… President Ali pledges support of ‘Men on Mission’ initiative
A MASSIVE programme to construct 150 houses for vulnerable Guyanese will unfold next year, President Dr Irfaan Ali announced on Sunday as he presented a newly-built house to 85-year-old Herstelling, East Bank Demerara resident, Meena Bafan. Guyana’s Head of State, while offering brief remarks, said that these houses will
constructed with the support of his newly-launched ‘Men on Mission’ initiative.
“Next year, under the Men on Mission umbrella, we are going to launch a massive programme.
President, Dr Irfaan Ali (left) and other stakeholders help 85-year-old Meena Bafan (centre) cut the ceremonial ribbon for her newly-built home (Office of the President Photo)
PAGE 05 12th D ecember, 2022 MONDAY PRICE $100 VAT INCLUSIVE ' PAGE 05 No.106934
Dave Martins
Vidia Surendra Roopchand
Sir Clive Lloyd
UG honours some of Guyana’s finest –– Musician, scientist, cricketer and philanthropist get honorary doctorates PAGE 11 Moruca residents spared burden of long travels for surgical treatment PAGE 13 –– with commissioning of $40M theatre at the Kumaka District Hospital Guyana’s policy framework focused on improving people’s lives –– Finance Minister says
operators
PAGE
Ameena Gafoor
Demerara River speedboat
cease strike
02
150 homes for vulnerable
Guyanese to be built next year
be
S ee full story on P age 03 – agree not to increase fare after meeting with President Ali
Demerara River speedboat operators cease strike
– agree not to increase fare after meeting with President Ali
THE speedboat operators who ply their trade across the Demerara River between Vreed-enHoop and Georgetown have agreed to call off their strike and accept the current $100 fare, following the intervention of President Dr. Irfaan Ali on Sunday.
The decision was reportedly made after the Head of State met with
members of the Demerara River Speedboat Association at the National Track and Field Centre at Leonora, West Coast Demerara (WCD) on Sunday evening.
During that meeting, the President gave his word that the government would help improve the service of the speedboat operators and the landing area while continuously
aiding their growth.
Lallbachan Babulal, Vice-President of the speedboat association, expressed satisfaction with the meeting, and said that members are looking forward to working with the President to improve the service.
The speedboat operators had on Friday initiated a strike in the hope of increasing the fare to cross
the Demerara River from $100 to $120.
In order to provide some semblance of relief to the hundreds of commuters who daily depend on the service to either get to and from work or go about their business, the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Coast Guard deployed six vessels to tentatively get the job done until some sort of solution could be found.
The collective effort and measures put in place by the Army and the Maritime Administration Department (MARAD), along with speedboat operators all the way from Essequibo and other private boat operatives was effective in bringing the desired relief. The GDF had also deployed a number of its buses to assist in the effort to help those stranded from as early as 06:00hrs get where they were going.
Now that the operators have met with the President, and the situation has been resolved, it is expected that commuters can traverse the river as per normal.
2 GUYANA CHRONICLE M onday, December 12, 2022
President Dr. Irfaan Ali met with speedboat operators on Sunday (Office of the President photo)
150 homes for vulnerable Guyanese to be built next year
… President Ali pledges support of ‘Men on Mission’ initiative
A MASSIVE programme to construct 150 houses for vulnerable Guyanese will unfold next year, President Dr Irfaan Ali announced on Sunday as he presented a newly-built house to 85-yearold Herstelling, East Bank Demerara resident, Meena Bafan.
Guyana’s Head of State, while offering brief remarks, said that these houses will be constructed with the support of his newly-launched ‘Men
plemented across the country to meet Guyana’s housing demand.
Free building materials for select categories of new homebuilders, low interest rates on mortgages and lowcost housing options are part of the initiatives implemented through the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA), which falls under the purview of the Ministry of Housing and Water.
on Mission’ initiative.
“Next year, under the Men on Mission umbrella, we are going to launch a massive programme. We are hoping that through the Men on Mission Initiative alone next year, we can build at least 150 homes across the country,” President Ali said.
Already, local authorities have been engaging players in the banking sector and the Head of State related that banks are willing to finance the projects once those vulnerable persons own land.
He also explained that a house, similar to the one presented to Ms Bafan, can be constructed for anybody who has their own land. Ms Bafan’s new house cost about $5 million. Materials and labour, the President said, were however provided by members of the local private sector.
The President’s announcement joins a suite of other initiatives that are being im-
MORE SUPPORT IN COMMUNITIES
Aside from direct housing relief, the President stated that the government is examining whether it could
employ Guyanese-Venezuela migrants and other workers from Albouystown and other similar communities throughout the country.
Those workers, who would help to construct the houses, would be trained in carpentry and masonry.
This consideration is part of efforts to push community involvement in national projects. Several small pathways and roads will also be rehabilitated. Additionally, he said that tree-planting exercises and other infrastructural works within communities will be done.
“So while the last two
years we’ve been focusing heavily on the transformative agenda. I think next year will be a massive push on community development, village development that really pushes people development also.”
Also in 2023, President Ali added that he does not want MoM to become a reactive initiative but a proactive one that is spread across Guyana.
With that he added that the MoM is planning a “Home with dad” initiative as they encourage fathers to be at home, spend time with their families and bring families together.
He said, “There is abso-
lutely no beauty in becoming wealthy as a country, and we are poor as a people; the way we think, the way we
act, the way we behave, the way we socialise, the way we treat our families and our communities.”
GUYANA CHRONICLE M onday, December 12, 2022 3
President, Dr Irfaan Ali (right) and 85-year-old Meena Bafan (left) in the newly built home (Office of the President Photo)
The newly-built house for 85-year-old Meena Bafan (left) (Office of the President Photo)
Chinese consumers wary of splurging after Beijing relaxes COVID strictures
CHINA’S weary public and businesses have welcomed the easing of stringent “zero-COVID” measures, but Jorry Fan, who lives in the eastern city of Suzhou, said it prompted her to drop any plans to dine out for weeks.
The 44-year-old mother of two aims to avoid indoor dining or crowded places, opting instead for food deliveries, as she fears she or her family could catch COVID-19 after China dropped testing as a pre-requisite for many activities.
“I’m very happy because previously, I had to do a nucleic acid test nearly every day, so this is more convenient,” she said. “On the other hand, we don’t know who is safe, we don’t know who has the coronavirus. So we will be more careful.”
Consumers such as Fan show why analysts don’t expect a quick, broad rebound in spending in the world’s second largest economy, as the glee that greeted the abrupt relaxations was tempered with uncertainty for consumers and businesses.
In theory, prospects have brightened for fast-food players such as McDonald’s Corp (MCD.N), Starbucks Corp, Yum China and luxury companies like LVMH, after measures such as lockdowns withered sales.
Yet the relaxations are expected to usher
in a wave of infections that experts say could hit 60% of a population of 1.4 billion, fear of which has driven many people from the streets while threatening to disrupt workplaces and supply chains.
Spending is also likely to stay inhibited by persistent worries over job security and a slowing economy.
Some economists have cut China growth forecasts for early next year, which look set to continue this year’s grim growth figures that ranked among the worst of the past half-century.
“Moving from isolation facility quarantine to home quarantine will not increase retail sales significantly,” said Iris Pang, chief economist for greater China at ING.
The easing is also playing out differently in various places, as some retain curbs dropped by others.
In the commercial hub of Shanghai, for instance, people have not needed a negative COVID test to enter restaurants since Friday, but the rule still applies for those in Beijing.
Despite some reports by analytics firms of jumps in bookings of domestic flights and movie tickets, the moves are from low bases and make up a picture that clashes with scenes of empty subway seats at peak hour in major cities such as Beijing and
Shanghai.
Re-opening queues have been more common outside pharmacies, rather than malls and stores, as people stock up on antigen tests and medicines to treat cold and flu symptoms.
A spa at a mall in downtown Beijing that resumed business on Friday said most staff had returned but customers were far fewer.
“Because of the epidemic, we are now using promotions and coupons to attract customers, which actually make us run at a loss,” one of the masseurs said.
TOTALLY UNPREPARED
Many businesses also say they were caught on the wrong foot, with an executive of a major hotel chain saying it was “totally unprepared for such a dramatic and drastic reopening”.
With many of its hotels still being used for quarantine purposes, it is proving tough to persuade owners to open and hire more workers after the zero-COVID campaign bred a conservative mindset, he told Reuters.
“The company is now adjusting its strategy so that 80% of resource is focused on capitalising on ‘revenge’ spending, while reserving 20% of hotel occupancy and staffing in case quarantine returns,” the executive added, on condition of anonymity.
Sales of items such as cosmetics, wine and spirits are likely to continue to suffer as cautious consumers stay at home in coming months, said Jason Yu, Greater China managing director of consumer research firm Kantar Worldpanel.
Instead, people will zero in on items that promote health and wellness, buying fewer of the instant noodles and frozen items popular with those preparing for lockdowns, he said.
Still, some analysts said that a re-opening, however bumpy, bodes well in the long term for companies committed to China.
Fast food brands, for example, will be able to get back to major expansions they had planned.
In 2023, new restaurant development in China will account for about half of the global openings of McDonald’s units, and about a third of new locations for Starbucks, said Bank of America analyst Sara Senatore.
