K
Men in hoodie open fire on Police Prosecutor’s home
Saturday Edition
AIETEUR NEWS
Guyana’s largest selling daily & New York’s most popular weekly
November 13, 2021 - Vol. 14 No. 43 Online: www.kaieteurnews.com Online Price $80 readership yesterday, 87,139
Guyanese still to feel positive economic impact from oil …as Exxon’s operations endanger country’s key industries - Report finds
CCJ expresses concerns over Guyana’s DPP powers - DPP stands ground on power to direct magistrate
$315M in financial 500% increase in
aid distributed to Robbery Under small businesses Arms in Region One
Pres. warns Guyanese to brace for increase in cost of living Cutlass bandit Hand in illegal guns or loses loot in face stiffer penalties escape bid under new law - Pres. Ali
The protest continues for change to ExxonMobil’s contract.
Contractor admits ‘we can’t build, but we can manage money’ - points to Jamzone, Guyana Carnival and Football tournaments as evidence A shop owner on Durban Street say people coming in asking for $40 salt and $50 onion, ½ pint of rice and so on, the shop owner said he doesn’t know how to sell $40 salt. This is your Guyana, this is the transformation, this is the development the leaders promised, this is the Dubai Guyana will become overnight. Go Guyana go!
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Saturday November 13, 2021
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Pres. warns Guyanese to brace for increase in cost of living D
uring his statement y es ter d ay, President Dr. Irfaan Ali warned citizens to brace for an increase in cost of living as a result of the global supply chain crisis. The President said, “What are we doing today is presenting you with the facts, with reality, with what the government is doing to address issues that are global in nature, how we are defining policies to address these issues, the impact global challenges is having on our economy, and the way in which the government is addressing those challenges.” To this end, he added that he believes that it is very important for all Guyanese to understand that “We do not
live in an isolated environment and we are part of the global community.” The President said that Guyanese are part of the process of globalisation and what occurs globally; while highlighting that the country is also affected by global challenges. Pointing to the impact of the pandemic, which caused tremendous increases in cost for living, the President noted that the closure of major players in international markets, factories, terminals, and port facilities has created severe backlogs for shipping. According to President Ali, the delay costs are then translated into new prices that consumers are facing globally. He said, “So the net
effect of all of this is increased costs at the production level and increased costs at a logistics level and that combined increase is what is driving up prices globally, and Guyana is not excluded from this phenomenon.” “This situation, as I speak to you, is compounded and the forecast suggests that the supply chain prices” are underpinning “the widespread hype and freight increase is expected to last a bit longer.” President Ali added that there was indication that, by the first quarter of 2022, things will normalise “a bit”. However, he said based on what is being observed, the supply chain issue will continue to be a problem. According to the
$315 million in financial aid distributed to small businesses The Small Business Bureau (SBB) recorded a total of $314.9M dollars in grant distribution to small business owners countrywide for the year, thus far.According to the M i n i s t e r o f To u r i s m , Industry and Commerce, Oneidge Walrond, the SBB distributed a total of 717 small business grants, and hopes to surpass 800 before the year is completed. The Minister stated that the budgeted amount allocated to the sector was $250 million, but the extra amount rolled over from last year's budget allowed the SBB to distribute more than this year's budget. She stated that she is quite elated that they were able to distribute so many grants, as the Bureau only planned for the distribution of 700 grants. She further
acknowledged that since the SBB was established in 2010 this is the highest number of grants it has distributed, and that “this is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the staff at the Small Business Bureau,” Waldron related. “Small businesses are the engine of growth in the country,” according to the Minister. The money given is directly injected into their businesses and aims to fuel their growth and get the economy going again. T h e M i n i s t e r acknowledged that the grant distribution is a countrywide initiative, and noted that for persons who are out of the Region Four district are also able to access these funds. She noted that the ministry travels to them to ensure they experience less of a hassle,
and see to it that persons applying receive their grants, as soon as possible. Persons who are desirous of applying for a loan must have compliance certificates from both the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) and the National Insurance Scheme (NIS), proof of business registration, the SBB's registration form, and a business proposal. The Minister was kind enough to note that the SBB has offices at both of the abovementioned government agencies. She further went on to say that there are persons at the SBB's office who are responsible for assisting applicants to structure and complete their business proposals. This will help with a smooth flow towards the completion of the process.
Men in hoodie open fire on police prosecutor's home A police prosecutor, Corporal Hemchand Sukhna, and his family on Sunday evening were forced to seek cover after two men in hoodies opened fire on his Craig East Bank Demerara (EBD) home. Shots were fired at Sukhna's home around 21:45hrs. According to the police, the prosecutor observed two armed gunmen standing in front of his residence - one with a rifle and the other with a handgun.
They began firing shots at the house and he, along with his family, were forced to seek cover to avoid being hit. The men then escaped shortly afterwards, and Sukhna reportedly called his colleagues to investigate the shooting.Investigators have since recovered two spent shells from the scene, and have told Kaieteur News that they believe that attack on Sukhna might be linked to a court case he prosecuted recently. Investigations are ongoing.
President, the supply chain crisis has resulted in shortages in construction materials and food supplies. This he stated resulted in increased prices and due to what is forecast, the increases can continue to occur. Moreover, while the President did not announce the promised increase for public servants, he noted that these discussions are still ongoing. Last month, President Ali renewed his commitment towards the increase for public servants. H o w e v e r, h i s commitment comes on the heels of the recent Half-Year Report from the Bank of Guyana (BoG) noting that public sector minimum wage remains at $70,000, while consumer price continues to escalate. “Public sector minimum
President Dr. Irfaan Ali.
wage remained at G$70,000 per month while the income tax threshold was unchanged at G$65,000 per month during the first half of 2021,” the report stated. Additionally, a table in the report illustrated the increases in the cost of food
by 12.5 percent, miscellaneo u s g o o d s and services by 1.9 percent, transport and communication by 1.8 percent, f u r n i t u r e by 1.7 percent and medical care by 0.3 percent.
Health authorities record low COVID-19 vaccination rate among children
L
ocal health authorities are noticing a relatively slow uptake of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine among children between the ages of 12 and 18 years, according to the Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony. Back in August, the Government had launched the rollout of the vaccination programme for adolescents having received a total of 146,250 doses of the Pfizer vaccine from the United States of America. The administering of the vaccine was to prepare for the safe reopening of schools, as well as protecting children against the deadly disease. Since the rollout of the vaccine, some schools reopened their doors for full face-to-face learning, while others have been operating on a rotational basis. The Minister, while explaining the country's current vaccination rate in his daily COVID-19 update on Wednesday, said that health officials are seeing hesitancy among the younger population. “The group that we are
worried about where we have seen relatively low uptake would be the 18 to 40 age group, and that's something because the numbers are relatively low in that age group,” he explained. Noting that this is a concern, another problem officials are seeing is that persons in that age group have not been returning for the second vaccination dose. With regard to the children population, they are also observing, a “relatively slow” uptake within the 12 to 18 years age cohort. “While we have made the vaccine available for 12 to 17, we have open[ed] up to that age group given the Pfizer vaccine…The uptake there has been relatively s l o w, ” t h e M i n i s t e r mentioned. During the interview, Dr. Anthony shared that since authorities made the Pfizer vaccine available to everyone 12 years and older more persons are coming forward to get vaccinated. The Pfizer vaccine and Sinopharm vaccine are now the more preferred vaccines,
he noted. While he did not state why young people are hesitant, the Minister is urging persons to get vaccinated, and those persons who have been inoculated with their first dose are urged to return for their second dose. The Ministry of Health via its Facebook page shared that as of November 12, the current COVID-19 vaccination rate for adolescents is that a total of 28,195 persons received their first dose of the vaccine representing 38.7 percent of that population, while 19,314 received their second dose representing 26.5 percent of the population under discussion. Meanwhile, 76 percent of the adult population have been vaccinated with the first dose, and 50.5 percent have been vaccinated with their second dose.
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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
Talking about democracy and living it are two different things The world loves to talk about democracy, and Guyanese are in the forefront with their own clamouring about its ideals. That is, until democracy and its demands come into conflict with what they say they are about; then the degrading follows. India has long been hailed as the world’s largest democracy, and it qualifies when numbers alone are considered. America, founded on noble ideals, had a head start over India, and almost all of Africa and this region, by the wide margin of a couple centuries. And so, too, did the British Empire, which at its height had attached a myth to itself for fair play and justice. Nonetheless, democracy and its ideals are never put to the test when the sun is shining, and the season of prosperity reigns. It is not challenged in those pleasant, tranquil times. Democracy’s ideals are, however, subjected to its best rigours under the duress of things that disappoint, what clashes against accepted norms, and when tough demands are made of those same countries named above, and its leaders and citizens.The messages of the lessons for Guyanese seeking to learn and grow, reside in how America and the British Empire operated before in the times of loss, and more recently, when one of the latter’s imperial subjects, India, reacted when its hopes took a sound trashing. No one incident or one set of circumstances can ever be representative of what democracy is about, or not, at its peak and in its valleys. But when the sum of these makes for enduring pattern, there is reiteration of what is what, what matters to people claiming to be all for democracy, and how they come down savagely on their own; the ones who are of lesser number, lesser power, lesser voice and reach.In the United States, democracy was talked about, even while lacking equality. It was when humanity was reduced to property, through the peculiar institution of slavery. Native Americans had already gotten the full force of that, which condemned to the corrals of reservations, the brutal results of cultivated genocide. Old habits die hard, ancient mindsets remain fastened to what devastates others, and which preserves and enriches self, at the expense of others. Just last year, democracy started to falter furiously in America and was rendered still more feeble in January of this year.Men who spoke in garbled fashion about democracy, suddenly found that losing was not such a welcomed proposition, with the feared tyranny of a potential perpetual voting majority. The constraints of democracy’s disciplines became more a charade than that of a calling. Voting rights laws are being massaged, sometimes mangled, for undemocratic objectives, and in America, believe it or not.Within the British Empire, the Indians were considered not to possess the ingredients for self-determination. Indeed, democracy is what those in power say it should be. Of this Guyanese should need no lessons as they have suffered so much under those blubbering about democracy. From the British viewpoint, only they knew what was ideal for hundreds of millions of impoverished, backward, superstitious natives. From Canning to Lytton to Mountbatten, and the others in between, there was this condescending paternalism that looked upon a subcontinent of souls as mere children, pathetic ones. So, they kept them on a short leash, and unleashed all the barbarities that man can direct against ruled peoples.Today, in India, the ideals of democracy are not enough to cushion religious hatreds. It is not about power, since that isn’t threatened. But over cricket, and the passions ignited against a proven winner (Shami), and against citizens celebrating (Muslims). Whither the press of democracy then, for what is right and noble? If citizens could be jailed for cricket, then what else? Locally, victorious Guyanese celebrate oil, but denounce dissenting voices, demonise the difficult. Guyanese democracy allows for only the monstrosities of masters, whether from West or East, past ones or present ones. Then it is that all the rich talk about democracy runs into a wall. It is this way and no other, and worship or be whipped. Clearly, living democracy’s ideals, the rights of the powerless, has proved too much for people everywhere, Guyanese included.
