for all.

Former Director of Economics at the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), Dr. Justin Ram

Min. Jordan responds ...

tax system characterised by inequality and unfairness. In pursuit of this, no new tax was introduced. On the contrary, rates were reduced, thresholds increased, and duty and tax concessions were granted to a range of sectors, items and individuals.

For example, the rate of VAT was reduced to 14 per cent; the corporation tax rate for companies in manufacturing and non-commercial activities was reduced from 30 per cent to 25 percent; the income tax threshold was increased from $600,000 to $780,000 or 1/3 of gross income, whichever was higher resulting in more than 70,000 persons being removed from the tax register; the personal income tax rate fell from 30 per cent to 28 percent for individuals whose chargeable income fell between $65,000 and $195,000 per month; private sector employees now enjoy tax-free vacation allowances; the removal of VAT on low-income housing; the property tax rate for both individuals and companies was reduced, and the list goes on.

The government can boast, without fear of being contradicted, that no government has done more in its first term in office.

We must refrain from making statements without providing context for readers. The government’s intention was to broaden the tax base and use revenue gains to improve equity in the tax system. Primarily, the intention was to lower the income tax – and other tax – burdens on the low-income groups. The author seems to be subscribing to the narrative that higher collections means taxes have increased. Instead, what is clear is that the Guyana Revenue Authority has improved their processes significantly and closed loopholes to ensure that many individuals and businesses, who for one reason or the other were not paying their fair share of taxes before 2015, are made to pay their fair share – a move that did not find favour with some businesses who grew accustomed to lax enforcement. In passing, the author is informed that the nine-month amnesty, announced in 2018, netted $10 billion in arrears, most of it from the mining sector.

FOREIGN ASSET HOLDINGS AND NON-PERFORMING LOANS The author claims that government liquidated $23 billion worth of foreign asset holdings and attempts to paint a picture of doom for the Guyanese people. I wish to re-emphasise some points made in my letter to this paper on July 11. Our country’s

foreign reserves are used principally to service our external debts, pay for fuel imports for GPL and intervention in the foreign exchange market, periodically. During the first quarter of this year, total imports amounted to US$609.4 million, of which the oil and gas sector imports accounted for 34.4 per cent. Oil and gas sector imports are financed almost exclusively by foreign direct investments. Hence, in order to capture the adequacy of our reserves, we should assess our reserves against the total value of imports excluding oil imports. For the period January to March 2020, existing data shows that total non-oil imports amounted to US$397.5 million or US$132.5 million on average per month. At this rate, our foreign reserves are adequate to cover more than three months of imports – the foreign reserves of the Bank of Guyana totalled US$499.2 million at end of March 2020, covering 3.8 months of such imports.

According to the author, another indicator that confirms his “underlying distress of the economy” is the state of non-performing loans. Indeed, non-performing loans increased to 10.1 per cent of total loans, from 8.5 per cent in the first quarter of 2015. What the author neglects to highlight, however, is that the 0.8 percentage points improvement in 2020 is in fact the second year to record an improvement. In 2019, the ratio was 10.9 per cent, down from 11.6 percent in 2018. What this means is that, from the first quarter of 2018 to the same period in 2020, the ratio improved by about 1.5 percentage points.

EXPORTS AND PRODUCTION In his letter, the author correctly mentions that the gold export earnings continue to increase, moreso growing by 5.5 per cent in 2019 when compared with 2016. This is an achievement and resulted in the total export earnings increasing by 9.2 per cent in 2019 when compared with 2016, with 2019 recording the highest level of export earnings ever. While the author hurriedly points to sectors which have seen declines in export earnings for one reason or the other, he unashamedly reveals his bias by choosing to ignore others that have recorded notable gains, such as rice exports, which, from 2016 to 2019 grew by 24.6 per cent, or bauxite exports, which grew by 27.5 per cent over the same period. Then, again, these do not fit the doom and gloom, ‘sky is falling’ narrative that he and his ilk seek to

ECONOMIC INDEPENDENCE The Economist also argued that the Caribbean at large must use the opportunity to plan and build for the long term, and restructure economies so that there is more economic independence in the region.

Priority areas of development, he said, should be on bolstering agricultural capacity; enabling easier regional transport of people and goods; and, digital and technological transformation. It is also imperative for the Caribbean to become a single economic space, so that entrepreneurs across the region would have access to a wider target population, Dr. Ram noted.

“We will always be open economies but we have to find ways to invest in industries that will diversify our economies and give us some amount of economic independence so that when these exogenous shocks happen, we are not going to be negatively affected like how we are,” he contended.

According to the World Economic Outlook Report published by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on June 24, the real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of Latin America and the Caribbean is expected to have a negative growth rate of 9.4 percent in 2020. In 2021, however, real GDP for the same Region is expected to be 3.7 percent. It has been well reported that Caribbean islands, which depend largely on tourism, have been adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Unless there is a vaccine to help people recover from COVID-19, people are going to be fearful of travelling,” he said. “Secondly, there are considerably damaged household balance sheets. So when you combine these, you can only imagine how long it could take our economies in the Caribbean to recover.”

What is worrying is that estimates show that the Caribbean may take approximately 55 months to return to the economic state it was before the coronavirus pandemic. But even then, Dr. Ram reminded that Caribbean nations were not in a good place before.

TURN FROM PAGE 7 portray.

GOVERNMENT SAVINGS The author next proceeds to highlight the deterioration of government deposits over the past five years, a downward trend which started in 2011, after deposits peaked at $68.7 billion in 2010. I must emphasise that this does not mean the country is bankrupt, as is an idea being tossed around recently.

Simply put, the decline in government deposits resulted from intertemporal outflows to finance budget deficits across several fiscal years. Traditionally, the sum by which the budget deficit exceeded external financing was treated as a residual, with no specific domestic instruments assigned. Consequently, the deficit ended up being financed in part by government deposits, giving rise to a continuous decline, and, eventually to the overdraft of $81.3 billion at July 7, 2020. Unfortunately, our efforts to formalise domestic debt arrangements, by way of a public debt management legislation and ensuing regulations, which would see the issuance of longer term instruments to finance domestic debt, was derailed by the no-confidence motion.

STATE OF THE ECONOMY The author challenges the Central Bank’s estimates, which show increased output in agriculture and gold, and mixed performances in services and construction; yet, he is confident enough to claim a “distressed state of the economy”. What indicators show a state of distress? Certainly, not on the evidence I have presented. Unlike him, I have given prominence to the growing sectors as well as highlighting the sectors that have not done so well. Rice is projected to grow for the fourth consecutive year, to reach 700,000 tonnes, having already seen increased production during the first half of 2020, when compared with the same period last year. We can only continue to exhort your writers/analysts/commentators to undertake evidence-based analysis and leave the politicking to the politicians. Your readers deserve nothing less.

Yours faithfully Winston Jordan Minister of Finance

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, July 29, 2020

‘Agreements don’t change the Constitution’… Min Ramjattan

By Lisa Hamilton THE 1997 Elections in Guyana were nullified because, while the country’s leaders came to an agreement that the possession of an Identification Card should be mandatory for voting, this was contrary to the Constitution.

That’s according to Leader of the Alliance for Change (AFC) Khemraj Ramjattan, who went on to say that the foregoing observation should serve as a prime example to those who now uphold the National Recount Order No. 60 in part, when it has been established by the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) to be “in tension” with the Constitution.

Delving deeper into the subject of the December 15, 1997 elections, Ramjattan said Sunday while speaking on an APNU+AFC-sponsored programme that following the polls, one Ester Perreira filed a petition on February 25, 1998 under Articles 60, 162 and 163 of the Constitution, the Representation of the People Act Cap. 1:03 and the National Assembly (Validity of Elections) Act Cap. 1:04, claiming that the elections were not free, fair and valid, and the results were affected.