Luca Solca, a luxury analyst with Bernstein, said the end of the curbs was good news for the luxury industry, heavily dependent on Chinese spending.
“My base-case scenario is that the softening should prompt Chinese consumers to go back to enjoying life and spending money – benefiting, among others, top luxury brands,” he said. (REUTERS)
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Guyana’s policy framework focused on improving people’s lives
SENIOR Minister within the Office of the President with Responsibility for Finance, Dr Ashni Singh, on Saturday affirmed the government’s commitment to improving people’s lives by ensuring that the country’s national policy framework is focused on achieving the United Nations’ (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The Finance Minister, while speaking at a panel discussion for the recently held Human Rights Expo which was held at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre, Liliendaal, said the government was keenly focused on improving people’s lives in all aspects.
Dr Singh stated, “I wish to reiterate that our government is firmly and unwaveringly committed to all of our obligations under the declaration on human
rights and we are firmly committed to achieving all of the goals and targets.”
He added that everything that is being set in Guyana’ s national policy framework is aimed at moving the country closer to achieving the targets and goals.
The SDGs are 17 global goals crafted to promote people’s well-being, secure global peace and guarantee a prosperous future for all.
And Dr Singh said such efforts are being implemented in a number of sectors across the country.
One example of this, he noted, is the heavy investment in agriculture to further achieve food security while also helping with the elimination of world hunger. In fact, Dr Singh said that the country’s food-security agenda is fully aligned with the zero-hunger objective which
is the second SDG.
Another example of Guyana’s commitment, he said, is the significant investment made in developing Guyana’s healthcare sector. This directly aligns with SDG Three, which is the promotion of good health and well-being.
One investment that manifests the government’s focus in this regard, the Finance Minister said, is the recently approved US$97 million loan for the building of four telemedicine centres in hinterland regions.
“I can speak for hours articulating all of the things that we are doing in the public healthcare space to promote good health and well-being in the context of SDG 3,” Dr Singh said.
Meanwhile, the Finance Minister went on to add that there have also been major investments in the
–– Finance Minister says
education sector in line with SDG Four, which speaks to ensuring that people have access to equitable, quality and inclusive education.
In this quest, he added that the World Bank has been a critical partner as it has supported investments
in secondary education with the construction of schools, improving access and quality of education.
Dr Singh told those gathered that the government will continue to invest in various areas in order to achieve the 17 SDGs set out by the UN.
GUYANA CHRONICLE M onday, December 12, 2022 5
Senior Minister within the Office of the President with Responsibility for Finance, Dr Ashni Singh
A Sustainable Development Agenda
THE commitment to a balanced developmental approach was reiterated this week by the PPP/C government, underscoring the recognition of Guyana’s situational nuance as both an oil-and-gas producer and a leader on the climate-change front. This recognition is encapsulated in the Low Carbon Development Strategy 2030 (LCDS 2030). The LCDS 2030 sets how –in line with the 2009 vision -- Guyana will advance its payment for the forest climate services model and invest new revenues in the low-carbon economy, while also expanding the vision to include Guyana’s other globally significant ecosystem services.
Guided by the comprehensive LCDS 2030, Guyana’s objectives are to create new incentives for a low-carbon economy; protect against climate change and biodiversity loss; stimulate future growth through clean energy and low-carbon development, and align the nation with global climate and biodiversity goals.
Guyana has more than 18 million hectares of forests, storing an estimated 20 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent.
Cognisant of the benefits of forest resources, Guyana and other developing countries have called for compensation for their role in protecting the earth from greenhouse gases emitted mainly by large, industrial countries.
Some have argued that the government is pursuing this goal while also rapidly developing its oil-and-gas sector. But authorities have already committed to maximising the benefits to be accrued from the oil-and-gas industry, whilst advocating for global policies to create a level playing field that aligns the global marketplace for oil and gas, with the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement.
Simply put, Guyana’s Vice-President Bharrat Jagdeo has affirmed that Guyana will develop its oil-and-gas sector in a manner that is environmentally safe and not
remain locked into a cycle of “low emission and low income” – a cycle that ignores the fact that Guyana is a net carbon sink, among other facts.
Globally, the situational nuances of developing countries is not given the attention they warrant. Instead, hard-line positions are taken in an effort to supposedly advance the net-zero agenda, while ignoring that funding the transition to net zero is one that is not fully supported by the global North.
One only has to look at the failure to meet the US$100 billion pledge or the recent agreement coming out of COP27 that addresses as Loss and Damage Fund, the functionality of which has still not been defined.
The reality is that the lack of resources, to fund climate-change adaptation and mitigation, necessitates a balanced approach to development like the one Guyana has adopted – a developmental approach that is grounded in a national plan that addresses
the nuances of the Guyana situation by pursuing the exploitation of our nation’s resources to fund the developmental imperatives of the country, such as world-class education and health care, while also funding the transition to a net-zero economy.
Guyana’s commitment to the environment has been evidenced by the Architecture for REDD+ Transactions (ART), on December 1, 2022, issuance of the world’s first TREES credits to Guyana. And our country’s commitment to our people is evidenced by the steps being taken to address the social needs of Guyanese via the exploitation of our national resources in a responsible manner.
In the absence of global action, nationally defined plans by developing countries are increasingly becoming the more attractive model to move forward as a means of balancing the global push to net zero and the right of Guyanese to development.
Guyana must cleanse itself of riggers
AGAINST the backdrop of a necessity to urgently remove the double-edged hatchet from the necks of Guyanese, one cannot ignore the persistent threat of the PNC to free and fair electoral practices.
The role of key players from the PNC’s ranks historically, and in the March 2020 General and Regional Elections, resulted in their open support of the blatantly incorrect and infamous declarations, the flagrant abuse of discretion and procedures, coupled with eventual charges levelled against key elections officials that form part of the evidence of the then contaminated Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM).
Since then, GECOM has made some efforts to address the conundrum, but there is more work to be done in this respect.
From its inception, the PNC under its founder-leader LFS Burnham was adamant about staying in power at all costs. Party paramountcy was used to strengthen the typical “One Party rule” approach, as Guyanese were forced to live under desperate conditions. However, a united people struggled for free and fair elections and we overcame the situation and witnessed the dawn of a new era in 1992.
For 28 years, the PNC utilised its influ-
ence and control to manipulate the Guyana Elections Commission. The general strategy was to ensure that the key leadership position within the organisation was controlled by a party die-hard, who would ensure a balance of elections officials to advance the party’s paramountcy ideology towards satisfying its power-hungry thirst and survival.
Their use of party influence at the various levels ensured the blatant rigging of the national elections results in 1968, 1973, 1978/1980 and 1985 in the PNC’s favour. However, it was the Patriotic Coalition for Democracy (PCD) that struggled with the PPP and all other progressive forces, particularly decent and eminent personalities, for international support to enable the Guyanese to free themselves from the PNC riggers.
Typically, the events that unfolded during the five months of March/August 2020, expressed the characteristic behaviour of the PNC/APNU+AFC coalition, which was trying desperately to steal the government and reposition the controls it had over GECOM before the restoration of democracy in 1992.
Their excessive abuse of procedure and twisting of the laws led to challenges heard at the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), and resultant rulings that deposed the Granger-led strategy to control GECOM.
With David Granger’ s self-imposed
choice of James Patterson as Chairman of GECOM gone, the already-in-motion plan lost major support and it meant that the other clandestine orchestrators implanted in GECOM had to step up as was required, without cover if necessary. It was the boldest attempt in this modern era of some unscrupulous staff at GECOM who acted in collusion with the PNC riggers to steal the government.
Notably, the PNC support inside of GECOM stood committed to the party paramountcy platform and did not care about the exposure that modern technological developments would provide to the world as their plan fell apart, albeit, the emergence of a vigilant and connected PPP/C with other national and global democratic support. Such abuse of a national constitutional body must never be allowed to happen again in our dear country.
These “riggers” believed that they could use the ‘court’ at their will to procrastinate and frustrate the efforts of this nation to get timely and favourable justice. Three of the GECOM leading administrative staff at the secretariat level, who were allegedly in the plot to rig the elections, are currently facing fraud charges in our court.
Recently, they were denied an injunction filed to prevent them from testifying before the ongoing Presidential Elections Commis-
sion of Inquiry (CoI), but the wounds to the soul of the Guyanese people are too fresh for the truth to be lost. Severe sanctions should be included in the penalties for heinous attempts to steal or facilitate the theft of an election.
Several presentations to the CoI are indeed a revelation and will expose many of those who played key roles in the plot. Where there is enough credible evidence to affirm a connection to the election machinery or existing influencing relationships, these should be removed or censored forthwith.
The security/senior officers of the police force, the staff of GECOM presentation along with civic person’s contribution, and more recently the Chairperson of GECOM accepting that she was scared for her life on that dreaded day, must never happen again.
This Commission of Inquiry (CoI) must provide recommendations to put an end to all forms of rigging. GECOM staff must be accountable, transparent, and fair. Our country is blessed with diversity in unity.
Let us unite and tell the riggers that we no longer need them. GECOM must cleanse itself and remove all the rogues.
We must have LGEs now.
Yours respectfully, Neil Kumar.
