Guyana Times -- Wednesday, March 30, 2022

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THE BEACON OF TRUTH

Issue No. 4964

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2022

Guyana must adapt in order to mitigate floods – VP Jagdeo

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WHAT'S INSIDE:

Anna Regina man slapped with 14-year sentence for killing wife P8

P5 GECOM processed 22,500 applications thus far

…meets with stakeholders to discuss Govt’s strategic flood protection measures – says Govt will tap into oil revenues if need arises

Page 3

Law was followed in waiving EIA for new DHB – EPA ...reassures that it will ensure all environmental safeguards are implemented

Resurfacing of Linden- P2 Soesdyke Highway likely before year end – VP Jagdeo

Page 7

PSC Exec Govt taking urges T&T steps to prevent Private Sector shortage of to help dismantle building materials trade barriers – Min Bharrat – warns of foreign companies ...says youths to be trained as Construction boom

Pomeroon P14 man gets 14 years for killing miner back in 2019 All-woman P19 CPG launched at Better Hope

Page 11

manipulating system to register as locals skilled workers

Page 16

Page 9

US-based Guyanese stabbed to death by homeless man in NYC

MoE meets P17 secondary school teachers regarding CSEC and CAPE exams

2 NEWS

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Resurfacing of Linden-Soesdyke Highway likely before year end – VP Jagdeo

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he Government is awaiting the approval of an estimated $24 billion (US$120 million) from the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) to resurface the Linden-Soesdyke Highway.

Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo said the Administration is hoping for the financing to be approved in June, to start rehabilitation work along the 72-kilometre-long thoroughfare.

“We are hoping that it would be approved at the Board meeting in June of this year, so we can start reconstructing that highway before the end of the year,” the Vice President said Sunday, during a meeting with a number of Region 10

Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo

residents.

“That is what we are hoping to do, to pave the highway from the junction all the way into Linden. The high-

way is in a horrible state, it is in a bad state coming up here,” Jagdeo noted.

The Vice President said while the Government was addressing the impact of COVID-19, emphasis was also being placed on developing the country’s infrastructure.

The upgrade to the highway is part of several key plans that the Government has outlined for the Upper Demerara-Berbice region.

Within three weeks, residents there will benefit from 800 part-time jobs to enhance their household income. About 200 to 250 small grants will also be distributed to persons desirous of starting or expanding their

businesses.

These interventions illustrate the Government’s determination to advance the living standard of citizens nationwide, the Vice President underscored.

Resident, Cecil Todd lauded the Administration’s move to make jobs available to Region 10, citing that unemployment has been an issue for persons residing there.

“This will encourage the youths, it will keep them off the road, they will be able to find something to do beside sporting and drinking,” Todd expressed.

He also applauded the efforts to pave the highway, adding that, “It has a lot of potholes and it is deteriorating. So, I am happy”.

Justino Simmons of No 47 Miles, manages his own mechanic shop. He wants to

take part in the ongoing effort of creating jobs for residents. He believes that the job opportunity comes at a time when many youths are partaking in negative activities.

Simmons is hoping to be among those who will receive the grant to expand his business. “I think it’s a good thing, you can expect more but at least they are doing as they promised”.

For Orlando Edwards, the number of jobs that will be created is an amazing move and must be commended.

“It’s very good because we are stressed here for jobs in Region 10 and what he [Vice President] did today, to me it sounds very good, and about the expansion of roads I believe it’s very good, because a lot of time we get a lot of traffic jam. I don’t think they could do everything one time,” Edwards emphasised.

NEWS

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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

BRIDGE OPENINGS OPENINGS BRIDGE

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

Wednesday, Mar 30 – 13:30h – 15:00h and Thursday, Mar 31 – 02:30h – 04:00h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Wednesday, Mar 30 – 15:25h – 16:55h and Thursday, Mar 31 – 16:05h – 17:35h.

FERRY SCHEDULE

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

WEATHER TODAY There will be sunshine during the day. Expect clear skies at night. Temperatures should range between 21 degrees Celsius and 30 degrees Celsius.

Winds: North-Easterly to North North-Easterly between 2.23 metres and 4.47 metres.

High Tide: 15:46h reaching a maximum height of 2.62 metres.

Low Tide: 09:21h and 21:41h reaching minimum heights of 0.66 metre and 0.58 metre.

SATURDAY, MARCH 26, 2022

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TUESDAY, MARCH 29, 2022

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COMMODITIES Indicators

US$

Change %

Crude Oil

$110.23/barrel

Rough Rice

$284.22/ton

-1.07

London Sugar

$541.30/ton

-2.43

Live Spot Gold

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USD Per Ounce

Bid/Ask

$1916.90

$1917.90

Low/High Change

$1889.10 -3.10

$1926.40 -0.16%

Guyana must adapt in order to mitigate floods – VP Jagdeo …meets with stakeholders to discuss Govt’s strategic flood protection measures ...says Govt will tap into oil revenues if need arises

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he devastation brought on by flooding due to climate change and global warming will only worsen in the years to come, and Guyana has taken the bold step to formalise actionable plans to adapt and mitigate against these natural disasters.

Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo met with stakeholders from the coastland on Tuesday to discuss the Government’s national strategic flood protection measures, where he underscored the need for adaptation at the earliest.

“We live in a part of the world where we have an abundance of freshwater but we’re below sea level. The water is a blessing but it is also a challenge…It creates devastating consequences for people at the personal level and for their livelihood, particularly the farmers. If it has been a challenge in the past, it will get worse in the future because the world has changed in a major way,” Jagdeo told stakeholders at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC).

He highlighted the glaring issue of greenhouse gases, contributing to rising sea level and bringing additional consequences for coastal areas. Guyana’s coast is several feet below sea level, and if action is not taken now, it could be disastrous.

“If we do not keep the global temperature at 1.5 to 2.5 degrees [Celsius] below pre-industrial level by 2050, the rising sea level could inundate many parts of the world in which people live.

It would become part of the sea. It would cause such global warming in the future that many of the forests which we seek to preserve, which are

Vice President of Guyana, stakeholders on Tuesday

Bharrat

Jagdeo

addressing

important watersheds for freshwaters and our rivers, those forests can just die.”

In the past, a specific amount of rainfall was being recorded for one month; this can now be recorded over the course of a few hours. Last year, hundreds of millions of dollars in losses were suffered after countrywide flooding due to heavy rainfall. Scores of farmers lost their livelihoods.

The former President shared, “When you have water of that volume with such an intensity coming into drainage systems, irrigation systems, storage systems like the conservancies; then you have an enhanced problem of dealing with it. If you can’t manage it and deal with these volumes of water that accumulate in shorter periods, then you’re going to constantly have an issue of flooding, loss of crops, and loss of livelihoods”.

Even as the country moves forward as an oil and gas producer, he said it also has to be part of a global community to address climate change.

This brings the expanded Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) into focus and plans for the adaptation.

“A huge part of the ex-

panded LCDS is an adaptation for the future. We cannot reverse the concentration of greenhouse gases and we’re not the ones pumping out most of these greenhouse gases. The entire concentration of greenhouse gases so far is being pumped out by the developed world, not the developing world…But we live in a global community and we suffer because of the policies globally and we will suffer from climate change in the future.”

He added, “You have to adapt to climate change, build the infrastructure of the future and part of that exercise is how do we build the infrastructure of the future so our country can deal with the issue of climate change. We can manage our way through it unlike so many other countries which don’t have a capability now to adapt.”

Some of the more significant adaptation challenges of the future include maintaining sea defences; transferring water into the Atlantic Ocean when there is large volume of water; and managing droughts.

“If we don’t tackle the big issues of water management, we will lose large volumes of our produce and that has not

only an impact on the economy but at the family level. Often, it has devastating consequences for people. It means you don’t have an income…It causes economic as well as major social problems,” the Vice President underscored.

But the cost of building and reinforcing infrastructure comes at a heavy price.

In this breath, Government plans on tapping into the oil revenues to build and invest in management systems.

“The cost of doing so is enormous to fix our sea defences. These water management systems require heavy investments. Part of the oil resources have to be spent in this manner. Many developing countries now are waiting for the developed world to provide funds for adaptation,” Jagdeo noted.

He said this move especially came after the Caribbean Community’s calls for mitigation costs from the developed world at the COP26 meeting fell on deaf ears.

“Look what happened at COP26. Caricom had a strong position on this and the developed world just ignored all the demands. Imagine they’re not even providing funds for mitigation options like paying for reducing forest carbon…

It’s not going to happen and so, we have to fend for ourselves while we remain engaged with the global process.

We in Guyana are not sitting on our hands.”

Outlined in Guyana’s expanded Low Carbon Development Strategy is the country’s adaptation needs and areas of focus. Within the next five years, Jagdeo said three projects are being worked on to achieve lowered power costs and cut emissions in the sector.

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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 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

Health systems and older populations

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report titled “Decade of Healthy Ageing” by the World Health Organisation (WHO) included useful insights into the status of the world’s older populations and what health authorities and policymakers and international development partners could do in order to ensure this group of people is not left behind.

According to the report, at least 14 per cent of all people aged 60 years and over – more than 142 million people – are currently unable to meet all their basic daily needs. The report brings together data available for measuring healthy ageing, defined by WHO as “the process of developing and maintaining the functional ability that enables well-being in older age”.

WHO Director General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus notes that humans now live longer than at any other time in history. “But adding more years to life can be a mixed blessing if it is not accompanied by adding more life to years.”

He said that the Baseline Report for the Decade of Healthy Ageing has the potential to transform the way policymakers and multiple service providers engage with older adults. The report also discusses what is needed to promote collaboration and better measured progress towards healthy ageing.

WHO says that optimising “functional ability” is the goal of the Decade of Healthy Ageing, which began in 2021 and addresses five interrelated abilities that all older people should enjoy: the ability to meet basic needs, to continue to learn and make decisions, to be mobile, to build and maintain relationships, and to contribute to society.

The Baseline Report presents the experience of countries which have been successful in starting healthy ageing initiatives in each of these areas, such as Ireland, Mexico and Vietnam. It also stresses that older adults must be engaged throughout.

According to the report, only one-quarter of countries around the world are compiling comparable data which can be used to monitor global progress towards healthy ageing. Some countries that are collecting and using data to improve policies and programmes for and with older persons are presented in the report. These countries are Chile, China, Finland, Ghana, India, Qatar, Singapore, and Thailand.

A number of indicators to be reported on by countries as a demonstration of commitment towards healthy ageing were agreed on by WHO Member States as part of the Global Strategy on Ageing and Health 2016-2020 and endorsed in 2020 within the context of the Decade for Healthy Ageing 2021-2030. Examples are the establishment of a national committee or forum on ageing, comprehensive assessments of the health and social care needs of older people, and a policy on strengthening long-term care.

It should be stated that the Caribbean has been recognised as having one of the fastest-growing older populations in the developing world. This certainly poses its own challenges, and Governments and other actors will be required to take the necessary measures to ensure that this segment of the population lead healthier and more productive lives.

There is no doubt that among the more pressing issues affecting older persons are health concerns and the quality of care being provided to them on a daily basis. It is, therefore, crucial for Governments to put systems in place which would allow for older persons to obtain the health services they need.

WHO’s new Guidelines on Integrated Care for Older People recommend ways community-based services can help prevent, slow, or reverse declines in physical and mental capacities among older people. The guidelines also require health and social care providers to coordinate their services around the needs of older people through approaches such as comprehensive assessment and care plans.

Director of the Department of Ageing and Life Course at WHO, Dr John Beard had previously noted that older adults are more likely to experience chronic conditions and often multiple conditions at the same time. Yet today’s health systems generally focus on the detection and treatment of individual acute diseases.

He had reasoned that if health systems are to meet the needs of older populations, they must provide ongoing care focused on the issues that matter to older people – chronic pain, and difficulties with hearing, seeing, walking or performing daily activities. On this basis, he noted that this required much better integration between care providers.

