Guyana Time -- Sunday, May 22, 2022

My son’s kidney P 13 saved my life – hairdresser tells her story Nationwide coverage coverage from from the the best best news news team team in in Guyana Guyana Nationwide Issue No. 5016 guyanatimesgy.com

THE BEACON BEACON OF OF TRUTH TRUTH THE

SUNDAY, MAY 22, 2022

Caricom leaders agree on urgency in implementing Pres Ali's agriculture plan – say sloth in executing Jagdeo Initiative in 2005 now hampering region

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WHAT'S INSIDE:

Dominica signals interest in Guyana’s P12 corn production initiative

– pragmatic & concrete proposals at Agri Forum are achievable – PM Skerrit

Page 3

Special Caricom Heads meeting imminent for decision on removing trade barriers Page 10

…proposals to be presented when meeting convened in 3rd quarter of 2022 …regional transportation barriers on agenda for July meeting

Guyana records 54 new COVID P27 cases Woman stabs abusive partner to death after he threatened to chop her P27 Prison officers recognised for long service, dedication P11

Meet GPHC P14 food vendor ‘Aunty Maggie’

President Dr Irfaan Ali and his Caricom colleagues visited Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) to meet with Brazilian Investors as part of the Agri Investment Forum and Expo that concluded on Saturday. In this photo, the Heads of Government took time out to pose with students of one of the secondary schools in the region

DDL eyes land at 10 families Moblissa for large get low-income houses at Prospect scale dairy farming Page 28

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Trucks carrying containers P29 with lumber run off barge at Kwakwani

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SUNDAY, MAY 22, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

NEWS

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SUNDAY, MAY 22, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

BRIDGE OPENINGS

The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Sunday, May 22 – 23:30h – 01:00h and Monday, May 23 – No closure.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Sunday, May 22 – 09:35h – 11:05h and Monday, May 23 – 10:55h – 12:25h.

FERRY SCHEDULE

Parika and Supenaam departure times – 05:00h, 10:00h-12:00h, 16:00h, 18:30h daily

WEATHER TODAY There will be thundery showers during the day and night. Temperatures should range between 22 degrees Celsius and 27 degrees Celsius.

Winds: West South-Westerly to Northerly between 1.78 metres and 3.12 metres.

High Tide: 09:34h and 22:30h reaching maximums heights of 2.27 metres and 2.16 metres.

Low Tide: 15:49h reaching a minimum height of 0.93 metre.

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Caricom leaders agree on urgency in implementing Pres Ali's agriculture plan – say sloth in executing Jagdeo Initiative in 2005 now hampering Region

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he consensus among Caribbean Community (Caricom) leaders coming out of the just-concluded AgriInvestment Forum and Expo, is that President Dr Irfaan Ali’s agriculture plan for achieving regional food security must be urgently implemented… least history repeats itself.

This is according to the outcome statement from the regional leaders who participated in the expo. The history in question is the 2005 Jagdeo Initiative, which was conceptualised by then President Bharrat Jagdeo to boost agriculture in the Region, but which the group noted was not adequately implemented regionally.

“The Group agreed that lack of action to implement the 2005 “Framework for the repositioning of Caribbean agriculture” (the Jagdeo Initiative) which was agreed by Caricom Governments, constrained the Community’s capacity to safeguard against the impact of the present crisis,” the outcome statement explained.

“In this connection, they welcomed the timely and important vision of the agricultural development plan presented by President Irfaan Ali of Guyana, at the Conference of Heads of Government of Caricom in March 2022.”

High-level representatives from Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Montserrat

Caricom Heads at the last Intersessional Meeting in Belize

and Trinidad and Tobago, the Bahamas, Grenada, Jamaica, St Vincent and the Grenadines and Suriname, as well as regional and international institutions, participated in the investment forum.

According to the outcome statement, it was resolved during discussions to recommend, for the adoption by all Caricom Heads of Government, that food security is addressed urgently and sustainably in four priority areas; food insecurity, regional transportation, trade barriers, and women and youth.

“The agricultural plan, proposed by Guyana’s President Irfaan Ali to the Caricom Heads of Government Conference in March 2022, should be fully implemented as swiftly as possible, with the involvement of all relevant stake-

holders.”

“In this regard, President Ali was requested to mandate the Ministerial Task Force on Food Security to propose an implementation schedule for urgent consideration by Heads of Government,” it was further explained. Guyana, through Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha, chairs this Caricom task force.

On the issue of women and youth, it was recognised and affirmed that it is important for these demographics to participate in the agriculture sector. This will both increase the sector’s contribution to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), but also empower these groups. It was therefore resolved that a study should be done.

“The Caricom Secretariat should be authorised to commission an urgent study,

for consideration by the Special Meeting of Heads of Government proposed for the third quarter of this year, on ways to attract and expand the participation of youth and women by at least 20 per cent by 2025.”

“The terms of reference of the study should include machinery for providing credit; crop insurance; contract purchasing of produce; and training including in the use of modern technology,” the outcome statement explained.

According to the representative group, it is important that these four priority areas be addressed, not only to surmount the current grave challenges of food shortages and high food prices that the Region faces, but to overcome them in a sustainable and lasting manner.

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guyanatimesgy.com

SUNDAY, MAY 22, 2022

Views Editor: Tusika Martin News Hotline: 231-8063 Editorial: 231-0544 223-7230,223-7231,231-0544, 225-7761 Marketing: 231-8064 Accounts: 225-6707 Mailing address: Queens Atlantic Investment Estate Industrial Site, Ruimveldt, Georgetown Email: news@guyanatimesgy.com, marketing@guyanatimesgy.com

A

25 by 25

t the last Caricom Inter-sessional summit last March 1, President Irfaan Ali, given the responsibility for “Agriculture, Agricultural Diversification and Food Security”, outlined some of his proposals for reducing Caricom’s US$6 billion food bill by 25% by 2025. He offered the catchy slogan “25 by 25” to summarise the goal. He even unfurled a concrete proposal to provide financing for agricultural investment. He used a facility called Caricom Sustainability Agriculture Credit Facility, or the Credit Facility, and the Trinidad-based Republic Bank Limited, as a lender.

Two and a half months later, he invited his colleagues to the inaugural “Agri-Investment Forum and Expo” at our Arthur Chung Conference Center (ACCC), and eight of them showed up to observe the progress that Guyana had made on food production in the first two years of his administration. Without sounding jingoistic, it is always better to “show than tell” in these matters, and they were certainly treated to a fantastic “showing”. But as VP Bharrat Jagdeo pointed out when he delivered his charge of “Addressing key binding constraints to agriculture growth”, the success of the plan comes down to leadership.

There would be need for the strongest commitment from the Heads of Government to ensure these constraints are overcome.

The VP knows from bitter experience of what he spoke. Caricom’s “Common Agriculture Policy” (CAP), which has been a work in progress since the organisation’s formation in 1973, was supposed to take care of our food needs when the import bill was but a fraction of what it is today. At every subsequent Heads of Government (HoGs) meeting, there would be much weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth, but the bill kept increasing. However, after Bharrat Jagdeo became President of Guyana in 1999, even as Government came under a decade-long violent destabilisation programme guided by the PNC’s “slow fyaah; mo’ fyaah’ strategy, he offered a plan to Caricom.

Dubbed the “Jagdeo Initiative” in 2003, when he was given the “Agriculture portfolio”, it identified ten constraints that had to be overcome if the Region were to be successful in feeding itself, and even become an exporter of food to a hungry world. These constraints were: limited financing and inadequate new investment in agriculture; outdated and insufficient agricultural health and food safety systems; inadequate research and development; fragmented and disorganised Private Sector; inefficient land and water-distribution management systems; deficient and uncoordinated risk management measures; inadequate transportation systems; weak and non-integrated information and intelligence systems; weak linkages and participation of producers in growth market segments; and lack of skilled and quality human resources.

Necessary interventions were identified, and responsibilities were allocated to specific members of Caricom. Guyana, for instance, was responsible for addressing the constraints in land. In June 2007, C-HoGs met at a special meeting of donors, and, among other actions, decided the Jagdeo Initiative would be implemented over the next 18 months. The plan now had a timetable, but it all came to naught, and the weeping and wailing was resumed.

It was because of this experience that now VP Jagdeo could sound the call for leaders to rise to the occasion.

This lassitude in implementation of plans by Caricom has been its greatest failure. The reason for this was identified as far back as 1992, when a group of WI “wise men”, led

by Sir Sridath Ramphal, were invited to form a West Indian Commission, and issued its report, “A Time for Action”. Its main recommendation was the governance structure of Caricom needed to be revamped drastically. The authors warned that unless this was done, Caricom would remain a paper entity. So said, so done.

Knowing that these leaders would still not concede a coordinated implementation body, Jagdeo advised the respective nations would have to appoint “champions” who would lead the operationalisation of the 25 by 25 goal at the political level. “It needs intervention from the Presidents or the Office of the Prime Ministers, of because they’re so many cross-cutting issues that need to be addressed, that would need heavy intervention on the part of the Head of Government.” Forewarned should be forearmed.

Prime Minister of Dominica, Roosevelt Skerrit, and Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda, Gaston Browne, admiring a piece of art by Guyanese sculptor Winslow Craig, which was on display at State House, Main Street Georgetown, during a dinner hosted by President Dr Irfaan Ali and First Lady Arya Ali

GECOM must be proactive and decisive to win the confidence of Guyanese

Dear Editor, The Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), as the Administrator of Elections Legislation, must ensure the organization’s obligatory compliance with binding requirements on the institution of these and other applicable laws. The lack of internally and externally potent, proactive and decisive actions to deter evidence of non-compliance at various levels within the existing legal framework was insufficient to arrest open lawlessness by staff, and remains a grey area of concern.

The debacle and mayhem that took place at the hands of some GECOM officials during the infamous five threatening months in 2020 was inevitable. The catastrophe emerged almost unimpeded, with the acceleration of bright beacons of suspicious activities and policies from the GECOM Secretariat. These were characterized by flagrant and unbelievably late obligatory public notifications of impacting requirements and preparation in the lead-up to the March 2020 Elections.

Notwithstanding constitutional autonomy enshrined in measures of GECOM’s operations, the enforcement of the Auditor General's observations and previous recommendations as main counterchecks of GECOM’s financial prudence was largely ignored.

Signals informing the need for swift intervention were rendered toothless against revealed evidence of several malpractices under the responsibility of the Chief

Elections Officer (CEO).

James Patterson, former President Granger’s unilaterally appointed Chairman of GECOM, initially led the lawlessness, absorbing the responsibility for the brunt of irrational supporting propositions of APNU Commissioners.

Patterson’s ejection by the CCJ was followed by CEO Keith Lowenfield taking up the mantle, ignoring written and public objections for as long as he was allowed to act as a lone ranger in rolling out decisions usurping the Commission’s Authority.

These were individually and severally coupled and delivered with the absence of necessary broad consultations of Opposition parties, and were shaded by far too obvious political partisanship of key operators. The framework highlighted a glaring lack of the necessary prudence to provide transparent results, and the acceptable embracing confidence of the majority of citizens.

For the then main PPPC Opposition, the hope that exposure and embarrassment may have forged measures of adjustments towards improved decency by officials, and in the applied procedure to improve the transparency of the process, did not make much of a difference.

Rather, the Lowenfield cabal appeared more and more focused on imposing strategic elements of surprise, imbalance, and uncertainty that overwhelmed the importance of ensuring untainted GECOM officials operating in a framework that would turn out legitimate expecta-

tions.

Instead of fixing matters, the CEO chose to halt the submission of statutory reports. He appeared seemingly certain that his cabal could get away with ‘murder’, even if there were no accountability and transparency. In the circumstances, the PPPC and Opposition party’s only solace had to be committed to effective campaigning, publicising the wicked practices of APNU; strict monitoring in the places of poll, and secure verifications thereafter!

Reliable information confirms that there was no final report and discussion at the GECOM after the 2015, and 2016 Elections, while it is definite that there will be no report on the 2020 National and Regional Elections.

After every National and Regional Election, it is the necessary protocol for all the Regional Officers (ROs) to provide a detailed report, accounting for the results of planned preparatory, actual, and post-election events.

These reports are then forwarded to the CEO, who would compile the final report for a thorough interrogative discussion with the respective ROs at a special retreat along with the senior officials of GECOM. Following the preparation and compilation of the final Commission report, supported by the audited financial accounts, it ought to be submitted for the scrutiny of the National Assembly.

The billion-dollar question is, why was there no Report prepared since the 2015 National and Regional

Elections? The argument that Electoral Reforms are necessary to resolve these issues is useful, but one must consider the involvement of all relevant stakeholders using a phased approach.

We must also differentiate between Constitutional Reforms and Electoral Reforms, given that some serious but futile discussions about Reforms took place during the ten years following 1995.

Notably, in those discussions, the PNCR representatives deliberately frustrated the work of the Special Task Force set up, causing the postponement of Local Government Elections for more than a decade. Consequently, the PPP/C must not allow any postponement of the LGEs, but support approaches that would advance the pertinent considerations and collective decision-making.

The issues and concerns about the 2020 debacle for five brutal months became clearer for all to see during the publicised recount process. The role of the GECOM Secretariat, and particularly those before the Courts for conducting malpractices in the attempt to rig and steal the Elections, has been exposed. It is therefore necessary to immediately reform such flagrant cover by clearing up and strengthening the statutory provisions concerning the Elections. In particular, the provisions must strengthen the Registration and the Representation of the People Acts.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 5

guyanatimesgy.com

SUNDAY, MAY 22, 2022

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You can send your letters with pictures to: Guyana Times, Queens Atlantic Investment Estate Industrial Site, Ruimveldt, Georgetown, Guyana or letters@guyanatimesgy.com

Reducing our food bill

Modern Police and Indians

By Guyanese of Indian Ancestry Association

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he sugar planters continued their historical opposition to Indians in the Guyana Police Force into modern times. In 1939, the Sugar Producers’ Association (SPA) demanded a military man to command the Force: “With their thousands of labourers of an alien race of little or no education and a special aptitude for conspiracy, the estates’ need for police protection is a pressing one at this time”. After 100 years, Indians were still “aliens”.

ICJ Report 1965 on Composition of security forces

On the eve of Independence in 1965, not much changed in recruitment patterns, even though the Indian population had burgeoned to over 50%. Indians comprised 20.7% of the GPF, compared with 71.9% Africans. And this was after the PPP Government of 19571964 had increased the number of Indians recruited: 239 Indians, versus 432 Africans.

The International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) was invited, on British insistence, by the PNC in 1965 to investigate the ethnic imbalances in the state sector. They concluded that the Police Force should reflect, to a greater degree, the composition of the population. They recommended that 75% of recruits and cadets for the next five years be Indian until the goal was reached.

However, UG Prof. K. Danns stated that the PNC ceased to make statistics available after 1966, but that data collected by him showed that the Government did not implement the ICJ’s recommendations.

Even though they claimed to have removed the physical criteria, the number and percentage of Indians accepted decreased.

Between 1970 and 1977, while the size of the Force was being doubled, 92.2% of recruits were Africans, with only 7.84% being Indians.

Their numbers dropped to less than ten percent of the GPF. After the free and fair elections of 1992, the PPP did not embark on any overt rectification of the historically enforced imbalances in the GPF. But they did consider religious sensibilities as far as food was considered.

Subsequently, during constitutional changes in 2000, one clause called for a Commission to enquire into, among other things, “the composition” of the entire disciplined forces, which include the GPF. This Disciplined Forces Commission conducted hearings in 2003, and submitted its 164 recommendations to Parliament in 2004. Seventy-one recommendations concerned the Guyana Police Force.

The Commission recommended, with regard to manpower, that the Police Force “should aim at achieving greater ethnic diversity without employing a quota system. To achieve this, ethnically diverse recruitment teams should be employed as openly and extensively as possible.”

The recommendations were finally approved six years later by a Select Parliamentary Committee in 2010, but no actions have been overtly taken to date to implement its recommendations. Two new Police Training Centres, however, have been opened in Berbice and Essequibo.

2017 Police Recruits

DID YOU KNOW? •

In 1964, British Governor formed an elite constabulary “Special Services Unit” with equal numbers of African and Indian Guyanese. Indian applicants had exceeded Africans.

•

The SSU became the GDF in 1965, but its commander, Major Ramon Sattaur, a Sandhurst graduate, was sidelined.

Dear Editor, The speech recently given by Vice President Jagdeo was both timely and appropriate. To add an additional perspective to the discussion on how to practically achieve the goal of reducing our food and agricultural costs, the following should be considered: 1. Monetary Policy 2. Energy costs 3. Focused regional suppliers Currently, the inflation rate in the USA is above 8%, with a forecasted rate of 5.5% for 2022. The strengthening Guyanese economy should target a 2% inflation rate, to achieve an improvement in our buying power. The management of our monetary policy is essential in achieving this.

Energy independence plays directly into the achievement of such a goal, and our investments in renewable energy would help drive us to this goal. This leads to the consideration of our energy costs. The largest food retailer in the world incurred a reduction in profit greater than 20% for the last quarter, which was primarily driven by increased energy costs.

Energy independence

and the leveraging of renewables would significantly reduce the cost of local production and positively impact the import bill for food products. Eating locally-produced high-quality food is achievable once the needed solar and wind farms are established. This should be considered an achievable goal in the near term.

The current Administration, in conjunction with Caricom, should use the 80/20 rule to review the regional food and agricultural import bill, and answer the following questions: 1. Where is 80% of the money being spent?

2. Which countries have the know-how and capacity to leverage an existing advantageous regional low-cost position to meet our regional needs? The terms should include a longterm agreement that shows an annual cost reduction reflecting a percentage of the improved cost position gained due to volume increases.