6 GUYANA CHRONICLE M onday, December 12, 2022
Dear Editor,
Reviews, additions to Guyana’s archaic maritime laws imminent
–– Attorney General says
By Clestine Juan
ATTORNEY General Anil Nandlall, S.C. has said that the maritime laws of Guyana will be updated in the new year to ensure that the country remains in consonance and up to date with modern international standards, especially in light of progress offshore Guyana, as part of activities in the oil and gas sector.
Mr Nandlall, in an invited comment recently, said the plans are in keeping with the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/ C) 2020 Manifesto to modernise the legal architecture of the country.
This, he explained, not only involves the promulgation of new laws, but also the examination of existing
laws, and modifying or repealing them.
The Attorney General said that this will be done to bring the archaic laws “in conformity with modern international standards.”
“That is what we are doing in almost every area of national law. Now, Guyana is an oil-producing country. And obviously, we have to create the requisite legal and infrastructural and regulatory framework that would conduce to such an industry,” he said.
According to Nandlall, Guyana’s oil and gas industry has certain “peculiar facets” that are going to be developed, with one of them being activities offshore and onshore.
“So, you actually have shore-based facilities being
established throughout Guyana, and you also will have additional port facilities, not only because of the oil and gas industry, but because our economy is reaching new heights and there is a large increase in the type of economic activities taking place in the country, as well as the size of those activities.
“Necessarily, that will cause and result in increased commercial activity in our rivers and territorial waters. We obviously can’t continue with the same legal framework which existed when these activities were not present,” he underscored.
Nandlall related that an important part of law-making is that the law must change or new laws must be implemented to meet the dynamism and the exigencies of an evolving society.
“So naturally, we have to look into this area of maritime activity and the regula-
Officials ready to provide aid as Region Seven flooding continues
tory framework which exists in relation to our ports, in relation to the use of our rivers, the use of our oceans, etc.
“We are not going to do anything exceptional because we also don’t want to over-regulate. Neither do we want our regulatory framework to be considered oppressive or onerous. But it must be in keeping with international standards so that users of the waterways are protected, public property is protected, and the state’s interest is preserved and protected,” Nandlall said.
He added that the law will also cater to crime and security concerns given the “new influx” of vessels in the shipping sector, which could increase the likelihood of criminal cargo and proceeds of crime coming into the country.
Nandlall said that monitoring mechanisms will have to be put in place to protect
the citizen and the country from “illicit trade.”
Guyana’s current shipping laws are about 25 years old and require review since the economy is radically different from that which existed years ago when that Act was passed.
“You may have international conventions and treaties regulating port authorities across the world that are not reflective in our current legal infrastructure. Then you’ll have to cater for the increase in activities in this arena. We didn’t have a shore-based facility 25 years ago, we didn’t have so much traffic in our waterways 25 years ago. We didn’t have so many collisions with the Demerara Harbour Bridge 25 years ago.
“Is the protective safeguards in place, which were put in place 25 years ago?
Is as robust as they should be in the year 2022?” he
asked, adding: “Law Reform is a constant thing. Nothing remains static in the world. And laws must always evolve with society. We are the fastest-growing economy in the world and that was not the position years ago.”
The Attorney General said that the government will be reviewing the sector, the regulatory and statutory framework and what is applicable to the Caribbean and other oil- producing countries come next year.
SEVERAL areas
in Region Seven (Cuyuni- Mazaruni) remain inundated but regional officials and teams from the Civil Defence Commission (CDC) and the Ministry of Agriculture are ready to provide aid as needed.
Region Seven Chairman, speaking to the Guyana Chronicle on Sunday, said several homes and businesses within a number of communities are currently underwater, leaving many counting their losses.
“ Yesterday, an on-thespot assessment was done
in relation to the unrelenting flood waters in the Middle Mazaruni area…the surging flood waters have returned with fury and vengeance,” Williams said.
He added, “Many residents and more particularly businessmen are again facing another season of huge losses and deprivation.”
The communities affected include Issano, Pappy Show Landing, Surinamo, Semanng, Martins’s Landing, Apaika, Hymeraca and Tamakay. Several farms in the area are also affected by the flood.
With the communities bracing for further flooding, Williams said the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) is on high alert and will be making further interventions. Teams from the Ministry of Agriculture are also working with farmers to assess any potential damage as a result of the impact.
Meanwhile, the Civil Defence Commission (CDC) said rainfall is intermittent but significant. Both the CDC and the ministry are ready to provide aid needed by residents.
GUYANA CHRONICLE M onday, December 12, 2022 7
Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall, S.C.
A flooded section of the Upper Mazaruni
Chairman of the Regional Democratic Council, Kenneth Williams, is currently on the ground leading assessment efforts (Kenneth Williams photos)
More housing relief with accelerated turn-key housing programme
THE government’s turnkey housing initiative will be accelerated in 2023 as part of efforts to provide relief to people all across Guyana, Minister of Housing and Water, Collin Croal, said recently.
“As part of our focus in 2023, (there will be) more emphasis on home construction… we want to, in a fasttracked way, be able to encourage home-ownership,” Minister Croal was quoted as saying by the Department of Public Information (DPI).
Under the turn-key programme, more than 1,200 low, moderate and young professional units are under construction in Regions Three, Four, Six and Ten. Already, over 300 houses have been handed over to beneficiaries.
Through the Inter-American Development Bank’s (IDB) Adequate Housing and Urban Accessibility Programme (AHUAP), a
number of homes are being constructed targeting low income and vulnerable families.
The project to construct houses was conceptualised by President Dr. Irfaan Ali, who had initiated the turnkey housing initiative when he served as housing minister prior to 2015.
The focus on this turnkey programme and other much-needed housing initiatives were revitalised when the PPP/C Administration got into office in August 2020. Since then, a national housing programme aimed at providing affordable housing opportunities for Guyanese has been implemented.
In keeping with its manifesto, the PPP/C Government is committed to delivering 50,000 house lots to Guyanese within its first term in
of Housing and Water, Collin Croal (DPI
office. Over 19,000 house lots have been distributed thus far for 2022.
While the government has been rolling out its housing programmes coun-
trywide, it implemented a number of other measures to encourage home-ownership, with the latest being the steel and cement support for home-builders.
Minister Croal said over 150 applicants went through the verification aspect of the programme and within two weeks, the ministry will commence issuing the vouchers for those persons to uplift their materials.
Additionally, under the AHUAP, vulnerable groups are benefitting from home improvement subsidies up to $500,000 to carryout repairs on their properties.
“When you look at what we are doing to encourage homeownership, homebuilding these are some of the interventions that we have,” Minister Croal pointed out.
Improved water supply for hundreds of Region Nine residents next month
HUNDREDS of residents of Region Nine (Upper Takutu- Upper Essequibo) will soon enjoy an improved water supply with the establishment of new wells in the communities of Karaudarnau (Krowbar) and Sawariwau.
Minister within the Ministry of Housing and Water, Susan Rodrigues, visited the communities on Saturday and told residents that the new wells would be completed by January, 2023.
In Karaudarnau, a $48.6 million contract to expand the water- supply network there was awarded to A & E Construction, Supplies and Services earlier last week. Approximately eight kilometres of pipeline will be installed from the wells to a huge, elevated tank. Solar power will be utilised to pump the water from the well.
Currently, only 50 percent of the community has access to water. With that project, however, it is estimated that more than 500 residents within the community will receive potable water.
Minister Rodrigues, according to a release from the Department of Public Information (DPI), told residents gathered at the Karaudarnau Primary School that the government remains committed to the development of its
people across the country.
Some $500 million has been invested for improved water-distribution efforts in Region Nine since 2020.
Region Nine has about 70 per cent access to water and the minister highlighted that the government’s aim is for every community to have 100 per cent access to water by 2025.
Meanwhile, it was noted that Hinterland Coordinator of the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI), Ramchand Jailall, said this major undertaking forms part of the United Nation’s (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), six of which speak to providing safe, reliable water to everyone by 2030.
Beyond this community, residents in Sawariwau will get first-time access to potable water by January 2023,
as the construction of a new well nears completion.
During a meeting at Sawariwau Community Centre, the DPI reported that Minister Rodrigues opined that the government may be able to achieve its target of 100 per cent access to potable water in the region by 2025.
“We are going at a rate where we may achieve that before 2025. As we come out in communities and meet with people, we respond…and so, we make resources available to ensure that our people can live more comfortably and that their lives can improve,” she was quoted as saying.
These ongoing projects are commitments made to the villagers during a threeday regional outreach led by President, Dr Irfaan Ali in August.
8 GUYANA CHRONICLE M onday, December 12, 2022
Minister
photo)
Minister within the Ministry of Housing and Water, Susan Rodrigues, addressing residents at Sawariwau, Region Nine (Upper Takutu- Upper Essequibo) (DPI photo)
UG
Valedictorian Sean Pemberton completes
‘Econs’ degree in just three years
By Naomi Parris
SEAN Pemberton, a 22-year-old man, has etched his name into history books as this year’s University of Guyana (UG) Valedictorian and he clinched the coveted title after pursuing a rigorous Bachelor’s Degree in Economics.
Pemberton and nearly 3,000 other students graduated from the institution on Friday and Saturday. Each student, whether conferred with a certificate, diploma or degree, has a unique story to tell. The Valedictorian’s story is one of determination.
