Guyana Chronicle E-Paper 13-10-2021

WEDNESDAY 13th October, 2021

' No.106513

Fire Service holds anniversary observance at Brickdam fire scene

‘Boundless’ investment opportunities in Guyana –– Prime Minister tells investment conference in New York

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Prime Minister Brigadier (ret’d), Mark Phillips

Fire suspect flees, 07 laughing as Charlotte Street building burns PAGE

Vice-President: 05 ‘Coalition’ forces Guyana to ‘lower ambitions’ at COP26 PAGE

Vice-President Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo

CSEC,CAPE results to be announced tomorrow, 16 NGSA’s Friday PAGE

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Nail technician intercepted with suspected cocaine 18 in frozen curry, pepperpot PAGE

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, October 13, 2021

International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction 2021:

Statement from the Prime Minister and Minister with Responsibility for Disaster Risk Management in Guyana THE International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction (IDDRR), observed annually on October 13 since 1989, provides us with an opportunity to acknowledge the progress being made toward reducing disaster risk and losses in lives, livelihoods, and health.

This year’s observance is focused on the sixth of the seven targets of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (SF-

DRR), and is centred on, “International cooperation for developing countries to reduce their disaster risk and disaster losses.”

International cooperation is a collaborative relationship between entities to work toward shared objectives through a mutually agreed division of labour; at the country level, this means engaging under government leadership with national stakeholders and external partners

(including international development agencies) in developing, implementing, and monitoring that country's development strategy (UNCCD-ICCD/CRIC (11)/INF.3). The theme of IDDRR 2021 has come at a most opportune time; as the world continues to grapple with the ongoing global pandemic and its impacts on human health, education, and the economy, to name a few, we have seen that there is, undoubtedly,

great need and merit in international cooperation to tackle issues such as these which threaten our individual and collective existence as nations.

Analyses of disasters have long shown that the levels of impacts observed are disproportional across countries, with low- and middle-income nations suffering graver losses and damages when disasters strike, especially in terms of mortality, injuries, displacement, economic losses, and damages to critical infrastructure. International cooperation for developing countries through Official Development Aid (ODA) and capacity building is therefore essential to boost disaster resilience, and, more importantly, to assist these nations to develop policy, legislative frameworks, institutional architecture, and associated investment vehicles for Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) in line with the goal, targets, and

Prime Minister Brigadier (ret’d), Mark Phillips

priorities for action of the SFDRR. The Human Development Report of 2020 outlines that Guyana’s Human Development Index value for 2019 was 0.682, putting the country in the medium human development category. Moreover, the country is in a unique position, as one of the world’s newest major oil producers, and significant growths in economy are projected as the country’s oil and gas industry expands.

Nonetheless, Guyana’s disaster risk management architecture continues to benefit through international cooperation, as the nation has fostered relationship with many of our international counterparts and seen support in disaster prevention, mitigation, response, and recovery efforts. The most recent examples of this were seen following the floods of May/June this year (2021) where the country received humanitarian aid, and tech-

nical support for the conduct of a Detailed Damage Sectoral Analysis and a Damage and Loss Assessment through the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency, and the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean respectively, which greatly aided national stakeholders in assessing the levels of impact and recovery needs within those Regions which were most affected by the floods, namely Regions 2, 5, 6, 7 and 10.

The Government of Guyana is committed to continuing and strengthening international cooperation partnerships for Disaster Risk Management, recognising the intrinsic role this can play in building the country’s resilience.

Guyana remains grateful for the support we have and will receive through these relationships with our global partners and is also willing to extend our capacities to other nations in support of their DRR mechanisms as needed.

The Office of the Prime Minister, and by extension, the Government of Guyana, proudly joins with our international stakeholders in 2021’s observance of the IDDRR, and avails this opportunity to iterate our steadfast commitment to embrace collaborative actions, including multilateral and bilateral assistance, transfer and exchange of DRR related technology, science and innovation, and capacity building, to elevate local hazard management and ensure the safety and protection of all Guyanese from natural and anthropogenic hazards.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, October 13, 2021

'Boundless' investment opportunities in Guyana –– Prime Minister tells investment conference in New York

PRIME Minister, Brigadier (ret’d) Mark Phillips has assured Guyanese living in New York that there are endless business opportunities available due to the country’s rapidly growing economy.

“The opportunities for investment in Guyana are boundless… you can be assured of an ever-improving business environment and a growing economy which will support business expansion,” he said in his address at the Grace Christian Church in Brooklyn, New York, on Tuesday.

The Prime Minister was, at the time, speaking at the “Doing Business in Guyana Conference” hosted by the Guyanese American Chamber of Commerce (GACC).

Delivering the feature address at the investment forum, the Prime Minister explained that there is more to the country than just oil and gas. He highlighted that under the direction of President, Dr Irfaan Ali, the government will look towards a multi-sectoral development approach.

In this regard, he encouraged investments in areas such as agriculture, tourism,

A section of the gathering at the “Doing Business in Guyana Conference” in Brooklyn, New York on Tuesday regard to the ease of doing and to streamline procehealth and ICT. “We are ensuring that business, but that it has dures which positively other areas of the economy been working assiduously impact business develare given support and at- to implement measures opment. These areas of tract investment… we will aimed at finding resolu- focus include procedures continue to work to unlock tions. relating to business startAlready, the Guyana Of- ups, the payment of taxnew markets for our traditional exports, including fice for Investment (Go-In- es, obtaining electricity rice, sugar, bauxite and vest) has been restructured and approving constructimber. At the same time, to promptly facilitate the tion permits… facilitatwe will seek opportunities requests and applications of ing trade is another area for new and non-tradition- investors, while other agen- which will receive our al products, services and cies have also enhanced their attention. systems. industries,” he said.

Our goal is to imple“Over the past few ment an electronic single months, we have tasked window for trade which EASE OF DOING various ministries and will reduce delays in custom BUSINESS The Prime Minister told agencies with developing clearance, time and cost, the conference that his gov- policies to reverse short- simplify trade procedures ernment acknowledges that falls, to allow the country and eliminate duplication there are challenges with to climb the rankings, and redundancy,” he said.

PROTECTING INVESTMENTS AND SMALL BUSINESSES The Prime Minister said that the government is aware that adequate measures must be put in place to protect investments and would continue to work on security.

High on the agenda is the strengthening of the capabilities of the Guyana Police Force and the Guyana Revenue Authority. The government also remains committed to working with the private sector to develop an anti-crime plan aimed at better protecting the business community.

“We will engage the relevant financial stakeholders, including commercial banks, micro-credit financing institutions, and international development partners to expand the resource envelope available for small businesses”.

DIRECT INTERACTION President of the GACC, Wesley Kirton, said that the Doing Business in Guyana Conferences was aimed at facilitating direct interac-

tion between the Government of Guyana and potential investors in the US. He added that in some instances, misleading information was circulated about the investment climate of the country. He noted that by attending the conferences with such high-ranking delegations, the government has demonstrated that its desire is not only to correct any misinformation but to inspire confidence and to prove its commitment to the Guyanese diaspora.

Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance, Gail Teixeira and Minister of Housing and Water, the Honourable Collin Croal, also spoke at the event.

Tuesday’s session is the culmination of the second phase of the visit. The first phase was held from last Wednesday to Saturday in Florida, with a similar business conference taking place on Thursday last at the Hilton Garden Inn. Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce, Oneidge Walrond and CEO of Go-Invest, Peter Ramsaroop were part of the delegation to Florida.

No further delays on construction of Bartica, Leguan stellings –– Minister Edghill PUBLIC Works Minister, Bishop Juan Edghill, said there will be no further delays on the construction of the Bartica and Leguan stellings in Regions Seven and Three, respectively.

He said the projects, which were inherited from the previous administration, were at a stage of failure, riddled with poor performance and delays.

However, he stressed that government “is working to remedy them”.

Both projects are

scheduled to be completed by the end of this year.

On a recent visit to the stellings, the minister had expressed displeasure at the pace of construction. A meeting was subsequently held with both contractors for the projects.

“We (government) are not going to allow further delays. We have engaged the contractors on both projects, Leguan and Bartica, and we are working through the issues to ensure we get these projects delivered,” he said in a

recent interview with the Department of Public Information (DPI).

S. Maraj Contracting Services is constructing the Leguan stelling and Courtney Benn Contracting Services Limited is working on Bartica’s.

Prior to the last visit by Minister Edghill, meetings were held with both contractors for falling behind on the project. During those meetings, they agreed to fulfil their end of the contract.

(DPI)

Public Works Minister, Bishop Juan Edghill, inspecting works at the Bartica stelling

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, October 13, 2021

GFS holds anniversary observance at Brickdam fire scene

AS a reminder of the task at hand and in observance of its 64th anniversary, ranks of the Guyana Fire Service (GFS), on Tuesday, revisited the scene of the fire that destroyed more than 80 per cent of the Brickdam Police Station.

During the visit, fire-fighters were inspected

by Minister of Home Affairs, Robeson Benn, Chief

Fire Officer (ag), Gregory Wickham, and other senior fire officials.

According to a release from the GFS, Minister Benn, while delivering brief remarks, reiterated the need for better training and confidence in the Fire Service.

He also highlighted that the government would continue to support the Fire Service by providing it with

the equipment and resources needed to carry out its mandate.

“He also made mention of the great problem of arson which has been on the rise recently, resulting in the destruction of several public buildings and houses, noting that perpetrators will face the full brunt of the law,” the release said.

The minister used the

Minister of Home Affairs, Robeson Benn, addressing fire officers at the Brickdam Police Station (Guyana Fire Service Photo)

Fire men and women marching during the parade opportunity to remind them that his government already has plans in motion to minimise fires across the country.

Some of the plans for the Fire Service include the construction of a new Central Fire Station as well as the opening of new fire stations at Mabaruma, Lethem and Mahdia.

Wednesday, 13 October 10:30hrs - 12:00hrs

Meanwhile, the acting Fire Chief said that the Brickdam Police Station was chosen specifically to signify the task at hand and what is expected of the Fire Service.

He said that the GFS has taken note of President, Dr. Irfaan Ali’s remarks in relation to the Brickdam fire and that there is an action plan in place to avoid a reoccurrence.

Wickham assured that the GFS will keep providing its services to the citizens of Guyana, and will continue to improve its performance.

Following the short programme, senior officers led a parade from the Brickdam Police Station to the Central Fire Station, where junior ranks and other employees were treated to breakfast and

were able to give brief remarks and make suggestions to aid in the improved performance of the Fire Service.

Other activities planned for the GFS’ anniversary, which is being held under the theme, “it’s better being safe with fire prevention in place,” includes musters to assess the preparedness of the Fire Service in terms of appliances, manpower and protective gears, and a parade in B Division which will conclude with a lunch.

The Guyana Chronicle had reported that on October 2, fire ripped through the Brickdam station following an alleged act of arson.

Clarence Greene has since been charged and remanded to prison.

Greene was one of 16 persons in custody at the time of the fire. The detainees, as well as the ranks on duty at the time, were all safely evacuated from the compound. There were no reports of serious injury or loss of life.

The devastating fire, which reportedly started in the eastern section of the compound at about 11:06 hours, destroyed the Property Room, Inquiries Office,

Traffic Department, and the Officers’ Mess Hall.

Guns and ammunition were safely removed from the buildings before the fire spread. The police barrack at the western section of the compound, the “clay brick” Impact Base building, and the section which houses detainees, remained standing after the blaze was extinguished.

Recently, Minister Benn disclosed that the reconstruction of the police station is estimated to cost hundreds of millions of dollars and the Cabinet will be approached for the necessary funding.

President Ali had also blasted the GFS for their response to the devastating fire and called for an independent investigation into the actions taken by the Fire Service to control the blaze.

The President said that a lot more could have been done by the fire officials to control the blaze and potentially prevent the destruction of several sections of the police station.

Fire Chief (Ag) Kamaladeen Edoo has been sent on leave and there is no indication as to whether he will be returning to the post.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, October 13, 2021

‘Coalition’ forces Guyana to ‘lower ambitions’ at COP26 –– because of unrealistic energy pledge, VP Jagdeo explains

By Rehana Ahamad UNDER the David Granger-led government, Guyana appeared before the United Nations (UN), boldly pledging to achieve 100 per cent renewable energy by 2025. However, the proposal was not accompanied by any plausible project or implementation strategy, according to Vice-President Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo.

As a result, when this year’s UN Climate Change Conference, also known as COP26, is hosted this month-end, Guyana will be forced to return to the global stage to admit to the impossibility of the pledge made by the then A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC) government.

