Guyana_Chronicle_Epaper_02_05_2020

WEDNESDAY 5th February, 2020

No.105901

Gov’t rejects ‘baseless’ Global Witness report 5 PAGE

…says report seeking to influence upcoming elections

…Guyanese are assured of earning tens of billions of United States dollars in the years ahead

Int’l media hammer Global Witness report …say NGO has ulterior motives

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Ballot papers due 16 Thursday PAGE

Guyana remains free of 10 Coronavirus PAGE

─MARAD increases monitoring, restricting crew with recent travel history to China

Head Toshao

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urges support for Coalition …hails efforts at bridging information gap “My advice to my Indigenous brothers and sisters be wise, open your eyes, see what has been happening over the last few years, there was no intimidation, no interference, especially with our NTC elections. This is an opportunity for us to really maintain the open-door policy that we are seeing, and less intimidation,” Nicholas Fredericks said.

Chairman of the National Toshaos Council (NTC), Nicholas Fredericks

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, February 5, 2020

Int’l media hammer Global Witness report …say NGO has ulterior motives

…report labelled as “motivated attack piece” at players in the oil and gas industry International media agencies, pointing to ill-motive in Global Witness’ recent report that Guyana stands to lose $55 billion in its contract with ExxonMobil, have said that the investigation company is traditionally focused on “halting natural resource extraction”.

In a Forbes article, ‘Global Witness Claims Guyana Is Losing Money, Urges It To Lose Much More’, the agency pointed out: “…upon

closer examination, the allegations don’t really stand up.

Global Witness states repeatedly and unequivocally that it found no evidence of any wrongdoing by ExxonMobil nor Guyana’s government ministers.”

Forbes also stated that the bases upon which Global Witness is urging Guyana to push for overall take of 69 per cent over its 52 per cent is left unclear in the report.

With the investigative com-

pany known for having motives against natural resource extraction, the article pointed out that persons should question the true intention of company and whether it lies in Guyana’s best interest.

Global Witness’ recent report, ‘Signed Away’, had recommended that Guyana allow Exxon to extract oil from the 16 wells it has already drilled, but allow no additional drilling in the Stabroek license and can-

cel its nine other allocated licenses and not award any new licenses “With dozens more viable well sites available to be drilled in the coming years within the Stabroek block, Guyana would stand to lose many billions in potential future revenues,” the Forbes article stated, adding: “Global Witness bases this advice on climate change concerns, but provides no rationale supporting why this historically poor, developing nation should be forced to bear such a disproportionate share of the economic burden of meeting the Paris Climate Accord goals when the developed nations of Europe, along with China, India and other economic powerhouses across the globe are currently doing so little.”

Meanwhile, a detailed report from Norwegian-based Rystad Energy on Tuesday contradicted Global Witness’ position that Guyana signed a “bad deal” which would hinder the country significantly.

Rystad Energy benchmarked the Stabroek Block fiscal regime against the fiscal regimes of other “frontier” and upcoming oil and gas producing countries. These

included Brazil, the United States (deepwater Gulf of Mexico), Mozambique, Israel, Tanzania, Mauritania, Suriname and the Falkland Islands.

It ran its economic model analysis on the Liza Phase 1 project and compared the results against the fiscal regimes for the peer group countries. It showed that the average Guyana government take is 60 per cent, which in its benchmarking overview, places the country right between major producer Brazil at 63 per cent and fledgling producers Mozambique and Mauritania, at 57 per cent.

“We find the current fiscal regime in Guyana to be in line with other emerging oil and gas countries. As Guyana firms up its credentials as an attractive upstream destination, we expect that new awards of production sharing agreements will likely stipulate revised fiscal parameters, with the higher government take,” Vice President of Upstream Research at Rystad Energy, Sonya Boodoo commented in the report.

It also estimated that between 2015 and 2019, oil and gas companies invested around $8.1 billion in explo-

ration and development activities in Guyana’s offshore sector while assuming all risks during the exploration phase. The Forbes article stated that with such an important election only weeks away for the country, the prospective oil wealth would “naturally become the focal point of political campaigns” It also indicated that while some local voices have lobbied for Guyana to force a contract renegotiation, “the reality is that Guyana does not stand to ‘lose’ anything in its deal with the consortium.”

“Where the country would stand to actually lose billions would be if it were to follow Global Witness’s advice to not allow the Consortium to drill any more wells going forward, limiting the discovery process at Stabroek to the 16 wells already drilled to date,” the Forbes article stated. “In the end, just a few hours of analysis reveals the Global Witness report for what it is: An ideologically-motivated attack piece aimed at some of the biggest players in the oil and gas industry.

Which, given the group’s history, comes as no surprise at all.”

Ecuadorian jailed for entering Guyana illegally CHIEF Magistrate Ann McLennan, on Tuesday, February 4, 2020, sentenced a 25-year-old Ecuadorian farmer to two months in prison for entering Guyana illegally.

Juilo Macias appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court and pleaded guilty to the charge, through an interpreter.

Particulars of the charge stated that, on December 15, 2019, at Lethem, he entered Guyana by crossing the land frontier and did not present himself to an immigration officer.

“I came to Guyana in search of employment I did not I have to go to immigration, I am very sorry,” Macias

said through the interpreter.

Police Prosecutor told the court that, on February 1, 2020, police at the Mabaruma police outpost was conducting a stop-and-search operation,

Juilo Macias

when a route 94 minibus in which Macias was an occupant was stopped.

When he (Macias) was asked to produce his travel documents he told the ranks that his passport was lost. He was arrested and taken to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID). Further investigation was conducted and it was revealed that Macias entered Guyana illegally.

Chief Magistrate McLennan, after listening to the prosecutor and Macias, sentenced the latter to two months in prison. After serving his sentence, Macias will be escorted to the nearest port of exit and sent back to Ecuador.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, February 5, 2020

Head Toshao urges support for gov’t

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…hails efforts at bridging information gap

“My advice to my Indigenous brothers and sisters be wise, open your eyes, see what has been happening over the last few years, there was no intimidation, no interference, especially with our NTC elections. This is an opportunity for us to really maintain the open-door policy that we are seeing, and less intimidation,” Fredericks said.

By Svetlana Marshall INDIGENOUS people in Guyana are more informed now, than ever, on the developments and challenges that face the country due to their increasing access to Information and Technology, Chairman of the National Toshaos Council (NTC), Nicholas Fredericks, said in an interview with the Guyana Chronicle.

On the margins of an Indigenous Women Leaders’ Conference at the Grand Coastal Hotel on Monday, Fredericks said his Indigenous brothers and sisters are indeed benefitting from the projects and programmes being implemented by the A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) to bridge the information, communication and digital gap that exists between the Hinterland and Coastland.

“People are having more internal discussion [on issues and developments]. Due to the radio [and] the Internet, people are more empowered because they have access to information,” Fredericks told this newspaper.

Since taking office in May, 2015, the David Granger Administration has invested millions of dollars in to the establishment of radio stations and Information Communication Technology (ICT) hubs to increase access to information in far-flung communities.

Just last week, Radio Essequibo 95.5 FM was commissioned by President David Granger. Constructed at a cost of $12M, the radio station will benefit more than 46,000 persons along the Essequibo Coast. Notably, communities like Adventure, Akawini Mission, Bethany, Machabo and Kabakaburi can now tune into Radio Essequibo 95.5FM. In total, seven community stations were constructed and operationalised under the Granger Administration. The other six community radio stations are Radio Lethem in Region

Nine (May 2016), Radio Maburama in Region One (June 2016), Radio Mahdia in Region Eight (October 2017), Radio Bartica in Region Seven (November 2017, Radio Orealla in Region Six (March 2018), and Radio Aishalton, also in Region Nine (January 2019).

Meanwhile, in keeping with President Granger’s pledge to bridge the digital divide, the Ministry of Public Telecommunications, through the National Data Management Authority (NDMA), has been establishing ICT hubs throughout the country. There are approximately 170 ICT hubs spread across the country, providing free Internet access to thousands of citizens.

Fredericks said due to the increased access to information, Indigenous People now have greater understanding of the developments taking place, and the challenges that exist.

He said in the past, the limited flow of information resulted in Indigenous People often being misinformed about issues.

Emphasising that knowledge is power, the NTC Chairman said come Monday March 2, 2020, Indigenous People will be more “assertive” when the go to the polls. “The people are more empowered [and] the youths, especially, are ready to make the right choice,” he told this newspaper.

MAKE A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS As the General and Regional Elections draw near, Fredericks is appealing to his Indigenous brothers and sisters to make a comparative analysis on the developments that took place within the various periods of the country’s history.

“My advice to my Indigenous brothers and sisters be wise, open your eyes, see what has been happening over the last few years, there was no intimidation, no interference, especially with our NTC elections. This is an opportunity for us to really maintain the open-door policy that we are

Guyana’s total oil revenues can approach US$30B in 10 years-Rystad Energy By the year 2030, Guyana’s total annual oil revenues can approach $30 billion within 10 years and could send the country’s GDP “skyrocketing,” Norway-based Rystad Energy noted on Tuesday.

One day after watchdog body Global Witness said Guyana stood to loose US$55B from the 2016 negotiations on the Production Sharing Agreement on the Stabroek Block, Rystad Energy said that the average government take for Guyana is around 60% in the range of mature producer Brazil.

The research firm stated that with a population of around 80,000, Guyana’s economic fortunes are poised for a major transformation after its first-ever oil development commenced production just six weeks ago. Rystad Energy added that ,”offshore oil production is expected to grow rapidly in the years to come and will generate unprecedented revenues for the Guyanese government.”

“Since the initial discovery in 2015 of the giant Liza oil field in the prolific Stabroek block, Guyana has discovered more than eight billion barrels of oil resourc-

es,” Sonya Boodoo, Vice President of Upstream Research at Rystad Energy said.

Boodoo said that with Liza field being on stream as of December 2019 and more development in other fields, the country’s rising oil revenues will make a huge difference in the continued development of the country.

She said that in order for Guyana to realize the full potential of these resources, a stable regulatory and fiscal environment will be a key factor. The firm forecasts that Guyana’s oil production could reach 1.2 million barrels per day by the end of the decade, lifting total annual oil revenues to about $28 billion, assuming an oil price of about $65 per barrel.

According to Rystad Energy, while government income if projected at $270M a mere in 2020, this ,”is forecast to grow rapidly and could reach nearly $10 billion annually within a decade.” The firm explained that Guyana’s gross domestic product (GDP) currently stands at about $3.7 billion.

Between 2015 and 2019, oil and gas companies invested around $8.1 billion in exploration and development ac-

tivities in Guyana’s offshore sector. It was noted that under the country’s fiscal regime, these companies assume all risks during the exploration phase, which explains the negative free cash flow (FCF) seen thus far. In future, the firm said, these costs–including both investments and operational expenses – will grow as new development projects are approved and new fields are brought on stream. “At the peak, the annual costs are expected to reach around $8 billion.”

NTC Chairman Nicholas Fredericks (Photo by Elvin Croker)

seeing, and less intimidation,” Fredericks said.

Late last year, Fredericks called on politicians to stop driving a wedge between the Indigenous Peoples, warning that in the end, the people suffer. “I mean, nothing is wrong with political affiliation, but don’t cause division. I have seen it over and over again: in the region, you have the REO and the regional chairman not working together; that doesn’t benefit anyone, the whole region suffers because of political indifferences [sic] and that shouldn’t be,” Fredericks had said.

On Monday, he said sadly the situation remains the same.

He noted that political interference at the regional and local levels has caused much division in the hinterland, which in the end results in development being stymied. Fredericks, who hails from Region Nine, said it was political interference that led to an agricultural project in the Rupununi being terminated, though funding had been secured from a multilateral financing agency as he laid the blame at the feet of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C).

Fredericks said that project would have led to the establishment of an institution similar to that of the Guyana School of Agriculture (GSA). “Instead of coming to GSA, you would have done it right there; you could now have access to soil testing, and so many things they were going to do, but because of political interference, we were not able to benefit from that programme,” he had explained.

On Monday, he said instead of pitting against each other, political parties should focus on policies that would drive change and development. He said there is need for more social programmes for young people within the hinterland. Importantly, he said major attention should be placed on manufacturing and processing within the field of agriculture.

Miner shot dead during gambling argument

A 28-year-old miner of Quarterstone Backdam, Cuyuni River, was shot dead by an armed security guard, during an argument over a game of cards, on Monday.

Dead is Raymond Leitch of Lot 2022 Amelia’s Ward, Linden. Reports indicated that the security guard called “Tallman”, 34, is a resident of Haslington, East Coast Demerara.

When contacted, police said the suspect had since been arrested and was cooperating with investigators.

“The suspected murder weapon which is owned by a private security company and which the suspect, who is employed as a security, is licensed

to carry, has been lodged,” police said.

One resident in the area said

Dead: Raymond Leitch

Leitch and “Tallman” are shop owners in the Backdam and their shops are erected about 50 feet

from each other.

“Tallman is the owner of a firearm which he uses for a security company and they were gambling cards and then is one big argument that started a fight.

They were parted and went to their separate shops and continued cussing out and is then when ‘Tallman’ get his gun and shot Leitch,” the resident explained.

A helicopter was contacted to fly the shop owner out to Georgetown but he was pronounced dead on arrival at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation.

The suspect was arrested at Ogle Airport and he handed over his firearm to the police as investigations continue.

Tobacco, alcoholic beverages yield over $6B in revenues THE Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) collected in excess of $6B in excise tax on petroleum and tobacco products, as well as on alcoholic and domestic alcoholic beverages for the period January-December 2019.

