Guyana Times -- Thursday, December 2, 2021

Efforts intensified to help women with disabilities in violent relationships

P12 Nationwide coverage from the best news team in Guyana guyanatimesgy.com

Issue No. 4849

THE BEACON OF TRUTH THURSDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2021

Guyana expects to see 19.5% economic growth for 2021 – Ali …stresses need to break down “nonsensical” trade barriers in Caricom Page 3

New GECOM CEO

Guyanese, Jamaican to be interviewed for position next Monday

Page 7

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WHAT'S INSIDE:

Man gets 12 P8 years for 2013 Mash Day killing

More time P10 needed to complete CJIA expansion project – Edghill …assures project will be substantially completed by year end

Murder accused acquitted after 8 years on P8 remand Berbice P10 woman jailed in absentia for drug trafficking Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha on Wednesday handed over planting materials and broiler chicks to the Agriculture Science Department of the North Georgetown Secondary School (NGSS) after they requested assistance for students preparing for the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examinations in 2022 and 2023 (DPI photos)

Draft electoral reforms

Report substandard foods, Second set of expired products reforms will offered by deal with voters’ vendors – GA-FDD registration – AG urges consumers Death toll climbs to 997 as 3 more die from COVID-19 …77 new cases recorded Page 2

Page 13

Page 14

Stop blocking hydrants – P13 Berbice fire officer to vehicle operators …over 40 buildings in Region 6 destroyed by fire so far for 2021

2 NEWS

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Draft electoral reforms

Second set of reforms will deal with voters’ registration – AG A

mid calls for the reforms of Guyana’s electoral laws to address issues relating to voters’ fraud, Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister Anil Nandlall S.C. has reassured that there would be another installment of the draft reforms that would deal specifically with registration.

“I see many of the criticisms that are levelled against these amendments relate to registration. Registration will come.

Those amendments are on their way, they are under preparation, and they will be disseminated shortly to the public, and they will be the subject of a consultative exercise just as these proposals are,” Nandlall said during this week’s edition of his programme – Issues In The News.

Early in November, Government published the draft electoral reforms with proposed changes to the Representation of the People Act (ROPA) for public consultation before the document is finalised and taken to the National Assembly.

While the Government wants to have this done at the earliest possible opportunity, it also wants to have the widest possible engagement with stakeholders. These consultations include with the various political parties, including the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Opposition.

However, the Coalition Opposition has criticised the draft electoral laws, with Opposition Leader Joseph Harmon contending that the proposed changes do not reflect concerns that the APNU/AFC has, especially as those concerns relate to voters’ impersonation and having a clean list of voters.

But AG Nandlall explained during the programme that the reform process is twofold. He noted that this first component deals exclusively with changes to ROPA; that is, the process from the time a date for election is propagated or proclaimed by the President until the declaration of final results.

“That is the process that we are now dealing with,”

Attorney General Anil Nandlall, SC

he outlined.

According to Nandlall, the other component that would be embarked upon would deal with the registration of electors, from the time the registration process begins until the Claims and Objections (C&O) exercise.

“I wanted to make those fundamental points, because people continue to level criticisms against this process that are miscon-

ceived and misguided simply because their lack of appreciation of the width, breath or limitations, if you wish, of this exercise of which we are currently engaged,” he posited.

An overhaul of the country’s electoral laws can see the Chief Elections Officer (CEO) at the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) facing as much as life imprisonment for committing fraud, while others can similarly face hefty fines and jail time for any related offence.

The draft updated electoral laws also outline a clear process for the request of a recount, including empowering the Chairman of GECOM to grant that request.

Under the proposed laws, the CEO must immediately post the District Tabulation Forms on the Commission’s website as soon as he receives them from the Returning Officers.

Other persons involved in the electoral process can face fines as high as $10 million, and can equally be jailed for life if they breach any provision as outlined in

the proposed updated Act. The immediate former CEO of GECOM, Keith Lowenfield; his Deputy Roxanne Myers, and the Returning Officer for Region Four at last year’s polls, Clairmont Mingo, are currently before the court on a raft of electoral fraud-related charges.

Other electoral officials as well as politicians are before the court for allegedly attempting to alter the results of last year’s elections.

Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Shalimar Ali-Hack, SC, has hired a team of special prosecutors consisting of about six lawyers to prosecute the electoral fraud charges on behalf of the State.

The plethora of matters is currently before three Magistrates – the Chief Magistrate and Magistrates Sherdel Isaacs-Marcus and Leron Daly.

Lowenfield’s election report claimed that the then governing APNU/AFC Coalition garnered 171,825 votes while the PPP/C gained 166,343 votes.

How he arrived at those figures is still unknown,

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

The recount exercise also proved that Mingo heavily inflated the figures in Region Four in favour of the then caretaker APNU/ AFC regime – which was defeated by a No-Confidence Motion in December 2018.

In August this year, GECOM had voted to terminate the employment contracts of Lowenfield, Myers, and Mingo.

The firing of the officials was met with much satisfaction by the Government, which viewed it as a step in the right direction to restoring public confidence in GECOM as it gears up to hold Local Government Elections (LGE).

Only Wednesday, the seven-member Elections Commissions selected the two most “qualified” candidates from a shortlisted group of six to be interviewed for the post.

NEWS

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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

BRIDGE OPENINGS OPENINGS BRIDGE

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

Thursday, December 2 – 02:00h-03:30h and 13:30h-15:00h and Friday, December 3 – 03:00h-04:30h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Thursday, December 2 – 14:45h-16:15h and Friday, December 3 – 15:25h-16:55h.

FERRY SCHEDULE

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

WEATHER TODAY Sunny conditions are expected during the day. Partly cloudy skies are expected at night.

Temperatures should range between 21 degrees Celsius and 29 degrees Celsius.

Winds: Northerly to North-Westerly between 1.34 metres and 4.02 metres.

High Tide: 14:58h reaching a maximum height of 2.79 metres.

Low Tide: 08:32h and 21:00h reaching minimum heights of 0.56 metre and 0.38 metre.

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2021

LOTTERY NUMBERS G

01 03 06

14 26 28

FREE TICKET

12 Bonus Ball

DAILY MILLIONS

03 09 11 16 21 LUCKY 3

6

7

8

9

Afternoon Draw

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1

Evening Draw

DRAW DE LINE

01 02 03 09 14 16 18 SUPER

PAY DAY

PAY DAY

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2021

01 05 07 08 17 13

06 10 11 12 19

8

3 Afternoon Draw

2X Afternoon Draw

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6 Evening Draw

2X Evening Draw

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

COMMODITIES Indicators

US$

Change %

Crude Oil

$69.65/barrel

+1.13

Rough Rice

$251.244/ton

- 0.09

London Sugar

$485.60/ton

- 2.43

Live Spot Gold

USD Per Ounce

Bid/Ask

$1780.00

$1781.00

Low/High Change

$1776.30 - 1.70

$1794.30 - 0.10%

Guyana expects to see 19.5% economic growth for 2021 – Ali …stresses need to break down “nonsensical” trade barriers in Caricom

W

ith Guyana expected to see 19.5 per cent economic growth for 2021, President Dr Irfaan Ali on Tuesday used the occasion of addressing the Trinidad and Tobago Manufacturing Association to urge investors to get on board.

Addressing the Trinidad and Tobago Manufacturing Association President’s Dinner and Awards Ceremony virtually, President Ali expressed confidence that the political will exists to give effect to the ideals that created the Caribbean Single Market and Economy (CSME).

He pointed to the example being set by Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley when it comes to her leadership on the issue of improving CSME. Guyana’s Head of State also spoke of Guyana’s prospects, which includes a projected economic growth rate of 19.5 per cent for the year.

“In the near term, building on unprecedented expansion last year by 43.5 per cent, economic growth is expected to be 19.5 per cent this year. And this extraordinary pace of growth is expected to continue into the medium term. The favourable economic outlook brings opportunities,” the President said.

He said this includes prospects for greater partnership with regional partners, including Public and Private Sector. But President Ali had some harsh words when it comes to the need to reduce barriers of trade across the region, noting that these barriers are a hindrance.

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

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

President Ali also highlighted the glaring disparity in the import and export of food regionally, and again lobbied for more to be done to lessen the importation bills. He noted that there are numerous products that can be produced in the re-

President Dr Irfaan Ali during his address to the T&T Manufacturing Association

gion using home-grown or homemade materials and resources.

“We cannot move forward reasonably as a people, we cannot move forward reasonably as a collective, if we are not willing to act in a selfless manner. The opportunities will slip by… I have the barriers by country, I have the impediments to trade by country for exports and imports, and some of this is nonsensical. Some

of these barriers that are imposed can be withdrawn overnight if you are serious about building capacity and opening up opportunities,” he said.

The President also revealed some surprising numbers. According to him, total trade between Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago, which includes imports and exports, was valued at over US$500 million last year.

This number is inclusive

of US$514 million imports from Trinidad and Tobago and US$35 million exports to Trinidad and Tobago.

The President emphasised the importance of bilateral trade being mutually beneficial to both countries.

Back in October, the Finance Ministry’s MidYear Report for 2021 had revealed that Guyana recorded real GDP growth of 14.5 per cent. The non-oil GDP also grew by 4.8 percent despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, and even the devastating floods experienced in May-June.

With regard to manufacturing, this sector notably saw an estimated growth of 13.1 percent when compared to the same period last year, with expansion of the sector being attributed to a growth of 23.1 percent in “other manufacturing”. In the category of “other manufacturing”, growth was experienced in the manufacturing of non-metallic products, chemical products, and beverages.

The Mid-Year Report is expected to be tabled

by Senior Minister in the Office of the President, with Responsibility for Finance, Minister Dr Ashni Singh, at the first sitting of the National Assembly, once the Assembly resumes after its current recess. (G3)

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guyanatimesgy.com

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2021

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

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Women

he issue of women and their role in development has always been a topic of interest, not only in Guyana but countries around the world. The debates have centred around the challenges women face in getting access to the same opportunities as men and in a general sense, programmes and policies that could be implemented to ensure their economic and social advancement.

Women, over the years, have made tremendous progress, not only in terms of their own advancement, but by playing a key role in the development of their own communities and, by extension, allowing other women an opportunity to develop themselves. However, many challenges remain which must be tackled to ensure that women have access to the opportunities and resources needed to allow them to lead more productive and fulfilling lives.

We believe that when women are allowed to develop their full potential, it is not only women who gain but the entire society. Women make enormous contributions to economies, whether in businesses, on farms, as entrepreneurs or employees, or by doing unpaid care work at home.

According to the United Nations, investing in women’s economic empowerment sets a direct path towards gender equality, poverty eradication, and inclusive economic growth.

Here in Guyana, women have made tremendous progress at every level of the society and they enjoy equal rights as their male counterparts. This country deserves commendation for the advances it has made in ensuring that; in addition to women being protected under the law, they are also given the relevant opportunities for their personal and professional advancement.

However, there is still a far way to go before we can safely say that women have access to the resources and opportunities they need to fully develop themselves. For example, our single-parent mothers have, over the years, found it very difficult to make ends meet. Many of them have found themselves in a position where they work from month to month and there seems to be no end to the financial hardships they experience.

In some cases, they lack the necessary skills and qualifications required to get suitable, well-paid jobs so that they can earn enough to provide for themselves and their children.

For some who would like to venture out into establishing their own small business, etc, the strict criteria set by banks and other lending institutions make it difficult to access the necessary loans. There are a few institutions which give grants and other forms of support, but they are on a limited scale and most of them are Georgetown-based, making it a bit difficult for rural women to have easy access.

There is also the issue of the high level of domestic violence affecting countless families, with women being at the receiving end of the violence most times. There were numerous dialogues with the involvement of the relevant stakeholders to tackle the issue, but yet the number of cases of women being abused or killed is going up. We believe that the policymakers should revisit the issue and come up with practical solutions to address this scourge in a holistic manner with greater focus on the root causes of the problem.

The COVID-19 pandemic has also worsened the situation as it continues to have serious socio-economic repercussions on the lives of women. As a consequence of the partial lockdown, significant sections of the female working population are now unemployed or are receiving reduced pay, including single parents.

Many women-owned small businesses are no longer operational and women in the private care industry have lost their jobs, because they can no longer work at the homes of their employers due to fear of COVID-19 transmission.

The Human Services and Social Security Ministry had announced that it was funding projects for cottage industries led by women so that they could secure their livelihoods.

According to the Ministry, in addition to other measures, funding for cottage industries is among long-term measures to be implemented against the COVID-19 pandemic.

Certainly, the economic and social advancement of all women, including those in hinterland and rural communities, should remain a priority for this Government. Focus must be placed on providing decent jobs, access to skills training, access to financial resources, and protection from domestic and other forms of violence.

Traditional dancers in grass skirts welcome holidaymakers in Nadi as Fiji opens its borders to international travellers for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic swept the globe and devastated its tourism-reliant economy (AFP photo)

Omicron: Vaccine nationalism will only perpetuate the pandemic … as wealthy nations continue hoarding vaccines, new dangerous COVID-19 variants will continue emerging

By Fatima Hassan

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he United Kingdom and wealthy European nations are in a panic. Unsurprisingly, hoarding huge swathes of the global vaccine supply has enabled the emergence of dangerous new variants of COVID-19.

And once again, rich countries are punishing the victims of global vaccine inequality by slamming shut the borders to anyone from southern African nations.

Of course, the Omicron variant, as the World Health Organisation has named it, has not exclusively been found in Southern Africa.

Cases have been discovered in Asia and Europe, including in the UK, but the Global South is being blamed for it, while the means to deal with COVID-19 have been kept from it. This is perfectly fitting with how rich countries have dealt with the pandemic.

At each stage of their response, hopes for collaboration have been junked.

Western nations have hoarded – and even binned – vaccines rather than donate them on scale, or on time.

For more than a year, the UK and European Union have blocked a proposal from South Africa and India to suspend intellectual property on COVID -19 technologies, including vaccines.

Most countries in the world recognise this is crucial for scaling up vaccine production to levels needed to end this pandemic. But to leaders like British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, propping up pharmaceutical monopolies is more important.

Just seven per cent of

people in Africa are fully vaccinated and recent data shows only one in four health workers in Africa are fully protected. This is not just morally grotesque, but also dangerous: it creates a breeding ground for new variants.

Timing matters in this pandemic. As Professor Sarah Gilbert of the University of Oxford has warned, stopping transmission in every corner of the world is vital to stop the virus from evolving – and mutating dangerously.

