Guyana Times --Monday, February 6, 2023

Suriname-based Guyanese busted while selling drugs to fishermen

AGuyanese woman was taken into custody by Suriname’s law enforcement officers after she was caught red-handed selling illegal drugs to Surinamese fishermen.

According to the Waterkant News, Suriname Police Corps arrested the 27-year-old woman last Wednesday in NieuwAmsterdam (Commewijne), after they suspected that she was selling drugs.

The arrest was carried out around 20:00h by a mixed team from the Surinamese police region of East, led by Commissioner Melvin Pinas.

The woman was arrested by Commissioner Thurkoweg at her place of residence, and when questioned, she admitted to selling illegal drugs to the fishermen.

Following the arrest, the woman was transferred to a police station in Richelieu, where the investigation region East will continue to carry out the investigation, Waterkant News reported.

Just recently, a Suriname-based Guyanese was busted with over 1.9kg of cocaine at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA).

Forty-two-year-old Tommy Ann Bunbury was

intercepted by agents of the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU). When found, the cocaine was neatly concealed in cavities in a book, make-up, personal items, and office stationery.

According to CANU, the mule is a food vendor at Downtown café Wiek Straat Paramaribo, Suriname, and resided at Condor Straat #1 Paramaribo, Suriname. She is also from Lot 10 Victoria Road, Plaisance, East Coast

Demerara (ECD).

The mother of seven has been residing in Suriname for the past six years and periodically returns to Guyana to fulfil immigration obligations.

However, on the day in question, CANU officers carried out a search on the suspect, who was an outgoing passenger on an Eastern Airlines flight to JFK International Airport, New York, where the illegal drugs were found.

The Guyanese woman and the drugs she was selling at the time of her arrest (Waterkant photos)

BRIDGE OPENINGS

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

Monday, Feb 6 – 04:15h to 05:45h and Tuesday, Feb 7 – 04:15h – 05:45h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Monday, Feb 6 – 05:05h –06:35h and Tuesday, Feb 7 – 05:40h – 07:10h.

FERRY SCHEDULE

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

WEATHER TODAY

There will be light rain showers and sunshine during the day. Expect partly cloudy skies at night. Temperatures should range between 21 degrees Celsius and 28 degrees Celsius.

Winds: North-Easterly to East North-Easterly between 1.78 metres and 4.91 metres.

High Tide: 17:16h reaching a maximum height of 2.59 metres.

Low Tide: 10:51h and 23:14h reaching minimum heights of 0.73 metre and 0.62 metre.

Pres Ali assures of world-class healthcare system in 7 years

…as National Medical Scientific Council to be established – Guyana now offers revolutionary stem cell services at Woodlands Hospital

In a move that revolutionises healthcare in Guyana, the Woodlands Hospital on Saturday launched its stem cell services and immunotherapy – becoming the first in the country to offer such ground-breaking medical technology to the population.

Managing Director of the Woodlands Hospital, Dr Neville Gobin said this new service revolutionises the treatment of cancer and other chronic diseases.

According to Mayo Clinic, stem cells can be guided into becoming specific cells that can be used in people to regenerate and repair tissues that have been damaged or affected by the disease.

People who might benefit from stem cell therapies include those with spinal cord injuries, type 1 diabetes, Parkinson's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Alzheimer's disease, heart disease, stroke, burns, cancer and osteoarthritis.

Stem cells may have the potential to be grown to become new tissue for use in transplant and regenerative medicine.

Consultant on Internal Medicine at the Woodlands Hospital, Dr Pramod Tempe – during the launching ceremony – shared his personal experience of using this modern medical technology. The doctor noted that he suffered from an illness that caused him to be “partially handicapped” and experience incredible pain in his

spinal area.

However, after accessing stem cell services – wherein stem cells from his bone marrow were injected into his spine – he benefitted from significant relief.

“Today, I am standing in front of you without pain and almost disease-free,” Dr Tempe noted. And these are the type of services that Woodlands Hospital will now be offering to the public.

World-class healthcare

However, President Dr Irfaan Ali – delivering feature remarks at the event – described the institution’s new venture as “bold and innovative”, noting that the public healthcare system has to play a supportive role in these types of medical undertakings.

Noting that stem cell services are highly effective when there are early diagnostics, President Ali posited that, “the public healthcare system must be able to support diagnostics in a very early stage…once that occurs, the science must now be implemented at that early stage.”

“The systemic approach must provide the pathway in which the science is applied at the early stage.”

The Head of State shared some of the initiatives that the Government is embarking upon to ensure the healthcare sector is modernised, including the introduction of telemedicine which has resulted in two lives already being saved.

According to President Ali, by 2030, Guyana will offer healthcare services that are internationally recognised.

“In the next seven years, we are not trying to, by the grace and help of God, in the next seven years we are building in Guyana, a first world healthcare system for our citizens and a healthcare system that is fit for purpose and one that will provide global healthcare

services for the rest of the world. Mark this night,” the Guyanese leader declared.

“There is no rest in this sector in getting it to where we want to be.”

Moreover, he said as more and more innovations take place in the sector, he called in financial and medical specialists as well as policymakers to start discussions on modern health insurance plans.

TURN TO PAGE 9

President Dr Irfaan Ali addressing the gathering

Editor: Tusika Martin

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Equality as a goal

Few would not be willing to declare that “equality” is not one’s goal or practice. We know, however, that our world in general, and Guyana in particular, is far away from this goal, and we must ask ourselves, “Why?” The reasons are legion, but one is inherent in the protean nature of the word itself. For instance, almost everyone will agree with the statement, “we are all equally human”, but what does that mean? Isn’t it a tautology? We are not equally tall, strong, intelligent, or beautiful. So whither equality? Equality, from this perspective, has, therefore, to be contingent on the context or criteria wherein we speak. We can choose any area of endeavour or personal attribute and then discuss whether or not we are all equal.

For instance, the Commission on Ethnic Relations or any other government-sponsored initiative promoting equality will be concerned with all the citizens of our country. Thus, we are concerned with their equality as citizens of the State: equality in reference to all that the State offers its citizens. The State was founded to secure the rights of all citizens, so when discussing equality from a national perspective, we should ask in which way are the citizens of a country equal. Here there would be broad agreement that if we are all citizens, we are all equal, or we should be equal in the possession of the rights guaranteed by the State. Ideally, it follows then that if particular citizens do not have rights or equal rights, then no citizen has rights. It also follows that if some citizens have rights, all citizens have rights.

What this means is that since for purposes of analysis, we can group humans, as any other object, by whatever criteria we choose, we can classify Guyanese by gender, class, ethnicity, etc. If rights were equally distributed to all citizens, then no matter how we categorise groups, each group would have equal rights and thus equal power. However, if the rights were denied to members of a particular classification while others enjoyed those rights, the deprived group is said to be oppressed in that it does not have an equality of power. In Guyana, unfortunately, some groups are claiming greater rights because of criteria like “greater suffering”. In human societies, oppression has been perpetuated on all fronts: thus, a poor woman may be oppressed simultaneously and interjectionally on the basis of her gender, class, ethnicity, age, religion, and race. Each of these forms of oppression is ultimately debilitating, in that they cause pain, and suffering and stifle the humanity of the victims; societies have to prioritise their activities since resources are limited.

Even if we are to limit our field of endeavour to the rights of all citizens to have equality of rights, this leads us to other problems. For instance, since men are not factually equal, equality of rights will lead to material inequalities as those who are better endowed with the badges of society’s success forge ahead. This dilemma has led many to extend their definition of equality to mean, additionally, equality of results. Now while this may be desirable, we have to concede that this goal implies a distribution that is based on some notion of distributive justice, but will impinge upon the liberty of many citizens. Equality from this perspective demands a more extensive and intrusive State, and this can open its own can of worms.

One of the major problems with this stress on the equality of results by the State is that it ignores the fact that only a part of the relevant circumstances depends on governmental action. For example, 'equality in education' is not only contingent on having equal access to the best schools, but also just as importantly, or maybe even more importantly, requires a cultural acceptance of the demand and discipline to inculcate education. And so, for material wealth, etc.

In Guyana, there are expectations that "equality" means equality of results which can never be achieved because of life’s contingent realities.

Dear Editor,

In order to rationalise this view, a reasonable question to ask is: What would happen to the world and to the life of people if all of the oil companies were to cease oil production forthwith? To lend context to this notion, let’s examine an overview of the global energy transition agenda and its potential impact on the future of the global oil and gas industry.

The global transportation sector is one of the main drivers of demand for crude over the next 30–50 years, and at least 40% of the world’s energy needs would have to be supplied by oil and gas by 2050. Hereunder stated are some interesting facts:

Global stock of commercial aircraft

• Global commercial aircraft fleet stood at 29,000 in 2020

• Estimated to grow by 4% annually to reach 39,000 by 2028

• Annual production is 1000

• It takes 5-6 years on average to build an aircraft, in some cases 10 years

• To replace all the aircraft in the world, it

will take 29,000/1000 = 29 years to build and replace, plus 10 years to develop electric planes. Total number of years to replace all the aircraft globally to electric will be approximately 39 years.

Global stock of cars

• As at 2020, this figure is some 1.2 billion cars globally, of which 7.2 million are electric cars (6% of global cars are electric)

• Global average rate of production for electric cars is 2.1 million; which means it will take 571 years to replace all the cars in the world to electric cars.

Global stock of trucks/ commercial vehicles

• As at 2020, an estimated 425 million, of which 27.2 million, or 6.4%, are electric commercial vehicles

• The annual average production rate of electric commercial vehicles is 6000; at which rate it will take 70,833 years to replace all the commercial vehicles in the world to electric at the current rate of production.

Global stock of ships

• As at 2019, total world fleet of ships stood

at 95,402

• It takes about 18 months to build a ship

• Ship orders per year is about 1000

• Therefore, it will take 95 years to replace the global stock of ships to greener ships, at the current rate of production

Global Energy Transformation 2050

• Oil and gas are still forecast to meet more than 50% of the world’s energy needs by the end of 2040

• Renewable energy needs to be scaled up at least six times faster for the world to achieve the goals set out in the Paris Agreement, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA, 2018).

Contextual summary

The global transportation sector is one of the main drivers of global demand for crude oil products. If the world, therefore, stops extracting crude oil, and indeed leave all the fossil fuel in the ground tomorrow – then it will take 39 years to replace the global stock of commercial aircraft to electric aircraft; 500+ years to replace all the cars in the world;

70,833 years to replace all commercial vehicles, both light and heavy, which include trucks; or increase global output by 142,000% to bring down the number of years to 50; and 95 years to replace all the ships in the world at the current rate of production.

By 2050, renewable energy can make up 60% of the world’s final energy consumption, provided that renewable energy investments are scaled up by at least six times (IRENA, 2018). Consequently, if the world economy fails to scale up renewables and other alternative sources of energy by six times, it will take more than 100 years for the world economy to transition to at least 60-70% alternative sources of energy, and over the next 100 years to fully transition to 100% clean/alternative sources of energy.

I end by asking this question again: What is the international transparency advocate’s true modus operandi?

Yours sincerely,

Joel Bhagwandin Financial & Economic Analyst

The Denham Suspension Bridge is located in Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni). The bridge was built over the Potaro River, thus linking the town of Bartica to Mahdia, renowned for gold and diamond mining. The Denham Bridge is located at the very end of the BarticaPotaro Road over the Potaro River, about 120 from Bartica. The suspension bridge stretches across the gorge of the Potaro River, over the Garraway Stream (National Trust of Guyana)

Melinda Janki’s response leaves more questions than answers (Part 2)

Govt targeting 1000 small businesses for grants in 2023

as $300 million set aside in Budget

The People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) Government is targeting the distribution of 1000 small business grants in 2023, with an allocation of $300 million set aside in Budget 2023 to cater for these distributions.

This is according to Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce Oneidge Walrond, while defending this allocation during the examination of the budget estimates. She further explained that based on Guyana’s grant regulations, each of the 1000 recipients can receive anywhere between $500,000 and $150,000.

Last year, 1429 grants were distributed. Walrond explained that last year’s allocation surpassed their

projections for 2022, since they were targeting 1200. This year, the Ministry will be more focused on monitoring and according to her, the target quoted is the number the Ministry can adequately monitor.

“This year, we will do more monitoring of the businesses. So we said 1000 businesses but it will not necessarily be limited to 1000 businesses. Every year we’ve been exceeding our target and we probably might this year,” Walrond said.

“But 1000 is the figure we feel we can effectively monitor. It’s the number we find we can work with and its sustainable, not just handing them the grant but being able to follow up with training, and inspections so the business can grow.”

The Minister further explained that the business must be compliant with all the requirements, including being registered with the Deeds and Commercial Registry, the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) and the National Insurance Scheme (NIS). A business plan must also be submitted.

“The application process can be done online, at the website. The business must be registered with the Bureau and satisfy the criteria of being a small business, according to the Small Business (Amendment) Act,” she said.

The Small Business Bureau (SBB) Fund has grown significantly since 2020. In the 2020 and 2021 budgets, the respective sums of $100 million and

$250 million were approved.

In December 2022, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Small Business Bureau, Muhammed Abraham, had called on persons not to wait on promotions to become eligible for grants from the agency.

The Bureau last year went on a countrywide outreach, encouraging entre-

preneurs to become compliant and have their businesses registered.

Abraham noted that those who had their businesses registered, and got their compliance certificates, became eligible for business grants. Abraham said entrepreneurs do not have to wait on such promotions.

