Guyana Chronicle E-Paper 01-06-2022

wednesday 1st june, 2022

No.106740

President Ali: New PSC, Integrity Commission appointees possess skills, character

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‘Big Help’

President Dr. Irfaan Ali

–– fisherfolk welcome government’s $150,000 one-off grant

$1.9B in direct relief for mining industry

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–– with planned removal of 10 per cent tributors tax, reduction of final tax to 2.5 per cent, other measures Vice-President, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo, and othe senior officials engaged several key stakeholders on plans for the mining industry during a meeting at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre, on Tuesday (Office of the Vice-President photos)

Mined-out sand pits could be used for berry cultivation 04 PAGE

Barnwell fire victims laid 06 to rest after emotional funeral PAGE

Liza Phase One environmental permit: Higher flaring 11 fine, enhanced monitoring PAGE

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, June 1, 2022

New PSC, Integrity Commission appointees possess skills, character — President Ali says

PRESIDENT, Dr. Irfaan Ali, on Tuesday, appointed several persons, who he described as skillful, to serve as members of the Integrity Commission (IC) and the Police Service Commission (PSC).

Chandra Gajraj was elected as chair of the five-member Integrity Commission, which includes Dr. Jocelin Kim Kyte-Thomas, Mohamed Ispahani Haniff, Haresh Tiwari and Wayne Bowman.

Meanwhile, Bishop Patrick Findlay was sworn in as chair of the four-member Police Service Commission that also includes Mark Conway, Hakeem Mohamed and Ernesto Choo-a-Fat. Mohamed was unavoidably absent from the proceedings and will be sworn in at another date.

They were all sworn in by Chief Magistrate (ag) Judy Latchman, and both commissions will be serving for a

period of three years.

The members of the PSC were approved by the parliamentary Committee on Appointments, after consultations with the Guyana Police Association of former members of the Guyana Police Force, and the National Community Policing Executive.

The members of the IC were also appointed by President Ali following consultations with the Leader of the Opposition, Aubrey Norton.

“Allow me on behalf of the people of Guyana to congratulate these outstanding Guyanese on the appointments of various commissions,” the President said at the swearing-in ceremony held at Office of the President.

“As president, I have the confidence that the Guyanese appointed today have not only have the skills but they have the character to execute the duties that they are called upon

President Dr. Irfaan Ali; Attorney-General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall, S.C. and Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance, Gail Teixeira with the new PSC appointees (Office of the President photo)

President Dr. Irfaan Ali; Attorney-General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall, S.C. and Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance, Gail Teixeira with the new Integrity Commission appointees (Office of the President photo) to execute. So, I congratulate rience in service as the Corpo- a social activist and religious you, I wish you the best, and rate Secretary of the Demerara personality. He is a former naI continue to say that God’s Bank, 50 years as the Manag- tional Chairman of the General blessings and guidance be with ing Director of Trust Company Assembly Church of God and you and all the people of this Limited and is the General Associate Pastor of the Plaibeautiful country,” President Secretary of the Guyana Hindu sance Church of God. Ali said.

Dharmic Sabha.

The Integrity Commission He added that the persons The President referred to is one component of govsworn in to the two commis- Dr. Thomas as an “outstanding ernment which helps in the sions are “outstanding citizens product of our legal profes- pursuit of honesty and transof Guyana.” sion” given her background as parency; it is the body that “I have said before that in head of the Department of Law examines the asset statements chartering this course of “One at the University of Guyana, a of public officers in an attempt Guyana,” we will seek out former Solicitor General and to maintain transparency and from among us those who have former Magistrate. accountability in the public the credentials and are willing A former school teacher, sector. and ready to serve at every former engineering technician The previous IC board level in moving our country and former assistant civil en- expired on February 21, forward. It will not and cannot gineer, Haniff was noted for 2021, while the tenure of be based on any other principal his service as an Imam in New the previous PSC board but that of fairness, justice, Amsterdam since 1988. members came to an end in integrity and most of all conTiwari was noted for being August 2021. The PSC is the fidence,” Dr. Ali said. an entrepreneur, a social activ- constitutional body responHe also briefly spoke on ist and religious leader, who sible for the appointment the background of the five is also a chartered accountant of, and disciplinary action persons appointed to the IC. accredited by the Association against police officers above Gajraj, the Chairperson, of Chartered Certified Ac- the rank of Inspector. has 28 years of ongoing expe- countant (ACCA). Bowman is

‘Big Help’

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, June 1, 2022

Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha

By Tamica Garnett

LOCAL fisherfolk will each benefit from a one-off grant of $150,000 in the government’s latest measure to help ordinary Guyanese cope with the rising cost of living brought on by external factors beyond Guyana’s control.

This latest measure, which is expected to benefit between 5,000 – 5,500 persons, was announced by President Dr. Irfaan Ali on Tuesday, during a public meeting at Windsor Forest on the West Coast De-

merara.

The President was accompanied by the Minister of Agriculture Zulfikar Mustapha.

Prior to the President’s announcement, Vice-President Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo had met with a group of fishermen in Berbice in April, who’d raised several issues regarding the increasing cost of living. The Vice-President had assured the fishermen that the government will look into their concerns.

President Ali noted that after the government did a complete assessment of its

revenue streams and finances, it determined that the $150,000 grant will be issued to the fisherfolk.

“We are announcing an initiative for every single person identified; we are going to help you with a one-off grant of $150,000. This is an immediate step that we are taking to assist you, in addition to all that we’re doing to expand the industry,” President Ali said.

Fishermen have welcomed the move by government.

“That’s very good; we are very glad. It will assist us a lot,” Chairman of the Upper Corentyne Fishermen Co-op Pameshwar Jainarine said.

He added: “We’ve had various issues; especially extremely low catches. Then we had a lot of rough seas out there. Extremely rough weather and low catches; those were the biggest challenges we’ve had.”

During Tuesday’s meeting, those gathered were also given the opportunity to share their concerns. President Ali reminded his audience that his government is cognisant of the struggles facing the people of

— fisherfolk welcome government’s $150,000 one-off grant

Guyana, and is always there to help.

“You have a government that is responsive and willing to come out and make decisions that can help you at the family level, at the individual level, and at the industry level.

You have a government that will continue to work with you, hand-in-hand to uplift your life,” President Ali said, adding: “We have been going around the country listening to you; listening to your concerns, and notwithstanding all of these interventions that we’ve made, we understand that at your household level, you still have immediate needs, and you still have some immediate help that you require.”

The President noted that the grant for the fisherfolk ties in with the government’s commitment to increase support for the agriculture community, as Guyana and the rest of the Caribbean strive to increase the production of food commodities, and in keeping with ‘Vision 25 by 25’.

“Our goal is to create the system in which we can

FLASHBACK: After more than 10 days at sea, these men return to the wharf at Number 66 Village increase productivity; we’re working to make Guyana an important part of the food supply to help the whole Caribbean. To do this, we have to invest in every sector and every segment, in developing our productive capacity; that is why we are addressing, today, our fishing industry specifically,” the President said.

Minister Mustapha, who also addressed the gathering, noted that the assistance to fisherfolk complements other ongoing initiatives in the agri-

culture sector.

“Like any other responsible government; like any other caring government, we are looking at ways and means of how we can help the different sections of the population. As a government, we don’t wait for things to happen; we make things happen. We have been addressing a number of issues in the fishing industry, to see how we can reduce the cost of living in the industry,” Minister Zulfikar noted.

$1.9B in direct relief for mining industry

—with planned removal of 10 per cent tributors tax, reduction of final tax to 2.5 per cent, other measures

STAKEHOLDERS in the mining industry are set to benefit from a menu of relief measures valuing roughly $1.9 billion, according to Vice-President Bharrat Jagdeo.

Among those potential measures are the removal of the 10 per cent tributors tax, the reduction of the final tax from 3.5 per cent to 2.5 per cent and the removal of value added tax (VAT) on lubricating oils.

The implementation of those measures would result in immense benefits for stakeholders in the mining industry, which already contributes a large percentage to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

Further, those imminent relief measures add to the plethora of initiatives implemented by the government to tackle rising cost of living and reduce the cost of production across various sectors.

“We made some promises in the manifesto and we have accomplished most of these with the exception of one issue… we are very mindful of what we promised and given that, if you look across the board, we are trying to fulfill all of these,” Vice-President Jagdeo said during an engagement with key stakeholders in the mining industry at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre, on Tuesday.

The outstanding promise,

however, would be fulfilled with the reduction of the final tax, which will allow the mining industry to retain roughly $1.4 billion.

F u r t h e r, a l t h o u g h t h e government did not promise to reduce the tributors tax, Vice-President Jagdeo said that authorities decided to consider this initiative in light of the difficulties in collecting the tax.

“We didn’t promise to reduce the Tributors Tax because it was 10 per cent when we were in office, but given what has been argued about the difficulties in collecting it and placing some companies at a competitive disadvantage, where some who collect it have a harder time recruiting labour and given that this will accrue to the benefit to small people, that is the workers, we have decided, also the President has agreed that we will remove it,” he related, adding that it will allow the industry to retain approximately $300 million.

The other measure related to the removal of VAT on lubricating oils, while it would be beneficial to the mining industry, would be an initiative that will benefit industries across the board.

“This is a combined package of about $1.9 billion that will return to the industry… that is what we wanted to do so that

we could support the industry,” Jagdeo related.

Although the government will be rolling out relief measures to support the mining industry, the Vice-President tasked stakeholders with having a robust engagement and formulating a comprehensive report that will be presented to Cabinet.

The engagement would surround all matters that deal with the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC). And included in the report must be information on what the government could do institutionally to enhance the systems within the mining industry.

Vice-President Jagdeo said: “I want to see a report as to what we can do institutionally, what we need to reform; if it’s just institutional changes, structural changes, personnel changes

and how we constantly keep monitoring the people that we deploy to discharge the agency’s responsibilities that they do so in an uncorrupt way or in a fair way.”

He noted that, collaboratively, the mining community and government, through the responsible agencies, have to develop mechanisms that would safeguard those persons who are holders of mining permits, while at the same time ensuring that small miners are provided with equal opportunities to enable their growth in the industry.

“We are overloaded with grievances… we are hoping to address systemic issues because those would deliver results we are trying to achieve. We have to find a fair way of safeguarding people with mining permits and ensuring there is more land and opportunities for small miners…

they must feel as though they are an important part of the sector and they are treated fairly,” stated Vice-President Jagdeo.

From the government’s end, a tangible measure that would benefit every stakeholder is the planned investment of $2.4 billion on the upgrade of roads in mining areas Aside from sector-specific measures, the government, since being elected to office, has introduced several measures to put more disposable income in the pockets of Guyanese. From the onset, Value Added Tax (VAT) was removed from water and electricity, a burdensome measure placed on the backs of Guyanese.

There has also been the constant increase in old-age pension and public assistance which, in 2022, put $2.3 billion and $432 million into the pockets of

Guyanese.

Additionally, the PPP/C Government reinstated the ‘Because we Care’ cash grant and school uniform cash grant which stands at $30,000 per child in both public and private schools.

Just recently it was announced that every household in the hinterland will receives a $25, 000 one-off cash grant and farmers would receive $1 billion in fertiliser support.

These two groups were severely affected by the rise in cost of living.

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guyana CHRONICLE wednesday june 1, 2022

Mined-out sand pits could be used for berry cultivation

By Jared Liddell

PRESIDENT, Dr. Irfaan Ali, on Monday, said that the government has received proposals for the cultivation of grapes, strawberries and other berries in mined out sand pits along the Soesdyke-Linden Highway.

The President, in making this disclosure at the launch of Demerara Bank’s “Farmers’ Credit Line,” said that these proposals were made following Guyana’s inaugural Agri-Investment Forum and Expo.

The Head of State said that those offers came after investors saw the “ripe potential” to grow grapes, a

fruit with high import earnings, locally.

According to Dr. Ali, the investors who are interested in utilising the mined out sand pits for the cultivation of these fruits will return in another few weeks to start work on this major project.

The country, and now international investors, have been keeping an eye on Devin Gillard, a resident of Glasgow, New Housing Scheme, East Bank Berbice, who is currently regarded as one of the first Guyanese to undertake a project for the

Devin Gillard with his locally grown grapes

May 29, 2022

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growing of grapes locally.

President Ali noted that the knowledge of this project has greatly drawn investors’ attention.

He said: “After the Agri-Investment Forum, we now have a proposal that will use mined out sand pits on the highway to produce berries, strawberries and all these things that we import, through science and technology.”

