Guyana_Chronicle_Epaper_05_02_2022

SATURDAY 5th February, 2022

No.106626

16 trained to tackle HIV discrimination, violence against women and girls

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Budget 2022 ‘Transformational’ –– Finance Minister hammers APNU+AFC for selling ‘pipe dreams’

Regional commitment vital

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–– in achieve 25 per cent reduction in food imports by 2025, says President Ali

President Dr. Irfaan Ali and a team of high-level government officials attending the 101st Special Meeting of the Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED). COTED promotes trade and economic development of CARICOM and oversees the operation of the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (Office of the President photo)

US seeks extradition 3,800 acres of land of duo wanted identified for 02 for sex crimes 12 creation of new city PAGE

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LGEs likely to be held this year 09 PAGE

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3,800 acres of land identified for creation of new city

GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, February 5, 2022

–– upper East Bank Demerara area will cater for over 50,000 persons

–– with plans to develop over 3,000 house lots within five years, says Minister Croal

By Rabindra Rooplall WITHIN the next five years, the government will be moving to develop over 3,000 house lots at an area along the upper East Bank

of Demerara, as part of its plans to establish a new urban district called Silica City.

It is envisaged that the area, once developed, will be home to over 50,000 persons

within the next 20 years.

The plan for the establishment of this new city was outlined by Minister of Housing and Water, Collin Croal, during day five of the Budget 2020 debates.

According to Minister Croal, some 3,800 acres of state lands within the Soesdyke and Timehri areas have already been identified for immediate development.

The intention behind this

Minister of Housing and Water, Collin Croal project is to create an urban centre which would supplement Georgetown.

Silica City, he said, as conceptualised in 2013, is envisaged to tackle the issue of non-coastal urban settlement development and the challenges of climate change and rising sea levels.

It is also important for urgent attention to be given to the development of Silica City, since a non-coastal urban settlement which has various services and amenities, would attract investment, create employment, and offer alternative urban settlement.

The vision for Silica City, Croal said, is to have a vibrant, sustainable, resilient and modern city, which is in keeping with the Low Carbon Development Strategy, Guyana’s international commitments (Paris Agreement and UNFCC) and Goal 11 of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

The “smart city” approach, the Housing Minister noted, is proposed for creating a new city that is compact, pedestrian-oriented, energy-efficient, interconnected and sustainable, comfortable, attractive and secure.

A key area of focus, he added, is the preservation and enhancement of the valuable, natural and cultural resources of the area.

Further, Minister Croal related that a preliminary development concept was completed, identifying the key features of the smart city approach in terms of residential and non-residential development, transport and infrastructure, sustainable urban drainage, conservation and tourism district, waste management, alternative energy, technological aspects and agriculture.

Consultations, he told the House, are ongoing with the utility companies to coordinate the development of their infrastructure, since it is anticipated that a shared utility corridor will cater for all utilities to be routed underground.

Minister Croal detailed designs are being prepared for a golf course/resort facility and an eco-industrial park.

Further, streetscape designs are also underway.

Additionally, he said designs will commence this year for a first phase housing development within the proposed residential zone of the new city, after the block and topographic surveys are completed.

This proposed developmental project is reflective of Budget 2022, which, Minister Croal said, is good for the country.

“It has no new taxes, includes more benefits for ordinary citizens, projects that the construction sector will grow to 40.3 per cent and presents a clear and cohesive plan for Guyana’s development trajectory. I’d like to call on the opposition members to embrace it, share it, and support it. We want the same thing – a united Guyana, a developed Guyana, One Guyana,” Minister Croal said.

Notably, he said that the government has already surpassed the house lot allocation targets set for the first two years, by allocating more than 10,000 house lots to date.

“We’ve handed out 1,266 land titles and transports, built 50 low-income houses at Prospect, 133 moderate-income homes at Cummings Lodge, Onderneeming and Amelia’s Ward and 100 houses for young professionals at Providence. We’ve distributed 228 home improvement subsidies to the tune of $114 million and significantly upgraded the infrastructure in housing developments in Regions One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Nine and 10. The combined totality of our achievements in fewer than two years far outweighs those of the members on the other side during their five-year reign of taxes,” Minister Croal said.

RESUSCITATED THE HOUSING SECTOR Within the past 18 months, the government has not only resuscitated the housing sector, but it has also sought to make the services offered at the See page 13

Budget 2022 ‘Transformational’

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, February 5, 2022

–– Finance Minister hammers APNU+AFC for selling ‘pipe dreams’

SENIOR Minister within the Office of the President, Dr. Ashni Singh, highlighted that the government’s competency and credibility will allow for the much-needed execution of Guyana’s development plans and projects listed in the landmark $552.9 billion 2022 National Budget.

The 2022 National Budget was presented to the National Assembly

by Dr. Singh in January. Subsequently, each parliamentarian had the opportunity to make their contribution during the budget debates. These debates ended on Friday night, with the Senior Minister having the final word.

The Senior Minister spent his lengthy, impassioned presentation levelling scathing remarks at the APNU+AFC. Of particular note, he mounted heaps of criticisms on the unfilled promises and failed plans from the APNU+AFC coalition party during its five years in office.

“The APNU+AFC’s track record of selling pipe dreams is a long established one… When Mr. Roysdale Forde comes here and says ‘we will abolish income taxes’... the people of Guyana know better,” Dr. Singh said.

Among those failed promises, he highlighted, was the APNU+AFC failure to improve the standard of living for public servants and ordinary citizens. He also point-

ed out that a marginal, tiered increase for public servants had been during their five years while the old-age pension did not see significant increases.

He also noted that key plans to advance regional and hinterland development did not materialise either.

“They wreaked havoc on all 10 regions of the country in the five years they spent in office,” Dr. Singh lamented.

Since they were unable to keep these promises, the Senior Minister said that the Coalition has an underpinning flaw: a lack of credibility.

“You may ask, Sir, why I choose to highlight the fundamental problem that the APNU+AFC has with credibility?” he questioned.

Then, he quickly answered, “Because the APNU+AFC has a long history of selling pipe dreams”.

Cognisant of the opposition’s failure to keep its promises and execute much-needed developmental programmes, the Senior Minister posited: “At this point in Guyana’s history and in this modern age of information, in this era when Guyana is going through a rapid and dramatic transformation, what we need more than ever before is serious, credible, capable and competent government.”

Budget 2022 follows the theme: “Steadfast against all challenges, resolute in building our one Guyana.” During his presentation of the bud-

get, Dr. Singh said Budget 2022 sets Guyana on the path to realising the “bright future” which the country has long awaited.

This is so because it launches some of the most transformative projects which are critical to resolving the bugbears and bottlenecks the nation has long faced, whether it is adequate and affordable electricity, a transport network that is responsive to both productive opportunities and changing patterns of urbanisation or improved medical services for Guyanese.

FAST AND LOOSE PRESENTATIONS While Dr. Singh has made clear the budget’s impact in heralding in planned development, he lamented the many opposition parliamentarians’ failure to critically analyse and its merits. Instead, he bemoaned their “fast and loose” and “nonsensical” presentations that showed a flawed analysis of the budget.

“They missed the opportunity to actually contribute to a serious debate on Budget 2022. If they had any semblance of credibility, competence and integrity they would have arrived at the unavoidable conclusion that Budget 2022 includes many initiatives that are worthy of unanimous support,” Dr. Singh said emphatically.

And he listed some of those initiatives, the

first being the $30,000 uniforms and education grant that will be given to every child in every household. He also spoke about the government’s massive housing development drive, the creation of medical facilities and initiatives to train many more people for jobs.

Importantly, he drew attention to the transformational gas-to-energy project in Region Three that is expected to facilitate the long-awaited “industrial revolution” in Guyana. Supporting that revolution, he noted, is the large allocations to create more roads, bridges and other infrastructural work. Notably, the largest allocation for a single sector has gone to infrastructure.

After listing these plans, the Senior Minister emphasised: “This budget outlines an agenda for the transformation of Guyana in a way that generations of Guyanese have been waiting for.”

While noting that the government intends to be responsive to the needs of all Guyanese, Dr. Singh said, “Our President is hard at work, our Vice-President is hard at work, our ministers are hard at work while they (Opposition members) are busy selling pipe dreams.”

For emphasis, he posited, “... this budget outlines a plan for the historic and unprecedented transformation of Guyana.”

And this transformation, he said, comes just

Senior Minister within the Office of the President Dr. Ashni Singh 18 months into office and contended that Guyana despite the many inherit- was at a “critical turning ed problems, the People’s point” that requires careProgressive Party Civic ful governance and not (PPP/C) Government en- petty remarks or personal countered on assumption attacks. of office.

He contended further “There are alot of in- that this careful and seriherited problems but I ous governance was bedon’t think that anyone ing provided by members can question that Budget of the government.

2022 makes a significant “We will proceed contribution to transform- with implementing this ing Guyana and improv- transformation budget, ing lives,” Dr. Singh af- continuing to do as we firmed. always do - continuHe also chastised the ing to listen and engage opposition for seeking to closely with the people “frustrate development” of Guyana, because we, to the detriment of Guy- Sir, are here to serve,” anese everywhere. He Dr. Singh emphasised.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, February 5, 2022

Regional commitment vital –– in achieve 25 per cent reduction in food imports by 2025, says President Ali

PRESIDENT, Dr Irfaan Ali has stressed the importance of across-the-board commitments by CARICOM Member States in achieving the target of reducing food importation by 25 per cent by 2025.

Guyana currently holds lead responsibility for Agriculture, Agricultural Diversification and Food Security in CARICOM and is spearheading the regional body’s quest of reducing its US$5B food import bill.

During his address at the 101st Special Meeting of the Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED), via videoconfer-

ence, the President reminded the leaders about the need to work as a cohesive unit.

“It is either we are serious about this or we are not serious about this — we have to decide. This is not an individual country trying to achieve something; this is us as a collective. This is about us being successful together… we cannot advance this if the commitment and the full participation is not there.”

ACTIONABLE PLAN In his capacity as the meeting’s Chair, President Ali also invited discussions on the updates provided by the Special Ministerial

Taskforce (MTF) on Food Production and Food Security.

The representatives were invited to identify areas where they can increase food production and come up with an actionable plan that also includes a budget, technical resources and investment.

They were also tasked with identifying the gaps in each category.

President Ali noted that the intention is to be able to lead an effort to mobilise technical help and financial resources and to work with the Member States in achieving the target.

He said he requested the meeting to ensure that concrete decisions and a clear path are established in moving forward.

Guyana’s Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International

Co-operation, Hugh Todd, were with the President.