“We do continuous registration. Our focus is not only on grants, we are focused on developing businesses – sustainable growth,” Abraham told this publication. He was at the time speaking of the distribution of grants in Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) on December 17.

More than 100 business persons have received grants to the tune of $150,000 in Region Six. A similar exercise is slated to take place in Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice) on Thursday.

Abraham has said that once a person becomes a client of the Small Business Bureau, that person would have access to all services offered by the Bureau, which include grants, loans and training.

Freddie!!! Friend or foe? Strong support for 2023 budget

Dear Editor,

There is an awful lot of stuff being written about Freddie Kissoon since he has changed course in speaking in progressive tones about the PPP/C Party. They are at odds with him for changing his position of being overly critical of the ruling party in Government, to one who now embraces them in their thrust to develop and modernise Guyana. From the moment that he became a commentator for things PPP/C, the Opposition became agitated and hostile towards Freddie. In their book, Freddie should be a mouthpiece for them only, to do the about-turn thing was tantamount to committing the unpardonable sin, but Freddie would not flag nor flinch.

What I do like about Freddie is that he was very devout to his cause of denigrating the PPP/C when his views were on that side of the fence. He expressed his opinion in the no-nonsense way he saw fit, after all a man is entitled to his opinion. He spoke his mind, he stated emphatically at one time that he is ashamed to be called Indian. He spoke up for "Black People," something the PNC and the WPA cheerleading mob em-

braced him with welcoming arms. He even campaigned for the PNC.

Now that he is on the other side of the fence, speaking up for the PPP/C, the powers that be in the PNC and their acolytes are grossly annoyed, calling him a snitch, a Judas, a drifter, and a soup drinker. They now see him in a different light, they see him through the lens of hate and scorn.

They have forgotten about the "good times" they had together when they ganged up against the PPP/C and the way he aggressively spoke out against the regime. During those times they fondly embraced him! Now, they are hounding Freddie, asking for the print and electronic media houses to "get this man off the scene," we don't want to hear or see him, shut him up, please!

Well, that request is easier said than done, because Freddie is not going anywhere, and neither is he going to fade away into the shadows. Ever since that time, he has been very visible and popular with all. We love you, Freddie!

But I know Freddie, he is not going down, he is holding out valiantly and courageously. The Feisty Freddie is standing his

ground. It reminds me of one of the episodes on The Leonard Gildarie show when the producer himself tried to place a gag order on Freddie. Well, that episode did not go down too well on Freddie's part, because he stoutly defended his position. That's the Freddie we have come to love, a man who is entitled to his opinion and steadfastly defends it.

But more importantly, I would like the Opposition forces to ease their criticism of Freddie and focus on what is about to come upon them. The Opposition needs to be cognisant of the fact that their support base is greatly eroded and many have now abandoned their ship and are now on the side of the PPP/C, the reasons being the PPP/ C's side of a One Guyana makes perfect sense, something we have been searching for a long time now.

Freddie is just one of those persons who have had a renaissance of the mind and realised that the prior position he had taken was one that went against his conscience and that jarred his inner thoughts. In that regard, he had to do the right thing and make a change.

Respectfully, Neil

Adams

Dear Editor,

An ongoing opinion survey conducted by this writer for the North American Caribbean Teachers Association (NACTA) has found strong support for the 2023 budget that was unveiled in, debated by, and approved in Parliament.

The budget was presented in mid-January and approved on February 2 after continuous daily (late hour) debates by all MPs and Opposition queries about planned Government (ministerial) spending. There was virtually no opposition to the budget among the public although almost everyone polled did express concerns about price increases and the inflationary impact of the proposed huge spending.

The budget, based on the latest opinion poll, found widespread approval among all sections of society including those who traditionally support the Opposition PNC (APNU) and who voted for AFC. The budget found disfavour with only 5% of some 550 respondents polled (representing the demographics of the population); 7% did not give an opinion on the budget. The high approval rating (88%) of the latest budget bolsters public confidence in the Government’s handling

of the economy. The strong approval rating of the budget may well have the effect of boosting the popularity ratings of the Government, President, Prime Minister, Vice President, and other office holders and increasing the electoral prospects of the incumbent party (PPP) in Local Government Elections to be held later this year.

Every respondent in the poll expressed support for increases for pensioners, various child and adult grants, poverty alleviation, salaries for public servants, educational scholarships, part-time employment, healthcare, infrastructure, and other public works, among other programmes.

They praised the planned investment in community projects and services, expansion of housing, tertiary educational access, developmental projects, and safety programmes. They are hopeful that the budget will lead to a more affordable and liveable environment, but they complain about neighbourhood security from criminal elements. Almost everyone said not enough is being done by the security forces to combat crime.

While praising the Government for all the positives in the budget and welcoming the increases in spending and the vari-

ous handouts, half of the respondents say these may not be enough to raise the standard of living because of rising prices. Almost everyone complains about rising prices (inflation) on almost every item, triggering concerns about the potential inflationary impact of the humongous budget. They appeal to the Government to find means and ways to address inflation (rising prices) to shield those who are living at or below the poverty line and those on a fixed income who can barely make ends meet.

In spite of their concerns about inflation and poverty reduction, the public feels very good and optimistic about the future of the country. Overall, the public feels that the budget and planned policies are very good for the economy, describing it as progressive that will lead to stronger economic growth in the coming years.

(The poll interviewed 550 individuals – 40% Indians, 30% Africans, 19% Mixed, 10% Amerindians, 1% others – reflecting the demographic composition of the population. It was analysed at a 95% confidence Level. There is a margin of error of +/- 5%).

Yours truly, Vishnu

Bisram

Tourism, Industry and Commerce Minister Oneidge Walrond

New Demerara River bridge

Govt faced no resistance in relocating persons – Min Edghill

With $5.2 billion set aside in this year’s budget to advance works on the new Demerara River bridge, Public Works Minister Juan Edghill has revealed that all the persons who were residing along the pathway of this massive infrastructural development have agreed to relocate, without any resistance.

He made the revelation on Tuesday whilst responding to questions from Opposition Member of Parliament David Patterson regarding the project – for which a US$260 million contract was in May 2022 signed with a joint venture led by China Railway and Construction Corporation Limited.

Patterson asked, “Can the Honourable Minister state the percentage of work completed, if any…Has the contractor submitted any geotechnical or any design reports, if so, have these been approved? Has the commencement order for the project been issued? And if so, on what date?”

In responding, Minister Edghill noted that only recently, a meeting was held between the Ministry’s project team, the contractor, and the supervisory firm, Politecnica from Italy.

“We have just recently received in the country, the supervisory firm that will be supervising this design, and build project. That supervisory firm took effect… from the 15th of January 2023 and they are in their

mobilisation stage. I met them (on January 27) for the first time. The contractor is required to submit all the things that Mr Patterson… was asking, to the supervisory firm so that they could review them and approve them so that we could actually have approvals for the construction,” Edghill explained.

“We would be able to keep the nation updated in another couple of weeks, various stages of where the bridge will be,” the Minister added.

Moreover, Minister Edghill revealed that the Government faced no issues in relocating those persons who were on the pathway of the project.

“The Ministry of Housing has successfully…negotiated and handled all of the properties that are in the path of the bridge, and we have no resistance from anyone not wanting to move,” he noted.

The new bridge would land aback Nandy Park on

the East Bank of Demerara and at La Grange, West Bank of Demerara.

However, the Minister told the National Assembly that the commencement order has not yet been issued but preliminary works on the project have already begun.

“The mobilisation of staff, the last word I had, there are in excess of 35 technical staff from the contractor from China that was already in the country. There are a number of Guyanese who have already been hired.”

“The issues of the alignment and where the bridge is going has already been verified; the surveys…and everything that needed to be done, that would have necessitated the Ministry of Housing engaging people for relocation, all of that has been done. Now that we have in place the competent, properly put in place supervisory firm, Politecnica, those other issues of actual construction.”

Edghill further assured

that “the clear instructions that I’ve given to the contractor and to the supervisory firm, is the contract states 24 months from the time of commencement of this contract and we are holding the contractor and the consultant to those timelines.”

The new bridge will be a fixed 2.65-kilometer fourlane high-span cable-stayed structure across the Demerara River, with the width of the driving surface being about 23.6 metres.

The bridge, which features a bicycle lane, will bring an end to closures to vehicular traffic with a 50-metre fixed-high span to cater for the free flow of vessels uninterrupted. The river will be dredged along a 13.5-kilometre stretch to accommodate large vessels.

This new bridge will replace the ageing floating Demerara Harbour Bridge (DHB), which has outlived its lifespan by several decades.

At 1.25 miles (2.01km), the current Demerara Harbour Bridge is a strategic link between the East and West Banks of Demerara, facilitating the daily movement of thousands of vehicles, people, and cargo.

Just last month, Mohamed’s Enterprise announced that it has gifted the Government its US$3 million prime waterfront property at Providence, EBD, to facilitate the construction of the new Demerara River crossing.

Meanwhile, Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh has already signed a loan

agreement with the Bank of China for €160.8 million, to be injected into the construction of the major new bridge.

Dr Singh said that this loan would finance the majority of the cost to advance the bridge construction. He also indicated that the Guyana Government would put up the remaining funding to complete the critical infrastructure.

Already, some $21.1 billion in the 2022 Budget has been allocated towards work on the bridge.

The contract was awarded to a joint venture led by China Railway and Construction Corporation (International) Limited, which outbid four other pre-qualified international companies that submitted proposals for the project.

A preliminary design of the new Demerara River bridge

Public Works Minister Juan Edghill

41 “died at hands of Police” under APNU/ AFC regime – Nandlall tells House

...in response to extrajudicial killings allegations against PPP/C

Looking…

…at the emerging picture

As your Eyewitness’s been saying, budgets are basically the Government’s income and expenditure for the given year. But Budgets aren’t just spending money…the money’s supposed to be spent for a purpose. The said purpose was described in the party’s manifesto that was put out just before the general elections. Kinda like promises the parties made to “we, the people”! We can see it like a contract we put our signature to when we placed that X on the ballot paper and dropped it into that box!!

So, here we are, more than halfway through the five years we gave the PPP back in 2020 – albeit delayed by five months during which the PNC tried to hijack the ballots – as they’d done for 28 years!! But before we can answer “how’s the PPP doing?”, we gotta find out what they promised…what’s on our contract. So, your Eyewitness googled their manifesto and this is how they summarised their side of the bargain:

Forty-one persons died in Police custody or at the hands of the Police between 2015 and 2020, the reign of the APNU/ AFC Government. This was revealed by Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister Anil Nandlall, SC, during his contribution to the 2023 National Budget Debate in response to accusations that successive PPP/C Governments have been engaged in extrajudicial killings.

“I consulted with the Guyana Police Force and I got the statistics. I will share it with the Parliament. Between 2015 to 2020, before August, 41 persons died in Police custody or at the hands of the Police,” Nandlall told his fellow parliamentarians.

According to the Attorney General, this shows that almost eight persons died per year while the APNU/AFC was in Government. During the budget debate, Opposition Member of Parliament Coretta McDonald accused the PPP/C Government of extrajudicial killings.

When Lall Bachan died at Suddie Police Station lock-ups on June 31, 2019,

and Kalicharan Saywack died at Sparendaam Police Station lock-ups on January 28, 2019, Nandlall noted that the PPP/C “never alleged extrajudicial killing” nor did it encourage people to beat, burn and rob.

Instead of alleging extrajudicial killing and playing politics with the death and tragedies of these people, he said “we instituted legal proceedings on behalf of their families, and we won millions of dollars of compensation for them. That is the difference in leadership.”

The Attorney General called out McDonald for telling the National Assembly that the families of Joel and Isaiah Henry, Harish Singh, Quindon Bacchus, and Orin Boston are still waiting for justice.

On September 6, 2020, the badly mutilated bodies of Isaiah and Joel, cousins, were found in the backlands of Cotton Tree, West Coast Demerara (WCD) – almost one day after they were reported missing. They had left their Number Three Village, WCB home to pick coconuts in the backlands, but did not return home.

Their butchered bod-

ies were found in clumps of bushes partially covered in mud after relatives went in search of them.

Three days after the Henry boys were found, the battered body of Singh was found at the No Three Village, Backdam. His burnt motorcycle was found nearby of his body. It is believed that Singh was killed in retaliation for the murder of the Henry cousins.

Bacchus, a father of one, was shot six times about his body on June 10, 2022, after an encounter with undercover Police ranks whom, he had allegedly approached to sell an illegal firearm.

Boston, of Hoppy Street Dartmouth, Essequibo Coast, Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), was shot during a search of his home by SWAT Unit ranks in the wee hours of September 15, 2021.

Nandlall accused the Opposition of coming to the House and creating a subtle racial message that the PPP/C Government is unleashing a Police Force against it.

What McDonald omitted to tell the National Assembly, he said, was that “two persons have

been charged and committed for murder for the Henry boys. A Preliminary Inquiry (PI) was held, and they were committed to the High Court. Four persons were charged for the death of Harish Singh and a (PI) was done and they have been committed to stand trial.

Three officers have already been charged after an independent investigation was done by the Police Complaints Authority in relation to the death of Quinton Bacchus. The cases are going on in the court.

A Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) Constable was charged with manslaughter in relation to Orin Boston.”

Nandlall, in his speech, condemned the Opposition for spewing racism, as he alluded to the violence that erupted after these killings.