Unscrupulous persons should be placed before the court DEAR EDITOR It seems the authorities will not get it right in the massive distribution of flood relief to farmers, affected by flooding earlier this year, which continues to be disastrous (‘Massive discrepancy
found in flood relief distribution’ KN Nov 12). From the beginning, it seems the rollout of the exercise was poorly and haphazardly done. Hence, the over seven thousand complaints now lodged where it is al-
leged by regional authorities that unscrupulous persons are double and treble time registering at the various locations across the region. It is posited that once it is found and proven those persons manipulated the system
for their benefit, and they were found to receive the grant previously, those persons be placed before the court with intent to knowingly defraud. Regards Shamshun Mohamed
A victory for the practitioners of quiet diplomacy DEAR EDITOR, The framework agreement described as an ‘unexpected development’ reached between China and the USA to increase cooperation in three critical areas of climate change at the COP 26 conference must be a lesson for the naysayers on the one hand, and a victory for the practitioners of quiet diplomacy on the other. The Presidents of China and Russia came under criticism by the Heads of a number of western governments including the President of the USA for opting out of the Glasgow summit. But at the time of launching his criticism President Biden must have known that his emissary was engaged in quiet diplomacy with his Chinese counterpart with the objective of reaching an agreement of some sort before the venue for the COP 26 conference closed its doors finally. So, all the noise and criticisms of China notwithstand-
ing, the announcement of the China-US joint statement was a sobering reminder once again, that we ought not to be surprised by the unexpected. This is not the first time quiet, soft or preventive diplomacy has prevailed successfully. History is replete with examples around the world showing where this diplomatic practice won the day especially when it is aligned with a country’s national and international interests. This was precisely the case with both China and the USA. Both governments had publicly declared policy positions, domestic targets and pledges that, on the surface, reflected their respective Nationally Determined Contributions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Both China and the USA had long recognised that the
urgency to address climate change requires international cooperation in general and US-China bilateral cooperation in particular. Moreover, being the two largest green house gas emitters they further recognised that the consequences of non-cooperation are not limited to their respective jurisdictions but to the world at large and that on their own, they would be unable to provide a satisfactory global solution were they not to help accelerate the transition to a global net zero economy. Consequently, notwithstanding the badly strained relations between the two countries, China maintained an open door policy to negotiations with the US on climate change. Both countries recognised the need to mutually balance their competing domestic and international interests and at the same time, to engage in ‘backchannel’ negotiations that served to
bring about the success achieved. In the circumstances, diplomacy quiet or otherwise, in the context of COP26, demonstrated once again its efficacy and power as a communication process between political entities. The lessons to be learnt from this recent manifestation of quiet diplomacy are: Notwithstanding the noises inherent in the political back and forth, there exists a back channel to engage in good faith negotiations with a view to influencing the behaviour of others and reconciling differences; The objective must be to build on areas of convergence and to temporarily park the areas of divergence; The benevolent effects of the success achieved will be welcomed across the political and ideological spectrum. Yours faithfully, Clement J. Rohee Former Minister of Foreign Affairs
There are better ways to KO a perceived adversary DEAR EDITOR, I am awestruck by the limitations of Guyanese in the public scheme. They can babble from Matthew to Machiavelli to Marx, and from Shakespeare to Cicero to King Khalil, and yet for all their quoting and pontificating, they are nothing but yapping, yelping, yowling whelps where classy and expansive expression of the Mother Tongue is concerned. The fine art of the insult, the studied putdown, is conspicuously lacking in the lexicon of Guyanese, making it one dimensional, to wit, he is a PNC or PPP man, and nothing else. It is, at once, the predictability and poverty of Guyanese intellectual flights, the dull descending arcs of their drollness. There are better ways to KO a perceived adversary.
Labeling him a PNC or PPP man is pathetic, the only refuge of a vagabond run to ground; one exposed for lacking depth, resoundness or sagaciousness. First, it is wiser to address as ‘honourable’ since everyone knows that the opposite is more accurate, and finds a ready attachment to the object of such dubious distinction. Next, do not address by name, which reduces to a nonperson, one not worthy of the dignity of human species classification, no standing. It is more than making that party an outcast, and for the simple reason that he doesn’t belong to any caste, since none would accept; not even the lowest castes. It is the equivalent of condemning the object of clinical scorn into a state of nonexistence, not even that of rodent or
roach. Another way that works well is to talk over their heads (or down to them, as if to a retarded being), and dare them to admit to the sorry state of their rancid nature, and wallow in the political pigsty they have made their cherished home. It is called the first sanctuary of scoundrels: Facebook or other social media platforms. It should be noticed that I now refuse to be drawn into verbal or epistolary engagements with others. I prefer not to join in arguments with fools, and have others wonder which one is the fool, for allowing himself to be sucked into the quicksand that is always looking for new dingbats. But the best insult of all is this one that I got from the Romans and which I use sparingly. It goes like this: de
mortuis nil nisi bonum discendum est, which translates to: speak nothing but good of the dead. This cuts several ways. In the first place, silence is golden, and allows the dumb to believe that they got the upper hand. Secondly, speaking to the good of the undeserving living dead is taking duty to courtesy to unscaled heights, which only makes the recipient into a bigger laughingstock. And last, the actual rare surgical use of such a phrase puts everyone in their place, and everything into perspective. In sum, it is the truth where all know that they have been subjected to public comedy, which is the biggest insult there is. Sincerely, GHK Lall
CALL CENTRES IN GUYANA DEAR EDITOR I am writing you this letter to tell you about the call centres in Guyana. They treat you like if you are nothing this tells you one thing before you start working and when you start work they tell you another. on a day to day basis you have to deal with all kinds of people, you hear that you are stupid, you are no good from these
customers and things that make you want to cry and yet still they don’t pay you for the job that you are doing. They tell you when you go on the interview, they will pay you a certain amount of money now that is fine okay, then they have different status that you can go in. For example, they have call work, call work is a sta-
tus that you use when they have a high call volume so you can fill up the disposition form to send out the survey. now when you go in the call work, they tell you that you don’t be pa id for that
status now why is it there in the first place, I don’t understand why have it there and say you h ave to use it but don’t pay you for it and they themselves know that the calls
does be handle it sometimes. When they are done, it has the help desk, you go to the help desk when your system is giving problems, when you go in to the help desk when you have a system issue, they don’t pay you and it has a lot more I can say but will leave it for later. Regards Ashley McPhoy
Saturday November 13, 2021
GECOM not treated as major stakeholder in proposed amendments to elections laws Dear Editor, On Oct 29, 2001, it was reported that the President directed that the draft amendments of the electoral laws should be released for feedback from stakeholders. This is commendable. Responsiveness is one of the three pillars of Democracy, the other two being representation and responsibility conduct of public affairs. The release of the draft provides an opportunity for the stakeholders to comment and made suggestions. However, the adherence to Responsiveness requires that the responses be taken into consideration. If that is not done, Responsiveness would not have been realised. I write this letter because I harbour the fear that responsiveness may not be intended or realised for the following reasons: 1. GECOM is the agency that has the mandate for the
conduct of elections and will be the object of much of the envisaged amendments, yet the process has gotten to the stage of a draft amendment and GECOM has in no way being involved. 2. The President‘s directive was issued on Oct 29. The draft was released on November 6, however on November 10 when I last checked with the GECOM Secretariat, it had still not received a copy of the draft, which had, four days prior, been released for public scrutiny. I am therefore left with no alternative but to make the following observations. 1. The draft originates from the AttorneyGeneral‘s Chamber and reflects the thinking of the Government and the Party which occupies the seat of Government. 2. In the process of consulting, on the draft, GECOM is not treated as or deemed to
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be a major stakeholder; rather, it is apparently being treated as a tool of the ‘powers that be’ rather than an agency constitutionally responsible for the conduct of elections. 3. This flies in the face of GECOM‘s constitutional r e s p o n s i b i l i t y, a n d t h e Governance principle:
Inclusivity/Participation, although our Constitution, in article 13, enshrines that principle, and the State finances an entire mini sterial position
with responsibility for Governance. It begs the questions: are we in for another charade, even as we tout Democracy and Good Governance? Is the publicly articulated mantra the “Opposition gets its say and the Government gets its way” the Government`s understanding and practice of Democracy and Good Governance? Yours truly, Vincent Alexander
