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Disclose all K NEWS debt contracts to citizens - Int’l report AIETEUR

Sunday Edition April 19, 2021

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Major capital projects require - API feasibility studyEconomist

Gas-to -shore…

CID ranks head to Lethem to investigate incident between CANU officers and businessman Cops catch thieves Unidentified red-handed in body washes up stranger’s house on CI seashore

CGX pledges Guyana assets for US$19M loan Vice President Jagdeo sings different tune with different projects.

Listen to The Glenn Lall Show @11:00am, Kaieteur Radio 99.1/99.5FM

Kaieteur News

PAGE 02

Sunday April 18, 2021

Police find abandoned car on fire in Providence

P

atrol ranks on Friday found an abandoned white Toyota Spacio motorcar on fire along Stadium Road, Providence, East Bank Demerara.

According to a police report, the burning car was discovered around 21:15 hrs. by ranks who were reportedly patrolling the Greenfield Park area. Those ranks made immediate contact with the Guyana Fire Service (GFS) and a fire tender arrived shortly after from the Diamond Fire Station. Police noted that the

firemen were successful in extinguishing the flames but could not save the car from being destroyed.

Kaieteur News learnt that no one has come forward as yet to claim ownership of the burnt vehicle. Sources close to the investigation related that it looks like the car might have been abandoned there.

Whether it was deliberately set on fire or not will be determined as investigations continue. So far, checks have been made in the area for CCTV cameras to aid with the ongoing investigations.

The burning Toyota Spacio

Kaieteur News

Sunday April 18, 2021

PAGE 03

Gas-to-shore…

Any major capital project requires a feasibility study - API Economist S

ince assuming responsibility for overseeing the oil sector, Vice President, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo, has been at the forefront of championing the need for major initiatives such as the gas-to-shore project, noting specifically that it would bring cheap electricity for all.

But his commentary over the past few months about reduced electricity costs have failed to mask the need for Government to answer the most crucial question at hand — is the gas-to-shore project feasible?

In spite of growing criticisms, Jagdeo has been adamant that a feasibility study is not necessary. Based on his calculations, the Vice President has argued that the project is economical and therefore, the country should

Unidentified body washes up on CI seashore

T

he body of an unidentified man was found yesterday at the Cornelia Ida s e a s h o r e , We s t C o a s t Demerara (WCD).

According to a police report, an unknown caller contacted officers after noticing the body at around 6:30 hrs.

The partia lly decomposed body was described as a male in his late 40s of mixed descent.

The body, yet to be identified, was taken to the Ezekiel Funeral Home at Best Village, WCD. Further investigations are ongoing.

API Chief Economist, Dr. Dean Foreman

Vice President, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo move ahead with the environmental studies.

However, several concerned Guyanese have challenged Jagdeo's approach, saying that no major capital project in the world, particularly those that are run by transparent and accountable governments is pursued without a feasibility study.

In agreement with the need for such a fundamental step to be taken for the gas project is Chief Economist attached to American Petroleum Institute (API), Dr. Dean Foreman.

In an invited comment on the gas-to-shore project, Foreman categorically stated, “Any major capital project requires a feasibility study that should encompass s u p p l y, i n f r a s t r u c t u r e , processing, transportation,

marketing and stakeholder relations under different scenarios, including timing, prices and financing.”

If Guyana and its industry operators are to successfully develop a gast o - s h o r e p r o j e c t , D r.

Foreman said, their views on all of the foregoing issues would need to align.

Furthermore, without more information (that is to say, studies or commentary outside of what has already reported on ad nauseam by the Vice President and other government officials), Dr. Foreman said it would be impossible for API to determine the project cost and feasibility of Guyana's gas-to-shore project.

The Chief Economist said determining same would depend not only on the gas volume but the depth

and project drilling unit configuration, processing needs, and distance for transport.

Dr. Foreman said, “Time also equates to money, so if a project like this advances it would be important for Guyana to synchronise its domestic gas market development to monetise the gas efficiently.”

He added, “If a Guyana project is executed to high standards in accordance with API's Recommended Practice for the Design, Construction, Operation, and Maintenance of Offshore Hydrocarbon Pipelines (Limited State Design), the integrity of operations should be strong.”

In general, the Chief Economist posited that Natural gas, when consumed

for power generation, has been beneficial to the environment as a cleaner, lower carbon resource, supplanting coal and liquid fuels in many emerging economies.

As regards the kind of expertise the country would need for the management of a gas project, the API Chief Economist said veteran industry experience in offshore gas developments would be key in addition to an in-depth technical understanding of the potential trade-offs of different infrastructure configurations.

He said too that having coordinated risk management to ensure all issues above and belowground are addressed

along with financial and gas market acumen, would be in Guyana's best interest.

Should Guyana find itself in a situation where it would end up bring more gas to shore than it needs, Dr. Foreman said the country could find itself doing a number of things, which include having to build additional gas-handling capacity and finding additional markets for the gas, re-injecting the gas or limiting oil production.

Overall, Dr. Foreman's general perspective is that Guyana should be guided by international best practices, and at the very least, a feasibility study so that it can determine the way forward on the gas-to-shore project.

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PAGE 4

Sunday April 18, 2021

Kaieteur News

Kaieteur News Printed and Published by National Media & Publishing Company Ltd. 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown, Guyana.

Publisher: GLENN LALL - Tel: 624-6456 Editor: Sharmain Grainger Tel: 225-8465, 225-8491. Fax: 225-8473, 226-8210

EDITORIAL

Cooks and bottle washers Guyana-born, U.S.-based Mathematics Professor, Terrence Blackman, said it a little differently from what we have been saying repeatedly for a long time now. But what he said aligned very well with our thinking and public commentaries, as presented in this paper, and other channels in the Kaieteur media network. As reported right here by us, this Guyanese said, “We must not be cooks and servants for the oil industry” (KN April 13). We agree fully with and support this learned Guyanese professor on all three counts, on what we must not be content to accept and be, what we need to do, and how we must signal our position to the foreign powers in the local oil industry, with primary aim taken at ExxonMobil. Professor Blackman said, “we must not be cooks and servants,” which at various times we have categorised as part of local content heights and future realities, including as cooks, and also as loaders and unloaders of ships and trucks; as maids and cleaners; and as chauffeurs and child nannies; and as garbage haulers and fetchers. From all appearances so far, this is the range and sum of local content, with the notable exception of the local blue chip companies and favoured insiders who are well positioned to capitalise at the higher and sweeter end of the oil industry pyramid and dealings.

In presenting this, we invite our readership – including government visionaries, senior public servant planners, local professionals and big shots, the watching and absorbing opposition, foreign arrivals and exploiters and rank and file citizens – to think of what we now present. As the foreigners come for the long haul, which could number in the years, they will most likely bring their families, inclusive of children, dogs and cats. They will have need and place for Guyanese local content. We point to the foreign embassies, in our first stop, and there they are: cooks and servants, guards and chauffeurs, gardeners and garbage disposers. Everybody is happy, since there is cheap labour, prestige associations (at least, in the minds of recruited Guyanese), and with the foreigners comfortable that they have done their duty and bit of charity, with the physical evidence present for all to see.

Now we invite our fellow citizens to pick a number and do a little multiplying. Try this first example: one foreign company comes to take advantage of our natural resources (gold, timber, and oil at the top of the barrel), and the little locals engaged could number in the dozens, scores, and hundreds, when all is said and counted. The bigger the contingent and wider the net of that single foreign invasion, the larger the number of locals employed at the bottom end of the job picture that the erudite professor mentioned. And the greater the number of foreign companies that rush to these shores of a modern day El Dorado and its endless bonanzas, the more Guyanese at the unseen, unheard and uncomplaining corner of the recruited job market will be occupied. This country could be very well on its way to realising a good fraction of those 50,000 jobs promised by none other than His Excellency, President Dr. Irfaan Ali. Still, as the Hon. Minister of Labour recently disclosed, there are concerns about a level playing field, and especially as that relates to wages. On a related note, this government recently announced a slew of online scholarships for higher learning. That is all well and good, but the capacity building, which Professor Blackman pinpointed is years away. It does not appear to be in the concentrations and quantities that are about gearing up to be well positioned for a place at the heights of corporate offices resident here and in their fields of fevered explorations.

When the leaders of the Guyana Government possess the strength, the acumen and the will to speak forcibly with the head honchos at ExxonMobil, then they would have put themselves in a position to “demand high end jobs.” Their position must be that Guyana has the people; that it is furiously building relevant capacity for more people to be strategically placed – including in the marketing and trading of our precious commodity - where they count; and those people must be accommodated to hear, observe and know exactly what is going on in the sector.

That means their presence in the conference rooms, on the rigs, around the reservoirs, in the actual environments and in the trading market places, so that they can oversee for the returns that are of the highest value for the totality of the peoples of this nation. Currently, despite all the noise about local content, we are nowhere near there.

Opening the bridge for ships at nights only will prolong its life and ease traffic congestion DEAR EDITOR, The road aback of Eccles to Mandela Avenue to ease traffic congestion on the East Bank Demerara (EBD) is long overdue. It is a testimony to the unresponsiveness of both regimes to human suffering. The removal of parliament to the Arthur Chung Conference Centre signal the end of another torture chamber to commuters - I hope it stays that way.

On Friday afternoon, April 9th, I was privy to witness and endure the suffering of commuters on the EBD roadway. The bridge was closed to vehicular traffic in the afternoon. It was raining non-stop. I was trapped on a bus on the EBD road coming

towards the Bridge. The traffic had backed up all the way to Mocha road head moving at snail pace, night was approaching and I assessed that walking would be four times faster than the line. So I exited the bus and started walking.

Unsuspecting drivers were taking a diversion down Mocha road, through Windsor Estate road, hoping to come out pass the bridge on the dumpsite or Eccles road only to be caught in long lines already built up on those roads. I was told by someone that the buildup of traffic over the river, waiting to cross the bridge was record breaking.

This is not the first time the bridge was closed to vehicular

traffic at these unholy hours, it happens on a regular basis, it was the first time I was caught in it. On that fateful Friday I estimated that some 10,000 vehicles were caught in that traffic jam with engines running, trying to inch their way forward, burning fuel on which the Government has a 70 percent consumption tax.

The conspiracy theorist in me can only deduce collusion between the DHB and Government to extort taxes from the unsuspecting commuters, smothering them in inconvenience as they do so.

I wonder if the Government has ever consulted the management of the bridge in the interest of the thousands of commuters

whose lives and pockets are being distressed when the bridge is closed during peak hours.

The bridge has outlived its intended lifetime and is most likely suffering from metal fatigue, particularly its opening span. I see no reason why the powers that be should not seek to have the bridge open to ships one time per day, at night only. I am inclined to think that people’s lives are more fragile and important than cargo on ships. This initiative is an open litmus test for the Government to prove what matters most - people’s lives or cargo on ocean going vessels?

Yours Respectfully, Rudolph Singh

Sunday April 18, 2021

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Kaieteur News

President and Government score high in poll DEAR EDITOR, The latest opinion poll conducted in Guyana reveals very high approval rating for President Irfaan Ali and his government and low confidence in the political opposition’s performance in holding the government accountable. The poll finds that APNU+AFC is slumping in popularity primarily because of its actions. The survey on contemporary issues was conducted by this writer just after the presentation of the budget in February thru end of March.

The poll, conducted for NACTA, had a sample size of 600 respondents

reflecting the demographics of the population.

Based on the findings of the survey, 65 percent of the nation approve of the performance of the government with 26 percent disapproving and nine percent not offering a response.

The population has expressed disappointment and displeasure in the political behaviour of the opposition APNU+AFC with a minority reposing confidence in it as an alternative government in waiting. Only 29 percent said they approve of the performance of the

opposition with 58 percent disapproving and 13 percent not offering a response. This contrast sharply with the confidence people have in the job performance of President Irfaan who has an approval rating of 69 percent and a disapproval rating of 24 percent with seven percent not offering a response.

The public also expresses strong approval o f t h e g o v e r n m e n t ’s handling of the economy as well as COVID lockdown policies although they are not very pleased with the government’s handling of c r i m e a n d s e c u r i t y.

Herd immunity and COVID DEAR EDITOR, I recently heard Minister Frank Anthony saying that the adult population needs to be vaccinated to reach herd immunity. Scientists around the world and top officials from the CDC United States of America are now talking less about herd immunity.

Some are saying that herd immunity may never be achieved.

If the original virus strain from China was still around, then it’s possible for herd immunity. The virus, like all others, has mutated to be more contagious and in some instances more deadly.

Minister Anthony should no longer talk of herd immunity, instead he should encourage people to take the vaccine and adhere to the COVID guidelines.

There must now be a curfew from 6pm to 6am. The government needs to close all these beer gardens and rum shops where no one cares about 40 percent capacity.

Patrons can buy their drinks and enjoy at their home. The more virulent strains of which I believe both the UK and Brazil variants are here. Vaccines may not work as intended for the previous Wuhan strain but it is hoped

that it can prevent severe disease and death. Moving to vaccinate 18 years and over doesn’t seem to make sense.

The over 25 years and persons with co-morbidities should be the target. How many persons below age 25 have died? I can understand vaccinating people with comorbidities over age 18 years.

Our COVID guidelines and curfew measures are not doing anything to curb the virus. A country with a small population like ours, and cases now over a hundred daily, do not augur well.

People’s lives are at stake.

B. John

Inflation and job creation are also major challenges for the government.

The working class complains about frozen wage and difficulties to make ends meet.

Expectations are very high for wage increase and another COVID grant among the lower working class.

Among the most highly rated Ministers are: Anil Nandlall, Collin Croal, Indar Deodat, Bishop Edghill, Nigel Dharamlall, Zulfi Mustapha, Vickram Bharrat, Kwame McCoy, Susan Rodrigues, and Sonia Parag. Ministers Zulfi, Croal, and Indar are praised for their presence almost everywhere.

Asked if government

should have invested more in agriculture in the latest budget, 68 percent said yes with only 17 percent disagreeing and 15 percent saying not sure.

The population feels government should continue to focus on agriculture rather than depend on oil and gas to transform the economy.

Asked if they think government has legal right to reverse the Exxon oil contract, the population is divided with 30 percent saying yes, 48 percent saying no and 22 percent not sure.

The largest plurality and those unsure feel contracts with investors are legal and sacrosanct and it would be a violation of domestic and international law to violate the sanctity of a contract.

It would impact on investment. It is felt that government can seek greater local content participation and national benefits in oil field development and extraction.

Almost every respondent in the poll condemned the caustic language and behaviour of some Members of Parliament (MPs) during the budget debate. The public say the language of some MPs was disgusting and unacceptable.

They feel the Speaker of the Assembly should not have tolerated those contributions and should have reprimanded the errant MPs, and or suspend them from the House.

Yours Truly, Vishnu Bisram

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Sunday April 18, 2021

Kaieteur News

The old but very important principle of “fairness” DEAR EDITOR, In the past week or so many Guyanese have gone out of their way to express their opinions on some aspects of my years of activity in public affairs. I am grateful to them for their generosity and thank those who thought it fit to organise events around this theme and in all cases without my expecting them. I also thank those who declined to join the panel or were no longer present when called upon to speak. In particular, I am very excited about the idea of planting food trees as a practice to celebrate birthdays of those we know closely. Today, I wish to discuss a very oldfashioned theme or principle which is less and less evident in the public expressions of the most articulate of us. It is the old but very important principle of “fairness.”

It seems to me that as an old fogey, some will say lacking in vigour, that fairness is no longer a consideration.

Since March 6, 2020 I have heard no one question the use of deadly force by the police against the young man of Cotton Tree in what was reported as a confrontation.

He was Indian. There seems to be a general impression that he deserved to die, and I have heard no hint of an inquest as required by law.

The investigation of the murder of the young men of the Henry family was so

mishandled by the political directorate that it backfired.

There is total silence about Haresh Singh, the young Indian male, whose body was later found in the same area.

Only the opposition forces have demanded justice for him.

The highest authorities in the land have quite a lot to say and suggested that there was an element of instigation by political actors. Officially gathered misinformation caused His Excellency, the President, I believe with the best intentions, to accuse non-specific persons of rape, including the rape of children.

News and police reports could not justify these allegations but no one has withdrawn them on behalf of the President.

These, to me, are serious miscarriages undermining the entitlement of every person known or unknown, famous or not, to fairness.

The trouble is that these blemishes on our humanity seem to escape the attention of people, of writers, and commentators with daily access to the media. This old man has more than once referred to the statement by an activist who became the attorney general of Guyana, “The victory of the PPP represents the triumph of good over evil.”

It never ceases to amaze me that in a country well supplied with sensitive and

experienced human rights advocates, there has been a dumb silence, almost amounting to acceptance, of Mr. Nandlall’s proclamation.

I am not finished with it. And despite my perceived lack of vigour, I hope I will not be blamed when I make a direct response to it in a highertoned register that none can pretend to miss.

As is well known, I suddenly became a wanted felon for alleged misdeeds committed before my name change in 1968, because in a letter published on March 10, 2020 I raised in a very lowkeyed manner the idea of a tribunal to document attacks of “humans against humans” which we all suspected to be an expression of hostility by persons of one political faction against another. In all my political experience in Guyana, I have personally taken part in the documentation of such events regardless of the parties involved. The accusation against me became my failure to join the chorus of those poll watchers who from their being present knew what was taking place during the counting process, spoke out against it, raised hell, attracted international attention, swiftly obtained judicial reviews, attracted the help of centres of power, and eventually “triumphed.”

Although, I had no role in the process, my refusal to join the

chorus of condemnation was interpreted as “racial solidarity.” My explanation that I would on no account in a conflicted situation dismiss the complaints of the losers against the winners only made my critics angrier. They may swell and burst with anger if they please. Their pretense that my silence means support for illegalities on either side makes no sense and I believe has something to do with discrediting persons able to detect and explain what one of them has called their “strategy” for Guyana.

Most recently, I hinted that an explanation was required for the withdrawal of the charges against the Minister of Finance, Mr. Ashni Singh, and Mr. Brassington, after the Chief Justice had ruled that they should stand trial. A columnist in another section of the press, seeing my question, declared that I had “race on the brain;” this columnist named me but hid behind a pen name. So, our standards of journalism allow us to abuse individuals by name while hiding behind the mask of a pen name. Very good ethics for those in power! This leads me to the judicial epidemic in our system.

The previous Chancellor of the Judiciary and the Chief Justice were both forced to remain “acting” until their curtains fell, one by death and the other by retirement. They were respectively succeeded by jurists, both women, still “acting” in their important roles. During the electoral “impasse,” beginning March 2, 2020, we heard a lot from the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), Guyana’s apex court. I wonder whether the Honourable Judges sitting at the apex are not a little

concerned about the foundation on which they are perched.

After all of that had been written we learned from the news that the Court of Appeal (“acting”) had acted decisively in a unanimous decision to satisfy Donald Rodney’s 1982 conviction on the charge of being in possession of an explosive.

The Chancellor has promised a written decision “shortly.”

This decision should open a conversation on the administration of justice since the 1980s.

To continue the theme of fairness running through this letter I turn now to the National Assembly. We have as one benefit of the Burnham years the best written laws in the Caribbean on male/female equality. The laws are there, have been admitted from all sides, and may be invoked.

Since they were written new issues may have rendered them inadequate. However, it is a shame that with that kind of reputation women in Guyana lack equal recognition.

Recently, the public was galvanised by a report that the independent woman MP, after causing the government unease by questioning detailed provisions under the Guyana Elections Commission vote, alleged that an Honourable Minister, a male, had angrily moved toward her after the sitting with language and gestures that she interpreted as a breach of law.

Did this woman’s complaints give rise to a wave of indignation? No. Readers say that her complaints received little space in the media and that much space was given to denials of the alleged offender. Many onlookers, including me, were encouraged by reports that

the woman MP had sought a medical examination and that two guards on duty at the scene of the incident had given statements to the police. The MP announced that she would file a private prosecution against the alleged offender. Days later, it was reported that a Constitutional official, the DPP, had entered the matter with a recommendation that the Speaker of the House should consider the issues involved in the incident.

The DPP’s Constitutional powers are very clear and rest on that official’s discretion. I say this as one who on two occasions had my private prosecutions for police killings taken from the court by previous DPPs. However, the DPP’s powers do not extend to matters of the Speaker ’s control and authority. I cannot think of a time in the past when the DPP ventured into the arena of a law-making body or reason to address the Speaker. And therefore, I am almost certain that the only reason that would move the DPP to address the Speaker is that the DPP has found that something not allowed by law may have taken place giving rise to a complaint by the woman MP. Let us hope that consideration of the incident involving the woman MP and the Honourable Minister came to the DPP’s attention through the normal channels and that she is acting within her Constitutional mandate.

I once had to correct Attorney General, Mr. Ramson, publicly when he told the media that although prosecution was the DPP’s exclusive province, the Attorney General could discreetly give advice.

Respectfully, Eusi Kwayana

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L B T LUNT.. UNT...B BL B Sunday April 18, 2021

Kaieteur News

An overwhelming case is being brought – by this paper, by experts in good governance, by institutional papers on international best practice – that as massive a project as the gas-to-shore project needs greater transparency.

The government of Guyana is running out of excuses on why this is not happening.

PAGE 07

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A

damning report re cently released by the Centre for Global Development (CGD) is calling for the disclosure of all debt contracts, as “public debt should be public.”

The report titled: “How China Lends; A Rare Look into 100 Debt Contracts with Foreign Governments,” which was done in collaboration with “AidData”- a research lab in the US and other

Sunday April 18, 2021

Kaieteur News

entities, assessed 100 contracts between Chinese stateowned entities and government borrowers in 24 developing countries in Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, Latin America and Oceania.

The report first outlined that China is the world’s largest official creditor, but the world often lacks basic facts about the terms and conditions of its lending.

According to the report,

that is because “very few contracts between Chinese lenders and their government borrowers have ever been published or studied.”

It was also asserted that the report is the first systematic analysis of the legal terms of China’s foreign lending.

Based on their analysis of the contracts, it was highlighted in the report that Chinese contracts usually contain unusual confidentiality

clauses, barring their borrowers from revealing the terms or even the existence of the debt.

The contracts even reek of cancellation, acceleration and stabilisation clauses, which potentially allow the lender to influence an indebted nation’s domestic and foreign policies.

“Even if these terms were unenforceable in court, the mix of confidentiality, senior-

ity and policy influence, could limit the sovereign debtor’s crisis management options and complicate debt renegotiation,” the report posited, adding that overall, the contracts are skewed in a way to overcome enforcement hurdles, making China a “muscular and commerciallysavvy lender to the developing world.”

Further to that, their study of Chinese foreign loan contracts reveals that Chinese lenders cleverly adapt and expand standard contract tools to maximise their repayment prospect, which includes lender-controlled revenue accounts, and protect a wide array of Chinese interests in the borrowing country.

To that end, the report emphasised the need for substantially greater transparency in sovereign lending, including but not confined to government-to-government loans.

It even went as far as noting that while China may be

one of the world’s largest official creditors, transparency problems existing in large numbers around the world as it relates to sovereign debt are not limited to China.

“Almost no official OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) and non-OECD lenders publicly release the text of their loan contracts. Nor do debtor governments,” it lamented.

The OECD is an international organisation, which many countries are signed on to and aims to build better policies for better lives.

As such, the report lays the firm conviction that disclosing all debt contracts, while it may be difficult politically, should “become the norm rather than the exception” because it would give citizens the ability to hold their governments accountable “for the debt contracts signed in their name.”

Hence, the report outlines that “public debt should be public.”

Sunday April 18, 2021

Kaieteur News

‘Pink slip’ or not, cash grant team will revisit communities - PM -Tells residents of Paradise that process has started in the interior

Prime Minister Mark Phillips (right) speaks with a resident.

Georgetown, Guyana – (April 17, 2021) Prime Minister, Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips, this afternoon assured residents of Paradise on the East Coast of Demerara, that each household that was missed during the first round of the COVID-19 relief cash distribution, remains eligible for the grant and will receive it during the second phase of delivery which has started.

He was in the area to encourage residents to utilise the vaccination facility established in the community and to listen to their concerns. In responding to a resident who said that her household received neither the grant nor the ‘pink slip’ (given to secondary households or persons renting) during the initial distribution, the Prime Minister encouraged her to reach out to the team once they have returned to the community.

He reassured the residents that the Government

has promised and is committed to ensuring that each household receive the $25,000 COVID-19 relief cash grant.

“Pink slip or not, the team is coming back into every community, we have started in the interior regions already and we are going to work our way to the Coast, the money is there... we said every household, it will happen, they will get back to you.”

Residents during the session raised additional concerns about security and community infrastructure, such as roads, bridges and streetlights.

The Prime Minister after listening to them at a community church also took a walk around the village. He committed to solving challenges where possible, but also encouraged them to work together in community groups.

“We expect some discussion at the leadership level in the community… You have

an existing Co-operative Society and I will talk with Minister Joseph Hamilton and have him come and work with you, we are here to have a discussion with you and help you, because this Co-operative spirit is important … I’m telling you that you can have a Co-operative Society and a Community Development Council (CDC) and both groups can work together.”

Resident of Paradise, Mr. Randolph McPherson, said that he was pleased with the outcome of the meeting and was confident that the Prime Minister would honour his commitments.

“I’m happy that the Prime Minister came to discuss many of our problems and I am totally satisfied with what he said and I know that many of the issues raised will be solved.” The outreach to the community was organised by the Prime Minister’s representative for Region Four, Bishop Patrick Findlay. (DPI)

Dem boys seh...

Con-test not Con-stitution!

De PNC/RIG running from dem own no-confidence motion. Dem party people wah calling fuh de Congress of de PNC/R effectively issuing a vote of no confidence on de leadership of de party.

Dis is not a Constitutional issue. Dis is a leadership con-test… at least so dem boys feel.

De leadership blaming COVID-19. Dem seh dem gat laws against de assembling of people and therefore dem can’t hold Congress because of dem laws.

But dem boys wan know whether dem nah seeing

how nuff international meetings going on virtually. Even last year General Assembly of de United Nations was virtual.

And so it not impossible for de Congress to be virtual.

Some people ask how yuh gan vote virtually. Well, de PNC know something about dat. Dem had de virtual votes added to dem tally during de tabulation of de votes of de March 2020 elections. Spreadsheets and bed sheet created virtual votes to add to de APNU+AFC tally.