Consequently, Dr. Jagdeo, on Tuesday, spearheaded a national stakeholder consultation aimed at updating Guyana’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), which basically outlines the country’s response to climate change, and how it intends to achieve the targets set out in the Paris Agreement, as adopted by 196 countries during COP21, hosted in Paris in December 2015.

The updated NDCs, according to Dr. Jagdeo, is an indication that Guyana will be “lowering its ambitions” at a time when most countries are aiming to, realistically, do better.

“This proposal that we have here would be lowering our ambition, and that is what we wanted to avoid,” Dr. Jagdeo said.

He added, “We did not want to say to the rest of the world that the last government made a mess of every-

thing; that it’s impossible to achieve their pledge.

The Vice-President said that even though the previous pledge was one that “sounded good”, it lacked capacity, and failed to include any sensible project which could achieve the brazenly touted results.

“For a very long time, we debated whether to submit new NDCs. Eventually we said we can’t continue to mislead the world; we have to come here and temper those figures,” the Vice-President noted.

The former Head of State also pointed to the fact that the APNU+AFC even went as far as “to kill” the iconic projects started by the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Government, which could have brought the country closer to achieving its pledge.

The Vice-President, in addressing the stakeholder forum, made specific reference to the Amaila Falls Hydropower Project, which was set to produce some 165 megawatts of power.

The initiative was conceptualised and launched in 2009 while Dr. Jagdeo was President.

VOTED DOWN But in 2013, it was voted down by the then majority parliamentary opposition, which comprised of APNU and AFC, respectively.

The back-and-forth in the National Assembly was said to be the reason that the project’s major investor, Sithe Global Incorporated, withdrew its support for the initiative.

“They killed the hydropower project, which would have seen decarbonisation by 90 per cent by 2017…

Today, we would have probably been supplied by clean energy,” Dr. Jagdeo reflected.

In 2014, Norway, under its climate partnership with Guyana, transferred some US$80M to the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) to fund the project.

“The resources were to change people’s lives; we set aside $17.2 million to improve telecommunications in the hinterland, and access there. We set aside over US$10 million for Amerindian Land Titling…

I can go through every sector, and [what] monies were set aside for,” Jagdeo related.

Further, he said that the PPP/C Government had intentions of utilising the monies to buy equity in ‘hydro’. He lamented the fact that the APNU+AFC, during its 2015-2020 tenure, failed to utilise the funds to make meaningful change. “Nothing happened!” Jagdeo insisted.

Now that the PPP/C has returned to office, the Dr. Irfaan Ali-led administration has recommitted its intention to restart the Amaila Falls Hydropower Project, which was a major component of Jagdeo’s globally-recognised Low-Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS).

As a matter of fact, invitation for companies to bid to execute the project has already been released, and it is now slated to be up and running by 2025.

“Now we are in the process of utilising these resources that have been there since 2010 or a little bit later,” Dr. Jagdeo posited.

He reminded that the government is now in full pursuit of the establish-

ment of a comprehensive energy mix aimed at utilising both natural gas, heavy fuel oil, and renewables such as ‘hydro’, wind and solar.

ROAD MAP “We have laid out the road map on the energy sector,” Jagdeo noted.

He pointed to the fact that the PPP/C’s meticulous energy plan will also include the landmark US$900 million gas-to-energy project, which will see natural gases derived from the oil exploration efforts offshore Guyana being transported onshore to a power plant to be converted to energy, and fed to the national power grid.

The Vice-President said that as part of his government’s more realistic approach, the aim is to cut energy cost by 50 per cent in 2025. “We will still cut our emissions by 70 per cent; that’s realistic. We have projects to achieve that; we don’t just talk,” Jagdeo maintained.

‘FAKE’ AND UNSUSTAINABLE He said that on the contrary, the entire Green State Strategy which was being embarked on by the David Granger Government was “fake” and unsustainable. “It had no project; it had no capacity to earn any money like we had…with forest carbon traded,” the Vice-Presi-

Vice-President Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo dent said.

Nonetheless, going forward, Jagdeo said that his government has already submitted a proposal to benefit from LEAF, which means ‘Lowering Emissions by Accelerating Forest Finance’. It is a coalition which includes the governments of the United Kingdom, the United States and Norway, which conceptualised a $1 billion fund that offers capital to countries committed to arresting the decline of their tropical forests by 2030.

“We have had positive news from them that our proposal has been accepted, and now we are hoping to get an offer soon,” Jagdeo said.

He added that a Memorandum of Understanding has already been signed with a Non-Governmental Organisation named Emergent, which will be conducting the transactions on Guyana’s behalf.

“In one year, that is what we have been doing; trying to earn again. The Green State was a burden on us; it had no source of financing. It was a recourse to the Treasury for all the climate initiatives,” Jagdeo noted.

He said that going forward, the PPP/C Government will be implementing the projects that will truly see Guyana becoming a ‘green’, sustainable State.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, October 13, 2021

A Game Changer GUYANA’s oil production is projected to generate unprecedented revenues for the Guyana government and, by extension, the population as a whole.

According to some estimates, total oil revenues could reach as high as US$30B over the next 10 years with production estimated to reach 1.2 million per day by 2030.

The country is on course for major transformation as oil revenues continue to flow and more wells become operational in the coming period ahead. Since the initial discovery of the Liza oil field in 2015 in the Stabroek block, the country has discovered close to 10 billion barrels of oil and there are indications of new discoveries.

All of this is good news for the people of Guyana who, for decades, were forced to survive on a narrow range of export commodities, especially in the agricultural sector with sugar and rice

being the dominant exports. The mining sector, in particular gold, has, in recent years, been a significant contributor to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) but because of fluctuating prices on the world market, revenues were unstable and predictable.

Oil has now become a game changer. Like it or not, the oil and gas sector will make a huge difference in terms of our economic and social well-being, and from all indications it has already changed the growth dynamic of the country. The Ministry of Finance’s Midyear Report has indicated that Guyana recorded real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth of 14.5 per cent while the non-oil GDP grew by 4.8 per cent. The revised full year forecast for real GDP growth is 19.5 per cent overall and 3.75 per cent for the non-oil economy.

According to President, Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali, this year promises to be the springboard from which Guyana

will leap into recovery, rebuilding the economy, enhancing the people’s health and lifting up the vulnerable in society. “We must not remain a rich country of poor people”, the President said while re-affirming his commitment to ensuring that the wealth of the country be shared in a fair and equitable manner.

As the wheels of progress and prosperity continue to turn, expectations are high among the Guyanese people that better days are ahead. Such optimism are not misplaced, According to the IDB, oil production is expected to continue driving GDP growth with oil exports growing by an annual average of 48.5 per cent over the 2020-2023 period, thereby contributing to average annual GDP and government revenue growth rates of 17.1 and 6.7 per cent respectively.

The prospects look even brighter with the discovery of new oil wells with

an estimated petroleum recoverable from eight to nine billion oil-equivalents. Additionally, ExxonMobil has updated its development plans of having five oil production projects by 2026 to six by 2027 which could possibly grow to a high often in future years.

Importantly, the PPP/C administration has made it abundantly clear that even as oil continue to be a major player on the economic landscape of Guyana, from a development perspective, the country will not put all of its proverbial ‘eggs’ in the oil basket. The non-oil sectors will not be de-emphasised as oil will be supplemental and by no means supplant the traditional sectors, especially agriculture.

The overall economic outlook of the country looks good despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, thanks to prudent management of the economy by the PPP/C administration.

The 'fireball' still glows brightly

Dear Editor,

GUYANA has many persons who have outstanding histories in their own spheres of operation. Unfortunately, we do not seem to be producing enough historians who can bring their stories to life. That would be a great contribution because their lives could inspire many others to achieve great heights.

These include several women. One of whom comes to mind immediately is Ms. Patricia Benn. She played a leading role in what was clearly the most difficult period in this country’s history. She was a youth leader, a women’s leader and a champion in the independence struggle.

But more of her later.

Today I want to focus on another giant of a woman whose contributions to where we are at present is also tremendous. She is Ms. Philomena Sahoye-Shurry. On October 13, (Today) we will be celebrating her 90th birthday.

Reaching this milestone by itself is a great achievement. However, there were 90 glorious years filled with struggles, joys, disappointments, danger and daring exploits.

At the time of Philo’s birth, Guyana was a colony-- British Guiana. The vast majority of people were poor and oppressed. The people had very few civil and political rights. Voting, for instance, was the preserve of the rich and well born.

The people were just beginning to stir and were gradually becoming aware of their circumstances. This was seen in the beginning of the formation of trade unions in our country.

‘Philo’ herself was born into a class just above that of the workers. She was a Vieira.

That well- known family in our country had enjoyed more social and financial security than most.

She was fifteen years old when Cheddi and Janet Jagan, Ashton Chase and Joslyn Hubbard began the Political Affairs Committee (PAC) and took the first steps in the fight for freedom. ‘Philo’ was one of the young people who became highly motivated by the vision that the PAC comrades had expressed and embraced the ideals that they were fighting for.

Her sense of justice and strong feelings for the working people, the oppressed and down trodden masses propelled her into the ranks of the PPP.

She rose to prominence in the late 1950s and early 1960s when the PPP was encouraging and organising the sugar workers to form a union. The union, which had made a powerful impact on the workers -- the Guiana industrial Workers Union (GIWU) -- became defunct after the split of the PPP in 1955.

When the new union was formed, Philomena became the General-Secretary, while Harry Lall occupied the position as President of the union. It was first called the Guiana Sugar Workers Union; that name came as a request of Philomena’s suggestion. It was later changed to the Guyana Agricultural Workers union (GAWU).

It was here that she was tested. She was forged in the fire of struggle and became a woman of steel. In this position, ‘Philo’ led many demonstrations and was known as an uncompromising champion of the workers in general and sugar workers in particular.

During the bitter struggle for recognition in the early 1960s and in 1964 in particular, ‘Philo’ stood out as a great fighter. She made rousing speeches at mammoth rallies in challenging the sugar ‘gods’. She was so forceful that she was called the “Fire Ball”.

That was an endearing name for the work-

ers but one that earned caution and respect from the sugar bosses.

Philomena was charged on numerous occasions and dragged before the courts charged with sedition. This was during the strike that evolved for recognition. Indeed, it was while she was on her way to the Rose Hall Court in June of 1964 to answer one of those charges that she was once again arrested and detained.

She was the only woman that the colonial police arrested in that period. She was at the centre of that tremendous and heroic struggle.

She bore prison with great fortitude and refused to bend to the oppressors as many had done before.

‘Philo’ was more than just a trade unionist. She was a political leader and served in the leadership of the PPP for many years.

She was one of the leaders of the Freedom March, along with L.S. H Singh, Michael Forde and others.

‘Philo’ also served as a member of the National Assembly for many years.

She was forced into exile after she married Dr. Shurry.

The story I heard about that was that See page 7

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, October 13, 2021

Fire suspect flees, laughing, as Charlotte Street building burns

By Derwayne Wills

A BLANKET of smoke layered the Charlotte and Camp Streets, Lacytown area on Tuesday evening as members of the Guyana Fire Service and Police Force quickly averted what could have been a devastating fire.

A wooden tenement building, clustered by other buildings used for business and residential purposes, was reportedly set ablaze by a suspected arsonist who reportedly fled the scene while laughing on a motorbike with a female as the pillion rider.

The arson suspect, who was last seen minutes before the first fire alarm was raised by neighbours, is known to the other occupants of the wooden, tenement property located at 172 Charlotte Street, Lacytown.

The Guyana Chronicle was informed that the suspect and his girlfriend had emptied their belongings from the property and left at around 21:10 hrs before the fire started to spread.

A bystander, who lived in the vicinity, said he was at his job site nearby when he heard there was a fire at his home.

The bystander, who attempted to console a grieving survivor of the fire, said he rushed back to Charlotte Street.

“When I hear there was a fire by my house, I fly with a speed!” the bystander said, adding: “But when I reached,

I hear it’s not my house. It’s next door to my house.” “She have a house at the back,” he said while pointing to a very distraught 30-year-old Ashawna Moffatt.

Moffatt, who resided at the fire-ravaged premises, along with other persons who were believed to be resting at the time of the blaze, narrowly escaped. The building was divided into four apartments and there were no reported injuries or deaths.

Turning her attention to the alleged arsonist, a breathless Ashawna said, “he and he girl come and pack up all he things, and when I see he jump on de bike and pack up all he things, and by the time they reach de corner laughing, a man come in and holler, ‘Shawna! Fire inside by you!’”

