Guyana Chronicle E-Paper 24-12-2021

FRIDAY 24th DECEMBER, 2021

No. 106585

Criminal misconduct charge for Jordan next week - says SOCU head; former Finance Minister allegedly dodging investigators

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‘Collective voice on development Coming home a duty of all Guyanese’ for Christmas

- says President at PSC luncheon

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Minister of Public Works, Juan Edghill, greets incoming passengers with presents at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, on Wednesday (Adrian Narine photo)

Local participation in ExxonMobil pays Guyana ExxonMobil’s operations $930M for flaring of gas increases by 1,000 this year SEE PAGE

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Electricity, internet for Karisparu next year

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, December 24, 2021

Criminal misconduct charge for Jordan next week - says SOCU head; former Finance Minister allegedly dodging investigators FORMER Finance Minister, Winston Jordan, is expected to be charged next week for his alleged criminal misconduct while he was Finance Minister from 2015 to 2020.

Head of the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU), Senior Superintendent, Fazil Karimbaksh has confirmed that Jordon will be charged.

He disclosed that there are several other investigations ongoing into Jordan’s alleged criminal misconduct while he was Finance Minister.

The head of SOCU also revealed that during the course of the investigation, the former Finance Minister reported through his lawyer that he was sick and received five days bed rest.

After presenting himself to police, he was then questioned and took an additional 15 days of bed rest.

Further, the Senior Superintendent noted that po-

Head of SOCU, Senior Superintendent, Fazil Karimbaksh

Former Finance Minister, Winston Jordan

lice, on Wednesday, visited Jordon’s residence but they were unable to contact him.

On December 2, 2021, the Former Finance Minister was arrested and the Guyana Police Force (GPF) noted that two transactions purportedly done during Jordan’s time as Finance Minister are currently under investigation.

There were more details for the first transaction under in-

vestigation than the second.

A GPF release had said: “The first transaction… relates to the sale and vesting of the State’s largest wharf facilities located at Kingston, Georgetown, valued approximately GY$8 billion (US$40,000,000) and Minister Jordan issued a vesting order passing Title to the purchaser, without the TURN TO PAGE 4

‘Collective voice on development a duty of all Guyanese’ 3

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, December 24, 2021

- says President at PSC luncheon

President Dr. Irfaan Ali addresses members of the Private Sector Commission

By Rehana Ahamad GUYANA’S emerging status as a global powerhouse will require its leaders to conduct themselves in a responsible manner, as the country looks to maintain a positive image.

This was according to President Dr. Irfaan Ali during his remarks at a breakfast event for the Private Sector Commission, hosted at State House, on Thursday.

“When we allow things to be said that damage the credibility of the country, it hurts all of us,” the Head of State said.

He added: “You may not understand it now, but if you have a sea defence project and then somebody says that they don’t see the need for this sea defence project, then the funding agency steps back.”

This, Dr. Ali reasoned, could damage the country’s credibility and affect investment prospects. “…and the amount of work that you have to do to get back on stream, it’s not only time consuming, but we also lose a lot along the way,” the President related.

He said, too, that with the position that Guyana is in, the country could no longer afford to have misinformation go unclarified, because, at the end of

the day, the damages will affect all Guyanese and “every single business.”

The President was quick to affirm that his call for all Guyanese to speak with a collective voice has nothing to do with politics, and that the government is not asking for persons to support the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) government, but rather the country’s development.

“We have to get a collective voice. There must be a collective Guyanese voice when it comes to the development of the country.

Otherwise, it will affect all of us. It will affect the banking system and financial sector,” Dr. Ali said.

He stressed that Guyana’s image is critical, especially since the country is now “playing at a different level” and “on a different scale.”

“There are more sophisticated investors and markets looking at us, and we have to respond to that level of sophistication,” President Ali said.

Importantly also, is the cultivation of a strong, united and supportive networking culture among a wide cross section of private sector members. It is for this reason that the Dr. Ali-led government is looking to “bring people together” as part of its

“softer responsibilities to the nation.”

With just a few days remaining before the new year, the Head of State projects that 2022 will bring with it challenges that will require a united approach and response from the private sector.

“We cannot survive this without helping each other…the only way to get, not even ahead [is], we have to come close to managing the supply chain crisis, and it is a crisis,” the President said, as he pointed to an Aljazeera news report which said that more than 60 per cent of the shelves in the United States are empty right now.

He related that in tackling the uncertainties of the new year, a lot of forward planning has to be done, while more local businesses need to form consortiums in pursuit of the bigger and more lucrative opportunities that will eventually present themselves.

FULL SUPPORT In doing so, Dr. Ali said that the private sector will have the full support of the PPP/C government, which is currently working to modernise all of the country’s legislation so as to create the legal platform on which stakeholders could pursue the growth of their business, in a more efficient way.

“We are here to support every single business and your plans to innovate. You will see that demonstrated more fairly in the new year, but if you have a plan or an idea that can create jobs, generate wealth and can expand business opportunities, come to us; let us discuss it,” President Ali said, acknowledging that, in addition to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, Guyanese have also had to navigate unprecedented floods as well as the “sharp movement of oil prices.”

Going forward, President Ali said that Guyana is poised to have quite an exciting year, with many massive developmental projects slated to come on stream.

“From government investment and spending alone, the type of triple down effect and wealth creation that would occur would be enormous,” Dr. Ali said, adding that several private

President Dr. Irfaan Ali engages members of the PSC

sector initiatives are also set for a 2022 start-up.

“Whether it’s the hotels, shore bases, wharf facilities, the housing programme, all of these will [inject] tremendous energy in the economy,” President Ali said, as he expressed his appreciation to the private sector for its invaluable contributions.

“Government has an agenda to create more opportunities for you,” Dr. Ali said, pointing to key legislation such as the Natural Resources Fund and the Local Content Policy which will ensure that local entities get a hefty chunk of the returns from the oil

and gas sector.

In wrapping up his remarks, Dr. Ali said that his vision for “One Guyana,” is not only promoted by words, but also demonstrated by actions that are geared towards achieving a common prosperity for all Guyanese.

“When [we] go to negotiate, [we] don’t negotiate for one section of Guyanese; [we] negotiate for every single Guyanese,” the

President concluded.

M e a n w h i l e , a l s o a ttending the breakfast event was Prime Minister, Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips; Vice President Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo; Senior Minister in the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh, among other senior government officials.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, December 24, 2021

‘Little Man’ moves to challenge severity of 30-year sentence

Nigel Dodson, called ‘Little-Man’

NIGEL Dodson, called ‘Little Man’, who is currently serving a 30-year

sentence for killing an eight-month-old baby boy during the course of an arson in 2017, is now challenging his conviction and sentence.

In December 2020, Dodson, formerly of Kaneville, East Bank Demerara, was tried before Justice Sandil Kissoon and a jury at the Demerara High Court for the capital offence which read that on January 23, 2017, at Kaneville, he murdered Romain Seth in the course or furtherance of an arson.

He was later found guilty, and sentenced to serve 30

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years’ imprisonment, with the possibility of parole after serving 25 years.

Dodson later moved to the Court of Appeal, claiming that his conviction cannot stand, and was asking that his sentence be set aside, since it was unfair, too severe, and excessive.

This newspaper had previously reported that on the day in question, the blaze reportedly started around 02:30hrs

after a neighbour and his friends threw “fire balls” into the house in which the infant and his family lived.

Word is that the neighbour had accused the baby’s grandmother of “snitching” on him and his gang to the police, which resulted in lawmen frequently raiding the neighbourhood in search of guns and drugs.

The baby’s grandmother,

Michelle Menezes, believes that the fire was indeed as a result of a report she’d made to the police after finding a gun stashed in a tree in her backyard, allegedly by the youth.

Dodson, along with other villagers, reportedly used her yard as a shortcut to get to another street. Menezes said that after she reported the matter, the police started raiding

the place, and eventually she started getting threats from the young man and his gang.

The police had issued a wanted bulletin for two other men for questioning in connection with the fire.

The men at reference, Keon Ashby and Waynie (only name given), both of Kaneville, were reportedly part of the gang that had set the house on fire.

Criminal misconduct charge for...

FROM PAGE 2 payment of any further sum of monies.”

Police said the vesting order noted that the property was sold without en-

cumbrance and liabilities with no further monies owed by the purchaser. “Transport was subsequently issued for this property and the value strangely stated on the Trans-

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in an April 2020 statement to the public during the APNU+AFC administration, NICIL said: “In October 2019, NICIL received approval [for the sale of the land in question], following which the Vesting Order was prepared, signed and gazette.”

At the time, NICIL had received the approval allegedly from the Cabinet of Ministers. Cabinet had been defunct, a consequence of the court rulings made following the successful passage of the no-confidence motion in December 2018 against the former President, David Granger-led administration.

In February 2019, now Opposition Leader, Joseph Harmon, who was then the Minister of State under the David Granger Government, said Cabinet had not been meeting because of the January 2019 ruling by the High Court that the no-confidence motion was successfully passed.

However, Harmon said plenaries of all junior and senior ministers were being held.

“There is a judgement of the court that was made with respect to the Cabinet and that judgement is appealed but we have not obtained a stay of the judgement as yet and, therefore, we have not held Cabinet meetings as such,” Harmon had told a press conference in February 2019.

The Cabinet of Ministers for the APNU+AFC administration was never reconvened as successive efforts by the then government were unsuccessful.

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port was GY$400,000,000 (US$2,000,000).”

“Further, the Agreement of Sale stated that Title must only pass upon full payment of purchase price,” the police release added.

“The purchaser, BK Marines Limited, paid only 10 per cent of this purchase price, that is GY$20 million (US$100,000) and Minister Jordan issued a vesting order passing Title to the purchaser, without the payment of any further sum of monies,” the release continued.

Investigations are ongoing, the law enforcement agency said, but Jordan was also identified as being allegedly involved in a second transaction. “Investigators have evidence to establish that a facility that is a mere fraction of the size of the State property under investigation, located some seven miles upriver was sold to a private company for US$17 million.”

As it relates to the first transaction which the former Finance Minister is implicated in, the matter caught the public’s attention in early 2020 as it was reported in the media that the sale of the Kingston lands occurred just days before the 2020 General and Regional Elections.