You can have yuh Congress virtually and when de time comes fuh electing de Executive, you could have

manual voting.

America did have elections in de midst of a coronavirus infection wave.

People social distance and go and vote.

De same thing can happen fuh de Congress. Dem can have people voting in dem Region. And when de time come fuh tally de votes dem can hire de Lolo man and de Bingo man fuh be de Returning Officers.

Dat would be poetic justice for de party. Would it not?

Talk half and tell Soulja Bai fuh call de Congress and debate de no-confidence motion!

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R

anks from the Crimi nal Investigation Department (CID) of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) have been dispatched to Lethem, Region Nine; to conduct investigations into last Thursday’s incident between a Lethem businessman and ranks from the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU).

One rank involved in the incident was arrested by police yesterday and is presently in custody assisting with the necessary investigations.

The Guyana Police Force (GPF) detailed – in a statement released yesterday – that the dispatched CID ranks are part of the Major Crimes Unit (MCU) and will be investigating reports it received about the incident, which took place during a joint operation between CANU and the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) at Tabatinja, Lethem. Crime Chief, Wendell Blanhum further highlighted to Kaieteur News that the incident relates specifically to the alleged assault on the businessman by one of the CANU ranks.

According to CANU Head, James Singh, that rank was arrested yesterday and is being held without bail in Lethem on allegations of assault and discharging a loaded firearm.

Kaieteur News had reported on Friday that the alleged assault was caught on camera. In fact, it was the businessman, Lyndon Franklin who recorded the video while he was detained at GRA’s Office for smuggling

Sunday April 18, 2021

Kaieteur News

- Rank who allegedly assaulted victim arrested Allegedly assaulted by a CANU Rank, Lyndon Franklin.

The rank caught on camera assaulting the Lethem businessman. liquor. CANU and GRA had busted him some time after 12:00 hrs. with more than 50 cases of illegal liquor during a joint operation they conducted at his house.

In the video Franklin recorded, it could be observed

that he was walking towards the rank and could be heard quarrelling. As he got closer, the CANU rank being recorded took a firm grip of his rifle and started walking towards Franklin too. As the two got closer, the rank raised

his rifle and hit the businessman.

Speaking with Kaieteur News on Friday, CANU Head, James Singh, affirmed that the rank’s behaviour in the video is indeed questionable.

He further added that, based on what he had learnt about the incident, it is evident that his ranks need more training when dealing with suspects.

CANU later sent out a release indicating that the ranks had been “agitated” by the businessman.

The Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit further noted that it is holistically reviewing the incident to address the need for more training of its ranks to ensure they are able to withstand civilian agitation and intimidations. The antinarcotics body further advised that civilians should desist from advancing or attacking its officials in any way whilst they are executing their duties.

When Kaieteur News spoke to Franklin, he made it clear that he was not angry at ranks for busting him for sus-

pected smuggled liquor. He agrees, “No duties were paid on the rum;” however, he is annoyed at the ranks’ behaviour during their operation at his premises. He accused them of being unprofessional and alleged that the rank who assaulted him had wrongfully discharged a round in his yard with children present. He claimed it was the shooting incident, which prompted him to record the ranks while he was detained at the GRA Office.

The Rupununi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RCCI), based in Lethem, yesterday issued a statement condemning both the alleged assault on the businessman and the ranks’ “unprofessional conduct during the operation they conducted at his premises.” The RCCI’s statement was posted yesterday on Facebook by one of its executive members, Orlando Wong.

In the statement, RCCI detailed that “CANU needs to withdraw the officers involved in the incident from Lethem and confine them to training facilities to ensure that they comply with established operating procedures while executing their duties.”

With regards to the individual who was caught on camera assaulting Franklin, RCCI stated that “he should be dismissed immediately.”

RCCI added that “it does not have any confidence that the officer has or will conduct himself in a way that fits his profession.”

In an invited comment from RCCI’s President, Daniel Gajie, he explained that “RCCI is in no way condoning un-

lawful actions where smuggling and other illegal activities are concerned.”

However, it said it was concerned with the unprofessionalism of the ranks not only at Franklin’s premises, but during other recent operations they conducted as well.

“Law enforcement officers will always meet opposition when conducting their duties.

They will be cursed by civilians, but it is their duty to show restraint during such situations especially if the suspects or civilians are unarmed.

It should be part of their Standard Operating Procedures,” related the RCCI President.

Gajie continued, “It is clearly wrong for a rank to raise a loaded high-powered rifle on a civilian who was only armed with a cellphone.”

The RCCI President said that the Lethem business community is fearful that if nothing is done, then the CANU ranks will continue with their “unprofessional behaviour.”

GRA however, issued a statement in response, alleging that the CANU ranks were in no way unprofessional during the raid at the businessman’s premises: “The Revenue Authority, noting the various reports circulating in print and social media concerning a seizure of a quantity of uncustomed goods during a joint service operation in Lethem Region Nine, wishes to set the record straight, and hereby advises the general public that at all times lawful procedures were properly followed.”

Sunday April 18, 2021

Kaieteur News

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Sunday April 18, 2021

Kaieteur News

Brazil asks women ‘if possible’ to delay pregnancy over Covid variants São Paulo (CNN)Brazil has warned women to postpone pregnancy until the worst of the coronavirus pandemic has passed, saying that the variants of the coronavirus in Brazil have been more aggressive in pregnant women.

“If possible, (the women should) postpone the pregnancy a bit to a better time so that (they) can have a more peaceful pregnancy,” Secretary of Primary Health Care of the Brazilian health ministry Raphael Camara said Friday.

“We cannot say this to those who are 42, 43 years old, of course, but for a young woman who can, the best

thing is to wait for a little,” he said during a press conference.

Brazil is second only to the US in terms of Covid-19 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University, with 368,749 deaths and more than 13.8 million cases. Cities across the country have been hit hard by a recent surge in Covid-19 cases and deaths, fueled in part by new variants believed to be extra contagious and some Brazilians’ disregard for social distancing precautions.

The country could be headed for even worse times thanks to a combination of political chaos and inaction,

a team of public health experts warned this week.

“In Brazil, the federal response has been a dangerous combination of inaction and wrongdoing, including the promotion of chloroquine as treatment despite a lack of evidence,” a team led by Marcia Castro of the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, experts at the University of São Paulo and elsewhere wrote in their report, published in the journal Science.Researchers argued that “prompt and equitable” responses from the federal government could have helped contain the outbreak and protect the most vulner-

able — but leaders have failed, and are still failing, to do so.In the city of Manaus, a spike in severe cases led to hospital systems collapsing, with a shortage of oxygen for patients.“Without immediate action, this could be a preview of what is yet to happen in other localities in Brazil,” the team warned. Unless the government took immediate action, conducted epidemiological and genomic surveillance measures, and stepped up vaccinations, the spread of variants will likely lead to “unimaginable loss of lives.”

Camara said Friday that the ministry is working on

studies on the issue of pregnancy and variants.

“We do not have a national or international study, but the clinical view of experts shows that the new variant has a more aggressive action on pregnant women,” he said.

“Before, [severity] was linked to the end of the pregnancy, but now (they) see a more serious evolution in the second trimester and even in the first trimester,” he added.

Pregnant women in UK can get jab Meanwhile, the UK’s vaccine advisers said pregnant women “of any age” in the country can be offered either the Pfizer/BioNTech or Moderna Covid-19 vaccines.

“Although clinical trials on the use of COVID-19 vaccines during pregnancy are not advanced, the available

data do not indicate any harm to pregnancy,” Friday’s updated guidance said. “JCVI [The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation] has therefore advised that women who are pregnant should be offered vaccination at the same time as non-pregnant women, based on their age and clinical risk group.”

The guidance further said that “there is now extensive post-marketing experience of the use of the Pfizer/ BioNTech and Moderna vaccines in the USA with no safety signals so far. These vaccines are therefore the preferred vaccines to offer to pregnant women.”

“Pregnant women who commenced vaccination with AstraZeneca, however, are advised to complete with the same vaccine.”

New Amsterdam taxi driver found with narcotics A taxi driver of New Amsterdam, Berbice, was found with narcotics in his possession after he was intercepted by police on Friday.

According to a report issued by the police, at about 18:50 hrs. Information was received identifying the 30-yearold man from Stanleytown, New Amsterdam, carrying illicit substances. Police ranks from the Narcotics Branch and Special Branch Unit acted on this information and intercepted a silver-grey motor car with number plate PTT 6996.

A search of the vehicle was conducted, during which a white plastic barrel containing four bulky parcels of suspected cannabis was found inside. Investigations are ongoing.

Sunday April 18, 2021

REUTERS - Venezuela’s supreme court has awarded $13 million to top socialist party official Diosdado Cabello in a defamation case against a newspaper, but the paper’s lawyer said yesterday the outlet could not afford to pay.

Cabello, the second-highest ranking official in the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) after President Nicolas Maduro, sued the El Nacional newspaper in 2015 after it reprinted a Spanish newspaper article asserting U.S. officials were investigating Cabello for alleged ties to drug trafficking.

Venezuela’s Supreme Tribunal of Justice (TSJ) on Friday ruled that El Nacional must pay damages to Cabello worth 237,000 petros, a digital currency launched by Maduro in 2018 tied to the price of oil. The petro’s current value is $56, according to Venezuela’s central bank.

Juan Garanton, an attor-

Kaieteur News

to drug trafficking.

Neither the PSUV, the court nor Venezuela’s information ministry GMR&SC Facebook announcing “Paperresponded Short’s”to comment. funeral at its Thomasrequests Lands’for premises.

El Nacional is part-owned by prominent Madrid-based Venezuelan journalist Miguel Henrique Otero and other relatives of his late father, Miguel Otero Silva, one of Venezuela’s most celebrated writers.Opponents of Maduro’s government accuse it of using the justice system to silence its critics, including in the media. The Caracas chapter of Venezuela’s National College of Journalists President Nicolas on Saturday called the ruling Maduro “a further step toward the liqney for El Nacional, said in a uidation of freedom of exprestelephone interview yester- sion in Venezuela.”

Government officials freday that the paper would ask the court to clarify how it ar- quently accuse independent rived at that figure, a first step media outlets of publishing toward potentially asking the false information as part of a campaign backed by the opcourt to lower the amount.

“It is an astronomical position and the United States to destabilize the govamount,” Garanton said.

Cabello denies any links ernment.

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Sunday April 18, 2021

Kaieteur News

Putin critic Navalny could ‘die within days’, say doctors www.bbc.com: Doctors for the jailed Russian opposition activist Alexei Navalny say he “will die within the next few days” if not given medical attention.

Doctors say recent blood test results indicate he could suffer cardiac arrest or kidney failure at any moment.

Navalny has been on a hunger strike for 18 days, to demand proper treatment for acute back pain and leg numbness.

A prominent critic of President Vladimir Putin, he was jailed in February for old embezzlement charges.

Four doctors, including his personal physician, Anastasia Vasilyeva, have written to prison officials to ask for permission to see him urgently.

In the letter, which Dr Vasilyeva posted on Twitter, the experts said Alexei Navalny’s potassium had

reached “critical levels”.

“This means both impaired renal function and that serious heart rhythm problems can happen any minute,” it explained.

Having blood potassium levels higher than 6.0 mmol (millimoles) per litre usually requires immediate treatment.

Navalny’s blood test results, which were obtained by his lawyers, showed his were at 7.1, the letter said.

The doctors have urged prison officials to let them examine Navalny immediately, “taking into account the blood tests and his recent poisoning”.

Alexei Navalny, 44, nearly died in August 2020 when he was poisoned with the chemical nerve agent, Novichock.

He accuses President Vladimir Putin of ordering the poisoning, which the Kremlin denies.

Navalny’s wife Yulia said

Vladimir Putin’s most prominent critic, Alexei Navaalny, was jailed in February her husband now weighed 76kg (168 pounds), which is down 9kg since starting his hunger strike, according to AP. Alexander Polupan, who was one of the doctors to treat Navalny after the poisoning, posted an image of his blood

test results, and said they were an “absolute indication” that he needed urgent medical care or he would “die within the next days”.

Also joining the call for action are more than 70 well known writers, artists and academics, who have have signed a letter calling on President Putin to ensure Navalny receives adequate medical care.

The letter was published The Economist and France’s

Le Monde newspaper, and included the signatures of Hollywood actors Jude Law, Ralph Fiennes and Benedict Cumberbatch, Harry Potter author JK Rowling and director Ken Burns.

US President Joe Biden told reporters on Saturday that Navalny’s medical treatment is “totally unfair and totally inappropriate”. In March, US intelligence concluded that the Russian government was behind the nerve agent

attack. The Biden administration imposed sanctions on senior Russian officials, and now Moscow is doing similar in retaliation. media captionAlexei Navalny: what you need to knowNavalny says he is suffering from acute back pain and numbness in his right leg. Earlier this month, he complained of a persistent cough and high temperature, and was moved to a sick ward in the prison in the town of Pokrov.He went on the hunger strike to demand access to his own medical team.

Russia’s prison authorities say he has refused treatment from their doctor.

Navalny’s lawyers, who have been visiting him in custody, say there are no doctors at the prison and the medical unit on-site is run by a single paramedic.

Human rights campaigners say the prison is known for its especially harsh conditions, and Amnesty International said Navalny had been incarcerated in conditions that amount to torture and may slowly be killing him.

Sunday April 18, 2021

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Kaieteur News

Covid-19 deaths pass three million worldwide www.bbc.com: The number of people who have died worldwide in the Covid-19 pandemic has surpassed three million, according to Johns Hopkins University.

The milestone comes the day after the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) warned the world was “approaching the highest rate of infection” so far.

India - experiencing a second wave - recorded more than 230,000 new cases on Saturday alone.

Almost 140 million cases have been recorded since the pandemic began.

WHO chief Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned on Friday last that “cases and deaths are continuing to increase at worrying rates”.

He added that “globally, the number of new cases per week has nearly doubled over the past two months”.

The US, India and Brazil the countries with the most recorded infections - have accounted for more than a million deaths between them, according to Johns Hopkins University.

Last week saw an average of 12,000 deaths a day reported around the world, according to news agency AFP. However, official figures worldwide may not fully reflect the true number in many countries.

WHAT’S HAPPENING IN INDIA? Up until a few weeks ago, India appeared to have the pandemic relatively under control. Cases had been below 20,000 a day for much of January and February - a low figure in a country of more than a 1.3 billion people.

But then infections began to rise rapidly: Saturday saw a record set for the third day in a row, with more than 234,000 cases reported.

Hospitals are running low on beds and oxygen. Sick people are being turned away, and some families are turning to the black market to get the drugs they need. A BBC investigation found medication being offered at five times the official price.

The capital Delhi has gone into lockdown over the weekend, with restrictions put in place in several other states, as officials try to stem the tide.

All eyes are now on the Kumbh Mela festival, which has continued despite fears the millions of Hindu devotees who attend each year could bring the virus home with them. Some 1,600 people tested positive this week at the gathering in the northern state of Uttrakhand, with pictures showing thousands gathered closely together along the banks of the Ganges river.

It has led Prime Minister Narendra Modi to plead with

people to refrain from gathering.

WHERE ELSEARE CASES RISING? Brazil - which has recorded the third highest number of cases and, at 368,749, the second highest number of deaths - is still struggling to control the outbreak.

On Friday, the health ministry announced more than 85,000 new cases over the previous 24 hours and 3,305 deaths.

Canada has also reported a recent rise, registering more cases per million than the US over the last week the first time this has happened since the pandemic began.

Papua New Guinea has also been highlighted as a cause for concern. The World Health Organization head, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, noted “the potential for a much larger epidemic” in the Pacific nation following a sharp increase in cases.He added that the country - which has received 140,000 vaccine doses through Australia and the Covax scheme - is a “perfect example of why vaccine equity is so important”.

How is vaccination going globally?

More than 860 million doses of coronavirus vaccines have been administered, in 165 countries worldwide.

However, Dr Tedros told UN officials on Friday: “Vaccine equity is the challenge of our time - and we are failing.”

Some countries have secured and delivered doses to a large proportion of their population.

Those with high vaccinations rates, such as the UK and Israel, have seen their numbers of new infections drop sharply. Scientists at Imperial College London say the UK’s vaccine rollout could be “breaking the link” between infections, deaths and hospital admissions.

A leading Israeli doctor said this week he believed Israel - where more than half the population has been vaccinated - may be close to reaching “herd immunity”.

While Israel has distributed 119 doses per 100 people, just 2.81 doses per 100 have been given in the Palestinian territories, recent data from Our World in Data at Oxford University showed.

But many more countries are still waiting for their first shipments to arrive.

That is leading to warnings about growing “vaccine inequity” - jabs not being being shared fairly between rich and poorer countries.

Dr Tedros pointed out that in high-income countries, one in four people have received a vaccine, compared with only one in 400 in poorer countries.

The WHO is working on a global scheme, Covax, to get rich countries to share their jabs with lower income countries. Covax plans to deliver about two billion vaccine doses globally by the end of the year, but many vaccines require two doses per person.

Scientists are also worried about how effective the current jabs will be against fastspreading new variants of the disease.

Research is ongoing into updated jabs that work against the variants and some countries are considering

whether booster shots will be needed.

Experts are closely studying them to understand if vaccines may need to be updated to be more effective. Some countries are considering whether booster shots will be needed.

Professor Adam Finn, a member of the UK’s Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), said he expected a “gradual erosion” of vaccine protection as the virus evolves, but immunity from vaccines “won’t just disappear”.

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Sunday April 18, 2021

Kaieteur News

Myanmar releases prisoners for New Year, though likely not dissidents (CNN)Authorities in Myanmar will release 23,184 prisoners from jails across the country on Saturday under a New Year amnesty, a Prisons Department spokesman said.

But few, if any, democracy activists arrested since the February 1 coup are expected to be among them.

Saturday is the first day of the traditional New Year in Myanmar and the last day of a five-day holiday usually celebrated with visits to Buddhist temples and rowdy wa-

ter throwing and partying in the streets.

Pro-democracy activists called for the cancellation of the festivities this year and instead for people to focus on a campaign to restore democracy after the military ousted the elected civilian government of Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi. Suu Kyi is among 3,141 people arrested in connection with the coup, according to a tally by the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP) activist group.

“These detainees are mostly from before February 1 but there are also some who were imprisoned after,” Prisons Department spokesman Kyaw Tun Oo told Reuters by telephone.

Asked if any of those being freed might have been detained in connection with the protests against military rule, he said he did not have details of the amnesties.

While the military was freeing the thousands of prisoners, it was also seeking 832 people on warrants in connection with the protests, the AAPP said.

Among them are 200 people — including several internet celebrities, actors and singers who have spoken out against the coup — wanted on a charge of encouraging dissent in the armed forces.

Two of them, the married couple of film director Christina Kyi and actor Zenn Kyi,

were detained at the airport in the main city of Yangon on Saturday as they tried to leave the country, several media outlets reported.

A spokesman for the junta did not answer calls seeking comment.

Myanmar has been in crisis since the coup, which the military defended with accusations of fraud in a November election won by Suu Kyi’s party, though the election commission dismissed the objections.

The ousted government had held power for the first five years of civilian rule since nearly half a century of army rule ended.

Political leaders, including ousted members of parliament, announced the formation of a National Unity Government (NUG) on Friday including Suu Kyi and leaders of the anti-coup protests and ethnic minorities.

Special Envoy to the

United Nations, Dr. Sasa, who represents Myanmar’s now ousted and disbanded parliament, told a press conference Friday that the NUG will attempt to amalgamate Myanmar’s ethnic armed organizations to form a “federal army.”

Dr. Sasa referred to coup leader Min Aung Hlaing, commander-in-chief of the Myanmar Defense Services, as “the murderer in chief.”

More than 700 anti-coup protesters have been killed by security forces since Min Aung Hlaing seized power on February 1.

The new army will embrace defectors from Myanmar’s security forces and encourage them to bring their own weapons, Dr. Sasa said.

The NUG says it is the legitimate political authority and has called for international recognition.

The junta has yet to comment on the unity government but has said it will hold a new election within two years and hand power to the winner.

Two senior diplomats

from the U.S. State Department have agreed with Myanmar’s newly-formed shadow civilian government on “the importance of restoring Burma’s path to democracy,” according to a tweet posted by US Asia Pacific Media Hub Friday.

In the post, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs Atul Keshap and Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor Scott Busby are tagged and photographed as being in agreement with the Committee Representing Pyidaungsu Hluttaw (CRPH), which announced the formation of the NUG Friday.

The hugely popular Suu Kyi faces various changes, including violating an official secrets act that could see her jailed for 14 years.

Her lawyers dismiss the charges.

Her supporters suspect the military will use the charges to exclude Suu Kyi and perhaps her political party from any future election.

Kaieteur News

Sunday April 18, 2021

PAGE 17

New initiative launched to tackle prevalence of sexual violence against boys C

hild advocacy g r o u p , ChildLinK Guyana, is behind a new initiative launched to tackle the prevalence of sexual violence perpetuated against boys.

The 1000 Boys Initiative launched virtually on Friday is set to highlight the harmful social norms that drive abuse against boys.

The initiative builds on the work of both government and civil society agencies for protecting boys from all forms of abuse, particularly sexual abuse.

The initiative has received praise from Minister of Human Services and Social Security, Dr. Vi n d h y a P e r s a u d . I n delivering the feature address at the launch held on Friday, Minister Persaud underscored the significance to examine how sexual violence affects boys, measures that can be implemented to eliminate it, and how changing stereotypical attitudes towards their protection can make a difference.

“We must continue to highlight the harmful social norms that drive abuse against boys such as sociocultural norms related to childhood that increase the vulnerability of boys to sexual violence, both

Minister of Human Services and Social Security, Dr. Vindhya Persaud

The panel at the virtual launch of the 1000 Boys Initiative on Friday

directly and indirectly. These norms and values contribute to under-reporting of sexual abuse of boys, the normalisation of harmful sexual behaviours and the prevailing assumptions that

it is girls who are primarily affected by sexual violence.

All stakeholders must collaborate to change stereotypical behavioural norms,” Dr. Persaud noted.

The Minister said that

she hopes that through partnerships, the project in the long term should evolve and will further strengthen institutional child protection systems throughout Guyana.

ChildLinK, in a recent

letter, had previously alluded to studies that point to the gender norms that play a big role in the violence that continues to be meted out against boys.

The advocacy group had noted that from young boys are taught that they must be providers who must not only be strong, but also protectors for those who are deemed weaker than they are.

“They themselves are not allowed to enable or exhibit weakness.

These patriarchal customs keep young boys and men trapped within a narrow idea of what it means to be and act like a man.

These customs unfortunately have many toxic elements that contribute towards the violence that is both

experienced and perpetuated by men and boys,” the letter had stated.

Additionally, ChildLinK has noted that while the increase in reported cases is a positive indication that the issue is being brought to light, the increase in reports also expounds on the fact that there is an urgent need for evidence-based campaigns that focus on the care of boys.

As such, over the past two years, ChildLinK has placed emphasis on addressing the violence that young boys face through a public education campaign with encourages adults to play a greater role in protecting boys from harm and supporting their wellbeing.

Sunday April 18, 2021

Kaieteur News

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Sunday April 18, 2021

CGX pledges assets to partner …money to finance drill campaign, for US$19M loan works on deepwater harbour C

anadian oil exploration company, CGX Inc., on Friday announced that it has secured a US$19M loan from its joint venture partner offshore Guyana.

The loan, according to the partners, is meant to finance CGX's share of costs related to the development of its Corentyne, Demerara and Berbice oil blocks, its

Berbice deepwater port project, and other budgeted spending for the year.

The agreement with Frontera dictates that the loan to CGX will be available for drawdown in tranches on a non-revolving basis until October 31, 2021 or the date on which CGX enters, or its subsidiaries e n t e r, i n t o a b i n d i n g transaction that provides

funds to repay the amounts outstanding under the loan.

It was noted by the joint venture partners that the loan, together with all interest accrued, shall be due and payable on June 30, 2022, or such later date as determined by Frontera, at its sole discretion. Interest payable on the principal amount outstanding shall accrue at a rate of 9.7 percent

annually, payable monthly in cash, with interest on overdue interest.

Additionally, under the loan agreement, if the loan is extended by Frontera past June 30, 2022, at its sole discretion, the new interest rate will be 15 percent per annum.

The loan, according to the partners “will be secured by all the assets of CGX.”

The loan agreement also includes a standby fee of 2% multiplied by the daily average amount of unused commitment under the loan payable quarterly in arrears

by CGX during the drawdown period.

It was noted too, that subject to the requisite approvals, Frontera in its sole discretion, may elect to convert all or a portion of the principal amount of the loan into common shares in the capital of CGX at the conversion price per common share.

The maximum number of common shares which may be acquired by Frontera upon the conversion of the loan, is 26,685,393 common shares, which represents approximately 9.28% of the currently issued and outstanding common shares of CGX. The loan remains subject to customary conditions, including the negotiation and execution of definitive agreements between Frontera and CGX and obtaining regulatory approvals.

Chief Executive Officer of Frontera, Orlando Cabrales, in making the joint announcement noted, “Our joint venture with CGX represents a significant growth opportunity for both companies and is rooted in a commitment to the Guyanese government to develop these world class assets with a focus on local engagement and the development of infrastructure. Completing the loan agreement with CGX is an important step forward and the Joint Venture

CGX Chairman, Professor Suresh Narine remains firmly on-track to spud its first offshore Guyana well as planned in the second half of this year."

Executive Co-Chairman of CGX, Professor Suresh Narine, in his remarks said, "These are exciting times for CGX, the Joint Venture and our stakeholders as we get closer to spudding Kawa-1."

He said, "we have exciting exploration plans for the Kawa-1 and Makarapan-1 wells on the Corentyne and Demerara Blocks and, as importantly, we are developing the infrastructure necessary to support and enhance broader energy and trade industry activity through the Berbice Deepwater Port Project.”

According to Professor Narine, the companies are looking forward to executing on their programs and creating value and opportunity for stakeholders.

Sunday April 18, 2021

Ms Rameshwarie Devi Jairam

This week’s beauty is Ms. Rameshwarie Devi Jairam. This gorgeous belle is one of the finalists in the upcoming Miss India Worldwide. She is 23-years-old and is pursuing a career in Marketing. Kaieteur News wishes her all the best in her future endeavours.

