Kaieteur News

Guyana's oil ships breached safety limits to hit highest production level last year at 394,000 barrels

...Former EPA Boss says Exxon making a mockery of country

Guyana's two oil ships the Liza Destiny and the Liza Unity— were pushed to reach one of their highest production levels in December last year This occurredinbreachofthesafe operatinglimitsprescribedin t h e i r r e s p e c t i v e Environmental Impact Assessments(EIA).

The safe operating limit for Liza Destiny is 120,000 barrels of oil per day while it is 220,000 barrels of oil per day (bpd) from the Liza Unity This would see safe production at approximately 340,000bpd. It was however, as high as 394,000 bpd in December 2022. Latest data from the Ministry of Natural Resources show that for Liza Destiny, production peaked

at152,940bpdwhileatUnity itwas241,160bpd.

E x x o n M o b i l

Corporation's affiliate, Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL) is expected to ramp up production at the Liza Unity byasmuchas20percent.The same will obtain when its third vessel, the Prosperity, comes on stream at the Payarafieldlaterthisyear

Upon taking note of this accelerated pace of production, former Head of t h e E n v i r o n m e n t a l Protection Agency (EPA), Dr. Vincent Adams, said in a previous interview that the Americanoilgiantisnotonly slaughtering the safety limits but making a mockery of the Government in the name of greed.

Dr Adams said when an Environmental Impact Assessment is done prior to oil production operations commencing, it explains clearly what would be the safe limit of production the oil companies will abide by He said too that this number is used to generate oil spill s c e n a r i o s f o r t h e Government'sregulatoryarm to consider When the goalpost is shifted by going beyond the safety limit, Dr A d a m s s a i d i t i s commonsense that the EIA wouldbeproperlyupdatedto reflect the new risks that come with increased productionnumbers.

Dr Adams said, “Exxon has clearly invalidated the EIAandIsaythatbecausethe purpose of the EIA is to set

the safety production limit and now that limit has been exceeded or violated without aproperreviewprocess…the maximum limit for the Liza Destiny was 120,000 barrels perday Theyarenowatover 150,000 barrels, a 25 percent increase and that is unheard of.”

When told that the company has said it has engaged in 'debottlenecking exercises' to allow for the increase, Dr Adams said this tooisabsolutenonsense.

H e s a i d E x x o n ' s Executives use such jargons as a mask for their unconscionable pursuit of

obscene profits. Dr Adams said, “They are using this debottlenecking jargon to intimidate and confuse because they know most Guyanese don't know fully what this type of lingo means.

That terminology means that they widen the piping system and other equipment toincreaseproduction.

They try to make it seem that this is some industry norm but it is not. They can't pull this nonsense in the USA- I know that for a fact.”

TheformerEPAHeadadded, “I do believe that they know the right thing but they are

without a conscience and ruthlessly taking advantage of an abysmal EPAand weak Government The EPA is beingpaidtobeourprotector but they are obviously intimidated by Exxon which doeswhateveritwants.”

Giventheextenttowhich Exxon is able to have its way with its drilling programmes, Dr Adams said one can easily conclude that it is the American oil giant that is running the EPA and p r o b a b l y e v e n t h e Government He said no matter how fast the company wants to go, Government willinglycomplies.

Colombia calls halt to new oil and gas contracts

UPSTREAM ONLINE -

The Colombian government has decided it will not issue new oil andgasexplorationcontractsand instead will direct investments to tourism and renewable-energy sources.

Colombia's President Gustavo Petro took office in August after running a campaign promising to halt new hydrocarbons developments, phaseoutfossilfuelsanddevelop cleanenergies.

Speakinginapanelonenergy transition from the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Colombia Mines and Energy Minister Irene Velez

said the decision to stop granting new licences will not affect existingcontracts.

This policy had been pledged during the campaign, but soaring global energy prices had led to suggestions that Petro would backtrackandoffernewacreage.

“We have decided not to award new oil and gas exploration contracts, and while that has been very controversial, it is a clear sign of our commitment in the fight against climatechange.

This decision is absolutely urgent and needs immediate action,”Veleztoldthepanel.

Colombia had 381 active

exploration and production contractsattheendofNovember, accordingtoagovernmentreport.

Of that total, 331 are under the supervision of the country's hydrocarbons regulator ANH, another 49 are supervised by Colombian state-controlled oil company Ecopetrol and one is a concessioncontract.

Whileoilaccountsforabouta third of Colombia's exports, the government report suggests that current exploration and production contracts guarantee the country's self-sufficiency in naturalgasforthenext15years.

Hours after Velez's speech,

Petro assured that tourism and clean energy could replace the weight of oil in the Colombian economyintheshort-term.

“Abig investment in tourism, given the beauty of the country, and the capacity and potential that the country has to generate clean energy, could perfectly, in the short term or as part of a transition, fill the void left by fossil fuels, on which we depend,” he told journalists in Davos.

Petro added the world needs to have an agreement to move away from fossil fuels by reducing the consumption of coal,oilandgas.

Colombia Mines and Energy Minister, Irene Velez

Photo: REUTERS/SCANPIX

Meagre oil lifts from Stabroek Block, a startling reminder of why Guyana must renegotiate lopsided PSA - Mines Workers Union

Guyana's meagre oil lifts from crude produced in the Stabroek Block has shocked stakeholders, describing the revelation as a “startling” reminder of why the lopsided 2016 Production Sharing Agreement (PSA) the country has with the ExxonMobil consortium mustberenegotiated.

Senior Finance Minister, Dr Ashni Singh disclosed during his budget speech last Monday that for the period between 2022 and 2023, Guyana will receive 30 oil lifts from a total of 238 cargos, each consisting of approximately one million barrels of the offshore commodity For the year 2022, he indicated that Guyana will accept 13 of 102 oil lifts, while for 2023 the government is expected to receive 17 lifts of profit oil, while Exxon and partners willwalkawaywith119.

President of the National Mine Workers Union of Guyana (NMWUG) Sherwin Downer has also described the situation as “depressing” and an “economic injustice” committed against the Guyanese people. He said that based on the Finance Minister's information, the oil lifts that Guyana has received so far has amounted to just over one billion US dollars, but believes it is nothingcomparedtowhatthe

Sherwin Downer, NMWUG,

foreign companies have received. The union leader found the issue sad, especially in the face of numerous challenges faced bylocalworkersinthesector

“In his (minister) own words during the budget presentation of 2023, of a whopping 102 oil lifts, Guyana's only benefit is 13 which amounts to just over a billion US dollars This represents chicken feed monies for the Guyana government when compared to the remaining 89 which goes to ExxonMobil,” Downer said. “This is a startling reminder to Guyanese of how deeply flawed the 2016 agreement signed between the then Guyana government of (A Partnership for National unity +Alliance For Change) A P N U / A F C a n d

ExxonMobilis.”

He said, “This is an economic injustice to a country and people whose population is less than a million yet with a 'mammoth size' in wealth and natural resources. With the above mentioned, it is clear as crystal for all Guyanese and the world to see that there is enough merit in calls for a renegotiation of the ExxonMobil deal with Guyana.”

Downer said that as PresidentoftheNMWUG,“I feel compelled to add my voice and join growing calls by credible groups, transparency advocates, civil s o c i e t y , r e l i g i o u s organisations, other trade u n i o n s a n d m a n y independent voices for a renegotiation of the ExxonMobil agreement with Guyana. Not forgetting the hell Guyanese workers face dailyintheoilandgassector, with almost daily reports of being underpaid, limited availability of work and respect for their rights while working with foreign companies.” “I wish to urge the People's Progressive Party government to take baby steps to have the Exxon Mobil deal with Guyana renegotiated,”Downersaid.

Guyana's agreement with the ExxonMobil consortium provides that the company recovers 75 percent of the

Govt. allocates $584.2M to assist small businesses

The government support for small b u s i n e s s development in Guyana this yearstandsat$584.2million allocated to the Small Business Bureau (SSB) and $300 million allocated specifically to help small businessesin2023.

This was divulged by Minister in the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance, Dr.Ashni Singh during his 2023 Budget Speech.

The Industrial Estates and Business incubator centres will serve to foster small business development in various parts of Guyana. This year, the Lethem and Belvedere Business Incubator centres will be

fully operationalised and willprovide400jobs,aswell as direct and indirect services.

These centres will also g e n e r a t e

renting office space and training facilities. The centres will also feature pods for 48 businesses to provide their services to the public. These will also be replicated in various parts of thecountry

Some$327.8millionwas also allocated for additional

l a n d s t o c o n t i n u e development at Amelia's Ward, Linden, and a new industrial estate in Region Two.Last year more than 1,400 small businesses l bus ess g s, w c ranged from $150,000 to $500,000.

Apart from issuing grants and loans to small business owners, the Small Business Bureau also provides a wide range of services and training opportunities to help businessesgrow

investment it says it puts into developing the Stabroek Block oil fields The remaining sum is split down the middle between the c o m p a n y a n d t h e government. Guyana has a two percent royalty it also collects as part of the PSA. The Guyana government and Exxon have stated that the country receives the most profit from the oil revenues.

International experts have warned however that while this may be so, Guyana

leaves itself exposed to massive losses based on the 75 percent deductions that will be made. The experts have clarified that Guyana would not lose primarily from the profits it should receive, but from the deductions since the profits would depend on how much the oil companies deduct as expenses.

For the working Liza one and two oilfields, Guyana is long overdue on the audits of the US$7billion that must be

repaid to Exxon for operationalising the projects. Stakeholders eagerly await the results of the audits, as government'spointpersonon the sector Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo has stated, that Guyana would only be able to say whether it was cheated through the audits. The PSA allows Exxon to recover 75 percent of its expenses for the financial year while the remainder is carried over to the following year

Norton Street man killed in Leonora accident

road from the south to north holding a beer bottleinhishand.

The dead man was identified as Bernard Marshall of Norton Street Georgetown.

According to police, he was struck by a car around 18:45hrs. The driver of the car was identified as a 17-year-old boy and is presently in custody assisting with investigations.

Investigators learnt that the car was headingeastalongthenorthernsideofthe road at a normal rate of speed when Marshall reportedly walked across the

The driver related to police that it was rainingandheclaimedthatthemanwalkedinto his path. He alleged that he swerved left to avoid hitting him down but the right side of his car still collided with the victim. The impact flung the man onto the road and he received severeinjuries

“He was picked up in a conscious state, placedintoapasserby'svehicle,andtakentothe LeonoraCottageHospital”,policestated.

Doctors there examined him and referred him to the West Demerara Regional Hospital wherehediedwhilereceivingtreatment.

Investigationsareongoing.

A78-year-old man was on Saturday evening killed in an accident at Leonora, West Coast Demerara (WCD), while crossing the public road.

Publisher:GLENNLALL-TEL:624-6456

Editor:NIGELWILLIAMS

EDITORIAL

Any oil spill must be made public

We give PresidentAli his due: he is into big speeches, biggestures,andbigpostures. Infact,thePresidentisfirst in a long line of PPPC Government players and officers, who are cut of the same cloth. Vice President Jagdeo, NaturalResourcesMinisterBharrat,FinanceMinisterSingh, and the Executive Director of Guyana’s Environmental ProtectionAgency,Mr Parsramstandasthebestexamplesof those who say a lot, but deliver very little While they proclaimandparadeinapoolofwords,Guyaneseareforced intoalongwaitforsensitivethingsthateithertakeanendless amounttotimetohappen,ortheydonothappenatall

ThePresidenthasnowcomebeforetheGuyanesepublic toinsistthat“Evenifit’saquarterbarrelofoil,orless,oil spill report must be made public” (KN January 19). A strong,spirited,andstirringstatementlikethatcomingout thenation’sleadershouldbeasongthatisthrilledto,except that it may turn out to be nothing but a mournful funeral symphony for Guyanese citizens Who can complain or criticisewhatPresidentAlisaid? Themorerelevantquestion takesmatterstoadifferentplaceandheight:whichcitizenof GuyanacanpointtothemanythingsthattheirPresidenthas put out powerfully into the public arena, only for almost nothing to be delivered? Chronic disappointment is not the wordthatfits,butacutedisgustthatrefusestogoaway

This is what has been a constant feature of public promises and commitments (speeches) made. The Vice President has failed to deliver documents, like mining contracts,despitemakingrepeatedpromises,almostoaths. Of more recent vintage, Vice President Jagdeo boldly assuredGuyanesethattheyshould‘talktoVickaboutthat’, when the issue of the long promised and long-awaited releaseofthelargeminingcontractswereputonthetable. The problem is that Vick (Natural Resources Minister Bharrat)hassincerefusedtotalk,notwithstandinghisown promise to give an ‘update’on the same mining contracts, and the status of the US$7.3B audit of the expenses of American oil giant, ExxonMobil. Becauseoftheextensive recordofthePPPCGovernmentanditspeopletocommitto onething,andthentheoppositeusuallybeingwhatnormally results,thereisahealthydoseofacceptingwhatthePresident hadtosayaboutanyoilspill,andareportbeingpublished,so thatGuyaneseareintheknow BecauseDr Aliisthenation’s leader, we prefer to treat him with proper respect, and the deference that his high office is due If he was not in that position,itislikelythatthesharpestcriticismsanddismissals wouldhavebeenforthcomingrelativetowhathesaidabout anoilspillofanysize,andreportingonit

Let us look at what we know Last September, a supposedly single-barrel oil spill occurred at ExxonMobil’s offshoreoiloperations Itcameupinthemedia,withonlythe customary blankets of silence then taking over Almost five months after what was reported to be a one-barrel oil spill, mountainshadtobeleveledtogettothebottomofwhatreally happened, how much of a spill it was, and who was responsible Ifonebarrelofoilspillediscausingthisamount of bobbing and weaving, of running for thick cover, we shuddertothinkofwhatthesituationonreportingwouldbeif thespillisgreater,asinmorebarrels

Now,thenationlearnsthat,accordingtotheEPAhead, theagencyhasareportahand,anditisinvestigating. The EPAheadeitheristakingGuyaneseforaride,orhehimself isbeingriddenintoirrelevanceandimpotence. Whatcould theEPAbeinvestigating? WhatisthiscrucialStateagency capableofinvestigationaboutanoffshoreoilspill,whenits record of standing up for Guyanese on hazardous developments on land is woeful and appalling, the subject ofongoingderision? Thismustbepartofthecharade,with Guyana’sPresidentservingastheleadsingerandorchestra conductor. Our position is straightforward: leaders and ministersmustkeeptheirpromises.