According to a report from the authority, tobacco products raked in $1.36B in excise tax, a negative variance of $36.2M below the budgeted collections and a positive variance of $ 2.5.1M above the sum collected on importation of these products the previous year.

Some $770.2M in revenues was collected from alcoholic products, a negative variance of $159.2M below the approved budget collections and $82.8M below the excise tax collected on the importation of alcoholic beverages last year.

Total revenues garnered from domestic alcoholic beverages amounted to $ 4.49B of total excise tax collected, a negative variance of $199. 6M below the budgeted collections and

a positive variance of $17.5M below the collections of 2018.

The revenue authority collected some $225.99B in revenues last year, reflecting a positive variance of $2.41B above the approved budget from January-December 2019 and $27.48B above the actual collections for the previous year.

The GRA projects total preliminary revenues for 2020 at $243. 97B, an estimated increase of $20.34B above the approved budget for 2019 and $17.98B above actual collections for 2019.

“The forecast comprises of [sic] a total of $115.90B from internal revenue taxes, an increase of $11. 56B or 11 per cent; $26.52B from customs, an increase of $1.44B or six per cent; $55.76B from VAT, and an increase of $3.1B or six per cent; and $45. 79B from excise tax, an increase of $1.97B or five per cent when compared to collections in 2019,” the report concluded.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Wednesday February 5, 2020

China virus claims second life off mainland, Macau casinos told to close

HONG KONG/BEIJING (Reuters) - The coronavirus outbreak claimed its first life in Hong Kong on Tuesday, compounding the international financial centre’s problems after anti-government protests, and Macau, the

world’s biggest gambling playground, urged casinos to shut their doors.

The victim in Hong Kong was a 39-year-old man with an underlying illness who had visited China’s Wuhan city, the epicentre of the outbreak

now under virtual quarantine.

It was the second death from the new coronavirus outside mainland China and brought the toll from the fast-spreading outbreak to 427. Thousands of medical workers in Hong Kong, a semi-autonomous region of China, held a second day of strikes to press for complete closure of borders with the mainland after three checkpoints were left open.

“We’re not threatening the government, we just want to prevent the outbreak,” said a nurse taking part in the strike.

On the financial front, global and Chinese markets rose, with both Europe and metals enjoying their best sessions of the year after Shanghai’s main market lost nearly $400 billion the previous day. But in the latest corporate hit, Hyundai Motor (005380.KS) said it would gradually suspend production at South Korean factories because of supply chain disruptions.

China reported a record daily jump in deaths of 64, taking the toll to 425. A man also died in the Philippines last week after visiting Wuhan, the first

virus-related overseas fatality.

Total infections in mainland China rose to 20,438, and nearly 200 cases have been reported across roughly two dozen countries, Hong Kong and Macau.

Macau, also a special administrative region of China lying across the Pearl River estuary from Hong Kong, said it had asked all casino operators to suspend operations for two weeks to help prevent the coronavirus spreading.

Macau’s chief executive, Ho Iat Seng, made the announcement as the former Portuguese colony, whose glittering casinos draw hundreds of thousands of gamblers from across the globe, reported 10 confirmed cases of the virus and imposed tight restrictions on movements in and out of the territory.

Thailand’s tally of infections jumped to 25, the highest outside China, while Singapore’s rose to 24. The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the flu-like virus a global emergency, and experts say much is still unknown, including its mortality rate and

transmission routes.

FOREIGN FEARS Such uncertainties have spurred strong measures by some countries, offending Beijing’s communist government, which has called for calm, fact-based responses instead of scaremongering. Australia sent hundreds of evacuees from Wuhan to an island in the Indian Ocean, while Japan began screening 3,700 passengers and crew aboard a cruise liner held in quarantine. Hong Kong has confirmed 17 cases. The territory was badly hit by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), a coronavirus that emerged from China in 2002, killed almost 800 people worldwide and cost the global economy an estimated $33 billion.

Chinese data suggests the new virus, while much more contagious, is significantly less lethal, although such numbers can evolve rapidly. WHO director of global hazard preparedness Sylvie Briand said most who had died or suffered severe infections were people with underlying health conditions or the elderly.

“NOT A CATASTROPHE” Raising the prospect of another dispute as trade frictions were easing, Beijing on Monday accused the United States of spreading panic after it announced plans to block nearly all recent foreign visitors to

China. A handful of other nations have done the same.

Britain told its citizens to leave China if they could, and Russia set up a quarantine centre in remote Siberia, where there have been two cases, for Russians evacuated from China. With the world’s second biggest economy facing increasing isolation and disruption, some economists predict world output will shrink by 0.2 to 0.3 percentage points.

White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow played down the potential impact on the United States, but said on Tuesday that China’s coronavirus would delay a surge in U.S. exports to China expected from the Phase 1 trade deal that was to take effect later this month.

MSCI’s main world index .MIWD00000PUS rose 0.5%, led by the biggest leap in commodity-focused stocks in more than three months. “Investors are tentatively going back into risk,” said MUFG strategist Lee Hardman. Many airlines have stopped flights to parts of China.

A flight from Toronto to Jamaica was forced back when a Canadian man falsely announced to passengers that he had the coronavirus - and took a selfie. He was arrested

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Wednesday February 5, 2020

Gov’t rejects ‘baseless’ Global Witness report

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…says report seeking to influence upcoming elections

…Guyanese are assured of earning tens of billions of United States dollars in the years ahead THE Government of Guyana has rejected a recent report by international investigative company, Global Witness, as “baseless”, “sensationalist” and “agenda-driven.”

Recently, the company purported in a report titled ‘Signed Away,’ that Guyana stands to lose an entitled $55 billion dollars from a bad oil deal with U.S. Oil giant, ExxonMobil. The organisation laid the claim that Guyana presented “feeble negotiation terms” and the “aggressive company” [ExxonMobil] pounced on this when it “negotiated an exploitative deal.”

The organisation theorised that Natural Resources Minister Raphael Trotman who signed the Exxon deal in June 2016, may have been compromised, even though they admitted that they had no proof of this.

“The report is sensationalist, agenda-driven and extraordinarily speculative. Global Witness presented absolutely no evidence of corruption or malpractice on the part of the government or its officials,” the government stated in Tuesday’s release. “The Government of Guyana views the report as a cunning and calculated attack on a sovereign state with a duly elected government mere weeks before an election.

This timing cannot be seen as a coincidence and it appears as though it is seeking to influence

the electoral outcome.”

“The government maintains its position that there were geo-political and national security imperatives which could not be ignored. The report deliberately seeks to trivialise the national security and sovereignty of Guyana,” the release stated. “Further, Global Witness completely ignores the analyses and reviews done by credible companies such as the Norway-based Rystad Energy and experts including Sir Paul Collier of the prestigious Oxford University.”

IT’S GUYANA’S RESOURCE The government also condemned the author of the report for statements made that the country “should allow no additional drilling in the Stabroek licence” and “should also cancel its nine other allocated licences and not award any new licences.”

It stated: “This is arbitrary and utterly absurd. On what basis does Global Witness seek to impose its proposition that the people of Guyana must not benefit from our natural resources as the peoples of other countries have done freely for millennia?”

Earlier on Tuesday, international media agency Forbes Magazine, had pointed out that the Global Witness’ report may be ill-motive as the investigation company is traditionally focused on “halting natural resource extraction. In the end, just a few hours of analysis reveals the Global Witness report for what it is: an ideologically motivated attack piece aimed at some of the biggest players in the oil and gas industry. Which, given the group’s history, comes as no surprise at all,” Forbes Magazine stated.

Meanwhile, the widely respected oil and gas analytical

AN ATTACK ON GOV’T

Guyana commenced oil production late December

firm Rystad Energy pointed out: “In the current fiscal regime, the government collects its share through a 2 per cent royalty and a 50 per cent profit oil levy. Rystad Energy estimates that this will give the government 60 per cent of the profit from the various projects (government take).

The average government take of 60 per cent in Guyana is indeed favourable when compared to other large offshore producers.

For countries that only recently opened up for [Exploration and Production] activities – such as the Falkland Islands, Israel, Mo-

PSC, GPF meet on security issues for elections

A PRIVATE sector delegation led by Captain Gerry Gouveia, Chairman of the Private Sector Commission (PSC), met with Commissioner of Police, Leslie James and a team of police officers as regional and general elections draw close.

During the meeting held

in the Commissioner’s Conference Room, on Monday, discussions were focused primarily on the Force’s role with regard to its commitment on ensuring peace, stability and security, during the impending elections period.

The Guyana Police

Force (GPF) endorsed the efforts of the PSC as a key stakeholder, and committed to collaborate, with a view to ensuring that all events, leading up to the General and Regional Elections, are guided by its mandate as set out under the Constitution of Guyana.

Commissioner of Police, Leslie James (Centre) with PSC representatives and senior officers of the Guyana Police Force

zambique and Mauritania – the government take is in the range of 50 per cent to 65 per cent.”

A FAIR AGREEMENT Reiterating where the country stands, the government assured that it entered into a fair agreement for the people of Guyana. Apart from 50 per cent profit oil and 2 per cent royalty, the government will also receive withholding taxes and a US$18,000,000 signing bonus, while over 1,900 persons are directly employed in oil and gas sector to date; there has been over US$300M in foreign direct investment to date and over 700 service providers to date.

The government has also taken great offence that Global Witness has “maliciously attempted to discredit officials of the government,” including Trotman, who was part of a Cabinet- approved Guyana delegation, on an official visit to Houston. Though making its claims throughout the article ---which has now been widely shared --- the investigative agency also admitted: “Global Witness is not suggesting that Trotman’s Texas trip violates U.S. or Guyanese anti-corruption laws.”

The government concluded that Global Witness therefore contradicts itself in its own report, being unable to establish any corruption or malpractice whatsoever on the part of government or any of its officials.

“Not having been able to establish any corruption, Global Witness then pivots and engaged in a flight of fancy. The figure of $55B is random, arbitrary and

highly speculative. In fact, the people of Guyana are assured of earning tens of billions of United States dollars in the years ahead and would have unprecedented and bountiful amounts for investment in their wages and salaries, pensions, education, health care, security, infrastructure, sea defence, agriculture, hinterland development and for future generations through Guyana’s already established Natural Resource Fund,” the release acknowledged.

It reminded citizens that this is not only the government’s position, as ogranisations such as Nasdaq and other regional and multinational agencies such as the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), have noted that Guyana is the fastest-growing economy in the world and expected to experience vast wealth as a result of its oil and gas agreement.

The agencies have also commended the government for its prudent fiscal management of the resource. The release affirmed: “The Government of Guyana acted decisively in allowing for first oil to have been celebrated in less than five years, an unprecedented and historic achievement. All Guyanese are imbued with a deep sense of pride and patriotism that they are now citizens of an oil-producing nation and are urged not to allow anyone to steal their joy and good fortune.”

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Wednesday February 5, 2020

A pledge to end squatting THE A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU + AFC) administration aims to continue to improve the lives of Guyanese at breakneck speed.

During a recent campaign rally in Region Three at the Leonora athletics stadium, President David Granger made a pledge to end squatting in Guyana. The President promised to do this by establishing a National Squatter Resettlement Commission on March 15, 2020, if his administration is re-elected in the upcoming March 2, 2020 Regional and General elections.

The President boldly stated that “by the time the APNU+AFC Government finishes its next tour of duty, there will be no ‘Plastic City’ in Region Three.” ‘Plastic City’ is the name given to the squatter settlement at Vreed-en-Hoop

which houses a number of its constituents. The area currently has no access to electricity, potable water and lacks basic sanitation such as drainage and irrigation. ‘Plastic City’ is among 150 squatter settlements which developed over the course of the PPP/C’s 23year tenure in office.

The resultant rise in homelessness and squatter settlements under the PPP/C administration is a clear indication that Guyanese were enduring difficult socio-economic conditions. There are many causes for homelessness, some of which are onerous upon the affected individual and some come about as a result of actions occurring outside of the control of the affected individual. The loss of a job, partner, home – through fire or flooding are all potential causes of homelessness and affected individuals should have been able to

seek redress for their issues by the relevant government agency. Instead however, support was not forthcoming and many individuals and families had to fend for themselves in whatever way they could to survive.

The President’s pledge to end squatting does not come without realisation that a better alternative must be provided for the affected residents. The poorly developed slums can be eradicated; however, the rehousing of its residents into proper homes and communities remains a priority for the David Granger administration. Under the President’s proposed initiative, affected residents would either be relocated to proper homes and communities, or those areas where they have been squatting would be converted into proper homes and communities.

We have only recently started to see the fruits of a similar

initiative which started in 2017, when the present administration allocated some $43 million dollars to the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CHPA).

This, combined with resources from Food For The Poor (Guyana) led to the construction of 20 homes for residents who had been squatting at Lombard and Broad Streets in Charlestown for a number of years, many of whom were families with young children. The presentation of the homes at Prospect, East Bank Demerara, represented the first phase of the handover exercise. A total of 72 homes will be built and presented to affected residents and families upon completion of the initiative.

The Central Housing and Planning Authority is already targeting approximately 173 squatter settlements as part of their attempt to address the issue. The introduction of a

National Squatter Resettlement Commission goes a long way in furthering this cause. The commission’s goal should therefore be to eliminate squatting and homelessness in Guyana by providing families with homes and land, so that they are then able to work, go to school and obtain a decent and comfortable standard of living for themselves.

Guyana has a number of societal issues, some of which are intergenerational and require careful planning and intervention to curb their continued prevalence. On the other hand, some societal issues are born out of negligence and weak governance. While the former Housing Minister, Irfaan Ali is yet to account for the drastic rise of squatter settlements during his time in that position, concerned citizens should note the relative speed with which the present administration has

been taking steps to drastically address their inherited workload. Housing and homelessness should not be one of those societal issues. Our nation is vast, bountiful and there is enough room for all of us to live comfortably, safely and sustainably.

