Guyana Times -- Thursday, January 19, 2023

Guatemala to help Guyana revive sugar industry

…to set up Embassy in March

Anumber of countries, including the Latin American country of Guatemala, are interested in helping Guyana to return the sugar industry to profitability. Guatemala is in fact slated to set up an embassy here in just a couple of months.

During a press conference held on Tuesday to mark his return from India, President Dr Irfaan Ali spoke about international interest expressed in helping Guyana make the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) profitable. One of those countries is Guatemala.

“In March, Guatemala is establishing their embassy here; a full presence here. And they’re also very interested in supporting us in terms of sugar and GuySuCo,” President Ali explained to the media as he explained the necessity for

bringing technical experts into GuySuCo.

Guatemala is the second largest exporter of sugar in Latin America, and the fifth largest exporter in the world. With Guatemala being a sugar producer in its own right, it can provide technical expertise to GuySuCo.

“In relation to GuySuCo, we have to bring in technical expertise,” he declared.

“We’ve been open to Private Sector involvement, and any Private Sector involvement we’ve had expressions of interest, but now we have to work on getting the technical capability to support our local management team to push this company faster into profitability. Guatemala is also interested in this,” he said.

The former A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Government had closed the

Wales Sugar Estate in 2016, and subsequently shut down the Enmore, Rose Hall and Skeldon Estates. This resulted in thousands of jobs being lost, and only Uitvlugt, Blairmont and Albion Estates being in operation.

The People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) had promised on the campaign trail to reopen these estates, and within weeks of being in office, had taken steps in this direction. This included the Administration inviting Expressions of Interest (EoIs) from investors. According to the invitation for EoIs, “A joint venture, partnerships, or a leasing arrangement on the now reopened vested sugar estates at Enmore, Rose Hall and Skeldon, and also on the operational sugar estates at Uitvlugt, Blairmont and Albion…” were being sought.

The notice invited “… interests from the Private Sector to participate in different forms in the ownership or operations of GuySuCo.”

After taking office in 2020, the (PPP/C) Government had also announced, in the Emergency Budget presented in September 2020, that some $5 billion would be injected into the sugar industry for the phased reopening of the closed estates. GuySuCo was allocated a further $2 billion in Budget 2021 by the PPP/C Government for capital works to be undertaken at the various estates to help in the turnaround of the sugar industry. Last year, GuySuCo received $1 billion in supplementary funding from the Government. In

budget 2023, $4 billion has been allocated.

According to Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh in his budget speech, the Government remains committed to the revitalisation and restructuring of the sugar industry to support a diversified and modernised sector, ensuring its sustainability and economic viability.

Singh also said that, in 2022, Government advanced the recapitalisation of Albion Estate, which was flooded, and Blairmont Estate. “We remodelled the marketing and sales mix to move away from bulk sugar to packaged higher value-added sugar,” he said. This year, he added, in support of the sugar industry and those who work in that industry, the Government has allocat-

ed $4 billion for GuySuCo. This amount is expected to finance, among other things, the start of construction of the Albion Packaging Plant and the expansion of the capacity of the Blairmont Packaging Plant.

“We have also targeted, sir, the acquisition of a drying machine to improve the quality of our packaged sugar, and the acquisition and deployment of a stick packaging machine to offer a smaller sachet of sugar to meet the needs of premium markets,” Finance Minister Dr Singh has said.

Additionally, Dr Singh pointed out that it is anticipated that grinding operations at Rose Hall would commence in the second crop of 2023, “and smoke will once again rise from the chimneys” at the estates, he has promised. (G3)

The Guatemala flag

President Dr Irfaan Ali

BRIDGE OPENINGS

The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Thursday, January 19 –02:30h-04:00h and Friday, January 20 – 03:00h-04:30h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Thursday, January 19 –14:20h-15:50h and Friday, January 20 – 15:10h-16:40h.

FERRY SCHEDULE

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

WEATHER TODAY

Sunny conditions are expected throughout the day, with clear skies at night. Temperatures should range between 21 degrees Celsius and 29 degrees Celsius.

Winds: North North-Easterly to East NorthEasterly between 1.78 metres and 4.92 metres.

High Tide: 14:34h reaching a maximum height of 2.55 metres.

Low Tide: 08:05h and 20:44h reaching minimum heights of 0.86 metre and 0.61 metre.

THURSDAY, JANUARY 19, 2023 |

3 settlements for Linden-Soesdyke Highway to relocate squatters – Pres Ali …urges

As the Guyana Government looks to regularise housing developments across the country, President Dr Irfaan Ali on Wednesday announced that three new planned settlements would be established along the Soesdyke-Linden Highway to relocate scores of squatters currently occupying lands there.

The highway is currently lined with hundreds of persons who have illegally taken up residence in scattered areas, and in some cases forming an entire irregularised community. Previously, authorities have regularised some of these communities, but persons have started to expand those areas, thus continuing the squatting culture.

During a visit to several communities along the

conditions. So, we all have to make sacrifices… We can’t have squatter settlements if we want better for our children, for yourselves. You can’t go to the bank with squatting lands, so let’s work on getting you to a legally planned area,” the Guyanese Leader declared.

Works are currently underway to identify the three locations – approximately 200 acres – for these new regularised settlements. In fact, he disclosed that an exercise is currently being conducted to ascertain where large swathes of leased lands are being unoccupied and recover those for development purposes along the highway.

One of the new squatting areas that have emerged in recent years along the Highway is called Circuit, where some

which could include reducing the land space per household to regularise the area into a developed settlement based on lands legally available.

However, President Ali explained that due to the development of Guyana’s first smart urban centre, ‘Silica City’, along the Soesdyke-Linden Highway, the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission (GL&SC) team would have to examine the plan for the project and ascertain whether the squatting area falls within the boundaries of it.

If that is the case, then an alternative location nearby would be looked at, he informed the residents.

Employment

Moreover, President Ali told residents that soon construction will commence on the first 100 homes within Silica City, and there will be employment opportunities for young people.

“[For those] who want to work in the construction sector, we are building a number of houses in this area… 100 homes we starting [to construct] very soon. They need workers. They need skilled, semi-skilled and unskilled workers,” he posited.

Soesdyke-Linden Highway on Wednesday afternoon, President Ali declared that this practice of squatting has to stop.

“So what we’re going to do in the entire highway, we are establishing three planned settlements, where we’re going to move all the squatters to planned settlements so you can have proper roads, proper water, proper electricity, proper school, proper health services. But you just can’t continue expanding the squatting. It can’t happen, and then you complain about the condition [when] you’re creating the condition… We have to stop the squatting on the highway,” the Head of State stressed.

Housing developments

He went on to disclosed that by the end the first quarter of this year, those three planned housing developments would be identified and works would commence to prepare them for regularised occupancy. The President stated that there will be a holistic approach to development of the Soesdyke-Linden Highway.

“A lot of new squatters coming on the highway… and you cannot deal with development in a haphazard way… You have to do what is right. We have to learn to do what is right also… So, we’re going to move all the squatters into formalised housing… [where] the infrastructure will be built around those settlements to take care of the children and elderly and everybody.

“I want you to live under good conditions, and I want you to have your children grow up under good conditions. We can’t grow up and live properly under squatting

320 households of about 700 persons are currently residing illegally. During a brief engagement with the occupants there on Wednesday, President Ali pointed out that there has to be a compromise on the way forward.

This was after the residents expressed a desire to stay within the area, or be relocated somewhere nearby.

In fact, they indicated that they are willing to make necessary adjustments to remain where they currently squat,

“So, they can discuss with you what [lands you] have here and what are options close by…Let us work together in bringing some planned developments. In that way, you can get all the good facilities – water, electricity, proper roads, and the value of these areas to improve tremendously,” he stated.

Further, the Head of State reassured that farmers who will be affected by this project and will have to relocate would be lent the necessary assistance by Government to help them build up new lands to continue farming.

The Head of State tasked Housing and Water Minister Collin Croal, along with Minister with responsibility for Public Affairs, Kwame McCoy, with compiling a list of all those persons who are interested in these jobs, and pass the list on to the contractors so that they can be hired to work close by.

The Silica City is a brainchild of President Ali, who had proposed the establishment of a secondary city in the country while serving as Housing Minister in 2013. So far, there has been tremendous interest from countries and top international companies from around the world on the development of Silica City. (G8)

youth to take up employment to construct 1st 100 homes at Silica City

President Dr Irfaan Ali and other Ministers during a community meeting in Kuru Kururu village Wednesday afternoon

President Ali engaging residents during his walk-through exercise at Yarrowkabra on Wednesday

Editor: Tusika Martin

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Charity: helping each other

Every year, Guyana joins with the rest of the world to observe International Day of Charity.

The day and its observations were chosen to commemorate the anniversary of the passing of Mother Teresa of Calcutta, who received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979 “for work undertaken in the struggle to overcome poverty and distress, which also constitute a threat to peace.”

In any society that we dwell or live in, there will always be pockets of persons who are desirous of help in one form or the other. Poverty is not just limited to Third World or Developing countries, it is a global phenomenon that exists in even the richest of countries. Experts have articulated that once there is a disparity in the distribution of wealth, poverty would always be prevalent.

In as much as the causality may be open to debate and interpretation, the actuality of the condition remains, and the onus on the rectification of same should not lie solely on the governing institutions in place.

All of the world’s religions prescribe for the need to render assistance in one way or another to those who are less fortunate. It was built into our cultural systems, and that knowledge was passed down from generation to generation.

However, this traditional norm, as we would describe it, has somewhat been diluted with the passage of time and with the modernist take on cultural assimilation.

Invariably, the day-to-day existence and the proverbial rat-race to pursue wealth generation as a medium to transcend class stratification has meant that the majority of families have focused more on building themselves over expending resources to help persons outside of their social ambit.

Nevertheless, according to the UN, “notions of volunteerism and philanthropy provide real social bonding and contribute to the creation of inclusive and more resilient societies. Charity can alleviate the worst effects of humanitarian crises, supplement public services in health care, education, housing and child protection. It assists the advancement of culture, science, sports, and the protection of cultural and natural heritage. It also promotes the rights of the marginalised and underprivileged, and spreads the message of humanity in conflict situations.”

There is no denying the benevolence of NGOs and other non-profit organisations that have contributed tremendously towards the social upliftment of those in need.

But their help is contextualised on a more macro scale. Beyond the support of the State, there is supposed to be the support of thy neighbour, the support of the village, the support from those who have enough that sharing would not have any effect on their economic footprint.

How do we ensure or bring about a resurgence in providing service to those in need? Well, fundamentally, it should start at the level of our education and upbringing. Just as how we are taught togetherness and tolerance among all ethnicities in school; education catered towards inculcating formative values that enshrine the need for us to care for each other must also be incorporated in the teaching curriculum from an early age.

We cannot account for the behavioural change in persons who are already entrenched with a particular perspective of thinking, but we can inculcate within the malleable minds of our young ones the need for them to extend their social and economic responsibilities beyond the confines of the family structure.

The bigger picture is that we are all interconnected.

Support to sugar industry reiterates Government’s seriousness

Dear Editor,

The Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) believes that the 2023 National Budget, presented under the theme “Improving Lives Today, Building Prosperity for Tomorrow”, will further extend and enhance the ongoing efforts of the Government to advance the welfare of all Guyanese.

We recognise that the policies and programmes being elucidated offer several benefits and improvements to our citizens, and it is clear to us that the lives of our people are at the centre of the policy-making process. In this regard, our Union joins several organisations and individuals in welcoming Budget 2023, which has much in store for our nation.

We also congratulate the Government and its pro-development vision, which articulates an exciting and prosperous future for all.

Pro-people’s policies will enhance national well-being.

The nation’s largest ever budget has provided support to every area of national life. It indicates that considerable thought and effort were paid to ensure that every Guyanese man, woman and child benefits and enjoys the economic development taking place. We have taken note of the emphasis to ensure equitable and sustainable development; greater access to resources, to enhance our well-being; and improved attention to promoting safety and security. Additionally, the building of a strong, robust and diversified foundation clearly demonstrates that the future will be exciting.

In addressing workers and our ordinary people, we have taken note of several measures advanced by Budget 2023 to improve disposable income, bringing the aspirations of our people within reach, and ensuring that our people are safeguarded. Against that background, our Union welcomes the improvement in the income tax threshold.

While we have heard some views, in the context of the challenging macro environment, it is a laudable advance-

ment. The GAWU, however, does not see the tax threshold in isolation, but takes into account several other initiatives advanced and sustained by Budget 2023. The extension of the freight charges’ computation for imported commodities and the undertaking that the gains from this relief would be passed on to our ordinary people are significant.

Similarly, we note the extension of the excise tax waivers on fuel, mitigating the full effect of rising fuel prices. Those two measures, together with the income tax adjustment, equate to several billion dollars. Moreover, continued support to the electricity and water sectors, to maintain tariffs despite rising operating costs, is a serious measure aimed at curtailing the cost-of-living. Additionally, considering improvements to the school child grant, old-age pension and public assistance, reduction in duties on vehicles, among other things, it is recognised that our people have secured substantial gains. Apart from those measures, the investments in health, education, housing, water, and social services enhance our collective well-being. Similarly, the substantial provisions for infrastructure we hold will go a far way in reducing infrastructural deficits.

Considered in aggregate, Budget 2023 offers to our people many benefits and substantial gains. It provides unlocked resources that would make our lives better, and build a stronger Guyana.

Support for sugar reverses assaults of the past Our Union has also recognised the Budget’s focus to return the sugar industry to a viable and sustainable position. Against that background, the Budget has appropriated the sum of four billion dollars ($4B) towards the ongoing efforts to modernise and enhance the industry’s capital stock.

It is apposite to recognise that the support comes after there were clear efforts under the former Government to paralyse the industry to the point of no return, which we believe was in execu-

tion of its narrow, biased political agenda. This year, we note, investments will be focused on improving the industry’s packaging capacity and furthering mechanisation. Together, they will play a meaningful role in enhancing efficiency, augmenting revenue, and diversifying the product base. These we hold are essential elements to safeguard the industry and, undoubtedly, the thousands of Guyanese who depend on its operation.

