Guyana Times -- Wednesday, February 2, 2022

GECOM preparing “roadmap” for Local Govt Elections P 11

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

Issue No. 4908

THE BEACON OF TRUTH WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2022

PRICE

Budget debate day 2

Page 3

Heated exchanges over agri sector, flood relief …as appreciation letters from APNU/AFC constituencies to Govt read to Opposition

Guyana lifts average growth rate in Region among commodityexporting economies – CDB Page 7

…to dominate regional economic growth rate in 2022

Illegal Venezuelan Fire at GNSC aircraft found wharf act of abandoned at Kuruduni arson

$100 VAT INCLUDED

WHAT'S INSIDE:

P12 3 more & COVID-19 13 infected persons die …COVID positive case rate declining – Health Minister

Despite APNU/AFC’s inaction

Ramjattan P11 now calls for national minimum wage to be $100,000 Court slashes trio’s 81-year jail time to 50 P18 years

Page 2

See story on page 14

– Fire Chief

Guyana to be net exporter of soya bean in 5 years

See story on page 9

Budget debate and Opposition Leader's resignation

Harmon to close Opposition's presentations as "MP"

See story on page 20

Retention, sale of capuchins as pets to be P16 banned

Arsonist jailed for setting P16 house on fire

2 NEWS

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Illegal Venezuelan aircraft found abandoned at Kuruduni

A

V e n e z u e l a registered aircraft was on January 29, 2022 found abandoned at Kuruduni, Essequibo, some 20 kilometres from the Kurupukari Crossing.

As such, the Home Affairs Ministry, along with the Guyana Police Force (GPF) and Air Corp, has launched an investigation.

The aircraft bore registration number YV506.

The discovery was made by ranks attached to the Mabura Police Station.

Reports are they discovered the Cessna 310 plane (which was white with red, yellow, and blue stripes) in bushes, covered with branches and tarpaulin.

The propeller had been removed and placed under the aircraft.

Officials said that the high-speed retractable-gear single-engine aircraft was without key documentation, which would make it

The illegal plane that was found by Police

difficult to track the airframe, engine, and propeller time.

A search was conducted in and around the aircraft, but no illegal substance was found in the cabin, cargo space or the immediate vicinity, the Home Affairs Ministry stated in a release to the media.

According to the preliminary assessment by the Lead Engineer, the damage to the aircraft is extensive and beyond repair.

However, further assessment will be conducted by the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA).

In November last year, a foreign pilot and his

co-pilot were detained in Mahdia, Region Eight after they landed at an airstrip in the area.

It was reported that the men – a Colombian and a Venezuelan – landed a twin-engine Piper Seneca plane. Following their detention at the Mahdia Police Station, several personal

items, along with a Global Positioning System (GPS), were seized by Police.

Further, in June 2021, an aircraft was seen circling the Bissaruni trail (12 miles east of Kwakwani), Region 10 (Upper DemeraraBerbice), and subsequently landed, but when it was found, it was completely

burnt.

No illicit drugs or burnt bodies were found on board.

Meanwhile, another aircraft was seen flying over Southern Guyana also in June and despite attempts by the Customs AntiNarcotics Unit (CANU) and the Guyana Police Force (GPF) to intercept it, it managed to land in Kaaimangrasie, Suriname.

Surinamese officials were alerted and managed to arrive on site and subsequently seized more than 400 kilos of cocaine.

In May, Guyanese authorities intercepted an aircraft carrying 450 kilos of cocaine near the Indigenous village of Orealla. The two occupants of the aircraft claimed to be on their way to Suriname to deliver a shipment of magnesium.

However, the cargo turned out to be cocaine. Both men have since been charged in Guyana for narco-trafficking.

NEWS

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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

BRIDGE OPENINGS OPENINGS BRIDGE

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

Wednesday, February 2 – 04:00h-05:30h and Thursday, February 3 – 04:00h-05:30h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Wednesday, February 2 – 05:15h-06:45h and Thursday, February 3 – 05:50h-07:20h.

FERRY SCHEDULE

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

WEATHER TODAY Sunny intervals are expected during the day, with partly cloudy skies at night. Temperatures should range between 21 degrees Celsius and 30 degrees Celsius.

Winds: North-Easterly to East North-Easterly between 1.78 metres and 4.47 metres.

High Tide: 17:41h reaching a maximum height of 2.76 metres.

Low Tide: 11:14h and 23:40h reaching minimum heights of 0.57 metre and 0.47 metre.

SATURDAY, JANUARY 29, 2022

LOTTERY NUMBERS L

05 15 17

25 26 28

FREE TICKET

03 Bonus Ball

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2022

DAILY MILLIONS

02 04 10 17 21 LUCKY 3

6

5

7

9

Afternoon Draw

4

6

Evening Draw

DRAW DE LINE

01 02

05 10 15 20 21 SUPER

PAY DAY

PAY DAY

FRIDAY, JANUARY 21, 2022

05 06 08 09 15 13

03 04 10 16 21

7

9 Afternoon Draw

2X Afternoon Draw

8

6 Evening Draw

2X Evening Draw

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

COMMODITIES Indicators

US$

Change %

Crude Oil

$89.51/barrel

+0.39

Rough Rice

$272.664/ton

-0.11

London Sugar

$499.50/ton

0.00

Live Spot Gold

USD Per Ounce

Bid/Ask

$1800.20

$1801.20

Low/High Change

$1797.70 -0.60

$1810.40 -0.03%

Budget debate day 2

Heated exchanges over agri sector, flood relief

…as appreciation letters from APNU/AFC constituencies to Govt read to Opposition

D

ay two of the budget debate at the National Assembly saw heated exchanges over the management of the agriculture sector between Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha and Khemraj Ramjattan, the Opposition Member of Parliament shadowing his sector.

One of the focal points of Ramjattan’s presentation was claims of corruption during the flood relief initiative executed by the Agriculture Ministry. The Opposition has claimed that flood relief cheques were given to People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) friends and family.

But the Agriculture Minister vehemently rejected those claims, noting that the monies benefited hundreds across the country. In fact, he read to the National Assembly, letters of appreciation for the assistance provided from the Opposition’s own constituents.

“The first one I have here is from your people! The Chairman of the International Decade of People of African Descent, Mr Vincent Alexander. You know what he said? He wrote to the Director General, he said please accept our appreciation for following through on the commitment of the Ministry of Agriculture to provide flood relief to our members,” Mustapha said.

“We have here a letter from the Victoria community. And I want to read it, for your understanding to know that we have friends and supporters in every corner in this country.

They wrote, Gear Minister Mustapha, appreciation for assistance to Victoria Development Council, in collaboration with the Victoria Northbrook farmers group, would like to formally thank you and extend to the Ministry of Agriculture and the Government of Guyana, (thanks) for the assistance received during the flood.”

The Minister also read letters from the cooperative society in Ithaca on the West Bank of Berbice and farmers in C Field, Sophia, Greater Georgetown who wrote that “the Rainbow Farmers group suffered greatly during the recent floods. We lost our crops and animals. We were relieved to hear the President say that the Government gave us the flood relief cash grant.

We collected ours during the Region Five distribution and it has helped us so much to go back to the field and start back our farming.”

Nonetheless, Ramjattan, who was the first of 14 speakers for day two of the budget

debate, called for the publishing of the names of all those who received flood relief and the amounts received. It is a call the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) has largely echoed.

Destruction

Meanwhile, in the face of criticisms in Ramjattan’s preceding speech, the Agriculture Minister also defended the Government’s efforts to reopen closed sugar estates and the allocation of $6 billion to the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) for 2022.

“Mr Speaker, the destruction that took place under the APNU/AFC. They feel we have a magic wand, we go touch the estates and say open, open. That’s the man… let me tell you about one estate, Rose Hall Estate; when we went there, what we reached?

“We reached an abandoned cultivation overgrown with bushes… that means we have to do retilling and replanting and to ensure we

Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha

have time for enough cultivation so we can have cane and sugar produced at that estate. And we are in the process of doing that,” he said.

Back in 2016, the then APNU/AFC Government closed the Wales Estate, and the following year shut down the Enmore, Rose Hall and Skeldon Estates, putting over 7000 sugar workers on the breadline.

Many of those workers have not been able to secure permanent jobs and remain on the breadline years later.

The downsizing of the sug-

AFC MP Khemraj Ramjattan

ar industry resulted in only the Uitvlugt, Blairmont and Albion Estates remaining in operation.

The PPP/C, during the 2020 election campaign trail, had promised to reopen those estates and rehire those sacked workers. Since the PPP/C Administration assumed office in August 2020, they have been putting systems in place to reopen the Enmore, Rose Hall and Skeldon Estates. Workers have also been compensated by the PPP Government in this regard. (G3)

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guyanatimesgy.com

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2022

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

Our society and trauma

O

ver time, numerous cases of domestic violence have been reported in the Guyanese media. Many persons were brutally killed in some instances. Unfortunately, it continues, despite awareness efforts and the much-touted training of law enforcement officers who are expected to be the first step of recourse with regard to the lodging of complaints.

There is more than a subtle irony in the continuance of this societal scourge in spite of the relentless efforts and the plethora of available mechanisms to inform and educate. The problem is much larger than what appears in the news, including the social media outlets, as many cases go unreported. This therefore gives much credence to the appearance of an underestimated reality.

Many reasons have been promulgated for what can deter an abused victim from seeking the intervention of the law. Among them, in no specific order of impact, are aspects of culture; shame; dependency and its redounding lack of empowerment for some; and the lack of confidence in law enforcement itself, precipitated from the reported trivialising of the issue in some instances.

One may posit that education is a primary concern. On the other hand, one can argue that education has been more profound in recent times. Pertinent would be to ask the question whether the other factors subvert the heeding of educational messaging; while the answer may be assumed, it would make for interesting and informative research.

As that is contemplated, the magnitude of the impact on children cannot be underestimated. Many have cruelly been made witnesses to the horrific assaults on their mothers and, to a lesser extent, their fathers. Those ghastly images, especially for some who watched as life was snuffed out, are not only lasting, but profoundly traumatising.

When young minds are so broadsided, the impact, if not managed, lingers for life. Not that it is erasable, but with meaningful and sustained interventions, the trauma can potentially be mitigated, thereby aiding in better shaping of lives. The entire spectrum of what therefore constitutes counselling then becomes vital. This naturally raises the question of the availability of adequate intervening mechanisms.

While it is always heartening to hear that surviving victims and witnesses to such horrific incidents would be counselled, it would be very informative, for the benefit of all, to know the extent of what is available and offered. Realistically, expectations cannot be for what obtains in the developed nations. However, there must be something tangible, in keeping with available resources, with upgrades foremost in planning.

This is not in any way suggesting that there is not an effective mechanism. However, counselling can be an extensive process for some, depending on the circumstances. Given the plethora of incidents that unfortunately continue, and which would make added demands on the system, the question of adequacy of trained staff, needed facilities and support systems becomes more pertinent.

Not too long ago, the country had the unenviable tag of having the highest rate of suicide per capita. Prior to that categorisation, some aspects had made news internationally, prompting a local organisation to call for suicide to be made a national priority, given its impact on society and the trauma it imposes on surviving relatives.