As in all parts of the world, African Governments have made mistakes in this pandemic. Indeed, my organisation in South Africa, the Health Justice Initiative, has been vocal about our Government’s errors, including on vaccine contract transparency.

South Africa also had to contend with serious political violence in mid-2021 and the Government has changed Health Ministers twice in 12 months. This has been compounded by devastating job losses and a hunger crisis, worsened by often irrational travel bans.

But South Africa’s lingering apartheid-era health system, enduring levels of poverty, and year-long inability to obtain decent amounts of vaccines on time meant the Government faced an impossible task. For the better part of 2021, with limited global supplies siphoned by the Global North, South Africa was drip-fed vaccine supplies.

AstraZeneca was at first one of the few vaccines trickling into Africa. But disinformation from Pfizer board

member Scott Gottlieb questioning the jab’s efficacy and safety, exacerbated by EU leaders, also led to mistrust in the vaccine. Its use was then paused in many African countries, and halted in South Africa, with the emerging Beta variant and Indian export restrictions also factors.

The African Union negotiated a new deal with Johnson & Johnson, via Aspen Pharmacare, a company in South Africa. But most of the 220 to 400 million vaccines promised have still not been delivered. Worse, when it mattered most, during our devastating third wave in South Africa, Johnson & Johnson actually exported millions of vaccines that were filled and finished in South Africa, to highly vaccinated nations in Europe and North America.

In August, working with the South African Government and Cape Town-based biotech company Afrigen, the WHO started building the first global manufacturing hub to produce mRNA vaccines and share them with the world, dispelling the racist notion that Africa is unable to safely manufacture vaccines.

Shamefully, Moderna and Pfizer have refused to share any knowledge with the hub.

So African scientists are having to reverse-engineer the process themselves, which could take some time.

Sensing a PR crisis, these companies are trying to bypass the hub with parallel partial licensing deals.

Far from benevolence, these deals seem designed to undermine the WHO’s efforts.

Along the way, the litany

of delays, misinformation, and the secrecy of corporate vaccine contracts with broad indemnification against liability clauses, have fuelled mistrust of vaccine companies – aided by an increasingly well-oiled anti-vaccine movement and politicians seeking to score points.

We need a different way of doing things. More than 100 States have been pressing for at least a year for an emergency suspension of intellectual property rights on technologies crucial to end the pandemic. The waiver would make it easier for South Africa and other countries to produce vaccines, especially to scale up supplies for everyone and save lives.

But it has been blocked repeatedly by the UK and EU countries, for no good reason.

In contrast, South Africa has consistently been a constructive global partner in the pandemic – with hundreds volunteering for vaccine trials and its advanced scientific surveillance systems helping to discover new COVID-19 variants quickly.

If we do not want COVID-19 to continue exacerbating the racist and colonial world order, we need change. And believe it or not, it would benefit the UK and Europe, too. Because you cannot impose rigid policies or build high enough walls to keep the consequences of vaccine inequality out. We need to pull out all of the stops and remove every barrier to vaccine production – and intellectual property is first among them. We need solidarity and cooperation, not knee-jerk travel bans.

(Al Jazeera)

guyanatimesgy.com

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2021

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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

Mohamed’s Enterprise is multifaceted

Dear Editor, It is a really painful thing when I see certain particular elements making some of the most ludicrous remarks, condemnation and critiques against the Government of the people and our President, His Excellency Dr Irfaan Ali. It would appear that just because people have this access to social media, and now also more and more to the various print and electronic media, they would try to humiliate a company that is historic, iconic, dynamic, and most humane.

Mohamed’s Enterprise and its chief/founder, brother Nazar Mohamed,

also called Shell, are trailblazers! These Enterprise have, for decades, been involved in a variety of businesses, being associated with gold mining; gold processing; minerals’ investing and export of valuable minerals; property management; administration; investments; construction, etc.

Many Guyanese, especially the politically lost ones; the bitter, the jealous entrepreneurs and also failures, who can do nothing nowhere, display contempt and disrespect to those with zeal, skills and vision. These kinds of people are known to make remarks to break the will of

visionaries, entrepreneurs and investors. It must be known that Guyana needs “Shell” Mohamed and others - who will take risks economically and financially to develop this nation, create opportunities, employ hundreds directly and thousands indirectly.

These are the same kinds of visionaries and investors who are the backbone of the payment of taxes in keeping this nation afloat.

Now let’s talk about construction.

Enterprise means any form of endeavour in industry and business one can be involved in. Enterprise has nothing to do with gold mining, or gold export or gold pur-

chase. It stands for varied styles of investments and industries. It could be for farming of agricultural products and animals.

It could refer to trawlers for fishing, and even to the shipping industry. That is for those who do not seem to understand the word enterprise.

Brother Shell Mohamed is known to be a wholesaler and retailer of electronic equipment, household equipment, clothing, and other such things. In this same way, he is known for constructing buildings for rental to businesses and individuals and corporations. He is known to have constructed his own

Lombard Street edifice.

The building was gutted by fire and reconstructed by him.

Nazar Mohamed was even involved in constructing two buildings for me in Atlantic Gardens; they are buildings of quality, class and style. He was just involved in creating a major stockyard For ExxonMobil, and is yet a major partner in the construction and investment of waterfront development in Region Three and so much more.

It pains me also to see that as soon as a Muslim acquires a contract, certain persons in society go on social media, and even in the print media, to mock our

President, His Excellency Dr Irfaan Ali, or to throw their remarks at him.

Let us give praise and thanks to God that, after five years of misery, pain and degradation, we now have a true bastion of democracy in Guyana. The Government of the people, by the people, for the people, and recognised by the entire world. This is a great fortune and a blessing unto us. Let us not curse our blessing, friends and family, ladies and gentlemen of our great beautiful Guyana.

Sincerely, Roshan Khan Sr

Pleading with CH&PA for help Proposed merger by PAC of audit reports Dear Editor, I was allocated a house lot at the Zeeburg/De Willem Housing Scheme in 2015. I paid for it in full by 2016. After much inquiring and running around, I was issued the Agreement of Sale in 2019.

Intent on moving into my own home as soon as possible, I went to the New Building Society (NBS) to apply for a home loan in that very year. I was enthusiastic when I was told the mortgage would be approved within a month.

However, the approval required the issuance of a Letter of Assurance from the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA).

A letter was sent by NBS to the CHPA on 13th

August 2019, requesting the Letter of Assurance. I have a copy of that letter. A Letter of Assurance to the bank indicates that whenever the ownership document is available, it would be given to the bank.

During the period 20192021, I made at least six visits to the Housing office in Georgetown. In addition to that, I have made numerous telephone calls. Eventually, on 17th February, 2021, I met with one of the Ministers and was told that the issue would be resolved within a couple of months.

I visited the CH&PA again on the 17th March, 2021, but no progress was related to me on the issue. I called CH&PA again on 23rd November, 2021, but again, no positive response was

given concerning the issue.

It is almost the end of the year, and it is disheartening that after 5 years of fully paying for a house lot from the Government (PPP/C and APNU/AFC), one cannot have any assurance that he/she would ever be in possession of the title or transport. This is an extremely hopeless situation for the allottees of house lots at the Zeeburg/ De Willem Housing Scheme.

I suggest that if the Government cannot issue ownership documents to allottees in a timely manner, then they should extend the building of contract houses to those allottees who are desirous of this at the Zeeburg/De Willem Housing Scheme.

Another suggestion is

that the CH&PA give building materials as listed in allottees’ building estimates.

The Government can also stand as guarantor for the allottees at the bank, so that their loans could be approved and they could commence building their homes, so that their ‘dreams could be realized’.

Finally, I am suggesting that the CH&PA simply issue the Letter of Assurance to the banks until they have resolved internal matters to give out land titles.

With the increasing price of building materials, the high cost of rent and the high cost of living in Guyana, it is impossible to save and build.

Yours sincerely, B Persaud

GPL’s ‘expired’ Board is yet to sanction increases for staff Dear Editor, The Guyana Power and Light Inc has approximately 1500 employees, who are mostly dedicated and diligent to the preservation, growth, sustainability and longevity of GPL’s operations - most naturally, because it is the institution that provides them with wages and salaries to maintain their families.

However, the staff of this noble institution have observed the posture of its senior management functionaries, who continue to play “ride-the-donkey” with their unions, who are duly and legally recognised to bargain on behalf of those workers.

The unions have been told, after many futile calls and letters to management, that the ‘expired’ Board of Directors is yet to decide on the percentages of increase for staff. Editor, I am no chartered accountant, but I do budget planning and

basic accounting of my own salary, and I would like to assume that GPL’s Finance Division does same. I would also like to believe, Editor, that wages and salaries are a priority line item on the budget and forecasting reports agenda of GPL. So, the unions find management’s response ludicrous, because there must have been some projections and forecasting as to what the company is expecting and projecting to pay in wages and salaries.

In this regard, Editor, the unions are requesting that the Senior Minister within the Office of the President, with responsibility for Finance, Dr Singh, should step in and apply the 7% increases to semi-autonomous agencies, including GPL’s employees.

Further, it is the unions’ position that the Senior Minister should afford the employees of GPL a piece of the 400 million pie for

essential workers, because their services were regarded as essential during the pandemic and Health Ordinances of the Ministry of Health. The employees of GPL worked diligently in service to country and company to keep the electricity supply and grids on at all

cost.

It is the position of the employees that management should respect their unions and CLA and pay 7% increases across-the-board to all staff.

Regards, Trade Unionist

Dear Editor, The proposed merger by PAC of some audit reports in order to clear the backlog is reasonable, even in view of the AG’s pronouncement that there should be no rushing on the examination of the reports.

Flexibility in positions

in arriving at consensus must be found; this is one way. Of course, this does not mean due care and attention would not be taken in the review of the reports.

Sincerely, Shamshun Mohamed

GHRA’s position on this equally heinous crime Dear Editor, Can the Guyana Human Rights Association state its position on medical castration of convicted rapists? I already understand from public utterances its opposition to the

death sentence for convicted murderers, and would appreciate clarity on this equally heinous crime against humanity.

Sincerely, Robin Singh

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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2021

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Foundation ◄

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H

Dividing fractions by whole numbers

o divide a fraction by a whole number, multiply the denominator of the fraction by the whole number.

Example: Divide: 20/32 ÷ 8 Step 1: Keep the original numerator Step 2: Multiply the denominator of the fraction by the whole number.32 x 8= 256. This is the new denominator.

So 20/32 ÷ 8 = 20/256

funnel.

ave fun exploring friction with this easy science experiment. All you need is a clear plastic bottle, a bag of rice, a pencil, and a

the rice.

Insert the pencil straight down into the bottle.

Try to lift the pencil.

If your pencil slips free, gently tap the bottle on a table to

Materials:

Clear plastic bottle Funnel Rice Pencil

Exercises: Multiply 1) 5/5 ÷ 7

4) 3/4 ÷ 6

2) 1/4 ÷ 1

5) 4/10 ÷ 2

3) 1/3 ÷ 2

6) 2/5 ÷ 3

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rite and perform an original rap song based on your favourite trickster Character, eg Loki, and use some of the words and phrases they've come up with.

settle the rice around the pencil.

How it works:

The friction between the rice grains and pencil become so strong that you can lift the bottle without the pencil slipping free.

Make this a science project:

Instructions:

Place the funnel in the bottle.

Fill the bottle all the way with

Try different items in the bottle to see if the friction is strong enough to hold onto the pencil.

Try different sized bottles. Try items other than pencils in the bottle to see if they work. (scienceisfun.org)

WORD SEARCH

NEWS

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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

New GECOM CEO

Guyanese, Jamaican to be interviewed for position next Monday

PPP/C Commissioners: Bibi Shadick, Sase Gunraj and Manoj Narayan

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n a bid to appoint a new Chief Elections Officer (CEO), the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) has selected former Deputy Chief Elections Officer (CEO) Vishnu Persaud and former Jamaican election official Leslie Harrow to be interviewed for the post.

This decision was made by the seven-member elections commission during a meeting on Wednesday, when they selected the two candidates from a group of six shortlisted persons.

Following the meeting, Government-nominated Commissioner Sase Gunraj told Guyana Times that the Commission determined that Persaud and Harrow were the most qualified candidates “academically and experience-wise”.

“That is a decision that was made today [Wednesday]. Those interviews would be conducted next Monday by Commissioners,” the GECOM Commissioner related.

Gunraj went on to note that the Elections Commission would be meeting again today – a third consecutive day this week – to finalise the evaluation criteria based upon which the two candidates would be interviewed.

Former DCEO Vishnu Persaud

At Tuesday’s statutory meeting, proceedings had to be postponed after there was power outage when the Guyana Power and Light (GPL) suffered a shutdown.

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

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

On the other hand,

GECOM Chair, Retired Justice Claudette Singh

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

Meanwhile, with Persaud and Harrow being the remaining two in the race for the new GECOM CEO, the other four candidates who were in the running for the position but have since been removed are GECOM Information Technology Manager Aneal Giddings; GECOM Assistant Registration Officer and former Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC) Commissioner Deodat Persaud; Dr Kurt Clarke from Texas, and Eugene Godfrey Petty from St Kitts.

When GECOM had put out the advertisements to fill these positions in October, over a dozen persons – both locally and overseas – had applied for the post of CEO. Meanwhile, the electoral body is also looking to fill several other key senior positions within the Elections Secretariat, including DCEO, Assistant Chief Elections Officer, Chief Accountant, Legal Officer,

APNU/AFC-appointed Commissioners Desmond Trotman, Vincent Alexander and Charles Corbin

Logistics Officer, and Civic and Voter Education Manager.

These posts are being filled following the removal of former Chief Elections Officer (CEO) Keith Lowenfield; his then Deputy, Roxanne Myers; and former Returning Officer for Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica) Clairmont Mingo, who were on August 12 dismissed from their respective posts at the Elections Commission.

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

Lowenfield’s election report claimed that the then governing APNU/AFC Coalition garnered 171,825 votes while the PPP/C gained 166,343 votes.

How he arrived at those figures is still unknown, since the certified results from the national recount exercise supervised

Jamaican Leslie Harrow

by GECOM and a high-level team from the Caribbean Community (Caricom) showed that the PPP/C won with 233,336 votes while the Coalition garnered 217,920.

The recount exercise also proved that Mingo heavily inflated the figures in Region Four (Guyana’s most populated voting district) in favour of the then caretaker APNU/AFC regime – which was defeated by a No-Confidence Motion in December 2018.

