Issuu

TUESDAY 28th JUNE, 2022

No. 106767

Regional energy strategy in the making

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- to guide Caribbean nations in areas for investment, says President Ali

President, Dr Irfaan Ali addresses the opening of the Suriname Energy Oil and Gas Summit in Paramaribo, Suriname, on Monday (Office of the President photos)

Export earnings Ramps fails to Soldier commended top US$1.3B in meet requirements for act of bravery 4 first quarter 2 for certificate SEE PAGE

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Boy, three, dies hours after hit by car

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Export earnings top US$1.3B in first quarter

GLOBAL supply chain issues caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, and, more recently, the Russian invasion of Ukraine, have negatively impacted many countries. And while Guyana is not immune to those effects, the nation has remained resilient, recording positive economic growth, and benefiting significantly from the exportation of local commodities during the first quarter of this year. The country’s economic performance was recorded by the Bank of Guyana (BoG) in its quarterly report, which stated that export earnings topped US$1.3 billion during the period under review.

Specifically, the Central Bank said that the merchandise trade surplus increased by 47.6 per cent, or US$204.4 million, from US$429.7 million to US$634.2 million. This outturn reflected a US$368.4 million growth in exports to US$1,365,200,000. Higher export receipts, according to the BoG, came from crude oil, which earned US$1.6 billion; “other export,” US$63.8 million; bauxite, US$23.3 million, and timber, US$6.9 million. Conversely, lower export receipts were from gold, rice and sugar, by US$27.7 million, US$5.3 million and US$2.8 million, respectively. It was reported that earnings from the expor-

tation of locally produced commodities could reach US$7 billion this year, as Guyana looks to further overcome the pervasive challenges presented by COVID-19, and institute appropriate mechanisms and measures to guard against any eventualities that might arise as time progresses. Using current basic prices as a benchmark, authorities had determined that Guyana could earn roughly US$7,792,800,000 by the end of this year; this represents an increase of about 55 per cent, when compared with revenues totalling US$4,352,000,000 earned last year. Notwithstanding the projected volatility in

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, June 28, 2022

prices, based on Budget 2022, the government intends to maintain and even enhance its approach to stimulating growth in various economic sectors. WORK IN EARNEST “Even as we confront, head-on, the formidable challenges before us, our government continues to work in earnest to advance the aggressive agenda for transformation that we had previously outlined. At this moment of unprecedented opportunity for our country, we seek now to convert the bright prospects before us into realised national and individual well-being for all Guyanese,” Senior Minister in the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance, Dr Ashni Singh had said. Supported by the robust institutional architecture that the government has established, Budget

2022 ensures that two complementary and critically important objectives are met: Firstly, that the urgent development needs of the country are met in the shortest possible time, and that the long-term economic well-being of the country is protected and safeguarded at all times. The first quarter of 2022 was somewhat a reflection of the government’s vision, as that period was a productive one for Guyana’s economy, which recorded positive economic growth, on account of sustained production in the oil-and-gas sector, and positive output performances in the nonoil sectors. “As oil-and-gas activities continued, the nonoil economy experienced moderate growth, on account of economic activities regaining momentum

from the full reopening of the economy, coupled with fiscal measures to alleviate the rising costs of production and services,” the Central Bank said. Considering its overall performance in the first quarter of 2022, Guyana’s economy is well positioned to record real oil Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth of 49.6 per cent, and 7.5 per cent non-oil growth by the end of this year. This significant growth, the Central Bank related, is expected to be mainly as a result of expansions in all major sectors of the economy, as all COVID-19 restrictions have been lifted, and the economy has been fully reopened. Additionally, output of oil is expected to greatly increase, with the introduction of the Liza Unity.

Regional energy strategy in the making 3

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, June 28, 2022

- to guide Caribbean nations in areas for investment

By Tamica Garnett

SEVERAL Caribbean Community (CARICOM) member states have come together to advance work on a regional energy strategy that will guide Caribbean nations in areas for investment. This was announced by President, Dr. Irfaan Ali on Monday, while

and transparently as possible we can unlock those opportunities,” Dr. Ali explained. He elaborated: “By the end of the next quarter, investors can have a fair and clear understanding of what the energy strategy and the energy needs of this region will be, and where are the future opportunities, and what are we trying to

to remove bureaucratic delays, and advance dynamism; we have to work on unlocking our natural gas potential, because that can contribute to rebalancing the supply side for the region,” President Ali said. He noted that with several Caribbean nations now involved in oil-and-gas production or exploration, it is im-

President, Dr. Irfaan Ali (second right) and President of Suriname, Chandrikapersad “Chan” Santokhi (second left of President Ali) at the oiland-gas exhibition on Monday (Office of the President photos)

President, Dr. Irfaan Ali at one of the booths at the oiland-gas exhibition in neighbouring Suriname

delivering remarks during the opening ceremony of the Suriname Energy Oil and Gas Summit in Paramaribo, Suriname. According to President Ali, discussions on the strategy have already begun with President of Suriname, Chandrikapersad “Chan” Santokhi, and Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, Dr. Keith Rowley and his Energy and Energy Industries Minister, Stuart Young. “We are proposing to move rapidly on a regional energy strategy to look at all the potential areas for investment, to bring investors together; bring the markets together, and see how quickly,

unlock, so that we can have a clear direction as to where we are going.” It is expected that the full strategy will be presented in Suriname in a few weeks. According to President Ali, the strategy will also include Brazil, which is not a part of CARICOM, but, nonetheless, is currently in negotiations with Guyana and Suriname for the development of an energy corridor. “CARICOM members like Guyana, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago; we have to come together to advance a solution not only for the region but one that incorporates Northern Brazil. We have

perative to put together a developmental strategy that shows how the rest of the region’s economy will be built out from the revenue that comes from oil and gas. The President listed renewable energy, food security, and the development of climate resilience infrastructure as some of the key areas where investments will be considered. “The region is advancing a very elaborate and ambitious food strategy; we have to be able to fund this strategy [as well as] our climate resilience strategy,” President Ali said. He noted that the region is also facing a num-

ber of challenges that require funding to overcome; challenges such as slow GDP growth, continuous supply chain disruptions, rising inflation, lack of capital to invest, the lack of technology or

expertise, and a need for digitisation. “If we can’t find the resources to invest in these areas, our economies will continue to lag behind,” President Ali said, adding: “The

potential of energy security in the region, undoubtedly, is enormous; not only with the possibilities in Guyana, Trinidad and Suriname, but also with all the Caribbean States.”

A section of the gathering at the opening ceremony of the Suriname Energy Oil and Gas Summit in Paramaribo, Suriname

Under the Production Sharing Agreement (PSA), Guyana receives two per cent royalty, and 50 per cent profit oil, which is what remains after the producer recovers its production cost. (Excerpted from the PSA)

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, June 28, 2022

Soldier commended for act of bravery

CHIEF-of-Staff (ag) of the Guyana Defence Force(GDF) Colonel Omar Khan has commended Lance Corporal Shamar Garraway for rescuing a baby after the boat in which he, the child’s mother and other passengers were travelling last Saturday on the Essequibo River started to take in water. According to a release, Chief-of-Staff (ag) Khan on Monday met with Lance Corporal Garraway, whose photograph has been making the rounds on social media because of his heroic yet instinctive act. The release said the Chief-of-Staff (ag) thanked the Lance Corporal for his selfless action which dis-

played both his humanitarian and military attributes. Garraway, who is also the father of a one-year-old boy, reportedly explained that he was forced to move to the boat’s bow as the vessel drifted towards the trees, where they were able to wait until they were rescued. After quickly assessing the situation, the release said, the soldier came to realise that it was the baby that would be most at risk, and, disembarking the vessel, he sought to provide safety and care for the infant. “I know I had to help the baby, as, with any emergency, babies and young children are a priority. So, Mr. Ignatius, another passenger, took the baby first,

as the mother cried out for help. I told him I would go into the tree, so I could be comfortable to hold the baby properly. I then collected him while his mother got help from others with her other child,” he recounted. The release noted that even though it is instinctive to render assistance in times of tragedy, it took courage to remain calm and offer selfless service. Lance Corporal Garraway, who hails from the village of Zorg, on the Essequibo Coast, only recently celebrated his fifth anniversary of service to Guyana. “The 23-year-old is grateful that he was able to render assistance, and, most of all, that there were no casualties. Colonel Khan noted that LCPL Garraway

Chief-of-Staff (ag), Colonel Omar Khan (right) and Lance Corporal Shamar Garraway during their meeting on Monday

represented the Force well, both in and out of uniform. Further, he was encouraged

to share his experience with his fellow colleagues and friends so that they can re-

spond in like manner when the situation necessitates,” the release noted.

June 25, 2022

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, June 28, 2022

Drainage works ongoing at ‘Eccles Dumpsite Road’ DRAINAGE works are currently ongoing on the dumpsite access road at Eccles, East Bank Demerara (EBD), which is an important connector to both the Mandela to Eccles and the Ogle to Eccles four-lane highways, President Dr. Irfaan Ali said in a Facebook post on Sunday. The new drainage infrastructure is set to complement the significant road upgrades that are expected to commence soon. The road has seen an increase in traffic since the April 14 opening of the new $2.3 billion concrete, fourlane highway linking the area to Mandela Avenue. President Ali, at the commissioning of the road, had said that the investment, which is in keeping with the government’s vision of transforming Guyana’s infrastructural landscape, will not just ease the traffic congestion on the EBD corridor, but it will also serve to transform

Massive drainage infrastructure taking shape on what is popularly known as “Eccles Dumpsite Road” (Office of the President photos)

the landscape of Guyana as the country continues on its trajectory of development. Speaking about the spinoff benefits of the new highway, Minister of Housing and Water, Collin Croal, said that it has unlocked massive lands for development; this means that major housing developments are expected to continue across the EBD. The housing minister

added that since being elected to office, the government has expended some $6.8 billion for infrastructural works on the EBD corridor alone, in areas such as Providence, Prospect, Little Diamond, and Great Diamond, with the new highway complementing those works. “2022 will see even more investments in the housing sector. Our government has committed more than $27.5

M&CC upholds decision to pay former Town Clerk Royston King

The Georgetown Mayor and City Council’s statutory meeting in progress (Carl Croker photo)

THE Georgetown Mayor and City Council, on Monday, voted to begin making payments to former Town Clerk, Royston King, after receiving a court order to do so. This decision was made during the council’s statutory meeting, which was held in the upper flat of the Kitty Market. The matter was raised as the Town Clerk (ag), Vanessa SimonBrowne brought the council’s attention to a letter that was received. As the letter was being discussed, she noted that she would be sending a correspondence to the Local Government Commission to seek clarity before payments are disbursed. However, this was quickly shut down by Mayor Ubraj Narine, who noted that the instructions to have King receive his benefits came through a court order. It was then that Councillor Heston Bostwick indicated that some time back, the council had already agreed that King should be paid even as he mentioned that the only deliberation that should be made now is for the council to instruct the town clerk to make the payments available.

