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UN Secretary General tells world leaders: Tax Exxon and other polluters,

not the people

The protest continues for change to the Exxon contract.

Chinese gold Workers company's occupying Govt. operations properties in confidential Linden issued - Spokesperson eviction letters Cop and suspected bandit shot during arrest scuffle

Ministry blames Tender Board for retendering 1 project 4 times

Pres. Ali, VP Jagdeo in talks with IDB for more loans on UN General Assembly sidelines The foreigners and their families are living like kings with our God-given wealth @11:00hrs on Kaieteur Radio 99.1/99.5FM

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Kaieteur News

Wednesday September 22, 2021

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

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

EDITORIAL

Master dredges, revelers in Guyana’s gutters The sound and fury came sharp and heavy. It is where anything occurring today, takes us back to all the rancid yesterdays that haunt Guyanese existence. Whenever the ugly is articulated and delivered, through any available medium, there is hunting for, and finding quickly, more of the same (or worse) to rebut to regain bragging rights. This is the Guyana soap opera of endless back and forth, with nobody making sense, no one gaining anything, and nothing being resolved to anybody’s satisfaction. Thus, the stage is set for more of the same nasty barbarities today, tomorrow, and whenever suits local fancies.

This was what took place in the fevered, bound to overheat environment, involving the Minister of Education, which snagged many into the treacherous coils of what passes for conversation in this country. Everyone showed how well-equipped they were in the low engagements and sickly entanglements of our bitter and increasingly brutalising political history. Those advocating on the Minister’s behalf expressed horror at the vileness of what was aimed at her. Those rushing out to defend the minister’s attackers startled with a remarkable line of examples of how, where, and when she did what that was the equivalent, if not utterly worse. And so it went back and forth, low and lower, with more calming, civilised ground given up enthusiastically. This is not merely public political secrets of unacceptable behaviour, but the smelly underbelly of a family feud now out of control.

For sure, the Minister of Education has a history. It speaks for itself, and needs no regurgitation or elaboration from us. It is sufficient to say that she makes for an inviting target. But the bigger point, the larger challenge is this: okay, whatever the merits or relevance (or lack of) in this instance of disagreements with the minister, how did matters deteriorate to this sharp, punishing pitch? That is, where one wrong, the current one, is more than counterbalanced by another one, which occurred in the past. In fact, many of them, more that upend the scales to the disadvantage of the minister.

To put differently, it is where wrong minus wrong equals the right to unleash more wrongs. It is how our determined attempts to be master dredgers for any useful corroborating wretched behaviour recently, or further back in time, present one and all with yet another opportunity for more revelers to jump into Guyana’s gutters, and have a good time. It is a case of two can play at this dirty game of sticking it to one another. Or in Guyanese lingo ‘knack back gat knack back’ and where ‘last lick’ is the order of the day, except that it never ends.

In the process, a lot of the same old local territory is covered, with facts and fabrications, or at least license is taken for exaggerations, running wild. This is what we call sober addressing of a lapse, a momentary failure. It is better to defend to the death, than yield an inch. No quarter is given, since there is an abundance of significant missteps by more than a few on both sides of the raging political and racial divide. Nobody is seeking a way out, to take timeout, and give a breather to ponder these questions: how long do we continue with this? And after that, where do we go from where we are woefully fastened?

The sharpened and waiting knives come out, and it is the free for all of let’s get on with it. Still, the question lingers: after all is said and done, then what, where to? If this land is ever going to be a real nation of the likeminded, then we are not just wasting time, but are also clueless in how we are creative in continuing to fool ourselves.

Meaning, that there is some common beginning, some semblance of binding substance, that could take us somewhere, other than where we are stuck, which the clashing episodes surrounding the Minister of Education once again confirm. We are not a nation; we are an abomination. Instead of seekers and healers, we are master dredgers digging up sewage and gleefully plastering each other.

Protect our daughters from murders DEAR EDITOR, I am consumed with a plethora of negative emotions after hearing about the brutal murder of a young Corentyne mother at the hands of her former male partner. I’m gripped by anger, sadness, frustration, and anxiety all in one. But most of all, I feel a sense of helplessness.

For decades, women of Guyana have suffered unspeakable brutality at the hands of their husband/boyfriend who once promised to love them. It all starts off as a fairytale dream with visions for a better life. And it all ends one day because a selfish, irresponsible, and inherently ungodly man who cannot accept responsibility for his shortcomings, walk away from an unwanted situation, or take “no” for an answer.

In the time-lapse between the start and the end of these abusive unions are obscene episodes of domestic violence and verbal abuse meted out to the young woman with no one to turn to and nowhere to run. In most cases, it ends only when her life ends.

What systems are in place to protect unsuspecting

women who would inevitably fall into this trap ultimately created by a dysfunctional society? Most of these young women are forced to stay in abusive relationships that eventually cost them their life because they have no one and nowhere else to turn.

Unfortunately, we live in a society which despises women who leave failed marriages.

Most of the time, they are ashamed to even tell their parents what is being meted out to them in their new home. We have conditioned our minds to the “blame the victim” mentality to the point where we make people feel that something is wrong with them if they are being mistreated.

Nothing could be further from the truth! This backward way of thinking only empowers abusers. We must teach our daughters where to draw the line. We must make them understand what’s tolerable and what’s not in a relationship.

And we must empower them physically, morally, and financially to leave abusive unions before it’s too late – as in the tragic case of Roma Raju.

But it gets worse. Often,

even when the young woman, having been abused and sensing danger, walks away from abusive relationships, the ex-partner threatens to kill her and even makes good on his threat.

One classic example of this is the young mother who was murdered in Rose Hall, Corentyne, while going to work. She leaves a child who will now grow up without the care of either mother or father.

What systems are in place to deter these tragedies from reoccurring? Sadly, very little, if any. We’ve tried through the media to educate our young men and women on these subjects to no avail.

These beasts in the form of human beings feel empowered to commit these heinous acts because there is no fear of reprisal strong enough to deter them. Most of them don’t even care for their own life and so commit suicide after mercilessly taking another’s life. The others are sent to prison where they are fed fat on taxpayers’ money for the next 40 odd years.

The Humanitarian Mission Guyana Inc. have already taken great strides in the di-

rection of educating, empowering, and nurturing back to life young women who were victims of domestic abuse.

We have already put systems in place for them to learn a life-skills education, earn for themselves, and become independent. But we want to do more.

We need a stronger deterrent to this plague of Guyanese society. We need to send a stronger message to potential abusers that this kind of behaviour will not be tolerated.

And it is for this reason that I, Mr. Suresh Sugrim, of the Humanitarian Mission Guyana Inc. is calling on H.E. Dr. Irfaan Ali and the Attorney General of Guyana, Hon. Anil Nandlall, to apply the maximum penalty of the law to this monster who has so painfully robbed a young woman of her precious life. It is my firm opinion that such a move will send a strong message to all potential abusers and murderers out there, that this will not be tolerated in Guyana.

Sincerely, Suresh Sugrim President HMG Inc.

THE CXC TRAGEDY: ONE YEAR ON DEAR EDITOR, September 22 marks one year since the release of the Caribbean Examination Council’s 2020 CSEC and CAPE examination results, and the start of a struggle to secure the best interests of, and fair and accurate grades for, our region’s students. It was our earnest hope that 12 months on, we could report that all issues have been resolved and that the CXC is more fit-for-purpose today.

Regrettably, that is not the case.

Many students remain disadvantaged by the erroneous 2020 results, due to an inadequate review process which yielded a mere one percent upward grade adjustments. Lacklustre though the review process was, we recognise that it would not have happened, nor would an Independent Review Team have been empanelled had it not been for the strident advocacy of organic groups of parents and students which coalesced into the Caribbean Coalition for Exam Redress.

Nonetheless, many students missed application deadlines last year due to late and erroneous results, others lost scholarships and, in a few instances, university placements. The crisis of 2020 therefore had a profound, lasting and material impact upon this region’s students, and indeed our region’s future.

But instead of reflecting upon the grievous errors of

2020 and adapting concomitantly, the CXC, aided by the regional educational apparatus, failed to prioritise student welfare and the principles of fairness in respect of the administration of the 2021 examinations. As a result, the Council continued with a businessas-usual approach offering their full suite of examinations, with a few inadequate concessions masquerading as gracious mercies, and with which 75 percent of the student population was wholly dissatisfied as evidenced by the CCER’s Student Satisfaction Survey. In several subject areas, questions appeared on examination papers that were not included in the statement of the broad topics.

Equally, we are told of many instances where either questions or instructions were illogically and inaccurately constructed. We have yet to see how these challenges affected our students.

Perhaps most deleterious of all, the delay of the exam period has resulted in an extended delay of the deadline to release this year’s results, as CXC’s decision to administer all papers returns to haunt their ability to dispatch grades. On every occasion since the arrangements for this year’s exams were settled, the CXC solemnly pledged that the results would be released between the last week in September and the first week of October. Students relied upon this promise and asked their universities to

hold their conditional acceptances well past the usual time until the promised date.

However, in a curt statement released last week, the Council sought to ‘remind’ stakeholders that results will be issued by mid-October, without an acknowledgement that this is a fundamental breach of its commitment and will therefore have serious consequences for those students who were only able to secure extensions from universities up to the first week of October.

Perhaps the only thing worse than the arrangements for this and last year’s examinations has been the appalling contempt for students, parents and teachers as education stakeholders, continually manifested in abrasive press releases and brusque engagements.

Little wonder then that the students of the region have little confidence in CXC’s ability to administer examinations and award grades. The Caribbean Coali-

tion for Exam Redress joins with the students of the region and reiterates our call for the empanelling of an independent Commission of Inquiry to investigate the operations of the CXC and recommend measures for its complete overhaul to make it fit for purpose.

Unless and until the issues giving rise to the erroneous results are addressed and remedied, the CXC ought not be allowed to continue to conduct examinations, a function for which they appear incapable as presently constituted. The journey has been long, but we shall not weary of advocating for the best interests of our region’s students.

Paula-Anne Moore is the Coordinator and Chief Spokesperson of the Caribbean Coalition for Exam Redress (CCER), while Khaleel Kothdiwala is the Lead Student Advocate at the CCER. Caribbean Coalition for Exam Redress

Is an outreach required to resolve routine NIS issues?

DEAR EDITOR, The contributor waiting almost five years for her social security issues to be resolved, (‘4 years and 8 months of excuses from NIS’, SN Sept 17), begs the question: would it take an outreach for this matter to be resolved? Further, just what is the response from the Board, which always seems silent on these matters?

Shamshun Mohamed

Wednesday September 22, 2021

DARTMOUTH PROTESTS DEAR EDITOR, I would like the Guyana Minister of Home Affairs and Commissioner of Police to answer the following questions related to the brutal, frightful murder of Orin Boston of Dartmouth Village, Essequibo Coast, in his bed on September 15: Why was Dartmouth targeted by the police? What did the police have against Orin Boston? By what law or by whose authority, did the police have the right to barge into a man’s house and shoot him in his bed? Do you know whether Mr. Boston’s murder was personal? Is there evidence that Orin Boston died as a result of a confrontation

with police?Assuming that there was a confrontation, who would not try to defend himself and family against crooks breaking into his house in the dark of early morning, especially when he doesn’t know that the intruders are policemen? The standard police confrontation excuse in this case reeks of waste, ripe for a toilet flush!

As a born and raised Dartmoutharian, I am as angry as any of my villagers.

Obviously, the police have no respect for the people of Dartmouth, and that is dangerous. Was it not in the same arrogant, ignorant, brutish manner that Shaka Blair of Buxton was murdered?

The entire Guyanese nation should condemn what happened to Orin Boston because, if the police have authority or are given authority to kick down people’s doors and murder them in their beds, no Guyanese should feel that the police will not kill them at any moment.

Will Orin Boston’s wife and children ever overcome their horror? I doubt that any form of counselling will help.

Oh, how painful it is to think that a widow and her children have been condemned by lawless policemen bloated with callousness to grieve forever!

Sincerely yours, Roy Brummell

APNUites Practice very things they condemned in opposition DEAR EDITOR, Reference is made to Freddie’s column, “The Dominic Gaskin story: A curious inexplicability” (Sept. 7) wherein he explained why Mr. Gaskin is treated with deference and Indians like Vishnu Bisram, Freddie Kissoon himself, Ryhaan Shah and Ravi Dev are seen as inferior species and not treated with deference by the Creole (mulatto) elite and even darkskinned people. “Indian intellectuals are easy target for abuse” because of their ethnicity and colour.

As Freddie rightly stated, it is the psychology of the mind that people are enamoured by, attracted to, and respect light complexioned or Mixed-White race people (and of course Whites) who are viewed since early colonial time as superior being. People are conditioned into that mode of thinking. It is so all over the Caribbean, Latin America, Africa, India,

North America. It is observed even at the village level in India.

It should be noted that while Indian intellectuals, including Freddie, have been abused on social media by the privileged Creole class and those who lost political privileges from March 2020, they are admired and revered by the Indian community.

