Guyana Times -- Saturday, April 23, 2022

Region 2 residents get onthe-spot housing allocations

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THE BEACON OF TRUTH

Issue No. 4987

SATURDAY, APRIL 23, 2022

Guyanese-owned consortium inks pact to construct US$300M shore base facility for ExxonMobil – project for late 2023 completion

Page 3

PRICE

$100 VAT INCLUDED

WHAT'S INSIDE:

MoH rescinds termination of 27 Linden Hospital P15 workers Cane cutter P8 who hacked off Policewoman’s wrist gets 3 years

Man wanted for stabbing teen son to death arrested P11

President of ExxonMobil Guyana, Alistair Routledge, and Company Secretary/Director of VEHSI, Andron Alphonso, along with Directors of NRG Holdings Inc. Azruddin Mohamed and Nicholas Boyer; Natural Recourses Minister Vickram Bharrat and Minister within the Public Works Ministry, Deodat Indar, after the signing of the agreement on Friday

Earth Day is reminder to invest, protect our environment – President Ali – reiterates Guyana’s commitment to global pledges to protect planet

See story on page 7

Int’l Energy Expo 2023 launched with focus on traditional sectors Page 9

Prisoners escape from moving Police vehicle – both subsequently turn selves in

Page 11

Rose Hall mother of 2 found with throat slit

Essequibo P15 man wanted

by Police for 8 years nabbed on Friday

Page 18

– 2 in Police custody

P18 Guyana collaborates with IMPACT Justice to draft Model Arbitration Bill

Father of 6 jailed for 13 years for attempting to kill gambling P12 partner

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SATURDAY, APRIL 23, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

NEWS

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SATURDAY, APRIL 23, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

BRIDGE OPENINGS OPENINGS BRIDGE

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

Saturday, April 23 – 23:00h – 00:30h and Sunday, April 24 – 23:30h – 01:00h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Saturday, April 23 – 09:40h – 11:10h and Sunday, April 24 – 11:20h – 12:50h.

Guyanese-owned consortium inks pact to construct US$300M shore base facility for ExxonMobil – project for late 2023 completion

FERRY SCHEDULE

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

WEATHER TODAY

There will be heavy rain and thundery showers during the day. Expect light rain showers and partly cloudy skies at night. Temperatures should range between 23 degrees Celsius and 29 degrees Celsius.

Winds: West North-Westerly to North NorthEasterly between 2.23 metres and 4.02 metres.

High Tide: 09:37h and 22:46h reaching maximum heights of 2.23 metres and 2.08 metres.

Low Tide: 15:59h reaching a minimum height of 0.97 metre.

Exxon President Alistair Routledge, along with members of the local consortium including, businessmen Nazar “Shell” Mohamed and Azruddin Mohamed, Andron Alphonso, Nicholas Boyer and other officials at the launch on Friday

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FRIDAY, APRIL 22, 2022

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

COMMODITIES Indicators

US$

Change %

Crude Oil

$106.65/barrel

-1.58

Rough Rice

$290.7/ton

-0.49

London Sugar

$530.50/ton

-1.96

Live Spot Gold

USD Per Ounce

Bid/Ask

$1932.30

$19337.30

Low/High Change

$1926.50 0.00

$1957.30 0.00%

xxonMobil Guyana and the Vreed-enHoop Shorebase Incorporated (VEHSI) on Friday signed a 20-year agreement for shore base services to be provided at the Port of Vreed-en-Hoop facility to support the US oil giant’s operations offshore Guyana.

VEHSI, which is undertaking Guyana’s first multi-purpose port facility, is a joint venture between a fully-owned Guyanese consortium – NRG Holdings Incorporated, and Jan De Nul Group, a Belgium-based company that specialises in offshore, marine, civil, environment, and project development.

The consortium includes Hadi World Inc, owned by businessmen Nazar “Shell” Mohamed and Azruddin Mohamed, Nicholas Boyer of National Hardware Guyana Limited, and Andron Alphonso of ZRN Investments Inc. NRG holds a majority stake of 85 per cent in VESHI, while the remaining 15 per cent is owned by Jan De Nul – the company that will construct the facility.

The multi-million Port of Vreed-en-Hoop, which will be located at the Best, West Coast Demerara foreshore, will feature an offshore terminal; fabrication, umbilical and spooling yards; a dry dock facility; a wharf and berths, and administrative buildings, among other facilities.

Company Secretary/ Director of VEHSI, Andron Alphonso, and President of ExxonMobil Guyana, Alistair Routledge, signed the 20-year pact, to the tune of US$300 million, on Friday allowing for the US oil major to lease the facility upon completion next year.

According to Routledge, this shore base facility will allow the company to do more construction-related

works, such as fabrication, right here in Guyana to support its offshore operations.

He explained that Exxon has already invested in the Guyana Shore Base Inc (GYSBI) which has enabled them to bring the supply chain for drilling operations and production operations into Guyana almost completely out of Trinidad.

“What VEHSI [now] allows us to do is to bring more of the construction activities, the preparation for installation of subsea equipment [to Guyana]. Everybody tends to focus on the vessel that's on the surface – the FPSOs (Floating Production Storage and Offloading), but we put just as much investment into the seabeds and into wells below the surface of the sea as we do into that FPSO. And we have started doing some of that fabrication here in the country,” the Exxon President noted.

Routledge said some of the works they did so far include the fabrication of the jumpers – the steel pipes that go on the seabed to connect wells to floor lines. But he pointed out that with this new facility at Vreed-enHoop, much more could be done in the country.

“What this project is going to do is going to be 10 times that [with] heavy load berthing points, much more capacity to do more construction and assembly work in the country that will truly be a springboard for the Yellowtail and future projects to increase local content for what we do in the oil and gas industry in the country,” he posited.

Meanwhile, one of the Directors of the local consortium, Nicholas Boyer, stated that bringing these services to the local shore would enable more job opportunities for Guyanese. In fact, he disclosed that during the construction stage, approximately 200 to 300 jobs will be

created and this figure will significantly increase, several times over when the facility is operationalised.

Boyer noted that construction will commence as early as next month in order to meet the project’s completion timeline in the fourth quarter of 2023. He stated that the port facility is meant to be the kickstart of bigger developments to come in Guyana.

“What drove us through this process was a responsibility, and dare I say a privilege, that we had to do this for the country because the country needs a development that will increase local content, reduce commercial shipping costs, provide land for service companies and who need service companies, and provide land in a place that is not impacting on existing operations, neighbours – that’s why you see went through and still doing a complete Environmental and

Social Impact Assessment.”

“Definitely, this is not a get-rich-quick scheme but what it does for the development of this country is incredible,” the Guyanese businessman stressed.

Moreover, Boyer further stated that the project is being financed entirely by private investors with the only support from the Government being the lease of the lands at the West Demerara foreshore, where the facility will be built.

Speaking at Friday’s signing ceremony, which was attended by representatives from the consortium as well as other stakeholders, Natural Resources Minister Vickram Bharrat lauded the group of Guyanese businessmen for initiating this project.

He urged other Guyanese to follow suit and make similar investments to further develop Guyana’s infrastructure capacity.

TURN TO PAGE 5

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guyanatimesgy.com

SATURDAY, APRIL 23, 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

Positives and negatives S

ocial media is a world within a world, and for those who were born in the 21st century, technology is only but a natural phenomenon. Cell phones, iPods and video games are practically inevitable for teens and young adults.

Platforms such as Facebook, TikTok, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat have taken the world in general by storm, and youths in particular. They have connected the seven billion people of the earth like at no time before since Homo Sapiens took over from the Neanderthals. Intended to increase connectivity between persons on the heels of the Internet, they have, however, morphed to create changes in their users – especially youths – that might not have been predicted.

While these sites’ open dialogue allows individuals to express themselves, there must be some amount of user censorship, not necessarily by the domain host, but rather by individuals themselves. Creating a profile and giving details about yourself, hobbies and educational background are all acceptable; however, for many, every aspect of their day, work, and lives is posted. Like driving, the users of social media should be cognisant of the five C’s – caution, care, common sense, courtesy, and consideration – as many of the things posted can arise in the future to haunt thrones.

From studies conducted, it is clear that social media is addictive to young people, and they spend vast amounts of their time on it every day of their lives. “Scientists have found that teen social media overuse creates a stimulation pattern similar to the pattern created by other addictive behaviours.

Hence, the brain responds to social media the same way it responds to other “rewards” — with a release of dopamine.

These dopamine rushes are catalyzed when a teen posts something online and is met with likes, shares, and positive comments from their peers.” Most parents are unaware of the amount of time their very young children spend on social media, but may observe the effects.

Social media certainly has its benefits for youths, since it is at this stage in life they are learning to form relationships.

“According to a report released in 2021 by Common Sense Media on social media’s effects on teens, about half of the 1,500 young people surveyed said social media is very important for them in order to get support and advice, feel less alone, and express themselves creatively, as well as for staying in touch with friends and family while social distancing.

And 43 percent said that using social media makes them feel better when they are depressed, stressed, or anxious. Among LGBTQ youth, 52 percent said social media helps them feel better when they are experiencing these difficult emotions.”

But social media also has its downside for youths, and researchers at Facebook – which owns Instagram – found that the latter negatively affects youths’ mental health.

“They found that 13% of British teen Instagram users and 6% of American users in the same age segment thought about committing suicide while attributing such self-destructive feelings to the site.” But even against that background, when Facebook owner Mark Zuckerburg was questioned about the subject in a Congressional hearing, he insisted that such statistics were “misleading”. Unfortunately, there are no such studies in Guyana, but the dynamics are the same as should be the effects.

The negative and suicidal thoughts arise out of the operation of platforms like Instagram, which are dominated by individuals and “influencers” who post pictures of themselves that have been heavily photoshopped and airbrushed to present images that are very unrealistic in comparison to the looks of average youths. All of these create tremendous pressure on youths to achieve that perfection, especially when it comes to looks and lifestyle. When they compare themselves, they despair at the gap, and feelings of inadequacy set in, which in turn leads to depressive and suicidal thoughts.

Overall, social media has its positives and negatives, but it is clear that there has to be more examination to ensure that the latter does not create a public health crisis in youths.

For now, maybe parents should pay more attention to where their children’s minds are at with that ubiquitous smartphone in their hands.

President Dr Irfaan Ali on Friday met with Guyanese boxers Elton Dharry and Dexter ‘The Kid’ Marques and Panamanian boxers Orlando Penalba and Gilberto Pedroza at State House. The boxers will be fighting in the ‘Road to Redemption’ boxing event this evening at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence. Dharry, a US-based pugilist, is expected to battle Penalba for the WBC Super Flyweight International title in the feature clash, while Marques will face Pedroza for the WBC Flyweight International Silver Belt. Several other Guyanese boxers are also expected to be in action.

The promoters of the event were also at State House

Globalisation is not working – in an age of insecurity, we need more local solutions BY: Larry Elliott

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ishi Sunak is in Washington DC this week to discuss the state of the global economy with his fellow Finance Ministers. But he is clearly keener on listening to some of them than others. Had the chancellor not been on a plane on his way across the Atlantic, he would have joined a walkout by the UK delegation – led by the Bank of England governor, Andrew Bailey – when Russia’s representative started speaking at a gathering of the G20.

The protest by the Brits – along with the Americans and the Canadians – at a forum that includes the world’s leading developed and developing economies won’t make the slightest difference to the Kremlin. For all that, it is a symbolic gesture that matters. The International Monetary Fund issued a warning this week about the risk of the war accelerating the fragmentation of the world into rival economic blocs, and here is an example of it. China made it clear it didn’t think Russia should be excluded from G20 meetings, as did the country currently in the chair: Indonesia.

The IMF is worried about the risk of a return to the 1930s. It fears the current trend towards deglobalisation will result in trade barriers going up, countries adopting their own technological standards – and rival reserve currencies emerging to challenge the supremacy of the US dollar. Bad all round, in other words.

But hang on a minute. Greater international cooperation is a good thing, to be sure. There are global problems that need global solutions, as the IMF’s managing director, Kristalina Georgieva, rightly noted at a press conference on Wednesday.

Yet there isn’t much evidence that the current model of globalisation is much good at solving them. As the IMF itself notes in its latest world economic outlook, the debt-relief process is unfit for purpose. A properly functioning globalisation would have resulted in a fairer distribution of COVID-19 shots rather than vaccine apartheid. There would be more effective action to tackle the biggest collective problem of all: the cli-

mate crisis.

The mistake is to see globalisation as synonymous with multilateralism rather than the particular variant of international capitalism that has emerged in the three decades since the collapse of communism. Funnily enough, countries managed to find ways of trading with each other in the years before the Berlin Wall came down.

China, the big winner from the past 30 years, has seen a marked reduction in poverty but has achieved it by retaining strong control over its economic policy and movements of capital. Wary of the sort of shock treatment administered to Russia in the early 1990s, Beijing has liberalised its economy in its own way and at its own pace. India has liberalised cautiously.

The rhetoric of globalisation is all about smooth-running and efficient supply chains. An international division of labour and the lack of any controls on capital moves production to where labour costs are lower, and helps keep prices in the shops down.

But as we are now finding out, there is no guarantee that long and complex supply chains are an impregnable defence against inflation. On the contrary, when global production lines get gummed up – either due to a post-pandemic surge in demand or the shockwaves from war – cost of living pressures surface. The past couple of years have brought home to governments the benefits of self-sufficiency: be it in food, fuel, personal protective equipment or COVID-19 drugs.

Moreover, despite all the hype, globalisation has not led to faster growth and more rapid advances in living standards for most of those living in the UK and other developed nations. For the rich, of course, it has been a different story. They captured the gains from global growth and salted them away either in offshore tax havens or – in the case of Russian oligarchs – in the London property market.

In the late 1990s, I co-wrote a book with my colleague Dan Atkinson warning that sooner or later there would be a backlash against the insecurity that would result from turbo-charged, post-

cold war capitalism. At the time, globalisation was all the rage – with politicians of the left as well as the right – and the book was not exactly a bestseller. Our critics told us to wake up and smell the coffee.

These days, the mood has changed somewhat. Labour and Conservative politicians competed with each other to condemn P&O and its decision to sack British seafarers and replace them with cheaper foreign staff. The courts have recognised that workers in the gig economy need greater protection from the “flexible” labour market. There has been a rethink of the wisdom of being dependent on foreign energy and of allowing China to take stakes in strategically important sectors. It is no longer seen as ludicrously quaint to trumpet the need for a bigger manufacturing base.