To this end, Narine stated, “The court order… I have a copy before me. The court order [is] dated June 3, 2022…[the] application made by Royston King for his gratuity, salaries, and all his benefits, the court gave 24 days to make or to commence payment upon this court order.” With that, he indicated that the council stands by the ruling of the court and as such said instructions should be followed by the

town clerk. He then put the matter to a vote. The vote was carried as the majority voted to uphold the decision for King to receive his benefits. Following his dismissal in 2019, King approached the courts to have that decision quashed and for him to be paid his benefits and allowances up until he had reached the age of retirement in early 2020.

billion for infrastructure works on the EBD corridor that will include Great Diamond, Golden Grove, Little Diamond, and new openings for commercial lands on the East Bank. And this also includes the continuation of the construction of the fourlane highway from Eccles to Great Diamond, which is already in progress,” the housing minister said. Since assuming office in 2020, the government has already allocated some 11,000 house lots. The upgrades to the dumpsite road are particularly important to the other major infrastructural project – the $10.4 billion Ogle to Eccles Road – which is being undertaken by the government. Dr. Ali said that, in addition to being a tangible link geared at easing the usual traffic congestion along the

East Bank corridor, the new road will also enhance the quality of life for residents. He said that the massive undertaking is part of the government’s plan to improve access to new lands for housing, farming, and

business. Works are presently ongoing on the second phase of the initiative which will see the four-lane road continuing to Great Diamond, EBD.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, June 28, 2022

The fight against corruption IT is difficult to see how guilt could be ascribed on the basis of a perception alone, but there appears to be an obsession with equating the perception of corruption to corruption actually existing for which the latter would require a higher burden of proof. For what it’s worth, Guyana has made significant strides in improving the national anti-corruption framework in the last two decades. Only recently, government hosted an Anti-Corruption Framework Training Workshop. Guyana has a robust anti-corruption framework built around a consultative process and enshrined in the constitution with a powersharing model adequately intertwined to increase inclusion. These processes date back to the year 2000 during the constitutional reform process, which created many of the systems and processes we know now. Today, the country benefits from a mixture of laws; constitutional agencies; statutory bodies and parliamentary committees, all working as pressure valves addressing the multitude of issues which could affect the country’s cor-

ruption assessment, including the Integrity Commission, the soon-to-be sworn-in Public Procurement Commission, and the Service Commissions, to name a few. Chaired by a member of the parliamentary opposition, the Public Accounts Committee of the National Assembly remains a prime example of the power of bipartisanship as public-funded entities at the central and local government levels appear before the committee to answer queries raised by the Auditor General in annual audit reports tabled in the National Assembly. Those hearings are attended by accounting officers of the respective agencies and their support teams. On the technical side, the committee’s work is supported by the Auditor General, Accountant General, and Finance Secretary. Added to this, anti-corruption measures are part of Guyana’s obligations in the international system at regional and international levels. With compliance to each international anti-corruption measure, Guyana is obligated to submit to the periodic reporting mechanisms associated with the respective

obligation. In 2001, Guyana was one of the first countries to ratify the Inter-American Convention Against Corruption, which is the oldest and the first convention of its kind. The country, similarly, acceded to the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) in 2008, adopted the Lima Commitment for Democratic Governance Against Corruption in 2018, and committed to the UN General Assembly Special Session’s Political Declaration on Corruption. Even further, Guyana committed to the Community of Latin America and Caribbean States (CELAC) Working Group specialized in preventing and combating corruption. The list of Guyana’s international obligations is long. Since coming to office in 2020, the Dr Irfaan Aliled PPP/C government prioritized transparency and accountability in every way possible. Considering that at the time of the PPP/C’s assent to office the country was still reeling from the COVID-19 pandemic, government managed the pandemic response, strengthening the social safety net considering the

negative economic impacts of the pandemic, and at the same time continued to build on the framework to govern Guyana’s oil and gas sector. Central to the PPP/C government’s building of the oil and gas framework, with Guyanese in mind, was repealing the Natural Resources Fund Act attempted by the former APNU+AFC government and restructuring it in such a way that the new version removed the cumbersome formula employed by the last government for calculating withdrawals from the fund, and ensured a new provision which mandated the Finance Minister to make public disclosures or face a hefty prison term, once found guilty of violating the law. It should also be noted that the APNU+AFC government had attempted to pass their version of the NRF law through the Parliament in early 2019 even though they had lost the No Confidence Motion in December 2018. The current version of the NRF law fully complies with the Santiago Principles which are aimed at protecting the international investment landscape and, among other things, “ensure that SWFs

[Sovereign Wealth Funds] have in place a transparent and sound governance structure that provides adequate operational controls, risk management, and accountability.” There is no denying that the PPP/C government is committed to consistently working with stakeholders to build the country’s anticorruption framework. Parliamentary Affairs and Governance Minister Gail Teixeira, succinctly told workshop attendees at the anti-corruption framework training recently: “… our focus should be on a systematic approach to ensure that we do not operate in silos. “We have to develop a systematic approach to dealing with anti-corruption [sic] in our country… when we look at what is our framework and the role of the various agencies, which structure and deal with the elements of the anti-corruption framework, we recognize the need for a more systematic approach”. When dealing with public systems, there is always room for improvement. A superb character of leadership is recognizing where challenges exist and working to fill those gaps.

Despite the many claims by the APNU+AFC when in government, and continuing now, that the former PPP/C government led by Mr Donald Ramotar was corrupt, which caused the then government to act on that perception to criminally charge a number of persons who were senior officials from Mr Ramotar’s administration, none of those charges stuck. Even after five years in office and many efforts to weaponise state agencies such as the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) and the then State Asset Recovery Agency (SARA) against former PPP/C government officials, all of the attempts fell through the cracks. Much like the tone of the VICE News report on corruption in Guyana, which simply conjectured about corruption in public office and left a significant amount of open-ended questions without evidence, the perception of corruption is just that—an unfounded perception. The unfortunate thing, however, is that the truth and the reality of the situation are sometimes not bandied as far and as wide as spurious claims.

Mitro has no analysis to validate claim that Guyana is losing big on 75 per cent cost oil deduction

Dear Editor, I am tired of responding to first world “so called experts” who have their own agenda and, based on their absurd pronouncements on Guyana’s affairs, probably believes that we are an uneducated population and lacks critical thinking abilities. I will never stop, however, to challenge, expose

and discredit their arguments and pronouncements because that notion is not true and I will never allow these foreigners to treat us as such. It is totally disrespectful and derogatory on their part, and what’s even worse, local media houses give them a platform to propagate their nonsense. We, as Guyanese, must never allow this level of disrespect, as there is no

foreigner on this planet that is superior in intellect than Guyanese. According to the publication, Mitra argued that the country is losing primarily through the deductions being made by the operator and not necessarily in profit-sharing aspect of the deal. Mitro contended that one such provision allows Exxon to recover all interest on

loans borrowed to fund the development of related oil projects. In practice, he said this means that the operator and its partners are able to charge Guyana for the cost of borrowing from their affiliates with no limits. “Contracts typically have cost recovery mechanisms, but usually with limits,” Mitro said, explaining that without written limits, com-

panies can abuse the amount of borrowing they do within the conglomerate. Now, let’s deconstruct Tom Mitro’s wild and careless assertions as was reported by the Kaieteur News edition of June 24, 2022. The current Production Sharing Agreement (PSA) does in fact stipulate limits in two forms. The first being the 75 per cent cost recovery

ceiling, this is a limit; the second is not administered by limits for each line item per se, but, the PSA prescribes what expenditure is cost recoverable and those that cannot be, it also speaks to approval having to be sought for certain costs to be in the cost recoverable bank. Mitra is, therefore, incorrect when he suggested that there is no TURN TO PAGE 8

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, June 28, 2022

Perspective: How the APNU+AFC tried to rig the elections and failed By Ron Cheong WITH the CoI into the 2020 elections announced, the there will be innumerable red herrings thrown around to obfuscate what was an outright attempt to steal the election. The attempt involved multi-faceted planning and implementation, which has not yet received much public attention. It’s downfall was in the execution phase, when everything came crashing down from ineptitude followed by desperation – caused by robust local and international monitoring that stymied and exposed the scheme on live video feed. But in spite of the very public outing, the country still had to endure another five months of denying, deception and stonewalling which continues to be promulgated to this date by individuals who know better. There is a lot of ground to cover. How far and deep the Commission goes depends on its Terms of Reference. Indeed, the groundwork for the 2020 rigging started being laid much earlier. In fact, the preparations pre-dated the 2018 Local Government Elections when 14 LGAs were Gerrymandered, resulting in a steal of 29 local government seats. In that dry run, LGA’s boundaries were re-drawn in Pack, Crack & Pack and Hatcha-Seat operations. There were a number of cases where larger constituencies were amalgamated while smaller constituencies were split in operations that had nothing to do with balancing the sizes of the LGAs. An easy-to-understand example, which provides some insight is the Gerrymandering of Evergreen-Paradise. Here, PPP/C districts two and three with 441 voters were amalgamated into a single constituency, as were PPP/C districts eight and nine with 605 voters. Whereas APNU districts six and seven with only 265 voters were split into three separate constituencies The above was rammed through in the dark of night, so to speak. Following this and in the lead- up to the 2020 General Elections, a number of other telltale signs began to show. GECOM’s reporting to the public and its transparency started becoming more and more opaque. Content and historical information pro-

