Guyana Chronicle E-Paper 16-01-2023

Massive Guyana-India collaborations imminent

THERE will soon be a massive expansion in the collaboration between Indian and Guyanese companies within the coming months, following a visit to India by President, Dr Irfaan Ali.

This was according to the Head of State, during a programme on India’s NDTV, “Left Right and Center.”

President Ali said his visit to India has been an expansive one which will see stronger collaboration between the two countries.

During his visit, he underscored that they are not looking only at government-to-government relationships, but also private-sector collaboration.

Dr Ali related that he was accompanied by a large private-sector delegation, which has the aim of developing consortiums and foster partnerships.

Meagre $343,000 of IDPADA-G’s $100M 2020 allocation went directly to Afro-Guyanese

a massive expansion in the collaboration between Indian companies and Guyanese companies building consortiums and building partnerships.” –– with massive increases in domestic, international travel

ExxonMobil pursues approval of sixth Stabroek Block project

EXXONMOBIL’S local subsidiary, Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL) has submitted its application to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for authorization to execute its sixth development project, Whiptail, in the Stabroek Block offshore Guyana.

In a notice to the public which was published in the Sunday Chronicle, the EPA stated that the company was seeking the necessary approval to carry out the project.

The application for Environmental Authorization is in keeping with the Environmental Protection Act, as the EPA has determined that the project may affect the environment and as such, an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) will be required before decisions as to its approval or rejection can be made

According to the notice, the Whiptail project will be implemented in several stages which include welldrillings and completions; mobilization and installation of subsea equipment; umbilicals, risers and flowlines (SURF); installation of a Floating Production, Storage and offloading (FPSO) facility, production operations and decommissioning.

ExxonMobil in July 2021 struck twice at the Whiptail exploration field, discovering high-quality, sandstone, oil-bearing reservoirs at the Whiptail-1 and Whiptail-2 wells.

The application for authorization said that the

project will be undertaken largely in the marine offshore environment and would require land-based activities for support at marine shore bases.

As a result, the EPA invited members of the public to make written submissions to the agency setting out questions and matters which they require to be answered or considered in the EIA within 28 days.

The Whiptail project would be the sixth such project offshore Guyana being undertaken by the oil company.

The Whiptail discovery is located approximately four miles southeast of the Uaru-1 discovery that was announced in January 2020 and approximately three miles west of the Yellowtail field.

In July of 2021, ExxonMobil’s Senior Vice-President of exploration and new ventures had said that the Whiptail discovery increases the company’s confidence in the resource size and quality in the southeast area of the Stabroek Block and could further form a basis for future development.

At that time ExxonMobil noted, that it envisions at least six projects online by 2027, with the potential for up to 10 projects to develop the current recoverable resource base.

With several new projects ongoing, the company said that these will continue to contribute to advancement of Guyana’s economy, as more than 4,400 Guyanese are supporting activi-

ties on and offshore.

As it is now, the company has four sanctioned projects offshore Guyana.

Of those, Liza Phase One is producing approximately 130,000 barrels per day, using the Liza Destiny floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) vessel, while the Liza Phase Two, which started production in February 2022, is producing 220,000 barrels per day, using the Liza Unity FPSO vessel.

The third project, Pa -

yara, is expected to produce 220,000 barrels per day, using the Prosperity FPSO. It was reported that start-up is likely before this year-end. The fourth project, Yellowtail, is expected to produce 250,000 barrels per day when the One Guyana FPSO comes on stream in 2025.

ExxonMobil is also moving ahead with plans for its fifth development project in the Stabroek Block, Uaru, which is expected to produce up to 250,000 barrels of oil per day.

“These projects will bring huge benefits to Guyana,” President of ExxonMobil Guyana, Alistair Routledge, said during a brief interview released by ExxonMobil.

It was reported that returns from the sector are expected to catapult Guyana to the ranks of wealthiest countries in the Western Hemisphere, thereby increasing the government’s fiscal space to invest in initiatives geared at expanding the economy, and

improving the overall welfare of citizens.

In order to solidify the foundation of Guyana’s economy and enhance the overall well-being and welfare of every Guyanese, the government has said that it is crafting a framework for development that will be sustained through prudent and effective investment of oil funds into education, health, infrastructure and the non-oil sectors.

A map depicting the location of ExxonMobil’s operations offshore Guyana

Massive Guyana-India collaborations imminent

THERE will soon be a massive expansion in the collaboration between Indian and Guyanese companies within the coming months, following a visit to India by President, Dr Irfaan Ali.

This was according to the Head of State, during a programme on India’s NDTV, “Left Right and Center.”

President Ali said his visit to India has been an expansive one which will see stronger collaboration between the two countries.

During his visit, he underscored that they are not looking only at government-to-government relationships, but also private-sector collaboration.

Dr Ali related that he was accompanied by a large private-sector delegation, which has the aim of developing consortiums and foster partnerships.

He said: “I am very confident that within the next three to four months, you will see a massive expansion of the Indian investment footprint in Guyana and a massive expansion in the collaboration between Indian companies and Guyanese companies

building consortiums and building partnerships.”

According to President Ali, those partnerships will be seen in various areas such as the agro-processing sector, oil-and- gas sector, manufacturing, human-resource development and the transfer of technology, among other things.

To this end, he added that he sees the relationship between Guyana and India as one that will expand in a massive way, as transformation is already taking place in Guyana.

Guyana’s position is strengthened by revenues from oil and gas, and the government intends to use

those resources to build a strong, sustainable and resilient economy for 2030 and beyond, that can withstand shocks and even stand on many different pillars.

Further, the Head of State said that Guyana has to use its natural competitive advantages such as the rich natural resources which include

freshwater, arable lands and more.

“What we want to do is position Guyana as a major energy provider, as a major food provider, building a food-production system, becoming a strong supplier of food in the region,” Dr Ali said.

Highlighting some dis -

cussions that were held during his visit, Dr Ali said he engaged the Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi, on how to build a partnership through which India can support the modernisation of Guyana’s military.

He said too that there has been tremendous excitement coming from Prime Minister Modi on expanding the partnership.

President Ali said: “As a matter of fact, we are moving so quickly we have agreed to set up a technical working group.”

The Head of State indicated that from Guyana’s side, ministers will sit as co-chairs for these technical groups to be able to remove the bureaucracy and works can be advanced smoothly in all the areas identified.

“We have expressed a strong desire to have Prime Minister Modi visit Guyana this year so that we can solidify and concretise many of the initiatives we discussed,” President Ali said, noting that the Prime Minister is working on ensuring that this happens quickly.

Budget 2023 to further enhance livelihoods, spur investment

country of ours,” he added.

WITH continued focus on improving lives and creating opportunities for all Guyanese, the nation will again witness the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) government unveiling a host of wellthought-out measures to aggressively transform the country.

Senior Minister in the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance, Dr Ashni Singh is expected to present the 2023 fiscal package to the National Assembly today.

Speaking with the Department of Public Information (DPI) on Friday, Minister Singh said the budget will be implemented through a variety of direct and indirect initiatives, with

key emphasis on promoting private investment, job creation, and skills training.

He said the budget is in line with President, Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali’s philosophy of “One Guyana,” which emphasises the need for unity and for citizens to benefit equitably from Guyana’s ongoing transformation.

“As has always been the case with budgets presented by the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic government, budget 2023 will continue to do the things and to deliver the things that are necessary to improve the lives of all Guyanese people,” he said.

Moreover, measures were strategically inserted, which will see significant

investments in infrastructure, education, and healthcare, among other areas.

The senior minister stated that the budget is part of a broader plan to create a more prosperous and inclusive society, where all citizens have the opportunity to succeed and thrive.

“The fact that we are all

united around the common cause of advancing and developing our country, and the fact that we must all participate in and benefit from the exciting and incredibly exciting transformation that is taking place, and that even more so will continue to take place in the future in this beautiful

Additionally, Minister Singh noted that the 2023 budget will also ensure that non-oil growth remains strong, while laying the foundation for a robust oil sector.

Upon assuming office in August 2020, President Ali had set out to restore Guyana’s reputation as a favourable destination for private investment and business.

Dr Singh reminded that Guyana’s private sector faced significant challenges during the 2015 to 2020 period.

And despite the country preparing for the start of oil production then, the economy grew at a sluggish rate, and the non-oil sectors, such as agriculture, were neglected and negatively impacted by political decisions.

He said the PPP/C administration made major efforts to restart several projects and attract private investment, leading to a recovery of private sector-led growth in the non-oil economy.

The government also made it clear that it values the role of the private sector in creating jobs and generating income for households.

The strong growth seen in the economy since the government’s return to office is a reflection of this, as private companies are investing, expanding, and creating jobs. Minister Singh said the administration is committed to working with the private sector to create more opportunities for Guyanese and improve the overall economic well-being of the country. (DPI)

–– in agro-processing, oil-and-gas sector, manufacturing, human-resource development and ‘tech’

transfer, President Ali says

President, Dr Irfaan Ali and Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi (Office of the President photo)

Nepal crash: Dozens killed as plane crashes near Pokhara airport

DOZENS of people have been killed after a plane with 72 people on board crashed near an airport in central Nepal.