The Guyana constitution guarantees that every citizen has the right to proper housing accommodation. The realisation of this fundamental right cannot be overstated enough for it affects the proper realisation of other closely connected socio-economic rights. The right to proper housing, electricity, water and sanitation are necessary if one is to successfully participate in, and, contribute to their society. Homelessness is one scourge that cannot be allowed to continue to degrade and hinder the progress of our nation and its peoples.

Global Witness has decided what Guyana is worth Dear Editor, EVERYONE seems to know what is best for Guyana except Guyanese. Global Witness has boldly stated that we should push for US$55 billion more from the Stabroek agreement and then immediately stop moving forward with new offshore oil-production activities.

“With additional revenues

from Stabroek, Guyana should stop additional drilling and do its part to stop the climate emergency,” they said in a report published on Monday, February 3, 2020.

It doesn’t matter if several more billion barrels of oil are at Stabroek, Kaieteur, Orinduik or elsewhere; Guyana, one of the poorest countries in the Western Hemisphere, should stop pursuing projects that could mean-

ingfully transform the country.

I think in making this bold and utterly absurd recommendation, Global Witness may have inadvertently exposed its hand and shown what its real agenda is - and that is to create enough confusion that Guyanese rebel and disrupt the oil production already underway, while blocking all future exploration and production activities.

We must step back and ask

by whom is this organisation funded?. Who is funding the local political activists and advocates that Global Witness worked with to compile its anti-oil production report? While the very report repeatedly stated that there was no clear evidence of wrongdoing in the Exxon Mobil-Guyana 2016 contract negotiation, it dropped numerous innuendoes implying that there could have been. While

the report said we should be getting more, it did not say why US$55 billion more is the magic number, after which we should stop production. Who gives Global Witness the right to determine what is the amount Guyana should accept and be contented with? Why is this report only now being published, just days before an election?

Who stands to benefit the most?

In the absence of answers

to these questions, this report cannot be taken seriously, since it is based on broad speculation and subjective analysis, all clearly engineered to provide a pre-determined desired outcome - an end to oil production. Can Guyana afford this?

Regards Donald Singh

Freddie’s reckless and dangerous assertions about the President’s security Dear Editor FREDDIE Kissoon is a social activist and lifetime critic of the establishment, be it this government or any other government Guyana has had or will have. Freddie is also a political and social satirist when he is condemning Guyanese for being backward, nasty and ignorant; he is attacking and criticising the government, be it the APNU+AFC Coalition or any government prior to and after. Political satire requires one to critique and attack the establishment, which helps

to maintain the efficacy of its core message, and in Freddie’s case, he gets paid by Kaieteur News etc. to write columns, most of which attack the government, notable public figures and tendencies he observes in Guyanese society.

As a hired pen, political and social activist, Mr Kissoon has experienced his fair share of ridicule, public criticism, threats and acts of violence which were directed toward him for expressing his views.

One of the most notable occasions happened when Mr

Jason Abdullah, a member of the PPP, a staff of Freedom House and one of its rogue elements, threw a bucket of faeces in the face of Mr Kissoon on May 24, 2010. From this time to 2016, Mr Abdullah was never charged, neither did he face the courts. It wasn’t until December 2016, after the police were allowed to do their work without interference, that Mr Abdullah was charged and found guilty; Mr Abdullah also implicated Shawn Hinds and Kwame McCoy. It appears to me, however, that Mr Kissoon has forgot-

ten what he fought during the Jagdeo/Ramotar presidencies, who stood with him and who still stand by him, although he continues to use his pen to criticise the Coalition Government on a weekly basis. On February 2, 2020, Freddie Kissoon wrote his column captioned President Granger behaves as if he owns Guyana. Freddie Kissoon would also do well to recall that in 2017, a plot to assassinate President David A Granger was unearthed, investigated and foiled. Freddie would also do well to recall that in April 2015, just one month

after the 2015 General and Regional Elections, the GDF was sold poisoned rice which was purchased from a rice miller sympathetic to the PPP. The poisoned rice was sent and discovered at Camp Stephenson.

Our President is correct to treat with the utmost seriousness his security as well as that of Cabinet members and other high-ranking government officials. Freddie Kissoon has overstepped the usual civility that must accompany political and social activism in a non-oppressive state, and seemed to have

forgotten that although we have experienced relative peace in the past five years, this does not mean the absence of threats against the state. Either Freddie forgot about this, he deliberately did not consider and mention it for his column, or he feels the money he gets as a hired pen is more important than the life of President David A Granger.

Regards Andrew Small

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Wednesday February 5, 2020

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It is clear Guyanese would do better without this company Dear Editor: IT is noted with deep concern, the media report of an allegation made by RUSAL of “arson of the electricity pylon basement and other corporate property” at the Bauxite Company of Guyana Inc (BCGI). The suggestion that this may be linked to bauxite workers is disingenuous and orchestrated wickedness. Never in the history of Guyana has arson been a tool of striking workers; such will never be instigated nor condoned by the Guyana Bauxite & General Workers Union (GB&GWU). Note, neither will the accusations and efforts to malign bauxite workers and their unions be treated with lightly.

GB&GWU is aware that when the news broke, workers, residents and leaders in the surrounding communi-

ties were without exception dumbfounded at this claim.

None knew of the incident nor heard of it until they were told or saw reportage of the allegation. Leadership of the union is also unaware of any such action-- intended or unintended--caused by workers under its umbrella that could have even resulted in such an event.

This is a dangerous precedent being set by BCGI management who is continuously demonstrating it is prepared to engage in dangerous and desperate manoeuvres, ably supported by some sections of the Guyanese community. What comes next? Will it be channa bombs being hurled and attacks on personnel? GB&GWU calls on the relevant authorities to investigate these claims of arson, even as it calls on the Government and people of Guyana to be on the alert

for further mischief and plots to destabilise our society, using labour to create unrest and social chaos.

Such tactics are not unfamiliar to the Russian management of BCGI for they are well known and orchestrated by those with certain ideological persuasions. GB&GWU also wishes to make clear that access to the areas the company claims were damaged are protected by their security personnel who are non-unionised and not part of industrial action. GB&GWU is of the view that Guyanese are living in desperate times where the management of RUSAL is prepared to join forces with local operatives willing to sink to any level to realise political gains. They are prepared to sacrifice sections of the work force to achieve these ends. We note with grave concern the loud silence of the opposition and

the opposition-supported sectors of our community who are prepared to justify wrongs or turn the Nelson’s eye for political gain. It has been over 10 years of RUSAL abuse of bauxite workers and every Guyanese should cry shame!

It is hoped that the regional and international communities are taking note of certain developments in Guyana, which, when combined, speaks to the Russian management of BCGI clearly posing a threat to Guyana’s sovereignty.

GB&GWU is of the view that the Russian management of BCGI seems more interested in creating internal social upheaval in an effort to influence our elections rather than establishing a stable industrial environment by attending to the more than 10-year-old grievances as per the Grievance Procedures and Labour

Laws. RUSAL dubbing the industrial environment at BCGI as one of “unrest” is of their own manipulations and verbal distortions; the same as their speaking of arson and presenting as though they are forced to shut their business due to the investment climate.

We note the effort by RUSAL to lay the groundwork to suggest that Guyana is not investment- friendly. Even as they seek to hurt the investment image of Guyana and that of Guyanese to the international community with these falsehoods of “unrest” and “arson,” they fail to tell what a rogue employer they are and about their disrespect for a host country’s laws and citizens. Perhaps they think in their targeted propaganda orbit none would be aware of, nor care about RUSAL’s poor track record. A quick google search of RUSAL’s name and the

litany of global malpractices will hit like a tonne of bricks.

Guyana is their newest exposed target.

They violate our labour laws and transgress the rights of workers/ citizens. They refuse to honour their tax obligations and pay over dividends for the 10-per cent shares the people of guyana have in BCGI. They want to be contemptuous of us and expect compliance/acceptance from us. Most Guyanese are not going to allow it and GB&GWU is prepared to resist their transgressions and expose their bad performance.

It is clear Guyanese would do better without this company.

Regards Lincoln Lewis General-Secretary GB&GWU

Colvin Heath-London’s proven efforts havebeen for the best interests of Guyana Dear Editor

FOR those who need a further reminder, Colvin Heath-London’s appointment as Chief Executive officer (ag.) to NICIL/SPU, was not a case of finding ‘jobs for the boys’; or a wild-card aim, or some young citizen with no experience being tasked with portfolios beyond his capabilities.

For here was a Guyanese, with impeccable academic credentials, well learned and versed in the art of modern management techniques, and with a background of international experience in the dynamics of challenging and complex boardroom scenarios, being asked to take on the delicate assignment of managing the state assets agency, riddled with so many acts of illegalities, compliments of a former regime. Add this to another daunting, even larger challenge of finding solutions for the resurrection of a collapsed, once industrial giant of sugar, and one will understand that Heath-London has his plate filled with headaches of a systemic type.

He has continued to con-

found those of an outdated culture, because he has challenged their colonial culture of the right to privilege, despite the changed circumstance of an entity of such historical tradition. Rather than cooperate with a dynamic mind whose modern mind challenged the outmoded management, he has encountered public attacks, via some sections of the media, and attempts to deem him unfit for the daunting assignment, which they themselves have not been able to fix, except continuing to go around in circles.

London’s stewardship, thus far, has been about Guyana, as evidenced by the monumental job he has done, securing the $30 Bln bond for the restructuring of GuySuCo, the restoration of the famous Linden landmark of Watooka House, converting Skeldon Estate into Skeldon Heritage Resort, the Berbice Inn, the Kwakwani State House and the Ituni Guesthouse to name a few. However, his recent successes, in securing a dividend payment of US $3M from BOSAI, an international organisation in the extractive industry of

Guyana, coupled with his court challenge against Hong Kong Golden Telecom(HKGT) for their failure to make good on payment owed to the government of Guyana, for their purchase of 20 per cent shares in the Guyana telephone and Telegraph Company(GTT). The latest move, just in every conceivable way, has netted Guyana an extra US$7.5M, as a result of accrued interest.

Obviously, this is a CEO who understands the meaning of working in the best interests of the state, ensuring that it gets justice in its undertaking with international organisations that believe that they can come to Guyana and disrespect our laws.

Hats off to Heath-London! His talents are indeed a blessing to Guyana. One has no doubt as to his patriotism. It is time that those who are still impeding his efforts at making NICIL/ SPU a continuously viable entity in the interest of Guyana, cease impeding such efforts.

Regards Earl Hamilton

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Wednesday February 5, 2020

Brickery residents overjoyed now community has electricity

By Vanessa Braithwaite IN tears, Samantha Salvador, a mother of one, declared that now that Brickery finally has electricity, she will be buying a television for her seven-year old son, since he was never able to enjoy such luxury before.

Overcome with emotion, Samantha said she will also now be able to help him at nights with his homework; something she was unable to do in the five years they have been living in the East Bank Demerara community.

These were the kind of sentiments that were expressed on Monday by several residents of the community who, like Samantha, now have access to electricity in their homes for the very first time. Thanks to the speedy intervention of the government, the Guyana Power and Light Inc. (GPL), was able, within one week, to provide electricity to the approximately 25 households located on Pickering Avenue, one of the many streets in Brickery.

After being forced to live for decades without this basic amenity, which proved to be a major deterrent to improving their standard of living, residents’ calls for a better way of life were finally answered recently when Minister with responsibility for Youth Affairs, Simona Broomes paid their community a visit and learnt of their plight.

Minister Broomes, who

--thanks to timely intervention of the gov’t

An emotional Samantha Salvador expressed how the electricity project will transform her life

on Monday revealed she had been tasked by President Granger to look into the challenges affecting residents in neglected communities on the East Bank, said immediately she heard from Brickery residents what was ailing them, she engaged the management of GPL, and the project immediately began. “Our young people must have access to fundamental things such as water, light, and healthcare,” Minister Broomes said, adding: “Because of this initiative, a young boy, seven years of age, and his mother can now sit down and do homework. She is planning to get him a television; he has never seen a television in his home before; never seen light in his home. The amount of young people this initiative will impact is mind-blowing.”

Residents related how hard it was surviving without electricity for decades, and while they’d made every effort to have this provided, their calls

were never answered. “Twenty-five years! Punishing all the time in my life! Now, less than a week, we get current!

What we couldn’t get in 25 years, because, due to the documents for the land we couldn’t get… But we are in process right now, so we just thanking GPL to come along with us and give us light,” Shawn Pickering, another resident said.

EXCITED AND OPTMISTIC The residents were both excited and optimistic at how this move will transform their lives and will be the start to greater things, such as water and access roads. It will contribute significantly to their educational and social well-being, as well as their safety. “Thanks to the minister, and the intervention of the president that these things could be possible. And I’m sure it will push the community way, way, way forward

Caribbean Institute of Forensic Accounting Guyana Inc., launched

THE Caribbean Institute of Forensic Accounting (CIFA) Guyana Incorporated hosted its official launch at the Herdmanston Lodge on January 31, 2020. In attendance were the partners Chetram Ramdihal, CEO of CIFA-Guyana and Stephon Grey, Founder of CIFA & Director of CIFA Consulting Limited.

Speaking at the launch, Founder of CIFA & Director of CIFA Consulting Limited, Stephon Grey stated, “The Caribbean is suffering a lot of losses due to corruption and we recognise the need for forensic accounting in the Caribbean.

