Guyana_Chronicle_Epaper_02_24_2020

WEDNESDAY 24 th February, 2021

’ No. 106282

Over 20 homeless after La Grange fire PAGE

03

–– suspected arsonist in custody

Firefighters inspect the remains of the Lot 36 La Grange Public Road house where the fire started

The 02 Mash spirit is still alive PAGE

Four in 16 custody for alleged rape of 98-year-old woman PAGE

Vaccines reducing COVID-19 cases, deaths 15 PAGE

Man shot dead at party

PAGE

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, February 24, 2021

The Mash spirit is still alive

By Richard Bhainie

FEBRUARY 23 is a day when Guyanese patriots would flock the streets to celebrate with pride, their

Republic anniversary.

However, a stroll through the streets of Georgetown, on Tuesday, revealed that the COVID-19 pandemic has wrapped the country’s

celebrations in.

Looking as though it was just another day, there were no revelers in sight and no bands playing, but in an attempt to keep the spirit of

Famous Mashramani costume designer, Maxi K Williams in his float (Vishani Ragobeer photo) mash alive, two Brickdam, Georgetown businessmen brought their costumes out for display, so that passersby can remember the glorious day.

The Guyana Chronicle caught up with famous Mashramani costume designer, Maxi Williams of Maxi K Williams Designs, at his ‘Max Box Café’ at 56 Brickdam, Stabroek, Georgetown, who was joined by his friend, optician Don Gomes of Schuler and Gomes Optical, located at 71 Brickdam.

Cognisant of the gazetted COVID-19 Emergency Measures which prevent the gathering of crowds and stipulates the wearing of

face masks, Williams told this publication that he was keen on maintaining a safe environment while creating the ‘Mash’ atmosphere.

Williams noted that he had been involved in Mashramani celebrations since the age of 13, and it has become part of his life and livelihood.

The popular designer would usually design many of the vibrant costumes on display on Mashramani Day.

Due to the pandemic, this year, Williams was unable to express his patriotism and creativity on the mash parade; however, he found a way of still partaking in what he describes as a culture that is engrained in him.

While maintaining high spirits and not allowing the pandemic to ruin his day, Williams decorated his café See page 8

Famous Mashramani costume designer, Maxi K Williams on his ‘moko jumbie stilts’ putting on a performance for passersby while ensuring he masks up (Vishani Ragobeer photo)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, February 24, 2021

Over 20 homeless after La Grange fire –– suspected arsonist in custody

AN early morning fire, suspected to have been the result of arson, on Tuesday, completely destroyed two properties at La Grange, West Bank Demerara.

Popular West Demerara businessman, Purushotam Geewan, called ‘Rambo’ is among more than 20 persons who are now homeless and left counting millions of dollars in losses.

Regional Commander, Errol Watts, confirmed that the suspected arsonist has since been arrested and, up to late Tuesday, he was still in police custody. Reports are that the suspect has an old grievance with the owner of the property, where the fire had started.

The fire started at approximately 01:30hrs at the Lot 36 La Grange Public Road home of Rajmatie and Mahase Anandram. The couple shared the three bedroom building with two of their sons.

Speaking with the Guyana Chronicle, Rajmatie explained that her husband and the suspect had a grievance some time ago, but had not had any altercations recently. However, the suspect is well known for repeatedly harassing persons in the community.

“My husband and him had a story like two years ago. He’s not mad, but he likes to drink and he’s like this ‘badderation’ person. He does past here steady to go to my nephew at the back, and sometimes he would trouble [my customers]. I’m a seamtress and my husband is a tailor,” Rajmatie explained.

The woman said from all indications, the fire was set twice. At 01:30hrs, her neighbour alerted her to a fire at the property. Rajmatie

said when that fire was extinguished, it was observed that the fire was set on a rug that does not belong to anyone in her household.

After the fire was doused, the couple returned to bed.

However, 45 minutes later, a fire was observed once again.

“We go back, but I couldn’t sleep. Then I hear something shatter at like 2:15am, and me call for me husband in the next room and she ‘wah happen deh boy’, and he seh ‘fire, fire’ and he seh ‘put on yuh clothes’ but I didn’t get to put on no clothes… the smoke was just too much,” Rajmatie recounted.

As the couple fled their home, Rajmatie said neighbours began to make attempts to douse the flames, and it was then that the suspect was observed after he began to urge persons to desist from putting out the fire.

“He shouting ‘don’t help them, left them let he burn’, and he just deh ah cuss up and a lot of people heard him,” Rajmatie said.

Meanwhile, located next door to the Anandrams is an apartment complex owned

by Geewan. Five different households were renting sections of the property. His wholesale beverage store and a hangout spot were also located in building.

According to Geewan, his losses include a Canter truck, which was parked inside the building; five generator sets and a $25 million music set, which was recently bought.

Additionally, he informed this publication that he had recently purchased 1000 cases of beers and other beverages. Fortunately, he was able to save two other vehicles that were also parked on the premises at the time.

“I can’t give a count right now, I just have to sit down and cool my head. You name it, I had it. My whole life, all my work gone down here.

I don’t know where to go, I don’t like to beg nobody for anything, so I don’t have anywhere to turn to. I don’t know how to move from here,” the businessman lamented.

Aside from tenants, Geewan lived in one of the apartments with his wife, while his son, his daughterin-law and seven-year-old grandson occupied another.

POOR RESPONSE The distraught businessman blamed the firefighters for the destruction of his property.

According to Geewan, after the fire was detected, the fire tender from the La Grange Fire Station, located less than a mile away, was summoned. However, on arrival, a pump on the tender

All that remains of the Lot 36 La Grange Public Road home where the fire started was not working and had to be given a jump start from another vehicle.

His house at that time not was not on fire.

However, once the fire tender was up and working, the firefighters had issues finding an open water source as a nearby trench was too

Businessman Purushotam Geewan, called ‘Rambo’ and his wife

Purushotam Geewan’s property following the fire

shallow. Geewan explained that when water was finally sourced, he begged the fire fighters to soak his property to prevent the fire from spreading to his house.

“The pump didn’t starting, when it start I telling them, throw water on the house, throw water on this house; that house did done burn down. When my house started to catch, I begging these guys, throw water, throw water,” Geewan recounted.

Further, detailing how the events played out, he commented: “Them fire man make this place burn down.

They allow this thing to burn down. They said they have it under control, telling me shut my mouth, but I done lose already.”

Later 40-year-old Patricia Trotz, a security guard, and one of Geewan’s tenant, told this publication that she is not sure where she was going to rest her head next as the fire has left her with nothing.

Trotz and her 20-year-old daughter were renting the apartment.

The woman recounted that she and her daughter

were the last tenants out of the building as she lived in the bottom flat at the western end, and was only alerted by the tenant who lived above her.

As the fire spread from the front of the building to the back, Trotz and daughter could not exit from the front and were forced to seek refuge in the yard behind the property.

“I had to jump my neighbour fence, and trying to break their gate to come over here,” Trotz shared.

“I was in my bed sleeping, and I hearing the footsteps but I didn’t take it for anything. But then I heard shouts, and when I look out, this fire spreading like magic.

I tried to get some stuff out but I only get out my music box.”

Other tenants at Geewan’s property included three couples, two of whom had children.

This newspaper was told that a baby was among those living in one of the apartments.

There were no reports of injuries during the incident.

Rajmatie Anandram (sitting left) is surrounded by family members as she surveys what is left of her home following the early morning fire

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, February 24, 2021

Suspect in Malta journalist murder pleads guilty

One of three men accused of assassinating investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia in Malta in 2017 has been sentenced to 15 years in prison after pleading guilty.

Vincent Muscat admitted involvement on Tuesday in the car bombing that killed the reporter.

Many suspect it was ordered by top Malta establishment figures.

Called a “one-woman Wikileaks”, Caruana Galizia uncovered networks of corruption in the country and abroad.

Muscat changed his plea on Tuesday in a dramatic turn of events and agreed to provide information about the murder. He must also pay €42,000 ($51,000; £36,300) in court expenses.

The two other defen-

dants, brothers George and Alfred Degiorgio, who are also in their 50s, were also in the courtroom on Tuesday but did not speak.

The three men were charged with planning the assassination and triggering the bomb that killed Caruana Galizia near her home in October 2017. They were arrested in December the same year. The Degiorgio brothers have stuck to not guilty pleas.

According to the Times of Malta newspaper, Muscat reached a plea bargain with prosecutors in the case, offering up information about the killing and renouncing his right to appeal.

A fourth person, Maltese businessman Yorgen Fenech, has also been charged with complicity over the killing an allegation he denies.

Fenech, who was arrested as he tried to sail away from Malta on a yacht in November 2019, is awaiting trial.

Caruana Galizia, who was 53 when she died, spent 30 years as a journalist and relentlessly accused Maltese politicians and other officials

of corruption in her popular Running Commentary blog.

She was a harsh critic of government and effectively triggered an early election in 2017 by publishing allegations linking the then-prime minister to the Panama Papers scandal.

Joseph Muscat, who is

not related to the suspect, denied the corruption allegations. He later resigned as prime minister in December 2019 after an investigation implicated his close associates in the murder.

After her assassination, her son Paul hit out at what he called the coun-

violate it”.

Following the sentencing on Tuesday, the journalist’s family said in a statement they hoped “this development will begin the road for total justice for Daphne Caruana Galizia”.

Her killing “destroyed her right to life and re-

Daphne Caruana Galizia’s assassination shocked Malta

try’s “mafia state”, saying his mother had been killed “because she stood between the rule of law and those who sought to

moved her right to enjoy her family and grandchildren who were born after her murder”, it added.

(BBC)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, February 24, 2021

US arrests El Chapo’s wife over drug trafficking The wife of jailed Mexican drug lord Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán has been arrested in the US on suspicion of drug trafficking, US authorities say.

Emma Coronel Aispuro, 31, was detained at Dulles International Airport outside Washington DC. She is charged with participating in a conspiracy to distribute heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine and marijuana.

Guzmán is currently serving a life sentence in Colorado for drug trafficking and money laundering.

The 63-year-old is a former head of the Sinaloa cartel, which officials say was the biggest supplier of drugs to the US. His trial in 2019 heard shocking revelations about his life, from drugging

and raping girls as young as 13 to carrying out the cold-blooded murders of former cartel members and rivals.

the time being. Prosecutor Anthony Nardozzi said Coronel Aispuro had “worked closely” with members of the Sinaloa cartel and had

Emma Coronel Aispuro stayed loyal to her husband, attending nearly every day of his trial in 2019 (BBC photo)

Coronel Aispuro appeared via video link before a federal judge at a court in Washington DC on Tuesday and was ordered to remain in detention for

possessed the “financial means to generate a serious risk of flight”.

As well as facing drug trafficking charges, she is also accused of conspiring

with others to help her husband escape from prison in Mexico in 2015.

He was sprung from Mexico’s maximum-security Altiplano prison after his sons bought a property near the prison and a GPS watch smuggled into the prison gave diggers his exact location. He escaped by riding a specially adapted small motorcycle through the tunnel.

Court documents said Coronel Aispuro was allegedly involved in planning another prison escape for her husband before he was extradited to the US in January 2017.

She has not commented on the charges.

Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said the arrest was “a matter that the United States will

Jamaica: Woman who beat man with machete arrested The Westmoreland police have arrested and charged a 40-year-old woman who was seen in a viral video on social media mercilessly beating a man with a machete during a dispute.

Shernette Althea Beckford, a vendor of a Pullet Lane Line Piece, Petersfield address in the parish was arrested and charged on Tuesday for the offence.

The woman, who is known to the man, was arrested Tuesday following the receipt of a report on February 13 for the incident which took place on February 7.

In the viral video, the man who is slim and tall was seen being beaten by Beckford, who is much bigger than the victim. The victim received hard slaps with a machete all over his body to include the back of his head and his hands as he attempted to ward off the blows being inflicted.

Beckford could be heard in the video accusing the victim of “carrying” her name elsewhere as she inflicted the blows. The man denied her claims.

Meanwhile, Deputy Superintendent of Police, Adrian Hamilton who is in charge of operations for the Westmoreland Police Division is advising the public to seek amicable alternative avenues to resolve their disputes instead of resorting to violence.

“As it relates to police disputes, far too often individuals have resorted to violence as a means of settling domestic disputes and we want to implore persons to seek alternative avenues to

settle these disputes through negotiations and mediation and spare themselves the inconvenience of prosecution because the police will arrest and charge individuals who are in contravention of

the law,” stated DSP Hamilton.”

The victim who had reportedly complained of experiencing back pains had visible scars to his left shoulder for which he sought and received medical attention after the incident.

Beckford is booked to appear in the Westmoreland Parish Court in Savanna-la-Mar on March 16. (Jamaica Observer)

decide” but added that he hoped the US would share more of the details.

WHO IS EMMA CORONEL AISPURO? Coronel Aispuro is a dual US-Mexico citizen, a former beauty pageant winner and journalism student, and the mother of twins with Guzmán. According to previous interviews gave to US media, she first met Guzmán at a dance when she was 17 and he was 49.

She attended nearly every day of her husband’s three-month trial in New York, during which she heard not only grim accounts of murder and rape, but also claims he had spied on her and other mistresses.