The Yeti Airlines flight from Kathmandu to the tourist town of Pokhara crashed on landing before catching fire.

Videos posted on social media show an aircraft flying low over a populated area before banking sharply.

At least 68 people are confirmed to have died, officials said. Several critically

injured survivors were taken to a hospital, unconfirmed reports said.

Local resident, Divya Dhakal, told the BBC how she rushed to the crash site after seeing the aircraft plunge from the sky shortly after 11:00 am local time (05:15 GMT).

“By the time I was there, the crash site was already crowded. There was huge smoke coming from the flames of the plane. And then helicopters came over in no time,” she said.

According to flight tracking website Flightradar24, the 15-year-old twinengine ATR 72 stopped transmitting position data at 05:05 GMT and the last signal from the aircraft was received at 05:12

“The pilot tried his best to not hit civilisation or any home,” she adding: “There was a small space right beside the Seti River and the flight hit the ground in that small space.”

The flight set out with 68 passengers on board, including at least 15 foreign nationals, and four crew members.

According to flight tracking website Flightradar24, the 15-year-old twin-engine ATR 72 stopped transmitting position data at 05:05 GMT and the last signal from the aircraft was received at 05:12.

Hundreds of Nepalese soldiers were involved in the operation at the crash site in the gorge of the Seti, just one and a half kilometres from the airport.

The search operation has been suspended for the day, officials say.

Video taken where the plane came down showed thick billowing black smoke and burning debris.

“We expect to recover more bodies,” an army spokesman told Reuters, saying the plane “has broken into pieces”.

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal called an emergency meeting of his Cabinet and urged state agencies to work on rescue operations. A panel to investigate the cause of the crash has been set up.

Of the passengers, 53 are said to be Nepalese. There were five Indian, four Russians and two Koreans on the plane. There was also one passenger each from Ireland, Australia, Argentina and France among others.

Aviation accidents are not uncommon in Nepal, often due to its remote runways and sudden weather changes that can make for hazardous conditions.

A Tara Air plane crashed in May 2022 in the northern Nepalese district of Mustang, killing 22 people.

In early 2018, 51 people were killed when a USBangla flight travelling from Dhaka in Bangladesh caught fire as it landed in Kathmandu.

The European Union has banned Nepalese airlines from its airspace over concerns about training and maintenance standards in the country’s aviation industry. (BBC)

US Coast Guard crews repatriate over 900 Caribbean migrants

THE United States (US) Coast Guard says that crews patrolling the Florida Straits and Windward and Mona Passes in the Caribbean Sea prevented hundreds of illegal Caribbean migrants from reaching the United States by sea from January 6 to 13.

In a statement on Saturday, the US Coast Guard said that this past week, Coast Guard cutter crews repatriated 824 Cubans to Matanzas and Cabanas, Cuba, and 83 Haitians to Cap Haitien, Haiti.

A US Coast Guard crew rescued 17 Cuban migrants stranded on Elbow Cay, Bahamas and transferred them to Royal Bahamian Defence Force authorities for removal at the request of the Bahamian Government, the US Coast Guard said.

Coast Guard cutter and station crews interdicted 13 illegal ventures preventing 239 migrants from landing on US shores.

“Migrants interdicted at sea were transferred to Coast Guard cutters, where they were provided humanitarian

care including food, water, shelter and any basic medical attention they needed,” the US Coast Guard said in

a statement, further noting: “Migrants without a legal basis to enter the United States are repatriated to their coun-

try of origin or departure.”

“We urge anyone considering attempting the always dangerous and very often deadly illegal maritime migration routes to not risk their lives by taking to the sea,” said Rear Admiral Brendan McPherson, commander of the Seventh Coast Guard District and director of Homeland Security Task Force – Southeast.

“Our HSTF-SE crews will rescue and repatriate anyone trying to enter the United States illegally by sea,”

he added, noting: “Southeast maritime border incursions will result in your removal and ineligibility for legal immigration options.”

The US White House and Department of Homeland Security recently announced new, legal pathways for those wishing to come to the United States.

“Cubans and Haitians who enter by sea will be placed in removal proceedings and will be ineligible for the parole process as a result,” the US Coast Guard said. (CMC)

UNDP: Shift to green energy shouldn’t become debt burden for developing world

THE head of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Achim Steiner, says the shift to renewable energy should not result in developing countries, such as those in the Caribbean, becoming even more indebted to the rich nations that created the climate crisis in the first instance.

“If you want to achieve a world in which 1.5 degrees remains even remotely a possibility, we have to stop living in denial and assuming that some of the poorest countries that are already indebted and are facing a fiscal crisis after COVID-19 should now borrow even more money from the rich world in order to finance their accelerated transition towards clean energy,” Steiner told journalists covering the 13th IRENA Assembly.

Caribbean countries and other small island developing states have been trying to convince the international community that containing global temperature rise to below 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial level is necessary to prevent worsening of already catastrophic impacts of climate change.

“Let us be clear, the world is nowhere near where it needs to be,” Steiner said, adding that many countries have advanced extraordinarily fast, proving that it is possible to provide 90 per cent of electricity on the national generation infrastructure from renewable sources.

“There is an irony in this expectation that I think needs to be challenged and not in the sense that we are just talking about transferring money from north to south,” he noted.

Steiner said the world needs to stop looking at the challenge of access to clean energy “as simply a lending operation where the poorest countries that have the greatest need to create access to electricity have to become borrowers”.

He urged that the issue be looked at from “a co-investment perspective,” adding that much of the UNDP’s current work is focusing on how to help countries “de-risk their investment environment” while working with the international financial system meaning — public and investors–to actually mobilise investments rather than just loans.

Steiner stated that otherwise: “The poorest people will have to use their tax revenues to repay the richest people in the world for compensating for something that they have had very little role in causing, but are now actually at the frontier of the impact”.

He said that rich and poor countries are partners in the transition to renewable energy.

“We are not competitors in this transition, and much of what the United Nations brings to this debate is hopefully the ability to unify governments, investors, companies, and technology providers, ultimately enabling us to still have a remote chance of staying within a 1.5-degree world,” he explained.

The UNDP administrator said that the reality is that currently there are 700 million people without access to electricity.

“And this is why we committed as UNDP to support 500 million people to gain access to clean and affordable energy in the coming four years,” Steiner said.

But he told reporters that the challenge for many developing countries “is not to tackle climate change as a free-standing problem, but rather to look at how their economy, how their society, how their financial system their energy systems can best, anticipate a world in which decarbonisation is unequivocally going to be the reality…”

He said this is “not magic” as there are countries that currently generate 70 to 90 per cent of their national electricity needs with

renewables.

“It’s the product of something far more systematic, beginning with national leadership,” he said, adding that leadership from government, business and society is the one factor that explains why some countries have advanced quickly and others have been slower.

Steiner said the world should not allow “the narrative of concessional borrowing to mask the fact that the richer world will need to invest in the poorer world

being able to pivot into a clean energy matrix not only because of decarbonisation but precisely because of development”.

He said that if poor people remain locked in an economy without access to electricity, “do not be surprised if at some

point, the lights shining over the other side of the Atlantic, the Mediterranean, the Indian Ocean, are so bright when you sit in the dark of the night, that you will say as a young person, I have no hope here. I have to go somewhere else.” (CMC)

Budget Day

GUYANESE turn their attention today to the National Assembly, where Senior Minister in the Office of the President with Responsibility for Finance, Dr Ashni Singh, will introduce yet another document that further outlines the transformational agenda of the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) administration.

The PPP/C, since being elected to office in 2020, has worked without rest to ensure that the lives of every Guyanese are improved in one way or another.

President, Dr. Irfaan Ali has led his team day and night to communities across the country, to observe how the government’s services are being implemented, and to listen to the individual and collective concerns of residents regardless of their political affiliation, religion or any other personal feature/ characteristic.

It is through widespread engagement with not just

residents but also members of civil society, the private sector, trade unions and other key stakeholders, and careful planning, that the government has been able to craft plans that are people-centred and effective.

The outcomes of those discussions supplement the party’s own plans, which are outlined in its manifesto— a document that might need a few more pages given the rate at which the PPP/C government is fulfilling its promises.

What is commendable is that the government has been able to achieve its preconceived targets and, simultaneously, devise measures that address the impacts of global economic conditions created by the COVID-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine, and other factors.

There have been significant global price increases over the past two years because of the existing economic conditions, but Guyana has been able to mitigate

some of the impacts of this phenomenon through prudent fiscal planning and strategic welfare measures.

The government was commended for its response by the IDB in its recent report: “Headwinds facing the Post-Pandemic Recovery.”

“One important approach is to provide additional, targeted assistance to lowerincome groups, including the elderly. For example, in Guyana, the government’s public assistance payments for vulnerable groups were increased from US$57 to US$67 per month, benefitting approximately 18,000 people. The Old Age Pension Programme, which benefits approximately 65,000 senior citizens, also provided a series of increases that raised the monthly payment from US$98 in 2020 to US$134 in 2022,” the report noted.

Moreover, at the micro level, to support productive sectors and vulnerable

populations, the government introduced several policies.