Additionally, the GAWU has noted His Excellency President Dr. Mohammed Irfaan Ali’s disclosure that experts from India and Guatemala are being solicited to enhance the capabilities of GuySuCo. Our Union had, in the past, advanced the need for the industry’s technical and managerial capacity to be enhanced. At this time, we look forward to learning more about these developments. The GAWU recognises, too, that known enemies of the industry have called for its further minimisation. Such contentions, we hold, are clearly misguided and intended to create mischief. The absence of any recognition of the wider socio-economic contribution of the industry has largely been ignored. Similarly, the efforts to improve productivity, reduce costs, and enhance revenues have possibly been conveniently and deliberately ignored.

In the GAWU’s view, Budget 2023 is evidently one crafted and geared at bringing about betterment for the Guyanese people, and tangibly realising the Government’s vision of a “One Guyana” by improving lives today and building prosperity for tomorrow. It also keeps an eye on the future, as it proposes investments that would augment our infrastructure, expand our economic base, and build a more resilient and cohesive society. Taken in totality, we laud Budget 2023, and believe the programmes would enhance the well-being of all Guyanese.

Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU)

Sincerely,

President Dr Irfaan Ali received a courtesy visit from the United Nations’ Director for the Americas Division in the Departments of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and Peace Operations, Laura Flores at State House, on Tuesday (Office of the President)

If only people just met some of their most basic obligations

Dear Editor,

As the nation continues to deal with political drama, and the world reels under a now-threeyear-long assault by a virus, the Earth continues to evolve into a dangerously inhospitable environment. Temperatures are increasing, climate change-driven wildfires have scorched the Earth’s surface from Australia to the American West — to the even larger pile-up of trash in the ocean — to the Arctic, all adding more greenhouse gases to the atmosphere.

I look around and I see litter as a part of a long continuum of anti-social behaviour. Is there no pride in having a clean city? In my previous article, I men -

tioned that environmental issues within themselves are challenging, but when politics, bigotry and racism are thrown in the mix, the result can be disastrous.

The mayor of our city, Pt. Ubraj Narine, has proved exactly this. His bigoted, arrogant and cowardly behaviour is evidence of how we, as a ‘progressing’ community, have been left staggering behind. Integrity, insight and inclusiveness are the three essential qualities of leadership, none of which the mayor of our country possesses. His recent behaviour has been shameful and appalling; more so, the influence that comes with his stature is extremely dangerous to his followers. Not only is he

misleading them, but he is also inciting Islamophobia, hate and racism.

I have been living in Guyana all my life as a Muslim, and I never faced religious hate crime or Islamophobia, nor would I think in a million years this would have happened in such a respectful and open-minded society. To see an ‘influential’ leader spewing hate that Guyana is an Islamic state due to the religious beliefs of President Irfaan Ali is merely pathetic.

Additionally, I am even more shocked and hurt at those who agree with his Islamophobic statement. One of the biggest problems for Guyanese is the direction in which our coun -

try is headed due to poor leadership of our past Government. This problem has been affecting our people deeply over the last few years, and is only going to get worse. The leaders of the City Hall created a culture of deception and promote misconduct that can take years to undo. It is disgraceful that the City Council has had our country like this, and what is more shameful was the mayor’s decision to boycott it.

Adapting to the realities of climate change will be expensive, but not confronting this head-on and in as unified a manner as possible will endanger lives and disrupt food chains and biospheres. The world cannot

afford that, Guyana cannot afford that.

As the season of tourism beckons, guests will come, and they will see us with all our shame. We are trashy people. To see His Excellency, President Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali, Honorable Sarah-Ann Lynch tourists, diplomats and ambassadors, expatriates and important officials from the Private Sector cleaning up our mess is literally humiliating. They must be applauded for their efforts, because while we are ignoring or contributing to the mountains of trash that stain our city, they took the initiative to clean up after us from their own goodwill. This is not their home, and to see strangers

and outsiders doing what citizens are meant to do is embarrassing.

Let us resolve to solve a problem that could be easily corrected if only people just met some of their most basic obligations. What is so difficult about waiting to find a trash receptacle rather than tossing garbage out? Or putting out one’s trash for collection rather than dumping it somewhere and making it someone else’s problem?

Fighting for change calls for innovation, cooperation, and will power to make the changes that the world needs.

Respectfully,

Nazar Mohamed Businessman

Mired in direct cash transfer fallacy

Dear Editor,

The minute Guyanese first heard the news that Guyana struck liquid gold, a few Guyanese have been licking their tongues, smacking their lips, rubbing their palms, rolling their eyes, and have started to dream about becoming overnight millionaires, without having to raise a finger, move a foot, or rub their heads anymore; and not pondering how to make ends meet with the honest earnings from their blood, sweat and tears!

This illusion took shape in the form of exploiting the imagined opportunity of staying at home and receiving free money from the Government, without the burdened effort of physically working for a living. Yes, the thought of receiving the suggested $1,000,000 annually per household is more than what low-income Guyanese are taking home. This desirous gift, wanting a boon dropped in the lap of the minimal minority, would resolve all their burdens and financial problems!

This policy may qualify the economic theory of Direct Cash Transfer from the Oil and Gas revenue as a potential contributor towards the possibility of reducing (eliminating?) poverty. Mind you, no one is quantifying the basis of direct cash transfer on “condition”, but are rather evading the topic by not even mentioning about it being “conditional.”

It’s interesting to note the comments offered by those who are not supporters of the PPP/C party. Wading through the muddy field back in 2019 during the “Sanctimonious Granger” dictatorship, the Elder lent his ear to listen to

the uncanny music made by the disturbing bugle trumpeting the distorting sound of distant dissonance, while trying to synchronise with the accompanying drummers, each beating a different rhythm. He had expressed the view that “any increase of State revenues, whether it be from oil, gold, or whatever, those additional resources should concentrate on seven specific areas”.

Incidentally, none of them stipulated direct cash transfer.

While he admired the likes of Dr. Clive Thomas, Dr. David Hinds and Lincoln Lewis, he admonished them and sounded a warning (alarming?) in 2019 by advocating that the question of “cash transfer” is mired in interpretation. He even illustrated a valid lesson he learnt of “not spoiling people who are unwilling to help themselves.” The senior citizen, as a teacher and preacher, advised Guyanese to turn to the Bible for guidance. “There is instructive stories to the sower - Jesus tells us to choose the kind of soil that we would like to sow our faith on.”

Former President Granger proudly advocated the practice of “teaching a man to fish, instead of giving him a fish.” At a New York town hall meeting back in 2019, the media reported former Foreign Affairs Minister Dr Karen Cummings as saying, “President Granger is not in support of giving handouts, but tying revenue from oil and gas to developmental policies and programmes, such as free education.”

Back in August 2018, one of the local news agencies quoted former Finance Minister Winston Jordan as using this maxim to convey

his perception of direct cash transfer, “Teach a man to fish, and he can feed himself for a lifetime. Give him one every other day, he will remain dependent.”

Again, in 2018, former AFC member, attorney-at-law Nigel Hughes, warned a large gathering at Friendship Primary School that cash transfers could be used by politicians to manipulate voters. The media also quoted him saying, “My fear is that if we start to talk about giving people cash, we are opening the doors to politicians to say ‘I will give you more cash than the next one’, and you end up with a ridiculous election campaign of people being irresponsible about development, because it becomes a competition about who can give more.” He added, “I welcome that discussion, but I think we need to drag it to data, otherwise we are going to be dazzled by the fantastic promises that are going to come from the political pulpit unrelated to reality and economic sustainability, and that is a dangerous place.”

Some studies done internationally by different research institutes in a number of countries reveal adverse outcomes from direct cash transfers: reduced labour market participation; reduced economic activity; lack of insurance or savings; increased risky health behaviours, such as drinking, smoking and drug abuse, gambling, domestic upheavals, complacency, growth stagnation, etc. The distribution system may incur, exhibit, and encourage diversion, theft and corruption.

The Government’s take is that cash transfers already exist in a number of areas: cash grants to every

child in the sum of $40,000 annually; $33,000 to pensioners; $16,000 for Public Assistance; $600,000 for dialysis patients; $100,000 for disability persons, etc. Also, in cash and kind, the Government is rolling out housing subsidies, free cement, low interest rates with the banks, GOAL scholarships, free fertilizer for farmers, compensation for displaced sugar workers, fisher-folks, flood relief, COVID-19 relief, etc.

Hinterland and riverine households enjoy special grants. Linden folks enjoy subsidised electricity. Pensioners enjoy free water.

The PPP/C Government wants to empower Guyanese not only from the already mentioned media, but more specifically by creating innumerable job opportunities, building houses, giving them accessible education, providing free health services in each village, etc.

The 2023 record-breaking $781.9 billion Budget expansively, extensively and exhaustively covers all the mammoth projects to be implemented this year so as to bring relief measures, reduce the cost of living, and provide and protect the man in the street.

According to Dr. Tara Singh, former UG senior lecturer, “These programmes make a person feel useful to society. Let’s be clear! If anyone is considered useless, no one would want to associate with him/her. We empower people with jobs, housing, education, a safe environment, social amenities and psychological comfort. These tools build self-esteem to restore confidence in people, and not necessarily handouts.

“The PPP/C Government has been spending massive sums in these areas in the

short while of their governance. This is more than what the former administration did in their five years of prolonged agony to the Guyanese people. President Ali does not want to develop an entitlement society.

The Government has clearly stated that it is not averse to cash grants, like in cases of flood, medical facilitation etc., but not as a national policy. In order for Guyanese to believe, identify, and build confidence in themselves, the values

just cited are the channels to make them resourceful. This Government is providing all the infrastructure to motivate Guyanese to get up, not lie down, work and earn so that they can eat, drink, be merry and be productive to society.

Like the labour man said, “When you pull out the oil, it finish. Is not like, bora, ochro and callaloo that you can plant back.”

Yours respectfully, Jai Lall

Question 1:

Foundation

The Nature of Abstract Art

The Nature of Abstract Art

The nature of Abstract Art

The Nature of Abstract Art

Lloyd Wright was inspired by the Sonoran Desert’s long, low sweeping lines, upward-tilting planes, surface patterns in plants and animals, and abstraction in line and color. Wright found color, pattern, and dimension in the rattlesnake, Gila monster, the cholla, saguaro cactus, and

MATERIALS NEEDED

• Nature’s bounty around you—a leaf, flower, rock, wood, etc.

Graph paper or regular paper

• Pencil & colored pencils

MATERIALS NEEDED

• Nature’s bounty around you—a leaf, flower, rock, wood, etc.

• Graph paper or regular paper

• Geometric shapes: circle, rectangle, square, triangle, oval, etc.

• Magnifying glass (optional)

Step 1:

• Pencil & colored pencils

• Geometric shapes: circle, rectangle, square, triangle, oval, etc.

• Magnifying glass (optional)

MATERIALS

• Nature’s wood, • Graph • Pencil

• Geometric triangle, • Magnifying Step

The organic material and organisms you observe can be found in almost every backyard! It could be a rock, soil, lizard, flower, or the back of a leaf. Leaves, for example, have very interesting patterns, especially on the underside. When you use your magnifying glass to look at the underside of a leaf, you will notice little pores called stomata. The leaf’s stomata are like the pores that humans or animals have on their skin. All living organisms exchange water or gases through their pores. Plants are the same. By using sunlight, plants exchange gases to convert carbon dioxide and water into carbohydrates and oxygen. That process is called photosynthesis.

Step 2:

Step 1:

The organic material and organisms you observe can be found in almost every backyard! It could be a rock, soil, lizard, flower, or the back of a leaf. Leaves, for example, have very interesting patterns, especially on the underside. When you use your magnifying glass to look at the underside of a leaf, you will notice little pores called stomata. The leaf’s stomata are like the pores that humans or animals have on their skin.

All living organisms exchange water or gases through their pores. Plants are the same. By using sunlight, plants exchange gases to convert carbon dioxide and water into carbohydrates and oxygen. That process is called photosynthesis.

The organic found in flower, or interesting use your you will are like All living pores. Plants gases to and oxygen.

Pick one organic material (like a rock or piece of wood) or organism (like a flower or leaf) to draw. Using a piece of graph paper, create an arrangement of geometric shapes on the paper to represent your subject and create an abstract picture. Have fun, be creative, and add some color to it!

FROM WEDNESDAY

CONTINUED

When the day came for the sentence to be carried out, it was also the last day of the six years during which she had not been permitted to speak or to laugh, and she had thus delivered her dear brothers from the magic curse. The six shirts were finished. Only the left sleeve of the last one was missing. When she was led to the stake, she laid the shirts on her arm. Standing there, as the fire was about to be lighted, she looked around, and six swans came flying through the air. Seeing that their redemption was

Step 2:

Pick one organic material (like a rock or piece of wood) or organism (like a flower or leaf) to draw. Using a piece of graph paper, create an arrangement of geometric shapes on the paper to represent your subject and create an abstract picture. Have fun, be creative, and add some color to it!

near, her heart leapt with joy.

The swans rushed towards her, swooping down so that she could throw the shirts over them. As soon as the shirts touched them their swan-skins fell off, and her brothers stood before her in their own bodies, vigorous and handsome. However, the youngest was missing his left arm. In its place he had a swan’s wing.

They embraced and kissed one another. Then the queen went to the king, who was greatly moved, and she began to speak, saying,

By The BroThers Grimm

“Dearest husband, now I may speak and reveal to you that I am innocent, and falsely accused.”

Then she told him of the treachery of the old woman who had taken away their three children and hidden them.

Then to the king’s great joy they were brought forth. As a punishment, the wicked motherin-law was tied to the stake and burned to ashes. But the king and the queen with her six brothers lived many long years in happiness and peace.

WORD SEARCH

Step Pick one organism graph paper, the paper picture.

Frank

in many other plants and animals in the desert. He then incorporated those patterns and lines into his architecture. Frank Lloyd Wright once said, “Study nature, love nature, and stay close to nature. It will never fail you.” In this short activity, you will create your own abstract art piece by using nature!

