Kaieteur News

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AIETEUR GPL unable to

December 10, 2021 - Vol. 14 No.50

guarantee no 'black-outs' for Christmas Season

NEWS

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

Friday Edition Online: www.kaieteurnews.com Online Price $80 readership yesterday, 74,384

Renovated airport needs -CEO another terminal

CJIA US$160M and counting...

Govt. undermining national efforts to combat corruption - Opposition Three companies Drunken man bid to procure vehicles for plunges Labour Ministries to death

The protest continues for change to ExxonMobil’s contract.

Toshaos stipend to increase from $30k to $50k monthly

Govt. paying millions to maintain road that Chinese companies destroying ...residents demanding that they pay to fix it Housing Ministry allocated $6B but spends $14B on projects outside their portfolio; GPL spends $7B more than what was not budgeted – where did those $15B come from? $15B is equal to 105% increase for every public servant, how come the Govt. can ONLY find $1B to give 7% increase? @11:00hrs on Kaieteur Radio 99.1/99.5FM

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Friday December 10, 2021

Kaieteur News

Renovated airport needs another terminal -CEO CJIA US$160M and counting...

A

The Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) (Mike Charles's photo)

s the cost for the renovated Cheddi J a g a n International Airport (CJIA) project continues to climb, a second terminal will be needed within the next ten years. This is according to CJIA's Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Ramesh Ghir.

This information was reported in a Department of Public Information (DPI) article. According to that article, Ghir noted that the multi-million-dollar upgrade that is ongoing at the airport is moving apace and he explained that those upgrades are separate from the ongoing modernisation works being undertaken by Chinese Contractor, China Harbour Engineering Corporation (CHEC).

Kaieteur News has reported that the airport expansion project commenced in 2011, and was expected to be a US$150M venture; US$138M financed from the China Exim Bank and $12M from the consolidated fund taxpayers' money. However, to date more than US$160 million has already been spent on the contract.

The article stated the CEO disclosed, that according to the look ahead - and based on the numbers they have – within the next ten years a second terminal will be needed. To this end he noted, “So, His Excellency (Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali) has actually pulled together that meeting and asked us to meet with investors. We have identified an area for a second terminal building, which is going to be very modern.”

Recently, President Dr. Irfaan Ali and other Government officials met with investors from Mexico and their Guyanese partner. It was reported that during the meeting the investors expressed interest in potential investments, including building a new terminal for the CJIA airport.

Moreover, according to the article, the CEO said that the additional upgrade to the airport was split into three parts. Ghir noted that efforts are being made to have the construction of the $513.7 million airport office building completed on time to house the duty-free bond, a conference room, offices for the airlines, and other supporting agencies.

Additionally, it was stated that the construction of the airport office building paves the way for more upgrades to CJIA and that talks with foreign investors have already

CJIA CEO: Ramesh Ghir. commenced. Ghir also noted, “With that new building we are able to free up more space in the existing terminal building because maybe half of the staff is housed in the terminal. That now translates itself into concession space.”

The CEO further disclosed that the $38 million international apron and the taxiway Charlie should be completed within two weeks.

Moreover, even though the Minister of Public Works, Juan Edghill, had promised that the total cost for the project will not exceed US$200 million, that cannot be guaranteed now as the venture is currently a work-inprogress and the PPP/C administration is still pumping money into it.

Since Minister Edghill announced that the spending on the CJIA expansion will not surpass US$200 million–other subcontracts for works that were catered for in the original contract, but which the government now has to spend additional funds to do were signed by his ministry for the airport.

One of those projects is for the “Construction and Rehabilitation Works of the VIP Lounge and new and existing commercial buildings of the airport at an estimated cost of GY$612,500,000.

Another subcontract project was estimated at GY$23,223,375 for the rehabilitation of the existing roof at the airport. In September, the Ministry awarded a contract for US$2M to a local company named Total Solutions for the supply of two additional air-bridges for the long ongoing CJIA project, some US$ 350,000 more than what was paid for the other air-bridges.

Also, a new runway was (Continued on page 22)

Kaieteur News

Friday December 10, 2021

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Govt. paying millions to maintain road that Chinese companies destroying ...residents demanding that they pay to fix it

A car stuck in the mud along the Port Kaituma to Mathews ridge trail.

Manganese stored in a pit at 26 Mile, Port Kaituma .

Shervin Belgrave Kaieteur News has learnt that the government is spending millions to repair and maintain the Port Kaituma to Matthews Ridge Road in Region One, which is constantly being destroyed by two Chinese companies working in the district.

Those companies are the Guyana Manganese Inc (GMI), a 100% owned subsidiary of Bosai Minerals Group Co. Ltd and Barama

Company Limited (BCL).

GMI is mining for manganese at Matthews Ridge, while BCL is conducting small scale logging closer to Port Kaituma and, according to residents, the two companies have been responsible for the frequent destruction of the major road linking the two communities.

In a recent trip this media house made to the area, it got a firsthand look of the current condition of the road,

and it was evident that there was need for emergency works in some sections.

Surprisingly, however, the two companies blamed for damaging the road with heavy duty machines and trucks, rarely conduct any repairs whatsoever.

At least, this was what Port Kaituma residents related to Kaieteur News during its trip there.

They said that most of the remedial work is being done by a local company called

International Import and Supplies.

Kaieteur News was told by the relevant authorities that the government reportedly awarded the local company a multimillion dollar contract to rehabilitate and maintain sections of the road.

This newspaper contacted a governmental official yesterday to find out the exact cost of the road maintenance contract, but the individual is presently

out of the country, and has promised to provide the information in the coming week.

Nevertheless, the local residents are of the view that the contract arrangement is unfair because local commuters, such as taxi drivers, bus drivers, and miners would normally have to pay a toll to use the major road, while the Chinese companies are the ones responsible for most of its damage.

During a three-hour long journey on a bumpy road, from Port Kaituma to Matthews Ridge, a local cab driver related that he has to pay $2000 every time he makes a trip with his car.

He added that buses are charged $5000, canters $12,000, heavy duty trucks $50,000 and excavators $75,000. He was unsure if company trucks are required to pay too.As a result, Kaieteur News decided to (Continued on page 6)

Kaieteur News

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Friday December 10, 2021

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

More Guyanese standing up, speaking out We are glad that more and more Guyanese are letting their concerns be known. This is not just among their friends and fellow community residents, but publicly and loudly. It is clear that the more information Guyanese get, the more they are ready to stand up and speak out for their rights, to express their fears, to register their objections.

They don't care if it is the powerful and vindictive state that they protest against. Citizens and residents are no longer taking things quietly and sitting down in docile acceptance.

A recent caption of ours confirms this growing trend in Guyana: “Have respect for us! Marudi residents up ante against Govt. over agreement signed with Canadian gold company” (KN November 29). An examination of the facts and circumstances, as currently known, confirms that these residents, largely of indigenous heritage, have good grounds on which to make their voices heard, and pushback through drawing a line in the sand in the face of worrying developments at the hands of a government that conceals matters of importance to their welfare from them. They are poor people, not as well exposed to the tricks and shams of government, as their more savvy and sophisticated peers in the city and rural areas. Their resources are limited, and technology is a key one now gaining something that can be called a foothold.

It is, perhaps, because of these situations that slick politicians and public servants are well aware of, that they actually execute upsetting arrangements, only for the Marudi residents to find out by what we call 'luck and chance.' The residents stumble upon information on social media platforms.

Transparent leaders and ethical governments do not conduct the business of the people in this way, and disrespect the people they are supposed to represent. Yet, this is precisely what took place. By the time Marudi residents knew of the agreement(s) with the Canadian gold company, Guyana Gold Strike, along with Aurous Guyana Inc. to prospect for gold not too distant from their community, the government had already signed a contract with the two foreign entities.

In a hasty attempt to do some after the fact damage control, the PPP Government then called a belated meeting to do the usual airbrushing of what happened. How it could have happened like that, and why it was allowed to happen as it did? The problem was that the people of Marudi were not in a listening mood, and were not having any of the sweet official speak. It is best that we let the residents speak for themselves in their own words. “We weren't even notified of this meeting. I was told only at a meeting the day before by the Chairman…we were not informed of this agreement, and we want to be involved in the decision making.”

Further, area residents lamented the fact that in a previous visit and meeting with government officials, no such information was shared with them.Moreover, Marudi residents were vocal about what they saw as an insult being layered upon insult. Some complained that they “did not get to speak” and “there was not enough time for them to hear us” and “we didn't have much input in the meeting.” Others took matters a little higher, when they labelled the recent hurried Saturday visit by some Cabinet members as having one purpose in mind - to 'brainwash' them. Clearly, Government is not taking these residents seriously, and has already concluded that they are pushovers, who will yield ground, once they are misinformed further and misled further.Just as clearly, the residents of Marudi are neither biting on PPP Cabinet members' sweet talk, nor falling for the usual bag of political tricks. Some of them have already planted themselves in the space that is causing so much offense, and it looks like they are determined to be there for the long haul. Taken together, this is the way more and more Guyanese have to will themselves to be. That is, get in the face of an obstinate and secretive Government that is bent on wrongdoing and what is possibly hostile, definitely disrespectful, to the welfare of locals. Guyanese stand up, and shout out.

Corruption in Govt. is a root cause of Guyana’s underdevelopment and working class poverty DEAR EDITOR, US Ambassador Lynch is to be applauded for her strong statement in observance of International Anti-Corruption Day, which is an annual opportunity to bring attention to the continued importance of combating corruption, ensuring accountability, and fostering transparency.

Around the world, corruption threatens security, hinders economic growth, and siphons away public and private resources.

In Guyana, a root cause of corruption is that we have political parties whose reason for fighting to get into Government is to loot our rich national natural resources. Such corruption has kept us poor.

We have “holey” roads, garbage everywhere, poor water, constant blackouts, poor health care, a failing education system, and the litany of woes is long. We have parties who argue, “you guys thief more than we guys.” Truth be told, both major parties had become kleptocracies when they lost in 2015 and 2020. During the election campaigns they tell you, “time for a change,”

“we will have honesty, decency and integrity,” and when they get in, they steal as if there is no tomorrow.

The new change is instead an “exchange.” We exchange one set of dullards for another set. In one term, the Coalition tried to outdo what the PPP did in 23 years.

They squandered all the goodwill crossover voters placed in them and lost that support, and when they saw they were losing, they tried to steal the election in plain sight of a watching world.

Nation, why does the richest, most endowed, largest country in CARICOM have the lowest standard of living, and the lowest currency? Even the tiny Eastern Caribbean islands with very little natural resources have a higher standard of living and their currency have a higher exchange rate?

Why did so many of our people leave this blessed country and go to slave in other tiny islands? Please explain that.

We dreamed of the day when Guyana would find oil and we would all be rich.

Now we found oil and Exxon, Hess and CNOOC

are dancing all the way to the bank, and the poor minimum wage worker - the working poor - still catching hell to make ends meet. And the folks we voted in, because th ey s aid th ey w o u ld renegotiate the bad oil contract signed by the bad Coalition government, has drawn a line in the sand against the Guyanese people and siding with the oil companies, saying adamantly they will not renegotiate the oil contract.

Never mind the President had said, “We must not remain a rich country of poor people.”

If accountability and transparency are the handmaidens of anticorruption, then this Government scores an “F” for both “transparency” and “accountability” especially relating to oil and gas.

The Government failed to audit US$9.5 billion in oil expenses sending a strong message that they would be lax in accountability. The group – OGGN (Oil and Gas Governance Network) has asked the Minister for data on what tax certificates have been issued to the oil companies, and there has

been no response. The Government is more committed to secrecy than full disclosure of information. The OGGN has also asked the Internal Revenue Service of the USA what tax breaks, if any, have been given to Exxon and Hess. Maybe Ambassador Lynch can help with that request.

For transparency, why aren’t we trying to change the laws whereby major business deals that involve enormous, high value natural resources are discussed in Parliament and subject to the review of civil society groups?

That would be a good anti-corruption practice as no party would be able to cut secret deals for the benefit of friends, families, and campaign financiers. How about a law that Government must fulfill public information requests in a stipulated time or face sanctions?

In this anti-corruption week, we must ponder on these things. Wake up people! Ongoing corruption steals the good life from you.