It was stated that the declaration would not only bring additional focus, but would have positioned the issue to be afforded the necessary resources for its mitigation.

It was not going to be a panacea to stop suicide, but effectively structured, it increases the potential across the country, with the assistance of stakeholders, to maximise effectiveness of informationgathering for targeted intervention. It would also increase confidence in the support system, to help break social inhibitors where necessary, and to better edify.

It is no different for domestic violence. While there is a disadvantage in being unable to accurately quote figures, based on extensive research, if available, on the amount of people lost, injured and disfigured, and those scarred for life as a result of domestic violence, it must be extremely high in proportion to our population.

Clearly, the highest number would be those who are left traumatised.

This therefore must be seen as a serious cause for concern and a compelling reason for consideration to be declared a national priority.

This is an apolitical issue, and is not confined to any one group, thereby making it less difficult to garner national support. In such small societies, the impact permeates throughout and away from just the families.

Children reading and learning about incidents through television and social media are in many ways impacted too, especially if one of their own is affected. In the context herein, the pervasiveness and impact of trauma cannot, and must not, be underestimated. That of road accidents must also be taken into account, for too much is at stake for the nation and its people.

Students of the University of Guyana’s Faculty of Agriculture volunteering to construct several shade houses under President Dr Irfaan Ali's “Young Agricultural & Innovative Entrepreneurship Initiative’. Under this initiative, the students will receive financial and technical support from Government to cultivate several high-value products such as broccoli, cauliflower and carrots (OP photo)

‘Food on the table’ or constitutional reform?

Dear Editor, Guyanese have divergent views on constitutional reform. There are those who advocate for additional constitutional reform beyond the amendments of the 2000s that were incorporated into the revised 1980 Constitution, while others are baffled as to what specific articles/provisions they want to alter or add.

The latter group prefers to focus instead on “food on the table” issues, including inflation and how, in combination with the COVID-19 pandemic, these factors are heightening their social and health distress.

In March 2020, the election fiasco resulted in a 5-month glaring attempt to stage an electoral coup d’état that nearly culminated in anarchy It provided an impetus for constitutional reform. Some people believe the post- election turmoil had its roots in the Constitution, while others disagree; they locate it in the inordinate obsession with power by Opposition forces.

While the existing Constitution (with 2000s amendments) is not perfect, it has many admirable features, like separation of powers, the rule of law, multiple rights commissions and numerous individual rights, among other things. However, if there is no enforcement mechanism in place, what sense does it make to alter or add more articles/provisions to accen-

tuate the situation? Would ‘compliance’ drive the constitutional process?

A substantial segment of the population does not necessarily have any major problem with the existing Constitution, but they do have deep misgivings about the lack of constitutional compliance not having accompanying penalties.

Having signed on to constitutional reform, the PPPC Government is forcefully confronted with the historical reality of top Government officials and politicians’ unwillingness to adhere to constitutional provisions and the rule of law.

The importance of compliance is exemplified by the PNCR-led coalition’s rejection of the Carter-Price formula (that worked well for over 23 years) for the appointment of the GECOM Chair. Again, the PNCRled coalition refused to step down from office consequent to the successful passage of the No Confidence Motion against their Government in December 2018, as per Article 106 (6).

The UWI professors are correct when they say that many administrative matters are wrongly sent to the High Courts for adjudication. Those matters are supposed to be settled at the Executive level. This shift highlights a dilemma of the political actors and their reluctance to respect/observe the rule of law. The transformation of attitudes is therefore paramount to ensur-

ing compliance. One cannot make old habits the foundation of a new social order, any more than those old ways brought the new order into existence.

I believe that the PPPC is more inclined towards “inclusivity” than to “power sharing.” It’s existing ideology, which is not doctrinaire but organic, is aligned to inclusivity as well as to the Constitution. With support from the PNCR, the PPPC has passed several inclusive constitutional measures, such as the Rights Commissions; instituted a new system of parliamentary management, with the establishment of Parliamentary Sectoral Committees allowing for Opposition leadership; and reduced the powers of the Presidency.

Whenever the constitutional process is set in motion, the following items are recommended for consideration: (i) focus on compliance and penalties; (ii) clarify ambiguities (e.g., how are the procedures for changing “entrenched” provisions different from those that are not entrenched [Ref: Article 164 (1) (2)] and what does “create a republican community” mean (in Preamble); (iii) delete superfluous/conflicting language like Guyana is “in the course of transition from capitalism to socialism” (Article 1); and (iv) limit the number of Vice President to just one (ref: Article 102.

Some people view “power sharing” as central to con-

stitutional reform, and contend that, if implemented, it could mitigate or eliminate ethnic tension and social upheaval. While this is an attractive theoretical construct, it is doubtful if it would match reality. A major inhibiting force is the elusive ‘trust’ factor. In addition, it would undermine the very foundation of political competition for state power. Smart people would not take the easy way out, they would work hard to win state power through mobilisation, advocacy, and connecting with the people with appropriate policies and programmes.

It is noted that Trinidad & Tobago has a historical and demographic structure that is similar to Guyana’s, yet power sharing is not central to its political landscape. In Guyana, power is already shared by Opposition forces at every layer of Government, except at the Executive (Cabinet) level. There is nothing barring Opposition forces from acquiring Executive power (Cabinet) again if they push forth with a sharp vision, smart programmes and policies, and simultaneously reject violence, intimidatory tactics, and caustic rhetoric.

In my opinion, constitutional reform is likely to be overshadowed by potent factors like “inclusivity” and “food on the table” issues, including rising prices.

Sincerely, Dr Tara Singh

guyanatimesgy.com

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2022

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

Looking forward The budget debate as we progress Dear Editor, Generally, I don’t like to express my views publicly when it comes to anything political. However, I felt compelled to write to you today to publicly thank the Government of Guyana for Budget 2022. This budget not only means a lot to me personally, but also to hundreds of thousands of people throughout the length and breadth of Guyana. I say this confidently because I have taken note of the budget allocations that were announced, and I can see every single citizen benefiting in some way or the other from this budget.

Personally, I would like to express just what this budget means to me as an individual.

As someone with a family member who is suffering from kidney failure, I can’t put into words how strenuous it is to provide financially for the treatments needed. For those who may not be aware, hundreds of people across the country are suffering from kidney-related illnesses and are in need of dialysis treatments. What a lot of people do not realise is that, in many cases, treatments are needed at least two to three times per week.

The cost for one session is approximately $12,000. So, taking that into consideration, that amounts to anywhere between $24,000 and $36,000 per week in dialysis treatment. As you can imagine, it is very hard to find $100,000 per month to ensure that your loved one survives.

Putting that into context, Budget 2022 provides an allocation of approximately $180M to provide assistance to every patient in need of dialysis across the country.

This means that every dialysis patient could receive $600,000 annually. This is basically like saying that the Government is taking away half of the burden on those families with loved ones in need of dialysis treatments.

For many of you, it may seem like something small. But, for those of us experiencing it, words aren’t enough to express how grateful we are to the Government for providing such assistance. It is almost as saying that the allocation is life-changing.

In addition, the budget seeks to reduce the cost of fuel by reducing the excise tax on gasoline and diesel from 20% to 10%. This is another area where I will per-

sonally benefit, and I am sure it would be beneficial to every single vehicle driver.

The budget also seeks to increase disposable income by increasing the Because We Care and School Uniform cash grants. This, again, will be taking a lot of pressure off the shoulders of parents with school-aged children, as the provision of $30,000 in total would mean $30,000 less will be coming out of the pockets of parents.

It is also important that I mention the budget would increase the income tax threshold to $75,000 monthly. This would assist a great deal, as individuals would be paying less taxes on their salaries every month.

These are just some of the benefits of this budget on my personal life. But a simple examination of all the other allocations would show that every citizen would benefit in some way or the other.

I thank the Government of Guyana for this budget, in particular the allocation for assistance to dialysis patients, and I look forward for what else is to come as we progress under the PPP/C Administration.

Sincerely, Arnold Sanasie

Call for Indian Cultural Centres in outlying areas Dear Editor, There were well-rounded and justifiable complaints about the staff and soundand-lighting effects at the India Republic Day event (Jan 26) at the Cultural Centre. Those complaints were made by Gem Madhoo (Jan 28) among others.

The handling of the sound and lighting, and the time it took for staff to prepare for each item of the programme, was disrespectful to the guests and hosts, as well as the Indian community at large. Attendees were upset. Staff professionalism was lacking.

And to think that the Cultural Centre was built by Indian Immigrants’ funds, at a minimum, the CEO or Director of Operations and staff should have taken measures to ensure that the programme came off well.

Clearly, professionalism was lacking. The Ministry must address this problem.

I have other issues with the Cultural Centre that the Ministry should address. It is located in Georgetown, and therefore it is not accessible to the population of the Corentyne, West Berbice, West Coast Demerara, Essequibo, and outlying areas. In addition, the Cultural Centre was built with money from the Indian

Immigrants’ Fund without the approval of the Indian community. That in itself was a travesty.

The Centre is not accessible to Indians, most of whom live far away from town. Since Indian funds were used to build the Centre, at a minimum, the then Government should have been sensitive about its location. Indian people’s money was confiscated and used to build a Centre which they have hardly accessed over the 45 years of its existence. In addition, the design of the Centre and various outer and inner features are not reflective and/or representative of the various ethnic groups. Since it was built with Indian funds, it should have been an Indian Guyanese Cultural Centre, or at a minimum have a design that reflects Indian arts and culture. There is hardly anything Indian about the Centre. This injustice must be corrected.

Government should give consideration to returning the money to the Indian community. That would be the equivalent of several billion dollars, which can then be used to build in various parts of the country Indian cultural centres that could be accessed by the community.

Yours truly, Vishnu Bisram

Dear Editor, As I listened to the debate on the 2022 budget, it was easy to discern those who were intent on being uncooperative and unsupportive. The Ministers of the Government and the Members of Parliament on the PPP/C side of the house displayed absolute brilliance with the most impressive and factual presentations.

This was beautiful. I saw the determination in their presentation. Their passion for the development of Guyana was evident. Never before have I been so proud of my elected leaders.

On the other hand, the political Opposition, A Partnership for National Unity and their trusted sidekick the Alliance For Change, as expected, continued in their anti-progressive nature. It was the APNU+AFC, while in Government, who demonstrated clearly to Guyana that they have no vision, or even the slightest clue, as to how to run this country.

Yesterday’s budget debate began without a Leader of the Opposition. This predicament is as a result of the internal squabbling of the PNC/R. In their directionless state, the political Opposition have long since signalled their displeasure with the 2022 budget. This is highly unfortunate, as the 2022 budget - dubbed “historic and transformational” - is intended to ease the burden faced by the people of Guyana, even taking into consideration the global pandemic and its effects.

On day one, Opposition MP Ms Amanza Walton Desir, who started off the debate, was highly theatrical in her presentation.

The opening speaker of the Opposition rambled senselessly on a number of issues on which she clearly intended to deceive Guyana.

As the day proceeded, the nation saw exactly how a political Opposition functions without a leader. This does not go to say that had there been an Opposition Leader at the start of the debate, the outcome would have been any better.