She came under the media spotlight during that trial. In one instance, she

appeared to laugh during the tearful testimony of one of Guzmán’s mistresses.

On another day she and Guzmán wore similar velvet jackets, which many people interpreted as a show of solidarity.

She remained supportive of Guzmán throughout, saying at the end of the trial: “I don’t know my husband as the person they are trying to show him as, but rather I admire him as the human being that I met, and the one that I married.”

Guzmán came from a poor family in Sinaloa state, north-west Mexico.

His organised crime business grew so big that he entered Forbes’ 2009 list of the world’s richest men at number 701, with an estimated worth of $1bn (£709m). (BBC)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, February 24, 2021

Developing a growth mindset HOW Guyanese see themselves and their nation is an important element of moving this society forward to its potential, to really and in actuality achieve the kind of progress that is a real possibility in these times of promising growth and development.

How many times before in its history Guyana stood on the doorstep of its development, this land so lauded for its rich natural resources, lack of natural disaster threats, and for its leading role as a Caribbean community member.

Yet, after Independence in the 1960s, all that great promise faded within a decade as the People’s National Congress established an authoritarian state, and then recently, just as the country became a Middle Developed country on the world socio-economic ranking, in 2015, the Coalition stepped in, and for five years, hanged hardships around the necks of citizens with 200+ new taxes and terrible macroeconomic management. The people of this country would benefit enormously from a comprehensive national programme that designs the public perception of the land, the way Guyanese see themselves and the nation, to awaken the soul of the public to the new vision and new possibility of their new future.

Certain people seem to function on the public platform without a growth mindset, still seeing the national stage the same way they did years ago. But Guyana is not what it was even last year, or five years ago, but rather a fast evolving society. A society is made

up of human beings, and people are dynamic, organic beings, never static, but always evolving, growing, kind of in a flowing state of becomingness, thus making society a flowing, dynamic social entity.

Leading figures who emerge to play in the public domain, therefore, owe it to the society to exercise this trait of self-growth and personal development, that they do not walk around the nation looking at things with the same eyes through which they saw Guyanese when they were fresh on the scene.

For example, Guyanese could look at the leaders within the Government of Guyana, and see the same names they saw in government for much of the 23 years before 2015. Yet, many of these have become deeper thinkers, more experienced men and women, more polished leaders, seeing themselves and the nation with a clearer and clearer light as the years go by. Not only because of growing older and wiser, but because these leaders look at the society with a growth mindset, and know that they themselves have to constantly widen their horizon, become more and more knowledgeable, and increase their leadership skills; they become greater characters as time goes by. So the nation hears people like Prime Minister Mark Phillips and Vice-President Bharrat Jagdeo and President Irfaan Ali and Attorney-General, Anil Nandlall speak today with a tone of deeper insights into how they see themselves and Guyana, than before.

Unfortunately, one cannot say the same for much of the Opposition camp, many of whom seem to hang on to a static way of being, with their national conversations often reflecting the same theme over and over. Then, there’s the role of a few public commentators who parade the same old complaints and suspicions and propaganda, seeing themselves and the nation through warped, fading lenses which they hang on to, and refuse to polish or change.

This is a fine nuance, an important factor in what it takes to design the Guyanese society, this idea that the worldview, mindset, and presupposition of the people and of those who step out to address citizens, is a vital element in nation-building, and in generating that oneness and unity that President Ali wants to see become real.

Guyana is a relatively small population compared to the big nations around the world, with Brazil next door, for example, housing a population of 211 million people, and Venezuela with nearly 30 million people. Because of the small size of this country’s population, and the easy reach of most communities, as the bulk of the country exists on the coastline, it becomes crucial to take into consideration such finer points of how a society develops, of what factors play a decisive role in shaping the public way of being, of the integrity of the inner foundation of the social fabric.

Harnessing the collective perception of the people, and designing how the country appears and occurs to its citizens,

becomes, in today’s complex global social environment, a necessary part of governing how Guyanese go about the job of building their country. Cultivating a national growth mindset and a worldview of the public seeing the great potential unfolding before their eyes with energy and drive, is a necessary prerequisite in motivating the country to move with the tide of the times.

This country’s potential for socioeconomic development is so astonishing and dreamlike, with the real possibility that Guyana could be a great world nation in this 21st century, that Guyanese must be careful to not approach the task at hand with a cavalier attitude, feeling that it would all automatically happen, and that such things as the finer points of the national mindset are not important. The path must be prepared well and designed in such a way that the Guyanese destination is not only reached, but that citizens enjoy the journey of their self-development, growth, and national progress. For this, the society must encourage and foster a national cadre of leaders who self-develop, mature, and not see things through clouded judgement, but rather see things clearly, with a calm, measured approach to playing in the public domain.

How Guyanese see their country and themselves, how this place occurs to its people, may be the most important key to unlock that legendary Guyanese potential to develop a great nation on the world stage, given the natural resources wealth of the land.

We should use our diplomatic channels to be included in the EU visa-exempt status Dear Editor, ST Lucia and St Kitts & Nevis are two of the Caribbean countries that enjoy visa exemptions from the European Union (EU) to travel within their Schengen region.

The citizens of these two Caribbean islands require only a valid passport with a minimum of three months valid-

ity prior to travelling. Guyana is now becoming an emerging nation in the oil-and-gas sector with global recognition which we should use to facilitate the free movement of our people in order to further the goals of our nation.

A visa-exempt status with the EU will allow our entrepreneurs a hassle-free access to the businesses in Europe that will want to invest in Guyana and form

partnerships.

It will also allow more goods and services to be exported from Guyana to the EU and reciprocally, for goods and services to be imported from the EU to Guyana. Visa exemption will encourage Guyanese to vacation in Europe which has a lot of historical sites that are the bedrock of European civilisation.

It can also be used to develop Guy-

ana as a tourist destination for Europeans, which will also mean more airline connections.

Using our diplomatic channels to access this visa-exempt status with the EU will greatly enhance our development and prestige among nations.

Yours sincerely, Reggie Bhagwandin

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, February 24, 2021

A question to ponder Dear Editor, GUYANA is a Republican state and surrounded by Republican neighbours; Venezuela, Brazil, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago. Guyana also shares Republican status with other Caribbean islands friends; Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic and Haiti.

Other sisterly Caribbean countries chose to retain the Queen as the Head (a Monarch) and are independent with a Prime Minister but not Republic with a President; Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Grenada, Jamaica and the federation of St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia and St Vincent and the Grenadines. Guyana was not a member of the 10 territories of the West Indies Federation Association formed in 1958 and collapsed in 1962, being weak and limited to making decisions for internal affairs only. Despite the association as Commonwealth nations, a knitted body as CARICOM, the tantalising question haunts many in the West Indies, who is better off being independent versus republic?

The great son of Guyana’s soil, the honorable Sir Ron Saunders, had once op-ed on a conversation between Sir Lester Baird, Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda and, Cuban leader, Fidel Castro, back in 1994, shortly after the countries had established diplomatic relations. Sir Lester had indicated to Castro that he was contemplating on relinquishing the monarch as the country’s Head of State and Castro had inquired why. “Does she interfere with your government?” Castro asked. Sir Lester had replied in the negative and added that her role was performed by a local representative and only ceremonial, having no executive authority in the government.

Castro’s response shocked, surprised and left all flabbergasted and baffled. Castro advised, “In which case, you might consider remaining as you are. The Queen doesn’t interfere with your government and she provides to foreign investors and others a level of confidence in the constitutional arrangements of your State.” Interestingly, Barbados is considering going Republic this year while Australia and Canada prefer not to and remain independent sovereign countries. The underlying question bothers allied Caribbean sisters and brothers, why try to fix a system that is not broken?

After the introduction of Universal Adult Suffrage in the elections of 1963, Cheddie Jagan as premier was allowed to rule for only 133 days and was forcefully removed from office by the British and replaced by an interim government.

The Proportional Representative formula enforced again by the British permitted a coalition between the PNC and UF parties to gain more votes than the PPP party to form the government in 1964. The hands of the British and Americans stabbed the back of the PPP party and dirty money deployed by the CIA, saw the violence fanning a flame which burnt the good relationship which had existed between the Indo and Afro-Guyanese. Both Britain and America are responsible for separating the unity of all ethnicities in Guyana, having supported the sly accomplice, Peter D’aguiar and, the crafty and cunning Burnham, who deviously out foxed Cheddie Jagan.

Guyana gained independence from

Great Britain on 1966, 26th May and the PNC party ruled for 28 years until 1992, having rigged all the elections. Independence, with a French and Latin connation, is defined as a person, nation, country or state in which its residents and population, or some portion thereof, exercise self- government and usually sovereignty over its territory. The PNC party kept the PPP at bay and foiled the exuberance of the UF party’s optimism. Burnham immediately proceeded to hurriedly dismantle the British systems and deployed his own methods and, impatiently removed “scars” of the British affluence and the master-servant touch.

The Europeans and Portuguese in Guyana were silently taking a cue and began their exodus. Independence brought about the dismantling of a country of six races and the beginning of a reign of terror by a charismatic but shrewd leader. In a question of hindsight, was an immature Guyana ready for freedom to escape a safety net, endangering hospitality with hostility?

A Co-operative Republic of Guyana was declared on February, 23rd, 1970 and Burnham quickly ventured into the many nationalisation of industries and his party members joyfully began filling round holes with square pegs, compensation of loyalty to Burnhamism. A republican state is a form of government, one in which power rests with the citizens and their legally elected representatives. The country is considered a “public matter” and not the private concern or property of rulers. A rigged “referendum” was held in 1978. Burnham established the paramountcy of the PNC party over the State, Parliament and the Judiciary. The primary positions of power within a republic are attained through democracy or a mix of democracy with oligarchy or autocracy rather than being unalterably occupied by any given family lineage or group. Burnham governed as a dictator with a party’s policy of divide and control. The police force, the army, the public service, state agencies and all government offices were employing PNC members and were installed with 90 per cent of Afro-Guyanese.

One people, one nation and one destiny became a myth, a front, a farce and a slogan as a whitewash to promote propaganda in name and nature only.

Feed, clothe and house was a concept ingrained to accommodate PNC party members through cooperative agencies with the presentation of party cards from holders. As Guyanese began to awake with their backs against the wall, mass migration began and Burnham was only too happy with his evil plan. National Service was conceptualised with the hope of a factory producing a master byproduct to change the landscape of Guyana’s impetus. But man proposes and God disposes. Burnham thought he would have lived forever as he was making an empire with a kingdom fit for himself as a permanent king and a messiah! His plans were abruptly foiled and got cancelled in 1985.

Guyanese need to ask the pertinent question, did becoming a republic state place a great value on virtue or more stress on a strained status, to remove stability and unity from the fray of politics?

Respectfully, Jai Lall

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, February 24, 2021

Mustapha signals expanded role for GMC

By Naomi Parris AGRICULTURE Minister, Zulfikar Mustapha, has disclosed plans to expand the mandate of the New Guyana Marketing Corporation (GMC) to provide a support system for local farmers and create sustainable markets for them to sell their produce.

The minister, during the Ministry of Agriculture’s spe-

cial report on Tuesday, said a newly revamped New GMC will be working in collaboration with the Guyana School of Agriculture (GSA) and the National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI) to provide training opportunities and extended markets for farmers.

“What we will have to do is train a number of persons; we will have to train farmers on how they can package

their produce and things like that…. The New GMC and the Guyana School of Agriculture and other agencies, too, will have to work very closely and I have been meeting with together since I have become Minister of Agriculture, and I think this kind of relation and interaction amongst these agencies is looking very good.”

The minister further stated that the government will be

looking to establish a number of processing facilities in a number of farming communities.

“The New GMC and the Guyana School of Agriculture will have to work very closely because what we are looking to do now is build these agriculture processing facilities around the country; we are looking to build one on the East Coast of Demerara at Hope, we are looking for building in Region 10 and we already have one in Parika, in Region Three, and we are looking to have one in Region Two, and I am hoping that we can build one in Region Six.” Additionally, the minister said that works on the

cold-storage facility at Mora-Parika will begin soon.

During a recent visit to the facility, the minister noted that the building has not been utilised to its full potential over the years and many of the equipment today are not functioning as they should.

However, he has instructed the GMC’s Board of Directors and General Manager, Teshawna Lall, to formulate a strategy to restore the facility.

“It’s a beautiful building, but it is underutilised, so I have asked her to come up with some plans on how we can utilise this private-public partnership. We will put out an advertisement for expressions of interest and also we

Agriculture Minister, Zulfikar Mustapha will be meeting with farmers to sensitise and [encourage] them to start using back this facility so we can provide services.”

Additionally, in the 2021 Budget, the GMC has been allocated $293 million to facilitate these and several other agricultural projects.

The Mash spirit ...

From page 2

and put his floats out for display, so that customers could enjoy their meal while getting a glimpse of previous ‘Mash days’.

“Mash is cancelled due to COVID-19 because of the crowd and the gathering that would happen, but we are still trying to live that spirit as a business that’s open today,” Williams said.

“The spirit of Mash is still alive in a safe environment, today, it’s all about the décor and the atmosphere in a safe way,” he added.

The pulsating beats blasting from the speakers were enough to keep the few people who were at the café on their feet.