Freddie and a few other Indians are viewed as heroes for combating electoral fraud and for defending the Indian community against derision and an onslaught of physical and verbal attacks. Freddie and other regular Indian letter writers write things that are factual that others lack courage to say. By the way, the Creole or mulatto class not only has disdain for Indian intellectuals or intelligentsia, they also despise the Indian political leadership and others acquired status through hard work like newspaper publisher Glenn Lall. The Creole

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Kaieteur News

elite also detest Indians who are opposed to the PPP. I note that several Indian intellectuals and activists like Freddie, and including this writer, Ravi Dev, Baytoram Ramharack, etc. have engaged African intellectuals and activists to address the ethnic and political problems of the country. While Indians (Continued on page 6)

I FEEL TARNISHED DEAR EDITOR, I noted the media shots of Guyana’s leader, H.E. President Ali laying a commemorative wreath in commemoration on the occasion of the 9/ 11 memorial on Greenwich Street in Lower New York City.

I feel tarnished by his presence at what for me is consecrated ground. I was there.

I remember like yesterday, 20 years later, hustling down many flights of stairs, rushing away from the scene during the collapse. I still have a dilapidated briefcase with some stubborn grey stuff ingrained in the now faded black leather; it is a treasured possession. As I reflect on this, I am convinced that some power has special work for me to do. And as I look at the photograph of Guyana’s President Ali, I return to where I started, what lingers: I feel profaned.

I understand that it is a largely ceremonial moment, required of national leaders, but when I think of the one from here, I see only a figure representative of the debris and smoke that rained down on me and other survivors on that evil day. I behold a shell of a leader, a man who is so much of hollow words, that he could form a whole hollow

We cannot continue to place wealth before good health DEAR EDITOR, Given the recent catastrophe caused by the manganese mining operation on Matthew’s Ridge, now is the time to put a stop to the company’s operations. CRG has written several times about the dangers and unsafe record of the company involved, yet their operations continue to lack the necessary oversight and controls.

We cannot continue to place wealth before good health as we develop as a nation. Voters entrust those in leadership to safeguard them and their communities against harm. There must be no exceptions.

With concern, Mr. Changlee Chairman The Cooperative Republicans of Guyana

block industry by himself, and be very successful at it. I say to Guyana’s President Ali what Jamaica’s sprinter, Usain Bolt, recently advised someone: “if you talk the big talk, you have to back it up.” I couldn’t say it better, for President Ali has not been about anything other than being content playing at Santa Claus; one giving out beads and trinkets, while ensuring that those running the government store prosper a hundred times over.

Editor, take away his words, and there is the emptiness of a suit puffed up, and lacking any substance; there is nothing. He is among the best of script readers, an improving stage performer, a shadow of a leader. He nimbly dances around delivering dole, and feels good about himself, a walking Red Cross, a one-man Salvation Army. I would recommend that one of his army of advisors tell him to know when to say nothing, which should be most of the time. Even the Grand Duke of Guyana’s fabulous oil duchy is slick enough to know when silence and smallness and distance are the hallmarks of wisdom. He knows when not to say anything, and beat a

hasty retreat, especially when cornered over ethical handling of the nation’s oil wealth.

But I detect in President Ali one more Guyanese, who has fallen so much in love with himself, that he cannot help preening, and opening his mouth and embarrassing all of Guyana, with the sepulchral rot that comes from within him. He is a master numbers dealer, at home with the bluff of billions, while concealing from citizens the massive corruptions embedded in them for his own. I remind him of moral and ethical leadership mandates. He knows how he measures up: invisible, in trouble, uninspiring. I am polluted.

Sincerely, GHK Lall

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Wednesday September 22, 2021

Kaieteur News

Cash Grants should address individual needs of farmers DEAR EDITOR, There has been much reporting of carefully thought out cash grants being given impetuously to a substantial number of farmers, apparently without differentiation of the nature, volume or condition of various crops.

In other words, one hopes the values of the grants would address the individual farmer’s needs, and therefore the extent to which it would help, if not disappoint expectations.

For indeed, it must be presumed that the concern is about sustainability of the varieties of crops, but more substantively of the returns that would contribute to livelihoods.

It would not be impertinent to recall the basis on which the ‘small cane farming’ component of the sugar industry was established.

The relevant legislation included the: National Cane Farming Committee Act (1965); as well as a Cane Farmers Special Funds Act. It is worth mentioning that this initiative was generated by the sugar companies Bookers Sugar Estates Ltd. and Demerara Co. after rather productive talks between Dr. Cheddi Jagan, Premier of British Guiana and Sir Jock Campbell, then Chairman of the Booker Group of Companies. The two enjoyed a very empathetic relationship.

Campbell had already arranged for BSE to establish a

cane farming community at Belle Vue, West Bank Demerara, where some 55 employees selected from various estates were each allotted a 15-acre plot of cane, a house and house lot to accommodate a kitchen garden. There was the further provision of a community centre and playground.

Incidentally, there were already at the time small cane farmers at Buxton, East Coast Demerara supplying cane to then Enmore Estate, and villagers at Plaisance and Beterverwagting supplying to then LBI Estate.

What, however, was fundamentally critical to this 1965 initiative was the establishment of a supportive funding agency to finance the development and sustenance of small cane farming across the estates – from Skeldon to Uitvlugt, including Diamond and Leonora. So that the Cane Farming Special Funds Act facilitated the establishment of the Cane Farming Development Corporation – in the expansive sum of the day of G$3.7M. The shareholders were Bookers Sugar Estates, Demerara Coy, Barclays Bank DC+O (now known as GBTI) and Royal Bank of Canada (now known as Republic Bank).

Funding was intended both for capital works and for later crop rehabilitation – as advised by Can Farming Officers employed by the industry.

Of course, fundamental eligibility for accessing funds lay on the respective farming groups having a legal status accepted by the funding agency – CFDC. This activated the mostly interested village groups to register as Cooperative Societies. Except that in the Skeldon area, there were larger independent farmers who could qualify for loans on their own. Unfortunately the latter suffered materially and financially with the collapse of the Skeldon Estate factory to which, like all other locations, farmers

sold their canes based on the legislated cane farming contract. In some cases, the indebtedness to private banks was substantial.

This was an unfortunate experience for those farmers, particularly against the background of the Strategic Plan of 1998 – 2008, which predicted that Skeldon Estate’s agricultural expansion would require 30 percent of cane being supplied by farmers.

For what it is worth, please see following list of some of the cane farming cooperatives referred to:

Some may well ask of the relevance of this recital to ‘Cash Grants’.

I hope that others may see the need for the strategic sustainability of the expectations of farmers and families who may be unduly excited by ‘Cash Grants’.

And even though the ‘cooperative’ construct is not necessarily popular with the parties now involved, it is arguable that there is a case for establishing a funding facility on which farmers, amongst others, can rely, and eventually achieve financial stability.

Would the IPED example be of interest to the decisionmakers concerned?

The undersigned was BSE’s representative on the Cane Farming Development Corporation.

In the meantime it is suggested that in the interest of current small cane farmers (cooperatives) the National

Cane Farming Committee Act needs to be upgraded.

But in the final analysis one must ask whether or not

there is a case for the development and management of an Agriculture Strategic Plan which takes serious account of climate change across our 10 Regions; not to mention the unpredictabilities also of a ‘pandemic’ future? i) How will ‘new farmers’ benefit? ii) What accountability will there be of returns on investments?

The proposed developmental construct must obviously involve such participants as: -National Agriculture Research and Environmental Institute - Guyana Livestock Development Authority - National Drainage and Irrigation Authority E.B. John

APNUites Practice...

From page 5 showed reverence and respect for them, they don’t reciprocate in kind. When in government, they return to Burnhamite ways. While they would agree to power sharing and good governance when out of power, once in government, APNU (including WPAites) supported intellectuals forget those ideas.

While in opposition, they

fought against election rigging, when in government, they shamelessly closed their eyes to rigging. In government, they embraced, practised, and supported the very things they condemned when they were in the opposition.

And they ignored those of us who consistently championed equitable government.

Yours truly, Vishnu Bisram

Govt. shows care for all children by extending cash grant to private schools DEAR EDITOR, I am very relieved that private schools have been added to the “Because We Care” cash grant roll out, meaning that in terms of bringing a measure of relief to students right across the country’s schools, no one can feel disenfranchised. I mean, whether in a private or government school, these students all belong to the nation, and in all likelihood, will be serving the nation in a few years to come.

As it stands, under the “Because We Care” programme, cash grants, totalling $19,000 are given to the parents of each child attending school, to provide support to par-

ents in procuring school supplies. Indeed, as is seen in the press, “The programme enjoys widespread popularity, but was discontinued by the APNU+AFC while they were in office.

It has since been reinstated by the PPP/C upon their return to office, and the amount of the grant (has been) increased to a total of $19,000 per student.”

I hope with this kind of input, a concerted effort will be made by all involved, parents and teachers, to keep our students afloat, both educationally and medically, as the COVID19 pandemic is being fought.

Yours truly, Attiya Baksh

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Kaieteur News

Even Guyanese who pay no attention to the EPA recognise that the agency has been made into a running joke, because of political interference.

The EPA stands as a wretched organisation, a national humiliation, with its actions dictated by powerful politicians in government.

Its decisions are influenced by political meddlers, who use the entity for Exxon's interests to the detriment of Guyana.

When Exxon prospers, Guyanese are impoverished.

Guyanese: why are these leaders supported? Why are they believed?

Why are they not sent packing?

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Wednesday September 22, 2021

A collage of January's joint operation between the US and Guyana.

Guyana, US conduct another naval exercise offshore

The US' Naval Ship, Burlington used in Saturday's PASSEX exercise.

The Guyana Defence Force (GDF) and the United States (US) Navy on Saturday conducted a second naval exercise offshore for the year 2021.

According to a statement by the GDF, its Coast Guard and the US Navy conducted a Passing Exercise (PASSEX) in Guyana's territorial sea.

A PASSEX in US Navy's terminology is an exercise done between two navies to

ensure that they are able to communicate and cooperate in times of war or humanitarian relief.

Some common drills practised during such exercises include, semaphore drills, flashing light drills, and flag hoist drills.

In Saturday's exercise, the local Coast Guard used their two Metal Hawks boats, while the US used its naval ship, Burlington.

The GDF stated that the objective of the exercise was aimed at improving interoperability for future tactical and contingency operations with partner nations and strategic partnership with the US Armed Forces.

This is not the first time for the year that Guyana has conducted a joint naval operation with the US. In January, the US Coast (Continued on page 9)

The US ranks and the GDF coast guards onboard the Metal Hawks during Saturday's naval exercise.

Kaieteur News

Wednesday September 22, 2021

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Guyana needs its best diplomats at the United Nations A hive of activity is taking place at present in New York.

The General Debate of the General Assembly of the United Nations is underway and the parade of world leaders wishing to have their say on global affairs is underway.

Guyana has joined the procession. The President, the Vice President, the Foreign Minister and the Foreign Secretary are in New York for the General Debate and for a number of side events and engagements which usually take place.

But while it is impressive to see Guyana represented at such a high level at the General Debate of the General Assembly, political ranks do not always equate with diplomatic skill or finesse.

A serious question mark hovers over the country's multilateral representation.

Part of the problem is the continued political appointments to multilateral diplomatic postings. Guyana is not going to enjoy the representation within multilateral organisations unless it has specialist diplomats in place.

But getting the best is going to be affected because of the chopping and changing o f m u l t i l a t e r a l representatives whenever there is a change in

government. It is quite usual whenever there is a change in government for the political appointees who are appointed as High Commissioners and Ambassadors, to tender their resignations. And it is not usual for political appointees to be appointed to key diplomatic missions. There is nothing wrong with this, once the persons identified have the necessary capabilities and intelligence.

However, when it comes to multilateral organisations such as the United Nations, the government has to be a little more circumspect. The United Nations system is a complex one. The United Nations began in 1945 with a simple structure but has since ballooned into a number of specialised agencies. The UN now covers a much wider range of issues than when it first started.

It is because of the complexity and the wide range of issues involved in the UN's work and the time it takes to become entrenched within the system that there is a preference in many countries to have Permanent Representatives (PRs) to the United Nations. In the case of Guyana, however, we have been chopping and changing t h e P e r m a n e n t Representatives, since after 2015.

Therefore, while the head of Guyana's UN Mission is deemed the Permanent Representative to the United Nations, that position is not permanent at all, as evident by the appointments of new PRs under the APNU+AFC and now under the PPP/C. The PR to the United Nations should be a career diplomat. Having a career diplomat would insulate this appointment from being subject to chopping and changing every time there is a change in government. It is highly disruptive to the work of the PR and the work of the Committees and Commissions on which the PR sits whenever there is a change in that representative.

But Guyana is not alone in changing its PR whenever or not long after a change in government. The overwhelming majority of countries chop and change their PRs. Guyana's, however, has a limited pool of high-class diplomats and therefore the post of Guyana's PR should ideally go to one of the most senior diplomats.