There were countries that had a lot of money in the Caribbean and now they cannot put a budget together…we see a lot of Financial Intelligence Units, Auditor General agencies, asset recovery… however we are short, practically non-existent on prosecution and civil asset recovery, but we spend a lot of money between CIFA-managed cases and individual experts, we never lost a court

case.”

CIFA Guyana will be offering services in the field of forensic auditing and accounting, fraud auditing, asset tracing & recovery, investigations, due diligence, procurement audits, document examination, process re-engineering, computer forensics and data recovery, contract compliance auditing, anti-money laundering compliance services, fraud risk and loss management and forensic and anti-fraud training.

According to Grey, the Caribbean Institute of Forensic Accounting (CIFA) was established in Trinidad & Tobago in 2008 and remains the only Caribbean-based institute dedicated to providing training in anti-fraud and forensic accounting throughout the Region.

He explained that CIFA has provided training to industry professionals in approximately one hundred organisations spanning eleven (11) Caribbean territories. Additionally, CIFA collaborates with the Forensic CPA Society of the USA to pre-

pare students for examinations leading towards the FCPA™ (Forensic Certified Public Accountant) designation.

CIFA has provided training to industry professionals in approximately 100 organisations spanning 11 Caribbean territories.

He also disclosed that CIFA has conducted successful investigations in places such as Grenada, Ethiopia, China and many other countries, both regionally and internationally, and serves to boast that they have never lost a court case. Mr. Grey was pleased to announce that within a few weeks CIFA will have its office in London operational to add to the list of offices in Trinidad, Dominica, St Kitts, Guyana, St. Vincent, Jamaica, St Lucia, Barbados & Suriname.

Pickering Avenue residents with Minister Simona Broomes (seated second right), and GPL’s Albert Gordon (seated first right) and GPL’s Network Operations Manager, Shaun Hamlet (seated first left)

because we have a lot youths here, so we must all give the government thanks and praise for seeking into the poor people and their needs, we don’t have to rich. We made a lot of moves, we went to different people, different ministers seeking help and we never got help from no body, thank God for our leaders and our government, to put the right foot forward to make our people happy,” resident Quincy Welcome posited.

The project did not only provide residents with electricity, but also temporary employment, since GPL used them as labourers. GPL’s

Network Operations Manager Shaun Hamlet, who has responsibility for the transmission and distribution of power, said similar projects are currently being executed in several other communities, as the company is not only striving to achieve worldclass status, but to provide a better life for all Guyanese.

“We want to ensure that all receive a reliable source of electricity, “ Hamlet said, adding: “This project was important to us because it will primarily provide comfort, safety and security for all the residents. In addition to that, it will support the children

with their regular school activities.”

GPL also removed the age-old policy which dictated that persons can only use their Identification Cards to process an application for electricity. Because of this archaic policy, several persons with other forms of identification ID, such as their driver’s licenses were previously turned away. Minister Broomes described this process as an oppressive one, and urged the other organisations to also remove it.

The residents are also expected to receive water and access roads soon.

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Wednesday February 5, 2020

Sugar workers protest for more pay WITH chants of “Wage increase, no money, no work”, sugar workers from Albion, Blairmont and Uitvlugt estates, on Tuesday, gathered outside of the Ministry of the Presidency, Vlissengen Road, to express their dismay on how they are being treated.

Some of the placards read: “Government shifting blame, end wage freeze now”, “Why the coalition discriminating”, “Mr. Granger what happened to our petition”, and “2014 wages with 2020 prices can’t work.”

Speaking to reporters, Guyana Agricultural and General Workers’ Union (GAWU), General-Secretary, Seepaul Narine, expressed his disappointment with how the sugar workers are being treated.

He explained that the sugar workers remained the only group of workers under the State to have not gotten any improvement in pay since the current government took office in May, 2015.

“Though there are several credible and rational bases for the Granger Government to assist the workers, the APNU+AFC has turned their backs and closed their eyes and ears to the cries and calls of the nation’s sugar workers,” he said.

He said the workers cannot comprehend why they are being treated as outcasts seemingly undeserving of the protection of the State, which is their ultimate employer.

“With no pay improvements, coupled with disregarding of long-standing benefits have caused the workers’ lot to steadily deteriorate.

Also, there is the additional problem of reduced cropping weeks which have further affected their earnings,” the GAWU general-secretary said.

He continued: “This painful reality could not have come at a worse time as today when the cost-of-living rose astronomically. The Bureau of Statistics, advises, that the cost of food rose by nearly 18 per cent between December 2015 and October, 2019.”

Added to that situation, he said was a heavy hike in water rates with fixed-charge customer’s tariffs increasing from $742 per month to $1,950.

“That is a 163 per cent jump. During the intervening period too, the cost of public transportation has risen by as much as 25 per cent in some cases. These have all added up and have pushed sugar workers and their families into a woeful economic plight in recent years,” Narine

Sugar workers picketing in front of the Ministry of the Presidency on Tuesday

Bartica plumber in critical condition after attack A 21-year-old plumber employed at the Mazaruni Prison was almost beaten to death in the Bartica Arcade, Region Seven (Cuyuni Mazaruni), Thursday evening.

The man was identified as Akeel Douglas of Second Avenue, Bartica, Essequibo. His attacker was only identified as “Charlie.”

Police confirmed that the incident occurred on Thursday at 19:20 hrs in the vicinity of “Limpy stall” located in the Bartica Arcade.

Reports indicated that Douglas, after he finished his work on the aforementioned day, visited ‘Limpy’s stall’ where he was sitting for a while.

“The man approached him and they had a misunderstanding over where Douglas was seated and he get up from the chair, shortly after Charlie lash him to his head from behind; he then ran away towards ‘Fat man’ stall where he fall down and the man end up dropping more lashes to his head with a piece of something and he beat out,” one eyewitness said.

Douglas later returned home and was escorted to the Bartica Public Hospital where he was admitted.

Police said the matter is under investigation.

said.

He said efforts of sugar workers have not translated into the expected success as the industry’s factories are hamstrung and monies available for rehabilitation are held back by the procrastination of the administration.

Narine said GAWU being aware of what is occurring at this time must admit that it has little hope for improved performance in the

9

upcoming crop.

“The union and the workers have heard President Granger saying on the campaign trail his government wants the sugar industry to be profitable. That too is a desire of the workers.

But such goals cannot be realised without a motivated and committed workforce,” Narine noted.

He said fairness, equity and justice are needed in the industry.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Wednesday February 5, 2020

Guyana-MARAD remains free of Coronavirus increases monitoring of maritime space -restricting crew with recent travel history to China

AS the world continues to contend with the increasingly worrying Coronavirus, Guyana has remained free of the virus as it works to improve its port health authority and monitor arrivals.

According to a press statement from the Ministry of Public Health, there has been no suspected, probable or confirmed case of the Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV).

The outbreak started in city of Wuhan in Hubei Providence, China, in December 2019.

The source of the virus has not been confirmed. There is a world-wide effort by scientists to develop a vaccine.

According to the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA), Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome and Severe Acute Respiratory

Minister of Public Health, Volda Lawrence

Syndrome (SARS-CoV). The coronavirus outbreak originated in Wuhan, China.

Common signs of infection include respiratory symptoms, fever, coughs, shortness of breath and breathing difficulties. In more severe cases, infection can cause pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure and even

death.

The novel Coronavirus has been detected in two countries in the Region of the Americas, but no case has been detected in the Caribbean-Sub Region of the Americas.

“Let me assure the Guyanese pubic that all efforts to maintain vigilance and monitoring of the virus are in place,” Minister of Public Health, Volda Lawrence, said on Tuesday.

“We have put several measures in place and have increased surveillance at the country’s ports of entry with strengthened specialised training in all categories of workers,” she said.

The minister further indicated that the situation is being addressed at an Inter-Ministerial level with the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) being the focal point.

Port health authorities at the main official points of entry have commenced screening

of all travellers from high-risk countries, who will be monitored for fourteen days by the MoPH officials as stipulated by the Pan American Health Organisation/World Health Organisation (PAHO/WHO).

Among the menu of measures put in place by the MoPH officials was, to conduct follow-up assessments via telephone calls and through daily visits over a two-week period on all persons who travelled from China to Guyana over the last month to check on their state of health.

“While this virus started off in China, as a Region, we are flagging all high-risk countries,” Lawrence said.

The MoPH advised Guyanese to avoid travelling to highrisk countries and maintain established hand-washing and hand-hygiene measures and to report to the nearest health facility should you experience any respiratory (breathing) problems.

The ministry is appealing to

Guyanese and other nationals here to stay informed and seek information from reliable and reputable sources such as CARPHA); PAHO and the WHO. Minister Lawrence is cautioning the nation not to fall victims of questionable or unverified information and rather to contact the Ministry of Public Health at telephone numbers 226-1224, 226-7457 or the ministry’s Hotline Tel: 223-7139/9.

For further information, persons were advised to visit the ministry’s website at www. health.gov.gy; on Facebook at Ministry of Public Health-Guyana; and on Twitter Ministryofpubl1.

Meanwhile, the Maritime Administration Department (MARAD), in view of the Novel Coronavirus, has stipulated that international vessels, calling the Port of Georgetown and Berbice, will be required to provide a crew list and their nationality; the vessel’s last port of call; and the shore leave of the crew within the last 21 days,

to the administration.

“Ship crew who feel unwell, experience respiratory symptoms or feel feverish should inform the master of the ship immediately. The master of the ship should then contact his ship’s agent and make the necessary arrangements to seek medical attention,” said MARAD. Crew with recent travel history in Hubei, Wuhan, or with People’s Republic of China (PRC) passports will not be allowed entry into Guyana. Also, vessels that refuse to comply with the aforementioned instructions may be denied entry into the country’s waters.

In the interim, MARAD intends to continue monitoring the evolving situation and work closely with the industry to implement additional measures if needed.

Shuman, Bandhu, Leung remain off lists

By Lisa Hamilton

COMMISSIONERS of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) have made it clear, for the final time, that the three presidential candidates, who were dual citizens when they signed a Statutory Declaration Form which required that they be solely Guyanese, have been removed from their parties’ lists. Since the six commissioners first made the announcement some weeks back, presidential candidate for the United Republican Party (URP), Dr Vishnu Bandhu; presidential candidate for the People’s Republic Party(PRP), Dr Valerie Leung and candidate for the Liberty and Justice Party (LJP), Lenox Shuman have been seeking to write their way back on to the list.

The leaders or their lawyers have sent letters to the commission explaining why they were not in breach of Article 155 of the Constitution or the Statutory Declaration Act, although the commission has evidence which proves otherwise. On Tuesday, Shuman held a press conference claiming that he renounced his Canadian citizenship on January 9, 2020, just one day before Nominations Day, but the commissioners maintain that the LJP leader is simply trying to talk his way back unto the list.

“I don’t know what Mr Shuman is saying; Mr Shuman sent this commission a long, long, long, long multi-page letter from a lawyer which we are still looking at,” Commissioner Bibi Shadick told the media.

“On the day that they took that oath, all three of those people were not entitled to be on any list...I saw a document from Mr Bandhu that was dated January

Presidential candidate for the United Republican Party (URP), Dr Vishnu Bandhu; presidential candidate for the People’s Republic Party (PRP), Dr Valerie Leung and candidate for the Liberty and Justice Party (LJP), Lenox Shuman

16th and I just saw a document from Ms Leung ---- a certification or renunciation --- which was dated the 21st which is long after Nomination Day any way.”

The three had signed Statutory Declaration Forms as candidates to contest of the upcoming General and Regional Elections, but possessed dual citizenship at the time. To be signatory to the form while a dual citizen is in breach of Articles 53 and 155 of the Constitution and makes a person liable to imprisonment for one year according to the Statutory Declaration Act, Chapter 5:09.

GECOM has written to the police on the matter and still awaits a response. Meanwhile, Shuman and Leung are arguing that from the time they put their signature to their renunciation forms, they were no longer dual citizens.

To this, Commissioner Vincent Alexander responded: “At the point when Shuman made his declarations he had not been renounced and note my words, had not been renounced. You don’t simply sign a form and renounce and that’s it. If one gets an opportunity to read the form they have to sign, that form in itself makes it very clear that one’s citizenship is not renounced until the applica-

tion has been processed and this attempt to suggest that ‘because I signed renouncing, automatically I no longer have dual citizenship’ is erroneous.”

The two have also argued that GECOM does not have the right to remove a candidate from its list as the law empowers only the High Court to so do.

However, Alexander said that while the commission has not collectively responded to the same, his own interpretation is that it makes no sense to have a Constitution which clearly bars them from making false declarations and the commission cannot act on the said Constitution.

While Shuman has accused the commissioners of being politically motivated, hence their removal of him from his party’s list, Commissioner Alexander has cautioned that his statements borders on defamation of character.

“I will be consulting my lawyers on this matter because Shuman is bordering on defamation of character,” he said.

Meanwhile, Commissioner Robeson Benn summarised: “As far as I’m aware, there’s no reason for the commission to change its position with respect to their eligibility.”

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, February 5, 2020

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‘Resist temptation to overshoot and panic’ ─CARICOM Chair, Mottley says authorities working to protect regional population against Coronavirus ─COHSOD creates draft communications strategy to combat misinformation

Minister of Public Health, Volda Lawrence (third from left); Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Shamdeo Persaud (fourth from left); and Deputy Chief Medical Officer, Karen Gordon-Boyle (fifth from left) joined CARICOM officials to discuss the regional plan for dealing with the Coronavirus (CARICOM photo)

By Navendra Seoraj AS the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) continues to work towards keeping the Coronavirus out of the region, Chairman of the bloc and Prime Minister of Barbados, Mia Mottley has urged persons not to panic.

