Guyana Times - Monday January 3, 2022

Mitigation measures could have reduced damage to P2 crops caused by rain – GAWU Nationwide coverage from the best news team in Guyana guyanatimesgy.com

Issue No. 4878

THE BEACON OF TRUTH MONDAY, JANUARY 3, 2022

Govt will not play Opposition’s game of violence, intimidation – President Ali …says “gross unparliamentary behaviour... a violent assault on democracy” See story on page 7

US Embassy reopens commerce department; lull in investment opportunities between 2015-2020 – Tourism Minister See story on page 3

Over $20M in equipment damaged in suspected arson at GPHC

PRICE

$100 VAT INCLUDED

WHAT'S INSIDE:

Row over raw gold ends in P12 murder Man shot with arrow over P13 old grievance 9-year-old P15 hospitalised after bee attack in Berbice Motorcyclists struck down by jeep, car

…another crashes into bus shed

P11

Berbice man burns home after beating wife P15 1 more COVID death recorded as new infections skyrocket P17

See story on page 17

…curfew, other measures extended for another month

Growth in oil & gas expanding maritime, aviation sectors – Edghill Page 9

Essequibo Coast businessman chopped, robbed See story on page 12

…ships at local ports triple, multiple shore bases approved …bandits caught with $4.8M on New Year’s Day

GRA slashes tax exemptions to P17 companies by over $53B in 1 year …able to bring down 5-year -high rise in tax exemptions

2 NEWS

MONDAY, JANUARY 3, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Mitigation measures could have reduced damage to crops caused by rain – GAWU

T

he Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) has said that the damage of 80 per cent of the first crop for 2022 caused by rainfall at the Albion Estate could have been prevented had the traditional mitigation measures been put in place.

In a preliminary report for the 2021 results, the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) disclosed that it lost some 35 per cent of the standing cane for the 2nd Crop of 2021 due to the unprecedented floods experienced but still managed to meet the demands of the local market last year.

The sugar estates in Berbice account for more than 77 per cent of the Corporation’s production, which stood at 58,025 tonnes by the end of 2021.

At the Albion Estate,

where 50 per cent of the production was programmed to be made, some 80 per cent of the standing canes planned to be harvested for the 1st Crop of 2022 were destroyed as a result of the floods.

GuySuCo said it drained some 4.5 million tonnes of water off the land daily during the 65 days’ flood – enough water to fill 2000 Olympic sized swimming pools.

However, GAWU contended that while it was expected that sugar production would be curtailed by the weather, as well as workers, the damages to the crops could have been reduced had the requisite mitigation measures been in place.

“Our Union was advised that several long-standing mitigation measures were not put in place prior to the

onset of the rains. It is felt had those measures been pursued the damages sustained could have been reduced. GuySuCo has informed that some 80% of Albion’s first crop 2022 canes have been damaged,” GAWU said in its year-end review.

According to the Union, the fact that Albion was underwater for several weeks has significantly dented the estate’s contribution to the industry. This, it added, will definitely restrict 2022’s production. But GAWU believes that with adequate and timely resources, along with a motivated workforce, and a proper plan, the Albion Estate could be rehabilitated in a short period.

While the sugar corporation reported that workers were champions in persevering despite ad-

versity, GAWU pointed to GuySuCo’s “scatter shot” when it claimed that workers protests aggregated to some 20,000 man days resulting in losses of $700 million.

The Union noted that this means each worker contributes $35,000 daily to the Corporation’s coffers. Thus, should each of the 7500 workers, at the grinding estates, work just 100 days in 2021 then GuySuCo’s revenue would amount to $26.25 billion.

But it said while workers worked more than 100 days last year, the revenues have not reached such levels.

“The GAWU was heartened to learn that the Corporation has managed to reduce its losses this year.

For us, it demonstrates that investments made are bearing fruit. At the same time, in the media, a debate has

emerged regarding the effectiveness of the current management. Indeed, what has been revealed is troubling if it is true. It seems to indicate that the management needs to be strengthened,” the missive from the Union detailed.

It went on to say that while the Corporation has lost over the years several skilled personnel; given its trajectory there is an urgent need to fill the gaps.

GAWU lauded the Guyana Government for indicating its intention to put this on the agenda for this year.

This is part of the PPP/C Administration’s promise to return the sugar industry to a viable state and reopen the estates that were closed by its predecessor, which sent thousands of sugar workers on the breadline.

Only last month,

Government secured $3.8 billion in supplementary funds to support the distribution of one-off cash grants of $250,000 to the severed sugar workers and for out of crop support for the industry.

Some 5263 dismissed workers benefited from the initiative which totalled $1.3 billion. Of these severed workers, some 1200 were rehired by GuySuCo. In addition to the $2.3 billion for out-of-crop support, another $236 million has been allocated for drainage and irrigation works including providing services to the farmers.

Apart from these supplementary funds, the Dr Irfaan Ali-led Government had previously injected in excess of $9 billion into GuySuCo since assuming office in August 2020. (G8)

NEWS

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MONDAY, JANUARY 3, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

BRIDGE OPENINGS OPENINGS BRIDGE

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

Monday, Jan 3 – 04:00h – 05:30h and Tuesday, Jan 4 – 04:00h – 05:30h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Monday, Jan 3 – No closure

FERRY SCHEDULE

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

WEATHER TODAY

There will be sunshine during the day. Expect clear skies at night. Temperatures should range between 19 degrees Celsius and 30 degrees Celsius.

Winds: North-Easterly to Northerly between 1.78 metres and 5.36 metres.

US Embassy reopens commerce department after lull in investment opportunities between 2015-2020 – Tourism Minister

T

he United States of America Embassy in Guyana has reopened its commerce department and include more staff after the closure of the department during the period 2015 to 2020. This is according to Tourism, Industry and Commerce Minister, Oneidge Walrond.

She made the announcement on Sunday at Bath Settlement, Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice), as she commissioned a new branch

playing confidence in the economy have been getting support from the Government.

“More than ever the business community has seen directly from our President and trickled down to the rest of Ministers and Government, a robust message that local business in Guyana and homegrown and we are here to make sure that they are sustained, developed and nourished and hence the Local Content

ty to speak on the Natural Resource Fund and its impact on small businesses, Minister Walrond explained that, “One of the priorities for the Natural Resource Fund is for small businesses, especially small businesses that are outside of Georgetown. Because we recognise that because all of the infrastructural development and major transformation that is happening, sometimes businesses that are operating outside

High Tide: 17:02h reaching a maximum height of 2.78 metres.

Low Tide: 10:35h and 23:08h reaching minimum heights of 0.63 metre and 0.43 metre.

The opening ceremony on Sunday in front of the $60 million Caribbean Motor Spares outlet at Bath Settlement

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 29, 2021

LOTTERY NUMBERS H

03 10 15

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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2021

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COMMODITIES Indicators

US$

Change %

Crude Oil

$79.20/barrel

-0.15

Rough Rice

$267.08/ton

+0.19

London Sugar

$497.10/ton

+0.49

Live Spot Gold

USD Per Ounce

Bid/Ask

$1831.00

$1832.00

Low/High Change

$1827.20 +1.20

$1833.20 +0.07%

of Caribbean Motor Spares.

According to Minister Walrond, US Ambassador to Guyana, Sarah-Ann Lynch, with whom she is in constant contact, informed her that business persons in the US are constantly seeking information on investment opportunities in Guyana.

“A lot of interest is being generated in Guyana from foreigners. Every day we are getting inquiries about business opportunities here in Guyana by foreigners. In fact, I had a conversation with Ambassador SarahAnn Lynch; most Embassies have a commerce department and hers was not staffed between 2015 and 2020. They had been forced to close down the commerce department at the United States Embassy because perhaps of not much activity and she has had to boost up that department because of the number of interest that she keeps getting at the Embassy from United States citizens who are interested in the business prospects here in Guyana,” Minister Walrond said.

As a result of that interest, staff at the Embassy has been boosted and more meetings are being held between the Ambassador and the Tourism, Industry and Commerce Ministry.

Nevertheless, Walrond said she is heartened by the confidence being displayed by local business persons of the economy, as she commissioned the $60 million Caribbean Motor Spares outlet at Bath.

It is the fourth branch of the franchise which started on the Essequibo Coast, Region Two (PomeroonSupenaam).

According to Walrond, local businesses while dis-

Bill which is something that has only been done in about four countries in the entire world.”

Taking the opportuni-

of Georgetown may not feel the effects. And so, we have decided to make direct intervention with cash transfers, physical and otherwise in-

Tourism, Industry and Commerce Minister Oneidge Walrond

centive in communities like this”.

General Manager of Caribbean Motor Spares Hardyal Dobay explained that the business is a retailer of motor spares for small vehicles. He said it is a onestop solution which is something people have been looking forward to and is highly anticipated.

The Bath Settlement branch will also provide local jobs and meet the corporate social responsibility of Caribbean Motor Spares.

“We are happy to be part of Region Five and to offer our uniqueness and our product range to contribute holistically to the development of Guyana.”

TURN TO PAGE 7

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guyanatimesgy.com

MONDAY, JANUARY 3, 2022

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

The occasion, not cause, of the war

T

o move their citizens from an endemic state of war that made their lives “nasty, short and brutish”, the architects of modern Europe introduced the forms and substance of democratic governance. This served as the basis of their unprecedented progress since the 19th Century and was held up to us as an ideal to strive for after independence if we were to pull ourselves out of our poverty and underdevelopment that was our colonial legacy. Form and substance were inextricably linked through the institutions of State and Government to which we the people would confer power to supervise progress towards the good life for all.

We in Guyana accepted as our base line that our supreme law was a constitution, promulgated by we the people and which especially those entrusted with state and governmental power had to obey. Even when the People’s National Congress (PNC) under Burnham created a dictatorship, he genuflected to these overriding principles by enacting a new Constitution that was supposed to have been approved by the people through a referendum but which ironically gave him supreme powers.

These were curtailed by extensive constitutional changes enacted and implemented in 2000, after being unanimously approved by the two major parties, the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) and PNC. We retained a parliamentary, majoritarian governmental system in which the people voted for their representatives.

The party with a majority of Members of Parliament (MPs) had control of the legislative branch (the National Assembly) even though they needed only to have a plurality to secure the Presidency and form the Executive Branch. The other parties would constitute an Opposition that would “shadow” the Government in and out of Parliament by critiquing its activities and proposing alternative policies. As such, the electorate would be able to choose between them at the next elections to form the next government.

In Guyana, there were a number of changes in the governance structures to make them more inclusive of the Opposition. The most significant were four Sectoral Committees in the National Assembly that can scrutinise the full gamut of governmental activities in real time – Foreign Relations, Social Services, Economic Services and Natural Resources. These were in addition to the traditional Public Accounts Committee that audited governmental spending.

It is against this background that we must evaluate the actions of the PNC-led Opposition which breached all the conventions of democracy in general, and the rules of the National Assembly in particular, to storm the governmental benches and raucously prevent the Minister of Finance from presenting the third and final reading of the Government’s Natural Resource Fund (NRF) Bill. Most egregiously, PNC MP Annette Ferguson rushed the Speaker’s Seat and seized the Mace in an illegal effort to strip him of the authority over Parliament that it represents. The Mace had to be wrestled from Ferguson by a parliamentary staff during which he was racially abused by another PNC MP. The reason proffered by the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Opposition for their illegal actions was that the Government did not extend the time for consultations on the NRF Bill, as they had demanded. Now, the Government had already complied with the timeframe for Parliamentary Readings of Bills and the Opposition did not deign to present any comments on what was basically modifications of the NRF Bill they had passed and ought to have been totally au fait with the details.

The PNC-led Opposition, then in Government, had introduced and passed their NRF Bill – which had to have been just as important for stakeholders to examine. But they did this in the absence of the then Opposition PPP, which was protesting the former’s refusal to resign after a successful NoConfidence Motion. At no time did they concede the PPP’s position on the need for Opposition input to confer legitimacy to the Bill. Nothing had changed. This circumstance reveals that the non-acquiescence to the demand for extra time was not the cause of the war – which the storming of the Government benches represented – but merely the occasion for it.

First Lady Arya Ali visited mothers in the maternity ward at the Georgetown Public Hospital who gave birth on New Year’s Day. Also in photo are nurses, doctors and other staff of GPHC

Bias and judicial recusal Dear Editor, Subsequent to the recent ruling of the Court of Appeal by a majority of two Judges of a three-member bench, finding that they had jurisdiction to determine the correctness or otherwise, of a decision of the Chief justice in the matter of an election petition, there have been trenchant criticisms of the majority ruling. Conversely there has been criticism of the critics of the majority ruling to the effect, that their criticism scandalised the court and was an attack upon the majority Judges which violated the separation of powers.

The criticisms flowing from the majority judgement are identified with Government support and on the other side, with the Opposition and its agents.

Here in Guyana and elsewhere in the Commonwealth, instances abound of criticism of the decisions of Judges. A few years ago in Australia, some Ministers of the Australian Government referred to certain Judges of the Appeal Court of Australia as “hard left activist Judges” who had “eroded any trust left in the legal system.” In the United Kingdom, in a certain case the Judges were described as “enemies of the people” and about the decision in the same case, one leading newspaper in London carried the caption “the day democracy died.”