Slowe calls for comprehensive audit of all private security companies

DEAREDITOR

According to a police press release, a 20-year-old security guard accidentally shot himself and a 15-yearold vendor, who was an innocent bystander, on WednesdayJanuary18,2023 onRobbStreetinthevicinity of Bourda Market, Georgetown. It was further reported that the security guard told investigators that he took out the firearm, a Taurus9mmpistol,fromthe waist of his pants to clear it when a shot accidentally wentoff.

It was revealed that the security guard was not a Supernumerary Constable and therefore was not legally authorised to carry a firearm. He is alleged to have told the police that he was not trained to use a firearm and was employed bythesecuritycompanytwo weeksbeforetheincident.

Based on information, private security companies allowing untrained persons w h o a r e n o t Supernumerary Constables to carry firearms is more widespread than the authorities are aware of, or wouldadmit.

It is left to be seen what actionwillbetakenagainst the security company that was responsible for giving an untrained person who is not a Supernumerary Constableafirearm.

I have a strong suspicion that based on connections no proper action will be taken in this matter Thiswillbeanother disturbing incident marked “NFA” (No Further Action) throwninsomecorner

Readers may recall severalotherrecentincidents which clearly show that

something is definitely wrongwiththewayinwhich the mushrooming private security companies operate, especially in relation to the useoffirearms.

There was a report that a 22-year-old man was in a critical condition after he was shot by a security g u a r d o u t s i d e a supermarket at Diamond EastBankDemerara

This is alleged to have taken place after the man who was causing a ruckus attackedtheguard

The police responded, arrested the security guard andseizedtheARriflewith whichhewasarmed

It was reported that a guard at a popular hotel was arrested after he shot one of his co-workers with a 9mm pistol during a disagreement in the parking lot of the said hotel. This is alleged to have occurred during a tiff between the two men over vehicles parked in the driveway

Yet another report stated that a 45-year-old security guard was arrested after he shot three persons in an attempt to calm a disorderly customeratasupermarketin the Greater Georgetown area.

More recently, it was reported that eleven (11) firearms and a quantity of assorted ammunition were stolen for the office of a security company in Carmichael Street, Georgetown.Itisnotclearif all the stolen items were recovered.

Editor, those are just a few of the disturbing incidents involving private security companies, which clearlyshowsthatsomething

is definitely wrong with the manner in which many private security companies arecurrentlyoperating.

During May 2022, the Minister of Home Affairs, Robeson Benn, Acting Commissioner of Police, Clifton Hicken, along with other senior officers of the Guyana Police Force met with representatives of private security companies. During the reported threehourinteraction,theminister is reported to have called on the services to be compliant with the “established rules and guidelines and will not be allowed to operate in any ad hoc or unprofessional manner as there will be consequences”.

T h e A c t i n g Commissioneris reportedto havetoldtheprivatesecurity companiesthat“aftertoday’s engagement there must be a positive change in behaviour, posture and professionalisminallprivate security services in Guyana”.

He also stated that “security firms must do a completebackgroundcheck when hiring personnel as this will help to ensure you protect and maintain the image of your organization andbyextensionyourclients andourcountry”.

Having regard to all that have taken place since that interaction, it would appear thatitwasjusttalkdesigned to convey the impression that something was being done.

I wish to call on the MinisterofHomeAffairsto immediately cause a comprehensive audit of all private security companies. Thismustincludethecriteria for establishing a security

company, the qualification of the principal officers, recruitment and training, storage of firearms, the number of firearms companies are allowed to have, uniforms and other aspects that will ensure that thecompaniesarecompliant withtherelevantlaws.

Traversing Georgetown and seeing the many “security personnel” armed with an assortment of firearms, including assault riflescanbefrightening.The fact that many of those persons may not be adequately trained is horrifying.

I stated in a previous letter that many persons whoareauthorizedtocarry firearms, including police ranks and private security personnel, lack the necessarytrainingtodoso.

The circumstances surrounding the cases listed above, and many others, demand an urgent review of the protocols governing the issuing and use of firearms by private securitypersonnel

It is time that the Minister of Home Affairs a n d t h e A c t i n g Commissioner of Police awake from their slumber and address this worrying issue

Perhaps they are w a i t i n g f o r m o r e catastrophic incidents like whattookplaceatHuntley, Mahaicony on New Year’s Day (the killing of Detective Corporal Dwayne McPherson and Kishan Bugburgh) before theyact

Sincerelyyours.

Paul Slowe CCH, DSM, Assistant Commissioner of Police(Retired)

TimeforPresidentAlitopublishhisUWI DissertationonPresident’sOfficeWebpage

DEAREDITOR

Congratulations to His Excellency Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali, 9th. Executive President,forthecompletion on an EARNED Doctorate, Ph.D. with the Dissertation o n “ D e s i g n a n d Development of an I n t e g r a t e d L a n d Management Model in Guyana”atUniversityofthe West Indies 2019 PhD Faculty Engineering. Dept. Geomatics Engineering and Land Management UWI Trinidad&Tobago.

A n

E A R N E D

Dissertation is to ADD VA L U E t o G l o b a l knowledge on the subject, withthewriter’sknowledge, mastery and opinion on the research completed. It has not been easy to secure this Dissertation on the Global Dissertation Websites or from UWI’s “Please contact theWest Indiana Division at the University of the West Indies,St.Augustinetoview the full thesis Contact: wimail@sta.uwi.edu.”

This request to President

Dr Ali for his UWI Dissertation to be on his “President’s Office webpage”, to include the Committee CHAIR and MEMBERS. Biography of His Excellency Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali –President of the Cooperative Republic of GuyanaandCommander-inChiefoftheArmedForces–OfficeofthePresident.

My Dissertation is publiclyavailablesince1994 at ProQuest LLC, Dissertation Services,

Michigan, USA. “Preparing CARICOM for the twentyfirst century through regional economic integration.”byAlly,Shamir Andrew, Walden University, 1994, 373 pages, REF # 9 5 3 6 7 6 8 https://dissexpress.proquest. com/dxweb/results html?Qr yTxt=Caricom+Integration &By=Ally+&Title=Econom ic+Integration+&pubnum=9 536768

Thanks,inanticipation. Yoursfaithfully Dr.ShamirAndrewAlly

PrintedandPublishedbyNationalMedia& PublishingCompanyLtd. 24SaffonStreet, Charlestown,Georgetown,Guyana.

Where is Freddie Kissoon? Why the Silence? No letting up from the Government on Covid-19

DEAREDITOR

,

Almost ten years ago, FreddieKissoonwashoping that “One day the PNC will wake up and say enough is enough and recover its teeth ” He emphatically statedthenthat“Let’shopeit is tomorrow.” In order to provoke this awakening, Freddie invoked three incidents, but since my case willbeestablishedwithtwo, Iwillsorecallforreaders.

First, back in December 2013, he wrote his piece, “One day the PNC will say enoughisenough,”andinit, he advocated a violent confrontation of the then People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Government.Irecallhowhe didit,andreaderscanaccess this article if they so desire.

What he did was to cite the November 2013 protests in Thailand,wheretherewasan invasion of a number of Ministries and their taking over The Government then resortedtosecuritylaws,but the next day, the protestors i n v a d e d t h e a r m y headquarters. This incident can be accessed at https://wwwctvnews ca/wo rld/thai-protesters-rally-atmore-ministries-in-push-totopple-government.

Freddie then reminded readers that in the said, November 2013, protestors for the third day went out in theirnumbers,remindingthe world of the Orange

Revolution in the early nineties that brought down the Government. What was theirmotive?TheUkrainian Government had backed off signing a trade agreement with the EU (Read for y o u r s e l v e shttps://wwwbbc com/news/ world-europe)

WhatanagitatedFreddie explained at that time was that “In Guyana, under Former President Bharrat Jagdeo, some of the worst abuse of state power the Caricom region had seen since Independence went on for more than ten years, and onlyoneexpressionofanger occurred.That,heexplained, ended tragically, as three personswereshotdead.And even that tragedy ended in farce, as according to him, thedeadmen’sfamilieswere given a mere US$15,000 as compensation. As we may recall,thiswastheJuly2012 protest against a proposed electricity tariff hike in Linden.

So, I am wondering where Freddie Kissoon now stands. The flip-flopper is ‘loudly’ silent on a number ofissuesnotatalldissimilar to what he protested in the pre-2015 era, when Bharrat JagdeoandDonaldRamotar wereatthehelm.

According to him at that time: “With a new president since December 2012 (Donald Ramotar), Guyana’s authoritarian

overdrive continued He elaborated that “From the time Mr Jagdeo became autocratic and ruled with an iron fist, the PNC (not APNU)hasbeenblamedfor the terrible things that are happeninginGuyana.”(NB. This still goes on daily). In the end, he summarised that since, according to the PPP/C, there was “… a big andbadPNCoppositionthat was the cause of all of Guyana’spoliticalandsocial atrocities... (yet) this very PNC makes this despotic countrylooklikeanoasisof serenity, when Guyanese takealookatprotestaround theworld.”Seewhatwashis drift?

Has asked at that time, “In a country where democratic governance has long disappeared, one must ask; where is the PNC’s creation of anti-government activism? Where are the demonstrations led by the PNC?

The call-out then is for Freddie Kissoon to agitate against this PPP/C Government.Infact,backin 2008, he once made the call foranIndianWalterRodney to rise up in a Rodney-like manner against the wrongdoings of the PPP/C Government. A few months ago,Dr.JerryJailallintoned that “Guyanese supporters must pressure PPP/C to ensurenewOilContracts (Continuedonpage6)

DEAREDITOR

,

This is good news that some7,000bivalentCOVID shots will arrive in Guyana by the end of this month. According to Health Minister,Dr FrankAnthony, “The bivalent vaccines are more effective… (and he is) expecting to have those vaccines by the last week of January.”

On this good note, I remindallthatCOVID-19is leaving,andwillcontinueto leave lasting imprint on the world economy, causing permanent changes and teaching important lessons. In fact, the prediction is that virus screening will likely becomeapartofourlife,just like how security measures have become ubiquitous after 9/11. So, according to the Minister, “Once we get those vaccines, we’ll urge people to come out and get the bivalent vaccine.” And whynot?

Well, it is indeed safe to receiveaCOVID-19vaccine following infection, as vaccination is very important, even if a person has had COVID-19 shots already. While infection alone provides some protection, vaccination after infection helps to improve the immune response, it provides better and longerlasting protection, and importantly, the evidence indicates that waiting for a period of time, after a

COVID-19 infection before getting a booster dose can help improve the overall immune response Most authorities recommended that patients receive their booster dose 6 months after being tested positive or started having symptoms However, a shorter interval of at least 3 months may be recommended in some circumstances. On the local scene, the information to absorb is that “ the bivalent COVID-19 vaccines include a component of the original virusstrain,toprovidebroad protection against COVID19, and a component of the omicron variant, to provide better protection against COVID-19 caused by the omicronvariant.”

I note that Minister Anthony is urging that citizens capitalise, reminding them that Pfizer, Moderna, Johnson and Johnson, and Sinopharm vaccines remain available forthepopulationatpresent. Hiscalliswellsupportedby t h e Wo r l d H e a l t h Organisation,whocontinues to implore nations that “… everyone, everywhere, should have access to

COVID-19 vaccines.” For their part, “WHO is determined to maintain the momentum for increasing access to COVID-19 vaccinesandwillcontinueto support countries in accelerating vaccine delivery, to save lives and prevent people from becomingseriouslyill.”