“We are ensuring that the community can protect the population, but we also want to ensure that panic does not beset our people…history has shown that panic does not assist in the resolution of these matter,” said Prime Minister Mottley, during a press briefing at the CARICOM Secretariat, at Turkeyen, on Monday.

The outbreak of the Coronavirus, which originated in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China, started in December 2019, and up to last week, saw about 8,000 cases being laboratory-confirmed globally, with 82 cases confirmed outside of China.

According to the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA), Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that cause illnesses ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV).

Common signs of infection include respiratory symptoms, fever, coughs, shortness of breath and breathing difficulties. In more severe cases, infection can cause pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure and even death.

As the region seeks to steer clear of the virus, Prime Minister Mottley believes that the temptation to “overshoot” and “panic” is something persons must avoid. In plotting out the region’s approach to dealing with the virus, the CARICOM Council for Human and Social Development (COHSOD) met in Guyana, on Monday, under the Chairmanship of Minister of Health, Wellness and the Environment, Antigua and Barbuda, Molwyn Joseph.

According to a report from CARICOM Today, representatives of the CARPHA, the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA), the CARICOM Implementation Agency for

Crime and Security (IMPACS) – all Community Institutions – as well as the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO), provided updates to the Ministers and Officials on the regional response and guidelines for action on the Novel Corona Virus (nCoV 19).

The Florida Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA) also made a presentation to the meeting regarding the measures they have implemented to minimise the transmission of the disease A report from COHSOD, bearing the recommendations on the way forward, is expected to be submitted to Prime Minister Mottley in the coming days, but based what was told to her in preliminary briefing, the prime minister said she is satisfied with the region’s capacity to keep the virus out.

In outlining some of the systems in place to deal with the virus, Mottley said: “in 2007 CARICOM facilitated the creation of an entity called the Joint Regional Communication Centre that allows us to be able to do checks on every person coming into the region. “I was on the frontline in 2006/7 when we created the regional communication centre to do real time checks on the movement and tracking of people and where they come from…that is the first step for us in treating with open borders.”

The second step relates to the question of port health authorities and their capacity to do secondary assessments, said Prime Minister Mottley, adding that the third step relates to countries having access to and creating appropriate quarantining conditions if necessary.

“We need to contextualise it against other public health concerns and not be taken by those who want a rush to judgement that will lead to difficulties,” said Prime Minister Mottley, noting that the region will, as such, take an evidence-based approach, which will be measures and appropriate to the risks which the region faces.

As it is now, the prime minister believes it is important for “frontline” workers to understand and contextualise the risk of the public health outbreak. Despite outlining those steps, she said, the community

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, February 5, 2020

Berbicians confident ‘Coalition’ will deliver again ─say it has the people’s best interest at heart

SEVERAL Berbicians have expressed optimism that should the ‘Coalition’ government return to power, they will continue to fulfill their promises to the people to improve infrastructure, education, housing and telecommunications.

At the Coalition’s massive rally at Rose Hall Town on Sunday afternoon was Rose Hall resident Vibert Garrett, who said he is thankful for the developments being undertaken in the town by the administration, especially the rehabilitation of several streets and streetlights.

along the Corentyne Coast, to be a part of the rally.

They said that Orealla has seen massive improvements which have made their lives more comfortable.

“We saw development,” the couple said, adding: “PPP never did so much as compared to what this government has done. They give us a water ambulance; roads are being built, new stelling, access to wifi. We are positive once they continue along this path, we have a bright future ahead.”

Felisha Archer, 55, another Rose Hall resident, was among

Karen France, of South Glasgow Housing Scheme, who travelled up to Rose Hall to show her support, said she is “voting Coalition” because they were able to address the plights of the residents in East Bank Berbice.

Donald Herman

Karen France

Garrett, who is also a basketball coach, said he is thankful that youths who are interested in sports are being given the support and recognition they badly need. He is hopeful that once the administration retains leadership, youth participation in sports activities will continue.

Donald Herman and his wife Janice travelled all the way from Orealla, a community

the thousands who have witnessed and felt first-hand, the developments taking place in her town.

“We have better streets now… I remember the burial ground street was uneven and fine-fine; dem car men don’t want carry you through there.

But now it smooth and broad; we get street lights. Crime down; business booming,” Archer said.

“After 23 years of not having the East Bank Berbice Road, I am here to support the Coalition government,” Karen said, adding: “When the Coalition took over in 2015, they understood our plight. The President promised that under his government, he will deliver to us a road. And that was kept. And in 2016, the road started and was completed. Now we have one of the best roads in the whole country, so I will continue to support a government that keeps its promises. Today, East Bank Berbice residents are grateful, and will forever be grateful, because the farmers are benefitting; the taxi drivers are benefitting; all residents are benefitting. We can see great relief, even for the schoolchildren who can now go to school on time every day.”

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, February 5, 2020

13

Peaceful election is in the interest of everyone says CARICOM Chair

THE General and Regional Elections are just 27 days away and political parties have already mobilised and rallied their supporters in almost every part of the country, but, as time winds down, the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) is hoping that the outcome will be peaceful.

A peaceful election is in the interest of everyone, said Chairperson of CARICOM and Prime Minister of Barbados, Mia Mottley, during a press briefing at the CARICOM Secretariat, on Monday evening. Prime Minister Mottley, who met with President David Granger and Leader of the Opposition, Bharrat Jagdeo during a visit to Guyana on Monday, said: “I think both sides are comfortable…there are concerns, but they are going to work them out, we hope.”

“We will keep a watchful eye and we have every confidence in the Guyanese people that they will resolve their

determinations and decisions in a way that will benefit the people of the country.” As part of keeping a “watchful eye,” CARICOM will have a team of election observers “on the ground,” just as any other institution.

Members of the diplomatic community, who have also been observing electoral process so far, had also urged political leaders to campaign in the spirit of “hearty” and “respectful” competition, with the ultimate goal of ensuring free and fair elections.

President Granger had said he is confident that “credible” and “efficient” elections will be conducted as scheduled on March 2, 2020. “The government side is satisfied that Guyana is on-stream to have efficient and credible elections on the second of March, 2020.

“We are satisfied with the work that is taking place now and we feel that the Chairman of the Commission has got her finger on the pulse and will do

‘Resist temptation to ...

FROM PAGE 11 ◄◄◄

will, however, look to refrain from prejudging aspects of dealing with the virus because it is a matter that will have to be dealt with on a daily basis, given the “fast-moving” nature of the virus.

Considering the fast-moving nature of the virus, Prime Minister Mottley believes that COHSOD needs to meet again very soon because CARICOM is hoping that the issue can be resolved at that level.

CARICOM Today reported that Health Ministers and Officials of the Region have agreed to draft an aggressive communications strategy to combat misinformation on the Novel Coronavirus. The Ministers and Officials agreed that the comprehensive Communications Strategy would address misinformation about the virus, as well as provide citizens with correct information on how the situation is being addressed. The strategy will target various audiences and include information about the ways in which the virus can be prevented, transmitted and controlled.

According to the report, it was also recommended at the meeting that the Region agree to a coordinated, standard approach for handling of entry to air and sea ports. Issues such as the roles and functions of personnel at the ports; transporting of samples for testing; dialogue with airlines and cruise lines; and action to be taken before, during and after an outbreak, were all discussed.

The Member States have agreed that they will continue to monitor the situation as it evolves internationally, and are on standby to meet again as required. In recognising the severity of the disease, which, according to the Aljazeera, has already killed about 420 people

in China, Guyana has taken steps to strengthen its port health authority, and is even working with officials to examine the possibility of bringing home Guyanese students who are in China.

The Guyana Chronicle had reported that authorities here continue to be on guard against the Coronavirus, and are even well-equipped to deal with the virus if it reaches here.

“We are prepared and equipped with what is needed to handle a situation, should one arise,” said Minister of Public Health Volda Lawrence during a joint press briefing between the Ministry of Public Health and the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) last Tuesday.

According to Minister Lawrence, government’s first approach to keeping the virus at bay is to ensure that they “test, isolate and treat” any person who enters Guyana, and has a high index of suspicion. While every port is being monitored, the minister said emphasis is being placed on the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) and the Eugene F. Correia Airport.

“We have not moved to the second phase to check whether we do have cases, but what we are looking at is what it will take to expand services outside of Georgetown, especially if we have an overflow… We know GPHC has a high occupancy rate, so we need another facility to house persons,” said the minister, noting that the ministry is examining other available facilities, and looking at what needs to be purchased. So far, the ministry has confirmed that it has an adequate supply of medication to treat the respiratory and other symptoms of the disease.

everything in her ability to ensure that we will have credible elections,” said the President.

THE Guyana Elections Commission GECOM had recently certified and released an Official List of Electors (OLE) of 661,028 persons, for eligible voting in the March 2, General and Regional Elections. Guyana Chronicle reported that the decision to finalise the OLE came following some 88,000 necessary address changes to the Revised List of Electors (RLE).

GECOM Commissioner Vincent Alexander was, however, convinced that the large

number of persons on the list is evidence that it is bloated.

“Clearly we are going forward with a bloated list because there’s no circumstance under which a population of 750,000 plus with a school population of approximately 200,000 can produce a voters list of 661, 000,” Commissioner Vincent Alexander said. A breakdown provided showed that the National Register of Registrant (NRR) initially started off with 663,365 and 646, 625 were extracted for the Preliminary List of Electors (PLE). Of this number, the General Registrar’s Of-

Chairperson of CARICOM and Prime Minister of Barbados, Mia Mottley (Adrian Narine photo)

fice (GRO) removed 6,094 deceased persons; there were 68 successful objections; 16, 642 new registrants from the house-to-house registration exercise and 4,258 from the claims and objections (C&O) exercise.

There were other omissions but the RLE eventually came down to 661, 378 after which over 300 duplicates were identified and removed. The commission was previously catering to some 91,000 changes of address coming from persons who participated in the house-tohouse registration exercise.

14

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, February 5, 2020

SASOD wants political parties to consider its ...PPP boycotts meeting manifesto with human rights group

SASOD members at Tuesday’s press conference. (Delano Williams photos)

THE Society Against Sexual Orientation Discrimination (SASOD), on Tuesday, launched an ‘elections’ manifesto and the body says it has engaged several small political bodies and plans to engage the major parties contesting next month’s regional and general elections.

SASOD head, Joel Simpson, told members of the media that the group has met with several small political parties, including the Liberty and Justice Party (LJP) and it has extended an invitation to the incumbent A Partnership for National Unity+ Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC) to take part in an event, later this month, organized to air its views on a range of issues relevant to the manifesto.

SASOD Head, Joel Simpson as he addressed reporters on Tuesday

Simpson, who was flanked by other members of the group, told members of the media, at the organisation’s Duncan Street office, that the group has a range of issues which it wants the new government to consider.

The issues include constitutional and law reform matters and, according to the body, the group is calling on the new government to repeal, by the end of 2020, sections 321-353 of the Criminal Law (Offences) Act, which speak to criminalizing same-sex intimacy between consenting, adult-men in private.

The body also wants the laws of Guyana to include sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression as grounds for discrimination in the Prevention of Discrimination Act (Section 4) by the end of 2020.

In terms of sexual and gender-based violence, the group wants the new government to fully implement and apply existing laws regarding sexual and gender-based violence, ensuring there are adequate resources to provide services to all victims, including Lesbian, Gay,

Bisexual, Transgender and Queer(LGBTQ+) persons.

SASOD also wants the new government to ensure that all police, probation officers, social workers, and child protection officers are trained on gender, sexual diversity and human rights, so they could be fully equipped to respond to instances of sexual and gender-based violence, as well as hate-motivated crimes.

According to SASOD, sexual and gender-based violence is a silent epidemic affecting LGBTQ+ Guyanese.

“Although the Domestic Violence Act is gender-neutral, persons in LGBTQ+ relationships are unlikely to seek out health, protective and judicial services provided by the state because of ignorance and insensitivities towards LGBTQ+ issues, and high levels of discrimination,” the group said.

The group also wants the new government to address its concerns as regards bullying of LGBTQ youth and those in the education sector to feel safe. The group also listed concerns relative to the public health sector including equal access to treatment and provision of targeted and specialized health services for communities which fear discrimination and stigma.

When asked by the Guyana Chronicle if the body is confident that the 15 items listed in its manifesto will be addressed by the new government, Simpson said he was optimistic about such an eventuality.

He said the group hopes to engage several political parties in the weeks leading up to the March 2, 2020 elections.

Simpson noted, however, that last month the body was left in the cold by a major political party. He said on January 24,2020, the body organized a meeting with the Opposition People’s Progressive Party (PPP) and the Bharrat Jagdeo-led party promised to attend the meeting. He said the party even dispatched party paraphernalia the day before the event but no one from the PPP showed up.

Simpson said a large gathering of SASOD members and associates turned up at the body’s Duncan Street office but to their disappointment the party’s members never showed up.

He said Jagdeo has promised to engage the body at a later date.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Wednesday February 5, 2020

Suriname reaffirms commitment to CARICOM THE Republic of Suriname has reaffirmed its commitment to the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) through a new ambassador who was accredited by the CARICOM Secretary-General on Wednesday, January 30, 2020.

The accreditation ceremony took place at the Georgetown, Guyana Headquarters of the CARICOM Secretariat. In accepting the Letter of Credence of Her Excellency Ms. Chairme Haakmat, CARICOM Secretary-General, Ambassador Irwin LaRocque, lauded the strides the Community is making through Suriname’s leadership in culture, gender, youth, and sport.

