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AIETEUR NEWS

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

Biden bans Russian oil

..warns of 'Putin price hike' at pump

Wednesday Edition March 09, 2022 - Vol. 17 No.10 Online: www.kaieteurnews.com Online Price $80 readership yesterday, President 73,546 Joe Biden

Multi-well drilling programme for Kaieteur Block exempt from environmental study - EPA gives citizens 30 days to send objections Over one year, ranks of People's Militia still to be paid Amazon rainforest reaching tipping point, researchers say Parliament to rent tents, chairs and tables for upcoming sittings

A Catholic priest hands out tulips, to women who have fled Ukraine, in recognition of International Women's Day at the train station in Przemysl, Poland, Tuesday, March 8, 2022. U.N. officials said Tuesday that the Russian onslaught has forced 2 million people to flee Ukraine. It has trapped others inside besieged cities that are running low on food, water and medicine amid the biggest ground war in Europe since World War II. (AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski)

GPL mulls upping light bill

PNC/R casts Guyana moves one step closer doubt on Harmon's to end border controversy case ..submits memo resignation

with Venezuela of merits to ICJ …says letter only states intent Our so-called leaders and the Chinese man contract say whether Guyana use the electricity or not from the Hydro Project, we have to pay for it. That is what these smart, respectable and honourable Listen to Kaieteur Radio gentlemen hanging the Guyanese people to with this 20-year sentence. @11:00hrs on 99.1/99.5FM

Wednesday March 09, 2022

Kaieteur News

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PNCR casts doubt on Harmon’s resignation T h e P e o p l e ’s N a t i o n a l Congress Reform (PNCR) is unsure of the resignation of party member Mr. Joseph Harmon as the letter to the National Assembly only signalled his intent to resign.

waiting to take Harmon’s place, should his resignation take effect on March 15, 2022 as signalled in his letter.

Holder reasoned, “I have seen a copy of the letter from the National

“We have a long list of candidates (to replace Harmon).

It’s an internal matter. The Central Executive has got to deliberate on it, then we have to take it to our Coalition partners. We have to take it to the APNU, then we move to have that replacement so it’s a process.”

This is according to the Chairman of the PNCR, Shurwayne Holder, who during a media briefing yesterday also noted that a long list of candidates is also

Assembly. I do not think it’s legally a resignation. It says there is an intent for Mr. Harmon to resign and so I wouldn’t take it that he has resigned and so it is an internal

…says letter only states intent process. We have to wait until that time, March 15. We will see what happens at that time.”

When asked whether the party has started looking for a replacement for Harmon, Holder said, “We have a long list of candidates. It’s an internal matter.

The Central Executive has got to deliberate on it, then we have to take it to our Coalition partners. We have to take it to the APNU, then we move to have that replacement, so it’s a process.”

The party’s Chairman was reluctant to disclose the names of

the candidates lined up to take Mr. Harmon’s seat in the National Assembly, but hinted that Gary Best, a Central Executive member of the PNCR as well as Mervyn Williams, a former Parliamentarian are two of the “suitable candidates.”

He added that the party has not yet commenced shortlisting the names of persons who have so far signalled their interest in filling the void Harmon’s departure will create.

He was keen to note that the Leader of the party, Aubrey Norton

Former Leader of the Opposition, Joseph Harmon is also poised to take up his position in the National Assembly as a vacancy was created with the resignation of former Education Continued on page 23

Wednesday March 09, 2022

Kaieteur News

Multi-well drilling prog. for Kaieteur Block exempt from environmental study - EPA gives citizens 30 days to send objections ExxonMobil’s subsidiary, Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL), recently submitted an application to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to conduct a 12-well exploration and appraisal drilling programme in the Kaieteur Licence Area, Offshore Guyana. This exercise, once approved, would start in 2022 or 2023 and conclude by the first quarter 2027.

According to project documents with EPA, the Kaieteur multi-well programme aims to gather data on the reservoir characteristics, hydrocarbon presence, pressure, and temperatures. If the presence of hydrocarbons is discovered, EEPGL said wells will be tested to establish the limits of the reservoir.

A d d i t i o n a l l y, t h e productivity of wells and the oil or gas properties present will be tested. Once the proposed drilling operations are complete, the exploration well would be permanently plugged and abandoned.

Kaieteur News understands that the project will generate hazardous and non-hazardous wastes.

However, EEPGL assured that all waste streams for the project are expected to be managed in accordance with a Comprehensive Waste Management Plan (CWMP).

As regards the potential impacts from the project, these are expected to be physical, biological, and socioeconomic in nature.

The project, according to the Kaieteur Block operator, can potentially affect biological organisms too. Additionally, the project is not expected to directly cause negative changes to the coastal population demographic.

In light of the foregoing, the EPA said project impacts have been deemed negligible to low, short-term, and localized. As such, an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is not required. Be that as it may, t h e E PA s a i d a n Environmental Management Plan (EMP) is required to outline the measures to be implemented to mitigate the impacts associated with the project.

The EPA subsequently issued a notice on March 6, 2022 which states that persons who object to the decision of the EPA, to not subject EEPGL to submitting an EIA for this drilling programme, are invited to send objections within 30 days. Persons therefore have until April 6, 2022 to send concerns or queries about the project. Appeals and comments must be addressed to the Chairman of the Environmental Assessment Board at said email address: Eabguyana21@gmail.com.

With respect to the offshore concession, EEPGL’s documents note that the Kaieteur Block is located in deep offshore waters of Guyana, more than 200 kilometres northeast of the coastline of Georgetown, and adjacent to the northern boundaries of the Stabroek Block where EEPGL has conducted substantial exploration and development activities to date.

Based on data from exploration and development activities, the p r o p o s e d 1 2 exploration/appraisal wells may be drilled within the seven Prospect Areas as depicted in the map attached to this story. However, the exact locations of the 12 exploration/appraisal wells comprising the project have not yet been finalised. While some of the 12 wells will be drilled for exploration purposes, EEPGL said it is also possible that some of the wells may be drilled as appraisal wells within the proximity of previously drilled exploration areas.

If discoveries are found at particular locations, EEPGL said subsequent wells could be drilled in the vicinity of such locations to further assess the commerciality of the discoveries, as such, priorities and schedules could change. EEPGL said it will therefore continue to submit the well information necessary to obtain approval for an Environmental Permit from the Guyana Environmental Protection Agency.

EEPGL currently has six drill ships operating offshore Guyana: the Stena Carron, the Stena DrillMAX, the

Noble Bob Douglas, the Noble Tom Madden, the Noble Don Taylor, and the Noble Sam Croft. The wells could be drilled by any one of these six drill ships or other drill ship of opportunity.

The drilling of the exploration/appraisal wells in the Kaieteur Block is expected to occur simultaneously with other drilling activities, including: The Liza Phase 2 Development Project well drilling programme and production operations; The Payara Development Project well drilling programme, installation, and start of production operations Continued on page 27

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Kaieteur News

Wednesday March 09, 2022

Kaieteur News Printed and Published by National Media & Publishing Company Ltd. 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown, Guyana.

Publisher: GLENN LALL-TEL: 624-6456 Editor: Sharmain Grainger Tel: 225-8465, 225-8491. Fax: 225-8473, 226-8210

EDITORIAL

Civil groups and political leadership We are encouraged that more and more Guyanese are joining in the struggle to overcome the twin devils that ride at will in our poor and weak society. In recent times, several civil groups have come out to voice public concerns over how our oil wealth is being managed, what are the threats that could endanger our environment, and how the livelihoods of those in the fishing sector are jeopardised, to pinpoint just a few areas of alarm over what is taking place with this newfound oil of ours. Worse still, from a general perspective many, if not all of the groups coming out and taking a public stand, have expressed intensifying disagreements with the overall manner of governance that prevails in Guyana today.

For their interests, passions, troubles, and doing what they feel is their patriotic and individual duty, these civil groups have come under fire and are vilified in one way or another. It is not the usual scurrilous attacks that are now essentials of the anonymity and cowardly practices of social media. Rather incredibly, this is coming from the head of state of this country, the President himself. From what can be gathered in his choice of words and the tone of them, he is beside himself with fury and what we will term anxiety and much wasted energy.

We say this, because it is becoming apparent that the young and unseasoned President of Guyana is unaware that even in the best of societies (which Guyana is far from being), and in the most unified ones (which Guyana has never been, and is in a worse divided state today than it has ever been), there are those and will be those, who come into conflict with what the government of the day does.

They will rise up to contradict what the leaders in government say and do. When constructive such is a healthy practice, and one to be lauded for shedding light of where things are obviously wrong, point to what falls short, and what cries out for revisiting, adjustment, and correction.

The President cannot be so controlling, and so selfcongratulating, as to harbour the belief that only he and his political party, and their comrades, have what it takes where truth and justice, right and wrong, are concerned.

The President and his government and his party all ought to remember that such illustrious figures of history as Moses, Jesus, the Prophet Mohamed, and Buddha, though they all preached and practised an immaculate way of life were condemned and pushed to their extreme limits. As His Excellency should know well, there are glaring gaps in his government, and this is regarding many crucial areas and needs, those that are laced with much hope, many dreams. He must listen and learn, and he must grow.

He must not be so self-possessed to pat himself on the back and power ahead with what many honest and honourable citizens of this country find fault, raise their voices against.

The President and his government are not the sole arbiters of what constitutes proper oil management, or clean governance, or principled leadership. Moreover, civil society groups must not be seen as enemies, but as fulfilling a much-needed vital role. As can be gathered, there is little pushback from within the bowels of the PPP/C Government itself. There is no mechanism; no messenger that touches upon self-correction. Once there was a Roger Luncheon, who held some things and some wayward party people in check. Again, the President could and should learn; he must.

He should be the one standing up to his Vice President and say not this way, not this time, and not on this watch.

The Vice President works for him, and at his pleasure.

Regrettably, given the manipulations of the Honourable Vice President, it is the other way around. Where, instead of the President welcoming the inputs of civil groups (which the non-PPP/C world agrees are on the right tracks), he works himself into a lather, as ordered, and lashes out at them.

Instead of the President being a builder, he is a destroyer.

Civil groups have Guyana at heart. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said of the President.

Asking ganja farmers to become hemp growers seems hilarious DEAR EDITOR, At the President’s recent press conference, it occurred to me that the folks from “Laff Till You Belly Bust,” the “Link Show,” or “Nothing to Laugh About,” are missing out on a lot of good comedic material.

Why can’t they do an equivalent of “Saturday Night Live” in Guyana. There is so much material in the political arena from trench ‘crappo’, jagabats, wild hog, etc. Civil Society are the “Usual Suspects” and should not critique the Government. You cannot speak out about anything unless you had spoken out about rigged elections to Minister Dildo. Now the President announced that plans are in place for a meeting with marijuana farmers in a bid to persuade them to switch to cultivating highvalue hemp. And this will address the problem of the “Dutch disease.”Did the President come up with that idea all by himself? Did he check with the AG, the Minister of Home Affairs, the Commissioner of Police, and the Minister of Agriculture?

The President said, “…I am a realistic president. I ain’t shooting in the dark. I ain’t naïve. Is only if you dealing with reality you can run a country. They already have the experience in growing…they come with technical skills, frankly speak-

ing,” he added.

Now, all you people from Africa, from Europe, from North America, South America and Asia, and CARICOM, don’t you all go stealing our President’s ideas.

We thought of it first! Made in Guyana! Local content at work!

As a Civil Society member and Diasporan, and as a contribution to my country, I would like to pay for the fullpage ad in the KN and SN inviting the marijuana growers to come to the meeting with the President. But first, let’s answer these questions. 1.

Does the Government know who are the marijuana growers? 2.

Is there a list? 3. Does the Government have the street address, email address and WhatsApp numbers for these marijuana growers? 4.

How will they know whom to invite to this meeting? 5. How does the Government side know that the growers “they come with technical skills?”

6. There was nothing in the PPP manifesto that said anything about marijuana growers becoming hemp growers.

Is this a bonus to the Manifesto? The icing on the cake?

7. If the Government knows who are the marijuana growers, why aren’t they all in jail serving time? 8. If they are already in jail, would they be released to attend this meet-

Just wondering DEAR EDITOR, I am seeing on a popular TV station that beams to the youths (HJTV), an advertisement for a cannabis drink. I believe it is an energy drink.

I am wondering whether an ad for this type of ‘prohibited’ product should be

allowed, especially in view of government’s push for hemp cultiva t i o n ?

Shouldn’t advertising of products and services be aligned to and akin with national policies? Just wondering.

Regards, Shamshun Mohamed

The level of incompetence is unbelievable at State agencies DEAR EDITOR, It is lamentable and ‘pure damn nonsense’ (borrowing that phrase again) that monies overpaid to government employees are still outstanding and to be recouped and when officials get before the parliamentary oversight body, only to be told of the lukewarm efforts being made.

The latest in this sordid tale is the police force seeking to recoup overpayment to a number of cops for 2017 and 2018 (GT Mar 8). One of the reasons proffered for this state of affairs was ‘the pace at which the information was received at the head office to effect those adjustments’. It was further suggested, as a

means of arresting this untenable situation, that information be provided within the stipulated timeframe (that must be stringently enforced and followed), but also ‘in an informal way via by way of a cell phone call’. How in heavens name can an ‘informal’ manner of conveying pertinent information on a serious matter as adjustments to person’s salary be deemed authoritative, legal and binding, which is for immediate action? This kind of information, which forms the basis for a legal transaction to be instituted must be documented for the records and subsequent queries which may arise.

(Continued on page 5)

ing with the President? 9. Or is this a ruse to draw out the growers to jail them, or an amnesty to all marijuana growers, if they switch to hemp?

(There is simply too much marijuana and cocaine moving though the country, destroying our social fabric, our youths, our high schools, and fueling crime).