The Golden Arrow Head flying high and vibrant floats Williams had on display made it almost feel like it was just another Mashramani Day. All decked out in his costume, Gomes took his float, marching down Brickdam from his store, located at 71 Brickdam,

Stabroek, Georgetown, to Williams café.

For Gomes, it was much more than parading. He opined that Guyana was at a significant juncture of the country’s development and the country’s culture must develop with it simultaneously.

Responding to why just not wait for Mashramani 2022, Gomes said: “They can wait; I don’t have the time to wait. I could die tomorrow, but today, I’m having a good time today.”

He was adamant that if the celebrations were as per normal for the country’s 51st Republic Anniversary, the theme ‘not a blade of grass’ would be most fitting, especially to send a message to those who are uncertain of Guyanese patronage.

Many passersby slowed their vehicles at ‘Max Box Café’ as they were traversing along Brickdam to absorb the invigorating vibes that Williams and Gomes had put on.

Maxi K Williams (centre) and Don Gomes (right) putting on a performance for passersby ((Vishani Ragobeer photo)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, February 24, 2021

Labour Ministry offices to be rehabilitated, expanded

THE Ministry of Labour has been allocated almost $1 billion under the 2021 national budget, and will be using much of that sum to rehabilitate and expand its offices on Brickdam to better accommodate its increasing staff size, which has more than doubled over the past seven months.

According to Minister of Labour, Joseph Hamilton, when he took over the ministry in August 2020, he met around 90 staffers but this number has since grown close to 200.

The growth is deemed necessary for the ministry’s extensive work programme.

Immediately upon assuming office in August 2020, Hamilton began an assessment of staffing at the Ministry of labour, and saw a major need for capacity-building, and expansion of the staff in order to properly cater for the labour needs of the

population.

“The MoL staff complement has moved from under 90 to almost 200,” Hamilton explained in an interview with the Guyana Chronicle on Monday.

Since assuming his ministerial post, Hamilton has been continually highlighting the stark absence of labour officers, Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) officers, and Board of Industrial Training (BIT) officers in all of the regions across the country, and limited staff in Georgetown.

Rectifying this deficiency was one of the first things that the minister embarked upon “The MoL has six technical departments that were not being nurtured. In a matter of five months, this PPP/C Government has increased the complement of OSH officers from nine to 30 because we understand the lives of our people on work sites. We have increased the number

Minister of Labour, Joseph Hamilton of labour officers from 16 to 26,” Hamilton noted on Monday during his contribution to the budget debate in the

National Assembly.

During his remarks, Hamilton called out the main opposition, APNU+AFC, for

not having done enough to cater for the management of labour issues during their five years in government.

“The MoL has six technical departments that were not nurtured. All kinds of advantage being taken on employees and yet they saw no need to increase the complement of labour officers.

“Our people were dying in the mining pits and construction sites and yet the APNU saw it not fit to train and employ more OHS officers. Our OSH Department, presently, we are reviewing legislation to deal with the oil and gas sector. These people were in government for five years and they paid no attention to it; it’s like if we didn’t need safety and health,” Hamilton asserted.

Over the past five years, under the previous administration, the MoL had been converted into being the Department of Labour and was

absorbed under the Ministry of Social Protection. During that period, the labour sector was managed by four different ministers and faced several critical issues.

The department was last headed by former minister, Keith Scott, who presided over issues such as teachers strike in 2018; the death of an employee at the Australian-owned gold mining company, Troy Resources in 2019; the strike and eventual firing of employees at the Russian-owed Bauxite Company of Guyana Inc (BCGI); and several strikes and labour issues at the Guyana Sugar Corporation.

A full Ministry of Labour was restored in August 2020 following the change of government.

Minister Hamilton explained that due to this upgrade to a ministry, the agency is now in need of an administration department.

Technical, vocational training for 3,500 Guyanese this year –– Minister Hamilton

OVER 3,500 Guyanese across the country are set to benefit from technical and vocational training from this year, through the Ministry of Labour – Board of Industrial Training (BIT).

Labour Minister, Joseph Hamilton, made this statement during his contribution to the Budget Debate at the 20th Sitting of the 12th Parliament.

He said the ministry has already appointed BIT officers to every region, who would be working with residents to craft training programmes, based on the needs of their respective communities.

“The Board of Industrial Training was not utilised the way the law said it was to be utilised. It was more designed to service Region Four and Georgetown. Today, the BIT and its programmes will be expanded to every region throughout the length and breadth of Guyana; never before this has happened.”

Minister Hamilton said engagements were

held with the Ministries of Human Services and Social Security and Culture, Youth and Sport, to ensure these training programmes reach the most vulnerable groups, as well as youth.

Concerning employment, he reminded the House of the role of the Central Recruitment and Manpower Agency (CRMA), which is tasked with examining and contributing to the nation’s -social development, as well as providing effective and efficient employment services to job seekers and employers.

The Labour Minister said efforts are being made to revive the CRMA, and this year, the focus is on improving the academic qualification and skills of job seekers.

While endorsing Budget 2021, Minister Hamilton said Labour and Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) matters are at the forefront of the PPP/C Administration’s ‘Plan for Prosperity’. “We recognise the importance of the safety of our people,” he said.

Already, the number of labour officers has been increased from 16 to 26, while OSH officers have been increased from nine to 30. The ministry is also reviewing the OSH guide-

lines to cater for the petroleum sector.

The Labour and OSH officers will also be trained in Mandarin and Portuguese to ensure effective engagements with the

workforce.

Meanwhile, Government Member of Parliament (MP), Sanjeev Datadin, during his presentation, also endorsed Budget 2021.

He said the provisions would put Guyana on a path of economic and social development which is needed after five years of APNU+AFC governance.

(DPI)

10

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, February 24, 2021

Street lights installed in tribute to fallen RHTY&SC club member

By Nafeeza Yahya-Sakur

THE Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club (RHTY&SC), in collaboration with the Mayor

and Town Council, has embarked on an illumination project in honour of the late Lomenzo Johnny, called “Sham”, who was brutally murdered in February 2020.

Twenty-four solar-powered street lights have been secured to date through the benevolence of overseas-based Guyanese, members of the cricket teams and others in support of the

project.

Speaking with the Guyana Chronicle, RHTY&SC president, Hilbert Foster, said the 24 street lights, which have already been installed, cost a little under

One of the lights being installed on Tuesday $300,000. He is optimistic that by year-end, at least 50 will be installed.

“We are installing 24 lights in the arch southern section and along the JC Chandisingh access road, and this is being done in tribute to our friend, Lomenzo Johnny, who was brutally murdered along this same path here,” he said.

Foster added that since the new mayor took office, the club has been lending their support to him by donating much-needed items as they work together to improve the lives of the residents of the township.

“Dave Budhoo, the new mayor, is a very close friend and we have been very supportive of him in the development of Rose Hall... this is the third project we are doing together since he came into office. We are very proud being from Rose Hall, and as such, being the champion cricket team in Guyana, we are doing our best to ensure we give back to society,” he said.

He noted that the team

aims to continue to install the solar light across the entire town and is hoping Guyanese in the diaspora will reach out and give their support.

Foster also noted that the incident with Jhonny last year and the rape of the town’s oldest member, a 98-year-old woman on Tuesday, highlight the need for the lights as well as the need to get the youths of the town more involved in meaningful activities and away from drugs and alcohol.

“Incidents like these makes me strongly believe that the death penalty should come back.

I mean this should not happen in Rose Hall or anywhere, which is why the RHYT&SC spends every single day trying to get our youths off alcohol or drugs.

We win some and we lose some, but this incident has really affected me and will also inspire us at the club to ensure that we get more lights to make our town safer,” RHTY&SC president said.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, February 24, 2021

RHO unveils plan to transform healthcare in Region One THE health sector of Barima-Waini (Region One) is set to undergo major transformation, through a 20-year strategic plan designed by the Ministry of Health and the Regional Democratic Council, with implementation set to begin this year.

Regional Health Of-

“In all of our border points, we intend to convert ,if it is a health hut, into a health centre in 2021, and if it is a health centre, by 2023-2024, we are going to convert that into a cottage hospital,” the RHO said.

TRAINING To this end, staff

Regional Health Officer, Region One, Dr. Steven Cheefoon ficer (RHO), Dr. Steven Cheefoon, made this disclosure at a ministerial outreach in Arakaka on Saturday.

The four-phase plan includes timelines to reach specific development goals. Those are laying foundation: 2021 – 2026; consolidation of foundation: 2026 – 2031; expansion of system (family medicine): 2036 – 2041; and reforms and adjustments to cultures: post-dates.

During the first phase, the ministry intends to establish a medical barrier around the region.

would be given the opportunity to benefit from advanced training to ensure the efficient functioning of the upgraded facilities. Several courses are set to begin this year.

“Come April 1, we are training 50 CHWs [Community Health Workers] and by September, we are going to train nursing assistants, post-basic midwifery and also single-trained midwives,” Dr. Cheefoon said.

Training for pharmacy assistants and medical laboratory technicians would also be conducted, See page 12

11

Local Government and Regional Development Minister, Nigel Dharamlall, makes his address at the ministerial engagement in Arakaka, Region One (DPI photo)

12

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, February 24, 2021

RHO unveils plan to transform healthcare ...

From page 11

he added.

In order to realise the region’s goals, all of the training cannot be done in Georgetown. Therefore, the educators would be brought to the region to conduct the programmes.

Further, the RHO said, the electrical fittings at

the Arakaka Health Centre would be overhauled and plumbing works conducted. A medical doctor would also be stationed there soon, for a period of two years. A nursing assistant would also be assigned to the facility.

Dr. Cheefoon said

these changes are expected to reduce the workload of the region’s lone Medex, allowing more focus to be placed on maternity care to reduce the maternal mortality rate.

EXPANSION OF SERVICES

While these initiatives are being pursued, the RHO also said a breakthrough would occur in Moruca as residents would benefit from firsttime access to X-ray services before April.

“We have already sent in the medical per-

sons from the Ministry of Health. They evaluated the X-ray service there and they told us what we need to offer that service in Moruca,” Dr. Cheefoon said.

In the Matarkai sub-region, Port Kaituma has already received an X-ray machine. The final component to put that system into operation is a transformer. Matthews Ridge is also scheduled to have its X-ray services brought online by 2022.

“When you [Arakaka] convert into a cottage hospital in 2023-2024, we expect that service also to be here,” the RHO added.

Residents of the Matarkai sub-region would also have access to ultrasound services as efforts are underway to procure ultrasound equipment this year. This service will eliminate costs associated with transporting pregnant women to Georgetown for ultrasound evaluations.

“We are going to decrease that cost and try our best to have the region self-sufficient and independent,” Dr. Cheefoon said.

Furthermore, to strengthen the dispensation of medication in Arakaka, pharmacists from Parika and Port Kaituma are set to soon visit the community fortnightly.

The government has continued to place the health sector as a top priority with a $53.5 billion allocation in Budget 2021.

This sum would boost existing services and advance local measures to curb transmission of Covid-19 virus. Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, Nigel Dharamlall, spearheaded the community discussions over the weekend alongside Minister of Housing and Water, Collin Croal and other regional officials.

(DPI)

13

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, February 24, 2021

FAO pledges to scale up direct use of digital financial transfers IN another step towards creating a “digital FAO”, the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations is committing to increasing by 50 per cent its delivery of digital financial transfers and vouchers to beneficiaries.

As part of joining the Better Than Cash Alliance, FAO is also pledging to expand its use of digital payments in at least ten more of its Decentralised Offices.

Director-General QU Dongyu set these ambitious targets, while officially joining the Better Than Cash Alliance. The Alliance is a United Nations-hosted partnership of governments, companies and international organisations that accelerates the transition from cash to digital payments in a way designed to generate savings and boost transparency and efficiency while also reducing poverty and driving inclusive growth.

“We must make sure that farmers and rural population are empowered to participate in and benefit from the digital world,” said the Director-General. “This partnership is a signal of our commitment to leave no one behind. Cash in digitised form will open numerous doors for people engaged in small-scale agri-food activities and offer great benefits. It is a high road to resilience.”

“FAO’s announcement today is a landmark for the agriculture sector in emerging economies. FAO’s visionary leadership means that millions of small-holder farmers will now get the assistance they need more quickly, safely and transparently. It also means those farmers - many of whom are women - will have access to a wider range of related services to improve their livelihoods”, said Dr. Ruth Goodwin-Groen, Managing Director of the Better Than Cash Alliance. “We are delighted that FAO is joining other member UN agencies, including UNHCR, UNICEF and WFP, in their bold commitment to responsible digitisation of financial transfers to those most in need. This is even more important now as the COVID-19 pandemic is increasing poverty and inequality.”

Under Director-General QU’s leadership, FAO is taking big steps to embrace and produce digital solutions, as they are destined to affect every actor in the global agri-food systems and can be designed to offer opportunities to address the challenges of poverty, hunger, inequality and climate change.

FAO already uses mobile money transfers. One example is in Somalia where its Mobile Money and Livelihood Assistance platform delivers cash directly to beneficiaries’ cell phones, allowing farming families to purchase goods and services they need most in their local markets. Recipients are registered with the use of biometric data, which is evolving into a voice-recognition system, making this a safer, cheaper and better targeted means of conveyance than physical delivery and distribution.