They explained that “Countries should continue toworktowardsvaccinating at least 70% of their populations, prioritizing the vaccination of 100% of health workers and 100% of the most vulnerable groups, including people who are over 60 years of age and t h o s e w h o a r e immunocompromised or have underlying health conditions.”Thebottomline (Continuedonpage6)

A tribute to the late Gloria Bancroft

DearEditor,

On Thursday, 20th January 2023, I received a text message, from a former M P, informing me that comrade Gloria Bancroft wasnolongerwithus.Iread the message about three times before I could have reacted I was shocked, saddenedandlostforwords. Ithoughtaboutlifeandhow fragilewe,ashumanbeings, are I sat for about ten minutes before I contacted Gloria’s son to convey my condolences to him, his siblings and the rest of the family Gloria and I were friends, we were PNCR comrades,weweremembers of the Eight Parliament and wecampaignedtogether

I have known Madam Bancroft, as I often called her,formostofmy“political life.” We were almost like fixtures at party events

Gloria was rarely absent from party events in Georgetown,despitethefact that she lived in Region Eight, specifically Mahdia, during those times She madeitherdutytoattendand actively participate in party activities Gloria was a stalwartineverysenseofthe word.Sheservedthepartyat various levels and did so energetically Shewasahard anddedicatedworker Gloria hadmanystoriestotellofher activism. I’ve campaigned with Gloria many times, in different parts of Guyana. Shewasafootslugger,even though at times she was in obvious pain caused by one of her legs. I recalled that during the 2011 national electionsperiod,Iwasasked to travel to Mahdia for an election campaign rally Gloria was identified as the chairpersonoftherallyandI

was slated as one of the speakers. Once M.P Bancroft heard that I was heading to Mahdia, she contacted me to say “Lurlene,Ihearyoucoming toMahdiagirl;wegottowuk thisgroundbeforetherally,I knowyoudoeswalkfastbut yuh gat to slow down cause yuhgirlfootdoesactup.”We had a good laugh! I got into Mahdia around 5pm the afternoon of the rally which was scheduled for a 6-7pm start. I went straight to the venuetoseewhatthesetting was like, and there was Madam Bancroft busy getting things together, as she commanded an army of enthusiastichelpers.

We hugged then she asked if I was going to do a last“mopupontheground”I answered in the affirmative and she immediately asked someone else to oversee the finishing touches at the venue We walked and knocked on several doors and stopped at many shops, andshewassuretointroduce me to everyone we met, and also reminded them that the presidential candidate will alsobespeaking.

Many people reminded Comrade Bancroft that she hadalreadyinvitedthemand assured her that they will be there. However, like a true campaigner, she elected to remindthemtimeandagain. Itwasn’tuntilafewminutes before the start of the meeting that we returned to the crowded venue. There wasnotimeforanythingbut for Gloria to get the rally started,andthatshedidwith muchenthusiasm!Shewasa true party comrade and friendtotheyouths.

Gloria was friend to the GYSM. She knew many of theexecutivemembersofthe organization by name, position and region they came from. Many of us interacted with her at a personal level as we shared jokes and stories about comrades.

Gloria had an inviting spiritandmanygravitatedto her We were often anxious to hear what was happening in Region Eight and she is always willing to share. She loved to “gaff” and share past memories. I recalled during our early days in the National Assembly she

Nolettingupfrom...

Frompage5 is that the Covid-19 issue is stillveryseriousandmustbe treatedassuch.

So, I am with Dr Anthony,whoexplainedthat “…ascasescontinuetorise, (the PPP/C) Government is encouraging persons to get their booster shots and still take the necessary precautions.”

He iterated that “It is recommended that for persons to get the bivalent vaccines, they should get their primary doses, which means the first and second dose. This is something we will be looking at. Once we getit,wewillputoutsuitable advisoriessothatpeoplecan accessthesevaccines.”

Editor, it is still possible togetCOVID-19andspread it to others after being vaccinated Therefore, all

must continue to do everything to keep themselves and others healthy This means to continue keeping a safe distance from others and avoiding crowds, wearing a well-fitting mask covering themouthandnose,keeping indoor spaces well ventilated, cleaning hands regularly and covering coughsandsneezes.

There is no place for complacency

So, I too am “… urging persons who have not received their booster doses to visit one of the local vaccination sites and get their booster doses.” Too much is at stake and we know that with Omicron, there are at least 500 differentsub-variants.

Yourstruly, HenrySingh

would share many of these stories and often ended by saying “girl Lurlene you too youngtoknow”.

This line was her usual refrain after her animated and passionately told anecdotes.Gloriawasoneof the PNCR’s many eyes and earsinRegion8,shedidnot hesitatetoreportofwhatwas going wrong and what neededtobedone.

She loved the PNCR worked tirelessly, particularly during the party’s many years in opposition. As I reflect, I think of the many “Gloria Bancrofts” who have sacrificed so much to advance the cause of the partyandpeopleofGuyana. These are comrades who often,sacrificedalltheyhad, not what they could have afforded,becauseofthelove of their party and country Weoweadebtofgratitudeto comrades like these who wereinseasonnomatterthe temperature.Theymightnot have always gotten it right but their work and commitment cannot be denied.

Itisimperativethatthose who come after understand and appreciate the work and sacrifices people like Comrade Gloria Bancroft made.

Wemustknowonwhose shoulders we stand, and never take the sacrifices of these comrades for granted. These are the people who had the least but gave the

most.They might have been in physical pain but yet persevered; they might not have had all the lofty certificates but yet they represented like they did. It was the desire to contribute, in spite of their plight, that often captivated my admiration.Icherishedthose days of being around people like Comrade Bancroft, I was humbled by their humility and grateful for their company I have seen their greatness from their struggles.

I therefore, owe it to myself to tell the stories of these comrades who have done so much with so little! Yes,controversiesmayexist but their investment in, and labour for and on behalf of thePNCRcannotbedenied.

Gloria Bancroft has made her contribution to Guyana and her party She was a stalwart. I am glad I knewher

Sleep well comrade, sleep well! You have done your part; you have played yourroleforlife,maybejust astage!MayGodgrantyour souleternalrest.

T h a n k s M a d a m Genevieve Allen for informing me of our fellow M.P.’spassing.

Sincere condolences to herchildrenandotherfamily members May the fond memories of her help to comfort you in this time of greatloss.

Sincerely, LurleneNestor

WhereisFreddie...

Frompage5 give us more income.” Just backinDecember,oneofthe dailies noted that “Oil sales agreement (were) shrouded in secrecy, even as the Governmentwascontinuing to violate the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) standards that require full publication of oil sales agreement. How about confrontation for the developing Marriott sale Here are a few others: Calls for independent COIs into

things like the Fagundes killing, the sudden wealth a c c u m u l a t i o n o f Government Ministers, and a paper trail into lands acquired by Ramnaresh SarwanandPresidentIrfaan Ali during the tenure of Jagdeo. Editor, I can go on and on ad infinitum, but I leave the rest to the ubiquitous Freddie Kissoon -unlesshewas‘generously’ silenced.

Yourstruly, GaylordRiley

Thecountry’senvironmentallawsmustberevisedurgently

While much attention is being paid, and justifiably so,totheEnvironmentaland Social Impact Assessments (ESIAs) for Exxon Field Development Plans, the samedegreeofattentionand urgency need to be paid to ensuring that Guyana’s environmental laws, its regulationsandmanagement arestrengthened.

The Environmental Protection Act is a deficient piece of legislation. It needs upgraded to be able to regulate the environmental issues arising out of the oil andgassector WhatGuyana needsisaspecialsetoflaws, exclusive to the oil and gas s e c t o r s i n c e t h e Environmental Protection Actwillneversufficeforthe effectivemanagementofthe oilandgassector

Inthelatterhalfof2020, a policy review was undertaken of the Environmental Protection Act. That review made a number of damaging assessments about Guyana’s readiness to regulate the environmentalsector

But even prior to this review, the World Bank had pointed out that Guyana lacked the regulatory framework and institutional capacity to maximize the benefits from its oil revenues. A Kaieteur report of September 25th 2019, reported the World Bank as indicatingthatwhileGuyana possesses a general f r a m e w o r k f o r environmental and social management, gaps have been identified in several areas, particularly with respecttotheoversightofthe oilandgassector

A later policy review which was undertaken by Improved Access to Justice in the Caribbean has made a numberofrecommendations to update the Act and

strengthen the country’s environmentalregulations.It s u b m i t t e d 4 2 recommendationsin10areas of regulatory concerns. It calledfortheEnvironmental Protection Act (EPA) to be reviewed. It called for the legislation to be revised to provide a clear overarching statutory authority to the Environmental Protection Agency Italsocalledforthe Agency’s functions to be streamlined.

The review said that environmental laws should prevail over other laws and instruments(nodoubtwhere theseconflictwiththeEPA). It recommended a more inclusive approach to the State of the Environment reports. A series of other recommendations were m a d e T h e s e recommendations present a case for the updating of the Environmental Protection Act if Guyana was going to be ready to effectively regulate the oil and gas sector Revising the Environmental Protection Actisanoldsore.ANational Environmental Summary (NES) for Guyana was prepared in 2010 under the auspices of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) The report suggested that an opportunity exists for the EPA to be reviewed and be upgraded so as to make it mandatory for developers to consider climate risks and impacts as part of environmental impact assessments. It also pointed to the Environmental Protection Agency’s poor capacity to enforce even the lawsrelatingtolittering.The report further observed that while the EPA imposes penalties for polluters, it provides little incentives for avoidingpollution.

Onestandingcriticismof

Dem boys seh...

theEPAisthatwhenitcomes to Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) of the oil and gas sector, it is necessary for there to be specific provisions relating to EIAs for the oil and gas sector

Now why is all of this important? It has always been accepted even by our politicalleadersthatGuyana was behind where it should havebeenatthetimeoffirst oil. Few will dare dispute that our legislative and regulatory framework needed to be upgraded, and the capacity of the Environmental Protection Agency needed to be boosted.

In this context, why should anyone feel that our country’s environmental laws and the capacity of the Agency do not need strengthening? One of the sub-components of the World Bank project which was signed in 2019 was to improve the framework, an admission Guyana’s environmental laws and regulations needed strengthening.

Given the rapid pace of development of the oil and gas sector, it was fatal mistake of the PPPC administration to dissolve the Department of Energy which had been established by the APNU+AFC Whatever the criticisms of that Department, such an institutioncouldhavehelped fast-track the various pieces oflegislationsandlegislative amendments which are needed to improve the management of the oil and gassector

Suchadepartmentcould haveacceleratedthepassage of legislation as per the various recommendations emanating from the studies of Guyana’s oil and gas readiness. As things now

Nuff hospital building

When a country doing well,yuhdoesfindnufffast foods shops opening. And demorefastfooddepeople eat, de more sick dem does get.Anddemorepeopleget sick, de more hospital does build.

Dat is why dem boys nahsurprisedatnuffprivate hospitals building Dem catering fuh all dem people wahganbegorgingondem fastfoodsandgettingsick.

But nobody nah building mental hospitals. Dem leffing dat to de government. Mental illness

on de rise in Guyana and sometimes yuh never know who sane or who suffering frommentalillness.

It mek dem boys remember de man who claimheisJesus.Hefamily carryhetodeproblem.

De doctor ask de man, “”Why yuh think you are Jesus?”

De man replied, “God toldmeso!”

Immediately,thepatient behind him stands up and shout,“NoIdidn’t!”

Sometimes de way some doctors does behave,

yuh does want to know whetherdemmoresickdan depatients.

A man went to see a doctoroneday

Dedoctoraskhe,“How canIhelpyou?”

“Ah keep thinking that I’m a moth,” replied the man. “You probably want a psychiatristforthat.”

“Yeah,Iknow.”saidthe man.

De doctor looked confused. “Then why are youhere?”

“Delightwason.” Talkhalf.Leffhalf!

stand, there is not even a Petroleum Commission in place. The weakness of our environmental legislation and regulations can hardly bringcomfortatatimewhen Guyanaisrapidlyapproving EIAsandFieldDevelopment Plans The government needs to pause and carefully consider the implications of

therashnessandwhetherthe countryisnotbeingexposed to greater environmental risks in so doing. . (The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and beliefs of this n e w s p a p e r a n d i t s affiliates.)

I agree with bail for murder accused

Morris-Ramlall

granted a murder accused bail after she determined that his constitutional rights were breached by the delay of his trial. I am not a supporter for the abolition of the death penaltyinallcircumstances.I do not approve light sentence for horrible crimes in particular death of robbery victims.

But I definitely support bail in all circumstances including murder and treason. In relation to the death penalty, it should be abolished for homicide done i n s o c i o l o g i c a l circumstances.

T h e o b v i o u s circumstance would be a fight during a drinking session which ended in murder But I can never approve of the abolition of the death penalty when horrible, uncivilised bestial humans kill people, especiallychildren.

Some young men in Berbice invaded the home of an elderly couple, robbed the home and chopped both man

and wife to death. Those convicted men should have been hanged A criminal invaded a home in Berbice, robbed the occupants and set the home on fire and a physicallychallengedelderly woman perished. That man should have been hanged. Guyana should ignore the EU's request, and tell the EU to ask their close American allies to stop executions in theUS.InGuyana,weshould resumehanging.

