Guyana Times -- Friday, January 28, 2022

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THE BEACON OF TRUTH

Issue No. 4903

FRIDAY, JANUARY 28, 2022

Guyana aiming to become global leader in environment, agriculture — President Ali Exxon to pump 1st oil from Liza Unity by March month-end …Guyana to earn US$957.6M from oil sector this year See story on page 2

See story on page 3

Opposition parties to meet this weekend on new Opposition Leader

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WHAT'S INSIDE:

There is no “magic wand” for reforming prisoners – P10 Benn …unveils plans for reform of prisoners

Teen who defended mom from abusive stepfather dies “Nobody ain’t doing nothing” – frustrated Belle West residents

P9 P9

…say heavy-duty vehicles damaging main access road

Page 7

…Roysdale Forde, Amanza Walton-Desir being considered for post

Pregnant 2 unvaccinated woman men new stabbed to COVID-19 death by ex-lover deaths, 17 in ICU Page 17

…as 9-year-old sister watches helplessly

See story on page 11

COVID-19 P13 booster uptake “very poor” – Health Minister …persons may soon have to get boosters to be considered “fully vaccinated”

2 NEWS

FRIDAY, JANUARY 28, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Guyana aiming to become global leader in environment, agriculture – President Ali

President Irfaan Ali speaking at India’s 72nd Republic Day Anniversary Reception at the National Cultural Centre

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resident of Guyana, Dr Irfaan Ali has said that the country is currently working on an international agenda that will propel the country to become a global leader in several areas, particularly environment and agriculture.

The Head of State delivered the feature address at India’s 72nd Republic Day Anniversary Reception at the National Cultural Centre on Wednesday evening.

He said that the country

would look to emulate India on its leadership qualities, especially through Guyana’s expanded Low Carbon Development Strategy and its current international commitments on environmental management.

Guyana, the President noted, is already taking on the mantle of providing strong leadership in the Caricom region to ensure food security and sustainability and will focus heavily on reducing food import bills by 25 per cent by 2025.

“Like India today, Guyana is working on an international agenda. We are not working to be second to any but we are working to lead in many areas, including environmental leadership. With our expanded Low Carbon Development Strategy and our international stance and commitment to sustainable development, we intend to continue to provide strong global leadership in the area of environmental management.

Guyana has already taken up the mantle of providing strong leadership in the region to ensure food security and sustainability, not only for Guyana but for the region as a whole,” President Ali expressed.

Additionally, President Ali pointed out that Guyana is already following India’s footsteps in the area of energy security through expansion of access, using renewables, strengthening bilateral relationships, and enhancing the country’s democracy. It is also fortifying its laws to ensure it reflects the needs and will of the people and by embarking on an aggressive transformation of the country’s human resources.

“Like India, we are also transforming infrastruc-

ture landscape, modernising our landscape, making our infrastructure system, our transportation system more efficient and reliable.

Importantly, like India, we are also in the process

of rebranding our country…We are also working on a programme to ensure energy security using renewables and more importantly, making energy affordable.”

dents in various areas, including accountancy, agriculture, auditing, banking and information technology, governance, and communication, as well as its most recent educational support

The Head of State said that as Guyana celebrates with India, he wanted to recommit working on maintaining and strengthening traditional and mutually beneficial relations. He emphasised that Guyana and India have always shared a bond of friendship built on mutual values and principles and shared interests, which have benefitted both countries.

He stated, “India has been extremely supportive of Guyana’s development – from the National Stadium at Providence, to our modernising road infrastructure, the ICT Centre of Excellence at the University of Guyana, to the Indian Immigration Monument at Palmyra – India’s support for Guyana’s development is unmistakable.”

He pointed to the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) programme that has provided training to Guyanese stu-

in facilitating opportunities for thousands of Guyanese to study at its universities through the Guyana Online Academy of Learning (GOAL) programmes.

“Through the generosity of India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, we were able to kick-start our COVID-19 immunisation campaign at a time when many countries were struggling to obtain vaccines.”

The President added that cooperation between the two countries continues to grow and is evident through India’s support for Guyana’s transportation sector, which will see the construction of a ferry to provide services to the North-West; a line of credit that will provide the country with funds to support the electrification of 30,000 households via solar power and the provision

by India of drainage pumps to assist in combatting the negative effects of climate change. (G12)

NEWS

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FRIDAY, JANUARY 28, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

BRIDGE OPENINGS OPENINGS BRIDGE

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

Friday, Jan 28 – No closure and Saturday, Jan 29 – 01:00h – 02:30h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

riday, Jan 28 – 13:00h – 14:30h and Saturday, Jan 29 – 14:05h – 15:35h.

FERRY SCHEDULE

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

WEATHER TODAY There will be sunshine during the day. Expect clear skies at night. Temperatures should range between 19 degrees Celsius and 31 degrees Celsius.

Winds: North North-Westerly to North NorthWesterly between 1.78 metres and 5.36 metres.

High Tide: 13:12h reaching a maximum height of 2.4 metres.

Low Tide: 06:40h and 19:25h reaching minimum heights of 0.97 metre and 0.77 metre.

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 26, 2022

LOTTERY NUMBERS O

04 08 09

15 21 26

FREE TICKET

12 Bonus Ball

THURSDAY, JANUARY 27, 2022

DAILY MILLIONS

04 08 09 12 20 LUCKY 3

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0

8

5

Afternoon Draw

3

9

Evening Draw

DRAW DE LINE

03 04 08 10 12 14 19 SUPER

PAY DAY

PAY DAY

FRIDAY, JANUARY 21, 2022

03 06 12 16 17 13

03 04 05 09 10

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DISCLAIMER: WE ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY ERRORS IN PUBLICATION. PLEASE CALL THE HOTLINE FOR CONFIRMATION - TEL: 225-8902

COMMODITIES Indicators

US$

Change %

Crude Oil

$89.34/barrel

-0.69

Rough Rice

$269.01/ton

-0.29

London Sugar

$499.80/ton

-0.14

Live Spot Gold

USD Per Ounce

Bid/Ask

$1796.20

$1797.20

Low/High Change

$1791.50 -0.90

$1817.90 -0.05%

Exxon to pump 1st oil from Liza Unity by March month-end …Guyana to earn US$957.6M from oil sector this year

W

ith the Guyana Government using the Natural Resource Fund’s $126.7 billion to finance the massive 2022 budget, the country is set to earn another whopping US$957.6 million from the oil and gas sector this year.

This is according to Senior Minister with responsibility with Finance Dr Ashni Singh, during his presentation of the $552.9 billion budget for the 2022 fiscal year.

He noted that the projected inflows from the petroleum industry this year is expected to be more than the US$607.6 million Guyana has earned thus far.

“With two FPSO (Floating Production Storage and Offloading) vessels expected to be in operation this year, it is anticipated that there will be 94 lifts from the Stabroek Block, 13 of which will be Government lifts. From this, it is estimated that deposits into the NRF for 2022 will total US$957.6 million, comprising some US$857.1 million earned from the Government lifts of profit oil, and an additional US$100.5 million from royalties,” he explained.

Since oil production commenced in December 2019, Guyana has earned US$607.6 million from its share of nine oil lifts and from royalty payments at the Liza 1 Field in the oil rich Stabroek Block.

The Finance Minister noted that Government has injected the entire $126.7 billion from the oil fund into Budget 2022 to ensure the accelerated development

Liza Unity FPSO’s first oil lift is set for March month-end

agenda, critical investments and the various measures are financed without excessive borrowing or the introduction of any new taxes.

This proposed withdrawal is being done in accordance with provisions catered for in the recently passed NRF Act, which was heavily objected to by the APNU/AFC Opposition.

However, Opposition Member of Parliament and Deputy Speaker, Lenox Shuman, contended that the passage of the NRF legislation has paved the way for the use of the oil funds to support the transformational ascent of Guyana.

“I am grateful that that oil resources are being untethered and being used for national development.

I think it is important that the NRF Bill [has] gone through. I don’t think we would have seen the kind of development projected for the country, had we constrained the Government with the NRF Bill,” stated

Shuman, whose party – the Liberty and Justice Party – is part of a Joinder List with two other political parties and takes up one seat in the parliamentary Opposition’s side.

Meanwhile, Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister, Anil Nandlall, SC, has defended the use of the oil money in the face of mounting criticisms, which he described as “baseless”.

“We are spending in this budget every single cent that would be withdrawn from that fund, and much more.

What that means is that every single cent of that money has to pass through the Parliament, through the appropriation process. It has to be interrogated and investigated in the Committee of Supply. The public will see, the Opposition will be able to question, to probe. So the allegation that there is going to be corruption, and thievery ought to now be rendered hollow and should dissipate,” Nandlall asserted.

He further contended, “What use are we making of the oil money?... [Budget 2022] is a budget that embraces every facet of life in Guyana. Every area of human endeavour has been touched by this budget …the oil monies are being put into the budget for the benefit of all Guyanese”.

Production at second oil platform

Since the discovery of Guyana’s light crude in commercial quantities offshore in 2015, there has been 28 oil finds to date in the Stabroek Block and an estimated recoverable resource of over 10 billion oil-equivalent barrels.

United States oil giant, ExxonMobil is currently undertaking three production projects Liza 1, Liza 2, and Payara in the oil-rich block.

Production capacity is currently at 120,000 barrels per day (bpd) with the Liza Destiny FPSO in operation.

TURN TO PAGE 7

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guyanatimesgy.com

FRIDAY, JANUARY 28, 2022

Views Editor: Tusika Martin News Hotline: 231-8063 Editorial: 231-0544, 223-7230, 223-7231, 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

Importance of reducing recidivism

T

here is absolutely no excuse for the commission of criminal activities, but there is great scope for redemption and rehabilitation of prisoners.

It is indeed welcoming news, as Home Affairs Minister Robeson Benn unveiled major plans to reform the prison system. On Thursday, Minister Benn said that this is aimed at preparing offenders for re-entering society, and these plans would reduce the recidivism rate.

In August 2021, it was revealed by Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo that Government plans to deal with the root causes of crime in a way that would reduce recidivism, or criminals re-offending. Thursday’s launch is a materialisation of this plan announced last year.

Indeed, there are many factors behind crime, but we agree there is importance in reducing recidivism.

Most young people who have been inculcated with a moral compass and consequently adhere to discipline would adjust accordingly, but there are some youths who have no guiding force or role model pointing them in the right direction. This group finds it preferable to pick up a weapon and try to extract quick riches from the unwary, even if they have to kill to obtain the spoils of their forays into criminality.

They subsequently most often become hardened criminals who have no compunction for their actions, and often display no compassion for their victims, indiscriminately depriving them of their property, money and lives without thinking of the devastation they wreak on the families, especially vulnerable dependents such as elderly parents and children.

Having perfected the art of escape after the execution of their crimes, oftentimes when they are caught after a long career of theft and murder, they are treated as ‘firsttime offenders’, figuratively rapped on the knuckles by bleeding hearts of some judicial officials and with minimum punishment.

Incarceration, especially with hard labour, is meant to act as a deterrent to engagement in criminal activities in civil societies, and this should ideally work concurrently with rehabilitation, to reintegrate prisoners into families, communities, and the society at large. It is the general consensus that prisoners should be treated humanely. They were caught committing their crimes, while many criminals have been getting away without discovery.

During his tenure, retired Director of Prisons Dale Erskine created synergies to make the prison system more aligned to rehabilitation, rather than punishment. He incorporated new programmes in the prison system to create a dynamic in which prison was no longer somewhere merely to lock away people found guilty of aberrant behaviour, but where the inmates could be guided, directed, and encouraged to change their thinking and attitude into more positive, achievementsoriented directions. That change was a work in progress throughout Erskine’s tenure, as initially Officer-in-Charge of the Georgetown Prison, and then Director of Prisons.

The changes wrought by the forward, humanistic thinking of Erskine were multi-faceted and transformational.

One of the programmes he set in motion was the identification and employment of a skilled bank of prisoners who were at least risk of escaping or engaging in additional criminal activities.

The prisoners were thus enabled to earn an income, part of which provided for their own needs and the needs of relatives, including young children left defenceless as their mothers struggle to take care of their prerequisites for survival. Some saved for their own upkeep upon their release, because the world knows that, for a person with a prison record, finding employment is a difficult feat.

However, there are those who are considered beyond human redemption, because they have become so hardened in their hearts that opportunities for atonement go abegging.