vided for previous elections began to disappear from their website. And the gazetting of polling station locations was not seen. All of this of course was pre-staged by the abandonment of the Carter Formula. WHY REGION FOUR VERIFICATION WAS ABRUPTLY SABOTAGED But in spite of the schemes that were being deployed, even as the first results began rolling in, things were not looking well for APNU+AFC. This became clearer when verified and tabulated results in from the nine other regions showed the PPP/C’s lead over APNU+AFC was an insurmountable lead of 51,438 votes. The AFC vote, which helped bring APNU to power by a thin margin in 2015, had cratered throughout the country, and was contributing very little in 2020. This is reflected in Region Six where APNU+AFC’s share declined 4.1 per cent with small parties taking up 0.7 per cent. And in Region Seven, the APNU+AFC’s share declined 8.9 per cent with the smaller parties clawing 8.3 per cent. Even in Region 10, the most unassailable APNU stronghold, their share of the verified vote was down 0.8 per cent. Their slip in popular support was widespread across regions. And their own internal analysis would have told them, that at best, the most they could hope for in Region Four was to make up maybe 36,000 votes (about four seats) of the 51,000 vote deficit (about six seats) from the other regions combined. With the Region Four count well underway, the smaller schemes wouldn’t be enough. Something bigger had to be done. There was literally no time to spare. The rigour that the robust local and international observation brought had forced some schemes to be abandoned or scaled back. Others began to cave in on themselves and further deteriorated into a cascade of failures. In a desperate attempt to curtail the verification and seize the ballots, the riggers tried to intimidate the international observers into leaving the verification site -- and they did all this in the view of TV cameras. In addition, out came the bedsheet. Ulti-

mately, Mingo declared two different results on March 5th and March 13th, and when this crumpled, Lowenfield declared three different results on June 13th, June 23rd and July 11th. In one of Lowenfield’s infamous declarations, he attempted to disenfranchise over 100,000 electors. When eventually the tortured verification of Region Four was finally completed, the smaller parties had taken a 1.7 per cent bite out of APNU and the PPP/C made inroads of 2.1 per cent. Overall, the PPP/C won 33 seats, the APNU 31 and the Joinders -- one. These are the indisputable facts. WHAT NOW The attempt to rig the elections failed. The whole world witnessed the attempt, including observers from the Commonwealth and CARICOM – a team David Granger himself called the most legitimate interlocutor in the Guyana situation. In spite of the universal condemnation of this assault on the country’s democracy, there are those who shamelessly continue their attempt to mislead people with baseless aspersions and outright lies. The announcement of the CoI calls their bluff. The SoPs farce attempts to divert from the embarrassment that in Georgetown itself, the same dissatisfaction in APNU+AFC reflected in the vote in the rest of the country also manifested in the capital. The ballots have been counted and recounted. We know what the numbers are. The country now awaits the setting of the Terms of Reference and the commencement of the inquiry itself. For all those who placed themselves at risk to defend the country’s democracy, this is a welcomed development. Even for the naysayers, this is an opportunity to clear the air. It is an opportunity for clear-thinking members of the opposition to avail themselves and to make a contribution. The country as a whole will benefit and GECOM processes should emerge strengthened through the benefit of the collective knowledge and experience of the CoI panel. There should also be learnings from what went wrong at GECOM and perhaps elsewhere. And what of the foot soldiers presently implicated in the rigging. Will this be a case of the lords throwing their dealers under the bus? This must surely be on their minds as they weigh their options.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, June 28, 2022

Ramps fails to meet requirements for certificate

- authorities request critical information from the company RAMPS Logistics Guyana, on Monday, disclosed that it was currently working to submit additional documents that have been requested by the Local Content Secretariat (LCS). The logistics company which was incorporated in 2013 and is parented by RAMPS Logistics Limited out of Trinidad and Tobago, had recently made a request to be part of Guyana’s Local Content Register. In a press statement issued on Monday, the company indicated that it had received a response from the LCS Director, Martin Partab, which gave details

as to why the company’s request was denied. The Guyana Chronicle understands that upon a review of Ramps’ application, the information submitted were found to be insufficient for a proper compliance evaluation to be done by the Secretariat in accordance with the requirements of the Act. According to RAMPS, the Local Content Secretariat requested some documentation, which they are currently working on for submission. “Ramps Logistics Guyana is committed to meeting all reasonable and lawful demands of the secretariat,”

the press release added. Last week, the company had called a press conference after it bemoaned the decision that was made by the secretariat to deny it the certificate. It was at that press conference that company officials revealed that some 51 per cent of the local company was sold to Trinidadian businessman, Deepak Lall, who, they said, has Guyanese parentage. The sale of the majority shares of the local logistics company came after Guyana’s Parliament enacted the updated local content rules which were set to protect the

interest of Guyanese and Guyanese companies in the growing oil and gas sector here. The company’s chairman, Shaun Rampersad, at that time had said that he was of the view that RAMPS had complied with all the specifics of the local content legislation and further added that he felt the company went about the processes in the right way.

RAMPS Logistics Guyana Headquarters (Carl Croker photo)

Mitro has no analysis...

FROM PAGE 6 limit within the PSA on costs. With respect to imposing limit on items such as financing cost, that would be imprudent and in contravention of basic, fundamental accounting principles. Let’s take it to the basics. In elementary economics or even at the CSEC/ CXC level business subjects, students are taught about the “factors of production” which is divided into four categories: i) Land ii) Labour iii) Capital iv) Entrepreneurship This means that to start any type of business and to ensure it remains a going concern, the investor (s) need to have land (the building or property where the business will operate out of); labour which is the people resource and everyone bring their own unique skillsets and competencies, financial capital and entrepreneurship acumen. These are four crucial elements to ensure the success of any business. Further, each of these attract a cost for the acquisition of same – that is, there is a cost for land, building, furniture, equipment, labour and there is also a cost for capital. Financial capital is usually in two forms, equity and debt. Equity is shareholders or the owners’ money that they accumulate in savings or sale of an asset, and debt is borrowed capital. Both forms of capital, like the other factors of production, has a cost to obtain same. Typically, equity is more expensive that debt and that is because shareholders demand higher returns for their investments. In the case of ExxonMo-

bil, the cost of debt capital is around 4.25 per cent and the cost of equity is around 8.65 per cent, giving rise to weighted average cost of capital (WACC) of about 8 per cent. The cost of capital (financing cost) is treated as an expense and, therefore, deducted from the profit and loss account as an expense. In other words, the interest expense, for example, charged on a loan which is a form of debt, is a financing cost which must be deducted as an expense from the profit and loss account. This is a standard, fundamental, universal accounting practice, thus, there is absolutely nothing unusual about it. Further, Tom Mitro did not conduct any analysis to support his view that “Guyana is losing big” as a result of deducting financing cost as an expense. Hereunder, let’s look at the actual financing cost based on the 2021 financials of ExxonMobil, Hess and CNOOC and the amount of debt financing the company actually employed in its capital structure relative to equity. Towards this end, an examination of the statement of comprehensive income for the oil companies ending Financial Year (FY) 2021, total revenue amounted to G$545 billion, financing cost amounted to $822 million representing 0.15 per cent of revenue; lease interest (another form of debt financing) amounted to G$6.6 billion representing 1.21 per cent of revenue, altogether the (lease interest plus financing cost) represents a mere 1.36 per cent of revenue – thus having a very minimal impact on profit. Most importantly to note is that oil companies typically employ a low level of debt in their capital struc-

ture. This is largely because of the complex nature and high-risk factor of the industry where the life cycle between exploration stage, development and production stages can be as long as 10–20 years. In the case of Guyana, for example, exploration commenced shortly after the 1999 agreement was signed with ExxonMobil, oil was discovered in commercial quantities in 2015, approximately 16 years later, and production commenced another five years later following the development stage. Altogether, the exploration to production cycle in Guyana spanned almost two decades. Then, another two years later, into production, the oil companies made a profit for the first time. That said, the long term debt-to-equity ratio for the oil companies operating in Guyana is 0.2 per cent or 20 per cent. This means 80 per cent of the companies’ capital structure comprise of equity financing (typically, this ratio for other industries is as high as 50 per cent – 70 per cent). Moreso, owing to this low level of long term debt, the financing cost as shown in the statement of comprehensive income represents less than two per cent of revenue. Consequently, the companies financing expense has an extremely low impact on profit-oil for Guyana and the oil companies share of profit. In view of the foregoing, the argument put forward by Tom Mitro is unmeritorious. Yours faithfully, Joel Bhagwandin Director, Corporate Finance Advisory | SPHEREX Analytics

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, June 28, 2022

Food crisis provides Latin America an opportunity to transform its agriculture - Argentine entrepreneur Grobocopatel in dialogue with IICA Director-General

THE concurrent global crises that have sent food prices soaring provide an opportunity for Latin America, which must see this situation as a starting point for the transformation of its rural areas. This is the vision of businessman, agricultural engineer and international consultant, Gustavo Grobocopatel, who visited the headquarters of the InterAmerican Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) in San Jose, Costa Rica, and participated in a dialogue with IICA Director-General Manuel Otero, about the present and future of food production. The conversation was streamed and included the active online participation of renowned agricultural journalists from all over the continent. “Latin America is extraordinary in many aspects. There is an abundance of water and land, and there is a cultural tradition, because the people know how to work the land. These things do not exist in other parts of the world. This continent has a productive potential five or six times that of its current production,” said Grobocopatel, who considered that the problems generated by the COVID-19 pandemic, the recurrence of extreme climate events and the conflict in Eastern Europe will accelerate changes in agriculture that have already started to appear. “Globalisation problems must be combated with globalisation tools. One is regionalisation; if we want to have influence in the world, we must do it together. The countries of Latin America and the Caribbean cannot be separate if we are to address the complexity of the coming world. There is a new technological convergence that has to do with robotics, the Internet of Things and nanotechnology, which is going to change the way agriculture is done,” said Grobocopatel, founder of the Argentine Chamber of Biotechnology and Grupo Los Grobo, and consultant to different gov-

