Guyana Chronicle 02-14-2021

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE, February 14, 2021

Private Sector: Budget 2021 people-oriented, business-friendly –– paves way for resuscitation of major productive sectors

AmCham Guyana President, Zulfikar Ally

By Navendra Seoraj MEASURES, policies and programmes which comprise the government’s proposed

Rupununi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RCCI) President, Daniel Gajie

$383.1 billion budget for 2021 are designed to promote the diversification of the economy and enable the resuscitation of the major productive sec-

GMSA President, Shyam Nokta

tors, which have suffered because of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and the protracted March 2, 2020 General and Regional

Region Three Chamber of Commerce President, Halim Khan

Elections.

Guyana’s focus, over the years, has been mainly on primary production because of restrictive conditions created

PSC Chairman, Nicholas Boyer

by exorbitant energy costs and red tape, the very barriers which the new People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) Government is looking to remove with its budget - the country’s largest ever.

Senior Minister in the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh, in presenting Budget 2021 to the National Assembly on Friday, said while protecting the nation from the pervasive novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is the primary objective, the budget is also aimed at ensuring that there’s a diversified and resilient productive sector by facilitating large-scale private investment in both traditional and new and emerging sectors, creating 50,000 jobs in the next five years, and promoting entrepreneurship at the medium and small-business level.

Key stakeholders in the private sector, after examining the measures outlined in the budget, have commended the government for crafting a plan that is visionary, comprehensive and spans every sector of the economy.

The Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association (GMSA), in particular, believes that Budget 2021 will help to bring about much-needed impetus for growth and development.

Specifically, for the manufacturing and services sector, and the growth and development of small businesses, the GMSA noted that the budget measures presented were in alignment with many of the proposals and recommendations the GMSA had submitted to the government for consideration.

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE, February 14, 2021

Salary increases for public servants

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--covered under $10B allocation in Budget 2021, says Vice-President

By Navendra Seoraj IN responding to claims that the proposed 2021 budget does not include any monetary incentive for public servants, Vice-President, Bharrat Jagdeo, has affirmed that salary increases are catered for in this budget.

The allegations that the government did not cater for public servants followed the presentation of the $383.1 billion budget by Senior Minister in the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh, in the National Assembly on Friday.

Budget 2021, the country’s largest budget, is the first full-year budget presented by the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) administration since being elected to office in August 2020. It is $53.5 billion larger than Budget 2020 and $46 billion higher than the Central Government’s total expenditure

for 2020.

The aim of this budget, as outlined by Dr. Singh, is to keep the population safe from the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, containing further spread, treating those who are infected, providing vaccines as soon as they become available, and reopening the economy progressively, and then fully when it is safe to do so.

While protecting the nation is the primary objective, the budget is also aimed at ensuring that there’s a diversified and resilient productive sector by facilitating largescale private investment in both traditional and new and emerging sectors, creating 50,000 jobs in the next five years, and promoting entrepreneurship at the medium and small-business level.

Investments in critical infrastructural projects and other major initiatives are expected to stimulate growth in the local economy. And,

Vice-President, Bharrat Jagdeo

while Dr. Singh has said that the measures outlined in the budget will put $50 billion back into the pockets of the average Guyanese, there have been calls for salary increases for public servants, something

which has been catered for in the budget.

Vice-President Jagdeo said that over $10B has been budgeted in the estimates under the head, “revision of wages and salaries”.

“A huge part of that sum will go towards salary increase for public sector workers,” he said.

The Guyana Chronicle understands that previous PPP/C Governments are known for setting aside a “lump sum” of money, which is later used to provide salary increases and other monetary incentives.

Specific provisions aside, the PPP/C’s plan, according to Dr. Singh, is to make Guyana an economic powerhouse, where every single Guyanese person can live, learn, work, and retire in dignity and comfort; where national prosperity is a reality, and where individual prosperity is a realistic prospect for all who are prepared to invest the required effort.

“The achievement of that objective requires a broadbased resilient productive sector, including vibrant industrial and manufacturing sectors, creating jobs for meaningful and rewarding employment.

“It also requires the cultivation of conditions conducive to the emergence of a dynamic entrepreneurial and small-business sector. Additionally, it requires an education sector that equips all of our people, including those seeking alternative pathways to work, with the skills that they need to play meaningful roles in the economy of today and of tomorrow,” he reasoned, noting that foremost amongst these will be technical and technology-based skills.

The senior minister said it requires all of the other prerequisites to improve quality of life being in place, including world-class healthcare facilities and programmes to nurture the most vulnerable members of society, as well as facilities and programmes to encourage and promote the talents of young people.

Private Sector: Budget 2021...

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Among some of the measures which the GMSA was particularly pleased with are the commitment to establish new industrial estates, the $6 billion allocation for enhancement of infrastructure, the provision of an incubator that will help agro-processors and the enablement of manufacturers access to business incubator centres, the allocation of $25.6 billion for the building and upgrading of roads and bridges country-wide, and the allocation of $135 million for the procurement of a single-window system for doing business.

The association also welcomed the plans to invest $832 million into agricultural infrastructure including agro-processing facilities, the injection of $250 million to replenish the small business bureau, and the development of a National E-Commerce Strategy.

The GMSA also acknowledged plans to restore basic food items and household necessities to zero-rated status, reduce duty on industrial grade cement from 15 per cent to five per cent, and zero-rating of locally-produced pre-stressed concrete, locally fabricated mild steel beams

for construction and locally manufactured roofing and PVC products.

Those and other measures also piqued the interest of the Private Sector Commission (PSC), a stakeholder which had a critical input in the preparation of Budget 2021.

“The budget is indeed a people-focused budget which is healthy to facilitate broadbased and inclusive growth of the economy in terms of job creation, encouraging private investments and more entrepreneurial activities.

“Dr. Singh should also be commended that while being pro-business, this budget is also pro-working class and factors in a number of new social programmes,” the PSC said in a statement on Saturday.

BILLIONS IN INVESTMENT Budget 2021 outlines a set of policies, programmes and projects which will not only directly catalyse growth, but will also see billions of US dollars of private investment realised across several sectors of the economy.

The PSC is mindful of the construction boom in the making by the government

through its projects outlined in Budget 2021 such as the resuscitating of the housing development drive – targeting 10,000 house lot distributions for 2021.

To this end, the fiscal incentives outlined for building and construction materials coupled with the increase in the mortgage ceiling for low income earners will allow for the housing, construction, and banking sectors to experience significant expansion in their activities for 2021.

These will also facilitate the massive infrastructure development in other areas outside of housing such as hotel projects, new roads and bridges, shore base facilities, public infrastructure, and private sector infrastructure.

The proposed $25 billion allocation for transformational infrastructure development will also lead to the opening up of lands.

According to the PSC, the accessibility and availability of new lands for commercial, industrial, housing development and agricultural purposes will be the driver of economic growth and development on a larger scale.

This means opportunity for large-scale investment by the

manufacturing sector – both local and foreign investors as well the emergence of new business ventures.

In this regard, local and foreign direct investments are needed to build the country, so as to provide more job opportunities for people.

“There is something for everyone in the budget. The measures outlined will ultimately provide more disposable income and provide more relief to the poor and vulnerable. Taken together, Budget 2021 contains sufficient fiscal measures and public investment programmes that will encourage the growth and expansion of the private sector thus creating more job opportunities for Guyanese, lowering cost of living, home ownership becoming more affordable and more disposable income in the hands of Guyanese working class,” the PSC said.

COMPREHENSIVE PICTURE The American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) said too that the budget paints a comprehensive picture of the government’s short and medium-term vision to propel the economy towards a

more resilient and diversified growth path.

The chamber, in statement, said it supports the budgetary policies that balance revenue generation while maintaining a favourable investment climate which supports growth in key sectors of the economy.

The increase in investment and spending in the health, education, security, and public infrastructure sectors are commendable, AmCham said.

The organisation also acknowledged the allocation of G$235 million to improve the ease of doing business rankings, and supports the proposed G$250 million to assist micro businesses and aid in their growth.

The continued support to Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) is critical, as it will help to mitigate the economic downturn from COVID-19 and contribute to faster and stronger economic recovery.

President of the Region Three Chamber of Commerce, Halim Khan, said too that businesses and enterprises countrywide were anticipating the government’s budget, as resources being allocated to various sectors show tremendous development in key

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sectors and this encourages business owners to revise their policies accordingly and contribute to the country’s economic prosperity.

President of the Rupununi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RCCI), Daniel Gajie, in adding his voice, also said that Budget 2021 has something in it for small and large businesses.

He was particularly pleased with the proposed allocation for the commencement of work on the Linden to Mabura Highway.

“We also appreciate the fact that work will start on the hydro power station at Kumu, and allocations for the Solar Farm for Lethem… all of these are positive developments which would allow businesses to improve and reduce their costs,” Gajie reasoned.

The expected results are within reach, as Budget 2021 is anticipated to initiate investments in catalytic and transformative infrastructure, including energy infrastructure to ensure adequate supply at a competitive cost, and transport infrastructure to improve international connectivity, and unleash domestic production and productivity.

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE, February 14, 2021

Republicans save Trump in impeachment again The U.S. Senate acquitted Donald Trump on Saturday in his second impeachment trial in a year, with fellow Republicans blocking conviction over the former president’s role in the deadly assault by his supporters on the U.S. Capitol.

The Senate vote of 57-43 fell short of the two-thirds majority needed to convict Trump on a charge of incitement of insurrection after a five-day trial in the same building ransacked by his followers on Jan. 6 shortly after they heard him deliver an incendiary speech.

In the vote, seven of the 50 Senate Republicans joined the chamber’s unified Democrats in favouring conviction.

Trump left office on Jan. 20, so impeachment could not be used to remove him from power. But Democrats had hoped to secure a conviction to hold him responsible for a siege that left five people

including a police officer dead and to set the stage for a vote to bar him from ever serving in public office again. Given the chance to hold office in the future, they argued, Trump would not hesitate to encourage political violence again.

Trump’s attorneys argued that his words at the rally were protected by his constitutional right to free speech and said he was not given due process in the proceedings.

Republicans saved Trump in the Feb. 5, 2020, vote in his first impeachment trial, when only one senator from their ranks - Mitt Romney - voted to convict and remove him from office.

Romney voted for impeachment on Saturday along with fellow Republicans Richard Burr, Bill Cassidy, Susan Collins, Ben Sasse, Pat Toomey, and Lisa Murkowski.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who voted

Sunday January 14, 2021 –– 04:30 HRS Monday January 15, 2021 –– 04:30 HRS Tuesday January 16, 2021 –– 04:30 HRS

Former US President, Donald Trump

“not guilty,” offered scathing remarks about the former president after the verdict.

“There is no question that President Trump is practically and morally responsible for provoking the events of the day,” he said. “The people who stormed this building believed they were acting on the wishes and instructions of their president.”

The drama on the Senate floor unfolded against a backdrop of gaping divisions in a pandemic-weary United States along political, racial, socioeconomic and regional lines. The trial provided more partisan warfare even as Democratic President Joe Biden, who took office on Jan. 20 after defeating Trump in the November election, called for healing and unity after his predecessor’s four turbulent years in power and a caustic election

campaign.

Seventy-one per cent of American adults, including nearly half of all Republicans, believe Trump was at least partially responsible for starting the Capitol assault, but only about half of the country thought Trump should be convicted of inciting insurrection, according to an Ipsos poll conducted for Reuters.

Trump, 74, continues to hold a grip on his party with a right-wing populist appeal and “America First” message. The wealthy businessman-turned-politician has considered running for president again in 2024.

Trump is only the third president ever to be impeached by the House of Representatives - a step akin to a criminal indictment - as well as the first to be impeached twice and the first to face an impeachment

trial after leaving office. But the Senate still has never convicted an impeached president.

Democrats forged ahead with impeachment despite knowing it could overshadow critical early weeks of Biden’s presidency.

The House approved the single article of impeachment against Trump on Jan. 13, with 10 Republicans joining the chamber’s Democratic majority. That vote came a week after the pro-Trump mob stormed the neoclassical domed Capitol, interrupted the formal congressional certification of Biden’s victory, clashed with an overwhelmed police force, invaded the hallowed House and Senate chambers, and sent lawmakers into hiding for their own safety.

Shortly before the rampage, Trump urged his followers to march on the Capitol, repeated his false claims that the election was stolen from him through widespread voting fraud, and told them that “if you don’t fight like hell, you’re not going to have a country anymore.”

During the trial, nine House lawmakers serving as trial managers, or prosecutors, urged senators to convict Trump to hold him accountable for a crime against American democracy and to prevent a repeat in the future. They played searing video of rioters swarming inside the Capitol and making violent threats toward politicians including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and then-Vice President Mike Pence. The House managers said Trump summoned the mob to Washington, gave the crowd its marching orders and then did nothing to stop the ensuing violence.

The defense lawyers accused Democrats not only of trying to silence Trump as a political opponent they feared facing in the future but of attempting to criminalise political speech with which they disagreed and aiming to cancel the voices of the tens of millions of voters who backed him.

Trump’s lawyers argued the trial was unconstitutional because he had already left office. The words Trump used, they argued, were no different than those regularly employed

by Democrats.

In his previous impeachment trial, the Senate voted to acquit Trump on two charges - abuse of power

and obstruction of Congress.

That impeachment arose from Trump’s 2019 pressure on Ukraine to investigate Biden as he sought foreign aid to sully a domestic political rival.

A common theme in the charges at the heart of the two impeachments was Trump’s abandonment of accepted democratic norms to advance his own political interests.

The U.S. Constitution sets out impeachment as the instrument with which the Congress can remove and bar from future office presidents who commit “treason, bribery or other high crimes and misdemeanors.”

Impeachment, once a rare occurrence, has become more commonplace during America’s era of poisonous political polarization in recent decades.

In the 209 years after the first U.S. president, George Washington, took office in 1789, there was only one impeachment.

Since 1998, there have been three, including Trump’s two. Andrew Johnson was impeached and acquitted in 1868 in the aftermath of the American Civil War and Bill Clinton was impeached in 1998 and acquitted in 1999 of charges stemming from a sex scandal.

Richard Nixon resigned in 1974 rather than face impeachment over the Watergate scandal.

Trump’s acquittal does not end the possibility of other congressional action against him such as a censure motion.

Republicans seemed dead set against an idea floated by Democrats of invoking the Constitution’s 14th Amendment provision barring from public office anyone who has “engaged in insurrection or rebellion” against the government.

The impeachment proceedings also can be viewed in the context of a battle for the future of the Republican Party. Some Republicans - mostly moderates and establishment figures - have voiced alarm at the direction Trump has taken their party. Detractors have accused Trump - who had never before held public office - of undermining the institutions of democracy, encouraging a cult of personality and pursuing policies built around “white grievance” in a nation with a growing nonwhite population. (Reuters)

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE, February 14, 2021

US to allow in thousands of asylum seekers waiting in Mexico The Biden administration says it will start gradually allowing into the US tens of thousands of asylum seekers currently forced to wait in Mexico.

It says it will begin next week processing about 25,000 people with active cases.

Asylum seekers will first be required to register and pass a COVID-19 test, before being allowed in via one of three border crossings.

The move reverses the much-criticised policies of ex-President Donald Trump.

The Migrant Protection Protocols programme was enacted in 2019, deterring would-be asylum seekers from coming to the US. It required migrants entering through the southern border to wait in Mexico while their cases were being

Some of the asylum seekers have been waiting for months in Mexico for their cases to be heard by US courts (BBC photo)

heard by US immigration courts.

But on his first day in office since winning last year's

election, President Joe Biden suspended the policy.

"As President Biden has made clear, the US govern-

ment is committed to rebuilding a safe, orderly, and humane immigration system," Homeland Security Secretary

Alejandro Mayorkas said.

"This latest action is another step in our commitment to reform immigration policies that do not align with our nation's values."

The Biden administration plans to start with two border crossings each processing up to 300 people a day and a third crossing taking fewer numbers, according to the Associated Press.

The authorities say asylum seekers will be released with notices to appear in court in cities close to or in their final destinations, typically with family.

At the same time, Mayorkas stressed that "individuals who are not eligible under this initial phase should wait for further instructions and not travel to the border", amid concerns that many people would try to cross the

border illegally.

Friday's announcement was welcomed in a sprawling migrant camp in the Mexican city of Matamoros, just across the border from Texas.

"Honestly, I have no words for how I'm feeling right now!" Salvadoran asylum seeker Sandra Andrade, who has been waiting in Mexico for over a year, told Reuters news agency.

The border cities where migrants wait for months are suffering from growing crime rates.

Last year, charity Human Rights First said "returned families, children and adults are being sent to highly dangerous situations where many suffered kidnappings, attacks, sexual assaults, threats and other incredible cruelty". (BBC)

Pandemic lands Jamaican woman Canadian dream Three months ago when a Jamaican woman made a second attempt to extend her stay in Canada on a visitor's visa an unexpected prompt on the online application inviting her to apply for a work permit caught her completely off guard, so much so she had to exert considerable mental effort to ensure that she did not botch the process.

“We were shocked. We couldn't figure out what was going on. But we managed to get the application in and the medical done on time though there were significant challenges,” she told the Jamaica Observer referencing the long drive to one of the few labs that were opened and the hurdles they encountered to get an appointment slot.

The woman's stroke of luck no doubt had to do with the temporary policy change rolled out last August by the federal government allowing visitors in Canada who had a valid job offer to apply for an “employer-specific” work permit. The move was intended to assist employers who were facing staffing challenges and pave the way for temporary residents to assist with the country's post-pandemic recovery efforts. To be eligible, visitors needed to have been

in Canada “on August 24 and remained in Canada”.

According to Canada's Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Minister Marco Mendicino, “this exemption from the normal temporary work permit requirements is aimed at removing barriers to create a more agile workforce that leverages visitors with the skills and experience to accelerate our economic recovery”.

Under normal circumstances, visitors would need to leave Canada to apply for a work permit.

The truth is, in the final days of 2019 when the Jamaican boarded her flight in Mon-

tego Bay, en route to Canada, to visit her younger sister, she couldn't have imagined that the SARS-CoV-2 — which at the time seemed confined to parts of China — would have evolved into a full-blown pandemic railroading her plans to return to her homeland to continue her daily routine.

After all, it was her first trip outside of Jamaica, and foremost on her mind was to get some rest and relaxation in another environment — far away from the daily grind of her tough community where she shared the responsibility of running a small business with her spouse. She hadn't

taken a break from work in years, and the four months or so she planned to spend in Canada would have given her fatigued mind and body the rejuvenation they needed.

She recalled harbouring dreams of living in Canada many years ago, but made no attempt at pursuing those dreams as she felt it was way out of reach.

(Jamaica Observer)

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE, February 14, 2021

Tajeram Mohabir

Put away the petty politics CITIZENS watched their National Assembly in operation, at a loss for words for the way the opposition parties behave concerning Guyana's development and progress. Here is a country that functions as a fully democratic nation, with the international community certifying Guyana's democratic status in today's world; and here is a nation that stands on the verge of incredible, record-breaking, miraculous socioeconomic growth for every Guyanese, with 2021 GDP expected to increase by a massive 20.9 percent, the highest in the world; and here is the Guyana Government presenting the largest national budget ever in the country's history, with resources and consideration for every sector of the economy, of which the independent small political parties and civil society praise and applaud government leadership. And then, there is the parliamentary opposition, shirking their duties in the House as representatives of the people.