“The excise tax on petroleum was reduced from 20 to 10 percent in January, then reduced further to zero in March. Tariffs on public utility services such as water and electricity have remained fixed, with the government absorbing higher operating costs. In addition, US$4.8 million was allocated for the purchase and distribution of fertilizer for farmers to reduce operating costs, and US$ 3.8 million was distributed in the form of one-time cash grants for households in the rural interior and riverain communities (US$120 per household),” the report noted.

In addition to those measures, the government was also able to make critical capital provisions to advance the infrastructural transformation of Guyana’s landscape.

The country’s Ministry of Public Works, for instance, was allotted the largest portion of the government’s his-

toric $552.9 billion Budget 2022.

Some $96.1 billion was allocated to the ministry, which is responsible for the country’s infrastructure. Of that sum, $88 billion covered capital expenses, of which $76.7 billion was used for roads and bridges.

There were also other critical allocations under other ministries that catered for the construction and rehabilitation of schools and healthcare facilities, among other things.

With the platform set for further development, VicePresident Bharrat Jagdeo has already affirmed that citizens could expect measures consistent with the framework and goals that the PPP/C government administration established very early on.

“There’s consistency in every budget and that is needed in economic policymaking. This budget is not a PR document, it is a policy document with resources to support the goals that we

have outlined through our national development strategy or our manifesto.

“So, some people look for newness all the time, but it’s more a solid, sturdy, foundation- type budget that moves us forward, that pays particular attention to all resources and how we utilise them to create the conditions of future growth,” the VicePresident said in a recent interview.

Dr Singh has said too: “It comprises the things that we committed to the people of Guyana, that we will deliver, and therefore guides all that we do as a government. The manifesto has, therefore, been translated into successive annual budgets aimed at delivering these manifesto commitments.”

Considering the government’s track record and the prior commitments by officials, there is no doubt that Budget 2023 will be anything short of transformative, progressive and inclusive.

Regional allocation of public financial resources

Dear Editor,

I WRITE with reference to a letter from Rennie Parris, who sought to respond to my letter published in the Guyana Chronicle edition dated January 14, 2023, on the subject of regional allocation of budgetary resources by the central government.

I must acknowledge that the author’s technical

analysis is correct, save and except for one assumption he made in his letter which I need to clarify.

The author posited that I have suggested in my argument that Region Four does not need more budgetary allocations.

This is a misinterpretation on the part of the author. The development needs of the entire country–that is, across all re -

gions are too many.

In this regard, I had done some conservative estimates about three years ago based on the basic infrastructural needs alone over the next 15 years for Guyana and came up with a number of around US$13 billion to US$20 billion. And this does not include climate adaptation, social welfare, and the next wave of development that will

catapult Guyana into a fully developed economy.

Coming back to the author’s technical analysis, he essentially extended on the analysis I performed, an aspect I did not venture to do because as I mentioned in my letter, to do so one would need to ascertain the total budgetary allocations to each region, including those through the central government

apparatus.

And of course, considering that, the need for each region would be different. But to do this level of deep-dive analysis, one would have to delve into the budget estimates (which would be a tedious task) to ascertain the allocations that cuts across all of the regions in physical infrastructure, education, health,

social welfare, etc…. To demonstrate the point, I gave one example of two major road projects in Region Four while noting that the true total allocation would be much higher.

So, yes, apart from these clarifications, the author’s analysis is spot on.

Yours faithfully, Joel Bhagwandin

Bhagwandin needs to account for population density in his analysis

Dear Editor, JOEL Bhagwandin, a financial analyst, criticized Nigel Hughes’s analysis of the central government’s regional budgetary allocation.

In Mr Bhagwandin’s letter to the editor titled “Exposing the flawed analysis by Nigel Hughes,” published in Saturday’s edition of the Guyana Chronicle, he made

the conclusion that since Region Four’s budgetary spending is the highest per Km2 amongst all the regions, the regional government is adequately spending on Region Four residents. For a second, I thought I was reading a comedic article, but tragically this was no joke.

Every self-respecting global publication measures spending per capita, which

Homage to Dr Martin Luther King Jr

JANUARY 15 was the 94th birth anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The day is a national holiday in the United States, in honour of the role he played in the civil rights movement in the United States of America.

In fact, he was assassinated in 1968, but he lived to see the passage of two important pieces of legislation, namely the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Prior to 1965, the franchise was limited and Blacks, especially women were denied the right to vote and were subjected to all manner of discrimination and indignity.

However, it was his speech at the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC that endeared him in the hearts of millions of people across the world. His speech in 1963, “I have a Dream,” turned out to be a rallying cry in the civil rights movement and one of the most iconic speeches in American history.

His call for civil disobedience and nonviolent forms of struggle to end segregation and for racial equality resonated with people not only in the United States but throughout the world. Thanks to his struggle, race relations in the United States have improved significantly.

Like the United States,

Guyana has made much progress in terms of race relations, especially when compared to the turbulent 1960s.

Unfortunately, there are still persons who continue to beat the race drum in an attempt to score cheap political points.

The Racial Hostility Act makes it a criminal offence in Guyana for persons who incite racial hostility, but there are still a few in our midst who continue to spew the “poison” of race in apparent violation of the law.

Such attempts are dysfunctional to a peaceful and harmonious society. The good thing is that Guyanese today are much more politically matured to fall prey to the politics of race. As pointed out by the late Dr. King, people ought not to be judged by the colour of their skin but by the strength of their character.

There are some who are quick to attribute the factor of “race” despite how well-meaning and good an activity may be from a developmental perspective.

As we reflect on the life and work of Dr. King, we need to join hands and hearts to create a society in which there is social cohesion and ethnic harmony.

Yours respectfully, Hydar Ally

means spending per person living within the country. That’s why we use GDP per capita, healthcare spending per capita, infrastructural spending per capita, budgetary spending per capita, and so forth.

Governments would measure spending per capita to determine how many resources are being spent per resident. In addition, it allows us to compare spending across many countries with different population sizes.

For the sake of argument, let’s explore Mr Bhagwandin’s analysis. In the letter to the editor, Mr Bhagwandin states, “Region Three, which has a population density of 29 persons per Km2 with a size of 3,755 Km2, the capital allocation of $898 million represents $239,000 per Km2.

“Region Four, on the other hand, is the smallest administrative region with only 2,232 Km2 and the highest population density of 140 persons per Km2. As such, the capital allocation for Region Four per Km2 represents $350,000 per Km2.”

“Region Six is the third largest administrative region of the 10 regions, with a low population density of three persons per Km2 and the lowest capital allocation per Km2; relative to Region Four, Region Six represents $27,000 per Km2.”

Mr Bhagwandin concludes: “The capital projects for Region Four are the highest per Km2, considering as well that Region Four has the highest population density relative to all the other administrative regions.”

In Mr Bhagwandin’s economics, he failed to account for population density.

Region Four’s population density is 4.8x that of Region Three’s (140 persons per Km2 / 29 persons per Km2) and 46.7x that of Region Six’s (140 persons per Km2 / three persons per Km2).

Using the density-size difference between Region Four and that of Region Three, the spending per Km2 for Region Four should have been $1,147,000 per Km2 (4.8 x $239,000 per Km2). This means that when compared to Region Three, Region Four’s total budgetary allocation should have been $2.6 billion instead of $782 million.

Using the density-size difference between Region Four and that of Region Six, the spending per Km2 for

Region Four should have been $1,261,000 per Km2 (46.7 x $27,000 per Km2). This means that when compared to Region Six, Region Four’s budgetary allocation should have been $2.8 billion instead of $782 million.

Mr Bhagwandin goes on to state that since the central government spends a lot of money in Region Four, the Region Four government doesn’t need more in budgetary allocation. Who in their right mind believes this?

The regional government is an autonomous government and needs adequate resources to service its constituents. Region Four has the lion’s share of the country’s people and naturally will need the most resources to service its residents.

Yours Truly, Rennie Parris, CFA

Meagre $343,000 of IDPADA-G’s $100M 2020

allocation went directly to Afro-Guyanese

he had made.

Alexander is also seeking a public apology, and the retraction of the information that was broadcasted over the electronic media.

period 2018 to 2022.

Vice-President Bharrat Jagdeo

THE International Decade for People of African Descent AssemblyGuyana (IDPADA-G) received $100 million of State funds in 2020, but only $343,000 in grants were disbursed to ordinary Afro-Guyanese, while $42 million went to paying salaries and allowances.

This information is a part of the audited financial statements of the not-for-

profit company.

Lawyers for Vice-President Bharrat Jagdeo will be using this as evidence in a lawsuit brought by Vincent Alexander in his capacity as Chairman of IDPADA-G.

According to the lawsuit drafted by Attorney-atLaw Eusi Anderson, Alexander is claiming in excess of $150 million for damages and special damages from Jagdeo for statements

The Statement of Claim lists Jagdeo, the Department of Public Information (DPI), and the AttorneyGeneral of Guyana as respondents.

The Vice-President, in his defence, claimed that IDPADA-G, of which Alexander is listed as a beneficial owner, holds itself out to be a representative organisation for the advancement and development of Afro-Guyanese and persons of African Descent in Guyana.