He told Ambassador Haakmat that her role will involve assisting in advancing the implementation of decisions of the organs of the Community, at the national level. He added that she will have an important role in the facilitation of national consultations on the successor of the 2019 CARICOM Strategic Plan, the “Results-Focused Community Strategic Plan 2020.” The CARICOM Secretariat is in the process of developing that plan.

As a new Ambassador of Suriname to CARICOM, the Secretary-General told Ms. Kaakmat

dates towards the youth, and will continue to support youth participation. “Within Suriname’s responsibility for Community Development and Cultural Cooperation, including culture, gender, youth and sport, youth participation and the investment in our youth is one of President Bouterse’ s personal goals. Suriname will continue to support youth participation at all levels

Suriname’s Ambassador to CARICOM, H.E. Ms. Chairme Haakmat, presents her Letter of Credence to CARICOM’s Secretary-General, Ambassador Irwin LaRocque

that she becomes a member of the CARICOM Committee of Ambassadors which is an important element in the governance structure of the Community. Secretary-General LaRocque said the Committee of Ambassador’s principal focus is advancing the integration process. He said it provides strategic advice and recommendations to the Community Council towards achieving that goal. He added that the committee also provides support and advice on the reform and restructuring of the CARICOM Secretariat, and

the wider Community construct.

“A significant part of your mandate is to engage and interact with the citizens of your country, to highlight and promote the objectives, work and benefits of the Community. This is an essential contribution to strengthening the CARICOM Identity and Spirit of Community,” the Secretary-General told the new ambassador.

Ms. Kaakmat said her country is committed to guard and to promote regional integration.

She said that Suriname is also committed to fulfilling the man-

Almost 300 Berbicians allocated house lots during CH&PA outreach

MINISTER within the Ministry of Communities with responsibility for Housing, Annette Ferguson, through the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) met with a number of residents throughout Region Six, East Berbice/Corentyne on Monday at State House in New Amsterdam, where approximately 300 house lots were allocated.

When this newspaper stopped in at 11:00hrs, there were over 500 people lined up with their applications in hand; others were seen coming through the gates as well. Minister Ferguson told the Guyana Chronicle that lots were allotted in the Fort Ordinance Housing Scheme, Williamsburg, Hampshire, Number 75 and Number 76 Villages respectively.

She continued that it was her intention to meet with each and every applicant to see what their concerns were and hopefully be able to address them on the spot, stressing that she did not want to see anyone leaving disappointed.

“As a caring government this is what I said to my team, I prefer to bring the services to the people and rather than the people coming to us. I know a lot of persons experience challenges and constraints to leave Region Six to head to Georgetown, whereas my team can come righthere in the region and meet with the people and address the issues.”

As such, the team worked from 08:00hrs to around 23:00hrs in order to address each and every resident who was present. The

Minister Annette Ferguson listens attentively to one of the persons who attended the outreach

house lots were distributed to applicants who had applied from the period 2010 or earlier, while new applicants were accepted.

The status of those from 2010 onwards was also looked at.

Prices for the lots were $200,000, $300,000 and $500,000 for lower, middle and high-income families respectively. This allocation takes the total within the last three months to over 600 house lots in East Berbice-Corentyne alone. Minister Ferguson and team had held a similar outreach in November 2019 in Corriverton, where another 300 plus lots were allocated.

Meanwhile, Patricia De Younge, 50, of Smithfield, New Amsterdam was very emotional as she said her life-long dream of owning a house is about to be

realised. She explained that since the age of 17 when she got married some 33 years ago, she has been renting and moving around with her family. Her application was sent in since 1999 and now that she finally got a house lot in the Fort Ordinance Housing Scheme, she can’t wait to start building and finally settle.

Annanza Fortune, a mother of two from New Amsterdam, was equally ecstatic as she was allocated her house lot at Fort Ordinance as well. “It is a blessed day, now I can finally fulfil one of my dreams of having my own house, a place that I can truly call home.

My kids will be able to have privacy in their rooms.. I am so happy I can’t stop smiling, God bless the minister and her team”.

of decision making.”

Highlighting Suriname’s efforts to strengthen relations with sister Member States, she noted cooperation with Antigua and Barbuda, and with Barbados in the agriculture sector.

She noted that Suriname will continue to work to achieve the ideals of the CARICOM Joint Enterprises. Suriname adopted this mechanism in 2012 for the

joint efforts of the CARICOM private sector to achieve more sustainable job opportunities in the Community. Suriname, she added, will continue to advocate at the international level for the need for adequate financing for climate change, in particular for high-forest/low-deforestation (HFLD), as mandated by the HFLD conference held in February last year.

16

EU observers deployed across country A TEAM of 14 European Union (EU) observers was deployed on Tuesday for long-term observation of Guyana’s General and Regional Elections.

At a briefing from the EU delegation on Tuesday, Deputy Chief Observer of the EU Election Observation Mission, Alexander Matus, told media operatives that a team of experienced observers was organised following an invitation from President David Granger.

The mission will be led

by Chief Observer, Urmas Paet, an Estonian politician and Member of the European Parliament from Estonia.

Paet is expected to officially launch the observation mission at a press conference on Thursday at the Marriott Hotel.

The observers deployed on Tuesday departed en route to their respective bases across Guyana for coverage of all 10 administrative regions. “All 14 long-term observers are

Chief Observer, Urmas Paet (Adrian Narine photos)

very experienced. They come from 13 different EU Member States and Norway. In the last three days, they received extensive training about the electoral, political, legal, media, security and logistics aspects of their work in the field,” Matus said.

Meanwhile, a core team of nine experts will be present in the country along with 20 short-term observers and possible diplomats accredited to the diplomatic missions of Guyana.

“There will be a core team of analysts based here in

Georgetown; we will have long-term observers who will be deployed for six weeks across the country and shortly before Election Day we’ll have also short term observers who will be deployed before, during and after Election Day,” Matus said.

The Deputy Chief Observer said that Guyanese can expect these officials to be the “eyes and ears” of the mission who will report periodically to the core team in Georgetown to help the EU observer team to make informed decisions about the electoral process.

The observer mission will also be having meetings with the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) and other elections stakeholders such as political parties, civil society organisations and religious authorities.

While the mission will not be reporting to GECOM, it will be making its stepby-step findings available to the public.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday February 5, 2020

Ballot papers due Thursday Ballot papers to be used at the upcoming General and Regional Elections are slated to arrive in the country on Thursday as the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) reports that preparations, in general, are “well-advanced”.

GECOM Commissioners, Charles Corbin and Sase Gunraj, who have been based in Canada to oversee the printing of the ballot papers, are expected to return on the same date.

Sensitive and non-sensitive materials are dispatched to the various districts prior to Election Day and sensitive materials including ballot boxes are checked, labelled and properly secured in respective containers. Chief Elections Officer (CEO), Keith Lowenfield told the media on Tuesday the Commission has engaged the police about their presence at various ballot stations.

Meanwhile, members of the Disciplined Forces are to cast their vote on February 21, 2020. The military are currently being trained in the electoral process and Commonwealth Senior Technical Adviser, Dr. Afari Gyan and Former Chief Elections Commissioner of India, Dr. Syed Zaidi are overseeing

the process.

Lowenfield also updated that there will be 2,352 polling stations inclusive of 131 private residences, of which 91 of the private residences are in Region Four, particularly on the East Coast corridor. Lowenfield commented: “As far as our arrangements go we are at a safe place.”

The Commission is also willing to make provisions for the visually impaired to utilise tactile templates but it is still working out a register of where these specific voters are located.

Speaking on GECOM’s preparedness, Commissioner Vincent Alexander said: “For all intents and

purposes, we’re on top of it…the persons whose names were moved around on the Registrar of Registrants and the voter’s list are being sent letters so that they know, and essentially those are persons who did transfers through the house-to-house registration. So, the house-tohouse has served a very critical purpose in ensuring that people who moved will now be able to vote in the place where they moved.” GECOM recently published the Official List of Electors (OLE) which is made up of 661,028 persons eligible voting in the March 2, General and Regional Elections.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, February 5, 2020

17

36 certified in ICT training in Region 2

Hinterland Capacity-Building Train-the-Trainers Programme Education Officer attached to the Ministry of Public Telecommunications, Valencia Wren, awarding a participant Participants of the (ICT) Participants receiving their certificate and gift

THIRTY-SIX residents from across Pomeroon-Supenaam (Region Two) are now certified after completing an Information Communication Technology (ICT) hinterland capacity-building train-the-trainers programme.

Participants of the initiative were drawn from various communities and include nurses, teachers, village councillors, and community workers, who all participated in seven days of intense lectures.

The lessons were led by Keshav Chowbay and Indrawattie Arti with the participants being divided into categories matching their ICT competence.

Education Officer attached to the Ministry of Public Telecommunications, Valencia Wren, said with the new skills, the graduates can now return to their communities and train villagers.

“I can tell you; they are very competent in HTML and building websites. Some of these participants never held a computer,” she explained.

Each participant also received a digital tablet, compliments of the telecommunications ministry.

The coalition government, through the ministry, has been pursuing its goal of establishing information technology hubs in every part of Guyana.

With Minister Catherine Hughes at its helm, thousands of Guyanese were able to benefit from the establishment of ICT Hubs and training programmes under this sector.

Over 175 ICT hubs were set up last year. (DPI)

D’Urban Backlands gets a taste of the Good Life

AFTER many years of neglect, residents of D’Urban Backlands are enjoying a taste of the good life, thanks to the intervention of the Coalition Government.

It was during a walkabout in the area by Minister of Public Telecommunications, Cathy Hughes, Director General of the Ministry of the Presidency, Joseph Harmon, and PNCR Councillor Shonelle Smith-Daniels in 2019, that an assessment of the needs of residents was made, and an effort was made to meet those needs.

But, according to Councillor Smith- Daniels, since the area had not been regularised, Government‘s intervention to provide decent living standards was limited.

One resident of the area, Kyle Solomon, told the Guyana Chronicle that some 3000 persons, inclusive of 3600 households, are the main beneficiaries of potable water, street lights, information communication and technology hubs as well as a play area for children and youths.

Solomon told Guyana Chronicle “that crime and criminal activities are a thing of the past, since 2015”.

Solomon, who has been living in the area for about five years, disclosed that plans are in the making to ensure that there is regularisation of the area, so that more amenities can be received.

Meanwhile, Councillor Smith-Daniels told Guyana Chronicle that plans are also in place for the main access road in the area to be rehabilitated which will make access by motor vehicles significantly easier, once the area is regularised.

18

Rubis accountant murder trial again aborted

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, February 5, 2020

─in the interest of justice

THE trial pertaining to the murder of Jason Cort, the Rubis accountant who was shot and killed by bandits at his Meadowbrook Gardens home in 2015, was on Tuesday aborted again by Justice

Brassington Reynolds at the Demerara High Court.

The trial had commenced against Stancy Rodney, 30; Linton Eastman, 33, and Clifton Gibson, 33, all of whom have pleaded not guilty to the

charge, which read that on June 17, 2015, at Meadowbrook Gardens, Georgetown, during the course of a robbery, they murdered Cort.

The Guyana Chronicle was made to understand that there

L-R: Clifton Gibson, Linton Eastman and Stancy Rodney

was a development in relation to the trial, which led to an inquiry. The judge, based on the inquiry, decided that the trial had to be aborted in the interest of justice.

Consequently, the three accused will have to face a new trial at the next sitting of the Demerara Assizes.

On January, 15, 2020, a similar path had to be taken

by Justice Reynolds when the matter was first called and a retrial was ordered.

On the day in question around 22:30hrs, Cort was shot to the chest when gunmen invaded his home before making off with his licensed firearm, mobile phone and Nintendo game.

Cort had just returned home from an outing with his girlfriend. She was also at home at the time of the incident but was unhurt. It was reported that the bandits took Cort’s li-

DEAD: Jason Cort

censed firearm, cellphone, gold band, chain, ring and an X-Box console.

One person from the community had indicated that after hearing the loud explosion and looking outside, they observed persons scaling the fence of Cort’s home and fleeing up the road.

Friendship man bailed for dangerous driving, other charges FOUR months after 26-year-old Bunata Sugrim was struck down and killed by a motorcar while standing in front of a gas station at Friendship, East Bank Demerara (EBD), a 65-year-old man was on Tuesday arraigned at the Providence Magistrates’ Court.

Desmond Chester of Friendship Squatting Area, EBD, appeared before Principal Magistrate Judy Latchman and pleaded not guilty to three charges.

The first charge alleges that Chester on October 5, 2019, at Friendship, EBD, drove motor car PMM 637 in a dangerous manner to the public which resulted in Sugrim’s death.

He was also charged for failure to stop after the accident and failure to render assistance.

Magistrate Latchman released Chester on $1M bail for the first charge and a total of $40,000 on the two latter charges. He will return to court on February 17, 2020 According to reports, on the day in question Sugrim was standing in front of a gas station along the Friendship Public Road, EBD, when she was struck by motor car PMM 637, which was being driven by Chester.

It is alleged that at the time Chester was speeding south along the said public road and tried to overtake another vehicle but ended up colliding with Sugrim, who was standing at the side of the road.

As a result of the impact, Sugrim was flung several feet away and then landed on the parapet. Chester attempted to flee the scene but collided with two other cars.

Sugrim was picked up in an unconscious state and was rushed to the hospital, where she was pronounced dead upon arrival.

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Wednesday February 5, 2020

19

WHO praises China’s effective control measures, calls for world preparedness, not panic

GENEVA, Feb. 4 (Xinhua) -- World Health Organization (WHO) on Monday spoke highly of China’s effective control measures to combat the novel coronavirus outbreak, and called on all countries to invest in preparedness, not panic to manage the epidemic.

