Guyana Times -- Thursday, February 17, 2022

CGX’s Deep-water Port project

Construction of docks, dredging to commence soon P17

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

THE BEACON OF TRUTH

Issue No. 4923

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2022

Govt receives several proposals to set up national oil company – Vice President …says all decisions on future blocks to be made in 3rd quarter See story on page 3

US$35M fabrication facility at Enmore to create 500 jobs

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WHAT'S INSIDE:

Teen sues Police for over $100M …tells court her fundamental rights were breached P10

Region 2 man pleads guilty to fatally P10 stabbing wife

Former teacher on trial for sexual activity with P8 underage girl

Page 7

Gas-to-shore project

21 EoIs being reviewed for construction of power plant, NGL plant – Brassington Page 2

Growing interest by oil companies in re-exploring Takutu Basin …basin has been site of oil exploration Page 9

Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley, along with Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha, visited Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo), where she was given an extensive tour of some of the major agricultural projects in Guyana.

Barbados' Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Indar Weir was among the visiting delegation to Region Nine (Agriculture Ministry photo)

since early 1980s – Bharrat

Stena Carron Drilling, Falcon Logistics donate $8.3M to Ptolemy Reid Rehabilitation Centre Page 12

T&T in nationwide P18 blackout ...as all plants down

Public trust in Police Force remains low – USAID P16 …Army continues to be held in high respect

3 more COVID-19 deaths recorded …8 in ICU, 105 new cases

P17

2 NEWS

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Gas-to-shore project

21 EoIs being reviewed for construction of power plant, NGL plant – Brassington

Head of the Gas-to-Shore Task Force, Winston Brassington

S

ome 21 companies have submitted Expressions of Interest (EoIs) to be pre-qualified for the construction of the natural gas-fired power plant and the natural gas liquids (NGL) plant components of the gas-to-shore project.

This was revealed by Head of the Gas-to-Shore Taskforce, Winston Brassington, during an update on the project at the ongoing oil and gas conference being held at the Guyana Marriott Hotel.

He explained that ExxonMobil Guyana, which is funding the pipeline aspect of the project out of cost oil, has found that there would be substantial savings from combining these two facilities. Hence, it was agreed that the power plant and the NGL plant be done as a combined Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) process.

“So, we went out in public advertisement in December inviting firms to be pre-qualified for the construction of both the power plant and the NGL plant as a combined unit; and we received in January, over 21 Expressions of Interest or pre-qual applications. Those are currently being reviewed,” Brassington informed the conference.

He disclosed that this process was expected to be completed this quarter, after which the Request for Proposals (RFP) would be issued for the prequalified bidders to make their submissions. He explained that this could be done in stages, but the priority would be for the power plant.

With a timetable to deliver rich gas by the end of 2024 and the NGL plant to be online by 2025, Brassington said works were progressing on getting the project off the

ground. As such, during the first half of this year, Exxon will be placing the orders for the materials, including the pipelines, so that they are available for when construction starts later this year.

“The final engineering will be completed by the third quarter [of this year] and we expected, by year end, to have all of the commercial agreements and Exxon’s Final Investment Decision (FID).

So, construction will then start at the end of the year with commercial start-up of the power plant using the rich gas by the end of 2024 and the remaining facilities being completed in 2025,” he stated.

The scope of the US$900 million gas-to-shore project consists of the construction of 225 kilometres of pipelines from the Liza field in the Stabroek Block offshore Guyana, where Exxon and its partners are currently producing oil. The pipelines would be 12 inches wide which guarantees a capacity of 50 million standard cubic feet of gas per day (mmscfd), with a maximum capacity of 120 mmscfd.

The pipelines route onshore will follow the same path as the fibreoptic cables and will terminate at Hermitage, part of the Wales Development Zone (WDZ) which will house the gas-toshore project.

The Guyana Government has invited interested parties

to make investments in the WDZ, which will be heavily industrialised and for which approximately 150 acres of lands have been allocated.

Those lands were previously used by the Wales Sugar Estate.

The other component of the project is the construction of a combined cycle power plant that will generate up to 300 megawatts (MW) of power with net 250 MW delivered into the Guyana Power and Light grid at a sub-station located on the East Bank of the Demerara River.

Simultaneously, GPL will be rebuilding its transmission system to facilitate the 230-kilovolt (kV) power, which is way above its current capacity of 69kV. The Government said a power plant would be estab-

lished to generate 150MW, with an additional 150 MW in a second phase, and that an industrial park would be established comprising industries that could use gas, steam and/or electricity.

Meanwhile, the NGL facility will be capable of producing at least 4000 barrels per day, including the fractionation (or separating out) of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG).

When the gas-to-shore project comes on stream late 2024, it is expected to reduce Guyana’s energy sector emissions and also cut electricity cost by more than half. The high cost of power has been hindering investments in Guyana for years.

President Dr Irfaan Ali made it clear at the opening of the conference on Tuesday

that Government would not be backing down from its ambitious energy agenda. He emphasised that reducing the cost of energy was imperative if Guyana was to become globally competitive.

“We’ve already commenced the process by investing in 13 new solar farms, three mini hydros, one large hydro at Amaila Falls and the Natural Gas Project… All aimed at increasing our power generation to 500 MW by 2025. Let me be clear on this.

We will remain uncompetitive if we cannot address the cost of energy. We must address the cost of energy. Our Private Sector will not be able to grow if we cannot bring down the cost of energy. And we will bring down the cost of energy,” the Head of State stated. (G8)

NEWS

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

BRIDGE OPENINGS OPENINGS BRIDGE

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

Thursday, February 17 – 03:30h-05:00h and Friday, February 18 – 04:00h-05:30h .

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Govt receives several proposals to set up national oil company – Vice President …says all decisions on future blocks to be made in 3rd quarter

Thursday, February 17 – 05:10h-06:40h and Friday, February 18 – 05:35h-07:05h.

FERRY SCHEDULE

Tuesday, Feb 15 – 14:35h – 17:05h and Wednesday, Feb 16 – 16:15h – 17:45h.

WEATHER TODAY Light cloudy conditions are expected during the day with partly cloudy skies in the night.

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

Winds: Northerly to East North-Easterly between 2.23 metres and 5.86 metres.

High Tide: 17:24h reaching a maximum height of 2.71 metres.

Low Tide: 10:59h and 23:21h reaching minimum heights of 0.60 metre and 0.51 metre.

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Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo addressing the conference

P

roposals have been received from various oil operators in Guyana’s waters for them to aid in Guyana setting up a national oil company.

However, the Government is still mulling whether it will go this route.

During his address to the International Energy Conference and Expo on Tuesday, Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo spoke about the proposals they have received from these operators.

According to Jagdeo, operators have been proposing to work with the Government on setting up a national oil company, using the available oil blocks in Guyana’s waters.

“Many people are asking, when can we access blocks?

In the past it was on a firstcome-first-serve basis. But since we’ve found oil, we’ve changed the policy. We’ve made it clear that we’ll either go to an auction sometime in the third quarter of this year, with or without seismic done on our part.

“That decision still has to be made in Government. Or alternately, use those blocks to form a national oil company. Because we’ve had some proposals from people in this room – large operators – to work with the Government in the national oil company and utilise the remaining blocks,” he said.

The Vice President assured that all those decisions would be made by the third quarter of this year. But lest there be any uncertainty over the Government’s careful approach to allowing exploration in new oil blocks, Jagdeo emphasised that the Government was in full support of accelerated exploration.

“To offer clarity, by the third quarter of this year all of these decisions would be made. We’ll either make a decision that we’ll be part of a national oil company or we’ll tender them with or without seismic,” Jagdeo

said.

“In Guyana’s case, we support accelerated exploration. We’re making it clear.

And our incentive regimes will reflect that support.

And you will see measures taken in Guyana, not just to encourage the existing holders of concessions to move swiftly to exploration, but, at some point in time, the remaining blocks (can be explored),” he added.

Countries getting into the business side of oil and gas is nothing new. In neighbouring Brazil, Petrobras is a well-known example of a State-owned oil company. Venezuela also has its own State-owned oil compa-

ny, Petroleos de Venezuela (PDVSA). There is also the Petroleum Company of Trinidad and Tobago Limited (PETROTRIN).

However, the latter two companies have not fared well, with PETROTRIN closing its refinery and laying off thousands and PDVSA closing and then reopening its own, amid Venezuela’s economic meltdown.

Guyana has long been expected to go out and auction oil blocks, both untapped and relinquished. Considering the more than 25 oil finds that have been made by oil giant ExxonMobil in the Stabroek Block, the country is likely to be in a good posi-

tion to leverage the value of those blocks when the context of the global oil and gas industry is considered.

The relinquishment clause is typically included in contracts so that companies can relinquish a portion of the block when the renewable period is up, thereby allowing other companies to buy into the respective blocks.

For the Stabroek and Canje Blocks, operators are required to relinquish 20 per cent of their blocks after the first renewal period; while those of the Demerara and Corentyne Blocks are expected to relinquish 15 per cent within this period.

The Kaieteur Block’s relinquishment provision is said to be 25 per cent, then 20 per cent by the first renewal; with the Mahaicony and Roraima Blocks at 25 per cent. By the time of the first renewal for the Orinduik Block, the operators are not expected to relinquish any portion.

Last year, ExxonMobil had applied to the Government for a one-year extension before it would be mandated to relinquish portions of the Stabroek block, where it has made a plethora of discoveries. In its application, Exxon had cited the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Guyana Times understands that this request is still being considered. (G3)

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2022

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

Public trust

A

gain, the Guyana Police Force has been cited for the lack of trust by the public. In a recent United States Agency for International Development (USAID) report, it was stated that Guyanese have greater trust in the military and religious bodies than the Police Force.

Over the years, great efforts have been made to re-professionalise and re-capitalise each arm of the Joint Services, and more so the Guyana Police Force.

According to the report: “Public trust in the Police Force remains low in comparison to other institutions…the negative perceptions of the Force were shared equally between persons residing on the coast and persons in hinterland locations.” The report also pointed to several Policemen in various hinterland locations being accused of rape, and, in other incidents, senior ranks were charged for fraud.

Last year in Parliament, Home Affairs Minister Robeson Benn has said that some 13 cops were under probe for criminal conduct, and 22 ranks were found in breach of disciplinary guidelines under various codes of conduct. In the year 2020, several Police ranks were placed before the courts for offences such as narcotics smuggling, assault, corrupt transaction, rape, manslaughter, and causing death by dangerous driving.

In 2020, after regaining power, the PPP/C Government, through strategic placement of senior ranks, once again embarked on a dynamic crusade to create a people-friendly, proactive Police Force.

However, every organisation is a microcosm of the wider society, and the GPF is no different. Inasmuch as the society at large has criminals rampaging in every community, so, too, there are rogue cops defaming the entire Force and creating distrust between law-abiding citizens and the GPF. The rogues take bribes. In the past, some ranks have been accused, rightly or wrongly, of lending their weapons to bandits and of setting free persons who were captured with great effort and at great risk to their fellow officers.

They have even been accused of perpetrating criminal activities themselves, and it is only just that, when caught, they should be dealt with in more punitive ways than those meted out to civilians, because they are supposed to be guardians of the laws of the land and protectors of the society.

Some of these ranks disgrace their uniforms and the organisation to which they belong. They bring disrepute to the entire Force with their criminal actions, and should be dealt with condignly by their own counterparts in the service, as in a case where one Policeman nabbed three bribe-takers.

The rogues in the GPF have to be weeded out by loyal and honest members of the Force themselves in sting operations, cognisant of the fact that defamation ensuing from the criminal actions of even one rogue cop impacts the reputation of the entire Force, not merely the renegades. The distrust of the public for the Police intensifies rather than wanes, and there are numerous instances when members of the public, fearing a negative response, prefer to suffer in silence rather than report crimes committed against them.

The trickle-down effects of crimes committed by rogue cops affect every Police rank, even those who have performed heroically in the line of duty, risking and sometimes losing their lives; those who have given service to their country and their countrymen beyond the call of duty; so it is incumbent on those honest, dedicated and professional Police ranks to identify, isolate, and eliminate the criminals within their midst, so that the GPF once again becomes a highly-efficient, trusted, law enforcement body that fulfils its mandate by protecting and serving the nation.

The Police must lead by example. If they want to win the public’s trust, they must be seen as having integrity and decency.

Dr Irfaan Ali putting the finishing touch on a mural by local designer and artist Carol Fraser on the sidelines of the 2022 International Energy Conference and Expo Guyana. The piece is titled "From a humble beginning to a thriving presence" (Office of the President photo)

From eastern Europe we watch Ukraine in fear. Its fate could decide the continent’s future

By Karolina Wigura and Jarosław Kuisz

T

wo points about the Ukraine crisis are crystal clear. First, Vladimir Putin wishes to reimpose Russian control over Ukraine, whatever the price. His political dream of restoring the Soviet sphere of influence is echoed in a wish list of “security guarantees” presented to Western Governments by Russia in December 2021. NATO, he maintains, should return to the pre-1997 state of affairs; Russia, apparently, need not.

Second, whatever Putin decides in the current crisis, there are real fears in central and eastern Europe that settled borders are now under threat. These fears are grounded in reason. What seemed unrealistic in the immediate post-Cold War years is now again a real possibility. Questions about our collective safety and security have returned, along with memories of a traumatic and not so remote past.

More precisely, we are talking about more than one fear. Central and eastern European angst is existential in nature. In the 1980s, the Czech-French writer Milan Kundera wrote that small nations are constantly anxious about their existence, because their independence is repeatedly questioned.

As doubt is cast even over their presence on the map, they experience their sovereignty in a fragile, nervous way. The Russian military menace to Ukraine reawakens old traumas and,

paradoxically, not only those generated from the east.

Another angst is, to put it bluntly, that the West will again abandon us. Historical precedent for Western inaction is used in the current discourse to support doing nothing. The Guardian columnist Simon Jenkins, for example, noted, as he argued against NATO military intervention in Ukraine, that the West “wisely” did not intervene in Hungary in 1956 or in Czechoslovakia in 1968.

