Guyana Times -- Monday, December 6, 2021

UG hosts bursary awards for NGSA students P14

Nationwide coverage from the best news team in Guyana guyanatimesgy.com

Issue No. 4853

THE BEACON OF TRUTH MONDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2021

President Ali to deliver keynote address to Harvard School of Business workshop today – faculties from 120 institutions across globe in audience Page 3

GECOM CEO interviews begin today – after 3-month-long wait since sacking of former CEO See story on page 11

PRICE

$80 VAT INCLUDED

WHAT'S INSIDE: 2 months after Berbice fatal accident

Family of P12 9-year-old renews calls for justice 1 arrested after CANU swoops down on ganja field at St Cuthbert’s Mission P8

Lethem man evades Police, but leaves P12 ganja on bed Vagrant found dead hours P12 after arguing with female Essequibo businessman illuminates 25-foot P14 Christmas tree

Human Services and Social Security Minister, Dr Vindhya Persaud attended a candlelight vigil in Region Three, organised by the Helping Hands organisation as part of #16DaysofActivism

Exxon focusing on Page DDL concerned 10 Guyanese and other high-return projects about international – says Guyana among countries shipping routes integral to projected revenue growth Page 7

Cocaine in rum shipment

– convinced shipment was not contaminated in Guyana

2 pensioners die from COVID, death toll now at 1006 – 42 new infections reported in 24h Page 16

Rose Hall Town businesses P15 continue to defy Police efforts to restore order

2

MONDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

NEWS

3

MONDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

BRIDGE OPENINGS OPENINGS BRIDGE

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

Monday, Dec 6 – 04:00h – 05:30h and Tuesday, Dec 7 – 04:00h – 05:30h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

President Ali to deliver keynote address to Harvard School of Business workshop today – faculties from 120 institutions across globe in audience

Monday, Dec 6 – 05:40h – 07:10h and Tuesday, Dec 7 – 06:30h – 08:00h.

FERRY SCHEDULE

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

WEATHER TODAY There will be thundery showers during the day.

Expect thundery showers and light rain showers at night. Temperatures should range between 22 degrees Celsius and 28 degrees Celsius.

Winds: North North-Westerly to North-Westerly between 1.78 metres and 3.57 metres.

High Tide: 17:55h reaching a maximum height of 2.79 metres.

Low Tide: 11:28h reaching a minimum height of 0.61 metre.

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2021

LOTTERY NUMBERS J

10 11 14

16 17 22

FREE TICKET

23 Bonus Ball

DAILY MILLIONS

03 08 12 22 24 LUCKY 3

4

0

7

7

Afternoon Draw

6

3

Evening Draw

DRAW DE LINE

01 02 07 08 14 15 19 SUPER

PAY DAY

PAY DAY

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2021

05 08 12 13 14 13

05 09 10 11 14

1

3 Afternoon Draw

2X Afternoon Draw

0

8 Evening Draw

2X Evening Draw

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

$69.88/barrel

+0.30

Rough Rice

$257.67/ton

+0.32

London Sugar

$486.90/ton

+0.45

Live Spot Gold

USD Per Ounce

Bid/Ask

$1784.10

$1785.10

Low/High Change

$1780.20 +1.50

$1786.10 +0.08%

President Dr Irfaan Ali

P

resident Dr Irfaan Ali’s leadership has attracted praise from no less a prestigious source than Harvard Business School, a branch of Harvard University, where he has also been invited to be the keynote speaker at a virtual Microeconomics of Competitiveness (MOC) workshop.

According to a letter from Professor Michael Porter, the Bishop William Lawrence University Professor at Harvard Business School, Ali is being invited to give a virtual address to the workshop, an annual gathering of faculty members of Harvard and its network, today.

This includes over 120 institutions from more than 65 countries, including the University of Guyana who joined the MOC network in 2019. There will also be approximately 150 Professors from these institutions in attendance.

In the letter, Porter lauded President Ali’s leadership, at a critical time in Guyana’s developmental trajectory where the country’s oil sector, economic growth and development continue to expand. He also noted that the address would provide an opportunity for the President to market Guyana to academics around the world.

“The Government has started its tenure with a strong focus on real impact and has pushed an ambitious array of policy initiatives towards execution. We have been impressed by your leadership and the strong commitment to making Guyana a global example in the sustainable use of natural resources and endowments to benefit the people of the country,” Porter wrote.

“We believe that a great number of international faculty would benefit from learning about your vision for the country, ambitious goals, action agenda, and your path to achieving long-term prosperity that is both socially inclusive and environmentally sustainable. This would be a great opportunity to showcase Guyana to many professors and thought leaders from all over the world.”

Porter further acknowledged what the historic discovery of oil and gas meant for Guyana, noting the industry’s potential to improve Guyana’s competitiveness on

the global stage and to ensure sustainable and shared prosperity for all citizens. It was further noted that the MOC Affiliate Network itself has evolved from being a teaching and research platform to one that can influence and support economic development throughout the world.

“The MOC Affiliate Network provides an institutional setting to teach the MOC framework, generate new knowledge through collaborative research and influence policymakers and leaders in the world to improve competitiveness at all levels,” the professor said, adding that the President would be given approximately 45 minutes to present, with an additional 15 minutes for questions from the affiliate faculty.

In the realm of energy, the Government is pursuing a number of developmental projects that, when completed, will go a long way towards increasing the use of renewable energy locally, boosting the reliability of electricity and bringing down energy costs for residential and commercial consumers alike.

These initiatives include the Amaila falls Hydropower Project (AFHP), which will deliver 165 Megawatts (MW) to the grid and the US$900 million gas-to-shore pipeline that will deliver natural gas from the Liza field offshore Guyana, to an industrial zone at Wales. There are other smaller, but vital renewable energy projects in the

Harvard Professor Michael Porter

pipeline, including the Moco Moco and Kumu Hydropower facilities.

When it comes to infrastructure, Government has been proceeding at breakneck speed with various road projects that will ease the burden on commuters. These include the Sheriff-Mandela Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) funded road upgrade, as well as the Eccles to Mandela road currently being built. A contractor is also being sought for the Ogle to Diamond bypass road.

Another important project being pursued is the highfixed span, a 50-metre flyover Demerara River Bridge that will land aback Nandy Park on the East Bank of Demerara and at La Grange, West Bank Demerara, from where an alternative highway will be constructed all the way to Parika, East Bank Essequibo.

The new bridge is ex-

pected to be completed in two years from the date of the commencement order.

The construction of the new bridge will be timely, as the East Bank is notorious for its heavy traffic congestions due to the current retractable bridge.

Another bridge in the works is the Corentyne River bridge, which will link Guyana and Suriname by road. The Governments of Guyana and Suriname are collaborating to execute the project and have already shortlisted eight international companies to vie for the contract.

The construction of a bridge linking Guyana and Suriname is a priority project for the Governments of both countries. It will not only link the two neighbouring countries, but also open up access to greater economic opportunities beyond them into French Guiana, and through the road network being developed into Brazil, and eventually further into South America. There is also fastpaced development in the housing sector, following the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic’s (PPP/C) manifesto promises to deliver 50,000 house lots by 2025. This year, the housing sector received a total allocation of $8.9 billion.

Of this sum, $6 billion will go towards infrastructure and utility works in new and existing areas. This will pave the way for the allocation of over 10,000 house lots and 7000 land titles to citizens.

4

guyanatimesgy.com

MONDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2021

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

Electoral reform: gilding the lily

N

o Guyanese would deny that our politics are too overheated. This has been explained as being due to our ethnically-fractured society that has spawned ethnically-based political parties. According to Donald Horowitz, who authored the seminal “Ethnic Groups in Conflict”, “An ethnically based party derives its support overwhelmingly from an identifiable ethnic group (or cluster of ethnic groups) and serves the interests of that group”. In Guyana, since the formation of the People’s National Congress (PNC) by Forbes Burnham in 1957 following his splitting of the unified nationalist People’s Progressive Party (PPP), Guyanese politics has been dominated by the ethnically-based PPP and PNC. Guyana is not unique in its brand of politics and, in fact, ethnic politics now dominate even the developed democracies such as the US and UK, that were touted as having transcended such politics by having a large pool of “swing votes” that voted according to their stance on issues rather than on ascriptive factors like ethnicity or race. As such, from the seventies, there has been a welter of proposals for addressing the “subversion” of the democratic spirit with elected Government pandering primarily to its ethnic constituents.

One of the major proposals was for constitutional change to introduce “power sharing” by parties garnering a defined minimum percentage of votes at national elections. One popular version was “consociationalism” involving a “grand coalition” and veto power by minority parties on issues affecting their interests. But starting with the failure of an early application of the mechanism in Lebanon, the construct has led to either governmental gridlock or being vitiated by peripheralising smaller parties in the coalition. We saw the latter played out in Guyana by the dominant PNC party towards its coalition partners after 2015.

Another approach that has been tried is “federalism” or “deep decentralisation” of Government structures so as to dissipate conflict to capture an all-powerful centre. This has worked to some extent in those nations like Nigeria where ethnic groups are dominant in separate sections of the country and obtain a certain amount of autonomy over their affairs at the state/provincial level. However, in most instances, the larger states appear impelled by the “iron law of oligarchy” to manoeuvre and control power on their own.

The third approach, which has been tried alone or in combination with the above innovations, is “electoral reform”.

Guyana was an early guinea pig in this experiment when the departing British colonial power introduced “proportional representation” to replace the extant First Past the Post (FPTP) constituency system. Its claimed virtue was that it would present a more representative legislative and Executive body, because the latter would be directly proportional to the votes cast. Minority groups would more easily garner representation at the “table”. But as we have seen, this has not worked in Guyana even after we introduced a ‘hybrid’ PR and constituency system in the slew of constitutional reforms in 2000. There are now calls for further tinkering with this hybrid system.

Another change in electoral rules was intended to “moderate” the rhetoric and activities of the ethnically-based parties – even when one of them had enough support from its core constituency to deliver a majority and capture the Government. One device is the “Alternative Vote” (AV). This asks the voters to rank in order the candidates: if a candidate receives an absolute majority of first preferences, he or she is elected; if not, the weakest candidate is eliminated and the ballots with that candidate as first preference are redistributed according to second preferences; this process continues until one of the candidates has reached a majority of votes. Moderate candidates are, therefore, favoured.

But because of demographic changes in our country, no party can agglomerate enough votes from its core constituency to win on its own – a complete reversal from the situation when the PPP’s Indian Guyanese base gave them that option. As such, since 2011, elections have shown that if parties moderate their rhetoric and actions, they can win the Government without the need for electoral tinkering.

His Excellency Dr Mahamudu Bawumia and his delegation were taken on a tour of Kaieteur Falls, located on the Potaro River in the Kaieteur National Park. In photo, the Ghanaian Vice President (in blue shirt) is flanked by Finance Minister, Dr Ashni Singh, and Tourism Industry and Commerce Minister Oneidge Walrond

Misinformation being peddled about Rampoor State lands in Region 5 Dear Editor, Please allow me to correct some misinformation being peddled on a recent TV show by Dr Veersammy Ramayya on the issue of the State land located at Rampoor, at the back of Shieldstown in Region 5.

From what I grasped, all that Dr Ramayya was saying is that the Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall needs to stop back peddling and stand up for the people he once stood up for under the previous Government.

Dr Ramayya said that some farmers called him up and told him that they are now being neglected by the current Government and the Minister who stood with them through representation under the previous Government when the then MMA-ADA Board was trying to take away the said lands and distribute it to some top MMA-ADA officials and party comrades.

I do agree and know of this matter of the said Rampoor lands that the then MMA-ADA Board was considering to take away and share amongst themselves, party cronies and top brass of MMA-ADA. Dr Ramayya said on the programme he will be writing to the AG on the said matter and seek a meeting with him and the famers concerning the same.

It is sad when people jump on television and want to gain points by accusing others when they themselves know the truth and were also told the facts of the matter. But I guess the good doctor wants to build his image of never lying and always telling the truth.

Well, this story is far from the truth because the said doctor was well informed as to the subject matter by the authorities of MMA-ADA. So, for him to go on national television and play the I don’t know game, it’s very bad for a man that claims to be truthful all the years he is alive.

The fact of the matter is and the good doctor knows it, is that the Rampoor land is about 1096 acres of State land situated at the back of Shieldstown, West Bank Berbice, in Region 5. That land was promised to the residents of Shieldstown for farming purposes in general (cash crop and rice) and cattle rearing.

In 2015 when the previous Government took office and appointed the MMAADA Board, that Board changed the decision of former President Ramotar and had wanted to distribute it to those I mentioned earlier in the letter.

After the Board changed former President Ramotar’s decision, that is where Mr Nandlall stepped in and

joined with the people of Shieldstown in their fight by representing the residents legally so that the decision could be reversed and the matter was pending.

However, under this Government, the Ministry of Agriculture headed by Zulfikar Mustapha, MP, and the Attorney General Chambers and Ministry of Legal Affairs headed by Anil Nandlall, MP, the decision was made to reverse the said decision so that the residents of Shieldstown can now benefit from said land. The Cattle and Co-op of Shieldstown met with the government officials and a decision was finally made for the land to be distributed between cattle farmers and the co-op.

Work is ongoing on the said lands and preparation is being made for the land to be handed to both parties as agreed when the Government officials and those in subject met.

So, there is no way that this Government would not try to help the process that they started and, in fact, they finished the process and I can safely say that the people of Shieldstown are going to be the beneficiaries.

Dr Ramayya is very much aware of all that is being mentioned in this letter as the facts.

Please stop pointing

fingers and tell the truth as you have been told and please doc if you can’t remember because of age at the moment write down or tape the conversations please so that people can get the facts.

So, the good doctor who tries to steal some political mileage and points for maybe personal gain must tell the truth of the matter and stop swinging stories as to his advantage to gain those points because people will know the truth.

I am sure that the officials that give the good doctor the facts of the matter can attest that the information he shared on his programme was far from the truth.

This is a Government for all and I can safely say that as a former AFC (now PNC) national and regional executive and former coalition RDC Councillor in Region 5.

It is now time for the people of Shieldstown to say thanks to the PPP Government, the Minister of Agriculture, the Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs and MMAADA. Doctor, please note this is no personal attack but just the facts as is because I know you love to get personal when facts are stated.

With regards, Abel Seetaram

guyanatimesgy.com

MONDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2021

5

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

GECOM Chairperson I condemn Rickford Burke’s violent incitement was right Dear Editor, I was of the initial opinion that the GECOM Chairwoman, Justice Claudette Singh (ret’d) was the key figure and main facilitator for us getting into this electoral mess in March 2020. I was of the firm belief that she was to be blamed for the delay in the declaration of the results of the election including the 5-month impasse that followed.

I was also of the view that the 5 months of harrowing wait that she was somehow in collusion with the rigging crew. It seems that somewhere, somehow, there was a meeting of the minds of the Chairwoman and the fraudsters. These and more were the opinions that kept swirling around in my head.