Sincerely, Dr. Jerry Jailall

The deplorable state of roads in the Uitvlugt, Zeelugt and Tuschen New Schemes DEAR EDITOR, If you are a resident of the Uitvlugt, Zeelugt and Tuschen New Schemes you know of the state of the roads. To say that they are bad would be a major understatement. The roads are so deplorable that they have become craters with pools of water that can

drown a small child.

To be clear I am not talking about the main access roads but the individual streets when you turn off the main access roads.

Driving through these streets are a total nightmare.

You are sure to damage something on your car with every journey. Imagine

traversing those roads daily.

Children have to use these roads everyday to get to and from school and walkways are nonexistent. Think of the trials the old, the sick and the pregnant have to endure.

How can a country have its citizens living like that is beyond comprehension.

The relevant authorities

need to have these roads fixed immediately (and properly); anything less would be a severe injustice to the residents of those communities. The obvious question is why have the authorities been so slow to act?

Yours faithfully, Avinash Persaud

Friday December 10, 2021

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Kaieteur News

Why can’t City Hall maintain the Govts. must ensure that human rights translate to a living reality one good thing that their City Constabulary pioneered?

DEAR EDITOR, Well, the Christmas season is here and downtown Georgetown looks very festive especially the illuminated Main Street at night. There are busy sidewalks filled with shoppers, congested streets due to the large increase in vehicles in the country and itinerant vendors hustling everywhere.

The Guyana Police Force has implemented a Christmas Policing Plan, and has revealed that there will be police patrol on foot, bicycles, motorcycles, and vehicles.

The public welcomes this as during the holidays, there is always the risk of robberies, simple larceny, larceny against businesses and patrons, congestion and accidents especially in downtown Georgetown.

However, what is disappointing is the citizens have not heard of a similar plan from the Mayor and Councillors of the City of Georgetown

nor are they seeing City Constables in the markets, on the streets or the shopping hubs.

Sometime ago, the United States Department of State through the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement (INL) donated some 30 quality police mountain bikes and accessories to the Mayor and Councillors of the City of Georgetown and provided special training to a number of its City Constabulary officers at the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) in Las Vegas, Nevada. Prior to that the Georgetown Constabulary broke new ground and established its own Bike Patrol Unit back in 2008 with the acquisition of eight quality police mountain bikes and were assisted in the setting up of the Unit and training of its officers by trainers who came to Georgetown from the International Police Mountain Bike Association (IPMBA) in the US.

Why are we not seeing 38 City Constabulary Officers riding around downtown Georgetown now for the holidays? Probably in teams of two each.

There are many benefits to having a police officer on a bicycle, with the most often mentioned being visibility and mobility.

This same mobility also adds a “stealth” advantage to bike patrols versus patrol vehicles. An officer on a bike is much smaller, quieter, and can go places that are not easily accessible to patrol vehicles.

Also, a person fleeing from an officer generally can’t out run an officer on a bike.

The Georgetown City Constabulary led the way with this very worthwhile initiative, that the citizens appreciated and welcomed, Why can’t City Hall maintain the one good thing that their City Constabulary pioneered?

Sincerely, Jermain Johnson

Re-engage Dr. Vincent Adams at EPA DEAR EDITOR, Many Guyanese were pleased with the good work that Dr. Vincent Adams was doing at the EPA. The EPA under Dr. Vincent Adams was deemed, by myself, as probably the only functioning Government

Agency.

Today it is seen as merely a “rubber-stamp” and as such is not living up to the expectations of Guyanese.

That agency had a bite under Dr. Vincent Adams; now it is seen as toothless.

The Government can and

should approach Dr. Vincent Adams to continue his work at the EPA. I don’t know if Dr. Vincent Adams is still willing to serve at EPA as he may have other commitments.

Yours faithfully, Sean Ori

What does this statement mean?

DEAR EDITOR, It is perplexing the statement that the authorities will

test for the new COVID19 variant at ‘appropriate

time’ (INews Dec 8), even

though the Delta strain is here.

What exactly does this mean?

Deaths for COVID-19 are over one thousand.

Would we now have to keep separate records for casualties and fatalities for both the Delta and Omicron variants?

Shamshun Mohamed

What is the economic and social cost of ‘tyrannical bosses’ and ‘fearful professionals’ in Guyana?

DEAR EDITOR, There is much work that needs to be done in the areas of electricity and transport.

Getting to netzero is not easy for anyone on this planet and getting to the goal of cheaper electricity should not be hard in a modern world, but it is, especially for us in Guyana.

We have jungles to go through before we can get our electricity to existing population centres

and to add to that, we have far flung coastal areas that need to be traversed daily to m a k e economic life a reality.

On top of this, we need to think of the future as we

envision for infrastructure and do so according to sound environmental principles and high health and safety

standards for people.

There is a lot of work to do and many funding agencies

are willing and able to lend us the money to get the job done.

Many of us are also willing and able to do the best job possible, wherever we (Continued on page 6)

DEAR EDITOR, December 10th, is celebrated around the world as International Human Rights Day. This year’s celebration is marked by a debate about the real meaning of human rights in the world today.

This is so, because governments in some countries continue to make a mockery of human rights by either willful enforcement or cynically watering-down the basic tenets of human rights eventually forcing natural rights versus human rights to take centre stage.

In this regard, it is not surprising that the demand for a deeper and a more meaningful understanding of how human rights should be interpreted has taken the form of mass protest demonstrations by peoples around the world.

The natural right issue has manifested itself in a global movement opposed to being vaccinated against the deadly CORONA virus.

Guyana is among the countries of the world with a section of its populace who have adopted this stand.

The ‘anti-vaxists’ as they are so described, oppose being vaccinated on the ground that it is their natural right to decide what medicines should or should not be injected into their body. To them, forced vaccination is contrary to their natural rights.

The stand taken by the vaccine opponents has become a universal phenomenon giving rise to the emergence of a global contest between those who stand in defence of fundamental human rights and those who stand in defense of their natural rights.

We now live in a world inhabited by the vaccinated and the unvaccinated.

It is this situation that has led some world leaders to vacillate between living with a sagging economy as against a total or partial shutdown, or to keep their economies open and to take steps to protect the rest of society by imposing draconian laws which, in effect, deny their populace certain basic rights

and, as some claim, their natural rights.

One way or another, the risk taken by those leaders to invest in public trust, resulted in a backlash that impacted the vaccinated, the unvaccinated and their economies in different ways.

The soaring number of cases and deaths in the US and Europe is testimony to this backlash.

Thus, we have our constitutional rights juxtaposed to our natural rights, that cannot be repealed such as the right to have a family, to own property, to practice religion; to question government and to have independent thought.

As we mark this year’s international Human Rights Day, we must take stock and ask ourselves what really constitutes human rights in these times.

Have we reached the zenith for the window dressing actions by governments in some countries where the people’s fundamental human rights are trampled upon?

Thus the question; is the UN Universal Declaration on Human Rights outdated?

After seventy years of its existence, should it not be updated to be more responsive to the new threats and manifestations of abuses affecting mankind?

As we peer through the human rights looking glass, we observe people the world over, who mirror Marley’s ‘Buffalo Soldier’ and who are fighting for survival and making demands for upholding their basic human rights and justice.

In a number of countries, people in pursuit of their fundamental rights are demanding that they be heard; they demand the right to life, above all, the right to have a government of their choice.

Here in Guyana, we have our own unique experience of the significance of that basic human right to elect a government of the people’s choice and what it costs to

protect that fundamental right.

Moreover, in the context of good governance, and in the pursuit of happiness, people want impartial police investigations, they want greater protection from domestic violence and hate crimes.

They want speedy trials, since to them ‘justice delayed is justice denied.’

People want an end to child labour, they want access to the internet, they want transparency and accountability in governance and in awarding of contracts.

They want truthful answers to their questions.

Finally, they want the utilisation of best practices for employment in public service.

In its relationship with the private sector, governments must ensure that while UN human rights principles are not mandatory nor binding on the private sector, captains of industry must demonstrate

their commitment to uphold the rights and entitlements of their employees as expressions of their commitment to good corporate citizenship.

In the meanwhile, wher-

ever applicable, the Courts should reconsider their commitment to upholding the ‘Avoidance Strategy’ when treating with obligations inherent in the UN Declaration on Human Rights, which is viewed as declaratory and not enforceable in law.

It for this reason, when we talk about human rights nowadays, governments must be clear what it m eans to

people.

In other words, governments must ensure that human rights are translated from a mere declaration to a living reality through the delivery of tangible benefits

with matching rights that improve the lives of people.

Yours faithfully, Clement J. Rohee

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Kaieteur News

Friday December 10, 2021

What is the economic and social... THIS LAWLESSNESS MUST STOP! From page 5 happen to be stationed. External agencies that fund projects to improve our lives, lend us money but cannot tell us how to manage the funds or how to pay our people.

What happens then? We are all aware that we wind up not getting what is paid for. Why does this happen in Guyana?

Editor, we have big problems.

It is code red for the environment and code red for our health, safety and sanity. We need to do things wisely, maturely and in recognition of real and bigger threats to our prosperity. As a nation, we do not possess the war chest to aid us in negotiations with giants. Before we can give ourselves a better chance in the world, we need to achieve strong, wise, scientific and holistic governance practices. Only then would we be able to achieve widespread prosperity through pervasive, progressive industrial activity, the kind that brings with it perpetual income streams.

Editor, please permit me the space to pose a few questions.1) How many petty ‘bosses’ are out there using their offices to run rackets with their friends, to the detriment of widespread prosperity?

2) How many of our qualified and talented people must wind up working under in-

competents who side track our development by ‘micro managing’ our implementing agencies?

3) How many fully funded projects have been stifled and mismanaged to satisfy the greed and the egos of insecure, unintelligent, petty and fearful ‘older generations’ and their surrogates?

4) Could we not see that if we are hired and paid to do what we are funded to do, that we would achieve systems that reduce the cost of living; create more well-paying jobs for tens of thousands of our people and improve livelihoods for generations thereafter?

5) Can we not see that narrow-minded, fear-based pettiness holds us back from tremendous economic fortune and strategic advantage? Or are we angry that it is not us in the hot seat getting to do it ourselves?

6) Can we not see that the ‘internal poverty’ that plagues the leadership of implementing agencies, is keeping us from achieving the systems, services and infrastructure that could unlock our economic and social potentials?

7) How many talented people do we lose, when the forces that govern implementing authorities

are the fears and insecurities of petty gatekeepers?

8) How many of us are overworked, underpaid and then thrown under the bus, in our own professional lives? How many of us have to face the fears of ‘older generations’ who bully and abuse us in the interest of maintaining what they are simply, accustomed to?9) When would those of us who really want to work for our country, actually get the jobs, on the basis of our skills and talents?

10) Would any sincere, hardworking, well-intentioned human being find it worthwhile to workfor people who are terrified of widespread prosperity and abundance?

Editor, would our people ever get to live to see the power of the gifts they have been given i n life? Would our people get to live, un-resisted in their Truth, to provide for their families and loved ones and to give to their country, the best of their own growth and evolution?

Who among us is able to live with themselves, knowing that they are stifling an entire nation?

What is the economic and social cost of ‘tyrannical bosses’ and ‘fearful professionals’ in Guyana?

Sincerely, Emille Giddings

DEAR EDITOR, The above caption was pontificated by Hon. Juan Edghill, Minister of Public works a few months ago after observing first-hand the wanton erection of shacks and other hazards on the roadways.

I wish to bring to their attention, a construction that started as a bar-b-que hut outside the fence of St. Pius Church on Middle road La Penitence.

Passing there this morning, a permanent concrete structure is now erected. You

need to see this to believe.

Are we suggesting that the Inspectors in the City Engineers’ Department are complicit, lazy or downright reckless?

How can this be?

The lewd and vulgar activities that prevail their nightly, imbibing, marijuana smoking, gambling, you name it. Father Monty is at pains to keep this congregation in line.

The smell of urine blowing across the church on Sunday is mind-boggling.

Bishop Edghill, I am asking you to wear the hat of the

Bishop you are at this time, a no nonsense campaigner and act. THIS LAWLESSNESS CANNOT CONTINUE! Minister Dharamlall who I know personally, has both Christian and Hindu connections, this is disrespect of the highest order sir, please act NOW. Mayor Narine and the City Council leaves much to be desired in this regard, several of his Engineering Staff traverses Cemetery Road including City Engineer Colvern Venture and Miss Jerrick, under whose watch this sore was birthed.

Govt. paying millions to maintain...