“And I run and left me shop open! And when I run, I realise that me ain’t get me key, and by the time I come back, I hear de gas stove and de gas bottle blow up and I run! And me ain’t go in back,” Ashawna said as she explained how she barely escaped being caught in the blaze.

The woman said she operates a business stationed on Charlotte Street next to the passageway that leads into the tenement where the fire was started.

When asked if she ever had issues with the person she identified as the arsonist, the fire survivor confirmed that

The 'fireball' still ...

From page 6

Dr. Shurry was afraid of what the PNC would do to him for marrying that PPP rebel.

The African Guyanese .members and supporters of the PPP were attacked brutally with double vengeance

by PNC terrorists.

However, on returning to Guyana, the ‘Fire Ball’ resumed from where she had left off.

In the years since 1992, Philo worked as Deputy Mayor of Georgetown. She should have been Mayor but as is characteristic of the PNC, it reneged on agreement it had on the issue of rotating the Mayorship. That took place between 1994 and 1997.

‘Philo’ went back to the National Assembly where she continued to champion workers cause.

She also worked throughout the country organising and mobilising communities to improve their circumstances.

Philo has always been loved and respected at all levels of the PPP and the country. She served the people of Guyana with great distinction and is truly a living legend of this land.

Happy Birthday Philo!

Yours sincerely, Donald Ramotar Former President

the scene of the fire closely observing the operation, said that from all indications, the fire appeared to be arson in nature.

When asked about confidence in fire preparedness for buildings around the City, Minister Benn said he is not happy about it. “We have been handing out smoke detectors in Tiger Bay, we have been repeating the need to take measures to ensure that people are doing the right things to make

sure they are not affected by a fire.”

A rank of the Guyana Fire Service then interrupted the interview to provide a verbal situation report to the Home Affairs Minister. According to the rank, the fire was contained as it was being tackled from two points.

Continuing the interview, Minister Benn said it is difficult to predict how many assets are needed for fires when reports are made, especially

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with prank calls being made to the Guyana Fire Service. “We keep getting fake calls so we just have to keep on it and we just have to encourage people to avoid bringing disputes that result in arson.”

“We have got to tell people that everybody has a tremendous risk when a fire is started,” Minister Benn continued, “whether deliberately, inadvertently, or as a result of a failure of some system or the other”.

Fire survivor, Ashawna Moffatt there was an issue but could not at the moment divulged any information.

She did confirm, however, that the suspect was living at the premises for two months. “There’s so much ah things going on right now,” she said as she continued crying profusely while panting for breath.

Speaking with a fire investigator, the woman repeated the details of the ordeal and went as far as to name the two persons believed to be linked to the fire.

FAKE FIRE CALLS Home Affairs Minister, Robeson Benn, who was at

Prime Minister, Mark Phillips; Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance, Gail Teixeira, and Housing and Water Minister, Collin Croal, on Tuesday, met with New York State Senator, Roxanne Persaud, a Guyanese-American in Brooklyn, New York. The Prime Minister and the two ministers were honoured by the Senator with citations and a proclamation

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, October 13, 2021

‘Ratty’ wanted in connection Bandits rob pastor with murder of ‘Rambo’ in Meadow Brook Gardens home

SEON Ceasar, 25, called ‘Ratty’, is wanted by the police for questioning in relation to the murder of Nelson Thomas, also known as ‘Rambo’, on September 9, 2021 at Kaneville, East Bank Demerara.

Nelson Thomas, 36, of Fourth Field, Kaneville, East Bank Demerara, was stabbed to death during a suspected robbery on September 9, just hours after registering his newborn.

Reports are that Thomas and his wife had travelled to Region Four to register their newborn after

Dead: Nelson Thomas working for quite some time in an interior region.

At around 19:00 hours, while at home, Thomas reportedly told his mother

that he was going to visit his uncle at Second Street, Kaneville.

It is unclear what happened immediately after Thomas left his house, but a resident of Kaneville told police that after being alerted at around 21:30 hours, he left, looked out and saw the miner lying motionless under a shed attached to the eastern side of his house.

The resident subsequently called the police and reported the matter at the Grove Police Station.

In his report, he said: “It appears that the deceased

Wanted: Seon Ceasar was returning home when the suspect(s) attempted to rob him and stabbed him in the process.”

Thomas was escorted to the Diamond Public Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Anyone with information that may lead to the arrest of Seon Ceasar is asked to contact the police on telephone numbers 620-1943, 225-2700, 227-0968, 226-6978, 225-8196, 216-0252, 2160254, 911 or the nearest police station.

TWO armed bandits robbed a 71-year-old female pastor and a 36-year-old woman at their Lama Drive Meadow Brook Gardens home in Georgetown at around 03:40 hours on Tuesday morning.

Police said the victims retired to bed and forgot to secure a wooden door in the upper flat of the house.

It is alleged that the 36-year-old woman woke up to someone walking in the hall, and as she investigated, she was confronted by two bandits, one of whom pointed a gun at her.

He demanded that she handed over money and gold but she told him she did not have any. The suspects then went into the pastor’s bedroom, woke her up and demanded money and gold.

She became afraid and handed over her valuables. The bandits managed to escape with a cellphone valued at $31,000, a laptop valued at $78,000 and two iPads valued at $28,000, along with another cellphone valued at $65,000; another laptop valued at $75,000; two television sets with a total value of $250,000 and $60,000 in cash.

The robbery was reported to the police and they are investigating the incident.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, October 13, 2021

$25,000 one-off grant rolled out in Region Six

HUMAN Services and Social Security Minister, Dr. Vindyha Persaud, rolled out the $25,000 one-off cash grant initiative to pensioners of Region Six, on Monday.

To ensure that the process of uplifting pensions is smooth and timely, Minister Persaud overlooked the distribution of the grant at several distribution centres in Berbice.

The minister, during the process, took time out for an interview with the National Communications (NCN) Berbice, to explain the procedures pensioners need to follow in order to uplift the pension books and vouchers.

“Don’t all go today;

Human Services and Social Security Minister, Dr. Vindyha Persaud, assisting pension distributors at the Sukhpaul’s Gas Station, Region Six (DPI photo) you have from the 11th to the 15th, that is five full days for you. Monday to Friday -distribution time starts at all of the locations at 8:00 hours. So, I know the elders have a tradition of going 4 and 5 am; please don’t let your loved ones go that hour. There is no need to do that, there

Local Government Ministry warns M&CC over ‘suspicious’ disposal of assets THE Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development has noted with concern, the vigorous pursuit by the mayor and some councillors of Georgetown to dispose of public assets of the city through highly-suspicious and shady transactions.

According to a press release issued by the ministry, it has been reported that several properties owned by the Mayor and City Council (M&CC) have been undervalued and are currently being negotiated for disposal through very questionable processes.

The ministry emphasised that Georgetown is not the personal property of the mayor and any councillor and as such, the disposal of assets, including real estate, will not be condoned.

Parties to these corrupt transactions will be held accountable and will face the full extent of the law, the release said.

Thieves visit home of policeman

A 25-year-old policeman, who was at work, was the victim of a robbery at his Recht-Door-Zee, West Bank Demerara home Sunday last.

The robbers entered his home between 03:30hrs and 20:30hrs, police said while noting that the stolen items include an amplifier valued $50,000; a DVD player valued $12,000; a pair of boots valued $60,000; a quantity of clothing valued $20,000; food items valued $5,000; as well as $50,000 in cash.

Reports indicate that the policeman secured his premises by means provided leaving the articles mentioned above intact in his house and went to work.

About 20:30hrs on Sunday, the policeman returned home and observed that his home was ransacked and, upon checking, he discovered that the items mentioned above were missing.

He also observed that four louvre were removed from a window.

He made a report as investigation continue.

are vouchers for everyone.

There is no number system that will be used.”

At the pension outlets, scores of elderly citizens were eagerly awaiting their 2022 pension book and the $25,000 cash grant.

The Department of Public Information (DPI) spoke with several recipients

who shared their views on the initiative.

“Well, I think it is a good initiative, and I think in this COVID crisis it will do extra for us as pensioners. I will buy some groceries because the groceries and everything in the market is so pretty high, triple time what we used to pay and it will go a far way,” said Yvonne Mickle.

Cecil Tello said after receiving his pension book, it is guaranteed that he will be receiving pension in the coming year.

“As a pensioner and it’s coming on to be Christmas and the government has decided to give all the pensioners an assistance;

it is very good, they are doing a good job. And a lot of people will appreciate what they have done. That is another good gesture because now you are certain come the next year there is your pension book, you know you are going to get things for the next year to be honest.”

Seigmund Winter said he has lived to see the government fulfil its promise.

“I think they are doing very well in that respect because there is a lot of people who need it, and they are looking after the people as they said, and it has been completed because I heard of this a long while now, and it’s not about hearing about it, I

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Pensioner Yvonne Mickle at the New Amsterdam Post Office (DPI photo) have seen it.”

At the various locations, the Human Services Minister encourages senior citizens to take advantage of the various options provided to uplift their pension. She also urged shut-in pensioners to utilise the option of having their pension delivered to them in the comfort of their homes.

(DPI)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, October 13, 2021

High Court invalidates 2015 FMAA amendments

HIGH Court Judge, Nareshwar Harnanan on Monday agreed with the State that the amendments made by the then APNU+AFC government to the Fiscal Management and Accountability Act (FMAA) were in conflict with the Constitution.

The judge was at the time delivering his ruling in the substantive matter filed on behalf of Opposition Member of Parliament (MP) Ganesh Mahipaul, and his ‘Coalition’ colleague, Coretta

McDonald, who is the General Secretary of the Guyana Teachers Union; Dawn Gardner, First Vice-President of the Guyana Public Service Union; Michael Somersall, Chairman of the Public Service Commission and several others.

“The judge also upheld the Attorney- General’s contention that the amendments to the Fiscal Management and Accountability (Amendment) Act that were enacted in 2015 by the APNU+AFC coalition government, and

which reposed a power in the various constitutional agencies to present to the Clerk of the National Assembly the budgetary proposal for their individual budget agencies, and, in the case of the Auditor-General, the Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, to present the Auditor- General’s Budget to the National Assembly, were manifestly in conflict with the clear and express language of Article 218 of the Constitution, and therefore, [is] null, void and of no

effect,” a press release issued by the AG’s Chambers said.

In addition to Minister of Legal Affairs and Attorney-General Anil Nandlall, S.C, Senior Minister within the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh, and 18 constitutional agencies were listed as respondents in the case, which was filed earlier in the year by Attorney-at-Law Roysdale Forde, S.C, who appeared in association with a battery of lawyers.

The release said that Justice Harnanan, in his ruling, identified two main issues for consideration. The first was whether the provisions of the Fiscal Management and Accountability (Amendment) Act of 2021 undermined the independence of the Constitutional Agencies, and whether they conflicted with the Constitution so as to render them unconstitutional and unlawful. The second was whether the 2021 budgetary process conflicted with the Constitution.

According to the release, the judge agreed with the submissions of the AG that it is the role and function of the Executive, in the form of the Minister of Finance or any other minister designated by the President, whose function

Opposition Member of Parliament, Coretta McDonald is to prepare and lay before the National Assembly the estimates of revenues and expenditure as provided for in Article 218 of the Constitution.

HOUR-LONG HEARING During the hour-long hearing, the judge also ruled that those provisions of the 2015 amendment “abrogated the doctrine of separation of powers, in that it took from the Executive constitutionally prescribed functions, and gave it to the Constitutional

Agencies, again, upholding the submissions on behalf of the State.”

Further, in examining the amendments made in 2021 to the said piece of legislation, that is to say, Sections 1-6, Justice Harnanan found that they did not in any way conflict with the Constitution, as argued by Forde, “save and except the Schedule inserted by Section 7 of the Act, which lists the Constitutional Agencies as a Schedule to the Fiscal Management and Accountability (Amendment) Act treating them as budgetary agencies. The amendments passed in 2021 were intended to reverse the

Attorney-General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall, S.C. good intentions,” the AG’s Chambers stated.

No costs were awarded, given the significant public interest nature of the action.

Opposition Member of Parliament, Ganesh Mahipaul unconstitutional amendments enacted in 2015.” Given this position, the release said, the court has now redirected the budgetary process of these Constitutional Agencies to their “proper course.”

Additionally, in keeping with the independence of these agencies, the court ruled that the budgetary proposals must be sent directly to the Minister of Finance, where they are to be examined and approved by the minister, based upon the State’s affordability. Here, the judge recommended discussions and dialogue, the release said.