“The violence on the roadways of West Coast Berbice, the robbery, the vandalism, the arson, and the destruction of properties. On the East Coast of Demerara, the robbery of hundreds and the destruction of properties going into the millions is a result of some of these deaths.”

Essequibo Coast man gets 12 months on breaking into pensioner’s home

Forty-eight-year-old Gary Johnson of Lot 43 Danielstown, Essequibo Coast, was found guilty of break and enter and larceny and was sentenced to 12 months’ imprisonment.

He committed the crime between October 3 and October 9, 2022, on the dwelling house of John Lewis.

He reportedly broke into the 70-year-old man’s home and stole a 32-inch flatscreen television, valued at $60,000, and a Black and Decker vacuum.

When Johnson’s trial concluded last Friday before Magistrate Esther Sam at the Suddie Magistrate's Court, he was found guilty as charged and sentenced to

“We all want a society which is free, prosperous, socially just, globally competitive and which serves every Guyanese equitably. Every Guyanese must have: a chance for a good education, access good paying jobs, be able to start their own businesses, raise and provide for a family, own their own homes, live in a safe and secure environment and retire with dignity. Every Guyanese must have full access to quality healthcare, safe water, be able to participate in sports and recreation, and freely practise their religion and culture.”

Now, we gotta accept that all of the above can’t be accomplished right away. If Rome wasn’t built in a day, so also the new Guyana, no?? In your Eyewitness’s estimate, we gotta look at whether the country’s heading in the promised direction – and how efficiently. This means are we getting the bang for the buck – the buck being quite enlarged because of oil revenues. “Oil and Gas will provide significant earnings and if managed well, will bring transformational opportunities for all Guyanese.”

So – as we learnt from the “Sound of Music” – let’s begin at the very beginning!! Are we “free”?? Now hopefully, this being no existentialist trick question, the last time your Eyewitness looked he didn’t notice anybody being thrown into the clinker in violation of their constitutionally guaranteed constitutional freedoms!! Your Eyewitness does hope, however, that the electionheist cases will be finished soon so that some will be jailed for trying to remove HIS freedom to choose his government!!

Now while we still have a far way to go – since the more we get, the more we’ll want!! – we gotta admit that with all the other promises – prosperity, owning homes, etc – we’ve moved in that direction.

But we gotta prod them, no??

…at Sugar

Now in the manifesto, the PPP DID promise to “reopen estates” – plural. But we now know that only Rose Hall will be reopened – later this year. But, your Eyewitness isn’t gonna sit here and say that contracts can’t be amended. He’s not Exxon, after all!! He understands that circumstances change and plans must be altered to accommodate those changes. In the case of the sugar estates, he’s more committed to the well-being of those workers thrown into the breadlines by the PNC – against the recommendations of their own CoI.

imprisonment.

Meanwhile, in a separate case, a 29-year-old domestic worker of Lot 69 Fifth Street La Bonne Intention, East Coast Demerara (ECD), was charged with simple larceny.

Indira Mahadeo appeared before Magistrate Fabayo Azore at the Vigilance Magistrate’s Court where she pleaded guilty to the charge. Elisha Campbell is the victim. In the end, she was fined $75,000 with an alternative to serve six months in jail.

He hopes that a roster was made of all the 7000 workers – 5000 from GuySuCo and 2000 from private cane farmers – and those still jobless will be offered relief. The social dislocations in the plantation economy have been devastating. Your Eyewitness notices some rejigging of the management organisational chart – with some experienced heads being brought back.

With something like sugar, institutional memory is critical since there’s nary a contingency that wasn’t faced in the 400 years of the industry!!

…down from the sky

The frenemies US and China are at it again!! While cooperating to get 86% of our oil revenues – Exxon and CNOOC – the US just shot down a Chinese spy balloon that floated over Alaska and the continental USA, gathering data!!

Attorney General Anil Nandlall, SC

Opposition MP Coretta McDonald

Guilty: Indira Mahadeo

Jailed: Gary Johnson

Exxon exploring for oil in Stabroek Block Tarpon_1A well

– development drilling also ongoing on LIZ_5i5 well

SE-1) well located approximately eight miles southeast of the original Fangtooth-1 discovery. The new discovery also came on the heels of a January 2022 oil find at the Fangtooth-1 well.

Currently, the Liza phase 1 and phase 2 developments in the Stabroek Block are operating at a combined gross production capacity of more than 360,000 barrels of oil per day (bopd) using the Liza Destiny and Liza Unity floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) vessels, respectively.

The third development in the Stabroek Block –Payara – is on track to come online by the end

of 2023 with a gross production capacity of approximately 220,000 bopd; while the Yellowtail – the fourth development – is slated for 2025 with a production capacity of some 250,000 bopd. Both these development projects have been approved by the Guyana Government.

Uaru is the fifth development and is expected to come online at the end of 2026 with a gross production capacity of approximately 250,000 bopd with first oil anticipated at the end of 2026. The development plan for Uaru was submitted for Government approval in November 2022 and final approval is expected by the end of the

first quarter of this year.

ExxonMobil has said it anticipates at least six projects offshore Guyana will be online by 2027. They are meanwhile seeking project approval for their sixth oil development in Guyana’s waters, approaching the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for environmental authorisation for its Whiptail Project.

The move to seek approval for the Whiptail development comes even as Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is also considering whether to approve the Uaru oil development in the Stabroek Block.

Oil giant ExxonMobil, through subsidiary Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL) is currently drilling two exploration and development wells in the Stabroek Block, in addition to the development works it is also carrying out throughout the block.

According to a notice from the Maritime Administration Department (MARAD), exploration drilling will conclude on the Tarpon_1A well site on April 30, 2023. This particular well, which is situated 122.3 nautical miles off Guyana’s coast, is currently being done by the MODU Stena DrillMax.

Exxon will meanwhile also be conducting development drilling on the LIZ_5i5 well with the

MODU Noble Sam Croft drill ship until February 15, 2023. This well is also located in the Stabroek Block.

“The well site is situated approximately 106.9 nautical miles off the coast of Guyana and covers an area of 0.29 square nautical miles… all mariners are required to stay clear of this (Noble Sam Croft) vessel and navigate with extreme caution when in the vicinity,” the MARAD notice said.

Guyana, with US oil giant ExxonMobil as the operator, began producing oil on December 20, 2019, in the Stabroek Block. Guyana’s oil revenues are being held in the Natural Resource Fund (NRF) at the New York Federal Reserve Bank, where it is earning interest.

The oil-rich Stabroek Block, which is produc -

ing the oil, is 6.6 million acres (26,800 square kilometres). Exxon, through its local subsidiary Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL), is the operator and holds 45 per cent interest in the Block.

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

Last month, the United States-based Hess Corporation announced yet another oil discovery offshore Guyana in the oil-rich Stabroek Block, where there is an estimated 11 billion-plus barrels of oil equivalent (boe) recoverable resource.

The discovery was made at the Fangtooth Southeast-1 (Fangtooth

Pres Ali assures of world...

Area for growth Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony, who was also at the event, shared similar sentiments, noting that the public healthcare sector has to “up its game”.

He expressed that the goal for Guyana is to be one of the places in the Caribbean and Latin American Region to be pioneering this type of medical technology.

Noting that this is an area for potential growth, the Health Minister said the Government will continue to do everything it can to support the medical private sector in such modern ventures.

In fact, the introduction of stem cell services in Guyana would not have been possible without the January 2022 passage of the Human Organ and Tissue Transplant Bill which provides the legal framework for the removal of human organs, tissues, cells, and biofluids for transplantation and blood transfusion.

“The whole idea here is that we can start developing this part of medicine in Guyana…Woodlands has taken the first jump in bringing stem cells to Guyana and applying that to pa-

tients…people are recognising that Guyana is ready for this type of medicine,” Dr Anthony remarked.

National Medical Scientific Council

Meanwhile, as Guyana’s medical sector grows, the establishment of a National Medical Scientific Council was also announced by President Ali.

This Council, he noted, would bring the country’s best medical talent to investigate “not old technology but the best-in-class medical science development that can be applied in Guyana to help us here”.

In fact, the Head of State underscored the importance of medical science, and its relation to medical care, facilities and technology.

“Because it evolves as a science, it is tested, it [involves] things that change continuously, that help to give you better care, that help to develop better technology. So, if the science is dead, then care is dead, if the science is dead, the technology is dead, that is why we now must move to this new level.”

According to the President, Guyana’s medical corps can match medi-

cal talent anywhere in the world.

“I’m of the very strong view that with the type of human resources we have in the health sector here, and I have interacted with many of our doctors, the combined ability of our medical corps, the core group of our medical talent in Guyana can match any medical talent anywhere across this world, I’m convinced of that and I want Guyana to know that the fundamental core of our medical system can stand up for itself and can represent itself, I’m very convinced about that,” he affirmed.

Moreover, the President noted that such new medical developments would not have been possible without the legal regulatory platform through which science can evolve.

“Nothing here could have been discussed if we didn’t take the steps forward, so modernising the legal environment in which urban and regional planning, medical science, and all that we are doing will evolve are exciting things but requires time and effort, it requires a lot of reading, it requires application of theory,” he outlined.

Launch of stem cell therapy and immunotherapy services at the Woodlands Hospital on Saturday evening

Mocha Arcadia businesses warned about noise nuisance after complaints by residents

As the Guyana Police Force (GPF) continues to be bombarded with complaints about noise nuisance, ranks of Division 4B visited two businesses in Mocha Arcadia on the East Bank of Demerara (EBD) during which the owners were sternly warned for affecting residents.

The team was led by Deputy Commander, Superintendent R Stanley as it visited Karl’s Bar and a Superbet outlet –businesses that have been identified for playing loud and offensive music during the night - sometimes after the 2:00h regulated time to close a night spot.

“Residents voiced their concerns about the noise nuisance coming from Karl's Bar and the Superbet where cars are seen parked on the road in front of the

business premises playing loud music. Delon John, the owner of the Superbet, and Hansel Karl, the propri-

etor of Karl's Bar, received stern warnings to stop playing such loud music at night,” the GPF stated.

Under Part V, Section 19 (1) (a) of the Environmental Protection Act, Cap 20:05, Laws of Guyana – “a person shall not undertake an activity that causes or is likely to cause pollution of the environment unless the person takes all reasonable and practicable measures to prevent or minimise any resulting adverse effect”.

The preceding law covers noise nuisance and all its variables and implications. The law states: “No person shall, in any road, street, public place or land, or in building or premises, by operating or causing or suffering to be operated any stereo set, jukebox, radio, wireless loudspeaker, amplifier, automatic piano or similar instrument of music, or by any other means whatsoever, make or cause or suffer from being made any noise which

shall be so loud and so continuous or repetitive as to cause a nuisance to occupants of any premises in the neighbourhood.”

Despite several warnings over the years, the scourge of noise nuisance seems to continue unabated, even though the adverse health effects of noise are trumpeted at various forums, and complaints by those affected are plentiful.

The authorities have, over the years, continued to report that they are receiving numerous complaints from senior citizens; the sick, for whom noise exacerbates their health issues; working parents; students, and several other law-abiding people, to the effect that they are being seriously affected by loud, repetitive and continuous noise emanating from a range of places in the different Police Division.

Last year, Home Affairs Minister Robeson Benn announced that bars and other entertainment spots which are repeatedly cautioned by the Police for loud music and other disturbances will be closed down.

“If we visit a place two times, on the third occasion with respect to noise or any other untoward activity, we’ll close them, we’ll have to close down the activity,” Benn said.

He further stated that it has been difficult dealing with the issue because in some cases, the Police have not been proactive enough, or have either made repeated visits to the same location but there is still no

positive outcome.

However, he noted that the Police will be “putting a break on repeated visits” and rather close down the bar or activity. The Ministry of Home Affairs will also be revising the penalties to impose stricter fines to curb these activities.

Benn elaborated that there is no reason for bars and entertainment spots to be opened beyond 02:00h, and doing so poses a risk to people’s safety.

Over a period, there have also been numerous complaints about noise nuisance, against other bars and business places.

In 2013 a charge of noise nuisance was made against Seeta Gursahai, proprietor of Seeta’s Bar but was later dismissed after witnesses and the officer who instituted the charge continued to be a “no-show”.

The charge was instituted after residents made several reports at the Kitty Police Station about the loud music at a Phagwah Day event that was held at the popular bar.

In 2012, the owner of Rival Bar was charged with making loud and continuous noise by playing loud music at Montrose, thereby causing annoyance to Phulmattie Persaud.

Meanwhile, in 2010, the owner of Korner Kick was placed on $10,000 bail after he operated a music set that made loud and continuous noise to the annoyance of persons in the community.

Police in discussion with one of the proprietors

US$106M Ogle-to-Eccles road

Indian contractor must meet 40% local content requirement – Edghill …as Govt financing over 50% of project

Public Works Minister

Juan Edghill has revealed that Indian contractor – Ashoka Buildcon Limited – is contractually obligated to meet a 40 per cent local content requirement in the execution of the US$106 million Ogle to Eccles road link project.

Edghill was at the time responding to questions posed by Opposition Member of Parliament David Patterson during last week’s consideration of the budget estimates.

Patterson questioned why the project was not disaggregated and offered to local contractors since the Guyana Government is funding more than 50 per cent of its cost.

“…why is it, sir, the project was not disaggregated and allowed for local contractors to bid for the $12 billion which is being funded by the Government of Guyana, as opposed, sir, to allowing companies from India, who are only funding 45 (per cent) to do the entire project,” Patterson quizzed.