In a recent interview with the Guyana Chronicle, Pemberton revealed that economics was not necessarily a field that he liked before starting out at UG. With a knack for taking on challenges, however, he decided to pursue the programme.
“I had some consultations and I was told economics was a hard programme at the university. But me, I like a challenge, and I said I’m going to do it just to prove that I can do this. So that is how I fell into the field of economics,” the young man said.
Clothed with confidence, Pemberton began classes soon after completing the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) at Queen’s College.
As was expected, he encountered some difficulties adjusting to the university’s pedagogy, as it was markedly different from his experience at the secondary education level.
“It was a difficult transition from high school and doing CAPE [to] being more in an environment where you would have to depend on yourself and you know a Bachelor’s Degree is something that you have to read for, [because] the lecturers wouldn’t spoon feed you or be behind you to study,” he explained.
But he was determined to succeed and he tried
his utmost even when the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted his ongoing adjustment to the university style of learning. Pemberton had to adapt to a new environment once again.
“I started in 2019 and that was the pre-pandemic era, so I had about a semester and a half on campus. The journey was basically two-fold, there was life on campus and there was online…when we were hit with the pandemic period, transitioning from an on-campus mode to more technology mode was even more difficult.”
He, however, said there were some perks to attending classes online.
“Doing it online you were more free [sic], you were more relaxed; you got to do it in the comfort of your home, you don’t have to get up early to travel to catch a bus to reach on time, you could sit right in your bed and do it,” the Valedictorian said.
Although those perks were enjoyable, Pemberton admitted that the new academic environment brought on new hurdles which required him to transform as an individual, grounded with principles of determination and discipline.
And not only did he successfully complete his degree, but he did so in a shorter timeframe.
“My degree programme is a four-year programme …I finished my degree programme in three years, so in order for me to finish in three years I had to double up work and pull extra courses.”
Importantly, too, Pemberton said he is the first Economics major to be Valedictorian in the university’s history.
After achieving these feats, he believed he was well-positioned to offer advice to other students.
According to him, if anyone wishes to achieve anything in life they must set a clear goal or picture of what they want to achieve and to work towards that goal, and leave no room for procrastination.
GUYANA CHRONICLE M onday, December 12, 2022 9
Pemberton during his valedictory speech at the university’s 56th convocation ceremony
Sean Pemberton is this year’s UG Valedictorian
The apple and the tree
WHEN children run away from home, they are labelled as “own way,” stubborn, rude and delinquent.
People hardly ever stop to find out why the child got away – or how they may have suffered over the years. Instead of blaming children, their home environment and the adults who raise them should be examined.
Children do not usually leave a caring environment to hang out on the street, beg people for money or commit a crime. Even in the worst-case scenario where a girl child runs off because she is promiscuous and enticed by a man, there is usually a problem in the home.
Parents accuse children without looking at themselves, their childhood, and their upbringing. A well-known adage says the apple does not fall far from the tree. This means that children are not dissimilar from their parents – they are the fruit the tree bore. The lifestyles parents expose them to during childhood (what they see, hear and endure) underlines how they relate to and analyse their surroundings. It is also a big part of who they are likely to become in the future.
When a girl became pregnant at 12, the family questioned how this could happen. But her parents had a messy separation, and the child lived from one home to the next before her grandmother took her in. Without proper supervision or attention, she felt unloved and uncared for – her parents were too busy taken up with their new lives to notice her vulnerability.
During one of her transitions from point A to point B, an older boy (15) took an interest in her, and they started to “talk.” One thing led to another, and their first chance to be alone together resulted in a baby girl. There are many stories like this where parents fail to monitor children adequately due to their pressures, stresses and situations.
When children cannot find the care, love, attention and a feeling of belonging in their households, they search for it elsewhere. They may not know what they are looking for because they do not possess the intellect to realise what is lacking in their lives.
But they are aware when a touch; some thoughtful words; or a kind gesture makes them feel better-- wholesome, valued, respected or loved. Even if it is just for a little while, a yearning deep inside is fulfilled for that moment.
Most children run away from home to escape abuse. The abuse can be psychological, where adults always put the child down, call him names, criticise him and treat him like a scapegoat. Bad treatment can overwhelm children with no one to turn to for protection. Running away from the constant daily bombardment of verbal abuse may be their only option and not an easy decision. Life on the streets is challenging. Therefore, life at home must be intolerable for a child to take
such dire action.
A woman recalls: “I decided to run away from home the morning my mother beat me with a belt again. She always blew something out of proportion for an excuse to beat me -- only me, not my little brother. I truly believed she did not like me, and I often wondered if I was her daughter.
“That morning I went to school feeling sore, lonely and miserable. How was I meant to concentrate after my morning ordeal? I told my friend I was running away from home that day and she was concerned. “Where will you go? What will you do?” she asked. I had no plans, but I knew I wasn’t going home. After school, I strayed about the streets with different things running through my mind.
“I thought about throwing myself from a bridge or going to the police station and telling them how my mother treated me. But when it got late, I finally gave in and went home with a heavy heart and trembling with fear – I was 13 years old at the time. When I turned 19, I moved out my things one day while mum was at work; this time, I was organised, and I had had enough. I am 62 years old now, and she is 81. We never speak. I have nothing to say.”
When a child is sexually abused, their behaviour can change to the point where they will run away from home, usually because they are beyond caring about what happens to them. Sexual abuse can occur for several years without the child disclosing it to an adult. Occasionally, children have told their parents or carers about the abuse but are ignored, or the adult does not believe them, and the abuse continues.
Running away from home is a powerful statement -- something is wrong. Children would not leave the security of a house with people they love unless they are disturbed or traumatised.
Sexually abused children are prey for predators who like nothing better than a mixed-up youngster with no one to care for them and nowhere to go. The youngster can be quickly befriended and manipulated into acts of depravity.
Children who run away from home need guidance and attention from stable adults, whether they realise it or not. Despite the circumstances, parents must try to stay calm. They should offer a platform for discussion, compromise and change to the child when given the opportunity or when they return home. It is far more beneficial to talk things through than shouting or attacking the child for running away.
If you are concerned about the welfare of a child, call the CPA hotline on 227 0979 or write to us at childcaregy@ gmail.com. A MESSAGE FROM THE CHILDCARE AND PROTECTION AGENCY, MINISTRY OF HUMAN SERVICES AND SOCIAL SECURITY
10 GUYANA CHRONICLE M onday, December 12, 2022
UG honours some of Guyana’s finest
–– Musician, scientist, cricketer and philanthropist get honorary doctorates
FOUR distinguished Guyanese were awarded honorary doctorates from the University of Guyana (UG) during the institution’s 56th convocation ceremony hosted on Friday and Saturday at the National Cultural Centre in Georgetown.
The Guyanese honoured are: musician, Dave Martins; scientist, Vidia Roopchand; cricketer Sir Clive Lloyd; and philanthropist, Ameena Gafoor. Each individual was conferred with a Doctor of Letters (DLitt) from the university.
In his feature address on Saturday, musician Dave Martins opted to uplift the recipients, encouraging them to let their gift speak for itself.
The beloved local musician, who hails from the West Coast of Demerara (WCD) in Region Three (Essequibo Islands- West Demerara), has distinguished himself in Guyana’s local arts sector and he encouraged others in the sector to diligently refine their skills and talents.
Scientist Vidia Roopchand, who was born in Guyana and works as a Principal Research Scientist at US COVID vaccine maker Pfizer, received recognition for his outstanding contributions to the field of science.
In addition to thanking everyone who had a part in his remarkable work and the development of the man he is now, he also emphasised how UG graduates have achieved great success both locally and internationally, because of their incredible talents.
Cricketer Sir Clive
Lloyd, who delivered the commencement speech, said that the honorary doctorate conferred upon him represents one of the greatest achievements in his life.
Sir Clive played in 110 test matches and 87 one-day internationals, and ended his career with a test average of 46 and an ODI average of 39.
Finally, philanthropist and cultural activist Ameena Gafoor’s outstanding work has placed her on a prestigious bench of accomplished Guyanese honorees. She was conferred with her doctorate in absentia.
The honorees’ joined about 3,000 students from Faculties of Agriculture and Forestry, Earth and Environmental Sciences, Education and Humanities, Engineering and Technology, Health Sciences, Natural Sciences, Social Sciences, and the School of Entrepreneurship who were conferred with degrees, diplomas and certificates.
Vice Chancellor, Prof Paloma Mohamed-Martin described the 56th Convocation as “fully historic.”
Honorary doctorates are awarded in accordance with the University of Guyana’s legislation, which give the university the legal right to award honorary degrees and other distinctions. All degrees and other distinctions awarded in this manner are, however, subject to any regulations the university may make in relation to them.
Moreover, the Academic Board has the authority to recommend to the council whether to grant any individ-
ual an Honorary Fellowship, an Honorary Degree, or the title of Professor Emeritus.
All prior vetting processes have resulted in the current proposal’s success.
GUYANA CHRONICLE M onday, December 12, 2022 11
Guyanese musician Dave Martins was bestowed an Honorary Doctorate of Letters degree from the University of Guyana
APNU+AFC Opposition abandoned responsibility to aid electoral reform
–– despite rounds of consultations, no recommendations made
THE main opposition, A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC), failed to contribute to the now-passed amendments to the Representation of the People Act (RoPA), which seeks to safeguard democracy in Guyana by preventing the abuse of national electoral processes.