Guyana, as a developing nation, is transforming.

As highlighted in the presentation of the Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce, Oneidge Walrond, who said, “Budget 2022, will be truly transformative. It will be the first of several budgets that propel us into the ranks of developed countries, with a standard and quality of living that Guyanese have dreamed of for generations.

It will propel all of us.” This budget will see all of Guyana developing, and this is the starting point.

Another Government Member of Parliament, Mr

Seepaul Narine, in his contribution, said, “Budget 2022, I believe, has not missed any area of national life. Every man, woman and child will gain from Budget 2022. This is the nature of the PPP/C, which ensures that development is all-round, and no one is left out.”

He further stressed the fact that this year’s budget is another manifestation of the PPP/C Government’s unyielding commitment to “unlock the nation’s potential and improve the wellbeing of citizens.”

These are but a few accurate representations of Budget 2022. It is only the 31 members of the failed APNU/AFC who cannot see the tremendous thought and vision that birthed and compiled Budget 2022. This is because they are visionless, and as a result, it is evident in the way they operate in and out of the National Assembly.

Yours truly, Alvin Hamilton

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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2022

Page

Foundation ◄

An angle is formed by the rays of two intersecting lines when the rays have the same vertex. An angle is named by both of its lines, with the vertex in the middle of its name.

By Edgar Albert Guest

I

n this fun and easy electricity and magnetism science experiment, we are going to show you how to build an electromagnet.

Rays OA and OB intersect at Point O, a shared vertex to form angle AOB. Angles are measured in degrees. A straight line is 180o , so an angle will always be less than that. Angles that are less than 90o degrees are called acute angles. Angles that are more than 90o degrees are called obtuse angles. Angles that are exactly 90o degrees are called right angles, and are often indicated with a very small square at the point where the two lines meet.

Materials: Large nail 6-volt lantern battery 2 alligator clips Wire strippers Insulated piece of copper wire (about 18 gauge) Small metal items like screws, washers, paper clips, etc Instructions:

Exercises: Identify the following angles as either acute, obtuse or right angles: ,

Strip a small section of the insulation from the ends of the copper wire.

Wrap the copper wire around the nail.

Attached the stripped end of the copper wire to the alligator clips.

Connect the alligator clips to the 6-volt lantern battery.

Test the nail to see if it is magnetic by holding it near the small metal items.

How it works:

The electric field in the coiled wire creates a magnetic field around the nail. The magnetised nail will be able to attract metal items.

Make this a science project:

Try different sized nails. Try to turn other metal items like bolts or metal tubing into electromagnets. Test different gauges of copper wire. Test different sizes of batteries. (sciencefun.org)

How much grit do you think you’ve got?

Can you quit a thing that you like a lot?

You may talk of pluck; it’s an easy word, And where’er you go it is often heard; But can you tell to a jot or guess Just how much courage you now possess?

You may stand to trouble and keep your grin, But have you tackled self-discipline?

Have you ever issued commands to you To quit the things that you like to do, And then, when tempted and sorely swayed, Those rigid orders have you obeyed?

Don’t boast of your grit till you’ve tried it out, Nor prate to men of your courage stout, For it’s easy enough to retain a grin In the face of a fight there’s a chance to win, But the sort of grit that is good to own Is the stuff you need when you’re all alone.

How much grit do you think you’ve got?

Can you turn from joys that you like a lot?

Have you ever tested yourself to know How far with yourself your will can go?

If you want to know if you have grit, Just pick out a joy that you like, and quit.

It’s bully sport and it’s open fight; It will keep you busy both day and night; For the toughest kind of a game you’ll find Is to make your body obey your mind.

And you never will know what is meant by grit Unless there’s something you’ve tried to quit.

WORD SEARCH

NEWS

7

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Guyana lifts average growth rate in Region among commodity-exporting economies – CDB …to dominate regional economic growth rate in 2022

E

ven while its regional neighbours faced shrinking economic growth, Guyana dominated the growth rate charts among commodity-exporting countries in the Region as its economy expanded.

This is according to Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) Director of Economics, Ian Durant, during the bank’s virtual press conference on Tuesday.

According to Durant, there was an average growth rate of 2.7 per cent among countries that export commodities, as opposed to countries whose economies are driven by services, like tourism for example.

“Among commodity-exporting countries, the average growth rate of 2.7 per cent was driven by Guyana, which recorded growth of 19.9 per cent. This performance reflected increased production in the expanding crude oil industry, with the non-oil segment growing by 4.6 per cent,” he said.

Durant also revealed that Suriname, one of Guyana’s continental neighbours, and Trinidad and Tobago, its immediate neighbour in the Caribbean Sea, saw their Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth rate decline.

Interestingly, he attributed part of Suriname’s economic decline to its protracted lockdowns and curfews to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.

This is an approach the Dr Irfaan Ali led Government has steered clear of, instead facilitating the phased reopening of the economy and face-to-face interactions. In fact, Durant made it clear that continued economic growth would depend, among other things, on managing the COVID-19

growth, projected to grow by 7.7 per cent this year. This, he explained, will be driven

CDB Director Ian Durant

pandemic without enforcing full and lengthy lockdowns.

“Conversely, GDP declined in Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago. In Suriname, fiscal consolidation and exchange rate depreciation reduced domestic purchasing power. And together with protracted lockdowns and curfews caused the contraction in GDP. “Similarly, GDP in Trinidad and Tobago fell because of lower natural gas production and its transmission to downstream industries, as well as the impact of mandated closures on service sector entities,” Durant further explained.

Looking forward, Durant said that Guyana’s economy was slated to grow by 47.5 per cent. In fact, he said that Guyana’s economic growth rate fuelled by oil and gas would dominate the Region’s overall 9.1 per cent expected growth rate for 2022.

Last week, when Senior Minister in the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance, Dr Ashni Singh presented the Government’s mega $552.9 billion budget to the National Assembly, he had announced that the

real GDP grew by 19.9 per cent last year. According to him, this growth rate puts Guyana within the top percentile of fastest growing economies in 2021.

“Mr Speaker, real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is estimated to have grown by 19.9 per cent, while nonoil GDP is estimated to have grown by 4.6 per cent in 2021, despite the persistence of COVID-19 as well as the impact of the floods. With this rate of overall growth, Guyana is likely to be amongst the three fastest-growing economies worldwide in 2021.”

“Real GDP is projected to grow by 47.5 per cent, a rate of growth which no other country in the world is currently projected to achieve in 2022. This reflects the coming into operation of the second FPSO [Floating Production, Offloading and Storage] vessel, the <<<Liza Unity>>>, which will significantly ramp up oil production,” the Finance Minister also said.

Meanwhile, he had explained that the non-oil economy was expected to continue registering strong

mainly by rebounds in rice cultivation and gold mining, as well as continued expan-

sion in construction activity and wholesale and retail trade and repairs. (G3)

8

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Low blow...

R

…on PNC’s female MP ather than the Opposition Leader leading off the Budget Debate, as your Eyewitness commented yesterday, some of the freshmen (so to speak) spoke in his stead. First off the bat was Amanza Walton-Desir of “mentally lazy PPP supporters” infamy!! One suspects she didn’t repeat her charge because she wasn’t facing supporters but PPP MPs?? Anyhow, your Eyewitness is very disappointed at the reporting of her speech by one of the dailies.

Imagine them referring to her as “regally attired with a hairstyle to match”!! Now, if this isn’t downright sexist, your Eyewitness doesn’t know what is. Did they describe the sartorial accouterment of the male MP who followed her on the floor?? Your Eyewitness had remarked about the fellow - he goes by the colourful nom de guerre of Phoulerie Joe! - who’d stuck to the SUBSTANCE. To wit that the PNC MP’s presentation reminded him of his mother’s yard fowls!! Squawking and flailing around like a headless chicken in the mode of Chicken Little who went around squawking, “The Sky is falling!!! The sky is falling!!”

Now, his analogy went to his perception of the SUBSTANCE of the MP’s presentation - that it was alarmist and incoherent! He didn’t patronise her by referring to her dress or hair, as the newspaper did!! So, THEY hadn’t noticed Phulourie Joe’s snazzy Cabana Stripe suit?? Your Eyewitness was a fashion pate in his day(!) so he knows about pin stripe and chalk stripe - but Cabana Stripe?? He’s seen this on bikinis and throw pillows - but men’s suits??

This was breaking new fashion ground! And yet it didn’t draw comment.

And that’s how they still put women in their PLACE, don’t they? The MP could’ve made the most piercing analysis of the Budget, but she’s trivialised by prefacing her presentation with a description of her dress and hairdo!! Now, your Eyewitness will show what should’ve been done - and hope he’s not now ironically accused of “mansplaining”. The theme of the Opposition MP’s presentation was “show me where you spend your money and I will tell you what you value.” And taking her seriously, your Eyewitness did just that in the PPP’s budget.

The largest chunk of money was on capital spending $217 billion!! Which, to apply the MP’s aphorism, meant that the PPP values Guyana’s future!! And the specific allocation illustrates this - $88 billion to Public Works meaning roads and bridges etc!! This has been the single greatest failure of past administrations, and it’s now being fixed. Then there was $27 billion for hydro-power and other means of producing cheap power. Aren’t they of GOOD value - as are the $19 billion for Health, $14 billion for Agriculture and $12 billion for Housing??

So, c’mon members of the press; enough with the antifeminist tropes!! …by PNC Now that he’s listened to Day 2 of the Budget debate, your Eyewitness must confess that while he wouldn’t describe them as “headless yard fowls” (since he isn’t too familiar with the species and picks up his chickens headless in the supermarket’s frozen section) he did discern a pattern that emanated from the missing leader in the PNC ranks. It was all attack, attack, attack!! And no proposals that might cause fence sitters like yours truly to give them another look come 2025!!

An Opposition Leader would’ve had his brain trust come up with a comprehensive, coherent response to the PPP’s five-hour budget, and divvied it up to his foot soldiers, but with his opening address setting the overarching vision, showing that the PNC wants to take the country somewhere with THEIR plan. As it was, with the MPs just attacking the PPP’s Budget, they allowed the PPP to SET THEIR AGENDA!!

And you know, in any debate, when you do that, you’ve already lost!! …on $2000 Bill Why would the PNC say the new $2000 Bill signals hyperinflation?? Didn’t they hear about the $1million peso bill introduced in Venezuela last year to deal with their hyperinflation??

Smaller bills mean our money value’s rising!!

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

NEWS

9

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Guyana to be net exporter of soya bean in 5 years – Mustapha

…42 new agro-processors started operations in 2021

T

he Government plans for Guyana, which started producing corn and soya bean in trial runs last year financed by local and foreign investors, to be a net exporter of soya bean in the next five years.

This was revealed

by Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha, during his contribution to the budget debate on Tuesday.

According to Mustapha, this is a matter that has already been raised at the level of the Caribbean Community (Caricom) ministerial task force that he chairs.

“Guyana is chairing the ministerial task force. We have prioritised items and commodities that we are pursuing. We have already started the trial run with the corn and soya bean. This year we will continue to expand that. Last year, we started 125 acres. This year, we will expand it,” he explained.