Addressing the 146th session of the WHO Executive Board meeting that kicked off here on Monday, Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said China “take serious measures at the epicenter, at the source,” which not only protected Chinese people, but also prevented the spread of the virus to other countries.

“Because of this strategy, if it weren’t for China’s efforts, the number of cases outside China would have been very much higher,” he said.

Outside China, he said there are 146 confirmed cases in 23 countries. “It’s actually small, and it’s coming only slow ... So it can be managed,” Tedros said.

Tedros called on all countries to implement decisions that are evidence-based and consistent, and said that the vital importance for all countries is to invest in preparedness, not panic.

WHO has made recom-

Aerial photo taken on Feb. 2, 2020 shows the Huoshenshan (Fire God Mountain) Hospital in Wuhan, central China’s Hubei Province. China has built a makeshift hospital in 10 days to battle against the novel strain of coronavirus in Wuhan, the epicenter of the virus outbreak in central China’s Hubei Province.(Xinhua/Xiao Yijiu)

mendations that there is no reason for measures that unnecessarily interfere with international travel and trade, and all countries must support countries with weaker health systems, as well as accelerate the development of vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics.

WHO also said that the world should combat the

spread of rumours and misinformation, review preparedness plans, identify gaps and evaluate the resources needed to identify, isolate and care for cases, and prevent transmission.

The organization called on all countries to share data, sequences, knowledge and experience with WHO and

the world.

Tedros said WHO stands ready to provide advice to any country that is considering which measures to take, and called on all countries to work together in a spirit of solidarity and cooperation.

“We are all in this together, and we can only stop it together,” Tedros said.

At the WHO executive board meeting, countries spoke highly of China’s epidemic prevention work and its contribution to global public health. On behalf of African countries, the Tanzanian delegate expressed their sincere sympathy to the Chinese government and people, thanked the Chinese govern-

ment for taking strong measures to control the outbreak quickly, and emphasized that thanks to China’s great effort and sacrifice, Africa has so far no confirmed cases. He said that the next step for African countries is to continue to strengthen prevention measures, hopefully with the support from the WHO and China.

The German delegate appreciated for China having acted quickly against the epidemic, being open and transparent, sharing information in a timely manner and working closely with the WHO. The Swiss delegate said that China’s prevention, control and treatment measures are exemplary, and that it is willing to work with the Chinese people to win the fight against the outbreak.

Britain, Australia, Japan, Brazil, Singapore, Israel, Chile, Sri Lanka, the Netherlands, Spain, Myanmar, Egypt, Norway, Indonesia, Canada, Denmark, Thailand, Sweden, Montenegro, and Bangladesh have all appreciated highly of the measures taken by the Chinese government, calling on the international community to strengthen cooperation and work together to overcome the disease.

Spread of prejudice harms anti-coronavirus efforts BEIJING, Feb. 3 (Xinhua) -- The novel coronavirus outbreak has put the world on alert. While many in the international community are joining China to battle the epidemic, prejudice and discrimination are playing a shameful role that could discourage the very collective campaign.

Given the high stakes of safeguarding the health of humanity, there is no better option than concerted global efforts in the fight against the outbreak. Prejudice and discrimination only create barriers that impede success.

History has shown that prejudice and bigotry are a recurrent symptom in disease outbreaks. During the spread of swine flu in 2009, Latinos were widely targeted. So were people of African origin

Medical workers gesture to each other through the window in Zhangzhou Municipal Hospital in Zhangzhou, southeast China’s Fujian Province, Feb. 2, 2020. (Photo

by Xiao Heyong/Xinhua)

during the outbreak of the Ebola crisis in 2014.

The danger of prejudice and unwarranted fear mongering is not just driving a wedge between different groups of people. It can also

make the sick reluctant to seek out medical care.

As said by Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong at an event on Saturday, the virus never respects nationality or race and the

coronavirus situation should be seen as a public health issue instead of a racial or international diplomatic problem.

Though the novel coronavirus had infected over 17,000 people and killed more than 360 as of Monday morning, the staggering majority of the cases are confined in China because of its prevention and containment measures.

When declaring the novel coronavirus outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern on Thursday, World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stressed that the WHO disfavors or even opposes imposing travel or trade restrictions on China.

However, some U.S. pol-

iticians have chosen to shut their ears to WHO’s advice of taking “measured and evidence-based response.”

Instead, they have ordered a ban on the entry of foreign nationals who have travelled in China in the past 14 days, and warned against “all travel to China.”

What is more jaw-dropping is that U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross blatantly claimed that the novel coronavirus outbreak could bode well for the U.S. job market.

Those U.S. moves, which go against the WHO’s recommendations, have set an unfavorable example that might distract resources from the anti-empidemic battle and embolden others to choose isolation when cooperation is badly needed.

Fortunately, in contrast with Ross and others, the vast majority of countries and their people have offered a helping hand to China to jointly deal with the formidable challenge facing the whole world.

In the era of globalization, the attempt to insulate a country from a danger confronting all humanity is doomed to failure, and risks instigating prejudice and racism at home by unwarrantedly exaggerating the danger.

As the fight against the epidemic is still raging on, a consensus should be reached that like patients infected with the virus, those bearing prejudice and racism will eventually be quarantined.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, February 5, 2020

Guyana’s oil success attracting upstream companies to Region Trinidad and Tobago’s Prime Minister, Dr. Keith Rowley, makes remarks at the Energy Chamber of Trinidad and Tobago Energy Conference and Trade Show 2020 (Government of TT photo)

DUE to Guyana’s many successes in the oil and gas sector, the Caribbean Region is generating greater attention from a number of upstream companies.

Hoping to benefit from this, Trinidad and Tobago is seeking to extend its maritime jurisdiction in close proximity to the Guyana-Suriname Basin. These were the sentiments shared by Trinidad and Tobago’s Prime Minister, Dr. Keith Rowley, at the Energy Chamber of Trinidad and Tobago Energy Conference and Trade Show 2020 on Monday.

The country’s leader said that, spurred on by Guyana’s success, there is now exploration activity along the length and breadth of the Caribbean with the most recent success seen off the coast of Suriname. He told the audience at the Hyatt Hotel: “Exploration successes for oil and gas particularly in Guyana have radically changed the perception of the Region. The Region, with justification, is now being heralded as the next major oil and gas province. This has generated unprecedented interest by upstream companies. Guyana has been the main recipient of investment in exploration and development by these companies.”

Announcing its 16th oil find on January 27, 2020, U.S oil giant, ExxonMobil, increased its resource estimate for the Stabroek Block to over eight billion oil-equivalent barrels. Meanwhile, Dr. Rowley pointed out that the US Geological Survey ranks the Guyana-Suriname Basin as second in the world for prospectively among the world’s unexplored basins and twelfth for oil among all the world’s basins – explored and unexplored.

He stated that other Caribbean countries, such as Barbados, are seeking to capitalise on the interest shown by the investing energy companies.

Barbados granted licences to the Australian multinational conglomerate, BHP, to explore off its South-East Coast and to Repsol to explore to the Northwest of the island. The Prime Minster also pointed out that Tullow and its partners continue to prospect on a “huge block” to the South of Jamaica on the Pedro Banks, while the Bahamas Petroleum Company (BPC) is conducting exploration to the South-West of Andros Island.

Reports indicate that Global Petroleum Group has found some gas close to Grenada’s maritime border with Venezuela. With regards Trinidad and Tobago, Dr. Rowley said

that once maritime matters are settled with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, the country hopes to benefit from the successes of the Region.

“Trinidad and Tobago is poised to participate in the exploitation of hydrocarbon in the marine areas off the Guyanas. Our claim to the United Nations Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf is expected to be presented this year and if successful, would extend our maritime jurisdiction seawards to areas in close proximity to the Guyana-Suriname Basin,” Rowley stated.

The country, which has a long history in the industry, has also pledged to assist the new entrants such as Guyana, Grenada, Barbados, Jamaica and the Bahamas with the development of their petroleum sectors. The Prime Minster noted the Memoranda of Co-operation signed with Guyana, Grenada and Barbados for provision of technical assistance as well as preliminary discussions on the development of unitisation agreements with Grenada and Barbados.

“Trinidad and Tobago, by virtue of its location, has an opportunity to provide logistical and offshore support to operators in the emerging Caribbean Oil and Gas economies. This will require the expansion of our marine infrastructure on our South East Coast,” Rowley stated. “Active consideration is being given to the expansion of the Galeota Port to meet the demand for services that will be generated by exploration in new marine blocks on the South East and East Coasts of Trinidad and Tobago and in offshore oil and gas developments in the Guyanas and other Caribbean countries.”

Although Trinidad and Tobago is a well-recognised exporter of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), the island has experienced a decline in natural gas production since 2014, even as its energy sector accounts for around 34.9 per cent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

According to their Ministry of Energy and Energy Industries, for over 100 years the country has undertaken considerable oil and gas exploration activity on land and in shallow water with cumulative production totalling over three billion barrels of oil. Meanwhile, Guyana’s estimates in just the Stabroek Block, thus far, have been pegged at over eight billion barrels of oil with discoveries in other oil blocks as well.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Wednesday February 5, 2020

I can win Tokyo Gold...

From Page 33

Fraser-Pryce beat Dina Asher-Smith by 0.12 seconds in the 100m final in Doha in September.

that I want to achieve and I’m going to soldier on and I’m definitely looking forward to making it to my fourth Olympic Games.”

Fraser-Pryce won 100m gold at Beijing 2008 and London 2012, before taking bronze behind compatriot Elaine Thompson and American Tori Bowie at Rio 2016.

She also confirmed that she intends to double up by competing in the 200m, the event in which 24-year-old Briton Dina Asher-Smith won gold in Doha.

“The plan last year was to do the double, and my coach decided he didn’t want me doing

the double, considering I just came back off a break,” added Fraser-Pryce, who is a nominee for the Laureus World Sportswomanof-the-Year Award on February 17.

“So, this year we are attempting to do the 100 and the 200, and my programme has been geared towards that.”

Fraser-Pryce began training ten weeks after Zyon’s birth in 2017, but had to run with a special band stabilising her stomach following a caesarean section.

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER (Wednesday February 5, 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) Brian Lara-25 matches (2) Sanath Jayasuriya-30 matches Today’s Quiz: (1) Who has taken most ODI wickets for the WI against SL to date?

(2) Who has taken most ODI wickets for SL against the WI to date?

Answers in tomorrow’s issue 09:45 hrs Archie Brown 10:15 hrs Paint The Dream

American Racing Tips

09:35 hrs Hardfallingrain

Gulfstream Park

10:05 hrs Fade To Black

Race 1 Call Curt

10:40 hrs Fortified

Race 2 Road To Peace

10:45 hrs Getaway Totherock 11:15 hrs Molineaux 11:45 hrs Gelboe De Chanay 12:15 hrs Dieu Vivant

Race 3 Palace Two Step

English Racing Tips

12:45 hrs Not A Nail

Race 4 Fancified

Southwell

Wolverhampton

Race 5 Justcallmenorman

09:30 hrs Mulzim

13:05 hrs Political Policy

Race 6 Propensity

10:30 hrs Jem Scuttle

13:40 hrs Never Dark

Race 7 Isadorable Aida

11:00 hrs Lion Tower

14:10 hrs Knockabout Queen

11:30 hrs Mosakhar

14:40 hrs Deleyll

South Africa Racing Tips

12:00 hrs Jan Van Hoof

Scottsville

12:30 hrs Arabian King

15:10 hrs Reeves

Ludlow

16:10 hrs Grace Plunkett

08:25 hrs Linnger Longer 09:00 hrs Slievanorra

15:40 hrs Red Jasper

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday February 5, 2020

India U-19 thump Pakistan (ESPNCRICINFO) - HAVING been deflated with a collapse of 6 for 26, Pakistan Under-19 could pose no challenge to the India Under-19 who dominated the first U-19 semi-final The opening pair of Yashasvi Jaiswal and Divyaansh Saxena shared an unbeaten stand of 176 to lead the defending champions to a thumping ten-wicket win in Potchefstroom.

India’s victory took them to their third straight final and closer to a fifth Under-19 World Cup title. They will play the winner of New Zealand and Bangladesh in the final on February 9.

Jaiswal reached his first hundred in the tournament with a six to seal India’s win while Saxena remained unbeaten on 59.

Pakistan, who opted to bat, seemed on course for a respectable total as their opener

Haider Ali and captain Rohail Nazir put on a half-century stand for the third wicket.

The duo helped Pakistan recover from 34 for 2 in the ninth over, but Haider fell soon after reaching his fifty while trying to cut part-timer Jaiswal.

At 96 for 3 in the 26th over, Haider’s wicket pegged Pakistan’s progress significantly, as Nazir saw four more wickets fall in front of him.

India’s two quicks Sushant Mishra and Kartik Tyagi did most of the damage sharing five wickets between them - while leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi finished with two from his 10 overs.

Pakistan’s collapse began in the 35th over, with the score at 146 for 4, and it took a spectacular effort from Saxena at deep square leg to trigger the slide.

Mohammad Haris’ sweep off left-arm

spinner Atharva Ankolekar seemed destined for a one-bounce four, but Saxena ran across and dived full length to complete the catch just inches from the ground.

That effort pushed the other India players to raise their game, and Tyagi delivered a yorker three overs later to bowl Irfan Khan.

Only five balls later, Bishnoi trapped Abbas Afridi lbw with a contentious decision as Pakistan slumped to 163 for 7.

Nazir was dismissed for 62 three overs later and by the 44th over they were bowled out for 172.