The petition, he re-

GECOM Chair, Justice (Ret’d) Claudette Singh called, was heard by Justice Claudette Singh, now retired and current Chairperson of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM). The hearing of evidence took more than two years, and concluded on May 22, 2000.

Addresses to the Court by the lawyers lasted three months. Thereafter, the learned trial judge gave her 77-page judgement on January 15, 2001, and made further Oral Orders on January 26, 2001.

Taking his audience back down memory lane, Ramjattan said Singh ruled that Act 22 of 1997, which amended the electoral law to make ID cards the only voting prerequisite, had breached several statutes in the Constitution. She

ruled that “Act 22/97 is ultra vires, null and void Articles 59 and 159 of the Constitution” and that the 1997 elections were not conducted in accordance with the provisions of the Representation of the People Act (ROPA) Chapter 1:03 and articles 59 and 159 of the Constitution and therefore vitiated.

He said that prior to the Court’s ruling back in 1997, the Government and Opposition had agreed to make the presentation of an ID Card to vote mandatory, and that everyone was pleased with the decision.

However, this did not change the fact that their actions, unbeknownst to them at the time, were contrary to the Constitution, and therefore, despite their agreement, it had to be dismantled.

A member of the ruling People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) back then, Ramjattan said Sunday: “We all agreed [the PPP/C and other parties] on this law, and we passed the law in Parliament that voter ID card should be the basis and, in the elections petition matter, that law was decided on that notwithstanding we all agreed to this thing, voter ID card as a requirement is not Constitutional. Not because you agreed to it.”

Warming to the topic,

fore, that the constitutional right to vote would be denied to any person who did not produce such a card. There is nothing wrong with Parliament enacting such legislation, but any such law ought not to be inconsistent with the Constitution.”

AFC Leader Khemraj Ramjattan he said: “The whole election was held illegally as a result, because it was based on voter ID card. And we had agreed to that; both parties! In similar terms, I understand that there is an argument going on in Court that notwithstanding there might have been an agreement for a recount, it might very well be unconstitutional too.”

He recalled that in handing down her January 2001 ruling, Justice Singh had reasoned: “What is the effect of Act 22 of 1997? This Act introduces the concept of ‘no card, no vote’; that is, it made it compulsory for a person to have a voter’s identification card in order to vote.

It would follow, there-

THIRD OF ITS KIND Chief Elections Officer (CEO) Keith Lowenfield submitted his report on the recent elections to GECOM earlier this month, showing a win for the APNU+AFC. It was the third of its kind since the conduct of the March 2, 2020 General and Regional Elections and is, for the first time, reflective of the declarations made in March 2020 by the Returning Officers in the country’s 10 Electoral Districts.

There is now great national debate, as well as amongst GECOM Commissioners about whether Lowenfield’s report should have been guided by the March 2 elections results from the 10 declarations, or the subsequent national recount which the CCJ picked apart.

The CCJ, in handing down its recent judgement, had noted that the Constitution trumps Recount Order No. 60 in the areas

where there is contradiction. It also highlighted that the election of a President and members of the National Assembly can only be done “on the sole basis of votes counted and information furnished by Returning Officers under the Representation of the People Act.” Therefore, in his most recent report, the CEO reminded the Chair that the national recount was not undertaken by Returning Officers. “The concluding opinion [Paragraph 52] of the CCJ’s judgement states that Order 60 is in tension with the Constitution of Guyana, and could not create a new election regime,” Lowenfield had said.

In driving home his position on the matter, Ramjattan said: “Agreement of politicians or parliamentarians, unless by the Constitutional route of getting an amendment to the Constitution, is not going to be the way that will make it Constitutional.”

Meanwhile, on the arguments of whether or not the Recount Order was set aside by the Court, the AFC leader said that one cannot deem a legal Order to be in “tension” with the Constitution, but simultaneously seek to up hold it, selectively, for political benefit.

Region 9 COVID-19 cases imported REO says reports of migrants in the community

REGIONAL Executive Officer (REO) of Region Nine, Carl Parker, has reported that the COVID-19 situation in the region has become a challenge.

The region has 36 active Coronavirus (COVID-19) cases, Parker told DPI via a phone interview. “They are 23 new cases in the region, that in addition to the 18 we

had before. Of those 18, four have recovered and one died, so that is 23 and 13 active cases that we now have.”

Parker said.

However, the REO has made it clear that no resident of Lethem has been diagnosed with COVID -19, but instead the cases were being imported from neighbouring Brazil. “Persons are still

coming across the border and when they reach the villages, residents are hiding them, so when the team shows up, they are told that they are no persons from the border. But now we know persons are coming from the border. Those cases did not come from Lethem, we have no reports of anyone in Lethem with COVID-19, everything is from across

Brazil,” the REO explained.

Parker warned that this practice of harbouring migrants threatens local communities with the spread of COVID-19. “That is a dangerous situation,” he noted.

The REO has since raised the matter with the local Toshaos. “Despite all the pleading, begging and information out there, persons are still not

adhering to the safety guidelines,” Parker stated.

Community leaders have been called on to ensure residents are adhering to the health guidelines as communities across Region Nine have since been warned by the Regional Health Officials that they were at a high risk of seeing more COVID-19 cases. (DPI)

Regional Executive Officer (REO) of Region 9, Carl Parker

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, July 29, 2020

Gov’t pays tribute to human trafficking victims/survivors … as Guyana observes World Day Against TIP REPRESENTATIVES from the Ministerial Task Force on Trafficking in Persons, last Monday, released blue balloons at the Seawall in recognition of survivors and victims of human trafficking, as the Ministry of Social Protection’s Counter-Trafficking in Persons Unit (C-TIPU) launched its week of activities in observance of World Day Against Trafficking in Persons Day which is commemorated annually on July 30.

Prior to the balloons’ release, the team observed a moment of silence in solace with survivors and victims of trafficking in persons globally. This year’s theme is “Embracing Diversity, Reducing Vulnerabilities, Promoting Safe Migration.”

“Victims of human trafficking are exploited and their basic human rights violated.

The common forms prevalent in Guyana are

forced labour, sexual exploitation and domestic servitude,” stated Tanisha Williams - Corbin, Coordinator of C-TIP. Between January and July 2020, the C-TIP Unit received twenty-two (22) reported cases of suspected trafficking of which eight were confirmed as cases of trafficking in persons. A total of forty-three (43) victims of human trafficking were identified and assisted by the Unit; eight males and thirty-five 35 females, all non-nationals.

Williams-Corbin also noted that the public plays a critical role in assisting to eradicate this societal problem, adding that the C-TIPU will continue to develop and disseminate educational materials to the generate awareness and educate the populace about the scourge of human trafficking.

“It is important to engage the community as victims often do not self-identify. Most of

Members of the C-TIPU releasing the blue balloons in the vicinity of the seawall bandstand. them never come forward to the authorities.

We encourage you to report any suspicious activities to the 24-hour hotline

numbers 227-4083 or 623-5030.

Your calls are treated with the strictest confidentiality,” she said

SHELL BEACH PROTECTED AREA (SBPA) THIS fortnightly column produced by the Protected Areas Commission (PAC) is aimed at sensitising and educating the general population about Guyana’s National Protected Areas System (NPAS) and the work of the PAC which has the mandate of managing, maintaining, promoting and expanding the NPAS. We are in the sea turtle nesting season so we take the opportunity in today’s article to briefly introduce to the public one of our country’s protected areas: Shell Beach Protected Area (SBPA) which is part of our National Protected Areas System. More detailed articles about the NPAS including SBPA and its many unique plant and animal species will be published in the future. It is our hope that all of Guyana will value and have a sense of pride in our protected areas, our natural heritage - part of what makes Guyana so beautiful.

Located in the Barima-Waini Region (Region One) the Shell Beach Protected Area (SBPA) is the only coastal protected area in Guyana’s National Protected Area System.

It has the longest stretch of mangroves, is rich in biodiversity and is well known as a nesting site for four species of Sea Turtle: the Leather Back (Dermochelys Coriacea), Hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata), Olive Ridley (Lepidochelys olivacea), and Green turtle (Chelonia mydas). These turtles nest between February and August of each year.