Let’s be clear: the drift towards deglobalisation does not mean a retreat into North Korean-style autarky. Nor does it mean the death of globalisation, because countries will always cooperate when it suits them. There is, though, a recognition that countries were better able to command their own economic destiny pre-globalisation and less prone to financial crises. Transporting goods halfway round the world is expensive when energy prices are high, and unsustainable to boot. The process of re-onshoring production was under way long before Vladimir Putin sent his troops into Ukraine.

But the prime reason for the rethink of globalisation is political. The age of insecurity has arrived and it has prompted a predictable backlash from voters unhappy about the rising cost of living, falling living standards and rising inequality.

The current model of globalisation has been shaped by deliberate policy choices and what comes next will also be shaped by deliberate policy choices.

If that allows governments to take back control of their economies and to be better able to protect their citizens then there is only one thing to say: bring it on. (The Guardian) (Larry Elliott is the Guardian’s economics editor)

guyanatimesgy.com

SATURDAY, APRIL 23, 2022

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

What is our assessment of the Leader of the Opposition?

Dear Editor, Aubrey Norton is the elected leader of his party, and, after some wrangling, is now the Leader of the Opposition in Parliament.

It is now prudent for us to make an assessment of him as he takes up that important position in Parliament.

So, we ask the question: What has he brought to the table? Or, what has he brought to the noble position of leadership? Is he an autocrat? one who insists on complete obedience to him?

One who is overtly imperious and domineering? Who is he? Or, does he believe in consensus leadership, or the collective views of the team that he leads? These are some of the questions we are tempted to ask.

In a previous article that I penned, I was very critical of Mr Norton, the rea-

sons being: as a fellow worker at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, he exhibited an air of arrogance and repulsion.

Norton prided himself on being a clone of Burnham, one who could smother everyone around him with his socalled brilliance.

Well, if I may so say, that might be reluctantly acceptable to his party, but if you put that to a national vote, it would be a far cry from what is expected of a candidate for the position of Opposition Leader, far less from one who might be called upon to lead a nation. No one in this day and age would accept someone of such repugnance to be a national leader.

Now, they say the first impression is all that it takes to assess a leader, and a stark negative example was shown when Miss Volda Lawrence was invit-

ed to speak to the press. No sooner had she begun her remarks than Mr Norton rudely stepped in to speak his mind. It was Norton all the way, right down to the very end; his views were all that mattered. So, again I say they might be uneasily comfortable with that kind of behaviour, but I am absolutely sure that autocracy would not be condoned anywhere on a national scale.

Secondly, when you assume the position of an Opposition Leader and begin to whine and complain, it tells everyone that you are bereft of ideas, if not of intelligence. When you can only champion the age-old PNC tactics of race and class, it tells us that you cannot bring anything new to the table, but the old rehashes. In that regard, Norton would have to lift his IQ and

begin to think critically. He has to bring fresh ideas, new proposals, or newer courses of action.

It means that rhetoric of divide-and-rule would not gain much traction either; it is either you chart a course of action that would benefit everyone in society, or you simply have to shut up and mope in your own corner.

The point is: whether or not you voluntarily shut up, the people would do a job for you, come the next election.

So, Mr Norton, Guyana is looking forward to team leadership and collective effort in bringing together a country of national unity. It would be pretty difficult to measure up to Team PPP/C, who are light years ahead of you.

Respectfully, Neil Adams

Guyanese-owned consortium...

FROM PAGE 3

The delegation from Hadi’s World Inc, owned by businessman Nazar “Shell” Mohamed

“The Government is willing to work with everyone who has an agenda to push development in the country. And that is what we've been doing. From day one, President [Dr Irfaan] Ali has been saying let us form ourselves into partnerships, into joint ventures, into consortiums because we don't have the resources to invest; and that is what is happening here today.”

“And we need to see

much more of this because there are many more opportunities… There are many more opportunities out there, there are many spinoffs that will come from this development too and besides that, there will be other developments in other [offshore oil] blocks. So, the door is not closed on any single investor or investments in Guyana,” the Natural Resources Minister posited.

Located in Region Three,

the Port of Vreed-en-Hoop will occupy some 400 hectares of coastal land.

Phase One of the project will see the deepening, widening, and dredging of the access channel, as well as land reclamation. It also includes an offshore terminal, dry dock facility, and

fabrication yard spanning 65 hectares. Meanwhile, Phase Two involves deepening the dredging of the access canal and expanding reclamation.

The mega-port will centralise multiple shipping and logistic services in one location.

Teach and empower our people Dear Editor, Our country would benefit more from the implementation of the philosophy taught by the old Navajo proverb "Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime. This philosophy strengthens our people while ensuring that future generations have the knowledge to improve the financial independence of their families.

Less reliance on the government for handouts that may or may not be there in the future will help our villages become stronger through the increase of self-reliance stemming from skill development that will generate economic activity at the local level.

Whatever comes from the government in addition to strong infrastructure, access to finances, good health care and access to export market contracts is icing on the cake.

All economic activity is sustained best via entrepreneurial activity that is nurtured and enabled by the Government. This will also increase employment, ensure increased use of local resources, increase innovation, and increase value creation via a strong multiplier in wealth generation. The local content approach being taken provides an opportunity to strengthen skill development. Some have argued that the government should not hand out funds to the population.

If economic theory holds true, then the multiplier effect from providing access to finances will increase economic activity and strengthen the local economy. The reduction in imports will have to play a role in ensuring the local economy benefits from the increased spending, otherwise, the economic multiplier will have a stronger impact overseas.

As the government develops local infrastructure, the simultaneous capturing of export contracts in areas such as furniture, agricultural produce, fishing, food products and clothing becomes more important. These are just a few examples, but as local skill development increases with enabling infrastructure the value-added products ready for local and export consumption will also increase.

As these value-added products increase, the government's priorities must shift to ensuring international standards are met via the implementation of a certification process that ensures those international standards are met.

As more suppliers become certified, access to confirmed supplier contracts will be essential to ensure demand is generated and accessible. The government’s role in guaranteeing this occurs via trade agreements has to be a top priority going forward for demand generation to precede investment and supply generation. We must shift the mindset from build it and they will come to tell me what your future needs are and we will supply you with a guaranteed long-term contract.

As this path of economic development advances, it must be accompanied by a non-corrupt, transparent bidding and supplier selection process. The government must play a stronger role in this process by using the economic philosophy that best suits our culture and stage of development. Assigning a minimum number of suppliers for each contract will also ensure supply risk is reduced and that local economic activity is not restricted.

Best regards, Jamil Changlee

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SATURDAY, APRIL 23, 2022

Page

Foundation ◄

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n this fun and easy magic science experiment for kids, we’re going to see if we can put paper in water and keep it dry.

Materials: Piece of newspaper Glass Sink or large bowl full of water Instructions: Crumple a sheet of newspaper up in a ball.

Push the ball of newspaper into the bottom of the glass tightly so it does not fall out when turned upside down.

Turn the glass upside down.

Hold the glass by the bottom and push it down into the water so that the glass is fully submerged.

By Stewart Brown Cruising at thirty thousand feet above the endless green the islands seem like dice tossed on a casino’s baize, some come up lucky, others not.

Puerto Rico takes the pot, the Dallas of the West Indies, silver linings on the clouds as we descend are hallmarked, San Juan glitters like a maverick’s gold ring.

All across the Caribbean we’d collected terminals – airports are like calling cards, cultural finger-marks; the handwritten signs at Portau-Prince, Piarco’s sleazy tourist art, the lethargic contempt of the baggage boys at ‘Vere Bird’ in St. Johns...

And now for plush San Juan.

But the pilot’s bland, you’re safe in my hands drawl crackles as we land, “US regulations demand all passengers not disembarking at San Juan stay on the plane, I repeat, stay on the plane.”

Subtle Uncle Sam, afraid too many desperate blacks might re-enslave this Island of the free, might jump the barbed electric fence around ‘America’s

Remove the glass after several seconds and check to see if the newspaper is wet.

How it works: The air pressure around the glass is the same as the air pressure in the glass. When the glass is pushed into the water, the air molecules and the air pressure within it remain and acts as an air cushion. The trapped air acts as a cushion and blocks the water from entering and getting the paper wet.

Make this a science project: Try different sized glasses. Try using a straw or tubing to blow air into an upside-down glass that is under water and full of water. (sciencefun.org)

back yard’ and claim that vaunted sanctuary... ‘Give me your poor...’

Through toughened, tinted glass the contrasts tantalise; US patrol cars glide across the shimmering tarmac, containered baggage trucks unload with fierce efficiency.

So soon we’re climbing, low above the pulsing city streets; galvanised shanties overseen by condominiums polished Cadillacs shimmying past Rastas with pushcarts and as we climb, San Juan’s fool’s glitter calls to mind the shattered innards of a TV set that’s fallen off the back of a lorry, all painted valves and circuits the roads like twisted wires, the bright cars, micro-chips It’s sharp and jagged and dangerous, and belonged to someone else.

Summary

A man in an airplane on a stopover flight stops momentarily in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The man remarks about Puerto Rico being different from the other countries of the Caribbean he'd stopped in. He also laments the fear the US has of the poorer people of the Caribbean stowing away illegally in the country. As the plane

“Always walk through life as if you have something new to learn, and you will” – Vernon Howard

climbs above the streets of San Juan, he recognises the stark contrasts in the city: between shanties and condominiums, poverty and affluence.

He, in so doing, exposes the 'dual reality' and economical segregation within Puerto Rico itself and in the Caribbean as a whole. He makes note of the plush appearance of Puerto Rico being 'fools-glitter,' showing that although the country appears wonderful, it has serious underlying issues nonetheless. Brown ends the poem with the powerful remark that Puerto Rico's dangerous clash of cultures and dualistic reality only belongs to the USA. The mood of the poem is sarcastic. The tone seems to be bitter or resenting, and the themes include oppression and discrimination.

1) Support the last sentence of the summary with evidence from the poem.

2) Analyse the following sentences: "the islands seem like dice tossed on a casino’s baize, some come up lucky, others not. Puerto Rico takes the pot," "the Dallas of the West Indies, silver linings on the clouds" "San Juan glitters like a maverick’s gold ring." "low above the pulsing city streets; galvanised shanties overseen by condominiums, polished Cadillacs shimmying past Rastas with pushcarts"

WORD SEARCH

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SATURDAY, APRIL 23, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Earth Day is reminder to invest, protect our environment – President Ali – reiterates Guyana’s commitment to global pledges to protect planet

President Dr Irfaan Ali

G

uyana joined the international community on Friday to celebrate World Earth Day and according to President Dr Irfaan Ali, the country is committed to pledges that aim to protect and preserve the planet.

World Earth Day 2022 was observed under the theme “Invest in Our Planet”.

In his message to commemorate this occasion, President Ali said Earth Day is celebrated to demonstrate support for environmental protection and allows persons around the world to educate themselves, reflect and take actions to address environmental issues.

“It reminds us that the environment we live in requires our protection… This Earth Day, let us act, innovate and implement by reducing pollution, reducing climate change impacts and conserving and restoring ecosystems. We need to invest in our plant and build a prosperous and equitable future,” the Guyanese Leader said.

According to the Head of State, the environment is the life support and natural capital of humans, and from it, they can forge a stronger and cleaner future. He stressed that the healthier ecosystems are then the healthier the planet and its people can be.

However, the President pointed out that in recent decades, environmental problems have increased because

of human activities and this has now resulted in risks from climate change, pollution, flooding, and drought.

To this end, he contended that investing in the restoration and protection of nature is critically important in helping to combat climate change, stem biodiversity loss, and slow the depletion of essential resources such as freshwater and soil.

“As we examine our economic approaches, it is important to invest in support and innovative solutions through new technologies and new markets. It is also essential to invest in smarter regulation and innovative business models to help support a low-carbon trajectory, one that not only has a reduced impact on the climate and our natural resources, but also works with the environment and harnesses its natural capital as a source of sustainable, inclusive growth.”

Moreover, the Guyanese leader posited that urgent action is needed to safeguard the planet, ecosystems, soils, forests, and waterways.

President Ali noted that Guyana is already playing its part in this regard. With the country having the second-highest percentage of forest cover on earth, he said his Government is currently working with partners to sustain 99.5 per cent of it while building the foundation for a new low-carbon, ecosystem economy.

“The Government of Guyana is committed to supporting environmental protection and delivering global and national environmental commitments for a transformative and sustainable economy through the Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) 2030.”

“Guyana’s LCDS sets out a vision for inclusive and sustainable development while simultaneously maintaining the country’s forests, to help meet some of the most urgent challenges the world faces through the creation of incentives for a low-carbon economy; protection against climate change and biodiversity loss and stimulate future growth for clean energy and low carbon development.”

Guyana, along with a number of other countries, gave its full support at the United Nations 26th Conference of Parties (COP26), held in Glasgow, Scotland, last November, to play its part in protecting against climate change, In fact, over 130 leaders, representing more than 90 per cent of the world’s forests, have committed

to work together to halt and reverse forest loss and land degradation by 2030 in the Glasgow Leaders’ Declaration on Forests and Land Use. Countries have also committed to the funding pledge of US$12 billion between 2021 and 2025 to finance forest-related matters.

The Ali-led Administration published the revised LCDS 2030 that seeks to create a new low-carbon economy in

Guyana through various initiatives including the sale of the country’s carbon credits – an initiative that previously saw the country earning some US$212.52 million in forest service payments from Norway. That arrangement was executed by former President and now Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo.

The current Government now plans to put at least 8 million carbon credits on the market for sale by July of this year. A carbon credit

is a tradable permit or certificate that allows the holder of the credit the right to emit a stated tonnage of carbon dioxide or an equivalent of another greenhouse gas.

Countries and companies that exceed their permitted limits can purchase carbon credits from other nations that have low emissions such as Guyana. Guyana’s 18.4 million hectares of largely pristine forest stores approximately 5.31 gigatons of carbon.

8 NEWS Cane cutter who hacked off Policewoman’s wrist gets 3 years SATURDAY, APRIL 23, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

A

cane cutter who chopped off a Policewoman’s left wrist before leaving her for dead in a trench has been sentenced to three years in prison by Demerara High Court Judge Simone MorrisRamlall.

At his arraignment last month, Warren Dennis, 48, formerly of Beterverwagting (BV), East Coast Demerara (ECD), pleaded guilty to a charge for the offence of attempt to commit murder.

He admitted to wounding the 33-year-old mother of three on April 23, 2017, with the intent to murder her. The incident occurred at Quamina Street, Beterverwagting.

Jailed: Warren Dennis

The facts of the matter revealed that Dennis and the woman had a disagreement and on the day in question, she was riding a bicycle making her way to give her

son his school supplies when she was attacked by a cutlass-wielding man.