In those cases, protective services have to be vigilant that those persons are completely assured of their restored sense of right and wrong, and their intention to continue to adhere to the laws of the land.

President Dr Irfaan Ali, along with Vice President Dr Bharrat Jagdeo, Indian High Commissioner to Guyana, Dr K J Srinivasa, and cultural dancers, at India’s 72nd Republic Day Anniversary Reception on Wednesday evening (OP photo)

Is another world war in the offing?

A

By Jason Green

nyone who has been following what has been happening in Eastern Europe, the Middle East, or the South Pacific lately would, of course, find the sabre-rattling tendencies rather worrying.

Nevertheless, I cannot help but ask the question: Is there a global conflict on the horizon?

It seems insane, right?

Why would anyone even think of such a thing? Two world wars were already two more than anyone wanted.

Yet, as insane as it might seem to be speculating, the world now doesn’t look so different from what it did prior to the world wars. In fact, anyone who studied that period of history would find some eerie similarities.

The first such comparison to be drawn is the military build-up. Prior to the outbreak of World War I (WWI), Britain and Germany were engaged in a fierce arms race, with both sides constantly upgrading their arsenal to the latest technology available at the time. This culminated in the construction of the dreadnought battleship by the Royal Navy, which was later copied by its rivals with designs of their own.

Similarly, today great powers constantly try to outdo each other to see who has the latest and most potent weapons, and are certainly not afraid to show them off. This, in and of itself, should be worrying enough.

However, the parties in the arms race didn’t always operate in isolation, but rather cooperated in strategic alliances to deter rivals.

Is there any difference between then and now?

Who can forget late last

year when the US, UK, and Australia announced the formation of the tripartite pact known as Aukus? The whole idea behind this is that it should serve as a deterrent to Chinese ambitions in the South Pacific. This looks oddly similar to the Entente Cordiale that was signed shortly before WWI to deter German ambition.

The Chinese, of course, didn’t take very kindly to this, and responded by calling the three States paranoid. Yet the actions of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) might actually provide justification for such a show of force by Aukus.

China has been known to aggressively increase its naval presence in the South China Sea as of late, while its Air Force has been conducting military drills in Taiwanese air space. The PLA has also been seen testing hypersonic missiles which circle the world in orbit, pointing to its deadly accuracy.

The Western powers are not the only ones wary of China. Japan, since World War II (WWII), has taken an official position of pacifism, but given its geographical closeness to China, its current stance is anything but that. Japan’s SelfDefence Force has developed to an advanced stage, with air and naval capabilities surpassing anything it has had since WWII. But what is worrying most of all is the influence of the far-right ultra-conservative Nippon Kaigi organisation among the Japanese ruling elite, which openly calls for Japan to drop all pretence of pacifism. This would make it an Asian military powerhouse once again, making the situation in East Asia more tenuous than it already is.

Not to be left out, India

has also had its own contingency plans for dealing with China, as it has recently purchased a series of S-400 missile defence systems from Russia and set them in strategic points that pundits claim are meant to fend off any Chinese attempts at an incursion.

And speaking of Russia, they are, at present, an even bigger problem for Western powers than China, due to their actions in Ukraine.

Currently, the entire eastern front of Europe is at a tipping point, with ever-growing speculation as to whether Russia would invade Ukraine. This is something that the US and its allies in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) are rather wary of, as both sides are locked in a standoff. The best hope anyone can have is that all sides could reach rapprochement before it gets to the point of no return.

According to the Russians, NATO expanding into Ukraine would violate an agreement with the Soviet Union that NATO would never expand eastward after the fall of the Iron Curtain. NATO, on the other hand, contends that no such deal was ever made, and that Ukraine is a sovereign state, free to join whatever alliance it likes. This sore point is what leads to the security dilemma we have today, as neither side is willing to relent, as each feels threatened by the other.

Russia, for its part, has responded with a massive military build-up on the Ukrainian border. NATO, however, is not standing idly by, as Britain and several other member states are already sending arms to Ukraine, while France is openly touting the possibili-

ty of a European Army to defend the continent.

The ambitions of EU and NATO have hit a major hurdle, as, unlike Russia, the West is comprised of different countries with competing interests.

Whereas French President Emmanuel Macron is all for a common defence force for the continent, new German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is of a much different mindset.

Unlike most of NATO, Germany is not inclined to go to war with Russia, as it would have too much to lose if the situation should deteriorate, given that it is one of the biggest recipients of Russian oil and natural gas, which means any stop to that supply would lead to a major downturn in Germany’s lead as Europe’s major manufacturing giant.

This scenario, one must admit, would make it different from the first two world wars, as, this time Germany would prefer the role of peacemaker rather than aggressor.

A comparison of the economic environment which existed during the periods of the first two world wars and now yields interesting results.

It is hardly a secret that, following the end of WWI, the world fell into a Great Depression, which ended only when WWII began. The question of whether war is good or bad for the economy depends greatly on who is asking. The world economy as we know it now is a disaster, due primarily to the novel coronavirus pandemic, which has caused a downturn in many major economies, with economists predicting that the current depression would hit the levels seen during the Great Depression.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 5

guyanatimesgy.com

FRIDAY, JANUARY 28, 2022

5

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

Our most powerful neighbour Is it feasible? and a friend of Guyana

Dear Editor, My letter asking where were the signatures of those who rushed to pen their names in protest against a visit to Guyana

by President Bolsonaro when our country faced an attempt to install a dictatorship in place of a democratic election has drawn a response from Mr. Eric Moseley, which I suspect deliberately misses the point of my letter.

The only purpose of my

letter was to point out that these are signatures of well known, influential, reputed human rights’ defenders of scholarly repute, who failed to raise their voices or lend their signatures in protest, preferring to remain silent when freedom was so seriously threatened in our country, but have suddenly found their voices to protest every issue under the sun, and are therefore, not credible.

I also have a question

for Mr Moseley. Why does he find it necessary to descend into the disgustingly popular practice in our country today of judging every person on the basis of their ethnic heritage, by accusing me of being racist because I am of Portuguese descent?

In fact, I am not a fan of Mr Bolsonaro, and if I were Brazilian, I would eschew his politics and would never vote for him.

It is, however, also a

fact that the majority of the people of Brazil did vote for him to be their President, and as others have pointed out, when Mr. Bolsonaro visits Guyana as President Bolsonaro, he represents and speaks for the people of Brazil, a nation which happens to be our most powerful neighbour and a friend of Guyana.

Your sincerely, Kit Nascimento

Budget 2022 and sea defence Dear Editor, This week’s budget speech by Senior Minister Dr Singh was presented very clearly and eloquently. The thoroughness of the budget, as it pertains to each sector of our economy and pillar of our society, is commendable. My only area of concern has to do with our sea defence and water management system.

Five billion dollars to add canals that are sim-

ilar to the Hope Canal in Region 4 is a good step in the correct direction, but given that even with the Hope Canal, severe flooding in Region 4 still occurs, we must look beyond this approach as an acceptable long-term solution.

The funds allocated for sea defence should be able to carry out the planned work, and, in addition, be able to start the development of engineering plans

needed to build a stronger sea wall and water management system along the Atlantic coast.

It is time to bring on board a strong engineering team or firm to develop the long-term solution needed, so that the cost estimates could be completed, the funds secured, and the implementation started.

The cost of materials would continue to increase in the future, thus making the

timing of execution very important. We must approach the development and implementation of a wholistic sea defence and water management plan with an increased sense of urgency.

Otherwise, the planned investments along the Atlantic coast would be at risk due to severe flooding in the future.

Best regards, Jamil Changlee

Is another world war...?

History tells us that, in the US, while the federal Government tried to restart the economy through the New Deal initiative, what really got the economy moving again was the manufacturing capacity being expanded in the war and post-war periods.

The US, as it stands now, is in a bad place economically, and unlike Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s New Deal, Biden’s Build Back Better programme to restart the economy has been indefinitely stalled in Congress.

It would not be completely far-fetched to state that nobody really wants war, unless he or she is part of the military-industrial complex, which some still think is mere conspiracy.

Yet, Democratic congresswoman and former presidential candidate Tulsi Gabbard has stated point blank that this is exactly what is happening, and has referred to some of her colleagues as warmongers for pushing the narrative regarding Russian aggression.

The prospect of war profiteering is horrendous to think about; and yet, with everything going on, there are clearly rumblings of a shift in economic and political power on a global scale.

The pandemic, over the last two years, has paved the way for some changes in the system, but there is still the question of which country is truly the most power-

ful. The idealist in me tends to think that such a question can be settled peacefully, but the realist in me would not dare be so naïve; after all, as German Chancellor Otto von Bismarck once said, “It is not through speeches and debates that the questions of the day will be decided, but through iron and blood.”

The talk of a peaceful rise of China or the resurgence of Russia is interesting, but, as history tells us, it is only through war that the global order will be so drastically reset. For example, the Napoleonic wars led to the rise of Europe and the congress system; WWI led to the fall of several centuries-old empires and the redrawing of the maps of Europe and the Arab world; while WWII cemented the dominance of the US and the USSR, gave us the UN and the Bretton Woods Agreement and Systems and, most importantly, led to decolonisation, which also resulted in a redrawing of the world map.

In all the halls of power, there is talk of a “Great Reset”, one that they say is influenced by COVID-19, but is it far-fetched to surmise that this alone is not enough to justify such a reordering of the world system? Look back at WWII. The economy was changed as much as the politics, yet the Bretton Woods Agreement and System did not rise from the war, but from the depression

that preceded it. A great reset that looks at changes in the entire geopolitical structure might take a similar approach.

Much of this sounds hyperbolic, and I for one am hoping to be dead wrong on this, but I cannot help but look at the similarities and wonder.

At the start of 2022 the UN Security Council promised there would be no nuclear war; yet, within weeks of this promise, countries started making aggressive moves that tip the world closer to just that. China has continued its aggressive moves in the South Pacific, while Russia does the same at its border with Ukraine, even while France and Britain continue to openly support the Government in Kiev, and the US stands in the middle of it all, threatening sanctions but doing little else.

FROM PAGE 4

This resembles what happened in the interwar period when the great powers signed the Kellogg– Briand Pact to limit armaments, only for them to all turn around and violate said agreement.

And this aggression is not limited to the P5 nations — China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. North Korea has continued to test its own hypersonic missiles, ignoring UN sanctions; Iran also continues to pursue its own nuclear agenda, refusing to renegotiate its nuclear deal; and Saudi Arabia continues to act as a foil for Iran in their rivalry for regional domination.

Given the aforementioned, the question remains: Is the world really heading for another war, or is this sabre-rattling just that, and nothing more?

(Jamaica Observer)

Dear Editor, Over the year, continuous efforts are being made to restore City Hall building to its original state.

Whilst there’s a lot of reasons for doing that to a historical building, I’ve come to the assumption that the building is being consider a breadbasket to fuel friends and cronies under the guise of restoring the building.

As long as I could recall, extraordinary money is required to do repairs and when finish, the building is still unsafe. I must say I’m quite surprised to see it cost sixty million dollars to conduct a feasibility study to evil at if the building should be repair and the cost to.

Lack of proper maintenance cause that historical building to deteriorate to the state it is in presently all because we don’t know the importance of preserving a historical building. Looking at the condition the building is in, it would be safer and cheaper to tear down the building and build a new one.

Editor, on Wednesday I had cause to enter City Hall compound and I look at the building and wonder what sort of people would allow a historical building like that to reach such a condition, but looking around the compound, I didn’t have to guess. Approximately two weeks ago, people going to pay their Rates and Taxes got directed to another building in the compound because restoration work commence on City Hall. People are directed to sit on chairs that are under the shed and some in the sun. Two boots are in operation and after four-five customers, the cashier would

block her windows for 10-15 minutes. There’s staff there to monitor the line system, but conveniently they would disappear and someone who is not in the line would walk to the boot and push their paper in and gets look after. After some two hours, the people got agitated and voicing their concern, which cause the monitors to go and bring the City Police with the idea of intimidation with threats of locking up. I will say this without fear that none of the employee working there have a decent attitude to deal with customers. They all operate as if they are Lord/master. When the people complain of the slothfulness the cashiers threaten to close their boot and see what they can do.

Finally, Editor, the Mayor pass the crowd and just at glacé at them, wave his hand and walk away.