Frank Lloyd Wright was inspired by the Sonoran Desert’s lines, upward-tilting planes, surface patterns in plants abstraction in line and color. Wright found color, pattern, rattlesnake, Gila monster, the cholla, saguaro cactus, and animals in the desert. He then incorporated those architecture. Frank Lloyd Wright once said, “Study nature, close to nature. It will never fail you.” In this short activity, own abstract art piece by using nature!

Frank Lloyd Wright was inspired by the Sonoran Desert’s long, low sweeping lines, upward-tilting planes, surface patterns in plants and animals, and abstraction in line and color. Wright found color, pattern, and dimension in the rattlesnake, Gila monster, the cholla, saguaro cactus, and in many other plants and animals in the desert. He then incorporated those patterns and lines into his architecture. Frank Lloyd Wright once said, “Study nature, love nature, and stay close to nature. It will never fail you.” In this short activity, you will create your own abstract art piece by using nature!

NRF Board now in control of Natural Resource Fund

Based on the Natural Resource Fund (NRF) Act 2021, it is the Board of Directors appointed by the President who will have operational control of the NRF. On Monday, the Bank of Guyana signed an agreement to officially hand over that control to the Board.

According to Section 5 (6) (d) of the Act, the Board is required to enter into an operational agreement with the Bank so that management of the Fund can change hands. This agreement was signed on Wednesday, just two days after the reading of the 2023 Budget.

On Wednesday, in a statement, the Finance Ministry explained that Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh oversaw the signing, which was done by Central Bank Governor, Dr Gobind Ganga and NRF Board Chairman, Major General (Retired) Joe Singh.

“One of the key amendments in the NRF Act 2021 was strengthening the governance architecture of the Fund through the establishment of a Board of Directors tasked with the overall management of the Fund, reviewing and approving the policies of the Fund and monitoring its performance;

thereby separating the management of the Fund from the Minister responsible for Finance.

“In addition, a nine-member Public Accountability and Oversight Committee (PAOC), responsible for providing non-governmental oversight of the operations of the Fund, replaced the cumbersome 22-member committee previously proposed. The Board of Directors and PAOC members were appointed in August 2022,” the Ministry explained.

In keeping with the re-

quirement of the NRF Act, notifications of receipts of petroleum revenues have been published in the Official Gazette and tabled in Parliament since April 2022.

“Prior to the signing of the Operational Agreement, Minister Singh provided policy guidance to the Board of Directors of the Natural Resource Fund, with Budget 2023 having been presented on Monday, January 16, 2023,” the Ministry said.

It was pointed out by the Finance Ministry that

Opening bank accounts now made simpler for low-risk customers

The process for low-income earners to open accounts at any of the local commercial banks has now been made simpler and hassle-free.

During his presentation of Budget 2023 earlier this week, Finance Minister, Dr Ashni Singh reiterated the Government’s commitment to making financial products and services readily

accessible to citizens and people living and working in Guyana.

“We have launched, recently, an initiative designed to simplify the process of opening a bank account for low-risk customers. This is expected to ease the hassle that these customers typically encounter, promote deeper intermediation, and facili-

tate greater financial inclusion,” the Finance Minister stated.

Only last week, the measures for the local banks to simplify financial services were published in the Official Gazette and according to Bank of Guyana (BoG) Governor, Dr Gobind Ganga, they took effect immediately.

TURN TO PAGE 15

the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Article IV Mission Report that was released in September 2022, had commended the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Government on the amendments made to the NRF Act.

“The NRF Act was strengthened recently. After a thorough review, and while restraining the spending of the oil receipts, the authorities amended the NRF Act in December 2021. The recent amendments set clear ceilings on withdrawals from the Fund for budgetary

spending,” the IMF had said.

Also witnessing the signing of the Operational Agreement were members of the Board of Directors Ambassador Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, Professor Compton Bourne, OE and Dunstan Barrow, CCH, along with Chief Accountant of the Bank of Guyana, Maurice Munro.

The recent $781.9 billion budget was financed for the first time by both oil and climate funds. Prior to the date for the budget even being announced, it had been revealed earlier this month that a total of US$1 billion (G$200 billion) would be made available from the NRF for use in the Budget.

Last year’s Budget was the first time Guyana had used oil funds to finance a national budget. In fact, the Government made three withdrawals from the Fund last year to finance Guyana’s national development plans. These withdrawals amounted to US$607.6 million (G$126 billion) overall.

The funds from the NRF have their origins in the Stabroek Block – Guyana’s only block currently producing oil. The Block is 6.6 million acres (26,800 square kilometres). Exxon, through its local affiliate Esso Exploration and Production

Guyana Ltd (EEPGL), is the operator and holds 45 per cent interest in the Block.

Hess Guyana Exploration Ltd holds 30 per cent interest and CNOOC Petroleum Guyana Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of CNOOC Limited, holds the remaining 25 per cent interest.

The company is currently undertaking four production projects – Liza 1, Liza 2, Payara, and Yellowtail – in the oil-rich block. It is estimated that when the Yellowtail development project comes on stream, production will climb to 810,000 barrels per day (bpd) by 2027. The US oil major anticipates at least six Floating Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessels in operation by 2030.

Section 3 (1) of the NRF Act 2021, Act No 19 of 2021, which was assented to by President Dr Irfaan Ali on December 30, 2021, establishes the NRF to manage the natural resource wealth of Guyana for the present and future benefit of the people in an effective and efficient manner and in accordance with the principles of good governance, transparency, accountability, and international best practices, including the Santiago Principles. (G3)

Central Bank Governor, Dr Gobind Ganga (left) and NRF Board Chairman, Major General (Retired) Joe Singh as they exchange the agreement while overseen by Finance Minister, Dr Ashni Singh

WBD man on trial for killing ex-girlfriend

Hospital (WDRH), where she was pronounced dead on arrival.

Fiffee was immediately taken into custody. It was reported that after the couple had separated, Rosemary had wanted to rekindle the relationship, but Fiffee had refused.

Back in 2006, the

woman’s brother Fenton Rudder, and grandmother Hannah Cameron, along with a third person, David Brummel, were shot and killed after gunmen invaded their home at Agricola, Greater Georgetown. After shooting the trio to death, the gunmen had set the house on fire. (G1)

Across the aisle… …on the Budget

Bus driver Lurick Fiffee, a resident of Westminster, West Bank Demerara, was yesterday arraigned before Justice Simone MorrisRamlall and a jury in the Demerara High Court on an indictment alleging that he murdered his ex-girlfriend Rosemary Rudder on March 31, 2018 in the county of Demerara.

Represented by Attorney Dexter Todd, the 43-yearold Fiffee has denied the charge. State Counsel Muntaz Ali, Marisa Edwards, and Edrianna Stephens are prosecuting the matter.

Based on reports received, the late Rosemary

Rudder, a mother of two, had gone to Fiffee’s home and had seen another woman in the house.

This had led to a heated argument between her and the accused, and it quickly escalated into a scuffle.

The minibus driver had subsequently left the 32-year-old woman lying motionless and went to the La Grange Police Station, WBD, where he lodged a complaint.

The Police travelled to the home, only to find the woman’s lifeless body in the house. It is believed that she was strangled.

The woman’s body was picked up and taken to the West Demerara Regional

2 facing Judge, jury over attempt to kill security guard during robbery

Your Eyewitness was a bit flip about the Opposition Leader’s comment that the Budget just delivered was “Dead Meat”. But, then again, the statement wasn’t exactly seriously analytical!! And that’s why your Eyewitness felt he was just “throwin’ talk” at the beleaguered AFC leader!! But, thankfully, the LoO did expand on this facile assessment, cause this is critical in a parliamentary democracy. As a matter of fact, the Opposition’s primary role in our governmental setup is to present itself as a “Government in waiting”proposing alternatives to Government’s policies so we, the people, would consider voting for them at the next elections.

One site reported that the LoO criticised the Government’s “temporary job” programme wherein thousands across the country collect $40,000 monthly for 10 days of some “made up” jobs - reminiscent of FDR’s pioneering efforts that got America out of its Great Depression. What was a bit confusing to your Eyewitness was his follow-up charge that the Budget “has no measures to stimulate manufacturing by reducing the cost of living.” Now this might be a revolutionary economic insight, but your obviously challenged Eyewitness doesn’t understand how one can “stimulate manufacturing by reducing the cost of living”!!

Isn’t our cost-of-living jump – contributing to inflation –due primarily to international supply-chain disruptions, like the wheat supplies from Ukraine that have pushed prices upwards?? How exactly can the Government reduce this apart from doing what it’s already done – subsidising the higher freight costs?? Your Eyewitness awaits the fuller explanation. Incredibly, the LoO criticised the Government’s entire direct “assistance” programme: “While I agree that there is need for assistance, one also recognises that if you are putting money into the system without measures to deal with inflation, the cost of living will go up further; and so, in some regard, this budget is recipe for increasing the cost of living of the people.”

Ajoint charge for the offence of attempting to commit murder has been read to Kevin France and Jason Howard, called “Smelly”, at their arraignment before Justice Simone Morris-Ramall and a 12-member jury in the Demerara High Court on Wednesday, January 18, 2023.

It is alleged that on October 20, 2016, at Water Street, Georgetown, these two defendants unlawfully and maliciously wounded Quacy Joseph with intent to murder him. They have both pleaded not guilty to the charge. An alternate count of discharging a loaded firearm with intent has also been presented against them.

France is on $500,000 bail pending the determination of his trial.

Howard is being represented by Attorneys Kiswana Jefford and Edrianna Stephens, while France is being represented by Attorney George Thomas. State Counsel Muntaz Ali, in association with State Counsel Marisa Edwards and Abiola Lowe, is appearing on behalf of the prosecution.

According to reports, Joseph, a security guard, was shot in his abdomen after he attempted to foil a robbery committed on a man who was relieved of $1.2M in the Electronics City branch store in the Fogarty’s Building on Water Street, Georgetown.

Unfortunately, he didn’t identify what other measures the Government could’ve introduced, since our inflation isn’t caused by the classic “too much money chasing too few goods” scenario, but is “exogenously” generated, as explained above!! Again, one awaits - with bated breathfurther potentially economically revolutionary explications. Especially when he repeated earlier Opposition calls for direct distribution of oil revenues to the people, when he claimed, “The emphasis appeared to focus on statistical economic growth rather than on disbursing monies to the people from oil revenues.” Guess the LoO’s gonna explain why the above transfers from the Consolidated Fundsaugmented by Oil Revenues from the NRF - are inflationary, but the direct cash transfers from the Fund aren’t!!

Your Eyewitness predicts that as soon as these explanations are offered during the coming Budget Debate, it’s sayonara to the PPP!!

…traumatising school kids

Your Eyewitness thought that ALL Guyanese – across all aisles – agree that education for our kids is critical for their development - and consequently for the nation’s, as we stand on the cusp of moving up, up and away!! But somebody - or bodies - out there seem determined to further some nefarious agenda of theirs by attacking schools. Most glaringly was the razing of the Christ Church Secondary School last week, and that of, St George’s last year – both in the middle of Georgetown. Before them, your Eyewitness can recall the razing of another at Mabaruma, and the OneMile Primary School at Linden.

Now comes this bomb scare at Bishops’ that had all the students disgorged into Carmichael Street - worrying whether they’ll have to be relocated to some distant building like their Christ Church colleagues. We know there are elements in the Opposition fringes who’re openly agitating for more “radical” action against the “emerging apartheid state” Government.

But Jeez!! Is terrorizing impressionable young minds the way to accomplish that?? Savages!!

…from colonialism

One of the last vestiges of British colonialism has been the retention by some of their former colonies of the British Monarch as their Head of State. “Little England” Barbados cut that tie last year, and Jamaica soon will!

Murder accused Lurick Fiffee Dead: Rosemary Rudder

Attempted murder accused Kevin France

Attempted murder accused Jason Howard

Guyana to earn US$1.6B in profit oil & royalties in 2023 – Singh

…total crude oil exports to increase by 13.6%, reach US$11.3B

Guyana is, in 2023, expected to earn US$1.6 billion in profit oil and royalties combined, buoyed by the startup of ExxonMobil’s third development in the Stabroek block - the Payara development - before the end of the year.

This disclosure was made by Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh during his reading of Budget 2023 on Monday. According to the Finance Minister, there will be 136 lifts of profit oil from the Stabroek block in 2023. Of thoses, Guyana will be entitled to 17 lifts of profit oil, the revenue from which will go into the Natural Resources Fund (NRF).

“Within this, Government is projected to have 17 lifts of profit oil from the producing FPSOs, earning an estimated (US$1.4 billion) in profit oil and US$225.2 million in royalties in 2023,” the Minister said.

“As highlighted previously, based on 2022 deposits, an estimated US$1,002.1 million, equivalent to Gy$208.9 billion, can be withdrawn from the NRF and transferred to the Consolidated Fund to support national development priorities this year,” he added.

The increased production of oil would also have an effect on Guyana’s trade, with export earnings estimated to increase by 13.8 percent to U$12.9 billion. Specifically, crude oil exports are expected to increase by 13.6 percent to US$11.3 billion.

“The Current Account is anticipated to register a lower surplus of US$3,507 million, as import payments are projected to increase by 52.8 percent to US$5,536.4 million with Guyana’s third FPSO (Floating, Production, Storage and Offloading vessel), Prosperity, expected to arrive this year,” he also said.

When it comes to how

the oil and gas sector performed last year, Dr. Singh noted that the sector is estimated to have expanded by 124.8 percent in 2022, with a total of 101.4 million barrels of oil produced, compared with 42.7 million in 2021.

“This performance is attributed to the commencement of production on our country’s second floating, production, storage and offloading (FPSO) vessel –Liza Unity – early last year. In 2022, the Liza Destiny FPSO produced crude oil at an average rate of approximately 128,000 barrels per day (bpd), compared with 117,000 bpd in 2021; and the Liza Unity FPSO produced at an average rate of about 169,000 bpd, reaching a peak monthly rate of just over 233,000 bpd in December,” he said.

