Guyana_Chronicle_Epaper_01_28_2020

TUESDAY 28th January, 2020

' No.105893

‘PPP losing

grip of Berbice’ …President points to sharp drop in party's votes in past elections

PAGE

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President Daivd Granger

…tells New Amsterdam rally Freedom House in worst leadership crisis ever

The massive crowd in attendance at the APNU+AFC New Amsterdam rally on Monday night

Exxon in 16th oil strike

SEE STORY ON PAGE 02

…ups estimates to 8 billion barrels in Stabroek Block

Guyana improves rating to 76% at recent ICAO audit SEE STORY ON PAGE 09

CH&PA issues stern warning

–– to East Coast land-grabbers

SEE STORY ON PAGE 19

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, January 28, 2020

Exxon in 16th strike …ups estimates to 8 billion barrels in Stabroek Block

EXXONMOBIL has increased its resource estimate for the Stabroek Block to over 8 billion oil-equivalent barrels as the company announced its 16th oil discovery at the Uaru well on Monday.

“The Co-operative Republic of Guyana welcomes this new discovery, which follows closely on the heels of the start of oil production on December 20, 2019. All Guyanese should welcome this new discovery and should begin to appreciate that the nation is on the cusp of major economic transformation and sustained development. The Department of Energy remains committed to working with its partners and ecosystem of agencies, to ensure that the benefits from the sector, both direct and indirect, redound to every Guyanese,” Director of the Department of

Energy (DE), Dr. Bynoe said.

The Uaru well encountered approximately 94 feet (29 metres) of high-quality oil-bearing sandstone reservoir and was drilled in 6,342 feet (1,933 metres) of water.

It is located approximately 10 miles (16 kilometres) northeast of the Liza field, which started oil production in December 2019. Dr. Bynoe added: “The petroleum sector is already stimulating increased employment and expanded services, and we are expecting a ramping-up of these benefits during the Decade of Development (2020-2029) which is aimed at ensuring that the country’s petroleum resources are utilised to improve citizens’ quality of life and retaining greater value from the sector for Guyana and Guyanese.”

The new estimate represents a 2 billion barrel in-

crease from the previous estimate backed by the successive and successful oil finds of the U.S oil giant and its partners.

Exxon’s previous find was at the Mako-1 well in the Stabroek Block, announced in December 2019. It encountered approximately 164 feet (50 metres) of a high-quality oil-bearing sandstone reservoir in the well drilled in 5,315 feet (1,620 metres) of water.

“With recent high-quality finds at Tripletail and Mako contributing to our recoverable resources, our investments will continue to provide benefits for the people of Guyana,” Senior Vice President of Exploration and New Ventures at ExxonMobil, Mike Cousins said.

“The Uaru discovery is another positive step as we begin a new decade with the Co-operative Republic of

Guyana and our co-venturers.”

Exxon is expected to release its fourth quarter (2019) financial and operating results on Friday, January 31, 2020 through a webcast by Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Darren Woods and Vice President and Secretary, Neil Hansen.

The DE stated that by the second quarter of 2020, production from the Liza Phase 1

development will produce up to 120,000 barrels of oil daily utilizing the Floating Production Storage and Offloading Vessel (FPSO), Liza Destiny.

Under the Production Sharing Agreement (PSA) governing the Stabroek Block, the Government of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana will be receiving at a minimum, 2 per cent royalty on all oil produced in the Block plus 12.5 per cent profit oil. As the

capital and operating costs are liquidated, Guyana’s share of profit oil will increase.

Meanwhile, the Liza Unity FPSO, which will be employed for the second phase of Liza development and will have a production capacity of 220,000 barrels of oil per day, is under construction and expected to start production by mid2022.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, January 28, 2020

‘PPP losing grip of Berbice’ …President points to sharp drop in party's votes in past elections …tells New Amsterdam rally Freedom House in worst leadership crisis ever

By Lisa Hamilton THE People’s Progressive Party’s (PPPs) support base in Berbice has

we would have won this Region hands down.”

Winning the Region, the Head of State explained, is important as it

even the party’s proposed leaders lack the approval of its supporters. “They are in the worse leadership crisis in their history. I have never before seen

On the other hand, President Granger stated that the APNU+AFC has a plan for the region which includes the modernising of the New Amsterdam waterfront with a deep-water harbour; the development of industrial parks, manufacturing centres and some 39 heritage sites; the regularisation of squatter settlements in key areas such as Angoy’s Avenue; improved medical facilities and ridding the Region of piracy attacks.

President David Granger addresses a large crowd of supporters in New Amsterdam on Monday

TRAIL OF CHAOS Meanwhile, the President said that the PPP left a trail of chaos in its 23 years of management such

ing the rally that Guyanese are no longer impressed by low jabs but want to see real change from real leaders. He urged citizens not to

Thousands of New Amsterdam residents turned out to the APNU+AFC political rally on Monday

been on the decline since 2001 and, knowing this, the party is ‘running scared’, President David Granger told a massive New Amsterdam rally Monday night. He said, too, that the party is in its worst leadership crisis yet, with an unpopular presidential candidate who is facing 19 criminal charges and accusations that he faked his qualifications.

On Monday, at the APNU+AFC rally in New Amsterdam, the President stated: “In 1997, the PPP got 52,000 votes in this Region; in 2001, the PPP got 47,000 votes; in 2006, they got 42,000 votes… in 2015, they got 39,000 votes. The PPP heading out!”

The President said that the PPP knows that it is in serious trouble as it is losing support but this does not mean that the Region must be taken for granted. Explaining the need for alertness, the President pointed out that in 2015, out of some 91,000 eligible voters, only 68 per cent of the people in the Region cast their votes.

This meant that some 28,000 persons in the Region did not vote in an election which saw the coalition losing the Region by some 17,000 votes.

“We lost this Region by default,” he said. “APNU+AFC only got 35 per cent whereas the PPP got 63 per cent.

I tell you -- I believe it --- if some of those people who didn’t vote had come out to vote for the APNU+AFC,

would ensure that its Regional Democratic Council (RDC) is managed

by APNU+AFC members who want to see development in the Region despite who they choose to support.

“The PPP is in decline, they are weak and we have to take advantage of this moment,” he said. “This is an important Region which can be developed if you have an RDC which is committed to development. That is why the APNU+AFC must take control of the Region.”

THE ONES WITH A PLAN Speaking from the large podium to a crowd of supporters, President Granger said that the PPP never possessed a plan to develop the Region of three towns, which has the potential to become “an engine of growth” under good leadership. He reminded that the Region was divided into green and red villages under the former Administration which saw many communities being neglected simply for their support of new leadership. However, he told the people: “Elections are not about race; elections are about service to the people and we serve the people regardless of their race, regardless of their religion.”

UNPOPULAR ALI Describing the PPP as “riding a donkey in a race that is for thoroughbreds”, President Granger noted that

Cultural presentations during the rally (Delano Williams photos)

posters, pamphlets by PPP members criticizing the selection of its members. It is happening now,” the President said. When PPP Presidential Candidate, Irfaan Ali was selected in January 2019, there was outrage amongst grassroots supporters. They contended that Ali’s “baggage” would “sink” the party’s chances of winning the upcoming General and Regional Elections. The ex-minister was slapped with 19 counts of fraud in November 2018 and the charges laid were indictable.

as the Albion and Skeldon sugar factories which became the “newest museums in the hemisphere” and the Donald Ramotar-led failed fiber optic cable project. Saying that the region has been mismanaged by the PPP, President Granger said that it is too important to be placed into the hands of the PPP again. He said that residents of Region Six deserve a good quality of life.

President Granger again touched on PPP Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo’s criticisms of his age and for being a retired Brigadier, tell-

be distracted by the party’s antics in its push for control of Guyana’s oil but be ready to vote for the continuation of progress on March 2, 2020. “He sees the oil dream going farther away. Oil is going to come into the hands of the people of this country and not into the hands of a few greedy men. We have to break the PPP stranglehold of East Berbice-Corentyne; we have to set this Region free,” President Granger declared.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, January 28, 2020

Republicans in Trump impeachment trial on the spot over Bolton book report

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump’s fellow Republicans in the U.S. Senate came under fresh pressure on Monday to allow witnesses in his impeachment trial, while his defense team took aim at Democrats’ accusations that he mounted a pressure campaign against Ukraine for his own political ends. A New York Times report that former national security adviser John Bolton has written in an unpublished book manuscript that Trump told him he wanted to freeze security aid to Ukraine until Kiev helped with politically beneficial investigations prompted fresh calls by Democrats for Bolton and other witnesses to testify at the trial. Republican Senator Mitt Romney, a sometime critic of Trump, said there was a growing likelihood that at least four Republican senators would choose to call for Bolton to testify, which would give Democrats the votes necessary to summon him. Senate Re-

publicans so far have refused to allow any witnesses or new evidence in the trial that will determine whether Trump is removed from office.

Trump’s legal team on Monday resumed its presentation of opening arguments in the trial, including remarks by Ken Starr, the former independent counsel whose investigation into a sex scandal paved the way for the impeachment of former President Bill Clinton, a Democrat, in 1998. Another Trump lawyer, Jane Raskin, also made a defense of his personal attorney Rudy Giuliani.

Bolton wrote in the manuscript that Trump told him he wanted to freeze $391 million in security aid to Ukraine until Kiev helped with investigations into Democrats, including former Vice President Joe Biden and his son, Hunter Biden, the Times reported. Democrats have said Trump used the aid - approved by the U.S. Congress to help Ukraine combat Russia-backed separatists - as

leverage to get a foreign country to help him smear a domestic political rival. Biden is a leading contender for the Democratic nomination to face Trump in the Nov. 3 presidential election.

Trump denied telling Bolton that he sought to use the aid to pressure Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelenskiy to investigate the Bidens on unsubstantiated corruption allegations. Hunter Biden worked for a Ukrainian energy firm while his father was U.S. vice president. “I think it’s increasingly likely that other Republicans will join those of us who think we should hear from John Bolton,” Romney told reporters.

Another moderate Republican senator, Susan Collins, said the reports regarding Bolton’s book “strengthen the case for witnesses.” Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham, a Republican ally of Trump, said he would support issuing a subpoena to obtain Bolton’s manuscript, a CNN reporter said on Twitter.

The Democratic-led House of Representatives impeached Trump last month on charges of abuse of power in his dealings

with Ukraine and obstruction of Congress, setting up the trial in the Republican-led Senate.

Trump is expected to be acquitted in the 100-seat Senate, where Republicans hold 53 seats and a two-thirds vote is required to convict and remove a president from office.

Trump denied telling Bolton he was seeking something in return for unfreezing the Ukrainian aid, which eventually was provided in September after the controversy became public. “I haven’t seen the manuscript, but I can tell you nothing was ever said to John Bolton,” Trump told reporters.

DEFENSE ARGUMENT In the initial hours of its second day of opening arguments, Trump’s defense team did not mention Bolton. Lawyers instead took aim at House accusations that Trump’s treatment of Zelenskiy amounted to a pressure campaign. Defense lawyer Mike Purpura cited the Ukrainian president as saying he had felt no pressure, and said the security assistance was released anyway without the investigations taking place. The

defense pointed to testimony from witnesses in the House impeachment inquiry who said Trump’s administration gave Ukraine more military help than Democratic President Barack Obama’s prior administration.

“All of this ... demonstrates that there was no connection between security assistance and investigations,” Purpura said.

Jay Sekulow, another Trump lawyer, added, “We live in a constitutional republic where you have deep policy concerns and deep differences.

That should not be the basis of an impeachment.” Democrats prosecuting Trump in the trial have said Giuliani played a central and improper role in pressing Ukraine to carry out politically motivated investigations. “The House managers would have you believe that Mr. Giuliani is at the center of this controversy. They’ve anointed him the proxy villain of the tale, the leader of a rogue operation,” Raskin said.

“Their presentations were filled with ad hominem attacks and name calling: cold-blooded political operative, political bag man. But I suggest to you that he’s front and center in their narrative for one reason and one reason alone: to distract from the fact that the evidence does not support their claims,” Raskin added. The Senate may resolve the issue of whether to call witnesses in a vote on Friday or Saturday. Democrats

said the Bolton manuscript made it all the more pressing for the Senate to call Bolton as a witness.

“It completely blasts another hole in the president’s defense,” said Representative Adam Schiff, the head of the House Democratic team of “managers” prosecuting the case against Trump, told CNN. Many Republicans want a speedy trial without witnesses or any evidence beyond the material amassed in the House impeachment inquiry. The White House directed current and former administration officials not to provide testimony or documents in the House inquiry. Starr cited ways short of impeachment for the House to force a president to comply with its oversight obligations.

“Go to court. It really is as simple as that, I don’t need to belabor the point,” Starr said. Starr, who himself recommended Clinton’s impeachment after investigating the former president’s sexual relationship with a White House intern, called impeachment an overused tool. “The Senate is being called to sit as the high court of impeachment all too frequently,” Starr said. “How did we get here with presidential impeachment invoked in its inherently destabilizing and acrimonious way?” This is only the third impeachment trial in American history.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, January 28, 2020

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Scenes from the APNU+AFC elections campaign rally in New Amsterdam Monday night

Photos by Delano Williams

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, January 28, 2020

Guyana on the international scene GUYANA recently assumed chairmanship of the Group of 77 countries and China-- a prestigious global body-- the third highest ranking in designated UN positions, after the post of Secretary-General and President of the General Assembly.

Guyana accepted this coveted leadership for 2020 from Palestine at a solemn and dignified handover ceremony on January 15 at the United Nations building in Manhattan, New York. Writing in his Sunday column, Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo had also reported that Guyana’s leadership was hailed as refreshing, and several high officials of the United Nations are encouraging, under our tenure, a “rebirth of the core values” of this huge negotiating bloc within the United Nations.”

Guyana, as a member of the international community, and, as a young nation, has played a significant role in influencing principles

and decisions at various fora; not forgetting that it has given leadership to the conceptualising and building of the regional integration process upon which CARICOM has been established. Guyana’s role and influence in the Non-Aligned Movement during the Cold War need to be remembered. The nation’s presence in that body assisted in shaping the diplomatic message on the world stage, and aided the protection of this country’s sovereignty, in that it was not wedded to the geopolitical dynamics between the East and West, but secured cooperation on issues and principles.

It was this relationship that enhanced the country’s image and brought with it solidarity on several issues that were in our national interest. This positioning resulted in Guyana acquiring significant support in the defence of its borders against claims made by our neighbours-- Suriname and Venezuela.

The country also benefited from

technical support, aid and trade from places like the ABC countries, Eastern Europe, Asia and Cuba.

Our participation in the liberation struggles of Southern Africa was clearly defined by us and effectively articulated at the international level, and this played a significant role in bringing an end to apartheid.

That was the period when Foreign Policy was defined and driven by a proficient group of Foreign Service cadres of the ilk of Rashleigh Jackson. Even though Guyana was a young nation, small in size, population and economy, our intellectual prowess was of such that the nation was able to hold its own among others in influencing and developing major strategies on the world stage.

International cooperation is premised on universal principles and practices, and the practices will shift based on a nation’s developmental thrust, guided by the principles at the international level.

In recent years, reference has

been made to the Green Economy, which has its genesis in a White Paper prepared by a group of British experts in the 1990s. This has since morphed into an international position which describes growth in an economy based on the Human Development Index (HDI). This new model of development has impacted on Guyana. The Green Economy is shaped by three pillars, namely: (i) Environment, (ii) Labour policies consistent with the International Labour Organisation’s (ILO) Core Labour Standards, and (iii) Sustainable development.

Prior to the world embracing this new philosophy, Guyana had distinguished itself as a forerunner.

Under the leadership of President H. Desmond Hoyte, Guyana sought to address environmental issues by making Iwokrama available as a model for addressing extraction of our forest and its impact on sustainable development. As the nation continued to play a role in leading

the way in defining what the Green Economy entails, note must be taken of President David Granger’s Green State Development Strategy.

The GSDS will guide Guyana’s economic and socio-cultural development over the next 20 years.

It will lay President Granger and the new coalition Government’s principle foundations for inclusive green economic and social growth, provide a roadmap for achieving sustainable development goals and related targets, and outline a longterm vision for a prosperous and equitable future.

While international institutions and countries engage in cooperation with Guyana consistent with specific interests, this nation, too, shoulders a responsibility to make sure that our national interest is advanced and embraced in shaping international policies and laws.

Fenty and others skillfully avoided discussions on elections rigging when PPPC was in office Dear Editor, FOR many years I have been a regular reader of Allan Fenty’s popular column, “Frankly Speaking”.

During this time, I have come to respect him as a master of the art of propaganda and admired the occasions he resorted to subtle “mind games” in pursuit of a given objective. I was prompted to write this letter having read his column captioned “Steuups!

Can elections (mere) ever be “fair”? published in Stabroek News on Friday, January 24, 2020.

My interest in this particular article is his attempt to suggest that the upcoming National and Regional Elections would be rigged by the PNCR. His accusation cannot be ignored since its political significance has to be seen in the context that it came just after President David

Granger assured a visiting US Congress delegation that elections will be free and fair.

It is my contention that Mr. Fenty has consciously and deliberately used his column to create doubt by contradicting the President.

Fenty wrote, “Well- well!

Is it not Gecom’s “padlock and Chain” Which should secure the boxes? You-all should now accept my longheld “warning” about His Excellency’s Party winning on March 2 by any means necessary (Bamn)!.....”. The “Grand Master” while joining the PPPC against Volda‘s call to APNU+AFC supporters to defend their votes, seek as the saying goes to kill two birds with a stone, in this case, Volda and Granger. While I will not deal with the idea that people defending their votes is a bad thing since I will do so in another letter.

I will confine myself to the

claim of possible election rigging in the upcoming polls.