One lady called out saying that everyone has to join one line and there’s no provision for elderly or pregnant people. Surprisingly, the mayor didn’t hear or choose to ignore and continue along his way. What is sickening to is directly behind the chairs, there’s a sewerage tank overflowing and from the condition, that have been going in for a very long time. You take one look at the toilet appearance of the toilet nearby and all urges to use it vanish. If people could work comfortably under these conditions with attitudes, no wonder such a historical building ended up in the state it is.

Sincerely.

Sahadeo Bates

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FRIDAY, JANUARY 28, 2022

Page

Foundation ◄

Little Boy Crying

By Mervyn Morris

QUADRILATERALS

Blow up a balloon with a lemon

I

n this fun and easy cool science experiment for kids, we’re going to use a lemon to blow up a balloon.

NB: Adult supervision is required.

Materials:

Lemon Knife Glass Empty water bottle Balloon Water Baking soda

Instructions:

Your mouth contorting in brief spite and hurt, your laughter metamorphosed into howls, your frame so recently relaxed now tight with three year old frustration, your bright eyes swimming tears, splashing your bare feet, you stand there angling for a moment’s hint of guilt or sorrow for the quick slap struck.

The ogre towers above you, that grim giant, empty of feeling, a colossal cruel, soon victim of the tale’s conclusion, dead at last.

You hate him, you imagine chopping clean the tree he’s scrambling down or plotting deeper pits to trap him in.

Add an ounce of water to the bottle.

Now add a teaspoon of baking soda to the bottle.

Swirl the bottle around to mix the water and baking soda thoroughly.

Stretch out the balloon and have it ready to put over the mouth of the bottle.

With the assistance of an adult, cut the lemon in half and squeeze the juice into a glass.

Pour the lemon juice into the bottle and quickly secure the balloon over the mouth of the bottle.

The balloon should inflate.

You cannot understand, not yet, the hurt your easy tears can scald him with, nor guess the wavering hidden behind that mask.

This fierce man longs to lift you, curb your sadness with piggy-back or bull fight, anything, but dare not ruin the lessons you should learn.

How it works:

You must not make a plaything of the rain.

This experiment uses an endothermic chemical reaction to inflate a balloon. These types of chemical reactions cool their immediate area and the bottle should feel cool to the touch. The lemon contains citric acid that when combined with baking soda, which is a base, causes an endothermic chemical reaction.

This chemical reaction releases carbon dioxide gas.

The carbon dioxide will not be able to escape the bottle due to the balloon being stretched over the mouth of the bottle. The pressure will build and cause the balloon to inflate.

Make this a science project:

Try different sized bottles. Try different sized balloons. Try vinegar. (sciencefun.org)

Teacher's Tip “You don’t get what you wish for. You get what you work for.”

– Daniel Milstein

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FRIDAY, JANUARY 28, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Opposition parties to meet this weekend on new Opposition Leader …Roysdale Forde, Amanza Walton-Desir being considered for post

F

ollowing Joseph Harmon’s resignation as Leader of the Opposition, the various parties within the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) coalition are slated to meet in the coming days to find a replacement for the post.

A senior party official told Guyana Times on Thursday that a meeting is likely to be held this weekend on the issue.

However, this newspaper understands that the six parties within the coalition Opposition, including the AFC and five others from the APNU faction, have already commenced internal talks on their pick for the position ahead of the meeting.

Harmon announced his resignation in a letter to

Former Leader of the Opposition, Joseph Harmon

the Clerk of the National Assembly, Sherlock Issacs, on Wednesday – hours before the Government’s presentation of Budget 2022.

While he stepped down from the Opposition Leader’s post, Harmon will still remain a Member of Parliament on the Opposition’s side.

It was anticipated that his resignation would make way for People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) Leader Aubrey Norton to take up the role. However, given that he is not a Member of Parliament but is named on the coalition’s 2020 election Top-up List, his appointment to the post could take some time since a current Opposition parliamentarian would need to be recalled to make way for the PNC leader.

While the absence of an Opposition Leader would not affect the proceedings in the National Assembly, reports have indicated that the coalition members want

Exxon to pump...

However, it is anticipated that the country’s production capacity will nearly triple to 340,000 bpd with the operationalisation of the Liza Unity FPSO at the Liza 2 field project in the first quarter of this year.

In fact, reports are that the first oil lift from Liza Unity, which has the capacity to produce 220,000 bpd, will take place at the end of March. The oil major’s second platform is expected to reach full production in the third quarter of this year.

With the full operationalisation of the two oil platforms, a total of eight lifts

per quarter is projected.

Further raise production

Meanwhile, the deployment of the Liza Prosperity FPSO in 2024 will further raise production capacity to 560,000 bpd. This platform is currently being constructed for the Payara development project.

Exxon’s fourth production area, Yellowtail, is currently being reviewed by Government and is slated to come online in 2025. It is estimated that with this development project on stream, production will climb to 810,000 bpd by 2027.

FROM PAGE 3

The US oil major anticipates at least six FPSOs producing 1 million bpd by 2030.

The oil rich Stabroek Block is 6.6 million acres (26,800 square kilometres).

Exxon, through its local affiliate Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Ltd (EEPGL), is the operator and holds 45 per cent interest in the block. Hess Guyana Exploration Ltd holds 30 per cent interest, and CNOOC Petroleum Guyana Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of CNOOC Limited, holds the remaining 25 per cent interest. (G8)

Roysdale Forde

to have the position filled at the earliest time possible.

In fact, Opposition MPs, Roysdale Forde and Amanza Walton-Desir, both PNC members, are said to be the top picks for Harmon’s replacement.

Norton, who secured a landslide victory at the party’s internal Congress in December 2021, had disclosed earlier this month that the PNCR Central Executive Committee (CEC) has decided that he should also hold the post of Leader of the Opposition. The PNC is the largest party in the APNU faction of the coalition Opposition.

But Harmon, who lost his bid for the PNCR leadership position to Norton, was initially adamant that he

should remain in the position, which was given to him by former PNCR Leader, David Granger. Harmon was also not re-elected to the party’s Central Executive Committee – the highest decision-making body of the party.

However, following a series of meetings over the past two weeks, Harmon resigned.

In a brief statement on Wednesday, the PNC had said it will address the issue of filling the position of Leader of the Opposition with its coalition partners in the shortest possible time.

Harmon’s resignation as Opposition Leader comes one day after he also stepped down as General Secretary of the APNU, while Granger resigned as the party’s Chairman.

APNU’s Chairmanship is now taken up by Norton.

While Granger’s resignation was accepted with immediate effect, the APNU Executive requested Harmon to stay on for at least 7 days to ensure the smooth transition to a new General Secretary.

On the other hand, Norton is also interested in becoming Representative of the APNU/AFC List of Candidates, a position which is currently being held by Granger, while the Alliance For Change (AFC) Leader Khemraj Ramjattan, is the Deputy Head of the

Amanza Walton-Desir

List.

Granger and Harmon had met with Ramjattan and other AFC leaders – Chairman Raphael Trotman; Vice Chair Catherine Hughes and General Secretary of the AFC, David Patterson – on Monday last to discuss this issue but it is unclear whether any decision was taken.

Reports are that Granger is not keen on giving up the position. If Norton is to be selected as the new Opposition Leader, then he would need to be nominated

by Granger, as Head of the party’s List, to be appointed a parliamentarian, providing that one of the coalition’s current 31 MPs step down. (G8)

8

FRIDAY, JANUARY 28, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Budget...

B

…for takeoff ack in the day (of Jagan and Burnham), there were two competing models of growth and development: there was the communist model, represented by the Soviets, that attracted Jagan and (initially to a lesser extent) Burnham. And this was the crux of the problem, since the US - which considered us to be in their backyard - were more than miffed that we were implicitly rejecting their capitalist model. Which was captured by JFK’s advisor Rostow in his “5 stages of growth” model: traditional society, transitional, takeoff, maturity and finally mass consumption.

One can consider our colonial period the “traditional period” - but what a tradition!! Slavery, Indentureship and colonialism!! With independence, we were supposed to enter the “transitional” period, in which the preconditions for growth would be nurtured. These were characterised, according to Rostow, by factors that had to be injected into the economy, such as an increase in productivity brought on by science, technology, and investment in infrastructure necessary for continued growth.

Well, Burnham ensured we were on a super-extended “transitional” period by adopting from Tanzania a cooperative socialist model that ignored the abovenamed factors and depended on nationalisation of our industries and introducing co-ops for “takeoff”. We took off, all right - only to crash and burn within a decade of introducing his co-op model in 1974!! In his takeoff period, he got some help from the West - who’d bought him out to prevent the communist PPP from getting into Government. They built some highways and the Demerara Bridge. The nationalisation project crashed and burned!!

So, up to now, while there’s been some progress under the post-1992 PPP, that was only relative, and at the very best, we’re not far economically from where we started out in 1964!! And socially worse off! Missing were the necessary massive injections of technology encompassed by large expansions in infrastructure and businesses. Not to mention local knowhow, as economists after Rostow discovered was necessary, along with his other factors! Well, in the opinion of your humble Eyewitness, we’ve finally arrived at that long-longed-for moment with the reading of BUDGET 2022 on Wednesday!!

Let’s look at the environment for the Budget. Oil’s been flowing and generating previously-unheard-of revenues into our NRF. No need for “begging bowls” - as Bruce Golding had once taunted us. We don’t have to dance to the Piper’s tune!! While disavowing Burnham’s communistic “5Year Plans”, the PPP Government has clearly outlined the elements of its strategic plan going forward. And they satisfy all the prerequisites for takeoff!!

It’s apposite to note that this plan’s also diametrically opposed to the substance of the Burnhamite-induced nightmare. …and the plan For good measure, your Eyewitness has to point out that Burnham’s “experiment” also collapsed, along with every other model tried in Africa and other locales which tried to buck the capitalist model. And it’s for this reason we have to be very wary of a PNC returning to power, when its leaders vow to “fulfill Burnham’s legacy”!! What really does that mean?? To plunge us BELOW Haiti on the development index??

The PPP pre-budget strategic decisions include 20,000 scholarships, and upgrading of our tech-voc secondary and tertiary institutions to produce the “know-how”. This is coupled with a Local Content Act to bring our businesses up to world class standards, and plans for an industrial park that’ll dwarf anything seen in the region - centred around the associated gas from the offshore oil fields!

Thus, the Budget allocated funds to launch each of the strategic prongs for development - starting with cheap energy for industrial expansion via that 250MW generating plant at Wales, plus the Amalia Hydro 650MW clean generating turbines!! …and corruption There’s no way to compress in a single column a Budget that took 5 hours+ to read. Your Eyewitness just wants to mention that, in any capitalist system, there will be some who’ll try to game the system.

We’ve got to call them out when exposed!!

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

NEWS

9

FRIDAY, JANUARY 28, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

“Nobody ain’t doing nothing” – frustrated Belle West residents …say heavy-duty vehicles damaging main access road

people in charge for the Community Service…the people who working with the NDC living in the area also and they are not doing anything about it,” he added.

When contacted, the NDC and the spokesperson said they have no comments on the matter at this point.

In October 2021, Public Works Minister Juan Edghill had issued a warning to heavy-duty machine operators about the damages they are causing to community roads. At the time, the Minister had urged residents of affected communities to speak out against these actions.

By Amar Persaud

R

esidents of Belle West Phase Two, Canal Number Two Polder, West Bank Demerara (WBD), are growing frustrated with the deplorable state of the dam located in the area – which serves as the main access road for dwellers there.

The dam is reportedly being damaged by heavy-duty vehicles which traverse there daily, even though there is a designated trail for those categories of vehicles to utilise.

Venu Persaud, a resident of some ten years, told this publication that the farmers have other dams which they can use to access their farms but instead, they choose to use the main access road.

“It has people in the area at that part and the farmers in the area are using tractors and breaking up the dam and they have access dams to their farm which

Residents of Belle West Phase Two, Canal Number Two Polder, West Bank Demerara (WBD), are growing frustrated with the deplorable state of the dam located in the area – which serves as the main access road for dwellers there

they are not using,” the resident vented.

“We have been living here about eight to ten years and since we living here, we

having this issue,” Persaud further lamented. The resident explained that many persons are still in the process of building their homes

Teen who defended mom from abusive stepfather dies

A

19-year-old lad who was stabbed on Wednesday evening while defending his mother from her abusive husband has died.