The beach is said to have gotten its name because it is made up of shells - fragments of mollusks, bivalved, and univalved shells.

These characteristics make the SBPA an important part of the National Protected Areas System (NPAS) and potentially an excellent tourism site.

Following the passage of the Protected Areas Act in 2011 and the official declaration of Shell Beach as a protected area and with the PAC becoming operational at the end of 2012, efforts were initiated to develop and manage this site as a protected area. This was achieved through the development of the Shell Beach Protected Area Management Plan which guides the Protected Areas Commission (PAC) in terms of continued management and monitoring of the area.

According to data obtained from research for the SBPA Management Plan, animal types include 28 reptilian species, 13 amphibian, 27 mammalian, and 27 macro-invertebrate species. Over 200 species of both coastal and migratory birds were recorded, giving the area significant potential for bird watching – an emerging tourism activity.

The human population in and around Shell Beach Protected Area is also extremely important. This includes eight Amerindian titled communities and three Community Development Councils (CDCs). Titled communities include Three Brother’s, Warapoka, Santa Cruz, Kwebanna, Assakata, Santa Rosa,

Waramuri, and Manawarin. The residents of these communities basically live off the land in the form of subsistence farming, fishing, hunting, crabbing, timber harvesting and more. This is how they feed themselves and families and they often times sell to others within the community to further make a living. The residents of these communities serve as somewhat guardians and protectors; they contribute significantly to one of the PAC’s mandates which is to protect cultural and biological diversity for future generations.

Some of them are employed as rangers during the turtle nesting season to help monitor and protect the turtles coming up on the beach.

This local population can also be considered as part of the key stakeholder component to ensure the preservation and development of the protected area. The Management plan states specifically that the overarching goals for Shell Beach Protected Area are to protect and conserve biodiversity, sustain and maintain the rich cultural heritage of SBPA associated Amerindian communities; and promote sustainable livelihoods opportunities

within local communities – all of which are continued and ongoing measures.

The PAC has ensured that outside of the Sea Turtle season at Shell Beach, Rangers carry out community engagement activities.

These activities are aimed at education and awareness – residents of those communities are taught about the importance of the protected area which is also their home; and how they can contribute to the conservation of resources and species. These residents are always receptive and cooperative as they are fully aware that failure to protect the area could result in their own detriment as they are the immediate beneficiaries. Additionally, research and surveys are carried out by rangers to continuously monitor resource activities.

The Protected Areas Commission through its management programmes, will continue to support training and various community development and livelihood activities, including resource use by communities at levels that are considered to be sustainable.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, July 29, 2020

100% turnout for CSEC/CAPE in hinterland regions

THE Ministry of Education (MoE) said that Guyana’s four hinterland regions have been seeing 100 percent turnout of students to complete the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) examinations.

The Regions include Region One (Barima-Waini), Region Seven (CuyuniMazaruni), Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni) and Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo). Education offi-

vanced Proficiency Examinations (CAPE) are currently being written under special circumstances, given the COVID-19 pandemic that has been ongoing since earlier this year.

Schools all across the Caribbean have been closed for lengthy periods, having been closed in Guyana since March 16. The CSEC and CAPE which is customarily scheduled to be written across May/June, was

on August 4 and CAPE set to conclude on July 31.

Over 120,000 students across the Caribbean were scheduled to write CSEC and another 30,000 were scheduled to write CAPE. In Guyana a total of 11,998 candidates were registered to write that CSEC at 168 centres, while for CAPE, 851 candidates are registered to write at 15 centres across the country.

The schools were par-

Mahdia Secondary School students writing their CSEC exam in Region Eight cials in those Regions have indicated that the process is moving along smoothly thanks to the assistance of cooperating parents and dedicated teachers “who have been doing their part to ensure the examinations are written in accordance with what is expected and at the same time ensuring the safety of all”.

The Caribbean Secondary Examinations Certificate (CSEC) and Caribbean Ad-

postponed as CXC assessed the COVID-19 development across the Caribbean.

CXC later took the decision to have the exam done across the July/August period, and modified the examinations to a simpler format in light of the circumstances students would be facing because of the COVID-19 situation. The writing of the CSEC and CAPE commenced on July 13, with CSEC scheduled to conclude

tially reopened since June, to facilitate the writing of the CSEC and CAPE for secondary school students, and the National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) for primary school pupils.

To mitigate the spread of the virus even as the students continue their academics, students, teachers and persons permitted to be in the school compound are required to wear a face mask at all times. Addi-

Students of Three Miles Secondary School in Region Seven writing the CSEC exam According to reports tionally, handwashing and to ensure that there is full from education officials sanitising must be done at compliance with the order. the entrance of the school.

The students are also in the regions, all the stuEach student is also also required to be two meters dents have been present given care packages which apart from each other at so far and are cooperating includes sanitiser, masks, all times. Playing and and following the meatissue and soaps. gathering are prohibited sures outlined in the order All persons entering the and the MoE has pro- when writing their exams. compound are also subject to hibited vending outside Last Monday, the students mandatory temperature test- of the schools “to ensure turned out in their numbers ing, with the MoE’s Educa- the safety and wellness of to write the CSEC Mathematics exam. tion Officers visiting schools everyone.”

Candidates of St. Ignatius Secondary in Region Nine in concentration during their CSEC examination

Students say ‘no headache’ writing CSEC, CAPE exams WITH just a pre-completed School Based Assessment (SBA) and a multiple choice paper one to complete, many students are having little to no headache with their CSEC and CAPE examinations.

With the first two weeks of the regional exam being completed, many students have already completed several of their subjects, particularly because this year they only have to write one paper.

On Monday the students wrote their Mathematics examinations,

and on Tuesday they are scheduled to write English Language, the two subjects are usually attract the most number of students, as they are compulsory subjects for the secondary school students.

The CSEC and Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examinations (CAPE) usually entails students being assigned grades based on their performances in two paper examinations and in some instances, a SBA. However, this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the decision was

taken by the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC), to administer only the multiple choice based Paper One and SBAs and assign grades based on the student’s performance in those areas.

Some students have been finding it particularly easy so far.

“Most of it was alright, it isn’t anything hard so,” shared 16-year-old Gavin Miranjie of St. Joseph High, who has so far completed four of the nine subjects he is writing at the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC).

He still remains to write English Language and Literature, Physical Education, Technical Drawing and Economics.

“It’s not easy, it’s not hard, it’s not very difficult but it’s not all easy. There are some questions that you know by heart and are easy,” shared Andrica Coates from South Ruimveldt Secondary School.

Coates is writing seven subjects and has also completed five of her subjects so far. She will be wrapping up her sittings this week, after completing her English Language exams,

and concluding her Physical Education exam on Thursday.

Her most recent exam was the Mathematics Paper One, which was written by all students last Monday. Notwithstanding, the omission of the Paper Two, Coates said she doesn’t want to overreach on her expectations for herself in the subject.

CAPE student, Alicia Meyers, has completed her Physics and Communications Studies exams so far and still has exams in Chemistry, Biology and Pure Mathematics to com-

CSEC student Andrica Coates plete her sittings.

“It’s been ok. It’s still a bit frustrating and nerve wrecking as all exams are but I’m confident that I did well in a paper and at the moment is a bit enjoyable,” she comments

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, July 29, 2020

‘Dem a watch meh singer’ under fire for Facebook rant … ERC launches probe; Minister Norton says comments damaging to social cohesion

FAMOUSLY known for his song ‘Dem a watch meh’, Chutney artiste Mahendra Ramkellawan is now under fire after a video of him spewing political venom caught the attention of many including the Minister of Social Cohesion, Dr. George Norton, and the Ethnic Relations Commission.

Ramkellawan was seen in a video calling for acts of violence to be committed against the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) + Alliance For Change (AFC) executive members Prime Minister, Moses Naga-

mootoo and Vice President, Khemraj Ramjattan.