With nine oil discover-

ies and the startup of the Liza Phase Two, Exxon had a packed year in 2022. And this year will be an even busier year for the oil company when Payara comes on stream. In an end-of-year interview, Exxon Country Manager Alistair Routledge had said that a number of exploration wells will be drilled this year.

“We’re drilling a number of exciting exploration wells, and I look forward to the results of those. We have another major project start-up with the Payara project coming before the

end of the year, and of course many other projects and activities that continue to grow,” Routledge had said.

Exxon, through its local affiliate, Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL), is the operator and holds 45 per cent interest in the Stabroek block. Hess Guyana Exploration Ltd holds 30 per cent interest, and CNOOC Petroleum Guyana Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of CNOOC Limited, holds the remaining 25 per cent interest.

The company is currently undertaking four production projects – Liza 1, Liza 2, Payara, and Yellowtail in the oil-rich block. It is estimated that when the Yellowtail development project comes on stream, production would climb to 810,000 bpd by 2027.

The US oil major anticipates at least six Floating, Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessels in operation by 2027, with a seventh likely to be added should results from their Fangtooth-1 well appraisal be positive. (G3)

$114.9M in legal aid assistance for domestic violence victims

Asum of $114.9 million has been allocated in this year’s National Budget for the contribution of legal aid services for domestic violence victims. This was announced by Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh during his budget presentation at the Arthur Chung Convention Center on Monday.

Government’s contribution to support legal aid services increased to $114.9 million, which saw 7,597 persons benefitting from legal services in 2022. Other key initiatives included the opening of a new Child Advocacy Centre in Region Eight (PotaroSiparuni), and the launching of a parent manual to promote child development

knowledge and non-violent methods of discipline.

Additionally, two domestic violence shelters will be opened later this year. Together, these two shelters will cost a total of $27.3 million, and will provide the needed refuge for women and children fleeing violence.

Further, the

Government will continue to support Help and Shelter, given the services they provide to women and families fleeing domestic violence. The sum of $56 million is allocated for this. These all come under the Government’s no-tolerance approach to tackling violence in all forms.

The Prosperity FPSO that will service the Payara development

Potential visit by Indian PM Modi to Guyana on the cards

…VP Jagdeo to lead delegation to India next month

Apotential visit by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Guyana is on the cards for 2023, in an effort to finalise the myriad bilateral agreements and areas of cooperation between the two countries.

This was revealed by President Dr Irfaan Ali, during a press conference on Tuesday. President Ali, who spent several days in India, where he was conferred with the prestigious Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award, said the Prime Minister has expressed a strong desire to visit Guyana.

“We have expressed and the Prime Minister of India has also expressed his keen interest in visiting Guyana this year, to fast track a lot of the planning and a lot of the areas we have identified for collaboration,” President Ali said.

To help with the process of following up on these areas of cooperation, Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo will be leading a Guyanese delegation to India in February 2023. Additionally, two working groups between the two countries will be set up to advance talks.

“The Vice President will lead a delegation following up on all these areas in February to India. Because we are very, very keen on the advancement and having results from these areas,” President Ali said.

The President meanwhile explained that the need for working groups was jointly decided by him and PM Modi. He said that India has already been written to proposing names for Guyana’s side. The working groups, according to Ali, will follow the Organisation of American States (OAS) model.

“The only difference here is that in the working group, we’ll be including the Private Sector from both India and Guyana, because there’s a lot of follow up and collaboration that is required from the side of the Private Sector”

“The working group will commence work almost instantly, to push this agenda. In Guyana, for example, in agriculture, Minister Zulfikar Mustapha will be a part of the working group looking at agriculture and all we discussed,” he said.

When it comes to farming, former Agriculture Minister Dr Leslie Ramsammy would be in the working group as well. Minister within the Public Works Ministry, Deodat Indar will, meanwhile, be in the working group for technology and Natural Resources Minister Vickram Bharrat, for energy.

Tourism, Industry and Commerce Minister Oneidge Walrond will be in the working group for the Hyperbaric and Wellness Center, and Public Service Minister Sonia Parag, that

for human resource capacity building. For defence, President Ali, Chief of Staff Brigadier Godfrey Bess and National Security Advisor Captain (Retired) Gerry Gouveia will be in the working group.

73rd

Republic Day Anniversary

Meanwhile, the Indian High Commission in Georgetown is making preparations to celebrate the 73rd Anniversary of Republic Day of India on January 26, 2023. A number of activities are planned, spread over the period from Saturday, January 21 to Sunday, January 29, 2023. And while registration is compulsory, all Guyanese and Indian nationals are invited to participate. There is no entry fee.

Among the planned activities are a Kathak dance workshop on January 21 at Swami Vivekananda Cultural Centre (SVCC); rangoli competition at the SVCC on January 22 and Hindi Diwas celebrations on January 28 at the Indian Arrival Monument at Palmyra, Berbice.

Also planned are an environment awareness and tree planting drive on January 28 following the Hindi Diwas observances, a blood donation drive at Strathspey Mandir compound, East Coast Demerara (ECD) and a yoga competition on January 28 at SVCC. (G3)

“Since taking office, we have focused on numerous interventions to curb gender-based violence in our country, which are also aligned with guidelines set out by the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women,” Singh remarked.

“While Guyana continues to work towards achieving gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls, ef-

forts will be intensified toward tackling the prevalent social issue of violence against women and girls. We are committed to ensuring that Guyana is safer for all women to live, work, and enjoy a good quality of life,” he added.

In addition, the Government has implemented a number of measures that play a significant role in combatting domestic violence. These initiatives include the

“914” 24-hour hotline, the iMatter app for immediate reporting of violence, and the COPSQUAD2000 initiative which saw over 1,476 Police officers being trained to deal with domestic violence-related matters, among other interventions.

Also, the Survivor’s Advocate Programme, which is linked directly to the hotline, is used to provide counselling services to victims of abuse.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi

Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo

Preservation of public trust, safety can only be attained when justice prevails – Finance Minister

…as $6.2B allocated to strengthen justice sector

Prosecutorial Programme at the University of Guyana, increasing the number of prosecutors assigned to various courts countrywide with the aim of reducing the need for pre-trial detention,” he disclosed.

For this year, $6.2B has been allocated to the justice sector from the $789.1B National Budget, Guyana’s largest budget ever.

In his budget presentation on Monday, Senior Minister within the Office of the President, with responsibility for Finance, Dr Ashni Singh, said that in 2022 the Government spent $4.4B, and has increased that sum by $1.8B this year for the enhancement of the justice sector, which is intended to expand access to justice countrywide, while also addressing existing challenges in the system.

Concerning expanding access to justice, he added that the Kwakwani Magistrate’s Court was commissioned in 2022, while an additional eight courts –Court of Appeal, Mabaruma, Port Kaituma, Vigilance, Cove & John, Mahaicony, Bartica, and Mahdia – are

slated for completion in 2023.

Additionally, Minister Singh pointed out that Information and Communications Technology (ICT) is being deployed to improve the efficiency of the court system. In this regard, SMART courts are among the new projects intended to accelerate the provision of justice.

Additionally, an ELitigation Programme for the Court of Appeal and the Georgetown High Court, as well as a Case Management System for the Magistrates’ Courts are intended to go live in 2023. Towards these and other initiatives, $1.5 billion has been budgeted in 2023.

“Additionally, investments are being made to strengthen technical capacity to improve the efficiency of the system. In particular, 34 persons successfully completed the

He reminded that, in November 2022, the Restorative Justice Act was passed, paving the way for the use of alternative sentencing for specific categories of offences, along with the approval of an amendment to the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Control Act, allowing the removal of custodial sentences for persons in possession of 30 grammes or less of cannabis.

These measures, he noted, would all contribute to reducing the burden on the justice system.

Dr Singh said, too, that in 2023, a number of other initiatives are targeted to advance the constitutional and law reform processes. These include: the operationalising of the Constitutional Reform Commission; the work of the Law Reform Commission; the completion of the Revised Laws of Guyana, and the preparation of the Law Reports of Guyana.

“In this regard, I am pleased to announce that the new Laws of Guyana

volumes are expected to be available by June of this year. An amount of over $600 million has been provided to finance these and other initiatives. Also, in the interest of expanding the capacity of the justice sector, work will be advanced to improve the ease of access to legal education,” he told the House.

Regional law school

Having received the green light from the Council of Legal Education (CLE), the Minister said, a feasibility study will be prepared in 2023 on the establishment

of a regional law school in Guyana, within the framework of the CLE. This will cater to local, regional and extra-regional students, giv-

en the growing need for legal education in Guyana and the Caribbean, he added.

According to the Finance Minister, “The preservation of public trust and the safety of our citizens can only be attained when justice prevails for all Guyanese. In this quest, Government is unwavering in its commitment to strengthening the justice sector. Accordingly, our 2020 Manifesto measures included the reform and accountability of the criminal justice system to ensure that justice is delivered in a timely manner.” (G1)

Finance Minister, Dr Ashni Singh

Scenes from President Dr Irfaan Ali’s visit to Yarrowkabra, Kuru Kururu and other surrounding communities to discuss development and issues affecting their livelihood (Office of the President, DPI photos)

communities on the Linden-Soesdyke Highway on Wednesday where he met with residents of each community

IDB, John Fernandes sign US$4M loan agreement

into Guyana

Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Philip Fernandes and the acting IDB Group’s Country Representative for Guyana, Lorena Solorzano Salazar for the fast pace at which the agreement was finalised.

IDB Invest, the Private Sector arm of the IDB, was represented during the virtual ceremony by CEO James Scriven. Also attending was IDB Representative Solorzano. John Fernandes was represented by CEO Fernandes and others.

According to the IDB, the transaction will not only support increased cargo handling capacity from the current 33,000 twenty-foot equivalent unit (“TEU”) containers per year to 100,000 TEUs per year in 2032, but also improve the port infrastructure in Guyana. This will, in turn, contribute to timely and efficient handling of rising international commerce in the country.

The People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Government has made a concerted effort to bring down shipping costs, which have been skyrocketing globally as a result of disruptions to the supply chain caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and then the Russia-Ukraine war.

In 2021, President Dr Irfaan Ali announced several reductions to shipping-related charges to the tune of $4.8 billion in order to cush-

ion the high costs resulting from the pandemic. These measures were intended to reduce the adverse impact of increased freight costs on Customs Duties, Excise Taxes and Input VAT calculations, by reverting to pre-pandemic estimates.

While these reductions would result in the Treasury losing the consequent $4.8 billion in revenues, the President had described them as necessary for dealing with the so-

cio-economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Government had also assured that it would continue to monitor the effects on household income, the Private Sector, and the economy on the whole. An example was given where in some countries, shipping costs have moved from an average of US$2500 to as much as US$15,000 per 20-foot container and from US$3500 to over US$20,000 for a 40-foot container. (G3)

Fire scare, bomb threat at Bishops’ High School

The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and John Fernandes Limited (JFL) have signed a US$4 million loan agreement that will see Guyana getting only its second mobile handline crane (MHC), a development hailed by Finance Minister, Dr Ashni Singh for its potential to boost Guyana’s shipping capacity.

During the virtual ceremony, Dr Singh noted that the agreement not only allowed for developing the

port facilities in the country, but also signalled IDB Invest’s commitment to aggressively aiding Guyana’s development.

“He recalled that it was the same institution that only in October signed a similar loan agreement of the same cost with Muneshwers Limited for the procurement of Guyana’s first mobile crane,” a statement from the Finance Ministry on Wednesday said.

Dr Singh commended both John Fernandes’

“The IDB noted that currently, all port operations in Guyana rely on crane vessels for loading and discharging containers and that these are less efficient and have less cargo-handling capacity than an MHC.

“As such, with the incorporation of the MHC, JFL would be able to service gearless vessels that can carry a substantially greater amount of cargo and do so more efficiently due to the MHC’s ability to load and discharge containers at a higher rate,” the Finance Ministry said.

The Guyana Fire Service (GFS) has reported responding on Wednesday to a report received at 09:09h alleging that a bomb had been planted at the Bishops’ High School on Carmichael St, Georgetown.

According to the GFS,

that classes would resume at the Bishops’ High School on Thursday.

This call to the Bishops’ High School had come mere hours after the GFS had received a false report of a fire at the school on Tuesday evening at about 22:00h.

The last bomb threat

pus, which are hidden from plain sight. Attached to this bomb is a timer which can be remotely activated/deactivated”.

It was reported that the sender had also uploaded an image of the alleged handmade explosive devices, and had also stated that

shortly after the call was received, the building was evacuated and firefighters were actively on the ground investigating the report with the bomb squad.

Guyana Times has been informed that a teacher at the Bishops’ High School had reportedly received a call that a bomb was planted in the school, and she immediately informed her superiors, who called in the GFS. A full check was reportedly made around the school, and it was reported

that was made on an educational facility was in February 2019 at the University of Guyana (UG) Turkeyen Campus. A number of threats were sent to several online news outlets, which were promptly reported to the Police. This had caused UG to be placed on lock-down owing to the bomb scare.

In the threat message, the alleged sender, ‘Jack Ryan’, had stated: “I have placed 20 bombs across the University of Guyana cam-

the timer was set for eight hours before detonation.

“The bombs will be activated at exactly 15:00h unless my demands are met,” ‘Ryan’ had continued. In a subsequent message, he related that students must leave the campus, after which he would make his demands.

However, the Police conducted an investigation and no explosives were found on the campus. A UG student was later charged for the threats.

…Finance Minister lauds IDB’s “fast-paced” investment

An example of a mobile crane

Students outside the Bishops’ High School after the bomb scare on Wednesday

Police and Guyana Fire Service ranks outside the Bishops’ High School

2nd prison escapee recaptured at Bushy Park

Police find illegal gun in fisherman’s ceiling

Ramdat, a fisherman of Grove Sea Dam, East Bank Demerara, is now in Police custody after he was found with an unlicensed firearm in his home.

According to law enforcement officers attached to the Grove Police Station, acting on intelligence received on Tuesday at about 19:00h, they went to Grove Seadam and carried out a search on the premises of Ramdat, a 27-year-old fisherman, who was alone in the house. During the search, a detective found a .32 pistol and magazine hidden on a beam in the roof of the house.