Then of course, questions the likes of “why didn’t she fire Mingo at the onset of the rigging process”, “why didn’t she issue a warrant for Lowenfield’s arrest after

a third attempt at the submission of his own figures instead of those of the recount, why?” The questions kept coming hard and fast.

However, it was not after careful scrutiny of the entire electoral process of that period, that I finally came up with the stark reality that the Chairwoman was right.

The Chairwoman was right, as enunciated in the creole, proverb “just give them enough rope to hang themselves.” And that could only have been done by allowing them to work out the full length of their plan; the scope and extent to which this rigging matter was worked out, only became manifest as they worked the system through to the finest detail. The rigging crew did it with the artistic execution that only a well-trained PNC apprentice could.

Had it not been for the seemingly “laid back wait and see attitude,” and let

them work their plan approach, which was allowed, could we get that holistic picture of the intent of this criminal crew. Talk about being brazen and glaringly open in their quest to wrest this country from a legitimate Government, this is it.

I shudder to think what would have been if she hadn’t given the rigging cabal the latitude she did. It means, Lowenfield, Myers and the whole entourage of fraudsters would still be there to corrupt the system into another fraud of even greater proportion. Therefore, I am indeed thankful for her approach to this whole scenario of things; thank you, Madam Chair.

The rest of this colossal fraud episode would be revealed in court and we await those proceedings with eager anticipation.

Respectfully, Neil Adams

I support calls for GHRA to provide information to the public Dear Editor, I have noted the calls from many persons, particularly the recent one by Attorney General Anil Nandlall, for the Guyana Human Rights Association (GHRA) to make known to the public information regarding its membership (aside from Mike McCormack), its funding, and what mechanisms are employed to select its leadership.

I support this call and I think it should be extended to all of the other civil society organisations whose pronouncements of late on matters of national importance have dominated a particular section of the media sphere and are thus given much weight.

In the interest of transparency, the public needs to know who these organisations speak for, who their membership consists of, how they obtain their funding and how it is spent, how one becomes a member, and how their leadership is selected.

We need to know their expertise on the particular subject matter which they are speaking on and whether or not they have the support of those whom they claim to speak on behalf of, and are not merely driven by self-interest.

It cannot just be a case where any Tom, Dick, or Harry can issue a press release which is then elevated as expert opinion or the views of a large cross-sec-

tion of the Guyanese society by special interest media enablers.

Guyanese have to demand from these civil society groups the same type of transparency as it relates to their own operations, that they demand from the Government and others.

Sincerely, Thomas Cole

Dear Editor, I was appalled and taken back by the racist and divisive rhetoric from overseas-based Guyanese, Rickford Burke.

Burke conjured up the fictitious and fabricated story of the “PPP murdering 1500 black people or more” to justify his senseless appeal to Guyanese to break the law and engage in riotous acts.

I am glad that the Guyana Police Force is investigating this matter and has issued a wanted bulletin for him for crimes he committed here in breach of the law of Guyana.

I hope that serious consequences follow him for spewing that racist and divisive garbage about the so-called and alleged intimidation, discrimination, and racism that Guyanese of African descent face from the PPP Government. This allegation is false and meritless.

I want to urge the Police and Government to investigate Burke’s links to criminals in Guyana as his talk that the PPP might not survive the alleged war that they are allegedly starting is most troubling. He is now a fugitive from justice if he does not turn himself over to the Police here for further investigation. Does he honestly think that he should be allowed to sit from the comfort of his home in the US and incite violence and ethnic conflict in Guyana without facing the consequences?

The silence of the Opposition A Partnership for National Unity, and the Alliance for Change is deafening and it signals their support as by their own actions they too have sought to divide Guyanese along ethnic lines. If I am wrong, let Joseph Harmon and Khemraj Ramjattan condemn Burke’s statement and distance their parties from the violence and disorder preached by him. I challenge any other Opposition politician to say that they do not support Burke’s racist and divisive rhetoric. It does not suit the Opposition’s narrative against the PPP to do so at this point.

Burke’s statement is enough for the Government to look closely at all developments in the crime and security sector from this day onwards. Look at the remittances and aid from the CGID and Burke to Guyana to see if he is funding domestic terrorism against the State.

Finally, I want to say that right-thinking Guyanese, like me, who are up to date about political developments and what is hap-

pening in Guyana ought to reject and condemn this latest attempt to incite violence and divide us along ethnic lines by Rickford Burke.

Yours truly, Alvin Hamilton

223-7230-1 (Ext 55)

6

MONDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2021

Page

Foundation ◄

T

Dividing mixed numbers

o divide mixed numbers, change each mixed number into an improper fraction. If only one number in your division problem is a mixed number, change it to an improper fraction. If both numbers in your division problem are mixed numbers, change both to improper fractions.

Example: Divide: 6 1/3 ÷ 3 5/10 Step 1: Change the first mixed number into an improper fraction: 6 1/3 = 19/3 .

Step 2: Change the second mixed number into an improper fraction: 3 5/10 = 35/10.

Step 3: Restate the problem: 6 1/3 ÷ 9 5/10 is the same as ( 19)/3 ÷ 35/10 Step 4: Find the reciprocal of the second fraction. The reciprocal of 35/10 is 10/35 .

Step 5: Multiply the first fraction by the second fraction^' s reciprocal. 19/3 x 10/35 .

Step 6: Multiply the numerators: 19 x 10 = 190.

Step 7: Multiply the denominators: 3 x 35 = 105 Step 8: Write the product: 190/105. The product of that multiplication is also the quotient of the original division problem.

Step 9: Change the quotient to a mixed number: 190/105 = 1 85/(105 )=1 17/25.

Introduction Think like a computer — coding projects and activities for beginners: Have you ever wanted a robot assistant that could do all your household chores? Science fiction has been showing us such robots for decades, but they're still not available! What's taking so long? In this project you will investigate some of the challenges in programming a "robot" to do a simple household task, such as making a sandwich.

You will need:

Bread Peanut butter Jelly Knife Plate Paper towels Volunteer Pencil and paper Surface that can tolerate a little bit of mess Prep work

What to do:

Exercises: Divide 1) 8 1/6 ÷ 4 7/8 2) 3 1/2 ÷ 4 1/3 3) 12 4/5 ÷ 6 4/7

4) 1 1/16 ÷ 2 3/16 5) 10 2/4 ÷ 4 30/100

Select an animal that fascinates you and find out about its habitat, life cycle, behaviour, social structure — and its home. Is it a cave, hive, nest, burrow, or tree hollow?

Take the point of view of the animal and write a one-page descriptive essay using specific details and rich language to describe your home and why it’s perfect for you.

Include a drawing if you wish. (startwithabook.org)

Think about the procedure you follow to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Break it down into a series of steps, one at a time.

Write this procedure down as a numbered list (step 1, step 2…). Make sure you include all the steps, even ones you think are obvious.

Note: in order to avoid wasting food, you might want to have your volunteer make half or quarter-sized sandwiches.

Procedure Give your written procedure and other materials to your volunteer. Your volunteer probably already knows how to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Explain that you need them to pretend they have never made a sandwich before. You want them to do it by following your written directions exactly. They

need to act like a robot and do whatever the instructions tell them to do – even if that results in making a mistake. They also should not assume any steps that are missing.

Watch carefully as your volunteer follows the procedure. Do they make any mistakes? If so, at what step(s) of your program? Write down the step(s) and what problem(s) occurred.

Now you need to "debug" your program by fixing the bugs (errors) in the code. Based on your notes on any mistakes you observed, write a new version of your program and ask your volunteer to try again. Do they make the same mistakes as last time? Are there any new mistakes?

Repeat the debugging process until your volunteer successfully makes a normal peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

Think about: How many attempts did it take your volunteer to successfully make a sandwich?

What happened?

You might have been very surprised to find out that at first, your volunteer failed to follow what you thought were a very simple set of instructions. There are a lot of tiny steps you take when making a sandwich that you might do automatically, without giving them much thought, and you could have forgotten to include these in your program. For example what if your program just said "spread the peanut butter on the bread"? That seems obvious enough to you. However, your volunteer might have done something silly, like used their fingers to spread peanut butter on the bread bag! But remember, your volunteer is a robot that needs very specific instructions. You did not specify that they should use a knife to spread the peanut butter, or that they needed to take a piece of bread out of the bag first!

There are a lot of other simple mistakes that can happen during this project – such as using the wrong end of the knife, not taking the lid off a jar first, putting the wrong sides of the pieces of bread against each other, etc. Each time you catch a mistake you will have to change your program to correct it and try again. It might take several attempts before you can fully debug your program!

(Ben Finio, PhD, Science Buddies)

WORD SEARCH

NEWS

7

MONDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Exxon focusing on Guyanese and other high-return projects – says Guyana among countries integral to projected revenue growth

Exxon CEO Darren Woods

W

ith Guyana among the countries responsible for oil giant ExxonMobil’s projected revenue growth from upstream oil ventures, the company intends to focus its earnings and its growth plans on its projects in Guyana and elsewhere.

In a release announcing that it had formalised its corporate plans and is expected to double its earnings by 2027, Exxon noted the value of its “low cost” projects in Guyana and other countries. Exxon is currently producing oil in the Liza Field and has plans for three more such fields.

“Projected growth of cash flow and earnings in

the upstream business results from aggressive cost reductions and progressing advantaged investments in low-cost-of-supply projects in Guyana, Brazil, and the Permian Basin in the United States.”

“More than 90 per cent of upstream planned capital investments through 2027 are expected to generate returns of greater than 10 per cent at prices less than or equal to US$35 per barrel of oil equivalent, while reducing upstream GHG emissions intensity by 40-50 per cent through 2030, compared to 2016 levels,” Exxon also said.

It was noted by the oil company that it plans to increase spending on greenhouse gas emission reduction projects over the next six years, to $15 billion. Exxon also said it plans to maintain capital investments in the range of $20-$25 billion per year until 2027, though this can be subject to change due to adverse market conditions or other factors.

At the same time, Exxon noted that it would focus its earnings on high return projects… likely to include Guyana, since the company has cited the important role Guyana has played in the growth of its earnings.

“Downstream and chemical earnings and cash flow growth plans are focused

on high-return projects, which are expected to double the volume of valuable performance chemicals and lower-emission fuels and lubricants.”

“The company will leverage its industry-leading manufacturing scale, integration, and technology position to high-grade its portfolio and reduce costs, while optimising operations and leveraging the capabilities of the Low Carbon Solutions business to reduce greenhouse gas emission intensity at operated facilities,” Exxon also said.

The statement quoted Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Darren Woods, who spoke of the efforts being made to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. According to him, it is expected that Exxon will meet its 2025 greenhouse gas emission target, ahead of schedule. Woods also referenced Exxon’s balance sheet.

“The restored strength of our balance sheet and improved financial outlook support accelerating investment in our indus-

try-advantaged, high-return projects, and a growing list of financially accretive lower-emission business opportunities,” he said.

“Our strategy is designed to create shareholder value by leveraging our competitive advantages while maintaining flexibility to respond to future policy changes and technology advances associated with the energy transition.”

Besides the Liza 1 field, Exxon already has approval from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for two other projects; the Liza 2 and Payara developments. Yellowtail, its fourth project, has an anticipated start date of late 2025 pending governmental approvals and project sanctioning.

ExxonMobil has said it anticipates at least six projects offshore Guyana will be online by 2027, with developmental drilling recently starting on the second one, the Liza Phase 2 project. Back in May 2019, EEPGL was granted approval by the Environmental Protection

Agency (EPA) to go ahead with its Liza Phase 2 Development offshore Guyana.

The oil company had said that the project will have the capacity to produce 220,000 barrels of oil per day. Exxon had also revealed that the Liza Phase 2 development was funded at the cost of some US$6 billion, including a lease capitalisation cost of approximately $1.6 billion, for the Liza Unity FPSO vessel. For the Phase 2 Development, six drill cen-

tres were planned, along with approximately 30 wells – 15 productions, nine water injection and six gas injection wells.

The US$9 billion Payara development, the third development, will meanwhile target an estimated resource base of about 600 million oil-equivalent barrels and was at one point considered to be the largest single planned investment in the history of Guyana.

The Yellowtail development, which will be oil giant ExxonMobil’s fourth development in Guyana’s waters, will turn out to be the single largest development so far in terms of barrels per day (bpd) of oil, with a mammoth 250,000 bpd targeted.

8 NEWS

MONDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

1 arrested after CANU swoops down on ganja field at St Cuthbert’s Mission

The bottom line on…

W A

23-year-old man of St Cuthbert's Mission, Linden-Soesdyke Highway, was on Friday arrested after he was found on a ganja farm during an operation by the Customs AntiNarcotics Unit (CANU) Based on reports received, CANU officers acting on intelligence received, conducted an operation at St Cuthbert's Mission during which they discovered a camp located on 2.5-acres of land with a total of 3000 cannabis plants ranging from three feet to six feet in height.

In addition, a quantity

of processed cannabis and seeds were unearthed. At the time of the exercise, the 23-year-old man was found under a make-shift tent processing cannabis plants at one of the fields.

As such, he was arrested and escorted to CANU Headquarters with the processed cannabis and seeds.

He is reportedly assisting with the investigations.

CANU continues to conduct its operations around the country aimed at dismantling the networks that are engaged in the sale as well as distribution of narcotics.

The processed ganja and plants found during the operation

Miner denies raping Man on trial for woman in 2018 2008 murder of

woman at Agricola

Rape accused: Odingo Emanuel

A

48-year-old miner called “Dingo” denied raping a woman following his arraignment before High Court Judge Priya SewnarineBeharry and a jury at the Essequibo High Court.

Odingo Emanuel, whose last known address is reported as Ibamadai Landing, Upper Mazaruni River, is accused of raping a woman on August 10, 2018, in Essequibo.

It was reported that at about 22:30h on the day in question, the woman attended a friend’s wake which was being held a short distance from her reputed husband’s home.

The woman then began looking for her partner and asked whether anyone at the wake had seen him. It was then the accused allegedly told her to check at the man’s home.

Upon her arrival at the house, the victim noticed

the door half-open and she went straight to the bedroom, where she heard a noise coming from the front door.

As a result, the woman left the bedroom and went to the door where she reportedly came face to face with the accused who was inside the house.

It was reported that when the woman enquired the reason for him being at the house, he ran towards her, threw her on the bedroom floor, and had sex with her against her will.

The woman began to scream and scratch the accused in his face when her reputed husband came to her rescue and dragged the man off of her.

A report was made and the accused was arrested.

The rape accused is out on $250,000 bail pending the determination of his trial before the High Court.

Murder accused: Vanderhyden

A

Sylvester

38-year-old mason of Tuschen Housing Scheme, East Bank Essequibo (EBE), is on trial at the Demerara High Court for the murder of a 27-year-old woman who was shot dead during a robbery at Agricola, Greater Georgetown.

Sylvester Vanderhyden is being tried for the capital offence before Justice Jo Ann Barlow and a 12-member jury. He had pleaded not guilty to the charge which alleges that he murdered Melissa Payne on November 6, 2008, during the course/furtherance of a robbery.