Dead is Isaiah Edwards, a construction worker of East La Penitence Squatting Area, Georgetown, who was stabbed to his right hip allegedly by his step-father.

Reports are that the incident occurred at about 18:30h on Wednesday.

Edwards died on Thursday at the COVID-19 facility at Liliendaal, East Coast Demerara (ECD).

His mother was also injured during the ordeal, and remains hospitalised.

According to the Police, on Wednesday evening, the suspect began to abuse the

woman because she had not finished cooking. Police said the man then picked up a knife and began to attack the woman, causing the teenager to intervene.

Both the teen and his mother were wounded during the ordeal.

They were taken to the Georgetown Public

Hospital (GPHC) where tests were conducted. It was revealed that Edwards had been infected with the novel coronavirus, and as such was transferred to the Ocean View facility, where he remained until his demise.

The suspect remains at large.

and the deplorable state of the road makes it hard to transport materials to the construction sites.

“Is four years now I doing my house and the material can’t go in,” he posited.

Another resident, Sursattie Bimaul, shared similar concerns. Compounding her situation is the fact that many farmers park in front of her house.

“These farmers are parking in front of my entrance and it is affecting me…if any family want to visit me, they cannot get to park, the road

is also very bad, it’s very disgusting and disturbing,” she lamented.

Over the years, residents say they have raised the matter with the Community Service Group and the Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) but to date, the situation remains unchanged.

“We made several complaints and the NDC, the Community Service Group, nobody ain’t doing nothing,” Persaud expressed.

“Up to yesterday we made complaints to the

223-7230-1 (Ext 55)

10 NEWS

FRIDAY, JANUARY 28, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

There is no “magic wand” for reforming prisoners – Benn

…unveils plans for reform of prisoners

H

ome Affairs Minister Robeson Benn has unveiled major plans to reform the prison system which are aimed at preparing offenders for re-entering society, which according to him, will reduce the recidivism rate.

Apart from massive upgrades to the infrastructure of the country’s penitentiaries, he said that a slew of correctional education programmes will be introduced with the construction of a school for inmates.

Home Affairs Minister Robeson Benn

He made this announcement while addressing the Guyana Prison Service (GPS) Senior Officers’ Conference where he noted that there continues to be an increase in the prison population.

Benn admitted that while the Government is still “wrestling” with finding the best approaches towards promoting reform in the GPS which is almost 40 years old, the focus is on creating better infrastructure.

He said that the $1.2 billion Lusignan Prison on the East Coast of Demerara which is almost 70 per cent complete will house a school for offenders and other modern facilities.

The facility which will house approximately 1000 inmates is a commitment of the PPP Government following the destruction by fire of sections of the Georgetown and old Lusignan prisons.

Home Affairs Minister Robeson Benn is joined by the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary Mae Thomas, senior officers of the Prison Service, and other members of the Joint Services

Benn said that plans are in place to move the female prison from New Amsterdam, Berbice, to Lusignan, and also make Lusignan the prison headquarters while highlighting that the overall mission is to improve the conditions under which prisoners live.

Improving conditions

“If we want to reduce the recidivism rate, we have to improve the conditions. We cannot reform them [prison-

ers] unless we improve the conditions, we can’t make things better if we don’t get them doing useful, gainful activities,” the Home Affairs Minister explained.

The GPS currently has an overall recidivism rate of 13 per cent. According to the Minister, the improvements to the prisons are geared at making offenders gentler,

prison with the hope that they do not get themselves into issues that would see them returning there.

“The prisoners are a reflection of our society. When we see a prisoner, man or woman, and when we consider the bad things they may have done, those crimes are not simply their crimes, those are our crimes. We

Construction ongoing at the Lusignan Prison

relaxed, and more mindful of how they should comport themselves in society with other people.

“If we don’t train them, that when they leave prison, that they can go into gainful useful work and if we don’t strategically and in detail look at all the issues in relation to how we keep them, how we train them and improve those things we would not be making progress…”

He noted that this will be a critical task going forward.

Fresh start

Under the InterAmerican Development Bank (IDB)-funded Citizens’ Security and Strengthening Programme (CSSP), Benn pointed out that offenders will be given a “fresh start”.

The CSSP which was launched in 2016 to address crime and violence in Guyana was expected to run for some five years and has since been extended to June of this year. Among other things, the programme was designed to increase the capacity of the Guyana Police Force in criminal investigation practices and crime prevention strategies.

Minister Benn pointed out that through the programme, suitable inmates will be identified, trained, and given tools so that they can return to society and support themselves and their families. Importantly, he said that they will be monitored when they leave

have to find a way to move along to the point where we reduce these instances of violence which result in people being incarcerated in large numbers. There is no magic wand to it, but that is what we have to do,” said Benn.

Moreover, he noted, too, that there will be continuous improvement 10-point programmes at every level in the prison service which consists of persons of every race, culture, and segment of society.

“We have to have a continuous improvement perception, a continuous improvement approach to the problem in everything that we do basically, but critically for the prisons. We don’t want to have to go back to the situations where prisoners are lighting up [setting fire to] the place and getting killed and roasting themselves like at Camp Street and burning down the place like at Lusignan. We have to make a big change away from those perceptions and the types of treatment people may have gotten where such things can find themselves manifesting itself in the prisons.”

The Home Affairs Minister announced at the conference that a programme to build social cohesion and prevent violence will soon be launched. “We are speaking in the Ministry of working out a programme where we talk about increasing the peace in Guyana.”

TURN TO PAGE 12

NEWS

11

FRIDAY, JANUARY 28, 2022| GUYANATIMESGY.COM

2 unvaccinated men new COVID-19 deaths, 17 in ICU GUYANA COVID-19 DASHBOARD T wo unvaccinated men from Region Four are the latest persons to die from COVID-19 in Guyana, the Health Ministry announced on Thursday.

The men, aged 81 and 66, died on January 26 and January 27, respectively.

Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni), and two in Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice).

There were no increases in Regions Five (MahaicaBerbice) and Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo).

With the passage of Budget 2022 this week and a significant sum of $73.2 bil-

Expansion of cold chain storage, procurement of medications for coronavirus patients, adequate oxygen and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) supplies, are also the agenda.

The Minister added, “Testing is very important and so some of these mon-

JANUARY 27, 2022 UPDATE

NUMBER OF NEW CASES

408

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN INSTITUTIONAL ISOLATION

173

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN HOME ISOLATION

This takes the total number of deaths from the pandemic to 1156.

In the updated dashboard, 408 new cases took the total confirmed cases in the country to 58,604 – 27,111 males and 31,493 females.

With 17 patients in the designated Intensive Care Unit (ICU), 11,818 remain in home isolation, 173 in institutional isolation and 11 in institutional quarantine.

The data shows that 45,440 patients have recovered from the life-threatening virus while 500,670 tests have been conducted.

A breakdown showed three new infections for Region One (BarimaWaini), 20 for Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), 40 in Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara), 195 in Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica), 23 in Region Six (East BerbiceCorentyne), 29 in Region

lion set aside for the health sector, Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony shared in Thursday’s COVID-19 update that Government will work to procure vaccines for the five to 11 age category.

“Part of the spending would be on vaccination.

This year, we’re expecting that we would have access to vaccines between five to 11. Our understanding is the Pfizer, in the first quarter of this year, would also be submitting their information to the US FDA for a three-dose regiment for children five to six months.

If those vaccines become available this year, obviously we would like to have access to those vaccines.

We have set aside some resources to do that,” he underscored.

He added that other outreaches, such as the drive-thru exercise, will continue to encourage higher vaccine uptake.

ies would go to buy the relevant kits to do PCR testing and to make sure that we have enough antigen testing.”

For the month of January, the Ministry would have completed 78,000 tests. This capacity is significantly more than that of 2020 when just about 38,000 was processed for the whole year.

“In one month alone, we have exceeded that, almost doubling it and the month is not over as yet. You can understand the reasons why we need to buy more tests.

The President has spoken about self-testing so that is something we will be looking at this year,” he pointed out.

All Guyanese are reminded to observe the protocols of the COVID-19 Emergency Measures, which are in effect until January 31, 2022. This order emphasises the need for

11,818

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN COVID-19 ICU

17

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN INSTITUTIONAL QUARANTINE

11

TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES BY GENDER (FEMALES)

31,493

TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES BY GENDER (MALES)

27,111

TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES IN GUYANA SINCE 2020

58,604

NUMBER OF RECOVERED CASES

45,440

TOTAL 1st DOSE VACCINATED FULLY IMMUNISED

REGION 1

2047

REGION 2

2240

REGION 3

7612

REGION 4

29,436

REGION 5

2185

REGION 6

5282

REGION 7

2330

REGION 8

737

REGION 9

3338

REGION 10

3397

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

422,167 310,939

TOTAL NUMBER OF DEATHS

DISTRIBUTION OF TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES SINCE MARCH 2020

1156

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. everyone, 12 years and older to get vaccinated against COVID-19; the need for correct and consistent use of a face mask when leaving your home; the importance of maintaining the six feet

physical distance from others; and the need for good hand hygiene to help reduce the spread of COVID-19.

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 (G12)

12 NEWS Woman remanded Horse cart operator on narcofreed of rape charge trafficking charge A FRIDAY, JANUARY 28,, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

horse cart operator who was on trial for raping one of his ex-girlfriends was freed of the charge on Thursday when a 12-member mixed jury returned a unanimous not guilty verdict.

Christopher Howes, 56, of Roxanne Burnham Gardens, Georgetown, was on trial for the offence before Justice Priya Sewnarine-Beharry at the High Court in Demerara.

It was alleged that on April 5, 2020, in Demerara, he engaged in sexual penetration with the 48-year-old woman without her consent.

Howes, who was represented by Attorney-at-Law Clyde Forde, had pleaded not guilty to the charge upon his arraignment before the

Remanded: Debra Perreira

S

enior Magistrate Leron Daly, on Thursday, remanded a 55-year-old woman to prison for the offence of possession of narcotics for the purpose of trafficking.

Debra Perreira of Ketley and Drysdale Streets, Charlestown, Georgetown, was arraigned at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.

Particulars of the charge against her stated that on January 26 at Ketley and Drysdale Streets, Charlestown, she had 912

Acquitted: Christopher Howes

High Court Judge.

The case for the prosecution was presented by State Counsel Muntaz Ali and State Counsel Nathifa

Elliot in association with State Counsel Nafeeza Baig.

Howes was first charged with the offence in October 2020 and was released on $100,000 bail when he appeared before a city court.

Following a preliminary inquiry, a Magistrate found that a prima facie case was made out against Howes, and as such, committed him to stand trial for the offence at the Demerara Criminal Assizes.

Reports are that on April 5, 2020, the woman visited his residence, where he forcibly had sex with her. It is alleged, that in her defence, the woman whipped out a knife and stabbed Howes to his scrotum. (G1)

There is no “magic wand”...

Budget allocation

grams of Cannabis sativa in her possession for the purpose of trafficking.

The woman, who was represented by Attorney-at-Law Bernard DaSilva, denied the charge. Perreira was denied bail by the Magistrate, who remanded her to prison until February 21.

On the day in question, Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) ranks acting on information, searched Perreira’s home where they found the illicit drug. As such, she was arrested and taken to CANU headquarters. (G1)

Budget 2022 pegged at $552.9 billion was presented in the National Assembly on Wednesday and a further $2.3 billion has been allocated towards enhancing prison infrastructure. This year, works will continue on the Lusignan Prison which will be transformed into a modern facility to house both male and female prisoners including a vocational

school, an infirmary annex, prison headquarters, and command centre.

Additionally, works are ongoing at Mazaruni Prison on a second prison block.

The Government said it will invest in the training of 1400 inmates in areas such as anger management, literacy, and numeracy, tailoring, among others, at a budgeted sum of $88.9 million to reduce recidivism.

FROM PAGE 10

In 2021, over $2 billion was expended mainly to complete the first block of the Mazaruni Prison and to commence construction of three prison blocks at the Lusignan Prison. The ultimate aim is to transform Guyana’s penal institution into a correctional facility that reforms the mindsets of inmates to benefit all of society with post-incarceration being a core objective. (G1)

NEWS

13

FRIDAY, JANUARY 28, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

COVID-19 booster uptake “very poor” – Health Minister …persons may soon have to get boosters to be considered “fully vaccinated”

S

peaking in Thursday’s coronavirus briefing, Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony said just over 36,000 persons who were fully immunised from COVID-19 have returned to get their booster shots administered, and this is an uptake which can be considered very poor for the country.