Too often many persons both at home and abroad fall victim to the PPPC‘s strategy of raising the issue of election rigging at each election even when the evidence doesn’t support their claims. By invoking pre-1992 practices when the PNC was in office, they have skillfully avoided discussions on more recent elections rigging that took place post-1992 when the PPPC was in office. It is the new forms of rigging introduced by the PPPC that are more relevant to our present situation, which were used by the Chief Election Officers of that period, such as the production of fake Statements of Polls found in GECOM’s tabulation of the votes, that were prevalent since the 1997 elections, stuffing of ballot boxes in far/isolated areas of the country in polling stations

manned by polling officials sympathetic to that party. The demographics in this regard are more favourable to the PPPC and take place in areas not under the watchful eyes of local and international observers. The corruption of the operatives in GECOM’s IT department and more importantly Lowenfield’s predecessor who as CEO unlawfully declared results favourable to the PPPC and deliberately used a formula for tabulating the votes which were intended to deliver the 2011 elections to that party with a wide margin. It was only through the vigilance of Commissioner Vincent Alexander that that attempt was thwarted.

More importantly, the empirical evidence on elections since the coming to office of the APNU+AFC demonstrates that the two local government elections held

under its stewardship have been free from the accusation of rigging and the opposition PPPC has won both. In light of this indisputable reality, why is the PPPC, its lackeys including Fenty, persisting in raising the old bogie man of rigged elections? In my view, there are two main reasons (1) the PPPC is laying the ground for the international community’s intervention post-March 2 when the election results go against them.

They are using post-1992 election reality to camouflage the present reality of free and fair election under the APNU+AFC coalition government (2) political and racial prejudice that plays up African rigging and downplaying or outright denial of Indian rigging.’ I say this as a political activist who had fought against both PNCR and PPPC election rigging and by extension African and

Indian.

I stand today as a proud member of the WPA leadership in the APNU+AFC coalition defending its unquestionable record and commitment to free and fair elections. And I stand in the corner of President David Granger and the assurance he has given to the country and the world that the March 2 General and Regional Elections will stand up to scrutiny as those elections that were previously held under his government.

I await a response from the “Grand Master” of propaganda the “honourable” AA. Fenty.

Regards, Tacuma Ogunseye

GUYANA CHRONICLE, January 28, 2020

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PPP’s lack of proactive leadership to blame --for fallout in education sector Dear Editor,

IT IS critical for one’s survival to resist the temptation of following the reactive crowd by being proactive oneself.

I have long arrived at the conclusion, with good reason I may say, that life is not dissimilar to that of a game of chess. For those who are familiar with the ancient and commonly- described-as cerebral game, indispensable to success is to foresee your competitor’s masterplan many moves before it has been executed. The corollary to this argument is that the player who is reactive rather than proactive will forever be the loser. As a result, the rational, if not the only, conclusion is that proactivity is that invisible hand that guides success.

If we were to view life under the critical microscope, it will provide us the clarity as to the rationale underpinning the analogy with chess. What would become self-evident is that those who await the problem not armed with an anticipatory master plan, will forever be playing catchup. The corollary to this argument is that those who anticipate the problem will perpetually be ahead of the curve. To add clarity to my objective of penning this letter, I will repeat, ad nauseam, that there is much more to be done by this government, in all sectors, since they were at the receiving end of much to do.

Some may hasten to argue too much to do. When they took office on that bright sunny morning in May 2015, they were confronted by a Mount Everest

level of mountainous work to be done. As a result, from Day 1, they had to hit the ground running. There was no scope or option of being proactive.

To spend the opening weeks and months formulating plans for possible anticipatory problems when already buried with problems inherited from an incompetent PPP would be foolhardy at best. I must state that it is without argument that they have done well in the circumstances. The evidences underpinning my conclusion are significant improvements in examination performances in all subjects, at all level and in all regions especially the Hinterland. In addition, there is a significant decrease in school dropouts accompanied by improvements in literacy and numeracy rates. These positive results should not fuel complacency, since many may rightfully argue that this is the proverbial first hurdle.

Presently, we are witnessing the painful consequences of that five years of catching up by the APNU-AFC government due to a 23-year lack of proactive leadership by the then PPP government in the education sector, and all sectors as a matter of fact. As a result, we are publicly and painfully witnessing an increase in school violence due to this 23 years of PPP not being proactive. I must say that school scrimmages have been around since Noah was decked in short pants. As a matter of fact, this is a worldwide phenomena driven by raging hormones and big egos.

In my opinion, we are more aware of them now, not as

a result of increasing prevalence but moreso as a result of the pervasive nature of smart phones and social media. My argument is, which many may support, that this apparent increase in prevalence is not down to an increase in absolute numbers of school scrimmages but due to technology making easier visual access to same.

What has changed, without a doubt, is the degree of violence and weaponry involved.

The PPP was in office from 1992, during which time televisions were not as pervasive in Guyanese homes. Even without undertaking a scientific poll, I am reasonably confident that most would concur that in 1992, most homes did not have a television. This phenomenon would have held true for most Third World countries. As the years progressed, there was an accompanying increase in ownership of televisions. This change came with unique social challenges for Guyana. With televisions being the main accessory in most homes, children were now exposed to the American culture. This is down to the fact that television satellite feed for Guyana emanated from said country. As a result, televisions brought to our living rooms to our kids the violence which is a part of the American culture. Television ownership was subsequently accompanied by the evolution of social media, namely Facebook and YouTube. It would not have taken a rocket scientist to recognise that such imagery would have a negative impact on the developing brain as it is establishing important neuronal connections to guide future behaviours.

The aforementioned

changes occurred during the PPP’s 23 years in office. A forward-thinking minister of education would have anticipated potential social problems as a result of this social cultural amalgamation. Once anticipated, a forward- thinking minister of education would have set up a review body to examine what could be the potential consequences of such exposure on our kids. A forward-thinking minister of education would have developed proactive policies and guidelines not only to address and mitigate the problems if they occurred, but also to take anticipatory steps to minimise the chances and impact if they occurred. Simply put, a proactive minister of education would have anticipated these school violence long before they occurred and would have had policies and guidelines in place. The PPP had the chance over 23 years and never did.

In effect, they have dropped the ball.

The fact is that if these problems are not addressed with some urgency, they are likely to escalate. Some may argue that they already have. This immediately brings to mind the student who threatened to cause carnage by the guns in his school. This also brings to mind Dr. O’Toole who was greeted at his gate by a bullet?

The fact is that it is already at our doorsteps. This social degeneration in our schools is a reflection of poor leadership and lack of proactive planning.

Twenty-three years were more than enough to have anticipated that a potential problem existed.

So what a visionary minister of education would have done? In my opinion, a vi-

sionary Minister of Education would have set up a review body to look into the impact on our kids of the importation and viewing of the American subculture of violence. This was not done. The review body could have included but not been limited to a child psychologist, child counsellor, social worker, criminologist, teacher, and a parent representative among others. Their evidence-based findings and recommendations would have informed government policies.

In my opinion, this government will have its work cut out for it when re-elected. First and foremost, they should not make the same mistakes as the PPP. They may not be in the comfortable position of being proactive since the horse has already bolted. In my opinion, there is still a good argument for the review group. It may not benefit this present generation but will definitely benefit future generations since the problem is here to stay. Simultaneously, I do believe that there is a need to have an increase in the numbers of social workers, child psychologists, teachers, child psychiatrists, child counsellors and criminologist. I would further argue that in the immediate future the Ministry of Education should develop strict evidence based guidelines for schools when confronted by a deviant child or any child they may be concerned about. The problem needs to be addressed early with referral to the relevant specialist. Teachers will also need to be proactive. A child may not necessarily show deviant behaviour but their home circumstances maybe cause for concern. Adherence to these

guidelines may need regular reviewing for both compliance and outcomes.

Now let’s examine a major social problem in Guyana: Poor single parents. I do believe that this group, along with the financially deprived families will need significant assistance as part of the solution to the aforementioned problem. The fact is when a single parent goes out to do their two and three jobs, what happens with the kids? More often than not, they are left alone to be brought by the mean streets. In those means streets, boys and girls who are much older, guide and inculcate in them tools of survival in streets. There they are taught conflict resolution techniques of streets. Guns. Knives. Tasers.

The young boys and girls then take this into the schools. As a result it is imperative that these poor single parents be provided with financial support so that they can spend more time at home nurturing their kids and inculcation good values.

Some may argue that the social problems of single parenting is not their problem.

Let me warn you. Even if it is not your problem now, It will be in the future when they turn up at your houses with balaclava disguised faces, bullet proof souls and AK47s.

You can shoot them dead if you wish. I can guarantee that there is a queue of similar youths to replace them simply because PPP was reactive rather than proactive.

Regards, Dr. Mark Devonish MBBS MSc Med

Justice delayed is justice denied Dear Editor, AS I pen this letter, we are days before election which is scheduled for Monday March 2, 2020. I am addressing this letter to the leader of the PNC+APNU Mr. David Granger not as President of Guyana but as leader of our party.

Comrade Granger, after four years 10 months in office your government, our government has returned dignity to our people, though we have not gained economically or financially during this period, we have revived the dignity of morality that was willfully denied our people for the 23 years of the PPP power in office, Jagdeo’s bullyism and dictatorship.

After the counting of the ballot of the 2015 elections and the results made known we felt that the chains of discrimination and degradation of the

Jagdeo regime was something of the past. On that election morning of 2015 we rang the bells, we blew the horns, we made music with the empty tins and shouted, “get up prepare yourself and go out and vote”.

Mr. Granger we had a lot of unfinished business not addressed. Business of abuse and acts of great inhumane acts perpetrated on our people and five years after the perpetrators of those misdeeds are out of power, they and their henchmen are still walking free and they are so ‘cock sure’ and presumptuous that they can tell their supporters to “chase out a sitting Head of State” when he comes in their area, and Jagdeo’s people went so far as to attacked ministers at the Pegasus Hotel and continue their bullying attitude by blocking traffic at the Presidential Secretariat. David Granger, Leader of the PNC their acts were not done against you and your min-

ister alone but were meted out on all of us who voted and still support the coalition.

We want justice for our people; we want justice for Yohance Douglas, Shaka Blair, Donna McKinnon, Courtney Crum-Ewing, Oliver Hinckson, Mark Benschop, Ronald Waddell, the army officer and his wife who were jailed by Jagdeo and his people. They were in power during these periods and least we forget the 400 plus black youths whose bodies kept popping up on the streets in the villages and those who were not found ended up in the alligator pond in the back of the Botanical Gardens.

Justice delayed is justice denied. No retreat no surrender. Onward to victory in March.

Regards, George Williams

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, January 28, 2020

Troy Resources resumes processing AFTER resuming operations in December, Australian gold mining company, Troy Resources Guyana Inc, on Monday reported that it has resumed processing at its Karouni Gold Mine.

However, several of the company’s laid-off mining employees who were hopeful of being rehired when the company’s fortunes changed for the better, remain unemployed. Some of the fired employees had been recalled by the company; however, several others were not.

The company issued a statement informing of this positive development. “Processing restarted a few days ago and work is moving apace to have the processing plant operate on a full time (24 hour) basis. All operations, including people and processes involved in the restart, are expected to be regularized and normalized by mid-February,” the statement

This culminated with the company terminating the services of some 227 workers in

Aerial view of the Troy Resources’ Karouni Gold Mine operations (Tamica Garnett photo)

read, adding that: “The company complied with all the requirements and received the requisite approvals for the resumption of activities from the various government agencies enabling it to restart operations. The restart, which is being done in phases, began progressively, initially with the employment of personnel involved in mining activities and later and ongoing with

personnel involved in processing activities.”

The news is the latest development since the company is reported to have secured approximately US$10.3 million in funding to return the company to viability, and comes after it faced a number of compounding adverse situations since the October 8th death of an employee, Ryan Taylor, while on duty.

it rehires staff, particularly sidestepping former employees who were members of

The gold processing plant at Troy Resources’ Karouni Gold Mine Operations (Tamica Garnett photo)

November after it shuttered processing operations since October 12. “Troy wishes to sincerely thank all of its employees, shareholders, suppliers and other stakeholders for their patience and support during one of the most challenging periods in the company’s history,” the company also said.

Some former employees believe that the company is purposefully selective in how

the company’s union -- the People’s United and General Workers Union (PUGWU).

“I heard they hire a lot of new people. They just call back one and two of the old staff. I have some friends that got called back, but they only call back who they want. They call seven persons from my shift that I know about. All the rest are fresh people that they hired.

I guess they did that because

they wouldn’t be able to do certain things,” suggested one former employee.

Another employee gave a similar understanding of the situation. “I know a portion of men got call, and a portion didn’t get call. I hear they’re hiring fresh people but the deal was that they would hire back the old employees.

The claim is that some of the union people they not hiring back, but it’s not confirmed.

They don’t have any reason why some of the people left out and they hiring fresh people to do the same work, when they have to retrain them and all that,” the former employee noted.

Calls made to the president of PUGWU, for his comment on the situation proved futile. An email sent to the company for a comment on the issue received no response up to press time.

Transparency report big news for Guyana, Prime Minister says PRIME Minister Moses Nagamootoo has hailed as “big news” the report by Transparency International that during 2019, Guyana climbed three points on the ladder of its Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) to register its best score ever.

He stated in his latest My Turn column that with a score of 40, Guyana is ranked 85th among 180 countries, and is listed as one of the countries that have significantly reduced corrupt practices.

“It helps to project our image as a country with which others could do business,” he said. “It also recognises that our country has been implementing better practices that promote confidence and integrity in our

Prime Minister, Moses Nagamootoo

governance systems,” he added.

Noting that this achievement did not come easily in a country that, just a decade ago, was cited for pervasive corruption, Minister Nagamootoo said it was the level of sleaze that was eventually

responsible for the removal of the PPP from government after an unbroken 23 years in office.

The Prime Minister, who has portfolio responsibilities that include governance and parliamentary affairs, noted that Guyana is wriggling out from the Augean Stables of corruption. He accused the former PPP regime of spending monies from the public purse without the approval of the National Assembly, and in defiance of specific disapproval by the House.

“Public funds were squandered on questionable contracts with cronies for blotched projects, such as the Specialty Hospital, the Amalia Road to nowhere, single-sourced pharmaceu-

ticals etc.,” he said, adding that the former regime had refused to pass public procurement legislation, which resulted in expenditure of public funds (to the tune of hundreds of billions of dollars) being compromised.

It failed to re-establish an Integrity Commission, which reinforced the perception that public officials were not accountable.

For years, he recalled, our country incubated what has been described as the “parallel economy” which was stifling the commercial oxygen from the legitimate private sector. That underground economy was characterized by trading in contrabands, narco-trafficking and money-laundering.

According to Mr. Nagamootoo, the unwelcome spin-offs were widespread kickbacks, extra-judicial killings, misappropriation of state resources, including improper allocation to friends of radio/television frequencies, forestry and mining concessions, and prime lands to state officials and friends.

Stating that when the six-party APNU+AFC Coalition came to office, it inherited systemic corruption that had required Herculean efforts to cleanse, he affirmed that the Granger Government quickly put in place the legislative and institutional framework to contain the excesses.

“These include laws on anti-money laundering and terrorism financing which in

turn spawned the financial intelligence unit, the national anti-narcotic agency, the special organised crime unit, and the state asset recovery agency.”

The Government was serious about stamping out corruption, drugs and crime.

It brought back the US Drugs Enforcement Agency (DEA), and re-established ties with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).

The Prime Minister concluded that while it remains an uphill task to fully uproot corrupt practices which had eaten into the sinews of our society, Guyana has come a long way. The results show that we are trying, and getting kudos for our efforts.

Gov’t promises Sophia a taste of ‘the good life’ --in terms of more infrastructural development for the community

GOVERNMENT will ensure that the residents of Sophia get a taste of the good life, should the Coalition Government be re-elected to office.

That’s according to Peoples National Congress/Reform (PNCR) Chairman and Minister of Public Health Volda Lawrence, who made the welcome announcement on Sunday evening during an A Partner for National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) public meeting at Turning Point in the Greater Georgetown community.

She not only told ‘Sophians’ that more infrastructural works are slated for the community, but assured them that plans are in train to upgrade some 1,838 kilometres of road as well as to construct 82 culverts so as to aid in the improvement of their drainage system.

She said that to date, a total of $1.5B has been spent on the construction of 10 bridges linking the various ‘Fields’ in the community, thus ensuring accessibility to certain essential services being offered there.

She also announced the completion of some 804m of revetment works to ensure that the roads that are being upgraded remain durable, as well as the construction of 2000 housing units and another 250 Core Houses, which latter project, when completed, will cost the buyer $4M apiece.

As she explained, persons wanting to buy in on the 250 Core Houses will have to make a modest down-payment of $100, 000, while the government will subsidise the remaining $3.9M.

Plans are also on stream, she announced, for the construction of a Polyclinic in the community, as well as a new Ambulatory Unit to benefit residents in cases of urgent medical attention, all of which is anticipated to cost the government a whopping $1.5B. APNU City Councillor Clayton Hinds told the Guyana Chronicle in an aside that a $500,000 grant will be given to qualifying families who earn $70,000 per month to aid in the renovation to their homes, particularly those

who have started to build, but were for some reason unable to complete the process.

Cynthia Rutherford, a member of the youth arm of the Alliance for Change party, who also spoke at the meeting, encouraged members of the community to go out on Elections Day and exercise their constitutional right and vote for the party of their choice.

She urged the youngsters in their midst, particularly those who would have reached the requisite age to vote to do so, so that when

changes are being implemented in their community and the country at large, they can have a voice in the desired change.

“Without voting, you do not have a say in anything,” Rutherford said.

This publication also spoke with some residents of the community who expressed delight at hearing of the developmental works that have been executed by the Coalition government and what is slated for the community.

9

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, January 28, 2020

14 Primary Schools in Region Six technologically enhanced FOURTEEN primary schools in Region Six, East Berbice – Corentyne received Profuturo Kits (Digital Technology) on Monday, an initiative that will see the introduction and enhancement of digital learning in the region.

The handing-over ceremony was held at the Cumberland Primary School, one of the recipients of the kits.

In May 2019, Guyana signed a technical assistance cooperation agreement with the OAS and the Profuturo Foundation.

The kits are as a result of collaboration between the Organisation of American States (OAS), the Profuturo Foundation and the Ministry of Education.

Minister of Education, Dr. Nicolette Henry said that education in Guyana is embarking on major changes to students’ learning and knowledge acquisition.

She said that technology has influenced and changed the way students solve prob-

lems, research information and learn.