Vanderhyden was only charged for the woman’s murder in May 2017.

According to reports, Payne of Den Amstel, West Coast Demerara (WCD), and her common-law husband were

Dead: Melissa Payne

heading to Georgetown to transact business when the vehicle in which they were travelling encountered mechanical problems at Agricola.

As such, they exited the canter truck and were later accosted by several armed men who relieved them of a bag containing some $110,000 in cash along with a quantity of jewellery. It was after Payne exhibited reluctance to hand over her handbag that she was shot by one of the perpetrators.

The men then made good their escape.

Payne’s companion flagged down a motorist who transported the bleeding woman to the Georgetown Public Hospital where she was pronounced dead on arrival. Soon after the incident, several men were arrested by the Police.

…the (PNC) wannabe leaders ith less than a week to go to the special PNC Congress to elect new leaders, realpolitik is beginning to take over from the early platitudes about “democracy in action” within the PNC!! Even though about seven persons received nominations for the LEADER spot – just three are considered to be in the race. Norton, Van West-Charles and Harmon. While Basil “Mustache” Williams wants to also play ball, no one – including your Eyewitness – thinks he’s got even a snowball chance in hell, so no time will be wasted on him!!

From the number of groups that nominated him, Norton is seen as the popular choice. But this is Guyana and popularity has little to do with electability when it comes to the PNC!! For 28 years the PPP was conceded by one and all – inside and outside the country – but fat lot of good THAT did for them after elections. The reason for this anomaly was revealed recently by the Central Executive Committee (CEC) of the party demanding that three members of the Accreditation Committee resign immediately. Seems they were campaigning for horses in the race – some of whom had indicated big positions for them!! It didn’t cross their minds that such a situation represented a conflict of interest!!

Now this is just an example of how the votes at Congress could be “cocked” by people in strategic positions in the party! Isn’t this how it was that Granger was nosed ahead of Carl Greenidge back in 2011?? And why Carl isn’t even in the race – even though he did receive a nomination. At this time then, the 64-million-dollar question is which of the candidates has the institutional edge. The popular money is on Norton, but the smart money is on Harmon!! Charles is seen as too much of a long shot – Burnham’s son-in-law is good PNC pedigree, but he was away too long and hop scotched a bit too much after he returned!!

This PNC leadership elections is like the three-cardgame we see played on street corners. All the patter and movement of the cards are just distractions for you if you take them seriously. So, all the campaign stops and speeches are just the candidates going through the motions – they know that the fix is in. Each is just hoping THEY’LL be the anointed one. The main criterion even the most unbiased PNC power-behind-the-throne will invoke is – “Who’ll attract the big bucks necessary for modern elections?” You, Dear Reader, can answer that question yourself!! Norton or Harmon?

And sadly, the day after the elections, there will be some “swell mouth”. But like Norton and Greenidge in previous leadership iterations, they’ll go along without exposing the charade!! …(Guyanese) politics As yesterday’s editorial of this newspaper declared, while the media has always influenced politics, the development of social media is taking politics to places it’s never gone before. The traditional media, starting with newspapers, were owned by persons who were generally from the moneyed classes. Whatever their personal perspectives, at least they weren’t willing to bring down the entire edifice in which they were living on their heads.

Social media has thrown out this premise on its head.

Today, any radical can get on his smartphone, buy some data and start broadcasting to the world out there. These persons are free to say whatever – in and out of the world – they want to say! From threatening persons with bodily harm, the least of our worries. How about boycotting fellow citizens and overthrowing the Government? These folks speak into an echo chamber and when some politicians go onto these platforms they’re drawn into the radical posture and rhetoric by the unanimity of views heard.

Never mind they’re ghettoizing their base!! …Ghana Ghana can teach us a thing or two not only about oil but about ethnic conflict and its management. Firstly, even though they’re all “racially” African, they’re divided ethnically.

So, enough of all this “race talk”!!

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

9

MONDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

10 NEWS

MONDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Cocaine in rum shipment

DDL concerned about international shipping routes – convinced shipment was not contaminated in Guyana

A

s investigations continue into the discovery of over 1100lbs of cocaine in a consignment of rum in The Netherlands, beverage giant Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL) is convinced that the various checks and balances executed in Guyana would have detected any illegal substances.

This is an addition to its own security mechanisms employed during the filling of containers with its product at its Diamond plant.

The discovery was made in late November after the shipment left a city wharf in Guyana. It had made stops at two other ports before arriving in The Netherlands.

However, DDL in a statement late Saturday, related “DDL has always been and re-

mains committed to ensuring that its reputable image and that of its internationally-acclaimed Demerara brands of rum, which only recently won Geographic Indication (GI) recognition in Europe, is never compromised. DDL is therefore disappointed with the contamination of a recent shipment of its product to The Netherlands”.

It further stated that the company is concerned that international shipping routes which necessitate transhipment through certain other countries now present a growing lack of confidence in transhipment arrangements and hopes that more effective security and detection measures would be implemented so as to prevent contamination of shipments that threat-

The cocaine found among the boxes of rum

en the credibility of reputable companies and their products which earn significant foreign exchange for the nation.

“DDL’s rigid commitment to protection of its unblemished image and that of its supply chain and its products is demonstrated in the fact that the recent discov-

ery of the contamination of its container was made by staff of its contracted bonded warehouse who immediately called in the relevant law enforcement agencies in The Netherlands, following which DDL informed the Guyana Revenue Authority’s (GRA) Customs officials. CANU was subsequently informed by both The Netherlands authorities and the GRA” the beverage giant stated.

Following the discovery of cocaine, the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA), reiterat-

ed that the consignment, which originated in Guyana, was scanned according to the stipulated procedures, and no contraband or prohibited/ restricted substances was detected among the said cargo when scanned.

“The consignment was shipped to The Netherlands, and transited to another Caribbean territory, where it was offloaded and remained for a period before it was loaded onto another vessel destined for The Netherlands, where the discovery was made,” the GRA added.

That was followed by a statement made by Head of the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU), James Singh, hours after the matter was brought to light. Singh told the media that the ship transited in two other countries before arriving in Rotterdam, Netherlands.

“The container was scanned and checked before it left Guyana, and we have verified that there was noth-

ing but the product, which was rum from one of the local distilling companies, inside the container,” he stated.

GRA further stated that, through joint enforcement and intelligence activities with CANU and other local and foreign law enforcement bodies, there has been put in place a system of rigid controls, thereby reducing the probability of narcotic substances being exported or transhipped through Guyana’s ports.

It was reported that over 1100lbs of cocaine were on November 25, 2021, found in a shipment of rum that departed Guyana and arrived in The Netherlands. The plastic-wrapped cocaine was discovered by Drug Enforcement Agents between the boxes of rum in the consignment.

Meanwhile, authorities in The Netherlands would have released the shipment to DDL’s control after the illegal substance was removed.

NEWS

11

MONDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

GECOM CEO interviews begin today – after 3-month-long wait since sacking of former CEO

A

fter a rollercoaster search for the next Chief Elections Officer (CEO) of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) that has ended with two being shortlisted, the interviews of these prospective candidates are slated to kick off today.

The two shortlisted candidates currently vying for the position of CEO are the former Deputy Chief Elections Officer (DCEO) Vishnu Persaud and former Jamaican election official Leslie Harrow. They are the product of combined lists of candidates submitted by the two sides of the GECOM divide.

It is expected that they will be interviewed by the seven-member Commission, composed of Sase Gunraj, Bibi Shadick and Manoj Narayan on the Government side and Vincent Alexander, Charles Corbin and Desmond Trotman on the Opposition side and Chairperson, Retired Justice Claudette Singh acting as the tie breaker if necessary.

In the past, appointees to

the CEO or DCEO post were hired based on an interview with the Commission, during which they would be evaluated and ranked based on a score sheet. The candidate with the highest score would be appointed.

A meeting of GECOM on Thursday, where the evaluation criteria for today’s CEO interview was supposed to be decided, had to be aborted because only one Opposition Commissioner, Vincent Alexander, showed up.

The absence of his two Opposition colleagues, Trotman and Corbin, meant that the meeting lacked a quorum. In response to questions from this publication, Gunraj revealed that the evaluation criteria will be discussed before the interview starts today.

Vishnu Persaud, who was employed as GECOM’s DCEO from 2014 to 2017, was overlooked for appointment when he sought to return to the position in 2018.

In fact, his non-appointment sparked controversy and

even an investigation by the Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC), which had concluded six months after that he was overlooked and was more qualified than the person who was chosen over him for the position, Roxanne Myers.

On the other hand, news reports in Jamaica revealed that Leslie Harrow was up until May employed as Head of the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) in Jamaica. He previously served in several junior and senior positions at the Electoral Commission of Jamaica over his 18-year tenure there.

Meanwhile, with the selection of Persaud and Harrow, GECOM Information Technology Manager Aneal Giddings; GECOM Assistant Registration Officer and former ERC Commissioner Deodat Persaud, Dr Kurt Clarke from Texas, and Eugene Godfrey Petty from St Kitts have been removed from the race for the new GECOM CEO. When GECOM had put out

the advertisements to fill these positions in October, over a dozen persons – both local and foreign – had applied for the post of CEO. Meanwhile, the electoral body is also looking to fill several other key senior positions within the Elections Secretariat including Assistant Chief Elections Officer, Chief Accountant, Legal Officer, Logistics Officer, and Civic and Voter Education Manager.

These posts are being filled following the removal of CEO Keith Lowenfield; his Deputy, Roxanne Myers, and Region Four (DemeraraMahaica) Returning Officer Clairmont Mingo. They were on August 12 dismissed from their respective posts at the Elections Commission.

The embattled trio is currently before the courts facing a number of electoral fraud charges for their alleged attempts to sway the results of the March 2020 General and Regional Elections in favour of the then ruling A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC)

GECOM CEO candidate Vishnu Persaud

GECOM CEO candidate Leslie Harrow

Government.

Lowenfield’s election report claimed that the then governing APNU/AFC coalition garnered 171,825 votes while the then Opposition People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) gained 166,343 votes.

How he arrived at those figures is still unknown, since the certified results from the national recount exercise supervised by GECOM and a high-level team from the Caribbean Community (Caricom) showed that the PPP/C won with 233,336 votes while the coalition garnered 217,920.

The recount exercise also proved that Mingo heavily in-

flated the figures in Region Four (Guyana’s most populated voting district) in favour of the then caretaker APNU/ AFC regime – which was defeated by a No-Confidence Motion in December 2018.

Against this backdrop, the three Government-nominated GECOM Commissioners – Gunraj, Manoj Narayan and Bibi Shadick – on June 1, 2021, brought motions calling for the dismissal of Lowenfield, Myers and Mingo.

Following several delays and legal proceedings, the GECOM Chair announced their terminations, after weeks of deliberation on the motions, effective August 18, 2021.

12 NEWS

MONDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

2 months after Berbice fatal accident

Vagrant found dead hours after arguing with female

Family of 9-year-old renews calls for justice A F

61-year-old vagrant was on Saturday found dead at West Minister Housing Scheme, West Bank Demerara (WBD), suspected to have been murdered. The man has been identified as Visham Dial aka “Fishup”.

Based on reports received, the man’s body which had several marks of violence was found at about

amily members of 9-year-old Carleisa Lewis held a vigil at the scene where her life was snuffed away on Saturday evening, calling for justice to be served as the driver who is reportedly responsible for her death roams freely.

The child was killed on October 1, 2021, by a motor vehicle driven by a man who was not paying attention on the roadway. He was reportedly arguing with someone in the vehicle when he veered off of

Relatives and friends gathered at the accident scene

Meanwhile, her mother, Adacia Lewis, related that each night when the family spends time together, it is difficult to do so without her daughter.

“The day of the accident I did not see the person but up until now I have not seen the person, so I don’t know what this person looks like that killed my child. We have not heard from the family not even to come forth to say sorry,” the grieving mother stated.

She recalled contacting

17:00h on the day in question. Guyana Times understands that the now dead man would normally sleep under a fruit vendor’s home.

However, on Friday at about 21:30h, he and a female who lives in the neighbourhood were seen arguing. This was followed by the discovery of his motionless body a few hours later.

Ranks of La Parfaite

Harmonie Police Station visited the scene and found marks of violence on his forehead along with bloodstains.

The body was then escorted to the Ezekiel Funeral Parlour awaiting a post-mortem examination.

During investigations, one individual was arrested and is assisting with investigations.

Lethem man evades Police but leaves ganja on bed

P

olice ranks in Region Nine (Upper TakutuUpper Essequibo) are currently on the hunt for a known male after a quantity of ganja was found in his home on Friday.

The incident occurred at Tabatinga, Lethem, Central Rupununi area.

Based on reports received, Police acting on information went to the suspect’s home to conduct a search but upon their arrival, no one was in the house.

As such, a search was conducted during which two transparent plastic bags and one black plastic bag, all containing cannabis, were found on a bed.

The ranks took posses-

The ganja that was found in Tabatinga, Lethem

sion of the items and upon weighing same, it amounted to 364.71 grams.

Checks were made for

the suspect but he was not found. Investigations are in progress, as the hunt for the suspect continues.

Vast revamp works at NA hospital amid “unhygienic” complaints – Min Anthony

T the road and ran over Lewis in front of her Islington, Greater New Amsterdam, Region Six (East BerbiceCorentyne) home.

However, after weeks have passed and the driver was not charged, friends and relatives of the child gathered at the scene of the accident where they sang hymns and reflected on her life.

The dead girl’s father, Carlton Lewis, told Guyana Times that life has been dif-

ficult since the passing of his daughter.

“The Police are not telling us anything too. We just want them to know that we lost a human not a dog.

Right now, people in this country are fighting for dogs and I am hearing nothing about my daughter. Nobody has been coming to us and we are just like lost. It is hurting every single day.

The vehicle is back on the road driving and Carleisa is not here.”

the Police two weeks ago for an update on the investigation but was told that a file was sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) and investigators were still waiting on advice.

Police had issued a statement that the nine-year-old was struck down and killed by a motor car after she ran across the main access road but this was refuted by the dead child’s siblings who claimed that they saw what transpired.

Home of Tuschen pensioner burglarised

A

70-year-old pensioner is traumatised after his Tuschen North, East Bank Essequibo (EBE) home was burglarised on Saturday.

Reports are he was robbed of a gold ring, a black Samsung J7 cell phone and $30,000 cash.

Police stated that the victim secured his home by the means provided, leaving everything intact and

went to work. Upon his return, he saw his eastern wall prized open and his room ransacked.

He made checks and observed that the abovementioned items were missing.

The matter was subsequently reported to the Police and an investigation was launched.

Only recently, the motionless body of 59-year-old Keith Richard Hohenkirk called “One Foot”, a busi-

nessman, was found in his bedroom at Tuschen.