The 63-page Bill, which was first read in the National Assembly in November 2022, was passed on December 6, following extensive consultations with stakeholders before it was presented to the House.
The APNU+AFC coalition had, however, chosen to abdicate their responsi-
bility to Guyanese by failing to meaningfully participate in those consultations, and offer suggestions to improve the Bill before it was tabled in the National Assembly.
On October 29, 2021, President Dr. Irfaan Ali announced that the draft amendments to the electoral laws would be made publicly available on social media within one week of the announcement. On No-
vember 5, 2021, the amendments to the RoPA were posted on the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance’s Facebook page, inviting the public to submit comments, observations, and changes. The period for submissions was initially six weeks, but that was extended to about one year eventually.
Several organisations, including the Guyana Elections Commission
(GECOM) and numerous civil society bodies, submitted comments and recommendations for the amendments to the RoPA.
Former General-Secretary of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) is a major constituent of APNU. Amna Ally and the party’s Former Chairperson, Volda Lawrence, had both asked the ministry for hard copies of the draft amendments, which were promptly provided to them. No submissions were made, however.
Then, on May 9 and 19, 2022, Attorney-General Anil Nandlall met with the respondents to the draft amendments to the RoPA. Even then, the APNU+AFC coalition, the PNC, nor the AFC submitted any comments or changes to these drafts, prior to or after the May meetings.
Later, on September 29, 2022, the draft amendments to the National Registration Act were also publicly posted on the Ministry’s Facebook page. Submisisons on these amendments were also sought.
When a National Stakeholder Forum for consultations on the draft pieces of legislation was held at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC), Liliendaal on November 25, 2022, APNU+AFC representatives demonstrated some
disinterest in participating in that crucial process and walked out of the consultations.
Nandlall gave a presentation on the draft amendments to the RoPA and the National Registration (Amendment) Bill. Among the significant amendments under the RoPA, he presented, was the decision to subdivide electoral districts Three, Four and Six in a bid to improve the tabulation and verification of the votes cast. This was meant to be a key part of the consultations since it was first recommended that only District Four would be divided into these subdistricts, as this region was the subject of some issues highlighted during the 2020 General and Regional Elections. When the initial District Four recommendation was proffered, opposition members rebelled against this it as it believed that the adjustment would cause interference in an area that is widely considered their “stronghold”. As such, in a bid to demonstrate the government’s commitment to a transparent process, a decision was made to include two electoral districts, these being Three and Six, by using the rationale of the voting population.
As the minister continued his presentation and gave details on several oth-
er amendments, however, the opposition members left their seats and exited the dome of the Arthur Chung Conference Centre. Meanwhile, the opposition-nominated Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Commissioner Vincent Alexander, who was present at the stakeholder forum, opted against sitting with the other GECOM commissioners but represented the International Decade for People of African Descent Assembly-Guyana (IDPADA-G).
Again, there was limited participation of the APNU+AFC representatives in the much-needed consultations on the amendments. Only when the RoPA amendments were debated in the National Assembly did the APNU+AFC parliamentarians call for further engagement, asking that the Bill comprising the amendments be sent to a special Parliamentary Select Committee. The Attorney General, other government Parliamentarians and Deputy Speaker and Leader of the Liberty and Justice Party (LJP) Lenox Shuman disagreed with this, stating that there was sufficient time for consultations and the amendments were expeditiously needed.
Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance, Gail Teixeira had previously stated that the Opposition swipe at RoPA consultations was highly irresponsible. With that, she stated that it appears that the Opposition has no appetite for electoral reform or constitutional reform.
“This is the agenda of the Opposition; to be obstructionist and to try to ‘mamaguy’ the Guyanese people; to talk about bloated list and dead people voting,” Minister Teixeira had said.
12 GUYANA CHRONICLE M onday, December 12, 2022
Moruca residents spared burden of long travels for surgical treatment
RESIDENTS of Moruca will no longer have to travel long distances to access surgical treatment, as the Kumaka District Hospital has been equipped with a $40 million surgical theatre.
The investment covers a new operating theatre suite with all the amenities, including anaesthesia machines, an ICU wing, and a recovery wing with Crisis Stabilisation
Council’s 20-year strategic development plan for Region One (Barima-Waini).
Director-General of the Ministry of Health, Dr Vishwa Mahadeo, said the new theatre is in keeping with the government’s manifesto promise of expanding and upgrading health facilities and diagnostic services to improve access to healthcare countrywide.
“The Government of Guyana under the
–– with commissioning of $40M theatre at Kumaka District Hospital
“The healthcare system in Region One has always been challenging. However, recently we have started to see a lot of development.
Looking at where we came from to where we are now, I must say that we’re doing far better,” Dr Fraser said.
Another resident expressed excitement at being a part of this development.
She said: “We’re grateful for our Pres-
ident and the government for enabling us and providing us with these services. This is something that we needed.”
Recently, x-ray and ultrasound services were officially launched at the facility.
Additionally, during the health outreach, several residents were provided with prescription glasses as part of the ministry’ s “snap on” spectacles programme. (DPI)
Units (CSUs).
It is the culmination of several specialist visits to the region, forming part of the Ministry of Health and Regional Democratic
leadership of His Excellency, President Ali, has made it a priority to bring healthcare to the hinterland, to bring healthcare to those who need it most. This is another such project where access to healthcare is being made more equitable and readily available for persons,” he said.
Dr. Mahadeo said efforts will continue to further expand the range of healthcare services in the region, especially in the training of medical personnel.
The Director General referred to the ongoing nursing assistant training in the region, noting that pharmacy assistant training is also set to commence in early 2023.
“More persons are being trained, more services are becoming available, and even the specialists are coming out here to deliver the care that is necessary,” Dr Mahadeo said.
The Department of Public Information spoke with a few Moruca residents and staff of the hospital who were appreciative of the new services made available to them.
Dr Damien Fraser, who has been practising in Moruca for the past five years, lauded the government’s passionate efforts to bring development to Region One.
GUYANA CHRONICLE M onday, December 12, 2022 13
A new surgical theatre was commissioned at the Kumaka District Hospital, last Friday
Several persons were provided with prescription glasses as part of the “snap on” spectacles programme
14 GUYANA CHRONICLE M onday, December 12, 2022
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16 GUYANA CHRONICLE, Monday, December 12, 2022
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18 GUYANA CHRONICLE, Monday, December 12, 2022
Ronaldo coy about Portugal future
Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo was coy about his international future as he responded to his side's World Cup exit following defeat by Morocco.
The 37-year-old forward was in tears as he walked back to the dressing room after the 1-0 quarter-final.
Ronaldo played as a substitute, having also come off the bench in the last-16 win against Switzerland.
"To win a World Cup for Portugal was the biggest and most ambitious dream of my career," he wrote on social media.
"Unfortunately, yesterday [Saturday] the dream ended."
Ronaldo left Manchester United by mutual agreement before the 2022 World Cup after a controversial interview in which the five-time Ballon d'Or winner heavily criticised the club.
He started each of his country's three group games at the tournament before manager Fernando Santos dropped him to the bench for the win over Switzerland.
Portuguese publication Record claimed Ronaldo threatened to leave the tour-
CRICKET QUIZ CORNER
(Monday December 12, 2022)
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Answers to yesterday’s quiz:
(1) Kraigg Braithwaite & Pat Cummings
(2) Kraigg Braithwaite & Steve Smith
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(2) Who are the WI hat made their Test debut in the recent WI/AUST second Test?
Answers in tomorrow’s issue
nament after being told he would not start against Switzerland, but the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) and Santos denied that had happened.
"I just want everyone to know that a lot was said, a lot was written, a lot was speculated, but my dedication to Portugal didn't change for an instant," Ronaldo added.
"I was always one more player fighting for everyone's goal and I would never turn my back on my teammates and my country.
"For now, there's not much more to say. Thank you, Portugal. Thank you, Qatar. The dream was beautiful while it lasted... Now, we have to let time be a good adviser and allow everyone to draw their own conclusions."
English Racing Tips.
Lingfield
08:12 hrs Samba Lady
08:42 hrs Huberts Dream
09:12 hrs Pop Dancer
09:42 hrs Giorgio Vasari
10:20 hrs Recuerdame
10:50 hrs No Such Luck
11:20 hrs Cime To Pass
Wolverhampton
13:30 hrs Nellie French
14:00 hrs Pherenikos
14:30 hrs Blue Hero
15:00 hrs Golden Chain
15:30 hrs Compliant
16:00 hrs Caracristi
16:30 hrs Vitesse Do Son
Irish Racing Tips
Dundalk
10:45 hrs Den Of Iniquity
11:15 hrs Seven Hills
11:45 hrs Doctor Grace
12:15 hrs Lizzy's Filly
12:45 hrs Mulgrace
13:15 hrs Sky Legend
13:45 hrs Dreal Deal
American Racing Tips
Turf Paradise
Race 1 Ramblin Man
Race 2 My Man Biggie
Race 3 Outside The Law
GUYANA CHRONICLE, Monday, December 12, 2022 19
Race 4 Full Vision Race 5 Akasi
Portugal captain Ronaldo
collapse.