Stiffer bail is required in some of these cases DEAR EDITOR, Again, there is a report (Kaieteur News, November 10, 2021 -16-year-old still critical in hospital following Diwali chopping) of a citizen stepping out of his yard to engage with persons from outside his community to desist from actions that result in noise nuisance.The outcome of this confrontation is a broken arm and 10 stitches
for the citizen and a broken nose, broken cheek bones and possible loss of an eye to the 16-year-old son who went to retrieve his father. For the perpetrators’ freedom at the price of $700,000 at the court while the other is yet to be processed.Editor, only a few months back, a similar incident led to the death of a Pandit in Berbice, it would seem that the perpetrators of
noise nuisance are quick to become violent. What does it say about a society when a citizen cannot enjoy peace and quiet in his/her home? Must we endure the nuisance and pray that the police respond when called to intervene?Regarding the acts of violence, I humbly believe a stronger deterrent than bail is needed. Sincerely, Suryaveer
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After a couple months, the $250K to severed sugar workers will disappear DEAR EDITOR, Farmers and sugar workers have long been alienated, marginalised and increasingly becoming impoverished. The $250K being offered to workers who were not rehired at GuySuCo is welcomed and deserving. Workers who have not been rehired full time and or permanently or those who are not in a high-income bracket should also receive some form of “severance payment”. All sugar workers suffered tremendously over the last six years. The proposed $250K for the affected workers is only a short-term relief that will only hold them over for a few months. They have been out of work for over four years with no governmental assistance. They have accrued huge debts and stress over that period and the $250K will quickly disappear to meet fi-
nancial obligations and medical expenses. Cost of living is extremely high, [which means some sugar workers] need $25K weekly to furnish a home with mere basic goods, not inclusive of cost of utilities. After a couple months, the $250K will disappear. Instead of a cash grant to appease them for the short term, why not find a permanent solution to their predicament? The severed sugar workers (and even small-scale cash crop farmers) need a long-term solution to their unemployment problem, rather than government handouts and hampers. They have shown to be very successful at cultivation of various cash crops and kitchen gardening. Why not give the sugar workers the land from which they can earn a decent living in growing cash crops? This would relieve the State from having to provide financial
assistance to the affected workers. Since the closure of Wales, our party has called on the government to give workers the land to grow crops, so that they may make a living. When the other three estates were closed, the URP also called on the government to distribute the land to the workers. The proposed plan to give GuySuCo land to Middle Easterners, as suggested in the newspapers and social media, is a terrible idea. The navel strings of the ancestors of the sugar workers are buried on the land. They have attachment to the land. They have worked the land for many decades. Their life is tied to the land. Their culture is in the land. The land belongs to them, not Middle Easterners who did not fight the colonial masters and the dictatorship and who have no expertise in farming or a culture of growing food or working on land. Instead of the Middle Easterners benefitting from the patrimony of the nation’s land, Guyanese must be the beneficiaries, first and foremost. Why bypass the sugar workers in favour of foreigners? Why not lease the land in parcels to the workers and let them form their own coopera-
tives or partnerships with government providing technical and scientific assistance? With the leases, the famers can secure loans to transform the land into food production. The farmers can cultivate their own crops that have international market. Government can ensconce NARI to provide technical and supportive services to the former sugar workers, who are now farmers. Instead of giving the land to the Middle Easterners, these foreigners can be encouraged to set up an agri bank to provide loans to farmers to grow food. The Guyanese farmers should be in the drivers’ seat when it comes to farming and owning or inheriting estate land. Even if the land is given to the Middle Easterners, they would need Guyanese to cultivate the land unless their plan is to transform the land into housing. Agriculture land should not be used for housing and even worse to be given to foreigners, when local people can use the land to feed the nation, the region, and export to the Diaspora in the world. Why not give the land to Guyanese to become successful farmers? Regards Dr. Vishnu Bandhu
T N U L B . . . T B N U T L N B T . U . L . L T B . . N . U N U T L N B . U T . . L N N U T B . U . N L U BL BLUNT. B . . T . T T N N U . U L . . L B . T B . . . . N . T U T N N T U N U L L U B . L B . . . . B . T . . T . N N T U N L LU U B . N L . . U B T . L . . N B T . U . . N L T U B . N L . . U B T . L . . N B T . . U . N L T U B . N L . . U B . T L . . N B T . . U . N L T U B . N L . . U B T . L . . N B . T . U . N L T U B . N L . . U B T . L . . N B T . U . . N L T U B . N L . . U B T . L . B . UN .BLUNT. L . . B T . . . N T U N L . . U B T . L . B . UN .BLUNT. L . . B T . . . N T U N L . . U B T . L . . N B T . U . . N L B T . U . . N L T U B . N L . . U B T . L . . N B T . . . LU ...BLUN B T . . . N T U N L U B T . L . . N B T . U . . N L T . U B . . N L T U B . N L . . U B T . L . . N B T . U . . N L T BB T...BLU U N L U B . L . . B . T . . N N T T L U U N L L U B U T...BLU B L . . N . B . T . . N T U N N N U L U U B L . BL TLUNT.. UNT...B BL Saturday November 13, 2021
Kaieteur News
Friends killing friends in rum shops, robberies, and many other rogueries.
Some Guyanese political leaders are pretending to be friends of Guyanese to take advantage of them, rob them, and are roguish towards citizens.
Oil, gas, natural resources, spending, billing, checking, and always, it is the same leadership banditries. They win, Guyanese lose.
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Saturday November 13, 2021
Contractor admits ‘we can't build, but we - points to Jamzone, Guyana Carnival can manage money’ and Football tournaments as evidence P opular Guyanese entertainers more commonly known as disc jockeys (DJs), and proprietors of Hits and Jams, turned building contractors, have come out to defend their recent acquisition of a lucrative government deal, to build the Bamia Primary school in Region 10, saying despite having no experience in the field of construction, they are qualified in managing money.
This publication on Friday reported that Statement Investment Inc.'s DJ, Rawle Ferguson, on Tuesday signed the contract for the construction of a $346M school at Bamia, Region 10. Football promoter, Shanghai Major is also listed as one of the company's principals for that new construction company. Ferguson in an invited comment published by online news outfit
BIGSMITH News Watch told that publication in defense of their qualifications, “…to be quite frank, we have been managing projects in the billions for a very long time…you know about Jam Zone, you know about Guyana Carnival, Kashif and Shanghai tournament. These are really big hospitality/tourism projects.” He cited as example “carnival would have
brought about 50,000 people the last time and you did that by $1000 per person. You will get like $10 billion dollars and you do VAT from that you will get $ 1.4 billion. So we have been making money not just for our citizens, but for our government for quite some time in our country.” With regards the $346M school contract and the company's ability to execute the project, Ferguson told the
Djs turned Government Building Contractors, Rawle Ferguson (right) and Kerwin Bollers. news outfit “we are managing the project, getting the right technical people and experienced people to do specific jobs, and the people of Linden and the kids of Linden will be educated in a comfortable and very good building. So I don't think it's an issue.” He further defended his entrepreneurial expansion into construction saying “to be quite frank, I started as a DJ. I am now a radio/television station owner, and now doing government building contracts”According to Ferguson “If we were to just sit and focus on entertainment for the past two years, nothing was being done because of the pandemic. So you have to diversify, you have to push the envelope, you have to push yourself.” The DJ turn building contractor is reported as
explaining that, while “we are not plumbers and masons,” the intention is to ensure that the Government of Guyana gets the best finished product for the taxpayers' money. The contract was signed at the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development. Substantive Minister, Nigel Dharamlall, at the time of the signing said that the project is expected to be completed within 20 months. Dharamlall had also indicated that an engineering firm would be contracted during the course of the c o n s t r u c t i o n . Regional Executive Officer, Dwight John, who inked the contract on behalf of the Region pointed to the need for a school in the locale considering the expanded h o u s i n g d r i v e . This publication on Thursday last reported that Region 10 (Continued on page 16)
DeSinco Limited assisted 20 CSEC students with exam fees DeSinco Limited donated a total of $1,145,098 for CXC fees to twenty students in seven High Schools across the country. The money was allocated through the Company's Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) fund. During the months of June and July last year, a number of students across the country were excelling and had the ability to write 10 or more subjects at the CSEC examination, but did not have the funds for the examination fees. The Managing Director of DeSinco Limited, Frank DeAbreu, approached some leading schools across the country, including Queen's College, Mackenzie High, Berbice High, The Bishops High, St. Rose's and St, Joseph's. These schools were recommended by the Ministry of Education, and some twenty students were
selected and were given the opportunity to write a combined total of 111 subjects. The company related that it is encouraged by the students results which netted a total of 71 Grade Ones, 93 Grade Twos, 35 Grade Threes and quite a few Grade Fours, while Queen's College topped with the highest number of Grade Ones. The initiative started years ago when the Deputy Head of Queen's College, Ms. Gem, had asked Mr. DeAbreu to assist a student to write 11 subjects, which he did. The student recorded success with 11 Grade Ones, and also managed to top the entire Caribbean. Mr. DeAbreu wishes to remind students and teachers that most highly qualified Guyanese of the past and present were rounded in academics, sports, and religion.
Saturday November 13, 2021
Kaieteur News
Climatechange change is bogus! Climate is bogus!