A decision of UK Judges to prohibit publication of the book “SPYCATCHER” evoked a response from a British newspaper carrying the headline “YOU FOOLS” and the report was accom-

panied by a photograph of the Judges upside down, standing on their heads!! In the famous Birmingham six appeal case, an appellate Judge was described in the media as being possessed of “narcissistic arrogance” and “worthless certainty”.

Another Judge in the same case was described as “simply not fit for a position in which he had the power to put human beings in prison.” The writer made the unambiguous demand that both of the Judges “have got to go.” Guyanese will not forget the virulent attacks

by APNU/AFC politicians upon the Chief Justice, the Honourable Roxane George consequent upon her decisions in some recent elections related cases which engaged her attention, whereby she was damnified and vilified and unfairly and unjustly referred to in no uncertain terms as “ a PPP/C activist.” In the months immediately before he demitted office, former Chancellor of the Judiciary, Carl Singh was subjected to vile and demeaning attacks

by APNU/AFC Government agents, which attacks were appropriately described by the former Speaker of the National Assembly, Senior Counsel Ralph Ramkarran as being in the nature of “unprecedented savagery.”

So attacks /criticisms of the Judiciary is nothing new and is now viewed in relation to Judges as an occupational hazard. Since from around the 1930s in the UK, the freedom of the citizen to criticise the Judiciary has been indisputably recognised, though as Attorney General Anil Nandlall has

correctly pointed out, such criticism must be done in good faith and the critic must be respectful. The current position, though established years ago, is still of meaning and relevance. It was explained by an English Judge who said “Justice is not a cloistered virtue, she must be allowed to suffer the scrutiny and respectful, even though outspoken comments of ordinary men.”

This position prompted Lord Carswell in the UK to remark that “Judges have to be hardy enough to shrug off criticism, even if it is intemperate or abusive, which has happened, even if it is unfair and ill informed…”

The recent ruling by our Court of Appeal bore overtly high political tones. A ruling which went against the case presented by the ruling party was bound to attract criticism but the criticism was contextualised.

Reference was made to the patently erroneous conclusion arrived at by this very pair of Judges, in the APNU/AFC “no confidence vote” appeal, that a vote by 33 members of the 65-member National Assembly, did not represent a majority vote. This as the CCJ judgement demonstrated, was an absurd judgement. It was a judgement that had no basis in arithmetic, logic or law. It represents an odious stain on the jurisprudence of our Court of Appeal. One recalls in the televised report of the proceedings of the CCJ, the scornful grin on the face of a member of the bench in response to the arguments of counsel that 33 was not the majority of 65.

In analysing this “no

confidence vote “decision of our Court of Appeal one must of necessity consider what informed such an obvious, patently wrong decision. In so doing, certain realities must be confronted. Every Judge in Guyana has the right to a vote. The exercise of that right to vote is influenced by political considerations. While of necessity, to convey their neutrality, every Judge is expected to keep their political choices/preferences in their bosom, but it is nevertheless there. When therefore, a case of high political flavour is decided against logic, law and reason, such a decision invites the not unreasonable inference or conclusion that the Judge/s were unconsciously biased and gave effect to their political preference/s.

This is not an unreasonable nor unfair inference or conclusion. Particularly in the context of Guyana’s politics, a not insignificant section of our society would perceive the Judge/s in such circumstances to be affected by bias. In the particular case of the majority Judges in the recent ruling in the Court of Appeal, serious consideration by them is respectfully urged of this prevailing public perception which is unavoidably intertwined with their highly flawed and unreasonable decision in their “no confidence vote” appeal decision. Such consideration should inevitably lead to their further consideration to recuse themselves from any further hearing of this elections related matter.

Sincerely, Selwyn Persaud

guyanatimesgy.com

MONDAY, JANUARY 3, 2022

5

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

Remarkable determination, commitment by Govt

Dear Editor, The Insurance Association of Guyana extends sincere gratitude and congratulations to the Government of Guyana on the passing of the landmark “local content legislation"

by Parliament.

The passage of this historic legislation has demonstrated a remarkable determination and commitment on the part of the Government to uphold and defend the interests of Guyanese industry.

The consultative process has resulted in the local content allotment of 100 per cent being accorded to the nation's insurance sector providing an unprecedented opportunity for the growth and prosperity of the sector and allowing the industry

to fully concentrate its one hundred and fifty-five years of global placement experience, expertise and global synergies and networks on the provision of all required insurance services to the oil & energy sector.

The industry is particularly pleased with the extra efforts of the Government to appreciate the capacity and experience of the industry and notes the conformity of the new Act with existing insurance legislation.

The industry employs a substantial work force and it is noteworthy that the trickle-down effects of the legislation is certain to produce incalculable economic benefits to many local communities.

The Association’s model of unified indigenous com-

panies produces a broadbased approach that accommodates investments of the NIS; corporate investors and the general Guyanese public.

The Association looks forward to meeting all of the needs of the oil & energy sector, our Government and the people of Guyana by the application of risk quantification and management techniques to ensure that all exposures to Guyana including liability arising out of environmental disasters are insured or otherwise mitigated and in the process, reducing cost oil to the Guyanese taxpayer.

Sincerely, Insurance Association of Guyana

Send a strong message to MPs Dear Editor, I join the Government’s call “…for (some serious) consequences against some members of the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Opposition over their ‘terrorist’ actions in the National Assembly, during Wednesday’s debate of the Natural Resource Fund Bill”.

My take is that APNU/ AFC and their few followers are still in the “rigging mode” that was manifested during the post-March 2, 2020 period, when they tried to steal the Guyana elections. During that time, they were brazened, shameless and totally unruly. On Wednesday, these traits came to the fore, when they sought to block the Natural Resource Fund (NRF) Bill. They did everything that gives credence to the word “terrorism”, as used

by Parliamentary Affairs Minister, Gail Teixeira when she echoed the call for censuring.

According to Gail Teixeira, who expressed concerns over the “no-boundary” posture of the coalition Opposition, “This display that we witnessed must not be taken lightly by anybody whether they like the PPP (People’s Progressive Party) or not, whether they like the Government or not, whether they like the bills or not. The issue is that the National Assembly, the legislature of the Guyana Parliament, was violated. It was defiled repeatedly with the worst thing happening nearly at the end, and that is, the seizure, attempt to steal the Mace of the Guyana Parliament”.

I recall, back in in 1992, Former Indian President, KR Narayanan described indiscipline and disorder in the legislative bodies as “infantile disorders or the measles of the middle-age,” which “...are bound to pass,

but pass they must, otherwise the system will be in mortal danger”. At the time, an unholy disruption had taken place, and consequently, the Speaker of India's Parliament suspended 25 Opposition MPs for "causing grave disruption".

Before that, the MPs, who had been protesting with placards in the well of the House, were warned and verbally reprimanded.

On the day in question here, Opposition Members of Parliament protested the hearing of the NRF Bill, which they wanted to be sent to the Parliamentary Special Select Committee for review. However, in being overruled, they resorted to disrupting the session.

As was witnessed on the occasion and which can now be seen on social media, coalition MPs stood banging on their desks when the bill was called up for debate and subsequently gathered in the pit of the Dome of the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC), where National Assembly sittings are now being held due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The bill was eventually passed, but the Opposition’s protest escalated into a physical confrontation with Parliament staff, after one of the coalition MPs snatched the Parliament Mace from in front of the Speaker. I remind our readers that “…no matter where Parliament sessions are being held, the space in the middle between the Government and Opposition sides is sacred ground and a peace zone”.

Therefore, it is forbidden territory and no one is ever allowed to be in that area.

However, it was stormed by the Opposition's MPs and supporters, who threateningly surrounded presenter of the bill, Dr Ashni Singh, in an intimidating and physically violent manner. The behaviour was so raucous, it resulted in the compromis-

ing of the Control Room, as the internet was disconnected and the loudspeaker system shut down.

I concur with the Parliamentary Affairs Minister that the “…events in the National Assembly were not spontaneous but were pre-planned, organised and orchestrated prior with the aim of delaying the passage of the NRF Bill”. I also believe “…there must be consequences … whether it’s a civil court, whether it’s a criminal court or whether it’s a ruling of the Speaker”.

I think too that the discipline must be meted out in a just and prompt manner.

Yours truly, Attiya Baksh

Believe it or not

Dear Editor, The newly elected leader of the People’s National Congress Reform, Mr Aubrey Norton has been on a relentless campaign seeking relevance. It is sad to see and hear the rhetoric emanating from this relic politician of a bygone era. In various recent media appearances since becoming the new leader of the People’s National Congress Reform, Mr Norton has vowed to do a lot. Such comments leave much to be desired as most of these will not materialise.

One such statement was the PNC leader signalling his intention of holding the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic Government, led by Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali accountable. Whilst this is admirably said and seems a genuine thing to do, the reality is a different story.

Firstly, and quite frankly, what does Mr Norton and by extension, his political outfit the People’s National Congress know about accountability? Mr Norton was an executive member of the PNC, the party that controlled the Government during the A Partnership

for National Unity/ Alliance for Change controversial reign in office. Never once did that clique of geriatrics which campaigned at the last General and Regional Elections on honesty and decency, seek to hold any of their officials accountable for the atrocities that occurred - the open nepotism, corruption, racism, and cronyism.

This nation remembers all too well the events of the failed elections rigging and the way in which the likes of Norton and his cohorts defended the attempt to subvert Guyana’s democracy.

Norton was a daily mouthpiece for the corrupt cabal who were bent on remaining in power at any cost so as to cover their own corrupt practices, of which many of them are before the courts on various charges of corruption, misconduct in public office, and notably electoral fraud. Norton’s failure to hold his own Government accountable to the Guyanese people who elected them and his subsequent silence and support of other wrongdoings renders him significantly unqualified and ethically unfit to hold the current

Administration accountable.

Norton is a tribalist leader and cannot be expected to foster the unification needed in Guyana in this our country’s embryonic stage of transformational development. Such a task requires strong leadership and leadership qualities the likes of which have significantly eluded the People’s National Congress Reform for more than two decades now.

Many of the younger generations of Guyanese who have heard of the PNC and witnessed what transpired over the past few years whilst they were in Government have gotten a glimpse of the indecent, corrupt, and racial tendencies of the People’s National Congress. All of Guyana saw and suffered as a result of the racist policies of the past Administration and their infamous attempt to rig an election thereby attempting to thwart the will of the people; violating the Constitution of Guyana, the supreme Law of the Land, and their recent desecration of Parliament.

Sincerely, Thomas Cole

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MONDAY, JANUARY 3, 2022

Page

Foundation ◄

Scientific Notation

S

cientific notation is a way to express any number as a decimal greater than 1, multiplied by a power of 10. For example: 2500 can be expressed as 2.5 x 103 and 5,230,000 can be expressed as 5.23 x 106.

How do you find a power of ten to use? Look at the number in standard, or regular, notation. Place a decimal point at the far right of that number. Move the decimal point left until you create a number that is greater than 1 but less than 10. Then count the number of places you had to move the decimal point. That is the power of 10 to use for a particular number.

I

n this fun and easy cool science experiment, we’re going to trap a ‘tornado’ in a bottle.

Materials:

Two 2-litre plastic soda bottles Metal washer Duct tape Water Glitter, beads, food colouring

is on the bottom and observe what happens.

Flip the bottles one more time, but this time give the bottles a swirl and observe what happens.

How it works:

When the bottles are flipped and positioned directly above one another, the water has a difficult time transitioning from the top bottle into the bottom bottle. When you twirl the bottles, a vortex is created that allows for an easier exchange of water and air between the bottles.

Remember When dropping zeros in a decimal, you may not drop any zero that has a number anywhere to its right. For example: In 2.00010, you may drop the final zero, but you may not drop the zeros between the 4 and the 1.

Make this a science project:

Example: Express in 640, 500, 000 in scientific notation.

Step 1: Place a decimal point at the right of the number

640, 500,000.

Step 2: Move the decimal point left until you create a number that

is greater than 1 but less than 10: 6.40500000 Step 3: Count the number of places you moved the decimal point.

An easy way to do this is to count the number of places to the right of the decimal. In this case, 8 places.

Step 4: Drop all zeros at the right end of the number: 6.405 Step 4: Express the original number in scientific notation: 6.405 x 108 Instructions:

Exercises: Convert to scientific notation (round to six decimal places to the right of the decimal) 1) 175

6) 876

2) 3556

7) 56.33

3) 0.2

8) 120,450

4) 49

9) 5678.23

5) 0.09788

10) 99

Fill one of the bottles about three quarters of the way with water.

Add any glitter, beads, and food colouring you want to the water. Be sure the beads are small enough to easily fit through the centre of the washer.

Centre the washer over the mouth of the bottle with water.

Now position the empty bottle upside down so its mouth is centred over the washer.

Use the duct tape to secure the bottles together.

Flip the bottles over so the empty one

Add small items to the water like Styrofoam beads. Add sugar or salt to the water. Use vegetable oil instead of water. Try different sized washers. Try different sized bottles. (scienceisfun.org)

WORD SEARCH

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MONDAY, JANUARY 3, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Govt will not play Opposition’s game of violence, intimidation – President Ali …says “gross unparliamentary behaviour... a violent assault on democracy”

President Dr Irfaan Ali

P

resident Dr Irfaan Ali deplored the unseemly behaviour of the APNU/AFC Opposition Members of Parliament last Wednesday when they resorted to violent threats and intimidation in the National Assembly to stop the passage of the Natural Resource Fund Bill whose virtues they feared.