But Edghill argued that such reasoning is illogical. “I am extremely baffled by this question…,” the Public Works Minister told the House.

“The question that the Honourable Member is asking, is not if the Indian Government will give subcontractors from Guyana work. He is asking why Guyana don’t give India 45.76 per-

centage of the work and the 54.24 percentage must go to Guyanese contractors…it’s the same road, the same culvert, the same bridges and everything. I don’t know what you’re asking for. Somebody gotta be responsible for the executing of the contract and in the executing of this contract, it is a bilateral arrangement through the Line of Credit with the Government of India,” Edghill posited.

“It is the contractor that will be held accountable for the delivery of this road, at a particular price, at a particular timeframe,” the Minister added.

Nevertheless, he noted that the contractor was encouraged to subcontract works to Guyanese and furthermore, that there is a clause in the contract for such.

“The contract caters 40 per cent local content. So, 40 per

cent local content is enshrined in the contract,” he noted.

Moreover, the Public Works Minister explained that the current PPP/C Government was forced to finance such a large portion of the project due to the previous APNU/AFC administration’s failure to deliver on the initiative during its five years in office, commencing 2015.

“This was a project that was in the pipeline as of May 2015 when the APNU/AFC took office…they did nothing for five years,” he reminded.

“We came back into Government in August 2020 and one of the first projects that were resuscitated because of its importance was this East Bank-East Coast link. US$50 million was available to the Government of Guyana based upon a Line of Credit that was negotiated since 2015…”

Edghill explained that when the project went out to tender, the lowest bid came in at US$106 million – which is higher than the sums available through the Indian Exim Bank’s Line of Credit.

“That is not a surprise because if you have a Line of Credit with figures from 2014 and you’re issuing a contract in 2020, the cost of materials, the cost of labour, with all that would have happened in the world, pric-

es would have changed.

“So, the Government of Guyana, we are funding 54.24 per cent of the contract, and India, through the Indian Exim Bank is funding 45.76 per cent of the contract,” the Minister posited.

The US$106 million project will see the construction of some 7.8 kilometres of road with each of the four lanes being 3.6 metres wide. The highway will also feature a median in the middle

and sidewalks as well as several connector roads, especially at the East Bank end to allow for further diversion of traffic.

The East Coast of Demerara-East Bank of Demerara road link project is being undertaken in several phases with the first being from Ogle to Haags Bosch, Eccles; then onto Diamond and finally, to Timehri, connecting to the Cheddi Jagan International Airport.

Car set on fire, driver beaten at Hopetown after colliding with duo

AGuyana Defence Force (GDF) rank and a student of Fort Wellington Secondary School were seriously injured after they were struck down by a speeding car along the Fort Wellington Public Road, West Coast Berbice (WCB), on Sunday.

Injured is GDF Reservist, Kevin Wilson while the student was identified as Jaheim Gangoo.

While details on the accident remain sketchy, persons at the scene said the duo was about to cross the Fort Wellington Public Road, when a speeding silver-grey motor car crashed into them. It is suspected that the driver might have lost control. The duo was reportedly riding an electric bike.

Eyewitnesses told Guyana Times that the driver of the

cepted and set on fire a short

before being allegedly beaten by a mob.

However, as a result of the accident, Wilson and Gangoo sustained serious injuries to their bodies. The businessman also suffered injuries.

The two injured people were taken to the Fort Wellington Hospital where they were treated. Wilson was nevertheless transferred to the New Amsterdam Hospital for further treatment. Gangoo was later discharged but the soldier is in a critical condition.

car allegedly stopped at the scene briefly and then sped away. The car was later inter-

distance away while the driver, a businessman’s son from the area, was detained but not

Meanwhile, in light of the accident, residents of Hope Town, WCB, blocked the main access road and from reports received, they reportedly set a car on fire. Police are on the scene trying to quell the situation

Former Public Infrastructure Minister David Patterson

Public Works Minister Juan Edghill

The car that was driven by the businessman before it was set on fire

The car after it was set on fire

Starbucks to open its doors at Amazonia Mall in March/April

Starbucks Guyana’s first outlet, which will be located at the Amazonia Mall in Providence, East Bank Demerara (EBD), is expected to officially open its doors to the public in March/April of this year.

This was revealed by the owner of the Amazonia Mall, Ramnaresh Sarwan during an exclusive interview with Guyana Times Sarwan explained that the Amazonia Mall team has already done its part in facilitating the opening of the country’s first Starbucks location.

“From our side, we have basically already provided the stuff that they need, so most of the stuff that they

April,” Sarwan shared. He added that the company is also in the process

St Cuthbert’s Mission man killed after being run over by car

need to do now [are] internal works and a bit of electrical…and basically once they’re complete and… comfortable…I’m assuming they’ll be ready in March or

of training staff. According to the former cricketer, he is happy to contribute to the transformation of modern Guyana.

“I’m pleased to be a part of this kind of transformation of a modern Guyana and…in terms of the modern facilities that is happening around…this is just my small or little way of contributing to Guyana,” Sarwan remarked.

He added that this international franchise brings great value to the mall and by extension, Guyana, as it is one of the largest in the world.

The businessman noted too that “it’s going to increase the traffic [to the mall] and bring a level of a very high standard.” It was previously reported that the popular coffeehouse chain expressed interest

in opening five outlets in Guyana.

Tourism Minister Oneidge Walrond is quoted as saying that the company also wants a presence in Georgetown and along the East Coast of Demerara.

Starbucks started its expansion in the Caribbean nearly a decade ago. Starbucks Corporation is an American multinational chain of coffeehouses and roastery reserves headquartered in Seattle, Washington.

As of November 2021, the company had 33,833 stores in 80 countries, 15,444 of which are located in the United States.

Ataxi driver was taken into custody after he reportedly drove over a male who was lying in the middle of the road in the St Cuthbert’s Mission Scheme, Linden-Soesdyke Highway on Friday evening.

The dead man has been identified as 54-year-old Paul Daniels, also of St Cuthbert’s Mission Scheme.

Based on information received, on the day in question at about 21:30h, the 27-year-old suspect was driving hire car HC 2281 and was proceeding along St Cuthbert’s Mission Scheme Road at a fast rate of speed when he drove over the man.

Police said the driver initially drove away but imme-

diately returned to the scene after other occupants in his vehicle informed him that he had ‘run over’ the man.

The injured man was picked up by public-spirited citizens, placed into another motor car and taken to St Cuthbert’s Mission Health Centre but due to the severity of his injuries, he was referred to the Mackenzie Public Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

Meanwhile, a breathalyser test was conducted on the driver, which returned readings of .020% and .021%, respectively.

The driver is in custody, assisting with the ongoing investigation.

Arson suspected in preschool fire

Abuilding that housed a preschool at Golden Fleece, West Coast Berbice (WCB), Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice), was partially destroyed by fire in the wee hours of Sunday.

Quick response by ranks of the Onverwagt Fire Station resulted in the fire being put out before extensive damage to the two-storey building.

However, several pieces of furniture and sections of the building

were destroyed

The building is owned by Dr Rhonda Archer of 14 Lamaha Gardens, Georgetown.

Divisional

Fire Officer Clive McDonald said initial investigations revealed that the fire was maliciously set. He said forensic investigators were able to find a piece of wood to which flammable material was attached in the building next to furniture which was burnt.

Starbucks Guyana at the Amazonia Mall, Providence, EBD

Dead: Paul Daniels

The building that houses the preschool

The interior of the school

Police Force’s Strategic Plan will be in vain if ranks do not have right attitude, mindset

...Minister Benn tells over 700 Sergeants, Inspectors

The Guyana Police Force’s (GPF) Strategic Plan 20222026 is geared at transforming the law enforcement organisation into a contemporary one through the development of its human resources and other capabilities at levels, according to Home Affairs Minister Robeson Benn.

This plan, however, would be in vain, if ranks do not have the right attitude and mindset.

This view was shared by Minister Benn as he addressed the Inspectors’ and Sergeants’ Conference which ran from February 1 to 4 at the Police Officers’ Mess Annexe, Eve Leary, Georgetown, which saw over 700 Inspectors and Sergeants from the 12

Regional Police Divisions in attendance.

Minister Benn, while delivering the feature address, applauded the committed effort and renewed energy of the Police Force under the leadership of Hicken, which, according to him, has led to significant reductions in crime and traffic-related issues over the past years.

“I want to recognise the achievements we’ve had in the last two years, where we have reduced crime and violence by 20% in Guyana, where we have reduced road traffic deaths below 100 persons dead on the roadways after 16 years of carnage on our roads. In spite of an increase in vehicles and practical challenges, we have done those things, the Police Force has done those

things,” Minister Benn told those gathered.

Speaking on the Government’s role in aiding the Force’s Strategic Plan 2022-2026 which is geared at transforming the Police Force into a more contemporary one through the development of its Human Resources and their capabilities at levels, Minister Benn reminded the gathering of over 700 middle managers that it will be in vain if they do not have the right attitude and mindset.

“There’s a lot of things going for contemporary policing interventions in relation to information technology and in particular training, but it will all go to naught if you have the physical assets and the vehicles and the best legally trained and oth-

er trained managers...nothing matters if, at the middle level, the purpose, the willingness, the activity, and the direction do not integrate [with] what has to happen at the bottom in terms of actions to guarantee security.”

Meanwhile, Top Cop Clifton Hicken highlighted the importance of the Inspectors’ and Sergeants’ Conference which, he noted, is to have the entire Police Force moving in one direction.

According to him, the Conference is not about the middle managers coming to confirm their roles and responsibilities but identifying where there are deficiencies and how to fill these voids.

“In an effort to have the entire Guyana Police Force moving in one direction, it

was necessary for the realisation of this conference. But this conference isn’t only going to be [about] presentations, group dynamics, identifying, confirmation of your roles and responsibilities but you are going to be managed by a cadre of Commanders with the requisite competence; they are going to listen to the views, understand the strengths and weaknesses, [and] where we need development,” Commissioner Hicken said.

The Top Cop further told the hundreds of Inspectors and Sergeants that all they would have learned during the conference must not be noticed by their superiors but by the citizens whom they serve.

“You are going to work

harder than you have worked before. We are going to transform you during these [three] days and when you get back to the stations, the public [whom] you serve, they must see a difference in how things are being done,” Commissioner Hicken warned.

The Conference, which returned after a 12-year hiatus, was held under the theme “Developing Middle Management for Greater Efficiency through Strategic Partnerships, Accountability, and Performance”. There were several intense and excellent presentations by members of the Force as well as external individuals, covering several pertinent areas and topics of discussion.

Kanuku Eco Lodge offers ideal excursion for hardcore adventurers

Catered mostly for “hardcore adventurers”, the Kanuku Eco Lodge located in the deep south of the Amazon Rainforest in Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) was on Friday officially launched.

The multimillion-dollar investment was undertaken by Guyanese businessman Geer Meghan, Chief Executive Officer of the BM Enterprise which encompasses the Kanuku Suites.

The lodge sits on 500 acres of land and is located 100km north of the nearest civilisation at Apoteri.

Though it is still a work in progress, the resort currently offers eight double rooms as well as private huts wherein guests can experience wildlife at its best.

According to CEO Meghan, guests can easily spot jaguars, anteaters, and the like during their stay at the facility which has so far cost some US$200,000. It is anticipated that an additional US$500,000 is needed to fully develop the resort into a world-class facility.

He noted that for the past eight years, his company has been offering wildlife excursions to persons from National Geographic, the BBC, and Animal Planet.

In fact, Meghan said due to the costs associated with these adventures, lo-

cals may not be able to afford them. However, he said the goal now is to try to tailor trips that meet the pockets of Guyanese.

“This kind of tourism is not geared for the locals because of the cost,” Meghan stated.

Noting that the tours offered are for “hardcore adventurers”, the CEO assured that strict safety regulations are in place at the Kanuku Resort. “The guides that we have, they are very trained, so there is no danger because of the safety they have been practicing,” he noted.

The resort is accessible by both air and land. During the launching ceremony, it was underscored that this new tourism experience is more than just the destination.

In fact, it was revealed that the journey to the Kanuku Resort is action-packed and provides breath-taking views and remarkable opportunities to spot wildlife in its truest forms.

Meanwhile, Speaker of the National Assembly Manzoor Nadir delivered remarks at the ceremony on behalf of President Dr Irfaan Ali, where he spoke of the overall transformation of the local tourism industry.

“Tourism has been identified as one of our economic growth poles, especially for sustainable development,” Nadir said, quoting the Guyanese Head of State.

“Region Nine…is one of the exciting frontiers for eco-tourism development. It

is Guyana’s largest administrative region…The area has diverse ecosystems from rivers, savannahs, rainforests, mountain ranges, endemic biodiversity…in fact, all regions of Guyana have the potential to expand the number of ecotourism products and this is what makes Guyana truly unique in the

Caribbean,” Nadir continued.

It was outlined that in order to fully develop the country’s tourism product, significant investments would be needed as well as competitiveness and the strengthening of human resources.

“The development of eco-lodges requires what I

would like to refer to as ‘ecological entrepreneurs’, persons and firm who understand the country’s wide array of natural attractions and assets and who have the vision, knowledge and access to capital to convert these into profitable and sustainable tourism products,” the House Speaker shared.