From page 3 find out from officials of the Port Kaituma/ Matthews Ridge Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) and was told that GMI and BCL are not required to pay any toll for their trucks.

The officials explained that the companies are exempted from the toll fee, because of a special arrangement they have with the government.

Moreover, they continued, the toll monies collected are not used to fix the major road, but rather the internal streets and roads in the Port Kaituma and Mathews Ridge community.

Kaieteur News, however, noted that the streets within the communities are even worse than the major road.

As it relates to the special arrangement that the two foreign companies have with

the government, the NDC Chairman, Orlando Thorne, related that “GMI agreed to assist in maintaining Port Kaituma to Matthews Ridge from time to time”.

However, according to residents, the company rarely adheres to the agreement and would only act when it is forced.

The residents related that they are fed-up and have demanded that, if the company does not want to keep its end of the bargain, it must then pay like the locals.

In fact, due to the current state of the road, residents three days ago attempted to stop the companies' trucks from passing the toll gate located at Four Mile Port Kaituma.

One of the NDC employees working at the toll gate related that residents told the

drivers to inform their bosses that they must pay or fix the road.

The individual continued that when the drivers tried to force their way through by echoing the line “special arrangement”, the residents threatened to report them to the police.

The NDC chairman, Thorne, was reportedly forced to keep a meeting with GMI to remind the company of its obligations.

Thorne told Kaieteur News that he met with representatives of GMI and the local contractor responsible for maintaining the road, International Import and Supplies, on Wednesday and both companies have committed to conducting emergency works at badly damaged sections located at Fallstop and Big Creek.

He noted that GMI has already started removing slush from the road that has been causing vehicles to “stick up”.

Due to current rainy weather, Thorne further explained, the companies are unable to conduct any major repairs and have pleaded with angry residents to be patient.

GMI has been operating in the Region One community since 2018, however, ac-

cording to one of its officials, the company has only recently started to extract manganese, because it had spent a lot of time constructing the mine.

Trucks would transport the manganese from its processing plant at Matthews Ridge to a storage pit located at 26 Miles along the major road.

When the pile is high the manganese would then be loaded onto trucks and transported to a landing at Oronouque, Port Kaituma.

Tugs located there will then transport it on a barge from Port Kaituma to be shipped out of Guyana.

To date Guyana has been in the dark about the deal the government has signed with the Chinese company to extract its manganese.

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BL TLUNT.. UNT...B BL Friday December 10, 2021

Kaieteur News

Guyanese are saying AUDIT Liza 1, 2, & Payara BEFORE th approving the 4 project.

What is so hard about that for the President and Vice President?

How come they don't want to possibly save this country some money?

US$10M, or US$5M, even US$1M in savings that could help some needy sector in Guyana.

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Friday December 10, 2021

Govt. undermining national efforts to combat corruption - Opposition

A

s t h e Wo r l d yesterday o b s e r v e d International AntiCorruption Day under the theme “Your right, your role: Say no to Corruption,” Opposition Leader, Joseph Harmon is of the view that t h e i n c u m b e n t administration, since taking office, has instead regressed the national efforts at combating corruption.

Harmon gave his views yesterday by way of a public statement marking the occasion to “encourage all Guyanese at home and abroad to take action against corruption because it hinders growth and development.”

According to Harmon,

“It is your right to fight against the scourge called corruption; you have a role in this fight, don't be silent, let us stand together and say no to corruption.”

The Opposition Leader was adamant that the incumbent administration has, by its actions since taking office in 2020, eroded the tremendous strides in the national fight against corruption.

He cited, as one example, the dismantling of the State Asset Recovery Agency (SARA), which he insisted was done to protect friend and cronies.

According to Harmon, in 2017 the ousted coalition administration passed the

SARA Act leading to the setting up of the State Assets Recovery Agency, which “made tremendous strides in our fight against corruption.”

He noted that the agency trained over 3,000 public servants from the Guyana Revenue Authority, the Guyana Police Force, the Guyana Defense Force, the Guyana Lands and Survey Commission, the Bank of Guyana, and the Ministry of Finance.

To this end, he lamented that SARA had over 15 cases before the court at the time when it was dismantled.

These cases, according to Harmon, “indicted many current Senior Government Officials and their private

sector cronies, who were all involved in various forms of corruption.”

He posited, “If SARA no longer exists then the cases before the court could not be tried, so the PPP's only option was to shut the agency down under false pretense, giving themselves and friends who funded their elections campaign a free pass.”

“The Coalition while in Government, through many of its agencies, involved the general public in the fight against corruption as we created mechanisms for them to anonymously report acts of corruption. The man in the street was able to report on work in his community.”

According to Harmon, “to us it was important to erase the scourge of corruption that pervaded every aspect of public and private life under the PPP.” He was adamant, “since the PPP (Peoples Progressive Party) administration took office, “we have seen a drastic reduction in the efforts made by the coalition to combat corruption.”

Citing further examples, emphasizing his position, the Opposition Leader was of the view, “we are yet to see the reconstituting of the Public Procurement Commission, while every day multimillion dollar contracts are being handed to PPP cronies.”

Additionally, he said, “bribery has become the order of the day once again” and that “we have seen

Opposition Leader, Joseph Harmon

persons walking around with millions of dollars in bags sharing out grants that have not been properly reconciled or properly accounted for.”

He said, too, there are reports of persons collecting farmers relief grants in Region 6, who have no farms, vaccines bought through questionable means and at a questionable price.

“Vaccine book rackets and the return of the cocaine trade that appears to always be invisible to the eyes of Custom Officers; these and many more are just some of the things that exemplify the corrupt nature of the PPP administration.”

The Coalition while in Government, he said, through many of its agencies, involved the general public in the fight against corruption “as we created mechanisms for them to anonymously report acts of corruption.”

This, he said, led to Guyana in 2015 receiving its

best score on the Transparency International Corruption Perception Index with improvements each subsequent year.

T h e Va n d e r b i l t University's Latin American Public Opinion Project reported in 2014 that Guyana was ranked high among countries where citizens acceded to police bribery requests, and participated in bribery in schools, public health services and work settings.

By 2016, according to Harmon, “we were able to better Guyana's position on this report.

This was not done by talking about fighting corruption; it took careful planning, ardent research and a committed workforce to ensure that the right legislation was implemented and that the necessary agencies and systems were in place to make sure that our fight against corruption improved each year.”

Minibus driver in custody following EBE accident A 37-year-old minibus driver was on Tuesday placed into police custody following an accident along the Le Destin public road, East Bank Essequibo (EBD).

The accident reportedly occurred at 08:15hrs.

According to the police, Mohamed Nazrudeen Osman of Lot 12 La J a l o u s i e , We s t C o a s t Demerara (WCD), a minibus driver was proceeding east along the northern side of Le Destin public road, and a truck driven by Paul Anthony Hachey a 61-yearold of Lot 3 B Hyde Park, Parika, EBE, was stationary at the northern edge of the

said road.

As Osman's minibus approached the stationary truck, it suddenly turned south into the path of his minibus. Upon seeing this, Osman pulled south to avoid a collision but despite his frantic efforts the left front side of his minibus slammed into the right front side of Hachey's truck.

As a result of the impact, Hachey and Debra Hackey a 64-year-old occupant in the truck at the time, received multiple injuries about their heads and bodies.

They were both subsequently rushed to Leonora Cottage Hospital,

by a public-spirited citizen, in a conscious state where passenger Hackey was treated and sent away and driver Hachey was transferred to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), where he was admitted to the hospital's Emergency Ward.

A breathalyzer test was conducted on Osman, which gave a reading of .000% BAC. He remains in custody pending further enquiries.

Kaieteur News yesterday made several attempts to contact the truck driver, Hachey. Those efforts, however, have proven to be futile.

Friday December 10, 2021

Kaieteur News

Scuffed shoes and a scuffed-up nation Part of a columnist’s job is to observe the patterns and trends going on in society.

Sometimes, this involves sitting on a bench looking at people going past. Other times it means riding the minibus back and forth listening to the conversation (at great peril to one’s life).

Some of you are no doubt saying it sounds like I have nothing to do with my life.

Maybe you are right. But I do notice things. And I do write about them. And I do get paid for it.

One worrying trend I see is that young professionals are not shining their shoes.

This troubled me for a while.

Clearly it was not out of disregard for their appearance. They all wore crisply pressed clothes and sported fashionable hairstyles. In fact, this made their shoes, dull and badly scuffed, stand out even more.

Neither could it be from want of time. Shining shoes with modern polish takes less than five minutes, and thereafter just a few seconds brushing to maintain.

One group is an exception to this pattern. Uniformed personnel - security guards, soldiers, police - sport shoes so shiny you can see your reflection in them clear enough to shave. Some of them wear patent leather but a great many put in the effort and take pride in their shoes.

Some may ascribe this to personal discipline, but I think it more likely that regular uniform inspection is part of their job.

This gives us a clue as to why no one else is shining their shoes. They face no judgment for not doing so. If anything, people may tell them their shoes look old and they will go out and buy new ones. This throwaway culture is unnecessary - a pair of shoes, cared for and polished, can last and look good for years.

It has created perverse business incentives - why sell a customer one pair of good shoes every five years when you can flog them a new pair, held together with just a little glue, that will last two years and that they will replace because it won’t take a shine and isn’t presentable.

The poor customer is blameless in this - when people have only the barest amount of cash on hand, they are in no position to consider the long-term financial economics of something as trivial as a shoe purchase.

This practice, called planned obsolescence, has become rampant. Shoes, household appliances, printers, phones, televisions - all examples of products built to fail or not allow maintenance. Countries have cottoned on and begun to introduce laws against it, but these are next to impossible to enforce. Companies will parrot the same line - making products this way makes them more affordable to the customer.

“In the short run”, they forget to add.

Customers may be reluctant to demand change

for other reasons. The middle class, normally extremely vocal when they feel they are being shortchanged, has been brought onside.

Businesses have launched campaigns, through ads and promotions, to “make shopping fun”.

This is now a major social activity. It is fast becoming entertainment - one very wellknown store blasts music at full volume outside its premises. Products failing faster means you get a chance to buy more often, to go shopping and show off your new goods.

This, my fellow Guyanese is consumer culture.

It is the natural result of the neoliberal policies we have pursued for the past three decades. It is a sick, twisted society where principles are sacrificed at the altar of profit, and believe me we have only just begun, in these few decades, to sink below the surface of the consumerist tide. As we go under the oil slick, and the water closes over our heads, we shall find ourselves in a dark place indeed. But more on that in a future column.

You may have found this column slightly disjointed, jumping from topic to topic, from shoeshine to planned obsolescence to consumer culture.

But this is the job of a columnist - to observe society, to look at the mundane and follow to chains of causation and discover the real maladies afflicting society.

So, keep your eyes open as

Dem boys seh ...

Sad stories always make me cry!

Deh gat some people who like fuh read sad story.

Water does come to dem eyes when dem read how despite how some people punish, dem still trying fuh mek the most of de limited opportunities dem gat.

But is a strange thing because despite how much dem sorry fuh dem people who going through hard times, when it comes to putting dem hand in dem pocket fuh help dem people, yuh does believe dat dem gat stroke. Dem hand reaching dem eyes fuh wipe away tears but it nah reach inside dem pocket fuh help dem same people wah need help.

Dat is why dem boys does tell people, nah post sad

story pun FACEBOOK unless yuh willing fuh push yuh hand in yuh pocket and help dese people. De same people wah suffering, dem can’t tek yuh sympathies and go to de corner shop.

Some people does tek sad story fuh fleece other people.

Dem gat professional beggars in de country. De ringleader does find wan old lady from de countryside and dem does put she fuh stand up near dem traffic lights. Is hard fuh see wan old lady like duh stretch out she hand and you nah want to give she some money. But de money nah going to de old lady. She deh pon commission. It ending up in de ringleader hand.

De ringleader just using

she fuh get money.

Is de same thing with dah mother wah does have dah young child with she and begging. De child shouldn’t even be in de hot sun. But de child is dere to evoke sympathy. Yuh does want give de mother some money but when you see how she using dah child, yuh does change yuh mind.

Talk half and remember some sad stories gat happy ending.

Yuh does want give de mother some money but when you see how she using dah child, yuh does change yuh mind.

Talk half and remember some sad stories gat happy ending.

you go about your day. You may be surprised what you see in other people’s shoes.

Or maybe I just have nothing to do with my life. You decide.