Adding gasoline to an already lit fire, Ramkellawan said, “Anywhere you see Ramjattan or Nagamootoo spit in their face or throw a bucket of water or anything you have in your hand… nothing do with acid, but anywhere you see them sit down drinking rum or meeting, spit in their face.

In the distasteful video, Ramkellawan also volunteered to pay the stipulated $15,000 fine that is attached to the criminal act of intentionally spitting on another person (assault).

In response to his rhetoric Minister Norton stated that such messages of hate and violence are damaging to social cohesion and Guyana’s music industry.

“As an artiste, Mr. Ramkellawan has an important role to play in nation building, so for him to be using his platform to incite violence is undoubtedly despicable,” Dr. Norton said.

The minister added that, at a time when the atmosphere is tense, artiste should be using their platforms to promote love and unity.

“Mr. Ramkellawan

should be promoting harmony and using his popularity to inspire our young people.

Of course, it is okay to have strong political views, but regardless of his political persuasion, inciting violence is reckless and uncalled for,” Dr. Norton added.

Minister Norton who also holds responsibility for Culture, Youth and Sport stated that Chutney music is a particular genre of music that brings the Guyanese people together in celebration, as such Ramkellawan has a responsibility to use his platform for the greater good.

“Chutney artistes therefore have a responsibility to use their platform to do just that, not segregate people and provoke violence and crime,” Minister Norton said.

Dr. Norton added that it is okay for persons to have varying political views, however it not okay for persons to incite division and violence, “It is okay to have political disagreements. What is not okay is allowing our political disagreements to eat away at our humanity. We can do better; we must do better.”

When contacted, Lloyd Smith of Ethnic Relations

‘Dem a watch meh’ Singer Mahendra Ramkellawan Commission’s Investigative Unit, disclosed that an investigation has been launched into Ramkellawan post.

However, he stated that the commission has been faced with several challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic as it relates to tracking and finding persons who have committed offences.

M&CC, GCCI renew MoU on cooperation THE Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) and the Mayor and Councillors of the City of Georgetown (M&CC) renewed their Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Tuesday.

The simple signing ceremony took place at City Hall on Tuesday.

President of the GCCI, Mr. Nicholas Deygoo-Boyer, and Mayor of Georgetown, His Worship, Pandit Ubraj Narine, signed the MoU on behalf of their respective organisations.

The MoU is intended to strengthen cooperation between the two entities as they seek to collaborate on municipal and corporate de-

velopment within the boundaries of the city.

The MoU stipulates that the GCCI and the M&CC will cooperate on several thematic areas, namely, general rates, public security within the city, building codes, building bylaws, safety regulations for construction procedures, infrastructure development, environment (inclusive of garbage collection and public health), public education, information sharing, training and capacity building. The GCCI and the M&CC have also agreed to meet once every two months.

The MoU will be enforced from the day of its signing and shall be valid for a period of one year.

President of the GCCI, Mr. Nicholas Deygoo-Boyer, and Mayor of Georgetown, His Worship, Pandit Ubraj Narine display the signed MoU

Over 100 entrepreneurs capitalising on business workshop OVER 100 micro and small business representatives from across Guyana are participating in a virtual workshop on Business Plan Preparation to increase their knowledge on how to establish and maintain a successful business.

The free workshop is being hosted by the International Decade for People of African Descent Assembly-Guyana (IDPADA-G) from July 28, 2020 and runs for two days. Speaking with the Guyana Chronicle on Tuesday, IDPADA-G Programme Manager, Lyris Primo said that great interest has been shown by a number of entrepreneurs registered to participate.

“The whole intention is to get them into doing business in a more structured way so that their businesses would grow and strive,” she said. “Some micro and small businesses don’t even know about business plans. So, the idea is help them to do things in a more organised way rather than just trial and error so that they would know when they’re going off track and

pull back before it’s too late. It’s helping them to define a path to success.”

As a part of its mandate, IDPADA-G works to improve the economic status of people of African descent in Guyana. One of the ways it does so is through capacity building in doing business. Through such initiatives, micro businesses can develop to small businesses and small to medium and possibly large. Meanwhile, potential businesses can get insight into what they need to do to enter the business environment the right way.

The workshop features presentations from business experts while those who attend will have the documents presented for take-away. Primo said that local assembly has held such workshops in the past, prior to COVID-19, and also saw great support and success. With the pandemic, though meeting face-to-face in large numbers is not advisable, IDPADA-G has found the benefit in utilising online platforms to meet its mandate just

the same.

“When we hold these events during the day, lots of people are unable to participate because they have their businesses to run and if they don’t do business, they don’t make money. So, because it’s being done in the evening, everybody is at home, everybody is finished working and more people are available,” she explained. In the near future, the IDPADA-G plans to host other such workshops for persons in the business community who require help but lack the resources. It is likely that a financial literacy workshop is in the pipeline.

To the micro and small business who were not able to register for the workshop

or were not aware that it was being held, Primo nonetheless encouraged: “You should take advantage of these opportunities because it’s not only IDPADA-G that does these kinds of things. I guess it’s only IDPADA-G that does them for free, but it’s needed and you need to be serious about doing business; serious about seeing what you do as something that is bigger than you are…it’s building something big.”

IDPADA-G was set up to craft the Guyana plan for the International Decade for people of African Descent in keeping with the provisions of the United Nation’s (UNs) resolution.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, July 29, 2020

Effects of COVID-19…

More families earning less than minimum wage … IDB says in report on Guyana

THE Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) said during a recent survey here, it found that the percentage of households earning less than the minimum wage increased from approximately 13 per cent in January 2020 to approximately to 45 per cent in April 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The bank, in its quarterly bulletin on the Caribbean on how the COVID-19 pandemic has been affecting economies, said that almost 60 per cent of households earning less than the minimum wage suffered job losses while around 16 per cent of households earning 11 times the minimum wage suffered job losses.

The bank also noted that the survey revealed that some households are struggling to cover some basic needs with 31.4 per cent of households earning less than the minimum wage reported going hungry in the past week and 55.9 per cent reported eating less healthy. These adverse effects remain prevalent but lower among higher income households, the bank said. The bank report noted that government responded to the crises by adopting a range of measures, whichinclude: the suspension of all school activities for the year; closure of the two international airports; creating the National Coronavirus Disease Task to coordinate the government’s action plan; granting of special powers to the Ministry of Health to prevent and control the spread of the disease.

In addition, a National Plan of Action to counter the disease was formulated and government has built an Infectious Disease Hospital which is slated to be commissioned this week.

Government has also directed rapid response to unexpected and emergency

incidents; developed short term plans for disease prevention; and continues to communicate directly with agencies, ministries, regional task forces and stakeholders ensuring the protection of health and safety of the wider community.

The report by the IDB reviews the ongoing impact of the crisis for countries in the region, and provides recommendations for policymakers as they position themselves for a postCOVID-19 recovery. Recommendations include the importance of preparing for a broad resumption of travel and tourism, as well as the importance of bolstering capacity for debt management, broadening the social safety net, improving internet connectivity, as well as strengthening the capacities of emergency health services.

The report, Caribbean Quarterly Bulletin: The Pandemic Saga Continues, also includes detailed assessments for The Bahamas, Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, and the countries of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS).

“While coronavirus curves had flattened and several airports reopened, the region still faces a treacherous transition to a post-crisis scenario,” said David Rosenblatt, the Regional Economic Adviser for the Caribbean Department of the IDB. “The path forward will not be an easy one as policymakers face social pressures, complicated fiscal situations, and a tough external environment. They will need to spend scarce resources efficiently, improve their debt management profile and attend to longstanding institutional challenges in economic policy.”

Put together by the team of economists of the IDB’s Caribbean Depart-

ment, the study notes the decisive actions by governments in the region to stop the spread of COVID-19. On the economic front, however, conditions have worsened in recent months as big declines in tourism revenues start to take a toll, with some countries facing historic double-digit declines in GDP. The economic impact for countries that rely more on commodity exports will be less severe.