Joining the Better Than Cash Alliance represents a step change in scaling up such efforts on all levels, and participating in an exchange on best practices in a fast-moving sector.

The new partnership holds significant promise, as FAO has already reached more than 19 million people in 58 countries with

cash and voucher programmes. In 2019 alone, FAO transferred almost $50 million - a bit under half in digital form - to 2.8 million beneficiaries in 29 countries.

As FAO’s field activities - aiming to strengthen the resilience of rural livelihoods to shocks by supporting productive investment in agriculture - tend to engage vulnerable people living in rural dispersed and remote areas with limited infrastructure access, its digitalisation experiences and needs will complement those of other Alliance members.

ON THE GROUND Scaling up digitized financial transfers enables direct contact to beneficiaries, many of whom have no bank account, and avoids the need for physical cash distribution, which entailed transporting bank notes to hard-to-reach areas - especially amid conflicts or in the wake of natural disasters - and engaging agents to act as distributors.

Today, digital payment options continue to grow, accelerating our ability to reach the unbanked while mitigating financial risks.

Building broader digital networks allows broader participation, thus intensifying the pace of adoption and transformation of local economies.

“Cash injects value in local economies, and digital cash is likely to produce an even stronger effect through financial inclusion, by fostering greater access for the beneficiary to credits, loans and other financial instruments that have typically been scarce in rural economies and have curbed investment as a result,” says Étienne Juvanon du Vachat, from FAO’s Office of Emergencies and Resilience specializing in cash and voucher design. “A mobile wallet opens the door to more services.”

Compared with traditional rural finance systems reliant on trust and authority, e-money can bolster programmes aimed at fostering opportunities for women and youth. At the same time, it is quite adaptable to diverse existing community savings and loans institutions such as tontines or hawala, he added.

FAO’s showcase project in Somalia proved invaluable when the COVID-19 emergency disrupted movement. Since March 2020, FAO has transferred the equivalent of $38.1 million to over 187 000 households, providing them the means to acquire food and agricultural inputs to support local food security and supply.

In Mozambique, in 2020, FAO deployed an adapted version of the ecosystem initially developed in Somalia to move an existing voucher system onto a 100-percent digital foundation. Beneficiaries, in particular targeted women farmers, use the vouchers to access seeds and fertilizers.

Digitisation adds incentives to suppliers to adapt to the technology, helping consolidate system-wide digital literacy and protect beneficiaries’ personal identifiable information, which in turn can enhance factors of production and marketing opportunities for broader communities. The process can take time but adoption is rapid, and pandemic containment measures appear to have accelerated recognition of the merits of digitisation.

“The greatest challenge in this effort is successfully bridging the last mile connecting FAO to the most vulnerable. There is no single widely accepted means of digital payments. However, we are on the cusp of significant change. Complexity will diminish and as it does, impact will grow,” says William Marvin, Deputy Director of FAO’s Finance Division.

As Members pursue measures such as digitising their social protection systems, synergies for FAO will grow, he says.

“Sometimes digital payments work better in the developing world as they are leaping a whole generation.

There’s lot of potential for leveraging partnerships between the private and public sectors,” he adds. (FAO)

14

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, February 24, 2021

Cancer survivor joins first all-civilian space mission THE first bone cancer survivor to become an astronaut.

The first person with a prosthetic body part to visit space.

And the youngest American ever to orbit Earth.

These are the impres-

sive firsts that could soon be attributable to 29-year-old Hayley Arceneaux.

In January, the physician assistant was picked to join the crew of the world’s first all-civilian space mission.

Arceneaux was ecstatic but, at first, she had to keep

her lips sealed.

“I’ve held onto the biggest secret of my life for a month and a half. So now I get to share it with the world,” she told the BBC. Her selection for the historic mission was announced on Monday by the St Jude

Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, where Arceneaux was once a cancer patient as a child and now works.

Later this year, she will launch from Florida on a Falcon 9 rocket made by SpaceX, the company found-

ed by business mogul Elon Musk.

“I think this mission is going to inspire people in so many ways,” Arceneaux said. “It shows them that anything is possible.”

There will be no professional astronauts on board the spacecraft.

Rather, Arceneaux will be joined by two contest winners and flight commander Jared Isaacman, a 38-yearold billionaire who is paying for the entire mission.

The mission is the pet project of Isaacman, who announced on 1 February that he had bought the rocket launch.

Isaacman is aiming to use the flight to raise $200m (£142m) for St Jude, half of which he said he will donate himself.

Of the four available seats on the spacecraft, one was offered to a member of staff at the hospital.

“From the start, we wanted a crew member that represented the mission’s spirit of hope,” Isaacman said. “I can’t think of a better person than Hayley to fulfil that responsibility.”

For Arceneaux, the flight will be the realisation of a feat she never thought was possible.

At the age of 10, Arceneaux was a bone cancer patient at St Jude.

As part of her treatment at the hospital, Arceneaux had chemotherapy and surgery to replace some of her leg bones with artificial ones.

In a different era, Arceneaux’s prosthetic leg bones would have grounded her ambitions for space travel as a NASA astronaut, because of the agency’s strict medical requirements.

But the emergence of private space missions in recent years has enabled more of us to reach for the stars.

“Until this mission, I could have never been an astronaut,” Arceneaux said.

“This mission is opening space travel to people who are not physically perfect.”

Arceneaux was at home in Tennessee when she got the “out of the blue” call on 5 January asking if she would join the mission.

Her response? “Immediately, I said, ‘yes, yes please’.”

After checking with her family to “make sure they were not adamantly opposed”, and her brother and sister-in-law who - as aerospace engineers - “really reassured me how safe space travel is”, she agreed to join

Hayley Arceneaux, a cancer survivor, will achieve a number of firsts when she goes to space this year (BBC photo) the crew.

Isaacman is planning to select and reveal the remaining two crew members by March.

One will be the winner of a sweepstake competition, whose proceeds will be donated to St Jude.

The other will go to the winner of a contest which asks entrepreneurs to design an online store using software made by Shift4, Isaacman’s payment technology company.

Once selected, the crew will undergo a rigorous, months-long training programme, including mission simulations in zero gravity.

Arceneaux - the flight’s medical officer - has already tried on her space suit. It was “so cool” but “heavier than I expected”, she said.

She will presumably get used to it by the time the rocket lifts off from Florida’s Kennedy Space Center, sometime at the latter end of 2021.

Then, Arceneaux will be wearing the suit for several days as her spacecraft - a SpaceX Dragon capsule - circles the globe.

At the end of the mission, the Dragon will re-enter Earth’s atmosphere for a soft-water landing off the east coast of the US. Are Arceneaux’s nerves jangling?

“I’m really not nervous.

I’ve met the lead engineers for every aspect of this mission. I really trust them.”

Compared to what she went through as a child, space travel should be no problem.

“Getting to represent cancer patients and survivors is an incredible honour.

It really wasn’t that long ago that I was in their shoes,” she said.

“When you’re going through cancer treatment, you’re so focused on the day-to-day. It can be really difficult to look toward the future. I hope that this mission will allow them to imagine their future.”

(BBC)

15

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, February 24, 2021

Vaccines reducing COVID-19 cases, deaths

–– chair of PAHO Advisory group says, urges acceptance of vaccines once available

By Vishani Ragobeer THE rollout of COVID-19 vaccines has only just begun in a few Caribbean countries, but Chairman of the PAHO Regional Immunisation Technical Advisory Group, Professor Peter Figueroa, highlighted that the vaccination ongoing in other parts of the world has contributed to a decrease in the number of cases and deaths.

“What is impressive is that with the rollout of the vaccine, we are seeing a dramatic decline globally in the number of new cases of COVID,” Professor Figueroa said while speaking at a virtual forum organisation by the COVID-19 Task Force of the University of the West Indies (UWI).

In the US, where there are more than 27 million confirmed cases and more than 500,000 deaths due to COVID-19, the professor related that the number of new cases recorded has decreased by about 40 per cent since the vaccines have been rolling out over the past six weeks.

Beyond that, based on averages, he said that the hospitalisation of persons who have been infected with a more severe form of COVID-19 has declined by about 30 per cent, while the deaths have been reduced by about 16 per cent.

Figueroa, who has been

working with the Pan-American Health Organisation (PAHO) on vaccination across the Caribbean, emphasised that vaccines have proven to be effective tools to protect against infections. He affirmed that the vaccines that are available have undergone very careful review by regulatory authorities and the World Health Organisation (WHO).

In fact, he said that aside from the non-pharmaceutical measures (wearing a mask and maintaining a social distance, for example), vaccines are the “best thing to get”. He also expressed happiness that vaccine distribution has begun in the Caribbean.

DISTRIBUTION BEGUN Guyana, Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago have begun distributing the first dose of the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine. This vaccine was donated to Barbados by India, under the South Asian’s country Vaccine Maitri (friendship) initiative; Barbados shared some of the donated doses with other Caribbean countries.

This Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, which is manufactured in India by the Serum Institute, has an efficacy of 62 per cent, while it offers 100 per cent protection against the severe form of

COVID-19, hospitalisation and death in a primary analysis of Phase III clinical trials. However, studies carried out in a smaller sub-group reported that the vaccine is 90 per cent efficacious, with a lower dose than the required two doses.

Now, according to a newer study from the Oxford University that is under review at the Lancet, a single standard dose of the vaccine provided 76 per cent protection (or efficacy) overall against symptomatic COVID-19 in the first 90 days (about 12 weeks).

Then, vaccine efficacy reached 82.4 per cent after a second dose in those persons with a dosing interval of about 12 weeks.

In Guyana, the vaccine is being given to frontline healthcare workers who are at a higher risk of contracting the virus, COVID-19. After these workers are able to get the protection, elderly persons, other frontline workers and persons with comorbidities (other underlying health conditions) will receive their vaccines.

VERY, VERY IMPORTANT “It is very, very important that the essential frontline workers get vaccinated so that they are protected and when the doctors and nurses are vaccinated it also prevents them from

unwittingly passing it on to patients when they become infected,” the Professor Figueroa noted.

Adding to Professor Figueroa’s statements was UWI Professor of Molecular Genetics and Virology, Christine Carrington, who explained that all of the COVID-19 vaccines are still quite effective even though they have varying efficacies.

Professor Carrington explained that the varying efficacies of the vaccines -- whether it is the Pfizer, Moderna, Oxford-Astrazeneca or otherwise -- were created with slightly different formulations and therefore, they work in slightly different ways. Since they work in slightly different ways, she said that they would elicit slightly different immune responses.

“They’re all excellent vaccines. They all prevent severe disease, they prevent death and they do so very effectively,” she highlighted, however.

Vaccine efficacy, simply, indicates the degree to which the vaccine prevents disease and reduces transmission during the controlled, clinical trials. But, the distribution of the vaccines in the ‘real world’ is where the actual effectiveness of the vaccine would be known.

Unlike the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, which do have higher efficacies, the Oxford-AstraZeneca does not require cold or ultra-cold storage. This means that these vaccines can be transported much easier in countries like Guyana where there are expansive rural and hin-

Chairman of the PAHO Regional Immunisation Technical Advisory Group, Professor Peter Figueroa (PANCAP photo) terland regions. And this, Professor Carrington reasoned, could signal a greater effectiveness of the vaccine.

16

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, February 24, 2021

Four in custody for alleged rape of 98-year-old woman FOUR persons are in custody and police are seeking another in connection with the alleged rape and beating of a 98-year-old woman of Rose Hall Town, East Berbice, Corentyne.

One of the suspects is known to police and has several matters engaging the courts.

The incident occurred between Monday night and Tuesday morning at the elderly woman’s home. She resides alone.

According to a caregiver, she went to the home of the nonagenarian to prepare her for an event in the town and upon arrival she noticed that the door of the house was opened. As she made her way in, she found the battered woman with blood oozing from her mouth and nose.

Upon further checks, she noticed

blood on her clothing and bedsheet.

The caregiver said the traumatised elderly woman revealed to her “them boys come in, beat me and push their hands down meh throat, they choke meh”.

The police were summoned and after arriving on the scene, they instructed that the woman be taken to the hospital. While tidying and preparing her, the caregiver noticed that the nonagenarian underwear was torn and had traces of blood.

A glass with rum was also found on the step of the home of the elderly woman.

The caregiver called on the police to be more vigilant in the town and to increase their patrols.

“It’s something that makes you think a lot. Top up on the patrol, check through them small streets, be vigilant

in this town; too many abusing drugs.

Take it seriously, examine it and come to a real conclusion and find the culprits. We have to take care of our elders. We have to make our community safe and we have to be the watchdog for our elders.”

Meanwhile, a neighbour, Brenda Hunte, who lives a few houses away and who would also check on the elderly woman daily, said the incident has left her in a state of disbelief.

“I does pass and check on her. And if she wants anything, I would go to the shop for her, come and gaff with her, make her smile. Yesterday, I saw her and told her I will come and help her get dressed to go out and she was so happy. This is extremely sad what happened,” Hunte said.

Meanwhile, a friend of the victim, who was nearby said he heard the

frantic calls from the caregiver, and, like her, he too was shocked when he saw the battered face of the elderly woman.