He then chased her into a nearby trench and continued chopping her mercilessly, severing her left wrist.

Following the attack, Dennis made good his escape but was later handed over to the Police by his brother.

Dennis told the court he was sorry and begged for mercy and forgiveness.

“Ow, please fuh mercy my Honour,” he cried before claiming that he was “frustrated” and didn’t know what to do. He also repeatedly begged for a chance to make things right with the victim.

He said, “I hurt someone,

I am asking her to forgive me. Whatever I can contribute to her life, I will do it. I am very sorry.”

The woman explained that the incident has taken a toll on her well-being, pointing out that she has been unable to care for herself and her children. She shared, “I was hospitalised for 12 days.

I lost my left wrist. Because of this incident, I have low self-esteem; I don’t socialise anymore. This incident has really taken a toll on me.

Every day I cry because of what this man has done to me. I would like the court to impose the maximum penalty on him for everything he has put me through.”

TURN TO PAGE 12

Meetings…

W

…of the Pres and the LoO ell, it appears that the President and the Leader of the Opposition (LoO) will finally be meeting.

Two weeks from now, the DPI says. Now, this long gestation period for political events looks like it’s becoming the new normal for Guyana - ever since it took 5 months to have a declaration of our 2020 election results!! That provenance of that world-record event, of course, was occasioned by the PNC’s barefaced attempt to rig the said elections.

Then we had that three-month wait between the PNC selecting its leader and finally having him named as LoO. This one was caused by the internecine warfare between the factions in the PNC - the “new”, who were actually led by the OLD (Sanctimonious Gangster) and the “old” - led by the notso-young Norton. He’d been around forever, so was an “old head”!!

The delay in the naming of the LoO - which is a constitutional office - held up the official appointments of a substantive CoP and the Chancellor and Chief Justice of the Judiciary. The Constitution demands that the President “consults” the LoO in these matters.

But, for a while, there WAS a LoO in shape of Lil Joe Harmon.

The PNC, however, had insisted that the PPP Government - and therefore Pres Ali - was illegitimate, since he and the Government had been “installed” by the Americans, who’d “fixed” the elections!! Now, it didn’t bother them that if that were so, then the LoO was as “installed” and “illegitimate” as the PPP Govt!! And shouldn’t have been enjoying the salaries, funding and perks of office!! But contradictions never fazed the PNC, did they?

Anyhow, now that Norton’s finally in office (LoO) and the PNC hasn’t been trumpeting their “installed” claim, Pres Ali quickly moved to get on with the business of the country. He scheduled a meeting with Norton to discuss matters within his constitutional remit - the constitutional appointments.

But things are never straight with the PNC, are they? “Crooked like a barbed wire,” a British Lord once charged!!

Norton’s demanding wider discussions on God knows what matters!! All we know is if they matter to the PNC, then they have to do with them wanting to dictate the Government’s agenda. It’s always “looking out for number one” with the PNC!!

Now, in principle, there’s nothing wrong with knowing the PNC’s concerns. After all, they received enough votes to give them 31 seats (The AFC? They’re actually PNC!), but the Constitution identifies the place where their concerns should be raised and addressed - PARLIAMENT!!!

They have the power to present private bills, move motions, ask questions on the floor etc - and examine the entire workings of Government in the Sectoral Committees.

The PNC gotta learn to follow rules!! …on colonial relations With the World Order in the throes of another seismic change, Britain’s desperately trying to retain a modicum of influence. It’s a reflex from the “glory” days of its Empire, on which “the sun never sets”. After WWI, the US started to move in, and after WWII, the Brits had become a junior partner when their Empire became independent. They insisted they had a “special relationship” with the US. In Europe, they tried to box above their weight category, and finally, the contradictions led to them Brexeting and going it alone.

The Commonwealth was supposed to accord Britain a primus inter pares relationship with its former colonies… and it did for a while. But that seemed to’ve gone out with a whimper. So, what’s Britain to do? Well…never give up - that’s what!! Stiff upper lip!! The Brits still act like they’re a great power…but sadly, it can get embarrassing.

Like with PM Boris Johnson visiting India last week. It didn’t even make the headlines!! …of the minds It’s said that, as a society, we have a “social contract” with the state we formed - and by implication with the Government we elect periodically to manage it.

Pres Ali’s activism is widening the meeting of minds to legitimise that contract!!

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

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

NEWS

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SATURDAY, APRIL 23, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Int’l Energy Expo 2023 launched with focus on traditional sectors T

he International Energy Conference and Expo 2023 was launched on Friday evening with an emphasis on enabling conversations on energy but extending to other critical sectors.

Under the theme: “Harnessing Energy for Development”, the confab is expected to run from February 14 to 17, 2023.

The last event brought policymakers and companies into the same arena for realistic discussions on the energy future – an aim for future conferences.

However, it will seek to incorporate agriculture, mining, housing, forestry, and tourism as part of a “greater conversation” on investing in a greener Guyana.

Chairman of the Private Sector Commission Paul Cheong noted that the last event demonstrated local leadership in the energy sector and is an avenue for developing long-term linkages for business success.

He added that the Private Sector will benefit significantly from linkages with experts, keeping up to date with technolo-

gies in sectors such as agriculture, manufacturing, ICT, and services. With numerous opportunities for all stakeholders, Cheong said building local capacity is key, especially with the renewed interest witnessed from partners.

Natural Resources Minister Vickram Bharrat related that the next conference will be one with a difference thereby shining a light on every sector.

The Government has been aiming to use the attention from oil and gas to develop and sustain traditional sectors.

He commended the Private Sector and business chambers, especially in wake of the fact that it is a new industry. The Minister also advised that Government will play a part in building capacity but Guyanese should take opportunities with the investments through certification and enhancing skillsets to benefit tangibly.

“We are happy to see that it is not an oil and gas exposition or an oil and gas conference, but it is an energy conference with a mix

Prime Minister Mark Phillips

with agriculture, tourism, forestry and mining. So, I think the year 2022 leading into 2023 would probably be the year that Guyana will stand out. It would be the year that you should be in Guyana.”

He added, “Since we took office, we’ve been moving at quite a fast pace in terms of moving development, getting the project and I think for some reason is it is contagious. It is

catching on.”

In his feature address, Prime Minister Mark Phillips positioned that the first conference created an opportunity for discourse and ideas to be distilled.

Reflecting on the theme, he noted that harnessing energy has been a challenge but the Government has the mandate to bring development to all Guyanese.

With the resource comes the responsibility to devel-

op the country and will not be limited to the coastline, bridging the energy and digital divides.

“The revenue from the resource will be utilised to improve the infrastructure whether it be roads, bridges, wharves, ferry aerodromes throughout Guyana. The development should not be limited to the coastline. It will also be developed in our hinterland.

We utilise the resource to bridge the digital divide.

We utilise the resources to bridge the energy divide. We will utilise the resource to improve housing, education, and health facilities for all the people of Guyana. This is a resource that we will utilise to transform Guyana from a country that is dependent on fossil fuel or the use of non-renewable energy towards greater usage of renewable energy,” the PM highlighted.

In February, the inaugural International Energy Conference and Expo brought together leaders, international executives, and companies on the energy future.

Over 150 exhibitors were registered for the event – 40 of which were local companies or operators. The event saw several Heads of State participating including President Dr Irfaan Ali, Ghanian President Nana Akufo-Addo, Surinamese President Chandrikapersad Santokhi and Barbadian Prime Minister Mia Mottley.

The Expo was geared at showcasing Guyana as the oil and gas investment destination, creating and building effective industry relationships, providing the medium for local businesses to access collateral and joint ventures, which is in keeping with the goals and objectives of the Local Content Policy.

Government also used the opportunity to highlight its complement of spin-off oil and gas investments and forthcoming national infrastructural projects planned for the short to medium term.

Platinum awards were distributed to ExxonMobil Guyana and GTT for their contribution towards the last conference.

10

SATURDAY, APRIL 23, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

NEWS

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SATURDAY, APRIL 23, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Prisoners escape from moving Police vehicle – both subsequently turn selves in

Escapee Kevin Valladares

Escapee Keanon Harry

P

olice have reported that two prisoners escaped from a moving prison van in the vicinity of Sparendaam, East Coast Demerara (ECD), on Thursday afternoon.

One of the escapees identified as Kevin Velladares of Wismar Housing Scheme, Linden, Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice), subsequently surrendered to the Brickdam Police Station in

Georgetown.

The other escapee, 40-year-old Keanon Harry, also turned himself in to the Leonora Police Station, West Coast Demerara (WCD), on Friday.

Based on reports received, the two men escaped at 16:00h as the prison van was heading to the Lusignan Prison.

Velladares reportedly jumped out of the moving ve-

Family seeks assistance to locate relative who disappeared more than 8 years ago

Missing: Anthony Harilall

A

United States-based Guyanese family is desperate to find a loved one who has not been seen or heard from for the past eight years. The missing man has been identified as 44-year-old Anthony Harilall also known as “Bo”.

Guyana Times was informed that the man was deported from the United States in 2002, and has been residing at Sisters Village, West Bank Demerara (WBD), with an uncle.

However, the uncle passed and he was left at the house

alone. Sometime later, the family lost contact with him.

His sister, Radica Harilall, stated that Harilall was last seen in 2013 walking with a friend along a street in Sisters Village, WBD. “His father’s friends in Guyana have been looking for him but haven’t been able to find him. His family lives in the USA and would really like to know what has happened to their brother,” the sister said.

The family said they had initially thought that he had gone somewhere to work, but as the years passed, they become worried when Harilall never returned home nor made contact with them.

His relatives have tried to file a missing person’s report from the US but were advised to return home to make an official report.

The family is asking anyone with any information about the whereabouts of Harilall to make contact with his daughter Victoria Harilall (+1 570-895-1465) or his sister Radica Harilall at (+1 347-870-6125).

The family said a reward will be offered.

hicle and into a taxi. He was later charged for Escaping from Lawful Custody Contrary to Section 340 of the Criminal Law Offences Act Chapter 8:01.

He appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts before Magistrate Sherdell Issacs-Marcus

where he pleaded guilty to the charge and was remanded to prison.

During the court hearing, he explained that Harry was the master planner of the escape. He related that he escaped because being sent to the Lusignan Prison made him fearful for his life.

He explained that someone who had previously attempted to kill him a few years ago is currently an inmate at the penitentiary.

Nevertheless, he realised that it was wrong to escape and as such, he made a decision to turn himself in.

As such, the Magistrate deferred Valladares’ sentencing to May 4, 2022, and ordered a probation report.

On the day Valladares escaped, he was remanded to prison for attempted murder while Harry was sentenced to one year’s imprisonment for drug trafficking. Harry is expected to make his court appearance on Monday.

Man wanted for stabbing teen son to death arrested

Arrested: Nigel Abraham

D

ays after stabbing his 17-year-old foster son Daniel Wilson to death at Lower Black Water, North West District (NWD), the murder suspect, 30-yearold Nigel Abraham was arrested by Police.

The teen was reportedly stabbed to death on April

17 at Lower Black Water, Barima River, NWD, Region One (Barima-Waini).

The victim’s cousin, 19-year-old Ron Moonsammy, was also stabbed to the chest during the incident and is currently receiving medical attention.

Reports are that the trio was imbibing alcohol when an argument broke out among them.

This led to a scuffle, during which Abraham whipped out a knife and stabbed Wilson. Upon seeing this, Moonsammy intervened and attempted to save his cousin but the suspect reportedly stabbed him to the chest.

Both men were taken to the Mabaruma Public Hospital where Wilson was pronounced dead on arrival. Moonsammy was medevacked to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation shortly after for further treatment.

The murder suspect remains in Police custody assisting with investigations.

12 NEWS Father of 6 jailed for 13 years for attempting to kill gambling partner SATURDAY, APRIL 23,, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

...“God has given me a second chance” – victim tells court

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lfred Braithwaite, a 42-year-old father of six was slapped with a 13-year jail sentence on an attempted murder charge. Following a trial before Justice Simone MorrisRamlall which concluded last month, he was found guilty of the offence by a 12-member mixed jury.

On January 27, 2017, in the county of Demerara, he unlawfully and maliciously wounded Chefton Haymer, a 44-year-old father of four with the intent to murder him.

Braithwaite and Haymer, who were known to each other for several years, were gambling on the day in question when the latter expressed displeasure with the cards given to him. As a result, the men ended up in a disagreement, and Haymer

demanded that Braithwaite give him back his money.

Braithwaite, however, left the scene, returning in the company of another man, who was armed with a cutlass. While Braithwaite sat on Haymer, restraining him, his accomplice dealt him several chops. “Kill he!

Kill he!” Braithwaite had shouted to his accomplice.

I’m not the person

Second chance

During a sentencing hearing on Friday, Haymer told the court that the injuries he sustained have rendered him permanently disabled. Given his inability to work, he said he has been unable to afford physiotherapy which would help treat his injuries. He related that he survives on “handouts” that he receives from relatives and friends. Before the

es excruciating pain which forces him to consume alcohol to numb himself. The victim said that shortly after the incident, his partner of 14 years broke up with him. In closing, Haymer asserted that the men had set out to kill him but “God has given me a second chance”.

Jailed: Alfred Braithwaite

incident, he was a construction worker.

Haymer shared, “I have been in and out of the hospital. I have suffered severe and irreparable nerve dam-

age. I see blurry, the nerve in my left leg was completely cut. I have suffered from numbness and sharp pain…”

He divulged that on many days he experienc-

But despite the jury’s guilty verdict, Braithwaite in his address to the court, insisted that he did not inflict injuries on the man.

The crying man said, “I’m not the person who inflicted the wounds. Chefton Haymer, you know that I is not the person who do you that. But I am sorry for the injuries that you received…

I am begging for mercy… give me a chance.”

He went on to say that he is “so hurt” and indicated that his family is willing to compensate the victim.

Braithwaite’s lawyer, Teriq Mohammed, implored the court to temper justice with mercy, noting that his client can be rehabilitated for reintegration into society.

Over a few dollars

For her part, Justice Morris-Ramlall described the attack on Haymer as “senseless and premeditated” which stemmed from a game of gambling over a “few dollars”.

Although Haymer did not lose a limb, the Judge said he has lost his earning capacity and is permanently disabled. According to her, since Braithwaite refuses to accept responsibility for his actions, his expression of remorse is not genuine.

Having considered his prior unblemished criminal record and his reasonable prospects for rehabilitation, the Judge imprisoned Braithwaite for 13 years, less the one month he spent on remand pending sentencing after being convicted.