The health authorities in Guyana may want to give serious consideration to recommendations presented by WHO.

This Sydel Thomas photo shows the almost complete roundabout at Mandela Avenue. This facility links the Eccles-to-Mandela fourlane highway which is expected to significantly reduce traffic congestion. The infrastructural project is being undertaken by the Housing and Water Ministry.

The People’s National Congress and its livid folly Dear Editor, The recent announcement of the appointment of Deputy Commissioner of Police Clifton Hicken as Guyana’s acting Top Cop has raised a stupendous objection from the leader of the People’s National Congress Reform, Aubrey Norton. This was even before Mr Hicken's appointment takes effect from March 30, 2022. The People’s National Congress has called the appointment of Mr Hicken illegal. This is another bizarre misconception.

Mr Norton is also the leader of the coalition of convenience; A Partnership for National Unity and the Alliance for Change (APNU/AFC) yet he never speaks on any issue in that capacity. This in itself is viewed as evidence of the fact that the other political misfits that revolve around the People’s National Congress are indeed nonentities and as such, require no publicity or even a simple mention as a form of recognition.

It is Aubrey Norton’s intention to become the leader of the political Opposition.

However, whether this happens or not does not alter the fact that Aubrey Norton is an ineffective, uninspiring, and uncharismatic leader, who can never win any free and fair elections in Guyana. As it is he isn’t even a member of

Parliament.

The People’s National Congress Reform is the only political party in Guyana that is historically embedded in unconstitutionality. Yet the PNCR constantly quotes from Guyana’s Constitution for the sake of their convenience. This was prevalent during the tenure of former President David Granger who whilst acting unconstitutionally; quoted the Constitution conveniently from the moment Retired Justice Patterson was illegally appointed as the Chairman of Guyana Elections Commission up until the People’s National Congress Reform surrendered the reign of power in 2020 amidst glaring unconstitutionality.

When the People’s National Congress Reform issues a statement as the Opposition; one is left to wonder if they purport to speak for all the opposition political parties of this country. The People’s National Congress Reform, with its current leadership, has become a terrible joke in Guyana and elsewhere. This tragedy is of their own making.

The People’s Progressive Party/Civic has long embraced the principles of democracy, constitutionality, and good governance.

Article 211 (1) of Guyana’s Constitution is unequivocally clear. It states that “the Commissioner of

Police and every Deputy Commissioner of Police shall be appointed by the President acting after meaningful consultation with the Leader of the Opposition and the Chairperson of the Police Service Commission after the Chairperson has consulted with the other member of the Commission’’.

The APNU/AFC have continuously humiliated themselves. In January 2022, Joseph Harmon, a tainted political figure, resigned from being the Opposition Leader.

Through petty politics, the coalition has failed to replace him. This, however, cannot undermine the smooth functioning of the State and its entities. It has become clear that the PNC-led Opposition, who are in a state of nothingness is trying to appear functional. The PNCR and its leader need to desist from this obnoxious publicity stunt.

It is clear that there is no Opposition Leader in Guyana; so, who should the President have consulted with? The Guyana Police Force cannot function without leadership, as the Opposition does.

The appointment of a Commissioner of Police is further delayed by the failure of the PNC-led opposition. The Police Service Commission is without a Chairman. This is even as the Parliamentary

Committee of Appointment has already nominated four members to sit on the new Police Service Commission. The Chairman of the PSC is appointed after consultation between the President and the Opposition Leader, and as there is no Opposition Leader, the process is hindered. Aubrey Norton knows this.

The President of Guyana has acted quite responsibly in appointing Deputy Commissioner of Police Clifton Hicken to act in the capacity of Commissioner of Police.

This was necessary as was highlighted by the President in a media release. Guyana cannot wait until the People’s National Congress Reform gets it right. The show must go on and on it will go.

Mr Clifton Hicken has a distinguished service record in the Guyana Police Force. He served as Divisional Commander in A and B Divisions and up until his appointment was the Deputy Commissioner of Operations. He is very professional and is quite popular, especially in challenged communities. He has helped many youths in these various communities in many ways and is more than competent to act as the Head of the Guyana Police Force.

Sincerely, Nkosei Williams

guyanatimesgy.com

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2022

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News

GECOM processed 22,500 Man remanded to prison for stealing applications thus far from church

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pproximately 22,500 applications have been processed since the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) commenced its Continuous Registration exercise.

These transactions range from new registrations, replacement of identification cards, changes and corrections and transfers.

GECOM’s Public Relations Officer (PRO), Yolanda Ward, during an interview, stated that so far, the response is quite exceptional for the four-week period, however, she believes more persons should take advantage of the process, noting the flexibility in the hours.

“We have a constant flow, but I think that it can be better as just over the weekend, we may have wrapped up across the board over 20,000 transactions, but I think that we have a long way to go and so I want impress on persons the legal requirements for registration to become eligible to vote,” Ward stated.

GECOM’s Public Relations Officer, Yolanda Ward

So far, the agency has been able to record a “fair number” of new registrants between the ages 14 to 17 and 18 and older. In light of this, Ward underscored the importance of getting registered as it not only allows one to obtain an ID card to transact business but become eligible to vote.

“I really want to urge parents here, as well the kids to ensure that they use this opportunity to have their registration transaction done.

As you know, due to some challenges we had at the

Commission, we haven’t had the registration exercise for just about two years.”

Ward reminded Guyanese that the agency is not conducting any Houseto-House Registration process nor did the Commission authorise its employees to collect such information for this exercise.

“Our registration exercise is not a house-to-house process, it is required that you visit the offices to have your registration transaction,” she added. As it relates to those who might be immobile to visit these offic-

es for replacement ID cards, be it the young or old, Ward said that there is a protocol in place which involves scrutineers to do so in the interest of transparency.

GECOM has 29 offices across the country. Each registration office operates from Monday to Friday between the hours of 8:00 am to 6:00 pm. On the weekend, persons can visit the offices between 10:00 am to 2:00 pm.

Some $4.1 billion has been approved for GECOM to conduct its 2022 work programme.

Commissioner of Police

Dear Editor, When Commissioner of Police Seelall Persaud retired, the most senior officer in the Guyana Police Force was David Ramnarine, the second most senior officer was Clifton Hicken. President David Granger bypassed these two officers and appointed four Deputy Commissioners and a Commissioner; all of whom were juniors to Ramnarine and Hicken.

David Granger is well known for his bizarre interpretation of laws and his actions can hardly be used for justification of anything but Granger was able to explain his reasoning in private to (then) Leader of the Opposition Bharrat Jagdeo who said “the President explained the process he used to select the Commissioner of Police and why David Ramnarine was not confirmed…He said there were specific reasons why he was not selected and he did not say why”. Following this meeting, Leslie James was confirmed as Commissioner of Police. Granger publicly justified his decision by saying he relied heavily on the advice of the Police Service Commission. The most senior officer is not always chosen by the President of Guyana to assume the top job.

Article 211 (1) of the Constitution of Guyana states, “The Commissioner

of Police and every Deputy Commissioner of Police shall be appointed by the President acting after meaningful consultation with the Leader of the Opposition and Chairperson of the Police Service Commission after the Chairperson has consulted with other members of the Commission”.

President Ali was placed in an unfortunate position as David Granger is yet to allocate a seat in Parliament to the new PNC Leader Aubrey Norton, who aspires to be the new Leader of the Opposition and the Police Service Commission is not constituted as a legal barrier has been erected by the previous Commission as they seek tenure of office. Aubrey Norton added to the absurdity of the PNC’s predicament by stating his intention to challenge the appointment of Clifton Hicken as acting Commissioner in the courts. Apart from the clear power granted to the President to solely appoint the Commissioner of Police, there are other factors Norton should consider before approaching the courts.

David Granger was not the first President to bypass the most senior officer in appointing a new Commissioner; Deputy Commissioners of Police, Kilkenny and Laurie Lewis were seconded to

the Prisons and National Guard Service, respectively, and during that time, officers junior to them took over operational responsibilities of the Force. This would have occurred under the tenure of COP Balram Raghubir who became the first Indo-Guyanese COP when he was appointed

by President Hoyte. There was also no allegation of illegality when Hoyte bypassed David Granger who was Commander of the Army and senior to Major General (Rtd) Joseph Singh for the Chief of Staff position.

Editor, should the PNC get its internal squabbles under control and

manage to persuade the APNU/AFC Leader of the list to appoint persons to the seats vacated by Joe Harmon and Nicolette Henry, and a new Leader of the Opposition is then elected, I would suspect that consultations would reveal the reasoning behind President Ali’s appointment of Clifton Hicken. I am unaware of any investigations into the conduct of Hicken but cannot vouchsafe for others.

Patience and a still tongue would serve the new PNC leader well as he learns the ropes of governance.

Sincerely, Robin Singh

O

The church that was robbed

n Monday, a man who was accused of stealing from a church in Georgetown was remanded to prison for the offence.

The man, Jameer Shaw, was charged with stealing a TV, amplifiers, and other appliances from the Trinity Methodist Church at Leopold Street, Werk-en-Rust, Georgetown.

He appeared before Georgetown Magistrate Leron Daly, who read the charge to him.

The charge stated that between March 22 and 23, 2022, at Leopold Street, Werk-en-Rust, he broke into the Methodist Church and

stole a number of appliances, which were the property of the church.

They included a 50-inch television, valued at $120,000; a DVR, valued at $42,000; a Gemini amplifier valued at $45,000; an LG amplifier valued at $40,000; a hard drive worth $24,000, and two wall fans worth $30,000.

The man pleaded not guilty but the prosecutor objected to bail. As a result, Shaw was remanded to prison until April 25.

The Trinity Methodist Church is the third church that has been reportedly robbed in the past two years.

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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2022

Page

Foundation ◄ Question 1

By Horace L Mitchell

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n this fun and easy force and motion science experiment for kids, we’re going to use straws to reduce friction and easily move some heavy books.

Materials:

Heavy book Several drinking straws Instructions:

Tuesday’s answers 1a) Five students like both Mathematics and Science (Students who are both members of the sets Mathematics and Science are found in the intersection of the sets.)

1b) x = the members in the universal set (ie the class) – the number of students who are members of the sets

= 40 – (10 + 5 + 17) = 40 – 32 =8 1c) 17 students like Science but not Mathematics (Students who like Science only would not be members of any other set) 1d) 27 students like only one subject (17 students like Science only and 10 students like Mathematics only)

Place the book on a flat surface and slide it about 30 centimetres.

Observe the amount of strength required to move the book.

Place several straws under the book.

Now observe the amount of strength required to move the book about 30 centimetres.

The straws roll and reduce the friction.

How it works:

The straws are smooth and reduce the friction between the book and the flat surface.

This reduction of friction will allow the book to move much more easily when placed on top of the smooth straws.

Golden dots of fire fleck the western sky And the leaves dance at the vision, the waters Of the world, brown and blue and ruby red Reflect the beauty.

The sun, as a bird of day, wings its way Home, as evening nears, beneath the nook Where earth meets heaven, swoops with graceful sweep.

Soundless, as is the fall of a feather from the falcon In its flight, to where, as a wonder new-revealed, Earth sees it come a ball of golden greeting When Aurora leaves her chamber, the chamber Of the east.

The wind now walks with Zephyr, holding hands Together they visit the scenes of shade, nestled Near brooks of calm, where Delight lives with Nature: They list the symphonies of the streams, Then, like a new romantic pair first Tasting of pure love’s ambrosial bliss Are lulled into the quiet mood of blithe content To rest with rapture and enrapture.

The sea retells its tale of ten thousand years Of singing the song of the roving waves to the shore And of playing and dancing on the beaches.

Up in the east Night tears the veil of light Gently from her face, blackened by years Of darkness, and looks on the world of the fading sun.