The court further ruled that the Budget of these agencies not be included in the Appropriation Act, as they constitute a direct charge upon the Consolidation Fund. The court made no coercive orders against the State.

“Ultimately, the court declared that there was absolutely no evidence of intrusion by the Executive into the realm of the Constitutional Agencies, by virtue of Sections 1-6 of the Fiscal Management and Accountability (Amendment) Act, 2021, and that those changes in the law were inspired by

A NUMBER OF ORDERS In the Notice of Application, Forde sought a number of Conservatory Orders as interim relief to prohibit the Minister with responsibility for Finance from presenting before the National Assembly for consideration the budgets of these constitutional agencies.

He also sought orders prohibiting the Speaker of the National Assembly from considering the estimates, and to prohibit the Minister with responsibility for Finance from disbursing any monies approved by the National Assembly for these budgetary constitutional agencies.

Subsequently, in March, Justice Harnanan refused to grant the conservatory orders being sought, and awarded costs in favour of the Attorney-General in the sum of $200,000. Both applications were also dismissed.

Dissatisfied, the applicants moved to the Full Court and filed an appeal against Justice Harnanan’s judgment, and also sought similar conservatory orders.

Last month, the Full Court of the Demerara High Court threw out the appeal.

The presiding judges ordered and directed that the Notice of Appeal and Notice of Application be dismissed.

The judges also ordered costs against the applicants to be paid to the Attorney-General, the Minister of Finance, the Judicial Service Commission, and the Speaker and Clerk of the National Assembly in the sum of $50,000 each.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, October 13, 2021

Alleged ‘hit-man’ admits to killing Diamond businesswoman

EIGHT years after businesswoman , Sirmattie Ramnaress, was killed in her Diamond, East Bank Demerara home, alleged “hitman” Colin Grant, on Tuesday, confessed to the gruesome crime.

Last week, Grant and Ramnaress’ reputed husband,

Grant appeared before Justice Barlow and opted to plead guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter, moments before the trial was scheduled to start.

Grant admitted that, between August 30-31, 2013, in the county of Demerara, he killed Ramnaress called

Subsequently, Bailey’s trial began with testimony from several witnesses. They were led by state prosecutors, Latifah Elliot, Sarah Martin and Nafeeza Baig. Attorney-at-law, Nigel Hughes is representing the former policeman.

The Guyana Chronicle

Confessed killer, Colin Grant

Ex-cop, Colin Bailey

Dead: Sirmattie Ramnaress

Colin Bailey, were arraigned before Justice Jo-Ann Barlow at the Demerara High Court and pleaded not guilty to murder. A 12-member jury was empanelled to hear the case.

However, on Tuesday,

“Sabo.” Grant’s attorney, Dexter Todd made an application for a probation report to be prepared for his client before sentencing.

The judge agreed and deferred sentencing until November 2.

had reported that Ramnaress was found dead on the morning of August 31, 2013 with a stab wound and injuries to her head and body, in the garage of her Diamond home.

While petrol had been thrown all over her house, it

was the bond at the back of the yard that was set alight and destroyed. The woman’s body was discovered after the fire service was called to the fire scene. Her attacker also removed the footage from the surveillance cameras that were located around the house.

The police suspected that Bailey, who shared a 21-year relationship with the victim, was involved in her death.

However, he had told police investigators that at the time of his wife’s demise, he was on active duty and therefore had a solid alibi.

In 2015, the case was

reopened after police arrested Grant. Grant alleged that he was paid by Bailey to kill Ramnaress and remove the footage from the surveillance cameras.

The police later charged both Grant and Bailey for the businesswoman’s murder.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, October 13, 2021

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, October 13, 2021

Guyana has received over 300,000 doses of vaccines from COVAX

GUYANA continues to benefit from free vaccines from the COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access (COVAX), a programme that provides free vaccines to 92 countries worldwide.

Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony said the distribution programme is helping, especially the developing countries to meet their vaccination targets. To date, Guyana has received 305, 420 doses of vaccines, which have allowed the vaccination of 152, 710 persons.

“Guyana has always been in the COVAX AMC component which meant that Guyana gets its vaccines through COVAX, free of cost. We have been working with them.

Initially, when COVAX first started, they were looking at vaccines to all countries participating to about 10 per cent of their population, and at that time in the early stages, the priority was to give to older people and to frontline

workers,” Dr. Anthony said on Tuesday.

The Health Minister said COVAX has since revised those targets to meet the World Health Organization’s (WHO) mandate of ensuring that at least 40 per cent of countries’ population is fully vaccinated by December this year.

“So, I guess with that in mind, COVAX is working to ensure that they can get vaccines to countries so that they can immunise at least 40 per cent of their population,” Dr. Anthony said.

“As of Monday, 368, 850 persons received a first dose of a COVID vaccine, representing 79.1 per cent of the adult population. Some 225,050 persons or 43.9 per cent of the adult population have been fully immunised. Another 25,919 adolescents have received their first dose of the Pfizer vaccine, while 15,429 have been fully immunised.

Meanwhile, 124 persons

Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony are hospitalized -- 88 persons at the Ocean View hospital with about 33 of those persons in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).

There are also hospitalisations in other facilities countrywide: one at the Kumaka District Hospital, four at the Suddie hospital, seven at West Demerara Hospital, three at the Mahaicony Hospital, two in New Amsterdam, one in Skeldon, four in Bartica, one in Mahdia, and six at the Wismar Hospital.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, October 13, 2021

100 toxic chemicals storage containers distributed to farmers –– ‘Sound chemicals management remains a priority to the government,’ says Minister Mustapha

THE Ministry of Agriculture’s Pesticides and Toxic Chemicals Control Board (PTCCB), on Tuesday, distributed 100 toxic chemicals storage cabinets to farmers across the country.

The exercise, which was held at the board’s office in Mon Repos, was aimed at promoting the sound use and storage of toxic chemicals within the agriculture sector.

While offering remarks, Agriculture Minister, Zulfikar Mustapha, said that sound chemicals management remains a priority to

using chemicals to improve their cultivation.

However, misuse or improper use of these chemicals has contributed to several issues and a number of factors that have led to deaths in several farming communities. The government, the ministry, and the board have recognised that it is therefore important to work with the stakeholders and farmers to enhance their ability to properly store these chemicals in a safe place. Proper storage of chemicals can help us to solve one of the most prevalent social issues faced in some of these

Four, Five, Six, and 10 by the end of 2016 and was relaunched in 2020 when Minister Mustapha assumed the role of Minister of Agriculture.

Chairman of the PTCCB, Dr. Leslie Munroe, said that one of the board’s mandates was to ensure substances that are considered toxic are used and stored responsibly and that the board is currently working to introduce other pest management tools to farmers across the country.

the government, and as such, the programme of distributing chemicals storage cabinets to farmers was resuscitated in October 2020.

According to a release, Minister Mustapha also alluded to the fact that misuse or improper use of chemicals has contributed to issues faced in several agriculture-producing regions in the country.

“We know chemicals are being used across the world to enhance crops. In Guyana, our farmers have also been

farming communities.

One such issue being suicide by ingestion of a poisonous substance,” Minister Mustapha said.

Minister Mustapha also disclosed that the activity will be held annually and, through the board, over 100 pesticides storage cabinets will be made available to farmers across the country.

The project, which commenced in 2013, saw over 300 pesticide storage cabinets being distributed to farmers in Regions Two, Three,

all know, are poisonous. Our mandate is to ensure that these substances are used responsibly, to minimise the use of those substances that are considered highly toxic, and to introduce the use of those that are considered less toxic.

One of the aims we have is to introduce or expand integrated pests management to farmers, which involves the use of other pest management tools. To achieve that, we’ve been working with agencies such

RESPONSIBLE USE “Pesticides, as we

PTCCB Chairman, Dr. Leslie Munroe, explains the proper use of the storage cabinet to a young farmer who benefitted from the initiative as NAREI and GRDB. ful to have a legislation We also want to join that provides guidance with the importers of as to what needs to be pesticides, to help us done to ensure sound get enough financing to chemicals management. push the project forward We’ve been implementso that more farmers ing this legislation at the across the country can board since 2008 as we benefit from these cab- strive to achieve sound inets to properly store chemicals management these containers,” Dr. across the country.

Monroe said Sound chemicals Registrar of the PTC- management is the CB, Trecia Davis, said management of these that since 2008, the chemicals throughout board has been imple- the life cycle; that is menting legislation that from import to storprovides guidance on age to use. During my what needs to be done years as an inspector, I to ensure sound chem- had a lot of experience icals management is seeing how pesticides Agriculture Minister, Zulfikar Mustapha, along with other officials from the ministry and some of the farmers achieved. who received pesticide storage cabinets See page 15 “The board is grate-

Some of the cabinets that were donated to farmers

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, October 13, 2021

100 toxic chemicals ...

From page 14 were stored when farmers purchase them for use and it gave me goosebumps.

Yes, these chemicals are of significant importance to the agriculture sector in Guyana but they are also very dangerous. While there are significant benefits to these chemicals, we of-

ten forget the proposed risk that exists.

Today, the aspect of storage is one that we are still very much passionate about and I want to commend Minister Mustapha for the support that he has given to the board to promote this initiative,” David said.

Over the years, the

board has managed to ensure that 70 per cent of the chemicals used in Guyana’s agriculture sector are now considered moderately hazardous and unlikely to cause issues if used according to the manufacturer’s instructions, rather than hazardous of extremely hazardous.

Man found guilty of raping woman BY a majority decision, a 12-member jury, on Tuesday, found Essequibo resident, Francis Gonsalves, guilty of raping a 35-yearold woman back in 2018.

Gonsalves was on trial before Justice Priya Sewnarine-Beharry at the Suddie High Court.

According to reports, in the wee hours of March 27,

2018, the victim was walking home from a party when she was attacked and raped by Gonsalves.

The jury, after deliberating for two hours, returned with a 10-2 guilty verdict.

Sentencing was deferred until Wednesday.

Gonsalves rejected the jury’s verdict and told the court that his trial was

Francis Gonsalves unfair. The State was represented by prosecutor Tiffini Lyken, while Gonsalves was represented by attorney-at-law, Ravindra Mohabir.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, October 13, 2021

NGSA results to be announced Friday –– 2022 assessment set for July 6 and 7

THE Ministry of Education (MoE), on Tuesday, officially confirmed that the results of this year’s National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) will be announced on Friday, at 10:00hrs at the National Centre for Educational Resource Development (NCERD) in Kingston, Georgetown.

The ministry also announced that the 2022 NGSA, which will be written on July 6 and 7 will be based on a consolidated curriculum similar to what was used this year.

“The 2021 NGSA was written on August 4th and 5th. The examination was prepared based on topics up to the Grade Five level contained in the consol-

idated curriculum which was prepared by the Ministry of Education in collaboration with Canadian experts,” a statement from the ministry said.

Similar to what had obtained for the 2021 examination, the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) will prepare the 2022 assessment. The Council will also supervise its administration, mark the scripts, conduct quality checks, and also conduct consequential reviews if any are requested.

“The Council’s involvement in some of these areas was done for the first time this year and will continue in the years to come to offer age-appropriate examinations

that are fairly and transparently marked and that bear the CXC mark of integrity for which the examining body is renowned across the world,” the MoE statement noted.

The MoE has been receiving technical support and guidance from the CXC since 2016 to ensure that the assessment meets international standards and that the exam-writing and assessment are of the highest possible standards.

The NGSA is considered a critical exam for the Grade Six pupils as it is used to determine their placement in a secondary school. The assessment involves testing in the areas of Mathematics, English, Science and Social

Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand (right) engages CXC Registrar and CEO, Dr. Wayne Wesley (second from right). Also pictured are (from left) CXC Director of Operations Examination Services, Dr. Nicole Manning; CXC Corporate Communications Manager, Richard Rose; and MoE Superintendent of Examinations, Sauda Kadir Studies. Pupils are placed after the 2021 Caribbe- a CXC team which inbased on the scores they an Secondary Examina- cluded CXC’s Registrar attain. tions Certificate (CSEC) and CEO, Dr. Wayne They can either earn a and Caribbean Advanced Wesley and Director of spot at one of the six na- Proficiency Examinations Operations Examinational secondary schools (CAPE) results are re- tion Services, Dr. Nicole Manning, who are both or be placed at a school leased. within their region.

