Guyana Chronicle E-Paper 18-12-2022

President Dr Irfaan Ali met with the Governor of the State of Roraima in Brazil, Antonio Denarium at State House on Friday to discuss deepening relations. High on the agenda were food security and energy. Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha and Foreign Secretary Robert Persaud were also at the meeting. In August, President Ali and the Prime Minister of the Republic of Barbados, Mia Mottley, met with Governor Denarium in Boa Vista. That meeting focused on agriculture,

the strengthening of relations (Office of the President photo)

State House attack…

Presidential guard still in serious condition, attacker on ventilator

PRESIDENTIAL Guard

Telon Perreira, who was brutally stabbed earlier this week during the attack at State House, remains hospitalised in a serious condition, while the police have not yet been able to question the suspect, Bethel Ikena Chimezie, since he also remains hospitalised on a ventilator.

Both are at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), according to an updated report released by the Guyana Police Force (GPF) on Saturday.

According to the police, contact has been made with law enforcement counterparts as it relates to the suspect’s

background and other pertinent information as investigations continue.

The police noted, however, that further information could not be released due to the sensitive nature of this investigation.

It was last Thursday that Chimezie attacked Perreira, stabbing him five times during an attempt to breach the security perimeter at State House.

The incident occurred at approximately 07:30hrs at the south-eastern guard hut adjacent to Carmichael Street.

The situation has left the entire country in shock as to what could have motivated Chimezie to carry out such

a brazen attack at the official residence of the President of Guyana, enough to cause concern for the safety of the First Family.

Thankfully, President Dr. Irfaan Ali and his family were unharmed during the attack.

Chimezie had confronted the State House security, stating: “I want the President,” before drawing a knife from his pants waist and stabbing Perreira. He would subsequently relieve another guard of his firearm and fire several rounds while retreating to Carmichael Street.

The security team returned fire, injuring Chimezie.

The police cordoned off Carmichael Street following the incident at State House

City Hall lacks accountability & transparency

By Tamica Garnett

THE lack of accountability and transparency at the Georgetown Mayor and City Council (MC&CC) makes it impractical for central government to be able to continue to directly hand over money to the municipality.

This is the contention of Vice-President Dr Bharrat Jagdeo, who pointed out that in the past, funds were directly handed over to the M&CC for designated projects, but the money was spent without the identified project being completed.

“They collect all the revenue from the city which runs into billions and spend it on themselves, and we must then take additional taxpayers’ money, give it to them and then they can’t account for it?

“They get a substantial subvention every year. Adequacy is based on their perception. That is why we look at the total spending in the city,” the Vice President asserted on Friday during an interview with some members of the press.

Mayor of Georgetown, Ubraj Narine, has often decried the lack of increased funding for the local government organ from central government, but the Vice-President argued that City Hall has proven that it cannot be trusted to handle the proper disbursement and management of funding

allocated.

“If we handed the money to them to do a single road that we’re doing in the city, they would spend every cent of the money and the road will never be built.

“We’ve had that experience before, where you give them money for a dedicated purpose and at the end of the year, they say we had to use it for something else. They have to buy some vehicles, or they had to buy something else, or somebody make two trips abroad. That is all the money gets spent on, even when it’s earmarked,” the Vice-President contended.

Over the years, City Hall has developed a well-documented reputation for lack of accountability of its own funds, as well as the funds allocated by central government. Issues at the municipality have included lack of financial records, damage to financial documents, lack of contracts being issued for multimillion dollar projects; lack of proper procurement practices and lack of audits.

When audits are conducted, the Office of the Auditor General has often conveyed the difficulties encountered in ensuring proper spending of public funds by City Hall.

In addition to revenues garnered through collection of rates and taxes, the M&CC, like all municipalities across the country, is given an annual subvention. However, though

other townships would get $18 million, City Hall is allotted $30 million.

Additionally, from 2016--2019, City Hall was the beneficiary of an accumulated $1 billion of funding from central government under the Georgetown Restoration Programme (GRP). Auditing of this fund has been a multi-year bugbear for the AG’s office.

Under GRP, City Hall had received incremental disbursements of $300 million in 2015, $200 million in 2016, $ 200 million in 2018, and $300 million in 2019. The funds were disbursed by the now disbanded Ministry of Communities (MoCs) under the former APNU+AFC administration, which was in office from 2015 - 2020.

The money from the

GRP was initially directly handed over to City Hall, but was later handled by the MoCs after multiple reports of mismanagement. Several companies made allegations against City Hall of completing works for projects under this programme and never receiving their full payments, even though all the money under the programme was expended.

From the 2016 allocation, the M&CC could not produce any evidence accounting for some $70.489 million out of the $ 200 million given; prior to that, in the 2015 allocation, there was no evidence of payments totalling $12.816M.

In November 2017, the APNU+AFC Cabinet also gave its approval for a grant of $475.635 million to be disbursed to M&CC

through the MoCs. However from these monies, the Auditor General was unable to verify the completeness, accuracy and validity of amounts totalling $374.545 million. There is also no accountability for a 10-year gap in the financial accounts at City Hall.

As a result, Jagdeo argued that the current administration of the M&CC does not have development as its focal point, but is in fact more preoccupied with the matter of politics.

The Vice-President posited that the mayor in particular is not genuine in his call to reach out and hold meetings with the central government to work in tandem for the betterment of the city, but is instead concerned about addressing personal matters.

“They are not real partners. They are not genuinely concerned about development. It’ s just about a game of politics for them. They come there [to meetings] and at the first sign of pressure, they lie. When have we not been willing to work with

anyone regardless of their political affiliation?” Dr Jagdeo questioned.

“The mayor only want to reach out to fix his problems. It’s often about personal things. That’s what they want to meet the President on.”

The Vice- President urged citizens of Georgetown to hold the M&CC more accountable when they are not satisfied with the performance of the municipality, particularly given the state of the capital city as it pertains to the solid waste and drainage situations.

“If the citizens of Georgetown are so serious about service, then they should come forth to change the party that has run this place as their personal property,” he said.

City Hall is run by a 30-seat Council of which 21 of the seats are held by the People’s National Congress Reform (PNC/R) led by the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU); two seats are held by the Alliance For Change (AFC), and seven by the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C).

Vice-President Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo

Mayor of Georgetown Ubraj Narine

Global coal consumption to reach all-time high this year – IEA

(Reuters) GLOBAL coal consumption is set to rise to an all-time high in 2022 and remain at similar levels in the next few years if stronger efforts are not made to move to a low-carbon economy, a report by the International Energy Agency (IEA) said on Friday

High gas prices following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and consequent disruptions to supply have led some countries to turn to relatively cheaper coal this year.

Heatwaves and droughts in some regions have also driven up electricity demand and reduced hydropower, while nuclear generation has also been very weak, especially in Europe, where France had to shut down

nuclear reactors for maintenance.

The IEA’s annual report on coal forecasts global coal use is set to rise by 1.2% this year, exceeding 8 billion tonnes in a single year for the first time and a previous record set in 2013

It also predicts that coal consumption will remain flat at that level to 2025 as falls in mature markets are offset by continued strong demand in emerging Asian economies.

This means coal will continue to be the global energy system ’s largest single source of carbon dioxide emissions by far The largest increase in coal demand is expected to be in India at 7%, followed

by the European Union at 6% and China at 0.4%.

“The world is close to a peak in fossil fuel use, with coal set to be the first to decline, but we are not there yet,” said Keisuke Sadamori, the IEA’s director of energy markets and security.

Europe’s coal demand has risen due to more switching from gas to coal due to high gas prices and as Russian gas has reduced to a trickle.

However, by 2025 European coal demand is expected to decline below 2022 levels, the report said.

Global coal-fired power generation is set to rise to a new record of around 10.3 terawatt hours this year,

while coal production is forecast to rise by 5.4% to around 8.3 billion tonnes, also an all-time high.

Production is expected to reach a peak next year but by 2025 should fall to below 2022 levels.

The three largest coal producers - China , India and Indonesia - will all hit production records this year but despite high prices and comfortable margins for coal producers, there is no sign of surging investment in export-driven coal projects.

This reflects caution among investors and mining companies about the medium- and longer-term prospects for coal, the report said.

An excavator sift through dunes of low-grade coal near a coal mine in Pingdingshan, Henan province, China REUTERS/Aly Song

Jamaica: CMO puts nation on alert for new COVID subvariants

(Jamaica Gleaner) AS the winter tourist season commences, Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Dr Jacquiline Bisasor-McKenzie has empahsised that Jamaica remains vulnerable to COVID-19

She explained that the Omicron variant continues to mutate, and the subvariants present in the United States will be new to the Jamaican population.

“If we have a lot of persons coming in, then we are going to see the population being exposed to a new subvariant. It means that persons who have been vaccinated still have protection against severe illness. However, for many persons, the vaccine coverage may be waning, and so they need to go and get their boosters,” the CMO said at a press conference on Thursday.

Bisasor-McKenzie said Jamaicans who are yet to receive a single COVID-19 shot remain in a “very precarious situation” and urged them to get vaccinated.

“We do expect that there is going to be an increase in the number of cases,

but the majority of the cases are going to be asymptomatic, especially in vaccinated persons and persons who have had COVID-19 before. But the numbers will go up, but they will remain undetected. For those vulnerable persons, if they are exposed, [that] can result in problems,” Bisasor-McKenzie.

Acting national epidemiologist Dr Ardene Harris said key COVID-19 indicators are low, but the country’s vaccination rate remains a source of concern.

With the administration of 1,505,390 doses up to December 13, about 27.2 per cent of Jamaicans have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, while 30.8 per cent have received at least one dose.

Meanwhile, approximately 530,000 COVID-19 expired vaccines have been discarded since Jamaica began administering COVID-19 jabs in March 2021.

Director of family health services in the Ministry of Health and Wellness, Dr Melody Ennis, said the global standard for wastage ranges from 10 to 30 per cent. She noted that Jamaica falls within this range at just about 11 per cent.

But Bisasor-McKenzie reasoned that the standards apply to routine vaccination, noting that on some occasions, Jamaica received more vaccines than needed.

“We have to consider the COVID-19 situation a little differently … . Even though our requirement may be less, we may be forced in a situation to take the additional vaccines simply to allow the population to have access. The most important thing for us during the COVID-19 pandemic was to ensure that we have vaccines,” the CMO said.

Ennis said that more than 400,000 doses of Pfizer, just under 200,000 doses of Sinopharm, and approximately 70,000 doses of Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines are currently available.

“We do have adequate stock and continue to encourage persons to participate in taking these vaccines,” she said.

Ennis said that Jamaica last received vaccines from the COVAX facility in February and from bilateral partners in April.

“We have received from our partners and have had vaccines in stock and, therefore, we have not been actively trying to acquire vaccines because we certainly want to limit wastage,” she said.

