Issuu

SATURDAY 21st August, 2021

' No.106460

Fraud accused charged for forging COVID-19 test result

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Common local content platform –– to be developed by Guyana, Suriname PAGE

Feasibility study underway for major 02 dairy farming in Guyana PAGE

A DDL Plant Manager explaining to Joseph Harrosh and members of the DDL Board how the production process works, during a tour of the facility Thursday (Tagman Media photo)

Guyana, Suriname to engage 07 northern Brazil on joint tourism talks PAGE

Guyana-Suriname Private Sector 11 Business Council to be established PAGE

Beneficiaries ...

Cash grant 09 for vulnerable groups a welcome initiative PAGE

GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, August 21, 2021

DDL feasibility study underway for major dairy farming in Guyana – collaboration with the LR Group to include the participation of local dairy farmers

DEMERARA Distillers Limited (DDL) and the LR Group of Israel are currently undertaking a feasibility study for the establishment of a commercially viable dairy farming operation designed to supply DDL’s TOPCO milk plant with fresh cows’ milk for pasteurisation and packaging. According to a release, the study forms part of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the two companies last June which provides for collaboration in the development of a dairy farming operation that will include the participation of local dairy farmers. TOPCO is currently testing the production and packaging of reconstituted milk which is scheduled to be commercially launched

From left to right, Ramesh Persaud, Harryram Parmesar, Egbert Carter, Joseph Harrosh, Komal Samaroo, Sharon SueHang, Lancelot Tyrell, Rudolph Collins and Wesley Kirton

later this month. The study, however, is being undertaken to determine the feasibility of transitioning to the pasteurisation of fresh cows’ milk. The feasibility study and definition of the scope of the project is scheduled for completion in early 2022. Israel is considered a global leader in the agriculture sector, including dairy farming and the project is being designed to utilise best practices and the latest state-of-the art technology. The MoU also provides for the implementation of strategies to increase the supply of fruits and vegetables from local farmers through the provision of support services that proContinued on page 3

GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, August 21, 2021

Common local content platform to be developed by Guyana, Suriname

By Navendra Seoraj

TO maximise the benefits stemming from their burgeoning oil and gas sectors and other developments across both economies, Guyana and Suriname will be establishing a common local content platform, President, Dr. Irfaan Ali, has said. “We are not in competition, we are on a journey of co-operation to maximise the benefits for people… and in order to ensure we do it successfully, we would need to have synergies in terms of infrastructure and the use,” the President said during a joint press conference at the Arthur Chung Conference, on Thursday. The press conference followed intense discussions over the past three days among local stakeholders and a delegation from Suriname, led by that nation’s President, Chandrikapersad Santokhi. Ultimately, the objective of enhanced collaboration between the two countries is to improve lives for all citizens through social and economic benefits. Those benefits are expected to be derived from projects such as the bridging of the Corentyne River to connect the two countries, the establishment of a trade

From Left: President of Guyana, Dr. Irfaan Ali and President of Suriname, Chandrikapersad Santokhi facilitation committee, the creation of a joint strategy to develop the oil and gas sectors and a common “gas strategy”, among other things. Specifically on oil and gas, President Ali said while the development of the industry is paramount, there will be great focus on developing the capacity of the human resources to meet the industry’s requirements. In Guyana, there are already ongoing discussions on the creation of a Local

Content Policy, which will guide the participation in the oil and gas sector and other economic sectors. This policy, according to authorities, would ultimately form the basis for local content legislation. To participate in various sectors, it is obvious that persons would have to be trained and qualified. So, cognisant of this, the government announced its plans to establish a world class Oil and Gas Institute, while several private sector organ-

isations have also invested in training for Guyanese. There is more in store for Guyana in the area of training and capacity-building, as the Surinamese government is offering on-the-job training for persons, through its oil and gold company, Staatsolie. The company offers advanced certification in key areas within the oil and gas industry. Outside of training and capacity-building, there will also be benefits for players in the private sector, not just in

Joseph Harrosh, Director of the LR Group, is currently in Guyana and met with the Board of Directors and executive management of DDL headed by Chairman, Komal Samaroo. The meeting viewed a presentation on the concept of the proposed project by Harrosh and a team of experts from Israel. A technical team from Israel will visit Guyana early next year to assess and make recommendations on land selection for the dairy farm and a structure for the participation of private farmers in the process.

Thereafter, the feasibility study will be finalised. Harrosh and the DDL team also toured the operations of TOPCO for an on-the-spot look at the new state-of-the art equipment recently installed. Following Thursday’s engagement, both Chairman Samaroo and Harrosh expressed satisfaction at the progress being made with the feasibility study and optimism that the project would be mutually beneficial to the investors and the Guyanese economy, the release concluded.

THREE years after 19-yearold Nyron Vyphuis was fatally stabbed while protecting a woman from being abused, her husband has confessed to the crime. Anthony Jones, formerly of Circuit Ville, Yarrowkabra, Soesdyke-Linden Highway, appeared before Justice Sandil Kissoon at the Georgetown High Court for murder but he opted to plead guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter. He admitted that on October 13, 2018, at Yarrowkabra, Soesdyke/Linden Highway, he unlawfully killed Vyphuis.

DDL feasibility study... From page 2 mote best practices in crop selection, cultivation, disease control, harvesting, packaging and transportation to DDL’s TOPCO plant at Diamond. It also provides for jointly pursuing other commercially viable projects in Guyana and the rest of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) that fit into the development priorities of member states and the region’s efforts to reduce its food import bill and ensure food security, the release said.

the oil and gas sector, but on a wider scale. The plan, as announced by both Heads of State, is to reduce red tape in the system by creating a joint Trade Facilitation Committee. Though discussions are in the preliminary stages, the committee, once established, will be tasked with making commercial activities between the two countries easier and hassle-free. The Trade Facilitation Committee would supplement a protocol concerning

the Trade in Fresh Agricultural Produce, which was signed by Guyana’s Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha, and Suriname’s Minister of Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Fisheries, Parmanand Sewdien. The protocol would see the two nations assisting each other to access new markets as they seek to trade agricultural produce. Guyana would benefit from Suriname’s access to the European market, while Suriname would benefit from Guyana’s access to the North American market. The agriculture protocol and other human resource development measures, announced by Presidents Ali and Santokhi, constitute local content. Speaking more about the nations’ plans for development, President Ali said: “We are also examining and have decided that we will create a local content platform that would support both countries in terms of the opportunities that could come from other areas [outside of oil and gas] of the economy.” Overall, the objectives of the three-day engagement, which ended on Thursday, were to reduce existing gaps and barriers and create opportunities for co-operation.

‘Abusive’ businessman admits killing wife’s rescuer

Anthony Jones Sentencing is set for Monday, August 23. According to reports, on the day in question, Vyphuis was at a liquor shop owned by Jones and witnessed Jones

abusing his wife. The young man, upon realising what was happening, intervened and attempted to stop Jones from harming the woman. Jones, however, became annoyed and armed himself with an axe. The weapon was eventually taken from him by other persons who were at the shop. Jones went into his house and armed himself with a knife which was later used to stab the teenager to the stomach. The teen managed to run a short distance before collapsing in a clump of bushes.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, August 21, 2021

Afghanistan: The desperate scramble to escape By Secunder Kermani BBC News, Kabul “Get back, get back,” screamed the British soldier at a crowd gathered in front of the secure compound where those being evacuated by the UK Embassy are taken before flying out. In front of him, many frantically waved their British passports in the air, hoping to be allowed through but a group of Afghan security guards wielding rubber hoses tried to push them back. Many in the crowd had not received any indication they would be evacuated, but had pitched up in any case, desperate for a route out of Afghanistan. Others, however, had received emails from the embassy telling them arrive here, and wait to be processed for a flight. They include Helmand Khan, an Uber driver from west London, who had arrived with his young children in Afghanistan a few months back to visit relatives. He thrusts a handful of British

Thousands are attempting to escape (BBC photo) passports towards me. “For the last three days I’m trying to go inside,” he tells me in despair, with his two young sons by his side. Also here is Khalid, a former interpreter for the British army. His wife gave birth to a child just two weeks ago, and he’s terrified the baby could die in such scenes. “I’ve been here since the morning,” he

said, “the Taliban lashed me on the back on my way.” A short walk away is the main entrance to the compound. Thousands have turned up, the vast majority with no realistic prospect of being evacuated. British soldiers at times fired into the air to control the crowd. The only way to get inside is to somehow push your way through the crowd, and wave your documents in their faces, hoping they will allow you past. The situation seems even more chaotic at the airport gates manned by US soldiers, while in front of the main civilian entrance to the airport the Taliban have been regularly firing into the air and beating back crowds who try and surge inside. I’m constantly bombarded

with questions by the Afghans who are trying to enter the British controlled compound, and who are at a total loss as to what to do. “Can you help me?” “Will they let me in?” Many try to show me documents they’ve brought with them, proving they spent time working with international forces or foreign embassies. One young woman tells me she was an international basketball player. She has not had any contact with the British embassy, but says she’s in fear for her life. She chokes up trying to describe her terror. The Taliban insist all those linked to the government have been granted an amnesty. The group says it intends to establish an “inclusive” government, but many

here are deeply anxious about the future. Elsewhere in the city, things are far calmer. It feels like a different world. Shops and restaurants are opening up, though at a fruit and vegetable market stallholders tell me there are still significantly fewer people out and about. One man, selling cosmetic products, says there are far fewer women in particular, though it’s not uncommon to see them on the streets. The Taliban meanwhile are everywhere, patrolling in vehicles seized from the Afghan security forces. They say they’re maintaining a presence to prevent looting and unrest, and some residents tell us they do feel more secure, not least because the militants are no longer carrying out targeted killings or bomb blasts. Many are still trying to establish what life under Taliban rule will look like. One taxi driver tells me he ferried

a group of fighters across the city whilst playing music from the car stereo. “They didn’t say anything,” he tells me whilst grinning, “they’re not strict like they were before.” But other reports are emerging of the Taliban turning up at the homes of journalists or former government figures and questioning them. Many fear it’s only a matter of time before they’re targeted violently. Back close to the airport, and Khalid, the former interpreter with a young baby finally manages to make it into the holding compound. Others are still struggling though and one British Afghan pleads with me to help. “How can I take my children through this crowd,” he asks? Many others, not eligible for evacuation but desperate to leave, will be left behind to face a deeply uncertain future. (BBC)