The man, who was an amputee, lived alone and operated a small grocery business at his home. He was last seen alive sitting on his verandah by his neighbour, but hours after, he was found dead, lying on his back with his hands bound with transparent scotch tape. His mouth was also gaged with a piece of brown cloth.

he New Amsterdam Hospital is currently under extensive rehabilitation works on both the inner and outer structure, after complaints surfaced about the unsanitary condition of the facility.

According to Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony, reports of the unsanitary state at the regional hospital are being addressed through measures to clean the hospital frequently and maintain the outside surroundings.

“We’ve had some reports that it’s in an unhygienic state and we have taken measures to make sure that we fix that. I’m told that we have put in place a mechanism whereby the maids clean the hospital at least three times per shift. We also have in the compound itself, there were complaints that the grass was overgrown. We have been cutting the grass on a regular basis.

We had a clean-up, making sure that the drains and so are properly cleaned,” Dr Anthony related.

The Ministry will also repaint the structure. It was assured that in the coming weeks, this will lead to vast improvement and cleaner surroundings for staffers and patients.

“Right now, they’re doing some work in terms of cleaning the outer wall of

Works to revamp the New Amsterdam Hospital have commenced

the hospital and that is power washing the hospital on the outside. After they finish that form of cleaning, they’d be doing some repainting.

I think in another week or two, from the outer side of the building, there will be vast improvement and the compound right now is pretty clean. With the works that they have been doing in the building, the cleaning itself and so forth, we would have changed what would have been an unhygienic state to one that is very clean right now.”

Meanwhile, another issue to be fixed is the sewage system that is currently blocked, affecting other systems within the hospital.

An estimate was completed and those works will commence once a contractor is assigned.

“We’re right now in the process of getting a contractor who would be able to fix those problems. I’m told that

for quite some time, at least more than six years, no preventative maintenance was done on the sewage system so this is something that we really need to fix urgently. Because of that, some of the toilets and baths, there is some kind of backup of sewage in the system,” the Minister highlighted.

A letter was published in Guyana Times this week, which highlighted some of the pressing concerns.

It detailed, “The situation which is more likely the scenario here is that there is a great degree of laxity where the upkeep of the grounds is concerned, where animals are ‘invited’ in due to unkept grounds. And I would like to highlight the fact that, even in the interior of the building, which is the concern of this new mother, regular mopping and sanitisation is woefully lacking, posing a health risk to patients of the institution”.

NEWS

13

MONDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Guyana to lead charge in removing regional trade barriers – President Ali – warns other countries of consequences if they try to keep barriers

President Irfaan Ali at the GMSA Awards Ceremony

A

s Guyana looks to expand its reach globally, the focus is being placed on getting its products into markets across the Caribbean region and according to President Dr Irfaan Ali, efforts are being made to remove hindrances to trade within the Caribbean Community (Caricom).

He made this remark recently during his feature address at the Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association’s (GMSA) Annual Awards Ceremony.

In the same vein, however, the Head of State also warned of consequences for those countries that insist on keeping those barriers intact that affect the smooth flow of intra-regional trade.

“We cannot be serious in this region about integration – all the fancy talk, if we are not willing to remove the barriers and we are going to lead the charge to remove the barriers to our products all across this region.

There will be consequences for those who think they can keep the barriers forever. I’m very frank about this.

If you believe that you want to keep the barriers forever, go right ahead. But trust me, there will be consequences. Don't tell us Guyana has

the potential to be the food basket of the Caribbean and then you block us on the other side,” President Ali argued.

Only last week, President Ali expressed some harsh words on the need to reduce barriers of trade across the region when he virtually addressed the Trinidad and Tobago Manufacturing Association President’s Dinner and Awards Ceremony.

He told the T&T private sector that, “We have to wrap ourselves around a common objective, to see our operating space as one, and remove those barriers that have kept back the food production system and those barriers that have been nothing but a hindrance to our countries within the region. If we are not prepared to do this, then we are not serious.”

“And the manufacturing associations across the region should get on board to ensure that these barriers are removed. Because when these barriers are removed, it brings a lot of opportunities to you in the manufacturing sector,” the Head of State added.

The Guyanese leader also highlighted the glaring disparity in the import and

export of food regionally, and again lobbied for more to be done to lessen the importation bills.

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

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

The Ministry subsequently formed a National Working Group on Barriers to Trade against Exports from Guyana. According to the assessment on market access by the working group, most of the challenges found were related to technical measures including sanitary and phytosanitary measures. They also found several technical and administrative regulations that were all hampering the export of Guyanese products.

Against this backdrop, Guyana called on Caricom Member States at the COTED meeting to engage in bilateral discussions to iron out trade barriers with a view of expanding intra-regional trade. Similar views were shared by Antigua and Barbuda, St Lucia, Jamaica, and Barbados.

In fact, Guyana and Barbados have since moved forward to minimise the occurrences of these measures that frustrate intra-regional trade with the aim of reducing food importation bills, as part of the overall regional food security plans.

President Ali told most-

Robbery convict faces retrial for murder of prison inmate

Murder accused: Akeem Edwards

R

obbery convict Akeem Edwards, who is accused of killing his fellow prison inmate, Teon Smith, is facing his second

trial for the offence at the Essequibo High Court.

It is alleged that on September 14, 2014, in the county of Essequibo, Edwards murdered Smith who was only 21. The accused was arraigned before Justice Priya SewnarineBeharry.

State Counsel Tiffini Lyken, who is appearing for the prosecution, is expected to call 12 witnesses, the majority of whom are prison officers.

According to reports, Smith was stabbed to death

by Edwards during an argument at the Mazaruni Prison. It was reported that the incident escalated when

Smith went to retrieve a cell phone from a known hiding spot but could not find it.

Smith then accused Edwards of removing the phone. It was reported that during the lunch break at the penitentiary, Edwards armed himself with a knife and dealt Smith several stabs about his body.

The injured inmate was rushed to the Bartica Regional Hospital where doctors pronounced him dead on arrival.

At the time of his demise, Smith was serving a five-year prison sentence for armed robbery. His alleged killer was also serving a sentence for the same offence.

ly Private Sector representatives at GMSA’s event that during his October visit to the Caribbean island, he and Prime Minister Mia Mottley hammered out a concrete time-bound framework for enhanced collaboration and trade between the two nations.

“Prime Minister Mia Mottley has assured me, not only assured, but we have both set ourselves a timetable to dismantle all the barriers between Guyana and Barbados to export and import our products – all the barriers,” the Guyanese

leader indicated.

Among the outcomes of that engagement between the two regional leaders, are the exchange of technicians between the Ministries of Agriculture to facilitate smooth and efficient transaction flow; air time in both countries to advertise each other’s tourism sector, and the twinning of the tourism products of each nation as a joint package; training of Guyanese for the country’s growing hospitality industry; dedicated port facility space for each other in the two countries; and creat-

ing a market in Barbados for Guyana’s forest-based products and gold. However, while the Ali-led People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Government is putting all these systems in place to foster and expand Guyana’s trade, the Head of State contended that the local Private Sector needs to ready itself to tap into these opportunities.

“So, the potential is there. How do we capture it? ...I have made the point and we too have to change.

The Government is going to invest in all the facilities to do the testing, the labs – everything. We are going to benefit from state-of-theart facilities, and remove all the excuses that exist. It is not because we want a bigger market share. All we are asking is for fairness in the system… But you have to be prepared. You have to build a business model to follow the direction of business policy,” the Guyanese leader urged the local Private Sector.

14 NEWS Essequibo businessman illuminates 25-foot Christmas tree MONDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2021|| GUYANATIMESGY.COM

The Christmas tree that was lit up on Saturday evening

T

Two young girls posed with Santa during the event

he village of Affiance, on the Essequibo Coast, Region Two, came alive on Saturday evening as the Imam Bacchus and Sons Supermarket illuminated a 25-foot Christmas tree.

The ceremony beckoned the goodwill of the Christmas season as Imam Bacchus brought cheer to children who turned up in their numbers to witness the light-up. Their faces were full of excitement upon seeing Santa Clause and his helpers who distributed goodies.

At the event, two young children told Guyana Times that Christmas is their fa-

vourite time of the year.

One of them stated that she is happy that the business community continues to

spread Christmas cheer and more so, lit a tree despite the COVID-19 pandemic.

"This is my favourite time of the year, and with this event, I feel the Christmas

spirit already. I thought it would be something normal but to be it was something extraordinary...I really enjoyed myself this evening, receiving chocolates and

holiday snacks and playing at the relaxing recreational park pleased everyone, also taking pictures with Santa was exciting and with all this, I would like to thank the owner of this business for organising this activity,” she related.

Businessman, Aadil Baksh related that the event was organised mainly to bring staff and communities together, and also to put a bright smile to the faces of the children in the community.

"Since our businesses were established, Saturday has marked the first time ever we lit a tree...I would say that the turnout was overwhelming and we were happy to treat every child that was present. I'm really happy with my staff efforts and the joy it brought to the community."

He further stated that the establishment will make the event an annual one so as to bring more joy and excitement to residents.

UG hosts bursary awards for NGSA students

Residents gathered around the 25-foot Christmas tree

UG Vice Chancellor, Prof Paloma Mohamed-Martin (in the red dress centre) along with UG staff and their children who received the bursaries

T

wenty-eight (28) children of staff members of the University of Guyana who sat the 2021 National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) are preparing to enter high school.

However, during a simple ceremony at the George Walcott Lecture Theatre, Turkeyen Campus, the children were presented with cheques for their exemplary

performance.

University of Guyana’s Vice Chancellor, Prof Paloma Mohamed-Martin congratulated the students and wished them well as they continue their academic journeys.

“We are not considering whether they passed to go to a top school or a low school, we are considering the fact that they wrote the exam-

ination and passed under very difficult times, and we wanted to always consider the equitable distribution of what we can share.”

The VC also thanked the parents of the students whom she said have also made tremendous sacrifices to ensure the children persevered under the most challenging circumstances.

“We also know that the parents from the University were lifting up our UG students and our students who had to graduate, while their own child/children might have been sometimes struggling,” the VC expressed.

The bursaries are intended to be used to purchase school supplies and other items they may need.

In addition, congratulations were expressed to the children and their parents from the Chancellor, Prof Edward Greene and other members of the Senior Management Team of the University of Guyana.

NEWS

15

MONDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2021| GUYANATIMESGY.COM

EPA investigating unidentified substance on water offshore Guyana – satellite imagery being used to pinpoint location, source

T

he Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has launched an investigation into reports of an unidentified substance surfacing offshore Guyana, using satellite imagery to pin down the location following the publication of footage.

In an interview with Guyana Times, EPA Executive Director Kemraj Parsaram explained that the agency sprang into action as soon as they saw the reports. But despite sea and aerial searches aided by the Civil Defence Commission (CDC) led oil spill committee, they have so far been unable to locate anything.

“When we saw the report, we immediately engaged the national oil spill committee, which is led by the CDC and other

EPA Executive Director Kemraj Parsaram

agencies. And we organised a fishing vessel from Mahaica, because it was reported that the video was taken about 45 miles northeast of the Mahaica Mahaicony area. We didn’t get the specific location.

We had to determine the best location based on that.

So, we organised a vessel, but they could not get as

far as that,” Parsaram explained.

However, he assured that aerial surveillance was also done on Sunday midday and the area was scanned.

Despite this, a search for the substance came up empty.

Nevertheless, Parsaram noted that satellite imagery is being used to aid the search. He also appealed to fishermen who may have encountered the substance and even taken samples, to come forward.

“We scanned the area about 45 miles north east of Alness village, Corentyne. All the way to the Demerara River.

Including the fishing zone.

And we didn’t see anything. So, our only choice now is to heavily depend on satellite imagery over the past couple days, around

Rose Hall Town businesses continue to defy Police efforts to restore order

S

The signs that are placed on the roadway by business owners in Rose Hall Town

ome businesses in Rose Hall Town, Region Six (East BerbiceCorentyne), have refused to cooperate with law enforcement officers to ensure that the main thoroughfare is free from encumbrances.

Some removable advertising signs are placed close to the main access roads which affect the smooth flow of traffic on a daily basis.

Hire car operators have complained bitterly about the inconvenience they face from day to day. This, they claimed forced them to stop in an awkward spot to collect or drop off passengers.

In some cases, they are being charged for reckless driving.

Only recently, a campaign was held in the town which saw senior officers from the Whim Police Station meeting with the business owners responsible for the signs and also those who display their goods on the roadway.

The businesses were ordered to remove the illegally placed signboards and cautioned of the danger and offence of having signboards along the main access roads.

However, that exercise was followed by another vis-

it during which the business owners complained of hire car operators parking their

a campaign to educate persons and to remove signboards from the roadways

vehicles in front of their businesses thus blocking customers from gaining entry to their stores.

During a visit to the location on Saturday, hire car operators held out that they do not have places to stop especially when customers flag them down. This is primarily due to the signs that are being placed on the roadway by businesses.

When contacted, Public Relation Officer of the Region Six Road Safety Council, Leon Faria expressed disgust saying that

was held on the Corentyne on Friday last.

“We are hoping that some of these business owners comply because you cannot encumber any roadway.”

He further pointed out that hire car drivers have also been complaining to him that there is no place to stop to put off or pick up passengers.

He called on the Regional Commander, Regional Traffic Officer and other senior officers to take action against those violating the traffic and road laws.

the area of the operators to see if anything came from them.”

“Or possibly if any of the cargo vessels in the area dumped any bilge or anything like that. I am pleading to the fishermen who reported it, to if they took any samples or they know the exact location they could take us, we’re on standby to do that,” Parsaram further said.

Earlier this year, the CDC had operationalised the National Oil Spill Response Plan (NOSRP) and the National Oil Spill Committee, in mobilising contingency plans and policy direction dealing with the management of national oil spill events.

The National Oil Spill Response Plan was drafted in 2018 by the Maritime Administration Department (MARAD).

Additionally, it was strengthened by a working group which was led by the CDC. Last October, it was handed over to Government and the final plan was developed from comprehensive consultations, reviews, testing and support from national stakeholders.

International partners such as the United States Coast Guard and the International Maritime Organisation also played important roles.

The unidentified substance also comes at a time when insurance to protect against oil spills is also a topical issue. EPA itself is currently conducting a comprehensive review of

The unidentified substance that was filmed and posted on social media

insurance coverage, or lack thereof, for existing oil and gas projects currently being carried out offshore Guyana.

A prevailing concern during ExxonMobil’s scoping meetings has also been what would happen in the event of an oil spill. The oil company recently addressed those concerns, saying they are willing to step up to the plate and meet the financial cost in that event. During a recent

public disclosure meeting on the Yellowtail project, discussions were centred on the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for the project.

EEPGL Project Manager Steve Laws had acknowledged the concerns Guyanese have about oil spills, in particular the financial repercussions on the country. He assured, however, that Exxon would take care of this fiduciary responsibility.

16 NEWS

MONDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

2 pensioners die from COVID, death toll now at 1006 – 42 new infections reported in 24h

T

he Health Ministry reported on Sunday that two more persons who tested positive for the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) have died.