So I imagine the ad would say something like this: “Dear Marijuana Grower, please attend a meeting at the Office of the President on (date and time provided).

As you know, marijuana is illegal now but we are getting ready to change the law to remove custodial sentences for small amounts.

Promise made, promise kept!

We are not like that sanctimonious gangster! At this meeting, we will discuss how you may switch from being a marijuana grower to a hemp grower. Our AG is working on a hemp bill now, never mind there are no bills for constitutional reform, or other urgent areas needing reform.

You can make more money from hemp than from marijuana. As you know, we don’t want marijuana competing with hemp. We are “One Guyana, One Love.” Don’t you worry, we would not listen to what civil society says about this new hemp idea.

They are the “usual suspects” so we will ignore them

and use our new “whackamole” policy on them. Please do attend. This is not a trick. We know you have “the technical skills to do hemp, the way you do marijuana.”

You get better yields on crops that all the Ministry of Agriculture people put together. Who knows, one of you could be our next Commissioner of Police, as you commit crimes and don’t get caught. That’s good technical skills that our Police can use. PS: We will not be taking any tithes on your hemp income. Don’t be late for the meeting!”

Only in Guyana do we save the sugar industry by taking away the packaging plant that was supposed to be the lynchpin for recovery.

Would any of the Enmore lands be used for hemp? Why is the Government refusing to disclose the details of this deal? This is the people’s assets.

Nobody is against more jobs being created. Tell the nation what the deal is all about. This is a national asset. What we need is an investigative report on how many businesses, which were granted state assets created the number of jobs they said they would create. KN, SN can you do a study?

Sincerely, Name supplied

Mervin Williams needs to reassess his accusation DEAR EDITOR, Mr. Mervyn Williams lamented in his March 7 letter, that there is “The continued violation of the rights of Guyana’s Indigenous Peoples.” He referenced the government’s refusal to continue the process of consultation (aimed at culminating in the amendment to the Amerindian Act as a violation of the rights of Guyana’s Indigenous Peoples. Well, I was very surprised that this was his interpretation and take on things Amerindians in Guyana, especially at this juncture in Guyana’s history, where Amerindians are enjoying a peak in their overall standing in the country.

I go back to Budget 2022, when Senior Minister within the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh, announced that in excess of $3.1B was set aside for the development of projects in Amerindian and Hinterland communities across the country. Under the theme, “Steadfast Against All Challenges, Resolute in Building Our One

Guyana,” was to ensure that all Guyanese participate fully in the economic transformation that is currently unfolding in Guyana. According to Dr. Singh, the government is cognisant of the unique challenges faced by the Indigenous peoples particularly those residing in remote communities, and therefore, Budget 2022 will be addressing many of those challenges.

Singh was emphatic, stating that “We are committed to ensuring that Amerindian and hinterland villages are economically empowered, first and foremost through the land titling programme and secondly through development of the village economy.” He further added at the time that, “We are also committed to ensuring that all of the country’s best educational and training opportunities be available to our hinterland brothers and sisters as they are to those on the coast. And we are committed to ensuring that the quality of social services delivered to all villages be (Continued on page 5)

Wednesday March 09, 2022

The IOC’s and local embassies are complicit in the tearing of the social fabric even more DEAR EDITOR, Now that the “inaugural” International Energy Conference and Expo is over, I thought a few words should be said about what some are calling a “bourhaha” that erupted relative to the exclusion of the official Opposition from a formal participation in the activities.

The issue is way more than superficial, however, and is therefore more than a “bourhaha”. Firstly, I believe it should be recalled that in 2018, Guyana held the first Oil and Gas Expo under the banner of “GIPEX” and this was repeated successfully in 2019.

This year’s Expo appeared to have been successful, and

kudos are extended to the organisers and participants.

However, the exclusion of the opposition left an unnecessary and unwanted stain on an otherwise pristine event.

The record would show that in 2018, when we held our first Oil & Gas Expo, every effort was made to ensure that the world saw Guyana’s best face featured, despite our ageold quarrels.

To this end, we ensured that the opposition PPP/C was invited to participate not just as guests but as panelists. To this end, Charles Ramson Jr. was nominated by the PPP/C to participate, and did so, on a panel discussion on the theme: ‘Effective Man-

agement of Guyana’s Oil & Gas Resources’, and likewise, Robert M. Persaud, immediate past Minister of Natural Resources, presented under the theme: ‘Global Experiences in Developing An Oil & Gas Sector’. That is the stark difference between then and now.

Today, we are told that you have to be “qualified” to even be invited to view the Expo. So much for building a modern inclusive and cohesive “One” Guyana.

Back then, the coalition mandated Exxon to provide timely updates to the Leader of the Opposition and his team so that they were kept abreast of developments in

the sector.

Today, the opposition has to resort to submitting motions and questions in the National Assembly in the hope of getting some sense of what is happening.

Disappointingly, the IOC’s and local embassies are complicit in the tearing of the social fabric even more - by giving their silent consent and encouragement to this insidious practice of exclusion. We are either going to work towards achieving the ‘One Guyana’ we hear about daily, or we will not. Ultimately, it’s our choice to make.

Sincerely, Raphael Trotman

Frequency of Pomeroon flooding is frightening DEAR EDITOR, Mr. Charles Sohan, former Chief Hydraulic Officer in Guyana, recently shared his engineering views about flooding in the Pomeroon. Mr. Sohan is indeed an accomplished and brilliant Hydraulics Engineer, and I respect his suggestions.

Rain and high tides, predictable, but, unstoppable, are natural phenomena and have affected farmers and coastal residents in Guyana since the time of the Dutch in the seventeenth century. Billions of dollars have since been spent, by the Dutch, the British, and the various governments of Guyana to alleviate this problem.

We are now in the 21st century and the problem of flooding in Georgetown and the coastal areas is now more frightening than ever.

I lived at Anna Regina from 1940 to 1981 and the first depth, the residential area, which is below sea level, has always experienced flooding.

This is in spite of massive pumps, wider and deeper collector drains, stronger sea sluices, and higher sea walls.

The residents on higher grounds never had a problem with flooding.

This is a viable solution.

North of Red Lock, three miles inland of Anna Regina, Lima Sands, is a new and vibrant housing scheme with running water, electricity, and an allweather road coming soon.

This beautiful sand reef extends from McNab on the north, to Supenaam on the south and, except for a few areas, is mostly uninhabited.

Instead of trying to find house lots on the coast where flooding is inevitable, the government should develop and create house lots on the sand reef south of Red Lock (as on the North) where flooding is avertable.

Mr. Sohan in his missive, suggested bunds, raising of the river banks, installation of pumps, sluices, kokers, and dredging the estuary of the

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Pomeroon to mitigate the problem of flooding.

These are aged suggestions, and, as the learned Engineer explained, dredging is expensive and has to be a recurring operation for it to be effective.

These are all sound theoretical solutions, but not practical. I know a little of Pomeroon, the river dam, the kokers, the spring tides, and the floods. Pomeroon has little or no clay soil that is necessary to build stronger, higher, and secured dams. The banks are made up of loose, pagasse soil, trees, and discarded coconut husks, and are not retentive and secure, have spaces and holes all over that water seeps through during every high tide.

Mr. Sohan failed to men-

tion the numerous reports of flooding in the Pomeroon when water is released from the gates of the Dawa pump station to protect the banks of the Tapakuma conservancy. Climate change, as the Chief said, is causing more intense rainfall, and if I may add, higher tides.

These elements have surely aggravated the flooding situation. There is no practical solution, engineering or otherwise, to reduce, or impose a restriction to the intense rainfall, higher spring tides, and the mighty Atlantic. Consequently, and sadly, flooding in Guyana, the Land of many waters, will continue to affect the lives of many farmers and residents.

Regards, Mohamed Majeed

Mervin Williams needs...

From page 4 improved markedly.”

Let me outline for Mr. Williams a few things, and I think this may cause him to re-think.

In 2021, a total of five demarcations were completed.

The Certificates of Title for these demarcations are currently being issued, and persons who reside within the Capoey Village were the first of these five villages to receive their Certificates of Title.

Fast forward to 2022, and we have a commitment that the government will continue to support the rights of Indigenous peoples by accelerating the land titling programme at a cost of $561.6 million that has been allocated in the budget; this will a target a total of 20 Certificates of Title. With this kind of empowerment, I cannot fathom the idea that there is a violation of Amerindians’ rights in this land.

Again, in 2021, the gov-

ernment expended $673 million for tractors, implements and economic projects aimed at enhancing the development of agriculture, tourism, women and youth. This translated to 112 tractors and trailers, along with implements distributed to Amerindian communities, to help promote village agriculture as well as for use in transport. Now in 2022, $411.2 million was allocated to see an additional 71 communities benefitting similarly.

Put in a nutshell, empowerment is both legal and financial.

If ever there was a significant and noticeable integration of and involvement in things Amerindians on a positive note, it is this day in Guyana. I wonder how many are with Williams on his posture that their rights are being neglected and violated.

Yours truly, P. Mann

The level of incompetence is...

From page 4 Likewise, it is totally unacceptable that former and current officers did see it fit and proper to engage and communicate on issues in order to provide cohesive information and answers required. This Corruption benefits the rich and powerful at the expense of the poor. Say no to it.

can be deemed a lackadaisical attitude to the people’s business. It is unbelievable the occurrences in State agencies which give rise to incompetence at all levels.

Regards, Shamshun Mohamed

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Wednesday March 09, 2022

Empowering women and girls in the Caribbean for long-lasting change

OP: ED

By Lilia Burunciuc and Ximena de Carpio “Raise a son, and you will raise a man, raise a girl and you will raise a nation”. A World Bank report underlines the truth of this adage. It shows that increasing female labor market income contributed to a 30 percent reduction in extreme poverty in Latin America and the Caribbean.

There are many examples of how women are accelerating and driving growth in the Caribbean.

An ILO report noted that the Caribbean is a world leader in terms of the share of women managers. Over 40 per cent of all managers are women in eight out of 11 countries in the region. At the time, Jamaica reported the highest proportion of women managers in the world at 59 per cent.

However, while there is progress, women do continue to face challenges due to their gender.

As we commemorate International Women’s Day, we want to take the opportunity to reflect on what the region has achieved on the path towards empowering its women and girls and what still needs our urgent attention and action.

The Good The region has made remarkable progress in some areas. Take the example of

girls’ education. In many countries in the Caribbean, most children, both boys and girls, now attend primary school.

And gender gaps in secondary and tertiary enrollment have been reduced. In fact, in many countries in the Caribbean, girls are more likely to graduate than boys.

Our Country Gender Scorecards, which track countries’ progress towards gender equality, provide insight into the strong school performance of girls.

They show that girls complete secondary school at higher rates than boys in Antigua and Barbuda, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Jamaica, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.

A similar pattern can be observed for post-secondary levels of education. In fact, although the education achievements of girls are encouraging, the region has to avoid a reverse gender gap and strive for parity in education achievement.

The Gaps Nonetheless, there are many areas in which women continue to face significant challenges. Even in areas of seeming progress, there is ample room for improvement.

The talented girls who work hard to complete their education often do not get a chance to reach their full potential.

Once out of the education system, they are confronted by challenges such as lack of childcare support, harassment, and sometimes even violence.

Men in the Caribbean are more likely to be employed and, as in other the broader Latin America and Caribbean region, they usually make more money than women.

Women in Dominica and Jamaica, for instance, earn roughly 85 cents for every dollar earned by men.

Higher educational completion is not reflected in political representation and

decision-making either. Apart from positive exceptions such as Grenada, women in the region remain largely underrepresented in parliament and top management positions.

Moreover, COVID-19 has resulted in a significant setback in equality between men and women. Recent phone surveys conducted by the World Bank and the UNDP show that the effects of the pandemic continue to reverberate.

In most countries, an increasing care giving burden combined with labor market disruptions led to a perfect storm for women workers.

Women were hit far harder by job losses, partly due to the sectors they worked in, and suffered stronger reductions in working hours.

The pandemic has also been widely documented to setback any progress made on eliminating violence against women.

We have seen a significant increase in calls to domestic violence help lines in many countries since the start of the pandemic.

In Haiti, the challenges for women and girls are especially pronounced. Women there are at exceptionally high risk of dying while giving birth and have higher chances to face physical and sexual violence. Moreover, although women’s economic participation is high, most working women find themselves in precarious forms of employment offering little stability, benefits or pay.

The Opportunity We should use the recovery from COVID-19 to put women and girls at the center of policy solutions and ensure that we close gender gaps with impacts that will last beyond the pandemic.

One such area which could bring dividends now and, in the years to come, is advancing the participation of women in entrepreneurship

and catalyzing the presence of women-led businesses in the economy. Compared to men, women entrepreneurs in the region face greater challenges in obtaining financial resources and starting a business.

Enhanced opportunities for women-led businesses, including in male-dominated sectors, could be a gamechanger for the region and catalyze jobs creation, innovation, economic growth and poverty reduction.

To do this, we have to narrow gaps in women’s access to finance. Compared with men entrepreneurs, women entrepreneurs are often disadvantaged in access to finance, which is key for the survival and expansion of their business.

Governments can use a variety of financial solutions to support women-led firms, such as grants, fee reductions, cash transfers, and loans on flexible terms.

Closing the gap in access to digital technologies will also be critical. In the context of COVID-19, digital provision of financial services expanded, and many companies shifted to home-based work.

Providing women with mobile phones, distributing free sim cards, providing financial support to access reliable mobile internet, and offering digital literacy training can help ensure that women reap the benefits of these developments.

At the World Bank, we are dedicated to promoting women and girls’ equality through our operations and knowledge sharing. Gender equality is at the core of our engagement in the Caribbean, and many tailored solutions are already underway.

Let’s ensure that future generations of talented girls will have even more progress to celebrate on International Women’s Day.