Her minion stars peep their twinkling tints And see the earth, wrapped in calm, homing To Sleep – birds and men – with meditation. (Kyl-Over-Al)

Make this a science project:

Try the book on different surfaces like sand paper. Try placing other items like marbles under the book to try and reduce friction. Try placing the book on toy cars. (sciencefun.org)

“You don’t understand anything until you learn it more than one way” – Marvin Minsky

WORD SEARCH

NEWS

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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Law was followed in waiving EIA for new DHB – EPA ...reassures that it will ensure all environmental safeguards are implemented

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he Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in defending its decision to waive the requirements for an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for the new Demerara River bridge, has assured that it followed the EPA Act and also its authorisation process.

The agency in a statement on Tuesday outlined the process it used to make its decision, and it follows continued commentary from sections of society on the EPA’s decision not to require the submission of an EIA for the project.

EPA explained that the Act governing its operations requires that a proposed project’s likely impact on the environment be considered.

Specifically, the Act empowers EPA to decide whether a project requires an EIA or not.

“This is a two-stage process – first, deciding whether an EIA is required (screening); and second, where it is required, conducting a full EIA study and the procedures outlined in Section 11. In screening, and considering whether there may be significant impacts, a professional judgement is used taking into account the location, design, possible impacts, existing knowledge, and information,” EPA explained.

The agency explained that in the case of the new Demerara Harbour Bridge, all relevant steps in its Environmental Authorisation process were applied, contrary to what is being reported in sections of the media.

They also explained that the project summary

The new Demerara River bridge will be a fixed span, four-lane structure

in question is not the only document considered by the EPA to arrive at its decision.

Rather, the agency noted that site visits and interviews were conducted and screening reports were prepared. This is the process that is followed to determine the necessity of an EIA. “The EPA considered all information available including the project summary, feasibility study including the key activities articulated in the IESIA and types of bridges (low vs high span vs floating). In addition, we examined other similar bridge projects and the typical activities associated with construction and operation pertinent and possible environmental impacts. Any approval will be dependent on the final designs prior to project implementation.”

“Further, we considered the existing baseline for water quality, air quality, noise, biodiversity, during the screening. Analysis provided in an initial Integrated Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (IESIA) also supported EPA’s screening of potential impacts and resulting decision,” EPA said.

According to the EPA, the existing information it used was sufficient to make an informed judgement. While it admitted that knowledge gaps were identified in the Integrated Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (IESIA) and from their own examination of existing data, it was decided that these gaps were inconsequential to the overall process of screening.

EPA further explained that several reports and

assessments were done by agencies including the National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI), to support the screening process and decision. Additionally, the existing baseline for water quality, air quality, noise and biodiversity was considered during the screening.

“Any knowledge gaps that obtain presently, will be addressed in the Environmental Management Plan and other documents eg Traffic Management Plan, Biodiversity Studies etc.

Additionally, the Environmental Protection Act only stipulates requirements for the content of an Environmental Impact Assessment which are found in Section 11,” EPA said.

“All can agree that a new bridge across the Demerara

is not only timely, but necessary, and the EPA will work to ensure that all environmental safeguards are in place and followed. While we make these guarantees, this does not mean that the project has been approved or rejected,” they added.

The new four-lane, fixed span Demerara River bridge, which will form an important link between the East Bank and West Bank of Demerara (WBD) and alleviate the traffic woes currently faced by the East Bank of Demerara (EBD), had received a $21.1 billion allocation from Budget 2022.

The construction of the new Demerara River bridge is slated to start in the fourth quarter of 2022.

The project is expected to be finished within two years.

The bridge will land aback Nandy Park, EBD, and at La Grange, WBD. Last year, Cabinet granted its no-objection for

China State Construction Engineering Corporation Ltd to construct the bridge at a proposed cost of US$256.6 million. The contract was awarded based on a Design-Build-Finance (DBF) model with financial terms and conditions which would be no less favourable than those submitted in the preferred bidder’s price proposals.

The new bridge will offer easy connectivity to both the existing East Bank Demerara road as well as the new Diamond-to-Ogle bypass on the eastern side of the river and to the existing West Bank Demerara road and the new Parika-toSchoonord road on the western side of the river.

The new bridge will also offer critical connectivity to the new Wales Development Authority, which will be a major centre of productive activity when it comes on stream.

8 NEWS Anna Regina man slapped with 14-year sentence for killing wife D WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

evanand Narine, who pleaded guilty to stabbing his wife to death before attempting to take his own life in 2019, was on Tuesday sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment

by Justice Jo-Ann Barlow when he appeared at the Essequibo High Court.

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

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

It was reported that upon entering a guilty plea of his own will, Narine stated, “I doing this from my heart, because I love my wife”. He is being represented

by Attorney-at-Law Latchmie Dindyal, while State Counsel Tiffini Lyken presented the case for the prosecution.

Reports state that on the day in question, Narine and his 39-year-old wife were involved in a heated argument in the kitchen area of their home.

He reportedly then armed himself with a knife and stabbed his wife about her body, including to her neck. The wom-

It’s high time…

G

Convicted killer Devanand Narine

an was subsequently rushed to the Suddie Hospital, where she later died.

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

At Tuesday’s sentencing, a probation report revealed that Narine dropped out of school at age 12 to help on the family’s farm. He was described as a “hardworking” individual, who

Murdered: Farida Khayum

would imbibe and smoke cigarettes.

Further, the social worker stated that Narine was well-behaved while incarcerated. On his actions, he told the probation officer that on the day in question, he was consuming alcohol before he went home to attack his wife, while adding that it was not his intention to kill his wife.

He told the court, “I would like to apologise for my actions… May the Lord have mercy on me”.

…for hemp!! etting this hemp industry going is like one of those Cecil B DeMille productions that were always touted as “TEN YEARS IN THE MAKING”!! But DeMille was dealing with filming things like God speaking from behind burning bushes or Joshua stopping the sun!! It ain’t easy creating miracles!! Well, VP Jagdeo followed up with the PPP’s campaign promise to legalise hemp production when he spoke to farmers in Reg 10. So, what’s with hemp, which we’ve been told by all and sundry, is the biggest thing since sliced bread!! A limited list of products taken from Wiki include: Food products – hemp juice, hemp milk, hemp protein; Construction and materials fibre-reinforced plastic, hempcrete, Oakum; Medicine – cannabis (drug) CBG oil, medical Cannabis; Raw fibre – Fuel: hemp oil to make biodiesel, Alcohol fuel; hemp hurts, hemp jewellery, paper and sleeves for computers!! WOW!! CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT?? Now if this isn’t a miracle plant for the ages – equivalent to the tree of life – what is?? So, the question is what’s the fly in the ointment… ’cause there’s GOTTA be one, no?

Well, there it is! And it all has to do with hemp’s first cousin –marijuana/ganja/grass/weed/Bhang/pot/Mary Jane/ etc, etc. We know this baby’s classified as a drug and back in the day when America had gone on their prohibition binge, they included hemp along with marijuana as prohibited, illegal crops – not to be cultivated. That hemp has such a low concentration of the stuff (THC) that makes marijuana give that high (.03% compared to 4-12%!!) didn’t matter to them.

It was banned by the Yanks and they had the power to enforce their bans in all countries!! Places like Bangladesh with one of their biggest industries in rope from hemp had to abandon it!!

Gradually, the Yanks couldn’t argue with a straight face against hemp per se -- once its versatility was demonstrated.

But since the two plants are IDENTICAL in appearance, they insisted if a country wants to cultivate hemp, they’ll have to guarantee that some smart aleck wouldn’t sneak in some marijuana plants among the hemp!! The incentives – money, BIG MONEY – of course, would be immense for hemp farmers to go that route!!

The challenge for our government will gonna be to have enough inspectors, who’re “unbribable” to satisfy the regulations. In the meantime, the Americans have plunged into hemp production and its ancillary products – with the requisite infrastructure, of course!! Initially, our hemp will have to be exported most likely to the States and we’ll be competing with their farmers. So, don’t expect us to have an easy pass.

But nothing ventured, nothing gained, no?? Our production’s gotta be the HIGHEST standard!! …we nix demon rum While there’s justified apprehension about cultivating hemp since ganja can be snucked in – further debilitating Guyanese minds – the older concerns about the effects of alcohol have been raised again. And not a day too soon! The debate about the effects of demon rum is now in the press and your Eyewitness hopes the authorities will get off their haunches and do something about the scourge.

What can they do, you ask?? Well, the letters have identified quite a few suggestions. Like enforcing the laws not to have bars at every street corner in the villages. Yes… there are laws on the books specifying bars only on front streets. Then, the Government can raise the price of alcohol way beyond where it’s now at – like Ireland did to deal with their alcohol deluge!! And how about placing some of the responsibility on those who dispense the liquor in the rum shops.

Jail them if they sell their poison to underage kids. …they negotiate With the Ukraine War clearly pushing the entire world into another Great Recession, will some adults in the room take charge?

But hold it…the two protagonists are both defined as adults in the “room” – being in the UN Security Council!!

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

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

NEWS

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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Construction boom

Govt taking steps to prevent shortage of building materials – Min Bharrat ...says youths to be trained as skilled workers

W

ith the construction boom and the increased demand for building materials, Natural Resources Minister Vickram Bharrat on Tuesday made it clear that the Government is working overtime to prevent shortages.

Minister Bharrat was the keynote speaker during the Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association luncheon on Tuesday. During his presentation, he spoke of shortages and the ways the Government is striving to mitigate that.

Touching on the high cost of living, Minister Bharrat also spoke of the threat of shortages in building materials. According to him, this has required inter-agency collaboration between agencies like the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) and the Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC).

“Government is working on all fronts to address these issues. For example, the boom in infrastructure, the boom in construction, has resulted in higher demands for local building materials. So, it requires us, GGMC and GFC, to be working over-

Natural Resources Minister Vickram Bharrat

time, to ensure we don’t have shortages in materials, which obviously will carry up costs.”

“And that is something we have to prevent… you would have noticed that over the last year and a half, we probably issued over ten or 12 new quarry licences. Because when we took over Government, we were producing 600,000 tonnes of aggregate stone.

While the demand on the local market was 850,000 tonnes,” Minister Bharrat said.

He explained that between 2018 and 2020, Guyana was importing over 200,000 tonnes of aggregate or stone from Suriname and other countries. This is despite the

fact that Guyana itself produces aggregates.

“So, we sought to address that by issuing licences to people or companies who have the resources and the skill set as well, to invest. Because what we have seen in Guyana and especially when I took over the Ministry, we have seen mining lands being awarded to thousands of Guyanese.”

“But yet we don’t see them working those lands.

We have seen forestry concessions being awarded to hundreds and yet they don’t work the lands. And that is something that must be addressed.”

The threat of shortages is not only restricted to products. There is also

the threat of human resource shortages in certain key fields. According to Bharrat, work is underway to get a batch of at least a dozen youths trained, through the mining school at GGMC, as goldsmiths.

These youths, he said, will be selected from all over the country. Similarly, Bharrat noted that the potential shortage of joiners is another problem being dealt with.

“Only a few moments

ago I was having a discussion with Mr (Rafeek) Khan. And I was telling him that we had a meeting with the goldsmiths and jewellers of this country.

And what we realised is that if we don’t start training young people to get into that sector, we will have a shortage of goldsmiths in this country.”

“Mr Khan was mentioning the joinery trade.

Soon we won’t have people working in those ar-

eas, because the skilled people are either migrating or they would have aged over a period of time.

And the young people now, I don’t want to say they’re not willing to get into the sector. But they’re not being encouraged as much as they should and they’re not being trained,” he said, emphasising that the Government and Private Sector can partner in addressing this issue.