Home Affairs Minister Robeson Benn standing alongside a Police Inspector

Police Commissioner (ag) Clifton Hicken as he addressed the Inspectors’ and Sergeants’ Conference Part of the gathering at the recently-concluded Inspectors’ and Sergeants’ Conference

Businessman Geer Meghan

Speaker of the National Assembly, Manzoor Nadir joins other officials to cut the ceremonial ribbon to officially open Kanuku Tours Eco Lodge Resort (Guyana Chronicle photo)

Guyanese fashion designer, Randy Madray recently launched the Miss Guyana Cultural Queen Pageant which will cater to females between the ages of 18 and 26. The coronation is slated for June 2023 and presents an opportunity for a life-changing experience for the delegates.

The winner of the pageant will become an ambassador for Guyana and will participate in the Miss

Caribbean Culture Queen pageant slated for St Kitts and Nevis later this year.

Madray related that the Miss Guyana Culture Queen should embody what the title says, "Queen of Culture", and must be ready and equipped with the knowledge and talent to adequately showcase Guyana's culture on a regional platform.

He acquired the franchise back in 2019 and selected Arian Dahlia Richmond to represent Guyana in the re-

gional pageant.

She had secured the 1st runner-up spot and won many special prizes, with just a short preparation time.

This, he explained, demonstrated Guyana's ability to walk away with the coveted Miss Caribbean Culture Queen title if the necessary investment and preparation are done with an actual local pageant that is dedicated to training potential queens who can give Guyana and all that the country possesses, additional exposure on such a massive stage.

"Prior to us sending Dahlia, I have had the opportunity to design for many other countries for Caribbean Culture Queen, which is the regional leg of the pageant and I believe this proves to be a great platform to market Guyana through pageantry, while at the same time, providing an amazing experience for our beauty ambassador that is exciting and safe altogether. I would have been afforded the opportunity to attend several of the regional legs and I really believe Guyana needs to be well-represented on this stage. Hence, my reason for acquiring this franchise," the designer said.

He highlighted that in order to embody a true "Culture Queen", young women who are signing up should be poised and an ambassador for good, and a role model who is graceful and humble.

“She should be confident and a leader for the people.

Most of all, she should be genuinely Guyanese. The queen will walk away with a spectacular package inclusive of cash, a fully sponsored designer wardrobe for a year, endorsement deals, and much more.”

Madray is confident in his team to execute a spectacular and transparent production.

"I believe what sets us apart is our amazing team, experience, vision, and drive. The Miss Guyana

Culture team is a team filled with young, dynamic professionals who have served in the pageant fraternity for a while, showcasing their unwavering talents. This team is genuinely passionate about Guyana, pageantry, and the experience for contestants in pageantry. I believe it is the absolute dream team and if the passion is this consistent across the board, we can definitely achieve 10s across the board as well," he posited.

Madray explained further, that his acquisition of the franchise satisfies an even bigger purpose for Guyana and the local pageant industry. "Pageantry in itself is a concept that serves to bring people together, creatives together, a country together, and even beyond that for the sake of a common cause," he noted.

The pageant aims to empower and nurture young women through a programme that will benefit them for a lifetime. The programme involves mentorship, etiquette improvement, cultural adventures and projects, and of course the more direct competition segments.

“I believe by making this a reality, allows the industry to grow and satisfies our social responsibility to young people as they prepare to lead tomorrow. Apart from benefiting the contestants, I believe, based on the approach birthed by an amazing governing body, many creatives can benefit from being a part of this journey. I would love to see Guyana showcased in ways never done before, where tourists are encouraged to flood our tourism destinations and our folklore is not forgotten. And of course, we hope to achieve many crowns for Guyana as we build our presence in the Pageant world."

More information can be found on Facebook and Instagram @Miss Guyana Culture Queen.

The Culture, Youth and Sports Ministry released on Saturday, the music of the 14 artistes who will compete in the Soca Monarch 2023 competition as part of the calendar of events for Mashramani (Mash).

The competition will be held on Wednesday, February 22, at the Guyana National Stadium,

Providence,

East

Bank Demerara (EBD). This year’s competition will present lyrical structure and musical arrangements that are both tantalising, and road march ready.

A sampling of the music released in random order includes Akeem Alexander with – “Thank You Soca” and Cerinity – “Waistline

Trouble”.

Another competitor is Diana Chapman with her “Therapy Whine” while competitor Jada Harry performing under the stage name “Purge” presented “Mas-Mash-Up Soca”.

Meanwhile, Jamal Stuart will be in the competition and present “We Vybin”. Equally titillating is Jovinski – “Stink &

Dutty” while Jumo Primo will present his rendition of “Cockroach”.

Kwasie Ace will debut his song “Nothing Nah Badda Mi” while Lady T will present “Soca In Ma Vein”. Newcomer Mattick Queen will present “Whole Day”, while OKC will perform “Woman” and Timothy Roberts will put in his song “Celebrate

Life”.

Also, Vintage will present “Ready”, while the return of Adrian Dutchin with “Place Nice” is also expected to bring high energy to Mash 2023.

The Culture, Youth and Sports Ministry also announced the 12 finalists that will compete for this year’s Chutney Monarch slated for February 18

in the ancient county, Berbice, and 12 finalists for the Calypso Monarch to be held on Sunday, February 19, at the Classic Hotel parking lot in Skeldon.

Mashramani 2023 brings back the atmosphere of partying and celebration that was absent for the last two years, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Reigning Queen, Arian Dahlia Richmond in evening gown. She placed First Runner up in Miss Caribbean Culture Queen 2019

Queen, Arian Dahlia Richmond in swimsuit from the Miss Caribbean Culture Queen Pageant

Jumo Primo

Diana Chapman

Adrian Dutchin Kwasi "Ace" Edmondson

SEN classrooms will be accessible in every region – Min Manickchand

With greater access to educational facilities, the Education Ministry continues to make provisions for students with Special Education Needs (SEN) across the nation. During her budget presentation, Education Minister Priya Manickchand reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to improving the quality of life of persons with special education needs in schools across the region. Minister Manickchand stated that, “We plan to put a SEN classroom accessible in every region. So, there’s going to be more than one

SEN classroom in every region. We also started, for the first time, a specialisation at CPCE [the Cyril Potter College of Education] where for the first time, they have

teachers specialising in special education needs.”

In addition, the Minister said some 303 teachers are registered under the programme. This ties into the Government’s agenda to ensure that more special education teachers are trained.

The objective is for the students to grow up to be active and successful adults who contribute to the development of society.

Currently, there are 13 SEN classrooms in the region. This forms part of the President Ali-led Administration’s efforts of ensuring that all learners

have equal access to educational opportunities in Guyana through policies, strategies, and resources.

“We are going to make the Disability Centre that is at Turkeyen, the Caribbean Diagnostic and Treatment Centre which is how it was intended to be,” Minister Manickchand underlined.

The Regional Special Education Needs/Disability

Diagnostic and Treatment Centre has the ability to identify each student’s unique learning difficulties and provide therapy and treatment to ensure that learning occurs.

Just last month, the sod was turned for the construction of the aquatic therapy pool at the Regional Special Education Needs/Disability

Diagnostic and Treatment Centre at CPCE’s Turkeyen Campus.

Some 200 learners are expected to benefit from this initiative from various special needs schools. This is part of the Government’s vision to have all teachers trained by 2025 in keeping with President, Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali’s worldclass education vision.

To attain this, CPCE will be utilising a blended mo-

dality of in-house aptitude and online courses for trainee teachers.

The Education Minister also highlighted that, “CPCE is going to be able to, for the first time ever, graduate more than 2500 students because of initiatives taken there to go fully, although not solely online, and have entered 1893 students. Before, they could have only entered 500 students. We are going to have more teachers at a better quality.”

Over the last two years, 907 teachers have completed training.

Guyanese company partners with St Lucia’s Bay Gardens to expand Caribbean tourism

Global Tours and Travel or GlobalTT - a Journey and Destination Management Company that was launched last month in Guyana - recently signed a partnership with Bay Gardens Beach Resort & Spa, located in Saint Lucia.

Signing on behalf of GlobalTT-Guyana was Director - Caribbean Leisure

Travel Pedro Pablo Martínez Azcuy, and General Manager of the Bay Gardens Resorts Waltrude Patrick.

The Saint Lucia Tourism Authority is currently leading a sales mission in Guyana with the intention of tapping into the vastly expanding Guyana market to promote Saint Lucia’s tourism product and to attract more visitors from Guyana.

The mission is led by CEO of the Saint Lucia Tourism Authority, Lorine Charles-St Jules and includes representatives and service providers of the Saint Lucia Hospitality & Tourism Association.

The mission has so far had meetings with stakeholders in the tourism industry and held marketing and promotional activities including a showcase at Giftland Mall. It was during this engagement at the mall that the partnership agreement was signed.

The Bay Gardens Beach Resort and Spa is a magnificent island escape that is waiting to welcome travellers from Guyana where they will enjoy and experience true adventure, relaxation, and refreshment all in one place. With this partnership in place, Guyanese will be able to enjoy on-site dining at the Hi-Tide Restaurant or SeaGrapes Beach Bar & Restaurant; they will be able to stay active and in shape in their fitness centre; and also take a dip in the stunning lagoon-style swimming pool and Jacuzzi; or if they wish they can seek thrills with Splash Island Water Park, the largest outdoor water entertainment complex in St

Lucia. This facility will cater to both corporate/business travel or leisure travel with complimentary access to their business centre, and wellequipped meeting rooms and venues. For destination weddings, and honeymoon holidays, Guyanese will also find this venue ideal with its elegant wedding gazebo and arch, and luxurious La Mer Spa and Salon.

GlobalTT, which is planning to offer specially packaged tours and all-inclusive vacations to St Lucia, is also in advanced discussions with other St Lucian tourism-related service providers to ensure that the island becomes an exciting destination for Guyanese tourists and other travellers living in Guyana including expatriates cur-

rently working and residing in our country.

Among special event travel packages being offered by GlobalTT are vacations planned to coincide with the renowned Saint Lucia Jazz Festival & Arts Festival between May 5 and 14, 2023 which is the premier jazz festival in the Caribbean, the Saint Lucia Carnival from July 1 to 19 and the Mango Bowl Regatta.

Azcuy, said that this “winwin” alliance forms part of his company’s strategy of increasing tourism by Guyanese to the Caribbean Region and promoting other islands such as Cuba, Jamaica, and Cuba as preferred tourist destinations.

He said that partnerships like these are essential to growth in the travel indus-

try. Azcuy also said that today the most successful companies build bridges, and the selection of strategic partners with whom to collaborate is becoming more and more important. He further stated that like the world around us, the travel industry is incredibly interconnected – and for good reasons including reaching new customers and driving more bookings.

GlobalTT has partnered with a number of big players in the airline and hotel industry.

With Guyana’s economy expected to expand by 25.1% this year, having grown by 62.3 per cent in 2022, GlobalTT’s, Azcuy is excited about the level of development that is in store for Guyana with the expansion of its oil and gas sector.

Director of Caribbean Leisure Travel, Pedro Pablo Martínez Azcuy and General Manager of the Bay Gardens Resorts, Waltrude Patrick during the signing of the agreement

Education Minister Priya Manickchand

Information is verified before persons receive Guyanese birth certificates – Registrar General

The General Registrar’s Office (GRO) has observed a significant increase in overseas applications for Guyanese birth certificates and this has raised concern among the Guyanese population.

However, Registrar General Raymon Cummings, in an interview with the Department of Public Information (DPI) explained that a person who is born overseas to Guyanese parents can apply for the certificate.

“These are children who are born to parents who were born in Guyana. So, if one of your parents is born in Guyana, our Constitution allows you to be registered as an overseas-born Guyanese. So, you can literally apply and get a

Guyanese birth certificate, a Guyanese by descent you call it,” he explained.

Cummings made it clear that information provided by persons applying for the certificate is carefully examined.

“We vet information that persons present to make sure they are presenting authentic information,” the

Registrar General assured.

In 2022, GRO processed 2132 overseas registrations, indicating a significant increase when compared to 2020 and 2021. The majority of applications are coming from the United States of America, the United Kingdom and countries from around the Caribbean.

“It is obvious that the successes that are being achieved in Guyana is resonating around the world …. People are recognising that there is a benefit to being a Guyanese,” Cummings underscored.

The GRO, an agency under the purview of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MOHA) is responsible for issuing birth, death and marriage certificates to all Guyanese, including those who migrate.

Nineteen-year-old Naheeryah Newland, a science student at the University of Guyana has created a line of skincare products, NereSkin, that have transformed the skin of many.

Reflecting on the birth of NereSkin, Newland shared that she struggled with acne for quite some time, and with her love for experimenting, she created a product to clear her skin and now it has helped other persons to clear theirs also.

“So as a science student and I really, really love experimenting. I started making soaps to help with my acne... and strangers or people that know me saw…great improvement within my skin… [they started] complimenting me and asking me what I’m using because they’re seeing, like, improvements. And I told them what I was using, which is the soap and then they encouraged me to, like, sell it, so they can have some,” Newland told this publication.

Since its launch in March of 2021, NereSkin has worked wonders for a number of Guyanese men and women to correct hyperpigmentation, rid acne scars, smoothen skin and brighten their complexion for a visible glow.

This is proven by the many testimonies given by Newland’s clients, who have shared their appreciation for the products and have revealed how the transformation of their skin has boosted their confidence tremendously.

“I have been using your face oil for dry skin…Since I used your face oil, I have seen great improvement in my

skin’s texture. No more flaky skin for me. Again, I am truly amazed at the products,” one customer related.