For central and eastern Europeans, drawing such parallels proves that the Russians are not the only ones who persist with framing today’s events in terms of the Cold War. The Ukraine crisis can be interpreted profoundly differently depending on which side of the old iron curtain you sit. This difference of perspective provokes its own misinterpretations and distrust. The evacuation of embassy staff from Kyiv may be understood as a “prudent precautionary measure” from the UK perspective; but for people in central and eastern Europe, it can have quite a different meaning.

It suggests a readiness to withdraw that reawakens for us the trauma of being forced to be a part of the Soviet bloc. The instability of US foreign policy in recent years is another source of anxiety for central and eastern European countries, not least because the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan has forced many US allies to reconsider their strategic security

priorities.

But why should one listen to eastern Europeans’ anxieties, anyway, especially given the ambiguity their Governments demonstrate towards the EU and the rule of law?

It is worth remembering that the Governments of Poland and Hungary have electoral legitimacy, but don’t fully represent their polarised societies, not to mention the entire region.

Yet, in Warsaw, Vilnius, Riga and Tallinn, the mood is full of anxiety. Nervous questions are asked: are Western Governments reliable allies? Why not defend Ukraine with full conviction? Why not rethink the geopolitical context of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline if upholding “European” values means anything?

Many citizens of central and eastern Europe have clear memories of living under Moscow’s rule.

For them, 30 years of independence is not long enough to banish the worry that we are trapped in a cycle of ever-repeating history.

A Cold War framing of the Ukraine crisis undermines, imperceptibly perhaps, democratic legitimacy in the whole region.

Thinking in terms of spheres of influence takes us back to a time when the Soviet Union’s satellite countries were unable to freely decide which military alliance or political regime they aspired to belong to.

What should be remembered today is that, during the Euromaidan crisis in 2013 and 2014, there were Ukrainians ready to sac-

rifice their lives to join Europe. The EU and NATO were founded to prevent history from repeating itself: if the West is really committed to democratic values, it should defend Ukraine.

Western countries should not accept a return to the outdated logic of spheres of influence. A decisive response to Putin’s belligerence is needed. At the moment, that is a diplomatic one. The so-called Normandy format talks, involving France, Germany, Ukraine and Russia, should continue in expanded form with the US, in an effort to de-escalate the crisis.

But any Western decision will have far-reaching consequences for Europe.

Further geopolitical instability would affect central and eastern Europe militarily, economically and in terms of migration. There is also a risk that this geopolitical distress could reinforce the region’s turn towards nationalism. Fear, as Cardinal de Retz famously remarked, is the passion that weakens judgment most. The fate of Europe will be decided in Ukraine.

(The Guardian) Karolina Wigura is a historian of ideas, board member of the Kultura Liberalna Foundation in Warsaw and a fellow at the Robert Bosch Academy in Berlin Jarosław Kuisz is a political analyst and essayist, editor-in-chief of the Polish weekly “Kultura Liberalna” and a policy fellow at the University of Cambridge

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2022

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

PNC cannot mend its own house

Dear Editor, What have the Opposition offered apart from wantonly and shamelessly criticising and condemning the 2022 Budget? The Coalition presented ‘the good life’ Budget to this nation year after year since 2015, but it was the mother of all ironies that they viciously snatched away the good life which Guyanese enjoyed under the PPP/C Government for 23 years.

Now that Guyanese are once again enjoying the good life, the Opposition and some biased commentators are once again singing the corruption mantra.

The Opposition need to review their dismal and disgraceful performance record which reek of corruption and mismanagement.

The Coalition members of Parliament should review the constructive debate presentations which were done in Parliament from 2015 by the PPP/C Parliamentarians.

The PPP/C MPs not only exposed the many flaws in the Coalition’s budgetary allocations and inherent policies, but also provided alternatives with clear courses of action to be taken, and the pitfalls were highlighted which, if implemented, would have been counterproductive to our socio-economic development.

Monies were snatched away from transformational projects and plugged into areas which were non-productive and resulted in massive wastage and theft.

These pitfalls and inherent

weaknesses were eventually substantiated by the downward spiral of the economy, and the massive corruption which had ensued is well documented by the Auditor General’s Report year after year, yet the Coalition did nothing to correct its subsequent budgets and put a halt to the multitude of corrupt practices which pervaded every stratum of its governance. The corruption is well documented.

Now they want us to believe that the PPP/C Government is corrupt. The Coalition MPs’ flaccid arguments and age-old cries of corruption are laughable when the undeniable fact is that their period of governance was riddled with corruption, mismanagement, and deliberate wastage. The Coalition’s presentation in Parliament exposed to the Guyanese public that they will never be able to govern this country, and are incapable of constructive arguments. It exposed that all they are capable of is violence, vulgarity and uncouth behaviour, coupled with lies and deceit. Have the Coalition’s MPs ever apologised for their lawless and indecent behaviour in Parliament? NO! That is how they debate!

The PNC rigged all the Elections from 1968 to 1985, have they ever apologised?

They have attempted to blatantly rig the 2020 Elections, have they apologised? The PNC-dominated Coalition continues to contaminate

this land with their divisive political agenda about marginalisation and corruption.

It is becoming increasingly manifest that Vice President Dr Jagdeo is again being targeted in the press, and the interview by Vice News has that unmistakable agenda to aid the Opposition to stimulate and nurture the perception of corruption, which the PNC and certain commentators used to perfection prior to the 2015 Elections to destabilise the PPP/C Government. Where was Vice News during the tenure of the Coalition?

Where was Vice News when Mr Trotman signed the Exxon PSA in 2016?

In 2018, the then Minister of Natural Resources, Mr Trotman, had said that there is no legal basis to challenge the PSA between his Government and Exxon, yet there was no interview

by Vice News. Why? Then the mystery of the US$18M Signing Bonus, why did Vice News not interview the then Finance Minister? And the list goes on. There are documented acts of corruption against the Coalition Government, yet Vice News and others are going after perceived corruption and hearsay.

Is this the modus operandi of a responsible media house? No wonder media and business analyst Mr Rick Edwards of the Poynter Institute described Vice News journalism as ‘raw and tasteless, and more akin to personal essays than balanced

journalism’. Vice News, upon a bit of investigation, would have known that VP Jagdeo and other members of the PPP Government do submit their financial statements to the Integrity Commission on an annual basis, and it was just as simple to contact Mr Su and verify the veracity of the allegations. But then that would not have satisfied its agenda.

Furthermore, it would seem that the new Opposition Leader was awaiting an opportunity to display his ignorance and establish himself as an incompetent leader, and at the same time, certain media houses cannot resist the temptation to publish the ‘juicy news’. Can you imagine that Mr Norton was reported as saying that the PPP Government officials ‘have mastered the art of keeping their tracks clean’? Is this an admission that the Coalition’s officials stole but are unable to cover their tracks? It is quite an allegation by the Opposition Leader when there is no evidence but simply conjectures and suppositions.

In conclusion, the PNCdominated Coalition must come to realisation that Guyanese will no longer fall for this corruption mantra.

They were deceived once by this and the many false promises, but not again.

The Coalition must do the hard work to be a responsible Opposition, and do some sanitising within their ranks. As it is, they will never again be trusted to form

Protect the gains we’ve made as a nation Dear Editor, I’m certain that if memories are “called up”, Guyanese over a certain age would recall the MOST violent and destructive attacks on Indian businesses, and Indian persons to a limited extent, in and around Georgetown on Friday 16th February 1962; exactly sixty years ago. That day has gone

down in Guyana’s history as BLACK FRIDAY. On that fateful day, the PNC and its allies - the United Force (now a spent force) and the TUC - combined to have their supporters wreak havoc in Georgetown, supposedly in the name of opposing a budget tabled by the PPP. Burnham and D’Aguiar, aid-

Seriousness, commitment to diversifying, opening economy

Dear Editor, “You don’t need to second guess us. You don’t need to read between the lines.”, was the emphatic words of President Ali at the opening of the International Energy Conference and Expo 2022, as he proudly outlined the vastness of our natural resources and willingness to foster bilateral engagements and cement strategic relationships with international investors.

If they were any doubts about this administration’s seriousness and commitment to diversifying and opening our economy to the world for the benefit of all Guyanese then the president’s speech sought to pacify those concerns.

Make no mistake, Guyana

is open for business. But more importantly, the president outlined a new business enabling development strategy that is also multifaceted which will utilize advancement in the Oil and Gas sector to support the development of our low carbon agenda aimed at economic sustainability and diversification.

Such a comprehensive development strategy will ensure our traditional sectors remain viable and competitive meanwhile allowing for the creation of newer areas of opportunity and growth thus ensuring job security for Guyanese.

Sincerely, Erin Northe

ed and abetted by some in the leadership of the TUC, organised demonstrations in Georgetown, and after a meeting at Parade Ground, their leaders proceeded to lead the demonstrators to the Electricity Company in Kingston, where a rumour was circulated that the tear gas from the Police had resulted in an African baby girl dying.

I was there, and saw an uncle of mine, Mr Muldeo of the UF, with a bullhorn among others making this vile statement. The mob became incensed and moved to Camp Street, Regent Street and Water Street, and started setting fires to businesses owned by East Indians, AH&L Kissoon (at Camp and Robb Streets) and SB Nawbatt on Regent Street included. People could be seen looting without any inhibition, carrying refrigerators, washing machines and other bulky and heavy items, as well as clothes, food and anything they could get their hands, heads and shoulders on and under. I remember standing on Regent Street next to Nifty’s, an ice cream parlour, and someone in his 20s finishing an ice cream and placing the container on my head. My re-

flex reaction resulted in him brandishing a knife, causing me to just step in the yard.

This Black Friday emboldened the PNC to such an extent that many similar disastrous events were encouraged and repeated in 1964 and after almost every election since 1992.

I remember the horrors of the Wismar massacre, and relatively recent incidents where Indians were beaten in the streets of Georgetown, and one where an Indian girl was stripped in the centre of the city just because of her race. Much more can be said, but I’ve just recalled these few events to alert Guyanese who may not know, or who may have forgotten, as to what can befall OUR nation due to the irresponsible political parties in our midst.

Guyanese of all races must be diligent, and not be misled by calls for anti-national actions which would hurt all of us. The Government must be aware of the damage that can result from an irresponsible and subversive Opposition, and take all steps to protect the gains we’ve made as a nation.

Respectfully, H N Nawbatt

any Government. At the same time, media houses must ensure that they do the hard work and do investigative journalism when reporting certain sensitive issues.

They owe the public that responsibility.

Yours sincerely, Haseef Yusuf

Inferior electronics on local market

Dear Editor, It’s no secret that, throughout Guyana, there’s availability of various electronics for household use. Slowly, the invasion of inferior/used products started, and the dishonesty started when the authorities allowed the plague to overtake the country.

Editor, when the electronics started to enter Guyana, most of them were popular brands, and gradually those brands slowly migrated from the shelves, only to be replaced by unrecognised brands selling at the same price the popular brands cost, and do not seem to last long.

In other countries, before a product is allowed on the market, tests are conducted to ascertain its effectiveness/durability.

Based on the complaints in regard to most products selling in Guyana, the question is asked: How are they being allowed to sell here, when they are not working long and the stores are not selling with any guarantee?

Among these items, some of the most defective products are computers, music systems and television sets.

Store owners are quick to blame the fluctuations of electricity as the major

cause, and consumers are left to solve the issues on their own. Any technician could tell you that tv/music systems are the most popular, and replacement parts are not readily available. Rural areas are the most affected with these defective products, and some don’t last a week after purchase, and because there is no proper consumer body to represent the consumer, he/she has to start saving all over again to purchase another.

Finally, Editor, while the origin of these products is vague, many don’t have to make a second guess which country they are being manufactured in, and while there are various brands, all seem to be experiencing similar problems. The makers seem determined to manufacture inferior products with the clear intention of fleecing unsuspecting buyers. In order to achieve their goals, they go the extra mile by using misleading advertising on their products and including the USA name/feature on their products. Some advertise features, and when programming, they’re accessible.

Will there be an end to this blatant robbery?

Sahadeo Bates

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2022

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Foundation ◄

Box-and-Whisker Plots

By Sharmistha Mohanty

A box-and-whisker plot allows you to look at data to tell where most of the numbers lie. Thus, this type of plot shows the medians in the data.

Example:

Your aunt had purchased some Brazil-made shoes from Home and Beyond for you and your 10 cousins for the New Year. You have noticed there are numbers on the soles of the shoes. You have arranged these numbers in order: 22, 24, 28, 32, 34, 36, 36, 38, 38, 39, 40

I

n this fun and easy science experiment, we’re going to show you how to make your reflection disappear.

Being able to make your reflection disappear may seem like magic, but we will show you it’s just science.

Materials:

Roll of aluminum foil Scissors

Instructions:

The lower extremeis the lowest number in your data. The upper extreme is the highest number in your data. The median of all the numbers in the data is the middle number, 36.

The lower quartile is the median of the numbers below the median: 28.

The upper quartile is the median of the numbers above the median: 38.

You have four sections on your line of data: each relates to its quartile mark, and each quartile mark relates to the median. Each quartile contains ¼ of the data.

What is the range of the lowest quartile?

Step 1:Find the lower extreme and the lower quartile: 22 and 28 Step 2: Subtract the lower extreme from the lower quartile: 28 – 22 = 7

Exercises: Solve 1) Draw a box-and-whisker plot for the data set {2, 6, 7, 5, 11, 13, 22, 13, 19}.

2) Draw a box-and-whisker plot for the data set {1, 8, 9, 5, 11, 13, 20, 15, 17, 14}.

