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AIETEUR Unvaccinated Linden NEWS

Guyana’s largest selling daily & New York’s most popular weekly

Wednesday Edition

Hospital staff members locked out of compound

August 11, 2021 - Vol. 16 No.20

Online: www.kaieteurnews.com

- unvaccinated patients also denied entry

Price $80

Online readership yesterday, 74,858

Guyana to have more gas than it currently needs with $900M gas-to-energy project - Govt. now drafting master plan to determine use for surplus

Soldier changes Wanted multi-million Service plea after dollar gold heist - Fireconfirms “clearing his head” suspect's house was - as court remands three for multi-million dollar gold heist

deliberately set on fire

ExxonMobil gears for new 12-well drilling campaign in Canje Block

Brazilian 'Flag-hopping' oil Govt. waives businessman executed, tanker registered freight taxes in Guyana missing on imports friend critical

…gets exemption from doing Environmental Impact Assessment -EPA

Latest Int'l report on climate change spells grave danger for - Must sound a death knell for fossil fuels before humanityit destroys our planet - UN Secretary General @11:00hrs on Lack of ring-fencing provision means Guyana won't realise oil gains before 2030s, if at all. Loophole Kaieteur Radio allows ExxonMobil-Led Development Team to use profits to pay for more oil exploration in Guyana. 99.1/99.5FM

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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

Cuomo - the way it should be Ranking people from within his own Democratic party have called on him to do the right thing. It was the only honourable thing left for him to do to save face, some patchwork dignity. But first, New York State Governor, Andrew Cuomo, had to do the principled and decent thing, and resign, which came Tuesday under unrelenting and severe pressure.

This was how President, Joe Biden, had led the way and made clear what Governor Cuomo should do, and he did. Democratic leaders in the State Assembly had already started to distance from him, went so far as to say that he has no choice, but to leave, and quickly. New York’s Attorney General, Ms. Letitia James (a Democrat), fulfilled her investigative responsibility most honourably. This is how our legal luminaries could shine in imitating, except they don’t. And the SUNY (State University system) and an ex-right-hand man of Governor Cuomo, James Malatras, condemned him in no uncertain terms. This is what principled people do. Cuomo listened and resigned. Now he has to pick up the pieces by making peace with his accusers, and paying his dues to the justice system. The man has been accused of serial sexual predation, abuse of power, denial and falsehoods, and cover-ups. He even got a woman to run interference and do his dirty work for him, in which there is another message for all citizens in this torn, ugly society.

We make it ugly and barbarous, when we do dirty work, against beliefs, against conscience, against logic and commonsense, for crooked leaders and corrupt individuals and cabals within political groups. Many in this country are still dogged in the claims of leaders and groups that they were electorally robbed. On the face of all the facts, in the absence of any evidence to the contrary, they stay fanatically committed, but they are wrong.

Along the same lines, many in this country, some at very senior levels in the power structure, condone the alleged criminality of their comrades, and have given them a bill of free legal health, and what amounts to a get out of jail card.

This is not the way to go, not even when comrades, even leaders, are among those named for what fall into the category of white-collar felonies. The wrong way was followed, when the equivalent of pardons was granted, and the accused stick around.

If and when we say we are about the law and honour, then we must have the courage and convictions to call out our own, let them have their day in court, be accountable before the people. But we have not done that here, not in the PPP, not in the PNC, not in whatever combinations have come before, or have followed since. The legal sentinels, the ethical watchdogs (if there are any around, ever were present) within political groups should be raising voices and taking the lead, in saying: this is not acceptable, this cannot stand, and those who are the objects of charges, of scorn, of great misgivings should go.

We say we are of the law and that no man is above it.

Yet our actions at very senior official levels, very influential internal party positions, indicate contentment at holding peace and going along with the flow. Or with the crookedness and indefensible, if not irrational, visions and practices of craven leader(s). It is the same sordid, sickening situation within the ranks of those who support one damnable political side or the other. They have no dirty hands in the midst; there are only innocents and the wrongly targeted and victimised. But they take comfort in pointing out most enthusiastically all the terrible ills of political opponents.

This is the two-way street of political irresponsibility in Guyana that takes no accounting of one’s own, no matter how glaring the shortcoming, the actual failures. There is always some basis searched for, on which to overlook, and always with the same standard not applied across the yawning racial divide in this country that swallows and consumes each one of us. This is how this most promising of places stays stuck in the gutter and dismal swamp of its own making, and perpetuating.

Wednesday August 11, 2021

PPP/C has no time for the little ones who helped, only big shot opportunists DEAR EDITOR, There is an announcement on social media by one Fazal (Joe) Yussuf of a US$250 per person paid event in New York that will be graced by President, Irfaan Ali, and Vice President, Bharrat Jagdeo, on September 23. So those of us who can’t afford $250 will be excluded from the event. Is this what Jagan’s working class party has become?

When the PPP was in the opposition, we in New York tightened our belts, contributed to the party in small amounts that we could afford, and raised funds all around to help it get into office.

We were the foot soldiers.

We took Irfaan and Jagdeo to

various small businesses in Richmond Hill, Jamaica, and other parts of Queens for financial support; big business had no time for them as they were deeply tied up with APNU and AFC. We took Irfaan and Jagdeo to mandirs to rally support urging them to call families in Guyana to support democracy.

And we organised mass meetings for them in Richmond Hill to ramp up the pressure on APNU to respect the Constitution. We appealed to American politicians to help rescue democracy in Guyana.

Now that the PPP is in office, it has no time for us, the poor, the working class, and the small business folks of

Queens.

It is now with the big boys and girls who can afford to pay big bucks to play; big businesses have wiggled their way back into the PPP after abandoning it 2015. The party never learns.

Those of us who fought in the trenches for the PPP are out.

We cannot afford to play the game, replaced by the opportunists who are embraced by party leadership. Irfaan and Jagdeo have forgotten the poor. And there is no time for visits to the mandirs that rallied to their cause. We were just fodder for them to get into office and hold titles.

The big guys have achieved their goals; the foot

soldiers are now discarded.

Regrettably, no government has time for the poor and working class whether in Guyana or in the diaspora.

Elections are less than four years away.

Voters must think when voting for those who betray them. A group of us plan to organise a similar fundraiser for the Dharam Sala of Guyana on September 22 or 24.

We will write to the President and Vice President requesting their guest appearance for a worthy cause. And we plan to organise a mass meeting for the diaspora. Will the duo attend?

Yours truly, Maniram Boodhu

FRUSTRATED BY GWI’S POOR SERVICE DEAR EDITOR, Please allow me some space in your column to express my frustration with the service provided by the Guyana Water Inc. I am a resident of Albion Front, Corentyne, Berbice.

We are getting water from the Fyrish pump which is giving untreated water to a few communities. Firstly, the iron content is way beyond the standard amount that is allowed.

The quality of the water is so

poor that it literally destroys your clothing, kitchen utensils and even the floor tiles, not to mention if we have to drink it. Thankfully the Guyana Sugar Corporation is helpful in allowing residents to ‘full water’ from them which is of a far better quality. I also must mention Spreadys Bakery of Free Yard, Port Mourant; this business place is offering filtered water to anyone who is desirous of it.

They must be commended for

this kind gesture.

Secondly, the service is interrupted almost every day at any given time, plus whenever there is a blackout it goes off as well. It is very unfair for us to have to pay $19,000 plus dollars per year for this poor service. The money that we earn from GuySuCo is hardearned money, which is still minimal, but nevertheless we are still thankful for it. But we need a better service from GWI for our money. I know

the Government has a lot of plans for the water sector, but I think it needs to speed up a bit with some priorities given to some areas like us here in Albion, since over 10 years now we have been suffering with this poor service from GWI. Therefore, I call on the minister with responsibility for the water sector to intervene because people are getting very impatient.