Minister of Educa- in Guyana for the anThe NGSA results will tion, Priya Manickchand, nouncement of the CXC be announced one day on Tuesday, met with results.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, October 13, 2021

Urgent action needed to contain effects of pandemic

–– Senior Finance Minister tells high-level Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors of the World Bank, IMF

SENIOR Finance Minister, Dr. Ashni K. Singh, has indicated that Latin American and Caribbean countries need to act with urgency in the recovery from the pandemic.

The minister served as a panelist on a virtual high-level meeting titled “The Road to Recovery in Latin America and the Caribbean”. The meeting was convened as part of the 2021 Annual Meetings of the Board of Governors of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank (WB).

According to a release, Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) is the region hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic and thus, the meeting featured an exchange between high-level policy makers across countries and sectors including Ministers of Finance, Planning, Labour, Health and Education, to discuss progress towards closely interrelated objectives by policymakers that focus on supporting the region’s pandemic recovery.

These objectives included: strengthening LAC’s public health response to creating the necessary space for economic reactivation, minimising the long-term scarring by the crisis on human capital development, and supporting job creation, particularly for those impacted by the crisis.

During his presentation, Minister Singh indicated that even as Latin American countries battle the various challenges, first and foremost is ensuring that people are protected.

“First, we must do all we can to keep our people alive, safe, and well. This necessitates ensuring: adequate capacity in the health care system; access by the entire population to food, potable water, and sanitation, especially given the ongoing threat to livelihood faced by the most vulnerable; and access to vaccines given the scientific evidence on vaccine efficacy. In Guyana, for example, we have pursued an aggressive vaccination campaign, achieving to date first dose coverage of 71 per cent and second dose coverage of 42 per cent of the adult population, and amongst the adolescent population, 35 per cent first dose coverage and 20 per cent second dose coverage,” Minister Singh emphasised.

The minister said affected countries need to act with urgency especially in terms of their approach to minimising the damage to their economies and getting their countries back on track to the path of recovery.

CONTAIN THE DAMAGE “Second, we must contain damage to the economy.

This will likely involve a phased reopening of the economy without compromising the safety of our people.

It might also involve some measure of support to help ensure that the private sector can navigate the crisis and survive financially. In Guyana, we rolled out a universal cash transfer programme delivering COVID-19 cash grants to every household across the country. This injected essential liquidity into the household sector and, by extension, helped to kickstart a resumption of economic activity,” he said.

With Guyana’s 2021 Mid-Year report indicating a 14. 5 per cent economic growth with a 4.8 per cent growth in the non-oil economy, the Senior Finance Minister concluded that LAC countries can address the challenges to their economies by addressing the critical impediments to their growth.

“Third, we must lay the foundation for full recovery and sustained economic growth in the medium and longer term, by addressing and alleviating the most critical prevailing impediments to growth. In many countries, these will include catalytic infrastructure, human capital development, technological advances, and the business environment. In Guyana, we are focusing heavily on addressing all aspects of this agenda, with a view to ensuring a well-diversified and resilient economy going forward, “Minister Singh concluded.

In Guyana, in addition to the COVID-19 pandemic, the country experienced devastating flooding in several regions in May-June last which resulted in the flooding of several agricultural lands, further impacting the performance of some of the sectors in the non-oil economy. Government has been

working assiduously on the path to recovery, providing support to the household and productive sectors.

Looking ahead, it is anticipated that the revised full-year forecast for real GDP growth in Guyana in 2021 would be 19.5 per cent overall and 3.7 per cent for the non-oil economy.

Senior Finance Minister, Dr. Ashni K. Singh (right), during the meeting on Tuesday

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, October 13, 2021

Nail technician intercepted with suspected cocaine in frozen curry, pepperpot

RANKS of the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU), on Tuesday morning, intercepted an outgoing passenger on Copa Airlines destined to Panama with onward connections to John F. Kennedy Airport and discovered suspected cocaine concealed in frozen food.

A search was conducted on one of the checked-in luggage of the passenger, identified as 33-year-old Mallika Lambert, a nail technician.

The search revealed 6.232 kilograms of suspected cocaine concealed in a bowl of frozen curry and a bowl of frozen pepperpot.

Mallika Lambert The suspect is currently in custody pending investigations.

The suspected cocaine concealed in a bowl of frozen curry and a bowl of frozen pepperpot

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, October 13, 2021

130th Canton Fair from Oct 15 to 19 and Special Event for Guyana on Oct. 18 AS a vital step to promote trade in the face of COVID-19, the 130th Canton Fair will showcase 16 product categories across 51 exhibition areas in a fruitful 5-day exhibition to be held over one phase from Oct 15 to 19, integrating online showcases with offline in-person experiences for the first time.

Ren Hongbin, China’s Vice Minister of Commerce, pointed out that the 130th Canton Fair is a significant milestone, especially given the current global pandemic climate with a fragile foundation for the world’s economic recovery.

With the theme of driving dual circulation, the 130th Canton Fair will be held from Oct 15 to 19 in an online-offline merged format.

In addition to around 60,000 booths on its virtual exhibition that offers flexibility for 26,000 exhibitors and buyers around the world to look for business opportunities through the Canton Fair online, this year's Canton Fair also brings back its physical exhibition area covering approximately 400,000 square meters, which will be participated by 7,500 companies.

The 130th Canton Fair also sees an increasing amount of quality and boutique products and companies. Its 11,700 brand booths, represented by more than 2,200 companies, account for 61 per cent of total physical booths.

130th Canton Fair seeks innovation for international trade The 130th Canton Fair is embracing China’s dual circulation strategy amid emerging domestic demand by connecting representatives, agencies, franchises, and branches of multinational companies, large-scale foreign businesses and cross-border e-commerce companies in China, as well as domestic buyers, with businesses at the Canton Fair both online and offline.

Through online-to-offline engagement on its platform, the Fair is also building capabilities for businesses that have strong competencies in product and technology innovation, value-added empowerment and market potential to join its showcases, encouraging them to seek business transformation through new

technologies and market channels so that they can reach out to both domestic and international markets.

To provide the world with new opportunities brought by the development of China, the 130th Canton Fair will also mark the opening of the first Pearl River International Trade Forum.

The Forum will add value to Canton Fair, creating dialogues for policy makers, businesses and academia to discuss current affairs in international trade.

130th edition contributes to green development According to Chu Shijia, Director-General of China Foreign Trade Centre, the Fair sees many innovative and green products with cutting-edge technologies, materials, craftsmanship and energy sources applied for the Canton

Fair Export Product Design Awards (CF Awards) that have reflected companies’ green transformation. While promoting businesses, the Canton Fair is also contributing to sustainable industrial development, which echoes China’s long-term goal of carbon peak and neutrality.

The 130th Canton Fair will further promote China’s green industry by showcasing more than 150,000 low-carbon, environmentally-friendly and energy-saving products from over 70 leading companies across energy sectors including wind, solar and biomass.

Special online event for Guyanese business communities Guyana business communities could attend the Fair and register at http://bit.ly/ CantonFairBuyerRegistration-EN According to the Ministry of Tourism, Industry and Commerce, there will also be a special online event co-hosted by the Chinese Embassy in Guyana, MINTIC and China Foreign Trade Center at 10:00 a.m., Oct 18, 2021 (GUYANA TIME) via ZOOM, at which presentation on Canton Fair and doing business with Chinese suppliers will be delivered, as well as the participation of Chinese suppliers.

More information can be accessible through sending email to eccogy@ gmail.com or info@mintic.gov.gy

Xi Focus: Chinese president announces establishing Kunming Biodiversity Fund BEIJING, (Xinhua) -- Chinese President, Xi Jinping, on Oct. 12, 2021, announced China's initiative to establish the Kunming Biodiversity Fund and take the lead by investing 1.5 billion yuan (about 233 million U.S. dollars) to the fund.

The fund will be used to support biodiversity protection in developing countries, Xi said while addressing the leaders' summit of the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity via video link in Beijing.

Noting that the COVID-19 pandemic has cast a shadow over global development and compounded challenges to the UN's 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, Xi said developing countries in the face of the dual tasks of economic recovery and environmental protection "need help and support all the more."

CHINESE President, Xi Jinping, delivers a keynote speech via video link at the leaders' summit of the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP15) held in Kunming, southwest China's Yunnan Province, Oct. 12, 2021.

(Xinhua/Li Xueren)

China calls on and welcomes all parties to make contributions to the fund, Xi said.

"We need to strengthen solidarity to overcome difficulties and let people across countries benefit more and in a fairer way from development outcomes and a sound environment, so as to build a homeland of common development of all countries," he said.

China has made remarkable progress in building an ecological civilization, including wildlife protection, said Xi, citing the recent adventure of the wandering elephants across southwest China's Yunnan Province.

The country is moving faster to establish a protected areas system with national parks as the mainstay, Xi said, adding that areas with the greatest importance to the natural ecosystem, and with the most unique natural landscapes, the most valuable natural heritage and the greatest biodiversity

reserve will be included in the system.

With a protected land area of 230,000 square kilometers, China's first batch of national parks is home to nearly 30 per cent of the key terrestrial wildlife species found in the country, Xi said.

The country has also started building a system of national botanical gardens in places like Beijing and Guangzhou, he said.

"China will continue to advance ecological progress, stay committed to implementing the new development philosophy emphasizing innovative, co-ordinated, green and open development for all, and build a beautiful China," he said.

"We are living in an era both fraught with challenges and full of hopes," Xi said. "As long as we press ahead with perseverance, a bright future will beckon."

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, October 13, 2021

Robot Peking Opera performers amaze visitors in Taizhou

Developed by the Jiangsu Performing Arts Group, 10 robots amaze visitors with a Kunqu Opera performance of Lady General Mu Guiying Takes Command at the Mei Lanfang Memorial Hall in Taizhou, Jiangsu province, on Oct 6. [Photo/IC]

(ChinaDaily) Robots are generally used in the industrial or service sector, but few are created with extraordinary artistic talent. A group of 10 robots, which are Peking Opera performers, amazed visitors at the Mei Lanfang Memorial Hall in Taizhou, Jiangsu province, on Oct 6.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, October 13, 2021

Only Together: Transforming Disaster Risk Management in the Greater Caribbean DISASTER risk management is no foreign concept to the Greater Caribbean region.

Every year, the hurricane season brings with it messages of preparedness over the radio, television and Internet. Many countries across the region have implemented disaster risk management strategies, encompassing public education, construction activities, preparedness and response plans, establishment of contingency funds, as seen in Jamaica, and purchase of insurance products such as the Caribbean Catastrophe Risk Insurance Facility products.

There has also been progress in disaster response at the regional scale, due to the leadership of organisations such as the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) and the Coordination Centre for Disaster Prevention in Central America and the Dominican Republic (CEPRENDEC). These advancements have been instrumental in the preservation of lives, livelihoods, health, and economic assets in the face of disasters.

In spite of this progress, Latin America and the Caribbean continues to be one of the most disaster-prone regions in the world. Between 1997 and 2017, one out of every four disasters in the world occurred in Latin America and the Caribbean [1]. Furthermore, between 2000 and 2019, approximately 152 million people were affected by 1205 disasters in the region [2]. The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in over 1.4 million deaths in the region, [3] and it continues to impact every facet of society, all amidst a growing climate crisis which is expected to contribute US$1.4 billion to expected annual losses from hurricane wind damage alone in the region by the year 2050 [4].

The numbers are stag-

gering, and justifiably alarming. But how are they related to disaster risk management in the region? A short journey into the history of disaster risk management can shed some light on the issue.

Prior to the mid-20th Century, disasters arising from the impacts of hurricane, earthquakes and other natural hazards were associated with misfortune. Nature was seen as an angry, unrelenting force which could not be controlled. As such, loss of lives and livelihoods was considered inevitable.

However, advancements in science and technology in the second half of the 20th Century ushered in a new era of disaster management, and by the 1990s, there was greater emphasis on managing disaster risk.

While the fatalistic view of disasters no longer dominates the Greater Caribbean, to a large extent they are still perceived as “natural” events. As such, they are managed as external occurrences which disrupt day-to-day living, and emphasis is placed on disaster response, resulting in a cyclic pattern of: Disaster > response > recovery > repeat. The treatment of disasters as exogenous events has also resulted in the compartmentalisation of disaster risk management. In many countries of the region, the responsibilities of disaster risk management lie within specialised national entities, and natural hazards are manged in silos.

However, experience has taught us that disasters are not natural, and they cannot be compartmentalised. The COVID-19 pandemic is a painful example of this. COVID-19 viral infections evolved into a disaster because of the presence of exposed human populations.

Had the world been better equipped to contain the virus, COVID-19 would not have escalated into a disaster of this scale.