Agricultural businessman, agricultural engineer and international consultant Gustavo Grobocopatel, during a dialogue with IICA Director-General, Manuel Otero, at the headquarters of the Institute in San Jose, Costa Rica (IICA photo)

ernments. This self-proclaimed entrepreneur and promoter of no-till farming, which he considers a tool to care for soil health, is convinced that one of the upcoming transformations is the growth of the bioeconomy, understood as a model of industrialisation of biology. “Today we know that photosynthesis not only produces plants that can be used as food but also as energy, clothes and medicine.” In this regard, he considers that the current crisis of chemical fertiliser availability and prices, the import of which Latin America is highly dependent on, could also help to make positive changes in this sector. “In the quest to be more efficient in the use of nutrients, which means finding the optimal contribution for each type of environment, our agriculture will have more bio-inputs. In five or ten years our production will be based on bio-fertilisers and biological phytosanitary products. That will be a very good thing.” THE NEED FOR HEMISPHERIC PARTNERSHIP During the dialogue, Manuel Otero gave details of his recent participation in the Summit of the Americas, in which he called for the formation of a hemispheric partnership to address growing food insecurity. “Today, food security is at the top of the global agenda and several countries in the hemisphere are launching national

plans to contain the crisis, with specific measures to help the most vulnerable. At the summit we stressed that, in this scenario, there must be funding for farmers and a reinforcement of the publicprivate dialogue to resolve the fertiliser crisis, bearing in mind that countries like Argentina and Brazil import most of the fertilizers they use.” In this regard, Grobocopatel highlighted IICA’s role, describing the institute as a “place where one feels at home.” “IICA plays a very important role and can lead the agendas of regional integration and transformation like no other organisation, because of the legitimacy it has in the hemisphere. It must lead the discussion on the future of agriculture and direct public debate.” PROTECT THE MOST VULNERABLE As for the urgency raised by the current situation, Grobocopatel said that the fundamental purpose of governments must be to protect the most vulnerable populations. “Faced with increased food prices, the priority must be to help those who don’t know if they will be able to put food on the table. The states must act with subsidies and other compensation mechanisms. This grain shortage is a major crisis. We have had shortage crises related to adverse weather conditions, which are quickly

resolved, but in this case, we don’t know when or how it is going to end, although I’m confident it will be resolved faster than we think, if we do not make those mistakes that sometimes delay solutions”. Grobocopatel also referred to the debate on how to produce more and healthier foods with the lowest possible use of natural resources and warned that agriculture cannot be separated from the environmental question. “The environment is the body and soul of agriculture. It is not possible to resolve any of the challenges of production if this process does not speak the same language as the environment and if it does not include the social element,” he stressed. “The environmental and social elements are part of

any discussion, and they are what is going to make the process sustainable. Latin America, in environmental terms, has done a lot. For example, it has incorporated land use planning, to know what to do and where to do it. Of course, I am not naïve, and I know that there are problems such as deforestation and the management of chemical waste. And we have a serious problem, which is that many people are excluded from the system. The coming transformation will only be positive if we manage to do it with public policies which include and educate”. Along the same lines, Otero highlighted the need to enact public policies that seek to attract new generations, so that they see that

the new agriculture is a real field of opportunities. “IICA has science and technology at the centre of its agenda, and this is already transforming agriculture. They are the tools that will break the barriers that separate the rural from the urban and attract young people.” Grobocopatel agreed with the concept when he stated that young people will get involved in agriculture “as agriculture is challenging in labour and human terms and offers a way of life. Technology and digitalisation are calling to the new generations to work in agriculture and that is why there has to be a change in leadership in the management of agriculture”. (IICA)

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, June 28, 2022

Relief dispatched for flood-affected Regions Eight and 10 residents

Kissoon’s Furniture Sales Manager Christina Dhaneshar hands over the items to CDC Logistics Manager, Phillip Azore

THE Civil Defence Commission (CDC) on Monday dispatched 475 food and cleaning hampers to residents of Kwakwani, Ladernsville and Hururu in Region 10. According to a release, the hampers were distributed by regional representatives to the flood-affected residents in the mentioned communities. Additionally, resources were also delivered to bolster the two existing shelters in the region. One of the shelters is located in Kwakwani and the other at Aroaima. Public Works Minister, Bishop Juan Edghill, who

was visiting flood-impacted residents along the Berbice River, authorised the establishment of a third shelter at Hururu, a CDC release said. It also noted that the minister said that residents there must not be overlooked, especially during this rainy season. The release further noted that supplies needed for the third shelter will be dispatched immediately by the commission to the Region 10 village. “The Government of Guyana continues to be committed to flood-affected residents countrywide, and to Suriname which is also experiencing significant

flood impacts,” the release said. Also on Monday, some 10,000 water-purification tablets and 70 collapsible water containers were dispatched to El Paso, Region Eight. The items were sent by the CDC to alleviate potable water issues in the area. The residents there are also affected by flooding. Several communities across the country are impacted by current floods and the CDC will work with regional authorities to ensure that relief supplies are dispatched efficiently, a separate release said. A third release from the

CDC said Kissoon’s Furniture, also on Monday, donated 80 cot mattresses to the CDC to aid the national flood-relief effort. Sales Manager of the furniture company, Christina Dhaneshar, handed over the items to the CDC’s Logistics Manager Phillip Azore. The mattresses, Azore said, will be utilised immediately as they can add to the resources of shelters countrywide. The CDC said supplies are being distributed to several flood-impacted locations across Guyana as consistent rains and the overtopping of waterways continue.

Boy, three, dies hours after being hit by car THREE-YEAR-OLD Daniel Major died on Monday, hours after he was struck down by a motorcar while attempting to cross the Canefield Public Road, East Canje, Berbice According to a police release, the accident occurred on Sunday, at about 19:45hrs and involved Major of Second Street, Inslington Village, East Bank Berbice and motorcar HA 9700, driven by Claudwin Mc

Donald, 21, of Goed Bananen Land, East Canje, Berbice. “Initial enquiries disclosed that the motorcar driven by the 21-year-old man was proceeding north along the Canefield Public Road, when the child, who was alone at the said time, attempted to cross from West to East and ended up into the path of the car. “The driver, in an attempt to avoid hitting the 3-year-old, applied his brake and swerved

Major,” the release said. As a result of the collision, Major received injuries about his body. He was picked up in an unconscious state by the driver and rushed to the New Amsterdam Public Hospital where he was admitted as a patient in the accident and emergency unit, Dead: Daniel Major suffering from a fractured rib. Unfortunately, he passed away left. Despite the driver’s effort, the right-side front of the car the following day at about 10:45hrs collided with 3-year-old Daniel while receiving treatment. A breathalyser test conducted on Mc Donald showed a reading of .00% microgram. The body of Daniel Major is currently at the hospital’s mortuary awaiting a postmortem examination.

Some of the hampers dispatched for the flood-affected Region 10 residents (CDC photo)

New book on Rodney: 42 years after his assassination

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, June 28, 2022

By Chaitram Aklu

(Continuation and conclusion of the June 21 article on the above subject) ON returning to Tanzania confirmed the direction in which Nyrere and The Tanganyika African National Union (TANU) were heading. Dr Rodney and CLR James the Trinidadian-born historian, Marxist and leading figure in the Pan-African movement withdrew from the 6th PAN-AFRICAN CONGRESS of June 1974 when it was revealed that Nyrere was inviting anti-democratic leaders from Africa and the Caribbean to attend and speak. They feared that would have turned the Congress into a political spectacle. Zeilig writes, “Guyanese President Forbes Burnham had already extracted a promise from Nyrere that he would not allow the Congress to become a platform for antiBurnham protests.” Robert Hill, Congress collaborator is quoted by Zeilig: “Tanzania and TANU wanted to turn the 6th PAN-AFRICAN CONGRESS into a state-led jamboree of post-independence leaders, bullies, and murderers.” Tanzania’s Peoples President and Ujamaa as the means of

transforming the economy were being questioned. In Chapter Six, Zeilig examines Dr Rodney’s 1975 book: How Europe Underdeveloped Africa (HEUA) in which Rodney skillfully accounted for how Africa became underdeveloped, poor and dependent. Zeilig referenced HEUA: The gradual incorporation (underdevelopment) of Africa and African labour was exploited “as a source for the accumulation of capital.” And “The African contribution to European capitalist growth extended over such vital sectors as shipping, insurance, the formation of companies, capitalist agriculture, technology and the manufacture of machinery.” Further “Algeria in the earlier 19th century displayed far fewer deficiencies – than by the end of the century – stripped of its millions of hectares of forest, robbed of its mines, of its liberty, of its institutions and thus the essential prop and motor of any collective progress.” The book also notes: “Schooling, which had been widespread when the French arrived in 1830, was almost completely wiped out. By 1950 UNESCO reported 90 per cent illiteracy among the Algerian population.” JOB RESCINDED

In September 1974, Dr Rodney returned to his native Guyana, only to find on landing that the job he had accepted at the University of Guyana was rescinded on the direct instruction of Forbes Burnham. Dr Rodney immediately declared that he had returned home to stay. He was offered employment in other countries. Instead, he organised the Working Peoples Alliance (WPA), bringing together pressure groups from the two ethnic groups. The goal was not necessarily to contest elections. However, his wife, a nurse was given a job in the City’s health service. Dr Rodney would not be intimidated. He took jobs in and out of Guyana, applied for grants to continue his work, including short stints in the US. When Burnham failed to exile Dr Rodney permanently, his wife was also denied the right to work in 1979. He secured a research grant from a Canadian organisation which allowed him to travel and do research. From this grant, he produced his last major work: A History of the Guyanese Working People (1977) in which he presented an historical account of the emergence of working class unity between Afro- and Indo- Guyanese. At the same time, Dr Rodney became the leader and organiser for the Guyanese people of all races and especially the youths. Zeilig writes about Dr Rodney’s Hamburg lectures from the manuscripts which show, “The lectures give a powerful impression of an activist and thinker in astonishing form. Rodney engages with challenging and wide-ranging issues, including the continent’s past, slavery, independence, and projects of radical socialist development.” He would rebuke the Third World pseudo socialists such as Forbes Burnham and Julius Nyrere whose Ujamaa had failed to transform Tanzania and raise the standard of living of the working people. At one of his meetings in Georgetown, Dr Rodney told a gathering of what seemed like thousands that the electoral road to change in Guyana was blocked but that his Working Peoples Alliance was promising a new government by Christmas. Dr Rodney was officially invited to join in the independence celebrations of Zimbabwe but because he was banned from leaving Guyana, after he

was charged with arson (he was later cleared) in July 1979. He managed to skip out of the country unnoticed and arrived in Zimbabwe via what came to be known as the ‘Rodney Airport’. Burnham was also present at the celebrations. BODY SEIZED Dr Rodney was assassinated on the night of June 13, 1980. His body was seized by the government for nearly a week. At a memorial on June 21, at the TURN TO PAGE 14

