Guyana_Chronicle_Epaper_02_13_2021

SATURDAY 13 th February, 2021

’ No. 106271

$383.1B Budget –– charts way for economic recovery, 03 outlines plans to sustain growth PAGE

Senior Minister in the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh

Budget measures * Old-age pension increased to $25,000 * Restoring of zero-rated status to basic food items and household necessities * Reduction of water tariffs by five per cent * Zero-rating certain construction materials * Increasing loan ceiling on low-income mortgage from $10M to $12M/$15M * Removal of VAT on data for residential and individual use * Removal of duty on ATVs for use in the hinterland * $15,000 “Because We Care” cash grant per child

Budget reflects 04 input of small parties PAGE

Leader of the Liberty and Justice Party (LJP), Lenox Shuman

* Increasing public assistance to $12,000

Economy to grow 20.9 per cent

PAGE

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, February 13, 2021

GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, February 13, 2021

$383.1B Budget

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–– charts way for economic recovery, outlines plans to sustain growth

By Navendra Seoraj

PROGRESS in the local economy over the next year will be driven mainly by the Government’s proposed $383.1 billion Budget 2021, which sets out a plan for recovery, outlines policies to catalyse rapid economic growth in the near and medium term, and lays the foundation needed to ensure that growth is not transitory but sustainable for the longer-term.

Budget 2021, the country’s largest budget, is the first full-year budget presented by the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) administration since being elected to office in August 2020.

It comes after the emergency budget of 2020, which was prepared under a compressed schedule, and arrived in the National Assembly well into the second half of the fiscal year, as a result of the protracted March 2, 2020 General and Regional Elections.

“That emergency budget delivered on this PPP/C Government’s promise to provide immediate protection and relief to the long-suffering people of Guyana, and breathe some life into the then moribund Guyanese economy,” Senior Minister in the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh said during his five-hour-long presentation to the National Assembly on Friday.

According to the senior minister, Budget 2021 seeks to firstly position Guyana to navigate the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic for as long as it is around.

The aim is to keep the population safe from the pandemic, containing further spread, treating those who are infected, providing vaccines as soon as they become available, and reopening the economy progressively, and then fully when it is safe to do so.

While protecting the nation is the primary objective, the budget is also aimed at ensuring that there’s a diversified and resilient productive sector by facilitating largescale private investment in both traditional and new and emerging sectors, creating 50,000 jobs in the next five years, and promoting entrepreneurship at the medium and small-business level.

Budget 2021 will also initiate investments in catalytic and transformative infrastructure, including energy infrastructure to ensure adequate supply at a competitive cost, and transport infrastructure to improve international connectivity, and unleash domestic production and productivity.

“We will be establishing world-class social services such as education and healthcare, so that these services are available to the domestic population, but also with a view to entering the international market for providing these services to a regional and global clientele.

“Attention will also be placed on improving the quality of public services, and creating a conducive environment for doing business and interacting with government, including by deploying technology-based solutions, as well as reducing bureaucracy

The budget also outlines measures which encourage sustainable progress and growth.

Among those measures is the restoration of zero-rated status on basic food items and household necessities.

“In fulfillment of another one of our Manifesto promises, we will restore to the zero-rated status all of the food items and other basic household necessities that were previously zero-rated at the time we demitted office in 2015.

These items include: Basic wheaten flour, basic breads, oats, unflavoured cracker biscuits, cooking oil, locally-produced bed sheets and pillowcases, toothbrushes, etc…,” Dr. Singh said.

Senior Minister in the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh and red tape,” Dr. Singh said.

All of this will be done with respect for the Constitution and the rule of law, maintaining good governance, safeguarding access to justice, and the preservation of a safe and secure environment for all Guyanese and visitors to Guyana.

ECONOMIC POWERHOUSE For the medium-term, the plan is to make Guyana an economic powerhouse, where every single Guyanese person can live, learn, work, and retire in dignity and comfort; where national prosperity is a reality, and where individual prosperity is a realistic prospect for all who are prepared to invest the required effort.

“The achievement of that objective requires a broad-based resilient productive sector, including vibrant industrial and manufacturing sectors, creating jobs for meaningful and rewarding employment.

“It also requires the cultivation of conditions conducive to the emergence of a dynamic entrepreneurial and small-business sector. Additionally, it requires an education sector that equips all of our people, including those seeking alternative pathways to work, with the skills that they need to play meaningful roles in the economy of today and of tomorrow,” Dr. Singh reasoned, noting that foremost amongst these will be technical and technology-based skills.

Finally, the minister said it requires all of the other prerequisites to improved quality of life being in place, including worldclass healthcare facilities and programmes to nurture the most vulnerable members of society, as well as facilities and programmes to encourage and promote the talents of young people.

REDUCTION IN WATER TARIFFS He also announced a five per cent reduction in water tariffs across the board, targeting consumers at all levels.

This, he said, will be supplemented by a reduction in the cost of construction and home ownership. The construction sector is a key sector and a contributor to economic development.

“Along with the significant developments that we will see taking place within the sector over the medium-term, the PPP/C Government has committed to providing 10,000 house lots annually. We have worked tirelessly to clear the backlog of applications, and to promote home ownership across the country, while providing access to financing, recognising how important home-ownership is to the economic empowerment of individuals and families,” the senior minister said.

To aid the achievement of this vision of home-ownership for all Guyanese, the Government is proposing to zero-rate the VAT for stone imported for construction and

housing from CARICOM, locally-produced pre-stressed concrete piles, locally fabricated mild steel beams for building construction, and locally-manufactured roofing and PVC products for building construction.

The Government has also announced an increase from $10 million to $12 million in the ceiling for low-income loans, a move which will make housing loans more affordable to borrowers within that range. The ceiling at the New Building Society will be increased to $15 million.

The Government, through Budget 2021, will also be removing VAT on data for residential and individual use.

To further reduce the cost of transportation for hinterland communities and operators, the Government will also remove the duty on ATVs for use in the hinterland.

As promised in Budget 2020, the Government will be introducing a cash grant of $15,000 per child to be given to the parents of children in the nursery, primary, and secondary schools in the public school system.

Also, as promised in Budget 2020, the Government will be increasing old age pension from $20,500 to $25,000 with effect from January 1, 2021. This will benefit over 60,000 persons, and put an additional $4 billion of disposable income in their hands.

“I now wish to announce that we will also be raising the Public Assistance payment from $9,000 to $12,000 monthly, benefiting over 13,000 persons, and providing an additional $500 million in disposable income to these individuals,” Dr. Singh said.

Budget 2021 outlines a set of policies, programmes and projects which will not only directly catalyse growth, but will also see billions of US dollars of private investment realised across several sectors of the economy.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, February 13, 2021

Small parties happy to see input reflected in budget –– ANUG keen on ensuring transparency and accountability

By Vishani Ragobeer DEPUTY Speaker and Leader of the Liberty and Justice Party (LJP), Lenox Shuman said he was pleased that the issues raised and contributions proffered by the smaller political parties in Guyana are reflected in the 2021 National Budget, which was presented on Friday.

“The majority of the things that we contributed at the lunch (with President, Dr Irfaan Ali) made it into the budget, and I am very happy about that,” Shuman told the Guyana Chronicle on Friday, after the presentation of the National Budget.

Ahead of the presentation of the 2021 National Budget, several of the ‘smaller’ political parties, three of which have joined together and garnered a single seat in

parliament, were consulted

by President Dr. Irfaan Ali. “You are all stakeholders in this process, and as we have embarked on Budget 2021, I thought it necessary that at least we have a working lunch and examine some of your thoughts; some of what you see as priorities, so that we can have a discussion, so that we can consult, so that we can arrive at a programme in which all of Guyana feel as if they’re part of it,” the President told the parties when he met with them at State House in January.

Present at that engagement were representatives from A New and United Guyana (ANUG), Liberty and Justice Party (LJP), the Citizenship Initiative (TCI), the New Movement (TNM), United Republican Party (URP) and Change Guyana.

Saturday February 13, 2021 – 04:30hrs

Key concerns for Shuman, who represents part of the parliamentary opposition, were the provisions made for the development of Indigenous Peoples, including the revival of the Amerindian Titling Project.

As announced by the Senior Minister in the Office of the President with Responsibility for Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh, the long-delayed Amerindian Land Titling Project will be expedited through the budgetary allocation of $630M. On Friday, Shuman was unsure whether this amount would suffice to cover all the work needed to advance the land titling project but emphasised, “I hope that after that is expended, I hope that we’re going to see the replenishment of those funds to finish off the rest of the land titling.”

He was also pleased with the efforts geared at bridging the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) for hinterland and rural communities. These efforts include bolstering access to Internet connectivity, and enhancing the necessary in-

FLASHBACK! Members of the various smaller political parties engaging President Dr. Irfaan Ali, Senior Minister in the Office of the President with Responsibility for Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh and other Government ministers ahead of Budget 2021 (Office of the President photo) frastructure to allow access to the technology.

Shuman highlighted that the President was asked to pay keen attention on ensuring that Indigenous students are not “left behind”.

TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY Meanwhile, ANUG’s Kian Jabour highlighted that while he was pleased with the budget, it is ANUG’s role to ensure that there is transparency

and accountability in the expenditure of the funds.

“We are the opposition; the joinder seat, and what we’d like to see now is the money that has been allocated reaching everyone in the country,” Jabour said.

“A majority in Parliament allows the Government to have full control over these types of decisions, (but) what we as an opposition have to do now is ensure that transparency and accountability are key, and that this money reaches all corners of the country for all those that voted for and against.”

Importantly, the ANUG member expressed his displeasure that the main parliamentary opposition, the A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC) coalition, did not participate in the consultations.

“It is our job as the opposition to ensure that we are

participating in the process as much as we can, and we are ensuring that not only the people who have voted for the government benefit from this, but all people,” he stressed.

He also voiced his displeasure at the $2 billion bailout given to the Guyana Power and Light (GPL). During the budget presentation, Dr. Singh said the bailout was necessary because of the difficult financial situation that the last government left GPL in. He added that this government has recognised that the single biggest impediment to development is the absence of affordable and reliable energy.

“Those areas, I think, need to become more efficient, and I think there is a lot of leakage in those areas, and those structures need to be set up a little bit better,” Jabour said.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, February 13, 2021

Economy to grow 20.9 per cent –– with expansion expected in agriculture, mining, other key sectors

By Navendra Seoraj

RESILIENCE has been the hallmark of the local economy, as it has withstood the direct and indirect effects of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and the protracted March 2, 2020 General and Regional Elections, to record real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth of 43.5 per cent at the end of last year and still remain on course to grow another 20.9 per cent this year.

Guided by the Government’s proposed $383.1 billion Budget 2021, themed “a path to recovery, economic dynamism and resilience,” the economy will continue to navigate the pervasive pandemic and, at the same time, recover through prudent management of the productive sectors and the general economy.

Budget 2021 is Guyana’s largest budget ever, and it is financed with no new taxes.

It is $53.5 billion larger than Budget 2020 and $46 billion higher than the Central Government’s total expenditure for 2020.

Senior Minister in the Office of the President with responsibility for finance, Dr. Ashni Singh, in presenting the proposed budget to the National Assembly on Friday, said Guyana’s real GDP is projected to grow by 20.9 per cent, with the non-oil economy growing by 6.1 per cent, a significant reversal of the 7.3 per cent contraction in 2020.

“This is premised on the assumption that a reopening of the economy takes place with COVID-19 restrictions being gradually lifted and is, therefore, subject to significant downside risks,” Dr. Singh said during

his almost five-hour long presentation.

Members of the National Assembly, with the exception of the Opposition Parliamentarians who omitted themselves from the sitting, were told that the country’s economic progress, in addition to being premised on a re-opened economy, will be driven by expansions in various key sectors.

In 2021, the agriculture, forestry and fishing sectors are expected to expand by 5.6 per cent, driven by growth across all sub-sectors.

According to Dr. Singh, the restructuring of Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo), alongside the recapitalisation of sugar estates, will see improved production and productivity, not only in 2021, but over the medium term. As a result, in 2021, the sugar industry alone is projected to grow by 9.6 per cent.

Additionally, with new high yielding varieties, the rice growing industry is forecast to expand by 3.5 per cent in 2021.

The forestry, livestock, other crops and fishing industries are also expected to see improvements in 2021. These industries are projected to expand by 18.5 per cent, five per cent, five per cent, and 11.1 per cent respectively, driven by higher demand, and incentives provided for in Budget 2020.

Similar results are expected in the mining and quarrying sector, which is forecast to grow by 39.1 per cent in 2021, driven by growth across all industries, namely oil, gold, bauxite, and other mining and quarrying.

In the oil and gas sub-sector, Dr. Singh said, the daily rate of production for 2021 is expected to be just over

One of Guyana’s booming productive sectors, bauxite, in full operation (Adrian Narine photo)

109,000 barrels of oil per day. This sub-sector is projected to grow by 46.7 per cent in 2021.

RESUMPTION The gold mining sub-sector, which also suffered some setbacks in 2020, is expected to grow by 4.2 per cent in 2021, largely due to the resumption of operations at the one large-scale gold mine which had suffered a stoppage in 2020.

Also, in the area of mining, the bauxite sub-sector, which faced major interruptions in 2020, is expected to recover in 2021, and grow by 18.4 per cent. Similarly, the ‘other’ mining and quarrying sub-sector, which saw a significant contraction in 2020 as a result of lower demand, is projected to recover, and grow by 19.8 per cent in 2021, particularly with the anticipated scaling up of construction activities resulting in significant increases in the production of sand and stone.

Growth in the extractive sector will be supplemented by the anticipated performance of the manufacturing sector, which is projected to improve by 7.3 per cent in 2021, on account of anticipated growth in sugar, rice, and other manufacturing.

“With the resumption and expansion of public sector construction through the Public Sector Investment Programme (PSIP), alongside growth in private sector investment in key infrastructural projects, a 9.1 per cent growth rate is projected for this sector in 2021,” Dr. Singh said.

The services sector, supported by the reopening of the economy, is projected to record significant improvements in 2021.

An overall growth rate of five per cent is projected for this sector.

“This is largely driven by anticipated expansions in wholesale and retail trade, transportation and storage, and financial and insurance activities, which are projected to grow by 10 per cent, 9.9 per cent and 7 per cent, respectively,” Dr. Singh explained.

The anticipated recovery and growth of the economy were expected initially in 2020, but the Government recognised very quickly that infection levels were significantly higher than reported by the previous APNU+AFC administration, reflecting the low level of testing.

“As a result, this administration was forced to keep in place several emergency measures for much longer than anticipated, hampering the pace of recovery expected at that time,” Dr. Singh said.

Senior Minister in the Office of the President with responsibility for finance, Dr. Ashni Singh He went on to say: “Indeed, it has become evident that the shocks to our economy from the events of 2020 – both the pandemic and the protracted general and regional elections – were far more severe and far more lasting than we anticipated.

As a result, our real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2020 is estimated to have grown by 43.5 per cent, somewhat lower than previously expected. More strikingly, the non-oil economy is estimated to have contracted by 7.3 per cent.”

