Kaieteur News
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Monday August 30, 2021
Guyana walking slippery slope with failure to determine final price tag for gas project To ensure taxpayers are not heavily burdened with repaying the development costs of the contentious gasto-energy project, Arthur Deakin, an international analyst and Co-Director of Energy Practice at America’s Market Intelligence (AMI), is calling for the PPP/C Government to have a consensus on the final price tag of this project. This he asserted, will guard against cost overruns which have the potential to be in the billions of dollars. Deakin aired this concern about the costs of the gas-to-energy project during a recent appearance o n K a i e t e u r R a d i o ’s programme, Guyana’s Oil and You. There he said, “Guyana needs to have a common consensus on what the cost is going to be before you start building; this is very important.(When there are cost overruns), that ends up hurting the pockets of local taxpayers, it hurts the government’s pocket. So it is
important to have clarity on that issue before building,” Deakin explained on Tuesday during his interview with Senior Kaieteur News Journalist, Kiana Wilburg. The Co-Director went on to indicate that AMI - the consultancy firm to which he is attached - has not looked at cost overruns for Guyana’s estimated USD$900M gasto-shore project. On that same token, he referred to cost overruns in Latin America, particularly in neighbouring Brazil and the corruption which engulfed same. “Let’s say that there was a base cost of USD$100M for a project; they would say that it costs $200M. Then they would split the other $100M between the people that were involved in the bribes and all of that,” Deakin pointed out. He continued, “It is very important to have very clear reports done and a clear consensus on what the cost is going to be. Of course, you gotta have some room for
$900M. But there is no guarantee that this would be the final cost. The requisite geophysical and economic studies are still being done for the project. Be that as it may, Vice President, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo, previously gave assurances that the project costs would not exceed US$1B. Kaieteur News had previously reported that the gas-to-energy project is being designed to provide 250MW of power to the national grid, following its estimated operationalisation in late 2024. It is also estimated to create about 775 jobs. About 700 of these will be aggregate to the construction phase, while the remaining 75 are for the other aspects of the project life cycle. The proposed project would bring associated gas from two ExxonMobil Guyana-operated projects offshore being the Liza P h a s e O n e a n d Tw o operations via pipelines to onshore gas processing facilities. The pipeline would transport up to 50 million standard cubic feet per day of Natural gas to the facilities. The maximum flow of the pipeline is approximately 120 million standard cubic feet of gas per day. All of the gas will be transported to the Wales Development Site. It should be noted that E x x o n M o b i l i n collaboration with the government, is moving ahead with this project at a time when the world is moving away from fossil fuel-based projects. In May, for example, this newspaper had reported on the United Nations (UN) call for a shift in the policy of countries worldwide, to move away from supporting fossil fuel projects through financing such as subsidies, towards renewable energy and the promotion of the transfer of technology to developing countries.
– Int’l Analyst
International Energy Analyst, Arthur Deakin
cost inflation, but that has got to be written in the contract and determined before you start building anything.” D e a k i n ’s c o m m e n t s come on the heels of cautionary research done by an independent United States think tank, the Centre for Public Integrity (CPI). In
the cases the body examined, CPI found that cost overruns on Natural gas projects “are the norm rather than the exception, often by 45% or more.” In one of its analytical papers on this subject, CPI noted that initial estimates of capital costs for large petroleum projects are
almost never correct. It noted for example that there were massive cost overruns in the first phase of Sasol Limited’s Pande Temane project. Sasol Limited is an integrated energy and chemical company based in South Africa. The company was formed in 1950 and is now one of the biggest corporate carbon emitters in the world. As for the project in question, it involves a pipeline that was built from the gas fields of Pande and Temane in Inhambane, Mozambique. CPI during its research found that the estimated cost for the project was pegged at US$600M but the final price tag ended up being over US$1.2B. Over in Australia, CPI found that all Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) projects exceeded their initial cost estimates by at least 40%. The same trend was found in Papua New Guinea (PNG) too. In PNG, a Liquefied Natural Gas project had carried an estimate of US$8 billion to US$9 billion when the project was approved, but then it climbed to US$15 billion when construction began and upon completion, it ballooned to US$19 billion. In one of the cases it studied in Angola, CPI found that the cost overruns were even worse: initial estimates were pegged at approximately US$3 billion for one LNG project while the final costs were over US$10 billion. Taking the foregoing cases into account, the American think-tank urged countries, particularly new producers like Guyana to be wary of the costs for such projects as the evidence shows they often times inflated. In Guyana, the government says that the p l a n n e d g a s - t o - e n e rg y project is expected to cost
Monday August 30, 2021
92 out of 938 schools scheduled to reopen fully in September - others to operate on a rotational basis With the reopening of schools set for September 6, 92 out of some 938 public schools across the country, are scheduled to reopen their doors for full face-toface learning, while the remaining 846 are slated to reopen on a rotational basis. The reopening of schools was on Friday announced by senior officials of the Ministry of Education during a press briefing at the National Centre for Educational Resource Development (NCERD). Announcing the reopening of schools at the Nursery level, was the Assistant Chief Education Officer (CEO) of the Ministry of Education, Samatha Williams, who stated “41 of our 348 nursery schools will open their doors to full face-toface engagement for learners, while the other 307 will operate on a rotation system. This rotation system will see Year One and Year Two learners attending schools on different days.” To facilitate the opening of nursery schools, Williams said each school was guided and encouraged to prepare individualized operational plans which contained the availability of space, the number of students and teaching staff. For the nursery level, students will be at schools for no less than four hours per week. There will also be no less than five children for a teacher, and this is to ensure adequate supervision of children. Each student too, will receive a homebased package provided by the Ministry which includes crayons, pencils, building blocks, wooden puzzles, flashcards, exercise books and activity books among other items. L a s t l y, Wi l l i a m s concluded that school’s administration are encouraged that a robust sanitization plan be in place to ensure a clean environment for all students, and that parents are asked to talk with their children on how to maintain and practice all COVID-19 protocols during this time. Meanwhile, the Chief Education Officer (CEO) of the Ministry, Dr. Marcel Hutson who rolled out the plans for the primary level,
explained that for the new academic year 2021/2022, “44 of our primary schools across the country will be reopening fully, and that is fundamentally based on space that they actually have to accommodate our children observing the COVID-19 protocols… While another 413 which includes nine annexes will be operating on a rotational basis.” For students who are in Grade Six, Dr. Hutson noted, that given that they are in examinations classes, they will be attending schools every day of the week. He added that the National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) is scheduled to write sometime in July 2022, and students will be tested on the concept on the consolidated curriculum. According to the CEO, the Grades Two, Four and Nine assessment will not be written in the new academic year because “our students have not been exposed to the way we would like them to be exposed. So it might not be a logical thing to have those examinations executed at this point in time.” Further, at the secondary level, schools will be reopening for face-to-face learning based on the rollout of the vaccination campaign. Last Thursday, the Education Ministry in collaboration with the Ministry of Health launched its vaccine programme for children 12 to 17 years who will be receiving the USmade Pfizer vaccine. Assistant CEO with responsibility for Secondary schools, JaneAnn Gonsalves said that seven schools across the country will reopened its doors for all level, while the remaining 126 schools will be operating on a rotational basis. To this end, Gonsalves explained that “there are individualized plans which were crafted by the school’s administration in collaboration with their PTA and the Regional Democratic Council. At the secondary level, two modalities will be utilized for the reopening of schools which vary across the country and across Continued on page 8
Kaieteur News
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NO MORE EXCUSES!!!
All countries must step up fight against climate change Advisor to the SecretaryGeneral and Assistant Secretary-General of the Climate Action Team at the United Nations, Selwin Hart, has issued a clarion call for all global governments to take bolder, ambitious actions to fight climate change and achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. During an interview with United States news agency ABC Network earlier this month, Hart said the evidence that greenhouse gasses from fossil fuel burning and deforestation are contributing to global warming is “irrefutable”. Further to this, he pointed that these events have placed the lives of billions of people, animals and ecosystems at risk. “Now is not the time for delay. Now is not the time for excuses. That is why this year’s climate summit in Glasgow, Scotland re p re s e n t s a c r i t i c a l milestone for global efforts to address and defeat climate change. We need all leaders, all countries rich, poor, big and small- to step up to the play… It is possible [to achieve netz e r o ] . We h a v e t h e resources, we have the technologies to do it,” Hart expressed. Although he called on all countries to play their part, the Assistant UN
- UN Advisor
UN Advisor, Selwin Hart Advisor was keen to emphasize that wealthier countries must support resilience building and adaptation in the smaller, less-developed countries. Further to this, Hart pointed out that third world countries which are not the biggest contributors to emissions, often suffer from the brunt of climate change. “This must be a global effort. It must be a moment for global solidarity. The U.S should reach out and support smaller, poorer nations that are already battling with many of these devastating impacts of climate change,” he said. One of the first steps the world can take, Hart stated, is by decarbonizing the energy sector. To do this, he said that countries need to triple energy generations from renewable energy sources over the next decade or so. He was quick to point
out that this goal has been achieved as he referred data between 2010 and 2020, which show that power generation from renewable sources - wind and solar in particular, - tripled in this period. “We need to do this again but at a much grander scale,” Hart said. If countries fail to lower emissions, the UN Advisor warned that the planet will become an “unlivable one” and reiterated that “billions of lives are at stake”. “As the report (by the Inter-Governmental Panel on Climate Change) clearly outlines, we cannot survive in a four- or three-degree world. We are seeing these unprecedented impacts across the world,” he stated and referred to the ongoing wildfires in Greece. When asked whether the United Nations anticipates that world leaders will take
t he necessary actions to curb the threat of climate change, Hart responded in the affirmative. He indicated that the UN is “cautiously optimistic” over positive change and added that over the past few months, many governments have committed to attaining net-zero by mid-century. “About 73% of total global greenhouse gas emissions are now covered by a net-zero commitment,” Hart said; “The entire Group of 77 nations committed netzero by 2050. We have also s e e n l a rg e e c o n o m i e s making this commitment, but we need all 0f the G20 countries. These countries account for 80% of global emissions. We need all of these countries to commit as a first step, but also, back up this long-term commitment with ambitious interim targets.” The UN advisor said whether the world wins or loses, the war against climate change rests on what happens in the next decade, as he added, that if the world does not limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius by the end of the decade, then there is no hope of achieving the goal, the
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Monday August 30, 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
Could ExxonMobil be endangering Guyanese even more? Why are Guyanese silent and sitting on their hands, when recent disclosures indicate that they could be in severe danger? Why is the Guyana Government ignoring, and pretending to be unconcerned with what came from internally renowned expert, Robert Bea, through The Guardian newspaper, about the toxic dangers and severe human fallouts whenever the banned chemical Corexit 9500 is used to manage an oil spill? And why is Exxon, with all of its oil industry knowledge and experience, so thoughtless, even reckless, as to include this same highly harmful chemical, Corexit 9500, as part of its plans and response in the event of a local oil spill? To our fellow citizens, we have this to say: personal health and quality of life could be in danger. It is not somebody else’s, and great harm could come through “blood in urine and kidney and liver disorders attributed to 2-Butoxyethanol” (“Exxon plans to use highly toxic chemical banned in the UK to contain oil spill offshore Guyana -Industry Expert warns” KN August 29). Liver and kidney disorders are not some passing bout of the common flu, but severe, life altering diseases that can linger with great bodily trauma and costs, which ordinary Guyanese can’t afford to cover. This chemical dispersant used on surfaces to contain oil spills is banned in the United Kingdom, because of serious problems there with its downside effects on marine life, the environment, and human beings. So, why is this good enough to be included in Exxon’s contingency plans should an oil spill occur in Guyana’s waters 125 miles from our shores? If it is considered so dangerous by UK authorities for their own people, then why is this Corexit 9500 chemical dispersant thought of as being safe and not a problem for Guyanese, overwhelmingly poor and coloured? Is it that Exxon and its corporate strategists have figured that the wellbeing and lives of Guyanese (all of them) don’t matter in their grand schemes? It goes without saying that a lot of things, all highly alarming and still more highly angering, are in motion here. Vice President, Bharrat Jagdeo, Guyana’s leading oilman, has not uttered so much as boo, since we originally made this and other revelations over a week ago, compliments of Robert Bea and The Guardian. Dr. Jagdeo is content to practice his usual silence and dodges, when hard facts like these come up, as presented by this paper. One would have thought that, being the patriot that he is, he would be up in arms and denouncing this reality, as well as those responsible for it. But he has been silent. Dr. Jagdeo usually scornfully dismisses international experts, whose analyses conflict with the sweet oil narratives that he likes to present to Guyanese. Instead of exposing him for his weakness challenging him for his failure to say anything on this occasion, we urge him to take the closest look at this Corexit 9500 chemical that Exxon has included as part of its shabby containment plans, which has the potential to deliver serious harm to Guyana, from its marine life to human life. After Dr. Jagdeo has finished examining Corexit and satisfying himself as to its perils (which he may already know), he must then act swiftly and vigorously. Guyana’s EPA must make it the highest priority to revisit Exxon’s disaster recovery (oil spill) plans, and call on Exxon to remove immediately the use of Corexit 9500 from those plans. In fact, it would be better for the Vice President to take the lead in this and publicly call on Exxon to get rid of the mention (and possible usage) of this dangerous Corexit 9500 from its range of responses to an oil spill in Guyana. If the Vice President is genuine in holding Exxon accountable, he now has sufficient grounds to express extreme indignation that Exxon could think of Corexit 9500 and then include this radioactive chemical in its already shaky plans for Guyana.