A public concern was also that the Cabinet of Ministers apparently granted approval to the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL), an entity under the Minister of Finance’s purview, for the sale of now-contested land which was in the care of NICIL. By its own admission

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, December 24, 2021

ExxonMobil pays Guyana $930M for flaring of gas

By Rehana Ahamad

GUYANA, through the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), has received approximately $930 million (US$4.5 million) in payments from ExxonMobil for the flaring of gas at the Liza Phase One operation in the lucrative Stabroek Block, offshore Guyana.

The figures, initially released by petroleum website, OilNow, were confirmed by Head of the EPA, Kemraj Parsram, who emphasised that the money collected is “cumulative.”

He reminded that the penalty for flaring, as calculated locally, is US$45 per tonne, which is an increase from the US$30 as was previously agreed to.

The payments for flaring are being made in accordance with the Polluter Pays Principle (PPP), as specifically outlined in Guyana’s Environmental Protection Act implemented in 1996.

Gas flaring essentially refers to the more than one and a half century old burning of natural gas during the oil extraction process.

Globally, such flaring causes more than 300 million tonnes of carbon dioxide to be emitted into the atmosphere each year, and, as stated in the government’s modified Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS), those damaging gases could be best used as alternative sources of energy.

Based on the strategy, global emissions are enough to satisfy the annual electricity demand of the entire continent of Africa.

To this end, the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) government is pursuing the implementation of a massive US$900 million gas-to-energy project which is slated to be established within the Wales Development Zone on the West Bank of Demerara, at least by 2024.

The ground-breaking project will see the construction of a state-of-the-art pipeline which will transport natural gas from the Liza Phase One and Liza Phase Two operations to an onshore natural gas processing

(NGP) plant.

And, instead of the gases being destructively flared into the environment, it will be converted to energy and fed to the national power grid.

Ultimately, in keeping with its age-old climate change fight, the Government of Guyana is implementing a “no flaring” policy, except in the case of genuine emergencies.

One such emergency presented itself in the last few months, when ExxonMobil was forced to flare above the pilot level due to a defective gas compressor on the Liza Destiny FPSO. This situation has since been remedied, but it did see Guyana being compensated for environmental damages totalling $400 million.

It was previously reported that, owing to the damaged compressor, ExxonMobil was “compelled” to flare natural gas of 15 million standard cubic feet per day (mmscfd) for several months. It was eventually able to reduce flaring to at least six mmscfd. Importantly, it was noted that subsequent to ExxonMobil reducing its flaring, the EPA moved to increase the US$30 fee to US$45 per tonne of carbon emitted.

Both President Dr. Irfaan Ali and Vice-President, Bharrat Jagdeo, have said that even though Guyana has every intention to extract and market its oil resources, the operations will be done in a manner that minimises environmental harm.

The government has said that it will be utilising the country’s oil revenues to execute a number of developmental projects, including those that serve to advance the fight against climate change.

In that fight, achieving at least 75 per cent renewable energy is paramount, and will be driven largely by an energy mix which will utilise hydro, solar, wind and natural gases.

The gas-to-shore project aside, the government is also moving aggressively to realise the Amaila Falls Hydropower

Project, which was unjustifiably quashed under the David Granger-led government. Also in the pipeline is the establishment of a number of mini hydropower plants and solar farms.

GLOBAL RESPONSIBILITIES Vice-President Jagdeo had previously made it clear that even though Guyana will be developing its oil resources, it will still fulfil its global responsibilities in the fight to achieve net zero carbon emission targets by 2050.

There have been concerns that, in an emissions-free world, Guyana will have to pump the brake on its oil production; however, Jagdeo has maintained that his government has no intention to do so.

On the contrary, the former President said that PPP/C government will be positioning Guyana to become a long-term oil producer, since there will be a daily global demand of 24 million barrels of oil, even in an emissions-free world.

Speaking at a recent awards ceremony hosted by the Georgetown Chambers of Commerce and Industry (GCCI), Jagdeo declared, “the developed world has done its bit,” alluding to the issue that even though first world countries are the leading carbon emitters and polluters of the environment, small and developing nations such as Guyana are the ones suffering the brunt of the consequences, stemming from destructive hurricanes and earthquakes, to disastrous floods

Gas flaring on the Liza Destiny FPSO (KN photo) and drought.

“If you add all of the emissions from Exxon Mobil… and emissions from every sector here in Guyana, it will not be equivalent to the emissions of the world in one hour in a day; it would be less than; that is annual emissions,” the Vice-President posited.

He believes that Guyanese who want the country’s oil production to cease are essentially propagating the agenda of developed nations that are adamant to continue the operations that make them wealthier, while saddling developing states with the responsibilities of protecting the environment.

“So, our NGO [Non-Governmental Organisation] believes we must shutdown the operations here, but in the developed world, they want more oil pumped

because prices are escalating and affecting their people, their businesses, their consumers,” Jagdeo highlighted.

He continued: “There are just 490 trillion tonnes of carbon dioxide allowance remaining before we achieve net zero and the 1.5 degrees targets; that belongs to us now in the developing world; the developed world has used up its allowances, but they don’t behave that way; they want equal burden sharing now, all of everything that we have.”

The former President went further to lament the hypocrisy behind some of the environmental instructions that come from larger countries, including a directive that the developed world will not support financing for any fossil

fuel-related activities and that gas, which is a fossil fuel-related sector, should not be part of the energy mix of the future because it is polluting.

“But we have just seen that when gas prices tripled in Europe, the same countries that say this, they’re now starting up some coal fire power plants which are even more polluting than using gas for energy,” Dr. Jagdeo lamented.

He argued that when developed countries are faced with crises, “they look at any solution, whether it’s polluting or not.”

In addition to flaring taxes and contributing over $50 billion to the economy, Guyana’s oil industry also has untouched revenues totalling US$534 million.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, December 24, 2021

Delivering on Promises ONE of the hallmarks of a good and effective leader is his or her ability to honour promises made. President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali has not been found wanting in that regard.

In fact, he has even gone beyond a number of the promises he made when he was elected President on August 2020. The salary increases paid out to public servants and the raft of measures taken to enhance the quality of life of the Guyanese people are just but a few of the actions taken by the President since assuming office, which has left no doubt as to his ability to deliver and, even more importantly, that he can be trusted to deliver on his commitments to the Guyanese people.

The most recent example of standing up to

his word was the decision to restore the onemonth Christmas bonus to ranks of the Disciplined Services. It would be recalled that the bonuses which were paid by the previous PPP/C administration were abruptly halted by the APNU+AFC administration immediately after it took power in May 2015.

President Ali, even prior to becoming President, promised to reinstate the Christmas bonus to the ranks. The bonuses are tax-free, which is in addition to the seven per cent retroactive increases on salary to members of the Disciplined Services. Unlike last year when a two-week bonus was paid because of the time factor and budgetary limitations, the full one-month bonus is now being paid. This is indeed a welcome and deserving

gesture to members of our disciplined forces, who have been doing a good job in ensuring the preservation of law and order in our society and in the safeguarding of our territorial integrity.

There are some who felt that similar bonuses should be given to other sections of the Public Service. And while all services are important, the President has made it clear that there are some categories of professionals who are considered ‘frontline’ workers and who put their lives and that of their families at risk in the cause of the safety and protection of the Guyanese people, and for that matter the nation as a whole. Among these are our nurses who were also the beneficiaries of a two-week bonus announced by President Ali and now our men and

women in the disciplined services.

The President was very clear on payment of the Christmas bonuses to the ranks and justified it (if at all any justification is necessary), in the following way: ‘This year we’re returning the full month, tax-free bonus to you. And let me be very clear on this, because I want to be clear to all those who are listening -- we are not returning the one-month tax-free bonus for any other reason, but you deserve … those who believe they can take things away from the soldier, I challenge them to go spend a year in some locations and live the life you do in protection of your country and then they will know whether you deserve it.’

According to President Ali, despite the fact that substantial invest-

ments have been made in terms of capacity building and institutional strengthening in the army, police, prison and fire service, it is the investment in human capital that he found particularly satisfying. It is in that context that he took the opportunity to announce that 19 ranks will receive scholarships from the Guyana Government.

The capacity to deliver on promises is not confined to the payment of salary increases and bonuses, but has become entrenched in the overall delivery of goods and services to the population as a whole.

Almost on a daily basis something new is happening in the country to improve the quality of life of the Guyanese people. These found expression in the several hundreds of house lots

given out to deserving cases, improved health and education services; a better and more reliable supply of water and electricity; better roads and access dams and by no means least, job creation, all of which were manifesto promises made by the PPP/C and which are now being fulfilled by the President Ali administration.

President Ali and his PPP/C administration are deserving of full credit for living up to the trust and confidence the people of Guyana has placed in them. The challenges are many, due in no small way to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, but the President and his administration have demonstrated that with the political will, it has what it takes to overcome.

Get vaccinated now for national herd immunity Dear Editor,

OVER 800,000 people have died in the USA from the virus -- that is more than the entire population of Guyana.

Some died before a vaccine was available, and many of those who died had refused to take the vaccine. On their dying beds, many anti-vaxxers and resisters asked relatives and friends to get the vaccine and not to make the mistakes they

made. People, the virus is not a joke. The government has spent billions to obtain vaccines for us, so why are some people waiting and dilly-dallying instead of rushing to get the vaccine? Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair said, “eligible people who are not vaccinated against COVID and have no medical reason not to get the jab are idiots.”

There is a new surge of COVID cases across

the USA and the world, and it is just a matter of time before Guyana will have the same problem. Here are some headlines: “Preliminary data suggests that omicron is significantly more contagious than previous versions of the coronavirus,” “Omicron sweeps across nation, now 73 per cent of new US COVID cases”, “Omicron sweeping through California with staggering speed, raising alarms” and “In

highly vaccinated New England, hospitals are under unprecedented strain as coronavirus surges.”

In Guyana, these facts should jolt us to take urgent action if we are not vaccinated. Don’t be part of the death statistics.

On my recent visit to Guyana, I noticed most people were wearing masks at the malls, in the markets, and at funerals. That’s very commendable. Some places enforced proof of vacci-

nation such as Demerara Bank and Gafoors at BV. Others did not.

Nation, we cannot afford to be complacent.

Let’s keep wearing our masks until we are given the all clear. Please don’t gamble with your life and hope you will be the lucky one to not get infected.