What motivates members of the opposition to serve their country? One supposes that they care about all of Guyana, and want to see Guyanese develop and grow and achieve the potential of this great land. These are supposedly national leaders, politicians who aim to make a contribution to the nation as parliamentarians. Not so.

With seeming frivolous superficial-

ity, they pout, appear in the House through sittings, at leisure, and seem to abdicate any sense of national responsibility in exercising leadership and representation for their constituency.

Not one single Member of Parliament from the opposition benches commented favourably about President Ali's olive branch reaching out to them and to all Guyana with the visionary idea for the One Guyana Commission.

To its credit, the Guyana Government proceeds apace with its mandate from the people to govern the nation with sense and goodwill and with sound economic management, ignoring the shenanigans of the opposition leaders who refuse to display camaraderie, cooperation, and good conscience towards their national role. Maybe these opposition leaders see themselves not as representing the national good, but as partisan members of a section of the nation, only as members of their parties, and they wash their hands of the national interest, at the altar of paramountcy of their own party.

One is at a loss at such behaviour on the national stage. If the current government is to be blamed for anything, what could it be?

What answer would the opposition come up with? Is the government doing a bad job in socioeconomic management? Is the government acting with undemocratic actions?

Is the People's Progressive Party/

Civic (PPP/C) practising party paramountcy and painting every state building in party colours? What is it that the opposition is so negative about? Why are these Members of Parliament not happy with the way Guyana is developing? Are they unhappy for Guyana's progress and development? One is at a total loss for words and rational comprehension for the incomprehensible behaviour of opposition parliamentarians.

One would expect every single Guyanese to stand up and cheer and applaud the fact that Guyana is a respected nation in the world community of nations today, as a full-fledged, functioning, fruitful democracy, and that economic growth last year was 46 per cent, with 2021 projections at 20.9 per cent. What more could anybody ask for? Every section of the country sees the budget catering for them with significant resources, and no new taxes. The private sector, pensioners, housing, infrastructure, macro- economic projects, all sections of the economy are on the verge of significant growth. Yet, even these positives, the opposition seem to have a problem with, with its leaders not engaging, commenting positively, or offering a helping hand to make Guyana a nation of one people, with one destiny.

Senior Minister of Finance within the Office of the President, Dr Ashni Singh, gave a five-hour-long speech on Friday in the National

Assembly, conversing with the nation about what transpired with the nation in 2020, and what is in store for 2021. It was a comprehensive report on the state of affairs of the nation, and two things stood out: first, the country had to battle a severe threat to its democratic foundation from nefarious elements, and compounding this situation, the global pandemic crept into the society with serious impact, plus five years of heavy taxation and harsh, draconian economic measures from the Coalition regime had reduced the national economy to tatters, with decline across every sector.

Growth only happened in 2020 because of the oil-and-gas roll-out.

Second, Minister Singh outlined a 2021-and-beyond national blueprint that incorporates every aspect of Guyana's economy, that projects growth across the society, and this blueprint touches every citizen, not limited in any way or shutting out anybody.

Guyanese woke up Saturday morning with the national media regaling the nation with the fruits of the national budget, everybody welcoming the new measures and good news -- everybody except the opposition parliamentarians. One is at a loss for words. Why? It literally makes no sense to see national leaders take such a negative attitude to national growth and development.

Guyana today stands at the highest point in its history as a nation,

and the country is facing a future of incredible fortune, and the people are contented and ready to put in the work to gain their share of the national well-being. What more could anybody ask for?

Yes, there are challenges, with the COVID pandemic the most threatening, but government operates a well-oiled health sector, well-funded, already implementing a vaccination programme. One could only hope and pray that the pandemic does not become a global and national catastrophe in 2021, but that is a situation that the nation deals with as it unfolds.

For now, Guyana is decidedly, definitely, determinedly on the right path. The President Ali government is making all the right moves. Guyana is balancing its development, with the Low Carbon Development Strategy ensuring balance between the oil-and-gas and traditional sectors, and environmental sustainability.

Guyanese look forward to their future with confidence, zeal, and trust in their government.

One hopes that the opposition would get its act together, decide on its national role in the grand vision of Guyanese unity and oneness, and roll up its sleeve to work to play its part – positively-in Guyana's progress, peace, and prosperity.

GECOM staff must be able to conduct free and fair elections

Dear Editor,

AN abundance of evidence exists in the public domain, which highlights the massive state of contamination among senior administrative ranks in the secretariat of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM). Personnel who have controlled the nation’s electoral machinery, over time facilitated incremental

compromise of the accepted tenets of fairness, transparency, and accountability, resulting in an eventual systemic loss of confidence in GECOM as a whole.

It necessitated the interventions of the international community, together with an almost national uprising to overwhelm the catastrophic thievery they attempted to unravel on our nation.

Many of these persons re-

main rooted in the base of the operational framework of the organisation, although their roots of discord have been woefully exposed. Rationally, therefore, one would conclude that their spores of suffocation remain dispersed in those connected under a controlling influence of key compromised players and justifies the need for an absolute purging.

The connected internal

remnants have been hard at work attempting to inveigle a stay of execution for the involved cahoots who are desperately attempting to re-network. The now obvious target points to advancing a delay of local government elections constitutionally due in 2021. Albeit, the existing charges to those justifiably placed before the courts by the police, there is hardly any reasonable consideration why

these tyrannical souls should even be considered to still have a presence in GECOM. It is important and necessary that we must have the local government elections.

There would have been massive protests against GECOM had it not been for the unfortunate COVID-19 pandemic. In the circumstance, the widespread condemnation by the general public and the recent call by the PPP’s

General Secretary Dr. Bharat Jagdeo for GECOM to sever all relationships with CEO, Keith Lowenfield and his Deputy Roxanne Myers must be strongly supported. Certainly, those on the commission at GECOM cannot now reasonably expect that some pious intervention would cleanse the lewdness or at the wave of a wand, make the organisation acceptable.

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE, February 14, 2021

ERC has lost its way and the chair and others should resign en block IN the light of the recent article, “Commissioners disassociate themselves from ERC letter,” published in the February 10, 2021 edition in the various print media, I wish to further highlight some disturbing issues within the Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC) that can lead to serious catastrophe; all of which contradict its mission and purpose to serve and unite the Guyanese people.

Do not get me wrong, I, the undersigned, truly believe in the wisdom and philosophy that created the ERC. I sincerely thank the initiative of Former President Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo and late President Mr. Hugh Desmond Hoyte for having created this idea and allowed it to evolve over the years. The philosophy of breaking down walls and building bridges is what the ERC is all about. It is certainly something that I intensely believe in; so much so that I have always been proud to be included in this esteemed institution which achieved much when it was reconstituted on February 22, 2018.

However, in recent times, I cannot help but express my utter displeasure with what the ERC has become. In my view, since the “no-confidence” motion and leading up to the March 2020 elections, along with the political masterminders in place, the principles and philosophies that the ERC should uphold have rapidly deteriorated. It is known that some within the ERC were and are clandestinely working with political operatives from the opposition to control the commission. Because of this, the ERC has lost its way and has not managed to find a way back to its original, mandated purposes.

For me, when I was appointed a commissioner within the ERC, serving Guyana was a moment of great opportunity bequeathed by Almighty God and the Islamic faith.

However, in its current state, I am of the opinion, like most Guyanese, that the ERC has been a total letdown to the Guyanese nation and is not deserving of the funds they receive. In my opinion, they have accomplished very little. I believe what was done was insignificant and extremely limited to what could have been achieved. I was even amazed when the chairman sought to make himself important by pushing the “National Conversation” coming to the end of our term to make it look as though the ERC is doing something. However, much like the so-called “diagnostic team,” it is too little too late. While the “National Conversation” was a

great initiative, the recognition must be given to none other than Commissioner Neaz Subhan for being the brain behind it, him along with bits of inputs from others.

At this juncture, in the current state of the ERC, I am of the strong belief that we should resign ‘en bloc’ and let the government via Parliament put in place a proper patriotic commission. I say this because I initially had high hopes and immense feelings of motivation to serve, but on a closer look, I saw egotistic, religious and ethnic prejudices and manipulations by some appointees who are only interested in name, position, money, and who put their faith in areas where they are not concerned, all for just allowances. Some commissioners, even though they are more than well compensated and earn exceptionally high remuneration in about any and every conceivable thing imaginable, are still not satisfied. Some also wanted a risk allowance to fly on a plane. They wanted risk allowances to go into the jungle. They wanted high-quality boots which I declined, as the boots were provided at the virtual end of our term. As with the Christmas bonuses, some commissioners decided to grant themselves two hundred thousand dollars ($200,000). However, they received one hundred and fifty thousand dollars ($150,000) even though the government had advised that all statutory bodies should receive twenty five thousand dollars ($25,000) as a Christmas bonus.

Further, all of the ERC staff were given one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) each. I, Commissioner Hajji Dr. Roshan Khan, declined to accept this abuse of taxpayers’ dollars. This to me is utterly wrong and a waste of taxpayers money.

On several occasions I expressed my displeasure to them in writing.

Because of these malpractices and others too numerous to mention within the ERC, my heart broke.

Do not get me wrong, I still believe in the philosophy of the ERC, albeit under proper administration, as what we had under a former Chairman, Bishop Juan Edghill. I would also like to respectfully add that in the future, commissioners should not be sworn in and left to drown in the ocean, but should attend three days of preparatory training as an induction training. I even suggested this to the diagnostic team.

Recently, we have also seen His Excellency the President Dr. Irfaan Ali pronouncing his displeasure with the ERC for being in “hiding” following the March, 2020 elec-

tions. I concur with His Excellency the President and I think we, as the ERC, led by the Chairman, General Bishop Reverend Doctor John Oswald Smith, needs to apologise to the nation for pussyfooting during and after the recount of the March, 2020 elections. Also, the ERC needs to apologise for not being brave enough to condemn the murders, rapes, “feel-up” of Indian women, and the beatings, lootings, choppings, burning of persons, homes, businesses, and vehicles; theft of paddy and personal items. People were also being blocked from travelling in West Coast Berbice to and from Georgetown by a particular political group of Guyanese who were obviously instigated by Mr. Harmon, former President David Granger, and some within the AFC. The ERC had the opportunity to prove its relevance in Guyana for the large amounts of money that were given for the sake of goodwill, harmony, and peace. It would have been a great credit to the ERC to step out and meet the people in the heat of these moments, as it would have solidified their relevance in Guyana. However, despite being an ERC Commissioner myself, it was a great disappointment to note that the chairman, of what was supposed to be a powerful constitutional body, was as quiet as a door mouse and in my view, functioned as an ornamental appointee of the nation. Rather than taking the lead to stand for what is right: for unity, democracy, and peace, he went, as the President rightfully put it, into “hiding” and hauled much of what seemed to be some opportunistic and cowardly commissioners in the corner doing nothing. I wish to take the opportunity to give credit to retired Brigadier and Chief of Staff, Mr. Norman McLean, a true human resource specialist, for having arranged a special convoy of police and military, accompanied by the commissioner of police and the chief of staff of the Guyana Defence Force. What broke the hearts of many of us commissioners was the fact that the chairman decided against it, without a meeting or even a roundrobin of commissioners for their opinions. Instead, he cancelled the trip, much to the amazement of the decent commissioners. It is alleged that he might have had political directive from the now leader of the opposition and others. I would also like to state that some of us, the rational commissioners, had moved a motion to take a stand on the recount and that we respect and recognise the presence and pro-

nouncement of CARICOM. However, our motion was dismissed. In my view, the chairman did not deal professionally with the motion. In another case, the legal officer had informed that the former President Mr. Granger and Mr. Harmon be summoned by the commission to denounce their statements, but once again, the chairman and his group within the ERC refused. Another area of concern is that recently, we discovered that an operative in the investigation department was meddling with the minutes and was found to be lying, rude and disrespectful to certain commissioners, all because they did not vote for him to become chief.

We also have one commissioner who behaves as a saint, pulling wool over people’s eyes so that he/ she can be re-appointed a commissioner, while at the same time undermining others to achieve their sinister motives. Despite these few negativistic commissioners who are known to be anti-government, I would like to recognise that we have a few good, professional, and righteous commissioners who are bereft of bias, and who have the heart and compunction to stand for what is just and right for Guyana and the Guyanese people. However, it was quite painful to note that by “hiding” while the former government was openly doing wrong and unpleasantly and unapologetically bringing Guyana to international embarrassment and humiliation as they tried to fraudulently steal the election, the ERC Chairman and his group within the ERC would cause themselves to become toothless poodles of the former government (APNU+AFC). With the Chairman at the helm, the ERC became mum, knowing full well that the elections were lost to the then opposition (PPP/C) at that time.

Having been the only one inside the ERC to openly stand up to these wrongdoings and injustice, I was targeted by the fact that through the instruction of the political powerhouses mentioned above, press releases were published against me to embarrass and break me. However, as the All-Powerful Creator would have it, it only strengthened and motivated me and instead exposed them. The entire ERC, under the helm of the chairman boycotted the recount, and while my brave colleague and a true patriot of this country, Commissioner Neaz Subhan was hospitalised by COVID-19, I was the ERC’s sole rep (one other commissioner attended a few of the original countings). At the end of

the recount, I used the opportunity to laud the ERC which at that time seemed non-existent. After being urged by all other observer groups, including CARICOM, to say something on behalf of the ERC, the chairman saw it fit to publicly humiliate me. He did this after taking orders to disagree with me and to do so by issuing instructions that a release be issued to the effect that I, Commissioner Hajji Roshan Khan, cannot speak for the commission. Strange enough, as soon as I was finished making the statement which was broadcasted live, one known clandestine operative and current anti-government personality immediately sent a WhatsApp message to tell me, that it appears as though I have become the chairman.

This individual makes it appear as if commissioners do not have a right to speak or comment on an issue of national importance. I did not compromise the ERC, I basically tried to extol the ERC which as I said above was behaving as if it were a toothless poodle, and as the President rightfully said, went into “hiding.” One particular reporter asked me if the ERC agrees with the recount figure. And I answered that this is not a thing that I could pronounce on; they could make contact with the Chairman of the Ethnic Relations Commission. Amazingly, before the press release condemning me, the chairman never spoke to me about the words I used. Incidentally, I must state that I know for a fact that the ERC lost much credibility for that release issued against me.

With the many ERC failures, I believe that the Creator, Lord God of the worlds, had a clear reason why at this period in Guyanese history, a man like me had to be in the ERC. I say this because it is known that many Muslims and leaders in general, often like to take the diplomatic stance and/or known to often remain silent and take whatever is thrown at them. In this light, I believe that the ERC needed an Islamic personality of my calibre: one who is fearless, tough, but compassionate, and who looks out for humanity. In the religion of Islam, we are told: “O believers! Stand firm for justice as witnesses for Allah, even if it is against yourselves, your parents, or close relatives. Be they rich or poor, Allah is best to ensure their interests.

So do not let your desires cause you to deviate ?from justice.? If you distort the testimony or refuse to give it, then ?know that? Allah is certainly All-Aware of what you do.” (Quran 4:135) TURN TO PAGE

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Management Group for ‘Corridor of Unity’ formed –– President Ali assures residents that Golden Grove is as important as any other community in the country PRESIDENT Dr Irfaan Ali, on Saturday, assured residents of Golden Grove of his personal commitment to unifying the country, in keeping with his address in Parliament on Thursday.

Golden Grove was his fourth stop in his visit to the East Coast of Demerara, where he launched the inaugural ‘Republic Unity Cup’ and part of the Corridor of Unity pilot programme.

The pilot programme, he explained, is intended to be an example for the rest of the country.

“First of all, respected elders, brothers and sisters,

young people… I am very grateful to be here today.

This is the commitment to the address I made in Parliament. In that address, I said the most important achievement I would like the government to deliver is the achievement of bringing our people together, bringing our communities together and creating one Guyana. I also promised in that address that I will lead this process myself and that I will go to every community myself and work on building trust, work on breaking down barriers, and work on bringing us together.”

The Head of State, who

had also visited the Lusignan, Buxton and Enterprise community grounds, pointed to the significance and importance of the communities selected, which, he said, have a shared history. He noted that although there are differences and challenges, the communities all share a similar fighting spirit.

President Dr Irfaan Ali and his team pay keen attention to a resident during his meeting at Golden Grove on Saturday (Office of the President photo)

ZERO POLITICAL AGENDA The Head of State pointed out that his government’s reason for the Corridor of Unity is purely for harmony and cohesion and has zero political agenda.

GECOM staff must be able to conduct free...

We must have local government elections following the legally recognised cycle.

Therefore, the PPP/C must be complimented for ensuring the availability of appropriate allocations for the holding of these elections in the 2021 budget. However, the PPP/C government must be fully cognisant of the fact that GECOM held National and Regional Elections in 2015, Local Government Elections in 2016 and 2018, and again National and Regional Elections in 2020. That the limited examination of the financial records by the Auditor General’s Office real-

ised very serious allegations of fraud, while requests for some documents were met with unacceptable resistance from the CEO. While GECOM as an independent constitutional body enjoys a measure of financial, functional, and operational autonomy, the total loss of trust and credibility along with the unpardonable behaviour of the chief elections officer and several members of the GECOM secretariat justify a more detailed approach. The time is most opportune for a comprehensive forensic audit at GECOM, as well as the nec-

essary steps MUST be taken by the commission to address the compromised election machinery in responding to our citizens’ call.

It is very important that we not forget the dirty roles of Region Four Returning Officer Clairmont Mingo, together with several others involved in the plot. These persons are charged and they are before the courts for misconduct in public office and forgery. All those fraudsters who are still on the GECOM payroll must be sent home and forthwith.

We must also not lose sight of the fact that the State-

ments of Poll (SoPs) are among the most significant instruments used for validating the results of our elections. In finalising same, the preparation and the signatures on the SoPs must be authenticated by the presiding officers and the poll clerks’ signatures, together with those of representatives for participating political party representatives.

In 2015, there were wielded allegations by CEO Lowenfield of fake SoPs while no real evidence of the same was ever put forward. Given that the PPP’s elections petition was never

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ERC to compare my words in which I advised the people who were being beaten, mauled and killed in a particular community “to form protection groups, equipped with batons and sticks for self-defence only. Be firm and clever but never be the aggressors, and to protect the minorities in your communities.” To compare my words with the words of Mr. Harmon’s and that of Mr. Granger’s who said: “This response is a correct response, don’t let anyone tell you otherwise,” and, “We have to establish some self-defence in our society to protect our children, protect our women, our young people. Unless we protect ourselves, nobody is going to protect us,” respec-

tively.

When Mr. Harmon was trying to denigrate and destroy me in and out of the media, using his satellites and acolytes in Guyana and around the world, I challenged him at my expense to a public debate on his and Mr. Granger’s words vs. mine. I suggested a political conversation on Critic or any other media attached to it, but he never replied. To this day, in a public debate at my expense, I still challenge him to face me off.