Thank you, Anthony Welaidum

Vincent Alexander responds to Freddie Kissoon DEAR EDITOR, As we celebrate the 36th death anniversary of the Late President Burnham, Freddie Kissoon has returned to his denigration of Burnham. He accuses former President Granger of vulgarising history by virtue of his commentary on Burnham, on the occasion of the anniversary. In response to his denigration, here are some of the remarks that were posted in social media: 1. “What’s very disturbing about it is the slew of inaccuracies in several sections of the piece which is supposedly written by an academic.” 2. “Sigh… people still read Freddie Kissoon.” 3.

“Isn’t there a Foundation dedicated to him? Why isn`t it functional?”

Those three comments have inspired this response.

I am tired of pinpointing the gross inaccuracies of Kissoon that he parades in his columns as facts. I am glad that others have also noted and highlighted his “slew of inaccuracies” in just one column.

Since people still read his columns, I cannot allow his inaccuracies to go unexposed. We can’t allow crass misrepresentations to pass for facts.

The Burnham Foundation is alive and at minimum has a

television programme: State of the Nation which is aired every fourth Sunday of each month at 10:00am on HBTV Channel Nine. It is also archived on YouTube.

I now address Freddie’s proclivity and debunk his inaccuracies even as I remember Sparrow‘s calypso: Lying Excuses. Freddie could do well by serenading himself with that song.

1. Why is Freddie so selective about Burnham? He wants to do research from 1968. Burnham came to power in 1964. Any history of him should cover his entire period in government. What is Freddie’s motive for wanting to skip Burnham’s first four years in government?

2. Freddie is so right in his assertion that “it is the first scholarly desire I have.”

No wonder one of the comments highlighted that his column “is supposedly written by an academic.” I await this first scholarly piece but would not take the risk of holding my breath as I wait.

3. On the question of the equality of ethnic groups, wasn’t it Burnham’s Government that introduced the ethnic holidays; made education free for all and introduced the secular school system; along with the removal of the imposition of the sectarian reli-

gious practices in the schools, the majority of which were Christian.

4. It is laughable that Freddie contends that “almost 99 percent of Indian Guyanese felt that Guyana had no place for them,” yet they dominated the agricultural and business sectors and were major beneficiaries of the fishermen cooperative facilities, unto today, among others. Even the PNC scholarships (not the Government’s) to the Peoples’ Friendship University in Moscow, saw as many Indians as Afros as the

awardees, unlike the PPP which from 1979, inclusive of Bharrat Jagdeo’s batch, never sent an African Guyanese.

5. That all Guyanese were affected by the food shortages, inclusive of flour and split peas, cannot be statistically refuted. However, it is true that the PPP sought to particularise the shortages for political gain.

A particularisation that Freddie regurgitates.

6. I am still to find the Land to the Tiller Act to which Freddie refers. On the contrary, Indians maintained their (Continued on page 6)

Interim Management Committee (IMC) will solve Georgetown’s municipal problems DEAR EDITOR, The Mayor and City Council of Georgetown needs to be replaced by an Interim Management Committee (IMC). Both the Mayor and Town Clerk are up to their necks in problems. Whose responsibility is it to ensure that workers are paid?

When Carol Sooba was Town Clerk she met the payroll, and staff were paid their

wages on time.

This was done under Mayor, Hamilton Green.

The IMC should bring back Carol Sooba. She is competent and gets the job done.

Sooba served the Georgetown Municipality as legal officer for 15 years before she took up the office of Town Clerk.

Respectfully, Sultan Mohamed

Wednesday August 11, 2021

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Kaieteur News

Building trust helps to overcome crisis situations DEAR EDITOR, Generations of Public Servants in the colonial days had to undergo mandatory medical examinations and be declared fit for service before the Chief Secretary would approve the appointment.

I distinctly remember how athletic I still was just months after leaving Queen’s and having to undergo an examination by a foreign-accented doctor at the Georgetown Hospital. Having recorded my personal particulars, and been assured that I did not smoke, he declared that I had passed the fitness test after agreeing that he liked Russian Bear Rum as I occasionally did. It would be instructive to learn whether a similar type of conversation has taken place between medical practitioners (public or private) prior to persons being recruited into the Public Service over the last two decades or more, particularly at a time when there is such a high percentage of female employees; not to mention the growing number of ‘Contracted Employees.’ (Hopefully uniformed ranks are diligently examined and certified for re-

cruitment).

However, concerns about the physical fitness of their employees was always displayed by the sugar industry – certainly with hospitals and/or dispensaries located in every estate community from Skeldon through to Uitvlugt – manned by Estate Medical Officers, Dispensers, Nurses/ Midwives, all well qualified – an environment that still obtains today. Because of the arduous nature of work in field and factory, as well as exposure to inclement weather, annual medical examinations were introduced by Bookers Sugar Estates in the 1960s. It was regarded as a most empathetic programme to the extent that it was the Chairman and Board of Directors who were the first subjects, followed measuredly by the respective levels in the managerial hierarchy, by which time 28,000 non-managerial employees across eight estates willingly accepted the process. Obviously, it was an extended process, but it earned trust.

The programme was supported by a very proactive communication exercise that

Comparing optional and executive order DEAR EDITOR, In view of the aligned brouhaha over the new COVID-19 vaccination measures, it must be queried how an order, which is optional and places the onus and responsibility on the individual to be vaccinated or not, compares to an executive order

which mandated the implementati on of draconian

measures, including destruction of personal property and buildings on a mere perceived and assumed ‘ex-

posed’ and ‘deemed infected’ basis?

Sincerely, Shamshun Mohamed

stressed management’s concern for its employees and indeed families. To date spouses and unemployed children up to age sixteen all enjoy free health care, along with pensioners, of course.

Needless to say, every employment letter confirmed appointment, subject to medical certification.

In the seventies even before the industry transitioned as GuySuCo, there was introduced the humane policy of conducting medical examination of field workers in particular who were 45 years and over, to discuss with them their capacity to continue stressful physical tasks, the objective of which was to avail the worker as far as possible ‘suitable alternative work.’ One wonders where else such creativity can be found now. And years before the National Insurance Scheme was established in 1969, Bookers Sugar Estates became the first employer in Guyana to introduce a Contributory Hospitalisation and Maternity Scheme initially insured by American Life Insurance Company (ALICO) for all monthly and, subsequently, weekly employees. The Scheme was managed by the

undersigned and from the initial financial returns BSE was able to fund the construction of the Ogle Diagnostic Centre. The Scheme has long since been self-sustainable.

It is against this background that one reflects on the current unconstructed argumentation about the status of employees of public and private organisations who are not vaccinated against the existing pandemic infection.

Inherent in some of the debate is the fundamental issue of trust between manager and managed in the particular organisation. It is not necessarily an isolated communication issue, but one about which the management team needs to reflect, that is on whether they are exemplars of humane leadership. So that it is respectfully submitted that this confrontation is not insulated in just an industrial relations context, but one that incites familial emotions, cultural sensitivities, even religious reservations – cumulating into a much more humane situation than some decisionmakers have so far considered.

In this regard it is never too repetitious to quote from Frederic Laloux’s highly ac-

claimed book ‘Reinventing Organisations’ which, hopefully, in the following quote may just be found some relevance: “The more you know about another person’s journey, the less possible it is to distrust or dislike that person.

Want to know how to build relational trust? Learn more about each other. Learn it through simple questions that can be tucked into the doing of work, creating workplaces that not only employ people but honour the soul in the process. This is how to weave a fabric of communal relationships that has resilience in times of crisis, re-

sourcefulness in times of need. It’s a fabric that must be woven before the need or the crisis arrives, when it’s too late for community to emerge in the stress of the moment.

So let’s make sure, in our language and in our practice, that we’re building collegial communities around persons as well as tasks, around souls as well as roles.”

Is there now not a ‘time of crises’? How many of us would not feel devalued for living without our convictions?

E.B. John Former Human Resources Director BSE/GuySuCo

Was the rollout haphazard, not carefully thought out?

DEAR EDITOR, Was it a case of the ministers at odds with each other on vaccination requirements for returning Guyanese?

One report alleged one minister saying all incoming passengers, including Guyanese passengers needed to be vaccinated (News Source Aug 9). Another minister, the one responsible for health matters is alleged to have said no vaccination required for returning Guyanese

passengers just a negative PCR test (News Room Aug 10).