The court ordered that he be exposed to anger management training classes while incarcerated.

Senior State Counsel Lisa Cave, State Counsel Cecilia Corbin, and State Counsel Caressa Henry had appeared for the prosecution during the trial.

Cane cutter who hacked off...

FROM PAGE 8

Meanwhile, the convict, who has been on remand since April 2017, told the court that his life has changed for the better since he has been attending anger management classes.

His lawyer, Madan Kissoon, asked the court to consider that his client pleaded at the earlier opportunity and did not waste judicial time. The lawyer submitted that his client is willing to offer compensation and do all that is required to support the woman from behind bars.

In her remarks, State Prosecutor Cicelia Corbin urged Justice MorrisRamlall to consider the serious nature and prevalence of the offence when arriving at a sentence for Dennis.

The State counsel described the attack on the woman as “pre-planned and unprovoked”, noting that the injuries she sustained

show a “clear intention” to kill or cause her grievous bodily harm. She also asked the court to impose a sentence that will send a message that “violence is never the answer”.

In considering an appropriate sentence for Dennis, Justice Morris-Ramlall disclosed that she considered the serious nature and prevalence of the offence, his previous unblemished criminal record, his early guilty plea, and his expression of remorse.

The High Court Judge also considered the physical and psychological effects the victim is left to endure.

Dennis was sentenced to eight years behind bars, less the time he has already spent in pretrial custody which amounts to five years.

This means after the prison authorities credit him for time served, he will only serve three years in prison.

NEWS

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SATURDAY, APRIL 23, 2022| GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Region 2 residents get onthe-spot housing allocations

H

ousing allocations were done on the spot for residents of Region Two (PomeroonSupenaam), during a planned outreach by the Housing and Water Ministry on Friday.

The two-day undertaking, executed through the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA), is a follow-up to Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo’s visit last month.

On Friday, residents were able to interact and air their concerns with Minister within the Housing Ministry, Susan Rodrigues, and other officials.

Organised at the Anna

Minister within the Housing Ministry, Susan Rodrigues engaging residents at the meeting on the Essequibo Coast

Regina Town Council, hundreds of residents took full advantage of the opportunity to have their pending housing, land, and water matters addressed and resolved.

Attending the outreach were officials from the Conveyance Unit, the Land Allocation Unit, the Legal Department, Community Development, Planning, and Survey Units.

Rodrigues related that the Housing and Water Ministry is committed to resolving age-old issues on the coast and bringing an end to a number of boundary issues.

She added that the Ministry spent three weeks accumulating data to bring on-thespot solutions to issues af-

fecting residents. Persons were assured that the way has been cleared for them to apply for ownership documents ranging from titles, transports, and also the agreements of sale.

“Today we are here to bring on-the-spot solutions to your housing issues and we will spend the next two days in order to put you a step closer to resolving your issues,” she told residents.

Satya Persaud, a resident of Anna Regina, said that she applied for a house lot a few years back and never got through. After being allocated on Friday, he expressed, “A few years back I applied for a house lot and I had is-

sues getting it... Today I am happy to say that I came to the outreach and my matter was raised at this and I get through.”

In keeping with its manifesto, the PPP/C Government has given its commitment to delivering 50,000 house lots to Guyanese within its first term in office.

In 2021, the Government surpassed its target of distributing 10,000 house lots to Guyanese through its signature “Dream Realised” house lot distribution exercise.

Because of the huge demand for housing, coupled with a backlog of applications, the Government, when it got into office, initiated its signa-

ture “Dream Realised” house lot distribution exercise held in Regions Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Nine, and 10.

Additionally, the Government had processed close to 2000 titles and transports in its first year in office, while starting construction on 1000 houses and conducting massive infrastructural work - all part of an over $14 billion investment in the housing sector.

Plans for 2022 include the distribution of 15,000 house lots as well as the continuation of the home improvement and subsidy programme.

A sum of $12.4 billion was set aside in Budget 2022 for

the housing sector, which goes towards the development of housing units and the necessary road network and other infrastructure to support these housing developments.

The Housing Ministry has also said it will work with other State agencies to make more land available for housing development.

These agencies include the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL); the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission (GLSC) and the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo). Land acquisition for housing development will be pursued.

14

SATURDAY, APRIL 23,, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

15 MoH rescinds termination of 27 Linden Hospital workers NEWS

SATURDAY, APRIL 23, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

The Linden Hospital Complex

T

he Health Ministry has rescinded the termination of some 27 hospital workers attached to the Linden Hospital Complex, after they were in-

formed of this move by the facility’s management.

In addressing the matter on Friday, Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony said the decision to terminate the

services of the workers was taken at the level of the hospital.

They were informed via letters that their contracts would not be renewed.

Essequibo man wanted by Police for 8 years nabbed on Friday

Wanted: Nicklus Singh

Dead: Chandanie Das

aving evaded the Police for the past eight years, 26-yearold Nicklus Singh of Abrams Zuil, Essequibo Coast, Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) has been arrested.

Wanted for causing the death of a woman in 2014, Singh was finally arrested on Friday.

Singh was reported-

ly charged with the offence of causing death by dangerous driving after an accident which occurred along the Annandale Public Road on the Essequibo Coast on August 12, 2014.

Based on reports received, he had collided his vehicle with another motor car being driven by Chandanie Das,

H

a former Manager of Courts Guyana Inc and late resident of La Union, Essequibo Coast.

Following that accident, a file was prepared and sent to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecution, and it was advised that an inquest be held into the matter. The inquest saw 10 witnesses testifying, and it was subsequently found that Singh was criminally responsible for the death of Das. Singh was charged, and was expected to be arraigned in the Suddie Magistrate’s Court on November 19, 2015, but he never showed up. As such, a warrant was issued for his arrest.

He had ever since managed to evade the Police. Now that he is arrested, his charge would be re-instituted and he would be placed before the Charity Magistrate in court on Monday.

However, after contacting the Chief Executive Officer, Rudy Small, this decision was rescinded by the Health Ministry.

“Most of them were ward maids. When the Ministry learned about it, we reached out to the CEO and asked him to rescind the letter.

As of last night, all of those letters should have been rescinded. Nobody is going home. I just want to make sure that people understand that.”

Along with withdrawing the termination, the contracts of these workers will be renewed for the usual duration. Thereafter, mandated performance assessments

Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony

will continue to determine the continuation of their employment.

“We’ll expect that the

contracts for all those persons would be renewed and for the usual duration. I think it is probably one to two years. Like with every other contract, people’s performances will be evaluated and once they have performed well, they will continue to have their jobs.”

One year ago, days of protest action by nurses and regional officials in Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice) were initiated in calling for the removal of the Chief Executive Officer (CEO).

This matter stemmed from alleged distasteful comments he made about nurses. However, he was reinstated.

16 NEWS

SATURDAY, APRIL 23, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

No surveillance being done on animals for COVID – Health Minister – 8 new cases detected in 24h

W

hile COVID-19 primarily infects humans, data shows that animal species have also been infected and some are even capable of spreading the virus to humans.

Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony on Friday related that while countries have been monitoring the emergence of the virus in some animals, Guyana has not conducted any surveillance as such.

“We know that animals can also get infected with COVID. There have been instances where the deer population in the United States got infected. In other countries, there are other types of animals. We haven’t really done surveillance of animals to determine whether or not they are affected

by COVID. Looking at global science, animals can get COVID. They can also pass it on to humans as well,” the Minister outlined during the COVID update.

The World Health Organisation has posted that from current knowledge, wildlife does not play a significant role in the spread of SARS-CoV-2 in humans, but spread in animal populations can affect the health of these populations and may facilitate the emergence of new virus variants.

In addition to domestic

animals, free-ranging, captive, or farmed wild animals such as big cats, minks, ferrets, white-tailed deer, and great apes were infected with the coronavirus.

“To date, farmed mink and pet hamsters have been shown to be capable of infecting humans with the SARS-CoV-2 virus and a potential case of transmission between white-tailed deer and a human is currently under review,” the WHO has noted.

The introduction of SARSCoV-2 to wildlife could result in the establishment of animal reservoirs. It has been reported that, approximately one-third of wild whitetailed deer in the United States of America have been infected with SARS-CoV-2, initially via several humanto-deer transmission events.

The SARS-CoV-2 lineages detected in white-tailed deer have also been circulating in close-by human populations.

Meanwhile, the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) noted that most animals became infected after contact with people with COVID-19, including owners, caretakers, or others who were in close contact.

New cases

Meanwhile, the Health

Ministry has reported that eight new cases were reported in the last 24 hours. This now takes the total number of active cases to 102. Of these, one person remains in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at the Liliendaal facility; five in institutional isolation, 85 in home isolation, and 11 in institutional quarantine.

The death toll remains at 1228. Thus far, a total of 63,407 cases of the deadly virus was recorded since its first detection back in March 2020.

There are over 62,088 recoveries after 29,183 males and 34,224 females tested positive. COVID-19 tests have amounted to 587,000 since the virus was first detected here. In addition, 61,347 persons have returned for their booster shots thus far.

With respect to vaccination, the most recent statistics showed that 439,616 or 85.7 per cent of adults have taken a first dose and of that amount, some 338,785 or 66 per cent are fully vaccinated.

For adolescents between the ages of 12 and 17, approximately 34,475 or 47.3 per cent of them have received their first dose, while some 25,217 or 34.6 per cent of them are fully immunised.

GUYANA COVID-19 DASHBOARD APRIL 22, 2022 UPDATE

NUMBER OF NEW CASES

8

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN INSTITUTIONAL ISOLATION

5

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

85 1

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN INSTITUTIONAL QUARANTINE

11

TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES BY GENDER (FEMALES)

34,224

TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES BY GENDER (MALES)

29,183

TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES IN GUYANA SINCE 2020

63,407

NUMBER OF RECOVERED CASES

62,088

TOTAL 1st DOSE VACCINATED FULLY IMMUNISED

REGION 1

2519

REGION 2

2494

REGION 3

8061

REGION 4

31,368

REGION 5

2381

REGION 6

5779

REGION 7

2423

REGION 8

887

REGION 9

4024

REGION 10

3471

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

439,616 338,785

TOTAL NUMBER OF DEATHS

DISTRIBUTION OF TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES SINCE MARCH 2020

1228

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.

Dharm Shala celebrates 101-year anniversary …Sonia Noel Foundation supports milestone

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pril 21, 2022 marked 101 years since the existence of the Dharm Shala (Home of Benevolence for all Races), which has conducted numerous humanitarian acts throughout Guyana.

This year’s celebration saw a partnership between the Dharm Shala and the Sonia Noel Foundation,

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a charitable organisation alike, owned by fashion designer and philanthropist, Sonia Noel.

The Sonia Noel Foundation organised for well-known Guyanese Musicians to entertain the residents with a one-hour show. One of the many musical talents the foundations entrapped was Herbie Marshall, who give the residents an option to select the music they wanted to hear and the wide selection crossed many genres which the veteran musician skilfully executed.

The residents were enthusiastically singing along to all the songs, ranging from well-known hymns like “Amazing Grace” to songs from Brook Benton, Nat King Cole, Ray Charles, Elvis Presley, and others.

Marshall, who performed, also shared stories of when he would visit his uncle, James Clarke, in the fifties to the attentive audience, adding to the entertainment.

Sisters, Kella and Pamela Ramsaroop, heads of the Dharm Shala, expressed much gratitude to Marshall and Noel and her team for the treat that afforded the residents enter-

Heads of the Dharm Shala, Kella and Pamela Ramsaroop, with Guyanese Musician Herbie Marshall and Sonia Noel Foundation CEO Sonia Noel

tainment and the opportunity to go down memory lane. Delicious snacks and fruit were served to the excited audience, accompanied by sponge and chocolate cakes from Bella’s Cake in Bartica.

“I think we all enjoyed it as much as the residents and this was a blessing.

Herbie said yes without hesitation. Thank you also to Mr Hendricks, Natasha, and Naomi for assisting to make this a reality. I ap-

plaud Kella and Pamela for their dedication and contribution to humanity. We need to intentionally create the world we desire to live in,” Noel said in a statement.

The Dharm Shala also

benefited from the Sonia Noel Bread Basket project which distributes free bread to various communities weekly. The Sonia Noel Foundation also collaborated with the World Care Organisation to distribute clothing for Easter to the underprivileged and the female residents from the Dharm Shala benefited.

Pandit Maharaj founded the Dharm Shala in 1921 after travelling the length and breadth of Guyana. He was a gold dealer in his earlier years so that allowed him to travel to the remotest parts of Guyana, where he encountered the plight of his countrymen.

On these trips, he witnessed their poverty, suffering, and deprivation and was deeply moved to the point where he knew that he needed to play his part in addressing them. He was enabled financially early in life to give up his profession and devote himself to fulltime voluntary service towards helping the less fortunate of Guyanese society.

The Sonia Noel Foundation’s main purpose is to cater to the development of the creative industry within Guyana and the wider Caribbean.

NEWS

17

SATURDAY, APRIL 23, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

MoA, MoH team up to provide health services to citizens I

n observance of Occupational Safety and Health Month 2022, the Agriculture Ministry in collaboration with the Health Ministry on Friday hosted a health fair at the Ministry’s Regent Street office. The fair saw a turnout from many medical professionals, ready to assist the public.

The staff of both Ministries and members of the public were able to benefit from a range of medical services such as blood pressure testing, dental check-ups, eye examinations, Body Mass Index (BMI) evaluations, and much more. Persons were also able to speak with a physician and obtain prescriptions for medications, some of which were available at the fair free of cost.

Diekola Gittens, Nutrition Community Officer of the Ministry of Health’s Food Policy Division related that

District Medical Officer (acting), Dr Alana Ernest

the fair was a well thought out initiative as it created the opportunity for members of the public to come out and know more about their nutritional status, and according to Gittens, this knowledge is very important.

“It’s a great initiative be-

cause we get to come out and deal with our colleagues in the agriculture sector and we also have persons from the public coming. So, it’s good because we’re here giving nutritional advice to persons and we’re also doing the body mass index, that’s the BMI testing, where we test persons to see where they fall on the scale, whether they have the right weight for their height, overweight or underweight or even obese or extremely obese, and we get to counsel them to bring them to the healthy weight we want them in because being overweight and obese puts you at risk for developing several chronic complications like diabetes, high blood pressure, someone can suffer from a stroke, heart attack, things like those,” she said.

She further highlighted that a “a person’s nutritional status determines their

“Always think big, do not limit yourself” – CEO urges youths

Nutrition Community Officer of the Ministry of Health’s Food Policy Division, Diekola Gittens

health and as we all know the nation’s health is the nation’s wealth, so we want

a healthy nation so we can have a wealthy nation.”