The Education Minister said that the Government of Guyana as well as the Ministry of Education welcome the initiative that will continue to provide opportunities for Guyanese to advance in this technological era.

Minister Henry explained to the teachers and students in attendance that it was important to harness all the opportunities.

She said the school’s ad-

ministration, staff, students and community must combine efforts in the maintenance and sustainability of the kits as they capitalize on the correct usage and learning abilities that the kits will create.

She added, “Witnessing the metamorphism of traditional Education to digital learning, particularly during this phase of global technological advancement and this decade of development should stimulate and encour-

age our collaborative determination to ensure our nation is adequately prepared for the technological growth.”

Minister Henry said that together, “we can and will

He said that by heading the Digital Literacy Project, the OAS is impacting the lives of persons with its democracy.

He said that education

Minister of Education, Nicolette Henry

A sample of the tablets that are included in each kit

A sample of the tablets that are included in each kit

work to ensure this decade of development is actualized in every corner of Guyana.”

The OAS Country Representative in Guyana, Ambassador Jean Ricot Dormeus, in his remarks said that the programme aimed to prepare the next generation for the future.

Minister Henry and Ambassador Dormeus along with head teachers and students of the 14 schools pose for a photograph with the Profuturo Kits

was the twin sister of freedom and that technology worked as a great equalizer, allowing many to transform the world from huts to gated communities.

He said that the partnership between the OAS, Profuturo and the Government of Guyana was to provide education to the most challenging and vulnerable communities.

Moreover, the Ambassador said that the $152,000 euros project will benefit more than 5000 children across Regions one, six and 10 and almost 500 teachers will receive training on modern methodologies and how to use technology to enhance the learning experience of students. The Profututo kits comprise of 40 tablets, one router, a projector and a laptop.

Regional Education Officer, Ms. Bhagmattie LaCruz said that it was an extraordinary day for education in the East Berbice – Corentyne where there will be the advancement of Information

Communication Technology (ICT).

She said that the project will reduce the digital divide by providing learners with the necessary skills to be successful and reach their full potential in a digital world.

Following the handing-over ceremony, Minister Henry and Ambassador Dormeus, along with officials, visited the Gangaram Primary School as the model school for Profuturo implementation.

The other 13 schools that received kits on Monday were the Edinghburg Primary School, Overwinning Primary School, Lochaber Primary School, Sandvoort Primary School, St. Theresa’s Primary School, New Amsterdam Primary School, All Saints Primary School, St. Aloysius Primary School, Fort Ordinance Primary School, Sheet Anchor Primary School, Rosehall Estate Primary School, Betsy Ground Primary School and Gangaram Primary School.

Guyana improves rating to 76% at recent ICAO audit IN 2007, the rating stood at 42% and in 2016, Guyana scored 66% following an audit of the sector by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).

Last week, following another safety oversight audit, the percentage climbed further to 76.9%, a figure which aviation professionals point to improvement in various aspects of the management of the sector by the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA).

The recent statistic was confirmed by Director General of the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), Lieutenant Colonel (Retired) Egbert Field, during a public forum in the United States over the weekend.

Personnel within the aviation circle have noted that the recent rating increases the country’s chances of applying for Federal Aviation

Authority (FAA) Category One status operations, a stringent process, which once achieved, provides for direct flights between these shores and North America.

According to the FAA, in order to attain a Category One rating, countries with air carriers that fly to the United States must adhere to the safety standards of ICAO, the United Nations’ technical agency for aviation that establishes international standards and recommended practices for aircraft operations and maintenance.

In 2002, Guyana was downgraded to Category Two rating as the country failed to meet the required rating. However, Field has set the tone for improving the all-round capability of the local aviation umbrella body.

In recent years, the GCAA has been working to improve several

areas of its operation in order for the country’s aviation sector to be fully compliant with international requirements.

In 2017, ICAO presented Guyana with the Council President Certificate after gaining recognition for making significant progress in resolving its safety oversight deficiencies and improving the Effective Implementation of ICAO Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs).

Already, the efforts of the aviation umbrella body have been bearing fruit as a number of international air carriers have been applying to operate to these shores, the latest being American carrier, JetBlue.

The popular carrier is expected to start operations between the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) and New York from April this year.

Guyana has also signed onto

several air services agreement with a number of countries, including Qatar.

The GCAA said that the agreement with Qatar, which was signed last September, is aimed at promoting and facilitating airlines of Guyana and Qatar to operate any number of services between both countries as well as beyond to any third country, with no restrictions on capacity, frequency, aircraft type and routing.

Last December, a delegation which was led by the GCAA Director General, participated in the twelfth International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Air Services Negotiation Event (ICAN2019) which was held in Aqaba, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan from December 2nd to 6th 2019.

Following negotiations at the event, air services agreements were

signed with Senegal, Seychelles, The Bahamas, Paraguay, Saudi Arabia, Germany, Greece and Spain.

The aviation body explained that the objective of ICAO Air Services Negotiation Event is to provide states with a central meeting place to conduct bilateral -regional or plurilateral- air services negotiations and consultations with other member states of ICAO. Field noted recently that the aviation sector is expanding, with a number of large helicopters operating within the country as testimony to this expansion.

Over the weekend, he said that a number of other international carriers “are knocking on the door” but he noted that the GCAA is carefully examining the interested parties to ensure no fly-by-night operators are allowed into the local aviation market.

10

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, January 28, 2020

Towards a Good Life…

The recent spate of violence in our educational institutions …an opportunity to engender meaningful change

By Melina Harris THERE is only perhaps one thing that I absolutely disdain and find completely intolerable about Guyanese society; that is the permeation of violence in all aspects of our society.

In homes, schools workplaces or anywhere people seem to gather, there is aggression and oftentimes violence. I would like to discuss the recent incidences of violence in our educational institutions, and hope to make the point that these incidences represent an opportunity to provoke meaningful change in Guyanese society.

This week, we witnessed one of the most brutal attacks to have been perpetrated by one student against another. On Thursday afternoon, after school was dismissed, a fight ensued between two female students of the Linden Foundation Secondary School, who were captured on video rolling around and tussling with each other, in the presence of their colleagues and apparently some adult onlookers. The video showed a young lady approaching one of the pugilists and plunging a ‘Rambo-style hunting knife into her back.

The injured teen was rushed to the hospital, where she reportedly underwent five

hours of emergency surgery.

It was later reported that there had been severe damage to her muscles, tendons, spleen, lungs and other organs. She is reported to be a in a critical condition.

Last week, there were reports that another Linden student was chopped about the body, and a few weeks prior to that, at the same school, another student stabbed their classmate and was arrested.

As recent incidents would indicate, students are not the only perpetrators and victims of violence in our educational institutions. The now infamous St. Agnes Primary School incident, which involved the parents of one pupil attacking and nearly stripping naked a schoolteacher, who had actually assisted their child, is abhorrent. This incident has led to a very bizarre outcome, in that both the parents of the child and the teacher, have had criminal charges filed against them. Teachers have been rightfully protesting against the Guyana Police Force and Georgetown Magistrates’ Court’s decision to uphold the charges against the teacher.

The high level of violence that permeates the Guyanese society might be best understood from a historical, anthropological and scientific perspective.

HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE Guyana’s history of slavery and indentureship are key contributing factors to the high incidence of violence that continues to affect the Guyanese society, and although some would argue that this proposition is baseless, I would encourage everyone to acquire a thorough understanding of the effects of slavery and indentureship post-colonial societies. Slavery was one of the most brutal systems to have been inflicted upon humanity, and it can be argued that the resulting trauma continues to trickle down through the generations, affecting modern-day descendants all the same.

Epigenetics is the study of heritable changes in gene expression that do not involve changes to the underlying DNA sequence; a change in phenotype without a change in genotype, which, in turn, affects how cells read the genes. Epigenetic change is a regular and natural occurrence, but can also be influenced by several factors, including age, the environment/lifestyle, and disease state.

A simplified analogy presented by Nessa Carey’s Epigenetics Revolution is as follows: Think of the human lifespan as a very long movie. The cells would

be the actors and actresses, essential units that make up the movie. DNA, in turn, would be the script; instructions for all the participants of the movie to perform their roles. Subsequently, the DNA sequence would be the words on the script, and certain blocks of these words that instruct key actions or events to take place would be the genes. The concept of genetics would be like screenwriting. The concept of epigenetics, then, would be like directing. The script can be the same, but the director can choose to eliminate or tweak certain scenes or dialogue, altering the movie for better or worse.

There have been a number of epigenetic studies which were done and have all illustrated that trauma is indeed inter-generational and can be passed down from one generation to the other. Separate studies have been conducted on the descendants of prisoners of war (POWs) and non-POW descendants and also Holocaust survivors.

The POW study found that descendants of POWs had significantly higher mortality rates and less desirable socio-economic outcomes than non-POW descendants.

Similarly, the Holocaust survivors study found that the children of the survivors of the Holocaust had

Man who ‘cuffed out’ officer’s teeth granted bail Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan, on Monday, January 27, 2020, granted a 22-year-oldcarpenter $70,000 bail on an assault charge.

Shem Willkie of Mahdia appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court and denied the charge, when it was read to him.

Particulars of the charge stated that, on January 11, 2020, at 111 Miles, Mahdia, he inflicted grievous bodily harm on Mohamed Kadeer.

Attorney-at-Law Ronald Daniels who represented Willkie asked the court that his client be released on reasonable bail and told the court that it was the officer who gave both Willkie and his bother a ‘blow’ to their face.

Police prosecutor objected

Shem Willkie

to bail being granted to Willkie and told the court that, on the day in question, around 02:19 hours, police on duty saw Willkie in the company of his brother who was behaving in a disorderly manner. The officer approached them and requested better behaviour from Wilkie’s

brother. The latter refused to comply.

The police officer attempted to arrest Willkie’s brother and he resisted. Willkie then intervened and started to fight with the said officer.

Willkie then dealt the officer a cuff to his mouth and three of his teeth fell out. The brothers made good their escape.

Days after the said incident, the brothers were seen walking on the road. Willkie was arrested and his brother made good his escape.

Magistrate McLennan released Willkie on $70,000 bail and ordered that he report to the Mahdia police until the completion of the matter.

The matter was adjourned until February 3, 2020.

epigenetic changes to a gene that was linked to their levels of cortisol, a hormone involved in the stress response.

MEANINGFUL CHANGE Guyana’s colonial history and its effects on the people and consequent shaping of the society have never adequately been addressed, and it will continue to affect the proper development of our society until such time as it is addressed. I make the foregoing point to state that without knowing and understanding the context of our society, we cannot make meaningful and lasting changes, especially as it pertains to the younger generations who will one day become the guardians and custodians of this nation. A more concerted effort has to be made to understand the role of trauma and violence in the Guyanese society, so that we might be able to stem the undesirable effects thereof.

The very same educational institutions under attack must play a key role in realising this outcome.

Education and access to education are fundamental constitutional and human rights. We cannot sleepwalk into a situation, whereby their positive realisation is hampered by the very same people they were introduced

to benefit. Schools and other educational institutions should be free of violence and fear, so that our young people are able to become their very best and achieve their highest potentials. It is also in this context that we must take steps to end corporal punishment. We cannot continue to operate in the belief that discipline must be administered by way of violence. This draconian law must be abolished.

Violence has no place in a learning institution or anywhere in civilised society.

Educational institutions should be protected by all means necessary.

Their curriculums must be updated to include meaningful information about our shared history, good and bad, so that young people might be better educated and informed about themselves, so that they understand the context in which they must now operate. Inter-generational trauma has to be addressed and these very same institutions should be playing a much more central role in doing so.

Friends on drug charge remanded CHIEF Magistrate Ann McLennan, on Monday, January 27, 2020, remanded two friends to prison for trafficking marijuana.

Joel Amsterdam, 24, and Kevon Velloza, 27, appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court and denied the charge, when it was read to them.

Particulars of the charge stated that, on January 25, 2020 at First Avenue, Bartica, they had, in their possession, 1454 grams of cannabis, for the purpose of trafficking.

Velloza was also slapped with a separate charge which stated that, on the same day, and at the same place, he assaulted Amsterdam so as to cause him actual bodily harm.

Police prosecutor told the court that, on the day in question, around 10:15 hours, both Velloza and Amsterdam, while passing the Bartica Police Station, were acting in a suspicious manner.

When officers asked to carry out a search, they ran.

The officers gave chase and were able to apprehend them. they were taken to the station, a search was conducted on their person and a quantity of leaves, seeds and stems, suspected to be narcotics, were found in a black haversack.

The prosecutor added, that, while at the station, Velloza and Amsterdam were placed in a lock-up and they were involved in an argument. It was then that Velloza dealt Amsterdam a cuff to his face and kicked him about his body.

Ranks then intervened and took Amsterdam to the hospital where he was treated for his injuries.

Velloza was fined $10,000 or, in default, three weeks in prison on the assault charge.

Magistrate McLennan remanded both Velloza and Amsterdam to prison and adjourned the matter until January 20, 2020. The matter was transferred to the Bartica Magistrates’ Court.

11

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, January 28, 2020

Parties in ‘residency voting’ case to make more submissions

By Svetlana Marshall ATTORNEY-General and Minister of Legal Affairs Basil Williams on Monday maintained that the residency requirement for voting in Guyana was reinstituted in 1991.

He iterated the State’s position in response to questions posed by the Court of Appeal on the validity of the Constitution Amendment Act No. 4 of 1991 when the case challenging the High Court’s decision to block the removal of persons from the National Register of Registrant Database (NRRDB) was heard on Monday.

In the partial appeal, the Attorney-General V Christopher Ram, the Chief Elections Officer, the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) and the Guyana Bar Association (Amicus Curiae), the Appellate Court asked the two sides to submit arguments on the validity of the Constitution Amendment Act No. 4 of 1991, taking into account the provisions of Article 164 of the Constitution, and secondly, if validly enacted, to address the question of residency in Article 159 (2) (a) for qualification to be registered as an elector.

In his original written submission, the Attorney-General, who is being supported by Solicitor General Nigel Hawke, argued that by virtue of Constitution (Amendment) No. 4 of 1991, the residency requirement for voting in Guyana was reinstituted and became a necessary requirement to qualify to be an elector. Article 159 2 (a) of the Constitution, he argued, was amended to read to include the residency requirement.

FELL INTO ERROR Minister Williams told the Court that Chief Justice Roxane George-Wiltshire fell into error by failing to address her mind to that particular amendment, a position he maintained on Monday.

“Albeit an argument may be advanced that there was omission of the alteration of the revised Constitution by Section 2(f) of the Constitution (Amendment) (No.4) Act 1991 ( Act No. 36 of 1991), and that the omission of an alteration to the article of the revised edition of the Constitution, this omission, whether inadvertent or not, does not affect the validity of the article of the Constitution,” he said, while pointing to Section 10 of the Law Revision Act, Chapter 2:02.

Further in support of his position, the Attorney-Gener-

al, in his submission, had referenced Article 159 (2) (C), explaining that it provides a mechanism to facilitate the socio-political changes that would necessitate the extension of the list of qualifications.

Article 159 (2) (C) reads: “(2) Subject to the provisions of paragraph (3) and (4), a person shall be qualified to be registered as an elector for elections for elections if, and shall not be so qualified unless, on the qualifying date, he or she is of the age of eighteen years or upwards and either – (C) satisfies such other qualifications as may be prescribed by or under any law.”

He, therefore, argued that by virtue of that provision, Section 6 (2) (a) of the National Registration Act, Chapter 19:08 makes residency part of the list of qualifications under “any law.”

“Moreover, the mere fact that Article 159 of the Constitution and Section 6 of the National Registration Act deals with the same subject matter i.e. registering qualified persons to be electors, the provisions in these two legal instruments cannot be read in isolation. Together they, along with other enactments, are part of one system or code (election laws) and therefore should be interpreted as enforcing (and complementing) each other.

IN PARI MATERIA In other words, they must be read in pari materia. The general principle of in pari materia, a rule of statutory interpretation, says that laws of the same matter and on the same subject must be construed with reference to each other,” the Attorney-General argued.

Reinforcing the State’s position during an interview with the Guyana Chronicle on Monday, the Attorney-General said he will also be relying on the Cedric Richardson case in his response to the questions posed by the Appellate Court. In requesting additional time to respond to questions posed, Ram’s Attorney-at-Law, Anil Nandlall reportedly told the Court that the Constitution Amendment Act No. 4 of 1991 was not raised by the State when the case came up in the High Court.

“We have always contended that [and] Mr. Marcus [has] argued that we couldn’t argue what was never raised,” Minister Williams told this newspaper. He explained that prior to the Chief Justice’s August 14, 2019 ruling, in which she refused

a number of orders sought by Ram, the issue of “residency” not being requirement for electors was not raised.

Attorney-General and Minister of Legal Affairs Basil Williams

SUNSET LEGISLATION Nandlall and his client have also submitted to the Appellate Court that the Constitution Amendment Act No. 4 of 1991 is a “sunset legislation”, meaning that the measure within it ceased to have effect after a specific period. But in rebuffing this, Ministers Williams said he and his

battery of lawyers will respond to those contentions in his submission. He said Nandlall and his client are trying to delay the case.

The Appellate Court has given Ram and his Attorney by February 3, 2020 to make submissions on the questions posed, while the Attorney-General would be required to respond by February 5, 2020. Oral arguments and summing up by the two sides will be made on February 6, 2020.

12

GUYANA CHRONICLE, January 28, 2020

Tourism agents rave about Guyana’s ecotourism after FAM Trip

REPRESENTATIVES from five tourism companies in the USA, were, last week, hosted on a Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA) Familiarization (FAM) Trip, to Kaieteur, Iwokrama and several other interior destinations, with enthusiastic reviews from the agents.

The aim was that, after experiencing what is on offer, the agents were expected to return to the US and be able to add Guyana to their list of offered destinations, and match clients with those looking for the type of adventure tourism that Guyana offers.

The FAM Trip included Adventures and Expedition Cruise Specialist from Yam Global Travel in Chicago, Yamonee Barboro; founder of Knowmad Adventures, Jordan Harvey, from Minneapolis; Travel Designer from Explore X in Seattle Washington, Robyn Goldblatt; Sean Russo of G Adventures; and Rebbeca Dearing from South America Travel.