But apart from the PR, the Missions should be staffed by top-notch diplomats who can command respect and who have the chance of chairing major Committees and Commissions and also compete for the Presidency

Guyana, US conduct another naval...

From page 8 Guard conducted a joint patrol with the GDF Coast Guard in Guyana's territorial waters to combat illegal fishing.

During that operation, the US used its Cutter Stone

vessel to patrol alongside the GDF's Metal Hawks and the Eagle.

That naval operation stemmed from a Ship-rider agreement signed in September 2020 by US Secretary of State, Mike

Pompeo and GDF's Chief of Staff, Brigadier Godfrey Bess.

The agreement allows the US Coast Guard to patrol Guyana's waters alongside the GDF Coast Guard to combat illicit activities.

De advisory gan boys hurt de economy seh...

Dem

Uncle Sam issue a warning to dem nationals about de risk of flying to Guyana because of de COVID-19 situation. Dem people outside Guyana recognise de danger dat we deh in.

But we leaders dem nah doing nuttin much fuh arrest de situation. Dem doing de same thing wah dem bin doing fuh months now and hoping fuh different results.

Well, de different results aint good news. De cases and deaths skyrocketing.

De guvament frighten fuh impose lockdown because dem nah want de economy get affect and people fuh suffer.

But people gan suffer more because when all dem foreign countries read bout Uncle Sam advisory dem nah gan want come hay. And we done know how de foreign dollars important to we economy.

Is better de guvament did bite de bullet and tek some action rather dan allow de situation fuh get out ah hand. Frank still talking slow, slow, but de virus moving fast, fast!

Irfaat gan America and de Vee Pee follow he. You and me leff fuh battle with de people wah nah want wear dem mask properly, wah breaking curfew, wah following de guvament and attending social events and nah wan go and get vaccinated.

Dem boys seh Uncle Sam advisory gan not only discourage people from coming here. It gan mek it harder fuh Guyanese to go to America. Watch and see! De Americans can tighten up on persons from Guyana visiting dem country.By time Christmas reach, Guyanese gan gat fuh be fully vaccinated, get a PCR test, plus quarantine upon arrival in Uncle Sam. And dem boys nah blame Uncle Sam. Talk half and just watch and see!

of the General Assembly and the Secretary General of the United Nations.

Guyana once produced such diplomats but not anymore. Since Sir Sridath Ramphal no Guyanese has been nominated for the post of Secretary General of the Commonwealth. No Guyanese is spoken about as a possible candidate for the Secretary General of the United Nations or indeed of even the Commonwealth.

M u l t i l a t e r a l appointments are an important aspect of a country's international reputation. But Guyana has not shown any such ambition. And this has to do with the excessive politicisation of diplomatic

postings and the lack of opportunities for the career diplomats.

So long as political patronage remains a major deciding factor for diplomatic appointments, and so long as membership of the PPP/C and the PNC/R remains a prime consideration for such appointments, the Foreign Service will remain weak and anaemic.

The problem is compounded by the absence of a clear foreign policy focus, especially in the first term of the post 1992 PPP/C regime. In fact, a reading of the Report of the Foreign Ministry for 1994 showed little in the way of tangible achievements with mention

being made of the two events of the greatest symbolic foreign policy significance – the visit of the Queen and the visit to South Africa by President Jagan for the installation of Nelson Mandela – yes, Mandela too was an 'installed' President.

Guyana needs its best diplomats in Washington, Brussels and New York. Can we really say that this is the status at present?

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

Kaieteur News

PAGE 10

Wednesday September 22, 2021

THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN

Kaieteur News and Stabroek News:

A class analysis

What follows is an academic analysis of things in Guyana. An academic has to do his/her work assessing people, places, events and history so a body of research material becomes available for others to possess and further create more receptacles of information that could be used for people to gain knowledge.

People should understand

that individuals, institutions and organisations create and participate in the broad stream of events that shape society and history. The social scientists and historians are not being personal when they write, and society must understand this, if not, society and academia become poorer.

Against this background, let me assert with pellucid

emphasis – I don't know and ever knew anyone in management at John Fernandes Ltd (JFL) and Banks DIH (BDIH). I only know two persons at Stabroek News (SN) and simply know them by saying hello over the years. One is board member, English woman, Josephine Whitehead, and current editor, Anand Persaud. With

those introductory words, the analysis begins.

BDIH, JFL and SN were founded by members of the Portuguese elite class. It doesn't mean as Portuguese citizens, they are racially driven. I have no evidence of that. What I know from living my entire life in Guyana as an academic that studies his country is that these three entities symbolise the historical presence of the Portuguese and they consciously carry that cultural beacon in their existence. They see themselves as belonging to that ethnic community and they patronise people of their type. Indians and Africans do the same.

BDIH and JFL are business entities that are not functional in the sociological realm and show absolutely no active (emphasis on “active”) interest in class, politics and culture; culture in the narrow, political sense.

When it comes to SN, this is a different ball game altogether. I have received several emails (quite a number) in and out of Guyana indicating a curiosity on my comparative take on the SN and the Kaieteur News (KN), including a person well connected to the PNC. Here are brief notes. The two newspapers were born in different circumstances for different reasons by persons with different class backgrounds. The SN was founded by two men – Miles Fitzpatrick and David DeCaires - who were considered from the 1950s onwards as the crème de la crème of Guyanese society.

Even Forbes Burnham as

prime minister deferred to the two men. Burnham never even in the most harmless way tried to Frederick Kissoon victimise them even though they were relentless critics of his rather than the back door.

The second one is when government.

SN was founded, funded DeCaires refused to shake a n d p r e s e r v e d b y t h e Glenn Lall's hand at the Portuguese bourgeoisie with Water Crest Hotel on money from the American Quamina Street. DeCaires government. It became an thought that such a person did integral part of light- not belong in his league and complexion class structure. should not own a newspaper.

Its motivating instinct was I wrote for SN and came face f a c e w i t h that there should be an t o instrument to preserve Portuguese/Mullato/Creole middle class ethos in cultural aristocracy that I G u y a n a . T h e r e w a s a missed out on growing up in cultural, ideological, and Wortmanville but that my class foundation in the father told me about. And imagine this was as recent as decision to birth SN, t he early nineties in The founding of KN had Independent Guyana. no such fulcrums. A small, Space has proven a Indian businessman in the Stabroek Market, Glenn Lall, problem again. But briefly, not even belonging to the the ownership of the two Indian moneyed stratum, was newspapers rest on different persuaded by a journalist class positions. Management who was his friend and of KN is not driven by the another friend from Canada psychology of past class to start a newspaper. There y e a r n i n g s a n d h a s n o w a s n o i d e o l o g i c a l interests in judging power perspective determining the and people in Guyana using idea. There was absolutely no ideological criteria. KN's thinking that the paper had to a p p r o a c h t o p o w e r i s situational. Today it lashes serve certain class interests.

Whenever I hear the government, tomorrow it name, David DeCaires lashes foreign investor, the mentioned in the media, I n e x t d a y i t p r a i s e s think of two incidents. One is government. Read carefully that long, long ago, Dr. Mark SN's approach to journalistic Kirton told me that when his coverage, which civil society father was a journalist at the groups it gives space to and Chronicle, he went to the who it employs at senior home of Percy Wright, the levels then the big pictures owner of Fogarty's Store, to emerge.

(The views expressed in interview him. The attendant this article are those of the let Kirton in and when Wright a u t hor and do not came up, he admonished the attendant for ushering Kirton necessarily reflect the through the front entrance opinions of this newspaper.)

Wednesday September 22, 2021

Kaieteur News

PAGE 11

Kaieteur News

PAGE 12

Wednesday September 22, 2021

Two weeks after schools reopen over 20 close doors

M

inister of Education (MoE), Priya Manickchand, while speaking to this publication, confirmed that less than two weeks after reopening for face-to-face delivery of education, more than 20 nursery and primary schools across Guyana have been forced to temporarily shut their doors.

This is due to positive COVID-19 diagnosis of several students, teachers and permanent.

O n We d n e s d a y l a s t during an event at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre

(ACCC), Minister Manickchand had stated “We reopened schools last week, and unfortunately we've had to close 17 in one week.”

Minister Manickchand, while speaking at the event, further noted that every country in the world that has reopened schools has had to deal with similar issues.

Nonetheless, the Guyana Teachers Union (GTU')s, General Secretary, Coretta McDonald, has questioned whether it is evident to the Education Minister that appropriate planning and consideration had not been put into the reopening of

schools.

“There might be many more across the country, because we've not gotten the full report from the hinterland region, as yet,” McDonald added.

McDonald stated that there was a previous agreement with the MoE for the use of a 30-point document which would be used as a checklist for the MoE and the uion's oversight body to guarantee that each school was prepared for reopening.

McDonald further explained that the activity had commenced on August

Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand.

23, 2021, and later that day, the Union saw via the MoE's Facebook page that schools were to be reopened on September 6, 2021.

“We questioned that because we said we've not

been out there as yet, we don't know what's happening in schools and our concern was always and will always continue to be the safety of our students, our pupils, and our teachers and, by extension, the communities in which those schools are located,” McDonald said.

“GTU questioned this, we got no response from the Ministry of Education and we pulled our oversight body off of that activity,” McDonald, also added.

There was a plan for the activity to be completed in two weeks, and an agreement that if the required facilities were not in place, the reopening of schools would need to be done on a phased basis, or continued virtually, while systems are put in place.On September 6, 41 of Guyana's 348 nursery

Guyana Teachers Union (GTU) General Secretary, Coretta McDonald. schools opened their doors for face-to-face learning for students. Nevertheless, 307 were to operate on a rotation system.Also 44 primary schools reopened fully and (Continued on page 22)

Wednesday September 22, 2021

Kaieteur News

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Kaieteur News

PAGE 14

Wednesday September 22, 2021

Ministry blames Tender Board for retendering 1 project 4 times The National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA)—a department of the Ministry of Agriculture under the auspices of s u b s t a n t i v e M i n i s t e r, Zulfikar Mustapha, has denied any involvement by the two budget agencies as it relates to the repeated retendering of projects to be executed under that agency and has instead blamed the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB).NDIA was at the time responding to two articles by the Kaieteur News, captioned “Collusion with Agriculture Ministry bids leads to unfair competition…repeated retendering gives edge to preferred bidders, proves costly for others” dated September 18, 2021 and “Gov't retenders four times for item supplied by one company” dated September 19, 2021.

The government agency in seeking to distance itself from the brouhaha did not deny the retendering of the project, but conveyed that any such decisions would have been taken at the level of the NPTAB. The Ministry defended itself in a public missive on Monday, asserting that, “by virtue of the Procurement Act

2003, public procurement of goods and services up to a certain limit is done exclusively by the NPTAB, a body that is independent, separate and apart from both the Ministry of Agriculture and the NDIA.” It was pointed out, that the NPTAB has its own employees and the bid received through the tendering process, are assessed by evaluators drawn from across the public sector by the NPTAB. The Ministry said additionally, that indeed, “no evaluators are drawn from the sector whose bid is being evaluated” and as such, neither “the Ministry of Agriculture nor the NDIA plays any role whatsoever in the tendering of contracts.”

Further distancing itself from the retendering practice, the NDIA outlined that as it relates to retendering and rejection of bids, “Section 40 of the Procurement Act 2003 states that “(1) Subject to approval by the National Board, if so specified in the solicitation documents, the appropriate board may reject all tenders at any time prior to the acceptance of a tender.

The appropriate board shall upon request, communicate to any supplier or contractor that submitted a tender the

Substantive Agriculture Minister, Zulfikar Mustapha

grounds for its rejection of all tenders, but is not required to justify those grounds. (2) The appropriate board shall incur no liability, solely by virtue of its invoking subsection (1), towards suppliers or contractors that have submitted tenders. (3) Notice of the rejection of all tenders shall be given promptly to all suppliers or contractors that submitted tenders.”

As such, the NDIA was adamant that neither “the Ministry of Agriculture nor the NDIA cannot request retendering or rejection of bids,” since “it is only the National Procurement and

Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) that can do so.”

According to the government agency, “the NDIA only provides the engineers estimate, which is published along with the tenders for bids…Therefore, it cannot be said that the NDIA (the budget agency) has been turning down competitive bids, as is being claimed in the September 19, 2021 article.”

The government agency further contended, “…if an aggrieved bidder wishes to know the grounds for the rejection of the bid, they can contact the NPTAB for such

information.”

As it relates to the specific steel sheet piles project that this publication had reported on, the Government agency said, “…only NPTAB would be able to provide the answers for the rejection.”

According to the Ministry, “the tendering of bids, acceptance of bids, and subsequent award of bids are done through the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) once it is above a prescribed limit. All these projects named in the articles are above that prescribed limit and, therefore, fall under the ambit and control of the NPTAB and not the Ministry or the NDIA.” This publication had reported that the procurement practices being employed at the Ministry of Agriculture's NDIA, is coming under increasing scrutiny in light of the discovery of the practice of the repeated retendering for the project, namely, the supply of steel piling sheets that can be sourced from a single company.