Society can gain much from a period of intensive public education about vaccines Dear Editor, At this moment of misunderstanding in Guyana about a matter as vital as life and death, it seems to me important that we should all try to do what we can. In writing this letter, I will aim at fairness, because I know that over 90% of my fellow Guyanese want to be fair. That is something I think we all have in common. The last time I asked a simple question about the withdrawal of a case against an official, a columnist, using a pen name, called me an interesting fellow, stated my age and said, “he has race on the brain.” In spite of that response from one I know to be highly educated, or rather schooled, above my level, I may have to pose a few questions. From what I hear on radio from Guyana, there is strong
feeling not against vaccines, but against being compelled directly or indirectly to take them. This feeling against what appears to be compulsion is present in every human society reported in the news. If we are public figures, we need to cultivate the self respect and respect for others that would allow us to admit blunders and rely on the fairness and commonsense of most Guyanese. As it appears to me now, the flash point of disagreement in Guyana is around the question of how to encourage more and more members of the population to choose vaccines as an emergency safeguard when the bulk of the population is unvaccinated against the present virus and its variance, like Delta. News source reported on
or about August 25, 2021, that the Government of Barbados had arranged a national consultation on the question of mandatory vaccination. It also reported that the Prime Minister, Ms. Motley, had declared that her Government did not favor mandatory vaccination. She also said that it was the duty of the Government not only to keep the country safe, but also to keep it united. We do not know what the future holds, but the approach in Barbados seems likely to avoid the clashes like those on the Wismar/McKenzie Bridge and those in Georgetown near the Ministry of Education. In Guyana, there is no news of a planned period of consultation between the Government and citizens affected by its management of
the pandemic. Unfortunately, a basic right, like freedom of assembly, has been reported as breached by police action. The political culture at work in Barbados in approaching differences may owe its quality to the fact that the Prime Minister is a woman, and one who has not lost respect for her fellow citizens and their rights. Reports from Guyana suggests that the society can gain much from a period of intensive public education about vaccines and pandemics and from a period of what is called in Barbados “National Consultation.” Please note that this is not a request for power sharing, but simply a request to adopt best practices and to follow the spirit of the Constitution. Yours truly, Eusi Kwayana
Our citizens have no knowledge of the magnitude of what transpired with these Oil Blocks Dear Editor, From lake Maracaibo to end of Cayenne shore line covering these four states comprising an area of 537 million square miles represents a devastating threat to the existence of Planet Earth should there ever be any sort of blow out of Oil & Gas with their pollutants. No system is yet devised to put these hydrocarbons back in their graves. The IPCC is a UN Agency having around 195 member states. Their job is to save planet earth from its inhabitants. Can anyone say if Guyana is a member of this organization? The gallant effort of MELINDA JANKI & CO to shut down all Oil & Gas activity shows they are ahead of the curve. All support should be sent her way. Ninety-nine percent of our citizens have no knowledge of the magnitude of what transpired with these Oil Blocks. Who realizes the size of the now famous Stabroek Block at six million six hundred thousand square miles.? Well this can hold 2 Jamaica’s and 2 Trinidad’s.. All around the world we hear the words, Billionaire, Trillionaire,, These terms are of “American” origin from their creole of the English language. These notations are not used in Astronomy and Space studies even in Micron. Studies when Mr. Chris Ram published the outlandish financial statements of the oil companies he used the correct terminology to
describe their figures. When publishing dollars please define Guy$ or US$. American creole language is well laced with metaphor, hyperbole and slang in all fields. Anyone can read further into this. Guyana was behind the Eighth Ball when Oil exploration started. The world had a glut of oil on hand thus prices were uneconomical. The world environment is now dedicated to diminish oil demand and punish those who pursue this activity. Floods, Fires, Droughts, cannot be tolerated any longer. We hardly hear anything about the Ozone layer or the Atomic Fall Out very much in the air circulating from the Atomic Testing from 1945 to the 1960s and perhaps beyond. Not a word is heard from any source. Guyana must cut the Oil losses and produce World Supply of water. This is renewable. Mining pollution must go also. No profit there in present primitive modus operandi. Guyana can do without the pennies left on the floor for us to pick up. From the time Sir Walter Raleigh came to Guiana/ Guyana looking for Gold our country was set on the path to be known as a Primary Product Producing Country. Has anything changed since? The hot button issues now being popularized is the Gasto-Shore and Amalia Falls projects. It should be understood that Amalia Hydro can only be suited for WBE. No
attempt to make this a nationwide power source is practical or economic. LNG gas line to Wales is not the most convenient or cost effective means to provide this fuel to house holds. Using LNG carrier ships unloading at multiple points is a superior means to reach consumers. In every country certain elements of nation building are non-stop 24/366 activities in spite of which political party sits in Governance; these are Roads, Bridges, Rails, Health Centers, Ports, Airports, Housing Developments, Defense Infrastructures, Military Vessels, Military Air Crafts, Electric Distribution Networks, Communication Cabling, Land Contouring etc., A National Planning Council in its specialized building would be the place where these activities are incubated. There can be no justification for unemployment in Guyana if we collected the income from our resources to capitalize projects in this regard. No efforts seen in this direction. Thanks to COVID -19 the world is now highly observant in things around them. For instance, discarded materials known as waste. I happened to see a video showing the HAAGS BOSCH ‘land fill”. Thankfully there exists Waste-To-Energy Plants which recycle materials and produce Electric Energy and so provide for a healthier world. What is seen there is Non-Sensical Sense and the best attempt at land
destruction . Immediately use some of that “Oil Profit “money and clean this mess up. What is the history of that name HAAGS BOSCH? Real electric power can be taken from the mid-section of the mighty Essequibo River via submersible generators with accompanying structures. No need for Dams which do not remain efficient and loose full water volume. The GURI is such a Dam. Assuming we have mighty river power the next essential project must be an Aluminum Refinery. This is the first key to industrial development. This should be seen as top priority items. Everyone knows about the 1899 Paris Agreement which assigned the Boundary between Guiana/ Guyana and Venezuela but the Month and date is rarely stated. I did not know it. This is part of the obscure way things are done in Guyana. In searching the DATE IS OCTOBER 03, 1899. I must acknowledge Website: https/ / en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ British Guiana. Here you will observe the Area of British Guiana in 1924 as being 89,500 square miles. Scrolling down further in a realm of serendipity there is a family member Juanita De Barros as Author of books on Sanitation. I should like to take this opportunity to mention my late Father: Francis Gerald (Sonny) De Barros MRSH 1911 - - 1960 being one of 4 men who wiped out Malaria from Georgetown to Berbice. He (Continued on page 5)
Monday August 30, 2021
Kwayana feigned ignorance of 2020 elections but now defends PNC opposition leader Dear Editor, Writing in the KN of 25th August, 2021, Mr. Eusi Kwayana says he is discussing constitutional issues, but in reality it was a defence of the PNC Opposition Leader not to recognise the lawfully elected PPP/C government and President Dr. Irfaan Ali after the March 2, 2020, elections. Mr. Kwayana readily concedes that “True, the President has not called on the Leader of the Opposition to make obeisance to him as victor in the General Elections of 2020. He has called for an open and formal acknowledgment of his victory.” What’s wrong with that?. Mr. Kwayana instead writes that “This call has no basis in the Constitution and it goes far beyond the excesses written into the Constitution, as imposed in 1980”. What Mr. Kwayana does not realize is, it does not have to be written in the Constitution for the President to be so recognized. But common sense says that the
...Our citizens have no From page 4 frequently mentioned the Italian Expert Dr. Giglioli with the others whom I do not have their names. (Spelling help for Doctor’s name.) Mr. Ralph Ramkaran had earlier posited that Guyana ought to produce antipropaganda campaign against the Venezuela outlandish belligerent kleptomaniacs on our backs. As such I hope we can see a full blown auspicious celebration of the 122 year Award establishment of the country we own. A contest for the design of a fitting monument to this award should commence. When it comes to monuments would there ever be transparent Oil Barrels on pedestals around the country to fortify history? Yours truly, John De Barros
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government of the day has to be recognized for you to be doing business with it. Mr. Kwayana is famous for his claim to not know what transpired during the 2020 rigged elections when the whole world knew what was happening in Guyana. Now he is making pronouncement on the Opposition leader’s refusal to recognise the PPP/ C government. Mr Kwayana never fails to surprise Guyanese. Like clockwork, he invokes his arch enemy Dr. Cheddi Jagan in his diatribe to make his point. Nothing for him is complete unless Dr. Jagan is invoked. Conscious that he is a 20th century antique operating in the 21st century, Mr. Kwayana reveals his irrelevance when he tells us that “when President Irfaan Ali assumed office, especially as Guyana’s youngest President, many of us felt that there was a chance for the old garbage to be dumped. Could he be referring to himself? Yet when President Dr. Irfaan Ali, “after taking the oath of office, declared that he saw himself as, and intended to be, everybody’s President” Mr. Kwayana incorrectly writes “ No previous President of Guyana had ever made such a declaration”. In fact during his latter years Mr. Burnham decreed he be addressed as the “Comrade leader” which gave him paramountancy with his party. Many believe that Mr. Kwayana has changed. I for one do not. A leopard doesn’t change his spots no matter how much he tries.. Yours truly, Sultan Mohamed
There is a financial impact of Covid on Guyanese Americans Renters & Landlords Dear Editor, Guyanese renters and homeowner small landlords, those of other ethnicities also, in America have been severely affected financially by Covid. Covid rent moratorium has emboldened renters or tenants of all ethnicities not to pay rents. Significant number of Guyanese are affected. Some of those rent defaulters are Guyanese although the rate of Guyanese defaulters is lower than those among other ethnic communities. The default in Queens and Bronx based Guyanese is lower than Brooklyn-based Guyanese. Many Guyanese homeowners are struggling to make ends meet and pay the mortgage while tenants who lost jobs can’t afford to pay rent; some who have been re-hired have not been paying or are behind in rent. Guyanese homeowners could lose their homes when Covid is brought under control and normality returns. The situation is reminiscent of what happened in 2008/09 when there was a real estate meltdown in value with home price collapsed and homeowners lost value in their home of over $100K per property. Foreclosure was widespread impacting on Guyanese also. Tens of thousands of Guyanese are homeowners in Queens, Bronx, and Brooklyn. One of three to four Guyanese families in Queens and virtually all of them in Long Island is a homeowner; the home ownership rate is lower in Brooklyn and Bronx, but higher in various parts of
Queens, Long Island, upstate New York, Staten Island, New Jersey, Florida, Georgia, Texas, Minnesota, Boston, and other parts of America. An estimated 100K Guyanese are home owners in the US, among the highest homeownership rate of all ethnic groups except Indians and Asians. For census purpose, Indo-Guyanese are categorized as Indian Americans while AfroGuyanese are grouped under African Americans. Based on my impromptu conversations and interviews with many of them in NY, one in three Guyanese homeowners is owed rent of between $1500 and $3500 monthly going back to April 2020. So the amount of money Guyanese landlord is owed is enormous – between $24K to $48K for every third home owner for the last sixteen months. The total is tens of millions of American dollars owed to Guyanese American landlords. Millions of renters and landlords, among them tens of thousands Guyanese Americans including undocumented, lost their jobs since last year April. Renters were (have been) unable to pay rents and landlords their mortgage. The government issued moratoriums on rental and mortgage payments at the start of the pandemic last year April that expired last March and was renewed till end of September. Landlords challenged the moratorium in court and won including at the final appeal at the Supreme Court. Landlords are owed an estimated US$40B.