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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

11 PSC Exec urges T&T Private Sector to help dismantle trade barriers NEWS

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

– also warns of foreign companies manipulating system to register as locals

L

ongstanding Private Sector Commission (PSC) Executive Member, Ramesh Dookhoo on Tuesday had some firm words for the Trinidad and Tobago (T&T) private sector… about the need for equity in their business and trade dealings in Guyana.

The Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association (GMSA) had its annual luncheon on Tuesday at the Princess Hotel. During the proceedings, Dookhoo got on stage and proceeded to talk about local content and trade barriers.

In comments directed to members of the Trinidad private sector who were present, Dookhoo also spoke of the various trade barriers in place by Trinidad, which serves to block Guyanese exports to that market and which are not being adequately addressed by the Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED).

“We will respect Trinidad’s private sector more when you advocate some of the things that bother us. Like your illegal honey legislation, which is on the books and going on for years and years. And every time at COTED, it’s back on the agenda. And your Minister will come and say, yes, we’re looking at it. And it’s going on for 25 years.”

“So, you need to push your Minister. Like we’re going to push our Minister, with your questions. When the Trinidad private sector recognises the trade barriers that are put up by Trinidad for us trying to export to Trinidad, we will respect you more. We will embrace you tighter than we’re doing

PSC Executive Ramesh Dookhoo

now,” Dookhoo said.

Dookhoo also urged that the Local Content Secretariat be imbued with the power to investigate companies not in compliance with the law. He referenced various practices he said are used by foreign businesses, to skirt Guyana’s local content provisions.

“Already we’re seeing foreign companies making their staff members shareholders in the company and doing all things, manipulative things, to qualify for the Local Content Register. So, I’d like you to take back the message, my friends from T&T, let us let our companies not encourage this.”

“And tell the Minister, that the authority given to

the local content secretariat has to be deeper. It has to be associated with the Companies Act of Guyana and they must have more authority to investigate companies,” Dookhoo added.

In recent weeks, there has been much talk over trade relations between Guyana and Trinidad. This talk has particularly been in the context of COTED and also Guyana’s local content laws, which certain quarters in Trinidad have taken umbrage with.

The removal of trade barriers will be integral to Guyana’s push, in consort with other Caricom countries, to reduce the region’s food importation bill by 25 per cent by the year 2025.

Guyana currently holds lead responsibility for agriculture, agricultural diversification, and food security in Caricom and is spearheading the regional body’s quest to reduce its US$5 billion food import bill.

Months after assuming office, President Ali had charged the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation to assess and address the hurdles related to exporting food and agricultural products to markets within the region. As such, concerns of barriers to trade against exports to some Caricom

markets were raised with COTED last year.

The Ministry subsequently formed a National Working Group on Barriers to Trade against Exports from Guyana. According to the assessment on market access by the working group, most of the challenges found were related to technical measures including sanitary and phytosanitary measures. They also found several technical and administrative regulations that were all hampering the export of Guyanese products.

Against this back-

drop, Guyana had called on Caricom Member States at the COTED meeting to engage in bilateral discussions to iron out trade barriers with a view of expanding intra-regional trade. Similar views were shared by Antigua and Barbuda, St Lucia, Jamaica, and Barbados.

In fact, Guyana and Barbados have since moved forward to minimise the occurrences of these measures that frustrate intra-regional trade with the aim of reducing food importation bills, as part of the overall regional food security plan.

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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30,, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2022| GUYANATIMESGY.COM

14 NEWS

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30,, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Pomeroon man gets 14 years Teen busted with ganja for killing miner back in 2019 under bed remanded

Lexroy Garraway, also called “Bam Bam”

L

exroy Garraway also called “Bam Bam”, 37, of Lower Enterprise, Pomeroon, was on Tuesday sentenced

to 14 years for killing Eric Nurse, called “Black Boy”, in 2019 at Takutu Landing, Mazaruni River, Region Seven (CuyuniMazaruni).

He was initially charged with murder but he pleaded guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter when he appeared before Essequibo High Court Judge Jo Ann Barlow.

Garraway admitted that he unlawfully killed Nurse on May 23, 2019, at Takutu Landing, Mazaruni River.

It was reported that on the day in question, the accused was drinking at a shop in the presence of the now dead man.

Garraway subsequently went into a room that was occupied by a female. Moments later, the woman began to cry for help.

Reports are that Nurse rushed to render assistance. Nurse approached the accused and dragged him out of the room, when a scuffle occurred. The woman, upon exiting the room, found Nurse lying face down in a pool of blood.

He was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

Garraway was subsequently arrested and questioned, during which he confessed to stabbing Nurse eight times.

The court further heard that the accused was recently released from prison, after serving a two-year sentence for wounding.

He was arrested and during interrogation, he admitted to stabbing Nurse 15 times in his caution statement to the Police.

During the sentencing on Tuesday, the convicted killer pleaded for mercy.

TURN TO PAGE 19

Remanded: Anasia McAllister

T

he 19-year-old female who was busted with 17.1 kilograms of ganja hidden under her bed in her Tucville, Georgetown home was on Tuesday arraigned and remanded to prison.

Anasia McAllister of Perry Street, Tucville, Georgetown, appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts where she was slapped with a possession of narcotics for the purpose of trafficking charge.

During her appearance,

The ganja that was found under the teen’s bed

she pleaded not guilty to the charge and was remanded to prison until April 19, 2022.

It was reported that on Saturday last, ranks attached to the Police Narcotics Branch went to the home of the suspect, who is a marketing clerk, and conducted a search on her premises. This was after the Police received credible information.

However, during the search, detectives found two brown boxes under her bed

containing several rectangular brown duct-taped parcels.

Upon examination, a quantity of Cannabis sativa was found in the parcels.

She was told of the offence committed, arrested, and escorted to Narcotics Branch along with the ganja.

The narcotic was weighed in her presence and amounted to 37.70 pounds or 17.1 kilograms. Charges were later instituted against the teenager.

15

Ramsammy’s Ruminations The PNC's parliamentary motion – sheer lunacy and hypocrisy

B

harrat Jagdeo, Guyana’s Vice President, last week reiterated that Guyana’s oil and gas resources will not be squandered. Under the leadership of President Irfaan Ali and inspired by the economic vision that Bharrat Jagdeo himself has promoted since his ascension to the Presidency in 1999, Guyana’s resources will be utilised to build Guyana’s economic and social infrastructure so that every Guyanese family can live in an economically-empowered country. It is in this context that Bharrat Jagdeo and the PPP have repeatedly said Guyana will not make the same mistake as countries like Trinidad and Tobago, Venezuela, Equatorial Guinea, Nigeria and other oil-based economies have made.

With Guyana now ranked among the significant oilproducing countries of the world, it is determined to not transform its economy into an oil-based economy. Guyana is Dr Leslie Ramsammy crafting a path where oil and gas are elements of a very diversified economy, one in which agriculture will remain the foundation. In his remarks about Trinidad last week, Bharrat Jagdeo ensured everyone knew Guyana’s development trajectory includes utilising early income from oil to build our social and economic infrastructure to support a diversified economy to bring prosperity for every Guyanese. With the global downturn today, countries that have had oil-based economies for more than 50 years, and as many as a hundred years, and ignored or neglected other areas of their economies are today facing severe economic difficulties. Trinidad is just one of those countries. Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo was simply making the point that Guyana has learnt these lessons well.

It is in this context, that the PNC’s latest scam exposes their desperation. Their lunacy continues unabated. Their obsession with crazy mathematics knows no bounds. They continue their invention of crazy, wacky mathematics. In a motion they have introduced in Parliament, in the name of MP Annette Ferguson, the PNC is demanding that the Irfaan Ali-led PPP Government provides a $200,000 cash transfer every quarter to every Guyanese above the age of 18. This is the same PNC which led the Government of Guyana between 2015 and 2020 during which time they took away from people the $10,000 per child school grant; removed the water and electricity subsidies for pensioners; introduced VAT on water, electricity, food and medicines and introduced about 200 new or increased taxes. This is the same PNC that took away jobs from more than 7000 sugar workers and caused more than 37,000 people to lose their jobs and introduced more than 100 per cent increases in agriculture land lease rates.

While in Government, they were the “takeaway” people; now in opposition, they want to be the “giving” people. We can only rejoice in this ideological transformation because now the PNC can join the PPP Government which has always sought ways and means to give more to people. The only problem is that the PNC is demanding the Government give to people what we do not have. Their obsession with weird mathematics is just mind-numbing. There is nothing ideologically and philosophically wrong wanting to give cash transfers to people from oil revenues. But giving cash transfers that exceed oil revenue is not possible and is reckless.

The Guyanese people, like people everywhere on this earth, need relief from the global escalating cost of living. Responsible leaders anticipated the fallout from a number of global events that have been around for some time, including the three-year-old COVID-19 crisis.

In Guyana’s case, a number of Government interventions addressed the problem of cost-of-living rise and have provided various individual and population-wide relief interventions since August 2020 when President Irfaan Ali was sworn into Government. Last year alone (2021), the PPP Government granted more than $20 billion in cash transfers. But to the President’s and the PPP’s credit, they anticipated that further, additional interventions will be necessary in 2022 and, in fact, budgeted $5 billion in Budget 2022 for this purpose, in addition to the almost $20 billion in Budget 2022 in direct cash-transfer programmes that are part of the regular statutory support that the Government provides in entitlement programmes.

The PNC, of which Aubrey Norton was a part, had a chance and as the crisis began in March 2020 were too busy trying to rig an election and for five months ignored focusing any attention on the crisis that was emerging. Their madness knows no bounds. Now, they have submitted a parliamentary motion demanding that the Government provides every adult Guyanese with $200,000 per quarter per year, using the oil money. In case anyone has not done the math, at approximately 600,000 adults above age 18, that comes up to about US$2.4 billion for 2022. The oil money generated in 2022 will not be able to support this cash grant proposed by the PNC. But they just throw things in the air, never considering the feasibility of what they propose, because they never are serious about these things.

Just in case anyone is in doubt, I support another cash transfer like we did in 2020 and in 2021. But it has to be realistic. Guyana between 2019 and end of 2021 accumulated US$608 million. It is expected that in 2022, Guyana’s oil income will increase, but in 2022, it is unlikely, it will reach US$2.4 billion. Thus, a motion is introduced that has no basis in reality. It is based on the PNC’s reckless habit of wild spending without ensuring that the country is developed. The PNC have gone in stark lunacy-mode again.

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

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

16 NEWS

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Construction of new $614.5M GFS Headquarters underway

C

onstruction of the state-of-the-art Guyana Fire Service (GFS) Headquarters on Homestretch Avenue with a price tag of $614.5 million is well underway.

Home Affairs Minister Robeson Benn had said the relocation of the fire station from the congested Stabroek Market square, will improve

Home Affairs Ministry Permanent Secretary Mae Toussaint Jr Thomas along with other officials during a recent site visit

the response time to extinguish fires, as there will be more room for fire tenders to operate.

“We think that this is a better location and there will be room enough to build for the future of the fire service. With much more space, more room to manoeuvre, and much more ability perhaps to get to the ranges of

fire in terms of distance because you know Georgetown itself has grown and the centre of the city itself has moved eastwards.”

Following a recent site visit, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Mae Toussaint Jr Thomas said the works on the fire station will be completed early next year.

The modern facility will accommodate eight fire tenders and six Emergency Medical Service (EMS) ambulances. It will also consist of living quarters for the firefighters.

Mohammed’s Enterprise was awarded the contract to construct the facility.

Since the Administration took office in August 2020,

significant strides have been made to boost the firefighting capability countrywide.

This has seen a number of fire stations being rehabilitated, including the Eccles Fire Station, which is expected to be commissioned soon. Works on the station began in June 2021, at a cost of $37.8 million and will accommodate two fire tenders and one EMS ambulance.