Wednesday’s answers 1) The data points: 16, 13, 19, 24, 28, 33, 37, 37, 38, 41, 44, 45, 45. The range = 45 – 13 = 32 2) Make a stem-and-leaf plot

from the following data: 32, 33, 34, 45, 51, 77, 78, 99 Stems 3 4 5 7 9

Leaves 234 5 1 78 9

Cut a 10-inch square of foil from the roll. Use scissors to avoid creating any wrinkles in the foil.

Look at your reflection in the shiny side of the foil.

Now crinkle up the foil in a way that doesn’t cause creases as you will need to flatten it out.

Flatten out the foil.

Now look for your reflection.

Your reflection will have vanished.

How it works:

Light reflects from the smooth foil surface in straight lines directly back at you enabling you to be able to see your reflection. Even though, you are able to flatten out the crumpled foil, the wrinkled and scrunched surface send the reflected light in all directions making your reflection seem to magically disappear.

Make this a science project: Try folding the foil into squares with sharp creases to see if it changes your reflection. (sciencefun.org)

Make broadness broadness from narrowness Lead lead us We see nothing behind nothing ahead These worlds are broad above beyond our knowing The great river plains open and descend slowly from west to east beyond our knowing Us Doctor, suture me from narrowness to broadness All the suns all the dawns all the waters rise and pass in broadness Our bodies move over over this land rising and falling Broadness stretch out our skies and dawns so we can walk walk out of our selves Doctor, move me from dark spaces of invented light I do not know just what it is that I am like Broadness open for us us Unharness our days

Teacher's Tip “Real difficulties can be overcome; it is only the imaginary ones that are unconquerable” – Theodore N Vail

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

US$35M fabrication facility at Enmore to create 500 jobs

President Dr Irfaan Ali at the announcement of the joint venture at the Marriott Hotel

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ver 500 job opportunities would be created over the next five years with the coming on stream of a US$35 million investment in a fabrication facility at Enmore, East Coast Demerara.

The entity behind this development is a majority Guyanese-owned joint venture company named Guysons K+B (GKB) Industries Inc, which has acquired in Enmore 55 acres of land from the Guyana Government to establish a fabrication facility that would be offering services to the oil and gas industry.

The services to be offered would include tubular goods, premium threading and accessory services, as well as turnkey manufacturing solutions.

Announcement of this joint venture was made on Wednesday morning on the sidelines of the ongoing International Energy Conference being held at the Marriott Hotel in Guyana.

While the complete investment is US$35 million and the intention is to employ 500 Guyanese, an initial sum of US$7 million would be injected into this initiative in 2022, and 150 recruitments would take place in this year alone.

President Dr Irfaan Ali has said Government welcomes such investments in a bid to make Guyana a fabrication hub for the region.

“Guyana must become the hub for fabrication machining services for this region. The region has huge yachting industry, cruise ships come here

all the time, and we have to start getting into those markets. What oil and gas does is it gives us the accelerated momentum to get there, because you have the sophisticated investors and technology now interested,” he noted.

According to the Head of State, with similar private investments slated to come on board later this year, Government is working assiduously to implement an elaborate road network and transportation system to link the vastly developing East Coast Corridor with the port facilities.

However, President Ali has posited that, with more investments coming into the country, Government’s priority would be ensuring that Guyanese are benefited. To this end, he stated that Guysons K+B Industries would be held accountable for the commitments they have made, which include certified training of Guyanese to produce skilled and qualified employees.

“The company has signed on to a number of commitments of milestones that have to be met as we go forward: jobs, investment, what has to be done, the type of changes that we have to see… They have committed themselves in writing to this. It shows their seriousness about advancing this very quickly,” he asserted.

The President has noted that the company’s progress would be monitored by the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL), the Finance Ministry, and the Guyana Office for Investment (GOInvest).

However, Vice President of Sales at K+B Industries – the US partner of the joint venture company – Nick Becnel, has said Guysons K+B Industries has already started training Guyanese to take up employment at the facility.

“To be successful, we plan to invest in the community and, more specially, in the Guyana people. Despite the challenge of the ongoing COVID pandemic, K+B and Guysons have been conducting both virtual and in-country

President Dr Irfaan Ali along with US Ambassador Sarah-Ann Lynch, Vice President of Sales at K+B Industries, Nick Becnel and Government Ministers with residents of Enmore, East Coast Demerara at the announcement of the joint venture at the Marriott Hotel on Wednesday

training for the local Guyanese workers,” he stated.

According to Becnel, the company’s next phase of training includes sending the local GKB team members to the United States for more indepth training at K+B’s world class facilities. This, he noted, would benefit both of the joint venture partners as they learn from each other.

Meanwhile, Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh has said this investment is reflective of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Government’s push for partnerships with local participation, in keeping with the country’s newly established local content laws.

“This partnership between Guysons and K+B represents a good example of what can be achieved through the spirit of the local content framework that we have established, leveraging local and domestic expertise and capital, but also mobilising international expertise and partners such as that which is found in GKB,” the Minister stated.

Dr Singh further noted, “This partnership is what we would like to see multiplied and replicated many times over.”

The Finance Minister went on to say that this is in keeping with Government’s commitment to righting the wrongs done to sugar communities with the closure of estates, including Enmore’s, under the APNU/AFC regime.

As such, Dr Singh pointed out that, in addition to these

500 job opportunities, Enmore would also soon benefit from another 300 employment opportunities with the establishment of a call centre in the community.

The closure of the Enmore Estate under the previous APNU/AFC Government has heavily impacted the community. As such, one resident, Jenny, has welcomed this investment and the opportunities it would create for not just Enmore, but other surrounding communities.

Chief Executive Officer of Guysons K+B Industries, Faizal Khan, posited, “For Guyana’s oilfield people to forget our sugar people is like us forgetting ourselves. This resides very closely to me, since my mother and father were born very closely to sugar estates.”

Guysons Engineering Limited was established in 1992, and has developed into an industry leading engineering and machining shop. The Guysons Group of Companies

Vice President of Sales at K+B Industries, Nick Becnel

is now geared to support Guyana’s growing oil & gas industry with the establishment of Guysons Oil & Gas in 2018, which is directly contracted to ExxonMobil.

US-based K&B Machine Works opened as a full-service machine shop to serve the oil & gas industry. Four decades of intense customer focus and dedication to hiring likeminded leaders has resulted in K&B Industries being recognised worldwide today. (G8)

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Former teacher on trial for sexual activity with underage girl

T

he trial of former Bishops’ High School teacher Coen Jackson, 43, who has been charged with engaging in sexual activity with one of his female students, commenced on Wednesday before Demerara High Court Judge Priya Sewnarine-Beharry and a 12-person mixed jury.

Particulars of the charges he faces state that, on four occasions between February, March, April, and May of 2011, Jackson engaged in sexual activity with a child under the age of 16 by abusing a position of trust.

He has pleaded not guilty to the charges, and is being

Coen Jackson

represented by Attorneysat-Law Nigel Hughes and Jerome Khan, while the case for the prosecution is

being led by State Counsel Nafeeza Baig, in association with State Counsels Muntaz Ali and Latifah Elliot.

Allegations of Jackson preying on his students and grooming them in preparation for sexual relationships surfaced in 2017. An official complaint was later made at the Education Ministry, and the matter was handed over to the Police for probing.

The Police instituted charges against Jackson in March 2018. Following a paper committal two months later, he was committed to stand trial for the offence after a city magistrate ruled that a prima facie case had been made out against him.

Jackson remains on $300,000 bail pending the hearing and determination of this trial. (G1)

Good news for O&G…

S

…producers ometimes you gotta question your premises - say on renewables “replacing” fossil fuels. In this spirit, your Eyewitness offers these extracts from “Limits to Green Energy Are Becoming Much Clearer”, taken from “Our finite world” by Gail Tverberg. Google the site for the data and graph etc.

“We have been told that intermittent electricity from wind and solar, perhaps along with hydroelectric generation (hydro), can be the basis of a green economy. Things are increasingly not working out as planned, however. Natural gas or coal used for balancing the intermittent output of renewables is increasingly high-priced or not available. It is becoming clear that modelers who encouraged the view that a smooth transition to wind, solar, and hydro is possible have missed some important points.

[1] It is becoming clear that intermittent wind and solar cannot be counted on to provide adequate electricity supply when the electrical distribution system needs them. Early modelers did not expect that the variability of wind and solar would be a huge problem. They seemed to believe that, with the use of enough intermittent renewables, their variability would cancel out. Alternatively, long transmission lines would allow enough transfer of electricity between locations to largely offset variability.

In practice, variability is still a major problem.

2] Adequate storage for electricity is not feasible in any reasonable timeframe. This means that if cold countries are not to “freeze in the dark” during winter, fossil fuel backup is likely to be needed for many years in the future. One workaround for electricity variability is storage. (But the) “lead analyst for EU Power, says that low or zero-emissions backup-capacity is “still more than a decade away from being available at scale.”

3] After many years of subsidies and mandates, today’s green electricity is only a tiny fraction of what is needed to keep our current economy operating. Early modelers did not consider how difficult it would be to ramp up green electricity. Compared to today’s total world energy consumption (electricity and non-electricity energy, such as oil, combined), wind and solar are truly insignificant 4] Even as a percentage of electricity, rather than total energy, renewables still comprised a relatively small share in 2020. Wind and solar don’t replace “dispatchable” generation; they provide some temporary electricity supply, but they tend to make the overall electrical system more difficult to operate because of the variability introduced.

5] Most modelers have not understood that reserve to production ratios greatly overstate the amount of fossil fuels and other minerals that the economy will be able to extract.

The problem is that the world economy tends to run short of many types of resources simultaneously.

6] The world economy seems already to be reaching limits on the extraction of coal and natural gas to be used for balancing electricity provided by intermittent renewables.” …Conclusion “Modelers and leaders everywhere have had a basic misunderstanding of how the economy operates and what limits we are up against. This misunderstanding has allowed scientists to put together models that are far from the situation we are actually facing. The economy operates as an integrated whole, just as the body of a human being operates as an integrated whole, rather than a collection of cells of different types.

“The economy is facing many limits simultaneously: too many people, too much pollution, too few fish in the ocean, more difficult to extract fossil fuels, and many others. The way these limits play out seems to be the way the models in the 1972 book, The Limits to Growth, suggest: They play out on a combined basis. The real problem is that diminishing returns lead to huge investment needs in many areas simultaneously.

One or two of these investment needs could perhaps be handled, but not all of them, all at once.” …postscript COP26 set a “net zero emission” goal by 2050. But, as Kant advised, “ought” to imply “can”.

The above suggests we can’t. We’ll still need fossil fuels past then. Drill baby, drill!!

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

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Growing interest by oil companies in re-exploring Takutu Basin …basin has been site of oil exploration since early 1980s – Bharrat options, which include an auction of the blocks with or without conducting 3D seismic surveys, and enforcing the various relinquishment provisions in the contracts signed by oil companies operating in Guyana’s waters.

The relinquishment clause is typically included in contracts so that com-

Natural Resources Minister Vickram Bharrat

By Jarryl Bryan

T

here has been growing interest by oil companies in re-exploring the Takutu Basin, located in the southern part of Guyana close to the Brazilian border, and according to Natural Resources Minister Vickram Bharrat, this is presently under discussion by the Government.

During his presentation on the second day of the International Energy Conference and Expo at the Guyana Marriott Hotel, Minister Bharrat confirmed that the onshore basin, which was first explored in the early 1980s, is attracting renewed interest.

“We would have started oil exploration I think in the 1940s, 1950s. Oil exploration is not new to Guyana; it was started way back in the Takutu Basin.

The Takutu Basin is located in Region 9, that is close to Brazil, very close to Brazil.

“As a matter of fact, it is just two hours’ drive into Brazil. With the bridge and the road, it can be less than that. However, due to the infrastructure at the time and the lack of the type of technology and equipment that we have today, exploration activities were halted at that time,” the Natural Resources Minister said.

According to Minister Bharrat, the question of whether to allow exploration activities in the block is being discussed by the Government, along with what to do with the other oil blocks that are still to be explored.

“There has been some interest recently on the

Takutu Basin, which is something our Government is discussing presently. How do we move forward with that, along with the other blocks offshore,” Minister Bharrat said.

The Takutu Basin had previously been drilled by various companies. According to information supplied by the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC), the Karanambo-1 well was drilled by Home Oil Company in the Takutu Basin in 1982.

“This was the best prospect drilled within this Basin, located in southwestern Guyana. A small amount of light crude was accrued. Tests conducted on samples from Karanambo-1 found that the oil is of good quality (420API) and is of a “sweet” variety; that is, it contains less than 0.5 per cent hydrogen sulphide.

“However, its geological characteristics are mainly naturally fractured reservoirs, thus proving more difficult to find commercial petroleum than regular reservoirs,” GGMC further explained in its report on the basin.

Meanwhile, the other wells drilled in the Takutu Basin are Lethem-1 in 1980 (also drilled by Home Oil), Turantsink-1 in 1992 (drilled by Hunt Oil and its South Korean partners Yukong Ltd. and Sunkyong Group) and Apoteri K2 well in 2011 (drilled by Joint Venturers Canacol Energy Ltd and Takutu Oil and Gas Incorporated).

There has been growing interest by international companies in exploring Guyana’s available oil blocks. The Government is presently considering its

panies can relinquish a portion of the block when the renewable period is up, thereby allowing other companies to buy into the respective blocks.

For the Stabroek and Canje Blocks, operators are required to relinquish 20 per cent of their blocks after the first renewal period; while those of the

Demerara and Corentyne Blocks are expected to relinquish 15 per cent within this period.

The Kaieteur Block’s relinquishment provision is said to be 25 per cent, then 20 per cent by the first renewal; with the Mahaicony and Roraima Blocks at 25 per cent. By the time of the first renewal for the

Orinduik Block, the operators are not expected to relinquish any portion.