The resumption of hanging should be a campaign issue in the 2025 general election. There must beareferenduminGuyanato let the Guyanese people decideonthefateofthedeath penalty

The last hanging in Guyana occurred under the D e s m o n d H o y t e government. That was more than35yearsago.

I find it comical and repugnant that the European countries want Guyana and other nations to abolish the death penalty but European countriesarehappytoengage in wars. Surely, it is not only plants that perish in war but

humans.

Those who argue for the permanent removal of the death penalty must also advocate that bail must be a u t o m a t i c i n a l l circumstances except where there is compelling evidence that the possibility of fleeing isreal.

Natural law demands that a person is innocent until proven guilty It is a horrible de-recognition of natural law when a judicial official can deny bail and the accused spends years on remand, and then is eventually proven to be not guilty Life can never give back to that person the yearslost.

Bail at all time must be allowed no matter the charge for the simple fact that despite the seriousness of the accusation, the accused may be innocent The police continue to charge people w i t h o u t e v i d e n t i a l foundation.

Thepolicecontinuetoput people overnight in the lockup in the station when those persons could be innocent. Magistrates continue to impose bail that is so

exorbitantthatitisaguisefor denial of bail. Please see my column of Wednesday, December 28, 2022, “Death sentence on poor Venezuelan justbeforeChristmas.”

That article was about a Venezuelan youth who committed suicide on Christmas Eve, 2022 in the lock-up.

He was on remand since April for accusation of receiving stolen goods. But supposehewasinnocent?

People come up to me all the time and talk about the prosperity that is coming Guyana's way because of oil money, and my automatic responseis;“butwilltherebe a happy life for ordinary people who do not have the resourcestosecurejustice.

I am afraid in this country; oil money will be ubiquitous and we will see oceans of modern life penetrating this country but will poor people be equal

before the law?

W i l l t h e a u t h o r i t i e s demolish the little standontheparapet that the single

mother has to sell her dog food but right up the road, the wealthy man has a monument on the parapet and it forces you to walkontheroadwayitself?

Willpoorpeopleaffordto pay the enormous bail put on them by magistrates after we becomeanoilricheconomy?

With oil revenues flowing into Guyana, making us a top class Third World, will human rights activists be allowed to criticize judges' decisions without threats of courtaction?

Will only the cars of teachers and public servants be stopped for excessive tintedwindowsbutnotthe40 millionSUVs?

The bold decision by Judge Morris-Ramlall to my

min d o p e n s u p avenues of redress for poor peoplewhoappearbeforethe courts.

I want to end with a story wherewasquiteknowninthe banana republic of Guyana butnoonedidanythingabout it.Whenyouweredeniedbail in the magistrate court, you apply to the High Court for bail, then, you go to a minibus parked outside the High Court, showed the occupantofthebusthepaper, andthingsarearranged.

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

Online 'Ferry Pass' to be launched for Leguan, Wakenaam passengers

Starting today

residents from the Essequibo islands of Leguan and Wakernaam will be able to book a spot on the ferries plying the Supenaam to Parika route online, as the Ministry of Public Works through the Transport and Harbours Department (T&HD), in collaboration with Mobile Money Guyana (MMG+), launches its online ferry booking service ('Ferry Pass').

The online booking service will allow passengers travellingand/ortransporting vehicles from the Essequibo Islands to Parika, and vice versa, to secure a spot on the ferry at a time that best suits their travelling schedule; this can be done from any location using an electronic device. This is simple, fast, and hassle-free ferry freight bookings designed to save time.When the service was first introduced in 2022, Minister of Public Works, Bishop Juan Edghill said that as government forges ahead with improving the ferry service for the travelling public, it is always focused on improving the lives of Guyanese.

“Whenever we do something that will improve the lives of people, we are achieving what we set out to do,”theministersaid.

A c c o r d i n g t o Chairperson of the T&HD Rosalinda Rasul, the introduction of the service has significantly reduced the travellingtimeforthepublic.

Furthermore, passengers wanting to use the booking service can login using their d e v i c e s a t www.ferrypass.gy/search.

The user-friendly page willthengivethedetailsofall the available trips, which include departure times, the number of seats available –with the choice of paying online using the MMG+ service.Passengers, who do not have access to MMG+ can still secure their spaces

and will receive a reference number,whichisthenusedto pay for the ferry before boarding.

This two-tier payment option prevents duplication and keeps the reservation untilthepassengercompletes the transaction The 'ferry pass' platform was designed byalocalGuyanesecompany that is attuned to the requirementsofthetravelling Guyanesepublic.

By introducing this new and innovative method of travel, T&HD aims to eliminateissuesthatarefaced by citizens using the ferry service, while improving the experience.

Frederick Kissoon

Ju s t i c e S i m o n e

(DPI) Photo

'Big oil peddled

-UNChief the big lie'

...condemns Exxon for ignoring its own global warming predictions

Da y s a f t e r

American oil g i a n t , ExxonMobil came under the spotlight for ignoring its own climate science predictions; United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres last Wednesday condemned the energy giant, adding that, “some in big oil peddlethebiglie.”

Guterres was at the time givingaspecialaddressatthe World Economic Forum in Davos,Switzerland.

Last week, academics from Harvard and the University of Potsdam in Germany published a study in the journal Science with evidence that Exxon's scientists in the 1970's accurately predicted global

heating. The oil giant has sincedeniedtheaccusations.

CNBC reported that the phrase and hashtag “ExxonKnew” have become a rallying cry after previous reporting from Inside Climate News and others showing that Exxon publicly contradicted its own understanding of climate science However, in response Exxon said the “ExxonKnew” movement is a “coordinated campaign” working to “stigmatize” the oil company, “creating the false appearance that E x x o n M o b i l h a s misrepresented its company research and investor disclosures on climate changetothepublic.”

During his address

Guterres said, “Every week brings a new climate horror story greenhouse gas emissionsareatrecordlevels and growing.”The UN Chief added that the commitment to limit global temperature rise to 1.4 degrees Celsius, in accordancewiththetargetset in the 2015 ParisAgreement, “isgoingupinsmoke.”

Without further action humanity can face a global temperature increase of 2.8 degree Celsius, pointing out thattheconsequencesofsuch temperature levels would be “devastating.”

“Several parts of our planets will be inhabitable and for many it will mean a death sentence but this is not a surprise, the science have been clear for decades and I

Lone gunman robs supermarket at Kitty

Security cameras on Saturday evening captured a lone gunman walking into the Al Madina Supermarket located at Kitty and robbing thecashregister

The cameras captured the bandit pulling a ski mask over his face just as he was about to enter the supermarket. He was wearing blue trunks, a black jersey and carrying a blackhaversack.

Based on the footage seen, the delinquent pulled out a gun from his crutch and walked straight up to the cashier and held him at gun point.Acustomer who was close-bytookcoverwhilethecashierplaced his hands in the air as the bandit raided the cashregister

He was seen stashing the cash he found in his crotch and harassing the cashier some morebeforemakinghisescape.

Kaieteur News understands that this is the second time that the Supermarket has beenrobbedthismonth.

Apreviousfootageshowedthattwomen dressed in hoodies had invaded the Supermarketearlierthismonth.

One of them was wearing a black and whitehoodiewhiletheotherhadonaredtop and was wearing a flop hat. They both had on short denim jeans and had entered the store pretending to be customers. The bandits then browsed the shelves for a short while before pouncing on the cashier and a customer

They held them at gunpoint while the one dressed in the black and white hoodie raided the cash register while the other robbedthecustomer

Police are presently investigating the robberies with the hope of identifying and capturing the bandits before they strike again.

amnotonlytalkingaboutUN scientist, I'm talking even about fossil fuel scientists,” headded.

Guterres highlighted that last week, it was disclosed that “certain” fossil fuel producers were aware in the 70's that their core products “was baking our planet and justlikethetobaccoindustry, they rode rough-shod over theirownscience.”

“Some in big oil peddle the big lie,” the UN Chief said.

To this end, he added that like the tobacco industry those responsible must be

Guyanese

play

role in

Members of the diaspora in Canada have been urged to play a meaningful role in the development of Guyana in t h i s n e w e r a o f development.

This charge was given by Foreign Secretary, Robert Persaud while speaking at a diaspora engagement with the newly a p p o i n t e d H i g h Commissioner to Canada KeithGeorgelastweek.

Persaud said that Canada contains the second largest group of Guyanese after the United States Persaud is hoping that the diaspora could play a meaningful role in Guyana's development, especiallyinthewakeofthe country's largest national budget of $789.1 billion which was presented in the National Assembly last Monday

“In terms of the transformation taking place in our country, we see the diaspora playing a role in termsofmovingthatforward because if we are looking in terms of a budget of this capacity, you have to look at issues of implementation,” the Foreign Secretary is quoted in a Department of Public Information (DPI) releaseassaying.

“We are the fastest growing economy in the world and with that, we would require, the need for capacity, for us to put all handsondeck,andnowisnot atimeforustobesquabbling

held accountable. He noted that amid a global recession, the COVID-19 pandemic, inflation resulting in high cost of living, soaring energy prices, and other existential crisis, “We are flirting with climatedisaster.”

living

in

T h e U N C h i e f highlighted too that, “fossil fuel producers and their enablers are still racing to expand production knowing fully well that these business models are inconsistent with humansurvival.”

Canada urged to

their country's

development

amongeachother,nowisnot the time for us to be seeking to have division, now is not the time for us to be pointing fingers, but rather how it is that we can hold each other's hand and support what it is our country is doing because the world is looking at Guyana,”henoted.

High Commissioner George also outlined several sectors that the Canadian diaspora could help develop in Guyana, including the use oftechnologyinAgriculture.

He said Guyana's economy remains resilient not only in the oil and gas sector but in other traditional sectors as well. “We hope that a larger number of

Guyanese will travel back to Guyana,ifnottoremigrateor invest, but to reconnect with thecountryoftheirbirth.

I assure you that Guyana is not the place it used to be a yearago,fiveyearsagoorten yearsago,”hepointedout.

T h e n e w H i g h

Commissioner also noted that the prospects are bright and members of the diaspora could be agents of change.

“Those of you in the diaspora, I ask you to consider making some of the beneficiaries of your assistance change agents, rather than simply recipients ofyourhelp,especiallyinthe area of agriculture,” he added.

Guyana's High Commissioner to Canada, Keith George, addresses members of the diaspora in Canada

United Nations (UN) Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres

The bandit pulling the ski mask over his face before entering the supermarket

The bandit stashing the cash inside his pants crotch.

Indigenous restaurant on seawall burnt, vandalised

Tocuma Indigenous Touch, a restaurant located at the Seawall just behind the National Insurance Scheme (NIS) ground on Carifesta Avenue, was on Saturday found vandalisedandpartiallyburnt.

The restaurant specialises in Amerindian Cuisine and has been in operation at the seawall for a number of years. It was recently closed for a short while but was scheduledtoreopenforbusinesson February10andhadevenplanneda customer's appreciation day for its supporters.

On Saturday afternoon, the owners received a call informing them that their restaurant had been destroyed.

They showed up at the scene around 19:30hrs only to find that part of the roof made of troolie leaves was burnt. The entire place

OP:ED

was upturned and ransacked Labels and posters on the makeshift walls were ripped off and the bench and tables were tossed outside.

On the restaurant's official Facebook Page, the owners posted, “TocumaIndigenousTouchissorry to inform the public that our opening date and our customer's appreciation date is postponed due to what happen. Some unknown person burned the roof and upturnedtheentireplace”.

KaieteurNewsunderstandsthat the restaurant was vandalized and burnt during the wee hours of Friday It is believed that whoever might have set fire to place intended to burn the entire place downbutthefallingrainduringthe weehoursthwartedtheirplan.

One of the owners, Colin said nothing was stolen but the damage

done would be costly to repair “Theleavesareexpensive”,hesaid while adding that he will now have to spend money to fix back the restaurant so that he can reopen as soonaspossible.

Colinhasnoclueaboutwhothe perpetrator might be. He related that persons would normally see junkies sleeping and liming around the Seawall where a number of businesses are located but cannot

Economic inequality at the root of protests:

Police brutality not the answer

By Sir Ronald Sanders

(The writer is Antigua and Barbuda's Ambassador to the United States of A m e r i c a a n d t h e Organization of American States. He is also a Senior Fellow at the Institute of Commonwealth Studies, University of London and Massey College in the University of Toronto)

Many countries in South America are now in a state of troubling unease. Recent events in Peru have catapulted it to the forefront of security concerns in all its dimensions. But worry also exists about other countries which are tiptoeing through political minefields that couldexplodeovernight.

Although the causes of theseconditionsofdysphoria are ascribed to hostilities between political parties in their constant battles to control power, the root of the problem lies in inequality, injusticeandracialandethnic discrimination.

The dispossessed, throughout Latin America, foundavoiceandachampion among left-leaning parties which demand change. The

elite and the privileged, including the military, maintain their economic and social advantage through right wing political parties and alliances with powerful multinational companies from North America and Western Europe. The two sides are persistently in conflict.