Another shared, “I absolutely love the infused oil and turmeric soap…this infused oil…is my favourite because when I apply the oil at night and wake up in the morning, my skin feels amazing.”

The thriving entrepreneur of almost two years shared that balancing business and studies gets a bit hectic sometimes, however, she is determined to keep pushing ahead to accomplish all of her goals.

“I’m still a student and I mean balancing the business and being a student can be extremely hard because…it’s two things you love and you have to give both your best. So sometimes I don’t give my business as much attention as it needs. Sometimes I delay on the restock dates and it’s sometimes very stressful balancing both, but I’m trying to learn time management and creating a schedule so I could just eliminate that problem,” she posited.

This remarkable young woman added that though she had many trials during the formulation process, she kept consistent and pushed through until getting the desired result.

“So, as I said, I was a science student and as a science student you’re currently doing experiments, and before I even launched the official soap formula. I tried various formulas I had…numerous fails, and…I almost gave up because I was…trying this formula, it didn’t come out how exactly I wanted it to happen…and…it was kind of frustrating. I had

to really keep experimenting and keep trying until I reached…the current formula I have,” she explained.

NereSkin stocks various types of soaps, such as the turmeric glow soap, neem and moringa soaps, shea soaps, charcoal soaps, and more. Also manufactured by NereSkin are two types of face oils, the infused and the premium face oil, along with toners, face masks, and face scrubs.

According to Newland, she saw that there was a lack of locally-made skincare products and she decided to make her own, sourcing most of her ingredients right here in Guyana.

“I saw that [there] was a lack for natural skincare in Guyana, or just skincare in general because most skincare products are not made in Guyana, all…or most of them we have to import. And I feel that Guyana is such a diverse country, so because of the lacking I decided to make my own, and in the future, I would like to have a bit more products, because we don’t have everything, but with time we will,” the ambitious young woman commented.

Persons interested in purchasing NereSkin products can place an order via their Instagram page @nereskinn or via WhatsApp at +592 625 1281. They are also located in the West Side Giftshop at Den Amstel, West Coast Demerara, for walk-in customers, and customers in Georgetown can place an order the day before and can choose to pick up their order or have it delivered, between Monday to Friday.

Registrar General Raymon Cummings

A Guyanese birth certificate

Owner of NereSkin, Naheeryah Newland

Some of the products offered by NereSkin

$228M Ministry of Finance annex 90% complete – Dr Singh

after multiple rounds of reworking contract inherited by APNU/AFC

The $228 million Ministry of Finance annex at Winter Place and Croal Street, an incomplete and defective project that the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) inherited from the former A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Government, is now 90 per cent complete.

This was reported by the Senior Minister in the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance, Dr Ashni Singh. He was optimistic that the building can be completed and ready for occupancy this year.

“It would be recalled that this was an incomplete project that we met when we came into office. We have had a number of challenges regarding the contractual arrangements surrounding this building.”

“We have had to do multiple rounds of reworking to bring this back into a po-

sition where this building can be completed. We anticipate that this building will be completed this year. And it is our intention to start to bring the building into use this year.”

He noted that based on their estimation, the building is 90 per cent complete. However, he noted that it is still too early to definitively state which departments from the Ministry will be housed in the annex.

“That matter is still under active consideration

and a final determination has not been made on it,” the Minister further explained, in response to a question posed by APNU Member of Parliament Volda Lawrence about the departments destined for the building.

Back in 2018 when the sod was turned at the location, the site of the former sports club of the Guyana National Cooperative Bank (GNCB), it had been reported that the annex would house the Ministry’s training room, a sports complex, a gym and the

Camp Street valuation office. It was also reported that the building would be finished by year-end.

Instead of a finished building, however, the Audit Office of Guyana had flagged various discrepancies with the contract, including approved payments for incomplete work. In his 2019 report, Auditor General Deodat

Modern victim-centred transitional shelter to be constructed this year ...Govt will continue to support victims, prosecute perpetrators – Benn

Home Affairs

Minister Robeson Benn has announced that a modern, victim-centred transitional shelter will be constructed this year and will be used to voluntarily accommodate suspected victims of trafficking in persons (TIP) during investigations.

Additionally, he said more money has been allocated in the 2023 Budget to address this crime.

Alluding to the issue of migrant smuggling and its impact on human trafficking, Minister Benn noted that there must be close monitoring and activities that are aimed at sensitising various stakeholders on the issue and promoting a culture of reporting suspected acts of this crime.

TIP is the largest criminal enterprise in the world, second only to dealing with guns and drugs. In the Laws of Guyana, TIP is defined as: “The recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of a person by means of the threat of the use of force or other means of coercion, or by abduction, fraud, deception, abuse of power or of a position of vulnerability, or by the giving and receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent

of a person having control of another person, for the purposes of exploitation.”

In Guyana, most of the human trafficking has been on Haitians who arrive by air and then enter the neighbouring countries illegally, with a few attempting to settle in the Interior as miners or loggers.

The other stream of trafficked persons are women, mostly from the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Colombia, and Brazil, whom the traffickers use for prostitution. These are found in nightclubs and interior mining districts.

The traffickers extort their “fees” from the victims either as a full advance payment of several thousand US dollars per person as in the case of being smuggled to Europe and North America, or the traffickers collect most of the earnings of the victims over a period of years.

While the Government has managed to crack down on a Haitian smuggling network, other networks are arising, making the fight against human trafficking even more complex.

As such, the Minister said that they must not be derailed from their efforts,

and will continue to support the victims and prosecute perpetrators.

Just recently, a threeyear national action plan to respond to cases of trafficking in persons was developed across key Government Ministries, with Home Affairs Minister Robeson Benn warning that corruption helps to perpetuate the scourge.

Also, last year a new hand signal was launched to report human trafficking in Guyana. Clasping your fingers into your palm and releasing them in a repeated motion three times

Sharma had noted that an advance payment of $64.5 million was made to the contractor in 2017.

But by December 31, 2019, $26.5 million out of that advance was still not recovered. Further, the Auditor General had revealed that the bond provided for this remaining balance had expired in December 2019.

“No details regarding the advertisement and duration for submission of bids were presented for audit examination; however, based on documents seen, it was noted that a total of sixteen bids were received on 18 July 2017,” the Audit report said.

“The contract was signed on 20 December 2017 for $191.6 million, with the duration of twelve months for completion and a Defects Liability Period of twelve months. As of 31 December 2019, the contractor received payments amounting to $182.8 million.”

The Auditor General had reported that physical verification by his office on October 2, 2020, revealed that the works

were incomplete and only the contractor’s foreman was present on the site. No works were in progress at the time, even though the newly revised completion date of June 30, 2020, had long expired.

“Further, our assessment of the works completed at the time of our verification revealed that the contractor already received payments for works which are incomplete and in most instances which had not even commenced,” the Auditor General had said.

In all, a total of $12.6 million in overpayments was flagged by the Audit Office. Not only that, but the evaluation report for the contract had not been approved by all the evaluators. Instead, only one evaluator had approved the issuance of the contract to the contractor.

In fact, the contract price was another discrepancy flagged by the Auditor General, since the contract signed was for $191.6 million, but the APNU/AFC Cabinet no objection at the time had been for $228 million.

is the new vital hand signal launched by the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security to counter human trafficking.

The signal was developed so the public can be aware of when someone is being trafficked. Also, reporting TIP in Guyana has been made more accessible with the hotline – 592 STOP and also includes Spanish and Portuguese responders.

Guyana has managed to retain its Tier 1 ranking in TIP over the past three years but is aiming to have more convictions.

Home Affairs Minister Robeson Benn

An artist's impression of the Ministry of Finance annex

Opposition MP Volda Lawrence Finance Minister, Dr Ashni Singh

Wealthy UK family to apologise in Grenada over slave-owning past

AUnited Kingdom family will publicly apologise to the people of the Caribbean island of Grenada, where its ancestors had more than 1000 slaves in the 19th Century.

The aristocratic Trevelyan family, who owned six sugar plantations in Grenada, will also pay reparations.

BBC reporter Laura Trevelyan, a family member, visited Grenada in 2022.

She was shocked that her ancestors had been compensated by the UK Government when slavery was abolished in 1833 – but freed African slaves got nothing.

Speaking to the BBC in a personal capacity on Saturday, Trevelyan recalled her visit to the island for a documentary.

"It was really horrific... I saw for myself the plantations where slaves were punished, when I saw the instruments of torture that were used to restrain them."

"I felt ashamed, and I

also felt that it was my duty. You can't repair the past –but you can acknowledge the pain."

Trevelyan said seven members of her family would travel to Grenada later in February to issue a public apology.

The family will give £100,000 (US$120,000) to establish a community fund for economic development on the impoverished island and in the eastern Caribbean.

Trevelyan said that in 1834, the Trevelyans received about £34,000 for the

Chile expands emergency as deaths from wildfires rise

Chile has extended an emergency declaration to yet another region as firefighters struggled to control dozens of wildfires that have killed at least 23 people.

The latest emergency order on Saturday covers the southern region of Araucania, next to the previously declared Biobio and Nuble regions, located near the middle of the South American country’s long Pacific coastline.

loss of their "property" on Grenada – the equivalent of about £3 million in today's money.

"For me to be giving £100,000 almost 200 years later... maybe that seems like really inadequate," she said.

"But I hope that we're setting an example by apologising for what our ancestors did."

The Grenada National Reparations Commission described the gesture as commendable.

(Excerpt from BBC News)

The measure allows the Government to mobilise

the military to help battle the fires.

“Weather conditions have made it very difficult to put out [the fires] that are spreading and the emergency is getting worse,” Interior Minister Carolina Toha told reporters at a news conference in the Chilean capital, Santiago.

“We need to reverse that curve,” she added.

At least 23 people have died in connection to the fires, while 979 have been reported injured. More

than 1,100 have sought refuge in shelters.

Some 11 of the victims, or nearly half of those reported killed so far, died in the town of Santa Juana in Biobio, located some 500 kilometres (310 miles) south of Santiago.

The deaths also included a Bolivian pilot who died when a helicopter that was helping combat the flames crashed in Araucania. A Chilean mechanic also died in the crash.

(Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Bahamian Police probe death threats to PM

Police Commissioner Clayton Fernander says a full investigation is now under way following death threats against Prime Minister Phillip “Brave” Davis.

Speaking during an emergency press conference, the Police Commissioner said two anonymous phone calls were made shortly after midday, threatening the Prime Minister’s life.

Tuesday, January 17, 2023 began as a regular day for Detective Constables Jahdiel Kennedy, Monic Ingram, and Andre Reynolds.

That, however, changed quickly when a citizen rushed into the May Pen Police Station to report that a woman was atop the May Pen bridge looking as if she was ready to jump.

The three young gumshoes — trained to expect the unexpected and fully aware that every day on the job comes with different challenges and experiences — rushed to the bridge within minutes and quickly switched into rescue mode.

"When we reached the bridge and saw the lady up there. It was very scary. However, Kennedy immediately climbed onto the top of the bridge and started pleading with the wom-

an not to jump," Reynolds related.

Kennedy's effort to dissuade the distraught May Pen resident from plunging to a possible death was made more difficult by people in the large crowd that had gathered below encouraging the woman to jump.

"I pleaded with her to

give life a chance. She reluctantly made up her mind for me to assist her down," Kennedy explained.

However, during the rescue Murphy's Law — "Anything that can go wrong will go wrong" — kicked in as the woman passed out, making Kennedy's task more difficult.

Police, though, are trained to remain calm amid adversity so that aspect of the training was promptly activated by Kennedy. The woman was taken safely to ground and rushed to hospital for treatment.

The speed with which Kennedy got to the top of a bridge and persuaded the woman not a jump remains a big puzzle to his colleagues, because he is not known to be a talker.

(Jamaica Observer)

Brazil's Lula to restart housing programme for low-income families

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva will this month restart the federal housing programme "Minha Casa, Minha Vida" for lower income people, his chief of staff said on Sunday.

Rui Costa said on TV GloboNews that the announcement will be made on February 14 in Bahia state as part of several trips by the leftist President until March to initiate programmes

that boost the economy and quickly benefit the population.

The focus of the housing programme which means "my home, my life", would be on the resumption of unfinished works and on one that involves greater Government subsidy, Costa said.

According to Costa, the programme had been "extinct" under the Administration of former President Jair Bolsonaro.

Now, around 120,000 unfinished units will be resumed, he said.

Created in 2009 during Lula's second presidential term, the programme federal subsidies for home ownership, boosting works carried out by homebuilders such as MRV and Tenda.

Costa also said that the President would visit the state of Sergipe on February 15 to resume a highways programme (Reuters)

“Both calls came in, one right after the other about 15 minutes apart, threatening to kill the nation’s leader,” the Commissioner said.

According to Fernander, officers are following significant leads and the Prime Minister remains in “good spirits”.

“We, as Bahamians, it shouldn’t happen. When you’re talking about threatening the nation’s leader and we as Bahamians, how we got to this level in threatening individuals, and you can go beyond the Prime Minister and individuals and we take this very se-

riously.

“We are now reviewing the threat level so we can put some additional security measures in place along with our law enforcement partner and the team here from the Defence Force and so we are on top of this.”

He also pleaded with those responsible for the calls “to stop now”, saying Police would not tolerate it and would go after them within the full extent of the law.

Meanwhile, the Prime Minister is still expected to continue his normal duties – under heightened

security.

