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AIETEUR Speaker bars debate NEWS

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

Wednesday Edition December 15, 2021 - Vol. 14 No.48

on economic analysis of Gas-to-Shore project

Online: www.kaieteurnews.com Online Price $80 readership yesterday, 82,427

…tells Patterson not obligated to give reasons

Govt. prints $200B debt for future generations …decision taken to clear ‘illegal’ $163.3B overdraft - AG Report finds The protest continues for change to ExxonMobil’s contract.

Murder suspect captured; ganja found in prison’s chicken pen Ombudsman’s Office without investigators - manages to resolve 37 of 87 cases in two years

New GECOM CEO sworn in US$50M agro-processing facility for Enmore

Guyana lost $137B to oil companies in 2020 ...tax exemptions will continue to balloon unless policy is changed – GRA Boss When you got leaders with 2% brain, what do you expect to get, 200%? No, you will get 2% buddy because is only 2% brain they have. You get 2% royalty, 2% insurance and yuh get a 2% - 50/50 profit sharing. @11:00hrs on Kaieteur Radio 99.1/99.5FM

Kaieteur News

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Wednesday December 15, 2021

Speaker bars debate on economic analysis of Gas-to-Shore project …tells Patterson not obligated to give reasons

Shadow Oil and Gas Minister, David Patterson

S

peaker of the National Assembly, Manzoor Nadir has thrown out a request by opposition Member of Parliament (PM), David Patterson, to debate certain environmental impacts from the proposed Gas-toShore Project, as well as the cost analysis of the initiative, when compared to alternative power generating options.

Patterson, who is also the Shadow Oil and Gas Minister in the Opposition benches, told this publication in an invited comment, that the motion was submitted by him since October last and was seconded by his colleague opposition member, Khemraj Ramjattan of the Alliance for Change (AFC).

In documents seen by this publication, Patterson was informed by the Clerk of the

National Assembly, Sherlock Isaacs on November 29, 2021, that in accordance with Standing Order No. 27 (2)(b), the Speaker has altered his motion.

The correspondence outlined that one of Patterson’s clause in his motion was rephrased to read, “And Whereas it is unclear whether any investigation or study has been conducted to understand the environmental and safety risks from pipeline leaks and ruptures that may be caused by defective construction, aging, corrosion, seabed landforms, mudslides, hurricanes, faults, fractures, and seismic activities such as earthquakes and volcanoes.”

Additionally, Patterson said, he was informed that three other clauses from his proposed motion had been removed, along with the request for an economic analysis, including the total estimated project cost and alternatives covering energy mix, and phased approaches.

One such omitted clause, was seeking discussions on gas leakages and exposures in the marine environment, which have shown to be highly toxic to fish, and living organisms and the

ecology, which could devastate the fishing industry.

Another of the omitted clause from the motion had indicated that “whereas determined in a March 2021 United States Bureau of Environmental Enforcement (US Offshore oil & gas regulator) comprehensive report, that the technology is not matured and reliable enough to ensure the integrity of deep-water pipelines and detection of subsurface leaks.”

Yet another omitted clause, sought discussions on the proposed Wales facility—located at the mouth of the Demerara River, which has a very shallow draft and where 90 percent of the c o m m e r c i a l m a r i n e t r a ff i c operates, as was pointed out by the former Minister of Infrastructure.

During a telephone interview with this publication, the MP said that when he wrote to the Speaker to clarify why the amendments or exclusions were necessary, he was reminded by the Speaker, that he is not obligated to answer him.

According to the correspondence addressed to Patterson from the Clerk of the National Assembly, “if the Speaker is of the opinion that any notice of

motion which has been received by the Clerk of the Assembly, infringes the provisions of the Standing Order, or is in any other way out of order, he or she may direct: - that the Member concerned be informed that the notice of motion is out of order.”

As such, the Clerk indicated “…therefore, the Hon. Speaker is not obligated under the Standing Orders, to give reasons for altering questions and motions.”

As a consequence, Patterson explained that if the motion, which has essentially been dissolved of its purpose, is passed in the House then the Natural Resource Committee will only examine what was contained.

He said, “…it will be so watered down, that really would be a sham. If the Motion is successful, the committee cannot explain the issue affecting the fishermen, gas leakage, and damage at the mouth of the river, plus the project cost.”

Some 30 companies have already expressed interest in the project pegged at US$900 million, which has been dubbed as one of the largest infrastructural venture to date.

Even though this is the case, it

Speaker of the National Assembly, Manzoor Nadir was only recently announced that the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) would be required.

Following its review of ExxonMobil’s application to proceed with the US$900M gas-toshore project, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said it has determined that an EIA is required.

The regulator said it has also approved Environmental Resources Management (ERM) to conduct the EIA, while noting that it has also given authorisation for the terms of reference it once used.

One of the terms notes, that the company must examine the introduction of increased dangers such as fire, explosion, spills, chemical and other hazardous substances to the surrounding environment, including coastal Continued on page 8

Wednesday December 15, 2021

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Govt. prints $200B debt Guyana lost $137B to for future generations oil companies in 2020 …decision taken to clear ‘illegal’ $163.3B overdraft - AG Report finds Finance Minister, Dr. Ashni K. Singh

Both the Coalition, A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC), and the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) governments, by the end of 2020, had racked up a whopping $163.3B ‘illegal overdraft’ in the national coffers—the Consolidated Fund.

Illegal, since bringing the Consolidated Fund into overdraft is in breach of the Fiscal Management and Accountability Act (FMA).

To rectify the illegal and fiscally embarrassing books

for an oil producing nation, the PPP/C administration in May this year, approved the sum of $200B, “through the issuance of Debentures ranging from 1 to 20 years, to raise funds to clear the overdraft. This exercise took effect in June 2021.”

The damning revelations were made public on Monday when the Auditor General Report for 2020—representing spending for both administrations—was made public when the National Assembly resumed its

sittings since coming out of recess.

What the findings essentially mean is that at the end of last year, the Consolidated Fund or Guyana’s Treasury — presided over by the APNU+AFC and PPP/C administrations for that year—was not only empty but had a $163.3B debt.

That state of affairs, according to the FMA Act, is a breach. To this end, the PPP/C Government in 2021 approved the printing of debentures, or a debt guaranteed by government, oftentimes referred to as treasury bills.

This in turn, was then sold to all and sundry in order to raise the $200B needed to clear the overdraft.

The bills were sold to those willing to make purchases on the agreement that government would buy back the bonds when matured—as indicated, for Continued on page 8

...tax exemptions will continue to balloon unless policy is changed – GRA Boss For the period 2019 to 2020, Guyana gave away $327B in tax exemptions and unless policy changes are made in the oil sector, the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) predicts these exemptions will only continue to balloon.

The authority made these and other remarks in response to queries from the Auditor General’s office in its 2020 Annual Report.

The Auditor General had found that tax exemptions for 2020 alone totalled $137B in foregone revenues, representing 62.75 percent GRA Commissioner General, Godfrey Statia of total collections by the authority.

Continued on page 8

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Wednesday December 15, 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

Accountability and oversight body removal being contemplated Guyana will learn the hard way with this oil wealth that cascades into our laps. The mistakes of successive governments must alert us that we cannot go on repeating them. Yet that is what today’s PPP Government plans, as spearheaded by its Vice President, who searches for ways to dismantle checks and balances that stand in his way with the nation’s oil. The latest smart thinking from Guyana’s one-man political show concerns the key 22-member Public Accountability and Oversight Committee (PAOC) that recommended much-needed guard over Guyana Natural Resources Fund (KN December 11).”It is cumbersome…almost impossible to operationalise…” with “measures that don’t lend themselves to people understanding how it works.” This was what the scheming of Guyana’s oil Rockefeller concluded. So it now heads to the legislative graveyard.

The Vice President has not conducted Guyana’s oil business openly, instilling any confidence, and he plans to continue that trend. Successive governments have been of secrecies and corruptions plaguing this oil, from ownership of contract decisions to signing bonus to oil block giveaways to reports concealed. Guyana needs to halt this slide, with more eyes overseeing (not less), some degree of credibility (not none), and great openness on every aspect of this country’s oil management (not more trickeries).

For this is how we interpret and foresee what Guyana’s oilman is hurrying to get done through new legislation readied for parliament. The PPP Government and its leaders, seem to have a blueprint (more in follow-up writings) that replicates such schemes that strip layer after layer of oversight, and place such in their hands, directly or indirectly, to introduce more skullduggeries with this oil bonanza. When Government and leaders must make tighter controls and cleaner approaches to their mantras, they go the other way; they take away what is there, to smooth the path for corruptions more, monstrous than those seen before, by either PPP/C or PNC or AFC. Our position is straightforward: we need as much oversight as can be had with our oil endowments, since trust for Government leaders, is virtually nonexistent. The record speaks to their crimes: crimes relating to oil money.

Kaieteur and Canje, that should come to us (but don’t, may never do).

Crimes at the EPA in relation to protective measures for the environment and sectors depending upon it, (but which stands exposed and vulnerable). Crimes via removal of locks and layers—PAOC—that guard against the corruptions of insatiably greedy politicians and their handpicked teams of submissive helpers.

When this is our record with oil, it is vital that we don’t have less people standing over in constant alertness, but more of them. This gives Guyanese the best possible protections for the possible hoped-for, much-promised, maximising of benefits from these oil discoveries. In one sentence, the VP degraded civil society, GBA, TIGI, and others, that is; they lack the required relevant understanding of PAOC measures. Guyana’s one manshow knocks off others, as lacking.

Such a summary dismissal confirms what we often say, namely, that our politicians are shameless operators, who stop at nothing. Their handling of this oil proves it beyond a shadow of uncertainty. They want to get more, run faster with more tricks to remove hindrances that stand in likely opposition. This is where that thinking with the 22member accountability and oversight oil body leads, meaning, that it is an obstacle that must be removed, because it doesn’t have what it takes. Thus, it must go, with the real reason unsaid, which is that it is a pain in the ass.

Internal party participation and democracy in Guyana DEAR EDITOR, One major political party will hold internal elections this coming Saturday to choose its executive. I wish it well.

My studies on political parties in Guyana and comparative political studies elsewhere have revealed that internal elections are not idealistically democratic especially among the larger parties. The same is true of political parties in almost every developing (Third World) country. Intraparty democracy is strong and institutionalised in the developed countries.

But in Guyana and developing countries, participatory democracy within political parties is lacking. In Guyana, as is also the case in almost every developing country, democratic participation in the larger parties tends to be restricted. Some parties are more democratic than others.

In Guyana and most developing countries, party member participation is restricted to delegates rather than the entire membership. And delegate selection tends to be manipulated to favour a particular result. The minor parties in Guyana have small number of members and tend to have a larger percentage of its members participating in the democratic process of leadership selection (leader, Chair, and other executive positions).

Intra or internal party democracy is very important in a country. It is a key ingredient in ensuring democracy in a country. If a party is not democratic, then its governance in a country is likely to be undemocratic (violates human rights, rigs elections, engages in corruption, persecutes political opponents, etc.). And lack of democracy in a country impacts on

social stability and ethnic harmony (in pluralist nations like Guyana) as well as economic development. We know from experience of what happened in Guyana during the period of dictatorship (1966 to 1992).

In Guyana, intraparty democracy across all political parties has been very limited with some parties having virtually no democracy. Parties have a constitution with well-defined objectives, guaranteeing rights to its members. But these are hardly enforced.

The political power and influence of members exist only on paper. If one seeks enforcement of rights, he or she is targeted and/or victimised; he or she could also be expelled from the party or forced to resign.

The selection process of the leadership of a party in Guyana is flawed or non-existent. Internal elections are manipulated or rigged for favoured candidates. There is limited voice and role of party members, especially those who are at the bottom economically lacking financial muscle.

And ironically, those at the bottom are most loyal to the party to the point of being sycophants.

But senior leadership don’t pay heed to their views, and as such, they are perennially disempowered without even recognising or accepting that they have no influence in their party. And women too tend to have little voice; they are hardly consulted on issues.

When leadership visit communities, they spend most of their time with the rich, the big boys who buy their influence, overnighting at their homes rather than grace the humble homes of t h e p o o r, l o y a l i s t m e m b e r s .

Unfortunately, virtually no one champions the rights of or seek to

empower the poor ordinary members, and it is so in virtually every country.

All parties in Guyana should emphasize broad participation (in decision-making) of members in their operation. And membership participation should not only be restricted to voting once every few years at a congress of delegates but in all levels of decision-making as well as in the party structure – candidate selection for all offices and all office holders, appointments to boards and State agencies, policy making, legislation, government budgeting, etc.

That is intra-party democracy — structures and processes in the party provide opportunities for members to have a say, to influence, the choices and policies that parties offer to the nation. It becomes a kind of collective decisionmaking in which members can’t complain that they were not consulted.

It leads to party unity.

And ultimately, it allows for institutionalisation and growth of well functioning and sustainable democracy.

Otherwise, the country will experience attempts to rig national elections and install authoritarian government as we experienced between January 2019 and July 2020.

So intra-party democracy, and by extension, the country’s democracy, largely depends on the extent to which processes of effective membership participation in parties are permitted.

Will the PNC maximise membership (delegate selection) participation in its leadership race? Will the process be free and fair or will it become embroiled in controversy as happened in earlier internal elections?