These conditions have been portrayed in the poetry of Pablo Neruda, the novels of Isabelle Allende, Gabriel García Márquez, and Mario Vargas Llosa among others; and in the painstaking r e s e a r c h a n d r a w descriptions in the works of Marie Arana and Eduardo Galeano.

In his seminal work, Open Veins of Latin America, in one sentence, Galeano poignantly describes the structural divide in many Latin American societies –“The system has multiplied hunger and fear; wealth has become more and more concentrated, poverty more andmorewidespread.Thatis recognizedbythedocuments of specialized international organizations in whose aseptic vocabulary our oppressed territories are

'countries in the process of development' and the pitiless impoverishment of the working class is 'regressive incomedistribution'.”

And, inasmuch as the judgement may seem harsh, there is a sobering truth in Marie Arana's assertion in, Silver, Stone and Sword, that “... extractive societies such as Latin America's are built on social injustice. They are designedandmaintainedbya ruling class whose primary goal is to enrich themselves and perpetuate their power They thrive when absolute privilege reigns over absolutepoverty”.

Noneofthisistosaythat, over the years, progressive elements in Latin America have not succeeded in pushing for institutional change. They have been aided in the work of the United Nations Human Rights bodies, and in the efforts of the Inter-American Commission and Court on H u m a n R i g h t s

Authoritative external organizations have been hugely instrumental in pushing governments to adopt international treaties on human rights and non-

discrimination.

But adherence to treaties and laws is only as good as effective implementation of their values In this connection, not all law enforcement agencies and governments have been as dutiful as they could have been. Thus, inequality has continued and the desire by the disadvantaged to overturnithasescalated.

The role of the military has also not been neutral or r e s p e c t f u l o f t h e i r constitutional requirement to be apolitical servants of the executive branch and subordinate to their civilian commander-in-chief, the President. As social unrest escalated throughout Latin America in the decades between 1964 and 1985, military dictatorships took control in several countries including Brazil, (1964), Chile (1973), Uruguay (1973), and Argentina (1976).

It was the military that pressured Evo Morales in November 2019 to abandon his disputed Presidency in Bolivia. The same military acted heavy-handedly to subdue street protests over

the controversial installation into the Presidency of the r i g h t - w i n g , o p p o s i t i o n representative JeanineAñez.

sayforsureifitmightbethem.The restaurant owner cannot recall receiving any threats, having a dispute or any old grievance with anyone Investigations are ongoing.

W h i l e i n Argentina and Chile, the return to democratic regimes was “accompaniedbytransitional justice, a reckoning with the pastandarecognitionthatthe armed forces had strayed from their constitutional mission”, as one political commentator put it, the role of the military in Brazil and Peruremainsquestionable.

Brazil'sPresidentLulada Silva dismissed the country's army chief, General Julio Cesar de Arruda, in the aftermath of the storming of several government buildings by the supporters of former President Jair Bolsonaro on January 8

Lula said he suspected collusion by “people in the armedforces”.

In Peru, where elected President, Pedro Castillo, was ousted on December 8, after an ill-advised and clumsy attempt to suspend the Congress, which was

seeking to impeach him, his vice-president, Dina Boluarte, was sworn in to replace him. He was carted off to prison at a police base that triggered protests in the rural areas and poorer neighbourhoods in the capital.

Inresponse,policeraided San Marcos University, detaining hundreds of protestors. Thiswaspartofa violent crackdown on the protestors which has left many dead or seriously injured. The UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in Peru condemned the Peruvian administration over the violence used to curb the protests.

But the fundamental problems, driving the unrest remainsignored- ahugegap between rich and the poor, particularly thepeopleinthe

The vandalised and burnt Indigenous restaurant

Sir Ronald Sanders

Opposition Commissioners support immediate filling of DCEO position at GECOM

O p p o s i t i o n

Commissioners are in support of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) immediately filling the vacant post of Deputy Chief Election Officer (DCEO) with a suitably qualified candidate, rather than having its Information Technology Manager operate in the temporary position of Operations Coordinator to fillthevoidoftheoffice.

This was communicated to this newspaper by Commissioner Vincent Alexander on Sunday after he rejected a public s t a t e m e n t b y t h e Commission's chairperson Justice retired Claudette Singh, where she confirmed the secondment of the IT manager to act in the temporary position Alexander has said that the Chairperson acted beyond her powers when she seconded the appointment in the temporary position, a decision he said lies with the Commission.

Alexander told Kaieteur News that the matter is “very high” on the agenda for Tuesday's statutory meeting as it can impact the current preparations for the u p c o m i n g L o c a l Government Elections (LGE).

Alexander said the opposition's position is that the temporary Operations Coordinator post be “rescinded and the DCEO appointed post haste”

Alexander had said that for s o m e s i x m o n t h s applications for the DCEO post had been with the

Commission, but was not givenseriousattentionsince, the chairperson had expressed that preparations for LGE had taken precedence He told the newspaper that filling the DCEO office will not cause further delay to the holding ofLGE.

The appointment of the DCEOwouldhoweverassist in GECOM's preparation since it was pressure on the Chief Election Officer that forcedthesecondmentofthe IT manager to fill the DCEO void,GECOMhadstated.

Alexander reminded howeverthatthechairperson last committed to having a vote on the issue, but later reported to the public that she had seconded the operations coordinator position and that the IT managerwouldbeinthepost untilaDCEOishired.

The Commission in its letter said that in early November last year, CEO Vishnu Persaud had expressed in a memo that he was under pressure with LGE preparations and requested that the IT Manager Mr Aneal Giddings be seconded to function in the operations d e p a r t m e n t o f t h e commission.Withthevacant DCEO post and the work to be done, the letter said the chair gave her approval for the IT manager to hold the temporary position to cover dutiesusuallyfulfilledbythe DCEOoffice.

H i g h l i g h t i n g t h e Constitution, Alexander pointed out that the law provides for senior positions temporary or not, to be

decided by the Commission. He had told the newspaper that despite the temporary appointment being made since November last, it was until the opposition commissioners became aware of the post in January that they were informed of the happenings. Alexander continued that the challenge with the temporary post is thatapplicationsexistforthe DCEO post.The ITmanager also applied for the DCEO post but is not suitably qualifiedwiththeexperience required He said the Assistant Chief Election Officer(ACEO)shouldhave been next in line to cover the DCEO duties if the intent was to assist the CEO with thework.

Given his objections, Alexander said the chairperson informed that government commissioner Clement Rohee had suggested a vote on the matter and that they should waitforhispresencetodoso.

IntheminutesoftheJanuary 17GECOMmeetingseenby Kaieteur News, the Chair deferred a vote on the matter until Commissioner Rohee was present. Alexander had

previously told the newspaper that opposition commissioners did not decide on their recourse since it was stated that the votewouldberetroactive.

To now state that the IT

manager was seconded to perform DCEO duties until the post is filled “ is t a n t a m o u n t t o t h e confirmation of the wrongdoing and further emasculation of the Commission,” Alexander said in his response to the GECOMexplanation.

Based on the minutes of the January 17 meeting, g o v e r n m e n t b a c k e d commissioners are in support of the IT manager holding the temporary post untiltheDECOpostisfilled.

Commissioner Manoj Narayan said that he sees nothing wrong with the IT manager being seconded to assist with the tasks of a

position until that position is filled.“Hesaidthatthisisnot unprecedented, as Melanie Marshall was previously appointed to act as Voter Registration Manager by the previous Chair without the Commissions' involvement, and there was no objection then.”

O n t h a t m a t t e r Alexander responded that the Commission has all agreedthatitshouldnothave happened and it should not berepeated.

Commissioner Narayan suggested however, that the IT manager should be allowed to function in the operationsdepartmentwitha titleornot.

Internet access for Aishalton soon

A s g o v e r n m e n t continues to strengthen hinterland communities, residents of Aishalton will soon be receiving internet access for the first time, as a means of providing greater access to information, e d u c a t i o n , a n d communication tools, to upskill themselves and bridge the digital divide between the coastal and hinterlandregions.

This was disclosed by Toshao,MichaelThomas,on Saturday “One of the programmes that we have is cateringforthedevelopment of our village, where we see the GOAL scholarship and all those other programmes necessary, and where we can contribute towards meeting t h e g o v e r n m e n t ' s programmeshalfway,”

The announcement was made while Minister of Public Service, Sonia Parag who was also in the community to launch the Guyana Online Academy of

An aerial view of Aishalton which will soon be benefitting from internet access

L e a r n i n g ( G O A L ) Scholarship. Minister Parag e x p l a i n e d t h a t t h e programme is intended to make tertiary education accessible to all. She said internetaccesswillempower residents to upskill themselves.Some $2 million has been set aside to provide internetaccesstothevillage, accordingtothetoshao.

“Aishalton Village Council sees it key for our people to get qualified and for our people to complete what they have started. We wanttothanktheMinistryof Public Service for meeting us halfway,” Thomas explained.

He said it was important for village councils to work withthegovernmenttobring d e v e l o p m e n t t o communities.

“What we should do is come up with innovative ways of how our village can operate, and we can use our human resources and what we have, and bring together

our resources and make sure that our people are benefitting from whatever form is there for us,” he said the coming week will see i n s t a l l a t i o n w o r k s commencing.

The Guyana Tourism Authority will also provide equipment to assist with the installation.

G o v e r n m e n t h a s allocated $4.7B in Budget 2023 for developmental p r o g r a m m e s i n t h e hinterland.

With the people of Aishalton soon to benefit from internet access will surelyhaveapositiveimpact onthecommunity Residents will have greater access to information and education, and will be better able to connect with each other With internet connectivity in Aishalton will result in growth and development of businesses and will allow residents to be able to participate in the global economylikeneverbefore.

Elevated Levels of Financing Needed for Caribbean Countries Up to 2030

(CDB) The Caribbean's Gross Financial Needs (GFN), which increased to almostUSD10billion(bn)in 2020 largely due to the COVID-19 pandemic, are likely to remain elevated up to2030,intensifyingtheneed for external financing if countries are to achieve or maintaindebtsustainability

The situation was highlighted by President of the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), Dr Hyginus “Gene” Leon during the Bank's Annual News Conference held on January 18, 2023, at the institution's headquarters in Bridgetown, Barbados.

GFN is the measure of a country's overall fiscal position, related to the balance between revenues and expenditures, plus any funds needed to repay existingdebt.

Dr Leonexplainedthatin a d d i t i o n t o G F N requirements, the outlay n e e d e d t o a d d r e s s vulnerabilities exposed by the pandemic and the resources necessary to achieve the Sustainability Development Goals (SDGs), CDB's Borrowing Member

Countries (BMCs) would require extensive financial support from International FinanceInstitutions.

“The onset of COVID highlighted structural weaknessesinoureconomies and the extent of our financing need,” the CDB President said. He went on to m a k e a s e r i e s o f recommendations which he indicated could “meet the Region's financing needs and address mounting fiscal pressures” Among the prescriptions outlined was expanding regional financial systems to create financial markets to facilitate capital flows that can mobilise regional savings and attract private sector interests to financedevelopment.

The experienced economist also stressed that public financial management and expenditure systems should be strengthened, firstly to ensure transparency and accountability in government spending, but also to link the allocation of resources to governments' strategic plans. Dr Leon also cautioned that several years of consecutive shocks, the prospectofaslowdowninthe

global economy, and continued price pressures in 2023 could derail the Region's development trajectory “In this context, CDB continues to emphasise resilience as the primary ingredient for sustainable economiesandsocieties.

Key to achieving resilience is reducing our vulnerability to factors outside of our control while employing the elements within our power to achieve ourdevelopmentobjectives,” hesaid.

Hewentontomakehighlevel recommendations for acceleratinggrowth,building resilience, and driving transformation in BMCs including deeper regional integration and cooperation, renewed commitment to the CARICOM Single Market Economy, and improved intra-region connectivity and transportation. Dr Leon also called for collaborative advocacy and action to address common threats imperilling the Region's future especially climate change, food security and energysecurity

The Bank President argued that several of the

areas he identified as triggers for achieving growth and development were in the rangeoftheprivatesector He urged this constituency to “transition from bystanders to partners” in development while imploring regional governments to “create an enabling environment and ensure that public value propositions offer viable investment opportunities to attract private capital for development.”

Ruby Village can help Govt. push as food production hub

President Irfaan Ali last week said Ruby Village on the East Bank of Essequibo can play an integral role as the Government positionsGuyanaasafoodproductionhubin theregion.

He said that the aim is to continue working with agricultural communities to ensure Guyana maximises on food production. “We have to find ways in which you can continue to support the expansion of agriculture.We want to make Guyana a main hub for food supply for the entire CARICOM, building the regional food hub,” Ali is quoted in an Office of the President release telling residents during a visit in the arealastweek.

The Head-of-State told the agriculturalbased community during an outreach exerciseonThursday,thattheideaistohavea synergyinplace.

He noted that unless the productivity of people and businesses is improved “We can't achieve greatness” Achieving this, the President emphasised, requires the right technology, the right training, and the right researchanddevelopment.