Spinner Abrar Ahmed
wick-
glish wickets - the other two being run outs.
The hosts had to rejig their opening pair following a hamstring niggle to Imam.
They promoted the struggling Mohammad Rizwan, who hit a flurry of boundaries early in his knock to transfer the pressure back on England.
James Anderson removed Rizwan for 30 immediately after lunch with a peach of a delivery that angled in and beat the outside edge to hit off stump.
Robinson produced a similarly stunning ball to dismiss Pakistan captain Babar Azam for one.
Babar shouldered arms to a delivery that pitched outside off but jagged back to rattle his stumps.
hand on day three of the action-packed second Test in Multan.
Pakistan dominated Sunday's morning session when they bowled out England for 275 but their 355-run target meant they needed to pull off a record chase on home soil to level the series.
They seemed up for the task but England's seamers conjured three magical deliveries after lunch to wrest back the initiative.
The seesawing contest changed complexion in the final session again following a 108-run partnership between Imam, who fell just before the close for 60, and Saud.
At stumps, Saud was unbeaten on 54 with Faheem Ashraf on three with Pakistan 4-198, still 157 runs short of their target.
However it was Jack Leach’s late dismissal of Imam, via a sharp catch taken by Joe Root at slip, that proved a decisive blow heading into day four.
Earlier, England added 73 runs to their overnight score of 5-202.
Ben Stokes (41) needed 43 balls to score his first boundary and was the first to fall, holing out in the deep to trigger a
Overnight batter Harry Brook (108) reached his second hundred of the series before leg-spinner Zahid Mahmood (3-52) polished off the English tail.
Pakistan spinners claimed 18 of the 20 En-
Abdullah Shafique made 45 but could not protect his off-stump from the pace and movement of Mark Wood.
Imam came in at number five and revived Pakistan's chase with Saud.
Wood 45 Mohammad Rizwan b James Anderson 30 Babar Azam b Ollie Robinson 1 Saud Shakeel Not Out 54
Imam ul-Haq c Joe Root b Jack Leach 60
Faheem Ashraf Not Out 3 Extras 0b 2lb 3nb 0pen 0w 5
Total (64.0 overs) 198-4
Fall of Wickets : 1-66 Rizwan, 2-67 Azam, 3-83 Shafique, 4-191 ul-Haq
To Bat : Salman, Nawaz, Mehmood, Ali, Ahmed
Bowling : Ollie Robinson 10 - 3 - 14 - 1 (3nb),Jack Leach 20 - 0 - 88 - 1, Joe Root 13 - 2 - 36 - 0, Mark Wood 11 - 0 - 35 - 1. James Anderson 6 1 8 1 1.33 Will Jacks 4 0 15 0 3.75
20 GUYANA CHRONICLE, Monday, December 12, 2022
(REUTERS)-Imam-ulHaq and Saud Shakeel struck defiant half-centuries to keep Pakistan in the hunt but England maintained the upper
picked up his 11th
et in his debut Test by bowling Ollie Robinson through the gate.
ENGLAND 1st inns 281 Pakistan 1st Inns England 2nd innings o/n 202 for 5 Zak Crawley Run Out Abrar Ahmed 3 Ben Duckett b Abrar Ahmed 79 Will Jacks b Abrar Ahmed 4 Joe Root c Abdullah Shafique b Abrar Ahmed 21 Harry Brook c Saud Shakeel b Zahid Mehmood 108 Ollie Pope Run Out Mohammad Nawaz 4 Ben Stokes c Mohammad Ali b Mohammad Nawaz 41 Ollie Robinson b Abrar Ahmed 3 Mark Wood c Babar Azam b Zahid Mehmood 6 Jack Leach Not Out 0 James Anderson lbw Zahid Mehmood 4 Extras 0b 0lb 2nb 0pen 0w 2 Total (64.5 overs) 275 all out Fall of Wickets : 1-11 Crawley, 2-25 Jacks, 3-79 Root, 4-147 Duckett, 5-155 Pope, 6-256 Stokes, 7-259 Robinson, 8-270 Wood, 9-271 Brook, 10-275 Anderson Bowling : Mohammad Ali 9 - 0 - 44 - 0 ( 2nb), Faheem Ashraf 5 - 2 - 12 - 0, Abrar Ahmed 29 - 3 - 120 - 4, Mohammad Nawaz 10 - 0 - 42 - 1, Zahid Mehmood 10.5- 1- 52 - 3, PAKISTAN 2nd innings Abdullah Shafique b Mark
SCOREBOARD
wicket swings
Harry Brook led England off the ground after his second hundred in as many Tests // Getty
Late Leach
momentum in epic England , Pakistan contest
India hand Aussies first loss of 2022 in Super Over classic
AUSTRALIA suffered their first defeat of 2022 after India won the super over in the second Women's Twenty20 at the DY Patil Sports Academy, Mumbai.
The scores were tied at the end of a high-scoring encounter, with Australia setting India 188 to win.
Beth Mooney and Tahlia McGrath added an unbroken 158 for the second wicket - the highest stand for any wicket for Australia in T20s.
But India were propelled by opener Smriti Mandhana's 79 from 49 balls and, with five needed to win from the last ball, Devika Vaidya hit a four to take the game to a super over. Mandhana then struck 13 from three balls as India set Australia 21 to win from the
one-over eliminator.
Alyssa Healy scored 15 from four balls but Ash Gardner fell for a golden duck and the visitors finished five runs short.
It was a thrilling finale to a remarkable contest that saw India, who lost to Australia in the Commonwealth Games final in July, become the only team to challenge the world champions this year.
"We just thought we will keep backing ourselves," said India captain Harmanpreet Kaur.
"Whether we are batting first or second, we know that we need to bat freely and bat with freedom."
The hosts started poorly as Mooney and McGrath, who made 82 and 70 respectively, punished the bowlers for the second game in a row - the pair added 100 together in the first T20 on Friday.
But openers Mandhana and Shafali Verma were unfazed by the imposing target, adding 76 for the first wicket inside 8.4 overs before the latter was dismissed for 34.
Mandhana's innings was sublime, smashing nine fours and four sixes, but India still needed a further 40 to win from 22 balls when she was bowled by Annabel Sutherland.
Heather Graham starred
with three wickets but was expensive in the super over, conceding sixes from both Ghosh and Mandhana, before seamer Renuka Singh Thakur successfully defended India's total of 20, despite Healy hitting the last ball for six.
"We probably missed a little bit with the ball tonight, and they cashed in on that," said Healy.
"What a game of cricket. For thousands of people to be able to witness this is pretty special."
The five-match series continues at the Brabourne Stadium, Mumbai on Wednesday.(BBC Sport)
Van der Dussen hits 95 as Bavuma spends time in middle
RASSIE van der Dussen made a successful return from injury to top-score with 95 in the second innings of South Africa's tour match against a Cricket Australia XI.
His solid innings at Allan Border Field was followed up by No.6 batter Theunis de Bruyn, who made a quickfire 88 off just 86 balls as the Proteas declared at 8-304 on the stroke of stumps on day three.
The CA XI will need 426 on the final day to win after the Proteas made 347 in their first innings before bowling the hosts out for 226.
Van der Dussen was frustrated to miss out on his century, having been run out after Temba Bavuma sent him back after Van der Dussen called for a single.
The 33-year-old had missed the final Test of the recent tour of England and the T20 World Cup with a broken finger.
De Bruyn, 30, played his last Test in 2019 and his positive knock may be the tonic to invigorate the next stage of his career.
Captain Dean Elgar, who top-scored with 109 in the first innings, said after play on the first day it was imperative the Proteas made substantial totals in the coming Test series to give their strike
South Africa breathed a sigh of relief when Test vice-captain Bavuma strode to the crease just before lunch.
Bavuma, who made 28, didn't bat in the first innings after reinjuring an elbow that had kept him out of the recent Test tour of England.
He wore a compression bandage on his left arm when he batted. Bavuma’s recovery is a boost to the Proteas' chances in the first NRMA Insurance Test against Australia at the Gabba starting on December 17.
Van der Dussen was in
supreme form. The righthander’s drives down the ground were crisp and he
"He looked really calm today and ... that is something for him to take into next week.
"Our team has played well. We've set the game up nicely. Usually I am batting earlier and you have to break down the bowlers but today I came in and they were tired
so it was quite nice to bat."
The accomplished 80 made by wicketkeeper Kyle Verreynne in the first innings was another positive just six days from the first Test.
Queensland quick Blake Edwards (3-45) has come into the Cricket Australia side for the final two days
of the match after paceman Liam Hatcher was ruled out with a knee complaint. (AAP)
Men's NRMA Insurance Test Series v South Africa Dec 17-21: First Test, Gabba, 11.20am AEDT
Dec 26-30: Second Test, MCG, 10.30am AEDT
played a suite of reverse sweeps to the boundary off off-spinner Matt Kuhnemann
Bavuma faced a much-needed 92 deliveries and showcased his strength square of the wicket, which is paramount for batters on Australian pitches.
De Bruyn was pleased with his own knock and impressed with Bavuma's return from injury ahead of the Tests.
"If you look at his career he is one of those characters that really stand out when the team is under pressure," de Bruyn said.