Gillard had told the Guyana Chronicle that prior to setting up his vineyard, he would have sought advice from agriculturalists, but was told that the fruit could not be grown in the tropics and could only survive in cool temperature areas.

31/05/22 - 7 1 2

He was determined to prove them wrong. After conducting extensive research, he discovered that the contributing factor for a successful grape harvest was the ph. factor of the soil. The soil ph. is measured by the alkalinity or acidity of the soil. A ph. of 5.5 to 7.0 is generally recommended for grapes.

Despite criticism of his plan, Gillard, who has no formal training in agriculture, singlehandedly started his cultivation with a few grape cuttings brought by a friend from overseas.

A plot of land at his Lot 649 Glasgow New Housing Scheme, East Bank Berbice home was prepared and from then, there was no looking back.

He had expected the flowering of the vines after 24 months but was pleasantly surprised that the vine flowered at just eight months, followed by bunch-

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President Dr. Irfaan Ali es of red globe, a succulent seeded grape, the largest round berry of all grapes.

They have a dark ruby red colour and are mildly sweet and flavourful when ripened.

In keeping with its vision to enhance the agriculture sector, the government in April 2022, granted Gillard approval for some seven and a half acres of land he had applied for to cultivate grapes almost immediately when he raised the matter with Vice-President Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo, who was part of a Cabinet outreach to Region Six.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, June 1, 2022

Fraudster arrested: VP warns companies against using lobbyists for preferential treatment

A MAN was arrested after he proved to be a fraudulent lobbyist, Vice-President, Dr Bharrat Jagdeo said on Monday. The man reportedly claimed to be able to use connections with the government to get preferential treatment for companies.

Speaking at a press conference at the Office of the President, Dr. Jagdeo said that as the government prepares to request bids from companies for various projects, particularly in the oil and gas sector, it has been seeing an influx of local representatives liaising with companies to set up meetings with government officials.

However, many such persons are deceitful to the people for whom they seek special treatment, he said.

“A few months ago, I had cause to have someone arrested here in this building. Someone who met me in the [International Energy Conference and Expo], took a picture with me [then] went to a number of people and collected money from them. He said he had a close relation with me, I’ve never seen him in my life,” the Vice-President recalled.

He added: “At the conference, he asked to meet with me, so I said contact my secretary. He then showed up here with another person that he was conning, bringing to the meeting and he was arrested right here.”

T h e Vi c e - P r e s i d e n t warned companies about these individuals.

“This is going on; it has become almost like an industry now where people claiming they are representing companies and I don’t know what they are representing

Vice-President, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo to these people,” said the Vice-President.

Dr. Jagdeo noted that the government has been seeing a suspicious increase of requests for meetings by persons as the government prepares to request proposals from the nine prequalified companies for the pipeline project for the Wales gas-toshore project.

“A lot of the companies that are tendering, they have local representatives who are saying they have agreements to represent these companies and are trying to get these companies to meet with government officials. If any of these companies believe that meeting government officials would give them improved chances when the bids are evaluated they are wasting their money and their time.

It’s a lobbying industry; we see it with this process an overload of persons calling to set up meetings,” the Vice-President said.

“We don’t want to meet with them. If local people are representing them to somehow get a preference here, the answer is no.

We’ve seen this in other cases.”

Knowledge-based society being developed with strengthened digital infrastructure

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—Minister McCoy says in overview of Guyana’s progress in ICT to World Summit on the Information Society OWING to the government’s interventions to strengthen the national digital infrastructure, there are now avenues for more targeted national programmes which could fasttrack the development of a knowledge-based society, according Minister within the Office of the Prime Minister with responsibility for Public Affairs, Kwame McCoy. He outlined Guyana’s progress in the area of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) during an address at the opening of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) 2022 in Geneva, Switzerland.

The WSIS Forum represents the world’s largest annual “ICT for development” community gathering and is held from May 30 – June 3, 2022.

Minister McCoy, in his address, said the global challenges experienced due to the COVID-19 pandemic allowed for increased innovation and commitment at national levels and across regional and international platforms; this will undoubtedly redound to a more robust information society.

Locally, through an “allhands-on-deck” approach with national stakeholders, expertise and resources were channeled towards getting schools and other institutions to a level where learning could be administered virtually.

“This also included a reconfiguration of the structures of the Guyana Learning Channel and expansion of its reach, to leave no one behind. Our government and public services still needed to reach the citizens, and we responded accordingly by not only ensuring that more services were put online, but by also building-in facilities and mechanisms to give our citizens the ability to access those services in the community and household levels across the country,” Minister McCoy said.

He went on to say: “Last year, we launched an online scholarship platform affording citizens the opportunity to gain academic and technical qualifications from certificate to PhD levels and to upskill with world-class industry training.”

Further, Minister McCoy said the government has developed a parallel national online remedial learning programme to fill the gaps for Guyanese who missed the opportunity to complete secondary education.

This, he added, could now be done from the comfort of their homes or at any of their more than 200 community ICT Hubs.

“I hasten to indicate, however, that our progress remains fragile in Guyana, as our experience between 2015 and 2020, while we served in opposition, brought into sharp focus the need for a strengthening of our resolve

Minister within the Office of the Prime Minister with responsibility for Public Affairs, Kwame McCoy, at the opening of the WSIS 2022

in ‘purpose’ as a nation, along with the pillars and bastions of our democratic institutions and charters that will allow Guyana to remain steadfast on her journey to fulfilling national development ambitions and the Sustainable Development Goals, while concomitantly remaining solidly grounded in our democracy, among the Democratic League of Nations,” the minister related.

McCoy said that there is much room for the WSIS networking platform to do exponentially more to help small developing nations like Guyana and its sister CARICOM member states, to adequately expand and bolster the digital infrastructure to mitigate the effects of external shocks.

There could also be efforts to strengthen the digital ring-fencing of the democratic spheres that would allow all nations to remain steadfast on a course to sustainable development.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, June 1, 2022

No Loss of Momentum

AS President, Dr. Mohamed Irfaan and his PPP/C Administration continue to press the accelerator of the country’s massive developmental agenda, there are forces in our society that seem bent on trying, as it were, to put spokes in the wheels of the growth and developmental momentum which from all indications had gone into overdrive. What the country needs more than ever is the collective energy of the entire society, including that of the political opposition.

This unfortunately remains elusive, especially as far as the opposition is concerned. The refusal of

the Opposition Leader, Mr. Aubrey Norton to show up for a meeting with President Ali represents yet another indication of a disruptive opposition agenda.

It boggles the mind that something as fundamentally important for the governance of the country can be treated with such high levels of disdain by the opposition leader. This is all the more puzzling given the fact that the opposition leader is in receipt of all the required documentation he requested from the President which he deemed necessary to facilitate the consultation process.

One is left to wonder whether there is any ulterior motive on the part of the op-

position leader in his refusal to attend the consultation meeting on May 30. The very least he could have done was to indicate his unavailability.

This is basic decency and courtesy and certainly does not speak highly of someone who holds the important constitutional office as Leader of the Opposition.

The Leader of the Opposition has to come to terms with some ‘inconvenient truths’ as they pertain to our political realities, the first of which is that the President has a constitutional responsibility to govern by virtue of an elected mandate. There is no requirement for the President to find a time that is convenient to the Oppo-

sition Leader. Every second is precious especially when seen against the tight schedule of the President within recent weeks. How exactly the President manages to fit so many activities into his daily routine is a mystery in its own right and speaks to his extraordinary energy levels and his commitment to national and regional goals.

Having regard to the above, it is for Norton to make himself available to meet with President Ali and not the other way round.

There can hardly be any real justification for the opposition leader not meeting with the President when invited which can only be seen as an act of open disrespect to

the highest office of the land.

Those who felt that with the election of a new Leader of the Opposition in the person of Aubrey Norton, a new approach and attitude to governance and, more particularly to the democratically elected PPP/C administration would have found this most recent action most disappointing if not disgusting.

The adage of a leopard being unable to change its stripes does seem to have some relevance in the context of the bahaviour of the main political opposition.

President Ali, for his part, is continuing along the path of the politically moral high ground. As noted by the President, ‘these are import-

ant national issues and I want them completed in an environment of respect and an environment of dignity because, as I have said before, I am pursuing ‘One Guyana’.

It is clear to me that those aspirations of mine may not be shared by Mr. Norton because he did not have the dignity, the professionalism to even respond orally or in writing to the invitation.’

The actions by the opposition leader are most irresponsible and smacks of a fair degree of political immaturity. This is most unfortunate. One can only hope that he can rise above pettiness and respond to the imperatives of a new and changing Guyana.

Barnwell fire victims laid to rest after emotional funeral

IT was an emotional scene at the Mocha Arcadia Community Centre where scores of persons gathered on Tuesday afternoon to offer words of support and sympathy to Tracy Flue, as she said her final goodbyes to her three children, who were burnt to death in a fire.

Earlier in the day, a funeral service was held at the Lyken Funeral Home on Norton Street.

Eight-year-old Timothy Kippins; six-year-old Trayshaw Kippins; and oneyear-old Zhlia Flue were the victims of a May 26 fire which gutted their home at 10th Field, Barnwell, East Bank Demerara. Their 23-year-old mother was working the night shift as a security guard at the time of the tragedy.

Before their interment at the Mocha Arcadia Burial Ground, several persons used the opportunity to recall fond memories of the children.

Timothy, born March 30, 2015, was a Grade Three pupil of the Mocha Primary School. He had previously attended the Mocha Nursery School.

“He was very energetic, and for all who knew him, he was a mannerly and well-disciplined child,” a man who

Minister of Human Services and Social Security Dr. Vindhya Persaud (second left) and Minister of Public Service, Sonia Parag, console Tracy Flue as she holds on to the caskets containing her children’s remains (Minister of Human Services photo) identified himself as an uncle said.

Timothy was said to have enjoyed riding his bicycle, and at his age, he understood the role he had to play in the household. He was described as a fearless, loving and caring child, who took care of his younger siblings when his

parents were not around.

Trayshaw, born on October 21, 2017, had also attended Mocha Nursery School, and at the time of his death was a Grade One pupil of the Mocha Primary School.

“He was very energetic, and a trouble-maker,” a relative said.

Trayshaw, the gathering was told, loved dancing, and was an outstanding pupil.

“He had a very warm, heart-melting smile. His performance in his class was very outstanding. He was selected to represent his class in the Spelling Bee Competition on May 25, the day before he

died,” the woman shared.

She said that Trayshaw would be remembered for breaking Tracy’s television with a spoon.

Zhlia, born September 30, 2020, was a baby who loved being with her brothers, and enjoyed dancing and sleeping in the hands of her mother.

Meanwhile, Minister within the Ministry of Local Government Anand Persaud paid tribute on behalf of the Government of Guyana.

“Today is a very sad day, not only for the mother of these children, but for all the mothers throughout the length and breadth of Guyana,” he said.

Minister Persaud said that he is aware of President Irfaan Ali’s commitments, and so he assured the mourners that the government will stand by its word and do whatever they can to help.

He extended sincere condolences to Tracy on behalf of President Ali and the government.

Like Minister Persaud, Minister of Human Services and Social Security Dr. Vindhya Persaud and Minister of Public Service Sonia Parag, who both attended the funeral service, offered condolences to Tracy, relatives and friends on behalf of the government.

“The Ministry of Human Services & Social Security provided financial support for the funeral arrangements. Additionally, the Ministry is committed to providing psycho- social and any other additional support required,” a press release issued by the Human Services Ministry said.

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guyana CHRONICLE wednesday june 1, 2022

The IEEFA, and the Hollywood Celebrity: What might be their hidden agenda against ExxonMobil’s Operations in Guyana?

THE Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA) has been actively and aggressively pushing an anti-Exxon agenda for the past two years or so in Guyana.

This effort by the IEEFA observably got more aggressive of recent at the expense of fuelling a series of reports labelled analytical report by one of its principal authors, Tom Sanzillo. However, upon critically examining these reports, a multiplicity of flaws and weaknesses are inherent in those reports, ignoring many fundamental and pragmatic variables and the economic reality of Guyana, and the failure to perform any robust and real analysis on the subject matter the author sought to address. To these ends, readers would recall that SPHEREX Analytics recently challenged these reports, highlighting the analytical weaknesses of the said reports and thus debunking the inaccurate and misleading conclusions of the IEEFA/Tom Sanzillo. It would be interesting to see if Sanzillo can defend his work by responding to the counter analysis put forward by this author / SPHEREX Analytics.