Khalid, a former interpreter for the British army, waits outside with his family (BBC photo)

GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, August 21, 2021

Tensions rise in Haiti after deadly earthquake

Five days after a powerful earthquake killed at least 2,189 people in Haiti help is trickling in, but struggling people say they need it more quickly. The poorest country in the Americas is in urgent need of medical, food and sanitation assistance, experts say. Rescue crews are still digging through rubble in a search for survivors, as the stench of death fills the air. “We are preparing for a public health disaster,” says Nadesha Mijoba of the Haitian Health Foundation. “The sanitation situation is quite critical... it is our hope that we don’t have an

outbreak of cholera,” Mijoba also warned BBC News. Since the 7.2 magnitude earthquake hit the island on Saturday, the US military has transported at least 200 severely injured people to hospital. Despite rainy conditions, many people have been sleeping outside due to fears that aftershocks could cause more buildings to collapse. “We are afraid to go inside, so we sleep on the ground in the street,” one person in the hard-hit region of Les Cayes told BBC News. “I don’t have a job, I don’t have water, I don’t have food. My house was destroyed, there is nothing,”

said another woman. Around 53,000 homes were completely destroyed in the quake, with about 77,000 more damaged.

With COVID-19 cases averaging 500 a day, pushing the island’s positivity rate to a staggering 41.9 per cent, Prime Minister Andrew Holness last night announced seven no-movement days designed to break the transmission of the rampaging novel coronavirus. The prime minister made the announcement in an address to the nation hours after the heads of two of the island’s umbrella church groups, which represent thousands of worshippers, indicated a willingness to sacrifice face-to-face church services and submit to no-movement weekends should the government go that route to bring the surging number of novel coronavirus cases under control. He said the normal curfew hours for the weekdays outside of those designated for no-movement will be 19:00 hrs to 05:00 hrs the next day, except Saturday when the curfew will begin at 18:00 hrs. Stating that the island’s COVID-19 case numbers are “unacceptably high and rising”, Holness said the rate of hospitalisation “is beyond the capacity of our health system to cope”. He said the most effective way of slowing transmission of the virus is to have a complete halt at a point. He advised that Jamaicans should work from home on the no-movement days, adding that the objective is to give the Ministry of Health two periods of no-movement that will effectively break the transmission of the virus. “This is what we hope will happen, but if people decide that they are not going to follow the advice and

direction of the government, and decide that they are going to go about their business, all of this would be in vain,” he said. “I am appealing to everyone to make these no-movement days a success,” he

under at least a one-day-perweek lockdown if COVID-19 cases show no signs of slowing. “We have not yet implemented a no-movement day; a no-movement day, however, is possible,” the prime

Caption: Rescue crews are still digging through rubble in a search for survivors, as the stench of death fills the air (BBC/GETTY IMAGES) The US Army is preparing to set up a field hospital in Les Cayes. The US and British Navy are also each sending ships to help with

rescue and recovery efforts. Doctors are struggling to treat the more than 12,200 people who have been injured. Hundreds are still missing, and presumed trapped under the rubble. Rescue workers had had to contend with armed gangs who attacked aid convoys. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said on Tuesday that following negotiations, the gangs had agreed to let aid through. But a major Port-auPrince hospital closed for two days after two doctors were kidnapped by criminals. A pregnant mother and her baby died while waiting for

one of the captured doctors, who was meant to be on his way to perform an emergency Caesarean delivery. The earthquake compounds problems facing the impoverished nation, which is already reeling from a political crisis following the assassination of its President last month. Haiti has been hit by a series of natural disasters in the past, including Hurricane Matthew in 2016. The deadliest was the 2010 earthquake which killed more than 200,000 people and caused extensive damage to the country’s infrastructure and economy. (BBC)

pandemic have been fluid; we have had to assess the situations and then probably recast our position. Where we are now seems to require a little more stringency. I am not going to pre-empt the government and say make it a lockdown, but we are prepared to support any mea-

sure that seriously impacts the present situation, and the present situation is we have Delta – the positivity rate is serious,” Dixon pointed out. The JCC represents 11 denominations with a membership of approximately 250,000. (Jamaica Observer)

Jamaica going on seven ‘no-movement days’ against COVID-19

Jamaica Observer/ Rorie Atkinson image) added. President of the Medical Association of Jamaica (MAJ), Dr Andrew Manning is on record as prodding the government to implement no-movement days as a matter of urgency to contain the present surge. On August 9 Holness, in announcing a three-week regime of tightened COVID-19 restrictions, had said Jamaicans might find themselves

minister said then, warning that this could probably come within another two weeks if there was no improvement in the situation with the virus in the country. “I am saying to Jamaicans to be in an expectant mode that even tighter measures could follow depending on the numbers we are seeing,” he declared then. At a recent round-table event organised by Health and Wellness Minister, Dr

Christopher Tufton as part of the government’s efforts to persuade Jamaicans to sign up for its national vaccination programme, the heads of five major religious groups urged Christians and non-Christians alike to accept the COVID-19 vaccines. Speaking with the Jamaica Observer after the event, President of the Jamaica Council of Churches (JCC) Reverend Newton Dixon said, “We have not addressed it formally, but my position is, let me use two pithy sayings – ‘Necessity is the mother of invention’, and the other, which is probably a little more pertinent to us, ‘When trouble tek yuh, pickney shut fit yuh.’ “Our responses to the

GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, August 21, 2021

Striking a balance

A high-level team from Guyana recently participated in an Oil and Gas Seminar in Houston, Texas. The team was led by Vice-President Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo, and included Minister of Natural Resources Vickram Bharrat, Minister within the Ministry of Public Works Deodat Indar, and representatives from the local private sector and other agencies. Dr. Jagdeo, at the seminar, argued a convincing case for optimising Guyana’s hydrocarbon reserves within the broad parameters of a safe and secure environment. Oil, and by extension gas, is a non-renewable resource which has the potential to lift the country to new levels of economic prosperity. For far too long we have been dependent on a narrow range of exports, mainly in the area of agriculture. Rice and sugar were the two main export com-

modities, but unstable prices on the world market have resulted in severe disruptions in export earnings with dire consequences for the economic and social life of the Guyanese people. Nowhere is this more evident than in the case of sugar, which is still reeling from steep cuts in the price of sugar on the world market following the end of European Union preferential prices under the Lomé Agreement. Thousands of sugar workers were thrown on the breadline, a situation further compounded by the vindictive and short-sighted policies of the previous APNU+AFC coalition government. Fortunately for Guyana, a new lifeline was thrown with the discovery of oil and gas in commercial quantities, something that has proven elusive over the several decades. Even more fortuitous is the high quality of our crude, which

makes is much more competitive on the international market. Guyana is fortunate to have a sweet, light crude, which is the preferred type from which the highest value of petroleum products are derived. Over nine billion barrels of oil-equivalent resources have been found offshore Guyana since 2015 by US oil major, Exxon Mobil, with actual production commencing in December 2019. A total of three projects have been sanctioned so far, with a fourth awaiting approval. Several other discoveries have been made, which are at different stages of development. Few can deny that these developments are already impacting positively, in terms of local content and job creation, not to mention new investment opportunities and cash inflows. The fact of the matter is that the window for extracting and marketing

our oil reserves is not infinite, and, as pointed out by Vice-President Jagdeo, time, therefore, is of the essence. It is one thing to be concerned about the impact of oil and gas on the environment, but to ignore the riches that will emanate from the sale of oil would also be foolhardy, if not disingenuous. As pointed out by Dr. Jagdeo, there are concerns regarding the impact of fossil-based fuel on the environment, and by implication climate change. But, as he correctly observed, the extraction will be based on sound environmental standards, and within the broad parameters outlined above of the country’s low-carbon development strategy. There are some who express opposing views because it seems ‘fashionable’, while others do so with political motives in mind. A few with dubious credentials have now become ‘experts’ in the field, and are by

no means shy in offering their newly-acquired ‘expertise’. While the importance of strong environmental protection measures cannot be downplayed, it has to be seen against the backdrop of an enormous potential oil has in transforming the country to a much higher level of prosperity, and in terms of poverty reduction. It is important to have the right balance between environmental protection and wealth generation, something the current administration has been paying full attention to. Guyana has gained the attention of the world, and has been catapulted to the league of oil-producing nations. The recent Offshore Technology Conference in Houston, Texas will provide an opportunity for Guyana to showcase its oil potential, and at the same time exchange technical knowledge relevant to the development of offshore energy resources,

especially in the oil and gas sector. As Guyana’s President, Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali said, oil and gas will result in an explosion of opportunities, both directly and indirectly on an unprecedented scale, even though it will not supplant existing sectoral development, especially agricultural development. Guyana’s participation in the summit will help to advance the process of making oil and gas a ‘blessing’ rather than a ‘curse’, by drawing on best practices among oil- producing nations, and at the same time avoiding the pitfalls and mistakes of some countries where oil has been a resource curse rather than a blessing. The Guyana Government has given a firm commitment to ensuring full transparency and accountability in the management of the oil-and-gas sector. This is, indeed, a step in the right direction.