Using the recently launched Tourism Dependency Index (TDI) the report analyses Caribbean countries’ tourism dependency, and its implications for the post-COVID economic recovery. It notes that a dozen Caribbean countries (including The Bahamas, Barbados, Jamaica, and six from the OECS) rank in the top 20 globally on this index of tourism dependence.

Prospects for a return to pre-crisis levels of tourism demand remain highly uncertain, as the economic impact of the crisis continues to affect travelers’ ability to reach Caribbean markets, as well as lingering concerns regarding sanitary conditions.

The Quarterly Bulletin uses a recent IDB survey of 12,500 households in the Caribbean to analyse the social impacts of the crisis. It sheds light on significant job losses and business closures for business owners in both tourism and commodity-dependent economies. For households earning less than the minimum wage, more than one in three respondents said they had gone hungry in the previous week.

The report also recommends strengthening emergency health capacity and social safety nets.

The pandemic has also brought to the forefront the need to improve internet connectivity and provide quality education.

Komal Chand laid to rest

AFTER months of awaiting a voyage home, the body of late President of the Guyana Agricultural Workers’ Union (GAWU), and Parliamentarian, Komal Chand, was finally laid to rest last Tuesday, following a funeral service at his La Grange West Demerara home, and then cremation at the Ruimzeight crematorium.

Due to COVID-19 restrictions on social gathering, the funeral was kept small. However, many of those close to him were able to pay their last respects to the veteran trade unionist.

Those paying tributes included GAWU General Secretary, Seepaul Narine, and Carvil Duncan, president of the Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Guyana (FITUG), for which Chand had served as a Vice President.

Those from Chand’s political party, the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C), included Presidential Candidate, Irfan Ali; former President Donald Ramotar; and former government Minister, Clement Rohee.

A longstanding member of the PPP/C, Chand served on the party’s executive and as a Member of Parliament (MP) for the party since 1992. The funeral was also attended by Speaker of the National Assembly, Sherlock

Isaacs.

Chand was described, during tributes, as a “disciplinarian”, “hard worker”, and “instrumental” in the fight for uniting workers to fight for their rights.

Seventy five-year-old Chand died in Cuba on April 8, after a prolonged period of illness. Chand had travelled to Cuba, with his wife, Rukhmin, in early March for the medical check-up.

However, shortly after the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic spread across the Caribbean, affecting restrictions on air travel, the body could not have been brought home.

In May, the National COVID-19 Task Force (NCTF) granted approval for the body of the late trade unionist to be brought to Guyana from Cuba, and such was achieved on July 24.

Chand joined the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers’ Union (GAWU) in 1975 as the union’s organising secretary and later served as the organization’s President up to the time of his passing.

Described as an individual who was committed to his work, Chand dedicated his career to fighting for the protection and rights of workers in the sugar, rice and numerous other industries in Guyana.

PAHO, indigenous leaders seek to reduce the impact of COVID-19 on Amazonian peoples THE Pan American Health Organization (PAHO/ WHO) considers that a specific diagnosis of health gaps and ways to facilitate access to prevention and health services for populations affected by the COVID-19 pandemic are needed, Dr. Jarbas Barbosa, PAHO’s Assistant Director, said on Monday in a meeting with indigenous leaders from Amazonian peoples and experts from various international agencies.

Dr. Barbosa said that PAHO can promote collaboration between ministries of health, indigenous organizations, and other organizations that are responding to the pandemic, to develop roadmaps for the response. He said reliable data on COVID-19 cases and other diseases affecting those populations are needed, along with ensuring the implementation of public health measures. The PAHO Assistant Director highlighted the need to consider the implications of traditional medicine in the context of the pandemic.

In a virtual dialogue with leaders of indigenous organizations from Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela, as well as other national and international organizations, PAHO experts addressed the issues of access to health and vulnerable populations in the context of the current pandemic.

The purpose of the meeting was to give visibility to the situation of Amazonian indigenous peoples in the context of COVID-19 and to present the actions carried out in the Amazon subregion by PAHO, in collaboration with the countries and indigenous organizations from the area. Another objective of the meeting was to form a coalition to provide the necessary support in the response to COVID-19 among the populations of the Amazon.

In the Amazon, the daily increase in cases and deaths from COVID-19 has been a severe blow to indigenous peoples and nationalities, experts agreed.

The difficulty in accessing health of Amazonian peoples requires a coordinated response from States, indigenous organizations, United Nations system agencies and other partners in international cooperation. Mechanism of care and support for these populations are needed, the experts indicated.

A recent joint statement by Coordinator of the Indigenous Organizations of the Amazon Basin, COICA, and PAHO noted that “high rates of chronic diseases increase the risk of contracting severe cases of COVID-19” and that chronic child malnutrition, high maternal mortality rates, malaria and dengue in indigenous communities add to the emergency caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. It said Indigenous organizations in the Amazon have developed protocols and are using ancestral medicine resources to deal with the pandemic.

COICA and PAHO called to “strengthen health care services in the Amazon through the provision of human resources, supplies and medical devices, including tests, as well as through treatments and vaccines when they are available,” with particular emphasis on populations living in voluntary isolation.

The meeting was attended by experts from the sub-regional Andean Health Agency (ORAS CONHU), the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization (OTCA), the Fiocruz Foundation, OCHA, the Sustainable Development Solutions Network, the Inter-American Development Bank, AECID, EU ECHO and other international partners.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE wednesday, july 29, 2020

CJIA responds to concerns over restricted area pass

THE Cheddi Jagan International Airport Cor-

poration (CJIAC) has noted that it is for the

health and safety of all that airport taxi drivers

and other qualified airport personnel are now required to return their Restricted Area Passes at the end of each work day.

Since the closure of the Airport to flights except repatriation flights, cargo flights, medevac flights, technical stops and other special authorised flights, the CJIAC has asked that the Restricted Area Passes, which are issued to taxi drivers among others, be returned daily.

However, some airport taxi drivers took to the Kaieteur News to report that making the trip back to the airport each day, after making their drop-offs, is financially straining.

They also raised the challenge of fewer customers and therefore less pay.

In a release in response on Tuesday, the CJIAC stated: “This mea-

sure was implemented to ensure full compliance with the airport’s security protocols and was in no way meant to cause any discomfort among the taxi operators. Since the airport’s closure, there has been limited repatriation flights and, in this circumstance, we have implemented a turn system for the taxi drivers.

This system is intended to ensure there is an equitable distribution of work among all the drivers and mitigate any potential exploitation by unscrupulous drivers.”

The CJIAC noted that Restricted Area passes are issued not only to taxi drivers but to all personnel at CJIAC. However, for taxi drivers, these passes allow only limited access to the terminal building.

In response to the

coronavirus pandemic and closure of the airport, the management has implemented a security requirement where all qualified airport personnel, including taxi operators, shall lodge their Restricted Area passes upon completion of their duties.

The Airport Corporation added that, in recognition of the challenging economic times due to COVID-19, the payment of all fees has been suspended by 80 per cent for ‘Taxi and Red Cap Operators’ since the closure of the airport.

“CJIA Corporation is committed to the ethical and equitable treatment of all its stakeholders and is determined to investigate and address concerns promptly,” the CJIAC stated.

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Five South Africans ...

TURN FROM PAGE 20

flight from London to Trinidad, the South African players were unable to get to the UK in time bearing in mind flight scarcity, visa requirements and the obligation to receive government permission.

Tahir has not been in South Africa through the lockdown but in Pakistan, where he was playing in the PSL, and has been able to travel to the West Indies from there.

Imran Tahir goes off in celebration

South Africa remains in lockdown with all provincial and international borders closed and is expected to only begin easing travel restrictions after the coronavirus pandemic peak passes at the end of September.