Be that as it may, since a local media is allowing and perhaps in collaboration with this foreign entity to propagate their hidden modus operandi through the publication of absolute garbage as analyses, I am highly inclined to categorically state that: as Guyanese and as a country, we must always be mindful that every stakeholder and every group, have some interest or cause that they would always advance. This includes NGOs, and Think Tanks such as the IEEFA. In order to ascertain the IEEFA’s agenda, this can be done by a simple research exercise to find out who funds the entity. Obviously, it is the individuals, collective groups, and firms that finances the IEEFA, are whose interests they will advance through their work.

According to the IEEFA’s website, the IEEFA receives its funding from global philanthropic organisations and individuals. On their website, the following main funders are highlighted: ClimateWorks Foundation, Climate Imperative, Energy Foundation, Rockfeller Brothers Fund, Rockfeller Family Fund, to name a few. (see full list here https://ieefa. org/what-we-do.)

Notably, the IEEFA funders all share a common agenda and that is, not necessarily to advance climate change policies, but more so a group of individuals and companies, including that of the IEEFA itself, are more interested in profiting from investment in renewable energies.

Interestingly, while researching for this opinion piece, I stumbled on some interesting findings concerning the IEEFA’s agenda. To this end, it appears that the IEEFA is well known internationally for its flawed analysis in the pursuit of its agenda.

An Australian Mining Company described the IEEFA as an “anti-fossil fuel advocacy organisation”, where the company, Adani, responded to the IEEFA’s inaccurate report about the company’s operations.

In the press release by Adani in August 2019, the company stated that the: “IEEFA is known for publishing alarmist papers that attempt to discredit the fossil fuel industry using flawed analysis in order to achieve its stated aim of transitioning to renewable energy. Its campaign to discredit Adani’s Carmichael Project began in 2013 and has involved the publication of a number of papers containing false claims and associated publicity stunts. IEEFA has known associations with left-wing activist groups, including acting as a spokesperson in campaign videos for Get Up!, which received $495,000 from the anti-fossil fuel activist group Sunrise Project last year to advance its anti-coal agenda.”

Adani further urged in its statement that “while everyone is entitled to their own opinion, it is important that commentators declare their personal and financial interests upfront when discussing issues so as not to give any misrepresentations of independence and impartiality”.

Adani’s full response to the IEEFA can be accessed here. https://www.bravus.com. au/fact-check-adani-responds-to-ieefa-paperon-financial-statements/.

In January 2018 in another response to the IEEFA by Mark Sinclair, excerpts are as follows: a) “They (IEEFA) have an agenda which includes profiting off of the success of the renewables industry, and have a major bias to doing whatever it takes to help that industry proceed, including creating false cases against completion. Let’s see, much like LTG, The Australia Institute, and the like, how else they work to the detriment of their competition: How the Rockefeller-Funded #ExxonKnew Echo Chamber Operates https://www.energyindepth.org/national/rockefeller-funded-exxonknew-echo-chamber/).” b) “Although Egan did note that IEEFA is bankrolled in part by several foundations associated with the Rockefellers, he did not disclose the significance of that funding: the Rockefellers have been the common financial link among the myriad activist groups behind the #ExxonKnew climate campaign. One of the goals of that campaign, according to its own adherents, is to “drive divestment from Exxon.” The IEEFA report and subsequent news coverage provide a window into the well-orchestrated strategy against Exxon, particularly the digital echo chamber that the activists have carefully created to make the #ExxonKnew Mark Sinclair Submission #621 campaign appear much larger and significant than it actually is. Within minutes of the CNN Money story’s release, the environ-

mental activists pushing the #ExxonKnew climate conspiracy had jumped into action.

Chief #ExxonKnew instigator Bill McKibben tweeted out the story, as did the co-founder of 350.org, Jamie Henn. “Oof, that has to hurt,” Henn wrote in reference to the CNN Money headline. Other members of 350.org promoted the story, as did the official #ExxonKnew campaign Twitter account. The Ceres Investor Network on Climate Risk shared the story a few hours later, along with the Occupy Wall Street account.

The full report on this can be accessed here. https://frackinginquiry.nt.gov. au/?a=485017.

Clearly, as I have long suspected, the IEEFA has an anti-Exxon agenda funded by stakeholders who have a problem with ExxonMobil for various reasons.

And as far as the IEEFA and Tom Sanzillo is concerned, none of their analyses are credible and cannot be taken seriously as any expert or gospel advice for Guyana. They are not championing anything for Guyana, they are championing their own cause and to profit from it at the expense of attempting to derail the development of small developing countries like Guyana.

Even the celebrity “Hulk” (Mark Ruffalo) whom was reported as championing Guyana’s cause by a certain media house, has a personal issue with oil companies in general.

According to his biography information on Wikipedia, “In 2008, Ruffalo expressed concern that gas companies were eyeing his family’s land in Callicoon, New York. After doing his own investigation, New York magazine wrote, he became “anti-fracking’s first famous face.”[34] On October 4, 2010, Ruffalo appeared on The Rachel Maddow Show to discuss hydraulic fracturing and the FRAC Act of 2009.He claimed in the December 2010 issue of GQ that after he organised screenings in Pennsylvania of a documentary about natural-gas-drilling called Gasland, he was placed on a terror advisory list.

The Pennsylvania Governor’s Office of Homeland Security denied the claim.” (See full Wikipedia article here https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Ruffalo.)

It would appear, too, that the IEEFA is being used by a group of Guyanese both at home and abroad to validate and propagate their political agenda. Any keen observer can easily deduce that a certain local media-house publisher et.al, is explicitly leading a political campaign, in a rather, commendably shrewd strategic fashion–in covertly pursuing a rigorous campaign in a quest for political power come 2025.

While nothing is wrong with anyone having political ambitions, and anyone can freely pursue such ambitions, if, however, they want to be taken seriously, it ought not to be at the expense of peddling misinformation and misleading the wider population.

Having said and exposed all of the above, SPHEREX Analytics would like to urge all Guyanese to be wary of these so-called Think Tanks, and campaign groups as none of them are genuinely advancing the interest of Guyanese and Guyana. They all have their own issues and agenda which they are seeking to profit from handsomely, evidently so.

Fellow Guyanese, do not get distracted, and let’s keep our eyes on the bigger picture, the prize and that is, to work together in advancing Guyana’s development.

About SPHEREX Analytics SphereX Analytics is the Think Tank/ Research and Analysis Arm of SphereX Professional Services. Under this service line, the following sub-services are offered where SphereX Analytics performs: * In-depth analyses on public policy, business, finance, and macro finance subject matters in Guyana, regionally and internationally; * Advocacy services, inter alia, research and in-depth analyses on public policy issues for the private sector; * Business Intelligence, Analytics; and * Corporate Strategy diagnostics, planning and analysis About the Author Joel Bhagwandin Director Corporate Finance Advisory | SPHEREX Analytics SPHEREX Professional Services Inc. | JB Consultancy & Associates M: 592-652-1995 E: jbbankingadvice@gmail.com W: www.spherexgy.com; LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ joel-bhagwandin-57481470/ Joel Bhagwandin is a financial and economic analyst, an academic researcher and writer, a junior business executive, lecturer, and thought leader. Joel is actively engaged in providing insights and analyses on a range of public policy, economic and macrofinance issues in Guyana for the past 5+ years.

In this regard, he has authored more than 300 articles covering a variety of thematic areas. Joel possesses more than fourteen years’ experience in the financial sector and private sector development combined.

During this time, he has accumulated more than five years of professional experience in providing financial and business advice to both large corporations and Small and Medium sized Enterprises (SMEs) and eight years’ managerial experience.

Academically, Mr. Bhagwandin is the holder of a master’s degree in business management with specialization in banking and finance from Edinburgh Napier University.

His specialties and skills include: Corporate Finance, Banking, Capital Markets & Securities, Business Intelligence, & Data Analysis

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guyana CHRONICLE wednesday june 1, 2022

Caribbean food insecurity post-COVID and Ukraine (Part X): Walking the walk and working the talk!

THE week before the May 19-21, 2022 Agricultural Investment Forum and Exposition in Guyana saw the world already reeling severely under the increasing World Food and Fuel prices, due to the combined effect of the Ukraine War and earlier global Climate Change and other factors.

MAY 17: UNICEF and Doctors Without Borders reported there were 40 million severely-malnourished children globally under five years old today, the number having risen, thanks to the Ukraine War, but always continuously increasing annually.

MAY 18: While mothers of the 40 million malnourished children in the world’s poorest nations were themselves under-fed and unable to better nourish their children, producers of infant formula in Europe joined, almost overnight, to produce and rush emergency supplies of millions of milk packages to the USA, where

prices had skyrocketed just before supermarket shelves ran out.

MAY 18: On the day before the Forum started, the UK inflation rate also reached a record 40-year high of nine per cent, as energy bills soared for all households, hitting the poorest harder, but increasingly affecting the middle class, with food charities reporting more people, including officially-admitted Ukrainian refugee families, turning up at public food distribution outlets, many also requesting meals they could eat cold, because they couldn’t afford the increased energy costs.

MAY 19: The CARICOM-backed Forum launched with representation by leaders from Antigua & Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Trinidad & Tobago and Montserrat.

Citing the new and frightening global realities, CARICOM Chairman and Belize Prime Minister John Brisceno not-

ed that: “Agriculture represents a clear opportunity for increased investment in agricultural production and agro-processing…” and “It is, therefore, imperative that action is taken to maximize the benefits of present opportunities.” Despite the current global challenges, Brisceno said, there are “abundant opportunities” in Agriculture “that can result in enhancing

our goal to ensure regional food security, as well as increasing economic activity”.

CARICOM, the Chairman advised, “must now do better to remove those technical barriers for trade that most of us impose on each other”. Instead, he advocated, CARICOM member-states should “use our efforts and energies to adopt policies to support the growth of the agro-productive sector, improve market facilitation and develop intra-regional transportation”.

Dominica’s Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit, a self-described “proud and self-sufficient farmer”, also highlighted the self-defeating policies adopted by some member-states imposing restrictions on imports of produce from fellow member-states, making Dominica unable to export avocadoes and ginger to neighbouring Caribbean nations, but freely to Europe and US markets.

Host President Dr. Irfaan Ali announced a series of targets aimed at reducing Guyana’s own US$30 million annual food import bill, in keeping with the regional aim to reduce food imports by 25 per cent by 2025. He said Guyana had entered into “partnership and collaboration” with “private sector building consortia, farmers and young people in the production of high-value crops, corn and soya, and a special project with young people for shrimp farming.”

President Ali also announced investments in, and allocations by way of: G$100 million for production of brackish water shrimp, which had seen production growth from 250,000 kilograms in 2021 to 1.2 million kilograms this year, and another G$150 million will be invested to boost production by more than 50 per cent. Additionally, G$200 million for development of a growth farm for Pacific White Leg Shrimp; G$40 million to research and develop breed programmes for indigenous, commercially-viable freshwater species; and more investments in Wheat Production to satisfy local and eventually regional needs.

Guyana’s plans for up to

2025 include: Increasing poultry, corn and soya production, as well as vegetable and rice production; as well as investing in marine- cage technology in the riverine areas, boosting sheep production with 1,000 Black Belly Sheep from Barbados to be raised in Guyana, and returned as mutton to the Caribbean island, and Barbados will also benefit from sending youth to study shrimp production.

MAY 20: While the Forum discussed agenda items on the second day, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) announced Ukraine’s poverty rate was up by 87 per cent since the war started, and can reach 90 per cent by the end of 2022. And The World Food Programme (WFP) also estimated earlier that about 49 million people face emergency levels of hunger; about 811 million go to bed hungry each night; and the number of people on the brink of starvation across Africa’s Sahel Region, for example, is at least 10 times higher than in pre-COVID 2019.

MAY 21: The Forum ended with valuable and achievable proclamations and declarations of intent, local and regional leaders and delegations returning home at the end of three days of coming to full grips with the issues at hand to be tackled to ensure the region can achieve its 2025 aims, and for nations to brace themselves from today for the existing challenges that will grow heavier by the day.

In the ten days after the end of the forum, the global food security system became even more insecure, but stakeholders everywhere also offered innovative and science-based solutions, alongside irreplaceable traditional approaches, including radical changes to produce more on less land, with less hands, and to feed more mouths with better food.