3. What regional barriers to entry need to be in place to ensure that the focused regional players do not loose demand to exter-

Farmers’ dilemma Dear Editor, Over the years, deliberate damaging and thieving of crops, flooding, etc., have been plaguing farmers, without any proper assistance or remedy forthcoming to give farmers relief from these plagues. History has shown us that out of frustration, repeatedly, the farmers took actions into their own hands, and in some cases, caused quite a furore in Guyana, even escalating to racial tension, protesting, etc.

If one should check, crop thieving is the most regular disaster farmers suffer in terms of time, and it places quite an economic burden on them. They would suffer losses in fractions daily at every crop, or, in many cases, one huge loss, based on the crop and season.

In reality, for me, a farmer suffers severe losses more than anyone else in Guyana.

Thieves would break into your house, or you get robbed in most cases, and sometimes a few times; but total up the farmer’s continuous losses and you would see that it’s unmatchable.

Editor, three nights ago, I was talking to a young man who is not venturing into farming, and he told me that he and quite a few farmers planting in Uitvlugt are constantly suffering losses.

Numerous junkies are patrolling around, just looking to discomfit others by stealing their fruits, crops, etc. when they are not around; and some are even bold enough to venture into your yard to steal.

Police would get numer-

ous reports of these crimes, consider them petty, and fail to act. I’ve made reports at Leonora Police Station of seeing thieves stealing fruits from my trees, and the Police tell me that when I see the culprits, I must inform them.

It’s frustrating to know that every season you have to give extra attention to what is rightfully yours, because you’re not getting protection.

When the thieves are caught, Police usually keep them for a few days, and release them without charge, even though you check. That’s why, when these thieves are caught, many people take action into their own hands.

Many people would voice their disgust, but only those who continuously face this plague know the torment. In addition, it also creates a racial environment, some races would see one race stealing from another race and agreeing, or would mercilessly beat someone if he/she is of a different race.

Government and officials come from all over for the agriculture programmes, talking about trading, planting, and various methods that are supposed to be benefiting everyone, but they fail to address this sore.

Getting stiffer laws, finding means to prevent thieves from stealing, and discussing ways of getting the various races to unite are not being pursued. But they just walk around, make glorious speeches, and eat, drink and be merry.

Sincerely, Sabato Bates

nal suppliers?

4. In lieu of a regional solution, is there a high-ticket item that our combined volume and increased buying power can positively impact? Keep in mind that the world’s largest retailer is 7 times larger than Caricom and has more buying power, yet increased energy costs have driven

down profits.

Therefore, I submit to my learned friends that regional low-cost energy via renewable sources should be the highest priority within any plan to reduce the food and agricultural bill of the region.

Best regards, Jamil Changlee

GECOM must be...

FROM PAGE 4

This nation must be reminded that at the end of the voting process, all participating parties, including the APNU/AFC, announced that the 2020 National and Regional Elections were free and fair. However, it was the rogue elements in GECOM that were working with the PNC elements to rig the Elections, and activated their backup clandestine plan when the verification showed they were losing. Why? And how did Volda Lawrence's signature get on the GECOM internally-controlled documents?

The issues concerning the documents that were not in the boxes in East Coast Demerara are clear. Those Presiding Officers were told not to put the Poll Books and the documents in the boxes by senior GECOM

officials.

However, the Presiding Officers had the documents in brown envelopes at the GECOM Office in the ‘Splash-Min’ building. GECOM must therefore cause an investigation of the relevant persons and staff regarding their reports, and genuine efforts must be put in place so that this nation is informed about what happened.

GECOM must be proactive and decisive in the effort to hold free and fair elections. The staff of the institution must win the confidence of this nation by exercising improvement in accountability, transparency, and integrity, which must be the hallmark of GECOM. Sincerely, Neil Kumar

Sunday, May 22, 2022

06:00 (Sign on) Jewanram Rel. Hour 07:00 Cartoons 08:00 Shekinah Ministry 08:30 Evening News (RB) 09:30 Fast n Loud S7 E1 10:30 Cartoons 11:00 D. Persaud Religious Program 11:30 Prime Series - Blippi’s Educational Adventures for Kids 12:00 Dharmic Ki Awaz 12:30 Movie - Save the Last Dance 2 (2006) 14:00 Movie - Two Weeks Notice (2002) 16:00 Movie - Just One Kiss (2022) 17:30 The Healing Touch 18:00 Maths is Fun 18:30 Week-in-Review 19:00 Lucifer S2 E7 20:00 Those People 21:00 American Idol (ABC) 23:00 Brooklyn Nine-Nine S3 E18 23:30 Whose Line Is It Anyway? S12 E14 00:00 Sign off

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SUNDAY, MAY 22, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Hand-rearing of newborn puppies

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efore we deal with the making of the home-made milk replacement for puppies deprived of their mother’s milk for reasons cited in last week’s column, a few salient points should be noted: 1. No substitute can totally replace the mother’s milk – not in consistency, not fully in composition, and not optimally in digestibility. This is particularly applicable for the first few days of the pup’s life.

2. Hand-rearing of newborn puppies is an arduous task. It demands a gentle touch and dexterous manipulation of squirming, crying blobs of life 3-4 times daily during the first three weeks of life. A lot of patience is required.

3. The feeding schedule must be religiously maintained (see below).

4. There are commercial alternatives that can be sourced. They offer readyto-use preparations that may be welcomed by caregivers who do not wish to have the headache of manufacturing and storing a home-made formula.

5. You will need to be constantly in touch with your veterinarian to report on challenges and puppies’ acceptance of the formulas, di-

ges-

tive disturbances, and growth and development.

6. If a foster mother’s milk is available, and she is producing excess milk, it will be a suitable alternative.

THE FORMULA (Please refer to the general comments of last week’s column: May 15, 2022).

250 ml of homogenised cow’s milk Three (3) egg yolks 25-30 ml corn oil N.B: Scientists have more recently been advising against the use of cow’s milk and dairy products in canine nutrition. The argument is based on the lack of enzymes in new-born puppies to break down lactose (type of sugar in cow’s milk) and the probability of consequential diarrhoea.

Nevertheless, this formula has been used by caregivers for decades without negative feedback. * If goat’s milk is readily available, I would suggest using it instead of cow’s milk. * Prepare fresh formula each day. Keep refrigerated for 24 hours, and discard unused quantity. Mix the formula well prior to feeding. * Y o u should gauge t h e amount of for-

mula to be made (in the correct proportion of ingredients) based on the number of puppies, their intake and weight. * Addition of vitamins is to be discussed with your veterinarian, and is based on the assessment of the litter’s health and wellbeing.

HOW MUCH FORMULA PER PUP PER DAY?

It is important to make an assessment of the weight of the pup at birth, and the daily weight gain thereafter. A scale is therefore needed.

Feed 1-2 ml of formula every 6 hours for a puppy weighing around 100 grams. You can gradually increase this amount based on intake and growth rate.

This formula should be offered solely for the first three to four weeks of age, after which solids are introduced. The formula can then be reduced to two feeds per day, and the puppies themselves would regulate their intake, having now both solid and milk formula offered to appetite.

As always, I emphasise that in dealing with biological entities, there can be no exactitude in quantities. Whenever you are in doubt, and need advice relative to feeding orphaned puppies, contact your veterinarian for more specific information and guidance.

Next week we will provide other simple formula options, and explain how best the formula can be given to the orphaned puppies.

H a p p y Independence Day!

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andals broke into the Carapo Shiv Mandira mandir in Trinidad on May 7, 2022 and destroyed the inner structure, stole some items, and cooked and ate beef in the mandir. Beef is prohibited in Hindu life.

This crime has been termed a hate crime. The desecration of mandirs and Roman Catholic churches happens from time to time in Trinidad.

Hate crimes emanate from cultures and ideologies (like religion) that hate diversity and want all people to believe and worship in one way, to look like them, have the same skin colour, and so on. The Europeans and Abrahamic religions engaged in centuries of wars because of religion. Islamic and European imperialism saw Governments expanding their geographical space through invasions and colonisation. Then the European race theory evolved to justify the superiority of the white race and the inferiority of those who were not white (as in Africa, India, China, and so on).

We in the Caribbean have been colonised by European countries like Spain, England, Holland, France, Portugal, Sweden, and Denmark, which ruled us and exploited our resources like sugar, cocoa, and so on for their benefit. Today, more powerful countries exploit the weaker ones for their oil and skilled labour.

Enslaved peoples were said to have no “soul”, and were not fully “human beings”, and so were not entitled to human rights. America is still unable to overcome that hurdle in its churches, politics, economy, etc.

The most common hate crime is against African-Americans.

However, America leads by having legislation against most forms of racism and discrimination, and acting on them -- even if not to our satisfaction -- most times.

Recently, a US citizen of Peruvian origin ended up with lifelong injuries because a “hater” threw acid on his face

in Milwaukee. The “hater” got a ten-year sentence, and the judge noted, “We’re all different from one another. When we let those differences cloud our judgment, that’s bias or Pandita Dr Indrani Rampersad prejudice or discrimination; and hatred (see Hindu American in this instance, it is hate.”

Foundation website for more).

Hatred is part of our In 2021, some American history – of how the ones universities got together to with power treated us, and host an anti-Hindu conference how the oppressed, in turn, termed “Dismantling Hindutva” treated others when they come at Rutgers University. Hindus to political power. The cycle around the world rose in continues. The Gita teaches one voice against the hate that three gates destroy the and epistemic violence that atman: lust, anger, and greed. emanated. A conference hosted Therefore, one should abandon by Hindu students at Rutgers all three (BG 16.21).

University was then held, and Every religion claims to the following working definition be peaceful and to have a of Hinduphobia was a result. love for all, yet the world is in Hinduphobia is a set turmoil by these very “religious of antagonistic, destructive, adherents.” and derogatory attitudes and In recent years, there behaviours towards Sanatana have been renewed attacks on Dharma (Hinduism) and Hindus Hindus in the western world, no that may manifest as prejudice, doubt taking inspiration from fear, or hatred. similar attacks in India and the Hinduphobic rhetoric kinds of anti-Hindu narratives reduces the entirety of Sanatana that are being manufactured in Dharma to a rigid, oppressive, American universities. Guyana, and regressive tradition. in 2004, saw a furore over a Prosocial and reflexive aspects virulently racist anti-Hindu of Hindu traditions are ignored book, “Sacred Duty: Hinduism or attributed to outside, nonand Violence in Guyana”, Hindu influences. This discourse written by a professor of the actively erases and denies University of the West Indies, the persecution of Hindus, Dr Kean Gibson. Again we see while disproportionately the complicity of academia in painting Hindus as violent. concocting hateful and false These stereotypes are used to narratives against groups justify the dissolution, external that do not fit their political reformation, and demonisation ideologies. of the range of indigenous Indic Today, Hindus in American knowledge traditions known as universities are afraid to attend Sanatana Dharma. some classes, because their The complete range of teachers teach them horrible Hinduphobic acts extends from things about Hindu civilisation, microaggressions to attempts and how their ancestors were at genocide.

Hinduphobic bad, violent people who projects include the destruction oppressed others, and all of this and desecration of Hindu was because of their dharma. sacred spaces; aggressive Many end up with low self- and forced proselytisation of esteem and feel ashamed to call Hindu populations; targeted themselves Hindus. We in the violence towards Hindu people, Caribbean have had this same community institutions, and experience for most of our lives. organisations; and ethnic The term “progressive” is cleansing and genocide. seductively used to suggest In conclusion, I wish to to Hindus that “progressive reiterate that it is very possible Hinduism” is about being to love yourself without hating modern and not old-fashioned the other, and we need to live and ritualistic. This is the Marxist in mutual respect of each, ideology that the first political once we are not advocating leaders of independent India violence. The Hindu American used to guide the development Foundation reminds us that of India, where Hindus are a Sanatana Dharma is the world’s majority. The modern anti- oldest living religion. It is a Hindu rhetoric, however, began natural religion, meaning its with a British person called philosophies and practices James Mill (1773–1836) who are considered universally NEVER visited India, but wrote accessible through sincere texts about India and its peoples study, reason, and experience, that became the authoritative apart from special revelation. text for learning about India.

Hinduism is also an indigenous Now this epistemic violence religion made up of a diverse to our civilisational values is family of philosophies and at odds with the reality of an traditions that have been India that welcomed oppressed practised primarily throughout peoples like the Jews, Sufis, Asia for thousands of years.

Shiite Muslims, Parsis, and Today, Hinduism is a global more. There are a lot of people religion with adherents in India who love to hate Hindus. representing virtually every The universities in America lead racial, ethnic and national in the construction of anti- background, living on every Hindu narratives. continent, and comprising American Hindus are majorities in three countries: leading in the pushback against India, Nepal, and Mauritius. distortions of Sanatana Dharma.

For more peaceful and They note that Hinduphobia, respectful living, Vedic or anti-Hindu hatred, has a knowledge advises: Let your tragically long history which aims be common, and your continues to this day across hearts of one accord, and all the globe. It is fuelled by a of you be of one mind, so you range of factors, including may live well together (Rig Veda religious intolerance; religious 10.191:4). exclusivism; a lack of religious Strong One, make me literacy; misrepresentation in strong. May all beings look at the media; academic bias still me with the eye of a friend! rooted in oftentimes racist, May I look at all beings with the colonial-era misportrayals; and, eye of a friend! May we look at in the diaspora, generalised one another with the eye of a anti-immigrant xenophobia and friend! (Yajur Veda 36: 18).

The views expressed in this column are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Guyana Times’ editorial policy and stance

NEWS

7

SUNDAY, MAY 22, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

“We have to reorient int’l help to build capacity at enterprise level” – VP Jagdeo V ice President Dr Bharrat Jagdeo has stated that the Caribbean region needs to redirect the international assistance it receives towards capacity building for enterprises, and not at the state level, especially if countries want to increase exports.

He was at the time speaking at a plenary session during the recently concluded Agri Investment Forum and Expo, which was held in Guyana under the theme: “Investing in Vision 25 by 2025”.

The Vice President pointed out that, too often, international help comes to the Government, building capacity in Ministers and other state agencies that do nothing for the advancement of businesses.

“We need to get the international help to build capacity at the enterprise level, not in Government Ministries and regulatory agencies that sometimes have very little to regulate, or sometimes themselves are humbug to development. We have to reorient our international assistance,” he asserted.

According to Jagdeo, the success of such assistance to small enterprises was seen at the Agri Investment Expo held at the Arthur Chung Conference Center, where scores of local and interna-

Vice President Dr Bharrat Jagdeo

tional businesses were on display. He said he was amazed at the improved packaging of some products, which adds to their longevity and is excellent for marketing internationally.

The Vice President added that, in the furniture-making industry, there is a need for international designers to help Guyanese manufacturers to do better designs.

“This is the approach you have to take; almost a very hands-on approach… This can’t be too big a task for [regional] Leaders,” he contended.

Jagdeo’s presentation was on “Addressing the key binding constraints to agriculture growth”. He noted that there has been progress made with

addressing some of these constraints in the region over the years, but there is still a long way to go.

However, he outlined that even if these are fixed, the Caribbean still has to grapple with the reality of the evolution of the global trade and development finance framework, which has not been favourable to small countries such as those in the region.

“We have seen a dedicated campaign to remove the preferences that were won and fought for since the GATT (General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade 1947) and then were part of the WTO (World Trade Organization).

But there has been a systematic erosion of that, driven by the large countries, who say

Caricom leaders agree on...

It was noted by the group that the current grave global situation has led to shortages and high prices on imported food. Additionally, the shortage and increased prices of fertilisers and other agricultural inputs, coupled by the problems affecting transportation and supply, have further driven up food prices.

“They noted with great concern that the Member States of Caricom have been deeply impacted by these developments which have resulted in a dramatic increase in the cost of food,

exposing still further the Region’s food insecurity due to its vulnerability to external influences.”

“The Group recognised that, within Caricom, Member States have the capacity to attain a high level of food security for the Community as a whole, provided that urgent action is taken to establish sustainable machinery and to adhere to the terms of the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas,” the group added.

Meanwhile, the work done by the Ministerial Task

FROM PAGE 3

Force on Food Production and Food Security, in advising on the development of a Caricom food system, was recognised by the group.

The expo, which concluded on Saturday, was also hailed for the deliberations it allowed and the recommendations made.

“They looked forward enthusiastically to maintaining the momentum, generated by this meeting, at a follow-up ‘Agriculture and Food Security Forum’ in Trinidad and Tobago in August 2022,” the outcome statement said.

they want to help us. They will give us a small loan or small grant, maybe ten million dollars, but take away in trade preferences fifty million dollars,” the VP stated, adding that this was seen in the sugar sector and in the banana industry.

Jagdeo, who served two terms as President of Guyana, and had started the region’s food security agenda, further noted that Caribbean leaders need to recognise the conditions of trade for countries in the region when negotiating with the larger nations.

According to the VP, there cannot be competitive trading on a reciprocal basis between a Caribbean nation and the United States. This, he said, would result in the region being faced with additional burdens, like the cost of financing, and fragmented transportation systems,

among others.

To this end, he called for a new outlook to negotiating international trade frameworks.

“We have to return to this issue of carving this international framework with a new zeal, and it has to be led by our leaders and our Ministers, going out there with a mission to ensure that that happens; because, if it does not, we have a lot of lip service to trading in the agricultural products, but then the framework will not be there for the exports,” he stated.

However, while the Vice President recognised that it would take time to create new frameworks, he said countries in the region need to be practical in moving forward. Jagdeo said Guyana is already moving in this direction by focusing on specific products to export.

For instance, he pointed to the recent introduction of corn and soya crops for livestock feed. He said the Guyana Government worked with certain producers to explore these new crops, and there has been success.

“We went to people who produce poultry and worked with them to put in place right policies and fiscal concessions if they start producing the soya and the corn… and we built the road into the savannah… Now we’re starting to see a massive growth as the industry is coming to its own,” the VP said.