The residents were also informed of a number of new agriculture initiatives in the pipelines and ways in which they can maximise the use of their lands, including through aquaculture and horticultural practices.

The Ministry of Agriculture will play a leadingroleintheprocess.

The Government, the President told the residents, will continue to engage with all

- Pres.Ali

communities “to see ways in which you can improve the delivery of governance to you”.

“We have all the agency heads here today Andwhatwewanttodoistolistentoyou.

I want to spend time listening to you, listeningtoyourideas...telluswhatyouseeas apriorityforthecommunity Tellushowyou seethingstransforming.”

He said that as the Government navigates its way through global challenges, including the rising cost of living, inflation and major supply chain challenges, it is imperative that citizens understand the environment and the circumstancesunderwhichitoperates.

On this note, he pointed to the impact of government programmes and interventions in various communities. “You see, some people don't understand the impact of these programmes that we're launching in the communities, like the part-time job, for example A family who has someone benefitting from that part-time job, they can get $40,000 every month and this can benefit them in many ways, including if they have a lower-incomeloan.

That $40,000 would pay back that loan andgivethemaraiseintheirpocketstoo.

That is how we create transformation.” President Ali was accompanied by the MinisterofCulture,YouthandSport,Charles Ramson Jr ; the Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, Nigel Dharamlall; the Minister within the Ministry of Public Works, Deodat Indar and ChiefExecutiveOfficeroftheGuyanaWater Inc.,ShaikBaksh.

President of the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), Dr. Hyginus “Gene” Leon

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Driver, Salesman & Porters required to work in warehouse. Must have experience, attractive salary offered. Call: 696-4444.

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Able-bodied Porter/ Driver, Must have Lorry License and Office Clerk, CXC Maths & English required. Call Telles Steel & Hardware: 231-3265, 226-6771.

Russia official warns West of destruction for arming Ukraine

(AP) — The speaker of the lower house of Russia’s parliament warned Sunday that countries supplying Ukraine with more powerful weapons risked their own destruction, a message that followed new pledges of armored vehicles, air defense systems and other equipment but not the battle tanks Kyiv requested.

Ukraine’s supporters pledged billions of dollars in military aid to Ukraine during a meeting at Ramstein Air Base in Germany on Friday, though the new commitments were overshadowed by a failure to agree on Ukraine’s urgent request for Germanmade Leopard 2 battle tanks.

would be used for striking peaceful cities and making attempts to seize our territory as they threaten to do, it would trigger a retaliation with more powerful weapons.”

Germany is one of the main donors of weapons to Ukraine, and it ordered a review of its Leopard 2 stocks in preparation for a possible green light.

Nonetheless, the government in Berlin has shown caution at each step of increasing its commitments to Ukraine, a hesitancy seen as rooted in its history and political culture.

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Aracari hotel located at WBD (Versailles, Vreed-enHoop)- A/C, all amenities and breakfast included, from $63USD. Call: 264-29469.

Able-bodied Porter/ Salesman needed, must have CXC Maths & English, with neat handwriting. Apply at Keyfood, McDoom Village or Call: 629-7426.

Delivery Clerk, Office Assistant, Sales Clerk & Labourer needed. Apply @ Lens Hardware, Call: 2271511/ 645-1613.

Experienced Kitchen Manager/ Supervisor, Counter Server, Kitchen Assistant & Handyman required. Apply at Hack's Restaurant, 5 Commerce Street, GT. Lathe Operator, Welder & Handyman required. Call: 645-9333/ 220-6078.

Driver required, ages 23-50 yrs. Must be able to assist in Workshop at Eccles and must have car and van licence. Call: 645-8443/ 6429823.

Manufacturing Company is now hiring. No experience needed, attractive compensation and incentives offered, Mon - Fri, 8am -5pm. Call: 226-2621.

Inventory/ Data Entry Clerks required @ Survival Shopping Complex, 173 Sheriff Street . Tel: 6092995. Email applications: survival.humanresources@ gmail.com

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Vacancy Exists For two Experienced Dispatcher At Confidential Cabs. Call: 695-1961 /231-5784.

Driver and able-bodied Handyman/ General Help needed. Must have at least 5 years experience. Email: ateeyyeaali@gmail.com/ mandaitwaru@gmail.com Call:+592-225-9409,+592502-9466.

State Duma Chairman Vyacheslav Volodin said that governments giving more powerful weapons to Ukraine could cause a “global tragedy that would destroy their countries.”

“Supplies of offensive weapons to the Kyiv regime would lead to a global catastrophe,” he said.

“If Washington and NATO supply weapons that

French President Emmanuel Macron, meanwhile, said Sunday that he does not rule out sending Leclerc battle tanks to Ukraine and had asked his defense minister to “work on” the idea.

Macron spoke during a during a news conference in Paris with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz as their countries commemorating the 60th anniversary of their postWorld War II friendship treaty.

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CAT 320 excavator buckets, CAT 320 idler, road painting machine.Call: 275-0367/ 6837225.

From page 13 South of the country who feel neglected by its institutions and, most of all, its hugely unpopular congress, which is largely viewed as a tool of the rich and powerful.

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Servers and Office Manager required. Manager must be willing to organize and coordinate administrative duties. Email applications: ateeyyeaali@gmail.com/ mandaitwaru@gmail.com or Call: +592-225-9409,+592502-9466.

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Hemispheric institutions, such as the Organization of American States (OAS), should seek a constructive role in Peru, and they must keep a watchful eye on the military and right-wing forces in Brazil which may yet turn on President Lula.

It is difficult to see what practical role the OAS can play in resolving the political issues in Peru, but, at the very least, the member states must let the Peruvian government know that further brutality against protestors will receive the strongest condemnation; and, instead, they should seek meaningful dialogue to address the deep-rooted issues in the country.

FOR SALE

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Swimming pool, family fun, crystal clear pool, kids and adults sections at Aracari Resort, Call: 264-2946-9.

Supermarket AM & PM Sales Representative required @ Survival Shopping Complex, 173 Sheriff Street. Call: 609-2995, Email: survival.humanresources @gmail.com

Houses for sale. Location: Tuschen, Providence, Diamond/ Little Diamond and Haslington. Call Pacific Development Inc: 6736210 /227-8274/ 917-7715202.

Mud for sale on the East Coast. Call: 619-0007, 6193153.

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PEN PAL

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In the meantime, Caribbean governments and political parties should ensure that, in their own countries, economic inequalities must be discouraged. Dissatisfaction is fuelling the fire of unrest in Peru and other Latin American countries; it must not spread to the Caribbean. Responses and previous commentaries: www.sirronaldsanders.com

IDB lists clean energy as priority area this year

New President of t h e I n t e r -

A m e r i c a n

Development Bank, Ilan Goldfajn said that he sees Latin America and the Caribbean as contributing to help solve some of the biggest global challenges, including food insecurity and the need for clean energy

During his inaugural address last week Goldfajn said producing more clean energy would not only benefit the region but help the world meet the Paris climategoals.

He said the bank's Amazon Initiative will help t h e w o r l d p r o t e c t biodiversity and address global warming, he said. “When we help countries l o w e r t r a d e a n d transportation costs,” he noted, “we reduce the price of food and alleviate food insecurity in the region and globally.”

During the address Goldfajn laid out his vision and priorities to make the

IDB the most trusted, agile and important development partner for Latin America and the Caribbean “My vision is to build on the Bank's legacy to ensure that the IDB is the most important multilateral development institution for Latin America and the Caribbean,” Goldfajn said. “We must be the region's mosttrustedpartner Acenter forexpertiseandknowledge. A beacon of innovative solutions to our region's challenges.”

G o v e r n m e n t representatives and members of the diplomatic community, multilateral financial institutions, academia, think tanks and the private sector were in attendance for the address at Bank headquarters in Washington, the IDB said in apressrelease.

He identified social issues, climate change and i n v e s t i n g m o r e i n sustainable physical and digital infrastructure that will boost regional

The gun dropped by the suspect.

integration and productivity, as the priority areas of his administration. He pledged to“seizeallopportunitiesfor dialogue” and collaboration to build consensus among governments, private-sector partners, think tanks and civil society to help tackle pressing problems in Latin America and the Caribbean, andattractprivatecapital.

“At this time of global p o l a r i z a t i o n a n d uncertainty,” Goldfajn said, “our future depends not on beingconfrontational,buton beingmorecollaborative.”

The people of Latin America and the Caribbean “deserve better jobs, safer streets, quality healthcare, faster internet, better public s e r v i c e s , b e t t e r infrastructure and other essentialelementsoflifethat they rightly aspire to,” he said. “And yes – a sense of hope in the future.” “I can't think of any institution that can better help the region fulfill that hope than the IDB,” he added. Goldfajn sees Latin America and the Caribbean as contributing to help solve some of the

biggest global challenges, including food insecurity and the need for clean energy Producing more clean energy would not only benefit the region but help the world meet the Paris climate goals. The IDB's Amazon Initiative will help t h e w o r l d p r o t e c t biodiversity and address globalwarming,hesaid.

“Whenwehelpcountries l o w e r t r a d e a n d transportation costs,” he noted, “we reduce the price of food and alleviate food insecurity in the region and globally.”

Priority areas for the IDB Goldfajn said social issues would be a priority area for the Bank's work, includingpoverty,inequality inseveraldimensions,health needs and food insecurity The top and bottom 10% of income levels in Latin America and the Caribbean were twice as unequal as similarly developed countries before the pandemic Two hundred million people are poor and

60 million face hunger, he said. In addressing climate change, Goldfajn said the IDB would strive to make it easier to invest in climate mitigation and adaptation, and more ambitiously help countries meet their Paris Agreementgoals.

The region currently experiences three times more destructive climate events per decade than 50 yearsago.

Those events cause about 10 times as much economic damage “We must be more responsive, agile and creative to deal withthem,”hesaid.

A third priority is i n v e s t i n g m o r e i n sustainable physical and digitalinfrastructuretoboost regional integration

Between 2008 and 2017, Latin America and the Caribbean put just 2.8% of GDPinto infrastructure, half the percentage of EastAsian and Pacific countries Goldfajn also said he would strive to ensure IDB projects deliver more effective results, with its work driven by data and evidence. In

2021, just 53% of IDB projects with project completion reports received a positive rating from the IDB's Office of Evaluation andOversight

“We can do better,” he said.

“In the end, what truly matters is not only how many loans we approve or even how much we lend,” Goldfajn said “What is paramount is tangible, measurable development impact.”

Anotherkeytoachieving the vision is continuing to grow on private-sector operations at IDB Invest and IDB Lab with plans that would unlock their great potential.

They would effectively impact development and provide public goods across theregion,hesaid.

He pledged to promote a new approach, making the IDB more cooperative, both within the IDB Group and among partners and stakeholders.

Staff should “feel encouraged and enabled to co-create a better Bank that exceeds our developmenteffectiveness targets,” he said.

“The IDB's challenges and the region's biggest problems weren't created overnight. We won't solve them in a day I ask for your patience and persistence But we have an incredible opportunity to uplift expectations for the future and to create hope at the outset,” Goldfajn said Earlier in the day, the president laid out his priorities in a closed-door speech to IDB employees, wherehepledgedtofosteran environment of openness andtrust

“I will appeal to our people's hopes and aspirations, not to their fears,”hesaid.

Asuspectcurrentlybeforethecourtonadrugtraffickingrelated charge was forced to leave his unlicensed firearm behind on Sunday while running away from police at Henrietta,EssequiboCoast,RegionTwo.

Police identified him as Davenand Dwarka called “Snakey”. Patrol ranks on duty in the area had spotted Dwarka around 02:30hrs sporting the weapon on his pants waistinthevicinityofahotel.

Oneoftherankscalledouttohimandwhenhesawwhoit was,hesprintedawayintothehotel'sparkinglot.

Two policemen chased behind him and as they got closer Dwarkaslippedandfellintosomemud.

Police stated, “While he was trying to get up, the firearm fell from his hand”. One of the ranks headed for the weapon while the other tried to grab Dwarka but he jumped into a nearby trench and evaded being caught. They took possession of the weapon of the 9mm Sig Sauer P226 pistol loadedwiththreebulletsinthemagazine. Theillegalgunhas beenlodgedandpolicearehuntingDwarka.

...says Caribbean people “deserve better jobs, safer streets, quality healthcare”

President of the Inter-American Development Bank, Ilan Goldfajn

ICC proposes six-team T20 events for both men and women at 2028 Olympics

ESPNcricinfo - The ICC has recommended six-team T20 events for both men and women to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games organising committee (LA28), as it continues its push for cricket to be included in the biggest global sports events.

Though there were reports that cricket had failed to make it to the 2028 LA Olympics, ESPNcricinfo understands that no decision has been taken yet and a final call will be taken by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) around October this year after the LA28 organisers

finalise the list of new sports by March. These will then be ratified, at the IOC’s session in Mumbai, expected to take place around October this year.

If the proposal is accepted, it is likely that the six participating teams would be the top six in the ICC’s men’s and women’s T20 rankings on a cut-off date.

The ICC has not yet finalised a tournament structure - it is still discussing options for this with the LA28 organisers.