Against this backdrop, the three Government-

nominated GECOM Commissioners - Manoj Narayan, Bibi Shadick and Sase Gunraj - on June 1, 2021 had brought motions calling for the dismissal of Lowenfield, Myers and Mingo from GECOM. After several delays and legal proceedings, GECOM Chairperson, Justice (retired) Claudette Singh, in a statement announcing the terminations, said after weeks of deliberation on the motions, the services of Lowenfield, Myers and Mingo would be terminated effective August 18, 2021, and they would be compensated in accordance with provisions in their contracts.

Justice Singh disclosed that CEO Lowenfield was dismissed via Clause 9 of his contract, which stipulates that his services can be terminated by giving him three months’ notice, or payment in lieu thereof.

Regarding the DCEO and the RO, their contracts similarly stated that the Commission may, at any time, terminate their employment by giving them three months’ notice or payment in lieu thereof. (G8)

8 NEWS

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

IN THE COURTS Man gets 12 years for The return of…

2013 Mash Day killing T

wenty-eight-year-old Devon Thomas, who was charged with the 2013 Republic Day murder of Enterprise, East Coast Demerara (ECD) businessman Kumar Mohabir, was on Wednesday sentenced to 12 years in prison after pleading guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter.

The custodial sentence was imposed by Justice Jo-Ann Barlow at the Demerara High Court.

During a sentencing hearing via Zoom, the Judge said that while there were mitigating factors in favour of Thomas, which included his youthful age and the realisation that his actions and that of others have caused great hardship to the deceased’s family, she found no reason to make any deductions from the base sentence of 12 years for mitigating factors.

Although case laws dictate that convicts should be given a one-third reduction of their sentence for an early guilty plea, Justice Barlow said she did not consider this an early guilty plea, since Thomas was previously tried twice for the capital offence of

Confessed killer Devon Thomas

murder.

Nothing that the court would not hold his prior choice to go to trial against him, she ordered that Thomas be given a twoyear reduction in sentence for his guilty plea.

The Justice further ordered the prison authorities to deduct from the sentence eight years and seven months, which account for the time the confessed killer had spent in custody from the date he was charged.

The Judge also instructed that Thomas undergo programmes tailored to his

needs while incarcerated.

The case for the prosecution was led by Senior State Counsel Lisa Cave, while Attorney-at-Law Surihya Sabsook appeared on behalf of Thomas.

Thomas and 25-yearold Randy Isaacs were initially indicted for murdering Mohabir at Vlissengen Road, Georgetown in July 2015. A 12-member jury then had found both of them guilty. They were both sentenced by Justice Navindra Singh to 75 years in prison, with the possibility of parole after serving 40 years.

Thomas and Isaacs subsequently mounted an appeal against their conviction and sentence, and in so doing, argued that the trial Judge had made several errors in law. Earlier this year, the Court of Appeal allowed their appeal, thereby setting aside their conviction and sentence.

As such, their case was remitted to the High Court for a new trial.

That trial commenced in July of this year before Justice Sandil Kissoon.

After almost three hours of deliberation, the jury found Isaacs not guilty but re-

W

Dead: Kumar Mohabir

turned hung for Thomas.

As such, Justice Sandil Kissoon further remanded Thomas to prison pending another trial at the next practicable sitting of the Demerara Criminal Assizes.

Based on reports, Mohabir was with his family partaking in Mashramani celebrations at Vlissengen Road, Georgetown when he was attacked and killed by a group of men who were armed with broken bottles.

The altercation reportedly stemmed from the nowdead man stepping on one of his attackers’ feet. (G1)

Murder accused acquitted after 8 years on remand

T

h i r t y - s e v e n year-old Neville Chandrawattie was acquitted of a murder charge on Wednesday after Justice Jo-Ann Barlow upheld a nocase submission and directed a jury to return a formal verdict of not guilty.

Chandrawattie, called “Sunil”, of Sparta, Essequibo Coast, was initially charged in December 2013 and remanded to prison for the murder of gold and diamond dealer Dharam Chanmangra, which took place on April 21, 2007.

Media reports are that on the day in question, gunmen carried out a robbery at El Dorado Trading at Port Kaituma, Region One (Barima-Waini). The company was owned by businessman Tamesh Jagmohan. During the ordeal, Chanmangra was shot and killed. It was reported

that the men escaped with cash and millions of dollars in raw gold.

Following a Preliminary Inquiry (PI) in 2017, a city magistrate ruled that there was sufficient evidence against Chandrawattie to put him on trial for the capital offence of murder. As such, the then murder accused was committed to stand trial at the Demerara High Court.

Chandrawattie, when arraigned before Justice Barlow on November 24, 2021, pleaded not guilty to the murder charge. Led

by Senior State Counsel Lisa Cave, the prosecution called several witnesses as the man’s trial progressed.

When the prosecution closed its case, Chandrawattie’s lawyer, Siand Dhurjon, presented a submission of no case to answer.

The lawyer told this pub-

Acquitted: Neville Chandrawattie, aka "Sunil"

lication that, in the submission, he requested that the oral confession allegedly given to the Police by his client be omitted from the evidence. According to Dhurjon, the Judge, after omitting the confession, found that the no-case submission must succeed, since the prosecution had no other evidence

against his client.

Justice Barlow thereafter informed Chandrawattie that he was free to go.

The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Shalimar Ali-Hack, SC, has since given oral notice of her intention to appeal the man’s acquittal.

In May 2016, Chandrawattie pleaded guilty to a gold heist that occurred at the El Dorado Trading Company in November 2013.

Reports indicate that he was identified as the mastermind in that robbery.

He was charged with robbery- under-arms, wounding, and gun and ammunition possession. He was sentenced to four years’ imprisonment on each of the first two charges, and five years’ imprisonment on each of the other two charges.

The sentences were ordered to run concurrently. (G1)

…rum and coke? orld War II was in full swing and the Yanks were worried that German U-boats (submarines) would disrupt shipping through the Caribbean Sea – like bauxite from our mines to make aluminium for their fighter planes. So they swapped some of their military hardware, including warships, for bases in places like Trinidad and right here in BG. “British Guiana” for the young’uns! However, our American “soldier boys” were holed up all the way at what is now CJIA after they carved out “Atkinson Field” from virgin jungle.

On the other hand, over in Trinidad, the Yanks were a hop, skip and jump away from Port of Spain at Chaguaramas Bay. And boy did those sailor boys have a good time with rum, women and song!! In fact, they enjoyed the women so much that local calypsonians composed bitter denunciations of their cornering of that market!! The most popular of them all was “Rum and Coca Cola” by Lord Invader, which was picked up by the Andrew Sisters and went to #1 on their charts.

The lyrics went like this, “And when de Yankeys first went to Trinidad/ Some ah de young girls Were more than glad,/ Deh said that de Yankeys treat dem Nice/ And deh give dem the better Price./ Deh buy rum and coca-cola, went Down Point Cumana,/ Both mothers and daughters,/ Workin Fuh deh yankey dollar.” Well, anyhow, your Eyewitness remembered this Caribbean Classic after a shipment of rum from Guyana was busted in the Netherlands with 1100lbs of coke!

Rum and coke!! There you have it!! It would seem someone has updated the old calypso with its modern equivalent! Your Eyewitness understands that the “White Lady” is now the recreational party item rather than the Coca-Cola – which is quite passé now. Even though the original Coca-Cola actually had cocaine as one of its ingredients!! But, seriously, folks…is there a physical export that some wise guy hasn’t stuffed with cocaine to smuggle it up north??

And that’s why the Government’s in such a dilemma.

It wants to diversity the economy…but as it does, they’re just be creating new items to stuff with cocaine!! And this brings your Eyewitness to the real point he wishes to make. Excluding oil of course, has CANU been checking new exports? Oil gets off ‘cause you do know it’s not ACTUALLY shipped in barrels, don’t you? And that rum shipment? Remember there was an intermediate stop!!

The problem with this drug smuggling business is there’s an insatiable market up north. And with the free-market system running the world, once there’s a market, there will be suppliers!!

Workin Fuh deh yankey dollar!! …Castro in the hemisphere How the world turns!! US Secretary of State Blinken just congratulated leftist Honduran politician Xiomara Castro as the President-elect of the Central American country!! Only 12 years ago, when her husband, President Zelaya – with her as a prominent minister – was ousted in a coup, the US supported the change in government and refused to label it as such. Castro and Zelaya had been too chummy with Chávez and they had to go!! Sounds familiar with the PPP back in 2011, doesn’t it?

The right-wing government in Honduras, however, descended into drug dealing, human rights abuses and the economy descended into chaos. Unemployment ballooned and refugees joined the trekkers to the USMexican border. The Americans need some stability in their soft underbelly and Castro has proven to be no doctrinaire communist – like her namesake in Cuba.

To everyone’s surprise, the right-wing candidate conceded – unlike here in Guyana – and Castro has signalled that she’ll tackle the major problems.

Why can’t the PNC get with the programme? … COVID-19 reloaded By now we should know that the WHO is cautious to a fault. But on this Omicron variant it has been forced to react much more forcefully than usual.

It’s clear the extant vaccines can’t stop it!

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

NEWS

9

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Report on regional COVID-19 recovery

World Bank pegs vaccine hesitancy rates in Guyana at 18% …strident efforts already in place to encourage vaccination – Minister

The rate of vaccination in the LAC, as documented in the World Bank report

T

he World Bank and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) have pegged COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy rates in Guyana at around 18 per cent, above the Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) regional average cited in the report.

These statistics are contained in their latest report, ‘An Uneven Recovery: The impact of COVID-19 on Latin America and the Caribbean”, which saw the World Bank conducting a survey of 24 countries in the LAC region, sampling from populations aged 18 years and over, and with telephone access.

According to the report, vaccination rates have improved significantly in the region, but hesitancy to get vaccinated is still a concern, particularly in various countries in the Caribbean. On average, eight percent of respondents across the region do not plan to get vaccinated.

In Guyana, the report suggests that based on the persons surveyed, that figure is approximately 18 per cent, while around 47 per cent have been vaccinated, and the remainder are unvaccinated but are awaiting the opportunity to get their vaccines.

“Among the unvaccinated, more than half state that their unwillingness derives from a lack of trust and a concern with the effectiveness of the vaccine.

Vaccination hesitancy is particularly high among rural households and individuals with lower levels of education. Within the region, people in the Caribbean show the highest levels of vaccination hesitancy.

“Close to 60 percent of respondents in Haiti are reluctant to get vaccinated, followed by Jamaica and St. Lucia at 50 percent and 43 percent respectively. These are all countries where the vaccination campaign has progressed slowly, particularly in Haiti.

Much remains to be done in these cases to increase knowledge about the merits of getting vaccinated,” the report states.

Encouraged vaccination

When this publication made contact with Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony, he noted that, for over a year, the Government has been making strident efforts to encourage persons to get vaccinated. And while there are still those who hold out, Dr. Anthony said, Guyana’s vaccination numbers, particularly among adults, are

nevertheless encouraging. “(We have) 175 vaccination sites, and we’ve been giving vaccines for the longest while… and we do have relatively high vaccination rates, especially among adults… For the last

year, we have been talking about the reason why people should be vaccinated,” the Minister said.

In Guyana, the latest available statistics locally say that among those 18 years and older, 401,445 first doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered, bringing the total percentage of vaccinated adults to 78.3 per cent.

Meanwhile, 279,658 second doses have been administered, a 54.5 per cent rate.

On November 26, the World Health Organization (WHO) designated the variant B.1.1.529 as a variant of concern, named Omicron on the advice of WHO’s Technical Advisory Group on Virus Evolution (TAG-VE).

This decision was based on the evidence presented to the TAG-VE that Omicron has several

mutations that may have an impact on how it behaves; for instance, how easily it spreads, or the severity of illness it causes.

Since the emergence of the new Omicron variant and new threats which it brings, Minister Anthony has said that the Health authorities are looking at the possibility of sending samples to the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) or the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) for genomic sequencing.

If anyone is displaying any of the symptoms associated with COVID-19, or need any additional information, they are asked to contact the COVID-19 Hotline: 231-1166, 2267480, or 624-6674 immediately, or visit us at www. health.gov.gy All Guyanese are re-

Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony

minded to observe the protocols of the COVID-19 emergency measures, which emphasize: the need for correct and consistent use of a face mask when leaving your home; the importance of maintaining the six feet physical distance from others; and the need for good hand-hygiene. (G3)

10 NEWS

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

More time needed to complete CJIA expansion project – Edghill

…assures project would be substantially completed by year end

T

he expansion of the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) could be the subject of delays, as extra time would be needed to complete the longstanding project.

This is according to Public Works Minister Juan Edghill, who was at the time touring the Sheriff/Mandela Road project. According to him, work at CJIA, which is being undertaken by China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC), would be treated in much the same way as Sheriff/Mandela was treated and fast-tracked.

“The CJIA will be the subject of similar treatment as I’ve done with the Sheriff- Mandela. And that will be done in a very short time from now,” Edghill explained to media operatives when he was asked about the CJIA expansion.

But while Minister Edghill acknowledged that extra time would be needed to complete the CJIA expansion, he could not say how much time. According to him, this is all under review by the Ministry currently. He did say the project would be substantially completed by year end, which in engineering terms is usually taken to mean over 90 per cent complete.

“Work is ongoing. We’ve had some delays, but work is ongoing, and we’re pushing it. By December 31, we will have substantial work

The CJIA expansion project

being completed. We will need some extra time, but I’m not at the stage right now of determining how much time.

I don’t sit and say, ‘I’m giving you two weeks or three weeks’. We go through every item that needs to be done, we go through what are the issues and what needs to be done to resolve it reasonably, and then we determine that; and that is being reviewed right now,” Edghill said.

Based on the Government’s agreement with Chinese contractor China Harbor, the expansion works were supposed to be completed by this year end. As at January 2021, all critical works were completed. The additional works amounted to US$9M. When works are completed, the CJIA is expected

to have six boarding bridges and an extended terminal building and boarding corridor, among other things.

But CHEC has been seeking an extension of time to complete the project.

Missed deadlines

Back in October, the Government of Guyana had declined a request by CHEC for an extension of the deadline to April 2022 to complete ongoing works at the CJIA. Having missed several timelines already, Minister within the Public Works Ministry, Deodat Indar, had indicated that Government would not be entertaining any such request.