29-year-old Ryan Wilson, a contractor of Vergenoegen, East Bank Essequibo, who had escaped from Police custody on Friday, January 13, has been recaptured at Bushy Park in Region Three (Essequibo Islands–West Demerara).

Reports are that at about 10:50h on Wednesday, January 18, Police ranks acting on information received went to Bushy Park, East Bank Essequibo and apprehended Wilson, whom they escorted to the Leonora Police Station.

Only two days ago, prison escapee Shamar Singh, who with Wilson had escaped from a Police van that was transporting them from the eastern end of the Demerara Harbour Bridge to Lusignan, East Coast Demerara, turned himself over to the custody of Police. The 22-yearold resident of Hague, West Coast Demerara was handed over to ranks at the Vreed-en-Hoop Police Station by his mother.

Police have said that Singh’s mother told detectives her son had contacted her via cellphone and

asked her to collect him at Guyana Power and Light office in the vicinity of the Vreed-en-Hoop Stelling, West Coast Demerara (WCD), because he wanted to turn himself over to Police custody. As a result, the woman related, she picked him up, took him to the Vreed-en-Hoop Police Station, and handed him over to the Police.

Wilson, called “Pepsi”, was charged with indecent assault, while Singh is facing the offences of simple larceny and possession of narcotics. (G9)

Ramdat was asked if he was a licensed firearm holder, and he replied in the negative. He was told of the offence committed, arrested, and was escorted to the Grove Police Station, where the firearm was dusted for fingerprints.

The fisherman remains in custody, pending charges.

Only two days ago, two men were arrested following the discovery of a 12-gauge shotgun at 79km Unamco Road, Upper Berbice River, Region 10. The discovery was made via an intelligence-led operation by ranks attached to the Kwakwani Police Station.

Acting on information received, the ranks conducted a search on the camp of two men: a 21-year-old labourer of Rosignol, West Coast

Berbice and a 30-year-old operator of Upper Berbice River. The 12-gauge shotgun was reportedly found about five feet away from a makeshift tent, wrapped in black plastic.

When questioned, the 21-year-old labourer told the Police that he found the shotgun in the backdam and gave it to the operator to hide.

They are both at the Kwakwani Police Station pending charges. (G9)

Opening bank accounts now...

“That is already implementable… That is in effect immediately,” the Central Bank Governor stated.

According to the gazetted document, which was sent to all the licensed financial institutions in Guyana, the BoG has simplified the requirements to open and maintain a bank account for low-risk customers by making corresponding amendments to sections of SG No. 13.

It was noted that this approach is consistent with Section 17 of the Anti-Money Laundering/Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) Act 2009 and is aligned with a risk-based approach as well as with international best practices in order to promote financial inclusion in the country.

The low-risk customers to benefit from this initiative include small savers with monthly deposits up to $500,000.

“Examples of low-risk customers include individuals who belong to lower economic strata of the society whose accounts show small balances and low turnover, salaried employees whose salary structures are well defined, Government departments, and Government-owned companies, regulators and statutory bodies,” the BoG detailed in a circular published on January 14.

Process

With these new measures, in order to open an account for a low-risk customer, a bank would now have to: verify the customer’s identity with only one form of identification required (a National Identification Card, a passport or driver’s licence); obtain a proof of address but a self-attestation is acceptable if no other proof of address is

available; obtain the source of income for which self-attestation is also acceptable if no other source is available, and obtain the Tax Identification Number (TIN).

The commercial banks are expected to provide the forms for self-attestation with a specimen outlined by the Central Bank.

“While the objective is to remove impediments to opening a bank account, a bank should thereafter verify all the information provided by the customer through other reliable and independent means such as the postal service or the use of available databases, and maintain documentation of same. It is important to note that reliable and independent means do not imply requesting additional documents from customers,” the gazetted document detailed.

Additionally, it was stipulated that after a customer has been rated as low-risk, Know Your Customer details should be updated once every seven years. The prescribed time limit shall apply from the date of the opening of the account or the last verification date.

These amendments to the AML/CFT Act come on the heels of the Guyana Government recognising the burdensome process within the local banking system.

In fact, only at a recent engagement with key Private Sector stakeholders, including representatives from the major commercial banks in Guyana, discussions were held on the difficulties persons face in doing simple bank transactions.

Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo, who was at the meeting alongside President Dr Irfaan Ali at State House on January 5, pointed out that the restriction should

be eased for persons conducting transactions of up to $500,000, whereby they can just walk in without any difficulty and get it done. Additionally, they would not have to specify the use of these monies to the institution.

“You walk in. You can open an account and open an account without all this fancy forms to fill up; withdraw your money without telling the bank what you’re using it for. It’s causing disintermediation here. People are scared of going in the banks,” the VP had stated.

Depending on the level of transactions, different requirements would be needed. Those depositing higher figures on an annual basis would have to go through the normal channel.

Rethink strategies

Meanwhile, President Ali had told the commercial banks that in light of the current developments, consideration should be made to rethink their strategies regarding infrastructure.

“Because of the infrastructural transformation that is taking place, you need to rethink your strategy with the suppliers and the input for infrastructure. We have gone out and given quarry licence, but then a lot of the projects are held up at the bank. And there is a clear demand for quarrying for which we now have to push to get imported,” he underscored.

According to the Head of State, the banks must match what is happening in the country.

“The banks must follow the development of the country and a clear path to match what is happening with the development of the country,” the President stressed. (G8)

Recaptured: Ryan Wilson, called “Pepsi”, (left) and Shamar Singh

The firearm found at Grove, EBD

“We had a mud dam and now we get a beautiful road” – Berbice resident on new road

The intervention by the Public Works Ministry to upgrade the entire road network in the villages of Little India and Little Africa in Berbice was met with gratitude from residents who had complained bitterly of the inconvenience the previous muddy trails had caused them.

During a recent visit to Region Six (East BerbiceCorentyne), Public Works Minister Juan Edghill announced a wide range of infrastructural projects across the county for this year.

Among them is the upgrading of 1.8 kilometres of road at Yakusari, Black Bush Polder which is being undertaken by H Nauth & Sons Contracting.

This $179.8 million project is expected to be completed by the end of the month.

and we will look to see what we can continue to do in Black Bush Polder,” the Minister said.

Additionally, 132 streets in the Region will be rehabilitated under the 2022 work programme. Funding for the project is coming from the $44.8 billion supplementary bud-

nity roads in the four polders of Yakusari, Johanna, Mibicuri and Lesbeholden.

“That $572 million will not be able to satisfy everything that everybody wants, but we have already signed and awarded 18 contracts,” Edghill told residents during a meeting at Mibicuri.

Edghill and his team also made visits to other communities in the Region, and inspected road works and other projects under the purview of the Public Works Ministry.

Among the communities visited were Little India and Little Africa – both in the town of Corriverton. According to the Minister, when he first visited those communities, residents were walking on muddy roads.

Teryol Nelson of Little Africa said he was grateful.

“What I do know is that for the past 24 years since we came to this community, the road has been real bad. So, I am grateful that we can walk and ride and drive our cars,” the resident said.

Meanwhile, Ingrid Joseph of Little Africa said her husband was the contractor that built the street she lives on.

“Philbert Joseph and the workers make the road, but they make it very good. I am satisfied with the road, because the road was bad and now the road is okay now,” she said.

Meanwhile, in the Crab Wood Creek Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) area, apart from the current 62 roads under construction, an additional six roads have been awarded for the NDC as part of the 132 roads initiative.

These roads, the Minister said, will be larg-

er asphaltic concrete roads, which cost in excess of $150 million.

Commenting on the initial phase of the project which saw 62 streets upgraded to concrete, one resident Jasmine Persaud said, “The condition of the road bin bad.”

Another resident, Samiria Kathoo said she was happy with the upgrades:

“We have a brand new road and I am happy about this, because we had a mud dam and now we get a beautiful road.”

In the 2023 National Budget, which was presented to the National Assembly on Monday, the Public Works Ministry was allocated $136 billion to enhance the road and bridge network across the country. (G4)

Police find ganja in bag on roadside

Police ranks in Regional Division 4'C' (East Coast Demerara) have found a quantity of marijuana during their patrol at Mon Repos, East Coast Demerara.

“And that will bring us to a total of 10 kilometres of road that we would have done since 2020, when we went back to office. There will be budgetary allocations for main access roads,

get, which was approved by the National Assembly in November last. Of that sum, $4.4 billion is being spent on the 132 streets in the Region; while $572 million will be spent on 18 commu-

“Skipping to escape mud and water, and we made a commitment that we will get the concrete roads put in and completed. Today, I am checking to see that what we promised was delivered and to ensure that the residents who are the beneficiaries are satisfied,” he said.

At time of the find, Police said, they were acting on information received and were conducting a cordon-and-search exercise at Last Street, Mon Repos, on Monday between 16:00 and 16:30h.

During the search, a bulky, transparent plastic bag was observed on the ground next to the northern drain corner of the street, within the vicinity of an empty lot.

Police took possession of the bulky bag and examined it, discovering therein a number of leaves, seeds, and stems suspected to be cannabis. The cannabis was taken to the Beterverwagting

Police Station and weighed, amounting to approximately 164 grams.

Investigations are continuing. (G9)

Minibus driver slapped with causing death by dangerous driving charge

Claude Pilgrim, a minibus driver of Vergenoegen, East Bank Essequibo, has been charged for causing death by dangerous driving, contrary to section 35 (1) of the Motor Vehicles and Road Traffic Act, Chapter 51:02.

The 40-year-old appeared before Magistrate Faith Mc Gusty at the Vreed-en-Hoop Magistrate's Court and denied the charge, which alleged that on January 13, at about 18:10h, on New Road,

Vreed-en-Hoop, West Coast Demerara, Pilgrim struck down and killed pedestrian Linden Johnson, a 55-yearold resident of Lot F-D New Road Vreed-en-Hoop.

It has been reported that on the day in question, the minibus which Pilgrim was driving was proceeding east along the northern side of New Road, Vreed-en-Hoop at a fast rate of speed.

Pilgrim is alleging that Johnson ran from south to north across the road and into the path of the mini -

bus.

This caused the left side front of the vehicle to collide with Johnson, and he fell on the parapet and received injuries about his body.

Johnson was picked up in an unconscious state and taken to the West Demerara Regional Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival by a doctor.

The minibus driver has been placed on $300,000 bail, and the case will continue on February 13. (G9)

The marijuana that was found at Mon Repos, ECD

One of the newly-upgraded roads at CWC

A section of the upgraded East Bank Berbice road

The upgraded road at Little Africa

Tourism permits, other documents fast-tracked at business clinic

The Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA) has hosted the first tourism business clinic to fasttrack the processing of documentation and licences for tourism businesses.

This initiative brought several issuing agencies for tourism-related businesses, particularly from Regions Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam); Three (Essequibo Islands–West Demerara); Four (Demerara-Mahaica); Five (Mahaica-Berbice) and Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) to one location.

The event was held at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC) on Wednesday.

A number of business representatives lauded the event. Managing Director of Karanambu Lodge, and President of Visit Rupununi, Melanie McTurk, expressed, “This is an opportunity for a onestop shop, and I just think it is so fantastic.”

She added, “For persons outside of Georgetown, one of the biggest challenges to regularisation has been the centralisation of services, the cost and time it takes to

get to all of these services.”

Representative of Bimichi Ecolodge, Abigail Ally, said the business clinic is beneficial for business since it provides the opportunity to have various services at one location.

“If we have a problem with any one of the agencies, we can find out how we can go about getting permits from the different agencies,” she highlighted.

Oral Kelvin, who provides transportation services, stated that the event provided him with the requisite knowledge to register as a tour guide and op-

erator.

“This is very good to have all of the services that the Tourism Authority recognises that is necessary for persons who are doing tourism operations or tour guide programmes,” he pointed out.

Representative of Rainforest Lodge, Taruna Mangar, expressed, “I think it is a very good idea to have everyone come shorten and simplify the process, especially the training and licensing process, which is a bit long sometimes. It is a great initiative from the GTA to

$100M to train prisoners to prepare for exit from jail

With a total of $5.5 billion earmarked for the Guyana Prison Service in 2023, some $100 million is projected to be injected into the training of inmates to prepare for their exit from the prison system.

This was announced by Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh on Monday during the presentation of the National Budget for 2023.

It was revealed that, in 2022, 1,400 inmates were trained in areas such as block making, basic agriculture, and culinary arts among others, at a cost of $88.9 million.

“It is anticipated that, in 2023, a further sum of $100 million will be expended towards the training of 1,500 inmates, which will support their rehabilitation and social transformation in preparation for their exit from the prison system,” Dr Singh explained.

Further, a sum of $50 million is allocated to ensure “trade shops” at these facilities are fully equipped to facilitate training in carpentry, joinery, masonry, block-making, baking, cooking and other craft and trade ac -

tivities, to allow inmates to acquire life skills so that they can seamlessly re-integrate into society and prevent recidivism.

The Finance Minister added that Government would also ensure that the Prison Service is staffed with qualified and competent officers who have the necessary skillset to allow them to effectively navigate this complex environment.

To this end, he said the Government would invest in prison management training for over 400 prison personnel this year.

According to the Finance Minister, the Government’s overall reform and modernisation programme for the

Prison Service targets the transformation of the prison service from a penal to a correctional service which promotes an environment where custodial safety is assured, and inmates are rehabilitated and successfully reintegrated into society.

“To this end, $5.5 billion was spent in 2022,” Dr Singh revealed. Moreover, he said $2.4 billion was expended to begin sweeping upgrades to the various correctional facilities. In this regard, a further $2.2 billion is budgeted in 2023 to advance prisons being constructed at Mazaruni and Lusignan, and to commence work for the reconstruction of New Amsterdam Prison.

have them do this.”

Meanwhile, Director of GTA, Kamrul Baksh, said the initiative would help bring a high level of sensitisation and awareness about the procedures businesses must adhere to. Baksh noted that the business clinic would be significantly impactful, since GTA has already received positive feedback.