Minister Mustapha, who also serves as the Chairman of the MTF, provided a progress report to participants on the work of the task force to date while participating Agriculture Ministers and other senior officials from across the CARICOM region provided updates on their country’s efforts to address agriculture-related issues.

BARRIERS The removal of non-tariff barriers as a means of promoting intra-regional trade and quick resolution of Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) disputes were also raised by Dr Richard Blair, an Agricultural Economist with the Ministry of Agriculture.

He noted that the two main challenges the region faces are SPS measures and

President, Dr Irfaan Ali qualitative restrictions such as arbitrary licences requirements.

The Members States also discussed their national action plans, including resource allocations in support of the 25 by 2025 target.

Before the next CARICOM Heads of Government Meeting, participants are expected to set conditions, including actions required and interventions needed to achieve the target.

Also on the agenda was a discussion on the poultry industry, which President Ali said brings tremendous opportunities.

“The suggestion is for us to have poultry as a mainstay of what we want to achieve.

So, for example, if a country is producing zero per cent, how can we take them to 25 per cent; if you are producing 25 per cent, how can we take you to 50 per cent. We need to examine if we can do it and how we can do it.”

Other discussions included taxes and duties, incentivising agriculture, climate-smart resilient agriculture, productivity, technical support, crop identification for import substitution, addressing consumption, our consumption pattern and behaviour, data collection, monitoring system, regional transport infrastructure, agro-processing and creating

a regional brand.

POSITIVE PATH AHEAD Meanwhile, CARICOM Secretary-General, Dr Carla Barnett lauded the participants for their positive discussions.

“The way the conversation is going is really positive… we should be moving towards collecting all of the information in the individual states so that targeted programmes can be put together.”

She added that sustainable results require that specific needs of each Member State be addressed. This, she stressed, is however dependent on the inputs of the Members States.

President Ali assured those present that there will be direct linkages with the Secretariat and each Member State to craft a targeted outcome and strategic framework.

Foreign Secretary, Robert Persaud; Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation, Ambassador Elisabeth Harper; Director of Projects at the Office of the President, Marcia Nadir-Sharma, and other officials were also at the Office of the President for the meeting. (Office of the President)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, February 5, 2022

Min. Todd defends foreign agenda against Walton-Desir criticisms

WITH a substantial $6 Billion allocation in 2022 for Guyana’s foreign ministry, subject Minister Hugh Todd said on Friday, this investment will catapult Guyana’s foreign policy initiatives and priorities.

The minister made his contribution to the debate on the Fiscal Appropriation Bill (2022), while also responding to criticisms against his leadership made, on Monday last in the National Assembly, by A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) parliamentarian, Amanza Walton-Desir.

Walton-Desir shadows Minister Todd for the political opposition.

FOREIGN POLICY Walton-Desir called into question the effectiveness of Guyana’s current foreign policy, compared to the country’s mandates in the international community under Presidents Forbes Burnham, Desmond Hoyte and Cheddi Jagan.

“They were clear, they were decisive, they were coherent, and they were rooted in incontrovertible principles,” she said in her contribution to the debate of the Fiscal Appropriations Bill 2022.

Walton-Desir questioned whether Guyana’s foreign policy has been re-imagined now that the country has become a petroleum-producing nation.

Responding to the criticism on foreign policy, the minister maintained the clarity in government’s foreign policy agenda.

“The preservation of Guyana’s sovereignty and territorial integrity; advancing bilateral relations; conducting economic diplomacy through the promotion of

trade and investment; project a positive image of Guyana through sensitization and awareness of policies and programmes being undertaken by the government; fulfilment of bilateral and multilateral agreements; engaging our diaspora in national development efforts; and maintaining an active role in international affairs,” Mr Todd outlined, are all part of his ministry’s work in the international community.

Minister Todd said the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) government is committed to protecting and defending democratic values, the rule of law, and ensuring international cooperation.

A whopping $3.7 Billion is allocated to foreign policy programmes, Minister Todd disclosed.

DIPLOMATIC CORPS Setting her sights on Guyana’s current human resource capacity in its diplomatic missions, Walton-Desir questioned the recall of some foreign service officials from postings around the world, as she said that ministry has been “wantonly politicized.”

“This has resulted in a lack of leadership and confusion in a number of our diplomatic missions abroad,” she charged, while calling for investment in a professional foreign service.

For his part, Minister Todd said his government’s foreign policy agenda is advanced by “a cadre of trained diplomats and qualified staff at headquarters, as well as those stationed at embassies, high commissions, and consulates abroad.”

He said the 2022 allocation to his ministry gives valuable support for the implementation of the minis-

try’s policy guidelines “in a systematic manner regarding postings and cross-postings.”

Minister Todd plugged the $20 million allocation in this year’s budget for staffing of the Foreign Service Institute, as well as trainings in international trade policy and law, language, diplomatic training programmes, and other workshops.

Added to that, $130 million has been allocated in already-existing diplomatic missions which, Minister Todd said, will include the appointments of Heads of Missions in host capital cities around the world as Guyana continues to strengthen its presence.

er relations with Suriname has been a priority since his government’s returning to office, which has culminated into an agreement to bridge the Corentyne River linking Guyana and Suriname.

He said this will provide additional opportunities for trade and business.

Stronger relations with Brazil is also touted as a priority as the Minister said, Guyana will strengthen ties with frontier nations.

Bilateral cooperation agreements will be explored in education, technical and scientific cooperation, security and defence, petroleum, investment, and air service, according to Minister Todd.

GLOBAL COOPERATION Guyana enjoys a closer bond now with the international community than ever before, according to the foreign affairs minister.

Taking a direct jab at Walton-Desir’s comments on Monday about the strength of Guyana’s foreign policy under the People’s National Congress (PNC) from 1964-1992, Minister Todd retorted that this period was also when Guyana’s economy was destroyed.

“Imagine, Mr Speaker, they had no national policies that they could have advanced at the international level, and there they were spending more money on a foreign policy agenda that was no good than providing education and health for the people,” he said, calling it “disastrous”.

On strengthening bilateral relations with global partners, Minister Todd said $110 million is allocated to preserve relationships with close allies as well as expanding interactions with non-traditional partners.

Minister Todd said clos-

BORDER CONTROVERSY Turning to one area

Opposition MP, Amanza Walton-Desir where both sides have found agreement, Walton-Desir denounced Venezuela’s claim to Guyana’s territory in the Essequibo region.

“We reaffirm that the border claim by Venezuela is opportunistic, it is mischievous, it is without merit, and we are confident that Guyana will be vindicated.”

Adding his voice to the

border controversy, Minister Todd said that with the ruling of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague, Netherlands, that it has jurisdiction to hear the matter between the two countries, Guyana is working to make its submissions

by March 8.

The foreign minister said the budgetary allocation is sufficient for his ministry as Guyana will continue to be a responsible member of the international community.

“While we are committed to expanding and further enhancing Guyana’s bilateral partnerships with critically important partner states, the government also believes that regional integration, both in the Caribbean and Latin-Ameri-

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Foreign Affairs Minister, Hugh Todd (Delano Williams photo) ca, must be a vital component of a comprehensive, strategic foreign policy agenda,” Dr Todd said.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, February 5, 2022

The Right Balance

DEVELOPMENT is about striking the right balance between consumption and investment.

This is true of the national economy as it is with our individual lives. One fundamental fact of life is that for us to move forward, we have to ensure that our consumption does not exceed our income. Put in a different way, we have to develop a culture of thrift and try to put aside some of our earnings for investment or to save for that ‘rainy’ day.

Vice-President, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo made a powerful point when he made a comparison between the PPP/C’s development agenda and that of the APNU+AFC’s ‘consumption’ philosophy. Had the PPP/C employed such a policy, the country would not have made the rapid progress as is currently the case under the PPP/C administration.

According to the Vice-President, “to understand the budget, and the starting point from the two competing ideas, we have to go back to the financial policy of the two parties... often when we accuse PNC, APNU+AFC of being a consumption-based party, we mean one that does not prepare the country for the future, one that taxes and spends in a particular manner.”

In a further elaboration on the ‘consumption philosophy’ of the previous administration, Dr. Jagdeo used budgets prepared by the PPP/C and that of the APNU+AFC to show that the capital component of the

APNU+AFC budget estimates declined since 2016, when matched against that of the PPP/C in its 2014 Estimates, despite the fact that the overall budgetary allocations increased significantly. In contract, the recurrent component increased by 67 per cent, a clear indication of consumption being given disproportionate priority over investment and capital formation.

The point in that comparison, as pointed out by the Vice-President, is that it is under the capital works component of the budget that provisions are made to upgrade and expand existing infrastructural works including the building of schools, hospitals, roads, bridges and sea defences, all of which are essential for long-term growth and sustainable development.

What is even more significant is the fact that the PPP/C administration is able to expand on its capital works programme without imposing any new taxes, while at the same time allowing for the real income of Guyanese to steadily increase. Unlike the previous administration which imposed heavy taxes on the working people, the PPP/C was able to accelerate the growth trajectory of the country while at the same time improving the quality of life of the Guyanese people by way of higher levels of disposable income, tax reductions, subsidies to vulnerable groups, cash transfers and grants to parents of school children.

This is what sustainable development is all about. It is about creating the conditions for the economy to grow at an accelerated pace; about wealth creation and ensuring that the wealth of the country is distributed in a fair and equitable manner. The increase in the overall standard of living is only possible with an increase in the size of the national pie. Without an increase in national wealth, inflationary tendencies would step in, and like a monster, eat into the real value of disposable incomes. This is exactly what transpired under the PNC regime when the standard of living of the Guyanese people actually decreased with every salary increase. There were money increases, but the real value of those increases got progressively smaller, resulting in a decrease in the basket of goods and services of the working people.

The philosophy of savings and investment is what has been a major driver of economic growth in several parts of the world, in particular the Asian economies such as China, India, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and South Korea. In his book “Megatrends 2000”, John Naisbitt examined development trends in a number of Asian economies and attributed that development to a number of interacting variables which have reshaped the economies, governments and cultures of these Asian economic ‘tigers’. Among some of those factors were a culture of savings

and investment, greater information and communications networks, technological innovations, women empowerment and market-driven approaches to wealth-creation.

With the transformative changes and developments taking place in Guyana today due in part to the country’s emergence as an oil and gas economy, the country can learn from the experiences of these Asian economies. And while Guyana may not have the advantage of market size, it can become integrated in the global market place by way of ensuring greater competitiveness and strategic market and investment linkages.