So why the mixed messages which must have caused lots of confusion among passengers, travel agents, airports and airlines?

Was the rollout of the new COVID-19 measures done haphazardly and not properly thought through to avoid these kinds of pitfalls?

Sincerely, Shamshun Mohamed

Brazilian businessman executed, friend critical

PAGE 6

A Brazilian businessman and his associate were shot execution style, last night around 22:00hrs , while sitting in a parked vehicle in front of Shamdas Kirpalani, between Camp and Wellington Streets, Georgetown.

Pronounced dead on the scene is Euclides Erian Da Silva, a businessman, while his associate was transported to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) and was, up to press time last night, still alive. Video and still images seen by this paper show the two brutally injured men, both still alive at the time, but gunshot wounds spread across their face, arms and torsos.

Dozens of onlookers gathered at the scene as members of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) cordoned off the crime scene. Da Silva’s relatives and friend were also on the scene consoling each other.

This publication was told that the suspects first opened fire and took out one of the tires of the Black Toyota Tacoma vehicle, GTT 3257, that the men were parked in.

Eyewitnesses also said that the perpetrators opened fire from a heavily-tinted black motor vehicle which then sped east along Regent Street before turning into Alexander Street. Around 23:22hrs a squad of heavily armed special tactical ranks arrived on scene, temporarily took up strategic positions around the cordoned off area before

Kaieteur News

Wednesday August 11, 2021

Euclides Erian Da Silva, foreground slumped over in the vehicle with his associate in the background.

Vincent Alexander responds to Freddie...

Da Silva pictured here in 2010. leaving 15 minutes after - during that time forensic officers could be seen gathering evidence near to the vehicle.

According to Divisional Commander Simon McBean who was on the scene last night, the police set up roadblocks along the East Bank and East Coast Demerara, in

Region Three and around the city.

Da Silva has had a shady past, including being wanted by the police in Brazil for drug trafficking in the late 1990s.

He was arrested in Guyana ten years ago and was fighting extradition claiming to be Guyanese.

From page 4 dominance in the agriculture sector and would have been the beneficial tillers if there was such an act. This too can be borne out by statistics.

Freddie’s academia does not include statistical evidence.

7. Freddie will never stop telling the crass lie that National Service was compulsory. This belies his dishonest academia or no academia at all. The only compulsory component of National Service was for University Students. The majority of National Service, constituting

over 80 percent, was voluntary. Ask Jerry Gouveia and Peter Ramsaroop both of whom attended voluntarily and Joe Singh, who was once its Director General.

8.With regard to compromise and consultation it is a matter of national record that Burnham held unity talks with the PPP more than once. He also agreed that all female university students would have the choice to attend or not attend National Service.

This was in response to the PPP’s demand that female Indian university students be exempted from National Service. Janet Jagan jettisoned its implementation.

Not to mention that GAWU, the labour arm of the PPP, was granted recognition under Burnham’s regime,

even as it continued to sabotage the economy by the persistent burning of cane.Freddie Kissoon is the one who has and continues to vulgarise History in his anti-PNC antics. Granger is his most recent target.

His diatribe cannot pass academic muster but may well cause further division and disunity if not exposed and refuted.

It is unfortunate that the resourceful Kaieteur News refuses to fact check Freddie’s column. I am prepared to have my information fact checked along-side that of Freddie’s diatribe.

Yours sincerely, Vincent Alexander Chairman Forbes Burnham Foundation

Wednesday August 11, 2021

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Kaieteur News

Jagdeo is in a maze of his own confusion!

Reeling from the massive pushback against the PPP/ C’s pet project – the gas-toshore initiative – second Vice President, Bharrat Jagdeo, appeared on a TV interview in a desperate attempt to try to overcome the criticisms of the proposed project.

Instead, all he did was to knot himself up in the maze of his own confusion.

Jagdeo is now changing his tune. When he was cornered over the absence of a Depletion Policy, his response was that there was a narrow window for fossil fuels since the world was moving towards renewables.

As such, he implied that Guyana had to maximise its oil extraction in the limited period available.

Jagdeo, the advocate of the Drill Baby Drill! Pump Baby Pump! policy did not recognise then how this very argument of a narrow window for oil exploration would render the long-term investment in a gas-to-shore plant non-viable. Associated gas comes from oil production. Therefore, if there is only a short period for Guyana to benefit from oil production, why invest in a long-term energy project which relies on oil production?

Jagdeo is also supposed to be an environmental advocate and a champion of clean energy. But natural gas is not a clean source of energy. Even though it may be cleaner than Bunker C fuel for example, it is still a polluting fuel and not considered as a renewable.

When asked by Neil Marks, the interviewer, how he rationalises his push for gas energy with the global thrust towards zero-emissions, Jagdeo changed his original assessment about the future of fossil fuels. He now says that the demand for fossil fuels will either remain stable or will increase.

Earlier in the programme, he had said that the global

demand for energy was outstripping the investments being made in renewables. As such, he claimed there is a need for a transition source of energy, and for him that transition source is gas.

But why gas? If there is a need for an interim source of energy, what about solar power?

It would take less time to construct a 250MW solar farm than it would to establish a 250MW gas-to-shore project. The energy would be cleaner; it would not be dependent on any narrow window of oil production; and it would have few environmental risks.

But more importantly, it would be cheaper. The gasto shore pipeline alone is expected to cost in excess of US$900M. The cost of a 250MW solar plant with a substation is expected to average around US$250M. Jagdeo then put on the usual sales pitch. He again said that the gas-to-shore project is going to allow for electricity tariffs to be reduced by 50 percent.

That in itself makes the project not feasible. It makes no sense making such a large investment only to cut electricity tariffs by half.

Guyana has one of the highest costs of power generation in the world, according to the Inter-American Development Bank. Reducing electricity tariffs by half will not allow for economic competitiveness. And this in itself will slash the much vaunted economic benefits of the gas-to-shore project.

In trying to sell the project against the concerns about its viability, Jagdeo says that the Japanese did a feasibility study of the project. He should produce that study so that the public can see it.

What is known is that the Mitsubishi Corporation of Japan presented an Oil and Gas Master Plan. The Plan provides a model for modular development of the oil and

gas sector and is NOT a feasibility study of any gasto-shore project. It examines how Guyana can use its natural gas for energy including for a liquefied natural gas plant. It speaks to both an offshore and floating power plants.

It also deals with the development of a refinery.

A Gas to Power Feasibility Study undertaken by K&M Advisors had cautioned that though it is likely that available natural gas reserves are sufficient to supply a 250300MW power plant, the Government of Guyana should obtain firmer estimates of the gas reserves available for power generation. Again, this was NOT a feasibility study of the proposed gasto-shore project but a feasibility study of using gas for power generation.

However, Energy Narrative did a feasibility study for the IDB and the Government of Guyana in 2018. This is a feasibility study on bringing gas-to-shore. This was done in August 2018 under the Coalition government. Yet, ironically, despite his government utilising all the studies done under the APNU+AFC, Jagdeo still says that the APNU+AFC did not leave any new projects in the Public Sector Investment Project pipeline. By using the very studies, which prove that the APNU+AFC was laying the groundwork for the gasto-shore project, Jagdeo is contradicting himself, yet again.

The Energy Narrative Study, commissioned by the IDB, examined the economic and financial feasibility by comparing the (net present) value of the economic benefits of the overall project to the (net present) value of the economic costs of the project.

A more useful approach would have been to also consider whether equal or greater economic and financial benefits could not

Dem Boys Seh…

Everybody looking fuh a tax cut!

Dem hear de girl pon de radio seh how when she went to de supermarket recently and when see de bill, she go ouch! Is nat only she feeling it. Is everybody feeling de squeeze.

De price of nuff, nuff items wah dem poor people does use raise. And de financial gurus seh how is de cost of freight.

So de guvment decide dat dem gan reduce de freight.

Dem boys bin think how dem tekkin’ dem FPSO and using dem as container ships fuh bring in containers. But dem boys learn how all dem doing

is charging less taxes to de businessmen dem by reducing de amount of freight on which de tax calculated.