That means the participation of South African players in the IPL is also awaiting logistical checks, chiefly government permission. Similar permission is being sought for the national women’s team, who are due to play a series in England in September.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, July 29, 2020

Windies surrender Wisden Trophy with heavy defeat at Old Trafford

MANCHESTER, England (CMC) – Another stunning batting collapse sent West Indies to their heaviest-ever Test defeat at Old Trafford in terms of runs, as they conceded the three-match series 2-1, to end their all too brief hold on the coveted Wisden Trophy here yesterday.

Needing to bat the entire day to force a draw with the victory target of 399 already of academic interest only, West Indies capitulated for 129 in their second innings an hour before the scheduled tea interval, to slump to 296-run loss.

For the Caribbean side, the defeat was their second at the ground in as many weeks following their 113-run loss in the second Test, and it ruined their hopes of claiming a first series win on English soil in 32 years.

Yet again, the Windies’ much-maligned batting lineup was at fault, failing to last two sessions, even after Monday’s penultimate day was completely abandoned due to rain.

Shai Hope, under intense

scrutiny due to a protracted run of poor form, top-scored with 31 while Jermaine Blackwood got 23 and Shamarh Brooks, 22 but no other batsman passed 20 in a hugely mediocre effort.

The innings was taken apart by the outstanding Stuart Broad who grabbed another two wickets to finish with four for 36 and match figures of 10 for 67.

Roston Chase failed to make his ground over a quick single and fell via run-out.

Broad became only the seventh bowler and fourth seamer to achieve 500 wickets in Tests when he trapped opener Kraigg Brathwaite lbw for 19 in the morning session.

Seamer Chris Woakes supported with five for 50 as West Indies slumped to 84 for five at lunch and then lost their last five wickets for 45 runs in quick time afterwards in spite of one short rain interruption.

“We still didn’t get the runs we were probably looking for.

I felt the wickets were good enough here for us to at least

put in a bigger first-innings effort in both Test matches (at Old Trafford),” captain Jason Holder said afterwards.

“If you look through our batting performances, you had plenty starts. Quite a few guys got half-centuries, got into the 40s, 30s but didn’t quite kick on.

“I think the difference with England is when (Ben) Stokes got in he went big, when (Dom) Sibley got in he went big and unfortunately we didn’t do that.

“I felt our bowlers tried in some very tough conditions.

But credit to all of them, I must always commend them for the effort they made and I think it was not as bad as it looked.”

Needing a massive effort to save the Test, force a drawn series and keep hold of the Wisden Trophy, West Indies lost three wickets in the first session, to stumble early on after resuming precariously placed on 10 for two.

Not for the first time, Brathwaite found himself trapped on his crease after he

had added 17 to his overnight two but Hope and Brooks then lifted their side’s hopes in a 34-run, fourth-wicket stand.

Desperate to end the series with a score, Hope struck six fours – mostly an array of elegant off-side drives – in a fluent 38-ball knock while Brooks faced 48 deliveries and counted two fours.

However, both fell inside the last 31 balls before lunch, taken 23 minutes early due to rain. Hope was the first to go, pulling at a short one from Woakes and skying a catch to Broad running in from mid-on, capping a miserable series that yielded a paltry 105 runs from six innings.

And Brooks followed soon afterwards, caught behind off the inside edge playing back to Woakes, with lunch in sight.

The visitors’ decline continued 20 minutes after the interval when Roston Chase, unbeaten on five at lunch, was run-out by Dom Bess’s direct throw at the striker’s end after adding just two,

as he hesitated over a single with Blackwood.

And Holder perished for 12, lbw to Woakes, playing forward lazily, to leave the Windies sinking quickly at 99 for seven.

Six overs later, Woakes cleaned up both Shane Dowrich (8) and Rahkeem Corn-

wall (2) both lbw in the space of five balls before Broad fittingly ended the innings by removing Blackwood to a leg-side catch by wicketkeeper Jos Buttler.

West Indies won the opening Test by four wickets at Southampton earlier this month.

SCORECARD

ENGLAND 1st innings 369 WEST INDIES 1st innings 197 ENGLAND 2nd innings 226 for two decl.

WEST INDIES 2nd innings (target: 399 runs) o/n 10 for two) K. Brathwaite lbw b Broad 19 J. Campbell c Root b Broad 0 K. Roach c wkp. Buttler b Broad 4 S. Hope c Broad b Woakes 31 S. Brooks c wkp. Buttler b Woakes 22 R. Chase run-out 7 J. Blackwood c wkp. Buttler b Broad 23 J. Holder lbw b Woakes 12 S. Dowrich lbw b Woakes 8 R. Cornwall lbw b Woakes 2 S. Gabriel not out 0 EXTRAS: (lb-1) 1 TOTAL: (all out, 37.1 overs) 129 Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-6), 3-45, 4-71, 5-79, 6-87, 7-99, 8-117, 9-119.

Bowling: Anderson 8-4-18-0, Broad 8.1-1-36-4, Woakes 11-050-5, Archer 10-1-24-0.

MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: STUART BROAD

Man-of-the-series Broad takes dig at doubters after claiming 500th Test wicket

STUART Broad hopes he has silenced those who had written him off after taking his 500th Test wicket and being named man-of-the-series in England’s triumph over West Indies.

Broad finished with match figures of 10-67 after claiming the first and last wickets on the final day of the third Test at Old Trafford, where England won by 269 runs to regain the Wisden Trophy.

The England paceman trapped Kraigg Brathwaite lbw to become the seventh bowler to join the 500 club, a landmark James Anderson reached by dismissing the same batsman in 2017.

Broad took 4-36 on day five and Chris Woakes finished with magnificent figures of 5-50 to bowl the tourists out for only 129.

England great Broad was furious at being left out for England’s defeat in the first Test at the Rose Bowl and re-

sponded by taking six wickets last week, before claiming 10 and scoring a quick-fire half-century in the decider.

He told Test Match Special: “I was really down that week (in Southampton), but I’ve got some brilliant people around me to pick me up.

“I knew I was bowling well, I knew I was in good rhythm, so it was great to get an opportunity when we got here to have the chance to take some wickets.”

Broad revealed he got the answers he was looking for when he spoke to head coach Chris Silverwood and national selector Ed Smith after being omitted for the opening Test and was fuelled to prove a point in Manchester.

“I had a really good chat with Silverwood and Ed Smith.

To be honest it was always unrealistic to expect any seamer would play all six of these Test matches this summer with them being back-to-back and

workloads,” he said.

“I was just disappointed I wasn’t chosen for that first game, but I sort of knew deep down I would get an opportunity.

“If I get challenged or I feel like there is a bit of a point to prove, I’m a competitive person anyway, but I came to Manchester with the bit between my teeth and it does feel really good to have been able to put some performances in.

“I think it’s not as if the management staff thought that I couldn’t do it anymore, because my record over the last 18 months particularly has been pretty strong, but it’s always good to be on winning sides for England and to have contributed to winning Test matches.

“When you cross 30 it’s easy to write you off; when you are 34 it’s much easier to write you off, but I hope I’ve quietened the writers-off a little bit.” (Yahoo Sport)

Five South Africans to miss CPL after failing to confirm travel arrangements

By Firdose Moonda

NO South African player apart from Imran Tahir will take part in this year’s Caribbean Premier League(CPL), which is due to start on August 18.

Rassie van der Dussen, Tabraiz Shamsi, Anrich Nortje, Rilee Rossouw and Colin Ingram were unable to confirm travel arrangements in time to be in Trinidad and Tobago by August 1, when CPL organisers

wanted all participating players to arrive in order to fulfil a 14-day quarantine period before the tournament begins.

While the CPL had organised a charter TURN TO PAGE 19

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, July 29, 2020

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Man United must grasp the nettle and axe de Gea, says Keane (REUTERS) - Manchester United must get a better goalkeeper than David de Gea if they want to challenge for the Premier League title, former captain Roy Keane has said.