Further, I even asked the Chairman of the ERC, those who supported him, and even those who sent a press release, where was my bias when I called for the protection of the minorities

of citizens who were being battered, raped, hammered and robbed? I would also like to know why the ERC did not issue a press release and even conducted inquiries into personalities who were instigating, albeit smartly, such as Christopher Jones and Sherrod Duncan? I asked him to decipher his words vs. mine. Incidentally, the chairman’s press release came just a few minutes after Mr. Harmon criticised me and attempted to take the emphasis off his back. These actions made it seem that the chairman of the ERC is a puppet of the opposition party. To many, I used terms that were more compassionate and caring for the people who were being targeted. I also asked

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called, there is now a stronger confirmation that sinister roles acted out by GECOM staff resulted in the cheating of a winning government, ever since the PNC’s plan to derail the elections was hatched and was largely dependent on the use of the “infamous broadsheet.”

The 2020 experience must never again be allowed to succeed, given the level of duress imposed on this nation. It is with immediate effect that GECOM must put on its agenda local government elections and address the shifting out of the high-risk staff. Further,

ERC has lost its way and the chair...

What many people tend to forget, also, is that I wear a lot of hats, one of which is a Security Consultant and Operative cap. As my contact number is open to all people, I received dozens and dozens of calls every day on the mayhem and slaughter of a particular people in the West Coast Berbice and East Coast corridor. As a security operative, many were reaching out to me and seeking my help on whether to bring out bush guns and whip out cutlasses after the aftermath of the brutal killings of Isaiah Henry, Joel Henry, and Haresh Singh. However, my advice to them was to “not be aggressors...protect your minorities…”

I respectfully asked the

“All of us want to leave a better tomorrow, but we can only leave a better tomorrow if we are willing to make the changes and sacrifices today. I am not here to tell you that I want you to vote for any political party five years from now; nothing like that, that is your democratic right and you choose it however you want; but what I am here to say is that we have a birthright, a patriotic right to Guyana to uplift this country for each other and to support each other. That right goes beyond politics.”

this to the Chairman of the ERC, whom as it is alleged on political instructions, published the release without even a discussion with me.

This showed a total lack of disregard for me. As a General Bishop and Chairman of the ERC he was most unprofessional, in my opinion. As such, I ask him to refute my words here today in which I state: he failed as Chairman of the ERC and failed this nation by allowing it to become a marionette of hateful political masterminders. I also ask this of the small group within the ERC that shares the same dangerous ulterior sentiments.

At this juncture, I must say that I am always proud of my fellow Guyanese. I

this column advocates for an International Commission of Enquiry to be assigned to examine the wide infiltration of the fallen institution and to provide the relevant recommendations for appropriate remedial action. We need an elections commission that will continuously oversee its constitutional mandate and purpose in a truly professional manner, thereby realising free and fair practices for the deserving citizens of our nation.

Yours sincerely, Neil Kumar

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always have faith in my people because I know that for hundreds of years, to create this great country, we lived, worked, and even revolted together for freedom. My advice to my fellow brothers and sisters in Guyana is this: continue to live in utter goodwill, love, and seek to rise above those political master- minders with evil intentions in their hearts. Let us all strive to live as one human family under God and as One People, One Nation, with One Destiny.

Sincerely, Commissioner Hajji Dr. Roshan Khan Snr. Islamic Constituent

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE, February 14, 2021

With Dr. Shivani Samlall, MBBS, Gynecologist Oncologist Dr. Shivani Samlall, MBBS, is a specialist in Obstetrics and Gynecology with a sub-specialty in Gynecology Oncology, and with over 10 years of medical practice. Dr Samlall can be contacted at drshivanisamlall26@gmail.com.

THE IMPACT OF MENOPAUSE ON WOMEN’S HEALTH FOR women, it seems as if life is a never-ending rollercoaster. As we hit puberty, and life just starts to get interesting, there are the monthly periods. Sometimes if we are lucky, it is regular and pain free and with no-associated symptoms.

But if we are not, there is PMS with those dreadful symptoms. There are also times when our menstrual cycles are so heavy, that we become anemic and require hospitalisation and there are times when we skip it for months. There are the occasions when we are stuck with an unwanted and unplanned pregnancy and must mentally and emotionally endure an abortion and then there are times when we want a pregnancy so badly and it does not happen, or then it does only to have a miscarriage or various miscarriages. Let us not forget all the physical changes that our body goes through during pregnancy and delivery and the horrendous pain of both labour and delivery.

Sadly, the complications of being a woman do not end there. As we age, our eggs deplete and with that

our estrogen level and once again we are subjected to further changes- the transition to menopause (called perimenopause) and the eventual changes of menopause. So, this brings me to the question.

WHAT IS PERIMENOPAUSE? A few years before menopause, menstrual periods become irregular, and the bleeding pattern changes. This period can last for several years. It usually begins around age 45 to 55.

Some women may experience very heavy bleeding that interrupt their quality of life. It is therefore important for a woman to seek medical attention to rule out other causes of this type of bleeding and to receive the necessary treatment.

WHAT IS MENOPAUSE? Menopause is one year after menstruation stops. This happens because the ovaries stop producing hormones and releasing eggs for fertilization. This marks the end of a woman's reproductive years. The actual menopause happens at around 50 years of age, although the exact timing differs among individuals.

When women go through menopause before the age of 40, it is considered to be early menopause and is called premature ovarian insufficiency.

WHAT CHANGES DOES A WOMAN EXPERIENCE DURING MENOPAUSE? Around 80 per cent of women suffer from some additional menopausal symptoms, though some women have few symptoms apart from the ending of menstruation.

Hot Flashes: The most common menopausal symptoms are hot flashes and night sweats. These happen most commonly within the first year after the last period, although they can occur earlier.

Sometimes they are so severe, that it causes weakness and loss of energy and together with the night sweats can disturb normal sleeping patterns.

The good news is that their severity tends to decrease with time.

Vaginal Dryness and a decrease in libido: Decreased production of estrogen causes vaginal changes such as dryness and loss of muscle tone, which can make sexual intercourse uncomfortable

or painful. This, along with sleep or mood changes, can lead to loss of interest in sex, also known as reduced libido.

Depression, anxiety and panic attacks: may occur, but it is not clear whether these are related to life changes that are likely to happen around the same time in a woman’s life, such as ‘empty nest syndrome’ (when children leave home or lifestyle changes significantly). Some women may experience problems with urinary control (incontinence), particularly those who are overweight or who have had multiple births.

The decrease in estrogen also causes a woman to start developing abnormal cholesterol levels, and hypertension, which puts her at risk for cardiovascular disease and stroke.

Osteoporosis: Women start losing their bone density, which puts them at risk for fractures.

WHAT HAPPENS TO A WOMAN WHO ENTERS MENOPAUSE AT AN EARLIER AGE, OR HER OVARIES ARE REMOVED DURING SURGERY? Menopause, especially if

early and abrupt, can cause severe morbidity for a woman.

Occasionally, due to cancer treatment (chemotherapy and radiotherapy), or other benign conditions (non-cancerous), a woman’s ovaries either loses its function or are surgically removed. Because this is not a gradual transition, the consequences are harsher than for a woman who transition naturally. She ages faster and is subjected to all the changes of menopause at an earlier age.

I remember this patient during my fellowship training that had undergone surgery for Ovarian cancer as a teenager, and after 10 years, she had aged drastically.

REMOVING A WOMAN’S OVARIES DURING HYSTERECTOMY It has been a common practice for women to have their ovaries removed during a hysterectomy for a benign condition (especially fibroids), with the rationale that by removing her ovaries, it will reduce her risk of ovarian cancer. However, there are many studies that have demonstrated that for women who are not at high risk for developing ovarian cancer,

Management Group for ‘Corridor of Unity’ ...

The President emphasised too that the greatest force of change comes from Guyanese themselves and will require a change in approach in dealing with each other.

“That decision is your decision; that decision is the community’s decision…. We have to want it and be willing to do it and make the change, and I am telling you today, I am ready to hold the hands of all these communities.”

The President also promised the residents that his government will work with the communities in identifying their priorities, as such,

he announced the formation of a ‘Management Group’ for the corridor comprising representatives from the various ministries. These include the Attorney-General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall; Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Charles Ramson Jr; Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Hugh Todd; and Minister within the Ministry of Housing and Water, Susan Rodrigues, along with a representative from the Office of the Prime Minister, Pastor Patrick Findlay.

The Management Group

was charged with engaging the communities on how to bring the corridor together and to determine how the pilot will be used.

SUPPORT FOR YOUTHS The President pledged his government’s involvement in supporting the youths in the community in accessing scholarships, providing access to jobs, including in the construction sector and providing access to technical- vocational programmes among other areas of benefit.

He also encouraged the residents to embrace this

approach.

“Let us push to be included and be part of it. This is the message of the government.”

The President also presented sport gear to the clubs in the community as he announced the roll out of another project, 'the Republic Unity Cup '.

He noted that sport brings the communities together in a non-contentious way.

He said that in addition to a trophy which will be up for grabs, the winning team will also earn the opportunity to benefit from community de-

removing the ovaries, increases their chances of premature death.

While there is treatment to help women manage their menopausal symptoms, guidelines (such as NICE) exist and can guide doctors regarding the use of hormonal replacement therapy (HRT). We should not deny women in their late 30’s and 40’s HRT. However, in benign conditions in women of reproductive age, and in moderate risk women (for ovarian cancer), tremendous efforts should be made to preserve a woman’s ovaries during surgery. It is important, that as physicians we discuss the risks/ benefits of surgical removal of a woman’s ovaries so that she can make an informed decision.

Although perimenopause and menopause can be difficult for some women, it is important that they are aware of treatment options and lifestyle changes that can make their lives more comfortable. Family support and understanding is also important for these women.

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velopment projects.

During the engagement, the President and his team also interacted with the residents and afforded them the opportunities to share their concerns, which ranged from the management of the community grounds to access to potable water. Many expressed the view that their community was neglected for the last five years.

Seventeen-year-old Dominic Glasgow spoke to the President about his need to have personal gear to be able to play cricket. After listening to the young man,

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President Ali announced that the much-needed gear will be provided early next week.

“I feel really good about what the President did … I want to thank him and the government and I am really looking forward to Tuesday,” the Golden Grove Secondary School student said.

He lamented on the fact that while he had expressed the need for equipment to the previous administration, nothing was ever done.

(Public Information and Press Services Unit)

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE February 14, 2021

BUDGET AT A GLANCE

DESPITE the COVID-19 pandemic and a half-year elections debacle, Guyana’s economy still managed to grow by 43.5 per cent, albeit lower than previously expected.

More strikingly, the non-oil economy is estimated to have contracted by 7.3 per cent. In spite of this, the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) Government still managed to craft the largest budget of the country’s history. The $383.1 billion 2021 Budget was presented on Friday afternoon at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre, which serves as the temporary venue for the sitting of the National Assembly, owing to the pandemic.

The “transformational” financial plan was presented by Senior Minister in the Office of the President, Dr. Ashni Singh. Budget 2021, according to the minister, sets out a plan for recovery, outlines policies to catalyse rapid economic growth in the near and medium term, and lays the foundation needed to ensure that growth is not transitory but sustainable for the longer-term.

To this end, the local economy is projected to grow another 20.9 per cent this year.

HOUSEHOLD BENEFITS * Zero VAT on basic food items and household necessities * Five per cent reduction in water tariffs across the board * Zero-Rating certain construction materials * Increase of low income housing loans from $8 million to $10 million * Increase ceiling on loans offered by New Building Society from $12 million to $15 million * Introduction of a cash grant of $15,000 per child to be given to the parents of children in the nursery, primary, and secondary schools in the public school system * Increase in Old Age Pension from $20,500 to $25,000 effective January 1, 2021 * Increase in Public Assistance payment from $9,000 to $12,000 monthly

AGRICULTURE AND FOOD SECURITY * $2 billion for critical capital works at GuySuCo * $12 billion for improved drainage and irrigation infra structure * $832 million for development of local agro-processing/ packaging facilities, specifically in Lesbeholden, Parika, Sophia, St. Ignatius, Aranaputa, Kara Kara and the intermediate Savannahs * $1.3 billion for the rice sector * •$1.2 billion to support the operations of National Agri cultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI) * •$70 million to support Coconut industry * •$293 million earmarked for the New Guyana Marketing Corporation * •$806 million will go towards the livestock industry * •$293 million for Fisheries and Aquaculture * •$500 million for Soya Bean and Corn production

SUSTAINABLE TOURISM * $185 million for the construction of a Hospitality Tourism Training Institute * Investments towards improving domestic tourism via regional bodies

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY * $360 million to establish the Universality Fund * $67 million to rehabilitate Linden venue for the establishment of a call centre

SMALL BUSINESS SUPPORT AND INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT * $250 million to replenish the Small Business Development Fund. * $135 million to procure Electronic Single Window System * $200 million to the National Quality Infrastructure Project including the construction of a state-of-the-art laboratory. * Commencement of work on the Wales Development Authority (WDA) * Establishment of a National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Council

ROADS AND BRIDGES * $3.5 billion for the commencement of the Linden to Mabura Hill Road * $150 million for sectional rehabilitation of the Linden – Soesdyke Highway * $1 billion to continue and complete a four-lane highway from Eccles to Mandela Avenue * $9 billion under the miscellaneous and other roads programme * $2.1 billion to upgrade hinterland roads

AIR TRANSPORT * $2.5 billion to finance additional modernisation efforts at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport * $415 million to complete, upgrade and rehabilitate a number of hinterland airstrips * $150 million to construct a new administration block at Timehri * $187 million for the Civil Aviation Authority to upgrade the Timehri Control Tower, as well as procure a Safety Data Collection and Processing System

RIVER AND MARITIME TRANSPORT * $310 million to upgrade and rehabilitate stellings including at Wakenaam and Fort Island. * $1.2 billion to rehabilitate the Morawhanna, Kumaka, and Port Kaituma stellings * $500 million to rehabilitate the M.V. Malali, M.V. Makouria and M.V. Kimbia.

See page 11

ENERGY EXPANSION AND DIVERSIFICATION * $2 billion to continue clearing the stock of receivable arrears inherited at the Guyana Power and Light * $840 million to develop solar farms and hydro plants * $700 million to install 10 mini-grids and four off-grid systems * US$135 million to pursue renewable energy projects

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BUDGET AT...

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SEA AND RIVER DEFENCE * $5.1 billion to further strengthen our sea and river defence infrastructure in areas including Dantzig, Prospect, Content, Fairfield, Zealand, Cane Garden, Uitvlugt, Anna Catherina, No. 63 Beach, Manila, and Bygeval * $50 million to construct geotextile rubble groynes, and to conduct topographic surveys HEALTH * 1. $1.8 B to purchase critical medical equipment * 2. $322M for the acquisition of medical equipment * 3. $99.8M for re-equipping the ophthalmology hospital in Port Mourant * 4. $750M to support the rolling out of COVID-19 vaccines * 5. $900M for HIV services * 6. $96M to support and improve mental health services * 7. $2.8B to modernise and expand infrastructure EDUCATION * $5.2B for construction, rehabilitation and maintenance of education facilities nationwide * $3.3B to finance operations at the University of Guyana * $884M allocated to equip and retool technical and vocational training centres. * $1B budgeted to support the online scholarships to be granted in 2021 HOUSING AND WATER * $6 billion to advance infrastructure and utility works in new and existing housing areas * $1.5 billion to continue infrastructure works in Sophia, Victoria, Diamond and the Parfaite Harmonie housing areas * Projected allocation of 10,000 house lots * Distribution of 7000 land titles across the country * Provision of subsidies to low-income households * Construction of 1,000 homes for low income earners and young professionals * $4 billion to procure equipment and improve and expand water supply networks countrywide. * $200 million to expand Sophia, Eccles, Covent Garden, Grove, Friendship and Vergenoegen water treatment plants to benefit over 50,000 residents

* $275 million to procure and install 20,000 water meters for residential and business areas across the country. * $100 million to procure electro-mechanical equipment for the rehabilitation of water production facilities. * Upgrade of transmission mains between Church and Cummings Street, Cemetery Road to Mandela which will benefit over 35,000 residents * $1.1 billion for Solid Waste Management , including the completion of the construction of Cell II at Haags Bosch Sanitary Landfill Site and the upgrading of disposal sites at Rose Hall, Port Kaituma, Belle Vue, Lethem, Lima, Charity, Lusignan and D’Edward. We have also catered for the preparation of temporary locations for waste disposal in Regions 2, 3 and 5.

CULTURE, YOUTH AND SPORT * $90 million to expand the Youth Innovation Programme of Guyana * $820 million towards the Youth Entrepreneurship and Apprenticeship Programme * Over $85 million to deliver youth-targeted training * Over $85 million to deliver youth-targeted training

* $30 million for grants to the cultural and creative industries * Over $120 million for capital works on culture facilities and sites * $915.5 million to improve community grounds * $618 million to host tournaments, maintain sports facilities, and support select sports associations, along with establishing a “Sports Academy” programme.

AMERINDIAN AND HINTERLAND DEVELOPMENT * $630 million to expedite the granting of titles to Amerindian villages * $196.6 million for boats, engines and equipment to empower communities and improve their livelihood * $1.75 billion for the hinterland roads programme to enhance connectivity * 196 scholarships for hinterland students * Removal of VAT on Hinterland travels

patrols and visibility * $830 million for the construction, rehabilitation, and maintenance of police stations * $50 million to train inmates in the areas of anger management, literacy, agriculture, and culinary arts * $5 billion earmarked for the Prison Service * Guyana Fire Service will receive $1.9 billion to facilitate major projects such as the relocation of the Central Fire Station at the congested Stabroek Market, and the construction of a new Fire Station at Eccles. Additionally, six water tenders and two ambulances will be procured.

LOCAL GOVERNMENT * $552 million to strengthen the Local Development Organs across the 70 Neighbourhood Democratic Councils and 10 Municipalities * $1.1 billion for community enhancement workers * $172 million for capacity building PUBLIC SAFETY AND SECURITY * $95 million has been allocated to help those Groups strengthen neighbourhood

EXTRACTIVE INDUSTRIES * Improved Petroleum legislations * Continued efforts to enact a strong local content policy * Creation of a policy framework for bauxite development * Identification of 10 acre plots for sand mining * $250 million for the implementation of the second phase of the National Forest Inventory programme

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Ethno-political identities in Guyana: are they products of construction and activation?

IF I were to ask someone who has been living in Guyana for a long time, who are you, the response would sound like this: “I am a Guyanese.”

If I were to ask the same question to the same person during the political purgatory period from March 2 to July 31, 2020, the response would most likely be, “I am an African Guyanese supporter of the APNU+AFC Coalition, or I am an Indian Guyanese supporter of the PPP/C.” When the two responses are combined, we have what is called ethno-politicization of identities. Even if this is not the case, let us assume it is, for the sake of a probable argument.

In a nutshell, ethno-political identity is a socially constructed process where (a) people distinguish themselves from others through a common language, territory, culture, and descent, and when (b) this ethnic identification is politicized in relevant ways to achieve some objectives. Ethno-political identities in Guyana are a historic product of various isms: imperialism,

colonialism, and capitalism.