Chief Medical Officer Dr Jacquiline Bisasor McKenzie

Staying the Course

AS Guyanese inch closer to the New Year there are already signs of a growing mood of hope and optimism.

To begin with, Guyanese will have greater spending power thanks to significant increases in wages and salaries to workers in the public sector. These increases are significantly above the current level of inflation, which in effect, meant that there is a higher level of disposable income. Put differently, there is a bigger basket of goods and services as a consequence of such increases.

The inflation rate measures a broad rise or fall in prices that consumers pay for a basket of goods and services. Guyana’s inflation rate for 2022 stands at 5.8 per cent, according to the Bank of Guyana which is below the global average of 8.2 per cent, resulting mainly from increased fuel and commodity prices as a consequence of the war in Ukraine and disruptions to supply chain globally due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Guyana, unlike many countries, was able to mitigate the impact of the rising cost of living through the implementation of several policy interventions which included, but not limited, to a reduction and subsequent removal of the excise tax on imported fuel, cash sup-

plements to vulnerable groups, removal of Value Added Tax (VAT) on a wide range of consumers, subsidies to water and electricity especially for senior citizens. These interventions, when coupled with the salary increases announced by President Ali, have resulted in a much higher level of disposable income to the Guyanese working people.

The salary increases, it should be noted, is not limited to public sector employees. Sugar workers also are the beneficiaries of increases comparable to that of those in the regular public service. The fact that the increases are retroactive to January of this year has further strengthened the purchasing power of the Guyanese people especially at this festive season of the year when there is greater pressure on consumer spending.

This mood of optimism, however, goes beyond the increases in wages and salaries. According to the Bank of Guyana Half Year Report 2022, the Guyana economy continued its growth momentum with real oil GDP growth at 36.4 per cent and non-oil GDP growth of 8.3 per cent.

Oil production of 34.6 million barrels is the main contributor to the former growth, while quarrying, construction,

and agriculture and service sector activities contributed to the former growth. The economy benefitted from government budgeted fiscal spending, removal of all COVID-19 restrictions as well as accommodative monetary policies.

These are indeed laudable developments which auger well for sustained economic growth and development in Guyana.

The same however cannot be said for the wider global economy which is expected to grow by a mere 3.2 per cent due to widespread supply chain disruptions, reduced fiscal space, tighter financial conditions and escalating inflation.

The performance of the Guyana economy for this year is nothing short of stellar thanks to prudent economic and fiscal management by the PPP/C administration. This growth trajectory is most likely to pick up momentum in the coming years as the economy becomes more robust and consolidated. Given this growth and developmental trends, Guyanese have every reason to be optimistic that better days are ahead.

The political opposition apparently is finding it difficult to adjust to these new and changing realities and is seeking to create an alternative narrative which is

at complete odds with current realities. It is trying, unsuccessfully, to create the impression that the working class is not given a fair share of the country’s patrimony, especially in the context of our newly-found petroleum riches.

They complain of ‘bad deals’ with the oil companies, ignoring the fact that such ‘deals’ were entered into by the Granger-led APNU+AFC administration.

And as if those were not enough, it is now seeking to play the ‘race’ card by falsely alleging that Afro-Guyanese are being discriminated against by the current administration.

Nothing can be further from the truth. The proof of the pudding is in the eating and Guyanese today of all ethnicities, political orientation and religious persuasions are the beneficiaries of an expanding national pie. No amount of propaganda by opposition elements will suffice to negate this fact.

President Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali, Vice-President Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo and the entire PPP/C administration must be commended for resolutely staying the course, the destabilising stance of the political opposition notwithstanding.

Ameena Gafoor honoured by UG

I WRITE to congratulate our Founding Member, Ameena Gafoor for receiving an Honorary Doctorate in Letters in recognition of her significant scholarly and philanthropic work.

Ameena was born in Guyana in 1941. Her paternal grandparents were indentured immigrants who hailed from Basti in the UP state of India, arriving in Guyana in 1898. After a five-year indentureship at the Success Plantation in Demerara, they settled down to farming at the backlands at Triumph.

As Ameena wrote: “Each morning they went to their farm in a narrow bateau and each evening they returned with the bateau laden with produce, my grandfather sitting in the stern like a Rajah while my grandmother fixed the fat rope attached to the bow across her right shoulder and walked barefooted on the grassy left bank of the middle walk canal pulling the boat, produce and grandfather with her.”

Her maternal grandmother, the daughter of indentured labourers, was born in Guyana in 1889, and was one of few young girls given a primary school education. She owned a small shop selling washing soap, matches, tomato paste in tiny tins, little squares of Ricketts blueing tablets.

Ameena said she owed her love of learning from her. “At nights she read aloud, by the light of a small “speak easy” lamp, from the

Taleem Islam, about the Hijra and the Battle of Kerbala and recounted to me the lives of the Prophets and many tales from the Arabian oral tradition. What I did not know then was that she infused in me a thirst for books, for knowledge, with a curiosity and an appreciation for storytelling, so that in decades to come, I was drawn to the literary arts.”

Ameena’s mother was also a mysterious fount of knowledge, philosophical and literary.

“My mother also used to spew out quotations from Confucius, Shakespeare and other poets to keep us children in the line of moral rectitude, lines that are indelibly engraved on our minds; to this day I have no idea from where she learnt them. In addition, my mother had the most melodic voice and she constantly sang and hummed such Scottish and Welsh classics as Drink to me only with thine eyes, by yon Bonny Banks, The Lonely Ashgrove, as well as Surahs from the Qu’ran, Munajats and Quaseedas. These sounds seemed to lift our spirits above our poverty.”

Ameena, from such humble beginnings, acquired the Higher Senior Cambridge Certificate and went on to study at the University of West Indies, graduating with BA and MA degrees. Having taught at Central High School (Literature and French) and at Tutorial High School (French and Latin) she went on to a stellar literary career, publishing the first major study of the fiction of Roy Heath (2017) as well as a Bibliography of East Indian Writing

1838—2018 (2018).

Her fictional memoir, Lantern in the Wind, was published in 2020, described as “a rare insight into Muslim life in Guyana…rich in detail, its realism enhanced by her equally rich imagination.” However, it was her role as founder and editor of The Arts Journal which marked her out as an outstanding contributor to Caribbean cultural history. The Arts Journal‘s purpose was to provide “Critical perspectives on contemporary literatures, arts and cultures of Guyana, the Caribbean and their Diasporas.”

Thirteen volumes were published between 2004 and 2018. Not since the pioneering literary Journal, Kyk-Over-Al (1945—1961), edited by the legendary A.J. Seymour, has such a monumental publishing project in the arts been undertaken. Apart from giving a platform to writers and scholars like Michael Gilkes, Frank Birbalsingh, Sister Mary Noel Menezes, Stephanie Correia (a pioneering Amerindian poet and potter), Brinsley Samaroo, Mark Tumbridge, Ryhaan Shah, Charlene Wilkinson and dozens of others, The Arts Journal also showcased the work of artists like Philip Moore, Darshanie Kistama, Bernadette Persaud, Betsy Karim Philbert Gajadhar and many others.

That Ameena almost singlehandedly commissioned and edited articles, reviews and creative work, designed the layout for the volumes, then presided over their publication and distribution, is testimony to her amazing

commitment to the cultural and intellectual development of the region.

Whilst undertaking this work, Ameena was also involved, with her husband Sattaur, in a myriad of charitable activities, the Gafoor Foundation funding a dozen and more medical, educational and sports projects. Her many roles include being Patron of ChildLink Guyana, an NGO that seeks out and counsels abused and neglected adolescents, and Chairman of the Doobay Medical Centre, a non-profit medical clinic that offers Haemodialysis treatment to patients suffering renal failure.

In 2020, the Ameena Gafoor Institute for the Study of Indentureship and its Legacies was established, the only such body in Britain or Europe. Indentureship involved many thousands of freed Africans, many thousands of Chinese and Portuguese, and millions of Indians. The Institute works closely with Cambridge University in establishing posts in Indentureship Studies.

The Cambridge Visiting Fellowships in Indentureship Studies will begin in 2023, the very first such posts anywhere in the world.

Editor Navendra Seoraj

Dear Editor,

Yours sincerely Professor David Dabydeen Hon. Fellow, Selwyn College, Cambridge University

Director, Ameena Gafoor Institute

An abominable architect with a hidden agenda?

Dear Editor,

FOR those who reside abroad and are experiencing the winter season, when it snows, there is a certain magic which enshrines the ambience of peace.

You can experience the unsaturated solitariness and the undisturbed beauty which the atmosphere fuses.

With the snow resting on the trees and sparklingly displayed on the ground, there is a certain metamorphosis which transforms man’s characteristics to unite with the creativity of nature to afford a comfort zone of consolation and solace.

This analogy may be compared to the state of mind Guyanese are entertaining, enjoying and experiencing under the shelter of the President’s umbrella, more so, in their preparation for the upcoming festive season, that is, until the sound of intrusion emerged on Thursday morning around 7:30 hours.

Canon-like shots rang out to quell the quiet of tranquility and to quench the thirst of obscenity, presenting a movie like scenario directed by the hands of obscurity, but, the climax prevented by security. This sensational insanity prevailed to project the vile of a challenging perpetuity which has once again awakened the syndrome of “moe fya, slo fya.”

Why biodiversity is good for our health

THE natural world has gifted humanity with untold health benefits, and it is believed that it harbours many more undiscovered health breakthroughs. However, we risk losing these benefits, if we continue to degrade the environment.

The UN biodiversity conference, COP15, is due to wrap up on 19 December This weekend, we are looking at some of the ways that humanity is reliant on a healthy and thriving global ecosystem.

One million species are now said to be at risk of extinction, and if species losses continue to mount, ecosystem functions vital to human health and life will continue to be disrupted

Ecosystems provide goods and services that sustain all life on this planet, including human life While we know a great deal about how many ecosystems function, they often involve such complexity and are on a scale so vast that humanity would find it impossible to substitute for them, no matter how much money was spent in the process

THE LIVING LABORATORY

The majority of prescribed medicines in industrialized countries are derived from natural compounds produced by animals and plants. Billions of people in the developing world rely primarily on traditional plant-based medicine for primary health care.

Many cures from nature are familiar ; painkillers such as morphine from opium poppies, the antimalarial quinine from the bark from the South American cinchona tree, and the antibiotic penicillin that is produced by microscopic fungi

Microbes discovered in the soil of Rapa Nui (Easter Island) fight heart disease by lowering cholesterol

AZT, one of the first anti-HIV/AIDS drugs, came from a large shallow-water sponge, that lives in the Caribbean, and happens to be the same sponge that yielded antivirals to treat herpes and serves as the source for the first marine-derived

A CRUCIAL RESERVOIR FOR FUTURE CURES

To date, only around 1.9 million species have been identified (and in many cases barely studied). It is believed that there are millions more that are completely unknown.