Renaming street in honour of a great lady

Dear Editor,

HEADS of diplomatic missions have rarely served their country and Guyana, the country to which they are assigned, as well as Her Excellency, Sarah Ann Lynch, Ambassador of the United States

of America. In the 19th century, America evolved the policy of the Munroe Doctrine and in the 21st century she evolved the Policy of “A World of Democracy and particularly Democracy for every country in the American Continent.”

Ambassador Lynch executed her country’s policy with courage, expertise and without fear of her limb or life while walking and standing without body guards among bands of fierce un-democratic goons who were hurling threats to her. In her person, she as-

serted The Stars and Stripes Forever! America and Ambassador Lynch defeated the evil forces against democracy and Guyana’s interest and American policy were synthesised in an everlasting bond. Her courage and devotion to duty also won the respect and support of

all other members of the diplomatic corps who stood together with her against the evil forces. In honour of America and its great ambassador, we would suggest that Young Street where the US Embassy is situated be re-named Sarah

Ann Lynch Street and The Government of Guyana, formally or informally, petition the Government of the USA to award her an appropriate national honour. Yours sincerely, Paul Validum Ramlochan

GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, August 21, 2021

GOAL scholarships represent training equity that would foster a knowledge society

Dear Editor,

PERMIT me space to comment on EB John’s ‘Congratulations to the Government/GOAL Awardees – plan needed’ in the Stabroek News and Kaieteur News of August 18, 2021. I believe the letter was well intended but its execution was marred by misplaced notions of education, cynicism, and inaccuracies. This response takes a proactive approach with the view of reminding/enlightening readers of the broad role of education/scholarships from the perspective of GOAL/Government of Guyana and the knowledge society. To begin, finding jobs is not the only/primary function of education/training. Training is, in every sense, a fundamental factor in development. No country can

achieve sustainable economic development without substantial investment in human capital. Education enriches people’s understanding of themselves and the world and improves the quality of their lives which ultimately leads to broad social benefits to individuals, communities and the society. Education raises people’s productivity and creativity and promotes entrepreneurship and technological advances towards the goal of economic and social progress. Further, it equips people to understand the need for paradigm shift, as a consequence of social, economic, scientific, cultural and political changes occurring around them. Today’s world is increasingly knowledge-based. A knowledge-based economy comprises well educated citizens and relies

Why so long to deliver a simple document? Dear Editor, K I N D LY p e r m i t m e space in your newspaper to seek intervention and finality to a matter which, in my opinion, needs highlighting. In September 2020 I contacted the Personnel Officer (PO) of the University of Guyana via telephone and subsequently via e-mail and provided necessary information seeking a letter of record of service for a 10-year period since my NIS contributions for that period were missing from the records at NIS. Since the abovementioned date, the letter is yet to be issued. I subsequently contacted the Vice Chancellor’s Personnel Assistant (PA) and later the Vice Chancellor (VC) via e-mail and had responses where they have instructed the PO and the Bursar to complete this

matter. As recent as June 23, 2021, the VC sent a another request and later on July 15, 2021, the PA reminded the Bursar of the need to bring this matter to a close, yet to date it remains incomplete. Mr. Editor I am five weeks away from submitting my request to the NIS so that my pension can be granted and I can enjoy the benefits of my hard work and contribution to the scheme realised; however, this cannot be done since the above matter is unresolved. I feel disenfranchised at this point in time, but more over I feel that my democratic right as a citizen of Guyana, who has worked entirely in Guyana, is being denied and trampled upon. Thanks for your kind consideration. Sincerely Lloyd Singh

on the knowledge of the citizens to drive its innovation, entrepreneurship and dynamism. Knowledge rests on using, applying and transferring information. A knowledge-based society thus, provides the platform to compete and succeed in the changing economic and political dynamics of the modern world. GOAL 2021 scholarships commenced the fulfillment of the PPP/C Manifesto promises and the budget 2021 allocations. These scholarships support targeted training and skills development for students and working professionals where local higher education capacity is weak or non-existent. The PPP/C and President, Dr Ali’s vision of equitable education and training opportunities involves bringing education into the villages and homes

of Guyanese. It would be difficult to deny this laudable initiative with courses and programmes aimed at preparing tomorrow’s generation of innovative leaders to face daily life challenges, take advantage of economic and lifelong learning opportunities and contribute to their communities. These scholarships, therefore, are seen as key drivers for reducing poverty, achieving gender equality, and fostering socioeconomic growth and development. John’s cynical comment, ‘what a hungry public!’ about the food and nutrition programme thus, flies in the face of education/training broad functions and needs of an evolving knowledge society. Similarly, the ‘needed plan’ to consider jobs, especially in or related to the public service, misses the point about the underlying

role and purpose of education, more so, within the GOAL scholarship perspective. In fact, it appears that John’s subtle theme/concern is whether these scholarship recipients would, in time, replace/displace the current cadre of public servants. It is true that facilitating many of these scholarships requires investments in broadband/high-speed Internet services which may not be available or feasible in some locations, for reasons such as distance/remoteness, topography of the terrain and sparse population. At the same time, sustainable economic development may be hindered without substantial investment in the mechanisms which facilitate development of human capital. Therefore, in this evolving oil and gas economy with knowledge-based aspirations, EB John’s un-

derstanding of “costly distribution of the technology to facilitate this [what he calls] expansive ‘virtual’ process” may be misplaced. Finally, it would have been more beneficial to analyse GOAL scholarships through the lens of benefit-cost tradeoffs, gender representation and regional spread. Such analyses would lead to greater appreciation of the role of wide-spread education in economic development and the effect of education/training on labour productivity, poverty, trade, technology, health, income distribution and Guyana’s competitiveness. Yours sincerely, Ronald Singh, LLM, MS, Barrister Deputy Director (Student Affairs), GOAL

Guyana, Suriname to engage Northern Brazil on joint tourism talks

THE Presidents of Guyana and Suriname, Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali and Chandrikapersad Santokhi intend to engage Northern Brazil on how they can jointly boost their tourism industries. This was disclosed by President Ali on Thursday during a joint press conference with the Suriname Headof-State, at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre. “Tourism has been identified as a key area for both countries. So, we have also agreed that the two ministers and entities will meet to determine a strategy that would jointly promote Guyana and Suriname, especially in the

President, Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali

context of the Guiana Shield and the potential of including Northern Brazil in that package.” The Guiana Shield is world renowned for being a region of rich biodiversity. It underlies Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, and

President of Suriname, Chandrikapersad Santokhi

portions of Venezuela, Brazil and Colombia. A joint communique released after the press conference stated that Guyana and Suriname would promote the two countries as a “twin tourism product”. In this regard, they

see the construction of the Corentyne Bridge as infrastructure that will grow the tourism sector, as it will make the inter-country movement of people, goods and services more seamless. President Ali related that the two Presidents agree on the need for co-operative approaches, and an “early discussion” on this initiative. “We share a collective vision for collaborative strategies, not only to bring our two countries closer, but strategies which will redound to the individual benefits of both countries and peoples.” President Santokhi and his delegation departed Guyana on Friday. (DPI)

GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, August 21, 2021

Meten-Meer-Zorg youths benefit from ICT training

YOUTHS of Meten-MeerZorg and surrounding communities are the latest to benefit from Basic Information and Communications Technology Training, through a programme conducted under the Office of the Prime Minister’s Industry and Innovation Unit and the Department of Public Affairs. Minister within the Office of the Prime Minister

with responsibility for Public Affairs, Kwame McCoy, delivered the feature address to students at the Nirvana Humanitarian Society, Friday afternoon, as the five-day training concluded. He told the youths that they are being prepared for a great and exciting future. “The skills that we have been teaching you, are making available to you are skills that are a part of the future

of Guyana, and what exactly is the future of Guyana? Not only do we have plans, programmes and initiatives that will see us moving in particular directions and certain directions over the next year and the next year and the next year, but it is who will be moving with those plans, with the direction with the programmes, with the initiatives, it’s you,” Minister McCoy said.