VP Jagdeo went on to urge regional Governments to do the same, and work with producers to develop a specific product that they would be able to get the export market for, while work is being done to secure a concrete trade framework.

8

SUNDAY, MAY 22, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Long and winding…

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…road to Lethem hen the Beatles came out with their #1 Billboard hit “the Long and Winding Road” in 1970, surely, they had Guyana in mind.

Even though they’d just broken up as a band, Burnham declaring that he was cutting all ties with Britain and making Guyana into a republic had to also have hit them hard!! Britannia wasn’t ruling the Atlantic waves hitting our sea walls in South America no mo’!!

But here the yanks had completed the Highway from Georgetown to Mackenzie in 1968, and we coastlanders would soon be joining the folks who’d changed the name of their villages to “Linden”, after Burnham - to celebrate something called “Mash”!! But getting to the matter at hand, Burnham declared his desire to continue the Highway from Linden all the way to Lethem. From there, with Brazil just a hop, skip and jump across the Takutu River, we could exploit our continental provenance. He soon made a trip to Brasilia, and was promised help to build the Highway.

But this has remained the dream and desire of every president and administration since Burnham - and they’ve all been promised help from the Brazilians. Every Brazilian President has even visited our capital to make that promise. Lula at least had set the ball rolling with the Bridge across the Takutu back in 2009. For us Guyanese, the words of the Beatles’ song had to’ve resonated, as we ruefully reflected on how the Brazilians had let us down the garden path!! After all, the road would’ve helped them, even more than us, to ship their high-tech goods from Manaus up to North America and Europe.

“The long and winding road/ That leads to your door/ Will never disappear/ I've seen that road before/ It always leads me here/ Lead me to you door/ The wild and windy night/ That the rain washed away/ Has left a pool of tears/ Crying for the day/ Why leave me standing here?/ Let me know the way/ Many times I've been alone/ And many times I've cried/ Anyway, you'll never know/ The many ways I've tried/ And still they lead me back/To the long winding road”.

Anyhow, with help from Britain (US$66M grant) - they haven’t forgotten us, even though we cut links back then - a loan from the CDB (US$112M) and a top-up from our Government (US$12M) - we’ve just turned the sod on extending the Linden Highway 72 miles to Mabura Hill.

So we still have another 150 miles to get to Lethem.

So there’s still a lot of turns to cover - in addition to some rivers!

Hope we don’t have to wait another 50 years to finish this long and winding road!! …fight against viruses Real life’s always stranger than fiction. At least in fiction we have endings to whatever story’s being told. Viral outbreaks that decimated mankind and its “civilizations” have long been a trope of science fiction - and then came COVID-19!! Hadn’t we read about manmade viruses escaping from laboratories and unleashing plagues? Well, we still don’t have an ending to the real one “out of Wuhan”. But there are sure a lot of clues out there!!

One of the stranger-than-fiction happenstances coming out of this pandemic is that ONE MILLION AMERICANS DIED - and no one’s even lifted an eyelid!!

This is more deaths than America suffered in all the wars it fought - including its Civil War - its deadliest to date!!

Isn’t that factoid worthy of some sort of analysis??

Especially with the infection rate rising again!!

Anyhow, before we can even catch our breath, there’s a new pandemic - out of Africa this time - Monkeypox.

It’s already in Europe and Canada.

America has just bought US$119M worth of vaccines!! …to assisting Guyanese The Opposition are disputing the number of farmers the Government’s gonna be assisting to bring down the price of farm products.

Have they factored in the new farmers inspired by the “25 by 25” programme??

The views expressed in this column are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Guyana Times’ editorial policy and stance

Readers are invited to send their comments by email to eye@guyanatimesgy.com

NEWS

9

SUNDAY, MAY 22, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Visiting Caricom leaders hail Guyana’s shade house initiative – laud Govt for its investment in agriculture, youth

aversion to doing agriculture.”

Rowley also urged them to work together and not let strife divide them, since many were looking to them and the example they set. In fact, as Rowley put it, the entire Caribbean Community (Caricom) was depending on them and others like them. According to him, it is important that they capitalise on the investment Government was

President Dr Irfaan Ali leading Dominica PM Roosevelt Skerrit (3rd) and T&T PM Dr Keith Rowley (4th), on the tour

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he Government of Guyana’s shade house initiative, which has so far resulted in 54 shade houses being constructed in Mon Repos, has been lauded by several regional leaders including Trinidad and Tobago (T&T) Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley as “impressive”.

The shade house project was on Friday toured

by President Dr Irfaan Ali, Trinidadian Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley, Dominica Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit and Antiguan Prime Minister Gaston Brown.

It was explained during the tour that 60 per cent of the youths working on the project are female and Rowley in his remarks praised the whole concept.

According to the Prime Minister, agriculture has transitioned from a sector that wasn’t seen as a viable career for young people, to one that attracts the latest tech and best talents.

“I am very impressed with seeing you. I heard about you.

Because President Ali and I talk about these things. But you know, talking about some-

thing, seeing it and hearing it are two different things.

I am so impressed in seeing so many young people who would have turned their attention or allowed their attention to be turned, to agriculture.”

“Our history is one where agriculture was forced on our people. Either slavery or indentureship. And at a later stage that changed to some kind of freedom. And our parents and grandparents would have done agriculture because it was the only option. But somewhere deep in our culture, is an

type of cooperation to disintegrate. And then the next thing you hear is that this one not getting along with that one, this one want more and the next thing you know, the whole thing fall apart.”

“Please see your neighbour, your friend, your colleague here as a partner at all times, and work with others. Don’t be selfish, share your thoughts, share your efforts, and share the

“Please see your neighbour, your friend, your colleague here as a partner at all times, and work with others. Don’t be selfish, share your thoughts, share your efforts, and share the proceeds. Let this not be a fleeting investment of the Government, because the Government is making an investment not only in you, but those who aren’t here but will be the beneficiaries of what you do,” Dr Keith Rowley, T&T Prime Minister making.

“The only thing I want to caution you young people about, is your own behaviour. These types of arrangements have a way of attracting certain types of people who do not cooperate with other people. And their behaviour eventually causes the fabric of this

proceeds. Let this not be a fleeting investment of the Government, because the Government is making an investment not only in you, but those who aren’t here but will be the beneficiaries of what you do,” Rowley said.

Meanwhile, Skerrit also commended the initiative

and noted the importance of agriculture to the region.

He pointed to the health implications and the impact of Communicable and Non-Communicable diseases (CNCDs).

“It’s important for us to get involved. To be constructive and progressive. And agriculture is the route to go. There is an opportunity to be successful through agriculture. You can make money out of agriculture if you apply yourself. Look at what we import. Most, if not all of what we import, can be produced in Caricom. That is what we’re here to discuss as Caricom Heads.”

“To set out our plan, to address the problem of our food import bill. And very importantly, protecting our health. The rate of CNCDs is at an alarming rate. The impact on our economy because of CNCDs is huge.

And I always say to my people in Dominica, COVID isn’t our main threat.

CNCDs is.”

So far, 54 shade houses have been constructed and it is understood that they are planning to construct 100 in total. Additionally, the plan is to extend to 300 shade houses countrywide.

When it comes to the growing substrate used, it was explained that this consists of sugar cane and rice paddy by-products.

10 NEWS Special Caricom Heads meeting imminent for decision on removing trade barriers SUNDAY, MAY 22, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

…proposals to be presented when meeting convened in 3rd quarter of 2022 …regional transportation barriers on agenda for July meeting

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he removal of trade barriers in the Region, a pressing issue that Guyana is leading efforts in addressing, is expected to be considered when a special Caribbean Community (Caricom) Heads of Government meeting is held in the third quarter of this year.

This is one of the outcomes of the Agri-

Investment Forum and Expo held in Guyana from May 19 to 21, 2022, at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC). Highlevel representatives from Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Montserrat and Trinidad and Tobago, the Bahamas, Grenada, Jamaica, St Vincent and the Grenadines and

Suriname, as well as regional and international institutions, participated in the forum.

According to a statement on these outcomes, it was recommended that a special committee be convened to immediately prepare proposals on the removal of trade barriers, particularly those of a non-tariff variety.

“In considering that the biggest inhibitors to the development of agri-food systems within the region are trade barriers, particularly non-tariff barriers, and that this issue requires political consensus and determination to prevent it, the Group recommends that a Special Committee immediately prepare proposals, with

The Caricom Secretariat

time-bound deadlines, for eliminating such trade barriers.”

“The Special Committee should be convened by the Minister in the quasi-Cabinet responsible for the Caribbean Single Market and Economy, and its proposals for implementation should be presented at a Special Meeting of Heads of Government in the third quarter of 2022,” the outcome statement also said.

Transportation

Meanwhile, the outcome statement also spoke of the inadequacy of regional transportation by sea and air. This, according to them, hampers trade and the transport of food within the region. Accordingly, Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley, together with the Heads of Government in the quasi-Cabinet responsible for Transport (Maritime and Aviation) and Agriculture, were tasked with preparing a proposal to address the issue.

This proposal, according to the outcome statement, will be prepared after Mottley and the other Heads of State have consulted with the Caribbean private sector, the international donor community and multilateral development agencies, for consideration by Heads of Government in July 2022.

“In making this recommendation, the Group was heartened by the advice of the Caribbean Development Bank that it is willing to use its best efforts to mobilise resources in this effort,” the outcome statement also said.

Trade barriers

The removal of trade barriers will be integral to Guyana’s push, in consort with other Caricom countries, to reduce the region’s food importation bill by 25 per cent by the year 2025. Guyana currently holds lead responsibility for agriculture, agricultural diversification and food

security in Caricom and is spearheading the regional body’s quest to reduce its US$5 billion food import bill.

Earlier this year, there was widespread public outrage among Guyanese Private Sector stakeholders over comments made by the Head of the Caricom Private Sector Organisation (CPSO), who in a leaked email claimed that Guyana’s local content law, which makes provisions for Guyanese persons and Guyanese businesses to benefit from the oil and gas sector at specified percentages, violates certain provisions of the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas.

The issue had also sparked calls for Guyana to consider exiting the Caricom Single Market and Economy (CSME), with GCCI President Timothy Tucker pointing out that Guyana has always been short-changed within the regional bloc when it comes to trade.

Months after assuming office, President Dr Irfaan Ali had charged the Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Ministry to assess and address the hurdles related to exporting food and agricultural products to markets within the Region.

As such, concerns about barriers to trade in some Caricom markets were raised with the Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED) earlier this year.

The Ministry subsequently formed a National Working Group on Barriers to Trade against Exports from Guyana.

According to the assessment on market access by the working group, most of the challenges found were related to technical measures including sanitary and phytosanitary measures. It also found several technical and administrative regulations that were all hampering the export of Guyanese products.

NEWS

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SUNDAY, MAY 22, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Prison officers recognised for long service, dedication Indian Heritage Month

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ur heritage is that which we have inherited from our past, live with in our present, and will transmit to a new generation into the future. As such, it shares much with the elements of “culture”, and is the transmitter of heritage, with the three aspects of a perspective, its products and its practices. Since we Ravi Dev Guyanese were brought from such diverse spaces across the globe, practising even more diverse cultures, it should be appreciated that each of our “six peoples” has a heritage that may differ from the other. As such, for us to build a more cohesive nation, it is imperative that we expose each other to our various heritages, so we may better understand “where we are coming from”.

Over the last two years, however, after participating in several ZOOM discussions during the elections’ fiasco, I discovered that most Indian-Guyanese are very impatient about discussing the past. They forget William Faulkner’s aphorism, “The past isn’t dead; it’s not even past”, and that much of the shenanigans then arose out of our past. As such, they were indulging their willful amnesia to their peril.

Everything in the present was created out of our past, and there are always the traces influencing us. As one famous analyst pointed out, “Men make their own history, but not in circumstances of their making”. The circumstances are all formed out of past actions.

As a people, we do not have an appreciation of the drag – or the liberating possibilities – of history, and that’s why we, Indians in the Caribbean, keep on repeating our tragedies as farces. Girmitiya labour saved the sugar industry, and as such saved this country as a viable proposition, but yet their descendants are not accorded the legitimacy to govern this country. Witness the violence around most elections, such as the beatings on West Berbice during 2020 in full view of the Disciplined Forces - two decades after the similarly witnessed beatings in Georgetown on Jan 12, 1998; and of murders, rapes and ethnic cleaning of Wismar on May 25-26 1964. Not even a CoI on the first two, and a silencing of the last - with no protests from Indian-Guyanese.

But how is it that we, as descendants of indentureds (Girmitiyas), do not appreciate our history and heritage? To a large extent, it is because -- as anthropologist Michel-Rolph Trouillot has put it about his own Haiti -- our history, our story, our narrative of our contributions have been SILENCED. Trouillot shows this is not an accidental matter or an oversight, but a conscious transitive act taken by those with power. And it’s always a differential in power that gives some narrative voice while others are silenced in any society - even when the group doing the silencing does have political office but maintains a cultural hegemony, as is presently the case in Guyana.

Going beyond the trite but true observation that “history is written by the victors”, Trouillot pointed out that a people’s history can be silenced at four critical moments in the process of historical production. First, there is the “making of the source” when the noteworthy act is performed; such as, say, the lighting of the National Diya last November. Was it reported in all the newspapers? Did they mention what was said, only by those considered “important”?

The second point of silencing is in the making of archives, where “facts” are assembled about “noteworthy” events, which can be retrieved later. Who makes these decisions? The third is in “making narratives” when the story of the event is retold. Who tells the story is important: “hunters always tell the story, the hunted never do”. Finally, there is “writing history” – the moment of retrospective significance in looking back. Will the gaps be filled, as some historians are only now attempting to do; or will the silencing continue, as in our textbooks? I studied “West Indian History” in high school when only 8 out of 300 pages were dedicated to Indian Indentureship”.

Therefore, Trouillot concludes, “any historical narrative is a particular bundle of silences”, which we must fill with the voices that were elided. Indian- Guyanese silenced history, including that of our heroes, is a metaphor of our lack of power to even define our existence. And if you do not know what you have contributed, then you will accept being, at best, tolerated by others.

Girmitiya Heritage Month is one device for recuperating the contributions of Indian Guyanese to the nation and its resilience.

The views expressed in this column are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Guyana Times’ editorial policy and stance

Home Affairs Minister Robeson Benn and Permanent Secretary Mae Toussaint Thomas Jr, along with some of the awardees on Saturday

M

edals for long service and dedication were presented to 31 prison officers on Saturday during a Medal Award Ceremony at the National Racquet Centre Tarmac, Woolford Avenue, Thomas Lands, Georgetown.

However, an additional 62 officers were also recognised for serving 15 years in the organisation as well.

The medals were presented to ranks who have given over 15 years of service to the Guyana Prison Service.

In his address at the medal ceremony, Home Affairs Minister Robeson Benn emphasised that responsibility, dedication and hard work are the essential values that should always drive prison officers in their duties.

Prison officers, he underlined, have the crucial role of upholding law and order in

that their efforts have created an “environment for inmates to acquire the skills and attitude to be effectively reintegrated in their communities.

On congratulating the medallists, he urged them to continue to conduct themselves in a manner that other ranks can emulate as this would create a sustained environment of efficiency and professionalism.

The ceremony was established to recognise the valuable services given by prison officers, particularly those who inspired other members

Prison Director Nicklon Elliot and other officials of the Guyana Prison Service

the penal system and should therefore carry out their duties in an effective and efficient manner for a safer environment through best correctional practices.

Minister Benn commended their efforts and sacrifices as well as their vast contribution to the progress achieved by the prison service.

Meanwhile, Director

of Prisons, Nicklon Elliot charged the ranks and officers to continue to adhere to the established ethical rules in order to maintain a secure and efficient environment in the country’s prisons, when he congratulated them for their services.

Elliot extended gratitude to the ranks for their contributions as criminal justice professionals, while explaining

of staff through their efficiency and dedication to the prison service.

The list of medallists was headed by Principal Officer 11, Shellon Nero for 33 unbroken years of service. Also gracing the occasion was Permanent Secretary within the Home Affairs Ministry, Mae Toussaint Jr.

12 NEWS

SUNDAY, MAY 22, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Dominica signals interest in Guyana’s corn production initiative – pragmatic & concrete proposals at Agri Forum are achievable – PM Skerrit

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he Prime Minister of Dominica, Roosevelt Skerrit expressed interest in Guyana’s corn production industry, at a media engagement at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre, Liliendaal, Greater Georgetown, where the inaugural Agri Investment Forum and Expo is being hosted.

“We are looking to tap into some of the initiatives that President Ali has articulated - one has to do with corn production, so we are looking to participate in this.”

Prime Minister of Dominica, Roosevelt Skerrit, at the Guyana Agri Investment Forum and Expo

“We are also looking at the shade house initiative and the youth and agriculture programme and

as such, the President and I have agreed on some areas of cooperation and collaboration on this aspect.

I’m thinking in the next few weeks, well see actual actions being taken to advance talks in those areas of cooperation,” he explained.

PM Skerrit noted that being a part of these initiatives will not only benefit Dominica but Guyana and ultimately the Region.

“The overall thing for me is not what is in it for Dominica specifically but what is in it for Caricom and if Guyana is benefitting from these efforts, then Dominica will benefit.”

“Every day the resources will remain within the Caricom region and among the Caricom citizens, so we are here integrationist and supporting each other in our efforts,” the PM alluded.

Only last year Guyana started to cultivate soya beans and corn as a pilot project in Ebini, Upper Berbice River. This joint venture between various local and foreign investors is aimed at proving all raw materials for the production of livestock and poultry feed for the local sec-

tor. This project has so far been showing good results.