Everything alive is the result of a complex “living laboratory” that has been conducting its own clinical tests since life began – approximately 3.7 billion years ago This natural pharmaceutical library harbours myriad undiscovered cures, if only we don’t destroy them before they’re recognised

Take the polar bear, now classified as “ threatened ”. As its Arctic habitat melts due to climate change, the world’s largest terrestrial predator has become an icon of the dangers posed by rising global temperatures It might also be an icon for health Polar bears amass huge volumes of fat before hibernating. Despite being fat to a degree that would be life-threatening to humans, they are apparently immune to Type II diabetes They remain immobile for months, yet their bones remain unchanged While dormant they do not urinate, yet their kidneys are undamaged If we understood and could reproduce how bears detoxify waste while hibernating, we might be able to treat - and perhaps even preventthe toxicity from kidney failure in humans

Currently 13 per cent of the global population is clinically obese, and the number of Type II diabetes sufferers is predicted to rise to 700 million by 2045 Over the course of their lifetimes, one in three women over the age of 50, and one in five men will experience osteoporosis-related bone fractures

In the US alone, kidney failure kills more than 82,000 people and costs the US economy $35 million a year. Polar bears have naturally developed ‘ solutions ’ to these problems - Type II diabetes from obesity, osteoporosis from being immobile, and toxicity from kidney failure - all of which cause misery to millions. (UN News)

This ideology perfects the idiosyncrasy which dominates the demeaning anxiety of frenzied insurgents, waiting in a preservation of wounded pride, who nurture the ultimate goal to destabilise the country, rupture a thriving economy, disfigure the government and hurt Guyanese, regardless of affiliation, association or acquaintance.

There is no reservation to accommodate a second thought which implies being used and abused by the devil’s advocacy, because, the draconian blood of evil, flows freely in the vein to emphasise the name of dictatorial leadership and grabbing power at any cost, while empathising with devious directions from an arcade comprising of learned and dedicated planners.

The urgency of an inexplicable explanation hangs on the doorknob of a perceived perpetrator, assailed as a potential presidential assassinator. Answers remain dormant while questions grow by the minute to liven up the tale of the month with a story to sell the sale of the year.

Announcements become more pronounced as the hours tick by, highlighting the actions of a few and the reactions of many, hugging the margin of shock, surprise and being shaken by this abominable news. Support for the safety and security of the President and his family surmises the tone of care and concern most Guyanese share unreservedly and openly.

But then again, are there disguised feelings carefully orchestrated in the veiled sentiments expressed from unrivaled agitators, or, are there concealments decorated in floral words and perfumed language?

This idea is not an estranged thought and does not construe mischief. Its perception is ideally unbiased based on past perpetrators in concert with open violence once defended by loyalists turning the blind eye and ignoring the call of duty.

Guyana thrived on the bumpy road of gross uncertainty, while Guyanese strive in an environment of expecting, experiencing and being exposed to the unthinkable and unimaginable as illustrated and orchestrated from known and unknown quarters on many occasions.

Many true Guyanese are shaken and stirred by this abominable architect who has designed a discourse to discuss and disagree on the contents of a hidden agenda.

But, in the final analysis, common sense will prevail for Guyanese to embrace the love and unity the President has so freely showered throughout the length and breadth of this great country, all year around. Guyanese will not be deterred by this unfortunate mishap.

In fact, this incident will only increase the adoration and admiration of a smiling President with a big heart and broad shoulder whose fame grow with each passing day and gaining popularity with each of his activity.

All are aware of his sincerity and loyalty to serve all Guyanese equally without discrimination.

Guyana and Guyanese are indeed blessed and privileged to have President Dr. Mohammed Irfaan Ali as leader of this nation in these trying and testing times.

Yours respectfully, Jai Lall

anti-cancer drug to be licensed in the US.

Looking at the State House attack from all angles

OVER the past few days, Mayor Ubraj Narine and a group of councillors backed by Opposition Leader Aubrey Norton played a dangerous political game with the people of Georgetown.

Narine accused the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) Administration of discriminating against the Afro-Guyanese because they were not allowing illegal streetside vending to take place in Georgetown during the holiday season.

He went further to accuse President, Dr. Irfaan Ali of being a racist and questioned if he did not want to work with him to resolve the issue that the people had because Narine was a Hindu and Ali a Muslim.

Narine proclaimed his love for the people and declared this love by saying, in essence, that he was prepared for the “struggle.”

Then, the opposition APNU+AFC and Norton saw an opportunity to get themselves involved now publicly to champion the allegation that the PPP Administration was discriminating against Afro-Guyanese.

Norton even had an address to the nation in

which he stated that the government was pushing the people to the brink. He called, among other things, for people to resist the PPP Government.

Later, there was a security breach at State House, during which the perpetrator was shot and caught but not before injuring at least one of the guards who is attached to the State House security detail.

Firstly, every right-minded and law-abiding citizen should strongly condemn the attempts to enter the President’s residence. The safety and security of President Ali should be relooked at, and reassessed because of how the events unfolded.

This is serious and there should be a probe conducted by the Guyana Police Force and security apparatus operating within the Presidential Guard.

Also, the perpetrator should be kept confined from every possible person that could interfere with him until he is well enough to talk to the investigators before he is charged and processed through the courts.

The probe into this chilling incident must not end until the public knows if he acted alone or who is the

intellectual author(s) behind this dastard attempt.

The Police Force must not act rashly as they have done in the past. They must act intelligently, responsibly and calmly.

Secondly, the Mayor has said and done some things in the past that has landed him in the hot water, but he has crossed the line with his allegations of racial discrimination.

The crux of the matter is that those allegations made by Narine are untrue, baseless and in conflict with the facts regarding the standoff between the vendors and the government.

It seems like the mayor is supporting breaking the laws and the city’s bylaws, and knows he is just being opportunistic. He wants, from all appearances, to engage in political sensationalism and is a stranger to the truth.

He knows the position of the government on the subject of illegal vending in not just Georgetown but all across the city all year round. The PPP government has removed illegal vendors from Charity, Lenora, Mon Repos, Anna Regina, New Amsterdam, Corriverton and countless places.

So, this discrimination cry is a political exercise and sham. Narine wants to use the Afro-Guyanese vendors at this time to score some cheap political points. Maybe he is using them to gain political prominence or to add to the opposition campaign of the false “struggle.”

Sadly, his comments and questions about religion are shameful and disgraceful. They are pushing the envelope and deserve no answer from right-thinking Guyanese who are living in Guyana and know that the Head of State’s ethnic, religious and political tolerance has no bounds.

Thirdly, the lawlessness and ignorance shown by

some Afro-Guyanese about real issues are alarming. They are allowing Sherod Duncan, Roysdale Forde, Amanza Desir, Norton and Narine to lead them down a pathway of confrontation in the name of this fake struggle.

Afro- Guyanese must be smart and intelligent to know the wolves in sheep’s clothing. They must recognise the motive of these so-called activists and politicians. They must resist them and resist the call to move to the streets or else they risk being exposed to unkind assumptions and justifications. This is simply not true. It is sad for educated Afro-Guyanese leaders to use their people in such a

way as to paint the fallacy of racial and political discrimination true.

One must see political agitation for what it is and nip it consciously in the bud. Finally, persons need to observe carefully what transpired Friday and the opposition’ s hand in the incident with the vendors.

This is clear for all to see. It is irresponsible and puerile of the opposition to think that Guyanese would not see the opposition’s racial, misogynist and racially divisive statements made over the last few days that could only be described as irresponsible and reckless, especially in light of what transpired on Friday.

Guyana’s gas-to-energy contract signed

EARLIER this week, President, Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali, presided over the signing of the US$759 million contract for the construction of the integrated Natural Gas Liquids (NGL) Plant and the 300-megawatt (MW) combined-cycle gas turbine (CCGT) power plant at Wales, West Bank Demerara, Region Three.

President Ali said that the gas-to-energy (GTE) project will unlock the country’s new energy mix, a significant step forward for a nation that has suffered from energy insecurity in the past.

The GTE project will provide economic opportunities for Guyana and is a transformational initiative being undertaken by the government. President Ali stated at the signing that,

“[This] is the largest project that we would have embarked on as a country and that brings with it its own challenges, but it also gives us an opportunity to build capacity.”

The broader energy masterplan for Guyana is both regional and national in nature, and further solidifies Guyana as an emerging leader in energy production.

According to Vice-President, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo, the government is committed to making sure the GTE project is developed in accordance with the highest international standards, through the assessment, procurement, engineering, tendering, and evaluation stages.

This is a critical call out because bolstering Guyana’s commitment to sustainable oil and gas de-

velopment should be top priority.

Vice- President Jagdeo highlighted in his remarks: “[Given] the importance of this project, its size and its transformative nature, we had to get this right and we believe that with this contractor LINDSAYCA/CH4 combination, that they will deliver on the project.”

The consortium of LINDSAYCA and CH4 will be leading the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) process for the project, which encompasses everything from now up until the plant is finished and operational.

With the GTE project, electricity costs are predicted to fall by more than 50 per cent with additional gas left over for industrial uses and other sectors. Bringing the plant online will be a

crucial part of meeting the rapidly growing demand for electricity as Guyana’s economy develops. Demand in Guyana is expected to triple in the next five years as the economy continues its fast-paced growth.

Gas will provide a vital source of reliable and cleaner energy near-term and help renewables like hydropower and solar in the longterm. Rural households in Guyana will benefit greatly from the development of infrastructure to expand access to electricity.

The government has cited that the project will set a precedent by unlocking more US investments for Guyana, which President Ali deems as a demonstration that Guyana’s investment climate is seen as consistent, predictable, and fair.

According to reports,

the wholesale cost of the electricity produced should be less than five US cents per kilowatt-hour, including the pipeline, operations and maintenance.

The pipeline will transport 50 million standard cubic feet per day of associated gas onshore to be processed, enough to meet power generation and other industrial needs.

Additionally, Vice-President Jagdeo also highlighted at the signing that, “[This] project will allow us to decarbonise the energy sector along with hydro coming soon and solar panels already tendered for to triple installed capacity and cut emissions by 70 per cent.”

Natural gas is used globally in tandem with renewables because it can very quickly come online or of-

fline, meaning it can rapidly fill gaps left by intermittent sources of electricity like solar when needed.

As Guyana’s gas sector matures, the government is making it clear that GTE is an investment in energy independence, lower electricity costs, and diversification away from imported fossil fuels.

