Guyana Chronicle E-Paper 08-03-2022

TUESDAY 8th MARCH, 2022

No. 106656

Guyana set to benefit from highest oil and gas prices - country should not be punished for discovering new energy sources, could become leader in green-energy transition, says IDB

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Happy International Women’s Day

President Dr Irfaan Ali

We owe it to women everywhere to celebrate their contributions and role in development and integration of societies

Prime Minister, Brigadier (r’td), Mark Phillips

‘Don’t wait for the right opportunity, create it’; govt will offer helping hand

Human Services and Social Security Minister Dr Vindhya Persaud

Gender equality must not be a dream; gender equality must become reality

Guyana above global average in female participation in legislature Fire guts Lusignan house SEE PAGE

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Alleged drunken driver Region Four kills three at De Willem bar Chairman, 4 father-in-law guns seized after exchange of threats 15 SEE PAGE

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, March 8, 2022

President Ali salutes contributions of women

PRESIDENT Dr Irfaan Ali has underscored the importance of celebrating the integral role of Guyanese women in the development and integration of society.

The Head of State was at the time speaking during a press conference held on Sunday at State House, two days before the world celebrates International Women’s Day. “Let me be very clear… there is a reason

why a specific day is earmarked for the celebration of International Women’s Day and that is because of the value that women bring to our society and our country.”

Guyana joins the rest of the world to commemorate International Women’s Day today and joins in celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women.

The day also marks a

President Dr Irfaan Ali

call to action for accelerating women’s equality. This year’s theme is “Gender equality today for a sustainable tomorrow.”

President Ali took the time to pay homage to women in general.

“I just want to salute all women in Guyana, the Region and around the world, for the strength of character, for the dignity, the honour, the pride, the simplicity, in which

they go about every day changing lives, changing countries and changing communities.”

He added: “We owe it to women everywhere to celebrate, not their contribution; contribution is a minimal approach at looking at this, but celebrating their integral role in the development and integration of societies.” (Office of the President)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, March 8, 2022

Guyana set to benefit from highest oil and gas prices

- country should not be punished for discovering new energy sources, could become leader in green energy transition, says IDB

By Rabindra Rooplall DEMOCRACY is essential for Guyana to move from a developing nation to a developed nation because the country will have the resources to do so and it has the capacity to be another Norway, according to Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) President Mauricio Claver-Carone.

Norway is considered to be the most sustainable country in the world with output of fossil fuel that is the cleanest, while being environmentally friendly. The country has also led the charge towards renewable energy.

In a roundtable with Caribbean journalists on Monday during a virtual meeting over Microsoft Teams, the IDB President said Guyana will have the per capita resources if managed well, to be a shining example for the Caribbean Region “We have a unique opportunity to help a country to take that developmental path like Norway did, we want Guyana to be Norway, we don’t want it to be some of the Middle Eastern and African models that have seen development stalled with the new resources and democracy trampled in that regard,” he said.

He continued: “Our goal is for Guyana to be the Norway model and if we can help do that successfully, then it will be the first time we see that in Latin America and the Caribbean, we can help a country through its entire development phase and green transition.”

Norway, he said, is now a champion with regard to green energy and sustainable devel-

opment goals.

“It’s incumbent upon us to get it right and that is why we are proud to be the largest development partners of both Guyana and Suriname and we will continue to work this way because we have the opportunity to do something very special and very unique,” the IDB President noted.

He said Guyana and Suriname will also benefit from a cleaner energy transition and achieve their sustainable development goals.

“These countries should not be punished because they discovered new energy sources in the 21st century, we will help them at the same time they undergo that transition in that regard,” said Claver-Carone, noting that a mixed-energy matrix will be favoured.

He emphasised: “We have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that we have not seen since Norway discovered its resources in the 20th century to help a democratic country, in this case of Guyana, to truly ensure that those resources go to the development of the country and within that democratic structure for the benefit of its people in a sustainable and inclusive fashion.”

The IDB President said Guyana and Suriname are in a different time, while Latin America and the Caribbean are at another phase of development and energy needs.

The IDB, he said, is fully committed to helping Guyana with its overall logistics, transportation and infrastructural needs with a focus on sustainability and inclusion.

“I am very optimistic in this regard and I think we have an opportunity to walk and

chew gum at the same time, we are going to be able to work with Guyana, Guyanese companies [and] investors to ensure projects are done in an inclusive and sustainable fashion in its energy transition to benefit the citizens of Guyana and their developmental needs,” he noted.

YEAR OF THE CARIBBEAN Under his management, he said, the IDB has made historic and unprecedented commitments to the Caribbean and 2022 will be the year of the Caribbean.

This year, he said, there will be a record level of approvals for the Region.

In 2021, he said that the IDB group approved US$435M for Caribbean countries in a wide range of areas.

“We expect in 2022 to triple that to a record US$1.3 billion and that will be in addition to the IDB group’s current account and main portfolio which is about $2.5 billion in 68 projects.”

Noting that the Caribbean is heterogeneous, he said Guyana, Trinidad and Suriname will benefit from the highest oil and gas prices in over a decade.

“In the geopolitical scale in regard to oil and gas, all eyes in the world should be on Guyana, which is positioning itself to be the largest capital producer of oil and gas in the world in that regard, and that is a tremendous opportunity and it comes with a tremendous amount of responsibility,” the IDB President underscored.

He said while countries such as Guyana and Suriname will benefit from oil prices, other Caribbean countries such

IDB President Mauricio Claver-Carone as Barbados, The Bahamas and Jamaica will experience inflation.

However, the IDB President said GDP ratios have risen in the Region and the IDB will partner with all countries to have robust economic growth to improve the GDP ratios.

“Globally, tourism is recovering by the third quarter of 2021, tourism to the Caribbean had reached 80 per cent compared to its 2021 levels, but now we have to build upon that so tourism gets better,” he noted.

Claver-Carone also pointed out that regional, non-regional, borrowing and non-barrowing members have noted the developmental impact of tourism and the IDB under his leadership will invest in such development in the Caribbean.

“Here at the IDB under my administration we are doubling down and expanding an entire business line on tourism and tourism development, because that is key to a lot of countries, not just for

the Caribbean, also in Central America and otherwise,” he said.

Although the Caribbean is made up of small island nations, he said there are huge opportunities based on the analysis done, especially in closing the digital access gap between Caribbean economies and countries of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

DIGITAL INFRASTRUCTURE Closing the digital gap, he said, would increase the GDP of Caribbean countries between six and 12 per cent in the medium term.

“That is like a double-digit growth opportunity for the Caribbean, it would create in the Caribbean over 200,000 direct jobs and many more indirect jobs. We see across the board the benefits of investing in digitalisation and connectivity for the Caribbean, since the return on investment can be from two to 50 times the cost of investing, that’s huge return and huge opportunity,” Claver-Carone said.

Further, he noted that a 10-point improvement in digital infrastructure is associated with three per cent faster economic growth in the Caribbean.

“I am not talking about faster streaming or gaming, I am talking about being able to participate in the 21st century economy; it is about getting ahead of the labour market trends and being able to offer services like telemedicine, tele-education and other fields of financial technology,” he noted.

He said the IDB is see-

ing Latin America and the Caribbean as leaders in financial technologies, health technologies and educational technologies.

Noting that the pandemic had an enormous impact on all countries, their supply chains and agriculture, the IDB President also noted that there are many firms willing to invest in the Caribbean to enhance agriculture and tourism.

Further, he said there are major opportunities in ecotourism, especially in Guyana, Suriname and Jamaica; additionally, service sector outsourcing is a major hub for development in the Caribbean.

“If you are a service provider and you are outsourcing in one way or another, labour in any English- speaking country and you want to move your operations to the Caribbean, the IDB will finance that move. We want to see the job creation, growth and impact in the Americas,” he noted.

In 2015, ExxonMobil and Hess Corp announced the discovery of oil resources in the Liza I field, an area that forms part of the Stabroek block off the coast of Guyana.

Mauricio Claver-Carone was appointed President of the IDB since October 2020.

He is an international development official, a former senior director at the US National Security Council, a former senior adviser at the US Treasury Department, a lawyer and under his leadership, the bank has developed a blueprint for post-pandemic recovery and prioritised efforts to avert another “lost decade” in Latin America and the Caribbean.

PM: ‘Don’t wait for the right opportunity, create it’

“DON’T wait for the right opportunity, create it,” said Prime Minister (PM) Mark Phillips, even as he said that the government remains committed to continually creating opportunities for women to achieve the benefits from which, for too long, they have been excluded.

“Our administration believes that a concerted effort must be made not only by governments, but by the private sector, by communities, by large groups and individuals – including men -- to take targeted approaches and find solutions to change this trajectory. These changes must start somewhere, and focusing on empowerment is one good place where our efforts can begin,” he said in a message to mark International Women’s

Prime Minister Mark Phillips Day, today.

International Women’s Day this year is being celebrated under the theme, “Gender equality today for a sustainable tomorrow.”

It highlights the contributions of women in the area of climate change, the environment and sustainability.

“This particular observance serves as just another stark reminder of the long way we must go to achieve Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment as outlined in SDG 5. An assessment of the current injustices faced by women does not paint a pleasant picture: an unbelievable increase in violence against women and girls across the world brought on by the pressures of the pandemic; rising poverty among women and gross under-representation in decision-making positions, are only a few of the challenges that women continue to face globally,” he said.

This government, the PM said, has recognised the impor-

tance of women’s empowerment and the provision of equal opportunities for women and girls in Guyana, given the contributions that women can make to the country’s development.

He said the empowerment of women, children and vulnerable groups was a pillar enshrined in the PPP/C’s Manifesto through incentives and programmes to access microfinance in the commercial banking system, the establishment of women’s micro and small businesses through training, mentoring and grants and increased mainstream participation in governance.

“Along this grain, I wish to take a moment to commend the outstanding work of the Minister of Human Resources and Social Security, Dr Vindhya Persaud, who has stood

as a bastion in her ministry’s never-ending efforts to represent and empower our women and girls, while contributing to the achievement of this government’s vision. The minister’s work from the moment this government took office speaks for itself. It lays out a vivid story of a government that wholeheartedly believes in the value of women to our society at large,” he said.

Since its launch in July 2021, the Women’s Innovation and Investment Network (WIIN) programme has seen over 1,500 women gain access to skills training in various areas; additionally, more than 4,000 women will have the chance to start up or enhance their small businesses through the recently launched ‘Empowerment Fund.’

This past weekend, the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security hosted its second “We Lift” exhibition.”

“I had the honour to attend. That event was a pioneering one. It created a platform for women to display their talents and innovative products, services and ideas.

It served as a stark reminder of the innate dynamism and ingenuity that Guyanese women possess. As I observed the intricate displays of each entrepreneur there, I was not only impressed, but I was energised by the potential that our Guyanese women hold to bring growth, success and development to yourselves, and this country as a whole. Happy International Women’s Day!” he said in concluding his message.

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Fire guts Lusignan house

A fire of unknown origin, on Monday night, gutted a building next to CARICOM Auto Sales at Lusignan, East Coast Demerara. The building housed the office of marriage officer, J. Mohammed, who is also a Justice of Peace and Commissioner of oaths and affidavits.

Firefighters were successful in preventing the blaze from spreading to the nearby business premises of CARICOM Auto Sales and B.M Soat auto spares.