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BL TLUNT.. UNT...B BL Wednesday March 09, 2022

Kaieteur News

Guyana needs more than a few isolated protest actions to see positive changes manifested.

If we are to survive some of the bad decisions, which some of our leaders have made, we need people of every class, colour and creed to protest.

It is time that we demand that our leaders rethink their flawed approach to governing this land.

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Kaieteur News

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Wednesday March 09, 2022

Citizens to benefit from better representation in courts with start of new prosecutor course – AG

Attorney General, Anil Nandlall

With the launch of a new prosecutorial course at the University of Guyana (UG), Attorney General (AG), Anil Nandlall, SC, is anticipating that citizens will benefit from better representation particularly at the level of the Magistrates’ Courts.

Traditionally, in the Magistrates’ Court, citizens are represented by police ranks. However, the Ministry of Legal Affairs has collaborated

with the University of Guyana (UG) to launch a new ‘Certificate in Advocacy and Evidence for Summary Courts Prosecutors’ programme to ensure victims of criminal offences benefit from effective legal representation.

The initiative was devised by the Government of Guyana to strengthen and balance the scales of the country’s justice system.

Speaking at the official launch of

the programme on Monday, Nandlall said, prosecutors have an important role to play in carrying out justice, noting that the training will equip them with the tools to carry out their functions effectively.

“Justice is not a one-way street; justice has two sides. It has the public interest, it has the victim’s interest, it has the State’s interest, all amalgamated and become the responsibility of the prosecutor to

preserve, protect and advance,” he said at the launch held at the George Walcott Lecture Theatre (GWLT).

The programme will train 71 individuals, who did not further their legal education at any of the regional law schools, with a Bachelor’s Degree in Law (LLB) from UG. From the 71 participants, 35 could be awarded a scholarship to attend the Hugh Wooding Law School or any Continued on page 23

Wednesday March 09, 2022

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Kaieteur News

GREED AND NEED The Opposition has objected to the outcome of the parliamentary process used to select a representative to sit on the National Resource Fund Board. Its objection is spurious.

The PPP/C apparently used its majority to impose one of its nominees on the process.

The Opposition contends that the PPP/C should not have allowed one of the Opposition nominees.

The PNC/R, the main party of the APNU, came out swinging.

It lambasted the PPP/C saying that, by its actions, the ruling party had displayed a lack of commitment to transparency, accountability and inclusivity and was bent on striving for political dominance and control.

The fact of the matter is that there is no consensus mechanism within the Appointments Committee and this is a direct result of the APNU and the AFC machinations following the 2011 elections. After those elections,

the PPP/C found itself as a minority in the National Assembly.

It was the APNU and the AFC which used its one-seat majority to change the rules to ensure that the party or parties with the majority in the National Assembly would hold a majority within parliamentary committees. As such, the APNU+AFC simply got a taste of its own medicine.

But the APNU+AFC needs to also realise that while it may have been desirable, from the position of political inclusion, for one of its candidate to be appointed, the law provides for Parliament and not for the Opposition to select one representative to the Board.

As such, there is no legal entitlement for that person to come from the Opposition.

But the Opposition also has no moral grounds to complain.

The Opposition ought not to be in the National Assembly given its disgraceful conduct between 2nd March and

2nd August, 2020 when it proved itself as being unfit to sit in a democratic institution.

It was also the APNU+AFC which created a ruckus in the National Assembly during the debate on the Natural Resource Fund Bill.

The said APNU+AFC had said that the Bill was not legal. It is yet to file a legal challenge to the legality of the Act. So why then does it wish to participate in the parliamentary process to select someone to sit on a Board which is a creature of an Act which the Opposition claims was not lawfully passed in the House?

The Natural Resource Act provides that persons who are members of parliament shall not be appointed to the Board of Directors.

This would implicitly exclude both those who are presently members and those who are eligible to be members of the National Assembly since the clear intention of the Board is to depoliticise it. The Opposition nominated three persons: Elson Low,

4 patients in COVID-19 ICU

- 14 new cases recorded With no COVID-19 fatality reported in almost a week, the Ministry of Health on Tuesday stated that four patients are in the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit receiving treatment.

Further, in its latest COVID-19 dashboard, the Ministry revealed it recorded 14 new cases, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the country to 63,076.

The dashboard also shows that 26 persons are in institutional isolation, 211 in home isolation and four are in institutional quarantine. To date, a total of 61,612 persons have recovered from the virus.

Dem Boys Seh…

America is a rotten rope Guyana did feel dat presently America deh pon we side in we dispute with Venezuela.

Guyanese feel suh because dem think dat because Exxon is wan American company, dat de Americans gan back we against Venezuela.

Guyanese gan learn de hard way.

Right now de Americans in talks with de Venezuelans.

Dem bin impose sanctions put pon dat country.

Dem bin stap de people oil and freeze dem assets in America.

But now dat Russia is de big bad wolf, de Americans

gone to talk with Maduro to see if he gan be willing to sell dem oil.

De Americans looking fuh oil since dem decide dat dem nah buying no more from Russia.

And Venezuela use to sell America oil.

It just shows how easy it is fuh America fuh change dem position overnight.

And just as how dem can change dem position overnight in relation to Maduro, dem can change dem position in relation to de border dispute between Venezuela and Guyana.

Guyana shudn’t tie

bundle with Uncle Sam. America nah deh pon we side.

Dem bin always deh pon dem own side.

America is like rotten rope.

Yuh holding on to it at yuh own risk.

Exxon gat plenty assets in Venezuela wah Chavez bin seize.

And Venezuela gat more oil dan Guyana. De day dat Maduro allow Exxon back inside Venezuela, is de day Guyana cork duck. Dem oil companies gan pack up and head west.

And America gan drop we like a bag ah salt.

Talk half. Leff half.

Christopher Ram and Dr. Vincent Adams. None of the 3 names are on the APNU+AFC’s National Top Up List but given the government’s position that the members should be nonpolitical, it would mean that if any of them is or was a member of the Executive of a political party, then that person should ideally not sit on the Board.

Also, persons who were critical, publicly of the establishment of the Board, should equally decline to sit on the Board. It is difficult to see how someone who was critical of the Board could still agree to be nominated to sit on it.

The Board however, is not the organ which the Opposition should be keen to be represented on.

The Board is subject to policy directives from the Minister of Finance and is

lawfully bound to give effect to those policy directives.

The Board is also accountable to the Minister of Finance.

The more important organ for which the Opposition should be seeking a presence is the Public Accountability and Oversight Committee.

This Committee is also expected to comprise a nominee from the National Assembly.

The Opposition has reservations about the legality of the Natural Resource Fund Act. But it says that it decided to nominate someone so that it can have a role on observing what is taking place with the oil monies. The best place for it to exercise this sort of oversight is to press to have its nominee on the Public Accountability and Oversight Committee.

Now that the Opposition has complained about the

government choosing one of the ruling party’s nominee for the Board of Directors, the Opposition should be pressing that its nominee sit on the Public Accountability and Oversight Committee.

The PPP/C got its nominee for the Board of Directors and the APNU+AFC may feel that it should get its nominee, when the time comes, for the Public Accountability and Oversight Committee.

We shall have to wait and see if the PPP/C is greedy enough to want both corn and husk. Don’t bet on it though.

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

Kaieteur News

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Wednesday March 09, 2022

THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN

History is too important to civilisation to be treated this way One of the major cultural and intellectual differences between this nation and the rest of countries in the world is how this country treats history and historical materials.

I once wrote an article, the file name for which I cannot remember. It was about what Leonard Craig (former AFC executive) and I saw at the Brickdam police station. We had gone there in 2013 to report a rape case and were told to wait. While there, we walked around and what we saw on the floor of the station in an upper room was vicious philistinism and incredible mental poverty.

Lying on the floor, going to waste were past volumes of station records. These consisted of input the station would have made of complaints over a long period. Hundreds of the

pages were blowing out the door unto the passage way.

I remember writing in that column that gone are historical documents relating to people that researchers would need. I distinctly remember mentioning that if you are writing on John Doe, you would never know that there were several complaints made to the station about his behaviour.

This is how we treat the precious value of history.

Compare the obliteration of records at the Brickdam Station with the preservation of evidence in the US. The difference is shameful. In the US at the moment, they are identifying killers through a DNC database. Evidence stored 50 years ago is being matched in the database in murder cases that went cold for more than half a century.

I o n c e a s k e d Ye s u

Persaud if he can erect a large billboard in the compound of the Monument Garden to inform the present generation that it was right on that spot that the source of the Georgetown water supply was located. He agreed but Yesu was such a busy person that he honestly forgot.

I believe 100 percent of the students that graduated from St. Rose's High School knew that right opposite their school was where countless numbers of their grandparents got their drinking water. It is so, so wrong to let historical memories be erased like this.

The question is how much effort and money it will take either from GWI or the relevant ministry to erect that signboard? How much money will it take yearly to preserve it? The answer is, the state has the funds to do it.

When you travel west on Battery Road as soon as you reach NCERD, history stares you in the face. It was on that location that the indentured citizens were registered. Put a large billboard in front of the building with the words – “Guyana's indentured servants were registered here on arrival.”The citizens of Georgetown must have passed the village of Victoria on the East Bank of Demerara millions of times but how many know that it was the first village bought by the emancipated slaves.

The youth who live in Victoria need to know that bold fact.

A huge signboard painted on both sides should be erected informing west bound and east bound traffic of that piece of Guyanese history.

These are things that do not need a huge outlay of finance or sophisticated planning. After 55 years of Independence, these little but priceless facts, should have been in place. One shameful episode in the post-

Independence life of this country is the retention of the names of streets that have no historical Frederick Kissoon importance. East Street is gone, erased by the enlargement of the i n the field of investigative Georgetown Hospital many journalism during the era of dark, very dark power in years ago.

The other half of East Guyana. At one time in this Street should be renamed. It country, his little newspaper, sits right next to the “The Catholic Standard,” Georgetown Hospital and was the only source of news maybe the name “Hospital of what was taking place in Road” should be given to it. G u y a n a w h e r e e v e r y There is no reason to retain semblance of democratic the current name for South governance was gone.

Government should start Road and North Road. Years ago, I wrote about North awarding scholarships in Road being renamed after various areas of knowledge that will honour the name of Desmond Hoyte. those that made Guyana a One of the things UG should start doing is what better place.

For example the Sarahmost universities do – name Ann Lynch scholarship. buildings after citizens These things preserve the whose contributions to priceless value of historical society were admirable. I can think of the “Andrew knowledge.

(The views expressed in Morrison Building” where this article are those of the the Department of Mass a u t hor and do not Communication is located.

Jesuit Priest, Father necessarily reflect the Andrew Morrison stood tall opinions of this newspaper.)

Wednesday March 09, 2022

Kaieteur News

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Kaieteur News

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Wednesday March 09, 2022

GPL mulls upping light bill

Chief Executive Officer of GPL, Bharat Dindyal

The Guyana Power and Light Incorporated (GPL) is mulling an increase in light bill charges, as fuel prices have reached US$140 per barrel, thus driving up the company’s operating expense to a whopping $4.5 billion monthly, while electricity sales merely account for $3 billion.

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for the electricity company, Mr. Bharat Dindyal during an exclusive interview with this publication on Tuesday, told this newspaper that

while this increase is not presently being reflected on customers’ bills, it may very well be an option if the electricity consumption is not reduced.

In a statement on Tuesday, GPL said that the events unfolding in Europe, particularly due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, has impacted the fuel costs, which are likely to further increase.

“GPL’s landed cost for fuel today is approximately US$140 per barrel and has quadrupled from 2016 when

the fuel price was approximately US$30 per barrel… GPL currently utilises approximately 3,700 barrels of fuel daily for electricity generation to meet the daily demand, at the cost of approximately $111.5 million.

This increase has moved GPL’s total monthly operating expenses to approximately four and one half (4.5) billion against monthly electricity sales of approximately three (3) billion dollars,” the power company explained.

It added that this development

means that GPL has to utilise every dollar it collects to meet its operating expenditure and the financially challenging position cannot be sustained at current fuel prices.

Dindyal explained that customers must therefore reduce their electricity consumption as this would also trim down the company’s fuel costs and operating expenses by extension.

GPL explained, “Every kilowatthour of electricity not generated Continued on page 29

Wednesday March 09, 2022

Kaieteur News

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Kaieteur News

Wednesday March 09, 2022

Over one year, ranks of People’s Militia still to be paid

Several ranks of the Guyana People’s Militia have not been paid.

Despite numerous inquiries and complaints made by the ranks of the Guyana People’s Militia (GPM) into the payment of an agreed salary, many have still remained unpaid for a year.

The GPM which is part of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) has been providing assistance for the Ministry of Health’s ongoing Coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccination drive since March 2021.

Moreover, Kaietuer News back in September 2021 had reported on this matter,

however, little has been done in regards to the payment of the ranks. Nevertheless, several members of the GPM once again contacted Kaieteur News to register their concerns. They did so under the condition of anonymity, because of fear of the consequences of publicising their situation.

The ranks told this newspaper that at the time of their recruitment, an agreement was signed, which stated that they will be paid their salaries on a monthly basis. The agreement Continued on page 27

Wednesday March 09, 2022

Kaieteur News

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Kaieteur News

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Kaieteur News

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Wednesday March 09, 2022

Digicel commits millions $$$ to bring superfast connectivity countrywide via LTE Networks Digicel Guyana disclosed to members of the media on Tuesday that it is making a significant commitment to building Guyana as a digital hub with a US$22.6M ($4.5B) spend on LTE networks; meaning countless opportunities for the empowerment for Guyanese due to the direct correlation between access to broadband internet and economic growth.