Meanwhile, the Dominican PM noted that all of the discussions and proposals that have been addressed during the Agri Forum and Expo are very practical and realistic.

“The reality is that this conference has been focusing on practical things, real-life things, and we are set away all of the research of the documents that have been prepared before and to delve in this head-on and to identify some of the practical things that we can do to address in this situation with regards to production, supply, reducing the food import bill within the region and I’m sure that we can address the issue of foreign exchange challenges that many of us are having.”

As such the PM noted that all of these “pragmatic and concrete” proposals are very achievable with the necessary support from the financial institutions such as commercial banks, the farmers of the region, and the support of the various governments.

“The important part of this is that there is the political wheel among leaders to advance in those ideals.”

“Obviously it’s going to take more than the political leadership, it’s going to take the private sector, the farmers, the financial institutions because one of the challenges we have in the regions is that the commercial banks are not prepared to finance agricultural projects…and therefore they need to come on board as well but very important for there to be the ultimate success we the consumers must be on board because we live in democracy’s and we have choices before purchases or consumption and therefore we need to start supporting what is grown and produced within the Caribbean first and foremost, I am very happy to have been here,” he explained.

Skerrit further related that the proposals discussed, importantly, will bring immense benefits to the people of all Caricom Member States.

“The regional integration construct will mean much more to so many more people within the region who have felt that there is nothing for them within the CSME, there’s nothing for them within Caricom.”

“So let us push ahead, time is not on our side.

This in large measure too has been propelled by the global crisis and let us not allow this to go to waste,” he added.

13 My son’s kidney saved my life – hairdresser tells her story FEATURE

SUNDAY, MAY 22, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

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Hairdresser Wanda Dellon

ifty-seven-year-old Wanda Dellon, a hairdresser, was diagnosed with kidney failure in 2018. This life-changing revelation brought her life to a screeching halt, but her youngest son’s love for her has changed her life completely.

Without him, she probably would not be here today to tell her story about the battle with kidney failure, and how the precious gift from her son has saved her life.

“I was diagnosed with kidney failure in 2018 because of hypertension,” she said. “My blood pressure was very high for years, so I was going to the Georgetown Public Hospital clinic, during which I was diagnosed with kidney failure.”

Initially, Wanda admitted, she did not understand the seriousness of her diagnosis. She knew that she was sick for a long time, but she did not think that she could become sicker than she already was.

She explained, “When I did diagnose with the kidney failure in 2018, I really didn’t know that it was so serious, but I was very sick.”

For some time, Wanda had been experiencing trouble with her kidney. “My feet were swelling and I was feeling so sick.

And I went into the hospital, then is when I was diagnosed with kidney failure,” she said.

This diagnosis drove fear into Wanda.

She said that after learning what kidney failure truly meant, she was scared.

This fear, which gradually grew within her, became a dreading feeling of labour and hard work she had never experienced before.

It even got worst when she was placed on dialysis. The battling mother told Guyana Times in an interview that she wanted her life to end, because it was difficult having to live with a condition that controlled her life in every aspect.

“It wasn’t easy. They told me that I had to do dialysis. The feeling that I had, I wanted to die, because I was feeling so sick. It was a good feeling; I wanted to just die,” she opened up.

This feeling of pure hopelessness didn’t subside within Wanda, but the willing mother chose to fight and push on, because of her two sons and the people in her life that loved and cared about her.

She said, “But because of my children and my friends, good friends, they consoled and told me not to give up.”

But even with her courage to fight this medical condition, the financial struggle that the dialysis treatment comes with was an obstacle she didn’t how to overcome.

“I didn’t know what was dialysis, then when I do understand what was the dialysis, I was thinking that the money I didn’t have to pay. You have to pay for dialysis.

That was my problem,” she realized.

This called for Wanda to rely on her sons and friends for financial support, so that she could receive dialysis treatment at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC).

She said that after every dialysis treatment session, she felt sick and drained, and it slowly brought back the feeling of hopelessness within her, as she couldn’t do the things she was doing before the

treatment.

Wanda remained on dialysis treatment for three years, before she learned that she can do a kidney transplant surgery to rid her body of her failing kidney.

“I didn’t know that I could get a transplant done, because the dialysis center never told me that. You know, you could do a transplant if you have a donor.”

With encouragement from the transplant doctors at the GPHC, Wanda underwent a successful kidney transplant surgery. Her younger son, who is 37 years old, decided to donate his kidney to his mother.

“They say [doctors] that you are still young and you can do a kidney transplant, so I decided to go to the meetings. They tell me to take my family, I took my children, and my little son he said, ‘Mommy, I will give you one of my kidneys, all for you mom,” Wanda told

this publication with tears trickling down her cheeks.

This selfless act from her son brought the pair closer than they were before, the grateful mother said. “I love both of my children, but the son that gave me the kidney, we get closer now,” she admitted.

Today, post-transplant, Wanda explained that she has made many dietary changes in her life, as she is grateful to have her life back.

“Before the transplant, I couldn’t even walk up the steps, how I was feeling so weak and so down and so stressed after dialysis. But now I can walk up the steps, I can walk and go catch transportation. I couldn’t do that. I could do things that I could not have done when I was doing the dialysis,” she said joyfully.

Wanda has celebrated five months with her new kidney, and more so, she is excited to be back at her work to attend to her clients. (Shane Marks)

14 FEATURE

SUNDAY, MAY 22, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Meet GPHC food vendor

‘Aunty Maggie’ E

very midday during the work week, a crowd gathers to purchase food near the back of a minibus on New Market Street outside the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC).

Some request a ‘cook-up’, a selection from a variety of stews to go with rice, others request information on the menu, while some simply stand and wait their turn to make their purchase.

Amidst the crowd, which sometimes consists of nurses, doctors, hospital staff, students and other members of the public, is a lady who has been cooking and selling near the hospital for some 20 years. While the name on her identification card is Margaret Rodrigues, those in the crowd and passers-by know her fondly as ‘Maggie’, or ‘Aunty Maggie’.

Last Monday, as she and her husband completed sales for the day, the woman told Guyana Times that, around 2002, she ventured out to sell food near to the GPHC. She said she started plying her trade a little further up from the spot she now occupies, closer to Thomas Street. Then, as time passed, she shifted to her current location, and she has remained at that spot for which would be a lucrative journey.

Rodrigues said she works from Monday to Friday, with the weekend set aside for rest. She works each month, the busy woman noted, and the only time she and her husband take a break from the business is in December each year.

“For two weeks, we would take a break from the business because it is Christmas time and people would be busy getting ready

Food vendor Margaret Rodrigues standing alongside a customer who was her last patron for the day, as she dished out the last of her meals for the man

for that season,” she said. She, too, would be taken up with her own preparations for the Yuletide season, and after her vacation, the couple would venture back to the spot to ply their trade.

Routine preparation She prepares five dishes each day, Rodrigues noted. The menu mandatorily includes two types of cook-up rice, since that particular Guyanese dish is always in demand. Most days there is callaloo cook-up, some days she has black-eye peas cook-up, or another type of bean to go with the rice. In addition, she cooks fried rice and stews which include curried beef, curried chicken, and vegetables such as pumpkin or bora.

She said her children would ably assist her in preparation for the day ahead during the morning hours. “I get up early, and my children would help with the preparation. They would cut up the seasoning and so, but I cut up the meats,” Rodrigues said. She said cutting the meats requires her special skills, since she knows what sizes should be cut for the various meals.

With her eyes on the clock, she said, she ensures her meals are well cooked, noting that she reaches her vending location by 12 o’clock (noon).

“It got one or two occasions when I would go over the time, but the customers always here,” she said.

At the location Once she arrives at her usual location, persons would begin streaming over to the location. The smell of her delicacies permeates the atmosphere even as other food vendors set up shop nearby.

But Rodrigues’s customers have been loyal to her business, she said, and as such, she is not concerned about the competition. As the area becomes congested with traffic, the sight of her pots of food attracts curious onlookers. And her prices have remained constant throughout the years, despite the rise in cost of ingredients.

As the 2pm hour nears, the crowd dwindles, and so do the contents of her pots. On some days, only a pot of stew with rice would remain, while there are days when all the pots at Rodrigues’s stand are empty.

Last Friday, as 2pm neared, several persons hurried across to catch the last of her meals, even as she announced, “Food done.”

But even as she made her announcement, two customers were determined to grab the last of the meals. “Give me the pumpkin stew with lil rice,” one woman exclaimed.

Another customer called for the ‘bun bun’ of the cook-up pots, while Rodrigues packed her pots.

“Sometimes all the food would sell out even before 2 o’clock,” the businesswoman noted, as she and her husband drove off to purchase ingredients for the next day’s menu.

FEATURE

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SUNDAY, MAY 22, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

They say age is just a number, and for Nadina Taharally that number gets ‘younger’ with time. Many may know her nationally for her prowess in the bodybuilding and powerlifting disciplines, and some may know her as an avid trainer who oversees the enhancing of physiques at gyms across the city. But the woman of substance has a unique personality, one which sees her paying strict adherence to maintaining her physical appearance.

Taharally told Guyana Timesduring a recent interview that she started out as a model several years ago. She said she modelled for designer Sonia Noel at several events nationally, before she decided to enter the bodybuilding arena around 2010. “I liked the whole

idea of weight-training,” the 5-foot, 5-inch-tall Taharally said.

She performed at multiple events across the country, and captured many titles along the way, but as time progressed, another calling came her way.

In 2015, she decided to become a powerlifter. While bodybuilding requires a strict diet, powerlifting is much different, Taharally said.

“Powerlifting is a movement. As long as you stay in your weight class, you can eat anything, as long as you don’t come out of your weight class,” she said.

Gold medals

Taharally’s winnings overseas are

among her greatest achievements in the sport. Having competed on the local scene soon after she entered the sport, her first exposure on the international stage came in 2017, and on her debut in Orlando, Florida, she captured gold at the 16th North American Powerlifting Federation (NAPF) and 32nd South American Powerlifting Federation (FESUPO) Championships, held at the Hyatt Regency at Orlando International Airport.

At the time, she captured Guyana’s third gold medal in the Masters Class whilst achieving Personal Bests in the benchpress and deadlift.

TURN TO PAGE 17

Powerlifter Nadina Taharally during an overseas competition back in 2018

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FEATURE

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SUNDAY, MAY 22, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM FROM PAGE 15

A year later, she snapped up several gold medals once more on the international scene. This time it was in Mexico. There, she made the Golden Arrowhead fly high when she bagged gold and silver medals on the opening day of IPF/NAPF Regional Power Lifting Championships in Mexico City.

At the time, she won a Gold Medal in the Women’s 72KG Raw Masters 1 category, and a Bronze Medal in the Women’s 72KG Raw Master’s Open.

Taharally, who has been coached by one Martin Webster since 2015, as well as several others, said it was one of the more challenging trips she experienced, since the altitude was difficult to compete in. “I was 9000 feet above sea level, and there the air is very thin. I had nose bleeds because of the altitude,” she said.

Taharally is a member of Team Guyana, which is currently preparing for the 19th Annual IPF/NAPF North American Regional Powerlifting Championships in Panama City Panama, from 15th to 20th August 2022.

Training regimen

She said she trains three days each week in a routine that happens during the early morning hours. This may come as a walk in the park for her, since she currently works as a gym instructor at the popular Fitness 53 Gym owned by former West Indies cricketer Ramnaresh Sarwan.

She said she works from 3pm until 8pm during her three-day stint at the gym.

She is also a personal trainer, she added, noting that during her career, she spent some 12 years on the West

223-7230-1 (Ext 55)

Demerara as a trainer at a popular gym there. Besides the gym, Taharally is also a qualified massage therapist, and on Saturdays she attends to her clientele in that area of work.

“So my days are scheduled,” she said, noting that on Monday mornings she would do training and undertake to massage her clients. “I am pretty much packed,” she added.

With her ‘Don’t sweat the technique’ embedded in her training regimen, she said that one has to like the

sport and be disciplined in order to perform well. “It is all about health, it all depends on how you eat and sleep. If you don’t sleep adequately, you won’t perform well,” she said.

As to her social life, she noted that she tries hard to make time for that aspect of her lifestyle. She explained that she is usually taxed or taken up with her plans, such as ongoing training for the championships in August. In addition, she noted that she carries out her daily responsibilities at

home like any other woman, and these include cooking, cleaning, washing, and buying her groceries.

The woman of strength noted that she has a bucket list with a few items which she plans to pursue and save under her belt. One such feat is learning how to swim.

She said that her body prevents from her being flexible in water, and swimming requires her to be more flexible.

As regards her appearance, Taharally said there are many ‘oohs’ and ‘aahs’

whenever she walks down the street, especially when she passes the males. She said from her days as a bodybuilder, persons would admire her physique, and in return, she smiles.

She said some of the men are very open with their compliments, and would say things she doesn’t want to hear, but she hears them anyway. “I like the way I look,” she said, noting that she has grown accustomed to the comments and remarks even for a woman her age. As regards her age, it is

one of her best-kept secrets, but she noted that she is a mother of two boys, and she added that her sons are fathers.

Guyana will participate in the 19th Annual NAPF North American Regional Powerlifting Championships in Panama City between August 15 and 2022. Persons can contribute to the team getting to Panama by making donations to Guyana Amateur Powerlifting Federation in its Republic Bank account number #962356552194.

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SUNDAY, MAY 22, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

HEALTH TIPS

HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE - HYPERTENSION ARTERIAL vascular diseases, including stroke, heart attack, heart failure, and aneurysms.

Managing blood pressure is vital for preserving health and reducing the risk of these dangerous conditions.

RISK FACTORS

Dr. Tariq Jagnarine Family Medicine, Endocrinology

H

and

Diabetes

ypertension is another name for high blood pressure. It can lead to severe health complications and increase the risk of heart disease, stroke, and sometimes death.

Blood pressure is the force that a person’s blood exerts against the walls of their blood vessels. This pressure depends on the resistance of the blood vessels and how hard the heart has to work.

Hypertension is a primary risk factor for cardio-

Several factors increase the risk of hypertension.

• Age: Hypertension is more common in people who are more than 65 years of age. Blood pressure can increase steadily with age, as the arteries stiffen and narrow due to plaque buildup.

• Ethnicity: Some ethnic groups are more prone to hypertension than others. African-Americans have a higher risk than other ethnic groups, for example.

• Weight: Obesity is a primary risk factor for hypertension.

• Alcohol and tobacco use: Regularly consuming large quantities of alcohol or tobacco can increase blood pressure.

• Sex: According to a 2018 review, males have a higher risk of developing hypertension than females.

However, this is only until after females reach menopause.

• Existing health conditions: cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, chronic kidney disease, and high cholesterol levels can lead to hypertension, especially as people age.

CAUSES

The cause of hypertension is often not known. In many cases, it is the result of an underlying condition.

High blood pressure that is not due to another condition or disease is known as primary or essential hypertension. If an underlying

condition is a cause of increased blood pressure, doctors call this secondary hypertension.

Primary hypertension can result from multiple factors, including: • Obesity • Insulin resistance • High salt intake • Excessive alcohol intake • Having a sedentary lifestyle • Smoking Secondary hypertension has specific causes, and is a complication of another health problem.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a common cause

of high blood pressure, as the kidneys no longer filter out the fluid. This excess fluid leads to hypertension. Hypertension can also cause CKD. Other conditions that can lead to hypertension include: • Diabetes, due to kidney problems and nerve damage • Pheochromocytoma, a rare cancer of an adrenal gland • Cushing’s syndrome • Congenital adrenal hyperplasia, a disorder of the cortisol-secreting adrenal glands • Hyperthyroidism, or an overactive thyroid gland • Hyperparathyroidism, which affects calcium and phosphorous levels • Pregnancy • Sleep apnea

SYMPTOMS

A person with hypertension may not notice any symptoms, and so people often call it a “silent killer.” Without detection, hy-

pertension can damage the heart, blood vessels, and other organs, such as the kidneys. It is vital to check blood pressure regularly. In rare and severe cases, high blood pressure can cause: • Sweating • Anxiety • Sleeping problems • Blushing • SIGNS The International Society of Hypertension defines hypertension as blood pressure that is consistently higher than 140 over 90 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg) Trusted Source.

The 2020 guidelines of the International Society of Hypertension define the following ranges of blood pressure: Systolic (mm Hg) Diastolic (mm Hg) Normal blood pressure less than 130 less than 85 High-normal blood pressure 130–139 85– 89 Grade 1 hypertension 140–159 90–99 Grade 2 hypertension over 160 over 100 CONTINUED ON PAGE 25

FEATURE

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SUNDAY, MAY 22, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

HEALTH TIPS

HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE - HYPERTENSION...

TREATMENT

Lifestyle adjustments are the standard, first-line treatment for hypertension. Some recommendations are as follows: • Regular physical exercise Current guidelines recommend that all people, including those with hypertension, engage in at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity, aerobic exercise every week, or 75 minutes per week of high-intensity exercise.

Alongside 150 minutes of exercise, most adults will benefit from engaging in strength training at least twice per week. People should exercise at least 5 days every week. Examples of suitable activities are: Walking, jogging, cycling, swimming • Stress reduction Avoiding or learning to manage stress can help a person control blood pressure. A few relaxation techniques that can help relieve stress are medita-

tion, warm baths, yoga, going on long walks.

People should avoid consuming alcohol and recreational drugs to cope with stress, as these can contribute to elevated blood pressure and the complications of hypertension.

Smoking can also increase blood pressure.

Avoiding or quitting smoking reduces the risk of hypertension, serious heart conditions, and other health issues.

• Medication People can use specific medications to treat hypertension. Doctors would often recommend a low dose at first. Antihypertensive medications would usually only have minor side effects. Eventually, people with hypertension may need to combine two or more drugs to manage their blood pressure.

The choice of medication depends on the individual and any underlying medical conditions they may experience.