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Sunday April 18, 2021

, il o s e h t f o n o s ic t io Patr

, s u h c c a B JP Shakir is a 'Special Person'

By Malisa Playter-Harry

I

t was Albert Einstein who said “strive not to be a success, but rather to be of value” and Shakir Bacchus, a Commissioner of Oaths and Justice of the Peace (JP) from the Ancient County of Berbice, has lived up to this thereby becoming a valued asset in his society.

The 73-year-old, who lives at Hampshire Village, Corentyne, Berbice, is known by many persons throughout the length and breadth of Berbice and some other parts of the country as well. The work that he has done for many has made a lasting impression in their lives.

Born on Valentine's Day back in 1948, Bacchus grew up with his parents and eight siblings. He spent his childhood days on the sugar plantation at Lusignan, East Coast Demerara, where his parents worked to maintain their large family. Because of their dedicated work on the sugar plantation, his parents were each afforded the opportunity of acquiring half an acre of rice lands, which they cultivated for family purposes.

In a recent exclusive interview with Kaieteur News, the now well-known Bacchus recalled that during his formative years he attended a primary school at Lusignan. His siblings, he said, attended various other

schools in Georgetown.

When he completed his primary education at the age of 12, Bacchus said that he was given a scholarship to attend the Kitty Progressive College.

“The school offered it just when it was opening, so they had a placement application for entrance and some of us applied...they offered five persons a scholarship and I was among the five and I progressed there,” he shared.

There, he completed the

Without getting into specifics about his Estate job, Bacchus went on to speak about his marriage life, recalling that in 1982 he got married to his lovely wife, Bibi. The union, he said, yielded two beautiful daughters, Farona (now deceased) and Zarifa. He is currently a proud grandfather of two as well.

While he worked at the Estate, Bacchus said he chose to become involved in the “political scene,” even

Citizens' Association, which started back in 1937 with the aim of representing sugar workers. His father, he said too, was a Trade Unionist “but felt that injustices were meted out to sugar workers and they had no voice.” As a result, Bacchus said that his father had raised these concerns with the then leader of the Manpower Citizens Association, Mr. Richard Ishmael. But his father, Bacchus said, got no satisfaction because “it

“We should live as one nation and pursue one destiny, that is, the betterment of good for Guyana so that the future generation can build from what we have left and mount up to Mount Everest.

College of Preceptors examinations and then went on to pursue three subjects English Language, English Literature and Geography at the GCE O' Level.

Bacchus, at the age of 20, applied and was successful in his bid to become a teacher at his Alma mater (Kitty Progressive College).

He would teach there for one year before deciding to apply for a position as a Clerk at the Enmore Sugar Estate. He qualified instead for a senior position.

joining Dr. Cheddi Jagan in campaign activities. He campaigned at the Rose Hall Estate for the People's Progressive Party in 1992 and admitted that he was motivated to do so because of his father. “I grew up in it,” said Bacchus.

INSPIRED

BY HIS DAD As he recalled his father's political involvement back i n t h e d a y, B a c c h u s mentioned that he (his father) was an executive member of the Manpower

”

appears they were all in collusion with the sugar planters against workers.”

Bacchus said that his father then left the Association with a plan to represent and fight for sugar workers independently. But he was ostracised, Bacchus recalled.

His father, he said, had moved from the Lusignan Estate to the Enmore Estate but later returned to Lusignan as he was offered the position of Shift Hand there.

“Because of his consistency in his work

JP Shakir Bacchus is a 'Special Person' whether there was strike or no strike, he worked continuously when they offered him a Shift Hand (position) on the drainage and irrigation pumping station at Lusignan,” Bacchus said of his father.

The pensioner, who now operates as a JP and Commissioner of Oath from his Hampshire residence, said that his father “inspired me to go into politics because I grew up in poverty.

We had to go to school up until high school with bare pants; no bukta (underpants) was under it.

My life was challenging in the form of obtaining wealth but it was a pleasant way of living in the unity of the family. We were brought up in such a home that there was always joy in us and there was always sharing with family and parents, love towards brothers and sisters; grandparents were kind and helpful, and in their eyes, we never committed an error.”

LOVE FOR COUNTRY When he started out in politics, Bacchus recalled meeting a man by the name of Rohit Persaud, a former

Posing next to one of his prized possessions; a car he has owned for 53 years

organiser for the PPP on the East Coast Demerara. He noted that it was Persaud who advised him to advance himself academically.

He mentioned that after working at the Enmore Estate he was transferred to the Albion Sugar Estate and worked on the broiler.

Nevertheless, he continued to further his studies. While working he attended the Port Mourant Training School for two years before moving on to the New Amsterdam Technical Institute for three years.

He subsequently acquired “structural engineering theory and compliance and I became a structural engineer within the contractual confines at the project section at GuySuCo.” Reminiscing on his past Bacchus said, “when I went on the platform with Forbes Burnham when he took over the sugar estates in nationalising it at Rose Hall, Canje…we gave our support and said that the patrimony and the national treasury belong to Guyanese and not expatriates and we were one and said that Guyana is our property, Guyana is our (continued on page 55)

Kaieteur News

Sunday April 18, 2021

PAGE 23

Kangaroo justice I

t took almost 40 years for the appeal into the conviction of Donald Rodney to be heard and upheld. That must be some kind of world record.

Donald Rodney was in the car with his brother, Dr. Walter Rodney, when a bomb exploded killing the renowned historian on 13th June 1980. Weeks after the assassination of Walter, his brother Donald was charged with the unlawful possession of explosives.

Two years later he was found guilty after the conclusion of a kangaroo trial. He was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment. His lawyer filed an appeal but another unauthorised appeal was also mysteriously filed.

That latter appeal was heard in the Full Court and in 2010 and was dismissed for want of appearance. The implication was Rodney's conviction was upheld.

But perhaps of greater significance was the kangaroo trial to which he had been subjected. He had been found guilty even though it was obvious that he could not have known that the item, which he had collected from Gregory Smith and handed to his brother, believing it to be a walkie-talkie, was in fact an explosive device. In fact, no evidence was ever led to establish that the item was an explosive much less that Donald Rodney knew that it was an explosive.

But that was the nature of justice dispensed during a dictatorship. One man has suffered immensely because of kangaroo justice. His job required him to be in good standing with the law before he could be licensed. As such, he could not work in Guyana and in fact had he not gotten political asylum he would have had to serve time in jail.

Donald Rodney was subject to kangaroo trials –

this is a feature of political dictatorships. The framing of political opponents and the use of the judiciary to punish opponents of the government is well established in Latin American history.

The PNC regime, which was implicated in the assassination of Walter Rodney, was a dictatorship.

And its reach extended to the judiciary to the point where at one time the PNC flag flew over the Court of Appeal.

The WPA, more than any other local political party, ought to have been aware of the dangers which dictatorships pose to the rule of law. The conviction of Donald Rodney would not have been an isolated event in the history of the party.

Eusi Kwayana had in 2015 called for the then Attorney General to take steps to quash the conviction of Donald Rodney. But it is not clear how this was to be achieved since the Attorney General has no powers to nullify any conviction.

In 2017, the party of Walter Rodney had called for the charges against Donald Rodney to be withdrawn.

This was a most absurd appeal since Donald Rodney had been tried and convicted in his absence and had even been pardoned by the PPP/C. As such, there was nothing to be withdrawn.

T h e W PA h o w e v e r suffered political amnesia from March 2, 2020 to August 2, 2020. It refused to see the danger inherent in the attempted rigging of the elections. And to think that it was part of the Coalition which stood to benefit from that rigging.

It saw only the loss of political power, refusing to recall that political dictatorships end up being oppressive against citizens to the point of perverting the rule of law, including through kangaroo trials.

This is why the WPA has no more credibility. It turned its back against the people when it refused to condemn the most blatant and transparent attempt ever to steal an election.

If dictatorship had been returned to Guyana in 2020, the monster would have turned against the very WPA, which refused to condemn the attempted rigging.

Guyana was in grave danger because of what happened

between March and August 2020. And the WPA was complicit by its silence.

But there is still a postscript to be written to this drama. On the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the assassination of Walter Rodney, and at the request of friends of Rodney, not the local WPA, the National Security Archive released documents, which it had acquired on Rodney's assassination. These

documents implicate a former Disciplined Services big wig in arranging for the alleged murderer of Rodney to be flown out of Guyana and to be provided with a job in French Guiana.

The APNU+AFC, of which the WPA was a m e m b e r, a b o r t e d t h e Commission of Inquiry after evidence emerged implicating Burnham and persons close to the PNC. It is now time to reopen that

Commission of Inquiry so that the testimonies of certain persons, who are still alive and kicking, can be heard and those testimonies subject to crossexamination.

(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper.)

Kaieteur News

PAGE 24

Sunday April 18, 2021

Small countries need an IMF that is a lender of conscience

By Sir Ronald Sanders

A

s undesirable as it may be, governments of Caribbean countries that are not in International Monetary Fund (IMF) programmes are being pushed in that direction.

Through no bad policy decisions that they have made, governments are

confronted with considerably reduced revenues and extraordinary expenses because of the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Many countries, particularly those regarded by the international community as ‘high income,’ have exhausted their capacity to borrow from commercial markets

and to issue bonds. They have been denied access to concessional financing by the IMF and World Bank.

Faced with sudden high unemployment caused by the severe decline in tourism, and continuous high expenditure on public health, including managing the coronavirus and purchasing costly COVID19 vaccines, as well as

gravely reduced income, Governments will have to engage the IMF as a lender of last resort.

It is either an IMF programme or a prolonged period of economic decline that will make recovery even more difficult than it already is. The present financial predicament in many Caribbean countries is worse than any plight caused in the

past by hurricanes. It is far deeper in its effects and much longer in its duration.

Many governments have been unable to service their international debt that lenders, especially those in the Paris Club, continue to insist must be repaid in full, adding interest that is building a huge burden that will weigh down countries for decades to come.

They have also incurred debt with domestic banks and other creditors that provide services. In the reduced financial circumstances in which they operate, governments are strained to settle these obligations, tightening conditions in the economy, and limiting the possibilities of new borrowing.

Hope, by tourism dependent countries, that the industry would have rebounded by now, has been dashed. Realistically, there is no bright prospect that, even by the last quarter of this year, tourism by sea and air will bounce back sufficiently to make a meaningful difference.

And, with the best will in the world, diversification into import substitution projects, while helpful and necessary, will not have a substantial impact on revenues and employment.

The tourism situation is worsened by the latest methodology adopted by the US Centres for Disease Control that places most Caribbean countries at ‘Level 4’ – very high risk.

Changing that categorisation will require measures to curb the rate of COVID-19 infection further, and to accelerate inoculation of the population. These measures need funds that governments are hard pressed to find.

In terms of inoculation, as of April 15, the following was the level of inoculation in CARICOM countries: Antigua and Barbuda, 27.6 percent; Montserrat 25.3 percent; Dominica 24.6 percent; Barbados 22.9 percent; St. Kitts-Nevis 19.6 percent; St. Lucia 11 percent.

Thereafter, all CARICOM countries are below 10 percent with five of them below three percent.

The COVAX facility, organised by the World Health Organisation, promises deliveries of supplies it has negotiated

Sir Ronald Sanders with major pharmaceutical companies. But governments of rich countries, representing 18 percent of the world’s population, have bought 4.6 billion doses or 60 percent of available supply.

The competition by the governments of the remaining 82 percent of the global population is obvious.

There have been pledges to donate money to COVAX to help developing countries, such as those in the Caribbean, to obtain vaccines. But many of the pledges have not yet been delivered.

More importantly, the main producers of COVID19 vaccines cannot fulfil any new orders before the first quarter of 2022.

R e g r e t t a b l y, t h e International Financial Institutions (IFIs), and the rich nations that control their policies, continue to apply criteria for access to funding that should long have been discarded and which make little practical sense in today’s conditions.

But, CARICOM countries, apart from Guyana and Suriname with their high growth rates and revenues from oil and gas, have little choice but to engage the IMF for support programmes.

Recourse to the IMF is a last resort. Over the years, the tough conditions for support from the Fund have caused countries to avoid it.

But, in the current circumstances, for many countries, the IMF has become the necessary option to get the financial liquidity that they need urgently.

It is claimed that the language and approach of the IMF have changed, and that the institution has become more flexible and less dogmatic.

The proof of that pudding is in the eating.

Therefore, governments will engage the IMF, recognising that their options are limited.

They will do so with caution.

The last thing they want is additional debt tied to stringent conditions such as more taxes, cuts in public service employment and immediate repayment of (continued on page 49)

Sunday April 18, 2021

PAGE 25

Kaieteur News

Dear Reader, in light of the economic impact caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, our publisher, with you in mind, has taken the decision to extend our weekly review of some of our major stories in their entirety.

SUNDAY GRA granted $442B in tax exemptions from Jan. 2016 to May 2020 – 2019 waivers four times more than 2016 For the period January 2016 to May 2020, the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) granted a whopping $$422B in tax exemptions. The waivers were granted to Diplomats; Hospitals; Remigrants; Companies/ Businesses; Foreign Funded Projects; Public Officials/ Officers; Churches/ Charitable organisations, and Ministries or government departments.

The category with the most tax exemptions for the period highlighted was ‘Companies/businesses.’

Taxes exempted in 2016 for example, stood at $30.3B then jumped to $172.3B in 2019.

Exemptions for companies/ businesses stood at $51B for the first five months of 2020 alone, despite a massive economic slowdown for that year.

Kaieteur News also noted that exemptions for 2019 waivers totalled $181.2B, making it four times more than what was granted in 2016.

The GRA noted, in documents seen by this paper, that the increase in taxes being exempted to companies/businesses over the years was due primarily to the introduction of the oil and gas sector.

It was further noted that the emergence of the sector led to the approval of 98 Tax Exemption Certificates/letters for Value Added Tax (VAT) on services provided by firms to several companies including Guyana Industrial Minerals, ExxonMobil’s subsidiary Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited, Repsol Exploration, and Tullow. GRA said that these certificates are renewed yearly based on the expiration date on the various Investment Agreements.

It is important to note that the exemptions granted by GRA to the oil sector are based on the deals Guyana would have signed with ExxonMobil and other oil majors. Guyana’s Production Sharing Agreements (PSAs) with these exploration companies specifically state that the oil majors, their subcontractors, and affiliated

companies, are free of all duties, taxes and any other levies.

Since 2016, calls have been unceasing for the review of Guyana’s systems governing tax exemption as they are deemed to be too exorbitant. Even the Tax Reform Commission (TRC), which was set up by the Granger administration, had called for the review of the concessions granted to companies in various sectors.

The Commission had comprised of National Industrial and Commercial Investment Limited (NICIL) head, Maurice Odle; Chartered Accountant, Christopher Ram; Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) Commissioner General, Godfrey Statia and economist Dr. Thomas Singh.

In its report, the Commission had highlighted that Guyana is one of the leading countries in the Caribbean region with massive overlay of tax exemptions and remissions that ultimately make tax administration difficult and revenue losses significant.

The Commission pointed out that the relatively weak revenue buoyancy in Guyana in recent years is related to the spate of tax incentives that have been granted to companies. It had also stressed that more detailed studies of the economic efficiency and revenue costs of these exemptions should be undertaken in order to plan a transition away from usebased exemptions to more limited automated exemptions.

Furthermore, the Commission had said that the losses from the granting of Investment Development Agreements are a cause for some concern. The TRC pointed out that many sectors receive concessions

that even exceed what they contribute in taxes. The Commission had also said that while this fact itself does not per se justify the abolition or the withdrawal of the concessions, “it is clear that an urgent review is required.”

Equally important, the Commission had said, is the need for a post-audit system for concessions granted including the posting of a bond/guarantee to ensure that commitments are met. It called too for a periodic audit and publication of reports of tax holidays granted and investment agreements entered into.

GMR&SC SUSPENDED FOR HOSTING “PAPER SHORTS’” FUNERAL The Guyana Motor Racing and Sports Club (GMR&SC) located at Thomas Lands, Georgetown has been ordered by the National Covid-19 Task Force (NCTF) to shut its doors for one month. According to a member of the NCTF, GMR&SC’s operations was suspended from March 30 to April 30 because it breached the Covid-19 guidelines by hosting a large gathering on March 29.

That gathering, Kaieteur News was told, was the funeral service of slain gold dealer, Ricardo Fagundes, better known as “Paper Shorts”.

Fagundes, a member of GMR&SC, was gunned down on March 21 in front of Palm Court by two men who emerged from a white Toyota Fielder wagon.

On March 26, on its Facebook page, GMR&SC announced that his funeral would be held at its Thomas Lands premises. In a subsequent Facebook post, it made on March 28, just one

day before the service, GMR&SC stated that persons attending “must follow all Covid-19 guidelines and wear masks”.

The NCTF noted that despite a majority of the attendees having had on masks and made efforts to sanitize, there was very little social distancing. The gazetted Covid-19 measures prohibit persons from hosting large gatherings such as funerals, party, etc. The NCTF observed that there were more than a hundred persons attending Fagundes’ funeral service and decided to suspend the club’s operations.

MONDAY BET ONAGRICULTURE TO BEAT RESOURCE CURSE - PROF. TERRENCE BLACKMAN Oil will come and go. But if a country truly intends to capitalise on this resource in the long term, its best bet would be to invest its earnings from the new resource, in the nation’s traditional agriculture sector.

This is according to Dr. Terrence Blackman, Associate Professor of Mathematics at the Medgar Evers College, New York, USA during a recent interview with Kaieteur Radio’s, Guyana’s Oil and You moderator, Kiana Wilburg.

She was at the time enquiring into Professor Blackman’s views on the matter of diversification of the country’s earnings base using its newfound oil and gas wealth.

Professor Blackman noted that while he thinks agriculture is an important Sector, it has not always been an appealing prospect for very many people in the country.

Be that as it may, the USbased Guyanese said it must be recognized that the food import bill for the region alone, represents an enormous opportunity for the country. Professor Blackman recalled that at the time he addressed his mind to the matter of Guyana’s spending of its oil resources, the regional food import bill was some US$4B. He posited that were Guyana to tap into just 10 percent of that, it would mean earning some US$400M annually and that this, “is the opportunity we have as a nation at this moment; we have this money but this money is not going to last.”

Professor Blackman qualified his position by underscoring that when the oil operators in the Stabroek Block have depleted the reserves, it would not be replenished.

“Once they take the oil, we can’t replace it,” he said, then following by explaining that, “it’s taken millions of years for this oil to be there so once you use it, that’s it; now you have these pieces of paper (money) in a federal reserve bank.”

With this in mind, Professor Blackman suggested, “the bet we have to make is on agriculture and if we can do agriculture right, then I think we can really, we can beat the resource curse.”

Further cementing his argument and calling for a clear plan to be developed with regards to how the country intends to spend its oil and gas earnings, Professor Blackman underscored the size of the nation’s arable land that is available for agriculture, in addition to the fact that, “we are not a very densely populated place.”

He also pointed to questions of climate change

and renewable energy that have to be factored into any long-term spending plan to be implemented.

Underscoring the world’s shift towards cleaner energy sources, he posited, “We are at this moment where it’s tipping; we have to take this money and use it as an opportunity to pivot to something else.”

According to Professor Blackman, any decision taken for pivoting to something else will ultimately have to be lived with by the Guyanese populace but “for me I see agriculture as the way.”

ELECTIONS PETITION CASE…GECOM COURT SUBMISSIONS NEVER DISCUSSED COLLECTIVELY - COMMISSIONERS Opposition-nominated Commissioners to the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) have rebuffed statements attributed to GECOM’s Attorney-at-Law, Anthony Astaphan to say his submissions to the court were never discussed by the electoral body.

The disclosure was had over the weekend in a public missive penned by the three APNU+AFC Commissioners, namely Vincent Alexander, Charles Corbin and Desmond Trotman.

According to the missive by the trio, subsequent to the hearing of the Election Petition number 88 on Wednesday last, sections of the media reported that GECOM proposed that the Petition be thrown out.

According to the Commissioners, “while it might be true that attorneyat-law Astaphan, who is representing GECOM in this matter, would have proffered (Continued on page 26)

PAGE 26

From page 25 that position, it is a gross misrepresentation to attribute his submission to GECOM, as a matter of fact.”

The trio maintained that “we the Commissioners, whose nominations originated from the APNUAFC or their predecessor, do not subscribe to the view that Astaphan’s submission is reflective of GECOM’s position.”

They underscored that, “without comment on, or prejudice to his submission, let it be known that at no time did the Commission discuss the Petition and or determine as a Commission a position on the matter.”

It was noted too that “there is no brief that can be sourced to the Commission, as a collective of Commissioners.”

This publication had reported following the court hearing that Astaphan— GECOM’s lead attorney— had rebuffed the claims outlined in the election petition challenging the outcome of the March 2, 2020 General and Regional Elections results and had requested that the petition be thrown out.

According to the GECOM attorney, “Section 22 (of the Election Laws (Amendment) Act) got its constitutional authority and genesis from the Constitution… Order 60 is entirely consistent with the Constitution also and the purpose was transparent, enacted in good faith and intended to remove the difficulties to allow for a declaration.”

The lawyer noted that since there was difficulty with the elections, Order No. 60 of 2020 was created by virtue of Article 162 (1) (b) of the Constitution and Section 22 of the Elections Laws Amendment Act to resolve irregularities, discrepancies, and anomalies occurring in the elections process and to determine a final credible count.

In those circumstances, Astaphan told the court, “We are not conceding any breach at all.”

Astaphan argued too, that the petitioners needed to prove total non-compliance with the law, since they have not done so in their written or oral submissions.

The lawyer made specific reference to Article 162 (1) (b) of the Constitution of Guyana.

He noted that “The Acts of Parliament must be read subject to the overriding powers of the Constitution which give GECOM discretion on how the law was to be applied to allow for fair, impartial interpretation of the

Sunday April 18, 2021

Kaieteur News

law.”

The lawyer noted, that for the petitioners to show that there was total noncompliance “A mere breach is not enough. It has to be a substantial non-compliance that introduces something; introducing a principle that is hostile to the fundamental constitutional principle,” he emphasized.

As such, Astaphan told the Chief Justice that even if she finds that there was a breach, there were no consequences, which affected the conduct or result of the count, and therefore the election petition should be dismissed.

In his submissions, lead attorney for the petitioners, John Jeremie, asked the court to determine, among other things, questions of whether the elections have been lawfully conducted or whether the results have been, or may have been affected by any unlawful act or omission and in consequence thereof, whether the seats in the National Assembly have been lawfully allocated.

He pointed to a series of claims that he believes would lead the court to discredit the constitutionality of the elections laws or the lawfulness of the recount order, which led to the triumph of the ruling People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/ C).

TUESDAY GUYANESE MUST NOT BE COOKS AND SERVANTS FOR OIL INDUSTRY Ever since Guyana discovered billions of barrels of oil back in 2015, there have been intense public debates over proposed local content policies and possible legislation.

There has, however, been little focus on building domestic capacity in order for Guyanese to be able to engage the industry in a meaningful way, or to prepare them to take on ‘high-end’ jobs that will emerge over the coming years in the still nascent industry.

This supposition was vocalised this past week by Associate Professor of Mathematics at the Medgar Evers College in New York, USA, Professor Terrence Blackman, during an interview on Kaieteur Radio’s Guyana’s Oil and You. Driving home his message, during the Kiana Wilburg-moderated programme, the professor recalled an activity at which government officials spoke and adumbrated that people

get themselves prepared for the coming oil boom.

Questioning rhetorically however, Prof. Blackman asked, “What exactly is the preparation? If I am in Fifth Form at St. Rose’s (High School) and you come to me and say to me, prepare for oil, what exactly should I be doing?”

Technical Training The Guyanese born, US based professor, noted that there exists currently in Guyana, a situation that has to be remedied and charted using a clear plan with baseline data.

Underscoring the paucity of information with regard to Guyanese’s preparations to not only meaningfully engage but benefit tangibly from the industry, the Professor posited, “What we want to be doing is investing in the development of an oil and gas technical training infrastructure.”

He was adamant that such a move must be guided with firm demands and negotiations with the oil majors such as ExxonMobil, the Stabroek Block Operator.

According to P r o f .

Blackman, the Guyanese administration needs to have a “conversation with ExxonMobil saying, here is how we want to place our people, (and) here are the places [where] we want our people; we don’t want them all sitting in the kitchen.”

He was adamant that the administration must be in a position to say to the companies that it is presently training a corps of Guyanese, “so that they can take on some of the front-end jobs for the m a n a g e m e n t o f this industry.”

Prof. Blackman posited that’s “the way in which I would like to see us approach the local content not to be enamoured by the targets but to be enamoured by really

figuring out how we ensure that young Guyanese boys and girls have the skills to participate in a meaningful way.”

This, he said, is in order to ensure “they are the environmental engineers if we want to do an environmental impact study, that they are the reservoir engineers, they are the people who are sitting there on the rigs.”

Professor Blackman said too that Guyanese must be trained to become the buyers and sellers of the commodity “in the global marketplace.”

Clear Conversation According to Professor Blackman, “there needs to be a clear conversation on what are the jobs we are preparing people for and we have to have the infrastructure in place.”

He underscored that in coming up with a clear strategy for developing such a plan, there would need to be baseline studies to determine from ExxonMobil and others, exactly what types of jobs will be in demand.

Prof. Blackman used the occasion to reiterate that the ExxonMobil led operation in the Stabroek Block, given its depth and distance out in the Atlantic Ocean, is “an extremely sophisticated operation, not something you or I can do in a short space of time.”

As such, he was unwavering in his position that while there is need for targets to be set with regard to local content, “we want to set the targets for how we participate.” He qualified this position by pointing to the paucity of information in the public domain as it relates to preparing for the oil and gas sector.”

He said, “…we want to have a real clear conversation on what are the jobs that we are preparing for and to have the infrastructure in place for

Guyanese participation.”

Guyanese, he said, must be told “here is the set of opportunities; here are the pathways; here’s what you do today or tomorrow.”

The professor warned that the development of local content ideals cannot result in lofty objectives on paper while Guyanese, “just get to be the cooks and help” and not the engineers.

Notably, Minister of Natural Resources, Vickram Bharrat, over the past w e e k e n d o v e r s a w the commencement of a Natural Resources Apprenticeship Programme, where he too lamented the paucity of skills in the natural resources sectors, including in oil and gas.