Additionally, works to reconstruct the new Fire Station at the Eugene F Correia International Airport, Ogle, commenced in February. The new facility

which costs over $76 million will accommodate two fire tenders and one EMS ambulance. It will also house a control room, office space for senior officers and administrative staff, a gym and a conference room.

It will be equipped in accordance with the standards and recommended practices contained in the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Annex 14 for aerodromes and the ICAO Doc 9137 Airport Service Manual, to provide rescue and firefighting services at the airport.

US-based Guyanese stabbed to death by homeless man in NYC

Dead: Esan Benn Sr

F

ormer Guyanese tennis coach Esan Benn of Queens, New York (NY), was fatally stabbed on Monday by a homeless man on the sidewalk just blocks from Times Square, NY, reports revealed.

According to the New York Post, 51-year-old Benn was discovered unresponsive on the ground by cops near West 38th Street and Seventh Avenue in Midtown Manhattan, NY, around 05:20h.

After receiving reports of the stabbing, Benn was rushed to Lenox Hill Hospital in New York, but despite doctors’ efforts, he succumbed to his injuries.

NY Police confirmed that the man was stabbed multiple times during a dispute that was captured on

CCTV cameras. After being stabbed he collapsed on the sidewalk.

Meanwhile, Police managed to arrest the homeless man who was identified as 38-year-old Vincent Cole on Tuesday morning, and he was subsequently charged with the capital offence.

Benn is said to be the father of upcoming Guyanese artiste Esan Benn Jr aka Benzy of Hardball Entertainment.

In a Facebook post on Tuesday, the younger Benn said he is saddened by his father’s sudden death and is trying to process the dreadful news.

“I am extremely sad because you are gone, and I didn’t know how to accept the news that you passed and it is breaking my heart so much I can’t even begin to explain. I haven’t cried in years and you made me break down unexpectedly in front of people who see me as a strong individual,” the younger Benn penned.

He described his father as a great man who loved God, and who taught him a lot in life.

“The man whose love for God is endless and I am thankful for you…I want to thank you so much for always believing in me. You give me your name for a purpose; ‘Esan Benn’ because I am just like you and you knew it. I will carry your legacy,” the upcoming artiste said.

NEWS

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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

MoE meets secondary school teachers regarding CSEC and CAPE exams

T

he Education Ministry has started a series of consultations with secondary school teachers across the country to ensure students are provided with the best opportunities to perform optimally at the upcoming Caribbean Secondary Examination Certificate (CSEC) and Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examinations (CAPE).

Subject Minister, Priya Manickchand along with the Chief Education Officer, Dr Marcel Hutson, and other education officials met with CSEC and CAPE teachers from all eleven education districts in the country.

The objective of the engagement was to listen to the concerns and challenges faced by teachers and find solutions that will guide decisions to help students better prepare for the examination.

Teachers from Regions Two, Three, Five, and

Georgetown were engaged in the first of a two-part meeting, while teachers from Regions One, Four, Six, Seven, Eight, Nine, and 10 were engaged in the second meeting.

The Education Minister said that following the results of both examinations at the 2020 sitting, many students were marked poorly for several reasons and as such, it has been a priority of the Ministry to address any gaps that may exist so that a recurrence can be prevented.

She underlined the importance of students submitting School-Based Assessments and committed the Ministry’s support to that process.

Various points were raised by teachers during the meetings, all of which have been recorded by the Ministry so that they can be addressed immediately.

According to the Ministry, similar engage-

Education Minister Priya Manickchand

ments are expected to be continued to further maintain a productive relationship with stakeholders to achieve the desired outcomes and improve the education sector.

Last week, several stakeholders had called for the extension of the CSEC and CAPE examinations, but Minister Manickchand had

contended that the dates remain unchanged, saying that it is a regional examination, and the Caribbean Examination Council (CXC) is responsible for finalising the timeline.

“Any kind of CXC exams, except for NGSA, is not a decision we can take by ourselves in Guyana. We can advocate vociferously and

aggressively about what our students want and what would be in their best interest but it is not something we can do by ourselves. It’s a regional exam. Personally, I think the exams could have been put back a little bit. We cannot continue or begin as though we did not sit it out for two years. Guyana is the first country that went back into schools so our children are not that badly off but at this stage, the exams remain when they were scheduled for,” she had said.

With the education sector now recovering from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, there are still hesitations on the issue of reopening schools across the country. Manickchand had underscored that the country must remain steadfast, sit the exams and formulate actions to address recovery.

“We are physically ready.

We will have the exam paper in July, which is set and marked by CXC. I think now

though, we are now seeing an unfolding across the country, in the Ministry, of the effects of two years of school closure. It was something a lot of people dealt with lightly. The Opposition still is calling for schools to remain closed,” she said.

Manickchand had revealed last Monday that sections of the population are lobbying for schools to remain closed, noting that there can be a higher dropout rate if schools are to remain closed.

In this regard, Manickchand had announced last week that schools across Guyana will be fully open to face-to-face learning as it was pre-pandemic on April 25.

The Minister told media operatives on the sidelines of an event that there will be a staggered opening so as to not overwhelm the system.

At present, there has been some degree of classroom activity on a rotation basis.

18 NEWS

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Waning protection, mutations will influence achieving herd immunity – Health Minister …4 new cases detected in 24h

A

s the coronavirus mutates to different strains and vaccine protection wanes a few months after immunisation, Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony said there could be a challenge in achieving herd immunity.

Initially, authorities had described herd immunity as having 80 to 85 per cent of the population completely vaccinated with the COVID shots. However, the Health Minister advised in Tuesday’s briefing that other factors influence herd immunity.

This includes how the vaccine responds to different mutations of the virus, as well as waning immunity after a few months.

“Herd immunity is a tricky thing. It’s not just about how much vaccines you get. Herd immunity has to do with how effective these vaccines are going to work and for what duration.

What we have learned over this period of time is that we can work to get people vaccinated and those numbers up into the 90s to 100 per cent. But after about five to six months, immunity starts to wane. What has been very difficult with this particular virus is apart from immunity, you have the virus mutating. That’s why you have different variants,” Dr Anthony noted.

Given these variables, he concluded that achieving herd immunity can be a difficult feat. However, those who are vaccinated would have significantly lower risks upon contraction of the infection as opposed to the unvaccinated.

“It is probably going to be very difficult to achieve herd immunity, based on the viral characteristics and of course, the difficulty in administering vaccines to everyone who should be protected. What is important is

persons who are vaccinated would have a different clinical picture from people who are unvaccinated. If you get sick with the virus, your outcome is different.”

He added, “Those who are unvaccinated would have a bigger challenge because we’re seeing most of those people ending up in the hospital. In some cases, they recover. In other cases, they get a very severe form of infection, requiring ICU care. That has been challenging…We don’t see the same prevalence in vaccinated people.”

Dr Anthony is continuing calls for persons to get vaccinated and follow up with a booster shot to maintain immune protection. In fact, he emphasised that the country has enough vaccines in stock.

“We don’t have a shortage of vaccines. We have adequate vaccines right now. We have been getting

GUYANA COVID-19 DASHBOARD MARCH 29, 2022 UPDATE

NUMBER OF NEW CASES

4

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN INSTITUTIONAL ISOLATION

6

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN HOME ISOLATION

69

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN COVID-19 ICU

3

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN INSTITUTIONAL QUARANTINE

16

TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES BY GENDER (FEMALES)

34,123

TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES BY GENDER (MALES)

29,116

TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES IN GUYANA SINCE 2020

63,239

NUMBER OF RECOVERED CASES

61,935

TOTAL 1st DOSE VACCINATED

437,900

FULLY IMMUNISED

336,228

TOTAL NUMBER OF DEATHS

1226

our vaccines from different sources. We normally get vaccines from COVAX because Guyana is one of the COVAX AMC countries. We have also received vaccines bilaterally plus we went out and we also bought vaccines…More recently, we had a number of countries offering to donate vaccines to us but they had short expiry dates because we had adequate supplies.”

New cases

On Tuesday, Guyana recorded four new cases of COVID, contributing to 63,239 confirmed cases. The number of deaths remained at 1226.

There are three persons in the Intensive Care Unit, six in institutional isolation, 69 in home isolation and 16 in institutional quarantine.

Some 61,934 persons have recovered while 566,380 tests have been processed.

NEWS

19

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

FAO Regional Conference

Financial mechanisms targeting small farming communities and Indigenous people need to be put in place – Min Mustapha

D

uring day two of the 37th session of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation’s (FAO) Regional Conference for Latin America and the Caribbean in Quito, Ecuador, Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha stated that financial mechanisms that target small farming communities and Indigenous people need to be in place.

While commenting on the FAO’s new strategy on climate change, Minister Mustapha indicated that these mechanisms should be able to make resources readily and equally available for smart, small, adaptive, and uniform research given the

effects climate change continues to have, especially on those groups mentioned above.

“We would like to see a reference of a financial mechanism that makes resources readily and equally available for smart, small, adaptive, and uniformed research targeting small farming communities and Indigenous people. And today, when the world is being faced with the serious problem of climate change, we have seen the devastation in some countries. I think we have come to a point where we have to make a decision on what is necessary for us to move forward,” Minister Mustapha said.

These remarks came

Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha

in support of comments made by St Vincent &

All-woman CPG launched at Better Hope

T

The members of the new CPG and other officials

he National Community Policing Group (CPG) under the Home Affairs Ministry launched an all-female Community Policing Group at Better Hope North, East Coast Demerara (ECD), on Monday.

The newly launched group is the 14th all-female Community Policing Group and consists of 39 members.

The other all-female CPGs are spread across the ten administrative regions with a total of 250 members.

Permanent Secretary Mae Toussaint Jr Thomas, who officiated the new group, charged the ladies to at all times be professional, build trust in the community, enhance the relationship between the Police and the community and encourage community partner-

ships while being agents for change, conflict resolution and problem-solving. She noted this will significantly improve the flow of information between the Police and the public, which will help in preventing and solving crimes, thus creating a safer and more secure community.

Head of the CPG, Reshi Das also encouraged them to stay true to the agency’s mandate to always be “fair, friendly, and firm” in carrying out their duties. He stated, “this duty requires you to deal with persons from different socioeconomic backgrounds. Often, it may be someone you know or that you are close to, be impartial and stay committed to the mandate and your new areas of responsibility”.

Further, since the re-

launch of the CPG on October 26, 2020, by Home Affairs Minister Robeson Benn, there are now 299 active Community Policing Groups consisting of 5172 members countrywide.

These would include new groups as well as the resuscitation of dormant ones.

Among the groups, 67 are located in Hinterland areas, such as Arakaka, Oronoque, Fauls Top, 4 Miles (Port Kaituma), Annai, Toka, Karasabai, Shulinab, SandCreek, Shea (Rupununi), Rincon, Karaburi, Mora, Waramuri (Moruca) Yarakita, Tobago, Imbotero, Bunbury, Whitewater (Mabaruma). Together they have a membership of 1115.

The CPG is also responsible for establishing 35 youth groups countrywide with a membership of 1001.

Pomeroon man gets...

In the probation reports, Garraway had reported that he was attacked with a knife

by Nurse and in retaliation, he took the weapon and stabbed the man about his body.

In her ruling, Justice Barlow considered the num-

ber of injuries the victim received, the weapon that was used to inflict the injuries, the man’s prior convictions, and his expression of remorse among others.

She also recommended that he be exposed to pro-

FROM PAGE 14

grammes tailored to his needs during his time in prison. Garraway was represented by Attorney-at-Law Latchmie Dindyal, while Senior State Counsel Tiffini Lyken presented the prosecution’s case.

the Grenadines’ Minister of Agriculture, Forestry, Fisheries, Rural Transformation, Industry & Labour, Saboto Caesar who also maintained that more time, money, and efforts must be allocated toward developing a climate change strategy for the Small Island Developing States (SIDS) in the region, particularly on the importance of the blue and green economies.