Yours truly, Vishnu Bisram (PhD Politics)

Sugar workers and the public servants must share equally in this bounty of oil money DEAR EDITOR, Please see letter written

by Mr. Hamilton Green.

Kindly publish in your daily newspaper. In another few days, Guyana will be celebrating what remains our principal holiday season, Christmas. We have been told and believe it is a season of goodwill.

I have no doubt that the President, his Advisors and others will be wishing all citizens peace. Human

history is replete with examples of people asking for peace while their hands clasp the handle of a dagger.

We have seen in my lifetime the leadership and citizens of our nearest and best known big brother, the United States, show maturity when the unbelievable occurred when Barack Hussein Obama, half-Black, half-Caucasian was sworn in to the highest constitutional office in the US. This

It would be one more layer of regulation removed and dropped into the trash heap, because it is what could holdup selfish politicians, who study what slows them down from gouging this oil wealth and devouring whatever stands against them. It is almost foregone that whatever smaller body is offered as a substitute, it will be littered with the willing and the weak, possibly even the wicked, because they will be at the beck and call of the dirty who put them there to do their corrupt oil work.

For they will be powerless and spineless, and all but meaningless, where robust oil accountability and oversight for the national welfare are concerned.

represents a giant step away from the Jim Crow laws and a fulfillment of my earlier aspiration that in our beloved Guyana, we will be judged not on the colour of our skin or whether our hair is straight or wooly but by our character, morality and contribution to the general good of Guyana.

I have spent extensive periods in Texas, the deep South with one of my o ff s p r i n g s a n d o n n o occasion did I experience racial discrimination, even though when I make this statement, friends and family members tell me, it s t i l l e x i s t s . H o w e v e r, because of years of profiling, some Caucasians do not realise that they are still without knowing it, harbouring beliefs which are racial.

In Guyana today, the

situation is different; this is so because of our experience of slavery and indentureship.

Is it that the Irfaan Ali administration seems incapable or should I say unwilling of doing the things that can heal and not peel when it comes to the two major ethnic groups in Guyana, Afro- and IndoGuyanese?

I have been told by some of President Ali’s Advisors that he means well and that his intentions are noble. I say to such persons that the road to ruin is lined with good intentions. This Administration using elements of the Security Services, the police in particular to go after the likes of Rickford Burke, Mark Benschop and Dr. David Hinds is unacceptable.

Their only crime is to Continued on page 6

Wednesday December 15, 2021

Rohee’s ad hominem attacks are not surprising DEAR EDITOR Clement Rohee’s response to my piece on Cheddi Jagan adds nothing – absolutely nothing - that bears even perfunctory resemblance to an intelligent discourse on the legacy of Cheddi Jagan (SN, 12/13/21).

Like the sycophants before him, he too apparently had no problem with my original piece on Forbes Burnham. The conspicuous ad hominem attacks littered in his letter, like those in the recent missive of former President Donald Ramotar, is not surprising. His invocation of my name, more than 25 times in his 1435 worded letter can only be interpreted as profound disdain of any hint of an objective analysis of our history that is not congruent with the “truth” as told by one of Jagan’s protege. Rohee’s mindset can be traced back to the years of “education” he received in Prague, the former communist Czechoslovakia, presumably while studying to be an “objective” journalist.

As a Marxist, he should have known about Marxist/ Hegelian dialectics and their application to historical materialism or how established thesis can be transformed when confronted with an antithesis.

Drawing quite extensively on Cheddi’s own words, and those of his close confidantes, several historical truths were established. Yet, those who seemingly aspire to be the gatekeepers of Cheddi Jagan’s heritage, Rohee included, refuse to let the facts dictate reality. First, without belabouring the issue of Cheddi’s cultural moorings, the argument was made that had Cheddi been more culturally grounded to the realities of Guyanese social and political culture, or perhaps even those of his own up-

bringing, he might not have been so enamoured of Soviet communism. He might have been better positioned, or driven to address the country’s most pernicious problem, the racial/ethnic imperative, the perpetuation of which has left Guyanese of all races, especially the Party’s largely Indian supporters, at the mercy of the PNC dictatorship for an uninterrupted 28 years.

Rather, Cheddi saw race/ ethnicity as a temporary epiphenomenon, a false consciousness that will be erased by class conflict. There are/ were many individuals rooted in Caribbean history who were grounded in Marxist analysis as an epistemological tool, but whose cultural moorings have led them to incorporate the nuances and peculiarities into their analysis of the society in which they live, instead of becoming dogmatically attached to Marxism and Soviet communism. The work and activity of Marxist or anti-colonial social and political activists like Claudia Jones, CLR James, George Lamming, and our own Walter Rodney come to mind.

Rohee’s reference to the cultural moorings of Rev. Dale Bisnauth raises questions as to whether the former Home Affairs Minister actually read or is even vaguely familiar with the writings of Reverend Bisnauth. Drawing from the revelations of Kwayana’s conversation with Naipaul, we can surmise that it was perhaps Bisnauth’s Christian faith transmitted to him

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through Presbyterianism, which in Guyana was infused and syncretised in Indian culture by the Canadian Mission, that influenced his perspective. Bisnauth’s PhD thesis dealt with the history of Indian Indentureship as he sought to understand his people rather than reflexively reject their culture. He wrote a book on Hinduism and Islam in the Caribbean (he was a minister for 35 years). This orientation provided the moral compass that guided him, and perhaps steered him away from total absolution into doctrinaire Soviet Marxism. In any case, the good reverend, influenced by the tenets of liberation theology, was recruited by Cheddi to serve in the PPP cabinet as a member of the “Civic” component.

Second, Rohee evaded the point made regarding Cheddi’s dogmatic and inflexible Marxist ideology, and his persistent loyalty to the Soviet Empire, which he accepted lock, stock and barrel, since he was steered in that direction by Janet in the 1940s. On August 5, 1985, one day before the death of Forbes Burnham, and on the brink of major fissures in the Soviet Empire, the PPP at its 22nd Congress, adopted a resolution of the Central Committee that deemed the PPP “a Marxist-Leninist type of Party”. Jagan, at the time noted, “We are generally recognised as, and are accorded the status of, a communist party by all other fraternal parties. When we took our momentous decision in 1969, we hardly envisaged the tremendous achievement which we would have made…

(Continued on page 6)

GAWU pleased with proposed Local Content legislation requirements DEAR EDITOR During the final consultation on the local content legislation, the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) was heartened to learn that many of our concerns were addressed by the Government.

In recent times, our Union has outlined the dominance of foreign labour in the sector to the detriment of Guyanese.

On several occasions, we have drawn to the public’s attention that Guyanese workers, though qualified and capable, were sidelined and made to undertake roles for which they were more than qualified.

We considered this an affront to our Guyanese working people who over the years would have amassed considerable skill and experience.

We noted that such attitudes hark back to a bygone period, and we could not condone such actions.

The GAWU was, therefore, pleased that the Government, through the proposed legislation, and as such, was seeking to correct this malady.

The legislation we noted has addressed Guyanese participation not only at the ownership level but has gone deeper to speak to managerial and employment.

This requirement alongside requirements to improve Guyanese participation in the coming years will undoubtedly allow our workers to have a fair chance to be able to

benefit from the sector and contribute to our development.

We have also highlighted massive disparities in pay and other conditions-of-work between foreigners and locals.

Indeed, it was saddening to learn that our Guyanese were receiving several times less than their foreign counterparts; though they work alongside each other undertaking practically the same tasks.

Apart from variations in pay, we have reported that foreigners are enjoying other conditions, which Guyanese are denied without any rhyme or reason.

For our Union, we were happy to learn that the legislation will impose requirements that foreigners and locals receive equal benefits.

This, of course, is an extension of our Prevention of Discrimination Act and bodes well for our Guyanese.

During previous consultative exercises, our Union had expressed these concerns.

We charged that Guyanese had every right to benefit from the sector and we see the local content legislation as a pivotal step in this direction.

With the expected implementation of the legislation and a shift to tasks to Guyanese enterprises, we expect to see our workers being treated fairly and equitably. At this time, we are eager to fully review the legislation and to have a greater understanding of

the enforcement mechanism.

This, we recognise, will give the legislation its true meaning and bring about the intended benefits.

Though we recognise the legislation will address some concerns, it does not completely eliminate the challenges, which workers in the sector are facing.

Remuneration and other conditions-of-work remain a foremost concern of workers in the sector.

The continued disrespect shown to workers of the sector whether employed by local or foreign enterprise remains a deepseated concern of GAWU. Indeed, the workers of the sector, like all workers of Guyana, deserve to be treated fairly and justly.

Our Union will continue to speak on behalf of the workers who continue to be confronted by exploitative relations.

Many workers have confided in us the travails, which they are enduring and the benefits they are cheated.

Indeed, it is simply disheartening that workers in our country are treated in such a disdainful manner.

The GAWU will continue to speak out about the challenges as we cannot turn a blind eye to the heartlessness that workers are enduring.

Regards, Guyana Agricultural a n d G e n e r a l Wo r k e r s ’ Union (GAWU)

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GuySuCo moving forward DEAR EDITOR, I would like to commend Mr. Sasenarine Singh and the new team at the helm of the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) for implementing a practical and proactive Procurement System. I believe Mr. Singh’s futuristic leadership skills, is creating a progressive sugar industry.

Previously, procurement of spares was a defective process spanning over two crops or one year. Sometimes it extends beyond a year thus resulting in major losses to the corporation. At the moment, spares are readily available to

all functioning estates within a matter of days and recovery time is at its best.

Productivity, efficiency and internal goals have become accomplishable with less down time. GuySuCo is in prudent hands.

Special “Thank You” to our President, His Excellency Dr. M. I. Ali; Vice-President, the Hon. Dr. B. Jagdeo; Minister of Agriculture, the Hon. Mr. Z. Mustapha; and CEO of GuySuCo, Mr. Sasenarine Singh for believing in Guyana and GuySuCo. Regards, Name Provided

What is this about contracts that cannot be renegotiated?

DEAR EDITOR Guyana had a sugar contract with the EU which was challenged at the WTO and changed so what is this about contracts cannot be renegotiated and about us needing to respect the sanctity of contracts? As we can see from the chart (courtesy of OGGN), the ExxonMobil/Guyana oil contract is exploitative and should be renegotiated.

We are looking for a minimum of 5% Royalty, 50% Profit Share, 30% Corporate Income Tax with the Environmental Liability being transferred to ExxonMobil.

PLUS, a US$500M Signing Bonus (payable in installments of US$100M per year over 5 years).

Yours faithfully, Sean Ori Pic save as contracts

Wednesday December 15, 2021

Rohee’s ad hominem attacks are not...

From page 5 The PNC has been forced to go a long way to wrest control of our resources from foreign ownership… The prestige of our Party…has never been higher. We can say with confidence at this 22nd Congress that our Party has been transformed into a Communist Party”.

Rohee himself would recognise and admit to the unflinchingly dogmatic posture of the PPP and his leader, and the problem doctrinaire Marxism would create for the PPP in the face of the collapse of the Soviet Union. Writing in the Thunder (SeptemberDecember 1987), Rohee’s words are quite telling: “…in these times when the Soviet Union is going through a process of reconstruction [perestroika] and openness [glasnost], it is incumbent upon our Party and its cadres to do away with all stereotypes, dogmatic and idealist views and notions about socialism…We must do away

with the thinking that lead many of us to believe that ruling parties in socialist countries have a monopoly on truth and are the sole authorities in respect of interpreting Lenin, the Marxist-Leninist theory and in determining what is good and what isn’t good for socialism’s advancement...Our party and its cadres must avoid making the mistake of singling out a particular socialist country’s experience in socialist construction and putting this experience up as a ‘model’ for others to follow or as the ‘standard’ for measurement of progress in one area or another.”

He must have been peeved when Jagan ignored his unsolicited advice regarding the Party’s inflexible dogmatism toward Soviet communism. One year later, in his Report of the Central Committee of the PPP to the 23rd Congress of the Party, at the Empire Cinema, Georgetown (July 30-August 1, 1988),

Jagan, dug his heels and stood his ground. He had no choice but to recognise the dismantling of the Soviet Empire.

But he remained undaunted, still inspired by his unswerving loyalty to the USSR and Castro’s Cuba. He said, “While applauding the new breath of life being given to socialism in the USSR, we have been following with deep interest the rectification process initiated by the Communist Party of Cuba. And just as we welcome the new approaches being pursued by the Soviet authorities, in the same way, we are confident that the rectification process in Cuba will contribute to the strengthening of socialism in that sister Caribbean country…We cannot underestimate the impact which these developments are having on countries like ours, especially in the ideological sphere where the struggle to win the ‘hearts and minds’ of people over to socialism has

become more demanding.”

Those were the words of an unassailable, unflinching Cheddi Jagan.

If Rohee’s pathetic response to questions about Jagan’s communist crusade is only met with dismissive and propagandistic efforts to highlight Jagan’s universal human values, while ignoring the human tragedy Cheddi (and Burnham) has bestowed upon us, then Rohee’s missive is a sad commentary on who we are as a nation. This is not diasporic arrogance. It is a brazen attempt to steal our historical memory, held hostage by the sycophants, determined to leave our younger generation bereft of an opportunity to critically assess the leadership handed down to them from an older generation. I leave these words, invoking the Mundaka Upanishad, for the former minister: satyam eva jayate naanritam – truth alone conquers, not untruth.