T20 was the format proposed since both LA28 and

the IOC had told the ICC that the format should be one in which there is a world championship conducted (that would rule out T10, for example), has a compact duration (ruling out ODIs) and significant spectator interest. Why only six teams for the Olympics?

The key reason behind the ICC recommending sixteam events is the IOC’s drive to become more cost efficient, which it has laid out as part of its strategic plan titled “Olympic Agenda 2020+5”. The best way to cut down on costs, the IOC has deter-

Monday January 23, 2023

ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19)

Sometimes, it's amazing to see how your relationships can spin so easily out of control, Aries. Today you may have to deal with a lot of tension within your group. You'll almost feel as if no one understands the situation.

TAURUS(Apr.20–May20)

You sometimes have difficulty making up your mind. You don't always know exactly what you want. Today, Taurus, you'll be at peace with yourself.

GEMINI (May 21–June 20)

Sometimes we all feel a little lost, Gemini. We often want to move mountains and use all our energy and enthusiasm to try to do so.

CANCER (June 21–July 22)

You have a natural ability to accomplish a great deal rather easily, Cancer. But today you may feel snowed under with projects. Things around you might be moving quickly.

LEO (July 23–Aug. 22)

Your day has finally come, Leo. You have your own vision of life and you like sharing it with others. You're far from thinking that you're any sort of new messiah.

VIRGO (Aug. 23–Se pt. 22)

Today you'll have the strange feeling that something is floating in the air. The time is right to try to understand the different needs of your family circle.

LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22)

As the dawn of another quiet and peaceful day appears, Libra, you will be in the best disposition to observe and appreciate the lightness of things. Life can seem so beautiful on some days.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21)

You will find a clean page on the agenda today, Scorpio. You should try to think only about yourself. This will allow you to meditate about your life and be at peace with yourself.

SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) You will wake up today on cloud nine, Sagittarius. Your morale is at a peak. You will feel totally free and be able to clearly perceive the essentials of life.

CAPRI (Dec. 22–Jan. 19) The The astral energy will have you reminiscing all day long over childhood memories, Capricorn. These memories will take you to the houses and places where you were raised.

AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18)

You love interacting with people others might consider eccentric. You can't help it. You're simply attracted to them. You will probably encounter one of these people today, Aquarius.

PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) You have always tried to build up your health using traditional methods, and you take great care of yourself.

mined, is avoiding bloated squad sizes across disciplines as well as the overall contingents.

As a consequence, the total athletes’ quota at the 2024 Paris Games will be 10,500, down from 11,300 at the previous Olympics, held in 2021 in Tokyo.

As part of cost-saving “opportunities” under the 2020+5 strategic plan, which caters to several marquee events including LA28, the IOC has highlighted “evolving the event-based programme with a key focus on simplifying the venue master plan, and reducing cost and complexity in each sport”.

LA28 also told the ICC that the quality of the proposed event must not be compromised, and it would need to be contested by the very best. This, too, contributed towards the idea to limit the proposed event to the top-six teams for both men and women.

IOC favours single venue for cricket

Cricket has its own range of complexities in terms of streamlining costs, with squads travelling with teams of support staff, and requiring a certain number of pitches for games along with training pitches for teams to prepare on. It is understood that during the discussions, the guidance the ICC received from LA28 was that both the men’s and women’s events would need to be restricted to a single venue.

The ICC had already seen the advantage of such costsaving measures at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham last July-August, where women’s T20 cricket was one of the 19 disciplines. Originally, the ICC had recommended two venues for it, but the organisers limited it to one venue - Edgbaston - with 16 matches conducted across ten days with multiple double-headers.

Cricket is competing with eight sports - baseball/softball, flag football, lacrosse, break dancing, karate, kickboxing, squash and motorsport - to make the 2028 Olympics. The IOC will review the proposals for all of them before finalising how many could be added to the list of 28 already finalised in February 2022.

The ICC has been in constant dialogue with both LA28 as well as the IOC. An ICC delegation had even travelled to the IOC headquarters

in Lausanne, Switzerland. In December, ICC chief executive Geoff Allardice met with LA28 officials in Los Angeles.

Jay Shah added to ICC’s Olympics working group

BCCI secretary Jay Shah has been added to the ICC’s Olympics working group, which is headed by Greg Barclay (ICC chairman) and also includes Indra Nooyi (independent director), and Paraag Marathe (former USA Cricket president).

The addition of Shah, who is the BCCI representative on the ICC board as well

as chair of the finance and commercial affairs committee, is a strategic move. The IOC has earmarked India as a key market, keeping in mind the country’s ambition to host the Olympics in the near future. And the ICC believes Shah’s involvement could lend an important and potentially influential push in its negotiations with the IOC for cricket to be included at sport’s biggest global event.

It is learned that the working group has updated ICC members with a summary of the discussions it has had with LA28.

Body’s final decision on cricket’s inclusion in the Games is expected around October

RwandapullsoffSuper6s thrilleragainstWIRisingStars

RwandahandedtheWest Indies Rising Stars a shocking 4-wicket loss yesterday in their first Super6 match at the JB M a r k s O v a l i n Potchefstroom,SouthAfrica

Battingfirst,theRwanda bowlershadtheRisingStars batters pegged back from earlyintheirinnings,thanks to disciplined bowling from Henriette Ishimwe and RosineIrera.

But it was spinners Sylvia Usabyimana (4/20) a n d M a r i e J o s e e

Tumunkunde 4/8 who utilized the pitch’s slow surface to bamboozle the RisingStarsbatters.

Realeanna Grimmond was the lone Rising Stars batter to reach double figures, scoring 18 in a 21ball stance as wickets kept tumbling around her The RisingStarsposted70allout in 16 3 overs Left-arm

spinner Marie Josee

Tumukunde was the pick of the bowlers finishing with figures of 3 3-0-8-4, followed by Sylvia Usabyimanawith4-0-20-4.

Rwanda had a nervous period in their run-chase as they lost wickets in close succession, but Gisele Ishimwe took on the responsibilitytogetherteam overthelinetovictory Ishimwe faced a 53 delivereies to score her 31 runs which included two boundaries to keep the Rising Stars at bay, as they reachedtheir71-runtargetin 18.2 overs. Rwanda 71/6, Gisele Ishimwe 31 not out and Cynthis Tuyizere (12) were their top scorers Rising Stars skipper

Ashmini Munisar was their best bowler with figures of 4-0-8-1.

Head Coach was proud of his team despite the loss

saying, “It’s a tough pill to swallow but the growth and development of this team has been our focus. As a batting group we can learn from the loss today and we will go back to analyzehow we play against slower bowlers. I still believe in these players, and I know theywilldevelopintobetter players.”Liburdadded,“We still have one game to play, andwearegoingtocontinue representing the Maroon with pride. This team can hold their heads high as we head into our last Super6 matchagainstEngland.”

Withtheloss,theRising Stars are on two points in fourth place in Group 2 of the Super6s The Rising StarswillplayEnglandU19 in their final Super6 match on Tuesday January 24, 1:45pm local time (7:45am Eastern Caribbean/6:45am Jamaicatime).(CWI)

Powell’s magnificent 97 powers Dubai Capitals to 16-run victory over MI Emirates despite Pollard’s blazing 86

SportsMax - Rovman Powell hit a magnificent 97 from 41 balls to lead the Dubai Capitals to a thrilling 16-run victory over the MI Emirates in a high-scoring matchintheILT20Leaguein AbuDhabiyesterday

Powell, the Player of the Match, hit four fours and 10 sixes while powering Dubai Capitalsfor222-3fromtheir 20overs.

Powell featured in a second-wicket partnership of121fromjust57ballswith former England captain Joe Root,whoscored82from54 balls.

RootandRobinUthappa had laid the foundation with an opening stand of 78 from 53ballsbeforethelatterwas dismissedfor26.

Powell was eventually dismissedbyKieronPollard from the last ball of the innings,butthedamagewas alreadydone.

Chasingthehighestscore in the tournament so far, MI Emirates lost three wickets for 26 runs early including thatofNicholasPooranfora duckinthesixthover His dismissal brought

together Pollard and Andre Fletcher and together that made things interesting for Dubai that came into the game on the back of three consecutivelosses.

Together, Pollard and Fletcher went on the offensive smashing balls to all parts as they stitched together a stand of 118 with the Trinidadian scoring the bulk of those runs, 86 from 38ballswitheightfoursand six sixes before he was

dismissed by Powell in the 16th over with his side still needing 79 from the last 24 balls.

Najibullah Zadran got them closer with a quickfire 30 from just nine balls but once he fell, yorked by Fred Klaaseninthe19thover,the remaining runs proved elusive despite the best efforts of Fletcher, who remained unbeaten on 35 at theendwithMIEmriateson 206-5.

Nketiah strikes late as leaders Arsenal edge Man Utd in thriller

LONDON, (Reuters) - Arsenal restored theirfive-pointleadatthetopofthePremier LeaguewithEddieNketiahscoringtwiceina 3-2defeatofManchesterUnited,includinga 90th-minute winner, in a rip-roaring clash at TheEmiratesyesterday It looked as though it would end honours even after United withstoodalatesiegebutNketiahtappedin fromcloserangetosendthehomefansinto raptures A game that fully lived up to expectations saw Marcus Rashford give Unitedtheleadwithastunningearlyopener only for Nketiah to headArsenal level in a

frantic first half Bukayo Saka’s flashing drivegaveArsenaltheleadinthe53rdminute butLisandroMartinez’sheaderlevelleditup before the hour mark to set up an absorbing finale.

Saka struck the post and Nketiah was denied by David de Gea but the hosts were relentlessastheyavengedtheirlosstoUnited earlierintheseason—theirsoledefeat.

Mikel Arteta’s side have 50 points from 19 games with City on 45 and United in fourth place on 39, below Newcastle United ongoaldifference.

Rovman Powell hit 76 of his 97 runs in boundaries. (ILT20)

Arsenal’s Eddie Nketiah scores their third goal. (REUTERS/David Klein)

Lynn and Hetmyer keep Giants’ 100% win record intact

ESPNcricinfo - Gulf Giants were 30 for 3 when Shimron Hetmyer joined Chris Lynn. Chasing 196 against Desert Vipers, the odds were stacked against them.ButLynnsmacked71, Hetmyer blazed to 70, and courtesy some finishing touches from David Wiese and Liam Dawson, the Giants cruised to a fivewicketvictory,keepingtheir 100% win record in the ILT20tournamentintact.

TheVipershadposedan imposing 195 for 4 in the firstinnings-onthebackof Alex Hales’ 99 - and when Giants lost Tom Banton, James Vince and Rehan Ahmedquicklyinthechase, theresultseemedtobegoing their way However, Lynn andHetmyeradded117runs in a fourth-wicket partnership, in only 9 2 overs, to change the game around. This was the first defeat for Vipers in the tournament despite Hales makingitfour50+scoresin fourgames.

Haleshadstartedtheday asthemajoritycontributorin a 72-run opening stand for Vipers alongside Rohan Mustafa.WhenMustafawas out for 23, stumped off

Dawson,Viperskepttheleftright combination going with Colin Munro playing a small hand after which Sherfane Rutherford joined Hales.Haleshit10foursand five sixes in his 57-ball 99, but fell in the 17th overcaught at deep extra coverwhile trying to hit Chris Jordan. Despite some late hitsfromRutherford,Hales’ wicket slowed proceedings down, and Vipers could not breach200.

The English trio of Banton, Vince and Rehan had scored only eight runs between them before being dismissed by the Vipers bowlers when Lynn and

Hetmyerbegantherecovery job. Together they hit 13 fours and eight sixes, especially brutal on Wanindu Hasaranga, Benny HowellandMustafa.

They helped the Giants seizetheadvantagesomuch, thateventhoughbothbatters fell in the space of 17 balls, there was enough in the Giants tank - in the form of Wiese and Dawson - to complete the turnaround win.

Scores: Gulf Giants 196 for5(Lynn71,Hetmyer70, Cottrell 2-24) beat Desert Vipers 195 for 4 (Hales 99, Gleeson 1-19) by five wickets.

Hamlin receives standing ovation at Bengals-Bills playoff game

(Reuters) - Buffalo safety Damar Hamlin received a standing ovation from fans at the BillsBengals game yesterday when video screens showed him in attendance at the contestlessthanthreeweeks after he suffered an on-field cardiacarrest.

Hamlin put his hands together to make a heart symbol,heldupthreefingers torepresenthis number, and raised his arms to pump up the sold-out crowd at the AFC Divisional Round playoff game at Buffalo’s HighmarkStadium.

Priortokickoff,theBills tweeted a video of the 24year-old arriving at stadium forthegamewithhismother, father and younger brother “Welcome home,” the Bills tweeted.

Hamlin has made a remarkable recovery since he collapsed moments after making a tackle at a game between the Bengals and

BillsinCincinnationJan.2.

He had to have his heartbeat restored on the fieldasstunnedplayersfrom bothteamscried,prayedand hugged.

T h e g a m e w a s postponed and later canceled.