The Earth is warming. But climate change is a hoax. The warming of the Earth’s temperature is not caused by greenhouse gas emissions. There are many small causes which contribute to global warming but there are two main causes. The first is the alignment of the Earth in relation to the sun. At present, in this century, the Earth is at its closest point to the sun. As such, you can expect that global temperatures will be hotter than at any other period in recent human history.There may come a time, perhaps billions of years from now, when the Earth will be at its furthest from the sun. The world will return then to the Ice Age.But before that happens, the Sun is likely to burn itself out and civilisation will end. So the Second Ice Age may not happen once the Sun implodes.No one has ever asked why there was an Ice Age. The answer is simple; the Earth was then furthest away from the Sun. Today it is becoming aligned closer to the sun and so global temperatures are rising. Obviously, the closer the Earth gets to the sun, the hotter it will become. So forget about all that garbage about greenhouse gas emissions contributing to climate change. In the industrial age when coal was the main source of energy, greenhouse gases were being emitted uncontrollably into the atmosphere. And no one said anything then about climate change.The second major cause of climate change is cloud cover. Everyone knows that when there is a low thick cloud that covers the skies, the day is cooler. The reason why is because the cloud blocks the sunrays from penetrating and create a cooler surface. At present, we have a phenomenon known as thin cloud cover. In effect, the cloud cover is thinner thereby allowing greater light and
heat to penetrate. As such, what happens is that global temperatures are rising. Clouds act as a blanket. They reflect light and heat, allowing for the Earth to retain heat and also, at other times, reflecting heat away from the Earth allowing for cooler temperatures. The clouds are like a thermostat helping to regulate the Earth’s temperature. Cloud thinning is contributing to global warming. Warmer temperatures have nothing to do with greenhouse gas emissions from human activity. It is being contributed to by cloud thinning and by the alignment of the sun. Now, I am sure that I have managed to explain to you why there is global warming. But what I have not managed to do is to explain why the world is being lulled into believing that greenhouse gas emissions are the cause of global warming. Here again, there are two main factors at work. The first is what is called ecoimperialism. The forest producing developed nations want to continue to command global timber stocks and so for the past 30 years, they have been funding a global environmental movement to force developing countries to keep their forest intact and thereby ensure the developed world domination of global timber supplies.The second factor which explains why the world is being forced into believing that human emissions are the cause of global warming has to do with competitiveness. The rich countries of the world are no longer the most competitive in the production of goods and services. Beginning 60 years ago, they recognised that they would have been ousted in this area and so they began outsourcing their production to the Asian Tigers, and instead focused on
developing a much stronger services economy. But the world is catching up with them in this area and so the next frontier of capitalist domination is now emerging: renewable energy. Within the next 20 years, the USA and Europe are going to surpass the rest of the world in the development of renewable energy technologies. Climate change is the ruse to create the global demand for the new renewable energy technology, which will sweep the world within the next five years. Now if you believed anything that I have just written, you are a sucker for conspiracy theories. Nothing which I have said above has any basis in science or fact. But I am sure that quite a few of you were taking me seriously all along, even though you may not want to admit it all along. It shows how easy it is for conspiracy theorists to entrap your mind and to make you one of their followers. It shows why today, the greatest threat to ending the COVID-19 pandemic is the conspiracy theories about chips being implanted in the vaccine and about the vaccines not being safe and not effective. People are going to believe all that nonsense without any proof, yet be unwilling to accept the findings of scientists who laboured in record time to develop a vaccine. (The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper.)
Dem boys seh ...
De barricades ar e down are Deh gat a man who nah like see barriers pun de seawall. He went with he sledge hammer de other day and lash off dem padlock pun de barriers wah leading to de seawall. He nah know is who put up de de barriers – wah look like police barriers. But he feel he gat a right fuh drive up to de beach and so he knack off de lock and move de barriers. Is de same man wah bin seh how he stand alone in defending democracy. After de swearing in of de
president he bin really stand alone because people dun fuhget bout he. But he return to de limelight with he sledge hammer. De man intended to de max to ensure dat nothing nah block he from going on de seawall. He mussy be like sea breeze. Nah ask dem boys why people wan drive up pun de seawall. Wah dem boys know is dat no one suppose to drive over any sea wall much less we fragile one. Dah part of de sea de-
Dem boys seh ...
fence nah gat strong solid concrete wall, suh it wan elevation. When dem car drive pun it, it could get flatten and put we all at risk of rising sea levels. But is fuh de sea defence authorities fuh decide whether dem gan allow people fuh drive pon de beach and is fuh de Popo fuh determine is who bin put up de barriers wah de man clear way de other day. Talk half and find out is whose barriers!
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Saturday November 13, 2021
THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN
The government did not have access to Kate Aronoff's article
L
ast week, Vice President, Bharrat Jagdeo held a press conference in which he echoed a theme he has been on recently. His articulation is if Guyana does away with its oil industry, the world will still need dozens of millions of barrels daily and there are countries that are going to produce it. What is shocking is that those barrels are going to c o m e f r o m s u p e r- r i c h countries that have bullet trains that connect cities thousands of miles apart in minutes while poor countries suffer daily road fatalities because donkeys and vehicles fight for the same road space. Those extraordinarily rich countries are not going to take the money they earn from the fossil fuel industry and pass it on to poor
countries so there can be some dent in poverty. The brutal fact about the fossil fuel industry is secretly clothed in deadly hypocrisy of the world's wealthiest countries. Fossil fuel is a definite danger that the world must confront. But look who is talking - countries that have used fossil fuel to get rich and continue to do so. Enter Barack Obama. He went to the COP26 meeting in Scotland and addressed the conference. Now read what a hypocrite Obama has been while he was president of the US. In a devastating exposure of Obama as President, Kate Aronoff using statistics showed where Obama was a gigantic fossil fuel expansionist. Mr. Jagdeo did not have the benefit of quoting Aronoff since her
article came out one week after Mr. Jagdeo's press conference. But one wonders what he would have made of it if he had access to it at the time. In a column titled, “Barack Obama has a nerve preaching about climate crisis,” in the Guardian of the U K f o r We d n e s d a y, November 10, 2021, Ms. Aronoff has made incisive dents into the credibility of Obama. I think after her article, Mr. Obama's socalled legacy will be severely tarnished. Aronoff informs us that under Obama, there was a 750 percent expansion of crude oil exports. What was horrible to know was that this increase occurred days after the Paris Accord came into being in 2015. Ms. Aronoff reminds us that Obama boasted about
fossil fuel expansion under his presidency at a gala event in the oil capital of the US – Texas. Speaking to his audience in Houston, Mr. Obama said: “Suddenly, America is the largest oil producer. That was me people.” Ms. Aronoff stated that under Obama the US ImportExport Bank spent $35 billion on 70 fossil fuel projects around the world. Ms. Aronoff informs us that of the 92 percent excess carbon dioxide emission since the industrial age began, the United States has 40 percent of that figure. Now here is what President Obama's emissary to the Paris talks exclaimed when the issue came up of compensation for poor countries for damage from rising temperature caused by countries like the US, “The
notion that there should be liability and compensation for loss and damage, that's a line that we can't cross.” Frederick Kissoon The more Obama O bama symbolizes the appears on the world s t a g e , t h e m o r e h i s failure of a colossal promise. presidential failure will be on He reminds the American people that a candidate from show. But more importantly, non-White America was Mr. Obama's star is fast given an opportunity yet fading. He campaigned for A m e r i c a n w a s n o t Biden strenuously yet Biden transformed. They are going to feel the did not win a landslide, the Democrats did not win a same way if Harris runs for Senate majority and lost the presidency. Non-White Americans several seats in the House of including Blacks are going to Representatives. It was déjà vu for Obama. ask if they are not voting for In his re-election, he lost both another Obama only to be chambers to the Republicans. disappointed as they did with Obama is becoming the Obama. He has been described as Midas Touch in reverse. He c a m p a i g n e d f o r t h e all gloss but no substance and Democratic candidate in the a celebrity president. If America is going to governorship race in Virginia avoid the return of Trump or last week. The gentleman lost to a defeat from a sickening propro-Trump candidate in a T r u m p p r e s i d e n t i a l state that voted for Biden in candidate, the best route is to avoid a Harris candidacy and the last presidential election. Could Obama hurt Harris' for Obama and his friends, chances if Biden does not the Clintons, to keep away seek re-election and Harris from the campaign. (The views expressed in gets the nomination? I don't think she will win this article are those of the the primaries but let's say she a u t h o r a n d d o n o t does, she will lose especially necessarily reflect the if Obama campaigns for her. opinions of this newspaper.)
Saturday November 13, 2021
Kaieteur News
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Saturday November 13, 2021
Kaieteur News
Hand in illegal guns or CCJ expresses concerns face stiffer penalties over Guyana’s DPP powers
under new law - Pres. Ali
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n a bid to reduce armed robberies in Guyana, President Irfaan Ali is calling for owners of illegal guns to hand them in now or face stiffer penalties under a new law to be implemented soon. Ali issued this call during a statement he made yesterday on live television. He was at the time speaking of the efforts his Government has made so far to reduce crimes and the policies it wants to implement for the reduction to continue. One of those polices that he has in mind is an amendment for persons caught with illegal weapons to face stiffer penalties. Ali believes that one of the main contributors to robbery under arms in Guyana is the existence of illegal firearms. He said that, “although Guyana has recorded an overall reduction of robbery under arms by 32.4%, there was a sharp increase in Region One, Region 6, Region Seven and Region Nine”. The President stated that as a result of increases in those Regions, he had decided to ask the Attorney General (AG), Anil Nandlall, to propose an amendment for a higher penalty to be applied to persons found with illegal weapons.