“The feed industry in our country, we import close to US$30 million annually in feed. We want in another three years to be self-sufficient, and another two years from there to be a net exporter of corn and soya,” Mustapha said.

When it comes to agro-processing – turning agricultural produce into value added products – he said that a number of new agro-processors have come on board with the Government and the Guyana Marketing Corporation (GMC), where locally-made products are marketed.

“In agro-processing, we are moving rapidly. We are building agro-processing facilities in all corners of

Harvesting at the soya farm last year

the country – Region One, Region Six, Region Nine and every corner. And we are giving equal opportunities to people across the country.

“Over the last year, 42 new agro processors have come on board. And we have increased the items to 292 new products in the GMC shop,” the Agriculture Minister further said in his presentation to the House.

It was only last year that harvesting started at a 115acre soya bean and a fiveacre corn pilot project in Ebini, Upper Berbice River – a joint venture between various local and foreign investors – aimed at proving all raw materials for the production of livestock and poultry feed for the local sector.

The initiative is being developed by a consortium of investors that includes the owners of Guyana Stock Feed Ltd, Royal Chicken, Edun Farms, SBM Wood, Dubulay Ranch, and Bounty Farm Ltd, along with the Brazilian-owned NF Agriculture.

Back in April 2021, Assistant Managing Director of Bounty Farm

Limited, David Fernandes had explained the group’s vision for the project. During his presentation, Fernandes said that Guyana has long been touted as having the potential of being the bread

basket of the Caribbean and that in recent years there has been a greater appreciation of the high dependence on imports for livestock feed.

With Guyana spending close to US$25 million

annually on proteins just for the poultry sector, the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) Government, since taking office, has taken steps to promote domestic cultivation of grains like corn and soya bean.

Government, in its 2020 Emergency Budget, removed Value-Added Tax (VAT) on agricultural machinery, fertilisers, agrochemicals, and pesticides, making it more feasible for such investments.

Additionally, the Government has reversed land lease fees across all sectors and water charges back to 2014 rates. Last year, President Dr Irfaan Ali had said that in the next four years, Guyana, via more diversified crops, would be aiming to reduce

the Caricom food import bill by 25 per cent.

“Guyana intends to become the agricultural heartland of the English-speaking Caribbean, and play its part in helping the Caribbean Community reduce its food import bill by 25 per cent by 2025,” the President had said in his Agriculture Month message.

President Ali had further explained that agriculture has long been a mainstream of Guyana’s economy, and its contribution could not be downplayed. He had said that in 2020, the sector was responsible for 16.2 per cent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), and along with forestry and fishing, it accounted for 12.2 per cent of the national employment numbers. (G3)

10

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

11 GECOM preparing “roadmap” for Local Govt Elections L NEWS

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2022| GUYANATIMESGY.COM

ocal Government Elections - which were scheduled for last year – are on track to being hosted in 2022 as the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) is preparing a roadmap towards achieving this.

This is according to Government-nominated Commissioner Sase Gunraj, who, during Monday’s edition of the social media programme Globespan, expressed confidence that the electoral body would host these important polls before 2023.

“There are certain processes that have to be conducted and concluded as a precursor to the holding of the elections. One of the first processes is a registration exercise to ensure that the list is refreshed, and once that list is refreshed,

there are certain functions which stem from that, which of course will result in the holding of elections,” Gunraj explained.

“It is my view that

we are well poised to ensure that those processes are concluded [this year], and once concluded, Local Government Elections can be held,” the GECOM

Commissioner added.

Further, he noted that the seven-member Elections Commission has since asked newly-appointed Chief Elections Officer (CEO) Vishnu Persaud to prepare a “roadmap” towards the hosting of these polls.

“We asked, at our last meeting, the Chief Elections Officer to prepare basically a roadmap, which includes time and task from where we are currently to the holding of Local Government Elections and beyond. So, it’s our hope that once we get that done, we will start acting on that, and it is my personal hope that we can start acting on that with alacrity,” Gunraj explained.

In December 2021, GECOM Chairman Claudette Singh had writ-

ten Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister Anil Nandlall to confirm that the electoral body would be unable to hold Local Government Elections in 2021.

She had explained that since the Commission was currently without a Chief Elections Officer, who by law is required to manage the conduct of elections in Guyana, GECOM was “unable” to have the elections held at that point in time.

However, after a rigorous process, GECOM has since hired Vishnu Persaud as the new CEO. GECOM still has to fill the posts of Deputy CEO and other senior management vacancies.

These senior posts within GECOM became vacant after former CEO Keith Lowenfield, his dep-

uty Roxanne Myers, and former Returning Officer Clairmont Mingo were fired for attempts to sway the results of the 2020 General and Regional Elections.

They are currently before the courts facing electoral fraud charges.

LGE are constitutionally due every two years in Guyana, and were last held in 2018. However, given the fiasco that played out following the 2020 General and Regional Elections, the local Government polls were deferred to 2021.

At the last LGE in November 2018, the then PPP/C Opposition had secured 52 of the 80 Local Authority Areas (LAAs).

This followed the holding of the LGE in 2016, during which the PPP/C also claimed the majority of the LAAs.

Despite APNU/AFC’s inaction

Ramjattan now calls for national minimum wage to be $100,000

I

gnoring that it was his administration that failed to increase the minimum wage to $60,000, Opposition lawmaker Khemraj Ramjattan has recommended that it now be increased to $100,000 a month.

Kickstarting the Budget 2022 debates on Tuesday, Ramjattan – a former Minister under the APNU/AFC Government – lamented that there is no plan in place to increase the country’s minimum wage.

Interestingly, it was Ramjattan’s administration that failed to pass the order to increase the national minimum wage for a 40-hour work week

from $44,200 to $60,000. This was a move in the making since 2019, and, to date, it has not been finalised. The last update was provided in December 2021 by Labour Minister Joseph Hamilton, who noted that the Private Sector has unofficially confirmed its readiness to approve the increase.

Even with this matter yet to be concluded, Ramjattan believes the increase should move to $100,000. “I am requesting here that we do a minimum wage that is 100,000 across the board,” he expressed.

Ramjattan outlined that an average person’s monthly expenses surpass $100,000, taking

Opposition MP Khemraj Ramjattan

into consideration the rising food prices, rent/mortgage payments/ home maintenance expenses, and

utilities.

Although the national minimum wage is currently at

$44,200, workers in the Public Sector are paid a minimum of $70,000. Additionally, the country’s Labour Minister had explained that only an estimated 10% of Private Sector workers are paid the national minimum wage.

During his interview with this publication in December, Minister Hamilton had also expressed hope that it does not ever take this long before the minimum wage is increased again.

The Private Sector’s minimum wage was last increased in 2017 from an hourly rate of $202 to $255, taking the monthly wage from $35,000 to $44,200.

12 NEWS

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 2,, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

3 more COVID-19 infected persons die GUYANA COVID-19 DASHBOARD FEBRUARY 1, 2022 UPDATE

T

he COVID-19 death toll in Guyana is now at 1171, after three more persons died as of Tuesday after testing positive for the virus.

Information from the Health Ministry stated that all three deaths were reported on February 1, with two of these persons being unvaccinated. They included an 83-year-old woman from Region Seven (CuyuniMazaruni); a 76-year-old man from Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice) and a 30-year-old woman from Region Four (DemeraraMahaica).

An updated dashboard reflected 220 new cases of the virus, which saw the overall total climbing to 60,109.

Some 184 patients are in institutional isolation, 9447 in home isolation and 16 in institutional quarantine.

Recoveries stand at 49,294.

In the country, 508,888 COVID-19 tests have been administered since the virus was detected here.

There were 58 new infections in Region One (BarimaWaini), 14 in in Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), 14 in Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara), 90 in Region Four (Demerara-

Mahaica), 15 in Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne), 17 in Region Seven, nine in Region Nine (Upper TakutuUpper Essequibo) and three in Region 10.

There were no new cases in Region Five (MahaicaBerbice), and Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni).

Across COVID-19 facilities, 135 patients are hospitalised with 13 in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).

The Infectious Diseases Hospital currently houses 91 individuals who have contracted the virus and require advanced care.

Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony underscored on Tuesday that countries were better prepared to handle the new coronavirus as opposed to when the virus was first detected some two years ago. The successful creation of several vaccines has been an integral tool in navigating the pandemic.

“We’re in a much better place than we were when the disease first emerged in 2019. We know quite a lot more about the disease, how it’s spreading, how it’s transmitted, the kinds of damage it can do to the body and how we can mitigate against those. Because of the intense

effort that was put in developing drugs, vaccines and other measures, we have been able to reduce the burden of this disease,” he acknowledged.

Antiretroviral medications have also been developed to shorten the lifecycle of the virus, while monoclonal antibodies are also effective in mitigating the disease.

However, he advised, “We still have to maintain the types of public health precautions that we have been advising people to take.”

Vaccination continues among the population, with latest figures showing 424,133 first doses among the adult population or 82.7 per cent. Second doses are at 314,032 or 61.2 per cent.

For adolescents, 23,065 or 31.6 per cent are fully vaccinated. Some 39,547 persons have returned for their booster shots.

Government started administering booster shots after studies around the world showed that the efficacy of the vaccines wanes after six months of receiving both doses. Persons have been encouraged to take the booster dose.

If anyone is displaying

NUMBER OF NEW CASES

220

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN INSTITUTIONAL ISOLATION

184

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

9,447 13

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN INSTITUTIONAL QUARANTINE

16

TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES BY GENDER (FEMALES)

32,321

TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES BY GENDER (MALES)

27,788

TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES IN GUYANA SINCE 2020

60,109

NUMBER OF RECOVERED CASES

49,294

TOTAL 1st DOSE VACCINATED FULLY IMMUNISED

REGION 1

2232

REGION 2

2302

REGION 3

7780

REGION 4

30,074

REGION 5

2229

REGION 6

5420

REGION 7

2370

REGION 8

821

REGION 9

3457

REGION 10

3424

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

423,439 312,874

TOTAL NUMBER OF DEATHS

DISTRIBUTION OF TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES SINCE MARCH 2020

1171

Keep a physical distance of at least 6 feet.

Wash your hands or use handsanitizer If you have any symptoms, call the COVID-19 Hotline.

GET MEDICAL ADVICE ON COVID-19 FROM MOH 24/7 HOTLINE NUMBERS: 2311166; 226 7480; 624 6674; 624 2819; 624 3067 OR 180/181. any of the symptoms associated with COVID-19, or need any additional information, they are asked to contact the COVID-19 Hotline on 2311166, 226-7480 or 624-6674

immediately or visit www. health.gov.gy.

All Guyanese are reminded to observe the protocols of the COVID-19 emergency measures which emphasise:

correct and consistent use of a face mask when leaving your home; six feet of physical distance from others and good hand hygiene. (G12)

13 COVID positive case rate declining – Health Minister NEWS

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

W

eeks after a surge in daily COVID-19 infections began locally, positive cases are finally on the decline.

Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony shared in the COVID-19 update that the new Omicron variant gave rise to a significant number of positives in the country over a short period of time owing to its contagious nature.