According to the VP, IDPADA-G received approximately $500 million of State funds during the

In the year 2020, the said company received $100 million, of which approximately $42 million was paid as salaries and allowances, while only $343,000 was actually disbursed by way of grants.

In his court document, lawyers for the VP outlined that only “a small proportion” of the said State funds have been disbursed as grants to ordinary AfroGuyanese.

As such, in his defence, the Vice-President contended that he’d received numerous complaints from persons in the Afro- Guyanese community and the intended beneficiaries of the said sums that they have been unable to access the same, and have been excluded from any and all decisions regarding the use and allocation.

Lawyers for the VP contend that the payment of about $343,000 or 0.343% of the annual allocation for the ultimate the benefit of Afro-Guyanese and the payment of about $42,000,000 or 42% of the said allocation as salaries was akin to “parasitism”.

“The term ‘parasite’ was used to refer to the consistent conduct of the Claimant and other members of International Decade for People of African Descent Assembly- Guyana Inc. in allocating a large portion of the said State funds to their own use and benefit.

“The term “parasite” was used to refer to the fact that …the Claimant and other members of International Decade for People of African Descent Assembly- Guyana Inc. were the principal beneficiaries of the said funds. The Claimant derived a greater benefit from the said funds than the recipients of grants disbursed by International Decade for People of African Descent AssemblyGuyana Inc,” Jagdeo’s defence document read.

Among other things, the Vice President is contending that he is “politi-

cally, legally and morally” enjoined and duty bound to speak out and condemn acts of illegalities, corruption, nepotism and cronyism and has a further duty to expose excesses, abuse of power, mismanagement, incompetence in public office, misuse of state resources and violations of the law and the Constitution.

As such, he said, the words complained of by Alexander, were fair comments and an expression of honest opinions on matters of public importance. The words were published on a matter of public importance and their publication was for the public benefit.

Additionally, DPI and the Attorney General denied that the said publications were defamatory, false or malicious as alleged or at all or capable of any defamatory meaning whatsoever.

According to DPI, if it desisted from publishing the statements, it would have been censoring matters of public interest and failing in its duty to keep the public informed of current events involving the disbursement and expenditure of public funds pursuant to Article 146 of the Constitution of the Republic of Guyana.

It contends that the statements published were “fair comments” on matters of public interest and in line with journalistic principles.

In August 2022, the Guyana Rastafari Council took a swipe on social media at leaders of IDPADA-G and questioned the methodology used to select

groups to benefit from the funding they had received from the Government of Guyana since 2018.

In the statement, the Rastafari Council said that there are 40 “black groups” in the assembly, but alleged that the only three signatories to the organisation’s bank account are all from one group, Cuffy 250 Committee.

The group further claimed that it refused to join the “political bandwagon” of IDPADA-G leading up to the 2020 General and Regional Elections (GRE), which, the council said, caused them to be side-lined by IDPADA-G.

“IDPADA-G was basically hijacked by Cuffy 250 and funded by the former gov [sic] to campaign during the last election. Because we didn’t join their political bandwagon they sidelined us and we had to leave,” the Rastafari Council had said through its Facebook page.

IDAPA-G was created as the local coordinating mechanism for activities under the United Nations resolution dedicating a decade (2015 – 2024) to addressing the challenges confronting people of African Descent globally.

The organisation is registered as a private limited liability company, with the principals including Alexander and Dr. Norman T. Ng-A-Qui.

The organisation consists of the General Assembly, a Co-ordinating Council, a Secretariat and Sub-committees, and is expected to promote economic advancement and empowerment of AfroGuyanese.

IDPADA-G Chairman Vincent Alexander

PPP/C Government’s approach to squatting is the best option

–– Minister McCoy says

THE People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) administration’s focus continues to be people-centered, based upon an understanding that development must be for all, especially given the unique transformative opportunities that Guyana has seen in recent years, Minister within the Office of the President Kwame McCoy has said.

The minister, in his response to the Stabroek News column, “The minority report”, said the government’s approach to development is felt across all sectors of the economy, particularly the housing sector, which has a programme that has been revitalised with the return of the PPP/C’s administration to office.

“Given the recent successful removal of the Mocha squatters, who were preventing the completion of the much-needed new East Bank Demerara highway, there has been an increased spotlight on the issue of squatting.

“Notwithstanding, there is the misplaced view being peddled by the APNU+ AFC and certain political actors that squatting must be seen as the acceptable way, as though it is an innate right for Guyanese to set up makeshift structures on private and State-owned lands for the purpose of squatting,” Minister McCoy said.

This “flawed view”, he related, is being amplified by columnists and commentators such as the Stabroek News’ ‘The Minority Report’, which is penned by Akola Thompson.

“Squatting is illegal, and there can be no justification for doing so. Not surprisingly, the PNC-led opposition and columnists are dog-whistling with the

narrative which suggests that only Afro-Guyanese are squatters, and are dis-

advantaged from accessing financing.

“Persons who support this view are drawing upon outdated studies and reports, and they are equally culpable for encouraging families to remain impoverished by squatting in some of the most deplorable conditions,” Minister McCoy lamented.

The approach to housing development is not more squatting; it never was, and it will never will be, he affirmed.

Guyana’s housing programme suffered major setbacks as a result of the APNU+AFC’s lackluster approach that reduced Guyanese seeking land to “beggars in their own homeland”.

According to Minister McCoy: “Ordinary Guyanese were punished, as there were no attempts to address the financial disparity in homeownership.

Instead, the ‘Coalition’ focused on enriching themselves, their families, and a few of their elite friends.

APNU+AFC administration. During this period, the coalition also gifted acres of commercial land, twice the size of Barbados, to its few friends.”

Since returning to office in 2020, after fending off an undemocratic attempt to rig the elections, President Dr. Irfaan Ali has delineated a pragmatic and inclusive agenda that addresses the decades-old issue of squatting through the opening up new lands for affordable housing development, with accompanying infrastructural works to ensure roads, water and electricity are provided.

Last year, the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) surpassed the target of 10,000 house lots distribution that pushed the total number of allocations over 20,000 in two years.

Currently, hundreds of housing units are being constructed across Regions Three, Four, Six and 10, targeting low and moderate-income families, as

well as young professionals. And, the President’s vision for building a massive new city along the Soesdyke- Linden Highway will see major progress in 2023.

The government has

designed a new initiative to assist Guyanese families who own government or private lands to access financing and build their homes. Through this programme, applicants could select from three pre-de-

signed housing models of $7 million, $9 million and $12 million, and pre-qualify for loans with financial institutions.

“Several banks are supporting the initiative that will also lend technical support to homeowners, as homes will be built by contractors, and monitored by engineers of the Central Housing and Planning Authority for quality control,” Minister McCoy said.

He reiterated that the PPP/C has a proven track record of addressing squatting.

Currently, there are 175 areas that have been identified by the government for the purposes of regularization, and, so far, over 21,000 households have either been regularised or relocated to titled lands.

“Government’s thrust is to end squatting by providing avenues to legal homeownership,” the minister affirmed.

“A mere 5,000 house lots were distributed during the five years of the

Berbice residents welcome upgraded community roads

AFTER years of inconvenience, scores of Region Six residents now have access to rehabilitated roads in their communities.

Minister of Public Works, Bishop Juan Edghill, recently visited the region over a two-day period to engage hundreds of residents, to inspect current and finished infrastructural projects, and to make various announcements about upcoming enhancements for the county.

Residents of Crabwood Creek, Little India, and Little Africa were very happy with their new roads, with many saying that this is the first time in years that efforts were made to improve their lives.

Latchmie Persaud, a resident of Crabwood Creek, related that the condition of the road in her community was bad. “We were waiting years, so we feel nice now that we have a new road,” she told the Department of Public Information (DPI).

Similar sentiments were expressed by Indra Dit.

“There was just a mud dam here, so it’s much better now. There’s easier access to

everyone,” she said, according to the DPI.

Meanwhile, Bobby Davis, a resident of Little India, noted, “we’re very satisfied with the road. The area is now more secure.”

Residents of Little Africa were also appreciative of the government’s intervention which lead to improved roads in their community.

Raven LaRose commended the government and said, “They did the road nice … we now get to walk through the street, so I have no complaints.”

Another resident, Terron

Nelson, proclaimed, “I am grateful that this work has been done, because since we came to this community the road has been really bad, and I am happy that we can now walk, ride and drive on this road now. I must say thanks to the government, and on behalf of the people of Little Africa, we thank you.”

Additionally, Aubrey Hunt expressed his gratitude, adding, “It was a great job that the government did. We are so happy about it because it really brightened up the community. We’re so thankful for the help from the government because we were in a really swampy and

muddy environment. We’re also thankful for Minister Edghill, because he came here and did his best, and was very cooperative.”

According to the DPI, the work was undertaken by the ministry’ s Special Projects Unit and numerous residents remarked on how quickly construction was completed.

This was the result of Vice-President Dr Bharrat Jagdeo’s visit to those communities in June 2021, during which the residents highlighted a number of issues, including the upgrading of roads and rehabilitation of drainage structures, DPI said.

No US$5,000 fee for Suriname fishing licence

–– Minister Mustapha says

AGRICULTURE Minister Zulfikar Mustapha has debunked claims that Guyanese fisherfolks will have to pay a hefty sum of US$5,000 (G$1,000,000) for a Suriname fishing licence.