We want to open up our economy and maintain full employment. We want to be normal again, but everyone has to get vaccinated to achieve

that herd immunity. We have lost over 1,000 of our people and most were unvaccinated. I call on all churches, unions, and organisations to make one more push to get our people vaccinated. “A hole in the boat, is a hole in the whole boat.”

Every unvaccinated person threatens the whole Guyana boat!

Yours sincerely, Dr Jerry Jailall

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, December 24, 2021

Gearing up for a Guyanese Christmas in New York

Dear Editor,

CHRISTMAS and the related end-of-year season is the most celebrated of all festivals by all communities in Guyana and in the diaspora; in Guyana and in the diaspora, everyone regardless of religious background, celebrates the end of year with shopping, gifting, worshipping, and varied festivities (parties, family banquets, and other fun activities). In New York, the diaspora is gearing up for a traditional end-of-year celebration, in spite of increasing Omicron infections that account for over 75 per cent COVID infections that are ballooning in New York and America. The pandemic may worsen and Guyanese are urged to get vaccinated (booster) if they have not already done so.

An aura of the seasonal celebration is in the air in Guyanese residential neighbourhoods (where there are ethnic enclaves of Guyanese), as well as in the main Guyanese business districts such as Liberty Avenue (Richmond Hill), Jamaica and Hillside Avenue (Queens), Cypress and Flatbush Avenue (Brooklyn), Grand Concourse and Parkchester (Bronx), etc.

In Little Guyana, Flatbush, and other shopping areas patronised by Guyanese and other Caribbean people, stores and restaurants are teeming with shoppers rushing to purchase gifts, decorations, drinks, cakes, fresh halaal meat, and food items. Even amidst the pandemic, COVID-19, the fast-moving Omicron virus, Guyanese are out in their numbers shopping for their Guyanese-type celebration. New York Guyanese and other businesses are slowly recovering from the more than 20 months of slow economic activities, including lockdown and near lockdown. Business was down for most of this period, recovering over the last few months as the public have increased their spending.

Shops on the varied business avenues are well

decorated (they have been so since Thanksgiving in late November and some since Diwali in early November). The avenues and in front of some stores are brightly illuminated and decorated with related paraphernalia comparable to other shopping districts in the city or in parts of Guyana. Christmas music emanates from many of the stores. In Little Guyana, Chutney, Bollywood songs, and Carols are blared from stores, including Korean vegetable markets. One can purchase virtually everything related to Christmas at any of hundreds of Guyanese and other Caribbean stores in the varied Guyanese enclaves. Guyanese from outside the city or upstate such as from Schenectady, other states, and even from Brooklyn and Queens Village or Long Island, prefer to come to Little Guyana (Liberty Avenue to shop where they meet and reminisce about a Guyanese Christmas holiday.

They also patronise one of dozens of Guyanese fast food restaurants; some even patronise the bars or rum shops or clubs for a drink and “chaser.” On the streets, a few men engage in rum or beer-drinking.

Guyanese bars and night clubs have been busy. Traditional music (local Indian songs, calypso, parang, Bollywood and golden oldies from yesteryear) are blasted out at various shops on Liberty Ave. One can feel the Christmas spirit in the Guyanese residential areas communities with homes exquisitely decorated as in a competition. Bright multi-coloured flickering lights, trimmings, and other paraphernalia are on display in front of homes in Little Guyanas all over Queens and Brooklyn. Trees are decorated next to fluttering Jhandis during this windy week. The spectacles have been drawing onlookers, many of whom take photographs or video the spectacle.

The season is usually one of expectancy among

the large Guyanese population, regardless of racial or religious affiliation.

As in Guyana, Guyanese Americans plan to prepare that special holiday meal and beverages and join in the Christmas spirit with other Guyanese and other Americans. Cakes, pastries and bread will be baked.

Traditional Guyanese food, such as dhal puri and curried mutton, chicken, goat, duck, and alou, and fried rice, channa, and chowmein and delicacies such as bhara, phulouri, and black cake will be served just like back in Guyana.

The end of the year season is also a time for parties at businesses owned by Guyanese or where large numbers of Guyanese are employed. Several businesses hosted small parties observing COVID protocol. Bashes at five-star hotels and catering halls are conspicuous by their absence unlike previous years. Several mandirs, masjids, and churches distributed food hampers over the last couple of weekends. Some mandirs, such as Tulsi, Durga, etc. are distributing hampers almost daily. Community advocate Vishnu Mahadeo’s Richmond Hill Association has been distributing hampers and anti-COVID arsenal.

Many Guyanese prefer to celebrate Christmas at home. Some have made the yearly trek or pilgrimage to Guyana to experience the good old Guyana Christmas. There is always a year for a Guyana-style celebration – replicated in the diaspora since most can’t travel home.

Christian churches in Guyanese neighbourhoods have mounted nativity scenes on their lawns.

The religious people are expected to flock to church for midnight mass on Christmas Eve Friday night. There are even masquerade bands in Flatbush.

The Christmas holiday will be at fever pitch from Friday, when most offices and all schools are closed for the rest of

the season. Schools go on break on Monday, January 3. The Christmas celebration is a welcome break after such a long

time of being cooped up inside. But it comes with dangers of Omicron infection. Please be safe and observe protocols!

Season’s Greetings to readers!

Yours sincerely, Vishnu Bisram

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, December 24, 2021

Patients of GPHC’s children’s ward get Christmas treat from GNBS

A pre-Christmas celebration “lit up” the Paediatric Ward of the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), on Thursday, when the Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS) presented toys and treats to the children.

During the annual toy drive, staff of the bureau shared more than 60 pieces of assorted toys to chil-

dren at the public hospital, which brought smiles on their little faces.

Nurse Abena Ellis, who escorted the GNBS staff to the children in the ward, thanked the bureau for choosing to spread cheer to the children at GPHC. She said: “It brings much joy to the children because being in the hospital around this time is understandingly difficult

for them; you know the children would want to be home so bringing toys to them is a great gesture and I must say thank you.”

The toy drive commenced at GNBS on November 1 and ended on December 17, 2021, during which staff members happily purchased toys for the GNBS toy box.

Head of the Marketing Department, Syeid Ibrahim, said the organisation

The GNBS team hands over the remaining toys to the nurses at the GPHC’s Paediatric Ward was happy to spread the Christmas cheer to those in need.

“Christmas is a time of sharing and it is a pleasure to give back during the holiday season. I believe seeing the smiles on the faces of children is really the most fulfilling feeling one can enjoy.

“In addition, the GNBS is becoming in-

creasingly cognisant of the importance of having a socially conscious image and giving back to society is quickly becoming one of our priorities,” he said.

This year, the GNBS hosted a successful blood drive, in collaboration with the National Blood Tr a n s f u s i o n S e r v i c e s (NBTS), a book drive for

a library in Region Seven and a bake sale on International Women’s Day to financially assist a NonGovernmental Organisation (NGO).

Further, the bureau collaborated with the Ministry of health to host two COVID-19 vaccination drives for staff and residents of nearby communities.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, December 24, 2021

Submission of master plan to authorities by oil companies imminent - with new Local Content Legislation

EVERY oil company and its sub-contractor must provide to the government a Local Content Master Plan that lays out the companies’ overall objectives.

This is a requirement included in the government’s Local Content Bill, which was tabled in the National Assembly last week.

In the Bill, it is stated that every master plan must include an employment, procurement and capacity development sub-plans; the quality and quantity criteria required for the supply of goods

and the provision of services, and a statement and estimate of the value of local content to be acquired, delivered and rendered for.

This plan shall be submitted to the Minister of Natural Resources for approval within four months of the operation of the Local Content Act or within four months of the grant of a licence or transfer for interest in a licence, or entering into a petroleum agreement with the minister to conduct operations.

The Bill further states that a sub-contractor shall submit its plan to the Nat-

ural Resources Minister within four months of entering into an agreement with a contractor, another TURN TO PAGE 10

The Liza Destiny floating, production, storage and offloading (FPSO) vessel

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, December 24, 2021

Submission of master plan to authorities by oil companies...

FROM PAGE 9 sub-contractor or licensee for the term of the

agreement.

The Local Content Master Plan will also be

submitted to the Local Content Secretariat. In the event that a master plan

needs to be modified, this can be done after the contractor, sub-contractor or licensee makes a submission to the minister. The minister, after consultation with the secretariat, will review and approve.

Meanwhile, an annual Local Content Plan including the details of the master plan shall be submitted to the minister. Further, the annual plan shall be submitted within 60 days prior to, but no later than 30 days after the beginning of each calendar year.

The Local Content Bill lays out 40 services that oil

companies and their subcontractors must procure from Guyanese companies and Guyanese nationals by the end of 2022.

For instance, by the end of the upcoming year, Guyanese should provide 90 per cent of office space rental and accommodation services; 90 per cent for janitorial, laundry, catering services; 95 per cent pest control services; 25 per cent medical services; 20 per cent aviation and support services and 75 per cent local food supply, among other things.

As part of the Local

Content Bill, the government is proposing the establishment of a Local Content Register, said to be developed and maintained by the Local Content Secretariat. This register will comprise Guyanese for employment and Guyanese nationals and Guyanese companies from which goods and services may be procured.

This Bill is still to be debated in the National Assembly. The government has committed to ensuring that it is passed and made into law before 2022. (DPI)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, December 24, 2021

Electricity, internet for Karisparu next year - says Prime Minister Phillips

PRIME Minister, Brigadier (ret’d) Mark Phillips, has assured resid en ts of Karis p aru , Region Eight (PotaroSiparuni), that they will have access to electricity and internet in 2022.

The Prime Minister, who travelled to the community on Wednesday to distribute toys and hampers, told residents that his government will continue to push ahead with its agenda of bridging the gap between the hinterland and the coastland.

He said that, through

a loan agreement with India, the government had already purchased 30,000 solar panels, which are scheduled to arrive in Guyana early next year.

The panels will be distributed to households in the hinterland communities, including those in Karisparu.

The community was also on the list of 200 villages to benefit from a US$17.1 million ICT access and E-services for hinterland, poor and remote communities project.

“We need to have hinterland communities connected and integrated, especially during this time of COVID. If we have ICT connectivity, it means that we could have more content in terms of educational materials. Electricity also is important, and, in this case, we want to encourage renewable energy,” Prime Minister Phillips said.