In objection to the passage of the NRF legislation, coalition MPs began protesting the National Assembly and this escalated into confrontation between some Opposition members and Parliament staff after one of the MPs snatched the Parliament Mace from in front of the Speaker. Despite a series of chaotic and disruptive events, however, the NRF Bill was eventually passed and has since been signed into law.

But according to President Ali, the contempt to seize the Speaker’s Mace – the symbol of his authority over the conduct of the Assembly – and to surround the Minister of Finance, shouting in his face was “gross unparliamentary behaviour that carried a dire

warning.”

He noted that the Opposition’s “undignified actions” in the National Assembly was not only a violent assault on democracy but a blatant disrespect for the highest law-making institution in Guyana.

“If persons charged with the responsibility for the conduct of the nation’s business resort to violence and intimidation, what example do they give to the nation, especially to the young? Our nation must not be hobbled by those trapped in a culture of violence and intimidation whose only contribution to the national debate is physical confrontation,” the President contended in his New Year Address to the Nation.

According to the Head of State, “They do not regard politics as a contention for better policies and governance; they regard politics as nothing more or less than a battle for power. That is why we had the display in the National Assembly of violence and intimidation – that is their default strategy; to whip up antagonism and hostility based on misrepresentation, misbehaviour and mischief. My brother and sisters, that is their game.

Your Government will not play it.”

The President went on to rubbish the coalition’s claim that the bill was unilaterally passed to give the Minister of Finance excessive power over the National Resource Fund, which is now under the supervision of an independent and nationally accountable body.

The NRF legislations, which repealed but still contains some of the provisions in the APNU/AFC Act

that was passed in January 2019 just weeks after the Government fell to a NoConfidence Motion, caters for the establishment of a Board of Directors to manage the oil monies in the Fund.

President Ali stated that had his Administration wanted to steal from the NRF, it would not have repealed the coalition’s legislation and would have left the Finance Minister in control with little or no oversight.

“What your democratically elected Government has now done is to remove the Minister of Finance from having such unlimited and unbridled power.

Instead, we have created a governance and operational structure that is transparent and accountable and in which non-political, highly reputable persons carry out the responsibilities of supervision and compliance. In essence, the powers of oversight and control are with you – the people,” he posited.

The Head of State also sought to clarify that while he is obliged to sign the letters of appointment for the Board members, he will not be unilaterally appointing or controlling them. He explained that the Board will include a person selected by the National Assembly after consultation and debate among themselves. It will also include representation from the Private Sector, which gives a voice to civil society in the newly established decision-making body responsible for overall management of the Fund – something which he noted did not exist under the APNU/AFC bill.

“The Opposition brawl in

the National Assembly was to prevent you from hearing all this,” he asserted.

Meanwhile, President Ali said his Government is cognisant of Guyanese’s expectation to see benefits from the NRF flow to them to improve their lives now and deliver more jobs and better wages.

He reassured that the approximately US$534 million in the NRF will and must be spent on their welfare and wellbeing.

“It is for that reason that

the new legislation provides a mechanism by which the Parliament will approve the transfer of funds for projects and programmes that the Government has to carry out to raise your standard of living, to improve your circumstances and to give you a better life. And, I add, has to account for every cent of that money.

When transfers are made, to what department, for what purpose, and the results of the spending – all have to be made public. It

has to be audited, the audited report has to be presented to the National Assembly and of course the PAC will have a chance to review the Auditor General’s report,” the Head of State outlined.

Nevertheless, the President posited that the Opposition parties fear that if the PPP/C Government delivers the development, the betterment, the advancement Guyanese want and deserve, then they might become irrelevant.

(G8)

US Embassy reopens...

The new branch has already employed ten persons.

Meanwhile, Executive Chairman of ActionINVEST Caribbean Inc, Dr Vishnu Doerga, who also made a presentation at the simple ceremony on Sunday encouraged small businesses to grow.

375 new jobs

Meanwhile, Member of Parliament Faizal Jaffarally

noted that over the past 16 months, several companies have set up business in Region Five. Some of the businesses include finance, spare parts and education - creating more than 375 new jobs.

This, he explained, is because of the policies of the Government.

Jaffarally, however, urged Caribbean Motor Spares to take note of the fact that

FROM PAGE 3

while they might be dealing in spare parts for small vehicles, Region Five is agriculture-based, the largest rice-producing region in the country, has a sugar estate and plays a substantive role in the country’s cattle industry. Hence, the new franchise might want to pay attention to the huge demand for spare parts for heavy-duty vehicles.

(G4)

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MONDAY, JANUARY 3, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Post office robbery-murder

Convicts appeal life sentences, claim Judge made several errors

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entenced back in 2019 to life imprisonment for the January 2013 murder of a security guard, Alvin Kissoon and Calvin King have filed an appeal challenging what they described as several errors in the law made by the trial Judge.

They were found guilty by a 12-member jury for murdering John Christopher during a robbery at the Lethem Post Office, Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo). They were each sentenced to life imprisonment by Justice Sandil Kissoon at the High Court in Demerara. They become eligible for parole after serving 32 years.

Kissoon and King are now challenging their conviction and sentence at the Guyana Court of Appeal. In so doing, they have filed a notice of appeal containing several grounds upon which they intend to quash the rul-

File photo: Calvin King (hiding face) and Alvin Kissoon during their appearance at the Demerara High Court in 2019

ing of the lower court.

The convicts argued that during the summing up of the evidence, Justice Kissoon posed several rhetorical questions to the jury which had the effect of leading the jury to conclude that they were guilty as charged.

The murder convicts con-

tend the Judge’s summing up was not fair and balanced and resulted in the Judge usurping the functions of the jury as a result of the manner in which he expressed opinions on the evidence. Kissoon and King argue that the trial Judge did not adequately address

the issues to be considered by the jury from the confession statement in his summation of the evidence.

According to them, the learned trial Judge misled the jury as to the elements and the law with regards to joint enterprise and acting in concert in an indictment alleging a felony/murder and their participation.

Police reported that the robbery occurred on January 18, 2013. It was reported that the convicts entered the post office and bound the two security officers after beating them. They then broke into fives safes and stole over $9 million in cash.

They were captured some 12 hours after the robbery in a motor car at the Mabura Checkpoint along the Linden-Lethem roadway. It was reported that $4 million was found under the car’s rear seat along with a quantity of GTT phone cards and several pay slips. (G1)

Hello 2022… …same ole, same ole?

The new year seems to’ve begun pretty much in the same vein that brought the old year to a close.

But who’s surprised? Hope that no one had expected the Opposition to quit its war of attrition launched more than a year ago!! Could they have more grudgingly vacated office after their rigging attempt was called out by the entire world?!! At least they hadn’t been coy about their plans towards the PPP Government. They insisted it was an “illegally-installed cabal” that’s also, for good measure, “stink and dutty” – as was elegantly put by one Opposition shill!!

Your Eyewitness saw a viral video that gave a sample of what we’re to expect – “bun dem!”, “Run dem aff de road!”, “Undermine dem!”, and so on and so forth in that incendiary mode. Didn’t seem to have much time for Westminster-style parliamentary politics! Nah – no Marquis of Queensbury rules for these boyos – it is gonna be bare-knuckle – or more likely “brass-knuckle” – politics in our fair mudland henceforth!! And from what we’ve seen already, following Burnham’s hero Churchill, the Opposition gonna be fighting in the seas, oceans, hills, streets, and beaches — from Mabaruma to Linden!

Why else do you think Norton was elected as Leader – and by such a huge margin?! Whether that’s his nature or not, he’s always projected the image of pugnacity in politics. Even Hoyte – who was to launch that “slo’ fyaah, mo’ fyaah” onslaught against the PPP and their supporters – threw him out because of this. As was the case with another PROVEN “strongman” – Hamilton Green. Your Eyewitness doesn’t believe that Norton believes in Fanonian violence – but sometimes, one can be trapped by one’s own rhetoric. Corbin was, wasn’t he?

There’s been a fire at GPHC on New Year’s Day – the critical Echo lab to prep for heart operations – that the CEO claimed had to be arson since there was an “oily substance” detected. This had followed from last year, the torching of a school at Mabaruma, the GECOM building at Linden, the Brickdam Police Station in the heart of the city and the DPP’s office at Eve Leary. Does ANYONE believe the destruction of all these Government facilities are a coincidence?

But this doesn’t mean they’ll abandon the National Assembly. As we saw in the closing days of last year, the sparks in those hallowed halls won’t just be figurative!!

No siree Bob!! Your Eyewitness understands that the seizing of the Mace was publicly exhorted THE DAY BEFORE IT HAPPENED!!

But, as your Eyewitness always says, “A hint to Beneba mek Quashie tek notice”! And “Forewarned is forearmed”.

We’re in for a hot, hot, hot 2022!! What’s the Govt gonna do ‘bout it? …a natural vaccine?

Sometimes you can be just too smart for your own good. And it looks like the COVID-19 virus just proved that truism. After its original Wuhan strain, its Beta, Gamma and Delta mutant strains proved deadlier and deadlier to a point where to date, 289 million were infected and 5.44 million perished! But it has now produced a mutant X – dubbed Omicron – which has 37 mutations on the spike proteins that give the virus its deadly power to enter our cells and take over! Omicron, however, produces fairly mild symptoms to the vaccinated – so it pretty much works like a vaccine.

That is, infected persons just get a fever and sore throat while provoking the formation of antibodies that will also ward off the more virulent strains!! The rate of hospitalisations is very low…almost as low as the regular flu. Now this doesn’t mean we can “throw back”! After all, 60 per cent of our population aren’t completely vaccinated.

And the Delta strain can still get them! …how about oil?

One bit of good news is that because of what has now become chronic underinvestment in oil production – because of renewables and COVID concerns, a consequent shortage could push up oil prices in 2022!!

Drill, baby; drill!!

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

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Growth in oil & gas expanding maritime, aviation sectors – Edghill …ships at local ports triple, multiple shore bases approved

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he growth in the oil and gas sector is having a ripple effect in other sectors, including the aviation and maritime sectors and it is expected that as more Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessels enter Guyana’s waters, the expansion will only continue.

This is according to Public Works Minister Juan Edghill during his recent contribution in the National Assembly on the Local Content Bill. He drew comparisons between Guyana’s maritime and aviation sectors pre and post start of oil production in 2019.

“Before oil and gas, we used to see about 7 to 10 ships making a call at port Georgetown on a weekly basis. Today, we are making an average of 52 ships making calls at Port Guyana. Expansion in the maritime sector. With just one FPSO in play right now and the service ships that have to go out and come in and supplies and the rest of it. There is major development.”

“We have a new development in Guyana in the avi-

ation sector. Rotary craft have to be out and in of our airports. And that is with one FPSO. When you have several offshore Guyana, more companies will have to come to Guyana to get people out using helicopter services,” the Minister said.

He also noted that with the expansion and even more FPSOs joining the oil sector, more people will benefit from the ripple effects of oil and gas. Edghill also revealed that the Sea and River Defence Board, which falls under the Public Works Ministry, has been issuing its no objection to a number of investors looking to set up facilities to service the offshore developments.

“It means more people have to be fed, more people have to be accommodated, because when they’re on rotations there must be apartments, places for them to stay, if there are apartments these places need to be maintained, there needs to be landscaping, more people need fruits and vegetables, more people staying at hotels, they need tomatoes and cucumber. We don’t need the canned stuff coming to Guyana. We need our farmers to provide their

Grove man chopped by drinking buddy …in critical condition at GPHC

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30-year-old man is now hospitalised in a critical condition after he was chopped by his friend while they were drinking sometime around 14:00h on Saturday.

Injured is Totaram Jaimangal.

Reports are that Jaimangal and the suspect are friends, and were imbibing at the victim’s Third Street, Grove Squatting Area, East Bank Demerara home when the suspect allegedly told the victim that he wants to sleep with his wife.

Jaimangal became annoyed and took the suspect’s cutlass and attempted to chop him but he did not succeed in doing so. The suspect then managed to re-

lieve him of the cutlass and dealt Jaimangal a chop to his left side rib cage area and one to his right hand.

The suspect then made good his escape with the cutlass he used while the victim was left lying on the ground.

The injured man was subsequently picked up by his relatives and rushed to the Diamond Hospital.

However, because of the severity of is injures he was transferred to the Georgetown Public Hospital where he remains in a critical condition.

Checks were made for the 39-year-old suspect but he is on the run. Police have since launched an investigation as they search for the suspect. (G9)

Public Works Minister Juan Edghill

services to those places to ensure they’re getting part of the pie.”

“More companies coming to Guyana, through the sea and river defence board, we have offered at least

eight no objections for development, for shore bases and other facilities. There will be lay down yards, people will have to drive the fork lift. People will have to work the trucks with the

high arms. There’s a whole host of activities that will be taking place,” Minister Edghill also said.

ExxonMobil has said it anticipates that at least six projects offshore Guyana will be online by 2027. Back in May 2019, Exxon 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 Utility FPSO vessel. For

the Phase 2 Development, six drill centres 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. (G3)

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Motorcyclists struck down by jeep, car …another crashes into bus shed

The bus shed along Cumberland Public Road, East Canje, which the motorcyclist crashed into after losing control

The jeep and motorcycle that were involved in the accident

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hree motorcyclists are now nursing injuries from separate accidents over the weekend.

In the first accident, a motorcyclist was struck by a car on the Two Miles Potaro Road, Bartica, Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni).