If additional gas reserves are discovered, there could also be potential for Guyana to become a significant player in the lucrative global gas trade and secure both domestic supplies while supporting the energy needs of neighbours and allies—another testament to how far Guyana has come as an emerging producer and the key role it will play in the future of the region and globe.

Understanding Energy

Mental health and the world of a paranoid schizophrenic

By Vanessa Cort

ONCE again the topic of mental health has drawn global attention with the death by suicide of Twitch, a feature dancer on the widely watched American Ellen show, named after its host Ellen Degeneres.

This has come ‘on the heels’ of the local tragedy involving the young mother, who murdered her grandmother, and was subsequently diagnosed with postpartum depression (PPD).

And through the words of a cynical, humorous and brutally frank character, I recently gained insight into the world of a paranoid schizophrenic, who was undergoing treatment with an experimental drug.

Knowing my love of reading and my interest in mental health, my granddaughter lent me the novel, “ Words on bathroom walls”, which received wide critical acclaim when it was published five years ago and has since been made into a major motion picture.

In this candid account of a teenage boy’s battle with the illness, writer, Julia Walton, explores the many facets of this debilitating condition with sensitivity and wit.

Indeed the young man, Adam, immediately reveals one of the quirks of the illness by refusing to speak to his therapist, preferring to write down random thoughts and the answers to imagined questions in a journal, which he then gives to the doctor.

However it soon becomes clear that his world is peopled by an array of characters and voices that no one else can see or hear but who seem very real to him, to the extent that he actually names some of them.

This made me immediately think of the people I have seen walking our streets, some of them

clearly homeless, muttering, gesticulating and carrying on running conversations with ‘invisible’ friends, family members or even foes.

The people we often dismiss as ‘mad’ and here again, Adam, in his tongue-in-cheek way, says he prefers the word ‘crazy’ to the term ‘mental illness’, declaring that it has more “dignity”. Something akin to calling a spade, a spade, rather than using some concocted euphemism.

But this comment came from his desire to be ‘seen’ and understood, while poking fun at a society which he feels hides behind terminology that actually conceals fear and distrust.

Significantly, Adam’s ability to articulate and to cope with his illness, while leading a relatively ‘normal’ life, are a result of regular therapy sessions and the medication.

Psycom, a clinician site, talks about the positive and negative stages of schizophrenia – the former being hallucinations and delusions and the latter, which marks the onset of the illness, being social isolation, inability to pay attention and lack of motivation.

According to the site, “The paranoia in paranoid schizophrenia stems from delusions – firmly held beliefs that persist despite evidence to the contrary –and hallucinations – seeing or hearing things others do not.”

In the novel Adam not only named some of the ‘ people’ he saw but described their behaviours. Prior to taking the medi-

cation he was sometimes able to recognise that these characters were not real, but was unable to control his reaction to them. He also felt compelled to respond to the voices even in the presence of other people.

As Psycom explains, “A patient may hear a voice or voices in their own head that they do not recognise as their

own thoughts or internal voice”. These voices can be demeaning or hostile, driving a person to do things they would not do otherwise.

This was certainly true in Adam’s case as while some of his voices seemed to be empathetic others were very critical and disparaging of him telling him he was crazy, not worthy of living and a burden to his family, causing him to sometimes shout out loud or run away.

In addition he still had problems differentiating the real from the imagined, despite the medication, which had begun to lose its efficacy as his body became accustomed to it, and constantly berated himself for not being ‘normal’.

His condition was kept a secret from everyone but the governing body of the school he attended because at a previous school he was ostracized when others

learned of his illness.

The stigma is real. People become fearful of persons with the illness, imagining them capable of all kinds of violent actions, fueled by the voices, or shuns them for what they perceive as ‘weird’ behaviour. And families have a hard time explaining a condition that they themselves do not fully understand.

What the book makes clear, however, is that the illness, while not curable is treatable, particularly when it is diagnosed early and the patient has the support of family and friends.

The Help Guide Organisation confirms, “ Recognising the signs of schizophrenia in yourself or a loved one can be frightening. But with the right treatment and self-help you can manage the disorder and lead a fulfilling life”.

Locals attend meetings in Chile aimed at improving livelihoods of family farmers

IN the presence of 10 ministers and deputy ministers, representatives of 24 countries, and 200 delegates, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), together with MERCOSUR, the Central American Integration System (SICA), government authorities and platforms of family farming organizations, held dialogues on the progress of the plans and policies of the United Nations Decade of Family Farming.

Two farmers from Guyana, Mr. Javed Ishmael of the West Berbice Sheep and Goat Association, and Ms. Cindy Halley of the Central Mahaicony/Perth Village Farmers’ Association attended the event.

According to the FOA, their experience will serve as inputs for national policy dialogues on the importance of family farmers and positioning small-scale producers at the centre of the agri-food systems transformation agenda.

FAO has been supporting the work of smallholders in Guyana through a portfolio of projects to improve the livelihoods of family farmers, and the food and nutrition security of their communities.

The farmers were supported by the FO4ACP Programme, which is being implemented by FAO with funding from the

European Union, International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the Organization of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS). The Programme aims to improve access to services to empower women, rural youth and vulnerable communities by strengthening the organizational capacity of farmers’ groups in areas of entrepreneurship, business and operational development.

The event was held at the FAO Office for Latin America and the Caribbean headquarters in Santiago. Representatives of governments, multilateral bodies, and regional rural organizations committed themselves to developing and implementing public policy agendas aimed at empowering family farmers because of their key role in eradicating hunger and poverty and mitigating the effects of climate change.

Participants highlighted the need to strengthen family farming by increasing investment and budgets to build new rural development governance in Latin America and the Caribbean. Participants also emphasized that it is essential to direct more investments to family farming to combat inequality in the territories and provide society with healthy and nutritious food produced more sustainably.

The events were attended by Mario

Lubetkin, FAO Regional Representative for Latin America and the Caribbean, Ministers from Bolivia, Belize, Chile, Costa Rica, and Panama government representatives from Uruguay, and members of the Executive Secretariat of the Agricultural Council of the Central American Integration System, the Institute for Agricultural Development of Chile, and representatives of the organizations CLOC /Vía Campesina, COPROFAM and the Regional Rural Dialogue Program.

In his speech, the FAO Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative for Latin America and the Caribbean stated, “Between 2019 and 2021 alone, hunger figures increased to more than 13 million people and poverty is projected to reach 201 million people and extreme poverty to reach 82 million

people by 2022.”

Lubetkin added: “collaborative work is required to change this situation, and this must be led by the countries, through their institutions, to advance their priorities.” He also reaffirmed the willingness to “continue working with governments and all actors in the region, civil society, and academia, with our technical capabilities to facilitate initiatives that strengthen the bonds of integration and solidarity. I reiterate: this is your home”.

“We must recognize this meeting as an exceptional opportunity to generate agreements that facilitate dialogue and the design of differentiated policies for family farming and highlight its role in the transformation of agrifood systems,” added Lubetkin.

Two Guyanese farmers, Javed Ishmael and Cindy Halley, attended the meeting in Chile

31 Kokerital residents receive land titles

THIRTY-one persons who were allocated lands at Kokerital Hill in the Mabaruma sub -district of Region One (Barima-Waini) received their Certificates of Title on Saturday after several years of waiting.

The residents were presented with the ownership documents during an outreach at the Mabaruma Learning and Resource Centre led by the Minister of Housing and Water Collin Croal, and a team from the Central Housing & Planning Authority (CH&PA).

Regional Chairman Mr. Brentnol Ashley and Regional Executive Officer Mr. Teka Bissessar were also present at the activity.

Minister Croal stated that the exercise is intended to bring happiness and satisfaction to the residents, so that they can move forward. He also said that it is important for hinterland and riverine communities to receive equal access to the housing opportunities present on the coastland.

Allocations at Kokerital began in 2000, with some 113 persons, primarily

low-income earners, receiving house lots. However, the processing of titles was affected due to land ownership issues, and the area recorded a low-occupancy rate.

In April 2021, Minister Croal promised that the CH&PA would work with the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission (GLSC) on the legal framework to rectify

the issue.

While 20 of the 31 individuals issued tittles are firsttime recipients, 11 persons were re-issued following rectification. Additionally, 21 persons were also able to register for their titles. New applications for house lots and the Steel and Cement Housing Subsidy programme were also processed at the activity.

Overall, Region One has a backlog of over 170 applications. As such, the minister noted that the Ministry of Housing & Water is pursuing land acquisition to address the housing demands of the region.

Moreover, a Regional Housing Officer is expected to be appointed in 2023

non-participation in RoPA consultations

CHAIRMAN of the Private Sector Commission (PSC), Paul Cheong, has said that it was “sad and ironic” that the A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) failed to contribute meaningfully during consultations on the amendments to the Representation of the People Act (RoPA).

Cheong, in an invited comment to the Sunday Chronicle, said that the consultations which lasted for over a year produced much-needed reforms that position Guyana to benefit from transparent and fair electoral processes, going forward.

The APNU+AFC coalition failed to contribute meaningfully to the process despite the bold claims of a “bloated” electoral list, allegations of corruption and fraud, and the continuous claims of concern for Guyana’s democracy and voters’ rights.

The changes to the RoPA were made in order to protect Guyana’ s democracy as well as to eliminate fraud in the voting process, authorities said.

The 63-page Bill, which was first read in the National Assembly in November 2022, was passed on December 6. The major objective of the revisions to the electoral laws were to examine the entire procedure—from registration to the declaration of results—to ensure that each step is transparent and just.

The modified act specifically stipulates that electoral District Number Three will be split into three sub-districts; District Number Four into four, and district Number Six into three.

A Supernumerary Returning Officer, who will carry out the responsibilities of the former returning officer for the entire district, will serve these sub-districts.

As a result, ballots, Statements of Poll, and ballot boxes will be transported to a location overseen by this Supernumerary Officer, who will now oversee the tabulation that a Returning Officer would have conducted under the same conditions.

Due to this, there will now be three exercises for Districts Three and Six, four for District Four, and only one massive tabulation exercise for the entire district.

In addition, election results will be made available to the public in 24 hours for the first time at the upcoming Local Government Elections.

Cheong said numerous stakeholders were consulted on the reforms, including private-sector bodies.

The PSC Chairman said the changes were long overdue, given that many Guyanese had seen the blunders made during the protracted 2020 General and Regional Elections.

According to Cheong, the private sector “fully supports” the reforms and is pleased that there will be repercussions for anyone who attempts to undermine Guyana’s democracy.

“Law, order and democracy are key principles in any good society,” he said.

“Even though a state should not identify itself with its government, an effective government is one of the most essential components of a state.

To put it simple [sic], owing to its actions,[the] Opposition does not want a “better system,” Cheong concluded.