• Diet People can prevent high blood pressure by following a heart-healthy diet.

Reducing salt intake High sodium consumption contributes to high blood pressure. The main source of sodium in the diet is salt. The American Heart Association recommends that people without hypertension consume less than 2,300 milligrams (mg) of sodium per day.

This roughly equates to one teaspoon. People with hypertension should consume less than 1,500 mg of sodium per day to manage their condition. Lowering

salt intake can benefit people with and without hypertension.

Moderating alcohol consumption Moderate to excessive alcohol consumption can increase blood pressure. The American Heart Association recommends a maximum of two alcoholic drinks per day for men, and one for women.

Eating more fruits and vegetables and less fat People who have high blood pressure or people at high risk for developing high blood pressure should reduce their intake of saturated fats in favour of un-

FROM PAGE 24

saturated forms.

Experts recommend that those with high blood pressure prioritise more heart-healthy foods, such as: • Whole grain, high-fibre foods • A variety of fruits and vegetables • Pulses such as chickpeas, beans, and lentils • Nuts • Fish rich in omega-3 twice per week • Non-tropical vegetable oils, such as olive oil • Skinless poultry and fish • Low-fat dairy products Managing bodyweight Excess body weight can contribute to hypertension.

A fall in blood pressure usually follows weight loss, as the heart does not have to work so hard to pump blood around the body.

A balanced diet with a calorie intake that matches the individual’s size, sex, and activity level

would help.

COMPLICATIONS

Long-term hypertension can cause complications through atherosclerosis, where plaque develops on the walls of blood vessels, causing them to narrow.

This narrowing makes hypertension worse, as the heart must pump harder to circulate the blood.

Hypertension-related atherosclerosis can lead to: • Heart failure and heart attacks • Aneurysm, or an atypical bulge in the wall of an artery, which can burst • Kidney failure • Stroke • Amputation • Hypertensive retinopathies in the eye, which can lead to blindness Family history and lifestyle factors are often the cause of hypertension, while dietary and activity changes can help people maintain a healthy blood pressure level.

26 NEWS

SUNDAY, MAY 22, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

7 new biological discoveries made over 10-year span – new species include bats, trees, lizards

I

n celebration of I n t e r n a t i o n a l Biodiversity Day under the theme “Building a shared future for all life”, the Iwokrama International Centre has released research data that has led to the discoveries of new species over the past decade.

Seven new species have been discovered by the centre in the Iwokrama Forest that are new to science.

However, since more recent studies have been expanded to new taxa, it is expected that over the next few years, this number can well increase.

These discoveries, according to the Iwokrama International Centre, cement the importance of the Iwokrama protected area as a valuable biological “laboratory” as envisaged over thirty years ago when a collaboration between the Government of Guyana and the Commonwealth was sealed to set aside the 371,000 hectares of intact tropical rainforest for research and development inclusive of sustainable use models.

A new species of broad-nosed bat, Platyrrhinus guianensis Saussure, from the Guiana Shield is described based on molecular and morphological data

The seven new species discovered over the last decade are Stilbella iwokramensis (Ascomycotina, Hypocreales), a new entomopathogenic species (new beetle pathogen species distinguished from other fungi of the genus Stilbella; Carapa akuri, a new tree species belonging to the family Meliaceae, considered endemic to Central Guyana; Microcaecilia iwokramae (Synonym Caecilita iwokramae), a new genus and species of lungless caecilian;

Gonatodes timidus, a new species of lizard; Allobates amissibilis, a new species of frog; a new species of broadnosed bat Platyrrhinus guianensis Saussure from the Guiana Shield is described based on molecular and morphological data; and a new species of beetle Lycomorphon iwokrama.

The Iwokrama International Centre (IIC) was established in 1996 under a joint mandate from the Government of Guyana and the Commonwealth Secretariat to manage the

Iwokrama forest, a unique reserve of 371,000 hectares of the rainforest “in a manner that will lead to lasting ecological, economic and social benefits to the people of Guyana and to the world in general”.

The centre, guided by an international Board of Trustees, is unique in providing a dedicated well managed and researched forest environment. The forest is zoned into a Sustainable Utilisation Area (SUA) and a Wilderness Preserve (WP) in which to test the concept of a truly sustainable forest where conservation, environmental balance, and economic use can be mutually reinforcing.

The IIC collaborates with the Government of Guyana, the Commonwealth, and other international partners and donors to develop new approaches and forest management models to enable countries with rainforests to market their ecosystem services whilst carefully managing their resources through innovative and creative conservation prac-

Arapa akuri, a new tree species belonging to the family Meliaceae, is considered endemic to Central Guyana

tices.

In more recent years, the centre has received support from corporate partners such as Exxon Mobil (Guyana) Limited

which has funded the development of its Science Programme and continues to provide an annual contribution to the implementation of this programme.

NEWS

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SUNDAY, MAY 22, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Guyana records 54 new COVID cases GUYANA COVID-19 DASHBOARD C

onfirmed COVID-19 cases in Guyana have risen to 64,228 as of Saturday after 54 new cases were detected, the Health Ministry reported.

New statistics showed that 29,558 males and 34,670 females are now infected with the virus while the death toll remains at 1231 – the latest increase reported on Friday after two women succumbed.

As of Saturday, there are two persons in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), 21 in institutional isolation, 519 in home isolation and five in institutional quarantine. To date, 62,455 persons have recovered.

Meanwhile, 618,899 coronavirus tests have been pro-

cessed since the virus was detected here back in March 2020.

An analysis shows new cases dispersed among six administrative regions, with two in Region Two (PomeroonSupenaam); 13 in Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara); 31 in Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica); two in Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice); five in Region Six (East BerbiceCorentyne) and one in Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice).

The other regions did not report any increases in positives.

In Guyana, most recent vaccination figures indicate that over 441,000 first doses and 340,500 second doses were distributed to adults. This

is approximately 86 per cent and 66.4 per cent, respectively. For children aged 12 to 17, more than 25,000 or 34.7 per cent are completely vaccinated. Booster coverage have surpassed 63,000. These numbers have been stagnant within the past weeks, as authorities urge Guyanese to get boosted.

The World Health Organisation has published its latest comprehensive set of World Health Statistics to 2020, the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic – which led to an estimated 4.5 million excess deaths in that year. These disruptions are likely to set back global progress on both life expectancy and healthy life expectancy made in the first 20

Woman stabs abusive partner to death after he threatened to chop her

A

chainsaw operator was stabbed to death by his wife after he attempted to chop at their 10 Miles Port Kaituma, North West District (NWD), Region One (BarimaWaini) home. The incident reportedly took place between Thursday evening and Friday morning.

The dead man has been identified as 43-year-old Felix Henry also called “Oldie”. His 50-year-old wife, a farmer, was taken into Police custody assisting with investigations.

Based on reports received, the man’s body was found at about 9:50h on Friday lying face up in the kitchen area of the house with a stab wound to the middle of his neck. The

man was clad in a blue jersey and pair of blue 3/4 pants Police stated that preliminary investigation revealed that the woman lived in a 20year abusive relationship.

However, reports state that between Thursday at about 17:00h, and 7:40h on Friday, the suspect and the victim were home alone imbibing when an argument broke out.

The woman claimed that during the argument, the man armed himself with a cutlass and chased her around the yard and in retaliation, she made her way into the house and collected a knife which she used to inflict one wound to his neck.

He reportedly collapsed in the kitchen area. The woman,

on the other hand, went into her bed and slept. Both of them were intoxicated.

Nevertheless, when she woke up the following morning, she observed the man lying motionlessly with a stab wound to his neck. An alarm was raised and the man’s son rushed over to enquire and found his father dead. He immediately made a report at the Port Kaituma Police Station.

The man was pronounced dead at the Port Kaituma Hospital.

A blood-stained brown-handled knife was recovered at the scene. The suspect subsequently admitted that it was the weapon she used to inflict the fatal wound.

MAY 21, 2022 UPDATE

NUMBER OF NEW CASES

54

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN INSTITUTIONAL ISOLATION

21

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN HOME ISOLATION

519

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN COVID-19 ICU

2

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN INSTITUTIONAL QUARANTINE

5

TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES BY GENDER (FEMALES)

34,670

TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES BY GENDER (MALES)

29,558

TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES IN GUYANA SINCE 2020

64,228

NUMBER OF RECOVERED CASES

62,455

REGION 1

2520

REGION 2

2524

REGION 3

8144

REGION 4

31,850

REGION 5

2400

REGION 6

5949

REGION 7

2426

REGION 8

886

REGION 9

4043

REGION 10

3456

HERE IS HOW YOU CAN BE SAFE DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC Wear a face mask.

TOTAL 1st DOSE VACCINATED

441,071

FULLY IMMUNISED

340,572

TOTAL NUMBER OF DEATHS

DISTRIBUTION OF TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES SINCE MARCH 2020

1231

Keep a physical distance of at least 6 feet.

Wash your hands or use handsanitizer If you have any symptoms, call the COVID-19 Hotline.

GET MEDICAL ADVICE ON COVID-19 FROM MOH 24/7 HOTLINE NUMBERS: 2311166; 226 7480; 624 6674; 624 2819; 624 3067 OR 180/181.

years of the century.

If anyone is displaying any of the symptoms associated with COVID-19 or needs any additional information, they are asked to contact the

COVID-19 Hotline 231-1166, 226-7480 or 624-6674 immediately or visit www.health.gov. gy.

Global figures show that almost 521.6 million people have

tested positive for the virus and 6.2 million have died. In the Americas, more than 155.4 million confirmed cases have been reported with over 2.7 million deaths.

28 NEWS

SUNDAY, MAY 22, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

10 families get low-income houses at Prospect T

he first 10 families to benefit from the Government’s low-income housing units at Prospect, East Bank Demerara, were handed keys to their brand-new homes on Saturday morning.

Senior Housing Administration Officer, Gaitree Ramawad presented the keys to the beneficiaries.

The low-income flat units are valued at a cost of $5.5 million including of the cost of the land, which was $300,000. They each measure 600 sq. ft and feature two bedrooms with a kitchen and a bath.

The Housing Ministry’s Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) had undertaken the construction of a total of 50 homes.

The keys for the additional units are expected to be handed over soon, as the beneficiaries finalise the necessary documentation.

Early last year, a contract was signed between the CH&PA and Gafoor’s Limited for the construction of 100 low-income, two-bedroom flat units.

A Housing official handing over the key to a family on Saturday

It was previously reported that a total of 590 low and moderate homes are being constructed across the country.

In addition to the 100 at Prospect, another 350 two-bedroom elevated units were built Cummings Lodge, Greater Georgetown; 100 two-bedroom flat units in Williamsburg, Region Six; and 40 two-bedroom elevated units in Amelia’a Ward, Linden, Region 10.

contracts were signed for the construction of some 200 young professional housing units at Prospect as well.

Several hundred houses are being constructed across the country targeting young professionals.

These include 200 two-storey and flat units at Providence, EBD. Only last week, it was announced that 18 young professionals including doctors, teachers, Police

lic servants would benefit from housing units at Amelia’s Ward, Linden as part of the first phase of the 1000 Home Project in Region 10.

The construction of these units is a part of the national housing drive to deliver 10,000 allocations annually, that is, a total of 50,000 house lots in five years as promised by the PPP/C in its 2020 election manifesto.

Already, the Ministry through its flagship “Dream Realised” housing drive, has allocated some 11,000 house lots even as construction of more housing units is being carried out.

Last Tuesday, Housing Minister Collin Croal told a sitting of the National Assembly that the Ministry has already surpassed its house lot distribution targets for 2020 and 2021.

“And we will do the same for 2022. In fact, we have allocated over 11,000 house lots to date.

Further, as we speak, more than 1100 houses are being built in eight housing areas across the country, 300 of which have al-

One of the beneficiaries taking a look at the housing unit at Prospect, EBD

ready been handed over to the homeowners,” Croal stated.

for the period August 2020 to February of this year.

This has made homeown-

Another recipient collecting her keys from a Housing official

Further, the PPP/C Government has sought to make access to credit easier and consequently, increased the low-income mortgage loan ceiling from $8 million to $15 million

Meanwhile,

11

other

Officers, and other pub-

ership more attainable as banks can now approve a higher number of mortgages annually, coupled with the reinstatement of the $30 million ceiling for mortgage relief.

NEWS

29

SUNDAY, MAY 22, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Regional, local companies looking to tap into opportunities from agri expo

Abigale John displaying her wines

PM Mark Phillips with exhibitors at ACCC on Saturday

T

he inaugural Agri Investment Forum and Expo was wrapped up on Saturday, and the scores of exhibitors who participated in the three-day event have dubbed it a great success, which paves the way for a plethora of opportunities. They are now looking forward to networking and growing their businesses.

The agricultural exhibi-

tion attracted exhibitors, visitors, investors, officials from Government entities, and delegates from various institutions and regions across the globe. It commenced with a massive ceremonial opening at the National Cultural Centre, after which all roads led to the Arthur Chung Conference Center (ACCC) for the exhibition.

Caricom leaders from Antigua and Barbuda,

Belize, Dominica, St Lucia, Montserrat, Barbados, Bahamas, and Trinidad and Tobago were part of the event.

During the three-day talks and expo, several agencies also participated in roundtable discussions to ventilate their options and interests.

On Saturday, patrons were seen flocking several booths, either to get a

Trucks carrying containers with lumber run off barge at Kwakwani

T

The trucks after running off the barge

wo lumber-laden containers on Saturday went overboard fol-

Region 10.

According to reports reaching Guyana Times, the

An excavator attempting to pull the barge to land

lowing a mishap at the Kwakwani Waterfront in the Upper Berbice River,

mishap occurred at about 11:00h on the western bank of the river.

A staff of the barge on which the two trucks were related that one of the drivers was tightening the nuts of his wheels and while engaging him in a conversation, he observed the truck rolling backward and he immediately signalled the driver.

“How this thing happened so fast, by the time the driver went to apply brakes and the porter can chack off the wheels, the truck tangled with the other, leaving the porter to only jump overboard to save his life,” the staff related.

In an effort to save the logs valued millions, a skidder was used to pull the barge and trucks to shore.

Up to late Saturday evening, their efforts to retrieve the trucks and the containers proved futile.

glimpse of, or to purchase, the eye-catching products and services that were offered. From fresh provisions off the grill to the latest and greatest in farming technology, vendors at the Agri Expo showcased innovative ways to keep farmers ahead of the curve.

Almost 300 local and international investors and exhibitors seized the opportunity to have their products and services on display, while showing casing a wider variety of items that were made from agricultural products.

This publication spoke with Business Development Consultant at Export Barbados, Taahir Bulbuli, who gave a synopsis of the products and services his company offers, while expressing elation at being a

part of this initiative.

“Export Barbados is the leading agency with responsibility for everything to do with exports in Barbados… we have five of the most exceptional businesses within our agriculture sector… and these businesses are extremely important for the development of agriculture in the Caribbean,” he said. “…the relationship between Barbados and Guyana started with our Prime Minister and your President.

Prime Minister Mottley and her vision to expand regional integration and build that relationship with Guyana…

We see it as of utmost importance to work with the Guyana market, mission, and Guyana Government to expand those relationships”, he said.

Meanwhile, Abigale

John, a representative of GT Wine, said, “This expo has been very good to us, because our products have been out of stock…we have wines with a lot of exotic fruits, and everything is made here and packaged in Guyana”.

Samuel, a representative of West Africa’s Chambers of Agriculture, told Guyana Times that they represent a group of agricultural companies, and are planning to build a Ghanaian presence in Guyana and the Caribbean.

“We saw it wise to have a Ghana presence here in Guyana. Most of our foods can be found in the Guyanese markets, the only difference is how they prepare it…our experience here in Guyana has given us the hope.

“We have been trying to penetrate the Caribbean for a long time, but protocols don’t allow us. It is only Guyana that has made it easier for us to feel at home”, he expressed.

While commending the Government for a successful initiative, some of the exhibitors have also said they believe the event should be held annually.

The event was hosted by the Government of Guyana and the Caricom Secretariat under the theme “Investing in Vision 25 by 2025.”

30 NEWS

SUNDAY, MAY 22, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Guyana in “red zone” in Commonwealth Malaria Report 2022 T he recently released Commonwealth Malaria Report for 2022 has placed Guyana in the red category in its assessment, meaning that the country is not on track to achieve the targets set out for 2023 in incidence and mortality rates.

In Guyana, 22,159 cases of malaria were detected in 2020.

The incidence rate for the year was 28.17, significantly over the required incidence rate to be on track for the 2023 commonwealth target.

However, 786,559 persons in the population were in the at-risk category.

Being in the “red zone” is an indication that the country has achieved less than 75 per cent of the progress required to be on track in 2020. In order to be on track, there has to be a record of a reduction of malaria cases to a level equal to, or greater than, the linear projection required to reach halving by 2023.

In 2018, Commonwealth leaders set the mission of halving malaria by 2023. Leaders were motivated to make this commitment because of the grave challenge this preventable and treatable disease poses to the health security of over two billion citizens of the Commonwealth. It is a fact now well understood that malaria disproportionately burdens the Commonwealth: despite having only a third of the global population, the Commonwealth accounts for more than half of all the malaria cases and deaths recorded each year.

A fifth of Commonwealth malaria-endemic countries was on track to halve both malaria case incidence and mortality rates by 2023. These countries were Bangladesh, Belize, India, Malaysia, and Pakistan.

“Case incidence rates decreased across the majority of Commonwealth countries. While progress remains strong in some parts of the Commonwealth, it has been slow in others, and several countries saw high increases in case incidence levels, partly as a result of the impact of the pandemic,” the report high-

lighted.

Nine out of ten Commonwealth citizens live in a malaria-endemic country.