The accident occurred at about 14:20h on Saturday.

Injured is 46-year-old David Moore of Bartica Housing Scheme.

The man was reportedly on his motorcycle with registration number CL 769, proceeding east along the northern side of Two Miles, Potaro Road, Bartica, when motor car HC 2093, which was proceeding west along the southern side of the said road at a fast rate of speed, was in the

process of negotiating a right turn in the vicinity of Two Miles Primary School.

Based on reports, the driver of the car lost control of the vehicle and collided with the front portion of the motorcycle on the northern side of the road, causing the bike to fall onto the car’s bonnet and then to the road’s surface where he received injuries about his body.

He was picked up in a conscious condition and taken to the Bartica Regional Hospital where he was seen and examined by a doctor on duty and later admitted a patient suffering from lacerations to the head.

Notice of intended prosecution was served on the driver, a 27-year-old resident of

Two and Half Miles Potaro Road, who passed a breathalyser test.

The driver is in custody assisting with the investigation.

Meanwhile, also on Saturday, another motorcyclist broke his leg and hand after he was struck down by a jeep at the intersection of Brickdam and Avenue of the Republic, Georgetown.

Injured is 59-year-old Enrique Monize of School Road, Cove and John, East Coast Demerara.

Reports are that at about 17:05h on Saturday, jeep, PMM 1028 was proceeding north along the western side of Avenue of the Republic and as the driver approached the Brickdam intersection, where

the traffic lights were not working, he claimed that he stopped his vehicle and then proceeded to cross the intersection, proceeding further north.

It was then that he said he noticed the motorcyclist, who was proceeding west along the southern side of Brickdam without any safety helmet.

According to the driver, he also noticed two Police ranks on motorcycles driving behind the said motorcyclist.

He claimed that the motorcyclist continued in the said direction at a fast rate of speed and collided with the rightside front portion of his vehicle.

As a result of the collision, the motorcyclist fell onto the road’s surface where he received injuries to his left foot and other parts of his body.

He was picked up in a conscious condition and tak-

en to the Georgetown Public Hospital where he was seen and examined by doctors on duty and later admitted, suffering from a broken left leg and broken left hand.

A breathalyser test was conducted on the driver, a 19-year-old resident of Barnwell North, Mocha, East Bank Demerara, and no trace of alcohol was found to be in his system. Nevertheless, a notice of intended prosecution has been served as further investigations are continuing.

In another accident, a 27-year-old resident of West Canefield, Canje, Berbice, lost control of his motorcycle and crashed into a bus shed on the Cumberland Public Road, East Canje.

According to Police reports, at about 22:35h on Saturday, Karan Ramcharran was proceeding south along the eastern drive lane of the Cumberland Public Road,

East Canje, Berbice, at a fast rate of speed on motorcycle CL 3046, when he lost control of the bike.

The motorcycle swerved east and collided into a wooden bus shed situated on the eastern side of Cumberland Public Road. As a result of the collision, Ramcharran received injuries about his head and body.

He was picked up in a conscious condition by public-spirited citizens and taken to the New Amsterdam Public Hospital where he was seen and examined by a doctor on duty who admitted him for observation, suffering from lacerations to his forehead and bruises about his body.

The motorcycle is lodged at Central Police Station to be examined by the Licensing and Certifying Officer.

Investigations are ongoing.

(G9)

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Essequibo Coast businessman chopped, robbed Row over raw gold …bandits caught with $4.8M on New Year’s Day

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55-year-old businessman of Charity Waterfront, Region Two (PomeroonSupenaam), was severely chopped by two bandits who robbed him of over $5.8 million in cash and phone cards.

Reports are that at around 22:45h on Old Year’s night, the businessman, Mohammed Khan, was in his business place when one of the suspects approached him and held him at knifepoint.

The other bandit went into the bedroom of the building, where he also resides, and ducttaped his reputed wife, 55-yearold Stephanie Sanchara, to her hands, feet and mouth.

Police said together, the suspects searched the premises and collected a quantity of Digicel and GTT phone cards valued over $1.1 million, and $4,822,641, after which they began to make good their es-

The recovered items

caped.

Meanwhile, according to the

Regional Commander Denise Griffith, Khan managed to free

himself when one of the suspects dealt a severe chop to his head and escaped.

However, the businessman was escorted to the Charity Public Hospital where he was seen and examined by a doctor on duty and admitted. He was later transferred to Suddie Hospital in a stable condition.

Police, with assistance from public-spirited citizens, including some members of the Charity Community Policing Group (CPG), cordoned off the area between New Road and Dartmouth backlands where the two suspects fled and a manhunt lasting some five hours led to the suspects being apprehended and taken to the Charity Police Station.

All the cash and items were recovered.

Both suspects, aged 21 and 25, are in custody pending charges.

ends in murder

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Venezuelan national is now dead after he was bludgeoned to the head during an argument with another man over raw gold.

Dead is Animal Sonja of Valencia, Venezuela.

Police said the 21-year-old suspect is also a Venezuelan. Reports are that the incident occurred sometime between 02:45h and 03:00h on Saturday at Arau Mountain Top, Cuyuni River, Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni).

According to Police reports, Sonja and the suspect are known to each other, and on Saturday, they were both at the suspect’s sister’s camp when an argument ensued over the suspect allegedly owing the victim some raw gold.

The argument escalated during which the suspect picked up a piece of wood and struck the victim to his head, causing him to fall to the ground where he remained motionless. The man then made good his escape. Sonja’s body is at Arau Mountain Top awaiting transportation to Georgetown.

Meanwhile, the suspect’s sister and her husband are in Police custody assisting with investigations. (G9)

13 State prosecuted 25 cases at Appeal Court, 2 at CCJ in 2021 T NEWS

MONDAY, JANUARY 3, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

he Chambers of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) reported that it appeared in 25 matters at the Guyana Court of Appeal, and another two at the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) during 2021.

Of the 25 matters presented at the Court of Appeal, 10 were for murder, six for sexual offences, two for fraudulent conversion and one each of manslaughter, dangerous driving, obtaining upon a forged docu-

ment, possession of explosives, obtaining money by false pretence, robbery under arms, attempt to murder with an alternative count of wounding with intent.

In seven of these matters, the Court of Appeal affirmed the convictions but varied the sentences. Another appellant was granted his application to appeal and will have a new trial. Three applications were dismissed, while two appellants had their convictions and sen-

tences set aside. Seven appellants were granted extension of time to file and serve notices of appeal. An application for bail pending appeal was granted, three appellants withdrew their applications to appeal and one applicant decided he will pursue his application to appeal despite a notice of abandonment.

In 2021, the DPP appeared in two matters at the CCJ. One was an appeal filed by murder accused Marcus Bisram against a ruling by the Guyana Court of

Appeal that there is sufficient evidence for him to be committed for trial for the offence of murder in the High Court. The CCJ has granted him a stay in the matter pending the ruling.

The other appeal is that of Calvin Ramcharran v the State for the offences of rape and assault causing actual bodily harm. The arguments in this matter have been completed and the parties are awaiting the decision of the court.

Bibi Shareema Gopaul and

Man shot with arrow over old grievance

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man who hails from Muritaro, Linden, Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice), is on the run after allegedly shooting a logger of the same village with an arrow and bow on Saturday.

Injured is 45-year-old Lloyd Charter. The incident occurred at about 16:30h. According to Police, the suspect and the victim have more than five-yearold grievances which stemmed from the suspect assaulting the victim’s wife. Police also revealed that the suspect usual-

ly hurled abusive and threatening remarks at the victim and his wife whenever he saw them.

According to Police, on New Year’s Day, Charter was paddling his boat along the Demerara River passing the suspect's home when he heard someone paddling quickly behind him. He looked around and observed that it was the suspect who was encroaching upon him.

The victim continued paddling and immediately after

he felt something strike him and his back began to burn. It turned out that an arrow had impaled his left side abdomen and a metal object was protruding at the front.

He looked around and saw the suspect with a bow in his hand and asked him why he shot him. The suspect did not reply but turned around his boat and paddled in the opposite direction and made good his escape. The victim then paddled to a nearby residence where he sought assis-

tance and was then escorted to the Linden Hospital Complex with the pointed metal protruding through the left side of his back. He was immediately admitted a patient and underwent surgery. His condition is listed as stable. Police have since launched an investigation. (G9)

Jarvis Small, who were convicted of murder have since filed appeals to the CCJ against their convictions and sentence.

In 2021, the Demerara Full Court sat for three matters. One of these cases was for the offence of possession of narcotics for the purpose of trafficking. The Court allowed the appellant’s application, quashed the conviction, and set aside the sentence.

The other two matters were for illegal entry into Guyana. The appellants in these cases had their sentences reduced and were ordered deported.

Meanwhile, the Berbice Full Court heard 20 matters last year. They were for the offences of dangerous driving, abusive and threatening language, assault causing actual bodily harm, felonious wounding, threatening behaviour, simple larceny, indecent language, possession of narcotics for the purpose of trafficking, unlawful wounding, injury to growing

tree, and malicious damage to property.

Four appellants withdrew their applications to appeal.

The Court allowed six applications. Another three applications were allowed in part, in that, the court affirmed their convictions but reduced their sentences. Two appellants had their convictions and sentences set aside while the other one had his conviction affirmed but had a $125,000 fine imposed on him.

The Demerara Full Court dismissed eight applications.

In one of the applications, the court varied the appellant’s sentence and imposed a $50,000 fine. In four other applications, the court ruled that it lacked jurisdiction, while three matters were dismissed due to no appearance by defence counsel. Two appellants were granted their applications to appeal against the decision of Magistrates. (G1)

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Mahaica man challenges 56-year Berbice man burns home jail sentence for neighbour’s murder after beating wife

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Convict: Foster Gravesande

ifty-year-old Foster Gravesande, who was found guilty of murdering his neighbour and sentenced to 56 years’ imprisonment, has moved to the Guyana Court of Appeal to have his conviction and sentence overturned.

On December 10, 2020, Gravesande was found guilty by a 12-member jury of the April 9, 2017 murder of 49-year-old Courtney Porter. He had been on trial for the capital offence before Justice Navindra Singh at the Demerara High Court.

It was reported that Porter, a father of three, was beaten in the head with a piece of wood by Gravesande, who had accused him of pulling his wife’s garments. Following the incident, Porter was hospitalised and his attacker was charged with attempting to commit murder and was released on bail.

However, Porter succumbed two weeks after the beating, and Gravesande subsequently fled the area but was captured in another policing division. The charge against him was upgraded to murder. After a Preliminary Inquiry (PI), a Magistrate committed him to stand trial for the offence.

Dissatisfied with the ruling of the trial court, Gravesande has mounted an appeal in which he argued that the verdict of the jury was unreasonable and cannot be supported having regard to the evidence presented at his trial.

Gravesande further argued that the trial Judge failed to sufficiently address

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Region Six (East BerbiceCorentyne), man is now on the run after setting his Belvedere village, Corentyne home on fire.

This was after his wife left their home after he assaulted her on Friday night.

The incident occurred at about 19:20h. The man’s 27-year-old wife told in-

Dead: Courtney Porter

the many deficiencies in the prosecution’s case, in particular, the contradicting evidence of the eyewitnesses. Among other things, the murder convict said that his sentence was manifestly excessive and severe in all the circumstances of the case.

Justice Singh, in sentencing Gravesande, started at a base of 60 years but deducted four years for the time the convict spent on remand. The Judge ordered that he only becomes eligible for parole after serving 28 years in jail. (G1)

vestigators that on Friday she and her husband had a misunderstanding, during which he dealt her several slaps and cuffs to her face, and threatened her to set the building on fire.

She further stated that she went away to her relatives’ home, where she alerted them about the assault and threats made by her husband. Moments

later she saw her home was engulfed in flames.

The Rose Hall Town Fire Service was summoned but could not save the property which was completely gutted.

Efforts made by investigators to contact the husband were futile.

Police have since launched a search for him.

9-year-old hospitalised after bee attack in Berbice

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nine-year-old boy is now hospitalised and three others injured after they were attacked by a swarm of bees at Rose Hall Town, Berbice (East Berbice-Corentyne).

Police said that the incident occurred between 17:50h and 18:00h, when a swarm of bees emerged from an open house lot opposite the Rose Hall Town

Primary School on the public road and attacked several passers-by.

Injured are 49-year-old Hemchand Madray called “Neil”, a cane harvester of Hampshire Village, Corentyne; 35-year-old Royon Ferrerie of Lot 10 (A) Rose Hall Town, a security guard along with his nine-year-old son Ryan Ferrerie – were taken to

the Port Mourant Public Hospital to seek medical attention after they were stung.

They were all admitted for observation in a serious but stable condition. Hemchand and Royon Ferrerie were treated and sent away but the young boy was referred to the New Amsterdam Hospital for further treatment. (G9)

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NY-based democracy group throws support behind NRF, Local Content Acts …Govt praised for acceptance of 10 of 14 Opposition amendments

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he New York Democracy Group Project has become the latest organisation to throw its support behind the recently passed and assented Natural Resource Fund and Local Content Acts, noting that these developments will only serve to strengthen Guyana’s management of the oil and gas sector.

In the case of the NRF Bill, it was noted by the group that the old NRF Act No 12 of 2019 was full of loopholes that opened the door for the fund to be abused. As such, the new NRF Bill which was passed and assented to by

President Dr Irfaan Ali giving his assent to the Local Content Bill 2021

President Dr Irfaan Ali last week, was necessary.