The identified quality specification for the sheet piles to be provided, according to a quote seen by this publication from the sole

supplier globally, Arcelor Mittal Projects, is listed as ASTM A690.

Arcelor Mittal is headquartered in Luxembourg, with the sales rep, for Latin America, which encompasses sales to Guyana, being Julian Guitierrez who works out of Torres Global Bank.

The quote provided by the company for the 10-metre long lengths of steel sheets, was provided at €751,285 or GY$184.7M, minus commission.

The bidding process has since seen four incarnations, with bids being received and turned down in varying amounts.It was explained to this publication that government could sole source the material for as little as US$1M, when the related ancillary charges are added on.Instead, the option to repeatedly retender for a specific type of material that can only be sourced from one supplier is raising eyebrows among some in the industry.

One such insider, speaking to this publication on the condition of anonymity, said it must be publicly questioned why it is that the engineer preparing the project document for NDIA insists on that specification (Continued on page 21)

Workers occupying Govt. properties in Linden issued eviction letters

T

he Regional Democratic Council (RDC) of Region 10 has issued eviction notices to a number of government employees who are occupying State properties in Linden.

This was confirmed by Regional Executive Officer (REO), Dwig t John, who said that nine employees were sent letters, all of whom have been occupying the residences for more than 10 years.

He said that, according to the Public Service Rules, persons are not entitled to accommodation for much more than 10 years and those who are in receipt of letters have been occupants for much longer.

One of these persons is former Member of Parliament, Vanessa Kissoon, who is presently a teacher.

He said Kissoon has been occupying her residence for 11 years and, prior to that, was also occupying another government home.

While Kissoon did not formally comment on the issue, other occupants who received

Regional Executive Officer, Dwight John eviction notices, expressed concern that the move is politically motivated and the Regional Administration is taking orders from the Government to target persons associated with the Opposition.

John refuted this claim and said that all persons occupying

properties over 10 years were served.

“Everyone has to move, once you are living over 10 years, irrespective of political affiliation or race because it has become an audit query, so whether you are PPP/C or PNC, the law is the law,” John said.

He also revealed that letters of eviction had been sent to Members of Parliament, Jermaine Figueira and Devin Sears, to vacate the government properties that they were occupying and they did so without hesitation.

In the letter seen by Kaieteur News, the occupants were told that, as part of the h Administration's developmental work plan, the buildings will be renovated.

“Please be reminded that according to the Public Service Rules, you are not entitled to accommodations and, as such, the building is required for essential staff upon repairs."

The occupants were also reminded of the final clause of the tenancy agreement, which (Continued on page 20)

The eviction letter that was issued.

Wednesday September 22, 2021

Kaieteur News

PAGE 19

Auditor General hands over 2020 audit report Auditor General, (AG) Deodat Sharma has handed over the 2020 Audit Report to the Speaker of the National Assembly, Manzoor Nadir.

The report is, however, not available to the public, but will be after it is presented in the National Assembly, which is set to reconvene on October 10.

During the handing over ceremony held at the Arthur Chung Convention Centre (ACCC) at Liliendaal, East Coast Demerara on Monday, Sharma revealed the audit office was able to complete the report before the required deadline, despite facing challenges that the COVID-19

virus imposed on the working environment.

He noted that with the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccines, the audit office aggressively pursued the vaccination of all of its staff members.

“With 93 percent of staffers at the audit office vaccinated, we have not only met our statutory deadline for the submission of the Auditor General's annual report, but we are able to present the 2020 Auditor General's report ahead of the deadline,” Sharma said.

He noted that it's the audit office's goal to achieve timely reporting of the results to the

legislature and, ultimately, the public. In the meantime, the AG revealed that the audit office has been building capacity for auditing and transparency, through its partnership with the Canadian Auditing and Accountability Foundation (CAAF). The performance audit unit has been the main beneficiary of a training and mentorship programme.

“As a result, we are able to complete 4 performance audits, which will be submitted soon to the Speaker,” the AG added.

The 2020 Auditor General Report was handed over on Monday.

Apart from this, Sharma noted From left: Speaker of the National Assembly Manzoor Nadir, Auditor General that audit office, through support Deodat Sharma and Public Accounts Committee, Chairman Jermaine Figueira.

(Continued on page 22)

Wednesday September 22, 2021

Kaieteur News

PAGE 20

Region Seven financially impacted due to flood situation - Chairman

Region Seven Chairman, Kenneth Williams

A photo taken by Kaieteur News of a flooded mining area called Two Points Backdam.

W

aters have begun to recede in

some mining areas of the Region Seven district, but what is left behind is a

reminder of how the flood situation financially impacted the region.

COVID-19 claims the lives of five more persons Yesterday, the Ministry of Health announced that five more persons, who tested positive for the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) virus, have died. As a result of this, the country's COVID-19 death toll has moved to 738.

According to the Health Ministry, the latest fatalities are that of five unvaccinated persons. The fatalities are that of two men – a 43-year-old from Region Six (East BerbiceCorentyne), a 92-year-old from Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica), and three women – a 74-year-old from Region Two (PomeroonSupernaam) and a 78-year-old and an 85year-old from Region Four.

The Ministry reported, too, that all five persons died over a three-day period (September 19 to 21) while receiving treatment at a medical facility.

Meanwhile, in its daily COVID-19 dashboard, the Ministry recorded 141 new infections, bringing the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases to 29,824.

Presently, there are 30 patients who are admitted into the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit (ICU), 155 persons in institutional isolation, 3,525 in home isolation and two in institutional quarantine. To date, a total of 25,376 persons who tested positive for the virus have recovered.

This was highlighted to Kaieteur News during a recent interview this publication had with the Region Seven Chairman, Kenneth Williams.

Kaieteur News was able to see firsthand the devastating effects of the floods on the mining communities during a threeday visit to the region.

Following the trip, this newspaper sat down with Williams and asked if the floods had any severe economic impact on the region.His response was, “Definitely, and that is simply because our economy is one dimensional, it is only one tier and that is because we depend on the gold mining proceeds”.

Heavy rainy weather conditions in the months of July and August had led to severe flooding, especially in the mining areas of the district.

Apart from the health concerns that arose as result of the floods, mining operations in those areas came to a standstill. Work grounds were covered by water, and some dredge owners had to dismantle

engines and move to higher grounds.

Since miners were unable to work, gold production began to dwindle very quickly, and this had an impact on business within the region.

Wi l l i a m s e x p l a i n e d every business activity, especially in Bartica the central part of the region, is a “spinoff” from the mining industry there.

“Everything is a spinoff, transportation system, the food industry, every single thing is a spinoff from the gold mining industry, and if that is under threat, then you obviously find that it will have an impact on the local economy”, Williams said.

He continued, “So we are always under threat when the gold mining industry is under strain and because of the high water levels, many persons have been unable to work, many dredges have had to stop working, and because of that many of our citizens are facing some amount of difficulties, economic difficulties”.

Noting that the floods poses a threat and could cripple Region Seven

economically, the Chairman said that himself and the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) are seeking to diversify the economy.

“It has been at the top my agenda and the RDC's agenda to diversify the investments in the Region”, the Region Seven chairman told Kaieteur News.

One of the investments the Chairman and the RDC want to make is to improve the region's tourism industry.

In fact, the chairman said that the RDC has already started making a move in that direction.

“We have moved in that area, where in this year's RDC budget, we anticipate that we are gonna re-sand some of the beaches, we are gonna improve the boulevard (in Bartica), we are going to make sure that the road that was touted to come from the Linden Highway to Bartica is c o m p l e t e d ” , Wi l l i a m s explained.

The chairman added that if it proves to be a success, then that will “somehow eliminate the onedimensional nature of the region's economy”.

Doobay-Gafoor Centre medical team assists...

From page 18 A catheter, therefore, must always be kept clean and dry; thus swimming or bathing are usually restricted. Getting dressed may disturb the catheter at the exit site, so care needs to be taken.

However, an AV fistula is created by connecting a vein to an artery using a soft plastic tube. After the graft has healed,

hemodialysis is performed by placing two needles: one in the arterial side, and one in the venous side of the graft.

The graft allows for increased blood flow.

Grafts nonetheless tend to need attention and upkeep. As such, patients at the renal centre are instructed on how to ensure that theirs are well cared for, in order to ensure that the optimum result is maintained.

Workers occupying Govt. properties...

From page 14 states that all tenancy will not exceed 10 years within the government building/quarters.

Failure to move within the one-month period John said, will result in forced eviction.

Regional Chairman Deron Adams has requested from REO John, a list of all the housing assets under the RDC and the names of the occupants, in addition to the duration of their tenancy.

He said he is yet to receive the information.

Wednesday September 22, 2021

PAGE 21

Kaieteur News

President Ali, OAS Secretary General discuss Venezuela border controversy, electoral reform

The meeting in session yesterday.

Chinese gold company’s operations confidential...

From page 17 get the GM’s response.

A few days later, the spokesperson contacted Kaieteur News to convey that the GM has declined the interview.

His exact words were, “I am sorry to advise that our GM cannot take the interview at this stage. If the opportunity comes in the future, I will let you know. Best Regards.”

Among the information, this entity sought were the gold production targets of the company, and some details on how much gold it had produced for the year so far.

With regard to the company’s expenditure during its ongoing operations, Kaieteur News had asked the GM if he could disclose if the company buys fuel locally, or whether it is imported directly.

This media house also sought details for other materials and goods the Zijin Group buys to maintain its local mining operations.

Prior to requesting this interview, Kaieteur News had visited AGM located in the Region Seven locale to get a firsthand look of the operations.It was granted a brief tour by representatives of the company, but when Kaieteur News tried to obtain information on the company’s gold production and targets, company officials were reluctant to disclose such details.

Some of them had even said that they can’t remember

what their company’s gold production targets are, because it changes frequently.

They did, however, say that the company sets a monthly and a yearly target.

The representatives had also revealed that the company buys its food supplies from Georgetown, but are not aware of who the suppliers are. They detailed that the company only uses diesel to fuel its plants and equipment, but could not say if it is bought locally or imported.

The representatives were also unable to say how much fuel Zijin consumes daily for its operations. It was the same response given for other materials, such as explosives that are needed for its operations.

Asked why they were unable to reveal these details, they responded that they are not from the department that keeps track of the company’s production and expenditure records. Kaieteur News in recent times has exposed the luxurious deal the Chinese gold company is benefiting from.That deal, too, was secret and confidential for a while, but Kaieteur News was also able to obtain the contract the company has with Guyana. Under the contract, Zijin enjoys paying a partial 10 percent excise duty for the import of petroleum products, while local miners plying the trade are subjected to the

standard rate of 50 percent.

Guyanese are subjected to a standard excise rate of 50 percent—a rate that was last revised downwards to 35 percent on February 18, in order to cushion against higher fuel prices on the world market, to be reverted again when prices rebound. As such, petroleum products imported by Guyanese attract a rate three and a half times higher than their foreign counterparts.

The deals also allow Zijin to import into the country, or purchase domestically, free of import duties, Value Added Tax, and any other direct or indirect taxes on all equipment, supplies and materials for the project.

Additionally, the company is granted the privilege to determine how much royalties it pays Guyana on the sale of its gold. Should Zijin sell its gold for US$1,000 per ounce or less, then Guyana gets five percent in royalty. If the company finds a buyer at more than US$1,000 per ounce, then Guyana will receive eight percent royalty from the sales.

Apart from these “luxury” provisions, Zijin is only paying US$5 or GYD$1,000 rental for every acre of land it has in its claim per year. The Chinese currently owns a concession that spans a total of 12KM squared or 3000 acres, which according to initial studies has reserves of 3.48 million ounces of gold.

Ministry blames Tender Board for retendering 1...

From page 14 for the steel sheet pilings, since there are several other grades of similar steel sheet pilings that can be used for the same purposes indicated by the NDIA. This coupled with the repeated retendering, according to the insider, “has to be questioned publicly, since it can only point to the government setting the stage to have some favoured contractor to get the contract—a contractor that would eventually have to purchase the steel from the same company.”

The bidder cited as example, “if government was looking to purchase a Tesla vehicle, why would it go out to public tender, when there

is only one company in the world that makes Tesla vehicles.”Additionally, another contractor had lamented that the practice of retendering by the Ministry's NDIA amounts to blatant collusion on the part of the Ministry, since it is not only unethical, but also tantamount to corruption and should be considered illegal.It was explained that each time the Ministry puts out a tender for a contract—many of which runs into the hundreds of millions or billions—it would cost every person or company submitting a bid, hundreds of thousands of dollars for each bid submitted.When the contract is opened at the National Procurement and Tender Ad-

ministration Board (NPTAB) and retendered, at least one contractor who spoke to this publication on the condition of anonymity explained that it is tantamount to the state agencies providing insider information to their preferred bidders.This obtains since after repeated retendering, the preferred bidders would be able to know the rates being charged by competitors and eventually be allowed to outbid the others.It was noted too that when complaints are lodged requesting the rationale behind the refusal of a bid, these are often times brushed aside or met with vague answers—a claim since also denied by the Ministry.