The Commonwealth’s malaria commitment was a historic decision to recognise that this family of nations has a duty to act on a disease that can be eradicated with the necessary political will. Moreover, as the world has learned so keenly in the last two years, the health of our whole community is inextricably interlinked. When a community health worker is equipped to detect, diagnose, and treat a fever case in one country, it has a positive impact on the health of citizens in others.

The new data available for 2020 shows a marked change in progress of countries fighting malaria. The full impact of COVID-19 on malaria programmes and patient treatment-seeking behaviour has become evident. While reasons

for optimism remain - particularly in the South Asia region and efforts to maintain malaria programming in the face of COVID-19 must be applauded, it is clear that many countries are now falling behind in the race to halve malaria by 2023.

Health Adviser at the Commonwealth Secretariat, Dr Janneth Mghamba outlined that supporting the malaria elimination agenda has been of increasing priority in recent high-level Commonwealth ministerial meetings.

In 2017, Commonwealth Health Ministers committed to steps to accelerate the achievement of universal health coverage (UHC) and ensure vulnerable groups are not left behind, in relation to access to health and socioeconomic development.

“Following the COVID-19 pandemic declaration in 2020, new focus and attention was brought to the risk of health gains being halted. Responding

to this, Commonwealth Health Ministers recognised a need to sustain malaria progress, alongside other health gains from longstanding public health investments. They also welcomed the development of monitoring tools by the secretariat to guide progress towards targets,” Dr Mghamba penned in the report.

In 2021, the Commonwealth Health Ministers again renewed their malaria commitment and welcomed the launching of the Commonwealth Malaria Tracker, a tool aiming to help countries monitor progress towards their target of halving malaria. Ministers also welcomed the formation of a Commonwealth COVID-19 Open-Ended Informal Technical Working Group on Sustaining Health Gains, a platform for countries to share expertise and best practices and assist them in reaching the elimination targets.

31 “Real time” monitoring ends traffic woes at DHB A NEWS

SUNDAY, MAY 22, 2022| GUYANATIMESGY.COM

series of implemented measures and real-time monitoring has ended the hours-long build-up of traffic at the Demerara Harbour Bridge (DHB), and now allows for free movement at any time of the day.

Public Works Minister Juan Edghill on Friday stated that the congestion and time loss during peak hours at the Demerara Harbour Bridge needed to be addressed.

Collaboration was initiated with the Guyana Police Force to monitor the traffic situation in real time, and take appropriate actions to alleviate build-ups.

“We have been able to, in real time, judge the con-

gestion and build-up of traffic on both the east side and west side, and have been able to take prompt actions to release that congestion and allow for continuous flow. People are no longer waiting for hours to cross the Demerara Harbour Bridge in the mornings and the afternoon but the traffic is moving swiftly today.”

The Minister emphasised that this was not an overnight change. The movement of vehicles and factors which lead to traffic distress were studied. A number of approaches were taken to find the best solution.

An emergency lane was introduced to allow for ambulances and other emer-

gency vehicles regardless of the time or rush hour. All vending and taxi drivers have been removed leading to the eastern side of the bridge.

“We have moved all of the vending, the congestion that used to take place in front there. The touting of hire-car drivers, illegal parking and selling [was removed]. As you look at it today, traffic is flowing and that’s the way it is day and night,” he relayed.

In the near future, a continuous left turn will be implemented for vehicles disembarking from the eastern end of the bridge and onto the East Bank Demerara carriageway.

“Rather than when you

exit the bridge heading east and you have to wait on the traffic light, there will be a continual slip lane that you can keep turning left, there again improving commute.”

The management of the DHBC has been charged to develop an application, whereby the traffic congestion can be monitored in real time by commuters.

The current Demerara Harbour Bridge is expected to be repurposed and installed in various locations around the country, once the new four-lane, high fixed span Demerara River bridge being built under the current People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Government is commissioned.

Public Works Minister Juan Edghill

The construction of the new Demerara River bridge is slated to start in the fourth quarter of 2022. The project is expected to be

finished within two years.

The bridge will land aback Nandy Park, EBD, and at La Grange, West Bank Demerara (WBD).

The new bridge will offer easy connectivity to both the existing East Bank Demerara road as well as the new Diamond-to-Ogle bypass on the eastern side of the river and to the existing West Bank Demerara road and the new Parikato-Schoonord road on the western side of the river.

The new bridge will also offer critical connectivity to the new Wales Development Authority, which will be a major centre of productive activity when it comes on stream.

Life skills proficiency index launched for Guyanese, Caribbean students

Director of Camille’s Academy and Executive Chairman of Action INVEST Caribbean Inc., Dr. Vishnu Doerga, along with students and other officials

T

he Life Skills Education Institute Incorporated (LSEI), in partnership with Camille’s Academy, has launched its web application life skills proficiency index,

through which students can take an assessment showing the extent of their life skills proficiency, wellbeing and mental health status.

The web app generates

automated results for the student, whereby they will be able to view their scores in comparison with their classmates, region, and the country. It also provides a percentile ranking of the students within his/her school, region and country.

The app also generates similar reports for the schools, whereby they will be able to view their students’ proficiency level in comparison with the other schools in the region and country.

The result from the assessment will be used to determine a student’s mental health status, and to

seek early intervention and mental health support from trained and competent staff including the school's guidance counsellor.

Life Skills Education Institute is an educational institution with the mandate to provide complimentary and beneficial assessments to every Guyanese and Caribbean student.

LSEI was established by CEO and an academician, Dr Arulsamy Anand and Chairman of Action Invest, Dr Vishnu Doerga.

Deputy Permanent Secretary (Administration) of the Education Ministry,

Indrani Ramnarine; Clinical Psychologist at the Mental Health Unit, Dr Mark Constantine, and Health Advisor, Dr Bheri Ramsarran were present for the launch.

The implementation of life skills assessment, wellbeing and mental health is one of its kind in Guyana and Camille’s Academy is the first institution to implement it for its students. Further to the assessment, LSEI will provide training to students on various life skills assessed.

The assessment can be accessed through https://lspindex.com.

32

SUNDAY, MAY 22, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Finance Minister urges employers to adhere to NIS compliance requirements

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Dr Ashni Singh and NIS officials listening to the concerns of a resident

mployers have been called on “to get their houses in order” as it relates to compliance with the National Insurance Scheme (NIS).

Senior Minister within the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance, Dr Ashni Singh made the call on Saturday, during an outreach facilitated by NIS at Enterprise on the East Coast of Demerara (ECD).

While speaking with the media, Dr Singh noted that in accordance with the Government’s plan to improve and modernise every institution of the State, the focus is being placed on NIS, as it is the primary source of

health insurance and social security and the only contributory pension for a majority of Guyanese.

The Government, Minister Singh said, is currently working with NIS’ Board of Directors and management to improve its services, however, many of the issues are a result of non-compliance by some employers.

“My call to employers out there is to ensure that you get your houses in order, in relation to compliance with the law as it relates to NIS for your employees. There are certain particular categories of companies I won’t want to name them here, but there are certain catego-

ries of companies that have a lot of employees, that are notorious for either non-deduction or late payment to the NIS,” Dr Singh said.

He has also urged em-

ployees to uplift their annual contribution statements from their employers, which are provided by NIS. “Please make sure that you uplift that statement, verify its accuracy and resolve any inaccuracies that you have detected as early as possible. Do not wait until you are age 60 or age 62, to come and resolve queries that arose when you were age 25 or age 30 because as time goes by it becomes harder to resolve older problems.”

Further, he noted that late queries may also be challenging to solve when

reaches which are being held in various parts of the country will help solve many outstanding issues.

“We are seeking to address those persons who have challenges, reaching NIS maybe on a normal dayto-day basis, and those who have had long outstanding matters that they feel dissatisfied with after NIS would have made a decision, probably we went to tribunal and they are still not satisfied, they have the opportunity to come and have it reviewed again, by the Minister, the Board of Directors and of course the General Manager

payments or encashing vouchers and updating information, among others.

Meanwhile, several persons who benefitted from the outreach expressed their appreciation for the initiative.

Resident, Krishnanan Arjun said, “Honourable Minister Dr Ashni Singh and the rest of the team that is here and they looking after NIS contributions, I’m satisfied…They promise me to look further into my problem, and to assist me.”

Mohamed Ramazan, another beneficiary of the outreach related, “I’m satisfied because meh contribution

Some of the residents who were at the outreach on Saturday

people do not have records such as pay slips, or some businesses may no longer be in operation.

NIS’s Public Relations Officer, Dianne LewisBaxter noted that the out-

is part of the team, as well.”

Services offered at the outreach include access to contribution records, replacement of NIS cards, issuing of compliance certificates, making contribution

was 961 and now, I get 1400, so I satisfy with that and I glad the Minister look into NIS and come because a lot of persons who get this complain and them don’t know who to go to.”

DDL eyes land at Moblissa for large scale dairy farming

Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL) Managing Director Ramesh Persaud, Government Liaison Wesley Kirton, LR Group Representative Rami Ofer, and DDL Chairman Komal Samaroo

T

he Tropical Orchard Products Company Limited (TOPCO), a subsidiary of the Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL) will soon embark on a project to re-introduce dairy farming on a large scale to the community of Moblissa along the Soesdyke-Linden Highway.

This will pave the way for the company to sell pasteurised cow milk within two years’ time.

During a press briefing on Saturday at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACC), the company stated that technical and financial feasibility studies have not yet been completed, and the company is currently in discussions to settle on a possible plot of land to rear some 500 cows.

These cows will be imported into Guyana in the initial stage from Israel.

Chairman of DDL, Komal Samaroo stated that the initiative is a part of the company’s major diversification drive while stating they have not yet finalised where the rearing of the cows will be done.

“While we design a facility to package juice, given the fact that Guyana was importing most of its milk at a significant cost, we decided to build in the features of being able to package milk and supply the domestic market. As an interim measure, we are reconstituting powdered milk, but the goal has always been to integrate back into the domestic dairy sector.”

However, Rami Ofer of

Isarel’s LR Group explained that they are currently seeking a plot of land at Moblissa along the Soesdyke-Linden Highway.

When fully operational, the project is expected to hire hundreds of locals, produce 1200 litres of milk daily from the milking cows, and have over 600 acres of forage plants under cultivation.

Projected benefits to the local farming community include contract farming and training, as well as the introduction of new technologies and different cow breeds.

DDL is also in talks with utility companies, including the Guyana Power and Light and the Guyana Water Incorporated, to find the best options possible.

Only last year, the company that is known for producing boxed fruit juices launched its new range of TOPCO one-litre juices and juice drinks, in four flavours, on the local market.

The DDL group also invested $4 billion in a new Tetra Pak packaging plant, as well as a fruit processing plant in 2020.

The TOPCO expansion was part of a larger five-year $10 billion expansion project, announced by Samaroo in 2017.

33 Caricom Youth in Agriculture Dialogue SUNDAY, MAY 22, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

“We must continue to recognise importance of youths in agri sector” – First Lady

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First Lady Arya Ali

irst Lady of Guyana Arya Ali is of the view that youths should be involved in decision making so that they can contribute to solutions that can lend to the development of agriculture nationally, and regionally.

The First Lady delivered the keynote address at the Caricom Youth in Agriculture Dialogue which forms part of the ongoing Agri-Investment Forum and Expo on Saturday.

Young people from numerous secondary schools across the country, and the Guyana School of Agriculture gathered at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre for the event.

“This dialogue on Caricom youth in agriculture provides a platform for us to not only discuss, but also to explore solutions to help transform our regional agriculture sector to foster increased productivity and sustainability.

“Leaders, we must continue to recognise the importance of youths in the sector, and the important roles they play and can play in boosting regional agricultural development, and the transformation of our agri-food systems,” the First Lady said.

Mrs Ali highlighted that over the years, young people have moved away from agriculture for a number of reasons, one of them being that agriculture is only for a certain class of people.

However, she stressed that it is critical that leaders do everything they can to change the minds of young people

and show them the benefits of being involved in agriculture.

using shade houses.

The First Lady noted that it is part of Guyana’s commitment to contribute to reducing Caricom’s food import bill by 25 per cent by 2025.

Meanwhile, Caricom Secretary General, Dr Carla Barnett made it known to the young people that the region needs them, and that they are needed now to develop the region’s agricultural capacity.

“The ability to feed ourselves and to do so nutritiously is one which determines in large measure what kind of future we will have

Some of the young people at the event on Saturday

“Transforming the way youth view and engage in the agricultural sector is key to significantly increasing employment, improving livelihoods, and building rural economies that expand in step with fast-growing urban communities.

“Regional leaders in agriculture therefore, have a critical job to stimulate the interests of our youths in agriculture by making agriculture an attractive sector for youths,” the First Lady said.

It was pointed out that President, Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali, understanding the importance of young people in agriculture, launched the Agriculture and Innovation Entrepreneurship Programme to bolster the agriculture sector, empower youths and create jobs.

Through this programme, young people who graduated in the field of agriculture are afforded the opportunity to plant high-value crops such as broccoli and cauliflower

as a people ensuring our food nutrition are critical component of building resilience in Caricom.”

“Your immediate involvement and action is integral to how this community can achieve the goal of ensuring it’s food and nutrition security is secured in the future.”

Dr Barnett said with the technology that is now available in the field of agriculture, young people should take advantage. Agriculture, she emphasised, goes way beyond just farming as it provides a wide variety of employment opportunities.

“There are almost 20 million direct and indirect jobs that are related to agriculture across the globe. It lends itself to self-employment and becoming your own boss.

With the correct planning, support and effort you can reap rewards in a reasonable time frame.”

“Your country, your region, Caricom is calling on you. This is your time to con-

tribute. There is a time in our history we thought that in order to find prosperity for ourselves we needed to move outside of the region, that is no longer the case, we no longer have to think

that way. We know that economic opportunity, economic prosperity is right here and your role in agriculture is one of massive possibilities,” the Secretary General stated.

The Agri-Investment Forum and Expo is the first of its kind to be held in the country and had the presence of several Caricom Heads of Government and international investors.

34

guyanatimesgy.com

SUNDAY, MAY 22, 2022

Regional

Nicaraguan bishop Chile will reopen Easter alleging Police harassment Island to tourists in August goes on hunger strike E

A

Nicaraguan bishop critical of President Daniel Ortega’s Government began a hunger strike on Friday after taking refuge in a Catholic church indefinitely in the capital Managua, alleging he had been targeted by the Police.

Rolando Alvarez, bishop of the Diocese of Matagalpa and Esteli in the north of the country, said that a Police car followed him throughout the day Thursday as other religious order members in his parishes are being harassed.

“I have been followed throughout the day by the Sandinista Police, from morning until late at night.

At all times, in every movement I made,” the bishop said in a Thursday evening post announcing the hunger strike on the diocese’s social media.

The priest said Police surrounded his home as well. “They came to my fam-

Rolando Alvarez, bishop of the Diocese of Matagalpa and Esteli, and critical of the Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega, poses for a photo at a Catholic church where he is taking refuge, alleging he had been targeted by the Police, in Managua, Nicaragua, May 20, 2022

ily’s home, my father’s, my mother’s, putting the safety of my family at risk,” he said.

The Nicaraguan Government and Police Force did not immediately

respond to requests for comment.

Alvarez said he would continue the hunger strike “until the National Police, only through the President or Vice President of the Episcopal Conference, let me know that they are going to respect my family’s privacy.”

The bishop was one of the mediators of failed dialogue attempts between the government and the opposition in 2018.

He, along with Monsignor Silvio Baez, who fled to the United States, were the most critical voices of the church against Ortega throughout the talks.

The two demanded justice for the more than 350 people killed as a result of anti-Government protests in 2018 and requested the Ortega Government free those considered political prisoners. (Excerpt from Reuters)

COVID restrictions for migrants at US border cannot end yet, Judge rules

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S authorities were blocked by a federal judge on Friday from lifting COVID-19 restrictions that empower agents at the US-Mexico border to turn back migrants without giving them a chance to seek asylum.

The nationwide injunction issued by US District Judge Robert Summerhays in Louisiana means the restrictions, which were set to end on May 23, will remain in place across the border as the litigation proceeds, unless a higher court overturns the ruling.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) said it intends to ap-

peal.

The pandemic restrictions, known as Title 42, were put in place in March 2020 during the administration of former Republican President Donald Trump, an immigration hardliner.

Health authorities at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said at the time it was needed to curb the spread of the coronavirus in crowded border facilities.

Since then, more than a million migrants apprehended at the border have been rapidly expelled to Mexico or other countries under the order, often with-

in hours of being caught.

Judge Summerhays, a Trump appointee, said keeping the Title 42 order in place “would serve the public interest” and that a nationwide injunction was necessary given the ability of immigrants crossing the border to move freely from one state to another.

Democratic President Joe Biden’s decision to lift Title 42 has faced criticism from Republicans and some members of his own party, concerned that ending the expulsions would push a record number of migrant crossings even higher.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

aster Island, one of Chile’s biggest tourist attractions, will reopen to visitors starting Aug 1 after access was restricted at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Chile’s Government said on Friday.

Easter Island, over 2000 miles (3219 km) from the coast of Chile, has over a thousand stone statues, giant heads that were carved centuries ago by the island’s inhabitants, which have brought it fame and UNESCO World Heritage Site status.

“As of August 1, an increase in flights (two or three weekly flights, according to

the epidemiological situation) and the opening of tourism, in conditions which will be communicated in a timely manner, will be allowed,” the Economy Ministry said in a statement.

The Government said it will improve health infrastructure to handle eventual coronavirus cases in the remote island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean known for its stone Moai statues.

The Government also plans subsidies to help small businesses that have been impacted by the pandemic.