Dem boys nah ask wah gan happen to dem importer wah import dem goods with de freight incorporated in de price.

But is nat dat wah gat dem boys worried about. Dem boys wan know if de Minister of Fine Ants gat wan price list of groceries at present so dat he can send somebody fuh check if de prices in de market come down.

Dem boys nah trust dem businessmen. Dem would pay

less tax and nat pass on de benefits to de consumer. So dem boys nat getting excited till dem see results over de next few months.

De guvment also seh how dem watching fuel prices. Well dem boys bin also watching it too and dem boys know dat just prior to COVID, de price at the pump was $230 per litre but now is $215 per litre. So de price still lower now dan last March.

But everybody looking fuh a tax cut, including de small man.

Talk half and wait fuh see de price list!

have been derived from alternative investments in solar energy, the cost of which has plunged on recent years.

The economic costbenefit analysis found that the overall project has an aggregate economic net present value (NPV) of approximately US$918 million and an economic rate of return of 30 percent under the project’s Base Case assumptions. It is this 30 percent rate of return which has the PPP/C’s cronies salivating and hoping that this project becomes another cash-cow for them.

But if the rate of return is projected to be so impressive, why are the oil proceeds not

being used to invest in this project?

Why are small Guyanese investors not being provided with the chance to have a bite of this possible 30 percent rate of return? Why are expressions of interests being invited from private investors, including, who knows, another group of syndicated investors?

The Narrative Study was done on the assumption of the gas landing at a place called Woodlands on the East Coast of Demerara. The PPP/C is now saying that the location which it has identified is at Wales.

This would require a recalculation of the feasibility

costs since there are greater environmental risks to be factored in landing the pipeline near to a heavily populated area. But do not tell that to Jagdeo.

As far as he is concerned, the numbers show that the project is feasible.

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

Wednesday August 11, 2021

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House passes amendments to decriminalise cross-dressing

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Attorney General, Anil Nandlall S.C. Throughout his presentation, Sinclair references verses and bible scripture that disapproves of crossdressing “The word of God affirms a clear distinction of what our dress code should be...When we behave like this, Mr. Speaker, it is a sin because we have broken our relationship between that and Almighty God,” Sinclair stated.

Ferguson raised similar objections. “Simply put,” Ferguson argued that, “cross-dressing crosses the

line that God set for gender expression.”

She held that indulgence of the act is “an abomination”.

However, in support of the Bill, opposition member and AFC Leader, Khemraj Ramjattan noted the amendments to the Summary Jurisdiction of Offences Act are in keeping with the United Nations Convention on Civil and Political Rights.

“I will support this to the extent that it is logically concluding that crossdressing is an offence because it violates the human rights of the persons who want to cross-dress and especially in the context of when they are not creating any harm,” Ramjattan said.

Meanwhile AG Nandlall in his response to the opposition noted that while some people have some strong Christian views “in a liberal secular society , in a democratic nation, you’re entitled to those views but the Constitution says, civil liberties say that those people are also entitled to dress in that way.”

Nandlall emphasized too that civilisation and democracy “compel a

peaceful co-existence” of competing interests. “You will see whatever concerns you have, as a religious community, the world has moved away. The thinking is that we are all God’s creation,” he added.

The CCJ had in November 2018 struck out crossdressing because it is a violation of Guyana’s Constitution. This was after three men and the Society against Sexual Orientation against Discrimination (SASOD) had brought against the State after the men had been arrested by police and charged with wearing female attire.

The case of Quincy McEwan, Seon Clarke, Joseph Fraser, Seyon Persaud and SASOD v The Attorney General of Guyana began with the arrest of the appellants in February 2009.

Back then, Attorney General Basil Williams had noted that even if the law was not amended, neither the police nor prosecutors could take any action against cross-dressers because the CCJ had already removed that section of the law by its judgment.

Operators hired to execute emergency flood relief works disgruntled over reduced rate-per hour Several tractor operators who were hired to provide the service of pumping waters from the flood-affected areas on the Corentyne have registered their displeasure after a new rate-per hour of operating the pumps was moved from $5000-$4000.

The operators stressed that they will not accept the $4000 since it was agreed upon from the beginning that $5000 will be paid to operate the pumps per hour.

Many of the operators noted that their tractors worked 24-hours daily for weeks and as such, the reduction in the rate will cause them to run at a loss.

Chatterpaul Sewlall, explained that they “were asked to pump the water during the floods from Tain -

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The National Assembly, early Tuesday morning removed the offence of crossdressing from the Summary Jurisdiction Offences Act. The move is in keeping with a decision which the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) handed down to have cross-dressing as an offence struck from the law books, some three years ago.

The amendments to the Act were made after Attorney General (AG) and Minister of Legal Affairs Anil Nandlall SC successfully presented the Bill to amend the law.

Yet, the matter was met with arguments from some members of the opposition benches who raised contentions over the matter given their strong religious views. Prior to the passage of the Bill to amend the Act, A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change ( A P N U + A F C ) Parliamentarians, Richard Sinclair and Annette Ferguson were most vocal in their disapproval of decision to strike cross-dressing off the law books.

The two parliamentarians essentially argued that the decision offends God.

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Fyrish but we are very much depressed, the issue is the rate per hour that was promised to us as against what was given to us.”

He added that following a meeting with the Regional Chairman David Armogan, the Vice Chairman Zamal Hussain and a NDIA representative yesterday, they were told that those who did not accept the $4000 should leave.

“They summoned us yesterday and they told us that the rate was dropped from $5000 to $4000. We paid a large sum for security purposes and fueling. We were working with an expectation of seeing this $5000 an hour. They told us other regions accepted the $4000 payment and that we are reluctant but we as the tractor operators are looking out with great expectations to receive what was agreed upon. We had flood in Black Bush, our rice crop, cash crop all gone and we were depending on the little money to come and pump water out here and we gonna survive. They want to degrade this money,” Sewlall argued.

Another tractor operator who wished to speak under anonymity stated that since there was a need to pump the water out from the floodaffected areas and because

there was a shortage of pumps, the government had asked for farmers to use their tractors and pumps to assist.

“There was a verbal agreement of $5000 per hour to conduct this. We had several meetings after, one with the Agri Minister and others with NDIA et cetera, we had no issue with the price and the work came to an end on the 10th of July, from then, we had another meeting, the price was fixed to $5000 again and we were waiting. Now we had another meeting and they said that they had agreed upon 5000 but they are going to pay $4000, everybody objected and the claim from members of the region is that who is not comfortable with the $4000, they can leave,” the operator said.

He noted that after they were told to accept the lesser sum, they held a mini protest at Albion while some other farmers were “forced to accept it.”

Rohit Harrinarine, another operator said he would think twice to go into any agreement again, “me go think twice because dem a try to rob ah we…dem promise $5000 and now dem want to give $4000 and that is not fair.

We nah decide to collect no $4000 and me go lose. It was very expensive for me to

maintain my machine.”

Meanwhile, Regional Chairman David Armogan told Kaieteur News that all other regions have accepted the new rate of $4000 and that the disgruntled operators were those that tried to disrupt the meeting held on Monday.

He added that out of approximately 80 tractors operators, 51 persons agreed to accept the $4000.

He further said that, “we didn’t tell them to leave; we said instead of disrupting the meeting, we will take the names of those who accept the $4000 and those who don’t, we will deal with them at another time.” Armogan said that verification of the hours was done and another verification will be done on Wednesday.

During a meeting with tractor operators at the Albion Sports Complex a few weeks ago, Minister of Agriculture Zulfikar Mustapha had assured the operators that the $5000 will be paid to them after the verification of hours is done.

This was said after a tractor operator told him that they were hearing that $4500 would be paid instead. The operators are calling on the President and the Minister of Agriculture to “take us seriously” and pay what was agreed upon.

PAGE 42

Kaieteur News

Wednesday August 11, 2021

Wednesday August 11, 2021

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Kaieteur News

Premier League to introduce random COVID-19 status checks for ticket holders

(Reuters) - Fans attending Premier League games are set to face random spot checks of their COVID-19 status at some stadiums in the opening weeks of the new season.