According to Indar, the engineers would be leaving by mid-November, and they would have to do a Certificate of Completion

to show the progress of the works. At that time, he noted, Government would look at the remaining works to be done before giving any

further consideration to a deadline extension.

As early as September, Edghill had said that with challenges in the shipping industry due to the global pandemic, the year-end deadline to fully complete the project may not be realised. In fact, the Ministry’s Project Manager, Carissa Goodings, had explained that the contractor’s request for a deadline extension was as a result of two major causes of delay, including freight. The other relates to underground utilities that were encountered, hence hindering the progression of works.

The CJIA Modernisation Project was supposed to have been completed since

December 31, 2018 under the former A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Government.

The Granger-led APNU/ AFC Administration had settled for a downsized design while paying more than the allocated US$150 million. The CJIA, in its downgraded design expansion, had four less air passenger boarding bridges for arrivals and departures than the initial eight.

There was also a 450seat departure area, escalators and elevators, in addition to an incomplete extended runway which was supposed to measure 400 and 690 metres at the respective ends. (G3)

Berbice woman jailed in absentia for drug trafficking

Y

vette Grant of Lot 553 Angoy’s Avenue, New Amsterdam Berbice has been sentenced in absentia to three years’ imprisonment after being found guilty of trafficking 9528 grammes of marijuana.

The 41-year-old woman, who absconded her trial after she was released on bail, had been on trial for the offence before Magistrate Peter Hugh at the Weldaad Magistrate’s Court. At the end of the trial, Magistrate Hugh found that the woman had trafficked the illicit drug on May 29, 2021 at Weldaad public road, West Coast Berbice (WCB).

Apart from the jail sen-

Yvette Grant

tence, she has also been ordered to pay a fine of $1.5 million. A sentence warrant

has been issued for her arrest.

Facts presented by the Police prosecutor disclosed that Grant and three other persons were arrested after Police intercepted a black Toyota Fielder motorcar at an early morning roadblock.

When the ranks searched the vehicle, they found in the trunk a multi-coloured shopping bag which contained a quantity of leaves, seeds, and stems which were later confirmed as cannabis sativa.

The prosecutor said the persons were told of the offence committed, and Grant admitted that she was the owner of the illicit drug. (G1)

11

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

12 NEWS

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Efforts intensified to help women with disabilities in violent relationships

Representatives of UNICEF, along with Programme Coordinator of the Guyana Council of Organisations for Persons with Disabilities (GCOPD), and Human Services and Social Security Minister Dr. Vindhya Persaud, at the workshop on Wednesday

T

he Guyana Council of Organisations for Persons with

Disabilities (GCOPD), in partnership with UNICEF and the Human Services and

Social Security Ministry, have begun intensifying their efforts to help persons

Some of the women at the workshop

with disabilities, especially those suffering from domestic violence.

These efforts commenced with the launching of a workshop on Wednesday.

The workshop is focused on Gender-Based Violence (GBV) for young women with disabilities.

Minister of Human Services and Social Security, Dr Vindhya Persaud, while delivering her feature address at the opening ceremony, said no effort would be spared to help vulnerable persons.

In addition to the 914 hotline which has been in existence for more than a year, an app would soon be launched, called “I Matter”, to provide another avenue for victims to report domes-

223-7230-1 (Ext 55)

tic violence.

“Every person matters, so the app will be available in the stores for you to just upload it on your forms, and you can utilise the app in many ways. Information will be readily available through the app, but there is a button that will link a person who is experiencing violence…when you hit that 914-panic button, it hooks up to more 914 hotlines.

“All we ask is that you keep the location on your phone on, so if there is need for us to find you and help you, we can do that”, the Minister said.

Moreover, she said justice centres would be launched across the country so that services can be readily accessible.

“So, we’re looking at a gender-based referral system where the Police are involved or survivors’ advocates are involved… and welfare officers are involved… Justice centres will be launched across the country where these services will not be through phone call or through an extension, but they will be, or the intention is for them to be, readily accessible to people across the country under one roof…”, she said.

There is also a complex that is currently being constructed that will cater exclusively for persons with disabilities.

“That will be based on the East Coast of Demerara, and it is intended for this construction to be concluded before midpart of the year, because it has already started and I’m hoping it will fin-

ish earlier…the intention is to provide safe spaces, if you like, to hold your meetings, or events, or anything that you feel that is necessary.

And in next year’s budget, we’ve asked for transportation, retrofitted transportation to cater for persons living with disabilities…,” she said.

The Minister added that, later on in this year, training will commence in a number of areas, and it would be targeting persons living with disabilities. She said that when these training programmes begin, attendance would be at no cost.

“You might say that is separate to the issue of violence, but it’s not. It is working to make you very independent, very independent. And once you will access those training programmes…the funding will be available to you, because we want to encourage micro enterprise. We want to encourage you to be entrepreneurs, we want to encourage you to be bosses, and we want to encourage you to take control of the finances…”, she explained.

Over the years, not many programmes have been implemented to expose women and girls with disabilities to GBV. However, according to the Minister, very few women and girls with disabilities are aware of their rights, and lack the knowledge of the available GBV services.

It is with this workshop and continuous online and in-person training that GCOPD hopes to sensitise and empower women and girls with disabilities.

NEWS

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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Report substandard foods, expired products Stop blocking offered by vendors – GA-FDD urges consumers hydrants – Berbice fire officer to vehicle operators …over 40 buildings in Region 6 destroyed by fire so far for 2021

T

Consumers should check for expiry dates, dented cans

he Government Analyst- Food and Drug Department (GAFDD) is again advising consumers to be very alert and to exercise caution when purchasing food during the festive season.

Consumers are reminded to “inspect your products before purchasing, ensure they are properly labelled and that these declarations are in English language. Check for best before or expiry dates, do not purchase food items that are beyond these dates, or products without a date mark. Check canned products for dents, rusting and

A fire hydrant in New Amsterdam

R

egion Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) Divisional Fire Officer Fitzroy Sutton is calling on vehicle operators to stop blocking fire hydrants in the region.

Even though most of the areas where fires occur in Berbice do not have fire hydrants and firefighters have to depend on open sources of water, the fire officer has issued an appeal as the festive season approaches.

Over the weekend, a fire at a guest house at Linepath, Corriverton Corentyne saw the fire officers having to make several trips to get water to extinguish it. There was no access to any open source of water, and, more worrying, fire hydrants are not in Corriverton. The town of Rose Hall also lacks this essential infrastructure.

In New Amsterdam, which is the other town in the Region, there are 19 hydrants, and according to the Guyana Water Inc, all are working.

However, firefighters have in the past experienced difficulties with both water flow and access to hydrants when attempting to put out fires in the town of New Amsterdam.

Faulty fire hydrants in New Amsterdam are said to be the reason for the fire service not accessing enough water to put out the blaze at Charlotte Street in January 2009.

Failure to access water in a timely manner has resulted in more than a dozen buildings going up in flames in Pitt Street in March 2003.

In June of the previous year, a fire destroyed two buildings also at Pitt Street, and the availability and access to hydrants was again sighted.

In December last year,

Divisional Fire Officer Fitzroy Sutton

five persons were left homeless after a fire destroyed a two-storey building at King Street, New Amsterdam. It was revealed that persons had been throwing garbage into the pit of a hydrant in that street.

As the Christmas season approaches, Divisional Fire Officer Fitzroy Sutton has issued an appeal to vehicle operators, and more so those who operate public vehicles, to ensure they do not block access to fire hydrants.

“And I am also appealing to the hire car drivers, do not block out hydrants.

Cars need to park 24-30 feet away from hydrants. Desist from throwing garbage in the hydrant pit, because this can hamper our ability in fighting fires,” he said.

More than forty buildings have been totally destroyed by fires in Berbice so far for the year. This, the Divisional Fire Officer says, is worrying.

“We don’t want another fire in our division. I want us all to have a safe Christmas. We will do our best to save you, once we are called in time,” Sutton added. (Andrew Carmichael)

bulging. Pay particular attention to food items that are offered for sale at a significantly reduced price, and ensure ready-to-eat foods are stored at the appropriate temperatures before purchase.”

The GA-FDD has also advised that hot foods are served hot and cold foods served cold.

The department, along with the members of the National Food Safety and Control Committee, continues to monitor activities regarding the trade of substandard items that fall under the supervision of the GA-FDD.

However, consumers are encouraged to be on high alert and ensure they attain value for their money when shopping, and to avoid food poisoning.

The GA-FDD has noted that consumers can engage the Environmental Health Department in their neighbourhood, or the GA-FDD to report any substandard food seen on the local market or offered for sale by vendors.

The GA-FDD can be contacted on 222-8857-9, or persons can visit its Facebook page at Government AnalystFood and Drug Department.

14 NEWS Death toll climbs to 997 as 3 more die from COVID-19 THURSDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2021|| GUYANATIMESGY.COM

…77 new cases recorded

GUYANA COVID-19 DASHBOARD DECEMBER 1, 2021 UPDATE

T

hree more persons who tested positive for the novel coronavirus in Guyana have died, according to the Health Ministry on Wednesday.

Among the latest fatalities were an 80-year-old female from Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne), who was unvaccinated and an 86-year-old male from Region One (BarimaWaini), whose vaccination status is unknown. The other person was a 59-yearold man from Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica), who was fully vaccinated. All three persons died on Tuesday, November 30, 2021.

This now takes the total number of deaths in Guyana from the virus to 997. The COVID-19 death toll for the month of November has gone up to 70.

New cases

Meanwhile, another 77 persons have contracted the deadly virus, taking the total number of active cases in Guyana to 1236.

This number includes 17 patients in the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and the remaining 1219 persons in isolation – 57 in home isolation and 1162 in institutional isolation.

Additionally, there are

currently two persons in institutional quarantine, according to the Ministry’s updated COVID-19 dashboard on Wednesday.

The total number of confirmed cases in the country is now 37, 951 – 17, 877 males and 20, 074 females.

To date, some 35,718 persons have recovered from the life-threatening virus – 67 more recoveries than the figure reported the previous day.

Moreover, a total of 392,287 persons have been tested for the novel coronavirus thus far in Guyana.

Of the 77 new cases detected on Wednesday, 12 were from Region Three

NUMBER OF NEW CASES

77

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN INSTITUTIONAL ISOLATION

57

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN HOME ISOLATION

1162

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN COVID-19 ICU

17

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN INSTITUTIONAL QUARANTINE

2

TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES BY GENDER (FEMALES)

20,074

TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES BY GENDER (MALES)

17,877

TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES IN GUYANA SINCE 2020

37,951

NUMBER OF RECOVERED CASES

35,718

TOTAL 1st DOSE VACCINATED FULLY IMMUNISED

DISTRIBUTION OF TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES SINCE MARCH 2020 REGION 1

1669

REGION 2

1558

REGION 3

5103

REGION 4

17,794

REGION 5

1421

REGION 6

3302

REGION 7

1783

REGION 8

620

REGION 9

2475

REGION 10

2226

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

401,445 279,658

TOTAL NUMBER OF DEATHS

997

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.

(Essequibo Islands-West Demerara); a whopping 30 cases were from DemeraraMahaica, six from Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice); 21 cases from East BerbiceCorentyne; two cases each from Regions Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni) and Nine (Upper TakutuUpper Essequibo) and the remaining four cases from Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice).

No new cases were recorded in Regions One (Barima-Waini), Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) and Eight (Potaro-Siparuni) on Wednesday.

The Guyana Government launched its COVID-19 vaccination exercise back in February and continues to roll it out across the various regions in order to achieve herd immunity and reduce the number of COVID-19 infections.

So far, some 401,445 persons or 78.3 per cent of the adult population have received a first coronavirus vaccine dose, and more than 279, 658 or 54.5 per cent of persons who are 18 years and older are fully vaccinated.

As it relates to adolescents, approximately 29,256 or 40.1 per cent of children between the ages of 12 and 17 are fully vaccinated, with some 20, 473 or 28.1 per cent having received both doses.

HIV patients

Meanwhile, during Wednesday’s COVID-19 update, Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony spent time addressing issues relating to HIV patients and COVID-19 in observance of World AIDS Day. There are more than 9000 persons living with HIV in Guyana, but according to the Health Minister, uptake of the COVID vaccine among this group has been low.

“This has been a challenge… I think there is a myth within the HIV community that they shouldn’t be vaccinated and unfortunately, we have to work to dispel that myth, because like with everybody else, if you have an underlying illness then you should get immunised against COVID,” he stressed.

Dr Anthony disclosed that the Ministry has had several programmes specifically to address this situation and has even funded a number of informational sessions through the Global Fund with key population groups like MSM, sex workers, and transgenders.

“But the uptake is still not where it should be and hopefully, with these sessions and with continuing them, that we will get more people getting vaccinated.

So, if there is one thing I wanna encourage persons

on this day – persons who are HIV-positive – is to really reconsider their posture on vaccination and go out and get vaccinated; and if you’ve had both doses, that they should seriously consider getting their booster dose,” the Minister pleaded.

Further explaining that globally the COVID jabs have been proven to be protective for persons living with HIV, Dr Anthony also dispelled misconceptions that the vaccine would interfere with the efficacy of the HIV medications.

“The mechanisms of how vaccines work and how the meds work are quite different,” he clarified.

As such, persons are encouraged to get immunised since the COVID-19 vaccine provides a layer of protection against severe symptoms.

As people continue to get vaccinated, authorities are urging the public to continue observing all COVID-19 preventative measures, particularly masking in public, social distancing, and frequent hand washing and sanitising.

The measures also include vaccination requirements to access any public building such as restaurants, places of worship, schools as well as Government buildings. (G8)

NEWS

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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2021| GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Need for larger, more luxurious ecolodges in Guyana – Tourism Minister

Tourism Minister Oneidge Walrond

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he Guyana Government has issued a tender inviting Expressions of Interest for the development of eco-lodges in the country, Tourism Minister Oneidge Walrond has announced.

During the month of November, the Minister toured the country, visiting various tourist hotspots in every region. This exercise has helped in identifying gaps in the country’s tourism sector.

According to the Tourism Minister, one of the areas singled out to be addressed is the need for more modern eco-lodges.

“The eco-lodges, there is need for upgraded facilities; to have facilities that cater to different tastes, different needs, different budgets, depending on how much you would like to spend.

What we found is that there has been a gap for luxury rooms. Some people just like to come with their hammocks and throw up and

camp, and some people like air-conditioned experience,” the Tourism Minister ex-

She emphasised that there is need for larger eco-resorts.