For example: MAY 28: Saint Lucia’s Agriculture Minister Alfred Prospere, embracing the regional aim to reduce food imports by 25 by 2025 advised that: “Home and School Gardening” can help region-

al households and families overcome any need to import products grown locally, like the ‘Seven Crops’ programme being undertaken to increase production and availability of specific crops boosting body immunity, with a similar ‘Nine Crops’ programme also being undertaken in St. Vincent & the Grenadines.

MAY 30: E&E Agrochemicals, a Saint Lucian biotech fertiliser firm, launched its three main products on the Grenada market: One that “helps plants grow food and flowers”, another that “helps plants make food” and a third that “helps plants absorb nutrients from the soil”.

MAY 31: Charities across the UK called on the Government to do and spend more to feed millions more children in British schools affected by parents being unable to afford three meals a day, and, therefore, depending on school food supplements, due to rising fuel and food prices.

MAY 31: Zimbabwe President Emmerson Mnangagwa said his government may be ready to take control of formerly white-owned farms from local farmers he accused of under-utilising them, and hand them over to Zimbabweans living in the diaspora, including in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), who had shown interest in acquiring farming and residential land back home.

JUNE 1: The global food crisis is also increasingly forcing Caribbean consumers to more quickly alter minds and taste buds towards better foods traditionally grown and always available locally, from cassava and ginger to rice and bananas.

It’s clear the region’s leaders need no more convincing that the time is ‘Now or Never’ to ensure they walk the talk, minute-by-minute and mile-by-mile, today and tomorrow, to turn the missteps of yesteryear into a full and final forward march into a sustainable and secure future for Caribbean Food for Caribbean People, throughout what’s left of the Ukraine war, and way beyond…

But it all has to start HERE and NOW!

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, June 1, 2022

NIS clears air on Suresh Lallbeharry matter

Claims by Suresh Lallbeharry, a 56-year-old Bath Settlement man that his National Insurance Scheme (NIS) case was shut down after he raised a matter with Vice-President, Bharrat Jagdeo, at a Cabinet outreach in April have been disputed by the scheme.

According to a memo from NIS, claims sought by Lallbeharry did not find favour with the Medical Board of the scheme since February 2022, which was way before the Vice-President’s outreach in Region Five.

Lallbeharry, who had a matter before the NIS Medical Board on May 20, was told that a ruling against him

was upheld. He, however, has since sought to attribute the verdict to a video which surfaced of him questioning Vice-President Jagdeo about NIS’s failure to increase the benefits of retired workers.

The memo from NIS noted that Lallbeharry’s appointment at the Medical Board did not have anything to do with the outreach held by the Vice President, “since his request for a review by the Medical Board was made prior to that outreach”.

“For Mr. Lallbeharry’s case to be reviewed, he has to submit fresh evidence from a specialist informing of any deterioration of his condition,” the document noted.

After being diagnosed with epileptic seizures in 1997, Lallbeharry had been deemed incapable of working and eligible for Invalidity benefit from NIS in 1999.

However, his case was later reviewed in October 2011 and it was determined that he was no longer eligible for invalidity benefit based on a

specialist report.

According to the NIS regulations, Invalidity benefit is granted to a person who is considered permanently incapable of any type of work, as determined by the NIS Medical Adviser or Medical Board.

Lallbeharry’s case was subsequently reviewed in August 2014, at which time he was once again deemed eligible for invalidity, and his benefits resumed. Lallbeharry has since maintained that he should have been paid for the period October 2011 to August 2014.

However, his case was reviewed by NIS and on February 7, by way of letter, it was communicated to him that

NIS had upheld the determination that he was not entitled for benefits during the period identified. His case was referred to the Medical Board for the medical question of invalidity during the relevant period to be determined.

“The question of invalidity is a medical question.

The Medical Board of the National Insurance Scheme is not the National Insurance Board. The Medical Board is a panel of medical specialists, who are independent of the National Insurance Scheme and to whom medical questions are placed,” the memo explained.

Lallbeharry was later given the date, May 20, for

9

his appointment before the Medical Board, NIS clarified.

However, this had to do with availability and not because of the outreach.

According to NIS: “There were several cases awaiting the availability of the Medical Board Doctors and his case was placed before the Medical Board on May 20, 2022.”

On May 20, Lallbeharry went before the NIS Medical Board where he was once again informed that the Medical Board also ruled that he was not entitled to benefits during the period he is making a claim for.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, June 1, 2022

Consultations begin on transformation of local education system

THE Ministry of Education has commenced a series of consultations with stakeholders in the education sector to assess the development of the sector and conceptualise recommendations to enhance its transformation.

Those consultations will also assess the progress of the achievement of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Education Minister Priya Manickchand commenced the rounds of consultations on Tuesday morning in the library at the National Centre for Educational Resource Development (NCERD) with representatives from the National Interim Parent Teacher Association body.

She said that the purpose of the exercise is to examine all that has happened over the last two and one-half years. This includes schools’ closure, measures to safely reopen schools and plans to transform the education sector.

Keeping in mind the Ministry’s 2030 vision of “providing opportunities for quality, equitable education and lifelong learning for all,” the consultations are being held to determine short, medium, and long-term measures to provide quality education to all learners.

There are five sub-theme which will be discussed during the consultations and those are: inclusive, equitable, safe and healthy schools;

learning and skills for life, work and sustainable development; digital learning and transformation; teachers, teaching and the teaching profession and the financing of education.

During Tuesday’s session, which was chaired

by Deputy Chief Education Officer - AHED, Marti De souza, participants were placed into groups to discuss the sub-theme “inclusive, equitable, safe and healthy schools.” The participants examined current systems to determine what needs to be done to improve them. Over the next two weeks, engagements will be held across the country.

Education Minister Priya Manickchand addresses representatives of the National Interim PTA body

Representatives of the National Interim PTA Body

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, June 1, 2022

Higher flaring fine, enhanced monitoring — catered for in renewed Liza Phase One environmental permit T H E E n v i ro n m e n tal Protection Agency (EPA) on Tuesday announced that it has renewed the Environmental Permit for the Liza Phase One project within the Stabroek Block offshore Guyana.

The permit, which is set to last for a period of five years, is in keeping with the Environmental Protection Act. According to a release from the EPA, the renewal comes after consideration of Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL)’s compliance with the first environmental permit for the said project.

Consequently, the new permit prohibits flaring and venting, and adds that flaring is only permissible during commissioning, start-up, and special circumstances.

With that, the company will now be made to pay US$50 per tonne of carbon dioxide equivalents emitted from flaring in excess of the permitted periods.

“This marks the highest sum to be levied in the event flaring is above stipulated limits, and payable in these circumstances, progressing from US$30 under the first Environmental Permit (modified) for the Liza Phase One Project,” the EPA said.

In this renewed permit, Esso Exploration will be held responsible for costs of clean-up and restoration, along with compensation for possible pollution damage that might occur as a result of the project.

It was also determined that the compa-

ny will be required to have financial assurance, which must include a combination of insurance that must cover well control, and/or clean-up and third-party liability on terms that are market standard for the type of coverage.

The environmental permit must also include a parent company agreement which secures the EPA and Government of Guyana against legal liability in the event that the company, along with its co-ventures, fail to meet environmental obligations stated in the permit.

Additionally, the permit makes provision for the monitoring of effluent discharge from the project within the area; this includes submission of a report on the effects of the discharge every six months.

In 2021, owing to the flaring of a significant amount of gas at the Liza Phase One development, the EPA had modified the environmental permit for the project, leaving ExxonMobil to pay the cost of excess flaring.

At the time, ExxonMobil would have had to pay US$30 per tonne of carbon dioxide equivalent. In a May 23, 2021 report, the Guyana Chronicle noted that Vice-President Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo had revealed that the company would have been required to begin payment from May 26, 2021.

Guyana has since been able to recover over US$4 million in compensation from ExxonMobil for the flaring of gas.

The Liza Destiny FPSO

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, June 1, 2022

‘Single shared vision’ needed to protect Caribbean agriculture and food systems AGRICULTURE Minister, Zulfikar Mustapha, said there needs to be a single shared vision and coordination of efforts toward sustainable change to protect the Caribbean’s agriculture and food systems.

According to a release, Minister Mustapha was at the time delivering remarks at the meetings of the Americas on Climate Change and Agriculture. Agriculture in the Caribbean and around the world is under threat as a result of the adverse effects

of climate change, he said.

“We cannot overlook the urgency of increasing the climate resilience of the agriculture sector. If we do, our objectives of enhancing productivity and production, food security, economic growth,

and improving livelihoods will not be possible. Given the Caribbean region’s increased vulnerability to natural disasters due to the effects of climate change, and the threat it places on agricultural production and food security, urgent action

Agriculture Minister, Zulfikar Mustapha speaks at the virtual meeting is needed to protect the formation of the Regional Caribbean’s agriculture and Agri-Food Systems towards food systems. This requires full commercialisation, will a more integrated approach, continue to work aggresa single shared vision, and sively on these priority areas coordination of efforts to- to improve the sustainability wards sustainable change,” of the agriculture sector in the Region,” he added. the minister noted.

The meeting which was He also said that de-risking of the regional agri- held virtually was organised cultural sector is critical to by the Inter-American Inmoving the sector forward. stitute for Co-operation on “Developing financial Agriculture (IICA) in the instruments such as weath- lead-up to the Ninth Summit er-related insurance prod- of the Americas scheduled ucts, along with additional, for June 2022.

The summit will layered approaches to disaster risk financing at the provide an opportuninational level was one of ty for leaders to engage the areas of focus posited in high-level dialogue to during the Caribbean Re- jointly address the urgional Dialogue on Food gent need to transform the Systems which was held in agriculture sector in reMay 2021. The de-risking sponse to climate change, of the regional agricultural while meeting other sector sector through the provision goals. Leaders will also be of alternative sources of fi- able to work together to nancing and insurance prod- identify appropriate mechucts for the region based anisms for joint action, on the peculiarities of each and seek opportunities to Member State is critical to channel technical and fimoving the sector forward. nancial resources towards The CARICOM Special transforming the sector in Ministerial Taskforce on the face of climate change, Food Production and Food the release said.

Security, which was established to guide the trans-

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, June 1, 2022

GEA issues tender for supply, delivery of electric vehicle charging stations

THE Guyana Energy Agency (GEA) has issued a tender for a company to supply and deliver six charging stations for electric vehicles.

This move is in keeping with the global shift towards more electric vehicles and sustainable energy use, in response to the detrimental effects of climate change and rising global temperatures.

According to the bidding documents, those stations will serve as a pilot project whereby they will be used for commercial operations across the coastal regions of Guyana, namely in regions Three, Four and Six. The chargers to be delivered should require an activation process to initiate charging. This can be with a radio frequency identification (RFID) card or smartphone app, often linked to an account which has been set up beforehand, or a cloud-based platform or network offering access via an app and/or RFID card launch charging.

Once activated, the unit will conduct further connection and account checks before commencing the charge of the vehicle.

Charging tariffs will be applied at a cost per energy consumed (dollars per kWh). Alternatively, a price per charging time (dollars per hour) can also be used as a set fee for a charging session.

The supplier is also required to provide training in installation best practices, rate setting, network management, operations, and maintenance of the charging stations. For an efficient payment system, the tender requires that the supplier provides a localised platform in Guyanese dollars.

In addition to the supply and delivery of the unused, upgraded charging stations, the bidder will also be required to provide all

technical documentation, including manuals and direction of installation over to the GEA, and provide after-sales services to the agency for at least three years after the supply of goods. The deadline for the submission of bids is May 31, 2022.

Those “greener” vehicles are undoubtedly better for the environment since they emit no greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide. This is a stark contrast to the more polluting fossil fuel vehicles that the world has been supporting for more than a century.

The move to use EVs is already advancing in Guyana. Motor vehicle retailers, as well as citizens themselves have been importing these greener vehicles. Just recently, a citizen imported the first Tesla to Guyana, joining the other 80+ EVs that are driving the streets of the country.

With the tax incentives that the government has implemented on the importation of EVs, it can only be expected that this market will expand and flourish.

The government, under its new and expanded Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) 2030, also sees the importance of putting other measures in place to ensure the smooth use of these vehicles in Guyana.

Low-carbon technologies within the transport sector are an important component of Guyana’s LCDS and complement related programmes in areas of cleaner power generation and nature-based solutions.

Among the low-carbon strategies within the transport sector, the LCDS supports increasing efficiency levels of vehicle fuel consumption, and will foster the development of an electric vehicle industry to substitute fossil fuels with electricity.