Sincerely, Baytoram Ramharack

Sugar workers and the public servant...

From page 4 dare to speak on behalf of the descendants of slaves, whose blood, sweat and tears civilised much of our country.

Roshan Khan, my good friend and fellow Ambassador of Peace and his kith and kin have urged Indians in Berbice to arm themselves.

I ask the rhetorical question, “Against who?” The answer is clear. Yet, the police see nothing wrong with this apparent statement of incitement. They say different strokes for different folks.

This season of goodwill gives the President and his Advisors an opportunity to deal with just a few issues of concern to many of us who seek peace and love to all mankind.

Today, the police and constabulary are short of staff because the recruiting officers have been instructed by their relevant Government Minister to ensure ethnic balance among the new recruits.

PPP had been in office for twenty-three years and could not achieve this latest in-

struction given to recruiting officers.

The Administration under Burnham, in response to the contention that IndoGuyanese were generally smaller, agreed to reduce the height and weight requirement to join the Police and Security Forces. This is still in place.

Now the latest is that this Government has raised the bar for entry from a sound primary to a sound secondary education. Here education is not free for all. Those with the financial resources can today obtain a sound secondary education as against those impoverished communities that have been marginalised for more than two generations.

Beyond that, the excellent and erudite letter written by former Senior Police Officer, Clinton Conway, is instructive and I hope the powers that be, take into account the wisdom of that letter published earlier, but here again, there may be subtle racial considerations.

I hope that the President and his Advisors do not accuse me of fanning flames of racism because we have seen

overtime in Europe, North and South America that whenever you speak up for Black people, you are deemed racist.

The Post-emancipation period produced many examples of this and we advance the question of why the children of freed slaves in Guyana never affectively advance the case for reparation and equity more vigorously.

As we approach this season, let us all be unafraid to speak the truth, for I am persuaded that only the truth can make us free and no less a person, Martin Luther King, Jr. said “ Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”

Let us not sweep these things under the carpet, the perception that inequity in Guyana is now grounded on race. Good wishes from his Excellency will ring rather shallow and hollow.

This Administration with the bounty of oil money must not squander a glorious opportunity for all Guyanese to share in the God-given riches in the fields and areas in which they are comfortable and competent. The retired sugar workers and the public

servant must share equally in this bounty of oil money, to avoid the appearance of discrimination. What is necessary is for the Government to show the maturity, the Americans showed pre and post Martin Luther King, so that we can achieve that dream of truly being One Nation. What gives us hope is that the majority of this generation of Indo- and Afro-Guyanese do not wish to relive the horrors of the past, but that we can hold hands together, the Blacks, the Indos, the Mixed, the Portuguese, the Chinese, and those who defy description into the sunlight of harmony and prosperity.

Finally, Mr. President, there is enough in the Christmas kettle that you can give two hundred and fifty thousand ($250,000) dollars each for Christmas to every Policeman, Soldier, Fireman, Prison Officer, Teacher, Nurse, Health Workers and every other Public Servant, so that you bring glad tidings of comfort and joy to all in the above category.

Season Greetings to all.

Regards, Hamilton Green Elder

Wednesday December 15, 2021

Kaieteur News

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Wednesday December 15, 2021

Guyana lost $137B to oil companies... Speaker bars debate on...

From page 3 Meaning the $137B forgone by government through tax exemptions for that period, amounts to 62.75 percent of what was actually collected by the revenue authority.

Commissioner General, Godfrey Statia, in the report, was keen to note that the award of tax exemptions is not under the control of that agency.

He said, the tax exemption regime is a matter of policy, and therefore only administered by the authority.

In fact, the Commissioner General reiterated that he is on record, as stating his preference for the removal of the concession regime and having it replaced with a system of tax credits, as practised in the developed nations, thereby allowing for improved compliance with the tax laws and the

terms of Investment Development Agreements (IDAs).

Statia said it should be noted that IDAs and conditional and unconditional exemptions are granted under Item 11 of the First Schedule, Part III B (ii) of the Customs Act. He said the GRA from 2016 onwards, under new strategic directions from the Commissioner General, has undertaken several interventions that saw a significant reduction in the number and value of exemptions granted.

Statia was keen to note that requests for tax exemptions are scrutinised to ensure they meet specific criteria so as to curtail the significant loss of revenue that may result from the haphazard manner in which concessions were granted previously.

Furthermore, it was noted that a

majority of the Unconditional Exemptions relates to IDA’s.

Statia said these were made available to the staffers of the Auditor General for their review, the summation of which would have provided an informed analysis as to the coherent reasons for the increase in exemptions in certain categories, such as the Oil and Gas sector.

In conclusion, Statia cautioned, “significant increase in exemptions is expected in the coming years owing to the burgeoning Oil and Gas sector, and unless policy changes are effected, exemptions are expected to grow exponentially as the industry develops and matures, and in particular, if the Production Sharing Agreements (PSAs) for other blocks have similar provisions for exemptions.”

From page 2 communities. ExxonMobil is also required to investigate possible effects of the project on the demographic and socio-economic and cultural profiles of the communities.

When it comes to the feasibility of the project, Vice President, Bharrat Jagdeo has, however, already concluded it’s a “no-brainer.”

Financial Feasibility studies are considered crucial elements when one is considering entering into a largescale business venture. A feasibility study examines how much start-up capital is needed, sources of capital, returns on investment, and other financial considerations, while also examining how much cash is required, where it will come from, how it will be spent and potential obstacles that may impede its operations.

Yet for Guyana’s intended gas-to-shore project, no such study is being conducted.

“The financial aspect is a no-brainer; any sensible person with a modicum of sense, a tiny brain, even a residual brain, would understand that,” according to Vice President Jagdeo.

Govt. prints $200B debt for...

From page 3 period between one to 20 years—therefore repaying the ‘debt’ incurred.

It was explained that this was done in order to raise the cash needed immediately, clear the overdraft while at the same time bringing government into compliance with the laws of Guyana.

The Mid Year report for this year, in documenting the

move by Cabinet had stated in June 2021, that government securitised the inherited overdraft at the bank of Guyana.

That report issued by the Ministry of Finance, under the auspices of Substantive Minister, Dr. Ashni Kumar Singh, had said this securitising of the overdraft was done using 85 variablerate debentures, with tenors ranging from 1 to 20 years,

totalling G$200B. “Consequently, the first half of 2021 ended with the Consolidated Fund, as well as public deposits, reflecting a positive balance.”

According to Dr. Singh in his report, “these moves were intended to bolster transparency and accountability in public debt management, and to restore the integrity of Guyana’s fiscal accounts.”

Wednesday December 15, 2021

Kaieteur News

I WISH I would love to live to one hundred years. Beyond that, my limbs and joints would have become calcified, cataract surgery would be impossible as my sight declines and even if I could survive the operation, my memory would fade.

That would be the right time for me to go and meet my Maker.

But before then, I would love to spend the remaining days of my life in Guyana where the sun shines every day and where even on the highest mountain peaks, it is bearable.

I would love to live in a new capital, located somewhere on the banks of the Essequibo River. I would love to, each morning, wake up to the birds chirping, and to see and experience the dew on the grass.

I would love nothing better than to have a window looking out to the rising morning sun and when evening sets to experience that wonderful sunset that can only be found in Guyana.

I would love to be able to swim in the warm creeks until the day I die and to sit all day under a tree, read a good book or find a faithful companion who will not run off– as is the case so often these days– with someone else.

I would love to grow old gracefully and hope that the NIS does not close down before I receive my benefits. I hope that no new sickness afflicts me since this would mean my automatic disqualification from benefits from the NIS. I hope to have the privacy to bathe at least once every

three months in the rain without the police hauling me over for indecent exposure despite me having on my underpants.

I would love to sit in the evenings and enjoy the cool nights under a lovely starry sky, reminisce about the day gone by and the days long gone, never to return.

I would love to do the things that I never had the time to do in my younger days. I would love to collect stamps, to learn the art of barbering and how to finally play the guitar. That surely cannot be asking too much.

I would love to see cheap, reliable hydro-electricity come to Guyana, finally. Too many promises have been made, too many dreams have been abandoned.

I hope that those who will inherit this cheap energy and use it in their homes and factories will be willing to pay for it and not have the GPL running after them.

I hope that I can travel by road all the way to Boa Vista and from there join the transcontinental highway all the way to Argentina. But I hope more than anything else to return to Guyana, where each day there is sunshine and lovely people.

I hope that the new generation of Guyanese people never forgets to cook their cultural foods.

What would Guyana be without its foods? What would Guyana be without Banks Beer and El Dorado rum?

I would love to see more of the interior of Guyana. I would love to see roads open up this interior to more people

so that they can appreciate what they have and stop dreaming of a better life overseas because the best life is here in Guyana.

I would love to travel on the roll-on ferries I would love to see the people of Guyana stop fighting around politics. I would love to see politics bring people together rather than divide them. I would love to see everybody being happy.

I would love to see a railway to Lethem. This will be great for travel and tourism. I would love to see a railway line also run along the Corentyne River so as to open up more lands and then veer over the river to link up with Suriname.

From there you can travel by good roads all the way to French Guiana.

I would love to see all those specialty services that are being provided by private hospitals and by some new hospital which is to be constructed to be done by the public health system, so that when my time comes for some major surgery, my little savings do not have to go to private individuals who are going to make a great deal of money if specialist health care is put in the hands of those who already have more money than they can spend.

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

Dem boys seh...

SOME PEOPLE CAN’T REMEMBER DEM NAME

Long ago, dem use to have a man named Sydney Gonsalves. De man dead now. But when he was alive, he had a fantastic memory.

He mind was straight but he did not have de best of looks.

In fact, he did look stupid. He had a face dat only a mother could love but even he mother had doubts bout he. She did want he to go to QC but she seh he look suh stupid dat even she wasn’t sure whether he should go to school at all.

Mothers does know dem children. Sydney went to school but end up, in he own words, being a dunce.

But you could call any event and Sydney could tell you wat date it happen, including de day of de week.

Science can now explain de man Sydney fantastic powers of recall. It is a condition

call autism. So it was not a case of Sydney being a dunce at all. He in fact had a gift which not many people gat.

Dem boys seh how nuff ah dem Ministers, present and past, seem to be suffering from a loss of memory.

Is like none ah dem can’t remember wah dem sign, who dem sign it with and when dem sign it.

One man talk how he don’t know de people wah sign de agreement.

He boss seh how he

didn’t read wah he sign. Another one from de AFC can’t remember what he sign. And one from de PNC/R seh how he waiting pon Kaieteur News fuh tell he wah went on during he time in guvament. Is sad we nah gat Sydney Gonslaves around anymore.

He woulda tell we who sign wat, when dem sign it and which hand dem sign it with.

Talk half and nah remember wah yuh fuhget.

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Kaieteur News

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Wednesday December 15, 2021

THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN

My side of the correspondence with Yog Mahadeo In my Friday column, I made mention of Dr. Yog Mahadeo, a prominent name in the land who became even more known for his antirigging stance in the March 2020 election.

Yog has replied by personal correspondence. I will have to retain that in my secret compartment but his email was one that I appreciate.

What I will do now is to cite a sentence in my reply to Yog that when I reflected on it, I want the public to know what I said. It was indeed an exaggeration but the ancient Greek gods know that in my heart I will always feel that anger that made me penned that statement.

Then there was a statement I made to Yog about the essential substance of my activism that is more than 50 years old. The sentence went like this: “My entire life has been spent in

political activism where I have seen double standards worse than Nazi Germany (no apology).

The comparison with Nazi Germany is very untidy but the anger is so volcanic in me that again I make no apology for the comparison.” Now for the statement in my email to Yog, I wrote the following: “I have never accepted that my politics should be against governments only but all types in society.”

This is the essential fulcrum on which rest my 50 odd years of social and political activism. My praxis has been directed against all types of moral turpitude in all types of corners, not against the State only. Here is something that is revealing and I will add a spice of humour to it so it will ease the shock of readers if it hurts their head. It happened years ago.

I read in the Stabroek News, a letter in which some employees noted that Muneshwer ’s hardware store on Water Street required them to bring their own toilet paper and handwashing liquid.

The contents of that letter drove a spear into my soul.

This is the kind of cruelties that gave birth to my dream of changing the world.

Naturally, I expressed my feeling on the alleged behavioural ugliness in my column.

I remember I was leaving the Kaieteur News office when Adam Harris got up and said to me, “Freddie, before you go, I want to talk to you about a complaint I got from…” (he called the name of one of the family’s patriarchs but I cannot remember it). A big, big quarrel broke out. In the office was the deputy editor, Nigel McKenzie, and the

CEO of the State Assets Recovery Agency, Aubrey Retmyer.

It was a shouting match in which many “effs” were used with excessive latitude. I told Adam that I was not interested in what the Muneshwer family had to say and what they thought of me and I am not discussing the issue with him. In a rage, he flew into my face as if he wanted to physically hit me. Adam is older than me and a bit sickly so I knew if I had pushed him, it was a murder charge I was facing.