“We find that, here in Guyana, we don’t have as yet a large resort that is eco-friendly, that is sustainable. Because we don’t just want to put down a mass hotel or a mass development… that is why we termed it the ‘eco-lodge’, because there is requirement and stipulations that have to be put in when you’re building out an eco-lodge, so it remains sustainable, it remains beneficial to the environment, and it doesn’t harm the environment and it also takes into account the community that it is being built in, but still a lovely comfortable experience. That is what we are trying to offer, because right we don’t have that.”

Authority (GTA), Kamrul Baksh, indicated that there is already significant interest from Private Sector for the development of Fort Island.

“There are also other investors that have signalled interest in the development of Fort Island, and that proposal, we will receive that proposal and we will review that proposal,” Baksh stated.

In fact, he encouraged more Private Sector per-

plained during a recent interview with the media.

“So, we have invited people in the Private Sector to develop some of the different areas…it’s similar to the Expressions of Interest we did for the branded hotels when we came in to Government in 2020,” the Minister added.

She added, “That is what we do, our support here at the Ministry of Tourism, Industry and Commerce is to come look at your facility, look at your project, look at the idea, and say this is what we can do to make it better.”

Meanwhile, Director (ag) of the Guyana Tourism

sons to respond to the Expressions of Interest.

“I want to encourage everybody who has a proposal or an idea, put it together and submit through this EoI facility, and we will definitely review that, and once we review those proposals, we will obviously engage them for a signing of an MoU, so that we can take them through the entire investment facilitation process,” the GTA Head said.

16 NEWS

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Guyana working to end HIV/AIDS by 2030

Kwakwani accident

Hospitalised motorcyclist may lose sight – wife …calls for justice as Police charge both motorists

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National AIDS Programme Secretariat Manager, Dr Tariq Jagnarine

uyana’s Government is putting measures in place that could see an end to HIV/AIDS here by 2030, Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony said on Wednesday.

Among the measures being advanced is the introduction of the Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP), which will reduce the risk of infection in persons who have been exposed to the deadly virus. The Health Ministry will also re-enforce sexual education in the school system, while encouraging more persons to get tested for the disease.

Dr Anthony, according to a Department of Public Information (DPI) report, was at the time speaking at a ceremony to mark World AIDS Day, at the National AIDS Programme Secretariat (NAPS), Hadfield Street.

“We can get past that.

Despite COVID we can work to end AIDS by 2030. This has been a dream for a lot of people for a long time. If we stay on track and if we work hard, we can be able to do that, and that’s what we have to set our sights on. We can prevent it (HIV) by introducing PrEP that is, Preexposure Prophylaxis, meaning that if you believe you are at risk for this infection, then come in to one of our centres and we’ll work with you, assess that risk, do some tests… once you are eligible, we will then be able to give you the treatment so as to prevent infections from occurring,” he was quoted by DPI as saying.

Dr Anthony said the COVID-19 pandemic has created many challenges in the fight against HIV/AIDS. He said many persons stopped attending clinic; however, the Ministry has been tracking those individuals to get them back on their treatment schedule.

Further, he said the Ministry would seek to ensure more self-testing kits were made available to allow persons to test themselves in the comfort of their homes. Meanwhile, National AIDS Programme Secretariat Manager, Dr Tariq Jagnarine reported that Guyana currently has some 9022 persons living with HIV/AIDS. Dr Jagnarine said the disease was having a profound impact on societies around the world. He said in order to end the global epidemic, the society must come together to support and care for persons instead of discriminating against them.

“Globally, the HIV/AIDS epidemic compounded with the most recent COVID-19 pandemic is having a profound impact on our society, bringing out the best and worst in people, it triggers the best when individuals group together in harmony to combat societal, community and individual denial and support and care for people living with HIV/AIDS. Sadly, it brings out the worst when individuals are stigmatised and ostracised by their loved ones, their families and their community and discriminated against,” he said.

He added that more than 50 per cent of people living with HIV/AIDS in Guyana have been COVID-19 vaccinated.

“The COVID-19 vaccination coverage in persons living with HIV is at 55 per cent and that number is climbing, this was achieved

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through medical outreaches combined with vaccination drive, one-on-one counselling sessions with persons living with HIV,” Dr Jagnarine noted.

United States Ambassador to Guyana, Sarah Ann-Lynch said the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) continued to support countries’ fight against HIV. “It further highlights PEPFAR’s ongoing efforts to assist countries in achieving sustained epidemic control of HIV, by supporting equitable health services and solutions, enduring national health systems and capabilities in lasting collaboration.

“It also conveys PEPFAR’s deep commitment to ensuring that the diverse voices of all affected ages, ethnicities, genders and population groups are heard and valued in the global AIDS response,” she said.

The Ambassador also noted that the PEPFAR’s supported programmes have safely ensured access to HIV services and have significantly expanded while keeping clients and staff safe from COVID-19.

With seven new facilities equipped to test and treat HIV/AIDS in Guyana, there are now 50 operating facilities providing services.

Records from the Health Ministry show a decrease in HIV/AIDS cases this year, with 71 persons testing positive for the infection.

Correction

uyana Times inadvertently published in its Wednesday, December 1, 2021 edition that 9022 new HIV cases were diagnosed so far in 2021, when, in fact, that figure represents the overall number of cases in the country. The number of new HIV cases diagnosed in 2021 so far is 71. Guyana Times apologises for the error.

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Sharon Leacock-Daniels

haron Leacock Daniels, the wife of Sherwin Daniels, a logger of Kwakwani Waterfront Road, who was involved in an accident on November 8, 2021 at Kwakwani, Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice), is pleading with the authorities for justice.

The woman alleged that herself and husband were informed by ranks of the Kwakwani Police Station

that despite him being in critical condition, he would be charged for dangerous driving and for being an unlicensed driver.

The accident, which occurred on November 8 about 17:30h, involved motor car PJJ 1613, driven by Delmus McPherson, and motorcycle CH 3714, ridden by Daniels, who was at the time proceeding south along the Kwakwani Waterfront Road.

It is alleged that Daniels was hit by the motor car, which was on the eastern side of the road.

According to reports, there was a white canter parked in front of motor car PJJ 1613, where the owner resides. It was reported that McPherson drove around the canter, making his way unto the main road, which resulted in him hitting Daniels off of his motorcycle.

The injured man’s wife, Sharon, during a recent interview, detailed that on the day of the accident, “I reach home like about 17:10h and I find my husband about to cook, so he put on his pot and he walk through the gate and he said ‘Sharon, don’t trou-

ble the pot, ah mekking a spin quick’; that he going and get a phone card and by the time he ride out from he yard, three houses away, all I hear is everybody started to holler, so I run out; when I run out, is only to see my husband on the ground; blood all over and everybody screaming,” the distressed woman recollected.

She recalled that she rushed to her husband’s aid, but he was unresponsive

at first and then he started shouting, Sher, I’m right here”, he said, ‘way you deh, I can’t see you’. I said ‘I’m right here’, he raised his hands and I told him I am right here.”

According to her, persons in the area started to assist to get transport to have him taken to the hospital.

She said there was a confrontation with the driver of the car that hit her husband at the scene of the accident.

According to the woman, her husband was transferred to the Linden Hospital Complex and was later referred to Georgetown Public Hospital as a result of the severity of his injuries. He suffered injuries to his left leg and has undergone surgery for his left eye. She said that she was unsure if he would see again from that eye as the doctors informed her that the surgery was unsuccessful.

Needs justice

The woman claimed that the driver was never arrested, “I don’t know about no arresting because the next morning people still see him walking and going about his business as normal.”

Injured: Sherwin Daniels

The injured man’s motorcycle was lodged at the Police Station, meanwhile, the motor car was released to its owner.

“That is what is hurting me: we are human too, just how you want good for yourself, you could have come and talk to us, because it is we suffering, nobody else and suffering. A car get damage and that’s it; a car was not in the hospital; a car cannot eat

from a straw; you don’t have to … take him to the bathroom to bathe, change his clothes on the bed sometimes, bring a bed pan for him and only to know now that he is being charged for dangerous driving,” the upset wife said.

The woman claimed that the car is not owned by the driver, but rather a Police Officer.

She alleged that the rank who owns the car offered $200,000 to settle the matter, but they refused and were bluntly told, “if you don’t want to take this, you will have to go to court and get nothing”.

This publication has since verified that the owner of the car is indeed a policewoman. However, when contacted, she said she was informed by her superiors that the matter would be before the courts and both men would be charged.

The man was scheduled to undergo another surgery on December 1 for the eye, but that has been rescheduled for December 21.

Daniels and McPherson are to make their first court appearance on December 6.

NEWS

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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

HIV positive woman enjoying life after weathering storm in 21-year journey J

asmine (name changed upon request) recalls greeting the news of her HIV positive diagnosis with skepticism.

“This can't happen to me.

Mi a hot gal, a weh dis a guh?” she recounted.

Twenty-one years later, for Jasmine, the skepticism and denial have now given way to hope and a positive outlook on life as after going through one year of being severely ill, she has been able to trek through the other years fairly smoothly, albeit with minor bumps along the way.

It was, however, the persistence of a random woman and then the help of Regional Manager for Jamaica AIDS Support for Life (JASL), Nilfia Anderson that enabled her to overcome the challenges after being diagnosed with the disease at 25.

According to Jasmine, having dumped her steady partner whom she contracted the disease from, she met the woman, who immediately picked up that she was HIV positive because of the rashes on her skin, although Jasmine denied it when quizzed by the woman.

Still being delusional that “this caan happen to mi, mi a hot gal, a weh dis a guh” and having convinced herself and trying to influence others that the rashes were from allergies, the

stranger woman insisted on getting her number and then constantly checking on her.

Jasmine said that it was the woman who picked her up at home on one of the days that she was severely ill and enabled her to see the doctor for the first time, by assisting her to a health clinic, where she was prescribed her first doses of HIV medications. Having joined JASL, Jasmine said she stumbled through taking the battery of medications several times, but it was the support of Anderson that eventually convinced her to continuously apply the necessary doses on time.

“I started taking them for a while and I realised, I mean those days it was like 14 tablets a day, whole heap a tablet inna mi hand and I couldn't feel encouraged to take them, but then I decided that mi a guh tek dem and as soon as mi start look like one sexy girl again, mi stop tek dem and when I stopped taking them I got sick again,” she told OBSERVER ONLINE. “I was going to Jamaica AIDS Support for Life and I met this lady (Anderson) there and she said to me 'just try the medication for a month and mek wi si how it guh' and she work with mi, she call mi night and day, and she seh 'please tek yuh

medication, memba seh yuh a live fi di pickney dem' and she encouraged me.

“From that day I don't stop none at all, I just press forward and I can only stand and say, without the help of this woman I don't know what would have happened because other people used to be there for me, but I have never really sat down with anybody and say this is what I am going to do,” Jasmine stated.

According to Jasmine, only a few select family members know that she is HIV positive, including her four children - a boy who is the eldest and three girls.

She said at the community level, the situation is very similar with only very few well-trusted individuals being told.

She said that her son

took the news hard, as, at the time when he was told, HIV positive was similar to a death-sentence. Jasmine said his behaviour deteriorated and when faced with a counsellor, he disclosed that he will have to take on the mantle of being the man because his mother “soon die”.

Having her son tell her that he was going to run away, combined with life struggles of not having a job at the time and being unable to find a partner, thrust Jasmine into a deep depression to the point of contemplating suicide. She said the family custom of discussing the day's events and then praying before going to bed saved her from harming herself.

Jasmine said she sat on the bed one evening with all her medications in one

hand and a glass of water in another and was about to take the tablets when her youngest daughter, who was about six at the time, reminded her that she had not prayed. She said the child started the Lord's Prayer and when it was completed, Jasmine said she could not go through with her mission.

The following day, she confided with Anderson who came up with a plan to take her out of her situation and this enabled her to get a job at a company, where she is still employed.

Jasmine has also overcome the challenges of finding a partner as she has been in a relationship for three years. She said her current partner is comfortable with her HIV status unlike other men she met in the past.

“I think he (partner) is doing really well because when I met him, we were having a conversation about HIV and he said, he knows about HIV because he does a lot of reading about it. So I said that's good. I don't know what's wrong with my personality but people are always drawn to my personality, so we became friends.

“He wanted to take me for lunch and when he took me for lunch he told me his intentions and I told him what my secret was and he said I am joking. I said no I am not joking and he said

alright then, let's see how it goes and we are still seeing how it goes right now,” the bubbly Jasmine said.

According to Jasmine, her partner is the father of three boys and has expressed his desire for a girl.

But with her being 46 years old, she said the discussion about another child between the two will have to be had soon before she reaches menopause.

She said that her two main motivators are her children and being able to now assist individuals who are HIV positive by telling her story and being able to encourage them through their respective journeys.

“Be strong. It is going to be hard because you are going to have to adjust so you have to just be strong and stay focused. Find somebody who you can relate to, somebody confidential, who you can tell your deepest secret and it stays with them and relate to them, this is what you are going through,” she said are words that she constantly instils in individuals who just find out they are HIV positive.

Meanwhile, Jasmine said her steady partner who she contracted the disease from died without disclosing to her how he got the disease.

She said he failed to admit to her that he even had the disease. (Jamaica Observer)

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guyanatimesgy.com

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2021

Regional

2nd prison officer killed Brazil’s Senate approves Bolsonaro’s in 4 days in Trinidad Supreme Court pick P B

razil’s Senate on Wednesday approved President Jair Bolsonaro’s “terribly Evangelical” pick for a spot on the Supreme Court, adding a conservative voice to the 11-member panel to represent the views of the country’s vast religious right.

The Senate voted 47 to 32 to approve Andre Mendonca, the former Attorney General and a conservative ally of the

President. The appointment, which was pushed by Evangelicals and other conservative Christians, will not reverse the overall progressive lean of the court after years of left-wing and centrist rule, but could begin to shift its politics back right.

Bolsonaro had been under pressure to nominate an Evangelical Justice after picking Kassio Nunes Marques, a moderate, to the bench last year. Marques

won support from the socalled “centrao” bloc of lawmakers that Bolsonaro has come to rely on to block the many impeachment proposals against him in Congress.

In July, Bolsonaro pledged to pick a “terribly Evangelical” Justice.

Mendonca, an evangelical pastor, will replace former Justice Celso de Mello who – under the rules of the court – retired having reached the age of 75. (Excerpt from Reuters)

olice were investigating the murder of Nigel Jones, the second prison officer to be gunned down in Trinidad within four days as the murder toll climbed to 412 so far this year.