Late historian, Dr Walter Rodney

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, June 28, 2022

Cambio dealer dies after crashing into ‘dead cow’ at Diamond POPULAR cambio dealer, Vishraykanand Narayan, died on Monday, hours after his vehicle collided with a dead cow on the Diamond

Access Road, East Bank Demerara (EBD). Narayan,43, of Lot 8 Downer Street, Grove EBD, succumbed to his injuries

while receiving treatment at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC). According to a police release, Narayan was the

driver of motor vehicle PGG 9779, while his wife, Geeta Sammy, 46, was in the front passenger seat. Narayan was proceeding

DEAD: Vishraykanand Narayan

south along the eastern side of the roadway when he collided with the dead animal which was lying on the said side of the roadway. “He reportedly lost control of his vehicle which toppled several times and collided with a concrete culvert situated along the road where it remained stationary causing the driver and the occupant to receive injuries about their bodies,” the release said. The couple was picked up in a conscious condition by public-spirited citizens and placed into an ambulance which took them to

the Diamond Diagnostic Centre. They were both seen and examined by a doctor on duty. Sammy was treated for minor abrasions about her body before being sent away. However, Narayan sustained a fractured shoulder and pelvis and had to be transferred to GPHC. He succumbed to his injuries at about 06:55 hours, while in the hospital’s male surgical ward. His body is currently at the hospital’s mortuary awaiting a post-mortem examination. Investigations are ongoing.

New book on Rodney...

FROM PAGE 13 Brickdam Cathedral, Dr Rodney’s friend and associate George Lamming, who delivered the eulogy, began by telling the audience: “We are gathered here in a dangerous land at a dangerous time.” CLR James, who had cautioned Dr Rodney’s associates to “take care of Rodney and keep him safe” when Dr Rodney returned home in 1974, chastised Dr Rodney for “taking too many risks”. I agree with James. Dr Rodney in fact did take too many risks. I disagree with those who say that there were divisions in the military, and that would help in the removal of Burnham’s authoritarian regime. Labour leaders were bought out or intimidated by the regime. No revolutionary leader, including Fidel Castro gave support to any opposition forces in the country. In fact, Castro strengthened relations with the Guyanese leader. And as Zeilig informs us, two leading members of Dr Rodney’s WPA who joined the short-lived 2016 -2020 Coalition Government, of which the largest party

was the Peoples National Congress, refused to testify at the Rodney Commission of Inquiry (CoI). Not even mentioned by the CoI were the two senior government ministers who supervised the removal of Dr Rodney’s body to a private mortuary. The CoI (2016) concluded “that Rodney was the victim of a State-organised assassination on June 13, 1980 and this could only have been possible with the knowledge of then PNC Prime Minister Forbes Burnham,” and that “Gregory Smith was not acting alone but had the active and full support, participation and encouragement of the Guyana Police Force, the Guyana Defence Force, agencies of the State and the political directorate in the killing of Dr. Rodney”. Finally, Zeilig writes: “What we see in the Archive -- and what I have tried to capture in this book – is Rodney’s exhaustive historical work and scholarship.” He has been very successful in doing just that. This book, even with the abundance of footnotes makes a very interesting and informative read.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, June 28, 2022

Experience Guyanese Culture through food with Singing Chef Adventures!

ONE of the best ways to learn about any culture is through its food. That is certainly true for Guyana. Our culturally infused cuisine is steeped in a rich history that will find favour with even the pickiest of taste buds. The Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA) has been working with culinary experts in various avenues to provide unique culinary experiences to both local and international travellers. Of these experiences, ‘Singing Chef Adventures’ plays a major role. Singing Chef Adventures, owned and operated by Chef Eon John and his wife Jessica promises culinary tours - the Seven Curry Tour and the Taste of Freedom Tour - that are inherently experiential and highlights key facets of Guyana’s diverse cultural history through food, of course. So, here’s what you can expect from each of these tours. THE SEVEN CURRY TOUR Curry is a universal dish; the aroma of spices intricately blended with each other creates a captivating yet intense sense of satisfaction with each bite. Now, imagine experiencing this in not one, but seven different ways. Seven curry is a traditional Indo-Guyanese delicacy, prepared and served at Hindu religious functions. The Singing Chef Adventures’ seven curry itinerary is a packed one. Covering six hours, you will be guided through the entire process of preparing seven curry, from picking the water lily leaves to preparing the meal. So, your first stop will be to gather the purine (water lily) leaves which will be plated with all the curries, once the meal is prepared. Next, you’ll visit one of Georgetown’s busiest markets, Bourda. Here, you can source many of the vegetables for the curries. Sampling coconut water is also a part of the experience; sip it straight from the shell at Buddy’s, a local vendor. Listening to Buddy’s family history in the coconut business takes just as long as you’d take to consume a coconut: Short and sweet.

Mr. Saul will present important highlights about Victoria, including the fact that it is the first village to be purchased by the freed exslaves. He will also present the history of the original ‘Blue Hut’, where the money to buy the village was recorded and delivered in a wheelbarrow. This hut still stands today. You will also have the opportunity of seeing the original church bell, which was rung to celebrate the purchase of the land. A walk around Victoria will yield amazing insights into the lives of the locals who currently reside there. Following this, you will be guided to the village of Buxton, where you will have the opportunity to view the remnants of the Buxton Train Station, a visit to Mama Fee Fee’s granddaughter, and, of course, a trip to the Buxton-Friendship Museum. You will then be guided through a step-by-step process

Market Shopping Tour (Karishma Chunilall photos)

Dhal Puri Making at Tony’s Puri Shop

‘Seven Curry’

Your hosts will then take you to Tony’s Puri Shop to experience the puri-making process. Their operation is seamless; from stuffing seasoned split peas into the dough, perfectly sizing each puri, and rolling it expertly with a repurposed vodka bottle. Locals boast that Tony currently makes the best puri in Guyana. Why not see and taste for yourself?

You will, of course, be able to participate in every step of the cooking process; from de-shelling the katahar and preparing the curry paste, to selecting, measuring and mixing each ingredient that goes into the dishes. Throughout the process, Eon will share interesting stories about the history of ‘seven curry’. It is important to note, though, that his version of the ‘seven curry’ is made with an

interesting twist: Coconut oil! As the cooking winds down, the smell of all seven curries emanating throughout the room will whet your appetite. You will then gather your leaves, choice of beverage and curries, and enjoy the fruits of your labour. Opt to eat with utensils, or go traditional and eat it with your fingers, because, really, the messier; the better. During or after the meal, Eon will show you why he’s known as “The Singing Chef”, by performing some of his original songs inspired by Guyana.

TASTE OF FREEDOM TOUR This tour will take travellers on what the operators like to call “a journey into the birth of Victoria and Buxton Villages”, on the East Coast of Demerara (ECD). The 1763 Monument and 1823 Rebellion Monument will form an integral part of this experience, before journeying along the East Coast of Demerara, where the real tour begins. Upon arrival in Victoria, you will be greeted by Desmond Saul, who will lead the tour throughout the village.

of creating traditional African dishes, including Cook-up Rice, whilst being entertained by the sweet sound of Eon’s music. For more information on how you can book your experience with the Singing Chef Adventures, connect, via email, at singingchefadventures@gmail.com; Facebook: @singingchefadventures; and telephone: +592 226-3372; 502-6234; 6959065; or website: singingchefadventures.com (Guyana Tourism Authority)

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, June 28, 2022

Professor Mars’ killers to be sentenced today for the duo. In 2019, the duo’s co-accused Nikisha Dover, Orin McRae, and Naomi Adams were arraigned before High Court Judge, Navindra Singh, for the capital offence of murder.

CONFESSED KILLER: Paul Chance

CONFESSED KILLER: Andre Benjamin

Murdered: Retired Professor Pairadeau ‘Perry’ Mars

PAUL Chance and Andre Benjamin, who had confessed to the brutal killing of 75-year-old retired professor, Pairadeau `Perry’ Mars, are expected to be sentenced today by Justice Sandil Kissoon. Last month, Chance, 23, and Benjamin, 22,

who were initially charged with the capital offence of murder, opted to plead guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter. The duo admitted to unlawfully killing the former University of Guyana professor on May 12, 2016, at his Bissessar Street, Prashad Nagar

house, during the course of a robbery. They will be sentenced after a probation report is presented at the Demerara High Court. The state is being represented by prosecutor Abigail Gibbs, while Ronald Daniels and Kiswana Jefford are the attorneys

AN investigation into an alleged Trafficking in Persons (TIP) case has been launched by the police after 15 Venezuelan women were found at Club Plan B located at Stewartville Public Road, West Coast Demerara. According to a release from the Ministry of Home

Affairs, the exercise was conducted at the bar on June 25, between 01:00hrs and 03:00 hrs. During the raid, 15 foreign nationals were ‘discovered’ and interviewed. An investigation was launched into alleged acts of trafficking in persons and three suspects were

detained by the police for questioning. “The Ministry will provide further updates as they become available and wish to further notify the public that the Guyana Police Force will continue to monitor these establishments,” the release added.

15 Venezuelan women found at bar during raid

However, they opted to plead guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter. Dover and McRae were each sentenced to 12 years in jail and Adams was sentenced to 10 years in jail. Mars was killed by a

gang of teenagers, who beat and bound him in his house. At the time, the defendants were between the ages of 15 and 18 and reportedly confessed to the murder/ robbery, while in police custody.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, June 28, 2022

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Tuesday June 28, 2022

Clinical Windies seal... arri Joseph (3-57) who added another wicket to his tally to finish with a series-topping 12 scalps. Nurul Hasan top-scored with an unbeaten 60 after picking up from his overnight 16. The plucky wicketkeeper batsman lashed half-dozen fours and two sixes in a breezy 50-ball knock but it served only

to delay the inevitable as wickets fell steadily around him. Mehidy, yet to score on resumption, edged a short ball from Joseph behind and Ebadot Hossain followed without scoring, fending off another short delivery from Seales, to be brilliantly taken by Raymon Reifer at short leg.