This is exactly what a bigger capital budget is intended to do. It is about modernising the physical infrastructure of the country, investing in information and communications technologies, building a critical mass of social capital, cheaper, cleaner and more reliable energy and generally in laying the foundations for economic take-off.

President Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali has said that the resources the country gets from oil and gas and from the other sectors must redound not only to the benefit of the Guyanese people but the people of CARICOM. This is indeed visionary thinking of a regional and global statesman and augers well for the country as a regional development hub which could very well propel the growth trajectory of the region as a whole.

Budget critiques should be balanced

Dear Editor,

I HAD the opportunity to read or listen to the budget remarks in Parliament and views in the media.

Responses from political combatants were on expected line. There is no middle of road critique from opposition figures. Objective commentaries from the public should be appreciated. Thus, if someone like me were to give an objective appraisal, praising aspects of the budget, I should not be labelled as pro or anti- government. Objective comments and proposals should be encouraged as they serve the public interests. But some of views are very biased or partisan as appeared in the media.

I have not seen comments about the budget from UG students or staff. When I was doing doctoral studies in Economics during the 1980s, professors would task students to critique the US budget. Lecturers should do same at UG with objective, balanced views.

Guyanese partisanship contrasts sharply with some other countries where objective opinions from professionals and politicians are welcomed and respected. In the US and UK, legislators from both sides of the aisle

are critical and or praiseworthy of a budget.

In the US, Members of Congress were known to challenge aspects of the President’s budget and sought to inject funding for programmes in their districts. The President cuts deals with MOC to get his budget passed. Regrettably, this is not done in Guyana or most third world countries. I feel that if the opposition or a commentator was to make a strong case for increasing or decreasing the amount budgeted for a programme, the government would (or should) consider it. Likewise, if the opposition were to make a request for budget funding for a (new) worthy programme, and making a convincing case, the Vice-President or President would (should) give it consideration. But in our toxic politics, in which the opposition has refused to play by democratic rules, it is difficult to make deals to serve the best interests of the country.

As I read, the budget was presented after widespread consultation with the public, all sections of society. Opposition politicians say there is little by way of relief for the common man, middle class, and small business long reeling from the pandemic, and they describe it as favouring the wealthy and private sector.

But they seem to have forgotten that they

were in government for over five years and failed to do the very things for which they now criticise the government. The public says the Coalition hardly did anything much to help the poor during the pandemic from March to July. And its governance was politically partisan. In addition, it squeezed the private sector with rising taxation causing many businesses to close shop.

Conversations with the public reveal that they support the budget describing aspects as “progressive”, especially for farmers and the youth to provide job training in the energy sector. Some feel that not much relief has been provided to those (numbering over 10K) who lost their jobs during the Coalition rule.

There is relief for small businesses.

Professionally, from an economist’s point of view, the budget is pragmatic. It is not driven by politics. It is financed by deficits (of some five per cent) that would grow the debt which is financed with borrowing.

The government can afford the debt as money would be coming in to pay the loans. The debt is at a sustainable level. It is not current expenditure for a public feel good that blows away money without any return on investment. It is heavy loaded towards capital

expenditure – infrastructure is some $217B or some 40 per cent. It lays the structure for productivity to benefit future generation which is a primary goal of the NRF. Once revenues are generated from these capital outlays, money would be generated for social welfare programmes.

One shortcoming of the budget is inadequate tax exemption. Government should have waived taxes for monthly income below $100K and reduce the tax rate for others and the business sector, especially that the country is transitioning towards an oil revenue economy. The tax system needs to be revolutionised. The government should consider giving duty concessions to double cab (four doors) pick up vans, the same as single cab (two door) vans. Several people lost their lives in the single cab pickups. The double cab is more stable, especially on the rough farm roads.

Concessions and a reformed tax system will stimulate private investment and increase productivity and wages leading to growth.

Yours truly, Vishnu Bisram

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, February 5, 2022

Pursuing Cash Cows in a Caribbean Milky Way

HOW Caribbean governments handle foreign investments has always been a matter of interest or concern, especially when they’re out of sync with new national perspectives.

Normally, political parties post investment policies in pre-election manifestos that are followed by investors and their agents, always on the hunt for most-favourable concessions from new governments.

But sweet deals for big projects looking too good to be true often turn sour after elections, especially in cases of regime change and where investors were given most-favoured treatment by losing former-ruling parties.

Take this week’s case of the new (sixmonth-old) Saint Lucia government revoking several controversial leases awarded to a Canadian company by the previous administration, which effectively barred public access through its property to several popular beaches located at the island’s northern tip.

The ban led to defiant gatherings at the affected beach sites by protesting citizens, who adopted as their theme the regionally popular song by Barbados’ Mighty Gabby named ‘Jack’, slightly adapting its lyrics to say: ‘The beach is mine, I can go there anytime; Doh care what Cabot say, I can go there any day!’

Minister for Physical Development, Stephenson King, on February 2 announced the current Cabinet had rescinded Cabot’s 75year leases, with saying, “We have examined the factors and have decided that since Cabot owns all the land surrounding those beaches, public access will be restored.”

According to King, “The patrimony of this country must be preserved, protected

and respected – and whereas we are fully committed to foreign investment, we believe that those who come to invest here must understand that the nation’s patrimony must be protected and respected…”

Cabot has not yet responded, but the decision was widely welcomed by Saint Lucians, many of who’ve long been up in arms against foreign-owned companies getting 100-year leases, as with another case involving thousands of acres of land in Vieux Fort, the island’s southern-most town.

Government’s enforcement of the lease enjoyed by Desert Star Holdings (DSH) – owned by high-flying Malaysian architect and property tycoon Teo Ah-khing – led to the forced departure of farmers and families who had occupied the state-owned lands for decades, to make way for an elite horse-racing track and plans to forever alter the physical landscape of the island’s entire southern tip, also affecting the Hewanorra International Airport, the town’s sea port and a nearby national hospital under construction.

DSH also promised to build an offshore collection of 26 artificial islands with new high-rise and up-market tourism and gaming activities, attracting the world’s super-rich in ways that would change the country’s entire tourism landscape and make the southern town the virtual new capital city.

Now that the Cabot leases have been rescinded in the public interest, attention is sure to turn to DSH’s 100-year lease agreement with the previous Chastanet government that were never publicised.

The Cabot deal, involving over 300 acres of prime property, was sold by the National Insurance Corporation (NIC) to the Canadi-

an company at prices way below the going market rate, without inviting local developers to bid.

Similarly, the alleged DSH Agreement allegedly contains a penalty clause that makes Saint Lucian taxpayers liable to repay the entire US $2.8 billion the company will seek as damages, if at any time Ah-khinmg -- as the sole investor and ‘Master Developer’ -- decides it is no longer profitable to pursue.

Ah-khing is also the sole signatory to the escrow account for sale of Saint Lucian passports in Asia through the island’s Citizenship by Investment Programme (CIP), annual amounts of which were never tabled in Parliament during Chastanet’s five years, as required by legislation.

Yet, six months after the July 26, 2021 general elections, a copy of the DSH agreement still hasn’t been produced publicly.

The DSH approach was somewhat like that in Guyana with Barama over two decades ago, when the South Korean investors set as a condition that both Government and Opposition had to support the agreement in the National Assembly, which the post-1992 PPP/C administration, under President Cheddi Jagan, had reluctantly agreed to.

But in Saint Lucia, the DSH behaved as if it didn’t need Opposition MPs’ support, as the Prime Minister and the Cabinet of Ministers were already batting in Khing’s court.

A firm owned by a relative of the former Shah of Iran purchased the private Jalousie Estate between Saint Lucia’s twin-mountain national landmarks -- The Pitons – in the 1980s, with talk about constructing an aerial tramway to connect the pitons’ peaks.

This led to strong and long protests that

eventually led to the idea being scrapped.

One of the natural results of popular protests against such restrictions on nationals and giveaways of national assets is the increase in popular national consciousness about related issues.

Saint Lucia’s Cabot and DSH experiences can perhaps best be explained to Guyanese by asking that they consider what would happen if the Joe Vieira Park was sold to a foreign firm that decided citizens could no longer go there to fly kites at Easter; or if Guyanese from Essequibo were to be required to show passports on arrival at Parika by ferry, or speedboat.

Big Pharma and Big Oil have developed sophisticated methods and formulae, over centuries and decades, on how to tie poor and developing nations with undeveloped or unexploited natural resources to longterm agreements that that can turn out to be more harmful than helpful to the national interest.

But not all Caribbean governments today give in so easily to demands for concessions that recolonise the Region through new plans with the same old intent of continuing past geopolitical and economic domination in a new age of enlightenment.

The regional gubernatorial landscape has changed in favour of preserving and protecting national assets, preserving national pride and demanding respect for national patrimony, and it’s now for regional institutions already doing so to continue to tailor their policies in ways that prevent or guard against investors only interested in milking the Caribbean as a new Cash Cow in an earthly tropical Milky Way.

The arm of the law is never short

Dear Editor,

TRANSPARENCY was never totally transparent with any transparent government, be it Guyana, the Caribbean, North and South America, Europe or Asia.

The PNC party’s administration (never mind the masquerade), rigged all the elections when they ruled, thus, perpetually lacked any scent or cent of transparency during their terms of governance. They managed to successfully ruin the economy and derailed the process of progress despite Guyana’s rich resources. Mismanagement, misappropriation, misleading, misinterpretations, all these misses we can remise when reminiscing on the various degrees, forms, shapes and areas of intense skull doggery, tongue twisting, Tom foolery, lies, deceit and dishonesty. During their 28 frolicking and wasteful years of misadven-

ture under Burnham and Hoyte, followed by the greedy and unscrupulous five years with Grainger, the small man never became a real man as promised.

Of course, all the government agencies were penetrated and staffed by Burnhamites and party card holders. Make no mistake, many devilish organisations were created to carry out the devious work of that party to create devastating effects on those not in support or in agreement with their agenda.

So many told and untold stories remain unresolved for justice by so many oppressors who suffered at the hands of PNC goons.

The recent skirmish over the fight for the mace in Parliament is a presentation of their story of desperation, frustration and impersonation. Their half-hearted argument for the better half of 65 is an applaudable amplification of abomination and aberration.

How can the high level of intelligence by so many intellectuals be so misguided and

unfounded to cause an entire party to be the world’s greatest laughing stock for nonsense? And now, the very men and women want to debate education and economics in Parliament over the current budget presentation? It was the same pilferers who tried to deny the smooth process of an elected PPP/C party to occupy their rightful place as a duly elected legal government after the March 2020 election with their fiasco, dragging a just result for a five-month prolonged wait.