Residents of the island protested the presence of tourists when the pandemic

Ex-Panama President’s sons get 3 years jail in Odebrecht bribery case

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wo sons of former Panamanian President Ricardo Martinelli were sentenced to three-year prison terms on Friday in a US court for helping launder millions of dollars in bribe payments that Brazilian construction firm Odebrecht made to a high-ranking Panamanian official.

Federal prosecutors had sought prison sentences of between 9 and 11 years for Ricardo Martinelli, 43, who shares his father’s name, and Luis Martinelli, 40.

The defendants acknowledged creating offshore bank accounts and

shell companies to receive bribe payments when their father was President from 2009 to 2014, and pleaded guilty to one count of money laundering conspiracy last year.

Defence lawyers argued that the Martinellis should spend no more time in custody in part because they had acted at the behest of their father, identified as the recipient of the bribes.

“I really wanted to please him, to keep him happy, to keep him proud,” Luis Martinelli said at the sentencing hearing in federal court in Brooklyn.

“That’s not to say I am not

ealth authorities Friday urged people who have travelled to countries where the Monkeypox virus has been detected and “are symptomatic” to visit their nearest health provider.

Cases of Monkeypox are being investigated in several European countries as well as the United States, Canada and Australia.

Cases have also been reported in Belgium, France, and Germany.

Monkeypox is most common in remote parts of Central and West Africa.

In a statement, the Ministry of Health said while no “suspected” case has been detected here, Minister of Health Terrence Deyalsingh

convened a meeting attended by the Chief Medical officer, Dr Roshan Parasram as well as Dr Erica Wheeler, the Pan American Health Organisation/World Health Organisation (PAHO/WHO) representative “to address reports of the detection of this virus” in countries overseas.

“The public is advised that the main symptoms of Moneypox are fever, rash and swollen nymph nodes.

The virus is transmitted to humans through close contact with an infected person or animal or with contaminated material such as bedding,” the Ministry said.

It said the virus may also be transmitted from per-

son to person by respiratory droplets.

Monkeypox is a rare disease that is caused by infection with monkeypox virus that belongs to the Orthopoxvirus genus in the family Poxviridae. The Orthopoxvirus genus also includes variola virus (which causes smallpox), vaccinia virus (used in the smallpox vaccine), and cowpox virus.

The BBC also reported today that England’s Health Secretary Sajid Javid has said another 11 cases of monkeypox have been confirmed in the UK. The new cases come on top of the nine already identified in the country. (Excerpt from Nation News)

responsible for my actions.”

The younger Ricardo Martinelli also said he regretted his actions and hoped his guilty plea would help “establish accountability in my home country.”

US District Judge Raymond Dearie said he understood their father’s influence, but that the men made a mistake by returning to Panama from the United States in 2020 after initially cooperating with prosecutors.

The men were extradited last year after being arrested in Guatemala.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

Biden officials consider inviting Cuban representative to Americas summit – source

Trinidad officials taking precautions regarding Monkeypox virus H

started in March 2020, even taking over the airport to stop flights from the mainland.

To reopen the island, the Government has started an official dialogue to “find a solution to the territorial conflict that has existed for over 50 years” between the local community and the state, it said in the statement To start the dialogue, the Government agreed to implement reparation and historical recognition measures while residents agreed to stop occupying the airport. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Flags of US and Cuba hang outside a hotel in Havana, Cuba, April 6, 2022

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iden Administration officials are considering inviting a Cuban representative to the US-hosted Summit of the Americas, a person familiar with the matter said, as Washington scrambled to head off a potentially embarrassing boycott by some regional leaders.

Discussion has focused on allowing a Cuban presence at the next month’s Los Angeles summit be-

low the level of the country’s President or Foreign Minister, but it is at an early stage and no decision has been made, the source told Reuters on Friday.

President Joe Biden’s aides were weighing the idea as his Administration began sending out invitations for the summit. But for now US officials declined to say what countries were on the list or whether the leaders of Cuba, Venezuela

and Nicaragua would be excluded.

A growing number of leaders, including Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, have threatened to skip the summit unless all countries in the region are allowed to attend.

The prospect for summit no-shows risks diplomatic failure for Biden, whose aides have hoped the summit, held every three or four years, would be a chance to reassert Washington’s commitment to a region it is often accused of neglecting.

It was unclear whether Communist-ruled Cuba, which participated at the Head of State level in the last two summits in 2015 and 2018 and has blasted Washington for its handling of the June 6-10 gathering, would even accept an invitation for lower-level observer status. The Associated Press first reported that the idea was under consideration. (Excerpt from Reuters)

guyanatimesgy.com

SUNDAY, MAY 22, 2022

35

Around the World

OILNEWS OIL NEWS Oil settles up as supply risks outweigh economic worries

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il prices settled slightly higher on Friday as a planned European Union ban on Russian oil and easing of COVID-19 lockdowns in China countered concerns that slowing economic growth will hurt demand.

Brent futures for July delivery rose 51 cents, or 0.5 per cent, to US$112.55 a barrel. US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude for June rose US$1.02, or 0.9 per cent, to settle at US$113.23 on its on its last day as the front-month.

WTI notched its fourth straight week of gains, which it last did in mid-February. Brent gained about 1 per cent this week after falling about 1 per cent last week.

The more actively-traded WTI contract for July was up about 0.4 per cent to US$110.28 a barrel.

"The risks remain tilted to the upside ... given the Chinese reopening and continued efforts towards a Russian oil embargo by the EU," said Craig Erlam, a senior market analyst at OANDA. In China, Shanghai did not signal any change to its planned end of a prolonged city-wide lockdown on June 1 even though the city announced its first new COVID-19 cases outside quarantined areas in five days.

The energy market expects the lifting of some coronavirus restrictions in Shanghai to boost energy demand. China is the world's top crude importer.

The EU is hoping to clinch a deal on a proposed ban of Russian crude imports which includes carve-outs for member states most dependent on Russian oil, such as Hungary.

"Odds of an EU embargo being declared sooner rather than later increased in the wake of Germany's success in cutting Russian oil imports by more than half in a very short period," consultancy BCA research said in a note.

German big business is drafting a plan to use an auction system to help ration available supplies in the event Russia cuts off its gas, although some fear it could punish smaller firms.

In the United States, US energy firms this week added oil and natural gas rigs for a ninth week in a row, according to the Baker Hughes rig count, as mostly small producers respond to high prices and prodding by the Government to ramp up output.

The rig count is an indicator of future output growth.

Americans continued to get behind the wheel even though gasoline prices at the pump keep hitting record highs. Auto club AAA said national average regular unleaded gasoline prices hit a record US$4.59 per gallon on Friday.

In India, crude oil imports in April were the highest in 3-1/2 years as the world's third biggest oil importer and consumer ramped up discounted Russian oil purchases to fuel demand recovery and fight high prices.

In Norway, crude output in April missed official forecast by 10.6 per cent, while its gas production was in line with expectations.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

Tornado in Germany injures 43 people, Police say

A

tornado left 43 people injured as it "cut a path of destruction" through several towns in western Germany, Police said.

Officers in the city of Paderborn said the tornado ripped off roofs and debris was strewn around for kilometres.

Ten people have serious injuries and one woman's life is in danger, they said.

A 38-year-old man also died in severe storms which lashed the region on Friday.

Police posted images showing trees felled or split in half and roofs stripped of tiles, while images on social media appeared to show a tornado's spinning column of air flinging debris.

"Sheet metal, insulation and other materials were blown kilometres away.

Countless roofs are covered or badly damaged. Many trees still lie on destroyed cars," said Police in Paderborn,

which has a population of about 150,000.

A fire department spokesperson told the AFP news agency that the town of Lippstadt, about 30km (18 miles) from Paderborn, was also probably hit by a tornado - although no injuries were reported.

Images on social media showed that in nearby Hellinghausen, a steeple had been ripped off the roof of a church tower, with the rubble scattered in the churchyard.

BBC Weather presenter Chris Fawkes said that Germany usually experiences several tornadoes a year, but most are short-lived and do not cause significant damage.

He said the number of tornadoes reported in Europe has been increasing in recent years, but this is largely thought to be a result of better forecasting and more awareness - and includes the advent of social media reports.

(Excerpt from BBC News)

Russia intensifies push for Donbas, halts gas to Finland

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ussia intensified an offensive in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine on Saturday and stopped providing gas to Finland, escalating Moscow's dispute with the West over energy payments.

After ending weeks of resistance by the last Ukrainian fighters in the strategic southeastern city of Mariupol, Russia is waging what appears to be a major offensive in Luhansk, one of two provinces in Donbas.

Russian-backed separatists already controlled swathes of territory in Luhansk and the neighbouring Donetsk province before the Feb 24 invasion, but Moscow wants to seize the last remaining Ukrainian-held territory in Donbas.

A bus carrying service members of the Ukrainian armed forces who surrendered at the besieged Azovstal steel mill drives away under escort of the pro-Russian military in the course of the Ukraine-Russia conflict, in Mariupol, Ukraine, May 20, 2022

Ukrainian forces in those eastern separatist-controlled regions said on Saturday they had repelled nine attacks and destroyed five tanks and

10 other armored vehicles in the previous 24 hours.

They said that as of 9 pm local time (1800 GMT), there was still fighting in four unspecified locations.

Russian forces were using aircraft, artillery, tanks, rockets, mortars and missiles along the entire front line to attack civilian structures and residential areas, the Ukrainians said in a Facebook post. At least seven people were killed in the Donetsk region, the forces said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy told local television that while the fighting would be bloody, and victory difficult, the end would come only through diplomacy.

The end of fighting in Mariupol, the biggest city Russia has captured so far, could be crucial to its ambitions in Donbas. It gives Russian President Vladimir Putin a rare victory after a series of setbacks in nearly three months of combat.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

Australia ousts conservatives after 9 years, Albanese to be Prime Minister

A

ustralia's Labor Party was set to end almost a decade of conservative rule as the Government was swept away in Saturday's election by a wave of support for candidates who campaigned for more action on climate change and may hold the balance of power.

Partial results showed that while Labor had made small gains, Prime Minister Scott Morrison's LiberalNational coalition had been punished by voters in Western Australia and affluent urban seats in particular.

The Greens and a group of so-called "teal indepen-

‘Perfect climate storm’: Pakistan reels from extreme heat

I

n the capital of Pakistan’s largest province Punjab, residents such as Muhammad Junaid say the ongoing heatwave has felt “very sudden and unexpected”.

A tailor living in one of Lahore’s Katchi Abadis (shanty towns), Junaid told Al Jazeera the 40 degree Celsius (104 degree Fahrenheit) and above temperatures, combined with hours-long power shortages, have created an “unbearable” situation at home.

“We are eight people living in three rooms… The children get easily frustrated in this heat together with the load shedding [power outages]… Sometimes they can’t help but cry,” he said.

Since April, South Asian nations have been experiencing an unpredictable heatwave that has seen some areas touch 50°C (104°F).

“This is a freak weather phenomenon that has completely shaved off the spring season in Pakistan,” former Climate Change Minister

Malik Amin Aslam told Al Jazeera.

Speaking by phone from the capital Islamabad, Aslam said temperatures were “6-7° higher than normal at this time. What we see happening most definitely is due to climate change,” he added.

Scientists have long warned the climate crisis will lead to more intense weather – including floods, droughts and heatwaves.

A UN agency reported earlier this week that key indicators of climate change – including greenhouse concentrations and ocean heat – had been higher compared with 2021.

One of the most alarming effects of the “torrid” heatwave is the accelerated melting of Pakistan’s glaciers in the north, according to Aslam.

Pakistan has more than 7000 glaciers – one of the highest numbers in the world – many of them in the Himalayan region. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

dents", who campaigned on policies of gender equality and tackling climate change, put on a strong showing, tapping voter anger over inaction on the environment after some of the worst floods and fires to hit Australia.

"Tonight, I have spoken to the leader of the opposition and the incoming Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese. And I've congratulated him on his election victory this evening," said Morrison.

Albanese, speaking as he headed to his party celebrations, said he wanted to unite the country and "end the climate wars".

"I think people want to come together, look for our common interest, look towards that sense of common purpose. I think people have had enough of division, what they want is to come together as a nation and I intend to lead that."

Albanese said he aimed to be sworn in swiftly so he could attend a meeting of the Quad security grouping in Tokyo on Tuesday.

He promised constitutional recognition and parliamentary representation for Indigenous Aboriginals, as well as the establishment of an anti-corruption commission. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Death toll in Kashmir tunnel collapse climbs to 10

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escuers have found the bodies of nine more workers in a collapsed tunnel in Indianadministered Kashmir, taking the death toll to 10.

The tunnel forms part of a mountainous highway system that was under construction in the Himalayan region when it collapsed on Thursday night.

The body of one worker was recovered Friday.

Aamir Ali, an official at the Government’s disaster management department, said on Saturday that the bodies of all missing workers have been recovered.

Emergency crews had used heavy machinery to clear the wreckage at the site of the collapse in southern Ramban district where the under-construction tunnel forms part of a vast net-

work of bridges and tunnels on the strategic highway that connects two key cities of Srinagar and Jammu in the disputed region.

Officials said the section that collapsed was an approach tunnel used for ventilation and moving supplies and equipment to the main, under-construction tunnel.

Rescue work at the site of the collapse was hampered on Friday by a landslide close to the tunnel’s entrance.

Video footage from the Indo-Tibetan Border Police showed people being helped to safety as a section of the hillside just outside the tunnel’s entrance begins to slide away.

Three workers are being treated in hospital, Aamir Ali said. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

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SUNDAY, MAY 22, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

SUNDAY MAY 22, 2022

37

IPL 2022: Delhi Capitals vs Mumbai Indians

RCB SNEAK INTO PLAYOFFS -after Tim David, Jasprit Bumrah knock out Delhi Capitals

SCOREBOARD

Rovman Powell scored 43

T

RCB celebrated qualifying for the playoffs

en balls. That's all it took.

Ten balls of carnage to end Delhi Capitals' season and thrust Royal Challengers Bangalore into the playoffs.

Tim David would have been out for zero had they opted to review a caught-behind decision in the 15th over, when the equation was 65 off 33. Instead, he got to face 10 more balls, and scored 34 heartbreaking runs to punish Rishabh Pant and his men for an error that would haunt them for what would feel like forever.

Powell power

Wankhede tonight was all about pace off the ball, and even a hitter of Rishabh Pant's repute was going at 10 off 15, and later 24 off 28. Rohit Sharma was worse; he went at 2 off 13.

Capitals needed someone to defy the conditions just like Bumrah did, and up stepped Powell. With the score at 50 for 4 in the ninth over, he understood that he needed to

DELHI CAPITALS INNINGS (20 overs maximum) Prithvi Shaw c †Ishan Kishan b Bumrah 24 David Warner c Bumrah b Sams 5 Mitchell Marsh c Sharma b Bumrah 0 Rishabh Pant (c)†c †Ishan Kishan b Ramandeep Singh 39 Sarfaraz Khan c †Ishan Kishan b Markande 10 Rovman Powell b Bumrah 43 Axar Patel not out 19 Shardul Thakur c David b Ramandeep Singh 4 Kuldeep Yadav not out 1 Extras (b 4, lb 2, w 8) 14 TOTAL 20 Ov (RR: 7.95) 159/7 Did not bat: Anrich Nortje, Khaleel Ahmed Fall of wickets: 1-21 (David Warner, 2.6 ov), 2-22 (Mitchell Marsh, 3.2 ov), 3-31 (Prithvi Shaw, 5.4 ov), 4-50 (Sarfaraz Khan, 8.4 ov), 5-125 (Rishabh Pant, 15.6 ov), 6-143 (Rovman Powell, 18.2 ov), 7-151 (Shardul Thakur, 19.3 ov) BOWLING O-M-R-W Daniel Sams 4-0-30-1 Hrithik Shokeen 4-0-34-0 Jasprit Bumrah 4-0-25-3

up to bring his team back into the game. Powell made 43 off 34 balls, the best of those runs a pull for six off the virtually

Bumrah roars

Ishan Kishan blasted 48

Tim David sealed the deal with 34 off 11

Even in this atrocious season, Mumbai Indians managed to have a say in who would win the IPL. Jasprit Bumrah (4-0-253) was extraordinary. Even on a slow pitch, he hurried batters with his pace, and picked up the kind of wickets that would form a fast-bowling hype reel: Prithvi Shaw, bounced out.

Mitchell Marsh, caught at first slip. Rovman Powell, cuh-lean bowled.

The thought of him bowling in tandem with Jofra Archer next season is just bonkers.

Mushfiqur Rahim to skip West Indies tour for Hajj pilgrimage

T

he BCB has granted leave to Mushfiqur Rahim for Bangladesh’s upcoming tour of West Indies, so that he can perform Hajj in July. This year’s Islamic pilgrimage is in July, for which Mushfiqur is likely to travel to Saudi Arabia on June 22.

“He informed us before the Sri Lanka series that he wants to perform Hajj this year,” Jalal Yunus, BCB’s cricket operations chairman, said. “When he got confirmation, he gave us a letter

that he wanted leave. We have granted him the time. We had an initial thought that he might be available for part of the tour, but he is off for the whole tour.”

Bangladesh are likely to travel to the West Indies on June 5. ESPNcricinfo understands that they will play the two Tests against West Indies in Antigua and St Lucia, from June 16. The T20Is are from July 2 to 6, while the ODIs are from July 10 to 16.

Only the Test series is part of the World Test Championship; the

ODIs are not part of the Super League.

Mushfiqur, Bangladesh’s most capped Test cricketer, became the first from the team to reach 5,000 runs in the format in the Chattogram Test last week. Bangladesh therefore will miss the batter who was in their last three West Indies tours.

The team are already without four key bowlers, all out with injuries. Taskin Ahmed is still rehabilitating a shoulder injury, while Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Shoriful Islam and Nayeem Hasan all have hand injuries.