(From back page)

Seales then hit Shoriful Islam in front without scoring and John Campbell threw down the stumps at the non-striker’s end from cover point to find Khaled Ahmed well short of his ground, after the number 11 advanced too far from his crease looking for a single.

SCOREBOARD

BANGLADESH 1st Innings 234 West Indies 1st Innings 408 Bangladesh 2nd Innings (overnight 132 for six)

Tamim Iqbal c wkp Da Silva b Roach 4 Mahmudul Hasan Joy c Blackwood b Roach 13 Najmul Hossain c wkp Da Silva b Joseph 42 Anamul Haque lbw b Roach 4 Litton Das lbw b Seales 19 *Shakib Al Hasan c Campbell b Joseph 16 +Nurul Hasan not out 60 Mehidy Hasan Miraz c wkp Da Silva b Joseph 4 Ebadot Hossain c Reifer b Seales 0 Shoriful Islam lbw b Seales 0 Khaled Ahmed run out 0 Extras (b9, lb1, w11, nb3) 24 TOTAL (all out, 45 overs) 186

Fall of wickets: 1-4, 2-22, 3-32, 4-57, 5-104, 6-118, 7-148, 8-169, 9-174, 10-186. Bowling: Roach 13-1-54-3 (nb1), Joseph 14-2-57-3 (w2), Phillip 5-1-23-0 (nb1), Seales 8-2-21-3 (w1, nb1), Mayers 5-121-0. WEST INDIES 2nd Innings K Brathwaite not out 4 J Campbell not out 9 TOTAL (without loss, 2.4 overs) 13 Bowling: Ebadot Hossain 1.5-0-9-0, Khaled 1-0-4-0 Man-of-the-Match: Kyle Mayers Man-of-the-Series: Kyle Mayers

Beharry and Ramdhani... (From back page) joint third. The U19 Boy’s Singles was won by Matthew Beharry, with Jonathan Debidin second, and Manav Sharma and Jonathan Robinson tied for third. Akili Haynes emerged victorious in the U23 Boy’s Singles, ahead of fellow national player, Tyrese Jeffrey, with Be-

harry and Jaurel Hendricks tied for third. In the Open Men’s Doubles, Marlon Chung and Jonathan Mangra emerged victorious against Haynes and Jeffrey, while Veerendra Bhagwandin and Anthony Stephens, and Hendricks

English Racing Tips Hamilton 08:15 hrs Catch The Paddy 08:45 hrs Shaladar 09:15 hrs Frisky 09:45 hrs Sip And Smile 10:15 hrs Ravenscraig Castle 10:50 hrs Jordan Electrics 11:25 hrs Refuge Brighton 08:30 hrs Confederation 09:00 hrs Kratos 09:30 hrs Silver Bubble 10:00 hrs Shut Up And Dance 11:10 hrs King Of War 11:45 hrs Spanish Mane Chepstow 11:55 hrs Macs Dilemna 12:25 hrs Dresden Green 13:00 hrs Our Man In Havana 13:30 hrs No Saint 14:00 hrs Infiniti 14:30 hrs Edinburgh Rock 15:05 hrs Fellowship

and Beharry finished tied for third. The event was sponsored by Total Solutions, and included players of the Nursery Badminton Academy, the brainchild of the Minister of Culture Youth and Sport. South Africa Racing Tips Vaal 08:40 hrs Nartjie 09:20 hrs Gallic Chief 09:55 hrs On Cue 10:30 hrs Feather The Nest Irish Racing Tips Roscommon 12:10 hrs Roman Moon 12:40 hrs Dabana 13:10 hrs Hell Left Loose 13:40 hrs Eighty Eight 14:10 hrs Dha Leath 14:40 hrs Yaxeni 15:10 hrs The Gossiper American Racing Tips Finger Lakes Race 1 Front Porch Race 2 Empire Trolley Race 3 Brockmoninoff Race 4 Black Irish Race 5 Eve's On You Race 6 Tuckabuckaway Race 7 Beta Race 8 Grey Invasion Canadian Racing Tips Fort Erie Race 1 Miss Surprise Race 2 Sofia's Slugger Race 3 Capoeira Race 4 Jamacian Jimmy Race 5 Swirling Candy

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Tuesday June 28, 2022

Root and Bairstow seal Headingley victory and 3-0 Test series win By Matthew Henry ENGLAND romped to victory on the final day of the third Test against New Zealand at Headingley to seal a stunning 3-0 series win. The hosts scored the 113 runs needed to complete their chase of 296 in only 65 minutes as they won by seven wickets. After rain delayed the start of play until 13:30 BST, England lost Ollie Pope for 82 in the first over, but Jonny Bairstow and Joe Root banished any nerves with a dominant unbroken stand of 111. Root finished unbeaten on 86 while Bairstow smashed a whirlwind 71 not out from 44 balls. Victory capped an astonishing start for captain Ben Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum, who took over before the series following England's dismal run of one win in 17 Tests. They are now brimming with confidence going into their next challenge, the rearranged Test against India at Edgbaston which begins on Friday. A FITTING FINALE FOR ENGLAND'S ENTERTAINERS Exactly three months ago England's Test team were at one of their lowest points in recent memory, having lost by 10 wickets to West Indies in Grenada to lose the series. The turnaround since has been remarkable, with world Test champions New Zealand swept aside in a fashion rarely seen in the longest format. England have won the

Jonny Bairstow celebrates victory with Joe Root (Photograph: Alex Davidson/Getty Images)

series by racing to supposedly tricky chases of 277, 299 and now 296, making them the first team to successfully pursue more than 250 in three Tests in a row. They batted on the final day as they have throughout, by thrashing boundaries and delighting a crowd who had been let into the ground for free. Their position of 55-6 in their first innings was a distant memory by the time Bairstow heaved spinner Michael Bracewell over mid-wicket for six to wrap up victory. Bairstow thrills again England completed their chase in only 54.2 overs. There were a mere 15.2 overs of play on the final day. Pope was bowled by a fine ball from Tim Southee that jagged back, but that was the only blemish. Root and Bairstow took 17 from the second over of the day, bowled by Trent Boult, with the pair hitting

two fours each. Root's knock was made to look pedestrian by Bairstow, who reached his fifty in only 30 balls – the second fastest Test half-century for England. He smacked Southee over his head for six early on and heaved Bracewell into the second tier. Bairstow ended the series with 394 runs at an average of 78.80 and strike-rate of 120.12, a thrilling example of England's new era. NEW ZEALAND BLOWN AWAY New Zealand had no answer to Bairstow on the final day as England's chase turned into a procession. It has been a difficult tour for the Black Caps, who have taken a step back since beating England 1-0 a year ago and overcoming India in the World Test Championship final. They have had to deal with COVID-19 cases and

Jamaica advance to last eight at CONCACAF U-20 Championship with 2-1 win over Haiti JAMAICA’s Under-20 Reggae Boyz secured a spot in the quarterfinals of the 2022 Concacaf Under-20 Championship on Sunday with a 2-1 win over Haiti at the Estadio Olimpico Metropolitano in San Pedro Sula. Reading striker Jahmari Clarke gave the Jamaicans

an early lead in the fourth minute, a lead they held for the rest of the first half. Five minutes after the restart, however, Steevenson Jeudy got Haiti’s equalizer before Tarick Ximines scored Jamaica’s winner with six minutes remaining. Jamaica will tackle the Dominican Republic, which

advanced following a thrilling 5-4 victory over El Salvador last Wednesday. The other quarterfinals will see the USA opposing Costa Rica and hosts Honduras squaring off against Panama today while the second game on Wednesday will see Mexico battling Guatemala. (Sportsmax)

little preparation and the result has been a top order that has been unable to fire. Tom Blundell and Daryl Mitchell were the only members of the top six to average more than 30. India, ranked second in the world, may prove a sterner Test for England in a one-off Test rearranged from last summer. In this form, however, England will fear no one. 'It has completely flipped' - what they said England captain Ben Stokes: "To walk away with a 3-0 win over the best team in the world is very special. The team has been phenomenal. To say that we've turned it around so quickly is unbe-

lievable. I'm really happy. "I don't know how we've won that from 55-6. We've said we'll go out and play a certain way regardless of the situation and it's worked for us." England batter Joe Root: "It has been quite a ride but it has been so much fun and really enjoyable. It is phenomenal to start Ben's era like that and hopefully we can go from strength to strength from here." England limited-overs spinner Moeen Ali: "It is amazing how the fortunes for both teams have changed so quickly because it was only last summer that New Zealand were world champions. England were right

at the bottom and it has completely flipped over the course of three weeks." Former England captain Michael Vaughan: "The chase was never in doubt. I don't know anyone who was in the comms corridor or anywhere that doubted that they'd get those runs quickly." New Zealand captain Kane Williamson: "In every match we've been in positions where we've found ourselves ahead of the game and in positions of strength. but credit to England for the way they've come out and played the game and counter-attacked. (BBC Sport)

SCOREBOARD

NEW ZEALAND 1st innings 329 England 1st innings 360 New Zealand 2nd innings

Tom Latham c Jonny Bairstow b Jamie Overton 76 Will Young c Ollie Pope b Matthew Potts 8 Kane Williamson c Jonny Bairstow b Matthew Potts 48 Devon Conway c Ollie Pope b Joe Root 11 Henry Nicholls c&b Jack Leach 7 Daryl Mitchell lbw Matthew Potts 56 Tom Blundell Not Out 88 Michael Bracewell c Zak Crawley b Jack Leach 9 Tim Southee b Jack Leach 2 Neil Wagner c Sam Billings b Jack Leach 0 Trent Boult b Jack Leach 4 Extras 9b 2lb 2nb 0pen 4w 17 Total (105.2 overs) 326 all out Fall of Wickets: 1-28 Young, 2-125 Latham, 3-152 Conway, 4-153 Williamson, 5-161 Nicholls, 6-274 Mitchell, 7-291 Bracewell, 8-305 Southee, 9-305 Wagner, 10-326 Boult