Addressing the young interns, Minister Bharrat noted that there seems to be little interest in joining the extractives sector, noting that they are opting instead for business-aligned career paths.

He lamented, “…I don’t know if they don’t see it as fashionable or in trend. But they are more into the business, accounting field.”

Lack of Skills He noted, however, that this only redounds in a disadvantage to the said industries.

Acutely aware of this and determined to keep the negative effects at bay, Minister Bharrat said efforts were directed at establishing the Youth in Natural Resources Initiative.

He underscored that the local Natural Resources sector currently lacks enough skilled Guyanese workers to offset the demands of the industry and the apprenticeship would provide ample opportunities to show young people how exciting and rewarding the sector can be.

He cited, as an example, that several extractive industry companies have indicated their interest in underground mining and that Guyana is at a “complete disadvantage” since there is no Guyanese qualified enough to approve or monitor this unique form of mining.

“These are all questions that as young people, you have on your mind and we are hoping that with this programme, that we can answer some of those questions…That we can guide you to the path where we think you can make a difference, that you can make a contribution.” This, he said, is the whole idea behind the Youth in Natural Resources Initiative.

The Youth in Natural Resources Apprenticeship

programme is slated to last three weeks.

BELAIR PARK WOMAN WANTED BY POLICE FOR OPERATING PONZI SCHEME A Bel Air Park woman is wanted by the police for questioning in relation to the operation of a Ponzi scheme and collecting monies.

The Guyana Police Force (GPF) Monday issued a wanted bulletin for 33-yearold, Keziah Jeuel Roberts, of Lot 88 Eping and Ituni Streets, Bel Air Park, Georgetown.

According to the police, Roberts is wanted for questioning in relation to operating a Ponzi Scheme and falsely obtaining monies from several citizens between September 2020 and February 2021.

Anyone with information that may lead to Roberts’ arrest is asked to contact the police on telephone numbers: 225-3079, 225-3085, 268-2328, 268-2298/2222, 226-7065, 911 or the nearest police station.

All information will be treated with the strictest confidence.

WEDNESDAY EX-MINISTER NORTON CHARGED IN RELATION TO $12.5M DRUG BOND RENTAL SCANDAL Former Minister of Health, under the A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC) Government, Dr. George Norton, Tuesday made his first court appearance after he was charged in relation to the $12.5M Sussex Street drug bond rental scandal.

Norton, of Lot 130 ‘AA’ Eccles, East Bank Demerara, appeared in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan, in the company of his attorneys, Nigel Hughes and Marissa Leander.

He was not required to plead to the indictable charge which alleges that while performing duties at the Ministry of Public Health within the Government of Guyana, between June 1, 2016, and January 1, 2017, he willfully misconducted himself when he instructed Trevor Thomas, the Permanent Secretary (PS) of the said ministry to sign a contract dated July 20, 2016, between the Ministry of Public Health and Linden Holdings Inc. (LHI) for the rental of a property situated at Lot 29 Sussex Street, Albouystown, Georgetown.

It is further alleged that Norton rented the bond for three years at $12.5M (Continued on page 27)

Sunday April 18, 2021

From page 26 monthly. The bond was used by the Health Ministry for the storage of pharmaceuticals from July 1, 2016, and the sum of $337.5M was paid to LHI, without first obtaining approval from the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB).

Norton’s lawyers told the court that their client is not a flight risk and made an application for bail in a reasonable amount. Chief Magistrate McLennan granted Norton bail in the sum of $400,000 with the condition attached that he lodge his passport. The matter was adjourned to April 27, 2021.

The charge was brought against Norton by the Special Organised Crime Unit (S.0.C.U), after carrying out their investigations. An audit was conducted by the Audit Office of Guyana on the rental of the Sussex Street bond and with the findings of the audit the matter was reported to S.O.C.U, and an investigation was launched.

That investigation revealed that Norton unlawfully instructed his PS to not engage NPTAB, in the tendering process or submission of justification of why a single sourced award to LHI was not in accordance to the Procurement Act. According to the facts of the charge, Norton also further instructed his PS to prepare a Cabinet Memorandum for him to take to Cabinet for its deliberation on the matter. After the Cabinet’s debate, Norton’s PS received a copy of the Cabinet’s decision which awarded the contract to LHI for the rental of the Sussex Street bond. Norton then allegedly instructed his PS to sign the contract for the rental of the bond and his instructions were followed.

According to reports, the Agreement of Tenancy was made on July 20, 2016,

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between LHI and the Health Ministry. The Ministry was also subject to pay $37,500,000 which is two months’ rent and one month security deposit to LHI. EXXON ENCOUNTERS ADDITIONAL PROBLEMS DESPITE “REPAIRS AND UPGRADES” TO GAS COMPRESSOR - OIL PRODUCTION DOWN FROM 120,000 TO 30,000 BARRELS PER DAY After conducting “repairs and upgrades” to the Liza Destiny’s gas compressor system less than two months ago, the crucial piece of equipment has malfunctioned once again. This occurred even before the final test run could be completed.

Disclosing this to the media Tuesday was Public and Government Affairs Advisor for ExxonMobil Guyana, Janelle Persaud.

In a statement to the press, Persaud said, “As we conducted the final testing phase of the reinstalled flash gas compressor and other components of the system on the Liza Destiny FPSO (Floating Production Storage and Offloading), we encountered an additional problem with the discharge silencer.”

The ExxonMobil Guyana official said that a team from SBM Offshore (the manufacturer of the Liza Destiny), MAN Energy Solutions (the company that

did the upgrades and repairs) and ExxonMobil are on site to assess repairs, with support from engineering experts in Europe and the USA. Further to this, Persaud disclosed that the company reduced production from 120,000 barrels of oil per day to 30,000 barrels per day. She said this minimum level of production will mitigate the formation of hydrates in subsea systems, maintain gas injection, fuel gas to the power generators, and minimise the flaring of gas.

The Exxon Advisor noted that flaring is now beyond pilot level of approximately one million cubic feet of g a s p e r d a y. I t i s n o w flaring four to five times that amount.

Persaud was keen to note that the relevant government agencies have been notified and are working together to determine the next best steps. In concluding on this matter, ExxonMobil said it is extremely disappointed by the design issues and continued underperformance of this unit, while adding that it will be working with the equipment manufacturer, MAN Energy Solutions, and the vessel’s operator, SBM, to rectify the situation.

“This performance is below ExxonMobil’s global expectations for reliability,” the company concluded.

THURSDAY EXXON’S MALFUNCTIONING GAS COMPRESSOR AN UNACCEPTABLE DANGER TO GUYANA, THE CARIBBEAN - INT’L LAWYER The design flaws, which have plagued the Liza Destiny’s gas compressor system, make it an unacceptable danger to not only Guyana but the Caribbean as well. It is therefore required of the Environmental Protection

Agency (EPA) to fulfill its role as an effective regulator and shut down the operations now. Making these and other statements is International lawyer, Melinda Janki.

Her invited comments come on the heels of ExxonMobil Guyana’s latest announcement that the gas compressor system encountered another design flaw even though it received “repairs and upgrades” in February.

This new mechanical problem led the company to cut the daily production of 120, 000 barrels of oil per day (bpd) by 90,000 bpd. The American oil giant also disclosed that it has been forced to flare gas, four to five times above pilot level, which hovers around one million cubic feet of gas or less.

Taking this into consideration, Janki said it is clear that ExxonMobil’s operations in the Stabroek Block are unsafe. She urged Guyanese not to take the design woes lightly since Exxon itself has come forward to admit that the equipment is faulty. She warned that offshore deep water drilling is an extremely dangerous activity while adding that the smallest design flaw could lead to the devastation of the marine environment.

The international lawyer said, “Equipment failure can lead to a deep water well blowout like BP’s Macondo, which devastated the Gulf of Mexico, killed 11 people and caused damage totalling US$68billion. Guyana and our Caribbean neighbours cannot afford the catastrophic consequences of a well blowout or an oil spill. The Environmental Protection Agency must therefore shut down Exxon’s operations now before it is too late. There is no margin for error.”

In its statement to the media on the latest mishap, ExxonMobil noted that the new issue pertains to the discharge silencer for the gas compressor. The US oil king

said this was detected during the final testing phase of the gas compressor system. That final run was supposed to be completed this week.

ExxonMobil said that a team from SBM Offshore (the manufacturer of the Liza Destiny), MAN Energy Solutions (the company that did the upgrades and repairs) and ExxonMobil are on site to assess repairs, with support from engineering experts in Europe and the USA. “This performance is below ExxonMobil’s global expectations for reliability,” the company said too.

Since start up in December 2019, Kaieteur News would have diligently followed and reported on ExxonMobil’s continually malfunctioning gas compressor system. On December 20, 2020 it had announced that the gas compressor issue was fixed.

But during that one year period, it had already flared 12.4 billion cubic feet of gas per day, equivalent to the removal of 1.6M acres of forest. In simpler terms, this means that Exxon flared toxic Natural gas that could have been offset by a forest the size of Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam). ( h t t p s : / / www.kaieteurnewsonline.com/ 2020/12/22/exxons-flaringthis-year-equivalent-to-theremoval-of-1-6m-acres-offorest/).

But the issues didn’t stop there as the system malfunctioned for a second time on January 13, 2021. The company did not reveal the cause but said that it was fixed within a matter of hours, or so it thought. (https:// www.kaieteurnewsonline.com/ 2021/03/07/exxonmobil-hadflared-early-january-claims-itlasted-less-than-hours/).

On January 29, 2021, the gas compressor broke down for a third time, forcing ExxonMobil this time around to send the faulty equipment to Germany for repairs and upgrades. A detailed

assessment of the compressor subsequently revealed that an axial vibration of the compressor rotor is what led to other mechanical disruptions. The equipment was back in Guyana by the second week of March where it was installed on the Liza Destiny vessel. Tests up to this week were being carried out. (https:// www.kaieteurnewsonline.com/ 2021/03/14/exxons-repairedcompressor-back-in-guyana/ ).

But before that could be completed, the gas compressor which was supposedly repaired and upgraded, malfunctioned for the fourth time.

ExxonMobil has said that an order was made for a new compressor which is due to arrive by year end.

GUYANAOPEN TO TOURISTS DESPITE PANDEMIC MINISTER WALROND Although Guyana has so far recorded in excess of 11,000 cases of COVID-19, the country has been declared safe for tourism, especially for international tourists in search of an environment for rest and relaxation during the pandemic.

At least, this is according to Guyana’s Minister with responsibility for Tourism, Oneidge Walrond.

She disclosed this status in a recent interview during a GlobeSpan24X7 broadcast with moderators Dr. Asquith Rose and Charles Sugrim.

In fact, the first-time government Minister used the platform to adumbrate “we have, because of the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic; we continue to market Guyana from the perspective of it being safe to travel.”

In fact, the Minister with responsibility for the Tourism Sector divulged that (Continued on page 28)

PAGE 28

From page 27 Guyana’s tourism product is being tailored as a safe environment.

“We have been building up our reputation as a safe place to travel; as a matter of fact, our tourism product is tailored to a safe COVID-free environment because we have the wide-open spaces.”

She said too, the marketing of Guyana as a tourist destination during the pandemic is targeting small groups, “so you can travel with your bubble into our eco lodges.” The Tourism Minister in expanding on different destinations in Guyana underscored that given Guyana’s wide-open spaces, social distancing would not be a problem.

She drew reference to the fact that in marketing Guyana internationally, the country won first prize under the theme ‘safe for travel’.

This, she said, was in recognition of the country’s marketing efforts.

“Our airports are open and we continue to market Guyana, inspire people abroad to come and enjoy our produces when they can come and it is safe to do so.”

She drew reference to the fact that the country is in fact “certifying our destinations; each one of our facilities all across Guyana.” The Minister disclosed too that the tourism marketing efforts are also targeting Guyanese in other countries who are unable to travel overseas, “so now more Guyanese can be able to enjoy” even as she pointed to the fact that more Guyanese of late have been visiting “other regions”.

She continued by noting that “domestic tourism has been picking up as well and that helps to highlight Guyana.”

Addressing the apparent inconsistency with Guyana’s tourism strategy of targeting an eco friendly market, while at the same time targeting industrial development, the Minister said, “we recognise that our eco tourism will contribute significantly to our GDP.” As such, she was adamant that government remains committed to preserving the country’s pristine rainforest and tourism product while “at the same time, we don’t believe industrial development is not inconsistent with our eco development product, it’s a matter of planning.”

THREE MISSING AFTER FIRE, OIL SPILLAT OFFSHORE FIELD OPERATED

BY STABROEK BLOCK PARTNER China’s state-owned energy company, China National Offshore Oil

Sunday April 18, 2021

Kaieteur News

Corporation (CNOOC), is on a search mission for three of its crew members who went missing after its Penglai oil platform caught fire and spilt oil.

Kaieteur News understands that the platform, which is located in the Bohai Sea of China, and is 51 percent owned by CNOOC, with ConocoPhillips holding a 49 percent stake, began to burn on April 5, last.

The fire was extinguished the following day.

According to Argus media, the incident was confirmed by an employee at one of the companies involved, although the details are still unclear. It said that ConocoPhillips referred questions to CNOOC, which did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The cause of the incident is still to be disclosed.

The Penglai fields produce heavy-sweet crude that is sold to CNOOC’s own refineries and to independent refiners in China’s Shandong province.

An oil spill, which occurred at the Penglai fields in 2011, resulted in CNOOC and ConocoPhillips paying several hundred million dollars in compensation. Oil spills have occurred at least four times in that area.

Importantly, CNOOC is also a partner in the oil rich Stabroek Block that is operated by ExxonMobil’s subsidiary, Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL). (https:// www.argusmedia.com/en/ news/2203412-fire-oil-spill-atchinas-penglai-platformupdate?backToResults=true) FRIDAY GTT’S PARENT COMPANY MAY SEEK COMPENSATION FOR ANY LOSS OF EXCLUSIVE RIGHTS OVER MARKET Even though the PPP/C Administration broke the back of its monopoly over the telecommunications market, Atlantic Tele-Networks Inc. (ATN), the US-based parent company of the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph (GTT), is of the impression that its June 18, 1990 licence is still intact and therefore, gives it exclusive rights over “domestic fixed and international voice and data services.” Should its contract be involuntarily terminated, it may challenge the government for compensation.

ATN noted this much in its latest financial filings with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). In that document which was perused by

Kaieteur News, ATN made it clear that it has a licence from the Guyana Government which allows it to “be the exclusive provider of domestic Fixed and international voice and data services.”

ATN said that licence from the Government included an initial term ending in December 2010, which was renewable at its sole option for an additional 20-year term.

In November 2009, ATN said it had notified the government of its election to renew its exclusive licence for an additional 20-year term expiring in 2030.

On December 15, 2010, ATN said it received correspondence from the government indicating that its licence had been renewed until such time that new legislation was enacted to expand competition within the sector.

Fast forward to October 5, 2020, ATN was keen to point out to the SEC and its shareholders by extension that the Prime Minister of Guyana, Mark Philips, formally implemented telecommunications legislation previously passed by the Parliament in 2016. The company said this legislation “introduces material changes to many features of Guyana’s existing telecommunications regulatory regime with the intention of creating a more competitive market.”

The US-based firm pointed out that, at that time, it was already issued a new licence to provide domestic and international voice as well as data services and mobile services in Guyana.

The company further noted that two of its competitors, being Digicel and Enetworks, which had previously provided fixed voice and internet services, thereby eroding much of its

market share, were issued service licences as well.

“While we have requested details of our competitors’ licences, such information has not been made public by the Guyana Telecommunications Agency, and we are not yet able to ascertain whether the licences issued to our competitors permit any competitors to provide services that have been subject to GTT’s exclusive rights contained in its 1990 licence,” ATN stated.

Additionally, the US firm recalled that it was on October 23, 2020, that the Government of Guyana brought into effect new telecommunications regulations called for by the telecommunications legislation. It noted that “the regulations include new requirements for the market as a whole, which impact our operations, administrative reporting and services.”

Even though the government would have introduced a new law and regulation to liberalize the sector, ATN told its investors that “there can be no assurance that these regulations will be effectively implemented, or that they will be administered in a fair and transparent manner. We believe our existing, exclusive licence continues to be valid unless and until such time as we enter into an alternative arrangement with the Government.”

Under these circumstances, ATN said, there can be no assurance that its discussions with the Government of Guyana will resume or be concluded, or that such discussions will satisfactorily address its contractual exclusivity rights.

While ATN noted that the option to seek damages or other compensation for any involuntary termination of its

contractual exclusivity rights is on the table, it informed the SEC that it cannot guarantee that it would prevail in any proceedings to enforce its rights.

VACCINESALONE WILL NOT STOP CURRENT COVID-19 SURGE – PAHO DIRECTOR WARNS Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) Director, Dr. Carissa F. Etienne, is urging countries to employ a “comprehensive strategy” of not only immunisation, but also public health measures to curb the surging pandemic. The warning comes even as COVID-19 vaccine delivery to the Americas has slowed.

“I cannot stress this enough – for most countries, vaccines are not going to stop this wave of the pandemic,” Dr. Etienne said during her weekly media briefing.

“There are simply not enough of them available to protect everyone in the countries at greatest risk.

Therefore, we need to stop transmission by any means possible with the tools we have at hand. This will require comprehensive strategies to both accelerate the rollout of vaccines and control the virus using proven public health measures,” she added, referring to wearing masks, social distancing, and hand hygiene.

Since March, PAHO’s Revolving Fund has helped deliver more than 3 million doses of COVAX-procured vaccines to 28 countries.

The Revolving Fund negotiates, purchases, and arranges logistics for shipment of vaccines to the 36 countries that participate in COVAX. So far, in the Americas, more than 247 million COVID-19 vaccines

have been administered, including through deals countries made individually with vaccine producers.

But in the past few weeks, Dr. Etienne said, constraints on producers of COVAX vaccines have slowed deliveries, and supplies are not expected to normalise for a few more weeks. “In the meantime, we cannot rely on vaccines to control transmission,” she stated.

“PAHO is committed to working with Member States to secure more vaccine doses for our region as soon as they are available to complement what countries have already purchased via bilateral deals and through the COVAX Facility,” she said. “We will be here for countries at every step of the way, providing technical support to troubleshoot roadblocks, increase surveillance and monitor the safety and impact of COVID vaccines.”

Dr. Etienne cautioned that the pandemic continues to surge across the Americas. In the past week, more than 1.3 million people were infected with the virus and nearly 36,000 people died from the disease. “Since the pandemic began, 57 million cases have been reported in the Americas, with more than 1.3 million deaths,” she said.

“We are not acting like a region in the midst of a worsening outbreak,” Dr. Etienne warned. “Despite ongoing transmission in many places, restrictions have relaxed. Crowds are back, and people are gathering indoors and taking public transportation, often without masks,” she continued.

She said new, highly transmissible variants are also fueling acceleration.

Describing South America as the continuing “epicenter,” (Continued on page 29)

Sunday April 18, 2021

From page 28 Dr. Etienne reported that new COVID-19 cases are sharply increasing in Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela, Peru, and some areas of Bolivia. Paraguay, Uruguay, Argentina, and Chile are experiencing continuing increases in infections.

In the meantime Dr. Etienne provided reassurance about the safety of the four vaccines authorised by WHO – the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, two versions of the OxfordAstraZeneca vaccine, and the Janssen vaccine. All have proven to be safe and effective. Rare reports of blood clots are under review by regulatory agencies, which are expected to make recommendations soon, she said.

“In the meantime, it’s important to continue to administer AstraZeneca vaccines where they are available,” she said. “Almost 200 million people around the world have received AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine, and the reports of adverse effects are very rare.

These vaccines can save your life and the lives of your friends and family.”

SATURDAY GOVT.’S PLANS FOR ENERGY CAN COST IN EXCESS OF US$2B The People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Government is insistent that it will enter Guyana into an energy mix, which simultaneously pulls from gas and renewable sources.

This newspaper recently highlighted that while much has been said about the proposed mix and its benefits, the public is starved of information crucial to the building of confidence in these projects especially as it relates to the gas-to-shore endeavour.

(See that article here, h t t p s : / / www.kaieteurnewsonline.com/ 2021/04/11/are-guyanesepoliticians-feeling-in-thedark-for-electricity-solutions/ .) Another aspect of this energy mix that the PPP is yet to make clear is the cost.

In the proposed mix, the PPP intends to focus on gas,

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hydro, solar and wind. A modest projection of the cost for this mix runs in excess of US$2B. While the PPP is yet to have a feasibility study for the gas-to-shore project, which should include the price, estimates for the undertaking hover around US$1B. That by itself is already a heavy investment. Some Guyanese have previously expressed concerns about pursuing such a project when it is not even guaranteed to be the solution to the nation’s electricity crisis. But the reality is that this might just be half the cost for the proposed mix.

Last year, Jagdeo revealed that the government is already looking to revive the controversial Amaila Falls Project. He was quoted by one online media outlet as saying, “We have started reviewing the documents etc., to chart a pathway to hydropower development back again, because hydro power is crucial, given our capability and capacity of the country; our abundant water resources.”

In 2011, Stabroek News quoted Jagdeo, the then President, saying the Amaila Falls project would cost US$835M. This price tag can now turn out to be considerably more.

Therefore, Guyana is likely to simultaneously pursue an over US$835M project and an almost US$1B both for electrical purposes.

But there is more in this “matrix”. Prime Minister, Mark Phillips had said that the government would also be pursuing solar and wind.

How much will these cost?

It depends on the magnitude of these projects. The government is yet to say what percent of the country’s energy supply will be pulled from these sources. But just to give an idea, Guyana already uses a solar farm at Mabaruma to generate power to nearby Region One communities.

That farm which is servicing the comparatively small population costs $227M. It was constructed in 2017 under the APNNU+AFC administration but only became operable last year. Be that as it may, this gives us an idea of how costly solar farms

could be. Then there is the cost for wind.

The government might say that it will propose various models of financing for these projects like public-private partnerships, etc. However, with those come different kinds of problems.

In reality, the dilemma is not only with the price for the projects. The concern is that Guyana may end up spending all this money, most, if not all, of which may have to be borrowed, only to still come up short with a real solution to high electricity cost and power outages.

Gas-to-shore projects, while successful for some countries, is not always the answer. That is why relevant studies are needed.

The government’s decision to pursue an energy mix is not without merit as there are several factors that can affect the supply of electricity from various sources of energy. It is true that technical problems offshore can cause problems that may hamper the electricity supply. If there is a problem with a Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel, Guyana can go without electricity; even the water levels and tides can pose problems.

Furthermore, there are problems that are likely to occur due to vandalism and those cannot be ignored.

With solar, a simple cloud can stand in the way of the source of power, the sun. And, as is well known, dry season or drought can affect any hydro project.

Therefore, having a diversity of power supplies may prove to be very useful.

Nevertheless, such diversity must be proven technically and economically sound before a nation spends such huge sums.

Take Ghana for example.

Ghana’s power supply crisis continues to torment the people of that nation. Ghana tried turning to gas for help.

First buying it from Nigeria then sourcing gas from its own Jubilee field.

But, according to the Natural Resource Governance Institute (NRGI), “…what promised to be an energy solution came with enormous hidden costs while also failing to improve

Ghana’s power significantly.”

supply

FOURTH GAS COMPRESSOR MALFUNCTION… GOVT. GOESAFTER AGREEMENTS BETWEEN EXXON, LIZA DESTINY MANUFACTURER TO DETERMINE LIABILITY Vice President, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo, says the Government is exploring whether ExxonMobil is liable for its latest flash gas compressor malfunction aboard the Liza Destiny. During a recent interview, the official who has responsibility for overseeing matters in the petroleum sector disclosed that the administration has a “great interest” in ensuring that this equipment malfunction is resolved. Due to the equipment failure, ExxonMobil was forced to cut its oil production to 30,000 barrels per day (bpd), a significant reduction from its planned 120,000 bpd.

Against this backdrop, the Vice President said reduced production is a loss of output, and consequently, a loss of income and revenue.

He indicated that the Ministry of Natural Resources has since dispatched a letter to ExxonMobil, seeking a copy of the Shareholder’s Agreement. This, he said, will examine whether liabilities accrue to the operator – Exxon – for “non-performance or faulty performance.”

The VP noted that the

Ministry has also requested the agreement between Exxon and the supplier of the Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel – SBM Offshore.

“If there are issues of non-performance that result in a loss of revenue and

income to the State of Guyana and to the shareholders, then the appropriate penalty must be introduced. That is the position we have taken,” he stated.

Following the announcement of the equipment failure, the Government had said that it is “highly disappointed” with the operator’s inability to resolve this situation to date.

The Administration said it would continue to monitor the levels of daily crude oil output and flaring to determine an economically feasible level of production during this period.

Meanwhile, the Ministry said Exxon’s subsidiary, Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Ltd (EEPGL) and its contractors SBM and MAN Energy Solutions are actively investigating the failure, and assessing repair requirements.

The Government, through the Ministry, the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission and the Environmental Protection Agency, has been receiving regular updates since this matter arose. Furthermore, the Government recently met with EEPGL to discuss the subsidiary’s findings and plans for a speedy resolution of the issue.

Notably, this equipment failure did not affect Guyana’s crude oil lift, which was safely and successfully completed on April 10. This lift was on track with the Crude Lifting Agreement and Lifting Schedule. It was Guyana’s second lift for 2021.

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Sunday April 18, 2021

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==THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN==

Why has the government derecognised my status?

I don’t chase after status; I never did and never will. But I have two types of statuses in Guyana that cannot be denied. First, I am a trained academic who taught for 26 years at UG. Secondly, I have been a columnist with three leading newspapers in this country for 32 years and I am still in that occupation.

Why then with that background, a person like me cannot sign a Life Certificate for a pensioner for both Old Age pension and NIS pension?

But if you think someone with my background is excluded, then read the following categories of occupations that are also excluded.

Before we list them, a word about the announcement by the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security.

The Ministry informed the nation that pensioners can now collect their monthly stipend at PaySure, Western Union and Money Gram in addition to the traditional route – the local post office.

That is a superb policy for which the Minister, Dr. Vindhya Persaud, should receive praise.

Important to note is that when you collect your stipend, the teller has to collect your leaf from your pension book for that particular month which must be signed by the pensioner. The Ministry has made it even easier. The Ministry will facilitate your money going directly into your bank

account.

But since the money is going into your account, what happens to the pages in your book?