From the beginning of January, positive cases started rising, peaking at more than 1000 infections daily.

Throughout the month, over 20,000 infections were reported, thereby taking the active positive cases at one point to over 13,000. As of Monday, just 86 new cases surfaced from 631 tests.

“With Omicron, we have seen a number of cases, because it’s more contagious…

What we have noticed is that there has been a downward trend over the last two weeks or so. Our positivity rate has been falling. That means the amount of tests that is being done and the amount of persons coming back positive, that has been falling. It shows that we have been getting less cases,” the Minister

have resulted in significant increases in hospitalisation, [and] continue to pose overwhelming demands on health-care systems in most countries, and may lead to significant morbidity, particularly in vulnerable populations.”

In January, Dr Anthony had said every person to visit the testing sites would not be eligible for a PCR test, adding that the unlimited use of

relayed.

In Guyana, almost 60,000 cases have been reported since the first case back in March 2020. Just over 47,000 patients have since recovered. Speaking on the country’s recovery rate, Minister Anthony said a significant percentage of persons make a full recovery from the infection while less than two per cent were hospitalised.

“Of those persons that have been infected, just about 1.6 per cent of them would be in the hospital and of those in the hospital, most of them would recover. Also, since a lot of persons are not coming into the hospital, about seven days after they would have tested positive,

they can go back to work,” he added.

Based on the currently available evidence, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has concluded that the overall risk related to Omicron remains very high and the effects are notable in the challenges to health systems and vulnerable populations across the globe.

“Omicron has a significant growth advantage over Delta, leading to rapid spread in the community with higher levels of incidence than previously seen in this pandemic. Despite a lower risk of severe disease and death following infection than previous SARS-CoV-2 variants, the very high levels of transmission nevertheless

this type of testing would be restricted to only high-risk cases.

“The Ministry is now going to do PCR only for people who are hospitalised or persons who would come to one of the A&E or outpatient clinics and the clinician there decides that this person needs a PCR. If somebody is working in a highrisk setting and requires a PCR, then we’ll do the PCR,”

he indicated.

Prior, at the National Public Health Reference Laboratory, 1500 to 2000 PCR tests were processed every day along with 2000 antigen tests. The Health Minister had shared that people were showing up to be tested because they might have been exposed to the virus, but many were not following the established guidelines. (G12)

Businessman’s home burglarised

T

he home of a 38-yearold La Parfaite Harmonie, West Bank Demerara (WBD) businessman was on Monday evening burglarised by unknown persons.

According to the Police, the incident occurred between 17:45h and 20:50h while the businessman and his family were away from home.

Police stated that at approximately 17:45h, the businessman secured his property and went out.

However, upon his return

around 20:50h, he heard a noise emanating from the back door and as such, went to check.

It was then that he discovered the door was open, as well as one of the windows on the northern side of the house.

It is believed that the perpetrator/s gained entry to the house through the window and after taking what they wanted, exited through the back door.

Several items including two laptop computers, an electronic tablet, and two flash

drives were missing.

The Police were summoned to the scene and an investigation was launched.

Only about a week ago, a Corentyne businessman’s wife was relieved of more than $18 million in cash outside a commercial bank at Rose Hall Town, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne).

The robbery occurred around 10:20h in the busy commercial district of Rose Hall Town as the businesswoman exited a vehicle and was about to make her way into a local bank.

14 NEWS Fire at GNSC wharf act of arson – Fire Chief WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

F

ire Chief (ag) Gregory Wickham has confirmed that the fire which occurred at the Guyana National Shipping Corporation’s (GNSC’s) wharf had been maliciously set, thus the Guyana Fire Service is treating it as an act of arson.

This revelation, made on Tuesday in a telephone interview with that functionary, comes days after officials of the GFS had confirmed that the Laparkan fire was also an act of arson.

The Fire Chief had related on Monday that the GFS was investigating whether the two fires at those city wharves were linked. On Tuesday he noted that that determination is still to be made.

It was reported that at about 08:00h on Sunday

has reasoned.

However, contacted for an update on Tuesday, Wickham explained that “no two fires are the same, and therefore each fire must be treated with their level of seriousness, and each fire must be treated with the values added to fires, and we look at also the loss they suffered.”

Notwithstanding, he added, “And of course it’s alarming that we have yet another fire being maliciously set by person or persons unknown.”

The aftermath of the fire at the GNSC wharf

last, a fire erupted at the GNSC’s Workshop, an aged wooden building referred to as the “gear room”, which was being used to store gears and parts for ships.

However, quick response by the Guyana Fire Service (GFS) resulted in the blaze being contained to that area, and the GNSC suffering minimal losses.

In a statement issued subsequently, the GFS said the Tropical Shipping Company, which operates on the GNSC wharf, sustained water damage and minor fire damage.

Additionally, propane cylinders and a number of barrels containing foodstuff, clothing, household appliances and other items were destroyed.

Two weeks prior to this incident, a fire had erupted at a bond at the Guyana National

Industrial Company Incorporated (GNIC), destroying a quantity of office furniture; gas cylinders; crates of energy drinks; three 40-foot containers containing electrical cables and flex hoses; three electrical transformers, and three 40-foot refrigeration containers for Laparkan Trading. In addition, eleven vehicles were destroyed, while five were severely damaged and three others were slightly damaged.

Since it has already been determined that the Laparkan fire was an act of arson, the GFS would be probing any possible linkage or similarity to the one set at the GNSC wharf. “Maybe when investigations are completed, they’ll be able to find if any relations are between the two fires,” the Fire Chief

Asked whether this information has been passed on to the Guyana Police Force (GPF), the Fire Chief (ag) noted that “the Police would normally request any information of fires. I’m not certain that I would have seen that request come in…”

Although it has been more than a week since it has been determined that the fire at the GNIC wharf was maliciously set, there are no reports of anyone being arrested in relation to that crime.

Venezuelan sisters remanded on attempted murder charge

T

wo teenage Venezuelan nationals are among four sisters who were on Tuesday remanded to prison for the attempted murder committed on a 16-year-old girl last week.

The sisters Evelyn Alfonso, 22, and Roxanna Alfonso, 20, along with a 14-year-old and a 16-yearold, appeared before Magistrate Clive Nurse at the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court and were not required to plead to the charge of attempted murder when it was read to them.

That charge detailed

that on January 28, 2021, at Cummings Street, Georgetown, they attempted to murder the Guyanese teenage victim.

It was reported that on the day in question, at around 9:00h, the victim was walking along Cummings Street, Georgetown in the company of a relative when she was attacked by the sisters. Based on a video that was shared on social media, the two teenage suspects were armed with knives while the older ones were armed with pieces of brick.

The victim was eventually stabbed to the neck by the

two teen sisters.

After committing the act, the four sisters reportedly fled the scene, while the injured teen was taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital, where she was admitted a patient.

A report was made, and after investigations, the four sisters were arrested and charged.

The two older sisters have been remanded to prison, while the younger teens have been sent to the Sophia Juvenile Holding Centre; and they are all expected to make their next court appearance on February 11, 2022.

NEWS

Ramsammy’s Ruminations Budget 2022 debate reaffirms APNU/AFC is clueless, confused

B

udget 2022 has generally been praised by people and organisations across Guyana. Those who are among the “usual suspects”, who would twist themselves like an American pretzel in order to find fault with Budget 2022, are having a horrendous time trying to do so. The Opposition political party - in this case APNU/AFC - or, to be more accurate, the PNC, said very little in between the reading of the budget last Wednesday and the start of the debate this past Monday.

Clearly, they were confused and in search of a way to poke holes in the budget. Now that the debate has actually started, we know why the silence. Not unexpectedly, the speakers representing APNU/AFC thus far appear confused, totally clueless, and they clearly expose the fact that APNU/AFC come to the debate without any party position, excepting they must Dr Leslie Ramsammy attack the budget.

In the process, they make every Government MP look like Einstein.

No national budget is perfect, and any effective and competent Opposition can find fault and find specific things to logically criticise.

But this opposition deserves the characterisation made by the Minister of Labour, Joseph Hamilton, who described them as thirtyone (31) “headless yard fowls, fluttering and flattering”. They are so confused that, on Tuesday morning, they boycotted their opening speaker. Yes, APNU/AFC boycotted the budget debate presentation by the Leader of the AFC, Khemraj Ramjattan. Increasingly, Ramjattan’s prediction several years back: that joining the PNC would render the AFC “dead meat”, has not only come true, but now his own political career is “dead meat”. It must be very lonely and depressing for Khemraj to be now rejected by his comrades, the ones he conspired with most recently to rig the election results. He is being stabbed in the back by those he joined in an unsuccessful attempted electoral heist.

Before the debate, in the PNC’s only response to Budget 2022, the hand-picked General Secretary, aka the Leader of the PNC’s “creature”, could only say that Budget 2022 was not “fit for purpose”.

She was unable to give even one reason why Budget 2022 was not “fit for purpose”. She meekly intimated that, during the budget debate in Parliament, they would show that the budget was not “fit for purpose”. After two days and several speakers from the Opposition, the Guyanese people are still awaiting the arguments to show the budget is not “fit for purpose”.

Even if they are unable to persuade Guyanese, one would have thought that they would come with even some half-baked arguments towards the theme of “not fit for purpose”. Yet, deep into the debate, more than one-third through the allotted time for the debate, not one argument, not one specific example, has been presented.

The shadow Foreign Affairs Minister, MP Amanza Walton-Desir, started the debate on behalf of her colleagues. Her main point was that “numbers matter, they do not lie”. She is, of course, right and the Government MP Ms. Yvonne Pearson, following up later, reaffirmed that “numbers matter, they do not lie”. But what were the numbers the APNU/AFC shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs brought forward to demonstrate the budget was not “fit for purpose”? The number one “numbers” she focused on was that the $218B allocated for infrastructural development was too large, because Guyana has no capacity to utilise such large sums of money.

In the process, she insulted every Guyanese contractor, large and small; every Guyanese worker. But she also failed to identify which of the projects she would eliminate to reduce the $218B infrastructural development plan the Government has proposed.

Would she eliminate the six brand-new hospitals, construction of which would start in 2022; the Linden-to-Mabura Road that starts the construction of the Linden-to-Lethem Highway; the road from Timerhi to Bartica; Amaila Hydro-electricity; the many housing schemes; or the community roads, the hospitality institution, the Health Training Institute, the upgrading of the Port Mourant Training Institute to start training Guyanese for the Oil and Gas industry? It is insulting for MP Walton-Desir to conclude that the budget is not “fit for purpose” because its allocation of $85B would be wasted without telling the nation how she came to that conclusion.

Ramjattan, not to be outdone, once again attacked the Because We Care school grant, which in Budget 2022 has been increased to $25,000 per child. In attacking the school grant, which every single child in school gets, Ramjattan accused those who distribute the funds of corruption. The people in charge are the professional staff of the Ministry of Education. The Ministry of Finance’s internal auditors are on hand for the distribution, and so, too, are staff members of the Auditor General’s Office. So, Ramjattan ended up insulting all the professional staff of the Ministry of Education. Most of those persons were the same staff in the Ministry of Education prior to August 2020.