I quietly walked away and never discussed the Muneshwer issue. It was the ugliest quarrel Adam and I ever had after working for more than two decades together at the newspaper.

The complaint struck at the heart of who I am and what drives me.

I wasn’t going to listen to

what the Muneshwer family had to say. Their obligation was to reply to me and the Stabroek News. That is what Adam should have told them.

Years after, I met one of the patriarchs at Mike’s Pharmacy in the village of Bel Air. I ignored his comment.

The lesson of this war with Adam is that I believe wrongs must be righted and wrongs are not confined to governmental action only. In my correspondence with Yog, I mentioned how I feel when a section of the press keeps insisting that Dr. Vincent Adams should have been retained as head of the EPA. I told Yog, the civil service and the public sector should not employ CEOs that are in the leadership of political parties. Which government in the world is going to put such a CEO in

Frederick Kissoon such a sensitive State job and that CEO is in the leadership of an opposition party.

I made it clear to Yog that I was deeply disappointed t h a t u p t o t h i s d a y, independent minds have not rejected the newspaper’s insistence because it opens up the floodgates. But unfortunately, this is who we are in Guyana. We criticise the government only. In so doing, we encourage the monsters at the gate.

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

Wednesday December 15, 2021

Kaieteur News

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Kaieteur News

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Wednesday December 15, 2021

Finance Minister amends law to ‘fast-track’ budget for Constitutional Agencies

F

inance Minister, Dr. Ashni Singh on Monday tabled a Bill with proposed amendments to the Fiscal Management and Accountability Act (FMAA), aimed at fast tracking the budget process in relation to Constitutional Agencies.

The Bill seeks to amend the FMAA Chapter 73:02, for the purpose of “prescribing the manner in which budgets are approved and withdrawals are made from the Consolidated Fund in respect of Constitutional Agencies.”

A d d i t i o n a l l y, t h e amendments aim to ensure accountability and sets out the practice and procedure to which the Constitutional Agencies must conform in the management of their subventions for the efficient discharge of their functions.

According to a statement

issued by the Ministry of Finance on the matter, the amendments are necessary, as they serve to streamline the Budget process, particularly in relation to Constitutional Agencies while simultaneously ensuring the preservation of the independence of the agencies.

The Bill intends to make changes such as an amendment to section 15 of the FMAA, to require that an annual budget be proposed to include a motion in compliance with articles 218 and 222 A of the Constitution.

The Bill arises from the 2015 amendment to the FMAA by the A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC), that constitutional agencies’ budgets were required to be sent to the National Assembly in advance of the

submission of the rest of the National Budget.

The two-stage process, the Ministry of Finance noted, resulted in a fragmented and inefficient process for consideration of the National Budget and denied the Parliament an opportunity to view and consider the budget in a comprehensive manner.

Meanwhile, another amendment seeks to amend section 40E of the Audit Act to provide for the presentation of the Audit Office Budget.

In January, a motion was tabled for an amendment to the Fiscal Management and A c c o u n t a b i l i t y (Amendment) Act 2021 seeking to amend the FMAA Chapter 73:02 to allow for the correction of a number of anomalies relating to the budget process applicable to constitutional agencies.

The following

month—February—the government majority of the National Assembly voted in favour of further amendments to the FMAA which was passed in 2003 and later amended in 2015 under the APNU+AFC administration.

In presenting his motion at the time, Dr. Singh said, that the proposed alterations to the important legislation will increase the efficiency and effectiveness as it relates to the presentation and consideration of the budget for Constitutional Agencies.

In its current amended form, Singh said that the FMAA resulted in the budget process being unnecessarily long.

The amendment laid out a two-stage process whereby the budget of the constitutional agencies would be brought to the N a t i o n a l A s s e m b l y, considered and approved by the Assembly.

It would then be incorporated into the national budget, which would subsequently be submitted to the House for consideration, at which time

Finance Minister, Dr. Ashni Singh the budget of the constitutional agencies, would not be reconsidered, but would form part of the national budget,” Dr. Singh explained.

He noted that the 2021 amendment sought to remove the aforementioned two-stage process and replace it with a single, summarised process of submitting and considering b u d g e t s f o r G u y a n a ’s

constitutional agencies.

In his arguments, Dr. Singh said, that certain fiscal responsibilities are best handled by the Executive.

This, he explained, is appropriately demonstrated in Article 171 of the Constitution, which states that certain matters relating to public finances, including the levying of taxes, can only be brought before the House signified by a Minister.

Wednesday December 15, 2021

Kaieteur News

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Kaieteur News

Wednesday December 15, 2021

The deplorable state of the La Penitence Market roof.

An abandoned stall in the market which is now used as a dumpsite.

Vendors complain about deplorable state of La Penitence Market Vendors of the La Penitence Market have for some time now been imploring the government to address the deplorable condition of the market that is only becoming progressively worse over time.

Kaieteur News was told by vendors that because the market roof is filled with holes and rotted zinc sheets, when it rains, the roof leaks profusely, directly into their stalls and this would damage goods from time to time.

The market is also prone to flooding and as a result it is usually difficult to stock their goods in a secure area.

The leakage would also oftentimes lead to vendors working in an uncomfortable state that can have a negative influence on customer service.

Another vendor, who is situated in the kitchen, which is located in the vicinity of the drains and fishpond within the market, explained that when it rains, the drains are flooded and they usually take a very long time to be cleared.

The stench from both the drains and fishpond would affect her customers and it is an uncomfortable environment for her as well, since she has to prepare food for persons to eat.

Some other vendors who spoke with this publication also lamented the lack of security at the market. Only last month a cook was robbed there.

No Special Constable rank, or City Police was at the scene causing the suspect to escape freely.

With the new ‘late

opening’ time in place for the Christmas season, the vendors have since claimed, it will be of no benefit to them due to the fact that the market does not have lighting.

“If you can look at this market, it has no light, how can we work here? All the lights we have is our personal stall lights,” one of them expressed.

An elderly man who owns a grocery stall in the market told this publication that there is a live electrical wire situated right above the stall where he stores his groceries and which, for over five months now, has being left unattended to.

He told this publication that sometime back an electrician came to look into the matter but said he could not do anything about it because he did not have his ladder with him.

The vendor related that he had offered the electrician to use his ladder to which he refused and promised to return soon after to fix the problem. He never did.

The stallholder further reported that the Minister within the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development, Anand Persaud, had conducted an inspection at the market but to date has not returned or provided any type of assistance to alleviate the conditions vendors are forced to endure on a daily basis to ply their trade.

Compounding the situation, there is only one female constable stationed there during the week to provide security.

Wednesday December 15, 2021

Kaieteur News

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Kaieteur News

Wednesday December 15, 2021

Withdraw amendment to remove 22-member oversight committee - Dr. Jerry Jailall Canadian-based Guyanese, Dr. Jerry Jailall has called on the government to withdraw its proposed amendment to the Natural Resources Fund (NRF) Act, which seeks to dismantle the 22-member oversight stakeholder group.

Dr. Jailall in a public missive said, the administration should instead be seeking to enact more policies to safeguard the funds, garnered through oil and gas.

“I call on the government to withdraw the amendment to dismantle the 22-member stakeholder group, and enact more, not less ‘sunshine’ provisions, for managing the people’s oil fund,” he said.

Dr. Jailall posited, the fund was sitting dormant in a New York account, to allow the now administration time, to devise a plan on how to take control of it.

The overseas citizen, who has been vocal with regard to transparency matters, used the occasion to make the point, “…now we know why after a year and a half, the Guyana Natural Resource Fund (NRF)—the money we get from oil—held in a New York bank was not activated and the oil money was just sitting there not earning any interest.”

According to Dr. Jailall, it appears as if the government was figuring out how to have sole authority and unbridled power to spend the oil money and to hell with Guyanese stakeholders.”

L a s t w e e k , Vi c e President, Bharrat Jagdeo had signalled the government’s intent to remove the 22-member oversight committee, which oversees the fund, citing that this group makes it “almost i m p o s s i b l e t o operationalise” the fund.

In this regard, he said the government will therefore make four major sets of changes in the NRF legislation, with the first being the removal of the oversight committee consisting of 22 organisations.

The Committee, according to the extant law, was expected to include a representative from civil society organisations and community-based organisations, the Bar Association of Guyana, the G u y a n a C o n s u m e r ’s

Canadian-based Guyanese, Dr. Jerry Jailall Association; the Guyana Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI), the Transparency International Guyana Inc. (TIGI) and the Guyana Press Association, among others.

As a consequence, Dr. Jailall called on Guyanese to resist this move and to call on the government to withdraw what he described, as an ‘illconceived proposed amendment’.

According to Dr. Jailall, “what Mr. Fred Collins of TIGI (Transparency Institute of Guyana, Inc.) calls the original sin, whereby the Coalition Government signed a giveaway contract of our most valuable resource in the country, happened because of secrecy, trickery, and lack of discussion with the Opposition in Parliament and no consultation with stakeholders.”

He said, it was a “treasonous” move by the government to hand over billions in resources to a foreign corporation when the majority of its people are poor and destitute.

“This lack of transparency and accountability is a problem to be solved, not something to be perpetuated. When the PNC did it, that was wrong, and it’s also wrong if the PPP wants to do the same thing,” he reasoned.

In fact, Dr. Jailall contends that one party should never again be allowed to engage in the signing of “big deals” and spending large sums of taxpayers’ money without bringing such matters to Parliament, and involving Guyanese civic groups and stakeholders to review these projects.

The Guyanese activist Continued on page 22

Wednesday December 15, 2021

Kaieteur News

New GECOM CEO sworn in V

ishnu Persaud yesterday took the Oath of Office and was officially sworn in as the country’s newest Chief Election Officer (CEO) and Commissioner of Registration of the Guyana Electio n s C o mmis s io n (GECOM).

The elections body had been without a CEO since August last, after the commission took a decision to dismiss Keith Lowenfield, who is currently before the court for his involvement in the alleged rigging of the March 2, 2020 General and Regional Elections and events that followed.

On December 10, 2021, Persaud was elected as the new CEO/Commissioner of Registration, following deliberations among the GECOM Commissioners.

According to reports, Persaud comes with almost two decades of experience working at the entity.

He once served as the Public Relations Officer (PRO) and as the Deputy Chief Election Officer (DCEO) for three years, under former Chairman, Dr. Steve Surujbally.

He also acted in the substantive position on several occasions.

Yesterday, Persaud first attended the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts where he was administered the oath before the Chief Magistrate, Ann McLennan.

He then proceeded to the High Court where he took the oath for the second time before Chief Justice (ag), Roxanne George-Wiltshire.

During an interview with reporters after his second swearing-in ceremony, Persaud was posed with a series of questions from reporters, including what will he bring to the table to build public confidence in him and GECOM at large, in light of what occurred during the March 2, 2020 General and Regional Elections.

According to the new CEO, “first of all you in the media, as well as most people in the public at large, would have known me for carrying out my duties in adhering to the laws, the policies of the commission and basically carrying out my duties in a professional

manner.”

In that regard, he said, “I guarantee that I will continue to be in the same faith and nobody has to have any worry about my neutrality or that I may deviate from the part of what is lawful and proper.”

The new CEO was also asked whether or not there will be a Local Government Election (LGE) next year given the fact that LGE was supposed to be held this month.

He responded “one year time is more than enough to prepare for Local Government Election.”

Following the advertisement for qualified persons to apply for the vacant position, 17 candidates applied.

The process concluded after the seven-member GECOM reviewed the applications for the post, of which Persaud and Leslie Harrow, a former Jamaican CEO, were selected from a combined shortlist of persons to be interviewed.

Both men were then interviewed and, following the deliberation among the commissioners, the three Government nominated commissioners voted for Persaud to be elected as the new CEO, while the Opposition nominated commissioners voted against.

With the endorsement of the Chairperson of GECOM, (Ret’d) Justice Claudette Singh, Persaud was elected as the new CEO. GECOM reported last week, that Justice Singh justified her endorsement of Persaud, having heard the commissioners and having read the endorsement of f o r m e r C h a i r m a n D r.

Surujbally – saying, she is of the view that Persaud has acquired institutional knowledge having been employed with the commission for 17 years.

It was further stated that Justice Singh posited, that Persaud is not only knowledgeable with the understanding and management of the work of the CEO’s office, and the operational functions of the Secretariat, but also with the geography of Guyana’s 10 Administrative Regions.

Owing to the reasons

highlighted, it was further stated that the GECOM Chair had no hesitation in e n d o r s i n g P e r s a u d ’s appointment, since he has the necessary skills, experience, and expertise that makes him eminently qualified to handle the job.

It was stated that the commission is hopeful that, with Persaud’s extensive experience in the agency, he will execute the functions of the office of Chief Election Officer and Commissioner of Registration within the confines of the law and deliver with excellence.

Vishnu Persaud taking the Oath of Office before Chief Justice (ag), Roxane George-Wiltshire.

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Kaieteur News

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Wednesday December 15, 2021

$9M to repair 51 fire hydrants Ombudsman’s Office

without investigators - manages to resolve 37 of 87 cases in two years Ombudsman Justice, Winston Patterson Minister within the Ministry of Local Government, Anand Persaud; Fire Chief, Kalamadeen Edoo and other officials inspecting fire hydrants around the city earlier last month.