Bowling: Stuart Broad 24 - 7 - 63 - 0, Jack Leach 32.2 - 12 - 66 - 5, Matthew Potts 25 - 5 - 66 - 3 (1w), Jamie Overton 14 - 2 - 61 - 1 ( 3w 1nb), Ben Stokes 4 - 0 - 30 - 0 (1nb) ENGLAND 2nd innings (overnight 183-2) Alex Lees Run Out Kane Williamson 9 Zak Crawley c Kane Williamson b Michael Bracewell 25 Ollie Pope b Tim Southee 82 Joe Root Not Out 86 Jonny Bairstow Not Out 71 Extras 9b 12lb 2nb 0pen 0w 23 Total (54.2 overs) 296-3 Fall of Wickets: 1-17 Lees, 2-51 Crawley, 3-185 Pope Did Not Bat: Stokes, Foakes, Overton, Potts, Broad, Leach, Billings Bowling: Trent Boult 12 - 2 - 65 - 0, Tim Southee 19 - 5 - 68 - 1, Michael Bracewell 15.2 - 0 - 109 - 1, Neil Wagner 8 - 2 - 33 - 0 (2nb)

ENGLAND's World Cup-winning captain Eoin Morgan is set to retire from international cricket An official announcement could be made today. Under Morgan, England won the 2019 World Cup and reached the top of the oneday and Twenty20 rankings. The 35-year-old, who took charge of the T20 side in 2012 and one-day side in 2014, has struggled for form and fitness in recent times, with Jos Buttler the favourite to replace him.

England face India in a three-match T20 series starting on 7 July, while the T20 World Cup in Australia begins in October. Morgan is England's leading run-scorer in one-day and T20 cricket with 6,957 and 2,458 runs respectively. His tally of 225 ODIs and 115 T20s is also an England record. Former England captain

Michael Vaughan told BBC Test Match Special: "It is exactly the right time for him to step aside. "He really is the legacy white-ball captain and in 30-40 years' time people will still remember him what he's done England's white-ball team. He must be wonderful to play under and he was a brilliant batter."

Jamaica’s Jackson runs third fastest 200m of all time (REUTERS)-Shericka Jackson ran the third fastest 200 metres of all time in 21.55 seconds to seal a sprint double at the Jamaican national trials for next month’s World Championships on Sunday. The 27-year-old led coming off the corner and pulled clear down the straight to add the 200m crown to the 100m title she won on Friday. Elaine Thompson-Herah finished second in 22.05 with Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce third in 22.14. Only the late Florence Griffith Joyner, who set her long-standing world record of 21.34 seconds in 1988, and compatriot Thompson-Herah, who clocked 21.53 to seal the sprint double at last year’s Tokyo Olympics, have run faster. Asked whether she had expected to post such a quick time, Jackson told Reuters: “Honestly no! I did not expect to go this fast.” Jackson, who won bronze in the 100m in Tokyo, was not completely satisfied with her performance. “For the next three weeks we (coach Paul Francis and I) will clean up any mistakes I made and I expect greater things,” she added. Andrew Hudson, who

Athletics - Diamond League - Rome - Stadio Olimpico, Rome, Italy - June 9, 2022 Jamaica's Shericka Jackson reacts after winning the women's 200m (REUTERS/Ciro De Luca)

recently switched allegiance from the United States to Jamaica, won the men’s 200m in 20.10 ahead of Yohan Blake in 20.31 and Nigel Ellis in 20.41. In the men’s 110m hurdles, Olympic champion Hansle Parchment recovered from a sluggish start to catch Omar McLeod and pull away to win in 13.14. “I am always trying to focus on maintaining my technique because I feel like a lot of people might get flustered in the race, as they go along, so I maintain that focus to give me an edge,” Parchment told Reuters. Rasheed Broadbell took second in 13.20 while Orlando Bennett was third

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER (Tuesday June 28, 2022) COMPLIMENTS OF CUMMINGS ELECTRICAL COMPANY LTD 83 Garnett Street, Campbellville, Georgetown (Tel: 225-6158) Answers to yesterday’s quiz: (1) Karl Nunes (vs ENG, Lord’s, 1928) (2) Naimur Rahman (vs IND, Dhaka, 2000) Today’s Quiz: (1) What was the result of the just-concluded WI/BANG Test series? (2) Who was declared Man of the Series? Answers in tomorrow’s issue

with 13.28. Fast-starting McLeod, the 2016 Olympic and 2017 world champion, hit a hurdle and struggled home in last place. Britany Anderson lived up to her status as favourite in the women’s 100m hurdles, crossing the line in 12.53 ahead of Tokyo bronze medallist Megan Tapper (12.60) and Danielle Williams (12.66). “A personal best was definitely on my mind, but because of the rain, everything just got messed up, but I refocused and made the team,” Anderson told Reuters. Candice McLeod returned a season best 50.29 to hold off defending champion Stephenie-Ann McPherson (50.49) and win her first national 400m crown. Charokee Young was third in 50.76. Jevaughn Powell won the men’s 400m in 45.50 ahead of Nathon Allen in 45.64 and Anthony Cox 45.65. Earlier, Navasky Anderson battled through the pouring rain to win the men’s 800m in 1 minute, 48.53, while Chrisann Gordon-Powell denied Natoya Goule a ninth title in the women’s race. In the field, 2015 World Championship bronze medallist O’Dayne Richards threw 19.58m to win his ninth shot put title.

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Tuesday June 28, 2022

Djokovic begin Wimbledon title defence with four-set win DEFENDING champion Novak Djokovic began his quest for a fourth successive Wimbledon title with a hard-fought four-set win over South Korean Kwon Soon-woo under the Centre Court roof. Djokovic is aiming to win a seventh title at SW19, which would take him one behind Roger Federer's men's record. Serbia's top seed prevailed 6-3 3-6 6-3 6-4 over the world number 81. Elsewhere, Polish seventh seed Hubert Hurkacz suffered a shock five-set loss to Alejandro Davidovich Fokina. The Spaniard won 7-6 (7-4) 6-4 5-7 2-6 7-6 (10-8) as Hurkacz, who beat Daniil Medvedev and Roger Federer on his way to the semi finals at Wimbledon last year, blew a 7-4 lead in the final-set tie-

Defending Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic

break. Djokovic's win takes the former world number one's victory streak at Wimbledon to 22 matches. It also means Djokovic becomes the first player, man or woman, to record 80 sin-

gles wins at all four Grand Slam tournaments. "I've said this before but this court is truly special, for me it has always been the court I dreamed of playing and winning and all my childhood dreams came true here so it's an honour and pleasure to be back on Centre Court," said Djokovic. On winning 80 matches at Wimbledon, he added: "This sport has given me everything, I owe a lot to the sport and I love it still with all my heart. "I am as dedicated as anyone out there, I am not one of the youngsters anymore but the love for this sport still burns in me and I try to always play my best tennis at the Grand Slams and deliver my best tennis at the best courts. Now that we're at 80, let's get to 100."

Noah Lyles edges out Erriyon Knighton in 200m final World champion Noah Lyles beat teenager Erriyon Knighton to win the men's 200m final at the US Athletics Championships. The 18-year-old was ahead off the curve but Lyles overtook him on the straight while playfully pointing his finger in Knighton's direction as he crossed the line in a time of 19.67 seconds. Knighton ran 19.49 seconds in April - the fourth-fastest man over 200m. "I do what it takes to win," Lyles, 24, said. "Erriyon got the best of me on the turn - I wasn't worried about it. I said I'm going to catch him. I'm going to take the rest of this 100 and that's what I did." Knighton took silver in 19.69, while Fred Kerley, who won the 100m on Friday, was third after clocking 19.83, meaning he took the final spot for the World Championships. They are going to be staged on the same track in Eugene, Oregon, next month. Sha'Carri Richardson is unlikely be there after failing to get past the semi-finals in the women's 200m. She also failed to advance in the 100m earlier in the meet. Richardson, who also missed the Tokyo Olympics last year after testing positive for cannabis, will only com-

Noah Lyles overtook Erriyon Knighton on the curve to snatch the win

pete if she is selected for the relay team, but has refused to get too downbeat about her failure in qualifying. "I describe this season as part of my journey and my journey is a long walk that is not over no matter critic, no matter media," Richardson said. It was Abby Steiner who took victory, improving on her world leading time by crossing in 21.77 seconds, having matched her previous time, 21.80, in the semi-finals just two hours earlier. "Coming off a collegiate season, a lot of people want to put limitations on you, say you're going to be burned out," she said, adding that she believes she can carry her

form through Worlds. "Me and my coach trust the process." Tamara Clark took second in 21.92, despite setting the early pace, while Jena Prandini crossed in 22:01. Bronze medallist in Tokyo, Gabby Thomas, finished eighth while struggling with a torn hamstring, leaving her in tears. In the men's 400m hurdles, Rai Benjamin recorded this year's fasted time of 47.04 seconds. He is now set for a mouth-watering clash with Karsten Warholm, the victor between the pair in Tokyo when they both finished under the world record time, as they meet at the worlds.