Home Affairs Minister, Robeson Benn, visited the scene.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, March 8, 2022

Alleged drunken driver kills three at De Willem bar

The scene of the accident (Fareeza Haniff photo) THREE persons were killed after one of two cars that were reportedly racing on the road crashed into the Sharmila and Harrykison Bar at 102 De Willem, Public Road, West Coast Demerara on Monday night.

The three persons killed were patrons at the bar.

Their identities were not available up to press time. The driver, who according to police was under the influence of alcohol, was admitted to hospital under police guard as investigations continue.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, March 8, 2022

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, March 8, 2022

Empowering Women MARCH 8 is designated International Women’s Day. The theme of this year’s International Women’s Day is ‘Gender equality today for a sustainable tomorrow.’ The day is celebrated every year on March 8 to recognise the social, economic, cultural and political contributions of women and to raise awareness on the question of women’s equality.

The day was observed for the first time in 1911.

On March 19, 1911, Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland recognised International Women’s Day for the first time. Ever since then, March 8 has been recognised as International Women’s Day which has now been embraced by most countries in the world.

Women in Guyana have come a long way and even though there are still a number of challenges in terms of gender equity and empowerment, there can be no doubt that women in Guyana are playing a much greater role

in all facets of national life, including at the leadership and governance levels.

Guyana is one of the few countries in the Caribbean which had a female Head of State in the person of Mrs Janet Jagan who was a founding member of the People’s Progressive Party and played a prominent role in the political life of Guyana. Several other women today serve in leadership positions, including Cabinet ministers and heads of government departments and agencies. Indeed, Guyana is one of the few countries where it is mandatory for women to make up one-third of the list of candidates for national and regional elections.

Only recently, the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security’s Women Empowerment, Leading, Innovating, Flourishing Together “WE LIFT” 2 Expo at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre, Liliendaal, saw the participation of over 150 businesses. The conference

was aimed at recognising the innovation and accomplishments of women and girls as part of the observance of International Women’s Day. The level of participation this year was much larger and according to Minister of Human Services and Social Security, the event had surpassed expectations.

And no less significant was the International Women’s Day march organised

by First Lady Arya Ali, which saw the participation of a large number of women to focus attention on the invaluable contributions of women and girls not only in Guyana, but in the world as a whole. The march, held under the theme, “Break the Bias,” saw hundreds of women from all walks of life participating in what could be described as a landmark activity, the likes of which was not seen before.

According to First Lady Ali who addressed the gathering, there was a great need for initiatives to support

women and their rights and for women to be equipped with the necessary tools to take advantage of opportunities in the country’s massive transformation.

“With the unpresented growth and rapid transformation, it is incumbent upon us -- particularly leaders and officials -- to ensure that women and girls are not excluded from these exciting opportunities that are life-changing... our women and girls require the tools that are necessary to ensure that they are able to fully participate in every sector of our economy and every sphere of life. They must be educated, trained, mentored, financed and supported in every possible way to guarantee their advancement.”

United States Ambassador Sarah Ann Lynch, who also participated in the march, underscored the importance for women to be at the decision-making table. According to the envoy, “The experience and

perspectives of women are equally important to that of men and our countries all deserve to benefit from the leadership of women and their innovative spark women add to prosperity.”

Similar sentiments were expressed by other participants, who included British High Commissioner Jane Miller and China’s Ambassador, Guo Haiyen.

The sad reality is that even though women comprise roughly half of the world’s population, a significant number of women in some parts of the world, for cultural and political reasons, are denied opportunities to develop to the full limit of their potential, or to participate in the governance processes of their respective societies. And this, despite the fact that women are known to be as good -- if not better-- in almost every aspect of leadership and managerial competencies as that of their male counterparts.

Thankfully, the glass

ceiling is now broken in several parts of the world and women are no longer seen as ‘inferior’ to men. They may be seen as the fairer sex, but by no means the weaker sex.

Such stereotypes of “a women’s [sic] place being at the home” no longer holds sway as women are taking their rightful place as an equal partner in the exciting field of national development.

President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali had lauded the contribution of women to a strong family which he stated is necessary for stable families. According to the President, not only are women designed stronger than men but that beyond that strength, they exhibit an inner soul that is transformational and essential in any society.

As we observe yet another International Women’s Day, it is important that as a society we honour our women for their contributions to the economic, social and cultural development of Guyana.

The contractor will foot bill for the Amaila Falls Project, not Guyanese taxpayers Dear Editor, I’VE noted that there appears to be some confusion in the minds of many with regard to the financing of the Amaila Falls Hydro Project (AFHP).

For the benefit of readers, many of whom I presume are ordinary Guyanese, I offer my understanding of the financing of this project, based on what has been put forward by the gov-

ernment.

Between July 25th to August 15th, 2021, there was a public invitation by the government for proposals to be submitted for construction of the AFHP, using two models: Build-Own-OperateTransfer (BOOT) and Design-Build-Finance (DBF).

This means that any company (Chinese, Americans et al) or even Glen Lall, Kaieteur

News, Dr. Tarron Khemraj, et al, could’ve submitted proposals.

But this wasn’t the case. Instead, a total of four companies submitted proposals and the China Railway Group Limited was identified as the most ‘capable partner’ by an Evaluation Committee and is expected to construct the AFHP power station based on the BOOT model.

Under this model,

the company will supply electricity to the Guyana Power and Light (GPL) Inc at a cost not exceeding US$0.07737 per KWH. What does BOOT entail in this instance? What it means is that the cost of construction of the AFHP power station will be borne by the China Railway Group Limited, who would then operate the project for a 20-year BOOT period to recoup

their investment.

But during this period, it will supply electricity to GPL at around 7 US cents per kilowatt (GPL currently produces electricity at around 30 US cents per kilowatt). At the end of the BOOT period, the project will be handed over to the government at no cost.

This means that it is the contractor who will foot the bill for construction of AFHP and

not the Guyanese taxpayers. It also means that electricity costs will be significantly reduced, as GPL will be buying it at less than it currently costs to produce and will therefore be selling it back to consumers for less than it currently does. In addition, Guyanese will now be assured of a clean and reliable electricity supply.

Yours truly Erin Northe

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, March 8, 2022

OP-ED: Gender equality, a vital demand for development

By Manuel Otero THE long-standing demand for women’s rights that the world commemorates on 8 March has multiple reasons and is imbued with great meaning and sense.

The claim arises from a strict notion of justice and also because as more women participate and lead in production, the economy, institutional life, research and technical assistance, it will guarantee an increase in the growth dynamic and contribute to environmental and social sustainability in all areas.

It is, furthermore, a priority demand in the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda, a roadmap that has sought to put the spotlight on people, the planet, prosperity, peace and cooperation, to progress towards a new paradigm of development, including the challenge of attaining “gender equality and empowerment for women and girls.”

This scenario demands that gender parity be a transversal part of every action undertaken. Constructing that parity requires transformations in

Manuel Otero terms of education, access to opportunities, political participation, redefining institutional strategies, and generating new decisionmaking spaces, favouring the construction of inclusive environments in both urban and rural settings.

Giving greater visibility to the difference in opportunities for men and women, and understanding their regional particularities, leads to proposals of more effective actions.

For example, for many women, agricultural work is considered an extension of housework, and their contributions to farming in rural areas is under-registered, despite the fact that 43 per cent of the global

population working in agriculture are women, who perform multiple roles and work extremely long hours.

Of the 58 million rural women who live in Latin America and the Caribbean, 17 million are registered as economically active and only 4.5 million are considered farmers. They are responsible for the production of 51 per cent of the food in the Region, but despite this, 40 per cent of them do not have their own incomes, only 10 per cent have access to credit and just five per cent access technical assistance programmes.

Furthermore, it is important to highlight the

Comparing Guyana and Ukraine with a touch of sexism is a new low

Dear Editor, THE Kaieteur News, in an Editorial published on Monday, March 7, sought to compare the leadership of Guyana and Ukraine in what could only be viewed as the latest installment in its ongoing anti-development campaign against oil and gas and national prosperity.

Ukraine, a country in the throes of war, facing brutality at the hands of Russian dictator, Vladimir Putin, is being compared with Guyana, at the level of national leadership. The Editor compares President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky’s stance against the invading Russian army with the government and opposition’s stance on Exxon. One would think Exxon invaded Guyana and is illegally occupying the offshore oil

blocks while forcing the government to accept the billions of US dollars it is getting from oil production.

“Why have they not declared some form of war against Exxon and its warrior band throttling the Guyanese people and their interests?” the Editorial asks. The asinine nature of such commentary would be discounted as mediocre writing if the context in which it is being made was not this serious.

Guyana is on the move.

We should surely criticise government policies and programmes and ensure the actions being taken by those elected to lead are in the interest of the people.

But spewing venom does not speak to activism and holding the government accountable. It is more indicative of weak and broken

minds, unable to engage in constructive dialogue. Instead, resorting to vile and reprehensible rhetoric is the preferred course of action.

As if the absurd comparisons between Guyana and Ukraine were not enough, the author then throws in a dash of sexism for good measure, stating, “When Guyana needs warriors to fight for it, all it gets are these wimps behind skirts, who daintily skirt the confrontations that should be had.”

This coming just a day before the observance of International Women’s Day under the theme ‘breaking the bias’ shows that gender bias is alive and well and is being perpetuated by a daily national newspaper.

Sincerely, Romel Khan

fact that global emergencies aggravate gender inequalities even further.

This is why the development of gender-sensitive initiatives takes on even greater urgency in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has deepened problems of gender transversalisation in policies and programmes, while labourmarket data shows that the recovery is moving faster in posts occupied by men than in those areas where women work.

Not only has the pandemic paused progress towards gender parity, but it has also generated new barriers for women, the burden of unpaid work, additional care activities and a loss of income and

employment, thus increasing the gender gap in the workforce.

It is therefore essential that recovery strategies consider how these inequalities have worsened and that we reverse this reality by adopting a gender perspective.

We must take into account the power that Internet access and information have in benefiting women’s re-entry into the labour market. New technologies encourage the spread of knowledge and reduce social distances, creating a scenario of renewed challenges and opportunities to empower women.

On a day of commemoration and awareness-raising regarding the impor-

tance of women’s equity and rights, it is time to take on full responsibility to carry forward an agenda in favour of full inclusion and translate this into effective policies.

Access to land and property, along with women’s social and productive inclusion, will result in more even gender conditions that will make it possible to attain all the necessary initiatives to build a better society in Latin America and the Caribbean, with an impact on the substantial equality that we seek. (Manuel Otero is Director-General of the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture)

Vice-President Jagdeo has this country and citizens at heart

Dear Editor, I HAVE looked at the interview of Vice-president Jagdeo by VICE News with keen interest and admit that I, like many others, was shell-shocked and dismayed, when the reporter stunningly claimed that a named individual, who is familiar with the Vice-president, is alleged to have made damning accusations against him regarding corruption with Chinese businesspeople. Now, from the outset, I wish to be pellucid that: (a) this letter is unsolicited; (b) that I do not speak for the Vice-President, neither do I represent him; (c) that I am not trying to refute the allegation made, or to defend him, since he has already frontally addressed the matter.