After stifling justice to take its legal course and preventing the Constitution from being functional, they now want to question the law of the land? A hat trick at the CCJ, suffering unabashed losses, has no meaning of shame and disgrace for the PNC party.

Lest we forget who were the strife makers who went to Berbice and spread racial discrimination to incite innocent bystanders to resort to doing the PNC’s dirty work?

Giving themselves expensive gifts and

accepting mammoth perks, strained an economy to always be in bankruptcy. Closing estates and taking away food from children’s mouths will forever be embedded in the lives of sugar cane workers. Why cower now and trying to enter through the back door to embellish the lives for those who were previously trampled on deliberately?

The Auditor-General has always been at his wits end when conducting audits during PNC’s tenureship for the simple reason of being unable to find pertinent records to support various transactions.

The raping of the Treasury is a classic example of the carnivorous appetite for jackals whose nature surpasses that of scavengers. But the arm of the law is never short and will eventually rope in all those who have escaped the net so far.

Respectfully, Jai Lall

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, February 5, 2022

New Opposition Leader must acknowledge legitimacy of gov’t –– Prime Minister Phillips says THE government has extended an olive branch to the main opposition party, APNU+AFC, to help in the development of Guyana.

Prime Minister, Brigadier (ret’d) Mark Phillips, affirmed that the government is ready and willing to work with the Leader of the Opposition to further the expansive development agenda. He was at the time making his contribution to the budget debate on Friday.

“I would like to reiterate our government’s position that we are ready to work with whoever is appointed or elected Leader of the Opposition, in the interest of the development of Guyana,” Prime Minister Phillips said.

He noted that the people who elected the opposition to represent their interest in Parliament, deserve a leader.

However, while the government intends to work in unison with the opposition, the leader must recognise the legitimacy of the democratically elected government, a position that was not taken by the immediate past leader.

“What we expect in return is for the new Leader of the Opposition to accept the legitimacy of our government. It is a government that was elected by the people in what was perhaps one of the most peaceful elections that we had in this country on March 2, 2020,” the Prime

Minister said.

He related that it is time to move the country forward, together, and he expects their contribution on the overdue discussions for electoral reform.

“We’re looking forward to your submissions on electoral reform. So, kindly have a leader of the opposition as early as possible so we can have the benefit from your contributions on the consultative process,” the Prime Minister said.

The government agrees that the electoral laws are somewhat archaic and there is need for tighter legislation to ensure that there is little to no room for electoral fraud.

This decision came after

Prime Minister, Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips (Delano Williams photo)

the infamous election drama that followed polling day on March 2, which ended in numerous litigations in the courts and a lengthy recount process.

Only Thursday, Amerindian Affairs Minister, Pauline Sukhai, extended a hand to the opposition to ensure that Amerindians in the hinterland receive equitable treatment as their coastal counterparts.

She had said, “you better get your act in order to contribute to development and not to continue to attempt to destroy this country, it is too beautiful.” (DPI)

PM Phillips: Coalition had a philosophy of tax and spend WITH a track record that included adding 200 new taxes, removing the “Because We Care” cash grant for parents, taking away the one month bonus for soldiers, and closing several sugar estates that put over 7,000 Guyanese out of work, the APNU+AFC is not qualified to lecture the government on areas of good governance, and putting citizens first.

These were just some of the points highlighted by the Prime Minister, Brigadier Mark Phillips, on Friday, as he took former Leader of the Opposition, Joseph Harmon to task during his contribution to the 2022 budget.

Preceding the PM on the floor, Harmon, the final speaker for the APNU+AFC opposition, delivered a one hour address where he defended his non-support for the 2022 budget, saying it “had nothing for the ordinary Guyanese” and questioned the government’s governance structure that impacted the budget, and the “One Guyana” policy of inclusion for all Guyanese.

However, as he rose and gave his unwavering assent to the Budget 2022, Prime Minister Phillips called Harmon out on several claims he made in his address.

“How can you come and lecture us about a budget that does not provide for the people of Guyana? A budget that provides $600,000 for everybody who has to do dialysis,” the PM questioned.

Prime Minister Phillips reminded that it was the APNU+AFC that talked the talk but did not walk the way of putting Guyanese first during their time in office, after they quickly unleashed a slew of added taxes on the Guyanese populace during their 2015 - 2020 reign in office.

“The APNU+AFC are brazen to come here and talk about housing, salary increase, pension, climate change, democracy and many other issues that they ought not have the audacity to speak about,” PM Phillips charged.

“This is the same parliamentarians, who in a previous government increased 200 taxes and other forms of payments that have affected the lives of all the people of Guyana. This is the same government that increased the licence for the donkey cart man, placed a tax on education, tax on health, tax on drugs. They had a philosophy of tax and spend economics. You promised more disposable income for people but that was a fallacy, you tax the people into submission and they voted you out of office.”

Brigadier Phillips questioned how the same APNU+AFC members, who claimed to have the best interest of the Guyanese people at heart, were the same people who put the sugar workers out of work, and took away the “Because We Care” cash grant.

“When the Coalition won the election and one of the first things they did was to remove that. They claimed they had no fiscal space but they had fiscal space to utilise money to enrich themselves and live the good life, that they promised to all the people of Guyana. We have since returned the ‘Because We Care’ cash grant,” Phillips said, to cheers from the government side of the House.

The Prime Minister also called out the APNU+AFC over its handling of the COVID-19 pandemic when it first reached Guyana, when only selected testing was administered.

Prime Minister Phillips also went in on Harmon’s remarks about the National Resource Fund (NRF), through which funding from Guyana’s oil and gas industry is handled.

He reminded that the APNU+AFC still cannot properly account for the $18 million signing bonus that they received and saddled the country with a lopsided production sharing agreement with ExxonMobil.

LGEs likely to be held this year

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, February 5, 2022

–– over $4.1B budgeted for GECOM, Minister Dharamlall tells House

By Tamica Garnett WITH over $4.1 billion budgeted for the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), Local Government and Regional Development Minister, Nigel Dharamlall has affirmed that the plan is for Local Government Elections to be held this year.

Making his budget debate presentation before the National Assembly on Friday, Minister Dharamlall touched on the topical issue as he noted that his government strongly supports holding of the LGEs. “We believe in de-

Opposition MP, Cathy Hughes mocracy, we believe in people’s choices, we believe that for our country to continue to evolve for development to come flowingly to our people that we must have Local Government Elections.

We are going to have Local Government Elections this year, we have budgeted billions of dollars for LGEs and are going to have LGEs this year,” Dharamlall announced.

He further noted that “We have budgeted billions for GECOM, in excess of $4.1 billion and LGEs is on the card for the government during the course of this year.”

However, according to Dharamlall, there has been efforts by some of the AP-

NU+AFC GECOM Commissioners to stymy the holding of the elections, which will see the elections of the councillors for the 80 local democratic organs (LDOs), which includes the 70 Neighbourhood Democratic Councils and 10 municipalities, including the City.

The government has repeatedly indicated that it is ready to hold the elections but is awaiting the guidance of the GECOM. Notwithstanding this, the opposition continues to press the issue.

GECOM’S CALL Though the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development (MoLGRD) is responsible for announcing the date for the LGEs, this can only be done after consultations with GECOM, which decides its readiness and has the responsibility for holding the elections.

The elections were due in 2021, and some $1.1 billion had been allocated in the 2021 national budget for it. However, there were questions surrounding the credibility of several employees, who were implicated in the attempts to rig the 2020 elections.

Several were eventually fired.

Last December, after months without a Chief Elections Officer, Vishnu Persaud, was hired to fill the post. However, several senior posts in the GECOM Secretariat still remain to be filled.

Minister Dharamlall, during his budget speech, noted that the holding of LGEs is just one of many ways that this year’s budget caters for the population at the community level.

“Every village in this country will have interventions from Budget 2022. We have a lot of work to do in the local government and regional development sector,” said

(ATNI), principal for Guyana Telephone and Telegraph (GTT).

Dharamlall pointed out however, that it was under the PNC/R, which is part of the APNU+AFC Coalition, which Hughes

Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, Nigel Dharamlall the minister.

The MoLGRD has been allocated $71 billion in the national budget this year, with $714 million going towards the subvention for the LDOs. LACK OF PARTICIPATION Aside from speaking about the massive community development on the cards, Dharamlall during his budget presentation also addressed issues surrounding the lack of participation of Region Four Regional Chairman, Daniel Seeram, in the preparation of the region’s budget, pointing out that the Regional Chairman was not in the country at the time when the budget was being prepared.

Dharamlall also responded to several comments from Opposition Member of Parliament (MP), Cathy Hughes, who spoke before him. Hughes, a former Minister of Telecommunications, during her presentation spoke of the need for electronic devices for students.

She also questioned how much money had been accumulated in the Universal Service Fund and how much was the final settlement between the government and Atlantic Tele-Network, Inc

represents, Guyana signed into a telecommunications monopoly in the early 1990s.

Moreover, despite years of being lobbied, the APNU+AFC did not operationalise liberalisa-

tion of the sector.

It was not until the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) came into government that just months after the sector was liberalised.

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Attorney General announces massive legislative agenda for 2022

ATTORNEY GENERAL and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall, S.C., has announced a massive, transformational legislative agenda that the government has set out for 2022.

He made the announcement during his presentation on the final day of the national budget debate, Friday.

Themed, “Steadfast against all challenges, res-

olute in building our One Guyana,’ this year’s budget of $552.9 billion contains a raft of measures to create wealth for all Guyanese and improve their livelihoods. This follows the $383.1 billion national budget in 2021.

“The aggregate budgeted sum of a mammoth $552 billion constitutes, by far, the largest financial injection, ever, into the Guyanese econ-

omy. I have said elsewhere, it is like injecting a racehorse with a huge dose of steroid before the race begins.

“Without the gigantic spin-off benefits destined to flow therefrom, the mere expenditure of this massive sum will invigorate every corner of this nation with a level of commercial, economic, and social activity never witnessed before,” the Attorney

General articulated on Friday.

In outlining some of the potential legislations, Minister Nandlall said there is the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (Control) (Amendment) Bill 2021; Hire-Purchase Bill; Evidence (Amendment) Bill; Suicide Prevention Bill; Border Patrol Bill; Wills (Amendment) Bill; Restorative Justice Bill, among many others.

In his presentation, the Attorney General said that many of these Bills have already been sent to the respective ministries for review.

Additionally, Minister Nandlall said the recently established Law Reform Commission will move into gear in 2022.

“Last week I met with

GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, February 5, 2022

Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall, S.C. them, and they promised that within a month they will complete their work programme for the year 2022, their first full year in office.