The forceful and semi-free importation of Africans, Indians, Chinese, Portuguese, and others by European colonizers to achieve economic goals was singlehandedly responsible for the creation of multi-cultural identities in British Guiana.

When formed, each imported ethnic group held on to its own identity but cohere in “cooperation and competition” rather than in conflict, amid some cultural tensions among themselves. I am thinking here of the “Angel Gabriel” Riots of 1856 and racial disturbances in the early 1960s. The jostling and jockeying for power on an individual or collective group level based on identity was sporadic because of the superstructure of the colonial system. Guyana’s multi-cultural identities found some level of autonomy in the way of expressing civic identity, including identification with the colonial system, sometimes superciliously and superficially.

Over time, a pan-Guyanese identity from the multi-cultural ethnic groups was formed and used to decolonize Guyana.

At independence in 1966, Guyana inherited an ethnic morphology with three dominant features. First, Africans and Indians comprised the dominant groups. Second, there were minor cultural differences among various groups, although ancestral customs of many ethnic groups were not eradicated by colonialism.

The Guyana identity superseded individual ethnic identity.

Third, the ethnic geographical residency was noticeable. Africans lived in urban areas while Indians lived in the countryside.

These features were unique to Guyana. They were not common in many countries of the developing world that emerged from three centuries of colonialism. Some developing countries have been homogeneous (Haiti), unipolar with one dominant group (Nicaragua) multipolar but divided by one single dimension with no dominant group (sub-Saharan Africa), multicultural but divided by more than one dimension of differentiation (India), according to James Scarritt and Johnanna Birnir (2017).

Guyana, however, is a bipolar, deeply divided country by race and ethnicity. This division was socially constructed and remained dormant by the forces of colonialism until the PPP party split in the 1950s.

Since then, Africans and Indians have been politicalized by the PNC now APNU+AFC Coalition and PPP/C parties to gain access to power through pork-barrel techniques. The activation of the pork barrel techniques – pleasing voters by giving them incentives as opposed to policies– brought to the surface the “hidden” layer of conflict to the existing ethno-political identity of “cooperation and competition” during colonialism.

Contrary to common beliefs, ethno-political feelings are in concert more with cooperation and competition rather than with conflict. On an international level, only a small percentage of ethnic groups engage in conflicts, and when they do happen, they are often distorted by the media and individuals who have an axe to grind.

Apart from outright conflicts,

we are not sure if interactions among ethnic groups are a consequence of institutionalised competition or organized conflicts because the boundaries are often blurred. More often ethnic groups start their interaction with cooperation before engaging in conflicts. At a national level, as in Guyana, ethno-political conflicts are generally sporadic during the electoral cycle of every five years. The reason for this situation is that Guyana is a divided society and mutual fears and distrust that exist daily are brought to the fore around general elections because of the winner takes all political system. Prior to general elections, ethnic differences are magnified by extreme thoughts and fake news that the loser at the polls will become victim of politicide: the politics of exclusion, or the exclusion from politics.

From all indications, ethno-political identities are socially constructed and activated because they are beneficial to those who rely on and practise them. This is not all bad. Take for example, if we

do not have ethno-political identities, then what is the alternative? We certainly do not want one dominant group in Guyana. The activation of ethno-political identities works well when it is used to avoid communal contention, and that is, to desist from exaggerating cultural differences, encourage interaction so that ethnic groups have equal access to state resources, and value areas of mutual understanding and cooperation.

The position of Guyana’s ethnic groups that Essequibo belongs to Guyana in the Guyana-Venezuela border controversy, not dispute, is a prime example of how ethno-politicization of identity can be beneficial (lomarsh. roopnarine@jsums.edu).

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE, February 14, 2021

Understanding Energy

New $20 billion initiative set to benefit local workers, businesses JUST one year after first oil, Guyana’s Stabroek Block operators have announced a new investment programme to support local capacity building to ensure sectors beyond oil and gas benefit from the companies’ presence in Guyana. The Greater Guyana Initiative, which was announced last week, will include a GYD$20 billion commitment to support training and other development projects in Guyana over the next 10 years.

The Initiative appears to focus on elevating the level of training and capabilities among Guyanese workers and companies through new education and capacity building programmes

aimed at preparing them for needs beyond those of the oil industry. It will also support public health initiatives and promote sustainable economic diversification throughout Guyana. Critically, this Initiative will be fully funded by the Stabroek Block operators and will not be part of the cost recovery process.

According to remarks from ExxonMobil Guyana President, Alistair Routledge, the programme has been in the works for the last two years. During that time, ExxonMobil has already been working with various groups, including the University of Guyana and the Council for Technical Vocational Education

and Training (TVET) to pinpoint where the most support is needed to grow local development and advance programmes.

As stated by the former Canadian High Commissioner, Lilian Chatterjee, Guyana lacks the local technical capacity needed to be successful at present. ExxonMobil and its partners’ aim of supporting broader development addresses not only a current gap, but one that is a common pitfall in development, which is concentrating the local content focus and investments into one sector.

With better technical skills fitted to any industry, Guyanese can take on more important roles as the coun-

try’s development progresses. Guyanese companies will have the opportunity to compete for and win more lucrative infrastructure contracts that have typically gone to international contractors.

Furthermore, increased expertise opens the door for further development in other industries in Guyana.

Local businesses have been rapidly adapting and expanding the services offered in Guyana after benefitting from the Centre for Local Business Development capacity development programmes. The Buzz recently highlighted one company that started with two guys and a computer and is now supporting several sectors.

Organizations like the Mat-

Pal Marine Institute, also a beneficiary of the Centre, are already working with several sectors to train and place workers on offshore vessels.

But the new Initiative aims to substantially expand the scale of this growth and adaptation.

Well-designed programmes like the Greater Guyana Initiative can be mutually beneficial for both companies and their host countries. It’s also a healthy step in cultivating the kind of long-term partnership that’s important when an oil company plans to be operating in the country for decades to come. The Greater Guyana Initiative’s ten-year timeline demonstrates ExxonMobil’s commitment to exactly that

kind of partnership with Guyana.

As the funds will not be cost recovered through production, that also thankfully means that every dollar invested into capacity building will be an added investment in Guyana’s future, beyond the billions that have already been invested to develop the oil found in the Stabroek Block.

The Greater Guyana Initiative could be a much-needed step towards building up Guyana’s human capital and creating an experienced workforce ready to take on a larger and more profitable role in its growing economy across all sectors.

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE February 14, 2021

SUNDAY CHRONICLE, February 14, 2021

Radio a vital medium for promotion of democracy

– Minister McCoy on World Radio Day 2021 IN Guyana, radio remains the most widely consumed communication medium and its unique capacity to reach its audiences means radio can be leveraged to shape a society’s social and cultural fabric and identity, while being a catalytic medium through which democracy can evolve and thrive.

This is according to Minister within the Office of the Prime Minister Kwame McCoy in his message on the Occasion of World Radio Day 2021.

Minister McCoy, in recognition of this crucial reality and radio’s powerful potential, said that since 1992, successive PPP/Civic administrations have invested in the growth of this transformative broadcast medium to ensure its evolution and reach across the length and breadth of the country.

Through these consistent efforts, the subject minister said the Guyanese people are now able to access informa-

tion and enjoy radio’s myriad offerings across the frequencies of 21 commercial radio channels and nine regional stations.

“Through our ‘Pathway to Prosperity’ budgetary allocations being presented and deliberated upon over the next few days in the National Assembly, your government will advance the sector’s growth further this year, as we continue to invest heavily in new technologies for improved transmission and reach, and the building of our human-resource capacity for better programming and delivery, in our quest to optimise radio’s full national potential,” Minister McCoy said.

These efforts, he said, will be anchored in government’s unwavering commitment to the universal principles of media freedom and citizens’ fundamental rights to information and freedom of expression.

Towards this end, Minister McCoy said Government

Minister within the Office of the Prime Minister, Kwame McCoy

has embarked on a strategic transformational agenda for the Fourth Estate, with the media at the front and centre of the change management and national development continuum.

SALUTE “On this occasion of World Radio Day 2021,

which recognises the central notions of evolution, innovation and connection that drive this medium, I join in UNESCO’s call on radio stations to reflect on these notions and celebrate our broadcasters, administrators, technicians and veterans of the sector, who keep us informed and entertained daily without

tire,” he said.

McCoy noted that the government’s commitment is to ensure that radio remains a viable medium of information, communication and entertainment for all.

He underscored that the government, particularly the Public Affairs Division of the Office of the Prime Minister, joins with The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and member states around the world to celebrate the 10th anniversary of WORLD RADIO DAY and the phenomenal broadcasters on all of the country’s radio stations.

“We pause today to recognise the trail-blazers, veterans, stalwarts and phenomenal broadcast personalities on the air and their enablers behind the scenes, in all our radio stations, who skilfully colour our daily experiences across this beautiful homeland of ours, from our waking breaths into each night cap, even keeping the company of those who must sojourn the nights as the rest of us sleep,” he said.

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Through all seasons, he said the radio and broadcasters have been and remain a beacon of light, transmitting crucial information; entertaining listeners with music, culture, drama and topical talk; and, inspiring the faithful journey to fulfilling Guyanese destiny of oneness and prosperity.

Indeed, Minister McCoy said, “We in the government uphold and actively promote the tenets upon which this important observance was proclaimed by UNESCO and ratified by the United Nations General Assembly 10 years ago, to observe annually, that radio is a powerful medium for celebrating humanity in all its diversity and constitutes a platform for democratic discourse.”

“On behalf of His Excellency President Dr Mohammed Irfaan Ali and the Cabinet, I wish you [a] Happy World Radio Day,” he added.

‘Paws for a Cause’ finds Budget 2021 very commendable –– welcomes presidential commitment to tackling animal cruelty NOT-FOR-PROFIT animal welfare organisation, ‘Paws for a Cause’-Guyana, on Saturday, joined many other kindred spirits in expressing its support for promises and provisions made by the current People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) government in its 2021 Budget.

The organisation, which was founded in February 2019, iterated its ‘unreserved support’ for the President’s provision of support for the well-being of animals. His Excellency gave his assurance that the People of Guyana would be judged by the treatment of their animals, adding that ‘soft issues’ of

that nature contribute to the story of Guyanese identity.

“Paws for a Cause-Guyana wholeheartedly believes that Guyanese can become more compassionate and caring towards each other, when children in particular are taught to be compassionate and caring towards animals. Alternatively, animal abuse can often be an indication of, or trigger for, violent tendencies towards humans. As such, we are elated by His Excellency’s pledge that direct investment and allocations will be made to support associations and organisations in our efforts to prevent cruelty against animals,” the organisation said in a

press release.

The release also noted the unprecedented nature of the government’s focus on animal welfare and pledge for direct budgetary support at a public policy level, and the unlikelihood of the issue being addressed by the president himself.

However, the organisation expressed its gratitude for the gesture, in addition to its optimism about the future of animal welfare in Guyana.

“Following from [sic] our previous meeting with Her Excellency Arya Ali, where she committed to supporting efforts to improve standards of care and well-being for animals, we are more optimistic

about the future of animal welfare in Guyana. Our President and First Lady have shown exemplary leadership and commitment to the pursuit of the ‘greater good’, and we encourage all animal lovers to support their noble work.”

While organisations such as ‘Paws for a Cause’-Guyana continue to play a salient role in the protection of animals, His Excellency the President has sent a clear message that his government will not tolerate animal abuse.

“We all as citizens must encourage and ensure that public officials diligently carry out His Excellency’s call for improved animal wel-

fare across our great country,” the organisation said in closing.

‘Paws for a Cause’ – Guyana was created with the goal of improving animal welfare in Guyana, and fostering a future generation of compassionate and caring humans. The organisation aims to prevent animal cruelty through interaction and connection with the younger generation, promoting humane, ethical, and responsible pet ownership, advocating for control of the animal population via spay-and-neuter campaigns, and assisting in cases of reported animal neglect and abuse.

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE, February 14, 2021

Staying on track during the COVID-19 Pandemic:

A Focus on chronic health conditions

Contributed By: Dr. Indira Bhoj Life has changed. In less than a year, so much has happened around us. The very process of interacting with other human beings has been changed. We adapted to the changes without even realizing some of the fundamental implications.

Routines are different.

Persons are now working from home, working online or have lost jobs. Even the family members who were used to being at home before the pandemic find themselves having to change their routines to accommodate other relatives who are now in the home. Without realizing it, these changes have significant impact on stress levels, activity levels, sleep schedules and relaxation opportunities.

Relationships have changed. The fundamental way we interact as human beings has been reshaped.

Family gatherings, outdoor trips, eating out, going to movies etc. have been curtailed. Hugging, high-fives and other basic human methods of communication and socialization now have to be thought out. How we support each other in times of sadness, distress and need has been impacted in a way never before experienced.

Dealing with a medical condition or simply staying healthy during these times can seem overwhelming.

But, as they say, “How do you eat an elephant?” There

is only one answer: One bite at a time.

A good starting point is self-evaluation. This would include making a list of all the activities/routines/goals etc. that you were working on before the pandemic hit.

Also make a list of what you are doing currently. As you evaluate, you may realize that you have lost focus of important priorities, gone off track with certain goals, lost opportunities for meaningful activities. You may also need to evaluate how you were feeling before the pandemic (e.g. happy, hopeful, ambitious, positive, excited, stable, peaceful, fulfilled, optimistic) and how you are now feeling ( e.g. bored, exhausted, sad, tired, frustrated, angry, worried, hopeless, hurt).

Next, you can decide to move forward. It’s important first of all to have a positive/ productive mindset. We often focus on difficulties. It is a good idea to talk about the problems in our lives with persons who are in a good position to provide solutions.

We should also ask our very own selves, “What can I do?

How do I solve this problem? What are opportunities I have now with my new routine that I didn’t have before?”. You will have to set new goals and find ways of achieving them.

Challenge yourself to stay active. Staying active and exercising are major components of preventing as well as treating Diabetes, Hypertension, Obesity, Arthritis, Stroke, Heart Disease and

many other medical conditions. You can try exercising at home, doing bodyweight exercises, stretching exercises, threadmill walking, stationary bike or weights.

You can make weights by filling small plastic water bottles with stones or sand.

A fun exercise is dancing.

There are many Youtube exercise videos that you can choose based on your activity level. There are even routines for bedridden and wheelchair-bound patients.

Just set the time every day and stick to it! Household DIY (do it yourself) projects are sometimes physically exhausting. Gardening, repainting, reorganizing etc. are good ways of getting in physical activity. Outdoor activities and exercises are a great option if possible. The change of environment also improves mood and a sense of wellbeing. Above all, set realistic goals for exercise and be safe.

Eat well. Being at home provides more opportunities for snacking and breaking mealtime schedules. It is important to stick to the basics - use lots of vegetables, fruits and high quality proteins. If you are less active during the pandemic, you have to consider that you will not need as much energy. The main foods that we use to provide energy are starches (rice, flour, whole grains and ground provisions), fats (butter, cheese, avocado, oils) and proteins (peas, beans, meat and fish). You can cut back your portion sizes of starches and fatty foods if

your activity level is lower, and especially if you notice an increase in body weight (clothes are fitting tighter, waist measurement is increasing). Don’t skip meals.

Support and encourage others in similar situations.

Partner with someone you know who has similar goals and issues. Talk with them frequently, set common targets and keep each other on track. Celebrate each other as you make progress. This will keep you focused and maintain a mindset.

Document your progress and keep monitoring. Use a notebook and keep track of your blood pressure levels, blood sugar levels, body weight and waist measurements. This will allow you to detect when something new or unusual happens. It will also help the medical team to understand how you have been coping between visits to clinic.

Follow your treatment plan. Skipping days and doses of medications can be dangerous. If you feel you are having drug side effects or wish to make changes to your treatment, contact your doctor about it.

Minimize unhealthy habits such as alcohol and tobacco use, long periods sitting and extended screen time.

Keep Learning. If you have a question about your condition, write it down in your notebook or seek answers right away. Often, we let the question go and never bother to find out the answers. By writing things down, we can later ask some-

Dr. Indira Bhoj, Coordinator- Chronic Disease Unit Ministry of Health one e.g. community health worker or find the answers from books, pamphlets or internet. Most of us have friends or family members who can help us to find information online or otherwise.

Use trusted patient care sites online (e.g. WebMD, Mayo clinic) if you must use the internet.

Stay encouraged and establish balance. Find new and creative ways to break your routine if you are becoming tired or bored. Try to spend some time outdoors every day. Connect with family and friends online or by phone.

Try looking at a new type of show, listen to a new type of radio programme. Include comedy and inspirational shows in your day.

Learn how to interact with the health system in this new situation. Establish some way of always being in contact with your clinic.

Try your best to keep your appointments. Prepare for your visits by taking along all information that might be useful-e.g. notes you are making at home. Get their phone number. Call the clinic and seek advice if something happens. Avoid turning up unannounced if you can.

Health centres and clinics usually have schedules for

different services. Find out what are the different services/clinics offered at the health centre as well as the schedules. Persons with chronic diseases have regularly scheduled appointments for the CHRONIC DISEASE CLINIC but can also be seen on an OUTPATIENT visit for new or urgent matters that cannot wait until the next clinic appointment. If you are going to the clinic as an OUTPATIENT, I would suggest that you find out which are the days and times set aside for OUTPATIENT visits. The exception to these tips would be an emergency situation, in which case you should seek attention as soon as possible.

For those who have not been diagnosed with a chronic health condition, it is still important for you to get your health checks, especially if you have not had a check-up for over two to three years or if you have a risk factor that requires follow up. Consider contacting your nearest health centre or primary care doctor to discuss when you should get you next check.

Taxi driver carjacked in West Ruimveldt A 42-year-old driver attached to City Taxi Service on Vlissengen Road, Georgetown, was robbed of his silver/grey Toyota Allion motorcar bearing registration number HD 1117 around 23:25hrs on Mandela Avenue, West Ruimveldt, on Friday night.

The driver was identified as Fazio Khan of Mahaica, East Coast Demerara (ECD).

Reports indicate that an armed bandit posing as a passenger hijacked the taxi with the help of two accomplices. The suspect went to the taxi service base and requested

a car to go to West Ruimveldt.

The taxi driver took the hire and proceeded to the location as directed by the suspect and upon arriving in the vicinity of Cool Square on Mandela Avenue, the two other suspects approached the driver’s side door, while the

passenger who was armed with a handgun placed the weapon to the victim’s head and ordered him out the car.

The driver complied, after which the two suspects then joined the other male in the car and made good their escape east on Mandela

Avenue, taking with them the victim’s cellphone, a radio set and his driver’s licence.

The incident was reported to the police and an investigation is underway.

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE February 14, 2021

QC teacher loses home to fire

By Richard Bhainie

A M AT H E M AT I C S teacher attached to the country’s premier education institution, Queen’s College, is now homeless after an early-morning fire of unknown origin ravaged her home.

Homeless is Ms. Johan Claudia Osborne, along with her 12-yearold son, her mother and father and four siblings, all whom resided at the Lot 204 19th Street Dazzell Housing Scheme property.

According to Ms. Osborne, the two-storey building became engulfed between 03:00hrs to 04:00hrs Saturday morning in her brother’s bedroom, located at the front of the house.