“Essentially, the main features of the PNCR bill

remain intact, except for the governance structure. Unlike in the previous bill, the Minister of Finance

would not have sole authority over the fund. A governance Board of Directors will be set up to manage the fund.”

“All funds will be placed in the Consolidated Account.

The Minister of Finance could be jailed if he failed to make public the receipt and withdrawal of funds. And a formula is laid out for the allocation of oil revenues for budget support to promote development projects. These are laudable features,” the group further said.

It was further pointed out that the NRF Act, like the Local Content Bill, is a living document that can be changed over time.

According to them, it is expected that the legislations will change, as both the Government and local investors increase their capacity in the oil sector.

The People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Government was also commended by the Group, for its magnanimous acceptance of 10 of 14 recommendations put forward by the main Opposition A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC), for the Local Content Bill.

Among the amendments that the Opposition had proposed, was one allowing any Guyanese national whose application had been refused, to appeal to an independent review panel appointed by the subject

Minister.

There was also an amendment for there to be a “Local Content Oversight Committee”. While this amendment was agreed to by the Government, it also decided to rename it the “Local Content Advisory Committee”.

Another accepted recommendation was for four additional agencies to be represented on the Committee.

These include the National Toshaos Council; Guyana Bar Association; the Parliamentary Opposition; and representatives from local petroleum organisations.

Natural Resource Minister Vickram Bharrat also tabled an additional four amendments that include equal pay for qualified Guyanese, commensurate with what foreigners are being paid; and to increase the usage level of local services such as accounting and insurance from 20 per cent to 90 per cent, and 90 to 100 per cent, respectively.

The Natural Resources Minister explained that these latter changes were undertaken upon the realisation that there is capacity in the provision of these two services. He explained that similarly, the local content legislation will be updated overtime to reflect the changing circumstances in Guyana as the country continues to build capacity to service the oil and gas sec-

tor.

After hours of intense debate by dozens of speakers from both sides of the House, the PPP/C Administration’s historic Local Content Bill and NRF Bill were passed in the National Assembly on Wednesday.

Both bills have since been assented to. While the Local Content Bill was assented to on Friday, the Head of State assented to the NRF Bill along with the Fiscal Management and Accountability (Amendment) Act on Thursday.

In objection to the passage of the NRF Bill, the APNU/AFC Members of Parliament started protesting in the House and this escalated into a confrontation between coalition MPs and Parliament staff after one of the Opposition Members snatched the Parliament Mace from in front of House Speaker Manzoor Nadir. This was in addition to blowing whistles while walking around in the pit of the Assembly and surrounding Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh as he was making his presentation.

The Opposition wanted to send both the NRF and Local Content Bills to a Parliamentary Special Select Committee for review. But their disruptive and confrontational behaviours were in vain and the PPP/C managed to pass both pieces of legislations.

17 1 more COVID death recorded as new infections skyrocket NEWS

MONDAY, JANUARY 3, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

…curfew, other measures extended for another month

N

ew COVID-19 infections have skyrocketed after the holiday weekend with only one fatality recorded so far in the new year, according to the Health Ministry.

The latest person who died after testing positive for the novel coronavirus is a 79-year-old female from Region Six (East BerbiceCorentyne). She was unvaccinated at the time of death on Sunday.

The total number of COVID-19 deaths from the virus has now gone up to 1055.

Meanwhile, some 281 new COVID-19 cases were detected within a 24-hour period, the Ministry reported on Sunday. This followed another 206 new infections reported on Saturday.

The total number of confirmed COVID cases in Guyana is now 40,060 of which only 1343 are currently active cases. These comprise five patients in the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and 1338 persons in isolation – 41 in institutional isolation and the other 1297 in home isolation.

There are also four more persons in institutional quarantine.

To date, some 37,708 persons have recovered after being infected with the life-threatening virus.

Meanwhile, approximately 428,651 persons have been tested for the novel coronavirus in Guyana so far and of this, some

18,890 males and 21,170 females were found to be positive.

Of the 281 new cases reported on Sunday, one was from Region One (Barima-Waini), six from Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), 21 from Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara), a whopping 189 cases from Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica), 10 from Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice), 49 from East Berbice-Corentyne, one from Region Seven (CuyuniMazaruni), three from Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo), and on from Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Upper Berbice).

Only last week, Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony said they were monitoring the spike in new COVID-19 cases after the Christmas weekend. Prior to then, active cases had dropped below one thousand for the first time in months.

But with the Omicron variant spreading rapidly across the world, health authorities are on the lookout to ascertain whether it has reached Guyana.

Dr Anthony has explained that this new variant is highly transmissible and, therefore, urged persons not to let their guard down in the new year.

The Health Minister also encouraged persons to get vaccinated and for those eligible, to get their booster shots.

So far, over 411,000 persons or 80.1 per cent of adults have taken a first dose vaccine, while more than 295,000 or 57.6 per cent have been fully vaccinated with both doses.

Meanwhile, just over 29 per cent of children between the ages of 12 and 17 are completely immunised.

The administration of booster shots has surpassed 11,800 doses.

But 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.

Government has since extended the COVID-19 Emergency Measures and Guidelines for another month, until the end of January 2022. These include vaccination requirements to access any public building such as restaurants, places of worship, schools as well as Government buildings.

There is also a midnight to 04:00h curfew in place, while certain establishments are required to operate at reduced capacity in order to allow for social distancing protocols. Business entities such as restaurants and bars as well as markets are allowed to open until 23:00h.

There are also vaccination requirements in place for persons entering Guyana via air, land, and water.

GUYANA COVID-19 DASHBOARD JANUARY 2, 2022 UPDATE

NUMBER OF NEW CASES

281

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN INSTITUTIONAL ISOLATION

41

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN HOME ISOLATION

1297

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN COVID-19 ICU

5

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN INSTITUTIONAL QUARANTINE

4

TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES BY GENDER (FEMALES)

21,170

TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES BY GENDER (MALES)

18,890

TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES IN GUYANA SINCE 2020

40,060

NUMBER OF RECOVERED CASES

37,708

DISTRIBUTION OF TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES SINCE MARCH 2020 REGION 1

1706

REGION 2

1603

REGION 3

5274

REGION 4

18,816

REGION 5

1505

REGION 6

3865

REGION 7

1817

REGION 8

623

REGION 9

2542

REGION 10

2309

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

TOTAL 1st DOSE VACCINATED

411,081

FULLY IMMUNISED

295,325

TOTAL NUMBER OF DEATHS

1055

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.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), recent figures show that some 281,808,270 confirmed cases were reported globally along with 5,411,759 deaths.

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 102,287,397 while the death toll in the Region has gone up to 2,404,354.

As it relates to vaccination against COVID-19, a total of 8,687,201,202 doses have been administered worldwide. (G8)

GRA slashes tax exemptions to Over $20M in equipment damaged companies by over $53B in 1 year in suspected arson at GPHC …able to bring down 5-year high rise in tax exemptions

T

ax exemptions to businesses, a Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) measure aimed at helping qualifying businesses to grow, but which has in the past been abused, have been slashed by over $53 billion in just one year.

This is contained in the 2020 Auditor General report, which states that for the year under review, GRA granted $137 Billion in overall exemptions from duties and taxes. This is a decrease of $53.4 Billion or 28.06 per cent, since $190.4 Billion in exemptions was granted in 2019. As a matter of fact, 2019 saw a five-year high in the granting of tax exemptions.

“In addition, the value of revenue forgone for the year 2020 represented 62.75 per cent of total collections by the Authority, as compared to 2019 where exemptions represented 84.27 per cent of the actual revenue collected by the Authority,” Auditor General Deodat Sharma said in his report.

There is also a breakdown of the exemptions that were provided. According to the Auditor General report, 10,444 tax exemptions totalling $119.2 billion was recorded by GRA during 2020, as compared to $172.3 billion during 2019.

This is a reduction of over $53 billion, including

a $52.4 billion reduction in conditional tax exemptions (exemptions that are granted only after conditions are satisfied) and a $958.9 million reduction in unconditional tax exemptions (exemptions granted to fulfil treaty and other international obligations).

Remigrants, who are usually beneficiaries of tax exemptions but whose remigrant scheme has not been without its controversies, also saw a reduction in the value of exemptions even though there were more entries in 2020 compared to 2019.

For instance, $346 million in exemptions were granted to remigrants in 2020, while $439.5 million was granted in 2019.

However, there were 238 entries for exemptions in 2020 as compared to 182 the previous year.

“An analytical review of the tax exempted and the taxes paid under ‘Conditional Tax Exemption’ for the year under review revealed that the tax exempted totalling $129.172 billion, whereas the taxes paid totalled $3.762 billion, which was only 2.91 per cent of the tax exempted. Similar observations were made in 2019 and 2018, where taxes paid represented only 4 per cent of taxes exempted for both years,” the Auditor

General said.

In its response to the Auditor General’s findings, GRA explained that from 2016 onwards, efforts have been made to reduce both the number and value of exemptions. It was explained that all requests for exemptions are scrutinised to make sure they meet specific criteria, in an effort to reduce the loss of revenue “from the haphazard manner in which concessions were granted previously.”

“A majority of the Unconditional Exemptions cited in finding above, relates to IDAs, these were made available to the staffers of the Auditor General for their review, the summation of which, would have provided an informed analysis as to the coherent reasons for the increase in exemptions in certain categories, such as the oil and gas sector, and would have concluded differently than which was surmised in the finding,” GRA explained.

“Significant increase in exemptions is expected in the coming years owing to the burgeoning oil and gas sector, unless policy changes are effected exemptions is expected to grow exponentially as the industry develops and matures, and in particular, if the PSAs for other blocks have similar provisions for exemptions.” (G3)

ICU patients being evacuated on New Year's morning after fire engulfed the echocardiography laboratory at GPHC

O

ver $20 million in equipment has been damaged after fire suspected to be an act of arson damaged the echocardiography laboratory at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC).

This is according to Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony, who visited the scene following the fire which occurred at about 05:24h on New Year’s Day. A report from the Fire Service stated that water tenders from the Central, Campbellville and Alberttown Fire Stations in Georgetown were immediately dispatched to the New Market Street, North

Cummingsburg location.

The fire occurred in the echocardiograph room, which is located on the first floor of the GPHC and the entire room was severely damaged. The fire was contained and the blaze was prevented from spreading to other parts of the hospital.

At the time of the fire there were at least 11 patients in the vicinity - seven in the cardiac Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and four in another ICU. They were all evacuated to safety.

The Guyana Fire Service along with the Guyana Police Force are presently conducting investigations

to determine what caused the fire.

Last year January, a male patient, reportedly set the Psychiatric Ward of the GPHC on fire, but the blaze was quickly extinguished and all patients were evacuated before the GFS arrived on the scene.

The fire started in the Psychiatric Ward, housed on the ground floor of the three-storey Medical Block, located at the junction of Thomas and New Market Streets.

There was no structural damage to the building, only minor damage to the interior of the ground floor of the building.

18

guyanatimesgy.com

MONDAY, JANUARY 3, 2022

Regional

Brazil registers 28 COVID-19 deaths Jamaica to deport Colombian wanted

B

razil registered 28 COVID-19 deaths on Sunday and 1721 additional cases, according to data released by the nation’s Health Ministry.

The South American country has now recorded a total of 619,133 coronavirus deaths and 22,293,228 confirmed cases.

The numbers do not reflect data from six states and the federal district on Sunday.

Since a hacker attack on December 10, certain of the Health Ministry’s databases have been offline, affecting

in Haitian President’s assassination

A

A health worker administers a booster dose of the PfizerBioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine, amid the coronavirus disease pandemic in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, December 23, 2021

monitoring of the pandemic.

In absolute terms, Brazil has the world’s third highest death toll behind the United

States and Russia, and is third in the number of people infected after the United States and India. (Reuters)

former Colombian military member implicated in last year’s assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse was scheduled to be deported from Jamaica to his home country today, Jamaica’s Attorney General said on Saturday.

Mario Antonio Palacios, 43, is accused by Haitian authorities of forming part of a mercenary group that assassinated Moïse in July during an assault on his private residence, during which his wife was also injured.

Palacios was arrested in

Jamaica last October and convicted for illegally entering the country from the Dominican Republic.

Jamaica’s Government had issued a deportation order for illegally entering the country. But the island nation has no formal extradition treaty with Haiti, where Palacios is wanted, a local Police spokesman said.

“The information supplied did not link him to the assassination and essentially indicated that he was a suspect for attempted armed robbery, without any detail,”

Marlene Malahoo Forte said in a statement to Reuters.

“Our attempts to get further and better particulars from the Haitian Government were unsuccessful.”

Lawyers for Palacios have asked for his immediate release from Kingston’s Horizon Adult Remand Centre, arguing that his detention is unlawful, she said.

Neither Palacio’s lawyers nor Haitian Government officials immediately responded to requests for comment.

(Reuters)

Economic recovery starting Minister: Carnival proposal to be sent in T&T, says Central Bank to Health Ministry, PM to decide after

T

he Central Bank of Trinidad and Tobago (CBTT) on Friday said business operations were starting to recover following the gradual opening of the economy since the third quarter, adding that it is a “signal of cautious optimism for 2022 if such momentum is maintained”.

In its Monetary Policy statement, the CBTT said that with respect to financing, business credit rose by 1.3 per cent year-on-year in October 2021, the first increase since August 2018.