GUYANA CHRONICLE, Tuesday June 28, 2022

Barbados, Jamaica cop top awards, as GCB …All-star Matthews bags 4 honours Women cricketers individual awards By Clifton Ross FOLLOWING weeks of intense cricket action between the best-of-the-best in the Caribbean, the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB), on Saturday night last, honoured those women and their teams for their outstanding performances at the recently concluded Cricket West Indies (CWI)/ CG Insurance Blaze T20 and Super50 tournaments. The awards ceremony and gala, held at the poolside of the Ramada Hotel, featured all the participating teams along with their coaches, being honoured for their contributions, but, more so, making women’s cricket a huge part of the sport’s direction presently. While Barbados emerged winners of the 50-Over leg, the Jamaicans held their own as they were crowned Blaze T20 champions. Barbados added this title after winning the T20 Blaze back in 2018

and 2019 here in Guyana. The hosts, Guyana had a topsy-turvy tournament and managed to finish in 4th spot for both the T20 and Super50. Undoubtedly, the star of Saturday evening’s celebration, was world-ranked number one women’s player and Bajan skipper Hayley Matthews. The classy all-rounder, who was named new West Indies Women’s skipper, taking over the helm from Jamaica Captain Stefanie Taylor, was the recipient of the Best All-round Award for her sublime display in both the T20 Blaze and Super50 Cup tournamets. In both departments, the opener outplayed almost every other lady in the tournament, racking up 187 runs and bagging 8 wickets in the Super50 Cup. In the T20s, she scored 191 runs to go along with her 6 wickets, toppling the competition. For the bowlers, it was

them to continue striving for greatness as ambassadors of women’s cricket. “It’s been a while since we had women’s regional cricket and I want to commend all the teams and players for playing hard cricket. It’s good to see the efforts made and I and the selectors have had a good look at the talent on show. For us, it gives us vital information on players we

THe Barbados Women’s team pose with GCB president Bissondyal Singh and all their spoils, following Saturday evening’s award ceremony

Shanika Bruce, another Barbados player who copped the award for the most wickets in the T20 Blaze with 9 victims under her belt. The award for bowlers was a tussle however, as Jamaica teammates Chinelle Henry and off-spinner Vanessa Watts, finished as joint highest wicket-takers in the Super50 Cup with nine

BCB donates cricket gear to clubs, Port Mourant Secondary ‒ Clayton Lambert donates cricket balls to BCB THE Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) continues to assist clubs and schools across the Ancient County with gear, under their Cricket Kindness/Bat for a Chance project. The gear forms part of a massive donation from Cricket Kindness, headed by United Kingdom-based Tamara J. Lowe, and Will Gafney, of Bat for a Chance, also based in the U.K. The Port Mourant Secondary School, along with the Tucber Park C.C, Edinburgh C.C, and the Rainbow Generation C.C all received a bag of cricket gear, including bats, batting pads, batting gloves, helmets, thigh pads and forearm guards. BCB President Hilbert Foster indicated that the donation of the gear represents the final set of gear to be shared out under the project with the two overseas NGO. Foster disclosed that the BCB has, to date, donated gear, uniforms and caps to over

100 youth players, along with dozens of secondary and primary schools, as well as cricket clubs. Among the schools and clubs benefitting under the massive project are: Line Path Secondary, Lower Corentyne Secondary, Vrymans Erven Secondary, Fort Wellington Secondary, No. 72 Primary, Crabwood Creek Primary, Rose Hall Town Primary, All Saints Primary, Cumberland Primary, Rosignol Primary, No 8 Primary, Rose Hall Canje C.C, Mt. Sinai C.C, Cotton Tree C.C., Radha Krishna Foundation and Skeldon CC. The BCB head urged the different clubs and schools to take care of the gear. Special mention was made of the Port Mourant Secondary School, which, over the years, has produced several outstanding players like Devindra Bishoo, Gudakesh Motie, Eon Hooper, Rampertab Ramnauth, Hemnarine Chattergoon and Matthew

Pottaya. The school, which enjoys the services of two Level One coaches, also has a very active cricket programme for its female students. The BCB President Hilbert Foster expressed gratitude to Tamara J. Lowe, Will Gafney, Minister Charles Ramson, Mr. Carl Griffith of Larparkan, and Mr. Roland Butcher for their support in making the donation possible. Meanwhile, former West Indies and National opening batsman Clayton Lambert has donated nine boxes of cricket balls to the BCB for distribution to clubs with junior sections. The balls, worth over $100,000, will be shared out shortly to the clubs, as the Board continues to reach out to their members. Lambert, a former Berbice captain, in 2021 donated over $1.5 million worth of cricket gear to the BCB, under the Clayton Lambert Cricket Development Fund.

wickets apiece. In his feature address, GCB president Bissondyal Singh said that he was pleased to have such an impactful women’s series here on Guyanese soil, adding that it was a pleasure to witness some, if not the best, women’s West Indies players representing their respective countries with much poise and success. He said that the tournament was a great way to continue opening more doors as it relates to ensuring women’s cricket reaches the pinnacle it deserves. Meanwhile, West In-

MVP of the CWI tournaments, Hayley Matthews, accepts one of her many awards from Bissondyal Singh

dies Women’s Head Coach, former West Indies Test bowler, Courtney Walsh, commended the players for their work and encouraged

haven’t seen for two years and also players who have been on our radar”, Walsh said.

Latapy resigns as Barbados coach RUSSELL Latapy will no longer be coaching the Barbados Senior Men’s National Football team according to a report in the Nation newspapers. The announcement in a media release from the Barbados Football Association (BFA) on Monday. “After much discussion, Russell has decided to tender his resignation as Head Coach of the Senior Men’s National team with immediate effect,” said BFA President Randy Harris. “On behalf of the BFA, we extend our sincere thanks to Mr Latapy for his service to football in Barbados. We are grateful to have had Russell as part of our management and leadership team and we

T&T’s former standout Russell Latapy, who resigned as Barbados coach

wish him and his family every success in the future.” Latapy came under heavy criticism after Barbados’ outing in the 2022-2023 Concacaf Nations League where they lost all three group matches, stretching the winless streak to 15 matches and only one goal in six matches. Several former national

players and football fans on social media called for his resignation, but at the time, the BFA said his job was secure. Some of the national players also threatened to walk if Latapy was fired. Harris said the BFA would commence the search for a new coach for the Tridents and would continue to guide the growth of local and national football through various developmental initiatives aimed at all levels of football. “We remain committed to launching the official return to football in Barbados in August with the Republic Cup and Women’s Super League and will provide further details about these tournaments next month.” (NATION)

Clinical Windies seal 2-0 series win Fast bowler Alzarri Joseph celebrates a wicket on the fourth day of the second Test against Bangladesh on Monday. (Photo courtesy of CWI Media)

GROS ISLET, St Lucia, (CMC) – A dominant West Indies needed only 70 minutes to complete a resounding ten-wicket victory and a 2-0 series sweep of Bangladesh, and post their third win in five Tests this year while remaining unbeaten. A wet outfield stemming from overnight and early morning showers at the Daren Sammy National Stadium had threatened to wreck the penultimate day after forcing an abandonment of the first two sessions. However, once play started at 3 pm, West Indies wasted little time in bundling the Tigers out for 186 and then easily knocking off the 13 runs required. For the hosts, the series win was their second straight on the back of the result against England last March, and also marked their eighth against Bangladesh in ten series. “I think the confidence in the guys, especially from the first game, was high,” said captain Kraigg Brathwaite. “But I was really happy with the group – [especially] the planning [and] how we went about planning and then executing. I was really happy with that, especially the batsmen. “Kyle Mayers [got] a chance to bat and I think the part-

Beharry and Ramdhani win two titles each at World Badminton Day tournament

Winners of the World Badminton Day tournament

MISHKA Beharry and Priyanna Ramdhani played their way to two titles each at the Guyana Badminton Association’s World Badminton Day tournament, which concluded over the weekend at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall. The youngster, Beharry, won the U15 Girls Singles after getting past Naveah Eastman, and the U19 Girl’s Singles after beating Alima Eastman. She also finished second

in the U23 Girl’s Singles to Guyana’s top female player, Ramdhani, while she placed joint third in the Open Women’s Doubles with Priyanka Shivnath. Along with the U23 title, Ramdhani also won the Open Women’s Doubles title with Ambika Ramraj, after a win against Christina Kumar and Anna Perreira. Ayanna Watson and Emelia Ramdhani (Priyanna’s mother) also finished joint third.

In the other female division, Eva Bowling won the U11 title, while Kristin Bhagwandin finished second. In the U11 Boy’s Singles, John Thomas finished ahead of Francis Thomas, with Lester Thomas and Manvir Sharma tying for third. Aiden Bhagwandin finished first in the U15 Boy’s Singles, with Gabriel Felix in second, and Nikolas Pollard and Nathan Morrison c o m i n g a TURN TO PAGE 24 ►

Barbados, Jamaica cop top awards, as GCB …All-star Matthews bags 4 27 honours Women cricketers individual awards PAGE

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nership with he and Jermaine Blackwood was superb and that really set up the game. “I thought Bangladesh’s bowlers really bowled well throughout the game, the pacers and Mehidy (Hasan Miraz) obviously had a very long spell and very good [spell]. But it was good to see the fight we showed and I was proud of the boys.” Bangladesh have now lost 11 of their last 15 Tests and captain Shakib-al-Hasan said an upcoming five-month break would be a critical period for the squad to re-assess. “We always knew it would be a tough series especially in the Test format. We are trying our best and I think they’re lot of positives we can take from this series,” he said. “We need to make sure we [start doing] something that will win us a Test match. We have a long break [now] so we’ll have a chance to think about all those areas which need to improve and hopefully we can work on them during those five months and get better at it.” Resuming on 132 for six, Bangladesh were undermined by Jayden Seales (3-21) who grabbed two of the four wickets to fall, and fellow fast bowler Alz- TURN TO PAGE 24 ►

Chris Gayle opts out of CPL 2022, turns focus to 6ixty CHRIS Gayle has opted out of the forthcoming CPL 2022 and will instead turn his focus to '6ixty', a T10 tournament that will run from August 24 to 28 in St Kitts, immediately before the CPL season. Gayle will act as an ambassador for the 6ixty and West Indies players will be available after their ODI series against New Zealand, which finishes on August 21. Some overseas players are also expected to arrive early to play in the tournament, though a clash with the end of the Hundred's group stages will rule some out. "I am going for the shorter format this year," Gayle said in a media Chris Gayle is the statement. "I am genusecond-highest run-getter in inely excited about the the history of the CPL current innovations in (CPL T20 via Getty Images) the 6ixty and seeing how they play out. In particular I am looking forward to the mystery team ball and hitting two sixes in the first 12 balls to unlock a third powerplay over." Gayle had turned out for St Kitts & Nevis Patriots last year and won the title with them. However, he had missed CPL 2020 for personal reasons. Gayle, 42, has hit 2519 runs in the CPL at an average of 36.50 and strike rate of 133.13. Only Lendl Simmons (2629) has more runs than Gayle in the league. Gayle's last competitive game was for Fortune Barishal in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) in February earlier this year. (Cricinfo) TUESDAY, JUNE 28, 2022