Despite what would have occurred last year, President, Dr. Irfaan Ali has said already that Guyana is on course to prosperity, with a diverse economy which is yet to reach its peak.

“Our economic prospects have never been brighter. Our collective feet are firmly placed on the first rungs of a ladder to prosperity that is clearly within our sight,” President, Dr. Irfaan Ali, said during his address to the nation on January 1, 2021.

The year 2021, according to the President, will be the springboard from which Guyana will leap into recovery, rebuilding the economy, enhancing the people’s health and lifting up the vulnerable groups in society.

“We must not remain a rich country of poor people,” the President affirmed, noting that the bounty of Guyana must be shared across the population.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, February 13, 2021

Working together for a better Guyana GUYANESE wake up today, post-Budget 2021, to the start of a new, exciting era for their nation, with President, Dr. Irfaan Ali, giving real teeth to the national motto of One People, One Nation, One Destiny, in his announcement of the One Guyana Commission, and with that credo now entrenched in the National Budget with projects, programmes and plans to develop every corner of the country, and to make sure every Guyanese benefit from the new future government is opening up, and that finds its function in the proposed commission, an initiative that the Head of State announced on Friday in his inaugural address to Parliament.

Despite a few naysayers, who voice their narrow-minded views seeking to stir up unhealthy divisive sentiments in sub-group segments of the society, this country is actually an outstanding shining light on the world stage for multiculturalism, national togetherness, tolerance of religious, political, ethnic, and different views and beliefs, and a great example of a multifaceted society functioning as one nation. In fact, Guyana is the only country in the world that recognises the main religious holidays of Christians, Hindus and Muslims as national holidays, an astonishing world record, which shows respect for the faith community across every strata of religious identity.

These characteristics of the Guyanese nation, the State would do well to highlight and emphasise, on the local scene so citizens are aware and conscious of the essence of their

outstanding national way of being, and on the international scene through the embassies and high commissions, to showcase Guyana as a multicultural example to the global village.

For example, Canada hypes its national identity as one of the world’s most multicultural country in the world, but any Guyanese who is familiar with the Canadian society would know that Guyana’s multiculturalism is second to none, with school children, for example, easily commingling and mixing with each other with easy tolerance and togetherness.

This country’s perceived ethnoracial differences show up only at elections time and this historical schism in the body politic appears to be the opposing camps of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPPC), and the People’s National Congress (PNC). Every third party promotes itself as bridging this perceived divide. However, instead of framing this schism as an ethnoracial problem, it might be fruitful to see it as actually one of the City of Georgetown and Region Four gravitating mostly to vote for the PNC, while the rest of Guyana, especially rural areas, vote for the PPP/C. While the PNC may indeed harbour some leaders who spout ethnoracial preferences, and whenever in government seems to show full favour towards its main support base, the party has officially rejected branding itself as a racist entity.

Guyanese embrace the PPP/C across all sections of the society as the most open, viable, welcoming and caring political entity in the country, with its governance benefiting Guyanese across the national spectrum.

These considerations become valuable as the One Guyana Commission takes form, even as the Ethnic Relations Commission exists to ensure conversations and rhetoric on the national stage do not inject, incite, or foster ethnoracial division, hatred towards any group, or ill sentiment towards any section of the Guyanese populace.

President Ali’s leadership of this government is proving to be ground-breaking, historic, and magnificently visionary. This idea of the One Guyana Commission is a brilliant concept, Mandelaistic in scope and goal, one that will do much to heal any divisive leakages within the Guyanese body politic.

The split in the 1950s of the PNC away from the original PPP still rankles the national soul today, and it is imperative that the PNC recognise its role in fostering a country of unity, co-operation, and reaching out to the society, rather than only look inward to see itself as representing only its core base.

In this vein, as Parliament gears up for Budget debates, it would be fruitful for the opposition to approach government’s national development plans and strategy with a sense of respect, seeking to understand the rationale that drives this ambitious, aggressive push for Guyana to become the best nation it could be in today’s world, to become a partner with the government - rather than an irrational opposition, for the good of the Guyanese people. The opposition leader would do well to recognise that the Coalition made enormous blunders in messing with the democratic fabric and imposing harsh socioeconomic conditions on

Guyanese, and that the PPP/C won elections freely and fairly, with the international community verifying the results. The opposition cannot want to treat Parliament with a cavalier attitude, discounting the hard work of this government, but must show magnanimity of heart, care for the development of the country, and genuine compassion for citizens. As the opposition in Parliament, these Members of Parliament form an important arm of the legislation branch of the State, and they would do the nation well to take their elected roles seriously, work hard and not merely play politics, or oppose State initiatives for the sake of opposing.

It is a different world today, especially with the global COVID pandemic impacting so much of the world.

Guyana, in the midst of this global crisis, is well-positioned to do well for its citizens this year and over the next five years, and government is shoring up the integrity of the foundation of the society with this alignment to the ideal of Guyanese as a nation of One People, One Nation, with one Destiny, making this belief not only a motto in rhetoric, but enshrining its operation as a substantial, tangible reality, with teeth and with the national commission making the promise to this nation of six peoples becoming one a national truth, of the nation’s multiple religions and ethnicity and cultures functioning as one, of different worldviews and viewpoints and cultures becoming one forward-looking Guyanese nation.

Guyana’s Connection to US Black History Dear Editor,

MARTIN Luther King Jr. delivered his last speech, “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop,” on April 3, 1968, at the Mason Temple in Memphis Tennessee. The following day, April 4, 1968 he was assassinated by James Earl Wray as he stood on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel.

But his role and achievements in the Civil Rights Movement may have been a lot shorter and less impactful, had it not been for a great team of surgeons and staff that saved his life 10 years earlier in New York City’s Harlem.

King, Leader of the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) who had gone to Memphis to support striking sanitation workers, made reference to the September 20, 1958 attack on his life while on a book tour and autographing copies of his first book at the Blumstein’s Department Store on 125th Street.

While signing, a mentally deranged black woman named Izola Ware Curry approached him and after asking if he was Martin Luther King, stabbed him in the chest with a seven-inch letter opener. The blade was lodged in his sternum just

millimeters away from his Aorta. King forgave his attacker and requested that she be treated for her illness. She spent the rest of her life in a mental institution.

As King told it in his speech, “I was rushed to Harlem Hospital. It was a dark Saturday afternoon. And that blade had gone through, and X-rays revealed that the tip of the blade was on the edge of the aorta, the main artery. And once that’s punctured, you are drowned in your blood--that is the end of you.” The doctors told him that if he had only sneezed he would have died.

“I want to say to you tonight that I too am happy that I didn’t sneeze. Because if I had sneezed I wouldn’t have been around here in 1960 --- in 1961----in 1962 ---- in 1963 ----. I am so happy I didn’t sneeze. --- I just want to do God’s will,” King told his audience.

At the hospital, saving Dr. King’s life fell into the hands of a surgical team led by the chief surgeon, Guyanese born Dr. Aubre de Lambert Maynard, and included Master Surgeon Dr. W. V. Cordice Jr. (African American) and Dr. Emil Naclerio (Italian American). They used a procedure developed by Dr. Maynard “a world authority on

the surgery of heart wounds, thoracic and abdominal, and the surgery of the esophagus” to remove the letter opener and saved Dr. King’s life.

In a statement on September 30, 1958 expressing his appreciation to the team for successfully performing the surgery that saved his life Dr. King wrote: “To Dr. Aubre Maynard and his associates and the splendid hospital staff, I am unable to say enough in expressing my appreciation.”

Dr. Maynard was born in Guyana on November 17, 1901 and migrated with his family to the United States in 1906 at age six. His first interest was engineering but was told that it would be extremely difficult to surmount the racial obstacles he was would encounter in that profession at the time.

He decided on medicine instead. Yet, although top in academic requirements, he was “counselled away” from the prestigious Ivy League Columbia University. He was told that white patients would not be comfortable being treated by a black doctor. He enrolled at New York University instead and graduated in 1926 and interned at Harlem Hospital which, in the early 1920s, was known as a place where people

go to die. According to a book written by Dr. Maynard, 75 per cent of the patients there were blacks, most of whom were arriving from the American South in what is known as the Great Migration, and migrants from the Caribbean.

Dr. Maynard worked to change Harlem Hospital’s reputation and in the process rose to the position of Surgeon-in-Chief and Director of Surgery (1952- 1967). He was appointed Special Lecturer and Clinical Professor of Surgery at Columbia University’s College of Physicians and Surgeons from 1962 -1967, the same Ivy League college from which he was “counselled away.” He authored numerous articles and a book, Surgeons to the Poor: The Harlem Hospital Story (1978) and was named Surgeon Specialist in the US Department of State in 1964. The surgical unit at Harlem’s Hospital today bears his name. He remained emeritus Director of Surgery from 1972 until his death in 1999.

Yours sincerely, Chaitram Aklu

GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, February 13, 2021

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It is time now for Granger to get rid of Harmon Dear Editor,

FOR months, former President, David Granger, refused to acknowledge the results of the 2nd March Elections while claiming that “as President of Guyana and leader of the government, it is my policy that any declaration which comes from the Chairman of GECOM would be recognised by the Coalition Government”. While Granger continued to repeat that pledge, he allowed his party agents, his party lawyers and his Attorney-General to move to every court to prevent the result of the recount establishing that the PPP/C had won the elections.

Granger continuously repeated the refrain that his government and his party would abide by the ruling of the courts but, all the while that Granger pledged his innocence of his party’s blatant, ugly and unforgivable attempt to rig the Statements of Poll for District Four by Clairmont Mingo, aided and abetted by Keith Lowenfield and Roxanne Myers, he had his chief lieutenant, Joseph Harmon, leading the charge to keep his government illegally in office.

It was Harmon who declared on Bobby Vieira’s

104.1Lite FM that “those persons who are calling for Mr. Granger to concede, that is not going to happen”.

At the time, in a television commentary I broadcast on TVG, Channel 28, I said that “These are men and women who are conniving, ruthless, ignorant and criminal in their intent. They do not care for the consequences of their action. They do not care for the rule of law.

They do not care what the courts rule or do not rule.

These are men and women who have decided to remain in power and dam the consequences. They care not what damage they do to Guyana.

They do not care and will not recognise that the majority of Guyanese have voted them out of power.”

Granger capitulated under the enormous pressure of international condemnation, overwhelming public opinion and the reality that Guyana’s military forces and police were fundamentally committed to democracy and would not back a coup.

Our former President has since disappeared from sight, but little else has changed.

He has left his party in the charge of those who “do not care for the rule of law, do not care what damage they do to Guyana”. He has appointed Joseph Harmon as

Leader of the Opposition to continue the fiction that his party had somehow won the election and that, according to Harmon, the PPP/C “are sitting in government on the basis of a flawed and a fraud system”.

Harmon was reacting to the insistence of Vice-President Jagdeo that those persons chiefly responsible for manipulating the District Four Statements of Poll, Lowenfield, Mingo and Myers must be removed from the Elections Commission before any further elections are held, a position embraced by every Guyanese determined to ensure that our elections results are protected from any further fraud and manipulations.

David Granger’s disappearance from sight and hiding from taking political responsibility for the leadership, attitude and behaviour of his party in opposition by assigning it to Harmon’s divisive and destructive leadership will do irreparable harm to the future of our country.

To make matters worse, Granger has left the Jones’, the Duncans’, the Pattersons’, those who have manifested a total absence of integrity and honesty in office, to be his chief spokes persons in opposition.

In complete contrast,

President Irfaan Ali, from the day he assumed office, has committed himself, his party and his government to the language and intent of “inclusion”. He pledged, in his first address to the National Assembly, his government to serve the people of Guyana “every one of them, regardless of race or creed”.

He had this to say about the expectations of all Guyanese: “They want us to be partners in serving the country, not adversaries in pulling it apart.

That is not to say that they did not expect us to disagree or that they did not anticipate that we would differ.

But they do not expect us to differ at their expenses or to disagree to their detriment…

To do so, calls for political maturity that puts, at all times, the national interest and the people’s welfare above all else.”

It is impossible to disagree with those sentiments coming from the leader of our country. It is reasonable, however, to expect the political opposition to challenge their sincerity, but not in the manner pursued by Harmon.

The APNU+AFC, between them, in all reality, the People’s National Congress,

of whom David Granger remains the leader, commands a significant portion of the country’s vote. They can use it for constructive or destructive purpose. They can use it in the National Assembly to voice their views, to influence the laws we pass and to hold the government accountable for their actions.

That is what democracy is all about.

That, however, is not what Mr. Harmon and the belligerent group around him represents nor where they are coming from.

Harmon has continuously embraced the language of confrontation. He has no intention of reaching across the aisle. He is persistent in calling the government illegal, but in the same breath, demands that the President recognise him as Leader of the Opposition. He prefers to keep his elected members in the street rather than in the Parliament where they properly belong.

Harmon and the group around him are wedded to the falsehood that APNU+AFC won the elections, are determined to mislead their party supporters to this end but, unwilling, because they are unable to provide any evidence, including the disclosure of the Statements of Poll in their own posses-

sion, to prove their contention.

The President, more than once, has “called for political maturity that puts, at all times, the national interest and the people’s welfare above all else” and has resorted to the words of Martin Carter that “all are involved; all are consumed”.

It is time for Granger to come out of hiding. It is time now for Granger to get rid of Harmon. It is time for Granger to let his party know, a party which I once supported, though in different times and in different circumstances, that it is time to come out of the shadows, face up to the reality that they are the legitimate majority opposition party, that it is possible and prudent to reach across the aisle and put President Ali’s commitment to inclusion to the test and hold him to the promise of giving meaning to his call for “one Guyana”, work with the government to reform and reorganise the Elections Commission and revisit the Constitution and, yes, when the time comes, contest the elections again.

Yours sincerely, Kit Nascimento

Rampersaud Sookhdeo clears the air Dear Editor, MY name is Rampersaud Sookhdeo. I live in La Jalousie and I want to make somethings clear. I’ve been following the news and I see that it has become an issue that I was granted two trawler licences to operate. I am a Guyanese. Why should one company have 20 and 30 licences and I can’t have two. That cannot be right.

If this is a government for the people, then everyone should be given a chance to make a livelihood.

I’ve been in the fisheries business for over 20 years. I made application for a licence about 20 years ago, seabob

licence. I was never granted one so I head away to Trinidad. I opened a company in Trinidad between 12 to 15 years ago and operated under the name Hassid Enterprise Limited. I normally employed Guyanese to work because of the way they work, they are more reliable. About two or three years ago, it became a problem getting Guyanese to work because the people in Trinidad realised I was only employing Guyanese. It was also becoming a bit costly.

With the COVID-19 pandemic, I decided to return to Guyana. I decided to ask for help from the Guyanese Government because I’m a Guyanese and I think the

government is here to help its citizens. I can’t have my investment in a country and its going down. Boats deteriorate so fast because of the salt air so if you park up your boat for about two years, you’d be lucky if you get something out of it. That is why I turn to the government for help and I got the help.

I made an application and I went thought the process. If I can go Trinidad and own a company, why can’t I own one in Guyana and I’m a Guyanese? What is the problem? I’ve been in the business for a long time and I’m very familiar with the industry because I owned and operated long liner boats,

Red Snapper cage boats and shrimp trawlers.