It said recent lending was particularly buoyant to the

construction, finance and insurance sectors, alongside the 4.6 per cent rise in mortgage lending.

However, consumer lending contracted by 2.3 per cent, despite a slight decrease in interest rates, the weighted average lending rate of commercial banks declined to 7.04 per cent in September 2021, 16 basis points lower than in March 2021, the CBTT said.

But it noted that financial system liquidity remained “ample”, with banks’ excess reserves at the Central Bank averaging TT$7.37 billion (One TT dollar=US$0.16 cents) during the first half of

December 2021.

In addition, the interest rate differential between Trinidad and Tobago and United States 90-day treasury securities was relatively stable at around 27 basis points since June 2021.

The CBTT said that following a lag of several months, external price pressures are currently having a direct and broad-based bearing on domestic inflation. It said headline inflation measured 3.9 per cent year-onyear in October 2021 compared with 2.4 per cent a month earlier. (Excerpt from CMC)

Barbados small parties in talks to join forces

B

arbados could have yet another coalition party contesting the January 19 General Election.

Leader of Solutions Barbados Grenville Phillips II announced on Friday that his party would be forming a coalition with three other undisclosed political parties to contest the upcoming General Election.

Speaking to the media at the National Housing Corporation (NHC) where four Solution Barbados candidates paid their deposits in order to contest the January 19 General Election, Phillips said: “We are currently looking at a coalition so you will learn

more about that tomorrow.

So, there will be a coalition of parties. It will be a Solutions Barbados coalition of other parties. They agree with our policies and, therefore, that’s why there is the coalition, because they agree with them and we will move forward on those policies…probably three [parties].

“But the important thing is that every constituency must have a chance. They must know what they are voting for. We have heard it before when people cry wolf and say this is the most important election. This really is the most important election for Barbados. This one determines what happens in 2022,”

Phillips said.

While no confirmation was given, it is understood the coalition is likely to include leader of New Barbados Kingdom Alliance Lynroy Scantlebury.

In an exclusive interview late Thursday, Scantlebury would only reveal that talks were currently underway with “like-minded” individuals to form a unity party for the opportunity to serve Barbados.

Maintaining the need for a new leader of this country, Scantlebury held no punches in his criticism of the performance of the ruling Barbados Labour Party (BLP) Government over the last three years. (Excerpt from Barbados Today)

Bahamas announces new measures for rising COVID cases

T

he Bahamas Government has outlined a series of new measures aimed at curbing the spread of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic that the authorities there said was causing a fourth surge in the country.

Health and Wellness Minister, Dr Michael Darville said that among the new measures include the hiring of additional medical personnel; sourcing of new COVID-19 drugs; acquisition of Grosvenor Close Nursing Building for an Infectious

Diseases facility and entering into a partnership with private sector labs.

He said in addition, the authorities would be offering free Rapid Antigen Tests for asymptomatic residents at multiple centres throughout New Providence and that there would also be distribution of free medical grade masks at vaccination centres starting this week in New Providence.

On Wednesday, the authorities reported that 207 cases of the virus were recorded bringing the country’s confirmed virus toll to 24,476.

Most of the new cases were in New Providence where 192 were registered.

There was also one death pushing the death toll to 717.

The Bahamas has 1773 active cases.

“As your new minister, I have been working closely with health professionals in my Ministry over the past three months; preparing for the possibility of new waves of the virus and to better address some of the challenges we encountered during the difficult COVID-19 third wave. (Excerpt from Nation News)

D

iscussions on the possibility of Carnival 2022 have intensified as Tourism, Culture and Arts Minister Randall Mitchell is expected to present a proposal to the Health Ministry to consider a carnival-like celebration.

The Prime Minister briefly touched on the topic of Carnival during his address to the nation last November.

He said, “Carnival 2022 will not see street parades, unvaccinated gatherings and wild public parties”, adding “there is room for a safe-zone-venues-specific events where some elements of the festival can be sampled as a Carnival microcosmic mosaic with a difference”.

Mitchell told Newsday after the proposal has been submitted to the Health Ministry, the Prime Minister would make a decision.

“We’ve had several meetings with the stakeholders, including the CMO, including the Ministry of Digital Transformation, National

Aerial view of Port of Spain, Trinidad

Carnival Commission (NCC), including the Ministry of National Security, on the question of Carnival-type events as the PM said, a microcosm of Carnival, so it’s more like a teaser, carnival-type events in January or February 2022.

“We are putting a proposal to the Ministry of Health

by Friday or Saturday which they will consider along with the Prime Minister and that team and a decision will be made by the Prime Minister

in due course.”

Mitchell said, “Things are looking shaky now with the two new variants on us. The Ministry will look at the proposal and decide based on that.”

Carnival 2021 celebrations were called off as the country battled to reduce COVID-19 infections and deaths, but stakeholders are hopeful that some type of celebration – even if it’s virtual – is hosted to keep the festival alive. (Excerpt from CMC)

PNP Women’s Movement mourns passing of feminist Dr Glenda Simms The People’s National Party (PNP) Women’s Movement is mourning the passing of devoted feminist, Dr Glenda Simms.

Simms, who died on New Year’s Eve, came to prominence in 1990 when she became the first black woman to be appointed President of the Canadian Advisory Council on the Status of Women.

In a release earlier Sunday, the President of the PNP Women’s Movement, Patricia Duncan Sutherland, reflected on the indelible contribution made by Dr Simms in elevating the voice, value, and power of women in Jamaica.

“Dr Simms was an outstanding advocate for the elevation of women, especially in Jamaica. Her stewardship of the Bureau of Women’s Affairs was but one hallmark moment in her career in public service.

She was not an academic feminist but an active feminist, reviewing legislation with a crit-

Dr Glenda Simms

ical gender lens, engaging in the communities, the trenches to change how men and women saw and treated each other, training and retooling others to become champions of inclusion and equity -- hers is a legacy of excellence and we are deeply saddened to hear of her passing,” shared Duncan Sutherland.

“Her approach to her work was to keep raising the bar in any space she occupied. We are grateful to have had her hands working meaningfully in Jamaica to create a more equal and just society for our women and girls. May her soul rest in power,” she added. (Excerpt from Jamaica Observer)

guyanatimesgy.com

MONDAY, JANUARY 3, 2022

19

Around the World

OILNEWS OIL NEWS South Africa Parliament: Man OPEC+ likely to stick to existing policy at Jan 4 meeting – sources

O

PEC and its allies will probably stick to their existing policy of modest monthly increases in oil output at a meeting this week, four sources said, as demand concerns raised by the Omicron coronavirus variant ease and oil prices recover.

The Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and allies, known as OPEC+, is set to decide on Jan 4 whether to proceed with a 400,000 barrels per day output hike for February, the latest in a steady unwinding of record cuts made last year.

"At the moment, I have not heard of any moves to change course," said an OPEC+ source. A Russian oil source and two other OPEC+ sources also said no changes to the deal were expected.

At its last meeting on Dec 2, OPEC+ stuck to the plan for a 400,000 bpd rise in January, despite fears that a US release from crude reserves and Omicron would lead to an oil-price rout.

The benchmark oil price tumbled more than 10 per cent on Nov 26 towards US$72 a barrel when reports of the new variant first appeared, but has since recovered to almost US$80 and OPEC+ sources have said the December decision to go ahead with the supply boost was correct.

"Great outcome," a separate OPEC+ source said of the market's rally since the last meeting.

Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said on Wednesday OPEC+ has resisted calls from Washington to boost output further because it wants to provide the market with clear guidance and not deviate from policy.

The United States has repeatedly pushed OPEC+ to accelerate output hikes as US gasoline prices soared and President Joe Biden's approval ratings slid. Faced with resistance, Washington said in November it and other consumers would release reserves.

Novak also said on Wednesday the possible release of the strategic stockpiles will have a limited short-term impact on the market.

OPEC ministers are also set to discuss who will become the group's new Secretary General to replace Mohammad Barkindo, who is scheduled to leave at the end of July. Kuwait's candidate for the job has widespread support, sources have said. (Excerpt from Reuters)

arrested over massive fire A

man has been arrested after a large fire severely damaged the Houses of Parliament in the South African city of Cape Town.

A Police spokesperson said the man was facing charges of arson, housebreaking and theft, and would appear in court on Tuesday.

Firefighters have been working for hours to extinguish the blaze.

President Cyril Ramaphosa called it a "terrible and devastating event", as he vowed Parliament's work would continue.

Footage from the scene on Sunday showed a plume of black smoke filling the sky, with huge flames coming out from the roof of the building.

Officials said the fire started on the third floor offic-

A

South Korean has crossed the heavily fortified border in a rare defection to North Korea, South Korea's military said on Sunday.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said it carried out a search operation after detecting the person around 9:20 pm (1220 GMT) on Saturday on the eastern side of the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ) separating the two Koreas.

"We've confirmed that the person crossed the Military Demarcation Line border about 10:40 pm (1340 GMT) and defected to the North," the JCS said.

The JCS said it could not confirm whether the person was alive, but sent a notice

to the North via a military hotline asking for protection.

The border crossing, which is illegal in South Korea, came as North Korea carries out strict anti-coronavirus measures since shutting borders in early 2020, though it has not confirmed any infections.

A public and political uproar emerged after North Korean troops shot dead a South Korean fisheries official who went missing at sea in September 2020, for which Pyongyang blamed anti-virus rules and apologised.

The North's prolonged lockdowns and restrictions on inter-provincial move-

es and quickly spread to the National Assembly (the Parliament's lower house) chamber, reported the BBC's Nomsa Maseko in Cape Town.

The Parliament is not currently in session because of the holidays, and no injuries were reported.

Brigadier Nomthandazo Mbambo said the suspect is also expected to be charged under the National Key Points Act, which protects sites of strategic importance. In a statement on Sunday night, South Africa's Parliament confirmed that there had been "significant damage" to

France bans plastic packaging for most fruits and vegetables

F

rance has banned the use of plastics to package most fruit and vegetables.

The ban came into effect on Saturday under new regulations that French President Emmanuel Macron’s Government says are meant to phase out single-use plastics as pollution worsens globally.

Under the new rules, leeks and carrots, tomatoes and potatoes, apples and pears

South Korean crosses armed border in rare defection to North

A man stands near binoculars as he tries to see North Korea's propaganda village of Gijungdong at the Dora observatory near the demilitarised zone separating the two Koreas, in Paju, South Korea, April 24, 2018

President Ramaphosa (left) visited Parliament to inspect the damage

the New Assembly Wing of the building, which includes the National Assembly chamber where lawmakers sit. It also said some offices had been "severely gutted".

The fire, which began shortly after 06:00 local time (04:00 GMT), came the day after Archbishop Desmond Tutu's state funeral at St George's Cathedral, near Parliament.

Ramaphosa, who visited the scene, said news of the fire was a "terrible setback to what we were basking in yesterday", and added that Archbishop Tutu would also have been devastated.

He said the building's sprinkler system had not functioned properly, and praised firefighters for responding to the fire in minutes. (Excerpt from BBC News)

ment have also pushed the number of North Korean defectors arriving in the South to an all-time low.

Cross-border relations soured after denuclearisation negotiations between Pyongyang and Washington stalled since a failed summit in 2019.

South Korea and a USled UN force are technically still at war with North Korea since the 1950-1953 Korean War ended in an armistice rather than a peace treaty. (Excerpt from Reuters)

and about 30 other items can no longer be sold in plastic. Instead, they should be wrapped in recyclable materials.

Plastic will still be allowed for more fragile fruits such as berries and peaches, but is to be gradually phased out in the coming years.

Magazines and other publications will also need to be shipped without plastic wrapping, and fast-food restaurants will no longer be

allowed to offer free plastic toys to children.

Later this year, public spaces will also be made to introduce water fountains to reduce the use of plastic bottles.

The Government says the new regulation is expected to eliminate about 1 billion items of plastic waste a year.

France’s packaging industry meanwhile said it was dismayed by the new rules, particularly a ban on the use

of recycled plastics.

“We were never consulted,” complained Laurent Grandin, head of the fruit and vegetable sector’s Interfel association.

He told the AFP news agency that the costs were “insurmountable” for small companies who would have to keep using plastic to protect exports, notably to the United Kingdom, a major client for French apples. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Israel to offer 4th COVID vaccine shot to over 60s, medical staff

P

rime Minister Naftali Bennett said on Sunday that Israel would offer a fourth dose of COVID-19 vaccine to people over 60 and to medical staff as it faces a surge in Omicron variant infections.

Israel last week approved a fourth dose of the vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech, a second booster, for people who are immune-compromised and the elderly living in care homes.

Earlier, the Health Ministry's Director-General Nachman Ash said Israel could reach herd immunity as Omicron infections

mounted and Merck & Co's molnupiravir anti-viral pill was approved for use in COVID-19 patients over 18.

The highly transmissible Omicron variant has caused a wave of coronavirus cases, with worldwide infections hitting a record high, with an average of just over one million cases detected each day between Dec 24 and 30, Reuters data showed.

Deaths, however, have not risen to the same degree, raising hopes that the new variant is less lethal, a view Bennett also echoed in describing the second booster as largely a bid to prevent

serious illness among the elderly.

Daily cases in Israel are expected to reach record highs in the coming three weeks.

Israel's health ministry says around 60 per cent of its 9.4 million population are fully vaccinated, almost all with the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, which means they have either received three doses or have recently had their second.