“I deh on my neighbour step and I hear come see, see what happen to (name provided) somebody beat her up. When I go I see her eye beat up, nose buss up and them interfere with her. When I see that if you could ah cut me you wouldn’t ah find blood.

This is mean and despicable and when they must find who do it. Let them face the highest penalty there is; this is the oldest person in the town.

She is respectful and loving and did not deserve that. It’s pure evil,” the friend said.

Meanwhile, a medical examination confirmed that the 98-year-old woman was sexually assaulted. Police are investigating the incident.

17

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, February 24, 2021

High Court asked to block approval of funds for constitutional agencies OPPOSITION Members of Parliament, Ganesh Mahipaul and Coretta McDonald, along with several others, have moved to the High Court to challenge the Fiscal Management and Accountability (Amendment) Bill of 2021, which was passed in the National Assembly on February 9.

In addition to Mahipaul and McDonald, who is the General Secretary of the Guyana Teachers Union, Dawn Gardner, First Vice-President of the Guyana Public Service Union; Michael Somersall, Chairman of the Public Service Commission; Clinton Conway, Member of the Police Service Commission; and Allan Munroe, Chairman of the Teaching Service Commission are listed as applicants in the case.

The respondents are Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall S.C.; the Minister of Finance and or the Senior Minister within the Office of the President, Dr. Ashni Singh; the Judicial Service Commission; the Public Service Commission; the Teaching Service Commission; the Public Service Appellate Tribunal, the Public Procurement Commission, the Guyana Elections Commission, the Office of the Ombudsman, the Ethnic Relations Commission, the Human Rights Commission, the Women & Gender Equality Commission, the Indigenous Peoples Commission, the Rights of the Child Commission, the Chambers of the Director of Public Prosecutions, the Office of the Auditor General, the Supreme Court of Judicature; Parliament

Opposition Member of Parliament, Ganesh Mahipaul Office; Speaker of the National Assembly and the Clerk of the National Assembly.

The Fixed Date Application, which was filed by Attorney-at-law Roysdale Forde, S.C is seeking a declaration that the Supreme Court of Judicature is entitled to operate and function free of the exercise of any control by the Executive and of any other entity by virtue of Article 122 of the Constitution of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana.

The applicants are also seeking a declaration that the Fiscal Management and Accountability (Amendment) Act of 2021 is unconstitutional, null, void and of no legal effect as it establishes a system or scheme for the treatment of Budget Submissions or Proposals of constitutional agencies listed in the Third Schedule of the Constitution of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, which is inconsistent with and contrary to the scheme and provisions laid down in the said Constitution for the treatment of Budget Submissions and/or Proposals of such constitutional agencies.

The applicants are also seeking another declaration that the constitutional agencies listed in the Third Schedule are to function independently, impartially and free of the exercise of any control by the Executive, and of any other entity.

They are also seeking to attain an order directed to the Minister of Finance and/or the Senior Minister in the Office of the President or such other minister assigned the responsibility for finance in the Government of Guyana to comply in the constitutional prescription and/or system for the funding, budgeting and approval of Budget Submissions and/or Proposals set out in the Constitution of Guyana for the constitutional agencies listed in the Third Schedule for the fiscal year 2021.

Additionally, they are also seeking another order against the Minister of Finance and other senior ministers from tabling and/or presenting to the National Assembly any Appropriation Bill containing and/or

Opposition Member of Parliament, Coretta McDonald including any expenditure or purported appropriations in respect of any of the constitutional agencies listed in the Third Schedule.

According to the applicants, the process set out by the Fiscal Management and Accountability Act of 2021 has restricted the constitutional agencies’ ability to use funds allocated by the National Assembly in such manner as it sees fit and has restricted the use of the funds to items

in the budget similar to budgets of budget agencies.

“That evidence of this restriction and control is set out in a Letter dated the 28th day of January 2021, from S. Pukrishnalall Pasha, Finance Secretary to Mr. Jaigobin Jaisingh, Secretary of the Public/Police Service Commission with regards to the Police Service Commission’s ability to retain Counsel to represent its interest in a current High Court case Fazil Karimbaksh v.

Police Service Commission,” the applicants said in their court documents.

They further contended that no Budget Submissions and/or Proposals of the constitutional agencies listed in the Third Schedule of the

Constitution were laid over with the Speaker and/ or Clerk of the National Assembly.

“The Applicant fear that unless the Application is heard and determined granted. that financial autonomy is of the constitutional agencies as contemplated and provided for in the Constitution will be eroded as the Budget Submissions and or Proposals of Constitutional agencies would be subject to the consideration and approval of the Executive in breach of the Constitution, the doctrine of the Separation of Powers and with devastating consequences for the Rule of Law in Guyana,” the applicants said.

The application is expected to be heard soon at the High Court.

18

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, February 24, 2021

Travel company seeking to redefine travel in post-pandemic era

By Vishani Ragobeer

TRAVEL is expected to rebound in the post-pandemic era and to prepare for that, a journey and destination management entity, known as the Global Tours and Travel Company (GlobalTT) has been formed to redefine business and leisure travel.

In a recent interview with the Guyana Chronicle, the company’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Waynewright Orderson, explained that this company does not function as a mere travel agency, but it strives to ensure that customers enjoy a complete package of services throughout their travel.

“It is a lot more convenient for an all-inclusive package out of our system, because of the relationship we have with airlines, car rentals, hotels and tour companies,” Orderson said.

Travel to Cuba is one of the non-traditional vacation destinations GlobalTT would be trying to promote and Orderson said that if a customer books with this company, their needs would be met as they get to Havana.

Chief Executive Officer of GlobalTT, Waynewright Orderson (left) with Minister of Public Works, Bishop Juan Edgehill (centre) and Chief Business Development Officer, Leonardo Sardiñas Tápanes (right) This includes food, ground travel, personalised guided tours, tickets to concerts and anything else the customer desires.

Similar arrangements, he said, exist in the United States, Canada, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago and Panama. Soon, other destinations will include more

South American countries alongside China, India and the United Arab Emirates. The company also connects customers with carnival cruise lines.

An important aspect of the services offered

by GlobalTT is that the company would keep in constant contact with all

customers while they are vacationing, to ensure that any hiccups which may occur are dealt with speedily and efficiently.

But, it is not only about Guyanese vacationing abroad. Orderson noted that focus has been directed to marketing Guyana as a travel destination, as

well.

“We want to show what is new and unique and that is what this service will bring to Guyana. We know that we are entering a market where there are travel agencies but focusing on end-to-end travel,” the CEO highlighted.

Additionally, the

Man shot dead at party

THREE persons have been arrested in connection with the murder of 27-year-old Dale Christopher who was shot and killed on Tuesday at Hill Street, Lodge, Georgetown.

Christopher, called “Sun Skull” of Rosemary Lane, Cummingsburg (Tiger Bay) was shot once to the abdomen around 06:00 hrs.

The police report noted that Christopher was murdered by a 40-year-old un-

employed male of Freeman Street, East La Penitence, Georgetown.

Police investigations revealed that the victim left his house in the company of a friend around 01:15hrs to attend the party.

The police said that the crime scene was visited at 06.45 hrs by detectives and investigations revealed that at 01:15 hrs on Tuesday, Christopher left his home in the company of a friend to

attend a party.

A popular DJ and Selector alleged that they were hired to provide their services for the party at Hill Street, Lodge.

They said that about 06:00 hrs, while they were performing, they heard about two to three explosions suspected to be gunshots, which caused the approximately 500-strong crowd to scatter and disperse. They were subsequently told that someone

had been shot, which caused them to abandon their performance and head to their respective residences.

A taxi driver of Tucville Housing Scheme related that he was driving on Mandela Avenue when he was stopped by three unidentifiable males carrying Christopher, who was bleeding from a wound to the abdomen. They transported the victim to the Georgetown Public Hospital where he

Chief Operating Officer of GlobalTT, Tyler Orderson, said with efforts being made to promote Guyana as a major international hub between the Americas and the rest of the world, the company saw the opportunity for investment in Guyana of a journey and destination services company that offers a complete array of travel services that will meet the demands of international tourists and business people, multilateral organisations and even non-governmental organisations.

Recently, the CEO and Chief Business Development Officer, Leonardo Tápanes, presented Minister of Public Works, Bishop Juan Edghill, with the company’s plans and activities.

According to Orderson, these plans are intended to assist with the revitalisation and bolstering of the travel and tourism sector of Guyana, as the industry rebounds from the COVID-19 pandemic and the demand for travel returns.

The company has just launched its official website which can be found at www.globalttgy.com

was pronounced dead on arrival by a doctor on duty.

The body was examined and what appeared to be a gunshot wound was seen at the centre of his abdomen.

The scene was processed by crime scene technicians and the deceased was swabbed for gunshot residue.

Several persons were questioned and statements taken.

Three persons are in custody.

Dead: Dale Christopher

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, February 24, 2021

Multi-agency committee resuscitated to address Venezuelan migration VENEZUELA’S deteriorating economy has driven many of its people away and into other countries, especially neighbouring nations like Guyana, where a multi-agency coordinating committee has been resuscitated to address the influx of those migrants.

The committee, cochaired by Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Hugh Todd, and Minister

of the Legal Division, Kezia Campbell-Erskine.

They were joined by Regional Coordinator and Chief of Mission of the International Organization for Migration (IOM), Robert Natiello; Commissioner for Refugees and Senior Liaison Officer at the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Cecilie Saenz Guerrero; Representative of the United Nations International Children’s Emer-

IOM Regional Coordinator and Chief of Mission, Robert Natiello lauds the resuscitation of the committee of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance, Gail Teixeira, met on Saturday to revive discussions related to the migrant situation.

Representatives of Government ministries and agencies, and those from United Nations (UN) agencies lauded the resuscitation of this committee.

Together, they examined potential methods of strengthening its capacity, with one being the implementation of coherent policies to prevent uncoordinated and duplicated activities.

The committee also discussed the issue of irregular border crossings and the registration of migrants. Participants also outlined initiatives and ongoing projects to assist migrants.

Among those in attendance at the meeting were Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Ambassador Elizabeth Harper; Director of the ministry’s Bilateral Unit, Ambassador Michael Brotherson; and Director

gency Fund (UNICEF), Nicolas Pron; UNICEF’s Deputy Representative, Irfan Akhtar; United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Liason Officer, Alder Bynoe; Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) Consultant on Disaster Preparedness, Tamica Noel, and representatives of other agencies and ministries.

This initiative is important since an influx of a migrant population can be very taxing on local infrastructure such as schools, health centres and so forth; hence, knowing a figure would allow stakeholders to make critical, economical decisions.

It was reported that since 2018, Guyana has seen a drastic increase in the number of immigrants and non-nationals who are victims of trafficking in persons (TIP). The situation has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic which hit Guyana in March 2020.

The increase in cases was due mainly to the influx of migrants, partic-

ularly Venezuelans who have been fleeing their Spanish- speaking nation.

In 2018, there were 32 reported cases that yielded some 245 alleged victims, of which 162 were Venezuelans, 49 were Cubans, 10 were from the Dominican Republic, and just 21 were Guyanese.

Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance, Gail Teixeira; Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Hugh Todd; and Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Elizabeth Harper met with Government officials and UN agencies to discuss the influx of Venezuelan migrants into Guyana

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, February 24, 2021

Port Kaituma to benefit from new well MORE than 400 persons from One to Four Miles in Port Kaituma, Region One, will soon benefit from firsttime access to potable water as the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) works to ensure water access for all Guyanese.

According to a release, this objective is being realised with the drilling of a new well in the Two Mile area and the installation of some six kilometers of pipelines in the commu-

nities, which will afford residents access to water on their premises.

This project is funded by the Government of Guyana and executed in close collaboration with the Matarkai Neighbourhood Development Council (NDC). This is aligned to government’s priorities and commitments made by Minister of Housing and Water, Collin Croal, who had several meetings with the residents and promised that potable water will

be provided in a very short period. Based on this commitment, the budgetary allocations were provided and works progressed with most of the employment being provided to residents of Port Kaituma.

Meanwhile, the drilling of another well also commenced in Oronoque, Region One, to provide firsttime access to more than 100 households there, as well as improved service to Central Port Kaituma.

Chief Executive Officer of GWI, Shaik Baksh, has expressed deep satisfaction at the successful delivery of the new well in the Two Mile area and is leading the team at GWI to successfully complete the new well in the Oronoque area.

The completion of these wells will ultimately result in the community receiving ground water supply, thus reducing dependence on the Port Kaituma River as a source of water.

More than 400 persons from One to Four Miles in Port Kaituma, Region One, will soon benefit from first-time access to potable water

Alleged domestic violence perpetrator nabbed with illegal firearm POLICE, responding to a 911 call to report a domestic violence case, on Monday, ended up arresting the alleged perpetrator who was found with a 9MM pistol with three live matching rounds in

The seized firearm with live rounds his pants crotch.

The arrest was made at Festival City, Georgetown.

When questioned on whether or not he holds a firearm licence, the 27-year-old unemployed man replied in the negative and upon inspection, the serial number on the handgun was filed off.

Police ranks told the suspect of the offence committed and he was arrested and cautioned before being escorted to the East La Penitence Police Station, where the firearm and ammunition were marked, sealed and lodged.