In Trinidad, it was challenging for me to operate as a Guyanese, so I partnered with an old friend on the business under the name Hassid Enterprise Limited.

If you speak with the actual trawler operators in Trinidad, they would be able to tell you about me and the years I’ve been operating there.

Now that I’ve been given the licence to operate, my goal is to employ persons to work. I’ll be able to hire more Guyanese than I could have in Trinidad. I want to get my business going so that I can continue to provide for my family. I would just like to be

given a fair chance.

I’m not a ghost and I deserve an equal opportunity to operate a business in my

home country.

Yours sincerely, Rampersaud Sookhdeo

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, February 13, 2021

10,000 house lots, 7,000 land titles to be distributed this year — housing budget doubled to $6B; $4B for GWI, $1.1B for solid waste management

By Tamica Garnett THE Government is aiming to allocate 10,000 house lots and distribute 7,000 land titles across the country in 2021, and to execute this objective, some $6 billion has been allocated to the Ministry of Housing for the further advance of infrastructure and utility works in new and existing housing areas.

Also, towards the development of sustainable communities, $4 billion has been allocated to the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) for development of water supply systems across the country, and another $1.1 billion has been allocated to look at solid waste management nationwide.

These measures were announced, among a host of others, on Friday, by Senior Minister with responsibility for finance, Dr. Ashni Singh, when he presented the 2021 national budget before the National Assembly.

Dr. Singh noted that the Government has seen need to revitalise the housing sector to redeem the sluggish housing drive that existed over the past five years under the previous APNU+AFC administration.

“The PPP/C has long pursued a policy of creating decent and affordable housing for all Guyanese. This drive slowed, and virtually came to a halt over the last five years. The model for housing development adopted then, proved to be inadequate, inappropriate and unattainable,” Dr. Singh declared during his presentation.

Further highlighting how the housing sector has been stymied, Dr. Singh explained

that just 7534 house lots were allocated during the APNU+AFC five years in office from 2015 – 2020, while in contrast 22,964 house lots had been allocated by the PPP/C in the five years immediately preceding 2015.

schemes during its previous tenure in Government.

“Where once stood barren waste lands, marginal agricultural lands and open underutilised pastures, now stand thriving, successful housing development

In 2020, the PPP/C Government successfully held the “Dream Realised” One Stop Shop initiative which resulted in the distribution of 413 land titles and 3,600 house lots for the period August to December

RESTORING VIBRANCY “In the housing sector, works are progressing apace to restore the lost vibrancy and vitality that once exemplified the sector. The PPP/C administration must now

President Dr. Irfaan Ali hands over title and transport during the government’s ‘Dream Realised Housing Drive 2020’ under which 413 land titles and 3,600 house lots were distributed from August to December 2020. The Government plans to allocate 10,000 house lots and distribute 7000 land titles across the country in 2021

“The slowdown in distribution of house lots under the previous administration was due to a lack of a clear vision and policy for the housing sector,” Dr. Singh commented.

During its campaign the PPP/C committed to making 50,000 house lots available across the country over the next five years, to complement Government’s previous legacy of the creation of a number of new housing

HOUSING

• $6 billion for further advance of

infrastructure, utility works in new and existing housing areas • $1.5 billion is allocated to continue with infrastructure works in the Sophia, Diamond and Parfaite Harmonie housing areas, as well as in Victoria • Government aiming to allocate 10,000 house lots and distribute 7000 land titles across the country in 2021 • Government to provide subsidies to low-income households • Government to construct 1,000

schemes – a fitting tribute to a visionary Government and a legacy to those who once only dreamt of such a reality,” Dr. Singh said.

AFFORDABLE HOME OWNERSHIP With the PPP/C now back in power, Dr. Singh said, the Government is looking to once again return focus to viable housing schemes, and making home ownership more affordable.

homes for low income earners and young professionals to improve the standard of living of all Guyanese • Single window approval system for construction permits to be implemented to reduce processing time from land allocation to construction WATER $4 billion allocated to procure equipment and improve and expand the water supply network systems across the country.

• $200 million has been allocated to

•

2020.

For 2021, the $6 billion marks a 100 per cent increase of the allocation to housing in the 2020 national budget, and will include initiatives such as drives to provide subsidies to low-income households and the construction of over 1,000 homes for low income earners and young professionals to improve the standard of living of all Guyanese.

re-focus Government’s attention by creating new housing stock and access to lands for housing development,” Dr. Singh commented.

Even as the Government focuses on creating new housing schemes, focus is also being placed on improving services in many existing communities. Some $1.5 billion has been allocated to continue infrastructure works in the Sophia, Diamond and Parfaite Harmonie

expand the Sophia, Eccles, Covent Garden, Grove, Friendship and Vergenoegen water treatment plants to benefit over 50,000 residents • $275 million, in 2021, for the procurement and installation of 20,000 water meters for Residential and Business Areas across the country.

• $100 million to procure electro-mechanical equipment for the rehabilitation of water production facilities.

• Upgrade of transmission mains between Church and Cummings Street, Cemetery Road to Mandela which will

housing areas, as well as in Victoria on the East Coast Demerara.

Some $200 million has been allocated to expand the Sophia, Eccles, Covent Garden, Grove, Friendship and Vergenoegen water treatment plants, measures which are expected to benefit over 50,000 residents.

Also towards the development of the water sector, some $275 million has been set aside for the procurement and installation of 20,000 water meters for residential and business areas across the country.

Another $100 million has been allotted for the procurement electro-mechanical equipment for the rehabilitation of water production facilities, while the aged transmission network in the city will be looked at.

Upgrades are expected of transmission mains from Church to Cummings Street, and from Cemetery Road to Mandela, which are expected to benefit over 35,000 residents. The Government is also placing emphasis on the growing solid waste created by the booming housing sector, and massive economy growth projected in the coming years.

“Government has budgeted $1.1 billion for this subsector and will undertake activities including the completion of the construction of Cell II at Haags Bosch Sanitary Landfill Site and the upgrading of disposal sites at Rose Hall, Port Kaituma, Belle Vue, Lethem, Lima, Charity, Lusignan and D’Edward.

We have also catered for the preparation of temporary locations for waste disposal in Regions 2, 3 and 5,” Dr. Singh informed.

benefit over 35,000 residents SOLID WASTE MANGEMENT • $1.1 billion for this subsector and will undertake activities including the completion of the construction of Cell II at Haags Bosch Sanitary Landfill Site and the upgrading of disposal sites at Rose Hall, Port Kaituma, Belle Vue, Lethem, Lima, Charity, Lusignan and D’Edward. We have also catered for the preparation of temporary locations for waste disposal in Regions 2, 3 and 5.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, February 13, 2021

Over $4.6B to enhance justice sector

By Richard Bhainie REAFFIRMING the government’s commitment to ensuring that all Guyanese are afforded access to and are protected by the justice system, the sum of $4.6 billion has been budgeted for advancing the country’s justice sector.

This was revealed by Senior Minister in the Office of the President with Responsibility for Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh, during presentation of the 2021 national budget at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre on Friday.

Highlighting the difficulties faced by many in accessing the courts, a sum of $1.2 billion has been allocated for the construction and equipping of new courtrooms, as well as living quarters

and supporting facilities at locations, including Port Kaituma, Mabaruma and Vigilance, Dr. Singh said; he also mentioned the construction of more courts along the East Bank corridor.

The implementation of new courts and upgrading of existing ones will reduce travel time and costs for citizens requiring the services of the courts.

Recognising the severe, adverse effects the backlog of cases within the courts poses to the justice system, the government intends to prioritise addressing this issue so ensure swift access to justice.

While referencing the ‘container courts’ that were implemented at the Lusignan Prison in December last year, which allowed

prisoners virtual hearings, Singh explained that the initiative will be rolled out at the Camp Street, Georgetown; New Amsterdam and Mazaruni Prisons.

The Chambers of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) will also be expanded to accommodate more prosecutors, as the limited space is currently a restriction on doing so.

“An additional 10 legal staff will be hired, which will allow the DPP to address a larger case load over a shorter period of time and address the current backlog,” Dr. Singh said.

Over $100 million is budgeted for the maintenance of infrastructure and buildings for the Supreme Court and Chambers of the DPP, which will serve to en-

Lindo’s body recovered in Linden’s Blue Lake THE body of Eusi Lindo, 25, was, on Friday, recovered in the Linden Blue Lake. Lindo and friends went to the lake during an outing on Thursday.

The body of the 10th Street, Cummings Lodge, East Coast Demerara (ECD) resident was reportedly discovered at the same location where he went missing, after encountering difficulties

when he entered the lake with his girlfriend.

His body was found by diver, Paul Vanhersal, at around 17:34h; Vanhersal was contracted by relatives to search for him.

Police said the body was examined by crime scene ranks and no marks of violence were seen on the most exposed parts.

The body was taken to

Dead: Eusi Lindo the Linden Hospital Complex, then to a funeral parlour where it is awaiting an autopsy.

The sum of $4.6 billion has been budgeted to advance the country’s justice sector (Adrian Narine Photo) sure that improved physical ing course at the University uphold the separation of powers between the facilities are made available. of Guyana, will unfold.

A sum of $325 million is In an attempt to mod- branches of the state, supearmarked for the strength- ernise the sector, the govern- port the continued reform ening of probation services ment will procure software of the legislative environand legal aid, while the ini- to better manage cases. The ment and improve the actiatives under the Criminal Law Reform Commission countability of the criminal justice system,” Dr. Singh Justice System programme, will also be established. such as the prosecutors train“We will continue to noted.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, February 13, 2021

Small, medium, and mega farms to come on stream

By Naomi Parris AGRICULTURE, being one of Guyana’s most important and productive sectors, will benefit from a $22.6 billion allocation for 2021.

This was revealed by Senior Minister in the office of the President with responsibility for Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh, during his presentation of the national budget on Monday.

The minister said that the allocation, geared at ensuring that the sector is able to discharge its envisaged role, will see government investing in opening new farm-to-market roads; the clearing and preparation of new lands; expanding the infrastructure in the intermediate savannahs; expanding drainage and irrigation networks to make new land available for small, medium, and mega farms; strengthening extension services through additional and

improved facilities; traceability and certification services to reduce existing trade barriers; research and development; and coordinating and facilitating private-sector participation in agriculture-based tourism.

To complement these initiatives, Dr. Singh explained that the government intends to build human-resource capacity to deliver the services required to drive growth

within the food-production sector.

“Government’s intention is that agriculture will be one of the major anchors of our non-oil economy, given its core role to assure food security, improve incomes and create jobs, generate export earnings and reduce food imports, and catalyse value-added production,” he said.

Dr. Singh believes that

Budget Allocations to Agriculture Sub-industries

•As such, the 2021 budget provides an allocation of $2 billion for critical capital works at GuySuCo •Guyana Rice development board Development Authority will now see about $1.3 billion •$1.2 billion is budgeted to support the operations of National Agricultural Research and Extension institute (NAREI) •$70 million to support Coconut industry $832 million for agricultural infrastructure •$293 million is being provided to New GMC •$806 million will be provided to the Guyana Livestock Development Authority •$293 for million Fisheries and Aquaculture sector •$500 million for Soya Bean and Corn production •$ 12 billion for Drainage and Irrigation

A vendor at the Stabroek Market (Delano Williams photo) these budget allocations will not only benefit farmers in their operations, but it will also improve the country’s food-security capacity, thereby propelling Guyana to take its rightful place as a leading agricultural hub within the Caribbean.

“With this holistic plan for agriculture, Guyana is well poised to claim its long outstanding position as the food basket of the Caribbean – supporting livelihoods and transforming not only our economy, but the Region,” the minister said.

He added that despite

all the challenges thrown at the country’s agriculture sector, its agencies, farmers, fishermen and other stakeholders have remained resilient in providing heartily for the local and regional markets during the pandemic.

Dr. Singh reminded the National Assembly that agriculture is one of the most important productive sectors of Guyana’s economy, accounting for approximately one-third of Guyana’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and 30 percent of the country’s employment.

He disclosed that at the

end-2020, agriculture accounted for 27.1 per cent of non-oil GDP and 21.3 per cent of non-oil exports.

“Agriculture will be one of the major anchors of our non-oil economy,” Dr. Singh highlighted, noting that it will be an ever-expanding sector that will enable Guyana to increase food security not only for its own people, but the entire Caribbean as well.

The sector is also poised to create and maintain thousands of employment opportunities throughout the country.

‘Con-man’ granted bail for humiliating home-owner on social media –– on top of trying to fleece her

A MAN who allegedly accused a woman of owing him money and humiliated her on social media, appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court on Friday, where he was granted bail in the sum of $50,000 by Magistrate Leron Daly.

Shawn Anthony Singh of Princess Street, Werk-en-rust denied that he on Friday, November 27, 2020 used a computer to disseminate information about Christine Gobin, knowing said information to be untrue, with intent to subject her to public ridicule and embarrassment.

According to the facts, Gobin and Singh are known to eaçh other due to an advertisement in the Guyana Chronicle newspaper saying that her Mon Repos, East Coast Demerara home was up for sale. During the period between Tuesday, December 4, 2018 and Tuesday, December 11, 2018, Gobin reportedly received a call from Singh enquiring about the sale of the house. During their conversation, Gobin allegedly agreed to Singh inspecting the house, and moments thereafter, he turned up with three

other males to see the house. Among the three males was one Mr. Hendricks, who indicated his interest in purchasing the house.

It was at this time that Singh took the opportunity to inform Gobin of an agreement he and Hendricks had, which was that he would be entitled to a certain percentage after the sale of the house.

A month later, this being in January 2019, Singh and four males went to Gobin’s house and after taking photographs of it, he started accusing her of owing him money.

On Friday, November 27, 2020, Singh made a post via Facebook, which included photographs of Gobin and her family members, and underneath them stated that Gobin had sold the house for $33M and he didn’t receive any payments, and that she’d also bribed the police.

As a result of Singh’s shenanigans, the matter was reported to the police, and Singh was contacted and told of the allegation, cautioned, arrested and charged.

The matter has been adjourned until Tuesday, March 2, 2021.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, February 13, 2021

Solar farms for Mahdia, Leguan

By Richard Bhainie

WITH the sustenance and preservation of the environment in mind, a diverse energy plan has been budgeted for in the 2021 budget.

The vision of the government is to develop and exploit a comprehensive energy mix that harnesses Guyana’s vast hydropower, solar, wind and biomass potential, Senior Minister in the Office of the President with Responsibility for Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh, highlighted during his budget presentation.

In that regard, a sum of $700 million has been budgeted for the installation of 10 mini-grids and four off-grid systems in 2021.

This will provide a total of 1.472 KW of installed

solar capacity, to generate 5,305 KWh of electricity.

The areas of Sebai, Iwokrama, Waramadong, Paruima, Kurukabaru, Annai, St. Monica, Karaburi, Capoey, Whyaka, and Loo Creek are slated to benefit from the initiative.

Additionally, solar farms will be installed at Mahdia and Leguan, and work will continue on solar farms at Bartica and Lethem.