Her brother was awoken to the fire which led to him sounding an alarm, awaking the rest of the household.

She explained that her family doused the flames with water in an attempt to put out the fire; however, the smoke became unbearable to the extent where they

could not breathe and they were forced to escape the blaze.

Ms. Osborne and her family suffered millions of dollars in losses as they were unable to save anything. She was particularly worried about her work stored on her laptop.

“As a teacher, I’m thinking about all the PowerPoints I have to go back and do, my son lost everything including his textbooks,” she said.

She explained that the support extended to her from friends and colleagues have been tre-

The eastern side of the destroyed house

The inside of the bottom flat of the destroyed property

mendous, for which she is grateful. The Minister of Human Services and Social Security, Dr. Vindhya Persaud, has also pledged to render assistance.

However, Ms. Osborne expressed disappointment with the Guyana Fire Service which took approximately 20 minutes to respond and upon arrival at the location, there was no water available to put out the blaze.

Anyone willing to render assistance to Ms. Osborne and her family may contact her on telephone number 679 /6884 or may make a contribution to the Citizens Bank Account No. 219203822.

Ms. Johan Claudia Osborne

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE February 14, 2021

$25.6 billion budgeted for roads and bridges

A TOTAL of $25.6 billion has been allocated towards improving roads and bridges infrastructure throughout the country.

According to Senior Minister in the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh, $23.7 billion will be spent on roads, while $1.9 billion will go specifically towards bridges. The monies will facilitate upgrades to a number of existing structures, as well as finance the commencement of several others.

“An amount of $3.5 billion has been allocated for the commencement of the Linden to Mabura Hill Road and tenders will be launched in the first quarter. Further, a sum of $150 million has been budgeted for sectional rehabilitation of the Linden – Soesdyke Highway,” the minister indicated.

He noted that in order to address the continuous traffic chaos on the East Bank Demerara Public Road, construction has already commenced on a road linkage between Diamond to Mocha, connecting to an existing road network from Herstelling to Eccles.

“In Budget 2021, the government has allocated the sum of $1 billion to

continue and complete the construction of a four-lane highway from Eccles to Mandela Avenue which will significantly reduce travel time for tens of thousands of commuters traversing this corridor,” Dr. Singh said.

In his presentation of the $383.1 billion budget, the finance minister indicated that in the coming years, Guyana will witness a major transformation in its roads and bridges network, which will boast of spanking new corridors poised for development in a myriad of sectors.

Dr. Singh made specific references to projects such as the linking of the East Coast Demerara Highway to Timehri, which would connect the country’s two major airports – the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) and Eugene F. Correia International Airport; as well as the establishment of the Schoonord to Parika four lane superhighway, connecting communities throughout the West Coast of Demerara.

The finance minister also spoke to developing the Parika to Goshen route, thereby establishing an important link for the trade and commercial centres of Parika with the central gate-

A section of the Eccles to Diamond Road way town of Bartica.

The government will also be developing the Timehri to Bartica link, connecting the West Bank of the Demerara River at

Sand Hills, to Makouria on the Essequibo River crossing at Monkey Jump to Bartica.

SURVEY ALIGNMENT

“These routes will be established with a survey alignment to be completed in 2021, and clearing of the right of way will commence while we pursue financing for construction works,” Dr. Singh said.

Additionally, he noted that the government will be moving towards constructing a farm-to-market road from No. 58 Village, linking the Corentyne Coast highway to the Canje Creek, and opening vast acreage of arable agricultural land to benefit farmers across the region. Preliminary designs have already been completed, while survey and right of way alignment will be conducted, and works will commence in 2021.

In his extensive budget presentation, Singh said that the Demerara and Corentyne River crossing will also take centre stage in the government’s plan to revitalise the country’s physical landscape and open developmental opportunities in surrounding areas.

In relation to the new Demerara River Crossing, Singh said the government has received a total 20 companies, with nine firms being shortlisted to undertake

the project. “… and the process now moves to the second round where more detailed designs, costing and financial terms will be assessed,” the minister said.

He added that the new design of the highspan bridge will allow for free flow of maritime traffic as it will not require opening or retraction and will be built with a life span of at least 50 years.

Additionally, as it relates to the Corentyne River Bridge Crossing, the Governments of Guyana and Suriname have invited expressions of interest for the construction of the bridge. “In preparation for this massive transformative project, we will commence preparatory works to upgrade the road from Moleson Creek to El Dorado with the ultimate goal to extend to Orealla/Siparuta,” Dr. Singh said.

He concluded that amounts totalling $9 billion have been allocated under the miscellaneous and other roads programme, while a further $2.1 billion has been allocated to upgrade hinterland roads.

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE, February 14, 2021

Valentine’s Day ‘vibes’ with Rupununi Music and Arts Festival

By Vishani Ragobeer IF you’re looking for a different yet worthwhile way to enjoy your Valentine’s Day, then look no further than the virtual showing of the seventh Rupununi Music and Arts Festival that will be replete with past performances, enlightening interviews and just good ‘vibes’.

Local Musician and one of the Directors for the Festival, Gavin Mendonca, told the Guyana Chronicle that the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic has constrained the usual hosting of the festival, down in Region Nine. There, at the Manari Ranch, there would be days of local and world music, camping and an immersive experience that captures all aspects of the local creative sector.

“The whole idea of the festival when it was initiated and why it was chosen to be on Valentine’s Day was so that it could be a Valentine’s spectacular,” Mendonca said, adding: “Just imagine you’re in the Rupununi, dancing

under the stars with your partner or whether it is you and yourself, you and your instruments or you and the vastness of the Rupununi.”

Despite this restriction on physical gatherings, this year, to mitigate the spread of the novel coronavirus, a virtual celebration has been crafted with a keen focus on paying homage to the ‘Rock View years’ where the festival was first held several years ago.

“We want to promote love and peace, not just romantic love but love in general with peace, positive vibes…. We want to offer a space where you could still feel love and share love, virtually, through music, art and dance,” the local musician emphasised.

This virtual event, he explained, would also allow many of the ‘coastlanders’who have never been able to visit the festival down in the Rupununi, to get just a taste of the magic that unfolds in the savannahs.

Beyond this Valentine’s

Day virtual, Mendonca said that efforts are being made to garner support for a similar virtual event every two months, or so. This, he highlighted, would not only be to provide entertainment but to also create employment op-

the difficulties faced by all artistes, artists and performers in the creative sector due to the devastating ramifications of the COVID-19 pandemic. He lamented that creatives are suffering financially and mentally, but such

Local musician and one of the Directors of the Rupununi Music and Arts Festival, Gavin Mendonca

Patrons enjoying themselves at a previous Rupununi Music and Arts Festival

portunities for local artistes.

As a creative person himself, Mendonca attested to

an event would help to ease the burden they face.

For persons interest-

ed in enjoying a unique Valentine’s Day experience, the festival will be streamed from 16:00 hours

on the Facebook page and Youtube channel of the Rupununi Music and Arts Festival.

Return undervalued lands to the state –– or face legal proceedings, Attorney General tells former Lands and Surveys board member

By Richard Bhainie ATTORNEY GENERAL and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall, S.C., on behalf of the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission (GL&SC) and the Government of Guyana, has written to a popular businessman asking him to relinquish undervalued lands he obtained weeks after the March 2, 2020 elections.

Wilfred Brandford, a board member of the GL&SC under the A Partnership for Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) administration was issued a Certificate of Title No. 2020/11 for parcels 4725 and 4805, Plantation Ruimveldt, dated April 15, 2020.

This was pursuant to an Agreement of Sale and Purchase executed with the Government of Guyana, represented by the GL&SC through then Commissioner Trevor Benn dated March 23, 2020.

The parcels of land com-

Popular businessman Wilfred Brandford

prising 0.710 and 0.887 acres respectively were sold to Brandford for a total sum of $13.5 million.

However, a review of the transaction and similar transactions revealed that similar-sized parcels of land in the same vicinity were sold by the Government of Guyana for as much as $150 million.

TURN TO PAGE

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE February 14, 2021

How do Guy about Bud ON Friday afternoon, Senior Minister in the Office of the President with Responsibility for Finance, Dr Ashni Singh, presented the 2021 National Budget, which has been pegged at $383.1B. It was prepared under the theme: “A path to recovery: Economic dynamism and resilience” and notably, it is being financed with no new taxes.

As part of the budget, billions of dollars were allocated to various sectors and a number of budgetary measures were introduced to provide disposable income to citizens and help stimulate the economy. Following the

Secondary School; that is my former school and going there was a lot of challenges. I am happy finally it will be built.

I am happy that there is a lot of opportunities for youths especially with the establishment of call centres and also programmes through the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport.

JOEL SIMPSON, Managing Director of the Society Against Sexual Orientation Discrimination (SASOD) I think the 2021 budget does have

grant for $15,000.

I think that will really help to support the average person and vulnerable people in society so that parents who are struggling can help to keep their children in school. As a whole, though, I don’t feel it’s completely a people’s budget or it is a budget that is very much people-centred. My sense so far is that it is focused on a couple of macro area… And while these things are important, I think the predominant focus on those macro areas don’t necessarily mean that the average person will receive any direct benefit in terms of income and support that they re-

are freely available.

We don’t have enough trained psychologists in the country to service the population and we certainly don’t have them in the public sector, so I am happy to see that mental health is a focus and also that there will be new initiatives for the HIV response, in particular, we’re looking forward to the rollout of Pre-exposure prophylaxis (or PrEP) in the public health system for free and also the initiative for HIV self-testing to make testing more accessible.

Govena Deonarine

Joel Simpson

Mahindra Sharma

Parmanand Singh

presentation of the budget, the Guyana Chronicle asked various Guyanese what were their thoughts on this budget.

some positives for the average person and a couple of good new initiatives that I see for the average person, just from a preliminary review of the budget that was presented (on Friday) at Parliament.

Some of the things are the ceiling being raised for low interest loans. I see that in terms of public assistance vulnerable persons, who are subjected to acts of discrimination, can receive a Public Assistance of $12,000; it’s not a huge sum but everything counts... I think the other measures for vulnerable groups (like) the school children cash

ceive…. I think not enough has been done.

I think the support for HIV issues and mental health have also been highlighted as receiving some attention and I think that is very important because Guyana has very high suicide rate, one of the highest in the world, and we have found in our work that the COVID-19 pandemic really added an extra burden and other stressors for LGBTQ people and just vulnerable people in general.

Guyana has very, very limited mental health support and services which

MAHINDRA SHARMA, Teacher from Spring Gardens, Essequibo Having listened to the Budget speech, I think the most exciting news for Essequibians is the construction of the Abram Zuil Secondary School and also the construction of a drying floor.

These projects are long-awaited ones...

I am also happy that the public assistance and the pension has increased.

Parents are in to benefit also by receiving $15,000 per child; this will particularly encourage them to send their children to school.

I like the idea of creating jobs

GOVENA DEONARINE, Food Processing Technician living on the Essequibo Coast As a young person [listening] to the budget was quite refreshing for me, especially to hear of the many plans for the agro-processing sector through the Ministry of Agriculture. I am also pleased with the announcement for the construction of the Abram Zuil

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE February 14, 2021

yanese feel dget 2021? for the young people by opening call centres. Overall, I think it was a good budget that caters for all.

parents, and other stakeholders of the Abram Zuil Secondary School, I extend our sincere gratitude to the honorable Minister of Education, Ms. Priya Manickchand, and the Guyana Government for this ‘blessing.’

ed to agriculture, but we will have to wait and see for the regional breakdown.

GEORGE CHESNEY, 85-year-old retired man living in Christiansburg, Linden (The budget is) wonderful, great... the best I’ve ever heard. The assistance for the senior citizens, that one was one of the most important parts for me; I really like that part. The aspects about agriculture, to help farmers and so on

that would also have gone under the last government. Moreso, I’d like to stress on the Community Service Officers (CSOs) that they will be hiring again. When you look at it in a long term basis, the generating of income will now be able to flow and it will be more sustainable since persons will be able to be employed, get jobs on the flow, the circulation of the money will be there, the village economies will grow and once the village economies grow, the district economy begins to grow and then the region and then the country.

In terms of my area, we’re looking

George Chesney

Manley Thomas

Susan Mohese

Tanya Niamatali

be overwhelmed by the government’s generous gesture. This new building will improve all teachers’ and students’ learning environment, promote better student academic performances, and contribute to further academic progress.

Also, since this institution accommodates approximately 600 students and providing a conducive environment is of paramount importance, I wish to recommend that the relevant authority identifies a suitable venue for our occupancy during this new school’s construction.

On behalf of the staff, students,

were great and there were other aspects that were very, very encouraging. I loved every part of it, there wasn’t any part that was against it for me, but I would have to sit down and read it more myself to digest it more.

But it’s ok for me so far, everything was encouraging.

forward to so many things, but once we don’t have the proper management, those things wouldn’t manifest.

I’m going to ensure that I play my part, as a young leader, so that the projects at the government level can manifest for the people.

went directly for 4500 scholarships.

Be it online or not, I can assure you many youngsters will be able to finally achieve a degree or diploma they always had their mind on. It would be unfair of me to not comment on the agriculture sector since I am employed in that sector. I am very much certain that the sum allocated towards the agri industry will be spent wisely and will ensure that agriculture is where it should be in the country.

Overall, this year will be an exciting one for all Guyanese, we will all benefit from the budget presented and it will make our lives better.

PARMANAND SINGH- HOD (ag) Modern Foreign Languages Department, Abram Zuil Secondary School Teacher.

Having listened to the 2021 National Budget, I am delighted to have learned that Abram Zuil Secondary will have a new building this year. This new building was a promise made by the previous administration but never materialized.

I am positive that the parents, teachers, students, and all other stakeholders will

MANLEY THOMAS, Aishalton, Region Nine As an Amerindian, I am very grateful that the government has given us a lump sum of money to resuscitate certain projects and rehabilitate projects

SUSAN MOHESE, rice farmer We don’t know what’s the allocation that they are going to give to the regions, but the Agriculture Minister said that he will be doing work on all weather roads. We have 13 dams and we need all weather roads.

A lot of money has been allocat-

TANYA NIAMATALI, meteorologist and resident of New Amsterdam, Berbice What was delivered to the nation yesterday was most definitely expected and, as a young Guyanese, I welcome the budget with open arms.

I am delighted to see that $60 billion will be spent on the education sector, while parallel in the health sector, in my opinion, is definitely important. I am also happy to see that one billion

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26 new COVID-19 cases recorded

AN additional 26 persons have tested positive for COVID-19 for the date February 13, 2021, according to a release from the Ministry of Health on Saturday.

The regional breakdown will show that of these new cases, one was recorded in Region One (Barima-Waini); three were in Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara); 14 in Region Four

(Demerara-Mahaica); two in Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice); another two in Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni), and one in Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni).

No new cases were recorded in Regions Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), Six (East Berbice-Corentyne), Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo), or Region 10 (Upper Demerara- Upper Berbice).

The COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit (ICU) currently has in its care eight persons, while forty persons remain institutionally isolated.

Twenty-eight persons are in institutional quarantine, and another 594 are isolated at home.

All citizens of Guyana are being urged to observe the protocols of the COVID-19 emergency measures, which emphasise the need for correct and consistent use of a face mask when leaving your home, the importance of maintaining the six-foot physical distance from others, and the need for good hand-hygiene to help reduce the spread of COVID-19.

If anyone you know is displaying any of the symptoms associated with COVID-19, or need any additional information, kindly contact the COVID-19 Hotline @ 2311166, 226-7480 or 624-6674 immediately, or visit the Ministry of Health at www. health.gov.gy.

SUNDAY CHRONICLE, February 14, 2021

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE, February 14, 2021

WHAT MINISTER SINGH SAID

BY MICHAEL YOUNGE This year’s National Budget is a whopping $383.1B dollars with “no” new taxes and is being hailed as a “people’s budget with a difference” since it marks only six-months the Peoples Progressive Party/Civic is in the Executive Branch of Government.

The budget, which boasted several hallmark and stellar developmental plans that will benefit the country as a whole, was presented by the Senior Minister of Finance, Dr Ashni Singh, in the National Assembly on Friday during what appears to be a marathon as he gave his groundbreaking speech.

The budget was also presented to the house under the theme “A Path to Recovery, Economic Dynamism and Resilience”.

But it is Dr Singh’s ‘preamble’ (if you can call it that) to the actual presentation of the budget that gave any patriotic, right-thinking and impartial Guyanese the chills or made them feel a sense of joy and awakening as he delivered one of the real visionary speeches of the moment.

In a synopsis, Dr Singh

chronicled our past economic history which could be correlated with the political developments that led to a bankrupt Independent Guyana during the phase 1966 to 1992. He then mentioned 1992 to 2015 which he deemed the period of economic reconstruction and expansionism that marked the reality of ‘the Guyana Dream’ being attainable.

Sadly, according to the Minister, the period right up until his government took office in 2020, Guyana was marked by regressive socioeconomic ideologies and policies that had it on the brink of social and economic rein given the challenges that confronted it in the form of global changes, COVID-19 pandemic , and the political environment.

To drive home the point, Dr Singh said Guyana was “isolated from the rest of the world, condemned as a pariah, and consigned to the dustpile of tinpot dictatorships”.

It is widely believed he was talking about the period when the opposition A Partnership for National Unity and

Alliance for Change were trying to steal the democratic nature of governance from the people.

He then said, “…let us be clear, 2021 will not be an easy year. COVID-19 is still with us, and the need to keep our People safe and to keep the economy alive is still very present. While we have already started administering vaccines, the speed of uptake and the time until herd immunity is achieved are still huge unknowns. Exactly when we will be returning to any semblance of normalcy is therefore far from certain”.

The Minister even suggested that, “…The matter is made worse by the fact that we are confronting these unknowns with limited fiscal resources, given the depletion and plunder of the public treasury over the past five years. But, recover we must, and recover we will”.

Dr Singh did not need to continue, at that point, because he hit the hammer on the nail. How we move forward from this point is very important now more than ever before.

This is why the budget is

Return undervalued lands ...

FROM PAGE

“This was a fact within the peculiar knowledge or ought to have been within the peculiar knowledge of both you and then Commissioner as both of you served on the Board of the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission,” Nandlall wrote in his letter to Brandford.

Further, Benn had obtained two valuations for the said parcels of land; the first valuation was of $60 million, while the second was for $13.5 million; however, he chose the latter as the mutually agreed purchase price.

This “simply aggravated the egregious nature of the misconduct, illegality and conspiracy which permeated this transaction,” Nandlall explained in the letter.

In the letter seen by this publication, Nandlall explained that the evidence on record established that Brandford entered into the aforesaid agreement with full knowledge that the transaction was disadvantageous to the state and beneficial to

Brandford.

“No doubt, it will be easily inferred that you relied upon your relationship with the Commissioner and the position of influence you held on the Board to secure a transaction favourable to you,” Nandlall explained in the letter.

The Attorney General informed Brandford that the issuing of the title to him constitutes a clear and egregious fraud and there is enough evidence to prove so, and to set aside the title on those grounds.

He noted that Brandford will be afforded no protection in these circumstances under the Land Registry Act, Chapter 5:02 and the state is willing to set aside legal proceedings if the lands are relinquished.