The Ministry has stated that for those whose money is going into the bank, they must lodge the signed pages with the Ministry. We come now to one of the greatest mysteries in the 21st century that I would give anything to hear the Ministry’s explanation.

The pages to be lodged with the Ministry must only be signed by the following categories of people - Justice of the Peace, Notary Public, Commissioner of Oaths, Medical Practitioner, Head Teacher, Minister of Religion or a Manager of a Bank or Branch of a Bank.

Here now are the people who cannot sign the Life Certificate page – university lecturers, senior school teachers, engineers, army officers, business people, municipal officers, lawyers, scientists, parliamentarians, journalists, computer specialists, artists, renown sport personalities like the national football captain, the national cricket captain or West Indian cricketers who live in Guyana, public service managers, church officials from Guyana’s leading denominations like the Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Jehovah Witness, Ratafarian and Bahai religions.

Here now is my position.

I don’t have an objection to

the seven areas the Ministry has outlined. For intellectual reasons, I would like the Ministry or some other person in this entire world to show me the logic behind the choice of seven areas of work only.

Simply put, why is a bank manager a person of higher status than an engineer with the government of Guyana?

So, engineer, Wayne Watson, who was recently made head of the Demerara Harbour Bridge cannot sign an Old Age pension page?

Established lawyers like Nigel Hughes, Sanjeev Datadin, Ralph Ramkarran, Sase Gunraj, among others, cannot sign a pension form?

Surely, Madam Chairperson of GECOM, a former judge, should be allowed to sign any form – Old Age or NIS. Come on man, don’t tell me that scientist, Dr. Vincent Adams, is not allowed to sign an Old Age or NIS form? The questions are mountainous. For example, why is a medical practitioner of higher status than a university academic?

Why is a head teacher of higher status than an army

officer and police superintendent?

I am sure the Ministry has logical reasoning for such a decision.

But my curiosity knows no bounds. I am a trained academic that try to reason intellectually in my work so I think I will learn more of how humans think when I hear why only seven categories of people can sign a pension form.

But wait! There are more inscrutabilities, inexplicabilities, enigmas and oddities in the life of Guyana that titillate the mind of an academic. Do you know the exact seven

categories the Ministry outlined also obtain for UG pension and NIS pension? The anachronism is understandable at the NIS and the Ministry of Social Services but surely not at a university where the intellectuals who work there should know better. I once brought up the subject with Vincent Alexander when he was UG registrar. He never acted on my suggestion. I hope he doesn’t deny that. Here is a little incident that I hope Adam Harris doesn’t deny. One evening at his desk in Kaieteur News, I saw Adam signing NIS life certificates, so I shouted out,

Frederick Kissoon “Adam no, editors can’t sign.” Adam looked up at me with a light smile and said, “Freddie shut yuh stink mouth.”

(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper.)

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Coronavirus: These are our endgame options; our behaviour will determine where we end up

By Dr. Zulfikar Bux Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine, Vanderbilt Medical Center

Y

ou should be fully aware that we are in another phase of the pandemic where there is a surge in infections worldwide.

Scientists are associating this surge with the new variants that are currently circulating and their ability to thrive and further mutate as humans continue to behave irresponsibly.

In Guyana, it is no different as the general disregard for the current situation continues to rise.

This has obviously led to a rise in cases and deaths to the point where we are in the middle of another epidemic.

This period of rise in infections and deaths will last for weeks to come and our outcome will be determined by how we behave during this time.

We now have ways to get to the end of the tunnel but our current choices and actions will determine if we do and the number of casualties we face along the way. Today, I will share with you the possible outcomes that we are now left with given the current situation.

Fully eradicate the virus and return to normalcy While this seems more unlikely as mutations and infections continue to rise, there is still a small possibility of it occurring. It will take a few years and will mean that there is worldwide cooperation to ensure equitable vaccine coverage.

In addition, there will have to be drastic change in behavioural patterns to curb the spread of new mutations of the virus as the more the virus mutates, the likelier it will become a permanent fixture with us. I am not optimistic that this option will occur given the current behavioural patterns and the inequitable and slow vaccine distribution thus far.

Recurrent surge accompanied by deaths The cyclical rise and fall of infections and deaths is the pattern that we have been faced with thus far.

We have so far experienced periods of high infections and deaths followed by periods of low infections and deaths.

There seems to be a correlation between the rise in deaths and infections every time we are exposed to a new

variant of the virus. If we are not careful, this virus will continue to mutate and evolve into forms that are more deadly and vaccine resistant.

Should this occur, then we will be stuck with it for the foreseeable future and be faced with cycles of infection surge followed by increases in deaths. There is a decent chance of this option being the long-term reality once we continue to be irresponsible and do not achieve the desired vaccination rates.

Tame the virus sufficiently for us to thrive There is a strong possibility of this option occurring by the end of this year but it will take more commitment and responsible behaviour.

First, we will have to ensure stricter adherence to prevention guidelines so that we prevent the virus from spreading and mutating to more infectious and vaccine resistant forms. This will then buy us sufficient time to ramp up vaccination rates and decrease the spread of the virus and its ability to mutate into deadlier and more infectious forms.

While we may not be able to fully eradicate the virus with this option, we may be able

to weaken it sufficiently so that it can be contained and cause milder infections similar to the common cold or flu.

This seems to be the likely path for us at this stage but stricter adherence to prevention guidelines, along with universal vaccine coverage is needed.

Vaccinate! Vaccinate!

Vaccinate!

We have only managed to vaccinate a section of Guyana’s population thus far.

But our goal of 80 percent vaccination is needed to contain the epidemic. The exist-

ing vaccines are not currently approved for children.

This means that close to 100 percent adult vaccination is needed if we are to control the virus and be able to return to a semblance of normalcy here.

Should we fail, then there is a possibility of vaccine resistant strains forming and this will cause more devastation for years to come. This means all of us have to play our part in getting vaccinated and ensuring we educate and encourage others to do the same.

Dr. Zulfikar Bux Falling short is not an option given the consequences that lie ahead for us. Get vaccinated and be part of the solution to this pandemic rather than being part of the problem.

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>>> ENCOURAGING EVENTS, DISTURBING DEVELOPMENTS <<<

Updating Guyana’s EPA regulations and Guyana’s leader responding to St. Vincentian volcano

By GHK Lall

I

am encouraged that, at long l a s t , o u t d a t e d E PA regulations have been enhanced, and with specific reference to Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs).

For now I withhold any sense of the encouraging as to whether the calibre of Guyanese agents is present at the EPA to make those paper policies and standards come to life, actually mean something.

When I use a word such as “calibre” I regret that I do not believe that we have the kind of officers with the needed stomach, the steely intestines, and sturdy knees to stand up to foreign (and local) oil

businesses and say: do this, or don’t do anything at all.

Do not proceed a single inch more.

I start at the top of the EPA, from where this government mocks the nation with the head in place, and increasingly looking so out of place. I continue down through the line, and there is the mostly discouraging.

For it is the same PPP government and its leaders that are so serene in their captive and tricky relationships with Exxon and company that they cannot afford to give the EPA, the kind of people that it urgently needs.

To give those people the freedom to take matters on the environment wherever they lead, regardless of whose feet are crushed, be it Exxon’s or secretive PPP leadership, or local businesses given the green light, when all should have been in check, as the rules and regulations (now

enhanced) require.

It has not been so, and should it continue to be so, which is what I believe, then those improved EPA regulations are not going to make any difference, not worth the paper on which written.

I am encouraged that Guyana’s Head of State, President Irfaan Ali, has responded swiftly and positively to the catastrophic situation in our sister CARICOM nation, St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

It was good to learn about emergency supplies being rushed out, conversations going on between Guyana’s President and the Prime Minister of the volcanostruck island nation, Dr. Ralph Gonsalves.

A couple of Guyanese companies, Banks DIH and GAICO Construction and General Services, have also stepped up to offer a helping hand. In addition, “President of the Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association (GMSA), Rafeek

Khan, also indicated to the Head of State that the association has secured financial commitments” (KN April 11). I find all this most encouraging, which confirms that we have not lost our deep sense of compassion, especially for neighbours in time of need, and this is a time of dire need for thousands of Vincentians.

But, even as I say all of this about Guyana’s government and private sector, I would be still more encouraged to learn that our government has committed to opening our doors to provide physical welcome and shelter to some Vincentians.

It is a small country that is only 18 and 11 miles long and wide respectively, while double-digit thousands are directly impacted by the volcano. They do not have much space to move about and to seek safety, and we can do something tangible about that tightness.

While we have already done some good things, I believe that we

can really stand out by helping to evacuate and provide safe harbour to a couple hundred Vincentians. It is said that any port is good in a storm.

By any calculation, what is happening in St. Vincent is a hard, battering, and dangerous storm of lava and ash.

Guyana is sufficiently far away and big enough to offer some solace in this dark hour (literally) to our hapless brothers and sisters in St. Vincent. I think that it would be a manifestation of the truly bighearted and broadminded by President Ali and his government to think along these lines, and then follow through with decisive action, just as was done with the relief supplies and arrangements already made to the burning island.

I am sure that such a gesture would be most welcomed. I would be encouraged to hear of it happening.

(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper.)

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Sunday April 18, 2021

PAGE 37 The 18-year-old entrepreneur, Dante Romalho

>>> Young Entrepreneur on the Move<<<

Dante Delights

- winning hearts one sip at a time

By Sueann Wickham

W

ith a unique touch a n d t o t a l commitment, this week's young entrepreneur is currently on a mission to fulfil a lifelong dream.

Through Dante Delights, a local mauby brand, 18-year-old Dante Romalho, has been making a noticeable impression. The remarkable young man has been deliberately working towards redefining how people see mauby, a beverage that many dislike because of its “bitter” taste. Already Romalho has been achieving this goal by using an amazing family recipe and he has managed to win many hearts thus far.

In an exclusive interview with Kaieteur News, Romalho told the tale of how he came to establish his own business. Dante Delights, he said, kicked off on April 20, 2020 and has been catering to mauby lovers ever since.

“Well, my motivation stemmed from being in quarantine and not doing anything, and not making any money. I felt like nothing was going on for me and wanted a way to channel my productivity, so I conspired with my mother and grandmother to take the family recipe for mauby, to bottle it and distribute to people and places,” he shared. When he was given the green light, he started by selling small 500 millilitre bottles and within two months he switched to one and two-litre bottles which were distributed to his first official client, the Chand's Service Station at Ogle, East Coast Demerara.

He revealed that the unprecedented support he got for his hustle was very baffling. His social media friends, which he described as his “little circle” and even strangers flooded him with support by purchasing his product.

A snapshot of his famous mauby

business affected the pandemic.

People are coming out of their comfort zone to purchase Dante Delights mauby very often. Sales keep going up each time we widen distribution because that recipe is clearly undefeated when compared to other brands of mauby on the market,” he said quite matter of factly. He stated that the only challenge he has encountered thus

important one.

As such, he believes that the government should give small businesses, such as his, a fighting chance by allowing them more exposure and by investing a bit more time into structuring ways for them to grow.

Small businesses, especially with youths at their helm, deserve, "a push start I should say to

“

I think young entrepreneurs play a very inspirational role and demonstrate to society the significance of their image. We highlight that the youths are the ones carrying the torch.

“Everyone who has tried the mauby likes it, including people who generally dislike mauby and say mauby is that bitter thing. I usually ask them to try mine and (after they do) their thoughts change almost instantly,” he related with pride.

While his venture has been doing very well, the young entrepreneur does not intend to stop there. In fact, he told this publication that his dream was

always to own a café and a nightspot. He plans to have at his cafe, once it becomes a reality, a variety of hot beverages, pastries, and local juices (including his famous mauby) as well as breakfast, lunch and dinner treats.

Given that the pandemic birthed his business, it has not given him many challenges. “Well to tell you the truth, the pandemic hasn't affected my business, my

far – and that was in the inception, was being able to maintain the consistency of the product quality.

But Romalho has clearly mastered his craft.

With conviction he said, “I think young entrepreneurs play a very inspirational role and demonstrate to society, the significance of their image. We highlight that the youths are the ones carrying the torch.” The role that young entrepreneurs play in society, he intimated, is an

”

slingshot the pace at which it would take an ordinary small business to grow,” he asserted.

Fortunately, for Romalho, the family recipe he uses to make his product has given him a chance to caress success by enticing new mauby lovers.

Persons who wish to give this palatable mauby a try can follow Dante Delights on Facebook, or call/message Romalho on his WhatsApp number +592-6139865.

Kaieteur News

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T

h e

g ts in s... re ture e t In rea C

T

he Iguana is a g e n u s o f herbivorous lizards that are native to tropical areas of Mexico, Central America, South America and the Caribbean.

The genus was first described in 1768 by Austrian naturalist, Josephus Nicolaus Laurenti, in his book Specimen Medicum, Exhibens Synopsin Reptilium Emendatam cum Experimentis circa Venena.

There were formerly considered only two species in the genus; the green iguana, which is widespread throughout its range and a popular pet, and the Lesser Antillean iguana, which is

Sunday April 18, 2021

Iguana

native to the Lesser Antilles; however, genetic analysis indicates that the green iguana may comprise a species complex of multiple species, some of which have been recently described.

The word "iguana" is derived from the original Taino name for the species, iwanana. In addition to the two species in the genus Iguana, several other related genera in the same family have common names of the species including the word "iguana."

ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY Iguanas can range from 1.5 to 1.8 metres (5 to 6 ft) in

length, including their tail.

The two species of lizard within the genus Iguana possess a dewlap and a row of elongated scales running from the midline of their necks down to their tails.

Iguanas have varying types of scales covering different areas of their body, for example, there are some large round tuberculate scales scattered around the lateral region of the neck among smaller, overlapping scales.

The scales on the dorsal trunk of their body are also thicker and more tightly packed than those on the ventral side. These scales may be a variety of colours

and are not always visible from close distances. They have a large round scale on their cheeks known as a subtympanic shield.

Iguanas have keen vision and can see shapes, shadows, colours, and movement at long distances. Their visual acuity enables them to navigate through crowded forests and to locate food.

They employ visual signals to communicate with other members of the same species.

The tympanum, the iguana's eardrum, is located above the subtympanic shield (or "ear shield") behind each eye. Iguanas are often hard to spot, as they tend to blend into their surroundings and their colouration enables them to hide from larger predators.

Like most reptiles, an iguana has a threechambered heart with two atria, one ventricle, and two

aortae with a systemic c i r c u l a t i o n . https://en.wikipedia.org/wik i/Iguana - cite_notedabvp2561-7 The muscles of an iguana are very light in colour; this is due to the high proportion of fast glycolytic muscle fibres.

These fibres are not very vascularised and are low in myoglobin, giving them their pale look. This high density of fast glycolytic muscle fibres allows iguanas to move very quickly for a short period of time, which facilitates short bursts of movement but is inefficient for long duration movement, since cellular respiration in fast glycolytic muscle fibres is anaerobic.

PARIETAL EYE Several species of lizard, including the iguana, have a pale scale towards the back of their head marking the

parietal eye. This organ is sensitive to changes in illumination and sends signals to the pineal gland signalling the change between day and night. A photo-pigment commonly found in the lamprey, known as parapinopsin, is also found in the iguana, is photosensitive to UV light, and aids in the signalling between day and night.

Iguanas have developed an herbivorous lifestyle, foraging exclusively on vegetation and foliage.

In order to acquire, process and digest plant matter, herbivorous lizards must have a higher bite force relative to their size in comparison to carnivorous or omnivorous reptiles. The skull of the iguana has undergone modifications resulting in a strong bite force and efficient processing of vegetation, (continued on page 49)

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Wine of the week: Veneto, Italy- La Marca Prosecco The La Marca Prosecco elevates the everyday home entertainment experience with a crisp,’ refreshing style and a delicate, floral palate. Made from the expressive Glera grape — found in the hillside vineyards of Italy’s Prosecco capital, Treviso — La Marca Prosecco is an elegant, luxurious sparkling wine that pairs beautifully with a variety of foods.

Furthermore, the delicate La Marca Prosecco has a pale,

Sunday April 18, 2021

Kaieteur News

golden straw color and sparkles with lively effervescence. Opening with aromas of fresh-picked citrus and honeysuckle blossoms, the crisp, clean palate brings fruity flavors of green apple, juicy peach and ripe lemon, framed by hints of minerality.

The finish is light and refreshing with a tantalizing hint of sweetness.

Do enjoy this week’s selection which is distributed

by Ansa McAL, responsibly.

LESSONS FROM A LASHPENUR Topic: Pros and cons of lash lifts and tint

By Latoya Zephyr A lash lift procedure can help give you a more natural, wide-eyed look while creating a more subtle and dramatic appearance than what you can achieve with traditional lash extensions.

Below are some of the pros and cons of lash lift treatment to help you better understand why it is taking the world by storm.

Lash Lift Benefits · Lash lift works by enhancing the beauty of your natural eyelashes. There is no gluing involved and the stunning and beautiful look you achieve from your end result is all you! No fake lashes involved. · You do not need any touchups after a lash lift treatment. Once the entire process is completed then you are done! The entire treatment should only take 45 to 60 minutes with additional time added if you decide to add in a lash tiny. That’s much less time than with extensions not including the fact that you may also need to regularly visit your aesthetician for lash extension maintenance. · Lash lift offers more lasting results than lash extensions. Lash lifts can last for around 8 to 12 weeks, while lash extensions last for only 3 to 4 weeks. · You can wear eye makeup and mascara after 48 hours of the lash lift procedure. This will help you to get a more vivid and impressive look.

Lash Lift Drawbacks · If not done by a professionally trained beautician a lash lift can harm your eyelashes. Always be sure to visit a certified Lash Lift artist to make sure you get beautifully lifted lashes every time.

The Lovely Latoya Zephyr · For better results, you may be asked to prep your eyelashes beforehand and avoid wearing eye makeup a few days prior to your appointment. · If you have very sensitive eyes let your lash lift artist know as the solution can sometimes feel irritating to those with more delicate eyes. · After having your eyes closed during the procedure you may experience slightly blurry vision once the lash lift is finished.

Overall, if you weigh the benefits of lash lift against its drawbacks you can see that it is worth it. You just need to ensure that you go to a

licensed and experienced lash tech for the procedure to get the best results.

About the Author Latoya Zephyr is a Certified Beauty Technician who’s been in the industry for five years. Not only does she specialize in lash extensions but this strong, vibrant Buxton Spice is beloved in the beauty community for her frankness, her mentally and spiritually nourishing advice, and her adoration for seeing other women elevate themselves.

With this weekly space, this soul inspiring Empress will share key pieces of advice on how to care for your lashes and just generally, how to love yourself a bit more each day.

FIBA : Guyana vs Costa Rica to air today on E2 To all the Basketball fans far and wide, be sure to check out the E2 Channel this evening at 6PM for the FIBA: Guyana vs. Costa Rica game. It’s a game you won’t want to miss. Enjoy.

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Gastric bypass: What it is and what to expect · What is it? · Laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding · Vertical sleeve gastrectomy · Roux-en-Y gastric bypass · Recovery and diet · Risks and complications · Summary A gastric bypass, or bariatric surgery, is a procedure that aims to help manage obesity.

About 24 million people in the United States have severe obesity, meaning that they have a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or overTrusted Source.

Recent statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)Trusted Source show that the obesity rate in adults in the U.S. was 42.4% in 2017– 2018, a significant increase from the 1999–2000 rate of 30.5%.

Obesity can increase the risk of diabetes, arthritis, high blood pressure, heart disease, and other health conditions.

Healthcare professionals recommend losing weight to promote overall health.

A gastric bypass is one

way to treat obesity and help a person lose weight. Keep reading to learn about the procedure and its effects.

What is a gastric bypass?

Share on PinterestA doctor may recommend a gastric bypass to a person who is unable to lose weight through lifestyle changes.

Although diet and exercise are usually the first recommendations for losing weight, these do not work for everyone.

In cases where lifestyle changes are ineffective, a doctor may recommend surgery. A gastric bypass, or bariatric surgery, is a type of procedure that can be a sustainable, long-term option for weight loss.

Generally, these procedures work in one of three different waysTrusted Source: · Restrictive: A surgeon decreases the size of the stomach. · Malabsorptive: A surgeon reduces the amount of the small intestine that food can pass through. · Mixed: These

procedures limit the intake of food and produce malabsorption.

Laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding Laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (LAGB) is one of the types of restrictive weight loss surgeries. People sometimes refer to it as a gastric sleeve.

It involves a surgeon inserting an instrument called a laparoscope through small incisions in the upper abdomen and putting an adjustable band around the top part of the stomach to create a small pouch.

The result is that the person feels fuller despite eating less.

LAGB is the least invasive gastric procedure. A doctor can adjust the band when necessary to allow an increased or reduced food intake.

Vertical sleeve gastrectomy Vertical sleeve gastrectomy (VSG) is a procedure more commonly known as “stomach stapling.”

During the surgery, a

surgeon will permanently remove part of the stomach, limiting the amount of food that a person can eat.

They will also remove most and perhaps all of the ghrelin-producing cells of the mucous membrane layer of the stomach.

Ghrelin is a hunger hormone, so reducing its production means that a person’s appetite will decrease dramatically.

The surgeon will join the remaining parts of the stomach together using surgical staples.

Roux-en-Y gastric bypass In a Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB), a surgeon reduces the size of the stomach to approximately that of a golf ball.

They do this by stapling off a small pouch of the stomach away from the rest before attaching this section of the stomach to part of the small intestine called the Roux limb.

Food will pass straight from the small pouch to the lower part of the small intestine. This procedure is a

malabsorptive one, as the less time food spends in the small intestine, the less the body absorbs.

Recovery and diet The recovery time will depend on the type of procedure. In general, the more invasive the procedure, the longer the recovery time.

A p e r s o n ’s r e c o v e r y can also depend on whether there were any complications during the surgery.

Dietary changes are necessary after a gastric b y p a s s t o e n sure that complications do not occur.

People should always follow doctors’ advice on what to eat.

The diet will change slowly in stages. An aftercare diet plan may involve the following stages: · Clear liquids: For the first day, it is only possible to have clear liquids, such as water. The aim is to ensure that the person remains hydrated but avoids anything that could irritate the stomach.

· Liquids: After the initial day, a person may be able to introduce other liquids, such as protein shakes, slowly to ensure that they are getting enough nutrients. This stage could last 14 days. · Soft food: People can eat pureed food, and protein shakes become supplemental rather than the only source of protein. · R e g u l a r food: About 7 weeks after surgery, pe o p l e c a n e a t regular foods. It is still vital to avoid certain ingredients, however, such as added sugars and caffeine.

The dietary recommendations will vary depending on a person’s medical history and other health conditions.

Each individual will receive personalized advice from a doctor or registered dietitian to ensure that they have an appropriate diet. (https:// www.medicalnewstoday.com/ articles/gastric-bypass#risksand-complications)

15 natural ways to lower your blood pressure If left uncontrolled, high blood pressure raises your risk of heart disease and stroke.

But there’s good news.

There are a number of things you can do to lower y o u r b l o o d pressure naturally, even without medication.

Here are 15 natural ways to combat high blood pressure.

1. Walk and exercise regularly Share on PinterestRegular exercise can help lower your blood pressure.

Exercise is one of the best things you can do to lower high blood pressure.

Regular exercise helps make your heart stronger and more efficient at pumping blood, which lowers the pressure in your arteries.

In fact, 150 minutes of moderate exercise, such as walking, or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise, such as running, per week, can help lower blood pressure and improve your heart health.

What’s more, doing even more exercise than this reduces your blood pressure even further, according to the National Walkers’ Health Study.

Bottom line: Walking just 30 minutes a day can help lower your blood pressure. More exercise helps reduce it even further.

2. Reduce your sodium intake Salt intake is high around the world. In large part, this is due to processed and prepared foods.

For this reason, many public health efforts are aimed at lowering salt in the food industry. Many studies have linked high salt intake with high blood pressure and heart events, including stroke.

However, more recent research indicates that the relationship between sodium and high blood pressure is less clear.

One reason for this may be genetic differences in how people process sodium.

About half of people with high blood pressure and a quarter of people with normal levels seem to have a sensitivity to salt.

If you already have high blood pressure, it’s worth cutting back your sodium intake to see if it makes a difference. Swap out processed foods with fresh ones and try seasoning with herbs and spices rather than salt.

Bottom line: Most guidelines for lowering blood pressure recommend reducing sodium intake.

However, that recommendation might make the most sense for people who are salt-sensitive.

3. Drink less alcohol Drinking alcohol can raise blood pressure. In fact,

alcohol is linked to 16% of high blood pressure cases around the world.

While some research has suggested that low-tomoderate amounts of alcohol may protect the heart, those benefits may be offset by adverse effects.

In the U.S., moderate alcohol consumption is defined as no more than one drink a day for women and two for men. If you drink more than that, cut back.

Bottom line: Drinking alcohol in any quantity may raise your blood pressure.

Limit your drinking in line with the recommendations.

4. Eat more potassium-rich foods Potassium is an important mineral.

It helps your body get rid of sodium and eases pressure on your blood vessels.

Modern diets have increased most people’s sodium intake while decreasing potassium intake.

To get a better balance of potassium to sodium in your

diet, focus on eating fewer processed foods and more fresh, whole foods.

Foods that are particularly high in potassium include: · vegetables, especially leafy greens, tomatoes, potatoes, and sweet potatoes · fruit, including melons, bananas, avocados, oranges, and apricots · dairy, such as milk and yogurt · tuna and salmon · nuts and seeds · beans Bottom line: Eating fresh fruits and vegetables, which are rich in potassium, can help lower blood pressure.

5. Cut back on caffeine If you’ve ever downed a cup of coffee before you’ve had your blood pressure taken, you’ll know that caffeine causes an instant boost.

However, there’s not a lot of evidence to suggest that drinking caffeine regularly can cause a lasting increase.

In fact, people who drink caffeinated coffee and tea tend to have a lower risk of heart disease, including high blood pressure, than those who don’t drink it.

Caffeine may have a stronger effect on people who don’t consume it regularly.

If you suspect you’re caffeine-sensitive, cut back to see if it lowers your blood pressure.

Bottom line: Caffeine can cause a short-term spike in blood pressure, although for many people, it does not cause a lasting increase.

6. Learn to manage stress Share on PinterestListening to soothing music may help lower stress.

Stress is a key driver of high blood pressure.