FUNDS DISTRIBUTIONS Farmers and residents from 93 households also received the government’s

Prime Minister, Brigadier (ret’d) Mark Phillips flood-relief cash grant, while Community Service

Officers (CSOs) received $60,000 each as their stipends for a two-month period.

The Prime Minister said that as the country continues to grapple with the socio-economic effects of COVID-19, it was his hope that the hampers and grants bring much-needed relief to the residents, and the toys bring smiles and joy to the faces of the children in time for Christmas.

“With your farms destroyed and the fact that you hardly have shops where you can purchase

groceries, we understand your issue of food security, and we hope that these forms of relief that you have received will assist you. We also want to ensure that the children of the village have a Merry Christmas,” he related.

The Minister of Amerindian Affairs, Pauline Sukhai, who also travelled to the community, said that the visit was the first by a Prime Minister and was indicative of the ruling administration’s people-centred approach to governance.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, December 24, 2021

View from the road of a fire at petrochemical company ExxonMobil’s refinery near Houston in Baytown, Texas, U.S., December 23, 2021 in this image obtained from social media (Molly Fitzpatrick via REUTERS)

Four injured in fire at Exxon’s Baytown, Texas, oil refinery (Reuters) - Four people were injured when a fire erupted on Thursday at an ExxonMobil Corp (XOM.N) complex in Baytown, Texas, one of the largest refining and petrochemical facilities in the United States.

There were no fatalities and two of four contract workers hospitalised with injuries were released after treatment.

The two still in hospital are in stable condition, the company said.

The cause of the blaze, which was reported about 1:00 hours CT (0700 GMT) and extinguished seven hours later, has not been determined, Exxon said.

The fire occurred in a hydrotreater unit at the refinery that had been shut on Wednesday due to a bypass line leak. The injured were contractors who had been repairing the leak, people familiar with plant operations told Reuters.

Hydrotreaters remove sulfur and other contaminants in producing diesel, gasoline and jet fuel. An Exxon official told a news con-

ference that the fire had affected a unit that produces gasoline.

Harris County Sheriff, Ed Gonzalez, said on Twitter initial reports had indicated that there had been some type of explosion at the plant.

Social media users said on Twitter that a blast shook buildings in the area.

T h e B a y town plant houses a chemical plant, an olefins plant and the country’s fourth-biggest oil refinery, with capacity to process 560,500 barrels per day of crude. It is unclear whether any units will be shut for an extended length of time.

Exxon is adjusting production rates at other Baytown processing units to focus on stabilising the affected units, spokeswoman Julie King said.

The facility spans about 3,400 acres along the Houston Ship Channel, about 25 miles (40 km) east of Houston, and employs about 7,000 people.

The company has set up a hotline for local residents to seek claims for damages.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, December 24, 2021

No place like home at Christmas!

CHIRSTMAS in Guyana is easily one of the most looked-forward-to celebrations, with its age-old traditions like breaking up the house for the season, putting up new curtains, eating Danish Butter Cookies, and reuniting with family after a hectic year.

And just as those at home here await the festive season with bated breath, Guyanese in the diaspora have been similarly making their way home to see family, go shopping along Regent Street, and, of course, savour what is arguably the most famous Guyanese Christmas dish of all: The ever-popular Pepperpot!

On Thursday, the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) was abuzz with activity as passengers, both local and foreign, made their way into the country just in time to enjoy the hustle and bustle of last-minute shopping here in Guyana on Christmas Eve. Minister of Public Works, Bishop Juan Edghill, who welcomed the incoming passengers, described the energy they exuded as they made their way through the airport as warmth and excitement.

He noted that with the influx anticipated as persons come in to enjoy the holiday season, the government’s plan is to provide them with a state-of-the-art transit point that would allow them to not just feel welcome, but a certain sense of pride as well at the progress the country has been making as

a nation, particularly in the last year or so.

According to the minister, many of the passengers who were on the flights on Thursday were either Guyanese who had not come home in over 10 years, or visitors who have never been here before. He noted that the feeling he got from watching the passengers is one of pride at the level of service we’re able to offer, and the overall appearance and aesthetics of the airport.

“What is most interesting is the number of people who took time to engage me, by making comments. They like what they see! They like the energy; the effort that was being made! The congratulations that were being offered; and there were lots of positive comments. I didn’t anticipate that!” Minister Edghill said.

“I didn’t come for that; I came to welcome them, but there were people who were so appreciative and proud,” he added.

The CJIA, which falls under the Ministry of Public Works, has been partnering with the Ministry of Tourism, Industry and Commerce throughout the year to welcome Guyanese returning home, and visitors coming here for the first time on such occasions as Easter, Independence and Emancipation.

On these occasions, the ministry has partnered with several local businesses to distribute packages filled with locally produced products, so as to give the passengers a taste of home.

Minister of Public Works, Juan Edghill, greets incoming passengers with presents at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, on Wednesday (Adrian Narine photo)

The CJIA filled with life as the passengers make their way to the immigration checkpoints at the airport on Thursday (Photos by Adrian Narine)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, December 24, 2021

Local participation in ExxonMobil’s operations increases by 1,000 this year - Routledge says company recorded an ‘outstanding’ 2021

LOCAL participation in ExxonMobil’s onshore and offshore operations increased by 1,000 persons this year, taking the total number of people serving the company’s activities to 3,270.

In an overview of 2021, the oil giant said that, in addition to that, ExxonMobil Guyana and its prime contrac-

tors have also spent more than US$540 million with over 800 unique Guyanese vendors.

The company said that the launch of the $20 billion Greater Guyana Initiative in February 2021 was another tangible expression of its commitment to bringing value to lives of Guyanese.

This initiative is a 10-year pledge by the Stabroek Block

co-venturers to support capacity building.

Work has been ongoing with key Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions and the University of Guyana, while several new projects have been initiated and will be announced in the coming weeks.

President of ExxonMobil Guyana, Alistair Routledge,

was quoted in a statement as saying: “It is very important to us that the people of Guyana benefit from our operations, not just from the revenues that are generated to the government but also directly through the implementation of the projects. We expect, over the coming years, for more and more benefits to reach more people.”

Last Thursday, the government tabled a Local Content Bill in the National Assembly; that laid out, among other things, 40 services that oil companies and sub-contractors must procure from Guyanese companies and Guyanese nationals by the end of 2022.

For instance, by the end of the upcoming year, Guyanese should provide 90 per cent of office space rental and accommodation services, 90 per cent for janitorial, laundry, catering services; 95 per cent pest control services; 25 per cent medical services; 20 per cent aviation and support services and 75 per cent local food supply. These are just a few of the services highlighted in the schedule.

“We’re saying by the end of 2022, 75 per cent of your food items should be purchased locally so that the farmers at Black Bush Polder, their food can go on the floating production storage and offloading vessel. Our provisions and our meat can make it out there on the FPSO. “That is creating opportunities for poultry, cash crop farmers – everyone in the agriculture sector, as well as the others to benefit from the oil and gas sector,” the Natural Resources Minister said.

This Bill which looks to give Guyanese first preference and promote knowledge sharing in the oil and gas sector is still to be debated in the National Assembly. The government has committed to ensuring that it is passed and made into law before 2022.

ExxonMobil has since said that there is ongoing work to ensure that Guyanese are continually benefitting from the production of the country’s oil and gas resources. To this effect, significant efforts have been made to hire the necessary skills, utilise suppliers and ensure that the capabilities are developed to support the needs of both the onshore and offshore components of the industry.

As it is, there are six drill ships and now two floating, production, storage and offloading (FPSO) vessels in the Stabroek Block offshore Guyana which are supported by more than 1,000 persons at any given time.

Regarding to the safety of every worker attached to ExxonMobil’s operations, the company said that there were hundreds of days across offshore operations without a recordable safety incident.

“The crew onboard the Liza Destiny FPSO for instance has reached more than 800 days without a recordable incident,” Routledge said, adding: “It is a value for us that people are looked after and that the workplace is safe.

President of ExxonMobil, Alistair Routledge

We take care of one another.”

OUTSTANDING YEAR Further, the ExxonMobil Guyana President classified 2021 as an outstanding year for the company, despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We have been able to overcome operational issues and deliver on volume targets including five cargos to the Government of Guyana.

We’ve also continued our wonderful exploration success. Again, people tend to forget that this is a frontier exploration acreage and we shouldn’t expect the kind of success we’ve seen,” Routledge related.

Earlier challenges with the flash gas compressor on the Liza Destiny were dealt with, resulting in steady, continually safe operations on the vessel. Production on the Liza Destiny remains above 120,000 barrels per day, while the flare is maintained at regulatory required levels.

“At ExxonMobil Guyana, our teams strive for continuous improvement in our operations and environmental performance. In early 2022, we expect to install a new redesigned flash gas compressor on the Liza Destiny, and we will commission the gas injection system on the Liza Unity, utilising lessons learned from our first project,” Routledge said.

Soon enough, the gas produced offshore will be absorbed by the country through the Gas-to-Energy project which is on the cards.

“In 2022, as the gas to energy project moves forward, we anticipate that there will be a lot more activities in Region Three. So it won’t be just Georgetown, it will be reaching other parts of the country as well,” Routledge related.

He added: “I think the most significant achievement of 2021 is that the entire business was able to move forward and essentially meet all of our commitments, which, in the face of the pandemic and all the other challenges we’ve seen in the last year, is really outstanding.

“It speaks to the resilience and perseverance of everyone who is involved in this industry including the private sector, community partners and the government of Guyana.”

ExxonMobil Guyana has recorded multiple discoveries in the Stabroek Block in 2021, which increased the recoverable resource estimate to approximately 10 billion oil equivalent barrels.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, December 24, 2021

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, December 24, 2021

Taxi driver nabbed with over $1M worth of imported ‘ganja’ granted bail

LINDEN taxi driver, Ezera Greene, who was allegedly nabbed with over G$1M worth of cannabis in his car was on Thursday released on $200,000 bail by Magistrate Wanda Fortune.

Greene, 36, appeared before the Linden Magistrates’ Court and pleaded not guilty to the charge which alleged

that on December 21, on the Soesdyke-Linden Highway, he had 1.24 kilograms of cannabis in his possession for the purpose of trafficking.

His attorney made application for reasonable bail on the grounds of multiple occupancy. The attorney stressed that the drugs were not found on his client’s per-

son, but rather in his vehicle, which was being used at the time of the bust to transport passengers.