“In the interest of avoiding the institution of legal proceedings against you and without prejudice to the claims and remedies of legal proceedings against you, we are prepared to refund an ap-

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propriate sum of the money,” the Attorney General wrote to Brandford.

However, this would be subject to the condition that Brandford relinquishes all his purported rights, title and interests in the said parcels of land over to and in favour of the state.

Brandford was informed to make contact with the Commissioner of the GL&SC within 14 days from the issuance of the letter if he intends to do so.

“If you fail to avail yourself of this offer, civil proceedings will be instituted against you for compensation, cancellation of the Certificate of Title and for possession of the land.

Additionally, the documents will be transmitted to the Guyana Police Force for the commencement of criminal investigations,” Nandlall told Brandford.

so futuristic in scope and outlook to begin with. A careful analysis of this speech makes one cringe when it comes to the depth and width of tackling the challenges that are before us.

The budget is, therefore, a step in the right direction away from the brink of socioeconomic mismanagement and lack of transparency to a more formidable approach of nation-building through private/public partnerships, pri-

vate sector innovation, good governance and inclusivity.

By its remarkable and visionary projects under the housing development, infrastructure, bridges and roads, climate change and the environment, governance and constitutional management, Budget 2021 is just what Guyana [need] to arm itself for a resurgence of the socioeconomic happiness of the people under an Irfaan Ali-Government.

And it takes into consideration the immediate needs of our human resources.

Also, from the budget, folks can expect the zero-rating of VAT on basic food items and household necessities, reduced cost of home ownership, reduced cost of connectivity, reduced cost on hinterland transportation, reduced water tariffs, $2B for capital at GuySuCo, $823M for agro-processing, and $12B in drainage and irrigation works, among others.

Regardless of where you are sitting on the political divide, you would have to agree that Minister Singh and team have done an excellent job with this year’s budget. Now, I look to the opposition to hear their criticisms of just how it could be made better.

After all is said and done, in the words of Minister Singh, “…recover we must, and recover we will”.

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE February 14, 2021

Teams trained to be deployed for effective vaccination programme

By Telesha Ramnarine SOME 35 teams have been trained in all 10 administrative regions of the country to ensure an

effective way of deploying the COVID-19 vaccines, Health Minister, Dr. Frank Anthony said on Saturday.

The individuals on such

teams have been qualified to give information pertaining to the vaccine, do proper registration, counsel people on the vaccine’s side effects, determine whether a person

is eligible for it and then use special techniques to be able to administer it.

The minister was speaking at a virtual COVID-19 vaccine symposium organ-

ised by his Ministry, in collaboration with the Guyana Press Association (GPA), which saw in attendance Chief Medical Officer, Dr Narine Singh; Director of Food and Drug Department, Dr Marlan Cole; Director of Primary Health Care Services, Ertenisa Hamilton and GPA’s President, Nazima Raghubir.

A national COVID-19 vaccination taskforce has been set up and continues to meet regularly, along with a technical working group and a central coordinating mechanism which is led by the section of the Health Ministry that does immunisation.

Dr. Anthony called attention to the fact that Guyana has great experience in immunisation and vaccination as, over the years, the country has worked with 18 different antigens that have produced between 95 and 98 per cent coverage in the target population.

“So we have a lot of trained workforce in every region. All this training has been completed and we are ready to deploy vaccines across the country,” the minister, who spoke favourably regarding the efficiency of the vaccines, said.

According to him, the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) will be helping to clear the vaccines once they arrive at the airports to ensure that they are going to have smooth passage and no delays. The idea is to ensure that the vaccines do not have to remain at the airport unnecessarily so that they can be transported efficiently to the bond where they can be properly stored.

By the end of this month going into early March, Guyana is expected to receive between 25 to 35 per cent of the vaccines that COVAX has promised for this year.

COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access (COVAX) is a global initiative aimed at equitable access to vaccines.

IN TALKS Dr. Anthony further informed that Guyana has been in talks with a number of other agencies to acquire adequate vaccines for the population.

The Chinese Govern-

Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony ment has already promised to donate 20,000 Sinopharm vaccines, and other bilateral arrangements also seem promising to the extent that the minister said he is hoping to make some positive announcements soon. According to him, Guyana has also been working with some of the manufacturers directly.

Dr. Anthony reminded that the 3,000 vaccines which arrived in the country lately were meant strictly for frontline health workers, and he noted that their deployment allowed the authorities to test protocols, which found success. He commended the persons who rolled out the exercise.

He further recapped that after the group of frontline healthcare workers are completed, both in the private and public sectors, the intention is to offer the vaccines to the elderly, other healthcare workers and then to the rest of the population.

According to Director of the Food and Drug Department, Marlan Cole, only the Ministry of Health is authorized at the moment to import and distribute COVID-19 vaccines in Guyana.

Meanwhile, samples suspected to have contained strains of COVID-19 which were sent overseas for testing have come back with negative results, but authorities are still concerned that the Brazilian strain could easily creep into the country due to its close proximity to Region Nine.

All ten samples that were sent to the Trinidad lab about three weeks ago show no signs of the strains here in Guyana so far, and local health experts have said that they are continuing to remain alert and will soon be sending more samples for testing.

Ministry of Health’s Chief Medical Officer told the meeting that the tests for strains are very expensive and can cost anywhere near US$1,000 for one.

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE, February 14, 2021

Talking good ol’ country life with Dr. Susan Farley-Charles ––Veterinarian, Entrepreneur, Dance Instructor

By Jeune Bailey VanKeric BECOMING a Veterinarian was not too farfetched

Agriculture Science at the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examination.

An attempt to complete

Speying the cat: A simple surgery to prevent conception', being undertaken by Dr. Farley-Charles

an accomplishment for her, because as a child, she grew up on a farm at Black Bush Polder, an agricultural community on the Corentyne Coast, where her family planted cashcrops and reared livestock.

“My decision to become a ‘Vet’ was a passion that was ingrained in me,” reminisced Regional Coordinator of the Guyana Livestock Development Authority (GLDA), Dr. Susan Farley-Charles, during an interview with the Guyana Chronicle on Saturday.

With time and the requisite exposure, that passion for caring for sick and stray animals was further developed while a student at the New Amsterdam Multilateral School, where she obtained a double award in

Sixth Form was interrupted, after she was afforded an opportunity to pursue a scholarship at the University of Santa Clara, in Cuba, where she studied from 2002 to 2009.

After graduating, she returned to her homeland, and was able to gain employment with the Ministry of Agriculture, through an arrangement with the Public Service Ministry (PSM), which bonded her to the government for five years.

It was during that period, she recalled, that the GLDA, a semi-autonomous body to which she was seconded, was founded.

Dr. Farley-Charles has been with the agency ever since, serving as a Veterinary Officer in the East Berbice-Corentyne district

of Region Six. Among her responsibilities is to ensure the health of the region’s livestock population, and minimise the transmission of disease from animals to humans and vice versa.

That aside, she is also tasked with the issuance of certification for varying practices, ranging from the hatching of eggs to recording the movement of animals regionally, so as to minimise the spread of diseases.

One of the topics she touched on briefly during our conversation was the predisposition among farmers to use over-the-counter drugs on their animals without knowing the correct diagnosis or dosage. She also spoke of the need for farmers to adapt to simple technology so as to help reduce loss, and thereby boost their profit margin, and to use farrowing crates in the swine industry, in a bid to reduce the risk of the sow lying on or crushing her newborn piglets.

But, it’s not just about livestock for our friendly neighbourhood animal doctor, who somehow manages to find the time to channel some of her inner creativity into entrepreneurship, through the operation of the ‘Glorious Dance Fineries’ store, which caters primarily to those who are into what in the Christian community is known as Dance Ministry.

The store, the only one of its kind in the Ancient County, if not the township of New Amsterdam, is outfitted with every essential apparel for Praise, Worship and Liturgical dance wear, and other associated paraphernalia for persons of all ages.

A devoted Christian, Susan is also very much involved as a dancer in her local church, and the ANBAL Dance Ministries, where many lives have been transformed and delivered.

Currently, the art of dance is being taught by the dance instructor to over 20 young women from within the Berbice County.

For now, Doctor Farley-Charles, a happily

married mother of one, is pursuing her Master’s Degree, the focus of which is quality control and safety measures.

Dr. Susan Farley-Charles checking a heifer to determine whether she is pregnant

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE, February 14, 2021

$1.1B for community enhancement –– $552 million for local government organs SOME $1.1 billion has been allocated for community-enhancement initiatives under the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development (MoLGRD) in the 2021 national budget, while $552 million has been allocated to strengthen local government organs.

Additionally, some $172 million has been provided

for capacity-building, institutional strengthening and infrastructural works for the local government organs, including rehabilitation of the Parika, Charity and Mon Repos markets.

Presenting the $383.1 billion 2021 budget on Friday, Senior Minister in the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh, said that

Funds have been budgeted for the rehabilitation of several markets, including the one at Parika

government is committed to maintaining the legal and regulatory framework for the system of local ad-

ministration through the development of local organs.

“To this end, the Local Democratic Organs will benefit from technical support to perform their constitutional roles and functions, as well as to enhance leadership and capacity development for the provision of quality services in

all the communities across the country,” Dr Singh said.

Guyana’s local government system comprises 70 Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDCs) and 10 municipalities across the country. Dr. Singh said going forward, better management of the sector will prevail.

“Over the past five years, a spate of financial irregularities plagued the local government organs alongside weak oversight and poor management of local government systems.

Our administration will right these wrongs,” he said.

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE, February 14, 2021

$5.1 billion budgeted to strengthen sea, river defences AS Guyana continues to face threats of global warming and rising sea levels, the government has allocated a total of $5.1 billion to further strengthen the country’s sea and river defence infrastructure.

“Earmarked for this year is the construction, rehabilitation and maintenance of sea and river defence infrastructure in areas including Dantzig, Prospect, Content, Fairfield, Zealand, Cane Garden, Uitvlugt, Anna Catherina, No. 63 Beach, Manila, and Bygeval,” said Dr. Ashni Singh, Senior Minister in the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance.

During his presentation of the National 2021 Budget, Dr. Singh said the consequences of climate change, “including rising sea levels, on Guyana’s sea and river defence infrastructure can have devastating impact on Guyana’s economy since most of its inhabitants are on the low- lying coastal plain”.

The minister made specific reference to the fragility of the Dantzig, Mahaicony sea defences, which recently suffered a massive breach that devastated residents, particularly the farming community, which suffered loss to property, livestock and farming activities.

“Mr. Speaker, government continues to keep close monitoring of our shore line, by reactivating the sea defence rangers, applying drone technology to monitor shore line movement and the erosion and accretion cycle, intensifying routine maintenance, and deploying stockpiles of armour rocks to strategic locations, to ensure that quick response mechanisms are in place to avert breaches,” Singh indicated.

Additionally, a sum of $50 million has been budgeted to construct geotextile rubble groynes, and to conduct topographic surveys.

“Mr. Speaker, as we continue to make strident steps to protect our vulnerable shoreline, we have found that existing conventional hard-infrastructure solutions

are expensive and are not adaptable to rising sea levels and climate change vulnerabilities,” Dr. Singh said.

He added: “It is for this reason that we intend to promote natural interventions in the form of groynes and restored mangrove forests from replanting and natural regeneration, to complement our significant investment in hard-structures.” $310 MILLION FOR RIVER TRANSPORT The government has allocated an amount of $310 million to facilitate the upgrading and rehabilitation of various stellings throughout the country, including the one at Wakenaam and Fort Island.

“Under the previous administration, residents and commuters travelling to and from the North West District were deprived the benefit of a modern ferry service, even though funding for the acquisition of the vessel had been secured,” the Finance Minister said.

He indicated that since taking office, this government has inked a $2.6 billion contract to construct an ocean-going passenger and cargo vessel to ply the North West District route to bring relief to struggling commuters. Additionally, under the same project, funds have been allocated to rehabilitate the Morawhanna, Kumaka, and Port Kaituma stellings.

“Additionally, $1.2 billion has been budgeted to facilitate the implementation of this project. A further $500 million has been allocated to rehabilitate the M.V. Malali, M.V. Makouria and M.V. Kimbia,” Dr. Singh told the National Assembly.

He said a critical aspect of the country’s transport infrastructure going forward is the development of a deep water harbour, which will provide an essential transit point for international cargo once the Corentyne River Bridge and the road to Brazil are complete.

Section of the reinforced earthen embankment in Mahaicony (DPI photo)

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE, February 14, 2021

E-Networks welcomes removal of VAT on residential, individual data E-NETWORKS, a 100 per cent Guyanese-owned and managed telecoms provider, on Friday lauded the government for removing the Value Added Tax (VAT) from residential and individual data services.

In fulfilling a manifesto promise, the government has introduced this initiative at a crucial time when the demand for quality Internet services is driven by the pandemic-related shift to virtual work, education, and entertainment.

This move, according to E-Networks, will reduce the overall cost of these services and will provide much-needed cost savings to Guyanese.

This measure, which quickly follows the swift liberalisation of the telecoms sector last year, also strongly signals the government’s support of the sector’s growth and development.

Over the past year, COVID-19 has highlighted the need for Internet services to be affordable, as well as fast, reliable and of sufficient quality to support on-line learning, collaboration and video services.

These bandwidth-intensive applications have become essential to those working and learning from home. Its affordability is a key concern, especially for

many Guyanese who have been financially impacted by the pandemic.

E-Networks has sought to address these “pain points” by introducing the best-value Internet services on the market to home users. The company offers the fastest Internet services in Guyana at the lowest prices.

In appreciation for this measure that will enhance these services affordability, E-Networks also expressed its commitment to continue leading the transformation of Guyana’s ICT sector through innovation. During its 17year existence, the company has significantly contributed to the industry’s progression by introducing many new technologies.

More recently, E-Networks has been leading the transformation of Guyana’s Internet sector through its Xlink international cable and 5G network, which have allowed the company to offer increased bandwidths at lower prices. E-Networks is focused on bringing to Guyana the latest advancements in the global sector, such as cloud services and expanding its 5G network, so that Guyanese benefit from its transformational power.

Bandits rob patrons at “Anytime Guinness Bar”

The spent shell retrieved by police

SEVEN persons were on Friday robbed of cash and other valuables by two armed bandits around 22:00hrs at the “Anytime Guinness Bar,” La Union, West Coast Demerara (WCD).

Reports indicate that the victims were at the bar imbibing when the two suspects, one armed with a gun and the other with a cutlass, walked in and held the group at gunpoint.

The suspect with the firearm stood guard while his accomplice relieved the victims of their belongings.

The gunman then discharged a round in the air before the duo ran into the Crane Old Road and escaped.

The matter was subsequently reported to the police, who retrieved a suspected spent shell at the scene as investigations continue.

SUNDAY CHRONICLE, February 14, 2021

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E-Networks receives “Large Business of the Year” award –– expresses commitment to local content development

E-Networks' Marketing Coordinator, Ashley John, receives the award from President of GCCI, Nicholas Boyer

E-NETWORKS INC., Guyana’s only local Internet and TV services provider, has expressed appreciation to the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) for naming the company as its 2020 “Large Business of the Year”.

The GCCI, at its 131st annual awards programme, held on January 28, 2021, honoured organisations and individuals who have achieved a standard of excellence in the business community through their abilities, efforts, and initiatives.

GCCI’s recognition of E-Networks closed off a notable year for the company, which celebrated several milestones, such as landing its own, and Guyana’s first indigenous, international fiber-optic cable, Xlink, and introducing Guyana’s first 5G network.

This network was launched within a few months of the cable’s landing, at the start of the pandemic, and enabled the company to expand access to improved and more affordable Internet services.

E-Networks also dramatically raised the bar for business users, providing 20 times the speed of the other services in the market. That enhanced business productiv-

ity through newfound access to cloud-based and other bandwidth intensive applications that were previously not feasible due to poor business Internet options.

“We are honoured that GCCI selected E-Networks for this top award. We would especially like to thank the Executive Management Committee, headed by President, Nicholas Boyer; Senior VP, Timothy Tucker; Junior VP, Anjie Lambert; and Executives, Kester Hutson and Shaleeza Shaw. The GCCI’s commitment to the development of local content in Guyana’s post-oil discovery era aligns with our company’s pursuit of changing Guyana’s ICT landscape through innovation and local skills enhancement. We similarly believe, as a 100 per cent Guyanese-owned, managed, and staffed company, that Guyana’s development is rooted in the progression of its technologies, capacities, and workforce,” E-Networks Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Vishok Persaud said.

E-Networks further expressed its pledge to the advancement of Guyana’s ICT sector through the continued deployments of cutting-edge technologies to the benefit of its Guyanese customers and employees.

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE February 14, 2021

President Ali announces Republic Unity Cup

COMMUNITIES along the East Coast of Demerara will take part in the Republic Unity Cup, where they will battle for trophies and an enhancement project for their community.

The Unity Cup was announced yesterday by Guyana’s President, Dr Irfaan Ali, during his visit to several communities along the East Coast of Demerara.

The event, which is still in its planning stages, will have to get the necessary approval from the COVID-19 Task Force.

The communities which were visited by the President will compete in the initial competition. These include Lusignan, Buxton, Enterprise and Golden Grove.

The idea behind the Unity Cup is to foster cohesion and create a conducive environment for growth and development.

The President said that sport is a vehicle to achieve this, calling it a unifying medium.

According to information from the Government, the communities will first battle in a cricket competition, before they later compete in football and volleyball.

The President said that the teams will battle for more than trophies and indicated

that the winning side will be given the opportunity to benefit from community development projects.

“So you are playing for your community.”

That unification will also be met through a pilot programme referred to as a Corridor of Unity and Oneness.

The President pointed out that the programme will give meaning to the message of oneness and reminded the residents of his address in Parliament on Thursday about his Government’s intention to unify the country.

He noted that the aim is to spread the programme through all parts of Guyana to “build a future that is sustained on unity and respect for all.”

During the visits to the four communities, the President and his team, which included Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Charles Ramson Jr, distributed sporting gear to clubs within the communities.

Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall; Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Hugh Todd and the Minister within the Ministry of Housing and Water, Susan Rodrigues, were also a part of the team.

Windies stretch lead ...

leg slip running around from first slip.

Three balls later in the same over with no run added at 281 for eight, Cornwall claimed his five-wicket haul when he got Nayeem to edge high to Blackwood at first slip without scoring, one delivery after the Jamaican had grassed

TURN FROM BACK PAGE

a low catch off the same batsman.

Gabriel got a deserved third wicket in the next over when Mehidy drove low to Brathwate at cover and Joseph ended the innings when last man Abu Jayed (1) fended a length ball to Bonner at gully.