Gittens and her team were successfully able to test and advise the nutritional status of about 50 persons who turned up at the event.

District Medical Officer (acting), Dr Alana Ernest applauded both Ministries for their effort in catering to the health status of the citizens.

To this end, she encouraged more Ministries and companies to take the mantle and follow in the footsteps of the Agriculture and Health Ministries.

“I think it’s a great initiative, in fact, more Ministries or other companies and organisations should adopt the same habit because that

is exactly what we want, we want people to live healthy, we want people to practice healthy lifestyles and we want to spread awareness of certain sicknesses and diseases. So, if persons can adopt or actually have more of these outreaches, we can actually be able to reach out to certain people and spread awareness by such,” Dr Ernest said.

Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha and other Heads of Departments also participated in the event.

Minister Mustapha encouraged persons to ensure they have regular visits to the doctor and to eat healthy to ensure they maintain long, healthy lives.

Initiative to tackle cardiovascular diseases launched

….as money-saving school tour launched

Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony and other officials at the launch on Friday

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Chief Education Officer Dr Marcel Hutson (left) with co-founders of Outliers Zone Caribbean, Athalyah (middle) and Gabriel Yisrael, at the launch

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lways think big, do not limit yourself,” were the words of Chief Education Officer (CEO), Dr Marcel Hutson at the launch of the Teach A Child To Save (TACTS) 10K School Tour on Friday at the Herdmanston Lodge, Peter Rose Street, Georgetown.

The initiative carried the theme “Earn, Save, Donate, and Invest to Grow my Money From Young.”

CEO Hutson, who was the feature speaker at the launch, urged the youths to not limit themselves, and always aim high to achieve their goals.

He added that children who instil in themselves a sense of saving, a sense of value for hard-earned money will grow into financially stable adults who understand and comprehend what it means to strategise their monetary gains.

Adding to his remarks, Hutson also endorsed the initiative, encouraging those present to start the saving journey as early as possible to

become productive adults in the future.

The initiative was launched by Outliers Zone Caribbean, a Financial Independence Retire Early Institute (FIRE) which is aimed at targeting 10,000 students from 25 schools in Berbice, Linden, Essequibo, and Georgetown.

“Teach a Child to Save Day” is an international campaign that highlights the importance of teaching the nation’s children not only about saving, but valuing, investing, earning, and donating money to become financially prudent adults.

Chief Executive Officer of Outliers Zone Caribbean, Athalyah Yisrael explained that the tour is geared towards raising awareness of the importance of children developing the vital habit of saving money early in life to become financially secure adults.

The TACTS 10k School Tour is expected to cover

five nursery, ten primary, and ten secondary schools in Berbice, Linden, Essequibo, and Georgetown. These visits, explained by Yisrael, will be fun and interactive as children will learn about the importance of saving, donating, and investing money from an early age.

Yisrael also charged companies to support the initiative to help 10,000 children get “money-smart” as part of their corporate social responsibility.

Outliers Zone Caribbean is a family-owned company dedicated to helping companies strengthen their employees’ money management skills and prepare them for retirement with confidence.

The company, launched in 2018, has successfully partnered with twenty-six companies and trained over 3000 employees. In 2019, their inaugural TACTS Tour helped over 3000 students from schools around Georgetown get money-smart.

he Health Ministry in collaboration with the Pan American Health Organisation/World Health Organisation (PAHO/WHO) on Friday launched the HEARTS Technical Package initiative aimed at tackling cardiovascular diseases and ultimately seeks a reduction in the death rate.

The Eccles Health Centre will now be provided with the necessary equipment to test for cardiovascular diseases as well as the adequate medication needed to treat these diseases.

PAHO/WHO representative Dr Felipe Luis Codina noted that sustained implementation of the HEARTS initiative will help Guyana to move from being the country with the second-highest incidence of deaths from cardiovascular diseases.

“It is anticipated that the implementation of the HEARTS initiative will contribute to the achievement of PAHO’s vision that by the HEARTS initiative will be an institutionalised model for cardiovascular disease risk management, including diabetes and hypertension,” he stated.

In his address, advisor to the Minister of Health Dr Leslie Ramsammy explained that non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as cardiovascular diseases are significantly responsible for limiting life expectancy, and is one of the major con-

tributors to disability and the number 1 cause of mortality in Guyana.

As such, he noted that access to this type of healthcare is critical.

“It is critical to bring such healthcare to the people of our country no matter where they live and no matter what level of healthcare facility they accept.”

“It’s a modest start but we hope by 2025 Guyana could… that our HEARTS programme is in the entire public health system no exceptions.”

Meanwhile, in his feature address, Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony explained that Guyana will be moving away from infectious diseases very soon as there are plans in the health sector to counter them.

“What epidemiologist would call an epidemiological transition; we are moving from infectious diseases to what is called chronic non-communicable diseases.”

“And looking down the road, our challenges are really with these what we call the cardiovascular diseases - high blood pressure or hypertension, diabetes, we are also looking at renal diseases or kidney diseases, we have cerebrovascular diseases and of course, mental health issues…these are the problem the affect most of the population now” the Minister explained.

He added that these diseases are predicted to cause major challenges in the future but programmes such as HEARTS will assist to manage these diseases.

“If we are able to manage these diseases, identify them early and manage them well then people are going to live longer and healthier lives.

Minister Anthony, apart from treating and controlling diseases, urged citizens to make healthy choices in their daily lifestyle and avoid risk factors.

“So, we know for many of these diseases are things you call risk factors, if you indulge in them then they are going to be the reason why you’re going to get some of these diseases.”

“So, if you’re smoking this can affect your chances of getting these chronic non-communicable diseases.”

“The next thing we got to look at is alcohol consumption this is one of the areas where we must reduce alcohol consumption because Guyanese on average drink too much,” the Minister said.

He also encouraged Guyanese to make healthier choices in what they eat as well as get regular exercise.

Lethem, Port Mourant, Anna Regina, Campbellville, Industry, Grove and the Lusignan Health Centres are the next to benefit from the HEARTS Technical Package initiative.

18 NEWS

SATURDAY, APRIL 23, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Rose Hall mother of 2 found with throat slit – 2 in Police custody

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mother of two is in a critical condition at the New Amsterdam Hospital after she was stabbed in the throat on Thursday.

The injured woman has been identified as 64-year-old Sherida Jamool Mookshah of J C Chandisingh Street, Rose Hall Town, Berbice. She lived alone after the passing of her husband. Her two children reside overseas.

A neighbour who spoke with Guyana Times related that at about 17:00h on Thursday, he was informed that the woman was in her yard with her throat slashed.

“I came out and go across and stand up on the street and we meet another neighbour who said when she was passing ‘Aunty Jamool’ called her and tell her that somebody jumped in the yard and cut her throat.”

A Police officer who was just coming home from work at the time was informed.

As such, he went to enquire and found the woman bleed-

ing from her throat.

“Immediately, he picked up the lady and put her in the Police vehicle and take her to Port Mourant Hospital,” the neighbour recounted.

Mookshah was subsequently transferred to the New Amsterdam Hospital where she was admitted as a patient in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).

Initial investigations suggest that nothing was removed from the woman’s house since money and other valuables were intact. Blood stains were seen on the building behind Mookshah’s house.

The incident took place in close proximity to where the body of businessman, Lomenzo Johnny also called “Sham” was discovered in a clump of bushes.

In light of these developments, a pensioner who lives alone in the community said she is scared.

Meanwhile, residents praised the Police for their swift action in getting the injured woman to the hos-

Injured: Sherida Mookshah

pital.

“I must commend the Police, they did a wonderful job last night; the investigators and everybody came and they did a great job. After they were finished and we went in, we see at the back of the fence we see that there was a zinc sheet removed and we see a lot of blood; she bled a lot and then like she drag on her bottom and she come to the front of the yard and it is then she see the girl was passing and she called

The house the injured woman occupies

her… This morning when we went to fix the fence we see on the house at the back plenty hand bloodstain,” a

resident stated.

Meanwhile, Police Commander Budnarine Persaud confirmed that two

men from the area were arrested and are being interrogated in relation to the incident.

Guyana collaborates with IMPACT Justice to draft Model Arbitration Bill

“Chucky” gets 11 years for killing Better Hope pensioner

Jailed: Godfrey Gill

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wenty-nine-year-old Godfrey Gill called “Chucky” who confessed to the brutal killing of 76-year-old David Ramkissoon, whose body was found with his throat slit in his Better Hope South, East Coast Demerara (ECD) home, was sentenced to 11 years and four months in prison.

The custodial sentence was imposed on the convicted killer on Friday by Demerara High Court Judge Simone Morris-Ramlall.

Last month, Gill, a father of one, was indicted for the capital offence of murder.

He, however, opted to plead guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter.

On August 21, 2016, he unlawfully killed the pensioner during the course/furtherance of a robbery.

It was reported that following the discovery of the pensioner’s dead body, footprints were seen in the mud at the back of his yard, leading to an alleyway. Along with the footprints, drops of blood were spotted, and they led to a shack located a short distance from the slain

man’s house.

The man’s dead body was found by his son, Anand Ramkissoon, who also lives at the aforementioned address with his wife and two children. He found his father’s body facing the wall in a sitting position in a pool of blood. An undisclosed amount of cash was missing from the home.

The junior Ramkissoon told the court that he is still distressed by his father’s gruesome killing. He said ever since his father died, he no longer has the urge to work or socialise.

I’m sorry

Gill, who appeared in court via Zoom, was reduced to tears as he beseeched the Judge for mercy, blaming his involvement in the crime on his association with “bad company”. He added, “I am very sorry for all that happened. I did not want anyone to get hurt. Because of the bad influence of the bad company I had… [this happened]. I’m sorry for being part of the act…”.

Meanwhile, a probation officer said that residents in Gill’s community revealed that he was a very quiet and respectable young man until he started associating with persons of “nefarious” character. According to the officer, prison officers described Gill as a disciplined and co-operative inmate who is scheduled to partake in skills training and anger management courses later this year.

Prior to his involvement in this robbery/murder, he had no criminal record.

God-fearing

During a plea in mitigation, Gill’s lawyer, Dexter

Attorney General Anil Nandlall and other officials from his Chambers recently met with Project Director of IMPACT Justice, Professor Velma Newton, to discuss the implementation of the Model Arbitration Bill in Guyana

A Killed: David Ramkissoon

Smartt, submitted that his client pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity to not only bring the matter to finality but also to give the dead man’s family justice.

He said that Gill has always been a person of good character.

The lawyer told the court that his client grew up in church and has always been a God-fearing young man.

Considering this and his client’s youthful age, Smartt added: “He could be rehabilitated. The fact that he did not complete secondary school but still went on to a technical institute and the fact that he worked several jobs means that he could be of use to society.”

For her part, Justice Morris-Ramlall agreed with counsel that the convict has good prospects for rehabilitation. After weighing the aggravating and mitigating factors, she sentenced Gill to serve 11 years and four months in jail, less time spent on remand. He was initially charged in September 2016 and remanded to prison.

ttorney General and Legal Affairs Minister Anil Nandlall recently met with Project Director of Improved Access to Justice in the Caribbean Project (IMPACT Justice), Professor Velma Newton, to discuss several areas of collaboration between the justice reform project and Guyana.

IMPACT Justice is a regional justice sector reform project funded by the Government of Canada and is implemented at the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus, Barbados.

A statement from the Attorney General’s Chambers revealed that, for several years, IMPACT Justice has provided invaluable support to Guyana in the area of access to justice.

It noted that capacity building and training are essential prerequisites to achieve the Government’s objective of making Guyana a modern arbitration hub.

In this regard, the Attorney General’s Chambers is partnering with IMPACT Justice in a number of initiatives designed to build national capacity and to train persons in arbitration with an emphasis on the new Model Arbitration Bill.

This Model Bill was produced by IMPACT Justice for the Caribbean region. It is one of the most modern expressions of arbitration law in this part of the world.

Guyana is among the first territories pursuing its imple-

mentation. Recently, young Attorneys-at-Law in Guyana benefited from a recently concluded virtual skills training workshop on the “Drafting of Arbitration Clauses: Practical Considerations” which was sponsored by IMPACT Justice and the Chartered Institute of Arbitration, Caribbean Branch. This workshop was held on April 5 and 7.

According to the Attorney General’s Chambers, the objective of this workshop was to highlight the relevance of including arbitration clauses in contracts and to provide participants with an introduction to the drafting of enforceable arbitration clauses. To this end, next month, in collaboration with the Attorney General’s Chambers, IMPACT Justice will be hosting a virtual workshop on the Model Arbitration Bill entitled: “Roadmap to Implementation of a New Arbitration Law”. The objective of this workshop is to enable participants to understand the purpose of arbitration and to familiarise them with the intended legal framework.

Participants of the workshop will receive training from internationally renowned arbitrators namely Barry Leon and Professor Anthony Daimsis, both of whom are Canadian arbitrators; Calvin Hamilton, a Guyanese arbitrator based in Europe and Myles Weekes, the President of Chartered Institute of

Arbitration, Caribbean Branch. Participants will include members of the legal profession, the Judiciary, State Counsel, the Private Sector, and civil society.

To facilitate a consultative approach to the preparation of the domestic law, the Attorney General Chambers said that the Model Arbitration Bill was circulated to relevant stakeholders in Guyana including the Bar Association of Guyana, the Berbice Bar Association, the Private Sector Commission, and the American Chamber of Commerce of Guyana.

Additionally, later in the year, it said that the Chartered Institute of Arbitration, Caribbean Branch, will host two training courses on arbitration. One will be held in September and the other in December. The courses will pave the way for interested Guyanese to become certified arbitrators.

Chief Parliamentary Counsel Charles Funga-Fat; Solicitor General Nigel Hawke; Deputy Solicitor General Deborah Kumar; Deputy Chief Parliamentary Counsel Joann Bond; Law Revision Officer Diane Woolford and Principal Assistant Law Revision Officer Renee KingSandiford also attended the meeting. Guyana is moving to enact arbitration laws to better handle cases related to the multibillion-dollar oil and gas industry.

guyanatimesgy.com

SATURDAY, APRIL 23, 2022

19

Around the World

OILNEWS OIL NEWS

Ukraine war: Russia “plans to seize southern Ukraine”

Oil falls, posts nearly 5% weekly loss on growth concerns

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il slipped on Friday, posting a weekly loss of nearly 5 per cent, on the prospect of weaker global growth, higher interest rates and COVID-19 lockdowns in China hurting demand even as the European Union considers a ban on Russian oil that would tighten supply.