- DPP stands ground on power to direct magistrate
President Mohamed Irfaan Ali showing some Crime stats while making his statement yesterday on live television.
Guyanese-American businessman, Marcus Bisram Currently, a person found guilty of the unlawful possession of a firearm can face a maximum penalty of five years imprisonment at the Magistracy level. “I've asked the AG to look at the laws to propose an amendment to apply the highest penalty to persons found [with] illegal weapons”, Ali said. He then went on to say that owners of illegal weapons have an amnesty period to hand them in now before the law is amended but if they fail to do so then they will to face stiffer penalties. “We are going to give a period for all those persons with illegal weapons to deposit those weapons, after which the law will be amended to give you the greatest penalty,” stated the President.
Additionally, Ali said that his government will launch a very confidential programme for person who own illegal guns and are associated with criminal activity to change their lives. He stated, “I have a message for you, too. Very soon, we will launch a programme, a very confidential programme to bring you in. Once you want to change your life. We want a discussion with you. We want to talk to you, to give you an alternative pathway to earning an income and living a decent life”. The President reminded the public that “a life of crime is short-lived” before iterating that his Government wants to work with delinquents in order to give them a better in life.
The Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) on Thursday expressed its concern over Guyana's Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Shalimar Ali-Hack, SC, powers, as embedded in her under Section 72 (1) and (2) (ii) (b) of Guyana's Criminal Law (Procedure) Act. The concerns that were raised by the CCJ stemmed from the hearing of the oral presentations in the appeal that was filed by murder accused, Marcus Bisram, in which he challenged the constitutionality of the DPP's directive to have him face a murder retrial. Bisram's lawyer, Dharshan Ramdhani, QC, asked the CCJ to declare Section 73 of Guyana's Criminal Law (Procedure) Act, as unconstitutional – that section of the law, gives the DPP the power to instruct and direct a Magistrate to recommit a person to a retrial. The DPP stand her grounds on her instruction to have Bisram tried again for the October 2016 murder of
Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Shalimar Ali-Hack, SC.
Berbice carpenter and father of two, Faiyaz Narinedatt. This is despite Magistrate Renita Singh ruling on two occasions that there was insufficient evidence for him to be committed to stand trial in the High Court for the offence. Bisram was charged with murder on the basis that he counseled and procured the death of Narinedatt.The DPP also told the CCJ that it is her constitutional function, to give such instruction, even if the Magistrate finds that there has been insufficient evidence on two occasions. In his address, Ramdhani argued that the DPP is an executive of the government, and as such, she should not be given the power to authorise a member of the Judiciary. CCJ President, Justice Adrian Saunders then asked the DPP whether she felt it was right for her to direct a court and a Magistrate, when she is not part of the Judiciary – the DPP did not agree with Justice Saunders and stated that those
functions have existed for years and that she does not find that they amounted to interference with the independence of the judiciary. Bisram's lawyer told the CCJ that the law, which gives the DPP the power to instruct a Magistrate to recommit a person, is in contradiction with Article 122 A and 144 (1) of the Constitution – the DPP, however, disagreed with his point. Ramdhani also argued that High Court Judge, Justice Morris-Ramlall, was right when she quashed the DPP's and the Magistrate's decision to have Bisram committed. He then highlighted that there was an error in law when the Guyana Court of Appeal, overturned Justice Morris-Ramlall's decision. The DPP also disagreed with the lawyer claims that she instructed the retrial without seeing for herself a witness sworn out-of-court testimony. The matter was adjourned, and (Continued on page 16)
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Saturday November 13, 2021
Norton, Harmon, Van-West Charles vying for PNC Leadership Joseph Harmon
A
ubrey Norton, Joseph Harmon, and Dr. Richard Van-West Charles were the nominees submitted on Friday for the Leadership position of the People's National Congress Reform. Up to late Friday evening, Party member, Christopher Jones said that the list of nominees will be vetted and shared with the media by Sunday. In his submission for leadership, Aubrey Norton said he is confident that he will secure the most votes when elections are conducted on December 11, this year. Meanwhile, Harmon told reporters at Congress Place, Sophia, Georgetown that he is “extremely confident” that he will be elected to serve, as
Aubrey Norton
Dr. Richard Van-West-Charles he has the track record and ability to lead the party. Van-West Charles, who is seemingly less popular in the party, also displayed confidence in his nomination. The Party's former leader, David Granger, will not be running this year in
Government silent on Stabroek re-development project - City Mayor
T
he Mayor and City Council, to this day, still awaits a response from Central Government about the implementation of its redevelopment project for the Stabroek Market area located in central Georgetown. This project is set to stretch from the old Guyana National Cooperative Bank (GNCB) at Cornhill Street all the way to the vendor's mall on Water and Robb Streets. T h e M a y o r, U b r a j Narine, when contacted told Kaieteur News, that since the PPP/C Administration took office back in August of 2020, he had gotten no response to this proposal. He noted that he had sent a letter late last year requesting a meeting to discuss matters about the project, and neither the President nor the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development had since responded. Over that time, he had met with a few potential investors to discuss their interest. Mayor Narine added that the Mayor and City Council (M&CC) on its own cannot achieve the completion of this project, and that it requires the support of the Central
the nominations. Although it was hinted that former Attorney General, Basil Williams was in the lineup, there were no nominations made on his behalf, according to Christopher Jones. He, however, said that the full list of candidates will
be declared soon. Friday's Nomination event was an opportunity for party groups to enter prospective candidates for the position of leader, Chairman, two Vice-Chairs and Treasurer, as well as 15 members to serve. Jones explained that
throughout the past week, all party groups, including those in diaspora, received the nomination forms from the Party's headquarters on which they were allowed to enter the names of the leaders they prefer. “They will meet and have their own discussions and come up with who is right. After the groups have
deliberated on who should be placed where, the forms would have to be resubmitted to Congress Place,” Jones explained. He added that those nominations could be handed into Congress Place on an earlier date. Every group that has 10 financial members was entitled to one delegate.
Teachers feel “worthless, undervalued”- GTU …MoE ignores request for 20% salary increase
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Ubraj Narine, City Mayor Government, Ministerial bodies, the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL), the Private Sector Commission, and other stakeholders to play their part, so as to ensure that it is successful. He added that there are international bodies, such as the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and other investors abroad that are set to partake in the project. The Stabroek redevelopment project points to the enhancement and modernisation of the Stabroek Market area and also the country's tourism industry, “It will be a different face for our city, not (Continued on page 17)
resident of the Guyana Teachers Union (GTU), Mark Lyte says that teachers feel “worthless” and “undervalued” as the Ministry of Education (MoE) continues to ignore their proposal for an increase to teachers' pay. According to Lyte, the Union recently submitted a proposal for the fourth time and there has still been no response from the Ministry in this regard. “This is the fourth copy of our proposal…there has been no movement in terms of when we will be called to the table to discuss. It makes us feel worthless and undervalued because while the Government keeps talking about the value of teachers and the importance of the system, the treatment says something different,” he reasoned. The Union head elaborated that not only has the Union reached out to the Ministry, but also the President in their desperate plea for a response. He a r g u e d , “ We k e e p submitting documents,
writing the President and no one responds to you. It says a lot about our value as teachers”. Lyte noted that the Union on Monday visited the Cinderella county of Essequibo where teachers there vented their frustration over Government's silence on their pay cheques. In fact, he detailed that the Essequibo teachers clearly stated that they would be reluctant to accept less than a 15 percent increase in their salaries, and are in fact ready to “take action” should Government not align their plans. “The increase that the Government is talking about no one knows how much would be given to teachers, but on the ground they were saying that if they give less than 15 percent they are going to take some action,” the Union President said. He was keen to note that this area is believed to be one of Government's strong areas. Nevertheless, Lyte told Kaieteur News that he was surprised President Irfaan Ali made no mention of
public servants' wages in his address to the nation on Friday afternoon. “Today's presentation was actually a charade to say to our public servants that we have shared out a lot of money, pushing cost of living, so therefore there may not be much left, so we are still discussing how much we can give you. I was watching because I was hoping that something would've been said in this regard as it is the end of the year,” he pointed out. The GTU in its proposal is requesting a 20 percent increase to teachers pay, and are also seeking to iron out matters relating to gratuity for its members, additional duty-free concessions, and the granting of allowances, among others. In 2018, thousands of teachers took to the streets, as they protested Government's sloth in increasing their salaries and addressing their allowances. Among other things, the Union had proposed a 40 percent across the board increase for teachers for 2016 and five percent for
President of the Guyana Teachers Union, Mark Lyte each of the additional four years [2017-2020]. But instead of countering the union's offer with an affordable percentage, Government, even after establishing a Task Force to negotiate on its behalf and which accepted the union's proposal, decided to offer teachers a ball-park figure of a $700 million salary increase for 2018 and an additional $200 million for de-bunching monies owed to teachers since 2011. The stalemate between the two parties ended on the fourth day in the second week of the strike action initiated by the union, following failed talks for salary and non-salary benefits for teachers.