Ticket holders should be prepared to provide proof of full vaccination or a negative lateral flow test result within 48 hours before the game via

the NHS COVID Pass, the English Premier League said in a statement.

It added it was working to introduce checks in “a staged way so there is the least disruption and maximum safety possible”.

Supporters must also adhere to a new code of conduct, the league said, which includes wearing masks indoors, avoiding close contact with people they do not know and following one-way signage around stadiums.

“Even though the nation is reopening, the government

has made it clear that this pandemic is still far from over. It is possible the safety measures for matches could be subject to change at short notice,” the statement added.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson lifted COVID-19 restrictions in England on July 19. Britain’s COVID-19 cases increased by 5% over the past week, with the country reporting 25,161 new cases of COVID-19 on Monday.

The 2021-22 season kicks off on Friday with newly promoted Brentford hosting Arsenal.

ICC to push for cricket's inclusion in the 2028...

General view inside the stadium before the match.

(Pool via REUTERS/Frank Augstein)

Wednesday August 11, 2021 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) There may be power struggles brewing beneath the surface that become evident in your interactions, Aries. Your first reaction may be to get upset and make your viewpoint even more rigid.

TAURUS (Apr. 20–May 20) You may find yourself running in a million different directions, Taurus. This is a good day to do errands. You can juggle many things at once, so continue with confidence.

GEMINI (May 21–June 20) Your emotions are likely to be pulled to extremes, Gemini. A key aspect of today is communication, and it wields a great deal of power. People are fighting for knowledge today so be sure of your facts before you start tossing them out there.

CANCER(June21–July22) Don't underestimate people's sensitivity to certain situations, Cancer. You may work with a d etachment that's

healthy on a day like this.

You can deal with issues in a levelheaded way without getting caught up in emotional drama.

LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) Talking things over with friends is likely to be a nourishing exercise for you, Leo. Instead of trying to work things out in your head, say them aloud and ask others for their perspectives.

VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) Engage in lively activities with friends who keep you abreast of the latest in culture, Virgo. See a movie, go to a bookstore, or visit a museum.

LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) You may think few people understand you, Libra.

Even if you try to explain your thought process and where you are emotionally, it still seems like others are more concerned with themselves. Only you can really understand how you feel.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) Your mood is likely to be malleable, Scorpio, depending on the people you're with and situation you're in. One minute you may be high as a kite and the next you're down in the dumps.

SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) Try not to spend too much time on one issue today, Sagittarius. It's possible that you'll get so wrapped up in it that that you'll find it hard to deal with anything else.

CAPRI(Dec.22–Jan.19) Things should be going well for you, Capricorn. Stay on track and you'll have a clear runway. If you deviate from where you need to be, you might get a harsh reminder from something or someone.

AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18) You may feel like you're walking a tightrope, Aquarius. One wrong step will cause you to tumble to the ground. Don't put so much pressure on yourself.

PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) Someone or something may intimidate you and make you want to retreat, Pisces.

But this person or situation is the very thing you need now in order to do what you have to do.

From page 48 Olympic Working Group and he will be joined by the ICC independent director Indra Nooyi, chair of Zimbabwe Cricket Tavengwa Mukuhlani, ICC Associate member director and vicepresident of the Asian Cricket Council Mahinda Vallipuram and chair of USA Cricket Paraag Marathe, who believes the time is ripe for an Olympic bid.

"USA Cricket is thrilled to be able to support cricket's bid for inclusion in the Olympics, the timing of which aligns perfectly with our continuing plans to develop the sport in the USA," Marathe said.

"With so many passionate cricket fans and players already in the USA, and a huge global audience and following for the sport around the world, we believe that cricket's inclusion will add

great value to the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games and help us to achieve our own vision for establishing cricket as a mainstream sport in this country."There has been a concerted push for cricket to partake in global sporting events in recent times. It already has a place in the Commonwealth games coming up in 2022 and there came a big boost in April when the two boards which have historically had reservations about cricket in the Olympics - the ECB and the BCCI - came together and made room for the possibility while building the 2023-2031 international calendar. Though nothing has been finalised regarding format, there has been growing support for the T10 version.

Messi gets hero's welcome in France...

From page 46 transfer this summer after coach Mauricio Pochettino's side snapped up Spanish defender Sergio Ramos after he left Real Madrid. Dutch midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum also joined after running down his contract with Liverpool.

Italy's Euro 2020-winning goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma has also joined after his contract with AC Milan ran out, while Moroccan fullback Achraf Hakimi joined from Inter Milan for a reported 60 million euros ($70 million).

The arrival of Messi, whose last contract with Barcelona was worth a total of 555 million euros and reported to be the most lucrative in world sport, is also set to provoke a renewed new debate about UEFA's financial fair play rules.

The rules were first introduced in 2009 to restrict some of the worst excesses of the game but have been criticised by some leading figures for being ineffective.

The arrival of Messi, who has 245 million followers on Instagram and is Barcelona's most decorated player of all time, is also welcome news for France's Ligue 1, embroiled in a crisis over TV rights. ($1 = 0.8530 euros)

Kaieteur News

PAGE 44

Wednesday August 11, 2021

Defiant Belarus leader shrugs off sanctions, says athlete was 'manipulated' KYIV/LONDON/WASH INGTON, (Reuters) - A defiant President Alexander Lukashenko said on Monday a Belarusian sprinter defected at the Olympic Games only because she had been "manipulated" by outside forces and shrugged off a coordinated barrage of new Western sanctions.

At an hours-long news conference on the anniversary of an election which opponents said was rigged so that he could win, Lukashenko denied being a dictator and said he had defended Belarus against opponents plotting a coup.

As he spoke in his presidential palace in Minsk, Britain, Canada and the United States announced coordinated sanctions targeting the Belarusian economy and its financial sector, including exports of oil products and potash, which is used in fertilisers and is Belarus' main foreign currency earner.

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko holds a news conference in Minsk, Belarus August 9, 2021.

(Pavel Orlovsky/BelTA/Handout via REUTERS) Lukashenko said Britain would "choke" on its measures and he was ready for talks with the West instead of a sanctions war.

Lukashenko said he had won the presidential election fairly on Aug. 9, 2020 and that some people had been "preparing for a fair election, while others were calling ...

for a coup d'état."

Tens of thousands of people joined street protests in 2020 - Lukashenko's biggest challenge since he became president in 1994. He responded with a crackdown in which many opponents have been arrested or gone into exile.

They deny planning a

coup.

Dismissing accusations that he is a dictator, he said: "In order to dictate - I am a completely sane person - you need to have the appropriate resources.

I have never dictated anything to anyone and I am not going to."

Belarus has again been in the international spotlight since sprinter Krystsina Tsimanouskaya fled to Wa r s a w l a s t w e e k following a dispute with her coaches in which she said an order came from "high up" to send her home from Tokyo.

"She wouldn't do it herself, she was manipulated. It was from Japan, from Tokyo, that she contacted her buddies in Poland and they told her literally - when you come to the airport, run to a Japanese police officer and shout that those who dropped her off at the airport are KGB agents," Lukashenko said.

"There was not a single

Belarusian sprinter Krystsina Tsimanouskaya, who left the Olympic Games in Tokyo and seeks asylum in Poland, holds a t-shirt at a news conference in Warsaw, Poland August 5, 2021. (REUTERS/Darek Golik) special service agent in Japan."

DICTATORSHIP DENIAL Lukashenko, 66, has kept power with political support and financial backing from Russia, which sees Belarus

as a buffer state against the NATO military alliance and the European Union.

Belarus would respond if necessary to sanctions pressure but "there is no need to take up the sanction axes and pitchforks," he said.

Lionel Messi signs two-year Paris St-Germain deal after leaving Barcelona BBC Sport - Lionel Messi has signed a two-year contract with Paris StGermain after leaving Barcelona.

The 34-year-old's deal also has the option of a third year.

Messi left Barca - the only club he has played for - as they were unable to afford a new deal under La Liga's financial fair play rules.