‘ironic,’ ‘sad’

–– PSC Chairman says, expresses full support for reforms

Chairman of the PSC, Paul Cheong

Minister of Housing and Water Collin Croal hands over a Land Title to one of the residents

A section of the gathering at the event

Officials from the CH&PA assist residents

‘We’re fixing your mess’

––

Jagdeo

THE current government’s focus to get the most out of the Production Sharing Agreement (PSA) for the Stabroek Block is a matter of ‘fixing the mess ’ that the previous coalition government left the country in when it signed the deal with ExxonMobil and its co-venturers , Hess and CNOOC.

This was noted by Vice-President Dr Bharrat Jagdeo during a recent Online interview, where he addressed continuous calls by members of the A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) opposition for the renegotiation of the PSA.

The Vice-President described the call for renegotiation as opportu -

blasts APNU+AFC's management of oil sector

nistic, highlighting that the APNU+AFC were the ones who drafted and signed Guyana onto the PSA.

Dr. Jagdeo specifically referenced comments by Leader of the Alliance for Change (AFC) Khemraj Ramjattan, noting that it was his fellow party members, including former Minister of Natural Resources Raphael Trotman, who saddled Guyana with “the lopsided agreement”.

“These are people who are complicit in putting us in this mess; they signed an agreement when we had three billion barrels of proven oil resources. Raphael signed the agreement despite advice. The terms that we call lopsided are part of that agreement ,” Dr. Jagdeo

said, adding:

“Ramjattan suddenly wants to change his agreement; this is Trotman, the former General Secretary

of his party who signed it. And on the agreement, it has the law offices of one of his other members of his party on it; now they

want to change it. They could have taken a position at the beginning of this agreement…”

Guyana signed a PSA with ExxonMobil and its partners in 2016 for the production of oil in the Stabroek Block, during the APNU+AFC’s time in government from 2016 - 2020.

Under the PSA, Guyana will be receiving, at a minimum, two per cent royalty on all oil produced in the block, plus 12.5 per cent profit oil. As the capital and operating costs are liquidated, Guyana’s share of profit oil will increase, rising up to a 52 per cent return on every barrel of oil sold

However, Guyanese have continually contended that the country did not receive a fair agreement.

According to Dr. Jagdeo, while the current government has maintained that it will not be renegotiating the contract, it continues to try to get the best deal through other means.

“We’re trying to fix a mess now by local- content legislation, which they never passed. They had all the years,” Dr. Jagdeo said.

Moreover, the government has also created new fiscal terms for future PSAs , ensuring that no future deals are lopsided.

Under the new fiscal terms, future companies exploring for oil and gas offshore Guyana will be subject to 50 per cent profit sharing, in addition to a royalty rate of 10 per cent, and corporate tax of 10 per cent among other things.

Vice-President Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo

A tree was uprooted along the avenue of Main Street, Georgetown following continuous heavy rainfall Friday night (Elvin Croker photos)

CANU seizes shotgun, $7M in cannabis in Berbice

–– two suspects escape into the cane field

THE Customs Anti-Narcotic Unit (CANU) seized $7M in cannabis, and a single-barrel 12-gauge shotgun and 12 live matching cartridges while trying to arrest two men fleeing from a speedboat on Friday in the backlands of the Skeldon Estate, in Region

Six.

According to CANU, while ranks were conducting an operation in Berbice, they noticed two men fleeing from a speed boat heading for a neighbouring cane field.

A subsequent search of the boat and surrounding

area led to the discovery of five parcels containing a quantity of suspected cannabis and the shotgun with live matching cartridges.

Officers checked around the area to identify and apprehend the individuals involved, but came up empty-handed.

The suspected narcotics and shotgun were escorted to CANU’s Skeldon Office, in Corentyne, where the drugs tested positive for cannabis.

It weighed 57.2 kg, with a street value of approximately $7 million.

Investigations are ongoing.

The speedboat that was intercepted on Friday by CANU ranks in Skeldon

The a single-barrel 12-gauge shotgun and the cannabis seized by CANU ranks

Woman praises BIT for helping to improve her skills

WITH the fascination and process involved in creating breathtaking clothing designs, Anita Ganpat got certified through the Board of Industrial Training (BIT) in Garment Construction.

She was able to do so earlier this year thanks to Sherry’s Dressmaking and Fabric Design through the Board of Industrial Training (BIT).

However, her designing adventure began many years ago at a private institution, where she remained to fine-tune her abilities and capacities after graduation.

Nonetheless, Ms Ganpat’s drive to improve her design and technique skills rose tremendously, prompting her to investigate other educational schools.

Her search led her to learn about BIT’s free training programmes, in which she immediately enrolled.

Ms Ganpat told BIT officials that her decision was the best she could have made because it allowed her to learn new techniques, abilities, and designs.

The ecstatic designer added that the knowledge and skills she gained during the programme gave her the confidence and courage to take the next step toward becoming a business owner.

Since starting her business, Ms Ganpat has created beautiful, well-tailored wedding gowns, Indian wear, birthday dresses, and other dress wear for many satisfied customers.

She expressed her thanks to BIT for taking her on such an incredible trip to enhance her skills, and she hoped others would take advantage of BIT’s diverse range of programmes to achieve similar results.

Anita Ganpat

Mohamed’s Enterprise donates almost $2M to NGOs

IN keeping with over a decade-long tradition, the proprietor of Mohamed’s Enterprise, Nazar Mohamed, donated almost two million dollars to 15 non-governmental organisations (NGOs), orphanages and special needs foundations.

Mohamed explained to the representatives of the various organisations that giving back to the less fortunate is something that he and his family take pride in doing.

Speaking with the Sunday Chronicle, the proprietor noted that initiatives such as these are part of the long-term plans on the company’s agenda.

“Charity extends beyond borders; we have done a lot of work in Guyana, but 95 per cent of our charity has been very private. I am a devout Muslim and Allah says in the Quran that whatever you give with your right hand, your

left hand shouldn’t know. That does not mean you cannot give charity in public; it just means that if you should give publicly, let it be in an effort to encourage others to do it,” said Nazar.

The 15 beneficiaries are: the Shaheed Boys and Girls Orphanage; the Ptolemy Reid Rehabilitation Centre; Joshua’s House Children Centre; the Guyana Society for The Blind; Bait-Ur-Rahmah; the St. Ann’s Orphanage; the St. John Bosco Orphanage; the Guyana Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals; the Dharm Shala; the Guyana Islamic Trust (Relief Organisation); the Gifted Hands Learning Centre for Special Needs; the St. Barnabas Special School; the David Rose Special School; M.E.T. Pride Academy and the Diamond Special Needs School.

Nazar Mohamed (centre) donated almost $2M to 15 NGOs

P&P Insurance Brokers donates

$1.8M to 12 organisations

P&P Insurance Brokers Limited, on Thursday last, made its annual Christmas donations to 12 organisations. The company has been making donations to several organisations over the past 16 years to assist them in their humanitarian relief work.

In brief remarks, Executive Director of P&P, Mr. Vikash Panday, said that when the idea was conceived about 16 years ago, it was with 10 organisations at $100,000 per organisation making it a $1,000,000 donation.

A few years ago, the number of organisations was increased to 12 with each receiving $125,000, thus making the total $1,500,000.

“This year we are increasing the donation

to each organisation to $150,000 making the total, $1,800,000,” a press release from the entity noted.

In addition to the increase in the value of the donations, P&P made donations of personal hygiene items to each organisation.

As a further addition, the staff of P&P joined in and out of their own funds, they made donations of toys to each orphanage. Mr. Panday said he was very pleased that the staff on their own initiative joined in on the program of reaching out to the community.

Mr. Panday took the opportunity to commend the organisations for the work they do and to wish all of them the very best for the holiday season.

In response, representatives of the various organisations thanked Mr. Panday and P&P Insurance for their continued generosity and support over the years and reciprocated Mr. Panday’s good wishes for the holiday season.

The organisations that have benefitted from the donations are: Bless the Children Home; Canaan Children Home; Ptolemy Reid Rehab Centre; Uncle Eddie’s Home; Friends of the Archer’s Home; The Dharam Shala; St. Ann’s Orphanage; Cheshire Homes Guyana; Hauraruni Girls Home; Tina Insanally Foundation; Bal Nivas Shelter and Joshua House Children Centre.

The son of a woodcutter is now one of Guyana’s renowned philanthropists

By Cindy Parkinson

BORN to parents Mohamed Yusuf and Mariam in the village of Johanna Cecelia on the Essequibo Coast, the life of Nazar Mohamed, 69, could easily be confused with something out of a fairytale, but that wasn’t always the case for the proprietor of Mohamed’s Enterprise.

In an exclusive interview with the Sunday Chronicle, the renowned philanthropist explained what it was like to grow up from humble beginnings in a home that had limited means, but they were always a content family.

Sitting in his pristine and comfortable office at Lombard Street in Georgetown, Mohamed recalled the emotions he felt as a young boy looking at his father working tirelessly as a woodcutter; he prayed for them to have a better life, one that doesn’t involve his parents doing much laborious work.

“My father was a woodcutter and we were very poor people; as I took his lunch, I looked at him as he worked and asked myself,

‘when will we be out of this bondage?”’

Even though life was challenging for them, he learned to appreciate the value of contentment and charitable work from his mother, who didn’t have any material possessions to give to others at the time but found a way to give back by doing the laundry of the patients at the hospital.

“I remembered my mom going to the hospital, collecting the clothes of the patients who were dirty and had surgeries and taking them home. She washed and pressed it with the hand-held iron that she had to put on the coal for it to get heated, folded the pieces neatly and took it back to the hospital for them to reuse it. That was a part of her charity because she hadn’t any money to give to help anyone.”

“If anyone visited us, my father would ensure that he gave them whatever he had, even though he hadn’t much and my mother would give up her bed for families or anyone who was visiting to sleep on; she preferred for them to be comfortable. I’ve

seen this all my life with my parents and I prayed and hoped that Allah would take us out of this situation and he did.”

“I had 30 years of a hard life in poverty and 40 years of a good life and it was given to me by Allah and not from my personal effort.”

Mohamed’s simplicity is very much felt through his kind gestures towards others. He graciously shared that he has contributed to building many schools; sponsoring a lot of children and helping people further their university education in Guyana.

He has also built a school and many water wells on the continent of Africa.

According to Mohamed, he looks at “different issues and different things” and try to find a way in which he can make a contribution. Mohamed hasn’t forgotten where he came from and the values that were instilled in him by his parents.

He is now a proud father who has imparted the same values to his children so that they can continue to help the less fortunate.

Referring to his son Azruddin Mohamed and his daughters, the proud father said, “My son is a good kid and he, as well as my daughters, are very charitable people. My little daughter is studying in Scotland and she has formed her own foundation.