President Irfaan Ali and several members of his government yesterday held a productive meeting with the Secretary-General of the Organization of American States (OAS), Mr. Luis Almagro.

According to a government release, a number of matters were highlighted by the Guyanese officials in the meeting held at the Office of the Permanent Mission to Guyana in New York. These included: the strengthening of democracy in Guyana through electoral reform; support for Guyana’s position on the border controversy with Venezuela; and Guyana’s position following the Venezuelan Government-Opposition accord made earlier this month.

On the settlement of Venezuela’s internal political differences, President Ali reaffirmed that, while his government welcomes efforts to bring about domestic harmony within Venezuela, agreements that defy international law and processes can form no basis for mediating such harmony.

He said that Guyana does not promote the use of violence or threats to settle disputes, but will look towards the court and the rule of law.

In a 1966 Agreement signed in Geneva, both countries consented to the UN Secretary-General deciding on a means of settlement of the controversy, if the countries could not settle the matter on their own.

In January of 2018, UN Secretary-General António

Guterres decided that the International Court of Justice (ICJ) would settle the matter.

Since that decision could have only been overturned by a joint agreement by both countries, the ICJ was established as the governing body for the matter, and both parties were bound by the Court’s jurisdiction and ultimate decision.

In addition to the border issue, the Head of State and the Secretary-General also discussed technical support to advance this country’s development agenda.

President Ali was joined

by Vice President, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo; Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Mrs. Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, and Foreign Secretary, Mr. Robert Persaud.

PAGE 22

Wednesday September 22, 2021

Kaieteur News

Auditor General hands over 2020 audit...

LAND FOR SALE Carmichael st,Queenstown, La Penitence, Kuru Kuru Soesdyke.Contact:Ray's Realty 627-9685.

VEHICLES FOR SALE F-350 Diesel,F-150 Pickup.

Mercury Wagon 7 seater, brand new generator 15KV, 12KV,8KV.Price to sell. Call Abdel:653-4287/643-0902.

PROPERTY FOR SALE Robb,Charlotte,Norton Street, Kitty, Sheriff, Ogle, Betterhope,Enterprise & Diamond. Contact: Ray's Realty 627-9685.

Goodluck Electrical/Solar: Residential and commercial wiring,generator installation,AC installing etc.Tel:660-5796/673-8606.

Appliance repairs/service for Refrigerator,Washing Machine, Stove, Treadmill, Dryer, Pressure pump, Oven, Deep Fryer.Call:694-9733.

Appliance/equipment repairs and service to Bakery, Restaurant,Hospital equipment, Remote gate, Backwash & filtration system. Call:6949733.

Coin Collector.We purchase old coins best price paid.Call Abdel:653-4287/643-0902.

FOR RENT One bedroom apartment for working couple or single person $36,000 monthly light and water included. Call: 6388858.

2,3 & 1 bedroom for rent @ Vreed-en-hoop, Providence,Diamond & Herstelling.Contact:6826238/604-6664.

Business: Wellington St, South Road Georgetown , Paradise East Coast. Contact Ray's Realty 627-9685.

WANTED One male able bodied clerk.Call:693-8462/231-2029.

Head Cook & Security Guard.Apply Manager Herdmanston, Peter Rose St. Truck Drivers,tutor for 10 yrs old.Contact:223-5273/74.

Experience waitress and counter attendant 18-25 yrs(Sec Education) & 1 live in domestic.Tel:610-3974.

Sailor,Cook,Operator,12" dredge.Call:675-0587/2260772.

Versailles 61x123=7503sq ft, 18m not negotiable.No agents please. Tel: 600 6617.

noted that Audit Office is continuing to give attention WANTED Cook to work in interior.

Call:698-4064.

Poultry/Livestock Farmers.Live in accommodations (single person). Canal No.1 West Bank Demerara.

Call:609-2995.

Drivers license(with Motor Lorry).Tel:227-5286-9,6214992.email:survival. humanresources@gmail.com.

VACANCY

Person to pluck chicken in GT $3000 per day.Call:6750587.

Cook/Baker,Pitmen & Welder/ Serviceman for interior location.Applicants must be experienced. Call: 231-2250.

1 male off assistant. Computer literate,must know to do NIS & payroll. Driving would be an asset. Call:6750587.

M e r c h a n d i s e r, F a c t o r y Worker,Porters.Call:2277714/640-0673 or email info@vgiworld.com.

Wanted land to buy in Parfaite Harmonie or anywhere on the West Coast.

Tel:673-7087.

One female accounts clerk,knowledge in POS system would be an asset.For more info.Contact:227-3580.

NB:Proof of vaccination card or a negative PCR test will be required before entering premises.

Seamstres,Tailor wanted.

Tell:691-1918 whatsapp.

2 truck drivers to work in interior,must have knowledge about Foden trucks. $200,000 montly. Call:642-2359.

One shop assistant living in or around Georgetown.

Call:226-2320 on 193 Charlotte St.

LAND FOR SALE

suing a Master's Degree in Oil and Gas at the University of Bedfordshire, London, while members on the perfo rmance audit section with the help CAAP are being trained how to audit the oil and gas sector,” he said.

Further, Mr. Shar ma

TRUCK DRIVERS TO WORK WITHIN THE INTERIOR. MUST KNOW TO OPERATE TRUCKS. CONTACT 225-5273,225-5274.

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

From page 19 from CAAF is currently training staff in anticipation of the office's prospective role in the Oil and Gas sector.

“Apart from the staff being previously trained in the extractive industries, there is currently a staff member within the office, who is pur-

Fitter/Machinist,Welder Fabricator, Mechanic, Apprentice. Apply in person at: Technical Services, Industrial Site Eccles.

Hotel Attendant & Receptionist. Call:231-0951/6400673oremail: info@ vgiworld .com.

Vacancy for 1 professional and experience hairdresser located on East Bank Demerara Grove Market Street.Call:652-5800.

One person to cook and perform general domestic duties in Bel Air. Contact: 227-0373/ 223-9888.

Driver & Porter to travel in and out of the interior. Applicants must be experienced.

Call:231-2250.

Driver must be able to assist in workshop at Eccles, age 25-45, Car/ Van licence. Call 642-9823.

One clerk for Eccles office , grade 1 or 2 in Maths & English knowledge of Quickbooks. Call: 642-9823 oremail:techserigy @yahoo.com.

Maid to cook and clean for East Bank.Call:615-9132.

to several special audits, including that of the government's $25,000 COVID19 cash grant.

Sharma said he personally travelled to Region Two to ensure that persons received their monies and to listen to complains, if any.

He urged that, persons who have complaints can submit same via the Audit Office website. “Wherever possible, we're checking on the payments,” the AG assured.

He noted, however, that his work in auditing the distribution of the grant has been hampered because of the peculiar COVID-19 situation in each region.

Three months ago, the government started the second phase of its $25,000 per household COVID-19 relief cash grant, with holders of the pink slips or query forms receiving their funds.

In 2020, $4.5 billion was allocated for the first phase

of the grant, which started in September.

An estimated 40,565 families were expected to benefit in the second phase, with some $1.1 billion to be expended.

At the end of August, the distribution had already been completed in Regions One, Two, Seven, Eight and Nine.

Up to early September, distribution continued in areas across Regions Three, Four, Five, Six and Ten.

Two weeks after schools reopen over 20 close doors From page 12 based on the availability of space, an additional 413 were expected to operate on a rotational basis. Grade Six students, however, were to attend school daily.

Meanwhile, several secondary school students will

begin attending face-to-face classes at a later date. This will be based on whether students are fully COVID-19 vaccinated with the Pfizer vaccine.In videos that have surfaced on social media, some teachers from several schools in different parts of

the country have complained about the absence of running water, dead rodents and more affecting the smooth recommencement of schools.

Several of these issues are being or have since been addressed by the Education Ministry.

Wednesday September 22, 2021

Kaieteur News

PAGE 23

Bids in for over $200M in Govt. projects

T

he National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) yesterday opened bids at the Ministry of Finance, with over $200 million in engineer's estimates slated for some six GUYSUCO Construction of 300m Heavy Duty Revetment at Albion Estate Lot 1 and Lot 2.

Amount Tendered Bidder

government agencies' projects.

Some of these projects are for the rehabilitation of roads in Region Three, the construction of a 300m heavy duty revetment at the Albion Estate, and the construction of a Ministry of Education Construction of Medex Building, University of Guyana Tain Campus- Berbice

Medex building at the University of Guyana.

Also, bids were in for an independent administrator to prepare the country's 3rd EITI report.

Below are the companies and their bids: Office of the Prime Minister - National Data Management Authority Procurement of computers for the National Data Management Authority.

Bidder

Amount Tendered

Supply and delivery of Lot 1: Three new mill rollers for Blairmont, Lot 2: Three mill rollers for Rose Hall.

Ministry of Tourism Industry and Commerce Rehabilitation of concrete and wooden office building.

Ministry of Local Government and Regional DevelopmentRegion Three- Essequibo Islands West Demerara Rehabilitation of Pre-Fab Housing Scheme Road, Uitvlugt Ministry of Public Works Lot 96: Maintenance of Mara Access Road (A) and Lot 97: Maintenance of Mara Access Road (B).

Construction of Last Cross Street Centre Dam, Good Intent Protected Areas Commission Replacement and Installation of Batteries and Solar charges controller at Kaieteur National Park.

Ministry of Natural Resources Consultancy Services for Independent Administrator Services for Preparation of Guyana's 3rd EITI report.

Kaieteur News

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Wednesday September 22, 2021

Onderneeming man says family was terrorised

by SWAT, seeking compensation

O

rin Klass, a 39year-old diesel mechanic from the Onderneeming community on the Essequibo Coast, is seeking compensation for the damage caused to his home during a SWAT operation a week ago.

According to Klass, sometime around 03:00hrs last week Wednesday, more than 15 ranks invaded his home and terrorised him and his family.

The man said that he was

awoken by the aggressive barking of his dogs.

As he looked outside, he said, he could see what he described as “'men clad in black uniforms.”

He went on to say, “when I jump off the bed and peep outside, and I see these police, not less than 15 SWAT and seven normal police… they had on bullet proof vest, and some long guns like AK47.”

The concerned father of two told Kaieteur News that

he rushed towards his children's rooms.

At this point, he said, the panel door was smashed open by members of the SWAT unit. As he continued to relate his story to this publication, he said, “I sit on the bed, and I put up my hand in the air, I had no idea why they were there; I asked them but nobody said anything or show me a warrant.”

According to Klass, his entire family, including his young children, was zip tied

Woman set on fire by husband died from shock and burns - local NGO wants better to be done for abused women A post-mortem examination carried out on the body of Sandrama Raju called 'Roma' of Miss Pheobe, Port Mourant, Corentyne, Berbice revealed that she died from shock and burns.

The autopsy was conducted at the New Amsterdam Public Hospital Mortuary, after which process, the body was handed over to relatives for funeral arrangements.

The 29-year-old mother of one who was set on fire by her husband Ganeshwar Sheocharran of the said address two Mondays ago.

Kaieteur News was informed by her father, Subramani Raju, that health authorities informed him via a call that she died at approximately 19:00hrs Saturday night.

Sandrama and Ganeshwar, who were having marital issues, got into a heated argument and she doused herself in kerosene in anger. Her husband in his rage lit her on fire. Ganeshwar, after committing the act, booked a flight to the United States where his parents reside and had already boarded a flight to JFK, when the police were informed. A wanted bulletin was issued for him and U.S. authorities were informed.

Upon his arrival at JFK, he was nabbed and sent back on a flight to Guyana. Local authorities arrested him at the Cheddie Jagan International Airport; he was later charged with attempted murder and remanded to prison until October 6 2021.

Her parents had told reporters that prior to the

Ganeshwar Sheocharran

Sandrama Raju

incident, their daughter was having trouble in her marriage during its six years duration, flaring into frequent altercations with the suspect. But while they had tried multiple times to advise her to leave the suspect, their advice were not as successful as they wanted it to be.

Meanwhile, the CEO of the Humanitarian Mission Guyana Inc., Mr. Suresh Sugrim who has dedicated many years to assisting women looking for a way out of a difficult situation, has opined that better must be done at the level of the government to assist women, who are experiencing abuse, but are unsure of how to get out, or where to turn.

"To date, the government doesn't have anything in place, and everyone is asking why women stay in abusive relationships, but where do they go?" There is no shelter

available in every region for such victims, Sugrim stressed.

He opined that in the case of Raju, like many others, her partner was controlling and manipulative, but underscored that men should stop treating women as if they are their personal property.

Sugrim pointed out that the government should be held accountable, and they should be investing in Region Six, particularly to have a shelter for battered women that is equipped with social workers.

"Women are the building block of this nation, I am asking President Ali and the Attorney General to enforce the law, and send a message that this will not be tolerated.

Our women should stop being treated like a doormat,” Sugrim added.

A post mortem examination is expected to be done on Raju soon.

and terrorised merely by the unjustified presence of heavily armed men in their home.