The government allocated some $45B last year and earlier this year to help renters. But only some $5.5B was actually distributed to or claimed by renters. Several billions more have been included in a new budget for renters. Many Guyanese home owners I interviewed in Queens and the border of Brooklyn and Bronx say one in two tenants are behind in rent. Some are owed rents since last year April – up to sixteen months. The money is available from government to pay landlords but it is not getting to them. Renters have to file an application and sign it with the money going directly to the landlord. Several renters, for varied reasons, are unwilling to file the application. Some renters are illegal and don’t want to create a file with the government applying for public assistance although undocumented is eligible for rental and food assistance. Some renters in default simply don’t care a damn because landlords can’t proceed to evict them till after September. And they know the process will take a minimum six months to evict them. So they will get another six months of free rent. Even if evicted and ordered to pay back rent, there is virtually no way to enforce court rulings. Some landlords
rent illegal apartments like basements, attics, rooms, and large apartments that have been divided up into multiple apartments or sub-units. Guyanese engage in these actions to increase rental income to meet mortgage payments that could be up to US$4000K monthly. Many renters of illegal apartments have refused to pay or move; landlords are helpless and suffer huge losses. Countless Guyanese told me they were owed rent for both legal and illegal apartments or rooms. Courts don’t enforce back rents on illegal apartments. Renters tend to know the rules and avoid paying rents. Landlords of illegal apartments or rooms are helpless in evicting tenants, many of who tend to live for free for six to twelve months before being evicted. Many Guyanese landlords are in jeopardy of losing their home when the situation normalizes. And some said they would shun the rental business. This could impact on availability of rental apartments. Already, many Guyanese are saying that after they get their default tenants out, they will not rent. Meanwhile pressure is on renters to apply for government assistance to pay landlords. Yours truly, Vishnu Bisram
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COVID-19 vaccination is a critical strategy to ensure that our children are back in school Dear Editor, “Because We Care” takes on a whole new meaning as over two hundred students received their vaccines at the St Stanislaus College. This is a timely humanitarian gesture from the United States Government which donated 146,250 doses of the PfizerBioNTech vaccines as our Minister of Education is placing emphasis on the reopening of our schools. This is the same vaccine which is now being administered to students in the USA and has a 95% efficacy rate. The current protests by anti-vaxxers must be seen for what it is: it is simply a political ploy which is supported by the Opposition due to lack of any concrete issues to tackle. This was substantiated by a survey done by Dr. Vishnu Bisram. The Opposition just need an excuse and anything is something. At this juncture in Guyana the Opposition is simply splitting hairs to find issues which can be used and commandeered to their advantage. Imagine the New York Schools (148,000) has made it mandatory for teachers to become vaccinated by
Monday August 30, 2021
Kaieteur News
September 27th, a mandate which already applies to city employees and health workers. This mandate will not allow school personnel to even submit a negative COVID-19 test result in place of getting vaccinated, yet in Guyana the Government’s guidelines are not so stringent. A teacher can still submit a negative test report and gain entry. We have now seen that the anti-vaxxers have now triggered another wave of infections in the USA. Currently there is a dramatic surge in the infections among children especially older teens in the 16 and 17 age range and this is now happening in Guyana as well. We must not for one moment feel that the surge of infections in the US is not happening in Guyana. The daily infection rate in the US is now over 150,000 with a population of approximately 330 million and for a small population like ours with less than 800,000 persons our daily infection rate of approximately 150 is actually the same (.001%). But whilst this rate of infection causes great alarm in the US, the (Continued on page 16)
In defence of good men Dear Editor, Ms Mosa Telford’s article(piece) titled “Teach your sons to be better men” in her series “ Think On That” has raised some serious known issues with regards to some of our men in Guyana and the way they relate to our women folks. The occasion of her article seem to be her recent experience of sexual harassment by unscrupulous men and the non-intervention of those witnessing it. She accuses influential members of society (presumably both men and women) of being complicit in these crimes... by not condemning or advocating against sexual harassment and rape. She posits that justice evades women and children that are attacked. What is worst, she claims that “the rape culture is rife in Guyana.” Ms Telford does not supply her readers with figures(probably she is not a figures lady), quotations on these issues that she raised, from reputable institutions for example PAHO or WHO or even local institutions to augment her argument. This
is unusual for an academic. What is evident is that the article is emotionally charged. Since the article does not include sexual transgressions by women( oh, there are many) nor compares the situation in Guyana as against other countries, one can easily conclude that the article is very subjective. No one with a sense of awareness would deny that Guyana has a serious case of sexual harassment, sexual abuse, rape and violence against women and children. Good men ( yes, and there are many) find crimes against women and children very repulsive. We respond to these situations by living exemplary lives that makes our women folks feel safe around us. I would show by facts and figures that most men do not commit crimes against women and children. I would also show that Guyanese men are amongst the best in the world. The media and many empowered women sensationalise crimes against women by men and never say a word about positivity in men. There are thousands of
successful marriages in Guyana lasting in excess of fifty and sixty years and no one writes about these. One male teacher commits a wrong against a female student and it attracts articles and editorials of condemnation and castigation, but the thousands of good male teachers are never recognised in a continual way. Now, Ms Telford and others write on that. Now for the figures. Guyana population stands at 7 9 0 , 8 8 6 (worldpopulationreview.com). Of this figure about half are men(despite popular belief that there are far more women than men in the country). But the population of men between the ages of 15 and 64 is 258,000. This group is probably most likely to commit crimes against women. Yet our entire prison population stands at just over 2000. If we put that entire figure to rape and other sexual crimes it still amounts to less than 1% of the male population that are most likely to commit crimes against women. My argument is that while far less than 1% of the
male population are likely to commit crimes against women that very group gets 100% media attention with articles, commentaries and editorials. The claim that “ the rape culture in Guyana is rife” is not supported by evidence and hence a dangerous piece of misinformation. Ms. Telford Guyana is not considered one of those worst countries for women to live. Go Google and you would be very surprise to know which are the ten worst countries for women to live. Number 10 would shock you. While you are on it, just check out the top ten countries with the highest rape rates. Again number 10 would make your eyes pop. The world statistics on rape by country indicates that at least eight Caricom countries have higher rape rates than Guyana and Guyana is not within the first 25 of those countries. So let’s big up Guyanese men. We are amongst the best in the world when it comes to the treatment of our women. Let’s write on that. Yours truly, Patrick Hamilton
The APNU/AFC conflation of vaccines and discrimination remains the most callous political act Dear Editor, Racial discrimination! This has been the mantra of the PNC/AFC from the day they were placed on opposition benches by the people of Guyana. It must be noted that no ethnic faction enjoys a majority in Guyana and no political party enjoys 100% support of any race; the PPP/C is far more aware of this fact than the APNU/AFC were when they assumed office. An examination of the endless claims of racial discrimination being made as a political strategy exposes the mental laziness of the opposition political leadership; there are real issues of national importance that should be carefully monitored, examined, raised by the opposition, and debated intelligently for our democracy to function optimally. David Granger’s administration (2015-2018) promised to trim the Public Service on the campaign trail but instead hired 14, 325 new persons, most permanently; the ethnic breakdown shows 13,786 or 96.2% were of Afro
descent; 8492 applications for jobs by other ethnicities went unacknowledged by APNU/ AFC. The strategy of ethnic and political hiring in the Public Service did not lead to an improvement in efficiency and many of Granger’s Ministers complained of being saddled with ‘weights’; one new employee was famous for arriving at work with a briefcase filled with the daily newspapers which he would proceed to read minutely for the duration of the workday. There have been shifts in the Public Service, some persons left after refusing to work with the new administration; political appointees resigned (some were retained), 84 of the 44,738 Public Service were fired for i n c o m p e t e n c e , insubordination, or outright refusal to work. The APNU+AFC claim that there is racial discrimination in the Human Resource Management of the Public Service is completely false. ‘Newspaper man’ is still on the job. Ask any political activist
what people ask them for and the answer will most likely be “a house lot”; I would beg any/all persons or organizations to examine President Irfaan Ali administration’s distribution of house lots throughout Guyana for any indication of racial discrimination; when persons are allocated a house lot in any area, they are required to attend a public meeting where all the available lot numbers are placed in a bag and each allotted person has to pull their own, this policy implemented under the Presidency of Bharrat Jagdeo eliminated the creation of ethnic enclaves. There will be areas where the preponderance of applications will be of one ethnicity but those are fast disappearing as our population mixes and the dynamics change. The Willful ignorance that characterized the Granger/ APNU/AFC administration has evolved into machinery that fabricates outright fictions and bald-faced lies, the sheer volume and intensity of which is difficult to comprehend and it is increasingly difficult to respond to all; whenever one goes unanswered, it is immediately treated as ‘fact’ and doubled-down upon. Today, for example, a post on social media makes a
ludicrous claim of intervention in the marking of NGSA exam papers by the Minister of Education; the patently false claim is then shared by none other than Coretta McDonald who disingenuously says “I hope this isn’t true”. McDonald epitomizes the new APNU/AFC political leader; expedient, callous, and dangerously uncaring of the consequences of her actions. The APNU/AFC conflation of vaccines and discrimination remains the most callous political act in a country that has experienced rigging of elections, mathematical gymnastics to avoid going to polls after failing a No-Confidence motion, and refusal to leave office after losing an election. The straw-man of ‘mandatory vaccination’ is beaten to death; that it will inevitably cause some misguided soul to succumb to COVID-19 and depart this earth seems to leave the APNU/AFC leadership unbothered. President Irfaan Ali has made it simple for anyone to avail themselves of medical advice and exemption where medically prudent; no effort is being spared to protect the lives of all Guyanese. Sincerely Robin Singh
Monday August 30, 2021
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Jagdeo to lead high-level delegation at COP26
V
ice President, D r. B h a r r a t Jagdeo, who is often referred to as the “Champion of the Earth”, will be leading a high-level delegation to the highanticipated 26th United Nations Conference on Climate Change in Scotland this November. This is according to the Minister of Natural Resources, Vickram Bharrat. “We know that we are a small country but we have been contributing towards keeping down emissions,” Bharrat said on Wednesday at the Guyana Forestry Commission’s (GFC) office in Georgetown; “On our front, we want to ensure that we preserve our forests. As a matter of fact, a high-level delegation that will be