India’s chase started with caution, with Saxena and Jaiswal scoring at under four per over for the first 15 overs.

They played out the new ball under overcast conditions with a strong crosswind blowing across the ground, offering no

Trophy Stall Men’s Doubles final set for this evening

chance for Pakistan to come back into the game via an early wicket.

After Jaiswal got his fifty off 66 balls in the 22nd over, he started using his feet against the spinners to hit over long-on or pull the pacers behind square.

Saxena stroked the ball along the ground for most of his innings, letting Jaiswal be the aggressor.

Saxena reached his fifty in the 30th over by driving to deep cover off 83 balls and the asking rate had now come down to two runs per over.

Saxena hit six fours while Jaiswal struck eight fours and four sixes, including one that brought up his hundred and India’s victory.

After sealing the chase, Jaiswal raised both arms in the air, looked upwards and kissed the chain around his neck.

Ronald Murray and Fiona Bushell are the Trophy Stall Mixed Doubles champions. (Photo compliments of GTA)

THE Men’s Doubles final of the ongoing Trophy Stall Tennis competition is scheduled for this evening at the Le Resouvenir Tennis Court on the East Coast of Demerara, between Leyland Leacock/Jordan Beaton against Andre Lopes/Sandeep Chand.

Both pairs claimed crushing victories in the semi-finals of the competition last weekend.

Leacock and top junior Beaton eased past the pair of 16-year-olds Joshua Kalekyezi and Viraj Sharma 6-2, 6-1. In the other semis, Lopes and Chand were able to get past Javed Khan and Kevin Mattai by a similar 6-2, 6-1 margin.

Kalekeyzi and Sharma reached the semis after disposing of David Longe and Rafael Nunez 6-3, 6-3 in the quarterfinal.

Khan and Mattai had defeated the father

and son pair of Surendra Khayyam and Adesh Khayyam 6-1, 6-1.

MIXED DOUBLES FINAL Meanwhile, Ronald Murray and Fiona Bushell were able to see off the challenge from renowned squash players Nicolette Fernandes and Kristian Jeffrey in the Mixed Doubles final.

According to information from the Guyana Tennis Association, the squash pair played with lots of energy, but they could not match the “big serving and superior net-play of their opponents” on Sunday afternoon.

The game ended 6-3, 6-1.

The win was the second for Murray in the space of two days after he had won the men’s Over-35 Doubles title with Leacock on Friday.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Wednesday February 5, 2020

a c i r f A h Sout d n a l g n E l l o r m stea

(ESPNCRICINFO) - Is this a new South Africa? Regardless of how this series ends or the eventual outcome of the hosts’ substantial rebuilding project, the answer, today, was yes.

Led by newly appointed captain Quinton de Kock and a resurgent Temba Bavuma, South Africa recorded the highest successful ODI chase at Newlands to claim a memorable victory. de Kock and Bavuma put on a 173-run stand which blew South Africa’s previous best second-wicket partnership against England away and delivered a huge confidence boost after a disappointing World Cup and, more recently, a 3-1 Test series defeat to England.

South Africa lost opener Reeza Hendricks cheaply, but not until the seventh over as he and de Kock made a controlled start.

Bavuma joined de Kock with their side 25 for 1 and the pair played with poise and sense, never letting the required run rate out of site, running well between the wickets and not succumbing to any rash shot-making of the kind that drew criticism towards de Kock during the Test series.

Bavuma, who forced his way back into the Test side for the fourth and final match at Johannesburg with some scintillating form on the domestic circuit, fell two runs shy of a second ODI century in just his third appearance. de Kock’s 107 off 113 balls oozed com-

posure but was not without excitement, like the massive six off Tom Curran that landed on top of the sightscreen and stayed there, or the four thumped off the back foot through midwicket to bring up his 5 000th ODI run.

Then there were consecutive fours through the covers to bring up his 15th one-day century.

It was only when Joe Root re-entered the attack in the 36th over that de Kock fell, bowled as he missed an attempted slogsweep.

Rassie van der Dussen, who made his Test debut against England in December and finished as the fifth-highest run-scorer of the series - and South Africa’s second-highest behind de Kock - entered with his side needing 61 off 89 balls.

Even when Bavuma was trapped lbw by Chris Jordan, ending a wonderful knock on 98 off 103 balls, there was no sense of panic and van der Dussen and Jon-Jon Smuts guided South Africa to the target with 14 balls to spare.

World Champions England doled out caps at opposite ends of the spectrum, handing debuts to Tom Banton and Matt Parkinson and marking Chris Woakes’ 100th ODI. But it was their team-mate with a curious mix of age and ODI inexperience, Joe Denly, who played the innings England needed after falling to 83 for 4 and then 131 for 6 as they battled the spin of Tabraiz Shamsi.

I can win Tokyo Gold - Fraser-Pryce (BBC) - FOUR-time 100m world champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce says she believes she can keep the younger generation at bay to win Olympic gold in Tokyo.

The 33-year-old became the oldest women to win a world

or Olympic 100m title with victory in Doha in September.

She only came back to competition early last year after spending two years away from the sport to have her son Zyon.

“I definitely believe it’s possible, considering the year I had and

the room to improve,” the Jamaican said.

“There are things that I do personally that I missed out on and have gone light on.

“That time out actually gave me the time to just mentally refocus on the goals

Turn to Page 31

Temba Bavuma and Quinton de Kock were fluent in their partnership. (AFP/Getty Images)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday February 5, 2020

Hope for Hetmyer!

(CMC) – Left-handers Shimron Hetmyer and Evin Lewis could find themselves in with a chance of redemption shortly, after failed fitness assessments ruled them out of this month’s one-day tour of Sri Lanka.

Cricket West Indies (CWI) chief executive, Johnny Grave, revealed Monday that fitness assessments were conducted on a biannual basis with the next one scheduled for June, but players who failed assessments could also be re-appraised.

“In our strength and conditioning policy, they’re tested twice every year. Obviously, players will be re-tested if they fail,” Grave told

the Newsday publication here.

“The next testing is due in June. Players have to be at a minimum standard in order to be considered for selection.”

In announcing the 15-man squad for the Sri Lanka series, on Monday, chief selector Roger Harper said both Hetmyer and Lewis had “come up short in the fitness test”.

He added: “Hetmyer appeared to be getting his act together and was an integral part of the team’s batting group.”

If Hetmyer was forced to wait until June for the second fitness assessment, he would almost certainly miss out on West Indies’

three-Test tour of England, June 4-29.

The 23-year-old has been a fixture in the Test squad ever since making his debut two-and-a-half years ago, playing 16 matches and hitting five half-centuries.

Both he and Lewis featured in the Ireland series last month with contrasting success but then failed fitness tests conducted last week by Windies men’s team strength and conditioning coach, Ronald Rogers and CWI’s sports science and medicine manager Dr Oba Gulston.

Lewis emerged as Man-of-theSeries following the Ireland ODIs but Hetmyer was dropped after failing in the two opening matches

in Bridgetown, though he retained his spot for the three T20 Internationals which followed.

And with West Indies set to undertake a hectic itinerary this year – including the T20 World Cup in October – both players will be under pressure to prove their fitness under the new minimum requirements.

Grave said the fitness assessments were a critical component of the selection process and stressed the importance of players meeting the required standards.

“The fitness tests do two things.

One, they make sure that you fit the minimum standards required for selection. The other one is

every player has a personal target to hit,” the Englishman explained.

“If you miss your personal target, you can be fined two weeks’ wages. So, there are two elements to the fitness tests.

“In terms of injuries, players will conduct what is called a return-to-play policy. So, the medical screenings are for players who are carrying injuries (separately).”

As such, left-arm spinner Fabian Allen and left-handed batsman Nicholas Pooran – both of whom recovered from recent injuries to be included in the ODI squad to Sri Lanka – did not undergo the recent fitness assessments.

Edward ‘Screw’ Richmond Foundation recognises Linden academics

From left are Ms Sonja McKinnon of the Linden Chapter of the Edward Screw Richmond Foundation, students Taniya Spencer, Ravi Rayman, Jasmine Simpson and Kevin Dejonge.

THREE Linden students who were successful at last year’s National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) examinations were honoured by the Edward ‘Screw’ Richmond Foundation.

The organisation handed a monetary donation to the trio at the Kingdom Style Restaurant in Haynes Mall, Amelia’s Ward, last Saturday.

The Organising Secretary of the Linden Chapter of the Edward ‘Screw’ Richmond Foundation, Mr Kevin Dejonge said that while the sport of football was where Mr Richmond would have been highly re-

garded, being Linden’s first national player, the foundation was also mindful of the academic performances of the young residents in Linden.

He said that the students who all attend Queen’s College in Georgetown and were recognised are Jasmine Simpson aged 12 of 126 One Mile Wismar, Ravi Rayman 12 of 838 Redwood Crescent, Mackenzie and Taniya Spencer also aged 12, of 27 Danjou Alley Christianburg, Wismar, Linden.

Dejonge told them that the late Edward ‘Screw’ Richmond was an all-round athlete

who did well also in academics. Dejonge said, “The Screw Richmond organisation has decided to honour those three children, who were successful at the National Grade Six Assessment examinations or Common Entrance Examinations, and we are hoping what we are doing, would inspire them to grab these opportunities with both hands.”

Every year the Edward ‘Screw’ Richmond Foundation organises a Linden Under-18 Schools football championship in memory of the former top national footballer.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Wednesday February 5, 2020

Back-to-back R&R cycling meets billed for weekend … Cycling action will be sponsored by R&R International

THE 28th edition of the company’s sponsorship will feature both an 11-race circuit programme and a road race component.

The event, organised by National cycling coach, Hassan Mohamed will see the best in the country turn out to the inner cir-

cuit of the National Park for the 11-race programme on Saturday.

Romello Crawford is the reigning champion after finishing the 35-lap Schoolboys and Invitational feature race in one hour, 43 minutes 14 seconds. Also set to defend their title in the event are Sherwin

Sampson (Juveniles), Jaikaran Sukhai (Veterans U-50), Kennard Lovell (Veterans Over-50) and Jaheim Henry (BMX 12-14 years).

On Sunday, the riders will then head to West Demerara where they will pedal off at Schoonord from 08.00hrs

and head to Bushy Park, before returning to the starting point in pursuit of the checkered flag to complete the 40-mile journey.

Paul DeNobrega won last year’s Open category in one hour, 37 minutes, 15 seconds while Sampson won the Juve-

niles division, Hector Edwards Jr the Mountain Bike category and Alex Mendes the Veterans group.

Jacob Rambarran of R&R is expected witness the action and be on hand to help with the distribution of prizes.

Banks DIH recognises District 10’s dominance at ‘Nationals’ BEVERAGE giant Bank DIH has recognised the outstanding showing by Upper Demerara/ Kwakwani District 10 at the National Schools’ Athletics, Swimming, Cycling and Teachers championship, after they successfully captured their fifth successive, overall title last year at the Leonora Track and

Field Centre in West Demerara.

Taking time out last Friday when the annual Banks DIH Shareholders Meeting was taken to the Mining Town of Linden, District 10’s Sports Committee Chairperson Mrs Carmen Small received a plaque from Banks DIH Managing Director and

Chairman Clifford Reis during the meeting last Friday in Linden.

Small expressed thanks for the acknowledgment by the company and promised that District 10 will continue to perform at their best at these annual championships for schools across Guyana.

Mrs Carmen Small General Manager of District 10 receives the plaque from Banks DIH Chairman Clifford Reis

Bacchus secures GCB presidential role ACTING president of the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) Fizul Bacchus secured the role full-time, following Sunday’s 26th Annual General Meeting (AGM) Bacchus, current president of the Essequibo Cricket Board (ECB) led the GCB for close to two years before delegates threw their full support behind his permanent installation as head.

Recently elected Demerara Cricket Board (DCB) president and Bacchus’s predecessor, Drubahadur, makes a return to the executive role as he was named

vice-president of the GCB. Colin Europe returns as Chairman of Competitions Committee while long-serving secretary Anand Sanasie will also resume his duties.

Also returning to his post as Chairman of the Senior Selection Panel is West Indies Women’s Assistant coach, Rayon Griffith, with veteran selector Nazimul Drepaul overseeing the junior panel.

Bacchus confirmed that an executive meeting will be arranged soon in order to appoint committees, while Sanasie, the

longest-serving executive at the GCB, Vice President- Mr David Black Secretary- Mr Anand Sanasie added that the board is geared towards Asst. Secretary- Mr Anil Persaud securing more sponsorship going forward.

Treasurer - Mr Anand Kalladeen He welcomed the new executives addAsst. Treasurer- Mr Rahaman ‘Buddy’ ing that GCB plans to continue promoting the game and organising league cricket Khan Marketing Manager - Mr Lalta Gainda while looking to expand on the building PRO - Mr Andy Ramnarine of more practice facilities following the Competitions Committee Chairman unveiling of the two at Parika and Everest - Mr Colin Europe Cricket ground The Trustees are: Mr Lalta ‘Rishi’ GCB executive body Digamber, Ms Tamika Johnson President - Mr Fizul Bacchus The Auditors are PKF, Barcellos, Vice President - Mr Drubahadur Narine & Co.

Bacchus secures 35 GCB presidential role PAGE

Hope for Hetmyer!

Grave underscores way back into the team

Shimron Hetmyer of West Indies during a net session at Darren Sammy National Cricket Stadium on February 8, 2019 in Gros Islet, St Lucia. (Photo

by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images) PAGE

34 Fizul Bacchus secured the presidency of the Guyana Cricket Board full-time.

India U-19 thump Pakistan PAGE

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Yashasvi Jaiswal drills one through the off side. (Getty Images)

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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2020