Mustapha, in an invited comment, said that checks with the various fisheries co-operative societies were made and no such reports were filed to the ministry.

“No fisherman has brought that to my knowledge…. Fishermen have not paid any licence fee as yet… I questioned the chairman of the Number 56 co-op, he told me till in March they will be paying and that claim with the fee is of no such,” Minister Mustapha said.

In November of last year, it was reported that a number of Guyanese vessels will return to Suriname to be registered for fishing in 2023.

Efforts were made by the Guyanese authorities to acquire licences for fisherfolks to operate in Suriname waters without any hassle, and while an agreement was made between the two governments, there has been a delay on the side of the Dutch counterpart.

Last year, following the release of an email sent

by Suriname’s Minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries, Parmanand Sewdien, to Guyana’s Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha, vindicating the agreement for the provision of Suriname fishing licences to Guyanese fisherfolk, Guyana had decided to forge ahead with its decision to write the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) on the delayed delivery.

“They promised us, they made a commitment; also, we would have submitted all the documents that they called for and all that they wanted and we were waiting on them,” Mustapha had said.

The email, which, according to the minister was leaked to Suriname’s parliament, vindicated the Surinamese minister’s promise to issue licences to fisherfolk here in Guyana.

In the email dated December 13, 2020, which was seen by this publication, Suriname’s Agriculture Minister informed Mustapha that the fishing licences would be issued from January 1, 2021.

Additionally, Sewdien wrote that a government company will be appointed to oversee the registration of vessels and issuance of licences to Guyanese fishermen.

During a November 2020 visit to Suriname, Minister Mustapha had met with Minister Sewdien, and requested the issuance of 150 SK licences, which would allow Guyanese fishermen to ply their trade in Suriname waters.

Minister Mustapha recalled the earlier discussions between President, Dr Irfaan Ali and the President of Suriname, Chandrikapersad Santokhi, that there should be an agreement on the issuance of the number of licences requested by Guyana.

At the last meeting of President Ali and President Santokhi in Georgetown, it was agreed that by January 1, 2022, arrangements would have been put in place to facilitate the issuance of the 150 SK licences to Guyanese fishermen.

Guyanese fisherfolks

Minister Edghill stands with Crabwood Creek resident Sumaria Katoom (DPI photos)

Latchmie Persaud

Terron Nelson

Raven LaRose

One of the completed road upgrades

Atlantic Edge Insurance Brokerage officially opens Guyana office

GIVEN the country’s economic expansion and investment opportunities, Atlantic Edge Insurance Brokerage Incorporated has decided to formally introduce its wide range of services to the Guyanese public.

The newly licensed insurance brokerage officially opened its doors on Friday and will operate out of its Georgetown office at Lot 85 David Street, Subryanville.

The company has entered the Guyana market with years of experience in the business from its Caribbean Insurers Limited operations in the British Virgin Islands.

Its objective is to enlighten the public about the best policies and provide services with substantial coverage at reasonable prices.

Managing Director Brian Jermyn asserted that the decision to launch in Guyana stemmed from the noticeable, rapid growth trajectory happening, coupled with investments in a wide range of sectors and interests in multi-national companies.

He stated that Guyanese need more services and products to cater for this economic expansion.

“It is also an exciting time for Guyana. These are times of exponential development which will ultimately lead to the continued future prosperity for all Guyanese residents. With a continued expected increase in the Guyanese economy, we feel that the time is now right to bring our insurance expertise and relationships with strong A-rated insurance companies to provide the necessary insurance products to the people of Guyana,” he said.

Furthermore, Jermyn announced that, “We [Atlantic Edge Insurance Brokerage Incorporated] plan to be not only a brokerage that sells a portfolio of motor, property, casualty, marine, health, and life insurance products, but we also hope to educate the Guyanese public on the importance and value of insurance through education and interactive events.”

For too long, Guyanese have accepted insurance policies with low sums insured, according to Jermyn. The new licensed brokerage intends to change that perspective by providing cost-effective policies with substantial coverage.

The government’s role in

the shift in the economic atmosphere was acknowledged by the Jermyn.

“Atlantic Edge Insurance Brokerage hopes to be part of this expansion and make our contribution to this exciting Guyanese business landscape,” he said.

Meanwhile, the guest speaker, Minister of Legal Affairs and Attorney General, Anil Nandlall, S.C, assured the company that it has the complete support of the government.

Although oil and gas have received a lot of attention, he pointed out that the development of traditional and non-oil sectors have also had a significant impact on the country’s prosperity.

“It is no secret anymore that Guyana is one of the most sought-after investment destinations in the Western Hemisphere. We are growing at a rate that is several times over any other country in the Caribbean. While that is so because of oil and gas, that growth is taking place significantly in the non-oil sector,” the Attorney General emphasised.

Moreover, Nandlall anticipated that the need for insurance will increase to a

level never before seen, due to the fact that the oil-andgas sector is a multi-billion dollar industry that is rapidly growing.

Additionally, Timothy Tucker, President of the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce & Industry attended the launch and commended the company.

Tucker said he agreed with the AG that because of a blooming oil-and-gas sector, Guyanese will need more types of insurance.

“We [Georgetown Chamber of Commerce & Industry] hope to see more access to insurance and the types of insurance going forward. We hope that they [ Atlantic Edge Insurance Brokerage] can really open up the market and of course, competition as always,” he said.

To give its customers a variety of alternatives, the company has teamed up with GTM Fire and Life, CG United Insurance, Hand-In-Hand Insurance, Assuria, Premier Insurance, New India Assurance Company, Demerara Mutual, NALICO/NAFICO, and Diamond Insurance.

From the extreme right, Attorney General, Anil Nandlall; President of the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Timothy Tucker and the Board of Directors of Atlantic Edge Insurance Brokerage

Tourism sector nears full rebound from pandemic ‘shocks’

–– with massive increases in domestic, international travel

By Naomi Parris

TOURISM continues to be one of the sectors hardest hit by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic; however, the outlook for Guyana is bright, with the country recording massive increases in both domestic and international travel.

Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA), Director Kamrul Baksh, during an exclusive interview with the Guyana Chronicle, said that the sector is expected to make a full recovery and has already exceeded global expectations.

“We have attracted a lot of attention because we have a world-class product; our recovery is strong at 83 per cent, far exceeding the global average of 65 per cent,” Baksh said.

To further advance the sector, much focus will be placed on upgrading standards in the industry, improving digital marketing, increasing influencer marketing, as well as raising the service levels, he related.

For the year 2022, Guyana recorded a massive increase in travel at three of the country’s main ports of entry, where an overall total of 717,822 passengers were processed, representing an 82.6 per cent increase in arrivals over 2021.

The number represents passengers processed at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) at Timehri, the Eugene F. Correia Air-

port at Ogle, and at Moleson Creek, Corentyne.

Additionally, the pandemic saw a renewed interest in domestic travel.

President of Visit Rupununi, a local tourism

franchise, Melanie McTur, shared with this publication, that tourism has had ripple effects across the hinterland communties, where tourism is prevalent.

“We have discovered

Herstelling man ‘busted’ with two pounds of cannabis

THIRTY-ONE- YEAROLD Warren Williams of Herstelling, East Bank Demerara was arrested on Saturday after police allegedly found two pounds (almost 1070 grammes) of cannabis in his possession.

According to a police statement, ranks of Regional Division #3, acting on information received, arrested Williams at a bus shed at Anna Catherina, West Coast Demerara.

The police officers stated that when they arrived at the

location they saw a man, later identified as Williams, holding a bulky, black plastic bag.

A rank approached him and indicated that he would like to conduct a search on his person for anything illegal. Williams, who is a clerk employed at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation, agreed.

While conducting the search, the officer took possession of the bulky, black plastic bag and, after opening it, found a parcel wrapped in

brown scotch tape with the Simpsons’ family cartoon logo on it.

Subsequently, a rank cut open the parcel in the presence of Williams and found a quantity of leaves, seeds and stems suspected to be cannabis.

Williams was then arrested and escorted to the Leonora Police Station. In his presence, the cannabis was weighed and amounted to two pounds.

Investigations are ongoing.

that tourism is not only an economic earner, but it has ripple effects across the society. If you look at the North Rupununi (Region Nine), in the last 20 to 30 years we’ve had tourism, we’ve seen now

a re-emergence of culture.”

McTurk said now that domestic tourism has restarted, there is a positive impact on jobs and businesses at some destinations.

“In addition to just the

revenue, there has been much more… tourism has also brought tremendous opportunities for young women and girls in the Rupununi.

“Once, there was a time when only men had work, and now many of the lodges, you’ll find as many women, if not more women working than men, and you’ll find many of the administrative roles are also being fulfilled by young women, young Indigenous women, which is really wonderful,” she added.

So, although the pandemic had its negative effects, there were some positive highlights, with one being the influx of local tourist.

“You could say the legacy of the pandemic is we saw a lot more local tourists and Guyanese tourists than ever before. And that’s a wonderful experience, because for many of us, we take joy in sharing the Rupununi with others and even more joy in being able to share it with Guyanese,” McTurk said.