“Prime Minister Davis has been appraised of the situation and additional security measures have been put in place,” said his Press Secretary Clint Watson.

“While the threat against the Prime Minister is being taken seriously, it is the current assessment of the Prime Minister’s security team and the Prime Minister that he should continue with his normal duties and further assessments will be made once the investigation reveals further information,” Watson said. (CMC)

T&T: 4 missing at sea after leaving Guayaguayare fishing port; boat found near Venezuela

Amassive searchand-rescue mission was underway on Sunday, both on land and sea, for four men from Mayaro and Guayaguayare who disappeared after going on a fishing expedition last Tuesday.

The 32-foot pirogue Venom II which the men were in was found capsized at sea off Cedros near Venezuela on Sunday morning. It was towed to the compound of Heritage Petroleum in Point Fortin.

Missing are the boat owner Heeralal "Lenus" Cooblal, 54, of Grand Lagoon, Mayaro; me-

chanic and welder Rishi Khemchan, 38, who lives not too far from Cooblal; Andy "Tallman" George, 40, and the boat's captain, identified only as "Criminal George". George and "Criminal George" are said to be both from Guayaguayare.

Criminal George, who is in his 60s, lives alone and is originally from the Ortoire Village/ Manzanilla district.

The four left the Guayaguayare fishing port on Tuesday around 14:00h on the "mother boat," meaning it was equipped with enough

food and other supplies to last a few days at sea. They were expected to return Thursday evening or Friday morning.

However, when they failed to return, relatives alerted the Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) Hunters Search and Rescue Team (HRST), led by Vallence Rambharat, and Troopers Search and Rescue from Mayaro, led by Wesley Mohammed. They also alerted the Coast Guard, other fishermen and the police.

(Trinidad Newsday)

Laura Trevelyan (left) explores a former slave plantation in Grenada during her visit in 2022

Bahamas Prime Minister Phillip Davis (GP)

Suicide prevented – brave Jamaican cop climbs bridge, convinces woman not to jump

Detective Constable Jahdiel Kennedy: “I pleaded with her to give life a chance” ( Joseph Wellington photo)

China's oil demand bounce may push producers to reconsider output, IEA says

Oil producers may have to reconsider their output policies following a demand recovery in China, the world's secondlargest oil consumer, the International Energy Agency's Executive Director Fatih Birol said on Sunday.

Demand in China, the world's largest crude importer and No 2 buyer of liquefied natural gas, has become the biggest uncertain factor in global oil and gas markets in 2023 as investors bet on the speed of its recovery after Beijing lifted COVID restrictions in December.

"We expect about half of the growth in global oil demand this year will come from China," Birol told Reuters on the sidelines of the India Energy Week conference.

He added that China's jet fuel demand is exploding, putting upward pressure on demand.

"If demand goes up very strongly, if the Chinese economy rebounds, then there will be a need, in my view, for the OPEC+ countries to look at their (output) policies," Birol said.

Producer group OPEC+ angered the United States and other Western nations in October when it decided to cut output by 2 million barrels a day from November through 2023, instead of pumping more to cut fuel prices and help the global economy as the US advised.

Birol said he hoped such a situation does not repeat, and that OPEC+ - which includes members of the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and allies such as Russia - will return to a constructive role in the market as demand improves.

OPEC+ rolled over the group's current output policy at a meeting on Wednesday, leaving production cuts agreed last year in place.

Separately, Birol said price caps on Russian oil have achieved the objectives of both stabilising oil markets and reducing Moscow's revenues from oil and gas exports. Russia's revenues likely fell by nearly 30% in January, or about US$8 billion, compared with a year before, he added.

G7 nations, the European Commission and Australia this week approved a US$100 per barrel price cap on diesel and a US$45 per barrel cap on discounted products such as fuel oil starting from Feb 5.

This followed a similar measure they implemented on Dec 5 barring Western-supplied maritime insurance, finance and brokering for seaborne Russian crude unless it was sold below a US$60 price cap.

Birol said fuel markets might face difficulties in the short term as global trade routes "reshuffle" to accommodate Europe drawing on more imports from China, India, the Middle East and the United States.

That could force other markets such as Latin America to scout for alternative imports, he said.

Europe has decided to end refined fuel imports from Russia from Sunday.

Birol said however that the fuel market balance could improve from the second half as more refining capacity is added globally. (Reuters)

Around the World Ukraine braced for renewed Russian offensive later in February

Ukraine's outgoing Defence Minister has said the country is anticipating a new Russian offensive later this month.

At a news conference, Oleksiy Reznikov said not all Western weaponry will have arrived by then, but Ukraine had enough reserves to hold off Russian forces.

President Volodymyr Zelensky has said troops are fighting fiercely in Bakhmut, Vuhledar and Lyman, in east.

Reznikov's comments came hours before he was replaced as Defence Minister in a Government reshuffle.

Military intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov was appointed on Sunday

today

evening, according to a Ukrainian politician from Zelensky's party.

Reznikov has denied media reports that some defence officials are suspected of embezzling public funds for the procurement of food for the army.

Ukrainian lawmak-

er David Arakhamia announced the reshuffle on Sunday, saying that "war dictates personnel policies".

At an earlier press conference, Reznikov said Russia did not have all of its resources ready to launch an offensive, but may do so anyway as a symbolic gesture,

given the one-year anniversary of Moscow's full-scale invasion on 24 February.

He said Russia is expected to prioritise taking the whole of the eastern Donbas as well as launching offensives in the south and east of Ukraine to create a land corridor across all the areas it currently occupies.

The Defence Minister also confirmed that troops will start training on German-made Leopard tanks from today.

Reznikov said Ukraine had secured new long-range missiles with a range of 90mile (150km), but they will not be used against Russian territory - only against Russian units in occupied areas of Ukraine. (Excerpt from BBC News)

Pakistan's former President Musharraf, key US ally against al Qaeda, is dead

Pakistan's former President Pervez Musharraf, a key US ally in the campaign against al Qaeda following the militant group's Sept 11, 2001 attacks, died in Dubai on Sunday after a prolonged illness. He was 79.

Musharraf, a former four-star general who seized power after a 1999 military coup, died in hospital in Dubai, where he was living in self-imposed exile since 2016. His body will be flown to Pakistan for burial on Monday, Geo News reported.

Musharraf was suffering from a rare organ disease called amyloidosis, and was admitted to hospital last year after he became critically ill, his family said.

He was credited with attracting foreign investment to Pakistan, which saw the strongest economic growth in nearly 30 years during

Weekend avalanches kill 10 in Austria and Switzerland

Ten people have been killed in several avalanches across the Austrian and Swiss Alps over the weekend.

Tourists from New Zealand, China and Germany were among the dead at a number of different ski resorts.

Austrian authorities put in place a level four avalanche alert - the second highest - following intense snowfall and wind in the area.

Despite the warnings, ski resorts in western Austria have been filling up due to school holidays in Vienna.

Austrian Police announced five deaths on

Sunday, including that of a 59-year-old man who was using a snow plough in the western region of Tyrol.

They also recovered the bodies of a ski guide in Sankt Anton am Arlberg and a 62-year-old man who was cross-country skiing around the summit of Hohe Aifner.

On Saturday, a 17-yearold New Zealander, a 32-year-old Chinese national and a German man in his 50s - who were all said to be skiing off designated ski trails when avalanches hitwere also found dead.

In Switzerland, a 56-yearold woman and 52-year-old man were also killed by un-

stable snow in the southeast canton of Graubuenden on Saturday morning. Swiss Police said a third member of their group managed to escape unharmed.

Avalanches are common in both countries. According to Austria's APA news agency, 30 avalanches were reported in the Tyrol region on Saturday alone - 11 of these involving people.

Austria's level four alert level means "very large avalanches are likely" - it advises inexperienced skiers to remain on open ski runs and trails and for experienced skiers to stay away from very steep terrain. (BBC News)

his rule, and he enjoyed the support of the military and Pakistanis who backed his crackdown against militant groups.

But his decade-long rule was also marred by a heavy-handed approach to

dissent, which included arresting rivals such as current Prime Minister Sharif and the imposing of an almost six-week long state of emergency in which he suspended the Constitution and censored the media.

A graduate from a Christian high school, Musharraf was keen for Pakistan to embrace liberal Islam, an approach that increased his appeal in the West following the 9/11 attacks on the United States.

Musharraf joined what Washington called its "war on terror", giving U.S. forces ground and air access into landlocked Afghanistan to chase down al Qaeda militants.

This decision contradicted Pakistan's long-standing support for the Taliban, which at that point controlled Afghanistan, and made Musharraf a target for domestic militant groups. He survived at least four assassination attempts. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Italy sounds alarm on largescale computer hacking attack

Thousands of comput-

er servers around the world have been targeted by a ransomware hacking attack, Italy's National Cybersecurity Agency (ACN) said on Sunday, warning organisations to take action to protect their systems.

The hacking attack sought to exploit a software vulnerability, ACN Director General Roberto Baldoni told Reuters, adding it was on a massive scale.

Italy's ANSA news agency, citing the ACN, reported that servers had been compromised in other European countries such as France and Finland as well as the United States and Canada.

Dozens of Italian organisations were likely to have

been affected and many more had been warned to take action to avoid being locked out of their systems.

Telecom Italia customers reported internet problems earlier on Sunday, but the two issues were not believed to be related.

US cybersecurity officials said they were assess-

ing the impact of the reported incidents.

"CISA is working with our public and private sector partners to assess the impacts of these reported incidents and providing assistance where needed," the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency said. (Reuters)

Ukraine's Defence Minister says training on new Western weapons will start as early as

Former Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf poses for a picture after an interview with Reuters in London, January 16, 2011

DAILY HOROSCOPES

Don’t slow down or share too much information with individuals who are eager to take credit for your achievements. Anger will stand between you and victory. Put your energy where it counts.

(March 21-April 19)

(April 20-May 20)

Don’t show surprise if someone lets you down. Go about your business, do your own thing and learn from the experience. An intelligent approach to conversations, differences and decisions will keep you in control. Give others the benefit of the doubt.

Keep secrets; if you share sensitive information, ridicule will follow. Look for an opportunity to do something that will make a difference to you or to someone you love. Dishonesty will breed despair.

(May 21-June 20)

Look for a unique way to use your skills and promote yourself. Keeping up with what’s trending will help you carve out opportunities. Your insight and efforts will encourage others to help you.

(June 21-July 22)

Don’t wait for people or proposals to come your way. Doing your part to seek out opportunities will boost your confidence and motivate you to broaden your horizons.

(July 23-Aug. 22)

CALVIN AND HOBBES

(Aug. 23-Sept. 22)

You’ll notice situations that are taxing for a friend or relative if you are observant. A kind word will make a difference and encourage others to open up. Romance is in the stars.

Challenge yourself. Sign up for an event or activity that calls for discipline and courage. Test your ability to come out on top. Competition will broaden your horizons and expand your mind.

(Sept. 23-Oct. 23)

Put together a to-do list, and don’t stop until you are satisfied with the results. Don’t let others disrupt your day. Find a way to put your chores behind you.

(Oct. 24-Nov. 22)

Broaden your outlook and attend events that offer something new and exciting. Learn about different cultures, and mix and mingle with people who can give you different perspectives.

(Nov. 23-Dec. 21)

You may know what you want, but it will be challenging to move forward unless a budget is in place. Seek out someone who can help you make your dreams come true. Don’t overspend to impress.

(Dec. 22-Jan. 19)

Count on others to prop you up, but don’t expect anyone to do the work for you. Complete your plans and take credit for your achievements. Do what someone expects of you to keep the peace.

(Jan. 20-Feb. 19)

Keep your secrets to yourself. Don’t put on a display that will give others the upper hand. Know your physical limitations, and don’t step outside of your comfort zone.

(Feb. 20-March 20)

SATURDAY'S WORD -- SPAWNED

Injured Hazlewood set to miss India Test match

Josh Hazlewood is likely to be ruled out of the first half of the Test series after having not recovered from an Achilles injury on his left leg, which he picked up after bowling in the Sydney Test last month.

Hazlewood has not taken an active part in Australia’s pre-series camp in Alur, apart from assisting his teammates with their training. The seasoned fast bowler is expected to have his first bowl in Nagpur on Tuesday, February 7. While it looks certain that he will miss the first Test, opening the door for Scott Boland to play his first overseas Test, his availability for the second Test in Delhi is also in doubt considering the short turnaround between matches. Australia are already without Mitchell Starc for the early part of the series.

“Not sure about the first Test. It’s still a few days away, but it’s sneaking up pretty quickly. Second one is obviously straight after as well. So, we’ll play it by ear over the next week and next few days, and hopefully Tuesday goes well,” Hazlewood said before Australia’s final session at the KSCA Stadium in the outskirts of Bangalore on Sunday.

“Just a bit of workload management at the moment. Just managing the Achilles. I was bowling a fair bit leading into the tour at home and sort of just pushing up against it. Probably wasn’t recovering as well as I would have liked between each session so thought we’d give it a few days here straight of the bat and try and get over the hump and have a bowl from Tuesday on (in Nagpur) and hope it goes well,” he added when asked about his lack of participation in the Alur sessions.

In a period plagued with injury, Hazlewood has now played only four Tests in the last two years, and never more than one in a series. He played the opening Test of the recent home summer against West Indies in Perth before missing out the next three matches with a side strain. He then returned for the Sydney Test against South Africa. And it is during that rain-affected encounter that the 32-year-old paceman is believed to have injured his Achilles.