Work is also expected to start this year on a model Production Sharing Agreement (PSA) that would improve on the PSA ExxonMobil signed in 2016 and ensure that Guyana can get increased benefits from future oil deals. (G3)

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Teen sues Police for over $100M …tells court her fundamental rights were breached

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eeks after suing the Child Care and Protection Agency (CC&PA) for failing to remove her from the East La Penitence Police Station, where she alleges she had been detained with adult female prisoners, a 14-yearold girl has filed a similar claim against two Police ranks, the Commissioner of Police and the Attorney General (the defendants) over what she termed was her unlawful arrest and detention.

In the claim filed on Monday at the Demerara High Court, the girl is seeking damages of more than $100M for breach of her fundamental rights as guaranteed under the Constitution of Guyana; damages in excess of $15M for breach of the Juvenile Offenders Act; damages of more than $30M against the defendants for negligence; and damages in excess of $10M for false imprisonment.

She is also asking the court to declare that her fundamental rights were breached, and to grant several declarations against Police Constable Orlando Harris and Police Corporal Amelia James, who she said arrested and supervised

her detention at the station; and against the Police Commissioner, for breaching the Constitution, the Juvenile Offenders Act, and The Convention on the Rights of a Child.

In proceedings filed on her behalf by her adult sister, the girl deposed that between December 3 and 7, 2020, she was held against her will at the East La Penitence Police station in a narcotics investigation. She said that on December 7, 2020, a bail application and habeas corpus proceedings in favour of her were heard

by Chief Justice Roxane George, and she was later

released into the custody of the CC&PA. The girl has complained that, during that period, she was kept in the prisoners’ cell at the station with adult female prisoners, contrary to the provisions of the law, in particular the Juvenile Offenders Act, and duties imposed on the two Police ranks and the Commissioner of Police.

She has alleged that she was subjected to sleeping in an upright position on a wooden chair; sleeping on a mattress and cardboard on the cold concrete floor; predatory sexual advances by other female prisoners;

being foot-cuffed to a wooden chair by her ankles for hours; and infinite pain and trauma.

Specifically, she has said that one adult female prisoner told her she wanted to perform oral sex on her, and made sexual comments about her breasts.

Moreover, she complained that she was repeatedly pressured by Constable Harris and Corporal James to confess or disclose the names of alleged conspirators in the absence of a lawyer and/or adult relative, and a caution in accordance with the law.

Apart from being repeatedly induced and threatened to confess or name suspects or face adverse consequences by Constable Harris, the girl said, she was arrested by a male Police rank, Constable Harris, instead of a female rank.

Her lawyer, Eusi Anderson, contends that the above-named Police ranks and the Commissioner of Police had a primary duty, and the Attorney General had a secondary duty, to ensure that the statutory duty imposed on them by the Juvenile Offenders Act, the Rights of the Child Convention, and

the Constitution was discharged.

Convention on the Rights of the Child

Considering the above, the lawyer argues, his client’s constitutional rights under Article 40, Article 139, Article 141, Article 142 (1), and Article 153, among other articles of the Constitution, to proscribe cruel and inhuman treatment, false imprisonment, and wrongful deprivation of liberty of citizens, were infringed upon.

Anderson has said The Convention on the Rights of the Child, which Guyana has adopted, imposes duties on the State to ensure that no child is subjected to torture or other inhumane or degrading treatment or punishment; that no child shall be deprived of his or her liberty unlawfully or arbitrarily; and that the arrest, detention or imprisonment of

a child shall be in conformity with the law, and shall be used only as a measure of last resort and for the shortest appropriate period of time.

The lawyer is urging the court to grant the reliefs sought in the claim as well as costs, interest pursuant to the Law Reform (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act on all monetary awards for damages, and any such or other orders the court deems just.

Meanwhile, against the CC&PA Director Ann Greene, and the agency itself, the girl is asking the court for more than $25M in damages for breach of her fundamental rights, as well as several declarations, including one that Greene breached the duty of care to her imposed by Guyana’s accession to, and ratification of, The Convention on the Rights of the Child. (G1)

Region 2 man pleads guilty to fatally stabbing wife

Confessed killer Devanand Narine

A

ccused of stabbing his wife to death before attempting to take his own life in 2019, Devanand Narine has pleaded guilty to the lesser offence of manslaughter.

Back in 2019, the Police said, 52-year-old Devanand Narine stabbed his wife Farida Khayum to death during an argument at their home at Anna Regina, Essequibo Coast, Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam).

Arraigned before Essequibo High Court Judge Jo-Ann Barlow on Wednesday, Narine admitted to unlawfully killing his wife on May 16, 2019.

Sentencing for the confessed killer has been adjourned until March 8.

When asked by the judge if he was entering the guilty plea of his own will, Narine replied in the affirmative,

Dead: Farida Khayum

and said, “I doing this from my heart, because I love my wife”. He is being represented by Attorney-at-Law Latchmie Dindyal, while State Counsel Tiffini Lyken is presenting the case for the prosecution.

Reports state that on the day in question, Narine and his 39-year-old wife were involved in a heated argument in the kitchen area of their home. He reportedly then armed himself with a knife and stabbed his wife about her body, including to her neck. The woman was subsequently rushed to the Suddie hospital, where she later died.

As the Police arrived at the scene, they found Narine in an unconscious state, with an empty bottle which is suspected to have contained a poisonous substance nearby. (G1)

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Stena Carron Drilling, Falcon Logistics donate $8.3M to Ptolemy Reid Rehabilitation Centre

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tena Carron Drilling and Falcon Logistics have made a joint monetary donation of $8,300,000 to the Ptolemy Reid Rehabilitation Centre (PRRC).

This most recent donation is the result of Xmas fundraising initiatives put on by the offshore crew members of the Stena Drillships Carron and DrillMax, whose numbers are made up of different nationalities, including Guyanese.

The funds raised were then matched by Stena Drilling’s head office, and the sum was in turn matched by Falcon Logistics.

Executives of Falcon Logistics Inc: President Jennifer Falconer and Operations Manager Marshall Mintz, together with Stena Rig Managers Lachie Dow & Paul

Executives of Falcon Logistics Inc: President Jennifer Falconer and Operations Manager Marshall Mintz, along with Stena Rig Managers Lachie Dow and Paul Slater, Chief Operations Officer Chris Carbaugh, International Logistics Manager Richard Wells, and several other company representatives, share a photo with Rehabilitation Officer Dr Mellisa Corlette-Sengwe and administrative staff along with students of the Ptolemy Reid Rehabilitation Centre (PRRC)

Slater, Chief Operations Officer Chris Carbaugh, International Logistics Manager Richard Wells, and several other company representatives, presented the joint donation to Rehabilitation Officer Dr Mellisa Corlette-Sengwe and administrative staff of the PRRC during a guided tour of the Centre’s complex on Valentine’s Day. Dr Corlette-Sengwe informed that, based on discussions with Falcon Logistics’ representatives, the donation would be used primarily for training, to assist amputees or persons

with disabilities to access jobs in the oil and gas industry. This is made possible through a collaboration between the Centre and Falcon Logistics Inc, wherein amputees utilising the services of the Centre, who also meet the necessary qualifications for training, are nominated for the programme.

Beginning in 2019, the two companies forged a partnership with the PRRC, and have made several donations in support of the services of the Centre, including appliances and equipment for multiple departments. More recently, they have donated PPE and much needed cleaning and sanitisation supplies throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

As long-term guests in Guyana, Stena Drilling has said, it believes it is important to engage and support excellent organisations, such as the Ptolemy Reid Rehabilitation Centre, to make meaningful contributions towards the constructive work they are implementing, and support the positive impact they are making for the community in Guyana.

“Stena Drilling believes it will give greater opportunity for those in their care to reach their maximum potential, live as independent lives as possible, make positive contributions to society, and hopefully within our industry and operations in the future,” a release from the company stated.

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Guyana’s Parliament could promote national compromise, but only intensifies political divide – US Report

…says APNU/AFC’s legal appeal on election outcome does nothing to lessen ethnic division elements of democracy, human rights, and governance.

The most critical are in the areas of competition and political accountability, consensus and inclusion.

Political accountability

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The infamous Mace grab of December 29, 2021

recent United States Agency for International Development (USAID) assessment on democracy, human rights, and governance in Guyana has highlighted deep flaws in a number of systems and institutions, which need to be addressed in order to build a better society for all citizens.

“Guyana’s weak governing structures and the low professional capacity of public sector officials at all levels affect racial tensions and conflict, and therefore consensus-building. Ethnic rivalry, buttressed by weak

institutions, continues to produce less than optimal development outcomes for Guyana,” contends the report, titled “Democracy, Human Rights, and Governance Assessment: Guyana”.

The assessment team conducted a robust desk review of articles and documents that reflect the most significant political and economic changes, donor priorities, and external drivers of change that have impacted Guyana in the period 20162021.

And the assessment found problems in all five

The USAID Report documents that political parties in Guyana have been organised along “ethnic lines” since before independence. “Indo-Guyanese have supported the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) party since 1950, while Afro-Guyanese have supported the People’s National Congress (PNC), the largest political party of the APNU/AFC coalition, since 1957,” the report detailed.

It also noted that the country’s proportional system for representation in the National Assembly often makes lawmakers more accountable to party leaders, rather than to constituents in their regions.

Further, the report contends that national consensus on critical development and economic issues seems “elusive due to the prolonged political instability that has widened the political and racial divide within Guyana”.

File photo: APNU/AFC officials filing their election petition

It was pointed out that although the two main political parties have a shared commitment to a democratic system, there is no clear consensus for necessary electoral and institutional reforms and stewardship of Guyana’s national wealth.

“The lack of political agreement regarding policy priorities for economic opportunities and social benefits perpetuates longstanding disparities in the country,” the report noted.

It was further observed that, in Guyana, access to social and economic resources has varied, depending on which political party is dominant in the political cycle.

“The parties derive their support from distinct ethnic blocks of voters, which often

pits Indo-Guyanese against African Guyanese. This political favouritism towards one ethnic group is especially worrisome as Guyana is on the cusp of unprecedented economic transformation,” the assessment found.

Additionally, it was noted that vulnerable populations, rural and hinterland residents, along with the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and intersex (LGBTQI) population, have been excluded from meaningful engagement in political life and policymaking.

Notwithstanding the findings, incumbent President Dr Irfaan Ali has, time and again, committed that the ruling PPP/C Administration represents a Government for all, and

that there would be no discrimination in programmes and policies being rolled out.

This is already evident in a number of initiatives, such as the $25,000 ‘Because We Care’ education cash grants per child in both the public and private school systems, the annual scholarships for citizens, access to housing and housing initiatives in all regions of the country, among other things.

Further, President Ali – upon his assumption to office in August 2020 – held widespread consultations with political players, civil society groups, religious organisations, and the Private Sector. These engagements are continued from time to time.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 16

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COVID-19 home-testing not accepted for international travel – Health Minister

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uyana is now introducing the COVID-19 home test, and while some persons may choose this option to know their status, it is not enough to fulfill international travel requirements.

This was disclosed by Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony during the daily COVID-19 update on Wednesday.

“Someone having a home kit and doing a test at home does not necessarily qualify or meet the requirements for travel. No country right now is accepting anybody who has tested themselves at home for travel, and we are not changing our guidelines to accept that,” Dr Anthony has said.

“Self-testing is a concept that you have in different countries. Our travel

requirements are very explicit: we are accepting an antigen test from a reputable institution, where it’s done or a PCR test. There is something now called a rapid PCR, and we are also accepting that, so any of these three tests we are accepting,” he added.

The Minister noted that this requirement is in place for both arriving and departing travellers.

So far, there have been 77 imported cases of COVID-19 in Guyana. In

addition, persons who opt for the self-testing and are found to be COVID-19 positive should report it to the Ministry of Health.

“With self-testing, it’s a way of just, if you have any

concerns, to check to see if you are positive or negative.

First of all, I think not a lot of people would be doing it, and those who would be doing it, I think they would be responsible enough, if they

test positive, report it to our surveillance system,” Dr Anthony has said.

When that report has been made, the Ministry would then determine if a second test is needed.

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Power purchase agreement being negotiated for hydropower - Jagdeo

Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo

I

n keeping with the Government’s push for renewable energy, a power purchase agreement is being negotiated for Guyana to benefit from hydropower when such a project comes online, such as in the case of the Amaila Falls Hydropower Project (AFHP).

During his presentation at the Energy Conference and Expo on Wednesday, Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo made reference to the Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) and explained that the Government is focused on using proceeds from Guyana’s forest services to create a sustainable future and invest in renewable energy.

“The LCDS would focus on how we practise logging and mining in a sustainable, low carbon-impact manner.

Then, of course, the document speaks to our energy mix of the future, our energy transitions; it details demand for the future, how we’re going to meet that energy demand.

“Shortly we’ll be tendering for the solar units, almost 35 megawatts of that. And right now, we’re negotiating a power purchase agreement for power from the hydro. That’s crucial on the sustainability side,” Jagdeo also said.

Meanwhile, a strategy that would allow for Guyana, Brazil and Suriname to share power via an energy corridor is in the drafting stages of being developed. This revelation was made by Natural Resources Minister Vickram Bharrat on the second day of the Energy Conference and Expo.

In his presentation, the Natural Resources Minister spoke of the Gas-to-Shore project, which he said the Government is committed to implementing as quickly as possible. The Gas-to-Shore project also ties in to the Government’s intention to partner with its neighbours Suriname and Brazil to create an energy corridor and share power.

“Our talks with Suriname and Brazil are ongoing.

Heads of State would have met recently. Fortunately, I was part of that meeting.

ects as well as upgrades to the Guyana Power and Light (GPL) infrastructure.

The AFHP was the brainchild of the previous People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) administration, but was shelved soon after the former A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Government had taken office in 2015.

In November of last year, it was announced that the Natural Resources Minister Vickram Bharrat

And we are now in the drafting stages of developing a strategy that will work for our countries.

“Cognizant of the vast potential of Guyana and Suriname’s oil and gas sectors, the two countries have been strategising since 2021 on the development of this critical and lucrative sector.