The suspect was then transferred to the Brickdam Police Station pending charges.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, February 24, 2021

Laws still restrict women’s economic opportunities –– despite progress, World Bank study finds

COUNTRIES are inching toward greater gender equality, but women around the world continue to face laws and regulations that restrict their economic opportunity, with the COVID-19 pandemic creating new challenges to their health, safety, and economic security, a new World Bank report says.

The reforms to remove obstacles to women’s economic inclusion have been slow in many regions and uneven within them, according to Women, Business and the Law 2021. On average, women have just three-quarters of the legal rights afforded to men. Women were already at a disadvantage before the pandemic, and Government initiatives to buffer some of its effects, while innovative,

the community to the challenges of working, parenting, and retiring, the data offers objective and measurable benchmarks for global progress toward gender equality.

Following the outbreak of the pandemic, this report also looks at Government responses to the COVID-19 crisis and how the pandemic has impacted women at work and at home, focusing on childcare, access to justice, and health and safety.

Overall, the report finds that many Governments have put in place measures to address some of the impacts of the pandemic on working women. For example, less than a quarter of all economies surveyed in the report legally guaranteed employed parents any time off for childcare before the pan-

have been limited in many countries, the report says.

“Women need to be fully included in economies in order to achieve better development outcomes,” said David Malpass, World Bank Group President.

“Despite progress in many countries, there have been troubling reversals in a few, including restricting women’s travel without the permission of a male guardian. This pandemic has exacerbated existing inequalities that disadvantage girls and women, including barriers to attend school and maintain jobs. Women are also facing a rise in domestic violence and health and safety challenges. Women should have the same access to finance and the same rights to inheritance as men and must be at the centre of our efforts toward an inclusive and resilient recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Women, Business and the Law 2021 measures the laws and regulations across eight areas that affect women’s economic opportunities in 190 countries, covering the period from September 2019-October 2020. From the basics of movement in

demic. Since then, in light of school closures, nearly an additional 40 economies around the world have introduced leave or benefit policies to help parents with childcare.

Even so, these measures are likely insufficient to address the challenges many working mothers already face, or the childcare crisis.

GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE The pandemic has also contributed to a rise in both the severity and frequency of gender-based violence. Preliminary research shows that since early 2020, governments introduced about 120 new measures including hotlines, psychological assistance, and shelters to protect women from violence.

Some governments also took steps to provide access to justice in several ways, including declaring family cases urgent during lockdown and allowing remote court proceedings for family matters. However, governments still have room to enact measures and policies aimed at addressing the root causes of this violence.

“While it is encouraging

that many countries have proactively taken steps to help women navigate the pandemic, it’s clear that more work is needed, especially in improving parental leave and equalising pay,” said Mari Pangestu, Managing Director of Development Policy and Partnerships, The World Bank. “Countries need to create a legal environment that enhances women’s economic inclusion, so that they

can make the best choices for themselves and their families.”

Despite the pandemic, 27 economies in all regions and income groups enacted reforms across all areas and increased good practices in legislation in 45 cases during the year covered, the report found. The greatest number of reforms introduced or amended laws affecting pay and parenthood.

However, parenthood is also the area that leaves the most room for improvement globally. This includes

paid parental leave, whether benefits are administered by the Government, and whether the dismissal of pregnant women is prohibited. Reforms are also needed to address the restrictions women face in the type of jobs, tasks, and hours they can work, segregating them into lower paid jobs. And in 100 economies, laws do not mandate that men and women be paid the same for equally valued jobs.

Achieving legal gender equality requires a concerted effort by governments, civil society, and interna-

tional organisations, among others. But legal and regulatory reforms can serve as an important catalyst to improve the lives of women as well as their families and communities. Better performance in the areas measured by Women, Business and the Law is associated with narrowing the gender gap in development outcomes, higher female labor force participation, lower vulnerable employment, and greater representation of women in national parliaments. (World Bank)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, February 24, 2021

Rapid growth of digital economy calls for coherent policy response –– World Employment and Social Outlook 2021

DIGITAL labour platforms have increased five-fold worldwide in the last decade

according to the International Labour Organisation’s (ILO) latest World Employ-

ment and Social Outlook 2021 report.

According to a release,

this growth has underlined the need for international policy dialogue and regulatory cooperation in order to provide decent work opportunities and

foster the growth of sustainable businesses more consistently.

According to the report World Employment and Social Outlook 2021: The role of digital labour platforms in transforming the world of work , digital labour platforms are providing new work opportunities, including for women, persons with disabilities, young people and those marginalised in traditional labour markets. Platforms also allow businesses to access a large flexible workforce with varied skills, while expanding their customer base.

The report focuses on two main types of digital labour platform: online web-based platforms, where tasks are performed online and remotely by workers, and location-based platforms, where tasks are performed at a specified physical location by individuals, such as taxi drivers and delivery workers.

Its findings are based on surveys and interviews with some 12,000 workers and representatives of 85 businesses around the world in multiple sectors.

NEW CHALLENGES The challenges for platform workers relate to working conditions, the regularity of work and income, and the lack of access to social protection, freedom of association and collective bargaining rights.

Working hours can often be long and unpredictable. Half of online platform workers earn less than US$2 per hour.

In addition, some platforms have significant gender pay gaps. The COVID-19 pandemic has further exposed many of these issues, says the report.

Many businesses face challenges relating to unfair competition, non- transparency with regard to data and pricing, and high commission fees.

Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) also have difficulties accessing finance and digital infrastructure.

“All workers, regardless of employment status, need to be able to exercise their fundamental rights at work,” said Guy Ryder, ILO Director-General.

The new opportunities created by digital labour platforms are further blurring the previously clear distinction between employees and the self-employed. Working conditions are largely regulated by the platforms’ terms of service agreements, which are often unilaterally determined.

Algorithms are increasingly replacing humans in allocating and evaluating work, and administering and monitoring workers.

With platforms operating across multiple jurisdictions, coherent and coordinated policies are needed to ensure they provide decent work opportunities and foster the growth of sustainable businesses, the

report says.

“Digital labour platforms are opening up opportunities that did not exist before, particularly for women, young people, persons with disabilities and marginalised groups in all parts of the world. That must be welcomed. The new challenges they present can be met through global social dialogue so that workers, employers and governments can fully and equally benefit from these advances.

All workers, regardless of employment status, need to be able to exercise their fundamental rights at work,” said Ryder.

DIGITAL DIVIDE The costs and benefits of digital platforms are not shared equally across the world.

Ninety-six per cent of investments in such platforms are concentrated in Asia, North America and Europe. Seventy per cent of revenues are concentrated in just two countries, the US and China.

Work on online web-based platforms is outsourced by businesses in the global North, and performed by workers in the global South, who earn less than their counterparts in developed countries.

This uneven growth of the digital economy perpetuates a digital divide and risks exacerbating inequalities.

A WAY FORWARD Many governments, enterprises and workers’ representatives, including unions, have begun to address some of these issues but their responses are varied.

This leads to uncertainty for all parties.

Since digital labour platforms operate across multiple jurisdictions, international policy dialogue and coordination is needed to ensure regulatory certainty and the application of international labour standards, said the report.

It calls for global social dialogue and regulatory cooperation between digital labour platforms, workers and governments, which could lead over time to a more effective and consistent approach towards a number of objectives to ensure that workers’ employment status is correctly classified and is in accordance with national classification systems; there is transparency and accountability of algorithms for workers and businesses; self-employed platform workers can enjoy the right to bargain collectively; all workers, including platform workers, have access to adequate social security benefits, through the extension and adaptation of policy and legal frameworks where necessary; and platform workers can access the courts of the jurisdiction in which they are located if they so choose. (ILO)

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, February 24, 2021

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Better markets for regional rum, spirits expected – as CARIFORUM signs historic agreement with French group

By Navendra Seoraj WIDER market access, particularly to those countries within the European Union (EU), is anticipated for regionally-produced alcoholic products, with the recent signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between CARIFORUM and French rum producers, CIRTDOM.

tional Rum) comprises the rum producers of Martinique, Guadeloupe, French Guiana and Reunion.

Chairman of WIRSPA, Komal Samaroo, said the Caribbean has a long history of collaboration with its French counterparts. In fact, it has been almost 25 years since the signing of the first agreement between the two organisations.

“Together we face a sharp rise in non-traditional imports of rum into our traditional markets, especially the European Union and the UK. Many of these competing brands do not always follow the rules, and many benefit from extensive production and marketing subsidies which place us at a competitive disadvan-

President of the French grouping CIRT-DOM, Alain Chatel According to a press statement, the two organisations, each representing a tradition of rum production that stretches back hundreds of years, have with this, their sixth accord, renewed their commitment to working together in the interest of building the rum category, based on authentic provenance, common rules and promoting a level playing field against increasing competition from products which benefit from production subsidies.

The West Indies Rum & Spirits Producers Association (WIRSPA), which signed on behalf of the CARIFORUM, is one of the oldest private sector trade associations in the Caribbean. It represents rum producers in Antigua & Barbuda, Barbados, Belize, Haiti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, St. Lucia, Suriname, and Trinidad & Tobago.

The French “Conseil Interprofessionnel du Rhum Traditionnel” (the Inter-professional Council for Tradi-

WIRSPA Chairman, Komal Samaroo tage. These developments, coupled with the impact of Brexit and the new trade deals being pursued by the UK, underline the need for joint action,” he said.

President of the French grouping CIRT-DOM, Alain Chatel, said: “We have worked with WIRSPA over several decades to promote rum rules that respect origin, and to urge compliance with the regulations which do not permit flavouring of rum, and labelling regulations that are truthful.

“Both our groupings are traditional producers of authentic rum based on true provenance, and we have together worked to build the reputation of rum as a quality premium spirit, alongside the best of the best.

We share a common philosophy,” he said.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, February 24, 2021

‘Why would JCA want to change the people’s choice’ – Dr Bennett

By Rajiv Bisnauth

THE Jamaica Cricket Association (JCA) has not yet formalised its decision for whom they will vote to be the next president of Cricket West Indies (CWI).

Businessman Anand Sanasie, who is also Secretary of the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB), and a director on CWI, is challenging incumbent Ricky Skerritt for the post of CWI president.

However, in an invited comment on Monday evening, First vice-president of JCA, Dr Donovan Bennett, told Chronicle Sport that the JCA has not declared its position publicly since the board has not yet called a meeting to have a formal decision in place.

“The board has not formalised its decision as yet …

I know that the information has been sent to the board members, but we have not

yet called a meeting to have a formal decision in place … a date for that meeting is not set,” said Dr Bennett, who is also the Chairman of CWI’s Medical Advisory Committee.

Dr Bennett, who is a medical doctor with over 45 years’ experience further pointed out, “This is my personal opinion … I don’t see any reason why Jamaica would want to change its position from the people’s selection … like I said before I want to emphasise that is my take on that, but the JCB will have to meet, discuss and come to a position that is binding.

Asked if he thinks that Sanasie, who formally announced his candidacy last week citing the need for visionary leadership, has those credentials to challenge Skerritt, Dr Bennett, who is the Chief Medical Officer for the current Super50 tournament and for the Sir

Lanka upcoming tour said, “Let’s put it this way, he (Sanasie) has the right as we speak now to challenge Mr Skerritt. Now, depending on what happens in Guyana in the next two weeks, I may change my opinion on that, but at this point in time, I think he is a legitimate candidate.”

To date, the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board (TTCB) has declared its support for the current leadership of CWI in the lead-up to the virtual Annual General Meeting set for March 28.

According to the Trinidad Guardian, Skerritt and Dr Kishore Shallow were nominated by Leeward Islands Cricket Board and were seconded by the TTCB. The incumbents are being challenged by Sanasie and Barbados Cricket Association vice-president Calvin Hope, who is also a CWI director.

Tiger Woods suffers serious leg injuries in car wreck

By Rory Carroll, Dan Whitcomb

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Golfing champion Tiger Woods was hospitalized in Los Angeles on Tuesday with severe leg injuries suffered when his car veered off a road and rolled down a steep hillside, requiring rescue crews to pry him from the wreckage, authorities said.

The injuries were not believed to be life-threatening, Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva told a news conference hours later, adding that Woods was conscious and “able to communicate” when rescue personnel arrived.

The sheriff said there was no evidence of impairment when Woods was assessed by emergency workers at the scene, and that no blood samples were drawn by investigators after he was rushed by ambulance to the Harbor-UCLA Medical Center.

Los Angeles County Fire Chief Daryl Osby said Woods suffered serious injuries to both legs and that he was initially listed in serious but stable condition.

CNN reported Woods sustained compound fractures to his legs.

Carlos Gonzales, a sheriff’s deputy who was the first to reach the wreck, described Woods, who was wearing his seatbelt, as “calm and lucid,” and said he recognized the golf great after Woods told the officer his name was “Tiger.”

Video footage from the crash scene showed Woods’ dark gray Genesis sport utility vehicle badly crumpled and lying on its side near

the bottom of the hillside, its windows smashed.

Woods, 45, a 15-time Grand Slam champion and one of the world’s most celebrated sports figures, was the sole occupant of the car when it crashed at about 7:12 a.m. near the suburban communities of Rolling Hills Estates and Rancho Palos Verdes, the sheriff’s department said.