In November 2022, the region saw many travellers visiting various eco-lodges and other tourist hotspots.

“November [was] probably the first real tourist season they have seen, and it’s a wonderful thing, we’re sort of tired because we haven’t worked this hard in two years; but at the same time, it’s wonderful to start seeing tourists again, and to start seeing large groups,” McTurk said.

Passengers arriving at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA)

Melanie McTurk leading a group of media workers on a tour along the Rupununi River last November (Delano Williams photo)

Warren Williams (Guyana Police Force photos)

The cannabis being weighed by police

Over $2B in major road upgrades for Tuschen, Zeelugt

TUSCHEN and Zeelugt residents will now benefit from access to improved community roads, with the award of 28 road contracts on Saturday.

Minister within the Public Works Ministry, Deodat Indar, engaged contractors and residents on the plans for the project, which will span some 20km of road and cost $2 billion.

“

I want you to take this work very seriously. You are operating within an environment that has a lot of constraints. Some of you are contractors and you’re finding it hard to get sand… weather

is a problem, and labour is a problem. You have a lot of problems in the industry,” he pointed out to contractors.

The minister noted that this was due to the major investments taking place in the construction sector, but assured persons that the public works ministry would be putting mechanisms in place to reduce the shortage of contractors.

He said the roads needed to access schools, community centres and other places of necessity were identified as priority roads, and as such, they will be constructed in this phase.

This is in addition to $1.5

La Grange woman arrested after police find cannabis, cocaine

According to a police statement, a detective sergeant and several police ranks, acting on information received, went to Onghel Walcott’s home between 05:10 hours and 05:40 hours in search of narcotics, guns and ammunition.

On arrival, the detective sergeant informed Walcott about the reason for their presence and, without any objection, she invited them into her home.

While conducting a search in her presence, a bulky, black plastic bag was found on a table in the hall.

When the bag was opened, there were several trans-

billion in road works for the communities that started in 2022.

Minister Indar also urged contractors not to “drag their feet” on the construction, and ensure that the roads are built according to the best standards.

Residents who were present took the opportunity to raise concerns and express gratitude to the government for its intervention, noting that the construction of the roads would benefit especially the students. (DPI)

parent ziploc bags containing suspected cannabis.

Police said in the release that she was told of the offence committed and under caution said: “I selling da weed to mind me three children.”

Subsequently, a transparent plastic bag containing several small, rocklike substances, suspected to be cocaine, was found in her bedroom.

In response to that discovery, Walcott told the officers, “I selling da cocaine fo mine me children.”

She was arrested and escorted to the Parfaite Harmonie Police Station, along with the suspected narcotics.

In her presence, the suspected cannabis and cocaine were weighed and they amounted to 65 grammes and nine grammes, respectively.

Walcott is slated to appear in court sometime this week.

A 38-year-old La Grange, West Coast Demerara woman was arrested, on Sunday, after police ranks allegedly found a quantity of cannabis and cocaine in her home.

Onghel Walcott

The cannabis and the cocaine that were allegedly discovered in Walcott’s home (Guyana Police Force photos)

Tuschen and Zeelugt residents will now benefit from access to improved community roads, with the award of 28 road contracts

New GMC to secure more markets for local produce

IN an effort to support farmers, the Ministry of Agriculture is advancing plans to assist with the expansion of cultivation and markets for various produce.

The New Guyana Marketing Corporation (NGMC) is actively looking for markets for farmers’ produce, to ensure that they are able to sell their produce at competitive prices.

The Agriculture Ministry has assured farmers that they will be provided with planting materials and other key items to help them expand their cultivations.

During a recent interview with the Department of Public Information (DPI), Minister of Agriculture Zulfikar Mustapha said the mechanism will benefit farmers and the country at large, as it will help to increase food production and improve food security.

“The PPP/C government is expected to make significant investments in the food sector this year in order to ensure its growth and success,” the minister underscored.

He encouraged farmers to take advantage of the opportunities offered through the New GMC and cultivate more in order to benefit from the prospective markets.

Minister Mustapha said the marketing agency is also charged to expand its reach to areas where persons are now exploring the option of farming, to lend fundamental support.

“This is a positive development for the agriculture sector and is expected to have a positive impact on the livelihoods of farmers and the economy as a whole,” Minister Mustapha said.

The government’s investment in the agri-food

system is expected to help the sector flourish, create jobs and increase food production.

The ministry’s efforts is a welcome move that is expected to benefit thousands.

President, Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali has, on many occasions, emphasised that his government’s interest in expanding the agricultural sector is rooted in the understanding that a strong food industry is essential for a country’s economic growth and food security.

Providing context, agriculture is a vital sector for many developing countries, as it is a major source of income for smallholder farmers, who make up a significant proportion of the population.

With an aggressive push for increased local food production, the PPP/C government understands that expansion of the sector can also lead to greater

employment opportunities, particularly in rural areas, which can help to reduce poverty and improve the standard of living for many persons.

The government’ s investment in the agricultural sector has taken many forms such as providing farmers with access to credit, technical assistance, and training, as well as investing in infrastructure, such as irrigation systems and rural roads.

Commended by thousands already, the ongoing undertaking will help to make farming more efficient, productive and profitable for farmers.

The Dr Ali-led administration has also invested in research and development to improve crop yields and develop new crops, which are already making farming more sustainable and resilient to climate change. (DPI)

IDB President on mission to make bank the ‘most trusted’ in LAC region

IN his inaugural address on Thursday last, the president of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), Ilan Goldfajn, laid out his vision and priorities to make the IDB the most trusted, agile and important development partner for Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC).

“My vision is to build on the bank’s legacy to ensure that the IDB is the most important multilateral development institution for Latin America and the Caribbean,” Goldfajn said.

“We must be the region’s most trusted partner. A centre for expertise and knowledge. A beacon of innovative solutions to our region’s challenges.”

Government representatives and members of the diplomatic community, multilateral financial institutions, academia, think tanks and the private sector were in attendance for the address at bank headquarters in Washington.

He identified social issues, climate change and investing more in sustainable physical and digital infrastructure that will boost regional integration and productivity, as the priority areas of his administration.

He pledged to “seize all opportunities for dialogue” and collaboration to build consensus among governments, private-sector partners, think tanks and civil society to help tackle pressing problems in Latin America and the Caribbean, and attract private capital.

“At this time of global polarization and uncertainty,” Goldfajn said, “our future depends not on being con -

frontational, but on being more collaborative.”

The people of Latin America and the Caribbean “deserve better jobs, safer streets, quality healthcare, faster internet, better public services, better infrastructure and other essential elements of life that they rightly aspire to,” he said. “And yes – a sense of hope in the future.”

“I can’t think of any institution that can better help the region fulfil that hope than the IDB,” he added.

Goldfajn sees Latin America and the Caribbean as contributing to help solve some of the biggest global challenges, including food insecurity and the need for clean energy.

Producing more clean energy would not only benefit the region, but would also help the world meet the Paris climate goals. The IDB’s Amazon Initiative will help the world protect biodiversity and address global warming, he said.

“When we help countries lower trade and transportation costs,” he noted, “ we reduce the price of food and alleviate food insecurity in the region and globally.”

PRIORITY AREAS FOR THE IDB

Goldfajn said social issues would be a priority area for the bank’s work, including poverty, inequality in several dimensions, health needs and food insecurity.

The top and bottom 10% of income levels in Latin America and the Caribbean were twice as unequal as similarly developed coun -

tries before the pandemic. Two hundred million people are poor and 60 million face hunger, he said.

In addressing climate change, Goldfajn said the IDB would strive to make it easier to invest in climate mitigation and adaptation, and more ambitiously help countries meet their Paris Agreement goals.

The region currently experiences three times more destructive climate events per decade than 50 years ago. Those events cause about 10 times as much economic damage. “We must be more responsive, agile and creative to deal with them,” he said.

A third priority is investing more in sustainable physical and digital infrastructure to boost regional integration. Between 2008 and 2017, Latin America and the Caribbean put just 2.8% of GDP into infrastructure, half the percentage of East Asian and Pacific countries.

Goldfajn also said he would strive to ensure that IDB projects deliver more effective results, with its work driven by data and evidence. In 2021, just 53% of IDB projects with project-completion reports received a positive rating from the IDB’s Office of Evaluation and Oversight. “We can do better,” he said.

“In the end, what truly matters is not only how many loans we approve or even how much we lend,” Goldfajn said. “What is paramount is tangible, measurable development impact.”

Another key to achieving the vision is continuing to grow on private-sector oper-

Police probing alleged murder of taxi driver

POLICE are investigating the alleged murder of Delon Josiah, called Milo, a 37- year-old taxi driver attached to the 007 Taxi Service.

According to information from the Guyana Police Force (GPF), the incident occurred around 21:45 hrs on Saturday at the victim’s residence at Lot 625 Perseverance, East Bank Demerara.

Enquiries so far revealed that Josiah was sleeping inside, while his wife, Nicosc McDonald Josiah, a 34-yearold Supervisor at Teleperformance, was at the front door consuming alcoholic bever-

ages with a female friend, when the two armed perpetrators confronted them.