Dr Anthony highlighted that 50 per cent of the 36,866 booster shots ad-

ministered were recorded in Region Four. “…I think very poorly, because, so far, there are approximately 36,866 persons who would have received a booster dose. In Region Four, approximately 18,829 would have received a booster dose,” he lamented.

When the statistics are dissected further, 6,295 persons received a booster dose in Region Six; 5,354 in Region Three; 1074 in Region Nine; 2,191 in Region Five; 1,552 in Region Two; 664 in Region One; 221 in

Region Eight; 338 in Region Seven; and 328 in Region 10.

“In the interior regions, Region Nine is doing fairly well, but this is also relatively low, because these numbers need to go up quite a lot. We really need people to come out and get their booster doses,” Dr Anthony has said.

The Health Ministry continues to operate vaccination sites in key areas, enabling accessibility to the vaccines.

Some 100 sites have been facilitating vaccination since the pandemic started.

Dr Anthony has detailed, “In every region, we do have them. What we are trying to do now on the coastland is to have fixed vaccination sites that are operational the whole day, so that people would know where they’re located and would go there, once they need a vaccine.

“In Region Four, we have a number of these sites on the East Coast and (in) Georgetown. Similar things are happening in other re-

gions,” the Health Minister disclosed.

However, in the interior regions, mobile teams are more effective in reaching a wider cross-section of the population.

Persons have been encouraged to take the booster dose, since protection against the disease would wane after months of complete immunisation. This month, some 18,000 new infections were reported, with the rise of the Omicron variant. A percentage of those were pregnant women.

“We have been appealing to women to take the vaccines.

We have seen a lot of them not wanting to take the vaccines because of misinformation, but we have worked with the obstetricians to make sure that people understand the importance of getting vaccinated,” Dr Anthony disclosed.

Government started administering booster shots after studies around the world showed that the efficacy of the vaccines wanes after six months of receiving both doses.

Fully vaccinated

Meanwhile, with the increased transmission of the Omicron variant, resulting in spiralling positive cases, hospitalisations and deaths across the world, some countries have moved to consider

Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony

persons with three doses of a COVID-19 vaccine to be fully vaccinated.

Dr Anthony has said Guyana would soon have to move in that direction, as the country continues to record an increase in coronavirus infections.

The Health Minister con-

tinues to urge persons to get both doses of their vaccine, along with a booster shot at five months after taking the second jab.

“So, the world is moving from thinking about two doses as being fully vaccinated to now thinking about full vaccination as having three

doses, so we have to move in that direction as well,” the Health Minister has further contended.

The World Health Organization has thus postulated: “The vast majority of current infections and COVID-19 cases are observed in unvaccinated people. If breakthroughs occur in vaccinated persons, in most cases events are less severe than those in unvaccinated persons.

However, emerging data consistently show a decline in vaccine effectiveness against SARS-CoV2 infection and COVID-19 with time since vaccination, and more significant decline in older adults.”

In the cohort of the adult population, 422,165 persons, or 82.3 per cent, have taken a first dose. Some 60.6 per cent have returned for their second dose. In the 12-to-17 cohort, 22,799 persons, or 31.3 per cent of that cohort, are fully inoculated. (G12)

14 NEWS

FRIDAY, JANUARY 28, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Exploring markets

Guyana to send 120 prefab wooden houses to Ghana …Wood Expo planned for later this year

W

ith the aim of promoting and expanding the local value chain for the country’s wood products and securing long term markets, the Guyana Government is planning to export 120 prefabricated (prefab) timber houses to the West African nation of Ghana.

This was announced by Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh during his presentation of the whopping $552.9 billion Budget 2022 on Wednesday.

According to Dr Singh, Government has been exploring markets for prefab houses to Ghana and other countries. Prefab are houses built in parts and then shipped to a final destination to be assembled.

“For [this] initiative, 120 prefab houses will be manufactured using local wood and exported to Ghana this year, in an effort to secure a

long-term relationship with this potential market,” the Finance Minister explained.

This idea of prefab houses was first floated by President Dr Irfaan Ali last year when he announced his Administration’s plans to create 1000 model houses in Silica City – his brainchild initiative to establish a modern city in Guyana – using mostly local productions and labour.

He had noted that this would enhance the forestry and manufacturing sectors’ ability to produce products that meet not only local but regional and international demands and standards.

However, during the visit of the high-level Ghanian team of Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia and private sector representatives, President Ali had urged the two countries to capitalise on new business opportunities such as this.

Addressing the multisectoral meeting between the Ghanian delegation, Guyana’s Cabinet Members and private sector representatives from the two countries, the Head of State disclosed that Government is working with the Guyana Manufacturing Service Association (GMSA) to produce prefab, flat-pack, kiln dried timber houses.

These 700 square feet buildings will be listed at US$25,000 – a cost that is very difficult to beat anywhere else around the world, according to President Ali. “Imagine if we combine our efforts in the housing needs, even in our two markets, and then sharing the experience, sharing the market and the capital, what we can achieve out there,” the Guyanese Leader had stated.

Meanwhile, in addition to the prefab hous-

A model of a prefab house

es, Dr Singh revealed that Government has also been exploring market opportunities for export of sawn lumber to Barbados, and other countries.

“Government will also work to resuscitate three kiln drying facilities at Essequibo, Berbice and Linden, which will support the supply of sawn lumber to the Barbados market, among many others,” he disclosed during his budget presentation on Wednesday.

Wood Expo

Moreover, a Wood Expo is planned for the second half of this year to promote value-added opportunities in Guyana.

According to the Finance Minister, this event will benefit the over 100 licenced sawmillers and 25 higher-end value producers. It is also slated to attract over 80 overseas buyers and several value-added experts from Europe and North America.

To this end, Government will be working this year on finalising the Guyana’s Timber Legality Assurance System which is required for the implementation

of the European Union Forest Law Enforcement Governance and Trade programme in order to be licenced to access the EU and other markets.

Reflecting on the forestry sector’s performance last year, Minister Singh disclosed that the unprecedented floods in May-June last year impacted the industry.

He went on to note, however, that the revised National Log Export Policy had allowed for the rebound of timber exports including in the medium range species such as Wamara logs.

Additionally, Phase II of the National Forest Inventory (NFI) was successfully completed for Regions Two, Three, Six and 10, at a cost of $250 million. This, the Minister said, will allow improved cost effectiveness in the resource extraction and more efficient management of the concessions.

TURN TO PAGE 16

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16 NEWS

FRIDAY, JANUARY 28, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

1st manganese shipment from Port Kaituma slated for March

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inance Minister Dr Ashni Singh has announced that the first shipment of manganese from Port Kaituma, Region One (Barima-Waini), is slated for March 2022.

The Finance Minister in his presentation of Budget 2022, stated that a manganese operation in Matthews Ridge has been granted its Environmental Permit and Mining Licence, along with the approval of the Mine Plan.

“The project investment is pegged at US$75 million, and the annual production and shipment of manganese ore concentrates is targeted at 500,000 metric tonnes annually,” he said.

Manganese is used to make clear glass, to desulfurise and deoxidise steel in steel production and to reduce the octane rating in gasoline. It also is used

as a black-brown pigment in paint and as filler in dry cell batteries. Its alloys help stiffen the aluminium in soft-drink cans.

On the side of the non-oil extractive sectors – namely gold, bauxite, sand, stone, and other minerals – Dr Singh highlighted that these will be major contributors to Guyana’s economy going forward.

“Our Government recognises the critical role of the mining sector in the economy and will continue to invest in and promote the expansion of the sector, remaining mindful of the challenges and vulnerabilities as illustrated during the 2021 floods when operating sites and access roads were inundated and rendered impassable for an extended time,” he outlined.

At a strategic level, he said, more focus on deriving

efficiency from the mineral recovery phase of the small and medium- scale mines can also help to promote sustainability in this sector.

The Senior Minister relayed too, that significant growth can be expected from

the subsector in 2022, with gold declaration envisaged to continue to be dominated by small and medium-scale producers operating 1054 small-scale mines and 25 medium-scale mines.

As it relates to bauxite mining in Guyana, Minister

Singh recalled that one major producer was lost in 2020 as a result of the hostile investment environment.

As a further consequence, bauxite mining continued with only two major operators. He was quick to report, however, that under

Blairmont man wanted for child rape

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olice have issued a wanted bulletin for 40-year-old Mark Anthony Amsterdam, who is wanted for the offence of rape of a child under the age of 16.

The man’s last known address if Lot 43 Number Three Settlement, Blairmont, West Bank Berbice (WBB).

Anyone with information that may lead to the arrest of Mark Anthony Amsterdam is asked to contact the Guyana Police Force on 226-6978, 225-8196, 4552236, 684-0839 or the nearest Police station.

Wanted: Mark Anthony Amsterdam

this Government, companies have inked their interest to expand this sector.

“The larger of the two operating in Linden has in place plans to expand investment in 2022 with an estimated outlay of US$16 million on capital investments. These include the construction of a third kiln and procurement of other heavy-duty equipment to improve the scale and efficiency of their mining operations. This third kiln is rated to have a throughput of 650 metric tonnes of bauxite per day and will increase the plant’s installed production capacity by 65 per cent, with operation expected to begin in the latter half of 2022.

Government is committed to continue the exploration of opportunities for another large-scale investor to fill the void created in 2020,” the Finance Minister outlined.

Stone mining

As it relates to sand and stone mining, Minister Singh indicated that attention will be focused on ensuring beneficial occupation of sand-bearing properties along the Soesdyke-Linden Highway. This will play a hand in offsetting the demands caused as a result of Guyana’s construction boom.

And finally on quarry production, most of the new quarries are anticipated to come on stream by the end of 2022. This comes on the heels of 11 quarry licences issued to new applicants, covering 30,737 acres with each having a productive capacity of 150,000-200,000 metric tonnes per year.

Guyana to send 120...

Nevertheless, to support the forestry sector’s growth in 2022, Government anticipates the conversion of three large concessions, equivalent to 1.5 million acres which will result in an additional 30,000 cubic metres of logs, and approximately 50,000 cubic metres of logs, annually, for the next 4 years.

Another 50 new small concessions of a combined 150,000 acres will be allocated resulting in a further 20,000 cubic metres of logs.

In 2023, Government is projected to allocate 500,000 acres more, with an estimated production output of 30,000-40,000 cubic metres

of logs, annually.

To further support the sector’s efficiency and improve access, expanded rehabilitation works will be carried out on Puruni Road in Region Seven, thus resulting in substantially improved ingress and egress for operators. In addition, Government is looking to bridge the Puruni River.

The Natural Resources Ministry late last year had invited Expressions of Interest (EOI) for a DesignBuild (D-B) or BuildOperate-Transfer (BOT) or any other suitable model for the project.

According to the Finance Minister during

FROM PAGE 14

Wednesday’s budget presentation, these works, along with regular monitoring of benchmark targets, are expected to redound to improved performance of the forestry sector.

In the same vein, Dr Singh reiterated Government’s committed to ensuring the sustainability of the forestry sector in keeping with Guyana’s new Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) 2030.

In the context of sustainable forestry management, Government said it is resolved to extract forest resources at a pace that does not jeopardise the country’s rate of deforestation. (G8)

NEWS

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FRIDAY, JANUARY 28, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Pregnant woman stabbed to death by ex-lover …as 9-year-old sister watches helplessly

Wanted: Terrence Thomas, called “Oosh”

Dead: 28-year-old Loretta Simon

A

pregnant woman was on Thursday afternoon stabbed to death by her ex-boyfriend at her mother’s home at C Field Sophia, Greater Georgetown.

Dead is 28-yearold Loretta Simon of Albouystown, Georgetown.

Reports are that at about 13:00h on Wednesday, Simon’s ex-boyfriend went to the home and asked her for some water and started to demand that she tell him the reason why she ended their relationship.

According to reports, the woman’s younger sister, who

is only nine, related that her sister told the suspect to leave her mother’s premises but he whipped out a knife from his pants waist and stabbed her in the region of her heart. As he ran away, he dropped the knife in the yard.

Police have since said that Emergency Medical Technicians from Alberttown Fire Station were summoned and the victim was pronounced dead by a doctor from Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation.