headed by the Vice President will be attending COP26 to discuss climate change in the United Kingdom.” Meanwhile, the British High Commissioner and Her Majesty’s non-resident Ambassador to the Republic of Suriname Jane Miller spoke of the importance of COP26. She also said on Wednesday that not only will the discussion about this hallmark event be on climate change, but also on resilience and adaption. “You don’t need me to tell you; you have seen across the world the impact of climate change – whether it be floods, fires, or more intent storms – these are things that are going to become a norm unless we do something active about that. We hope that the
climate change conference at the end of the year will bring some resolve across the entire planet to do some climate change mitigation,” the British High Commission said. COP stands for “Conference of the Parties”, which are the signatories of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) - a treaty agreed in 1994 which has 197 Parties (196 countries and the EU). United Nations climate change conferences are among the largest international meetings in the world. The negotiations between governments are complex, and involve officials from every country in the world as well as representatives from civil
society and the global news media. Activity at a COP takes place in two different zones the Blue Zone and the Green Zone. The Blue Zone is for people registered with the United Nations body tasked with coordinating the global response to the threat of climate change. In the Blue Zone delegates from countries meet for both formal negotiations a n d i n f o r m a l consultations. Participants may also take part in meetings with other delegations to clarify their position and interests with the aim of reaching an agreement or overcoming a negotiating deadlock. The UNFCCC will also host a range of events, including technical briefings, to support the negotiations process. The Green Zone is for the
Vice President, Bharrat Jagdeo
general public where there will be a wide range of events, including workshops, art exhibitions, a
92 out of 938 schools scheduled... From page 3 regions based on the school’s location, capacity, enrollment and the number of teachers and the teaching staff.” She concluded that it is compulsory for students in Grades Nine to 13 to attend school for face-t-face learning to facilitate the completion of their examinations curriculum and their School-Based Assessment (SBA). The list of schools that will be reopened fully and the ones that will reopen on a rotational basis can be found on the link below. https://education.gov.gy/en/index.php/sr#gsc.tab=0
nd installations, as well as p r e s e n t a t i o n s , demonstrations of technology, and musical performances for participants to attend. The conference was rescheduled from the initial November 2020 date due to the COVID-19 pandemic. N o t a b l y, t h e Vi c e President will be leading a delegation to Suriname before COP26 to discuss with Guyana’s counterparts in identifying a common strategy in dealing with climate change and the environment.
Monday August 30, 2021
Kaieteur News
The Pareto Principle at work I learnt an early lesson in human resource management when I was in charge of running a private business. When I was chatting with my predecessor who was about to retire, he told me that every firm tends to be overstaffed but what is important is to know who are your most valuable staff members. He then asked me who I thought would be the person who was most important to the firm. I said it was me since I was assuming the top job. He laughed and said I was wrong. He said to me that the most important person is the one who we take least notice of. I asked him who he was referring to and he said it was an office assistant who was responsible for opening the business each day. I was stunned by this declaration and so I asked him how he came by that conclusion. He said to me that this fellow was never late, was hardly ever sick and even when sick never failed to open the offices on time to let in the early customers. Without him, the firm would have a reputation of being unreliable. He said that this man was more valuable than any other. But then he said something else. He said that you should identify your critical staff and pay them well. But he warned that this has nothing to do with seniority or rank but which staff member adds the most value to your work and without whom you would not be able to function effectively.
I later learnt of an important principle. It is known as the Pareto Principle or the Law of the Vital Few. It states that 80 percent of the work is done in 20 percent of the time. But there is also another side which is not emphasised and that is that 20 percent of staff do 80 percent of the value-added work. Most organisations are overstaffed. They are carrying excessive baggage. A recent study found that the majority of workers only work on average three hours the most per day which is 15 hours per week while they are paid for 40 hours per week. However, there is a critical 20 percent which achieve 80 percent of the firm’s total output and these are the core workers of any firm. The first task of any management is not to identify the firm’s objectives but to identify its most important staff in terms of output. The first task of management is to identify its key 20 percent. It is this 20 percent, regardless of the firm’s objectives, who have to achieve that critical 80 percent of the work. If this 80 percent is not achieved, the organisation will collapse. The task, therefore, is for every agency, whether it is government or private sector, to identity its core 20 percent of its staff who will be the ones that have to run the organisation and achieve the core goal of 80 percent of the tasks to be done. Management should take care, as a first priority, of the
needs of this 20 percent. These are the people that will go beyond the call of duty. These are the people who will work more than any other. These are the persons on which the future of the organisation rests. Their needs must be attended to. Not just their needs for salaries. No, they must be well-treated so that there are no distractions. They must be able to devote all their time and energies towards the organisation. They must be able to do this for five to six years straight, after which they should be replaced and others take their place. This is the secret of successful organisational management. You can throw away all the text books on management. Look after your 20 percent and you will be in good shape as the owner of a business. The bottom line is if you do not take care of the core 20 percent, they will find other things to do to take care of themselves, and it is the firm which will suffer. So the next time you are walking into an office and you see the doorman, take a second look. He may be the most important person in the organisation. (The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper.)
Dem Boys Seh…
Frank roll up he sleeves Dem boys love it when dem big boys operate like ordinary mortals. Yesterday was one as dem days. De line at de Movie Tongue was lang. Nuff ah dem parents tek dem children fuh get vaccine and Frank bin deh pun de scene fuh monitor how things going. De man realise how de line lang and he roll up he sleeve, put on he gloves and remember how he is a doctor and not just a Minister. De man operate like wan ordinary nurse and give dem children dem vaccine. Dat is de example dem big one in office must set. Dem must be able to become ordinary workers again and do what dem used to do before dem come Minista. Frank gat nuff advisors. He should send
dem fuh roll up dem sleeves too. Dem might be worth more doing dat dan wah dem doing now. Nuff ah dem Ministas should also do wah Frank do. Dem should roll up dem sleeves fuh a day or two each month and become a private citizen again. Dem boys notice Priya deh. And dem notice how she going up to dem car window. But dem know dat she is no doctor, so dem boys nah know whether is legal advice she bin giving. Dem gat another man in de government. He like walk. He specialty is touring playfields. But dem boys know he is no groundsman. Talk half and nah ask wah de Vee Pee gan do!
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THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN
An appeal to Guyanese; chase the AFC into the Atlantic I am in possession of verified facts from several persons in the AFC’s national executive committee (NEC) over the years the AFC was in power that would literally create the most nauseous feelings in humans wherever they are. The blockade preventing the publication of these facts is threats of libel. Once I publish what these people told me how Cathy Hughes, Khemraj Ramjattan, Moses Nagamootoo, Raphael Trotman, David Patterson and Dominic Gaskin acted as AFC leaders and AFC ministers after 2015, libel writs will pour down like torrential rain. I have written three times about an AFC minister (will not identify gender) who made the driver and the assistant open any door for him/her, whether it was the car door or the entrance to a building, even the gate of the
AFC head office. So one night, fed up with this low life minister in front of several AFC personnel, I asked the minister to desist from such sickening behaviour. The minister did not stop it. I can’t name the minister for obvious reason. Last Saturday, I publish the first interview with persons who were once in the nerve centre of the AFC. The others will describe in future columns what horrible humans the AFC leaders were. The first exposure was with Rajendra Bissessar and several pieces of information had to be redacted because of libel threats. Guyanese have now been given reasons by the AFC why the AFC has tabled a noconfidence motion (NCM) against Region Four chairperson, Daniel Seeram from the PNC (please see my column of Thursday, August 26, 2021, “Gambit: AFC
setting a trap for the PPP). If you are from another planet and you see these reasons you would not know that this very political party was in power for five years in which the most malignant, repugnant, undemocratic, cancerous, immoral corrupt forms of politics was heaped on this helpless nation. In its press statement explaining the reasons for the NCM, the AFC told us that Seeram is hogging power. This is the last thing that should come out of the mouth of any AFC leader. Read the Bissessar interview in last Saturday edition of this paper about how a core of about six leaders in the AFC hogged power excluding genuine AFC fighters. In its statement the AFC intoned that it has been excluded from decisionsmaking in the government of Region Four. This very party
along with its partner the PNC won a national election by a coat of varnish – 4,500 votes and the election in Region Eight by one vote. Yet this very party, the AFC, closed sugar estates affecting 7,050 employees and by extension 42,000 family members and relatives. No consultation was done with the people of Guyana. The AFC Member of Parliament for Berbice, Charrandass Persaud, went public with the admission that as the representative for Berbice he was not informed of the closure. When television host of the Naim Chan Show asked Ramjattan why Charran was not consulted, he told Mr. Chan that PNC whip, Amna Ally, was the person to liaison with Charran. This has to be one of the most sickening caricatures in modern politics. Charran belongs to the AFC, is the A F C ’s B e r b i c e representative in Parliament, is a member of the AFC’s
executive yet had to rely on the PNC’s G e n e r a l Secretary to tell him what the government is doing in Berbice. This is the Frederick Kissoon very party that is tabling an NCM against the most lopsided investment Region Four chairman at a deals with a foreign investor. time when its General- Yet there is no NCM against Secretary has been accused him by the AFC executives. of taking a million-dollar What should be the bracelet from staff when he attitude of Guyanese to this was a minister. The current horrible party that serves no minister of Home Affairs, purpose in this country? My Roberson Benn, has publicly appeal to Guyanese is to said that over 60 percent of completely ignore the AFC, gun licence permits did not forget about the AFC, pay no go through the final stages of attention to the AFC and use the process. To date, no every mental effort that you former AFC minister has can muster to drive the AFC sued Mr. Benn. into the Atlantic which is a This is the very party that place to throw away dead is tabling an NCM against meat. the Region Four chairman when the eyes of the world (The views expressed in are on a certain former AFC this article are those of the minister who signed what all a u t h o r a n d d o n o t Guyanese in and out of necessarily reflect the Guyana consider one of the opinions of this newspaper.)