The allegation, damning as it is, along with its possible, inherent implications, must and has undoubtedly caused grave concern to our citizens. Further, it has been heavily ventilated and widely circulated in all print, broadcast, electronic, and of course, several social media platforms by social and political commentators among others. From the responses I have seen, especially on social and broadcast media, and notwithstanding the Vicepresident’s explanation and

denial, it appears that some persons have seemingly found comprehensive and irrefutable evidence of wrongdoing, or specifically, corruption. Further, they have already tried the VP in their “court” and found him guilty, now he must be punished! The main thrust of this letter is to share my experience of dealing with VP Jagdeo and give my take on how he operates. To achieve these objectives, it is necessary for me to relay some historical details, not intending to castigate anyone, but to simply, and singularly, highlight his pro- development attitude and approach towards the transformational objectives laid out by his government. Back in 2016, my company engaged with Mr Anthony Mallows, an eminently qualified and experienced professional in the field of Architecture & City Planning, to develop a sustainable and viable concept for a planned transformational development my company is undertaking.

Back then Mr Mallows was the Executive Director and led the development team of Masdar City in Abu Dhabi United Arab Emirates (UAE). For those unaware, Masdar City is wholly owned by the Abu Dhabi Government’s Mubadla Investment Company. The UAE Government in its wis-

dom realised, notwithstanding, the Emirates sitting on proven and huge reserves of fossil fuel, that the time had come to think ahead, plan, and diversify its oil economy to retain its economic advantages, post oil.

Resultantly, the Mazdar Institute of Technology, now called – Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence, was created and numerous experts were recruited worldwide, to execute their plan.

With a vision of developing the world’s most sustainable ecocity, Masdar is successfully pioneering a ‘greenprint’ for how cities can accommodate rapid urbanisation and dramatically reduce energy and water consumption and waste.

When completed, over 50,000 people will work and study in Masdar City with an additional 40,000 people living in this pedestrian-oriented, lowcarbon community. Together with Anthony and other experts on our team, we developed a concept for our own private property, but did not stop there.

It was obvious to us that Stabroek was the city’s hub, most prominent and historical place, and within which the seat of people’s power, Parliament, was situated. In our considered opinion, it possessed the prerequisites, meaning physical, TURN TO PAGE 8

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, March 8, 2022

Vice-President Jagdeo has this country and citizens...

FROM PAGE 7 geographical, commercial, pedestrian, and other relative characteristics that distinguish it from any other part of the capital city. In fact, we have no doubt that the area has the potential to become to Guyana that what Times Square is to New York City. Regrettably, and notwithstanding its significant and historic importance, the area has fallen into deep decay. Chaos and lawlessness reign supreme, thereby creating a most suitable environment for criminals to operate with impunity. Mugging is so prevalent that it no longer has the effect of disbelief and astonishment to those still brave enough to remain in, or pass through the area. Victims are seen and treated as just another. Meanwhile, no one intervenes to assist out of fear of retaliation. It is a known fact that foreign embassies in Guyana consider it a no-go area and so advise their citizens. That advice is certainly no exaggeration. It was evident that there existed a critical need for redevelopment of the area to address its ever-expanding woes.

This need was recognised by government and the municipality also, hence the studies initiated at significant cost, to provide solutions. There was the Integrated Environment Assessment of Georgetown by the United Nations Environ-

ment Programme (UNEP) in 2009, then in 2011 the Central Housing & Planning Authority (CH&PA) conducted its own study to redevelop the Stabroek area, after which in 2017, the then Ministry of Public Infrastructure engaged the Colombian transportation experts, GSD Plus, to do a Sustainable Urban Transportation Study (SUTS). Utilising our team’s expertise, vast global experience, and proven track record, and incorporating and amalgamating the most practicable and comprehensive recommendations from the studies with ours, we meticulously designed and prepared a redevelopment master plan for this important district of the capital city, at my company’s sole expense. The evolved Masterplan has distinctly identified the worrisome issues and offered realistic and practical solutions, that can be tailored to solve comprehensively and finally, the Stabroek conundrum. The master plan is a truly transformative and all-encompassing one that fully “syncs” with the stated vision and policy of government to transform Guyana for the benefit of all Guyanese. In it, the interest of every stakeholder has been factored in, and while we ensured that it served the purpose of improving security, the physical infrastructure

and aesthetics, along with increased commerce and added value to properties, etc., extra emphasis was placed to ensure that it is the driver that will improve people’s lives, livelihoods, and every aspect of the district. To share the vision and advance the cause, we wrote then President Granger on two occasions. We wrote to and met several of his most senior ministers, we even brought the consultancy team to Guyana for additional meetings to hear government’s views, and to address and incorporate any changes it desired. After refining and finalising the concept with their input, we made numerous requests for the opportunity to do a presentation of the master plan to Cabinet unsuccessfully. Additionally, we shared the vision with the UK High Commission, the European Investment Bank, International Finance Corporation, (private sector arm of the World Bank), the Mayor & Councillors of Georgetown, and made full presentations to the United States Embassy in Georgetown and the IDB Invest (member of the Inter-American Development Bank Group), AMCHAM and Georgetown Chamber of Commerce.

As is imaginable, a huge amount of resources comprising intellectual, financial and time was expended in

the years leading to the completion of the master plan.

The final numbers would be shocking were we to ascribe a dollar value to all the efforts and endeavours we made to advance this most worthwhile plan that would have brought desperately needed relief to businesses, residents and visitors, vendors, commuters, and the district itself. We were extremely frustrated but remained undaunted, since we were confident that the vision and plan were comprehensive, desperately needed by stakeholders, and most appropriate for one of the fastest-growing economies of the world. On August 08, 2020, I wrote Vice-president Jagdeo for the first time and provided details of our vision and plan and requested a meeting which he granted. On August 31, 2020, we met at his office.

From his walk into the office, his body language and demeanour, and the discussions had, they all conveyed an energy and enthusiasm for development and progress.

I could only conclude that here was a leader with a mission to accomplish, and one who wanted it to be done post-haste. After presenting our vision and plan which he listened to carefully, he then asked several scrutinising and searching questions ranging from economics,

finance and capacity, among others, as can be expected from a former President and an eminently trained and experienced economist and global figure. After seeming to be encouraged and interested by what I told him, he advised that a full proposal be submitted to the appropriate agency for consideration as the first step. He then made several crystal-clear comments as stated below: a) his government wants development to happen and will facilitate it. b); it will always support Guyanese businesses. c); the proposal must be sound and feasible, financial, and otherwise; d) there will be a level playing field for all to compete; e) he will assist to fast-track investments that his government considers worthy. Then came the caveats; 1) the employment and training of Guyanese are paramount; 2) Guyanese must benefit from the development that happens. Following on his advice, we submitted a comprehensive proposal to the Ministry of Tourism for consideration, after which a MoU for our private development was signed. This whole process, from my letter of Aug 08, 2020, to the signing of the MoU on Dec 02, 2020, took less than four months!

Conclusion: in these hard economic times and scarcity,

it is important that decisions on investments be made in a timely manner, as every country is competing for investors and investments. From my meeting and interaction with the Vice-president, I can see his drive and determination to fast-track development in the interest of the country and its citizens. At no time in the meeting did I feel I needed to do anything out of the way to assist in advancing our proposal, other than to submit a solid and feasible project. It was obvious he wanted to assist and move viable projects forward and it is on this basis, and from my interaction with VP Jagdeo, that I find the purported accusation unfounded.

The links below will provide access to visual details of the vision and master plan. h t t p s : / / w w w. d r o p b o x . com/s/nng5e7ef27qlssk/ Stabroek%20Redevelopment%20Plan%20renderings%20for%20public-%20 Mar%2005%2C%202022. pdf?dl=0 https://www.dropbox.com/ s/8ybdl5lal7ohh8e/Documentary%20Stabroek%20 Redevelopment%20Project. mp4?dl=0 Yours sincerely, Oncar Ramroop Chief Executive Officer Ramroop’s Investments Inc

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, March 8, 2022

President Ali says Opposition not being ‘shut out’ of NRF board selection PRESIDENT Dr. Irfaan Ali, in refuting claims that the opposition was “shut out” of the process to select a nominee for the Natural Resource Fund board, has maintained that all the necessary procedures were followed.

He described the claims as “untrue” as he responded to questions asked on the sidelines of a media briefing held at State House on Sunday “The parliamentary process is that the committee selects someone of standing in our country or society; that process brings out a name. It is not that the PPP supported a name that is a minister or a member of the PPP. This is a former member of the PNC……there is a parliamentary process in which a committee makes a decision and we have to respect that process,” he stated.

The Parliamentary Committee on Appointments was tasked with nominating one member for the board. On March 2, the PPP/C MPs sitting on the committee used

President Dr. Irfaan Ali engaging journalists on the sidelines of a media briefing held on Sunday (Elvin Croker photo) their majority to select former PNC MP Dunstan Barrow as the nominee, which resulted in the Opposition members walking out.

The private sector is expected to select another nominee.

The board represents a major aspect of the recently enacted Natural Resource Fund legislation under which, the excessive pow-

ers previously given to the finance minister will be reduced. The board and an oversight committee will now be responsible for managing the fund.

The board adds a layer of separation between political leaders and the fund and will consist of directors, appointed by President Ali. The NRF Act contains provisions that confine the

selection of directors to having wide experience and ability in legal, financial, business, or administrative matters, and prohibits the appointment of a person who is a member of the National Assembly.

The Act has a long list of mechanisms that promote transparency and practical governance.

Parliamentary scrutiny is

a cornerstone of the governance mechanism the government has put in place to ensure the operations of the fund are above board.

The new law will demand that withdrawals and spending of oil revenues benefit from several layers of scrutiny, including at the preand post-parliamentary level as was recently indicated by President Ali. The new legislation requires that withdrawals from the fund only be used to finance national developmental projects or respond to major natural disasters.

Further, those projects would all have to be included as

components of the national budget, which is subject to parliamentary debates and approval.

Moreover, in accordance with existing financial regulations, the projects and programmes funded by oil revenues would also have to be investigated by the Office of the Auditor General, after which, a comprehensive Audit Report has to be compiled and submitted to the National Assembly. That report then has to face further scrutiny by the Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee (PAC), which is led by the Opposition.

Alleged armed robber remanded DEVON Nurse, a clothes vendor, on Monday, appeared in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court, charged with armed robbery and was remanded to prison.

He denied the charge when it was read to him by Magistrate Sherdel Isaacs-Marcus.

It is alleged that Nurse, while being armed with a gun, on June 14, 2021, at Hibiscus Street, Georgetown, robbed Ryan McIntyre of two cellphones, gold jewellery and cash, amounting to $425,000.

The magistrate upheld the prosecutor’s objection to bail being granted and remanded him to prison until March 28, 2022.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, March 8, 2022

Guyana working aggressively to achieve targeted SDGs - Finance Minister tells Latin America and the Caribbean on Sustainable Development SENIOR Minister in the Office of the President with Responsibility for Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh, said Guyana is aggressively working to achieve targeted Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Dr Singh was, at the time, addressing the Fifth Forum of the Countries of Latin America and the Caribbean on Sustainable Development, on Monday, a release from the Ministry of Finance said.

The forum, attended virtually by the Finance Minister, is being held in San Jose, Costa Rica and the minister’s presentation was made in response to the fifth report on regional progress and challenges in relation to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in Latin America and the Caribbean.

“Recognising that food systems are critical, not only to the elimination of hunger and the reduction of poverty, but are also linked to the achievement of several of the SDGs, Guyana is giving heightened attention to the agri-food sector,

with a view to increasing the quantity and quality of output and to reduce food insecurity,” Minister Singh explained.