Another MP from the Opposition accused the Government of not keeping its promise of restoring the cash grant, completely ignoring the fact that not only did the PPP restore the grant, which was $10,000 before 2015, when it was ended by APNU/AFC, but that Budget 2022 increased it to $25,000. Another Opposition MP took the position that $25,000 per child is not enough.

Truly, the Opposition is confused and clueless on Budget 2022.

15

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Probe into baby’s death

Recommendations will be acted upon – Health Minister T

he Health Ministry has initiated an investigation into reports that a newborn baby died at a public medical facility as a result of negligence from medical practitioners.

The child was born at the West Demerara Regional Hospital (WDRH), Region Three (Essequibo IslandsWest Demerara) two weeks ago and was later transferred to the Georgetown Public Hospital.

Hours later, the baby died and a post-mortem examination stated the cause of death as perinatal asphyxia, respiratory distress, and organ failure.

Perinatal asphyxia is referred to as a lack of blood flow or gas exchange to or from the foetus in the period immediately before, during, or after the birth process.

Addressing the incident on Tuesday, Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony stated that in the event of such incidents, it was incumbent upon hospitals to make a report to the Ministry within a stipulated timeframe. However, this was not done. It was after the matter was brought to light that Chief Medical Officer, Dr Narine Singh was instructed to launch an investigation.

“Unfortunately, we did not receive any such report from the relevant hospital and the authorities in the region, but having seen the report, I have asked the Chief Medical Officer, along with technical staff of the Ministry of Health, to go West Demerara Hospital and launch an investigation as to what transpired in this particular case and to look at what recommendations can be made to ensure that the system is improved,” Dr Anthony indicated.

Presently, a team is sta-

2237230-1

(Ext 55)

NOW!

The West Demerara Regional Hospital

tioned at the WDRH, where the probe is ongoing. Upon completion, the Minister said he would act upon the recommendations outlined.

“We have a team that is at the West Demerara Hospital doing this investigation. I’m looking forward to seeing the recommendations and then implement-

ing them,” he said.

In early January, an investigation commenced at the New Amsterdam Hospital, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne), following a stillbirth delivery on New Year’s Day. Advisor to the Health Minister, Dr Leslie Ramsammy had said that

once an infant dies at any medical facility, an automatic investigation is done by the institution.

In addition, he noted that the report of the findings must be submitted to the Chief Medical Officer, who will then determine if he is satisfied or request an external investigation. (G12)

16 NEWS

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Arsonist jailed for Retention, sale of capuchins setting house on fire as pets to be banned

By Shane Marks

R

Lester Leander

T

wenty-eight-yearold Lester Leander, a miner of Wisroc Housing Scheme, Wismar, Linden, was on Tuesday sentenced to three years’ imprisonment for setting fire to a dwelling house.

The sentence was handed down by Magistrate Wanda Fortune after he pleaded guilty to the charge when he made a virtual appearance at the Linden Magistrate’s Court. The Administration of Justice Act was applied

and as such, the Magistrate handed down the ruling.

Leander was arrested on January 29, 2022 and charged for the offence which was committed on the dwelling house of Tricia Glen of Obama Drive Squatting Area, South Amelia’s Ward, Linden between January 28 and 29, 2022.

He was charged under Section 141 of the Criminal Law Offences Act, Chapter 8:01.

ecent reports are that a capuchin monkey has been wreaking havoc on residents of Tuschen, East Bank Essequibo (EBE).

The Guyana Wildlife Conservation and Management Commission (GWCMC) would now be moving to institute a ban on the retention and sale of these animals as pets.

“From July 2022, there will be a ban on the sale and keeping of capuchins (jack monkey) as pets.

Individuals who currently have capuchins as pets are required to register with the GWCMC and have these animals microchipped,” the Commission announced today on their social media platforms.

A few days ago, a non-governmental organisation called Animal Welfare Activists of Guyana (AWAG) posted on its Facebook Page an incident involving this type of monkey molesting residents of Tuschen. The organisation posted concerns expressed by a resident who wished to remain

The capuchin that was wreaking havoc in Tuschen (photo taken from the Animal Welfare Activists of Guyana Facebook page)

anonymous. That resident explained that the monkey was destroying household items, stealing from local shops, and contaminating rainwater stored for consumption.

After that post went viral, it was reported on Sunday that the monkey was expected to be captured by another animal welfare

group called Tales of Hope, which would have taken the animal to the national zoo. There, it is expected that officials would conduct an assessment to determine whether the animal could be released back into the wild, depending on how domesticated it currently is.

When contacted, the Communications Officer of

GWCMC, Deuel Hughes, stated that he is unsure whether the monkey was captured by the organisation. However, he told this publication via email that “this is not the first incident featuring that species of monkeys. In fact, it is quite common for this particular species to be mischievous.”

As such, he explained that that is why the Commission is moving to initiate the ban on the retention and sale of these animals as pets.

The GWCMC, formerly the Wildlife Division, is the operational arm of the Wildlife Management Authority and the Wildlife Scientific Authority. It performs the daily activities associated with the regulation of the international wildlife trade.

It issues permits and certificates for import, export and re-export; processes applications for licences, and forwards the applications to the Wildlife Management Authority for decision; inspects holding premises for licensing purposes; monitors holding premises, and coordinates activities for the Wildlife Scientific Authority.

NEWS

17

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Economic growth in 2021 insufficient for labour markets’ recovery – ILO …could prolong economic crisis to 2024 …unemployment rate among women remains high

T

he economic growth recorded in 2021 was insufficient for labour markets’ recovery in Latin America and the Caribbean, a new report by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) on Tuesday highlighted.

The Labour Overview of Latin America and the Caribbean notes that after two years of the crisis, the region faces high unemployment and the prospect of an increase in informality.

ILO Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean, Vinícius Pinheiro shared, “The labour outlook is uncertain, the persistence of infections due to the pandemic and the prospect of mediocre economic growth this year could prolong the employment crisis until 2023 or

even 2024…An employment crisis that is too long is worrying, because it generates discouragement and frustration, which in turn has repercussions on social stability and governance.”

The new edition of the Labour Overview of Latin America and the Caribbean offers a look at the “worst employment crisis” since the ILO Regional Office first began publishing the annual report in 1994.

The strong economic recovery recorded in 2021,

with growth above six per cent, is not enough to recover the jobs that were lost. Of the 49 million jobs that had been lost at the worst point of the crisis in the second quarter of 2020, 4.5 million have not been recovered.

About four million jobs correspond to people who have become unemployed owing to the pandemic crisis. At the beginning of 2022, it is estimated that there are about 28 million people looking for employment without much success.

The average regional unemployment rate at the end of 2021 has been estimated at 9.6 per cent, which represents an improvement from the 10.6 per cent it reached in 2020, but a setback compared to the eight per cent that was recorded for 2019, which in this case is used as a reference to calculate the impact of two years of the pandemic.

The ILO highlights that the forecast of lower economic growth in 2022, just above two per cent, is a clear indication that it will take the region longer to get out of the COVID-19 crisis.

Under these conditions, and considering the persistence of the pandemic, the ILO estimates that the unemployment rate this year could fall between 0.2 and 0.3 percentage points.

“In Latin America and the Caribbean, the pandemic had a more severe impact because of ‘social comorbidities’ such as informality and inequality,” Pinheiro explained.

The countries with available data indicate that between 60 and 80 per cent of the jobs recovered until the third quarter of 2021 had been in conditions of informality. The rate is already 49 per cent, similar to what it was before the pandemic, and indicates that one in two employed people are in informality.

The report also highlights that the unemployment rate for women remains high at 12.4 per cent since 2020 and it did not improve in 2021, which contributes to amplifying the impact of the crisis on gen-

der inequality at work.

“The most intense impact among women in the region is associated with the greater presence of women in economic sectors strongly affected by the crisis such as hotels and restaurants, and in other service activities and the household sector.

This impact can also be attributed to the higher incidence of informality among women,” says the report.

The regional youth unemployment rate continues to be of concern and remains at unprecedented levels, warns the ILO. Before the pandemic, it hovered around 18 per cent and was already considered too high. But with this crisis, it quickly exceeded the limit of 20 per cent and still remains at a level of 21.4 per cent.

18 NEWS

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Court slashes trio’s 81-year jail time to 50 years

A

n 81-year jail term imposed in 2015 by High Court Justice Navindra Singh on Orwin Hinds, Cleon Hinds and Roy Jacobs for the murder of 71-year-old Clementine Fiedtkou-Parris in 2011 has been reduced to 50 years’ imprisonment by the Court of Appeal on Tuesday.

The charge the men had faced detailed that, on June 30, 2011, they murdered FiedtkouParris pursuant to an arrangement wherein money was intended to be passed from one person to another. The elderly woman was shot and killed on the night of June 30, 2011 at her 42 Robb Street, Georgetown home.

It was reported that three men had gone to the woman’s home asking for “Auntie”, and when the elderly wom-

an emerged from her bedroom, one of them pulled out a gun and shot her several times to her upper body. The men then fled the scene in a waiting motorcar while the elderly woman was rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

It is believed that a bitter dispute over a property might have been the motive for her killing.

Following trial before Justice Navindra Singh in 2015, the four men were found guilty of the crime by a 12-member jury. Justice Singh had imposed the 81-year prison term on each of them, and had ordered that they do not become eligible for parole until after serving a minimum of 45 years.

However, their attorney had asked the Guyana Court

of Appeal to quash their conviction and sentence.

The appeal was heard

by Chancellor (ag) Justice Yonette Cummings-Edwards and Justices of Appeal Dawn Gregory and Rishi Persaud.

The State was represented by Prosecutor Teshana JamesLake.

During her ruling, Justice Cummings-Edwards stated that the Court allowed the appeal in relation to the men’s sentence, but not their conviction.

She said the court found that the previously imposed sentence was manifestly excessive, even though she admitted that the crime was a “gruesome murder”.

The fourth suspect, Kevin October, reportedly died in prison.

19

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

20 NEWS

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Budget debate and Opposition Leader's resignation

Harmon to close Opposition's presentations as "MP" for the PNCR leadership position to Norton, had been adamant that he should remain in the position, which was given to him by former PNCR Leader David Granger. Harmon has also not been re-elected to the party’s Central Executive Committee – its highest decision-making body.

Harmon’s resignation had been preceded by a series of meetings over the past two

Former Opposition Leader Joseph Harmon

Speaker of the National Assembly, Manzoor Nadir

hile Member of Parliament (MP) Joseph Harmon has stepped down as Opposition Leader and that position remains vacant, his place on the Order Paper to speak on Friday, on the last day of the Budget 2022 debates, remains unchanged.

In an interview with this publication, Speaker of the National Assembly, Manzoor Nadir, indicated that with Harmon’s resignation, he would no longer be performing the role of Opposition Leader, or speaking in that capacity.

According to the Speaker, the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) parliamentary Opposition would have to nominate someone to be the Opposition Leader.

And while the Standing Orders indicate that there should be an Opposition Leader, the business of the house can continue in the interim before one is elected.