On foot, the men arrived from the yard’s eastern and western sides. The men who were fully masked and armed with handguns, asked for Josiah.

“They then led both females inside the house and began searching for Delon. One of the perpetrators opened the bedroom door where Delon Josiah was, and both opened fire on him,” the police said.

The men then made good their escape through the eastern side of the yard. When

the police visited, the body was lying in a pool of blood.

The scene was photographed and processed, and four .40 calibre spent shells, four .9MM spent shells, four metal fragments, and three bullets were recovered.

The body was examined, and injuries were seen on the right side foot, left underarm, left temple, and right side ear.

Several people were contacted and interviewed, and the area was canvassed for closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras.

Police confirmed that investigations are ongoing.

ations at IDB Invest and IDB Lab, with plans that would unlock their great potential. They would effectively impact development and provide public goods across the region, he said.

He pledged to promote a new approach, making the IDB more cooperative, both within the IDB Group and among partners and stakeholders.

Staff should “feel encouraged and enabled to co-create a better bank that exceeds our development-effectiveness targets,” he said.

“The IDB’s challenges and the region’s biggest

problems weren’t created overnight. We won’t solve them in a day. I ask for your patience and persistence. But we have an incredible opportunity to uplift expectations for the future and to create hope at the outset,” Goldfajn said.

Earlier in the day, the president laid out his priorities in a closed-door speech to IDB employees, during which he pledged to foster an environment of openness and trust.

“I will appeal to our people’s hopes and aspirations, not to their fears,” he said. (IDB press release)

President of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), Ilan Goldfajn

Scores of Region Eight residents apply for GOAL scholarships

SCORES of Kurukubaru, Kato, Paramakatoi and Mahdia residents signed up for the Guyana Online Academy of Learning (GOAL) scholarships during an outreach on Friday.

Public Service Minister, Sonia Parag and Amerindian Affairs Minister, Pauline Sukhai, journeyed to the farflung communities to inform residents about the various scholarship programmes offered and assist in the application process.

Director of GOAL, Dr. Jacob Opadeyi, was also present to render assistance.

This is a part of the first phase of the GOAL-scholarship roll out for 2023, and will allow persons who do not have any formal tertiary qualifications to receive a

scholarship to pursue their studies.

During her address to residents of Paramakatoi, Minister Parag said over 200 Region Eight residents were awarded scholarships since the programme was rolled out. However, in 2022 there was a decrease in applications from the region.

She, therefore, encouraged attendees to make use of the opportunity to better themselves, and their communities to contribute to national development.

“You have to be able to be progressive in your own mind, moving forward, always wanting to do better, wanting to do more. That’s how a country evolves not only by building, the people have to move with the country…There is no limit to what

you can do and you shouldn’t limit yourself,” she said.

Although these are just certificate programmes, Minister Parag said that the certificates will pave the way for persons to pursue their degrees.

She also committed to residents that she will engage

with Prime Minister, Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips, to see how quickly the ICT hubs can be connected to the internet.

The minister made it clear that the PPP/C Government was committed to closing the educational gap between hinterland and the coast, to

ensure Amerindians take part in national development.

Meanwhile, Minister Sukhai said it was one of the many commitments the government had been fulfilling since it resumed office in 2020.

“We have ensured that when we return to office in 2020 Au-

gust, we immediately began to provide our country with the interventions that we said we were going to make. We’re realising our commitments and promises for the hinterland. We are almost 100 per cent there. We have done quite a lot in terms of the hinterland manifesto promises” Minister Sukhai said.

The government aims to award 20,000 online scholarships to Guyanese during their first five years in office. To date, over 13,700 scholarships have been awarded since the programme’s inception in 2021.

This is a collaborative effort between the Education and Public Service Ministries to prepare Guyanese for opportunities that are available, as Guyana undergoes a massive transformation. (DPI)

Mahdia residents turned up in numbers on Friday to the GOAL outreach at the Mahdia Secondary School

ZAIDA James brought her experience to bear with an explosive all-round performance, as West Indies Rising Stars edged Ireland Women by seven runs in their opening game of the ICC Under-19 Women’s World Cup Sunday.

The 18-year-old, already with a handful of West Indies A matches under her belt, top-scored with 52 from 57 balls to underpin her side’s 125 for seven, before returning to grab four for 20 with her left-arm spin, and restrict Ireland to 118 for seven from their allotted overs.

“It’s certainly a great feeling to have an all-round performance like this, and even better that we had a team victory,” said James, predictably adjudged Playerof-the-Match.

“Our focus is one game at a time, and to finish the group stage strong, then we will look at the remaining stages of the tournament.”

The Caribbean side flourished after being sent in at the North-West University No. 1 Ground, James punching eight fours to inspire a 61-run opening stand, with Shunelle Sawh (15)

and a 45-run second wicket partnership with the in-form Naijanni Cumberbatch (21 not out).

However, the innings tailed away when James and senior team player Trishan Holder (0) perished within the space of three deliveries in the 18th over.

In reply, left-arm seamer Jannillea Glasgow struck early to remove Siuin Woods for eight in the third over, with 13 runs on the board, but Annabel Squires came to her side’s rescue with 42 from 38 deliveries.

She struck fours, and, more importantly, put on 46 for the second wicket with captain and opener Amy Hunter, who struck 21 from 25.

James knocked over both, and then added two more wickets in a disastrous period for Ireland, which saw them lose five quick wickets for 35 runs to turn the game on its head.

Freya Sargent (15 not out) tried to salvage the chase late on, but the 18 runs required from the final over proved too many. (CMC)

Zaida James celebrates a wicket during West Indies Women’s win on Sunday

BCB launches Jaffarally MP, Rion Peters Trust Fund - Reg. 5 clubs, schools to benefit from bowling machines and concrete pitches

BERBICE Cricket Board (BCB) President Hilbert Foster has stated that 2023 would see major developments in Berbice cricket, and massive investment into County junior cricket in an effort to unearth promising talents for the future.

The year will also see the return of cricket at the secondary level and the historic introduction of the game at a competitive stage at the primary school levels, Foster said.

The vibrant cricket board late last year shared close to two million dollars’ worth of uniforms, gear and cricket balls to 23 secondary schools in the County, with assistance from Lochan Samkarran.

Over 65 primary schools in both Regions Five (Mahaica-Berbice) and Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) will shortly receive close to one million dollars worth of tapeball bats and taped balls, as the BCB continues to invest in the school system.

On Friday last, the Board received two major sponsorships from Government officials, as part of the drive to

lift the County even higher.

People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Member of Parliament (MP) Faizal Jaffarally, a long-term supporter of the Hilbert Foster- led board handed over a sponsorship package of $500,000.

The funds would be equally divided to host the annual Jaffarally 20/20 Knockout Tournament for Second Division teams in West Berbice, while the other half would provide cricket balls under the Second Annual Jaffarally Cricket Trust Fund.

Twelve clubs in West

Berbice would receive red cricket balls to assist them to play in the numerous BCB tournaments scheduled for 2023. The Government MP has been a massive supporter of the County’s games, and has even assisted with finding sponsors at several levels.

Region Five Vice-Chairman Rion Peters also readily agreed to establish a trust fund in his name, and handed over $200,000 to the Board during a meeting with a four-member BCB delegation led by Foster.

The funds would be used

to assist primary schools with tape balls and bats for the upcoming inter-primary schools 10-overs tournament.

The Vice-Chairman also committed to assist with the construction of two concrete all- weather courts with nets at the Bush Lot United and Cotton Tree grounds.

Construction is expected to start shortly at Bush Lot, while the other one would start later in the year. The pitches would be a major assistance to players during the off-season rainy season, and also for coaches to conduct

sessions with youths.

Clubs and schools in the area would also have access to a $400,000-worth bowling machine, compliments of the trust fund.

Foster, who was elected to the BCB presidency in 2018, had committed to obtaining four bowling machines this year, after the board coaching staff had requested them in order to work on the County’s youth batsmen’s ability to play fast bowling.

The BCB has already obtained sponsorship for two machines for the New Am-

sterdam/Canje and Lower Corentyne sub-zones, and is currently working to get one for the Upper Corentyne area.

Foster is confident that all four sub-zones would get their bowling machines by April 2023.

The BCB expressed thanks to Messrs Jaffarally and Peters for their investment in Berbice cricket. The Board is seeking to produce a total of 60 players for the national teams at the different levels, surpassing the 50 that were produced in 2022.

Singh re-elected president of DCB following AGM

BISSOONDYAL Singh was relected president of the Demerara Cricket Board (DCB) following the holding of its Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Friday, at the LBI Cricket Facility, East Coast Demerara.

The meeting was attended by all its member associations, including the East Coast Cricket Board (ECCB), East Bank Cricket Association (EBCA), Georgetown Cricket Association (GCA), Upper Demerara Cricket Association (UDFA), and the West

Demerara Cricket Association (WDCA), through their respective allocation of delegates.

President Singh, as Chairman of the Board, called the meeting to order, and thereafter conducted the business at hand.

During the ensuing discussions, a number of issues were highlighted, with the most important areas of concern being the fact that senior Georgetown Cricket Association (GCA) members regularly failed to attend executive meetings of the Demerara Cricket Board.