"I am impatient to start a new chapter of my career in Paris. The club and its vision are in perfect harmony with my ambitions," said the Argentina star.

"I know how talented the players and staff are here. I am determined to build, alongside them, something great for the club and for the fans. I can't wait to set foot on the Parc des Princes pitch."

PSG president Nasser alKhelaifi said: "I am delighted that Lionel Messi has chosen to join Paris St-Germain and we are proud to welcome him to Paris, with his family.

"He did not hide his desire to continue to evolve at the highest level and to win trophies. The ambition of the club is of course identical.

"The addition of Leo to our world-class team

confirms the relevance and success of our recruitment.

Together with our great coach and his staff, I look forward to seeing our team make history for all of our supporters around the world."

Considered one of the greatest players of all time, Messi scored a record 672 goals in 778 games for Barca, the club he joined as a 13year-old.

The striker has won the Ballon d'Or a record six times and lifted 35 trophies with the Catalan club.

He becomes PSG's fourth free-transfer signing this summer after the arrivals of Netherlands midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum, Spain defender Sergio Ramos and Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma.

Highly rated Morocco right-back Achraf Hakimi also joined from Inter Milan.

Messi will play in a front three alongside the two most expensive players of all time Neymar and Kylian Mbappe.

A PSG news conference will take place in the auditorium of the Parc des Princes today at 10:00 BST. Messi could make his PSG debut at home to Strasbourg on Saturday.

Kaieteur News

Wednesday August 11, 2021

PAGE 45

Elite Referees Academy Programme on the horizon

M

indful that Match Officiating and Match Officials are fundamental to the growth and development of game, President of the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) Wayne Forde has informed that they would be pulling out all the stops to ensure that solid officials are prepared to serve the game.

Speaking at the opening of a Concacaf supported Referees Training Programme that was facilitated by Guyanese Concacaf Elite Referees Assessor, Diane Ferreira-James who is also Head of Refereeing in the Bahamas, Forde shared that the Federation's Executive sat and reviewed from a panoramic perspective, decisions that they would have taken up to March 2020 which had a bearing on actions that would be taken going forward.Speaking to the best of the best, Referees drawn from around Guyana, Forde further noted that they are more conscious of the required strategic foundations that are needed, going forward.

“Unless we have quality and quantity of competent, dedicated and committed officials to serve the game, we will not be able to grow it

- Forde

GFF GFF President, President, Wayne Wayne Forde Forde during during his his remarks remarks to to the the Referees Referees on on Saturday Saturday last last at at the the GFF GFF national national Training Training Centre.

Centre.

at the pace that we want to grow it.”

Wi t h t h i s i n m i n d , F o r d e announced that, after discussion with the Head of Refereeing in Guyana, Dion Inniss, the GFF would be pursuing the establishment of an Elite Referees Academy.“And that is where we will, through a very transparent process identify the most talented,

th e mo s t g if te d , th e mo s t committed. Like any other discipline.”He alluded to the fact that, there are always those persons who are a bit more gifted than others based on what they would have been blessed with from the Almighty.

These individuals would be able to further enhance their skills

Chess Cadet and Youth World Cup

Zhang, Rajkumar and Shariff win

Alexander Zhang

Omar Shariff

G

uyana Chess Federation (GCF) had players in the under-12 open and the girls' under-16 division diving into action recently, in the International Chess Federation's (FIDE's) Cadet and Yo u t h Wo r l d C u p o n l i n e tournament.

With four rounds thus far completed in two days, the Under12 boys were able to secure 3 points; one each for Mahir Rajkumar, Alexander Zhang and Omar Shariff. The first-round victory for Rajkumar was an upset that was welcomed by the Guyana team with victory over India's Ashwath Mittal.

Rajkumar seized the moment when his opponent blundered on move 22 in not advancing his knight and missing the mate that was being set up, which Rajkumar took along with the Queen.

Alexander Zhang played well with the black pieces to win his round 3 game against Aponte Tores of Puerto Rico.

In round four, Omar Shariff played with the white pieces and got his name among the points with a meaningful victory over his opponent Tores (the same opponent faced by Zhang in the third round from Puerto Rico). Maciah Enoe, the fourth member of the team, was still to score after some tough

games in the early rounds.

In the girls U16 competition, Adia Alphonso and Aniyah Couchman were having a tough time facing some talented players to go without winning a game for the four rounds completed.

In round one, Adia Alphonso played brilliantly until she ran into time trouble and went down in her game against Greece's Ernie Ergazki.

The performance of the Under10 team gave the Guyana boys and girls some hope. In a recap of that category, Aqualani Swammadha starred their campaign, as he put on a good show to end his ten games on five points.

and art with investment from the National body to help them reach their true potential.

“When we say their true potential, then they'll be able to navigate, through their own efforts, discipline and consistency of the

highest caliber of officiating, not just in our confederation but probably in the wider world.”

The officials were encouraged to focus on being the best they can be in service to the game whilst protecting its integrity.

Double Olympic champion Jacobs shrugs off doping suspicions (Reuters) - Italy's double Olympic champion Lamont Marcell Jacobs has insisted he is not bothered by suspicions of doping raised by the media, and that hard work is to thank for his record-breaking exploits in Tokyo.

Jacobs became the first Italian to win 100 metres gold, setting a European record time of 9.80 seconds in the final, and was part of his country's triumphant 4x100 metres relay team.

The 26-year-old's performances led to media reports highlighting doping cases involving breakout stars in athletics, stories Giovanni Malago, the president of the Italian Olympic Committee, described as "unpleasant".

"These controversies do not affect me," Jacobs told Il Messaggero on Monday.

"I know that I got here by

making many sacrifices. I have been through disappointments and defeats, but I always got back up and rolled my sleeves up.

"If I have reached this point, it is only thanks to hard work. They can write what they want."

Jacobs said on Saturday he had split from his former nutritionist once he heard that Giacomo Spazzini was allegedly being investigated for a connection with performance-enhancing substances."This is something that honestly, I am not involved with, because from the very first moment we heard about this thing that happened, we stopped working with him," Jacobs said.

“But we are not worried, in fact the person was involved in a situation which was not his fault.

At the end of the situation he was not considered guilty, so we are relaxed about it."

Italy's Lamont Marcell Jacobs at Haneda Airport in Tokyo. (Reuters)

Kaieteur News

PAGE 46

Wednesday August 11, 2021

Messi gets hero's welcome in France after agreeing to join PSG LE BOURGET, France, (Reuters) - Six-time Ballon d'Or winner Lionel Messi received a hero's welcome after flying to France yesterday to join Paris Saint Germain (PSG) following his shock departure from Barcelona.

The agreement to sign the 34-year-old Argentine is a major coup for wealthy PSG, who will add one of the best soccer players of all time to an already formidable front line that includes Brazil's Neymar and young Frenchman Kylian Mbappe.

Wearing a T-shirt that

read "This is Paris," Messi beamed and waved at scores of fans who had come to greet him at Le Bourget airport on the outskirts of the French capital after his flight from Barcelona.

Chanting "Messi, Messi, Messi," the fans cheered and let off firecrackers.

"It's going to be mad.

After all, it's a legend who is arriving," said Florent Chauveau, a PSG fan who has been back and forth to the airport every day since Sunday in the hope of seeing Messi arrive.

Messi gave no details of the deal, which was reached

days after Barcelona said it could not afford to keep the midfielder because of Spain's La Liga's fair play rules.

But his father, speaking to reporters at Barcelona's airport, confirmed reports by French newspaper L'Equipe and Spanish newspaper Mundo Deportivo that Messi had reached an agreement with PSG, which is owned

by Qatar Sports Investment.

L'Equipe said the deal would be for two years. It also said Messi would have medical tests yesterday, and that a news conference to mark his arrival was likely

West Indies Women to host South Africa Women in eight-match series in Antigua T20I and CG Insurance ODI Series from August 31 to September 19 ST JOHN'S, Antigua – West Indies Women will be back in action in the coming weeks when they host South Africa Women in an eight-match series in Antigua at the Sir Vivian Richards Cricket Ground and the Coolidge Cricket Ground as they build up to the ICC Women's World Cup qualifiers later this year.