I have requested that they meet with certain important stakeholder organisations in our country and to receive recommendations for law reform. The work of this com-

mission will further augment the government’s legislative agenda,” the Attorney General said.

Friday is the final day of the Budget 2022 debate.

Next week, the National Assembly will transition into the Committee of Supply to consider the budgetary estimates. (DPI)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, February 5, 2022

Budget 2022 creates ‘linkages’ among social classes of Guyana – Minister Teixeira

MINISTER of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance, Gail Teixeira, during the final day of the national budget debate on Friday, reassured citizens that the government will return Guyana to its position of a progressive nation.

Minister Teixeira reminded the House that Guyana is in possession of diverse resources, which will, with good governance, provide the nation’s people with a higher quality of life.

“We have to remind ourselves as Guyanese of how blessed we are, that we are blessed with many diverse resources that few countries in the world have,” she said.

Making reference to the former administration’s squandering of funds and resources, Minister Teixeira said the government now has to rebuild what was decimated by the former administration.

“They started off 2015 with…$13 billion in gold

Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance, Gail Teixeira reserves…the [money] was world market at the time. reduced to $2 billion in 2018 Now if that’s not stupidity, and $635 million in 2020… God help us,” the minister they sold the gold at some noted. of the lowest prices on the The governance minister

reaffirmed the administration’s stance to place all resources into building a modern and united Guyana.

“Finally, after five years, we can work as a nation to build a new Guyana, a one Guyana, built on inclusivity, participation, transparency, accountability and the rule of law,” she reiterated.

Further, Minister Teixeira highlighted that Budget 2022 will enhance government programmes to improve communication channels and internet connectivity, as they continue to deliver on the promises outlined in the 2020 manifesto.

“We know that the people will trust those who deliver, and so we have a social pact with the people of Guyana, not only those who voted for us, all the people of Guyana, that we will deliver in accordance with more studies…people are seeing physically, in front of their eyes, of things changing,” the minister affirmed. “[The] 2022 budget is designed to enhance the welfare of all Guyanese, [creating] the linkages between our people, the citizens and the transformation of our country,” Minister Teixeira reiterated.

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U.S. seeks extradition of duo wanted for sex crimes

THE United States of America has requested the extradition of two men, who had fled to Guyana after allegedly committing several sex-related crimes.

Kareem Abdool Hack and Julian Yhip were arrested by the police on Friday and later appeared before Principal Magistrate, Sherdel Isaacs-Marcus at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court.

Hack, 35, of Canje Berbice, has been living in Guyana for about 15 years and is the owner of a tint shop. Yhip is employed as a chef at RsRS53 Resto Bar & Lounge.

Hack was arrested in Berbice while Yhip was

(From left) Kareem Abdool Hack and Julian Yhip

arrested at a Georgetown location.

The U.S government was represented by state prosecutors Teshana Lake and Diana Kaulesar-O’Brien from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.

The US has already filed a request for extradition with the DPP. Both men have signalled their intention not to contest the extradition.

As such, the prosecutors requested that the men be remanded for the extradition process to begin.

However, Yhip pleaded with the magistrate for bail so that he can spend the time he has left in Guyana with his 16-day-old daughter.

Magistrate Isaacs-Marcus remanded the duo and adjourned the matter until February 8, 2022, for a report on the extradition.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, February 5, 2022

Berbice bridge company reduces freight charges for sand trucks

The Berbice Bridge THE Berbice Bridge Company Inc. (BBCI) has taken the initiative to reduce the freight charges for trucks transporting sand to East Berbice.

The new freight charges will be $2,000 for medi-

um trucks (single axle) and $4,000 for large trucks (double axles).

The new freight charges took effect from 06:00 hours on February 3, 2022, and will remain in place until further notice.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, February 5, 2022

3,800 acres of land identified for creation ...

From page 2

agencies connected to the Ministry of Housing and Water more accessible to citizens.

To this end, Minister Croal said: “We recognised that meeting the demands for approvals by local and international investors and customers of the CHPA and GWI required a faster and more efficient solution. Our government has committed to making doing business easier and reducing the red tape involved in government transactions.”

Minister Croal said that the present system for approvals for permits is

paper-based, cumbersome and time-consuming and, as a result, critical transactions could take months in many cases to be completed. In this regard, the ministry has begun the process of implementing a single-window electronic processing system.

Technicians, he said, are analysing the existing system and its infrastructure, and a new system is being designed.

Meanwhile, he said the anticipated recommendations on legislative and governance changes to enhance the efficacy of the system are being

advanced.

“When the full implementation of the electronic single window system is completed this year, we can expect a more integrated agency approach to services, more efficiency and a significant reduction of processing time for planning and building permissions,” Minister Croal related.

He continued: “Mr. Speaker, we have already created an online portal which allows house lot applicants to upload their applications from the comfort of their homes, or offices by using smart-

phones, tablets, laptops or similar devices.

“Once those documents are uploaded, the CHPA will issue an email acknowledging receipt of the documents and from then on applicants can re-

quest status updates from the portal rather than traveling to Georgetown or regional offices.

I hasten to point out through that we know that not everyone has access to computers, so

those applicants can still visit their housing officers – we have appointed three new housing officers, in Essequibo, Berbice and Lethem, and, or the regional offices of CHPA.”

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, February 5, 2022

Five Guyanese flight attendants among additions to interCaribbean team

AFTER four weeks of intense training and examinations, five Guyanese, one Barbadian and one Vincentian, will soon be joining the inteCaribbean Airways’ team as flight attendants and cultural ambassadors for their respective countries.

The flight attendants, on Friday, received their certificates and inaugural wings at a small ceremony held at the Roraima Duke Lodge in Kingston, Georgetown.

“I’m so excited,” Rhinold Cameron, one of the airlines newest flight attendants told the Guyana Chronicle moments after he received his certificate.

Coming from an aviation family, Cameron is no stranger to flying.

However, the young man noted that he is particularly excited for this journey

as he will be given the opportunity to see new places, while taking care of passengers and of course doing what he loves best, flying.

“I’m excited to see the various destinations that interCaribbean would go to seeing that this is my second shot of being a flight attendant and I would have gone to some destinations before but interCaribbean is now giving me the opportunity to see many more places,” he said.

Sharing similar sentiments was Kellyann Norman. She stated that she too is excited for what interCaribbean has to offer.

“I’ve always liked aviation and it’s been my passion since I was a kid, just a feeling about being up in the air makes me feel motivated,” she added.

Meanwhile, Candasy Layne, who also shares an

GCAA Director General, Egbert Field; Dr. Pauline Yearwood of the CARICOM Secretariat and interCaribbean’s CEO Trevor Sadler, along with the new flight attendants (Adrian Narine photo) immense passion for aviation disclosed that, while the training sessions were intense, it was fulfilling to get her feet wet again after some time.

“It was intense and that

is expected in any flight attendant training. The entire session for the four weeks was a lot of exams. It was a lot of learning even though I came from an aviation background I still learnt stuff that I may have missed in past.

So there where a lot of new things for me even though I had experience but, in a nutshell, it was amazing.”

Eager to take to the skies, Layne said, “I’m excited to reconnect with my aviation passion, I’m excited to do what I love doing the most which is being a flight attendant, taking care of my passengers, putting safety first always and most importantly, sharing the Guyanese hospitality with the rest of the Carib-

bean.

In brief remarks at the simple ceremony, the airlines Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Trevor Sadler, said that the inclusivity of Guyanese in his team is in keeping with the company’s local content promise of ensuring a balanced capacity of Barbadian and Guyanese workers.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, February 5, 2022

GTT donates $4M to Cancer Institute IN observance of World Cancer Day on Friday, GTT has allocated $4M from its Pinktober funds to the Cancer Institute of Guyana, for cancer screening, diagnosis and treatment.

World Cancer Day is being observed under the theme ‘Closing the Care Gap’.

According to a release, GTT’s Pinktober Coordinator, Diana Gittens, explained that the Cancer Institute of Guyana will provide the services and treatment, while the Oncology Unit at the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPHC) would identify patients to access the services as they have done in the past.

“Through the Pinktober funds we have been working constantly to close the care gap by facilitating access to education, pap smear screening, diagnostic testing, treatment, and palliative care throughout the regions,” she said.

“Recently, we have donated 500 pap smear kits to the Chronic Disease Unit to provide free pap smear testing for women in Regions Three, Four, Five, Six, and 10. So, our efforts to close the care gap is continuous as we work to raise cancer awareness and provide the means to treatment in Guy-

ana,” Gittens added.

Meanwhile, GTT’s Senior Public Relations and Corporate Communications Manager, Jasmin Harris, reminded that strengthening the community is one of the key promises at GTT. “Pivoting GTT to become a 21st century customer-centric organisation means supporting initiatives that strengthen the community. It is our hope that our continued support for cancer [care] in Guyana will help to close the cancer care gap and raise education and awareness for better handling of cancer in Guyana,” Harris said.

Chief Executive Officer of the Cancer Institute of Guyana, Dr. Suddhasattwa Ray thanked GTT for its yearly donation through its Pinktober Initiative.

“GTT’S cancer initiative has certainly made a difference in the lives of cancer patients. This has made a real difference in our fight against cancer, as well as in our efforts to improve the lives of both patients and their families,” she said.

Dr. Ray highlighted that in 2021, 35 cancer patients benefitted from radiation treatment and CAT scans through the previous $4 million Pinktober donation.

Prison escapee found in cane field at Good Hope A PRISONER, who escaped from the Lusignan Prison’s virtual courtroom facility, on Thursday, was recaptured on Friday.

Director of Prisons (ag), Nicklon Elliot, said Kavin Singh, 18, was recaptured by a joint services team in the cane fields at Good Hope, East Coast Demerara, around 15:50 hours.

A search was launched after Singh escaped whilst waiting in the institution’s virtual court compound.

Police said around 09:30 hours on Thursday, a prison officer took seven inmates, including Singh, to attend court.

Singh, who was footcuffed at the time, asked to use the washroom. Permission was reportedly granted and the prisoner went to use the washroom without supervision.

The prison officer noted that upon checking the washroom, he discovered that the inmate was missing and an alarm was raised.

Arrested: Kavin Singh Singh, whose last known address is Lot 291 School Street, Grove, East Bank Demerara (EBD), was remanded on December 6, 2021, having been charged with two counts of possession of ammunition and firearm, and robbery under arms.

Meanwhile, the prison administration said: “[We] would like to express thanks to the ranks of the Guyana Police Force and the public for their commitment and dedication that led to the speedy recapture of the prisoner.”