Saturday November 13, 2021
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Guyanese still to feel positive economic - Report finds impact from oil …as ExxonMobil's operations endanger country's key industries
The capital of Guyana, Georgetown, has yet to r e f l e c t i t s b u rg e o n i n g fortunes. Deep puddles of water pool on pot-marked roads. Key heritage buildings are in sore need of fresh paint, and minimum wage workers toil for just over $1 an hour. This was the assessment as reported by Al Jazeera News—the most widely circulated news agency in the Middle East including, Dubai—which in its most recent report on Guyana observed that the country saw some of the planet's fastest economic growth last year: more than 43 percent, according to the World Bank, as new offshore fields started production. According to the Al Jazeera News report, Guyana's drive to develop its oil wealth is colliding with the threat climate change is posing to its future. It was noted that earlier
this year, devastating floods wrecked crops and destroyed thousands of homes. This publication also recently reported rising sea levels that threaten Georgetown as one of nine major world cities forecast to be under water by 2030 if greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise at their current rate, according to the research group Climate Central. As world leaders wrap up United Nations climate negotiations in Glasgow, Scotland, this week, it was observed that Guyana is attempting to strike a delicate balance between extracting oil to lift people out of poverty and combatting the climate crisis. “We are a poor country; we're developing. We have a resource; we have to capitalize on it,” said Kemraj Parsram, Executive Director of the Environmental
Rawle White, the owner of a fruit and vegetable stall in Georgetown, said climate change is already having a negative impact on domestic agriculture due to increased flooding [Chris Arsenault/Al Jazeera].
Protection Agency (EPA), the government body responsible for safeguarding ecosystems. “At the same time, we can maintain and achieve international [climate] obligations and maintain net-zero [carbon emissions],” he told Al Jazeera during an interview at his office in the capital. Investing for the future With more than 40 percent of its population living on less than US$5.50 per day, according to the World Bank, Guyana has played a minimal role in causing climate change and its officials say Guyana can extract billions of barrels of oil, while maintaining netzero carbon emissions due to its vast rainforests, which suck carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Regardless of whether that accounting proves to be accurate, environmentalists
Local fishermen say their catches have dropped substantially as the oil industry has grown and climate change worsens [Chris Arsenault/Al Jazeera]. worry that Guyana is joining the black gold business, in the waning days of the petroleum era, with dangerous consequences for its climate and long-term economic prospects. Others proffer that the demand for oil will continue for an extended period into the future. Only recently, Vice President, Bharrat Jagdeo noted that even at 2050 when the world is aiming to reach its net zero emissions, there will still be a demand for some 24 million barrels of oil daily, and that Guyana must not be left out of the supply chain. “It's like going into the telegraph business now when we are talking about 5G cellular,” Martin Dietrich Brauch, a senior economics researcher with Columbia University's Center on Sustainable Investment, told Al Jazeera of Guyana's move into offshore oil drilling. “It's a technology we know will need to be phased out. This is the key issue for Guyana: is it worth entering this now with huge investments that will be
impossible to maintain after 2050?” Under current emissions reduction pledges from countries at the Glasgow summit, the planet is expected to warm by 2.4 degrees Celsius by 2100, the Climate Action Tracker research group reported this week. That's far above the 1.5degree limit scientists say the world must meet to avert the most devastating impacts of climate change. Tapping vast new oil deposits simply isn't viable, according to the scientific consensus, if the world is to avoid climate catastrophe. Guyana has every right to develop its economy and infrastructure, Brauch said, but even putting the climate crisis aside, going hard on renewable energy now makes more long-term economic sense than pouring billions of dollars into oil infrastructure. ExxonMobil, the biggest player in Guyana's new offshore fields, started production in December 2019.“The production of resources will continue to generate billions of dollars of
revenue, significant economic development and job creation for Guyana,” an ExxonMobil spokeswoman told Al Jazeera. The company expects to reduce absolute greenhouse gas emissions from its production business by 30 percent by 2025, the spokesperson added. On the frontline of global warming On the streets of Georgetown, some residents are keenly aware of the impacts of climate change. And many say the benefits of oil money have yet to arrive in their pockets. “With the oil, the cost of living is way up,” Rawle White, the owner of a vegetable stall at a local market, told Al Jazeera. He spent 20 years working as a farmer, but gave up due to frustration over environmental shifts. “Because of climate change, you can't do much farming now,” White said. “The tractor [often] can't go onto the land with all the sinking because of rainfall.” Businesspeople at the (Continued on page 16)
Saturday November 13, 2021
Kaieteur News
119 new COVID-19 cases recorded within last 24 hours The Ministry of Health (MoH) yesterday reported that within the last 24-hour period, it has recorded a total of 119 new COVID-19 cases, taking the total number of confirmed cases in the country to 36,652.A breakdown of new cases per Region shows
that Region Six leads with 43 new cases, Region Four with 35, Region Three with 17, Region 10 with 13, Region Two with5, Region Five with4, and Regions One and Eight with 1each. According to statistics provided in its latest COVID19 dashboard, there are 16
patients admitted into the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit (ICU), 55 persons in institutional isolation, 2,259 in home isolation and 15 in institutional quarantine. To date, a total of 33,367 persons who tested positive have recovered.
Government silent on Stabroek... From page 11 only is it development for our country, but also for our people.” The mayor also noted that the project aims to remove vendors off the streets into better facilities, so as to ensure improved standards for selling and producing goods. In addition, there will be adequate seating arrangements for citizens awaiting public
transportation, as there is expected to be a terminal for buses and a car park for vehicles from all districts. All of these facilities are intended to reduce the number of vehicles that are usually parked haphazardly and chaotically on the roads, and the large litters of garbage left all around the city. There is no set timeline as to when the project is ex-
pected to be completed due to the support awaited from the government, but which is still unknown. However, Narine stated he is willing to work with the government towards the betterment of the city and of the Guyanese people, and is yet to have a meeting with government officials and other stakeholders to discuss the initiation of this project.
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Saturday November 13, 2021
Prepare for flooding in Regions Six and Eight - Hydromet warns T h e H y d r o meteorological Service has warned Regions Six and Eight to be prepared for a three-month period of flooding from November 2021 to January 2022. This was revealed by the Seasonal
Climate Outlook report for Regions One, Two, Three, Four, Five, and Seven; while noting that the northern sections of Regions Six, Eight and Ten are usually wet, but Region Nine and o t h e r a r e a s a r e d r y.
Additionally, this wet period usually starts during the last half of November. During this season, southern Guyana would usually experience dry conditions with occasional showers. The report also pointed out that the highest rainfall is normally experienced in Regions One, Two, Three, Seven and the northeastern section of Region Eight, as per the Rainfall Pattern maps below. Commonly, these conditions repeat each year unless they are being influenced by El Niño (drier conditions prevailing), or La Niña (wetter conditions prevailing). Furthermore, the chances are higher for wetter than usual (above normal) conditions across all Regions. The report also explained that Regions Nine, southern Six, Eight, and Ten
are likely to experience the least amount of rainfall during this period. Meanwhile, rainfall amounts and frequency are expected to increase as the season progresses. Nevertheless, the probability of above-normal rainfall can be seen in map two below (darker blue indicates higher chance). As the season progresses, water levels in conservancies, reservoirs, and inland rivers in Regions One to northern Six, Seven and Ten are expected to reach maximum capacity. On Thursday, Kaieteur News made several attempts to contact the Hydromet's Specialist Meteorologist, Komalchand Dhiram for a comment via way of text message and phone call. Those efforts, however, have proven to be futile.
Flooding in Regions One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Seven, Ten northern Six and Eight as a result of persistent rain is a developing concern; therefore, drainage intervention is highly recommended where and when possible.
Internal parasite infection prevalent among children in Central Mazaruni T
he United States (U.S.) Civil Affairs team during a recent trip it made to Central Mazaruni, Region Seven observed that internal parasite infection is prevalent among children living there. That trip was made in early October and is the second one that the U.S. team made to a geographically challenging location in order to identify a suitable area to host a large-scale medical outreach there. The team had hosted a successful medical outreach in Region One, which saw 2500 persons benefitting from the services it had provided and wants to repeat another one in Region Seven. In September, the team visited the Cuyuni district of Region Seven, and in October it visited the Central Mazaruni communities of Issano, Kangaruma, Issenaru, Seabang and Tassarene . A c c o r d i n g t o Te a m Leader, Aaron Staton, “The purpose of the trip was to look at potential sites for a medical outreach, and figure out the medical needs of the villages along the Mazaruni River”. One of the medical issues that residents face in Central
Leader of the US Civil Affairs team, Aaron Staton speaking with the Toshao and villagers of Tassarene, Mazaruni, Region Seven. Mazaruni communities is internal parasite infection and it is more prevalent among the children. The team identified the parasite affecting the children as “tapeworm/fish tapeworm”. The fish tapeworm is considered to be the largest parasite that infects humans. Humans become infected with the parasite when they eat raw or undercooked freshwater fish that contain fish tapeworm cysts. Staton pointed out that in Kangaruma, there was one child that was severely infected with the parasite,
who could barely move around. He estimates that among the group of 25 persons that the U.S. team met in the area, at least two children had internal parasite infection. The team also said that residents of Central Mazaruni are also in need of paediatric and dentistry services. Staton explained that there are special vitamins that children need to boost their immunity against certain infections. Other medical issues that infect residents are malaria,
dengue fever, and high blood pressure. There were also complaints of skin rashes in the village of Tassarene and its Toshao Village Captain had told the team he believes that it might be caused by the use of mercury in the river by miners, and mining vessels that dredge up the water. He showed the team a little girl that was infected by the skin rash. According to Staton, “the young girl's skin would go through cycles where it would ooze pus, and then scab over, and then ooze more pus again.”
A photo taken of a skin rash that infected a little girl at Issano. Upon the completion of the trip, the villagers gave the U.S. team a cake of cassava bread to show their appreciation for its plans to host a medical outreach in Region Seven. The team has decided that it will return to the area on December 4 and 5, and will stop at Bartica to conduct a
mini outreach. On those two days, the team will also conduct first aid training with medics stationed in the various Region Seven communities. It will then follow-up with a mega outreach in early January 2022 at Issano, Central Mazaruni, Region Seven.