This is also being done with a commitment to ensure our country’s oil and gas sectors are prudently managed to the benefit of our peoples,” Minister Bharrat also said.

For this year, the Government allocated a total of $29.4 billion to the energy sector in Budget 2022.

Construction of the AFHP will start this year, and is expected to conclude in 2027, even as the Government continues to ramp up spending on renewable energy proj-

Guyana’s Parliament could...

National Assembly

Zoning in on the role of the National Assembly in ironing out these issues, democracy, human rights, and governance, the USAID contends that it serves as a “a possible mechanism for initiating reform discussions and formalising power sharing”.

But, according to the report, the National Assembly has instead been “combative at best”.

“The 2020 parliamentary sessions commenced with Members of Parliament (MPs) trading verbal personal insults rather than engaging in civilised discourse on matters of national importance. Parliamentary decision-making could promote consensus building and compromise, but it only exacerbates the political divide,” the report outlined.

The United Nations, in a statement quoted in the report, succinctly captured the role of Parliament in contributing to consensus in Guyana, "…Parliament is the supreme institution of citizen representation. When the margin between the Government and the Opposition is one or two seats, parliamentary decision-making should entail consensus-building and compromise, to be inclusive of all Guyanese citizens.”

The report also highlights

that, in Guyana’s parliamentary system, lawmakers are accountable to party leaders rather than to constituents in their regions.

“In this electoral system, it is difficult to forge inclusive policies that are in the national interest. The parties compete in a mixed electoral system that combines proportional representation with first-past-the-post voting: forty of the National Assembly’s 65 seats are elected by proportional representation in a single nationwide district, the remaining 25 are elected by proportional representation at the regional constituency level, and the President is the nominee of the party or electoral coalition with the most overall votes; note that it is possible that the President could be of a different party than the Government, which occurred between 2011-2015.”

In recent memory, one of the most notorious events to have unfolded in the National Assembly – currently being held at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre due to the pandemic – is the Opposiiton’s “mace grab” of December 29, 2021, whereby Opposition Parliamentarians reportedly assaulted parliamentary staff and committed other offences in a bid to stop the passage of the Natural Resource Fund Act. This Act was even-

FROM PAGE 14

Cabinet granted its “no objection” for the Office of the Prime Minister to engage China Railway Group Limited to construct the 165-megawatt Amaila Falls Hydropower Project.

The construction of the AFHP will be based on a Build-Own-OperateTransfer (BOOT) model, wherein the company would supply electricity to GPL at a cost not exceeding US$0.07737 per kWh, and

Public trust in Police Force remains low – USAID

…Army continues to be held in high respect

M

ost Guyanese have greater trust in the military or religious bodies than they do in the country’s Police Force, according to a recent study conducted by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

“Public trust in the Police Force remains low in comparison to other institutions,” the report documents, citing a 2016 InterAmerican Development Bank survey on victimisation and crime conducted by the Latin American Public Opinion Project with over 1000 respondents.

That survey found that

eral Policemen in various hinterland locations were accused of rape. It was also pointed out that, at the time of this assessment, some senior Police officers, including an Assistant Police

tually passed and assented to law by the Guyanese Head of State.

Legal Challenges The report also documented the events of the 2020 General and Regional Elections, noting that “the twenty-month continuation of a caretaker Government (since the no confidence motion of December 2018) exposed the country’s democratic and institutional weaknesses.”

Making note of the delays in the election results being declared and the role of the international community in defending democracy in Guyana, the USAID Report contended that “the defeated APNU+AFC coalition continues its legal appeals regarding the election outcome, which does nothing to lessen the polarisation of the ethnically based political parties.”

It was only recently that Aubrey Norton, Leader of the PNC – the largest party in the APNU+AFC coalition – declared that his party’s recognition of the Government hinges on the outcome of the party’s election petitions.

Meanwhile, the report also found that there is not a modern and sizeable civil society active in Guyana that can contribute to national reconciliation. (G11)

where the company would provide the entire equity required by the project, and undertake all the risks associated with the project.

Work is also advancing on smaller hydropower energy sources, such as the construction of a 1.5MW hydropower plant at Kumu and the rehabilitation and upgrade to 700kW capacity of the defunct Moco Moco hydropower plant in Region 9.

(G3)

Guyanese have higher trust in the military and private religious organisations such as temples, churches and mosques than in public institutions such as the Police Force.

Further, it was noted that perception of the Police Force is evenly split, with half of the interviewed respondents viewing the Police favourably while the other half has expressed negative views.

“The negative perceptions of the Force were shared equally between persons residing on the coast and persons in hinterland locations. Police abuses and excesses have been alleged by young urban Afro-Guyanese males, Indigenous persons, and migrants from Venezuela,” USAID has said.

It also highlighted that, during the year 2020, sev-

Commissioner, have been charged with fraud.

The Police Service Commission is empowered to select suitably qualified personnel, and to exercise disciplinary control over staff. And, the USAID found that Police recruits tend to be high school graduates with little or no preparation for entering the profession.

Several civil society respondents have stated that training is needed for the Police Force to handle the delicate nature of cases involving domestic partner violence in heterosexual and LGBTQI relationships.

The Office of Professional Responsibility of the Force is responsible for investigating complaints against Police. The report found that, in 2017, the Office received 644 cases of complaints, a five percent increase over 2016. Thirty-

one Police officers were dismissed after investigations of their complaints were completed.

Another matter compounding the situation is that the Police Force is presently the victim of a protracted battle between the Government and the Police Service Commission. The Police Service Commission’s function is to confirm appointments and promotions of Police officers. The five-member commission was suspended in 2021 by the President.

“The Commission was also the focus of a lawsuit brought by senior Police officers who sought the court’s decision on the legality of the Police Service Commission’s policy of use of disciplinary action as a criterion for promotion,” the report noted.

High regard

Conversely, the USAID report found that the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) continues to “be held in high regard by all stakeholders in Guyana”.

“This was reinforced by their non-involvement in the aftermath of the 2020 elections. Respondents interviewed for this assessment remarked that they have minimal interaction with the GDF, which they consider a good thing,” the report noted.

It was further highlighted that respondents have recognised the increasing importance of the work of the GDF in protecting the borders of the country and the national security, especially considering the recent oil discoveries. (G11)

NEWS

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

CGX’s Deep-water Port project

Construction of docks, dredging to commence soon in addition to the oil and gas sector, the Deep-Water Port facility will support the region’s vast agricultural activities by offering container imports and exports services. This will be done at a multi-purpose terminal that will feature a grading facility, a containerised facility, and a specialised cargo facility by the end of 2023.

The CGX Executive Chairman outlined that the facility was also far away from built-up areas to avoid encumbrances, but close enough to be able to access the town of New Amsterdam in terms of hospitality, logistics, labour, facilities, and services.

Dr Narine went on to inform the conference that

and engineers in Berbice and they're quite motivated… It's a place which is really quite ripe for transformation,” the CGX Executive Chairman asserted.

Mangroves

Meanwhile, the remaining 10 acres of the company’s 30-acre plot will be used to maintain the mangroves

Location advantage

C

CGX Executive Chairman, Professor Suresh Narine

anadian-owned company CGX Energy Incorporated, which recently struck oil in the Corentyne Block offshore Guyana, will soon start dredging and constructing docks for its deep-water port in the Berbice River, Region Six (East BerbiceCorentyne).

The Deep-Water Port project, the first of its kind in Guyana, is being constructed at Seawall Village, Corentyne to the tune of US$80 million. CGX’s subsidiary, Grand Canal Industrial Estates (GCIE) Inc, has been engaged in civil works related to the construction of the facility.

Speaking at the International Energy Conference and Expo being held at the Guyana Marriott from February 14 to February 18, CGX Executive Chairman, Dr Suresh Narine disclosed that the works on-

shore have been advancing.

“The construction of docks and dredging will begin very shortly,” he said.

Dr Narine added that the company was currently in the process of selecting the Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) contractors.

“That will be followed by construction of the onshore buildings. Some of it will be done in unison. We are targeting the end of 2022 for the operation of the offshore supply base component of the port… So construction is progressing well and there is no major setback,” he stated.

According to the Executive Chairman, when completed, the port itself will have an offshore supply component to facilitate all the traditional services for the oil and gas sector, including the supply of materials, cement, fuel and even storage.

However, he noted that

Of the allocated 30 acres of land on the eastern bank of the Berbice River, the Deep-Water Port facility is being constructed on a 20acre lot and is designed to have a wharf platform and trestle access.

Dr Narine explained that the location of the port offered several advantages to the company, especially with the river being the deepest natural channel in the country.

“It was chosen well. The Berbice facility is on the eastern bank of the Berbice River, very close to where the channel is, resulting in a minimal need to dredge in order to access that naturally deep channel.

“The facility is about 12-and-a-half hours sailing to, for example, the Stabroek Block and so it offers quite natural advantages to accessing shore bases offshore.

Trinidadian shore bases, of course, you need to steam for 48 hours in order to do the same thing,” he added.

An artist’s impression of CGX’s deep-water harbour

the location was ideal since Berbice was currently ripe for transformation having suffered a damaging unemployment crisis following the closure of two of the three sugar estates in the region.

This, he pointed out, has resulted in the availability of skilled and trained labour.

“So, because of the technical institutes, because of the university, because of the concentration of sugar on fabrication, there's a tremendous amount of skilled welders, skilled plumbers

along the Berbice River bank.

According to Dr Narine, the region is known for its swamps and savannahs as well as agricultural land. As such, he explained that development such as the facility CGX is undertaking has to be done with consideration of the environment.

To this end, he announced that CGX would soon be signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in which the company would be committing to the co-exis-

tence of mangrove habitats with commercial activity on the river bank.

“This is very important, because, as has been articulated, if we want to see progress, we've got to disturb the environment somehow.

But if we're going to do that, we must disturb it as intelligently and as carefully as we can. So, we're delighted that we're not going to be cutting down the standing mangroves,” he declared.

The CGX deep-water harbour project has been in the works since 2010, when the company secured a 50year lease on the property. But it was not until late 2020 that GCIE began advertising for a number of senior positions related to the deep-water harbour project.

While the initial project cost was estimated at US$80 million, it is expected, however, that when further expansion to construct heavy lift and fabrication facilities is done, costs will reach as high as US$130 million.

Earlier this month, CGX Energy Incorporated and its joint venture partner Frontera Energy Corporation had announced an oil find of 177 feet of oil-bearing reserves at the Kawa-1 well in the Corentyne Block. This week, however, the company revised that figure upwards to 200 feet of oil-bearing reserves following additional tests.

3 more COVID-19 deaths recorded …8 in ICU, 105 new cases

T

hree more persons have died from the COVID-19 virus, the Health Ministry reported on Wednesday.

The three persons who have died were all unvaccinated males, two of whom died

deaths have now taken the total deaths in Guyana to 1202, with 30 so far for the month of February.

Additionally, the Health Ministry reported that there were 105 new cases recorded from a total of 1,828 tests done

Mahaica); two in Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice); 10 in Region Six (East BerbiceCorentyne) and 18 in Region Nine (Upper Takutu–Upper Essequibo). No recent death has been reported in Regions Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni),

GUYANA COVID-19 DASHBOARD FEBRUARY 16, 2022 UPDATE

NUMBER OF NEW CASES NUMBER OF PERSONS IN INSTITUTIONAL ISOLATION

on February 15 and the other on February 16. These were a 38-year-old of Region One (Barima-Waini), a 68-yearold of Region Four (DemeraraMahaica), and a 75-year-old of Region Six (East BerbiceCorentyne).

These three

in the past 24 hours.

These cases were as follows: six in Region One (BarimaWaini); 18 in Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam); nine in Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara); 42 in Region Four (Demerara-

Eight (Potaro-Siparuni) and 10 (Upper Demerara-Upper Berbice).

Meanwhile, the Health Ministry also reported that there are eight persons in the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit (ICU).

105 81

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN HOME ISOLATION

1084

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN COVID-19 ICU

8

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN INSTITUTIONAL QUARANTINE

23

TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES BY GENDER (FEMALES)

702

TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES BY GENDER (MALES)

28,763

TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES IN GUYANA SINCE 2020

62,465

NUMBER OF RECOVERED CASES

60,090

REGION 1

2470

REGION 2

2434

REGION 3

7991

REGION 4

30,925

REGION 5

2329

REGION 6

5646

REGION 7

2405

REGION 8

887

REGION 9

3913

REGION 10

3455

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

TOTAL 1st DOSE VACCINATED

427,680

FULLY IMMUNISED

320,221

TOTAL NUMBER OF DEATHS

DISTRIBUTION OF TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES SINCE MARCH 2020

1202

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.

18

guyanatimesgy.com

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2022

Regional

Deadly flooding, landslides T&T in nationwide blackout wreak havoc in Brazilian city ...as all plants down

P

A

t least 94 people have died in landslides and flash flooding in the Brazilian city of Petrópolis, officials say.

The city, which is located in the mountains north of Rio de Janeiro, was hit by torrential rainfall.

Houses in hillside neighbourhoods were destroyed and cars swept away as floodwaters raced through the city’s streets.

The city’s mayor has declared a state of emergency.

Search and rescue teams are combing the mud for survivors, with Brazil’s National Civil Defence saying on Twitter 24 people had been rescued alive so far, with 94 confirmed deaths.

Videos shared on social media showed extensive damage and vehicles floating in the streets.

“I found a girl who was buried alive,” Wendel Pio Lourenco, a 24-year-old resident, told the AFP news agency while heading to a local

Deluge of rainfall causes a landslide and flooding in Petrópolis, Brazil

church in search of shelter.

“Everyone is saying it looks like a war zone.”

President Jair Bolsonaro, who is on an official trip to Russia, has said he will organise immediate help for the victims.

More than 180 soldiers have been deployed and more specialised search teams are expected to arrive later on Wednesday.

In one of the worst-hit neighbourhoods, 80 houses

are estimated to have been damaged by the gushing water.