GUYANA CHRONICLE, Monday, December 12, 2022 21
Teenager Richa Ghosh proved vital to India’s win // Getty
pacemen the opportunity to put pressure on Australia's batters
Rassie van der Dussen hit a top score of 95 for South Africa
Foster says 2022 was a challenging, yet highly successful year for BCB
-Thanks government, sponsors among others for massive support of Berbice Cricket
By Clifton Ross
WITH the end of 2022 just weeks away, Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) president Hilbert Foster has hailed this year as arguably one of the most successful yet challenging for cricket in the Ancient County, but hinted at early programmes set to bowl off as soon as January 2023.
The long-serving BCB head told Chronicle Sport on Friday that this year has presented a topsy-turvy road for them. However, the challenges proved to help further augment the reputation of the board, as he outlined the numerous achievements the BCB managed to accomplish throughout 2022.
According to Foster, the weather primarily was among the nuisances which sought to curtail any possible smooth operations that the BCB had outlined this year. He explained it has been very puzzling with regard to running specific competitions,
especially against the weather which continuously forced a number of cricket events both in and out of the Berbice County to be rescheduled.
Foster said despite these unavoidable hurdles, the BCB were able to welcome and host a number of legendary West Indies players to the county, as part of various clinics which focused on batting and bowling, among other areas of cricket.
During various phases of 2022, Foster and the BCB executives were graced with
visits from the likes of famed West Indies ex-stars Sir Curtly Ambrose, Sir Andy Roberts, Jimmy Adams, Roland Butcher and Desmond Haynes; all whom represented the ‘Maroon’ with pride during the golden years.
The BCB boss believes that the clinics hosted by the former Windies legends were crucial to the expansion of cricket in Berbice, as it targeted the youths as well as those who are currently commencing their careers as players.
Golden State beat Boston NBA in finals rematch
THE Golden State Warriors sent a "message" to NBA rivals Boston Celtics with a 123-107 victory in San Francisco in a repeat of last season's Finals.
The Warriors have struggled so far in their title defence, while the Celtics have the league's best record.
But Klay Thompson hit 34 points for the home side and Steph Curry weighed in with 32, including six three-pointers.
"We just played these guys in the NBA Finals, you want to send a message," Warriors forward Draymond Green said.
Golden State went into the game fourth in the West Conference Pacific division after back-to-back defeats, and while they improved their record to 14 wins and 13 losses they still have plenty to do to get their season back on track.
The Celtics, meanwhile, ended a run of three straight victories but remain top of the Eastern Conference Atlantic division after just a sixth defeat
in 27 matches.
Boston's Jayson Tatum, who managed just 18 points, was adamant the defeat, coming just six months after losing out to the Warriors in the NBA Finals, carried no special significance.
"It was one game," he said.
Elsewhere, the Brooklyn Nets, who are second in the Eastern Conference Atlantic, closed the gap on the Celtics with a 136-133 victory over the Indiana Pacers in Indianapolis.
The Nets were missing injured duo Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving but Cam Thomas' career-high 33 points helped them come from nine points down in the final quarter to claim a third straight win.
In Chicago, DeMar DeRozan scored 28 points to lead the Bulls to a 144-115 victory over the Dallas Mavericks, who were without the NBA's leading scorer Luka Doncic.
The Denver Nuggets' Nikola Jokic - the NBA's Most Valuable Player - had a triple-double of 31 points, 12 rebounds and 14 assists in a 115-110 win against the Utah Jazz, while the San Antonio Spurs claimed a 115-111 victory away to the Miami Heat. (BBC Sport).
He said the knowledge imparted could never be replaced as the youngsters got a free chance to pick the brains of these stalwarts of the game. Adding that it tremendously buffed their approach as well as their understanding of what is required to become professionals of their craft.
Speaking on other areas, those which leaned towards the realm of charity and overall development of students, academically and on the cricket pitch, Foster thanked
sponsors, both local and overseas, for their continued commitment in and around the fraternity.
The BCB were able to provide nets, cricket gear and pitch covers, among other paraphernalias, to clubs and schools across the Ancient County of Berbice. Foster said he was also happy to have donated more than GYD $2M in gear, just towards the growth of school cricket and its various coaching programmes.
A special ‘thank you’ was sent out to Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, Nigel Dharamlall, who has played a major role for the Berbice board. Under the minister, the BCB has managed to run a county-wide coaching programme.
Level 3 coaches Winston Smith, along with Leslie Solomon and a host of former national players like Delbert Hicks, Tremayne Smartt, Ameer Rahaman, Seon Hetmyer, and others, will train a
Canadian Jnr Open Squash tourney
number of rookie instructors as part of a solid structure which not only provides income for the trainees but allowing them to grasps the golden chance at being future national coaches.
The ongoing programme sees the trainee coaches working a required 80 hours per month, across Region 6 venues like Rose Hall Canje, New Amsterdam, Rose Hall Town, No.73, Skeldon and Port Mourant.
Looking ahead to 2023, which is rapidly approaching, Foster wrapped up his interview by confirming the BCB has already secured sponsorship for events set to get underway as early as January 2023.
According to the BCB president, sponsorship for programmes, which includes a Secondary Schools cricket project, have already been secured with these events seemingly set to get the New Year off to a positive start for the BCB.
Guyana suffer mixed fortunes on opening night
IN cold conditions on Saturday night at the Niagara, on the Lake in White Oaks, Canada, Guyana had mixed fortunes on opening night of the 2022 Canadian Junior Open Squash tournament.
Guyana lost their first three matches 3-love before Nicholas Verwey, the son of the Guyana Squash Association (GCA) president Owen Verwey, got past Norman Yue 3-0 while Samuel Ince-Carvalhal, who turns 19 next month defeated Isaiah Richter 3-nil.
It was an inauspicious start for Mohryan Baksh, one of five Guyanese participating in the tournament.
Playing in his first match in the Boys U-17 division, Baksh lost 3-love in a game which lasted just 20 minutes; losing to Canadian Richard Wang.
Watched by a fair-sized gathering, Wang, urged on by his home fans, raced out to an 11-5 win in the first
game before Baksh fought hard in the second stanza before going down 11-8.
Needing a win to take the match into a fourth game, the impressive Canadian showcased his talent with clinical shot-selection to beat Baksh 11-5 in just five minutes in what proved to be the final game of the match.
Up next for Guyana in the Girls U-19 Division was Kirsten Gomes, who opposed another Canadian, Raya Singh.
Singh won the match 114, 11-6, 11-7 as she romped to a convincing 3-nil victory over the Guyanese girl, much to the delight of her raucous home fans.
In Guyana’s third match of the night, Guyanese Joshua Verwey lost 11-8, 11-0, 11-3 to Norman Yue before his sibling, Nicholas Verwey, gave Guyana its first win when he got the better of Rawaad Mir 11-3, 11-6, 11-1, in a dominant perfor-
mance of excellent squash. Nicholas executed impeccable drop shots and demonstrated good use of the court to take the opening game before Mir offered token resistance in the second stanza, before the third and final game ended 11-I as Nicholas was all over his Canadian opponent.
In the final game of the opening night, Guyana’s Samuel Ince-Carvalhal defeated Canadian Isaiah Richter 11-7, 11-8, 11-4.
In a fairly competitive encounter, Samuel played several backhand drives and displayed a great level of fitness despite the cold conditions.
But Isaiah, backed by a vocal home crowd, fought hard and engaged the Guyanese in fairly long rallies in the first two games but wilted under pressure in the third game in which he only managed four points.
(Sean Devers)
22 GUYANA CHRONICLE, Monday, December 12, 2022
"It's not going to dictate our season. It's all about how we respond."
President Dr. Irfaan Ali and Sir Curtly Ambrose (centre) alongside BCB president Hilbert Foster (left) and Minister Vickram Bharrat (right)
Steph Curry scored six of the Golden State Warriors’ 13 threepointers against the Boston Celtics
Aussies complete series sweep with a crushing 419-run win
ADELAIDE, Australia, (CMC) – Beleaguered West Indies were inflicted with their worst-ever Test defeat here Sunday when Australia demolished them by 419 runs before lunch on
the penultimate of the final Test at Adelaide Oval.
Resuming the day already tottering on 38 for four in their second innings, West Indies offered little resistance to a ravenous Aussie attack
SCOREBOARD
AUSTRALIA
*K
J
D
+J Da Silva c wkp Carey b Neser 15
R Chase c wkp Carey b Neser 13
A Joseph b Lyon 3
A Phillip not out 1
M Mindley c wkp Carey b Neser 0
Extras (lb2) 2
TOTAL (all out, 40.5 overs) 77
Fall of wickets: 1-15, 2-15, 3-15, 4-21, 5-42, 6-49, 7-69, 8-76, 9-76, 10-77.
Bowling: Starc 10-4-29-3, Neser 10.5-3-22-3, Boland 10-5-16-3, Lyon 10-7-8-1.
Result: Australia won by 419 runs.
Series: Australia won two-Test series 2-0.
Man-of-the-Match: Travis Head.
Man-of-the-Series: Marnus Labuschagne.
and were flattened inside an hour-and-a-half for a meagre 77 – their lowest-ever total in Australia and their second lowest overall against the hosts.
No batsman made it to 20 in a sorry display of batting from the tourists as seamers Michael Neser (3-22) and Mitchell Starc (3-29) shredded the West Indies lower order.