Saturday November 13, 2021
Cutlass bandit loses loot in escape bid A cutlass bandit dropped the items he stole from a businessman during a robbery, while making good his escape over a fence The robbery took place around 20:30hrs at the Tushen New Scheme, East Bank Essequibo. According to police, a 40-year-old businessman was closing up his bar, when the suspect walked in and claimed that he came to buy something to drink. The businessman had just responded that he was closed, when the suspect pulled out a cutlass from his waist and dealt him a chop to
his right hand. The bandit then pushed his hand into the victim's pocket and took away his iPhone Six valued at $45,000 and $30,000 in cash. In the process of jumping the back fence that surrounded the facility, the suspect dropped the above mentioned items, which were then recovered by the victim. An alarm was then raised and the police was summoned. The victim was then escorted to the Leonora Cottage Hospital where he was seen by a doctor, treated, and sent away. Police investigations are currently in progress.
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500% increase in Robbery Under Arms in Region One
Region One has recorded the highest increase in overall crime at approximately 132.4 percent. This was revealed by President Dr. Irfaan Ali during his address to the nation yesterday, as he explained that the crime rate in Guyana is increasing and how the Government is planning to tackle these type of situations. In 2020, one incident of Robbery Under Arms occurred in Region One. In comparison, there have been six incidents of the same crime committed in Region One, which represents a 500 percent increase, President Ali noted. However, the President explained that the Guyana Police Force's (GPF) statistics shows that countrywide, crime has decreased by 19.4 percent
when compared to the same period last year. The Head of State stated that the situation is different regionally, with Regions One, Six, Seven, and Nine recording increases in Robbery Under Arms. President Ali highlighted that the Government is set to launch a programme whereby criminals who want to change their lives can have a forthright discussion with highranking Government officials on how to go about such a change. The President revealed that with this new project, persons will be given a second chance to change their lives from one of crime. President Ali further explained that this initiative will be completely
confidential. “Once you want to change your life, we want a discussion with you, we want talk to you, to give you an alternative pathway to earn an honest income and living a decent life,” Dr. Ali said.He emphasized that, “We want to work with you on giving you a better option at life.” Nevertheless, the President stated that the strategy is to look at each area individually to identify what is the reason for the crime rate increase there. Furthermore, Dr. Ali stated that Region One has seen an influx of migrants, who have their own social and economic crises. This new programme is considered to be a part of the GPF's crime-fighting standards.
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Saturday November 13, 2021
Saturday November 13, 2021
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Kaieteur News
Guyana out of FIBA Brazil beat Colombia 1-0 to qualify for Qatar World Cup America Cup 3X3 The Guyana Amateur Basketball Federation fielded both a male and female team at this year’s International Basketball Federation (FIBA) AMERICUP 3X3 tournament which is being contested in Miami, Florida. Both teams opened the tournament on a positive with respective wins over Guatemala but both exited the event on the first day, yesterday. The women’s side that comprised of Spain-based professional Joy Adams, Jada Mohan and Kesann Charles had more success than the men as they advanced to the next round despite losing 18-13 to Chile in the group stage before losing to Mexico 17-
11. The women’s team had to play throughout the tournament without any substitute which put them at a disadvantage from the get go. Meanwhile, Tyrone Hamid, Ryan Stephney, Travis Burnett and Timothy Thompson narrowly missed out on the next round. Guyana men defeated Guatemala 19-18 but went on to lose to 21-13 to Trinidad & Tobago, while Guatemala crushed Trinidad & Tobago 21 - 14. In the end, Trinidad and Guyana were knocked out because Guatemala scored more points in their two games (39), while Trinidad totaled 35 points and Guyana 32.
SAO PAULO (AP) — Brazil is celebrating as the first South American team to qualify for the World Cup in Qatar — with several matches in hand and more than a year before the tournament begins. Neymar set up Lucas Paquetá in the 72nd minute to give Brazil a 1-0 win against Colombia in Sao Paulo. Thursday’s victory was the Seleção’s 11th in 12 matches of qualifiers, putting it 18 points ahead of Chile and Colombia, fourth and fifth places with 16 points. Chile and Colombia can add only 15 points from its five remaining games. The top four teams in South America earn direct entry to the World Cup. Celebrations at the NeoQuimica Arena were discreet on the pitch after a hard-fought match with little inspiration from both sides.
Saturday November 13, 2021 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) The source of your frustration may be people who seem to be sensitive and honest yet act abrasively and speak aggressively. Try not to be fooled by those who continuously offer one image while delivering another. TAURUS (Apr. 20–May 20) Have fun with people today. Talk about the fantasies you dream about coming to fruition in the coming years. Your emotions are strongly tied to your imagination. GEMINI (May 21–June 20) Your competitive side may be a strong force in today's activities. Before you get too emotional about any situation, use logic and cold, hard facts to defend your position. CANCER(June21–July22) Finding the answers you seek is easier when you take a more adamant position about where you stand now and where you want to be later. LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) You've almost reached an important finish line. Don't give up. This is the time to kick into high gear and get moving even more quickly than before. VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) This is a good time to make decisions that bring together your need for practicality as well as desire for emotional freedom. It's important for your mental health to have faith in your fantasies and your ability to see them through.
LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) You're apt to feel support, though it might be hidden in unexpected places. Don't discount anyone. SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) It may be hard for anything to hold your attention today. Your mind may drift easily, and you may not have the patience to deal with situations that come your way. SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) You're trying to protect and shelter a certain part of yourself from others. This special spot in your soul that you hide from others is probably the most beautiful, since you nurture it so carefully. CAPRI(Dec.22–Jan.19) Although some people may think of you as a space cadet when it comes to decisions and commitments, they may see a different side of you today. AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18) It may be hard to find your mental and physical home base. Your mind could be wrapped in a cloud or some sort of imaginative time warp, so be careful how you proceed. PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) You like to recycle in your home and your workplace. Be a part of the solution instead of the problem by picking up after yourself and making sure that you aren't leaving a mess wherever you go.
But they gained traction in the Brazil dressing room as players waved a Qatari flag and chanted, with FIFA and South American soccer body CONMEBOL joining to congratulate the first team from the region to secure its place in next year’s World Cup. Host Qatar, Germany and Denmark had already done that. “This is the result of great work we started way back,” Paquetá said after the match in Sao Paulo which provided few opportunities for both teams. “I cried of happiness (after scoring) because of this moment I am living at the national team and at my club Lyon. This came from a lot of joy, joy for this work well done,” Paquetá added. His goal came after Marquinhos found Neymar in the middle of the Colombia defence. Neymar quickly passed to Paquetá, who beat goalkeeper David Ospina with a low crossed shot that ended in the right corner of the Colombian goal. Ospina’s touch was not enough to stop the ball from going in. It was one of the few opportunities created by Brazil during the match. Brazil will miss midfielder Casemiro in Tuesday’s match at Argentina due to a yellow card. Fabinho is his likely replacement. Asked about the team’s future now that the spot in Qatar is sealed, Brazil coach Tite said he will seek “solidity, creativity, goals and victories” until the World Cup
Chanderpaul appointed... From page 22 home and the ICC Under19 Cricket World Cup.” The West Indies Rising Stars U19s are preparing for the prestigious ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup tournament, which will be hosted by CWI in the Caribbean from January 4 to February 3, 2022. Before the World Cup, West Indies are due finalise their squad preparation with a five-match series at home. Further details will be announced once officially confirmed.
Banks to Sponsor... From page 20 in the National Park. The top finishers in the senior male and female categories will secure a winner’s prize of US$1000 with second place claiming US$600 and third US$400 along with trophies. Prizes will also be given in the Junior and Masters divisions.
begins. “That is excellency. That is what moves us. We need to get as close to that as we can,” Tite said in a press conference. “We will celebrate a little tomorrow to mark this moment.” Brazil sealed its qualification by giving Tite his 50th win along with 12 draws and five defeats. Tite took over Brazil in the middle of qualifying for the World Cup in Russia in 2018. His team was knocked out by Belgium 2-1 in the quarterfinals in Russia. Also on Thursday, thirdplace Ecuador beat last-place Venezuela 1-0 with a goal by Piero Hincapié. Chile had a key 1-0 victory at Paraguay thanks to an own goal by Antony Silva after a corner kick. And Peru defeated Bolivia 3-0, with
goals by Gianluca Lapadula, Christian Cueva and Sergio Peña. Uruguay were due to host second-place Argentina, with 25 points, in a match yesterday. Brazil leads with 34 points. Its match with Argentina in September was bizarrely suspended after seven minutes of play because of concerns from authorities over breaches of COVID-19 protocols. FIFA has not yet decided whether it will be replayed. Peru is now seventh with 14 points, followed by Paraguay and Bolivia, both with 12 points and still some hope to qualify. Venezuela has 7 points. The fifth-place team in South American qualifiers goes into an intercontinental playoff for a spot in Qatar.
GKR Ariel, Regal Legends... From page 23 Roger Mattar made 22. T. Bacchus snared 3-11, D. Boodhan 2-16 and R. Singh 2-24. Rockaway took first strike and scored 167-8. Robert Mohan stroked 71 and Oswald Chandler 25. S. Ferguson bagged 4-11. NYSCL responded with 72-9. Ferguson made 32 as Ramesh Rambharose picked up 3-8. NYSCL scored 106 all out, batting first. A. Mangar made 26 as Rudy Mayers took 2-19
and Asif Ahmad 2-27. Carpet Doctors replied with 108-3. Nigel Estrado led with 62 while Roger Mattar made 24. Orlando Legends were bowled out for 99 in 19.4 overs, batting first. D. Boodhan made 39 as Jairam claimed 3-20. Rockaway were restricted for 77 all out in 18 overs. Eon Lovell made 21. D. Sankar captured 4-14, D. Boodhan 210 and Gossai 2-11. The competition continues today.