A total of 51 inoperable fire hydrants across the capital city are expected to be fully repaired by the end of the month at a cost of over $9M. Of the 51, this publication understands that 37 have already been repaired and are now fully functional.

The remaining hydrants are being repaired by Roy Gamandi’s Compass Industrial Service and Brass Aluminum and Cast Iron Foundry Limited (BACIF). Chief Fire Officer, Kalamadeen Edoo told Kaieteur News that when the target is met, another set will be earmarked for repairs.

The repairs, he said, would continue until all 235 of the inoperable hydrants around Georgetown are fully repaired.

This publication had previously reported that out of the 600 fire hydrants that are located around Georgetown, 235 were found to be inoperable, during an inspection which was conducted by the Minister within the Ministry of Local Government, Anand Persaud and the Chief Fire Officer.

According to Edoo, repairs commenced about two weeks ago. He noted however, that the Guyana Fire Service could not afford the repairs through its budget sums and as a result had to resort to a supplementary provision.

A total sum of $1.5B had been allocated to the Fire Service in the 2021 National budget, out of which $18M was to be used for the maintenance of infrastructures.

I

n its 2020 Annual Report, the Office of the Ombudsman, which is headed by retired Justice Winston Patterson, complained of being without investigators to carry out field investigations.

According to the report, the situation has been ongoing for several years, with the Public Service Ministry previously committing to appoint an investigator.

This promise however, has never materialised. As such, the report noted that out of some 87 complaints received between 2019 and 2020, only 37 were resolved.

Of the 87 complaints, 64 were within the jurisdiction of the Ombudsman’s Office while 28 of them are still pending with the relevant authorities and 23 were out of the jurisdiction of the o ff i c e . T h e r e a r e s i x categories under which complaints fall – justified, unjustified, resolved, declined, assistance rendered and referrals.

The complaints include allegations of injustice, corruption and wrongful dismissal by, and against members of the Guyana Police Force, outstanding benefits for retired employees of the Demerara

Distillers Limited (DDL), denial of old-age pension from the National Insurance Scheme (NIS) and wrongful dismissal from the Guyana Defence Force, among others.

The report noted that many of the complaints received, were made by persons who walked in seeking advice and assistance.

As a result, much time was spent interviewing complainants, giving on the spot advice and if necessary, referring complainants to the relevant authorities on matters which were not within the Ombudsman’s jurisdiction.

The Ombudsman Office was established to guarantee the protection of citizens against abuse and misuse of power but the absence of an investigator has hampered the work of the Office.

Lamenting the state of affairs, Justice (ret’d) Patterson also revealed that the Police Commissioner was among those officials who failed to reply to his correspondence, although two or more reminders were sent.

The other agencies included the NIS and Commissioner of Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission.

Ganja found in prison’s chicken pen

The illegal drugs found in the prison’s chicken pen.

Prison guards on Monday last unearthed 161 grams of marijuana hidden in the New Amsterdam Prison’s chicken pen.

According to police, the illegal substance was discovered around 15:30hrs and was

found wrapped in two transparent, compact plastic wraps.

Investigators are currently questioning the inmates to find out who might have stashed the drugs there.

Wednesday December 15, 2021

Kaieteur News

PAGE 19

US$50M agro-processing facility for Enmore The Government of Guyana (GOG) is expecting in the near future, the realisation of a US$50 million investment on an agro-processing facility to be built at Enmore, East Coast Demerara (ECD) by the Rudisa Group of Companies.

O n M o n d a y, t h e President, Dr. Irfaan Ali, posted on his Facebook page a video illustrating an artist’s impression of the multimillion facility.

I n h i s t e a s e r, h e mentioned that the industrial

development investment will create more than 1,000 jobs.

In August last, the government through the Guyana Office for Investment (GO-Invest) inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Caribbean International Distributors Inc., a member of the Rudisa Group of Companies for the development of a US$35 million agro-processing facility at Enmore.

It was reported that the facility is expected to engage

Murder suspect captured; mother detained for harbouring him

Captured murder suspect, Shane Samaroo

Irene Seecharan, Samaroo’s mother

Police on Monday last captured a 20-year-old man, who was on the run for murder, and in the process also detained his mother for allegedly habouring him.

Shane Samaroo called ‘Tanta boy’, a labourer of Rosignol Village, West Coast Berbice (WCB), was nabbed during a search at his mother’s residence in the Mibicuri, Black Bush Polder.

At the time of his arrest, he was in the company of his

mother, Irene Seecharan, called ‘Pinkey’, 36, and she too was detained.

Samaroo is accused of fatally stabbing Faroze Khan of Carriage Road, Rosignol, WCB, on August 19, 2021, at Bennet Dam. According to reports, Samaroo had used a ‘pointed’ piece of wood to inflict the fatal wounds on Khan. Police had been searching for Samaroo since August but had always come up empty handed.

An artist’s impression of the US$50M agro-processing facility.

in the production and packaging of various products ranging from milk, natural fruit juices and water to a variety of bread products, such as hamburger rolls, biscuits, cookies, croissants, bagels and donuts, to supply Guyana’s local and export markets.

It was also stated at the time that the facility would employ some 600 persons

and will be a significant boost to the businesses of local fruit and dairy farmers who will be the chief suppliers of this facility.

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of GO-Invest, Dr. Peter Ramsaroop stated at the signing of the MoU, “Rudisa Group of Companies has a long standing in Guyana and is embarking on a new and

critical venture which will considerably contribute to the President’s vision for an Agriculture focused Guyana and which will be focal in the government’s mission to transform Guyana into a large scale exporter for the Caribbean and beyond.”

Maurice Gajadhar, CEO of Caribbean International Distributors Inc. said, “we are excited to expand our

operations and to be instrumental in Guyana’s agricultural and industrial development through the employment of 600 persons once fully operational. We want to make sure that our people benefit from this investment and are eager to add value to the agriculture industry in keeping with our President’s vision for Guyana.”

Kaieteur News

PAGE 20

Wednesday December 15, 2021

Matthew’s Ridge residents brave rain to collect water filters Residents walking through the rain to collect their water filters.

By Shervin Belgrave

The US Civil Affairs team posing for a photo after pushing their taxi out of the mud.

Torrential downpours did not stop residents of Matthew’s Ridge, Region One, from arriving at the community’s centre on Tuesday December 7, to collect water filters that were donated by the US Embassy’s Civil Affairs Team.

The US team led by Aaron Staton had learnt that the residents were facing difficulties in accessing clean water for drinking and cooking, and had decided to source water filters for some 200 households in that community.

Recently, Kaieteur News had reported that due to the

Residents standing in a semi-circle as the US team explains the benefits of having the water filter.

Residents posing for a photo with the US team.

existence of manganese in the community, the water supply has become contaminated.

For decades, residents of Matthew’s Ridge have been sourcing water from natural springs in the area, however, with manganese extraction taking place there, it is likely that it will become contaminated.

Consuming water with elevated levels of the mineral can severely affect the health of the residents, especially children. This newspaper had even reported back in August 2021 that consuming water with high levels of manganese can cause impaired cognitive functions

and developmental delays in young children, mental health conditions, and a condition called manganism, which is a Parkinson’s-like disease.

The Government has since begun drilling wells in Matthew’s Ridge, so that residents can once again have access to clean water, but this will take a while to complete.

While the wells are under construction, the US team decided to provide some water filters, so that residents could consume clean water until they (wells) are completed. Kaieteur News was privileged to accompany the team on its Continued on page 22

A Matthew’s Ridge resident paying keen attention as one of the US team members demonstrates how to set up his water filter.

Wednesday December 15, 2021

Kaieteur News

21 percent decrease in serious crimes for 2021 - Benn Guyana has recorded a 21 percent decrease in serious crimes for the period January 1, 2021, to December 13, 2021, compared to the same period in 2020.

This was revealed by Minister of Home Affairs, Robeson Benn, on Monday last, during his address to the National Assembly, as he presented the Police (Amendment) Bill to the House.

The statistics provided by the Minister, illustrates a further reduction in serious crimes when contrasted with the first six months of the year.

In July last, the Guyana Police Force had said it recorded a 19.3 percent decrease in serious crimes from January 1, 2021 to July 30, 2021, when compared to the same period for 2020.

Head-of-State, Dr. Irfaan Ali, in November last explained that a stats-based crime-fighting strategy led to numerous interventions for criminal hotspot in various Regions.

He explained that the crime-fighting strategy will also see development of the smart city programme to all parts of the country with serious investment in intelligence gathering.

Minister of Home Affairs, Robeson Benn

Laws updated to prohibit synthetic drugs The National Assembly on Monday approved amendments to the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (Control Amendment) laws meant to update the legislation, to take into account synthetic drugs such as ‘ecstasy’ and ‘molly’, among others.

The amendments now make it an offence for persons found with synthetic drugs that were not catered for under Guyana’s laws, and to allow for prosecution.

According to the United Nations, some of the new

synthetic drugs on the market include methamphetamines, Ketamine, Fentanyl, as well as Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), commonly known as ‘ecstasy’, ‘molly’ or Crystalline.

The amendments were presented by Minister of Home Affairs, Robeson Benn, and received the support of the Parliamentary Opposition.

“This is an intention to bring into the realm of law, prosecutorial offences for synthetics and all those other substances which are narcotics, psychotropic

substances and stimulants which were previously not captured in our legislation,” Minister Benn explained.

Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Charles Ramson Jr., in his presentation to the debate noted that the problem of synthetic drugs used by young people is a worldwide crisis.

As such, in supporting his colleague Minister’s amendments, he said Government is looking out for the protection of young people of the country.

PAGE 21

Man remanded for allegedly killing vagrant

A 34-year-old labourer was yesterday remanded to prison for the alleged murder of a homeless man on Friday, December 3, last.

The defendant, Balram Phagoo, also known as ‘Sunny’ of Grove Sea Dam, East Bank Demerara (EBD), appeared at the Vreed-enHoop Magistrate’s Court before Magistrate Faith McGusty. It is alleged that Phagoo killed Visham Dial, 61, on December 3. He was not required to plea to the indictable charge and is expected to return to court on January 26, 2022.

According to reports, Dial was found

dead around 17:00hrs on December 4, last, at Westminster Housing Scheme, West Bank Demerara (WBD).

His remains were discovered lying underneath a fruit vendor’s house with blood stains to his face. It is believed that Dial was beaten to death by the suspect. During the investigation, police learnt that the homeless man was involved in an argument with a woman around 21:30hrs on Friday December 3.

Investigators believe that he was killed sometime after that argument.

PAGE 22

Kaieteur News

Wednesday December 15, 2021

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An 18-year-old man from Region Three, who contracted the novel Corona virus (COVID-19) disease, has died.

This is according to the Ministry of Health, which reported yesterday that the teen was an unvaccinated patient, who succumbed on Tuesday while receiving treatment at a medical facility.

As a result, the country’s COVID-19 death toll has moved to 1,024.

Meanwhile, the Ministry in its COVID-19 dashboard said, it recorded 50 new infections, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 38,618.

The dashboard also indicated that 10 patients are presently admitted into the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit (ICU), 43 persons are in institutional isolation, 757 in home isolation and four in institutional quarantine.

To date, a total of 36,784 p e r s o n s h a v e recovered from the virus.

Matthew’s Ridge residents brave rain to collect...

From page 20 journey to the community to distribute the filters, and which facilitated the following step-by-step account. The journey began at the Ogle Airport, where the team boarded a small airplane to the small village of Port Kaituma. Upon its arrival there, team members checked in at a hotel then took an almost three-hour ride in a taxi to Matthew’s Ridge.

Along the way, they were forced to bathe themselves in mud in order to push the car out of the thick slush along the road.

When they finally arrived at the Community Centre at

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Matthew’s Ridge, it started to rain.

At first, the team members, thought that the residents would not brave the rain to collect their water filters, but as they were about to hand them over to the Vice Chairman of the Matarkai, Region One district, persons began ‘trickling in’ one after the other with their umbrellas.

In a matter of minutes, the U.S. team distributed more than 50 water filters, but not before demonstrating how to set them up. Team members explained that the filters can be used to filter 100,000 gallons of water, and showed recipients how to flush them out after each use.

The residents paid keen attention and asked ques-

tions. Some even took out their cellphones to record the demonstration and instructions, while others requested that the team members assemble the filters for them.

One of the residents, Samantha Griffith, said that she was grateful for the donation, because sometimes the water from the springs “would come brown”.

The Vice Chairman, Lair Frazer, related that residents have been consuming spring water for years, but when it rains, the water would get muddy. Staton, the U.S. team leader, listened to issues that villagers were facing and promised to return. He told Kaieteur News that he was happy that residents turned up to collect the water filters, and had even enjoyed the

journey to the Region One district.

Kaieteur News also had a chance to visit the site where the government is currently drilling a well to provide clean water for the residents living in Matthew’s Ridge. According to engineers on the ground, the drilling process will take 15 days to complete.

After speaking with them, the team entered their taxis and began the long, demanding journey back to Port Kaituma. Once again they had fun in the rain, muddying themselves to push their taxis out of the slush along the road and even posed for a photo.

One of them said that only in Guyana will you have this kind of adventure.