To support this point, the Minister highlighted government’s spearheading of the CARICOM (Caribbean Community) Agri-Food Systems Agenda which prioritises regional food security and nutrition. He further alluded to the recent meeting held last week in Belize (33rd Intersessional Meeting) which aimed to reduce the region’s food import bill by 25 percent by 2025.

“Second, as a low-lying coastal developing state with the attendant vulnerabilities to climate change, Guyana has crafted a unique development model as a response to the climate crisis. In this regard, we are pursuing a Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) 2030 which simultaneously facilitates sustainable economic development, while combatting climate change,” the Finance Minister added.

He emphasised that the

LCDS is premised on the REDD+ mechanism and commits to the preservation of rainforests as a means of lowering carbon emissions. The minister posited that “Our LCDS 2030 takes account of environmental services, water resources management, climate resilience, biodiversity, renewable energy, the marine economy, and land management.”

TACKLING LEARNING LOSS On government’s plan to tackle learning loss as a result of the pandemic, the Finance Minister alluded to the ongoing work in the education sector.

“Conscious that the pandemic has engendered learning loss, the Government of Guyana is providing tangible support for learning from nursery to tertiary levels for broad-based human capital development. This support includes the provision of 20,000 online scholarships in more than 187 programmes that can be accessed from 15 reputable academic institutions

Senior Minister in the Office of the President with Responsibility for Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh across the world,” he noted.

Dr. Singh added: “The areas of scholarship include vocational training, undergraduate and postgraduate studies. These efforts, along with other social safety nets such as the childcare subsidies and cash grants, aim to enhance learning outcomes and capacity building,” he further assured the forum.

In addition, the Senior Finance Minister urged

the forum that if the development architecture is to be changed to achieve meaningful and sustainable development, then, in determining eligibility for development financing, the multidimensional nature of vulnerabilities must be taken into account.

“The beyond-GDP argument is now old, and globally we need to move well beyond this if we are serious about sustainable

development. I would like to reiterate Guyana’s call made by President, Dr. Irfaan Ali, and once again urge that the work on developing a robust and credible Multidimensional Vulnerability Index be brought to a timely conclusion and finalization, and that we move swiftly as a global community to incorporate the MVI into the framework for determining eligibility for development support, especially concessional support,” Dr. Singh said.

He noted that the government recognises that the achievement of the SDGs requires partnership at various levels and remains committed to working with the UN system to accelerate the process.

The forum will include several more presentations from various countries and will conclude on March 9, 2022, the release noted.

Duo sentenced to 18 months for breaking into supermarket

TWO men, who had pleaded guilty to breaking into Nirva Supermarket on Sheriff Street, were, on Monday, sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment.

Brian Singh and Jermaine Manning first ap-

peared before Magistrate Sherdel Isaacs-Marcus at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court on November 8, 2021, on a joint break and enter and larceny charge.

They admitted that they broke into the supermarket

between November 2 and 3, 2021.

The magistrate later remanded them to prison and set Monday, March 7, 2022, as the date for sentencing.

They both have a criminal record.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, March 8, 2022

Health Minister says COVID-19 PCR testing was abused in January

MINISTER of Health, Dr Frank Anthony, on Monday, disclosed that COVID-19 PCR testing at public testing sites was abused in January, particularly by those who were going abroad.

Dr. Anthony made this revelation during his daily COVID-19 update when he was asked about the reduced number of persons reportedly being tested.

The minister, in response, stated that authorities no-

ticed that lots of persons were abusing the PCR tests including those who wanted to travel.

“Some people who wanted to travel were coming to get PCR done by the public sector. So, it was not being done for purposes of making a diagnosis. It was just done for purposes of international travel and our policy has been if you need a test for international travel then you should do

that in the private sector,” he said.

To this end, he added that health officials have also observed that persons who felt that they were exposed to the virus had presented themselves without waiting for the required period to see if they had any symptoms.

“From the time of exposure to the time of development of symptoms there probably is a four to a five-day interval, so

Trial into murder of Regent Multiplex owner winding down

COME March 10, 2022, Justice Simone MorrisRamlall is expected to sum up the evidence in the trial of Kurt “Banana” Erskine, who is acccused of murdering owner of the Regent Multiplex Mall, Ganesh “Boyo” Ramlall.

Erskine, formerly of Golden Grove, East Bank Demerara, is currently on trial at the Demerara High Court for the capital offence of murder. He has denied that, on July 5, 2015, he murdered Ramlall during the course or furtherance of a robbery at La Jalousie, West Coast Demerara.

Special prosecutors Konyo Sandiford and Narissa Leander are presenting the State’s case, while attorneyat-law, Lyndon Amsterdam, is on record for the accused.

Following the summing up, the judge will hand over the case to the 12-member jury for the consideration of a verdict.

Erskine’s co-accused, Fezeel Bacchus, has been released from prison on time served after taking a plea for the lesser count of manslaughter.

On February 28, 2022, Bacchus was sentenced to six and a half years for his role in the fatal shooting.

However, he was released from prison the following day due to him being on remand since July 2015.

Bacchus testified on behalf of the State in Erskine’s trial.

According to reports, the businessman had just returned home and was going to use the outside bathroom

Kurt ‘Banana’ Erskine and the late Ganesh Ramlall when he was confronted by four men who shot him about his body and relieved him of his licensed firearm, jewellery and wallet.

It was also reported that, after Ramlall saw the gunmen approaching him, he raised an alarm and called out to his relatives to secure

the house.

The bandits successfully escaped. Ramlall was rushed to the West Demerara Regional Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

Days later, police arrested Bacchus who confessed to being the getaway driver.

if they believe they were exposed and they come during the window period, then obviously we are not going to see whether

by PCR or antigen that they’re positive,” he said.

D r. A n t h o n y d i s closed that there are now broad parameters for the use of PCR tests.

He added that he does not believe that that is the reason why there has been a decline in the number of persons coming forward to get tested.

Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, March 8, 2022

Digicel makes timely donation to Women Across Differences - for new location in Region Nine

Digicel Guyana Chief Executive Officer, Gregory Dean, donates the systems to Women Across Differences Coordinator, Clonel Samuels-Boston

DIGICEL Guyana Chief Executive Officer, Gregory Dean, has handed over three brand new laptops to Women Across Differences (WAD) at Digicel’s head office in Kingston.

According to a release, the donation came as a timely reminder, in observance of International Women’s Day and to celebrate the work that WAD is currently doing with women to achieve social transformation.

“We are happy that we can assist and partner with WAD, being able to contribute to the empowerment of women is something that Digicel will always be happy

to do,” said Dean at the simple handing over ceremony.

Receiving the donation was Clonel Samuels-Boston, coordinator of Women Across Differences, who mentioned that the timely donation will greatly assist with their work at their newly established Ignatius, Kumu and Quarrie sub-office offices in Region Nine.

“We would like to thank Digicel for always assisting us when we reach out for assistance like this and we do look forward to our continued partnership,” said Samuels-Boston.

WAD is a national network of women and women’s organisations committed to individual and social transformation in Guyana, and Digicel has, over the years, partnered with them on various initiatives and

programmes lending support where it was needed.

Digicel has been providing support by donation of handsets, essential care items and educational support for some promising young women who have been persevering and achieving, despite challenging circumstances, thanks to the great work of

WAD. Digicel gave their commitment to provide support to WAD in their future initiatives, since supporting, women, youth, children and special needs education and development in Guyana are high on Digicel’s CSR agenda, the release concluded.

Man accused of breaking into house remanded MICHAEL George, on Monday, appeared before the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court charged for break and enter and larceny and was remanded to prison by Magistrate Sherdel Isaacs-Marcus.

George denied that, between March 1, 2022 and March 3, 2022, at Crown Street, Queenstown, he broke into the dwelling house of Vishwa Panday and stole a bicycle, a bulking machine, a pump, drop cords and detergent, together valued $105,000.

The accused will return to court on March 28, 2022.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, March 8, 2022

Greater investment in care could create almost 300 million jobs - International Labour Organisation

PERSISTENT and significant gaps in care services and policies have left hundreds of millions of workers with family responsibilities without adequate protection and support, yet meeting these needs could create almost 300 million jobs by 2035, according to a new International Labour Organisation (ILO) report.

The report, Care at work: Investing in care leave and services for a more gender equal world of work, found that three in 10 women of reproductive age, or 649 million women, have inadequate maternity protection that does not meet the key requirements of the ILO’s Maternity Protection Convention, 2000 (No. 183.)

The Convention mandates 14 weeks minimum maternity leave on at least two-thirds of previous

earnings, funded by social insurance or public funds. Eighty-two of the 185 countries surveyed for the report did not meet these standards, although “paid maternity leave or maternity protection is a universal human and labour right”, the study said.

At the current pace of reform it will take at least 46 years to achieve minimum maternity leave rights in the countries analysed, which means the relevant target of the 2030 UN Sustainable Development Goals will not be met.

More than 1.2 billion men of prime reproductive age live in countries with no entitlement to paternity leave, although it would help to balance the work and family responsibilities of both mothers and fathers, the report said.

Where there is paternity leave it remains short – a global average of nine days

– creating a large “gender leave gap”. The take-up of paternity leave entitlements is also low; a consequence, the report suggests, of low paternity pay, gender norms and policy design.

The Care at work report offered a global overview of national laws, policies and practices on care, including maternity, paternity, parental, child and longterm care. It highlights how some workers fall outside the scope of these legal protections. These include the self-employed, workers in the informal economy, migrants, and adoptive and LGBTQI+ parents. It also looks at the case for – and potential impact of – greater investment in care.

In only 40 of the countries surveyed did pregnant or nursing women have a right to be protected against dangerous or unhealthy work, in line with ILO standards. Only 53 coun-

Photo credit: GMB Akash/icddr,b tries offered a right to paid time off for prenatal medical examinations. Time off, income security and appropriate facilities for breastfeeding were also lacking in many countries.

The need for long-term care services for older persons and those with disabilities has been rising steeply because of increased life expectancy and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the study found that access to services such as residential care, community day services and in-home care, remains

inaccessible to the great majority of those who need them world-wide, although “long-term care services are essential to ensure the right to healthy ageing in dignity”.

The report found “a strong investment case” for creating a transformative package of care policies, based on universal access, that would create a breakthrough pathway for building a better and more gender equal world of work.

Investment in gender equal leave, universal childcare and long-term care services

could generate up to 299 million jobs by 2035, it said. Closing these policy gaps would require an annual investment of US$5.4 trillion (equivalent to 4.2 per cent of total annual GDP) by 2035, some of which could be offset by an increase in tax revenue from the additional earnings and employment.

“We need to re-think the way we provide care policies and services so that they form a continuum of care that provides children with a good start, supports women to stay in employment and prevents families or individuals falling into poverty,” said Manuela Tomei, Director, ILO Conditions of Work and Equality Department.

He added: “Plugging these care gaps should be seen as an investment that not only supports health and livelihoods but fundamental rights, gender equity and greater representation too.”

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, March 8, 2022

Low-yielding rice farmers seeing better results

Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha while delivering remarks at the launch of the GRDB16 back in October 2020 WITH rice being a major production levels by 2025, foreign-exchange earner Agriculture Minister Zulfifor Guyana, the Agricul- kar Mustapha disclosed that ture Ministry through the the ministry through the Guyana Rice Development GRDB had commenced Board (GRDB) has been working with those lowworking with rice farmers yielding farmers to improve across the country, more their production. specifically those who are “Our objective is to inconsidered low-yielders, to crease production in all of improve their production the rice-producing areas. levels.