In the circumstances, the magistrate released Greene on $200,000 bail, on condition that he reports to the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU)’s headquarters every last Friday of the month

until completion of the case.

He was also ordered to lodge his passport at the court, while the matter has been adjourned until January 26, 2022.

According to a release from CANU, acting on a ‘tipoff’ on the day in question, ranks conducted a surveillance operation near the Lin-

Taxi driver, Ezera Greene den Bus Park in Georgetown, and after identifying the two individuals about whom they were warned entering a motor vehicle, they decided to give pursuit.

They trail led all the way out of town, up the East Bank corridor, and onto the Soesdyke-Highway.

“Following that,” CANU reported, “the vehicle was stopped, and a search of the vehicle and its occupants was conducted. During this search, a brick-like object suspected of containing nar-

cotics was discovered concealed in the vehicle.”

Greene, being the driver, and the other occupants of the vehicle were all escorted to CANU headquarters, where the “brick-like object” was tested and weighed, and determined to be a type of foreign marijuana commonly known as “poppy”.

When weighed, the substance was found to have 1.2 kg (2.64lbs), and a street value of more than G$1,000,000.00.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, December 24, 2021

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, December 24, 2021

Pepperpot, masquerades, lights and everything Christmas A quick snap with the Victoria Renegades Masquerade Band before they head out to the main road to perform (Samuel Maughn photo)

By Naomi Parris There is nothing like being ingulfed in the Christmas spirit – the excitement of cleaning, decorating, and shopping in anticipation of waking up on Christmas morning to a vibrantly decorated

home and a warm bowl of Pepperpot.

In Guyana, as many of you may know, it is customary for us to begin holiday preparations at least a month ahead of Christmas day. By mid-November, the local wash bays are usually packed with loads of carpets, rugs and even

chair sets and couches that have to be washed and steam-cleaned for the season.

However, for me, growing up, Christmas in my home was not always that much of a big deal. Although my neighbours were always flamboyant around the holiday season, and

would decorate their verandas and balconies with captivating wreaths and lights, my mother opted to keep things quite muted at our home.

While we did take part in a few festivities such as baking black cake and of course making Pepperpot and bak-

ing bread, it somehow felt a little dull without all the extravagance.

Fortunately, our Christmas traditions started to change when I got a little older. My mother had a change of heart one year and decided that she was going to go all out, and of course, I was fully on board with

her.

This change of perspective and traditions brought on a whole new meaning of Christmas for me. I fell deeply in love with the holiday and everything about it. So, as we all look forward to Christmas day tomorrow, I thought I TURN TO PAGE 21

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, December 24, 2021

Pepperpot, masquerades, lights...

FROM PAGE 20 would share with you, our dear readers, some of my favourite Christmas traditions.

MASQUERADE An indication that Christmas is drawing near are the sounds of drums permeating across my home village, Victoria. This for me meant Christmas was just around the corner.

My fondest and most treasured memory of the holiday season takes me back to the energetic mix of beats and whistling flutes made by masqueraders.

Fascinated by the melodies of the drums and flutes, I always found myself gazing attentively as the man on stilts, the flouncers, the mad-bull and of course my favourite character, ‘bam bam sally’ made their way through my small alley, spreading the Christmas cheer.

FOOD And, as all of you would know, a Guyanese holiday season would be truly incomplete without our traditional foods.

There is just something about the sharpness of that ginger beer, the spicy flavours of the scrumptious Pepperpot, and the vibrant ‘kick’ of rum embedded in the black cake, that makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside.

CLEANING AND DECORATIONS Truth be told, I love Christmas decoration, and over the years I have become the designated Christmas tree decorator in my household, a job that I take quite seriously. This year, my theme was flowers, so, instead of going for the traditional Christmas ornaments, my mother and I found these beautiful gold and red flowers and decided to make our tree into something of an erect garden, topped with star, and

adorned with very large ‘fairy’ lights.

Although decorating is fun, cleaning for the holiday can be a hassle, and if I am being honest, we don’t complete our Christmas chores in time for Christmas Day. And, just a reminder, its okay if you don’t have it all set for the season; just make the best of what you have and spend the day with the people you love most.

GIVING BACK Also, be reminded that even though Christmas is a time of gift-giving, many of us tend to lose ourselves in commercialized shopping, where everyone seems to be buying things without activating the logic component of their brains. This can often make Christmas a draining time of year, both emotionally and financially.

But really, it’s supposed to be a time to pause and to give to others thoughtfully.

It has been a tough year for so many of us and while some may not be able to

give back financially, be sure to share a smile or even a simple greeting. It would also help to share a meal to someone in your neighbourhood who may be less fortunate.

I have come to realise that Christmas may not be a happy time of year for everyone, and for many different reasons. But, as we head into the day of festivities, please keep in mind that Christmas is a season of hope, and that there is always light at the end of every tunnel.

On behalf of myself and team Buzz, we wish you all a very, Merry Christmas!

My ‘garden’ Christmas tree

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, December 24, 2021

Chutney Soca Monarch 2022…

Avinash Roopchand to spearhead registration of Guyanese contestants

(From Left) 2021 Guyana Coordinator WR Reaz; contestants – Vicadi Singh, Vanita Willie and Tony Cuttz; along with producer and keyboard whiz, Avinash Roopchand

As the Caribbean region prepares for the 27 th annual Chutney Soca Monarch Competition, various “international representatives” have been appointed to spearhead sign-up efforts across various territories. Local keyboard maestro, Avinash Roopchand of the Shakti Strings Band has been selected to ensure the smooth registration of the Guyanese artistes who wish to compete this time around.

Organisers say that the competition will once again be hosted between January and February 2022, during the Trinidad and Tobago Carnival.

Last year, after an almost 10-year hiatus, Roopchand was instrumental in convincing several local artistes to enter the competition, and to his satisfaction, Vanita Willie, Tony Cuttz, Vicadi Singh, and overseas-based Guyanese, Joel ‘Prince JP’ Pharous all obliged and managed to racked up brilliant reviews. The ‘Poowah’ song by Willie; ‘Johnny Walker’ by Tony Cuttz; and ‘Never Gonna Leave’ by Singh were all produced by the exceptionally versatile Shakti Strings Band, and the young Roopchand himself.

The competition saw the Guyanese contingent being among the last to perform at the Southex-sponsored virtual activity, but once they were finally on stage, their colourful and pulsating performances created quite a stir in the comments section of the LIVE feeds on social media. However, none of the Guyanese who participated won the competition as many had hoped.

In the Queen aspect of the competition, Vanita ‘Poowah’ Willie “swing

she waist” to the first runner up position, while Vicadi Singh dished out a serving of his ‘silky smooth’ vocals to be awarded fifth position; Tony Cuttz also mesmerised and energised the virtual audiences and was tied in seventh place with Trinidad’s Adesh Samaroo. Many were also hopeful that overseas-based Guyanese, Joel ‘Prince JP’ Pharous would have placed, having executed a wonderful performance of his latest song, “It’s Over”, but this did not happen.

Following the competition, the artistes all took to their Facebook Pages to express gratitude to their producers, sponsors, and WR Reaz, last year’s Coordinator of the Guyana leg of the competition. Reaz told the Buzz that Guyana was well-represented on the big stage, and that the artistes have all made their sponsors and Team 592 quite proud. He reminded too that competition often attract high emotions, particularly as it relates to those who may disagree with the results.

“I understand people may share different opinions but, in the end, [we have to] let the music do the talking,” Reaz said.

The 2021 competition was seen as a major stepping stone to propel the genre of Chutney/ Soca music in Guyana, and this year, many are eagerly awaiting the announcement of the Guyanese contestants. As usual, we wish them the best of luck!

Those who wish to make contact with Avinash Roopchan can do so on telephone number – +5926488247, or via email - avinash.roopchan@yahoo.com or shaktistringsmanagement@gmail.com.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, December 24, 2021

From schoolyard clashes to Christmas single - Andrew Lamaison is on the rise

ANDREW Lamaison known as ‘One Dan’ can still remember his school days when he would ‘clash’ with students of other schools to see who would put on the better performance, usually during lunch breaks, and on some rare occasions, during school hours when there was no class.

Every chance he got, Andrew would be singing or performing something.

“Sometimes it would be in the classroom; sometimes at the back of a school. We just did it for the fun of it; for the hype and fame,” Andrew said.

And one day during stint in fourth form, he recalled how GT&T visited Uitvlugt Secondary, where he was a student, and took along local entertainers to tell their stories to the youths.

The entertainers themselves performed, after which they asked if there was anyone in the crowd who wanted to perform. At this point, Andrew’s friends began poking him to go on stage because they knew that if anyone was good enough to do it, it was be him.

Speaking with Buzz this week, Andrew, 18, reflected on how a cousin of his saw his talent and decided to in-

troduce him to the owners of a studio. There, he recorded his first Christmas song, and several others would follow.

Since then, Andrew has developed the ability to write his own music; to be creative and certainly how to effectively entertain his fans. He has also developed a good relationship with his producer and those who make an impact on his music. “I’m thankful to Adrian Johnson and Jonathan Tailor for the great work they have done on my new single on ‘Frozen Riddim’ (Don’t Ever Leave),” Andrew expressed.

Currently, he’s working on his new single called ‘Gold Digger’ and has a new album in store called ‘One Dan.’ Andrew feels that the music industry in Guyana should focus equally on the various genres of music that are available instead of just on a select few. “It should give all genre of music the same kind of support. There are several genres of music over here that hardly get the support from the music industry,” he offered.

He believes that the ‘Dancehall’ genre should especially be promoted on a more grandeur scale because it is the type of music that many people love. “It is a

Andrew’s music career started in school

type of music that is used to express feelings. It fosters unity, helps us support each other, and also talks about things that people have been and are going through in life,” he said.

Andrew added that the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport can help push local artists in general by organising shows and enforcing copyright legislation so that Guyanese can be recognised not only in Guyana, but worldwide.

Although he has a ‘9 to 5’ job, Andrew said music

is what he has always dreamt about and as such, plans to continue investing in it. He finds time for music on the weekends, after work, and even during his lunch breaks which he sometimes uses to write down lyrics for songs that would come to mind.

Andrew has had to cope with negativity from others but said he never allowed it to bring him down. “A lot of bad minded people didn’t want me to sing. They would judge me and say I can’t sing and that I wouldn’t make it, along with a set of things to bring me down. But after I recorded my songs and am becoming better, they have stopped,” he said.