In addition, the sum of $840 million has been budgeted for two mini-hydropower plants at Kumu and Moco-Moco, which will be tendered this year and construction will commence, along with the completion of the 150KW Kato hydro project.

The 165 MW Amaila Falls Hydropower Project

is also slated to become a reality under the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) administration.

This is in addition to the conceptualised 210 kilometre gas-to-shore pipeline, which will transport natural gas from offshore Guyana for the gas-topower project.

The gas-to-power project includes the establishment a power plant to generate up to 250MW of power, the establishment of an industrial park, including industries to support Guyana’s agricultural and manufacturing sectors and the creation of a local LPG plant to cater for domestic demand and export.

A sum of $2 billion was also budgeted to be invested in the Guyana Power and Light (GPL) Inc. to

promote loss reduction and improve the performance of its power-distribution networks.

Dr. Singh in his presentation noted that the PPP/C government has long recognised that the single biggest impediment to accelerated economic and social development is the absence of adequate, affordable, and reliable energy.

“Key challenges include dependence on aged fossil-fuel-based generation capability; inadequate generating capacity, resulting in supply shortfalls; a porous transmission and distribution network resulting in high technical losses, along with high levels of commercial losses,” he said.

A wind turbine at Corriverton, Berbice. (Adrian Narine Photo)

New Amsterdam woman fatally stabs abusive ‘boyfriend’ ANTHONY Giddings, better known as “Big head”, was fatally stabbed during the wee hours of the morning on Friday following an argument with his woman at Main and Pitt Streets, New Amsterdam.

Despite an early morning shower of rain, the blood stains were still in evidence on the township’s busy main thoroughfare, where he would oftentimes beg passersby for money to purchase food, or to support his drug addiction.

According to reports, the suspect, a 43-year-old woman, had often complained of being repeatedly abused by Giddings, with whom she shared an intimate relationship for over four years.

But while residents of the eastern half of Pitt Street acknowledged Giddings addiction, they said that it was he who was the abused party, and shared with the Guyana Chronicle a number of short videos of the suspect assaulting the deceased to support their claims.

Leon Boo Williams took to her facebook page to lament the Giddings’ passing, saying that regardless of his lifestyle he wasn’t a nuisance.

“He don’t pick problems; always gentle when he see a nice female, he got good words, and very helpful. Is since he hook up with she, is pure madness,” Williams concluded.

Word on the street, however, is that the acts of abuse would occur whenever Giddings drank alcohol or smoke “he li’l weed,” and that at one point the woman even suffered a broken arm during one of those assaults.

Reports are that it was just before 01:30 hours when the deceased asked the suspect to borrow her lighter so he could light a marijuana joint, and she refused, saying she didn’t have one. This was said to have caused Giddings to become annoyed, to the extent that an argument ensued, and he allegedly pulled a knife from his waist and threatened to stab her.

Word is that the woman ran out onto the roadway ostensibly to avoid a confrontation, and he must’ve followed her, as they began to fight in earnest right there in the middle of the road.

Reports are that it was during this scuffle that she allegedly took the knife away from Giddings and dealt him two

stabs in the chest. Eyewitnesses say that on seeing the blood, she fled the scene, running in the direction of the Central Police Station where

she made a report.

Thereafter, plainclothes and uniformed ranks reportedly rushed to the scene, and assisted in transporting Gid-

dings to the New Amsterdam Hospital, where he was seen and examined by Doctor Omapersaud, who confirmed that he’d died.

Subsequently, a bloodied wooden-handled knife was found at the scene, and the suspect has since been detained.

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GuySuCo gets $2B for critical capital works

By Naomi Parris THE Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySu-

Co) has been allocated some $2B for capital works to be carried out at the various sug-

ar estates across the country.

Senior Minister within the Office of the Pres-

GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, February 13, 2021

GuySuCo has been allocated some $2B for capital works to be carried out at the various sugar estates across the country (Adrian Narine photo) ident with the responsibility for Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh, made this disclosure during his presentation on the 2021 Budget on Friday at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC).

A cco r d in g to th e minister, the funds that are being allocated to the industry will see the strengthening of the ongoing operations at the functioning sugar estates across the country.

He explained that the sugar industry plays a pivotal role in the country’s economy; hence, in 2021, the Government of Guyana will remain committed to working along with all stakeholders and investors to sustain the industry.

“Given the importance of sugar in the domestic sugar economy and the manner in which this sector affects overall socio-economic conditions in rural Berbice and rural Demerara, we shall work with all stakeholders including the private sector in ensuring that the viability of this industry is preserved. Budget 2021 provides an allocation of $2 billion for critical capital works at GuySuCo,” he told the House.

He stated that beyond the other sectors, agriculture is considered as a massive industry that will be an important anchor in the country’s non-oil economy.

Additionally, he highlighted that agriculture is an ever-expanding sector that will see the reduction of food imports and create jobs for citizens across the

country.

In 2017, the former A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) Coalition Government announced the closure of several sugar estates across the country; the move saw four sugar estates being closed, and 7,000 sugar workers losing their jobs.

However, in 2020, the corporation was allocated a sum of $7 billion. A sum of $3 billion was used to recapitalise the Rose Hall, Skeldon, and Enmore sugar estate while the remaining $4 billion was allocated to support rehabilitation works at the Uitvlugt, Blairmont and Albion sugar estates.

The government has also begun rehiring sugar workers who were laid off following the closure of sugar estates, as of present, some 8,200 persons are employed in the sugar industry.

Recently, during a visit to the Blairmont sugar estate, GuySuCo’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Sasenarine Singh, highlighted that the corporation will be to focusing on expanding its sale of packaged sugar in Caribbean Community (CARICOM), North America and the local markets.

Additionally, the corporation has set a target to produce approximately 97,420 metric tonnes of sugar by year-end and breathe new life into the country’s sugar industry.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, February 13, 2021

$53.5B ‘injected’ into health sector –– $750M to support rolling out of COVID-19 vaccines

By Vishani Ragobeer MANAGING the COVID-19 pandemic and improving health services overall is a key aim of the incumbent government as $53.5B has been allocated to the health sector in the 2021 National Budget.

This allocation was announced by the Senior Minister in the Office of the President with Responsibility for Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh, during the presentation of the budget on Friday at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC).

This massive allocation has been made with the aim of expanding speciality care, developing an adequately trained and competent healthcare

anesthesia machines which will expand diagnosis and treatment capacity at the national referral hospital, which is the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC).

Additionally, $35 million is budgeted under the allocation for the health sector to strengthen the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) capacity.

Importantly, a holistic plan to introduce an ambulance authority will also be introduced to aid the EMS, according to Dr. Singh.

COVID-19 PANDEMIC “As we proceed along our first full fiscal year in office, we are fully aware that COVID-19 continues to pose a significant challenge,” the Senior

Allocation to the health sector at a glance 1. $1.8 B to purchase critical medical equipment 2. $322M for the acquisition of medical equipment 3. $99.8M for re-equipping the ophthalmology hospital in Port Mourant 4. $750M to support the rolling out of COVID-19 vaccines 5. $900M for HIV services 6. $96M to support and improve mental health services 7. $2.8B to modernise and expand infrastructure workforce, and modernising and expanding local health facilities. This, Dr. Singh said, is the vision of President, Dr. Irfaan Ali. “To begin delivering on this vision while addressing the challenges of the pandemic, the government has significantly expanded the resources made available to the public health sector and budgeted $53.5 billion for 2021,” Dr. Singh said.

Catered for in this sum is $1.8 billion to purchase critical medical equipment for the public health sector; $99.8 million is budgeted for re-equipping the ophthalmology hospital in Port Mourant; $322 million for the acquisition of medical equipment, including ventilators and

Minister highlighted too.

Already, $2.1 billion was expended on critical items such as medical supplies, COVID-19 testing kits, sanitising materials and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). While these items will continue to play a crucial role in Guyana’s COVID-19 fight, the newer phase of mitigating COVID-19 involves mass vaccination of the population.

“For 2021, government has made a provision of over $750 million to support the rolling out of COVID-19 vaccines from February and for the rest of the year in a phased approach, the first of which will cater to our frontline workers, the elderly, and persons living with comor-

bidities,” Dr. Singh said.

It was only this week that the vaccination rollout in Guyana actually began.

Some 3,000 vaccine doses of the Oxford-Astrazeneca vaccine was donated to Guyana by Barbados; this will allow 1,500 persons to be vaccinated since this

vaccine is given in two doses.

In the coming months, Guyana is expected to receive thousands of vaccine doses from the COVAX facility, a global vaccination alliance; bilateral partners; and the African Union. Talks are under-

way with vaccine manufacturers to secure additional vaccination doses.

The government’s aim is to promote vaccination towards achieving herd immunity before the end of 2021. Herd immunity will occur once about 80 per cent of the population

is immune to the disease, and vaccination is a way of ensuring immunisation.

COVID-19 has also placed a spotlight on Guyana’s issue with non-communicable diseases (NCDs), including See page 14

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, February 13, 2021

$53.5B ‘injected’ into health ... from page 13

diabetes, hypertension and chronic respiratory and cardiovascular ailments. The novel coronavirus may result in adverse effects in persons who have these NCDs, which would be termed ‘comorbidities’ since they are underlying health issues.

As such, the provision of $35 million has been made for the establishment of a diabetic prevention and rehabilitation clinic at the Lusignan Health Centre.

Beyond that, $900 million has been allocated to efforts geared at improving treatment and testing for the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). Efforts are also being made to eliminate the epidemic of malaria through the distribution of insecticidal nets, in 2021, to those areas in

most need.

After the presentation of the budget, Health Minister, Dr. Frank Anthony said that he was pleased with the allocation and noted that there is adequate money for Guyana to secure vaccines, and to be able to rollout the immunisation programmes.

MENTAL HEALTH Mental health issues are also being catered for. More than $70 million has been set aside to address the shortage of essential medication for psychiatric patients.

An 18-bed mental health ward, that costs $26 million, will be constructed at the National Referral Hospital also.

Dr. Singh also reminded of the government’s commitment to

review and revise the “outdated” Mental Health Act of 1930. This piece of legislation has been widely criticised since it imposes jail time for persons who attempt suicide.

The modernisation and expansion of the physical infrastructure is pegged at $2.8B; encompassed in this sum are the over $100 million capital investments in providing surgical interventions at the Aishalton and Kumaka District hospitals.

MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH It was also announced that the government will be examining the feasibility of establishing a maternal and child health hospital over the medium term.

In the interim, howev-

er, over $140 million has been committed towards the financing of maternal waiting homes and facilities at Moruca, Enmore, and Kato, as well as $100 million for the construction and retrofitting of the maternity ward and wing at the New Amsterdam Hospital.

In the broader area of reproductive health, improvements will be made to cater for increased family planning services including wider contraceptive options, and education and screening for gynaecological, breast and prostate cancers. A sexual and reproductive health policy to guide health sector interventions over the medium-term is also expected soon.

Elderly health will also be focused on with focus now being directed

A dose of the OXford-Astrazeneca vaccine before being administered to a local healthcare worker on Thursday at the National Infectious Diseases Hospital to a community nutrition programme, expanded services offered at home visits and specific clinic days for the elderly, among others.

“Overall, we are extremely pleased in the health sector with the allocation that we have received,” Dr. Anthony commented.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, February 13, 2021

$5.45B for Amerindian affairs

By Mesha Sealey

THE 2021 Budget, with the theme ‘A Path to Recovery, Economic Dynamism and Resilience’, was presented on Friday and saw in excess of $5.45B being injected into the development of projects in Amerindian and Hinterland communities.

Delivering the budget speech at the Arthur Chung Convention Centre on Friday, Senior Minister within the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance, Dr Ashni Singh, reiterated the Government’s intention to keep its promise of delivering better Government services to its Amerindian brothers and sisters.

He pledged the Government’s commitment to improving the lives of not only the Amerindian community, but the country as a whole.

“This PPP/C Government has charted a course, outlined in our manifesto and elaborated by His Excellency, the President that, once followed, will see us seizing those opportunities and will guide us to a destiny of which our foreparents have dreamt for generations. The task will not be easy, but neither is it impossible. One thing is sure, the task will be made considerably easier if we have all hands on deck, embracing the spirit of oneness so eloquently elaborated by His Excellency yesterday,” the minister assured.

One fundamental point addressed by the Senior Minister was that of the $2.2 billion Amerindian Land Titling project, which began under the previous PPP/C administration. The project aimed to secure lands and natural resources for Amerindians, but was unfortunately neglected under the previous A Partnership for National Unity+ Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC) Coalition administration.

As a result, the Government has allocated a grand sum of $630 million to expedite the granting of titles to Amerindian villages.

The programme will target the titling of 68 Amerindian villages, in stark comparison to the two certificates of title the previous administration awarded the Amerindian people.

JOB CREATION In addition to the land titling project, Singh stressed the PPP/C Government’s commitment to the creation of employment opportunities for indigenous peoples across the country in order to promote capacity development.

“Additional hardships were meted out to our hinterland communities when almost 2,000 Community Service Officers were unceremoniously fired and the stipend of $30,000 monthly, approved by the PPP/C Government, was discontinued. In keeping with our manifesto promise of delivering better Government services to our Amerindian brothers and sisters, we have, in only four months of assuming office, resuscitated the Community Service Officers programme, by re-engaging over 500 CSOs, providing them with the previously established stipend of $30,000 monthly. This administration also trained 46 CSOs in ICT skills in 2020, returning support to the development of once neglected Amerindian communities,” Singh posited.

The PPP/C administration further intends to employ 2,000 CSOs, maintaining its manifesto promise to the Amerindian people, provide $196.6 million for boats, engines and equipment to empower communities and improve their livelihood;

and invest $3.85B towards development of hinterland roads, to enhance connectivity.

OPPORTUNITIES IN EDUCATION Within the education sector of the budget lie blended methods of ensuring learning continuity for all students, including a revamped Guyana Learning Channel Trust.

According to Dr Singh, the trust will benefit over 130,000 students and will implement the distribution of printed worksheets and other materials to over 41,000 students in the hinterland, riverine and disadvantaged coastal areas.

This year, the Government plans to establish the Universality Fund, a feature of the new telecommunications regulatory regime through which access to modern telecommunications services can be funded for poor and vulnerable communities, including, and especially those in hinterland regions.

“The Telecommunications Act and regulations provide for contributions to this fund from operators, and we expect a minimum of $360 million to be made available to the Fund this year. A plan is being prepared that will specify feasible projects to be implemented by the private sector which will boost connectivity for businesses in unserved and underserved communities,” elaborated Dr Singh.

The Government also vowed to award a total of 196 scholarships, bridging the educational disparities between the hinterland and coastal area.

WATER AND INFRASTRUCTURE Under the Government’s hinterland water supply programme, residents of Mabaruma, Barbina and Wanina are benefitting from improved hours of service after the upgrading and expansion of the water supply system with the installation of electrical pumps, and servicing of the elevated storage tanks, according to Dr Singh.

This activity has, for the first time, provided potable water to the residents of Barimanobo. Additionally, new wells were drilled and water mains and service connections installed, benefitting over 5,000 residents of One Mile, Mora, Rincon, Kumaka, Santa Rosa, Shea, Annai, Lethem, Shulinab and Chiung Mouth.