A representative from American Airlines, Vanita Jagnarain, was also part of the tour. American Airlines was a sponsor of the event.

The representatives spoke about their experiences at a press conference on Friday, at Cara Lodge.

“I didn’t know very much about Guyana apart from the fact that it is an emerging destination, something that is fresh, new and unique, so I wanted to come and see

The FAM Trip included (from left): Rebbeca Dearing from South America Travel; Travel Designer from Explore X in Seattle Washington, Robyn Goldblatt; Adventures and Expedition Cruise Specialist from Yam Global Travel, Yamonee Barboro; Sean Russo of G Adventures; and founder of Knowmad Adventures, Jordan Harvey, from Minneapolis (Delano Williams photo

if this is something that our travellers could be inspired by. It is very exciting in that it’s still so new and still very authentic, the experiences here are really rich,” commented Goldblatt.

At Explore X, Goldblatt’s clients include not only US but international tourists as well.

“Our clients are a pretty fair 50/50 combination of US and international. We get folks from all over the world who come to us. We do some small group trips, for groups of 8 – 10 people maximum

and we do custom trips as well,” Goldblatt noted.

Barboro, an overseas Guyanese who migrated over 40 years ago, shared that she had been interested in marketing Guyana for some time now, and jumped at the opportunity to be a part of the FAM Trip.

“I sell mostly adventure destinations. I do Alaska, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador and we’re going to be doing Antartica, so I’m in adventure and I love it and I’ve always been very passionate about Guyana,” Barboro shared.

“I have people asking me on my Facebook page about Guyana and how to get there and I hope to reach out to the diaspora. They need to come and experience it. When you go to the interior it’s a little bit rustic but the beauty is unbelievable.”

Arriving last Sunday, January 19, the representatives were treated to five days of tours to various destinations in the interior and a city tour around Georgetown, before they were scheduled to depart on Friday evening.

“They stayed at Iwokra-

ma River Lodge. They got to go up to the canopy walkway and did some wild life spotting and birding there. They travelled to Yupukari where, at Caiman House, they got to do some Caiman tagging and hear about the conservation projects there. They stayed at the Karanambu Lodge and Waiken Ranch in South Rupununi, where they got to do some Ranch-style activities like horseback riding.

They did a city tour around Georgetown’s more historical sites,” explained GTA Senior Marketing Officer, Nicola Balram.

Harvey was particularly impressed with all that was on offer.

“I jumped on the tour because I needed to recharge my battery. I needed a new experience; it came up and it was too good to be true. I was just excited to go somewhere that I knew so little about and it did not disappoint. It was fantastic, beautiful country, beautiful people, beautiful food, beautiful experiences, it was A+,” Harvey expressed.

FAM Trips are a feature that the GTA has been utilizing for quite a few years now.

However, as of late, the body has been increasing emphasis and focus on them.

“At the GTA we’re responsible for marketing, product development and promotion of Guyana. One of the ways we do this is to host tour operators and media on familiarization tours where they come to Guyana and

get to experience the tourism product,” Balram related.

“We’ve been doing these for quite some time now. Last year we actually hosted 12 of these events, a lot more than was done in previous years and we plan to continue it.

There were group ones such as these individuals, and then there were a few individual ones for National Geographic, Wonderlust in the UK; those were media related.”

The trips are part of the wider promotion of Guyana as an “undiscovered” tourism destination. The GTA has market representation firms promoting “Destination Guyana” in the North American, German and the United Kingdom (UK) markets.

The purpose is to target clients who are specifically looking for the type of tourism Guyana offers, and collaborate with agents that tend to that particular clientele; as are the companies that took part in this FAM Trip.

“They are all focused on travellers who are more authentic adventure, nature type clientele. Some are more high-end and some are more price-sensitive, but they all offer similar products to what we offer in Guyana and it’s a good fit.

We did this in partnership with American Airlines, when we reached out they did sponsor some of the tickets,” Balram said.

Motorist involved in fatal accident granted bail A 27-year-old man was, on Monday, January 27, 2020, released on a total of $1.5M bail for the fatal accident which claimed the life of a motorcyclist, along the Craig Public Road, East Bank Demerara.

Quacy Decunha of Supply, EBD appeared before Principal Magistrate Judy Latchman and denied that, on January 25, 2020, at Craig Public Road, he drove motor car PVV 8691 in a dangerous manner, resulting in the death of Dhanraj Budhram, 47, of Belle West, Canal Number Two, West Bank Demerara.

He was also charged for failure to render assistance, failure to stop at the scene after an accident, failure to

Quacy Decunha

report the accident, driving without a motor licence, driving an uninsured motor

Dhanraj Budhram and his wife in happier times

vehicle. Decunha denied the five charges.

Magistrate Latchman released Decunha on a total of $1.5M bail and adjourned the matter until February 13, 2020.

The Guyana Chronicle had reported that the father of five was killed in the wee hours of Saturday morning, after he was struck by a motorcar while riding his motorcycle on his way home at Craig Village, East Bank Demerara (EBD).

Reports indicated that Budhram, who was employed at Gafoor’s Complex at Land of Canaan, was travelling home, in the wee hours of Saturday morning, when motorcar PVV 8691, which was driven by Decunha, crashed into him on

the roadway.

Decunha fled the scene after the accident while another motorcar driver, who witnessed the accident, recorded the licence plate of the car involved and stayed on the scene until the police arrived.

Budhram was taken to the hospital but succumbed to his injuries, while receiving medical attention.

The driver, who witnessed the accident, reported the matter to the police, while Decunha, six hours later, showed up with his lawyer and surrendered himself.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, January 28, 2020

‘Don’t stifle your conscience’ …Former PPP member talks up development in Speightland

AT a Speightland public meeting on Saturday evening in Linden, former Region Ten Executive of the People’ Progressive Party (PPP), Kevon Lorrimer, urged the residents to use their conscience when deciding which political party should be the next government, as the community would have moved from being totally ignored, to now benefitting from developmental projects under the present administration. Speaking to a sizeable crowd consisting of mostly residents of the Mackenzie community, Lorrimer, who is now the Chairman of the Region Ten Guyana Action Party Chapter (GAP), told the residents that the PPP does not have their interest

at heart. This is evident, he said, in the many failed promises that the party presented, while they were both in government and the opposition to the community; one they classified as their support base.

Reasons as those in addition to personal discrimination were the basis of his decision to resign from the party. In less than two year however, Speightland has witnessed several developmental projects, Lorrimer insisted. “The reality here tonight is who not to vote for, vote for your conscience, this government is the best and the only one that will move you forward,” Lorrimer said, as he prepared to list some of the projects that came to fruition.

GAP Region Ten Executive and former PPP member Kevon Lorrimer

In 2011, he said, the former administration promised the residents to transfer own-

ership of the ball field, the same field the meeting was held on, to the community, so

that they can pursue communal projects and garner funds, but this never happened, he said. It was in September of 2019, that the APNU-AFC Government registered the ball field into the name of the community’s logging association.

A recently constructed $13 M bridge across the Kara Kara creek was also another failed promise by the PPP, which was made a reality under this administration.

The bridge made ingress and egress for residents residing on the two opposite sides of the creek easier. “It was this government that made the impossible, possible and built the bridge and the contract was given to the community,” Lorrimer said to loud cheers.

The PPP, he also alleged, promised to provide chickens and feed for residents to start up poultry rearing businesses.

Several residents built pens in optimism that the promise would be fulfilled but this never happened. It was also under this administration that the Ministry of Indigenous People’s Affairs, provided families with chickens and feed as a means of making them financially independent.

Two logging concessions were also allocated to the Speightland Logging Association, of which Lorrimer is an executive member. The main access road in the community was also rehabilitated and street lights were installed, which enhanced the visibility in the community.

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Children’s Mash…

‘West Field’, Sophia, St. Pius take early win --as ‘GT’ leg of regional competition kicks off REIGNING national champions of the Children’s Mashramani 5 – 7 dance category, West Field Prep, along with Sophia and St Pius Primary Schools were the first schools to take wins at the Georgetown District Regional Children’s Mashramani Competition, when it commenced with a vibrant start on Monday morning at the National Cultural Centre (NCC).

Performing a piece called “Supplication of a Child”, West Field Prep won the “Religious Belief” section, while Sophia won the “Ring Games” section with a piece called “Small Days”, and St Pius won in “Fantasy” with a Barbie doll-themed piece called “Reflection”.

The three schools were the top performers in the 5 – 7 years Dance Category for the event, which will continue throughout the week until

Friday, with other dance, as well as masquerade, drama, and poetry competitions in varying age categories.

The top performing schools in the varying categories will move on to represent the District at the National Children’s Mashrama-

ni Competition, where they will compete against teams from all across the Country.

The respective Regions will all be hosting their regional competitions to select the entries that will represent them in the national competition.

West Field Prep girls dancing their little hearts out to place first in the “Religious Belief” category

Sophia Primary girls having a go at it in the “Ring Games” section of the 5 -7 dance competition (Photos by Elvin Croker )

St. Pius Primary doing their Barbie-themed piece which saw them take the lead in the “Fantasy” category.

Monday’s event also featured competition in the 8 – 10 masquerade and dance categories. Seven

schools were scheduled to participate in the masquerade, and 20 in the dance competitions respectively.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, January 28, 2020

Jamaica’s Chamber in Guyana seeking business expansion WITHIN the past two years, business and consumer confidence in Jamaica have been at an alltime high and the Jamaica Chambers of Commerce (JCC) is partnering with the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce & Industry (GCCI) in seeking expansion opportunities in Guyana.

This is according to President of Jamaica Chambers of Commerce (JCC), Lloyd Distant Jnr., during his address, Monday, at the opening session of “Doing Business in Guyana” held at the Pegasus Hotel.

Adding that the JCC is 240 years old and this would be the first outward mission for the Chambers in a decade, Distant Jnr said that, as a country, Jamaica has been used as a model example by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), from a country that was in a bad position to one which has low interest and inflation rates.

“Unemployment in Jamaica is at an all-time low, just around 7.2 percent, there is a level of buoyancy. Our stock exchange in 2018 going into 2019 was rated the number one stock exchange in the world, so with little country risk, with the capital markets booming as they are, we are seeking to expand externally,” he underscored.

He said that Jamaica is the most investable country since there is no restriction on foreign ownership and on the reparation of profits, while there is a pro investment government.

“We have one of the most developed capital markets alongside an independent central bank,” he said.

mission for manufacturers and exporters later in the year.

“When we first put out

they have brought. Guyana’s new status as an oil producing country will have significant impact on the region and

mittee, Tucker said the chambers continue to facilitate inward and outward missions in order to give Guyanese

(At podium) JCC President Lloyd Distant Jnr. addressing the gathering; (seated from left) CEO of GCCI Richard Rambarran; CEO of Go-Invest Owen Verwey and Senior Vice President of GCCI Timothy Tucker.

He said Jamaican companies are looking for external investments and Guyana has been chosen for that growth and support.

The JCC President said, currently, there are 10 representatives in Guyana on the mission.

“The 10 persons who are here represent a multitude of industries, so they are not in all instances representing one company. We have a number of persons into technology, managed services, IT security and cloud services; a number of consulting and business support operations, trading and distributions, real estate, manufacturing as well as legal services in particular arbitration and dispute resolution,” Distant Jnr said.

He said a successful mission is anticipated and there is at least going to be another

the message that we were coming to Guyana, within 24 hours there were over 20 businesses reaching out saying they were interested,” he said.

Meanwhile, Senior Vice President of the GCCI, Timothy Tucker, expressed his appreciation to the JCC and GCCI secretariat in ensuring the trade mission was realized as the programme was expected to meet the objectives of stakeholders in Guyana.

He said the trade mission will enable the business community to have an insight into available trade and investment opportunities in both countries.

“We are heartened to have the companies represented here from Jamaica and equally impressed at the diverse range of services that

as such we believe that this a special opportune time to work together to further the Jamaica/Guyana economic partnership,” he said.

Tucker informed the gathering that the GCCI was founded in 1889 by an Act of Parliament. It was the oldest and largest private sector organisation in Guyana, with a membership of over 300 large, medium, small and micro enterprises that employ thousands of persons across all sectors.

“The GCCI’s primary objectives are to advocate policies, stimulate trade and investment, connect businesses, sustain economic growth and expand member opportunities. We also have a category of non-resident members,” he said.

Through the GCCI’s trade and investment com-

companies the opportunity to explore regional and international business opportunities.

He said inward and outward missions were spearheaded over the years among the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom.

“The feedback received was that the missions were successful as linkages were forged between companies and issues of trade were discussed in an attempt to gain mutual understanding of the market and regulations of both parties. During that time MOUs were signed with organisations,” he noted.

He explained that Guyana and Jamaica continue to maintain a positive relationship as Guyana exported US$59.61M in 2018 to Jamaica which represented 1.7 percent of total exports out of Guyana.

Adding that Guyana is a lucrative market for Jamaica, Tucker said there are numerous trade and investments to be explored between the two countries.

“In 2020, the benefits in linking potential exporters to potential importers, exploring joint venture initiatives and long-term relationships between Jamaica and Guyana will remain relevant,” he said while urging the gathering to continue such initiatives.

He emphasized that not enough was being done regionally, “and it’s a feeling that CARICOM is asleep,” since regional integration is suffering since the purpose of CARICOM is to bring the region together.

The Senior Vice President of the GCCI has questioned the relevance of CARICOM since there was no fostering of open relationships between countries to optimize growth in the Caribbean.

“There are non-tariff barriers placed by member states, even some member states are experiencing economic colonialism. I urge other CARICOM members to take the example [of what exists between Jamaica and Guyana] and the way, over the years, [how they have looked] at each other and I hope the relationship improves and gets better with stronger ties,” he explained.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, January 28, 2020

The transportation network in Guyana

By Melina Harris IN the wake of the recent spate of fatal road traffic accidents, the question regarding what might be done in order to minimise and stop the avoidable loss of life on our roads has been broached many times and in many different forums throughout the country. Fatalities as a result of road traffic accidents have become commonplace in Guyana, and the nation has become seemingly desensitised to this epidemic. Consequently, the Ministry of Public Health has noted that road traffic accidents are amongst the leading 10 contributors of deaths in the country, and are also responsible for the largest number of disabilities occurring after birth.

In the month of November alone, there were 15 recorded fatal road traffic accidents, which resulted in the deaths of 21 people, three of whom were young children. November, incidentally, is National Road Safety Month. The road traffic accident statistics for 2019 are alarming; the Guyana Police Force reported some 108 fatal road traffic accidents, which caused the deaths of 129 people, including nine children and 30 pedestrians.

These figures in comparison to 2018 represent a 3% increase in fatal road traffic accidents, and an 8% increase in the number of fatalities.

In 2018, there were 105 fatal road traffic accidents and 119 deaths.

In the aftermath of perhaps one of the deadliest Novembers in recent years, President David Granger lamented the “deeply distressing” state of affairs on our roads. In a public address on December 4, 2019, he was quoted as saying: “Road accidents represent a threat to human safety. Every accident is one too many; every death is too great a loss our country cannot afford.” He then recalled the three-pronged approach he first introduced in another public address on November 4, 2015, at the inception of National Road Safety Month. The president’s three-pronged approach relied on stringent enforcement of all applicable laws, educating road users and all citizens, and improving infrastructure.

Certainly, there have been developments in the enforcement of road traffic laws, with the introduction of police traffic units which operate at strategic hot spots along the road

--A case for its reformation network in an effort to deter recklessness, and to enforce applicable road traffic laws. The Guyana Police Force Traffic Code has also been more readily relied upon by traffic ranks tasked with controlling and directing traffic.

The National Road Safety Council, in collaboration with the Guyana Police Force Traffic Division, and the United Minibus Union introduced a Code of Conduct for minibus drivers and commuters, which was implemented by the Consumer Affairs Division of the Ministry of Business in early 2019.

There have also been notable infrastructural projects undertaken and currently being undertaken throughout the country

HUMAN RIGHTS ASPECT If we examine the issue from a human rights perspective, one is able to make the case that access to safe and reliable public transportation is an important civil right. In the same way the government is responsible for the provision of safe and adequate healthcare, should it not also be responsible for the provision of safe and reliable public transportation? There is a strong case to be made here, especially as public transportation connects the populous and especially lower and middleincome citizens to jobs,

with t h e aim of improving and modernising the road network.

Nonetheless, there continues to be an unusually

schools, and healthcare, and influences the realisation of other constitutionStabroek Market Bus Terminal

high incidence of road traffic accidents in a small nation of less than one million people.

ally-protected human and civil rights.

The 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs), which were

introduced in September 2015, subsequently endorsed by Guyana and posited by President Granger in his November 2015 public address, encourages nation states to create a better and more sustainable future for all citizens. For instance, GOAL 3 relates to good health and wellbeing, and aims to “ensure healthy lives and to promote wellbeing for all, at all ages”. Under this goal, it is expected that by 2020, member states will have halved the number of global deaths and injuries from road traffic accidents. But as we here in Guyana enter 2020, our national road traffic accident statistics indicate that we are yet to achieve this target. Other SDGs relevant to transportation and infrastructural development include GOALS 9 AND 11, whereby the former relates to industries, innovation and infrastructure, with one of its targets being the development of “quality, reliable and sustainable and resilient infrastructure, including regional and trans-border infrastructure to support economic development and human wellbeing”. GOAL 11, on the other hand, relates to sustainable cities and communities, where the aim is to create “a future in which cities provide opportunities for all, with access to basic services, energy, housing, transportation and more”. One of the targets under GOAL 11 stipulates that by 2030, “member states provide access to safe, affordable, accessible and sustainable transport systems for all, and improve on road safety, notably by expanding public transport, with special attention to the needs of those in vulnerable situations; women, children, persons with disabilities and older persons.”

Notwithstanding Guyana’s commitment to the fulfilment of the aforementioned Goals and other national strategies aimed at reducing road traffic accidents, progress continues to be slow in combating this epidemic. The public transportation system and infrastructure is woefully underdeveloped and unequipped to handle the current volume of commuters it now supports. Outside of infrastructural issues, other contributing factors include human behaviour, and addressing a longstanding culture of organised chaos and pervasive lawlessness.