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Saturday November 13, 2021
Banks to Sponsor SA 10KM Classic Local beverage giants Banks DIH Limited have signed on as the beverage sponsor for the 19th Edition of the South American 10 KM Classic Road Race billed for next Sunday November 21st and
organized by the Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG). Banks DIH through its Rainforest Waters and Powerade Brands will ensure that athletes and officials are hydrated during
and after the event which is expected to attract runners from Guyana, South America and the Caribbean. During a simple ceremony at Thirst Park on Thursday, Colin King Water Beverages Brand
Manager, made the presentation of the sponsorship cheque to Aubrey Hudson, President of the AAG. Hudson expressed gratitude to Banks DIH for its continued support of the
annual Classic. According to Hudson, the 10Km race is specially organized for Runners from within South America and the Caribbean, and is approved by the IAAF and South American Athletics Confederation
(CONSUDATLE). The race will start on at 15:30 hours on Carifesta Avenue close to GTT Earth Station and will proceed to along the East Coast Highway and return to finish (Continued on page 19)
Saturday November 13, 2021
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GFF-K&S launch year-end Futsal tourney
Y
esterday, at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall (CASH) on Homestretch Avenue, the second of a total of three year-end competitions that are being organised by the Kashif & Shanghai (K&S) Organisation in collaboration with the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) was launched. This tournament is the GFF-K&S Futsal Championship. T h e F u t s a l Championship kicks off on December 16th and will conclude on January 8th. A total of 32 teams will be in the competition with Georgetown having 16 teams participating. Meanwhile, Linden, West Demerara, East Coast and East Bank will have four each. K&S representative, Frank ‘English’ Parris, explained that due to logistical reasons and a lack of accommodation, teams from Bartica, Essequibo and Rupununi could not be
facilitated this year but they will not be forgotten in upcoming events. Head of the GFF Wayne Forde, who was present at the launch, shared that the feedback from teams have been very positive and they are all aware that this will be a fully vaccinated only event. Fans and all other stakeholders are also advised to get vaccinated as well since that will be the only way to gain access into the playing venues. In a bid to help patrons get inoculated, Forde announced that the GFF will be hosting several vaccination drives. Today, players, match officials, coaches, staff and fans will be able to attend Ministry of Health Emergency Operations Centre vaccination sites in Berbice, Linden and West Coast Demerara, as follows: Berbice Football Association New Amsterdam Scotts School Ground – 10:00h to 15:00h
Georgetown Office Assistants Promotion Committee to stage Tapeball cricket competition
T
he Georgetown Office Assistants Promotion Committee will stage an 8a-side, 4-over Tapeball knockout InterMinistries/Government Agencies cricket competition on Sunday November 21st. The venue is the National Cultural Centre Tarmac starting from 9:00am and Trophies, medals and cash incentives are up for grabs. The teams scheduled to take part have been broken into two groups. The event is being organised by James ‘Uprising’ Lewis and would be staged under strict National Covid-19 Task Force guidelines. The Teams competition are: Group A – Supreme Court Marshals, Guyana
Forestry Commission, Demerara Habour Bridge, Guyana Revenue Authority, Guyana Oil Company, Guyana Energy Authority, Guyana Prison Service, Bank of Guyana, NIDA, Maritime Administration, GOHC and EPA. Group B – Ministry of To u r i s m , M i n i s t r y o f Foreign Affairs& Int. Corporation, Ministry of Public Service, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Culture Youth and Sports, Ministry of Housing and Wa t e r , M i n i s t r y o f Amerindian Affairs, Ministry of Public Works, Ministry of Human Services a n d S o c i a l S e c u r i t y, Ministry of Natural Resources, Office of the President and Ministry of Finance.
Corriverton Springlands – FACT Pavement – 10:0h to 15:00h
West Coast Demerara Football Association Number Five Village
Ground – 10:00h to 15:00h Upper Demerara Football Association
Linden Egbert Benjamin Exhibition and Conference Centre – 09:00h to 15:00h
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Chanderpaul appointed batting consultant for the West Indies Rising Stars U-19s - 28 players selected for two-week High-Performance Camp starting November 15 ST JOHN’S, Antigua – Cricket West Indies (CWI) yesterday announced that We s t I n d i e s l e g e n d Shivnarine Chanderpaul will join the West Indies Rising Stars U19s squad as the batting consultant for the upcoming HighPerformance Camp in Antigua as part of the West Indies Rising Stars U19s preparations for the ICC U19s Cricket World Cup to be hosted in the Caribbean in January and February 2022. Chanderpaul, who had an outstanding international career, is the most capped
player in West Indies Test history. He played 164 matches and made 11,867 runs at an average of 51.37. He is the newest member of the coaching staff, headed by Head Coach Floyd Reifer, and will be part of this preparation period, which runs from November 15 to 28 at the Coolidge Cricket Ground in Antigua. Jimmy Adams, CWI’s Director of Cricket said: “We want to welcome Shivnarine Chanderpaul to the Rising Stars U19s group and we look forward to him working with our young
players at this critical stage in their development p a t h w a y. S h i v h a s a tremendous amount of cricketing knowledge and know-how and he will be a great addition to the coaching staff. We already have another icon of the game in Sir Curtly Ambrose, who has been involved with the squad since the camp in August, as well as several other outstanding coaches.” The Selection Panel has named 28 players for this camp following the previous camp and trial matches held in August. This includes two
newcomers who will be assessed by the coaches and selectors – Jaden Leacock, a right-arm fast-medium bowler and right-hand batter; and Kevin Wickham, a right-hand batter and rightarm wrist spinner. Robert Haynes, CWI’s Lead Selector for the West Indies Rising Stars U19s said: “Having had a monthlong camp in Antigua in August followed by the 18man West Indies Under-19 squad tour of England, I am looking forward to see the continued progress and improvements of the various players as well as to interact with them to understand their thinking and approach to the game.” Haynes added: “The two-week camp will include four practice matches along with continued skills and physical development, and it’s an opportunity for all players invited to stake a claim for selection for the series at (Continued on page 19)
Saturday November 13, 2021
Saturday November 13, 2021
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GSCL Inc Prime Minister’s T20 Cup
GKR Ariel, Regal Legends flawless on opening day By Zaheer Mohamed GKR Ariel and Regal Legends started off their campaign on a positive note when the Georgetown Softball Cricket League Inc Prime Minister’s T20 Cup 5 commenced yesterday. In the open category at E v e L e a r y, d e f e n d i n g champions Speedboat went down to GKR Ariel by six wickets. Batting first, Speedboat made 114 all out in 18.3 overs. Dovendra Mohan made 26, Kishore Smith 25 and Safraz Esau 20. Dianand Singh claimed 3-15, Keon Sinclair 2-14, Quentin Sampson 2-20 and Jonathan Fernandes 2-31. GKR Ariel responded with 117-4 in 12 overs. Sampson struck 65 and Eon Hooper 29. Shazim Hussain captured 3-26. Regal beat Success by eight wickets. Success batted first and scored 105-9. Kumar Bishundial made 29 and Latchman Chinapen 23. Delroy Perreira took 2-12, Richard Latif 2-23 and Karamchand Persaud 2-24. Regal replied with 111-2 in 13.3 overs. Sachin Singh stroked 52, Chien Gittens 28 and Latif 18. Speedboat posted 238-7, taking first strike. Dovendra Mohan led with 55 while Safraz Esau made 44, A. Mohabir 39, Greg Singh 35 and S. Singh 26. Anand Bharat captured 3-34. Airport responded with 143-5. Bharat scored 57 and Quazim Yusuf 39. Greg Singh took 2-35.
GKR Ariel took first strike and scored 159-7. Quentin Sampson made 37, David Williams 28, Eon Hooper 17 and Shaz Grosvenor 16. Kelvin Orford took 2-18 and Sewchand Budhu 2-37. Regal replied with 1308. Richard Latif scored 37 and Chien Gittens 32. Sampson claimed 3-21, Jonathan Fernandes 2-12 and Keon Sinclair 2-34. At Demerara Cricket Club, Airport managed 1368. Shane Wong made 56 and Quazim Yusuf 38. Narine Bailey captured 3-19 and M. Durga 2-13. Name Brand responded with 140-3 in 11.6 overs. J. Diaram scored 42, K. Gangaram 38, K. Dyal 34 and R. Judister 20. In the Legends division a t M u s l i m Yo u t h Organisation, Regal rattled up 223-4, taking first knock. Unnis Yusuf struck 96 with 11 fours and seven sixes and Ramesh Narine made 47 which contained three fours and three sixes. NY Hustlers made 113-7 in reply. K. Sanichar scored 67 as Ramesh Narine claimed 3-11 and Roy Persaud 3-19. Floodlights took first knock and managed 134-7. Anil Beharry made 39, Shaun Massiah 27 and Khemraj Sumair 21. R. Latchman took 2-9 and R. Khan 2-10. NY Huslters replied with 136-3. Q. Farrick scored 47 not out while Mahase Chunilall made 29 and Shameer Sadloo 23. Beharry
captured 3-16. Orlando Legends batted first and managed 139-7. D. Boodhan struck 41, R. Singh 38 and K. Tribene 21. R. Persaud grabbed 4-19 and Asif Ahmad 3-14. Carpet Doctors were limited to 102-8 in response. (Continued on page 19)
Prime Minister Retired Brigadier Mark Phillips declared the competition open... here he tries his hand at bowling.