Petrópolis, once the summer residence of the Brazilian emperor, is a popular tourist destination. But its location means it is also prone to landslides.

The worst incident happened in 2011, when more than 900 people were killed as mudslides hit Petrópolis and neighbouring cities. (BBC News)

In handcuffs, former Honduran President attends boisterous extradition hearing

H

andcuffed and shackled, former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez arrived at his first extradition hearing on Wednesday, where he was met by dozens of boisterous fans as well as emboldened critics who assailed what they called his narco-dictatorship.

Hernandez governed the Central American nation for eight years until last month and now faces a US extradition request issued Tuesday that seeks to force him to face drug trafficking charges in US courts.

“You are not alone!

There is a great political party that supports you,” one supporter of Hernandez’s right-wing National Party told local broadcaster TSI. A scuffle broke out between both supporters and critics in front of the Justice Ministry where Hernandez’s hearing took

Supporters of former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez show their support as he appears before a Judge at the Supreme Court, which will rule on a US extradition request on drug trafficking and weapons charges

place, including pushing and shoving plus some rock throwing, but Police quickly separated them.

The Judge overseeing the extradition case has scheduled an evidentiary hearing on March 16, according to Judiciary spokesman Melvin Duarte.

The Judge ordered that

Hernandez remain detained until then at a Police special forces base.

Hernandez, 53, was arrested by Police on Tuesday, in a spectacle carried live on local television, after the ex-President and one-time Washington ally pledged his cooperation.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

Guatemala earthquake kills 2, triggers landslides

A

n earthquake of magnitude 6.2 struck southwestern Guatemala early on Wednesday, the European Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) said, killing two people, collapsing roofs and triggering landslides.

The quake was at a depth of 96 kilometres (60 miles), with the epicentre 16 km east of Tiquisate, Guatemala, EMSC said.

Tiquisate is in a mostly poor region on the Central

American nation’s coastal planes, and is surrounded by large banana and palm oil plantations that export to the United States.

Guatemala’s disaster agency, the National Coordinator for Disaster Reduction (CONRED), pegged the earthquake at a magnitude of 6.8.

As of 8:30h local time, authorities had reported two fatalities, a woman in the city of Mixco, a western suburb of the capital, and a man in the highland city of

Quetzaltenango. Both died of heart attacks, authorities said.

Images shared by the agency on social media showed rockfalls and uprooted trees blocking routes following the earthquake, including to Antigua, a colonial city popular with tourists.

The initial temblor was followed by two aftershocks of above magnitude 4 in the region, according to EMSC. (Excerpt from Reuters)

ublic Utilities Minister Marvin Gonzales has confirmed to Guardian Media that all power plants in Trinidad are currently down.

This resulted in a nationwide power outage across the country shortly around 13:00h on Wednesday.

Gonzales said he was “investigating the matter.”

Electricity energy is widely purchased, and fed into a national grid from independent producers. These are Power Gen Company of T&T, Trinidad Generation Unlimited and Trinity Power Ltd. Meanwhile, T&TEC has since issued a statement, stating that the cause of the inci-

Public Utilities Minister Marvin Gonzales during his interview with GML on Wednesday

dent was “unknown” at this time and advised customers that they were experiencing “a major disturbance on the

system and are working to restore supply within the shortest possible time”. (Trinidad Guardian)

Maduro ally Saab was DEA informant before arrest, records show

A

lex Saab, a close ally of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, cooperated with United States authorities for nearly a year starting in 2018 by forfeiting funds and serving as a confidential source, according to a US court filing unsealed on Wednesday.

Saab agreed to be an “active law enforcement source” for the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and later confessed to paying bribes to Venezuelan officials, US Prosecutors said in the filing. In 2019, they told him he would face criminal charges if he did not voluntarily surrender, according to the filing.

A lawyer for Saab, David Rivkin, said in a statement that Saab only met with US law enforcement officials to explain that his companies had done nothing wrong, adding that Venezuela was fully aware of his engagement with those officials.

The news could be an embarrassment to Maduro’s Government, which has championed Saab as a special envoy who helped Venezuela’s

Allies of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro have characterised Washington’s pursuit of Alex Saab as part of an economic war on Venezuela being waged by the United States Government [Leonardo Fernandez Viloria/Reuters file photo]

Government conduct business deals under the radar of US sanctions meant to force the ruling Socialist Party from power.

Saab was indicted in 2019 and arrested in 2020 while he was refuelling his plane in the West African island nation of Cape Verde, which last year approved his extradition to the US – a move Maduro’s Government described as a kidnapping.

US Prosecutors say Saab, a Colombia-born businessman, siphoned around US$350 million out of Venezuela via the US as part of a scheme that involved bribing Venezuelan Government officials for fake import documents to secure dollar payments at a favourable exchange rate.

Saab has pleaded not guilty to the charge against him. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Haiti asks donors to help fund US$2B earthquake rebuild plan

H

aiti began a donor conference on Wednesday to raise some of the estimated US$2 billion needed for reconstruction in its southern peninsula after an earthquake that killed thousands of people.

The 7.2 magnitude quake struck near the city of Les Cayes in August, levelling buildings and destroying roads near the area of Les Cayes, in a devastating blow for a country still reeling from the murder of President Jovenel Moïse.

“Haitians are tired of missed opportunities.

Today we have an opportunity to show that we have learned from our mistakes,” United Nations Deputy Secretary General Amina Mohammed said at the opening of the conference.

Prime Minister Ariel Henry asked multilateral groups and foreign representatives, many of whom will participate virtually, to help pay for the rebuilding of schools, hospitals and roads that were damaged by the quake.

“In recent years Haiti has not only been affected by natural disasters, socio-political crises but also

the impacts of the pandemic,” he said. “The country will need US$2 billion for the recovery of the South over a period of 4 years.”

The United Nations said on its website that Haiti is seeking to obtain US$1.6 billion of the US$2 billion needed, adding that the quake disrupted the lives of some 800,000 people and crippled services to a large part of rural Haiti.

The country continues to struggle with gang violence that has fuelled a spike in kidnappings and left many areas of the country out of the control of state authorities. (Excerpt from Reuters)

guyanatimesgy.com

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2022

19

Around the World

OILNEWS OIL NEWS Oil resumes rally as Russia-Ukraine tensions stay high

O

il prices rallied more than two per cent on Wednesday, resuming its upward path as investors weighed conflicting statements on the possible withdrawal of some Russian troops from around Ukraine.

Russia’s threatening posture has dominated oil markets for several weeks, with concerns that supply disruptions from the major producer in a tight global market could push oil prices to US$100-a-barrel.

“The market remains extremely tight and prices had been on an upward trajectory prior to the escalation. The softening of tensions may have only delayed the march to US$100,” said Craig Erlam, senior market analyst at OANDA. The market was also supported by weekly data showing US fuel demand holding at record highs, while crude inventories at the Cushing, Oklahoma storage hub and delivery point for US futures dropped to their lowest since September 2018.

Brent crude was up US$2.19, or 2.3 per cent, to US$95.47 a barrel at 12:55h EST (1755 GMT), reversing most of the 3.3 per cent drop on Tuesday.

West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude was up US$2.21, or 2.4 per cent, at US$94.29 after the contract ended Tuesday’s session with a 3.6 per cent decline.

On Monday, both benchmarks hit their highest since September 2014, with Brent touching US$96.78 and WTI reaching US$95.82.

Moscow announced a partial pullback of troops from Ukraine’s borders, but NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on Wednesday the alliance had seen no deescalation and Russia was continuing its military build-up.

“The risk of a full-scale invasion has receded a bit. But we are unlikely to move out of the current status quo,” said Bjarne Schieldrop, chief commodities analyst at SEB in Oslo.

US crude inventories rose by 1.1 million barrels last week, but overall inventories at the Cushing hub dropped by 1.9 million barrels, and product supplied – a proxy for demand – hit a record 22.1 million barrels per day over the past four weeks, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) said.

“The EIA inventories reflected the power outages we saw in Texas that impacted more than one million bpd [barrels per day] of capacity last weekend,” said Andy Lipow, President of Lipow Oil Associates. “The situation in Ukraine is overwhelming the EIA data.” (Reuters)

West warns Russia is moving troops towards, not away from, Ukraine Russia's military buildup near the Ukrainian border is continuing, the United States warned on Wednesday as Estonia said battle groups were approaching ahead of a likely attack to occupy "key terrain", despite Moscow's insistence of a pullback.

There have been sightings of additional armoured vehicles, helicopters, and a field hospital moving towards Ukraine’s borders, Britain's defence intelligence chief Jim Hockenhull said in a rare public statement.

World powers are engaged in one of the deepest crises in East-West relations for decades, jostling over post-Cold War influence and energy supplies as Russia wants to stop Ukraine ever joining the

A freight train transporting Russian military vehicles, which leave the Crimean peninsula towards the Russian mainland along a railway bridge across the Kerch Strait

NATO military alliance.

Western nations have suggested arms control and confidence-building steps to defuse the standoff, which has prompted them to urge their citizens to leave Ukraine, because an attack could come at any time. Russia denies it has

any plans to invade.

"There's what Russia says.

And then there's what Russia does. And we haven't seen any pullback of its forces," US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken said in an interview on MSNBC. "We continue to see critical

units moving toward the border, not away from the border."

Estonian intelligence is aware of around 10 battle groups of troops moving toward the Ukrainian border, where it estimates about 170,000 soldiers are already deployed, said Mikk Marran, Director General of the Estonian Foreign Intelligence Service.

The attack would include missile bombardment and the occupation of "key terrain", he added.

“If Russia is successful in Ukraine, it would encourage it to increase pressure on the Baltics in the coming years," he said. “The threat of war has become main policy tool for Putin.” (Excerpt from Reuters)

Canadian Police say they will take Ottawa back, Govt blames extremists

Police in the Canadian capital Ottawa on Wednesday started warning truck drivers blockading the downtown core that they should depart or face arrest, part of a promised crackdown to end a threeweek-old protest over COVID restrictions.

Later, Interim Police Chief Steve Bell vowed "to take back the entirety of the downtown core and every occupied space" in "coming days", adding "it will take time to do this right".

Federal Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino blamed extremist groups for helping organise protests in Ottawa and at US border crossings and repeated suggestions that some actors wanted to overthrow the Liberal Government.

Police in the province of

Police Officers patrol downtown streets as truckers and supporters continue to protest coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine mandates, in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, February 16, 2022

see emerge now are the hallmarks of a sophisticated and capable organisation of a small number of individuals, but with a steel resolve, driven by an extreme ideology that would seek to create to overthrow the existing Government," he said.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Monday invoked the little-used Emergencies Act, giving the Liberal Government more powers to end the protest.

Candice Bergen, interim leader of the official Opposition Conservatives, said invoking the act was akin to using a "hammer on Canadians" and called it unnecessary.

Trudeau says the situation is still severe enough to warrant such a move. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Alberta this week arrested 13 people linked to a border blockade at the town of Coutts and seized guns. Four members of the group have been charged with conspiracy to commit murder.

Several of the individuals at Coutts have strong ties to a far-right extreme organisation with leaders who are in Ottawa, Mendicino told reporters.

"What we're beginning to

circumstances surrounding the swimmer's death.

An unnamed eyewitness, clearly shaken, told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation that he had been fishing off nearby rocks when he saw a man wearing a wetsuit and swimming across the bay get dragged underwater by a large shark in an attack that lasted several seconds.

"He was yelling at first, and then when he went down, there were so many splashes," he said. "The shark won't stop."

Buchan Point is located between Little Bay Beach and Malabar Beach in the locality of Randwick City.

Randwick City Council announced that all of the area's beaches would be closed for 24 hours "as part of standard operating procedures following a fatal attack". Lifeguards will patrol the beaches looking for further shark sightings.

(Excerpt from NPR)

nearing conclusion

EU launches summit reset with Africa after pandemic pause Shark kills swimmer in Sydney's US and Iranian officials suggest nuclear talks 1st fatal attack in decades T

he European Union (EU) will welcome more than 40 African leaders to Brussels today in an effort to reassert its influence on a continent where China and Russia have made hefty investment inroads, and where many feel let down by Europe's COVID-19 vaccines rollout.

The EU will offer several packages of support at the summit to bolster health, education, and stability in Africa, and will pledge half of a new 300-billion-euro investment drive launched to rival China's Belt and Road Initiative.

The EU's foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, said ahead of the two-day meeting – postponed from 2020 because of the pandemic – that the two continents were closely interlinked.

"African problems are our problems," he told the European Parliament on Tuesday. "When we work to try to solve these problems, we work for ourselves as well."

European and other

wealthy nations were heavily criticised for hoarding protective equipment and later vaccines, with some leaders saying the slow pace of donations could lead to "vaccine apartheid".

There was also dismay over Europe's travel bans on South Africa after the Omicron variant was detected there.

Tensions run deeper on other issues between two continents with colonial ties and resentments, including over migration flows and the erosion of democracy in several African countries, some of which have recently seen coups d’état.

French President Emmanuel Macron is expected to announce his intention to withdraw forces from Mali after hosting a top-level meeting on the Sahel region of Africa on Wednesday.

Ties have worsened since Mali's military junta went back on an agreement to organise elections in February and proposed holding power until 2025. (Excerpt from Reuters)

A

swimmer died after being bitten by a shark at a beach in suburban Sydney, Australian authorities said, marking the first fatal shark attack in the city in nearly 60 years.

Emergency services arrived in the area of Buchan Point, Malabar, around 16:35h local time on Wednesday, following a report of a shark attacking a swimmer in the water, according to New South Wales police. Officers found human remains in the water.

"Unfortunately, this person had suffered catastrophic injuries as a result of the attack and there was nothing paramedics could do when we arrived on scene," NSW Ambulance inspector Lucky Phrachanh said in a statement.