The dead

The C Field Sophia, Greater Georgetown house where the murder occurred

woman’s mother, Letitia Fields related that she was at work when she received a telephone call informing her that her daughter was stabbed by “Terrence”.

The woman related that last year the man had threatened to kill her daughter and after enduring a period of abuse at his hands she ended the relationship. She said that he even started stalking her daughter, forcing her to move in with relatives in Albouystown. Fields said that her daughter

had moved on with her life and was two months pregnant for someone else. She believes that this may have triggered the murder. According to Fields, relatives were told that “Terrence” was finding out about the whereabouts of her daughter on Wednesday evening.

After being pronounced dead, Simon’s body was taken to the Memorial Gardens Funeral Home, where her mother works.

Police have since said that they are hunting the

suspect as they await a post-mortem examination.

Meanwhile, Police have since issued a wanted bulletin for 34-year-old Terrence Thomas called “Oosh” for questioning in relation to Simon’s murder.

Anyone with information that may lead to the arrest of Terrence Thomas is asked to contact the Police on telephone numbers 227-2603, 226-6978, 2266221, 219-3252, 227-1149, 225-8196, 268-2328, 2682298/2222, 226-7065, 911 or the nearest Police station.

18

guyanatimesgy.com

FRIDAY, JANUARY 28, 2022

Regional

Argentina faces billionHonduras inaugurates 1st female President, Harris vows closer US ties dollar IMF trip wire as protests simmer

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iomara Castro was sworn in as Honduras’ first woman president on Thursday, with US Vice President Kamala Harris in attendance, as her Government faces tests over a sharply divided Congress, rising debt and relations with China.

Castro, flanked by her husband, former President Manuel Zelaya, and their children, was sworn in at a packed open-air soccer stadium, her supporters dancing and shouting. She smiled broadly as the blue and white presidential sash was draped across her chest.

“The economic catastrophe that I’m inheriting is unparalleled in the history of our country,” a somber Castro said in her inaugural address, denouncing a sevenfold jump in debt under her two conservative predecessors.

She said it was “practically impossible” to make current debt payments without a restructuring.

The country’s total debt stands at about US$15.5 billion, or nearly 60 per cent of gross domestic product, an economic problem Castro

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New Honduran President Xiomara Castro receiving the Presidential Sash from her granddaughter Irene Melara and the President of the Congress, Luis Redondo, during a swearing-in ceremony in Tegucigalpa, Honduras January 27, 2022

frequently highlighted on the campaign trail ahead of her landslide election win in November.

“My Government will not continue the maelstrom of looting that has condemned generations of young people to pay the debt they incurred behind their back,”

she added to thunderous applause.

She also vowed to give more than 1 million poor Hondurans free electricity, with bigger consumers subsidising the cost.

Minutes earlier, the crowd roared its approval after Harris, who has been

tasked by President Joe Biden to lead US policy in Central America’s impoverished Northern Triangle of countries, was introduced.

Harris’ attendance is notable, as lower-ranking officials typically lead such US delegations. (Excerpt from Reuters)

US Coast Guard Venezuela Electoral Commission says Maduro intercepts 191 Haitians recall cannot move ahead near The Bahamas

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enezuela’s national electoral council said on Thursday opponents of President Nicolas Maduro had not collected enough signatures for a recall vote against him to proceed.

The council gave promoters of the vote 12 hours on Wednesday to collect a minimum of 4.2 million signatures, in spite of protest by opposition figures who said it was not feasible and efforts to get the decision reviewed by the country’s top tribunal.

The commission’s five-member board includes three people connected to the ruling party and two with ties to the opposition, who also expressed chagrin at the 12-hour limit.

“No state reached the 20 per cent required and established by judicial order,” commission rector Tania D’Amelio said in a statement. “The national electoral council declares inadmissible the request for a revocation referendum against the president.”

The effort received 42,421 signatures, D’Amelio said, representing 1.01 per cent of Venezuela’s 21 million-strong voter registry.

Venezuela’s Constitution allows officials who have completed at least half their term to be removed from office by a vote. Maduro completed the first three years of his second term - which the opposition considers illegitimate - earlier this month.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

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he United States Coast Guard said on Wednesday that it intercepted 191 Haitians aboard an overloaded sail freighter about 40 miles southwest of Great Inagua, Bahamas.

The US Coast Guard said that the crew of the Coast Guard Kathleen Moore located the boat with 191 people aboard during a routine patrol Tuesday at about 1:00 am.

“The crew provided life jackets and brought the people aboard Coast Guard Cutters Reliance and Kathleen Moore due to safety of life at sea concerns,” it said.

Lieutenant David Steele, Coast Guard liaison officer, US Embassy Haiti, said the Coast Guard maintains

a persistent presence patrolling the waters around Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Cuba, Puerto Rico and the Bahamas to help prevent loss of life on the high seas.

“These grossly overloaded vessels operate without proper safety equipment and are not built for these hazardous voyages,” he said.

Since October 1, 2021, Coast Guard crews have rescued 802 Haitians in their attempt to reach the shores of the United States.

Meantime, the US Coast Guard also said on Wednesday that the crew of its cutter Ibis were searching for 39 people off Fort Pierce Inlet, Florida, who had left from the Bahamian island of Bimini. (Excerpt from Jamaica Observer)

US preps for another record-breaking rise in migrant arrests at Mexico border

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S border officials are preparing for as many as 9000 border arrests per day by the spring, according to two Department of Homeland Security officials, which would be significantly larger than last year’s peak and could cause a headache for the Democratic Administration ahead of midterm elections.

The number is a “worstcase scenario,” said one of

the officials, both of whom requested anonymity to discuss internal planning.

The administration of US President Joe Biden grappled with a record-breaking 1.7 million border arrests last fiscal year, which ended on Sept 30. In July 2021 - the peak of last year’s rise - daily migrant arrests averaged about 6500, according to government statistics.

The nearly unprecedent-

ed number of arrests, which included many repeat crossers, caused backups of unaccompanied children in crowded border patrol stations and fuelled Republican criticism of the Democratic President’s approach to border security. Biden’s predecessor, Republican President Donald Trump, made cracking down on immigration a central plank of his presidency.

The rise in migration has

happened despite the Biden Administration keeping in place a Trump-era order that allows US authorities to rapidly expel most migrants caught at the border during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Republicans are expected to make the border a major campaign theme in the runup to November midterm elections that will decide control of the US Congress.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

rgentina is facing a billion-dollar trip wire of debt repayments to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) coming due with uncertainty over whether the South American country will pay amid tense talks to revamp around US$40 billion in loans.

The grains-producing country, which has been battling currency and debt crises for years, is due to pay back US$730 million to the IMF today and another US$365 million on Tuesday next week, though officials have not confirmed plans to pay.

“What is going to happen, we will know in the next few hours,” presidential spokeswoman Gabriela Cerruti told a news conference on Thursday. She added: “Argentina’s Government is willing to reach an agreement to pay in a sustainable manner.”

Argentina’s talks with the IMF to revamp a failed 2018 loan have stumbled in recent months over differences between the two sides about how quickly the country should reduce its fiscal deficit as part of a medium-term economic plan.

That has hit sovereign bond prices, some of which have tumbled to below 30 cents on the dollar. More hardleft politicians within the ruling Peronist coalition have also started hardening their rhetoric against the IMF. On Thursday, hundreds of people took to the streets of Buenos Aires to protest against the Fund, which many blame for austerity measures that worsened a major economic crisis in 2001/02 which plunged scores of Argentines into poverty. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Peru seeks travel ban for oil company execs amid spill probe

Oil-polluted Cavero beach in Ventanilla, Callao, Peru, on January 18, 2022. High waves attributed to the eruption of an undersea volcano in Tonga caused a spill

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eruvian prosecutors are seeking to bar the President and three other executives of Spanish oil firm Repsol SA’s local refinery from leaving Peru for 18 months while an investigation into an immense oil leak is conducted.

The Government said last week that Repsol spilled some 6000 barrels of oil into the ocean near the La Pampilla refinery on January 15, after unusual waves were triggered by a volcanic eruption near Tonga.

Peruvian President Pedro Castillo called it the biggest “ecological disaster” to affect the South American nation in recent years, as more than 180 hectares (445 acres) – equivalent to approximately 270 football fields – of beach and 713 hectares (1762 acres) of sea were affected.

Dead seals, fish and birds have washed up on the shore covered in oil and fishing activities in the area have been suspended as an extensive clean-up operation involving hundreds of volunteers and workers was under way.

A judge will review the request by state prosecutors against the Repsol executives

later on Thursday.

Hundreds of volunteers and workers are racing against the clock to clean beaches after the spill from the Italian-flagged tanker “Mare Doricum”.

Repsol has said Peruvian authorities did not provide a tsunami warning and that the ship was continuing to unload oil to the refinery when the waves hit.

Castillo said last week that a committee would be formed to propose ways of dealing with the crisis, in keeping with national policies aimed at protecting the environment.

Prime Minister Mirtha Vasquez also said Repsol has promised to deliver a cleaning schedule, to incorporate local fishermen in the cleanup on beaches and to deliver food baskets to affected families.

Meanwhile, Peruvian authorities reported that a second, “relatively small” oil leak was registered on Tuesday during work on an underwater pipeline at the La Pampilla refinery – though the company denied it took place. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

guyanatimesgy.com

FRIDAY, JANUARY 28, 2022

19

Around the World

OILNEWS OIL NEWS Oil falls from 7-year high as Russia tensions offset Fed tightening

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il prices fell on Thursday after Brent crude hit a seven-year high above US$90 a barrel, as the market balanced concerns about tight worldwide supply with expectations the US Federal Reserve will soon tighten monetary policy.

Global benchmark Brent fell 62 cents to settle at US$89.34 a barrel, while US crude closed 74 cents lower at US$86.61 a barrel in a volatile session with both contracts see-sawing between positive and negative territory.

Prices had surged on Wednesday, with Brent climbing above US$90 a barrel for the first time in seven years amid tensions between Russia and the West. Threats to the United Arab Emirates from Yemen’s Houthi movement had added to oil market jitters.

Russia, the world’s second-largest oil producer, and the West have been at loggerheads over Ukraine, fanning fears that energy supplies to Europe could be disrupted, although concerns are focused on gas supplies rather than crude.

Russia said it was clear the United States was not willing to address Moscow’s main security concerns in their standoff over Ukraine, but kept the door open for dialogue.

US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland said the United States hopes Russia will study what Washington has offered and come back to the table.

“The market is very erratic on headlines on the RussiaUkraine situation,” said Phil Flynn, senior analyst at Price Futures Group. “There’s uncertainty about what’s going to happen.”

Weighing on prices, the US Federal Reserve said on Wednesday it was likely to raise interest rates in March and planned to end its bond purchases that month to tame inflation.

The US dollar climbed after the announcement, making oil more expensive for buyers using other currencies. On Thursday, the dollar index climbed to the highest since July 2021.

“A more pronounced price slide is being prevented by the Ukraine crisis, as there are still concerns that Russian oil and gas deliveries could be hampered in the event of a military escalation,” Commerzbank said after the morning price dip.

The market is starting to turn its attention to a Feb 2 meeting of the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and allies led by Russia, a group known as OPEC+.

OPEC+ is likely to stick with a planned rise in its oil output target for March, several sources in the group told Reuters.

It has raised its output target each month since August by 400,000 barrels per day (bpd) as it unwinds record production cuts made in 2020.

However, the group has faced capacity constraints that have prevented some members from producing at their quota levels. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Storm Ana kills dozens in Malawi, Madagascar and Mozambique

S

outhern Africa has been hit by flooding that has left dozens dead across the region in the wake of Tropical Storm Ana. Madagascar has seen at least 41 deaths and 100,000 people have been forced to flee their homes to makeshift shelters.

In Malawi, at least 19 people have died. The country has suffered a nationwide power cut and some areas have been declared disaster zones.

Mozambique, meanwhile, reported more than a dozen deaths.

But officials there say the true number is still unknown, with 20,000 affected by the flooding.

Many homes which avoided destruction were damaged by heavy flooding Some 3000 homes in Mozambique are partially destroyed, and more than 600 left in total ruin, Mozambique’s national disaster agency estimates.

Heavy rain and thunderstorms have continued to hit some regions even after the storm’s passage, contributing to the flooding.