SCOREBOARD WEST INDIES 1st innings 409 BANGLADESH 1st innings (overnight 105 for four) Tamim Iqbal c Moseley b Joseph 44 Soumya Sarkar c Mayers b Gabriel 0 Najmul Hossain c Bonner b Gabriel 4 Mominul Haque c wkp. Da Silva b Cornwall 21 Mushfiqur Rahim c Mayers b Cornwall 54 Mohammad Mithun c Brathwaite b Cornwall 15 Liton Das c Blackwood b Cornwall 71 Mehidy Hasan Miraz c Brathwaite b Gabriel 57 Nayeem Hasan c Blackwood b Cornwall 0 Taijul Islam not out 13 Abu Jayed c Bonner b Joseph 1 EXTRAS: (b-5, w-1, nb-10) 16 TOTAL: (all out, 96.5 overs) 296 Fall of wickets: 1-1), 2-11, 3-69), 4-71), 6-155, 7-281, 8-281, 9-283 Bowling: Gabriel 21-3-70-3 (nb-7), Cornwall 32-8-74-5, Joseph 17.5-3-60-2 (w-1), Mayers 8-2-15-0, Warrican 13-2-48-0 (nb-3), Brathwaite 2-0-7-0.

WEST INDIES 2nd innings K. Brathwaite c wkp. Liton Das b Nayeem Hasan 6 J. Campbell b Taijul Islam 18 S. Moseley c Mohammad Mithun b Mehidy Hasan Miraz 7 N. Bonner not out 8 Jomel Warrican not out 2 TOTAL: (3 wkts, 21 overs) 41 Fall of wickets: 1-11, 2-20, 3-39 Bowling: Taijul Islam 7-2-13-1, Nayeem Islam 10-3-141, Mehidy Hasan Miraz 4-0-14-1.

Position: West Indies lead by 154 runs with seven second innings wickets intact.

35

SUNDAY CHRONICLE February 14, 2021

Sharma’s 161 puts India on top in Chennai ENGLAND were given a stark reminder of the challenge of touring India

by Rohit Sharma’s classy 161 on day one of the second Test.

Opener Rohit displayed some sparkling strokeplay to help the hosts to 300-6 on an absorbing, entertaining and occasionally bizarre day in Chennai.

After a magnificent victory in the first Test, England suffered the disadvantage of losing the toss and are in line to bat last on a dusty pitch already showing sharp turn and some uneven bounce.

Impressive pace bowler Olly Stone had Shubnam Gill lbw with the ninth ball of the day and India were 86-3 when Moeen Ali bowled a stunned Virat Kohli for a duck.

But Rohit was joined

by Ajinkya Rahane, who made a solid 67, for a stand of 162 that was ended when Rohit top-edged spinner Jack Leach to deep square leg.

That sparked a fightback that England’s perseverance deserved - the tourists took three wickets for 36 runs in the final session.

However, at some point they will be faced with the task of batting themselves into this match against a trio of India spinners that will be afforded plenty of assistance.

FORTUNES FLUCTUATE ON THRILLING DAY England were almost faultless in their 227-run win on the same ground in the first Test, but would have been well aware that things were unlikely to have

remained straightforward for the rest of the four-Test series.

With conditions and the toss in India’s favour, the hosts were also buoyed by a crowd officially given as 9 000, the first time the England men’s team have played an international in front of spectators in almost a year.

Rohit Sharma’s seven Test centuries have all come on Indian soil

Pretorius’ record five-for helps South Africa draw level FAST bowler Dwaine Pretorius recorded the best figures for South Africa in the shortest format to help his team beat Pakistan by six wickets in the second Twenty20 international in Lahore yesterday.

The 31-year-old grabbed 5-17 to keep Pakistan down to 144-7 in 20 overs before Pite van Biljon (42) and Reeza Hendricks (42) took South Africa past the modest target in 16.2 overs.

Afridi gave his team an ideal start by dismissing Janneman Malan with the second ball of the innings and Jon-Jon Smuts in the following over, finishing with 2-18 in three overs.

But Hendricks and Biljon punished some erratic bowling during their 77run third-wicket stand before both fell in successive overs.

Hendricks, who hit three sixes and as many boundaries in his 30-ball

Dwaine Pretorius trapped Babar Azam lbw in his first over (AFP)

It was a canny performance by Pretorius who marginally improved on the previous best figures by a South African, 5-19 by medium pacer Ryan McLaren against the West Indies at North Sound in 2010.

Mohammad Rizwan top-scored for Pakistan with a 41-ball 51 laced with six boundaries and a six while Faheem Ashraf hit two boundaries and as many sixes in his 12-ball 30 not out.

P a k i s t a n ’s l a n k y paceman Shaheen Shah

knock, was finally caught off leg-spinner Usman Qadir, in the 12th over.

Biljon hit two sixes and three boundaries off 32 balls before he returned a gentle leading edge back to left-arm spinner Mohammad Nawaz.

David Miller (25 not out) and skipper Heinrich Klaasen (17 not out) added 40 in an unbroken fifth-wicket stand to see their team across the line.

“I am happy that I have contributed to the victory,” said Pretorius.

“We had a plan in bowl-

Those in attendance were treated to a masterclass from Rohit, yet perhaps the most memorable moment came when Kohli was bowled by Moeen’s classical off-break.

Driving loosely out of the rough at his fifth ball, Kohli was beaten through the gate and stood bewildered as England cele-

ing and we executed well for this nice win.”

The series decider will also be in Lahore today.

“It will be a big night on Sunday and I hope that we can pull off a series win,” said Klaasen.

Pakistan were once again lifted by Rizwan who followed his 89 against New Zealand in December and 104 not out in the first match with another superb knock.

After losing the toss, Pakistan skipper Babar Azam opened the batting but was soon on his way back to the pavilion as Pretorius trapped him leg-before in the second over.

At 48-6, the home side were struggling but Rizwan, who became only the fifth Pakistani batsman to score three consecutive T20I fifties, added 45 for the fourth wicket with Iftikhar Ahmed who made 20.

Mohammad Hafeez (twice), Shahid Afridi, Umar Akmal and Azam have previously hit three fifties in successive T20I matches.

Rizwan finally departed for 51, holing out to Andile Phehlukwayo after falling for a Pretorius slower ball.

Pretorius also removed Iftikhar and Khushdil Shah for 15 before yorking Nawaz for a second-ball duck, as he took more than one wicket for the first time in his 13-match T20 international career. (AFP)

brated, only departing after replays confirmed the ball had taken the off-bail.

With England on top, Rohit and Rahane wrested control and, even after they were dismissed, there was still time for Rishabh Pant to attack the England

bowling.

Pant overturned being given caught behind off Joe Root on 22 and his continued presence - he is unbeaten on 33 - is a severe danger to England on the second morning.

(BBC Sport)

SCOREBOARD INDIA 1st innings Rohit Sharma c Moeen Ali b Leach 161 Shubman Gill lbw Olly Stone 0 Cheteshwar Pujara c Stokes b Leach 21 Virat Kohli b Moeen Ali 0 Ajinkya Rahane b Moeen Ali 67 Rishabh Pant not out 33 Ravichandran Ashwin c Ollie Pope b Root 13 Axar Patel not out 5 EXTRAS:

0 TOTAL: (six wkts, 88.0 overs) 300 Fall of wickets: 1-0 2-85, 3-86, 4-248, 5-249, 6-284.

Bowling: Stuart Broad 11-2-37-0, Olly Stone 15-5-42-1, Jack Leach 26-2-78 -2, Ben Stokes 2-0-16-0, Moeen Ali 26-3-112-2, Joe Root 8-2-5-1.

36

SUNDAY CHRONICLE February 14, 2021

DEBUT DOUBLES…

By Edwin Seeraj

KYLE Mayers’ incredible double-century which propelled the West Indies to a stunning victory over Bangladesh in Chattogram last Sunday in the first Test of the current two-match series has invoked memories of the handful of instances when debutants excelled with a double-ton on debut.

Among the many entries engraved in the record books when the dust settled at the end of Mayers’ unbeaten 210 and becoming only the sixth player to compile a double on debut; only the sixth batsman to score a double-hundred in the fourth innings of a Test; just the second player to hit a double-century in the fourth innings of a Test in a winning cause; and registering the highest score by a debutant in the fourth innings of a Test match.

Today we take a look at the first five players who ‘Doubled-Up’.

A BATSMAN’S DREAM-A DEBUT DOUBLE Whenever the glori ous game of cricket is being played, particularly on the playfields of the twelve Test-playing nations, there is no doubt that numerous lads have dreamt of representing their countries at the highest level and excelling on their Test debut.

In 143 years of Test cricket, and with more than 2 400 Test matches played to date involving over 3 000 players, the world has seen and read about, those who had disastrous debuts, decent debuts and distinguished debuts.

Today’s column seeks to feature the five other men who stood tall in their first

Test by fashioning double tons.

The first to do so was the Englishman Reginald Erskine ‘Tip’ Foster against the Australians in the Sydney Test of the 1903-04 series. The polished right-hander, batting at five in the order, compiled a carefully crafted 287 before he was last man out having put on 192 with Len Braund for the fifth wicket and 130 for the tenth with the legendary Wilfred Rhodes.

His innings spanned seven hours and was spiced with 37 fours. One hundred and twelve years after it still remains the highest individual score by a player on debut and the best by an Englishman in Australia.

Foster entered his maiden Test, at age 27, with creditable credentials having played for Worcestershire with a fair degree of success.

However, it was at Oxford University that he made his early mark registering a high-quality 171 against Cambridge in 1900 and following up a few days later with twin hundreds (102 not out and 136) for Gentlemen against Players, at Lord’s.

With such a fantastic debut and being captain against South Africa in 1907 one would have thought that Foster would have played more than the miserly eight Tests that made up his career. A combination of business commitments and illness was responsible for his few appearances and he died in 1914 at age 37.

He was also a brilliant footballer, representing his country at the top level on six occasions, and still remains the only man to captain England in both Test cricket and football.

The world then had to wait for almost 70 years

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TODAY’S QUIZ:

(1) Which two of these teams BANG have never defeated in a Test: India, Australia, Sri Lanka, England, New Zealand (2) Who is the first batsman to register a double-century on his Test debut?

ANSWERS ANSWER S IN TOMORROW’S ISSUE

to witness another double-century on debut. The player, right-handed like Foster and an exquisite timer of the ball with shots all around the wicket was the West Indian Lawrence George Rowe.

Just prior to making his debut on his home ground, Sabina Park in Jamaica, against New Zealand in 1972, Rowe eased to a big hundred against Guyana in the Regional Shell Shield tournament and a classical 227 for his native Jamaica against the tourists at the scheduled First Test venue. Rich in form, the 23-year-old who had taken the place of batting ace Rohan Kanhai in the side was ready to show off his craft.

undoubtedly the best of all, a supremely sublime and flawless triple-hundred against England in Barbados in 1974.

He also stroked an impeccable 175 for West Indies against Australia in Kerry Packer’s World Series cricket in 1979-80 but was omitted from the official West Indies squad to England for the 1980 summer tour due to injury.

Disillusioned that he was finding it difficult to force his way back into the team, Rowe turned his back on official West Indies cricket and led a ‘rebel’ team to South Africa, thus incurring the wrath of the region, especially his fellow Jamaicans who were in the

cord-holder only played three additional matches in his career - one against the Australians later in 1987 and two others against England in 1988 and 1991.

On a lighter note, Kuruppu (as batsman and wicketkeeper) on debut had the pads on for the duration of the match.

New Zealand, on the receiving end twice, turned the tables some twelve years later when, ironically, against the West Indies Matthew Sinclair duplicated Rowe’s effort (27 years earlier) when he stroked exactly 214 in his first Test at Wellington in 1999.

Brimful of confidence and batting at the pivotal number three position, he

He entered the fray on the first day when the opener Joey Carew was dismissed at 78 and he proceeded to compile a huge second-wicket stand of 269 runs with the late Roy Fredericks whom he partnered to his own maiden Test century (163).

Rowe recorded a rich, cultured 214 in 427 minutes caressing the ball 19 times to the fence in front of ecstatic spectators. He had beaten the record of the highest score by a West Indian on debut set by his fellow Jamaican, the batting maestro of the 1930s, the late George ‘Atlas’ Headley who had made 176 against the English in Barbados in 1930.

It is unfortunate that injury, illness and loss of form curtailed Rowe’s career and he ended up playing only 30 Test matches in eight years. He was good enough to reach three figures on seven occasions including a fighting hundred against the rampant Australians at Brisbane in 1975-76 and

forefront of the apartheid struggle.

Fifteen years later, the venue switched to Colombo in Sri Lanka when the home team took on the New Zealanders. Brendon Kuruppu became the first opener and wicketkeeper to make a double hundred in his first Test – a record he still has intact - even if it were a painstaking effort.

He opened the batting with the seasoned Roshan Mahanama and by the time the innings was closed at 397 for nine wickets declared, he had batted for a marathon 777 minutes (just under 13 hours), faced a whopping 548 deliveries and reached the boundary 24 times for an unbeaten 201- the slowest double hundred in first-class cricket. However, in fairness to Kuruppu, it was his maiden first-class century and he held the innings together as Ranjan Mudugalle’s 60 was the next best score.

Astonishingly, the re-

blossomed after a tentative start to dominate the innings. By the time he was bowled by pacer Reon King his team had taken a stranglehold on the game and were well on their way to completing an emphatic innings victory.

He was born in Australia but his mother moved to New Zealand after his father was killed in a car crash when he was only five. He possessed the fight and determination of the average Australian and in his first twelve Tests he recorded three centuries including two double tons as he averaged a commendable 52.55 runs per innings.

A sudden loss in form and confidence resulted in his inability to command a regular place in the team and his last 21 Tests produced a top-score of 76 and a paltry average of 20.87 each time be batted. Hia final game was in March 2010.

The fifth ‘doubler’ performed the feat for South

Africa when they met Bangladesh at Chittagong in 200304.

Jacques Rudolph, batting at number three, shared a staggering 429-run partnership with Boeta Dippenaar (177 not out) taking the score from the insecurity of 41 for two to 470 for two wickets declared. The classy left-hander carved a superb, unbeaten 222 against the hapless Bangladeshi attack giving him great satisfaction over two incidents that caused him not to debut twice just a few months earlier.

In the early part of 2003 he debuted in what turned out to be an ‘Unofficial Test’ when South Africa and India met at Centurion Park at the height of the ‘Mike Denness Affair’.

Denness, as Match Referee, had reprimanded several Indian players in the previous Test and the Indian authorities had requested of the International Cricket Council (ICC) that he be replaced for the Centurion game. When the ICC stood its ground the game went on but without Denness and it was subsequently relegated to unofficial status.

Two months later, Rudolph was named in the team to face Australia at Sydney but the-then United Cricket Board (UCB) president, the late Percy Sonn, vetoed his selection on the grounds of racial discrimination based on South Africa’s quota system. He had to make way for Justin Ontong to play his first Test. For Rudolph the wait was not in vain.

After 35 Tests with five centuries and being in and out of the South African team, he opted to move to Yorkshire in January 2007 on a threeyear Kolpak deal in order to develop his game. He then extended his contract to 2011 and there was talk about him turning out for England.

However, he returned home and dominated the domestic competitions earning himself a recall to national colours in the process.

He contested an additional 13 Tests and produced another hundred but when the Australians gave him a torrid time in 2012 he was omitted for good.

Now 18 years later, West Indian Kyle Mayers is number six!

37

SUNDAY CHRONICLE February 14, 2021

Trophy Stall on board inaugural Mash Republic 10/10 Softball Cup Cup Masters T20 cricket tournament set for Canje on February 23 THE Jai Hind Cricket Club of Albion, Corentyne, Berbice, launches its inaugural Mash Cup Masters T20 Cricket Tournament to be played on February 23, 2021.

The tournament will involve four Masters teams namely the hosts Jai Hind Jaguars, West Berbice Masters, West Demerara Masters and Strathavon Masters.

The teams will compete for a first prize of $100 000, runners-up $25 000, along with trophies for the winners, runners-up and manof-the-match in the final.

Proceeds from the event will go towards further development of the venue. The government recently handed over floodlights for the ground and funds to assist in the construction of fences.

At a simple ceremony held recently, trophies were donated for the event by Trophy Stall, Port Mourant Branch.

Handing-over the trophies on behalf of the sponsor, Chitra Bedessie, the Branch Manager, said that

her company is proud to be part of such an event and will continue to support the club in the future. “Trophy Stall plays an important part in the development of sports

in Guyana,” she added.

In response, Rajin Moosammy, captain of Jai Hind Cricket Club thanked the sponsor for coming on board without hesitation

and promised to make the tournament an annual one.

He also mentioned that it will be well organised and mileage will be given to all the sponsors.

Rajin Moonsammy (at right) receives the trophies from Chitra Bedessie in the presence of former national cricketer Michael Chinsammy

Davis leads Los Angeles Lakers to seventh straight win over Memphis Grizzlies THE Los Angeles Lakers recovered from an early 20-point deficit on Friday to beat the Memphis Grizzlies 115-105 and secure their seventh straight win.

Anthony Davis returned from two games out with Achilles soreness to score 35 points as Lakers improved to 21-6.

LeBron James had 28 points for Lakers, who have the second-best record in the NBA behind Utah Jazz (21-5).

Four Jazz players scored at least 25 points as they beat Milwaukee Bucks 129-115 for their sixth straight win.

Two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo had a gamehigh 29 points in defeat for Bucks, who slipped to a 1610 record.

143-130.

Kristaps Porzingis added 36 points as Mavericks (13-14) claimed their fourth straight win while Zion Williamson, the 2019 number one draft pick, scored a career-high 36 for Pelicans.

DONCIC CLAIMS CAREER-HIGH TALLY Slovenia’s Luka Doncic, 21, scored a career-high 46 points as Dallas Mavericks beat New Orleans Pelicans

Elsewhere on Friday, Terry Rozier scored 41 points and made two crucial late-game three-pointers as Charlotte Hornets won 120-114 at Minnesota Tim-

berwolves.

Nikola Vucevic hit six three-pointers en route to scoring 42 points as Orlando Magic won 123-112 at Sacramento Kings, while rookie reserve Saddiq Bey scored a career-high 30

125-106 victory at Chicago Bulls and San Antonio Spurs led by as many as 42 en route to winning 125-114 at Atlanta Hawks.

Portland Trail Blazers won 129-110 against Cleveland Cavaliers, while

AFTER almost one year, due to COVID-19, softball players will have the opportunity to get back onto the cricket field to play competitive cricket and to showcase their talents in the game.

WeCare Community Services will team up with Grill Master Softball team in holding the 1st Republic 10/10 Softball Cricket Cup, which is set for Tuesday, February 23 2020 from 09:00hrs at the Canje Welfare Ground.

According to the organisers, the one-day softball competition will be played on a one-game, knock-out basis and will feature a limited number of teams, while strict COVID-19 measures will be in place.

The one-day competition will see cash and trophies being awarded to the winners, runners-up, man-of-the-series, best bowler and batsman in an innings, man-of-the-final and most sixes hit in the final.

Already on board for the competition are Modern Optical Service, GAICO Construction and Grill Master Catering Service.

The organisers are asking interested teams to contact Mr Roy Jafarally on 654-8187 for registration.

Registration for teams closes on Friday February 19, 2020 at 16:00hrs. The selection of teams will be done on a first-come basis.

Japan activist welcomes Olympic chief resignation, but says sexism much wider

By Rikako Maruyama

TOKYO (Reuters) - The resignation of Tokyo 2020 Olympics chief Yoshiro Mori will not by itself solve the problems of sexism in Japanese society, according to one of the student activists behind a petition that had called for him to quit over remarks he made about women.