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16 THE ROAD NETWORK One of the main contributing factors to the high incidence of road traffic accidents outside of human behaviour is the infrastructural inadequacy of the road network. As President Granger asserted in his November 2015 public address, “Guyana does not really have highways; Guyana has public roads which run through built up areas and villages”. The president went on to note the various encumbrances one might encounter when traversing rural public roads in Guyana, and the subsequent high level of competition for road space by the various types of road users. President Granger concluded by stating, “We have to start thinking about the types of roads that we have in Guyana, so that our engineers could ensure that the roads are safe.” Indeed, many of the roadways that form the road network connect rural communities and the citizens who live there to the central business district, Georgetown. These roadways serve a unique and dual purpose, as the country has become more industrialised, serving as pubic roads for the ordinary transportation of people and goods, and as highways connecting villages to towns and cities in the absence of a conventional highway network. The point has to be made, however, that whatever their purpose, they must be fit to perform that function in a safe and efficient manner.

FUNDING In recent years, the government has made considerable investment in funding projects aimed at improving and expanding the road network. In the 2017 National Budget, the Ministry of Public Infrastructure was allocated some $34.556 billion, which represented 13.82% of the 2017 National Budget. In his 2017 Budget Speech, Minister of Public Infrastructure David Patterson referred to a number of ongoing projects, among them the Sheriff Street-Mandela Avenue Project and the East Coast Demerara Expansion Project. Recently-completed works were listed as The East Bank Demerara Four-Lane IDB- Funded Project, and the Fourth Road Project, the Vreed-enHoop to Hydronie improvement works.

Certainly, there have been improvements in

many of the planned infrastructural projects are constantly delayed as a result of issues with contractors, many of whom are foreign companies, and issues pertaining to funding and the bureaucratic process overall. While these issues might not appear to have much of an impact on the overall success of these projects, the human cost remains high, with exasperated commuters having to endure years of disruption and inconvenience. More must be done in the planning stages of such works, and indeed throughout the works, until completion in order to avoid causing affected citizens such disruptions to their journeys.

The Ministry of Public Infrastructure con-

use; traffic flow and congestion; traffic light signals; pedestrian traffic; on- street parking; and street vendors.

Many roads which were intended to be dual carriageways have become over-populated by street vendors and on-street parking spaces, and have become single carriageways as a result.

In response to the urgent need for upgrade and repair, Director-General of the Ministry of the Presidency Joseph Harmon announced in September 2019 that through the Ministry of Public infrastructure and Communities, the Government has allocated some $714.5 million for the rehabilitation of roads in Re-

Inoperational traffic lights at Stabroek Bus Terminal

tinues to build momentum in addressing many longstanding infrastructural developmental issues, and in 2019 was allocated some $38.7 billion, its largest budgetary allocation yet, in order to continue improving and expanding the nation’s infrastructure. Within the Ministry of Public Infrastructure, the Work Services Group (WSG) was allocated some $29.8 billion, which enabled the expansion of the Group through the attainment of 60 new staff members. The WSG is responsible for

Stabroek Market Speedboat Stelling

the road network over the years, as exemplified by the completion of several large-scale road expansion projects, namely the Vreed-en-Hoop to Hydronie improvement and expansion works, and the East Coast Demerara expansion project. However, the pace at which operations have been and are being completed leaves much room for improvement. For instance, the Vreed-en-Hoop to Hydronie road works commenced in late 2015, and concluded in late 2018, a period of nearly three years to widen, pave and expand some 36 kilometres of road.

Similarly, the East Coast Demerara expansion project commenced works in August 2017, and was due for completion in September 2019.

However, works are currently ongoing.

Notwithstanding the pace of operations,

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, January 28, 2020

managing and implementing donor-funded roads and bridges. The WSG continues to make significant strides forward, however, there are still challenges to overcome, such as shortages of materials available for construction, and issues pertaining to contractors such as site management and inadequate planning of scheduled works.

GEORGETOWN NETWORK Road users and indeed anyone who travels within the central business district and capital city, Georgetown, are all too familiar with the dilapidated and heavily congested nature of these roadways. There are many interrelated issues to be examined here, namely, the physical infrastructure and its intended and current

gions Four (Demerara-Mahaica); Six (East Berbice-Corentyne); and Ten (Upper Demerara-Berbice). Approximately $309.5 million of those funds have been allocated to Region Four, mainly to fund works in Georgetown.

Rehabilitation work contracts have been allocated to various Guyanese construction firms, and much of the work will commence in 2020. The areas to be targeted are within South Ruimveldt and West Ruimveldt; the Main Access Roads in Agricola, Brutus and Titus Streets; Essequibo Street in Lamaha Springs; William Street in Kitty; Aubrey Barker Road; Eleazar Street in D’Urban Backlands; Maraburea Street in Meadow Brook Gardens; and the Meadow Bank Access Road in Georgetown.

Although residents and commuters in the targeted areas may now rejoice, there are still many other roads in dire need of repair and maintenance. Many of them happen to be in the city centre and downtown areas of Georgetown, which are heavily congested due to their extensive use by motorists.

In addition to physical infrastructural inadequacies in the road network in Georgetown, there is a longstanding problem with traffic flow and congestion. Much of this could be attributed to poor road layout, and a seeming reluctance on the part of the government and planning authorities to restructure and reroute many roads within the City. As a result of this congestion, the City usually grinds to a frustrating halt during morning and peak evening hours, when many commuters take to their vehicles or public transportation in order to complete their journeys. What’s more, the volume of vehicles now traversing the City’s roadways has risen veritably over the last decade, and is expected to continue to rise by some 5% yearly, owing to the emerging oiland-gas sector, and increase in car culture that is expected to follow.

TRAFFIC FLOW & CONGESTION In 2018, the Ministry of Public Infrastructure installed new traffic signals at some 51 intersections throughout the City as part of an $87 million “Infrastructural Development” programme. Additional traffic signals in specific locations were also installed earlier in 2019.

Nonetheless, and despite their recent installation, there are many traffic signals throughout the City in various locations that do not operate properly. Infrastructural maintenance and repair continues to be an issue. What’s more, ranks of the Guyana Police Force’s Traffic Division are often seen directing and controlling

traffic at some of the City’s busier intersections and junctions. Although it could be argued that this might represent a waste of resources to have trained officers directing traffic, it serves to alleviate some of the confusion caused by non-operational traffic signals. This approach might represent a short- term solution, but it should not be one that is adopted for too long, as the City needs fully operational traffic light signals.

CONTRIBUTING FACTORS Although concerned citizens have rightly pointed out and protested over many of the issues discussed here, human behaviour and its contribution to the current state of affairs on our roadways cannot be ignored. In fact, human behaviour is largely responsible for many of the road traffic accidents we have seen reported. The statistics indicate quite clearly that speeding and losing control of the vehicle, as well as drunk driving are among the main causes of road traffic accidents. As President Granger asserted in his November 2015 public address, education is a key component necessary in order to successfully curb the high incidence of road traffic accidents. The President noted that “the need for safety on our roads must be inculcated in all children and road users”. President Granger further went on to note that “drivers of minibuses, hire cars and taxis must be re-educated and, if necessary, r e -

trained and re-certified so that they can be qualified to be responsible drivers of vehicles with passengers”. Indeed, all road users should possess a basic but fundamental understanding of proper road etiquette, so as to avoid causing, or becoming involved in avoidable road traffic accidents. The issue does not only affect drivers and commuters, but also pedestrians who are also impacted by improper road use.

The impact of pedestrian traffic must be explored, as we have seen pedestrians to be impacted by road traffic accidents in the same way as commuters. In 2019 alone, 30 pedestrians were killed as a result of road traffic accidents. Ordinarily, pedestrian traffic is restricted to pavements and sidewalks. However, due to the nature of Guyana’s roadways, there is sometimes no sidewalk or pavement space available for pedestrian usage. As such, many pedestrians are forced to walk directly in the roadways, affecting the free flow of traffic, and becoming obvious hazards to motorists. In urbanised areas in Georgetown, this has become commonplace, and pedestrians are often seen weaving in and out of moving traffic, much to the annoyance of drivers. More pedestrian crossings should be introduced in order to allow pedestrians to cross at specific locations rather than wherever they choose.

Another contributing factor impacting the highly-congested roadways is the prevalence of on-street parking which is available in most parts of the central business district. Road users are accustomed to being able to park freely in whatever location is available. Although on

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, January 28, 2020 street parking is convenient, City planners should examine the impact of this practice as it contributes to the high volume of vehicles on some of the City’s busier roadways. In order to reduce the volume of vehicles on the roadways, City planners should introduce parking meters and parking attendants who would enforce relevant parking regulations.

For example, during peak hours, on-street parking should be restricted or indeed should be removed from locations where crowding and congestion usually takes place. This approach is common in many developed nations such as the United Kingdom which introduced congesting charging in 2003 in order to reduce high traffic flow in London during certain times of the day.

STREET VENDING Finally, the unregulated practice of street vendors setting up shop on pavements, sidewalks and the roadsides also impacts commuter traffic and the volume of pedestrian traffic on the roads. Throughout the years, there have been attempts by the Mayor and City Council of the City of Georgetown to remove and in some cases, relocate street vendors from certain locations. In 2016, as part of a clean-up campaign instituted by the Mayor and City Councillors, vendors operating on the outskirts of Stabroek Market and Water Street were asked to relocate in an effort to clean up the relevant area. Some 140 vendors who were operating in that area w e r e subsequently re-

concern and many of them could be attributed to the fact that the service is being provided by private individuals who are self-employed.

It might seem overstated to repeat the issues we all know to derive from mini bus culture but for the purposes of this article, we will list them nonetheless; the two most commonplace and dangerous practices are overloading of the minibus and speeding/overtaking on roadways.

Other common complaints are loud music, overcharging passengers and the presence of bus “touts” who continue to be a nuisance to most commuters.

As long as minibus drivers are competing with each other, as they naturally do, there will always be room for avoidable accidents to occur. Minibus drivers have been observed by concerned citizens racing to catch up with their colleagues because they do not want the bus in front of them to pick up all the passengers.

So they hurriedly pick up passengers, and race off to catch up and overtake their colleagues.

It is obvious that as long as bus drivers have to compete with each other to earn a living, we will continue to experience reckless driving and avoidable road traffic accidents. One has to understand that as long as their income

Traffic congestion on the Demerara Harbour Bridge (Photos by Delano Williams)

Large commercial vehicles adding to road traffic congestion

moved.

T h e y initially protested and later returned to occupy their previous locations on the pavements and sidewalks. Again, in early 2019, Mayor Ubraj Narine and his department instigated a relocation campaign for vendors operating at Georgetown wharf to be relocated to new stalls which had been built for them adjacent to the Guyana Fire Service headquarters, near Stabroek market. Vendors protested and refused despite works being scheduled to take place in the relevant area.

The impact of street vending cannot continue to be ignored. The flouting of relevant road traffic laws by these vendors contributes to the chaotic scenes often seen and experienced by commuters on many of Georgetown’s roadways. What’s more, the unsightly and often tattered umbrellas and tarpaulins liken many of the City roadways to shantytowns or slums. The practice has to be addressed, and a more permanent solution and rehousing of the vendors needs to occur if the Mayor and City Councillors intend to clean up the City’s streets once and for all.

MINIBUS CULTURE Currently, Guyana’s public transportation infrastructure is mainly comprised of privately owned and operated mini buses that operate in allocated zones or routes throughout the country. Mini buses have developed a very negative reputation over time owing to the low level of consumer confidence and lack of proper regulation. There are many areas of

potential is tied to their ability to meet their destination quickest whilst picking up the most passengers, we will always have to contend with speeding and overloading.

It was only in early 2019 that a Code of Conduct was adopted and implemented by the United Minibus Union (UMU). The agencies responsible for the creation of the Minibus Code of Conduct were the United Minibus Union, the Guyana National Road Safety Council, and the Guyana Police Force Traffic Department. When this newspaper spoke with UMU President Eon Andrews early in 2019, he mentioned that some 200 or so drivers had attended training, and would be receiving certification shortly. Their training included defensive driving, hospitality and first aid amongst other topics. Any attempt at improving the provision of such an important public service should be lauded. However, present circumstances require a stronger response.

The minibus culture has been allowed to develop and fester because of the government’s laissez faire attitude towards the provision of public transportation. It is irresponsible on the part of the governing authorities that private individuals should be responsible for the proper delivery of such an important public service.

Public transportation should not be a matter of personal entrepreneurship.

According to Patrick Thompson, Ministry of Public Works Chief Transport Planning Officer during a presentation at the 5th Engineering Conference at the Guyana International Conference Centre in February 2015, “The minibuses used [in Guyana] are not designed to public transport vehicle standards. With 15 seats, the vehicles are operating at the limits of their design capacity; even minimal overloading is an unacceptable strain on the suspension system.” Thompson went on to explain that during overloaded conditions, “the vehicles’ centre of gravity will be elevated, and when operated at high speeds, tend to become unstable and susceptible to rolling over”. Recent

road traffic accidents involving minibuses would indicate that Thompson’s statements are

indeed correct. In various accident reports published by this newspaper and others, minibuses have been reported to have “turn turtle”, meaning that they turn or roll over upon impact. This epidemic demands a stronger response from the responsible authorities. The re-nationalisation of the public transportation system could be an opportunity for such a demand to be met.

Adopting this approach could see the creation of an entirely new public transportation system designed to meet the needs of all commuters throughout the country and a system in line with international standards.

Instead of investing time and resources into propping up an antiquated system, recent and not-so-recent road traffic accidents would indicate that a more future-oriented and internationally-viable system of public transportation is indeed necessary, especially in the context of Guyana’s newly-acquired status as an oil- producing nation. As the City becomes more frustrated by traffic congestion and overcrowding, City planners should look at reducing the volume of vehicles using the TURN TO PAGE

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18 City’s roads. Would it not be more prudent to commission larger buses capable of transporting more people along better routes within and surrounding the central business districts in the City and further afield? Should we not restrict large commercial vehicles from commuting along congested roads and routes at certain times in the city centre? Frustrated citizens often lament at their everyday experiences of commuting and driving in the city. On a daily basis, one might experience or witness countless aggressive verbal exchanges between road users, much of it stemming from frustration at the lack of space and order on the City’s roads.

possible private involvement (PPP) to reduce the claim on Government funding and liabilities. A funding plan has been developed taking into account lowest government contribution i.e. maximise non-governmental financial institutions and funding, swift arranging and a sustainable structure which fits the Project.”

The report concluded that the business case for the new river crossing would not be financially viable, if there were similar toll rates to those currently in operation, and if the government were not to make a contribution. The report further advised that road toll rates should be increased by 250%, and sea-going vessel toll rates should be increased by 700%. This option would limit the government’s contribution to the Project to an estimated US$39. Citizens might be alarmed at the new toll rates, if the

COMPLETE OVERHAUL At this juncture in the nation’s socio-economic development, there is a very strong case for a complete overhaul of the public transportation system, especially as it pertains to the bus network. The government needs to commission fullsized buses that operate along routes that will properly connect people to places and things in a safe and efficient manner. Commuters need buses that are properly equipped with air conditioning, and all other reasonable amenities to make travel safe, pleasant and comfortable.

The government needs to introduce Route 45 buses exiting Stabroek Market and reintroduce bus stops, and ensure that they are used exclusively. In cities all around the world, feasibility report’s recommendations were to commuters are dropped off and picked up at be adopted. Presently, the toll rate for a mobus stops; only in Guyana are we spoiled thus. tor car crossing the DHB is $200. Under the We cannot continue to operate in this unsus- increased toll system, the cost tainable manner. would be $500.

The feasibility report furTHE DEMERARA ther stated that according to HARBOUR BRIDGE the traffic forecast, all of the The Demerara Harbour Bridge (DHB) has proposed traffic measures to currently been in operation for over 41 years, improve traffic congestion and continues to be the central river crossing, would only mitigate traffic connecting Regions One (Barima-Waini), Two until approximately 2030, when (Pomeroon-Supenaam) and Three (Essequibo the road network would beIslands-West Demerara) to Region Four and come saturated again, requiring beyond. The bridge has long surpassed its further investments. In this technical lifetime, and is currently unable to context, the new river crossing support the volume of traffic it now supports. would represent a rather shortAs early as 2013, there have been feasibility term infrastructural investment, studies commissioned by the Government in and one that might not prove to order to ascertain the design and cost of fi- be popular among the citizenry, nancing a new river crossing in order to replace owing to the cost, a significant the failing DHB. A final feasibility study was part of which would be borne commissioned by the Government, and was by them, if the increased toll carried out between January 2017 and August fares were to be adopted.

2017 by LievenseCSO. The Ministry of Public Infrastructure published an Invitation for Prequalification CONCLUSIONS: of Bidders with a deadline of The main conclusions of the feasibility October 31, 2017. During a report were that: public forum discussion event in December A low bridge at Houston with three lanes 2017, Minister of Public Infrastructure David and a movable section to transit seagoing ves- Patterson assured Region Three constituents sels is found to be the best solution. Present that the Government had already begun shortbridge is unreliable, and lacks the capacity to listing contractors from a pool of 11 who had serve the traffic demand, hence a new bridge submitted tenders. Mr. Patterson noted that the is required. Traffic is estimated to continue to Government wished to do “prudent financing grow at 5% per annum. The road network in when we would have finished assessing in the the Greater Georgetown area is saturated. The next quarter or two, and the contractors have road network adjacent to the present bridge is arrived at a certain amount, we will know the not able to serve the present and future traffic extent of financing we will need, if any, on demand. New linking roads are required to the part of the government”. The Invitation fully use the new bridge capacity. The best for Prequalification of Bidders stated that the location is at Houston- Versailles. A three-lane project would commence in 2018, and would bridge with an opening section to allow river be delivered by 2020. traffic to pass is the best configuration.

In September 2018, during an interview The feasibility report’s financial projec- with the Department of Information, Minister tions and costings estimate that some US Patterson explained why the Government de$170M would be required in order to realise cided to extend the procurement process. He the new river crossing. This section of the said, “We realised that we could afford more report states, “Government wishes as much as with the money we have. That’s why we de-

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, January 28, 2020 cided to ask all 12 firms or anyone else to bid.