When a farmer’s yield inAlthough the GRDB has, creases, that reflects posiover the years, engineered tively on the country’s proand introduced new and im- duction, especially with the proved varieties of rice that demands that we are having offer higher yields per acre, now. New markets are coma small percentage of the ing on stream in the rice seccountry’s farmers continue tor. The GRDB-16 is doing to see comparatively low well and in some cases, we yields, some as low as 20 were able to move producbags per acre. tion up from 39 bags per While signalling the acre to as much as 60 bags government’s goal of dou- per acre. Our aim is to bring bling Guyana’s current rice- down the cost of production

while increasing yields, so we’ve been working with these low-yielding farmers because their production will also contribute to those levels. Yes, we’ll be opening new lands and so on, but we have to work to increase the yields of our existing farmers,” a release from the Ministry of Agricuture quoted the minister as saying.

Minister Mustapha further stated that the GRDB was tasked with developing a database with lowyielding farmers across the country.

ASSISTANCE “This database will enable us to target these farmers, so that we can work closely with them and give them the help that they need. We will help them to adapt [sic] better agricultural practices to enhance their production. Our farmers’ field schools and training exercises will also continue this year. As a matter of fact, we’ve already started working on how we will begin the roll-out of these activities this year, where farmers can come together and learn from each other in addition to receiving technical advice from our extension officers,” the minister said.

GRDB Deputy General Manager Kuldip Ragnauth, while giving an update on

THE Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), on Monday, began its registration exercise for all eligible persons, including first time applicants, at all permanent registration offices in the ten administrative regions.

According to a press re-

they are now required to reapply for registration during this new exercise.

During visits to several registration offices in Georgetown, the Guyana Chronicle did not observe any long lines.

At the South Georgetown office located on Croal

the project, said that implementation of the ‘6-Points’ practice to the farmers has played a significant role in

A farmer from Region Six who benefited from the programme improving farmers’ yields.

“Over the past season, the board has been working with these farmers who were obtaining low yields.

The reason we’re doing this is because we want to improve the yields of those farmers. After all, in the overall average of the country, those farmers who are obtaining these lower yields would bring down the overall average. But more importantly, if these farmers continue to perform

in this manner, they will, at some point in time go out of cultivation. We don’t want the farmers’ cost of production to surpass that of their earnings. We want our farmers to stay in rice, so we’ve been encouraging the use of what we call the ’6-Points’ practice, which is also known as GRDB’s Improved Management Practices. The results from this initiative is showing farmers that as long as they can adopt these practices; once they can grow their rice scientifically using the improved varieties and having the management of it being done in the right way, this will allow these varieties to realise their real potential,” Ragnauth said.

BETTER RESULTS Diane Leach-Hinds, a farmer from Sandvoort, Region Six, said before working with the GRDB her production levels were very poor.

“It was very poor, but then I got to work with GRDB and they encouraged me to do the ‘6-Points.’ This crop gone I was lucky to cut about 37 bags per acre.

Before then I was within the 20s; 29, 28, 27; I was around there,” the farmer said.

Another farmer from Region Two said with the help and guidance of the

GRDB he was able to harvest an additional 15 bags per acre during the last crop. Farmers from Regions Three and Five have also reported an increase from 25 to 40 bags per acre and 28 to 35 bags per acre, respectively.

Initially, 34 farmers from Regions Two, Three, Five, and Six were identified for the first phase of

Another farmer from Region Two who has benefited from the programme the project, most of whom have since reported significantly higher yields.

The board has already commenced working with additional farmers to ensure that they too benefit from improved yields, the release said.

GECOM commences registration exercise lease from GECOM, the registration exercise is of crucial importance for first time applicants in the 14-to18-year range who were captured during the 2019 house-to-house registration.

The application for registration for those persons had been cancelled and as such

Street, one staff member related that, throughout the day, a “good” number of persons turned up to be registered.

She said it was not the usual high numbers that they are used to seeing but it is expected that as more persons become aware of the ongoing exercise, the numbers will increase.

The release said that,

during the registration exercise, a person who will be 14 years and older by October 31, 2022 and is a Guyanese citizen by birth, descent, naturalization or a citizen from a commonwealth country living in Guyana for one year or more, can apply for registration.

Those persons must present the necessary

documents including their original birth certificate and valid passport.

In addition to that, those persons who are desirous of being registered should also provide proof of being fully vaccinated or a negative PCR test that was taken within 72 hours in order to gain entry to the registration office.

La Penitence man wanted for multiple robberies

GECOM’s South Georgetown Registration Office (Elvin Croker photo)

THE Guyana Police Force has issued a wanted bulletin for 33-year-old Ronlee Rampersaud for questioning in relation to a series of armed robberies committed in Georgetown.

His last known address is 124 Sideline Dam, La Penitence, Georgetown and the robbery incidents took place between May and December 2021.

Anyone with information about Rampersaud’s whereabouts is asked to contact the nearest police station or call 226-7065, 227-1270 or 911.

Wanted: Ronlee Rampersaud

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, March 8, 2022

Hemp organisation lauds President Ali’s commentary on cultivation - says there is ‘great promise’ for the industry

By Jared Liddell CO-FOUNDER of Guyana Hemp Industries (GHI), Michael Kirton, has said that President Irfaan Ali’s announcement of plans to steer marijuana farmers towards hemp cultivation is encouraging.

For him, this is a sign of “great promise” for the recognition and legalisation of hemp in Guyana.

During a press conference on Sunday, President Ali encouraged persons who are currently planting marijuana to repurpose their lands and other resources to facilitate the local production of hemp.

He noted that they already have the necessary skills and other resources to benefit from what he described as a great investment opportunity.

“Great opportunity lies ahead in terms of the hemp industry and what it can do in terms of the technological push, construction material, pharmaceuticals. I have looked at some numbers, unbelievable numbers on the return per acre and I have a duty, the government has a duty to analyze all of this,” he added.

When contacted on Monday, Kirton told the Guyana Chronicle that the President’s announcement is an indication of government’s intention to reduce the production of marijuana. He said that this drug will be replaced by

Co-Founder of Guyana Hemp Industries (GHI), Michael Kirton hemp, which does not possess the chemical found in the marijuana plant that is responsible for the “euphoria” experienced by persons who use it.

Kirton told the Chronicle that the organisation welcomes the president’s invitation, as it signals government’s commitment to legitimising the production of hemp in Guyana.

“Hemp is now in the spotlight in Guyana and many Guyanese are now interested in investing in hemp. In keeping with the announcement by the President. We fully support him, because as the President said they have the skills to plant marijuana, so they have the know-how to plant hemp,”

Kirton noted.

Hemp currently makes possible the production of over 25,000 different commercial by-products, including a super food, clothes, and construction materials, fuel, medicines, paper, plastic, textile and countless other products.

The hemp fibre has great tensile strength and durability, and is used to produce more than 5,000 textile products, ranging from rope to fine laces. The wood ‘hurds’ remaining after the fibre has been removed contains more than 77% cellulose, and can be used to produce more than 25,000 products.

A d d i t i o n a l l y, h e m p plants contain low levels of the intoxicating phytocannabinoid known as Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), for which marijuana is well known.

HEMP POLICY Guyana’s Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (Control) Act 1988 provides for the criminalisation and possession of, and trafficking in narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances and cultivation of certain plants, among which cannabis is included by virtue of Section 3 of the First Schedule.

This legislation prohibits the cultivation of hemp in Guyana.

In July 2021, government approved the Guyana

Hemp Policy which paves the way for cultivation of industrial hemp.

A legal and regulatory framework is currently being crafted before the first hemp seed can be planted.

Vice-President Dr Bharrat Jagdeo during a recent meeting with GHI representatives had noted that the Region Six (East BerbiceCorentyne) and Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Upper Berbice) will be the first regions where the cultivation will occur.

In 2021, Attorney-General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall, S.C, completed his revision of the laws pertaining to the subject matter and forwarded his recommendations to Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha, for his perusal.

Nandlall was tasked with advising the government on whether hemp is a narcotic under the laws of Guyana, and the legality of its cultivation.

“I examined all the literature available on the matter, and I advised that the type that is being proposed to be cultivated here is not a narcotic under the Act and that it would not be unlawful for that quality of hemp to be cultivated in Guyana,” Nandlall said.

Meanwhile, in 2020 alone more than 700 farm-

ers from across Guyana have signed up with the Guyana Industrial Hemp Association, thereby signalling their interest in cultivating hemp for industrial use.

The association, formerly known as the Region 10 Industrial Hemp and Farmers Association, was formed in 2016. Earlier this year, the name was changed to cater for inclusivity, and in keeping with the outcomes of several nationwide consultations.

Its president, Aaron Prince, had previously disclosed that investors are already eager to invest in what would be a major sector in Guyana. He noted that the association has been involved in discussions with international companies such as the Australian firm, Textile & Composite Pty Ltd,

which wants to invest in the domestic market here.

The investors have expressed their desire to import machinery such as decorticators, an important piece of equipment into Guyana to separate the tough, woody interior of the hemp plant from the soft, fibrous exterior.

They plan to work alongside local farmers and pay the market price for the locally grown hemp, Prince had explained.

He added that such an occurrence will create numerous jobs, not just in the farming sector, but for Guyanese from all walks of life.

In Latin America, only seven countries: Uruguay, Paraguay, and Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Chile, Brazil and Argentina, produce hemp.

Region Four Chairman, father-in-law guns seized after exchange of threats A HEATED argument between Chairman of Region Four Daniel Seeram and his father-in-law, businessman Shaheed Hamid at MovieTowne, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, on Sunday turned grim after Seeram reportedly cranked his firearm on Hamid.

According to the police, both persons are licensed firearm holders of 9MM pistols and their guns were seized as part of the investigation.

Reports indicate that Hamid, 50, of Ganges Street, Prashad Nagar, visited the Turkeyen Po-

lice Station that Sunday and made a report that alleged that his life had been threatened by his 31-year-old son-in-law, who reportedly cranked a gun on him during an exchange of words.

The incident reportedly occurred amongst family members and friends at the entertainment complex.

The police disclosed that the altercation caught the attention of security personnel at the establishment who intervened and escorted the Regional Chairman out of the building.

However, on the same day, Seeram visited the

Chairman of Region Four, Daniel Seeram Alberttown Police Station where he made a report

that Hamid drew a black handgun from his pants waist during an exchange of words.

Police said that Hamid was asked to report to the Alberttown Police Station where both parties were questioned as to what had caused the altercation.

“Mr Seeram stated that he went to the establishment to speak to his wife about an ongoing issue between them and Mr Hamid intervened and they had an exchange of words and Hamid drew his firearm. They were arrested and told of the allegation and both parties denied the allegation,” a police report

noted.

Police said that Shaheed Hamid and Daniel Seeram were

placed on their own recognisance to return to the police station as the investigation continues.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, March 8, 2022

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Tuesday March 8, 2022

Narayan Ramdhani wins gold at ACAC Badminton Championship ‒ Priyanna cops three medals THE Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference’s Athlete-of-the-Year winner, Narayan Ramdhani, maintained his dominance in badminton when he won gold in the Men’s Singles to help lift the King's University Eagles to their first-ever ACAC League championship title.