Following their CG Insurance T20I and CG Insurance ODI wins over Pakistan in July in the white-ball formats, the West Indies Women will now face the Proteas in three T20 Internationals and five CG Insurance One-Day Internationals.

The upcoming series will run from Tuesday, August 31 to Monday, September 19.

West Indies will use the CG Insurance ODI Series as part of their preparations for the ICC Women's World Cup qualifiers, as they look to secure a spot in the ICC Women's World Cup in New Zealand next year.

The marquee 50-over tournament will see 31 matches being played from March 4 to April 3, 2022.

Eight of the world's best cricket nations will go head-to-head in six host cities: Auckland, Ta u r a n g a , H a m i l t o n , Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin.

Ahead of the matches against South Africa, West Indies Women will hold their third High Performance Training Camp this year under the guidance of Head Coach, Courtney Walsh, as Cricket West Indies (CWI) have significantly increased investment in the West Indies Women's preparations and in the Women's game overall.

“We are delighted to have more cricket on the horizon as this will be a vital part of our preparations for t h e I C C Wo r l d C u p Qualifiers.

We are at a crucial juncture as we prepare for this big event and again, we want to thank CWI for organizing this camp, the T20Is and the CG Insurance ODI Series to get the girls up to speed,” Walsh said.

“We were fantastic against Pakistan last month and we want to bring that winning momentum into this series of matches as well. We are going in the right direction, with the way we want.

There is a lot to play for and we will be up for the challenge.”

Fans in the Caribbean can watch the entire series live on the Windies Cricket Y o u T u b e channelhttps://bit.ly/Windie sCricketYouTube Fans can also follow live

ball-by-ball scoring in the www.windiescricket.com live match centre.

FULL MATCH SCHEDULE (with start times) Sir Vivian Richards Cricket Ground – SVRCG Coolidge Cricket Ground – CCG Sunday, August 29: Intra-squad warm-up match Tuesday, August 31: 1st T20I – SVRG (2pm Eastern Caribbean/1pm Jamaica) Thursday, September 2: 2nd T20I – SVRCG (2pm Eastern Caribbean/1pm Jamaica) Saturday, September 4: 3rd T20I – SVRCG (6:30pm Eastern Caribbean/5:30pm Jamaica) Tuesday, September 7: 1st CG Insurance ODI – CCG (2:45pm Eastern Caribbean/1:45pm Jamaica) Friday, September 10: 2nd CG Insurance ODI – CCG (10am Eastern Caribbean/9am Jamaica) Monday, September 13: 3rd CG Insurance ODI – CCG (10am Eastern Caribbean/9am Jamaica) Thursday, September 16: 4th CG Insurance ODI – SVRCG (10am Eastern Caribbean/9am Jamaica) Sunday, September 19: 5th CG Insurance ODI – SVRCG (10am Eastern Caribbean/9am Jamaica)

Lionel Messi is seen at Josep Tarradellas Barcelona-El Prat Airport with his wife Antonela and their children before flying to Paris. (REUTERS/Albert Gea) today.

PSG did not comment on the reports but released a short video showing scenes of Paris, a plane landing and a close-up of someone putting pen to paper. In the background, upbeat music can heard and the words "new diamond in Paris" and "mercato update" appear.

The video, seen on

Twitter, does not show Messi but depicts an image of six Ballons d'Or - an annual award given to the player deemed the best in the world - by the Eiffel Tower.

Many Barcelona fans were distraught at the end of Messi's glittering, trophyladen career at the club he joined as a schoolboy.

But the arrival of

Barcelona's all-time record scorer with 682 goals will boost PSG's ambitions to win the Champions League for the first time. Messi won four Champions League titles while at Barcelona, as well as 10 La Liga titles.

PSG AMBITIONS Messi is the latest bigname arrival at PSG on a free (Continued on page 43)

Fisherman Masters, Pradeep XI triumph Fisherman Masters and Pradeep XI registered wins in the Masters and Open categories respectively when the Pradeep Memorial over 40 softball competition was contested on Sunday last at LBI. Fisherman beat Success Masters by 82 runs. Batting first, Fisherman made 145 for 5 in 15 overs with Wasir Majeed scoring 39 and Zameer Hassan 38.

Bowling for Success Masters, Dindial Lakhan took 2 for 20 and Randy Ketwaru 2 for 30.

Success Masters replied with 83 for 7.

Randy Ketwaru scored 44. Bowling for

Fishermen, Doodnauth Ramdeen had 2 for 8, Stanley Mahabir 2 for 30, Zameer Hassan 1 for 20 and Wasir Majeed 1 for 12.

Pradeep XI beat Friends XI by six runs.

Batting first, Pradeep XI managed 129 for 4 in 15 overs. Rajin Mohammed struck 55 and Anand Rooplall 30. Bowling for Friends XI, Kelvin Orford had 1 for 15 and Latchman Chinapen 1 for 20.

Friends XI replied with 124 for 5. Kelvin Orford made 30, Chris Ramnarine 24 and Latchman Chinapen 22. Bowling for Pradeep XI, Ravi Ramnauth took 2 for 15 and Leo Singh 2 for 29.

The victorious Fisherman Masters team.

Kaieteur News

Wednesday August 11, 2021

PAGE 47

Hamilton's inclusion, Permaul's snub raise eyebrows

By Sean Devers The surprise inclusion of Wi c k e t - K e e p e r J a h m a r Hamilton along with Keeper/batsmen Shai Hope and Joshua Da Siva in the West Indies 17-member to face Pakistan in a two-Test series in Jamaica which commences tomorrow, has raised eyebrows, as does the continued snub of left-arm s p i n n e r Ve e r a s a m m y Permaul.

Asked about the omission of 31-year-old Guyanese, who has taken 290 wickets in his last six Regional FirstClass seasons, West Indies Head Coach Phill Simmons

back in February of this year.

Warrican had 10 wickets f r o m t w o Te s t s i n Bangladesh.

But let's not forget that Permaul, who has 18 wickets from six Tests, was on the bench for both of the matches while Warrican started that series with 22 wickets from eight matches.

Permaul, who has 29 five-wicket and seven 10wicket match hauls in FirstClass cricket, has been ignored for Test selection since June 2015 although he has captured 223 wickets in the last five Regional FirstClass matches since then.

We would never know if

Veerasammy Permaul

said that this was the best team selected.

H e h o w e v e r , acknowledged that Persaud (5-38 & 2-69) had the most wickets in the only practice match for the Pakistan Tests which saw off-spinner Rakeem Cornwall take the only other five-wicket haul in the match.

The Berbician, with 535 wickets from 126 First-Class matches, scored more runs and took more wicket than the St Vincent born Bajan Jomal Warrican who failed to pick up a single wicket despite bowling the same 17 overs bowled by Permaul during his most recent five wicket-haul last week in Jamaica.

Neither Permaul nor Warrican played in the last Two-Test against South Africa.

The 58 year-old Simmons, a Trinidadian who played 26 Tests and 143 ODIs for the West Indies, defended Warrican selection based on his wickets in spin friendly conditions in the Two-Test series against Bangladesh

Permaul would have taken more than 10 wickets against Bangladesh.

Permaul made his Test debut in 2012 against Bangladesh and took four wickets in that game and finished the series with eight wickets from two Tests.

He has played a single Test against India (2013), New Zealand (2013) and England (2015) before taking two wickets against Australia in 2015 and has not played Test cricket since then.

After claiming a record 67 wickets from 10 games in 2015 Regional First-Class tournament the Albion player was rewarded with selection against Australia, which was to be his last Test.

Warrican, who made his Test debut against Sri Lanka in 2016, has 271 first-Class victims since playing the first of his 69 matches against the Leewards in 2012.

The 2020 Regional FirstClass Tournament was called off due to the outbreak of the Covid-19 global pandemic in March 2020 with two rounds remaining as Barbados broke

Guyana's five-year championship winning streak.

Permaul had taken 50wickets from eight games, including match haul of 1577 against Jamaica.