Local musician Andrew Lamaison

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, December 24, 2021

Crandon wants Jaguars players to make mental switch to red-ball cricket

GUYANA Amazon Jaguars head coach, Esaun Crandon, wants his players to get mentally in tune with red-ball cricket after a slew of white-ball cricket and for some, no competitive cricket.

According to Crandon, in an interview with News Room, “A lot of the guys have not been playing a lot of cricket apart from those who were in the USA, so, most of the guys have been trying to get back in the groove, tighten up their technique and try to construct a very good game plan.”

Guyana Amazon Jaguars will return to Four-day action in February

The team is in preparation mode for the Regional Four-Day Championship in February, and it has been quite different from previous years, as there was a change in the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) administration, a rampaging pandemic, and the weather has not been favourable.

Crandon, a Level III coach, further posited that

what will be needed to reap success is players being able to make a mental transition to the longer format.

“Most of the guys have been playing white-ball cricket, but it is to make that transition which is very important; but when you are doing that, it is more of a mindset thing.”

Crandon added they are considering the option of

playing the first practice match at the Albion Community Centre ground as part of preparations for the upcoming season.

Meanwhile, Chairman of the Senior Selection panel, Ramnaresh Sarwan, who was at LBI on Wednesday overlooking some of the sessions, had stated earlier this month, should players put in standout performanc-

es in these practice matches, he is willing to give them the nod.

COVID-19 brought an abrupt end to the Regional Four-Day season in 2020, with Guyana Amazon Jaguars losing their stranglehold on the title after five seasons to Barbados Pride.

This new season will only have five rounds instead of ten.

Lanka Premier League T20 final

Seales tastes success as Kings brush aside Gladiators to win title HAMBANTOTA, Sri Lanka (CMC) – West Indies rookie Test star Jayden Seales tasted success in his first-ever overseas franchise tournament, when Jaffna Kings trounced Galle Gladiators by 23 runs to win the Lanka Premier League (LPL) T20 title here yesterday.

Choosing to bat first at Mahinda Rajapaksa International Cricket Stadium, Kings piled up a 200-plus total for the second time in three days, reaching 201 for three off their 20 overs.

Opener Avishka Fernando followed up his century on Tuesday with 63 off 41 balls while Englishman Tom Kohler-Cadmore struck an unbeaten 57 also off 41 deliveries and Afghan opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz, an 18-ball 35.

In reply, Gladiators were limited to 178 for nine off their 20 overs, with only Danushka Gunathilaka who hit 54 from 21 balls and fellow opener Kusal Mendis who made 39 from 28 balls, providing any resistance.

Left-arm spinner Chaturanga de

Silva (2-15) and leg-spinner Wanindu Hasaranga (2-30) both claimed wickets while speedster Seales, who bowled the new ball, picked up one for 36 from his three overs.

The 20-year-old, who made his Test debut earlier this year as a teenager, finished the tournament with 15 wickets alongside veteran South African leg-spinner Imran Tahir, while 21-yearold off-spinner Maheesh Theekshana and left-arm spinner Samit Patel topped the charts with 16 wickets each.

Seeking their second straight title after their success last year under the name Jaffna Stallions, the Kings innings was defined by three partnerships.

Fernando belted eight fours and two sixes in a 56-run opening stand with Gurbaz before adding a further 63 for the second with Kohler-Cadmore.

Gurbaz blasted three fours and three sixes before perishing in the sixth over and Fernando had his stint ended in the 13th over, holing out to deep mid-wicket.

Kohler-Cadmore, who lashed two fours and three sixes, then put on 62 for the third wicket with Pakistan’s Shoaib Malik who punched a four and two sixes in an 11-ball 23.

Needing to score at nearly ten runs per over, Gladiators got away quickly, Gunathilaka slamming seven fours and three sixes and Mendis counting three fours and a six as they plundered 63 off 26 balls for the first wicket.

Seales started poorly, his first over and second of the innings leaking 16 runs while the second and sixth of the innings went for 14 runs.

Once Gunathilaka fell in the fifth over, however, Gladiators lost wickets steadily and thereafter, only Patel with 22 off 20 balls, managed to pass ten.

With Gladiators needing 44 from the last two overs, Seales was recalled to bowl the penultimate over and limited the damage to just 14 runs, leaving the last pair with the inevitable task of scoring 30 runs from the final over.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, December 24, 2021

Singh, Modani help USA stun Ireland in historic T20 in Florida

THE USA stunned Ireland by 26 runs in the first Twenty20 international between the sides in Florida on Wednesday.

It was the first time an International Cricket Council (ICC) full member had faced the USA on American soil.

After slumping to 16-4 inside five overs in Lauderhill, the USA rallied as Sushant Modani (50) and Gajanand Singh (65) helped them post a mammoth 188-6.

Ireland, 17 places higher in the ICC rankings, fell well short with the bat despite Lorcan Tucker's unbeaten 57.

The defeat comes only two months after Ireland were dumped out of the T20 World Cup group stages after defeats

by Sri Lanka and Namibia.

"It started really well but from there it was pretty brutal stuff from us and not good enough," said Ireland captain Andrew Balbirnie.

"We knew it was a good wicket and we would have to work hard for the 10 wickets if we were to get them. We didn't create enough chances and we didn't bowl well enough.

"They played brilliantly but we gave them a lot of bad balls to hit as well, which is disappointing.

in the second match yesterday, hampered Ireland.

Despite the resistance of Tucker, the Irish batting order struggled to build momentum and Curtis Campher (17), Shane Getkate (19) and Neil Rock (seven) were all dismissed to put

Gajanand Singh flicks one of his five sixes over backward square leg in his innings of 65

"We just weren't good enough today and we deserved to lose. The guys are obviously disappointed but they will want to turn it around tomorrow."

USA dig deep after terrible start After a highly anticipated build-up to the historic game, the USA elected to bat first but it was a disastrous start when Barry McCarthy dismissed captain Monank Patel with the second ball.

It looked like a rout would be on the cards when ex-West Indies Test batsman Xavier Marshall, Ritwik Behera and Ryan Scott all fell inside 4.2 overs, with McCarthy (4-30) adding two more wickets to his tally.

But a strong response, led

by Singh and Modani, brought the hosts back into the game and ultimately paved the way to victory.

Singh was eventually dismissed for 65 by Ben White, and Modani fell at the end of the penultimate over to give McCarthy his fourth wicket, but it left a strong total for the favourites to chase.

Ireland lost Balbirnie for four in the second over and star batter Paul Stirling fell for 31 with Ireland 45-2 in the fifth over.

The loss of Stirling, who would move up to fourth in the list of all-time T20 international scorers - behind only Martin Guptill, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma - if he scored 20 or more

IPL auction to be held on February 12, 13 in Bengaluru …The full list of players is expected to be finalised by mid-January THE IPL mega-auction will be a two-day affair, on February 12 and 13, and will be held in Bengaluru ahead of the 2022 season, ESPNcricinfo has learnt. The full player list for the auction is expected to be finalised by mid-January, after the two new franchises have made their picks of up to three players from the auction pool.

While the final date for the new teams to make their picks was December 25, it is now all but certain that this deadline will be deferred. The BCCI is yet to officially appoint the ownership of the Ahmedabad franchise to CVC Capital Partners, who had INR 5625 crore (US$750 million approx..) to acquire the franchise in October.

The BCCI is still doing its due diligence on the company, looking into compliance

issues having to do with CVC's ties with two betting companies, in Italy and in Brazil.

The BCCI is seeking the counsel of various experts, including a former High Court judge, before they can formally appoint them owners. This process is likely to push the deadline.

The eight existing IPL teams had already completed their retention process on November 30, and will be going into to the pool to rebuild their sides on February 12. Like the existing teams, the new franchises will also start with a purse of INR 90 crore (US$12 million approx.) to make offers for up to three players before the mega-auction.

Their purse on auction day will depend on how many players they end up drafting pre-auction. (Cricinfo)

the USA in control.

And by the time William McClintock was bowled by Ali Khan in the 18th over, the game was all but lost. (BBC Sport) Remaining fixtures - USA v Ireland: December 23: 2nd T20I

(Florida; 00:00hr GMT on December 24) December 26: 1st ODI (Florida; 15:00hrs GMT) December 28: 2nd ODI (Florida; 15:00hrs GMT) December 30: 3rd ODI (Florida; 19:00hrs GMT)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, December 24, 2021

Middleton helps Milwaukee Bucks beat Houston Rockets

KHRIS Middleton was instrumental in ensuring that Milwaukee Bucks beat Houston Rockets 126-106, passing 20 points for the eighth time in his last nine games.

Middleton returned after three games out with a knee injury and posted 23 points for the NBA champions as they stopped a twogame losing streak.

Jrue Holiday was the top scorer for Bucks

with 24 points 10 assists.

Elsewhere, a Shai Gilgeous-Alexander triple-double led Oklahoma City Thunder to a 108-94 win over Denver Nuggets.

Gilgeous-Alexander secured 27 points 12 assists 11 rebounds for the second triple-double of his career.

Jaylen Brown scored 34 points for Boston Celtics as they beat Cleveland Cavaliers

Middleton put in an impressive performance on his return from injury

111-101.

The game saw seven-time all-star Joe Johnson, 40, make a late appearance for Celtics after he joined his former club on a 10-day contract and managed to score two points.

"It's great to be back here 20 years later.

It has been amazing to me. Still surreal but a

lot of fun," Johnson said.

Rookie Franz Wagner top-scored for Orlando Magic with 25 points as they beat Atlanta Hawks 104-98 to win back-to-back games for the first time this season, while Los Angeles Clippers secured a 105-89 victory at Sacramento Kings. (BBC Sport)

Bullish Coe rejects talk of Chinese boycott

PARIS, France (AFP) — World Athletics president Sebastian Coe said yesterday he wants the body to become a “campaigning organisation” but stressed that he sees no point in boycotting China over human rights.

Speaking in his annual year-end conference call, Coe said his sport had “come out of 2021 in a strong position” and he was bullish about its immediate prospects for growth with the World Championships in the United States for the first time in 2022.

“We came out of Tokyo as clearly the No 1 sport,” he said, quoting statistics from the International Olympic Committee showing that athletics scored the biggest numbers of any sports on television, traditional print newspapers and social media.