Narayan was not the only Ramdhani who excelled; his sister Priyanna Ramdhani also held her own and won three medals for her Olds College team.

She played against Makayla Basque and won 21-7, 21-9 in Round One before she defeated Abbey Taylor 21-8, 21-9 in the quarterfinals. She then lost to Jasleen Kaur 21-16, 21-13 in the semi-finals but gained a walk-over from Cecilia Wolski to win 3rd place.

Priyanna won two other medals for Olds College, who placed 4th in the Team’s tournament.

She and Abbey Taylor

won silver in the women's doubles, while in the mixed doubles she won bronze with Tye Belanger.

NARAYAN’S DOMINANCE After disposing of Sivansh Shivansh (21-12, 21-18) and David Jay (21-12, 2116), Narayan defeated Smith Patel (21-18, 9-21, 21-17) in a tough final to claim the men’s single ACAC title for the second time in his college career.

The win helped his school to an overall victory.

Coach of his school, Naeem Haque said: “Our goal at the start of the season was to win gold. I’m proud of my team and how they performed. We’ve only been in the league seven years, so to win against a powerhouse like NAIT is a great accomplishment”.

The Eagles took home bronze in the years 2017 to 2020 (there was no league play in 2021 due to

Windies taking... (From back page) “We’ve been trying to work hard on all the aspects that we need to get together.

The three grounds, we know them so we’re trying to make sure we’re ready for everything England can throw at us.”

He continued: “It’s a case where we need to start winning series; we need to start compiling form where we’re playing better in all three formats but this Test series is huge for West Indies cricket, as are all Test series.

“The series is important for this cricket team and for us as a unit in the way how we play the cricket and to win the series. This is the first Test series of the year and we want to start the year on a strong note so it’s very important for that.”

As usual, West Indies’ batting will come firmly under the microscope. In Sri Lanka last December, they twice failed to pass 200 and managed a highest of 253, mirroring their performance against Pakistan in the Caribbean last August.

West Indies were even more ragged against the South Africans last June, failing to pass 165 in any innings and once dipping below 100.

Simmons said the batting issues had been placed on the front-burner and had been the

subject of the recent preparation camp for the series.

“That’s been the [main] aspect of the five-day camp that we had, about addressing the fact that as batsmen we need to bat long, we need to make sure that we give the bowlers something to work with,” he stressed.

“I think the camp went well, so I expect good things from them. The guys seem to be extremely confident.

Coming out of [that camp] and looking at the last couple days practise, the guys seem extremely confident and they’re all looking forward to it.”

SQUADS: WEST INDIES – Kraigg Brathwaite (captain), Jermaine Blackwood (vice-captain), Nkrumah Bonner, Shamarh Brooks, John Campbell, Joshua Da Silva, Jason Holder, Alzarri Joseph, Kyle Mayers, Veerasammy Permaul, Anderson Phillip, Kemar Roach, Jayden Seales.

ENGLAND – Joe Root (captain), Jonathan Bairstow, Zak Crawley, Matthew Fisher, Ben Foakes, Dan Lawrence, Jack Leach, Alex Lees, Saqib Mahmood, Craig Overton, Matthew Parkinson, Ollie Pope, Ollie Robinson, Ben Stokes, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood.

COVID-19 regulations).

Haque added that NAIT has always been the strongest team as it was only two years ago that Concordia finally beat them after an eight-year winning streak.

Meanwhile, a memorial table was on display and a moment of silence was observed for the siblings’ father, the late Gokarn Ramdhani as the Provincial Tournament was held at Olds

College where he worked as a Head/Technical Coach from 2019-2021.

The Ramdhani siblings are scheduled to represent Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (ACAC) at Na-

tionals (CCAA) on March 17, 18, and 19, 2022. Then later in April, the siblings will compete at the Pan Am Individual Championship in El Salvador.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Tuesday March 8, 2022

Smith and Labuschagne miss hundreds as Test heads towards stalemate MARNUS Labuschagne and Steven Smith frustratingly missed out on centuries, but Australia continued their strong batting response against a toiling Pakistan during a truncated day four as the first Test moved closer to an inevitable draw on a flat Rawalpindi pitch.

In reply to Pakistan's massive first innings of 476 for 4, Australia reached stumps at 449 for 7 with Mitchell Starc

on 12 not out and skipper Pat Cummins unbeaten on 4 to trail by just 27 runs amid this ongoing stalemate.

An under-pressure Australia mustered an impressive batting effort even though their top-order missed out on centuries in the first series between the teams in Pakistan since 1998. Labuschagne (90) and Smith (78) - along with Usman Khawaja (97) and David Warner (68) on day three - left hundreds on

the table amid barren conditions for bowlers.

Even though they missed out, it was the first time Australia's top four had all made half-centuries in an overseas Test since 2008 in Delhi.

In-form No.5 Travis Head, who showcased outrageous aggression during the Ashes, was the first batter in the match unable to reach double figures after making just 8.

After a patchy performance on day three, Pakistan

bowled with more discipline led by quick Shaheen Shah Afridi, who lifted their sagging spirits with the key wicket of Labuschagne in the middle session amid speeds nudging 145kph/90mph. He continued to bend his back just before stumps, unleashing menacing yorkers to no avail as the sting came out of the contest.

An energetic Shaheen, the standout quick in the match, had 1 for 80 off 28 overs in an encouraging display for a shorthanded Pakistan attack Shaheen aside, much like Australia's workmanlike bowlers during the opening two days, Pakistan's attack has not been able to penetrate consistently on a pitch set for criticism unless something miraculous is conjured on the final day.

In batting-friendly conditions, as he held together Australia's inexperienced middle-order, Smith was on a mission eyeing just his second ton in his last 16 Tests.

He wound back the clock with unwavering concentration in a bid to end Australia's century jinx in the innings.

Smith, who averaged 30 in the Ashes, had sucked the life out of Pakistan who resorted to quick Naseem Shah bowling relentless shortpitched deliveries after tea.

Underlining their helplessness, left-arm spinner Nau-

man Ali bowled a negative line outside leg stump, but the defensive ploy did the trick.

Play was sleepwalking until No. 6 Cameron Green, who had displayed great maturity in his first Test innings away from home, was lured

by Nauman into a sweep shot only to top edge to short fine leg. It ended a watchful 48 off 109 balls from the emerging allrounder who helped steady Australia after a couple of wickets in the middle session.

In a shock, as he seemed a dead set certainty to cross triple figures, Smith gloved an attempted sweep off Nauman to end his 196-ball vigil and continue his century drought.

The vice-captain was livid and muttered to himself in disgust as he trudged off the field.

But Smith's dismissal didn't spark the match into life although Alex Carey - coming off a troubled performance behind the stumps - fell for 19 just before bad light ended play three overs before scheduled stumps.

Even though the ground was bathed in sunshine, the morning session was wiped out after heavy rain overnight lashed Rawalpindi causing wet patches on the field, including on one of the bowlers' run-ups, reducing the day's play to a scheduled 67 overs.

Pakistan were hoping the sedate pitch may have spiced up after a lengthy stint under cover but it was much the same on resumption with spinners Nauman and Sajid Khan unable to conjure much excitement.

Combining for their sixth Test century partnership, Labuschagne and Smith were set for the long haul as Australia eyed reeling in Pakistan's big first innings total.

Labuschagne, who looked in sublime touch late on day three, added 21 runs to his overnight total before falling short of a ton in just his seventh Test away from Australia.

In what proved to be arguably the best passage of the day's play, Shaheen was engaged in an absorbing battle with the bubble-gum chewing Labuschagne who ruthlessly picked off boundaries. But Shaheen had the last laugh when he enticed a loose drive from around the wicket, forcing Labuschagne into edging to a diving Abdullah Shafique at first slip.

In a recurring theme for the tourists, Labuschagne couldn't quite believe he had missed out on a century but Australia did enough to move towards parity and inch this historic series-opener towards the predictability of a stale draw. (Cricinfo)

SCOREBOARD

PAKISTAN 1st innings

Australia 1st innings

Abdullah Shafique c Pat Cummins b Nathan Lyon 44 Imam ul-Haq lbw Pat Cummins 157 Azhar Ali c Cameron Green b Marnus Labuschagne 185 Babar Azam Run Out Marnus Labuschagne 36 Mohammad Rizwan Not Out 29 Iftikhar Ahmed Not Out 13 Extras 4b 7lb 1nb 0pen 0w 12 Total (162.0 overs) 476 decl

Usman Khawaja c Imam ul-Haq b Nauman Ali 97 David Warner b Sajid Khan 68 Marnus Labuschagne c Abdullah Shafique b Shaheen Afridi 90 Steven Smith c Mohammad Rizwan b Nauman Ali 78 Travis Head c Mohammad Rizwan b Nauman Ali 8 Cameron Green c Iftikhar Ahmed b Nauman Ali 48 Alex Carey b Naseem Shah 19 Mitchell Starc Not Out 12 Pat Cummins Not Out 4 Extras 6b 11lb 8nb 0pen 0w 25 Total (137.0 overs) 449-7

Fall of Wickets: 1-105 Shafique, 2-313 ul-Haq, 3-414 Azam, 4-442 Ali Did Not Bat: Alam, Ali, Khan, Shah, Afridi Bowling: Mitchell Starc 24 - 5 - 71 - 0, Josh Hazlewood 26 - 6 - 53 - 0, Nathan Lyon 52 - 5 - 161 - 1, Pat Cummins 28 - 5 - 62 - 1, Cameron Green 15 - 3 - 47 - 0 (1nb), Marnus Labuschagne 12 0 53 1 4.42

Fall of Wickets: 1-156 Warner, 2-203 Khawaja, 3-311 Labuschagne, 4-326 Head, 5-407 Green, 6-422 Smith, 7-444 Carey To Bat: Lyon, Hazlewood Bowling: Sajid Khan 45 - 9 - 122 - 1, Naseem Shah 21 - 2 - 89 - 1 ( 4nb), Shaheen Afridi 28 - 5 - 80 - 1 (3nb), Nauman Ali 37 - 8 107 - 4 (1nb)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Tuesday March 8, 2022

Jadeja hailed as 'top allrounder' after world first (AFP)-India skipper Rohit Sharma hailed Ravindra Jadeja as one of the world's best allrounders after the left-hander stood out in the team's crushing Test win over Sri Lanka on Sunday.

India won the first of the two Tests – Virat Kohli's 100th five-day match and Rohit's first as the long-format captain – inside three days by an innings and 222 runs in Mohali Jadeja smashed an unbeaten 175 and claimed a match tally of nine wickets with his left-arm spin to be named player of the match, becoming the first male player in Test history

to score 150+ runs and take nine wickets in a single Test.

Nobody has taken 10 wickets in a Test and made a score of 150+, but it was the sixth occurance of a male Test player making at least 150 and taking a five-wicket haul in an innings, and the first since Mushtaq Mohammad's 201 and 5-49 against New Zealand in 1973 "To me he is one of the top allrounders," Rohit said of Jadeja after the match.

"Look at the performances, to score 175 not out and take

nine wickets in the game, he's just upping his game every time we see him."

Jadeja is one of just three players to have both more than 2000 Test runs averaging 30 or more and more than 200 Test wickets with an average below 25. The others are Imran Khan and Shaun Pollock.

Rohit said he is keen to utilise Jadeja's batting more in the future.