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

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Friday December 10, 2021

THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN

Ian McDonald: The ultimate test of human decency

I was interviewed several times by Yog Mahadeo.

During the period of the election rigging, Yog hosted a programme on Kaieteur Radio.

A few weeks after Dr. Ali was sworn in as president, I got a telephone call from Yog. He said he detected an uncomfortable feeling (my word; I can't remember his) on my part on how I relate to him. My response was brief. I told Yog I hardly socialise and generally keep to myself (David Hinds said I never stay out beyond 10 PM). His perception on how I feel is wrong. If he is reading this I would be happy to accept an invitation of lunch at his expense because I know he is a wealthy gentleman and I will offer my views on his organisation named Article 13.

I pen those paragraphs above because I feel that my lack of being part of mainstream socialising has caused me to lose golden insights into some interesting humans in Guyana. Looking back I wished I had met with them. Ian McDonald is one. I never saw him. I like his philosophical and poetic reflections on life. When I read him, I wish I could engage him on the thoughts of Martin Heidegger in his magnum opus, “Being and Ti m e , ” m y f a v o u r i t e philosophy book.

Mr. McDonald must have caused the eyes of all Guyanese who know about him for the past 60 years to open beyond wideness last year. When the Election rigging was going on, he wrote about his disapproval.

People who know him and

read his books and columns would have been stunned because he is as remote to politics as the Japanese soldier who in 1972 was discovered hiding in the jungle because he did not know the war had ended in Japan after 1945.

Mr. McDonald does not offer political comments. He is a cultural icon in Guyana and he sticks to the realm of culture, the arts and literature. It was surprising to perhaps all those who have read him over the long decades to see his reaction to the election rigging.

Twenty months after the rigging was defeated, Mr. McDonald expressed his rejection once more about what took place from March to July last year (see his last Sunday column). Here is what he wrote: “Properly

constituted authority could never have derived, for instance, from the very crude attempt to rig our election in March last year.”

I would ask readers to pay special attention to the pronoun Mr. McDonald used, “our”. Words we use reveal what we have deeply buried in our minds. His use of the word “our” denotes that he saw himself as part of Guyana and it is his country.

If you are looking for answers to explain why Mr. McDonald took that line he did twice in his columns, then there can be no Freudian analysis, no sophisticated analysis.

It was basic human decency at work. Mr. McDonald came to two conclusions when he saw what was happening last year. One is that elections must be fair and rigging elections is wrong. Out of that process you cannot get a legitimate government. I am one thousand percent sure when Mr. McDonald penned

those lines last year there was no thought of PPP versus PNC and I don't want this or that leader to Frederick Kissoon win. He used the word year. “our” meaning his country.

The GHRA has a right to Enter Article 13.

This group issued a press c o m m e n t o n t h e release about the Attorney amendments. But in the same G e n e r a l ' s ( A G ) vein, the AG has a right to condemnation of the critique question the credibility of the of the amendments to the GHRA and expose its Representation of the People hypocrisy if he has the proof.

Act (ROPA) by civil society The proof is Ian McDonald.

Mr. McDonald passed the groups and named the Guyana Human Rights ultimate test of decency. I Association (GHRA). The was surprised that Yog could question is not whether the have come to the defence of chastisement by the AG of the GHRA when Yog himself the GHRA is merited or loose was a relentless voice against but if it reflects the objective election rigging for several situation in Guyana on the weeks.

I conclude with what I biology of the GHRA. The AG queried the have always seen in Guyana. physiology of the GHRA and Those who set out to solve asked why it was silent when the problem become part of election rigging was going on the problem.

(The views expressed in but found its voice to condemn him for now this article are those of the correcting flaws in ROPA to a u t h o r a n d d o n o t prevent a reoccurrence of necessarily reflect the what took place in March last opinions of this newspaper.)

Friday December 10, 2021

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GPL unable to guarantee no 'black-outs' for Christmas Season GPL's CEO, Bharrat Dindyal (right) and Bharat Harjohn, the entity's Divisional Director of Operations.

The Guyana Power and Light (GPL), company is the key provider of electricity for the bulk of the Guyanese population and while the company insists it will have sufficient generation capacity in its system, it is unable to give a guarantee that there would be no power outages—blackouts—for the 2021 Christmas holiday season.

This is since the Demerara Berbice Interconnected System

(BDIS), which is the country's primary transmission and distribution network for power put into the grid, is in a fragile state, leading to power outages for reasons ranging from heavy winds to an errant driver.

The sentiments were expressed by the utility company's Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Bharrat Dindyal, and GPL's Divisional Director of Operations, Bharat Harjohn.

The GPL CEO did,

nonetheless, laud the improvements to the system; as a result of investments there has been some improvement in the network over the previous year when he arrived at the entity.

He identified specifically, the “behaviour and performance of the network,” saying “I think we have improved on the performance in the network.'

Dindyal was quick to point out, however, that there is still more work to be done

with regard to the network.

Speaking to some of the investments made in the network over the past year, Dindyal said, “we had to essentially reorder the system,” in order to accommodate some of the technical components installed.

Speaking to some of the problems that GPL and its team would have to encounter, Dindyal pointed out that in excess of 40 megawatts of generating power is sited at a location that is not secure.

He was at the time

referencing the Garden of Eden, East Bank Demerara (EBD) power generating units, which he said can be seen, always, as a potential stabilizer in the network or equally, a potential source of trouble.

The GPL CEO also conceded that Guyana has what is described as an inertia system, meaning it is unable to withstand, “heavy shocks.”

He explained some more, by saying, “somebody hit a pole at a bad location, the entire system could collapse, the system is not resilient

enough, our machines are basically medium speed diesel engines; we don't have any heavy duty generating equipment that has the level of inertia to keep the system stable despite any major fault.”Speaking to future investments meant to remedy the state of affairs, Dindyal said, “…some of these things would be addressed in our development plan, where we are proposing to use equipment that would bring stability and security to the system.”

According to Dindyal, (Continued on page 22)

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Traffic cameras to replace speed guns - Govt.

The Government of Guyana has procured and commenced the testing of traffic monitoring cameras to detect speeding motorists, possibly marking the beginning of the end to the highly controversial practice of police-operated speed guns.

This was revealed by H.E. President, Dr. Irfaan Ali on Wednesday night during the Tourism Awards Gala held at Parc Rayne.

President Ali explained that “On the new highway that we are building, we are testing right now an electronic speed monitoring

system.”

The President pointed out that the cameras will register the speed a vehicle is moving at, and when a vehicle is operated at a speed beyond the legal limit the cameras will automatically take a photograph of the number plate and the vehicle.

“I'm giving you an early warning; your electronic ticket will be sent to the court a n d y o u r h o m e simultaneously. Good luck, Merry Christmas,” President Ali noted.

Dr. Ali added that he was particularly concerned with

how persons use the roadways.

He further explained that the objective is to create an environment that can prevent traffic accidents from occurring.

“We can't have madmen and women driving on the road,” Dr. Ali posited.

“So, we are going to take that away from the police, in the sense that they don't have to spend hours on the road anymore with a speed gun.”

“Sometimes, the way some of these people drive on the road, begs the question whether we even have an appreciation for our

An example of the traffic monitoring speeding cameras.

own lives, so we are going to invest in technology and the systems that will guide change. Unfortunately, we don't have the luxury of time to catch up anymore. We have to put the highest standards and everybody have to come up to speed with the standards without speeding,” the Head of State related.

Meanwhile, these cameras will help prevent the acts of corruption linked with lawmen, who take or solicit bribes from motorists against issuing them with tickets for speeding.

President Dr. Irfaan Ali

PS bribery file still with DPP -Police

T

he Ministry of Amerindian Affairs (MOAA) Permanent Secretary (PS), Sharon Hicks' bribery file is still with the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for almost a month now.

On October 7 last Hicks was caught in a police sting operation taking a bribe from a security services contractor, and she is yet to be officially charged for her unlawful action.

Police investigators sent back the file for a third time to the DPP chambers on November 15, 2021 and according to police investigators, the file still sits with the DPP. The PS was caught after the contractor became fed-up of her allegedly demanding a $200,000 kick-back just to sign off some invoices.

He notified police of her demands and a sting operation was set up. The man agreed to pay Hicks the cash and on the day the money was being handed over, he called in the police, and ranks were reportedly able to catch her redhanded.

She was immediately sent on leave to facilitate an investigation.

The PS that was caught red-handed collecting bribe, Sharon Hicks.

Kaieteur News had learnt that the PS had allegedly struck up a deal with the contractor's father, who was the former owner of the security services company.

The deal was that, in order for her to secure him a contract with the ministry, he had to give her a $200,000 kickback.

Unfortunately, he died and his son took over the company and did not know about the deal his father had made with the PS. When she started to demand money, he became furious, and decided to take action.As it relates to (Cotninued on page 22)

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30 women screened for cervical cancer during outreach at Bartica First Aid training in Session at the Bartica Secondary School on Saturday December 4, 2021

One of the US Civil Affairs team members lecturing attendees during the the Mental Health Resiliency training session.

By Shervin Belgrave

A

t least 30 women on Saturday December 4 turned up to be screened for cervical cancer during a minimedical outreach at the Bartica Secondary School in Region Seven.

The outreach was coordinated with the Chairman of Region Seven, Kenneth Williams, and conducted by the United States (U.S.) Civil Affairs team, the Central Islamic Organisation (CIOG), Guyana Medical Relief (GMR), and the Guyana Defence Force (GDF).

In November, the U.S. Civil Affairs team had visited several villages in Central Mazaruni to assess the medical needs of the villagers and identify a suitable place to hold a large scale medical outreach with its local partners.

The team had promised to return to the area to host a mini-outreach in Bartica before following-up with a mega one at Issano Mazaruni, in January, 2022.

On Saturday, December 4, the team fulfilled its promise and facilitated VIA (Visual Inspection with Acetic Acid) cancer screening for women of the Bartica community.

According to the Regional Chairman, Williams, “at least 30 women turned up to benefit from this service.

Leader of the U.S. Civil Affairs team, Aaron Staton had noted that their personal information was taken down and doctors will contact them with the results.

Between 2013 and 2017, cervical cancer was reportedly listed as the second most frequently diagnosed cancer in Guyana.

The Ministry of Health had revealed back then that, for that same period, Guyana had recorded some 185 c e r v i c a l c a n c e r- r e l a t e d deaths. It was reported, too, that most women that died from the disease are of African and East Indian decent.

However, it was noted that cases among Amerindian women have been on the increase.

Apart from educating and screening the women for cervical cancer the U.S. team had also conducted first aid and mental health resiliency training (a crash course on how to prevent persons from taking their own life) with government health workers and first responders stationed in Bartica and nearby communities Chairman Williams said (Continued on page 22)

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Decomposed body of missing father of one found hanging in WCB backdam Just two weeks ago, 25-year-old Rackesh Ramcharran of No.11 Village, West Coast Berbice went missing. His body was found in a decomposed state hanging from a tree with a yellow rope around his neck about 15 inches off the ground, aback the Woodley Park Village, West Coast Berbice Burial ground, police said.

Kaieteur News was informed that a cattle farmer on December 8th was grazing his cattle in the Woodley Park Burial Ground area, when he saw what appeared to be a man hanging from a tree. As a result he contacted the police.

The body was clad in long pants, a long sleeve black shirt and in an advanced state of decomposition.

When police arrived, the body was cut down and examined, but due to the state of decomposition, no marks of violence w e r e s e e n .

Ramcharran left his home on the

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morning of November 25th last. He left with his work haversack, slippers and the clothes on his back. However, after some time had elapsed and he did not return home, his wife and relatives became worried.

Devanand Ramcharran, father of the deceased said his other son told him on Wednesday that a body was found in the No.11 backdam. When he ventured to the area, the body was already cut down from the tree, but an ID card and bank card that were found on the body, possibly linked the remains to Rackesh Ramcharran.

The haversack he left home with was found near the body with a pack of cigarettes and a lighter inside.

The body is at the Bailey's funeral home awaiting a post mortem.

Ramcharran leaves his 5-year-old child, wife and other relatives to mourn his passing.

Local Govt.

Elections officially postponed

T

Rackesh Ramcharran

he holding of L o c a l Government Elections (LGE) has been officially postponed.