“It is a bit of a challenge to travel to these agencies individually and to conduct business…this is part of the ease of doing business strategy. It will alleviate the licensing process. The

results of this will lead to a higher number of businesses becoming licensed, because you have that level of convenience that you didn’t have previously,” he underscored.

The National Insurance Scheme, the Central

Housing and Planning Authority, the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission, Guyana Fire Service, and the Environmental Protection Agency were among the 10 licensing agencies to participate in the event.

3 wanted by CANU

Customs AntiNarcotics Unit (CANU) has issued wanted bulletins for three persons in relation to an operation at Norton Street, Georgetown on Wednesday during which a quantity of narcotics was discovered.

Wanted are Evette Robinson; Marlena Emptage and Tyrik Gentle.

In the wanted bulletin issue CANU only said that the trio are wanted “in connection to a matter currently under investigation.”

No other details about the drug bust was revealed.

Persons with information on these persons are asked to contact CANU on telephone number (592) 226-0432 or email info@ canu.gov.gy or contact the nearest Police station.

File photo: An aerial view of the Mazaruni Prison

Wanted: Evette Robinson

Wanted: Marlena Emptage Wanted: Tyrik Gentle

Regional

Brazil charges 39 people over pro-Bolsonaro riots

COVID-19 increases financial needs of Caribbean nations

The Caribbean’s Gross Financial Needs (GFN), which increased to almost US$10 billion in 2020 largely owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, are likely to remain elevated up to 2030, intensifying the need for external financing if countries are to achieve or maintain debt sustainability.

Brazil’s ProsecutorGeneral has presented its first charges against some of the thousands of people accused of storming Government buildings in an effort to overturn the results of the October election, which former President Jair Bolsonaro lost.

The Prosecutors in the recently formed group to combat anti-democratic acts also requested that the 39 defendants accused of ransacking Congress be imprisoned as a preventive measure, and that 40 million reais (US$7.7 million) of their assets be frozen to help cover damages.

The defendants have been charged with armed criminal association, violent attempt to subvert the democratic state of law, staging a coup, and damage to public property, the Prosecutor General’s office said in a written statement. Their identities have not yet been released.

More than 1000 people were arrested on the day of the January 8 riot, which bore strong similarities to the January 6, 2021 riots at the US Congress by mobs who wanted to overturn former President Donald Trump’s loss in the November 2020 election.

Rioters who stormed

through the Brazilian Congress, presidential palace and Supreme Court in the capital, Brasilia, sought to have the armed forces intervene and overturn Bolsonaro’s loss to President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

The rioters “attempted, with the use of violence and serious threat, to abolish the democratic rule of law, preventing or restricting the exercise of constitutional powers”, according to an excerpt of charges included in a statement. “The ultimate objective of the attack … was the installation of an alternative Government regime.”

(Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Days after a TT$5 bounty was announced for a kilogram of the Giant African Snail, a woman is warning people to be careful after her husband had to undergo surgery to save his hand after coming into contact with a snail while cleaning the yard at his home late last year.

Guardian Media was told that on December 29, Ronald Youksee was cleaning his yard at Achong Trace, Tunapuna, when his hand accidentally touched one of the snails.

His wife, Gwendy, said his hand began itching shortly after and then swelling.

“It start to swell, it lancing him. I put it in warm salt water and let him dip it. I squeezing up his hand and then after that, the thing just start to keep swelling. He couldn’t move his fingers; it just keep swelling and swelling.”

Gwendy said her husband went through a lot of pain over the past few days and was glad to have him back home with their children and their grandchildren Monday. “The doctors had to gash it so that it wouldn’t reach his tissues to cause more damage. He is home now, but we got a paper to take him to the health centre for dressing every day and we are very concerned and want the doctors to keep him in close check, because we don’t want him to contract meningitis.”

Gwendy also had a stern warning for members of the public who saw her husband’s story on a social me-

AColombian suspect in the murder of a Paraguayan Prosecutor last year was arrested in El Salvador and will be handed over to Colombian authorities, El Salvador's Government said on Wednesday.

Margaret Chacon is accused of being involved in the assassination of Paraguayan organised crime Prosecutor Marcelo Pecci, who was shot dead on May 10 last year on the island of Baru near Cartagena, Colombia, while on honeymoon.

Chacon arrived in El Salvador on May 26, and has since travelled to several Latin American countries, returning regularly to the capital of San Salvador, Salvadoran Justice and Security Minister Gustavo Villatoro said.

Interpol issued an ar-

“This happened way before the bounty was announced and people should stop joking on people’s lives. This is no joke. This is serious thing. My husband could have lost his hand,” she said.

“My husband knew how to pick up the snails because he did it many times before. Our area is festered and it is just my husband accidentally touched the snail and its slime caused the infection,” she added.

(Excerpt from Trinidad Guardian)

The situation was highlighted by President of the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), Dr Hyginus “Gene” Leon during the Bank’s Annual News Conference held on January 18, at the institution’s headquarters in Bridgetown, Barbados.

GFN is the measure of a country’s overall fiscal position, related to the balance

between revenues and expenditures, plus any funds needed to repay existing debt. Dr Leon explained that in addition to GFN requirements, the outlay needed to address vulnerabilities exposed by the pandemic and the resources necessary to achieve the Sustainability Development Goals (SDGs), CDB’s Borrowing Member Countries (BMCs) would require extensive financial support from International Finance Institutions.

“The onset of COVID highlighted structural weaknesses in our economies and the extent of our financing need,” the CDB President said.

He went on to make a series of recommendations

which he indicated could “meet the Region’s financing needs and address mounting fiscal pressures”.

Among the prescriptions outlined was the expansion of regional financial systems to create financial markets to facilitate capital flows geared towards mobilising regional savings and attracting Private Sector interests to finance development. The experienced economist also stressed that public financial management and expenditure systems should be strengthened, firstly to ensure transparency and accountability in Government spending, but also to link the allocation of resources to Governments’ strategic plans. (Excerpt from Nation News)

Nassau has record number of cruise passengers in 1 day

More than 157, 000 passengers have visited The Bahamas since the start of the year with a record 26, 410 passengers arriving during one day last week, and stakeholders indicating that the figures were a “strong rebound in the cruise industry”.

The Nassau Cruise Port (NCP), in a statement, said that the previous one-day total was 25,393 and that the port had received 1592 cruise ship calls since the restart of cruising in 2021, with several of those being six-ship days.

NCP Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Mike Maura Jr said that the high number of cruise passengers this early in the year was a great sign for Bahamians given the country’s dependency on the tourism sector.

“This is indicative of a strong rebound in the cruise industry, with climb-

ing occupancy rates. These passenger volumes have a positive impact on the tourism industry in The Bahamas. Geographically, The Bahamas is blessed, not only with sun, sand and sea; but also with proximity to the major home ports in the US, and Nassau is the busiest transit port in the world.

“Nassau often caters to repeat cruise travel clientele, and this year will show-

case more exciting offerings downtown with the completion of the cruise port. This is an exciting time, and a very exciting and encouraging start to 2023,” said Maura.

NCP said that the country welcomed more than 3.2 million cruise passengers last year and is hoping to increase that number to more than four million before the end of 2023. (Excerpt from CMC)

rest warrant for Chacon on Monday. She was scheduled to be handed over to Colombian authorities later on Wednesday, Villatoro said.

Officials also arrested a Salvadoran national accused of helping Chacon hide in the country.

Colombian investigators, with support from the United States and Paraguay, are seeking to establish who masterminded the murder – possibly a transnational criminal organisation, according to preliminary findings.

Two other persons authorities say are suspected of planning, paying and hiring Pecci's murderers were captured in Colombia on Sunday. Four others accused of involvement in the murder were jailed in June. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Mexico's Pemex destroyed resources worth US$342M from 2 top fields

Mexican State oil company Pemex illegally burnt off hydrocarbon resources worth more than US$342 million in the three years up to August 2022 at two of its most important new fields, internal documents from the country's oil regulator showed.

The three documents, produced by the regulator and dated August 2022, detail how Pemex destroyed resources worth US$275 million from the Ixachi field in three years and US$67 million from the Quesqui field in two years.

To calculate the value, the regulator used prices from non-public contracts to commercialise such hydrocarbons.

Neither Pemex nor the Energy Ministry responded to requests for comment.

Late last year, Pemex said it would stop the flaring practice at Ixachi following Reuters reports on development plan violations at the two fields and related fines.

Under pressure to meet ambitious production goals by Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, Pemex has repeatedly been fined by the oil regulator for violating its own pledges for the development of the Ixachi and Quesqui fields.

The plans, for the exploration and production of natural gas and other hydrocarbons in the southeastern states of Veracruz and

Tabasco, were approved by the regulator – which is responsible for ensuring compliance.

Burning off gas and condensate – a mixture of liquid hydrocarbons similar to a very light crude oil – has also resulted in extensive environmental damage.

Reuters reported last year that Pemex had been excessively flaring gas across the region, but the value of the destruction has not previously been reported.

Mexico – the world's eighth-biggest gas flarer – is under increasing pressure, including from the United States, to cut the practice and methane emissions.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

More than 1000 people were arrested on the day of the January 8 riot

Nassau, The Bahamas

Trinidad: Man almost loses hand after contact with African Snail

Ronald Youksee had to have surgery to save his hand after contact with the snail dia thread, saying he did not want the five dollars.

El Salvador arrests Colombian linked to Paraguayan Prosecutor's murder

Oil eases 1% as US recession worries offset China recovery hopes

Oil prices fell about one per cent on Wednesday, surrendering early gains as worries about a possible US recession outweighed optimism that China's lifting of COVID-19 curbs will fuel demand for crude in the world's top oil importer.

Brent futures fell 94 cents, or 1.1 per cent to settle at US$84.98 a barrel. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude fell 70 cents, or 0.9 per cent, to settle at US$79.48.

The session high for both benchmarks was the highest since December 5. For WTI, Wednesday was the first time in nine sessions that the contract settled down.

Oil prices reversed gains early in the afternoon along with Wall Street's main indexes as hawkish comments from US Federal Reserve (Fed) officials sparked worries the central bank may not pause interest rate hikes any time soon.

Markets at first reacted positively to US data, which showed retail sales and manufacturing production declined more than forecast in December, on hopes the Fed would now ease up on interest rate hikes.

However, the gains were short-lived as St Louis Fed President James Bullard and Cleveland Fed President Loretta Mester said rates needed to rise beyond five per cent to control inflation.

Microsoft Corp said it would eliminate 10,000 jobs and take a US$1.2-billion charge, as cloud-computing customers reassess spending and the company braces for potential recession.

"Coming on the back of the weakness in retail sales, the steep drop in industrial production and news of more job lay-offs adds to fears the US could already be in recession," analysts at ING, a bank, told customers in a note.

Supporting oil prices early in the session, China reported economic data that beat forecasts after the country started rolling back its zero-COVID policy in early December.

China's lifting of restrictions should boost global oil demand to a record high this year, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA), while price cap sanctions on Russia could dent supply.

Rystad Energy, a consultancy, said the effect of sanctions on Russian crude exports after 1.5 months of the European Union embargo and G7 price cap has not been as devastating as some predicted.

Rystad said the losses were at about 500,000 barrels per day and that India and China remain key buyers of Russian crude.

Analysts expect a drawdown in US crude stocks of about 600,000 barrels last week, a Reuters poll showed, which could provide some price support. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Around the World

Ukraine helicopter crash kills Interior Minister in Kyiv as fighting rages on in east

Ukraine's Interior Minister and a child were among at least 14 persons killed on Wednesday when a helicopter crashed into a nursery and set it ablaze in a suburb of the capital Kyiv.

Separately, Ukraine said its forces again blunted Russian attempts to advance on the frontline city of Bakhmut hundreds of kilometres away in the east, where both sides have taken heavy losses for scant gain in trench warfare since November.

Ukrainian officials said it was too early to determine what caused the helicopter crash. None immediately spoke of any attack by Russia, which invaded Ukraine last February

A general view of site of a helicopter crash, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in the town of Brovary, outside Kyiv, Ukraine, January 18, 2023 (Reuters/Viacheslav Ratynskyi)

and has been battering Ukrainian cities often far from front lines with missiles almost daily since October.

Dozens of people were

UN chief blasts Big Oil for “peddling the big lie” on climate

injured, including children, many suffering burns, after the French-made Super Puma helicopter went down in the fog in Brovary on the eastern outskirts of Kyiv,

plummeting into the nursery grounds.

Ukrainian State emergency services said 14 persons in total had been killed. Government agencies had earlier published higher death tolls ranging up to 18.

Interior Minister Denys Monastyrskyi, who was on board the helicopter, was among the dead. He was the most senior Ukrainian official to die since the war began.

Since Ukraine wrested back significant territory in the east and south in the second half of 2022, front lines have hardened and Kyiv says new Western weapons, especially heavy battle tanks, are vital for it to regain momentum this year.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

Some big oil companies ignored their own science on the dangers of climate change and “peddled the big lie” for decades about the safety of burning fossil fuels, the United Nations chief said.

Speaking at the World Economic Forum on Wednesday, UN Secretary

Americans can sponsor refugees directly under programme launching today

Groups of Americans will be able to directly sponsor refugees for resettlement in the United States under a new program launching today, three people familiar with the matter told Reuters, a step that could bolster admissions and reduce Government costs.

Under the pilot programme, which will be called the Welcome Corps, groups of at least five people will be expected to raise a minimum of US$2275 per refugee assigned to them by the Government, one of the peo-

ple said. The sponsor groups will also be required to pass background checks and create a support plan.

The programme will aim to find US sponsors for 5000 refugees in fiscal year 2023, which ends on September 30, another of the sources said.

The individual sponsorship program for refugeessimilar to a model used in Canada – is part of a broader effort by US President Joe Biden, a Democrat, to provide opportunities for Americans to support foreigners seeking protection.

Earlier this month, Biden rolled out a humanitarian entry programme that allows up to 30,000 migrants per month from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela to enter via "parole" if they have US sponsors and travel by air. The Administration also used parole to admit Afghans and Ukrainians and piloted sponsor programmes to support them in the United States.