"He's very hungry, as you can see. That hunger is something that drives athletes to move forward.

"When I talk to him about certain things, he is very

open-minded. He wants to take the responsibility, he wants to take the challenge."

"The example was there in the T20 series against Sri Lanka. I just casually asked him if he would want to bat up the order, and he was open for it. This is why we asked him to go up in the first T20.

"As a captain, I want to use Jadeja a lot more with the bat.

"We all know his bowling.

Everyone knows about his fielding. He brings so much balance to the team as well.

Ravindra Jadeja is the first male Test cricketer to score 175 runs and take nine wickets in a Test match

Jadeja, 33, is currently third on the ICC's ranking of Test allrounders behind Ravichandran Ashwin and number one Jason Holder of the West Indies.

Bangladesh's Shakib Al Hasan is fourth and England's Ben Stokes sixth.

Coming in at No.7, Jadeja recorded a Test best and the second century of his career and put on marathon partnerships to steer India to 8-574 after they elected to bat first.

He put on 130 runs for the seventh wicket with Ashwin and then an unbeaten 103-run ninth-wicket stand with Mohammed Shami, who scored 20.

Jadeja has hit three triple centuries including a best of 331 for his state side Saurashtra while batting at No.4 He has played 58 Tests for India since his debut in 2012, scoring 2,370 runs at an average of 36.46. He has taken 241 wickets including 10 five-wicket hauls.

In the same match, Ashwin's six wickets saw him pass Kapil Dev on India's all-time Test wicket-taking list, putting him second behind only Anil Kumble.

"To me, he is already an all-time great," Rohit said of Ashwin. "He has been playing cricket for the country for so many years, his performances have been so good over the years. He has given many match-winning performances.

Ervine appointed Zimbabwe's full-time white-ball captain CRAIG Ervine has been confirmed as Zimbabwe's full-time white-ball captain while Sean Williams has been retained as Test captain. Ervine had captained Zimbabwe in an interim capacity during their limited-overs series in Ireland and Scotland last year and in Sri Lanka earlier this year.

Regis Chakabva will be the vice-captain of the side across formats.

Former South Africa allrounder Lance Klusener has rejoined Zimbabwe's support staff, which will be led by head coach Lalchand Rajput, who has been retained.

Craig Ervine has led Zimbabwe in 15 internationals so far (Getty Images)

Klusener has been reappointed as the side's batting coach, a role that he initially

performed from 2016 to 2018. In 2019, he took over as Afghanistan's head coach before he and the ACB mutually agreed to part ways in November 2021. Klusener's most recent assignment was at Khulna Tigers in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL).

Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) is in the process of finalising the appointment of a bowling coach and a fitness trainer for the men's side. The board also confirmed that Mary-Anne Musonda and Josephine Nkomo would continue as captain and vice-captain of the Zimbabwe women's team. (Cricinfo)

Man United players increasingly concerned by managerial uncertainty MANCHESTER United's players are becoming increasingly concerned at the managerial void at Old Trafford as their season continues to unravel.

United's 4-1 loss at Manchester City on Sunday was only their second defeat under interim boss Ralf Rangnick.

However, they have won just eight of the German's 18 games in charge, including none of the last three.

Meanwhile, BBC Sport also understands England striker Marcus Rashford is unsure of his Old Trafford future.

Rashford still wants to play for United and has another full season left on his contract - plus the option to extend until 2024.

But the 24-year-old, who started yesterday's game on the bench despite the absences of Cristiano Ronaldo and Edinson Cavani, feels his career has stalled and is concerned his international prospects will be damaged if the situation fails to improve.

In addition, it is hard to see Ronaldo, 37, wanting to stay for a second season if United fail to qualify for the Champions League.

Rangnick admitted to United's own media channels that his side 'can almost not drop any more points' over their final 10 games if they are to secure a top-four berth.

Considering their runin includes trips to Liverpool and Arsenal, plus home games against Tottenham on

Saturday and then Chelsea on 15 May, getting maximum points will not be easy.

United know a failure to secure a place in next season's Champions League will hamper their chances of trying to sign new players - or persuade others to stay, such as France midfielder Paul Pogba, who is out of contract in the summer.

While United's players understand much of the responsibility for the current predicament lies with them, there is also a belief they

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26

Warnie was a generous, honest champion

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Tuesday March 8, 2022

Big Boss Girls win Strikers Sports Club anniversary dominoes

… Despite being one of the best ever at what he did, he didn't see himself as a superstar

By Ian Chappell IT'S downright ridiculous.

You don't even get time to process Rod Marsh's demise, let alone grieve his passing, before you find out Shane Warne has had a heart attack and died.

I awoke in Sydney this morning to a string of phone messages that I presumed were condolences for the passing of my mate Rodney. When I looked a little closer, I found they were about Shane. I was already struggling and that put me in a state of shock.

Warne was not only a champion leg-spinner, I also found him to be an exceedingly generous person and a honest bloke.

He gave generously of his time to kids and went beyond the recommended in talking to them as he autographed their offered items.

I've seen Warne first-hand not only sign for a plethora of autograph hunters lined up but also chat to the bulk of them. And he didn't just make idle talk, he actually chatted to them about stuff they were interested in.

As captain of an Australia side that won in the Caribbean, I was asked to put together a group of my guys from 1973 to match a team from Mark Taylor's 1995 side, which also won in the West Indies.

I was a director of the Com-Tech company at the time and this was one of my

most pleasant tasks in that role.

There was no problem getting either side together and David Shein, the CEO of Com-Tech, endowed both teams with expense money for the trip.

When it came to Warne, he refused the cheque on the basis that he didn't need the money. When Shein pressed him to accept, he simply said, "Any mate of Ian Chappell is a mate of mine", and didn't take the money.

I once saw him walk into a room full of business people who all knew his name. He wandered over to the first bloke, held out his hand and said, "Hi, I'm Shane."

"Mate," I chuckled afterwards, "they know who you are. You don't have to introduce yourself."

That was Shane. He didn't see himself as a superstar. "Aw mate," he'd say, "I'm just an average guy who likes a fag, a beer and a pie."

Warne didn't have a radar set. This probably got him into strife at times; he was always surprised when he was photographed out on the town, having what he thought was a night out like any other normal bloke As part of his contract with Channel 9, the two of us stayed in the same house for the 1996 Masters golf tournament in Augusta, Georgia.

He came with a group of us to an Indian restaurant near the course and, despite his protests, I ordered for him.

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER (Tuesday March 08, 2022)

COMPLIMENTS OF CUMMINGS ELECTRICAL COMPANY LTD 83 Garnett Street, Campbellville, Georgetown (Tel: 225-6158) Answers to yesterday’s quiz: (1) Garry Sobers/Frank Worrell-399 for fourth wicket (Bridgetown, 1960) (2) Peter May/Colin Cowdrey-411 for fourth wicket (Birmingham, 1957) Today’s Quiz: (1) Which WI captain has enjoyed most Test wins against ENG to date?

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Answers in tomorrow’s issue

The only meal he'd agree to was plain chips. When they came, he ate one and accused me of having asked for chilli to be put on the chips and said he was going out to get a pizza. When he came back 20 minutes later, I accused him of stopping for a cigarette and he eventually admitted he'd had one while he was out.

My wife, Barbara-Ann, who has studied nutrition, once told Warnie he'd have to adjust his abominable diet. He was put out by the suggestion but unfortunately it would seem Barbara-Ann was proved right.

Warne was an aggressive cricketer who impressed with his excellent thinking on the game. He produced the ball of the 20th century to dismiss England's Mike Gatting, and a myriad other excellent deliveries that netted him more than 700 Test wickets.

Former Test fast bowler Rod Hogg, writing in the now defunct Melbourne Truth, declared before Warne had represented Australia that he would take 500 Test wickets.

"You're an idiot," the editor barked and sacked Hogg. "No one will take 500 Test wickets," the editor said.

I suppose if you're being pedantic, Warne didn't claim 500 Test wickets.

He relied a lot on the help of former Australia leg-spinner Terry Jenner. Jenner was good at communicating and saw Warne through some tough times. When Warne collected only one expensive wicket on debut, TJ wanted to know what I thought of his bowling.

"Don't be fooled by those ugly stats," I said to him. "He bowled a lot of good balls.

He'll be okay Never did I imagine just how good he'd be.

Like Dennis Lillee before him, Warne had the fans on the edge of their seats because they felt every time he had the ball, something would happen.

Marsh loved Lillee and most others who played aggressive cricket. That's why this week has been so hard. It's bad enough to lose Rod Marsh but to also have Shane Warne pass away is too much.

Please, can I just grieve in peace for a while. (Cricinfo)

Candace Gravesande presents the Grace Kennedy Remittance Services Ltd. first place trophy to captain of the Big Boss Girls, Charlyn Barnwell, with elated team members and organiser of the tourney in attendance

IT was a day of excitement as Strikers Sports Club celebrated their 13th Anniversary on Saturday last at its headquarters as they hosted six all-female teams to participate in a tworound Points System Aggregate dominoes tourney in honour of the milestone.

Teams that participated were Hammer, Turning Point, Big Girls, Spartan Girls, Cody Girls and Big Boss Girls, with the latter coming out victorious with the maximum 10 points. Big Girls came in second with 8 points while Spartan Girls came in third with seven points, Hammer got fourth,

Cody Girls was fifth and Turning Point brought up the rear.

Prizes, hampers and trophies were awarded to all six participating teams in what was deemed a first in which all participating teams were rewarded financially.

Donations in the form of trophies came from Grace Kennedy Remittance Services, Luminous Consultancy and Electrical Services and Shaila Johnson for the first, second and third places respectively, while Ansa McAL contributed hampers and Clifton Electronics donated one Black & Decker Iron for the MVP.

The recipients of prizes were Valerie Fortune, who was adjudged Most Valuable Player (One Hamper and one Black & Decker Iron). ladies sharing loves in the competition were Neiberth Hale of Big Girls, Charlyn Barnwell and Lorraine Reid of Big Boss Girls, Rita Scarder of Spartan Girls and Jane Chase of Hammer. Orinthia Bishop of Spartan Girls, Claire Benjamin of Cody Girls and Susan Collymore of Turning Point received hampers for amassing the highest games in their respective teams.

New Zealand beat Bangladesh for first win of tournament HOSTS New Zealand got their first win of the Women's World Cup with a nine-wicket victory over Bangladesh.

After losing their opener to West Indies, the White Ferns were in danger of further frustration when rain delayed the start in Dunedin.

However, in a match reduced to 27 overs per side, World Cup debutants Bangladesh were restricted to 140-8.

New Zealand raced to their target in 20 overs through Suzie Bates' 79 not out and an unbeaten 49 from Amelia Kerr.

Bangladesh go on to play Pakistan on Monday, while New Zealand meet 2017 run-

ners-up India in Hamilton on Thursday.

New Zealand are likely to by vying with India, South Africa and West Indies for two semi-final spots and a washout against Bangladesh would have been hugely detrimental to their last-four hopes.

For much of the day it looked like the White Ferns could be left disappointed at the world's southernmost international cricket ground.

Play eventually began at 15:00 local time and Bangladesh, who pushed South Africa in their opening game, made another encouraging start.

Shamima Sultana and Fargana Hoque added 59 for

the first wicket in little more than nine overs.