According to a Gazetted Order, which was signed by the Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, Nigel Dharamlall, the decision to gazette the postponement of the LGE is in keeping with the Local Authorities Elections Act. The information outlines that, although the law stipulates the holding of the LGE between specified periods this year, the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) has advised against it.

In respect to the Local Authorities Elections, the order detailed that the LGE is prescribed to be held during the period of November 1 and December 7, this year.

However, the information specified that the Minister, being satisfied on the advice of the elections commission, was of the position that it is impracticable to comply with the provisions of the Local Authorities Elections Act. This is relative to the date for the holding of an election to elect members of a local democratic organ and, hence, ordered that Local Government Elections for 2021 be postponed until a date to be specified in subsequent order.

In this regard, the order stipulates that “Every person who is a councilor including the Mayor, Deputy Mayor and the Chairman or Deputy Chairman during this prescribed period for the holding of elections shall continue in and discharge the functions of his office until his successor enters on the duties of this office.”

The order further stipulates that all acts done or purported to be done by such local democratic organ and the members including “the Mayor, the Deputy Mayor , the Chairman and the Deputy Chairman thereof who continue in office in consequence of provisions of this order shall be deemed to be lawfully and validly done and every such local democratic organ and members thereof, including the Mayor, the Deputy Mayor, the Chairman and Deputy Chairman shall be discharged and indemnified against all persons from all

Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, Nigel Dharamlall. legal proceedings in respect of or consequent on such acts.”

The order comes as GECOM continues its search for top electoral officials and makes key preparations to get the process underway.

Opposition-nominated GECOM commissioner, Vincent Alexander was quoted recently in another section of the media as saying that the local government polls which were scheduled for before the end of this year will likely not be held before the fourth quarter of 2022.

He noted that “it is virtually impossible” for GECOM to host LGE when it is due since its former CEO Keith Lowenfield and DCEO Roxanne Myers, who are before a City Magistrate's Court on various charges of misconduct during the 2020 general elections, were terminated by the vote of a majority of the Commission.

“The Minister [of Local Government and Regional Development] has to inform us [of] the date for the elections and for us to work towards that date. We may have done preparatory works — we should normally do preparatory work because we know the elections are to be called between November and December. Since the CEO left, nothing was done in preparation and as far as I know, we have not heard anything from the Minister, so it is virtually impossible for GECOM to be ready for the election at the end of November into December. So it is now a matter for the Minister and Parliament to determine,” Alexander had explained.

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Agri. Ministry to centralise extension department to improve services offered

Minister Zulfikar Mustapha engages a fisherman from the Three-Door Fishermen Coop-Society

The Ministry of Agriculture, in its efforts to improve services offered to farmers, will soon move to have a central extension department established at the ministry's head office.

This was disclosed by A g r i c u l t u r e M i n i s t e r, Zulfikar Mustapha last Wednesday during several outreaches in Regions Five and Six. While in Region Five, Minister Mustapha met with members of the Three-Door Fishermen Coop Society.

During the meeting, Minister Mustapha told fishermen that during a recent meeting with His Excellency, President Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali, the issue of low catches was raised and that the government is committed to ensuring an analysis was conducted to determine what is causing the low catches.

Minister Mustapha also told the fishermen that the Ministry will work to ensure they benefit from better infrastructure and utilities at the Coop's facility, which is located at D'Edward Village, Mahaica-Berbice.

After meeting with the fishermen, Minister Mustapha continued to

Region Six, where he met with farmers and residents from several parts of the region.

During the meetings, which were held at the Community Center Grounds in Canje and Albion, farmers from several villages raised concerns about not receiving regular visits from Extension Officers attached to the various agencies that fall under the ministry. One farmer, who cultivates along the Corentyne River told the minister that, prior to We d n e s d a y ' s m e e t i n g , Extension Officers were instructed to visit several farmers in the area but, to date, those visits had not been conducted.

After receiving several similar reports at both meetings, Minister Mustapha announced that, very soon, all Extension Officers from the various agencies will be placed under a central extension department. The Minister went on to explain that extension managers will be tasked with overseeing the operations of the department.

“I've been saying this over and over. Extension Officers have to ensure they work and are more

responsive to farmers' needs.

This is why we've decided to bring all of our Extension Officers under the Ministry of Agriculture; centrally.

We ' l l h a v e E x t e n s i o n Managers to manage them and they will have to submit weekly reports to the ministry. This is one of the steps that we are taking to revamp the ministry's Extension Department. This will also ensure our Extension Officers are more accountable and responsive,” Minister Mustapha said.

While highlighting other interventions that are scheduled to be put in place, Minister Mustapha also assured the farmers planting along the Corentyne River that a team comprising officers from the various agencies will visit them in the coming week to assist with their farming needs.

“I want to assure the Corentyne River farmers that you will receive the help that you are asking for, so that your farms can be restored.

The fishermen who are at the wharf at Albion, I made a commitment when I was here that we will build the road to help you to transport your catches from Albion to the

PNCR Executives agree to postpone Congress to December 18 The election process to select a new Chair of the Peoples National Congress Reform (PNCR) Party, formerly scheduled for tomorrow has been postponed to December 18, 2021.Kaieteur News understands that the decision was agreed upon by the Party's Central Executive Committee yesterday (Thursday).

In fact, the Party said in a brief statement that the decision was made “in the interest of ensuring transparency, democracy and fairness to all its members, delegates and officials”.

Prominent Lindener Sharma Solomon, former Attorney General, Basil Williams, and Peoples National Congress Reform founder member (PNC/R) Volda Lawrence, are among those, who have been nominated to contest for

leadership of the Party.

The official list of nominees to contest for the leadership post include, former Minister of State, under the coalition administration, Joseph Harmon, Aubrey Norton and Dr. Richard Van-West Charles. As it relates to the post of Party Chairman, those nominated include incumbent, Volda Lawrence, Gary Best, Shurwayne Holder, Amanza WaltonDesir, Roysdale Ford, Annette Ferguson, Aubrey Norton, Sharma Solomon, Ronald Bulkan, Christopher Jones, Richard Van-West Charles, Simona Broomes, Geeta Chandan, Dawn Hastings, Joseph Harmon and Mervyn Williams.

The incumbent Party Leader, David Granger, has failed to secure any nominations to lead the party.

The Congress will be for

delegates only, decentralized, and hybrid and will be conducted over one day at the Party's Congress Houses, and approved venues in the respective regions.

According to the PNC/R, the various Congress SubCommittees have been meeting and advancing their preparations for the Congress, “however, since the Accreditation Committee is the one which plays a central role in preparing the List of Delegates for the Congress, the Party considers it necessary to brief the press on the work it has done so far.”The party said, since its establishment, the Accreditation Committee has been functioning effectively and has met routinely and regularly to verify delegates based on submissions by party groups.

Fyrish area. That road is now in the tendering stage and a contract will be awarded shortly. We are also working to restore the pump that GuySuCo has in the area.

We've already awarded a contract to fix it. We also have additional pumps that

were brought to the Corentyne during the flood, and we also did a lot of emergency works to dams and other structures to minimise the intrusion of floodwaters during that period. Those pumps are still here,” Minister Mustapha

said.

Minister Mustapha also told residents with the establishment of the gas-toshore project, the Region will also benefit from a lot of economic activities resulting in a significant boost to the village economy.

Repeat offender remanded for allegedly setting fire to Soesdyke home

A

repeat offender, Ryan Chung, was remanded on Wednesday for allegedly setting fire to a Soesdyke home, owned by 36-year-old Owmattie Hussain.

Chung appeared before Principal Magistrate Judy Latchman at the Diamond/Golden Grove Magistrate's court.

The accused was arrested on December 5th and charged Wednesday 8th, 2021 with the offence of setting fire to the dwelling house located at Soesdyke, East Bank Demerara.

The charge, as laid under Section 140 of the Criminal Law (Offences) Act Chapter 8:01 was read to him and he pleaded not guilty.

He was remanded to prison and the matter has been adjourned until January 3, 2022 for filing of statements.

This publication previously reported earlier in June that Chung, and his accomplice, Anthony Maraj, were remanded for allegedly robbing an elderly woman in front of her Land of Canaan home.

Both men pleaded not guilty to the charge, which alleged that on May 25, at Land of Canaan, while armed with a gun, they robbed Desiree DeFreitas.

According to the facts, on the day in question, about 15:55hrs, DeFreitas was in her yard conversing with a relative via telephone, when

one of the men who was dressed in a Guyana Police Force (GPF) uniform invaded her premises.

The victim told police that she was sitting in a chair on the northern side of the yard when the man, in uniform and armed with a handgun, approached her demanding that she hand over her valuables.

She explained that he tried to force her into her house, but she resisted. A fight reportedly ensued, during which she received a lash to her head with his handgun.

According to the woman, before he escaped she was robbed of her Samsung Galaxy S9 cell phone.

Drunken man plunges to death

A

Montrose resident, S o l o m o n Sookram is now dead after he reportedly drowned on We d n e s d a y a f t e r n o o n , moments after showing some children how to swim.

According to police, the incident which left the 33year-old man's family in mourning, occurred sometime between 14:00hrs and 16:00hrs at a canal in Felicity Railway Embankment, East Coast Demerara.

Kaieteur News understands that the deceased would usually cut

grass at his father's cattle farm in the Felicity community, and would often consume alcohol before doing so.

On the day of the incident, around 14:30hrs, the police report stated that Sookram went to the area, in an intoxicated state and went into the canal to cut the grass.

“He began showing the children in the yard how to swim and he plunged in the canal, went under, and did not resurface,” the report revealed.

Noticing that Sookram was not resurfacing, a

neighbour immediately raised an alarm with his family, who went to the canal and began to search for him. Sookram's body was later recovered by family members, who tried to resuscitate him.

Police noted that upon their arrival, his body was examined for any marks of violence, but none were seen.

The man was officially pronounced dead by an EMT doctor on the scene.

His body is presently at the Memorial Gardens Funeral Home where it awaits a post mortem examination.

PAGE 22

Kaieteur News

Friday December 10, 2021

Renovated airport needs another...

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From page 2 commissioned at the airport, complete with an Instrument Landing System (ILS) touted to reduce flights diversion by 90 percent.

That aspect of the airport was completed at a cost of GY$518 million.

The airport was expected to be completed by December 31, 2021, but Minister Edghill said that, due to the constraints of shipping as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, works might not be completed until early 2022.

BACKGROUND The airport expansion

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Infrastructure, Jaipaul Sharma, had revealed that the contractor spent more on certain aspects of the project than was laid out in the contract.

However, he had not shared whether the contractor spent more than the contract sum.

Sharma further said that the former APNU+AFC government would have decided whether to penalise the company for “breach of contract.”

The previous government had also stated that it would not spend a cent more on the project, but that was not the

case as a change order seen by this newspaper indicated that the administration made at least one additional disbursement of GY$6.8M for the “extra time delay and costs for the prolongation of the project” by 807 days.

The order also indicated that it was a payment, not for the first, but the third claim made by the contractor. As the country awaits the completion of the project, which falls way below expectations, taxpayers are still obligated to repay a loan of US$138M to China, which forms part of the contract sum.

GPL unable to guarantee no 'black-outs'...

From page 12 “apart from overcoming the challenges of available generation, (and) available network capacity; we are looking to see where we can reorder the system so that its security is secure.”

GPL's Divisional Director of Operations, Harjohn, in responding specifically to the likelihood of power outages, reiterated the position of the CEO with regard the security of the system, and also cited as example a vehicular accident, involving one of the power company' main utility poles.

He was adamant, from a

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contract was signed in 2011 under then President, Bharrat Jagdeo, and was passed through the truncated presidency of Donald Ramotar.

When the David Granger administration took over in 2015, it said that the very defective plan needed adjustments.

The then Minister of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson, had said that upon assumption of office, the APNU+AFC administration found that only seven percent of the work was completed.

Even with the sub-standard work, former Junior Minister within the Ministry of Public

generation standpoint, there is enough reserve capacity, but there is another complication, meaning, the location of the generating capacity, compounded by the limited distribution lines.

Harjohn in adumbrating the position noted, as an example, the 46 MW generating capacity installed at Garden of Eden.

This, he said, has to be fed to the Sophia substation before being transmitted east along the ECD, to Berbice.

“So if our transmission line fails for some reason in bringing that power to the control centre to Sophia for distribution, we will have a challenge,” he said.

Highlighting the chal-

lenges relative to the transmission capacity, there are only two lines delivering power to Sophia, while there is only one to connect to Berbice.