The Finance Minister further detailed that after taking stock of the existing situation in the sector, several critical challenges and missteps were detected, including high iron content, low treated-water coverage, high levels of non-revenue water, and a low proportion of the hinterland population having access to potable water.

With this, he outlined the Government’s aim to improve the water sector, which includes an increase of treated water coverage and access to potable water, reducing non-revenue water, and modernising sanitation facilities across the country.

In addition to water, a whopping total of $415 million is budgeted for the completion, upgrade and rehabilitation of a number of hinterland airstrips.

While this was not discussed in depth, the minister went on to highlight the Government’s mandate in articulating a national infrastructure investment pipeline, which outlines current and future public sector investments that will create, upgrade, and rehabilitate the country’s infrastructural landscape from coastland to hinterland.

‘LIGHTENING THE LOAD’

In excess of $5.45B has been injected into the development of projects in Amerindian and hinterland communities To reduce the cost of transportation for hinterland communities and operators, the Government plans to remove VAT from ATVs for mining, forestry, agriculture and manufacturing in the hinterland.

The Government also removed VAT on machinery and equipment, provided tax concessions on ATVs and reversed VAT on

exports and on hinterland travel, all effective from October 1, 2020.

The Government will also be dedicating additional resources to address mental health issues, suicide prevention and care, and resuscitate psychiatric and psychological service initiatives within the hinterland areas.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, February 13, 2021

Backtrack victims died from drowning, asphyxia A POST-MORTEM performed on the remains of Baboni Harihar, 77, of Percy Smith Street, Palmyra and Alwin Joseph, 30, a Guyanese living in Suriname, gave the cause of death as drowning and asphyxia.

The autopsy was performed by Dr.Vivekanand Bridegmohan on Friday at the Anthony’s Funeral Parlour in Epsom Village, East Berbice, Corentyne.

On Monday evening, tragedy struck for three Guyanese namely Harihar, Joseph and Sharida Hussein, 48, after they left a fishing centre in Zeedijk in Nickerie for Guyana.

They never made it home alive.

They were dropped off on a sandbank by the captain of the vessel who then returned to Nickerie.

The trio, upon arrival, notified relatives but a little while later Hussein called her youngest child in a fit of emotions, stating that they

Alwin Joseph were in waist high water that was fast rising and unable to see land. By the time relatives reached to the Number 63 Beach, none of the three was anywhere in sight.

A search was launched to locate them the very night but to no avail.

Two days later, the bodies of Joseph and Harihar were found washed up on the shoreline almost a mile apart while the search for Hussein continues. Police were able to recover her travelling bag, a handbag and documents be-

Baboni Harihar longing to her at the Number 70 Foreshore.

Meanwhile, as investigation continues, police in Suriname have confirmed the arrest of two fishermen and a taxi driver on Wednesday in relation to the deadly boat trip to Guyana. The trio remains in custody.

Surinamese police, in a release, stated those arrested were identified as taxi driver D.N. called “Bim”, 57 and the two fishermen H.L. (51) called “Rako” and R.R. called “Tjing Bai”, 55.

At the Berbice Assizes…

Herstelling man gets 11 years for killing friend –– as jury brings him in guilty for manslaughter A MIXED jury on Friday returned a unanimous verdict to convict Rawle Bernard of the lesser count of manslaughter, rather than the original murder charge for which he was indicted.

The 12-member panel deliberated for less than an hour before returning the verdict.

Prior to being sentenced, Bernard, now around 37, told the Court that he felt as though the justice system had done him a grave injustice. “I feel like they spit in meh face; I’m here for three-and-a-half years,” he muttered before distorted transmission sounds prevented listeners from hearing more of his utterances.

Prior to handing down his sentence, the judge noted that while Bernard, who was 33 at the time of the incident, had pleaded for leniency, he at no time expressed any remorse.

State Prosecutrix, Tuanna Hardy, had led the evidence of several witness to prove the fatal stabbing of 50-year-old Herstelling, East Bank Demerara resident, Sylvan Lennox Stoll, called “Bow foot” and “Gold Teeth”, which occurred between August 13-14, 2017 at the Seafield Community Centre Ground, on the West Coast Berbice.

In his unsworn statement before Justice Madame Simone Morris-Ramlall and a 12-member jury at the Berbice Assizes, Bernard, who at the time resided at Onderneeming, West Bank Demerara, said he

was invited to an event on the fateful day by one Daniel Pereira; that they were both standing by the door of the venue when the deceased, who, incidentally, was a friend of his, accused him of urinating in the bus, and threatened to make him walk home.

Said he of how events unfolded on the night in question: “He lashed me with a bottle; I cuffed him. I went to the pavilion to cool off, and on my return, I noticed that no one was there. I started to walk; I saw the police… I came into the station where I was handcuffed; left with my boxers only, and placed in the lockups for four days. No one told me nothing; I did not ‘jook’ this man; I am innocent.”

Government Pathologist, Dr. Vivekanand Bridgemohan, had given as the cause of death shock and haemorrhage due to a stab wound to the lung.

Evidence had revealed that Bernard and Stoll were among a group of friends who had travelled together in a minibus all the way from Demerara to the Ancient County to attend a horseracing meet, and later a barbecue event.

One eyewitness claimed that the men were locked in a scuffle, after which the deceased ran towards the bar, where it was noticed that the white tee-shirt he was wearing was bloodied.

The injured Stoll was reportedly placed in a minibus, and taken to the Mahaicony Cottage Hospital where he succumbed.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, February 13, 2021

$60.7B goes towards education WITH an allocation of $60.7 billion in the 2021 national budget, the education sector has received a 16.7 per cent increase from the sum allocated in the 2020 budget and again taking the largest slice of the budgetary pie.

Among others, some $5.2 billion will go towards the construction, rehabilitation and maintenance of schools and other education facilities nationwide; $3.3 billion to finance operations at the University of Guyana (UG); $884M to equip and retool technical and vocational training centres; and $1 billion towards the provision of over 4,500

the economy of today and of tomorrow,” Dr. Singh declared, during his over four-hour presentation.

He elaborated that the government is working towards developing a worldclass education system that will ensure equal access

ara and a new secondary school on the East Bank Demerara.

During his Friday speech, Dr. Singh announced that in addition to these schools being constructed in 2021, the government will also begin

BULLET POINTS

> $5.2B for construction, rehabilitation and maintenance of education facilities nationwide > $3.3B to finance operations at UG > $884M allocated to equip and retool technical and vocational training centres. > $1B budgeted to support the online scholarships to be granted in 2021

The Minister of Education and other officials recently turned the sod for the construction of Martyr’s Ville Nursery School, one of several new schools to be constructed under the 2021 education budget online scholarships to be granted in 2021.

These measures and more were revealed by the Senior Minister with the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh, when he presented the budget to the National Assembly on Friday.

Education accounts for some 15.8 per cent of the $383.1 billion budget that was presented, and includes several measures that supports the government’s aim to strategically position the education to respond to demands of labour market.

“The PPP/C government’s vision for Guyana requires an education sector that equips all of our people, including those seeking alternative pathways to work, with the skills that they need to play meaningful roles in

to quality education, at all levels, for all children in Guyana, regardless of their backgrounds.

“We intend to increase and improve the quality and quantity of trained teachers, learning resources and materials, and to increase the use of innovation and technology in order to improve education delivery and learning outcomes,” Dr. Singh said.

Towards increasing access to education, Dr. Singh noted that for 2021 the government will be embarking on a review and mapping exercise with a view to increasing the number of schools across the country.

It was only recently that the Ministry of Education (MoE) carried out two symbolic sod turning exercises for the construction of a new nursery school on the East Coast Demer-

$3.3 billion, a 10 per cent increase on the 2020 allocation, was allocated to UG works on two new secondary schools in Region Six (East Berbice Corentyne) and Region Nine (Upper Takutu, Upper Essequibo).

Additionally, reconstruction works have been budgeted to be carried out on the Abram Zuil Secondary School in Essequibo to improve facilities for learners in that region.

Since assuming office in August 2020, the government has had to do much work to improve the state of the public education system, since the system inherited by the administration left “much to be desired”.

“The sector is plagued by inadequate supervision and lack of accountability within the levels and this needs to be reversed immediately if we are to en-

sure that a well-balanced education is our collective goal,” Dr. Singh said.

Also towards the government’s drive of offering a “top-tier” education system, Dr. Ashni revealed that the more that 4,500 online scholarships that the government will be offering this year is parcel to the 20,000 online scholarships that the government will be offering over the next five years.

“We plan to begin execution of this initiative through a multi-agency formulation including the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Public Service and the Ministry of Labour,” Dr. Singh explained.

He noted that Guyanese has thus far shown quite the affinity for on-

line learning, with some 64, 605 citizens having signed up for the Commonwealth of Learning Coursera courses which are currently being offered free to all Guyanese citizens. The programme offers more than 4,000 free online courses from various universities around the world.

In addition, almost 4,000 teachers were also trained in the integration of innovation and ICT into their teaching-learning process via the Profuturo online platform, as part of the government’s role out of blended modalities to ensure learning continuity for all students during the school closure that was brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, February 13, 2021

Four elderly men among latest COVID-19 casualties

FOUR elderly men, aged 84, 59, 83 and 90 respectively, succumbed to COVID-19 over the past 48 hours, bringing the total number of fatalities since the deadly virus struck here to 184.

According to a release from the Ministry of Health, the men died while receiving care at a medical facility between Thursday 11 and Friday 12, of February, 2021.

In addition to those

four men, the Ministry of Health has recorded 89 new cases in the past two days. Of the number, two were recorded in Region One (Barima-Waini); one in Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam); five in

Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara); a whopping 59 in Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica); four in Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice); three in Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne); six in

Region Seven (CuyuniMazaruni); one in Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni); and eight in Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Upper Berbice).

No new cases were recorded in Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo).

At present, the number of persons in the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit (ICU) stands at seven. Forty-one persons remain institutionally isolated, while a discomfiting 666 represent the number of persons in home isolation.

All citizens of Guyana are urged to observe the protocols of the COVID-19 emergency

measures, which emphasise the need for correct and consistent use of a face mask when leaving your home, the importance of maintaining the six feet physical distance from others, and the need for good hand-hygiene to help reduce the spread of COVID-19.

If anyone you know is displaying any of the symptoms associated with COVID-19, or need any additional information, kindly contact the COVID-19 Hotline @ 231-1166, 226-7480 or 624-6674 immediately, or visit the Ministry of Health at www.health.gov.gy.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, February 13, 2021

Female security guard killed in crash A SIXTY-THREE-yearold security guard is now dead following an accident Thursday night at around 22:30 hours on the Rupert Craig Highway and UG Access Road, East Coast Demerara (ECD).

Dead is Bridget Rodrigues of Mon Repos, ECD. She was employed at VXL South America Inc. Reports indicate that the accident occurred between the security guard, who was riding a motorcycle, and a motorcar driven by a 20-year-old police constable stationed at Brickdam Police Station attached to Traffic Department and resides at Nabaclis, ECD. Enquiries disclosed that

the driver of the motor car was proceeding east along the southern drive lane of Rupert Craig Highway while the motorcycle was proceeding in the said direction along the northern drive lane.

As he approached the intersection at UG Access Road, the motorcyclist attempted to change into the southern drive lane and ended up in the path of the car. The car collided with the motorcycle, causing the rider fall onto the road surface where she received injuries about her body.

The emergency medical technician (EMT) personnel arrived on the scene and the motorcyclist was pro-

Sergeant reportedly shot female constable in neck A STATION Sergeant is under close arrest after he allegedly shot a female Special Constable in the neck around 20:30 hours on Thursday.

According to reports, Sergeant Colin Whyte, who is the subordinate officer in charge of the Blairmont Police Station in West Coast Berbice, Region Five, whipped out a hand gun and shot the Special Constable with whom he shares a special relationship.

Whyte, who resides in Auchlyne Village, Corentyne Coast with his wife and children, according to reports, knows the Special Constable from Onderneeming West Coast Berbice for the past four years.

Police reports indicate that Whyte went to the woman’s home on Thursday evening and she told him the relationship was over due to “continuous misunderstandings”. This led to an argument between the two and during the argument, Whyte reportedly whipped out a handgun and discharged a round in the direction of the woman, hitting her in her in the neck, the report stated.

Whyte reportedly took the woman to the Fort Wellington Hospital and then left after she was seen by doctors. The woman was later transferred to the New Amsterdam Hospital where her condition has been listed as stable.

Whyte has since denied the allegations that he shot the woman. He remains under close arrest and investigation into the incident continues.

nounced dead by a doctor of the Georgetown Public Hospital.

The body was then taken to the Lyken’s Funeral Home where it is awaiting an autopsy.

The vehicles were lodged and will be examined by the licensing and certifying officer. A breathalyser test was conducted on the driver and the results showed 0.00 per cent micrograms in breath level.

He is currently in custody assisting with the investigation.

Police, EMT and onlookers at the scene of the accident Thursday evening

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, February 13, 2021

$185 million budgeted for Tourism/Hospitality Institute

By Rehana Ahamad

THE establishment of a Tourism and Hospitality Training Institute has been on the cards for several years now.

As a matter of fact, in 2014, the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C)

Government had budgeted some US$4 million for the construction of the institute.

Later in 2019, the Coalition Government had announced the award of a US$250,000 contract to finance the building’s design. At that time, the land for the project was being finalised.

In December 2020, shortly after the PPP/C was voted back into office, the government said that the Caribbean Development Bank has approved a US$11 million (approximately $2.3 billion) loan for the development of the institute.

Senior Minister in the

Office of the President with responsibility for Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh, confirmed that as part of the national 2021 budget, $185 million has been allocated towards continuing the long-awaited project.

During his presentation to the National Assembly on

Friday afternoon, Dr. Singh said that once established, the facility will accommodate some 1,800 students annually. The institute is also projected to have the capacity to offer certificate, diploma, associate degree and degree courses in areas relating to tourism and hospitality.

Singh said that the advancement of the tourism sector has been severely hampered by significant skills gaps existing at all levels. This has often been compounded by the fact that there exist few opportunities for trainings to be done locally.

“To address this glaring mismatch between demand and supply, in 2021, work will commence on the construction of the Hospitality Tourism Training Institute (HTTI) for students to be trained and certified annually,” Dr. Singh told the House.

He said that the institute is being pursued as a means of supporting the growth and development of tourism as a rapidly emerging sector that should be equipped to provide a world class experience in service delivery.

HOTELS AND TRAVEL The Finance Minister, in his presentation, informed that Guyana currently has in excess of 150 hotels, along with 30 resorts and lodges that provide an approximate room capacity of 3,400.

“Most of these accommodations can be characterised as traditional and rustic establishments with only a small number of business-oriented accommodation properties of international standard,” Dr. Singh highlighted He said that against this backdrop, the government recently invited Expressions of Interest (EoI) from private investors desirous of developing new hotel properties that would improve the quality and quantity of accommodation in Guyana.