After the frightening scene of Hamlin receiving

life-saving CPR on the field played out on national television, he received an outpouringofpublicsupport as fans prayed outside his hospital window and donated millions to his charity

He was discharged from a Buffalo hospital and returnedhomeonJan.11.

Gauff in tears after failing to crack Ostapenko code

M E L B O U R N E , (Reuters)-AfrustratedCoco Gauff broke down in tears after her 7-5 6-3 defeat by Jelena Ostapenko at the Australian Open yesterday, with the 18-year-old American saying she just could not come up with the answers to the Latvian’s game.

Gauff came into the tournament having enjoyed a superb 2022 where she reached the French Open final but it was former Roland Garros champion Ostapenko who dominated the contest to set up a quarter-final meeting with WimbledonchampionElena Rybakina.“Ithinkeveryloss is somewhat in my control because I do feel like I’m a good player, but today she just played better,” Gauff, seeded seventh, told reporters.

“Thereweremomentsin the match where I was getting frustrated because I normally can problem solve but today I feel like I didn’t have much answers to what she was doing. “There were balls I was hitting deep and she was hitting them on the

line and hitting them back deep, like, over and over again. It’s just one of those days that just didn’t go my wayandwentherway.”

Gauff began to tear up when asked to explain her frustrations “I think it’s becauseIworkedreallyhard and I felt really good coming intothetournamentandIstill feelgood,”Gauffsaid “Istill feellikeI’veimprovedalot

“But when you play a player like her and she plays really well, it’s like there’s nothingyoucando “Soit’sa little bit frustrating on that part” Gauff is partnering fellow American Jessica Pegula in the women’s

doubles at Melbourne Park and she said playing in the formathelpshergetoverthe disappointmentofdefeat.

“I think doubles has taught me how to play after losing, how to play with frustration,” Gauff added.

“SoIfeellikeit’llhelpmein the future Bouncing back from a loss is difficult in a Grand Slam but I’m looking forwardtotomorrow IhopeI can help her and I hope that she continues well in the (singles) tournament now that I’m out. “I hope she wins it. I knew we would probably face each other if we both kept winning. I’m rootingforheralltheway.”

Chris Lynn shared a match-winning 117-run stand with Shimron Hetmyer. (ILT20)

Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin warms up before a game against the Cleveland Browns at Ford Field.

(Lon Horwedel-USATODAY Sports/File Photo)

Coco Gauff

Top seed Swiatek crashes out of cr Australian

MELBOURNE, Jan 22

(Reuters) - Top seed Iga Swiatek was bundled out of the Australian Open fourth round yesterday, with titlethreatCocoGauffalsoexiting intears,asapairofunderestimated Grand Slam champions tore open thewomen’sdraw

Third seed Stefanos Tsitsipas avoidedasimilarfatebyclaiminga thrilling 6-4 6-4 3-6 4-6 6-3 win overItalianJannikSinnerandkeep hisdreamsofamaidenGrandSlam titlealive.

“Itwasalongmatch.Ifeellike I’ve spent a century on this court,” Tsitsipassaidofthecontest,which lastedjustoverfourhours.“Itwasa ripper, as they say here. I can feel my face burning from the effort today.”

WorldnumberoneSwiatekwas sent packing by Elena Rybakina in theearlymatchatRodLaverArena, thePolefalling6-46-4totheKazak Wimbledonwinnerwhostartedher tournament in the Melbourne Park wildernessofCourt13.

Rybakina shrugged off the scheduling snub before the fourth roundshowdownbutuseditasfuel in her first appearance on centre court as a tightly wound Swiatek slowlyunravelled.

“I felt the pressure, and I felt thatIdon’twanttoloseinsteadofI want to win,” said Swiatek, who dominated last season with two GrandSlamwins.“IfeltlikeItook a step back in terms of how I approach these tournaments, and I maybe wanted it a little bit too hard.”Theresultmeansthisyear’s Australian Open will be the first

St

Open,

Open,Tsitsipas

quarter-final for hard-hitting Ostapenko, as well as the first at a major since her run to the Wimbledonsemi-finalsin2018.

Latvia’sfirst-andonly-Grand Slam champion stunned the world when she hoisted the trophy at Roland Garros as an unseeded 20year-old. She has had mostly lean years since but never doubted she wouldreturntothespotlightagain.

“Mylifechangedalot(afterthe 2017 French Open), so I needed a fewyearstoreallygetusedtowhat happened because I was really young,”shesaid.

GrandSlamtournamentintheopen erawherethetoptwoseedsinboth the men’s and women’s singles drawshavelostpriortothequarterf i n a l s . F O R G O T T E N

OSTAPENKO Rybakina, the 22nd seed, might have expected to face Gauff in the quarter-finals but the much-hyped American teenager was upset 7-5 6-3 by Jelena Ostapenko, the forgotten Grand Slamwinnerofwomen’stennis.

The 2017 French Open championthrashed30winnerspast GauffonMargaretCourtArena,her lasttwosealingthematchinstyleto leavethe18-year-oldintearsather post-match media conference. “I feel like it was rough,” Gauff told reporters, before breaking down with emotion. “When you play a playerlikeherandsheplaysreally well, it’s like, you know, there’s nothing you can do.” The win secured a first Australian Open

“Ialwaysknewandbelievedin my game. If I play well, I can beat almost anyone.” At a tournament fast running out of star power, unheralded Czech Jiri Lehecka landed another blow for the lesser lightsashetoppledCanadiansixth seedFelixAuger-Aliassime4-66-3 7-6(2) 7-6(3) in the men’s tournament.

The 21-year-old next plays Tsitsipas,seekingrevengeforaloss totheGreekintheRotterdamsemifinals last year “He’ll know what mystrengthsare.He’llfeelIcanget himunderpressure,”Leheckasaid.

KORDA DELIVERS While Lehecka was a bolt from the blue, big things have been expected of SebastianKordaforsometimeand the young American is finally delivering on expectations at MelbournePark.

He took another step towards emulating his Australian OpenwinningfatherPetrbybookinghis firstGrandSlamquarter-finalwith a 3-6 6-3 6-2 1-6 7-6 (10-7) win

survives

vives

over Hubert Hurkacz at RodLaverArena.

Korda, whose father wonthe1998titleunder the Czech flag, showed impressive composure as Polish 10th seed Hurkacz roared back to level the fifth set tiebreak at 7-7 by w i n n i n g f o u r consecutive points. Kordaheldfirm,closing it out with a backhand winner to set up a clash with Russian 18th seed KarenKhachanov

“It feels awesome. I was not feeling too much energy towards the fourth and fifth sets but you guys picked me up,” the 29th seed told the crowd. Khachanov had a much easier passage, hammering Japan’sYoshihitoNishioka6-06-0 7-6(4) at John Cain Arena. The Russian has now reached the quarter-finals at all four Grand Slams.

“Obviously,yeah,thatgivesme somekindofcomplimentsonwhat Iachievesofar,andI’mjusthappy to do it. Hopefully I can continue even further on even bigger things,”hesaid.

While the high seeds have tumbled, American Jessica Pegula hasbeenrocksolidandreachedher third consecutive quarter-final at Melbourne Park by beating Czech 20th seed Barbora Krejcikova 7-5 6-2.

well and broke the2012and2013championinthe opening game before allowing her back, only to pull away from 3-3. With the first set in the bag, world number 87 Zhu then came under pressure and Azarenka took the secondset6-1.

The Belarusian broke at 4-4 in the decider before showing composure to defend two break pointsandserveoutforthewin

Julien Alfred smashes NCAA 60m record again

Martin Luther King Invitational

SportsMax - St Lucia’s sprint queen Julien Alfred set a new NCAArecord on Saturday clocking a worldleading7.02towinthe60m dash at the Martin Luther KingInvitationalheldatthe Albuquerque Convention Centre at the University of NewMexico.

TheUniversityofTexas Senior ran a world-leading 7 05 in the preliminary roundbeforestormingtothe new record and personal bestinthefinal.

The final was barely a contest as Alfred, the 2022 NCAA 100m champion, was miles ahead of Texas teammate Rhasidat Adekele, who was runner up in 7.20 just edging out

Maboundou Kone, who ran 7.21forthird.

Alfred now owns the threefastesttimesover60m ranbyanywomaninNCAA history at 7.02, 7.04 and 7.05seconds,respectively

Saturday’svictorywasa continuation of her impressive start to the season.

She won her seasonopener event in the 300m dash at the Commonwealth CollegeOpenerwithatime of37.36.

She went on to win the 200m at the Cardinal Classicwithatimeof23.10 andhelpedTexasrunthe13fastest 4x400 time in UT history with a time of 3:30.55.

Third seed Pegula will face 24th-seeded twice champion Victoria Azarenka, who fought back from a set down to beat Zhu Lin4-66-16-4andendtheChinese star’s impressive run. Zhu, who beatsixthseedMariaSakkariinthe last round, started

St Lucia’s sprint queen Julien Alfred set a new NCAArecord on Saturday.

Iga Swiatek

Stefanos Tsitsipas

BCB to honour outstanding Berbice Cricketing Heroes in New York

The executives of the pro active Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) at their monthly meeting on Thursday last, approved a plan for the honouring of several overseas-based cricketing Heroes of the County

The board is hoping to organiseahistoricceremony at a venue in New York on the 10th of June to honour heroes on the cricket field and those who served with distinctionasadministrators.

BCB President, Hilbert Foster, stated that under the leadership of his elder brother,Keith,theboardhad introducedanhonoursystem in 2009 to recongise the contribution of heroes of Berbice cricket The programme was named

‘Tribute to Heroes’ and dozens of persons were honoured over the last fourteenyears.

The majority of those honoured were however locallybasedresidentsasthe board was unable to get in contactwithoverseasformer cricketers or was unable financially to bring them back to Guyana This situation will now be corrected with at least two BCB executives visiting New York City to honour dozens of former national players, administrators and supporters of Berbice cricket.

The visit will be of little cost to the BCB as most of the expenses will be sponsored. Great efforts are been made to acquire a suitable venue while a

formerWestIndiescaptainis expected to be the Guest Speaker

Several Berbice former national players including Clayton Lambert and Derek Kallicharran have agreed to work along with the BCB to make the event a success. Awards will be given out to twenty five former national players and five former administrators while several sponsors will be honoured for their contribution to Berbice cricket over the last fiveyears.

The sponsors include Dr Tulsi Dyal Singh, Brian Ramphal, Terrence Blackman and Lochan Samkarran Among the players expected to be honoured by the BCB are former test players Alvin Kallicharran, Joe Solomon,

Seasoned horseracing officials Habibullah and Elcock lauds sports budget

Fazal Habibulla

the historic $4.3B which hasbeenallocatedforthedevelopmentofthe sportssectorinthe2023NationalBudget.

The duo, who is local horse racing royalty,joinedtheexpandingchoirofsports personalities,federations,andassociationsto laud the contribution earmarked for the advancement of the sector, which was presented by Senior Minister within the MinistryofFinanceDr.AshniSingh.

The 2023 National Budget furnished the largest-ever allocation for the sports sector, whichisasubstantialincreaseof$1.1Bfrom the previous edition.This momentous move signals the government’s overarching objectiveoftransformingthelocallandscape intoaregionalandinternationalsportinghub.

According to the duo, the allocation for sport,whichisofhistoricproportions,should

beacclaimedbythesportingfraternity,asitis indicative of the direction that the Government envisages for sports development.

The experienced pair applauded the invaluable and influential work of the National Sports Commission (NSC), noting thattheentityhasbeenanintegralpartnerand componentintheimprovedrelationshipthat has been achieved and fortified between the horseracing community and the Ministry of Culture,YouthandSport.

Declaringthattheprovisionwillprovide theidealplatformforthedevelopmentofnot only the discipline but the entire sporting community,theduofurtheraffirmedthatthe creation and eventual ratification of sound horse racing legislation, which was a major discussion of the previous year by the adept MinisterofCulture,YouthandSportCharles Ramson Jr, is the logical path or step in the administrationofthesport.

Leonard Baichan, Sew Shivnarine, the late Basil Butcher, Mahendra Nagamootoo and Clayton Lambert.

Others include Kamal Singh,MiltonPydana,Keith Cameron,LeslaineLambert, Sudesh Dhaniram, Vishal Nagamootoo Romain and TyroneEtwaroo.Eachofthe

awardees will receive a plaque, trophy, medal of excellence and framed certificatealongwithaBCB souvenir

The BCB will also use thevisittoraisefundsforthe construction of an all weatherpracticecentre.

The executives decided on this course of action as a

result of the long rainy seasonthataffectstheproper preparation of Berbice inter countyteams.

The BCB also hopes to have its own permanent officethatwillassistittonot only save rental fees but allow it to administer the game in a more structured way

HorseracingmagnatesFazalHabibullah of Region #5’s Rising Sun Turf Club, and Colin Elcock ofAlnessTurf Club of Region #6, have extolled

Colin Elcock

Alvin Kallischarran (left front row) with some of the youngsters involved in the programme.

Coco Gauff of the U.S. during press conference after losing her fourth round match against Latvia’s Jelena Ostapenko. (REUTERS/Loren Elliott)