Minister within the Office of the Prime Minister with responsibility for Public Affairs, Kwame McCoy, delivering the feature address to the graduating class

The programme is being conducted countrywide and hundreds of youths from various regions have already benefitted. Minister McCoy said the programme is preparing the youths for the technological transformation of Guyana. He noted that it was always the vision of the PPP/C Government to educate Guyanese in basic ICT, and One Laptop Per Family (OLPF) programme, introduced in the party’s previous term in office, was part of this plan. The students were given basic training in web development, programming and coding and robotics, aimed at building the capacity of youths. The programme catered for youths ages 10 to 20. Several of them spoke with the Department for Public Information (DPI). “The programme was very informative, I learnt about programming, we also

learnt the basics of using a computer for example the input and output devices etc. We also learnt how to send emails, how to use the Internet properly,” said Tajwattie Lall. Matthew Sookoo, said he enjoyed the programme and will continue to practice what he has learnt. “It was very helpful to me and I learnt many things about the computer that I didn’t know before and it was very fun, because we were at home all the time and didn’t had nowhere to go, and it was fun to come.” Stephanie Sankar previously studied Information Technology, but she too learnt some new things. “I’m grateful for this opportunity, I have learnt so many things I did not know like other parts of programming, like I didn’t know how to create games using programming, so that is one of the things I learnt.

Virtual camp for youths with disabilities a success

ENDING with a big bang, the five-day virtual independence living skills camp organised by the Guyana Council of Organisations for Persons with Disabilities (GCOPD) for youths with disabilities was, on Friday, dubbed a success. The camp, which was officially launched on Monday, was an overarching initiative by the GCOPD to promote the empowerment and independence of young persons with disabilities through innovative learning sessions. Programme Coordinator, Ganesh Singh, highlighted that 48 youths from seven of the 10 ad-

Student, Tajwattie Lall I did word processing and other things but I got the opportunity to be open to more opportunities like the games,” she told DPI. “We enjoyed the programme learning stuff about Excel and stuff, it was great. I didn’t know about those things, now I learn them,” said 11-yearold Jasoda Anwar.

Ganesh Singh, Programme Coordinator of GCOPD

ministrative regions participated in the event. “It was overwhelming because it was beyond our expectations, it’s the first time we had a virtual camp and it was very interactive and we had so some really good facilitators.” Filled with a series of informative sessions and fun activities, Singh said the project aimed to build the capacity of the participants and provide them with an enabling environment so that they can be more independent. Sessions in sexual abuse, drugs, mental health awareness, public speaking and career guidance were held during the camp which ended with

a grand virtual concert which featured some of Guyana’s best performers. “It was a mix of formal sessions and then we also had virtual tours of the Museum and the NCN. We had story telling … and we had a big virtual concert today.” Singh, who is also a well-known advocate for persons with disabilities, noted that the response to the event has been surprisingly overwhelming with many positive responses and donations. Singh disclosed that the organisation will be looking to make the event an annual one with hopes of having participants from all 10 administrative regions.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, August 21, 2021

Cash grant for vulnerable groups a welcome initiative

WITH $2.6 billion expected to be spent on providing vulnerable groups with much- needed assistance, members of the public are welcoming the endowment. On Monday, President Irfaan Ali announced that some 6,500 elderly persons will benefit from a $25,000 one-off cash grant. Additionally, a sim-

Muslim (Delano Williams photos)

ilar grant also valued at $25,000 will be distributed to all recipients of public assistance, and persons living with disabilities. President Ali also announced that an electricity credit will be paid to the Guyana Power and Light (GPL) on behalf of all households consuming not more than 75 kilowatt hours of electricity per month. The credit to each household will be equivalent to one month of their electricity bill, and will inject more than $200 million of disposable income into more than 40,000 households. Lauding the financial relief as a great initiative, one elderly vendor who identified herself as Lynette told the Guyana Chronicle, “The money couldn’t come at a better time.” The woman noted that she has been trying her

best to make ends meet, since she recently fell ill, and had to spend her savings and little earnings on her medical expenses. Lynette further disclosed that she has several outstanding medical bills to pay, and though not much, the $25,000 grant will be used to pay off some of her debts. Another vendor, who gave her name as “Muslim”, commended the government for the initiative to assist citizens belonging to vulnerable groups. The woman said: “It’s a real a good idea you know; it’s really nice. Anything that helping people out we gon welcome, especially them elderly people.” Meanwhile, a young woman, who identified herself as Odessa, posited that the grants should be an annual or monthly incentive to assist the el-

Lynette derly and persons with disabilities. The young woman added that the initiative is welcomed, since many elderly and persons with

disabilities cannot fend for themselves without assistance. Also lauding the initiative was Ganesh Singh, the Project Coordinator for the Guyana Council of Organisations for Persons with Disabilities (GCOPD). He commended the government, and hailed the initiative as timely. He also highlighted the benefit of the one-month subsidy on electricity, which, he said, will benefit those persons with disabilities who are required to pay electricity charges. “We are very pleased; we are very appreciative of the efforts of the government to provide financial relief for the community of persons with disabilities,”

Ganesh Singh, GCOPD Project Coordinator Singh said, and further noted that many persons living with disabilities did not qualified for the recent COVID-19 cash grant. “Because they are not the head of their households, and although a lot of them take care of their own responsibilities, they did not benefit,” he said. “So now we are happy that this can be done, so that they can be beneficiaries.”

GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, August 21, 2021

Family insists all not right with motorcyclist’s death –– Reg. 3 Commander says ranks never chased him By Tamica Garnett

REGIONAL Commander for Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara), Errol Watts, said contrary to the report surrounding the death of 21-year-old Mahendra Deopaul, the police did not

give chase when he sped away on his motorcycle, on Sunday night, in La Parfaite Harmonie. Watts also revealed that an individual who said he was an eyewitness has confessed that he was not at the scene at the time of the accident. That person was later

arrested for giving a false statement to the police. Speaking with the Guyana Chronicle via telephone on Tuesday, Commander Watts said notwithstanding a police report issued on Monday stating that the police “chase behind [Deopaul’s] motorcycle,” that

was not the case. Watts said that although Deopaul did speed away, investigations revealed that the police did not pursue him. “He [Deopaul] saw the police vehicle, and then he rode away in a very fast manner on a rough street. GWI recently did some repairs on the street and there’s a pipe across and a gaping hole and he flicked over that. The police never chased him. After the police observed

It said Deopaul crashed after he sped away from a patrolling police pick-up, which had attempted to stop him after it was observed that he was riding without a helmet. In the process of evading the police, the report said “the motorcyclist ended up driving into potholes along the said road where he lost control of the motorcycle and fell onto the road surface where he received injuries

Regional Commander, Errol Watts

The pothole which is said to have caused to the accident

Dead: Mahendra Deopaul what happened they went after him to pick him up and render assistance and he subsequently died. It was not a police chase,” Watts emphasised. According to the police report, Deopaul died early Monday morning at the West Demerara Regional Hospital, where he was taken after he sustained injuries when his motorcycle crashed on the Parfait Harmonie Public Road at 23:45 hours on Sunday night.

about his face and body.” He was then picked up by the police and taken to the hospital. However, Deopaul’s family members have since alleged that all is not adding up in the reports of how the young man met his demise. A video purportedly made by a family member of the accident scene has been posted online. The relative claims that there is too significant a distance between the area where the police said the accident occurred and where parts of the motorcycle and Deopaul’s footwear were eventually found. At least one social media page has also mentioned the existence of an “eyewitness” who alleges that Deopaul was hit by the police vehicle when it chased him. Watts told the Guyana Chronicle that the police made contact with an eyewit-

ness and arrested him. “A man came forward and said he saw the police chasing the vehicle. We subsequently did an investigation and that was not so. He is in custody and he is going to be charged… for giving false information,” Watts explained to this publication. The man was expected be charged on Wednesday. This publication was unable to confirm whether he had made a court appearance. “He said he was at the scene but when we go on the ground and investigate and ask him where the accident occurred and where he saw the police, he admitted that he wasn’t there. He’s in the lock-ups right now. It’s his friend [and] they were drinking all day.” Watts said he met with the man’s parents to offer condolences to the family and to discuss the situation.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, August 21, 2021

Only 9.4 per cent of Lindeners fully vaccinated –– Minister Anthony calls on opposition leaders to encourage their supporters to get vaccinated

HEALTH Minister, Dr. Frank Anthony, is concerned with the low vaccination numbers and low rate of testing in Region 10, as the government is working tirelessly to secure COVID-19 vaccines for every adult in the country. During Friday’s COVID-19 update, the minister expressed his dissatisfaction with the approach of persons in the region, to protect themselves from the deadly disease. “Region 10 has the lowest numbers for first dose vaccines, for people in Region 10, we have just completed about 5,693 vaccines, first dose, which approximates to about 20.7 per cent of the adult population of Region 10. And for a second dose it’s much lower, we just

have about 2,588 persons who would have been fully vaccinated in Linden. This is just about 9.4 per cent of those who were vaccinated, got their first dose just about 9.4 per cent came back and got their second dose. So, as you can see this is really low.” Equally important to beating the pandemic in the region is testing. Minister Anthony said the testing rate is extremely low despite 1,555 persons testing positive, and some 47 deaths recorded in the region. He noted that 208 persons from the region have been hospitalised with the severe form of the disease. Nationally, 251,230 COVID-19 tests have been conducted from March 2020 up to Thursday. However, in Region 10 for that same

period, there have only been 8,265 tests. “There’s another anomaly in Region 10 and that is, perhaps there are lots of people there who might have signs and symptoms of COVID. These are flu-like symptoms but they don’t come for a test. We know with COVID there might be people who are asymptomatic, so if you do not test you would not know whether you’re positive or not. Again, the testing numbers in Region 10 has been relatively low.” Meanwhile, Dr. Anthony noted that Region Eight is also lagging with vaccination. He said only 38 per cent of the region’s population has taken the first dose of the vaccine while 23 per cent took both doses.