Prime Minister Carlos Agostinho do Rosário said that his country was not

I

enforcement agencies on the border provided photographs of passports and other belongings.

“We are now trying to nab the human traffickers who managed to send this family and others abroad via illegal channels,” police official A K Jhala said in the state capital of Gandhinagar.

The six arrested by Police were running a travel and tourism company in the state, he added.

US authorities have charged an American man with human trafficking after the four – a man, woman, baby and teenager – were found dead in the Canadian province of Manitoba, a few

begging for help - but the challenge was bigger than any one country’s ability to tackle it.

And he pointed to the increasing frequency and intensity of extreme weather events.

“We are a country that does not contribute much for climate change, and yet we are one of the countries that suf-

fer the most from its impact,” he said.

Meanwhile, weather services in the region have warned of another storm building in the Indian Ocean, which may materialise in the coming days.

It would be one of several such storms usually expected before the end of the season in two months’ time.

(Excerpt from BBC News)

One dead, dozens Jordanian missing after boat military kills 27 capsizes off Florida in shootout with

Syrian smugglers

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he US Coast Guard has recovered four more bodies from the sea as it searches for dozens still missing from a ship that capsized off the Florida coast.

The death toll from Sunday’s incident now stands at five, and officials doubt there will be more survivors.

Officials were alerted on Tuesday when a commercial vessel spotted a man clinging to the hull of a boat some 45 miles (72km) from Fort

India probes ‘illegal’ immigration after Canada border tragedy

ndian Police have arrested six people in a crackdown on “illegal” immigration after four Indians were found frozen to death near the border between the United States and Canada last week, officials said.

Hundreds of Indians, mostly from the western states of Punjab and Gujarat, attempt to cross the US-Canada border each year, braving harsh weather conditions in search of a better life and job opportunities in the West.

Police in Gujarat on Thursday said they identified the four, belonging to a single family, after law

A woman searches for her belongings in the Tete region of Mozambique

yards north of the frontier with Minnesota.

They were among four families from the same village who had travelled to the border this month.

Officials said they got separated from the group of 18 people and were probably caught in a blizzard, resulting in a tragedy described as “mind-blowing”

by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

A foreign ministry official in the Indian capital of New Delhi said authorities were coordinating with border officials in the US and Canada to investigate the case.

(Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Pierce.

The boat may have been part of a “human smuggling venture”, US officials said.

The survivor, who has not been identified, said the group had left Bimini in the Bahamas on Saturday night and later encountered foul weather.

He said none of the 40 passengers were wearing a life vest.

Another 34 people remain unaccounted for. Authorities plan to call off their active search for survivors by sunset on Thursday if no further information is received.

“We don’t think it is likely that anyone else has survived,” Captain Jo-Ann Burdian, the commander of the Coast Guard’s Miami sector, said at a news conference Thursday.

Since Tuesday, the Coast Guard, along with other Government agencies, has been searching for survivors and debris in an area that is approximately the same size as the US state of New Jersey.

One body was recovered from the sea on Wednesday and transferred to Fort Pierce.

Capt Burdian said the incident occurred on a “normal” human smuggling route from the Bahamas into the southern US. Conditions on Sunday included a severe cold front, high waves and strong winds.

(Excerpt from BBC News)

An illegal drug industry has flourished in Syria after 10 years of civil war

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he Jordanian troops have killed 27 suspected smugglers attempting to enter the country from neighbouring Syria, they said, adding that some others also carrying drugs fled back into Syria.

A report on the Jordanian army’s website on Thursday said it thwarted several suspected attempts to smuggle drugs from Syria, and that large quantities of narcotics were seized in separate interventions where several people were wounded.

The army said it also found large quantities of drugs hidden in Syrian trucks passing through Jordan’s main border crossing.

It added it was “continuing to apply the newly established rules of engagement and will strike with an iron fist and deal with force and firmness with any infiltration or smuggling attempts to protect the borders”.

Earlier this month, Jordan’s military said an army officer was killed in a

shoot-out with smugglers along the long porous border it shares with Syria.

Jordan is home to more than 650,000 Syrian refugees who fled the civil war that has raged there for more than 10 years.

In September, Syrian and Jordanian officials discussed border security after Syrian Government forces captured rebel-held areas along the Jordanian frontier.

A month later, Jordan’s King Abdullah II spoke with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad for the first time in a decade after the two countries reopened a key border crossing.

An illegal drug industry has flourished in Syria after 10 years of civil war. In recent years, it has emerged as a hotspot for making and selling captagon, an illegal amphetamine.

Syria and Lebanon have become gateways for the drug to the Middle East, particularly the Gulf. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

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FRIDAY, JANUARY 28, 2022

guyanatimesgy.com

DAILY HOROSCOPES

ARCHIE

Complete your to-do list before moving on to fun and games. Take care of stressful matters first so you can spend downtime with someone or do something you love worry-free.

(March 21-April 19) Joint ventures aren’t in your best interest. Don’t trust someone to handle matters appropriately. Use your intelligence and do the legwork yourself if you want things to pan out. Take charge.

DILBERT

(April 20-May 20) Emotional deception is prevalent.

Whether someone is playing with your feelings or you are refusing to see the truth, shake it off and be realistic about what to do next. Be honest.

(May 21-June 20)

PEANUTS (June 21-July 22)

Call on someone who shares your enthusiasm, and you’ll have fun. Your ability to turn something simple into a gala affair will win hearts and favors. Love is in the stars, and a romantic gesture is called for.

Socialize, network and connect with people who interest you, but don’t overspend or let indulgent behavior take control. Moderation will keep you levelheaded and on top of your game.

(July 23-Aug. 22) Stay calm and follow through with your plans. Taking better care of yourself and looking your best will result in compliments that lift your spirits. Wear your heart on your sleeve.

CALVIN AND HOBBES (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)

(Sept. 23-Oct. 23)

Help someone who’s feeling vulnerable. Your assistance will make a difference, even if it isn’t acknowledged immediately. Refuse to let anyone bring you down or discourage you from doing what’s right.

Pay attention to what others say. Be part of the conversation, and your words will have an impact. Be bold, take hold and do your part to maintain peace. Let your intuition guide you.

SUDOKU (Oct. 24-Nov. 22)

(Nov. 23-Dec. 21)

SOLUTION FOR LAST PUBLISHED PUZZLE

(Dec. 22-Jan. 19)

Don’t worry about what others believe; choose what’s important to you, then proceed. Don’t be afraid to do your own thing and to invest your time, effort and money into something important to you.

A unique change to how you do business, handle your money and move forward will excite you. A change is in the air, and adjustments that turn your space into a playground for your imagination will pay off.

Set some guidelines to help you stick to your schedule. A responsible attitude will help you outmaneuver anyone trying to stand in your way. Trust your instincts and proceed with confidence.

(Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Think before you offer vague information. Leading someone astray will come back to bite you. Let your actions speak for you. Be kind, considerate and helpful.

(Feb. 20-March 20)

FRIDAY, JANUARY 28, 2022

21

Lance Whittaker’s four-decades-long broadcasting career defined by excellence

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hen you’ve been in broadcasting as long as Lance Whittaker has, nothing much comes as a surprise. Over a career that has spanned more than three decades, the Sportsmax Zone anchor has pretty much been there and done that.

Well, that was until last week, Friday, January 21, when he was presented with the prestigious RJRGleaner Foundation’s Chairman’s Award for 35 years of excellence in broadcasting at the local, regional and international levels.

“Complete shock! Was not expecting this at all,” remarked the unassuming but highly respected broadcaster, who for the last 12 years has been a Vice-President/Executive Producer at SportsMax Ltd, the Caribbean’s first all-sports cable channel.

“Remember, no media practitioner had ever won this award before so I was not even considering that I was a candidate. More than a week later, after being notified, I am still actually trying to assess how I feel. Immense pride, for sure, and really honoured that the RJRGleaner Sports Foundation has considered my body of work worthy. It means a lot to me and I feel the decades of hard work is appreciated.”

Those decades of hard work began back in June 1984 at Radio Jamaica where Whittaker spent the first 11 years of his superlative career. He started out reading the mid-day sports reports and subsequently hosted Sports Call on Wednesday nights.

Lance eventually rose through the ranks to be Assistant Programme Director – Sports. He had also begun to establish himself as a worldclass commentator covering Pan Am Games in 1987 and 1991, the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona and the 1994 Commonwealth Games.

By 1995, he was ready to move on to greater challenges.

“I took a job offer at the Caribbean News Agency in (CANA) in March 1995 as CANA Sports Coordinator in Barbados where I established a daily radio sportscast and supervised the sports output in the CANA Wire

Service which was the regional affiliate of Reuters International News Agency, transmitting hundreds of Caribbean sports stories monthly, covering the entire region – from Bermuda in the north through to Guyana in the south,” he said with pride.

“Our radio coverage output during this period also included the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta and several CARIFTA Games. CANA also established CricketPlus, CANA’s high-quality radio coverage of international cricket led by esteemed commentators Fazeer Mohammed, Andrew Mason, Simon Crosskill and Reds Pereira.”

CANA and the Caribbean Broadcasting Union (CBU) eventually merged in 2000 to become the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC) for which Whittaker was Director of Sports until his resignation in March 2010.

“At CMC, I continued to lead our wire service output and television was added to my portfolio, as we established a daily television news,” he recalled.

“I presented our 15-minute sports news Monday to Friday evenings after our team sourced stories from our partners throughout the day. During that period, I also added three more Olympics to my log – Sydney 2000, Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008.”

At SportsMax, he was mandated to improve the company’s standing as a regional and international television sports broadcaster and in July 2011, a SportsMax dream was realized, the first ever daily sports talk show in Caribbean television.

“I was lead presenter in the early years of SportsMax Zone and I am still on the show daily. We have tried to fashion the show – through the news stories and discussion topics – to ensure engaging topics for the viewers,” he said.

“Major coverage events for me so far at SportsMax include the 2012 London Olympics and Tokyo 2020 Olympics. In recent years, I have also been a part of increased live coverage of events on SportsMax, including local premier league, school sports and various international events.”

His body of work speaks for itself and is the result of years of hard work, dedication and commitment to excellence, the hallmarks of Whittaker’s sterling career.

“I am not sure if there is a secret to maintaining a high standard for a long time. It boils down to really hard work and dedication,” he said.

“Punctuality, preparedness and being thorough have always been watchwords for me in this job and in the media, these are critical to success. Also, my school motto at Wolmer’s ‘Age Quod Agis’ is, ‘Whatever you do, do it to the best of your ability.

“I love what I do. I have been playing sports competitively and loving sports from before my teenage years and a lot of what I do on the job hardly feels like work. I fell in love with radio as a teenager and though I did not realize it then, it clearly triggered my passion for a career in broadcast media.”

Of course, with so many events covered, it might be surprising to hear that there isn’t any one thing that comes first to mind as most memorable; perhaps because there have been so many.

“There are so many memorable moments and some may find it surprising that my first interactions with broadcasters, who I found massively inspirational, would be very high on that list,” he said.

“I cannot explain in words how moved and star-struck I felt the first time I met Chris Armond, whose horse racing commentaries I would have studied and impersonated as a teenager at Wolmer’s, much to my mother’s consternation because she was sure I took horse racing commentary more seriously than my school work!

“Also, the first time I interviewed the great Tony Cozier live in the RJR studio on Sports Call. Another ‘star-struck’ moment. I was completely in awe of this cricket commentator, revered globally and to me the world’s best, and I swear, I was so nervous I struggled to conduct a proper interview.

“Those aside, I would list getting a signed picture and letter from sprint great Merlene Ottey thanking me for what she thought was my “classic” commentary of her 1993 IAAF World Championship 200-metre gold medal run in Stuttgart, her first global title after 13 years of trying; Usain Bolt’s stunning 9.69 world record 100-metre win at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing and my commentary as he approached the finish, arms outstretched and celebrating, that “Usain Bolt makes it look easy” was not what I wanted to say, I stayed focused on my verbal delivery but trust me, the words in my mind were not fit for airplay! Not sure what would rank as a crowning moment but this Chairman’s Award certainly hit a spot. Never expected this at all.”

So what does one do for an encore after 35 years of excellence?

“Not much of a planner, so I am not sure,” he said.