“Tiger Woods was in a single-car accident this morning in California where he suffered multiple leg injuries. He is currently in surgery and we thank you for your privacy and support,” Woods’ agent, Mark Steinberg, said earlier in a statement given to Golf Digest journalist Daniel Rapaport.

Villanueva said Woods’ vehicle struck a tree and rolled over several times after swerving off the roadway and down the embankment.

The sheriff ’s department initially said a rescue tool known as “the jaws of life” was used to pry Woods from the wreckage. Fire department officials later said emergency personnel pulled Woods from the vehicle through the front windshield after the glass was removed.

TRANSFORMATIONAL TALENT Woods’ success on the greens transformed him into a worldwide superstar, ushering in an era of multimillion-dollar endorsements and lucrative appearance money and spread the sport to an audience far beyond its traditional image of male, white and middle-class.

He was also a major influence on the modern generation of golfers such as Australian world No. 1

Jason Day, who has said he read a book about Woods and decided to copy the American’s high work ethic.

Woods, whose career has been hampered in recent years by back injuries and underwent his fifth back surgery in December, hosted the PGA tour’s annual Genesis Invitational at the Riviera Country Club over the weekend but did not compete.

He was seen at the Rolling Hills Country Club on Monday with actress Jada Pinkett Smith, former basketball star Dwayne Wade and comedian David Spade. `News that Woods, the greatest golfer of his generation, had been injured in a serious car wreck sent shockwaves through the sports world.

“Praying for my brother @TigerWoods as we all anxiously await more news,” former baseball star Alex Rodriguez said on Twitter.

“Thinking of him and his entire family.”

“I am sick to my stomach,” fellow PGA Tour golfer Justin Thomas said during a news conference in which he called Woods one of his closest friends.

“I just hope he’s alright.”

Former Woods girlfriend, Olympic skier Lindsey Vonn, tweeted simply: “Praying for TW” The PGA Tour issued a statement from Commissioner Jay Monahan. “We are awaiting further information when he comes out of surgery. On behalf of the PGA TOUR and our players, Tiger is in our prayers and will have our full support as he recovers.”

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, February 24, 2021

Pink ball in hand, India and England prepare for series-defining battle

BEFORE the start of the series, England’s best chance of winning a Test in India was the day-night third Test, starting in Ahmedabad today. The fact that England go there with the series level at 1-1 has changed the dynamics in a big way.

England know this could be the series-defining Test and their opportunity to do what India did in Australia. On the other hand, India’s chances of earning a World Test Championship final spot are a little bit in jeopardy. If they lose this Test (or the next) they will be out of the race.

India, though, are expected to stick to their blueprint at home, which is to score big in the first innings and back the bowlers to take 20 wickets.

While it may not look like their batsmen have dominated so far, each of India’s top six has got at least one 50-plus score in the series. What India would want them to do is to convert those starts into big,

match-winning knocks as Rohit Sharma did in the second Test.

Another thing in India’s favour is that they will field their strongest bowling attack of the series so far. After a break of one Test, Jasprit

the option of playing one of Kuldeep Yadav, Umesh Yadav and Mohammed Siraj as the fifth bowler, or, possibly, even Hardik Pandya.

For England, Jonny Bairstow’s availability will some-

England pacer James Anderson

India pacer Jasprit Bumrah

Bumrah is back in the squad and will lead the pace attack alongside Ishant Sharma, with R. Ashwin and Axar Patel manning the spin department. Then they have

what reduce the burden on Joe Root, while a returning James Anderson will buoy them further. Anderson was rested for the second Test, which became a talking point given the six-

day gap between the second and the third Tests. England, however, stuck to their rotation policy and now have a fresh Anderson at their disposal.

While the jury is out on where Anderson ranks among the best fast bowlers to tour India, there is little doubt about his mastery with Dukes balls. And three days out from the Test, Anderson did say the SG pink ball “feels very similar to the Dukes in the hand”.

It was Anderson’s spell on the fifth day that punctured India’s hopes of drawing the first Test and England will be hoping for a similar performance from their seamer.

Seeing the assistance their seamers got with the pink ball under lights during practice sessions, the visitors may be tempted to even play three specialist seamers. But they must keep in mind the actual pitch may turn out to be vastly different from the practice pitches. (CRICINFO)

Lakers lose third game in a row after overtime defeat to Wizards THE Los Angeles Lakers let a 17-point third-quarter lead slip as they fell to a 127-124 overtime defeat to the Washington Wizards.

The reversal means that the NBA champions have lost three games in a row for the first time this season.

Both LeBron James and Kyle Kuzma missed late three-point attempts to send the game to a second extra period.

Bradley Beal scored 33 points as the Wizards claimed five wins in a row for the first time in three years.

Russell Westbrook, who had 32 points, plus 14 rebounds and nine assists, made a shot inside and was fouled with 11.6 seconds remaining in overtime to put the Wiz-

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ards up by three points.

Although he missed the free throw which gave the Lakers the chance to tie the score, they were unable to

make the shot.

James finished with 31 points, 13 assists and nine rebounds while Montrezl Harrell added 26 off the bench

Los Angeles, California, USA; Washington Wizards guard Bradley Beal (3) shoots against Los Angeles Lakers centre Marc Gasol (14) during the second half at Staples Center (Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports)

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Elsewhere, Donovan Mitchell finished with 23 points and eight assists and three of his Utah Jazz teammates scored at least 20 points each off the bench as their side beat the Charlotte Hornets 132-110.

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Bowlers wreak havoc as Transport Youths edge Diplomats

Fast bowlers John Persaud (left) Nehemiah Hohenkirk finished with four wickets each for Transport SC

FAST bowlers Nehemiah Hohenkirk and John Persaud took eight wickets between them, to propel Transport Youths to a one-wicket victory over Diplomats CC in a friendly 25-over clash last Sunday, at the Transport Sports Club ground in the capital city.

The youth team had the services of two senior players, in senior captain Shuan Massiah and Wayne Yansen, but the latter batted late and Massiah only bowled three overs.

The senior captain told Chronicle Sport that they were there just for guidance.

Transport won the toss and asked Diplomats to take first strike on a pitch with some moisture from overnight and early morning showers.

Diplomats went off to a flying start with Jeffrey Blair hitting four fours and a six in a quick-fire 37, but he was removed by the lively, tall fast bowler Hohenkirk and the fielding team never looked back.

Hohenkirk finished with 4-16 from 4.4 overs, while Persaud, who is a fast penetrating bowler, was able to pick up 4-17 from four overs.

Off-spinner Stephon Sankar supported with 2-14 from five overs as Diplomats folded for 100 in 19.4 overs.

Transport were in control at 47-1 in the ninth over, and although Hohenkirk played a few strokes for his 26 and Ryan Latif and Gabriel Rookhum added 14 and 17 runs respectively, Diplomats left-arm spinner Michael managed to bring the game back by taking 4-4 from his three overs. In the end the home team reached 101-9 in the 24th over.

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER Tuesday, February 23, 2021 COMPLIMENTS OF XTRA ENERGY DRINK – STABROEK BAZAAR (Tel: 683-9500) & CUMMINGS ELECTRICAL COMPANY LTD – 83 Garnett street, Campbellville, Georgetown (Tel: 225-6158) (1) (2)

ANSWERS TO YESTERDAY’S QUIZ:

60 ODIs WI: 29

TODAY’S QUIZ:

(1) What is the highest individual ODI score made by a WI batsman against SL to date?

(2) What is the highest individual ODI score recorded by a SL player against the WI to date?

ANSWERS ANSWER S IN TOMORROW’S ISSUE

30

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, February 24, 2021

Trailblazer Pele adds new chapter Da Silva says his game ‘has come a long way’ but to golden age of sports film

By Andrew Downie

(REUTERS) - A new movie about Brazilian soccer great Pele is the latest in a series of documentaries in what has been described as a golden age of sports film.

Documentaries about American basketball player Michael Jordan, Argentine footballer Diego Maradona and Brazilian Formula One driver Ayrton Senna have transfixed fans with their insider look at the performance and personality of the biggest global sports stars.

Pele, released yesterday on Netflix, aims to give the same treatment to a man who is synonymous with Brazil.

“I think we thought that he was a guy who everyone, including football fans, had quite a superficial knowledge of,” co-director Ben Nicholas told Reuters. “But we really wanted to explain how this kid became this mythical character that he has become.”

The film focusses on the period between 1958 and 1970 when Brazil won three out of the four World Cups and established itself as the country of football.

Off the field, the halcyon days of the late 1950s when Brazil’s unique cultural output took the world by storm gave way to dark times after

a military coup in 1964.

The main focus is on Pele’s role in the three World Cup triumphs, and particularly 1970, when he led what is considered to be one of the greatest football teams of all-time to victory in Mexico.

England and threatened never to play in the World Cup again. Pele changed his mind, however, deciding that leading Brazil to victory in 1970 would cement his status as a legend.

“If Pele and Brazil don’t win in 1970 he

three players often cited as Pele’s rivals for the title of the greatest player of all-time.

Instead, the tribute is focussed on Pele’s status as a trailblazer.

“It doesn’t really matter if someone comes along

West Indies wicketkeeper/batsman Joshua Da Silva

People take pictures of a mural depicting Brazilian soccer legend Pele in Santos

The triumph, the directors said, was vital in creating the Pele myth. After starring at the World Cup as a 17-year-old in 1958, Pele was injured in the second game in 1962 and played only a bit part.

He was injured again after being persistently fouled in the 1966 tournament in

doesn’t become Pele and Brazil don’t really become Brazil,” co-director David Tryhorn said. “That’s the rubber stamp on Pele’s identity and the country’s identity.”

The 108-minute film avoids comparisons with Maradona, Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo,

that is better than Pele,” Tryhorn said.

“Maybe Messi is, maybe Ronaldo is. But the one thing none of them can do is walk in his shoes. I know there were great players before him but he was the real pioneer, he was the Elvis, he was the Neil Armstrong.”

England claim comfortable eight-wicket win in first ODI ENGLAND women cricketers registered a comfortable eight-wicket win over New Zealand in their first oneday international (ODI) match in more than a year.

The White Ferns were bowled out for just 178 in 45.1 overs, with Tash Farrant taking 2-31 on her return to international cricket.

Tammy Beaumont made 72 and captain Heather Knight an unbeaten 67 as they anchored England’s chase.

The tourists secured victory at Hagley Oval with 98 balls remaining. The second game of the two-match series takes place tomorrow at Dunedin (22:00hrs GMT).

“England were clinical,” England’s World Cup winning spinner Alex Hartley told BT Sport.

“Every single bowler has gone out there and done his

he is only getting started

job.”

England could not have asked for a better all-round performance as they prepare to defend their World Cup title in New Zealand in just over a year’s time.

They have not played a one-day international since December 2019 because of the coronavirus pandemic their longest run without a

50-over match since 1997.

One criticism of England has been their reliance on certain bowlers but after being asked to field first, they put in a controlled performance to dry up the runs, and wickets were shared around the seven bowlers used.

Left-armer Farrant claimed two wickets in her first ODI since 2013, dis-

Only Australia’s Alyssa Healy has scored more runs in ODI cricket than Tammy Beaumont since January 2019

missing key batters Amy Sattherwaite and Lea Tahuhu.

Sophie Ecclestone took two wickets in two balls with her left-arm spin, while Nat Sciver dismissed stand-out player Sophie Devine.

With the bat, England were clinical. Beaumont and Knight registered their fourth 50-partnership in their past five ODI innings, with both players showing an easy ability to manipulate the ball around the field.

Beaumont fell with 43 runs still needed but Knight simply accelerated, hitting seven fours and one six in her 69-ball innings.

They will face sterner opposition than New Zealand, who have lost their past 10 ODIs, but it is a positive start for Knight’s side. (BBC Sport)

HE has only played three Test matches for the West Indies but wicketkeeper/batsman Joshua Da Silva believes he has made great strides in his development as a batsman since he made his debut in New Zealand in December 2020.

The 22-year-old Trinidadian has so far scored 234 runs at an average of 39 in his fledgling career, and in all three matches he stepped in to play significant knocks for the West Indies, none perhaps more important than his Test-best of 92 that he scored in the recent second Test against Bangladesh in Dhaka that helped the West Indies to a hard-fought 17-run win.

In the wake of his recent performances that resulted in wins for his team, Da Silva thinks the experiences have helped him grow as a player.

“My game has come a long way. There’s definitely still a lot to be done but I am happy with the improvements made so far and learning to adjust to

different conditions,” he told Sportsmax.TV, highlighting that much of his recent learning came while playing against Bangladesh.

“I have definitely improved my patience and discipline at the crease. This allowed me to bat a lot more balls in Bangladesh and not get caught up in how many runs I had scored,” he continued conceding that “I need to improve my fitness in order to make concentrating for longer periods easier.”

His performances to date have had cricket writers characterising him as the glue that is holding the West Indies middle-order together. He said he doesn’t pay much attention to those characterisations.

“I don’t think much of it. I’m just doing my job,” he said.

“When given the opportunity, I try to make the best of it, by batting to the situation and putting runs on the board.” (Sportsmax)

Sri Lanka names 20-member squad for West Indies tour

(AFP)-Sri Lanka yesterday named a 20-member squad for six limited over matches against the West Indies delayed by Covid-19 infections.