Guyana-Suriname Private Sector Business Council to be established THE Private Sector Commission (PSC) of Guyana and the Suriname Trade and Industry Association (VSB) have agreed to establish a Guyana-Suriname Private Sector Business Council with the intention of using the private sector as the en-

gine to aid in the overall growth and development of both nations. This follows Suriname’s President, Chandrikpersad Santokhi’s visit to Guyana during which a number of initiatives were discussed to strengthen bilateral ties between the neighbouring countries. According to the PSC, the council is consequent to the fact that President, Dr. Irfaan Ali and President Santokhi have indicated their intentions to strengthen bilateral relationship between the two nations,

especially with the involvement of the private sector. On Thursday during the opening of Optiek Ninon, a Surinamese-owned optical store on Camp Street, Georgetown, Suriname’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Business and International Co-operation,

Albert Ramdin underscored the importance of the two countries taking an integrated approach to investments. Ramdin said that the two countries are eying the possibility of merging the two economies into a single market space, thereby boosting opportunities in both territories. Similar sentiments were expressed by Senior Minister in the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh. The PSC also noted that all parties have acknowledged that the ideal way of

developing the continental neighbours is by working towards a single market through collaborative business relations while fulfilling their developmental agenda, to which the Guyana-Suriname Private Sector Business Council will play an incremental role. The council will be comprised of key representatives of the private sector, solely dedicated to the strengthening of economic ties and initiatives regarding shared interests and the creation of the envisioned single market and economy. “The two countries have always enjoyed excellent people-to-people and business relations. Notably, this initiative will birth a vibrant and improved level of partnership and cooperation between Guyana and Suriname,” PSC said in a press statement on Friday.

Overall, 298,248 persons have taken the first dose of a COVID vaccine, which represents 58.1 per cent of the adult population in Guyana. Some 152,997 persons have taken both jabs of the vaccine, resulting in 29.8 per cent of the population being fully inoculated against COVID-19. The minister is calling on the leaders of the country, especially those in the opposition, to help protect the lives of Guyanese by encouraging their supporters to be vaccinated. (DPI)

An adult taking the COVID-19 vaccine

GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, August 21, 2021

Fraud accused charged for forging COVID-19 test result

ATEEKA Ishmael, who along with her husband are before the courts on over 100 fraud charges in relation to an alleged Ponzi scheme operation in Guyana, was, on Friday, granted $200,000 bail for allegedly forging a COVID-19 test result. Ishmael, who is the wife of Cuban, Yuri Garcia Dominguez, appeared before Senior Magistrate Leron Daly at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court on one count of conspiracy to commit fraud. The woman denied that on July 27, at Georgetown, she conspired with persons

known and unknown to forge a COVID-19 test to show that she was positive. Her attorney, Darren Wade, filed an application for reasonable bail. Magistrate Daly later released her on $200,000 bail and adjourned the matter until September 10. The Guyana Chronicle had previously reported that the police recently instituted 60 new charges against the couple who are out on bail. However, after they failed to appear at the Sparendaam Magistrate’s Court to answer to the new charges, their then

attorney, Dexter Todd, produced two medical certificates purporting to show that they had tested positive for the deadly virus. The medical certificates later became the subject of a police investigation during which it was discovered that both were forged. It is unclear why no charge was laid in relation to the other certificate. The couple is accused of soliciting millions of dollars from hundreds of Guyanese who were enticed by extraordinary returns of approximately 40 per cent. Investors were

also encouraged to enlist additional investors on a commission (10 per cent) from the couple's business, Accelerated Capital Firm Inc. The firm was not registered with the Guyana Securities Council to conduct financial business either as an investment adviser and/ or a broker. The Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism Act Cap. 10:11 prohibits businesses from operating as financial institutions, without the necessary registration for regulation and supervision by the Regulatory Authorities, FIU and Guyana Securities Council. Dominguez, his wife and their company have been in the limelight since early August 2020, when they were accused of running a ponzi scheme. Over 17,000 persons allegedly

Cuban, Yuri Garcia, and his Guyanese wife, Ateeka Ishmael invested more than US$20 million in the company. The couple was arrested in August and

released on bail totalling over $30 million after appearing in various courts on dozens of charges.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, August 21, 2021

CDC visits Region 10, distributes flood relief hampers in Region 7

AS flooding continues in several regions in Guyana, the Director-General of the Civil Defence Commission (CDC), Lieutenant Colonel Kester Craig, has visited and assessed several affected communities in Region 10. Additionally, a quantity of food hampers were distributed on Thursday to residents of dwelling, farming and mining villages along the Cuyuni River in Region Seven. The hamper distribution was a joint venture between the CDC and Guyana Geol-

ogy and Mines Commission (GGMC). The communities receiving hampers included Two Point, Aurora, Devil’s Hole, Cumang, Kurushie, Kurutuku and Quartz Stone, which have been hard hit. Residents have been forced to relocate to higher ground in many instances. The Region 10 visit took place on August 13 and 14, and saw Craig engaging with the region’s CDC supervisory and support staff responsible for shelter management, impact monitoring and hamper distribution.

According to a release from the CDC, Craig inquired about and was pleased with the results of the consistency and distribution of supplies, and the monitoring of areas from Kwakwani to Sand Hills. Craig also engaged residents and representatives of the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) and received firsthand feedback of the devastating effects of the floods. He regarded the engagements as fruitful and insightful. The Director-General during the visit also inspected shelters in the region, which

CDC Director-General, Kester Craig (right) meeting with officials in Region 10

are managed and supported by the commission, and offered several recommendations on the management operations. These include shelters at Aroaima, Hururu, Forestry and Kwakwani. Craig also visited a number of communities that are still hard hit by floodwaters, such as Ladernsville, Hururu, Lamp Island and the Kwakwani Waterfront,

where water levels are still fairly high in some residences and business establishments. Several sections of access roads are still inundated while structural damage of varying degrees throughout the communities were also observed. According to the CDC, they continue to monitor all flood prone and impacted areas across Guyana and

are working symbiotically with national and regional authorities to gather accurate updates. The commission’s National Emergency Monitoring System (NEMS) is a 24-hour hotline that steadily receives data from the entire country. Residents are encouraged to contact them on 600-7500 to report any impacts.

SSYDR Inc, Exxon team up for fourth job-readiness camp

SPECIALISTS in Sustained Youth Development and Research Inc (SSYDR) has partnered with ExxonMobil Guyana for a fourth year to host “Employment Attack 102 – SSYDR Job Readiness

Summer Camp”. According to a release, to date, 450 young people from across Regions Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara), Four (Demerara-Mahaica),

GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, August 21, 2021

Five (Mahaica-Berbice), Six (East Berbice-Corentyne), and 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice) have benefitted from this camp. The programme has been expanded this year to include students in Region One. A participant registers during one of the Job Readiness Summer Camps The two-month camp targets 180 students from specific secondary schools within these regions, who will be trained, using a seven-module work-ready curriculum, which includes personal development, interpersonal communication, work habits and conduct, leadership and teamwork, safety and health, rights and responsibilities and financial fitness. “This year, we have upgraded our course content

and long-term goals, and map out the process of achieving these goals. Further, participants are guided on the accumulation of necessary documents towards employment opportunities. “ExxonMobil Guyana is pleased to continue its support for an initiative that has such a transformative impact,” said Community Relations Manager, Suzie DeAbreu, who added: “As we continue to

to include an introduction to entrepreneurship, focusing on the characteristics of an entrepreneur, presenting a business idea and risk,” said Magda Fiona Wills, Founder/Executive Director SSYDR Inc. Youth from Regions Two, Three, Four, Six and 10 will have the use of Smart Phones and data plans for Online training, whilst the youth in Region One will benefit from faceto-face learning, with full observation of COVID-19 precautions and guidelines. Employment Attack 102 was conceptualised to reduce poverty, and minimise its impacts on the vulnerable youth population. An important component of the initiative ensures participants are assigned coaches, and together they develop an individual livelihood plan; identify short

develop Guyana’s natural resources, it is becoming increasingly necessary for young Guyanese to position themselves for growing opportunities.” The organisation is grateful for the support of ExxonMobil Guyana, the Ministry of Education, regional administrations, and the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GTT) to realise the successful execution of Employment Attack 102. SSYDR Inc. has as its vision, “Inspired Youth transforming themselves, their communities, their nation”, and has a mission to “promote youth access to resources, opportunities and ongoing support for lifelong learning, leadership and livelihoods towards the reduction of violence, crime and poverty”.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, August 21, 2021