Although he added that World Athletics was anticipating that the media model would look completely different by the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028.

“A lot will change by 2028, broadcast will change with streaming. We need a broadcast strategy that will chime with what's happening,” he said.

Coe said the sport was also benefiting at grass-roots level because governments were “belatedly” focussing on public health and fitness.

World Athletics was focussed on “connecting athletes and athletics to big issues that matter to them such as climate change and human rights,” he said.

World Athletics President Sebastian Coe (Photo: AFP)

jIt is striving “to become a campaigning organisation,” he said.

But with Shenzhen scheduled to join Shanghai on the 2022 Diamond League calendar, Coe said he did not see any reason why the events in China should be an issue despite the recent furore over tennis player Peng Shuai.

“We're pleased to be competing globally, China has a strong and current history in track and field,” he said.

“We have a clear and strong set of principles whether it's human rights or sustainability,” he said before adding: “I'm philosophically opposed to sporting boycotts.

“I experienced them and they tend not to achieve what they set out to achieve.

“We are concerned with all athletes. But better to have dialogue than pull up the drawbridge. No other sector does that.”

Coe meanwhile took a tough line on allowing Russians to compete again under their national flag,

saying they needed to satisfy a World Athletics task force that they had fully followed the body's “reintroduction plan” on controlling doping.

“Russian athletes will be back in an international framework as and when the reintroduction plan is fully met,” he said.

That might not happen before the World Championships in Eugene in July.

“What guise Russian athletes will be in Oregon is still to be decided,” he said.

On another thorny issue, the ban on athletes with differences of sexual development (DSD) in women's races between 400 metres and a mile, Coe said World Athletics had no intention of adding events to that list.

“The events that were selected were not happenstance,” he said. “They were those events that after long deliberation and scientific underpinning were the most impacted by DSD. “We are not sitting here looking at this at this very moment but we've always made it clear that [we would act] if other events are massively impacted or [it] compromises the fundamental integrity of women's sports.”

He said he believed the crop of young talent meant athletics did not need another Usain Bolt to attract attention.

“I'm more optimistic than I have been for a while because of the extraordinary young talent coming through,” Coe said. “We have a much broader base to our talent, not reliant on one star.”

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, December 24, 2021

Hazlewood to miss third Ashes Test, but Starc, Harris set to play

By Geoff Lemon

AUSTRALIA coach Justin Langer has suggested Mitchell Starc will play in a third Ashes Test in quick succession, but Josh Hazlewood will again miss out with a minor side strain.

Starc, 31, has bowled more than 75 overs in the series and felt twinges in his back during the second Test.

Captain Pat Cummins should return for the third Test, and Victoria's Scott Boland has been added to the squad.

"It's nice to have this nursery of bowlers," said Langer.

Australia lead the five-Test series 2-0 after an empathic 275-run win in the second Test in Adelaide followed a nine-wicket victory in

the opening Test in Brisbane.

Avoiding defeat in the famous Boxing Day Test in Melbourne will mean Langer's side retain the Ashes after a 2-2 draw in England in 2019 and a 4-0 win down under in 2017.

Starc took 6-80 in Adelaide, but bowled 43.1 overs, just days after bowling 32 in the first Test.

"Mitch Starc was almost the man of the match last game," said Langer. "He's an unbelievable athlete and he's incredibly fit.

"His resilience to come back over and over again, the way he controlled the tempo of the game, is a credit to him. He became the leader of the attack.

"I'd be very surprised if he doesn't get up for Boxing Day." Hazlewood, who was injured during the first Test, lives in Syd-

Pacer Josh Hazlewood will again miss out with a minor side strain

ney but will spend Christmas in Melbourne.

Langer said that was the play-

er's choice because he had already made plans to spend the holiday with his partner's family, not because there would be a late bid to get him ready to play.

Cummins - the third of Australia's prominent fast-bowling trio - will certainly return and will resume his new job as captain after missing the second Test at late notice because he was a COVID-19 close contact.

"I found out at midnight about Patty Cummins and what was happening," said Langer, who took over as coach in May 2018.

"I really liked how everyone stayed calm and got on with their process, their role within the team."

Langer also gave his backing to opener Marcus Harris, who has scored just 38 runs across his four

innings in the series - the fewest of any specialist batter from either side.

"He'll play in the Test, no worries about that," said Langer.

"This is his home ground. He hasn't made the runs that he would have liked, but he's dominated domestic cricket. So he can play.

He showed glimpses of it in Test cricket so far.

"We're hopeful that he'll keep kicking on and keep getting better.

He's not far off.

"We want an opening partnership for the long term, not the short term. We've chopped and changed a lot over the last few years, and testament to that is how many opening partners Davey Warner has had." (BBC Sport)

Langer wants to continue tenure across all formats THE Australian cricket team is going through a great phase currently. The team lifted the T20 World Cup last month for the first time. Australia have defeated England in the first Two Ashes Test and are looking to have a clean sweep over the arch-rivals.

Australia have a busy schedule for the next two years. Australia will host the T20 World Cup in October next year and will also play the ODI World Cup in India in 2023. Australia will travel to Asia to play against Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and India.

Justin Langer, the current head coach of the Australian team, has expressed his desire to remain in his position across all three formats after his tenure ends. The Australian cricket officials will meet after Ashes to decide Langer’s future.

When asked whether he wants to remain the coach across the three formats, Langer said: “Yes,” as quoted by Cricinfo.

“I’ve never thought differently to be honest,” Langer said yesterday. “I’ve been consistent with what I’ve said for the last four years.

I love my job. And the boys are

playing well. No doubt about it. It’s a great team to be involved in. So nothing’s changed from my point of view,” Langer added.

In 2023, Australia will go to South Africa to play a three-match Test series. It was scheduled to be played in February and March 2021; however, it was cancelled amid the COVID-19 situation in South Africa.

The tour might take place after the ODI World Cup 2023. It was also a part of the previous World Test Championship cycle and might not be counted in the ongoing WTC

Lara named Sunrisers’ strategic adviser, batting coach SUNRISERS Hyderabad have announced changes to their support staff ahead of the next IPL, bringing in the former West Indies batter Brian Lara and former South Africa fast bowler Dale Steyn.

Lara has been named the strategic adviser and batting coach, while Steyn, who has played for several franchises in IPL, including Sunrisers, and has picked up 97 wickets in 95 matches in the tournament, will be their pace bowling coach. Steyn had announced his retirement from all forms of cricket this August.

Tom Moody, who was the team’s director of cricket last season, returns as head coach following Trevor Bayliss’ decision to part ways with the franchise. Under Bayliss, Sunrisers finished last in IPL 2021, winning just three matches out of the 14 in the group stage.

Whereas Moody, a familiar name in the setup, had coached the team for seven consecutive years from 2013 to 2019 and helped Sunrisers clinch the title in 2016. Under Moody, the team also went past the group stages five times.

Another significant change in the revamped support staff includes the appointment of former Australia batter and coach Simon Katich as

West Indies batting great Brian Lara

the assistant coach, while former India batter Hemang Badani was named the fielding coach and the scout. Katich was the head coach of the Royal Challengers Bangalore in IPL 2021.

Muttiah Muralidaran continues to be the spin bowling coach for the upcoming edition.

Ahead of the mega auctions on February 12 and 13, Sunrisers had retained three players, including captain Kane Williamson, uncapped fast bowler Umran Malik and uncapped all-rounder Abdul Samad. (ESPNcricinfo)

Australia head coach Justin Langer

cycle. In 2023, Australia will also travel to England to play the Ashes.

Also, Australia aim to qualify for the WTC final, which it missed last season by a small margin. Australian batter Marnus Labuschagne mentioned a few days back that the team is eyeing a whitewash over England to increase the chances of playing the final.

“We were envious of New Zealand and India that we weren’t there. We would have loved to have been. It was a goal which we didn’t achieve, unfortunately,” Langer said. (CricTracker)

Olivier ready to make a statement in return to Test cricket SOUTH Africa will have a point to prove as they gear up to host India in a three-match Test series, starting on December 26 with the Boxing Day clash in Centurion.

Virat Kohli’s men are eyeing a maiden Test series win in the rainbow nation and are also touted as favourites for this series. Hence, the home team have a stern task at hands.

Notably, the upcoming series would also mark Duanne Olivier’s return in national colours. The right-arm pacer had quit South African cricket in 2019 by signing a Kolpak deal.

However, changes in Cricket South Africa (CSA) policy meant Olivier regained eligibility to play for the Proteas side. It must be noted that Olivier was so confident of not making a national return that he had framed his Test cap.

However, it seems like the

South Africa pacer Duanne Olivier

29-year-old will need his cap again. On being asked about the same, he said: “I am going to have to ask if I can get a new one. Otherwise I need to break the frame,” to ESPNcricinfo.

In KL Rahul, Virat Kohli and Cheteshwar Pujara, India have some of the best batters going around, who are proven stars of this format. Olivier is also aware of the same.

“For me, it’s probably the biggest series I will play so,

if selected, there will be those pressures. We’re playing against world-class players but at the same time, it’s an exciting challenge. Like, I’ll need to bowl to (Virat) Kohli. It will be tough, but it’s exciting,” stated Oliver.

“We’ll be bowling to probably the top four batters in the world. It’s like making a statement to them. We are here to compete. We are not just going to roll over. For me, that’s very important: throwing the first punch, to know that you are here, you are present,” he added.

With Anrich Nortje missing the series due to fitness issues and Oliver leading the wicket-taking charts in the First-Class season, the pacer is set to take the field in Centurion. While Oliver would be raring to make a mark, he accepted getting nervous in the early stages of the contest.

(CricTracker)

30

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, December 24, 2021

Everest Cricket Club now being powered by Solar Energy “In order for clubs to function, flourish and realise the potential of its members, membership dues alone cannot suffice, and so you have to have a revenue mix in terms of generating inflows

Chinese Ambassador, Guo Haiyan, cuts the ceremonial ribbon, alongside Everest Cricket Club president, Manzoor Nadir (right), to commission the new solar power system, in the presence of other officials yesterday

IN a bid to reduce monthly utility expenses, Everest Cricket Club (ECC) has implemented a Solar Panel System at their Camp Road establishment.

The system was officially commissioned yesterday and it was announced that it cost some G$5.8M which was fully funded by the People’s Republic of China.