“I never had a police problem before, this is the first time I have dealing with the police, and the experience was very unpleasant.

They treat me like I is a big criminal… they break up the wardrobe mirror, destroy the two beds, break up the upstairs bed and the downstairs bed.”

The 39-year-old told Kaieteur News that for the past nine months he has been unable to work, due to a broken hand.

The man said that it is less likely that he will be returning to work any time soon, since his hand was 'fatigued' during the operation.

“Is only three weeks now the hand come out of the plaster cast and them man rough up the hand and right now, I can't do nothing with the hand again,” said Klass.

The man said that his 21year-old stepson, Brad DaSilva, was arrested during the operation, based on alleged involvement in robbery/murder.

Kaieteur News was told that the young man was released the following day, without being charged.

When asked to outline what he needs compensation for, the man said, “They have to compensate me for the damage they did to the upstairs and downstairs door… right now, the house

The zip ties used.

The broken wardrobe.

door can't lock and the place can't secure properly.

I need compensation for the two beds damaged, and I need compensation for the wardrobe they damage. Also

the same morning the police seize my Samsung A21s, and the value for that is $65,000… I calling on the state to give me some sort of satisfaction.”

Cop and suspected bandit shot during arrest scuffle A police officer who is attached to the Guyana Police Force (GPF) and a suspected bandit are currently receiving medical attention at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), after they were shot at the same time as law enforcement officials were executing an arrest.

The incident reportedly occurred sometime around 10:35hrs yesterday at Leopold Street, Werk-en-Rust; Georgetown.

According to a report that was released by the Corporate Communications Unit (CCU), Deputy Director, Stan Gouveia, indicated that a party of policemen was responding to an alleged robbery under arms, when they apprehended the two male suspects, one a 20year-old, and the other, a 24-year-old.

While making the arrest, a scuffle ensued between the suspects and a police officer.

Investigators noted that the 20-year-old man held on to the police officer's firearm, trying to disarm him.

The firearm discharged during the struggle for possession and control of the weapon, leading to both the police officer and one of the suspects being shot in the left

Deputy Director of the Force's Corporate Communication Unit (CCU), Stan Gouveia. thighs. Additionally, the police report indicated that the duo allegedly robbed a 68year-old man of a gold chain and an artificial gold band.

Both injured persons were escorted to the GPHC. The other suspect is in police custody, as investigations continue.

Wednesday September 22, 2021

Kaieteur News

PAGE 25

Elderly female security guard collapses and dies on the job

Body of the security guard who died .

Family members crying over the body of the deceased.

An elderly female security guard, who was based at David Persaud Limited, a construction equipment supplier located at Happy Acres, East Coast Demerara, collapsed and died on the job in the predawn hours of yesterday.

Based on information received from a representative of the business entity, they were informed that the female employee, who has been identified as Yvette Wilson, 65, of Paradise, East Coast, Demerara, was found dead.

It was reported that the woman, who was a security guard and was attached to MMC Security Services Inc., died sometime around 03:00hrs yesterday. The rep. said he is not aware of any other information, because the woman was not listed as a worker in the records of the organisation.

However, the daughter of the deceased woman explained, in a video on social media, that her mother wasn't feeling well for some time. She shared that her mother called her on Monday night and said that she was experiencing shortness of breath. The

daughter indicated that she asked how come this was so, and her mother said she didn't know the reason.

The daughter further stated that, “I asked her if she had called MMC Security to explain to them what had happened, so that someone can relieve her from the job, to which she said she did, but that there is no one to relieve her so she can't leave.” Her mother reportedly told her that she asked them to send someone to take her to the hospital. I then decided to go to my mother's workplace to wait with her.

The distraught daughter said that 30 minutes later, she arrived at her mother's workplace, but no one came to take her mom to the hospital.

She said, “I told mommy to come let's go and she explained that she can't leave the hut, because no one is here. I got angry with her and shouted telling her 'mom come into this car, because if you fall down and dead', they gon find someone to replace you.'”

They then left and went to the hospital, where the mother was examined by a doctor and given some

medication. Moreover, the daughter indicated that even after that incident, the organisation [MMC Security] allowed her mother to return to work the next day, despite her c o n d i t i o n . S a d l y, t h e daughter said early the next morning, she received a call informing her that her mother had died.

The relatives of the woman, who were visibly upset and sad in the video, said that the manager of the organisation refused to give any other comment.

However, a cousin of the deceased, who also works at the organisation, stated that workers were calling for a long time on the radio for someone to help and no one came.A representative from MMC Security said that the woman was on duty at the time, and all he knows is that she died and someone summoned the ambulance and called the police.

The relatives noted that when the company learnt of the woman's death, they removed her boots and cap and took it away.A post mortem examination will be done to determine the cause of death.

GYEITI gets new Stakeholder Group 7 months...

From page 3 encouraged by 'big miners' who do not want their practices to be exposed to the public, since it would, among other things, reveal rampant instances of 'landlordism' among other questionable, and likely illegal practices.

Ramjattan was adamant that the People's Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) administration, despite its glib promises and commitments to transparency “are simply playing games and fooling the public.”

As it relates to the involvement of 'big miners', Ramjattan was adamant, “the whole world has seen the massive

corruption that took place between PPP elites, Ministers, and bigwigs in the mining sector.

According to the AFC Leader, since the expiration of the life of the body in March last, the PPP/C “if it wanted transparency should have named members.”

To this end, he posits that the big miners in the sector want the PPP/C to stifle the growth of the local EITI—GYEITI—and to eventually pull out from the international transparency watchdog body.

He reminded that under the previous administration, two reports were submitted by the GYEITI, the first being some 6,000 pages documenting the affairs of

the extractive industry.

According to Ramjattan, were Guyana to lose its membership in O c t o b e r, t h e P P P / C ' s c o m m i t m e n t t o transparency would be called into question.

Additionally, the AFC Leader has also called on the administration to go a step further and concretise the EITI reporting standards and guidelines in law, so as to make it legally enforceable and binding.

He is calling for the EITI's International Standards and Guidelines to be codified in Law. EITI is a global standard that promotes transparency and accountability in the oil, gas and mining sectors.

PAGE 26

Kaieteur News

Wednesday September 22, 2021

Wednesday September 22, 2021

Kaieteur News

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Kaieteur News

Wednesday September 22, 2021

Wednesday September 22, 2021

Paralysed Kiwi cricket great Cairns faces ‘greatest challenge’ AFP - New Zealand cricket great Chris Cairns Monday said he was “facing possibly the greatest challenge” of his life after being left paralysed following a stroke during a heart operation.The 51-year-old, one of the world’s top allrounders in the early 2000s, underwent life-saving surgery last month when a tear developed in the lining of a major artery.The Canberrabased former international had an emergency operation in Sydney but suffered a stroke during the procedure, leaving him unable to use his legs.In his first comments since, Cairns shared a video message on social media in which he thanked the sur-

geons, doctors, nurses who “saved my life”, acknowledging there was “a long road ahead”.“Just over six weeks ago, I suffered a type-A aortic dissection, which essentially means there’s a tear in one of the major arteries of the heart,” he said.“I had several surgeries and grafts and very thankfully the specialists were able to save the heart itself.

“One of the complications that arose was a spinal stroke which in itself will provide me with possibly the greatest challenge I’ve ever faced in rehab going forward.”

Cairns played 62 Tests between 1989 and 2004, averaging 29.4 with the ball and 33.53 with the bat, including 87 sixes — a world record at

the time.However, his on-field achievements were overshadowed by match-fixing allegations, strongly denied by Cairns, that resulted in two court cases.He was cleared on both occasions but complained his reputation had been “scorched” regardless.

TAURUS(Apr.20–May20) You're on top of the world today, Taurus, as you should be. You're on your way to conquering a domain that you once considered impossible.

Stay strong and assertive.

GEMINI (May 21–June 20) Hop on board early today, Gemini, or you may get left behind. If you sit around and wait for someone to grant you an invitation, you'll probably never get where you want to go.

CANCER (June 21–July 22) You may sense a bit of conflict in your world today, especially when it comes to emotions, Cancer. Keep in mind that your perception of a dispute may make or break the result.

Pakistan ‘used and binned’ by ‘Western bloc’, says PCB chief Raja LAHORE, Pakistan, (Reuters) - Pakistan have been “used and binned” by the “Western Bloc”, cricket board chairman Ramiz Raja said yesterday, adding that he thinks Australia will join New Zealand and England in cancelling their tour of the South

AGARWAL AND SINGH SHINE...

New Zealand cricket great Chris Cairns faces a long road to recovery (AFP/LEON NEAL)

Wednesday September 22, 2021 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) Your mind is buzzing like a busy bee today, Aries. Keep things light and social. Don't get too wrapped up in details.

You may tend to worry about outcomes, but the truth is that problems will work .

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Kaieteur News

LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) You'll be pulled in many directions today, Libra. It could be like you're in a candy shop with only a dollar and everything looks delicious.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) Thank your friends today, Scorpio. Let them know how much they mean to you. It's important to show your appreciation to the people around you. There's an expansive feeling in your heart that will shine through.

SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) You might feel like doing something different today, Sagittarius. Everyone needs a break from the regular grind and this is a good time to try something new. Perhaps you feel like varying your routine.

CAPRI (Dec. 22–Jan. 19) It's important to communicate your feelings today, Sagittarius. You tend to hold them inside and wait until they build up and erupt like a volcano.

LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) You might be thrown off balance by the flightiness of today, Leo. Perhaps it's difficult to make a decision about anything. Try not to get too caught up in the gossip swarming around you.

AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18) You may be asked to turn yourself inside out today, Aquarius. People may bombard you in a way that makes you want retreat into your protective shell.

VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) You're ready to soar like a bird, Virgo. When the next gust of wind comes up, you'll take flight and send your beautiful presence all over the world.

PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20)You can cruise from left to right and front to rear and back again, Pisces. There's plenty of fuel for your fire today, and so you should take this opportunity to move forward toward your goals.

From page 34 Rahul Tewatia removed the respective openers.Nicholas Pooran (32) and Aiden Markram (26 not out) steadied the ship to edge their side towards victory but, with just six required off the last over, Tyagi struck twice and conceded only four runs to steal victory from the jaws of defeat.Poor fielding does not cost RajasthanRahul could have been dismissed three times, with drops coming on two, 29 and 31 by Lewis, Riyan Parag and Sakariya, and then it would have been a completely different game.Rajasthan failed to take their chances, gifting the openers the opportunity to build a match-winning

stand,Horrific HoodaDeepak Hooda conceded 37 runs in two overs as Rahul’s middleovers gamble failed to pay off with the off-spinner carted around the ground before his two-ball duck at the end of Punjab’s innings.

Indeed, Hooda only managed two dot balls in his 12-ball spell, with Lomror running riot in the 15th over as he launched 24 runs to push the Royals to a competitive total, which proved to just be enough.

Scores: Rajasthan Royals 185 (Jaiswal 49, Lomror 43, Arshdeep 5-32, Shami 3-21) beat Punjab Kings 183 for 4 (Agarwal 67, Rahul 49, Tyagi 2-29, Tewatia 1-23) by two runs.

Asian country.

England on Monday called off their men’s and women’s teams tour of Pakistan next month citing the “mental and physical well-being” of the players. It followed New Zealand’s abrupt abandonment of their tour minutes before the opening fixture in Rawalpindi on Friday following a security alert from their government.

“How I wish today that I was still a YouTuber, rather than the chairman of the cricket board, because I would have absolutely taken on New Zealand and England unabashedly,” Raja told a virtual news conference.

“It’s the feeling of being used and then binned — that is the feeling that I have right now,” the former Pakistan captain said. “I certainly feel that we are up against a western mindset, a Western bloc.”

Raja pointed out Pakistan’s trips to New Zealand and England last year defying the COVID-19 situation and felt the withdrawals by them would have a domino effect.“West Indies could be a little jittery and we know that the Australians will probably do what the New Zealanders and England have done. So there goes our domestic international calendar.”

Cricket Australia has said it would “talk with the relevant authorities once more information becomes known” ahead of its scheduled tour early next year.

Shunned by all after the deadly 2009 attack on the Sri Lanka team bus in Lahore, Pakistan have been trying to woo back top international teams.Raja felt particularly let down by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB).

“A little bit of hand holding, a little bit of caring was needed, especially after New Zealand pulled out, and we didn’t get that from ECB,” he said.

England, who last visited Pakistan in 2005, are scheduled to tour the country in the 2022-23 season but Raja, who had a chat with ECB Chairman Ian Whatmore, is taking nothing for granted.

“I said what is the guarantee of England coming back and playing here? ... because a month before that tour you can easily quote tiredness, players being spooked again, sick of living in a bubble.”

The ECB declined to respond to Raja’s comments, saying it had nothing to add to Monday’s statement. According to media reports, the PCB is facing losses of $15-25 million due to the tour cancellations.