Prime Minister, Indian High Commission celebrate Raksha Bandhan

THE female members of the Indian High Commission on Friday tied Rakhi on Prime Minister Brigadier (R’td.) Mark Phillips, at the Prime Minister’s Office, in the presence of High Commissioner of India, Dr. K.J. Srinivasa, as part of the High Commission of India’s Raksha Bandhan celebrations in Guyana. According to a release from the Indian High Commission, Raksha Bandhan, also known as Rakhi Poornima, is an integral part of Indian culture, and this festival has become an occasion to celebrate human bondings, relationships, and a sense of togetherness by seeking and

giving protection. This year, the Raksha Bandhan festival is being held on Sunday, August 22. Raksha Bandhan is an important Hindu festival to celebrate brother-sister relationship. Raksha, or Rakhi, means a sacred thread, and Bandhan means bonding. Raksha Bandhan is thus essentially a celebration of bondings. “It is celebrated every year on a Full Moon night of the Indian calendar month, Shrawan. On this day, sisters tie the Rakhi on the wrist of their brothers. This is a symbolic ‘binding’, a sacred vow to ‘defend’, protect each other, with sister praying for the long life of her brother,

and the brother renewing the pledge to protect her life and honour at all costs. With the passage of time, this festival has become gender-neutral. Once a family festival, today it has become a social event,” the High Commission said in its release. Now-a-days, this festival is celebrated by one and all, regardless of belief systems, caste and creed. For ages, people have been celebrating this festival in their own way. Raksha Bandhan, this year, has a special significance when humanity is facing the COVID-19 pandemic, as it gives a message of togetherness, the High Commission said, pointing

out that nobody is isolated; nobody needs to feel lonely and left to himself/herself, as “we are all a part of a universal family, Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, the foundation of India’s world view, and today, perhaps, it is extremely relevant to spread it all over the world.” It noted that Raksha Bandhan celebration in Guyana by the High Commission of India signifies the friendship, bonding and togetherness between India and Guyana, and renewing their pledge to defend and protect each other and praying for each other’s long life and welfare and progress.

A staffer of the Indian High Commission in Georgetown ties a Rakhi on the Prime Minister, Brigadier (R’td.) Mark Phillips, as High Commissioner Dr. K.J. Srinivasa and other IHC staffers look on

GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, August 21, 2021

Scenes from Suriname’s President Chan

GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, August 21, 2021

ndrikapersad Santokhi’s visit to Guyana

GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, August 21, 2021

Azam, Alam rebuild ...

From page 31 bringing up his own half-century with a boundary off the 24-year old. Those fidgety outside edges that kept the slips interested were kept to a minimum, but Alam, too, would find himself suffering through the elements as the sun beat down. The weather seemed to be indiscriminate in the toll it was taking and Da Silva was forced off the field for a spot of rehydration before the session was out. The one-dimensional nature of West Indies attack - they don’t have any left-arm pacers or full-time spinners - arguably saw their woes exacerbated as the Pakistan pair batted themselves into a nice rhythm. Brathwaite turned to Roston Chase for a short spell, only to see Pakistan targeting him, and on a sizzling day, the home side had to turn to their quicks once more. By this point, it was hard to see who might bring West Indies a breakthrough, but Alam was beginning to cramp pretty much every delivery. The game’s momentum took a beating, too, and there was a touch of the farcical cricket seems to produce more often than just about any other sport on the stroke of tea. Da Silva needed to be taken off with one ball to go in the session, but the regulations stipulated the over had to be completed before the players broke for tea. It meant there was a lengthy pause while his replacement got himself ready, all to send down a delivery before another 20-minute break. Alam’s woes continued post-tea, and it soon became apparent carrying on was impossible. The Jamaican sun had done what Brathwaite’s men hadn’t looked like achieving for nigh on five hours, and with life injected into the home side, Azam, the epitome of solidity, suddenly began to look susceptible. Two balls after Roach whooshed past his outside edge with prodigious late swing, he found a juicy chunk of it which went to Holder at second slip. West Indies roared with excitement, sensing a swing in momentum; one way or another, they had removed both Azam and Alam. By now, the clouds were blocking out the sun, and with Mohammad Rizwan and Faheem Ashraf new at the crease, there was opportunity to wrestle back the momentum the hosts had lost through the afternoon. It wouldn’t quite happen that way. Ashraf is a genuine middle-order batsman. Since his return to the Test side in December; he averages over 40 with the bat, while Rizwan’s versatility has seen him enjoy a meteoric rise of his own. The over rate was poor, and stoppages for one reason or another became commonplace. At one point, the emergence of swarms of flies at the ground resulted in a lengthy pause as Rizwan tried to prise one out of Joseph’s eyes. The intensity had heightened and as the light began to worsen, West Indies were forced into bowling spin from both ends. Nkrumah Bonner, whom Brathwaite turned to, is no Sonny Ramadhin; in truth, he was no Roston Chase either as he sent down three no-balls in the only over he bowled. It appeared everyone had had enough, and a day that began explosively ended - after just 74 overs - with a bit of a whimper.

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER (Friday August 20, 2021)

COMPLIMENTS OF CUMMINGS ELECTRICAL COMPANY LTD 83 Garnett Street, Campbellville, Georgetown Tel: 225-6158 Answers to yesterday’s quiz: (1) Brian Lara (25 ODIs) (2) Sanath Jayasuriya (30 ODIs)

TODAY’S QUIZ:

(1) Which WI has scored most ODI runs versus SL to date? (2) Which SL player has made most ODI runs against the WI to date?

Answers in tomorrow’s issue

GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, August 21, 2021

Nadal ends 2021 after foot injury (BBC) - Rafael Nadal will miss the U.S. Open after the Spaniard ended his 2021 season because of a foot injury. The injury caused the 20-time Grand Slam winner to miss the Cincinnati Masters and Canadian Open last week. Defending champion Dominic Thiem and fivetime winner Roger Federer have also pulled out of this year’s U.S. Open. Nadal, 35, wrote on Instagram: “Honestly, I have been suffering a lot more

than I should with my foot for a year and I need to take some time.” He added: “Having discussed it with the team and family, this decision has been made and I believe that it is the way forward to try to recover and recover well. “I am (determined) to do whatever it takes to regain the best possible shape, to continue competing for the things that really motivate me and the things that I have done during all these years.

“I am convinced that with the recovery of the foot and obviously a very important daily effort this can be achieved. I will work as hard as I can to make it happen.” T h e f o u r- t i m e U . S . Open champion did not compete at Wimbledon or the Olympic Games in order to rest following the claycourt season. He sustained the injury at the French Open in June, where he failed to defend his title for the first time since 2016 in defeat

by Novak Djokovic in the semi-finals. The U.S. Open begins on Monday, August 30. However 2020 champion Thiem will be absent because of a wrist injury and Federer has also ended his season as he prepares to have further knee surgery. Federer and Nadal are tied with world number one Novak Djokovic - who will be seeking to complete the calendar Grand Slam at Flushing Meadows - for the all-time record of 20 Grand Slam titles.

Rafael Nadal won his fourth U.S. Open title in 2019

Messi, Neymar absent as PSG thump Brest to lead Ligue 1 (BBC) - Paris St-Germain were without a number of star players, including new signing Lionel Messi and Neymar, but still had too much for Brest as they made it three wins out of three to top Ligue 1. Ander Herrera’s volley and a Kylian Mbappe header put PSG in control before Franck Honorat pulled one back. Idrissa Gueye fired in from way out, but Brest refused to lie down with Steve Mounie side-footing in. Substitute Angel di Maria decided the contest for good with a neat lob. Six-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi is yet to feature for PSG after joining from Barcelona earlier this month. Both the 34-year-old and fellow forward Neymar started pre-season training late after an extended break following the Copa America, in which Messi’s Argentina beat his club-mate’s Brazil 1-0 in the final in Rio on July 11. Also absent was another summer signing, defender

Sergio Ramos, while European Championship-winning Italian goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma was on the bench. Such is the frightening level of talent available to PSG boss Mauricio Pochettino, his starting XI still included a host of internationals, including Mbappe, Achraf Hakimi, Giorginio Wijnaldum and Marco Verratti. Italian Verratti should have scored from close range in the first half before Herrera showed him the way with his brilliantly executed finish from outside the box. PSG looked to be pulling away when Mbappe latched on to a loose ball to head in but Honorat was set up to fire in on the break as Brest kept the result in the balance. The best goal of the lot came from Gueye, who picked the ball up midway inside the Brest half and firing a dipping effort into the bottom corner - just his fourth PSG goal in 79 games. Mounie kept the game

Mbappe scored his first goal of the season after registering assists against Troyes and Strasbourg.

alive, but sub Di Maria underlined PSG’s quality with a lovely lobbed finish after a

rapid break. It takes Mauricio Pochettino’s side to nine

points, three more than Angers and Clermont, both of whom play their

own third game of the league season tomorrow.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, August 21, 2021

CPL 2021 is expected to bring real fun and excitement … Guyana Amazon Warriors youth and experience can triumph By Neil Kumar THE 9th Edition of the Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) blasts off on Thursday, with the

fully pumped up Guyana Amazon Warriors (GAW) playing against the defending champions Trinbago Knight Ridders. Fire power Nicholas

Pooran, Shmiron Hetmyer, Brandon King and Chandrapaul Hemraj are all capable of destroying any bowling attack in this year’s competition.