Guyana was ‘showcase’ Texas Oil Technology Conference - But partnerships for skills, technology transfer remain priority - Investment Chief Guyana’s Chief Investment Officer, Dr. Peter Ramsaroop, recently told journalists that the country was the ‘showcase’ of the Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) which was held in Houston, Texas, from August 16-19. Dr. Ramsaroop noted that the keynote speeches delivered by Guyana’s Vice President, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo, on the oil industry and the environment, were well received. He further stated that since the oil and gas industry was a key point of interest at the conference, Guyana was able to take advantage of that excitement and use it to market other sectors. Hence, the GO-Invest Head said all sectors were fairly well represented. He lauded the presence of the private sector there too. “I applaud the private sector for promoting Guyana. They went in their numbers and spent good money to be there, but I think the fruits of their labour will see a lot of new interest and joint ventures coming into Guyana.” The investment czar spoke glowingly of the interest shown by investors, making particular recollections of agriculture and business process outsourcing (BPO). Expounding in this regard, Dr. Ramsaroop reported witnessing many memoranda of understanding (MoUs) being signed between local private sector representatives and foreign investors. One such agreement he referenced was signed between Gaico Construction and General Services Inc. and two American companies, Myer Marine Services and Hargrove EPC. They signed a MoU for
Go-Invest Head, Peter Ramsaroop partnership on technology and skills transfers. Ramsaroop said too, that there are some unofficial agreements still in the discussion stages. In this regard, he said, “Those are coming through our office. We are looking at the investment tax regime that may be available for joint ventures. And one of the things we do promote out of our office to any foreign company coming in, you know, the first question I ask, which local company you’re working with? You know, what are the types of jobs that (you’re) gonna hire (persons for)?” On this note, Dr. Ramsaroop said, the government is determined to ensure local content is at the forefront of all deliberations. “We want to make sure that our local businesses get a first shot at anything, and a lot of technology transfers need to happen with some of the larger companies. Our private sector has agreed to really work with these companies to expand their operations.”
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Guyana makes significant strides in reduction of maternal/infant deaths
Pandit beaten to death for reprimanding drunken men’s behaviour - Eleven in custody
Following his efforts to ward off a group of men who were imbibing and behaving in a disorderly fashion in front of his home, a Hindu priest and joiner of Crabwood Creek, lost his life after the said men struck him to death with pieces of wood. Dead is Rishi Bharrat called ‘Haribole, of Lot 10, Grant 1806 Crabwood Creek, Upper Corentyne, Berbice. Kaieteur News was informed that Bharrat ventured out of his home at approximately 22:15 hrs. on Saturday to confront the men who were imbibing opposite his home on a bridge. The 60-year-old had gone there after the men were using indecent language and behaving in a disorderly manner. However, things got out of hand as an argument erupted and the group of men armed themselves with pieces of wood and battered Bharrat until he was no longer moving. His family, who was in the house, heard the commotion left their home to investigate. It was then that they saw Bharrat’s lifeless body on the ground. He was immediately picked up and rushed to the Skeldon
Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival. The wife of the deceased, Jasma Bharrat told this publication that Bharrat had earlier in the night, cautioned the men through his window about their disorderly behaviour, and peacefully asked them to desist and go elsewhere. The widow related that the men only continued their verbal abuse as they insulted him and the women living in the household. The grieving woman said Bharrat had called the police but “after he called the police and the police didn’t come he probably went out thinking talking to them would help.” She added that there was an argument when he confronted the men, and based on the information provided to her by her son, one of the men dealt her husband a lash to his body. “When he fell on the ground the rest came, maybe he wasn’t unconscious but he fell and he could not help himself and then the rest came.” According to the wife, police ranks had said they would come to the scene but they never showed up. The woman who could
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Dead: Pandit, Rishi Bharrat hardly hold back her tears divulged that it is a regular occurrence for the men to gather opposite their home and imbibe, oftentimes playing loud music and hurling insults at them. “This is a regular thing they go on with, they normally gather there, sit on the ground and on the bridge and drink, he would normally go out and try to clear them off and we had contacted the police several times in the past and they showed up, but the men always keep coming back and threatening him and my daughters and me, that they would double bank him and kill him, rape them girls or burn the house down”, she disclosed. Bharrat leaves behind his wife, four children and a community that respected him. Meanwhile, senior officers from the division yesterday paid a visit to the family and offered their condolences. Additionally, the Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha issued a statement expressing sympathy for the death of Bharrat who gave his life in service to the Hindu society. Investigations into the tragic incident are ongoing.
Members of Guyana Police Force with the wife and daughter of the deceased.
Since 2014, the country’s health sector has been making significant strides in reducing maternal/ infant deaths. According to a Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) report seen by this newspaper, in 2014, while Guyana was known as the country in the Caribbean region with the highest maternal mortality rates, Ministry of health statistics show that by 2015, 14 maternal deaths were recorded, while in 2016, 14 deaths were also recorded. However, the mortality rate skyrocketed to 169 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2017. The report went on to note a sharp rise in maternal deaths in 2018 too. International statistics recorded Guyana’s mortality rate at 229 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births, which is said to be an overwhelming number for a country with a population of approximately 750,000. The foregoing findings led to a partnership between the Ministry of Health and the Pan American Health Organisation/World Health Organisation (PAHO/WHO) to address Guyana‘s climbing maternal mortality rates. The successful alliance resulted in a sharp decline in 2019, just one year later. In fact, the death rate fell to a range of
– PAHO report
Guyana has made significant strides in reducing maternal deaths in recent years.
seven to 14 in 2019. According to the report, this was due to the fact that PAHO had started monitoring and assessing the maternal deaths locally. This resulted in PAHO finding that a significant number of the maternal deaths were related to serious haemoglobin deficiencies, which are not detected until late in the pregnancies. This deficiency, a report by the agency said, can lead to serious blood loss in childbirth which eventually leads to death. Specifically, it stated that since 52 per cent of women go into labour with a low percentage of haemoglobin, a n d a s s u c h ,
recommendations were made and taken on board for the improvement of the haemoglobin levels in pregnant women. Further, the report noted that acquiring zero maternal deaths coincides with Guyana achieving the human rights conventions set by the United Nations (UN) to eliminate all preventable maternal deaths. Even as Guyana makes strides towards zero maternal mortality by working the PAHO/WHO representative on several priority areas, the ministry of Health within the last five years has placed greater emphasis on creating access to primary healthcare for pregnant women.
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Minister Anthony hopeful reluctant health care workers will get vaccinated - Says those who fail to produce PCR test will not be paid
W
hile it is unfortunate that some health care workers are not unvaccinated, Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony, was keen to note during a sideline interview with reporters last Thursday that he is confident this state of affairs will change soon. The Minister explained that over the past two weeks, the senior staff members at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) and the Linden Hospital Complex have been working to educate the health care workers at the various hospitals on the importance of being vaccinated. “ We a r e h o p e f u l t h a t eventually they will come around and understand that it is important for them to protect their own health, even if they only do it for that reason,” Minister Anthony noted. The Minister said that he is confident in the unvaccinated nurses and others, and noted that as persons in the health field, they understand the science behind the
Unvaccinated health care workers who failed to provide a negative PCR test, locked out of the GPHC compound last Thursday.
Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony vaccines. For this reasoning too, he encouraged the hesitant health care workers to think with the training they have, instead of doing so emotionally. Moreover, the Minister stated d u r i n g t h e i n t e r v i e w, t h a t unvaccinated medical personnel,
who fail to provide a weekly negative PCR COVID-19 test, will be marked absent and will not be paid. According to reports, the government had given unvaccinated health care workers and others until August 26, 2021, to get at least the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccines before the government’s mandatory, “no vaccine, no entry” policy came into effect.
However, last Thursday, unvaccinated health care workers from the GPHC and the Linden Hospital Complex, turned up to work only to be locked out of the respective compounds due to the fact, that they failed to provide a negative PCR test. Kaieteur News had reported that the healthcare workers who were locked out of GPHC were adamant that they should not be forced to take the vaccine, since it
is their human right to choose while adding, that if the hospital wants them to provide a negative PCR test regularly, then the medical institution should foot the bill. H o w e v e r, D r. A n t h o n y maintained that the vaccine is not mandatory and added, that the unvaccinated health care workers have the choice to provide the weekly PCR test to gain entry to their places of employ.
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Employees placed on bail for stealing sardines, coconut milk
Charged, Milton Barnwell
Three alleged sardine and coconut milk thieves, were on Friday placed on $250,000 bail when they appeared in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts to answer to a break and enter and larceny charge which alleges, that they broke into the bond of their former workplace, Memorex Enterprise, and stole over $7M in items. Those charged are: Milton Barnwell, 52, a security guard of New Amsterdam Berbice; Prakash Hemchand, 28, of Queenstown, Skeldon,
Berbice and Mark Balprashad, 29, a driver of Second Street, Corentyne, Berbice. The trio appeared before Senior Magistrate Leron Daly, who read the charge to them. The men pleaded not guilty to the particulars of the charge which states, that between April 1, and August 20, 2021 at Durban Street, Lodge, they broke and entered a bond and stole 379 cases of sardines, 156 cases of mackerel, 200 cases of coconut milk, 25 bottles of hand sanitizers and other items totaling $7,541,700,
“Oprah” jailed for robbing man who refused to do sexual transaction with him Sherwin Anthony popularly known as ‘Oprah’ of James Street, Albouystown, Georgetown, was on Friday jailed after he pleaded guilty to robbing a man who had refused to do business with him. The 33-year-old male sex worker pleaded guilty to the charge which stated, that on August 21, 2021, at Cornhill Street, Georgetown, while in the company of others and armed with a cutlass, he robbed Cromwell Ross one gold and silver fingering, one gold and silver cricket band, one Amazon electronic tablet, a jackhammer, a Samsung Galaxy J7 cell phone, a knife, and $100,000 in cash – totaling $305,500. The charge was read to the defendant by Senior Magistrate, Leron Daly in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts. The court heard that on the day in question, Ross was proceeding in a southern
Jailed, Sherwin Anthony called “Oprah” direction on Cornhill Street, when the defendant walked passed him, turned back, and then approached him. Kaieteur News understands that when the defendant saw this, he held onto Ross’ right hand and asked him if he is doing business. However, Ross responded in the negative
and stated that he is going home. Ross told investigators that the defendant then called four males who immediately surrounded him, one of whom was armed with a cutlass. As such, being fearful for his life, he handed over his ring, band, knife and tablet. One of the suspects then held onto the victim’s jackhammer that he was carrying and relieved him of it. The suspects then made good their escape and Ross reported the matter to the nearest police station. An investigation was subsequently launched. The police ranks later reported that on Wednesday August 25, 2021, Ross was walking along the Stabroek Market area when he saw ‘Oprah’ and alerted them. The defendant was arrested, placed in custody and subsequently charged.
property of Anthony Ameerally. According to reports, during the dates mentioned in the charge, the men were employed by Memorex Enterprise. It was reported that Barnwell, who was a security guard, resided at the bond to provide 24-hour security. However, it is alleged that on August 20, last, when the owner made checks at the bond, it was discovered that a large number of his stocks were missing. A report was made to the police and Barnwell was later arrested. Under caution, the security guard reportedly confessed to the crime and then implicated Hemchand and Balprashad as his accomplices. A further investigation was conducted by the police and an eyewitness admitted to seeing the trio removing the items from the bond. Senior Magistrate Daly subsequently placed the defendants on bail, but ordered that they lodge their passports at the court and report to the East La Penitence Police Station every Monday.