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Kaieteur News

Hafthor Bjornsson - YouTube

Men’s Health - After a long road to his first boxing match, which stretched over a year of training, more than 100 pounds of weight lost, and a last-minute change of opponent, former World’s Strongest Man Hafthor Björnsson needed just one round to prove his transformation into the world’s biggest fighter is complete.

Björnsson, a.k.a. The Mountain from his role on Game of Thrones, finished armwrestling champ Devon Laratt by TKO in the first round of their much-hyped boxing match in Dubai atop a card that featured other strength athletes-turnedfighters. Björnsson posted a celebratory photo of himself embracing Larratt in the ring to his Instagram page, thanking his opponent and reflecting on the experience.

“Last night was amazing and I’ll be forever thankful for the experience. There’s no better feeling then the adrenaline you get running through your body when stepping into the ring,” he wrote in the post’s caption.

Wednesday September 22, 2021

Thor Björnsson dominated his boxing debut with round 1 TKO “Thank you @devlarratt for the battle and bravery. You are a champion. Thank you to my whole team, my coach, my wife and all my fans!”

Larratt, who took the fight as a replacement with just six weeks of prep time and no boxing experience, responded to the post graciously. “U r a great champion @thorbjornsson thanks for the experience,” he wrote. He also gave a longer address in a YouTube video. “It’s kind of what I expected,” Larratt said. “It’s nice to feel alive—it’s nice to chase something that’s kind of impossible.”

The matchup was originally slated to feature fellow former World’s Strongest Man Eddie Hall, with whom Björnsson has a contentious public feud following their strongman rivalry and Björnsson’s 501kg deadlift in May 2020, which unofficially broke Hall’s record. Both men have documented their transformations and training, trading verbal barbs throughout the process—but Hall suffered a detached

biceps injury in August that forced him to withdraw from the match.

That fight is still on the horizon. Björnsson addressed the Hall situation immediately after finishing Larratt in his post fight interview. “Enjoy your life, buddy,” Björnsson said, directed to Hall, according to BarBend. “I’m going to knock you out soon.” Hall responded on social media, commenting on coverage of the fight. “Well done to Thor for beating an old man up with 5 weeks of training,” he wrote, clearly sarcastic.

There’s no date set for the clash between Björnsson and Hall, but given the tenor of their responses to each other, a match soon after Hall’s recovery seems likely.

CrossFitters Jacob Heppner and Josh Bridges also fought, with Heppner winning via unanimous decision, according to Sportskeeda. World recordbreaking powerlifter Stefi Cohen, also on the card in her second pro boxing match, finished with a draw against Marcela Nieto.

Guyana Lottery Company supports Linden Bauxite Flyers Cycling Club The Guyana Lottery Company has thrown its support behind the Linden Bauxite Flyers Cycling Club for their 2022/2023 season.

This was disclosed by both parties yesterday at a simple ceremony held at the company’s head office in Lamaha Street.

The clubs’ Assistant Secretary Treasurer Jeffrey Ye a r w o o d e x p r e s s e d gratitude to the company and said this support will go a long way towards the development of young cyclists there.

“We are really thankful for this; it’s something that we have been working on for a while. I am pleased that the company took the

opportunity and we are happy for their support,” he added.

Jeffrey said that the club was established in 2009 and has about 23 active cyclists.

“Most of them would compete in our domestic races in Linden, while a few would participate in races in Georgetown. We have a youthful club and training sessions are usually held on certain weekdays,” he noted.

He stated that the club is focused on building the youths within Linden and this will serve as a motivation factor.

The company’s brand ambassador Rawle Toney said they have been supporting sports for a

number of years, but they haven’t done much in the Linden area. “We see this as a huge step for us since there are clubs in the community which have produced some of Guyana’s top cycling talent. We want them to preserve that talent and to produce more, so we hope that this partnership blossom nicely,” he pointed out.

Toney stated that this is just the start of a long term venture with the company and club.

“It’s more than just hopping on board; we intend to support their meets in the coming months, so this is just the start of a really long term relationship,” he said.

(Zaheer Mohamed)

Wednesday September 22, 2021

Kaieteur News

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Hungary to play matches behind closed doors after racist behaviour of fans at England game BBC Sport - Hungary have been ordered to play two matches behind closed doors by Fifa following the racism English players experienced at the World Cup qualifier in Budapest on 2 September.

However, the second ground closure is suspended for two years.The Hungarian Football Federation has also been fined £158,400 (200,000 Swiss

Francs).“Fifa takes a clear zero tolerance stance against such abhorrent behaviour in f o o t b a l l , ” r e a d F i f a ’s statement.The governing body added that it remained “firm and resolute in rejecting any form of racism and violence as well as any other form of discrimination or abuse”.

In June, Uefa fined the Hungarian federation £85,500 and ordered a three-

Raheem Sterling was pelted with paper cups after scoring England’s opener. (Getty Images)

game stadium closure, the final match being suspended, for discriminatory behaviour by their supporters during Euro 2020.That sanction did not apply for England’s visit as the World Cup qualifier was a Fifa game rather than being under the control of Uefa, who did not ask for the punishment to be transferred.

Fifa said it imposed the sanctions “after analysing

and taking into consideration all the circumstances of the case, specifically the seriousness of the incidents (racist words and actions, throwing of objects, lighting of fireworks, blocked stairways)”.

Raheem Sterling and Jude Bellingham were both targeted, England players were pelted with objects in the second half and a flare was thrown on to the pitch by

the home fans at Puskas Arena.The England players were also booed as they took the knee before the match at the 67,000-capacity stadium.

Sterling was pelted with paper cups and bottles when he opened the scoring for England before a flare was thrown on to the pitch after Harry Maguire put Gareth Southgate’s side 3-0 ahead.

Southgate also had ice thrown at him by fans during

his post-match interview with BBC Radio 5 Live.

Kick It Out’s head of development Troy Townsend tweeted: “What does ‘zero tolerance approach’ even mean?

Words that read good in print but we’ll never actually adhere to them.“Anyway, we [in England] have our own problems and don’t even go this far with punishments, so best leave alone.”

Kaieteur News

PAGE 32

Wednesday September 22, 2021

NFL roundup: Lamar Jackson rallies Ravens past Chiefs

Reuters - Odafe Oweh recovered a fumble with 1:20 remaining Sunday, allowing the Baltimore Ravens to stop the last possession by Kansas City and beat the Chiefs 36-35 at Baltimore.

The fumble by the Chiefs’ Clyde EdwardsHelaire enabled Lamar Jackson to ice the upset with a fourth-down keeper, moving the chains and letting Baltimore run out the clock. Although the Ravens played short-handed with 16

players already on injured reserve, Jackson willed his first victory in four matchups against Patrick Mahomes and the two-time defending AFC champion Chiefs.

Jackson overcame two first-quarter interceptions, including one for a pick-six, to pass for 239 yards, rush for 107 and account for three touchdo ns, rallying Baltimore from an 11-point deficit.

Mahomes completed passes to nine receivers, passing for 343 yards and

three touchdowns, but threw the first September interception of his career.

Kelce caught seven balls for 109 yards. His 46-yard touchdown with 6:50 left in the third quarter provided a 35-24 lead but the Chiefs did not score again.

Raiders 26, Steelers 17 Derek Carr threw for 382 yards and two touchdowns as Las Vegas topped host Pittsburgh in Week 2 action.

Carr hit on 28 of 37 passes, including a pair of huge completions in the

Jacksonville Jaguars running back James Robinson (25) is tackled by Denver Broncos strong safety Kareem Jackson (22) in the fourth quarter at TIAA Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports fourth quarter, as the Raiders improved to 2-0. The Steelers, upset winners in Buffalo in Week 1, were denied achieving a 2-0 start for the second straight season.

After teaming with speedy receiver Henry Ruggs for a 61-yard scoring strike with 9:35 remaining to give Las Vegas a 23-14 lead, Carr found Darren Waller for 25 yards and a first down with three minutes on the clock. That helped the Raiders run the clock down to 20 seconds, and Daniel Carlson connected on a 45yard field goal, his fourth of the game, to ice the outcome.

Ben Roethlisberger completed 27 of 40 passes for 295 yards with a touchdown pass — to rookie running back Najee Harris — and an interception for Pittsburgh.

Bears 20, Bengals 17 Roquan Smith had eight tackles, one sack and an interception return for a 53yard score and Chicago held off visiting Cincinnati.

Allen Robinson II added a touchdown reception for Chicago (1-1), which won its h o m e o p e n e r. R o o k i e quarterback Justin Fields completed six of his 13 passes for 60 yards and an interception and rushed 10 times for 31 yards as an injury replacement for starter Andy Dalton, who left because of a knee injury.

Cincinnati (1-1) rallied with a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns but could not overcome four turnovers on offense. Bengals signalcaller Joe Burrow completed 19 of 30 passes for 207 yards

and two touchdowns, but threw interceptions on three consecutive passes in the second half.

Rams 27, Colts 24 Matthew Stafford passed for 278 yards and two touchdowns as Los Angeles rallied from a fourth-quarter deficit for a victory over host Indianapolis.

Cooper Kupp caught nine passes for 163 yards and two touchdowns and running back Darrell Henderson Jr. had 53 yards on 13 carries with a touchdown as the Rams (2-0) won despite blowing an 11-point secondhalf lead. The Rams took the lead for good on a 38-yard field goal from Matt Gay with 2:27 remaining.

Carson Wentz passed for 247 yards with one touchdown for the Colts (02), but was not on the field for Indianapolis’ final drive after he rolled his ankle following a fourth-quarter hit from Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald.

Backup Jacob Eason took over for Wentz. He was intercepted by Jalen Ramsey on his second pass attempt with 2:13 remaining.

Broncos 23, Jaguars 13 Te d d y B r i d g e w a t e r passed for 328 yards and two touchdowns to lead Denver over host Jacksonville.

Noah Fant and Tim Patrick caught touchdown passes and Courtland Sutton had nine receptions for 159 yards for Denver.

Bridgewater completed 26 of 34 passes as the Broncos achieved their first 2-0 start since 2018.

Trevor Lawrence completed 14 of 33 passes

for 118 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions for Jacksonville, which dropped its 17th straight game. Jamal Agnew returned a kickoff 102 yards for a score and Marvin Jones II caught six passes for 55 yards and one touchdown.

Patriots 25, Jets 6 Mac Jones prevailed in a battle of highly touted rookie quarterbacks as New England earned a win over Zach Wilson and the host New York Jets.

Jones, the No. 15 overall pick in this year’s draft, completed 22-of-30 passes for 186 yards en route to his first NFL victory. Damien Harris rushed for 62 yards and a touchdown and James White also had a rushing TD for New England (1-1), which bounced back from a season-opening 17-16 home loss to Miami.

No. 2 overall pick Wilson was intercepted four times and threw for 210 yards on 19-of-33 passing for the Jets.

Wilson has thrown five picks in his first two NFL games.

New York (0-2) suffered its 11th consecutive loss to New England over a six-year span.

In other results: 49ers 17, Eagles 11 Panthers 26, Saints 7 Bills 35, Dolphins 0 Browns 31, Texans 21 Buccaneers 48, Falcons 25 Cowboys 20, Chargers 17 Cardinals 34, Vikings 33 Titans 33, Seahawks 30 (OT) (Field Level Media)

Kaieteur News

Wednesday September 22, 2021

PAGE 33

Barty among first three qualifiers for WTA Finals (Reuters) - Defending champion Ash Barty, world number two Aryna Sabalenka and French Open champion Barbora Krejcikova have all qualified for the season-ending WTA Finals in Mexico, the WTA said on Monday.

Five more singles players have yet to be named for the finals, which will be contested by the world’s top eight singles players and eight doubles teams.

The event is scheduled to kick off on Nov. 8 and was

moved to Guadalajara from Shenzhen earlier this month due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced their cancellation last year.

“Lifting the Billie Jean King Trophy in Shenzhen in 2019 is one of the best moments of my career,” said world number one Barty.

“It’s a great honor to be among the top eight players in the world and be the first to qualify for the 2021 WTA Finals.”

However, it remains to be

seen whether the Australian will actually defend her title.

Her coach Craig Tyzzer this month expressed doubts about her participation due to what he called “ridiculous” playing conditions at the high-altitude venue and the timing of the tournament, which he said could interfere with her ability to play at February’s Australian Open. Barty, who suffered a third-round exit at this month’s U.S. Open, is “physically and mentally exhausted,” Tyzzer told the Australian Associated

England pull out of men’s and women’s cricket tours of Pakistan LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) — England cricket chiefs w e re w a r n e d b y t h e Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Monday there will be consequences for the decision to withdraw from next month’s white-ball tour citing “increasing concerns about travelling to the region”.

Rawalpindi was due to host men’s and women’s Twenty20 double-headers on October 13 and 14 as England’s men prepare for next month’s T20 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates and Oman.

H e a t h e r K n i g h t ’s women’s team were then due to play three One-Day Internationals (ODIs) in the same city.

However, the historic trip, which would have been the first ever by an England women’s team and the first by their male counterparts since 2005, was plunged into serious doubt after New Zealand pulled out of their tour of Pakistan on Friday over security fears.