Furthermore, the pandem-

ic has disrupted global systems, and it requires international, regional, national, local and even household cooperation in order to be effectively managed. Insight into what makes certain persons more vulnerable to infection and death, and the counteracting mea-

sures which are required is critically important to safeguarding lives.

Similarly, earthquakes and other natural hazards result in disaster when they impact vulnerable and exposed human populations.

Disasters can have extensive impacts on societies, and recovery can span

months, years and decades, as seen in the case of Haiti and many other countries of the region. Effective management of disaster risk in the region requires a deeper understanding of the underlying drivers of risk. Some of these drivers include, but are not limited to, urban planning or a lack

thereof, fragile economic systems, social inequality, poverty, corruption, environmental degradation, poor law enforcement, and a lack of cross-sectoral collaboration.

The COVID-19 pandemic is one of the greatest See page 22

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Only Together: Transforming Disaster Risk Management ...

From page 21 challenges of the 21st Century, but it is also one of the greatest opportunities. It has forced us to take a microscopic look at the susceptibility

of our health, national security and economic systems, and has elucidated the importance of anticipatory risk management.

It has forced us to co-

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, October 13, 2021

operate at international, national, regional, local and household scales, and across all sectors of society.

Very importantly, it has highlighted the impor(Photo courtesy of Caribbean Islands Map and Satellite Image) tance of a comprehensive approach to disaster risk management.

A comprehensive approach to disaster risk management considers the systematic nature of disaster risk, and seeks to address it at its root. It highlights the interrelated nature of hazards and their cascading impacts, and facilitates the integration of risk management strategies. For example, the management of disaster risk associated with hurricanes should also include flood, landslide and disease management.

Furthermore, disaster risk reduction and climate change adaption strategies should be integrated to maximise scarce resources, and enhance technical capacities to manage climate-configured disasters.

This transformation in disaster risk management cannot be achieved without cooperation. The COVID-19 pandemic has shown us that no one is safe until we are all safe.

Greater collaboration among inter-governmental organisations, regional governments, the scientific community, businesses and communities is required to understand complex risk patterns, and make risk-informed decisions.

The Association of Caribbean States (ACS) is committed to transforming the disaster risk management landscape in the region through multilateral cooperation and strategic action. Over the next

triennium, the ACS will work towards enhancing disaster risk assessment, augmenting adaptive capacities, and improving multi-hazard early warning service delivery in the region. We look forward to strengthening and increasing multilateral partnerships, as we work towards building a stronger region.

Let’s match rhetoric with meaningful action in the Greater Caribbean region. This we can only achieve, together.

[1] Regional Assessment Report on Disaster Risk in Latin America and the Caribbean| Publications (undrr.org) [2] Natural Disasters in Latin America and the Caribbean| Publications (unocha.org) [3] PAHO and ECLAC discuss health, social and economic impact of COVID-19| News (paho. org) [4] Global Assesment Report on Disaster Risk Reduction, 2015| Publications (undrr.org) This article is written

by Christal Benjamin.

Benjamin is a Research Assistant, and Shauna Edghill is a CCRIF Intern in the Directorate for Disaster Risk Reduction, Environment and Caribbean Sea at the Association of Caribbean States.

This article is written in commemoration of International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction, October 13, 2021. Any comments or feedback should be submitted to feedback@ acs-aec.org

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, October 13, 2021

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Caribbean countries need urgent rethink of concessional financing criteria

CARIBBEAN countries facing a perilous path back to growth due to the crises of COVID-19 and climate change, need the global community to fundamentally reassess how concessional financing is accessed.

Prime Minister of Barbados, Mia Amor Mottley, made this call last Friday, at the President’s Chat, a discussion forum hosted

by President of the Caribbean

Prime Minister of Barbados, Mia Amor Mottley Development Bank, Dr. Hyginus ‘Gene’ Leon.

Prime Minister Mottley said countries needed fiscal space and better terms for financing as the region’s small economies were not able to handle the impacts of COVID-19 in the same way as advanced economies.

“The UN Secretary General told us that the average advanced economy expanded and was able to use 28 per cent of GDP as a fiscal stimulus, the middle-income countries six per cent and low-income countries less than two per cent. So therein lies the story of what has happened in the last 20 months – inequity at its worst and a strangling,” stated the Prime Minister.

Governor of the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank, Timothy Antoine, who moderated the discussion, shared that in the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union (ECCU), over $1 billion in additional debt was incurred as a result of COVID-19 last year, putting countries in “a dilemma … where we are trying to service debt and also serve our people.”

Prime Minister Mottley held that against this background, Caribbean coun-

tries should be able to access financing without being held to criteria such as debt-toGDP ratio that do not reflect the full reality.

“When you look at the fact that a lot of the accumulation of the debt that they’re concerned about in our region hasn’t come from corruption or hasn’t come from profligacy alone. It has also come from the reality of having to absorb shocks – decade after decade after decade, whether it was in the loss of productive capacity post WTO (World Trade Organisation) or whether it was environmental as we’re seeing now, and the reality is that these things have now been judged against us,” she stressed.

Expanding on this point, Dr Leon noted that it was critical to unpack what underpinned the debt load in countries in the region which are vulnerable to climate change related disasters.

“We talk about the 60 per cent debt to GDP [ratio] but I think it’s equally clear those of us who have lived through hurricanes that a lot of that debt is maybe simply the money that you are borrowing to rebuild after a hurricane goes by.

“So, we have to be able to make one of two arguments – either that the 60 per cent is not the appropriate definition to use in countries that have high vulnerability, or we need to unpack the current debt to GDP ratios by parceling out those elements that are not of our doing…. We should be able to unpack those so that you could genuinely say the relevant effective debtto-GDP ratio that you should be accountable for is much, much less than what it is now,” he stated.

Mottley stated that this was especially relevant because the problems of climate change were not caused by Caribbean countries. She stated: “If you’re going to ask us to be able to meet the needs of a climate crisis, then you cannot hold us to a 60 per cent debt to GDP fiscal anchor. You’ve got to look for adaptation funds and preferably grant funds within the context of adaptation funds that will not add to our debt stock because we don’t have the room to add to it.

Yet it is because of your… greed and wicked behaviour that the greenhouse gases are causing us these problems.” (Caribbean Development Bank)

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DRS to be used in men's T20 World Cup for the first time … The ICC has also increased the minimum number of overs for delayed and rain-interrupted matches in the world tournament FOR the first time in an ICC men's T20I tournament the Decision Review System (DRS) will be in use as the governing body has announced that the system will be available at the T20 World Cup starting later this month.

As per the playing conditions released by the ICC this week for the forthcoming T20 World Cup, which begins on October 17 and will be played in the UAE and Oman, each team will get a maximum of two reviews per innings.

The governing body had confirmed in June last year

an additional unsuccessful DRS review for each team in each innings of a match across all formats, "keeping in mind that there may be less experienced umpires on duty at times" owing to COVID-19-related reasons.

The number of unsuccessful appeals per innings for each team has since increased to two for the white-ball formats and three for Tests.

ICC has also decided to increase the minimum number of overs for delayed and rain-interrupted matches.

During the group stages of the T20 World Cup, each team will need to bat for a

minimum of five overs for the result to be decided by the DLS method.

That's the norm for any T20I currently. But for the semi-finals and the final, each team will need to bat for a minimum of 10 overs to effect a result, as was the norm in the women's T20 World Cup last year, where it became a major talking point after the first semi-final, between England and India, was washed out in Sydney, and the absence of a reserve day saw England eliminated.

A marquee tournament such as the men's T20 World Cup did not utilise the DRS

in the past because the last edition of the event took place in 2016 when the review system was not in place in T20Is. The first ICC T20I tournament to have the DRS was the 2018 women's T20 World Cup in the Caribbean where teams had one review available. The same was used again at the 2020 edition of women's T20 World Cup in Australia, the last multiteam event organised by the ICC before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Introduced to minimise the margin of error in decision-making by umpires, the

DRS, a process under which the third umpire may be consulted in relation to a decision of the on-field umpires, either by way of an umpire review or a player review, has been used since 2017 in major ICC events such as the men's Champions Trophy, the 50over World Cup, and the World Test Championship as well as the women's ODI and T20 World Cups.

Under the ICC's playing conditions, the use of DRS in both men's and women's internationals is at the discretion of the participating boards for bilateral series.

(Cricinfo)

We Stand United CC GFF promotes Bryan... (From back page) well during his time at the execution of my duties,” he tion,” Forde stressed donates... (From back page) said.

“His personal and pro- Federation as its Youth the organisation has been favoured to be the beneficiary of a very impressive act by Mr Horace Burrowes; former Guyana Cycling Federation president and owner of We Stand United Cycle Club, (USA and Guyana). Mr Burrowes and his group presented gear to the LonLam Classic Organisation to aid in our investment in the passion of cycling.

“This speaks of the potency of collaboration; in the effort to help our people.

Mr Burrowes is committed to aiding in further development of our cyclists.

“LonLam Classic looks forward to developing more

partnerships of this nature.”

The LonLam Classic Organisation which is led by Nigel London and Littleton Lambert focusses heavily on investing "in passion" and "riding with integrity". This is mainly in relation to cycling; but not exclusively therein. For example, the David McDougall Scholarship (a G$50 000 grant) was issued to two students; whose interest lies in basketball.

The organisation comprises enthusiasts from Linden, Georgetown, Berbice, and overseas. November 14 marks the 4th edition of the LonLam Classic which would be held in Mackenzie, Linden.

Built from the ground up: The family... (From page 32) yorkers almost at will, Bilal also has a knack of swinging the white ball into the righthander, or angle smartly away.

Khan has grown a reputation for being one of the hardest workers off the field, with a regimented fitness regime delivering results between the 22 yards.

BIG MATCH Scotland - 21 October

Beaten by the Scots at the Qualifier in 2019, Oman’s re-match with them at the World Cup on home soil is the last game of Group B, and will most likely decide who progresses to the Super 12 phase of the tournament.

A match promising high scores, the result could come down to which bowling attack can keep their cool at the death. (ICC Media)

Following an impressive career as a player, Joseph’s experience in Guyana’s football pyramid features a wealth of experience while coaching national teams at various levels, including guiding the U-15 boys’ national team to Guyana’s first international youth title - the Soualiga Cup - in 2017.

“Bryan has been a dedicated and hard-working professional throughout his tenure with the GFF, and has contributed significantly to the success of our organisa-

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fessional growth over the years is quite exemplary and reflects positively on a culture of continual professional development, which has been embedded in our organisation,” he added.

Joseph’s promotion is part of the GFF Executive Committee’s ongoing strategic focus on long-term capacity-building and uplifting Guyana-based talent across the entire football spectrum, from players and coaches to referees and administrators.

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Upskilling his certification and qualifications is vital to ensure that he maximises his impact on football development within the member associations. We wish him all the best in his new role.”

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Wednesday October 13, 2021

Built from the ground up: The family dream behind Oman's cricketing rise ONCE upon a time in Oman, cricket was mainly played by visiting navy crew on dirt grounds. This week it will host the first match of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2021, where the country's impressive cricket outfit will look to make waves.

Ahead of the tournament curtain-raiser, we take a look at the rise of cricket in Oman,

and in turn Oman's rise in cricket.

Cricket in Oman has come a long way from the days of dirt grounds played on by navy crew, with the lush grass of the Oman Cricket Academy Ground to see plenty of T20 World Cup action this month.

Suffice to say, cricket in the country has seen transformative change. And much

of that change stems from the dreams of Kanaksi Khimji.

The founding Chairman of the Oman Cricket Board in 1979, Khimji was the forefather of the sport in his country, and in turn, the national team we see turning out today.

Overseeing every cricketing development in the country, while maintaining other professional portfolios, Kh-

imji was so revered that the honorary title of Sheikh was bestowed upon him by the late Sultan Qaboos bin Said.

In 2011, he was presented the ICC Lifetime Service Award.

Kanaksi sadly passed away in February, but not before Oman Cricket Ground Academy was approved as a Test venue.

Kanaksi's son Pankaj, a long term member of the Oman Cricket Board, has stepped up to take the reins.

Given the responsibility of co-hosting this year's T20 World Cup, Oman will be the epicentre of cricket this month alongside the United Arab Emirates. And the jewel in the nation's cricket crown will take glowing centre stage, with the Academy facility in Al Amerat hosting Group B matches in the First Round.

Oman’s responsibility to co-host the tournament is a testament to their backroom professionalism, though it’s their quality on the field that makes them worthy World Cup combatants.