Ambassador Guo Haiyan

was present to cut the ribbon at the ceremonial opening of the project which started in June 2021 and has been tested since November.

The Ambassador indicated they are happy to be part of the project and that the “modest contribution” is echoing the call by Guyana’s Government about low energy emissions and sustainable development.

The 36 solar panels have the capacity to generate 16.7 kilowatts of energy and it means can potentially function solely on solar energy during the day.

At night, they would return to the Guyana Power & Light grid.

For this month, which has been extremely overcast, 35% of energy came from solar, and that is expected to

increase to about 50% when the weather improves.

As part of the partnership with GPL, excess energy would be fed into the GPL grid.

Such benefits have enthused Club president, Manzoor Nadir about reduced costs in monthly utility expenses which can now be invested for developmental purposes.

Agency, highlighted the cost-effective nature of the system, as he noted, “the way this is configured, it allows energy to be stored in a battery to provide backup supply in the event of an outage but

The new solar system at the Everest Cricket Club

and thinking about projects to cut cost which is a formula for financial sustainability,” Nadir expressed.

“By cutting cost we are now able to put more money into hiring better technical coaches for our young players,” the ECC president stressed.

Dr Mahender Sharma, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Guyana Energy

more importantly it offsets the energy needed for the building and does not take that energy from GPL.” According to Dr Sharma, the supply is about 2 000 kilowatts per month which saves Everest about $100 000 per month, Everest partnered with SPECOM (Standby Power Engineering Company) to execute the project.

England pick uncapped Payne, Garton for West Indies T20s ENGLAND captain Eoin Morgan will lead a muchchanged 16-man squad during January's fivematch Twenty20 tour of the West Indies.

No players involved in the ongoing Ashes will be involved in the tour, which

starts on January 22 - four days after the final Test in Australia.

Left-armers George Garton and David Payne are the two uncapped players.

Paul Collingwood will stand in as head coach, with Chris Silverwood taking a

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER (Friday December 24, 2021)

COMPLIMENTS OF CUMMINGS ELECTRICAL COMPANY LTD 83 Garnett Street, Campbellville, Georgetown (Tel: 225-6158) Answers to yesterday’s quiz: (1) Clem Hill (AUST vs ENG, Melbourne, 1902) (2) Sydney Barnes Today’s Quiz: (1) Who is the first batsman to be dismissed for 99 in an ODI game?

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Answers in tomorrow’s issue

break after the Ashes.

Squad: Eoin Morgan (Middlesex - captain), Moeen Ali (Worcestershire), Tom Banton (Somerset), Sam Billings (Kent), Liam Dawson (Hampshire), George Garton (Sussex), Chris Jordan (Surrey), Liam Livingstone (Lancashire), Saqib Mahmood (Lancashire), Tymal Mills (Sussex), David Payne (Gloucestershire), Adil Rashid (Yorkshire), Jason Roy (Surrey), Phil Salt (Lancashire), Reece Topley (Surrey), James Vince (Hampshire).

Collingwood, who captained England to T20 World Cup success in the West Indies in 2010, will be assisted by former opener Marcus Trescothick.

The squad includes 11 players who were involved in the T20 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates in October and November, where England lost in the

semi-finals to New Zealand.

Opening batter Jason Roy (calf) and left-arm bowler Tymal Mills (thigh) are both involved after recovering from injuries sustained in that tournament.

Garton, 24, was in England's squad against Sri Lanka in June, but did not feature and was then ruled out of the following Pakistan series because England's COVID-19 bubble was compromised.

The Sussex bowler featured for Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian Premier League (IPL) in October and is currently playing for Adelaide Strikers in the Australian Big Bash League.

He has taken 54 wickets in 47 T20s, while Gloucestershire bowler Payne, 30, has claimed 133 in 109 T20 games.

Phil Salt could make his T20 international debut, after appearing in one-day cricket

Left-armer David Payne has taken 243 wickets across T20 and List A cricket

for the first time against Pakistan in July.

Paul Collingwood said: "We have selected a strong squad with some serious batting power and a balanced attack as we begin preparations ahead of the T20 World Cup in Australia.

"The World Cup is less than a year away and there will be increased opportunities for the squad in the absence of those players who are with the Ashes squad.

"I have good memories of winning a World Cup in Barbados and I'm really

looking forward to going back there with this squad to face a very good West Indies who will test all aspects of our skills."

Reigning champions West Indies were knocked out in the group stage of the World Cup, with just one win from five games.

The five-match series, which starts England's build-up to the 2022 T20 World Cup in Australia from October 16, is followed by a three-match Test series in March. (BBC Sport)

31

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, December 24, 2021

Foster unveils ambitious two-year plan as part of historic BCB cricket manifesto umpiring and to provide a developmental fund along with other assistance as required.

Special attention would also be played on the training of several pre-level one coaches for clubs and the training of scorers in an effort to lift the submission of match reports to the board

BCB president Hilbert Foster (left) and BCB PRO Simon Naidu

FRESH off his unopposed return to the helm of Berbice Cricket, president Hilbert Foster unveiled a number of plans for the continued growth of the sport across Ancient County, with 2022 just around the corner.

When Foster's administration took over the Berbice Cricket Board (BCB), the cricketing structure in the Ancient County was on the verge of falling apart owing to internal conflicts and poor management.

Today, the county is now widely considered the role model of cricket management across the country and even in the Caribbean.

The BCB last Sunday held its elections and the Hilbert Foster slate was re elected unopposed as delegates reward Foster for his outstanding leadership over the last four years.

Team Progress created history in cricket administration in Guyana when it presented an eight-page manifesto to delegates at the AGM. The manifesto consisted of the many achievements of the board between the period 2018 to 2021 and also reviewed the dismal situation that Foster and his executives inherited.

The manifesto includes the slate commitment to the overall county and then commitment to the five sub areas - West Berbice, New Amsterdam/Canje, Lower Corentyne, Upper Corentyne and Berbice River.

Among the commitments made to the overall county was the hosting of 50 cricket tournaments at all levels, expansion of the coaching programme, educational grants for 300 youths over two years, over $10M in assistance to clubs and $20M to youth cricketers in form of gear, uniforms, cycles and educational materials.

300 youths would benefit from involvement in social seminars, by the end of 2023 the county would have adequate pitch covers, the BCB Office would be upgraded, sub-associations would continue to receive

financial grants and several international players would visit the county for coaching sessions.

The slate also committed to working along with all stakeholders, being every transparent and to representing the interest of every Berbice player and official.

The eight-page manifesto also includes areas of development for the sub-associations with the group committing itself to organising a minimum of five internal tournaments in each zone for teams including grassroots tournaments, mini cricket academies, social skills seminars, special coaching clinics and to obtaining at least a 100’ by 24’ pitch covers.

Clubs in each of the zones would receive cricket balls and scorebooks. The BCB would also assist generally with items such as catching cribs, stumps, coaching manuals, water pitchers among others.

Foster also stated that first division teams would also benefit from a special donation of cricket balls to assist them to cover expenses while several commitments were also made to some members of the BCB including Chesney, Whim, Kildonan, Rose Hall Canje, Mt Sinai, Guymine and Port Mourant.

Port Mourant, once the leading cricket club in Guyana, is now undergoing a period of rebuilding and would receive much assistance from the BCB in this regard.

The smallest of the sub-associations, the Berbice River Cricket Association, would receive special attention with tournaments, gear and training programmes planned over the next two years while clubs in the area would also collect assistance.

The area was also assured of fulfilling their long-cherished dream of playing first division cricket as the BCB would allow them to play in the Ivan Madray 20/20 tournament with the other established first division teams.

Commitment was also made to work along with the Umpires Association to lift the standard of

from clubs.

Foster, who authored the manifesto stated that his administration would work very hard to fulfil every commitment made and bluntly told his executives to either ship up or move on.

Noting that the first four years of his administration had achieved,

the CWI Director stated that he expects much more to be done between 2022 and 2023 as the BCB strives to produce at least 10 West Indies players across all levels.

Special praise was reserved for Simon Naidu, the 21-yearold public relations officer

(PRO), who over the last two years has made sure that every activity of the BCB was promoted across the nation. Foster told delegates at the AGM to make sure that they keep their copy of his slate manifesto and to follow the progress of each commitment.

32

Guyana Amazon Jaguars head coach, Esaun Crandon

26

Crandon wants Jaguars players to make mental switch to red-ball cricket

GCB president issues message ahead of Christmas holiday weekend GUYANA Cricket Board (GCB) president Bissoondyal Singh, ahead of the Christmas holiday weekend, issued a statement on behalf of his executives as the board seeks to hit the ground running as soon as 2022 arrives.

The statement reads: "It’s that time of year again, a time for spreading Christmas joy and sharing messages of peace, hope and happiness as we reflect on the challenges and the achievements of 2021 and prepare for the New Year with hearts filled with prayer and hope."

"This season of goodwill provides us with the opportunity of being even closer with family, loved ones and friends as we look forward to a future of peace, joy and contentment. 2021 has been a year of mixed fortunes for the Guyana Cricket Board" .

"After a protracted period of legal issues, and for the first time, an Executive Committee was elected to office in March under the Guyana Cricket Administration Act".

"However, much to our dismay, cricket activities were severely curtailed because of the COVID-19 pandemic" .

"It is therefore my fervent hope that

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, December 24, P A2021 GE

Lanka Premier League T20 final

Seales tastes success as Kings brush aside Gladiators to win title

PAGE

26

GCB president Bissoondyal Singh

as we bowl off a new year there will be a return to normalcy in our lives after almost two years of the pandemic".

"As president of the Guyana Cricket Board, I take this opportunity to thank our valued sponsors, cricket officials and fans for your continued support and loyalty and trust that 2022 will see the long-overdue restart of cricket competitions which we all do desire".

"On behalf of the Executive Committee, the Member Boards and the staff of the Guyana Cricket Board, I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Peaceful and Rewarding New Year".

Jaffa Kings celebrate with their T20 trophy

Foster unveils ambitious two-year plan as part of 31 historic BCB cricket manifesto

Printed and Published by Guyana National Newspapers Limi ted, Lama Avenue, Bel Air Park, Georgetown. Telephone 2 2 6- 3243-9 (General); Editorial: 2 2 7- 5204, 2 2 7- 5216. Fax:2 2 7- 5208

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FRIDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2021