“She pushed me to establish a building that I am almost at the point of completing and that is where she will set up her Precious

Angels Foundation. She will be dealing with handicapped children, children with autism, red syndrome and other ailments, as well as assisting persons who cannot afford testing for their basic needs.”

The successful businessman emphasised that he and his extended family are “generous people.”

During the interview, he paid homage to his grandfather (his father’s father),

who came from India. He related that his grandfather was a very charitable man who established a masjid in the village of Johanna Cecilia.

“After he was out of indentureship, he built a mosque with a huge verandah around it so that he could have accommodated the people that were traveling from Charity to catch the boat to Parika; he wanted them to rest before they traveled,” said Mohamed.

In keeping with what genuinely makes Mohamed happy—giving back to others—last Friday, he and his family did their annual donation drive, where they gave almost two million dollars to 15 non-profit organisations (NGOs), orphanages and special needs foundations.

The proprietor is also a Cambio dealer among other business titles, but more importantly, he is now the king of his own castle and remains true and humble to his roots. He gave Allah, his God, full credit for what he had bestowed upon him.

Recipients flanked by Mr. Vikash Panday and Ms. Jaya Panday

Proprietor of Mohamed’s Enterprise, Nazar Mohamed

Vending along New Market Street a ‘crisis’ that warranted immediate intervention

So, it’s not just the PPP/C Government that has concerns.

“As a vendor, you cannot do it to bring discomfort to people, or to prevent some vital functions of the places you’re vending in. You have to do it in a responsible manner,” the vice president explained.

PPP/C Administration does not discriminate in its efforts to foster development.

VICE President Dr Bharrat Jagdeo has restated the government’s commitment to supporting vendors plying their trade, but this must be done in a responsible and legal manner.

The vice president, who was speaking on

a programme Friday, said the caravans and stalls owned by vendors illegally plying their trade along New Market Street, opposite the Georgetown Public Hospital, pose a threat to the patients of the hospital.

Moreover, they cre-

ate traffic congestion and make it difficult to keep the hospital’s environs clean. He said the situation is a ‘crisis’ that warrants immediate interventions.

“Every CEO of the hospital has written the City Council about this problem, since 2015.

Meanwhile, he vehemently condemned and lambasted Georgetown Mayor, Ubraj Narine, for his insensitive and vile commentary against President, Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali.

The mayor’s accusations were made during his efforts to thwart the removal of the caravans and stalls along New Market Street.

The vice president dubbed Narine’s statement as “utter nonsense”, noting that the

“The PPP/C party is grounded in change for the better, and development for all people. Religion does not factor into our decision making when we talk about progress,” Dr Jagdeo stated.

The VP also addressed the mayor’s contention that the removal of the vendors along New Market Street is a decision solely under the jurisdiction of the Mayor and City Council and not the government.

To this end, he pointed out that the inaction and outright neglect from the Mayor and City Council has created the need for government’s intervention.

He said, “The responsibility for roads, drainage and garbage collection are that of the city. A whole range of these responsibilities that are those of the city have been taken over and funded to the tune of billions of dollars by the central government. The investments we have made in the city of Georgetown are unprecedented.”

Additionally, he stressed that the citizens of Georgetown have the opportunity to exact change with the approaching Local Government Elections.

“If the citizens of Georgetown are so serious about service, then they should vote to change the party that has run this place as their property,” he urged. (DPI)

Construction of houses damaged by landslide in Linden to start soon

EFFORTS are underway to rebuild some houses that were severely affected by a landslide that occurred over two weeks ago at Poker Street in Wismar, Linden Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Upper Berbice).

The incident was caused by a private contractor doing some excavation works in the area. The contractor was identified as Symon Harry, the owner of a lumber yard.

Harry told this newspaper that he spoke with the Prime Min -

ister, Brigadier (ret’d) Mark Phillips and other officials within the region and it was decided that he would rebuild the houses of the residents.

“These neighbours and I are very close; I will not see them being left on the sidelines and don’t do anything to help. People only visited the area, but no one offered help except the Prime Minister.

“He [Prime Minister] said that he will help me with some cement, steel, stones and zinc sheets when I am ready to build,” said

Harry.

Harry explained that the task of clearing the debris from the site was “tremendous” but it has been completed. He noted that he is currently awaiting an estimate as well as good weather to commence construction of the houses.

“These houses are houses that I born and reached; you cannot touch these houses and try to repair a part; they are too old. So, I will have to rebuild them from scratch.”

According to Harry, the residents who are directly affected are

elders and pensioners he knows and even though some of them are currently staying at the home of relatives, he has taken on the responsibility of having the three women (pensioners) live by him until he is finished with rebuilding their houses

Harry said he welcomes any assistance from the general public in getting the project done in a fast and timely manner.

“I am willing to accept any help that I can get from any entities to get this done.”

The Linden businessman has committed to rebuilding the houses that were damaged during the landslide

Vendors illegally plying their trade along New Market Street

(Photo: News Room)

GTT’s Business Solutions awarded Large Business of the Year

GTT’s Business Solutions has been awarded the Large Business of The Year for 2022 by the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI).

President, Dr. Irfan Ali, presented the award to Chief Operations Officer (COO) of Business Solutions, Orson Ferguson, on December 15, during the chamber’s 133rd Annual Awards Presentation and Gala Dinner at the Marriott Hotel.

The company received the award for demonstrating good overall performance in the area of financial growth, customer satisfaction, internal process improvement, employee relations & development and good corporate citizenship.

The President congratulated all private sector awardees and said that his government is focused on building an economy that is functional, com-

petitive and relevant in a world environment.

“We have to do so in an accelerated manner…you will see that we have the capability, the capacity, the mental power, the vision, the policy and the clarity and purpose to achieve what we are setting for ourselves 2030 and beyond.”

Ferguson said that GTT is humbled by the award and will continue to engage private sector organisations and the government to advance numerous national causes as well it delivers on its promises to reliably connect customers, strengthen communities and innovate for all in the country.

“2022 was a good year for the Business Solutions division and I’m extremely proud to have led this group of dedicated professionals who show up daily to serve our business customers…our customer satisfaction scores for large busi-

nesses are constantly in the 90’s…we have also engaged with BSO’s like the GCCI, GMSA and the PSC all year to give local businesses a platform to showcase their products and services”.

This year, GTT’s Business Solutions launched two breakthrough products, by introducing conneX which specifically provides small and medium sized businesses with the convenience of up to 600mbps high-speed fibre service and voice options including up to 6,000 minutes month which includes calls to the US and Canada at no additional charge, and the convenience of having it all on one bill.

The company also recently released several new bundles of unlimited mobile postpaid plans (Prime, Premium and Elite) that includes free roaming in the USA, Latin America, and the Car-

ibbean on its 4G LTE network.

“In 2023, we have even bigger things in store for our business customers. Starting January 1st, we will implement a two-day installation guarantee on our conneX solu -

tion. This means we will have your service up and running in no more than two days or your installation and first month service will be on us,” Ferguson added.

Throughout the year GTT has also

sponsored many initiatives to strengthen small businesses, including GCCI’s Small Business Week, which provided a platform for small businesses to showcase their products and services.

Removal of residency requirement makes law consistent with Constitution – VP

VICE President, Dr Bharrat Jagdeo has shut down the Alliance For Change’s (AFC) argument that the removal of the residency requirement from the Representation of the People Act (ROPA) and the National Registration Act (NRA), is a major blow to democracy.

Responding to the statement during a programme on Friday, the vice president said the AFC’s claim, as made by its leader, Khemraj Ramjattan, “is a pure clown

show that will rival any circus in the world.”

“This has been in the public domain for almost eight months …the explanation is when the Constitution removed that in 2001, the law is inconsistent with the Constitution of Guyana so now that we have a ruling from the Chief Justice, the law has to be consistent, an ordinary law with the supreme law of the country – the Constitution of Guyana,” the VP explained.

Recognising the dis-

astrous events immediately following the March 2, 2020 general and regional elections, the PPP/C Administration championed amendments to the ROPA. These amendments are to prevent further abuse of the electoral system and promote transparency.

It also seeks to enhance, modernise and reform the democratic quality of the country and make the electoral machinery and the registration process more transparent, accountable

and effective.

Government had said, the 2020 elections brought to light, that the way the legislation was designed, it was subject to abuse.

Amendments were made to the National Registration Act, Cap. 19:08, which seek to strengthen and clarify the concept of a continuous registration system which is provided for by law.

Fixed periods for voter registration, regular removal of deceased persons from the official

list of electors, and cyclic issuance of national identification cards are among the significant amendments the Act.

The amendments to the NRA go hand-inhand with amendments to the ROPA and complete the cycle of amendments being made to the electoral system.

The attorney general had said the bill, like ROPA, contains a number of necessary amendments, which bring clarity to ambiguous sections of the law. Under the

amended act, references to residency and houseto-house registration are removed.

Instead, the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) will be responsible for the establishment of offices in registration districts, at which registration officers will receive registration applications of eligible persons with addresses in that district. In addition, the bills were subject to several rounds of public consultations. (DPI)

President, Dr. Irfan Ali presents the award to Chief Operations Officer (COO) of Business Solutions, Orson Ferguson

Patel helps India inch closer to win

(ESPNCRICINFO)Axar Patel helped India inch closer towards clinching the first Test in Chattogram, striking twice with the second new ball on the fourth evening to get rid of Mushfiqur Rahim and Nurul Hasan in the space of six deliveries. Debutant Zakir Hasan, who led Bangladesh's defiance on the day, had fallen for a fighting 100 prior to that, when he inside-edged on to his pad - the ball popped up to Virat Kohli at slip, with R. Ashwin finally adding to his wickets' column.

Shakib Al Hasan pro-

vided entertainment late in the day to end unbeaten on 40, having swung his bat to loft, swipe and slash the spinners, but by stumps Bangladesh still needed 241 while India needed four wickets.

The evening session had begun with Bangladesh three down, and Zakir and Mushfiqur at the crease. The left-right combination didn't mind attacking the spinners, piling up 31 runs - including four fours and a six - off the first seven overs after resumption, with Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav and Axar in operation.

That phase featured a confident straight loft by Zakir to dispatch Kuldeep for six, and a sweep behind the wicket off Axar to get to his century off 219 balls. His patience, concentration and application on a pitch with turn and bounce - and against a highly skilful attack in his very first Test - stood out.

India kept attacking with a bunch of close-

in fielders surrounding the batters each time the spinners bowled. In the 80th over, they were a tad unlucky as Shakib was hit in front by Axar and India lost their review, with replays showing a faint inside edge. To add to that, Shakib deposited Axar for four and six off the next two balls.

The new ball wasn't taken until the 85th over and right away the fresh, hard ball started playing tricks. Mushfiqur was rapped on the glove when Axar got some extra bounce from a full delivery, which brought the physio onto the park.