An example of a charging station for electric cars

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, June 1, 2022

July 19 set for commencement of CCJ hearing of election petition case COME July 19, the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) will commence hearing the case challenging whether the Guyana Court of Appeal has the jurisdiction to hear and determine the appeal filed to challenge the dismissal of APNU+AFC’s Election Petition 99 of 2020.

Attorney-General Mohabir Anil Nandlall, S.C., and Vice-President Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo, as the General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), are

The Caribbean Court of Justice in down-town Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago

Vice-President Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo the applicants in the matter.

During a case management conference (CMC) at the Trinidad-based court on Tuesday, timelines were set for the filing of submissions to ease “a possible complicated situation”, according to Justice Jacob Wit, who chaired the proceedings.

He then ordered the applicants to file and serve a joint record of appeal on or before June 7, and hand in their written submissions before June 14.

The respondents in the case will have to file their submissions on June 28, with no reply. The hearing of the challenge will commence on July 19, at 10:00hrs, via video conference.

In January, at the Kingston-based Court of Appeal here in Guyana, Chancellor of the Judiciary Justice Yonette Cummings-Edwards had granted a Motion filed

by Nandlall and Jagdeo for leave to appeal the court’s December 21, 2021 decision to the CCJ, which is Guyana’s final court of appeal.

The judge had also granted a stay of the CoA’s judgment.

By way of a majority ruling, the CoA had said it has jurisdiction to entertain an appeal challenging Chief Justice Roxane George’s decision to dismiss the said petition, on the grounds of late service, non-service, or improper service.

The initial appeal case was filed in January 2021 by Roysdale Forde, S.C., the attorney for the APNU+AFC, and Trinidadian attorney, John Jeremie, S.C. Among other things, they have contended that the Chief Justice had erred in law, and misdirected herself when she misapplied the doctrine of strict compliance, by holding that such compliance is related to the

Attorney-General Mohabir Anil Nandlall, S.C. contents of the Affidavit of Service, instead of the filing of the Affidavit of Service in a timely manner.

In the December 21, 2021, 2-1 decision, the Chancellor and Justice of Appeal Dawn Gregory said that the CoA has jurisdiction to hear and determine the appeal that was filed.

The Chancellor, in her ruling, held that the decisions of the Chief Justice were a final order on both the election petition and a preliminary issue of compliance.

She further contended that Article 163 of the Constitution states that an appeal to the Court of Appeal can be made from the decision of a judge of the High Court, granting or refusing leave to institute proceedings for the determination of any question.

“In my view, the Honourable Chief Justice sat in the elections jurisdiction of that matter, and considered the validity of the petitionn; determined that validity in relation to whether or not the proceeding could go on, and the Chief Justice dismissed those proceedings,” the Chancellor said.

Since the Chief Justice’s decision was a final order, the Chancellor said that the petitioners have a right to an appeal, given that there was no decision on the petition itself.

She also ruled that the Full Court of the High Court does not have the power to hear the appeal of an election petition dismissal, for want of compliance. She said it is a power Parliament should consider conferring upon the Full Court.

However, Justice of Appeal Rishi Persaud disagreed, as, according to him, the applicants, Monica Thomas and Brennan Nurse,

had no right to appeal, since there was no final decision

by Chief Justice George, who had dismissed the application in January, on the grounds of serious non-compliance. At the time, the matter was before the High Court.

Justice Persaud also ruled that the Full Court of the High Court does not have jurisdiction to entertain the appeal, and, therefore, ruled that the appeal was dismissed.

In the case, Nandlall had argued that the Court of Appeal does not have jurisdiction to hear the case, since the matter was thrown out by the High Court, and no evidence was heard.

Nandlall said that based on the uniqueness of the case, like the Appeal Court, the Full Court also has no jurisdiction to hear the case.

The Attorney-General had said to the court, that according to Section 79 of the High Court Act, which reads, “An appeal shall lie to the Full Court from any judgment given or order made by a single judge of the court in the exercise of its civil jurisdiction in respect of which there is no appeal to the Court of Appeal.”

He submitted that one would interpret this section to mean that in the appeal of election petition matters, the Full Court cannot exercise its civil jurisdiction.

Aside from Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo, the coalition named Chief Elections Officer (CEO) of GECOM, representatives of several political parties and former President, David Granger, as respondents in that appeal.

In June 2021, the coalition appealed the second election petition case, which was filed by Claudette Thorne and Heston Bostwick.

That petition was dismissed on April 26 by the CJ, on the grounds of serious non-compliance with the Constitution of Guyana, and electoral laws as they relate to GECOM’s conduct of those elections.

The Chief Justice held that the petitioners failed to present evidence to support claims that the conduct of those elections contravened the Constitution and the country’s electoral laws.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, June 1, 2022

Defying all odds

By Cassandra Khan

SEVENTEEN-year-old Daniel Hermonstine defied all odds and graduated as valedictorian of the Daniel McLaughlin Therrell High School in Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America (USA) on Friday, May 27.

Daniel, who spent the first eleven years of his life in Guyana, is a former student of The New Guyana School, where he wrote the “Common Entrance” in 2016.

Sometime after graduating from that learning institution, he migrated to the USA. During his address at his school’s graduation ceremony, he thanked his teachers, principal, and his mother, Lady Dianne Hermonstine, to whom he referred as his biggest supporter. He also thanked his father, Pastor David Hermonstine for the role he has played in his life.

Daniel has not only managed to be valedictorian of his high school, but has also obtained an academic scholarship to the Georgetown University in Washington DC. “I have worked hard over these last four years to become who I am today. I developed a working mentality; one that I have carried with me throughout high school, and that I will carry with me as I head to the nation’s capital, in Washington DC, to attend Georgetown University on a ‘full-ride’ academic scholarship,” he said.

Daniel shared that his family supports and motivates him to succeed.

“However, if I were to single out someone, it would have to be my mother. My mother goes above and beyond for my success; she always puts forth her best effort to kick down any doors in my way. Her mission in life is to provide me with a great life,” Daniel said.

He had to overcome many challenges, such as family deaths, his mother’s cancer diagnosis, and the extreme culture shock after migrating in the middle of his youth years.

“God wouldn’t put me in it if he didn’t prepare me for it,” is one of Daniel’s most used quotes, as it has helped him to overcome the adverse situations.

The teen is currently a Laboratory Researcher at the Georgia Institute of Technology: Project Engages, CMAT Scholar for the Bio-Interfaced Translational Nanoengineering Group.

“My ‘lab’ is centered on soft electronics in the field of healthcare. Soft electronics addresses a wide range of applications, by enabling the comfortable, continuous, and real-time monitoring of signals. My contribution to the scientific field of soft electronics revolves around creating unique, stretchable fractal designs. The stretchability and flexibility of soft electronics make them unique, and more effective than rigid electronics. The more stretchable and flexible a pattern is, the more efficient the soft device will be,” Daniel explained.

He was also recently a part of his district’s first-ever Mayoral Candidate Forum.

“It is Mayoral Election time here in Atlanta, and I am proud to have witnessed students question one of the potential future leaders of my beloved city. It was also exciting for me to mingle with said future leaders, and pick their brains on some issues I find troubling,” he said.

Daniel usually volun-

teers, and shared one of his most meaningful community service acts.

“The most meaningful community service act for me has been assisting at Special Olympics yearly, and mentorship. I believe that everyone is unique in their way; it is a joy of mine to yearly assist in the Special Olympics,” Daniel said.

His academic achievements include having a 4.0+ weighted GPA, as well as a 3.9+ unweighted GPA. He is an honor roll student, principal’s list student, and was selected along with ten others to do scientific research at the Georgia Institute of Technology.

As if that wasn’t outstanding enough, he is also in the top one per cent of his class. Daniel has been an advanced student since the 8th Grade.

“I took Algebra I in 8th Grade; I took Algebra II in 8th Grade in summer; I took Physics in 9th Grade in summer,” he said.

He was also elected Vice-

Chair of the Atlanta Board of Education Student Advisory Council, and was appointed Executive Ambassador of his school.

Daniel credits his Bunche Debate time as yet another exceptional skill, as he has won many medals on the teams, and grown as a debater.

At his graduation, Daniel said that during a rather emotional conversation he had with his mother in 2019, a fire was lit under him, one which still burns at the moment, and will continue to burn as he goes off into the world.

— US-based Guyanese boy graduates as valedictorian of his high school

Valedictorian Daniel Hermonstine

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, June 1, 2022

Freed accused calls for reopening of Kescia Branche murder probe

— wants ‘real’ killer to be brought to justice

By Clestine Juan DAYS after he was freed of the 2017 murder of young teacher Kescia Branche, former murder accused Matthew Munroe called on the relevant authorities to reopen the investigation so that the real killer can be brought to justice.

Munroe, a 52-year-old taxi driver, made this call at a press conference held at the De Impeccable Banquet Hall on Monday. He was accompanied by his lead attorney Dexter Todd and other members of his legal team.

“If the media and the general public could join me and we could ask the government or whoever is responsible for this case to reopen so justice can be served, because it’s not fair for Miss Branche and her family. Justice must be served, not only for her but for me,” he said.

On May 24, hours after his trial commenced before Justice Sandil Kissoon at the Demerara High Court, Munroe was freed after the state prosecutor disclosed that several key witnesses could not be found.

Justice Kissoon had told the court that owing to the absent witnesses he did not believe there would be sufficient evidence for the state to prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt. He then directed the jury to return a formal not-guilty verdict before telling Munroe that he

was free to leave the courtroom.

Munroe insisted that he was wrongfully charged and left to suffer for five years on remand, while also being away from his relatives. The man claimed that while in police custody, he was badly beaten by police officers who wanted him to confess to the crime.

“At one time they [police] took me into a dark room and they beat me. They cover my head with a plastic bag several times,” Munroe said as he broke down in tears.

Munroe added that the police also took DNA samples from him for comparison with evidence reportedly found under the dead woman’s fingernail. However, the results were never disclosed.

He recalled being in police custody for 10 days before being placed before a magistrate on December 6, 2017. For the next five years, Munroe was a guest of the state which he said was not a “good life.”

The now freed man said that it feels good being reunited with his family and he feels as if he has a new lease on life.

“Being back with my family is great. Freedom is good,” Munroe said with a smile on his face.

Munroe rebuffed claims that he and the young teacher shared a romantic relationship. He emphasised that he provided only taxi services

From left to right: Attorney-at-law Dexter Todd and his client, Matthew Munroe to the woman.

TOO MANY IRREGULARITIES During the press conference, Todd said that upon perusing the court documents one would come to find that his client was wrongfully charged, since there was no nexus connecting him to the crime.

“There was only one conclusion that one can come to… it is clear that the wrong person was charged,” he said.

He explained that the purpose of the press conference was to highlight the alleged irregularities in the investigative arm and to bring to light cases like Munroe’s.

“Too many matters go before our courts that were not properly investigated

and before long these matters fall through the cracks like this matter, where there was absolutely no evidence from the beginning,” he said.

“Why was Mr Matthew Munroe committed to stand trial in the High Court?”

Todd questioned.

After describing his client’s situation as a “travesty,” Todd called for the reopening of the police investigation so that the dead woman’s family can get justice.

“If during the investigation, the authorities come to a point in which they believe that they need better experts, then they must do so,” he added.

According to Todd, the case against his client was circumstantial since it could not “logically follow” to prove that Munroe was con-

nected to the murder.

“Too many times and too often we find matters like these in the system. We allow the accused to get off and everybody goes back to the normal. That must stop in our country. We need a better system. We need a better investigative arm. We need better police investigation.

We of course want to ensure that whenever a matter goes before the court that it is of substance. Too often we treat these things lightly where the life of a person is interrupted,” he said.

Against this backdrop, Todd highlighted that after being behind bars for five years, it took just a couple of hours in the courtroom for his client to become aware that there was absolutely no evidence against him.

“This should have never gotten that far…Matthew Munroe’s case must be the voice of other persons who might tend to suffer from the same fate or the same type of circumstances. So, what we would want is that this case, the one that provokes a change in the operation of the investigative arm,” Todd said.

Branche, a mother of one, who resided in Cummings Lodge, Greater Georgetown, was last seen alive on November 4, 2017, when she left for a night out with her friends.

She was found in an unconscious state in the vicinity of Princes Street and Louisa Row in the city the following day.

DEAD: Kescia Branche Her left leg was broken and there was evidence that she had sustained multiple head injuries.

The Richard Ishmael Secondary School teacher died at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) two days later.