The national team has seen a meteoric rise comparable only with Afghanistan.

From ICC Affiliate membership in 2000 and Associate Membership in 2014, Oman were playing in Division 5 of the ICC World Cricket League as recently as 2016.

Miraculously, that year they qualified to play in the Men's T20 World Cup in India, where they won their first match on tournament debut against Ireland.

They have continued to take strides since, attaining ODI status is 2019.

Oman return to the T20 World Cup stage five years on from their tournament debut, primed by high-pressure Associate international cricket.

The final team to book their ticket for the tournament at the 2019 Qualifier, the men in red were not consistent through the campaign but held their nerve at a tense business end.

Finishing second in their group, Oman took on Namibia in the semi-final playoff of the Qualifier but fell short.

With only the top six finishers at the Qualifier going through to the T20 World Cup, Oman found themselves in a sud-

den-death play-off against Hong Kong and came up clutch, winning by 12 runs in a defence of 134.

For keen observers of the emerging game, Oman’s yo-yoing form at the Qualifier was nothing new. Capable of beating almost anyone at their best, consistency has been hard to find, particularly in the shortest format.

Since attaining T20I status in 2015, Oman have lost 19 of their 36 international matches, with the triumph of two wins over Ireland contrasted by a shock home defeat to Qatar in February 2020.

To make it far in this T20

Left-arm quick Bilal Khan

World Cup they'll need to find the key to consistency.

Given the surprise of home ground advantage, maybe, just maybe, they can.

THE SQUAD Zeeshan Maqsood (c), Aqib Ilyas, Jatinder Singh, Khawar Ali, Mohammad Nadeem, Ayaan Khan, Suraj Kumar, Sandeep Goud, Nester Dhamba, Kaleemullah, Bilal Khan, Naseem Khushi, Sufyan Mehmood, Fayyaz Butt, Khurram Khan Nawaz Their fixtures 17 Oct - v Papua New Guinea 19 Oct - v Bangladesh 21 Oct - v Scotland Tournament history Best finish: First Round (2016) Oman caused the first upset of the 2016 tournament, chasing down a target of 155 against Ireland with two wickets in hand and two balls to spare. Despite the early kickstart to their campaign they failed to

reach the next stage as rain prevented a match against the Netherlands before they were brought undone by Bangladesh, losing by 54 runs (DLS).

LOOK OUT FOR Jatinder Singh Oman’s highest run-scorer at the 2019 Qualifier, Singh struck 267 runs at a strike rate of 134.17, averaging 38.28, and top-scoring in three of his team’s innings in the successful campaign.

Singh compiled a vital 67 (50) in the victory over Hong Kong to qualify, and only Namibia’s Gerhard Erasmus and Ireland’s Paul Stirling were more prolific at the tournament.

Heading into the tournament in ominous white ball form via Cricket World Cup League 2, Singh has the potential to peel off big scores and do it in a hurry.

His knock of 107 off 62 balls against Nepal in their recent ODI encounter underlined his credentials, with a potential seventh six in the innings only denied by an outstanding catch on the rope by Nepal’s Rohit Paudel.

Likely to pair with the more circumspect Khawar Ali at the top of the order, Singh has an eye other players dream of, and will have licence from captain Zeeshan Maqsood to go all-out in attack.

KEY PLAYER Bilal Khan Needing to make early inroads with the ball, the performances of left-arm quick Bilal Khan will go a long way towards a Super 12 berth for his country.

Taking the most wickets at the 2019 Qualifier (18) and only going wicketless twice in his nine matches, Bilal has a knack of claiming a wicket in his first over, with a run-up and action that perhaps belies the pace he can generate. At the tournament, Bilal joined an 11-strong list of men’s players to take four-wicket hauls in consecutive matches, with efforts of 4/19 and 4/23 against Namibia and Hong Kong respectively, also on consecutive days.

Famous in the Associate world for his ability to bowl (Turn to page 31)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Wednesday October 13, 2021

U.S., El Salvador looking to rebound as WCQ window closes MIAMI, USA - October’s FIFA World Cup qualification matches in the CONCACAF region will wrap up with a thrilling slate of four contests today, with the pressure ramping up on teams as they near the halfway point of the final round.

The night begins with the United States hosting Costa Rica in Columbus, Ohio.

Whether the snowy 1-0 U.S. win in Colorado ahead of the 2014 World Cup, Marcos Urena’s double to give Costa Rica a 2-0 away win in New Jersey before the 2018 tournament or Hernan Medford, Mauricio Solis and Ronaldo Gomez combining to overcome goals from Eric Wynalda and Roy Lassiter in 1997 will have a bearing on the result, the series between these two teams is always competitive, and even more so in World Cup qualification.

The U.S. hold the all-time series lead with 18 wins, 16

losses and six draws, but Costa Rica have the edge with 11 wins, six defeats and three draws in WCQ. Costa Rica will be missing Joel Campbell and Jose Guillermo Ortiz, both of whom started in attack against El Salvador in a 2-1 Costa Rica win, prompting manager Luis Fernando Suarez to bring in veterans Christian Bolanos and Alvaro Saborio as replacements.

U.S. manager Gregg Berhalter will be able to lean on Weston McKennie and left back Antonee Robinson after they missed the North Americans’ 1-0 loss to Panama on Sunday.

CANADA VS PANAMA Canada have theit only home match of the month today, with an increased capacity at Toronto’s BMO Field likely to lead to a tremendous atmosphere for a contest against Panama. Canada are coming off consecutive away draws, drawing level with

Winning T20 World Cup team to get US$1.6 million THE winners of the 2021 ICC Men's T20 World Cup will be awarded prize money of US $1.6 million while the runners-up will take home $800,000.

The two losing semi-finalists will be rewarded a prize money of $400,000 each.

Overall, a sum of $5.6 million will be allocated for the tournament which will be shared by all the 16 participating teams.

The ICC will also continue to award a bonus amount for every win during the Super 12 stage of the tournament, as was the case during the 2016 edition of the tournament. The victors during all the 30 matches during the Super 12 stage will take home an amount of $40,000 — amounting to a total pot of $1,200,000.

The teams which get knocked out in the Super 12 stage will be awarded $70,000 each, amounting to a total sum of $560,000.

The same set-up is in place to reward teams during

their Round 1 victories, where again, they will be rewarded $40,000 during the 12 matches during the stage, totalling $480,000. The four teams which get knocked out during round one will get $40,000 each from an overall prize pool of $160,000.

The eight teams participating in Round 1 will are Bangladesh, Ireland, Namibia, Netherlands, Oman, Papua New Guinea, Scotland and Sri Lanka. Meanwhile, Afghanistan, Australia, England, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa and West Indies are the eight confirmed teams for the Super 12 stage of the tournament in the UAE and Oman.

Apart from the prize money for the 2021 edition of the tournament, the ICC also announced a drinks-break which will take place during each and every match. The duration of the break will be of 2 minutes and 30 seconds and will take place during the half-way mark of each innings. (ICC Media)

Mexico, 1-1, and Jamaica, 0-0, earlier this month, while Panama are riding high after their victory over the U.S. The teams have relatively little history against each other, having met just 10 times total and six times in qualification. The last encounter was a 2014 international friendly that came on the heels of Panama’s only win over Canada in World Cup qualification, a 2-0 victory with goals from Rolando Blackburn and Blas Perez.

Blackburn will hope to repeat the feat, while his teammates at the back must deny a new-look Canada attack featuring Jonathan David, Alphonso Davies and Jonathan Osorio, the author of Canada’s goal in the Estadio Azteca earlier this month to secure a point against Mexico.

HONDURAS VS JAMAICA Jamaica will head to Honduras for a contest at

Los Catrachos.

Honduras will be without defender Maynor Figueroa, who is serving a suspension after seeing a red card in a 3-0 loss to Mexico on Sunday.

U.S. manager Gregg Berhalter will be able to lean on Weston McKennie (L) and left back Antonee Robinson after they missed the North Americans’ 1-0 loss to Panama on Sunday last. (CONCACAF)

the Estadio Olimpico Metropolitano, in San Pedro Sula with every nation still looking for their first win of the final round.

Reggae Boyz manager Theodore ‘Tappa’ Whitmore enjoyed success in this fix-

ture as a player, scoring on the road to France 1998 in a 3-0 Jamaica win over Honduras (Walter Boyd’s double serving as the other goals), and in the 2002 cycle when Jamaica logged the second of three all-time wins over

EL SALVADOR VS MEXICO Mexico put their undefeated record thus far to the test with a trip to the Estadio Cuscatlan in San Salvador to face El Salvador. La Selecta took an early 1-0 lead against Costa Rica on Sunday, but fell 2-1, with Narciso Orellana sent off in the 85th minute and suspended for this contest.

If history is our guide, we’ll see a winner today, as these two teams have never settled for a stalemate. Mexico have won nine WCQ matches against El Salvador and lost three, the most recent defeat coming in 2009 when El Salvador won 2-1 at the Cuscatlan.

FIFA’s biennial WC plans draw negative reaction from sponsor Adidas NEW criticism of plans to stage a World Cup WC every two years has appeared from an unexpected source, the chief executive of one of FIFA’s main sponsors, Adidas.

Kasper Rørsted, whose views carry great weight in sport, has joined a growing number within football in voicing scepticism of the plans, which could be approved by FIFA before the end of the year.

In an interview with the Swiss newspaper Neue Zürcher Zeitung, Rørsted said: “I don’t think much of a football World Cup held every two years. There’s a European Championship here, there’s a Copa América in Latin America. One should also leave space for other things.

“I am a passionate football fan … but it is important that not only football is shown on television but

also biathlon, skiing, tennis or handball. If you push just one product heavily it is not good for any product.”

Adidas has a history with FIFA that dates back to the World Cup of 1970 in Mexico. It creates the ball for each tournament and is a top-tier sponsor along with companies such as Coca-Cola and Visa It maintained its links with FIFA despite the scandals that engulfed the former president Sepp Blatter and its deal extends to the centennial World Cup of 2030. Adidas is also a sponsor of UEFA, which has led criticism of the biennial World Cup. In a wide-ranging interview that also addressed the political situation in Adidas’s home territory of Germany, the 59-yearold raised an eyebrow at a number of aspects of the game at large. He said a

European Super League would be bad for the longterm health of football, despite short-term benefits.

“Financially, the Super League would probably be attractive for us,” he said.

“In the long-term, however, we believe that the love for sport from childhood arises from having access and it is something tangible.

“It is important for us that children have access to the stadiums and see their stars, not often, but every now and then. The competitions are not intended to be elitist events that can only be seen on television.”

Rørsted also said he believed the growth in sponsorship of clubs and players had reached its limits “apart from a few exceptions”, owing to the predictability of the outcomes.

Fans “do not want to see the same master over and over again,” he said.

“When Leicester won the

Premier League a few years ago, they said: ‘Great.’ The enthusiasm was similar when Lille won the league in France this year. There is a lust for the underdog to win.”

UEFA, meanwhile, has set out its plans for the hosting of Euro 2028 – a tournament which would clash with the first of FIFA’s biennial World Cups if those proposals are approved. European football’s governing body said the competition in seven years’ time was set to feature 24 teams, the same as the last two European Championships, but the number of participating countries could be increased to 32 with competition regu lations yet to have been fixed.

UEFA will invite single or joint bids, but only two countries will be afforded automatic qualification.

(The Guardian)

34

Retiring not in Wilder’s plans after loss to Fury ‒ trainer Malik Scott

Deontay Wilder has drawn one and lost two of his three fights with Britain's Tyson Fury.

HEAVYWEIGHT Deontay Wilder will not be quitting boxing after losing to Tyson Fury for a second time, says the American's lead trainer, Malik Scott.

Wilder, 35, was knocked out in the 11th round by Fury in a thrilling WBC world championship fight in Las Vegas on Saturday.

"Deontay has set his family financially secure so he doesn't have to fight to make a living," Scott told iFL TV. "But retiring is not in his plans at all and not something we've discussed."

Wilder and Fury contested a controversial draw in December 2018 before the Briton won the February

2020 rematch when Wilder's then-trainer Mark Breland threw the towel into the ring in the seventh round.

That move angered Wilder so much that he dismissed Breland and replaced him with Scott, a fighter he had defeated in 2014.

In the third Fury-Wilder bout, both men were knocked down - Fury twice in the fourth and Wilder in the third and 10th rounds before a third knockdown in the 11th saw the referee stop the fight.

Scott, 40, said there was not a moment when he considered ending the contest.