In addition to GTT’s donation, two patients identified by the Oncology Unit at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) have also benefitted directly from Pinktober funds.

The handover was facilitated by GTT’s Pinktober donors: GUYOIL and the Guyana Public Service Credit Union (GPSCCU) valued at $200,000 respectively, the release noted.

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From left: GTT Public Relations Manager, Jasmin Harris; cancer patient, Joylene Joseph; Guyoil representative, Vanessa Madramuthoo; and GTT Pinktober Coordinator, Diana Gittens

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, February 5, 2022

16 trained to tackle HIV discriminatio

By Naomi Parris

NOW equipped with the skills to address gender-based violence (GBV) and the discrimination associated with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), 16 persons will soon embark on a mission to put what they have learnt into practice.

They have successfully completed the trainer of trainers’ foundation course and will be targeting women and girls across Guyana.

Led by the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security and UN Women, the programme forms part of the activities organised under the Spotlight Initiative, which is funded by

Adel Lily receiving his certificate

the European Union (EU), and implemented by the United Nations through the government, and Community Service Officers (CSOs) in Guyana. It aims to implement solutions to accelerate action towards eliminating GBV, specifically violence against women and girls within the context of family violence and HIV discrimination.

Speaking at a simple graduation ceremony held for the participants, on Friday, at the Guyana Women’s Leadership Institute, Human Services Minister Dr Vindhya Persaud, highlighted the importance of a cohesive approach to addressing gender-based violence.

“Gender-based violence is not new, it is not confined to Guyana, it is not something that could be tackled by a single individual. It requires cohesive, concretive efforts.

Every time we have an

exercise like this, we are adding one more significant pivotal element to the whole,” Minister Persaud said during her remarks.

The minister further urged the participants to not speak after the fact, or wait until someone is injured or even killed to start the conversation but to target the issue from its initial stage.

She called on the participants to utilise the skills they learnt during the 12-session programme and to be passionate about the fight against gender-based violence.

“I want to galvanize you to be above the regular trainer. I want to motivate you to be beyond the ordinary recipient of a certificate and I want to harness all the energies of those of us here and those of us beyond here to work actively with the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security through

the community advocates network to one by one transform the lives of those who experience violence.”

In closing, the minister charged the participants to work hard in their various

outreaches to make the change that is necessary to eradicate violent acts against women and girls.

“Change communities to become safer and make homes to the place they

Yesim Oruc, United Nations Resident Coordinator; Hum sador of the European Union Delegation in Guyana, wit

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, February 5, 2022

on, violence against women and girls ought to be, loving, encouraging, supportive and to start the conversation, to continue it at the highest possible level so that in the near time this cannot be something that is dis-

missed and we become impervious to,” she said.

The participants, who were drawn from government agencies and several community and faith-based organisations,

man Services Minister, Dr Vindhya Persaud and Ambasth several of the facilitators who graduated on Friday

took part in workshops to deepen their understanding of gender constructs and pervasive cultural norms that perpetuate inequalities and focus on strengthening the prevention approaches employed to address gender-based violence and HIV discrimination.

Though the participants possessed conceptual knowledge of GBV with backgrounds in sexual and reproductive health, human rights advocacy or work with marginalized communities, or who have already worked with victims/survivors of GBV, the workshops provided specialised training to implement the 12-week psychoeducational programme at a community level.

Speaking with the Guyana Chronicle shortly after receiving his certificate, Adel Lily, who works closely with the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security, as man-

ager of the Gender Affairs Bureau disclosed that he is particularly excited to go into the fields and share what he has learnt with others.

Lily received a Level One accreditation in the programme, which will enable him to become a trainer. He along with several other participants will soon be heading out into several communities to train other persons in the skills of gender constructs and pervasive cultural norms.

“Knowledge is power and we have to get people to understand the dynamics that exist, why gender-based violence exists and that’s why these programmes are important. Gender-based violence is not as simple as some people make it sound,’ he added Meanwhile, Denise Ralph, another facilitator, also expressed her eagerness to assist the many women and girls who are

affected by GBV. Ralph, who is employed at the Childcare and Protection Agency (CPA), said that she has had first-hand experience working with women who were severely abused.

“I have a passion for working with disadvantaged persons so to speak and I’ve seen gender-based

violence. We notice that violent acts are perpetrated grossly against women and girls.”

This, she said, is what motivated her to further equip herself with the necessary knowledge needed to better assist the women and children who may come to her for assistance.

Denise Ralph receiving her certificate

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, February 5, 2022

Lusignan residents get improved water supply –– with completion of new well

RESIDENTS of Lusignan, East Coast Demerara, are now benefitting from an improved supply of water, following the completion of works

on a new well within the community.

According to the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI), the utility company’s Chief Executive

Officer, Shaik Baksh and a technical team visited the area, on Thursday, to access the effectiveness of the new well.

As it is now, the well

CEO of GWI, Shaik Baksh, engaging a resident of Lusignan on the benefits of the new well is servicing residents of Lusignan, Annandale West, Good Hope Public Road and Courbane Park.

In some cases, residents are enjoying water

from as high as 20 feet.

And while residents have already started to experience the benefits of this new well, it will be officially commissioned later this month.

A technician from GWI tests the pressure of the water

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, February 5, 2022

One remanded, two granted bail over $1.1M ‘ganja’ bust at Rose Hall

TWO women and a man were, on Friday, arraigned before Magistrate Rabindranauth Singh at the New Amsterdam Magistrate’s Court for drug trafficking.

Simeon Lawson, 30; Veronica Walker, 54; and Leshella Walker, 34 were charged for allegedly having 3.868 kilogrammes of

cannabis in their possession for the purpose of trafficking on February 2, 2022, at their Lot 33 St Paul Street, Rose Hall, Corentyne, Berbice, home.

The Walkers pleaded not guilty to the charge and were released on $250,000 bail. Lawson then pleaded guilty to the charge but lat-

Surinamese who made false passport declaration fined $40,000 PRIYA Sewraj, a 30-yearold Surinamese, was, on Friday, fined $40,000 by Magistrate Leron Daly for making a false declaration to procure a Guyanese passport in 2012.

Sewraj, of Lying Street, Georgetown, appeared before the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court and pleaded guilty to the charge.

According to the particulars of the charge, Sewraj on July 13, 2012, at Central Immigration and Passport Office, Georgetown, for the purpose of procuring a new passport, made a false statement by signing to a written declaration that she was Bibi Shazia Khan and that she was never issued or previously held a Guyanese passport, knowing same to be false.

Sewraj apologised to the court and said that she was only trying to get a Guyanese passport. The magistrate fined Sewraj $40,000 with a default sentence of 12 months.

The Guyana Chronicle was made to understand that Sewraj is a Surinamese by birth and is the holder of a Surinamese passport.

On June 29, 2021, Sewraj appeared at the Consular Section of the U.S. Embassy Georgetown for a scheduled immigrant visa appointment. She was the beneficiary of an immigrant visa case, filed by petitioner Indar Persaud Sewraj, who is listed as her father.

During the immigrant visa application processing at the embassy, her fingerprints were scanned through the electronic visa system.

The system returned a positive fingerprint match for Bibi Shazia Khan, who was born on August 5, 1987 and was the holder of Guyana

Priya Sewraj passport number R0311285.

Khan had appeared at embassy in Georgetown on August 13, 2012.

A police investigation was later launched to determine how Sawraj was able to obtain two passports in two different names and nationalities.

During the investigation, it was discovered that on July 12, 2012, Sewraj went to the Central Immigration and Passport Office and made an application for a Guyanese passport.

However, she presented a birth certificate in the name of Bibi Shazia Khan. Also, in the passport application form, she signed the said name, Bibi Shazia Khan , knowing that it was not her name.

This resulted in Sewraj being issued with a Guyanese passport in the name of Bibi Shazia Khan.

Under caution, Sewraj told the police that at the age of 15 years her mother’s friend applied for a United States visa for her.

However, it was later discovered that she had a bogus passport, which resulted in the cancellation of her US visa.

er changed his plea to not guilty. This resulted in the magistrate remanding him to prison.

The case was adjourned until February 15, 2022.

According to a Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) statement, ranks acted on information received through a tip-off and

(From left) Simeon Lawson, Veronica Walker, and Leshella Walker carried out an operation at the defendants’ home.

During the operation, the statement continued, a salt bag containing several par-

cels of suspected cannabis was discovered.

It was reported that the suspected narcotics were tested and confirmed to be

marijuana.

The drugs weighed a total of 3.868 kilogrammes and has a street value of $1,160,400.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, February 5, 2022

Brathwaite signals readiness for first-class championship

(CMC) – Barbados and West Indies captain Kraigg Brathwaite has signalled his eagerness and readiness to return to the field when the West Indies first-class championship starts later this month.

Brathwaite underscored the value of the four-day matches, pointing out they would be ideal preparation for the upcoming threematch Test series against England next month.

The 29-year-old, the region’s marquee opening batter, will lead Barbados Pride against Leeward Islands Hurricanes at Kensington Oval when the red-ball season opens next Wednesday.

“I always see myself as a leader in the Barbados team and I’m happy to get

Barbados and West Indies skipper Kraigg Brathwaite

back into ‘game mode’ and play for the country,” said Brathwaite, who guided Pride to the capture of the last first-class title in 2020.

“There are a few youngsters in the team and I’m happy to see we have a good blend of experience and

youth in the set-up.”

The other first-round matches will be played in Trinidad, with the home team taking on Jamaica Scorpions at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy, while Windward Islands Volcanoes meet Guyana Harpy Eagles at Queen’s

Park Oval.

Formerly Guyana Jaguars, the Georgetown-based franchise was renamed earlier this month by the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB).

Brathwaite was part of a training session on Thursday morning at Kensington Oval,

where he was joined by other Test players, Jomel Warrican, Chemar Holder and Shayne Moseley, under the guidance of new head coach Vasbert Drakes, and assistant Ryan Hinds.

The right-handed Brathwaite was among his side’s leading scorers in the last season in 2019-20, gathering 468 runs while the left-handed Moseley also shone, scoring nearly 500 runs.

“I always enjoy playing here and as the captain it would be great to get out there and play on the pitch and get a feel of the surface as we prepare to face England,” said Brathwaite.

“I really look forward to leading Barbados to some victories.”

Brathwaite has enjoyed some success against England in the past, with two Test centuries. Back in 2015 he made 116 at the Grenada National Stadium and in 2017, he made 134 in the first innings, followed by 95 in the second innings, in the historic second Test win at Leeds.