A post-mortem examination revealed that she died as a result of brain haemorrhage.

During the investigation, three suspects who were being questioned were released. At the time of the trio’s release, the police were seeking to contact the taxi driver whose cellphone number appeared repeatedly on Branche’s mobile device.

Investigators were of the opinion that Munroe might have been the last person to see the teacher alive.

‘Blackboy’ pleads not guilty to murder

A MIXED 12-member jury was, on Tuesday, empanelled before Justice Brassington Reynolds at the Essequibo High Court for the trial of Naresh Baldeo, called “Blackboy”, who is accused of killing his drinking buddy in 2017.

Baldeo, formerly of Yarrowkabra, Soesdyke-Linden Highway, denied that on August 12, 2017, at Potaro Backdam, Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni), he murdered Mohabeer Gangadeen, 54, of Old Road, Timehri, East Bank Demerara.

The state is being represented by Prosecutor Tiffini Lyken while attorney-at-law, Latchmi Dindayal, is on re-

cord for the accused.

The trial is expected to commence on June 14, 2022.

According to police reports, both men were miners and worked together at Potaro Backdam, overseeing the operation of a dredge in an old mining pit.

It is alleged that, on the day in question, the men were consuming alcohol when they got into a physical confrontation. It is alleged that Gangadeen picked up a spade and dealt Baldeo several lashes about his hand, face and body.

It is alleged that Baldeo was able to take away the spade from Gangadeen and, after doing so, dealt

him several lashes about his body, before pushing him overboard. Baldeo was later arrested and charged with the capital offence.

DEAD : Mohabeer Gangadeen

Naresh Baldeo, called ‘Blackboy’

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, June 1, 2022

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, June 1, 2022

Phased road rehabilitation for Hope Lowland – Minister Indar

Minister within the Ministry of Public Works, Deodat Indar, engaging residents, during an inspection of roads in the Hope, Lowland, East Coast Demerara community

AFTER years of traversing and maneuvering around potholes and depressions, residents of Hope Lowland, East Coast Demerara, will soon see a phased road rehabilitation project commencing.

This is according to Minister within the Ministry of Public Works, Deodat Indar, who inspected several of the roads in the community on Monday.

Residents in the community would have complained bitterly to the minister about their challenges while traversing the roads.

One resident, Lilawattie Jaigobin, protested that she has lived in the community for ten years. No one has paid attention to the cries of residents regarding the dreadful conditions of the road.

Meanwhile, another resident said the road conditions make it extremely difficult for persons to traverse both by vehicle and on foot. The resident added that the road condition worsens during the

rainy season.

In addressing the complaints, Minister Indar disclosed that the ministry would be deploying a team of engineers on Tuesday to begin an assessment of how much work will need to be done in the community.

“Engineers will be here tomorrow [Tuesday] to pick up the roads because every single road in the community is bad. All are the same conditions; the structures have failed,” Minister Indar said.

He continued: “We have to fix that, we will have some engineers come and measure out the various roads and the access road to bring you into this community; this community is a densely populated region. So, we will have to make sure that we pick up some costings for these roads.”

The minister noted that the main access road in the community will take precedent in the rehabilitation project, while the smaller

roads in the community will be done in a phased manner.

He stressed that conditions of the roads in the community call for the immediate attention of the ministry, especially in the advent of the rainy season.

“On inspection of this community, they have a lot of, you know, dilapidated infrastructure, if you check around, none of the roads is good. Every single road has massive number of potholes, some have massive failures in the road. And in the rainy season, it’s worse because all the potholes end up being filled with water,” he said.

The minister noted that action will take place soon as a report is received from the respective engineers on how much work will be done in the community and what the cost will be to commence the project.

The minster added that funding would most likely come from the Ministry’s budgetary allocation for 2022.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, June 1, 2022

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Wednesday June 1, 2022

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Wednesday June 1, 2022

Meusa, Lam crowned national chess champions CANDIDATE Master Wendell Meusa and teenager Pooja Lam finished as the respective champions of the GAICO National Open Chess Championship and the KFC/Guyana-sponsored Women’s Nationals which concluded on Sunday at the Guyana National Stadium.

Former champion Meusa was able to hold off defending champion, CM Taffin Khan, in the final three rounds of the nine-round open championships, which left him on eight points, just half a point ahead of Khan.

Meusa’s only defeat came during the sixth round against Roberto Neto, who finished fifth overall.

FIDE Master Anthony

Drayton, who won the Qualifiers, finished third with 6.5 points, while Frankie Farley finished fourth on five points.

Loris Nathoo (4.5 points), Ethan Lee (four points) and Rai Sharma (three points) ended in the sixth, seventh and eighth positions respectively.

Meanwhile, 14-year-old Lam took the lead in Round Seven when she defeated another front-runner Nellisha Johnson and she held on to her lead to finish unbeaten with eight points from nine rounds.

Her only flaws were two draws: one against former women’s champion, Sasha Shariff, and another against Jessica Callender, who won the qualifying tournament.

Shariff finished the tournament in second place on seven points, while Johnson and Callender both finished on six points, but due to a direct encounter tie-break, Johnson finished third.

Twelve-year-old Anaya Lall, who won four games and drew one to finish on 4.5 points, placed fifth.

Maliha Rajkumar and Adia Alphonso finished with 4 and 3.5 points respectively, while Waveney Johnson and Angel Rahim finished on three points each.

According to information from the Guyana Chess Federation, players who were victorious in their respective tournaments will be rewarded at an official upcoming award ceremony, hosted by

Hope century helps... (From back page) 19-year-old left-hander lashing half-dozen fours and two sixes in a 63-run, opening stand with O’Dowd who counted a single four in a patient 69-ball knock.

When Vikramjit was lbw to Hosein on review in the 12th over, Musa Ahmed (13) joined O’Dowd to add a further 39 for the second before four wickets tumbled for 53 runs, to leave the Netherlands on 155 for five following the break for rain.

However, Nidamanuru showed little signs of nerves, punching three fours and two sixes to post 28 for the sixth wicket with captain Pieter Seelaar (14) and a further 55 for the seventh with van Beek (11), as the hosts gathered 49 runs from the last five overs.

In reply, Hope and Brooks snatched the game away from the Netherlands

in an up-tempo 120-run stand, which laid the foundation for a comfortable run-chase.

Hope struck a dozen fours and two sixes, easing to his first fifty off 68 balls at the start of the 22nd over by pulling seamer Vivian Kingma to the mid-wicket fence, before completing three figures off 113 deliveries in the 37th over.

“I just love to bat so any opportunity that I get, I’m going to try and stay out there as long as I can,” Hope said afterwards.

“The main priority is to get the team over the line and I open the batting so I guess that’s how it works for me.”

Only Chris Gayle (25), Brian Lara (19) and Desmond Haynes (17) have more ODI hundreds.

Brooks stroked three

fours and two sixes but his dismissal, slapping a short ball back to new-ball pacer Logan van Beek (2-49) in the 24th over, triggered a slide that saw three wickets tumble for 13 runs off 19 deliveries.

Off the very next ball, van Beek hit Nkrumah Bonner in front without scoring and a few overs later, Pooran (7) missed a pull at a short one from off-spinner Aryan Dutt and was castled in the 27th over.

King arrived to calm the Windies’ nerves, however, hammering five fours and two sixes in a 116-run, unbroken fourth-wicket stand with Hope.

He raced to his fifty off 44 balls but it was Hope who fittingly hit the winning runs, smashing seamer Ryan Klein to the point boundary.

SCOREBOARD

NETHERLANDS innings

WEST INDIES (Target: 247 off 45 overs)

Vikramjit Singh lbw b Hosein 47 M. O’Dowd b Walsh 39 Musa Ahmed lbw b Hosein 13 B. de Leede c Hope b Mayers 17 S. Edwards lbw b Phillip 13 T. Nidamanuru not out 58 P. Seelaar c Phillip b Joseph 14 L. van Beek b Mayers 1161 R. Klein not out 2 Extras: (b-4, lb-8, w-14) 26 Total: (7 wkts, 45 overs) 240

S. Hope not out 119 S. Brooks c & b van Beek 60 N. Bonner lbw b van Beek 0 N. Pooran b Dutt 7 B. King not out 58 Extras: (lb-1, w-3, nb-1) 5 Total: (3 wkts, 43.1 overs) 249

Fall of wickets: 1-63, 2-102, 3-124, 4-138, 5-155, 6-183, 7-238.

Bowling: Joseph 9-0-36-1 (w-1), Phillip 9-0-66-1 (w-4), Mayers 9-1-50-2, Hosein 9-0-29-2, Walsh 9-0-47-1 (w-5).

Fall of wickets: 1-120, 2-120, 3-133.

Bowling: van Beek 8-1-49-2, Kingma 7-047-0 (w-1, nb-1), Kelin 7.1-0-38-0, Seelaar 9-0-36-0, Dutt 8-0-46-1, de Leede 4-0-32-0 (w-2), Man-of-the-Match: Shai Hope

the Guyana Chess Federation.

The Guyana Chess Federation (GCF) wishes “to congratulate the winners and to thank all participants who played diligently as well as

FIDE arbiters John Lee and Anand Raghunauth, whose tireless work made these tournaments successful.

“The GCF also wishes to thank the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport,

the National Sports Commission and the management of the Guyana National Stadium. Special thanks to KFC Guyana and GAICO Construction for their sponsorships.”

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Wednesday June 1, 2022

England to tour Australia around Men's T20 World Cup fixture ENGLAND men's limited-overs teams will tour Australia either side of October and November's T20 World Cup. Cricket Australia (CA) has announced the 202223 summer fixtures for its men's and women's sides, with a record six teams set to tour the country.

England will play Twenty20s in Brisbane on October 9 before two in Canberra on October 12 and 14, with their World Cup campaign due to start on October 22.

The final of that tournament is on November 13.

England will then play

one-day internationals in Adelaide, Sydney and Melbourne on November 17, 19 and 22 respectively.

England, aiming to become double world champions by winning the T20 World Cup, will be coached by former Australia women's coach Matthew Mott.

Australia men's team are hoping to defend their T20 title, which they won in November, on home soil.

Their record-breaking women's team, who are also T20 world champions, will host Pakistan in three ODIs and three T20s in January 2023.

The Women's T20 World Cup takes place in South Africa in February.

Australia's schedule is particularly busy after two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, starting with an ODI series against Zimbabwe at the end of August.

The men's Test summer begins with two Tests against West Indies in November before a three-Test series against South Africa, including the traditional Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

There are no women's Tests scheduled.

Australia's home summer

England beat Australia by eight wickets in the group stage of last year's T20 World Cup

schedule ODIs v Zimbabwe August 28, 31, September 3, Townsville ODIs v New Zealand September 6, 8, 11, Cairns T20s v West Indies October 5, 7, Gold Coast T20s v England October 9: First T20, Brisbane October 12: Second T20,

Canberra October 14: Third T20, Canberra Men's ICC T20 World Cup October 16 – November 13 ODIs v England November 17: First ODI, Adelaide November 19: Second ODI, Sydney November 22: Third ODI,

Melbourne Tests v West Indies November 30 – December 4: First Test, Perth December 8-12: Second Test, Adelaide South Africa series December 17-21: First Test, Gabba, Brisbane December 26-30: Second Test, Melbourne January 4-8, 2023: Third Test, Sydney Three ODIs, TBC Women's series v Pakistan January16: First ODI, Allan Border Field, Brisbane January18: Second ODI, Allan Border Field, Brisbane January 21: Third ODI, North Sydney Oval January 24: First T20, North Sydney Oval January 27: Second T20, Canberra January 29: Third T20, Canberra

Hanif slams unbeaten 106 in ORSCA opener FORMER Guyana wicketkeeper Azib Ali Hanif was in a no-nonsense mood when the Ontario Roundarm Softball Cricket Association (ORSCA) 2022 season got underway last weekend.

The diminutive Hanif, who represented Guyana as a wicketkeeper-batter in the late 90s, blasted 12 sixes and two fours in a brilliant

undefeated 106 as his team - Masters - reached 206 for seven in their allotted 20 overs against Aces at the Dunbarton High School ground, North York Ontario. Hanif, who opened the batting, was still there at the end when the overs expired.

Middle-order batter Salman Khan supported with 46 which included three fours and five sixes.

Bowling for Aces, Richard Rambarran took three for 24 while Kemraj Rama ended with two for 43.

Aces were 143 for seven when their innings closed, losing by 63 runs with Imtiaz Ajbal being the lone ‘ranger’ with a fine 93 which included five fours and eight sixes.