The cricket board said fast bowler Lahiru Kumara, 24, who tested positive on Monday was being replaced by 33-year-old Suranga Lakmal for the three one-day internationals and the three T20 matches.

The Twenty20s will be played on March 3, 5 and 7 at the Coolidge Cricket Ground, Antigua while the ODIs will be at the Sir Vivian Richards Cricket Stadium on March 10, 12 and 14.

Sri Lanka Cricket did not immediately name a squad for the two Tests also to be at the Sir Vivian Richards Cricket Stadium with the first game starting on March 21 and the second on March 29.

The tournament was delayed after coach Mickey Arthur and opening Test batsman Lahiru Thirimanne contracted coronavirus earlier this month.

Both have since recovered and have joined the tour to the West Indies.

One man not going to the Caribbean, however, is former Test player Chaminda Vaas who quit as fast bowling coach on Monday within days of his appointment.

Vaas, who only replaced Australian David Saker on Friday, resigned over a pay dispute.

Sri Lanka limited overs squad: Dimuth Karunaratne (ODI captain), Dasun Shanaka (T20 captain), Danushka Gunathilaka, Pathum Nissanka, Ashen Bandara, Oshada Fernando, Dinesh Chandima, Angelo Mathews,Niroshan Dickwella, Thisara Perera, Kamindu Mendis, Wanindu Hasaranga, Ramesh Mendis, Nuwan Pradeep, Asitha Fernando, Dushmantha Chameera, Akila Dananajaya, Lakshan Sandakan, Dilshan Madushanka and Suranga Lakmal.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, February 24, 2021

Gayle leaves PSL for ‘international duties’ with Sri Lanka series on horizon

KARACHI, Pakistan,(CMC) – Veteran opener Chris Gayle could make an appearance in West Indies colours for the first time in nearly two years against Sri Lanka next week after indicating here Monday he was leaving the Pakistan Super League and returning to the Caribbean for “international duties”.

The 41-year-old played two matches for Quetta Gladiators during the PSL which bowled off here last weekend, hitting 39 in Saturday’s opener against Karachi Kings and 68 against Lahore Qalanders on Monday.

In a post-match interview following the nine-wicket defeat to Qalanders, Gayle announced he would be leaving to join up with West Indies.

“It is sad to leave because I wanted to play the full PSL,” said the former West

Indies captain.

“That’s the reason why I actually put my name up

Veteran West Indies opener Chris Gayle

Police Community Engagement picks up pace - Albouystown engaged

because I wanted to come here and dominate the PSL. I wanted to give the fans something to cheer about after I’ve been to Pakistan to like 15 years.

“Unfortunately, I have to leave for international duties but Lahore is there and that’s the second stage of second round.

“So you know still a lot of cricket to play so I’m looking forward to actually you know visit Lahore as well.”

West Indies will take on Sri Lanka in three Twenty20 Internationals starting March 3 in Antigua, marking the Caribbean side’s first home series in more than a year due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Selectors are yet to announce a squad for the

games, however, but Gayle’s revelation suggests the strongest side is likely to be fielded for the series.

The left-hander last turned out for West Indies when he made a whirlwind 72 against India at Port of Spain in the final One-Day International of a threematch series back in 2019.

He has not played a T20 International since March of that year when England toured the Caribbean.

Though in the twilight of his career, Gayle remains one of the most sought after T20 batsmen on the international franchise circuit due to his fearless hitting.

Gayle has amassed 13 691 runs and 22 hundreds in 413 T20s, and has also struck two centuries in 58 internationals for West Indies.

He said it was a “blessing” to be still playing cricket amid the challenges posed by the pandemic.

“I am glad to be playing cricket at this particular time.

Playing during this particular time is a blessing. Hopefully, things can get better in the future,” Gayle noted.

“When you look at what’s happening in the world there are no fans in the stadiums and people have to watch [cricket] on television, it is something people and players look back and say we have to appreciate times when we actually had good things and not take them for granted. “ T h i n g s a re t o u g h with the world in pause.

We must not take life for granted when things can open.”

Newly formed Region One cricket committee aims to join ECB

Matarkai Sports Council members Sherlon Rodrigues (right) and Micquel Perez (left) are now executive members of the ROCC. Here they pose with Matarkai Sports Council Patron, Minister of Housing and Water Collin Croal (centre) The winning team collect their trophies

FOLLOWING a community walkabout, the Regional Division 4A Administration pledged to work with the residents of Albouystown in building a safe community and an atmosphere of Police/Public Partnership.

Last Sunday, the first of a number of planned activities was executed on the community tarmac at Hunter Street and Independence Boulevard.

This was a four-a-side football competition between the youths of Albouystown. Six teams - Top Strikers, Positive Ballers, Albouystown Stars, Little Ballers, Spartans and

Future Stars, participated, including two female teams.

The first-placed male team were Positive Ballers.

In second place were Future Stars and third-placers were Albouystown Stars. In the female line-up, Little Ballers carted off the top spot with Top Strikers settling for second.

Prizes were given to first-, second- and thirdplace winners, MVPs and highest goalscorers.

On hand to witness the activity were Superintendent Guy Nurse, Second in Command Regional Division# 4

‘A’; O/C # 2 Sub-Division Assistant Superintendent Mahindranauth; Woman Inspector Grandison; Sgt 14861 Hossana; Sgt 20404 Griffith, Sgt 21299 Scott, W/Sgt 19012 Daley and other ranks, in addition to members of the Albouystown Police Youth Group and their liaisons, Kim Morgan and Donna Plass.

Meals were provided for all while trophies, medals and uniforms were donated by Attorney-at-Law Anastasia Sanford, who has pledged her support in working with the Albouystown community.

THE recently formed Region One Cricket Committee (ROCC) aims to join the Essequibo Cricket Board (ECB) so that its up-andcoming cricketers can have opportunities to play at higher levels.

Chairman Sherlon Rodrigues disclosed that the new committee intends to hit the ground running.

He said that the first step is to establish a stronger link with the ECB. “Our vision is to be part of the ECB, to be part of a structure.” Rodrigues noted that the committee would look to accomplish this feat next week due to this Friday’s Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) election.

He pointed out that the ROCC includes members of all three sub-committees of the region: Mabaruma,

Moruca and Matarkai.

“I would like to assure you that we will work very hard, it is a historic moment for Region One to finally have a Region One Cricket Committee. We have an executive body here that truly represents the entire region.”

Along with plans to connect with ECB, the new committee is also hoping to build the game in the region.

Rodrigues said that the aim is to register all the cricket clubs in the region and to work with the sub-regions to ensure that their cricketers can get the necessary exposure.

The committee was not formed overnight; in fact, it took three months of consultation before the cricket enthusiasts from the region elected their officials.

During the election of office-bearers from Barima-Waini on Saturday, almost all of the appointees were elected unopposed.

Rodrigues was a clear favourite for the top post, while fellow Matarkai Sports Council official Micquel Perez was elected as vice-chair.

Mabaruma residents Orison Sealy and Linley Robinson will serve as the Secretary and Public Relations Officer respectively, while Moruca residents Anthony Harris and Earl Domingo were elected as the Treasurer and Assistant Secretary/Treasurer in that order.

Meanwhile, Janice Moses (Matarkai), Kennel La Rose (Moruca) and Deon Charles (Mabaruma) are the three members of the Management Committee.

unpredictable Scorpions Jamaica Scorpions skipper Rovman Powell fields during a training session ahead of Wednesday’s first semi-final (Photo courtesy CWI Media) Media)

ST JOHN’S, Antigua, (CMC) – (Favourites Trinidad and Tobago Red Force will look to extend their unbeaten run while Jamaica Scorpions are hoping to find consistency following a rocky preliminary round ride, when the two teams clash in today’s first semi-final of the Regional Super50 Cup at Coolidge Cricket Ground.

Having won all five of their first round matches, the star-studded Red Force are brimming with confidence and with both their batsmen and bowlers turning in strong performances throughout the campaign, it will be hard to bet against the Kieron Pollard-led side reaching the final.

Red Force were dominant in the preliminaries, finding themselves hardly extended but even with the comfortable nature of their victories, Pollard said he did not expect complacency to creep into the side at this stage.

“I believe you would be complacent in the league phase if you win two or three games going into the playoffs but knowing it’s a do-or-die game, it’s a knockout scenario, if you turn up complacent then I don’t think you should be in our team,” Pollard said here yesterday.

“For us, it’s about playing consistent cricket. We’ve spoken about complacency all throughout the tournament in the preliminary

stages and I can’t see why we would turn up and just expect to beat a Jamaica Scorpions side that’s coming off the back of two victories in the last couple games.”

Red Force dominated Scorpions by five wickets in their opener, beat Windward Islands Volcanoes by four wickets in their second match before getting over perennial rivals Barbados Pride by three wickets.

They then rolled over Leeward Islands Hurricanes by nine wickets before whipping Guyana Jaguars by six wickets in their final game.

Pollard said while Red Force’s form had been excellent, the results counted for little in the pending semi-final.

“Each and every time we’ve gotten an opportunity to play, be it bat first or bowl first, we assess the conditions firstly and see what’s necessary and try to adapt,” explained Pollard.

“For us, what is done is done. All that is in the past you can’t really bask on that because all of the good cricket you have played can count for nothing if you lose one game.

“So we have to be on our P’s and Q’s,

we have to be able to execute what we want to do as a team and hopefully we can come with that mentality tomorrow.”

In contrast, Scorpions’ road to the final four has been a difficult one, and they only clinched their berth with a sensational come-from-behind victory over Pride in their very last game on Sunday.

After losing their opener to Red Force, they were turned over by Jaguars by 109 runs before crashing to a 92-run defeat at the hands of Volcanoes.

They were handed a lifeline with a six-run over Hurricanes in a rain-hit contest before stunning Pride by 51 runs in their final outing.

With dodgy fielding efforts and reckless batting the hallmark of their campaign, captain Rovman Powell said a turnaround was definitely necessary in the semi-final.

“I think we need to work on all three aspects of the cricket. I think the bowling has come a far way and maybe is the most pleasing area of our game so far,” he explained.

“The fielding still needs a lot of work. We

have been dropping a lot of simple catches in the field so that needs a lot of work.

“And also the batting [needs attention]. The batting has been a struggle and it’s a case where we’re just not getting enough substantial partnerships from our top order and middle order.

“The lower order did some good work in the last two games for us so it’s just for us to work on all three areas of we’re to beat Trinidad.”

He added: “It’s a strong Trinidad team but we’re looking to control the factors we have control over and those factors are how we play – how we bat, bowl, and field.

“It’s difficult to control the things that Trinidad do so we’re not focussing on them too much. Once we go there and play the best cricket we know how to play, then possibly we can beat Trinidad.”

Red Force, without a regional 50over title since 2016, faltered at the semi-final stage for the last two tournaments and were also beaten by Scorpions in the semi-finals of the 2017 tournament.

Scorpions, meanwhile, have not captured a 50-over title since beating Trinidad in the 2011 final but were good enough to reach the semi-finals in 2018 and the final in 2017, before losing to Pride.

‘Why would JCA want to Tickets on sale from tomorrow Tiger Woods suffers change the people’s choice’ for GMR&SC Drag Championship serious leg injuries – Dr. Bennett in car wreck SEE PAGE 28

First vice-president of the JCA, Donovan Bennett

THE Guyana Motor Racing and Sports Club (GMR&SC) has announced that tickets for its February 28 event will go on sale from tomorrow at the club’s Georgetown office on Albert Street from 09:00hrs. The tickets cost just $2 000 for adults and $500 for young children.

The club has been granted approval to host a limited amount of spectators at the Timehri venue. Head of the GMR&SC, Rameez Mohamed, has shared with the media that since the amount of tickets are limited the club will be dealing with a first-come first-served basis.

Mohamed further revealed that there will be strict COVID-19 measures in place with everyone required to wear a mask and have their temperature checked before entering. In addition, persons will be asked to not cluster in parking and maintain social distancing.

For those who will miss out on purchasing tickets, the event will not only be live-streamed via the club’s Facebook page but also on cable provider, E-Networks, which is also a major sponsor of the event.

E1, SKAR TV (Channel 102) as well as Tarzee TV in Bartica, are the channels that will be broadcasting the action.

Sponsors include AR Jiwanram Printery, Associated Construction Services, BM SOAT Auto Sales, Cyril’s Transportation Services, Homeline Furnishing, Imran Auto Works, KFC, KGM Security, Land Star Drilling Company, MMD Hollow Blocks and Pavers, Mohamed’s Enterprise, Motor Trend Service Centre, Modern Building Solutions, Panko Steel Fabrication, Power Tech Sound Company, Prem’s Electrical, Ready Mix Concrete, Rush Energy Drink, Samaroo Investments Inc., Secure Innovations & Concepts Inc. STAG Beer, Trans Pacific Motor Spares & Auto Sales, Truck Master, UNICOM – United Commodities, West Coast Customs Washbay, Windjammer, First Class Auto Sales & Spares and Castrol Oil.

SEE PAGE 28

Tiger Woods pictured at his last tournament, the PNC Championship in December

Newly formed Region One cricket committee aims to join ECB 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

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| WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2021