On the heels of Digicel’s successful relaunch across the globe as a digital operator offering 1440 minutes of digital engagement via its suite of eight apps and its dataloaded Digicel Prime Bundles, the company said it is now on a mission

to ensure that everyone can benefit from being part of the digital economy.

In fact, Digicel Guyana said its focus is on delivering the best customer experience by ensuring its networks are superior and ubiquitous while adding that there has been an emphasis on speed, quality and coverage. With its overall population coverage in Guyana at 98.14 percent, Digicel said its LTE coverage is also industry leading at 86 percent population coverage.

Further to this, the telecommunications giant said it is building Guyana as a digital hub

with a commitment to delivering 100 percent LTE across its network. Kaieteur News understands that Digicel has already invested over US$20M (4B) in LTE to date and is now investing a further US$2.6M (550M) to take LTE coverage to 96 percent of the population in 2022.

With an intention of providing first class services in all communities, regardless of how remote they are, Digicel was keen to note that it will be carrying out upgrades of its solar system in Eteringbang and services upgrades in Regions One, Seven, Eight, and Nine with the majority of the work set for completion by

the end of April. This will no doubt bring an end to the connectivity issues residents have complained about in recent times in those areas.

Commenting on the company’s commitment to building Guyana as a digital hub, Digicel Guyana Chief Executive officer (CEO), Gregory Dean said, “When we launched in Guyana 15 years ago we transformed the communications landscape with a promise to connect everyone everywhere to a ff o r d a b l e m o b i l e communications, now we’re setting our sights on superfast connectivity for every one via our LTE networks.”

Digicel Guyana CEO, Gregory Dean The Digicel official concluded, “We are proud to be connecting Guyanese to these economic opportunities.”

To date, Digicel said it has invested well over US$175M (G$36.5B) in Guyana.

Kaieteur News

Wednesday March 09, 2022

PAGE 19

Guyana moves one step closer to end border controversy case with Venezuela The Peace Palace, which houses the ICJ in The Hague, Netherlands.

Guyana has submitted to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague, Netherlands, its Memorial on the merits of its case against Venezuela. The submission takes the court one step closer to ruling on the matter The submission is as required by the Court following its decision of 18 December, 2020 to hear the case.

The decision was a confirmation of its jurisdiction to decide the merits of Guyana’s border claims.

The court case stems from the dispute between Guyana and Ve n e z u e l a o v e r t h e ownership of the Essequibo Region.

The matter is before the Court pursuant to the decision of the Secretary General (SG) of the United Nations under the 1966 Geneva Agreement, by which the parties conferred upon the SG the authority to determine the means by which the border controversy between Guyana and Venezuela shall be settled.

Guyana seeks from the Court a decision that the

Arbitral Award of 1899 determining the boundary is valid and binding upon Guyana and Venezuela, and that the boundary established by that Award and the 1905 Agreement demarcating it, is the lawful boundary between Guyana and Venezuela. The Court has agreed in its earlier decision that it has jurisdiction to do so.

According to a statement from Foreign Affairs Ministry, Guyana now looks to the Court’s judicial process and its settlement of the matter under the rule of law.

This year, sees the 56th anniversary of the 1966 Geneva Agreement.

The Ministry noted that as such, Guyana considers that the true commemoration of that agreement is in contributing in good faith to the fulfillment of its true meaning and intent by participating fully in the current juridical process deriving from it.

Hence the submission on Tu e s d a y t o t h e I C J ’s memorial on the merits as required by the Court.

On December 18, 2020, President of the ICJ, Justice

Abdulqawi Ahmed Yusuf, noted that the Court’s jurisdiction to hear the case is founded upon the conferral of both countries in the authority of the UN

— submits memo of merits to ICJ

Secretary-General under Article Four, Paragraph Two of the February 17, 1966 Geneva Agreement.

That agreement was brokered by the then UN

Secretary General, U Thant.

In his ruling, the ICJ President said that the agreement allowed the Secretary-General to choose a means of settlement under Article 33 of the Charter of the United Nations, which included judicial settlement.

In the circumstances, the ICJ found that the questions of the validity of the 1899 Award and of the definitive settlement of the land boundary dispute between Guyana and Venezuela fall w i t h i n t h e C o u r t ’s jurisdiction.

While examining the legal effect of the decision of the Secretary-General on its jurisdiction under its statute, President Yusuf noted that “[t]he jurisdiction of the Court comprises all cases which the parties refer to it

and all matters specially provided for in the Charter of the United Nations or in treaties and conventions in force.”

The Court, he said recalls that Venezuela has argued that the Geneva Agreement is not sufficient in itself to found the jurisdiction of the Court and the subsequent consent of the parties for the Secretary-General to choose the means of judicial settlement. “…[But] the Court concluded that, by conferring on the SecretaryGeneral the authority to choose the appropriate means of settlement of their controversy, including the possibility of recourse to judicial settlement by the International Court of Continued on page 30

Wednesday March 09, 2022

Kaieteur News

PAGE 20

Speeding car kills 3 in WCD accident

By Shervin Belgrave On Monday night, three men lost their lives after a Spacio motorcar veered off the road and ploughed into them as they stood in front of a bar at De Willem, West Coast Demerara (WCD).

The victims have been identified as two fishermen – 46-year-old Kiran Rampersaud of Zeeburg, WCD, 44-year-old Ayube Mohamed of Meten-MeerZorg – and a pedestrian, Carlito Kissoon Gobinlall of De Willem, WCD. Several other persons, along with the driver of the motorcar, were also severely injured.

Police reported that the tragedy occurred around 21:35hrs. According to investigators, the car driven by an 18-year-old man, David Aaron, was reportedly

involved in a drag race with another vehicle. Aaron reportedly lost control of the car, which sped off the road, crashing into a SUV which was parked in front of the bar and the victims.

Surveillance footage captured the exact moment when the accident occurred.

It appeared as though the victims did not have a chance to save themselves.

A few vehicles sped by and suddenly, a bright white light ploughed into the SUV and a group of people who appeared to be sitting just behind it. The collision, which destroyed a section of the bar’s concrete fence, resembled that of an explosion; bodies and other particles were flying everywhere.

Photographs of the aftermath showed the

complete wreckage of the vehicles and destroyed section of the fence. There were photographs of motionless persons lying in pools of blood. One of the victims was even flung into a nearby drain, while another lay face down in front the concrete fence.

Cellphone recorded videos show a large crowd of public-spirited citizens assisting police ranks to take the injured to the hospital.

Relatives of the three men, who were reportedly killed on the spot, were also among the crowd and they could be heard crying for their loved ones.

One grief-stricken woman cried, “Oh God, ow meh brother.”

Kaieteur News understands that the fishermen were liming in

front of the bar when they met their demise.

Police said that no trace of alcohol was found in the

system of the driver involved in the accident. However, if investigations reveal that he was indeed drag racing, then

most likely charges will be laid. He is currently hospitalised under police guard.

Scene from Monday night’s horrific crash.

Wednesday March 09, 2022

Kaieteur News

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Guyana to benefit from cadaveric transplants by year end As efforts to start cadaveric (dead donor) transplant in Guyana gets underway, the local medical team behind the implementation of the recently passed law, is hoping to commence transplants by year end.

This is according to Dr. Kishore Persaud, Head of the Transplant and Vascular Department at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC). Dr. Persaud is the head of the medical team behind the ambitious push to get Guyana equipped to conduct cadaveric organ transplant surgeries.

He told Kaieteur Radio, during an airing of the Your Health Matters programme on Monday that efforts to get other medical staff of the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation on board with the plan has already started.

“The medical staff at the ICU [Intensive Care Unit] at the GPHC is already on board with what we are doing… we have staff trained in terms of brain dead support services and we are working with the Ministry of Health to develop a strategy to educate the wider population on the benefits of organ donor transplants,” Dr. Persaud said.

According to him, having the necessary equipment and adequately trained staff is another key step towards making the cadaveric transplantation a reality.

Dr. Persaud said that he and his team have been in close contact with the current Advisor to the Minister of Health, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy to get this component of the plan up and running.

Dr. Ramsammy, a former Minister of Health, has also played a vital role in the efforts to make the Human Organ and Tissue Transplant law a reality.

According to Dr. Persaud, with support

Dr. Kishore Persaud, Head of the Transplant and Vascular Department from Dr. Ramsammy’s office, he and his team are hoping to procure the instrument to tissue typing (blood work) tests for the organ transplant to be conducted here.

Dr. Persaud explained that the blood work component is vital to the procedure being done here.

“What usually happens is we send samples for testing till in Miami just to see if the donor matches with the patient which can cost at least a G$1 million.

With cadaveric transplants, we need to be able to conduct these tests ourselves and we need to have our staff trained to do so,” he added.

Dr. Persaud is confident that with the right support, Guyanese can benefit from the first successful cadaveric transplant by year end.

“The National Reference

Lab and the Guyana Blood Transfusion Service already have some of the equipment, so we have some capacity for testing we just need the additional material,” he said.

Last January, the Human Organ and Tissue Transplant Bill 2021 was passed to allow for the donation of organs after the patient dies.

The legislation now also ensures that blood transfusion is done by consent, by an adult who is of sound mind.

Additionally, under the law, a National Donor Transplant Registry will be established to manage the process effectively and a Human Organ and Tissue Transplant Agency will oversee all future transplants of cells, biofluids, tissues and organs in Guyana.

Government says the registry will have a

list of the persons who have consented to donations and another list of patients who require these donations. It prescribes the eligibility for live adult donors before they are enrolled into the registry, depending on whether their donation is a regenerative or non-regenerative organ.

According to the Human Organ and Tissue Transplant law 2021, live minor donors or their parents or guardians can only consent to remove a regenerative organ.

Further, a child can only donate a regenerative organ after an assessment by an Independent Assessment Committee. In keeping with international best practices, unless the Independent Assessment Committee unanimously agrees, the donation cannot proceed.

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Kaieteur News

Wednesday March 09, 2022

Farmers protest rice millers’ reduced paddy price in face of high cost of production

By Malisa Playter-Harry

D

ozens of rice farmers on Tuesday protested a decision by rice millers to reduce the price of paddy per tonne, a change they said is “unacceptable” at this time, given the high cost of production for the paddy.

The rice farmers, in an effort to register their displeasure, converged at Lesbeholden, Johanna and Mibicuri, Black Bush Polder with their placards and used their vehicles and agriculture machinery to block the road thus preventing the free flow of traffic for hours.

An ambulance that had just left the Mibicuri Hospital in Black Bush Polder was delayed for a short while before it was allowed to pass with a patient who was being transported to the New Amsterdam Hospital.

The situation, which eventually attracted police presence, had dozens of rice farmers demanding that the price for paddy return to what it was.

The price of paddy paid by millers per tonnage was dropped from $70,000 to $65,000 but rice farmers are saying that the cost of production for paddy is extremely high and, as such, a compromise cannot be met at this time to accept $65,000.

The farmers pointed out that the cost of fertiliser alone jumped from $5,000 per bag to $10,600 per bag, plus there was an increase in labour cost, fuel and spraying, all of which helped to compound the situation. According to them, in the end they will lose more if they have to sell at the price the millers have set.

Barbara Felix who plants 45 acres of rice while her husband plants another 45 acres turned up to the protest and was up in arms about the decision made by the millers while highlighting how costly it is to produce. She disclosed that together with reducing the cost millers pay per tonnage of paddy, they have also raised the cost for manure to $10,600 per bag while the seed paddy was raised to $8,000 per bag, up from $5,000.

“We take loan to plant bigger and when we calculate out expenses it is a million and something per acre, so how can we turn out and pay it back and we getting $65,000,” she stressed. The frustrated farmer noted that they (farmers) had engaged a staff from the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB) and he informed them that manure was expected to be sold at $13,000 but because of the government’s intervention, it is being sold at a reduced price of $10,600. “So how the government would help us, we need help, because if we are going to harvest 15-acre at over one million dollar so what is it we are

The new paddy price as set by millers.

The Regional Chairman, David Armogan and the Vice Chairman, Zamal Hussain engaging the protestors. making?”

She demanded that the price be returned to $70,000 by the millers and that the price remains that way. “The rich getting richer and poor getting poorer and that is not fair to us,” she quipped. According to the farmer, she utilised two drums of fuel (diesel) for one plot (50 acres) and that ran a cost of $100,000, “this coupled with the increase in seed paddy from $5,000-$8,000, the rise in cost for workmen to throw manure from $25,000 to $40,000 and the price for manure raising from $1,000 - $1,500.”

As such the farmer said that the current state of affairs is “unfair.” She stressed that “when you sit down and calculate all that money, plus you gotta pay money to prepare the land if you don’t have a tractor, and that is about $300,000 it comes up to over a million, so it is really unfair.”

Farmers have expressed that they are prepared to renegotiate the price of paddy after this crop but as of now, because of the high cost to produce the paddy, they will protest until they get what is deserved.

INT’L MARKET PRICE Up to two days ago, the rice farmers were receiving $70,000 per tonne but with the sudden change to $65,000, they are questioning the move by the millers and have out-rightly rejected the change.

However, Rice Producers Association President and Vice Chairman of GRDB Lekka Rambridge, in a telephone interview, explained that the price started at $55,000$56,000 a tonne and it went up to $70,000 a tonne. The millers, he said, were paying $70,000 at the beginning of the crop which commenced a week ago but from the previous crop to now, the price for rice tumbled internationally by over $26 per tonne.

This, he added, is a set back because “when the millers finish buying paddy, the rice price fall and it maintains the lowness up to now and it hasn’t risen back, that is why the millers couldn’t have done white rice.

There was a shortage of bran in the system because nobody could not have bought paddy at that high price and do white rice so taking into consideration the drop in price internationally, and now that you have a big crop on the ground (64,000 acres), the miller now will be forced to do white rice.”

He said too that for the millers to make a profit, the price has to drop.