Minister Caesar noted too that some of the fundamental principles and pre-

cepts of the Samoa Pathway should be reintegrated, and called on the FAO to promote more nature-based solutions when addressing the issue of food and agriculture.

Minister Mustapha further stated that climate change continues to be a serious problem for SIDS in the Caribbean and called on the FAO to take a stand on the issue.

“My colleague from St Vincent and the Grenadines suggested that a marine resources survey be conducted. Such a survey is very important for us in the region because the blue and green economy in these parts of the world contributes significantly to poverty reduction.

“Today, climate change is causing serious problems within our countries in the Small Island Developing States, especially in the Caribbean. We are so vulnerable to climate change that now, as we are working to improve our agriculture capacity, it seems as though we are taking risks because of climate change.

We cannot allow one or two countries to dictate the pace

of our way forward. We are living in these times and we are living in these vulnerable places. We know what we are experiencing and we are now appealing that the FAO must take strong measures and take a stand on this issue,” Minister Mustapha said.

In Guyana, the Minister explained, the Government has been working to combat climate change through low-carbon development by developing high potential, low-carbon subsectors and industries, drought and flood management, and by practicing climate resilient agriculture with special focus on mangrove and coastal ecosystem restoration, Integrated Pest Management (IPM), and crop rotation.

In this regard, Minister Mustapha added that there are several challenges that must be addressed such as the need for adequate funds to support the adaptation of such initiatives, limited access to improved climate technologies, often due to limited access to finance, and limited research and development in suitable adaptation initiatives.

20

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2022

guyanatimesgy.com

DAILY HOROSCOPES

ARCHIE

(March 21-April 19)

Speak your mind and oversee anything you want others to do correctly.

You'll get plenty of help, but it won't all be adequate. Consistency and responsibility are necessary if you're going to reach your mark.

Look inward and make adjustments that soothe your soul. Put an end to what makes you unhappy and take charge of your life. Be responsible and make decisions that promote self-improvement.

DILBERT (April 20-May 20)

Put your heart into whatever you choose to do, and don't let anyone lead you astray. Take the initiative, think for yourself and do what's right and best for you.

(May 21-June 20) Let your actions speak for you. Dive into what's important to you, and you'll overcome any barrier you encounter.

Expand your skills and qualifications, and seek help from experts.

PEANUTS (June 21-July 22)

Distance yourself from anyone making unrealistic moves. Don't jeopardize your position or reputation or take responsibility for someone's blunder.

Stand your ground and protect your rights.

(July 23-Aug. 22)

CALVIN AND HOBBES

(Aug. 23-Sept. 22)

Take pride in what you do and share what you discover with people working to achieve similar results. A partnership that brings out the best in you looks promising. Pursue educational opportunities.

It's up to you to revise your schedule to help you achieve your goals. You can't depend on others to make you happy, but you can strive to do so yourself.

(Sept. 23-Oct. 23) Test the water and head in a direction that makes you feel good about yourself and your efforts. Enlightenment and personal growth will help you attain the serene mindset you're after.

SUDOKU (Oct. 24-Nov. 22)

Explore possibilities, but don't believe everything you hear. If something sounds too good to be true, ask questions. Avoid temptation and indulgence, and work to find the truth.

(Nov. 23-Dec. 21) You'll gain insight into what's possible. Consider how to tweak your skills to suit trends, and you'll discover a path that leads to success. A domestic change is encouraged.

SOLUTION FOR LAST PUBLISHED PUZZLE

(Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Don't look around when you need to focus on what's in front of you. Consider what you enjoy doing and how you can add to your qualifications to help you excel. Don't make a move prematurely.

(Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Let your emotions and intuition lead the way, and you'll discover how to incorporate your dreams into your routine.

Procrastination will be your enemy today, so get moving.

(Feb. 20-March 20)

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2022

the death.

Trent Boult and Prasidh Krishna then ended the contest with the new ball, consigning Sunrisers to the joint-lowest powerplay in IPL history: 14 for 3, which included the wickets of Kane Williamson, Nicholas Pooran, and Rahul Tripathi.

Sunrisers overstep the mark

R

Romario Shepherd bagged 1-33 and scored 24

ajasthan Royals became the first team to successfully defend a total in the 2022 Indian Premier League (IPL) in grand style. Their batters – led by Captain Sanju Samson’s 27-ball 55 – scored nearly 150 runs in boundaries, and their fast bowlers ran roughshod on a quick Pune pitch.

There was just enough assistance in the surface for good bowling, but equally the margin of error was low because of its true nature. Sunrisers Hyderabad made errors aplenty,

bowling four no-balls in the powerplay – two of which could have got Jos Buttler out – and often allowed the batters to swing their arms.

Royals have a batting lineup that does not need second invitations: they did not care much about the 52 dots they played out; their 41.2 per cent runs in boundaries were the joint-fourth-highest in 118 totals of 200 or more in the IPL. Samson and Buttler were joined

by Devdutt Padikkal and Shimron Hetmyer in the fireworks.

Hetmyer plundered 32 off 13 at

These were tailormade conditions for Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who had Buttler fumbling in the dark in the first over. Three outswingers were followed by a wide inswinger, which set him up for the outswinger fifth ball. Buttler played for inswing, edging it through for a superb slip catch by Abdul Samad, but soon the no-ball buzzer sounded.

In his first over, pace sensation Umran Malik had Buttler edging to slip, but he, too, overstepped.

Even offspinner Washington Sundar bowled a no-ball. There were enough errors made for Royals to race away to 58 in the powerplay.

Samson checks in

Samson is well-known for

Peters Hall, Ruimveldt record wins in EBDCA/S&D Investments T20 competition

O

ver the weekend, round one of the 2022 East Bank Demerara Cricket Association’s S&D Investments T20 competition kicked off with a bang.

The action saw Meadow Bank CC dominating Peters Hall CC and Ruimveldt SC demolishing Demolition Cricket Team. All matches were played at the Queen’s College cricket ground with game one at 09:00h and game two at 13:30h.

In match number one, Mohamad Nasir (left) and Shadrach Bacon (right) bowled Meadow Bank won the toss Meadow Bank to victory with figures of 4-17 and 4-19 and elected to field. From the get-go, Meadow B a n k overs and Mohamad Nasir. who respectively. Taking wickets for p o u n c e d o n also snagged 4, from two overs Peters Hall were Peters Hall, n o t for 17 runs.

Chaibraj Ramcharran wasting any Meadow Bank need 121 1-15 off 2.3 overs and time. They took runs to win off 120 balls, Deonarine Dindyal 1-22 off his control of the a target that was three overs. powerplay overs In match number two, and attacked Ruimveldt SC had the better of when needed; Demolition Cricket Team by a this resulted achievable whopping nine wickets. The likes in Peters Hall a n d allowed them of Omesh Dhanram and Ershaad struggling to find to register their first points Ali proved to be too much for the the gaps. Narendra in the competition. After Demolition Team, as they took to Persaud (24) and much effort from Peters the crease and were bundled out Vikash Sewchan (21) Hall, there was nothing for a meagre 88 in their 20 overs. were the only players that could be done as The team initially had no reply who made some sort the Meadow Bank side to the brilliant legspin bowling of an impact in the was too strong, ending of Dhanram, who registered game. Peters Hall in on 122-3, after chasing figures of 3-9 in his four overs, the end were restricted down the total in 18.4 he was also supported by Eric to 121-9 in their overs. Tuen Hicks Sukrah with 3-15 in 3.5 overs. allotted 20 overs. This scored a blistering In chasing such a small total, was thanks to the 44, while Navindra Ruimveldt ended on 89-1 in 8.2 excellent bowling Persaud and overs. In reply, the duo of Ali of Shadrach Kishaan Persaud and Dhanram then spared no Bacon, who chipped in with 20 Demolition bowler as they took bagged and 15 runs them to every part of the ground, 4-19 from closing out the innings on 43 and Omesh Dhanram scored his three 39 runs respectively.

39 and bagged 3-9

his good starts to IPLs when the pitches are new and fresh and quick. This match was no exception. He used the fast bowlers’ pace, and effortlessly pulled spinners for sixes down the ground. Five of his hits cleared the boundary. With this half-century, Samson now has 327 at 65.4 and a strike rate of 174 in the first matches of the last five IPLs. Without Rashid Khan for the first time since 2017, Sunrisers looked light in the middle overs.

Their spinners went for 62 in their four overs. Malik, though, came back superbly from his 21run first over with the wickets of Buttler and Padikkal, both on defence.

Hetmyer provides the finishing touch

When Samson got out at 163 in 16.1 overs, Royals were well on their way to a challenging total against a thin batting lineup, but Hetmyer all but put the matter beyond them with some power hitting. Those before him had punished errors from the bowlers, but Hetmyer took toll of perfectly acceptable nearyorkers from T Natarajan. When Bhuvneshwar pitched short to him, he unleashed an incredible baseball-style pull over long-off for a six. If the pitches say true, Royals were sounding a warning to other teams too.

Boult, Krishna break Sunrisers’ back

Boult and Krishna then served a reminder of what Sunrisers missed out on this surface. Boult drew swing and

seam with the new ball while the ball flew off the surface for Krishan’s more hit-the-deck lengths. Even before the wickets began to fall, it was apparent how difficult it was to hit if the bowlers got their lengths right.

In the second over, Williamson eventually edged one for a questionable rebound catch at first slip. Tripathi’s dismissal was more straightforward as Krishna got the ball to hold its line outside off. Pooran then missed a full, swinging delivery from Boult. Samson saw the opportunity and bowled all six powerplay overs with them.

21

Chahal joins the party

If the contest had some life yet, Yuzvendra Chahal squeezed it out. So far behind the asking rate, with an accurate R Ashwin offering nothing to hit, the batters went after Chahal, who proved to be too wily for them.

Abhishek Sharma, Abdul Samad, and Romario Shepherd all fell to him trying to hit a big shot. Chahal gave them no pace to work with and did enough in the air to keep defeating them.

A 55-run partnership between Washington – 40 off 14 – and Aiden Markram controlled some of the net-run-rate damage, but they still lost by 61 runs. (ESPNcricinfo)

SCOREBOARD RAJASTHAN ROYALS INNINGS (20 OVERS MAXIMUM) Jos Buttler c †Pooran b Umran Malik 35 Yashasvi Jaiswal c Markram b Shepherd 20 Sanju Samson (c)†c Abdul Samad b Kumar 55 Devdutt Padikkal b Umran Malik 41 Shimron Hetmyer b Natarajan 32 Riyan Parag c †Pooran b Natarajan 12 Nathan Coulter-Nile not out 1 Extras (lb 4, nb 4, w 6) 14 TOTAL (20 Ov, RR: 10.50) 210/6 Did not bat: Ravichandran Ashwin, Yuzvendra Chahal, Trent Boult, Prasidh Krishna Fall of wickets: 1-58 (Yashasvi Jaiswal, 6.1 ov), 2-75 (Jos Buttler, 8.1 ov), 3-148 (Devdutt Padikkal, 14.6 ov), 4-163 (Sanju Samson, 16.1 ov), 5-207 (Shimron Hetmyer, 19.2 ov), 6-210 (Riyan Parag, 19.6 ov) BOWLING O-M-R-W Bhuvneshwar Kumar 4-0-29-1 Romario Shepherd 4-0-33-1 Umran Malik 4-0-39-2 Washington Sundar 3-0-47-0 T Natarajan 4-0-43-2 Abhishek Sharma 1-0-15-0

SUNRISERS HYDERABAD INNINGS (TARGET: 211 RUNS FROM 20 OVERS) Kane Williamson (c) c Padikkal b Prasidh Krishna 2 Abhishek Sharma c Hetmyer b Chahal 9 Rahul Tripathi c †Samson b Prasidh Krishna 0 Nicholas Pooran † lbw b Boult 0 Aiden Markram not out 57 Abdul Samad c Parag b Chahal 4 Romario Shepherd b Chahal 24 Washington Sundar c Hetmyer b Boult 40 Bhuvneshwar Kumar not out 3 Extras (lb 5, nb 1, w 4) 10 TOTAL (20 Ov, RR: 7.45) 149/7 Did not bat: Umran Malik, T Natarajan Fall of wickets: 1-3 (Kane Williamson, 1.4 ov), 2-7 (Rahul Tripathi, 3.1 ov), 3-9 (Nicholas Pooran, 4.5 ov), 4-29 (Abhishek Sharma, 8.2 ov), 5-37 (Abdul Samad, 10.2 ov), 6-78 (Romario Shepherd, 15.4 ov), 7-133 (Washington Sundar, 18.5 ov) BOWLING O-M-R-W Trent Boult 4-1-23-2 Prasidh Krishna 4-1-16-2 Nathan Coulter-Nile 3-0-48-0 Ravichandran Ashwin 4-0-21-0 Yuzvendra Chahal 4-0-22-3 Riyan Parag 1-0-14-0

Captain Eriksen scores on Copenhagen return since cardiac arrest

C

hristian Eriksen scored for Denmark in a 3-0 win over Serbia at Copenhagen’s Parken Stadium – his first match there since his cardiac arrest last year.