Prakash Hemchand and Mark Balprashad The trio is expected to make their next court
appearance on September 24, 2021.
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Monday August 30, 2021
Kaieteur News
Over 2500 new COVID-19 cases, 63 deaths recorded in March last year, some 2,555 of the deadly disease. Most recorded within a 24 hour August alone inpersons period than any other day tested positive from of them were women. PROPERTY FOR SALE Lot 32 Public Road Grove/ F&L Hardware. Contact:664-9701/642-6056. VEHICLES FOR SALE Ist car for sale.Call:6918420. Tractor Massey Ferguson 165-$1.7M,Massey Ferguson 135-$1.1M,Ford Ranger pick up $1.3M,Ford F150 pick up $1.3M. 6825230/615-4414.
TO LET One bedroom apartment with bathroom & living room, Cummings Lodge E.C.D. Call:222-0401 or 673-2467.
SERVICES Visa Application: U.S.A, Canada & UK; Graphics design, advertisements, Wedding arch rentals. Tel: 626-7040 Installation, Repairs and parts for AC,Fridge, Washing machine, Stove etc.Call Nick#656-0110.
WANTED Taxi driver & dispatcher at Princess taxi.Located at RamadaPrincess Hotel.Tel:616-5419,2657075,265-7076. Live in domestic,Lusignan E.C.D. Tel:662-1883.
FOR SALE Pure breed german shepherd pups,11 wks old. Price $100,000. Call:615-6589/ 650-0347. 1 6x6 Truck,1 Freightliner,1 Sylphy,1 Hilux LN 172,1 JCB loader.Tel:673-4002/ 665-3676. 1 Jet Boat $30,000,000. Call:695-1356/671-2486.
LAND FOR SALE Roadside land for sale @ GoodHopeMahaica 500ftx42ft. Call:691-8420. Mining property located, K u r u p u n g River,Umbambaru Creek area. Contact:681-3512. 8 acres farming land at Kuru-Kururu good road access nearby creek. Contact:681-3512.
Male seeks common law wife,ages 18-38. Light housework,salary WANTED $80,000monthly. Call:6039085. Delivery,Lorry license driver.Tel:621-9336. Able body porters needed.Apply@Why Pay More Trading,7 Public RD Houston E.B.D with application. Chowmein machine operator/steamer.Apply in person R.P Enterprise area 'k' L e R e s s o u v e n i r E.C.D.Call:220-2818/3710. Boy and girl to work in factory. Applyin person. R.P E n t e r p r i s e a r e a 'k'LeRessouvenir E.C.D. Call: 220-2818/3710. Experienced general domestic to work in G. Town,must know to press. Call:615-3379 for more info. One male able bodied clerk. Call:693-8462/231-2029. Maid wanted.Light house keeping $3500 daily.Semi skill labour $4000 daily. 682-52301/615-4414.
VACANCY Porter and Welder/Serviceman. Applicants must be experienced. Call: 231-2250.
August 1-27 alone. Kaieteur News’ analysis shows that in that period as well, a total of 63 persons lost their lives after falling victim
During this period too, specifically on August 24, the Ministry of Health recorded 207 new cases, making that the highest number of cases
of the month thus far. The least number of new cases recorded on a single day was August 8, which had 12 cases.
59-year-old woman is country’s latest COVID-19 fatality Yesterday, the Ministry of Health announced that a 59year-old woman from Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica) who tested positive for the novel Coronavirus (COVID19) disease has died while receiving treatment at a medical facility. As a result of this, the country’s COVID-19 death toll has moved to 611. Further, the Ministry via its daily COVID-19 dashboard recorded 176 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 25,323. Out of the number of confirmed cases, 13,066 persons are women while 12,257 are men. Presently there are 26 persons who are admitted into the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit (ICU), 105 persons in institutional isolation, 1,703 in home isolation and seven in institutional quarantine. To date, a total of 22,878 persons who tested positive for the virus have recovered. VACANCY 1 western union representative 5 CXC inclusive Maths &English,3pump attendant,sound secondary education. Tel:646-3117/2740144. Senior accounts & Sales Clerk & Cashier,must have 4 CXC subjects.Apply at Alabama Trading,65-66 Robb St Bourda. For Carpenters.Apply at Alabama Trading,65 Robb St Bourda. For Security Guard.Apply at Alabama Trading,65 Robb St Bourda. In all departments: Prep,Meat, Service, Kitchen. Apply:Bettencourt's Diner. Call for information:2311368/223-1938. One salesman,5 subject cxc. Experience in writing bills,stocktaking & cashing. Keyfood Trading,Mc Doom village. One clerk for TSI Eccles office.English& Mathematics,grade 1 or 2. Email application:techserigy @yahoo.com or call 6429823. Driver must be able to assist in workshop at Eccles,age 25-50,Car/Van licence. Call:642-9823.
FOR RENT 2 bedroom apartment at Herstelling.Tel:#601-0223 Two (2) bedroom apartment for rent,$45,000 per month.Tel:696-1680.
Out of the 25,323 confirmed novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) cases recorded in Guyana since the pandemic started
Cook/Baker,Kitchen assistant & Pitmen for interior location.Applicants must be experienced.Call:231-2250.
...COVID-19 vaccination is a critical strategy to ensure From page 6 Opposition and its antivaxxers see this as an opportunity to gain political mileage at the expense of our peoples’ lives. COVID-19 vaccination is a critical strategy to ensure that our children are back in school and the GTU must not be swayed by political considerations. I have noted with interest that the FDA has approved the use of the Pfizer vaccine and that the GTU has signaled that some teachers may be inclined to take the US-made Pfizer Vaccines. I do feel that the GTU should advise its members to do so immediately and not to be involved in wasteful
obfuscation. Our children’s health and education are of paramount importance. GTU needs to be reminded that the right to work as guaranteed by our Constitution should not be overlooked by Articles 25 and 40 which state as follows: ‘every citizen has a duty to participate in activities designed to improve the environment and protect the health of the nation and ‘every person in Guyana is entitled to the basic right to a happy, creative and productive life, free from hunger, disease, ignorance and want.’ These Article spoke about ‘protect(ing) the health of the nation’ and
every Guyanese is entitled ‘to a happy, creative and productive life free from… disease’. These are fundamental rights which must be secured and protected at all cost. How can these Articles be achieved when the teachers Union is frustrating the efforts of the Government? It is time that the GTU see the benefits of our teachers and our students be vaccinated. If the Leader of the Opposition is honest then he should convene a meeting with the GTU and advise them to act in this Nation’s interests. Yours sincerely, Haseef Yusuf
Kaieteur News
Monday August 30, 2021
PAGE 17
Bosai employee burnt to death Former Best Hospital cook in company’s compound is nation’s latest centenarian
Bosai’s bauxite operations in Linden.
An employee with Bosai Mineral Group, a Chinese bauxite company based in Linden, Region 10, was reportedly burnt to death yesterday. He has been identified as Kersa Robertson, 39, of Central Ameila’s Ward Linden. Robertson worked as a Plant Operator with the company at its operations located along Republic Avenue Mackenzie, Linden. Around 06:00Hrs yesterday, his colleagues reportedly heard him screaming and when they looked in his direction, the man was seen completely engulfed in flames and running around in the compound. Police investigators were told that he eventually collapsed to the ground and his colleagues rushed to assist him. One of them managed to extinguish the flames that were consuming his body. According to a police report, they rushed him to the Linden Hospital Complex, but Robertson died two hours later while receiving treatment. It is unclear what caused the Plant Operator to die such a tragic death, but police investigators are currently on the ground trying to ascertain the case. They learnt so far that Robertson had arrived there around 05:50hrs. He had reportedly walked into the foreman’s office and then left subsequently after for the compound. A few moments later, he was on fire.
Police recovered his haversack in a small concrete structure within the compound after canvasing the area, and inside they found, a box of matches and a burnt plastic bottle. Bosai has since expressed condolences to his family via a post on its Facebook page. “We are thinking of you, wishing you hope in the midst of sorrow, comfort in the midst of pain. If the people we love are stolen from us, the way to have them live on is to never stop loving them”. Bosai assured Robertson’s family. Robertson is the third person to have died within the last 10 days alone at a foreign mining company’s operations. On Friday August 20, a Troy Resources security guard, Xanier Fraser had drop dead while chasing off a group of pork-knockers from his company’s gold lands located in the Region Seven district. Six days later, Gordon Mansfield, a chief security investigator employed with Aurora Gold Mines(AGM), another foreign owned gold mining company died after an AGM pick-up suffered a tyre blow-out. Mansfield, a retired officer of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) was at the time being transported from the company’s mining operations located in the Region Seven to its Buck Hall facility located along the Essequibo River.
Alma Clemenston Croal, a former cook at the West Demerara Regional (Best) Hospital, is the nation’s newest centenarian having marked her 100th birth anniversary last Thursday. Mrs. Croal marked the milestone with a thanksgiving service surrounded by her close relatives and well-wishers at her residence located Lot 613, Caneview Avenue, South Ruimveldt Gardens, Georgetown. A c c o r d i n g t o information disseminated by the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security, the occasion was also marked by a visit of Deputy Director of Social Services, Hamwanttie Bisesar, and a team from the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security. The team presented Mrs. Croal with a hamper and other tokens. Born on August 26, 1921, Mrs. Croal is originally from Bagotville, West Bank Demerara, and is said to be the last surviving sibling of her family. She moved to Georgetown after she was married and had seven children by the time she was
Newest centenarian: Mrs. Alma Clemenston Croal 32 years old. Interestingly enough, it was at this same age, that she was widowed; her husband George Croal passed away one day before her last child was born, leaving Mrs. Croal to fend for the household alone. Mrs. Croal never remarried, and put her proverbial ‘hands to the wheel’ to ensure that her children were fed, clothed and educated. Speaking with
this newspaper, the woman’s daughter Hermine Croal explained that her mother has a silent quiet strength about her. “To this day, she is a keen listener and does consult much, but she is very observant,” the daughter said. She praised her mother for being a phenomenal woman who worked tireless to ensure her children had the education that poverty denied her.