Ameer Khan took three for 35.

Uncapped Wood, Payne named in England ODI squad ENGLAND have named uncapped duo Luke Wood and David Payne in their 14-man squad for June's three one-day internationals in the Netherlands.

Lancashire's Wood, 26, and Gloucestershire's Payne, 31, are both left-arm pacemen.

Matthew Mott will take charge for the first time after being appointed ODI head coach earlier this month.

"I'm very excited to be coaching a strong squad for my first series in charge," said Australian Mott.

"We have tremendous depth with a blend of youth and experience. We want to continue to play in an expressive style and let our players showcase their skills

and firepower."

Eoin Morgan continues to captain the side with the in-form Jos Buttler also included after his exploits in the Indian Premier League (IPL).

He finished as the highest run-scorer in the tournament but saw his Rajasthan side beaten in the final by Gujarat Titans.

Wood is called up to the senior squad for the first time, while Payne was involved in last summer's ODIs against Pakistan but did not play.

England face the Netherlands on June 17, 19 and 22, with all three matches taking place at the VRA Ground in Amsterdam.

Mott added: "This is a historic occasion for the sport

and the first time England men will play the Netherlands in an ODI series.

"We can't wait to head over to Amsterdam and put on a show for the thousands of fans travelling to support the team."

England squad in full: Eoin Morgan (Middlesex), Moeen Ali (Worcestershire), Jos Buttler (Lancashire), Brydon Carse (Durham), Sam Curran (Surrey), Liam Livingstone (Lancashire), Dawid Malan (Yorkshire), David Payne (Gloucestershire), Adil Rashid (Yorkshire), Jason Roy (Surrey), Phil Salt (Lancashire), Reece Topley (Surrey), David Willey (Yorkshire), Luke Wood (Lancashire). (BBC Sport)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Wednesday June 1, 2022

Captaincy will be a learning curve for Ben Stokes - Jonny Bairstow BEING England's Test captain will be a "learning curve" for Ben Stokes, says team-mate Jonny Bairstow.

All-rounder Stokes takes over the captaincy with England having just one win in their past 17 Tests.

The first Test against New Zealand at Lord's on Thursday will be the first outing for England's new captain and coach, Brendon McCullum.

"Not much will change from Ben Stokes the player," Bairstow told BBC Test Match Special.

"The way he goes about his bowling and his batting, it's all whole-hearted stuff and his captaincy will be the same.

Stokes previously captained England in the first Test against West Indies in 2020, when former skipper

Joe Root missed the match to attend the birth of his second child.

He also led the one-day international side to a 3-0 series victory over Pakistan last summer after a Covid outbreak forced England to name an entirely new squad.

Middle-order batter Bairstow said England supporters will have to be patient as well as excited for the team's new era under Stokes as permanent captain.

"It's going to be a learning experience for him as well," he said.

"We need to understand and recognise that it's going to be a learning curve, but the experience that he's got around him, and the visions that he's got are great.

"If we can all pull together in the right direction, then it is going to be an exciting brand of cricket."

Jonny Bairstow (left)says he doesn't expect captaincy to change Ben Stokes as a player

Bairstow played a key role in England's white-ball transformation under Eoin Morgan that resulted in their 2019 World Cup win and says that a similar transition

is due for the Test side.

"It took a period of time for that transition to happen," he added. "Everyone's well aware that it didn't just happen overnight.

"But it was the way in which someone had the bravery to go: 'Right. This is actually the way that we're going to play and we're going to stick to that.' And that person was Morgs [Eoin Morgan] and it's exciting."

England's all-time leading wicket-takers James Anderson and Stuart Broad are in contention to play the first Test, having been left out of the West Indies tour in March, but the hosts are missing eight other pace bowlers through injury.

Ollie Robinson was withdrawn on Thursday from the County XI who beat New Zealand in a warm-up because of stiffness in his lower back.

England announced on Monday that Robinson also tested positive for Covid-19 that day and will have his back injury assessed once

his isolation period ends this week.

Jofra Archer, Saqib Mahmood and Matt Fisher have been ruled out for lengthy periods with stress fractures of the back, while Chris Woakes, Mark Wood, Olly Stone and Sam Curran have also been dealing with injuries.

Reigning world Test champions New Zealand have named a 15-man squad for the three-match series but have said that Trent Boult and Henry Nicholls may not feature in the first Test.

Batter Nicholls is recovering from a calf injury while fast bowle Trent r Boult is only expected to arrive in the UK on Monday, having played in the Indian Premier League final on Sunday. (BBC Sport)

West Berbice clubs receive cricket balls as Matthew Nandu starts BCB/Hetmyers Development Fund continues 2022 Canadian season CRICKET clubs in the West Berbice sub- association of the Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) last week received cricket balls from the proactive board under the BCB/Shimron and Nirvani Hetmyer Cricket Development Fund.

BCB president Hilbert Foster visited the sub-association for the 65th time of his four-year presidency to hand over the balls to the clubs.

Foster, in brief remarks, noted that the Hetmyers in 2021 came on board with the BCB to host the developmental fund and in 2022 increased the sponsorship from $1M to $1.5M as they were very impressed with the work of the board.

The Hetmyers have committed to funding the programme as long as Foster remains the head of the board as they have full confidence in his vision for the game in Berbice and the way how their funds are used. Foster noted that about 90 clubs in the county would receive a box of balls.

This is the second time for the year that West Berbice clubs benefited from donation of balls. The clubs had earlier

The ongoing cricket gear drive, sponsored by Shimron and Nirvani Hetmyer in partnership with BCB, included West Berbice this past weekend

in the year received a box of balls under the Faizal Jaferally Developmental Fund for West Berbice, while first division clubs late last year had carried home $1M worth of white balls under the Patron Fund.

Clubs in the area over the last four years had also benefited from donations of cricket gear, stumps, water pitchers, raincoats, bicycles, school bags, catching cribs, educational materials, trophies, medals and a large pitch cov-

er, among other items.

Foster also used the opportunity to update the clubs of some upcoming developmental projects including a mini academy for 50 youths in the area, a comprehensive inter-secondary school coaching programme, gear for schools and youth tournaments for schools.

He also disclosed that shortly BCB should have its own grass-cutting machine as the massive developmental

drive of his administration continues. Representatives of the clubs expressed thanks to the board and the Hetmyers for the timely and much welcome donation.

Meanwhile, the clubs which included Cotton Tree, D’Edward, Achievers, Police, Bath, Bush Lot United, Shieldstown, Rainbow Generation and Blairmont Remnants joined their counterparts in rejecting the planned resignation of Foster as president effective from July 31.

The clubs approved a resolution moved by two of their representatives, stating that under the current leadership Berbice cricket had moved to the highest level ever and developmental programmes are unmatched anywhere in the West Indies.

One delegate informed Foster that if he leaves, a lot of club officials in the county would follow him out of the door. The motion was passed with the support of all 12 clubs present voting yes.

Foster, like he did in the Upper Corentyne area, expressed thanks to the clubs for their confidence in his leadership but made no commitment to carry on.

in fine style MATTHEW Nandu started the 2022 Canadian season in fine style with three innings of worth, including a fine century in last weekend’s encounter versus RC 99 in the Mississauga Cricket League (MCL).

Representing Royal Panthers, Nandu slammed a brilliant 110 as his team posted a challenging 295 for six in their allotted 50 overs before limiting their opponents to 130 for nine in 32.2 overs, thus winning by the huge margin of 196 runs.

The former West Indies Under-19 opener, who also led the side earlier this year in the absence of appointed skipper Ackeem Auguste, struck four fours and two sixes in his knock off 125 balls while sharing an opening stand of 119 with Sumit Arora whose 63 from 76 balls included six fours and a six.

In his first game, after returning from Guyana where he represents Everest Cricket Club (ECC), Nandu hit 68 off 62 balls with five fours and three sixes at the Lamoreaux ground as Kaieteur International B reached 347 for nine in 47 overs, batting first in

their First Division encounter versus Prime Cricket Club.

Two other players with Guyanese roots, Lincoln Hotiram spanked 85 off 67 balls with eight fours and three sixes while Arjuna Sukhu, who represented Canada in this year’s ICC Under-19 World Cup, was also among the runs with 51 off 41 balls - an innings that contained three fours and an equal number of sixes.

Bowling for Prime Cricket Club, Saad Ur-Rehman claimed four for 39 and Shazil Sulman three for 72.

Prime Cricket Club were routed for a paltry 60 in 19.3 overs with Sukhu returning to pick up four for 10 in six overs and Trevor Jerrick three for 30 in seven.

In the other game, which formed part of the Toronto & District League, the left-handed Nandu hit an undefeated 47 (five fours) as Tranzac cruised to a nine-wicket victory over Ontario Cricket Academy (OCA), who were shut out for 92 in 31.4 overs.

Tranzac reached the required target in 29.3 overs.

(Frederick Halley)

30

Nadal beats Djokovic in late-night Paris thriller RAFAEL Nadal demonstrated once again why he is the greatest player in French Open history by beating long-time rival Novak Djokovic in a latenight thriller to reach the men's singles semi-finals.

Nadal, going for a 14th title, started superbly and fought off resistance from defending champion Djokovic to win 6-2 4-6 6-2 7-6 (7-4) at Roland Garros.

Nadal secured victory at 1:16am local time after over four hours on court.

The 21-time Grand Slam winner now faces third seed Alexander Zverev on Friday.

Germany's Zverev, 25, reached the semi-finals for the second successive year after surviving teenage sensation Carlos Alcaraz's fightback earlier on Tuesday.

"To win against Novak there is only one way: to play your best from the first point to the last," said Nadal, who thanked the Chatrier crowd for showing their

Novak Djokovic is 30-29 ahead in the head-to-head between the two greats, but Rafael Nadal leads 20-8 on clay

"love".

"This is one of those magic nights for me."

Victory for Nadal avenged his semi-final defeat by Djokovic last year and extended his all-time record on the Roland Garros clay to 110 wins in 113 matches.

The rivalry between the pair is the most enduring in men's tennis, with Nadal winning their 59th meeting seeing him narrow the gap

to 30-29 in the head-to-head.

"Nadal showed why he is a great champion and stayed mentally tough. No doubt he deserves it," said Djokovic.

"He was the better player in the important moments, he started well and I didn't start so well.

"I gained momentum in the second set and I thought I was back in the game. But he was able to take his tennis to another level." (BBC Sport)

BCB expresses deepest sympathy following the passing of Ms Esmee Foster THE executive committee of the Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) expressed its deepest sympathy to its president Hilbert Foster on the death of his mother, Esmee Claudette Foster.

Ms Foster died on Sunday after a prolonged illness and the BCB officials would like to reassure their hardworking president of their full support during this difficult time.

Foster continued to fulfil

his official duties, despite fully knowing the end was very close for his beloved mother.

Ms Foster has a unique place in the manual of Berbice cricket as she produced two presidents of the BCB, who together have played a major role in the development of the game. Her eldest son served as BCB head from 2008 to 2014 while Hilbert has served from 2018 to present.

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER (Wednesday June 1, 2022) COMPLIMENTS OF CUMMINGS ELECTRICAL COMPANY LTD 83 Garnett Street, Campbellville, Georgetown (Tel: 225-6158) Answers to yesterday’s quiz: (1) Gujarat Titans defeated RR by 7 wickets (2) RCB defeated Lucknow Super Giants by 14 runs Today’s Quiz: (1) Gujarat Titans defeated RR by 7 wickets (2) RCB defeated Lucknow Super Giants by 14 runs Answers in tomorrow’s issue

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Wednesday June 1, 2022

Faye Joseph memorial dominoes tourney set for this weekend THE National Gymnasium on Mandela Avenue will come alive on Saturday as the Georgetown Dominoes Association (GDA), in collaboration with the National Sports Commission (NSC), celebrates the life of Faye Joseph (past president of the GDA and the Guyana National Dominoes Federation (GNDF), in the form of a memorial dominoes tournament.

During her tenure at the helm of the GDA, Joseph sponsored many tournaments including the traditional Mother’s and Father’s Day competitions and the game grew tremendously. She also served as a role model and motivated many players as Guyana won the World Council male Three-Hand title under her tenure.

Her astute leadership impressed many and the business community was persuaded to lend support, which was instrumental in Guyana’s hosting of the World Council of Dominoes Federation (WCDF) tournament.