“The Opposition will have

to indicate that they are prepared to nominate someone else, and I would have to okay that… It’s just that you should have a Leader of the Opposition, and the Constitution outlines how you elect the Leader of the Opposition,” Nadir explained.

It was only last week that, amid mounting pressure from within the party, Harmon resigned as Opposition Leader, making way for People’s National Congress/Reform (PNC/R) Leader Aubrey Norton to take up that role. Harmon has subsequently not been physically present at sittings of the National Assembly.

Norton, who secured a landslide victory at the party’s internal Congress in December 2021, had disclosed previously that the PNCR Central Executive Committee (CEC) had decided that he should also hold the post of Leader of the Opposition.

Harmon, who lost his bid

W

weeks. In a brief statement after his announced resignation, the PNC expressed gratitude to Harmon, and thanked him for his service.

The party had also said it would address the issue of filling the position of Leader of the Opposition with its coalition partners in the shortest possible time.

Moreover, at the sitting of the National Assembly wherein the Government

presented Budget 2022, Nadir had announced that he would soon be meeting with the APNU/AFC on the election of a new Opposition Leader.

Deputy Speaker Lenox Shuman, who is the representative of the joinder list which comprises A New and United Guyana (ANUG), the Liberty and Justice Party (LJP) and The New Movement (TNM), has indi-

cated that he would not be participating in that process to elect the new Leader of the Opposition.

Harmon’s resignation as Opposition Leader came one day after he also stepped down as General Secretary of the APNU, while Granger has resigned as the party’s Chairman. The APNU Chairmanship has since been taken up by Norton. (G3)

Consumer alert: Foreign-labelled cooking oil illegally imported from Brazil

T

he Government Analyst-Food and Drug Department (GA-FDD) on Tuesday said there is a proliferation of foreign-labelled cooking oil on the local market.

The bottles are branded Vila Velha and Soya, and these products, labelled wholly in Portuguese, are suspected to be illegally imported from Brazil.

This is in contravention to the Food and Drugs Act and Regulations, the GAFDD has warned.

According to the Food and Drugs Regulation 18 part 15, the declarations required by paragraph (2) shall be made in English.

Except where a label is applied to a package of food in a country the official language of which is not English, the declarations so required shall appear in English on any panel except the bottom of the pack-

age.

According to the GAFDD, its members on the National Food Safety and Control Committee have commenced surveillance and enforcement activities against these and other non-conforming products.

“The public is here-

by advised to inspect all products upon purchasing, and only purchase products that are in compliance with the Laws of Guyana.

Consumers, please engage the Environmental Health Department in your neighbourhood or the GA-FDD to report any substandard

food seen on our local market, or offered for sale by vendors.

“The GA-FDD can be contacted on 222-8857(9), or visit our Facebook page at Government Analyst-Food and Drug Department,” the GA-FDD said on Tuesday.

4 men remanded on robbery charge

I

Charged: Imran Mohamed, Winsley Richards, Ryan Wilson and Roberto Lewis

mran Mohamed, Winsley Richards, Ryan Wilson and Roberto Lewis have been remanded to prison for the offence of robbery under arms committed on Altaz

Mohamed on Thursday last at about 09:30h at Malgre Tout, West Bank Demerara (WBD).

According to reports, the victim was robbed of $500,000.

Arrested by the Police and charged, these suspects were arraigned on Monday before Vreed-enHoop Magistrate Faith McGusty, who read them the aforementioned charge.

They all pleaded not guilty as charged, but each was denied bail and they were all remanded to prison.

The case will continue on February 21.

guyanatimesgy.com

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2022

21

DAILY HOROSCOPES

ARCHIE

Knowing what you want is half the battle. Seek out people you know you can rely on for positive input and solid facts.

Don’t disregard the past. You must learn from your mistakes.

(March 21-April 19) Step into the spotlight. Regardless of how nervous you are or what jealous bystanders have to say, you are ready to perform. Pick yourself up and do what you do best.

DILBERT (April 20-May 20)

You’ll face opposition if you are too open about what you plan to do next.

Focus on how best to proceed. Pay attention to detail, follow through with confidence and cross that finish line.

(May 21-June 20) Pick up the pieces, put them together and make headway. Look at the possibilities and use your persuasiveness to encourage others to see things your way.

Be positive yet realistic.

PEANUTS (June 21-July 22)

(July 23-Aug. 22)

Don’t feel that you must jump if someone tells you to or asks for something. Take your time and decide what’s best for you. Pay more attention to your finances, and don’t take on unnecessary expenses.

A last-minute change will play in your favor. Don’t hesitate to jump at a chance to do something new and exciting, network or socialize with someone informative and well-connected.

CALVIN AND HOBBES

(Aug. 23-Sept. 22)

(Sept. 23-Oct. 23)

Don’t make a fuss or get in the way.

Concentrate on something you want to accomplish and designate your time to self-improvement, learning, and fixing or completing whatever you’ve left unfinished.

Do something that brings you joy.

Spend more time at home clearing space for something you want to pursue or incorporate into your daily routine. Invite someone to help you in your efforts.

SUDOKU (Oct. 24-Nov. 22)

Dangle what you have in front of someone trying to beat you at your own game. Take charge and don’t let anyone get the better of you. Be wary of someone with what could be a personal vendetta.

(Nov. 23-Dec. 21)

SOLUTION FOR LAST PUBLISHED PUZZLE

(Dec. 22-Jan. 19)

You’ve got your finger on the pulse, and there is no need to slow down.

Embrace change. Being bold and in charge will force others to value what you have to offer and respect your shrewdness.

Take a leadership position. Distance yourself from people who keep changing their minds. Clarity, structure and discipline will carry you to the finish line.

Don’t let go of your dreams.

(Jan. 20-Feb. 19)

(Feb. 20-March 20)

Expansion will tempt you. Consider what’s involved and act accordingly. You can use unorthodox methods if you intend to oversee things every step of the way. Take control and see things through.

22

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2022

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Tougher test ahead in India – says CWI Director of Cricket, Jimmy Adams

C

RICKET West Indies’ (CWI) Director of Cricket, Jimmy Adams, foresees a tougher competitive challenge for the upcoming tour of India, which bowls off with the first of a three-match One-Day International (ODI) series in Ahmedabad on Sunday.

The former West Indian batsman has expressed elation with the maroon men’s impressive 3-2 T20 International series’ win over England on Sunday, but believes India serves as a more demanding test. However, Adams remains hopeful the regional squad can carry their winning momentum to the Asian continent, and equally match up against an in-form Indian unit.

After the ODI series, West Indies travel to Kolkata for a three-match T20I series against the hosts.

“It’s always difficult playing teams at home, and I’m sure India will put up a massive challenge for our lads. I think, however, if there was ever a time to tour India, I think this is probably it. Coming off a good series at home, I would like to think that almost everybody in that squad (WI) is in a very good place.

“There were good performances throughout the squad and series, and I think they would be looking forward to testing themselves against another very good, high-quality T20 team,” he said.

Adams thinks the series victory against England is a good starting point for the Caribbean team in 2022. This team would

again feature at the International Cricket Council Men’s T20 World Cup in October/ November in Australia.

At last year’s T20 World Cup in Abu Dhabi, defending champions West Indies played inconsistently and were eliminated before the semi-final round.

Adams has congratulated the maroon squad on their most recent achievement; a nail-biting 17-run win over the English, climaxed with a beaver-trick from Bajan all-rounder Jason Holder in the final over.

“I join the whole region in being extremely elated at the result. At the end of the day, from the cricket that was played, I thought there wasn’t much (difference) between (the) teams. Both teams had outstanding performances and some good young talent on show as well.

“It is a credit to the players and support staff that they held their nerve and produced a winning performance. It augurs well for the future, and is certainly a good start for us in the build-up to the World Cup later this year.

“Hopefully, this series’ win will spur them on to even bigger and better performances.

Jason Holder produced the champagne moment to end the series. He must be pleased, and we’re very pleased for him,” Adams added.

The Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board (TTCB) has similarly extended congratulations to the West Indies T20 team on their series win. TTCB President Azim Bassarath

has said the result is a welcome boost for the regional side, and serves as a good gauge for the upcoming tour of India.

A TTCB statement issued on Monday said Bassarath commended the leadership of team captain Kieron Pollard, whom he said continues to lead by example, and is an inspiration for his team to overcome the odds.

West Indies were led home by Holder’s (5/27) menacing last-over spell and an array of all-round performances from Akeal Hosein (4/30), Pollard (41 runs from 25 balls), Rovman Powell (35 from 17), Brandon King (34 from 31) and Kyle Mayers (31 from 19).

The TTCB President has also been high in praise for the consistent performances of TT players: West Indies vice-captain/wicketkeeper Nicholas Pooran and spin bowler Akeal Hosein.

“The performances of the TT players are a testimony of the solid foundation that has been laid, from which numerous cricketers have gone on to establish themselves among the best in the world,” said Bassarath.

He pointed out that the Caribbean cricketers, although the lowest-ranked team among Test-playing nations in the shortest format of the game, toppled England, who heads the International Cricket Council (ICC) ratings.

The top local cricket official has also sin-

CWI Director of Cricket, Jimmy Adams

gled out the outstanding contribution to the series’ win by Jason Holder, whose beaver-trick in the final over in Sunday’s match capped a sensational all-around performance in which he took 15 wickets in the series.

He also reiterated what Pollard said at his post-match interview: that the victory was a team effort, and that every member of the squad contributed in some way, which augers well for the future.

“I am optimistic that the West Indies will maintain the momentum created in the series against England as they travel to the subcontinent for three T20s and three ODIs. So, we can look forward to some exciting cricket in the weeks ahead,” Bassarath has said.

After the India tour, England return to the Caribbean for a three-Test series which gets under way from March 8 to 28 in Antigua, Barbados and Grenada respectively. (TT Newsday)

West Bengal Government allows 75% attendance for India-West Indies T20Is …ODI leg in Ahmedabad to be played behind closed doors

T

he Government of West Bengal on Monday announced that it would allow spectators at 75% stadium capacity for the upcoming three-match T20I series against West Indies, to be played at Eden Gardens, beginning on February 16. The three ODIs, which would precede the T20Is, would however be played behind closed doors in Ahmedabad, the Gujarat Cricket Association has said in a tweet on Tuesday*.

As per a West Bengal state Government notification issued on Monday, "all indoor and outdoor sports activities will be allowed with 75 per cent of the capacity of the venue", which means a crowd of around 50,000 can be expect- West Indies would be looking to defeat India ed. Kolkata had also hosted "After the New Zealand T20I last year, this time too, the third T20I against New CAB is confident that it will be able to successfully host the Zealand last November with 70% capacity. three T20Is against the West Indies in a similar manner," "We are thankful to the Honourable Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Chief Secretary, and Government of Dalmiya has said.

According to the original schedule, West Indies were West Bengal for announcing resumption of sporting activslated to play three ODIs in Ahmedabad, Jaipur and ities as well as for allowing 75 per cent of the capacity of Kolkata, and three T20Is in Cuttack, Visakhapatnam spectators back to the stadium," CAB President Avishek and Thiruvananthapuram.