When you’re chronically stressed, your body is in a constant fight-or-flight mode.

On a physical level, that means a faster heart rate and constricted blood vessels.

When you experience stress, you might also be more likely to engage in other behaviors, such as drinking alcohol or eating unhealthful food that can adversely affect blood pressure.

Several studies have explored how reducing stress can help lower blood pressure. Here are two evidence-based tips to try: · Listen to soothing music: Calming music can help relax your nervous

system. Research has shown it’s an effective complement to other blood pressure therapies. · Work less: Working a lot, and stressful work situations, in general, are linked to high blood pressure.

Bottom line: Chronic stress can contribute to high blood pressure. Finding ways to manage stress can help.

7. Eat dark chocolate or cocoa Here’s a piece of advice you can really get behind.

While eating massive amounts of dark chocolate probably won’t help your heart, small amounts may.

That’s because dark chocolate and cocoa powder are rich in flavonoids, which are plant compounds that cause blood vessels to dilate.

A review of studies found that flavonoid-rich cocoa improved several markers of heart health over the short term, including lowering blood pressure.

For the strongest effects, use non-alkalized cocoa powder, which is especially high in flavonoids and has no added sugars.

Bottom line: Dark chocolate and cocoa powder contain plant compounds that help relax blood vessels, lowering blood pressure. ( h t t p s : / / www.medicalnewstoday.com/ articles/318716#magnesium)

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Sunday April 18, 2021

Junior page Cherry Blossom Tree

The bird king Story Time All the animals in the jungle had a king.

The birds were jealous. They wanted a king too.

‘Let me be king. Look at my wonderful colours!’ said the beautiful parakeet.

‘No, no,’ said the myna. ‘I can speak and talk to the other animals. I should be king.’

‘And I have a fantastic beak!’ said Toucan. ‘I want to be the bird king.’

‘I know,’ said the macaw. ‘Why don’t we have a competition? The bird who can fly the highest will be the bird king.’

Everyone thought this was an excellent idea, especially the eagle. ‘Make me king now,’ he said. ‘I am the strongest, and I can fly

the highest.’

‘Ah,’ said a little voice. ‘But you might not win!’

‘Ha ha!’ laughed the eagle. ‘You can’t beat me, little sparrow!’

‘We’ll see,’ said the sparrow.

The race began, and all the birds flew high into the sky. They flew higher and higher, and the eagle flew the highest. ‘Ha! I told you!’ squawked the eagle. ‘I, I am the king!’

But the sparrow was hiding under the eagle’s wing. Suddenly, he flew higher than the eagle’s head. The sparrow was the highest bird of all! He won the competition! And the sparrow was the new bird king.

Materials to make Tissue Paper Cherry Blossom Tree: Cherry Blossom Tree Template · Glue · Plate · Pink tissue paper cut up into squares (Mine were slightly smaller than 2"x2") ·How to make Tissue Paper Cherry Blossom Tree: ·1. Print out the template.

2. Pour glue into plate.

3. Smoosh tissue paper squares into flowers. Dip them into glue and then stick them to your tree! · Ahh, now stare at your pink blossoms and remind yourself that spring is just around the corner. ·Happy crafting!

Inkies Fill in the blank squares so that each row and each column contain all of the digits 1 thru 3.

The heavy lines indicate areas (called cages) that contain groups of numbers that can be combined (in any order) to produce the result shown in the cage, with the indicated math operation.

For example, 12× means you can multiply the values together to produce 12.

Numbers in cages may repeat, as long as they are not in the same row or column.

RY

OET

FUN

P ITH

W

by Uncle Roy

Art is So Cool Drawing and painting are so cool, And they make me feel so great, To know that I can make a picture, That others admire and appreciate.

Sometimes I draw the things I see, At other times what I imagine, Whatever I do it makes me so happy To know I created something.

The good thing is that I can do art Anytime and anywhere I be, All I need is pencil and paper, And I soon have a picture to see.

So join me in this nice hobby, That you’ll be sure to enjoy, And realise for yourself that art Is more fun than playing with a toy.

Kaieteur News

Sunday April 18, 2021

TEEN TIME

Be aware of all the qualities with which you have been endowed

A

part from the human assets which we have mentioned before, which will enable us to succeed in achieving your goals, we have to understand and make full use all of our positive qualities to succeed at whatever we set your mind to.

When you realise your true nature, that you are a unique human being with so many natural talents and endowments, then you will find it easy and just as natural to develop confidence in yourself, and use these to your best advantage.

All human beings have come into this world with four inborn gifts which make us superior to the other creatures of the earth, and capable of performing tasks which are truly wondrous.

These gifts are:Self-awareness. the ability to look at ourselves objectively, affording us the power to see when we need to effect positive changes towards developing

ourselves to our maximum potential; Imagination, the power to create in our minds a better way, and the likely result of whatever choice we want to make, which would enable us to accomplish what is most effective to achieve our goals; Will-power, the faculty that enables us to consciously determine the

truly aligned with the intentions of our souls, and utilise methods that are right and in accord with our principles and values to achieve these.

The fact is that you can only develop these 4 human

can help us to see the good in everything, which many ignore, is a Sense of Humour.

And, last but certainly not least, is another quality that unfortunately mankind does not make enough use of - the power to Love.

Take some time to

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POETS’ CORNER

We make our own world (by Carmen Mashier) We make our own world, whoever we are, Our happiness is of our own making; We make our own world, wherever we are, Our success is there for the taking.

Our world goes with us as we walk and talk each day, Our world can be a heaven or hell, our attitude will say, We make our own world, whatever we are, Let’s make our own world, wherever we are.

Keep thinking happy, and we’ll make a new world, Make full use of your qualities to succeed; Be always confident that you have what it takes, And you will surely win in all you need.

best course to follow and move forward confidently and with conviction to implement this; Conscience, giving us the capacity to judge right from wrong, so that we can choose our life goals that are

endowments by practice.

There is a saying: “Use it or lose it”.

This is true of these gifts, just as it is true of any other quality and every part of our physical being.

A fifth human gift that

meditate on these qualities, trying to understand how they work, and how you can make full use of them, and you will be certain to benefit in your endeavours towards the life goals you have set yourself.

Kakuro puzzles are like a cross between a crossword and a Sudoku puzzle. Instead of letters, each block contains the digits 1 through 9. The same digit will never repeat within a word. If you add the digits in a word, the sum willbe the number shown in the clue. Clues are shown on the left and right sides of “across” words, and on the top and bottom sides of “down” words.

Use the coming week to meditate on your unique human qualities, and you will be more equipped to move forward towards your goals.

Solutions to last week’s

Galaxies

Binox

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Tips to Help Prevent Stretch Marks Stretch marks, also called striae distensae or striae gravidarum, look like indented streaks in your skin. They may be red, purple, or silver in appearance.

Stretch marks most often appear on the: • stomach • chest • hips• bottom• thighs They’re common in pregnancy, but anyone can develop stretch marks in any phase of life. Some people are more susceptible to them.

If your mom, dad, grandparents, or other blood relative has stretch marks, you’re more likely to get them. Even if you’re at increased risk of stretch marks, there are some things you can do to reduce your risk and treat the stretch marks you already have.

1. Control your weight One of the most helpful things you can do to prevent stretch marks, whether you’re pregnant or not, is to maintain a healthy weight. Stretch marks can happen when your skin pulls apart quickly due to rapid weight gain. You may also notice stretch marks after rapid weight loss.

Some people develop stretch marks during growth spurts, such as during puberty. Other people, like bodybuilders, notice them after big gains from working out or using steroids. Working to control body changes from happening too quickly may be your best bet. Eat a healthy diet and exercise to help you manage your weight. If you do notice rapid weight gain or weight loss, it may be a good idea to visit your doctor to find out why.

2. Stay hydrated Drinking enough water may help keep your skin hydrated and soft. Soft skin doesn’t tend to develop stretch marks as much as dry skin does. The Institute of Medicine’s current recommendations for daily water intake are 104 ounces for men and 72 ounces for women. Drinking caffeinated beverages, like coffee, may actually increase your risk of developing stretch marks. If you drink coffee, make sure you’re balancing out your fluid intake with plenty of water, herbal tea, and other caffeinefree fluids.

3. Eat a nutrient-rich diet Stretch marks may also occur if you lack nutrition in certain areas. Eating foods that boost skin health may help. Make sure your diet includes foods rich in: • vitamin C • vitamin D • vitamin E • zinc • protein One way to make sure you’re getting a variety of nutrients is to choose unprocessed foods in various colors. For example, a breakfast of eggs, whole wheat toast, and mixed berries adds many colors to your plate while packing in a variety of nutrients.

4. Include vitamin C in your diet Collagen plays a role in keeping your skin strong and elastic.

It helps reduce the appearance of wrinkles, but it may also be important for preventing stretch marks.

Vitamin C is an important nutrient for the development of collagen. Vitamin C can be found in many fruits and vegetables.

Citrus fruits, such as oranges and lemons, are especially good sources of vitamin C. 5. Soak up some vitamin D One study found a correlation between low levels of vitamin D and the incidence of stretch marks. More research is needed, but results suggest that maintaining healthy levels of vitamin D may reduce your risk of stretch marks. The easiest way to get vitamin D is through exposure to the sun. The vitamin is also commonly added to bread, cereal, and dairy products like milk or yogurt.

6. Eat foods rich in zinc Zinc is an important nutrient for skin health. It helps reduce inflammation and plays a role in the wound healing process.

There is very little evidence to date of a connection between zinc and stretch marks, but including zinc-rich foods in your diet, such as nuts and fish, may help keep your skin healthy.

7. Treat fresh stretch marks when they appear If you can’t totally prevent stretch marks on your skin, you can work to minimize their appearance so they aren’t as noticeable in the long run. Make an appointment with your doctor or a dermatologist to discuss your options if you have fresh stretch marks.

Your doctor can help determine what is causing your marks, and they may be able to suggest treatment options that work best on new stretch marks. https://www.healthline.com/health/how-to-preventstretch-marks#risk-factors

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sweN rueteiaK

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The Court Journal

By Renay Sambach If you are not aware of the different functions of the various courts in Guyana or the way they operate, this article can be of help.

In Guyana, the Judiciary consists of three different levels of court supremacy.

There are several jurisdictional Magistrates’ Courts, one High Court in each of the three counties and one Court of Appeal.

MAGISTRATE’S COURT The Magistracy is like t h e h u b o f G u y a n a ’s Judiciary. There are more Magistrates’ Courts than any other court in Guyana and as such, a large number of criminal cases are disposed of at the Magistracy level.

The Magistracy conducts summary criminal matters such as: assault, simple larceny, abusive language, robbery under

The levels of court supremacy

Summary Jurisdiction (Magistrates’) Act. The Magistrates function by examining facts presented to the court by the prosecution and defence and then applying the relevant laws to reach a final verdict or decision.

At a trial in the Magistrate Courts for summarily disposed matters, the prosecution presents the evidence in the matter to the court and at the end of a trial the Magistrate can either rule i f t h e r e ’s i n s u ff i c i e n t evidence or sufficient evidence for the defendant to be convicted for the offence.

All serious offences like murder, carnal knowledge, rape and other serious criminal matters commence at the Magistracy level. For those offences a Preliminary Inquiry (PI) or Paper Committal is conducted before it is sent to the High Court if enough evidence is

The Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.

offence, being discharged against someone is not an acquittal. It should be noted that with a matter being discharged, charges can be brought again, against someone for the same alleged offence.

In addition to criminal matters, Magistrates also hear some civil cases and family disputes.

Also, Magistrates cannot The Guyana Court of Appeal.

arms, forgery and also civil matters.

Working at that level of court are Magistrates, who are Judicial Officers who administrate the law in the various districts throughout the country.

There is the Chief Magistrate, Principal Magistrates, Senior Magistrates and Magistrates.

According to the law, the Chief Magistrate, a Principal Magistrate, and a Senior Magistrate have the power to exercise and perform all the functions conferred on a magistrate under the

Sunday April 18, 2021

produced.

For serious offences a defendant is not required to plead to the charge since it is laid indictably. In a PI, the evidence in the matter is presented to the court and at the end, the Magistrate can e i t h e r r u l e i f t h e r e ’s insufficient or sufficient evidence against the defendant for him/her to stand trial in the High Court or if the matter will be discharged.

Most persons often mistake the matter being discharged and the matter being dismissed. A serious

rule over serious offences, only Judges can pass judgment for serious offences in the High Court and Magistrates cannot impose a sentence greater than five years for any matter.

Besides handling the majority of criminal matters, the Magistrate’s Court is where persons go to pay or uplift child support.

HIGH COURT Unlike the Magistrate’s Court, Judges in the Supreme Court of Judicature, which is often simply called the High

Court, are empowered to impose life and death sentences in criminal trials.

The High Court stands right above the Magistrate’s Court and even though it is called the High Court, the court is not at the top of the Judiciary with the greatest power or responsibility.

There is provision for 12 judges in the High Court, with the Chief Justice having the overall responsibility.

There is one High Court in e a c h c o u n t y, o n e i n Georgetown; New Amsterdam, Berbice and Suddie, Essequibo Coast.

D u r i n g c o u r t proceedings in the High Court, a Judge is respectfully addressed as “Your Honour” while the Prosecutor, the legal party responsible for presenting the case in a criminal trial against an individual accused of b r e a k i n g t h e l a w, i s addressed as “Sir” or “Miss”.

Prosecutors in the High Court for criminal cases are normally attorney-at-laws attached to the Chambers of the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), Shalimar Ali-Hack, S.C. Most proceedings in the High Court are held before a single Judge. Both criminal and civil cases are done in the High Court. After a PI or paper committal is conducted at the Magistrate’s Court, it commits the defendant to stand trial in the High Court

The High Court.

for the offence.

A unique feature in the High Court is that the Jury is involved in criminal cases. A Jury is a body of 12 persons who were sworn in to give a verdict on the basis of evidence submitted to them in court. These selected civilians are expected to be free of prejudice. The Jury is tasked with returning a verdict, often times after hours and hours of deliberation.

It should be highlighted however, that in reality a Judge has the power to dismiss a serious charge, like attempted murder, rape or murder.

All criminal proceedings in the High Court are brought by the DPP. The DPP has the power at her discretion to either withdraw or reinstitute a charge.

However, if a charge is reinstituted; it will have to start over from the Magistracy Level before it is either discharged or sent back before a Judge in the High Court.

Additionally, law suits are also filed in the High Court. If an individual (company or institution as well) feels he or she has been victimized and desire to make compensatory claims exceeding $50,000 against someone, the matter is heard by a Judge in the High Court.

The High Court is also tasked with handling custody and adoption of

children, divorce, injunctions, applications for probates, and letters of administration as well as the passing of transports to land and mortgages. To claim compensation for libel, infringe or injuries received in a car accident, a writ of summons must be filed in the Registry of the High Court. It is then served by a Court Marshal on the person the claim is made against.

According to the ‘The L a w a n d Yo u , ’ i t i s advisable to have an attorney-at-law represent you in the High Court where rules of evidence and procedure have to be followed strictly.

COURT OF APPEAL If you or your attorney is unsatisfied with a Magistrate or Judge’s decision, a notice of appeal can be filed and the appeal of the matter can be heard in the High Court in the Chambers of the Full Court.

However, the final local resort is the Guyana Court of Appeal. The Appeal Court has the power to hear both criminal and civil appeals from the High Court, some from the Full Court and even from the Magistrates’ Courts.

The Court of Appeal is located in Kingston, Georgetown.

After filing for an appeal, there is a waiting time before the matter actually comes up in court for the appeal to be heard. The Judges in the Appeal Court can either overturn the Magistrate or the High Court Judge’s decision or rule that the conviction and sentence was properly instituted.

When attending all three courts, persons must remember to dress decent and consider the style and colour of clothes when attending court. The court is a serious place and your style of dress should always exhibit your respect for it.

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Kaieteur News

THE IGUANA From page 38 according to one study.

In order to accomplish this biomechanically, herbivorous lizards (such as the iguana) have taller and wider skulls, shorter snouts, and larger bodies relative to carnivorous and omnivorous reptiles. Increasing the robusticity of the skull allows for increased muscle presence and increases the ability of the skull to withstand stronger forces.

Furthermore, the teeth of the iguana are acrodontal, meaning that their teeth sit on top of the surface of the jawbone and project upwards.

The teeth themselves are small and serrated - designed to grasp and shear food.

REPRODUCTION Male iguanas, like other male examples of Squamata, have two hemipenes. During copulation, one hemipene will be inserted into the female's cloacal vent. A female can store sperm from previous mates for several years to continue to fertilise her eggs in case she finds no male within her territory when she is ready to lay again.

MATING/COURTSHIP Iguanas tend to follow a

promiscuous or polygynadrous mating style during the dry season. Mating during the dry season ensures that their offspring will hatch during the wet or rainy season when food will be more plentiful. Females control large territories where they make several nests. Males compete amongst each other for the females in an area and mark their won territory with a pheromone secreted from the femoral pores on the dorsal side of their hind limbs.

Male behaviour during sexual competition involves head bobbing, extending and retracting their dewlap, nuzzling and biting the necks of females, and on occasion, changing colour. Once a female chooses a male, he will straddle the female and hold her in place by biting onto her shoulder, which sometimes leaves scars on females. After copulation, eggs are laid within several nests and allowed to incubate.

This low level of parental intervention with their offspring makes iguanas an example of r-strategy reproduction.

(Source: Wikipedia)

Small countries need an IMF ...

From page 24 foreign debt.

For its part, the IMF policy makers should appreciate that small Caribbean states cannot be measured by the same yardstick as richer and larger nations. COVID-19 and other disasters affect all countries to some extent, but the extent in small states is total. We need look no further than St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

Already reeling from the effects of COVID-19, the eruption of the Soufriere volcano, which has not yet reached its zenith, has crippled it.

The vulnerabilities of small countries are lived experiences that must be taken fully into account if the IMF is to make a credible difference. The Fund should also remember that it is lending

money, not granting it. The terms of engagement should be such that countries can repay their debts and yet survive, giving their people opportunities to grow.

The question is: can those who control the IMF make it, at least, a lender of conscience.

(The writer is Antigua and Barbuda’s Ambassador to the United States and the Organisation of American States. He is also a Senior Fellow at the Institute of Commonwealth Studies at the University of London and Massey College in the University of Toronto. The views expressed are entirely his own.)

Responses and previous commentaries:ww w.sirronaldsanders.com

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Starr Computer launches biosafety units to help tackle CO VID-19 - new disinfectant technology chambers to help keep public safe

A

s Guyana and the rest of the world grapples with what appears to be a new wave of the deadly coronavirus/COVID-19 disease, local technology giant, Starr Computer, has introduced a biosafety department offering disinfectant channels to help keep the public safe.

The new product, retrofitted with a sanitisation chamber and touchless disinfectant technologies to help to reinforce the efforts, offers an additional layer of protection when people lapse in good hygiene practice.

Hospitals, schools, shopping malls (stores), professional offices, hotels, banks, exhibitions, homes (wall mount accessories) have started to use the sanitisation technology to keep their staff, customers, students, occupants and visitors safe.

According to Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Starr Computer, Mike Mohan, the biosafety division, which is located at the company’s Lot 59 Brickdam, Georgetown office, provides free information and technology products to help fight the pandemic and by extension save lives.

He explained that in addition to selling the

product, Starr Computer introduced its own protocol by demonstrating its UV and touchless disinfectant technologies to not only help its employees feel safe to work but to ensure that customers shop in comfort on it premises.

According to Mohan, “Starr’s disinfectant channel features infra-red artificial intelligent wrist reader that alerts us if someone has a fever; touchless hand sanitiser, safe sanitising body mist and shoe sole sanitiser.”

“At present, everyone entering the Starr Computer premises is invited to walk through our disinfectant channel for a 30-second, four-step, touchless disinfection experience,” he said.

F u r t h e r, t h e C E O explained that the specifications and configuration include either a single or a multi-entry chamber.

He noted that the chamber is built with steel and sized 3½’ width x 6’ length x 8’ height. Its metal base, mounted on wheels, allows easy portability, Mohan said.

At its entry, the channel starts with an Infra-Red (IR), ultra-fast temperature reader to the wrist, which can activate an alarm if it detects someone with a high

temperature.

He explained further, “This is followed by a touchless hand sanitiser application to clean hands of any infectious particles.

Thereafter, a special sensor activates the disinfection chamber which sprays a neutralising mist that disinfects bacteria on the subject’s outer clothing or skin while the floor mat cleanser sanitises your shoe sole before you enter our premises.”

Additionally, the CEO noted that the chamber is retrofitted with a programmable tablet, so that it can remotely monitor real time activities.

“This advanced professional disinfectant channel version can support facial recognition to sound alarm for missing mask as well as conduct body count on human traffic inflow.

This application can be further configured to support employee’s time clock system,” he said, adding, “The chambers can be customised to suit your specific needs.”

In fact, Mohan said that, if the market requires it, Starr Computer could retrofit a disinfectant channel for shopping carts and baskets sterilisation for supermarkets. “We can even add roll down gates to entry and exit opening. As we

bring products to market, we will be able to offer customers multiple sanitisation options as needed,” added Mohan.

Further, the CEO said that Starr ’s Biosafety Department offers free demonstration of the products available.

At present, the company has on sale basic disinfectant channels that are equipped with touchless hand sanitisers that include a whole body mist spray plus shoe sole sterilisation.

Also on sale are deluxe disinfectant channels retrofitted with IR/AI wrist temperature reader together with touchless hand sanitiser, whole body mist s p r a y, a n d s h o e s o l e sterilisation; professional disinfectant channels retrofitted with two facial recognition tablet computer temperature readers and mask reader identification, as well as stand-alone channels retrofitted with IR/AI temperature reader and touchless hand sanitiser on stands.

The company also sells stand-alone channels retrofitted with touchless tablet with AI facial recognition, face mask and temperature reader and touchless hand sanitiser on stands; wall mount touchless hand sanitiser; wall mount touchless tablet with AI

CEO of Starr Computer Inc., Mike Mohan.

facial recognition, face mask and temperature reader; stand-alone body sanitiser (floor model unit on wheels – different versions; pan and mat walk-through) and shoe sole sterilisation channels.

In addition, Mohan said that there are also replacement parts on sale at the store.

Starr Computer is also offering customers free UV sanitisation for their phones on any visit. The CEO noted that efforts to introduce the biosafety solution started since last year. Ever since then, the company has been working with international manufacturers to build suitable products.

Mohan noted too that his company has worked to develop products that will specifically address the needs of local agencies.

A safety channel located at Starr Computer Inc.on Brickdam

Meanwhile, in addition to efforts to build technology to help combat the virus, Mohan is encouraging his fellow citizens to get vaccinated.

“Anyone who gets the opportunity to be vaccinated for protection against COVID-19 should take this immunisation as soon as it is available. It is one of our best options to strengthen our immune system to survive this disease and stay alive during this challenging pandemic period,” Mohan urged.

Even as he noted that most developed countries are getting ready for a fourth COVID-19 infection wave, Mohan considered that Brazil, “our neighbouring country is now an epicenter of the coronavirus as over (Continued on page 60)

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Guyana's scores declines in 2021 Freedom in the World Report

G

uyana's rating has declined in t h e 2 0 2 1 Freedom in the World Report which is prepared by the Freedom House, a U.Sbased and governmentfunded non-profit and nongovernmental organization that researches and advocates for democracy, human rights and political freedom.

The report rates 210 countries and territories based on their people's access to political rights and civil liberties, as well as individual freedoms which can include, but are not limited to; the right to vote, freedom of expression and equality before the law (which can be affected by state or non-state factors), according to the organization.

Guyana's overall rating this year is 73 out of 100.

Despite managing to maintain its “free” status, Guyana had scored 74 out of 100 last year. Further, the report gives Guyana a score of 30 out of 40 for political rights. Guyana's score for political rights last year was 31 out of 40. For civil liberties this year, Guyana scored 43 out of 60 which is

the only score that remained the same.

Freedom House noted that while Guyana is a parliamentary democracy that conducts regular elections, has a lively press and robust civil society; discrimination against indigenous and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) people and violent crimes remain significant problems for the country.

Even though Guyana maintained its “free” status, this year it obtained the lowest score among Caribbean countries with Haiti being the only exception, getting 37 as its overall score, 15 for political rights and 22 for civil liberties. Barbados with an overall score of 95 is the highest-scoring Caribbean country.

It also scored 38 for political rights and 57 for civil liberties. Barbados was followed by Dominica with an overall score of 93, 37 for political rights and 56 for civil liberties. St. Vincent & the Grenadines has the thirdhighest score in the Caribbean with an overall score of 91, 36 for political rights and 55 for civil liberties.

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Sunday April 18, 2021

Cops catch thieves red-handed in stranger's house The two thieves

T

wo thieves were caught yesterday in the early morning hours after they broke into a property in Craig Street, Campbellville, Georgetown.

Neighbours, who were alerted by strange noises coming from the property next door, a house belonging to a family that resides overseas, summoned the police and the duo was caught red-handed by the officers who had promptly responded.

The Commander of Police Division, Region 4 (A), Simon McBean, confirmed to this publication “we had received a call in the early morning hours from residents within the area alerting us about the break and enter.

We immediately sent a dispatch team. When the ranks arrived at the property, they cornered the duo in the house and the two men were arrested by officers and taken into custody.”

Kaieteur News

Sunday April 18, 2021

, il o s e th f o n o s c ti io Patr

, s u h c c a B JP Shakir on'

PAGE 55 Taking some time away from his busy schedule for a photo shoot

is a 'Special Pers

From page 22 home, here is where we belong and Guyanese is our people.”

Working in the sugar industry, Bacchus had a keen eye for what worked and what did not. Reflecting, Bacchus shared his belief that while he worked at GuySuCo under the leadership of Harold Davis Snr., things were very “straightforward.”

“He was a good leader; he saw people and not machinery as the asset for the sugar industry. He saw people and ensured that the safety regulations, labour and fair wages were all maintained. But then we got political interference where we got mismanagement of the sugar industry,” Bacchus added. Continuing, he said, “One of the objectives of

being an engineer on the estate was that we built (things) and I can tell you that what we built, up to today, it still stands.”

“I will agree that you have to give way to modernisation and t e c h n o l o g y f o r improvement, but I was very disturbed when the last government made the run for less caring for the sugar estate and one of the things I vehemently oppose was closing of Enmore, Rose Hall and Wales,” he asserted.