The Bangladesh selectors haven’t yet named any of the three squads, but it is very likely that they have their hands full to replace at least these five cricketers. Mushfiqur these days is a middle-order batter who only keeps wickets in the whiteball format, but it will be tough for them to find his replacement in any of the three formats.

(Cricinfo)

DC reacted after being knocked out

bat time. Then, after he had taken the time to assess the pitch, he took a calculated risk: targeting a fingerspinner who brought the ball into him.

Shokeen was smashed for 20 runs in the 12th over.

This was a fine finisher at work, respecting the conditions when he needed to, and then winning a favourable match-

unplayable Bumrah.

Capitals' fight

At 5.1 overs, Capitals had a 57% chance of winning the game. At 5.2 overs, when Rohit fell, that chance rose to 62%. At 11.2 overs, Capitals had a 43% chance of winning the game.

At 11.3 overs, when Ishan Kishan fell, that chance rose

Mayank Markande 4-0-26-1 Riley Meredith 2-0-9-0 Ramandeep Singh 2-0-29-2 MUMBAI INDIANS INNINGS (Target: 160 runs from 20 overs) Ishan Kishan †c Warner b Kuldeep Yadav 48 Rohit Sharma (c) c Thakur b Nortje 2 Dewald Brevis b Thakur 37 Tilak Varma c †Pant b Nortje 21 Tim David c Shaw b Thakur 34 Ramandeep Singh not out 13 Daniel Sams not out 0 Extras (lb 1, nb 1, w 3) 5 TOTAL 19.1 Ov (RR: 8.34) 160/5 Did not bat: Hrithik Shokeen, Jasprit Bumrah, Mayank Markande, Riley Meredith Fall of wickets: 1-25 (Rohit Sharma, 5.2 ov), 2-76 (Ishan Kishan, 11.3 ov), 3-95 (Dewald Brevis, 14.3 ov), 4-145 (Tim David, 17.5 ov), 5-155 (Tilak Varma, 18.5 ov) BOWLING O-M-R-W Khaleel Ahmed 3.1-0-24-0 Anrich Nortje 4-0-37-2 Shardul Thakur 3-0-32-2 Mitchell Marsh 2-0-7-0 Kuldeep Yadav 4-0-33-1 Axar Patel 3-0-26-0

to 51%. At 14.2 overs, Capitals had a 69% chance of winning the game. At 14.3 overs, when Dewald Brevis fell, that chance rose to 77%.

The bowlers did everything they could to keep them in the game. Then came 14.4 overs.

Thakur to David. zero runs. It was a gorgeous ball. On the kind of length that batters don't know whether to come forward or stay back. The ball kissed the pitch and whooshed through to the keeper. The appeal was instant. Umpire Tapan Sharma was unmoved.

Pant and Thakur got together.

They spoke at length. Then they separated, and all was good with the world until the replay came on the big screen and UltraEdge had a big spike as ball passed bat.

Pant kicked the turf.

Ponting fumed in the dugout.

David kept hitting sixes. And Capitals were drained of hope.

Eleven men in red and blue skulked around the Wankhede outfield, expressionless, as for the second season running, their IPL ended in heartbreak.

(Cricinfo)

Restart of football in Bartica…

Beacons Edge Agatash, Mil Ballers and Rising Stars draw in Senior Men’s League games

L

Linden Wallerson of Beacon FC was the lone goal-scorer

inden Wallerson of the Beacons FC was the lone scorer in Friday’s doubleheader in the Bartica Senior Men’s Football League, played at the Bartica Community Centre Ground. Wallerson’s ninethminute rocket went through the gloves of the Agatash United goalkeeper to give Beacons three

Beacon FC

points in their first match in the league.

A valiant fight by the opponents failed to produce an equalizer, and the match went to full time with a 1-nil margin.

Rising Stars FC met the littleregarded Mil Ballers FC in the next game, and the fans had thought it would be a one-sided affair. But the Mil Ballers boys stuck to their

task, attacking and defending on equal terms with Rising Stars, and at the end of the night, the spoils were divided at one point per team following a nil-all draw.

The league continues over the weekend at the same venue, with Bartica’s oldest club - Wolves United FC - coming up against Lazio FC, and Rivers View FC taking on Potaro Strikers FC.

38

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

SUNDAY MAY 22, 2022

Shabazz calls for support as Golden Jags depart for Nations League G

uyana’s senior men’s national football team the Golden Jaguars have departed local shores en route to Trinidad and Tobago, where they will link up with their over-

seas-based players before getting into a week’s training in that twin-island republic.

After their training and two friendly games in Trinidad, the Golden

Jags will travel to the Dominican Republic, where they will commence their CONCACAF Nations League Campaign on June 4 against Montserrat.

As the team gets ready for

GCB Female Inter-County 50-Over tourney…

Smartt, spinners, power Berbice to second win

A

Tremayne Smartt was adjudged player of the match with 4-3

ction in the third round of the GCB Female Inter-County 50-Over Tournament continued yesterday with Berbice demolishing Select XI in a 35-over affair, compliments of Tremayne Smartt and tactical spin bowling at the Providence Stadium.

Neither team was a stranger to the other, as they had faced each other in the T20 format of the tournament, which Berbice had won in 35 minutes. This encounter looked like a repeat of the same, as Tremayne Smartt was able to use the pitch to her advantage.

With rain delaying the toss, and with overcast conditions prevalent, Smartt was practically unplayable.

She maintained her line and length, and threw in the occasional yorker as she navigated the powerplay overs with ease.

Thereafter, the spinners entered the fray, and Plaffiana Millington, Shanetta Grimmond and Ashmini Munisar strangled their opponents by drying up the flow of runs.

Haseena Mohammed injured herself in running a single and retired hurt, thus pushing Select XI on

the back foot, and with the score on 39-8. The last batter took to the crease to try and do her side some justice, but in the end it was of no use, as Berbice were too much to handle.

The Select XI side featured five ducks, despite 20 extras from the Berbice side. Bowling for Berbice, Tremayne Smartt took 4-3, Shanetta Grimmond took 2-3, Plaffiana Millington took 1-3, and Ashmini Munisar took 2-1 as the Select XI were restricted to 40-9 in 17 overs.

Heading into the chase of 41 runs for victory off 35 overs, the mighty Berbicians chased down their target in 4.1 overs, with Shanetta Grimmond and Katana Mentore decimating a weak Select XI bowling unit and ending unbeaten on 24 off 13 balls (3x4,1x6) and 16 off 12 (2x4) respectively.

The action continues today at 09:00h with Essequibo taking on Select XI, and tomorrow with Berbice duking it out with Demerara.

these international assignments, Head Coach Jamal Shabazz has remained quite optimistic about the Golden Jaguars’ chances of topping Group B in order to qualify for the Gold Cup, but maintains that the team is in need of moral support from the diaspora.

In fact, the Head Coach is not taking lightly to the critics as he calls for Guyana’s support of the team.

“While some people, on social media especially, are afraid for us to aspire, we have a commitment to the country to visualise where we want to go, take the action steps, and make the commitment to get there.

It’s going to be tough, but if we do it together as a nation, we would find the journey could be very rewarding,” Shabazz has cautioned last week.

“The emotional pain and the joy is all part of a journey that we must accept as a people,” he said.

On the matter of the team’s mindset, Shabazz disclosed that the 31-member outfit is ready to put in the work necessary for Guyana’s success. Shabazz shared,

Golden Jaguars Head Coach Jamaal Shabazz

“Based on the group feeling, I can say very strongly that the group feeling in the team is a very, very positive one. We have players committed to play for Guyana and making the necessary sacrifice. So, where we lack in resources, we certainly want to make up with the right attitude and a sensible and committed approach.”

Turning to his personal beliefs, the Head Coach expressed immense confidence in the Golden Jags’ chances.

“I feel that we will not be out of our league on the same field with Haiti, with Bermuda, with Montserrat; though, given what has hap-

pened in the past, they obviously start with a certain amount of rank over us. But at the end of the day, they meet us on the pitch, and that’s where it will be decided,” Shabazz concluded.

The 31-member Golden Jaguars team will be cut down to 26 members prior to commencement of the tournament. After their first game in the Dominican Republic, the Golden Jags will return to Guyana for two home games, on June 7 and 11 against Bermuda and Haiti respectively.

They will then return to the DR for the final away game, wherein they oppose Haiti on June 15.

Restart of football in Upper Demerara…

Capital FC stop Winners Connection 2-0, Topp XX get past Milerock 2-1

…Shattas meet Panthers, Blueberry Hill face Botafago tonight

Capital FC scorers Emmanuel Atkins (left) and Tyric Mc Allister

W

ins in matches of the Upper Demerara Football Association’s Senior Men’s League were recorded by Capital FC, who stopped Haynes Winners Connection 2-0, and Topp XX, who eased past Milerock 2-1 when play continued on Friday night at the Mackenzie Sports Club (MSC) ground.

Two other interesting matches are slated for tonight (Sunday), with Amelia’s Ward Panthers opposing Silver Shattas from 6.00pm and Blueberry Hill coming up against Botafago from 8.00pm.

An off-key Haynes Winners Connection side could not find their rhythm against a brimful Capital FC unit, and found themselves in trouble as early as the 12th minute, when Tyric McAllister made the best of a free kick to score for a 1-0 lead.

The score remained unchanged, and while both

Topp XX scorers Abraham Browne and Travis Waterton

teams surely are not in great form, it was the Capital FC which looked more purposeful. Forward Emmanuel Atkins finished a good pass from McAllister and found the back of the net in the 84th minute.

That goal sealed a 2-0 win for the relatively new kids on the block, Capital FC, against the experienced Winners Connection.

It was always going to be an uphill task, with Milerock fielding a relatively unknown side - barring veteran Rawle ‘Boney’ Gittens - against their more experienced opponents, Topp XX. Topp XX capitalised on this experience advantage, and when Abraham Browne was fouled, Travis Waterton made no mistake in taking the penalty in the 65th minute, to break a 0-0 deadlock in the second period of play.

That 1-0 advantage was doubled in the 81st minute when a Milerock lapse allowed striker Browne

to finish a ball that was cleared but found the feet of Waterton, who set the play for Browne to score, making it 2-0.

In the 87th minute of the game, Milerock gained a consolation goal through Jermaine Maison, to lose the encounter by a 2-1 score- line.

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SUNDAY MAY 22, 2022

39

Guyana Harpy Eagles beat Barbados Pride in a thriller Smith, but in Motie’s first over of the day, Hope was trapped leg-before for five.

At 133-3, Roston Chase partnered Brathwaite, and the duo ensured Pride reached lunch at 144-3 after 46 overs. Brathwaite was set on 61, while Chase was on 11.

Upon resumption of play, Smith continued to impress, and he found the edge of Test player Roston Chase, who was caught at first-slip by Leon Johnson for 15. Pride

Pride players congratulate Chanderpaul and Johnson

By Brandon Corlette in Trinidad

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ith a thumping shot towards longon, the aggressive

through.

Looking all set for a big score, Sheyne Moseley played a loose drive, and Nial Smith peeled off his edge, leaving the left-hand-

Pride will be aiming to bounce back in the next two rounds

Kraigg Brathwaite scored his 27th first-class century

Tagenarine Chanderpaul ensured that Guyana Harpy Eagles stormed to a thrilling five-wicket win against defending champions Barbados Pride in a third-round match of the CWI Regional FourDay tourney being played at the Queen’s Park Oval in the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago.

For the win, the Harpy Eagles had required only 68 runs from 13 overs, after Keemo Paul’s 4-90 and Nial Smith’s 3-76 had restricted Barbados to 291 all out. Test captain Kraigg Brathwaite scored a composed 111, his 27th first-class century, but received little support from the Pride.

Resuming the fourth and final day on 44-0, Barbados Pride’s duo of openers scored freely in the morning session. They added 84 runs for the first wicket, and it took 26.1 overs for Guyana Harpy Eagles to get the break-

ed Moseley caught behind for a score of 48 runs from 85 balls, which included nine

for 13 - caught behind following a short ball outside off, with the Pride score on 110-2 in 33 overs.

In the process, Kraigg Brathwaite reached his 61st first-class half-century, and the West Indies Test captain continued to ride his luck from the third day, dispatching debutant Demetri Cameron with ease and grace. In the 37th over, Brathwaite helped himself to three boundaries as the

Chanderpaul showed his aggressive side to help Guyana seal the win

fours.

As he continued to operate from the Media Centre end, Smith troubled Shamarh Brooks, whom he dismissed

Berbician seamer was bowling from the Brian Lara Pavilion end.

Shai Hope came and played a spanking backfoot punch through cover off

were then reduced to 150-4 after 48.3 overs.

Raymon Reifer, who looked good in the first innings, came and scored at ease, while Brathwaite continued on his merry way.

Brathwaite was struck flush on the helmet by a Keemo Paul bouncer, and was rushed off the field. After the drinks break, Brathwaite returned safe, but Permaul removed Reifer for 27. The left-handed Reifer played one into the hands of forward short-leg and was caught by Akshaya Persaud.

After that 47-run stand between Reifer and Brathwaite, Jonathan Carter came, and was dropped by substitute Kevin Sinclair at second slip, then struck a boundary the very next ball after he was dropped.

With Cricket West Indies Lead Selector Dr Desmond Haynes and CWI Director of Cricket Jimmy Adams watching on, Paul was breathing fire and bowling thunderbolts. The man from Essequibo continued to steam in, and his delivery struck Carter below the belt, causing him to go down and out. The next ball he faced, Carter drove into the air and was caught at backward point for six, reducing Pride to 210-6.

Compliments of

At tea, Pride had reached 228-6, with Brathwaite on 91 and Shane Dowrich on 14. Thereafter, Paul, who bowled an extended spell, removed Dowrich for 24 and then got Akeem Jordan for a duck.

The veritable wall of Barbados, Kraigg Brathwaite, was then removed by the impressive Paul for 111, which came off 241 balls. His innings included 16 fours.

The final pair of Keon Harding and Jomel Warrican offered some resistance, and Nial Smith dropped Warrican.

However, Motie wrapped things up with the Pride on 291 all out after 93.5 overs. Paul ended with 4-90 from 26 overs, which included seven maidens. Smith had 3-76 from 18 overs, while Motie had 2-35 from 17.5 overs.

With Guyana requiring 68 runs from 13 overs, Paul and Chandrapaul Hemraj opened the batting, and the Pride’s ploy was to bowl wide. Guyana was ready to attack from the getgo, in the process of which Guyana lost Paul for 11, Hemraj for six, Tevin Imlach for seven, and Akshya Persaud for four. Gudakesh Motie also departed for two, but captain Leon Johnson and Tagenarine Chanderpaul ensured there were no further hiccups.

While many fans back

home were on the edges of their seats, as were the players in the dugout, Johnson made an unbeaten 14 from 24 balls. Chanderpaul, however, was in top gear, hitting an unbeaten 23 from 10 balls to seal the deal and calm the nerves. He struck four boundaries, including a scoop shot.

Guyana will play Jamaica Scorpions at Diego Martin in Trinidad from Wednesday, May 25.

Paul was all smiles after picking up four wickets

SCOREBOARD BARBADOS 2ND INNINGS Kraigg Brathwaite c Motie b Paul 111 Sheyne Moseley c Imlach b Smith 48 Sharmarh Brooks c Imlach b Smith 13 Shai Hope lbw b Moti-Kanhai 5 Roston Chase c Johnson b Smith 15 Raymon Reifer c Persaud b Permaul 27 Jonathan Carter c Motie b Paul 6 Shane Dowrich c Permaul b Paul 24 Akeem Jordan c Imlach b Paul 0 Keon Harding not out 18 Jomel Warrican b Motie 10 TOTAL (10 wickets, 93.5) (14 extras) 291 FOW: 84/1 (26.1) Sheyne Moseley 110/2 (32.6) Sharmarh Brooks 133/3 (37.2) Shai Hope 150/4 (48.3) Roston Chase 197/5 (61.2) Raymon Reifer 210/6 (64.6) Jonathan Carter 260/7 (80.2) Shane Dowrich 260/8 (82.2) Akeem Jordan 273/9 (86.1) Kraigg Brathwaite 291/10 (93.5) Jomel Warrican GUYANA BOWLING

Keemo Paul (26-7-90-4) Nial Smith (18-4-76-3) Demetri Cameron (6-1-31-0) Gudakesh Motie (17.5-5-35-2) Veerasammy Permaul (26-12-47-1) GUYANA 2ND INNINGS Chanderpaul Hemraj c Warrican b Jordan 6 Keemo Paul c Warrican b Jordan 10 Leon Johnson not out 14 Tevin Imlach c Dowrich b Jordan 7 Akshaya Persaud c Jordan b Carter 4 Gudakesh Motie c Chase b Jordan 2 Tagenarine Chanderpaul not out 23 TOTAL (5 wickets, 12.0) (5 extras) 73 FOW: 19/1 (3.1) Keemo Paul Chanderpaul Hemraj 20/2 (3.3) Chanderpaul Hemraj 30/3 (5.3) Tevin Imlach 41/4 (8.2) Akshaya Persaud 46/5 (9.1) Gudakesh Motie BARBADOS BOWLING Raymon Reifer (4-0-28-0) Akeem Jordan (6-1-31-4) Jonathan Carter (2-0-12-1)

SUNDAY MAY 22, 2022

Sports is no longer our game, it’s our business

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CWI Regional Four Day Tourney…

Guyana Harpy Eagles beat Barbados Pride in a thriller

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The Guyana Harpy Eagles players celebrating the winning moment

GCB Female Inter-County 50-Over tourney…

Smartt, spinners, power Shabazz calls for Berbice to second win support as Golden Jags depart for Nations League

Berbice were a force to be reckoned with in this match

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Golden Jaguars Head Coach Jamaal Shabazz

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