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Monday August 30, 2021
Monday August 30, 2021
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Kaieteur News
CWI President Skerritt congratulates, encourages Ethiopia’s Yehualaw members of U-19 squad selected for England tour smashes half marathon SportsMax - President of your selection to the West Cricket West Indies (CWI), Indies Rising Stars U19 team world record Ricky Skerritt and Vice for this tour. You have been President Dr Kishore Shallow have offered words of encouragement and support to the members of the West Indies Rising Stars U19s ahead of their tour of England. They spoke to the squad via Zoom meeting before their departure for the trip, which will feature six Youth ODIs. Skerritt also congratulated the players on their selection to the 18member squad. He also reminded them of their responsibility to represent the people in the West Indies and to be ambassadors for the region on and off the field. “We congratulate you on
chosen to represent the people of the West Indies and this is a great honour. This is a stage in your development we want to assure you that you have our full support as you embark on this stage of your journey,” Skerritt said. “We want you to work hard, to support each other and always give us your best. You are from different countries, but you are now representing the West Indies and that is the most important thing.” The West Indies Rising Stars U19s will be led by Ackeem Auguste, a lefthanded top-order batsman.
President of Cricket West Indies, Ricky Skerritt The vice-captain is Giovonte Depeiza, a right-handed middle-order batsman who also bowls left-arm spin. The six matches will be played at
Monday August 30, 2021 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) A friend or neighbor you need to contact could be in and out all day, Aries, and so you could have trouble reaching him or her.Phone or email probably won't work. TAURUS (Apr. 20–May 20) This probably isn't a good day to do work that concerns money, Taurus. Your mind may not be in the right space. You could make errors that cause problems. GEMINI (May 21–June 20) A lost object could have all the members of your household going through every room trying to find it, Gemini probably without success. CANCER(June21–July22) This could be a very busy day in your community, Cancer. Some kind of rally, protest, or other public gathering might take place. If you attend, you may not hear much because of all the noise, and the event could seem disorganized at best. LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) A future course of action that you may or may not take could depend on information you might receive today, Leo. However, don't be surprised if the information is vague and needs to be clarified. VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) Are you unhappy or uncertain about your current profession, Virgo? Are you thinking of making a change? News could reach you today of possible avenues to explore, but you shouldn't make any decision today.
LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) Your natural psychic or intuitive abilities could be short-circuited today, Libra. Interference from the minds of other people could cloud issues, and this won't do you any good. SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) The atmosphere around you could seem somewhat unreal today. If you get a weird vibe from someone, take everything this person says with a grain of salt. SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) Communication could take some extra effort today. A business or romantic partner could seem like they're keeping things from you. CAPRI(Dec.22–Jan.19) Messages from a distant state or foreign country, possibly through fax, email, or website, might not be totally accurate, Capricorn. If any information presented in this fashion sets off an alarm bell in your head, be sure to do some research. AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18) Staying in touch with a love partner could be difficult today, almost to the point of causing a minor panic. Don't jump to any unwarranted conclusions about possible problems in the relationship. PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) Are you having problems with the lighting or heating in your home, Pisces? If so, you might not be able to get a professional out today. There could be problems in the entire neighborhood.
The County Ground, Beckenham and The Polo Farm, Canterbury from Saturday, September 4 to Friday, September 17. This is part of their preparations for the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup to be hosted by CWI from January 4 to February 3, 2022.
(Reuters) - Ethiopia’s Yalemzerf Yehualaw smashed the half marathon world record yesterday, finishing in one hour, three minutes, 43 seconds at the Antrim Coast Half Marathon in Larne, Northern Ireland, to shave 19 seconds of the previous mark. The previous record was set by Kenya’s Ruth Chepngetich in Istanbul on April 4. Yehualaw, who is the first woman to break 64 minutes for the half marathon, finished just over six minutes ahead of Kenya’s Jane Nyaboke, with Britain’s Rose Harvey completing the podium. “This was a dream come true for me,” the 22-year-old Yehualaw said. “I have tried twice before to break the world record but it didn’t happen, but I’m so happy it happened today in Larne.”
Yalemzerf Yehualaw took 19 seconds off the previous record held by Kenyan Ruth Chepngetich. (Getty Images) Ethiopia’s national record holder Jemal Yimer won the men’s race, finishing one second ahead of his compatriot Tesfahun Akalnew, with Kenya’s Shadrack Kimining coming third.
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Monday August 30, 2021
Rutherford fireworks lead the Patriots to three wins in three CPL - St Kitts & Nevis Patriots maintained their unbeaten start to the 2021 Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) with a dramatic six wicket victory over the Guyana Amazon Warriors. The Amazon Warriors won the toss and opted to bat first and posted a very challenging 166/3 buttressed by a sparkling partnership between Mohammed Hafeez and Shimron Hetmyer. In reply the Patriots fired once more with the bat, to chase down the target, led by Sherfane Rutherford’s unbeaten 59 from 34 balls. The Amazon Warriors had paced their innings superbly and they had Hafeez to thank, his 70 runs from 59 balls anchored the innings allowing Hetmyer to play his natural game. The pair put on a 101-run partnership from 67 deliveries, but both fell in successive balls in the 18th over. Nicholas Pooran and Brandon King then scrambled some late runs to ensure the Amazon Warriors posted their highest score of the tournament so far. A target of 167 looked a hard task, but the Patriots openers Evin Lewis and Devon Thomas laid the foundation for the chase with an opening stand of 69. The introduction of Imran Tahir proved crucial for the Amazon Warriors as he removed both openers to swing the game
Dwayne Bravo © CPL T20/Getty Images
back in their favour. However, the heroes from the Patriots opening game, Rutherford and Dwayne Bravo, forged another match winning partnership to bring the Patriots to the verge of victory. Bravo was dismissed with 18 runs still needed but Rutherford made light work of the equation with his second 50 of the tournament to seal a memorable win. Scores: St Kitts & Nevis Patriots 168/4 (Rutherford 58*, Thomas 31; Van Meekeren 2/23, Allen 1/31) beat Guyana Amazon Warriors 166/3 (Hafeez 70, Hetmyer 52; Tahir 2/26, Smith 1/30) by six wickets.
Like he did against Trinbago Knight Riders, Shimron Hetmyer struck a second CPL 2021half-century in a losing cause against the Patriots. (CPL T20 via Getty Images)
Kaieteur News
Monday August 30, 2021
Quartararo extends C/Ship lead with win at Silverstone
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US OPEN 2021: Fans back; some
stars out; line judges leave
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Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP’s Fabio Quartararo celebrates on the podium with the trophy after winning the race. (REUTERS/Andrew Boyers) (Reuters) - Yamaha’s Fabio Quartararo stormed to victory at the British Grand Prix at Silverstone yesterday to claim his fifth win of the season and extend his lead at the top of the MotoGP world championship standings. The French rider, who started from third on the grid, took the lead on lap five and opened up a three-second gap on the chasing pack before cruising home in style to tighten his grip on this season’s championship. The victory extended Quartararo’s lead over Suzuki’s reigning world champion Joan Mir, who finished ninth, to 65 points at the top of the standings. Quartararo dedicated his victory to the supporters who had turned out in force to watch the race. “It’s great to see the fans and share the victory with them,” he said. “I can take more risks now, what I want to do is fight for victories. With a 65-point lead I don’t need to think about the championship.” Mir’s Suzuki team mate Alex Rins came second for his first podium finish of the season, with Aprilia Racing Te a m G r e s i n i ’s A l e i x Espargaro holding off Jack Miller on the final lap to come third and claim his team’s first-ever MotoGP podium. “It’s like a dream. I’m
super happy,” Espargaro said. “I always believed in the project. I want to enjoy the moment but, believe me, I want more and more. Now that we’re in a good moment, we have to keep working hard. Pole-sitter Pol Espargaro took the lead at the start of the race, with his brother Aleix close behind in second, before Quartararo made his move and began pulling clear. Pol finished in fifth place. H o n d a ’s s i x - t i m e s premier-class winner Marc Marquez crashed out in the first lap along with Pramac Ducati’s rookie rider Jorge Martin after a collision between the two. “I want to apologise to Martin because it was completely my fault,” Marquez said. “It was the first lap and I was too optimistic. I apologise to Martin and the Pramac team, but races are sometimes like this and today it was my mistake.” World Championship standings 1. Fabio Quartararo (Fra) Yamaha 181pts 2. Francesco Bagnaia (Ita) Ducati 134 3. Joan Mir (Spa) Suzuki 134 4. Johann Zarco (Fra) Ducati 132 5. Jack Miller (Aus) Ducati 105
EW YORK (AP) — Daniil Medvedev can offer a unique perspective on U.S. Open spectators: During his run to the final two years ago, he transformed from a “hated villain” who taunted the paying customers to a “fan favorite” backed by raucous support from some of those same folks. So the second-seeded Russian, twice a Grand Slam runner-up, is as eager as anyone to see what things will be like tonight when he steps into Arthur Ashe Stadium on Day 1 of the tournament. Ticket holders were barred in 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic, but the stands will be at 100% capacity again. “It’s going to be funny on my first match to see how the crowd reacts to see me back in New York with fans here. I just hope, because it finished on a good note, it’s going to continue the same way,” said M e d v e d e v, w h o f a c e s Richard Gasquet on Day 1. “I love a New York crowd. It was (an) amazing experience in 2019, in every aspect. I’m just curious to see what it’s going to be like.” Back then, Medvedev was jeered in Week 1 for his on-court behavior — and trolled his detractors by sarcastically thanking them, saying their vitriol was why he won — but by Week 2, the seats were packed with people pulling for him during a five-set loss to Rafael Nadal in the title match. This time around, everyone 12 and older must show proof of at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine to enter the National Tennis Center — a change in policy announced Friday. (Players don’t need to be vaccinated; about half are, according to the ATP and WTA tours).The U.S. Open is the first tennis major allowing fans at full capacity for the full two weeks since the Australian Open in January-February 2020. “Having fans back is a total delight. It’s a treat. ... Especially New Yorkers. I mean, what better fans to have for our first 100% go than the local New York crowd?” said Reilly Opelka, an American seeded 22nd. “That’s what makes the U.S.
Naomi Osaka, of Japan, returns a shot to Victoria Azarenka, of Belarus, during the women’s singles final of the U.S. Open tennis championships in New York, in this Saturday, Sept. 12, 2020, file photo. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File) Open the U.S. Open. That’s what makes sports in New York so iconic. That’s why the Yankees are a legendary team, the Knicks, as well. It’s the fans, the fan base, the culture of New York, New Yorkers.” DJOKOVIC’S SHOT AT HISTORY One on-court storyline outweighs all others: Novak Djokovic aims to make history in two significant ways at the U.S. Open. He can become the first man since Rod Laver in 1969 to win all four Grand Slam singles titles in a season and he can break the men’s record of 20 career majors he shares with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. “That would be incredible to witness,” said Casper Ruud, a Norwegian who is seeded No. 8. “He has 127 players that will try to stop him, of course, but he’s still the favorite.” Federer and Nadal are done for the year with injuries, part of a significant list of absentees that includes 2020 champion Dominic Thiem and sisters Serena and Venus Williams. For the women, contenders include two-time champion Naomi Osaka, who returns to Grand Slam action after a mental health break, and No. 1 Ash Barty.