Withdraw amendment to remove...

From page 16 argued, “we cannot give ultimate power to one man in the “PPP’s Engine Room” to treat the NRF as a personal “piggy bank…at a time when concerned groups are lamenting the poor governance of oil and gas, and the lack of transparency and accountability.”

To this end, he said the PPP’s proposal to dismantle the 22-member NRF Board is not only a backward move but “it shows the simple contempt the government has for the people of Guyana in oil and gas matters.”

He added, “…clearly, the PPP wants to march to the beat of its own drum and does

not seem prepared to listen to anyone.

Mr. President, for a government hanging by a thread with a one-seat majority, this misguided direction renders your One Guyana slogan as worthless.”

According to Dr. Jailall, in dismantling the 22-member stakeholder group, half of Guyana is removed from the decision-making process.

The move, he said, is not only reckless but shows wanton disregard for Guyana’s responsibility in adhering to the Constitution.

Additionally, Dr. Jailall noted it is a violation of the Extractive Industries Trans-

parency Initiative (EITI) Principles, the Santiago Principles, and the Escazú Accord to which Guyana is a signatory.

The Santiago Principles promote transparency, good governance, accountability and prudent investment practices, whilst encouraging a more open dialogue and deeper understanding of Sovereign Wealth Fund activities.

The Escazú Agreement is one of the most effective tools for holding States accountable, defending rights, and protecting the health of people and of the planet.

Wednesday December 15, 2021

Kaieteur News

PAGE 23

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Kaieteur News

Wednesday December 15, 2021

Wednesday December 15, 2021

Kaieteur News

PAGE 25

Granger to skip PNC/R Congress after jetting off to Cuba for ‘health concerns’ Substantive Leader of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNC/R), Brigadier (Rt’d) David Granger, yesterday departed Guyana for Cuba to attend to matters of his health. As such, the former President and Leader of the second largest mass based party, will not be in attendance at its 26th Biennial Congress slated for this Saturday, after a oneweek postponement.

The announcement was made yesterday by the party through a formal statement, which indicated that given the development, Granger will, “not be with us at this historic Congress.”

He was scheduled to deliver the keynote address to the party delegates who are expected to vote for the new leadership.

Granger, while President in 2018, was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma and was treated at Centro de Investigaciones Medico Quirurgicas [CIMEQ] in Cuba.

In January last year, his cancer was said to be in remission even as doctors ordered him to undergo routine checkups in Cuba.

Cuba’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla in 2018 had noted

that his country “will do everything in its power for his [President Granger’s] full recovery so that he could resume his official duties as quickly as is practicable on a fulltime basis.”

Granger was diagnosed in with NonHodgkin’s lymphoma, a type of cancer that originates in the lymphatic system, the diseasefighting network in the body, and was placed in the CIMEQ on Thursday, November 1, where he underwent a surgical procedure.

Prior to Cuba, the President had travelled twice to Trinidad and Tobago. He had done his annual medical check-up in May 2018 and was given a clean bill of health. However, on his return to work, the President said that he started to experience certain symptoms, which were persistent, and took the decision to travel back to Trinidad to revisit the tests that were done in May that year.

By October the following year, he was told that the cancer was found to be in remission with another scheduled appointment for January last year where he was said to be in good health.

Granger had failed to pick up any nominations by his party’s delegates to compete for any of the positions to be voted on, including part leader and chairman.

That 26th Biennial Congress was slated to be held on December 11, last but was postponed as a result of the lack of its preparedness to pull off the event, as was determined by its internal Chief Election Officer, Vincent Alexander.

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 PNC/R stalwart, Volda Lawrence are among those who have been nominated to contest for leadership of the Party. Williams, has since pulled out of the leadership race.

The official list of nominees to contest for the leadership post includes: former Minister of State, under the coalition administration, Joseph Harmon, Aubrey Norton and Dr. Richard Van-West Charles.

David Granger

As it relates to the post of Party Chairman, those nominated include the incumbent, Volda Lawrence, Gary Best, Shurwayne Holder, Amanza Walton-Desir, 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 Congress will be for delegates only, decentralised, and hybrid and will be conducted over one day at the Party’s Congress Houses, and approved venues in the respective regions.

PAGE 26

Kaieteur News

Wednesday December 15, 2021

Wednesday December 15, 2021

PAGE 27

Kaieteur News

GuySuCo/Nexgen Golf delivers... Brian Lara named brand From page 30 the children have also been given a chance to attend golf training camps at the Nexgen Golf Academy on Woolford Avenue.

Director Kenneth Finlayson stated, “Our children look forward to experiencing the joys of something new and they talk about this all the time as a wonderful experience. Without the help of GuySuCo and Mr. Hussain, the entire team of volunteers, this would not be possible this year, so on behalf of the children and staff, I want to thank everyone for your support in making a difference in their lives.”

President of Nexgen Golf Academy Aleem Hussain expressed his gratitude to the management of GuySuCo, “Giving back to those less fortunate is important and this year we were able to give many more kids an opportunity to enjoy a day of GolFun due to the support from GuySuCo, Maraiko Bay Resorts, KFC and the Nexgen Global Group.”

Hussain also thanked the volunteers, especially Alicia, Phillip, Michelle, and Steve, who worked behind the scenes to create the event and setting that included a 15 foot recyclable tree made from plastic bottles that was a main part of the activities. GuySuCo has set high expectations for the coming years

with a focus on human resources development and profitability not just production numbers. “Our aim is to deliver results to our stakeholders that shows we are not just the largest employer outside of government but that we are able to perform at all levels.”

“The Corporation is embracing old and new ideas to achieve its goals and looks forward to receiving suggestions and comments from everyone who wants to see improvement for the betterment of the Corporation and industry”, said Gavin Ramnarain, Head of Agri Research & Communications.

Mr. Singh stated, “GuySuCo plays a daily part in homes around the world making lives sweeter, a little bit at a time, but especially around the holidays with baking of cakes and natural drinks such as sorrel and ginger beer.”

Based on the reactions from the participants, he indicated that such activities could be expanded to other areas in which GuySuCo operates and may not be limited only to the holiday season.

He added, “On behalf of myself, management and staff of GuySuCo, we wish our stakeholders and customers a safe and happy holiday season and best wishes for prosperity for all Guyanese in 2022.”

Wednesday December 15, 2021 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) If A long-awaited vacation or a move you've been hoping to make could finally be possible.

TAURUS(Apr.20–May20) Heightened imagination and ingenuity could bring new thoughts for advancing yourself in the financial arena. Practical information from outside sources merges with insights to bring useful ideas your way.

GEMINI (May 21–June 20) Social events could bring some exciting new contacts your way. Relationships with partners of all kinds should be fruitful and mutually beneficial, particularly when the people are also close friends.

CANCER (June 21–July 22) Your efficient, practical abilities are operating at a very high level today. A long-term goal you've been working toward could finally be reached, bringing good fortune and acknowledgment.

LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) Your strong business sense and practical skills couple with imagination and innovation to bring advancement.

VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) Friends and family could visit you today. They're likely to bring new friends whose expertise benefits a project you're working on.

LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) A social event in your neighborhood, perhaps in your home, could bring useful information your way that you can use to advance your career. You could make some valuable contacts.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) With the current astral environment, your professional and financial interests could take a turn for the better.

SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) All indications are that you're feeling mentally and physically great. Your professional and financial interests could take a sudden turn for the better.

Love matters should also be going well, and children bring great pleasure today.

CAPRI (Dec. 22–Jan. 19) Financial difficulties could be overcome today through the help of someone considerably older than you. Helpful advice could make a future course of action clearer and more practical than it seemed in the past.

AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18) Today a piece of information for which you've been searching could become known. Your money management skills might be called upon to help out a friend or perhaps a family member.

PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) With the shifting planetary alignment, all of your efforts over the past few weeks could finally bear fruit.

ambassador for USHA International

SportsMax - West Indies batting legend Brian Lara has been named a brand ambassador for Indian consumer deliverables company USHA International.

USHA International Limited is a company that provides Asain household products like sewing machines, dry irons, fans, coolers, water dispensers and kitchen appliances.

Lara announced the partnership on his Instagram page yesterday.

“I am honoured to be the brand ambassador for India’s legendary and iconic consumer deliverables company, USHA International,” he said.

“It’s no secret how much

I endorse living an active, healthy lifestyle. That’s why I wanted to be associated with a company that not only does the same, but one that is also passionate about giving back and touching lives,” he said.

Lara, arguably one of the greatest batsmen of all time, has a massive global following was the best batsman in the world for much of his career that began in 1990 and culminated in 2007. During that time, playing for the West Indies, Lara scored 11,953 Test runs at an average of 52.88. The man dubbed The Prince of Port of Spain, in his native Trinidad and Tobago, still holds the world record for highest Test innings, 400 not

West Indies batting legend Brian Lara out, made against England in 2004.

InceCarvalhal, Baksh...

From page 33 taking the first game 111/9.

Hug took the second with the same score. InceCarvalhal secured the third 11/8 and then battening down, Ince-Carvalhal began to move more smoothly and looked clearly on a mission to finish this one in 4. He bent lower, hit harder, found his targets and executed some perfect drops in his final game of the tournament to take the match with a final game score of 11/7.

The pair will now travel to the USA on December 16 where they will be joined by teammates Shomari Wiltshire, Michael Alphonso and Nicholas Verwey to gain more experience from the International US Junior Open. (Sean Devers)

PAGE 28

Brandon King drives through the covers • Dec 13, 2021 © PCB

Kaieteur News

Wednesday December 15, 2021

Pakistan edges West Indies in 2nd T20 to take series KARACHI, Pakistan (AP) — Pakistan hung in against Romario Shepherd’s late charge to beat the West Indies by nine runs in the second Twenty20 for an unassailable 2-0 lead in the threematch series yesterday.

Needing 23 off the last over, Shepherd hit Haris Rauf for 13 runs but the West Indies was bowled out on the last ball when the paceman clean bowled No. 11 batter Oshane Thomas.

The West Indies was all out for 163 in reply to Pakistan’s 172-8.

Pakistan was only 141-7 after 18 overs but Shadab

Khan crunched an unbeaten 28 off 12 balls to give them a defendable total. It proved to be the difference.

“The finish from Shadab was very good,” captain Babar Azam said.

“There’s grip for the spinners in the second innings, which is why we wanted to bat first.”

Fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi (3-26) had West Indies on the mat at 131-8 when he claimed three wickets in the 17th over.

Odean Smith was brilliantly snapped up by a diving Asif Ali on the edge of the boundary, Dominic

Romario Shepherd runs out Mohammad Wasim • Dec 13, 2021 © PCB Drakes, who made his debut on Monday in West Indies’ 63-run defeat, edged Afridi behind, and the left-arm fast bowler was on a hat trick when he clean-bowled Hayden Walsh off the next ball. Shepherd denied Afridi a hat-trick and his career-best 35 off 19 balls surprisingly lifted West Indies to the brink of a comeback win, but ultimately he was given too much to do with too little support.

“Tough one for us (but) big improvement from yesterday,” West Indies skipper Nicholas Pooran said. “Felt like we lost here due to silly mistakes, irresponsible from myself, too. We tried our best to execute plans and it’s our (top order) responsibility to carry the game.”

Opener Brandon King (67) scored his maiden T20 halfcentury but legspinner Shadab Khan (0-22) didn’t allow him to score freely in the middle overs. When King holed out in the deep in the 16th over off Rauf, he was

only the fifth man down. But Afridi’s three wickets in the next over confirmed the momentum was back with Pakistan. Earlier, Pakistan’s batting depth was on show again even after captain Babar, who won the toss and elected to bat, yet again couldn’t get going and was run out for just 7.Left-arm spinner Akeal Hosein stood out for the West Indies in an unchanged spell of four overs up front and had Fakhar Zaman stumped, but too many other batsmen got away.

Mohammad Rizwan topscored with 38, Iftikhar Ahmed added 32, and Haider Ali made 31.

However, it was Shadab’s breezy knock including three sixes in the last two overs which gave Pakistan just enough runs. The third and last T20 is tomorrow.

Scores: Pakistan 172 for 8 (Rizwan 38, Haider 31, Shadab 28*, Odean 2-24) beat West Indies 163 (King 67, Shepherd 35*, Afridi 326, Nawaz 2-36) by 9 runs.

NFL rattled by COVID cases, requires booster for staff (Reuters) - The National Football League (NFL) sent a memo to teams on Monday requiring their staff members to receive a vaccine booster amid a COVID-19 outbreak that saw 36 players test positive.

The league said in a report posted on its website that of the 36 players placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list, 25 were on active rosters and 11 on practice squads, with at least 18 teams affected. In the memo, which was obtained by Reuters, the NFL said staff who had been vaccinated must receive a booster shot by Dec. 27, citing the “increased prevalence of the virus in our communities”.

Players are not required to get the vaccine but the NFL has repeatedly urged them to do so. “Our own data has shown that unvaccinated players have contracted the virus and lost time as close contacts at a much greater rate than vaccinated players,” the league said. Earlier this month, the NFL implemented additional COVID-19 protocols in anticipation of the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday and urged teams to offer drivethrough testing for players’ and staff members’ visiting family and friends. The United States has been reporting daily increases in infections for the past two weeks and crossed 50 million cases on Sunday.