GAW will also benefit from and relish the inclusion of the experienced veterans Shoaib Malik and Mohammed Hafeez in the team. However, it is the batting, / bowling all-rounders who will add the real strength and depth to the batting. Romario Shepherd, Kevin Sinclair and Ashmead Nedd are all capable of batting in the lower-order. The leadership of GAW should not allow the four champion batters to bat in a cluster. They should play a ‘high-bred’ tactics and bring up a ‘pinch’ hitter to bat early in the innings, while the strong batsmen could consolidate in the middle in the event of the team losing early wickets. The bowling also looks very strong and is surely capable of restricting a good batting line-up. The spinners will enjoy the inclusion of Imran Tahir, Kevin Sinclair, Ashmead Nedd and Gudakesh Motie along with experienced Malik and Hafeez. The quickie Shepherd,

along with both Smith and Naveen-ul-Haq, is capable of bowling a good line and length. The Warriors seem to be a balance team and with the experienced players they are expected to give a good account of themselves. It is time that the cricketing world concentrate heavily on discipline and fitness; and with magnificent fielding we should see man-of-thematch coming with players whose outstanding fielding will help their team to win matches. There must be no room for indiscipline, and poor fielding. Trinbago Knight Riders certainly look very strong on paper. Skipper Kieron Pollard is the West Indies captain and he could win a match on his day. The batting is strong with overseas player Colin Munro in very good form at present. Lendal Simmons, Darren Bravo and Denesh Ramdin are the real strength of the team’s batting. However, they will depend heavily on their bowl-

ing strength. Fast bowler Jayden Seales will be their trump card, while their bowling attack will depend heavily on their spinners. Overseas player Yasir Shah is not in form and the Trinbago Knight Riders will depend heavily on the veteran Sunil Narine along with Akeal Hosein and Khary Pierre. It will be interesting to see how they will fit in with their four overseas players. This year CPL will see the six teams Barbados Royals, Guyana Amazon Warriors, Jamaica Tallawhas, St. Kitts and Nevis Patriots, Saint Lucia Kings and Trinbago Knight Riders compete over 21 days. There will be double-headers and triple-headers. During the play-offs each team will play against each other twice and the four top teams will face-off in the semifinals. The finals will be keenly contested by the two teams that play better cricket during the tournament.

Irish Racing Tips Curragh 11:25 hrs Eclat De Lumiere 11:55 hrs Rhea Moon 12:30 hrs Swan Bay 13:05 hrs Agartha 13:40 hrs Point Lonsdale 14:10 hrs Kazakdaris 14:40 hrs Stay Local 15:10 hrs Latin Fury

09:45 hrs Sadmah 10:20 hrs Look Out Louis 10:50 hrs Batraan 11:20 hrs Watersmeey

American Racing Tips Saratoga Race 1 Judge Davis Race 2 Zainalarab Race 3 Lead Guitar Race 4 Tellaperfecttale Race 5 Matty’s Exoress Race 6 Kokopelli Race 7 Reserve Currency Race 8 Striking Speed

South Africa Racing Tips Scottsville 08:37 hrs Tromso 09:15 hrs Spring Fling 09:50 hrs Purple Moon’s Up 10:25 hrs Burning Wings 11:00 hrs Sparkling Flame English Racing Tips Chester 08:40 hrs Efion 09:10 hrs Dancing King

York 08:50 hrs Real World 09:25 hrs King Of The Castle 10:00 hrs Space Blues 10:35 hrs Roberto Escobarr 11:10 hrs Boonie 11:45 hrs Wahraan 12:20 hrs Blackrod Sandown 08:30 hrs Implore 09:05 hrs Reach For The Moon 09:40 hrs Indigo Girl 10:15 hrs Poet Of Life 10:45 hrs Silent Escape 11:15 hrs Nebulosa

Canadian Racing Tips Woodbine Race 1 Hadley Race 2 Gancho Race 3 Heaven Street Race 4 Carpe Horseshoe Race 5 Royal City Reign Race 6 Diabolic Race 7 Small Talk Race 8 Eons Race 9 Carla’s Honor

GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, August 21, 2021

Kerr wins Jamaica’s second medal at World U-20 (SPORTSMAX) - Kavian Kerr won Jamaica’s second medal at the World U-20 Championships in Nairobi, Kenya today when he claimed the bronze medal in the long jump competition. Kerr, who won the long jump for St. Jago High School at the ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys and Girls Championships in May, jumped a personal best 7.90m to end up among the medals. Erwan Konate of France won gold with a World U-20 leading mark of 8.12m while Colombia’s Jhon Andres Berrio set a new national U-20 record of 7.97 to take the silver medal. Jamaica are in line to win additional medals as Ackera Nugent was the

fastest into the finals of the 100m hurdles and along with compatriot Oneka Wilson. Nugent, who holds the World U-18 record, shares the WU-20 record and clocked 13.02 to easily advance to the finals. The 13.02 Nugent ran was equalled by Switzerland’s Ditaji Kambundji, the younger sister of Tokyo 2020 Olympic 100m and 200m finalist Mujinga Kambundji. Wilson, meanwhile, ran a personal best 13.39 to advance to the final. In the 110m hurdles, Vashaun Vascianna cruised in his semi-final that he won in a season-best 13.35s. However, he was not nearly as impressive as Frenchman Sasha Zhoya, who stormed to a new

record of 12.93, smashing the time of 12.99 that was jointly held by France’s Wilhem Belocian and Jamaica’s Damion Thomas. Briana Williams also lost her 200m championship record as the Namibian pair of Christine Mboma and 100m silver medallist Beatrice Masilingi, who took turns at lowering it today. Mboma first took Williams’ 22.50 set in Tampere, Finland in 2018 down to 22.41 before Masilingi lowered it further to 22.19. Those semi-final performances threw down a challenge to Brianna Lyston and Alliyah Richards, who ran personal best times of 23.18 and 23.70 respectively, to also advance to the finals.

GUYANA’S female chess players were flawless on the opening day of the FIDE Online Olympiad with an undefeated run in their opening three rounds. Guyana is represented by a team of six players with six reserves in Division Four, Pool E. With Woman Fide Master, Maria Varona-Thomas unavailable for the opening rounds, Jessica Callender, Nellisha Johnson and Shazeeda Rahim took on their female counterparts from the West African nation of Togo and Caribbean islands: Cayman Islands and Antigua and Barbuda. All three girls gained walkover wins against Togo, while they defeated

their opponents from the Caribbean. The male team also performed admirably yesterday, with the captain of the side, Davion Mars, leading the charge with two points from his three games. Mars drew his first two games and won the third. Also on two points was junior player Ricardo Narine, who rebounded from an opening loss to win his second and third games. Reigning national champion, Candidate Master Taffin Khan finished with 1 ½ points after he drew his first game, won his second and lost his third. . FOURTH POSITION After the first three rounds, Guyana sit fourth

in the group. Puerto Rico are first with 16.5 points, with Haiti second on 15.5 points, Trinidad and Tobago third on 15 points and Guyana fourth on 14.5 points. Cayman Islands, Bermuda, Antigua and Barbuda, Saint Lucia, Mauritania, The Bahamas, Netherlands Antilles and Togo are below Guyana on points. Today Guyana will face national players f ro m T h e B a h a m a s , Puerto Rico, St Lucia and T&T, while tomorrow, they will match skills against Netherlands Antilles, Haiti, Mauritania and Bermuda.

Dominant performance by Guyana Ladies in opening rounds of FIDE Online Olympiad

Kerr won the long jump for St Jago High School at the ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys and Girls Championships in May.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, August 21, 2021

CAC gold is still one goal for Men’s Physique Emmerson Campbell

EMMERSON Campbell was yet again close, but the gold medal eluded him again at the Central American and Caribbean Bodybuilding Championship, which saw its 48th edition conclude tomorrow in El Salvador. After silver in 2016 – missing gold by one point - and bronze in 2018, Camp-

bell worked overtime during the pandemic to ensure he could have added the elusive gold to his cabinet, but as fate would have it, he repeated his 2016 performance in the Men’s Physique. Though disappointed with the result, Campbell said he is fully aware of where the improvements need to occur, after conversations with the

judges. “The mission was to complete the set with a gold medal. However, I fell short again and was awarded another silver to the eventual overall winner who won the coveted Pro Card. I wasn’t happy with the results, but I was super happy with the package I brought to the stage.” he expressed in a recent interview.