As such, “if something should happen along that path there—for example on the L-16 transmission line from Sophia to Good Hope— if something should hit the pole along the railway embankment there, we will lose all power going up there; that's how unstable the system can be.”

Other reasons cited for possible power outages included sagging power lines that can connect during high winds and heavy rains.

The power company officials are nonetheless confi-

dent that, despite there being no guarantees in relation to power outages for the Christmas Holidays, there is sufficient base load generation capacity, and it would not be a case where the utility company would likely have to rent additional capacity, as had been done in previous years.

According to CEO Dindyal, “in terms of outages we don't see an exposure on the generation side, of course the network side, we can always have an exposure.”

He quipped “there is only so much we can do” and emphasized the need for emergency response teams to be in place should the need arise.”

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From page 16 that “roughly 40 individuals came for the training”.

These individuals were taught how to control massive bleeding with a tourniquet, airway management, treatment of burns, and splinting broken legs.

As it relates to the resiliency training, the attendees were guided on how to think positively when hardships

occur and setting effective goals.

The U.S. Civil Affairs Team Leader, Staton, pointed out that Guyana has a very high suicide rate and such resiliency trainings can help reduce the risk of this occurring.

Kaieteur News was told that the participants of the training session showed deep interest in the mental health related topics.

Some of them reportedly asked the team members to enlighten them on the best way to apply mental techniques in their daily lives.

The team plans to conduct more mental health resiliency training in communities across Guyana.

One such training session has already been scheduled for December 15 at Wakenaam, Region Three.

PS bribery file still with DPP...

From page 14 the investigation, the case file has been back and forth from the DPP to investigators. It took three weeks after the PS was caught for the DPP's Office to return the file to police for correction.

Investigators did their part, and on November 7 Kaieteur News was told that the file was sent back to the DPP for a second time.

In a later update, it was revealed that the file was sent back to investigators again for more corrections.

The police did as it was told, and on November 15 it was revealed that the file was sent back to the DPP for a third time, but that since then, they have been waiting, with the PS yet to be charged or appear before the courts.

Kaieteur News

Friday December 10, 2021

PAGE 23

Toshaos stipend to increase from $30k to $50k monthly Even though Toshaos in Guyana had begged the Government to increase their monthly stipend to be equivalent to, at least, that of a public servant's minimum wage, Government is processing only a $20,000 increase, which will take their monthly allocations to $50,000.

Kaieteur News understands that the increase is being processed by the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development.

Speaking with this newspaper, the Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs, Mr. Ryan Toolsiram, said, “I can confirm that it has been approved and the Region is processing the increase for Toshaos. They a r e To s h a o s , b u t i t (payments) come through the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development because the payment comes through the Region”.

The official could not say when the increase would take effect, but assured that the Government has been looking into the concerns previously highlighted.

Kaieteur News had first reported that the Village Leaders were seeking to be compensated with at least $70,000 monthly.

Village Toshao, Vivian Edwards complained in a letter that, “I think Toshaos deserve better than just a stipend. These men and

women, work tirelessly for their respective communities. Toshaos wear many caps and do the work of p e a c e o ff i c e r s , p o l i c e officers, councillors, receptionists, negotiators, forest rangers, managers of their respective communities, and the list g o e s o n . T h e Vi l l a g e Councils, which they head, are like an arm of many Ministries of the Government (Amerindian Affairs, Agriculture, Health), since they are expected to execute many plans of the Government”.

He added that these Amerindian Village Leaders should be treated with more respect as $30,000 per month does not suffice to pay expenses and put food on the table throughout the month.

The Toshaos Council presently has a 114-member body. It would have cost the Government just under $8million, on a monthly basis, to increase the Toshaos allowance to the $70,000 minimum wage.

Weighing in on the matter was former Toshao and Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly, Lennox Shuman who said that the Government simply does not value the work of Toshaos.

In fact, Shuman in an invited comment, reasoned that, “The President can increase his salary by $150,000 a month and Indigenous leaders are still stuck with a paltry $30,000. It shows where their priority is

at”.

He argued that when the PPP was in Opposition, they publicly criticized the former Coalition Government of increasing the Ministers' wages by 50 percent, yet “they have not done anything to repeal those raises”. In fact, he said that the Government has again significantly increased salaries to benefit themselves.

“I continue to appeal to the Government to look at Indigenous people in an inclusive manner and ensure that the Indigenous leaders get their fair compensation equal to the work they are expected to do,” he added.

In addition to this, the House Speaker said he believes that Indigenous leaders should be paid under the Indigenous Peoples Commission and not under any Minister.

In expressing his dissatisfaction over what he described as a paltry increase, Shuman said, “It simply shows that the Government does not value the work that Toshaos do”.

Head of State President Ali is guaranteed to collect some$1.8M more on his Christmas salary, as based on his $150,000 monthly i n c r e a s e .

This is versus the $4,900 monthly increase for minimum wage workers in the public system, amounting to a $58,000 increase in their C h r i s t m a s p a y, w h i c h accounts for their retroactive

3 companies bid to procure vehicles for Labour Ministry The companies bidding temporary location for a T h e N a t i o n a l Procurement and Tender are that of AM Trading landfill at Enterprise, Region A d m i n i s t r a t i o n B o a r d E n t e r p r i s e , B e h a r r y Six. The procuring entity for (NPTAB) office yesterday Automotive Limited, and this project is the Ministry of received three bids for the Massy Motors Guyana Local Government and procurement of vehicles, a Limited. On Thursday, Regional Development.

Below are the contract which falls under tenders were also opened for t h e p r e p a r a t i o n o f a companies and their bids: the Ministry of Labour.

Ministry of Labour- Board of Industrial Training Procurement of vehicles.

Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development Preparing of temporary location for accepting waste at Enterprise, East Canje, Region 6.

adjustments.

Minister of Finance, Dr. Singh on November 11 last had announced that public servants would be benefiting—in their December salary—from a seven percent increase, retroactive to January.

There was no pay increase the previous year.

A government minister, earning $869,000, will now receive an increase of $60,830 to his or her monthly salary, with the signing of the order by Dr. Ashni Singh.

Meanwhile, Toshaos have been complaining of the difficulties they face in keeping food on their tables, in the midst of a pandemic and the burdensome increase in the overall cost of living.

Toshao Vivian Edwards in his letter to this newspaper presented the issue this way, “The duties and responsibilities of a community leader are far more than one can imagine and I feel it has been too long that Toshaos are being neglected in this area. To

make matters even worse, most Toshaos are family men and women. How can someone do all this work and still manage to provide for their families sufficiently with thirty thousand? We do encounter expenses for our school children; we have family obligations which all require money to get done”.

“The festive season is upon us and just imagine our Toshaos spending thirty thousand dollar to meet the needs of their families,” the Toshao added.

Guyana's COVID-19 death toll moves to 1,014 - Five unvaccinated persons succumb The Ministry of Health yesterday reported that five more unvaccinated persons who contracted the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) disease, have died. As a result of this, the country's COVID-19 death toll has moved to 1,014.

According to the Ministry the fatalities are that of four unvaccinated men and an unvaccinated woman who all died over a two-day period (December 8 to 9), while receiving treatment at a medical facility. The persons who died are that of a 58-year-old woman from Region Four, and four men, a 61-year-old from Region Four, a 58-yearold from Region Five, a 79year-old and 71-year-old from Region Two. Meanwhile, in its daily COVID-19 dashboard, the Health Ministry recorded 69 new cases, taking the total number of confirmed cases to 38,402.The dashboard also shows that there are 14 patients admitted into the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit (ICU), 47 persons in institutional isolation, 822 in home isolation and 1 in institutional quarantine.

To date, a total of 36,505 persons have recovered from the virus.

PAGE 24

Kaieteur News

Friday December 10, 2021

Kaieteur News

Friday Friday December October 29, 10, 2021 2021

PAGE 25

New Power of Attorney law to include stiffer penalties…

$5 million fine, imprisonment for fraudsters The Deeds Registry Act is expected to be amended to include stiffer penalties to guard against fraud using a Power of Attorney.

This comes months after Attorney General (AG) Anil Nandlall, SC, promised to strengthen legislation to protect property owners from fraud; the amendments to existing laws are complete and have been published in the Official Gazette.

It is expected to be tabled in Parliament during a sitting in December 2021 and subsequently debated. The amendments propose changes to the Deeds Registry Act and the Powers of Attorney Act. Nandlall said recently that the government has recognised based on evidence, that powers of attorney are among the instruments used to perpetrate these frauds.

He assured that there will be a more stringent process altogether, to guard against the theft of immovable property.

Fraudsters in recent years have been forging documents and selling the properties of others, unbeknownst to them.

As a result, the Government wants to make it harder to grant a power of attorney, a document that is often used in the transfer of properties.

The new law will require both parties to appear before a Notary Public either here, or overseas, and they will have to provide several types of identification information.

According to the AG, the amendment will require the donor and the donee to each provide two photograph identification documentsidentification card, valid passport or driver's licencethat establish their identity.

The law would also now require certified and sealed or stamped copies of the photograph identification documents, and a separate witness statement, where the donor executed the power outside of Guyana, must be attached to the power of attorney and filed with the Deeds Registry.

This would now be accepted as evidence in any suit, action or other proceeding, states the explanatory memorandum.

When passed by the National Assembly and signed into law by the President, the law will also allow for anyone who certifies or propounds any false statement or document, or who fraudulently with intent to deceive, conceals or withholds or perverts any fact or document pertaining to a power of attorney commits an offence, can be fined $5 million and imprisoned for five years.

Back in March, Nandlall had promised that, while there may be loopholes in the law and systems that allow for the unlawful activities, the lack of adequate due diligence by citizens and their attorneys also plays a role in the success of these property schemes.

The AG said that one of

the main reasons that fraud is happening is due to the inaccessibility of the Official Gazette.

As such, he said that steps would be taken to make the gazette more accessible to the public.

“The Office of the President cannot be the only place of which the Official Gazette can be purchased.

The Office of the President is not accessible to all members

of the public and the aura and environment of the Office of the President is one that can be intimidating… to many persons,” Nandlall said, adding that there is no reason why the Official Gazette cannot be accessible at Regional Democratic Councils (RDCs) and Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDCs), Post Offices, or even popular stores and shops across the

country.

He said that the Official Gazette, for instance, is essential to the sale and transfer of properties.

As such, the AG announced that steps will be taken to have the Official Gazette published online.

He suggested that this could be a method of protecting citizens and their properties against fraudulent activities.

Attorney General (AG) Anil Nandlall, SC.

PAGE 26

Kaieteur News

Friday December 10, 2021

Friday December 10, 2021

Kaieteur News

PAGE 27

GAPLF unable to compete at South American C/Chips in Ecuador

T

eam Guyana will be unable to compete at the South American Powerlifting Championship (FESUPO) set to commence on December 7 in Ecuador.

The Guyanese athletes were fine tuning preparation for the championships and a lot was expected of them, however they will be unable to display the fruits of their labour a statement from the GAPLF has indicated.

Below is statement by the GAPLF: The Guyana Amateur Powerlifting Federation (GAPLF) is unable to participate in the 25th annual FESUPO Classic powerlifting Championship slated for 7th to 12th of December in Guayaquil, Ecuador.

This is as a result of the

GAPLF inability to mobilise the resources needed to cover the cost of the Team’s participation.

The GAPLF wishes to assure its sponsors, supporters and the public that Team Guyana was prudently selected, well prepared, ready and eager to proudly represent the Golden Arrowhead as they have in the past.

Each team member was positioned to medal in their respective categories.

Our non-participation means that Guyana will be unable to defend the medals it won in various categories in 2019.

In spite of this setback, the GAPLF will continue its work to afford its athletes merited regional and international competitive exposure.

The GAPLF wishes to ex-

press its appreciation to those sponsors who reposed confidence in Team Guyana and committed their material support.

Unfortunately, we were unable to meet the threshold to ensure minimum in travel and accommodation.

The Federation is now focused on the National Seniors Championship scheduled for 19th December, where all indicators point to a very competitive championship.

Those that were set to represent Guyana at the championship were Nadina Taharally, Franklyn BrisportLuke, Nairanjan Singh, Carlos Petterson-Griffith, Wasim Mohamed, Gordon Spencer, Roger Rogers, Romario Gonsalves, Paul Adams and Williams Bjorn.

Homeward...