NSW Police did not elaborate further, but said they will prepare a report for the coroner and work with the state Department of Primary Industries to investigate the

T

alks in Vienna to revive the Iranian nuclear deal are nearing their conclusion, Iranian and US officials have suggested, raising hopes the agreement may soon be restored.

Iran’s chief nuclear negotiator, Ali Bagheri Kani, said on Wednesday that the parties in the Austrian capital were “closer than ever” to reaching a deal.

In Washington, State Department spokesperson Ned Price said the coming days would decide whether the deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), can be restored.

“Our assessment is that we are in the midst of the very final stages of, as I said before, a complex negotiation with the key stakehold-

ers here,” Price said.

“This is a decisive period during which we’ll be able to determine whether a mutual return to compliance with the JCPOA is in the offing or if it’s not.”

Around the same time that Prince was delivering his remarks from the State Department, Kani wrote on Twitter, “After weeks of intensive talks, we are closer than ever to an agreement; nothing is agreed until everything is agreed, though.”

The Iranian diplomat also called on his negotiating counterparts in Vienna to avoid “intransigence” and learn from the past four years since former US President Donald Trump nixed the deal. “Time for their serious decisions,” he wrote. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

20

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2022

guyanatimesgy.com

DAILY HOROSCOPES

ARCHIE

(March 21-April 19)

Focus on what must get done. Don’t let others’ changes or uncertainty upset you or cause you to second-guess what you are doing. Stick to your game plan and make the most of your day. Remain calm.

Do as you please, even if you face opposition. Satisfy your needs, and you’ll feel empowered. An unusual connection with someone will surface if you take the road less traveled. Listen and learn.

DILBERT

(April 20-May 20) Take a step back if someone interferes. Reset your plans and start over.

Control your emotions and put on a happy face, regardless of what others do. Set your sights on your goal and go for it.

(May 21-June 20)

PEANUTS (June 21-July 22)

Tidy up around the house, and you’ll feel more at home and relaxed.

Decluttering your space will help you sort through what you can donate or sell. Keep the necessities handy to ease stress.

Don’t take a gamble. Stick to what you are familiar with and avoid uncertainty. Don’t feel the need to step into the spotlight unless you are prepared to take on more responsibility.

(July 23-Aug. 22) Do whatever it takes to implement change. Shift into high gear and seek out those you know you can count on to do a good job. An unusual suggestion will help you reach your goal.

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

Put an end to a situation that isn’t healthy or in your best interest. Question what you are doing and what you want to do next. Don’t take your eyes off the prize.

(Sept. 23-Oct. 23) Be open to other people’s opinions, but don’t give up your beliefs. Take what you hear, learn and experience, and formulate a unique plan. Once you pick a path, others will follow.

SUDOKU (Oct. 24-Nov. 22)

Be careful who you trust and believe.

Verify facts and be willing to do the work yourself to avoid unnecessary expenses and putting yourself in a vulnerable position. Use your intellect.

(Nov. 23-Dec. 21)

TUESDAY'S WORD -- TOPICAL

SOLUTION FOR LAST PUBLISHED PUZZLE

(Dec. 22-Jan. 19)

Take on whatever comes your way with enthusiasm. Don’t wait for others to act; be the first to strike, and make your position clear to anyone who wants to mess with your plans. Follow your heart.

Nurture relationships. Recognize what others want and need from you, and it will be easier to get what you want in return. Don’t feel pressured to agree with everything others say.

(Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Come up with a plan and follow through. Strive to outdo any competitor.

You don’t have to change anything; be yourself and do your best. Romance is encouraged.

(Feb. 20-March 20)

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2022

21

Tucber Park Cricket Club congratulates Shepherd on his maiden IPL deal T

he executives and members of the Tucber Park Cricket Club are extending congratulations to West Indies cricketer Romario Shepherd on his being drafted by the Sunrisers Hyderabad in the 2022 IPL Auction.

"We are very elated and proud of his outstanding achievements thus far, and would like to reassure him of our unwavering support as he continues to excel in his career.

We want to, as well, commend his immediate family for the love and support

that have made him the man and the cricketer he is today. Keep going Sheppy, this is only the beginning," Tucber Park CC said in a statement.

Rajastan Royals and Sunrisers Hyderabad fought hard for Romario Shepherd before he finally ended up with the SunRisers Hyderabad for a whopping sum of 7.75 CR (US$1,030,750).

Over the years, Shepherd has displayed tremendous discipline, commitment, determination, and an exemplary work ethic, qualities which

have no doubt been the driving force behind his success.

Shepherd, who continues to enhance the already outstanding legacy of the Tucber Park Cricket Club in New Amsterdam, is currently in India with the West Indies team that is playing T20Is against India.

Shepherd was spotted by former BCB President Carl Moore since he was playing under-15 school cricket.

Shepherd is the first player from the Tucber Park Cricket Club to have

achieved this honour, and now joins West Indies female players Candacy Atkins and Tremayne Smartt as Berbician cricketers who have been so distinguished of late.

Shepherd started his cricket career at this club in 2008, during his under-15 days, when the club was led by Carl Moore, an outstanding former cricket administrator in Guyana, who now resides in the United States of America. The club is now being led by Carl Moore’s son Julian, who has heartily congratulated Shepherd on his IPL deal.

Shreyas Iyer named Kolkata NBA Roundup…

Knight Riders’ new captain Antetokounmpo scores season-high K 50 points as Bucks beat Pacers

olkata Knight Riders have named Shreyas Iyer as their new captain for the upcoming IPL season. Iyer was Knight Riders’ most expensive buy at the IPL 2022 auction last weekend - for INR 12.25 crore (US$1.63 million approx.) - and became their highest-paid player by overtaking Andre Russell’s salary of INR 12 crore (US$1.6 million approx).

Iyer takes over from Eoin Morgan, under whom Knight Riders had reached the IPL final last year but lost to Chennai Super Kings.

“We are delighted firstly to have been able to successfully bid for Shreyas in the IPL auction, and to have the opportunity for him to lead #TeamKKR,” Venky Mysore, CEO & MD of Knight Riders, said in a statement.

“He has impressed one and all as a quality batsman at the highest level, and we are confident that he will excel as a leader of #TeamKKR.” Iyer has had considerable success as captain in the IPL.

He led Delhi Capitals, his last franchise, to the playoffs in consecutive years in 2019 (eliminator) and 2020 (final). He led them from 2018 to 2021, before a shoulder injury during the home series against England early last year had ruled him out of IPL 2021.

But the IPL was then postponed in May because of the rising COVID-19 cases in India, and when he returned to the squad for the second leg in the UAE, the Capitals’ management decided to continue with Rishabh Pant as captain, who had taken over from Iyer in May. Overall, Iyer has led in 41 matches in the IPL, out of which he won 21, lost 18 and two ended in ties.

“I am extremely honoured to have gotten the opportunity to lead a prestigious team like KKR,” Iyer said. “The IPL as a tournament brings the best players from different countries and cultures together, and I look forward to leading this great group of very talented individuals.”

Iyer will join head coach Brendon McCullum in the team management, which also includes a new member in Bharat Arun as their bowling coach.

“I am very excited to have one of India’s brightest future leaders in Shreyas Iyer take the reins at KKR,” McCullum said.

“I’ve enjoyed Shreyas’ game and his captaincy skills from afar, and now will look forward to working closely with him to drive forward the success and style of play we want at KKR.” After the last IPL, Iyer also made a scintillating Test debut with a century and half-century at No. 5 against New Zealand in Kanpur. When the time came for IPL retentions, Iyer opted to go into the mega auction instead of being retained by Capitals.

Iyer was then bagged by Knight Riders as the third most expensive player at the auction, after Ishan Kishan (INR 15.25 crore by Mumbai Indians) and Deepak Chahar (INR 14.00 crore by Chennai Super Kings).

Shreyas Iyer has led Delhi Capitals to (ESPNcricinfo) the playoffs in consecutive years

Romario Shepherd

Giannis Antetokounmpo signed the most lucrative contract in NBA history in 2021, with a five-year deal worth $228.2m (£170.1m)

G

iannis Antetokounmpo scored a season-high 50 points as defending NBA champions the Milwaukee Bucks ended their two-game losing run to beat the Indiana Pacers 128-119.

Giannis claimed 14 rebounds and made 17 of his 21 attempts, while Khris Middleton added 19 points.

It is the first time the Greek has scored 50 points since the Bucks won their first title in 50 years in July.

“It’s a nice feeling to have 50, and you will always remember it,” he said.

Jrue Holiday also added 14 points and eight assists, while Buddy Hield top scored for Indiana with 36 points.

Elsewhere, Jaylen Brown had 29 points and eight rebounds as the Boston Celtics cruised past the Philadelphia 76ers 135-87 to earn their ninth consecutive victory.

Brown was ably supported by Jayson Tatum, who added 28 points and 12 re-

bounds.

Devin Booker scored 26 points and Chris Paul contributed 17 points and 14 assists as the Phoenix Suns beat the Los Angeles Clippers 103-96.

Karl-Anthony Towns made 39 points and 15 rebounds as the Minnesota Timberwolves recovered from a 13-point fourth quarter deficit to beat the Charlotte Hornets 126120 in overtime.

The Dallas Mavericks also bounced back from 13 points down to beat the Miami Heat 107-99, with Luka Doncic leading the way with 21 points, 10 rebounds and six assists.

Tyus Jones scored 27 points as the Memphis Grizzlies made it six wins in a row with a 121-109 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans.

Trae Young scored 41 points, the fifth time he has surpassed 40 points this season, as the Atlanta Hawks edged out the Cleveland Cavaliers 124-116. (BBC Sport)

22

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2022

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

WI v India T20I Series, 1st game…

Bishnoi, Harshal, Rohit hand India 1-0 lead – as Pooran’s 61 goes in vain

swatting Harshal Patel over backward square leg.

Yuzvendra Chahal cut short Mayers’s innings at 31 when he trapped him lbw in the seventh over. Chahal could have struck first ball had Bishnoi not misjudged a skier at the long-on boundary. Bishnoi stepped back on the skirting, and ended up conceding a six.

Bishnoi was introduced into the attack in the very next over, and missed his lines, darting three wides. He hit his rhythm soon after, dismissing both Roston Chase and Rovman Powell in the next over.

Chase missed a fizzing wrong’un and was pinned lbw, while Powell holed out to long-on. Bishnoi, too, troubled Pooran, keeping him to eight off nine balls against his legbreak googlies.

Pooran revives West Indies

Bishnoi was player of the match on debut

R

avi Bishnoi overcame a nervy start on debut and then let rip his wrong’uns to give India a 1-0 lead in the three-match T20I series. He bowled four overs full of wrong’uns, according to ESPNcricinfo’s logs, to help India restrict West Indies to 157 for 7, despite Nicholas Pooran’s half-century.

What could’ve been a challenging chase was initially made to look like small fry by Rohit Sharma, who hit 40 of the 63 runs India had scored in the powerplay. However, the target looked a whole lot bigger once Ishan Kishan, Virat Kohli and Rishabh Pant all fell in quick succession.

India were 114 for 4 in the 15th over at that point; they were also sweating over the fitness of Deepak Chahar, who had suffered a blow on his bowling hand while fielding. He didn’t return to bowl his final over.

As it turned out, India didn’t need his batting either in the slog overs, with Suryakumar Yadav and Venkatesh Iyer absorbing the pressure and sealing victory.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar found swing in the early exchanges, and had Brandon King spooning a catch to backward point for 4. Kyle Mayers, the other opener, however, regularly jumped out of his crease or across his stumps to give West Indies some early impetus. He backed away and laced Nicholas Pooran made Bhuvneshwar through the covers, before 61 (Photos: BCCI)

Like Bishnoi, Pooran had a scrappy start, and was on 17 off 19 balls at one stage. He finally broke free when he clattered a pull over the square-leg boundary off Chahal.

Pooran was particularly severe on the legspinner, taking him for 26 off a mere 12 balls, including three sixes. He reached his fifty off 38 balls when he carved Chahal through backward point for four.

Kieron Pollard, who had recovered sufficiently from the knee niggle that had forced him out of the last two ODIs, also did his bit, scoring an unbeaten 24 off 19 balls.

He had slid down the order to deny India’s wristspinners a favourable match-up. Instead, Akeal Hosein was bumped up to No.6, but he could manage just 10 off 12 balls. Nevertheless, Pooran and Pollard hauled West Indies closer to 160.

SCOREBOARD WEST INDIES INNINGS Brandon King c Yadav b Kumar 4 Kyle Mayers lbw b Chahal 31 Nicholas Pooran †c Kohli b Patel 61 Roston Chase lbw b Ravi Bishnoi 4 Rovman Powell c Iyer b Ravi Bishnoi 2 Akeal Hosein c & b Chahar 10 Kieron Pollard (c) not out 24 Odean Smith c Sharma b Patel 4 Extras (lb 6, w 11) 17 TOTAL (20 Ov, RR: 7.85) 157/7 Did not bat: Fabian Allen, Romario Shepherd, Sheldon Cottrell Fall of wickets: 1-4 (Brandon King, 0.5 ov), 2-51 (Kyle Mayers, 6.5 ov), 3-72 (Roston Chase, 10.2 ov), 4-74 (Rovman Powell, 10.5 ov), 5-90 (Akeal Hosein, 13.5 ov), 6-135 (Nicholas Pooran, 17.6 ov), 7-157 (Odean Smith, 19.6 ov BOWLING O-M-R-W Bhuvneshwar Kumar 4-0-31-1 Deepak Chahar 3-0-28-1 Harshal Patel 4-0-37-2 Yuzvendra Chahal 4-0-34-1 Ravi Bishnoi 4-0-17-2 Venkatesh Iyer 1-0-4-0

breakthrough and slowed down India. He first had Rohit caught at the midwicket boundary, before getting Kishan too. Kishan had been the tortoise to Rohit’s hare, labouring to 35 off 42 balls.