It was recorded that GCA President Neil Barry attended five out of nine meetings, Vice-President Roger Harper four out of nine, and Treasurer Azad Ibrahim two out of nine meetings.

Also, Barry, as Marketing Committee Chairman, failed to acquire a single sponsor throughout the year, while Harper never convened a single Cricket Development Committee meeting, although he was the Chairman during the period.

Members expressed total dissatisfaction over the very unacceptable state of affairs,

feeling that the GCA was deliberately underperforming, which seems to have been reflected in their members being left out of the nomination/election process that followed.

Immediately after this meeting, Ombudsman Mr. Malcolm Peters began the election process, with the delegates nominating Mr. Arnold Sukraj as the Returning Officer.

The first nomination for office was that of the President of the DCB, where the GCA nominated Speaker of the National Assembly

Manzoor Nadir, who came up against Mr. Bissoondyal Singh, the latter winning 24 votes to 7 votes.

The delegates of the GCA immediately walked out after the embarrassing loss, and were, thereafter, not recommended for nomination to any other position for the remainder of the election process.

The following members were elected to office of the Demerara Cricket Board:

Mr. Bissoondyal Singh (President), Mr. Puneet Jaigopaul (1st Vice-Presi-

dent), Mr. Bradley Fredericks (2nd Vice-President), Mr. Davteerth Anandjit (Secretary), Mr. Ronald Williams (Assistant Secretary), Mr. Vicky Bharosay (Treasurer), Mr. Azeem Troy Khan (Assistant Treasurer), Ms. Kavita Yadram (Chairperson of the Competitions Committee), Mr. Clarence Brotherson (Public Relations Officer), Mr. Anil Beharr (Marketing Manager), Mr. Fazal Ishak and Avinash Ganesh (Trustees), and Chateram Ramdial & Associates (Auditor).

MP Faizal Jaffarally hands over sponsorship to Selectors Chairman Balram Samaroo, in the presence of Angela Haniff and Leslie Soloman

Region Five Vice-Chairman Rion Peters hands over his sponsorship to BCB Secretary Angela Haniff in the presence of Leslie Soloman and Balram Soloman

Secondary School cricket returns to West Berbice

- Historic Primary School tournament for 14 schools

CRICKET action across secondary schools in Berbice is expected to return soon, as the Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) announced their upcoming venture across the Ancient County.

“Berbice is known the world over for producing outstanding cricketers, and we owe it to the next generation to continue the tradition.

“The BCB, under my leadership, is fully committed to lifting our cricket to its highest ever level, and it would be our privilege to work with you in this noble quest,” said BCB President Hilbert Foster, when he and a delegation from the Board met with sports teachers of primary and secondary schools in the West Berbice area.

Foster was accompanied by Secretary Angela Haniff; Chairman of the Selection Committee Balram Samaroo; Chairman of the Competition Committee Leslie Soloman; West Berbice President David Black; and Coach Shamal Angel.

The teachers were informed that the proactive cricket board would be reintroducing cricket

into secondary schools, with at least two tournaments in 2023, while, for the first time in its 84-year history, the BCB would be hosting an under- 11 inter-primary school tournament.

Six secondary schools in Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice) will participate in the thirty-over-per-side tournament, while fourteen primary schools will be involved in a ten-over tape ball tournament from early next month.

Foster, who was on his seventy-ninth visit to the sub-as-

Guyana Harpy Eagles Practice match…

sociation since his election in early 2018, disclosed that the secondary school tournament would be for Under-19 players born on or after September 1, 2004, while the cutoff date for the primary school Under-11 tournament would be September 1, 2012.

Students shall have an attendance rate of 75 per cent to play.

The BCB, late last year, had provided the six secondary schools with cricket uniforms, gear and cricket balls to prepare for the expected tournament,

while the 14 primary schools would shortly receive two bats and a set of tape-flannel balls to assist them to play.

Each primary school would be required to select four females in their 14-man squad, while two will have to be selected in the final eleven. One of the ten overs shall also be bowled by a female.

Chairman of Competition Leslie Soloman explained that the winner of both the primary and secondary levels would go on to play the champions from Lower Corentyne, New

Amsterdam/Canje, and Upper Corentyne to determine the overall Berbice champion.

The different winners would each receive vouchers to purchase stationery and other needed items for the schools.

Foster also informed the teachers that the BCB would also be providing copies of its historic coaching manual and youth information booklet to the schools to assist them to properly prepare their students for the tournaments.

The selection committee, under the chairmanship of

Samaroo, a former national junior cricketer, along with the BCB coaches working in Region Five will select a special 24-member squad for both levels. A panel of coaches would work along with the selected for two days to assist in their development.

The secondary school tournament would be sponsored by Latchman Construction and Landscaping Inc., while the primary school would be sponsored by Caribbean Motors and Dhanpaul Sukhra.

Savory’s magnificent 170 highlights Day Two

By Sean Devers

A magnificent 170 from Kemol Savory, and a well-constructed 52 from Tagenarine Chanderpaul highlighted the second day of the GCB fourday practice match.

Veerasammy Permaul’s X1, chased leather all day on a fast Providence sward as Chanderpaul’s X1 reached 378-6 by stumps yesterday.

Permaul’s X1 had made 262 on the opening day.

The 26-year-old Savory counted 17 fours and two sixes in his 192-ball and 237-minute innings, sharing in a 72-run second- wicket stand with Chanderpaul, who made 52 from 113 balls and 154 minutes, with five fours and two sixes.

He then featured in a 52run third-wicket partnership with Mavindra Dindyal (11), and a further 100 for the fourth with Anthony Bramble (28).

This was after Chander-

paul and Chanderpaul Hemraj, who made 40 from 43 balls and 82 minutes with four fours and two sixes had put together 66 for the first wicket to give their team a lead of 117 going into today’s penultimate day.

When Chanderpaul’s XI resumed on 3-0, Hemraj was his usual pugnacious self, as he got going with an imperious cut for four off pacer Isiah Thorne, while Chanderpaul, who made an auspicious Test debut against Australia, con-

ducted a batting clinic on the ‘leave alone’ shot.

While Hemraj, who needed to feel ‘bat on ball’, which would eventually orchestrate his demise, pulled Thorne into the Red Stand, and lofted Mohammed over long-on for six, Chanderpaul deliberately played inside the line of deliveries outside off-stump.

Hemraj, who was struck on his boot by Thorne, continued to bat positive, while Chanderpaul clipped Ronsford Beaton

for his first boundary off his 50th ball to move into double figures.

The pair brought up the 50 off 14 overs with the Skipper contributing 12 to the partnership.

When on 40, Renaldo Ali Mohammed induced Hemraj to flirt with a short ball just outside off stump to edge it to first slip at 66-1.

When Permaul brought himself on, Chanderpaul hit him back over his head for six, before magnificently stroking Ali-Mohammed back past his ankles for, arguably, the shot of the day.

Savory whipped Ali-Mohammed for four before smashing Permaul to the extra cover boundary, and by lunch, the score was 108-1, with Chanderpaul on 31 and Savory on 26.

After Lunch, Chanderpaul pulled a high full- toss from Junior Sinclair for six, before posting his 50 with an exquisitely hit cover drive off the

off-spinner.

His 50 took 145 minutes, 105 balls, and was decorated with five fours and two sixes.

Sinclair bowled Chanderpaul at 138 to end his entertaining stand with Savory.

Savory reached his 50 with a flick off Permaul. His fifty took 78 balls, 100 minutes, and included six fours.

Savory celebrated by slog-sweeping Permaul for six, and smashing left-arm spinner Ashmead Nedd for a scorching four.

Dindyal edged Nedd to Kevlon Anderson at slip for the Keeper, Tevin Imlach, to take the rebound at 190-3 to end the third consecutive half-century stand.

Bramble joined Savory, and, by Tea, the score was 2023, with Savory, also a keeper, on 86 and Bramble on two.

After Tea, Savory reached his century from 143 balls, 170 minutes with 10 fours and two sixes.

The Essequibo Cricketer-

of-The-Year oozed confidence and danced into Nedd, and clobbered a six over mid-wicket before cutting him for four, to the delight of just over 25 fans in the stands, which included Guyana’s Number One cricket supporter, Norman the ‘Juice Man’.

Savory executed a dismissive cover drive off Nedd, before hitting Sinclair for a straight boundary.

Savory was not done yet, and a cover drive off Ali-Mohammed reached the ropes like a bullet, while Bramble, the silent partner, pulled Sinclair for four.

Bramble, who hit two fours and a six, fell to Richie Looknauth at 290-4, before Savory dumped Nedd for six to reach 150.

But when 30 short of a ‘double’, he was LBW to smith at 335-5, while Gudakesh Motie (10) fell to Beaton.

Kevin Sinclair (40) and Anthony Adams (5) will resume today.

BCB Executives with the teachers after the meeting

Chanderpaul Hemraj gathers on-side runs during his entertaining 40 yesterday (Sean Devers photo)

Singh re-elected president of DCB following AGM

Kemol Savory scored a classy century at Providence yesterday (Sean Devers photo)

Tagenarine Chanderpaul is a Master at leaving the ball as he demonstrates here against Ronsford Beaton at Providence (Sean Devers photo)