As it relates to the farmers’ rejection of the millers’ new price due to the high cost of paddy production, Rambridge said that there is nothing the millers can do about that, adding, only the government can assist in that regard.

He pointed out that there are several

Protestors blocked the road in Black Bush Polder.

things that the government can do if it is serious about assisting. Rambridge noted that the export levy can be removed from rice “so the millers now can hand down that levy. It will work out to about $300 a bag per paddy.”

He further noted that while they have recognised that the cost of production is high, “the government can source fertiliser at reduce cost to farmers.”

He went on to stress the need for mechanising the industry even as he noted that “the cost to throw a bag of fertiliser is $1,500 while $600 is the cost to spray the rice (a blower). Now all these things add up...government need to recognise that these are costs that can be eliminated or reduced drastically by their intervention.”

Rambridge also recalled that there was a consultation in the past to have the Nand Persaud and Company airstrip licensed so that aerial spraying can commence, but to date “nothing has happened.” He underscored that if the government is skeptical about giving Nand Persaud the green-light to operate, “why then the government not giving an agency like the rice board or the civil aviation department to operate the airstrip so that the airstrip can operate and help to minimise cost in the industry?”

He opined that at this point, there is no compromise as it relates to the price reduction since he believes that the price will fall further (between $55,000 - $60,000 a tonne) and that can even happen within a week or two.

Kaieteur News was informed that the Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha, had a meeting with millers virtually on Tuesday about the price concern but there was no compromise on either side.

Additionally, the Regional Chairman, David Armogan and the Vice Chairman, Zamal Hussain met the rice farmers at Tuesday’s protest in an effort to arrive at a consensus.

The rice farmers are expected to continue their protest on Wednesday.

Wednesday March 09, 2022

Kaieteur News

PAGE 23

Citizens to benefit from better... PNCR casts doubt on Harmon’s...

From page 8 regional law school, based on their performance during the training.

The AG told participants that the course provides a great opportunity to advance their skills in the field while enhancing Guyana’s justice system.

He said, “This programme provides persons with a great opportunity to begin their career in the legal profession. It provides employment and it advances and augments the criminal justice system. To a potential recruitee, you have

an unprecedented opportunity to prepare your work as a prosecutor. You have the power and might of the State behind you; you have the resources of the Police Force at your disposal and you have an opportunity to showcase your learning, your talent to fine tune, your skill to hone, your skill in an adversarial context with the best legal minds at the criminal bar.

Yo u h a v e a g r e a t opportunity and this can lay the foundation for your upward mobility.”

Participants will receive training in criminal

procedure, criminal law and evidence finding.

Upon completion, they will operate as part of the prosecutorial arm of the State under the constitutional supervision of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).

The course is being f u n d e d b y t h e I n t e rAmerican Development Bank (IDB) through the Support for Criminal Justice System (SCJS) programme to the tune of some US$8 million, with the aim of having trained prosecutors placed at every magistrate’s court.

From page 2 Minister, Dr. Nicolette Henry.

The Former Leader of the Opposition, Joseph Harmon, who vacated that position only a few weeks ago, tendered a letter to the National Assembly signalling his intent to resign on Saturday.

The Clerk of the National Assembly, Mr. Sherlock Isaacs confirmed receipt of Harmon’s letter, informing too that the resignation should take effect on March 15, 2022.

Isaacs added that Harmon did not state any reason.

It was only on January

26, 2022 during the Budget debates that the Speaker of the National Assembly, Manzoor Nadir, announced that Harmon had resigned as Leader of the Opposition.

His resignation as Opposition Leader came two weeks after the newly elected Leader of the P e o p l e ’s N a t i o n a l Congress Reform (PNCR), Mr. Aubrey Norton told a news conference that the party has made a decision that it wants to be led by him.

Norton was declared the new leader of the PNCR after securing more than 70 percent of the total votes

cast for the position during the party’s 21st Biennial Delegates Congress, held in December last.

Also vying for the post were Dr. Richard Van-West Charles and Joseph Harmon.

Following Harmon’s defeat in the party’s internal elections process and the decision of its members to be led by Norton in Parliament, Dr. Henry resigned from the National Assembly to make room for the new Opposition Leader.

Henry’s resignation was announced on February 2, 2022.

PAGE 24

Kaieteur News

Wednesday March 09, 2022

Wednesday March 09, 2022

Kaieteur News

PAGE 25

Parliament to rent tents, chairs and tables for upcoming sittings

F

The medical screening point at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre furnished with plastic chairs and tables, covered by a tent.

or one week now, the Parliament Office has been running an advertisement in the daily newspapers, signaling its intent to rent tents, tables and chairs for upcoming Sittings of the National Assembly, venued at the Arthur Chung Conference Center (ACCC) at Liliendaal, Georgetown.

The sessions were moved to the ACCC following the outbreak of the COVID-19 Pandemic.

To t h i s e n d , t h i s newspaper was informed that since the conference

centre is not outfitted with space for the media to dine, a decision was taken to have the facilities rented to better accommodate the press.

Kaieteur News was told too that Parliament Office is presently renting tents from Rent a Tent, as a contract was awarded by the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) for this service.

However, a reliable source said that the contract with the local business has come to end. As such, the Parliament Office is seeking new contractors to supply

the chairs, tables and tents.

The bids for the provision of such rental services will be opened at the Ministry of Finance NPTAB, Main and Urquhart Streets, Georgetown office on March 24, 2022. The Invitation For Bids (IFB) did not state the duration of the contract for the supply of the aforementioned materials.

This publication was told that the provision of rental services is provided for in Parliament’s Budget. The source was, however, unable to say how much money was allocated to this provision.

PAGE 26

Kaieteur News

Wednesday March 09, 2022

Wednesday March 09, 2022

Kaieteur News

PAGE 27

$3M estimated to rehabilitate walkway at GPHC The National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) office yesterday received four bids for the rehabilitation of the walkway at the Ambulatory Care and Diagnostic Centre building, which is estimated to cost National Data Management Authority Supply and delivery of Enterprise Network, grade equipment for internet infrastructure.

$3,500,7204. This is a project being undertaken by the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation.

During the opening of the project, it was C & N Construction Enterprises that bid the highest for the project Guyana Elections Commission Procurement of janitorial supplies.

Ministry of Tourism Industry and Commerce Procurement of security services for Lot 1- Ministry's office and Lot 2- National Exhibition Centre and Lot 3 - Arthur Chung Conference Centre.

at $4,799,626.

The hospital also received bids for the provision of laboratory testing service.

Below are the companies and their bids: Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) Procurement of works in order to rehabilitate the walkway of the Ambulatory Care and Diagnostic Centre building.

Procurement of electrical supplies and fittings.

Guyana Water Incorporation Supply and delivery of electromechanical equipment, accessories and electrical spares for Lots 1 to 7.

Ministry of Finance Procurement of IT Hardware.

Provision of laboratory testing service.

Multi-well drilling prog. for Kaieteur Block...

Over one year, ranks of People's Militia...

From page 14 further stated that the first salary would be received after the first three months, however, a year has passed and some of them have not received their first salary.

The ranks are required to work seven days a week, every week at different drives, which leave them little time for resting. They are constantly being promised that they will be paid but never received anything.One of the ranks stated in frustration: “I am losing hope and I ain't really know what going on cause every month is a next month…I feel they taking advantage of persons.” The

rank is the only breadwinner for her household and has not received a salary since she started working over eight months.The rank further stated that it seems the payment is being issued in a manner of favouritism since some ranks are being paid and others have not. It is alleged that the ranks were told that the person in the GDF Accounts Department who is responsible for the payment of these employee is the reason for the “delayed” payment of the salary. They also stated that they are requesting for the matter to be made public and for swift action for the payment of their salaries.

From page 3 (authorised under Environmental Permit Ref. No. 20181204-PPOIX); Ongoing exploration/appraisal well drilling operations in the Stabroek Block covered under a 25-well campaign Environmental Assessment and Management Plan (approved on 1 October, 2019) together with the individual environmental permits issued by the EPA for individual wells in this campaign; the Yellowtail Development Project well drilling programme and installation, which is seeking environmental authorisation from the EPA, and the Canje Block Project, which is also seeking environmental authorisation from the E PA f o r d r i l l i n g u p t o 1 2 exploration/appraisal wells.

W h i l e m u c h o f t h e exploration/appraisal activities will be offshore, EEPGL said it plans to use the existing Guyana shorebases located on the east side of the Demerara River as the primary shorebases supporting the project.

BRIEF KAIETEUR BLOCK HISTORY The Kaieteur Block, which spans 13,500 km2, holds a gross, estimated prospective resource of over 2.1 billion

barrels of crude.

To grasp a better understanding of the size of the block, it is bigger than three of the founding members of CARICOM: Jamaica (10,991 km²), Trinidad and Tobago (5,131 km²), and Barbados (431 km²).

The massive offshore concession was awarded in April 2015, just days before the May 2015 elections by former President, Donald Ramotar to Cataleya Energy Corporation (CEC) which was formerly Ratio Energy Limited and Ratio Guyana Limited, a subsidiary of Ratio Petroleum Energy Limited Partnership, headquartered in Israel (Ratio Petroleum).

Over the years, the original block owners have faced several criticisms for being awarded the offshore concession by the Ramotar administration.

There were concerns that the block was awarded to a well known gold miner, Ryan Pereira and his partner who had no known track record in the industry as deepwater oil explorers and developers.

There were also calls for the award process to be investigated.

But since assuming office, Vice President, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo who is also considered the local oil czar has

categorically stated that the process, in his view, was above board and that it was free of corruption.

He also said that the award of the Kaieteur Block was in keeping with the nation's oil laws which state: “No licence shall be granted to an individual unless he is a citizen of Guyana or to a body of persons unless it is a company; or a corporation.”

The Vice President as well as President Irfaan Ali are also on record as lauding the inclusion of Guyanese investors in the upstream industry as they are of the firm belief that locals ought not to be excluded from any aspect of the multi-billion dollar sector.

Subsequent to the Upper Cretaceous play-opening at the Liza-One discovery in May 2015, a farm-in agreement executed with ExxonMobil, along with various other arrangements, saw the effective date of the Kaieteur Petroleum Agreement being amended from April 2015 to February 2017.

As a result of the farm-in, the Kaieteur Block is operated by ExxonMobil's subsidiary, Esso Production and Exploration Guyana Limited, in partnership with CEL, Ratio Guyana Limited and a subsidiary of Hess Corporation.

PAGE 28

Kaieteur News

VEHICLE FOR SALE

WANTED

One Honda CRV,fully loaded immaculate condition, low mileage 3.3M negotiable.

Contact:649-0956.

Experienced Taxi Driver (Hire car license) and bus driver at Princess Hotel. Contact:6165419/265-7075/265-7076.

1 Nissan pathfinder in good condition, CAT 215 used parts.Tel:683-7225/275-0367.

Wanted Lorry Drivers.

Call:220-2818/3710.

SERVICES Massages and Rehabilitation physical preparation personalized training. Degree in physical Culture and Sports: Kyrenia Ballard Bell.Call:669-6910.

Visa Application: U.S.A, Canada & UK; Graphics design, advertisements, Wedding arch rentals. Tel: 626-7040 Prestige Janitorial Services.

House,Commercial & Office cleaning,Land mowing/ weeding,after party clean up.

Call:670-0734/639-9745.

CPCE trained private teaching services for secondary and tertiary level.Call/ Whatsapp:673-6736.

One general domestic,covid 19 vaccinated for Tuesdays & Saturdays. Age 40+,between Cove & John Unity E.C.D 259-0953/623-3231.

Male seeks confidential companion,ages 30-60 to live with,salary $100,000 monthly.

Call:603-9085.

Farm workers to work at Soesdyke, Highway. Contact: 666-3303.

One Heavy duty diesel mechanic to work in the interior.

Must know welding & have driver's license.Contact:6802702.

Washbay Staff & Driver for Route 42 minibus.Call:6497371.

VACANCY Pitmen and Hauler Operator for interior location. Applicants must be experienced.

Call:231-2250.

FOR SALE

2 professional nail technician & one make up artist,location Grove E.B.D.Call:652-5800.

Double stalls with bonds for sale in Stabroek Market. Call: 227-3463 between 8:00hrs to 16:000hrs for enquiries.

One female cleaner.Apply at:Lens 136 Sheriff St C/Ville Georgetown.Contact:2272486 or 227-1511.

For experience delivery clerk.Apply at Alabama Trading,65 Robb St Bourda.

FOR RENT Colingen Road E.C.D, business place to rent.Tel:6303910.

One (1) bedroom apartment torent,located at Charlestown $10,000 per week. Tel:6232900.

PROPERTY FOR SALE JFWW Network Real Estate houselots for sale gated community,$4 Mil GYD zero down payment.Messageto whatsapp: 622-1957.

Maid to cook and clean for East Bank area. Call:615-9132 One clerk for TSI Eccles office English & Maths, grade 1 or 2.Call:615-9132 or email application to techserigy @ yahoo.com Male cleaner.Call:642-9823.

One salesman,able bodied porters.Experience in writing bills,stocktaking & cashing.

Keyfood Trading, Mc Doom village.

Wednesday March 09, 2022

Wednesday March 09, 2022

PAGE 29

Kaieteur News

Amazon rainforest reaching tipping point, researchers say (BBC NEWS) The Amazon rainforest is moving towards a “tipping point” where trees may die off en masse, say researchers.

A study suggests the world’s largest rainforest is losing its ability to bounce back from damage caused by droughts, fires and deforestation. Large swathes could become sparsely forested savannah, which is much less efficient than tropical forest at sucking carbon dioxide from the air.

The giant forest traps carbon that would otherwise add to global warming.

But previous studies have shown that parts of the Amazon are now emitting more carbon dioxide than can be absorbed. “The trees are losing health and could be approaching a tipping point basically, a mass loss of trees,” said Dr. Chris Boulton of the University of Exeter.