Kishan’s wicket triggered a mini-collapse, as India lost 3 for 21. Chase bowled into the pitch, and despite the onset of dew later in the evening, he extracted some turn and bounce to unsettle India.

However, the left-arm spinners Akeal Hosein and Fabian Allen released all the pressure at the other end.

Suryakumar and Venkatesh cashed in, putting on an unbroken 48 off 26 balls and leaving West Indies still searching for their first win on this tour. (ESPNcricinfo)

The storm and the calm

Rohit went on a boundaryhitting spree in the powerplay, using the hardness of the new ball and quickness of the outfield to his advantage.

After whipping Romario Shepherd for six and pulling Sheldon Cottrell for four, he cranked up the tempo against Odean Smith, going 4,6,4,6.

It was Roston Chase’s offspin that delivered West Indies t h e

Rohit Sharma slammed 40

INDIA INNINGS (TARGET: 158 RUNS FROM 20 OVERS) Rohit Sharma (c) c Smith b Chase 40 Ishan Kishan c Allen b Chase 35 Virat Kohli c Pollard b Allen 17 Rishabh Pant † c Smith b Cottrell 8 Suryakumar Yadav not out 34 Venkatesh Iyer not out 24 Extras (lb 1, w 3) 4 TOTAL (18.5 Ov, RR: 8.60) 162/4 Did not bat: Deepak Chahar, Harshal Patel, Ravi Bishnoi, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yuzvendra Chahal Fall of wickets: 1-64 (Rohit Sharma, 7.3 ov), 2-93 (Ishan Kishan, 11.6 ov), 3-95 (Virat Kohli, 12.3 ov), 4-114 (Rishabh Pant, 14.3 ov) BOWLING O-M-R-W Sheldon Cottrell 4-0-35-1 Romario Shepherd 3-0-24-0 Odean Smith 2-0-31-0 Akeal Hosein 4-0-34-0 Roston Chase 4-0-14-2 Fabian Allen 1.5-0-23-1

Roston Chase picked up

2-14

GFF honours referees for 2021 …as two officials make FIFA list

T

he Guyana Football Federation (GFF) has presented two match officials with their official FIFA badges for 2022, and has recognised the “outstanding performances” of referees during its trilogy of year-end tournaments.

Referee Sherwin Johnson and Assistant Referee Kleon Lindey have maintained their spots on the 2022 FIFA Refereeing International List, which enables high-performing individuals to officiate at FIFA-sanctioned international matches and to display the FIFA badge on their shirts. Johnson has featured on the list since 2012, while Lindey has been part of the selection since 2015.

“Congratulations for acceding again to the list of international referees,” said Dion Inniss, GFF Executive Committee member and Head of Refereeing. “My hope is that, this year, we can have more tournaments, whether locally or regionally, so persons can be exposed to showcase their skills. I can easily think of at least four other persons who are knocking on the door and can be out there representing us at the highest level.”

Long-serving female FIFA

referee Maurees Skeete did not make the list this year, largely due to the impact of injuries and ongoing work commitments, Inniss has said.

“On behalf of the GFF and the entire football fraternity, I would like to thank her for her service to football over the years,” Inniss has said. “She has indicated to me that she would want to continue in another area of refereeing, possibly as an instructor, and that is very good news – for her to be a mentor to other girls that are coming through.”

GFF President Wayne Forde has commended Johnson and Lindey for representing the Golden Arrowhead and the federation at the highest level of their profession.

“I know you gentlemen would have earned your place as seasoned, tried and tested professionals,” Forde said.

“You carry quite a burden of responsibility when you step out on the international arena.

You represent the national association, and we want to assure you of our continued support, and wish you every success in 2022.”

The GFF has also recognised the achievements of four match officials, for their consistent

CLASSIFIED ADS ACCOMMODATIONS Aracari Hotel, West Bank Demerara (Versailles – between Harbor Bridge and Vreed-n-Hoop) – Air Conditioned Comfort. Amenities include TV, Restaurant, Bar, Swimming Pool, Gym. Free Parking, Free WIFI. Spend 7 nights and get 1 Free. Rates from $45 US Breakfast Included. Long term rates available. Phone: 2642946-9 www.aracariresort.com GFF President Wayne Forde and Head of Refereeing, Dion Inniss, have honoured Guyana’s referees

levels of excellence during the GFF-Kashif and Shanghai (K&S) Super 16 Cup, the GFF-Guyana National Women’s Football Association Women’s Super-16 Festival, and the GFF-K&S Futsal Championship, which took place over the year-end holiday season.

“These referees were very outstanding during the tournaments that we had,” Inniss said. “I am truly proud of your on-field performances.

You were always available and ready to go; so, not only outstanding, but very reliable and committed to the cause.”

Kenisha Prescott, Andre Foster, Colin Abel and Mian McPherson have featured on the list of honoured GFF referees for 2021.

“You are a credit to yourselves and to the fraternity, in that, despite of the inactivity we have had over an extended period due to the pandemic,

you were able to come forward and deliver very credible performances,” Forde said.

On the basis of nominations from national federations, the FIFA Referees List is updated every year with approved and qualified referees and assistant referees from all over the world.

The nominees are reviewed by the FIFA Referees Committee, chaired by 2002 FIFA World Cup Final referee Pierluigi Collina.

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2022

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

23

Guyana among countries negotiating to host CPL 2022 …retentions to be completed in March, draft set for May

By Jemima Holmes

T

hough it may still be months away, it’s never too early to determine the next destination for “The Biggest Party in Sport”, and according to early reports, Guyana is poised to join the action once again.

The big boss, Hero CPL CEO Pete Russell, is in town, and is expected to meet with cricket’s stakeholders to discuss Guyana’s involvement in the 2022 edition of the Hero Caribbean Premier League. If negotiations go right, Guyana could very well play hosts for the Hero CPL 2022.

This revelation was made

by Hero CPL CEO Pete Russell during an exclusive sit-down with Guyana Times Sport on Wednesday morning, when he divulged that negotiations to have the tournament hosted in the Land of Many Waters are currently in their early stages. However, similar plans are being mulled for other Caribbean territories, with shared hosting being on the cards.

“Yeah, there have been

discussions. As you rightly point out, they’re in the early stages. We’re also having discussions, obviously, elsewhere, because there’s interest in the CPL Final, not just in Guyana, but in other countries,” Russell revealed.

“It’s no secret that we love playing games here. You know, the fans here are fantastic! Guyana is a team that has contributed so much to CPL. I mean, they’ve been incredibly unlucky not winning it yet. So, it’s an ongoing process. I think it’s no secret that I would like to see the Final playing here one day; so, let’s see,” the CPL CEO added.

What Hero CPL is sure of, however, is the constraints of hosting a tournament during a global pandemic. To this end, Russell is appreciative of the positive reception the tournament has had, even throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It’s been really difficult because, as you rightly said, CPL is about the fans; the fans are what make it the experience that it is. So, we’ve had to be creative about how we put the games on. It’s not

Hero CPL showcases Guyana as must-visit destination

T

he Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) has delivered outstanding exposure to Guyana during the 2021 season, with a total sponsorship value of US$48.5 million. This figure was generated from a report from independent and world-leading research company YouGov Sport.

The tournament took place in St Kitts & Nevis between 26 August and 15 September, and with over half a billion views across the event, there was fantastic exposure for the partner tourist boards across the Caribbean.

The total viewership figure for 2021 was 517.4 million, with the tournament passing half a billion viewers for the second successive year. This massive TV and digital viewership was the driver behind these fantastic sponsorship valuations.

While the tournament did not take place in Guyana, great efforts were made to ensure that the country was showcased to a massive global audience, with team and stadium branding as well as tourism vignettes and features within the broadcast.

Pete Russell, Hero CPL CEO, has said: “Guyana has played such a huge role in Hero CPL over the years, and we have missed visiting this beautiful country over the last two seasons. However, it is very pleasing that we have been able to work with the Guyana Tourism Authority and the Guyana Amazon Warriors franchise to deliver these great sponsorship numbers.”

ABOUT THE HERO CARIBBEAN PREMIER LEAGUE

First started in 2013, the Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) is a franchise-based T20 format cricket tournament that combines two of the most compelling aspects of Caribbean life – dramatic cricket and a vibrant Carnival atmosphere. The broadcast and digital viewership has passed 500 million in both 2020 and 2021 to make it one of the most watched leagues in world cricket.

St Kitts & Nevis Patriots are the current Hero CPL champions, and the other competing teams are Barbados Royals, Guyana Amazon Warriors, Jamaica Tallawahs, Saint Lucia Kings and Trinbago Knight Riders. (CPLT20)

Pete Russell, CPL CEO, chatting with Guyana Times Journalist Jemima Holmes

easy in a pandemic, because you had to ensure, first and foremost, the safety of the players and everyone who’s involved in the tournament,” Russell highlighted.

He further stated, “So, that’s a huge amount of logistical work ahead of the tournament. First, to pull of the tournament and get the viewing figures we did shows

there’s a real interest in West Indies Cricket; that’s where the ultimate goal is. So, we’re delighted how it turned out.”

On whether or not the Hero CPL would switch up their fully-vaccinated, 50% capacity fan viewership for the 2022 edition, Russell says that would be determined closer to the start of the event, which is set for

late August.

Russell said, “Very dependent on the host nation. We work very closely with the CMO in each island or country, and, you know, we’re quite a long way out now; it’s end of August when we’re looking to start the games.

“For us to make decisions of fully vaccinated or capacity sizes, I think it’s too pre-

mature. Obviously for us, we want to get back to full stadiums, but this pandemic is, you’ve got to treat it with utmost respect. So, we’ll just have to see where we are closer to the tournament,” he went on to explain.

In the meantime, fans can look forward to the Hero CPL draft, set for May, while player retention lists are due in March.

“It’ll be in May. The teams, as we speak, are already looking at retentions, look at who they’ll retain from last year. They will have the ability to sign their own international players, so I know they’re in the market doing that right now. So, we should have a pretty good idea, in the next month or so, how the teams are shaping up,” the CPL CEO commented.

“That’s what’s exciting, because this year certain players will move around, I would think. So, that’s always good.”

This year’s tournament will mark the 10th edition of the Regional T20 Franchise tournament.

CWI Regional 4-Day Championships...

Hurricanes lead the Eagles by 250 runs after day two

T

SCOREBOARD

he Leeward Islands Hurricanes continued to reign supreme over the Guyana Harpy Eagles on day two of the second round of Cricket West Indies’ Regional Four-Day Leeward Islands 1st Innings 237/2 (81.5) Devon Thomas Championships, held at the Queen’s Park Oval in the 246/3 (86.6) Montcin Hodge Montcin Hodge c Bramble Republic of Trinidad & Tobago. b Motie 71 257/4 (92.2) Kofi James 342/5 After blowing away the Harpy Kieran Powell b Smith 74 (123.3) Jahmar Hamilton O-M-R-W Eagles for 116 on day one, the Devon Thomas c Motie b Pestano 72 Bowling 13-1-24-0 Kofi James b Motie 11 Keemo Paul Hurricanes ended day two on 36624-3-89-2 Jahmar Hamilton lbw b Smith 48 Nial Smith 5 after 136 overs, and now lead the Terance Ward not out 46 Veerasammy Permaul 35-7-74-0 Eagles by 250 runs.

23-3-69-1 Rahkeem Cornwall not out 13 Clinton Pestano Resuming the day’s play on 12640-9-93-2 Extras 31 Gudakesh Motie 0, openers Montcin Hodge and Kieran Total (5 wickets, 136.0) 366 Chanderpaul Hemraj 1-0-3-0 Powell failed to convert starts into cen152/1 (57.6) Kieran Powell Guyana 1st Innings 116 all out turies. Powell made 74 from 148 balls, which had nine fours, while his partan unbeaten century against Jamaica at Kensington, while ner Hodge made 71 from 299 balls, Raymon Reifer was unbeaten on a Devon Thomas attacked with six fours. The duo featured in a half-century at stumps, after pickGuyana Harpy Eagles 152-run stand, while Devon Thomas ing up six wickets.

(Photos: CWI Media) came and played his shots in his Below are summary scores of 72 from 72 balls, which the other matches: had ten fours and one At Kensington Oval: six.

Jamaica 328 all out (95.4). John Thomas, who Campbell 126, Paul Palmer scored a century in the 76, Nkrumah Bonner 49. first round against Raymon Reifer 6-23.

Barbados Barbados 243-2 Pride, was dropped on 13 at first slip by Leon Johnson, ( 7 8 ) . but the rightK r a i g g hander went on to Brathwaite Kraigg Brathwaite made play an attacking innings.

137 not out, an unbeaten century Thomas featured in an 85Reifer 55 not run second wicket partout. nership with Hodge.

At Brian Lara Cricket Kofi James came Academy: Trinidad 326 Raymon Reifer claimed and went quickly for 11, while all out (115). Joshua Da six wickets and scored Jahmar Hamilton (48) and Silva 73, Yanic Cariah an unbeaten fifty Terrance Ward (46*) added 85 72, Jeremey Solozano 66. more runs for the fifth wicket.

Sherman Lewis 5-43.

The Harpy Eagles toiled away, Windwards 1st with pacer Nial Smith taking 2-89 in Innings 98 all out. Alick 24 overs, which had three maidens.

Athanaze 33. Anderson Gudakesh Motie had 2-93 in 40 overs, Phillip 4-32, Jayden which had nine maidens.

Seales 3-31. Windward The third day bowls off today from 2nd Innings 32-3. Devon 10:00h Eastern Caribbean time.

Smith 12. Anderson Meanwhile, in the other match, West Phillip 2-15.

Indies captain Kraigg Brathwaite scored

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2022

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

GFF honours referees for 2021

CPL CEO Pete Russell with a CPL display in the Pegasus Hotel lobby

Hero CPL showcases Guyana as must-visit destination See story on page 23

Page 22

Referee Sherwin Johnson receiving his FIFA badge

Guyana among countries negotiating to host CPL 2022

Page 23

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