But hundreds of thousands of those eligible for a third inoculation have so far not taken it. (Excerpt from Reuters)

New COVID-19 cases in India rise sharply for 5th consecutive day

I

ndia reported more than 27,000 new COVID-19 cases on Sunday, with infections sharply rising for a fifth consecutive day, but the Chief Minister of the capital New Delhi said there was no need to panic, citing low hospitalisation rates.

The country's largest cities, including Delhi and the financial capital Mumbai, have seen a recent spike in COVID-19 cases, including those of the Omicron vari-

ant, which has triggered a fresh wave of infections in other parts of the world.

Although the number of active cases in Delhi has tripled in just the last three days, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said that hospitalisations had not gone up.

"This means that most people who are coming down with (COVID-19) are not requiring hospital care. They are mild cases," Kejriwal said in an online briefing.

"Cases are going up but

there is no reason to worry.

There is no need to panic," he said.

Delhi was among hardest hit cities during the second wave of the pandemic in India last year, with hospitals running out of beds and life-saving oxygen, leaving patients gasping for breath.

India has recorded a total of 34.88 million COVID-19 infections, with 27,553 new cases in the last 24 hours, Health Ministry data showed on Sunday.

The country's total death toll stands at 481,770.

Local Government authorities in Mumbai city said thousands of people were conducting COVID-19 rapid antigen tests at home.

India is set to launch a vaccination drive for children in the age group of 15 to 18 years from today and state governments were gearing up to administer doses at schools, hospitals and through special camps.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

20

MONDAY, JANUARY 3, 2022

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ARCHIE

ARIES (March 21April 19)

TAURUS (April 20May 20)

DILBERT

GEMINI (May 21June 20)

CANCER (June 21July 22)

PEANUTS

LEO (July 23Aug. 22)

VIRGO (Aug. 23Sept. 22)

CALVIN AND HOBBES LIBRA (Sept. 23Oct. 23)

SUDOKU

LAST PUBLISHED WORD -- XYLOPHONIC

SOLUTION FOR LAST PUBLISHED PUZZLE

SCORPIO (Oct. 24Nov. 22)

You'll have to be sharp if you want to avoid trouble. Leave nothing to chance.

Stay focused on what you want to achieve, and don't stop until you are satisfied with the results.

Confusion will set in if you let someone manipulate a situation. Be vocal and deliver the goods. It's up to you to set the standard.

Self-improvement is encouraged.

Trust and believe in what you know and do best.

Refuse to let anyone railroad you into something you don't want to pursue. You can push your way forward with a positive attitude.

A positive change will develop if you use your ingenuity and branch out in a creative and trendy direction.

Take a step forward, and you'll gain respect and the support you require.

Put more effort into getting along with the people you need in your corner to accomplish your goals.

Diplomacy will fetch better results than force. Speak from the heart and be ready to compromise.

Get out, network and gain experience. See the world through someone else's eyes, and you will gain perspective regarding what's possible. Refuse to let domestic situations get out of control.

A passionate approach will be required if you want to overcome the trials and tribulations involved with certain joint ventures. You will need to be flexible, honest and direct.

Keep moving in a direction that offers satisfaction and makes you proud. Your efforts can make a difference and will eventually be recognized by your peers. Live life your way.

SAGITTARIUS Put your energy where it brings the highest returns.

(Nov. 23Hard work will pay off and Dec. 21) help you recognize and reject unreliable outside influences. Do the work and reap the rewards.

A practical outlook will CAPRICORN keep people from trying to (Dec. 22manipulate you. Sticking to Jan. 19) what feels comfortable will encourage better results and eliminate unnecessary stress.

Know your limitations.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20Feb. 19)

Don't be shy. Look at what's possible and dig in and do your best. Observing what others do will be a learning experience. Do your research and initiate your plans with confidence.

Dig in and make a differ(Feb. 20- ence. Encourage others to supMarch 20) port your efforts. Steer clear of anyone who tries to mislead you. Maintaining a healthy attitude and doing your research will pay off.

PISCES

MONDAY, JANUARY 3, 2022

21

Dravid: “Virat has been phenomenal in spite of all the noise around him” T

he subplot of who said what, or didn't, to whom, in the lead-up to Virat Kohli's resignation as T20I Captain and subsequent removal as ODI Captain, has swirled incessantly around India's ongoing tour of South Africa.

All this could have been a distraction from Kohli's immediate task as Captain of India's Test team in South Africa, but none of it, according to Head Coach Rahul Dravid, has affected his preparation or his leadership.

"I know there's been a lot of noise on other issues a little bit, outside of the group, even leading into this Test match, but honestly, in terms of keeping the morale high, it's not been very difficult, because, to be honest, it's been led by the skipper himself," Dravid said in a press conference on the eve of the second Test in Johannesburg. "I think Virat has been absolutely phenomenal over the last sort of 20 days that we've been here – the way he's trained, the way he's practised, the way he's connected with the group.

"As a coach, sometimes, leading into the series, you

Dravid on Kohli: "On and off the field, he's truly been a fantastic leader and a really good captain" © BCCI

know that there's not really too much you can do once the game starts, or there's not too much you can control in the results. But what you're really looking to do as coaches or as support staff, we're looking to prepare well and get the team into a really good space.

And Virat has been phenomenal in that – the way he's led the team, he's been absolutely, truly a leader, and I couldn't speak more highly about him and the way he's committed to his own prepa-

ration, his own practice, and also just the way he's connected with the group over the last two weeks.

"On and off the field, he's truly been a fantastic leader and a really good captain, so that's really helped in creating a really good space. I felt we were in a really good space leading into the first Test match, and a lot of that was led by Virat, and his leadership really came to the fore.

It's not been hard, it's been a pleasure to work with some-

one like Virat, he's been a phenomenal leader, and even personally, I think that he's in a really good space."

Dravid went on to predict that Kohli was on the cusp of turning his batting form around as well. Kohli has averaged 26.08 over 14 Tests since the start of 2020, with no centuries, and his two innings in the first Test in Centurion stayed true to that theme: solid starts followed by a dismissal against the run of play, twice out to drives played away from the body.

"Even though he batted well and couldn't convert those starts, I really feel there's going to be a big run of really good scores coming in from someone like him," Dravid said, "just observing him around the group, how relaxed he's been, how calm he's been, how he's preparing, and how switched on he is.

"It's not a question of being worried, but it's a question about recognising that as a batsman, as a middle-order player, as someone who bats in that kind of position, it is sometimes tough to bat and it's not easy to bat in these

conditions."

"Might not happen in the next game – I would really hope it happens in the next game – but I do feel with someone like him, we're going to see a really big run of scores once that clicks in place, because he's really led the way, and I couldn't speak more highly of him. I think he's been a real credit to himself and to Indian cricket over these last two weeks in spite of all the noise that's been there around him."

Dravid on Cheteshwar Pujara:

When asked about Cheteshwar Pujara's recent form – he has averaged 26.21 since the start of 2020, with seven fifties and no hundreds – Dravid reiterated the view that batters could sometimes bat well in tough conditions without necessarily getting big scores.

"I think he's doing the best he can, and I do recognise that at times, certainly he would like to have scored more runs.

I think someone like him sets really high standards for himself," Dravid said. "He's

achieved a lot of success in the 10 years that he's played [Test] cricket, so he knows the highs he's had and the kind of success he's had, and the kind of performances or the run of scores that he's had in the past. So, obviously, he would like to replicate that and he would like to keep doing that over and over again, sometimes it doesn't happen.

"It's not a question of being worried, but it's a question about recognising that as a batsman, as a middle-order player, as someone who bats in that kind of position, it is sometimes tough to bat and it's not easy to bat in these conditions. But when you do get set, it's really nice when one of your top three or top four can convert that into a big score.

"We saw the value of that in [KL] Rahul's hundred [in the first Test]. If that happens, it really sets you up very well as a team, and it would be great if Pujara can do that, because we know that when he does that, a lot of times India do win those games or we put ourselves in really good positions." (ESPNcricinfo)

6 England T20I players to leave Lionel Messi isolating after BBL to prepare for West Indies tour testing positive for COVID-19

S

ix members of England's T20I squad will be withdrawn from their respective Big Bash league (BBL) sides

by January 7 to allow them time at home in the United Kingdom before flying out for the tour of the West Indies.

Sam Billings, Saqib Mahmood, George Garton, Tymal Mills, Reece Topley and James Vince will all head home in the next week prior to England's T20I squad flying to Barbados on January 15 for the five-match T20I series, which is scheduled to start on January 22.

While the last day of the Ashes series is January 18, none of England's Test squad members are involved in the T20I series and Coach Chris Silverwood will also be absent. Assistant Coach Paul Collingwood, who left Australia prior to Christmas, will stand in for the T20I portion of the Caribbean tour, with Marcus Trescothick assisting him.

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) also recently advertised for three additional coaching roles on

L

Sam Billings is one of the six players

short-term contracts for the T20Is in Barbados.

The withdrawal of the BBL players leaves Sydney Thunder (Billings and Mahmood); Adelaide Strikers (Garton); Melbourne Renegades (Topley); Perth Scorchers (Mills) and Sydney Sixers (Vince) without key players for the back-end of the tournament –- though Garton was left out of the Strikers' defeat to Sydney Thunder on Sunday after a run of poor form. However,

the teams had been aware of this scenario since the England squad was selected on December 23.

The ECB confirmed that the players selected were always set to return early to prepare for the Caribbean tour with safe-living guidelines and COVID-19 protocols at the forefront of the ECB's thinking. Each player will coordinate with their own BBL club as to how many more fixtures they can play prior to heading home to the UK. (ESPNcricinfo)

ionel Messi isolating after testing positive for COVID-19 Lionel Messi has scored six goals in 16 games since joining Paris St-Germain in the summer following his departure from Barcelona and is one of four PSG players to test positive for COVID-19.

The Argentine forward and team-mates Juan Bernat, Nathan Bitumazala, and Sergio Rico were confirmed to have COVID a day before PSG's French Cup tie against fourth-tier side Vannes.

The quartet are said to be isolating. PSG boss Mauricio

Pochettino added that Messi remained in Argentina where he spent the winter break and would not travel until testing negative.

During a pre-match news conference on Sunday, Pochettino said he could not put a date on Messi's return.

PSG's first league game of 2022 after their winter break is against Lyon on Sunday, January 9. Forward Neymar will miss that match as he continues his recovery from an ankle injury in Brazil. PSG say the 29-year-old is expected to return to training in three weeks.

(BBC Sport)

22

MONDAY, JANUARY 3, 2022

W

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

West Indies will host Ireland in a three-match CG Insurance One-Day International (ODI) series and a one-off CG Insurance T20 International (T20I) from January 8 to January 16 at Sabina Park, Jamaica.

The two-time world champions will then travel to Barbados to face England in five T20Is at Kensington O v a l ,

Shimron Hetmyer

est Indies Coach Phil Simmons said batsman Shimron Hetmyer is not only letting himself down

but his teammates as he has failed to meet the fitness standard, forcing him to be overlooked by Cricket West Indies (CWI).

On Friday, the West Indies squad for limited-overs series against Ireland and England was announced.

F

ormer West Indies wicketkeeper-batsman and Captain Denesh Ramdin is now under new management after signing with Sophie Claire Management.

Ramdin was a member of the West Indies T20 World Cup winning sides in 2012 and 2016. Claire reacted to the signing on

her Instagram page.

“Two-time World Cup T20 winning wicket-keeper Denesh Ramdin. It is a privilege to work with people you admire for all their accomplishments,” she said.

The Trinidadian is a former West Indies Captain at both the Under-19 and senior levels, and holds the West Indies wicketkeeping record for most T20 dismissals.

The 36-year-old scored 2898 runs in 74 Test matches at an aver-

age of 25.87 for the West Indies with four centuries and 15 fifties, with his highest score of 166 coming against England in 2009. In 139 OneDay Internationals (ODIs), Ramdin scored 2200 runs at an average of 25.00 with two centuries and eight fifties, with a highest score of 169 against Bangladesh in 2014.

He also represented the West Indies in 71 T20 Internationals, scoring 636 runs at an average of 18.70 with one half-century.

(Sportsmax)

Barbados from January 22-30.

Hetmyer has failed multiple fitness tests over the last few years which led to him not being considered

Head Coach Phil Simmons

for selection.

I n Hetmyer’s native Guyana, the left-hander recently took part in fitness drills with his Guyana Jaguars teammates.

Hetmyer failed the test.

Simmons, speaking to Journalists on Zoom on Friday, said, “It’s the same old, same old. He (Hetmyer) did his fitness assessment in Guyana

and he came way below the required mark. Again, it is something that is heart-wrenching, because you know that you are part of this team and you have to keep a certain fitness to be part of this team and you keep letting down your teammates.”

Simmons said Hetmyer was also “letting down himself”.

BCB congratulates Shepherd, Motie on West Indies selection

G

udakesh Motie and Romario Shepherd are the two Guyanese selected for the upcoming West Indies squads to play Ireland and England in a white-ball home series.

Motie was selected for the One-Day

BCB President Hilbert Foster

International (ODI) while Shepherd was selected for both the ODI and T20 International series.

In a congratulatory statement from the Berbice Cricket Board (BCB), it was noted that these players would be great ambassadors of the Ancient County in the upcoming series.