Brent crude settled down US$1.68, or 1.6 per cent, at US$106.65 a barrel. US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude declined US$1.72, or 1.7 per cent, to US$102.07.

Global benchmark Brent hit US$139 a barrel last month, its highest price since 2008, but both oil benchmarks declined nearly 5 per cent this week on demand concerns.

The International Monetary Fund, which this week cut its global economic growth forecast for 2022, could further downgrade it if Western countries expand their sanctions against Russia over its war against Ukraine, and energy prices rise further, the agency's No 2 official said.

The German Government will cut its growth forecast for 2022 to 2.2 per cent from 3.6 per cent, a Government source said, while Chinese demand for gasoline, diesel and aviation fuel in April is expected to slide 20 per cent from a year earlier, Bloomberg reported, as many of China's biggest cities, including Shanghai, are in COVID lockdowns.

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell on Thursday said a half-percentage-point increase in US interest rates "will be on the table" at the next Fed policy meeting in May, pushing the dollar to more than a two-year high. A stronger greenback makes oil and other commodities more expensive for those holding other currencies.

"At this stage, fears over China's growth and overtightening by the Fed, capping US growth, seem to be balancing out concerns that Europe will soon widen sanctions on Russian energy imports," said Jeffrey Halley, analyst at brokerage OANDA. Speculators' net long bets on the US dollar fell for a third straight week, according to calculations by Reuters and US Commodity Futures Trading Commission data released on Friday.

On the supply side, the Russia-Kazakh Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) is expected to resume full exports from April 22 after almost 30 days of disruptions, sources said.

The US oil rig count rose by one to 549 this week, the highest number since April 2020, according to a Baker Hughes Co report.

Still, supply tightness provided support as Libya loses 550,000 barrels per day (bpd) of output due to disruptions.

Supply could be squeezed further if the EU imposes an embargo on Russian oil.

An EU source told Reuters this week the European Commission was working to speed up availability of alternative energy supplies, while a senior White House adviser said he was confident Europe is determined to close off or further restrict remaining Russian oil and gas exports.

The Netherlands said it plans to stop using Russian fossil fuels by the end of this year.

Morgan Stanley raised its third-quarter Brent price forecast

by US$10 per barrel to US$130, citing a "greater deficit" this year due to lower supply from Russia and Iran, which is likely to outweigh short-term demand headwinds.

European refiners processed 9.04 million bpd of crude in March, down 4 per cent from a month earlier and 4.8 per cent higher than a year earlier, Euroilstock data showed.

US oil refiners are expected to have about 1.08 million bpd of capacity offline for the week ending April 22, increasing available refining capacity by 47,000 bpd, research company IIR Energy said.

"While we may slide, there's a certain point at which we will find support because the fundamentals here are just too tight for things to slide very far," said Robert Yawger, executive director of energy futures at Mizuho. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Russia's stated aim is to capture and control Ukraine's eastern region of Donbas

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ussia aims to seize southern Ukraine and to open a route to the separatist region of Transnistria in Moldova, a senior Russian general said.

Maj Gen Rustam Minnekayev specified that Moscow would seek to take "full control" over the south in addition to the eastern Donbas region - the stated objective of the Russian authorities.

Transnistria is a small Russian-backed region that borders Ukraine.

It is unclear if Gen Minnekayev's comments were officially sanctioned.

Russian defence officials told the BBC's Steve Rosenberg that they were "looking into" the general's comments, which - if confirmed - offer the first insight into Russia's potential plans in the coming weeks.

Moldova has summoned Moscow's ambassador over the comments.

Meanwhile, a senior EU official has told Reuters that Russia is likely to intensify

Explosion at Afghan mosque kills dozens of people

An Afghan woman sits next to a child receiving treatment at a hospital after he was wounded in a bomb blast in Kunduz on Thursday [AFP]

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n explosion tore through a mosque near the northern Afghan city of Kunduz on Friday killing at least 33 people and wounding dozens of others.

“The blast occurred at a mosque in Imam Sahib district of Kunduz killing 33 civilians including children,” Information Minister Zabihullah Mujahid said on Twitter, adding another 43 people were wounded.

“We condemn this crime … and express our deepest condolences to the victims,” said Mujahid.

Friday’s bombing is the latest in a series of deadly attacks across Afghanistan.

Mujahid called the perpetrators of the Kunduz attack “seditionists and evil elements”.

It was not clear who was behind the attack, which came after several blasts claimed by the armed group ISIL (ISIS) rocked Afghanistan, including one in Kunduz and another on a Shia mosque in Mazar-i-

Sharif, on Thursday.

Armed groups such as ISIL bear a deep hatred for Sufis who they view as heretics.

Kunduz Police said they were investigating the type of explosion.

Friday’s blast was one of the biggest attacks since the Taliban seized power in August last year. The Taliban has been battling an ISIL affiliate known as Islamic State in Khorasan Province, which is proving to be an intractable security challenge.

In October, a suicide bombing at a Shia mosque, also in Kunduz, killed at least 55 people and wounded scores – an attack also claimed by ISIL. ISIL is a Sunni group like the Taliban but the two are bitter rivals. The biggest ideological difference between the two is that the Taliban sought only an Afghanistan free of foreign forces, whereas ISIL wants an Islamic caliphate.

(Excerpt from AL Jazeera)

its attacks in eastern Ukraine and along the southern coast in the coming days, adding that the next two weeks may be decisive in the war.

It comes as the BBC learned that European Council President Charles Michel has highlighted Russia's "miscalculations and losses" in its invasion of Ukraine to President Vladimir Putin during a phone call on Friday.

A small Russianspeaking breakaway region, Transnistria borders Ukraine from the west. It claimed independence after the fall of

the Soviet Union in a bloody conflict, but is not recognised internationally and officially remains part of Moldova.

A small detachment of around 1500 Russian troops has been stationed in the region since 1995 as part of a truce agreement.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says Russia is planning on holding a series of sham independence referendums in occupied regions to create a series of pro-Russian breakaway states. (Excerpt from BBC News)

Gun deaths were the leading killer of US children in 2020

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uns overtook car crashes to become the leading cause of death for US children and teenagers in 2020, new research shows.

Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that over 4300 young Americans died of firearm-related injuries in 2020.

While suicides contributed to the toll, the data shows that homicides form the majority of gun-related deaths.

More than 390 million guns are owned by US civilians.

According to the research - which was published this week in the New England Journal Medicine - the rise in gun-related deaths among Americans between the ages of one and 19 was part of an overall 33.4 per cent increase in firearm homicides nationwide.

Homicides, the study noted, disproportionately impact young Americans.

Over the same time period, the rate of firearm suicides in the US rose by 1.1 per cent.

The overall rate of gun deaths of all reasons - suicide, homicide, unintentional and undetermined - among children and teenagers rose by 29.5 per cent, more than twice that of the wider population.

"We continue to fail to protect our youth from a preventable cause of death," said a research letter published in the journal on Wednesday.

The rate of gun-related deaths per 100,000 residents rose among both men and women and across ethnic demographics between 2019 and 2020, with the largest increase among black Americans. (Excerpt from BBC News)

Six people killed in blast at restaurant in Somalia's capital – ambulance official

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ix people were killed on Friday by a blast at a seaside restaurant in Somalia's capital Mogadishu, an ambulance service official told Reuters.

"So far we have carried six dead civilians and seven others injured," Abdikadir Abdirahman, Director of Aamin Ambulance Service said.

Somalia's Islamist group al Shabaab claimed responsibility for the blast, with their military operations spokesperson Abdiasis Abu Musab telling Reuters they were targeting "security officers and politicians of the apostate Government."

Al Shabaab frequently carries out bombings in Mogadishu and elsewhere as part of its war against the Horn of Africa country's Central Government.

The group has been fighting for years to topple the Central Government and establish its own rule based on its strict interpretation of Islam's sharia law.

The Pescatore Seafood Restaurant, which opened recently in Lido Beach in Mogadishu's south, was frequented by security and Government officials.

It was unclear if there any high-ranking officials or security personnel were among the dead or injured.

Last week hundreds of Somali lawmakers were finally sworn into office, paving the way for them to pick the country's new leader, a process that has been delayed for months amid a power struggle between the current President and the Prime Minister. (Excerpt from Reuters)

20

SATURDAY, APRIL 23, 2022

guyanatimesgy.com

DAILY HOROSCOPES

ARCHIE

Participate in events or talks that will make a difference. How you handle emotional situations will reflect how well others respond. Don't start something if you can't completely commit.

(March 21-April 19) Stay calm, ask questions and make whatever changes are necessary to ensure you keep the peace and maintain your integrity and security. Personal improvements and romance are favored.

DILBERT

(April 20-May 20) Follow the rules, and don't venture off the beaten track. Strive for perfection, keep your promises and stick to the truth. If you fall short, you will end up paying the consequences.

(May 21-June 20)

PEANUTS (June 21-July 22)

Step outside your comfort zone, approach unique people and put your energy where it counts. Be a part of the solution, and you'll learn something about life. Peace and happiness are within reach.

Be bold, and stick to your plans. Give others the same freedom you demand, and don't be afraid to head in a direction alone. Don't count on anyone but yourself.

(July 23-Aug. 22) Distance yourself from argumentative individuals or situations that cause more damage than help. Surround yourself with like-minded people working toward similar goals.

CALVIN AND HOBBES

(Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Don't underestimate how much you have or what you owe. Clearing debt will put your mind at ease. Put your energy into simplifying your life and tying up loose ends. Lower your overhead.

(Sept. 23-Oct. 23) Don't count on others to do things for you or make your life easier. Put your energy where it helps most, and take care of anything that will stop you from reaching your goal.

SUDOKU (Oct. 24-Nov. 22)

Don't let anyone disrupt your plans or entice you to take shortcuts that can put you at risk. Listen to your heart, not the chatter of those trying to mislead you.

(Nov. 23-Dec. 21) Improve your surroundings to fit your needs and help you work toward a path that brings you happiness. Put your heart on the line, and share your feelings with someone you love.

SOLUTION FOR LAST PUBLISHED PUZZLE

(Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Don't give anyone insight into what you are thinking or planning. Bide your time, and build a solid base to launch your ideas that will carry you in a direction that will put your mind at ease.

(Jan. 20-Feb. 19)

(Feb. 20-March 20)

Put your energy into what matters to you. A change will give you a different perspective regarding the possibilities and offer you hope. Personal improvements will lead to an enhanced relationship.

SATURDAY, APRIL 23, 2022

21

Rajasthan Royals clinch runfest against Delhi Capitals -on strength of another Buttler century, Prasidh’s three-for

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he end was chaotic, with Delhi Capitals threatening to call their players back and sending an assistant coach on to the field to get a call overturned, but the serenity of yet another Jos Buttler hundred trumped all else in the final equation.

Buttler began by looking unable to get bat on ball. His first 11 runs took 14 balls, eight of them off edges. By the time he was done, though, Delhi Capitals captain Rishabh Pant didn't look happy with his bowlers, the bowlers didn't look happy with the fielders, and the fielders looked sick of the leather hunt.

Buttler ended with 116 in 65 balls, during which he hit nine sixes, one of them 107 metres long.

Rajasthan Royals lost their sixth toss in seven matches, the joint-worst luck at the toss, but that was the last thing they lost, as

Devdutt Paddikal scored a half century

Buttler's third century of the season set them up for the highest score of this IPL, 222, which they defended, eventually comfortably.

It came down to 36 required off the final over, and Rovman Powell hit the first three for sixes. The third of those was a high full toss. The batter and the Capitals dugout immediately remonstrated to get a no-ball call, but it wasn't called on the field. Then the dugout stopped play, insisting on the third umpire's intervention, but the playing conditions allow the third umpire to come in only if it is a foot-fault no-ball or if there has been a dismissal off the ball.

Obed McCoy made a comeback after the break, to bowl a dot and get Powell off the last ball.

A circumspect start You wouldn't have guessed from the start what carnage we

Prasidh Krishna bagged 3-22

were about to witness. Khaleel Ahmed troubled Buttler with his left-arm angle and also some seam movement, but Buttler edged away two boundaries in the first over. Shardul Thakur followed it with a maiden, and Lalit Yadav sneaked in a boundary-less over of part-time offspin.

A massive shift in momentum Until then, Devdutt Padikkal had been an innocent bystander, as Buttler carried on hitting hundreds, but in this game, Padikkal took the pressure off Buttler by hitting three fours in Mustafizur Rahman's first over.

Buttler followed it up with two sixes off Khaleel in the sixth, turning it into an acceptable powerplay of 44 without loss.

Royals have been the best batters of spin this IPL, comfortably averaging

Rovman Powell slammed three sixes in the last over

the highest, and scoring the fastest against spinners. And Capitals' spinners have been among the best, but both Buttler and Padikkal went after Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav, taking 12 and 15 from the eighth and ninth overs respectively.

When Buttler put the returning Thakur in the top tier in the 10th over, he messed around with all of Capitals' plans, especially as they were missing Ricky Ponting, who had to stay back because a family member had tested positive for COVID-19.

Pant felt forced to go back to Lalit, to give him a cushion for an expensive frontline bowler, but Buttler tucked into Lalit’s nonturning offbreaks and took 35 off his two overs.

Buttler enjoyed great support from Padikkal, who offered him most of the strike, despite going faster at the start of the innings and scoring a 35-ball 54 himself. Padikkal's dismissal in the 16th over brought out a bigger headache for Capitals: Sanju Samson, who just went after everything in his 19-ball 46.

Buttler's pristine hitting continued, making his grip on the orange cap formidable. In fact, he has scored more in boundaries than the second-highest runscorer in the competition.

Shaw-Warner pair gets a quick start If there is an opening pair that can scare you in a defence of 222, it is David Warner and Prithvi Shaw. Shaw began with two fours in the first two balls, Warner went to 28 off 13, and if the dew had ma-

terialised, the chase was on.

Prasidh Krishna, though, cramped Warner up, and drew the edge to slow Capitals down.

Spinners control middle overs R Ashwin and Yuzvendra Chahal once again controlled the middle overs. Ashwin had Sarfaraz Khan in the sixth over, Chahal backed it up with tight overs, and Ashwin then got Shaw caught at deep cover.

When Prasidh came back to get Pant, bowling hard lengths again, to make it 124 for 4 in the 12th over, it seemed like the game was over.

Powell turns it around It was in the 18th over that Powell struck fear. The Capitals needed 51 to win off 18, and Powell hit two sixes right at the end of the over to make it 36 off

Jos Buttler raced to his third century of the tournament

the last two. Prasidh came back to seemingly kill the game with a wicket-maiden, bowling around the wicket with a strong cover field on the fence, and hiding the ball wide.