We know that the cost of the bridge is under $200M; it is just the best financing package available we are going for. Therefore, we are going through a public/private partnership sometime this month for updates on those quotes through the Public/Private Partnership Department under the Finance Ministry, and then we will be moving ahead with the bridge.”

During the same interview, Minister Patterson confirmed that tolls would be capped in order to ensure that there would be no hike in the cost to cross the bridge. Construction of the bridge was scheduled to commence in 2019, however, as we enter 2020, the new river crossing is yet to materialise due to litigation that was going through the court system.

During a press conference on January 8, 2020, Minister Patterson confirmed that the delay in constructing the new river crossing was due to ongoing litigation, which had now been resolved. The Minister then confirmed that construction of the new river crossing would commence this year, with completion scheduled for 2022.

their vessels. Secondly, there are issues in relation to passenger comfort. Most vessels operating along commercial routes are built by hand to very basic standards, and usually have a capacity of approximately 35-40 passengers.

Due to their relatively small sizes and design, passengers must be able to pass down into the back of the speedboats, so that the boat is able to be properly loaded. For differently abled persons, pregnant women, those with children, and the elderly, it is often difficult to navigate comfortably in such tight confines.

Finally, of all considerations, safety concerns must be discussed. During good conditions with clear visibility and calm tides, speedboats might be considered fairly safe.

However, as one recent accident would indicate, when conditions deteriorate on the river, visibility is often affected, and navigation becomes difficult for the captain. These were the circumstances surrounding a recent speedboat collision which occurred in December 2019 along the Stabroek Market to Vreed-en-Hoop route, as a result of clouded visibility because of a rainstorm. Thankfully, there were no fatalities. However, one passenger was injured as a result of the accident. There was another accident on the Essequibo River in September 2019, which resulted in the deaths of three persons.

Both speedboats involved in the accident THE SPEEDBOAT were travelling at night, and both vessels did NETWORK not have any or adequate lights for the capThe speedboat net- tains to navigate the waters properly. Instead, work is a longstanding both captains were using cellular phone lights mode of public transpor- in order to navigate the waters. Clearly, if tation in Guyana. It has speedboat captains operate under these circumbeen used by travellers stances, accidents will occur. There is a need and commuters crossing for closer regulation of speedboats in order to between various coasts ensure that their build and design, including and port destinations all relevant safety amenities are incorporated along rivers throughout and maintained.

Guyana. There are serThe Stelling at Stabroek Market and Vreedvices between Stabroek en-Hoop are by far the most widely used by Market, Vreed-en-Hoop, commuters. However, there are serious safety Parika, Bartica, Essequ- concerns which require a stronger response ibo, Pomeroon, Leguan, from the responsible authorities. According to Supenaam and Wakenaam with other smaller the Demerara Harbour Bridge feasibility study, services operating along rivers throughout the the speedboats operating between the Stelling country. Speedboats must be licensed and cer- at Stabroek Market and Vreed-en-Hoop provide a service for approximately 15% of commuters crossing the Demerara river; some seven thousand people.

Even though both Stellings are used extensively by commuters, they lack basic safety amenities, such as railings for passengers to hold onto and ramps for them to board/disembark. These Street vendor and pedestrian congestion on Water Street Stellings become particutified as seaworthy before they are able to oper- larly treacherous during peak times and wet ate commercially. The Transport and Harbours weather. Most Stellings were built with woodDepartment (THD) along with the Maritime en materials and due to the Administration Department (MARAD) are passage of time and responsible for the management and operation disintegration of speedboats along with the stellings and ports of materials; from which they operate. many of The speedboat service is fairly cost-ef- the supfective and reliable, however, there are areas porting of concern, the first of which is accessibility.

For many disabled or differently abled users, public transportation in Guyana is difficult to manoeuvre, and speedboats are no different.

The problem is two-fold: Due to their design and build, there is no ramp extending from the speedboat onto the Stelling or vice-versa.

There are also no rails or ramps on any of the stellings in operation, so commuters must be physically able to board and disembark these vessels. Most are usually assisted by bowmen, who usually help passengers onto and off of

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, January 28, 2020 structures have become worn beyond a safe and acceptable standard.

The Stelling at Charity in the Pomeroon River is in need of urgent repairs. The wooden structure is rotten beyond repair and unless the Stelling is repaired, concerned citizens fear the total collapse of the structure is imminent. Regional Chairman Devanand Ramdatt has noted that it is “a disaster waiting to happen” and that the Region had been petitioning for the government to intervene. In March 2019, Minister Patterson was invited to comment on the issue and asserted that the rehabilitation of the Stelling “is high on the list of priorities for the Ministry of Public Infrastructure” and that a Terms of Reference document would be sent out immediately in order to secure a consultant who would conceptualise a design for the new structure. On Friday 3 January 2020, CB and Associates Inc. were introduced to Region 2 constituents at a stakeholder meeting concerning the Stelling.

The consultancy has been commissioned to undertake a plan of action taking into consideration recommendations from relevant stakeholders with a view to providing a final outcome solution and design for the Stelling. The consultancy is expected to engage constituents at two additional public consultations following which the final project design will be handed over to the relevant authorities.

ROLE OF THE GPF The Guyana Police Force (GPF) plays a crucial role in the management of the traffic and transportation network in Guyana. In the traffic management context, the GPF’s role is enforcement, education and engineering.

During the current administration’s tenure, the GPF has undergone notable changes aimed at modernising the force. As part of the modernisation efforts, the GPF has recruited and trained more officers which has led to an unprecedented increase in the number of traffic units patrolling the nation’s roadways. This also means that ranks are more available to undertake projects aimed at educating citizens on proper road etiquette and relevant road traffic laws. To this end, the GPF is actively engaging with schools as part of their Lectures to Schools programme whereby officers attend nursery, primary and secondary schools in order to provide road traffic lessons to students. There are also road safety programmes every morning and the GPF makes use of social media and television in order to further their road safety agenda.

Efforts have been made by the GPF to address the high incidence of road traffic accidents and according to the GPF Strategic Plan 2013-2017; the force has undertaken to address longstanding traffic management issues on an ongoing basis. Among the force’s key strategic priorities, in relation to traffic management, the force undertakes to review relevant road traffic legislation and to seek legislation which ensures that additional road traffic offences are dealt with by the issuance of tickets to offending motorists.

Furthermore, the force has undertaken to reduce the overall number of road traffic accidents and to reduce the number of road traffic accidents caused by speeding and drunk drivers. To this end, the GPF has received considerable infrastructural investments in the way of tools and equipment such as more vehicles, speed guns, breathalysers and other road safety tools necessary for the successful completion of their duties.

Notwithstanding efforts to modernise the GPF and to provide the public with a reliable and credible police force, there continues to be areas for improvement within the procedural framework of the force’s operations. For example, traffic ranks often use their discretion when applying the relevant road traffic laws, ranks are able to warn or detain offending drivers for any manner of offence including simple offences such as not wearing a seatbelt when operating the vehicle. These tactics often result in offending drivers offering to “pay off” police ranks in order to avoid the furtherance of the offence. The GPF’s reputation in relation to allegations of bribery and corruption is not good. Frustrated citizens might argue that it is easier to “pay off” the police rather than to deal with the protracted court system. However, due to the system’s inherent flaws, it is quite easy for offending drivers to offer a bribe in place of possible arrest and detention. When contacted for comment on the issue of bribery, Traffic Chief Lynden Isles stated that “if it comes to our attention, we will deal with it” and that “in order to take action, we have to have evidence”. Although efforts have been made at all levels within the GPF, the longstanding culture of bribery continues to prevail. In order for issues such as these to be addressed, a more stringent system must be adopted and citizens must also be held accountable.

DECADE OF DEVELOPMENT: 2020 – 2029 As Guyana moves into a new decade and one recently dubbed the “Decade of Development: 2020 – 2029” by President Granger, Guyanese at home and abroad are excited for all the changes the newest oil producing nation will undergo. In an optimistic public address on the 31st December 2019, President Granger asserted that “Guyanese can expect a higher quality of life over the next 5 years”. The President stated that there will be improvements in all areas of Guyanese’ lives such as education, healthcare and public infrastructure “which will continue to be rehabilitated, upgraded and expanded”. The President maintained that the “principle objective of the state will always be to secure the ‘good life’ for all”.

As Guyana continues to emerge as a rapidly developing economy on the world’s stage, the need for drastic reformation of key sectors, institutions and the overall physical infrastructure of the country will continue to increase. In addition to the emerging oil and gas sector, Guyana’s tourism industry has continued to make waves in the international tourism scene. More growth is expected to follow and with increasing numbers of international visitors coming ashore, standards will have to be raised if the growth is to be sustained and continuous. Guyanese cannot continue to make do with substandard institutions and infrastructures, especially as it pertains to their positive realisation of constitutional and fundamental international human rights. The case for reformation of the public transportation network is now stronger than ever as the nation embarks on its Decade of Development.

CH&PA issues stern warning to Cummings Lodge land-grabbers MINISTER with responsibility for Housing, Annette Ferguson, and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Central housing and Planning Authority (CHPA),

Minister of Housing, Annette Ferguson

Lelon Saul, on Monday, appealed to persons to desist from illegally occupying lands, as they address the land-grabbing situation that developed over the past weekend

travelled from as far as the East and West Coast of Demerara.

“Historically, when we come around this time, this same season, it is usual for you to find such activity. I want to appeal to citizens, do not listen to persons who will misguide you and encourage you to occupy state lands because its elections time and therefore no one will move you. Please do not occupy lands illegally. It is a criminal offence,” Saul emphasized.

Some of the persons were adamant of being entitled to a house lot, notwithstanding being only recent housing applicants, with at least one person reported as only having applied in 2019 for a house lot.

After receiving information that persons had begun squatting in the area, Minister Ferguson and Saul, last Friday, visited the area. Saul said on that visit, very few persons were observed; those present were engaged in applying to the CHPA for legitimate lands.

“When we were out there on Friday, there were less than 20 persons that we engaged. We were outside there and we requested citi-

A section of some of the persons who turned up on Monday, waiting to be engaged by officers from the Central Housing and Planning Authority

in the Cummings Lodge area.

Over the weekend, scores of persons flocked to that area, some are said to have begun clearing sections of land where they planned to squat, with some of the persons having turned up based on misinformation being spread that the CHPA was giving away the lands.

The CHPA has since set up a temporary station in the community, to help persons make legitimate housing applications. Some of the persons threatened not to vote at the upcoming March 2 elections unless they were given a land by that time. Some claimed they had nowhere to go.

Noting that the situation appears fueled by the elections season, Saul urged citizens to resist being baited, while speaking at a press conference held by the CHPA on Monday morning to address the issue. “Those people who are there, I am certain that they are living somewhere, they just did not wake up last night and recognize that they are homeless and going out there to squat. And we will deal with it. I don’t think that there is an active occupation. Squatting means an active occupation, what is going on is land grabbing; that is what is going on there,” Saul said, Many of the persons are not said to come from the area but

zens not to squat. So from Friday to Sunday, news went wild west. Lo and behold, this weekend a large amount of persons turn up at Cummings Lodge and Industry area and continue the illegal occupation of land. I trust that the public, now being informed, that they will desist from doing so,” Saul said.

Some of the persons turned up at the area as a result of a rumor, spread from an uncertain source, that land was being given away in the area.

“I received a call from a woman who said that she was told that the CHPA was allocating lands in the Cummings Lodge area, bring $100,000 and you will be given an allocation. She said someone called her from the Sophia area to say that the CHPA is distributing lands.

What she did is call me to verify if that is so, and I told her that the CHPA is not allocating,” Ferguson explained.

Ferguson noted up to Monday morning, that it was not yet determined if any of the misinformed persons had paid over any money to anyone.

“It is upsetting to see and to hear what is happening out at the Cummings Lodge area. Whoever might have been pushing this, I want to discourage them from doing so. It is not going to do the

agency nor the squatters any good,” Ferguson explained, adding that: “We understand that the needs of our people is to be properly housed, but it must be done in a systematic and structured way.

His Excellency [President David Granger] has made it clear he does not want to see squatting, slums, shanties, and the CHPA, we are working with agencies such as

CHPA CEO, Lelon Saul

NICIL, Lands and surveys, Guysuco, seeking lands so our people can get lands.”

Both Ferguson and Saul emphasized that the lands are already allocated, as such there is no land owned by the CHPA, to be able to give away in that area.

“I want to make it clear that those lands were distributed by the People’s Progressive Party/Civic sometime in 2015, just before the elections. The then administration did not follow the necessary guidelines to acquire the lands. When this government came into office, we were able to engage both NICIL and Lands and Surveys to have the requisite procedure followed so that the lands were actually handed over [to] the CHPA of which the agency paid for those lands. We have begun the necessary infrastructure work so that persons can now move on to the land,” Saul further noted that some of the land that the persons were trying to illegally occupy is not even owned by the CHPA, and more so some has been reserved for infrastructural development. Some of the lands are owned by the Guyana Lands and Surveys and National Industrial and Commercial Investment Limited (NICIL).

“Those lands were earmarked for development. The current squatting has implications for future infrastructure development as it relates to the southern bypass. That is a critical round link that will lead from Ogle to Timehri,” Saul noted, further clarifying that: “There is no lands at Cummings lodge to give, at least CHPA does not have land at Cummings Lodge for any firsttime applicant because those lands were allocated in 2015 and the agency had an obligation to ensure that those persons who paid for those lands that they receive the lands. The exercise was not meant to address other persons outside of the 20 that we met on Friday.”

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, January 28, 2020

Increasing access to healthcare

By Margaret Burke

LIFE and death may weigh in the balance for people who have to travel long distances to receive much-needed medical intervention. This is why government has been ensuring that Guyanese living in the hinterland can access medical care within the communities they reside.

Since 2015, there has been the ‘bridging of the gap’ between the coastland and hinterland in terms of access to healthcare that the government has been offering. By 2016, the government had delivered to the people healthcare funding to the tune of some $91.5B in an effort to ensure that all Guyanese had access to good quality healthcare. A further $35.9B was allocated in 2019. The fact is that ready access to healthcare wherever people are within the hinterland saves time, money, human and other resources of families, but most of all it can save lives. Just imagine a woman experiencing a seriously ‘troubled’ labour that demand cesarean delivery or other urgent medical intervention. Such a situation can quickly deteriorate, possibly leading to a case of maternal mortality, if help does not come quickly.

NATIONAL HEALTH PLAN “Guyana’s public health system, in the past, was plagued by inadequate infrastructure, high maternal mortality rates, weak disease prevention measures, poor emergency health responses and constraints to access to health services, particularly for hinterland residents,” President David Granger stated in his 2018 address to the National Assembly. Moving apace, the government has increased the number of drug dispensaries across the country. They included the construction of a new large $539M distribution centre in Georgetown, as the Central Supplies Unit (CSU) and an $8M extension of the Suddie Public Hospital Drug Bond in Region Two. The Leonora Cottage Hospital in Region Three also got

for the years 2020-2021. Two specific areas outlined by the Minister were the development, implementation and training of human resources in the Guyana Health Information System, as well as ensuring that healthcare in the hinterland region is equitable and accessible to all persons who seek it.

The only two males of the first batch of the nursing school’s second Annex were given the opportunity to cut the ribbon, commissioning the training institution. This nursing school will contribute to the output of nurses from the New Amsterdam and Charles Rosa School of Nursing

an additional $9.5M drug bond and dispensary.

as Radiology, Paediatrics, Neo-Natal practices, Anes-

2015-2020. It was discovered that about 200,000 Guya-

Additionally, Minister Lawrence, along with the Pan

Minister of Public Health, Volda Lawrence receives a copy of the National Medicines Policy from Mr. O’neil Atkans, National Director of Pharmacy Services

At the first ‘Public Day’ for 2020, Minister Lawrence listens to the concerns of citizens

One of the four newly-constructed Maternity Waiting Homes. This one is located at Annai in Region Nine

A Pharmacy Assistant sorting out some of the medication assigned to fill prescriptions at one of the public clinics

In 2019, the government commissioned 22 new medical facilities. At the same time, the number of doctors and nurses continue to increase, while programmes to upgrade them in areas such

thesia, Gynaecology, and Cardiac Intensive Care have resulted in overall improvement.

Significantly, there was also the launch of the National Mental Health Plan

nese are living with mental health issues. This demanded the implementation of such a programme to train 500 healthcare professionals to help detect and treat these cases.

American Health Organisation/ World Health Organisation (PAHO/WHO) Country Representative, Dr. William Adu-Krow, as well as her department heads have met and crafted a biennial workplan

MATERNITY WAITING HOMES So far, four Maternity Waiting Homes (MWH) have been established in several parts of Guyana. These Homes can be found in Suddie, Region Two; Lethem and Annai in Region Nine. In September last year another MWH was commissioned at the Indigenous Residence at Princess Street, Georgetown.

The community of Moruca, Region One, will soon see the construction of one for residents there. A water ambulance has also been made available for the Moruca Sub-District in Region Nine, as well as a road ambulance for the Kumaka District Hospital.

The Mabaruma Hospital in Region One is now part of the ‘SMART Hospital’, which is a concept that is inclusive of safe, green health facilities which will guarantee effective standards that will foster excellent healthcare.

BIOCHEMISTRY AND HEMATOLOGY Many of the regions in Guyana are now equipped with medical laboratories, which can offer on-the-spot testing. These include Barima/Waini, Region One, as well as the Moruca, Matthews Ridge, Port Kaituma and Mabaruma Regional Hospitals. Additionally, in Pomeroon/Supenaam, Region Two there are two fully-functional medical laboratories at the Suddie Regional and Charity Hospitals. In Cuyuni/Mazaruni, Region Seven, there are two main laboratories: one at the Bartica Regional Hospital and the other at Kamarang Hospital. The latter caters for residents living in the Upper- Mazaruni. Further, there is also a small satellite laboratory that provides TURN TO PAGE

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, January 28, 2020

IICA, NAREI partner in waste management pilot project GUYANA is among six Caribbean territories that is benefitting from a waste management pilot project designed to create economic opportunities from organic waste.