Police said that Jones, who was last assigned to the Wayne Jackson Building at the Maximum Security Building in Arouca, was shot while at a taxi stand in Siparia, on Tuesday.

He is the 27th prison officer to have been murdered over the past 30 years, but the fifth officer from the Maximum Security Prisons to be killed within a five-

year period.

A CCTV video showed the prison officer standing with his daughter waiting for a taxi and a vehicle drove in front of him and an occupant of the car shot Jones several times before the car sped off.

His brutal murder follows that of Trevor Serrette, who was killed by a lone gunman at his fruit and vegetable stall in Valencia, in northeastern Trinidad.

“This is an attack on the prison service and the country. This is an attack on law enforcement officers perpetrated by a group of prison-

ers in Jackson Building at the MSP. These cowards and murderers cannot be killing hard-working prison officers who just came to do a job,” said Prisons Commissioner Dennis Pulchan, who had earlier described Serrette’s murder as “cowardly and heinous”.

Prison Officers’ Association (POA) President Ceron Richards said while enquiries were still continuing into the circumstances behind Serrette’s murder, he described the killing as a “cold-blooded hit”. (Excerpt from CMC)

Jamaican awaiting extradition to Joint plan launched to contain St Lucia escapes jail a second time Central American migration

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man who allegedly escaped custody in St Lucia and fled to Jamaica and was recaptured has once again broken free from jail.

Orville Purnell, who was awaiting extradition to St Lucia, escaped custody from the Central Police lock-up Wednesday morning.

The 27-year-old is from

Belgium Road, Buff Bay in Portland.

Purnell was arrested in Buff Bay on Wednesday, July 14, 2021, by investigators from the Jamaica Constabulary Force’s Fugitive Apprehension Team. He was arrested on a warrant for murder, illegal possession of firearm and ammunition and escap-

ing custody. These offences were allegedly committed in St Lucia in August of 2020.

According to investigators, Purnell escaped custody in St Lucia in October 2020 and subsequently fled to Jamaica, where it is believed he was hiding until his capture. (Excerpt from Jamaica Observer)

Cuba to upgrade homegrown COVID-19 vaccine to confront Omicron

Migrants scan a QR code as they hope to receive help from the Mexican Government to obtain humanitarian visas to transit Mexican territory, in Tapachula, Mexico, December 1, 2021

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he Mexican and US international development agencies will work together on a project in Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador aimed at alleviating the root causes of migration, Mexico’s

Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday.

Dubbed “Planting Opportunities”, the project will bring together the Mexican Agency for International Development Cooperation (Amexcid)

and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to target the so-called Northern Triangle countries of Central America.

Migration from the three countries has fuelled record numbers of people being apprehended at the US-Mexico border, and both Mexico and the United States have vowed to tackle the deeper problems behind higher migration levels.

Mexico’s Foreign Ministry did not detail how much funding will be allocated for the scheme in its statement.

The US-Mexico collaboration will begin in Honduras, with an effort to teach job skills to more than 500,000 at-risk youth, the Ministry said.

(Reuters)

Honduran President-elect’s party hopes for narrow majority in Congress A nurse applies a dose of the Soberana-02 COVID-19 vaccine to a health worker, during Phase III trials of the Cuban vaccine candidate, back in March 2021 in Havana, Cuba

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uban health authorities said that researchers in the communist-run country are upgrading its homegrown COVID vaccines to ensure protection against the new Omicron variant.

The Caribbean island nation, whose economy hinges on tourism, sharply eased entry requirements in mid-November following a successful inoculation drive with domestically-developed vaccines. Both infections and deaths from COVID-19 have dropped off to two per cent or less of their peaks, according to a Reuters tally.

Vicente Verez, director of Cuba’s Finlay Institute

for Vaccines, said on Tuesday on State-run media it was clear that Cuba’s Soberana vaccine would continue to provide “a certain level of protection” against Omicron, but said the extent of that protection was still uncertain.

“We decided as of last week to start developing a Soberana Plus variant having the Omicron RBD protein,” Verez said, referring to the receptor-binding domain (RBD), a key part of the virus located on its “spike”. “We have already started it, and that protein is being built at the moment.”

Some global vaccine manufacturers, including

BioNTech, have expressed guarded confidence that their vaccines would offer strong protection against Omicron.

Others, like Moderna, have raised the prospect of a material drop in protection.

It is not yet clear whether Omicron is more transmissible than other variants, or if it causes more severe disease.

Cuba has developed an unusually large biotech sector for a country its size, partly in a bid for sovereignty given crippling US sanctions. It has made vaccines available to several of its allies, including Venezuela, Nicaragua, and Iran. (Excerpt from Reuters)

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Honduran President-elect Xiomara Castro

onduran Presidentelect Xiomara Castro and her party were awaiting results on Wednesday from tight legislative races to see if they would gain control of Congress, a day after her main rival conceded defeat in the presidential race.

Castro, a former First Lady who will be the

Central American nation’s first female President, had built a commanding lead after Sunday’s vote. The National Party’s Nasry Asfura warmly congratulated her on the victory on Tuesday, even though results were incomplete. As of Wednesday morning, only 53 per cent of the preliminary votes had been

counted.

The Honduran election has played out against a backdrop of democratic backsliding in Central America, where Governments from Managua to San Salvador have increasingly consolidated power while weakening the independence of state institutions.

With the right-wing National Party’s 12-year hold on power set to end when Castro is inaugurated in January, attention on Wednesday shifted to the fate of the 128-member Congress.

The congressional balance of power is in the air, but preliminary results also appeared to point to the possibility of a simple majority for Castro’s leftist Libre Party and its allies if the trend of the current vote tally holds. (Excerpt from Reuters)

guyanatimesgy.com

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2021

19

Around the World

Court: Top US Judges OILNEWS OIL NEWS Supreme signal support for abortion limits Oil prices sink again as traders use Omicron as an excuse to hit 'sell'

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rude oil futures settled lower on Wednesday, as an early rally fizzled and selling intensified on worries the Omicron variant of coronavirus could cut oil demand as global supply builds.

Late in the session, oil prices dropped into negative territory after US officials said the Omicron variant – believed more transmissible than previous strains of coronavirus – had been found in the country.

"When the markets gets hit with news about Frankenstein variants, you're selling and asking questions later," said John Kilduff, partner at Again Capital LLC in New York, who expects more bullish momentum to return whenever WTI crosses above US$70 a barrel.

WTI crude futures settled down 61 cents, or 0.9 per cent, at US$65.57 a barrel. During the session, they were up as much as four per cent. Global benchmark Brent crude was down 36 cents, or 0.5 per cent, at US$68.87 a barrel.

Benchmark oil futures have been under pressure for weeks on factors ranging from the new coronavirus variant and the US decision to release oil barrels from emergency reserves in tandem with other countries.

Market speculators who had built long positions this year on expectations of tight supply have shifted as fundamentals changed. Still, major brokerages said the selloff has come too far, too fast.

"The speculator community is running the show here," Robert Yawger, director of energy futures at Mizuho, said.

Both Brent and WTI front-month contracts in November posted their steepest monthly falls in percentage terms since March 2020, with Brent down 16 per cent and WTI down 21 per cent.

The new variant has complicated the decision-making process for the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and their allies, known as OPEC+, who are meeting this week to decide whether to continue adding 400,000 barrels per day (bpd) in supply to the markets.

Some had speculated that OPEC+ could pause those additions in an attempt to slow supply growth, now expected to yield a surplus of 3.8 million bpd by March 2022, according to an internal report seen by Reuters.

OPEC+ is likely to make its decision on Thursday.

Several OPEC+ Ministers have said there was no need to change course. But even if OPEC+ agrees to go ahead with its planned supply increase in January, producers may struggle to add that much.

"There is much to suggest that OPEC+ will not initially step up its oil production any further in an effort to maintain current prices at around US$70/bbl," PVM analyst Stephen Brennock said.

The United States, in tandem with several other nations, announced plans in November to release 50 million barrels of its reserves into the market to try to cool energy prices. Retail gasoline prices have barely changed even as unfinished gasoline futures known as RBOB have dropped sharply.

US Deputy Energy Secretary David Turk said President Joe Biden's Administration could adjust the timing of its planned release of strategic crude oil stockpiles if global energy prices drop substantially.

Analysts at Goldman Sachs called the decline in oil prices "excessive", saying "the market has far overshot the likely impact of the latest variant on oil demand."

US gasoline stocks (USOILG=ECI) rose four million barrels last week to 215.4 million barrels, Government data showed, far surpassing analysts' expectations, and with a dip in overall gasoline supplied by refiners, a signal of demand. On a four-week basis, gasoline demand remains in-line with prepandemic levels.

Crude inventories (USOILC=ECI) fell 910,000 barrels in the week, data showed, compared with forecasts for a 1.2-million-barrel drop. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Anti-abortion activists are urging the court to "protect unborn children", but experts warn of an increase in maternal mortality if abortion is restricted

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he US Supreme Court appears poised to accept a Mississippi law that would bar abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy, even in cases of rape or in-

cest.

In Wednesday's hearing into the case, conservative Justices hinted that a majority backed upholding the law.

A ruling, expected in June, may see millions of women lose abortion access.

Anti-abortion activists are urging the court to "protect unborn children", but experts warn of an increase in maternal mortality if abortion is restricted.

The court has not previously upheld abortion bans before about 24 weeks.

Both sides of the debate regard this case, known as Dobbs v Jackson Women's Health Organisation, as an all-or-nothing fight over abortion rights, with nationwide consequences.

Lawyers defending the Mississippi law have explicitly asked the court to overturn

two previous landmark decisions regarding abortion.

The first, 1973's Roe v Wade, gave women in the US an absolute right to an abortion in the first three months of pregnancy, and limited rights in the second trimester.

Nearly two decades later, in Planned Parenthood v Casey, the court ruled that states could not place an "undue burden" on women seeking abortions before a foetus could survive outside the womb, at about 24 weeks.

In the years since, the "foetal viability" standard has acted as a red line in abortion law, preventing any bans on abortion before this time.

(Excerpt from BBC News)

US climate envoy Kerry says China, India, Russia must do more to tackle warming

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US climate envoy John Kerry

S climate envoy John Kerry said on Wednesday that

big greenhouse gas-emitting countries like China, India, Russia and others

must move faster to help the world avert the worst impacts of global warming.

Pledges by Governments to cut carbon dioxide and methane emissions are currently insufficient to limit global warming to an international target of 1.5C above pre-industrial levels this century, he said.

"And that means you have China, India, Russia, Brazil, Mexico, Indonesia, South Africa, a group of countries that are going to have to step up," Kerry said in an interview at the Reuters Next conference.

"And we have to help them. This is not just unloaded responsibility on them."

Kerry said Washington was engaging with some of these developing countries to help them accelerate a transition to cleaner forms

of energy and reduce emissions.

He pointed to US support for India's clean energy initiatives, as well as a joint agreement the United States secured with China, the world's top greenhouse gas emitter, last month in which Beijing committed to accelerating emissions cuts.

Developing nations have been resisting calls to rapidly phase-out fossil fuels like coal, arguing they are still needed for economic growth.

These governments say they lack the financial support required to transition to cleaner energy. And they point out that wealthy nations responsible for the bulk of historical emissions have been able to rely on these high-carbon fuels for more than a century.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

Omicron rapidly dominating in South Africa; US reports 1st case Ethiopian Govt says it

H

eavily mutated Omicron is rapidly becoming the dominant variant of the coronavirus in South Africa less than four weeks after it was first detected there, and the United States on Wednesday became the latest country to identify an Omicron case within its borders.

The first known US case was a fully vaccinated person in California who returned to the United States from South Africa on November 22 and tested positive seven days later.

The person had mild symptoms and was in self-quarantine, Dr Anthony Fauci, the top US infectious disease official, told reporters at the White House.

Late on Tuesday, airlines in the United States were told to hand over the

names of passengers arriving from parts of southern Africa hit by Omicron, according to a US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention letter seen by Reuters.

Key questions remain about the new variant, which has been found in two dozen countries, including Spain, Canada, Britain, Austria and Portugal. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) reported its first case on Wednesday, the second Gulf country after Saudi Arabia.

Early indications suggesting Omicron may be markedly more contagious than previous variants have rattled financial markets, fearful that new restrictions could choke off a tentative recovery from the economic ravages of the pandemic. (Excerpt from Reuters)

retook string of towns from Tigray forces

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he Ethiopian Government says its forces recaptured Shewa Robit, a town some 220 kilometres (135 miles) from the capital Addis Ababa, which was claimed last week by fighters from the northern Tigray region.

Government spokesman Legesse Tulu said on Wednesday Shewa Robit was among several small towns retaken by Ethiopia’s army and regional forces loyal to Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, who last week announced he would head to the battlefield to lead a counteroffensive after the Tigrayan fighters threatened to march on Addis Ababa.

“In Shewa front, the Mezezo, Molale, Shewa

Robit, Rasa and its surroundings have been freed from the terrorist TPLF,” Legesse said in comments broadcast on State media, referring to the Tigray People’s Liberation Front, which has been locked in a war with Abiy’s Government for more than a year.

The Ethiopian Government said later on Wednesday that its forces had also recaptured the UNESCO World Heritage site Lalibela, which fell to Tigrayan fighters in August.

The brutal conflict took a sharp turn about a month ago when Tigrayan forces claimed to have captured the strategic towns of Dessie and Kombolcha, located on a key highway to Addis Ababa.

(Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

20

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2021

guyanatimesgy.com

ARCHIE

ARIES (March 21April 19)

TAURUS

DILBERT

(April 20May 20)

Check your financial situation, and update investments, contracts and any other timely paperwork. Staying on top of your responsibilities will help you avoid falling behind at a crucial moment.

Do your homework. If you jump into something prematurely, you’ll regret it. Take care of your physical needs to avoid weakness, injury or illness. Be on the lookout for a jealous adversary.

Set your sights on your GEMINI goals and press on. Talks (May 21- will bring you closer to June 20) your goal, and your suggestions will be welcome. Pace yourself, and don’t promise more than you can deliver.

CANCER (June 21July 22)

PEANUTS

LEO (July 23Aug. 22)

VIRGO (Aug. 23Sept. 22)

CALVIN AND HOBBES

LIBRA (Sept. 23Oct. 23)

SUDOKU

SCORPIO (Oct. 24Nov. 22)

Don’t be shy; express your thoughts and feelings, and you’ll come up with an extraordinary plan. Don’t risk your health and well-being because someone is not abiding by the rules.