On Sunday, Osaka posted some thoughts on social media about self-worth, saying, “internally I think I’m never good enough,” that she’s “gonna try to celebrate myself and my accomplishments more, I think we all should” and that she “can’t burden myself with (others’) expectations anymore.” Djokovic’s challengers include a quartet of 20something Slam runners-up seeking a first major trophy: M e d v e d e v, S t e f a n o s Tsitsipas, Alexander Zverev
Novak Djokovic, of Serbia, serves to Jan-Lennard Struff, of Germany, during the third round of the U.S. Open tennis championships in New York, in this Friday, Sept. 4, 2020, file photo. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II, File)
and Matteo Berrettini. “The guard is definitely changing,” American Frances Tiafoe said, looking at the future of men’s tennis with Federer at age 40, Nadal at 35 and Djokovic at 34. “It’s a matter of who’s going to take it.” MENTAL HEALTH By speaking about her own anxiety and depression, Osaka drew put a spotlight on the issue of mental health. More players are discussing it openly, and the U.S. Tennis Association is making some changes. Players have access to licensed mental health providers and quiet rooms as part of an initiative “to make mental health services as readily available to athletes as services for a sprained ankle,” said Dr. Brian Hainline, a USTA first vice president. The USTA also said it will look at alternatives for athletes who cite mental health as a reason for not wanting to attend news conferences. JUDGMENTFREE ZONE There won’t be line judges at the U.S. Open this year, just chair umpires, with Hawk-Eye Live electronic line-calling used for all courts. Last year, only the two main courts had line judges, Arthur Ashe Stadium and Louis Armstrong Stadium. During a match at Ashe against Pablo Carreño Busta, Djokovic was disqualified for hitting a ball that inadvertently struck a line judge in the throat after a game ended.
Kaieteur News
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Monday August 30, 2021
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen in action. (REUTERS/ Johanna Geron)
Female winner Susan Hamilton being rewarded.
Touche Kosmetics Circuit Road Race
Curtis Dey wins open contest; Alex Leung, Sherwin Sampson, Susan Hamilton, Kwame Ridley & Talim Shah also in winners row
Juvenile winner, Alex Leung collects his prize. Team Evolutions’ Curtis Dey was unstoppable in the Open 15-lap contest in taking the top prize of $60,000 when the Touche Kosmetics Circuit Road Race around the outer circuit of the National Park came off yesterday, sanctioned by the Guyana Cycling Federation (GCF) with approval from the National Covid-19 Task Force. The Berbice-based Dey led home his teammate Paul De Nobrega with the We Stand United duo of Andre ‘Padlock’ Greene and Andrew Hicks taking the third and fourth spots. Another Evolution rider, Christopher ‘Chicken Legs’ Griffith ended fifth followed Te a m C o c o ’s M a r c u s K e i l e r (Kaieteur/Attack Racing) to close out the top six positions. Dey pocketed $60,000 with the other positions being awarded, $50,000, $40,000, $30,000, $20,000 and $10,000, respectively. There were also four sprint prizes on offer in this race worth, $5000, each. There were five
other categories contested yesterday, with the top three prizes being $50,000, $30,000 and $20,000, respectively. The results are as follows: Juveniles Alex Leung (We Stand United), Aaron Newtown (We Stand United), Ajani Cutting (Kaieteur/Attack Racing). Juniors - Sherwin Sampson (Team Alanis), Mario Washington (Flying Ace), David Hicks (We Stand United). Female - Suzanne Hamilton (Linden Bauxite Flyers), Clivecia Spencer (Team Coco’s). Veterans Under-50 - Kwame Ridley (Kaieteur/Attack Racing), Jaikarran Sookhai (Carlton Wheelers), Warren McKay (We Stand United). Veterans Over- 50 - Talim Shaw (Flying Stars), Ian ‘Deaf Boy’ Jackson (Flying Stars), Shameer Baksh (Carlton Wheelers). Except the Veterans Ove-50 race which was 6-laps, the others were 10-laps each.
Rewarded for his success is Veteran Over-50 winner, Talim Shaw.
Verstappen wins Formula One’s shortest race ever (Reuters) - Red Bull’s M a x Ve r s t a p p e n w o n Formula One’s shortest race yesterday with the rain-hit Belgian Grand Prix redflagged after three laps behind the safety car and half-points awarded for only the sixth time ever. Fans waited for three hours in torrential rain at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit before the safety car led the field from the pitlane. The race was then stopped after completing the laps necessary for half points to be scored. George Russell, who put his Williams on the front row with a stunning lap in a wet qualifying session on Saturday, finished second to secure his first Formula One podium. Seven-times world champion Lewis Hamilton was third for Mercedes and the Briton’s overall lead over Verstappen was cut from eight points to three. “It’s a big shame to not
do proper laps but the conditions were very tricky out there,” said Verstappen after sealing what will count as his 16th career win and sixth this season. “Of course it’s a win but it’s not how you want to win.” The rain never really relented with conditions deteriorating even before the start. Red Bull’s Sergio Perez crashed out on the way to the grid and appeared to be out of the race but stewards allowed the Mexican driver to start from the pitlane after his team used the prolonged rain delay to complete repairs. Their work was in vain as he was classified last. Daniel Ricciardo was fourth for McLaren ahead of Sebastian Vettel in his Aston Martin with Pierre Gasly sixth for AlphaTauri and fellow-Frenchman Esteban Ocon seventh for Renaultowned Alpine.
Charles Leclerc was eighth for Ferrari with Nicholas Latifi ninth for Williams and Spaniard Carlos Sainz taking a half point in 10th for Ferrari. The governing FIA’s race provisional race classification gave the positions after lap one, explaining that this was in accordance with the sporting regulations. “For the determination of points, Article 6.5 is applicable, the leader having crossed the Control Line three times, therefore complying with the requirement for the leader to have completed more than two laps in order for half points to be awarded,” it said. Hamilton’s Mercedes team mate Valtteri Bottas, who started 13th in his Mercedes after a five-place grid drop, moved up a place after Perez’s crash. He finished out of the points in 12th.
Kings win thriller at Warner Park
C
PL - The Saint Lucia Kings claimed their first victory of the 2021 Hero Caribbean Premier League with a thrilling win over the Trinbago Knight Riders by five runs. Tim David was once again the star for the Kings with 43 from 32 balls that saw his side post 157/5 from their 20 overs. The Knight Riders looked to take the game deep thanks to a brilliant 40 from 16 balls from Tim Seifert but the Kings claimed a last ball win. The Kings started brightly after being put into bat with Andre Fletcher and Rahkeem Cornwall putting on 51 for the first wicket. It was Cornwall who went first, when he lobbed a ball from Ravi Rampaul to extra
cover. A burst of three wickets for the addition of just four runs pegged back the Kings and they looked to rebuild. A partnership of 68 between Roston Chase and Tim David brought the Kings back into the match with Chase playing the anchor role to David’s more aggressive approach. An enterprising stand between Chase and Keemo Paul took the Kings to 157/5 with Chase finishing on 30 not out. The Kings bowlers kept things tight at the start with the Knight Riders scoring at less than a run a ball inside the PowerPlay with Jeavor Royal particularly impressive with his left arm spin. In the face of some excellent bowling Lendl
Simmons and Colin Munro struggled to kick on with Simmons falling to Paul for 25 from 30 balls. At the fall of Simmons wicket, the Knight Riders needed 88 from 43 balls. When Kieron Pollard fell for 9 from 10 balls it was down to the New Zealand pair of Munro and Tim Seifert to get their side home. S e i f e r t ’s b r i l l i a n t hitting took his team tantalisingly close to a victory, but Wahab Riaz successfully defended 14 runs from the final over. Scores: Saint Lucia Kings 157/5 (David 42, Chase 30*; Wahab 1/17, Chase 1/17) beat Trinbago Knight Riders 152/3 (Munro 40*, Seifert 40*; Hosein 3/27, Rampaul 3/29) by five runs.
Kaieteur News
Monday August 30, 2021
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Gold is Money claim Wayne Heber birth anniversary dominoes The runner up C7 team.
The victorious Gold is Money collects their prize.
G
old is Money won the Wayne Herber birth anniversary dominoes competition which was contested on Sunday last at Turning Point.
Gold is Money, arguably one of the most dominant teams this season, chalked up 76 games to beat C7 with 75 and R and R who made 63 in the final.
Shawn Morgan top scored for the winners with 16 games, while Imtiaz Ali and Clearance Whitehead made 13 each and Mahendra Sankar got 12.
Sheldon Gurrick and Osborne Braithwaite marked 15 games each for the runner up side, while Bryan Edwards contributed 12. Lloyd Rollins made 12 for R and
Greenwood scores late Man Utd winner at Wolves BBC Sport - Cristiano Ronaldo’s presence was felt as Manchester United beat Wolves in their first game since announcing they had reached an agreement to resign the forward. Ronaldo was not at Molineux but United’s travelling fans sang his name, with the Red Devils expected to confirm the arrival of the five-time Ballon d’Or winner from Juventus in the coming days for £12.8m. On the pitch, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side were second-best to a lively Wolves for long periods before Mason Greenwood scored a contentious late winner. Wolves felt Ruben Neves was fouled in the build-up but the goal was allowed to stand. Wolves could have been 3-0 up inside 15 minutes, with Raul Jimenez forcing David de Gea into an early save, Aaron Wan-Bissaka making a goal-saving block to deny Trincao and Joao Moutinho volleying over after a mistake by Jadon Sancho. United were second best for long periods and it required a spectacular double save by De Gea from Romain Saiss to prevent Wolves from taking the lead
before Greenwood’s finish. Cardboard cutouts and ‘Viva Ronaldo’ chants There was a carnival atmosphere at Molineux. Wolves fans were excited at the arrival of new striker Hwang Hee-chan - who was presented on the pitch after arriving from RB Leipzig while United’s travelling supporters sang about Ronaldo from start to finish. C h a n t s o f ‘ Vi v a Ronaldo’ could be heard outside the ground two hours before kick-off. Inside Molineux, United fans wore CR7 T-shirts, held
up ‘welcome back Ronaldo’ signs and wore replica shirts with his name on the back. Supporters also displayed a cardboard cutout of Ronaldo, while Solskjaer spoke excitedly before the match about the imminent return of the 36-year-old. “I’m excited to keep building this squad. He will bring something completely different,” said the United boss. “Hopefully Cristiano can come in and show what he has done in his career. “I am sure he likes all the talk about being old. Make it
R. The winning team pocketed a trophy and $150,000, runner up a trophy and $100,000 and third place $50,000.
Manchester United have seven points from their opening three games. (Getty Images)
personal and he will show what he can do.” Familiar story for Wolves Wolves remain without a point under new boss Bruno Lage after a third successive 1-0 defeat. The unparalleled pace of Adama Traore ensured his side started on the front foot against a United side who struggled to hit the heights of their opening-weekend win over Leeds. However, it was a familiar ending for Wolves. Having managed 15 attempts on target in their opening three games, they have yet to score and and
have now lost their past six Premier League matches. Raphael Varane marked his first United start by making an important block to frustrate Trincao, while De Gea’s second stop from Saiss was an early contender for save of the season. Wolves were angry Greenwood’s goal was allowed to stand, with Neves protesting to referee Mike Dean at the final whistle. “They said before the season started they will look for contact - if the contact is strong enough, they will give the foul. I showed them my
leg,” the midfielder told Sky Sports after the game. “After the game he said ‘you both go to the ball’ and I said ‘yes, we both go to win the ball but I was the one who touched the ball’. It’s a foul, a clear foul.” It was always going to be a challenging start for Lage against Leicester, Tottenham and Manchester United. However, the Portuguese knows his side need to start picking up points in their first two games back after the international break against promoted Watford and Brentford.