Calls for de Gea to be dropped have grown since his mistakes in the FA Cup semi-final saw United beaten

by Chelsea, and he spilled the ball again during Sunday’s 2-0 victory at Leicester City but recovered to deny Jamie Vardy.

Keane said he had “never been a big fan” of the Spaniard.

“He makes far too many

mistakes, big mistakes that cost United big points,” Keane told Sky Sports. “... If United want to challenge for league titles, they need a better goalkeeper. They need a change, they’ve done it before. I don’t know what the big song and dance is about a goalkeeper, United have been doing it for years.

“Strikers are dropped or sold, same with midfielders, but for some reason with goalkeepers they think we have to stick with the goalkeeper for a bit longer than others because of something they

Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea

NBA star Kyrie Irving pledges $1.5M to support WNBA players

Kyrie Irving joined the Brooklyn Nets from the Boston Celtics in July 2019

BROOKLYN Nets guard Kyrie Irving has pledged $1.5M (£1.16M) to support Women’s National Basketball Association players who have decided to opt out of the 2020 season.

A number of WNBA players have chosen not to play because of coronavirus concerns or social justice reform.

Players who are not granted a medical waiver will forfeit their wages if they decide not to play.

“This initiative can hopefully support their priorities and decisions,” Irving said.

Irving, 28, said he had set up the KAI Empowerment Initiative Fund after talks with WNBA players Natasha Cloud and Jewell Loyd.

Washington Mystics star Cloud was one of the first players to opt out of the season for social justice reasons after the death of Breonna Taylor, a black woman killed by police in March.

WNBA players have dedicated the upcoming season to Taylor and observed a 26-second moment of silence before the season-opener between New

York Liberty and Seattle Storm on Saturday.

“I have connected with several WNBA players who have decided to play and those who have decided not to play,” added Irving.

“In these conversations I have learned about the challenges and opportunities of their decisions and how it will impact their lives, family and overall wellbeing.

“This platform was created to provide support for all WNBA players in hope to relieve some of the financial strain imposed during these challenging times.” (BBC Sport)

did two or three years ago.”

Keane pointed to how champions Liverpool had loaned German shot-stopper Loris Karius to Besiktas and paid a then world-record fee for Brazilian Alisson.

“We’ve seen Liverpool get onto another level when they improved the goalkeeper,” Keane added. “ W h a t ’s t h e b i g deal? If he (de Gea) isn’t doing it, he’s making mistakes, then make a change. “There are good goalkeepers out there.”

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, July 29, 2020

Stradivarius wins record fourth Goodwood Cup under Frankie Dettori STRADIVARIUS won the Goodwood Cup for a record fourth time under jockey Frankie Dettori yesterday.

The six-year-old winner, trained by John Gosden, was conceding weight to some rivals and briefly looked short of room approaching the final furlong.

But Dettori stayed calm on the 4-7 favourite, and powered clear of runner-up Nayef Road (20-1) with Santiago (15-8) finishing third.

It was a joint record sixth career win in the race for the 49-year-old rider.

“Stradivarius looked like he was boxed in. It was a great performance under that weight. It was a big ask and he has a big heart,” said Gosden.

The Newmarket trainer had said before the race that this was “the greatest challenge” yet for Stradivarius, who carried 15lb more than the Irish Derby winner San-

tiago under weight-for-age rules.

But the horse, who won a third Gold Cup at Ascot last

month, ran out a one-length winner and will now be aimed

Stradivarius (5) was third approaching the final furlong

at the Prix Foy before a tilt at the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe

in France.

“What a horse, giving 15lb away. Everybody rode to beat me and he still gets out and wins. What can you say, he’s an amazing horse,” said Dettori.

The Italian was celebrating his second landmark in three days after winning a record third King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot with another six-yearold, Enable, on Saturday.

Glorious Goodwood’s first four days are taking place without spectators because of the coronavirus pandemic, with around 4 000 racegoers allowed in on Saturday’s final day as a pilot event for crowd returning to sport.

“Having two six-yearolds is a weighty responsibility, but this year we’ve had a sinister disease and it’s been nice to have old friends about,” added Gosden. (BBC Sport)

No evidence Man City broke FFP rules Governing Council meeting on August 1 likely to finalise IPL 2020 schedule but they failed to cooperate - CAS

By Simon Evans MANCHESTER, England (Reuters) - UEFA’s claim that Manchester City “disguised equity funding” from their owners was “unsubstantiated” but the club showed “blatant disregard” to the Financial Fair Play investigation, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) said yesterday.

The CAS panel that heard Premier League City’s appeal published their full reasoning for overturning the English club’s two-year ban from European football earlier this month.

The decision allows City to compete in next season’s elite Champions League competition.

Sport’s highest court also reduced the fine for City’s failure to cooperate with UEFA to 10 million euros ($11.72 million) from 30 million euros.

European soccer’s governing body UEFA ruled in Febru-

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ary that City had committed serious FFP breaches and failed to cooperate with its investigation.

The FFP regulations are designed to stop clubs running up big losses through spending on players. They also ensure sponsorship deals are based on their real market value and are genuine commercial agreements and not ways for owners to pump cash into a club to get around the rules.

UEFA opened an investigation into City in March 2019 after the publication of ‘Football Leaks’ documents led to allegations that the club’s Abu Dhabi owners inflated sponsorship agreements to comply with the FFP requirements.

The leaked documents included club emails which referred to money being “routed” through sponsors.

CAS ruled that the leaked documents could be used as evidence but noted that they did not prove the existence of any actual transactions that broke UEFA’s rules and no evidence was produced that such payments were carried out.

The court also pointed out that the leaked emails were distributed internally and not sent to sponsors or other parts of the club’s United Arab Emirates-based owners.

The panel also said that some of UEFA’s charges related to material that was over five years old and was therefore time-barred according to UEFA’s own rules.

City did not supply UEFA’s investigation with the original emails related to the leaked documents but CAS also noted that UEFA did not “pursue” that evidence before the hearing.

“UEFA’s approach in this regard is understood, because it was faced with a dilemma between trying to obtain additional evidence and having an award issued before the start of the 2020-2021 UEFA club competitions season,” said the CAS panel.

Explaining the decision to overturn the ban, CAS said that the charge of “dishonest concealment of equity”, which was unproven, was more serious than the failure to cooperate with UEFA’s investigation.

“The majority of the panel therefore does not consider it appropriate to impose any ban ... for MCFC’s failure to cooperate with the investigations alone,” the judgment concluded.

THE Indian Premier League (IPL) Governing Council will meet on August 1 to finalise the schedule and other key arrangements necessary for the tournament to be conducted in the UAE. Recently the IPL Governing Council chairman Brijesh Patel announced the tournament would be played in the UAE between September 19 and November 10.

It is understood that the Governing Council is likely to discuss the dates, venues, training facilities, the quarantine measures along with the standard operating procedures that would be necessary for the event which comprises 8 teams, 60 matches to be played over 50 days.

Other than Patel, the meeting would also be attended by the BCCI’s office bearers including president Sourav Ganguly, secretary Jay Shah and treasurer Arun Dhumal.

Incidentally, both Ganguly and Shah have finished their 6-year tenure as an office bearer and ideally are supposed to undergo a three-year cooling-off period as per the BCCI constitution. However, the BCCI has sought amendments to the constitution including tweaking the cooling-off period in plea with the Supreme Court, which has scheduled the hearing for August 17.

Earlier on Monday, the Emirates Cricket Board said that it had received a letter of intent from the BCCI to conduct the IPL in the UAE. That letter is understood to be signed by IPL’s chief operating officer Hemang Amin, who also is doubling up as the BCCI’s interim chief executive officer.