Eriksen collapsed on the same pitch during a Euro 2020 game with Finland in June and there were emotional scenes on the Brentford midfielder’s return.

Captain for the game, Eriksen grabbed his country’s third with a fine strike from 22 yards in the 57th minute.

Joakim Maehle and Jesper Lindstrom also scored in the friendly victory.

But the day belonged to Eriksen, back at the venue where he nearly lost his life 290 days ago.

In the first half of that match against Finland, and with no players around him, Eriksen collapsed having suffered cardiac arrest.

Team-mates and medics rushed to help him before he was revived and taken to hospital, with Eriksen later saying he had “died for five minutes”.

Eriksen, 30, was subsequently

Christian Eriksen’s goal was his 38th for Denmark

fitted with an implanted cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) – a type of pacemaker – so he could continue his career.

However, he had to leave his club Inter Milan as players with an ICD device are not allowed to play in Italy’s Serie A, before the former Tottenham midfielder returned to the Premier League with Brentford.

He came on and scored during Denmark’s 4-2 defeat

by Netherlands on Saturday and was greeted by a rousing reception from the Danish fans in Copenhagen on Tuesday with a banner reading “Welcome back Christian”.

Eriksen was involved in the build-up to Denmark’s first goal as his left-wing corner was only partially headed clear with Maehle firing low into the net from 25 yards.

Lindstrom added a second when free in the penalty area early in the second half, before Eriksen gave the fans the moment they wanted by scoring a well-taken goal four minutes later.

Eriksen, who could feature for Denmark in the World Cup in Qatar later this year, received a standing ovation when he was substituted in the 79th minute.

(BBC Sport)

22

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2022

Guyana-T&T clash results in 1-1 thriller

By Jemima Holmes

A

Neil Danns scored for Guyana

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

thriller of a game it was at the Hasely Crawford Stadium i n Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, on Tuesday night as Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago played to a riveting 1-1 draw in the Courts Caribbean Classic.

Playing the series decider, Guyana opted for a starting XI of goalkeeper Akel Clarke, Leo Lovell, Jeremy Garrett, Nathan Moriah- Welsh, Samuel Cox, Omari Glasgow, Neil Danns, Torell Ondaan, Quincy Adams, Trayon Bobb and Captain Daniel Wilson.

By the looks of Guyana’s composure, Head Coach Jamaal Shabazz indeed kept his promise made to T&T media, to utilise pressing tactics. By this measure, Guyana enjoyed much possession and a number of near misses in the first half.

Outstanding from Guyana’s plethora of chances was a goodlooking shot off the boots of Danns that went awry across the face of the goal. Expectedly, Trinidad had their fair share of opportunities and almost had the Golden Jaguars reeling when Ryan Telfer approached the goal purposefully with ball in tow; his left foot shot, however, strayed outside the area, to Guyana’s delight.

World Cup 2022: Mane helps Senegal beat Egypt and qualify for Qatar

S

adio Mane scored the winning penalty in a shootout to send Senegal to the 2022 World Cup after Liverpool team-mate Mohamed Salah missed his spot-kick for Egypt.

In a repeat of the Africa Cup of Nations final, Senegal were left jubilant at the final whistle after winning on penalties, with Egypt's players disconsolate and Salah – one of the world's best players – left contemplating his absence from November's tournament in Qatar.

The second leg of the play-off tie in Senegal's new 50,000-seater stadium finished 1-0 to the hosts and 1-1 on aggregate after extra time, sending the game to a tense and dramatic shootout.

Mane had netted the penalty which won the Nations Cup and the Reds forward notched the decisive spotkick once again after keeper Edouard Mendy had given Senegal an advantage by saving from Mostafa Mohamed at 2-1.

Egypt Captain Salah was one of four players to miss the first four penalties of a shootout marked by a vast number of green laser pointers directed at the visiting players and goalkeeper.

Senegal's Boulaye Dia was the scorer of the only goal in normal time – notching after just four minutes with a shot that hit the body of Pharaohs defender Hamdi Fathi.

Elsewhere in Africa's World Cup play-offs, Ghana, Tunisia, Morocco and Cameroon also clinched qualification – with Nigeria, Mali, DR Congo and Algeria all eliminated.

It is the second time in six weeks that Senegal have beaten Egypt on penalties to a major prize.

In February, it was the Nations Cup final in Cameroon.

There, two Egyptian misses meant their goalscoring icon Salah did not even get the chance to take one.

This time around they made sure he went first – and with an eye on securing a crucial early advantage following Senegal Captain Kalidou Koulibaly hitting the bar with the first effort of the shootout.

But Salah could do no better. Indeed he did worse, his shot going nowhere near Mendy's goal as it sailed over the bar.

Neither Ciss nor Zizo could score either and it seemed clear

As Guyana pressured their twin-island counterparts in the attacking area, they also sought to dominate the area in front of their goal, as the defence kept things tight and tidy. Garrett and Adams were particularly stellar in the defence for Guyana.

Even though, the Golden Jaguars failed to net a goal in the first segment, they were upto-par enough to ensure the same fate for the Soca Warriors, resulting in a deadlock at the half.

Trinidad and Tobago began the second half with renewed vigour, but it was clouded by questionable and misdirected passes by the boys in red.

Clarke, who seemed to be working overtime all night, intercepted a sure chance by the Trinis early in the half, but their extended passing in front of the goal also played to his benefit.

Bobb, who looked spritely

N

West Cricket (WDCA)

Sadio Mane has now scored the winner in successive penalty shootouts against Egypt

Mane cross in extra-time, the Watford man failed to connect properly and his effort spun into the body of El Shenawy.

Zizo lifted Egypt with a couple of mazy runs, but they seemed to play for penalties and ultimately paid the price.

Black Stars and Indomitable Lions among others to progress Ghana were the first side to qualify after a 1-1 draw earlier on Tuesday saw the Black Stars overcome Nigeria on away goals in Abuja.

Thomas Partey's opener for the visitors was cancelled out by William Troost-Ekong's penalty, and Super Eagles fans reacted angrily at full-time after their side were knocked out, showering the Ghana players and staff with missiles.

Cameroon clinched an eighth World Cup qualification – a record for an African side – following a dramatic finale in Algeria.

Trailing 1-0 from the first leg, Karl Toko-Ekambi's firsthalf goal sent the game to extra time.

Algeria looked to have won it courtesy of Ahmed Touba's 118th-minute header, but Toko-Ekambi struck again in the fourth minute of added time to stun the home crowd in Blida and win the tie on away goals.

Tunisia made it back-toback World Cup appearances after a goalless draw in Tunis saw off Mali 1-0 on aggregate, while Morocco had a comparatively comfortable evening as a 4-1 home win over DR Congo secured a 5-2 triumph over the two legs.

Two goals from Azzedine Ounahi and one each from Tarik Tissoudali and Achraf Hakimi saw the Atlas Lions book their sixth trip to the finals.

The African quintet now await Friday's group-stage draw to discover who they will face in Qatar. (BBC Sport)

especially determined to equalise as Clarke was made to execute two brilliant saves all in the same minute. The first was a penalty, taken by Levi Garcia, in which Clarke dived right, pushing the ball across and out of danger. Resulting in a set piece opportunity, Clarke again held off the Trinidadian striker to keep the score at 1-0.

However, that score was short-lived, as Garcia utilised the added time well, to sneak in the equaliser for Trinidad and Tobago.

Met with a massive eruption of cheers from the local crowd, Guyana had not enough time to seek out a winning goal.

The 1-1 draw between Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana meant that the twin-island republic would win the Courts Caribbean Classic, having scored more goals in the tri-nation tournament.

WDCA President Azeem Troy Khan is new Executive on DCB ewly-elected Demerara Association

the raft of laser pointers being directed at players from both sides – which had increased in intensity as the match drew to a close – were having an effect.

Ismaila Sarr did finally find the net, but that was matched

by Amr El Soleya. Bamba Dieng then struck confidently to put the Teranga Lions ahead, but when Mostafa attempted to reply for Egypt, Mendy saved well and put Senegal in command.

It was a situation Mane took full advantage of, blasting his effort down the middle and sparking scenes of celebration.

That the game would be settled on penalties was not the obvious conclusion given the scoreline.

Dia's deflected strike was a strange repeat of the one that had given Egypt victory in the first leg in Cairo – in the same minute.

It came after Egypt failed to defend a dangerous freekick. Dia pounced on a headed clearance to shoot, but Fathi challenged at the same time and the ball went under visiting keeper Mohammed El Shenawy.

In Senegal's brand-new home, which unlike most major African stadiums has no running track and created a more intense atmosphere, the roof nearly came off.

Egypt offered little throughout, sticking to a gameplan of maintaining a tight defence and breaking down any Senegal attacks with heavily-contested challenges, But the hosts had two great chances – both of which fell to Sarr – to seal the success, before penalties decided the outcome.

The first was on 82 minutes when he was put clean through, but El Shenawy made himself big to make sure Sarr's effort drifted wide.

Then, presented with most of the goal to aim at from a

on the wings, was in the process of another rocket-fast run when Jess Williams brought him down inside the box. As such, Guyana were awarded a penalty which was taken by Danns.

At the sound of the whistle, Trinidad’s Marvin Phillip instantaneously dived left, but it was the wrong call as the penalty specialist that Danns is opted for a soft touch into the right corner for the ice-breaker goal.

In the 80th minute, Garrett played hero once again for Guyana as he fended off another Trinidadian pursuit in front of the goal. John-Paul Rochford had the defence reeling as he picked up a loose ball and cause Clarke to lose his footing in front of the goal in the process. However, Garrett recovered quickly to stop Rochford in his tracks.

As the minutes expired, Trinidad and Tobago seemed

Azeem Troy Khan

President Azeem Troy Khan has been co-opted as an executive of Demerara Cricket Board (DCB) by virtue of his win at the WDCA elections, which were held at the Uitvlugt Community Centre on Wednesday, March 2, 2022.

The elections were conducted by Cricket Ombudsman Malcolm Peters and were held in accordance with the Guyana Cricket Administration Act 2014 with a high-powered team of Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) officials as observers.

The new WDCA President is the Company Secretary for FAB Mining Company, Company Secretary for Sightseeing Tours Guyana Inc, and Manager of Odyssey Transport Services. He has donned whites for the MetenMeer-Zorg Cricket Club, the club where he grew up playing cricket.

He also represented the West Demerara Under-19 and senior teams, and played First-Division cricket for the Police Sports Club (Georgetown) between 1991 and 2001.