“On behalf of the President and executives of the Berbice Cricket Board, I would like to congratulate Berbice’s very own Romario Shepherd and Gudakesh Motie on their selection on the West Indies team for the upcoming series vs Ireland. We are very proud of these guys and we are confident that they would be great ambassadors of the Ancient County brand on and off the cricket field.

Congrats guys and may God bless both of you,” the statement read.

The West Indies will

start the new year at Sabina Park, Jamaica as

ODI series and a one-off CG Insurance T20I from January 8 to January 16.

The two-time world champions will then travel to Barbados to face England in five T20Is at Kensington Oval from January 22 to January 30.

The CG Insurance ODI series between West Indies and Ireland will form part of the International Cricket Council (ICC) Men’s Cricket World Cup Super League, in which the

Gudakesh Motie

they host Ireland in the three-match CG Insurance

top seven teams can secure

Romario Shepherd

automatic qualification for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 in India.

Match Schedule

Ireland series at Sabina Park, Jamaica January 8: 1st CG Insurance ODI (9:30am local time/10:30am Eastern Caribbean) January 11: 2nd CG Insurance ODI (9:30am local time/10:30am Eastern Caribbean) January 14: 3rd CG Insurance ODI (9:30am local time/10:30am Eastern Caribbean) January 16: one-off T20I (4pm local time/5pm Eastern Caribbean) England series at Kensington Oval, Barbados January 22: 1st T20I (4pm local time/3pm Jamaica) January 23: 2nd T20I (4pm local time/3pm Jamaica) January 26: 3rd T20I (4pm local time/3pm Jamaica) January 29: 4th T20I (4pm local time/3pm Jamaica) January 30: 5th T20I (4pm local time/3pm Jamaica)

MONDAY, JANUARY 3, 2022

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

23

Sir Curtly Ambrose to visit Berbice February 10-14 for historic fast-bowling clinic – Nolan McKenzie to conduct batting clinic as well

T

he vibrant and progressive Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) would be taking its coaching programme to the next level from Friday, February 11 when it hosts two major clinics for fast bowlers and batsmen in the Ancient County.

Legendary West Indies fast bowler, Sir Curtly Ambrose would be conducting the fast-bowling clinic while former national opening batsman Nolan McKenzie is expected to host a batting clinic. BCB President Hilbert Foster at the Board’s Annual General Meeting on December 19 last year had unveiled a massive coaching programme as part of his administration’s plans for the period 2022 to 2023.

Foster stated that the Board would invest heavily in coaching to make sure that every potential talent in the county is given the opportunity to develop, and also to lift the stan-

Dr Frank Denbow

dard of the county’s cricket to another level. The BCB, he stated, was aiming to produce a total of 10 West Indies players at all levels over the course of the next few years . Clinics would be held for fast bowlers, off spinners, left arm spinners, leg spinners, Captains, wicketkeepers, and batsmen while investment would also be made in producing more coaches for the county. The BCB would be organising clinics for pre-level one coaches while sessions would also be

manner that Chris can enjoy," Cricket West Indies (CWI) chief Ricky Skerritt has told Cricbuzz.

CWI has not included Chris Gayle in the white-ball squads f o r

"G

Chris Gayle

ayle deserves to be thanked and honoured by fans. Cricket West Indies will find the right way to make that happen in a

t h e upcoming twin series against Ireland and England, but insisted that the West Indies legend will be suitably honoured. The nine matches – three One-Day Internationals (ODIs) and six Twenty20 Internationals –are scheduled to be played across January.

"Gayle has been a phenomenal performer for Jamaica and the West Indies since he was a teenager. He deserves to be thanked and honoured by fans. Cricket West Indies will find the right way to make that happen in a

held for umpires, match referees, scorers and managers in an aggressive developmental programme.

Foster stated that he was contacted by overseas-based Guyanese medical doctor Frank Denbow , who stated that he would like to sponsor a fast-bowling clinic once the BCB could get Sir Curtly Ambrose to conduct it. Dr Denbow informed the BCB President that he was very impressed with the raw talent of Isai Thorne and wanted to invest in his development, along with other fast bowlers’. Foster immediately contacted the legendary fast bowler who readily agreed but had to find a suitable date to visit. Eventually, the parties agreed that Sir Curtly would arrive on Thursday, February 10 and departed on February 14.

The fast-bowling clinic would be held from Friday to Sunday with about 40 players. The BCB Selection Committees, headed by

manner that Chris can enjoy," CWI chief Skerritt told Cricbuzz, moments after CWI squads for the series – three ODIs and one T20I against Ireland and five T20Is against England – were announced on Friday.

There have been reports that the CWI was considering a farewell game against Ireland for Gayle, a 42-year-old veteran opener who played 380 white-ball games for the West Indies (301 ODIs and 79 T20Is) besides 103 Tests.

But Skerritt said there was never a plan to specifically pick him for the one-off T20 against Ireland.

"The story about a farewell selection match for Gayle v Ireland was fabricated by mischief makers," Skerritt said. He, however, handed out hope for Gayle, who has held back his retirement in the hope of a home swansong game. "We're not defining what such a game

Albert Smith and Balram Samaroo, would host a series of sessions before selecting the fast bowlers for the sessions. Sir Curtly is expected to pay courtesy calls on several Government officials, including Sport Minister Charles Ramson Jr, and would also be involved in inspiration sessions with administrators across the county, a question-and-answer session and visit the Upper Corentyne area.

Dr Denbow is also expected to be in the county for the clinic, and he has expressed confidence that his sponsorship would result in the county producing more fast bowlers in the future. Berbice is more known for producing spinners like Ivan Madray, Mahendra Nagamootoo, Devindra Bishoo, Veerasammy Permaul and Gudakesh Motie. Fast bowlers who hailed from the county include John Trim, Leslaine Lambert, Ray Joseph,

CWI President Ricky Skerritt

(farewell) will look like. The planning has not yet commenced," the CWI chief said without being specific about the details.

The squads, with Kieron Pollard as skipper, were picked by the interim selection panel, headed by Head Coach Phil Simmons. The other members of the panel are the Captains in the respective men's formats with former West Indies batsman Jimmy Adams overseeing the process.

"We have tried to maintain the general makeup of the squads from

Brandon Bess, Romario Shepherd, and Nial Smith.

Ambrose is widely considered a legend of the game and one of the greatest fast bowlers of all time. He played 98 tests for the West Indies, taking 405 wickets at the remarkable average of 21.00 and played 176 OneDay International matches, taking 225 wickets at 24.1.

Meanwhile, former national player McKenzie volunteered his services to the BCB, to conduct a batting clinic at the same time as Ambrose’s visit and was readily accepted by Foster. The batting clinic would involve 40 of the most promising youth batters in the county. The 52-year-old McKenzie played 19 First-Class matches for Guyana, scoring 800 runs with six half-

the Pakistan tour before Christmas, with the Captain and some senior players coming back in.

COVID-19 has also played a part in the final make-up of the squad. The challenges in the next couple months are getting the young players in both squads to not only improve on their skills but maintain the attitude and desire we saw in Pakistan," Simmons said.

The ODI series between West Indies and Ireland - on January 8, 11 and 14 at Sabina Park, Jamaica -- will form part of the International Cricket Council (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. The lone T20I against Ireland will also be played in Jamaica. The twotime world champions will then travel to Barbados to face England in five T20Is at Kensington Oval from January 22 to January 30.

Sir Curtly Ambrose

centuries. He is expected to work along with promising batters like Rampertab Ramnauth, Jonathan Rampersaud, Leon Cecil, Zeymul Ramsammy, and Mahendra Gopilall.

The BCB has expressed gratitude to Dr Denbow for his support and sponsorship.

The squad for ODIs vs Ireland: Kieron Pollard (Captain); Shai Hope (Vice Captain); Shamarh Brooks; Roston Chase; Justin Greaves; Jason Holder; Akeal Hosein; Alzarri Joseph; Gudakesh Motie; Jayden Seales; Nicholas Pooran; Romario Shepherd; Odean Smith and Devon Thomas.

COVID-19 Reserves: Keacy Carty and Sheldon Cottrell.

The squad for T20Is against Ireland and England: Kieron Pollard (Captain); Nicholas Pooran (Vice Captain); Fabian Allen (England T20Is only); Darren Bravo (England T20Is only); Roston Chase; Sheldon Cottrell; Dominic Drakes; Shai Hope; Akeal Hosein; Jason Holder; Brandon King; Kyle Mayers; Rovman Powell; Romario Shepherd; Odean Smith and Hayden Walsh Jr. COVID-19 Reserves: Jayden Seales, Alzarri Joseph and Devon Thomas.

(Cricbuzz)

MONDAY, JANUARY 3, 2022

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

GDF make good on promise to “secure” Super-16 Championship!

Story and photos by Jemima Holmes

T

ension permeated the National Track and Field Facility, Leonora on New Year’s Day, as two bands of hopeful footballers approached the penalty line. Just five kicks separated the two teams from $2 million, gold medals, and the ultimate bragging rights.

Hundreds of fans, in stands and on the ground, grew ‘church mouse’ quiet as the first Western Tigers player approached the pen-

The Guyana Defence Force are the back-to-back Super-16 champions

Colin Nelson is the tournament’s MVP and best defender

alty mark; he shot and he scored; the first GDF player also did the same. The second strikes were equally as clean, but the third is where it went wrong for the Western Tigers. As Western missed their shot, GDF connected to go one up. The penultimate penalties both found the back of the net, leaving the last to be the championship decider.

Western connected, hoping that GDF would miss this shot, or that their goalkeeper Sese Norville would pull off a screamer of a save to give them a lifeline. As

Kelsey Benjamin, GDF’s last shooter, approached the penalty mark, his team became fully animated, and with that, the crowd rose to their feet, many of them biting nails and saying silent prayers.

After careful thought, Benjamin took his shot, directing it at the left corner as Norville leaped sideways for the save. He indeed got a hand to the ball, but the

simple graze of his fingertips was not enough to keep Kelsey’s shot out of the net and surely not enough to keep the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) from winning

their second, back-to-back Super 16 Cup. Prior to the penalty shootout, the final encounter in the 2021-2022 Guyana Football Federation (GFF)Kashif and Shanghai (K&S) Super-16 tournament began with a certain intensity at the sound of the whistle.

The ball lived in the midfield, so to speak, as this group of players dominated possession through the middle. This meant, however, that whenever the ball got to the wings, it appeared as though a goal was about to

be witnessed. This was especially the case for Western Tigers’ Kevon Woodley and Trayon Bobb, who had many chances traversing the wings, but couldn’t finish them off. Or simply didn’t get the finishing support from their teammates.

It was only after the first goal was scored that the soldiers seemed to wake up. Off of a free kick, the ball came pretty close to the goal, but was diverted out of the dan-

ger zone by GDF’s defence.

What they did not expect, however, was that Woodley was perfectly positioned to rebound the ball back into the goal and the GDF goalkeeper had no reply after losing his footing in a collision.

With Western up in the 16th minute, play finally became fluent on the other half as the soldiers hunted a much-needed equaliser. Their opportunity finally came half an hour into the contest, by way of an infraction inside the box. The pen-

alty was taken, but Norville was aware enough to fend it off. However, there was some dispute about the legality of the penalty and it was decided by the officials that GDF would have another shot at levelling the game.

This time, Colin Nelson lined up and was more successful than his other teammate at beating the goal’s custodian to bring the score to 1-1 in the 36th.

The half expired with

the scores remaining locked and so did regulation time, plunging the contest into extra time. Even with an additional half an hour, neither Western nor GDF were able to penetrate the other’s defence and by extension, the goalkeepers, so penalty kicks became the last resort.

If one were to remember GDF Assistant Coach Kavin Pearce’s words during the pre-match press conference, where he alluded to the Defence Force’s duty to secure the country; the irony of them securing a second Super-16 Championship becomes delightful.

The third-place play-off, which was contested earlier in the evening, was especially unlike the final, as one team dominated the entire 90 minutes. The Den Amstel Football Club proved their worth with a 2-0 victory over the Guyana Police Force (GPF).

Eventual highest goal-scorer of the tournament, Gideon Payne put the West Coast Demerara team

er. His teammate, Ryan “Boom Boom” Hackett was adjudged the best midfield player, while Den Amstel’s Payne and Denzel Smith received the Golden Boot (most goals – 5) and best goalkeeper awards, respectively. Another teammate of theirs, Keanu Lawrence received the award for most improved player.

GDF Coach Joseph Wilson was adjudged the Best Coach of the tournament.

Based on the result, GDF walked away with the $2 million prize and coveted BACIF trophy, which should now be theirs to keep, after winning the tournament twice, consecutively.

Western Tigers had to settle for $1 million and a trophy, while Den Amstel and the GPF copped $500,000 and $250,000 respectively.

The tournament was sponsored by the Government of Guyana; Ministry of Culture, Youth, and Sport; KFC Guyana; NEW GPC; Mohamed’s Enterprise; MVP Sports;

ahead in the 24th minute with his first goal. Not paying much mind to this, the GPF continued on casually, that is until the second half when the realisation of finishing fourth finally dawned on them. At this point, the GPF became desperate in their plays, but Den Amstel played impeccably to keep the officers at bay. Payne returned in the 77th to add another to Den Amstel’s and his personal tally, sealing a victory and a $500,000 prize for his team.

In the individual prizes, Colin Nelson not only walked away with the $500,000 diamond ring, compliments of Tony’s Jewellery for the Most Valuable Player (MVP) but also the accolade for best defence play-

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