Tokyo 2020 Olympics chief Yoshiro Mori resignrd on Friday

Luka Doncic was picked third in the 2018 draft

points as Detroit Pistons held off Boston Celtics 108102.

Kawhi Leonard scored 33 points as Los Angeles Clippers cruised to a

New York Knicks beat Washington Wizards 10991 and Denver Nuggets triumphed 97-95 against Oklahoma City Thunder.

(BBC Sport)

Mori, an 83-year-old former prime minister, resigned on Friday after sparking an outcry this month when he told an Olympic committee meeting that women talked too much.

He had initially refused to step down.

“If this finishes with the resignation, it will be perceived as only a Mori problem,” said Momoko Nojo, who with others organised an online petition that was signed by more than 147,000 people.

“I think it’s a problem with the people in the or-

ganising committee ... who laughed when he made the comment, and the people who overlooked it. I believe the problem will not be solved unless the nature of the organisation changes.”

Mori had been quoted as telling a meeting that “if we increase the number of female board members, we have to make sure their speaking time is restricted somewhat, they have difficulty finishing, which is annoying”.

On Friday, he apologised for his “inappropriate comments”, though he said he felt he had been misinterpreted by the media and was not prejudiced against women.

The Japanese Olympic Committee board has 25 members, of whom five are women. According to the committee’s governance code, established in 2019, it should be aiming to make sure that 40% seats on the board are filled by women.

Nojo, who leads a group called “No Youth, No Japan”, said the organisation needed to do more to meet that goal.

But she said the problem of sexism was far wider in Japan, which persistently trails its peers in international surveys in promoting gender equality.

“There are still a lot of discriminatory and prejudiced comments being made in organisations all over Japan,” she told Reuters TV. “And there are still a lot of people who cannot say ‘no’ to them.”

38

SUNDAY CHRONICLE February 14, 2021

Nadal eases past Norrie into last-16 of Australian Open

MELBOURNE, Australia (Reuters) - Second seed Rafael Nadal overcame some stiff early resistance from Britain’s Cameron Norrie before easing into the fourth round of the Australian Open with a 7-5, 6-2, 7-5 victory yesterday.

After being heckled by a loud-mouthed fan in his previous round win against Michael Mmoh, Nadal enjoyed an incident-free evening in an empty Rod Laver Arena to reach the round of 16 at a Grand Slam for the 49th time in his career.

The 34-year-old Nadal, bidding to claim a record 21st Grand Slam title, will face Italian Fabio Fognini next.

Nadal won the opening six points, but 69th-ranked Norrie was not intimidated in his first meeting with the Spaniard and claimed the first break of the match to

South Africa Racing Tips

lead 3-2.

He was immediately broken to love though and folded at 5-6 to drop serve again and hand Nadal the first set in 48 minutes.

Thereafter it was a routine day at the office for Na-

dal, who dominated without ever needing to find top gear, showing no sign of the lower back injury that dogged him in the warmup.

“All the matches are tough; he came here winning a couple of very good

Rafael Nadal will face Italian Fabio Fognini next

matches. I didn’t convert the opportunities I had early in each set so the situation became a bit more difficult,” Nadal, who is yet to drop a set, said.

“I’m happy, I had a few good feelings, of course I have to keep improving and tomorrow is another day to practise but into the second week and that’s the main thing for me.”

Nadal’s only title in Melbourne was in 2009 but with eight-time champion Nova Djokovic suffering an injury in his third-round win over Taylor Fritz the Mallorcan might not ever have a better chance to double his tally.

He was not at his dazzling best against Norrie in an eerily flat atmosphere, a result of Melbourne’s five-day COVID lockdown forcing organisers to close the doors to fans.

Messi scores twice as Barcelona extend run

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THE final of the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) Inter-county Under-19 One Day tournament is billed for today between Demerara and Berbice at the LBI ground from 09:30hrs.

Both teams recorded contrasting wins over Essequibo, and are full of confidence, so there are no clear favourites.

Speaking with Demerara captain on the eve of the game, Andre Samaroo expressed confidence of winning the title.

“Samaroo said while the team is excited, they are also focussed on the job at hand. “We are really looking for the challenge … we know it will be no easy game, so we are focussed on winning,” he said.

Meanwhile, coach of the Berbice unit, Winston Smith, said once his team execute their plans, there is no reason why they cannot come out victorious.

“The team that play the most consistent cricket on the day always win, so we have to look at being consistent,” Smith expressed Squads: Demerara: Andre Samaroo (capt.), Nicholas Rajpat, Chaitram Balgobin, Michael Pooran, Mathew Nandu, Ushardeva Balgobin, Sachin Singh, Mavendra Dindyal, Andre Seepersaud, Dwain Dick, Shamar Yearwood, Ariel Tilku, Bryon Bowen, Alvin Mohabir and Zachory Johad.

The standbys are Rudranauth Kission, Marlon Boele, Jaden Campbell, Trevon Charles, Rashid Benjamine and Jeffrey Blairs.

Berbice: Isiah Thorne, Rampertab Ramnauth, Ricardo Ramdehol, Seon Glasgow (vice-captain), Marvon Prashad, Shamar Angel, Jonathan Rampersaud, Tyrese Sealey, Chanderpaul Govindhan, Nigel Deodat, Gourav Ramesh, Doorsammy Mahadeo, Aaron Beharry, Gevon Shultz (captain) and Leon Swammy. The Berbice standbys are: Collis Noble, Jeremy Sandia, Reyad Karim, Sarwan Chaitnarine, Zeynul Ramsammy, Tomani Caesar, and Abdul Ramsammy.

Leicester City come from behind to beat Liverpool 3-1

08:15 hrs Flying Pekan

09:40 hrs Solwara One

Demerara, Berbice clash today in Inter-county U-19 final at LBI

Lionel Messi has scored four goals against Alaves from outside the box since their promotion in 2016-17

LIONEL Messi has scored four goals against Alaves from outside the box since their promotion in 201617 Lionel Messi and Francisco Trincao scored twice as Barcelona beat Alaves for a seventh consecutive La Liga win.

Trincao opened the scoring from a pass by Ilaix Moriba - both players were making their first La Liga starts - and Messi doubled the lead via the inside of the

post from outside the box.

Luis Rioja gave struggling Alaves hope.

Trincao scored again after Messi’s shot was saved and then the Argentine netted an excellent 25yard strike before Junior Firpo’s close-range fifth.

Messi and Trincao’s doubles both came on landmarks days.

Messi, 33, was making his 505th La Liga appearance, equalling Xavi’s club record. Trincao, 21, was

making the first La Liga start of his career - although he has been a regular off the bench and in cups this season.

Both players had goals disallowed for offside, with Messi’s ruled out by the video assistant referee for an exceptionally close call on Antoine Griezmann.

Barcelona move up to second with the victory, albeit eight points behind leaders Atletico Madrid.

(BBC Sport)

LEICESTER City staged an astonishing late comeback to beat Liverpool as the Premier League champions collapsed and paid the price for another defensive calamity involving keeper Alisson.

Liverpool looked to be cementing their top-four aspirations when Mohamed Salah put them ahead after 67 minutes with a clever finish after a piece of individual brilliance in the penalty area

by Roberto Firmino.

Leicester - who were not at their best even though Jamie Vardy missed two glorious first-half chances - suddenly bounced off the canvas to sink the champions with three goals in a chaotic seven-minute period.

The Foxes saw a 78th-minute penalty award ruled out by the video assistant referee (VAR) and even though James Maddison’s resulting free-kick found its way into the net past Alisson it was initially

ruled out for an offside against Daniel Amartey before being given after a VAR check.

Leicester’s second, three minutes later, was another horror show for Liverpool keeper Alisson, whose poor clearances contributed to two goals in Manchester City’s win at Anfield last Sunday. This time the Brazilian recklessly dashed out to clear Youri Tielemans’ long ball, only to farcically crash into debutant defender Ozan Kabak, leaving Vardy to run the ball into an empty net.

And Brendan Rodgers watched the Foxes rub salt in his former side’s wounds as Harvey Barnes applied a composed finish to Wilfred Ndidi’s pass with five minutes left.

Leicester go second while Liverpool’s third successive league defeat means their place in the top four looks in peril.

(BBC Sport)

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE February 14, 2021

Chattogram victory one of the greatest ever: Sir Clive BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, (CMC) – One of Test cricket’s greatest ever captains, Sir Clive Lloyd, has described West Indies’ victory over Bangladesh in Chattogram last week as one of Test cricket’s greatest ever results.

A weakened XI, featuring three debutants after several first choice players opting out of the two-match tour, stunned Bangladesh by three wickets on the final day after chasing down an improbable 395 for victory.

The win was all the more sensational after Kyle Mayers slammed an unbeaten 210 in a record 216run fourth wicket partnership with fellow debutant, Nkrumah Bonner (86), to underline the run chase.

“This was excellent. The point is the way the guys played, I think it’s perhaps one of the best games ever,” Sir Clive said in the wake of

the historic win.

Sir Clive Lloyd.

“When you look at it, we lost 10 players [for both the Test and one-day series]. We have five million people from all walks of life so we’re really choosing from a very small cadre of cricketers.

“And a guy who’s never played a Test match, can bat like that. He didn’t make fifty, he didn’t make a hundred, he didn’t make 150, he made a double hundred and still batting. This is something that we must be very proud of.

“People must realise that whenever West Indies lose, we lose too. What we [legends] have done in the past, is the past. We want these guys now to take up the mantle. We’ve passed the baton on to you.”

Mayers, 28, began the final day on 37 and batted all three sessions, en route to becoming only the second

Lloyd fearful of T20 temptations

Kyle Mayers and Joshua Da Silva Anthony celebrate

WEST Indies legend, Clive Lloyd, is hopeful the region will not soon be locked in a battle for the services of burgeoning talent who may be tempted by the prospect of playing in big-money T20 leagues.

Since the advent of the cash-rich shortest format of the sport, the top Caribbean players have often found themselves caught between representing the regional team and earning from the major payday provided by the global T20 calendar.

With the emergence of a new generation of talented West Indies players, the likes of Nicholas Pooran, Shimron Hetmyer, and particularly more recently Kyle Mayers, Nkrumah Bonner, and Joshua Da Silva, Lloyd is already worried Cricket West Indies (CWI) could find itself in a similar position to several years ago.

“I impress on the board and all those that are in charge, to make sure that these guys stick with our cricket,” Lloyd told the Mason and Guest radio programme.

“We can’t afford to lose another three guys because I know the IPL fellows are going to come knocking and it’s very difficult for them to say no,” he added.

“They have a lot of T20 games in which they will be able to make money, but the point is the other countries seem to be able to harness their talent. They go to those places and play but when international cricket is being played, they are back there.

Let’s just hope that we keep these young men we are grooming that we work hard with and they’ve now come to fruition; so that the captain or whoever will have people to call on. If you keep losing players, it’s like digging a hole to fill a hole.” (Sportsmax)

West Indies batsman and the sixth in history to hit a double hundred on debut.

His innings was monumental, lasting 310 balls in just under seven hours and including 20 fours and seven sixes.

they approached their innings. “[Mayers] is a good striker of the ball and I hope he will be able to put things together,” Sir Clive told Starcom Radio’s Mason and Guest.

Kyle Mayers slammed an unbeaten 210 in a record 216-run fourth wicket partnership with fellow debutant, Nkrumah Bonner (86)

Sir Clive, under whom West Indies became the juggernaut of the late 1970s and early 1980s, praised both Mayers and Bonner for the manner in which

“It’s obvious he’s worked very hard at his game and now that he’s done what he’s done, it’s up to himself, the coach and the other players to carry on what they’ve done.

They can’t lose the series.

“I like the way the guy Bonners plays. He wears the bowlers down, he doesn’t give his wicket away. Cricket examines every part of your game and they came through.

They batted intelligently, professionally, they were very skillful, they showed character.”

He added: “I know that a lot of people didn’t give them a chance. Everybody said Bangladesh were going to beat us; nobody gave us a price and I’m so glad it looks like we’re now getting the making of a good side.

“With the injection of a couple of players, I think we can be on the rise.”

Of the 10 players that declined selection for the tour, five represented the core of the Test side’s batting, with the likes of Test captain Jason Holder, Roston Chase, Shamarh

Brooks, Darren Bravo and Shimron Hetmyer all opting not to travel due to COVID-19 concerns.

And with the inexperienced players having performed outstandingly, Sir Clive said it was now critical to keep the group together so the talent could be properly developed.

“We’ve now got to harness the talent that we have there. We have to make sure that these guys stay together, that they don’t want to be running off to other places,” he warned.

“I’m sure we would like every cricketer to do well monetarily but we have to harness this talent and we must find sponsors to keep these guys together, get them to sign contracts so that the captain will know, from tour to tour, what side he has and how he can work with them and lead them properly.”

Jaguars’ death bowling was exceptional, says Johnson ―Jaguars to play Jamaica Scorpions today from 13:30hrs

By Rajiv Bisnauth GUYANA Jaguars captain Leon Johnson has heaped praise on his team’s death bowling, saying it was one of the reasons why the Jaguars ended as the winning side in match five of the CG Insurance Super50 Cup against Leeward Islands Hurricanes Friday evening at the Coolidge Cricket Ground.

The hosts could not capitalise on the strong platform, set up by a first-wicket partnership of 152 between Kieran Powell and Ross Powell, and ended up with 244-9 a below-par score which Jaguars chased down comfortably with five wickets in hand.

“I think the way we came back after the Hurricanes were 152 without loss … but they were still scoring under five, so we knew once we get a wicket or two we will be able to peg them back a little, so the way Motie (Gudakesh) bowled was exceptional, and the way the fast bowlers bowl in the end as well,” Johnson said during the post-match interview.

Motie, the left-arm spinner was introduced in the

31sst over of the innings, and straightaway did the damage with the first four dismissals, to finish with figures of 4-45. However, according to Johnson it was a deliberate plan.

“Obviously using him (Motie), against the righthanders was the plan … the ball was gripping a bit and once we got a wicket he could be a lot more dangerous to the right-

Leon Johnson hobbles down the pitch as he celebrates his hundred against Leeward Islands Hurricanes on Friday night (Photo courtesy CWI Media)

handers, and it proved that way,” Johnson stressed.

Apart from Motie, pacers Romario Shepherd and Nial Smith played their part, and were also instrumental in the hosts not being able to accelerate towards the end.

The duo didn’t provide any room during their second spells, resulting in Smith finishing with figures of 3-47, and Shepherd claiming 2-50.

However, Motie, who was named man-of-thematch, said he backed his ability and skills, since the condition was a difficult one to bowl on. Johnson also played his part with a brilliant unbeaten 102, his second List A century.

Guyana Jaguars will be in action again today when they play Jamaica Scorpions from 13:30hrs.

Definitely their openers Assad Fudadin and Chandrapaul Hemraj will be under some pressure, so too will be wicketkeeper Anthony Bramble.

But it will be interesting to see if Jaguars’ management will revise their batting strategies, since the openers, along with Bramble, just have not performed to their potential.

SECOND TEST IN DHAKA …

Windies stretch lead despite wobble after Cornwall’s five for 74 Off-spinner Rahkeem Cornwall snatched a five-wicket haul

DHAKA, Bangladesh (CMC) – Rahkeem Cornwall’s second five-wicket haul in Tests earned West Indies a significant 113-run first innings lead, but the Caribbean side then lost three wickets in the final session to leave the second Test against Bangladesh an open affair on the third day here yesterday.

Resuming their first innings on 105 for four, Bangladesh appeared poised to get close to West Indies’ 409 when Liton Das (71) and Mehidy Hasan Miraz (57) struck pol-

ished fifties in a century stand, to fire their side to 281 for six just after tea at the Shere Bangla National Stadium.

However, off-spinner Cornwall then snatched two wickets, triggering a slide that saw the hosts lose their last four wickets for 15 runs in the space of 34 deliveries, to crumble to 296 all out nearly an hour after the final interval.

Cornwall ended with five for 74 while fast bowler Shannon Gabriel added another wicket to his previous day tally to finish with three for 70.

Seamer Alzarri Joseph followed up his first innings half-century with two for 60.

In their second turn at the crease, however, West Indies lost a clatter of wickets to stumble to the close on 41 for three – an overall lead of 154 runs heading into today’s penultimate day.

Captain Kraigg Brathwaite fell to a catch at the wicket off off-spinner Nayeem Hasan for six in the fourth over after Bangladesh reviewed a not-out decision.

And left-handed Shayne

Moseley’s wretched start to his Test career continued when he edged Mehidy to second slip for seven, to give the champion off-spinner his 100th Test wicket.

Tottering on 20 for two at the drinks break, left-handed opener John Campbell (18) attempted to navigate a safe end to the day but failed, playing back to left-arm spinner Taijul Islam and going bowled off the inside edge.

The pendulum had earlier swung back and forth after Bangladesh, seeking to level the series after their stunning loss in Chattogram last week, started the day still 304 runs in arrears.

Mushfiqur Rahim, resuming from his overnight 27 struck 54 to extend his fifth-wicket partnership with Mohammad Mithun (15) to 71, as West Indies toiled in vain for an early breakthrough.

While Mushfiqur showed enterprise by striking seven fours off 105 deliveries in just

over 2-¾ hours, Mithun struggled to get going and eventually perished approaching the first hour after adding just nine, looping a catch off Cornwall to Kraigg Brathwaite diving forward at short mid-wicket.

Cornwall struck again four overs later, this time inducing Musfiqur into an ill-advised reverse sweep which he miscued to cover where Kyle Mayers took a simple catch at head height.

In strife at 155 for six, Bangladesh were rescued by the in-form Liton and Mehidy who combined in a stellar 126run seventh-wicket stand to frustrate West Indies on either side of lunch.

Fresh from a half-century in the last Test, Liton struck seven fours off 133 balls in a shade over 3-½ hours while Mehidy, full of confidence following his maiden hundred in the first innings in Chattogram, punched six fours in an innings spanning 140 deliveries and just over 3-¼ hours.

They took Bangladesh to lunch on 181 for six and kept West Indies without success for the entire second session, as the visitors failed to grasp a couple of half-chances.

Mehidy was missed on 28 at leg slip by Nkrumah Bonner who failed to hold a sharp chance as the batsman swept hard at Cornwall while Liton, on 41, flicked at catchable height between forward and backward short leg, also off Cornwall.

With Bangladesh cruising at tea on 276 for six, Cornwall intervened to break the stand by grabbing two wickets in the fourth over after the resumption.

After failing to pouch Liton diving forward at backward point in the previous over from Gabriel, Cornwall got the batsman to feather a paddle sweep, for Jermaine Blackwood to take the catch at TURN TO PAGE 34

President Ali announces Republic Unity Cup

… donates sport gear to communities on the ECD SEE PAGE

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President Irfaan Ali (middle) along with ministers Anil Nandlall and Charles Ramson Jr, presented sport gear to the community of Golden Grove SEE PAGE

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President Irfaan Ali (middle) makes a presentation to cricketers in Lusignan, in the presence of several ministers from his Government

Jaguars’ death bowling was exceptional, says Johnson

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE FEBRUARY 14, 2021