“More than 25 EoIs were received and Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) concluded with potential investors. These projects are all privately financed and many of them involve major international hotel brands,” Singh noted, adding that six of these investments will

see the commencement of construction in 2021.

“These initial incoming investments will add an additional 1,000 hotel rooms in the near term and potentially a total of 2,000 to 3,000 rooms in the medium term, catalysing the development of the accommodation subsector and dramatically improving overall industry standards.”

Dr. Singh said that during this year, his government will be seeking to increase air connectivity and make access easier and more affordable. Additionally, Singh said that the pandemic has highlighted the importance of investing in domestic tourism, as well as crafting packages that appeal to the diaspora market.

“To improve the resiliency of the sector over the medium-term, the sector will focus on offering unique culinary tours, excursions, soft adventure and experiential tours in an effort to diversify the tourism product portfolio,” Singh said.

“The government has established regional tourism committees in a number of regions, and will work with them to help develop the local tourism product, including by more active promotion of event-based tourism and local niche attractions such as Easter on the No. 63 beach in Region Six, regatta in Region Seven, Rodeo in Region Nine, and the fish festival at Rockstone in Region 10,” Singh concluded.

COVID-19 AND THE DECLINE The Finance minister reminded the House that the global tourism industry is among the most affected sectors by the COVID-19 pandemic, with an estimated decline of 70 to 75 per cent in international arrivals, when compared with 2019.

“In Guyana, visitor arrivals are estimated to have fallen by 72.5 per cent in 2020 – from 314,727 in 2019 to 86,503 in 2020.

With measures in place to limit transmission of the virus, the tourism and hospitality industry came to a standstill, halting travel experiences, in-person engagements and virtually every other aspect of the industry,” Dr. Singh posited.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, February 13, 2021

‘One less disease to be bothered with’ –– Health Minister pleads with Guyanese to help eliminate filaria

By Vishani Ragobeer

ELIMINATING filaria as a public health issue in Guyana has been an elusive feat, but Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony emphasised that Guyana will have one less disease to be bothered with if all citizens take their pills through the final round of the Mass Drug Administration (MDA) campaign to eliminate filariasis.

On Friday at the Umana Yana, in Kingston, Georgetown, the 2021 round of the MDA Campaign for the elimination of Lymphatic Filaria (LF) was launched. Since the country achieved successful coverage in prior rounds of the MDA, this round of the MDA should be the last, as long as enough citizens take their pills over the next few weeks.

“Guyana is one of the four countries that remain to eliminate filaria and more than 90 per cent of our population is at risk for this disease,” Dr. Anthony highlighted, adding:

“With the exception of Regions Eight and Nine, all the other regions are endemic for filaria.”

Filaria, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO), affects the body’s lymphatic system, which functions to remove unwanted fluids from the body and transports ‘lymph’- a fluid which contains white blood cells that help to fight infections. It is caused by bancrofti worms and is transmitted by culex mosquitoes.

Importantly, if someone is infected with filaria, they may develop chronic conditions, resulting in swelling of the legs and scrotum.

Locally, the swelling of tissues in the leg is called ‘big foot,’ while scrotal swelling is termed ‘goadie.’ There is no cure for filaria, which means that these chronic manifestations are irreversible.

In addition to these chronic conditions, persons may be unable to work and provide for themselves, thereby resulting in adverse

Health Minister, Dr. Frank Anthony taking his filaria pills on Friday economic implications.

There are also various mental stigmas that belabours those infected.

HISTORIC ONE “The exercise that we’re starting today (on Friday), in many ways, can be a very historic one because if we are successful… what has eluded generations of physicians

The dosing schedule used by pill distributors during the MDA

and health workers in this country, this generation of health workers would be able to accomplish it,” Dr. Anthony also said.

The distribution of the pills will begin in Regions Three and Four on February 14.

It is expected that this rollout will last about two weeks, during which time a See page 22

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, February 13, 2021

Secretary-General praises strong CARICOM ‘One less disease... solidarity in COVID-19 vaccine sharing From page 20

CARICOM Secretary-General, Ambassador Irwin LaRoque, on Friday, praised the strong solidarity within CARICOM as Member States share their limited first batches of COVID-19 vaccines.

The Secretary-General’s comment came as he led his CARICOM Secretariat Staff in taking vaccine shots from 100 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine provided by Prime Minister Mia Mottley of Barbados. The Barbados Prime Minister also made donations to Guyana and other CARICOM neighbours from its supply of 100,000 doses received from India.

Dominica, which also received 70,000 doses from India, has shared with some Eastern Caribbean territories.

“This shows the solidarity that exists in CARICOM,” the Secretary-General said.

“We’ve always addressed the issue of COVID-19 as a

CARICOM Secretary-General Ambassador, Irwin LaRoque collective.”

“When we were in a spot of bother last year, those countries that were able to get PPEs (personal protective equipment), reagents and test kits were also able to share with others,” he added.

Ambassador LaRoque thanked President Irfaan Ali of Guyana for arranging for Guyana’s Ministry of Health to vaccinate the CARICOM Secretariat Staff. He also thanked Prime Minister Modi of India for his generous contribution of 500,000

doses of COVID-19 vaccines to the Caribbean Community, calling it “a tangible expression of goodwill in this challenging time.”

The Secretary-General encouraged the people of the Region to take the vaccine, but to also continue to observe the COVID-19 preventative measures – including social distancing, regular washing of hands, and not touching eyes, nose and mouth.

Friday’s vaccination exercise also saw strong endorsement of the AstraZeneca vaccine and its effectiveness from the CARICOM Secretariat’s Assistant Secretary-General for Human and Social Development, Dr. Douglas Slater, a Public Health physician.

“We know that it works and I am encouraging all of our citizens to take it.

If you take the vaccine you will be protected against serious illness and death,” Dr. Slater said.

number of pill distributors will be going house-tohouse to distribute the medicine.

Subsequently, in March, the pills will be distributed in Regions Six and 10, before the health personnel move onto the other regions. The entire distribution should be finished by April.

Through this MDA, efforts are made to have at least 65 per cent of the population consume the ‘filaria pills’Diethylcarbamazine citrate (DEC), Albendazole (ALB) and Ivermectin (IVM) – to sterilise and kill the worms that cause filaria.

According to the Coordinator of the Lymphatic Filariasis Elimination Campaign, Dr. Reza Niles, the goal of the MDA is to reduce the density of parasites circulating in the blood of infected persons and in communities to reduce the spread.

For this MDA, the health authorities have trained 1400 pill distributors. Some 170 field officers, 20 Regional coordinators and eight national supervisors, spanning about 130 health facilities across the country.

According to Dr. Gavinash Persaud, Regional Health Officer for Region Four, in this region- only in the East Bank and East Coast of Demerara, the target population is about 146,273 including 86,000 households and 96 schools. Pills will also be distributed at 300 fixed points.

There is a very specific dosing schedule that determines how many pills persons are required to take. All persons will be measured by trained pill distributors using a ‘dosing pole’ which measures from 90cm to 160cm.

This dosing schedule rigidly guides the distribution of the pills, and numerous studies done in other countries show the effectiveness of Ivermectin.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, February 13, 2021

Brassington wins long-running defamation –– awarded $10M in case against Kaieteur News damages, with costs FORMER Head of the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL), Winston Brassington, was, on Friday, awarded $10M in damages after he won his defamation cases against the Kaieteur News and its former Editor-in-Chief, Adam Harris, over a 2014 ‘Dem Boys Seh’ article.

The damages in the claims filed by Brassington through his attorney, senior counsel Timothy Jonas, against the Kaieteur News’ publisher, Glenn Lall, and Harris for libel, were handed down by Justice Navindra Singh.

In his lawsuit, Brassington complained that in 2014, the KN and Harris, who was then its Editor-in-Chief, published in its “Dem boys seh” column words pertaining to him that sullied his

reputation.

Kaieteur News and Harris had both denied that the article in question was about Brassington, claiming instead that it was merely “fair comment”, a common-law defence newspapers the world over shamelessly hide behind when intentionally taking a dig at one, as it guarantees them a certain freedom of expression on matters of public interest, as long as it can be proven that said expression was not made with any ill will, spite, or intent to harm the plaintiff.

However, Justice Singh, having examined the evidence, found that the Kaieteur News failed to provide any documentary or other evidence to prove the veracity of the statements; that in its defence, it had instead outlined several averments

with respect to the alleged facts upon which the defence of fair comment is based.

And with the articles having been published Online and reached outside the jurisdiction, Justice Singh found that the words complained of would convey to any ordinary reasonable reader that Brassington is dishonest, and that the Kaieteur News had, at no time, either apologised or issued a retraction.

In the circumstances, the court, on Friday, found that the publication clearly attacked Brassington’s character, labelling him as a dishonest person that engages in fraudulent or criminal practices, without setting out, factually, any conduct from Brassington to justify such a comment.

In assessing the appropriate quantum of damages

Former NCIL boss, Winston Brassington in this case, the court took into consideration the libellous attack on Brassington’s personal integrity and professional reputation, and the fact that he was a public figure, serving in an office that essentially handled matters of public concern which made the matter all the more grave.

Kaieteur News Publisher, Glenn Lall The court also considered that the after the publication of the article, Brassington and his family members, including his school- aged children, were confronted and publicly humiliated, given that the article, having been disseminated via the world wide web, would have had the

Former Kaieteur News Editor-in-Chief, Adam Harris widest possible distribution.

Taking all of the foregoing matters into account, the judge, beside awarding damages in the sum of $10M, which includes an assessment of aggravated damages, also awarded the sum of $1M as costs.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, February 13, 2021

Kato to benefit from improved water access RESIDENTS of Kato, Region Eight can look forward to improved access to potable water as the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) in collaboration with the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) will be drilling a new well in the community.

GWI’s Chief Executive Officer, Shaik Baksh;

Director of Hinterland Services, Ramchand Jailal, and GDF Reserve Captain and GWI’s Customer Services Director, Marlon Daniels, recently visited the community, which has a population of approximately 486 residents, to assess the water situation.

Currently, 50 per cent of the community has access to potable water from

GWI’s CEO, Shaik Baksh, along with the GDF representative and residents of Kato an existing well, while the remaining 50 per cent has to walk long distances to access water. The existing well does not have the capacity to extend the water supply to those without; hence, the need for a new well to be drilled, a release said.

A team from GWI has

visited the community to conduct resistivity logging in order to determine a viable location to drill the new well. Pipelines will also be installed as part of the improvement works.

Further, the technical team is examining the feasibility of using a nearby spring as an additional

source, as suggested by members of the community.

Meanwhile, the visiting team along with a representative of the community visited the Kato Secondary School and dormitory, which is located some distance from the community. A nearby

creek serves as the source of water supply there but the existing system has been non-operational for some time now.

An assessment was done and GWI will be working to install a new photovoltaic pumping system to restore water supply to both the

A section of the Kato community school and dormitory.

Other works which will be required include the installation of pipelines, the flushing of the existing system and leak repairs. This much needed access to potable water will allow the students to practice good hygiene.

Resistivity logging has also been conducted to determine a suitable location for the drilling of a new well to provide residents of the nearby village of Taruka with water.

This forms part of the efforts by GWI to ensure 100 per cent access to potable water countrywide by 2025 as outlined in the company’s new five-year strategic plan.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, February 13, 2021

Cara Lodge, Pandama Retreat reopened THE Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA) has announced that four tourism businesses have so far, for the month of February, been granted their conditional approvals for reopening.

Caiman House, Cara Lodge Hotel, Guyana Truly Wild and Pandama Retreat & Winery Resort can now commence welcoming travellers and guests to their properties based on the guidelines outlined in the National COVID-19 measures and GTA’s recommended Hygiene and Sanitation protocols, a release said.

GTA said it is imperative that those businesses which have since received their conditional approvals be reminded to maintain the protocols as outlined by the Guyana Tourism Authority and the National COVID-19 measures.

“Failure to comply with these guidelines will result in the revocation of approvals.

Domestic and international travellers are urged to use only those GTA-approved tourism businesses to ensure that themselves and their peers’ safety are prioritised while enjoying amazing tour activities in a safe, controlled setting,” the release

said.

A list of the tourism businesses (tourism accommodation establishments, interior lodges and resorts, and tour companies) that have received conditional approval can be found on the GTA’s Facebook profile under the albums titled “Safe for Travel” and “Safe for Indoor Dining”.

GTA Director, Carla James, expressed that “the tourism businesses are doing their part to keep travellers, their team and community safe.

“The resilience and camaraderie witnessed over the past few months to combat the ongoing effects of COVID-19 and reopen the sector in a safe way has been remarkable. While it is not quite over, we are confident that as long as we continue along the path that we are on, the recovery of our sector will be strong,” she said.

The two-step process for tourism businesses to reopen as directed by the GTA and the National COVID-19 Task Force (NCTF) remains the same: Submission of Business’s written Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to the GTA for a desk review and on-site inspection of businesses to verify the implementation of

the Standard Operations Procedures (SOPs) and approval by the GTA. Reopening of restaurants and bars as per the COVID-19 National Safety Measures dated January 31, 2021, restaurants and bars are allowed to reopen at 40 per cent capacity. Pre-approval to reopen is not required; however, restaurants and bars must comply with the COVID-19 Safety Measures and the guidelines that have been set up for the safe operations of their business.

To hold restaurants and bars accountable and keep the dining public safe, the GTA in collaboration with the Mayor & City Council, the Ministry of Health and the National COVID-19 Task Force through its monitoring system will continue to request SOPs from businesses and conduct unannounced inspections.

Restaurants and bars that fail to adhere to the stipulated measures as outlined by the GTA and the National Gazetted safety measures will be subject to immediate closure for a period of one month.

For more information about the two-step conditional approval process for reopening of tourism

Pandama Retreat & Winery Resort is one of four more tourism businesses which have been given conditional approval for reopening businesses, persons are asked to contact Micheala Lindore, Tourism Business

Support Officer within the GTA at micheala@ guyanatourism.com or

Carla James, Director of the GTA at carla@guyanatourism.com.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, February 13, 2021

Banks DIH aids in furnishing Christopher Griffith Recreational Hall

A group photo following the presentation

Senior Superintendent Watts addresses the gathering BANKS DIH Limited has handed over a quantity of furniture to Regional Division (Three) of the Guyana Police Force during a simple ceremony at the Leonora Police Station on Thursday.

According to a release, George McDonald, Co-Managing Director/Marketing Director of Banks DIH Limited made the presentation of chairs and tables to Regional Commander, Senior Superintendent Errol Watts, at the recently rehabilitated Christopher Griffith Recreational Hall located in the compound of the Leonora Station, the regional headquarters.

McDonald said he was extremely pleased to make

the presentation as part of the company’s Corporate Social Responsibility.

“This donation is indicative of our support of the work being done to these facilities,” he added.

Senior Superintendent Watts praised Banks DIH for its contribution to the facility, which serves as a training and recreational hall.

“Banks DIH has always been a good corporate citizen, so on behalf of the commissioner and ranks of the Force, we would like to express our sincere gratitude to the company,” he said.

Also in attendance were executives of the company, officers of the Force and members of the Station’s Welfare Committee.