STILL PASSIONATE

Bacchus, who is still very passionate about the industry he once worked in, said that h e a l s o m a d e recommendations to the board of inquiries and

recalled that one of those recommendations was that there was no need to close sugar estates since taking care of them could ensure their sustainability.

“I said you don't need to close them. I have a motor car PCC 204, it's 53 years old and it's still working first key start because of its maintenance, its oil change, its caring and cleanliness and similarly, new factories, if you were to put in that care, that maintenance and that

Having a light moment with some of his customers

proper management, you would have gotten them till today…a better sugar factory than what we have right now,” he added.

After serving with pride in the sugar industry, Bacchus took on many other portfolios. In fact, he has served with distinction in many capacities in Region Six over the last 50 years.

Bacchus has been Local Government Chairman, Child Rights Chairman, Director of the Board of the

Guyana Water Inc. (GWI), Legal Affairs Chairman of GWI, Finance Officer of GWI and Finance Officer of Region Six. He had also served as Works Chairman and headed the Region Six Poverty Reduction Strategy Programme for many years.

At one point too, Bacchus sat on the Teaching Service Commission in the Region.

The Commissioner of Oaths and JP is a legal marriage officer and a peace councillor in the Region.

Bacchus said he decided to follow his current professional path after he had become ill and was sitting at his desk preparing some legal documents for an agreement settlement between two parties in a minor accident. That was a decade ago.

These days too he also offers voluntary services in the areas of engineering, accounting and management.

He has also taken up the mantle to sign application forms and student loan forms for University of Guyana students at no cost to them.

Without charging a dime too, he offers to sign old age pension, estate and business

community pension forms.

“I feel I am contributing to the development of my country because at the moment I am having a good pension from NIS and good old age pension and I don't have additional expenses, so I don't see why I can't volunteer my services to help other people to attain those standards and stature,” he said with a smile on his face.

Happy to be a patriotic Guyanese, Bacchus recounted that he chose to stay in Guyana, although his siblings and mother had migrated. “Since I was born, I haven't applied for a passport because I don't need one. Here is where I belong, this is my home,” he passionately underscored.

His appeal, therefore, is that people should love their country and love their fellow human beings.

“We should live as one nation and pursue one d e s t i n y. . . t h a t i s t h e betterment of good for Guyana so that the future generations can build from what we have left and mount up to Mount Everest,” said Bacchus who we are happy to be called our 'Special Person' this week.

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==GNBS IN FOCUS== GNBS AUDITING SERVICE AIDS EFFICIENCY AND CERTIFICATION READINESS Have you ever wondered if your business is operating efficiently and effectively? Is it functioning to its maximum capacity? Alternatively, are there any other ways you can improve your current operation to reduce waste and rework? If you have, then take a minute and contact the Certification Services Department of the Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS), which provides auditing of various management systems based on the requirements of International Standards. Yes, our team of qualified Auditors can assist you and your company to maintain conformance to standards and identify crucial areas for improvement.

The GNBS provides auditing services to companies regardless of their size or type of operation in any sector of the economy.

The Auditing process assesses the level of implementation of your management system to the requirements of International Standards such as ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management System, ISO 22000 Food Safety Management, ISO 14001 Environmental Management System and the ISO/IEC 17025 Standard, just to name a few.

These third party audits are geared towards providing insights into the overall functionality of a business, identify potential risks and determine how well the organisation is performing in relation to the standard. The aim is to help the businesses improve their operations, which increases competitiveness, effectiveness and efficiency.

Companies pursuing certification or accreditation can also utilise the GNBS auditing services to determine their readiness, prior to the

assessment (final) audit conducted by the Certification or Accreditation Body.

Companies prefer to use the GNBS Auditing Service for the following reasons: ü All audits are performed by trained, experienced, competent and certified auditors. ü The process can be thoroughly conducted within the shortest period of time. ü Clients are guaranteed that their information is kept confidential. ü The quality of the service offered by the GNBS is second to none. ü Enhanced process continual and improvement guaranteed. ü Affordability of service and value for money.

How can companies take advantage of the GNBS audit service?

Making a request for the process is simple and commences with the completion of the audit request form online. The form can be accessed by visiting our website at www.gnbsgy.org and clicking on ‘Forms’ on the top right corner of the webpage. Upon submission of the request, an officer will make contact with you and advice on the next steps.

The GNBS takes this opportunity to encourage all organisations, companies and laboratories, which are implementing management systems standards to utilise its auditing services.

For further information, please contact the GNBS on telephone numbers: 2190064/65/66 or contact the Certification Services Department via email, certification@gnbsgy.org.

Also, visit the GNBS Website and take advantage of daily updates that are provided on our Facebook and Instagram pages.

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GFS embarks on programme to provide an even better service

==CONSUMER CONCERNS==

By Pat Dial The Guyana Fire Service (GFS) recently held its Senior Officers’ Conference at which Minister of Home Affairs, Robeson Benn, was the guest of honour.

Minister Benn, before giving his address, took the opportunity of presenting the Service with four new fire tenders to strengthen their fleet to 38.

Following the Minister’s address, Fire Chief, Kalamadeen Edoo, rolled out a ten-point plan for the reform and strengthening of the GFS. The GFS has a long history, almost coeval with the life of the colony of British Guiana since almost as soon as the colony became British in 1815 the authorities established a Fire Brigade, initially manned by volunteers from

among the British colonists.

The Brigade used fire reels, which were long lengths of hose, wrapped in the form of a reel and assisted by a pump to get water in the hose.

These reels were pulled manually or by horse to the scene of the fire and were fairly effective since most houses were one or two-storey wooden houses and the town was small consisting of a few streets.

The newly established Town Council also got into the act of fire-protection by planting trees along the parapets of every street, which acted as firebreaks, and crisscrossing the town with canals, which both acted as drainage catchments and also as reservoirs for public use and also to provide water in time of fires. By the middle of the 20th

century, most of these canals were filled up forming avenues or walkways between the two carriageways leaving six canals to drain the town, examples being the Sussex Street and the Church Street canals.

When running piped water from the Lamaha was supplied to the town, conduits, “fire hydrants” were established on the mains in various parts of the town, which the Fire Brigade could tap in for use.

In the 20th century, the Central Government assumed control of the Fire Brigade, which was renamed ‘Guyana Fire Service’ since it could be called out of Georgetown and the Fire Service became one of the most popular government departments.

It had modernised its

81-year-old Region Four woman recorded as latest COVID-19 fatality The Ministry of Health (MOH) yesterday reported an 81-year-old woman from Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica) as Guyana’s latest COVID-19 casualty.

In its press release, it noted that the woman succumbed on Friday while receiving treatment at one its medical facilities and her death has since been recorded as Guyana’s 268th COVID-19 fatality.

The MOH also reported 120 new infections

via its daily dashboard update yesterday, which shows the total number of confirmed cases increased to 11,762.

The dashboard also shows that 13 patients are in the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit, another 21 in institutional quarantine, 75 in institutional isolation and 1,244 in home isolation. Additionally, a total of 10,161 persons have recovered to date with 100 new recoveries recorded yesterday.

equipment and training and was fairly effective in extinguishing fires. Citizens appreciated the dedication of the firefighters and the risks to life and limb they took to save others’ property and lives.

They were also appreciative of the help the Service was willing to render the population in many other ways such as medical first aid, an ambulance service, rescuing children who had climbed trees and could not get down, or getting into houses and recovering keys for persons who had locked themselves out of their houses and so on. Sometimes sufferers would complain that the GFS did not arrive in a timely manner to save their property or they had no water and so on but the Service was always willing to listen to complaints and improve.

Minister Benn was forthright in his address and urged his listeners to provide a better service: “Our Service,” he said, “is a professional one and we need to set aside some of the negative and confusing issues which impede our providing the requisite service . . . We need to im-

prove the esprit de corps of the Fire Service and get rid of issues of intrigued corruption and all other issues which we know are there as in other agencies.”

Minister Benn then went on to enjoin that women be welcomed to join the operational facet of the Service and that they should do this without any semblance of discrimination and abuse. He went on to point out the important fact that buildings of several storeys high are being constructed in several parts of Guyana and that such buildings should equip themselves with sprinkler systems.

He also took the opportunity of calling upon homeowners to invest in smoke alarms and fire extinguishers for their own safety and that of their property.

Fire Chief Edoo’s address dealt strictly with the business of the Conference. He laid out the ten-point programme, which would inform the work of the GFS for the next year and called upon his colleagues to help perfect a strategic plan that they could implement new strategies that would not only boost the image of the GFS

Unpredictable La Soufriere takes a rest until...

Trinidad Express - In an update yesterday morning, the Seismic Research Centre noted the changes in the activity at the La Soufriere.

The is what was reported, the swarm of long-period and hybrid earthquakes continued at La Soufrière.

The rate of occurrence of these earthquakes dropped significantly at about 8 pm on 16 April and has remained near-constant since. No episodes of tremor have been recorded in the last 12 hours.

A revised picture has been constructed of the summit crater based on satellite images.

The new crater, measures approximately 900 m N to S and at least 750 m E to W. The crater is thought to be at least 100 metres deep and

is centred in the south west sector of theSummit Crater.

Within the new crater, there are several vents, but only one can be identified clearly. Other vents, as indicated by the ash and steam plumes are located in the northern part of the new crater.

The volcano continues to erupt although explosive activity appears to have ended at this time.

Its current pattern of seismic activity may indicate growth of a lava dome, but this has not yet been confirmed.

Explosions with accompanying ash fall, of similar or larger magnitude, could restart in the future impacting St. Vincent and neighbouring islands.

Starr Computer launches... from page 50 44,000 people died in one day.

After vaccination, we still need to keep protecting families, fellow citizens and ourselves.

Our biggest challenge is to keep the virus replication down to reduce the rise of virus mutation.”

Mohan emphasised too that even when vaccinated, the CDC, WHO, PAHO and other health agencies have recommended the use of face masking, hand washing, and

social distancing practices.

He said, therefore, that Starr Computer urges the use of technology to reinforce the efforts and add additional protection for the public.

In the interim, the computer store is offering customers a real-time demonstration of its biosafety technology when they visit Starr Computer’s Brickdam location or a video demonstration via its website www.starrcomputers.com or its Facebook page.

but also make it more efficient and effective.

The first item of his plan, which Edoo outlined, was the modernisation and renovation of the existing fire stations including the GFS headquarters at Stabroek, Georgetown.

This station is in the most congested part of the city and this makes it impossible for the station to respond in a timely manner to situations as they would wish.

With the relocation of this station, the Service would be able to respond much quicker to calls. As part of this plan dealing with stations, the Fire Chief gave the welcome indication that fire stations would be established at Mahdia, Lethem, Mabaruma and at Eccles on the East Bank Demerara.Other items of the 10-point plan were greater collaboration and cooperation with other Government agencies especially the Central Housing and Planning Authority and the Mayor and City Council of Georgetown to ensure that they effectuate greater compliance with fire prevention methods in housing construction, which come under their purview.

There would also be established a Legal Department; an Occupational Safety and Health Department; training courses for the staff both locally and internationally; a Public Relations Unit; operational pole training for all staff; and expansion of the emergency medical service.

Fire Chief Edoo concluded: “We recognise that competence and enhanced performance could only be realised if structural changes are taking place. During our deliberations, we will certainly fine tune and consider in greater detail our ten-point plan. The GFS is committed to improving its performance and the provision of the best service to the Nation.”

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An introspective discourse on new directions of modern society DEAR EDITOR, The order of Nature has been/is being compromised

by Anthropogenic meddling, interference, and exploitation over millennia and especially the past decades since the industrial revolution. Malthusian theory and pronouncement allude to negatives of exponential population growth vis-à-vis sustainability to provide food.

However, there is the contrary interpretation that it is not the earth’s inability to provide adequate food necessarily, but the unfair distribution of the food resources.

The world has seen tremendous “growth” in terms of science and technology and in economic “progress” usually measured as GDP. Nevertheless, inequality and social injustice remained the same, or got worse, over time.

Certain standards have changed since feudalism/ fiefdom/vassalage and slavery – with varying degrees of freedoms, certain rights such as the right to vote and to have a say in one’s affairs.

However, there were those, the power elite, who wanted to preserve the skewed social and economic status quo, in order to maintain power and control.

They established systems, institutions, and doctrines to retain the former system now called by another name – capitalism – with seem-

ingly obscure bland effect on society, individually and collectively.

According to Edward Bernays, “The mechanism by which [such] ideas [were]/are disseminated on a large scale is propaganda, in the broad sense of an organised effort to spread a particular belief or doctrine.” Propaganda may be good or bad depending on the intent and by whom – for what purposes. Thus, Bernays pronounced, “Propaganda becomes vicious and reprehensive only when its authors consciously and deliberately disseminate what they know to be lies, or when they aim at effects which they know to be prejudicial to the common good.” The world has witnessed this in the form of extreme militarisation and deployment in Hitler’s Germany: “If you repeat a lie often enough, people will believe it, and you will even come to believe it yourself,” the Joseph Goebbels’ doctrine (or was it Lenin?). The Rwanda massacre is also significant in this regard.

Over the years, the system has shaped people’s minds, thought processes, and lifestyle, to serve the system. We were/are told what to like and desire – to make us presumably happy – making “them” go to their bank with more money, and make “us” poorer.

It is a programming pro-

cess, stirring up our social consciousness for ‘new and improved’ products – by the invisible hand on TV, radio, and print media – powerful vehicles of persuasion – respectably called marketing!

Two common examples: we gobble down white sugar laden sodas with no nutritional value, and we eat meats laden with excessive fats and potentially high cholesterol, because of the power of the “invisible hand” of The New Emperor’s New Clothes.

The system trains our minds to be consumers with a thirst for acquisitiveness and over-consumption – desires and greed becoming central in our lifestyles and approaches in all spheres of our daily life. We, like robots, have become accustomed to doing things that are inimical to our own wellbeing because we have been dumbed down.

Fanon called this cognitive dissonance.

In the 1929 Committee on Recent Economic Changes, President Herbert Hoover’s welcomed the new American ‘model’ “on a grand scale [of] the expansibility of human wants and desires,” hailed an “almost insatiable appetite for goods and services,” and envisaged “a boundless field before us … new wants that make way endlessly for newer wants, as fast as they are satisfied.” Thus, the newfangled paradigm: need more; buy

IS GOVERNMENT PRACTICING RELIGIOUS FAVOURITISM? DEAR EDITOR, The country must salute Swami Aksharnand for having the courage to spotlight the use of the West Coast Masjid for government’s vaccination. The whining from the Swami is not just about the use of the Masjid for vaccination and the exclusion of his Hindu organisation.

There is a deeper inherent problem.

Swami Aksharnand’s gripe of his Hindu organisation’s exclusion from the list of religious sites that were used for vaccination is only a tip of the Irfaan Ali government’s practice of religious bias. It is not long from now that there is an explosion over religious bias.

The government is making blunders similar to what the coalition did in its months in office. Its re-election is in trouble similar to the coalition’s.

This government has ignored what most of the country has observed as an obvious problem from day one – the lack of religious balance in its appointments, awarding of contracts, and doling out of resources. Just look around who gets prominent

appointments and ownership of companies or individuals that are awarded big contracts. There is widespread religious bias this government has pursued since it was sworn in on August 2. The President’s religious group seems to be favoured against the majority religions. The group that constitutes just 10 percent of the population is favoured with 40 percent of the appointments including the top posts, 80 percent of the contracts, and most of the resources. Rules on awarding of contracts and distribution of resources are routinely violated; Ministers and boards are instructed who to give contracts; there is no balance in the religious background of the recipients.

NDCs and authorities close their eyes to violation of state land reserves on the West Coast by members of Masjids. The President is surrounded by appointees who are largely of his faith.

It has not gone unnoticed that the majority religious groups are complaining.

People talk silently amongst themselves. They do not speak publicly like the Swami for fear of victimisation. And

notice that all of the regular letter writers and commentators including Freddie Kissoon, Vishnu Bisram, Ravi Dev, and others are also silent on this issue.

The Attorney General and members of the cabinet are also silent. Pandits are also silent. The mouths are muzzled by the hands that feed them. They castigated the coalition and former President Granger for perceived bias. But they will not condemn their government for practicing religious discrimination even against their own supporters.

The Swami is on his own on this one. Swami is a hero for courageously speaking up and highlight the problem of religious bias; rest assured that the political elite will punish him, his organisation, and his school. This government does not want anyone to publicly speak ill of its blunders or biased policies.

The Swami must be applauded for spotlighting this problem. It can only be hoped that the government will rectify it during this holy period for Muslims and Hindus.

Yours truly, Srimattie Gangadeen

more; discard; then buy more, and more, and more – like feeding an addiction. This is planned obsolescence.

Observe: demand was created and deliberately “contrived.”

“Those who create wants rank amongst our most talented and highly paid citizens. Want creation – advertising – is a ten billion dollar industry.” (See Vance Packard The Waste Makers.) The system perpetuated its impetus by moulding the populace into an automaton consumer with an unquenchable thirst for its “wonderful stuff.”

Thus, we glorify in the notion that we are civilised; that we have arrived; and we are now a part of the in-group.

But such perverted evolution continues to keep humanity in bondage! Note what is happening today in Myanmar, Tigray, Palma, ongoing conflicts in the Middle East, Africa and elsewhere.

In the United States, there was an unprecedented storming of the White House, in addition to attempts to thwart the democratic process during the recent elections. Killings are commonplace. Racism is now overt. Despite the greatness of the US and much goodness, there is a concomitant alarming, suffusing sense of societal toxicity – which is scary!

There is a fit analogy with Guyana: the blatant attempt to rig its recent national election; crime; inability to disseminate pertinent information on the COVID-19 pandemic; and the obscure and cagey Oil Business. This is true for the PNC, and also for the PPP. Rigging aside, the

PNC sold out Guyana with the scandalous Trotman oil deal.

A blindfolded jackass could have done better. So, what kind of jackass is he and his puppeteer/s! The PPP promised to do better, but they too are marching in the bandwagon to the tunes of the manipulators. What dastardly shame and dishonour!

The power elite give the impression of disregard for those on Main Street, a normative that defies decency and political pragmatism. Arrogance and an assumed air of superiority permeate the collective arcana. Brings to memory: “L’etat c’est moi.”

Power does corrupt, doesn’t it?

Clement Rohee wrote: History produced Jagan and Jagan made his own history, Clement Rohee’s letter is indeed well written detailing in brief the poignancy and relevance of Dr. Cheddi Jagan, “In commemorating Jagan’s passing, we recall his modest way of living, his simplicity in language, yet at times controversial, but complex in his thinking. Thus far, no one has taken his place….”

I reflected on these words in relation to the existing state of affairs in today’s Guyana.

Now I seek to see who in Guyana are measuring up to Jagan’s simplicity, sincerity, modesty and almost penurious lifestyle.

The nouveau riche lavish in debauched lifestyle. Both the PPP and PNC claim to be working class political parties; yet in practice and reality today, their behaviour is antithetical to their stated ideals, betraying their solemn

core values. They are now following the path of unabated neoliberal policies.

And at the same time they are “regimenting the public mind” and creating herd instinct in all aspects of national comportment.

The invisible hand of government is powerful and ever present. Reflect on Edward Bernays: “Who are the men who without our realising it, give us our ideas, tell us whom to admire and whom to despise, what to believe about the ownership of public utilities, about the tariff, about the price of rubber, about the Dawes Plan, about immigration; who tell us how our houses should be designed, what furniture we should put in them, what menus we should serve on our table, what kind of shirts we must wear, what sports we should indulge in, what plays we should see, what charities we should support, what pictures we should admire, what slang we should affect, what jokes we should laugh at?”

Why did the erstwhile leaders in Guyana take the wrong fork on the road? Did the free-market mantra and neoliberalism permeate and programmed their new thinking and political direction? It is worth pondering on these simple but salient words: “We own things to lose them.”

For now, I end with this modest supplication: “Don’t walk in front of me; I may not follow. Don’t walk behind me; I may not lead. Walk beside me and just be my friend.”– Albert Camus Sincerely, Gary Girdhari

Who is responsible for the murder of Courtney Crum-Ewing?

DEAR EDITOR, Instead of asking ‘who dunit,’ it is better to ask: who is responsible for it? That would be the death by gunfire of one Courtney CrumEwing. It seems that, other than for his loved ones, Guyana gets ready to move on, from what looks doomed to be consigned to that dank expanding Guyanese storage reservoir called cold cases.

It would be one more mystery to add to the long litany of suspicious domestic tragedies.

The media was awash with a man freed after some 40 years for involvement in the most high-profile murder, a political assassination, in this country. It does not get any higher than that of Dr. Walter Rodney. Nor more artic in the chilling nature of justice in this country.

I would contend that it is more of injustice: leadership evils and injustice, govern-

mental injustice, political injustice. The PNC has its decades-old albatross that hangs around its neck, and hangs it, however probed or analysed or concluded. And by that identical yardstick, the PPP has its own footprints and fingerprints that similarly damn it.

Twist it or turn it, the leadership of both groups are burdened by those two murderous legacies. And that is just the start, the highest profiled among many others of less glaring luminosity.

Editor, the question I asked in the very first sentence of this writing still stands. It was two questions blended into one: not just ‘who dunit’, but who was responsible for Mr. CrumEwing’s well-orchestrated murder?

We have copied well from outsiders in a bow to literary imperialism, when we label those behind such suspicious

and supposedly mysterious murders as “the intellectual authors.”

They are even guiltier of the heinous than the actual executioner(s). Whether living or dead, they are not unknown; certainly not untainted at all.

They always wax wondrously about democracy and country, as well as unity and integrity.

And of recent much about oil and the law and all along, with an abundance of gas. It is sordid and sickening, and they all are, no matter how much their images are polished and repolished; how much venerated and rebranded.

Editor, clearly what we have had and currently have in this country at the highest levels, are not merely Machiavellian premeditators and manipulators.

What we have are more than cold cases condemned (Continued on page 62)

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Sunday April 18, 2021

Kaieteur News

Who is responsible for the murder ...

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someone who cared for him in his traumatic days. They have relayed some stories, with fingers firmly pointed, with names mentioned. They are of names and figures bubbling to the top of this society.

Tomorrow those will tell us the usual mouthful about law and oil; maybe even

about the need for brotherhood. The Sicilian Cosa Nostra has a brotherhood, too; a most murderous one.

The question remains: not ‘who dunit’, but who is responsible for the murder of Courtney Crum-Ewing?

Sincerely, GHK Lall

Sunday April 18, 2021

Kaieteur News

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Sunday April 18, 2021

Sunday April 18, 2021

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BLUNTNESS ON INDECENCY! In case you haven’t heard, please be informed that as part of our continued effort to channel positive changes in our country, our publisher, Mr. Glenn Lall, has dedicated our Page Seven to be “BLUNT” about on-going indecency in our land that should matter, not only to us at this publication, but the entire nation.

SUNDAY The APNU+AFC opposition has to stop operating as if it has a split personality.

On one hand, it claims that the current, legitimately elected government was illegitimately “installed” by a process supported by the US, CARICOM and other international players, all of whom mere condemned the Granger administration attempt to rig the elections.

In virtually the same breath, it then goes to these same countries to complain that the government is not treating it like a legitimate opposition.

And the same coalition, whose leader David Granger has been hiding from the media for months, is complaining to the same foreign governments that the media in Guyana is not carrying its messages.

MONDAY In Guyana, politicians act as though their Intelligence Quotient (IQ) is on par with two-year-olds.

They have no clue as to

what the energy matrix for this country should look like.

Yet, they want an approximately US$1B gas-to-shore project, they want hydro, they want solar, they want it all without studies and plans to

justify their decisions.

Guyanese, you must decide whether you will allow the PPP/C to lead you blindly into accepting all these projects or if you will demand studies to be done first.

Only you have the power to determine the fate of today’s generation and those to come.

TUESDAY Taking the COVID vaccine is important, we will never argue against that.

At the same time, it is no secret, given the experience of other countries that started their vaccination campaign long before ours, the vaccine by itself, is no silver bullet.

Moreover, even if each eligible person takes the vaccine, it will not instantly solve our COVID problem.

Precautionary measures

must remain mandatory.

Some developed countries, in addition to their vaccination campaign, have seen the need for a lockdown and have done so in a bid to arrest the spread of the virus.

But given the pro-business stance of the PPP/C, we do not expect a lockdown anytime soon.

What we continue to see are attempts at controlling an already out of hand situation – evident by the average of 100 new cases per day, and the likely death of one in every 40 positive cases.

Bravo to Government for ramping up enforcement, but we pray that this would be enough to help save what remains of our declining population.

This, it would seem, is the most our Government is prepared to do for us!

WEDNESDAY Even as Exxon is shelling out millions of US dollars across the world, from Ireland to America, to both pay for environmental damages and to ensure that they do not re-

occur, Guyana is being treated like trash in how the company handles basic issues here.

For the second time in four months, Exxon’s gas compressor has supposedly failed, the local arm of one of the biggest companies on the planet either operating like a corner cake shop or having us believe that it is.

THURSDAY Regarding COVID-19, we are inclined to believe that we are in a much worse state than our government is letting on.

As more tests are being done, more cases are emerging.

Moreover, we at this publication believe that Government, by now, should have been in a position to determine just what percentage of the population is exposed to the virus.

This, we understand, can only be done via random sample testing.

Since January, infections have surged and random testing of the population should have started in order to determine just how widespread are the infections.

If indeed Government has undertaken this task, keeping this information a State secret is nothing but detrimental to our already declining population.

However, if the “knowhow” is lacking, there will be no condemnation in soliciting needed support.

We demand that Government gets a better handle on this COVID-19 situation, even if it means reaching across the political divide.

FRIDAY Every day that we do not received a reasonable expla-

nation from Exxon about the failure to fix the gas compressor on Lisa 1 is another day that we accept an increasing level of disrespect to our national patrimony.

SATURDAY The PPP/C Government says the gas-to-shore project is good for Guyana, that the pros outweigh the cons.

If so, let them show us the evidence.

Show the people the financial studies you did which prove that this project is sound.

Prove that you are not leading Guyanese into another debt trap.

Show the people that this will not be another white elephant like the US$200M Skeldon factory.

Stop treating Guyanese like fools and earn their trust for their megaproject.