However, following a surge in Dalmiya has said in a statement. "We feel that it will give a COVID-19 cases across the country in the last month, the fresh lease of life to the sports persons of the state.

BCCI decided to hold the white-ball series in just two venues - Ahmedabad and Kolkata.

Even though the West Bengal Government has decided to allow spectators for the matches, the same is not the case with Ahmedabad, where the ODIs would be played on February 6, 9 and 11.

"Considering the current situation, all the matches will be played behind the closed doors," the state’s Cricket Association said in a tweet.

CAB is also looking forward to resuming local cricket tournaments at the earliest, following COVID-19 protocols. It has taken steps to vaccinate all the players above the age of 15 years who would be participating in the CAB leagues. (ESPNcricinfo)

H

Hayley Matthews

Hayley Matthews, Mithali Raj move up in ICC ODI rankings

ayley Matthews of the West Indies has moved two places up to sixth in the ICC Women's ODI rankings for allrounders, while India's ODI captain Mithali Raj has gone up one place to be second among batters.

Matthews has starred with all-round performances in the two ODIs against South Africa in Johannesburg, taking four wickets at an economy of 3.78 and scoring a 63-ball 51 in the rain-hit first game. This also helped her gain four spots among bowlers, as she now occupies 11th place with a rating of 587, the highest in her career so far.

India's Deepti Sharma also moved up one spot to be at the fourth position among allrounders.

Mithali Raj has 738 rating points among the batters, behind top-ranked Alyssa Healy (750) of Australia.

Raj's team-mate, Smriti Mandhana, is unchanged at ACCOMMODATIONS sixth with 710 rating points.

South Africa's stand-in Aracari Hotel, West Bank Demerara captain Sune Luus made (Versailles – between Harbor Bridge a two-spot jump to 18th, and Vreed-n-Hoop) – Air Conditioned with team-mate Ayabonga Comfort. Amenities include TV, Khaka and West Indies' Restaurant, Bar, Swimming Pool, Chinelle Henry also gaining Gym. Free Parking, Free WIFI. Spend big in the bowling list, led by 7 nights and get 1 Free. Rates from $45 US Breakfast Included. Long Australia's Jess Jonassen. term rates available. Phone: 264Veteran India pacer 2946-9 www.aracariresort.com Jhulan Goswami has maintained her second place, and BUSINESS Australia's Megan Schutt ocOPPORTUNITYcupies the third spot.

RESTAURANT RENTAL England's Natalie Sciver leads the allrounders' chart, West Bank Demerara, (Versailleswhile Australia's Ellyse between Harbor Bridge and VreedPerry and South Africa's n-Hoop): - Aracari Resort – Turn Key Marizanne Kapp are placed Business. Furnished and equipped.

Covid-19 reduced capacity is at second and third positions 60. Phone 264 2946; 626-5290. respectively. (ESPNcricinfo)

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23

Rigters’ double gives Suriname Mohammed to 2-1 victory over Golden Jaguars lead MMZCC in tour of Guyana

...matches to be played among DCC, Everest and others

T

he first friendly international soccer showdown between Guyana and Suriname was cancelled halfway through because of the presence of COVID-19. However, with all roads cleared, the action resumed at Suriname’s Flora Stadium, and the Golden Jaguars again confronted their Surinamese counterparts.

Probably one of the most highly anticipated matchups, the rivalry between Guyana and Suriname continued, but in this instance, Suriname has had the proverbial last laugh, as they whipped the Jaguars 2-1.

The first half of the game had its fair share of thrills, as both teams tried to tear the backs of each other’s nets. The Jaguars had a moment in the seventh minute when they almost scored the first goal. They made a second attempt in the ninth minute, but again it was unsuccessful.

The game continued as per norm, but in

the blink of an eye things changed, as, in the 13th minute, Surinamese midfielder Jamilhio Rigters scored his team’s first goal.

The crowd at the Flora Stadium went wild, and it was now up to the Jaguars to even things and take the fight to Suriname. However, having the home advantage, Suriname held the Jags at bay to take the score to a 1-0 lead at half time.

Seven minutes into the second half, Rigters returned like a thorne in the flesh and scored another goal for his team. The score now read 2-0, but there was still hope for the Jaguars, as things could only be over when the final whistle is blown, and with 38 minutes remaining on the clock, there was still time for a miracle to happen for the Jaguars.

But as the time inexorably moved to the final whistle with no progress being made by the Guyanese, Trayon Bobb, in the 89th minute, scored the Jaguars’ first goal to up the ante, as, with one minute remaining and a 2-1 score, anything could happen.

Alas, even with one minute’s extra overtime, nothing

M

Trayon Bobb, in the 89th minute, scored Guyana's lone goal

could save the Golden Jaguars, as their Surinamese contingent was able to keep their opponents at bay and register an easy victory over the Guyanese unit.

It should be noted that prior to this match, Jamilhio Rigters was the hero

Dinesh Joseph delighted at being appointed Chairman of Selectors for Junior ECB F ormer Essequibo Senior Inter-County high-profile opening batsman Dinesh Joseph has been appointed Chairman of Selectors for the junior teams of the Essequibo Cricket Board (ECB).

In an invited comment, the aggressive batsman told this publication that he is overwhelmed to be given the opportunity to serve cricket in the county, and by extension the nation, as he would sit on the National Junior Selection Panel too.

“I [am] delighted to be chosen as the chairman of junior selectors. I will do the job to the best of my ability (and) with fairness and transparency,” Joseph has promised.

The 42-year-old Joseph, who scored a century at the inter-county level, mentioned that Essequibo is loaded with talented players, and the same obtains across the length and breadth of Guyana.

“I am honoured with this role, which is very important to spot our talented youths. I will always be inclined to select the best side to represent Essequibo and Guyana. It might

in the matchup against Barbados, which his side won 1-0.

be challenging because we have these young players who are eager to dominate at trials, but I am confident I would perform the job with great integrity and passion,” Joseph, who attended national senior trials in the early 2000s, declared.

During his representation for Essequibo at all levels, the occasional off-spinner expressed strong belief that there is justification when it comes to this aspect of the game.

“I think (that) once a player performs well, he needs to be picked. Outstanding performances can take you a very far way, and my job is to ensure these things prevail,” Joseph, who has done numerous coaching jobs voluntarily, commented.

Joseph captained Essequibo, and was touted as a phenomenal talent, having scored consistently and heavily. He played for several clubs on the Essequibo Coast in Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), and great impressed many after hitting a double-century in limited-overs club-match competition.

MZ CC will be embarking on their first ever cricket tour to Guyana, the New York based team will be playing several matches from March 17th. - 28th, 2022. The team is made up of players that are originally from Meten-MeerZorg area and throughout Guyana.

The team is coming off an excellent 2021 cricket season in the National Cricket League in NY by making it to the playoffs in all three formats. Ejaz Asgarally (Manager/play- Abdul Shakur has played with er) and Ricky Kissoon MMZ since the 60s (Coach/player) decided to reward the team on a well-deserved tour.

Upon arrival in Guyana, the team will not only be playing cricket but also be doing some charitable work at various Orphanages and schools during the tour. Many of the players will be taking their families along to enjoy a well deserve trip. Troy Khan our coordinator in Guyana, has given the assurance that this tour with T20s ,30 overs and 40 overs games planned all around the Georgetown area and Berbice will be a very exciting tour for the team, Khan has also arranged a family outing with the team to Kaieteur Falls.

The team will be led by former USA national player the exciting left-handed batsman Andy Mohammed. Also in the touring party is former MMZ Senior star player the talented left-handed batsmen Abdul Shakur (Bye Bye) who played since the MMZ cricket club was formed in the 60s, Shakur is one of the oldest players still playing the game. Also, Nazar Mohammed (shell) who played several games for MMZ in the 80s as an off spinner and a right-handed batsman.

Unfortunately, two of MMZ’s talented players, hard hitting all-rounder Kelvin Shewpershad and stroke maker Nickolas Chinkoo could not make it due to personal commitment.

The full squad is:

Andy Mohammed (Capt),Keith Edie (VC), Troy Mars, Ejaz Asgarally,Matthew Lutchena, Mark Fredricks, Shawn Sue ,Samuel Raghubir, Nazar Mohamed, Ricky Kissoon , Alex Algoo, Ushardeva Balgobin, Abdul Shakur, Chris Harry, Kennard Wade ,Troy Khan ,Abdullah khan, Aaron Beharry, Fiaz Asgarally, Aftab Ali Khan, Aqeel Khan, Ansar Yasim.

The MMZ CC is proudly sponsored by:

Sunita Travel’s, Mohammed’s Enterprise, Ravi Etwaroo Cricket Zone, Rick M. Singh 1221management Inc., Bella Blu’s Jerk Spot Ejaz Asgarally License Real Estate Agent Elite Realty Of Usa Inc., Madina Halal Restaurant.

MMZ CC Guyana 2022 Match Schedule Friday 18 th March, 2022 10am vs MYO T20 5:30 PM T20 vs DCC @ DCC Night game Saturday 19th March, 2022 11 AM 30 over vs EVEREST@ Everest Sunday 20th March, 2022 10:30 AM 40 over vs MMZ Guyana @ MMZ Ground Thursday 24th March, 2022 11 AM 40 over Vs ROSE Hall Berbice FRIDAY 25th of March 2022 12 PM 30 over vs GCC @ Bourda Saturday 26th March, 2022 10:30 AM 40 over Vs ENMORE @ ENMORE Sunday 27th March, 2022 11 AM T20 Vs MMZ WEST @ MMZ Ground

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2022

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

Rigters’ double gives Suriname 2-1 victory over Golden Jaguars See story on page 23

Dinesh Joseph delighted at being appointed Chairman of Selectors for Junior ECB Page 23

Mohammed to lead MMZCC in tour of Guyana ...matches to be played among DCC, Everest and others

Pg 23

Andy Mohammed will captain the side

Upgrades to community grounds to continue this year – Ramson

D

uring the National Budget debate on Tuesday, Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Charles Ramson Jr, said the 2022 Budget would play a critical role in allowing Guyana to be transformed into a prosperous country.

Minister Ramson has said the budget would allow Guyanese to benefit directly in a number of unprecedented ways. He said the budget would facilitate the greatest transfer of wealth to the ordinary people.

Speaking on his sector, Minister Ramson noted that upgrades to community grounds would continue this year. He said grounds had been greatly neglected under the APNU-AFC Administration during its tenure in office.

He said that from the 2021 budgetary allocation, a number of communities across the

country have benefited from floodlights and other projects.

“I’m pleased as well to announce that in this year’s budget, there will be $250 million in our budget for ground enhancement,” he stated.

Since this administration has taken office, the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport has made significant efforts to develop community grounds and other sporting facilities countrywide.

“For sport, the budget is $3.15 billion, with a capital of $2.4 billion, and every single sport association and federation has issued statements for the first time in the history of this country in support of the Government, in support of the Ministry, in support of the programme and the relationship that they have with the Minister and the National Sports Commission,” Minister Ramson has said.

Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Charles Ramson Jr

The 2022 Budget, the country’s largest budget to date, would see some $552.9 billion being disbursed to sectors as Government seeks to advance the country’s development. (DPI)

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