This was the second-best match figures in a domestic first-class match in the West Indies since 1966.

This was the third time Permaul had taken 50 wickets or more in season and with four possible times to bowl had the tournament not been called off, he was 17

wickets away of breaking his own record.

In 2015 Permaul took 67 wickets (a regional record).

2016 he captured 40, 2017 he had 41 scalps, 2018 he got 50 victims, 2019 he snared 42 and last year he ended with 50.

What is ironic is that Permaul has only played a single Test during the last six seasons; the best period in his career, in which he has taken 290 wickets, 19 more than the 29-year-old Warrican has in his entire career.

The former West Indies U-19 player who Captained the West Indies 'A' team against India 'A' in 2012, must be wondering what more he can do to get in a West Indies 17-man squad.

Some feel that bowling to batsmen who can't play spin at the Regional level makes him so successful and that he will be unable to replicate those performances at the Test level.

That might be so, but while others are given numerous chances, why don't

the selectors give Permaul a chance to fail? He might surprise them.

West Indies 17-man Squad: Kraigg Brathwaite (Captain), Jermaine Blackwood (Vice Captain), Nkrumah Bonner, Shamarh Brooks, Rahkeem Cornwall, Roston Chase, Joshua Da Silva, Jahmar Hamilton, Chemar Holder, Jason Holder, Shai Hope, Alzarri Joseph, Kyle Mayers, Kieran Powell, Kemar Roach, Jayden Seales, Jomel Warrican.

Kaieteur News

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Wednesday August 11, 2021

Imran Moakan elected BCUA President Imran Moakan on Sunday last was elected as the President of the Berbice Cricket Umpires Association (BCUA) when the very active association held their biennial elections at the head office of the Berbice Cricket Board. Moakan replaces long serving President Joseph Simon who died recently after serving for close to eight years. Moakan is the youngest son of former President Roshan Moakan, who himself died in 2014 after decades of service to the Ancient County.

President of the Berbice Cricket Board, Hilbert Foster served as the returning officer for the elections at the invitation of the association.

Others elected to serve were Vice President Shawn Coojah, Secretary Moses Ramphal, Treasurer Ingram Johnson and Asst Secretary/ Treasurer Muntaz Alli.

Elected to serve as Committee members were Ameer Rahaman, Abbas Hussain and Martin Johnson.

Moakan speaking to the members of the association stated that he expects full cooperation from each one of them and committed himself to leading by example. Noting that

- Foster unveils assistance programme for Berbice Umpires

BCB President Hilbert Foster poses with the new executives of the BCUA after the elections.

Berbice cricket was on the rise, he urged his colleagues to play their part to maintain the high standard. He congratulated Foster on his outstanding leadership of the county's cricket and for making sure that every stakeholder had a place at the table.

Foster, in remarks after the swearing of the new executives, stated that the BCUA and BCB under his leadership have enjoyed a close and very cordial relationship as he strongly

believes in building bridges.

Working together with a common objective is the key to achieving success and Foster committed to working along with the umpires association to improve the standard of umpiring in the future. He announced a development fund of one hundred thousand dollars for the BCUA from his cricket board, which would be used for the training of umpires and the daily operation of the association. The BCB President also committed to

assist the umpires with twenty umpiring t-shirts and caps, while the BCB would also establish a Hall of Fame to honour outstanding umpires from the county.

The Hall of Fame would be launched on Sunday 11th of September in the BCB Charlotte Street, New Amsterdam office. The BCUA has submitted the following names to be the first inductees- Rohan Chandan, Roshan Moakan, Joseph Simon, D. Somwaru, Rafeek Latiff and Jaipersaud

Hardeo. Hardeo, Simon and Moakan are all deceased but served as umpires for decades, while Somwaru, who once served as President of the Guyana Umpires Council, is the only Berbician to stand in a first class game and also served at the international level.

Chandan was the founding President of the BCUA, while Latiff served as a standby umpire at several first class matches and as a respected umpire for decades.

The BCB would also assist the association with attracting new members and also assist with acquiring sponsorship for a proposed Day of Fun which would include a 20/20 cricket match against their Demerara counterparts and a domino tournament.

The BCB would also sponsor an Umpire of the Year Award at the cost of twenty five thousand dollars and provide Christmas Hampers for every Berbice umpire.

Curtains comes down on ICC to push for cricket's inclusion in the 2028 Olympics GBTI Open Tennis Tourney ESPNcricinfo - A wait of more than a century could come to an end in the 2028 Olympics with the ICC confirming that they have set up a working group to bid for cricket's inclusion in the games to be held in Los Angeles.

The last time cricket was a part of the Olympics was in 1900, when Great Britain played France. But it could become a permanent fixture

in the games with the ICC hoping to see it included in Brisbane 2032 as well and beyond.

"Our sport is united behind this bid," ICC chair Greg Barkley said in a press release on Tuesday, "And we see the Olympics as a part of cricket's long-term future.

We have more than a billion fans globally and almost 90 percent of them want to see cricket at the Olympics.

"Clearly cricket has a strong and passionate fanbase, particularly in South Asia where 92% of our fans come from, whilst there are also 30 million cricket fans in the USA. The opportunity for those fans to see their heroes competing for an Olympic medal is tantalising."

ECB board chair Ian Watmore will lead the ICC (Continued on page 43)

Cricket has not been part of the Olympics since 1900. (Getty Images)

Monday afternoon, the Curtains came down on the highly contested GBTI Open Tennis tournament for 2021. The competition, which lasted just over two weeks, climaxed with a presentation ceremony in the Banking Hall of the Guyana Bank for Trade and Industry and was attended by senior bank officials, Guyana Tennis Association executives, players and coaches.

In her remarks to the audience, Mrs. Pamela Binda Pryce congratulated all participants of the tournament and encouraged players to continue working hard to achieve better results on and off the courts. Binda- Pryce also reaffirmed the bank's commitment to the development of tennis and to continue partnership with the GTA which has been in existence for over two decades.

Delivering remarks for the Guyana Tennis Association, Past President and current treasurer, Mr. Ramesh Seebaran lauded the GBTI for years of being a good corporate institution and commended the bank for always supporting the tennis fraternity.

Surrendra Khayyam, Vice President of the Guyana Tennis Association chaired the ceremony and also echoed Seabream's sentiments of gratitude to the GBTI. The 2021 GBTI Open saw entrants from Guyana, Mexico and England

participating in fierce rivalry throughout the tournament.

At the end of two plus weeks of battle, Guyanese Cristy Campbell and Mexican Miguel Garcia were crowned champions in the coveted Open Singles female and male categories. Viraj Sharma and Renola Jordan are the Junior male and female champions.

Men's singles: (winner – W; runner up – RUP) W - Miguel Garcia RUP - Phillipe Jackson Ladies Singles: W - Cristy Campbell RUP - Renola Jordan Men's Doubles: W - Phillipe Jackson/Heimraj Resaul RUP - Javed Khan/Kevin Mattai Mixed Doubles: W - Renola Jordan/Andre Erskine RUP - Cristy Campbell/Gavin Lewis Over 35 Singles: W - Miguel Garcia RUP - Andre Erskine Boys Singles: W - Viraj Sharma RUP - Gerald Scotland Girls Singles: W - Renola Jordan RUP - Norella Jordan Novice Medley Singles: W - Jonathan Jackson RUP - Amanda Robert's

Wednesday August 11, 2021

Kaieteur News

PAGE 49

Curtains comes down on GBTI Open Tennis Tourney Winners show off their hardware, while GBTI and Tennis Officials share the moment at the closing Ceremony of the GBTI Open.

rt o p S

Lionel Messi signs two-year Paris St-Germain deal after leaving Barcelona

Messi gets hero's’ welcome in France after agreeing to join PSG West Indies captain Stafanie Taylor

West Indies Women to host South Africa Women in eight-match series in Antigua T20I and CG Insurance ODI Series from August 31 to September 19 Printed and published by National Media & Publishing Company Ltd., 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown. Tel: 225-8458, 225-8465, 225-8491 or Fax: 225-8473/226-8210.