The defeat ensured another whitewash Down Under for the Caribbean side, further extending their three-decade run without a series win against the hosts and their 19-year wait for a Test match victory.
“It was a disappointing second game for sure. I thought in the first game we showed some fight which was good to see,” captain Kraigg Brathwaite said fol-
lowing his side’s historic loss in terms of runs.
“Unfortunately in the second game we lost some guys to injury but I’m very disappointed. We didn’t see the fight here at all. It’s not the best of ends to a good Test year for us but we’ve got to continue to work.”
Needing a heroic effort to survive the day, West Indies found themselves in even deeper trouble in the third over of the afternoon when Devon Thomas drove at a wide delivery from left-armer Starc and edged behind, after adding four to his overnight eight.
Four overs later, Jason Holder capped (11) off a miserable series when he spectacularly lost his offstump to Starc, to leave West Indies on 49 for six.
Joshua Da Silva (15) and
Roston Chase (11) then kept Australia at bay for three quarters of an hour, the pair adding 20 for the seventh wicket.
However, Neser removed both in the same over to brilliant catches at the wicket by Alex Carey standing up, to end the resistance and West Indies lost their ninth wicket
when Alazarri Joseph missed an ungainly swipe and was bowled for three, handing off-spinner Nathan Lyon his 450th Test wicket.
Debutant Marquino Mindley then edged Neser behind in the next over, Carey pouching his sixth catch of the innings to equal the Australian record.
Brathwaite rues ‘bad game’, urges WI to learn from defeat
ADELAIDE, Australia, 9CMC – Captain Kraigg Brathwaite has rued West Indies’ lack of resolve in the Adelaide second Test but said he believed the chastening result was a learning curve, which would serve the side well in important contests next year.
West Indies slumped to a 419-run defeat, half-hour before lunch on the penultimate day here Sunday, the result marking their heaviest-ever loss in Test history by runs.
They were bowled out for 77 after resuming on 38 for four – their lowest-ever total Down Under and their second lowest-ever against the Aussies.
“Obviously [the] pink ball is always different – under lights is always tough and at times a little tougher,” Brathwaite told a media conference afterwards.
“[We needed] a little better judgement at times. But it happens. Bad days happen and bad games [happen], and obviously this was a bad game for sure, for us.
But it’s not the end of the world. We have a lot of Test cricket to play next
year so we have to look ahead.”
West Indies lost the opening Test in Perth by 164 runs last week, their first Test defeat of the year following series triumphs over England and Bangladesh, when they went unbeaten.
And while they took the opening Test against Australia deep into the final day before succumbing, the Caribbean side showed little of that determination in the day-night affair in Adelaide.
Brathwaite, however, praised his side and said they retained his full support going forward.
“In a year, you want to win every game – you don’t want to lose – but I think losing is a part of the game,” he explained.
“Obviously this loss was a bit disappointing in how we didn’t show the fight [required]. I was pleased with the first Test in Perth despite it was a loss. We saw guys fighting, and to carry a strong Australia team into the last day was a decent effort.
“I still think it was a good year for us – a very good year. Obviously losing one series against the number one team in the
world is not a bad effort.
“As I said, it’s important to learn from this experience. We have South Africa next year in March after Zimbabwe and we know there are kind of similar conditions in South Africa so it is important we show that experience.
“You go through certain things and it is important you learn from them. But I’m 100 per cent behind this team. I think it’s a good group [but] you can’t always win.”
Brathwaite was one of only four players with previous Test experience in Australia and that dearth of knowledge showed in the series result.
There were three debutants in the series – Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Devon Thomas and Marquino Mindley – while Anderson Phillip was playing only his second Test.
Brathwaite said the way Australia went about their business in the series had served as a blueprint for his inexperienced unit, especially with West Indies scheduled to return Down Under in just over a year.
“[For] a lot of the guys, this was their first time to Australia so I think the ex-
perience would help, both as batsmen and as bowlers,” Brathwaite pointed out.
“And then seeing how Australia would’ve played, seeing how their batsmen would’ve started their innings – we can learn from that starting.
“And then how their
bowlers bowled throughout – throughout a spell, throughout [a whole day] – because at times in Perth they bowled for a whole day but then you see the areas they bowled.
“It’s stuff like that you’ve got to learn from and it’s important when you come [back to Aus-
Goodwill U-13 cricket series
T&T beat Guyana by 9
By Sean Devers
LED by a MVP performance from Shaan Ramtahal, Trinidad & Tobago’s U-13s defeated Guyana U-13s by nine wickets in their rain-affected opening game of the four-match 40-overs Goodwill series at the Providence Stadium yesterday.
In a game which was reduced to 31 overs, Guyana, asked to bat in good conditions and on a well-manicured surface despite the rainy season, were bowled out for 43 in 24.4 overs.
Richard Ramdeholl, Skipper Brandon Henry and left-handed opener Lomar Seecharran, who faced 56
wkts
tralia] that you don’t necessarily make the same mistakes.
“Australia will always be a strong team at home but the key with experiences is to learn from them so it’s important we show that experience when we come back.”
on DLS system
flighted and spun the ball, had 2-6 for the Trinis who had to score 38 to win from 31 overs on the DLS system.
The Trinis, who looked a few levels ahead of Guyana in their standard and demonstrated outstanding catching and fielding, galloped to victory in just 10 overs.
balls, all made seven.
The game was halted by rain at 24-4 in 17 overs and reduced to 31 over after the resumption at 1:30hrs.
Off-spinner Ramtahal (37), fast bowler Tyler Ramroop (2-5) and off-spinner Brian Harricharran, who
Opener Ramtahal followed up his 3-wicket haul with an unbeaten nine and added 32 for the first wicket with Skipper Zakariyya Mohammed before Mohammed fell to the left-arm spin of Henry. Ramroop was the other not out batter with two.
T&T, 1-up in the series, will play the second match when the two teams clash again on Tuesday at the same venue from 10:00hrs.
GUYANA CHRONICLE, Monday, December 12, 2022 23
Australia celebrate winning the Frank Worrell Trophy • (Getty Images)
Shaan Ramtahal was named MVP in yesterday’s first match
1st
511-7
199-6
2nd
(target:
(overnight
Innings
decl. West Indies 1st Innings 214 Australia 2nd Innings
decl. West Indies
Innings
497 runs)
38 for four)
Brathwaite c wkp Carey b Boland 3
T Chanderpaul c wkp Carey b Starc 17
S Brooks lbw b Boland 0
Blackwood c Green b Boland 0
Thomas c wkp Carey b Starc 12
J Holder b Starc 11
Region 9 & 3 register first wins
By Calvin Chapman
THE One Guyana President's Cup football tournament got off to a spirited start last night at the National Track & Field Centre (NTFC), at Leonora, West Demerara, with a double-header featuring Region 6 versus Region 9 in a cracking opening match, which the latter won 5-4 before the official March Past and ceremonial kickoff.
Among notable attendees were H.E. Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali, Ministers Charles Ramson, Collin Croal and Kwame McCoy, along with GFF head Wayne Forde and Sir Clive Lloyd.
During his feature address, the Head of State mentioned that this tournament is a chance for the players to showcase their individual and collective effort.
He further shared that the Government of Guyana is backing the initiative, and “wants the players to have the best opportunity to get to the World Cup”.
Noting also that this tournament is the first step towards removing all barriers preventing the Golden Jaguars from delivering their best performances, President Ali hinted that the government is working on developing facilities in each administrative region in Guyana in an attempt to decentralise the sport and give each community equal opportunities to be able to compete.
Wayne Forde, during his remarks stated, “It’s a wonderful time for the beautiful game of football in Guyana.”
Meanwhile, in the first match of the tournament, Stephen McDonald created history with the first hat-trick of the tournament, which was
instrumental in ensuring Region Nine secured three points in their first ‘Group A’ clash.
Sherral Daniels scored a wonderful long-range strike to put Region Nine 3-0 up, while Matrim Martin netted once as well for the winners.
Region Six looked flat in the first 10 minutes of the
game, but after going down 3-0, they managed to net two goals in the first half, through individual efforts from Leonardo Adams (32nd minute) and Keon Williams (45th minute) to end the first period of play 4-2. The comeback was on as Captain Dane Johnson (62nd minute) and substitute Allista
Williams (84th minute) orchestrated the fightback.
However, with the score locked 4-4, McDonald completed his hat-trick in added time, with an expert finish after being released on goal.
In the second match, Region Three trampled Region One 6-0.
Brathwaite rues ‘bad game’, urges WI to learn from defeat
GUYANA CHRONICLE, Monday, December 12, 2022 Printed and Published by Guyana National Newspapers Limited, Lama Avenue, Bel Air Park, Georgetown. Telephone 226-3243-9 (General); Editorial: 227-5204, 227-5216. Fax:227-5208 | SATURDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2022 SEE PAGE 23
OneGuyanaPresident’sCupfootball officiallykicksoff
The One Guyana President’s Cup is a collaboration between the Government of Guyana, the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) and the Kashif & Shanghai Organisation. Matches continue on Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday at various venues.
President Ali does the ceremonial kick-off to declare the tournament officially open
Region 10 during the official March Past last evening
Some of the action between Regions 9 and 6 during last evening’s opening match (DPI photos)