The US State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment. (Excerpt from Reuters)

General António Guterres delivered a sobering message to the elite gathering of world leaders and corporate executives in the Swiss ski resort of Davos.

The world is in a “sorry state” because of myriad interlinked challenges – including climate change and Russia’s war in Ukraine –which are “piling up like cars in a chain-reaction crash” amid the “gravest levels of geopolitical division and mistrust in generations”, said Guterres.

He singled out climate change as an “existential challenge” and said a global commitment to limit the Earth’s temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius “is nearly going up in smoke”.

“Every week brings another climate horror story. Greenhouse gases are at record levels and growing. Without action, we are going up to a 2.8C increase and the consequences – as we all know – would be devastating.

“Several parts of our planet will be uninhabitable and for many, it will be a death sentence.” (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Island nations are urging Japan to delay the release of water from the destroyed Fukushima nuclear power plant over fears fisheries will be contaminated, the Pacific Island Forum (PIF) said on Wednesday.

The Japanese Government said last week that water from the destroyed Fukushima nuclear power plant could be released into the sea "around this spring or summer", raising concerns from island nations still grappling with the legacy of nuclear testing decades ago.

Japan had approved the future release of more than one million tonnes of water from the site into the ocean after treatment in April 2021.

The PIF, a regional bloc of 17 island nations, argues the release of the water could have a major impact on fishing grounds that

island economies rely on, and where up to half of the world's tuna is sourced.

"Our region is steadfast that there be no discharge until all parties verify it is safe," PIF Secretary General Henry Puna said on Wednesday at a livestreamed public meeting in Suva, Fiji.

"We must prevent action that will lead or mislead us towards another major nuclear contamination disaster at the hands of others," he added, saying Pacific islanders continued to endure the long-term impacts of the nuclear testing legacy on a daily basis.

The United States conducted nuclear testing in the Pacific islands in the 1940s and 1950s and the Marshall Islands continues to campaign for more compensation from Washington over lasting health and environmental effects.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

Pacific islands urge Japan to delay release of Fukushima waste over contamination fears

A boy walks on a boat left on the dried-up bed of a section of Iraq's receding southern marshes of Chibayish in Dhi Qar province [File: Asaad Niazi/AFP]

An aerial view shows the storage tanks for treated water at the tsunami-crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Okuma town, Fukushima prefecture, Japan, February 13, 2021, in this photo taken by Kyodo

DAILY HOROSCOPES

Excess is the enemy. Don’t overdo it or share sensitive information. Take a moment to evaluate things. Listen, be attentive and protect your property. Focus on physical fitness.

(March 21-April 19)

(April 20-May 20)

Protect your health, wealth and reputation. Speak up and search for the best way to use your skills, experience and knowledge to avoid being taken advantage of and to develop what you want to happen.

Slow down and take a moment to review your strategy. Call on people who can help you. You’ll gain respect if you handle matters efficiently and effectively. Romance is encouraged.

(May 21-June 20)

(June 21-July 22)

Nurture relationships. Pay attention to what others say and do, and respond with honesty and integrity. Head down an affordable path. Don’t allow anyone to derail your plans or prospects.

Fly under the radar and avoid interference. Set your sights on increasing your awareness about things that concern you. Expand your knowledge and interests so you can get to know someone better.

(July 23-Aug. 22)

(Aug. 23-Sept. 22)

A positive suggestion will far exceed criticism. Be open to others’ opinions and willing to finish whatever you start. Make room in your schedule for someone who needs your help.

Emotions will spin out of control if given a chance. Avoid talks that make you uncomfortable and arguments you cannot win. Look inward and strive for personal improvements.

SUDOKU

(Sept. 23-Oct. 23)

(Oct. 24-Nov. 22) (Nov. 23-Dec. 21)

Let facts and figures guide you. Face-to-face discussions will reinforce your confidence. Protect your physical well-being, home and profile. Have a backup plan in place.

You don’t have to exaggerate or overspend to impress someone. Let kindness lead the way. A straightforward approach to life and love will benefit you considerably. Romance is favored.

Uncertainty will prevail if you don’t address concerns with someone who tends to interfere with your plans. Make what you want and plan to do clear, then proceed.

(Dec. 22-Jan. 19)

(Jan. 20-Feb. 19)

You won’t have to stand alone. Share your thoughts and feelings, and the feedback you get will help you make the right decision. Change begins with you. Romance looks promising.

Keep your thoughts to yourself and avoid dealing with red-tape issues or government or institutional agencies. Keep a low profile until you have worked out the best way forward.

(Feb. 20-March 20)

ARCHIE PEANUTS

CALVIN AND HOBBES

DILBERT

New Zealand Tour to India 2023: ODI Series, Game 1 of 3…

Bracewell gives India mighty scare after Gill’s double-hundred

As they waited for the final DRS review of the match - a mere formality - Shubman Gill and Michael Bracewell shook hands and congratulated each other. They had batted superbly to set up a modern classic. Gill became the youngest double-centurion in ODIs, before Bracewell made a game out of a chase of 350 from 130 for 6 with a sensational 140 off 78 balls.

Eventually, New Zealand were within two sixesBracewell had hit 10 already - of levelling scores when they lost their last wicket with four balls to go.

Gill’s place in India’s ODI side was questioned because the batter who replaced him when he was resting scored a double-hundred, and he responded with one of his own after making 70, 21 and 116 in his first three innings since his return.

This wasn’t the easiest of tracks for batting: the nextbest score was Rohit Sharma’s 34, and India’s 349 for 8 was the lowest score in any ODI innings to feature a double-century.

The conditions turned in the second half of the match, as they do, but by then Mohammed Siraj and Kuldeep Yadav had helped

but Bracewell ran out of partners.

When play started, with India once again taking on the challenge of scoring a total they can defend under lights, hard lengths bowled straight were difficult to hit, and the odd ball turned for Santner and Bracewell. New Zealand kept picking up wickets regularly, but Gill kept taking the heat off, scoring 19 off 8, 17 off 12, 12 off 8, and 18 off 10 immediately after the first four dismissals.

New Zealand conceded just 93 runs in 13 overs from the 35th to the 47th, but then Gill launched his biggest assault, scoring 39 off his last 12 balls.

Rohit and Gill got India off to a quick start, but once Santner started to string together tight overs, wickets began to fall. Rohit felt the need to take the bowling on, and skied an intended hit down the ground. Soon, the first ball that turned in the match went past Virat Kohli’s bat to hit the top of off.

Santner had brought New Zealand back into the match.

Gill, though, looked sublime. His back-foot punch, his extra-cover drive, and his dismissive pulls were all on display. In a welcome departure from the way India play in

In the same over, he slogswept a six to get to 52 off 52.

Lockie Ferguson came back to get Ishan Kishan out, following which Gill and Suryakumar Yadav looked threatening in a 65-run stand in 53 balls. A timely breakthrough boosted New Zealand when Suryakumar chipped Daryl Mitchell straight to cover.

Gill went to his hundred with a six and a single in the 30th over, moments after Suryakumar’s dismissal. Four

briefer in this match. So Siraj went wobble-seam in his third over. After beating Devon Conway once with the seam movement, he tested Conway on the hook. The sharp bouncer took the top edge to fine leg, to give Siraj his first international wicket on his home ground.

Shami doesn’t have to try these wobble-seam tricks, as his seam is always upright. Between them, the two quicks made life difficult for the New Zealand top three, bowling, at

India take six wickets, which proved to be the difference even when Bracewell and Mitchell Santner added 162 for the seventh wicket in just 17 overs. Towards the end, the asking rate was within reach,

such situations, Gill tried to take spin down immediately. His first attempt resulted in an outside edge off a non-turning Bracewell offbreak, but Tom Latham dropped the catch. Gill didn’t back down.

down, India couldn’t quite capitalise in the overs just before the final powerplay.

Losing Hardik Pandya in the 40th over to a debatable call pushed their final kick further into the innings.

When it did arrive, the final kick was awesome. With three overs remaining, Gill stopped waiting for hittable balls. He just looked to hit everything out of the ground.

Blair Tickner was taken for two sixes in the 48th, and a hat-trick of sixes off Ferguson in the 49th brought up the double. By the time Glenn Phillips produced a special catch to get rid of Gill, he had hit 19 fours and nine sixes.

Hoping for either the ball to skid on under lights, or for dew, or both, New Zealand had to instead face Siraj and Mohammed Shami, who are in red-hot form. Siraj has been focusing on his outswingers with the new ball, but the usually brief window of swing was

one point, 23 balls without a run. An injury to Shami’s left hand brought them relief, as Finn Allen pulled Pandya for three fours and a six in the 11th over.

Shardul Thakur and Kuldeep, though, dragged New Zealand right back. Thakur first bounced Allen when he charged him to have him caught at deep midwicket. Not reading Kuldeep out of his hand, the batters were sitting ducks. Henry Nicholls was bowled off a wrong’un, and Daryl Mitchell went back to a quick but full stock ball. Between them, Kuldeep and Thakur bowled 11 straight overs for 42 runs and three wickets.

Sensing an opportunity, Rohit went back to Shami and Siraj, who responded with the wickets of Glenn Phillips and Tom Latham. Bracewell and Santer came together with New Zealand needing 10.5 an over across 21 overs.

Performance against Gauff leaves Raducanu feeling ‘optimistic’

EmmaRaducanu has "no doubts" she can compete with the very best, after pushing seventh seed Coco Gauff in a gallant defeat at the Australian Open.

The British number one rolled her ankle just 13 days before the second-round match, and needed crutches and a protective boot afterwards.

"To say I've had so little prep to go toe-to-toe with a player like Coco is a good achievement," Raducanu, 20, said.

"The chances of me playing this tournament were very, very low."

Raducanu tested world number seven Gauff, one of the tournament’s favourites, and had two set points to take the match into a decider, before

losing 6-3 7-6 (7-4). Asked if it proved she could challenge the top players on a more regular basis, Raducanu said: "I have no doubt. I was competitive today, and I've had five hours' practice in the past two or three weeks since my last match. I don't have any doubts about what I can do when I'm fully fit. I know my potential."

Raducanu has struggled for fitness and form since her stunning triumph at the 2021 US Open as an unknown teenage qualifier. Her first full season on the WTA Tour proved tough physically, and she has dropped to 77th in the world rankings after being unable to string together a run of matches. The ankle injurya freak accident suffered at

the Auckland Open in only her second match of the season - was the latest setback, and came after a pre-season in which she worked hard to build her body for the rigours of a long year.

Raducanu left the Auckland court in tears after retiring from her match against Slovakia's Viktoria Kuzmova, knowing it put her participation at the opening Grand Slam event of the season in doubt.

"I would say all the chips were against us. I had extremely limited practice time, and I think I can say that now I'm not competing anymore," she said. "It was obviously going to be a push to get me on the court. I think, 13 days ago, if you would have told us 'You're go-

ing to be in the draw and win a round', it would have been a massive effort for sure."

Gauff, 18, was a considerable step up in class from Raducanu's previous opponent Tamara Korpatsch, and the Briton caused problems for last year's French Open finalist with her aggressive approach, particularly in the second set. Raducanu was a set and a break down at one stage, but fought back to create two opportunities to send the match into a decider, although she was unable to convert either.

"I still think I didn't necessarily play my best today," Raducanu added. "It bugs me a little bit, because I know I could have done better, but I will keep moving forward from here." (BBC Sport)

Bracewell started the counterattack with some sublime hitting of his own. The ball was now coming onto the bat, but it should not take away from the quality of the hitting: every time he tried a big hit, he nailed it right out of the middle.

Pretty soon, India were under the pressure they wanted, of defending under lights. Bracewell hit a boundary every 3.5 balls, taking down every bowler. India began to slip up. When they tried wide lines, they bowled wides. When they tried hard lengths, the ball skidded on for Bracewell to hit down the ground.

Once Santner started to go big too, India were all hands on deck. Siraj, Shami and Pandya were left with the task of holding New Zealand back with 103 required off 10 overs. Siraj bowled the 42nd without a boundary, but Bracewell and Santner took Shami down

in the next over.

Pandya made a comeback with a mix of lengths and pace to bowl the 45th without a boundary. Bowling his last over then, Siraj got two wickets: Santner on the hook, and Henry Shipley bowled.

Now wickets came into play too. Bracewell, though, found another wind, hitting Pandya for two sixes in the 47th, and Shami for a six and a four in the 48th.

With 24 required off the last two, Rohit backed Pandya to bowl the 49th. Pandya didn’t disappoint. He got Ferguson with a slower ball, and conceded just four runs.

Bracewell still thought in terms of four good connections, the first of which came off a length ball, first ball of the last over. Eventually, though, a Thakur yorker trapped Bracewell, who was looking to shuffle across and ramp it fine. (ESPNCricinfo)

ov), 7-293

(Mitchell Santner, 45.4 ov), 8-294

(Henry Shipley, 45.5 ov), 9-328

(Lockie Ferguson, 48.3 ov), 10337 (Michael Bracewell, 49.2 ov)

BOWLING O-M-R-W

Mohammed Shami 10-1-69-1

Mohammed Siraj 10-2-46-4

Hardik Pandya 7-0-70-1

Kuldeep Yadav 8-1-43-2

Shardul Thakur 7.2-0-54-2

Washington Sundar 7-0-50-0

Mohammed Siraj celebrating with Virat Kohli and Suryakumar Yadav after bouncing out Devon Conway

Shubman Gill brought up his double-century in 145 deliveries

Michael Bracewell’s 140 almost got New Zealand to their target

2023 Australian Open tennis tourney…

$4.3B Sport Budget hailed by sports associations

The Guyana Badminton Association (GBA) and the Guyana Tennis Association (GTA) are the first two sports associations in Guyana to voice their thoughts on the recently announced $4.3B Budget for sport this year.

This year’s budget has seen a $1.1B increase from 2022’s $3.2B budget allocation -- a fact that has been lauded by the associations.

The Guyana Badminton Association (GBA) wrote, “The Guyana Badminton Association wishes to commend the 2023 National Budget presented by the Hon. Minister of Finance Ashni Singh. Our unanimous view is that this budget is comprehensive and adds another pillar to the construction of a strong sports sector by the present government.