These latest fatalities are a 76-year-old male who died on December 5, and a 74-year-old female who died on December 3 – both from Region Four (DemeraraMahaica). While the vaccination status of the male is unknown, the female was unvaccinated at the time of her death.

With this, the total number of deaths in Guyana from the pandemic has gone up to 1006. However, the COVID-19 death toll for the month of December is now at seven.

According to new statistics provided by the Ministry on Sunday, some 42 new COVID-19 cases were detected within a 24-hour period, taking the total number of confirmed cases in the country to 38,160.

Of this, however, only 984 are currently active cases including 17 patients in the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and the remaining 967 persons in isolation, that is, 54 in institutional isolation and the other 913 in home isolation.

In addition, there are also five persons in institutional quarantine.

There were no new recoveries reported from the life-threatening virus as the figure on Sunday’s updat-

ed COVID-19 dashboard remained at 36,170.

Since the outbreak of the novel coronavirus in Guyana last year, some 396,734 persons have been tested, from which 17,985 males and 20,175 females have tested positive to date.

Of the 42 new cases recorded on Sunday, one was from Region Three (Essequibo IslandsWest Demerara); 10 cases from the Demerara-Mahaica region and a whopping 31 cases from Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne).

No new cases were recorded in Regions One (Barima-Waini); Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam); Five (Mahaica-Berbice); Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni); Eight (Potaro-Siparuni); Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) and 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice) in the last 24 hours.

In order to curb the rising number of cases in the country, the Guyana Government launched its COVID-19 vaccination exercise back in February and is aggressively rolling it out across the various regions in order to achieve herd immunity.

The latest vaccination figures show that Guyana has seen 736,444 doses of COVID vaccines being administered.

For adults, 402,751 doses or 78.5 per cent have taken a first dose; while second doses account for 281,455 or 54.9 per cent.

In terms of children aged 12 to 17, some 29,382 first doses and 20,581 second doses have been distributed. Booster jabs account for 2274 of the total number.

Persons are encouraged to get immunised since the COVID-19 vaccine provides a layer of protection against severe symptoms of the deadly COVID-19.

Nevertheless, as more people continue to get vaccinated, authorities are urging the public to continue observing all COVID-19 preventative measures, particularly masking in public, social distancing and frequent hand washing and sanitising. The measures also include vaccination requirements to access any public building such as restaurants, places of worship, schools as well as Government buildings.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), recent figures show that some 263,563,622 confirmed cases were reported globally along with 5,232,562 deaths.

The WHO also reported that in the Region of the Americas, that is, Latin America and the Caribbean, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases has increased to 97,326,081 while the death toll in the region has gone up to 2,355,628.

As it relates to vaccination against COVID-19, a total of 7,864,123,038 doses have been administered worldwide.

GUYANA COVID-19 DASHBOARD DECEMBER 5, 2021 UPDATE

NUMBER OF NEW CASES

42

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN INSTITUTIONAL ISOLATION

54

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN HOME ISOLATION NUMBER OF PERSONS IN COVID-19 ICU

913 17

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN INSTITUTIONAL QUARANTINE

5

TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES BY GENDER (FEMALES)

20,175

TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES BY GENDER (MALES)

17,985

TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES IN GUYANA SINCE 2020

38,160

NUMBER OF RECOVERED CASES

36,170

TOTAL 1st DOSE VACCINATED FULLY IMMUNISED

REGION 1

1679

REGION 2

1563

REGION 3

5130

REGION 4

17,856

REGION 5

1430

REGION 6

3390

REGION 7

1783

REGION 8

620

REGION 9

2475

REGION 10

2234

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

402,751 281,455

TOTAL NUMBER OF DEATHS

DISTRIBUTION OF TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES SINCE MARCH 2020

1006

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.

Decline in fish catches a global issue

G

Fisherfolk preparing their boat before a new working day

uyana’s fisheries industry is not the only one battling a decline in fish catches.

Researchers have declared the concern a global matter.

Research has shown that there has been an overall reduction in yield globally, over the past years.

According to a landmark study by the Guardian.com, global fish catches are now falling three times faster than official UN figures suggest.

In Guyana, fisherfolk

have been complaining about the state of the industry, noting that they are having difficulties catching the normal number of fish after plying their daily trade.

While this is the case, there are other nations whose fishing sectors are in shambles, compared to Guyana’s.

Cognisant that seafood is a critical source of protein for some 2.5 billion people, the PPP/C Government remains adamant that the nation’s fishing industry

A fishing net which has not been used in a while

will never go downhill.

In fact, Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha held several engagements with fisherfolk to listen to concerns and iron out matters affecting them.

It was against this backdrop, the Government met with the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), to assist with an analysis, to determine the reason behind the low catches.

FAO is a specialised agency that leads international efforts to defeat hunger, while EPA’s mandate is to promote and coordinate effective environmental management and protection.

“I am assuring you that we will have this study done and when that is finished, we can safely conclude on what is causing the low catches,” said Minister Mustapha, as research gets underway.

During a recent consultation with fisherfolk at

the Agriculture Ministry’s boardroom, Guyana’s FAO Representative, Dr Gillian Smith explained that the decline in catches was observed in previous years.

“This is before COVID-19, it got worse during COVID, if you look at the figures it was going down before Exxon [Mobil]. There is myriad of issues that are probably contributing to the reduction in catch,” Dr Smith underscored.

She said the agency is willing to help conduct all

possible assessments, to determine the reason for the current challenge and called for solid support from fishers.

Meanwhile, international investigations have suggested many factors which can be the cause for the decrease in the number of fish caught daily, blaming overfishing as one of the contributors.

It is believed that seafood is being caught at rates that exceed its capacity to replenish.

NEWS

17

MONDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

US, EU and 20 nations condemn 5 dead after Myanmar security forces ram car into Taliban over “summary killings” Yangon protest – media T

F

ive people were killed and at least 15 arrested after Myanmar security forces in a car rammed into an anti-coup protest on Sunday morning in Yangon, local news portal Myanmar Now reported.

Witnesses on the scene told Reuters dozens had been injured. Photos and videos on social media show a vehicle that crashed through the protesters and bodies lying on the road.

Another protest was held in Yangon in the afternoon despite the morning violence.

Anti-military protests are continuing despite the killing of more than 1300 people since the Feb 1 coup.

The scattered protests are often small groups voicing opposition to the overthrow of an elected government led

by Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi and the return of military rule.

The opposition's shadow government said it was heartbroken to see peaceful protesters crashed and shot to death.

"We will strongly respond to the terrorist military who brutally, inhumanly killed the unarmed peaceful protesters," the National Unity Government's defence ministry said in a statement on social media after Sunday's attack.

In the incident, a "flash

Police stand on a road during an anti-coup protest in Mandalay, Myanmar, March 3, 2021

mob" protest in Yangon, Myanmar's largest city, was rammed minutes after it started, witnesses said.

"I got hit and fell down in front of a truck. A soldier beat me with his rifle but I defended and pushed him back. Then he immediately shot at me as I ran away in a zig-zag pattern.

Fortunately, I escaped," a protester who asked not to be identified for security reasons told Reuters by phone.

A car occupied by soldiers hit the crowd from the back, two witnesses said, and followed the scattered protesters arresting and beating them. Some were seriously injured with head wounds and unconscious, according to the witnesses.

A spokesman for the ruling junta did not answer

calls seeking comment on Sunday.

The military has said that protesters who have been killed instigated the violence. It says it staged the coup because a November election won by Suu Kyi's party was rigged. The election commission has dismissed the assertion.

Wars with ethnic minority insurgents in remote frontier regions in the north and east have intensified significantly since the coup, displacing tens of thousands of civilians, according to United Nations estimates.

Suu Kyi, 76, faces a dozen cases against her including incitement and violations of COVID-19 protocols.

She has rejected all the charges to date. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Bob Dole: Biden leads tributes to a “dear friend”

U

Bob Dole, pictured in 1996

S President Joe Biden has led tributes from both sides of America's political divide to veteran Republican Bob Dole, who has died aged 98.

President Biden said Dole was a "dear friend" and "an American statesman like few in our history".

Dole was a long-time senator for Kansas who ran as the Republican party's presidential nominee in 1996, losing to the Democrat Bill Clinton.

He was also a World War Two veteran who nearly perished on the battlefield.

News of Dole's death was announced by his wife's foundation, which said he had "served the United States of America faithfully for 79 years".

Dole's opponent in the 1996 election, Bill Clinton,

said Dole's example should "inspire people today and for generations to come".

Former Republican President George W Bush said Dole "represented the finest of American values", while his Democratic successor Barack Obama called him a "war hero, a political leader, and a statesman".

In Congress, Democratic House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi ordered the flags at the US Capitol to be flown at halfmast in tribute.

The Senate's Republican leader Mitch McConnell said Dole lived "the kind of full, rich, and deeply honorable American life that will be impossible for any tribute to fully capture".

Dole grew up in Kansas during the Great Depression and survived injuries that

cost him the use of his arm and right hand, before embarking on a political career that saw him elected five times as US Senator for Kansas and serving as both Senate majority and minority leader.

He was vice-presidential candidate for Gerald Ford in 1976, losing to Democrats Jimmy Carter and Walter Mondale.

Dole was a distant second to Bill Clinton in the 1996 presidential race, coming up against a youthful incumbent at a time when the economy was booming.

Politically, he was known as a pragmatist, willing to work with Democrats on bipartisan initiatives, in particular on disability rights.

He also had a reputation for blunt speaking and a sharp, sometimes self-deprecating wit.

After what was perceived to have been a gaffe in a 1976 vice-presidential debate, he said: "I was supposed to go for the jugular.

And I did - my own."

When Bill Clinton gave him the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1997, he started reading the oath taken when presidents are sworn in, before joking "sorry, wrong speech". (Excerpt from BBC News)

he United States, the European Union and 20 other countries have condemned the Taliban over allegations of summary killings of former police and intelligence officers in Afghanistan.

The statement on Saturday came after Human Rights Watch (HRW) published a report documenting the killing or disappearance of at least 47 members of the Afghan National Security Forces.

The countries said they were “deeply concerned” by the allegations and underlined that the “alleged actions constitute serious human rights abuses and contradict the Taliban’s announced amnesty” for former Afghan officials.

They called on the Taliban “to effectively enforce the amnesty for former members of the Afghan security forces and former Government officials to ensure that it is upheld across the country and throughout their ranks,” and urged prompt and transparent investigations into the reported killings.

The countries include Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom and Ukraine.

The Taliban took power in Afghanistan in August as the US-backed government in Kabul collapsed in the wake of American troops leaving the country.

The armed group, keen to gain international recognition, has pledged its rule will be different to its previous time in government in the 1990s, which included public stonings, limb amputations of alleged criminals and a ban on women’s education.

But the new government has continued to carry out violent punishments, and the United Nations has expressed concern about “credible allegations” that the Taliban has carried out

A Taliban fighter searches a car as they hold a checkpoint in Kabul, Afghanistan, November 27, 2021 [Ali Khara/ Reuters]

reprisal killings since their victory.

In its report, HRW said Taliban leaders have directed surrendering security forces to register with authorities in order to be screened for ties to certain military or special forces units, and to receive a letter guaranteeing their safety.

“However, the Taliban have used these screenings to detain and summarily execute or forcibly disappear individuals within days of their registration, leaving their bodies for their relatives or communities to find,” HRW said.

The group said its research indicates the Taliban have killed or forcibly disappeared more than 100 former members of the Afghan security forces in the provinces of Ghazni, Helmand, Kunduz and Kandahar provinces.

It also noted that the Taliban had announced the establishment of a commission to investigate reports of human rights abuses, corruption, theft and other crimes but said the commission had not announced any investigations into any reported killings.

“The Taliban’s unsupported claims that they will act to prevent abuses and hold abusers to account appears, so far, to be nothing more than a public rela-

tions stunt,” it said.

The Taliban have repeatedly denied sanctioning attacks on former members of the security forces and in late November, it said it had formed a commission to purge “people of bad character” from their ranks.

In an audio recording, Taliban deputy chief and Afghan Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani appealed to “our brothers to cooperate with the commission and don’t protect or support any individual of bad character on the basis of personal friendship”.

No country has formally recognised the Taliban government yet, while billions of dollars in Afghan assets and funds abroad have been frozen, even as the country faces severe economic and humanitarian crises.

US officials held talks with Taliban representatives in Qatar earlier this week, and expressed deep concern over human rights abuses and urged the group to provide countrywide access to education at all levels for women and girls.

Shortly afterwards, on Friday, the Taliban released a decree on women’s rights saying women should not be considered “property” and must not be forced into marriage.

(Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

18

guyanatimesgy.com

MONDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2021

Regional

26 more lives lost to COVID-19, In new blow to Venezuelan 601 new cases in T&T Opposition, major leader quits interim Government T

he Trinidadian Health Ministry is reporting 26 more lives have been lost to COVID-19 in its latest update, and that another 601 people have tested positive for the disease.

In its update for Sunday, December 5, 2021, the Ministry noted that these latest deaths have pushed up the national death toll to 2262.

In addition, the 601 new positive cases, based on samples taken between December 2 and December 4, mean that there are now 12,290 active cases of COVID-19 in the country, at

J

this time.

More than 11,000 people currently are in home

self-isolation, with 161 in step-down facilities.

(Trinidad Guardian)

Bukele steps up El Salvador’s bet on sliding bitcoin, buys another 150 coins

E

l Salvador President Nayib Bukele said the Central American country had acquired an additional 150 bitcoins after the digital currency’s value slumped again, enlarging his bet on the cryptocurrency despite criticism.

Bitcoin, the world’s biggest and best-known cryptocurrency, is down about 30 per cent from the year’s high of US$69,000 on November 10. Bukele said last week that El Salvador

had acquired 100 additional coins to take advantage of the currency weakening.

Late on Friday, Bukele announced the Government had stepped into the market again.

“El Salvador just bought the dip! 150 coins at an average USD price of ~$48,670,” Bukele wrote on Twitter.

Until November 26, El Salvador had 1220 bitcoins.

In September, El Salvador became the

world’s first nation to adopt bitcoin as legal tender, a move that generated global media attention, but also attracted criticism from the Opposition and foreign financial institutions.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) said on Monday that El Salvador should not use bitcoin as legal tender, considering risks related to the cryptocurrency.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

Brazilian Supreme Court orders probe into Bolsonaro for linking COVID-19 vaccine and AIDS

T

he Brazilian Supreme Court has ordered a probe into President Jair Bolsonaro for claiming that COVID-19 vaccines may increase the chances of contracting AIDS. In a live broadcast on October 24, Bolsonaro said that “official reports from the UK Government suggest that fully-vaccinated people … are developing Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome much faster than anticipated”.

Facebook and Instagram took down that video days later, saying it violates their rules.

Bolsonaro was also temporarily suspended from Facebook and YouTube after his comments.