The findings, based on three decades of satellite data, show alarming trends in the “health” of the Amazon rainforest. There are signs of a loss of resilience in more than 75% of the forest, with trees taking longer to recover

from the effects of droughts largely driven by climate change as well as human impacts such as deforestation and fires.

A vicious cycle of damage could trigger “dieback”, the scientists said.

And while it’s not clear when that critical point might be reached, the implications for climate change, biodiversity and the local community would be “devastating”.

Once the process begins they predict it could be a matter of decades before a “significant chunk” of the Amazon is transformed into savannah - a vastly different ecosystem made up of a mixture of grassland and trees.

“The Amazon stores lots of carbon and all of that would be released into the atmosphere, which would then further contribute to increasing temperatures and have future effects on global mean temperatures,” Dr. Boulton said, adding that stopping deforestation would go some way to addressing the problem.

Around a fifth of the rainforest has already been lost, compared to pre-indus-

trial levels, they said.

The research was carried out by the University of Exeter, the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) and Technical University of Munich.

“Deforestation and climate change are likely to be the main drivers of this de-

GPL mulls upping light bill...

From page 12 would reduce the company’s fuel costs and by extension the overall operating costs.

Given this extremely challenging and unsustainable position, the company is imploring all customers to practice energy conservation, as we work together to manage the company’s expenses during this extremely difficult period.”

The GPL head pointed out that while a tariff increase is not off the cards just yet, the electricity company would have to seek permission first from the Power Utilities Commission (PUC).

He said, “If we were to do that (increase the cost of electricity), we would have to go through the PUC and we haven’t gone to the PUC… we want our customers to appreciate that we are in serious trouble and one of the things [that] they can do to help us is to conserve because every bit of electricity that we don’t generate will reduce the burden of the expense on us…the first thing

that we are going to do is ask customers to reduce their consumption and then we’ll see what the response is.”

This year, government allocated 29.4 billion to the energy sector. Major allocations within this amount include: $20.8 for the Gas-to-Energy project and $1.4 billion for the 33 MWs solar farms for Berbice, Essequibo, and Linden.Other allocations include over $600M for the construction of a 1.5 MW hydropower plant at Kumu, and for rehabilitation and upgrade to 700kW capacity of the defunct Moco Moco hydropower plant in Region Nine.

Additionally, over $170 million has been budgeted for the completion of the 150kW hydropower scheme at Kato and for 30,000 photovoltaic home systems for hinterland and riverain areas.

Likewise, $1.1 billion is budgeted for solar farm interventions in 2022. These include the completion of the 1.5 MW solar farm at Bartica, 0.75 MW at Wakenaam and the 1.0 MW at Lethem.

Over $450 million has been budgeted to expand and upgrade the hinterland electrification and power generation capacity through the purchase of generators and the expansion of distribution lines.

In 2022, $1.6 billion is budgeted for the construction of a parallel transmission line linking the Kingston and the New Sophia substations, the upgrade of the existing L5 transmission line, and other works aimed at reducing transmission losses and maintaining desired system voltage levels.Some $2 billion was allocated in Budget 2021, to pay for electricity charges to GPL but by year-end, government was seeking an additional $4 billion from the Contingency Fund to clear arrears owed to that company

by State agencies.

The request came just a week after GPL announced that it was broke. The then Opposition Leader, Joseph Harmon during a press briefing flagged the request, citing that the amount is a 329 percent increase from what was paid to the company in 2019. He said, “Additionally, $4 billion is being requested to clear the arrears owed to GPL by the government ministries. The Ministry of Finance budgeted $2 billion for electricity charges in 2021.

Now this is a 329 percent increase, from what was budgeted for in 2019.”

cline,” said Prof Niklas Boers of PIK and the Technical University of Munich. Commenting, Dr. Bonnie Waring of the Grantham Institute - Climate Change and Environment, Imperial College London,

said: “These latest findings are consistent with the accumulating evidence that the twin pressures of climate change and human exploitation of tropical forests are endangering the world’s larg-

est rainforest, which is home to one out of every 10 species known to science.” The findings, based on satellite data from 1991 to 2016, are published in the journal Nature Climate Change.

PAGE 30

Biden bans Russian oil

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden announced Tuesday the U.S. will ban all Russian oil imports, toughening the toll on Russia’s economy in retaliation for its invasion of Ukraine, but he acknowledged it will bring costs to Americans, particularly at the gas pump. The action follows pleas by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to U.S. and Western officials to cut off the imports, which had been a glaring omission in the massive sanctions put in place on Russia over the invasion.

Energy exports have kept a steady stream of cash flowing to Russia despite other-

wise severe restrictions on its financial sector. “We will not be part of subsidizing Putin’s war,” Biden declared, calling the new action a “powerful blow” against Russia’s ability to fund the ongoing offensive. He warned that Americans will see rising prices, saying, “Defending freedom is going to cost.” Biden said the U.S. was acting in close consultation with European allies, who are more dependent on Russian energy supplies and who he acknowledged may not be able to join in immediately. The announcement marked the latest Biden attempt at cutting off Russia from much of the glo-

Kaieteur News

- warns of ‘Putin price hike’ at pump

bal economy and ensuring that the Ukraine invasion is a strategic loss President Vladimir Putin, even if he manages to seize territory.

“Ukraine will never be a victory for Putin,” Biden said.

The European Union this week will commit to phasing out its reliance on Russia for energy needs as soon as possible, but filling the void without crippling EU economies will likely take some time. The U.K., which is no longer part of the EU, announced Tuesday that oil and oil products from Russia will be phased out by the end of the year.

Unlike the US, which is a major oil and gas producer,

Europe relies on imports for 90% of its gas and 97% of its oil products. Russia supplies 40% of Europe’s gas and a quarter of its oil. The U.S. does not import Russian natural gas. The issue of oil sanctions has created a conflict for the president between political interests at home and efforts to impose costs on Russia.

Though Russian oil makes up only a small part of U.S. imports, Biden has said he was reluctant to ban it, cutting into supplies here and pushing gasoline prices higher. Inflation is at a 40-year peak, fueled in large part by gas prices, and that could hurt Biden heading into the November midterm elections.

“Putin’s war is already hurting American families at the gas pump,” Biden said, adding, “I’m going to do everything I can to minimize Putin’s price hike here at home.”

Gas prices have been rising for weeks due to the conflict and in anticipation of potential sanctions on the Russian energy sector. The average price for a gallon of gasoline in the U.S. hit a record $4.17 Tuesday, rising by 10 cents in one day, and up 55 cents since last week, according to auto club AAA. Biden said it was understandable that prices were rising, but cautioned the U.S. energy industry against “excessive price increases” and exploiting consumers. Even before the U.S. ban many Western energy companies including ExxonMobil and BP moved to cut ties with the Russia and limit imports. Shell, which purchased a shipment of Russian oil this weekend, apologized for the move on Tuesday amid international criticism and pledged to halt further purchases of Russian energy supplies. Preliminary data from the U.S. Energy Department shows imports of Russian crude dropped to zero in the last week in February.

In 2021, the U.S. imported roughly 245 million barrels of crude oil and petroleum products from Russia — a oneyear increase of 24%, according to the U.S. Energy Infor-

Wednesday March 09, 2022 mation Administration. “It’s invasion and have continued an important step to show to rise despite coordinated Russia that energy is on the releases of strategic reserves, table,” said Max Bergmann, a making Russian exports even former State Department offi- more lucrative. As a consecial who is now a senior fel- quence of Russia’s invasion low at the Democratic-leaning of Ukraine, the U.S. and interCenter for American Progress. national partners have sancBergmann said it wasn’t sur- tioned Russia’s largest banks, prising that the U.S. was able its central bank and finance to take this step before Euro- ministry, and moved to block pean nations, which are more certain financial institutions dependent on Russian en- from the SWIFT messaging ergy. “All of this is being system for international paydone in coordination, even if ments. But the rules issued by the steps are not symmetri- the Treasury Department alcal,” he said. “We are talking low Russian energy transacto them constantly.” The tions to keep going through news of Biden’s decision non-sanctioned banks that Tuesday was first reported by are not based in the U.S. in an Bloomberg. The White House effort to minimise any disrupannouncement comes amid tions to the global energy bipartisan pressure on Capi- markets. German Chancellor tol Hill to ban Russian energy Olaf Scholz has said he opand impose other economic poses a European ban on Russian energy imports and costs.

Last week, House Speaker that there’s no other way to Nancy Pelosi gave a big meet the European Union’s boost when she declared, needs for motor fuel, heat and “Ban it.” On Monday, Demo- electricity, and industrial use. crats on the powerful Ways Vice Chancellor Robert & Means Committee posted, Habeck said Tuesday that then removed, an announce- when he visited Washington ment on a bipartisan bill to last week, U.S. officials acban Russian oil imports and knowledged Europe was in a slap further trade sanctions different situation.

“They told me in the talks on the country, according to an aide, because of pushback that they will neither demand nor from the White House to act- ask that Germany do the same. ing before Biden had made But I would extrapolate from his decision. “President Biden that for us, and for me, that we is finally doing what members need as soon as possible to creof Congress have been push- ate the possibility to take simiing for all along,” Sen John lar measures.” While Russian oil Barrasso, R-Wyo., and a makes up a small amount of overmember of party leadership, all U.S. energy imports, the U.S. said Tuesday. “His decision could replace Russian crude with to ban Russian oil is a much- imports from other oil-rich naneeded step to kill Putin’s tions, but that could prove pocash cow.” Said Jason litically problematic. Key U.S. Furman, a Harvard professor senators are warning the Biden and former economic adviser administration from seeking any to President Barack Obama: oil import deal from the Nicolas “The United States economy Maduro regime in Venezuela. can fully handle any of the “The Biden administration’s challeng es associated with efforts to unify the entire higher oil prices. But it will bring world against a murderous some challenges. We’re going to tyrant in Moscow should not have higher prices at the pump, be undercut by propping up and there’s no way around that.” a dictator under investigation Pelosi said the House would go for crimes against humanity forward with a vote Tuesday on in Caracas,” said Sen. Bob legislation to ban the Russian oil Menendez, D-N.J., the chairimports, impose trade costs on man of the Foreign Relations Russia and expand sanctions au- Committee, in a statement late thority against Russians for Monday. “The democratic asattacks on civilians in pirations of the Venezuelan Ukraine. Before the invasion, people, much like the resolve Russian oil and gas made up and courage of the people of more than a third of govern- Ukraine, are worth much more ment revenues. Global energy than a few thousand barrels prices have surged after the of oil.”

Guyana moves one step closer to end...

From page 19 Justice, Guyana and Venezuela consented to its jurisdiction.”It was nonetheless noted that the ICJ does not have jurisdiction to entertain Guyana’s claims arising from events that occurred after the signature of the Geneva Agreement. In this regard, Justice Yusuf said that Guyana had contended that the Court’s jurisdiction extends to all the claims submitted in its application, on the grounds that the Court’s jurisdiction is determined by the text of the Geneva Agreement.Further, in giving an overview on the contentions, Justice Yusuf noted Guyana’s argument is that since the 1899 Award delimited the boundary between Venezuela and the colony of British Guiana, the controversy be-

tween the parties is territorial and the Court must therefore necessarily determine the boundary between Venezuela and Guyana, which implies first deciding whether the Award

is valid. He said that “Guyana further argues that the Court would not be in a position to reach ‘a full agreement for the solution’ of this dispute by addressing “any outstanding questions,” which is the objective set forth under Article IV of the Geneva Agreement, without first ruling on the validity of the Award.” On the other hand, the World Court President noted that in its memo, Venezuela alleges that the question of the validity of the 1899 Award is not part of the controversy under the Geneva Agreement.“According to Venezuela,” he said, “the Geneva Agreement was adopted on the basis that the merits of the contention of nullity of the Award could not be discussed between the parties as the “validity or nullity of an arbitral award is nonnegotiable.”The judge said that Venezuela considers that “the subject-matter of the Geneva Agree-

ment is the territorial dispute, not the validity or nullity of the 1899 Award.

Wednesday March 09, 2022

Kaieteur News

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GUTSY JONNY BAIRSTOW CENTURY PUTS ENGLAND BACK IN THE GAME From page 38 this time at No. 3 in England’s revamped line-up - it was almost 23 for 3 when Root, on 9, slashed at a rising Roach delivery which then sailed through the fingers of Jermaine Blackwood at third slip.

As the ball raced to the boundary, both sides were left to ponder the potential

significance of the moment.

Roach ensured it was a moot point, probably to Blackwood’s relief, as Root left the very next ball, a pinpoint in-ducker that clipped the top of off stump and England were, in fact, 27 for 3 and in a bad place.

Dan Lawrence was reprieved when Blackwood missed a tough chance off

Roach in the cordon again.

But Blackwood eventually clung on to dismiss Lawrence, who reached for a Holder outswinger and sent a thick outside edge to second slip.

Stokes and Bairstow ground through the second hour of the session, adding nine runs in 8.2 overs before lunch.

After the break, Holder failed to react at second slip as Stokes, on 22, toe-ended Joseph very clearly in his direction, and Seales saw an edge off Stokes drop just short of John Campbell at slip immediately before conceding back-to-back fours in an eventful 40th over. Seales produced the perfect riposte on the last ball, a fuller-length

CWI unveils FanCraze and Crictos.com as new partners of the West Indies Test...

From page 39 metaverse. FanCraze is building an experience that would enable fans to collect CWI digital assets, engage with play-to-earn games and utilities, and own digital land.”

The Apex Test Series is being contested for the newly-minted RichardsBotham trophy, which was officially unveiled on Sunday

by icons Sir Vivian Richards and Lord Ian Botham. The series bowls off on March 812 in Antigua.