The next over, India changed up the pace, bringing on Umesh Yadav, and again Bangladesh had a touch of luck go their way. Pant dropped Mushfiqur second ball, when an outside edge flew to his right. Five balls later, Axar turned one past his outside edge to leave the stumps splattered and India finally had their wicket.

New batter Nurul edged the first ball he faced for three, but two deliveries later was stumped by Pant, pushing at a ball turning past his outside edge. Now, India smelled victory.

But Shakib and Mehidy Hasan Miraz batted out the next 14 overs to see out the day, add 34 runs and frustrate India. They'd had their fair share of frustration earlier in the day, as well.

Najmul Hossain Shanto and Zakir had added 124 - Bangladesh's first century opening stand in Tests against India - to start the improbable chase of 513, as the visiting bowlers looked clueless on a pitch that seemed to have eased up a bit on the fourth morning.

Shanto, who already had two first-ball ducks in three innings against India on this tour, made a solid 67, before Umesh had him caught behind by Pant, who grabbed the chance on the relay after Kohli at first slip had failed to

latch on.

Yasir Ali came in at No.3, and Axar got his first wicket soon after when he darted in a good-length ball from around the wicket, pitched it on middle and off, and turned it away to crash into off stump. The quick strikes meant there was some repair work to be done, but Litton Das gave it away; looking to keep the scoreboard ticking along but tied down by Kuldeep's tight lines, he lofted and was caught by a deep-ish mid-on.

Despite all that, nothing seemed to disturb Zakir, who kept grinding and grafting until Ashwin struck for the first time in the match. After a wicket-less first session, India hit back three times in the afternoon and then got closer to a 1-0 lead in the evening.

Bangladesh take with them the positives of Zakir's calmness under pressure and Shanto's return to form from the fourth day's play.

South Africa vs Australia 1st Test …

Head; Smith put Australia back in control

(ESPNCRICINFO) - Australia have almost edged ahead in the first Test against South Africa after a 15-wicket opening day at the Gabba. On a green pitch, South Africa were bowled out for under 200 in a fifth successive Test, in two sessions. Only two batters scored more than ten runs and there was only one partnership worth more than 15.

In response, Australia were shaky at 27 for 3 before a 117-run fourth-wicket stand between Steven Smith and Travis Head put them within sight of the lead. Two late wickets allowed South Africa to claw back but they still face the prospect of conceding a significant lead.

The end-of-day scoreboard was a more accurate reflection of the difference between the two sides than the current World Test Championship table. While Australia's performance, especially in the field, underlined their authority at the top of the table, South Africa's batting belied their second place and revealed a familiar set of concerns in their line-up.

Only Dean Elgar and Temba Bavuma have previous Test experience in Australia and neither has scored a century in this cycle of the WTC. Two others, Sarel Erwee and Kyle Verreynne, have hundreds in this edition of the WTC but the overall lack of confidence and application is glaring even against an Australia attack that was not at its best.

Australia's opening bowlers were wayward upfront, often bowling too short and

unable to maintain a consistent line, but they still got rewards. Mitchell Starc strangled Elgar down the legside with a 140kph rib-high delivery before Pat Cummins forced Rassie van der Dussen to play a delivery in the channel and got him to nick off.

But it was Scott Boland, who really rocked South Africa. He had Erwee caught low down by Cameron Green in the gully and in the same over had Khaya Zondo lbw to a delivery that hit him

on the back pad. Zondo reviewed but was out on umpire's call. South Africa were reduced to 27 for 4 with the last of the specialist batters at the crease.

All eyes turned to Bavuma, who has not batted in a competitive game since the T20 World Cup, and Verreynne. The two were frenetic at first and offered two run-out chances but ended up being the ones who lent the innings some respectability. Their 98-run stand was built on Verreynne's aggression against the short ball and Bavuma's patience.

But that ended when Starc returned for a third spell and Bavuma inside-edged a delivery that moved off the seam on to his stumps. Verreynne had brought up his fifty by then but no-one in the lower order hung around long enough to support him.

South Africa went on to lose five wickets for 20 runs in 52 balls, including three to Nathan Lyon. He removed Marco Jansen, who stepped out to hit him over longon but top-edged to a running Green, Verreynne, who played for turn and edged

a straight one behind, and Anrich Nortje, who was done for bounce and lobbed the ball to silly mid-off. In-between, Starc picked up his 299th Test wicket when he set Keshav Maharaj up with a bouncer and then had him caught at slip off a full ball.

As has so often been the case in the last two years, South Africa's bowlers kept them in the contest with statement opening spells. Kagiso Rabada started with a snorter of a short ball to David Warner, who jumped to ride the bounce and was caught one-handed by a leaping Zondo at short leg. Lungi Ngidi struggled for rhythm but Jansen also struck with his first ball and had Marnus Labuschagne stuck in the crease and caught at second slip. In the next over, Nortje's first, Usman Khawaja was caught on the back foot and edged to Simon Harmer, substituting at third slip.

Australia were exactly where South Africa had been and could have sunk into a similar collapse when Nortje thought he had Head for two. He nicked a back-of-a-length ball to second slip, where El-

gar was unsure he had picked it up cleanly. A soft signal of not out was confirmed by the third umpire's office, where replays showed the ball bounced before reaching Elgar.

The momentum shifted from that point as Head returned to his natural fast-scoring game and raced to a 48-ball fifty. He was particularly severe on Ngidi and took 14 runs off his fifth over, including a flick over deep square that went for six and brought up his half-century. Smith was more circumspect and regularly practised his stance at both ends but provided steady support before he was bowled by Nortje with less than five minutes to the close.

Boland was sent in as night-watcher and lasted only four deliveries before he edged Rabada to Verreynne, and the late incisions kept the tension in the contest at the end of a highly entertaining day. A record 29 306 people were at the Gabba, the biggest first-day crowd for a non-Ashes Test at the venue.

Leach, Ahmed limit Pakistan to 304

(ESPNCRICINFO) - Pakistan's batters sowed the seeds of their own demise on the first day of the dead-rubber third Test in Karachi, as England bowled them out for 304 on a dry, benign National Stadium pitch after being asked to bowl first.

Babar Azam and Salman Ali Agha both made half-centuries but Pakistan threw three wickets away cheaply. Mohammad Rizwan was the first culprit, heaving Joe Root straight to deep midwicket before tea. In the evening session, Babar was run-out while scampering through for a single; Nauman Ali, the leftarm spinner, top-edged a slog-sweep to mid-off; and Salman, the last recognised batter, was stumped while charging down the pitch, to Jack Leach.

As Leach mopped up the tail to finish with 4 for 140,

Pakistan were bowled out for 304. Despite losing Zak Crawley for a duck, England were clearly the happier side overnight, given the lifelessness of the pitch. There was just enough on offer for their spinners to suggest that batting last may prove to be a challenge, but the only balls that misbehaved were ones that died from short of a length.

Rehan Ahmed, Leicestershire's leg-spinning all-rounder, became the youngest man to play Test cricket for England at 18 years and 126 days old and struck twice on debut, having Saud Shakeel caught at short leg and trapping Faheem Ashraf lbw. After a nervy start before lunch, he found his length in the second session and finished the day with 2 for 89 in 22 overs.

Ahmed, presented his cap by Nasser Hussain while

standing next to his father Naeem in England's huddle, bowled five wicket-less overs for 37 runs in the morning session, struggling to find a good length as Babar and the recalled Azhar Ali batted positively against him. But after lunch, he found his groove.

Beaten by his previous ball, a sharply-spun googly that turned past the outside edge, Shakeel prodded forward and inside-edged a legbreak into his pad. The ball ballooned up to forward short leg where Ollie Pope - back in the field as Ben Foakes returned to the England side - flung himself forward to take an excellent one-handed catch.

And in the evening session, Ahmed made Faheem his second Test victim. His googly, which he used extensively throughout the day, straightened enough to beat the left-hander on the outside

edge from around the wicket, hitting him low on the back thigh pad. He became the first England leg-spinner to take two wickets in his first innings as a Test cricketer since Ian Salisbury, also against Pakistan at Lord's 30 years ago.

England's spinners bowled 56 of the 79 overs and Ben Stokes wasted no time getting Leach into the game. He became the first England spinner to share the new ball in the very first innings of a Test since Jack White in 1921 and struck early on, trapping Abdullah Shafique on the front pad with a ball that skidded through.

Shan Masood, playing his first Test match since January 2021 after two seasons of prolific all-format run-making in domestic cricket, was positive early on, using his feet and twice hitting boundaries down the

ground for four in Leach's first over, but fell for a 37ball 30, having earlier survived a close lbw shout on

to the crease, who played positively alongside Azhar, brought back into the side at No.3 in the final Test of

review while reverse-sweeping. He was sucked in by a short-ball plan, as Mark Wood slammed the ball into the pitch at 90mph/145kph which he miscued down to Leach at long leg via the back of the bat.

That brought Babar

his career. He was one of four men to come into the side along with Masood, Nauman and debutant Mohammad Wasim, with Mohammad Nawaz, Zahid Mahmood, Mohammad Ali and the injured Imam-ulHaq giving way.

Travis Head, unbeaten on 78 at the end of the first day, is key to Australia taking a significant lead (Cricket Australia via Getty Images)

Rehan Ahmed dismisses Saud Shakeel for his first Test wicket (Getty Images)

Guyana President’s Cup

Region Nine surge to second win

THE One Guyana President’s Cup football tournament resumed on Friday night at the National Track & Field Centre, Leonora, for match night three in the second leg of this presti-

gious competition featuring teams from Region One to Ten matching skills for a prize purse exceeding $30M.

The opening match promised to be a mouth -

watering contest between Region Three -who won their first match 6-0 - and Region Two. However, the match was called off after 11 minutes of play due to a water-logged outfield that

prevented the ball from moving along the pitch. But, that game will resume at the 11th minute on Tuesday, December 20.

Meanwhile, in the feature game of the night, Region Nine registered their second win in as many matches to give themselves a very good chance of coming out of Group A. which also has Region Four who recorded a 7-1 win over Region Seven on Wednesday.

The match finished 3-0 and on the scoresheet for the winners were Brandon Parks (33rd minute), Von Harding (36th minute) and Quason Gillette in the (48th minute).

The tournament continues today with Region Four up against Region Eight from 20:30hrs, followed by

Region Two and Region Ten from 18:00hrs at the National Track and Field Facility.

Admission to tonight’s matches will be $1 000 for adults while children will enter free of charge. The

One Guyana President’s Cup football tournament is collaboration among the Government of Guyana, the Guyana Football Federation and the Kashif & Shanghai Organisation.

Goodwill U-13 Series

Ramtahal ends impressive series as T&T win 3-1

By Sean Devers

THE fourth and final match of the Goodwill U-13 culminated under lights at the Guyana National Stadium at Providence yesterday with T&T winning by eight runs to snatch the series 3-1.