According to the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV and AIDS, COVID-19 vaccines approved by health regulators are safe for most people, including those living with HIV, the virus that causes the Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome known as AIDS. The probe, ordered

by Judge Alexandre de Moraes on Friday, paves

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro

the way for the country’s top Prosecutor, Augusto Aras, to look into the accusation raised by a pandemic inquiry conducted

by Brazil’s Senate.

In his ruling, Moraes said that Bolsonaro “used the modus operandi of mass dissemination schemes in social networks”, which requires further investigation.

In October, a Senate investigative committee, known in Portuguese as a CPI, found that Bolsonaro committed nine crimes related to his widely-criticised handling of the coronavirus pandemic, including crimes against humanity, and requested

that the Supreme Court order a probe.

Moraes implied that he will be closely supervising the probe, as the Supreme Court does not conduct its own investigations.

Bolsonaro, who claims not to have taken the vaccine, has flouted local health protocols since the start of the pandemic and has complained that restrictions aimed at controlling the coronavirus do more harm than good.

He first tested positive for COVID-19 in July 2020, after downplaying the seriousness of the virus for months. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

ulio Borges, who serves as Foreign Minister for Venezuela’s US-backed interim Government, said on Sunday he would leave his post, further weakening the Opposition just weeks after it was routed in regional elections.

The United States and dozens of other countries recognise the interim Government, led by Juan Guaidó and formed at the beginning of 2019, and consider the 2018 re-election of socialist President Nicolás Maduro to be fraudulent.

The interim Government is not serving its purpose, Borges, whose differences with Guaidó are well-known, said in an online news conference.

“The (interim) Government makes sense as an instrument to get out of the dictatorship. But at this moment, in our way of seeing

Julio Borges

it, the interim Government has been damaged,” Borges said.

“Instead of being an instrument to fight the dictatorship, the interim Government has become a kind of ... caste,” he said.

Borges lives in Bogota, the capital of neighbouring Colombia, where he was granted political asylum after Maduro’s Government accused him of being part of a plot against the president.

He is a member of the First Justice party, one of the four major Opposition parties and part of Guaidó’s coalition in the national assembly.

Neither First Justice nor Guaidó’s office immediately responded to requests for comment.

Borges said he would make his resignation official during a legislative session on Tuesday and that the interim Government should “disappear”. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Chile detects 1st case of Omicron variant of the coronavirus

C

hilean health authorities reported on Saturday that they detected the first case of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus in a person who had arrived in the copper-producing South American country from Africa.

The foreign patient residing in Chile arrived in the country on November 25 from Ghana with a recently-taken negative COVID-19 test. But a subsequent test taken upon arrival in Chile was positive and then sequenced.

“The passenger, who had two doses of the Pfizer vaccine, is currently in good health and fulfilling his isolation,” the Secretary of Health of the Valparaiso region in Chile said in a statement.

A sign reading “mandatory control” is seen at a sanitary authority office at the international passenger arrivals area in the International Airport of Santiago, amid the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Chile, December 21, 2020

Chile joins Brazil and Mexico on the list of Latin American countries with cases of the variant detected. Japan also found the variant in a passenger ar-

riving from Peru.

Chile has had a decrease in infections in recent weeks thanks to its massive vaccination programme. (Reuters)

Antigua & Barbuda starts COVID-19 booster vaccine programme today

A

ntigua and Barbuda Health, Wellness, and the Environment Minister, Sir Molwyn Joseph said the Ministry would begin administering COVID-19 booster vaccines to specific groups, starting today.

In making the announcement on Saturday, Joseph said the policy was being implemented by the Government on the heels of recommendations made by the National COVID-19 Vaccination Technical Working Group and Senior Medical Technicians with-

in the Ministry.

He said the additional doses of the COVID-19 vaccines would be administered to the most vulnerable and at-risk groups within the society in the first instance. These include healthcare providers such as doctors, nurses, radiologists, pharmacists, and emergency medical technicians.

Focus will also be placed on immuno-compromised individuals such as cancer patients, renal dialysis, and transplant patients, people living with

HIV/AIDS, and people receiving immune-suppressive therapy.

Once the vaccine programme progresses, citizens and residents 60 years and over will be prioritised, including those people living in long-term care facilities.

To be considered eligible for the booster vaccine, an individual must have received their second dose of a two-dose vaccine or a single dose of a one-dose vaccine at least six months ago. (CMC)

guyanatimesgy.com

MONDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2021

19

Around the World

OILNEWS OIL NEWS Indonesia Semeru volcanic

eruption kills 14; dozens injured

UK North Sea's oil and gas future darkens after Shell's Cambo exit

U

p until a few days ago, the leadership of British North Sea producer Siccar Point was negotiating the sale of a stake in the promising Cambo oil development to another private equity-backed company, NEO, sources told Reuters.

But on Thursday Royal Dutch Shell, Siccar Point's partner in the project, pulled its support for Cambo amid a wider public debate about the future of fossil fuels development in the North Sea. The deal with NEO, as well as the future of the 1.9 billion pound (US$2.51 billion) project, were thrown into disarray, according to three industry sources.

Shell's decision sends a negative signal to other companies, investors and bankers who are thinking about putting money into the ageing basin, including by buying assets from majors, industry sources told Reuters.

The withdrawal from Cambo came several weeks after a British regulator rejected Shell's plans to develop another North Sea gasfield, Jackdaw, whose future also remains in doubt unless Shell comes up with a revised plan that passes muster.

In its announcement on Thursday, Shell said Cambo was not economically viable. But company sources said the decision was also influenced by climate protests against developing new oil and gas resources in the North Sea, as well as public opposition to Cambo by Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.

"It's an economic decision but that's not to say that the external environment doesn't impact the decision. It's about business risk," one Shell source said.

Siccar Point and Shell have delayed the decision on whether to develop Cambo several times in recent years, most recently due to the coronavirus pandemic. However, Siccar Point had been close to a deal with NEO, sources close to the matter said, although it was unclear what size stake was being discussed or what the value of the deal would have been.

Oil companies including Shell and BP have been major investors in the North Sea for decades. Despite scaling back their presence in the basin in recent years, they still consider it as central to their future in oil and gas as well as offshore wind operations.

While hosting the COP26 climate summit last month, Britain decided not to join an alliance of countries vowing to stop new oil and gas projects on their territory.

Growing pressure from investors, governments and climate activists, however, has led oil majors to scale back spending on oil and gas projects and increase investments in renewable energy in order to slash greenhouse gas emissions.

And if the UK Government fails to make clear its support for investment in the sector after Shell's move, output from the mature North Sea oil and gas basin could fall more rapidly than previously expected, industry sources told Reuters.

Oil and gas fields require regular investment in drilling new wells and fields in order to offset the natural depletion in other fields. The more mature the fields, the more investment is needed.

British oil and gas production at about 1.5 million barrels of oil equivalent per day (boepd), or about 1% of global oil demand, has fallen from a peak of around 4.4 million boe/d in 1999.

While investments in wells near existing fields are expected to continue, companies will now hesitate before making decisions on big capital projects.

Climate campaigners and some investors welcomed Shell's exit from Cambo, after activists pointed to a report by the International Energy Agency (IEA) saying that no new oil and gas projects should be developed in order to restrict global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

Siccar Point and some politicians have said that halting new oil and gas development in the North Sea could leave Britain more reliant on higher-emissions imported fuel.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

T

he eruption of Semeru volcano has killed at least 14 people and injured dozens on Java island, Indonesia's disaster agency said on Sunday, as rescue teams searched for victims under layers of ash, sometimes digging with their bare hands.

Semeru, the tallest mountain on Java, threw up towers of ash and hot clouds on Saturday that blanketed nearby villages in East Java province and sent people fleeing in panic.

The eruption destroyed buildings and severed a strategic bridge connecting two areas in the nearby district of Lumajang with the city of Malang, authorities said.

A BNPB official said in a news conference late on

Villagers stand among damaged houses following the eruption of Mount Semeru volcano in Supiturang village, Lumajang, East Java province, Indonesia, December 5, 2021, in this photo taken

by Antara Foto/Ari Bowo Sucipto/via Reuters

Sunday that 14 people had been killed, nine of whom have been identified, and 56 people suffered injuries, most of them burns.

Around 1300 people have

been evacuated, while nine people remain unaccounted for, BNPB said.

Taufiq Ismail Marzuqi, a resident in the district of Lumajang who had volun-

teered to help, told Reuters that rescue efforts were "very dire" because of the severed bridge and volunteers lacking experience.

In a video he recorded, Police and military officials tried to excavate bodies with their bare hands.

Rescuers in the village of Curah Kobokan, also in Lumajang, found the body of a mother still holding her dead baby, the state news agency Antara reported.

A Reuters witness in the Sumberwuluh area said homes and vehicles were almost completely submerged by thick, grey ash, fallen trees blocked roads and a cow which villagers had been unable to rescue lay by the roadside, the witness said. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Pope condemns treatment Palestinians, rights of migrants in Europe group condemn Jerusalem “execution”

The pontiff met children in the Mavrovouni camp

T

he Pope has denounced "narrow self-interest and nationalism" over the way European countries treats migrants.

Speaking on the Greek island of Lesbos, Pope Francis called the neglect of migrants the "shipwreck of civilisation".

The Pope first visited Lesbos in 2016, when it was a major entry point for people trying to reach Europe.

Since then, new flashpoints have emerged and the Pope expressed regret that little had changed.

Last month 27 people died when their inflatable dinghy sank in the Channel between France and the UK. The number of people attempting the crossing has been growing, with more than 26,000 people arriving in the UK so far this year, more than double last year's total.

Several people have also died in freezing temperatures attempting to cross into Poland from Belarus, which denies accusations it has been orchestrating the crisis at its border to desta-

bilise the EU. "In Europe there are those who persist in treating the problem as a matter that does not concern them this is tragic," Pope Francis said.

"History teaches us that narrow self-interest and nationalism lead to disastrous consequences."

The pontiff was speaking at a temporary camp housing about 2000 asylum-seekers, which replaced the overcrowded Moria camp that was destroyed in fires last year.

While the coronavirus pandemic had shown that major challenges had to be confronted together and there were some signs of this happening on climate change, there was little sign of such an approach to migration, he said.

"It is easy to influence public opinion by instilling fear of the other," Pope Francis said.

"The remote causes should be attacked, not the poor people who pay the consequences and are even used for political propaganda."

(Excerpt from BBC News)

Israeli Police and paramedics carry the body of a man shot near Jerusalem's Old City

P

alestinian officials and human rights groups have condemned the killing of a Palestinian man after he carried out a stabbing attack in occupied East Jerusalem.

Israeli Police have released surveillance video from the site of the attack near Jerusalem’s Old City on Saturday.

In the footage, the Palestinian, identified as 25-year-old Mohammad Salima, appears to stab an ultra-Orthodox Jewish man and then approaches an Israeli Police officer before being shot and falling to the ground.

Other footage shot by bystanders appeared to show Israeli Police officers continuing to shoot Salima from point-blank range while he was lying on the ground and not appearing to pose a threat.

Israel’s Magen David Adom emergency service said the stabbing victim was a 20-year-old man who was taken to hospital in “moderate to severe condition”.

The United Nation’s

Human Rights Office (OHCHR) said it was “shocked by the apparent extra-judicial execution”.

“Extra-judicial killings such as this are the consequence of the regular resort to lethal force by well-armed and well-protected Israeli security personnel against Palestinians, and the almost total lack of accountability for killings and injuries of Palestinians by Israeli forces. Will there be accountability in this case? The UN Human Rights Office is monitoring the case further.”

Israel’s Justice Ministry said two Police officers were brought in for questioning over the killing, according to Israeli media. The Ministry’s Police Investigations Unit said the Police officers were questioned shortly after the incident and released without conditions.

Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said he “fully backs” the officers, saying in a statement they “operated as expected of Israeli officers”. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

20

MONDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2021

guyanatimesgy.com

ARCHIE

ARIES (March 21April 19)

TAURUS

DILBERT

(April 20May 20)

Think for yourself. Don't let others intervene. Look at what you can do and put your energy where it counts. Stick to your budget and call on those you know you can depend on.

You will thrive on change, but you must do your homework before you jump into something that looks exciting.

An opportunity is good only if you are willing to put in the time and effort required.

Make yourself clear. Leave GEMINI nothing to chance or in the (May 21- hands of someone incompeJune 20) tent. Take responsibility and see matters through to the end. Don't give in to temptation. Do your own thing.

CANCER (June 21July 22)

PEANUTS

LEO (July 23Aug. 22)

VIRGO (Aug. 23Sept. 22)

CALVIN AND HOBBES

LIBRA (Sept. 23Oct. 23)

SUDOKU

SATURDAY'S WORD -- REDHEADS

SOLUTION FOR LAST PUBLISHED PUZZLE

SCORPIO (Oct. 24Nov. 22)

Set high standards. Use your imagination, and you'll develop innovative ideas that will help you reach your goal.

Refuse to let anyone talk you into spending more than necessary.

Don't let anger take charge. Set your plans in motion, and don't stop until you are satisfied with the results. A financial or contractual opportunity looks promising. Keep the peace.

Participate in events that will help you get ahead.

Pursuing educational opportunities and attending networking functions will pay off. Be a good listener and an honest and loyal friend.

Change the way you handle your finances to ensure you maintain a comfortable lifestyle. A unique approach to work will help you gain respect and recognition. Share your thoughts.

Keep close tabs on your spending. Efficiency and moderation will ward off uncertainty. Personal improvement will encourage better relationships with loved ones. Romance is favored.

SAGITTARIUS Be brave and face headon any problems you en(Nov. 23counter. How you respond Dec. 21) to others will determine the outcome of a situation that is holding you back. Be upfront regarding your plans.

Embrace what life has to CAPRICORN offer and do whatever you can to make the world a bet(Dec. 22ter place. Take responsibilJan. 19) ity and set a high standard.

Keep life simple and be a kind and loyal friend.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20Feb. 19)

Consider the consequences of your actions, then assess how to proceed.

Nothing is too great a challenge if you think matters through and draw on expert advice.

Lend a helping hand to a loved one. Stick to the truth, (Feb. 20and it will help clear up uncerMarch 20) tainty and confusion. A change in the way you handle money matters will help resolve a debt.

PISCES

MONDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2021

21

Spinners floor New Zealand as India close in on win

W

ith two days to go, India are now five wickets away from a win while New Zealand will need a huge miracle to make a game out of this as they are still 400 runs away from victory.

Ravichandran Ashwin ran through New Zealand's top four with a three-wicket haul. Daryl Mitchell and Henry Nicholls showed some grit, but two wickets towards the end of the day put India firmly in the driver's seat going into the penultimate day.

Earlier in the day, Mayank Agarwal led the way with a fifty while Cheteshwar Pujara, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, and Axar Patel all made valuable contributions to take India to 276-6d.

Starting at 69-0, Pujara began the day in style with back-to-back boundaries off the bowling of Ajaz Patel, eager to add to his 10-wicket haul in the first innings. Agarwal joined in for India, hitting a six and a four of his own in consecutive deliveries, bringing up a halfcentury in the process.