And while he failed to

go pass fifty on England’s last tour of the Caribbean in 2019, Brathwaite said he was eagerly eyeing up the March 8-28 series in Antigua, Barbados and Grenada.

“We’re really looking forward to the Apex Test series. Every time we play against England it’s always fantastic,” Brathwaite stressed.

“We must remember Test cricket between West Indies and England dates back to 1928, so there is a lot of rich history and legacy… almost 100 years of history.”

He continued: “The last series we played against them at home back in 2019 was fantastic. We had a magnificent start here in Barbados with Jason Holder getting a double hundred, and a century from Shane Dowrich – that great partnership which really set up the series for us.

“Then that was followed by eight wickets from Roston Chase, and we built on the momentum from there.

“We look forward to England coming again for what promises to be three more great Test matches.”

Radhakrishnan fires Australia to third place A FINE all-round performance from Nivethan Radhakrishnan fired Australia to third place in the ICC Under-19 Men’s Cricket World Cup with a two-wicket win over Afghanistan.

The ambidextrous all-rounder took three for 31 to limit Afghanistan to 201 all out batting first, before notching a half-century in the chase. Australia were made to sweat but eventually got home with five balls to spare.

Afghanistan, hoping to better their previous best result in this tournament – fourth in 2018, won the toss and elected to bat at the Coolidge Cricket Ground in Antigua & Barbuda.

However, two early wickets for William Salzmann (3-43), removing Nangeyalia Kharote and Allah Noor, reduced Afghanistan to 15 for two.

Mohammad Ishaq (34) and skipper Suliman Shafi (37) started to rebuild, adding

Nivethan Radhakrishnan

70 before the former was runout by Salzmann, the latter falling three balls later to Radhakrishnan.

Ijaz Ahmad Ahmadzai

took up the baton, making 81 as wickets continued to tumble around him, before becoming the ninth man to fall as Salzmann’s final vic-

tim with the score on 201.

Skipper Cooper Connolly (2-30) finished off the innings with his second wicket in the final over, leaving Australia

with a manageable chase as they were set 202 to win.

Campbell Kellaway (51) and Teague Wyllie (13) put on a half-century stand for the first wicket before the latter was bowled by Nangeyalia to bring Radhakrishnan to the crease.

He and Kellaway added another 60 before a little wobble as Noor Ahmad removed both Kellaway and Connolly in quick succession.

Isaac Higgins joined Radhakrishnan, scoring 11 in a 40-run partnership, but when both were dismissed with 35 still required, a few nerves started to appear.

Lachlan Shaw (13) and Corey Miller (13) then added 26 to take Australia to the brink before three quick wickets gave Afghanistan hope.

They took it to the final over, but Joshua Garner (four not out) held his nerve to see Australia home.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, February 5, 2022

England sack Thorpe but keep Root ahead of West Indies series

(ESPNCRICINFO) - Graham Thorpe has joined Chris Silverwood in paying the price for England's Ashes debacle, but Joe Root will continue as captain for the upcoming tour of West Indies, after receiving the endorsement of Andrew Strauss, England's interim director of cricket.

Speaking at Lord's in the wake of Thursday's sacking of Silverwood as head coach, Strauss - who was himself appointed on Wednesday in place of the outgoing director of men's cricket, Ashley Giles - admitted that Root was feeling "bruised" after England's 4-0 defeat in the Ashes, the second time he has led the team to such a scoreline down under.

However, Strauss added, Root retains the "energy

and motivation" to carry on, as well as the respect of the players - understandably so, after an incredible run of form in 2021, in which he scored 1 708 Test runs at 61.00, more than three times more than any of his team-mates, as well as six of England's seven Test centuries in the calendar year.

"Having spoken to Joe, it is absolutely clear the extent of his commitment to taking this side forward," Strauss said. "He has incredible motivation and energy to do that.

He is bruised and hugely disappointed by what went on in the Ashes but he sets a magnificent example, both on and off the field, so I will give him my full support and make sure he has the right structure around him to take pressure off him and make sure he can do his job properly."

Joe Root will continue as Test captain but Graham Thorpe has paid for another Ashes failure with his job (Getty Images)

Thorpe, however, has become England's third Ashes casualty in as many days.

His position had become untenable in the fallout from a

tour clouded not only by poor results on the field, but by reports of an off-field drinking culture and poor fitness levels.

With Thorpe's primary remit being the oversight of the squad's batters, the fact that England failed to pass 300 in ten attempts during the Ashes told against him, while his fate was effectively sealed following a bizarre incident on the morning after the fifth Test in Hobart, when the police had to be called after he reportedly lit a cigar in an indoor space in the team hotel.

However, with the Test squad due to depart for the Caribbean on February 24, in less than three weeks' time, no interim coaching appointments have yet been announced. Silverwood's remit was expanded last year to include squad selection, following the removal of national selector Ed Smith last summer - a workload that Strauss described as "an impossible strain" - and as a consequence, the West Indies tour

party will be picked by panel, the make-up of which will be determined by the identity of the interim head coach.

Potential names in the frame for that role include Alec Stewart, Surrey's director of cricket who has expressed an interest in the post, as well as the Young Lions head coach Richard Dawson, who is currently in the Caribbean preparing for the Under-19 World Cup final, and the incumbent assistant coach, Paul Collingwood, who oversaw last week's 3-2 defeat in the T20Is against West Indies.

"There are some soundings-out to be done, both inside and outside the organisation, and there are some decisions to be made about the actual focus of this tour," Strauss added. "You can look at it in a number of ways - we are in the business of winning, and it's very, very important we go out there and win, but it is also about looking forwards, so we have to look at that, not only with regard to the interim coach, but also with our approach to selection and everything else associated with that."

England have won just one series in the Caribbean since 1968, and were defeated 2-1 on their last visit, in the spring of 2019. Strauss - who captained England's tour of the West Indies in similarly chaotic circumstances in 2009 - said the onus was on the players themselves to lift their standards.

"I think the players are the ones that go on the pitch, and they are accountable for their performances," he said.

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER (Saturday February 5, 2022)

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Answers in tomorrow’s issue

"You don't have to be a rocket scientist to see performances have been poor for the last 12 months. Anyone who thinks otherwise is deluding themselves. The players have to hold up their hands, accept they have to get better.

They have the best possible example right there with them in the dressing room in Joe Root in terms of what world-class performance looks like. That has to be their ambition, to reach that level of performance.

"The job of the coaching staff is to provide the right environment for them to do that.

Make sure no stone is left unturned in helping them achieve that. International cricket is a tough old gig and you have to have resilience, toughness, you have to want it. That is the challenge for those players.

"I know what it's like as England captain. There is always scrutiny on your position, especially when you lose Ashes series. I am sure Joe felt that. I think at this moment in time he is 100% the right person to take the team forward.

At some stage in the future we will have a new managing director, a new head coach; they will look at things with fresh eyes. For me he's a great example to those young players and he needs our support right now."

Strauss confirmed that he would not be interested in returning to the England director job on a full-time basis, but said he was "always keen to help English cricket going forward and this role is manageable".

On the subject of who might take charge as Silverwood's successor, Strauss said that while he wouldn't rule out Justin Langer - Australia's current men's head coach but involved in ongoing internal wrangling about a contract extension - it would depend on the requirements for the role.

"Now let's take a step back. What are we looking for? Are we looking for split coaches or one coach? And what are the requirements in each of those formats, so to speak. Justin Langer, I know him well. On the surface, he's done a very good job of that with the Australian team. So I wouldn't rule him out, but I'm sure there are plenty of others as well."

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, February 5, 2022

Carlston Harris ready for UFC action tonight! … Guyanese to face-off against undefeated Shavkat Rakhmonov

FOR Guyana’s Carlston Harris, the man from Skeldon, Berbice, getting to the UFC was 11 years in the making and now he is one of the most-talked-about welterweights in the popular Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) professional arena.

After a perfect two-fight start to his UFC campaign, Harris will face another hotshot in the game - Shavkat Rakhmonov – tonight at the UFC APEX in Las Vegas.

Harris made his professional MMA debut in 2011 and got his shot at the UFC in September of 2021.

His entrance to the UFC was marked with a first-round win via an Anaconda Choke against American Christian Aguilera. He followed that up with another first-round KO win in his second fight against Impa Kasanganay.

While not much has changed about Harris in the past nine months since his last fight, almost everything has changed for him.

Mixed Martial Arts is relatively new to Guyana and the 34-year-old Berbician has catapulted to become the face of the sport locally.

His UFC success has brought him fame and recognition in Guyana. He told reporters, “They started MMA in Guyana because of me, because I’m the only fighter from Guyana. There are a lot of kids who look up to me and this could be life-changing for them.”

“I like to inspire kids. I believe they can look at my path and do the same and dream about a bright future,” Harris added, highlighting that his position as a role model is accepted graciously.

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“Fights are a chess game, and you have to play the game well. Anything can happen in a fight, so you have to play the game well.

I don’t look past my opponents; I take things one step at a time.”

The “one step at a time” approach has served the 34-year-old well, as he boasts nine wins in his last ten fights - seven by way of finish and a five-fight win streak

FLASHBACK! Carlston Harris reacts after his submission victory over Christian Aguilera in a welterweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on May 8, 2021, in Las Vegas, Nevada (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)

Even though it took eleven years, while Harris may have risen to some level of celebrity status in Guyana, not much has changed about him. He’s still the same welterweight who puts in six hours of training a day, watching every fight card and spreading positivity over social media.

“I think that everything happened at the right time,” Harris said about his decade-long professional career before his Octagon debut. “I think if I had gotten to the UFC earlier, I might not have been as successful. Now, I have experience.”

That experience may be the difference-maker this weekend, as Harris prepares to upend the record of an undefeated Rakhmonov.

“I know this guy is dangerous, a complete fighter, and has a lot of hype around him, but I’m here to fight. I don’t choose my opponents.

Any opponent, I sign the contract and step up to face them,” the welterweight said, seemingly unfazed by Rakhmonov’s 14 straight professional wins - all coming by way of finish.

“I’ve seen everything at this point. I went through a lot, with some difficult situations in the cage; I’m a survivor of the cage, and I’m ready.”

Harris, speaking with a level of confidence that has always been present regardless of opponent, knows that there’s more to the sport than the record shown beside someone’s name.

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propelling him into tonight’s matchup.

“You can’t look past me, I surprise people,” Harris said. “I believe in my training, I believe in my team, and I believe in what I do. It’s been years of sacrifice, and I won’t just throw it down the drain.”

As the welterweights in both corners head into their third UFC fight tonight at the UFC APEX, ‘Moçambique’

is not only ready but excited for the challenge ahead of him.