They were parted when Sultana was well held by Lea Tahuhu, running in from the leg-side boundary, from the off-spin of Frankie MacKay. Although Hoque went on to make 52, Bangladesh were kept in check by 3-25 from Amy Satterthwaite.

Former captain Bates led the chase, playing on her home ground in an international for the first time in a 16-year career.

Bates also became only the sixth player to pass 1,000 runs in Women's World Cups as she shared an unbroken stand of 108 with Kerr. (BBC Sport)

27

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Tuesday March 8, 2022

Sir Viv Richards:

West Indies legend reflects on his career and influence on his 70th birthday SIR Vivian Richards is in reflective mood.

"As the days go by you may not look your age but certainly you do feel it," he says.

He is 70, but certainly doesn't look it. The death of legendary Australia leg-spinner Shane Warne, a man he describes as 'joyous', has moved him deeply.

But Richards has other reasons to reflect.

The impact of his batting went far beyond the runs he scored -- 15,261, including 35 centuries, across 308 Tests and one-day internationals for West Indies.

That's only a statistical estimation of greatness.

Richards knows the way he played cricket, his poise and courage, was hugely influential, especially for black people.

"As a young man growing up, I was always reading

about the struggles in America, the Black Panthers," he says.

"I was conscious in that way, it was a message being sent. These were defenders of your race because of some of the stuff which was going on.

"I was pretty strong about that. Maybe that's why some folks would look at me sometimes and say, 'Wow, what an arrogant guy' in the way he walked out and stuff like that.

"It isn't arrogance. I just believe in human beings and that's the most important thing."

We meet in the north of Antigua, not far from where Richards grew up and only 15 minutes from the stadium which carries his name.

During the three-Test series between West Indies and England that starts at the Sir Vivian Richards Cricket

Sir Vivian Richards celebrated his 70th birthday on Monday

Stadium today, the two sides will play for the new Richards-Botham Trophy.

His friendship with former England all-rounder and captain, Lord Botham, began in 1974 when they were team-mates at Somerset.

"He's a guy who I've spent a great amount of time with in my life, sharing dressing rooms and being in

opposition also," says Richards of Lord Botham.

"Having the trophy with someone who you hold dear to your heart and you consider a friend; that is pretty good news in my opinion..”

Later, when they met at the stadium, Richards and Botham embraced, banter and giggle together as if they were back in the flat they shared as young cricketers in Taunton.

Both men produced heroic displays for their countries over the years, although, as Botham readily admits, West Indies utterly dominated England during his Test career.

Test cricket back then was, without doubt, the format that mattered. Yet some of Richards' Test innings, like the 110 from 56 balls in Antigua in 1986, which featured one-handed sixes, practically invented T20 batting.

He smiles and explains:

"Sometimes you become a little bit bored with just the general stuff and you try to be creative.

"This is what my game was always about, being as creative as possible, giving the best I can, believing in the talent you have.

"That is of paramount importance, for any young individual. If you have it, flaunt it."

There's an easy laughter which follows this answer as Richards fondly enjoys the memories.

But his understanding and passion for history is far deeper. Antigua was a British colony which used African slave labour on its plantations.

When we discuss the legacy of the British Empire it is not enough to simply stop at cricket.

"We, as a people, have given this world a lot," adds

Richards.

"And the generations who come through whatever period of colonialism, and who were responsible for that, should tell their generations and kids. Let them know exactly how some obviously gained their wealth.

"We played a huge part without being paid. So, we hear nowadays about reparations for slavery and that to me is a good call."

At 70, Richards has a perspective far beyond cricket but then, he always did.

I wish him happy birthday and he accepts by extending his appreciation.

"Let me take this opportunity to thank all the individuals around the world who would have admired the way I've done things," said Richards. "Even the haters, I do appreciate you all.

"Thank you so much, for my 70th."

Shane Warne died Ponting’s pledge for his fallen mate Warne of natural causes, according to autopsy report AUSTRALIAN cricket great Shane Warne died of natural causes, according to the autopsy report.

Warne was found unresponsive in his villa in Thailand last Friday at the age of 52 following a suspected heart attack.

His death rocked the sport, with tributes pouring in from across the world for the legendary spinner, who took 708 Test wickets across a 15-year career – second only to Muttiah Muralitharan.

Thai police previously claimed Warne had complained of chest pains prior to his passing, and they have since confirmed he died of natural causes.

In a statement on Mon-

day, deputy national police spokesperson Kissana Phathanacharoen said: "Today investigators received the autopsy result, in which the medical opinion is that the cause of death is natural.

"Investigators will summarise the autopsy result for prosecutors within the timeframe of the law."

Songyot Chayaninporamet, deputy director of the hospital where Warne was taken, put the death down to a "congenital disease".

Songyot added: "There is no COVID-19 infection and no sign of assault or murder."

Warne's body is due to be returned to Australia today, where he is to receive a state funeral in Victoria.

(Yahoo Sport)

AS former Australia captain, Ricky Ponting, struggles to comprehend the unexpected death of close friend and cricketing great, Shane Warne, he has vowed to ensure the champion leg-spinner’s legacy lives on.

The cricket world was left stunned when Warne died of a heart attack at the age of 52, in Thailand on Saturday, and speaking on the latest edition of The ICC Review, an emotional Ponting described how the tragedy has rocked him and revealed what he wish he could have said to Warne before he passed away.

Ponting bristled with pride reflecting on their playing days together for Australia and shared his appreciation for Warne’s onfield advice and friendship post-retirement.

And Ponting wants to make sure Warne's positive attitude, cricket acumen and willingness to mentor the younger generation is not lost to the game.

"He was a teacher

through his commentary and I’ve seen hundreds of photos over the last 24 hours of all the spinners he worked with,” Ponting told Isa Guha, on The ICC Review.

“He helped Steve Smith in his younger days and Rashid Khan has been catching up with him -- just imagine the conversations they would have had.

"So, I feel it is now up to me whenever I get an opportunity to just let the world know what he was like and pass on some of the things I learnt from him."

The news of Warne's untimely death came less than 24 hours after the passing of another Australian cricketing great, with former wicketkeeper Rod Marsh also dying of a heart attack last week.

"I woke up nice and early; I was getting the kids ready to go to netball and Rianna (Ponting’s wife) looked at her phone and told me the news about Warney," he said.

"I grabbed the phone out of her hand to look at it and I couldn’t believe it, and it is still the same now.

"It was so raw to me I couldn’t really speak and every time I thought about him and our experiences and our journey together and I just got short for words.

"Even today I have had the TV on watching the tributes, but every time I hear his voice I have to turn it off.

"It's been a tough couple of days, but it makes us a bit more aware of things I probably need to pay more attention to and there is stuff there for all of us to learn.”

Ponting knew Warne better than most having played alongside the iconic figure for much of his 15-year international career, where the duo shared numerous Test victories, memorable series triumphs and a successful World Cup campaign in 1999.

But while Ponting lived in the same Melbourne bayside suburb as Warne and even caught up for the occasional game of golf all the way up to his passing, the former Australia skipper said there was one thing he will now never get to share with

his long-time friend.

"I would say just how much I love him," Ponting said tearily, when asked what he would say to Warne if he had the chance for one final conversation Ponting also reflected on the special memories he had with his close mate and admitted he was in awe of some of the leg-spinner’s friends, while also paying homage to the type of man he was.

"If you spent a day with him (it was amazing) to see some of the names flashing up on his mobile phone," Ponting said.

"It was very rare for Warney just to be sitting at home.

He would always try and find time for his friends and his family and that was one of his great strengths.

"The more people talking about Shane, the thing that will shine through will be just how loyal he was to family and friends and how loved he was.

"He had the energy that drew you to him and that is a trait that not a lot of people have." (ICC.com)

First Test bowls off at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium today

Windies taking nothing for granted despite England’s troubles

Sir Viv Richards and Lord Botham unveiled the new trophy named after them, which replaces the Wisden Trophy, in Antigua (See story on page 31)

ST JOHN’S, Antigua, (CMC) – Beleaguered West Indies are refusing to take hope from the absence of the iconic fast bowling duo of Jimmy Anderson and Stuart Broad, when they clash with England in the opening Test of the three-match series starting at the Sir Vivian Richards Cricket Stadium here today.

The home side is anxious to turn the page on their wretched run of form last year in the longest format which yielded three wins in ten outings, and a single series success

away in Bangladesh with a weakened squad.

But even with England overhauling their squad for the Caribbean campaign in the wake of their recent Ashes disaster, head coach Phil Simmons said there would be no complacency among his players about any perceived weakness in the opposition.

“You can call it an advantage but, again, no Broad, no Anderson – we keep harping on that – but when you don’t have the experience you have young fellas who are hungry to

make their name, and that is something you have to guard against too,” Simmons told a media conference on Monday.

“For me, you can’t be looking at that and saying ‘well look, that’s a big advantage’ because then you tend to get complacent and you tend to get found out early.

“We have not been looking at the fact there’s no Broad and Anderson; we’ve been looking at who there is and there is still some quality bowlers in there which we still have to bat against.”

FIFA says foreign players can leave Russia FOREIGN footballers playing in Russia can suspend their contracts and temporarily leave the country. FIFA made the announcement as a result of the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Russian football clubs and national teams were last week suspended from all competitions "until further notice" by FIFA and UEFA. "FIFA would like to reiterate its condemnation of the ongoing use of force by Russia in Ukraine," it said.

In the statement, the world governing body added: "Foreign players and coaches will have the right to unilaterally suspend their employment contracts with the clubs in question until the end of the season in Russia (30 June 2022).

"Players and coaches will be considered out of contract until 30 June 2022 and will therefore be at liberty to sign a contract with another club without facing consequences of any kind."

Fifpro, the players' union, said the measures didn't go far enough.

"While some measures adopted today are helpful amendments, the decision to allow foreign players to only suspend their contracts and thus only temporarily leave Russian clubs is too timid.

"It will be hard for players to find employment for the remainder of the season with uncertainty looming over them and, within a few weeks, they will be in a very difficult situation once again.

"These players should be allowed to terminate their contracts."

The Russian Football Union said it will go to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas) to appeal against its ban from international competitions.

Russian side Spartak Moscow have been kicked out of the Europa League and the 2022 Champions League final, originally due to be played in St Petersburg on 28 May, has been moved to Paris. (BBC Sport)

Anderson and Broad are England’s most seasoned bowlers with 1 177 wickets and 321 Tests between them but were casualties of the side’s 4-0 drubbing Down Under earlier this year.

Their absences have left England’s attack with the likes of Ollie Robinson, Mark Wood, Chris Woakes, Saqib Mahmood and Craig Overton – representing a total of 80 Tests and 262 wickets.

West Indies, too, have made some changes. Roston Chase, Rahkeem Cornwall, Shai Hope, and

Jomel Warrican have all been discarded while the batting pair of Shamarh Brooks and John Campbell have been recalled.

On England’s last tour of the Caribbean three years ago, an underrated West Indies stunned them to come away with a 2-1 series win, and Simmons said it was again important the host played to the high standards they were capable of.

“It’s a case of looking to play the cricket we know will put us in a position to win the series,” he pointed out.

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Narayan Ramdhani wins gold at ACAC Badminton Championship ‒ Priyanna cops three medals

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27

The Ramdhani siblings: Narayan (left) and his sister, Priyanna, were outstanding over the weekend

West Indies legend reflects on his career and 31 influence on his 70th birthday PAGE

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