The other elected Executives of WDCA are Vice President Shango Singh, Secretary Feroze Barakat, Assistant Secretary Navita Singh, Treasurer Avinash Ganesh, Assistant Treasurer Vaickesh Dhaniram, and Public Relations Officer Avishkar Ramgobin.

The Committee members are Christopher Class, Andre Seepersaud, Darren Jordan, Sheldon Alexander, and Ajita Persaud.

The positions of Chairman of the Senior Selection Panel and Chairman of the Junior Selection

Panel will be filled by the new Executive Committee.

After the elections, Khan thanked the delegates for placing confidence in his ability to lead West Demerara to improved heights in the administration, development, and promotion of cricket. He stressed that there was a lot to be done to improve the standard of cricket within the precincts of the West Demerara.

President Khan posited that his Executive would fervently seek to effectively address deficiencies in the player development pathway and process, including the accessibility of clubs and teams to participate in structured competitions.

Further, he indicated that administratively, the Association intended to ensure that all relevant club members were aware of the requirements to participate in the WDCA elections and to take steps to have these requirements met in a timely manner. Khan pointed out that to advance cricket in the West Demerara area and to create a significant impact on Guyana and West Indies cricket, all willing and available members of clubs must be given an opportunity to participate in the administrative process. By the very least, all relevant club members must be afforded the opportunity to communicate their interests and expectations.

Additionally, Khan thanked the delegates for their overwhelming support and pledged to serve the interests of West Demerara and Guyana’s cricket in an accountable and dedicated manner. He also thanked the Ombudsman and the Returning Officer for the transparent and efficient conduct of the elections.

Khan also expressed his appreciation to the GCB team for their attendance and the delegates for their maturity and discipline exhibited during the elections.

GCB President Bissoondyal Singh, in an invited comment, congratulated the new Executive Committee of the WDCA and pledged the support of the national board to the development initiatives planned by the Association. Singh pointed out the need for all categories of players to be given the undivided attention capable of realising their optimal cricketing potential. He contended that Guyana was not

short of players with exceptional talents; however, it was essential to create the conditions to identify these talents and the learning environment to nurture and develop them so that these players become exceptional by consistently performing to high standards. Additionally, President Singh expressed his satisfaction with the elections of WDCA and wished the new Executive Committee the very best.

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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2022

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

23

West Indies Championship resumes on May 18 C

ricket West Indies (CWI) on Tuesday announced the West Indies Championship 2022 will resume on Wednesday, May 18. CWI unveiled the match schedule for the final three rounds of the four-day First-Class red-ball tournament for the six professional regional franchises.

The first and second rounds were played in February ahead of the Apex Test Series, which concluded on Monday with West Indies beating England 1-0 to win the newly-minted Richards-Botham trophy. The West Indies Championship returns with all matches being played in Trinidad at the Queen’s Park Oval, Brian Lara Cricket Academy and the Diego Martin Sporting Complex. The third round will run May 18-21, the

8.8 points.

The teams will be competing for the Headley Weekes Trophy named in honour of West Indies legends George Headley and Sir Everton Weekes. The current top two teams face each other in round four at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy with the chasing four teams aiming to win their games in round three of the West Indies Championship to close the points gap ahead of the concluding matches.

CWI’s Director of Cricket, Jimmy Adams welcomed the return of the four-day format, and reiterated that this competition played a critical role in the playerdevelopment pathway. Adams said: “The resumption of the West Indies Champions, our regional four-

pandemic. CWI is also implementing a special “player loan” system to try to ensure that each team will be able to complete their fixtures. If a team has a player(s) ruled out owing to a positive COVID-19 result, they can request to use a player(s) from another team and/or from a pool of locally-registered reserve players.

LIVE ball-by-ball scoring of each game will be available through the www.windiescricket. com match centre. CWI will be streaming each of the matches with commentary via the Windies cricket YouTube channels. The Championship will also be streamed live in India on FanCode, as part of CWI’s partnership with the Indian broadcaster.

Current points table for the West Indies Championship 2022

Full match schedule

The Guyana Harpy Eagles team and staff

fourth May 25-28, with the fifth and final round scheduled for June 1-4.

Defending champions Barbados Pride lead the points table with 42 points, with Trinidad and Tobago Red Force second on 38.6 points – both recorded wins in their first two matches. They are followed by Leeward Islands Hurricanes on 24.6 points, Guyana Harpy Eagles on 21.4 points, Windward Islands Volcanoes on 10.8 points, and Jamaica Scorpions on

day competition, has been good to see. While we cannot recover the two years lost to the COVID-19 pandemic, we can now re-start critical aspects of our development pathway that depended on this tournament. I’m especially pleased for all the players and support staff that have had to put their own development on hold during the enforced break.”

For the ongoing tournament, each squad will consist of 15 players owing to the COVID-19

Completed Round 1 – February 9-12 Barbados Pride beat Leeward Islands Hurricanes by 4 wickets at Kensington Oval Guyana Harpy Eagles beat Windward Islands Volcanoes by 1 wicket at Queen’s Park Oval Trinidad and Tobago Red Force beat Jamaica Scorpions by 3 wickets at Brian Lara Cricket Academy Round 2 – February 15-18 Barbados Pride beat Jamaica Scorpions by 10 wickets at Kensington Oval Leeward Island Hurricanes beat Guyana Harpy Eagles by an innings and 57 runs at Queen’s Park Oval Trinidad and Tobago Red Force beat Windward Islands Volcanoes by an innings and 43 runs at Brian Lara Cricket Academy

To be played

Guyana Harpy Eagles v Barbados Pride at Queen’s Park Oval Trinidad and Tobago Red Force v Leeward Islands Hurricanes at Diego Martin Sporting Complex Jamaica Scorpions v Windward Islands Volcanoes at Brian Lara Cricket Academy Round 4 – May 25-28 Trinidad and Tobago Red Force v Barbados Pride at Brian Lara Cricket Academy Windward Islands Volcanoes v Leeward Islands Hurricanes at Queen’s Park Oval Jamaica Scorpions v Guyana Harpy Eagles at Diego Martin Sporting Complex Round 5 – June 1-4 Windward Islands Volcanoes v Barbados Pride at Diego Martin Sporting Complex Trinidad and Tobago Red Force v Guyana Harpy Eagles at Queen’s Park Oval Leeward Islands Hurricanes vs Jamaica Scorpions at Brian Lara Cricket Academy

Round 3 – May 18-21

Archery Guyana’s Seven Seas 2021 National Outdoor Competition…

Nail-biting thrills in men’s category, rookie ladies grab medals

I

t was a fine day for shooting on Sunday last at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence where Archery Guyana ran off their 2021 National Outdoor Championships sponsored by Seven Seas.

The competition commenced a few weeks ago at the same venue, but owing to very heavy rains, it was postponed. This gave athletes the opportunity for some extra training, and saw several new entries into the Women’s Recurve and Barebow divisions, as well as the Men’s Barebow division, thereby adding to the competitive spirit.

Once the 30-metre field of play was set up by the Competitions Committee under the inspection of the Chairman of Judges, Mohamed Gamal Khan and the Director of Shooting, Ryan McKinnon, the athletes were given time to get some practice shots and get sighted-in on the targets before the start of the competition.

Director of Sport, Steve Ninvalle was on hand to deliver the feature remarks at the opening ceremony, in which he promised support for the sport of archery and wished the archers good luck in the competition. The vote of thanks was delivered

by Archery Guyana’s President Mohamed Khan and the Competition was declared open.

Action got underway with the Women’s R e c u r v e qualification match which saw Theresa Jaikishun emerge in the top spot Men’s Barebow winner followed by Jeewanram Persaud in action Shereeda

Yusuf,

Roshini Boodhoo, Vidushi PersaudMcKinnon and Elizabeth Mason, and Men’s Barebow qualification match with Jeewanram Persaud topping the rankings followed by Nicholas Hing, Kenrick Cheeks, Robert Singh, Fabian Ramdatt and Saeed Karim. The ranking rounds continued with the Women’s Barebow and Men’s Recurve as the ladies fought hard for the top spots in the barebow division.

Jaikishun topped the rankings again followed by Boodhoo and Mason. In match-play, Jaikishun advanced to the finals as Mason and Boodhoo battled it out to challenge her for the gold.

Boodhoo knocked out Mason to advance, but Jaikishun took home the gold. Boodhoo and Mason took silver and bronze respectively.

In the match-play of the Women’s Recurve, Yusuf came up against Persaud-McKinnon and Boodhoo against Mason as Jaikishun advanced to the final.

Yusuf and Boodhoo emerged the winners with their 6 set points each and then had to go up against each other in the semi-final.

Yusuf beat Boodhoo to advance to the final against Jaikishun, who emerged victorious.

Match-play in the Men’s Barebow division saw Persaud and Hing advancing to the semis as Ramdatt went up against Cheeks, and Singh went up against Karim in the quarter-finals.

Cheeks was knocked out by Ramdatt as was Karim

by Singh, and the winners advanced to the semifinals. Persaud beat Ramdatt and Singh beat Hing to advance to the final, and Hing went up against Ramdatt for bronze while Persaud took the gold and Singh the silver.

In the Men’s Recurve division, the top-ranked qualifiers Persaud, Umasankar Madray, Singh and Ramdatt battled it out in the gold, silver and bronze medal match play. In the match between Singh and Persaud, both archers were evenly

The winners’ circle at the Seven Seas 2021 Outdoor Championships. L-R: Mohamed Khan (President) and Seven Seas representative Stacy Sam with the top finishers Shereeda Yusuf, Umasankar Madray, Robert Singh, Roshini Boodhoo (squatting), Nicholas Hing, Theresa Jaikishun, Jeewanram Persaud and Elizabeth Mason.

matched in set points and went into a shoot-off, and Singh was adjudged the winner with his arrow closest to centre in the target. This gave Persaud the bronze, as Ramdatt was beaten out by Madray.

The gold medal match resulted in Madray beating out Singh for the gold.

There was also a separate target set up off the side of the field of play for spectators and members of the public to experience the sport of archery. It was encouraging to see Vice President Anand Raghunauth lead a number of the Guyana Chess Federation members together with family members to enjoy some target practice.

The competition concluded with the medal ceremony presided over by the Chairman of Judges and Director of Shooting. Seven Seas representative Stacy Sam was present to also award special prizes of its products to the winners.

The official results were as follows: Women’s Barebow Theresa Jaikishun – 1st Roshini Boodhoo – 2nd Elizabeth Mason – 3rd Women’s Recurve Theresa Jaikishun – 1st

Shereeda Yusuf – 2nd Roshini Boodhoo – 3rd Men’s Barebow Jeewanram Persaud – 1st Robert Singh – 2nd Nicholas Hing – 3rd Men’s Recurve Umasankar Madray – 1st Robert Singh – 2nd Jeewanram Persaud – 3rd Archery Guyana wished to express its gratitude to Seven Seas for its continued collaboration as a competition sponsor. Special thanks were extended to the management of Massy Distribution (Guyana) Inc, Seven Seas and Oasis Water sponsor, Guyana Beverages Inc and its management as the organisation moves forward to promote the sport of archery in Guyana.

The Board of Directors also wished to extend thanks to the Culture, Youth and Sport Minister, Charles Ramson Jr and the General Manager of the National Stadium, Azad Ibrahim for making the venue available, and looked forward to future events – local, regional and international – being hosted on the grounds.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2022

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

Page 21 Shimron Hetmyer added the finishing touch to the Royals innings with a 13 ball 32

Guyana-T&T clash results in 1-1 thriller Page 22

Archery Guyana’s Seven Seas 2021 National Outdoor Competition…

Nail-biting thrills in men’s category, rookie ladies grab medals Pg 23

Director of Sport, Steve Ninvaale flanked by competitors and officials

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