The Guyana leg is a partnership between the National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI) and the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA).

The pilot project is being implemented in two phases and is facilitated by Dr. Abimbola Abiola, Technical Specialist, IICA. The first phase of the project is a two-day workshop with the theme “Creating Economic Opportunities for the Organic Waste Management Sector through the Adoption of Bio-economic Models in the Caribbean,” which commenced Monday.

The workshop is be-

ing conducted in NAREI’s Boardroom, Mon Repos and participating agencies were selected from both private and public sectors.

The agencies included Demerara Distillers Limited, NAREI, Environmental Protection Agency and the Guyana Development Livestock Authority.

At the end of the workshop, participants will be responsible for several projects. They are expected to present their findings in April 2020 when the second phase of the project will commence.

According to Dr. Oudho Homenuath, Chief Executive Officer of NAREI, this project, which would assist in eliminating greenhouse gases, complements the Institute’s research in soil management.

“Soil health is important so we have been doing varFROM PAGE

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‘Don’t stifle your ...

Lorrimer reiterated that residents should see that this Government has their interest at heart and views them as civilized people who too should also benefit from a piece of the pie. He opined that the PPP treated them like ‘bush people’ who were only good for fishing and hunting. “Wake up and see people, they don’t have you at heart, when yal here I talk about the PPP Government, I am talking from my heart, I was a part of them, I know they don’t have you at heart,” he said.

“People of Speightland, open your eyes, stop being

distracted by those who are trying to divide the community…..focus on development…..focus on what is coming,” he added.

The residents were told that in the pipeline as well, is the development of a housing scheme for youths and single parents as well as the establishment of a community centre.

Speaking at the meeting as well was former Regional Councillor Douglas Gittens and former Member of Parliament Mervyn Williams.

FROM PAGE

Increasing access ... point-of-care testing in Issano for residents of the Middle-Mazaruni.

The Upper Takutu/ Upper Essequibo community in Region Nine is now also benefitting from a new biochemistry and hematology analyser to boost the existing services in that area.

At the same time a new medical laboratory will soon be on stream at the

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Lethem Regional Hospital. The Public Health Ministry launched a National Medicines Policy in November, 2019. This forms a well-thought-out document that serves to guide and regulate the procurement, storage, distributing and dispensing of the much-needed drugs and medicine utilized in the country.

A section of the participants for the two-day workshop to create economic opportunities from organic waste.

ious research in this regard.

While we would have conducted some studies in composting, emphasis is being placed on vermicomposting.

We have been able to transfer this technology to the farming communities. Another area we are looking at is the utilization of coconut waste.

We have had successes with the use of coconut coir and cocopeat,” Dr. Homenauth

said.

Mr. Wilmot Garnett, Country Representative of IICA to Guyana, encouraged participants to consider the financial aspects of their projects since agriculture is business. He explained that the findings would help to determine whether a project would be financially feasible in one area versus another.

Mr. Garnett related that

Belize, Jamaica, St. Lucia, Trinidad & Tobago, and The Bahamas are also beneficiaries of this pilot project.

However, the project will be rolled out to other Caribbean territories.

“IICA, through its programmes of Bio-economy and Production Development, and Climate Change, Natural Resources and Management of Produc-

tion Risks, has identified the potential solution of developing a model based on composting technology (in its first stage). This model promotes the development of complex interlinkages between actors in the value chain, such as those in the renowned industrial symbiosis projects,” Mr. Garnett said.

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Fruta Conquerors U-20 are new Turbo Champs!

ON a drama-filled night, the Fruta Conquerors U-20 FC emerged champions of the 2019/2020 Turbo Knock out football tournament.

Playing under lights at the Ministry of Education Ground, Carifesta Avenue, the final featured two of the best young teams in the tournament going pound for pound.

But in the end, the LIMACOL champs, Fruta Conquerors, completed the double via a 3-1 margin over their GFC Counterparts.

The scoring was lead through a captain’s intervention as Nicholas Mc Arthuer’s 16th minute strike broke the tension that had filled the ministry of Education Ground on Carifesta Avenue.

Before that, there was tension in the air as both teams were eager not to make any mistakes.

GFC sunk deeper in the hole when their player, Joshua Braithwaite, picked up a red card in the 26th minute, leaving them both a goal and a man down.

Still, they continued to fight through the first half with the score moderately poised at 1-0.

On the resumption of

the second half, however, Jeremy Garrette in the 46th minute added Fruta’s U-20’s second goal of the night.

Things would seem over for the GFC side and Ravon Bailey confirmed this with his goal in the 85th.

The GFC side would not leave the field without scoring though as Kelsey Benjamin expertly converted his penalty four minutes into Injury time.

With the win, Fruta pocketed $400,000, while GFC picked up $200,000.

In the third-place playoff, Northern Rangers beat Pouderoyen 1-0 thanks to Damian Williams in the 34th.

Champions Jaguars return to top of Regional four-day standings ST JOHN’S, Antigua, (CMC) – Five-time reigning champions Guyana Jaguars have returned to the summit of the Regional four-day standings following their emphatic victory over Trinidad and Tobago Red Force last weekend.

They registered a 219-run victory inside the first hour of the final day at the Guyana National Stadium, to move to 44.6 points, but are only marginally ahead of second placed Barbados Pride on 44.4 points.

Jaguars opened their campaign with a 10-wicket victory over Leeward Islands Hurricanes in Antigua but then slumped to a seven-wicket defeat to Pride in Bridgetown in the second round, to slip out of first place in the standings.

Pride, who suffered a shock defeat to Windward Islands Volcanoes in the opening round, won their second game on the trot last weekend when they crushed Jamaica Scorpions inside three days by 119 runs in Kingston.

Volcanoes, meanwhile, have slipped to third on 32.8 points following their heavy innings and 165-run loss to Hurricanes in a day/night contest in St Lucia.

The game looked set for a draw after the first day was lost to rain and only 44 overs were possible on the second day but Volcanoes were dismissed for 51 in their second innings – their second lowest total in the championship – to taste defeat on Sunday’s final day.

For Hurricanes, the victory was their first of the campaign and left them fifth on 26.6 while winless Scorpions lie bottom on 21.2.

In round four which bowls off February 6, Jaguars will host Scorpions, Pride travel to Warner Park in St Kitts to take on Hurricanes while Volcanoes welcome Red Force at Windsor Park in Dominica.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, January 28, 2020

England beat South Africa by 191 runs to take Test series 3-1

By Mark Gleeson

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - England bowled South Africa out for 274 runs on Monday to win the fourth test at The Wanderers by 191 runs and ensure an emphatic 3-1 series victory.

Mark Wood took four wickets as the home team crum-

bled in the evening session after threatening to offer stoic resistance earlier in the day.

England completed the task with a day to spare with South Africa falling well short of their 466 run target in what would have been the highest fourth innings test chase.

The success is a massive boost for a young English

team who overcame several obstacles on a tough tour and calms questions over Joe Root’s captaincy.

“It took a lot to pick ourselves up after losing the first test and that’s been extremely pleasing. It’s taken a big effort from every one and it’s a very exciting time for English cricket,” said Root as he took the

series trophy.

For South Africa it marked a 108-year low as they lost for the eighth time in their last nine Tests for their worst run since 10 defeats in 11 Tests between 1910 and 1912.

Wood took 4-54 — finishing with nine wickets in the game — and Stuart Broad and

Mark Wood took four wickets in the second innings for a total of nine in the match.

Ben Stokes added two more for England as they took the last six South African wickets for 39 runs.

The home team were facing a near impossible target of 466 and provided a flicker of resistance but lost wickets at crucial intervals.

“England were better than us in every department with both ball and bat,” said home skipper Faf du Plessis.

“We have to give them credit for being the better team.”

Rassie van der Dussen scored 98, falling agonisingly short of a maiden test century, before being tricked into offering an easy catch, just five balls after Du Plessis had been bowled by Stokes for 35.

Their 92-run partnership for the third wicket kept alive unlikely home hopes after South

Africa were 90-2 at lunch.

Quinton de Kock hit another swashbuckling knock, but by the time he fell for 39 runs, with eight wickets down, the contest was already over.

Van der Dussen was given out leg before wicket to Chris Woakes with just the third ball he faced on Monday and almost ran out of time as he dithered over whether to review, but then won a reprieve as the ball was shown to be missing the wickets.

He took advantage to hit 15 fours and two sixes in a boundary-filled innings and will be livid with the way he went out, essentially ending hopes of fairytale for both himself and his team.

SCOREBOARD ENGLAND 1st innings

400

South Africa 1st innings

183

England 2nd innings

248

SOUTH AFRICA 2nd innings Pieter Malan

c Ben Stokes b Chris Woakes

Dean Elgar

c&b Ben Stokes

22 24

Rassie van der Dussen c Stuart Broad b Mark Wood

98

Faf du Plessis

35

b Ben Stokes

Quinton de Kock

c Chris Woakes b Mark Wood

39

Temba Bavuma

c Jos Buttler b Stuart Broad

27

Dwaine Pretorius

c Sam Curran b Stuart Broad

2

Vernon Philander Anrich Nortje Beuran Hendricks

c Jos Buttler b Mark Wood

10

c Jos Buttler b Mark Wood

4

Run Out Dominic Sibley

4

Extras

4b 2lb 0nb 0pen 3w

Total

(77.1 overs)

9 274 all out

Fall of Wickets : 1-39 Malan, 2-89 Elgar, 3-181 du Plessis, 4-187 van der Dussen, 5-235 Bavuma, 6-239 Pretorius, 7-260 Philander, 8-267 de Kock, 9-273 Hendricks, 10-274 Nortje Did Not Bat : Paterson Bowling: Stuart Broad 10 - 1 - 26 - 2, Sam Curran 11 - 2 - 38 - 0 (1w), Mark Wood

16.1 - 3 - 54 - 4 (1w), Chris Woakes 14 - 3 - 47 - 1,

Ben Stokes 16 - 4 - 47 - 2 (1w).

GUYANA CHRONICLE, January 28, 2020

29

Williams ton boosts Zimbabwe in second Test against Sri Lanka

HARARE (Reuters) - Captain Sean Williams scored a sparkling century as Zimbabwe profited from a docile wicket to reach 352 for six at the close of play on day one of the second and final Test against Sri Lanka at the Harare Sports Club on Monday.

Williams struck 10 fours in his score of 107 from 137 balls, his second test ton, before giving his wicket away late in the day when he was bowled by spinner Dhananjaya de Silva attempting a slog sweep.

Regis Chakabva (31 not out) and debutant Tinotenda Mutombodzi (10 not out) will resume the home side’s innings on the second morning.

After winning the toss and electing to bat, Zimbabwe lost

Sean Williams acknowledges the applause after reaching his century (AFP)

Prince Masvaure (9) and Craig Ervine (12) inside the first 20 overs, before Kevin Kasuza (38) and Brendan Taylor (62) put on 65 for the third wicket.

They departed in quick succession though, both victims of Sri Lanka seamer Suranga

Lakmal (2-31) who was the pick of the tourists’ bowlers on an unhelpful wicket. But Williams and Sikandar Raza (72) produced an excellent stand of 159 from 211 balls for the fifth wicket as they took the attack to the visitors.

It was broken when Raza went for a big heave off leftarm spinner Lasith Embuldeniya and picked out a tumbling Angelo Mathews at long-on.

Had Williams held out to the close it was have been a highly satisfactory day for the home side, but he too played one attacking shot too many when more circumspection was needed.

Zimbabwe made it into the final hour on the fifth day of the first Test at the same venue earlier this month, but lost by 10 wickets on their return to the international arena having been briefly suspended by the International Cricket Council last year because of government interference.

SCOREBOARD ZIMBABWE 1st innings Prince Masvaure c Niroshan Dickwella b Lahiru Kumara 9 Kevin Kasuza b Suranga Lakmal 38 Craig Ervine c Oshada Fernando b Dhananjaya de Silva 12 Brendan Taylor lbw Suranga Lakmal 62 Sean Williams b Dhananjaya de Silva 107 Sikandar Raza c Angelo Mathews b Lasith Embuldeniya 72 Regis Chakabva Not Out 31 Tinotenda Mutombodzi Not Out 10 Extras 8b 2lb 1nb 0pen 0w 11 Total (90.0 overs) 352-6 Fall of Wickets : 1-21 Masvaure, 2-49 Ervine, 3-114 Kasuza, 4-133 Taylor, 5-292 Butt, 6-324 Williams To Bat : Tiripano, Mumba, Nyauchi Bowling: Suranga Lakmal 17 - 6 - 31 - 2 (1nb), Vishwa Fernando 14 - 1 - 45 - 0, Lahiru Kumara 15 - 3 - 46 - 1, Lasith Embuldeniya 30 - 3 - 153 - 1, Dhananjaya de Silva 14 - 0 - 67 - 2 .

Rasheed spins way to 12-wicket match haul in Everest victory -UG bounce back after Vantull’s all-round exploits to beat Bel Air

LEFT-ARM spinners, Javed Rasheed and Damion Vantull spun their teams, the Everest Cricket Club and the University of Guyana Trojans, to overall victories last weekend in the Noble House Seafoods second-division twoday cricket competition at the Everest and the Queen’s College grounds.

Everest had taken the initiative early and with Rasheed nabbing eight first innings wickets and youngster Ushardeva Balgobin hitting a half-century, the match was clearly in their favour. Vantull’s all-round exploits were, however, on dis-

Javed Rasheed finished with match haul of 12-48 from 20.4 overs for Everest.

play and it lifted the university side, which had surrendered a first innings lead after day one to Bel Air Rubis.

SIMPSON’S FIGHT BACK At the Everest ground, although the home team held the upper hand throughout most of the clash, Diplomats did not go down without a fight, as Nigel Simpson led from the front with both ball and bat. After picking up three quick wickets from 3.4 overs in the first innings, Simpson gave himself more bowling time and it bore fruit.

In 22 overs, he snarled 5-50, which helped to restrict

Everest to 120 all out in their second innings. Again, Balgobin led the batting, this time with 42 runs, while David Williams chipped in with 24.

In their first innings, the teenager had scored 74 and his team 159, while Rasheed’s 8-12 from 7.4 overs had helped to restrict the visitors for 78.

In their second time at the crease, Diplomats needed 201 for victory and with Simpson leading the charge with 57, there was a chance, but Rasheed, who ended with match figures of 12-48 from 20.4 overs, bagged four wickets (4-36 from 13). Support came from Richie

Looknauth, who took 3-30 from 14 overs and pacer Williams, who finished with 2-36 from 12 overs, to restrict the visitors to 149.

At the QC ground, Bel Air Rubis were enjoying a 70-run first innings lead after restricting UG for 139 before making 209 in their second innings, but the pendulum swung with Vantull starring with both bat and ball the second time round.

The left -arm orthodox spinner, who had captured 5-40 in the first innings, then blasted his way to 62 runs, while, with a match high 87 from opener, Yogendra Singh (5x4s, 7x6s);

the university team reached 263 in 44.1 overs by lunch on Day Two. Arvinda Gainda, who took 6-26 in the first innings, finished with three more wickets for a match haul of 9-79, while Floyd Jones picked up 3-28.

Needing 194 for victory, Bel Air fell for 149 all out with Vantull leading the charge with 4-24.

James (23) and former West Indies XI batsman, Krishna Deosaran (20) had starts, but none carried on.

ICC Under-19 World Cup Plate quarter-finals.

Rasantha hits ton, Madushanka grabs 5-38 in Sri Lanka’s win over Nigeria; England thump Japan A century from Ravindu Rasantha and five wickets for Dilshan Madushanka were the highlights of Sri Lanka’s 223-run victory over Nigeria in Potchefstroom.

(Scores: Sri Lanka 306 for 7 (Rasantha 102*, Shamaz 56) beat Nigeria 73 all out (Madushanka 5-38, Nadeeshan 3-6) by 223 runs After being put in to bat,

Sonal Dinusha providing the finishing kick with 43 off only 36 balls.

Meanwhule Nigeria got off to a terrible start, losing two wickets before they even had a run on the board. They had only one batsman reach double-digits, Abdulrahman Jimoh who made 15 off 20.

Madushanka picked up the first three wickets to fall - dis-

missing two batsmen for ducks - and then came back to finish the innings off and complete his five-for. He bowled four opposition batsmen, had another lbw, and walked away with figures of 7.3-1-36-5. (Scores: England 94 for 1 (Mousley 57*) beat Japan 93 all out (Sahoo 24, Currie 3-15, Qadri 3-17) by nine wickets Scott Currie and Hamidul-

lah Qadri produced match-defining spells of bowling, picking up six wickets between them to bowl Japan out for 93 in the Plate group Quarter-final match at the Under-19 World Cup. The two England bowlers conceded only 32 runs between them in 16.4 overs and were responsible for four of the five ducks in the Japan innings.

Having been put in to bat, Japan

would have hoped for many more considering they were 49 for 1 at one point.

The chase proved quite straightforward with opener Dan Mousley hitting a half-century and finishing unbeaten on 57 off only 36 balls with seven fours and two sixes.(ESPN Cricinfo)

McEnroe hopes Serena can beat ‘crazy aunt’ Court’s record

and her offensive views in the past, where they both belong. Thank you,” added the American.

Williams, who won the last of her 23 majors at the Australian Open in 2017, was knocked out of this year’s tournament in the third round.

Court, a Christian pastor at a Perth-based church she set up decades ago, launched a tirade against transgender athletes and called the teaching of LGBTI materials

at schools the work of the “devil” during a sermon last month.

Tennis Australia has been quick to stress it does not agree with Court’s views on samesex marriage or the LGBTI community and has said the recognition is solely for her tennis achievements.

McEnroe said the person could not be separated from the achievements.

“The air quality in Melbourne is not the only night-

mare that Tennis Australia is having,” said the American, referring to smoke from recent bushfires. “Margaret Court is another one.

“This year marks the 50th anniversary of Margaret Court’s Grand Slam and Tennis Australia is facing a dilemma; What do they do with their crazy aunt?” Martina Navratilova, who won 18 Grand Slam single titles and is a prominent activist for gay rights, also raised a critical voice.