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Demetrius Andrade beats Liam Williams to retain WBO world middleweight title

The fight was delayed a year because of Covid-19 restrictions

Sunday April 18, 2021 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) Has someone given you a chore to do and then taken off without giving you any instructions? It's no wonder you feel confused and frustrated!

TAURUS(Apr.20–May20) Staying indoors might not be the best thing today. You might feel vague muscular aches and pains for which you can't find any reason.

GEMINI (May 21–June 20) A family member may be absent without explanation.

This might worry everyone, and not without reason. It's best to stay calm and phone friends, colleagues, and anyone who might know where this person is.

CANCER (June 21–July 22) A sibling or neighbor might not feel very communicative. It may seem that this person isn't behaving in their normal, friendly manner, but isn't sharing why.

LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) Are you working on a project that requires a little ingenuity? If so, today you may draw a blank. No matter how hard you think about it, you can't come up with a good way to proceed.

VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) Your intuition is operating at a very high level, Virgo, except where your family is concerned! No matter how hard you try, you can't seem to make sense of anything anyone says, let alone does.Don't make yourself crazy over it.

LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) Telepathic messages you get from a friend or relative could seem confused and garbled, Libra. This might bother you, especially if the person is normally practical and rational.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) Are you upset over money, Scorpio? Try to be rational.

Your concerns are probably far more negative than the reality of the situation. Be objective and go over your budget to learn the facts.

SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) Some news about a major event could unsettle and confuse you. There could be contradictory reports, and commentators may confound the issue even more.

CAPRI (Dec. 22–Jan. 19) Spiritual studies might seem fascinating and confusing, Capricorn. Are you reading a book whose author isn't clear? Perhaps this isn't the best work to bring you the information you seek.

AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18) Your intuition may guide you in a direction that seems at odds with what logic and practicality tell you, Aquarius. This could put you in a quandary.

PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) Family problems may have a friend or love partner feeling unsettled and helpless, Pisces. This person could have a few communication problems, especially if firmness is required.

BBCsport - Demetrius Andrade defended his WBO world middleweight title by unanimous decision despite a spirited challenge from Liam Williams in Hollywood. It was a nightmare start for the Welshman who hit the canvas in round two, but took the fight the distance.

The undefeated American used his experience and fought in eye catching bursts, while Williams struggled to land his shots. The judges scored the bout 118-109, 118109 and 116-111. There had been bad blood in the buildup to the main event, with 33year-old Andrade unimpressed with the calibre of his mandatory opponent.

Williams, 28, had twice lost to Liam Smith in 2017 before notching up seven successive wins to earn his shot at the title. Andrade showed little respect, but as the final bell rang at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, he certainly knew he had been in a fight.

Andrade, who now has a perfect record of 30 victories with no defeats, came out with serious intent and it looked like it was to be a short night’s work. He showed speed, power and accuracy, with Williams doing well to survive the first round after taking some heavy shots.

As he began to regain some composure in the second, Williams was floored by a right-left combination which saw him take every available second of the count to steady himself. To Williams’ credit, he kept chipping away and the champion looked tired at times as he clung on toward the end of rounds.

But Williams could not make him pay, and was left to rue his inaccuracy as he ran out of time.

Anthony Joshua wants Wembley to host Tyson Fury fight BBCsport - Anthony Joshua says Wembley Stadium would be the “ideal” venue when he faces fellow British champion Tyson Fury in their world heavyweight clash. A two-fight deal between the pair was signed last month but the venue and date has not yet been announced. Joshua said finding the right venue in a global pandemic had caused the delay. “We want to have people coming to the venue.

It’s just finding the right location. For me, Wembley would be ideal,” he said.

Joshua, 31, beat Wladimir Klitschko at Wembley in 2017 and Alexander Povetkin there the following year. The fighters’ representatives are understood to be looking at several offers to host the fight, with Saudi Arabia considered a front-runner.

Earlier this week, Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn told iFL TV: “We have had an offer that we are all happy with.

“We have an offer that both fighters, both teams, accept.

We are now closing that

Anthony Joshua contract with that site.”

Joshua’s IBF, WBO and WBA titles and Fury’s WBC belt will all be on the line in the first contest for all four major belts at heavyweight.

Fury, 32, said this week the fight will “100% happen” and Joshua has echoed that. He told ITV’s The Jonathan Ross Show, in an interview to be shown on Saturday: “He wants the fight, no doubt about it.

“So do I, and more than me and him, the whole public want it. I put my crystal ball out there and I say it’s going to happen this year, 100%.

End of July, early August.”

Kaieteur News

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Sunday April 18, 2021

Ronald Koeman wins his first trophy as Barcelona manager as his side run riot against Athletic Bilbao in Copa del Rey final MailOnline - Another final, two more brilliant goals, and another winner’s medal – was it Lionel Messi’s last in a Barcelona shirt? It didn’t look like it as he celebrated winning the Spanish Cup with a 4-0 win over Athletic Bilbao. It should also be noted that, with his 33 years, he ran from the half way line to start and finish the move that brought the brilliant third goal. He scored the fourth too and he celebrated it all like a man, not checking out, but ready to prolong his stay.

Messi’s first, Barça’s third, was as good a goal as you’ll see in any final. He led the charge from just inside the Athletic half and twice swapped passes with Frenkie de Jong before sending one last defender, Unai Nunez, spinning and dispatching the ball past Unai Simon.

It was no more than Barcelona deserved having dominated the first half without scoring and if Messi was man-of-the-match, De Jong was not far behind him setting up the first and scoring the second.

It was on the hour-mark when Messi drew the Athletic swarm to him and then released De Jong down the right. He crossed to Antoine Griezmann and the Frenchman turned the ball

Barcelona were crowned Copa del Rey champions on Saturday in emphatic style in Seville.

past Simon. Four minutes later it was two and this time De Jong applied the finishing touch.

Jordi Alba crossed from the left. It bounced once and De Jong crouched to dive head it past Simon. Then

came Messi’s masterpiece and he got a quick second, drilling Jordi Alba’s cross home. Griezmann thought he had added a fifth but VAR ruled the goal out for offside.

Athletic were saved from further punishment by the

final whistle.

The longer the game went on the worse the score would have been. Barcelona should have started the scoring in the first half. There were just three minutes up when Sergio Busquets put the ball over the

Olympic President Bach to visit Japan in May, meet PM Suga - media

Athletic Bilbao finally threatened it was from a setpiece with Alex Berenguer’s lateral free-kick almost turned in by Iñigo Martinez – he got his toe to it but could not send it past Marc-Andre ter Stegen.

Joel Embiid makes Philadelphia 76ers history in win over LA Clippers

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okyo (Reuters) International O l y m p i c Committee President Thomas Bach will visit Japan in May, the Kyodo News agency said on Saturday (yesterday), as the nation struggles to contain a surge in COVID-19 cases before the start of the Games.

Bach will attend a torch relay ceremony in the western city of Hiroshima on May 17 and meet with Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga the next day, Kyodo said, citing sources close to the matter. Bach is expected to back Japan’s commitment to safely host the Summer Games, Kyodo reported. “ We a r e a w a r e o f President Bach’s intention to come to Japan and would welcome such a visit,” the Tokyo Olympic organising committee said in a s t a t e m e n t . “ H o w e v e r,

top for Messi and he crossed to De Jong who hit the post.

Messi was pumped up and he played an incredible pass through a crowded area to Griezmann who, in turn, pulled the ball back to Messi whose shot was saved. When

Embiid helped the 76ers to their fourth straight win. (Getty Images)

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IOC President Bach meets with Greek PM Mitsotakis in Athens © Reuters. nothing concrete has been decided.”

Representatives for the Tokyo Olympics could not be reached when called for comment outside regular business hours. With fewer than 100 days until the Olympics are due to start in Tokyo, Japan expanded quasi-emergency measures

to 10 regions on Friday as a fourth wave of COVID-19 cases spread.

Suga, who is on a state visit to the United States, said at a news conference on Friday that he told President Joe Biden he was committed to moving forward with the Games and that Biden offered his support.

BCsport - Joel Embiid scored 36 points and added 14 rebounds as his Philadelphia 76ers side defeated the Los Angeles Clippers 106-103. The 76ers extended their lead at the top of the Eastern Conference while defeat ended the Clippers’ seven-game winning streak.

Embiid became the first 76ers player since 2006 to score more than 35 points in three consecutive games. “I think he’s clearly the MVP this season,” said team-mate Ben Simmons.

“I don’t think teams really know what to do when

guarding him.”

Western Conference leaders the Utah Jazz beat the Indiana Pacers 119-111 but lost two-time All Star Donovan Mitchell in the third quarter as he limped off with a sprained right ankle.

Norman Powell sealed victory for the Portland Trail Blazers with 22 seconds remaining as they came from behind to beat the San Antonio Spurs 107-106.

There was a narrow win for the Washington Wizards as Russell Westbrook scored two free throws with one second left in overtime to clinch a 117-115 result over the New Orleans Pelicans.

Julius Randle matched his season high of 44 points to lead the New York Knicks to a 117-109 win over the Dallas Mavericks, while Nikola Jokic made his 50th double-double of the season in the Denver Nuggets’ 12899 win over the Houston Rockets.

The Brooklyn Nets second in the Eastern Conference - eased past the Charlotte Hornets 130-115 with Joe Harris and Kevin Durant scoring 26 and 25 points respectively. There were wins too for the Detroit Pistons, Toronto Raptors, Memphis Grizzlies and Minnesota Timberwolves.

Kaieteur News

Sunday April 18, 2021

PAGE 69

Cristy Campbell becomes Chance makes it two in two second female President of with another podium finish Guyana Tennis Association

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uyana’s Indoor 400m men’s record holder, Arinze Chance, made it two in two after finishing again on the podium in his second 400m outdoor race as a pro athlete. This time, he finished second at the USC Open in South Carolina.

Chance clocked an impressive 46.56s to finish just over a second slower that first placed Christopher Bailey of the University of Tennesse. Speaking with Kaieteur Sport,

By Franklin Wilson “Foremost I like to always give God thanks for everything and I’d also like to express profound gratitude to all the clubs which supported me.”

The words of five-time and reigning Tennis Queen, Cristy Campbell who was elected President of the Guyana Tennis Association (GTA) defeating Annabelle Carter-Sharma 11-3 for the post when the Association convened its Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Friday evening last at the National Racquet Centre. Woolford Avenue, Georgetown.

It was a high level of confidence placed in the 35 year-old Campbell who has vowed to take the sport to heights never before achieved. In executing her mandate, Campbell has been fortunate to have two former Presidents also elected on this new executive.

She becomes only the second female President of the in the GTA’s history after Grace McCalman (now a Life Member). The clubs present at Friday’s AGM were Sheltez, Roraima, Pumas, Non-Pariel, Everest, Wimbledon, Rebel, Guyana Tennis Coaches Association and United.

The meeting got underway just after 17:00hrs and lasted for less than 15minutes during which time, reports from the Secretary and Treasurer were presented including the Audited Financial Statements (2019/2020) which were done by Auditing Firm, Parmesar.

Following a short break, Returning Officer for the elections as agreed to by the Executive Committee, Attorney-At-Law Ms. Sharon Small took over after expressing gratitude to the GTA for affording her the opportunity to serve in that capacity.

The elections were conducted smoothly from start to finish. The Guyana Tennis Coaches Association had submitted its list of nominees for the various positions which was acknowledged by the meeting.

The full executive reads: President-Cristy Campbell, First Vice President-Nigel N i l e s , S e c o n d Vi c e

Chance said he was pleased to have improved on his time since his debut at the Weems Baskin Invitational where he finished second in a marginally slower time of 46.62s.

The quarter-mile sprinter, who is aiming to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics needs to hit 44.9s to make the Olympic Standard and he remains optimistic of achieving his goal. Last week, the former Police Progressive Youth Club (PPYC) athlete registered his personal best in the 200m, a time of 21.25s.

Cristy Campbell - GTA President President-Surrendra Khayyam, Secretary-Delon Fraser, Treasurer-Ramesh Seebaran (Past President).

The four Committee Members are Jamal Goodluck (Past President), Kimberly Conway, Marlin Henry and Renate Jordan.

One week before the AGM, immediate past President Samuel Barakat along with Tina Ram (Treasurer) and Shinessa Thompson (Secretary) had tendered their respective resignations.

Speaking with the media operatives who witnessed the entire AGM, President Campbell said that the campaign period was very competitive with tempers flaring but is assuring all that she holds no ill will or grudge towards anyone.

“I hope we can work cohesively top develop tennis which is our sport.”

Recognised by the I n t e r n a t i o n a l Te n n i s Federation (ITF) in 2018 for Women in Sport Leadership Role, Campbell also noted that the work to be done to take tennis to higher levels goes beyond the reach of the nine-executive member body.

“We would need all of the players, the parents, the coaches, stakeholders, everyone to come on board.

So I’m open to dialogue with anyone who has something meaningful to add to the development of Tennis.”

With Tennis now being categorized as a core sport by the Honourable Minister of Sport Charles Ramson Jr., Campbell, who was appointed to the Guyana Olympic Association (GOA) Women in Sport Leadership Committee in 2020 posited that the shoes is made a bit bigger to fill.

“It means that we have a lot more work to do and I hope that we can decentralise

tennis and introduce it to new areas because I don’t want people to feel that tennis is only for central Georgetown.”

Acknowledging that many far flung regions might have never been introduced to tennis, Campbell, who in 2019 was elected to serve as scrutineer for the ITF AGM & Elections in Lisbon Portugal along with Christopher Lai of Hong Kong and Mark Camilleri of Malta, said one of her aims would be to decentralize the sport.

“I’d like to decentralise tennis and disperse it throughout the country and see how best that works.”

The return to active ply is dependent on the current covid-19 pandemic as Campbell noted that the Association would be guided by the advice of the National Covid-19 Task Force in terms of resuming competition.

“Until we have that green light we cannot really preempt what would really happen for tennis but as long as facilities are open and it’s safe to play, we’re looking at the Inter Guiana Games which were scheduled for last year and of course you know the pandemic would have cancelled that; then the GBTI Open which is our premier slam. So hopefully, the pandemic eases a bit and we can hold both of them or one at least by July.”

The young visionary Campbell who again was elected to serve as an ITF Scrutineer in 2020 along with Julie Paterson, CEO Tennis New Zealand and Stuart Smith, a past President o f L o n d o n Te n n i s Association noted that she would be activating all overseas avenues as well as locally to ensure that the sport really takes off in Guyana.

Nathon Allen of Jamaica in the 4x400m at the 2019 World Athletics Relays in Yokohama (© Getty Images)

Jamaica selects 39-strong squad for Silesia

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orldAthletics - A Jamaican team of 39 athletes, including multiple global gold medallists Elaine Thompson-Herah and Asafa Powell, has been selected for the World Athletics Relays Silesia 21 on 1-2 May. Jamaica will be represented in seven events, including the women’s and men’s 4x100m, 4x200m and 4x400m plus the shuttle hurdles relay. Thompson-Herah – who was part of the third-placed 4x200m team at the last edition of the event in Yokohama in 2019 – has been named for the women’s 4x100m and 4x200m squads, while Powell is included in the men’s 4x100m team.

Stephenie Ann McPherson, a member of Jamaica’s winning 2015 world 4x400m team, has been selected for that event along with her teammate Shericka Jackson, who also claimed 2019 world 4x100m gold.

Nathon Allen, who anchored Jamaica to the runner-up spot in Yokohama three years ago and also has Olympic and world medals to his name, is again in the 4x400m squad.

Commonwealth 110m hurdles champion

Ronald Levy is among those named for the shuttle hurdles relay.

Jamaican team for Silesia: Women 4x100m: Ramona Burchell, Kashieka Cameron, Shashalee Forbes, Natasha Morrison, Elaine Thompson-Herah, Natalliah Whyte. 4x200m: Shashalee Forbes, Tiffany James, Anastasia Le-Roy, Candice McLeod, Elaine Thompson- Herah, Natalliah Whyte. 4x400m: Christine Day, Shericka Jackson, Tovea Jenkins, Roniesha McGregor, Stephanie Ann McPherson, Janieve Russell, Shiann Salmon, Rhonda Whyte.

Men - 4x100m: Oshane Bailey, Nesta Carter, Nigel Ellis, Julian Forte, Kadrian Goldson, Asafa Powell, Romario Williams.

4x200m: Michael Bentley, Nigel Ellis, Kadrian Goldson, Romario Williams.

4x400m: Nathon Allen, Zadrian Barnes, Keeno Burrell, Javon Francis, Jamoi Jackson, Demar Murray, Terry Thomas, Troy Whyte.

Mixed - Shuttle hurdles relay: Rasheed Broadbell, Janeek Brown, Deuce Carter, Ronald Levy, Megan Tapper, Jeanine Williams.

Kaieteur News

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Sunday April 18, 2021

FIFA Women’s World Ranking

Team Guyana lose mixed doubles to end tournament Dutch on the podium, USA retain top spot; Guyana at 88

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u y a n a ’ s contingent at the Latin American Singles and Mixed Doubles Qualifying tourney for the Tokyo Olympics ended their stint after the mixed doubles team of Shemar Britton and Chelsea Edghill were blanked 4-0 by Team Ecuador in their first round knockout match.

The scores of that roundof-16 matchup read 11-9 118 11-7 11-9 to the Ecuadorian pair of Alberto Mino and Nathaly Paredes.

A correspondence from the Guyana Table Tennis A s s o c i a t i o n ( G T TA ) detailed the comments from Team Coach Idi Lewis as the

team prepares to leave Rosario, Argentina today.

The Coach was quoted saying, “I’m extremely p r o u d o f m y t e a m ’s performance. They did extremely well under the circumstances.

With the exception of Chelsea who plays professionally in Portugal, the other members haven’t seen international competition in two years due to the covid-19 pandemic and other reasons but we were still able to be competitive against seasoned professionals with access to all necessary resources from their private and public sector.”

“What is consistently clear from engagements like these is we are right up there, skill wise, and imagine what’s possible with the level of support and exposure the other nations have available.”

“I must give special thanks to the general public for their support, news reporters for the coverage, the Guyana Olympic Association, GTTA and last but definitely not least the President Godfrey Munroe who went beyond and above to have Guyana represented at these trials.”

“Thank you for all the support and love shown during this tournament.”

Lewis Hamilton beats Sergio Perez to Imola pole Hamilton secured his 99th career pole at Imola

© imago images

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IFA - USA have confirmed their dominance of the women’s game in the latest edition of the FIFA/CocaC o l a Wo m e n ’s Wo r l d Ranking. Not only did they play more games (seven) than any other team since the last edition, but they also went unbeaten, reaching a points total last achieved in 2013.

But while the team leading the standings has not changed, the podium has a new look to it. Defeated by USA in a friendly on 13 April, France (fourth) lost ground and slipped to fourth place. Victors the same day over Australia (5-0), the

Netherlands (third) moved onto the podium by setting a record points for them (2038.61 pts).

Those teams were not the only movers among the top sides. For their part, Brazil (seventh) gained one place while Australia (ninth) lost two.

Following their victory over Ukraine (31st) and qualification for the next UEFA Women’s EURO, Northern Ireland (48th) have broken the 1500-point mark for the first time in their history. Nicaragua (118th) and Belarus (54th) enjoyed the two next best points’ gains (up 18.15 and 15.64 respectively).

Leader - USA (unchanged), Entering the Top 10 - Korea DPR, Exiting the Top 10 – Japan, Total matches played – 94, Most matches played - USA (7), Biggest point gain – Northern Ireland (+37.56), Biggest increase in places Belarus (+2), Biggest point loss - Ukraine (-40.59), Biggest decrease in places Ukraine (-7) - Andorra , Comoros, Aruba, Madagascar, Mauritius (25), Joining the Ranking 25 teams, Unranked due to prolonged inactivity - 26 teams. The next FIFA/CocaC o l a Wo m e n ’s Wo r l d Ranking will be published on 25 June.

Code on Conduct on the tables as GDA hold first Exco meeting

BBCsport - Lewis Hamilton took pole position ahead of Sergio Perez in a thrilling Emilia Romagna Grand Prix qualifying session. Briton Hamilton was just 0.035 seconds clear in the Mercedes as Mexican Perez, in only his second race for Red Bull, beat teammate Max Verstappen.

Charles Leclerc put the Ferrari fourth, while Valtteri Bottas was only eighth in the second Mercedes.

McLaren’s Lando Norris had his fastest lap time deleted for exceeding track limits and fell from second to seventh. It was a bitter blow for the Englishman, who had looked fast all session and appeared to have a chance of qualifying among the Mercedes and Red Bulls. He was no more than a foot outside the track at the fast

Piratella left-hander, where countless drivers have had lap times deleted through the weekend.

And while Hamilton being on pole might appear commonplace, it was a clear surprise to the Mercedes team judging by the exchange he had with race engineer Peter Bonnington on team radio afterwards, as both expressed incredulity at beating the Red Bulls.

“I definitely didn’t expect us to be ahead of two Red Bulls,” Hamilton said.

“They have been so quick this weekend. They had 0.6secs on us at some times.

But the car was already feeling a lot better from this weekend.

“Mad respect for the hard work from the team to narrow down the window.”

Hamilton’s pole marked a

significant shift in fortunes at the front since the first race of the season, when the Red Bull was clearly the quickest car and Verstappen was on pole by 0.4secs.

Mercedes have looked much more at home around the sweeps of Imola and technical director James Allison had already said on Friday that the car was “in a much happier place”. But the relative pace of the two Mercedes drivers will raise questions as to whether this pole was predominantly down to an exceptional performance from Hamilton, who took his 99th career pole.

Team-mate Bottas was 0.487secs slower than the seven-time champion and faces a long and difficult race on Sunday from eighth place.

The Georgetown Domino Association (GDA) held its first executive meeting with the inclusion of team captains and a representative at its headquarters, Dynasty Sports Club on Saturday last.

The object of the meeting was to introduce the new executive that was elected the previous Sunday and to keep members up to speed of its plans for the next two years including the introduction of a code of conduct and the association’s mode of operation to ensure the organised and structured conduct of the sport.

P r e s i d e n t , Ly n d o n Boston officially introduced the new executive: Vice President Hazim Hakh, Secretary Ann Thompson, Tr e a s u r e r E a r l M a r s , A s s i s t a n t Secretary/Treasurer Rodwell Phillips, Senior Organising Secretary Mark Wi l t s h i r e , O rg a n i s i n g Secretaries Barbara

Marshall and Chris Anthony Pasramen, Public Relations Officer Roderick Harry, Committee Members Andrea Mars, Dhyan Carter, Colin Boyce, William Orrin Boston and Erwin Chapman.

Vice President Hakh who is also Head of the Disciplinary Committee, in remarks pleaded for full cooperation and discipline at venues as it was seriously lacking overtime. Issues of concern were raised by the Captains and their representatives and they were dealt with by the executive. Expressions of satisfaction with the friendly interactions in dealing with the issues at hand were uttered. Venues are to be issued a Certificate of Approval once they adhere to all guidelines set by the GDA. All organisers were asked to publish the dates of their competitions (diary of events) so that it can be perused and approved by the appointed committee.

Covid-19 measures

must be implemented - Mr. Ali of All Seasons/All Seasons Angels Sports Club gave the undertaking to donate 50 packs of Covid-19 masks and 25 bottles of sanitisers in keeping with the guidelines set out by the National Covid-19 Task Force to play in a safe environment and to quell and eventually eliminate the spread of the virus.

Also attending the meeting was GDA immediate past President Colin McEwan, President of the Guyana National Domino Federation and Vice President of the World Council Domino Federation, Mrs. Faye Joseph.

Teams represented at the m e e t i n g w e r e , FIB/Gangster, Turning Point, R&R/B13, F&H, G o l d i s M o n e y, A l l Season/Angels, OPKO, Phantom, Players, Spartans, Lions, Mix-Up/TNT, C6, C7, Executives, 300/Strikers, Sius Warriors and Big Boss Girls.

Kaieteur News

Sunday April 18, 2021

TSU, Region Six storms into final

Rockey Hutson

Paul Tyndell

actical Service Unit and Region Six have secured their places in the final of the Guyana Police Force Commissioner T20 Cup following wins in their respective semi-finals at the Everest Cricket Club recently.

TSU defeated President’s Guard by 80 runs. Batting first TSU posted 161-9.

Kemol Savory struck eight fours and one six in a top score of 64 while A. Burnett made 18 and Eon Rodrigues 17. Paul Tyndell claimed 318 and Saheed Mohamed 233.

President’s Guard were

bowled out for 81 in 13.5 overs in reply. R. Caleb made 1 7 a n d D . L u k e 11 .

Rodrigues and J. Semple had two wickets each. Region Six beat Headquarters’ by six wickets. Headquarters took first strike and managed 1526.

Kevin Christian made 54, Andrew Lyght 38, M. Persaud 24 and K. Ramkarran 20. Rockey Hutson claimed three wickets and A. Doris two.

Region Six responded with 153-4. Kedar Armstrong slammed eight fours and four sixes in scoring 80 while D. Samaroo made 28 and T. Drakes 14.

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West Demerara Softball Cricket Cup on today We Care Community Services and Promotions and the Zeeburg Sports Club inaugural Shiv Gajraj Computers/S&K Construction West Demerara Softball Cup is set for the Zeeburg Sports Club from 09:00hrs today.

According to the organizers, the games was put off from last Saturday because of the wet outfield and playing area that was caused by the heavy rain fall over the weekend. They went on to say that a limited amount of teams will be vying for the honors and the competition will be played under strict covid guidelines and regulations.

The public is advised that spectators are not allowed into the venue, only players and officials. All teams and officials will be provided with masks and sanitisers.

According to We Care the competition is organised so that youths can get an

opportunity to showcase their talent after a year of no competitive competition.

The one-day knockout tournament is being supported by New Level Business Est, R.L Sukhram & Sons Sawmill and Lumber Yard, SR Real Estate Investment, West Central Mall, V.J Service Centre and Auto Spares, Forrester’s Business Complex, First Class Wash Bay, New Land Lumber Yard, R. Ruben Sawmill and Lumber Yard, R2A Construction, Furniture and Upholstery, Phoenix Taxi, Khans Construction’s and Transportation Service, Century Spring Purified Water and Rakesh Singh Service Station.

There will be cash incentives and trophies to be awarded to the winner, runner-up, third place, most valuable player, best bowler and batsman, man-of-thefinal and to the player hitting the most sixes in the final.

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