Wednesday December 15, 2021

PAGE 29

Kaieteur News

Hamilton told Wounded England face pink-ball challenge in second Ashes Test team on radio race was ‘manipulated’

Australia take a 1-0 lead into the second Test in Adelaide (AFP/Patrick HAMILTON) AFP - England head into the day-night second Ashes Test in Adelaide on Thursday under pressure and facing an ominous task against an Australian team who have won all of their eight pink-ball matches.

The tourists’ capitulation by nine wickets in the opening Test in Brisbane exposed their batting and fielding frailties, exacerbated by rain-hit preparations and lack of match practice. It wasn’t helped by poor decision-making — notably captain Joe Root choosing to bat after winning the toss on a juicy Gabba pitch and the widely criticised omission of pace veterans Jimmy Anderson and Stuart Broad. Root knows his team must find a way to improve, and fast, to stand a chance at a ground where Australia have hosted five of their eight Test wins under lights.

“We have got to be better in the field and with the bat,” he said, but added: “We’re game-hardened now, we’re in the series.”

Seamers Broad and Anderson are tipped to return given the extra movement found with a pink ball, something coach Chris Silverwood hinted at this week.

“Jimmy will be fit and ready to go for the second Test, as will Stuart,” he told British media. “We have talent and we still have two of the best (bowlers) up our sleeve as well.”

That would likely mean one of Ollie Robinson, Mark Wood or Chris Woakes missing out, and England must also decide what to do with spinner Jack Leach, who was hammered for 1-102 off 13 overs at the Gabba.

While losing by nine wickets was bad enough, they were also fined all of their

match fees and docked Test Championship points for a slow over rate. - ‘Confidence is there’ - There are also concerns over Ben Stokes, who failed to fire in his first competitive match in six months after a break to deal with a finger injury and mental health issues. Root insisted England’s star all-rounder would bounce back and warned Australia: “You write Ben Stokes off at your own peril.” Silverwood said the team was looking ahead, rather than dwelling on defeat. “Obviously they were hurting, but there is belief they can win this series,” he said, despite England losing three of the four day-night Tests they have played so far.

“We have the players here that can match the Australians. The confidence is there that we can compete with Australia, and that’s exactly what we intend to do.”

Australia have their own headaches, with Josh Hazlewood ruled out with a side strain. It is a big blow with the fast bowler boasting a pink-ball record of 32 wickets at just 19.90.

He was the major destroyer in Adelaide a year ago, taking an incredible 5-8 when India were rolled for just 36 in their second innings. Australian captain Pat Cummins said after Brisbane that Hazlewood’s injury was “nothing too serious”, but selectors opted not to risk him with the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne coming hot on the heels of Adelaide. Jhye Richardson is the frontrunner to add to his two Tests and spearhead the attack alongside Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Nathan Lyon, although Michael Neser is also an option. There is also a worry over explosive opener David Warner, who scored 94 in Brisbane. He has been nursing bruised ribs and didn’t bat in Australia’s second innings when just 20 runs were needed to win.

The experienced Usman Khawaja is a likely replacement to open alongside Marcus Harris should Australia choose to rest Warner.

Despite this, Cummins is confident of his team taking a 2-0 Ashes lead given Australia’s unblemished pink-ball record at Adelaide and the thumping they handed England last week.“We’re going to Adelaide, a place we love playing and the pink ball’s a little bit different... there’s a few more unknowns,” he said.

“But it’s a format we really enjoy and Adelaide Oval’s a great place to play cricket.”

Kristen Hayden becomes 1st Black woman to win national diving title =Associated Press BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Kristen Hayden became the first Black woman to win a U.S. national senior title when she paired with Quinn Henninger for a victory in mixed synchronized 3m springboard Monday at the USA Diving Winter Nationals.

Hayden, a recent transfer to Indiana University, and freshman Henninger took the lead on their third dive of the competition. Their next two dives earned mostly 7.0s and 7.5s for a total score of 286.86 points, three points ahead of Carson Tyler and Anne Fowler.

It was the first synchro competition together for Henninger and Hayden.

Hayden joined Mike Wright as the only Black divers to win U.S. national titles. Wright won on 1m springboard in 2012.

“I don’t think words can even describe

the feeling,” Hayden said. “You read about people like that, you watch Serena Williams, Simone Biles, Simone Manuel, but when it’s yourself, it’s insane.

I think the whole diving community is headed in the right direction and I just want to be a good example for young Black Americans or any minority really for diving in the U.S.” Hayden is the first Black American diver to earn a bid to the world championships in May in Japan. She was a team member at the 2016 Junior Worlds.

She is a founding member of USA Diving’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Council. The 23-year-old diver from Hillsborough, New Jersey, began the sport at age 10.

Hayden will also compete in synchro springboard with partner Margo O’Meara, as well as the individual 1m and 3m springboard events.

Kristen Hayden

Red Bull’s Max Verstappen celebrates winning the race and the world championship with the Netherlands flag on the podium as Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton looks on after finishing second.

(REUTERS/Hamad I Mohammed) (Reuters) - Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton said on his team radio, “This has been manipulated,” after the Briton was passed by Max Verstappen on the final lap of Sunday’s controversial season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

The message was not broadcast on the world TV feed but was audible on seven-times champion Hamilton’s onboard channel on F1TV, multiple media outlets reported.

Reuters has requested comment from Mercedes and the governing FIA.

Red Bull’s Verstappen overtook Hamilton on the last lap to win the Abu Dhabi GP and claim his first championship after race director Michael Masi altered the safety car procedure to allow five cars between the title rivals to get out of the way.

The decision gave Verstappen a clear run on Hamilton in what amounted to a last-lap sprint finish, with the Dutch driver on fresher tyres.

Hamilton was gracious in defeat, congratulating Verstappen and Red Bull for their victory.

Trophy Stall Doubles Badminton...

From page 30 Jaurel Hendricks 21-11, 21-7 Easa Sanichara & Matthew Beharry defeated Chet Bowling & Zachary Persaud 21-10, 21-7 Marlon Chung & Priyanna Ramdhani defeated Kevin Hamilton & Kristoff Shepperd 21-4, 21-7 Akili Haynes & Tyrese Jeffrey defeated Avinash Odit & Grandison Robinson 21-13, 21-14 Women’s Doubles Quarter Finals Mishka Beharry & Priyanka Shivnauth defeated Deandre Assing & Elesa Sangster 21-12, 21-9 Mixed Doubles Round One Ayanna Watson & Matthew Beharry defeated Zachary Persaud & Elesa Sangster 21-5, 21-8 Mixed Doubles Quarter Finals Jonathan Mangra & Shivannie Persaud defeated Ayanna Watson & Matthew Beharry 21-19, 21-14

Marlon Chung & Ambika Ramraj defeated Tyrese Jeffrey & Christina Kumar 21-19, 21-23,21-18 Narayan Ramdhani & Mishka Beharry defeated Anthony Stephens & Anna Perreira 21-15, 21-15 Men’s Doubles Consolation Semi-Finals Mahender Sharma & Jason Stephney defeated Andrew Browne & Andrew Browne 21-11, 21-12 Matthew Klautky& Matthew Singh defeated Manav Sharma & Jonathan Robinson 25-23, 21-17 Mixed Doubles Consolation Semi-Finals Tyrese Jeffrey & Christina Kumar defeated Anthony Stephens & Anna Perreira 1917, Retired The Guyana Badminton Association would once again like to express gratitude to Mr. Ramesh Sunich for his sponsorship of trophies. The tournament continues on Wednesday from 17:00hrs at the Sports Hall.

PAGE 30

Kaieteur News

Wednesday December 15, 2021

Guyana Committee of Services Foster seeks re-election for 3rd G$1M Raffle drawing Dec. 19 successive term, says running on his record of achievements live on NCN at 11:00hrs A first prize of G$1Million, will up for grabs when the Guyana Committee of Services’ Raffle is drawn live on the National Communications Network (NCN) at 11AM on Sunday December 19.

Raffle tickets cost G$500 and patrons have up to 10AM on Sunday December 19; one hour before the drawing is done, to purchase tickets and patrons are reminded that if you don’t have a ticket you don’t have a chance.

The Guyana Community of Services is a NGO, nonprofitable organisation that do different programmes to obtain funding for sports persons and others.

The team comprise of Eugene Noel (chairman), Comedians Jumbie Jones and Rajan Tawari, former Athletics Coach and Boxer Leslie Black, singer Bill Rogers and founder ex-Athlete Joseph Ramkumar among others.

“The GCS was formed in 2016 to assist former Guyana Boxer Clive Atwell who fainted on October 24, 2015, during his bout for the FECARBOX World Boxing Council’s (WBC) lightweight title against Dexter Gonsalves.

“With the help of the GCS and Sports Journalists Sean Devers who himself underwent a Surgery for Brain Cancer and who exposed the Boxer’s plight with his articles in the Kaieteur News… Atwell went to the US for corrective cranial surgery,” informed Committee member Black who coached top local middle and long distance runners Cleveland Forde and Alika Morgan among others. Atwell’s 17-

bout Professional career lasted from 2010 to 2015 and included 13 wins, seven losses and a draw.

Atwell challenged for the WBC featherweight title in 2014. As an amateur he won a bronze medal at the 2007 Pan American Games as a bantamweight. Atwell’s issue sparked the formation of the GCS which has since embarked on several projects to help those in need of assistance. The Raffle, which apart from the substantial first prise, has four consolation prises of a big Electric Bike (2nd prize), a small Electric Bike (3rd), a 32-inch Smart TV (4th) and a Smartt phone (5th). “Tickets can be bought from all of Payless Variety Stores at Rose

GCS member Leslie Black Hall Town, New Amsterdam, Vreed-in-Hoop and the Main Branch on Wellington Street Georgetown or you can me on 650-5868,” said Black. (Sean Devers)

G$1 million up for grabs

Incumbent President of the Berbice Cricket Board (BCB), Hilbert Foster, on Sunday would be seeking re-election to the position when the board holds its General meeting at the Port Mourant Cricket Club. Foster, who is also a Vice President of the Guyana Cricket Board and a Director of Cricket West Indies, was first elected to the presidency in February 2018 and has spearheaded a major transformation of the county’s cricket over the last four years.

Foster, stated that he has no interest in the politics of cricket and would be running solely on his unmatched list of achievements. He inherited a cricket system that was on the verge of total collapse and stated that despite achieving the impossible to date; much more still has to be done as the intention is to make Berbice, the jewel in the crown of West Indies cricket.

Foster stated that his administration took over a system with less than fifty thousand dollars in the bank account, no proper cricket tournament completed in two years, no developmental programme in place, no proper office to operate from, while players were quitting the game at a very fast rate.

The old executives, who were defeated by Foster and his slate, did not even congratulate them and refused to do the normal handing over of financial and administration records. Over two million dollars was withdrawn from the board account and to date has not been accounted for by the past administration.

The current executives, which include leaders likes of Albert Smith, Angela Haniff, Dr Cecil Beharry, Leslie Solomon, Qualis Winter and Ameer Rahaman from day one in office worked as a collective body and their record of achievements are unmatched in Guyana and the Caribbean cricketing circle.

The board has started or successfully completed a combined seventy five cricket tournaments at the junior and senior levels, raised close to sixty million dollars of sponsorship in cash and kind, organised hundreds of developmental programmes, assisted clubs and youth players with over twenty million dollars of items and launched an ambitious educational campaign to make sure Berbice youth players place special emphasis on obtaining an educational background.

Hundreds of educational grants have been handed out to youths along with educational materials, cycles and uniforms in a massive effort to get youths to stay in school.

0The BCB for the first time also handed out a scholarship to the University of Guyana and unveiled a county wide coaching programme which has trained thousands of youths.

The board also created history when it became the first cricket board to publish its own coaching manual and also spearheaded a total restoration of its office. Other achievements includes the distribution of grass cutters, catching cribs, water pitchers, cricket pitch covers, while for the first time, sub associations and the umpires association received financial subventions.

Female cricket was also invested heavily into by the BCB and three Berbicians are now currently in the West Indies female team. Foster was quick to point out that a total of nineteen players from the Ancient county have either played for the regional team at different levels since 2018 or were called to training camps.

Asked to name his greatest achievement, the veteran administrator stated that he was very proud at the state of unity that existed in the

Hilbert Foster county’s cricket and the fact that dozens of former players based overseas are contributing back to the game. This he stated it is based in their confidence in his team.

Another major achievement has been to make sure that no ghost member clubs exists in the county. Clubs like Guymine, Kildonan and Mt Sinai are all back on their feet and are very active in playing tournaments.

He also stated that his board has been very transparent with the general public via very aggressive public relations campaign on social media and the national printed and electronic media.

The fifty two years old BCB President, expressed gratitude to the hundreds of sponsors and donors who have supported the board and made special mention of overseas Guyanese Dr Tulsi Dyal Singh, Dr Puran Singh, Brian Ramphal, Sureain Sawh and Bobby Deonarine among others.

Three sub associations and thirteen clubs would vote in the elections and they are West Berbice Cricket Association, Upper Corentyne Cricket Association, Berbice River Cricket Association, Blairmont, Police, Guymine, Mental Hospital, Mt Sinai, Rose Hall Canje, Young Warriors, Chesney, RHTYSC, Port Mourant, Albion, Kildonan and Whim.