The ECB said it was looking forward to hosting the IPL, but a “final deal” would be inked after the Indian government had given BCCI the permission to shift the tournament to the UAE.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, July 29, 2020

Holder calls on ECB to show gratitude with reciprocal tour

By Andrew Miller WEST Indies captain Jason Holder has called on the ECB to show their gratitude to his West Indies team by scheduling a reciprocal tour of the Caribbean later this year, after warning that the dire finances of what he termed Test cricket’s “smaller countries” may not survive the bio-secure requirements of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Speaking in the aftermath of England’s 269-run victory in the third and final Test at Emirates Old Trafford, Holder conceded that mental fatigue had been a significant factor in his team’s failure to build on their four-wicket win at the Ageas Bowl earlier this month, adding that the routine of “opening your curtains and just seeing the cricket ground” had proved difficult for his players when trying to rouse themselves for the rigours of Test cricket.

However, he also acknowledged that there could have been no other way for the series to take place in the current circumstances, pointing out that only England, India and Australia - the so-called “Big

Three” Test nations - have enough financial clout to stage international cricket in the midst of a global lockdown.

“If something doesn’t happen soon we’ll see less international cricket being played by smaller countries because we simply can’t afford it,” Holder said. “We’ve gone from having four, fivematch series, down to two and three. And it’s very difficult to host any more than that for us, particularly the Caribbean.

“So yeah, it is a serious dilemma that we’re faced with.

I think the relevant personnel really need to sit down and have a look at it.”

Despite their series loss, West Indies will return to the Caribbean with the ECB’s lasting gratitude, after their players agreed - with just three exceptions - to travel to a country with one of the highest COVID-19 death rates in the world, and confine themselves to just two venues for the entire eight-week duration of their tour.

After an initial month in Manchester, where their extended 25-man squad lived and trained on-site, including two

intra-squad warm-up matches, the players travelled to Southampton for the first Test, then straight back to Manchester thereafter.

Each of the three Tests was worth an estimated £20 million, contests that helped to fulfil the ECB’s contractual obligations to Sky Sports, and offset a loss that Tom Harrison, the ECB chief executive, had estimated could have been upwards of £380 million had no cricket at all been played this summer.

There were, however, some significant overheads for the ECB to factor into West Indies’ visit - not least the cost of charter flights from the Caribbean and accommodation for an enlarged group of players - and while the size of the ECB’s £1.1 billion broadcasting deal amply justified the outlay, Holder warned that bilateral series involving less high-profile teams could remain in serious jeopardy for the foreseeable.

“We only really make money from England, and I think India,” Holder said, relating conversations with Johnny Grave, the CWI chief executive. “We break even with Pakistan and Australia, and all the

rest of the series we play are losses. But in these trying times only England, Australia and India can probably host cricket. Outside of that, the smaller territories are struggling financially to get cricket on.

“We don’t know what’s going to happen after this series in terms of the international calendar, but if there’s an opportunity for England to come over to the Caribbean before the end of the year, I’m sure that would help significantly for CWI’s financial records.

“It’s been a tough couple of years in West Indies cricket financially,” he added. “We’ve pretty much had to take a pay cut, so if it’s possible to host a tour before the end of 2020, it would probably keep us afloat as an organisation.”

Despite the hardships of the bio-secure arrangements, Holder said that one undoubted positive had been the opportunity for West Indies to train among themselves in an enlarged squad, especially given how little opportunity the players have had in recent seasons to take part in the regional first-class competition.

“I’ve thoroughly enjoyed

23

Jason Holder reflects on West Indies’ series loss (Getty Images)

the experience,” said Holder. “It’s the first time I’ve had the opportunity to mingle with, more or less, the A-team players, because I haven’t played much firstclass cricket in the last couple of years.

“It just shows you that we need more of these environments in West Indies cricket.

I’m not sure right now if CWI could afford to have an academy, or something similar to Loughborough here in England, but that is definitely something that would help CWI. “But the beauty of having 25 players on tour is that we had pretty intense sessions,” he added. “Intensity was definitely at a height in practice, and the guys had the opportunity to come over here and learn.

“We need more of these programmes in the Caribbean, but again, it all boils down to finance. We are having a massive difficulty in trying to fund our cricket, from every single age group level to Under-18 programmes and development programmes and we pretty much only gain from hosting England.”

Asked if there was anything in the short term that West Indies could do to improve their fortunes, particularly with regard to first-

class opportunities for the likes of Shai Hope, who has not played domestically for three years and struggled to a top score of 31 in six innings, Holder was blunt.

“I don’t think there’s anything more that can be done,” he said. “We don’t have the bargaining power to dictate where and when we can play series. There’s a Future Tours Programme in place, so we’ve got to make sure that we are strategic and plan our cricket in the best possible way.

“I particularly am a perfect example of our system, where I haven’t had the opportunity to play much first-class cricket. This year was the first first-class game I’ve played for couple of years. And I’m the captain of the West Indies cricket team.

“It is what it is. We’ve just got to find creative ways to keep pumping money into our development programmes so we can see more people like Jermaine Blackwood have an opportunity to play first-class cricket, and have a franchise system that can harness and develop that talent. At the moment, a lot of our franchises rely solely on financial distributions from Cricket West Indies. None of them can stand on their own.

(ESPN Cricinfo)

Cameron wants to take fight for smaller cricketing nations to ICC

FORMER Cricket West Indies (CWI) president Dave Cameron, who has signalled his intentions to run for the post of International Cricket Council (ICC) Chairman, says his bid represents the interests of the smaller cricketing nations.

During an interview on the ‘Good Morning Jojo Sports Show’, Cameron said even if his bid was not successful it would be his hope that the successor to Shashank Manohar would share his zeal for eradicating the economic disparity between big and small cricketing nations.

By big, Cameron spoke of Cricket Australia (CA), the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

“The system which exists within the ICC needs to be changed and I was there challenging that,” said Cameron.

According to Cameron, media rights is the arena in which the big three make a killing, to the exemption of smaller cricketing nations like the West Indies. “ A u s t r a l i a ’s m e d i a rights for six years is 1.2 billion Australian dollars, the BCCI media rights for five years is 950 million for the international rights and 2.5 billion for IPL and the West Indies Cricket Board, if we’re lucky, will get about 50 million for the next five years,” he said.

With the much more open nature of access to information, Cameron believes ICC members like the West Indies must struggle to

meet the demands of professional cricketers under the present conditions.

“What is happening to us is that our players are demanding to get paid the way Indian players, the Australian players and the

English players are paid, and they’re right; they are doing the same amount of work but we are in different economies,” Cameron explained.

Cameron’s bid for ICC Chairman is timely, and he

explains that timeliness in terms of having a seat at the table before there is another apportioning of media rights and the like that will disproportionately be split up.

“If we don’t do it now we are going into another

Former CWI president Dave Cameron

eight-year cycle of ICC rights from 2023 to 2031 and I guarantee you that within three to five years, West Indies cricket and West Indies cricket players would be extinct,” he said.

“Don’t select me as chairman but make sure we select someone who’s willing to make changes within the ICC,” he said.

Manohar stepped down from the role of ICC Chairman just this month, with Singapore’s Imran Khawaja filling the post on an interim basis.

Khawaja, BCCI president Sourav Ganguly, and England’s Colin Graves are the men whom Cameron wishes to challenge.

Graves has, for a long time, been touted as favourite to take over the role. (Sportsmax)

Royston Chase fails to make his ground over a quick single and falls via the runout root (Getty Images)

Windies surrender Wisden Trophy with heavy defeat at Old Trafford PAGE 20

Man-of-the-series Broad takes dig at doubters after claiming 500th Test wicket

PAGE 20

s l l a c r e d l Ho w o h s o t B C on E h t i w e d u t i t gra ur o t l a c o r p i rec E PAG 3 2

Stuart Broad finished with match figures of 10-67

LEADING TEST WICKET-TAKERS

Bowler Muttiah Muralitharan (Sri Lanka/ICC) Shane Warne (Australia)

Anil Kumble (India)

James Anderson (England) Glenn McGrath (Australia)

Courtney Walsh (West Indies) Stuart Broad (England)

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WEDNESDAY, JULY 29, 2020