E-Networks secures exclusive TV broadcast rights to 2021 CPL T20 in Guyana E-NETWORKS Inc., Guyana’s leading TV service provider, announced in a deal with International Media Content Ltd (IMC), the owner and broadcaster of SportsMax, that it has secured the exclusive rights for live TV coverage in Guyana of the Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) T20 2021 tournament from August 26 to September 15, 2021. For the third consecutive year, E-Networks is proud to keep Guyanese cricket fans in ‘The Biggest Party in Sport’ by delivering the matches on its E2 channel, available countrywide on all its TV platforms: DreamTV Satellite, DreamTV Wireless,

and DreamTV Fiber. Persons can also use the DreamTV Mobile app on their mobile phones to watch the matches on-the-go from anywhere. E-Networks customers can catch the action live in crystal-clear, high-definition quality, for as low as $3 600 monthly. Persons can visit www.enetworks.gy or any of the company’s social media pages for more information. In the agreement with SportsMax parent IMC, which is the regional broadcast rights owner for the CPL T20, E-Networks will broadcast all 33 matches from this year’s tournament. Each match day in the preliminary round will have double-headers – first match

at 10:00hrs and second match at 19:00hrs, except for triple-headers for the last two match days at 10:00hrs, 14:30hrs and 19:00hrs respectively. First started in 2013, the Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) saw an increase of 67 per cent in television, streaming and digital viewership in 2020, reaching 523.5 million viewers and passing half a billion for the first time in the tournament's history. The 2021 tournament is the league’s ninth season, with all the matches taking place in St Kitts and Nevis.

“My level of conditioning, balance, and muscularity was unlike any other of my previous shows. I was extremely satisfied with my physique but kind of disappointed in the fact I didn’t place first.” With five years of experience at the event, Campbell noted he was disappointed with the judging by stating,

“This year’s experience at CAC wasn’t unlike any other, except I personally felt and also other members of the national team felt the judging was a bit inconsistent.” C a m p b e l l ’s s u c c e s s was one of two medals the six-member team won, with Ms Bikni contestant Rosanna Fung copping bronze in her debut at CAC.

Multiple CAC gold medallist Kerwin Clarke did not medal, so too Roger Callender, Rawle Greene, and Yannick Grimes. Campbell’s immediate goals are to continue this dominance of the local Senior Championship which is to be held in December and to attempt for CAC gold next year in Barbados.

Williams aiming for new PB at Diamond League meeting today

(SPORTSMAX) - Olympic gold medallist Briana Williams is aiming for a brand new personal best (PB) when she lines up against the world’s fastest women over 100m at the Prefontaine Classic Diamond League meeting at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon today. The 19-year-old Williams, the lead-off runner on Jamaica’s women

time he was expecting this season. I'm looking forward to lining up with these amazing women to see if the field can push me to a personal best," said Williams, who is still mourning the loss of her grandmother Vive Colquhoun-Simpson, who died as the teenager was competing in Tokyo. Meanwhile, her coach, Ato Boldon believes Wil-

in it.” The Prefontaine Classic 100m Women's final includes the fastest woman alive, Elaine Thompson-Herah, who ran an Olympic record of 10.61 while winning gold in Tokyo, Shelly-Ann Fraser, who ran a lifetime best of 10.63 in June and Sha’Carri Richardson, whose personal best of 10.72 was run in April.

Chelsea’s Pulisic tests positive for COVID-19

(BBC) - Chelsea forward Christian Pulisic has tested positive for coronavirus and will miss tomorrow's Premier League game at Arsenal. The United States international had not been training this week and Blues boss Thomas Tuchel confirmed that the midfielder was self-isolating. "He is not training or available for the game," said Tuchel. Pulisic wrote on Instagram that he is fully vaccinated and had "no symptoms so far". Meanwhile, Hakim Ziyech and N'Golo Kante are both back in training and could feature in the north

London derby. "Hakim and N'Golo were both in training today, and did everything to be in training today and had absolutely no problems," Tuchel added. "But they need another

more physical, intense training session with the team. "We can decide after that, but right now it seems very positive that both can be in the squad for tomorrow."

Christian Pulisic scored in Chelsea's 3-0 win against Crystal Palace last weekend.

Briana Williams poses with the Jamaican flag

4x100m relay team that won the gold medal in a national record of 41.02s at the Tokyo Olympics, is the youngest in the field but wants to go well below her PB of 10.97 that she run at the Anstin Sports Complex in Florida in June. "My coach keeps saying I still haven't run the

liams has earned this moment. "She is running well and has earned her spot. I expect her to perform well, as she does in all the big races,” he said. “Training indicates she will be competitive here. I told her to enjoy it. Everyone else your age is at home watching it. You’re

Also in the line-up are Shericka Jackson, who set a brand new personal best of 10.76 while winning the Olympic bronze medal and Marie Josee Ta Lou of the Ivory Coast, who was fourth at the Olympic Games after having run a lifetime best of 10.78 in the semi-finals.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, August 21, 2021

Azam, Alam rebuild after Roach, Seales strike early

West Indies vs Pakistan Second Test …

(ESPNCRICINFO) - The first four overs set Pakistan back significantly, but the day was defined by a behemoth of a partnership between Babar Azam and Fawad Alam. Under blisteringly hostile conditions for at least the first two sessions that saw no fewer than three players forced off the field, the duo put together a 158-run stand to drag Pakistan from the depths into a position of clear dominance. They were forced together after Kemar Roach and Jayden Seales scythed through Pakistan’s embattled top order to leave them three wickets down for two runs, but the attritional rebuild means it has been Pakistan’s day. Alam is still unbeaten, but cramps forced him off to bring his stand with Azam to an end and while the Pakistan captain fell soon after, those were the only four wickets West Indies managed as Pakistan put on 212 on the day. Winning the toss, Kraigg Brathwaite had little hesitation putting Pakistan in to bat, and inside ten minutes, it became apparent why. Abid Ali lasted just three deliveries, pushing - without real footwork and with disappointing familiarity - at one from Roach around the fourth stump line, edging to

Fawad Alam had to retire hurt on 76 after suffering from cramps, West Indies vs Pakistan, 2nd Test, Jamaica, 1st day, August 20, 2021. (AFP/Getty Images) Jermaine Blackwood in the slips. Azhar Ali became Roach’s next victim, falling for a duck in similar style, with the ball kissing the outside edge and leaving the secure Joshua Da Silva to do

SCOREBOARD

PAKISTAN 1st innings Abid Ali c Blackwood b Roach 1 Imran Butt c wkp. Da Silva b Seales 1 Azhar Ali c wkp. Da Silva b Roach 0 Babar Azam c Holder b Roach 75 Fawad Alam ret. hurt 76 Mohammad Rizwan not out 22 Faheem Ashraf not out 23 Extras: (b-1, lb-8, nb-5) 14 Total: (4 wkts, 74 overs) 212 Fall of wickets: 1-2, 2-2, 3-2, 4-168. Bowling: Roach 17-6-49-3 (nb-1), Seales 11-3-25-1, Joseph 12-1-54-0, Holder 15-7-25-0, Mayers 11-517-0 (nb-2), Chase 7-0-27-0, Bonner 1-0-6-0 (nb-2). WEST INDIES – Kraigg Brathwaite (captain), Kieran Powell, Jermaine Blackwood, Roston Chase, Kyle Mayers, Nkrumah Bonner, Jason Holder, Joshua Da Silva, Kemar Roach, Alzarri Joseph, Jayden Seales. Toss: West Indies.

Jason Holder and Kyle Mayers celebrate as Jermaine Blackwood goes low for a catch, West Indies vs Pakistan, 2nd Test, Jamaica, 1st day, August 20, 2021. (AFP/Getty Images)

the rest. Seales piled on the misery for Pakistan, inducing the hapless Imran Butt into a forward defensive prod that, on review, was shown to have tickled the outside edge. Aside from Irfan Pathan’s famous first-over hat-trick at Karachi, this would be Pakistan’s joint-worst Test match start in history. If that represented rock bottom, Azam and Alam used it as a solid enough foundation to begin the rebuild. Both looked vulnerable against an irrepressible seam bowling display from Seales and Roach early on, but the Pakistan captain looked to break out of it through aggression. A mistimed slash over point brought him his first runs, and from there, batting looked to have become easier for Pakistan’s premier batsman. It was initially less straightforward for Alam. He looked particularly vulnerable around his off stump, Jason Holder and Roach in particular beating his outside edge a number of times, while three of his four boundaries came off thick edges to the slips. However, survival was the primary goal, and on that count, it was mission accomplished. Azam looked just as comfortable in the middle session but much more sedate, especially once he brought up his half-century with a regal late cut behind backward point off Roach - a bowler he targeted in particular early on in the session. He was particular strong square of the wicket, as you might expect, and the slightest infraction when it came was a candidate for a putaway boundary. Alam had significantly improved throughout the session, far more assured with his shot selection and more progressive in his approach. A struggling Alzarri Joseph, who came off on the stroke of tea, came in for particular punishment, with Alam Continued on page 26

GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, August 21, 2021

West Indies vs Pakistan Second Test …

Azam, Alam rebuild after Roach, Seales strike early

See page 31

Kemar Roach dismissed Abid Ali and Azhar Ali inside his first two overs, West Indies vs Pakistan, 2nd Test, Jamaica, 1st day, August 20, 2021. (AFP/Getty Images)

Dominant performance by See Guyana Ladies in opening page 29 rounds of FIDE Online Olympiad

Jessica Callender

Nellisha Johnson

Shazeeda Rahim

CAC gold is still one goal for Men’s See Physique Emmerson Campbell page 30

Guyana’s Emmerson Campbell (left) once again narrowly misses out on CAC Men’s Physique gold

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| SATURDAY, AUGUST 21, 2021