Friday December 10, 2021 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) This is a positive day. You feel calm and balanced and more tolerant than usual of the mercurial moods and passions of others.

TAURUS (Apr. 20–May 20) You're going to feel deeply connected with your life today. The atmosphere is clear, letting you see all the progress you've made toward your goals. You'll feel great satisfaction, as you always do when you can clearly see the meaning in your life.

GEMINI (May 21–June 20) You'll be very charming today.

Your seductive powers will be at their maximum, and be most intense in your professional life.

CANCER(June21–July22) ou're in the process of learning how to dream again.

These last few months have been hard because your possibilities have felt limited.

LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) Today you're likely to get a nice surprise in a relationship, especially in your private life.

Your companions may show their appreciation through some surprising act.

VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) This is the kind of day that makes luck come your way, especially where relationships are concerned. Perhaps a friend will introduce you to an exceptional person who helps fulfill your professional fantasies.

LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) If the atmosphere has been tense for the last few days, you may notice that things are significantly improved today.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) Are you determined to win the affections of a special person? Have you devoted a great deal of energy to that goal lately? Are you interested in reenergizing your marriage? Today is extremely auspicious for love.

SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) Take advantage of today to spend quality time in the cozy little nest you and your family enjoy so much. It's a happy, home-sweet-home kind of day.

CAPRI(Dec.22–Jan.19) The day is good for people with curiosity and imagination - including you! Since you're not exactly in tip-top emotional shape, you'll be especially grateful for the gifts today brings.

AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18) You may have been gloomy lately, but today should restore your good spirits.

PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) our radiance and brilliance upstage everyone else today. You're a star! Your wish is anyone's command.

The people around you may be counting on you to be their leader.

From page 29 World Cup Qualifiers, ICC announced that the West Indies Women along with Pakistan Women and Bangladesh Women secured the final three qualification spots for the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup by virtue of the existing ICC Women’s ODI rankings. The ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup will be played in New Zealand from March 4 to April 3, 2022.

Windies Over-50...

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Anyone interested in contributing can contact Beharry on 623-6875 or Kishan Das on 1-718-664-0896.

PAGE 28

Friday December 10, 2021

Kaieteur News

National Senior Bodybuilding C/Ships returns next Sunday after 2-year hiatus The Guyana Bodybuilding and Fitness Federation (GBBFF) has collaborated with its partners to bring to the hardworking athletes, the bodybuilding and fitness fraternity, and the entire Guyana its first Seniors Bodybuilding Championships for 2021 – set for next Sunday at the National Cultural Center on Homestretch Avenue.

The GBBFF has written to

the COVID-19 Task Force for permission to have an in-person audience for the competition, and it has been suggested that the GBBFF should implement the same guidelines and protocols that were used for the hosting of the Sports Conference, along with making it compulsory that, upon entry, attendees present their vaccination cards to substantiate that

they have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

Permission has already been granted for use of the National Cultural Centre and on competition day, all athletes, backstage personnel, and executives of the GBBFF are expected to abide by all COVID-19 protocols as gazetted by the Ministry of Health.

On-stage athletes would be required to stand 6 feet apart

from each other, while backstage athletes would be required to wear their masks and maintain the mandatory physical distancing.

Judges would be seated 6 feet from each other, and would be required to wear their masks.

On the night of the competition, there would be about 30 athletes competing in the 3 different segments of competition.

These are: 1.

Bodybuilding; 2.

Bikini; and 3. Men’s Physique An official list of athletes will be revealed

next Thursday and so far the preliminary list of those athletes includes Darious Ramsammy, Christina Ramsammy, Rosanna Fung, Nicolas Albert, Emmerson Campbell, Yannick Grimes, Colin Chesney, Marlon Bennet, Lyndon Kennedy, Brian Singh, Odel CrumEwing, Ashanti Conway, Gale Karim, Jonathan Jeffery, Julio Sinclair, Ronaldo Caldera and Joel Caldera.

This competition, the first Senior Bodybuilding and Fitness Championships to be held since 2019, has so far attracted financial support of the National Sports Commission, Fitness Express, and several other business entities and individuals.

Kerwin Clarke

Trophy Stall Christmas Badminton Tournament starts Monday

Mr. Victor Sunich (left), brother of Proprietor Ramesh Sunich, makes the presentation to National & International Badminton Champion Narayan Ramdhani.

The Trophy Stall Christmas Badminton Tournament will serve off next week Monday, December 13, 2021 at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall, Homestretch Avenue.

Last Saturday, representative of Trophy Stall Victor

Sunich, handed over the trophies to National and International Badminton Champion Narayan Ramdhani, which will be presented to the winning players next Friday.

The business has been a long-standing supporter of

the sport over the years.

This year’s tournament will see players facing off in open doubles and mixed doubles games from 17:00hrs to 21:00 hrs on December 13 and 15 with the finals set for December 17, 2021.

Friday December 10, 2021

PAGE 29

Kaieteur News

Team Daniels table tennis, football and softball tourney set for December 19 Team Daniels under the leadership of veteran cricket coach Forbes Daniels continues to give young athletes opportunities to hone their skills.

The team has not only been conducting coaching sessions for young cricketers in the area, but they have been providing a pathway for athletes in other sporting disciplines to develop their trade.

Coach Daniels along with other members of the organisation with assistance from his family is currently working on an indoor facility at Zorg, Essequibo Coast.

The facility is expected to house cricket indoor coaching and seminars during the rainy season and table tennis among other indoor sports.

The project is being funded by the Daniels family and Forbes Daniels explained that due to the limited fund-

The building which is expected to housed indoor sports under construction at Zorg.

Youths practicing their trade at the indoor facility which is still under construction at Zorg.

ing the project will take longer than expected to be completed.

“We are using funds from my wife and children savings.

One of our aims is to produce rounded athletes and we are hoping that with this

project coming on stream, athletes will be motivated even more,” he added. Team Daniels will be staging a table tennis, 5-a-side beach football and softball cricket as well as an athletic meet on December 19

Homeward bound for West Indies Women’s Squad after lengthy COVID-19 hold up ST JOHN’S, Antigua – The West Indies Women squad will begin their journey home from Oman starting today, December 10, after quarantining in Oman for 11 days.

The quarantine requirement followed the cancellation of the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) Women’s Cricket World Cup qualification tournament in Zimbabwe where the West Indies Women had already successfully begun their qualification pursuit with an early victory.

New and more severe global restrictions against travelers from a number of African countries, including Zimbabwe, forced the ICC to abandon the tournament prematurely, and to send competing teams home as quickly as possible.

The squad was flown to Oman by an ICC private charter, with a short stopover in Namibia, along with eight other international squads.

Oman was used as a staging area for the West Indies Women’s squad while they awaited an available route home.

Cricket West Indies (CWI) CEO Johnny Grave expressed CWI’s gratitude to the ICC and Oman Cricket for safely assisting and accommodating the West Indies team.

Grave said: “We are pleased to confirm that the West Indies Women’s squad

at Zorg. Funds raised from the proceedings will go towards the project.

Daniels said that the youths have shown a keen interest in sports and as such he wants to ensure that sports development remains

a priority in the area.

“These sessions can help to prepare athletes for higher levels competitions and can also contribute to the well being of the society,” he stated.

Cricket sessions continue

daily under the guidance of Anthony Adams, Debra Daniels and Nathan Persaud.

Recently, the Nexgen Golf Academy donated a quantity of golf clubs and balls to the committee.

FIA’s Masi sends out collision warning ahead of F1 title showdown

Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton in action at the start of the race. (REUTERS/Mike Blake)

Johnny Grave

Courtney Walsh

will soon be making their way back home. We want to thank them for their patience and understanding as we worked with our counterparts at the ICC and Oman Cricket to facilitate their return at the earliest opportunity. We want to express our appreciation to the ICC, Oman Cricket and our operations team, who have worked tirelessly to ensure everyone was comfortable, and remained safe.”

Head Coach Courtney Walsh said: “The team is relieved by the good news that we will be home with our families before Christmas. The sudden cancellation of the Qualifiers and transition period in Oman has been mentally taxing on the entire team, both for the players and management staff. As a manage-

ment group, we tried to ensure that the players remained in a positive frame of mind.

Our Strength and Conditioning Coach created a fitness challenge for all of us to participate in for the duration of the quarantine period, as it was something to take our minds off what was happening. I must say thanks to our Team Manager, the ICC and Oman Cricket, for all their logistical work, in ensuring we’re on our way home as quickly as possible.”

The players and team management are expected to arrive at their various West Indian home territories over the course of the next few days.

Following the termination of the ICC Women’s Cricket (Continued on page 27)

(Reuters) - Formula One drivers could face suspension or lose all their points for driving in an unsportsmanlike manner, race director Michael Masi has warned ahead of Sunday’s title-deciding battle at the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Mercedes Lewis Hamilton, 36, and his 24-year-old Red Bull rival Max Verstappen head into the floodlit finale at the Yas Marina track level on points but Verstappen ahead 9-8 on wins, which would make him champion if both fail to score.

The pair have collided three times this season, including at the last race in Saudi Arabia, raising concerns about a thrilling season ending with a collision.

However, outlining the articles of the sport’s International Sporting Code relating to “unsportsmanlike” conduct and the penalties for

such behaviour , Masi sent a clear warning that such a scenario could result in severe consequences.

“In particular I would like to remind you of the following articles detailed below,” the Australian said in his event notes on Thursday.

He singled out Article 12.2.1l which deals with “any infringement of the principles of fairness in competition, behaviour in an unsportsmanlike manner or attempt to influence the result of a competition in a way that is contrary to sporting ethics.”

Masi also mentioned Article 12.4.5 which covers penalties stewards could impose including “suspension for one or more competitions, withdrawal of points for the championship, cup, challenge, trophy, series.”

Verstappen, in particular, has drawn scrutiny for his

uncompromising wheel-towheel racing.

Stewards took a dim view of his defensive tactics against Hamilton in Jeddah and found him predominantly at fault for triggering the collision, handing him two time penalties totalling 15 seconds.

After the race in Jeddah, 1996 world champion Damon Hill told Sky Sports the governing FIA needed to warn Verstappen and Hamilton of the consequences should a collision between them decide the title. “There is a precedent that was set in the championship in 1997 where (Michael) Schumacher’s points were taken away from him,” he said.

“So if we do have a (collision) situation, I think the FIA should make the teams and drivers know in advance what they are likely to do.”

PAGE 30

Friday December 10, 2021

Kaieteur News

Rapid-fire Head century puts Australia in firm command AFP - Travis Head blasted a rapid-fire century to crush England hopes on the second day of the opening Ashes Test at the Gabba yesterday.

At the close of play Australia were 343-7, a lead of 196 on England’s dismal first-innings total of 147.

Head was on 112 from only 95 balls, alongside Mitchell Starc, who was notout 10.

England had threatened a comeback after tea when Ollie Robinson took two wickets in consecutive balls, but Head’s aggressive innings put paid to any hopes of a miracle recovery.

Head came to the crease with Australia 189-3 after Steve Smith edged Mark Wood to keeper Jos Buttler just before tea.

He then watched David Warner (94) and Cameron Green depart to Robinson’s accurate seamers after the break, with Australia still only 89 runs ahead.

But the 27-year-old Head attacked from the outset and was particularly harsh on spinners Jack Leach and Joe Root.

He smashed two sixes and 12 boundaries in his century, his third overall and his first since the Boxing Day Test

Travis Head celebrates reaching his century • Dec 08, 2021 © Getty Images against New Zealand in 2019.

Leach, 1-95 from 11 overs, failed to assert any control and with Ben Stokes also struggling for fitness, skipper Root had to rely heavily on his three-man seam attack.

Earlier, Warner rode his luck in the first two sessions.

The gritty opener was bowled by a no-ball by Stokes before lunch, then dropped by Rory Burns in the first over after the break, before Haseeb Hameed bungled

a simple run-out when Warner was on 60.

Warner’s good fortune began in the opening session when Stokes bowled him when he was on 17, but the all-rounder had overstepped to give the Australian opening batsman a reprieve.

It later transpired that technology issues were at the centre of the no-ball drama.

Television replays showed that Stokes had also overstepped on the first three balls of his over, but nothing was called.

That led to suggestions that had he been called earlier by the umpires, he would have adjusted his run-up and Warner’s prized wicket — on Stokes’s fourth delivery — may have stood.