Anger will cause a stalemate with someone who can influence your lifestyle moving forward. Whether at home or work, do your best to get along with everyone.

Think matters through.

Put your heart and soul into what and who is important to you. Too much talk and not enough action will frustrate loved ones. A show of affection, interest and leadership will pay off.

Take matters into your own hands. Opportunity depends on you and how you handle others as well as tricky situations that surface.

Be clear about your actions and intentions at all times.

You’ll be stuck in a difficult situation if you let your emotions take the reins.

Concentrate on what’s essential and work to achieve the best outcome. Change is required.

Pick up the pace and SAGITTARIUS make every move count for (Nov. 23something. Don’t wait for Dec. 21) others to catch up; set the standard and head to the finish line. Use brainpower to excel and to outdo your rivals.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22Jan. 19)

SOLUTION FOR LAST PUBLISHED PUZZLE AQUARIUS (Jan. 20Feb. 19)

Pay attention, focus on detail, lock in what you want and don’t stop until you reach your goal. Change begins with you. Make a move that will put an end to any uncertainty you harbor.

Choose your words wisely. An emotional argument will distance you from a loved one. Look for a positive way to express yourself, and it will help you get your way without a fight.

Joint ventures aren’t in your best interest.

(Feb. 20- Overpaying for something, March 20) taking on too much debt or promising more than you can deliver will drag you down. Seek advice from a seasoned expert.

PISCES

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2021

21

Two more young cricketers benefit from project “Cricket Gear for Young and Promising Cricketers in Guyana”

From left in front row are: Anil Beharry, Devindra Victor, Kumarie Baker, Ganesh Harris and Huburn Evans, while other members of the community look on

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wo young and promising cricketers from Kendall’s Union Cricket Club on the lower East Coast of Berbice have recently benefited from the “Cricket Gear for Young and Promising

Cricketers in Guyana” project.

The players, who each collected a bat and a pair of batting gloves, are 17-year-old Ganesh Harris and 15-yearold Devindra Victor. Harris is a left-handed batter who bowls

right-arm off-spin, while Victor is a right-handed batsman and off- spinner. They both represent the club at all junior levels, and attend the Lower Corentyne Secondary School.

The President and Captain of the No 19 Village-based cricket club is Albert Budhoo.

He has also been commended for keeping the youths constructively occupied in these days of so many distractions.

It is noteworthy that the Kendall’s Union Cricket Club participates in all junior cricket activities run by the Berbice Cricket Board, something that is lacking in some established first division clubs.

At a simple ceremony held recently, Anil Beharry, a partner in this initiative, encouraged the players to work hard on their game, but, at the same time, concentrate on

their school work. He reminded them that the best path to success in life is education, and said he is happy to give back to the youths of the village of his birth.

Visiting former national player and Coach, Huburn Evans, commended the president of the club, who is also the captain, Albert Budhoo, for keep the youths constructively occupied in these times of many distractions, and he said he is elated to know that the club participates in all youth tournaments run by the BCB, whereas some more established clubs don’t.

Harris and Victor, in expressing their gratitude, promised to care and make full use of the gear.

Total cricket-related items collected so far: $40,000 cash, two cricket boots, twelve pairs of batting pads, fourteen bats,

nine pairs of batting gloves, and four cricket bags.

To date, 19 young players from Essequibo Coast, Pomeroon, Georgetown, the East Canje area, and now the lower East Coast Berbice have already benefited from a junior gear bag, eight bats, six pairs of batting pads and six pairs of batting gloves.

In addition, the Rose Hall Estate Cricket Club has benefited from a pair of stumps and bails, and two clubs in the Pomeroon area have benefited from two used bats.

This project is a joint initiative of Kishan Das of the USA and Anil Beharry.

Cricket related items, used or new, would be distributed free of cost to young and promising cricketers in Guyana. Skills, discipline and education are important characteristics of the recipi-

ents. Talent-spotting is being done across the country, and club leaders would also assist to identify talent.

Persons who wish to make a contribution can contact Anil Beharry or Kishan Das. Beharry and Das take this opportunity to thank Javed and Imran of West Indian Sports Complex, Option Group of USA, Hilbert Foster, Bish Panday of P and P Insurance Brokers, Sean Devers, Trevis Simon, Årïêl J. Tïlkú, Aaron Beharry, Leanna Bachan and Imran Saccoor, Devon Ramnauth, Teddy Singh, Romash Munna, Ravi Etwaroo, Ravin Harkishun, Surendra Harkishun, Allan Mangru, Vishal Mahabir, Sherman Austin and Huburn Evans.

More distribution will be done as soon as the gear is available.

Lam, Narine, Nathoo victorious in GCF/MMG+ tournaments feating all of his opponents.

Former National Champion FM Anthony Drayton was a close second with five (5) points, after losing to Nathoo and third place winner Roberto Neto.

Drayton faced off against Loris Nathoo in Round 6, and there was a tactical clash between the two experienced

Ricardo Narine won the Junior Rapid

MMG+ FEMALE RAPID

Thirteen-year-old Pooja Lam took first place after playing undefeated throughout the tournament. In second was Sherlyta Loris Nathoo won the senior tournament Campayne, who finished on 5.5 points, losing only to the eventuhe Guyana Chess al winner Pooja Lam. Jessica Federation’s MMG+ Callender took the third place Online Rapid with five (5) points.

Tournaments concluded last The deciding game came weekend with intense compe- between Pooja Lam and tition from local chess players Sherlyta Campayne in the of all ages. form of a head-to-head brawl The three tournaments, of tactical prowess in round 3. sponsored by Mobile Money Lam took the first blow from Guyana Inc, commenced Campayne, losing material in on Saturday with the la- the middle game, but quickly dies and girls, then conclud- retaliated, winning more maed on Sunday with juniors terial than she had lost. It was (Under-20) and seniors. an incredible conversion of a Players competed in seven certain defeat into a decisive (7) rounds of competition, each win for Lam. match with a time control of Upcoming young girls fifteen minutes, with two-sec- Faraa Gaskin, Kristin Xavier ond increments (15 mins + 2 and eight-year-old Kataleya secs), with the exception of se- Sam showed much promise in niors, who played matches of their games, and would certen minutes with two-second tainly provide much competiincrements (10 mins + 2 secs). tion in future tournaments.

The tournaments were hosted on the Tornelo.com MMG+ JUNIOR RAPID platform, managed and superThe winner was Ricardo vised by FIDE arbiter John Narine, who finished with Lee. six (6) points after drawing

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two of his games; one against Jerod Roberts and the other against Kyle Couchman, who went on to take third place with 5.5 points. In second was Keron Sandiford, whose only loss was against eventual winner Ricardo. He also had six (6) points.

The “direct encounter” tie brake system favoured Narine, because he defeated Sandiford.

The game between the teenagers came in Round 4, when the two duelled in a mostly equal position. Narine's endgame skill quickly took hold, and he led the game to a conclusion with a superior pawn structure to that of Sandiford's. The 45-move game ended after a tedious but gracious victory from Narine.

The 4-hour tournament attracted quite a few young players, who played fearlessly and enthusiastically. Eightyear-old Julian Mohabir ended with an impressive 4 points, with seven-year-olds Adhiraj Kissoon and Javier Davenand gaining 3 points each, and eight-year-old Arush Ramnarine 2.5 points.

MMG+ SENIOR RAPID

Loris Nathoo won the senior tournament after de-

players. Drayton had the positional superiority from the beginning, but allowed Nathoo enough counter play when entering the endgame. The game had sacrifices and missed opportunities, but was decided at the very end, when Nathoo converted his tiny advantage into a win against Drayton.

Mmg+ cash prizes for the

top three finishers for each tournament were as follows: 1st Prize: Gy$10,000 2nd Prize: Gy$8,000 3rd Prize: Gy$7,000 The GCF has been pleased to collaborate with MMG+ to give our local chess players the opportunity to battle it out online in a weekend of fierce competition.

Dukestown Warriors among victors at BCB/UCCA Vitality Inc T20 tourney - Sukdeo grabs 6-4, including hat-trick

T

The victorious Dukestown Warriors team exiting the field

he T20 tournament organised by the Berbice Cricket Board (BCB)/ Upper Corentyne Cricket Association and sponsored

by Vitality Inc bowled off on Sunday last with 13 matches across the Upper Corentyne Coast.

Among those 13 winners are Dukestown Warriors, the club at which Guyana’s wicket-keeper batsman Anthony Bramble commenced his cricketing career.

Spinner Budhram Sukdeo claimed magical figures of 6-4, including a hat trick in 2.4 overs, as Dukestown Warriors dominated Black Bush Polder (BBP) in an 86-run win at the Skeldon Back Centre Ground.

With the 20-over match be-

ing reduced to 15, Dukestown batted first and made 120-9 in their allotted 15 overs.

Aggressive left-handed batsman and former Berbice youth player Antonio February opened the innings and slammed 47, which included five sixes, as Bramble and a small gathering watched in awe. Bownauth was the top BBP bowler with 3-29.

In response, BBP reached 34 all out in 8.5 overs, as no batsman could score in double figures while Sukdeo wreaked havoc in a dominant display.

The Vitality Inc 20/20 Tournament is the first of 3 cricket tournaments that would be played in the next

few months for teams in the Upper Corentyne sub-association. The others are the NPG 20/20 and Vishu Super Store 40-Over.

The following teams won their opening matches, and have advanced to the next rounds, set for this weekend.

CWC Sports Club, Skeldon, No 73 RKF, Number 72 All Stars, Number 72 Cut and Load, Number 71 Sports Club, Number 70 MYO, Number 70 Spartan CC, Number 70 Young Blood, Number 69 Vikings CC, Dukestown Warriors CC, Number 68 Turn Team, and Number 48 Scorpion CC. The tournament is sponsored by Vitality Inc of Providence, East Bank Demerara. (Brandon Corlette)

22

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2021

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

WI vs Sri Lanka, 2nd Test…

Match evenly poised on Brathwaite’s half-century, Mendis’s six-for efforts O

n the first full, rain-absent, day's play of the Test, Sri Lanka and West Indies set up what promises to be the quintessential Galle classic.

At stumps, the hosts, in their second innings, trail by

score higher than double-digits to win in Galle - they will be quietly confident of the ability of their batters in chasing what could end up being a modest target.

Indeed, despite losing their last seven wickets for just 87

SCOREBOARD

WEST INDIES 1ST INNINGS Kraigg Brathwaite (c) b Embuldeniya 72 Jermaine Blackwood lbw b Jayawickrama 44 Nkrumah Bonner lbw b Mendis 35 Shai Hope lbw b Mendis 22 Roston Chase c Asalanka b Mendis 10 Kyle Mayers not out 36 Jason Holder lbw b Mendis 4 Joshua Da Silva † b Mendis 0 Kemar Roach c de Silva b Jayawickrama 8 Veerasammy Permaul b Embuldeniya 15 Jomel Warrican c sub (C Karunaratne) b Mendis 1 Extras (nb 6) 6 TOTAL (104.2 Ov, RR: 2.42) 253 Fall of wickets: 1-62 (Jermaine Blackwood, 27.4 ov), 2-137 (Nkrumah Bonner, 58.1 ov), 3-166 (Kraigg Brathwaite, 71.5 ov), 4-180 (Roston Chase, 80.5 ov), 5-191 (Shai Hope, 84.3 ov), 6-197 (Jason Holder, 86.5 ov), 7-197 (Joshua Da Silva, 86.6 ov), 8-208 (Kemar Roach, 89.2 ov), 9-246 (Veerasammy Permaul, 101.1 ov),

Kraigg Brathwaite scored 72

Kyle Mayers chipped in with 36

three runs with eight wickets in hand, on a pitch that has produced 21 wickets over the past two days - though the last two wickets would have the Dimuth Karunaratne's side kicking themselves, both being entirely avoidable runouts.

The first came as a result of an outstanding direct hit from Kyle Mayers to dismiss the captain himself, while the second was rather more self-inflicted, with Oshada Fernando hesitating in the middle of the pitch and failing to return to his crease in time.

That has left Pathum Nissanka and Charith Asalanka at the crease, on 21 and 4 respectively, with the former also nursing a knee injury that he had received treatment for on the field.

Therefore, going into the final two days, with rain also expected in bursts, the game is poised to go down to the wire.

While West Indies will be wary of having to bat last only two teams have chased a

runs earlier in day, Kraigg Brathwaite would have been buoyed by how well the top order coped with Sri Lanka's spin threat for the most part.

He himself was the top scorer, hitting 72 off 185, while Jermaine Blackwood (44), Nkrumah Bonner (35) and Kyle Mayers (36) all chipped in with handy knocks to secure a 49-run lead.

That could have been considerably more had it not been for the Sri Lankan spinners who, after a sub-par showing in the morning, imparted a vice grip on the visitors after lunch.

Ramesh Mendis was the undoubted star for the hosts, ending with career-best figures of 6 for 70 - his first five-wicket haul in Tests while Lasith Embuldeniya and Praveen Jayawickrama picked up two apiece. Mayers's unbeaten 36 off 64 late on had briefly threatened to balloon the lead, but he eventually ran out of partners.

Mendis, Embuldeniya and Jayawickrama all found bet-

Ramesh Mendis bagged 6 wickets

ter lengths after lunch, and in the process dried up the scoring. They were also perhaps aided by the extra bounce afforded by the new ball, with five of the six wickets to fall in the session coming after they opted for it - the last two wickets falling swiftly after tea.

That said, the most important breakthrough came at the start of the second session, when Embuldeniya worked over a set Brathwaite in brilliant fashion. Having shifted to over the wicket against the right-hander, Embuldeniya peppered a leg-stump line - replete with leg slip and short leg - for the first couple of deliveries, before getting one to spin sharply past Brathwaite's, oddly lax, forward defence. The ball proceeded to hit the top of middle stump, a dream dismissal for the left-arm spinner, but

one which Brathwaite could have avoided by simply padding away.

That brought to an end an 85-ball 25-run stand between Brathwaite and Shai Hope, the last one of any significance.

Mendis took charge of proceedings from thereon, getting rid of Roston Chase, Hope, Jason Holder and Joshua Da Silva in the span of a few overs, before returning after tea to close out the innings with the wicket of Jomel Warrican.