However, the last over was to be bowled by McCoy, who had had an ordinary night, conceding 26 off the ninth over. And when Powell began to send the ball into the night sky, the nerves were palpable.

Conferences became longer, as did the pauses between deliveries. The pause between third and fourth deliveries was the longest because Capitals wanted a decision reversed, which was not possible under the playing conditions. A slower short ball after the layoff brought the dot, and that was the game.

(Cricinfo)

SCOREBOARD RAJASTHAN ROYALS INNINGS (20 overs maximum) Jos Buttler c Warner b Mustafizur Rahman 116 Devdutt Padikkal lbw b Ahmed 54 Sanju Samson (c)† not out 46 Shimron Hetmyer not out 1 Extras (lb 1, w 4) 5 TOTAL 20 Ov (RR: 11.10) 222/2 Did not bat: Riyan Parag, Karun Nair, Ravichandran Ashwin, Trent Boult, Obed McCoy, Prasidh Krishna, Yuzvendra Chahal Fall of wickets: 1-155 (Devdutt Padikkal, 15.1 ov), 2-202 (Jos Buttler, 18.6 ov) BOWLING O-M-R-W Khaleel Ahmed 4-0-47-1 Shardul Thakur 3-1-29-0 Lalit Yadav 4-0-41-0 Mustafizur Rahman 4-0-43-1 Kuldeep Yadav 3-0-40-0 Axar Patel 2-0-21-0 DELHI CAPITALS INNINGS (Target: 223 runs from 20 overs) Prithvi Shaw c Boult b Ashwin 37 David Warner c †Samson b Prasidh Krishna 28

Sarfaraz Khan c Prasidh Krishna b Ashwin 1 Rishabh Pant (c)† c Padikkal b Prasidh Krishna 44 Lalit Yadav c †Samson b Prasidh Krishna 37 Axar Patel b Chahal 1 Shardul Thakur run out (Parag/†Samson) 10 Rovman Powell c †Samson b McCoy 36 Kuldeep Yadav not out 0 Extras (b 4, nb 1, w 8) 13 TOTAL 20 Ov (RR: 10.35) 207/8 Did not bat: Mustafizur Rahman, Khaleel Ahmed Fall of wickets: 1-43 (David Warner, 4.3 ov), 2-48 (Sarfaraz Khan, 5.1 ov), 3-99 (Prithvi Shaw, 9.6 ov), 4-124 (Rishabh Pant, 11.4 ov), 5-127 (Axar Patel, 12.6 ov), 6-157 (Shardul Thakur, 15.3 ov), 7-187 (Lalit Yadav, 18.3 ov), 8-207 (Rovman Powell, 19.6 ov) BOWLING O-M-R-W Trent Boult 4-0-47-0 Prasidh Krishna 4-1-22-3 Obed McCoy 3-0-52-1 Ravichandran Ashwin 4-0-32-2 Yuzvendra Chahal 4-0-28-1 Riyan Parag 1-0-22-0

Edward B. Beharry & Co. recommits support for Youth Basketball Guyana

Y

outh Basketball Guyana (YBG) has received a financial boost for the continuation of its developmental work with youths through sponsorship from Edward B. Beharry & Co. Received on Thursday April 21, 2022, this sponsorship marks the 12th consecutive year that Edward B. Beharry & Company has reaffirmed its support for youth development through basketball with its partnership with Youth Basketball Guyana.

To date, the generous Edward B. Beharry & Co Ltd is the most consistent sponsor of school and youth basketball, notwithstanding the minor interruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, which had forced a pause to school basketball for two years.

In a simple but significant ceremony held at Edward B. Beharry’s Charlotte Street office in Georgetown, Mrs Anjuli BeharryStrand handed over a cheque to Rayad Boyce, Co-Director of Youth Basketball Guyana.

In brief remarks, Mrs BeharryStrand expressed her profound appreciation to Chris Bowman and Rayad Boyce, whom she believes are not thanked enough for initiating and following through on this initiative, which provides young people with opportunity to showcase their athletic talent.

She also noted that being involved in sports allows for healthy competition and inclusivity, and with the aid of coaching and guidance, it can help to build talent and promote

good sportsmanship among athletes.

Beharry-Strand noted her company's satisfaction with being involved in this rewarding venture for the past 12 years.

In accepting the sponsorship, Rayad P. Boyce, Co-Director of YBG, expressed appreciation for the continued support from Edward B. Beharry & Co towards school and grassroots basketball over the years. He also noted that it’s mentionable that EBB & Co first came on board during the 2009 National School Basketball Festival, and has contributed significantly to the NSBF development, now the premier school basketball championships.

This year will mark the 15th anniversary of the NSBF (Festival).

The Edward B Beharry &

Taquain Vieira of YBG, Anjuli Beharry-Strand of Edward B. Beharry and Company Limited, Rayad P. Boyce (Co-Director YBG) and Selvaughn Moseley of YBG

Co Ltd started from humble beginnings in 1937: as a small importer, wholesaler and retailer of food products, but has now evolved into a large conglomerate

that includes manufacturing, marketing, financial services, vehicle dealership, and recently fast food. The company is a household name for its

ChampionTM, IndiTM, and ChicoTM, as wide range of mixed spices and seasoning among other things.

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SATURDAY, APRIL 23, 2022

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

GCB/Dave’s U15 50-Over tournament: Round One…

Arif Khan leads Berbice to thumping win over President’s XI - Demerara crush Essequibo

across the ancient county, Berbice posted 196-9 in their allotted overs, with promising knocks coming from Romario Ramdeholl (44), Adrian Hetmyer (31), Razam Koober (25) and Rovin Boodwah (22). Bowling for the Rising Stars Select U-15 Team, Berbician Nicholas Hall took 3-24.

In response, Berbician right-arm speedster Arif Khan blew away the Rising Stars top order, causing them to fold their innings at 50 all out, with extras contributing a hefty 36 runs.

With the match being spectated

by a small but vocal gathering which included the legendary Sir Andy Roberts, who witnessed the second innings - Berbice openers had a watchful start.

Razam Koober (25) and Vishaul Williams (05) contributed 26 runs after 4.2 overs, before left-arm pacer Nicholas Hall, who looked a good prospect, had the early wicket of Williams, whose stumps he shattered.

Then Skipper Ramdeholl came and proverbially dropped anchor.

Known for his classy batting, the lad from Rose Hall Canje was the

Player of the match, Arif Khan, receiving his trophy from Rabindranauth Saywack in the presence of sponsor Dave Narine Story and photos by Brandon Corlette

I

n the opening round of the Guyana Cricket Board’s (GCB’s) Dave West Indian Imports and Exports U-15 50-Over Tournament, the Berbice Under-15 team, led by an incredible 4-8 in six overs from Arif Khan, vanquished the Rising Stars Select U-15 (President's XI)

team at the picturesque Number 69 Vikings ground on the Corentyne Coast in Region Six, winning the match by 146 runs.

Also, Demerara thumped Essequibo by 76 runs (DLS) at the equally picturesque Imam Bacchus Ground on the Essequibo Coast in Region Two. In the Berbice match, which was reduced to 48 overs due to rain

Adriam Hetmyer claimed two wickets and made 31 runs

eventual top-scorer; his 44 came off 86 balls in 109 minutes before he was caught by the wicket-keeper Hall. He struck three fours on a fast outfield.

Koober, who made 25 from 58 balls, which included two fours, featured in a 44-run stand with his captain, Ramdeholl.

The talented Adrian Hetmyer, nephew of West Indies batsman Shimron Hetmyer, looked set for a big score, but was run out for a 55ball 31 which was decorated with three fours. He and his Rose Hall Canje teammate Ramdeholl shared a 42-run stand.

Rovin Boodwah made 22, and Enrique Mickle’s 15 propelled Berbice to what looked like a challenging score. Hall bowled ten overs for 24 runs, with one maiden, and claimed three wickets. Reshan Sakrulla had 2-38 in six overs.

In the chase, the Rising Stars Select U-15 team never got going.

No batter reached double figures, and extras contributed 36 runs.

Pacer Arif Khan bowled six overs, of which two were maidens, and reaped four wickets for eight runs in

his “player of the match” effort.

He was supported by Enrique Mickle, who took 2-14, and by Adrian Hetmyer, who claimed 2-3 in 3.4 overs of brisk seam bowling.

The match played at the Imam Bacchus Ground on the Essequibo Coast was also affected by rain.

Demerara posted 126 all out, with Dinesh Persaud producing the top score of 29, while Mickel Sharma made 27. Bowling for Essequibo, Earo Benjamin took 3-19 and Christopher Williams took 3-20 in five overs.

In response, Darwin La Rose took 5-19 in five overs, as Essequibo made 45 all out in 21.5 overs.

Demerara won that match by 76 runs through the DLS method.

Rakesh Kellawan was Essequibo’s lone double figures’ contributor with 10 runs. This match was reduced to 22 overs in the second innings, due to another rain interval.

The tournament will continue on Monday April 25 with Berbice taking on Demerara at Albion, and Essequibo and Rising Stars Select U-15 playing at Everest.

Former Guyana youth cricket player gives back to home clubs

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Pooran Singh (second from left) making the donation to President Manzoor Nadir at the Everest Cricket Club in the presence of former club Presidents and current life members Mark Singh (left) and Rajesh Singh (right)

he old saying, ‘charity begins at home’ resonates well with Pooran Singh, who has made monetary donations to the Everest Cricket Club (ECC) and the Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC) while visiting the country of his birth for the Easter season.

Singh, who represented the Guyana youth side in 1968 and 1969 as a wicketkeeper, now resides in the United Kingdom,

and is aligned to the Savannah Charitable Trust, which is chaired by former English Test player Phil Edmonds.

When he made the donations on Wednesday to the respective clubs in the city, Singh said: “I told my chairman (Phil Edmonds) that I am going back home for a vacation, and immediately he encouraged me to make the donations to the two clubs that I was associated

with as a young cricketer in Georgetown.”

On behalf of the Savannah Charitable Trust, Singh handed over G$100,000 to both Everest CC and Georgetown CC. President of the Everest club, Manzoor Nadir, was on hand to receive the timely donation.

Nadir, who is also the Honourable Speaker of the National Assembly of Guyana, thanked Singh for the second such contribution, and said the funds would go towards restoration of the club’s physical photography gallery.

“We need to preserve our club’s rich history, which is also captured in photographs; and, as such, we will use the Savannah Charitable Trust grant to standardise our frames and to bring the gallery to fruition,” Nadir told Singh.

Nadir also provided Singh with a report on the outcome of the previous donation, which was made in 2019 prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The funds on that occasion

were used to kick-start the extensive maintenance and physical upgrade works for the comfort of everyone here at Everest,” he explained.

Singh, who started his cricketing career as a youth at Everest, was pleased with the efforts of the president and executives of his foundational club, and thus also

presented them with two boxes of Grade A cricket balls, to be used for matches and practice sessions.

At the GCC in Bourda, the donation was received by Timothy Tucker, president of the club, in the Members’ Pavilion. Tucker, who is also the President of the Georgetown Chamber of

Rawle Toney 3X3 Basketball Classic…

Linden in rejuvenation tonight!

-MVP Sports on board the event

CLASSIFIED ADS ACCOMMODATIONS

Bartica Easter Regatta Female Football competition…

-outscore Rivers View United on penalty kicks

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Opposition Leader Aubrey Norton handing over the winning prize to AX Galaxy Captain Lisa Perreira, in the presence of some of her teammates and dignitaries

robust performance from the AX Galaxy Football Club has seen them overcome their more seasoned counterparts, Rivers View United, in the final of the inaugural Bartica Easter Regatta Football Competition on Easter Saturday night at the Bartica Community Centre Ground.

Both teams put on a spirited show for vocal partisan supporters, football fans, and the many

dignitaries who were on hand to witness the action; and at the end of regulation time, the score was tied at nil-all (0-0), as neither team was able to breach the other’s defence in this championship clash.

The action then switched to kicks from the penalty mark, and AX Galaxy prevailed 3-2 over Rivers View United.

Each team was rewarded with cash and a trophy for its efforts in

the tournament, organised by the Bartica Football Association (BFA) in conjunction with the Easter Regatta Committee.

On hand to present the winning purse was Leader of the Opposition, Aubrey Norton, who congratulated the teams for their efforts.

A total of four clubs had participated in the action.

Commerce and Industry (GCCI), told Singh that the funds would go towards extension of the players’ dressing rooms and to rehabilitate the upper level of the Members’ Pavilion.

Both ECC and GCC continue to be used extensively for local matches at all levels. At the start of the year, both venues were used by the International Cricket Council (ICC) for the Under-19 Men’s Cricket World Cup matches.

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Tournament organiser Rawle Toney receiving support from MVP Sports through a representative

he Rawle Toney 3x3 Basketball Classic is scheduled to have its inaugural hosting in the mining town of Linden, the reputed home of basketball in Guyana, tonight: Saturday April 23, at the Richmond Hill residence of Chairman of the National Sports Commission, Kashif Muhammad.

Following a successful hosting in February at the Burnham Basketball Court in Georgetown, a decision has been made to take this one-of-akind event to Region 10.

Founder of this tournament, Sports Journalist Rawle Toney, on Thursday revealed that, given the overwhelming response elicited, he has had to put a cap on the number of teams participating in the tournament, and the event is now regarded as a Linden vs Georgetown battle.

According to Toney, since the tournament is FIBA-endorsed, it will aid players to get much-needed ratings points; and on a wider

perspective, it can kick-start the development needed for the sport locally.

A concept of 3x3 is the fusion of basketball and entertainment, and Saturday’s event will feature Barbados recording artiste ‘Mole de Chief’, whom Toney has said will be visiting Guyana for the first time to perform.

Linden would be represented by four teams, while Georgetown would be represented by three, and there will be one team coming from West Demerara.

The prize structure for the top three teams is $100,000, $75,000, and $50,000, and each of the eight teams would receive a participation fee of $25,000.

VSH Guyana Limited, Team Mohamed's, FireSide Grill, MVP Sports, Bushman Money Lending and Pawnshop Services and Hennessey are some of the main sponsors of the event.

Aracari Hotel, West Bank Demerara (Versailles – between Harbor Bridge and Vreed-en-Hoop) – AirConditioned Comfort. Amenities include TV, Restaurant, Bar, Swimming Pool, Gym. Free Parking, Free WiFi. Spend 7 nights and get 1 Free. Rates from $45 US. Breakfast included. Long term rates available. Phone: 264-2946-9. www. aracariresort.com

BUS SERVICE Need a bus? Call Us. Matthews Bus Service and Tours. Call: 6392663/673-2348.