“It is public knowledge

that the fraternity has been injected with needed support and vigour from the Ministry of Culture, Youth

and Sport under the leadership of the Hon Charles Ramson Jr, who has created a new vision and direc-

tion for sport in Guyana. We anticipate that even though 2022 was an excellent year for local sport, the

provisions in the Budget will allow for an even better 2023.”

The Guyana Tennis Association (GTA) stated, “The Executive members of the Guyana Tennis Association welcome the increase in funds allocated to sport in the 2023 National Budget. We are optimistic that our sport will expand to new areas this year with the continuous support of the National Sports Commission, through the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport.

“We commend the Honourable Minister of Culture, Youth, and Sport Mr. Charles Ramson for his astute leadership and frequent engagements with the executive of the GTA to assess our needs, provide funding, and create pathways to improve the performance of athletes, coaches,

Decisions of the Video Asst Referee to be explained to fans

…but temporary sub-trial ruled out

Decisions made by the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) are set to be explained to television viewers and those in the stadium at next month's Club World Cup.

The International Football Association Board (Ifab) says if the trial in Morocco is a success, then it could be rolled out at other Fifa competitions. That could include the Women's World Cup this summer.

Meanwhile, a temporary concussion substitute trial in the Premier League next season has been ruled out.

It was discussed when Ifab met at Wembley on Wednesday following a request from world players' union Fifpro and the World Leagues Forum to test the protocol in the English top flight, Ligue 1 in France and Major League Soccer in the United States.

The current concussion protocols, which allow an additional permanent substitution to be made, have come in for criticism since they were approved in 2020, with campaigners highlighting instances where a player has been allowed to stay on the pitch before later being substituted.

However, Football Association (FA) chief executive Mark Bullingham, who supported the idea of a trial, says no consensus could be reached, and instead the current permanent concussion substitute trial will continue indefinitely.

"Myself and others hold the view it would be worth trialling [temporary concussion substitutes] because we think there are instances of players who have appeared to have been concussed and have not been taken off," said Bullingham.

"The argument is that you learn more in 15 mins than three, and there is mer-

it in an evaluation away from the pitch.

"However, the decision was taken to strengthen the application of the permanent model through more education, more evidence, and more impetus, so that the idea of the right decisions being made becomes reality.

"If permanent substitutes were done right, that is the safest option, because at the point there is any suspicion, the player would come off."

The Professional Footballers' Association's (PFA) Head of Brain Health, Dr Adam White, said it was "extremely disappointing" that a trial of temporary concussion substitutes was not approved.

"There is a fundamental issue if player unions and leagues feel football's lawmakers are holding them back from doing what they collectively agree is best to protect the safety of players," said White. "The next step will be for unions and leagues to discuss what this means and what options are available to them."

Global player's union Fifpro and World Leagues Forum, the association of professional football leagues, said in a joint statement they were "greatly disappointed" by the decision, and would "further assess the situation" and "consider [their] options moving forward".

Referees to communicate VAR decisions

There has been growing frustration at the lack of communication around VAR decisions to fans. A 12-month trial around stadium communication at Fifa events will begin at the Club World Cup - which takes place from 1-11 February - and, if successful, move on to the men's Under-20 World Cup in Indonesia in May, and then the women's World Cup in

Australia and New Zealand.

It has still to be decided whether the communication in Morocco will be in French, English or Arabic.

A system where the decisions were explained more clearly to those watching at home and inside stadiums would follow the cricket and National Football League (NFL)-style model of direct explanations.

"We don't think fans getting enough information," added Bullingham. "We are trialling this in the hardest environment first, because we think it will be easier in domestic leagues."

Get ready for more injury time

Ifab also hailed its "successful" policy on stoppage time at the World Cup in Qatar, when matches lasting more than 100 minutes, including stoppages, became the norm.

It is keen to ensure the time the ball is in play goes up, and having rejected alternatives such as a countdown clock, believes changes

can be made within the existing structure of the game. Essentially that means timing injury delays and adding that precise figure at the end of a match, rather than a rough idea of the total time, which would be relayed as guidance to all domestic competitions from next season.

This could mean huge amounts of injury time, but Bullingham feels this would be reduced once the implications become clear to the players. "Once there is no incentive to stay down, we think there will be less inju-

ry-time anyway," he said.

Offside controversy

Guidance around offside decisions initially relayed last summer was made law, including the issue of players interfering with play.

The controversy around Manchester United's equalising goal against Manchester City on Saturday was discussed, and it was felt there is a loophole in the law that needs to be closed.

"The conclusion was there is no gap in the law," said Bullingham. (BBC Sport)

South African cricketer Hashim Amla retires at 39

years earlier.

Amla averaged 49.46 in 181

One-Day Internationals and 33.60 in 44 T20 International matches, and ends his first-class career with 19,521 runs at an average of 48.55.

and the Executive.

“The GTA looks forward to continued interaction with the Honourable Minister and the National Sports Commission as the Executive strives to bring growth to the sport of Tennis throughout Guyana.”

The Sport Budget was announced on Monday by Finance Minister Dr. Ashni Singh as he presented the National Budget for 2023 to the National Assembly at the Arthur Chung Conference Center (ACCC).

Hashim Amla, South Africa's second highest Test run-scorer of all time, has retired at the age of 39.

Amla scored 9,282 runs - second only to Jacques Kallis's 13,206 - at an average of 46.64 in 124 Tests. He amassed 18,672 in all formats for the Proteas from 2004 to 2019, and no-one

has scored more than his 27 One-Day centuries for South Africa.

Amla's 311 not out against England at The Oval in 2012 remains the highest Test score by a South African. He was part of the Surrey team that won the County Championship in 2022, having retired from international cricket three

Former England captain Alec Stewart, who worked with Amla at Surrey, described him as "a great of the game". He said: "Everyone at Surrey County Cricket Club will be sad to see Hashim retire, but we all applaud what has been a phenomenal career. Hashim is a fantastic cricketer and a wonderful person. He has been an incredible resource for the team to learn from on and off the field." (BBC Sport)

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Badminton reaped some of the benefits of the budget in 2022, when their Nursery was funded by the Sport Ministry

The outcomes of VAR decisions are currently displayed on large screens at football matches

Hashim Amla scored 28 centuries in Tests and a South Africa record 27 in One-Day Internationals

Nandu scores another half-century as 12 wickets fall on day 1

By Brandon Corlette at ProvidenCe

West Indies Under-19 batsman Matthew Nandu continues to press his case for a maiden call-up to the senior Guyana Harpy Eagles team. On the

opening day of the second four-day practice match at Providence, Nandu scored an even fifty to take Tevin Imlach's XI to 226 all out in 75.4 overs.

At stumps, Gudakesh Motie's XI had reached 46-2 in 12 overs, with promising

fast-bowler Shamar Joseph pressing his case for selection by claiming both wickets at the end of day two. Motie's XI are trailing by 180 runs heading into day two.

Earlier, Imlach's XI got off to a good start, with openers Chandrapaul Hemraj and Matthew Nandu adding 72 runs. Hemraj was his usual pugnacious self as he displayed an array of shots. He struck two sixes: a pull shot against Isai Thorne, and a slash over third-man against Nial Smith. The very next ball he edged to Junior Sinclair at first slip off Smith, and departed for 46 from 36 balls, having failed to capitalise on a start.

Nandu has looked solid as he continues to play himself into the Guyana Harpy Eagles team. Imlach got off the mark with a pleasant straight drive, but his innings lasted only 26 balls, and he scored only 11. Test spinner Gudakesh Motie drew the batsman forward, and eventually found his edge, and he departed, caught behind at 90-2.

Kevlon Anderson, another batsman who is looking to score big and throw his name up for selection, failed to score more than five runs from the 14 balls he faced. He was clean bowled by his fellow Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club teammate Junior Sinclair, who produced a top-of-the-line offbreak.

National skipper Leon

Johnson then partnered Nandu, and the duo took the score to 95-3 after 25 overs at lunch. Nandu was on 24 while Johnson was yet to score. Upon resumption of the afternoon session, Johnson looked his usual classy self when he struck Junior Sinclair for back-toback boundaries. He drove Sinclair past mid-off, and then cut the off-spinner into the boundary.

Nandu, who failed to convert his start into triple figures, was caught in the gully by Rampertab Ramnauth for a 114-ball 50, which included six boundaries. Johnson also wasted a start, as he was removed for 25 when he skied a delivery off the bowling of off-spinner Richie Looknauth.

Akshaya Persaud came and played some delightful shots, but, on most occasions, he found the fielders. He was bowled by Junior Sinclair for

AAG confirms packed 2023 calendar

…Hutson stresses importance of Olympics’ qualifying events

With an eye on improved performances at CARIFTA and the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, the Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG) has finalised a busy 2023 calendar that is sure to keep athletes on their toes.

The AAG on Wednesday released a list of 36 events, both local and international, that would comprise its 2023 calendar of activities.

The nation’s athletes would get busy at the National Track and Field Center (NTFC) at Leonora, West Coast Demerara this Saturday, January 21, 2023, at the first of three Developmental meets, which are usually used to kick-start the athletics season.

Notably, the CARIFTA trials are scheduled for the weekend of February 18 and 19, with those games pencilled for the Bahamas over the Easter weekend, April 7-10. However, dates for the National Schools’ Championships and other private meets have not been revealed. According to Hutson, this is usually the most difficult part in locking down the calendar, since those dates are not up to the Association.

“The Joint Services and those other, what we would like to call private meets, we depend on them to give us those dates. Even though we may want to encourage them to give us earlier, because of when their anniversary falls, or the culture of GTU when they should hold schools’ nationals is another issue that we have to live with,” Huston said about his lack of control over dates for those athletics events. He continued, “So, we would like to support, but it’s normally very tough.”

On the international scene, major events for athletes to look forward

to the South American U20 Championships in May, the CAC Games and Aliann Pompey Invitational in June, South American Championships in July, Commonwealth Youth Games, Pan Am U20 Championships and the World Championships in August.

Discussing these key events, Hutson explained why local meets like the National Seniors would be staged earlier, since the international meets can be considered as qualifying events for the upcoming Olympic Games.

“Yes, we do have a lit-

tle more time [in 2023]. We would’ve already set up our calendar, so it’s just for our council now to meet and endorse it; the coaches are comfortable with it,” the AAG Boss said about the pacing of the Association’s activities this year, as compared to 2022.

However, turning his attention to the need to bump up certain meets to earlier in the year, Hutson said, “We’re going to have our National Senior Championships, yes, a little earlier in the year, because this is a World Championships year and we have to, from our National Seniors, go into the South American Senior Championships before we get to Worlds, and all those meets now are qualifiers for the Olympics in 2024.

“It [2024 Olympics] may appear to be far away, but its right around the corner,” the AAG president added.

Tentatively, the current Athletics calendar will conclude with the Guyana leg of the South American 10K Road Race on November 5. However, the Nationals Schools’ Cycling, Swimming and Track and Field Championships would likely be hosted later in the month of November, 2023.

a 51-ball 22 which had three fours and one six.

Shamar Yearwood, who featured in a 46-run sixth-wicket stand with Persaud, again looked promising, the left-hander making 37 from 58 balls in an innings laced with five fours and one six. He was removed by Motie, caught and bowled.

Clinton Pestano managed to score only six, and Guyana Under-19 player Zeynul Ramsammy posted 11 when the innings closed on 226 all out. Motie ended with 3-8 from 8.4 overs, while Junior Sinclair had 2-33 in 10 overs. Looknauth had 2-29 in 11

overs, while Ashmead Nedd, Ronaldo Ali Mohammed and Nial Smith each had one wicket each.

In Motie's XI second innings, Ramnauth was removed after another cameo of 24 from 32 balls in an innings laced with four boundaries.

Nightwatchman Ronsford Beaton made four before also being dismissed by Shamar Joseph, the Berbician pacer who had six wickets in the first practice match.

Test opener Tagenarine Chanderpaul and Mavindra Dindyal will resume the second day from 9:30h. Chanderpaul is unbeaten on 12 and Dindyal is on 06.

“I DON'T WATCH ANYMORE”

WI legend Greenidge tries to avoid tuning in to Windies’ struggles

West Indies batting legend Gordon Greenidge has revealed that he no longer feels the pain of watching the regional team struggle. His secret: turn off the television.

As one half one of a devastating batting duo, the other being Desmond Haynes, for a Windies team that rarely found itself on the losing end, it is completely understandable how the Caribbean team’s recent failures would be a cause of discomfort.

The Windies' struggles now date back decades; but recently, things have seemed particularly grim. At the last two World Cups, the team failed to progress from the preliminary rounds, while in the Test arena, a recent demolition at the hands of Australia would hardly have inspired feelings of all-conquering nostalgia.

“It used to hurt me, but it doesn’t hurt me anymore, because I don’t watch cricket anymore. Only if it is Test cricket, and only if it is about a young player who I have

heard about, I will try my best to go and watch that kid play and make my own judgment about what I feel about that player," Greenidge told SportStar.

The former batsman’s recent grievances, however, run deeper than just the poor performance of the West Indies team. Greenidge has also expressed concern for the longest format of the sport, where he scored 7558 runs, and its continued relevance and longevity in the face of the blossoming of several T20 leagues around the globe

“On a personal note, I would not like to see 50-Over withdrawn and just T20 being played. I believe T20 is a spectator sport, and it is not anymore a cricketer’s sport. Yes, cricketers play, but T20, for me, is like fast food. Test cricket is real cricket. From Test cricket, we came to 50Over, then T20, and now we are going to 10-over. Where will we go from here? Maybe one-over or two-overs per side?

“Keep the cricket alive, but don’t banish Test cricket, that is the real cricket we all are here for, we all grew up with.” (Sportsmax)

West Indies batting legend Gordon Greenidge

AAG President, Aubrey Hutson

Motie's XI celebrating the wicket of Hemraj

Junior Sinclair preparing to bowl Kevlon Anderson

Shamar Joseph claimed two wickets

Harpy Eagles 2nd 4-day practice match…