Joseph got involved in dominoes in 2008 when she rendered support to the national female team that competed in the World Council of Dominoes Federation (WCDF) tournament in Antigua. The team went on to win the Three-Hand title.

In 2010, the late Joseph provided financial support for the team to defend their title in St Lucia and she

Former GDA president Faye Joseph passed away on June 4, 2021

subsequently formed the Blue Birds club which started playing competitively.

Joseph went on to represent Guyana at the WCDF tournament in 2012 in Orlando and also turned out for her country in 2014.

Joseph sponsored a number of local teams for tournaments in Puerto Rico, Antigua and Barbados and in 2015 was elected president of the GNDF. She continued to impress and in 2019 was elected as one of the vice-presidents of the WCDF. Joseph took the game to another level with her leadership skills and practissd zero tolerance to indiscipline. She was also remembered as a strong woman who was always willing to assist players and teams and has surely left a rich legacy.

Joseph will be remem-

bered as a big thinker, who actualised the thoughts. She led Guyana into participating twice in the Spanish League.

Her benevolence to those in need was unmatched. Her positivity was another great hallmark. Simply put, she was a woman for all seasons.

When news of her sudden demise reached the fraternity, there was an outpouring of sadness and grief as fellow dominoes captains, players, supporters and family members pledged support to keep her legacy alive.

Games will commence at 17:00hrs on Saturday and will take the form of two rounds of aggregate, thereafter two-in-one-out to the finals which will conclude on Sunday starting at 13:00hrs.

There will be an early-bird registration which commenced last Monday, with the registration fee being $12 000 up until Friday and thereafter $15 000 will be rigidly enforced.

Minister of Sport, Hon. Charles Ramson, and Director of Sport, Steve Ninvalle, will be in attendance to declare the countrywide tournament open and all teams are invited to participate.

Prizes for this event are $300 000, $150 000, $75 000 and $40 000 for first-, second-, third- and fourth-teams respectively, to be complemented with trophies and a lien trophy.

The MVP will pocket $20 000. All GDA rules will be in effect.

Zverev beats Alcaraz to reach Paris semi-finals The late Esmee Claudette Foster

“We are fully aware that our president has taken the death of his mom very hard and it is our sincere prayer that Jesus would bless and comfort the family especially her sons Keith, Alex and Hilbert during this difficult time”.

Meanwhile, the funeral of Esmee Claudette Foster will take place on Thursday at the St Francis Xavier Roman Catholic Church in Port Mourant, Berbice at 14:00hrs.

THIRD seed Alexander Zverev reached the French Open semi-finals for the second successive year after surviving teenage sensation Carlos Alcaraz's fightback.

Continuing his quest for a maiden Grand Slam title, Zverev won 6-4, 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (9-7) against the sixth seed.

The German, 25, served strongly and was superb from the back of court, but 19-yearold Alcaraz made too many errors.

A semi-final against defending champion Novak Djokovic or 13-time winner Rafael Nadal, who meet next, awaits Zverev.

"I knew I had to play my absolute best tennis from the start," said Zverev.

Alexander Zverev will contest the fifth Grand Slam semi-final of his career

"He is an incredible player and I told him at the net he will win this tournament many times, not just once.

"I hope I can win it once before he does - and starts beating us all."

Spain's Alcaraz improved his level to force a fourth set which hung captivatingly in the balance and created a fervent atmosphere on Court Philippe-Chatrier.

A double fault from Alcaraz on a break point at 4-4 gave Zverev an opportunity to serve out victory, but the youngster broke back and then sent the set into a tie-break.

The pair produced the highest quality of the whole contest amid the tension, with Zverev taking his second match point with a sweet backhand winner.

"I had to stay calm throughout the whole match, even though I feel like I left chances in the third set behind," he added. (BBC Sport)

31

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Wednesday June 1, 2022

Former West Indies all-rounder Holford dies BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (CMC) – Former Barbados captain and West Indies leg-spin bowling all-rounder David Holford died here, Monday, after a lengthy illness.

The icon, who turned 82 last month, was a consistent, respected and successful player for Barbados, whom he captained 26 times in the West Indies Championship and led to seven titles.

He played 24 Tests that yielded 768 runs at an average of 22.58, and captured 51 wickets at 39.39 apiece.

President of the Barbados Cricket Association (BCA) and Cricket West Indies director, Conde Riley, described Holford as “a no-nonsense person”.

“He always spoke about what Barbados’ cricket meant to Barbados, and he paid a lot of attention to the preparation of our national

teams,” Riley said in a tribute on the BCA’s website.

“As chairman of the West Indies selection panel, he was responsible for picking Shivnarine Chanderpaul at a very young age, and the rest is history.”

Tall and slim, Holford developed into a generally accurate leg-spinner and more than reliable batter with a stylish drive, leading to his debut for West Indies on the 1966 Tour of England.

Holford toured England in 1966, India in 1966-67, Australasia in 1968-69, and played at home against England in 1968, India in 1971 and 1976, New Zealand in 1972, and Pakistan in 1977.

After Joe Solomon retired from Tests in 1966, Holford appeared to be the obvious choice to replace him and started well in his first Test against England in 1966 at Old Trafford.

Late West Indies all-rounder David Holford

He shared a century stand with his cousin (Sir) Garfield Sobers, and then bowled well in tandem with Sobers and Lance Gibbs, frustrating the English with their accurate spin bowling.

Holford’s finest hour on the international stage turned into a family affair in only his second Test, when he

shared a record unbroken sixth-wicket stand of 274 with Sobers, and West Indies almost snatched an unlikely win in the drawn second Test at Lord’s.

He came to the crease with West Indies in strife on 95 for five, leading by nine, and made an unbeaten 105, which was his only Test hundred.

After his exploits in England, Holford started the 1966-67 Tour of India strongly, scoring 80 in his only innings and taking five wickets in the first Test at Bombay, now Mumbai.

But he suffered a severe bout of pleurisy – inflammation of the tissue between the lungs and ribcage – and the illness kept Holford out of the rest of the tour and seemed to take some of the zest out of his game.

He was never entirely out of the reckoning, however,

and bowled so well against the New Zealanders in 1972 that he was being considered for the post of West Indies captain for the tour of England in 1973.

He was not selected for the trip and had to wait until three years later to make his mark again, when he took a match-winning five for 23 against the Indians in the first Test at Kensington Oval.

Holford later became a recruit to Kerry Packer’s controversial World Series Cricket before his playing career came to an end after the 1979 West Indies firstclass season.

He also became one of the most successful Barbados captains, leading the national side to five West Indies Championship titles in 1972, 1974, 1976 (shared with Trinidad), 1977, and 1979, and the first two West Indies Super50 Cup titles in

1976 and 1977.

He also scored 3 821 first-class runs with three hundreds and grabbed 253 wickets.

Holford was a consistently outstanding performer in club matches for his beloved club Spartan well into his 50s after leaving his neighbouring alma mater of Harrison College.

After Holford retired from the game, he channelled much of his energy into his career as an agronomist.

He also served in a variety of administrative positions, managing both Barbados and West Indies, heading the Barbados and West Indies selection panels, and also becoming the first chief executive of the West Indies Players Association.

Holford leaves to mourn his wife, Marva and son, Marc.

Holford the ‘quintessential West Indies cricketer’ - Skerritt ST JOHN’S, Antigua (CMC) – Cricket West Indies (CWI) president, Ricky Skerritt, has hailed the late West Indies all-rounder David Holford as “the quintessential West Indies cricketer and ambassador”.

Holford, who played 24 Tests for West Indies between 1966 and 1977, died in his native Barbados late Monday at age 82.

“David Holford epitomised the values of cricket

both on and off the field, and was the quintessential West Indies cricketer and ambassador,” Skerritt said as he paid tribute to the former West Indies manager and convener of selectors.

“As a player he was a top quality all-rounder and captain who gave his utmost at all levels. As an administrator, team manager and pitch curator he demonstrated his ongoing love for the game by his

vision and dedication.

“He had a hand in the development of several young players across the region, not just in cricket but in several other fields of endeavour.

“David’s legacy is therefore one of service and dedication to Barbados and West Indies cricket. CWI hereby extends deepest condolences to his wife, Marva, and all family and friends.”

Holford also excelled

CWI president Ricky Skerritt

with Barbados, leading the nation to seven regional titles as captain between 1972 and 1977.

Following his playing career, Holford was also a successful administrator, becoming the first chief executive of the West Indies Players Association (WIPA).

Current WIPA president and chief executive, Wavell Hinds, praised Holford as a “true gentleman and statesman”.

“It is with deep sadness that we learnt of Mr Holford’s passing,” the former Test left-hander said.

“He was a true gentleman and statesman of the game and West Indies cricket. His contribution as WIPA’s first CEO left pillars on which our organisation currently operates.

“May his family and friends find peace and strength at this sensitive time and may he rest in peace.”

Meusa, Lam crowned national chess champions PAGE

27

Wendell Meusa (left) and teenager Pooja Lam are champions of the GAICO National Open Chess Championship and the KFC/ Guyana-sponsored Women’s Nationals

Tearful Zinchenko wants win for suffering Ukraine

Hope century helps Windies take 1-0 lead …joins Chanderpaul, Greenidge and Richards on 11 ODI hundreds

MSTELVEEN, Holland (CMC) – Stylish Shai Hope struck an 11th One-Day International hundred to move alongside legends Sir Vivian Richards, Sir Gordon Greenidge and Shiv Chanderpaul, as West Indies made light work of the Netherlands in the opening ODI here yesterday.

In frigid temperatures which dipped as low as 11 degrees Celsius at the VRA Ground, Hope carved out an unbeaten 119 from 130 balls, helping the Caribbean side overhaul a target of 247 and win by seven wickets under Duckworth-Lewis.

Shamarh Brooks stroked a typically fluent 60 from 67 balls at the top of the order while Brandon King belted an unbeaten 58 from 51 deliveries, to notch his maiden ODI half-century in his seventh appearance.

The hosts had earlier rallied well to reach 240 for five from their allotted 45 overs, after a 2-¼ hour rain delay forced a reduction in overs, the weather intervening during the 33rd over.

Teja Nidamanuru, entering at number six, blasted a gallant unbeaten 58 from 51 balls on debut and got support from openers Vikramjit Singh (47) and Max O’Dowd (39) who produced contrasting knocks up front after the Netherlands were sent in.

Left-arm spinner Akeal Hosein (2-29) and medium pacer Kyle Mayers (2-50) finished with two wickets apiece.

“We enjoyed today. We’re happy that we got ten points (in the Super League) and that we got that victory today,” said captain Nicholas Pooran.

“Well done to the guys. I felt like the Holland team were competitive. I thought they batted very well in that power-play, so well played to them as well getting 240.

“The wicket was really nice to bat on but I felt like we took long to adjust to the conditions but I think we came back into the game and bowled really well.”

Vikramjit produced the early fireworks for the hosts, the TURN TO PAGE 27 ►

Oleksandr Zinchenko burst into tears on the eve of his team's crucial World Cup playoff with Scotland as he vowed to give the Ukrainian people "incredible emotions" with victory.

The delayed play-off match will be Ukraine's first since Russia launched its invasion in February.

A win would set up a meeting with Wales for a place at the World Cup in Qatar.

"Every Ukrainian wants one thing - to stop this war," said emotional Manchester City mid- Oleksandr Zinchenko was emotional as he spoke on the eve of Ukraine's World Cup play-off against Scotland fielder Zinchenko.

"I spoke to people He praised the welcome from the Scotfrom different countries, all over the world and I spoke to some land team and staff, as well as plans to disUkrainian kids who just don't understand tribute song sheets to home fans so they can join in the Ukrainian anthem. what's happening back in Ukraine.

Zinchenko, who won the Premier League "They only want the war to stop. They title with City, added: "I would like to say have one dream to stop the war.

"When it comes to football, the team, we as well that a lot of countries maybe don't have our own dream. We want to go to the understand that - today it is Ukraine but World Cup, want to give these incredible tomorrow it can be you.

"So that's why we need to be united and emotions to the Ukrainians because they need to defeat aggression altogether. deserve it so much at this very moment."

"I am sure that the whole of Ukraine will Zinchenko, 25, has shown his emotions on and off the field since the war began and, be watching us. We will feel the support.

"We can talk a lot, but we need to sat inside Hampden Park with his coach Oleksandr Petrakov, he broke down when prove everything on the field. We will try answering a question from a Ukrainian to make our people happy and proud."(BBC Sport) journalist.

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WEDNESDAY, JUNE 1, 2022