“I will be 60 years old in September and taking things day by day. Getting some pressure/encouragement from some quarters to write a book on my adventures in almost 38 years of broadcasting and I am still trying to wrap my brain around that.” (Sportsmax)

NBA Roundup…

New Zealand home fixtures streamlined Booker sets franchise record to mitigate COVID-19 risk as Suns win eighth straight

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he Phoenix Suns recorded their eighth consecutive victory as they defeated the Utah Jazz 105-97, with Devin Booker producing another 40-point game on Wednesday.

Booker had 43 points, 12 rebounds and four assists after a first-quarter scoring blitz, as the Suns opened up an early 39-18 lead.

Chris Paul (21 points) added some key points down the stretch as the Jazz rallied in the last quarter.

The 25-year-old Booker, Suns’ shooting guard, recorded his 16th career 40-point game, moving past Amar’e Stoudemire for most in Suns’ franchise history, and sitting ahead of Tom Chambers and Walter Davis too.

The victory means the table-topping Suns improve to 38-9 overall, and 8-0 on the road this calendar year.

Hornets break records in Pacers’ rout The Charlotte Hornets set a franchise record for single- game scoring, and produced the highest points’ total this season as they downed the Indiana Pacers 158-126. The Hornets hit 24 three-pointers, with LaMelo Ball (29 points, 10 rebounds, 13 assists) and Kelly Oubre Jr (39 points) starring.

Cavs down Giannis’s Bucks The Cleveland Cavaliers underlined their credentials as contenders with a 115-99 win over champions Milwaukee Bucks. The Cavs moved above the Bucks with their eighth win in

their past nine games with Kevin Love scoring 25 points.

Giannis Antetokounmpo had 26 points and nine rebounds for the Bucks.

Ja Morant was exceptional with 41 points, five rebounds and eight assists as the Memphis Grizzlies won 118-110 over the San Antonio Spurs, while Nikola Jokic (26 points, 10 rebounds, eight assists) led the Denver Nuggets past the depleted Brooklyn Nets 124-118. James Harden was out with hamstring tightness.

Bulls wayward but winners The Chicago Bulls managed only seven threepointers, shooting at 26.9 percent from beyond the arc, yet they won 111-105 over the Toronto Raptors. The Bulls had lost six of seven, but have steadied to win their past two, with DeMar DeRozan having 29 points, seven rebounds and seven assists. (Sportsmax)

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ew Zealand Cricket has announced a revised home international schedule for the remainder of the 2021-22 season, with its venue list streamlined in order to mitigate the risk of disruption by the Omicron variant of COVID-19.

South Africa’s upcoming visit for two men’s Tests will, as a result, be confined to Christchurch; originally, they were scheduled to play one Test there and one in Wellington.

All three men’s T20Is against Australia would now be played in Napier, and Netherlands’ visit for a men’s white-ball tour will be split between Mount Maunganui (one-off T20I and one ODI) and Hamilton (two ODIs).

India women, meanwhile, will play their entire white-ball series (one T20I and five ODIs) in Queenstown.

“These risk-mitigations are based on avoiding known COVID-19 hotspots, and include limiting air travel, limiting accommodation

transfers, and, essentially operating in safer environments,” said NZC chief executive David White. “We know the more domestic flights we have, and the more movement there is between hotels, the greater the chance of a match, or even a series, being put at risk.”

Wellington is set to be hardest hit by this streamlining of venues. Apart from the second Test against South Africa, it was also set to host two of the T20Is against Australia.

“It’s a real blow for those in our cricket family who have missed out on hosting events through no fault of their own. However, the current environment demands we take every possible measure to, 1: ensure people are safe and well, and 2: deliver a summer of international cricket with the least possible disruption,” New Zealand Cricket has said.

Fans who have purchased tickets at venues that would no longer host games are entitled to a full refund. (ESPNcricinfo)

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FRIDAY, JANUARY 28, 2022

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

NEW GPC INC plugs $100,000 GCB names Guyana Harpy Eagles To GCF Online Chess Squad for first and second rounds of Education programme West Indies Championships 2022

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he Guyana Chess Federation is elated to announce the receipt of further financial support towards its online programme for teaching chess to young Guyanese.

The NEW GPC INC has donated Gy$100,000 for the purchase of premium “gold” licences on Chesskid. com, the online platform used by the GCF to introduce young players to the game of chess, and also for them to access the numerous chess lessons and puzzles. With this donation, 31 children would have access to Chesskid.com for free in 2022.

Gold membership on the Chesskid.com platform allows children opportunity to access an unlimited number of puzzles, tactical exercises, challenges, educational videos and lessons, among other learning resources. Young chess players would have the opportunity to learn and play online chess with their peers as well as with players from around the globe.

This support would be especially invaluable since the Guyana Chess Federation has seen its membership tripled over the

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last 3 months, as the Chess in Schools’ programme continues to expand.

Also, as the sport begins to venture out of Georgetown, there are plans to take chess into Linden and Essequibo in the coming months.

The NEW GPC INC is a top local manufacturer and distributor of pharmaceutical products in Guyana. The company’s roots date back all the way to the 1920s.

The GCF wishes to thank the NEW GPC INC for its generous contribution towards development of chess in Guyana.

LGC to host in-house golf tournament on January 29

he Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) has announced a 15-man squad for the first and second rounds of the West Indies Championships 2022.

The Guyana Harpy Eagles will play Windward Inlands Volcanoes from February 9-12, and the Leeward Islands Hurricanes from February 16-19. Both matches will be played at the Queen’s Park Oval in Trinidad & Tobago.

The Guyana Harpy Eagles squad is made up of the following players: Leon Johnson (Captain), Keemo Paul (Vice Captain), Chandrapaul Hemraj, Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Vishaul Singh, Akshaya Persaud, Anthony Bramble, Tevin Imlach, Veerasammy Permaul, Gudakesh Motie, Nial Smith, Clinton Pestano, Shimron Hetmyer, Keon Joseph and Antony Adams.

The reserves are: Kemol Savory, Guyana Harpy Eagles' Head Coach Esuan Crandon Junior Sinclair, Kevin Sinclair, Kevlon Anderson, Ronsford Beaton, Trevon ter which preparation would continue with Griffith and Demitri Cameron. intensive practice and fitness training under The squad and reserves are currently en- watchful eyes of the team management, led gaged in the third and final trial match at the by Head Coach Esuan Crandon.

Guyana National Stadium at Providence, af-

WI Women vs Proteas Women: 4-match ODI series…

Taylor calls for consistency J

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he Lusignan Golf Club would host yet another in-house tournament on Saturday 29th January 2022. The action will commence at 12:30pm.

The format of the game will be 18 holes medal play pairs better ball alternate shots with a shotgun start.

Prizes will be awarded to 1st, 2nd, 3rd best net scores; Longest drive fairway #5; and nearest to the flag Green #4. Players must register with a partner on or before Friday 28th at 12 noon. Players without a partner can seek assistance from the LGC manager.

Handicap for each pair will be calculated on 60% of the lower partner + 40 % of the higher.

Procedure of play

In a partnership comprising players A and B, both players will tee off from each tee-

ing area. They will then choose which player’s ball position they will continue to play from. If the choice is player A’s ball position, then only Player B will play from there, and the pair will continue to alternate play until they complete the hole.

If the above pair had taken 5 shots to complete the hole, then the play would have been as follows after choosing to play from A’s ball position: B, A, B, A. Players are advised on arrival to contact the manager to uplift their score card etc, and proceed to their allocated tee box and listen to the blast of the horn to commence the game at 12:30pm. Players can call the club for assistance.

All COVID-19 protocols will be in effect.

OHANNESBURG, South Africa – The West Indies Women will start their four-match One Day International (ODI) series against South Africa Women at the Imperial Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg today. (Friday January 28).

Captain Stafanie Taylor has marshalled her troops to focus on two main areas: consistency and aggression, two elements she believes were missing the last time the teams met in September last year in Antigua.

The Proteas Women drew the T20 International series 1-1, and won the ODI series 4-1. This time around, Taylor is more confident the team can perform better in the “Bullring”. She said: “I’m pretty confident.

I think (that) for us it’s consistency…it’s something we’re trying to focus on. (As a team) we know we’re at a 230 score, so we’re trying to make sure we consistently hit that 230 mark, and then more from there.”

Her comment comes on the heels of Head Coach Courtney Walsh saying he’s challenged the team to score consistently around the 230240 mark. The West Indies Women scored 202 all out in 46.5 overs to defeat a South Africa Women XI by 53 runs on Tuesday in a warm-up match at the same venue.

Taylor has added: “I think the team is managing pretty well… We’ve got five games here, so that should put us in good stead prepar-

ing for the World Cup right after.”

The West Indies arrived in South Africa just under two weeks ago, and have been acclimatising and training at the Imperial Wanderers Stadium in the lead-up to the series.

This is the first series the team will be playing since the cancellation of the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup Qualifiers in Zimbabwe last November.

Today’s ODI fixture between West Indies Women and South Africa Women is a day/night fixture, with first ball being bowled at 2pm (8am Eastern Caribbean time/7am Jamaica time).

(Windies Cricket)

FULL SQUAD

Stafanie Taylor (Captain) Anisa Mohammed (Vice Captain) Aaliyah Alleyne Shemaine Campbelle Shamilia Connell Deandra Dottin Afy Fletcher Cherry Ann Fraser Jannillea Glasgow Chinelle Henry Kycia Knight Mandy Mangru Hayley Matthews Chedean Nation Karishma Ramharack Kaysia Schultz Shakera Selman Rashada Williams

MATCH SCHEDULE (all matches at Imperial Wanderers Stadium,

Johannesburg)

Day matches start 10am local time (4am Eastern Caribbean/3am Jamaica) Day/night matches start 2pm local time (8am Eastern Caribbean/7am Jamaica) Tuesday, January 25: warmup match – West Indies beat South Africa XI by 53 runs Friday, January 28: 1st ODI (day/night) Monday, January 31: 2nd ODI (day) Thursday, February 3: 3rd ODI (day/night) ​Sunday, February 6: 4th ODI (day)

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BUSINESS OPPORTUNITYRESTAURANT RENTAL West Bank Demerara, (Versaillesbetween Harbor Bridge and Vreedn-Hoop): - Aracari Resort – Turn Key Business. Furnished and equipped.

Covid-19 reduced capacity is 60. Phone 264 2946; 626-5290.

FRIDAY, JANUARY 28, 2022

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

23

Fans relishing thrilling T20 series in Barbados

Fans turned up in their numbers to witness the action

Sipping and chilling in the Party Stand

By Brandon Corlette in Barbados

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ully vaccinated fans are relishing the once in a lifetime experience at the Kensington Oval in Bridgetown Barbados in the fiva-match T20I series between West Indies and England. The high-level of competitive cricket that has been played after three matches in the series, with West Indies leading 2-1, adds more joy to the party atmosphere at the Oval.

The venue in Bridgetown, is unique in nature, with the party stand filled with beach sand, a pool, entertainment bars and stage. This took to the stands and spoke to some fans, who shared their sentiments on the atmosphere at the Oval, and some gave their series prediction. While speaking

to a Guyanese, he said: “I like Jason Holder, he is the boss.

The complete team good, all of them perfect. West Indies will win the series, we just give them a chance to let them feel happy. We are the bosses for everything because it is our they are in.”

Fans who came all the way from England to witness the action, were relishing the party stand, which is certainly a great spectacle.”I think England tend to grow in the series, so I am confident that England will win the series. First time I am in Barbados, and it is exciting.”

Another Englishman told this publication that England will win this series 3-2.

He said England will wobble and said Barbados is a great place.

“That is why are here, for the excitement. Close to the ground where I can hopefully catch the ball. The sun, the beach, it is just fantastic in Barbados.”

The Guyanese fans were surrounded by their English counterparts

Fans watching on from the 3Ws Stand (Brandon Corlette photos)

Fans watching the action from the Party Stand

Another first timer in Barbados said: “I love it, it is an incredible island. Love the accent, people are friendly and helpful. I love the accent. We were little worried to get out here and get white-washed so it should be a good series.

You got a good exciting team and we have an unpredictable team.”

The fourth T20I is set for January 29 at the same venue from 16:00h Eastern Caribbean time.

A jewellery seller sipping and selling

Compliments of:

The Party Stand brings the beach vibes

FRIDAY, JANUARY 28, 2022

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

Fans relishing thrilling T20 series in Barbados Page 23

GCB names Guyana Harpy Eagles Squad for first and second rounds of West Indies Championships 2022

Pg 22

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