Agarwal would fall for 62, with Ajaz taking his 11th wicket for the match, miscuing to Will Young.

Eleven became 12 for the left-arm orthodox spinner, claiming Pujara for 47 with a thick edge to Ross Taylor at slip.

Ajaz bowled 12 overs in the first session of day three, as Gill and Kohli moved into a lead in excess of

intensity in a six-over period that saw Young and Mitchell score 29 runs that included six boundaries.

400 at lunch. After the break, the batters took the attack to William Somerville, with Kohli and Gill smashing a six each in consecutive overs.

Gill, who looked set for a big score, once again fell short of his fifty, with Rachin Ravindra bagging his maiden Test wicket. Shreyas Iyer made his intent clear as soon as he walked out to bat, clearing the ropes twice off Somerville's bowling, before he was stumped out by Ajaz for an eight-ball 14.

India lost their third wicket in four overs when Kohli chopped on a ball from Ravindra for 36.

Wriddhiman Saha too followed the Captain back to the pavilion soon, but it had no effect on the approach of Axar, who used the left-arm

angle of Ajaz and Ravindra to his advantage as he smashed them to all parts.

He was unbeaten on 41 off just 26 balls, an innings that include three fours and four maximums, when Kohli decided to declare after the wicket of Jayant Yadav, setting New Zealand a target of 540.

India got off to a perfect start, with Ashwin getting the better of Tom Latham for the eighth time in Test cricket, trapping him in front of the stumps for 6 as New Zealand went to tea at 13-1.

Mohammed Siraj came out all guns blazing after the break and was breathing fire in the first two overs of the final session of the day.

New Zealand went on the counterattack soon and showed some

Ashwin struck twice in two overs to expose the middle order.

Ashwin got one to spin and bounce sharply and caught Young on the backfoot, as he inside-edged onto the pads and into the hands of short leg.

Taylor’s uncomfortable stay at the crease lasted only six balls, as he mistimed a slog sweep that Pujara gobbled up in a good catch running backwards.

Mitchell, in the company of Nicholls, continued to take the attack to the bowlers and kept the scoreboard ticking by finding the ropes with regularity. Consecutive boundaries off Umesh Yadav first brought up the 50-run partnership of the pair as well as Mitchell's second Test fifty.

Axar brought an end to the resistance from the fourth-wicket pair. Mitchell, who had hit the leftarm spinner for a six the previous ball, decided to take the aerial route, but holed out to Jayant Yadav at deep cover.

Tom Blundell made the long walk back without disturbing the scorers. Trying to steal a single after playing it to mid-on, Blundell was halfway down the track when Nicholls sent him back. KS Bharat sent a good throw adjacent to the

stumps and Saha whipped the bails off with the batter well short of his crease.

Ravindra and Nicholls saw off

the remaining eight overs of the day, with New Zealand still 400 runs behind the target of 540 with only five wickets in hand. (ICC)

SCOREBOARD IND 2nd Innings Mayank Agarwal c Young b Patel 62 Cheteshwar Pujara c Taylor b Patel 47 Shubman Gill c Latham b Ravindra 47 Virat Kohli (c) b Ravindra 36 Shreyas Iyer st †Blundell b Patel 14 Wriddhiman Saha † c Jamieson b Ravindra 13 Axar Patel not out 41 Jayant Yadav c & b Patel 6 Extras (b 6, lb 3, nb 1) 10 TOTAL (70 Ov, RR: 3.94) 276/7d Did not bat: Ravichandran Ashwin, Mohammed Siraj, Umesh Yadav Fall of wickets: 1-107 (Mayank Agarwal, 31.2 ov), 2-115 (Cheteshwar Pujara, 35.5 ov), 3-197 (Shubman Gill, 59.4 ov), 4-211 (Shreyas Iyer, 61.2 ov), 5-217 (Virat Kohli, 62.1 ov), 6-238 (Wriddhiman Saha, 66.2 ov), 7-276 (Jayant Yadav, 69.6 ov.

BOWLING O-M-R-W Tim Southee 13-2-31-0 Ajaz Patel 26-3-106-4 Kyle Jamieson 8-2-15-0 William Somerville 10-0-59-0

Rachin Ravindra

13-2-56-3

NEW ZEALAND 2ND INNINGS (TARGET: 540 RUNS) Tom Latham (c)lbw b Ashwin 6 Will Young c sub (SA Yadav) b Ashwin 20 Daryl Mitchell c J Yadav b Patel 60 Ross Taylor c Pujara b Ashwin 6 Henry Nicholls not out 36 Tom Blundell †run out (sub [KS Bharat]/†Saha) 0 Rachin Ravindra not out 2 Extras (b 8, lb 1, nb 1) 10 TOTAL (45 Ov, RR: 3.11) 140/5 Yet to bat: Kyle Jamieson, Tim Southee, William Somerville, Ajaz Patel Fall of wickets: 1-13 (Tom Latham, 3.6 ov), 2-45 (Will Young, 14.3 ov), 3-55 (Ross Taylor, 16.1 ov), 4-128 (Daryl Mitchell, 34.3 ov), 5-129 (Tom Blundell, 36.5 ov) BOWLING O-M-R-W Mohammed Siraj 5-2-13-0 Ravichandran Ashwin 17-7-27-3 Axar Patel 10-2-42-1 Jayant Yadav 8-2-30-0 Umesh Yadav 5-1-19-0

Of failures, platitudes and the status quo

By Wade Gibbons

There is perhaps nothing more +pathetic than listening to West Indian captains trying to speak positively after unending defeats.

But if one really wanted to find ineffectiveness dressed in finery, one need not look any further than the present Cricket West Indies (CWI) administration.

Much has been written about the state of affairs of West Indies cricket on the field. But hard as it might seem, regional cricket is neither hopeless nor is it broken.

However, remove CWI’s cosmetics and the fault lines within are widening with every platitude and excuse that emanate from the organisation’s hierarchy.

But let’s give our cricket situation some context. Similar to our politics and much of our social interactions in the Caribbean, everything appears to be mired in a form of “old-boys club” philosophy. And when one does not play ball with the “boys” one can expect backlash even from regional Prime Ministers. It might be lost on many, but West Indies cricket has regressed under the presidency of Ricky Skerritt. One would not believe this though, especially with the silence from erstwhile noisemakers such as the likes of Prime Ministers Dr Ralph Gonsalves and Dr Keith Mitchell who have somehow lately become afflicted with acute laryngitis.

In sports, like most endeavours, discipline, consistency, accountability, performance and commitment are paramount.

One must question whether the present administration and many of the cricketers who have been resurrected by CWI have ticked all or any of those boxes.

Former West Indies opener Philo Wallace hit the proverbial nail on the

head when he recently accused CWI of basically ceding control of West Indies cricket to the players. Skerritt, from the outset, has appeared to move away from an environment of discipline and accountability which former President Dave Cameron had attempted to instil in West Indies cricket on and off the field, to one where in an effort to ingratiate himself with the players, his administration has not held its ground on player commitment, discipline, performance and general standards. Indeed, CWI has become so numbed by failure that it now seemingly embraces it with the occasional platitude.

Back in 2002 with the lack of commitment and rising failure that are now attached to the regional side being evident then, as well as several question marks over Brian Lara’s captaincy, CWI President Pat Rosseau sacked then manager Skerritt.

This followed a series of failures against England, Australia and South Africa. But the weak-kneed Board reinstated Skerritt, and Rosseau and his deputy Clarvis Joseph resigned.

Rosseau made it clear then that their decisions were made after “evaluating team performance”.

Team performance and accountability were high on the agenda of former President Cameron as well. No one, it seems, took notice that he tried to make players commit to West Indies cricket and rewarded them for doing so, including those outside of the international set-up. No one seemed to notice that the West Indies team won three global championships under his watch, even though there were still a lot of work to be done with the regional game. But it was trending in the right direction. Instead, territorial boards and a few Prime

CWI President Ricky Skirrett

Ministers became preoccupied with Cameron’s style and his alleged arrogance. He seemingly snubbed the ‘old-boys club’. That was his sin and he was dumped by the territorial boards after a successfully-orchestrated public relations campaign. The likes of Dwayne Bravo and crew who were on the ill-fated 2014 tour of India that threatened subsequently to pauperise West Indies finances further, not surprisingly found their way back into the firmament under Skerritt. An investigation one day might reveal more than what was told on the surface, both in India and in the corridors of some regional boardrooms.

India were not particularly enamoured of Cameron. After all, the business-like Jamaican had challenged the International Cricket Council’s status quo, particularly the finance model that favoured India and disadvantaged blocs like the West Indies. One might never know what played out among the regional boards and India, especially with the massive forgiveness of debt by India, post-2014, and any conditions which might have been attached.

But as Wallace suggested, administrative control of regional

cricket has slackened.

It is a lack of firmness with the players that has contributed to the likes of Darren Bravo now being a pitiful memory of what could have been. He was called out by Cameron for his inconsistency, denied an A grade retainer contract which he did not merit at the time, and rather than attempt to raise his game, he took the road of petulance. Bravo started his career around the same time as India’s Virat Kohli, New Zealand’s Kane Williamson, England’s Joe Root and Australia’s Steve Smith.

But while they have all progressed, averaging in the 50s in Test cricket, Bravo wallows in the mediocrity of a batting average of 36.

A victim of a CWI environment where high performance is a mere sweet-sounding term that can be conveniently side-stepped.

It is not happenstance that the likes of Kieron Pollard, Dwayne Bravo and Andre Russell have noticeably better stats for their various franchises, especially the Indian Premier League, than they have for the West Indies. Their longevity for these franchises rests on performance. For the West Indies, where the cliques are well entrenched, poor performances do not often result in removal of certain players. Russell has become the poster child for failing and pulling up lame while in West Indies colours, but subsequently turning up for one franchise or the other across the globe. But if CWI continuously drops the ball on enforcing commitment and performance, why blame the players for milking this errant administrative system as much as they possibly can.

The West Indies team failure at the recent Twenty20 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates can be linked to off-field administrative ineptitude. In a tournament that athleticism and fitness can be as important as batting and bowling

form, exemptions were given to oldsters Chris Gayle and Ravi Rampaul. Attitude and discipline went through the window with Gayle’s obnoxious riposte to legendary fast bowler Sir Curtly Ambrose’s 100 per cent accurate assessment of the 42-year- old Jamaican’s participation in the team. Where was the rebuke from CWI? Where was the apology from Gayle. . . a repetition of a similar 2020 rant directed at Ramnaresh Sarwan during the Caribbean Premier League? Instead, we were made to take Chief Executive Officer Johnny Grave’s word that he had a “quiet word” with him about the Sir Curtly incident. What is not a “quiet word” is the announcement by Grave of basically a benefit game for Gayle in Jamaica against Ireland. It is ironic that an individual such as Shivnarine Chanderpaul who dedicated his life to West Indies cricket - not franchise tournaments - was never afforded such a courtesy, but Gayle, who turned his back on both regional fourday cricket as well as Test cricket in 2014, while pursuing lucrative Twenty20 contracts here, there and everywhere, is being gifted a “retirement” game. This is the environment being nurtured by the present CWI administration. Of course, the players must be allowed to make millions while the sun shines, but they can’t have their franchise cake and eat West Indies leftovers too.

One can recall Gayle turning up two days before the May 2009 Lord’s Test because the IPL tournament in South Africa was perhaps more important.

West Indies were mauled in the series.

Again, in keeping with the acceptance of mediocrity, following the West Indies’ failures in the World Cup, CWI indicated they would be retaining Pollard, whose great captaincy acumen is as much a

myth as Big Foot and the Loch Ness Monster (just ask Hayden Walsh Jr, whose cricket continues to suffer under his leadership), as well as the selection panel of Roger Harper. Skerritt said there would be no knee-jerk reaction to our pathetic performances.

Perhaps, one can also interpret that as any attempt to right wrongs in our cricket, or to cultivate a culture of accountability and professionalism in the present environment, equates to knee-jerk reactions. God help us!

The advent of the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted cricket across the globe.

This has led to the cancellation of four-day cricket in the Caribbean since last year.

However, First-Class cricket has resumed in countries such as Pakistan and India, among others, but to date, CWI has not restarted the regional First-Class game. Yet, we are sending the West Indies team to play Test cricket without proper, lengthy four-day game preparation and expecting different results to what has transpired in Sri Lanka and what took place against South Africa in the Caribbean in June. These are areas where CWI must concentrate its efforts rather than the hierarchy of the organisation playing personality politics with the game.

West Indies cricket captains on the field have become adroit at finding positives and stretching euphemisms at post-defeat media chats. West Indies leadership off the field has turned cricketing rhetoric that cushions its shortcomings, into high science. The latter is easier fixed than the former, but on-field travails are likely to worsen if the present status quo remains reluctant to enforce the standards and commitment that it ought to and must. (BarbadosToday)

22 LGC concludes successful Vish Trading Golf Tourney MONDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2021

Men’s 19-28 flight winner, Bholawram Deo

T

he Lusignan Golf Club (LGC) concluded yet another successful golf tournament in the form of the Vish Trading Golf Tourney in memory of former owner of the business, Prabudial Ramdial.

The winners of the competition were as follows: Ladies’ 0 -36

• 1 s t – Shanella London • 2nd – Eureka Giddings Men’s 9 and under • 1st – Mohanlall Dindnauth • 2nd – Patrick Prashad Men’s 10-18 • 1st – Aasordeen Shaw • 2nd – Parmanand

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

The winners’ row

Persaud Men’s 19-28 • 1st – Bholawram Deo • 2nd – Troy Cadogan • Nearest to the pin– Avinda Kishore • Longest Drive – Rakesh Harry • Best Gross – Avinda Kishore • Overall best net

– Aasordeen Shaw and Mohanlall Dindnauth Speaking at the end of the tournament was Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Lusignan Golf Club, Anasha Ally who said, “We had a total of 25 persons participating.

The course was in fairly decent condition and Komal Ramdial presented the prizes in mem-

Winner of the men’s 9 and under flight, Dindnauth Mohanlall

ory of his father who passed away 12 years ago."

The format of the tournament was a medal play over 18 holes, net scores in 4 flights and shotgun start, the flights were Men’s 0-9, 10-18, 19-28; and Ladies’ 0-36. A total of 16 prizes were on offer to first and second positions

Men’s 10-18 flight winner, Aasordeen Shaw

in each flight, based on net scores; nearest to flag, longest drive, best net overall-champion and runner-up players of the day, and best gross. There was also a card raffle for three special prizes at the end of the presentation ceremony. All COVID-19 protocols were followed.

Guyana 40s, 50 Not Out book semi-final berths

T “T

Organisers and stakeholders of the GFF’s year-end tournaments

here’s no days you can miss football. There’s football in the Sports Hall and there’s football on the field,” Frank “English” Parris reasoned on Saturday last, and he is quite right.