Jury finds ‘Rocky’ not guilty of rape RICARDO Maniram, called “Rocky”, was on Tuesday freed of a rape charge by the Sexual Offences Court of the Demerara High Court, after a jury returned a ‘not guilty’ verdict.

Maniram, of Crown Dam, Cummings Lodge, East Coast Demerara, was on trial before Justice Simone Morris-Ramlall for allegedly engaging in sexual penetration with a 16-year-old girl back in October 2014.

The jury, after deliberating for almost two hours, found Maniram not guilty of having raped the child.

According to reports, the girl was at home alone when Maniram, who lived in her community at the time, went into her yard and inserted his penis into her vagina.

Some seven months later, in June 2015 to be precise, after teachers complained that the victim was looking pregnant, her parents took her to do an ultrasound, and lo and behold, the results revealed that she was eight months pregnant.

Maniram was arrested and reportedly told the police that the victim had consented to having sex with him.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, February 13, 2021

Help on the way for Greenwich Park farmers –– Min. Mustapha gives word that dams will be rehabilitated, grading system updated RESIDENTS and farmers of the East Bank Essequibo village of Greenwich Park were, on Tuesday, assured of a speedy government intervention after they complained bitterly about a number of problems that affect them.

Chief among their myriad concerns were the lack of maintenance of their access dams and drainage and irrigation services, as well as the need for a better grading system in their community.

Their concerns were raised during a community outreach led by Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha.

The thing that bothered Susan Mohese the most was the poor grading she’s been receiving of late for her paddy. She also told the minister that the community was in dire need of an all-weather road.

“The grading of our paddy is being done very badly,” Mohese said.

“We are getting very bad grades; grades that we have never seen before.

Sample ‘A’, Sample ‘C’ and those kinds of things; very low grades. Also, the koker at Philadelphia is not being opened regularly.

And because it is not being opened regularly, we are getting lots of flooding in the area.

“Right now, if you check, the dams are flooded. We are also requesting the construction of an all-weather road; we have 13 dams, and we need some help with that, because of the mud that keeps coming out with the tractors. It’s very dangerous for people on the roads.”

Another farmer, who opted to speak on condition of anonymity, alleged that some farmers in the area were damaging the dams for their own benefit.

“We got a problem in ‘Sarah’; in 1989 they rehabilitate this place, and due to the rehabilitation,

the water raise, which is very good. But the farmer dem gone up now, ‘bout two mile more with the rice; it nah got dam fuh hold de water. Dey dig out a revetment and put a box; dey put a bridge pon top de box, and lef de box at de bottom,” the farmer said.

The Chairman of the Water Users Association for the area is calling for a structured programme to be implemented to oversee the maintenance of the dams and canals in the area.

“What I would like to see is a work programme laid out; we’d like to see a structured programme, so that dams and canals would be maintained on a regular basis,” he said.

The man also told the minister that there were several heavily-forested dams in the area that were badly in need of cleaning, but the job cannot be done manually.

“We are tasked with cleaning a number of canals within the rice and the other-crops areas, Comrade Minister. That’s one aspect; cleaning of the canals is another,” he said, adding: “Some of these dams, especially in the Naamryck area, are heavily forested. If you have contractors cleaning the dams, there’s no way any ranger could have access to these dams to verify that these works are being done in these canals; they are very bad.”

Responding to the issues raised by the farmers, Minister Mustapha said that he will work along with the farmers to implement a system to ensure that they benefit from a proper grading system at the mills, and to clear and maintain all the dams and canals in the area.

“I’ll make a commitment here today; all the dams in the area, we’ll rehabilitate them. We’ll develop a work programme, and we’ll do the dams so that you can bring out your produce,” he said, adding: “But we will ensure we

do the works where the works are needed; we’ll try to do as much drainage and irrigation work as possible.

We are buying new excavators, and we’ll send those excavators into the community.”

Agriculture Minister, Zulfikar Mustapha listening to the concerns of the farmers from Greenwich Park, Region Three (Adrian Narine photo)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, February 13, 2021

Woman rues the day she tried to ‘shakedown' her ‘ex’ –– remanded to prison while awaiting sentence

A WOMAN, on Friday, appeared in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court and admitted to threatening to accuse her ex-boyfriend of attempting to rape her for the mere motive of extorting money from him.

She was remanded to prison by Magistrate Leron Daly, and was ordered to return to court on Monday, March 1, 2021 for sentencing.

The charge stated that Princess Williams, of Providence, between Monday January 4, 2021 and Thursday, January 7, 2021, at Georgetown, with intent to extort money from Kenrick Thomas,

specifically $10M, threatened to accuse him of attempting to rape her.

The court was informed that Williams and Thomas were in a sexual relationship for approximately four months, during which time he would invite her to his home to hang out and have dinner.

But on Monday, January 4, 2021, when he invited her to his home as per usual, he changed strategy and asked that they have sex as soon as she arrived, and, surprisingly, she consented.

But then, as they were about to get into the act, an argument ensued between the

two, and he told her to get dressed, and proceeded to take her home.

On the following day, Thomas reportedly ended the relationship with Williams, but she, not wanting to take no for an answer, still tried to get the relationship back on even keel, but he refused to have anything to do with her. Then one day, in a fit of rage at being spurned, she sent him a message via WhatsApp, threatening to exact revenge.

The crux of the message, in essence a poorly recorded video with a background audio, was that having tried to

rape her, he’d have to either pay her ten million dollars or she’d go to the police with the evidence.

After receiving the message, Thomas immediately reported the matter to the police, and an investigation was launched.

During the course of the investigation, Williams reportedly admitted to the police that she’d recorded the video to scare Thomas into giving her the money, as he’d faithfully promised that he’d give it to her for her birthday. She also told the police that she was sorry for what she’d done.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, February 13, 2021

Djokovic uncertain of Australian Open next round after injury scare

Novak Djokovic had treatment on a side injury in the third set

(BBC) - Defending champion Novak Djokovic is unsure if he will be able to play in the fourth round of the Australian Open after he survived an injury scare to battle past American Taylor Fritz.

Wo r l d n u m b e r o n e Djokovic was hampered by a side injury that restricted

his movement, although he still recorded a 7-6 (7-1), 6-4, 3-6, 4-6, 6-2 victory.

Djokovic is set to meet 14th seed Milos Raonic in the next round, but said: “I know it’s a tear and I don’t know if I will recover from that in two days.

I don’t know if I will step on court.”

The Serb, who is chasing a record-extending ninth men’s singles title in Melbourne and a third in a row, added: “This is one of the most special wins in my life.

“It doesn’t matter who I was up against or at what round, to pull this through is something I will remember for ever.

CSA to host Pakistan

(ESPNCRICINFO) - Cricket South Africa (CSA) has confirmed it will host Pakistan for three ODIs and four T20Is between April 2 and 16, with all matches to be played on the Highveld. The games will be split between the Wanderers in Johannesburg and SuperSport Park in Centurion, and will mark the end of a lean South African summer.

Sri Lanka and England have been the only other touring teams for short two-Test and white-ball series respectively, after Australia indefinitely postponed a three-Test series that was scheduled for March.

Pakistan, whom South Africa are visiting at the moment, will arrive in South Africa on March 26 and will enter a bio-secure environment, most likely to be the Irene Country Club, where Sri Lanka also stayed.

They were initially only due to play three T20s but CSA asked the PCB to add a fixture in order to provide more content for the hosts. The ODIs will include a Pink Day match at the Wanderers, where funds will be raised for breast-cancer treatment.

“We are grateful to the PCB for agreeing to our request within a short period of time to increase the length of the trip by adding a fourth T20, which will give us some much-needed additional international content,” Graeme Smith, South Africa’s director of cricket, said.

“Pakistan have proved their status over the years as one of the most dangerous limited-overs teams and I’m sure they will give the Proteas a stern test on the Highveld.

We will also have the much-anticipated Pink ODI take place during the tour and that is something further to look forward to for the players, the fans and all those associated with this iconic day.”

That still leaves South Africa without international cricket from the end of the current trip to Pakistan, which finishes with two T20s at the weekend, to the end of March - a prime summer window. The national players will return home to play in a domestic T20 cup with only four-day cricket on the agenda for March.

It remains to be seen how much - if any part - of this tour clashes with the IPL, which is likely to start mid-April, and how that will affect player availability for either South Africa or the IPL franchises.

“In the third and fourth set I just served and couldn’t do much with the returns. I was just putting in two first serves.

“I just tried to stay in there. I was hoping that whatever was happening was going to feel better and towards the end of the fourth it started to feel better.”

Djokovic hobbled between points, clutched his side and received medical treatment, but 23-year-old Fritz, the 27th seed, could not take advantage.

The match was the final one to be played on Rod Laver Arena on day five of the tournament and began with a crowd of up to 8 000 people in attendance at the beginning.

However, the Australian

state of Victoria entered lockdown for a third time at midnight and Tennis Australia warned fans they would need to leave the stadium at 11:30hrs, to return to their homes before the lockdown began.

That led to a bizarre scene in the fourth set when, with Frisk 3-2 and a break of serve ahead, the organisers halted the action because the crowd had to leave the stadium, before the match resumed in an empty arena, apart from a handful of coaches allowed in the players’ box.

The Australian Open is still able to be played and organisers are hopeful fans will be able to return from Thursday, February 18 for the final four days of play.

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER Saturday, February 13, 2021 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) BANG vs ZIM, Chattogram, 2005 (2) Deryck Murray-1993 runs (HS: 91 vs IND, Mumbai, 1974-75)

TODAY’S QUIZ:

(1) How many runs the captains scored in the first Test of the current WI/BANG series?

(2) What were the WI opening partnerships in the first Test of the current WI/BANG series?

ANSWERSS IN TOMORROW’S ISSUE ANSWER

GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, February 13, 2021

GCB Inter-County U-19 tournament …

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Essequibo batsmen struggle again — lose to Berbice by six wickets

By Rajiv Bisnauth ESSEQUIBO youth teams have continued on the path of being consistently inconsistent, and this year their Inter-County Under-19 team is no different.

They suffered their second straight loss when they went down to Berbice by six wickets yesterday in round two of the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) Inter-County Under-19 One-Day tournament at the LBI ground.

The capitulation sums up the gloomy state of affairs that has hovered over Essequibo’s cricket for the past two decades.

Similar to Wednesd a y ’s f i r s t g a m e against Demerara, the team again meekly surrendered, and were bowled out for just 96 in 34 overs.

The result means that there will be a winner-take-all title showdown tomorrow between Demerara and Berbice.

In a game reduced to 36 overs aside in order to facilitate Essequibo’s journey back home, opener Sheldon Charles (30), and Lance Roberts (19) were the only two bright sparks.

From a position of 64-7, Roberts hit two fours and a six to share in a 25-run stand for the eighth wicket with Wasim Mohamed, who made ten to prop the total to some respectability.

Berbice pacer Leon Swammy (2-21), made the early breakthrough, but it was the spinners, backed up by some excellent fielding, resulting in three run-outs that stifled the Essequibians.

The impressive left-arm spinner Gourav Ramesh, who was later awarded man-ofthe-match, claimed 3-19, and was well supported by fellow left-arm spinner Nigel Deodat (1-14), and off-spinner Jonathan Rampersaud (1-14).

The run chase was relatively an easy one, despite the Ancient team losing four wickets. They eventually reached 98-4 off 30 overs.

Berbice lost opener Shamar Angel without scoring to Nicko Vincent (113), before Rampertab Ramnauth (21) and Marvon Prashad (24), combined to extend the chase.

H o w e v e r, t h e Berbicians lost both Ramnauth and Prashad along with Deodat for six; but Aaron Beharry (19 not out), and Seon Glasgow (21 not out) ensured the victory with ease.

Jason Holder (129), Roberts (1-22) and Aryan Persaud (1-10) were the other successful bowlers for Essequibo on a losing cause.

Tomorrow’s final is scheduled for a 09:30hrs start at the same venue.

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First-choice players spot in jeopardy – Sir Curtly (CMC) – Legendary speedster Sir Curtly Ambrose has praised West Indies’ outstanding performance in the ongoing Test series in Bangladesh, and says the form of the players could keep the first-choice picks out of the squad in upcoming series.

Ten regular players – including five who represented the core of the Test side’s batting – declined selection for the two-Test tour due to COVID-19 fears forcing selectors to turn to a number of debutants.

Faced with a fullstrength home side in the first Test, an under-strength West Indies defied the odds to trounce Bangladesh by three wickets after chasing down 395 on the final day last Sunday.

At the heart of the victory were two debutants in Kyle Mayers, who hit an unbeaten 210 and Nkrumah Bonner who

struck 86 – the pair putting on 216 in a record fourth-wicket stand.

“Like most West Indians, I’m extremely happy for the guys,” Sir Curtly, a member of the television commentary team for the Super50 Cup, said here yesterday.

Sir Curtly Ambrose

“Not too many cricket-lovers gave them any chance of beating Bangladesh, and to have won that game in that fashion was so refreshing. I’m

so excited for the guys.

“And most people talk about second string, I don’t like those words because these guys are the next in line of what we had, so therefore I’m so happy they’ve done well and shown all the negative ones who think they can’t do it at this level.

“So one-nil up, into the second (Test) we’re doing extremely well … 400-plus in the first innings, contributions all around and I’m hoping they go on to win the second Test.”

With first-choice gloveman Shane Dowrich also opting out of the tour for personal reasons, his absence meant a spot for rookie wicketkeeper-batsman, Joshua Da Silva, who had played only a single Test prior to the series.

However, Da Silva made 42 and 20 in the opening Test and then followed up with a top score of 92 on yesterday’s

second day of the second Test, to press his case for a permanent place in the squad.

And with the likes of Darren Bravo (32 runs), Roston Chase (17) and Shamarh Brooks (53 runs) all enduring wretched form on the tour of New Zealand last December, the enterprise of the batsmen on the Bangladesh tour is now expected to give selectors increased options for pending home tours – a fact acknowledged

by Sir Curtly.

“Most of these guys are still young and they got an opportunity to impress and they certainly did that,” said Sir Curtly, a former assistant West Indies coach.

“Now it’s going to make selection extremely difficult come the next series because in my opinion, some of the guys must play so the guys that did not go Bangladesh, some of them are going to

Da Silva, Bonner put West Indies in command (CMC) – Joshua Da Silva and Nkrumah Bonner both fell agonisingly short of a hundred while tail-ender Alzarri Joseph lashed an attacking half-century, but it was speedster Shannon Gabriel who rattled Bangladesh with a brace of wickets to put West Indies in command of the second Test here yesterday.

In another hugely impressive showing by the under-strength side on day two of the contest at the Shere Bangla National Stadium, West Indies rallied to 409 all out in their first innings, 15 minutes before the scheduled tea interval.

Da Silva, unbeaten overnight on 22, top-scored with 92, while Nkrumah Bonner fell for 90 after resuming the morning on 74.

Perhaps the highlight of the innings, however, was Joseph’s stunning 82 as he put the Bangladesh bowlers to the sword on either side of lunch in a breathtaking display of powerful hitting.

Gabriel (2-31) then rocked the innings immediately after tea by sending back Soumya Sarkar without scoring and Najmul Hossain for four in successive overs at the start, as Bangladesh slumped to 11 for two.