This turn of events had seemed far from likely in the morning. Indeed, such was the level of West Indies' control that, aside from the wicket of Bonner, the only real moment of peril occurred courtesy of Suranga Lakmal, Sri Lanka's lone seamer, who got a fuller one to jag back into Bonner's pads, only for a subsequent review to show a faint

inside edge. There was also a potential catch down the leg side, also off Lakmal, that Chandimal seemed to have grassed, only for replays to show that there was no bat or glove involved.

Those instances typified a luckless morning for the home side, with Brathwaite and Bonner resolute. The Sri Lankan spinners did themselves little favours in any case, unable to extract the same turn and bounce West Indians were able to do so consistently the previous day.

Much of this was down to an inability to find the right lengths, with Jayawickrama and Embuldeniya particularly culpable, far too often straying full and making it easy to smother any turn on offer. On the few occasions that they did hit a good length, both Brathwaite and Bonner were able to get bat in the way and deal with it safely.

And it wasn't long before the home side's frustration

10-253 (Jomel Warrican, 104.2 ov) BOWLING O-M-R-W Suranga Lakmal 9-3-22-0 Lasith Embuldeniya 35-13-94-2 Ramesh Mendis 34.2-8-70-6 Praveen Jayawickrama 25-4-59-2 Dhananjaya de Silva 1-0-8-0 SRI LANKA 2ND INNINGS Dimuth Karunaratne (c) run out (Mayers) 6 Pathum Nissanka not out 21 Oshada Fernando run out (Blackwood/†Da Silva) 14 Charith Asalanka not out 4 Extras (lb 1) 1 TOTAL (21 Ov, RR: 2.19) 46/2 Yet to bat: Angelo Mathews, Dhananjaya de Silva, Dinesh Chandimal †, Ramesh Mendis, Suranga Lakmal, Lasith Embuldeniya, Praveen Jayawickrama Fall of wickets: 1-7 (Dimuth Karunaratne, 1.5 ov), 2-39 (Oshada Fernando, 14.3 ov) BOWLING O-M-R-W Veerasammy Permaul 9-2-20-0 Roston Chase 5-1-8-0 Jomel Warrican 7-1-17-0

began to show, as they began to offer more scoring opportunities, ones the West Indians were ruthless in dispatching.

Brathwaite, who was quite comfortable staying back and navigating the spin late in most circumstances, was the biggest beneficiary on this front - he ended his innings with nine boundaries, and was all too happy to put away anything short, square of the wicket on either side.

The pick of his shots, though, were two front-foot efforts either side of mid-on. For the first, he showed exquisite wrist work to take one that was a little fuller and steer it to the left of a straight-ish mid-on, while the second was a delightful clip to the midwicket fence.

It was only following Bonner's dismissal that Sri Lanka's spinners rediscovered some sort of rhythm, which in the end they managed to carry over in spades for the rest of the innings. (ESPNcricinfo)

Guyana Breweries Inc aligns Mackeson with Rawle Toney 3X3 Classic

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uyana Breweries Incorporated yesterday announced its support of the Rawle Toney 3X3 Classic which is set for February 19–20, 2022 at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall.

The 16-team tournament will carry a first-place prize of US$3,000. It will be launched on December 10 at the country’s premier indoor facility on Homestretch Avenue.

“I would like to congratulate Mr. Rawle Toney for putting this tournament together. This is indeed a historic moment for basketball in Guyana. This will bring in more eyes to the sport and Guyana via the various digital platforms,” said the company's Country Manager Kelvin Singh.

Singh, who is known for his philanthropy towards sports and athletes in Guyana through Guyana Breweries Inc, said the company is “extremely happy to

Event organiser Rawle Toney, Trade Marketing Executive SeWeon McGarrell and Guyana Breweries Inc’s Country Manager Kelvin Singh are locked in discussion

continue our support of the Rawle Toney Classic under the Mackeson brand for this tournament.”

Mackeson was the tournament’s title sponsor in the 2019 edition, which was held at the Burnham Basketball

Court and saw Pitbulls 2.0 cashing in on the event’s US$1,500 winners’ purse.

Singh confirmed that Guyana Breweries Inc’s partnership “will go beyond the event in February 2022, we are looking at supporting the

sport at the court root level in Guyana.

“Leading up to the tournament, we will be having promotions and other activities to enhance the fan viewership and experience. This is also a great opportunity

for our local players to test their skills against some of the top players in the region, and we would like to wish all the players all the best for the tournament,” Singh said.

The Mackeson brand is credited as the first major sponsor of 3X3 basketball in Guyana, dating back to 2011 when they hosted the ‘Mackeson Smooth Moves’ 3X3 tournament, which carried GY$1M as its first-place prize.

The Mackeson Smooth Moves 3X3 countrywide tournament still stands today as the highest purse ever paid to teams in basketball locally.

Meanwhile, tournament organiser Rawle Toney thanked Singh and Guyana Breweries Inc for not only showing faith in the tournament, but also basketball’s shortest format in Guyana.

Toney said that while all the details related to the tournament will be given on

December 10 at the event’s launching, he was happy to point to the strong interest of teams from the Caribbean, particularly Trinidad and Tobago, St Lucia, and neighbouring Suriname.

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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2021

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ExxonMobil Indoor Championships…

23

Pepsi Hikers, Roulette, Scorpions taste victory on day 2 T

he second night of indoor hockey action in the ExxonMobil National Indoor Hockey Championships has seen the Hikers establishing dominance in two divisions, while the GCC ladies, in typical fashion, have showed their class.

penalty corner flick by young national striker Abosaide Cadogan, followed by two spectacular individual goals from visiting Belgian midfielder Leo Berlie and Captain Alysa Xavier, sealed the match for the Roulettes.

Nicole Eastman managed a penalty cor-

Captain Alysa Xavier of Roulette on her way to scoring her team’s third goal

Playing in their first match of the season, the GCC Roulettes managed to upstage opening night winners Saints by 3-1. A powerful

ner for Saints, who put on a good show in the early minutes but then faded toward the end.

Despite also finishing with a victory, GCC

Ninvalle unfazed by cost of new home for boxing

Ignite had a tougher challenge against the Misfits, who led for almost the entire first half following an early goal from former national player Maria Munroe.

Midfielder Sarah Klautky, however, launched the comeback of Ignite with a double in the second, only for Misfits Romichelle Brummel to draw even at 2-2. Captain Aliyah Gordon, who had been the stabilizing force for her team, scored the final goal of the match to secure the 3-2 hard- fought victory for Ignite.

The Pepsi Hikers managed the highest goal tally for the second night in a row when they defeated the Guyana 40s by 6–3 in the men’s first division competition. The Guyana 40s put up a brave challenge, and seemed to draw the best out of the Hikers, but tired as the night wore on, and succumbed to the constant pressure of the Hikers.

Captain Robert France was the high-scorer of the match with a hattrick of goals.

Saints and YMCA Old Fort battled to a 2-2 draw in a match featuring two youthful and energetic sides. This match contrasted that of the Hikers-40s tactical duel, and was played at lightning speed, with both sides fighting to the final buzzer.

Bounty GCC seemed to make the job harder against 50 Not Out than it should have been.

Despite a Kevin Spencer goal in the opening minute of play, GCC could not score a second, until the second half through Kareem McKenzie, but added two more in quick succession. Philip Fernandes was the lone player on target for 50 Not Out with two goals, but his efforts fell shy of the GCC’s four goal tally, which saw GCC through to a 4-2 win.

Saints Scorpions were the big winners in the men’s second division competition with a 4-0 victory over the Saints Sensations.

Scorpion Baraka Garnett was the star of the show with a hattrick of goals for his team. The Hikers Cadets completed the list of matches with a narrow 5-4 victory over YMCA Old Fort in the other men’s second division matchup.

Full results are as follows:

MALE Division Pepsi Hikers defeated Guyana 40s by 6-3 Goals: Pepsi Hikers (6) – Robert France 3, Jamarj Assanah 2, Aroydy Branford 1 Guyana 40s (3) – Dwayne Scott 2, Chris Low-Koan 1 YMCA Old Fort drew with Saints by 2-2 Goals: YMCA Old Fort (2) – Shaquan Favorite 2 Saints (2) – Leroy Geer 1, Baraka Garnett 1 Bounty GCC defeated 50 Not Out by 4–2 Goals: Bounty GCC (4) – Meshach Sargeant 2, Kareem McKenzie 1, Kevin Spencer 1, Saints – Philip Fernandes 1 FEMALE Division GCC Roulette defeated Saints by 3-1 Goals: GCC Roulette (3) – Abosaide Cadogan 1, Leo Berlie 1, Alysa Xavier 1 Saints (1) – Nicole Eastman 1 GCC Ignite defeated MisFits by 3-2 Goals: GCC Ignite (3) – Sarah Klautky 2, Aliyah Gordon 1 Misfits (2) – Maria Munroe 1, Romichelle Brummell 1 MALE Second Division Saints Scorpions defeated Saints Sensations by 4–0.

Goals: Saints Scorpions (4) – Baraka Garnett 3, Shomere Garnett 1 Hikers Cadets defeated YMCA Old Fort by 5–4.

Goals: Hikers Cadets (5) – Orlando Machado 2, Devin Munroe 1, Sherwyn Caesar 1, Brian Asregado 1 YMCA Old Fort (4) – Daniel Woolford 3, Warren Williams 1

King, Devers to host BCB clinics for fast bowlers and off-spinners on Sunday

B

An architect’s impression of the soon-to- be-built home for boxing

ack in October, the Guyana Boxing Association (GBA) had revealed plans to construct a new home for boxing. It was to be to the tune of $50M, complete with an artist’s impression of the building.

While the project is set to be realized in a matter of years, it is one that GBA President Steve Ninvalle is quite eager about.

However, more than one month later, GBA President Steve Ninvalle disclosed that the price has gone up to meet the requirements of the country’s coaches.

“We would have had a meeting with our coaches, I think it was last week, after receiving the drawing from the architect, and the coaches would have liked to have certain additions to that building. That is what has carried us up to approximately $100M,” Ninvalle disclosed to Guyana Times Sport.

“But we want to make sure when this is finished that this is something that not only Guyana can be proud of, but the entire Caribbean,” he said.

Aside from a state-of-theart gym, the facility is supposed to be equipped with

a 20- room dormitory and a kitchen area. Ninvalle explained the increase in costs, noting that no cost should be spared to have the best possible facility, especially since the others have deteriorated.

The GBA boss emphasised, “A $100M sounds like quite a lot of money, but if you think outside of the box, it’s achievable. That is what we will do.”

Ninvalle went on to state, “It has never happened in boxing before. We can’t look at the Andrew ‘Six Head’ Lewis Gym and call that a home for boxing. Even though that is now controlled by the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport, there needs to be a proper management system in that. So, when we put on the locks to the doors, they’re not off the next day, they don’t have people just walking in and walking out.

Proper management systems,” This brought Ninvalle to the sidenote that the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport has budgeted for the refurbishment of the aforementioned Albouystown gym.

However, he added, “That must not be our standard facility in this country; it can-

GBA President, Steve Ninvalle

not stand up to international scrutiny.”

Another focal point for the GBA is transforming Guyana into the hub of boxing in the Caribbean, since it is already being sought out as training grounds.

“We have found, in recent times, that several Caribbean countries are starting to gravitate towards Guyana, with the limited infrastructure that we have, to send their boxers to train here. As a matter of fact, the Trinidad Olympian Aaron Prince came down here.

Barbados’ Jamal Breedy, they wanted to send him here to prepare for the World Championships, and he went to the quarterfinals,” Ninvalle explained.

He further stated, “So, even with the limited infrastructure that we have now, they want to have their boxers come here, and I know that we will become the hub.

We will give ourselves three years to get this building up and functional.”

The GBA and Ninvalle are hoping to have the facility completed within three years.

T

Sean Devers

Reon King

he profound effort of the Hilbert Foster-led Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) to develop the game and to make sure that all players have equal opportunities to fulfill their talent would be taken a step further on Sunday when this active board hosts two separate clinics for fast bowlers and off-spinners.

The two clinics would be conducted by former West Indies pacer Reon King and former national under-19 player Sean Devers at the Albion Cricket Ground from 11am to 3pm.

The clinics would be held under the board’s highly successful countywide Dr Tulsi Dyal Singh Coaching Programme. Hundreds of under- 19 players have benefited

from the programme, which is sponsored by overseas-based Guyanese Dr Singh.

The board has since expanded the programme to include former national and international players who are highly respected in the county and are viewed as positive role models. Foster, who has spearheaded a transformation of Berbice cricket over the last four years, last Sunday announced a plan to produce at least ten players for the West Indies at the different levels over the next two to three years. This includes the under-15, under-19, female under-19, senior females, and senior team -20/20, ODI and Tests.

The county’s coaching staff, led by Winston Smith, has been visiting clubs and

hosting mini academies across the county. Foster disclosed that, as a follow-up to these programmes, the BCB would be hosting a series of special clinics for fast bowlers, off-spinners, leg spinners, left arm orthodox, wicket keepers, batsmen.

The BCB is in discussion with several former and current players to assist with their knowledge, and Foster stated that all the responses have been positive. As part of the programme, the board would also be publishing more copies of its historic coaching manual and youth information booklet; and, in 2022, would be producing its own coaching video for youths.

King played in 19 Test matches and 50 ODIs for the West Indies between 1990 and 2005. He took 53 Test wickets at an average of 32.7, while his 76 ODI wickets came at an average of 23.80. He currently works as an International Cricket Match Referee, and is highly respected for his knowledge of the game.

Devers, is widely known across the country for his work as a sports journalist for the Kaieteur News, and he is also an international cricket commentator. He represented Guyana at the youth level and also played for Berbice at the senior inter county level.

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2021

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

WI vs Sri Lanka, 2nd Test…

Match evenly poised on Brathwaite’s half-century, Mendis’s six-for efforts

Pg 22

ExxonMobil Indoor Championships…

Page 23

Abosaide Cadogan scoring a penalty corner for GCC Roulette versus Saints

Pepsi Hikers, Roulette, Scorpions taste victory on day 2 Pg 21

Page 22

Permaul having a chat after the day’s play

Guyana Breweries Incorporated Country Manager Kelvin Singh and Rawle Toney the 3X3 Classic’s organiser following their announcement of the partnership for the February 19-20, 2022 event

Guyana Breweries Inc aligns Mackeson with Rawle Toney 3X3 Classic

Pooja Lam won the Female Rapid

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