At one stage it looked like there would be a total washout after rain poured all of Friday night and half of yesterday but fantastic work by the ground staff ensured there was play.

The game, which Guyana needed to win to level the series, eventually commenced at 15:00hrs and

was reduced to 30 overs per side.

Trinidad & Tobago batted on a good track in overcast conditions and were bowled out for 78 with only Mikeel Ali who scored 14 and skipper Zakariyya Mohammed with 12 getting into double figures.

Guyana captain, leftarm spinner Brandon Henry took 4-9 and was supported by Kush Seegobin (2-9) and Raffel McKenzie 2-25.

The home team, who replied with 68 all out in 26 overs saw Rayaz Latiff make 14, Seegobin 11 and Nathaniel Ramsammy

unbeaten on 12 being the only batters to reach double figures.

Tyler Ramroop, Shaan Ramtahal and Raed AliKhan had two wickets each.

Guyana, batting under lights, were quickly 2-2 as Lomar Seecharran edged the lively Aaden Owen to the keeper before the impressive Ramroop had Albion’s Mohammed Ballie caught behind for a duck.

Ravid Fredericks, who got off the mark with a boundary and followed it up with a flowing cover drive, was run-out at 21-3 while Seegobin, who was looking good, was run-out

for 11 without addition to the score.

The 12-year-old Richard Ramdehol (1) was bowled by Ramroop at 35-5 before Henry (3) provided off-spinner Ramtahal, who has the only five-wicket haul in the series, with his 12th wicket (of the tournament) to leave Guyana on 41-6.

The skipper took his third catch behind the stumps.

Latiff and Arif Marimutoo carried the score to 48 before Ramtahal removed the latter to extend his wicket tally before Latiff (14) fell to Ali-Khan.

One

Heavy rain and a waterlogged pitch caused the first game to be abandoned. (Delano Williams photos)

Some of the action in the rain between Region Three (right, Trayon Bobb) and Region Two on Friday

Shaan Ramtahal ended with 13 wickets and also contributed with the bat

2022: fruitful year for GCB, new year set to be bigger, more successful for cricket - TDO Stuart

By Clifton Ross

COMING off the back of a solid calendar year, Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) Territorial Developmental Officer (TDO) Colin Stuart, believes 2023 can surpass the efforts and goals achieved this year, as the new year promises much more for the country's premier sport.

GCB managed to bowl off over 40 programmes in 2022, most of which were directed towards development of youths, women and coaches.

With massive support from the Government of Guyana, including His Excellency, President Dr Irfaan Ali, who has thrown overwhelming support behind the GCB executives and president Bissoondyal Singh, the board has man-

aged to settle into their roles and focus solely on taking Guyana's cricket to the highest level, locally, regionally and internationally.

Battling other aspects ranging from getting the system back to normal post a rampaging COVID-19 period, to focusing on more infrastructural-oriented moves which will further ensure cricket reaches every inch of Guyana, Stuart said the GCB has had a rough but highly-successful 2022.

Stuart, a former West Indies Test pacer and one of the longest-serving GCB executives over the past few years, told Chronicle Sport that cricket is on the rise and 2023 can most certainly eclipse this year.

Some highlights of 2022 saw coaches complete the Cricket West Indies (CWI) Level 1 Coaching Course

which was held in April 2022.

Individuals with the CWI Foundation Coaching Course Certificate or the ICC (Online) Coaching Coach Certificate were also eligible to participate in the Course.

Coaches who submitted the relevant supporting documents of the First Aid Certificate, Child Protection Certificate, and Police Clearance within the given timeframe were issued the CWI Level One Coaching Certificate.

In support of this requirement, the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) arranged First Aid Courses for the coaches to attend, with the most recent course being held in Georgetown in October 2022.

Another aspect of youth development focuses on the historic birth of the Republic Bank Five For Fun (RBFFF)

Cricket Programme in Guyana, which was officially launched on June 21, 2022, at Cliff Anderson Sports Hall.

The programme witnessed the commencement of two significant aspects of coaching education activities, the training of teachers as cricket coaches and the training of students within various hubs across the country.

This Cricket Programme is also set to continue from mid-January 2023 with the training across schools. It will be followed soon after by a zonal competition between primary schools.

The Inaugural Bilateral Under-13 Goodwill Series between Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago which was held from December 11 to17, helped cap off a solid year of Inter-Regional youth cricket.

This regional mini-tournament highlighted a critical aspect of the developmental pathway of players involved. The intention of the Under-13 Programme according to Stuart, was so the GCB can further expose players to a solid foundation that will aid the development of their game as individual players and team players.

ed information on technical, skill, fitness, mental, diet and nutrition, and lifestyle of the players.

Topics on Etiquette and communication including Public Speaking were addressed. The GCB’s Academy programe is expected to commence within the first half of 2023.

Efforts to structure female cricket continued during 2022 with training sessions in Berbice, Demerara, and Essequibo. These activities were mainly conducted prior to the Female Under-19 and Senior Inter-County Tournaments.

Furthermore, the national senior team, the Guyana Harpy Eagles, intensified their training after the conclusion of the 2022 Caribbean Premier League (CPL).

All systems set for KMTC Boxing Day meet

THE Kennard Memorial Turf Club will host their annual Boxing Day horse race meet on the day, December 26 (next week Monday) at Bushlot, Corentyne.

Over $7M in cash prizes are up for grabs at the meet that will feature a total of seven races on the card.

The main race, the A & Lower Class has a distance

of 8 furlongs and will see the winner walk away with $1.5M, second $750 000, third $375 000 and fourth $187 000. Entries to this race will cost $195 000.

The E Non-Earner & F Lower has a top purse of $500 000 with entry costing $65 000.

The J & Lower and two-year-old West Indian-bred Open over six furlongs will attract a top

prize of $300 000 with entries being $40 000, as will be the case in the K & Lower and two-yearold Guyana-bred, and the two-year-old Guyana-bred maiden.

The L Open and the L&K non-earner for 2022 races will be over six furlongs with a top purse of $200 000. Entries for those two races will be $26 000 each.

Entries close on December 22. The race meet will be under the Rules of the Guyana Horse Racing Authority.

For more information, interested persons can contact Dennis Deoroop 640-6396, or 618-7278

Jinjo Jagdeo, Basil Bactawar 661-7815, Faxal Habibulla 657-7010, Ivan Dipnarine 331-0316 and Isaac Dallo on 689-0629.

By players learning the recommended ways to bat, bowl and field at an early age, as well as the mental applications required in competitions, the GCB is of the view that young players will be in a better position to master their technical and mental skills.

GCB continued its planning to implement 18 Academies across the country. Currently, a detailed plan is being examined for implementation.

A Pre-Kick-Off meeting was held for the relevant stakeholders to provide them with an overview of the Academy Programme’s needs and requirements.

Several facilitators presented on the respective topics of interest of the Academy Programme. This includ-

This effort saw the team bat their way to the semi-finals of the CG United Super50 Cup. The Harpy Eagles are currently preparing for the Cricket West Indies (CWI) Regional Four-Day Championship 2023.

Additionally, GCB has identified and engaged 17 Emerging players in the GHE training programme, further widening their selection pool for the foreseeable future.

In all, GCB, according to Stuart, has managed, despite their ups and downs, to stabilise, expose and develop a number of young players by virtue of the aforementioned programmes and tournaments, while ensuring that 2023 yields more success for cricket in Guyana, across the board.

The GCB executives meeting with His Excellency, President Dr Irfaan Ali

Minister of Sport, Charles Ramson Jr is surrounded by students when the GCB/Republic Bank launched their schools cricket programme during the summer of 2022

Terrence Ali Boxing C/ships return after two-year hiatus

By Sean Devers

WITH heavy rain pounding the roof of the National Gymnasium on a cold and windy Friday night in the City, the action in the ring was heated on the opening night of the Terrence Ali National Open Boxing Championships.

After a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this card was historic because it was the first time that an overseas pugilist was participating and Guyana became the first nation in the English-speaking Caribbean to provide ‘Money for Medals’ at an amateur card.

This was made possible by the president of GBA, Steven Ninvalle, who was among the fair-size gathering on Friday, after just returning from the UAE.

The 23-year-old Allicock, coached by Sebert Blake, slipped and fell to the canvas in the opening seconds of the one-sided encounter but he recovered quickly.

The 2020 Olympian was all over Clarke and the soldier was hit by a well set-up combination to his body which caused the referee to halt the fight in one minute 45 seconds of the first round.

Meanwhile, 27-yearold Samuel Greene, had an auspicious start as the first overseas boxer to participate in this tournament when he got the better of Andrey Bess from Rose Hall Town Jammers in a fight that lacked intensity.

Greene, fighting out of Team Yvel in the Dutch nation, began the first round ‘feeling out’ his man as both boxers exchanged pawing jabs and most of the time they stood at long-range.

Greene caught the Berbician with a left to his head but never made any concerted effort to follow up with more shots, while Bess; the taller of the two, failed to utilise his jabs enough.

In the third stanza Bess never got his shots off while Greene did enough to win the fight.

In the Elites Bantamweight between FYF’s Seon Griffith and Daniel Garnett from the Army, both fighters traded punches and were given standing 8-counts in the first round.

But after three rounds Garnett missed more than he hit and although the GDF Band Corps got going with their drumming it failed to inspire their fighter as Griffith was adjudged the winner.

In the other Bantamweight bout Julius Kesney beat his GDF gym mate by TKO in the second round.

Mark Crawford gave FYF their fourth win of the night when his fight with GDF’s Andrew Griffith was stopped in the second round of their Welterweight clash.

In the Super Heavyweight division Aubrey Headley of GDF defeated policeman Tulsie Persaud in a slug fest with both boxers going with all guns blazing.

In the last bout of the night, the burly Troy Glasgow from GDF knocked out Prince Warner in the first round, much to the dismay of the of Police coach Dexter ‘the Kid’ Marques.

In the Schoolboys Division, VBG, supported by the owners of 2 Brothers Gas Station, showed that the West Side is the best side by winning three of the five events in that category.

Rondel Croft lost to Roopesh Balgobin from RHJ, Jhonny Olejonro lost to fellow VBG gym mate Jolem Jones, Shaquon Marshall beat Shamario Isaacs from FYF, Simeon Jones beat RHJs Cleon Collison from RHJ and Jaden Lewis lost to Curtis McDonald from RHJ.

In-between bouts, pulsating music was played by Uprising Sounds from Plaisance.

There were a few glitches including a late start and some defective lights just above ring but this did not overshadow the success of the first of the three-night Championships. Seon Griffith

...Allicock, Suriname’s Greene among first-night winners

Keevin

Devers photos)