Each club has two votes and the three sub-associations four votes each.

Kaieteur News

Wednesday December 15, 2021

PAGE 31

GFF-GNWFA Women’s Super 16

GDF overcome Upper Mazaruni on penalties to advance

By Zaheer Mohamed The Guyana Defence Force have advanced to the next round of the Guyana Football FederationGNWFA Women’s Super 16 knock out tournament following a 3-2 win on penalties over Upper Mazaruni when the tournament continued yesterday at the National Training Centre, Providence.

The result did not reflect the true image of the contest and despite being outplayed for most the game, GDF held their nerves to ensure they will face Swan in the next round.

Upper Mazaruni only have themselves to blame for the defeat as they failed to finish after creating several decent chances.

They dominated most of the proceedings and could have done a lot better up front, however, this is one area where their technical staff should place a lot more emphasis on.

The 90 minutes of regulation time as well as

Action between Upper Mazaruni and GDF.

extra time couldn’t separate the teams, and GDF were largely indebted to their goalkeeper Ruth George who pulled off a number of fine saves to ensure her team stayed in the contest.

George was made to work from the onset as she denied Upper Mazaruni twice from free kicks within

the area, while her opposite number Katrina King had little hiccups in keeping out some tame shots. Upper Mazaruni Zulika Mc Naughton had a decent chance to put her team ahead, but sent her shot over the bar from inside the area, while her teammate Glenda Daniels wasted a fair

opportunity, but sent her weak shot straight to George from close range.

GDF picked up the pace in the second half and their forwards forced a few fine saves from King as the game gathered momentum. Upper Mazaruni continued to attack and striker Mc Naughton was dominant up

front and got a few shots on target, however George did well to deny her on several occasions. Mc Naughton also hit the cross bar and sent a few shots wide with fair opportunities to find the back of the net. When Upper Mazaruni managed to find the back of the net, the referee ruled off-side. GDF

were also guilty of sending a few shots wide, but their defence also did well to keep out their opponents.

Glendy Lewis of Upper Mazaruni had a decent chance to score in the latter stages of regulation time, but her weak shot was easily saved by George from within the area.

GFF-K&S Super 16 Cup – Powered by KFC-Guyana

Linden sends ominous message with 9-0 drubbing of Victoria Kings; GFA nullify East Coast 3-1

By Franklin Wilson When day three action of the Guyana Football Federation-Kashif & Shanghai Super 16 Cup continued on Monday evening last at the Leonora Track and field Facility, there were contrasting wins for the two victors on the night.

Playing in the feature match-up, Linden All Stars inflicted a 9-0 drubbing on the once feared Victoria Kings which had held the title as the knock out kings of Guyana. The East Coast based side looked a far cry from their best as they surrendered meekly to the lads from the Bauxite Mining Town. Monday’s opening clash saw the Georgetown Football Association All Stars shining bright yet again, their second match of the competition, turning back the challenge of East Coast All Stars, 31; it was a fruitless night for the two East Coast based teams as they were sent packing.

But the story of the night was scripted by the Linden side, the main architects with a brace each were Jamal Haynes (3rd& 32nd) and DeShawn Joseph (44th& 61st). The highest margins of victory before Linden’s demolition exercise were both recorded by the GFA side, 3-1 over East Coast on Monday and last Friday’s tournament opener against West Demerara All Stars, 4-0.

The joy of scoring being relished by Stephen Alfred (4th left) and his colleagues after scoring goal #2 for the GFA All Stars against their East Coast rivals. (Franklin Wilson photo) Linden controlled play at will throughout the match and whilst the covid-19 pandemic would have taken a toll on all the participating teams in terms of being able to prepare as they would have liked to, the Linden outfit, made up of many players from the multiple winning Christiansburg Secondary Scholl team in the Digicel nationwide Schools championship along with their Coach who is leading Linden’s quest, looked the part and have sent an ominous message to all that they are here to compete for the top prize of Two Million Dollars.

The Kings never really threatened and were beaten to a pulp.

The other scorers on the night for Linden were Kelon Primo (49th), Andre Myers (67th), Quailon Andries (77th), Shane Haynes (80th) and Tyric McAllister (86th).

Georgetown All Stars which have played two matches more than the other teams, made it to the roundof-16 with a comfortable 3-1 over East Coast All Stars. This follows the GFA’s 4-0 whipping of West Demerara All Stars on Friday night last.

Like in their opening win, both

Tequan Taylor and Stephen Alfred were on target in the 5th and 70th minutes, respectively.

Shemar Welch sealed the deal on the stroke of full time when he inked his name on the scoresheet.

East Coast All Stars in the early exchanges looked like a real threat to the City side and when they drew level in the 9th minute on account of an Eon Abel goal, their supporters had felt a sense of competition but that feeling eventually faded away; the Georgetown lads grinding their way to victory, eventually.

More Super 16 Cup action will

continue with match day four being contested this Friday at the Buxton Community Centre ground which has been undergoing massive improvement, compliments of the Ministry of Culture Youth and Sport on behalf of the Government of Guyana.

From 18:00hrs, the Georgetown All Stars will be vying for a place in the quarters finals when they oppose Police Football Club in what is anticipated to be a fierce battle. The night capper from 20:30hrs brings together an all East Coast line up in Buxton United FC against Ann’s Grove United.

The tournament is sponsored by the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports, KFC Guyana, Mohamed’s Enterprise, MVP Sports, Dinars Trading, DDL-Pepsi, Gatorade, D i a m o n d Wa t e r, S t a t e m e n t Investment Inc., HJTV and 94.1, Star Party Rental, Namilco, Capelli Sports, Fireside Grill and Chill, Cevons Waste Management, Tony’s Jewellery Establishment, Daphness Foundation of New York, Ground Structural Engineering, Fast Lane Auto Spares, Bakewell, Pegasus Guyana, Cellphone Shack, Jim’s Variety Store, New GPC- Dr. Bobby Ramroop, Secure Innovation and Concepts Inc., Simextra Trading Guyana, Superior Concrete, Fitness Express, Banks DIH Ltd.

Kaieteur News

PAGE 32

Wednesday December 15, 2021

GuySuCo/Nexgen Golf delivers Christmas cheer to East Coast youths Making good on its promise to bring joy to more families this year, GuySuCo provided dozens of children from the Enmore and Enterprise areas with a special GuySuCo Christmas GolFun event at the Nexgen Golf Academy last Sunday.

“GuySuCo has made a commitment to improve the lives of as many persons in our communities and we see this as a major step in that direction,” said CEO Sasenarine Singh. “We want to ensure that there are direct benefits to the residents in our areas as evidenced by our efforts with training, re-

employment, diversification and contributions on a regular basis to our stakeholders.”

The annual Christmas Thanksgiving event was adopted by GuySuCo’s CEO, who seized the opportunity to provide these kids with a memorable experience, something that will impact them for more than just a day and create a passion for a new activity that could see our next world champions.

The weather cooperated as the kids were treated to an afternoon of fun that included photos with Santa,

The youths trying their hands at golf.

Ms. Claus and an entire team of Santa’s Helpers from the GuySuCo LBI head office, a golf experience, lots of food and drinks (contributed by the Beharry Group KFC) and

they all received a gift wrapped toy from Santa.

Transportation was provided by the Guyana Defence Force who saw this as an opportunity to support a

worthwhile cause.

This is the fourth year that the Enmore Orphanage has been beneficiaries of activities involving golf and Continued on page 27

Trophy Stall Doubles Badminton Christmas Tournament gets underway Organisers with some of the youths that were treated to a day of fun at the Nexgen Golf Academy.

Part of the action during opening night of the Trophy Stall Badminton championships.

The Trophy Stall Badminton Doubles Tournament kicked off on Monday at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall.

The first day saw players facing off in Open Doubles and Mixed Doubles games.

The Mixed Doubles was a fun mix, where names were put into two bags and pulled (one male, one female who were paired to play together).

Before the games commenced, a moment of silence was held for Mr. Gokarn Ramdhani, President of the Guyana Badminton Association and black sweat bands were handed out to each participant.

The results of the first day are as follows: Men’s Doubles Round One

Anthony Stephens & Jaurel Hendricks defeated Mahender Sharma & Jason Stephney 21-9, 21-12 Easa Sanichara & Matthew Beharry defeated Andrew Browne & Andrew Browne 21-2, 21-3 Kevin Shepperd Kevin Hamilton defeated Manav Sharma & Jonathan Robinson 21-9,17-21,21-12 Avinash Odit & Grandison Robinson defeated Matthew Klautky & Matthew Singh 21-10, 21-5 Men’s Doubles Quarter Finals Narayan Ramdhani & Jonathan Mangra defeated Anthony Stephens & Continued on page 29

Kaieteur News

Wednesday December 15, 2021

PAGE 33

Ince-Carvalhal, Baksh gain valuable experience in Canada Open To participate in US open on December 16

Baksh (right) lost to Singodia

S

amuel InceCarvalhal and Mohryan Baksh ventured to the Canadian Open earlier this week despite the challenges of new travel restrictions and Covid protocols. The boys were eager to get some good experience and see how they fared against others in their age categories after the effects of the pandemic on the sport.

Both boys came out strong and won their first matches, Baksh a clean win of 3/0 against opponent Simmons in the Boys U15 category, and Ince-Carvalhal in U19’s dropping the first 9/11, but taking the next three 11/4, 11/3 11/9, taking them on to the next round.

Baksh met Pallwal later that evening and was outperformed despite his fighting spirit and spectacular crosscourts. His Canadian opponent was at home on the court taking a convincing win of 11/5, 11/8, 11/6 over Baksh. InceCarvalhal suffered the same fate when he met up with the tournament number 2 seed in his second round bout, and although he gave a stellar performance, with good long rallies, amazing retrieval and killer drops, the number two seed was clearly in a higher league, defeating InceCarvalhal 11/3, 11/4, 11/4.

Both boys were moved into the Consolation draw to continue their bid for a seeding place.

On day 2 Baksh reestablished his dominance in his match up against Lee, looking sharp on court he battled through the first game for an 11/9 win and then wore Lee down with

clean crisp drives and solid cross courts that turned his opponent and put the ball past him into the back where he was unable to reach.

Securing his spot in 9/16 placement, Baksh won 11/3, 11/6, 11/4. Ince-Carvalhal looked set to do the same against Richter when he pushed a solid performance in the first two games earning himself 11/8, 11/8 wins. During the 3rd however, his opponent got the better of him and he conceded 4/11 and 1/11 losses. With a final push in the 5thfollowing some grueling rallies, great lengths and superb drops and what seemed to be enough, Ince-Carvalhal got to match ball before Richter evened at 10 all. Snatching back an 11/10 lead, Ince-Carvalhal looked to have it, but Richter evened again and then won the match on a stroke call, sending Ince-Carvalhal into the Plate.

In Baksh’s third round consolation match, he took the impressive Jain to 5 games. In an outstanding performance Baksh pushed a first close game with the boys going point for point to 10 all, before Baksh took it 12/10. In the second, it was another close call resulting in Baksh losing 9/11and 6/11 in the third. However, the determined youngster was not ready to give up on this one and Baksh’s stepped up his retrieval stepping and his placement was on point in the fourth and he powered into an 11/7 win before taking the match with an 11/8 final game to put him in the quarter-finals of the consolation.

Baksh ended his run right

down to wire in a 5 setter against a formidable opponent, Singodia who played an impressive first game taking an 11/4 lead on Baksh. Baksh took it back in the second but paid heavily for his efforts with an 11/2 defeat in the third. Pushing back, Baksh dominated the fourth moving his opponent around the court, hitting some hard low balls he couldn’t pick up to take an outstanding fourth game 11//4. As the boys went into the fifth, tension was high for a place in the semi’s and Baksh took an early lead reaching a 9/5 advantage, but Singodia climbed back

point by point in long rallies, both boys playing strong lengths trying to patiently wait for the other to make unforced errors, to even at 9all.

Neither player was giving it up, and at 10/10 the battle was at its peak before Singodia moved to 11/10 and finished it at 12/10.

In the final game for the boys, Ince-Carvalhal faced Hug in the Plate finals. After a point for point start InceCarvalhal pulled away to a 7/4 lead before Hug evened back at 7all and stayed close but Ince-Carvalhal carved out a space for himself by Continued on page 27

Ince-Carvalhal (right) beat Hug in the plate final.

Pakistan edges West Indies rt in 2nd T20 to take series o p S Mohammad Rizwan evades a bouncer awkwardly • December 13, 2021 © AFP/Getty Images

Nicholas Pooran completes the runout of Babar Azam • December 13, 2021 © AFP/Getty Images

DeShawn Joseph, one of two players scoring a double for Linden against Victoria Kings caught here in the Kings’ final third on Monday night last.

(Franklin Wilson photo)

GFF-K&S Super 16 Cup – Powered by KFC-Guyana

Linden sends ominous message with 9-0 drubbing of Victoria Kings; GFA nullify East Coast 3-1

Linden All Stars’ Jamal Haynes #11 (4th right) beats the Victoria Kings custodian for his and Linden’s opening goal on Monday night last.

(Franklin Wilson photo) 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.