"Over the years of me knowing Deontay, he has always said throwing the towel

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in with a knockout artist like him wouldn't be tolerated," added Scott.

"It's something I respected. The last knockdown was the worst knockdown and the referee called it off.

"Deontay and Mark never had a relationship outside the gym, they never talked for more than five minutes on a phone call. Me and Deontay would never fall out and not speak again - our bond is too tight."

Wilder was world champion for more than five years from 2015 and has 42 wins, including 41 inside the distance, from 45 fights.

"He will be back in any form he wants to be," said Scott. "He's a big-time fighter and he doesn't belong down there with the other guys, he needs to be in high-level fights and main events.

"Deontay Wilder was great on Saturday, but Tyson Fury was even greater - it was a great night of boxing for the heavyweight division.

"You have to give Fury credit for having a good chin and getting up. Fury is a legend and one of the best in the heavyweight division in any era, and it's the same about Deontay."

(BBC Sport)

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Wednesday October 13, 2021

No one explained to me why I was dropped as SRH captain - Warner SUNRISERS Hyderabad (SRH) cricketer David Warner revealed that there was no proper explanation given to him as to why he was sacked as the captain.

Adding that he has the utmost respect for the owners as well as the support staff, the Australian stated that when a decision is arrived at, it has to be done in a unanimous manner.

The left-handed batsman also added that whatever a player has accomplished in the past will surely carry some weight going into the future as well.

“With the utmost respect for the owners, Trevor Baylis, Laxman, Moody and Murali, when a decision gets made, it has to be a unanimous one. You don’t know who is the person going for you and who isn’t.

The other disappointing thing for me was not being told why I was dropped as captain. If you want to go

Former Sunrisers Hyderabad captain David Warner

along the lines of form, it is a difficult one because I guess whatever you have done in the past would have some weight moving forward, you would think,” said David Warner to Sports Today.

David Warner also stated that he has played over 100 IPL matches for the ‘Orange

Army’, and only experienced four bad outings at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai in IPL 2021. Adding that the way he was treated is a difficult pill for him to swallow, Warner concluded by stating that he would love to once again represent the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) side going forward as well.

“Especially when you have played about 100 games for the franchise, I think I had four bad games in those first five matches in Chennai. It is difficult, a tough pill to swallow. There are still questions to which I think I’ll never get answers, but you have to move on. I would love nothing more than to represent SRH but obviously, that decision is with the owners,” concluded David Warner.

David Warner has played 150 matches in IPL cricket and has scored 5 449 runs at an average of 41.60 and a strike rate of 139.97. (CricTracker)

BCCI to initiate process to find new coaching staff THE Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is set to start the process to find the replacement for India head coach Ravi Shastri.

The contracts of bowling coach Bharat Arun and fielding coach R Sridhar are also expiring in November. The team’s coaching staff will see new faces for the New Zealand series at home which is set to commence only three days after T20 World Cup ends.

The Indian board is expected to come out with an advertisement and the criteria to apply for the job of Team India’s coaching staff later this week.

It is understood that the BCCI wants to bring the new staff on board for the New Zealand series in order to make themselves comfortable before the crucial South Africa series at the end of the year.

“The process of hiring the next support staff will start

Former Indian cricket team coach, Anil Kumble.

this week. The board is looking at October 14 to come out with the advertisement.

The board is keen to bring in the new coach during the New Zealand series so that he gets used to the dressing room before the team leaves for South Africa in the second week of December,” a top BCCI official said while speaking to Times of India.

According to a few sources, BCCI has got in touch with VVS Laxman and Anil

Kumble for the head coach role. However, the BCCI official stated more big names may apply for the coveted position in the coming days.

“These are very early stages. There could be more big names applying for the job. The board will wait for to see who all apply and then decide on pursuing individuals,” the official added.

Moreover, it has been reported that former India cricketer and current bowling coach at the NCA Paras Mhambrey is in the running to be the bowling coach.

He has been grooming the bowlers with Rahul Dravid, the NCA head coach, over the last few years.

“It will be great if Mhambrey applies for the job. He knows the system well. But the board will have to figure out who will take care of the U-19 team because there is not much time to prepare or the U-19 World Cup,” the BCCI official said. (CricTracker)

35

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Wednesday October 13, 2021

Berbice tame Essequibo in Inter-county round-arm clash WHILE their ‘flick’ bowling counterparts were taking a beating at the hands of Demerara on the adjoining ground at Keele Top, North York, Ontario, Canada last Sunday, Berbice ensured the spoils were shared equally with their round-arm side dishing out a seven-wicket win over Essequibo in their Inter-county final clash.

Watched by a bumper crowd on what was Thanksgiving weekend in Canada, Berbice reached the required target of 96 with four balls to spare after the game was reduced to 12 overs from the original 20 following threatening afternoon clouds.

The Berbicians lost three early wickets before Deodar Gopie (27 not out) and Lindon Persaud with an undefeated 20 ensured there were no further inroads. Gopie, clobbered three sixes in his fine knock while Persaud struck a four and a six.

Rawle Scott had earlier belted two sixes in his 18, batting at number three while opener Faoud Mohammed hit 17 (two sixes).

Earlier, Imtiaz Badshaw was the standout for the boys from the Cinderella County, blasting five sixes in a top score of 43 while Abdool Azeed’s 19 contained a four and two sixes as Essequibo reached an inadequate 95 for eight in their allotted 12 overs.

Persaud, who was later named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) bagged four for 10 to crown a fine allround performance while Naresh Bhagwandin took

The victorious Berbice round-arm side

two for 11.

Apart from copping the winner's Trophy Stall (Canada) trophy, Berbice also carted off $2 000 (Can) while Demerara collected a trophy and the $500 (Can) runners-up prize. Players from both teams were also the recipients of medallions.

In a feature four-team 10/10 ‘End of Summer Bash, played earlier in the day, Assassins got the better of Apex, winning by 29 runs.

The winners collected $1 000 (Can) and a trophy while the runners-up took home a trophy. Like he did in the Inter-county ‘flick’” bowling Inter-county final, Avinash Sookdeo was also crowned the MVP for his attacking innings of 84.

The entire day’s proceedings were organised by Dassie and Friends Production.

MVP Lindon Persaud collects his winning trophy.

Damodar Daesrath is a former Guyana national captain, now residing in Toronto, Canada.

Prior to the start of the presentation ceremony, brief remarks were given

by Ontario Masters Softball Cricket Clubs vice-president (acting) Orin O’Neil, who praised Daesrath for his efforts in keeping the grassroots game alive in Toronto. (Frederick Halley)

England held to 1-1 draw by Hungary at Wembley ENGLAND'S path to the 2022 World Cup hit an unexpected stumbling block when they were held to a draw by Hungary in a qualifier marred by crowd violence at Wembley.

Gareth Southgate's side are still in pole position to reach Qatar but this was a disjointed display despite England taking on the Hun-

garians with an attacking line-up.

The early stages at Wembley were overshadowed by ugly scenes involving Hungary fans, who jeered England's players while holding up a banner protesting against taking the knee before clashing with police and stewards.

In a subdued atmosphere

and after a semblance of order had been restored, Hungary took the lead in the 24th minute when Luke Shaw was penalised for a high challenge on Loic Nego and Roland Sallai sent Jordan Pickford the wrong way from the spot.

England were level before half-time, John Stones turning in at the far post

after Tyrone Mings and Declan Rice touched on Phil Foden's free-kick.

Hungary then survived in relative comfort, Harry Kane's struggles for form summed up when England's captain was substituted even though they were searching desperately for a winner.

(BBC Sport)

Agar lauds Justin Langer's values, morals after 'horrible' experience ASHTON Agar would be "absolutely shattered" if subjected to the sort of public critique directed at Justin Langer, adding he is full of respect for Australia's coach and his unwavering values.

Player unease about Langer and his approach ignited intense speculation about the future of the former Test opener, who is contracted until mid-2022.

Langer's posting of a motivational message on LinkedIn made headlines this week but the issue hit its crescendo in August, when Cricket Australia chief executive Nick Hockley publicly backed Langer to remain coach for the Twenty20 World Cup and Ashes.

Hockley, CA chairman Earl Eddings and on-field leaders Tim Paine, Aaron Finch and Pat Cummins even met to discuss "the elephant in the room".

Langer and Australia's T20 World Cup squad will assemble later this week ahead of their tournament-opener against South Africa on October 23.

Agar, a long-time mentee of Langer at both domestic and international level, said he and team-mates know the head coach is listening to feedback and will do "whatever he can to suit the needs of the team" "You can't help but respect that and we'll back him in 100 percent at this tournament and going forward," Agar told reporters from the UAE. "He's got strong values and morals as a person and he sticks to them, unwaveringly.

Knowing him over 10 years, not a lot has changed.

"I respect him a lot for that. We just have to have a bit of understanding around how horrible that experience (in recent months) would have been and respect someone coming out of that and still doing his best."

Ashton Agar will hope for conditions that help him during the World Cup. (Getty Images)

Langer said he felt like ‘Superman’ earlier this year, having responded to player feedback and tried to clear the air prior to a T20 tour of the Caribbean.

But Australia, minus Cummins and several rested stars, suffered lopsided T20 series losses to West Indies and Bangladesh with the heat on Langer most intense while stuck in an Adelaide hotel room for a fortnight.

"All the criticism and everything that he's copped ... to be dragged through the media while you're in quarantine, all of these different things," Agar said. "If that happened to you or me, we would be absolutely shattered.

But speaking to him recently, he's doing really well."

Selectors included leg-spinners Adam Zampa and Mitchell Swepson alongside Agar in their World Cup squad.

Agar is upbeat that the trio, having played together in Bangladesh, could be squeezed into the same XI during the upcoming tournament.

"It's all dependent on the surfaces that we get," Agar said. "We've seen in the IPL now that the wickets are getting a little bit tired, we'll probably get some fresh wickets for the World Cup. But it wouldn't be really exciting.” (AAP)

WSUCC Alex Leung (2nd left) hands over one of the uniforms to Nigel London in the presence of other WSUCC members.

We Stand United CC donates cycle equipment to LonLam Classic WE Stand United Cycle Club (WSUCC), which has a local as well as a USA chapter, last Sunday donated some cycling equipment to the Linden-based LonLam Classic Organisation, which hosts a cycle race yearly in the Bauxite Mining Town.

The donation was a promise fulfilled by owner of WSUCC; Horace Burrowes, who is a USA-based businessman. It is not the first

time that Burrowes has made such a donation.

He has a rich history of assisting other clubs and individual cyclists with equipment from time to time.

Handing over the equipment, which included helmets (10), uniforms (5) and a pair of cycling shoes, was WSUCC 13 year-old sensation Alex Leung who is the reigning National Juvenile Champion.

He handed over one of the uniforms to LonLam Classic’s Nigel London at the Chin Chan Cycle Store in Robb Street.

Burrowes, in a brief comment, said that he was pleased to make good on a promise to London as he was impressed with the LonLam Classic event which helps to promote the sport that he loves dearly.

“I have been following the progress of

the event in Linden and the professional way in which it is run. Also, I really love the fact that it is designed to assist young riders and give them a platform to showcase their skills.

I am really heavy on assisting youths in their development so I decided to reach out to Mr London to make a contribution.”

London responded: “It is with great pleasure that TURN TO PAGE 31 ►

GFF promotes Bryan Joseph to Assistant Technical Director Newly appointed GFF Assistant Technical Director, Bryan Joseph

THE Guyana Football Federation (GFF) has promoted former Golden Jaguar and Youth Development Officer, Bryan Joseph, to the newly-created position of Assistant Technical Director, as it accelerates its efforts to empower home-grown talent and boost administrative capacity ahead of the return to play.

Qualified as a CONCACAF coach educator, Joseph is one of three GFF-affiliated

coaches certified with a valid CONCACAF ‘C’ licence.

He has been instrumental in the rollout of GFF’s pioneering Academy Training Centre network, the rapid improvement in the performances of Guyana’s national youth teams and in the enhanced impact of youth football development programmes around the country.

I'm honoured to be given this opportuni-

ty to continue my work in the development of football. This new role will push me to new heights within the technical development strategy of the GFF,” Joseph said.

“I am elated that president (Wayne) Forde, the Executive Committee and the Technical Director (Ian Greenwood) are showing confidence in my abilities through this appointment and I, therefore, will be diligent in the TURN TO PAGE 31 ►

DRS to be used in men's T20 World Cup for the first time … The ICC has also increased the minimum number of overs for delayed and rain-interrupted matches in the world tournament 31 PAGE

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Decision Review System (DRS) in cricket WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2021