The second Apex Test will be played at Kensington Oval, Barbados from March 16-20, with the climax in the third Apex Test at the Grenada National Stadium, Grenada on March 24-28.

About Fancraze: FanCraze

is a technology company with a mission to build the metaverse for cricket.

The benefits of owning FanCraze NFTs are immense for the fans: ownership will allow them to build an NFT collection; trade the NFTs with fans across the globe; win a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to interact with their favourite cricketers or use the

Wednesday March 9, 2022 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) A strong desire to bring more of the fantasy realm into your own reality spurs your actions today, Aries. You could discover that there is an intense desire to bring a sense of the obscure to the normal, everyday realm.

TAURUS(Apr.20–May20) This is an intense day for you during which the disharmony in different realms of your life crops up and spurs you on to action, Taurus. Others may be ridiculously stubborn today, causing tension and frustration wherever you turn.

GEMINI (May 21–June 20) You may find it difficult to take action on any practical matter today, Gemini.

If you find this is the case, don't bother pressuring yourself into making it happen.

CANCER (June 21–July 22) Take action on well-laid plans today, Cancer. Stay levelheaded, and seek pleasure by taking things steadily one step at a time.

LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) Action is the key word for you today, Leo, so put on some comfortable shoes and have a good time. Infuse a bit of non sequitur playfulness in your dealings with others.

VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) Live your creative fantasies today, Virgo, but watch out for the reality police at the border.

You may experience a bit of conflict with a stubborn person or in a situation that isn't very well planned.

LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) Today is one of those days in which you might be kicking yourself for not telling the truth on an earlier occasion, Libra.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) Today is a very high-energy day in which you have the physical stamina to accomplish quite a bit, Scorpio.

Take care, however, that you have all the necessary facts before you venture out for your day's activities.

SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) Plan your moves carefully today, Sagittarius, and have patience with the people around you. If you're working with others, be sure they're on the same page with your goals and aims and that they aren't somehow working counter to your purposes.

CAPRI (Dec. 22–Jan. 19) Your actions may be touched by a very fanciful frame of mind today, Capricorn. Be careful about indulging in recreational substances that take you out of reality for a while.

AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18) You're being called upon to take action in many areas today, Aquarius. People may be tugging at you to be with them and participate in their world of fun and excitement.

PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) Take action to create a fanciful dream world today, Pisces. Indeed, many of the activities of the day will be touched with an air of otherworldliness.

NFTs across upcoming apps and play-to-earn games to earn financial rewards in the FanCraze metaverse.

FanCraze had earlier announced a $17.4m seed round of funding led by Tiger Global and with participation from Coatue, Sequoia India, and Dapper Labs, amongst others.

Reserve your packs now at https://fancraze.com/ packs.

delivery that swung in late to defeat Stokes’ attempted drive via an inside edge on to leg stump.

After Foakes’ dismissal, Chris Woakes arrived to round out the ‘Stokes,

Foakes, Woakes’ cult theme of the day and he shared an unbroken 54-run partnership with Bairstow, who ended the day 109 not out, to see England through without further loss.

Space Gym 2.0 ‘raises the...

From page 41 Individual training.

Space Gym will carry out its day-to-day operations primarily on a membership and appointment basis. All classes and personal training sessions will be scheduled in advance, but the gym itself will be open 7 days a week, as per the times set out: Monday to Friday - 5am to 10pm, Saturdays - 6am to 6pm and Sundays and Holidays - 8am to 4pm.

It is understood that the Gym’s pricing will be moderate so customers feel they re-

ceive great value when patronizing the gym. The anticipated price for a membership will be comparable to the surrounding area gyms.

A day pass costs G$2,000 (10USD) while the monthly membership is pegged at G$14,000 (70USD). The other membership plans include Quarterly, Semi-Annual and Annual.

What also stands out at the facility is the technological aspect which is of the highest degree. A facial recognition system was introduced for patrons entering and exiting, eliminating the fingerprint scanner method currently used at the current Space Gym facility. Hence, it will make it safer upon entry under the sweep of the pandemic.

In May 2016, Space Gym opened its Multi Million Dollar Facility on the third and fourth floors of Status Hotel on Croal Street by owner, Mr. Sergio Matos and his son, Lucas. Even then, the astute businessman who has close to three decades of experience, had teased of the expansion plans that have now boldly made it to fruition.

Thus far, the gym has seen over a thousand members and that promises to increase with the enhancement and addition of critical aspects generously covered in the expansion.

Since Space Gym’s operation began, they have been well aware of their social responsibility and have given back to numerous national athletes, as well as the Guyana Football Federation. (Kizan Brumell)

GBTI GCC hockey ladies...

From page 39 matches will determine the schedule for the following day.

Matches will all be played at the University of Toronto’s Athletic Centre. The full women’s schedule can be found at https:// jph.altiusrt.com/competitions/157 The full Guyana squad reads: Gabriella Xavier (Captain), Abosaide Cadogan, Alysa Xavier, Sarah Klautky, Makeda Harding, Madison Fernandes, Mickelly Rahaman, Kirsten Gomes, Kerensa Fernandes, Samantha Fernandes, Carina Moller and Aliyah Gordon.

Kaieteur News

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Wednesday March 09, 2022

FIFA opens special transfer window for foreign players in Russia PARIS, (Reuters) - FIFA is opening a special transfer window for foreign players stranded in Russia because of the invasion of Ukraine, soccer’s world governing body said on Monday.

“In order to facilitate the departure of foreign players and coaches from Russia, in

the event that clubs affiliated to the Football Union of Russia (FUR) do not reach a mutual agreement with their respective foreign players and coaches before or on 10 March 2022 ... the foreign players and coaches will have the right to unilaterally suspend their employment

contracts with the FURaffiliated clubs in question until the end of the season in Russia (30 June 2022),” FIFA said in a statement.

“The suspension of a contract... will mean that players and coaches will be considered ‘out of contract’ until 30 June 2022 and will

therefore be at liberty to sign a contract with another club without facing consequences of any kind.”FIFA’s move is only a temporary measure that will not provide much help, the players’ union (FIFPRO) said, demanding that players should be allowed to terminate their contracts.

“The decision ... to allow foreign players to only suspend their contracts and thus only temporarily leave Russian clubs is too timid,” FIFPRO said in a statement.

“It will be hard for players to find employment for the remainder of the season with uncertainty

looming over them and, within a few weeks, they will be in a very difficult situation once again.“It is unsatisfactory even for players who are tied to shortterm contracts in Russia – where contracts typically end in December - and who may not want or be able to return after 30 June 2022...

FIFPRO communicated to FIFA last week that these players should be allowed to terminate their contracts.”

FIFPRO asked that FIFA, and its European counterpart UEFA, set up a fund to help players and coaches in Ukraine.

“It is disappointing that

other stakeholders in this process were not prepared to agree to this important step,” it said.

“For players, coaches and others in Ukraine, we consider it essential that UEFA and FIFA widen professional football’s response to the war by establishing a fund to support all those in the industry who are affected.”

Russia calls its actions in Ukraine a “special operation” designed not to occupy territory but to destroy its neighbour’s military capabilities and capture what it regards as dangerous nationalists.

Wednesday March 09, 2022

Kaieteur News

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Liverpool lose to Inter but progress to quarter-finals BBC Sport - Liverpool’s seven-match winning run in the Champions League was ended by Inter Milan, but J u r g e n K l o p p ’s s i d e progressed to the quarterfinals with a 2-1 aggregate success.

An outstanding finish by Lautaro Martinez was not enough for Italian champions at Anfield as the late goals by Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah in the first leg in Milan three weeks ago proved decisive.

Martinez gave Alisson no chance with an arrowed

finish from 20 yards in the 61st minute.But Inter’s hopes of forcing extra-time with a second goal faded when former Arsenal and Manchester United forward Alexis Sanchez was sent off just two minutes later for a s e c o n d y e l l o w card.Liverpool hit the woodwork three times in a bad-tempered game which, in addition to Sanchez’s red card, saw six other players booked.

After Joel Matip headed against the bar, Salah struck the post twice in front of the Kop.The draw for the last

eight takes place on 18 March in Nyon, Switzerland.

The game was also stopped for a few minutes in the first half due to a medical emergency in the crowd.

Relief as Reds progress There was a sense of relief around Anfield at fulltime after Liverpool suffered a scare before booking their place in the last eight.

The Reds were far from their best, but looked in control of the tie until Martinez’s excellent strike, before Sanchez’s dismissal gave the hosts fresh momentum.

Liverpool had won their previous seven Champions League matches this season. (PA Media)

Yet a first defeat of 2022, after a terrific run in which they have delivered a trophy with the EFL Cup, will serve as reminder to manager Klopp that there is still work to do if they are to end the season with more success.

Having scored 109 goals in their previous 43 games,

this was a rare occasion they failed to find the net.

Liverpool did everything but score, though, as they rattled the bar and post, while substitute Luis Diaz was denied at point-blank range in the dying stages by Arturo Vidal’s block.

One positive for Klopp

was the performance of Trent Alexander-Arnold, who seems to get better and better the longer the season goes on.

He was at the heart of all his side’s best moves and went close to scoring from a free-kick at the end of the first half.

Kaieteur News

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Wednesday March 09, 2022

Women’s World Cup: Alyssa Healy helps Australia beat Pakistan BBC Sport - Alyssa Healy helped Australia secure a comfortable sevenwicket win against Pakistan at the Women’s World Cup. Australia put their opponents into bat after w in n in g th e to s s an d Pakistan, with the help of 78 f r o m B is mah M ar o o f ,

reached a modest 190-6.

Healy opened the batting for her side and scored 72 off 79 balls.Rachael Haynes and Meg Lanning added 34 and 35 respectively as Australia, who beat England in their opening game, won with 15.2 overs remaining.

It was a second victory in

a row for captain Lanning’s side, while Pakistan, who were beaten by India in their first game, have yet to win at the tournament.

“Everyone’s in really good form, we all got starts and I guess we’re all feeling in good nick,” Lanning said.

“Pakistan did extremely

well and made it hard for us to take wickets so we were disciplined and kept that run rate in check.”

Pakistan’s next game will be against South Africa on 11 March, with Australia playing hosts New Zealand a

Alana King picked up a couple of key wickets, one at the top and one at the end. (Getty Images)

day later.

Scores: Pakistan 190-6 (50 overs): Maroof 78, Riaz 53; King 2-24; Australia 193-3 (34.4 overs): Healy 72, Lanning 35.

Result: Australia won by seven wickets.

Alyssa Healy brought up another attacking half-century © ICC via Getty Images

Bismah Maroof and Aliya Riaz put together 99 runs for the fifth wicket.

(AFP/Getty Images)

Kaieteur News

Wednesday March 09, 2022

PAGE 37

Danielle Williams, Britany Anderson, Natoya Goule lead 19-member Jamaican team to World Indoors SportsMax - Worldleader in the 60m hurdles Danielle Williams, Britany Anderson and Natoya Goule are among the medal contenders named to Jamaica’s team to the World Indoor Championships in Serbia from March 18-20.

Williams set a world-

only Americans Kendra Harrison and Alia Armstrong, who have both run 7.81 have gone faster.

Goule, who ran worldleading times twice so far this season, has the secondfastest time in the world over 800m this indoor season.

Her 1:58:46 set in France on

and Shericka Jackson, whose personal best of 7.12 makes her the third-fastest Jamaican and tied for 14th in the world for 2022.

The female dominant team also includes Danielle Thomas-Dodd for the shot put, Kimberly Williams in the triple jump as well as

Danielle Williams, Britany Anderson and Natoya Goule lead Jamaica to the World Indoor Championships in Serbia. leading time of 7.75 at Clemson on February 11, which makes her a medal favourite for the championships. Anderson, 21, ran a lifetime best of 7.82 in Louisville, Kentucky, making her fourth-best in the world this year.

Besides her compatriot,

February 17, is only bettered

by Keely Hodgkinson’s 1:57.20 set in Birmingham on February 19.

The 19-member team also includes Briana Williams, whose 7.09 makes her the second-fastest Jamaican and sixth-fastest in the world over 60m this year

Roneisha McGregor and Stephenie-Ann McPherson for the 400m.

Junelle Bromfield, who is an alternate for the 400m, Ti ff a n y J a m e s , To v e a Jenkins, Janieve Russell as well as McPherson and McGregor comprise the 4x400m relay squad.

Christopher Taylor has been named for the 400m

while Ronald Levy will go in the 60m hurdles and Nigel

Ellis will compete in the 60m dash.

Kaieteur News

PAGE 38

Wednesday March 09, 2022

Gutsy Jonny Bairstow century puts England back in the game ESPNcricinfo - Jonny Bairstow started his day as the glue holding England together and he ended it with an unbeaten century that put his side firmly back in the game against West Indies in Antigua.

If England’s hierarchy were to make an appraisal of their so-called red-ball reset before lunch, the result would have been an epic fail.

Any review will of course come much later - and rightly so - but, given the criticism

of the selection decisions taken in the aftermath of a dire Ashes drubbing, they could have done with a fresher start. Instead, it was a case of the more things change, the more things stay the same early on.

B a i r s t o w, w h o s e retention was among their least contentious calls after he was England’s only centurion of that fateful campaign in Australia and scorer of a hundred in the warm-up fixture for this

match, came in with the tourists teetering on 48 for 4 inside the first hour and a half.

But he combined with fellow experienced hand Ben Stokes for a rebuilding partnership worth 67 for the fifth wicket and then put on 99 runs with old new kid Ben Foakes to raise England to a respectable score at stumps.

Foakes’ recall as wicketkeeper-batter in place of Jos Buttler perhaps only raised eyebrows in that it had

taken so long and after Andrew Strauss’s edict as interim managing director that he “get a decent run of things” he could afford to feel as comfortable as he looked through much of his innings. Having been in and o u t o f t h e Te s t s i d e sporadically since 2018, Foakes was among those given an opportunity on this tour to cement his place in the long term.