“The biggest mistake!

He can’t rush. (Rakhmonov) has to take his time because if he rushes, the lion will be there waiting on him,” Harris said, recognising the opportunity that lies ahead for him. “This is big. Taking away that zero would be awesome.”

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, February 5, 2022

Hero CPL delivers huge exposure to Caribbean region THE Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) has delivered outstanding exposure for partner tourist boards during the 2021 season with a total sponsorship value of US$316.1M. This figure was generated from a report by independent and world-leading research company, YouGov Sport.

The tournament took place in St Kitts & Nevis between August 26 and September 15 with all 33 matches played at Warner Park.

The total viewership figure for 2021 was 517.4 million, with the tournament passing half a billion viewers for the second successive year. This massive TV and digital viewership is the driver behind these fantastic sponsorship valuations and created massive exposure for tourism

boards across the region.

The tourist boards in St Kitts & Nevis, St Lucia, Barbados, Jamaica and Guyana all had innovative and engaging advertising throughout the Hero CPL broadcast, including branding and tourism vignettes highlighting why these countries are must-visit locations.

Pete Russell, Hero CPL’s CEO, said: “While it hasn’t been possible for us to travel around the region over the last two years, we have been working very hard to ensure that the region is given the exposure that it so richly deserves. As the world begins to open up and travel gets easier, we want to make sure that CPL viewers around the globe see the Caribbean as a must-visit destination.”

Everest/DCC and GCC/Police to clash in Two-Day semi-finals today FOUR of the top clubs in the city will meet from today to contest the General Industrial & Supplies Enterprise (GISE), Star Party Rentals, and Trophy Stall First-Division TwoDay semi-finals.

According to a release from the Georgetown Cricket Association (GCA), Everest Cricket Club (ECC) will host the Demerara Cricket Club (DCC) while Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC) will have Police Sports Club (PSC) as their visitors. Both matches commence at 09:30hrs.

The ECC will be led by leg-spinner Amir Khan and West Indies Under-19, Matthew Nandu, has been enlisted in the squad along with former Test opener Rajendra Chandrika.

DCC will be led by national all-rounder, Christopher Barnwell, and will be supported by Trevon Griffith,. Also in the team are the experienced Paul Wintz and Trevon Garraway, alonf with a host of talented national youth players.

Over at Bourda, the home side will be led by Devon Lord and will look for a lot of support from Winston Forrester and

Ronaldo Alimohamed

Christopher Barnwell

Matthew Nandu

Kemol Savory

Ronaldo Alimohamed and the talented Mavindra Dindyal.

PSC, despite missing some players due to national duties, is power-packed and will be

captained by Kevon Boodie.

Kemol Savory, Quintin Sampson and Ronsford Beaton along with off-spinner Kelvin Leitch will be present.

Meanwhile, there will be a Noble House Seafoods Second-Division Two-Day match between Bel Air RUBiS and hosts PSC from 11:00hrs.

On Saturday, there will be a GCA Under-15 practice match at DCC from 09:30hrs, as they prepare for the Demerara Cricket Board Inter-Association tournament.

Students fine-tune skills for golf as CSEC draws closer ON Thursday, the Guyana Golf Association (GGA)/Nexgen Golf Academy hosted 30 students from Rosignol Secondary School as part of their preparations for the historic step in becoming a part of the first group of learners to take golf as a Physical Education elective at this year's CSEC examinations.

The students, accompanied by teachers, Miss Rameshwari Dharamdat and Sir Kevon Jawahir,

spent 4 hours going through driving, chipping and putting drills before engaging in fierce chipping and putting competition, that produced the following results after multiple playoffs to determine a winner.

President of the Nexgen Golf Academy, Aleem Hussain, and coach Al Wilson took the time to work with each student individually and ensured that each one had the opportunity to hit dozens of balls before the competition.

Sir Jawahir spoke about the feeling he had when first invited to participate in the programme by Allied Arts Unit’s Ms Barker-King and Mr Braithwaite, "I never imagined that I would be hooked on a game so quickly and immediately wanted to ensure that my school would be an active participant. With the response demonstrated here today, it is almost certain that this will be a main PE activity in our school and at CSEC level for many years to come."

Under the joint collaboration between Ministry of Education Allied Arts Unit and Nexgen Golf Academy, the sport has acquired the keen interest of thousands of students and their families in just over a year, taking full advantage of its COVID-19 compliant status.

"The unique teaching methods of Mr Hussain guarantee that anyone can learn to hit the ball properly in less time than it takes to drink a cup of tea!" according to Ms Bark-

er-King.

According to estimates, the number of learners who will select golf as their CSEC examination PE elective this year will exceed expectations and that number is expected to be in the thousands next year as more secondary schools join the programme.

Currently, 82 schools are participating and 28 more from the Georgetown District are set to come on board in March. (CR)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, February 5, 2022

Heyliger included in Canada’s ICC World Cup Qualifiers squad DILON Heyliger is the lone Guyanese-born player named in Canada’s 14-man squad that departed the North American country on Wednesday to participate in the ICC 2022 Men’s T20 World Cup Qualifiers, to be staged in Oman from February 18.

The tall right-arm 32-year-old fast bowler, who hails from Essequibo and represented Guyana at the youth level, also played for Montreal Tigers in the second edition of the Global T20 Canada in 2019 and had the unique feat of grabbing a hat-trick against Edmonton Royals. He ended with the remarkable figures of 4-1-13-3 and also had the satisfaction of hitting the winning runs

for his team.

In 2019, Heyliger emerged as the top wicket-taker at the ICC Americas T20 Qualifiers, played in Bermuda.

He finished the tournament with 11 wickets, including capturing four for 18 versus Bermuda, a feat for which he was richly rewarded, emerging as the best bowler as Canada played unbeaten.

The qualifiers get underway on February 18 in Oman with the hosts taking on Nepal in the opening game.

The event is one of two global qualifiers that together form the final stages of the qualification process for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022.

The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Qualifier A features hosts Oman,

Bahrain, Canada, Germany, Ireland, Nepal, Philippines, and United Arab Emirates (UAE). Ireland and Oman had qualified for this tournament after being eliminated in the first round of the Men's T20 World Cup 2021, whilst Nepal and the UAE booked their slots via their rankings in the ICC MRF Tyres Men’s T20I Team rankings. The other participating teams qualified through regional qualifying tournaments held through the course of last year.

The teams in Qualifier A are divided into two groups of four. Each team will play all the other teams once in their group, followed by position classification matches. The two teams that reach the final will advance to the ICC

Men's T20 World Cup 2022 in Australia later this year.

The Canadians are scheduled to play two warm-up matches against Germany before beginning their World Cup Qualification campaign against the Philippines on Friday, February 18.

The Canadian squad reads: Navneet Dhaliwal (captain), Dilon Heyliger, Rishiv Joshi, Jatinder Matharu, Shreyas Moova, Salman Nazar, Rayyan Pathan, Kaleem Sana, Junaid Siddiqui, Ravinderpal Singh, Matthew Spoors, Hamza Tarik, Harsh Thaker, Saad Zafar.

Reserves: Sahid Ahmedzai, Akash Gill, Romel Sahzad, Bhupinder Sohal, Kanwarpal Tathgur, Uday Walia, Simran Virk.

Guyanese-born fast bowler Dilon Heyliger

The squad will be accompanied by five officials: Carlos Ragoonath – manager, Amrinder Bhinder – coach, Daulat Khan - fielding coach, Khurram Chohan - bowling coach and Ankur Sharma – physio. (Frederick Halley)

Essequibo to host U15 trials today BCB U15 to battle GCA U15 today at DCC Training sessions in Essequibo

THE Essequibo Cricket Board (ECB) will be conducting trials for Under-15 cricketers from today at various venues across the cricketing areas in Essequibo.

Cricketers born on or after September 1, 2007, will be eligible to participate in these trials.

The match-ups are expected to display great competitiveness. Pomeroon will go against North Essequibo at the Anna Regina Multilateral School ground and Central will take on South Essequibo at

the Reliance Sports Club ground.

Meanwhile, Wakenaam, Leguan, Bartica, and East Bank Essequibo will compete at the Tuschen cricket ground.

Talented players from these trials will be encamped, after which the final selection for the Under-15 team will be named to compete in the GCB inter-county tournament in Georgetown.

Encampment of the squad will be from February 11 to 13. 2022 at the Imam Bacchus cricket ground.

GEORGETOWN Cricket Association (GCA) will host Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) U15 cricket team today at the Demerara Cricket Club (DCC) in Queenstown.

The U15 clash is geared to aid the preparation of both sides for the national tournament.

On Thursday, the BCB short-listed a 20-man squad - Vishal Williams, Razam Koober, Romario Ramdehol, Adrian Hetmyer, Navin Boodwah, Gavin Kisten, Devin Lalbeharry, Jaden Edwards, Shoaib Gaffoor, Sohail Mohammad, Arif Khan, Dave Pretipaul, Nicholas Hall, Enrique Mickle, Akash Sooklall, Yoganand Mo-

The GCA selectors, chaired

by Roderick Lovell, used the performance of the players in the GCA Cricket Clinic/Drills and trial matches to select the side.

According to information from the association, Omarion Allen, Sameer Bhola, Joshua Charles, Brandon Henry, NaSpinners Reyaz Latif and Dhanesh Persaud will represent rindra Isurdeen, Peter Khan, Ryan Khan, Reyaz Latif, Darthe home team win La Rose, Emanuel Lewis, han, Reshan Sakrulla, Roshawn Jonathan Mentore, Dave MohabCrandon, Devendra Samaroo and ir, Nicholas Nieuelder, Dhanesh Thierry Henry.

Persaud, Shane Prince, Lomar GCA has also short-listed 20 Seecharran, Kishan Silas, Ravin cricketers for today's match, a return Singh, Nicholas Sulker and Kwesi clash in Berbice, and for the upcomWilkinson will represent the ing Demerara Inter-Association home team. tournament.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, FebruaryP5,A 2022 GE

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Carlston Harris ready for UFC action tonight! … Guyanese to face-off against undefeated Shavkat Rakhmonov

FLASHBACK! Carlston Harris reacts after his submission victory over Christian Aguilera in a welterweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on May 8, 2021, in Las Vegas, Nevada.

(Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)

Students fine-tune skills for golf as CSEC draws closer Printed and Published by Guyana National Newspapers Limi ted, Lama Avenue, Bel Air Park, Georgetown. Telephone 2 2 6- 3243-9 (General); Editorial: 2 2 7- 5204, 2 2 7- 5216. Fax:2 2 7- 5208

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SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2022