MELBOURNE (Reuters) - John McEnroe mocked Australian Margaret Court as the ‘crazy aunt’ of tennis on Monday and said he hoped Serena Williams could beat the 77-year-old’s record of winning 24 Grand Slam singles titles.

Court has attracted heavy criticism for voicing her religious-based opposition to same-

Rasantha found himself in the middle as early as the fourth over and batted through the innings, completing his century in the 50th over and staying unbeaten on 102 off 111 balls with seven fours and two sixes.

Sri Lanka racked up 306 for 7 thanks also to excellent supporting hands with opener Mohamed Shamaz scoring a half-century and the No. 6

sex marriage.

The Australian Open on Monday marked the 50th anniversary of her 1970 feat of winning all four major titles in one calendar year with compatriot Rod Laver, who completed the calendar slam twice in 1962 and 1969, handing her a trophy to some applause.

McEnroe meanwhile unleashed his broadside on Eu-

rosport television.

“There’s only one thing longer than a list of Margaret Court’s tennis achievements: it’s her list of offensive and homophobic statements,” said the seven-times Grand Slam champion.

“Serena, do me a favour, get two more Grand Slams this year and get to 25 so we can leave Margaret Court

30

GUYANA CHRONICLE, January 28, 2020

World sport stars and celebrities pay tribute to basketball legend Kobe Bryant

KOBE Bryant was “one of the most extraordinary players” in the history of basketball who “inspired people around the world” to play the game.

The 41-year-old died in a helicopter crash in California on Sunday along with his 13-yearold daughter Gianna.

Bryant, who retired in 2016 after a 20-year career with the LA Lakers, was a five-time NBA champion and was named an NBA All-Star 18 times.

He and his wife, Vanessa, have three other daughters - Natalia, Bianca and Capri.

“The NBA family is devastated by the tragic passing of Kobe Bryant and his daughter, Gianna,” said NBA commissioner Adam Silver.

“For 20 seasons, Kobe showed us what is possible when remarkable talent blends with an absolute devotion to winning. He was one of the most extraordinary players in the history of our game with accomplishments that are legendary.

“But he will be remembered most for inspiring people around the world to pick up a basketball and compete to the very best of their ability.

“He was generous with the wisdom he acquired and saw it as his mission to share it with future generations of players, taking special delight in passing down his love of the game to Gianna.”

Shaquille O’Neal, who won three NBA titles alongside Bryant for the LA Lakers, said:

Basketball Legend Kobe Bryant

“There’s no words to express the pain I’m going through with this tragedy of losing my niece Gigi & my brother, my partner in winning championships, my dude and my homie.

“I love you and you will be missed. My condolences goes out to the Bryant family and the families of the other passengers on board. I’m sick right now.”

The NBA’s all-time leading scorer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who played for the Lakers from 1975-1989, said: “It’s very difficult for me to put in words how I feel. Kobe was an incredible family man, he loved his wife and daughters, he was an incredible athlete, he inspired a whole generation. This loss is hard to comprehend.”

Former US President Barack Obama wrote on Twitter: “Kobe was a legend on the court and just getting started in what would have been just as meaningful a second act.

To lose Gianna is even more heartbreaking to us as parents.

Michelle and I send love and prayers to Vanessa and the entire Bryant family on an un-

thinkable day.”

US President Donald Trump said: “Kobe Bryant, despite being one of the truly great basketball players of all time, was just getting started in life. He loved his family so much, and had such strong passion for the future. The loss of his beautiful daughter, Gianna, makes this moment even more devastating.”

Former LA Lakers president Magic Johnson, a fivetime NBA champion in the 1980s, tweeted: “Kobe was a leader of our game, a mentor to both male and female players.

Words can’t express the impact that he had on the game of basketball.”

Six-time NBA champion Michael Jordan added: “I loved Kobe - he was like a little brother to me. We used to talk often, and I will miss those conversations very much.

“He was a fierce competitor, one of the greats of the game and a creative force.

Kobe was also an amazing dad who loved his family deeply - and took great pride in his

daughter’s love for the game of basketball.”

LeBron James surpassed Bryant to become the NBA’s third-highest scorer of all time on Saturday.

Speaking after the game, which was the day before Bryant’s death, he said: “I’m happy just to be in any conversation with Kobe Bryant.

“One of the all-time greatest basketball players to ever play, one of the all-time greatest Lakers.”

Bryant finished his playing career as the Lakers’ all-time leading points scorer, and is fourth on the NBA’s all-time list with 33,643 points.

In his 1,566th and final game for the Lakers in April 2016 he scored 60 points for the sixth time.

Some in the 18,000 sellout crowd had paid upwards of $25,000 (£17,580) to be in the crowd to see the two-time Olympic gold medallist.

The Lakers retired both Bryant’s number eight and 24 jerseys in September 2017.

In 2018 he won an Oscar for his five-minute film Dear Basketball, based on a love letter to the sport he had written in 2015.

Iconic golfer Tiger Woods, a 15-time major winner, said he heard the news after completing his final round at the Farmers Insurance Open in California. “[Caddie] Joey La Cava told me coming off the 18th green. I didn’t understand why the crowd was saying ‘beautiful Mamba’, now I know,” he said.

“It’s unbelievably sad and the reality is sinking in

because I was told about five minutes ago.

“He brought a desire to win every night on both ends of the floor, not too many guys can say that. Any time he was in the game, he’d take on their best player.”

Former England captain David Beckham, who also played for LA Galaxy, posted on Instagram: “This was one special athlete, husband, father and friend. Having to write these words is hard enough but also knowing we have lost an amazing human being and his beautiful and talented daughter Gianna is heartbreaking.

“The commitment Kobe showed to his sport was inspiring, to go through the pain and to finish a game off like only he could inspired me to try to be better.

“Kobe always talked about Vanessa and his beautiful girls and how proud he was of them. Kobe’s passion was his family and basketball.

He was determined to inspire the next generation of boys and girls to embrace the sport that he loved. His legacy will live on.”

Former world heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson wrote on Twitter: “I mourn with the world. Lost a legend.

No words. I’m messed up. RIP Kobe Bryant, Gianna and the rest of the passengers.”

Barcelona forward Lionel Messi wrote on Instagram: “I have no words... All my love for Kobe’s family and friends. It was a pleasure to meet you and share good times together. You were a genius like few others.”

Juventus forward Cristiano Ronaldo said the news was “heartbreaking”, adding Bryant was “a true legend and inspiration to so many”, while Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba added: “Heroes come and go, legends are for ever.”

Britain’s six-time Formula 1 champion Lewis Hamilton said: “I’m so sad to hear that we lost one of our greats. Bryant was one of the greatest athletes and was such an inspiration to so many, including myself.”

Brazil and Paris St-Germain forward Neymar paid tribute with a goal celebration in Sunday evening’s win at Lille.

After scoring a second-half penalty, he held up two fingers on one hand and four on the other, marking Bryant’s Lakers shirt number of 24.

The Brazil striker, a basketball fan who had met Bryant, also bowed and pointed to the sky.

World number one tennis player Rafael Nadal tweeted: “I woke up this morning with the horrible news of the tragic death of one of the greatest sportsmen in the world. Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna and other passengers. My condolences to his wife and families. I am in shock.”

Manchester United and England forward Marcus Rashford tweeted: “A true inspiration in the sporting industry.

RIP legend.” And Manchester City’s Raheem Sterling added: “Rest easy Legend.”.(BBC Sport)

Joseph, Berridge deal Volcanoes innings defeat GROS ISLET, St Lucia, (CMC) – Test pacer Alzarri Joseph struck a cavalier half-century and enterprising seamer Sheeno Berridge captured a devastating five-wicket haul as Leeward Islands crushed Windward Islands Volcanoes by an innings and 165 runs on the final day of their third round match in the Regional Four-Day Championship here Monday.

In a rain-hit, day/night contest at the Darren Sammy Cricket Ground which appeared headed for a stalemate after the entire first day was lost to rain, Joseph turned the game on its head when he slammed an unbeaten 64 from 56 deliveries as Hurricanes, resuming on 234 for five, powered their way to 354 for eight declared.

Armed with a first innings lead of 216 runs, Berridge

Alzarri Joseph slammed an unbeaten half-century to follow up his five-wicket haul

then snatched five for 22 from 10 overs to send Volcanoes tumbling for 51 in their second innings – their second lowest total ever in the championship.

Test off-spinner Rahkeem Cornwall supported with two for seven from six tight overs as only 20-year-old wicketkeeper/ batsman Emmanuel Stewart, with 11, managed to reach

double figures.

The victory broke a run of two defeats for Hurricanes while Volcanoes tasted defeat for the for the first time this season.

Not many envisaged the outcome at the start of the day, especially after lefthander Amir Jangoo fell to the first delivery of the evening without adding to his overnight 51 and with Hurricanes yet to add to their tally.

Entered Joseph, already with a five-wicket haul in the first innings, to transform the game, belting half-dozen fours and three sixes while adding 49 for the seventh wicket with Jaison Peters who converted his overnight 39 into 57 – his second first class hundred.

Peters faced 116 balls and counted four fours in just over 2-¼ hours before he was

bowled by fast bowler Sherman Lewis who claimed two of the three wickets to fall to finish with three for 80.

Joseph then combined with Cornwall, whose 37 came from 24 balls and contained two fours and three sixes, to post another another 58 for the eighth wicket and push the Hurricanes lead beyond the 200-run mark.

Needing to simply bat out the day to save the game, Volcanoes’ second innings lasted a mere 33 overs as Berridge claimed four of the first five wickets to fall, with just 28 runs on the board.

The best stand of the innings was 14 for the fifth wicket between Stewart and Montcin Hodge (9) but once Berridge bowled Stewart, the last five wickets tumbled for 15 runs.

Berridge finished with match figures of nine for 61 while Joseph picked up Man-

of-the-Match honours for his all-round display.

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER (Tuesday January 28, 2020) COMPLIMENTS OF XTRA ENERGY DRINK – STABROEK BAZAAR (Tel: 683-9500) & CUMMINGS ELECTRICAL COMPANY LTD-83 Garnett Street, Campbellville, Georgetown (Tel: 225-6158) Answers to yesterday’s quiz: (1)

Fred Spofforth (AUST vs ENG, Melbourne, 1878-79)

(2)

Wes Hall (WI vs PAK, Lahore, 1958/59) Today’s Quiz:

(1)

Who has the distinction of taking the first ODI hattrick?

(2)

Which WI was the first to take an ODI hattrick?

Answers in tomorrow’s issue

GUYANA CHRONICLE, January 28, 2020

31

GMR&SC Endurance racing round one…

Executive mulling way forward after abrupt end THE Guyana Motor Racing and Sports Club (GMR&SC) on Monday confirmed that they are still mulling a way forward for the result of Sunday’s opening round of the Endurance racing championship.

According to a source, the club will meet later this week to make a decision on the winners of the event following an abrupt end to the event.

The event was red flagged (stopped) after competitor Pierre Singh’s car caught fire during the two-hour race.

Pierre Singh’s burning Toyota Starlet

An hour and approximately thirteen minutes had been completed in the event.

However, there were several drivers who ignored the

waved red flags and continued racing while others stopped to render assistance to the driver and his flaming car.

Given that the race winner is determined by the number of laps completed during the two-hour period, the club now has to sift through the data to find who was leading at the time of the incident and declare that person the winner.

Making matters tougher is the fact that there were two cars that were tied for the lead, according to the transponder system.

When the club meets on Thursday, they are expected to declare a winner.

DRIVER ESCAPES WITH FIRST DEGREE BURNS Meanwhile, the driver of the Miracle Optical Starlet that caught fire, Pierre Singh, has confirmed that he is ok and is happy to escape with his life after what was a hair-raising incident He explained that he escaped the burning car through the passenger side door and left it to roll into the grass.

“Everything is ok. I’m in some pain but I’m trying with it. Thank god that I’m still alive. I thought fast and

jumped out the car while it was driving just to save myself, but that’s the experience of a lifetime “I just want to say all who were there trying to help, thank you,” he added on social media.

In addition to making that decision, the club should also begin planning for the first of its circuit-racing events set for February 16 at the South Dakota circuit.

QPCC win back-to-back U-13 hockey titles -Old Fort triumph in U-16 indoor final THE QUEEN’s Park Cricket Club won back-toback U-13 titles (indoor and outdoor) to finish on top of the Guyana Hockey Board Boys’ Challenge over the weekend in the capital city.

The Trinidadian club’s older team did not fare as well in the U-16 category; given that Guyanese clubs Saints (outdoors) and Old Fort (indoors) triumphed.

Playing at the National Gymnasium on Sunday, the visiting team got past GCC in the U-13 final by a score of 3-0 in the three-team event (Saints also participated in the lower age group).

Old Fort triumphed in the U-16 indoor battle on Sunday

The Queen’s Park U-13 hockey team dominated the U-13 competition

Nicholas Siu Butt led the attack with two goals, while Adam Traboulay scored the

other.

The U-16 final was less eventful, with the clash going

to penalties and the home team succeeding.

On Saturday, QPCC had stormed to a 10-0 victory against Saints in the U-13 Boys Outdoor final at the GCC ground. In that clash, Adam Wyatt and Siu Butt had both scored hat-tricks,

while Christiano Austin and Caiden Mack supported with two goals each.

In the U-16 final, a Naresh Mahadeo goal propelled Saints to a 1-0 victory over Old Fort.

Earlier, QPCC were knocked out in the semi-fi-

nals by the eventual second place finishers.

Siu Butt won the mostgoal award for both the indoor and outdoor competitions, while Mack was named MVP for the outdoors and another QPCC player, Siem Zanvliet, MVP for the indoors.

Saints’ Samuel Garnett won both the Most Goals and the MVP awards in the outdoor competition for the older age group, while in the indoors, Daniel Woolford won the Most Goals award and his Old Fort teammate, Shaquon Favourite, the MVP award.

Rutherford captures Under-13 --16 schoolboys race CHRISTIANBURG-Wismar Secondary School’s (CWSS) Elijah Rutherford was in fine form as he out-sprinted his rivals to win the schoolboys Under 13-16 race, which was sponsored by Cho’s Bar and Grill on Sunday afternoon in Linden.

Rutherford took the tenlap event around the central Mackenzie circuit of Purple Heart Street, Republic Avenue, and Greenheart Street

as he beat Mark Lewis (Jr.) of the Linden Foundation Secondary (LFS) as another CWSS cyclist, Andrew Rutherford was third while Kevin Stephens of LFS was fourth and Julian Gordon from CWSS placed fifth.

In the Boys 10-12 category, Sharphan Douglas won from Luke Gunraj, while Rodwyn Austin placed third.

In the 10-12 Girls race, Savannaha Hyles won from Sysesha Sumner.

The trophies and medals for the various winners were handed over by Chochezi Ngqondo, owner of the Choi’s Bar and Grill at Burnham Drive and Poker Street, and the presentation was made in front of Gregory’s Grocery on Republic Avenue in Mackenzie, Linden.

The races were organised by the Upper Demerara Schools Sports Committee and former cyclist, Colin Barker.

Winner of the 10-lap circuit race for School Boys 13-16, Elijah Rutherford receives his trophy from Chochezi Ngqondo of Cho’s Bar and Grill.

32

GUYANA CHRONICLE, January 28, 2020

Fruta Conquerors U-20 are new Turbo Champs! 27 PAGE

Part of the action in Sunday night’s Turbo football final. (Samuel Maughn photo)

Champions Jaguars return to top of Regional four-day standings 27 PAGE

Five-time reigning champions Guyana Jaguars.

Van Lange continues U-15 and U-18 Junior National reign --Melville and Thomas share female spoils

JONATHAN Van Lange used a mixture of maturity and shot selection to unravel his opponents en route to defending his titles, while Crystal Melville ended the reign of Thuraia Thomas as U-18 female champion, after she had lost to her in the U-15 final in the National Junior and Cadet Table Tennis Championships, at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall.

As if it was scripted, the finals of both the male and female U-15 and U-18 battles, on Sunday, were played by the same four individuals, but unlike the girls who shared the spoils, 13-year-old Titans TT Club player, Van Lange triumphed in both his finals when he faced nemesis, Kaysan Ninvalle.

GIRLS BATTLE In the U-15 clash, the 14-year-old female players gave their all. Thomas battled back from two games down to beat Melville. Melville had a chance to close the game after winning the openers 11-8 and 12-10, but she lost the third 10-12. With momentum on her side and a victory under her belt, Thomas went on to win the next game to even the match, before she won a tense last game at 12-10.

Earlier, Melville had defeated Nkechi McRae 3-0 (11-6,

Caribbean Mini and Pre Cadet bronze medallist, Colin Wong 3-0 (11-5, 11-9 and 11-7), while Ninvalle had gotten the better of Krystian Sahadeo 3-1 (11-9, 12-10, 11-13 and 11-7).

Jonathan Van Lange was unstoppable in the National Junior and Cadet Table Tennis Championships over the weekend

11-8, 11-4), while Thomas had gotten the better of Jasmine Billingy 3-2 (5-11, 11-7, 11-4, 8-11 and 11-5).

In the U-18 final, the game also came down to the wire, but this time Melville was the victor. She won 3-2 (9-11, 11-8, 2-11 11-6 and 11-7).

In the semi-finals, Thomas defeated McRae 3-1 (11-0, 114, 9-11 and 11-4), while Melville got the better of Billingy 3-1 (9-11, 12-10, 11-8, 11-8).

BOYS FINALS In the boys U-15 final, Van Lange kept his composure and took calculated risks to sweep Ninvalle 3-0 (11-9, 11-8 and 11-8).

Earlier, he had defeated

Crystal Melville (left) and Thuraia Thomas shared the spoils in the female division

In the U-18 final, Ninvalle kept battling and ending up winning one of the games, but Van Lange was too good as he succeeded 3-1 (11-8, 11-5, 8-11, 11-6).

In the U-18 final four, Van Lange, who was flawless in all his games, had defeated Jamal Nicholas 3-0 (11-8, 11-9 and 11-7), while Ninvalle had gotten the better of Niran Bissu (11-9, 11-6 and 11-8).

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