Cricket Australia later said the technology that TV umpires use to help check noballs was not working.

- Dangerous pace England needed to take all their chances to keep their hopes of salvaging anything from the first Test after their disastrous start on Wednesday, when they were bowled out in just 50.1 calamitous overs.

They started well when Robinson claimed his first Ashes wicket, Marcus Harris,

French minister says no diplomatic boycott for Beijing Olympics PARIS, (Reuters) - France will not follow the lead of some other Western governments and launch a diplomatic boycott of the Winter Olympics in Beijing although human rights abuses in China must be condemned, the education minister said yesterday.

The United States, Canada, Australia and Britain all said this week that their government officials will not attend the Games in order to send China a message over its human rights record.

“As for a diplomatic boycott...France will not do it,” Education Minister JeanMichel Blanquer said on BFM TV. “Sports is a world in itself, which must be protected from political interference.”Sports Minister Roxana Maracineanu would attend the Beijing Olympics, he said. But he said it was right that violations of human rights in China be condemned.French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian was more guarded and said Paris should take a common stand with other European

A staff member holds a safety lantern of the Olympic flame for the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, during a ceremony of the flame exhibition tour at Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications in Beijing, China December 9, 2021. (REUTERS/Carlos Garcia Rawlins) Union capitals.Speaking at a joint news conference with new his German counterpart Annalena Baerbock in Paris, Le Drian said there was a need for a common European position on the issue of a diplomatic boycott of the Games in Beijing. Baerbock also called for the EU to adopt a joint stance.She said the case of Chiese tennis player Peng Shuai, whose whereabouts have become a matter of in-

ternational concern following her allegations of being sexually assaulted by a former vicepremier of China.“When a woman raises such a reproach, it needs to be heard in an international context. We need to pursue the case and come to a common answer,” Baerbock said during her first trip abroad as foreign minister.Paris is due to host the summer Olympic Games in 2024.

David Warner fell to Ollie Robinson for 94 • Dec 08, 2021 © AFP/Getty Images with the score on 10.

England had gone into the Test without veteran seamers Jimmy Anderson and Stuart Broad, surprising many, including Australian captain Pat Cummins.

But the seam attack of Robinson, Chris Woakes and the outright pace of Wood were able to keep the Australian batters pinned down early on with some tight and accurate bowling.

Robinson was particularly dangerous and made the breakthrough when he en-

ticed Harris to play forward to a ball that left him slightly, the Australian opener edging to second slip, where Dawid Malan took a good low catch.

Warner and Marnus Labuschagne consolidated but late in the second session Labuschagne sliced an attempted cut off Leach to Wood at backward point to fall for 74.

Soon after Wood, who bowled with real pace all day, gave England some cheer when he removed the dangerous Smith — so often

England’s tormentor — in the penultimate over of the second session.

When Warner slapped a short Robinson ball to Stokes at short cover after tea and then Green shouldered arms and was bowled next ball, England must have had some belief. But that was soon quashed by Head’s swashbuckling innings.

Scores: Australia 343 for 7 (Head 112*, Warner 94, Labuschagne 74, Robinson 3-48) lead England 147 by 196 runs.

Heavy security as West Indies gives Pakistan cricket boost AFP - The West Indies cricket team arrived in Pakistan yesterday for a visit which local officials hope will scotch bitter memories of a New Zealand tour abandoned on security grounds.

The Windies will play three Twenty20 and three one-day internationals — all in the port city of Karachi — starting Monday, their first visit since 2018. A Pakistan official said a 26-member party had flown to Karachi early Thursday before being escorted by heavy security to the team hotel.

The series comes three months after New Zealand quit their first tour to the country in 18 years shortly before the opening match was due to start following a security alert.

That was followed by England’s decision to withdraw visits by their men’s and women’s teams scheduled for October. Pakistan offi-

cials were furious with the cancellations, arguing security measures were lock-tight.

The cricket-mad nation endured a long spell without a visit from an international team following a terror attack on a bus carrying the Sri Lankan team in Lahore in 2009.

Pakistan were forced to play their home international matches abroad — mostly in the United Arab Emirates — until 2015, when normal service tentatively resumed.

This West Indian squad is somewhat understrength, with regulars Evin Lewis, Shimron Hetmyer, Andre Russell and Lendl Simmons all opting out for personal reasons. Former skipper Jason Holder is being rested, while Fabian Allen and Obed McCoy are out because of injuries. Last week Captain Kieron Pollard also withdrew through a hamstring injury, leaving the Twenty20 leadership to Nicholas Pooran and

ODIs to Shai Hope. Four players — Akeal Hosein, Sheldon Cottrell, Dominic Drakes and Odean Smith – were to join the team later yesterday. The three T20Is are on December 13, 14 and 16, while the ODIs will be on December 18, 20 and 22.

T20I squad: Nicholas Pooran (captain), Shai Hope, Darren Bravo, Roston Chase, Sheldon Cottrell, Dominic Drakes, Akeal Hosein, Brandon King, Kyle Mayers, Gudakesh Motie, Romario Shepherd, Odean Smith, Oshane Thomas, Hayden Walsh Jr, Rovman Powell ODI squad: Shai Hope (captain), Nicholas Pooran, Darren Bravo, Shamarh Brooks, Roston Chase, Justin Greaves, Akeal Hosein, Alzarri Joseph, Gudakesh Motie, Anderson Phillip, Raymon Reifer, Romario Shepherd, Odean Smith, Hayden Walsh Jr, Devon Thomas

Friday December 10, 2021

Kaieteur News

PAGE 31

Five more youth cricketers honoured under BCB/Adana Homes CSEC Awards Programme

The Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) ongoing effort to promote the importance of education took another giant step forward when the board hosted the second edition of the BCB/ Adana Homes CSEC Awards. Five youth cricketers on Wednesday last received a financial award of twenty thousand for their outstanding performances at the 2021 CSEC. The students who received the financial award were Jeremy Sandia, Christopher Deroop, Z e y m u l R a m s a m m y, Shelton Ramsay, Roland Fullerton and Zeymul Ramsammy. Another youth cricketer Vettori Lathman received his award earlier from the BCB when the Upper Corentyne Cricket Association hosted its Annual General Meeting late last month at the Skeldon Community Centre.

President of the BCB Hilbert Foster stated that his administration has placed

special emphasis on the educational careers of its players because he strongly believes that it is the foundation of a successful life. Foster, who is also a Vice president of the Guyana Cricket Board, stated that just one percentage of active players would develop into professional cricketers and as such it was important for the others to have an educational background to fall back on.

He urged the awardees to seek other ways to improve themselves and committed the board to supporting in any way possible. The main objectives of the scheme, the President stated was to encourage cricketers to make education a priority in life, to identity role models for others to emulate and to make players better thinkers of the game.

The board over the last four years under Foster leadership has provided educational grants to

BCB Competition Chairman Leslie Solomon (2nd right) poses with the five awardees after the presentation. hundreds of youths to assist them in their pursuits of education, while over three hundred cycles were also distributed to less fortunate students to assist them to attend school. Additionally, close to one thousand youths have received school bags

and educational material and the BCB also handed out its first ever University of Guyana Scholarship.

Foster, who would be seeking re-election on the 19th of December at the BCB Annual General Meeting, stated that the pro

education campaign would be expanded in 2022, while several major cricket development projects would be unveiled in the near future as the board strives to take the game to a higher level.

He also expressed thanks to Mr. Satishwar Persaud and

Adana Homes for their support of the Scheme. Mr. Persaud is an overseas based Guyanese who is actively involved in the promotion of the game in his adopted home, Canada. Adana Home is one of the leading real estate businesses in Canada.

Kaieteur News

PAGE 32

Friday December 10, 2021

Junior PanAm Games (Squash)

Fire Side Grill N Chill on board with GFF, K&S football

Y

esterday Fire Side Grill N Chill Restaurant

of 139 Garnett Street, Newtown Kitty came on board with the Guyana

Football Federation (GFF) and Kashif and Shanghai (K&S) Super 16 Cup yearend

football extravaganza.

The business entity that provides a wide array of

exotic cuisine of both local and international taste and standard became the latest to

offer sponsorship for the major football tournaments set to get underway this weekend.

GFF President Wayne Forde noted that, “The GFF is thrilled with the overwhelming support of corporate Guyana, and wishes to express gratitude to Fire Side Grill for coming on board for this year's GFFK&S SUPER 16 CUP. We are very grateful that even after experiencing difficulties associated with the devastating impact of the Covid19 pandemic, companies have joined us in recognizing the importance of the return of football.”

Football activities like most other sports were missing from the local landscape since last year and many players and fans have been anticipating a return once the situation changes in relation to the Covid19 pandemic.

M r. F o r d e a n d c o organiser Aubrey 'Shanghai' Major were on hand yesterday at the company's head office to receive the sponsorship, which was done

by Ms. Shania David of behalf of Fire Side Grill N Chill and Managing Director Simeon Francis who was present.

The GFF-K&S Super 16 Cup is scheduled to be held over the period December 12 – January 1, the GFF Women's Super 16 Festival 2021 to be held over the period December 11 – January 2 and the GFF-K&S Futsal Championship to be held over the period December 14 – January 8.

Games will be played in venues across the country, including in Georgetown, Buxton, St Cuthbert's Mission, Providence, Leonora, Linden, New Amsterdam, Bartica, and Essequibo.

The full Covid19 protocols will be in effect at all venues as only vaccinated fans will be allowed to witness games.

The GFF held vaccination exercises in collaboration with the Ministry of Health to ensure their players and officials and fans could be vaccinated recently.

Friday December 10, 2021

Kaieteur News

PAGE 33

'Cricket gear for young and promising Cricketers in Guyana'

Windies Over-50 batsman Sahadeo latest to contribute Former Port Mourant Opening batsman and Captain, Rajendra Daniel Sahadeo, is the latest person to contribute to project: 'Cricket Gear for Young and Promising Cricketers in Guyana'.

A current West Indies Over50 player, Sahadeo represented Berbice at the Senior Level and Guyana at the U-19 level on the 1988 tour to Barbados when he replaced fellow Berbician Randolph Latcha, who took

Rajendra Sahadeo

ill during the team's Camp at the Water Christ Hotel in the City.

The stylish right-hander donated one cricket bat, a pad and arm guard. The Florida based Sahadeo is a former classmate of Anil Beharry at Lower Corentyne Secondary School, a class that also produced National players David Fingal and Nyeem Baksh.

The gear will be used for distribution for this initiative which is a joint effort by

Kishan Das of the USA and Beharry of Guyana.

The organizers thanked Sahadeo for his contribution who responded that he is happy to be part of this project and give back to the youths in the country of his birth.

Their aim is to provide Cricket gear free of cost for young and talented cricketers in Guyana. The

project is seeking new and used cricket gear which will be distributed across the length and breadth of Guyana.

Total cricket related items collected so far: $40,000 cash, two cricket boots, twelve pairs of batting pads, fifteen bats, nine pairs of batting gloves, one thigh pad, one arm guard and four cricket bags.

Nineteen young players from Essequibo Coast, Pomeroon and the East Canje area and Lower East Coast, Berbice have already benefited from a junior gear bag, eight bats, six pairs of batting pads and six pairs of batting gloves. Two clubs in Pomeroon also benefited from two used bats. Rose Hall Estate CC was the recipient of a set of stumps

and bails.

Talent spotting is being done across Guyana along with guidance from club leaders to identify the players. Players must be in school and disciplined.

Players above school age will also be considered.

Das and Beharry thanked Imran and Javed Khan of We s t I n d i a n S p o r t s (Continued on page 27)

Heavy security as West Indies gives Pakistan cricket boost

National Senior Bodybuilding...

GBBFF Senior Bodybuilding Championships returns on December 18th

West Indies wicketkeeper Nicholas Pooran will lead the T20 side in Pakistan. (AFP/Indranil Mukherjee)

C/Ships returns next Sunday after 2-year hiatus

nd

GFF Boss Wayne Forde (2 left) collects the sponsorship from Shania David in the presence of (from left) Aubrey 'Shanghai' Major and Managing Director Simeon Francis.

Fire Side Grill N Chill on board with GFF, K&S football

Rapid-fire Head Trophy Stall Christmas century puts Badminton Tournament Australia in starts Monday firm command Printed and published by National Media & Publishing Company Ltd., 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown. Tel: 225-8458, 225-8465, 225-8491 or Fax: 225-8473/226-8210.