The England and Wales Cricket Board said in a statement it had “reluctantly decided to withdraw both teams from the October trip”.

“We know there are increasing concerns about travelling to the region and believe that going ahead will add further pressure to a playing group who have already coped with a long period of operating in restricted Covid environments.”

The PCB reacted furiously to the news after their decision to tour England last year despite strict coronavirus regulations saved the ECB millions in television rights

deals.

“We accommodate them out of the way and fulfil their wishes. We are the best hosts and when we go there we bear their scolding in quarantine and tolerate that,” said PCB chairman Ramiz Raja.

“If we are blocked like this then we will also not accommodate them in future.”

A deadly 2009 attack on the Sri Lanka team bus in Lahore saw Pakistan become a no-go destination for international teams.

In 2012 and 2015 Pakistan hosted England in the UAE, which has staged most of their “home” games since the attack.

A rapid improvement in security in recent years has led to the return of international cricket, with Zimbabwe, Sri Lanka, the West Indies, South Africa and Bangladesh touring in the past six years.

“Pakistan as a nation and as a cricketing board has made countless sacrifices and efforts after six years of exile,” Pakistan Test opener Shan Masood told AFP. “We have toured to places during Covid to keep the game going, so please be there for us when we need you.”

Former England captain M i c h a e l Va u g h a n questioned why the matches could not be moved to the UAE. “ C o m p l e t e l y understandable in light of the security issues,” Vaughan tweeted. “But I am surprised it couldn’t have been played in the UAE !! .. let’s hope things can change & teams can tour Pakistan shortly!”

New Zealand quit New Zealand last week quit their first tour of

Pakistan in 18 years just as the first one-day international of a planned series of three was due to start in Rawalpindi.

The Black Caps had also been due to play five T20 matches in Lahore ahead of the World Cup. The World Cup was moved from India due to the coronavirus pandemic, which has forced international cricketers to play in bio-secure bubbles for long stretches since the start of the global health crisis.

New Zealand officials refused to give details of the security threat that forced them to abruptly cancel their matches.

The Black Caps previously cut short a tour in 2002 after a suicide bombing outside their team hotel in Karachi killed 14 people, including 11 French naval engineers.

Pakistan has denied any security threats but the country now faces the risk of further cancellations.

“Cricket fraternity must come together in difficult times but if England and New Zealand did not help us then it could be a domino effect,” added Raja.

E n g l a n d ’s m e n a r e scheduled to play five ODIs and three Tests in Pakistan in late 2022 and the ECB reiterated its commitment to their plans for next year, thanking the PCB for Pakistan tours of England during the Covid pandemic in 2020 and 2021.

Cricket Australia has said it is monitoring the situation, gathering information from security experts, before deciding whether to tour Pakistan in February and March next year.

Press.

Sabalenka and Krejcikova will both be making their first appearance as singles players at the competition although both have appeared in doubles.

Krejcikova on Monday also learned that she and partner Katerina Siniakova had qualified for doubles, while the Japanese duo of Shuko Aoyama and Ena Shibahara also booked their ticket.

The annual showpiece event had a prize purse of $14 million in 2019.

Ashleigh Barty of Australia hits to Shelby Rogers of the USA on day six of the 2021 U.S. Open tennis tournament at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. (Robert DeutschUSA TODAY Sports/File Photo)

Kaieteur News

PAGE 34

Sunshine cart off ORSCA Grand champion trophy Members of the Sunshine cricket team with their prizes.

Wednesday September 22, 2021

Agarwal and Singh shine but Rajasthan Royals sneak past Punjab Kings SportsMax - Arshdeep Singh and Mayank Agarwal starred but Rajasthan Royals sneaked to a two-run win against Punjab Kings in the Indian Premier League yesterday.

Singh shone with his maiden IPL five-wicket haul to bowl Rajasthan out for 185 with the final ball before Agarwal smashed 67 from 43 balls but that proved in vain due to Kartik Tyagi’s magical final over to push the Royals to victory.

Evin Lewis (36) and Yashasvi Jaiswal (49) shared

a 54-run opening stand as the Royals started rapidly, with Liam Livingstone (25) and Mahipal Lomror’s 17-ball 43 providing further impetus.

However, Singh (5-32) and Mohammed Shami (321) pegged their opponents back with some superb death bowling to carry momentum forward to their innings.

KL Rahul (49), who was dropped three times, and Agarwal then put on 120 in 11.4 overs to propel Punjab Kings towards the target before Chetan Sakariya and (Continued on page 25)

Kartik Tyagi pulled off a coup for Rajasthan Royals. (BCCI)

Sunshine carted off the 2021 Ontario Round-Arm Softball Cricket Association (ORSCA) 20-overs Grand champion trophy after beating Cambridge Jaguars by four wickets on Saturday at Marvin Heights Public School ground, Mississauga.

Jaguars only made an insufficient 135-8 off the 20-overs having taken first knock at the invitation of Sunshine.

Sunshine, led by an enterprising 61 from Jeetendra Beharry, safely reached 141-6 with 31 balls remaining.

The left-handed Beharry came in at number three after opener Anil Etwaroo departed for 1 while soon after Ramiz Mohammed fell for 6 as Sunshine were

wobbling at 12-2.

However, Beharry found a willing partner former Guyana and West Indies youth player Hemnarine Chattergoon and they two stitched together a significant 108-run thirdwicket stand that virtually sealed the deal for Sunshine in brilliant sunshine.

Beharry, the Berbician, struck three sixes and five fours while the right-handed Chattergoon scored a responsible 49 laced with three sixes and two fours.

Teddy Nandkissoor claimed two wickets for 27 runs from four overs delivering for the Jaguars.

E a r l i e r, C a m b r i d g e Jaguars also started off poorly losing two quick wickets. Essequibian Sunil Sankar (06) and Mahendra

Jaipersaud (01) were the early victims. Experienced campaigners Richie Shivrathan and Nandkissoor batted smartly with good communication between the wickets picking up singles.

Shivrathan was departed for 19 while Nandkissoor followed soon for 31 which included two sixes and a four to end their 54-run third-wicket partnership.

Vijay Jhappan also batted beautifully by scoring a cameo 54 towards the end.

The right-handed Jhappan hit five sixes and two fours.

Rajendra Dhoray captured three wickets for 14 runs from four overs to be the leading bowler.

Chattergoon also proved his all-round capability by snaring two wickets for 32 runs from his maximum four

overs. At the presentation ceremony, Beharry was named the Most Valuable Player for Sunshine while Jhappan copped that prize for the runners-up side. Both players were given a bottle of champagne too and a trophy each.

Medals were distributed to Sunshine and Cambridge Jaguars while they received a trophy each. President of the association Mitchel Bacchus, in his remarks, thanked all the teams for their participation and congratulated Sunshine for emerging victorious.

Notably, this is the first time Sunshine participated in the ORSCA tournament since its formation in 2011.

Sunshine also won the tenten competition that finished a few weeks ago.

NSC powers Carlos Peterson-Griffith to World Classic Powerlifting Championships The National Sports Commission yesterday covered in totality, the cost for Carlos Peterson-Griffith to attend the 2021 World Classic Powerlifting Championships in Halmstad, Sweden, from September 23 – October 1.

Considered one of the strongest men in the South American and Pan Am regions, Peterson-Griffith will be the lone Guyanese to compete at the event which brings together the best powerlifters in the world.

“Our budget is not infinite. With our limited resources, we try to see as best as possible we can spread it out to all sport disciplines,” Director of Sport Steve Ninvalle said at the simple presentation which was held at the National Sports Commission (NSC).

According to Ninvalle, the NSC

and the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport listed ‘Carlos’ as an elite athlete, making him eligible for substantial funding.

“Mr Peterson-Griffith is an elite athlete; he has been making this country proud. He has just done that a month ago, breaking several records and we feel that it’s just appropriate that we assist him and continue to assist him in his climb to becoming one of the best in the world,” the Director of Sport added. Ninvalle was keen to highlight in a release from the NSC, “This is not our final round of assistance to him and to the sport of powerlifting and we do hope that he can bring back several records and medals when he gets to Sweden. We would like to say congratulations and we know that he

will do his best; if his best warrants a medal, then that is what we want.”

M e a n w h i l e , t h e c o u n t r y ’s ‘strongest man’ thanked Minister Charles Ramson Jr and the NSC for their unwavering support and putting him in a position to only focus on competing.“It has been a great honour representing the Golden Arrowhead and I want to say thanks to the NSC and the Director of Sport. This is just the stepping-stone, not just for myself, but to other elite athletes who go out there and perform to bring ‘it home’ every time,” Peterson-Griffith said.

With over 600 athletes set to compete, the 2021 World Classic Powerlifting Championships is the largest event on the International Powerlifting Federation’s calendar.

RHT Namilco Thunderbolt Flour...

From page 35 joined opener Junior Sinclair and together they added 24 for the second wicket before Sinclair was trapped LBW by Meduim pacer Zahir Hussain for 12. Veteran Jason Sinclair joined Anderson, who was already flowing with several attractive strokes. The pair added the required 62 runs for victory in just eight overs.

Anderson ended on 51 not out with four boundaries and four massive sixes, while Sinclair was unbeaten on 15 with two delightful boundaries. Hussain 1 for 18 and Sampson 1 for 34 were the successful bowlers for Canje. Anderson received a trophy for been adjudged the Player of the Match, while the runner up team carried a trophy and a box of red cricket balls compliments of the RHT Namilco Cricket team. The Champions received the championship trophy and a cash prize compliments of West Indies player Kevin Sinclair.

R H T Y S C

Secretary/CEO Hilbert Foster at the simple presentation ceremony congratulated the champions and stated that his club was very pleased to be associated with the township, which has developed into the financial capital of Berbice. He committed the club and its twelve cricket teams to assisting the town council as much as possible to make a positive difference.

Mayor Dave Budhu expressed gratitude to the management of the RHTYSC for the major role they were playing in transforming the township and the assistance they have provided to his council.

Members of the Namilco team also took the opportunity to donate several items to the council including street signa, plaques, framed certificates and national flags. Captain Shawn Perriera handed over the items to the Mayor and Town Clerk Natasha Griffith after the match.

Kaieteur News

Wednesday September 22, 2021

PAGE 35

RHT Namilco Thunderbolt Flour First Division team defeat RHCCCC to lift RHT 51st anniversary trophy - Anderson cops Man of the Match award as Team makes donation to Council

The winning RHTYSC Namilco Thunder Bolt Flour team.

A

brilliant innings from Guyana most promising batsman Kevlon Anderson spearheaded his team Rose Hall Town Namilco Thunder Bolt Flour to an easy eight wicket victory over Rose Hall Canje Community Center Cricket Club last Sunday at the Area H Ground. The victory ensured that the home team carried home, the Rose Hall Town 51st Anniversary 20/20 Trophy. The township, Guyana smallest attained the status of township on the

20th of September ,1970 and the Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club MS is assisting the town council to coordinate a series of activities to mark the anniversary.

Rose Hall Canje won the toss and elected to take first strike on a wicket playing its first competitive match in just under six months. They were immediately in trouble when opener Ravindra Beharry was bowled by a fiery Keon Sinclair for nought with the score on four in the first over. They never

recovered and were eventually bowled out for 84 off 19.5 overs as all the home team bowlers bowled well.

Sasenarine Sukhu 22, Eon Andrews 14 and Zahir Hussain 12 were the principal batters for Canje.

Andrews and Sukhu added 30 for the 3rd wicket but when Andrews was dismissed by off spinner Junior Sinclair in the 14th over, the rest of the batting collapsed. Bowling for the home team, skipper Shawn Perriera took 4 for 15 from four overs, Junior Sinclair 2

Namilco Thunder Bolt Team Captain Shawn Perriera hands over the donationto the Mayor and Town Clerk of Rose Hall. for 14, while Kevin Sinclair, Matthew Pottaya and Keith Simpson took a wicket apiece.

Needing to score 85 from

twenty overs, RHT Namilco lost West Indies player Kevin Sinclair second ball, stumped off the bowling of veteran left arm spinner

Mark Sampson for nought without a run on the board.

Former Windies under19 player Kevon Anderson (Continued on page 34)

Linden Bauxite Flyers Cycling Club Assistant Secretary Treasurer Jeffrey Yearwood accepts one of the jerseys and cheque from Guyana Lottery Company General Manager Tracey Lewis in the presence of brand ambassador Rawle Toney.

Glenn Phillips pulls through the leg side, Sep 06, 2021 © Getty Images

Guyana Lottery Company supports Linden Bauxite Flyers Cycling Club t r o Sp

Pakistan ‘used and binned’ by ‘Western bloc’, says PCB chief Raja NSC powers Carlos Director of Sport Steve Ninvalle (left) hands over the NSC support to Carlos Peterson-Griffith yesterday at the NSC.

Ramiz Raja during the MCC World Cricket committee press conference.

(Action Images via Reuters/Andrew Boyers)

Peterson-Griffith to World Classic Powerlifting Championships

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