Commencing on Saturday, December 11, there will be no shortage of football to appease the hunger of avid Guyanese fans, as the Guyana Football Federation (GFF), in collaborating with the Kashif and Shanghai Organisation (K&S) and the Guyana National Women’s Football Association (GNWFA), will host three tournaments over the next few weeks.

Buying into the appeasing ‘year-end football’ tradition, there will be two Super 16 competitions (male and female) and a futsal competition, consisting of 32 of the best street balling teams.

During a media reception hosted by the GFF on Saturday night at the Pegasus Hotel, a number of the tournaments stakeholders were able to dispense pertinent information on the upcoming festivities.

The Women’s Super 16 tournament is scheduled to commence this Saturday, December 11, in St Cuthbert’s Mission, a move that GNWFA President Andrea Johnson hailed as ground-breaking for the community.

As such, Johnson stressed on the heightened participation from hinterland players that would be witnessed throughout the event.

“This inaugural tournament promises to be thrilling with a heavy impact participation of the hinterland regions, who will be showcasing their talent, since we have seen more players from the

hinterland communities being part of the national teams,” Johnson shared.

Aside from this, Johnson also disclosed the tournament’s slogan, which takes a stance against domestic violence.

She explained, “Now, under the tagline “We rise against domestic violence”, we will be using the opportunity throughout this tournament and beyond, to get the message out there that we stand against domestic violence.

We want our voices to be heard.”

The women’s tournament will run from December 11 to January 2, with over $1 million in cash and prizes up for grabs.

On the futsal spectrum, Frank “English” Parris has been able to rope in the likes of Sparta, Gold is Money and Bent Street, some of the best in the business, setting up a riveting 32-team futsal tournament.

“We’ve been working quite a lot, diligently behind the scenes to get this programme going. It’s not an easy programme because it’s not clubs, but I’m working hard and we’re almost there at the touch line of getting this programme completed,” Parris said about the efforts that have been made since the inception of this year’s tournament.

When it comes to prizes, the top team will walk away with $1 million while secownd place will receive $500,000. The third- and fourth-place finishers are slated to receive a cash prize of $300,000 and $200,000 respectively, with a motorcycle prize for the MVP still unconfirmed. The tournament is scheduled to commence on December 14 and end on January 8.

Meanwhile, what is being

considered as the main attraction of the year-end festivities is the male Super 16 tournament, being hosted in collaboration with K&S. “This tournament has done great for football in Guyana, it did good for players,” Kashif Muhammad, who has been in the business of year-end football for over three decades, stated at the event.

While the tournament is expected to grace venues in Georgetown, Linden, Bartica and the East Bank, East Coast and West Coast of Demerara, there is still a decision to be made on whether or not the final will be played at the Leonora Track and Field facility or the Mackenzie Sports Club Ground in Linden. According to Muhammad, it will be dependent on whether or not a Linden-based team makes it to the final.

“Over the years, the tournament got better and there was always the dream of doing better things once more finances come, because we had to manage the finances well, so we could make the tournament into something spectacular,” the National Sports Commission Chairman shared.

The first prize is set at $2 million, while second place will settle for $1 million. The second- and thirdplace finishers will grab $500,000 and $250,000 respectively, while each team will receive a $200,000 participation fee.

The Male Super 16 event will run from December 12 to January 1.

Among the tournaments’ sponsors are BACIF, NAMILCO, MVP Sports, Fitness Express, Grand Coastal Hotel, Pegasus Hotel, Secure Innovations and Concepts, Jai Signs and Mohammed’s Enterprise. (Jemima Holmes)

he Guyana 40s and 50 Not Out proved that they belonged in the Men’s Senior Division, with both teams securing a semifinal berth as the ExxonMobil National Indoor Hockey Championships continued on Saturday at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall.

After a scoreless first half, the 40s struck first in their final pool-round battle against Bounty GCC as former national Captain Devin Munroe connected to a pass on the right side of goal in the 34th minute.

GCC’s tension was relieved two minutes later; however, as Meshach Sargeant removed the deficit by scoring in similar fashion for GCC. The resulting 1-1 draw sets up a highly anticipated semi-final, which happens to include the same two teams.

50 Not Out was in form again with their 4-2 defeat of YMCA Old Fort. Top marksman Philip Fernandes was at it again with a pair of field goals for the 50s, while Dexter Wyles and Alan Fernandes completed the four.

Shaquon Favorite made a great effort in scoring Old Fort’s two goals, but lacked support at the scoring end from his teammates.

The Men’s First-Division semi-finals will see 50 Not Out face tournament favourites the Pepsi Hikers, while Guyana 40s play Bounty GCC. The lone match in the ladies’ division saw a hard-fought battle being won by the undefeated GCC Roulettes. Belgian guest player Leo Berlie was once again the livewire for the Roulettes and scored both goals, while Spartans Captain Gabriella Xavier was the lone scorer for the Spartans.

The women’s semi-finals see the GCC Roulettes being challenged by GCC Ignite in the first and Saints versus GCC Spartans in the second. The Hikers Cadets roll into the semifinals of the Men’s Second Division undefeated and will face YMCA Old Fort. The other

Bounty GCC’s Steven Xavier (left) shows his one-handed skills against Guyana 40s defender Dwayne Scott

semi-final matches the Saints Scorpions against the GCC Pitbulls.

Full results are as follows: Male Division Pepsi Hikers defeated Saints 12-1 Goals: Pepsi Hikers (12) – Aroydy Branford 9, Robert France 2, Jamarj Assanah 1 Saints (1) – Hilmar Chester 50 Not Out defeated YMCA Old Fort 4-2 Goals: 50 Not Out (4) – Philip Fernandes 2, Dexter Wyles 1, Alan Fernandes 1 YMCA Old Fort (2) – Shaquon Favorite 2 Guyana 40s drew with Bounty GCC by 1-1 Goals: Guyana 40s (1) – Devin Munroe Bounty GCC (1) – Meshach Sargeant Female Division GCC Roulettes defeated GCC Spartans 2-1 Goals: GCC Roulettes (2) – Leo Berlie 2 GCC Spartans (1) – Gabriella Xavier Male Second Division Saints Scorpions defeated YMCA Old Fort 5–0 Goals: Saints Scorpions (5) – Tahrea Garnett 2, Tiverasid Garnett 1, Shomere Garnett 1, Shakeem Fausette 1 Hikers Cadets defeated Saints Sensations 4-2 Goals:

Hikers Cadets (4) – Devin Munroe 2, Edmund Chinian 1, Brian Asregado 1 Saints Sensations (2) – Seon Sukhai 1, Jabari Lovell 1 Bounty GCC Pitbulls defeated GCC War Dogs 14-1 Goals: Bounty GCC Pitbulls (14) – Vladimir Woodroffe 5, Rahim Oliver 4, Meshach Sargeant 3, Lennox Carrol 2 GCC War Dogs (1) – Kyle Couchman Saints Scorpions defeated GCC War Dogs 11-0 Goals: Saints Scorpions (11) – Baraka Garnett 5, Taise Seepaul 2, Shakeem Fausette 2, Hilmar Chester 1

CLASSIFIED ADS BUSINESS Business Opportunity of a lifetime.

Earn extra cash. Part-time/Full-time.

Tel: 656-2682

PRODUCTS Would you like to lose weight/gain weight? Lose belly fat? Have Digestive Health? Low Energy? Improve Your Immune System? Tel.: #656-2682

TAXI SERVICE Elegant Cabs. 231-1494 / 2264277, Cell #: 625-6600. 24 hrs.

MONDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2021

23

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

GCB sits privately with Harper before going public to rubbish “ambiguous” CWI selection policy – says President Singh

CWI Lead Selector and technocrat advisor to the GCB, Roger Harper

By Brandon Corlette

C

ricket West Indies (CWI) Lead Selector Roger Harper is also a full voting member of the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB), and he is a technocrat advisor to the GCB's Cricket Development Committee.

The Bissoondyal Singh-led GCB has developed a reputation of coming out all guns blazing and rubbishing CWI selection policy.

Since Harper sits on the GCB and leads the CWI selection panel, the general public constantly asks, whether or not GCB seeks

clarity on CWI selection in private, rather than coming out in the media all guns blazing.

The GCB boss, who described CWI selection policy as ambiguous, disclosed on Saturday that his Board sits in private with Harper before publicly rubbishing the selection policy. "Yes, of course. A lot of times, we have means and ways how we do it. We can stand by why we go public," Singh said.

Singh profoundly clarified that the GCB’s position (in terms of CWI selection) is based strictly on the se-

lection policy and not necessarily the make-up of the Harper-led panel: “This has nothing to do with personality; I want to make that absolutely clear.”

However, Harper, who is a full voting member of the GCB, was not present physically or virtually at the Board's local press conference. When asked about what relationship the other members of the GCB has with Harper, Singh stuttered: "I do not know how to explain relationship."

Another interesting point to note is that both Singh and GCB Vice President Hilbert Foster sit on the Board of CWI Directors.

GCB President Bissoondyal Singh

Despite having that privilege of being among those who have clarity on the selection policy, Singh said he still lacked clarity.

“We are in possession of

something on their website, which does not apply to me.

When we wrote CWI, this is what we got from them. We wrote them and ask them to explain the selection policy,

because we don’t understand it. It’s on the website, but we don’t understand it, and the answer was that they’re not obligated to explain why X, Y and Z players were not selected,” Singh told the local media at Grand Coastal Inn. The GCB boss added: “We still can’t get – up to now – what is really going on. Even though there is a policy, it does not apply to what’s going on. That is our major problem.”

In September 2021, when the T20 World Cup squad was announced, the GCB broke its silence, and rubbished the selection policy, questioning the competence of the selection panel.

BCB successfully hosts Captain Pollard ruled out of Pakistan series – Thomas, Powell named as replacements bowling clinic: King, Devers impressed with young talents

W

Devon Thomas

Sean Devers passing on his knowledge to a youngster

By Brandon Corlette

T

he Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) successfully hosted a bowling clinic for fast bowlers and off-spinners at the Albion Community Centre Cricket Club on Sunday. Former West Indies Test fast bowler Reon King and former Guyana youth player Sean Devers conducted the sessions with assistance from some Berbice Coaches.

Both King and Devers were impressed with the enthusiastic young players who turned out at Albion.

According to the former Test quick, this is a great initiative by the Hilbert Fosterled BCB. "I love doing what I do here, giving back to cricket, to impart my experience and knowledge into these enthusiastic youngsters. Youths turned out, as expected in Berbice, because of the good work Mr Foster, and his team, has been doing in Berbice," he noted.

The towering King, who played 19 Test matches and claimed 293 First-Class wick-

Reon King imparting his fast-bowling knowledge

ets in 95 matches, also spoke about the West Indies U-19 fast bowler Isai Thorne, who he described as an “enthusiastic” youth. "Last time, I saw him he was a lot smaller. I am hearing very good things about him. Sir Curtly has endorsed him, so that's a feather in his cap, good to see him here, to take whatever is on board for him to learn and get better," King explained.

Meanwhile Devers, who is also a Sports Journalist, said it was a good session, and he was impressed with some of the talents on show. "Well, it was a good session. I have seen a couple of young talents, but the bowlers are bowling a bit too fast. Some of them do not have the right bowling techniques, but they are still young. Some of them have good techniques, those who played for Guyana. We spoke about consistency and bowl-

ing the arm-ball. I focus about control, let the batsmen make the mistake, spin bowling is a game of patience," Devers said.

These BCB-organised clinics would be held under the Board’s highly-successful countywide Dr Tulsi Dyal Singh Coaching Programme.

In the past, hundreds of Under-19 players have benefited from the programme, which is sponsored by overseas-based Guyanese Dr Singh.

The Board has since expanded the programme to include former national and international players who are highly respected in the county and are viewed as positive role models. Guyana Jaguars Captain Leon Johnson is also expected to visit the Ancient County to conduct a clinic shortly.

est Indies whiteball Captain Kieron Pollard has been forced to withdraw from the upcoming tour of Pakistan as the hamstring injury he sustained in the International Cricket Council (ICC) Men’s T20 World Cup has, unfortunately, not healed in time.

The Cricket West Indies (CWI) Selection Panel has named the experienced Devon Thomas, as the replacement in the One-Day International (ODI) squad while all-rounder Rovman Powell is the replacement in the T20 International (T20I) squad.

Pollard will undergo rehabilitation work in Trinidad, under the supervision of CWI’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr Israel Dowlat, and will be reassessed in a few weeks ahead of the upcoming home tours against Ireland and England in January 2022.

With Pollard ruled out, Nicholas Pooran will lead the team in the T20Is. He was stand-in Captain when West Indies beat Australia 4-1 in the five-match CG Insurance T20I Series in St Lucia earlier this year. Shai Hope will captain the team in the ODIs

Devon Thomas

Full squads

Kieron Pollard

for the first time. Pooran is Vice Captain for the ODIs and Hope the Vice Captain for the T20Is. The West Indies are due to play three T20Is and three ODIs at the Karachi National Stadium from December 13 to 22. The start times for the matches are: T20Is at 18:00h (6pm) local time (09:00h (9am) Eastern Caribbean/08:00h (8am) Jamaica) and the ODIs at 13:00h (1pm) local time (04:00h (4am) Eastern Caribbean/3am Jamaica).

The ODI series will be West Indies’ fourth series of 12 in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Super League in which the top seven teams can secure automatic qualification for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 in India. West Indies currently lie in eighth position out of 13 teams and have the opportunity to move above Pakistan into seventh position.

One-Day Internationals: Shai Hope (Captain); Nicholas Pooran (Vice Captain); Darren Bravo; Shamarh Brooks; Roston Chase; Justin Greaves; Akeal Hosein; Alzarri Joseph; Gudakesh Motie; Anderson Phillip; Raymon Reifer; Romario Shepherd; Odean Smith; Devon Thomas and Hayden Walsh Jr. T20 Internationals: Nicholas Pooran (Captain); Shai Hope (Vice Captain); Darren Bravo; Roston Chase; Sheldon Cottrell; Dominic Drakes; Akeal Hosein; Brandon King; Kyle Mayers; Gudakesh Motie; Rovman Powell;

Tour schedule

December Karachi December Karachi December Karachi December Karachi December Karachi December Karachi

13 – 1st T20I,

14 – 2nd T20I, 16 – 3rd T20I, 18 – 1st ODI, 20 – 2nd ODI, 22 – 3rd ODI,

MONDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2021

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

Page 23

Page 23

GCB sits privately with Harper before going public to rubbish Captain Pollard ruled “ambiguous” CWI selection policy out of Pakistan series – says President Singh

– Thomas, Powell named as replacements Page 23

BCB successfully hosts bowling clinic: King, Devers impressed with young talents GUYANA TIMES - www.guyanatimesgy.com, email: news@guyanatimesgy.com, NEWS HOTLINE: 231-8063 EDITORIAL: 223-7230, 223-7231, 231-0544, 225-7761 SPORT: sport@guyanatimesgy.com SALES AND MARKETING: 231-8064 - marketing@guyanatimesgy.com - PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY GUYANA TIMES INC.