He looked in fine touch from the off. He edged the

second ball he faced through from his five overs. Holder the slips for four but finally gave up a run, two in followed that with two more fact, off his 33rd ball to a authoritative drives to the Bairstow cut.

Having won the toss, boundary in the same Kemar Roach over as he set out at England captain Joe Root better than a run-a-ball. opted to bat first. Debutant Foakes struck five more opener Alex Lees scored off fours before he was pinned the fifth ball he faced, back by a Jason Holder threading Roach through delivery that struck the knee backward point for four. He roll in line with leg stump, only survived another three balls though, before he was his review turned down.

But the day belonged to rapped on the front knee roll Bairstow, who crafted a by a full, straight Roach gritty and intelligent innings delivery which narrowly on a dry, slow pitch that evaded the bat and struck in offered little to either side. line with middle and off and, He faced 127 balls for a well- despite a hopeful review, earned fifty, brought up with Lees was sent on his way a four off Veerasammy with just those four runs to Permaul as he continued to his name.

Zak Crawley had looked deploy the cut to great effect any time there was width on in decent form, driving offer. But he upped the Seales to the boundary twice tempo after that, scoring his in three balls. But then next 50 off just 63 balls, Joshua Da Silva took a raising his hundred by stunner - diving low to his sweeping Kraigg Brathwaite left as Crawley sent an inside t o t h e b o u n d a r y a n d edge off Seales that slipped celebrating with an elated past off stump into the keeper’s outstretched glove roar and punch of the air.

With the ball swinging in and all of a sudden, England the morning session, Roach were 17 for 2 with barely 20 had bowled beautifully to minutes gone.

In ever-familiar territory claim two wickets, while Jayden Seales and Holder with an innings resurrection took one each - the latter riding on Root’s shoulders (Continued on page 33) without conceding a run SCOREBOARD England 1st Innings Alex Lees lbw b Roach 4 Zak Crawley c †Da Silva b Seales 8 Joe Root (c) b Roach 13 Dan Lawrence c Blackwood b Holder 20 Ben Stokes b Seales 36 Jonny Bairstow not out 109 Ben Foakes †lbw b Holder 42 Chris Woakes not out 24 Extras(lb 7, nb 5) 12 TOTAL (86 Ov, RR: 3.11) for 6 wkts 268 Yet to bat: Craig Overton, Mark Wood, Jack Leach Fall of wickets: 1-12 (Alex Lees, 2.3 ov), 2-17 (Zak Crawley, 3.5 ov), 3-27 (Joe Root, 8.2 ov), 4-48 (Dan Lawrence, 15.4 ov), 5-115 (Ben Stokes, 39.6 ov), 6-214 (Ben Foakes, 69.2 ov) BOWLING OMRW Kemar Roach 162712 Jayden Seales 195642 Jason Holder 169152 Alzarri Joseph 192690 Veerasammy Permaul134350 Kraigg Brathwaite3170 MATCH DETAILS Venue: Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, North Sound, Antigua Toss: England, elected to bat first Test Debut: Alex Lees Umpires: Gregory Brathwaite Joel Wilson TV Umpire Leslie Reifer Reserve Umpire Nigel Duguid Match Referee Richie Richardson

Kaieteur News

Wednesday March 09, 2022

PAGE 39

Two NJCAA titles for Moore over the weekend

A

aliyah Moore became a two-time NJCAA Champion on Saturday to highlight an exciting finish for the Monroe College Mustangs women’s track and field team on Day 2 of the 2022 NJCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships at Pittsburg State University’s Robert W. Plaster Center.

Moore’s exploits helped the Mustangs to 39 points for a finish seventh overall out of 24 teams.

Following her participation in the national champion distance medley relay team on Friday, Moore earned the top spot on the podium on her own

on Saturday in the 1,000-meter run. She topped the field with a time of 2 minutes 55 seconds, more than four seconds faster than the next finisher, to earn the gold. And, with the win, Moore earned NJCAA First-Team AllAmerican honours and United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) All-America honours.

On Friday, the number sixranked Monroe College Mustangs women’s track and field team’s distance medley relay (DMR) team blew away the competition to claim the national championship in the event,

CWI unveils FanCraze and Crictos.com as new partners of the West Indies Test team and CWI’s new NFT programme ST JOHN’S, Antigua – Cricket West Indies (CWI) has announced FanCraze and their Crictos.com digital collectibles programme as new partners of the West Indies Test team and of CWI. The Crictos.com branding will appear on the playing shirts of the West Indies Men’s Team throughout the Apex Test Series between the West Indies and England which started Tuesday March 8, at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua.

CWI and FanCraze have signed a multi-year partnership to develop an NFT programme and metaverse products featuring the West Indies players and archive.

Crictos launched in 2021 as the digital collectibles programme partner of the International Cricket Council (ICC). The partnership signifies the start of developing the official digital collectibles for the West Indies teams featuring current players and key archive moments. This will give West Indies fans all around the world the chance to own p i e c e s o f We s t I n d i e s cricketing history through innovative blockchain technology, which will also provide more opportunities for digital trading cards, games and experiences based on the West Indies men’s and women’s players.

In addition to the Test shirt, the long-term partnership will see FanCraze branding, links and communication appear on key pitch and broadcast assets

f o r We s t I n d i e s h o m e internationals and throughout CWI’s social and website fan platforms. “ We a r e e x c i t e d t o welcome FanCraze as a new partner for Cricket West Indies and the West Indies teams, especially with Fancraze’s Crictos NFT branding to appear on the West Indies Test shirt for the forthcoming Apex S e r i e s , ” s a i d C W I ’s C o m m e r c i a l D i r e c t o r, D o m i n i c Wa r n e . “ T h i s partnership goes far beyond the pitch and will see CWI and Fancraze combine to build archive and trading card NFT products using leading blockchain technology and take West Indies cricket into the fast-developing metaverse. Not only will the partnership create the chance for fans around the world to own famous pieces of our amazing West Indies cricket history, it will provide significant investment into cricket in the Caribbean and contribute to the players’ pool for years to come.”

Anshum Bhambri, CEO of FanCraze remarked: “We are very proud to partner with Cricket West Indies and bring to life NFTs representing the most passionate and naturallygifted cricketers the world has ever seen. NFTs are fast becoming a movement and are enabling a direct relationship between all types of IP owners and their fans. NFTs represent culture and there is no better team than the West Indies to take cricket into the (Continued on page 31)

highlighting an exciting first day at the 2022 NJCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships..

The Mustangs’ DMR team of Tshwanelo Maruping, Chinenye Onuorah, Farrah Miller and Moore finished more than 15 seconds faster than the next best team at the Championships with a time of 11 minutes 56 seconds.

The Mustangs last won the distance medley relay at the NJCAA Indoor Championships in 2019, when the foursome of Faten Laribi, Malethabo Seema along with Guyanese Joanna Archer and Claudrice McKoy topped the competition with a time of 12 minutes 04 seconds.

Maruping, Onuorah, Miller and Moore all earn First-Team NJCAA All-American honors with the first-place finish, while also earning United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) All-America recognition as well.

Speaking to Kaieteur Sport following her win, Moore remained modest and gave thanks to God, her family, and her coach.

She posited that she is just looking to continue being consistent since there is still a lot more work to be done, to achieve her goals in the sport.

Aaliyah poses with her two NJCAA Champion medals.

Kaieteur News

PAGE 40

Seegobin, Ali guide Village Ram to 52-run win over Mahdia Movements Family

S

t e r l i n g performances by D e o n a r i n e Seegobin and Ershad Ali guided Village Ram to a 52run win over Mahdia Movements Family when the teams collided a 20-over Tapeball fixture recently at Durban Park.

Seegobin struck two fours and nine sixes in a top score of 80 and added 81 for the second wicket with Kemol Savory who was bowled by Beepaul Bandoo for 24.

Seegobin continued to attack and put on an entertaining third-wicket stand of 87 with Omesh Danram before Danram was caught off Raydon Austin for 46 which included four fours and four sixes. Mark Jeffers made 31 and Cliff Joseph 24 as Village Ram posted 2575. Raydon Austin took 2-39.

Andrew Gibson and Ricardo Adams added 29 for the opening stand before Gibson was caught off Carlos La Rose for 17.

However, Ricardo Adams

took the attack to the bowlers as he slammed five fours and

Wednesday March 09, 2022

Village Ram team with their hardware.

six sixes in an attacking 75 off 38 balls while Bandoo

was bowled by Anthony Vyphius for 20.

However, Ryan Adams kept his team in hunt with an unbeaten 55 off 22 balls.

He hit two fours and six sixes, but the lower order failed of offer any resistance as Ali mopped up the tail.

Mahdia Movements Family were bowled out for 205 in 17.3 overs. Ali claimed 4-30 and Vyphius 2-75.

The game was sponsored

by Mahdia Movements Family while I Net presented a quantity of bats and balls to both teams.

Dinanath Ramnarine

Former TTCB member ordered to pay former WIPA boss Ramnarine thousands in damages for libelous Facebook post SportsMax - A former member of the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board (TTCB) has been ordered to pay former West Indies cricketer Dinanath Ramnarine US$122,768.85 in damages for a 2016 Facebook post, which was found to be libelous.

Rafi Ali who was president of the Esmeralda Cricket Club and a nominated member of the TTCB made the comments while Ramnarine was a member of the Sports Company of Trinidad and Tobago.In addressing the matter, Master of the High Court Martha Alexander insisted that Ali acted deliberately, jeeringly, and maliciously. She believed the judgment would “serve to caution any defendant

who uses Facebook or any other social media platform to libel and destroy a claimant’s reputation that he will feel the punitive arm of the court acting to deter such behaviour.”

She added that Ali’s Facebook statement was posted to destroy Ramnarine’s reputation.

“And the court must send a message that such reckless abuse of social media platforms must stop. The defendant before this court will not be allowed to use Facebook to boost his popularity at the claimant’s expense or ‘to sell another man’s reputation for profit.”

The fees amounted to US$114,382 in damages, plus interest and an additional US$8,386 in legal fees.

Kaieteur News

Wednesday March 09, 2022

PAGE 41

GBTI GCC hockey ladies confirmed for Big Apple Indoor Championships The Georgetown Cricket Club’s senior female hockey team, the GBTI GCC ladies, are scheduled to compete in the upcoming Big Apple International Indoor Championships scheduled for the weekend of March 12 and 13.

The club side which has been the local national champions for several years has also enjoyed great success against regional teams as multiple winners of the Diamond Mineral Water Indoor Festival here in Guyana.

The team comprises of several national players and includes players from the under 16 team that twice visited Trinidad prior to the covid outbreak, playing unbeaten in the Paragon Indoor Championships.

Although a few of the club’s strong players were unavailable due to other

personal commitments, Coach Philip Fernandes is confident that the team will be able to make a good showing.

Fernandes indicated that the USA has a very strong female hockey programme as the country has close to 1.5 million players, most of whom are female.

The competition usually features teams from both the USA and Canada with occasional entrants from Europe and this year Guyana will be bringing a Caribbean flare to the ladies division.

The GBTI GCC ladies will compete in pool #2 and face the Sharks in their opening match on Saturday at 9:40am. They return to the floor later on the same day to take on NE Premier and then Team Red, which is expected to be a USA national selection. The result of these (Continued on page 33)

In photo: Back row (L-R) - Mickelly Rahaman, Kirsten Gomes, Gabriella Xavier (Capt), Kerensa Fernandes, Abosaide Cadogan, Samantha Fernandes and Philip Fernandes(Coach); Front row (L-R) Sarah Klautky, Makeda Harding, Alysa Xavier (GK), Madison Fernandes and Aliyah Gordon.

The locker rooms are equipped with the latest amenities.

The impressive area designated for spin cycle sessions.

Space Gym 2.0 ‘raises the bar’ with modern expansion Doors open on April 4 In the space of a few weeks, the much anticipated expansion of the super modernized Space Gym 2.0 Fitness Center Inc. becomes available to the public when it officially launches at the Royal Orchid Garden Hotel and Shopping Mall on Mandela Avenue.

This move will blast the other competitors to space since its 15,000 sq ft approximation will feature the most modern Life Fitness Gym Equipment littered in the designated cross-fit, yoga/pilates, weight and elliptical areas as well as the aerobic rooms.

When Kaieteur Sport had an opportunity to visit the site currently under construction that sits on the top floor, the prospect was a fitting one for the Mall that will be ranked amongst the largest in Guyana.

Space Gym Fitness Center Inc.

Owner of the Space Gym, Sergio Matos (centre), gave a tour of the new facility to members of the media yesterday.

2.0 aims to be the ultimate gym experience. A professional, well equipped fitness facility that will meet the growing fitness needs of the population, whilst helping to combat many medical challenges that plague the country. They believe, ‘together we can create a healthier Guyana’.

Through the employment of trained, experienced and qualified personnel Space Gym 2.0 will offer fitness guidance and services that include Aerobics, Strength and Flexibility Training, Bodybuilding, Powerlifting, Weightlifting, CrossFit, Group Classes and a Café serving Health Shakes, Supplements and Beverages.

Other products and services to be offered comprises of Nutrition Plans, Merchandising, Digital Multi-Platform, Group Classes and (Continued on page 33)

Kemar Roach bowled Joe Root one ball after he was dropped at slip • Mar 07, 2022 © Getty Images

rts o p S

Jonny Bairstow greeted his hundred with a release of emotion • Mar 07, 2022 © Getty Images

Jayden Seales had Zak Crawley caught behind • Mar 07, 2022 © Getty Images

Gutsy Jonny Bairstow century puts England back in the game Two NJCAA titles for Moore over the weekend

Aaliyah Moore leading the pack last weekend.

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