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES Restaurant for Rent – West Bank Demerara (at Aracari Resort, Versailles – between Harbor Bridge and Vreed-en-Hoop). Turn Key Business. Covid-19 Reduced Capacity 60; furnished and equipped.

Phone 264-2946; 626-5290

ENTERTAINMENT Swimming Pool Family Fun & Picnic – Crystal Clear Pool. Kids and Adult Sections. Very Safe. Aracari Resort : West Bank Demerara (Versailles, between Harbor Bridge and Vreeden-Hoop)- Every Weekend. DJ Music.

Groups and Excursions welcome.

(Fee applies)- Phone: 264-2946-9.

TOURS Independence Weekend, May 26th – 29th. Call: 639-2663/673-2348.

SATURDAY, APRIL 23, 2022

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

23

Sir Andy Roberts, Roland Butcher delighted with BCB invitation, as clinics commence Story and Photos By Brandon Corlette

L

egendary West Indies fast bowler Sir Andy Roberts and the first black cricketer to have played for England, Roland Butcher of Barbados, are in Berbice conducting cricket clinics and sharing their vast knowledge of the intricacies of the game.

The two legends started the clinics at Albion, and on Sunday the sessions will conclude. Roberts has said he is happy to pass on information to youngsters, while Butcher has said as much, while praising the work of the Hilbert Foster-led Berbice Cricket Board.

"I must start from the beginning. I was speaking to young Basil Butcher Jr in New York. We talked a lot, and I told him I have knowledge about fast-bowling

that has not been tapped into. It seems as though our belief is that you have to be a certified Level Three Coach in order to pass on information to players," Sir Andy told this daily publication.

"Mr Foster called me, so we set up this (clinic). I believe that West Indies must use all its resources, both financial and knowledge, to

bring our cricket forward, so I have no problem in sharing that.

I would like that this information is used in the future," Sir Andy explained.

He added: "From an early age, I was never coached. What I learnt from fast-bowling is selftaught, and I think I can pass on some of that information to

Youths listening to the legends

BCB President Hilbert Foster in the presence of greatness: Sir Andy Roberts (right) and Roland Butcher

youngsters, so they can start thinking for themselves and become better players."

Roland Butcher has said: "For a long time, I have been cognisant about the work Mr Foster has been doing in Berbice cricket over the years.

Once Mr Foster asked me to

come, I had no hesitation. To assist the players to fulfill their dreams, I am all for that. I am delighted to come.

"The focus will be one of education, not necessary technique. It is more about getting players to believe in themselves, and encourage them

to work hard and enjoy what they are doing. You get your best results when you enjoy it."

The BCB will also be hosting Jimmy Adams and Dr Desmond Haynes at Albion today, Saturday April 23. The duo will share their knowledge to cricket coaches and administrators in Berbice.

AMBC Elite Boxing Championships…

GBA honours Desmond Amsterdam for bronze medal win

- “Thank you for making us proud,” says GBA President Steve Ninvalle

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GBA Treasurer Dexter Patterson presenting the plaque to Desmond Amsterdam

mericas Boxing Confederation (AMBC) bronze medalist Desmond Amsterdam has been honoured by the Guyana Boxing Association (GBA) on the heels of his historic achievement several weeks ago.

Competing in the middleweight division at the Elite Continental Championships, Amsterdam was the lone pugilist

of the three-man Guyanese team to cop a medal at the prestigious event.

And now the accolades are pouring in, with Amsterdam receiving a promotion to the rank of Sergeant in the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) soon after his return.

The Guyana Boxing Association (GBA), for its part, rewarded this prized boxer in a ceremony held

on Thursday night.

“In Latin America, or the Americas, you will find some of the toughest amateur opponents. Your bronze at the Elite Championships is worth a silver or more at maybe a European Championship or an Oceanic Championship. So, we are really proud,” GBA President Steve Ninvalle told this athlete as he explained to Amsterdam why the

Anaya Lall

Anthony Drayton

Mayas Khan

he second GAICO-sponsored Grand Prix chess tournament begins today, April 23rd 2022, at 9am, at the National Stadium at Providence, and will continue on April 24th, 30th and May 1st, with eight rounds being played over those four days.

Due to a late start in this year’s tournament season, there will be time only to host three Grand Prix tournaments this year, instead of the typical four. Players earn Grand Prix points from playing in these tournaments, which give them the opportunity to qualify to represent Guyana at the FIDE Olympiad.

The Olympiad is the highest level of international chess that Guyana competes in. It is typically contested by nearly 200 countries.

This year’s Olympiad will be hosted by the All-India Chess Federation in

Chennai, India.

More than 20 players have already registered for the Second Grand Prix, including Anaya Lall, Pooja Lam, Mayas Khan, Taffin Khan, Jessica Callender, Emmanuel Primus, Anthony Drayton, Justino DaSilva, Waveney Johnson and Frankie Farley.

Strict COVID-19 safety protocols will be observed. Trophies will be awarded for the best female player in the tournament, as well as the top male and female junior players.

Trophies and cash prizes will be offered to the top three finishers in the tournament, while medals will be given to 4th to 10th placers.

The Guyana Chess Federation wishes to express its gratitude to GAICO Construction and General Services Inc. for its generous sponsorship of the four Grand

Prix tournaments. For the past 29 years, GAICO has been operating in various industries, from construction all the way to marine, oil spill, and waste management.

The company has been constantly expanding in an attempt to keep up with the fast-paced development of Guyana, and, for its entire lifetime, has been committed to giving back to the people.

GAICO’s longstanding relationship with the Guyana Chess Federation is another way in which GAICO supports the development and future of Guyana through constructive recreation and building of many critical thinking skills.

The tournament will be supervised by FIDE arbiters John Lee and Anand Raghunauth.

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GBA was rewarding him.

Ninvalle added, “This is just a small way of us saying, ‘Thank you very much!’. You have not done this for yourself, but you’ve given boxing a fillip, a push, that now we are not being recognised as going to championships and not winning, we’re coming back with metal.”

Amsterdam has been presented with a plaque and a monetary donation from the GBA, as Ninvalle emphasised the need to encourage successful athletes.

He explained that, in the case of amateur boxing, Amsterdam’s medal is anticipated to bring a ‘turn in tides’, as it is hoped that other boxers would follow in his footsteps.

“This could not have been done without your discipline,

your determination. You are now a model boxer for this country, and I commend you and I applaud you, and I hope that many others can take a page out of your book,” Ninvalle told Amsterdam.

Aside from Ninvalle, other GBA executives among several national coaches, and boxers Colin ‘Superman’ Lewis and Jamal Eastman, were present at this auspicious occasion.

Coach Sebert Blake and boxer Colin Lewis were among those who had encouraging words for Amsterdam.

“He’s dedicated!

He’s dedicated to the training, and he’s been working hard, especially in this preparation for the last tournament. So, I want to encourage you to continue going down that road; 2024 is just now,”

Blake shared at the gathering.

For his part, Lewis shared, “For me, you win both of the fights, but nevertheless, that’s the past. Congratulations!”

Amsterdam, a man of little words, was effusive with gratitude for the GBA gesture.

“I want to thank the Director of Sport, my coaches, my wife, and whoever supported me through my victory. I want to thank everyone, and I will look forward for more support,” the AMBC bronze medalist said.

By defeating Venezuela’s Eldric Sella on his way to the semifinal, Desmond Amsterdam was guaranteed a medal at the AMBC Elite Championships, hosted from March 22 to April 2 in Guayaquil, Ecuador. (Jemima Holmes)

SATURDAY, APRIL 23, 2022

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

NSC concludes Easter swimming programme …You can have the commitment and assurance that this will be a yearly programme – Ramson Jr

GASA President, Dwayne Scott

-8M in pool touch pads expected to arrive next month

Some of the children who participated in the programme

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he National Sports Commission (NSC) has successfully hosted an Easter Swimming programme at the Aquatic Centre at Liliendaal, ECD. It recently came to an end in a simple ceremony at which Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Charles Ramson Jr, delivered the feature address. He assured the parents and participants of this programme that it would be a yearly event.

“When I got older and started to do a lot of things, sports generally opened a lot of doors for me. It taught me so much. A lot of the things you learn playing organized

sport and competitive sport, you don’t learn in school, and those things are very invaluable to who you become in life and how you succeed,” he said.

“All the parents here, education is very important, but I would rank just short of that being involved in organized and competitive sport.

The fact that you have so many people here, on behalf of the Government of Guyana, this is a successful programme. So, you can have the commitment and the assurance that this will be a yearly programme,” Ramson Jr explained.

He also assured the crowd that, for both sport (all 12

disciplines) and culture, there will be a summer camp and summer programme that would commence this year and continue for as long as he leads this Ministry.

Further, he explained that sporting disciplines such as football, cricket, swimming among others, are going to become available this summer and every summer hereafter.

Minister Ramson also reiterated that the Sport Ministry has purchased pool touch pads which are expected to arrive next month, in time for the launching of the Sports Academy for Swimming.

These pads have been

estimated to cost eight million dollars, and would therefore allow for accurate timing of races and enable Guyana to host swim meets.

In closing his remarks, the Minister said, “This further leads back to the philosophy of how we are running the country: One Guyana; one family promoting families,” he posited.

President of the Guyana Amateur Swimming Association, Dwayne Scott, in sharing his remarks, said the initiative is in keeping with the Minister’s desire to see sports grow in Guyana.

He mentioned that GASA fully

NSC’s Christy Campbell

supports the initiative, as it is part of the building blocks in terms of development and bringing more people to the sport.

Scott relayed that this development in regard to the touch pads would see growth in the sport, as it would attract new participants and would afford Guyana the chance to participate in regional and international competitions.

Among the many speakers was Director of Sport Steve Ninvalle, who said, “This is the largest amount of participants we have had in the history of this programme.

This could not have been possible without the commitment, the tenacity and determination of the swimming and coaching staff of the NSC. This what we have here is because of astute leadership that we have at the helm of the NSC and Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport. For the first time, we have been able to waive the fee, as the Honourable Minister insisted that if this programme is to run, it must be done without parents having to pay a fee to be part of that,” Ninvalle disclosed.

He also related that this programme would continue, and

Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Charles Ramson Jr

for it to continue this way, everyone must work collaboratively.

Echoing the same sentiments was Commissioner of the NSC, Christy Campbell, who commended the coaching staff for supervising the programme for the past two weeks. Further, she congratulated the participants, and expressed certainty that they have learned a lot during the period.

Campbell also emphasized on the need for the public to have free access to the pool outside of club training and national training. She promised that once the NSC has determined what needs to be done, and there are scheduled arrangements with the national federations, persons can be assured that they would have access to the facilities - whether they are part of a club or not - free of cost.

The Swimming Programme was open to children 6-16 years old, and was hosted at Colgrain Pool in Georgetown, Watooka Guest House in Linden, Albion Estate in Berbice, and the National Aquatic Centre at Liliendaal, Greater Georgetown.

'Pan(ama)demonium’ at WBC title fight weigh-in -action set for tonight

“T

he Road to Redemption” WBC d o u b l e - h e a d e r, promoted by Dharry Promotions, Jack Bharat and Nexgen Global Promotions, in association with the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport, got off to an early start at the Pegasus poolside weigh-in when scuffles broke out between the main event fighters.

Caught in the middle was Minister Charles Ramson, as the Panamanian fighters seemingly took offence at remarks made by Elton Dharry and Dexter Marques and rushed the Guyanese duo with fists flying!

The Minister, looking like a fighter himself, stepped in to separate the fighters, and told them in no uncertain terms that the fight belonged in the ring.

"Save it for the thousands who are coming to watch their favourite fighter win the title for their country. We want the world to see just how good you are,

not just a few hundred fans!" he admonished.

According to National Sports Commission Director Steve Ninvalle, "I have been a part of boxing for over 30 years, and as I told Aleem, I have never in my life seen such a reaction to a boxing event. Tickets are gone as soon as they hit the ground!

People like my sister, who have never gone to a boxing match, are flying in to attend. This event is a gamechanger for the sport, and my hat goes off to the promotion team."

The WBC is also paying keen attention to this event, sending Hector Afu, veteran of more than 350 fights and dozens of world title bouts, to referee the Marques-Pedroza match.

The third man in the ring for the Dharry-Penalba fight will be Eion Jardine, who has refereed an incredible 385 fights and many world title bouts.

The WBC supervisor will be

President Ali sharing a light moment with Elton Dharry

Peter Abdool, who has overseen hundreds of fights and supervised dozens of major world class events internationally.

The executive board of the GBBC will also be in attendance, as well as thousands of fans who are eager to see the rejuvenation

of the sport in Guyana.

Both Abdool and Will Boodhoo, Medical Advisor to the WBC, said: "This fight so far has met the high level expected by the WBC, and therefore reinforces Guyana's intent to host a world title fight in the coming months,"

he said.

With all the fighters meeting the weight requirements, the action-packed fight card is on, and a display of quality boxing is expected tonight when the event kicks off at 18:00 hours sharp.

Jack Bharat has thanked the sponsors, and has said that many overseas-based Guyanese are willing to support sports in the country.

Sponsors of the event include: Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport; Nexgen Golf Academy; Demerara Mutual Fire; Guyana Tourism Authority; Samtronix; Giftland Mall; DDL; Remax Realty; Puran Bros; Morgan's Investment; Unique Electrical & General Store; Caribbean Motor Spares; HRTM; Banks DIH; DDL; Comfort Sleep; Ansa McAl; Darthan Investments; Hand in Hand; Turbo Energy Drink; Kings Jewellery; Bistro Restaurant; Abbas Shipping; Sleep-In Hotel; Banks DIH; Shareef General Hospital; Dave West Indian

Imports; Bradley Mechanical Corp; MBBF Foundation; Skyport Homes; Pinegrove Inn Restaurant; NY Security & Communication; Georgetown Abstract; Gemini's Lounge & Restaurant; New Apple Funding; Law Office of Jaleel Adam; Steve's Jewellery; Excalibur Capital; AGT Energy; SA Seafoods; D Ross Express; Yulini's Travel Agency; Amerigroup Properties.

A limited number of allinclusive VVIP tables along with Tickets Party Mound $1,000, Green and Red Stands $2,000, Ringside $4,000 are on sale at Giftland, MovieTowne, Amazonia Malls, all Assuria General Insurance offices nationwide, The Locals Restaurant in Vreed-enHoop and Fagoo's General Store in Parika.

For more information or questions about the event, visit our Facebook/Instagram page roadtoredemptiongy or call 6450944.

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