Opener Tamim Iqbal struck a breezy 44 in a half-century stand with captain Mominul Haque (21) but both fell six balls apart on the stroke of the final hour, to leave the innings on 105 for four at the close and the Caribbean side with a lead of 304 runs heading into today’s day three.

Resuming the day on 223 for five, West Indies flourished inside the first hour as Da Silva and Bonner extended their sixth-wicket partnership to 88 before being separated.

Da Silva gathered most of his 10 boundaries with crisp cuts and drives through the off side as

he faced 187 balls in nearly 4-½ hours at the crease.

He reached his second Test half-century in only this third Test on the stroke of the first hour with a reverse sweep to the third man boundary off off-spinner Mehidy Hasan Miraz.

Bonner, meanwhile, hit seven fours off 209 deliveries in a shade under 4-¾ hours.

Having made 86 in a match-winning effort in the first Test, the Jamaican again fell short of triple figures when he clipped Mehidy to Mohammad Mithun at leg slip, two overs before the first drinks break.

Left with an hour before lunch to run through the tail, Bangladesh encountered stubborn resistance in the form of a savage counter-attack from Joseph, as West Indies stormed to lunch on 325 for six.

The right-hander, who hit his maiden Test fifty on the recent tour of New Zealand, belted eight fours and five sixes off 108 balls in just under 2-½ hours, as he put on 118 for the seventh wicket with Da Silva.

Joseph signalled his intentions in the second over after the drinks break with two successive boundaries off Mehidy before driving off-spinner Nayeem Islam exquisitely to the long-off boundary in the next over.

His first six sailed over longon off Mehidy and his second was a mighty blow over wide long-on off left-arm spinner Taijul Islam (4-108).

Boundaries on either side of the wicket in successive overs from pacer Abu Jayed (4-98) left Joseph unbeaten on 34 on lunch, partnered by Da Silva on 52.

He continued to entertain after the interval and raised his fifty by clearing the ropes at mid-wicket with Nayeem, to also take West Indies past 350 for the second time in the series but only the

third time in their last 33 innings.

Against the run of play, Da Silva was bowled between bat and pad by Taijul and Joseph followed in the next over from Abu, caught at the wicket essaying another ambitious leg side stroke, as West Indies lost their last four wickets for 25 runs.

Working up a fair turn of pace, Gabriel struck with the sixth ball of the innings with a single run on the board when he had Soumya nervously clipping a simple catch to Kyle Mayers at short mid-wicket.

In his next over, Gabriel then removed left-hander Najmul to a superb catch at gully by Bonner, as Bangladesh stumbled further.

Tamim countered with half-dozen fours and a six in a

58-run, third-wicket partnership with Mominul, helping the hosts stage a fightback.

However, two quick blows set them back. First, off-spinner Rahkeem Cornwall had Mominul caught at the wicket cutting at one which bounced.

Joseph then knocked over Tamim, the left-hander picking out Shayne Moseley at short mid-wicket, to leave Bangladesh on 71 for four just before the start of the last hour.

Bangladesh regained their balance slightly, however, keeping West Indies without further success thanks to Mushfiqur Rahim who hit an unbeaten 27 in a 34-run, fifth-wicket stand with Mithun (6 not out).

miss out.

“But the main fact and the great thing about it is that West Indies cricket looks good for the future.”

Sir Curtly, who featured in a now historic run chase in 1999 when West Indies beat Australia at Bridgetown thanks to Brian Lara’s unbeaten 153, said the first Test win in Chattogram had been among the finest of all-time.

“It’s right up there – we have to admit that. Some people may say it’s only Bangladesh but I’m not for that,” Sir Curtly said regarding the fifth highest successful run chase in history.

“Bangladesh is a quality team, especially in their own backyard and for them to chase 395 on a last day and Kyle Mayers who had a brilliant innings with 200plus not out … it was an exceptional performance by him and the whole team.”

Da Silva ‘gutted’ after missing out on century (CMC) – Joshua Da Silva said yesterday he was “gutted” at missing out on triple figures, after falling for 92 on the second day of the second Test here.

Resuming on 22, the righthander batted superbly to strike 10 fours off 187 balls in nearly 4-½ hours at the crease but perished with a hundred in sight, bowled between bat and pad by left-arm spinner Taijul Islam.

“I got a half-century but it’s not good enough. I was eight runs short and I was gutted,” said the 22-year-old Joshua.

SCOREBOARD WEST INDIES 1st innings (overnight 223 for five) K Brathwaite c Najmul Hossain Shanto b Soumya Sarkar 47 J. Campbell lbw b Taijul Islam 36 S. Moseley b Abu Jayed 7 N. Bonner c Mohammad Mithun b Mehidy Hasan Miraz 90 K. Mayers c Soumya Sarkar b Abu Jayed 5 J. Blackwood c & b Taijul Islam 28 J. Da Silva b Taijul Islam 92 R. Cornwall not out 4 J. Warrican c wkp. Liton Das b Abu Jayed 2 S. Gabriel c Mushfiqur Rahim b Taijul Islam 8 EXTRAS: (b-4, lb-2, nb-2) 8 TOTAL: (all out, 142.2 overs) 409 Fall of wickets: 1-66, 2-87, 3-104, 4-116, 5-178, 6-266, 7-384, 8-396, 9-398.

Bowling: Abu Jayed 28-6-98-4, Mehidy Hasan Miraz 33-9-751, Nayeem Hasan 24-3-74-0, Taijul Islam 46.2-8-108-4 (nb-2), Soumya Sarjar 11-1-48-1.

BANGLADESH 1st innings Tamim Iqbal c Moseley b Joseph 44 Soumya Sarkar c Mayers b Gabriel 0 Najmul Hossain c Bonner b Gabriel 4 Mominul Haque c wkp. Da Silva b Cornwall 21 Mushfiqur Rahim not out 27 Mohammad Mithun not 6 EXTRAS: (nb-3) 3 TOTAL: (4 wkt, 36 overs) 105 Fall of wickets: 1-1, 2-11), 3-69), 4-71.

Bowling: Gabriel 8-2-31-2 (nb-2), Cornwall 11-4-18-1, Joseph 8-1-34-1, Mayers 5-1-12-0, Warrican 4-1-10-0 (nb-1) Position: Bangladesh trail by 304 runs with six first innings wickets intact.

Toss: West Indies.

Umpires: Richard Illingworth, Sharfuddoula; TV – Gazi Sohel.

West Indies yesterday put themselves in with a great chance to win the second Test in Dhaka when they piled up 409 in the first innings and then reduced the hosts to 105 for four at the close.

And Sir Curtly said he believed West Indies needed to play aggressively over the next three days in order to force a victory.

“We’ve got to push for a win. We’ve already scored more than 400, Bangladesh are just 105 for four, we should push for a win,” said the Antiguan who snatched 405 wickets from 98 Tests.

“Bowl them out cheaply, and either enforce the follow-on or bat and get some quick runs and bat them out of the game and look for a win.

“If it doesn’t happen, well it’s ok. We’re one-nil up but we’ve got to push for a win first.”

Joshua Da Silva forces one through point

“I probably shed a tear or two walking off just because I wanted to get there so badly but hopefully there are more opportunities and I will get it the next time.

“I can’t even describe how it feels and what it means to be eight runs short. I wish I could have backed that ball.

It’s the second time I’ve gotten out that way so hopefully next time I wouldn’t let (that ball) out me.”

Da Silva anchored two critical stands which propelled West Indies from their overnight 223 for five to 409 all out

in their first innings, about 15 minutes before tea.

Firstly, he extended his overnight sixth-wicket stand with Nkrumah Bonner (90) to 88 before adding a further 118 for the seventh wicket with tail-ender Alzarri Joseph who made a stroke-filled 82.

Da Silva was quick to praise Joseph’s innings which marked his second Test half-century following his 86 against New Zealand last December.

“I have full confidence in Alzarri and more confidence when he’s batting against pace but he showed he can do it against spin as well,” the Trinidadian gloveman said.

Playing in only his third Test following his debut in New Zealand, Da Silva has looked at ease against the battery of Bangladesh spinners throughout the series.

In the opening Test last week in Chattogram, he managed scores of 40 and 20, on both occasions battling through difficult situations to help put West Indies in strong positions.

“I’ve always been a good player of spin so I just adapted my game,” Da Silva explained. “(These are) lower wickets so that’s the majority of what I had to adapt to. (They are) similar to home but not as similar. It was different circumstances and situations so I just did my part.”

He added: “(I just) picked the line and length as early as possible. I’ve been doing a lot of work with Monty (Desai) our batting coach, just working on moving forward and backward positively and making that decision early.”

West Indies head into today’s third day with a lead of 304 runs, after restricting Bangladesh to 105 for four at the close.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, February 13, 2021

43

Devon Ramnauth Youth Cricket League set to start next Saturday

Johnson plays captain’s knock to take Jaguars to second win

Skipper Leon Johnson congratulates Gudakesh Motie (CWI Media photo)

THE Devon Ramnauth Region Two Development Youth Cricket League, which was expected to start in the latter part of last year, will now start next weekend in Essequibo.

Rain had forced the postponement of the six-team event, but organiser Ramnauth said that the grounds are now in good condition and are ready for cricket.

The event would have started this weekend, had it not been for the current Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) Under-19 One-Day Inter-County tournament which includes some of the

Six teams will battle over one month in the league

players involved.

Former National Youth player Ramnauth told Chronicle Sport that the U-19 T20 League would bowl off with three games involving the six teams on February 20.

Rising Star’s Spartans will meet United Warriors at Pomona from 10:00hrs.

The two other games will be played at the Imam Bacchus ground. At 09:30hrs, Essequibo Eagles U-19 will face Golden Fleece Viking Youths, while at 13:30hrs, Reliance Hustlers Youths will tackle Queenstown U-19.

On the last Saturday of the month (February 27), the two

venues will again host matches. Spartans will tackle Vikings Youths at Pomona from 09:30hrs; with Eagles U-19 facing Queenstown U-19 and Hustlers Youths challenging United Warriors, both at the Imam Bacchus ground.

Round Three will be held on March 6, with Eagles meeting Spartans at Imam Bacchus ground in the opener of a double-header.

The afternoon clash will see Queenstown U-19 play United Warriors.

The other game will be played at the Golden Fleece ground with the home team challenging Hustlers Youths

from 10:00hrs.

The fourth and final preliminary round will take place on March 13. Spartans will meet Hustlers Youth at Pomona, Eagles U-19 will face United Warriors at Imam Bacchus and Vikings Youths will challenge Queenstown U-19 at Golden Fleece.

One month from next Saturday, on March 20, the event will conclude with a thirdplace clash, a female T10 exhibition game, followed by the grand finale.

The three matches will be played at the Imam Bacchus ground.

Federations, athletes score big in $1.5B allocation for sports

THE country’s national federations and athletes were the biggest winners from the Government’s allocation of $1.5B for sports this year, according to the National Budget.

The $383.1B which was read by Dr Ashni Singh yesterday will see the sports

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sector receiving their largest allocation in history.

Of the $1.5B, $915.5M was allocated for the transforming of community grounds into modern state-of-the-art sports facilities, commencing in Regions 2, 6 and 10.

The sum will also be

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used for adding lights to community grounds, as well as the laying of synthetic tracks at Regions 6 and 10.

It was also noted, that $618M will be used for the hosting of tournaments by the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport, and to support sports associations.

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From this amount, $320M will be spent on the training of athletes and coaches, as part of the sports academy.

Chronicle Sport will publish Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Charles Ramson Jr’s reaction in tomorrow’s edition.

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A COMMANDING knock of grace and maturity from captain Leon Johnson saw the Guyana Jaguars register their second consecutive wins in match five of the Cricket West Indies (CWI)-sponsored CG Insurance Super50 Cup last evening in Antigua.

The 33-year-old Johnson struck a brilliant unbeaten 102, his second List A century to guide his team to a five-wicket win over the Leeward Islands Hurricanes.

Chasing 245, the Jaguars, who moved to the top of the points table on eight points, reached the target with 2.1 overs to spare. Johnson’s knock came off 123 balls decorated with 12 fours and a six.

Guyana Jaguars made one change from their first round encounter, replacing batsman Akshaya Persaud with off-spinner Ramaal Lewis. They won the toss and decided to bowl first, restricting Hurricanes to 244-9 off their 50 overs.

Opener Kieran Powell fell narrowly short of a century, but the hosts made a positive start in an opening stand of 152 between Powell and his left-handed partner Ross Powell.

The left-hander with international experience struck an attacking 94 off 97 balls with four fours and similar number of sixes.

The fellow left-hander hit a 99-ball 61 comprising eight boundaries, but it took the introduction of left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie (4-45), to change the course of the innings, as he broke a threatening stand when he removed Powell (Ross).

Thereafter, the batting collapsed. Motie, who

was adjudged man-of-thematch, accounted for Powell (Kieran), Nitish Kumar (5) and Kacey Carty (11), at 184-4.

The pacers Romario Shepherd (2-50), and Nial Smith (3-3-47) then made further inroads, after which the remaining batting crumbled. Only Devon Thomas (24) and Hayden Walsh (15), managed any further double figures.

The run chase saw failures again from openers Assad Fudadin, who made 22 off 56 balls and Chandrapaul Hemraj who struck three fours and a six in his 24. However, both were removed by Guyanese left-arm spinner Ashmead Nedd, who had impressive figures of 2-24 from his ten overs.

The attacking Shimron Hetmyer was run-out for nine, at 76-3 before Johnson and Christopher Barnwell combined for a promising fourth-wicket stand of 101, in which the right-hander Branwell contributed 49 off 52 balls with three sixes and a four.

Both Barnwell and Anthony Bramble (2), were dismissed caught at the wicket off pacer Sheeno Berridge (2-57) in successive overs, leaving the Jaguars at 191-5.

The left-handed Johnson though, continued strongly in company of Shepherd, who was left unbeaten on 17.

The tournament continues today with Windward Islands Volcanoes up against Trinidad and Tobago Red Force from 13:30hrs.

Guyana Jaguars will be in action again tomorrow when they play Jamaica Scorpions from 13:30hrs.

Nkrumah Bonner and Joshua Da Silva put on 88 for the sixth wicket, Bangladesh vs West Indies, 2nd Test, Dhaka, 2nd day, yesterday

Da Silva, Bonner put West Indies SEE PAGE 42

Johnson plays captain’s knock Essequibo batsmen to take Jaguars to second win struggle again

GCB Inter-County U-19 tournament …

SEE PAGE 43

SEE PAGE 41

Federations, athletes score big in $1.5B allocation for sports SEE PAGE 43

Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport Charles Ramson Jr.

Left-arm spinner Gourav Ramesh (left) and pacer Leon Swammy shared five wickets between them Printed and Published by Guyana National Newspapers Limi ted, Lama Avenue, Bel Air Park, Georgetown. Telephone 2 2 6- 3243-9 (General); Editorial: 2 2 7- 5204, 2 2 7- 5216. Fax:2 2 7- 5208

Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh announced a $1.5B sports budget (Adrian Narine Photo) | SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2021