“It’s still lingering from the (Sydney) Test match probably. We obviously bowled after a lot of rain and the jump-offs were quite soft, where we were taking off from and they ended up replacing them as well. It sort of worked to a degree. But just that extra load jumping off a soft ground to bowl and again first Test match. Your body is not used to that sort of workload as well.

“It’s been frustrating playing one Test at a time. It always

feels the hardest Test to play, the first one and they sort of get easier as they go and you get to the other side, the end of the series, it gets hard again. Hopefully I can string a couple together on this tour,” he said.

Hazlewood had spoken about wanting to shift his focus squarely on Test cricket for the next 12 months in what is a vital period for the Australian team starting with this high-profile tour to India. The Ashes are only a few months away along with a very likely appearance in the World Test Championships final in June. And he insisted on that focus not having shifted despite his constant trysts with injury as he enters the ninth year of his Test career.

“It’s still the same mindset. It’s still about taking every game as it comes. It’s obviously a huge tour and a long tour as well. It’s four Tests. It’s not a two-Test series where you might push things to get up for it. Four Tests is a long time and the Ashes is there as well and there’s cricket all the time. It’s just about getting it right, you don’t want it lingering around for months on end. The Achilles is a hard one, being a tendon it’s couple of steps forward, one step back occasionally, which is how it goes for everyone when they’ve got this type of injury. Feels like it’s heading in the right direction,” he said.

In a period where Hazlewood has struggled to string multiple Tests together, he’s also grown into becoming one of the premier T20 bowlers around the world. But despite the ever-burgeoning opportunities for T20 league contracts, he remains steadfast in his drive to play Test cricket for Australia.

“As fun as T20 is and as lucrative as it is, I find it still plays second fiddle to Test cricket. This series, Ashes series, home summers are what you play cricket for. I don’ t think that will ever change,” he said.

Though disappointed with having to miss out on another Test, potentially two, at the start of the Indian series, Hazlewood does take solace in the busy Test calendar ahead for the Australians, which will see them play 15 Tests (including the WTC final) in the next 12 months.

“That’s the view I’ve always had. During COVID it was a bit different, it felt like you played home five Test matches and then didn’t’ play for a long time for a couple of years there. There was a big push to play all those games in a row. Whereas now, we’ve got some good depth as well, if you’re not quite right you can miss a Test and make sure you’re 100 per cent for the next one. It’s a team mentality and the quicks are a team within a team,” he said.

LeBron James returns to Los Angeles with history within his grasp

“King James” now needs just 36 points to pass fellow Lakers great Kareem AbdulJabbar’s record 38,387 career points after contributing 27 points in the Lakers’ 131-126 loss to the Pelicans.

James, 38, has shown no sign of slowing down in his 20th season, where he is averaging more than 30 points per game and made his 19th AllStar game.

He will have two opportunities to capture what he has called “one of the greatest records in sports” on his home floor when the Lakers host the Thunder on Tuesday and the Bucks on Thursday.

Ticket prices for those games have predictably skyrocketed, and Hollywood’s biggest stars are expected to be seated courtside.

Fans everywhere are eagerly anticipating the milestone, and the league has said that any game where he has a reasonable chance of breaking the record will be broadcast nationally.

At this point, the only question

is what kind of shot he will take to seize the title.

James has been seen practising the skyhook, a shot perfected by Abdul-Jabbar, in warm-ups before recent games, so an homage to the Hall of Famer may be in the works.

But a dunk, mid-range jumper, or three-pointer or even a free throw will lead to a pause in the contest as an epic celebration breaks out at Crypto.com Arena.

(Reuters)

“That view will be tak en into the Ashes, into this tour, the World Test Championship, the home summer, there’s so many Test matches coming up. it might be a little easier to get right for the second one onwards here,” he explained.

And it is that fast bowling depth that Australia will have to tap into as they head into the first Test in Nagpur without two of their premier fast bowlers in Starc and now Hazlewood. Boland would be the obvious replacement as he looks to build on his incredible start to Test career, a bowling average that sits currently at 12.21 in six Tests. The burly Victorian fast bowler has bowled a number of spells already during the camp in Alur and has looked at his menacing best even on the dry and slow pitches, beating the bat with the same regularity as we’ve seen from him in Test cricket.

Pat Cummins and Boland in fact shared the new ball in a lengthy burst on Sunday morning as Australia practised some match simulation scenarios. And once again, Boland proved a handful, getting the better of the likes of David Warner, Steve Smith, and Usman Khawaja regularly.

Australia will certainly miss the services of Starc in Nagpur, where reverse swing has historically played quite a big role. But in Hazlewood, they had a very able replacement, especially after the very effective way he’d got the ball to reverse on the very subcontinental pitch at the SCG at the start of the year. Despite Boland’s lack of experience on Asian pitches, Hazlewood is very confident that his fast bowling colleague has all the skills to step right in and is very “qualified” make an impression.

“Scotty (Boland) has bowled plenty at the MCG when it was a flat wicket, it probably wasn’t swinging or reverse swinging so he knows how to work hard for a long period of time. You’ve got Lance Morris who has worked hard on reverse swing for the last month and then a nice lead in here with a few sessions. The guys are excited, first of all to play in the subcontinent; they both haven’t yet, but they’re very well qualified to do so,” he explained.

“It was really good to play that Sydney Test beforehand just to focus in on what’s going to be important in this series. The wicket was obviously slow, it was dry, it was a bit abrasive, and we got reverse swing – great to have that coming into this tour,” he added. (cricbuzz)

Charlotte Edwards to coach Mumbai’s Women’s Premier League team

Former England Captain Charlotte Edwards has been appointed Head Coach of the Mumbai franchise in the Women’s Premier League (WPL).

Edwards will be part of an all-woman coaching staff that also includes former India Captain Jhulan Goswami, who will be mentor and bowling coach of the franchise that was bought by owners of the Mumbai Indians. Devika Palshikar, the former India all-rounder, has been named batting coach.

Edwards, the second-highest run-getter in both women’s OneDay Internationals (ODIs) and women’s Tests, has racked up significant coaching experience since her retirement from professional cricket in 2017. She has been Head Coach at English domestic team Southern Vipers, Southern Brave (the Hundred), and Sydney Sixers in the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL). At the international level, she’s done some coaching with the USA women’s teams.

In 2009, Edwards was awarded an MBE for leading England to the inaugural Women’s T20 World Cup title. In the same year, she was also the Captain of the OneDay International (ODI) World

Cup-winning England team. In her nearly two-decade-long career, she was part of five Ashes-winning squads, including being Captain of two back-to-back triumphs in 2013. Since her international retirement, Edwards has been at the forefront of change in the women’s game, taking seats on various committees with MCC and the International Cricket Council (ICC).

“It is wonderful to see more and more women in sport, excelling not just as players, but also as Coaches, administrators, and support staff,” team owner Nita Ambani said in a statement. “This is an exciting time for women’s sport in India.”

Palshikar was India’s Assistant Coach between 2014 and 2016, before taking up a similar role with Bangladesh. She was part of the coaching staff of the Bangladesh squad that was crowned Asia Cup champions in 2018. She played one Test and 15 ODIs in a brief international career between 2006 and 2008.

Edwards and Goswami will be part of the Mumbai delegation at the WPL auction on February 13 in Mumbai. A maximum of 90 players are expected to be sold during the day-long auction, which has been delayed owing to several of the five

WPL franchises also having teams in the ILT20 and SA20 tournaments, which will end on the weekend of February 11-12.

Each team will have a purse of INR 12 crore (US$1.46 million approximately) for the inaugural season. Each team can buy a minimum of 15 and a maximum of 18 players, with seven overseas players including an Associate player. Unlike in the men’s Indian Premier League (IPL), WPL teams will have the option of fielding up to five overseas players in the XI, provided one is from an Associate country.

A total of 22 matches will be played in the inaugural WPL season, with each team playing the other twice to make it a total of eight games per team. The top-ranked team will enter the final directly, while the second and third-placed teams will face off in a Qualifier to determine the second finalist.

(ESPNcricinfo)

Debutant Mansingh’s 62* helps Jamaica fight off defeat against Leewards

Jamaica Scorpions debutant Abhijai Mansingh, who entered the match as a substitute after Alwyn Williams was ruled out on the first day, played a starring role to help his team secure a tense draw on day four of their West Indies Championship fixture against the Leeward Islands’ Hurricanes at the Coolidge Cricket Ground on Sunday.

Day four began with the Hurricanes on 198-7 off 65 overs, leading by 224 runs with Rakheem Cornwall on 56 and Hayden Walsh Jr on 13.

The first wicket of the day fell in the 69th over when Walsh Jr fell for 23 with the score on 221.

The final two Hurricanes wickets fell in consecutive deliveries in the 74th over when Jamie Merchant removed Cornwall for 85 and Sheeno Berridge for one. In the end, the Leewards were bowled out for 241 in 73.5 overs, leaving the Scorpions needing 268 for victory.

Merchant ended with 4-43 off his 20.5 overs.

The Scorpions chase started well as openers Kirk McKenzie and Leroy Lugg put on 32 in 6.5 overs before a rain delay forced the

teams into an early lunch break. After the resumption, the pair added just five more runs before Lugg fell caught be hind off the bowling of Berridge for seven in the ninth over.

Two runs and one over later, McKenzie fell in a similar fash ion off the bowling of Jeremiah Louis for 28.

Romaine Morris and Aldane Thomas then put on a 34-run third-wick et partnership before Thomas chipped one in the air off Collin Archibald and got caught for 12 in the 16th over to leave the Scorpions 73-3.

Morris fell soon after for 22 to leave the score 75-4 in the 19th over.

Captain Paul Palmer Jr was next to go for eight in the 26th over, bringing

Merchant to the crease to join Mansingh. The pair batted beautifully in the leadup to the tea interval, putting on 60 for the sixth wicket to leave the Scorpions 142-5 at tea, needing 126 runs to win with Mansingh and Merchant both unbeaten on 31.

After the tea break, Merchant reached 47 before falling off the bowling of Cornwall to leave the Scorpions 174-6.

The 51st over saw Mansingh bring up his second fifty of the game off 106 balls.

Mansingh and Marquino Mindley brought the score up to 183 in the 58th over before Mindley became the seventh wicket to fall, caught off the bowling of Kofi James for three.

Akim Fraser became Cornwall’s fourth victim of the innings when he was trapped in front for one to leave the Scorpions 194-8. With no more runs added, Cornwall took his 10th wicket of the match when he re-

moved Gordon Bryan for a duck, leaving the Hurricanes needing just one wicket to secure victory.

In the end, Mansingh ended up not out on 62 off 209 balls while Patrick Harty made an important one off 27 balls as the Jamaicans finished 200-9 after 82 overs.

Cornwall ended up with figures of 5-41 off 31 overs.

Scores:

Leeward Islands Hurricanes 260 off 118.3 overs (Jeremiah Louis 78*, Jahmar Hamilton 40, Marquino Mindley 3-29, Abhijai Mansingh 3-47) and 241 off 73.5 overs (Rakheem Cornwall 85, Montcin Hodge 31, Jamie Merchant 4-43, Abhijai Mansingh 2-30, Patrick Harty 2-56)

Jamaica Scorpions 234 off 82.4 overs (Leroy Lugg 79, Abhijai Mansingh 56, Paul Palmer Jr 47, Rakheem Cornwall 5-54, Sheeno Berridge 2-25, Colin Archibald 2-37) and 200-9 off 82 overs (Abhijai Mansingh 62*, Jamie Merchant 47, Kirk McKenzie 28, Rakheem Cornwall 5-41). (Sportsmax)

Kane’s record-breaking goal seals Tottenham win over Man City

Manchester City’s bid to chop Arsenal’s Premier League lead to two points was scuppered as Harry Kane’s record-breaking goal earned Tottenham Hotspur a 1-0 win over the champions on Sunday.

Kane’s 15th-minute effort punished some sloppy City passing and made him the north London club’s all-time top goalscorer with 267, taking him past former great Jimmy Greaves, whose record had stood since 1970.

It was a strike even fans of Tottenham’s arch-rivals Arsenal would have celebrated down the Seven Sisters Road as it helped Mikel Arteta’s side stay five points clear of champions City despite Saturday’s shock loss at Everton.

Tottenham had led by two goals at halftime at City a few weeks ago only to capitulate and lose 4-2, but this time they held firm despite a late red card for Cristian Romero to boost their own hopes of finishing in the top four.

With Erling Haaland subdued, the closest City came to scoring was a Riyad Mahrez effort that smashed against the underside of the crossbar in first-half stoppage time.

Tottenham then withstood a late City siege with some tenacious defending to clinch a third win in four league games over Pep Guardiola’s side.

City remain in second place with 45 points from 21 games with Arsenal on 50 having played a game less with the two sides meeting in north London on February 15.

Tottenham, whose manager Antonio Conte was absent

after having surgery to remove his gallbladder, are fifth on 39 points from 22 games, one behind Newcastle United.

Kane’s moment arrived when City made a mess of trying to play out from the back and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg stole the ball off Rico Lewis on the edge of the area before holding off a challenge and flicking the ball to Kane.

The England striker’s right-foot shot was not his sweetest connection, but it found its way into the corner past Ederson as Kane became only the third player to score 200 Premier League goals.

After the final whistle, Kane was interviewed on the

National Sports Awards format and criteria to be reviewed and improved

pitch as fans serenaded him with “Harry you’re one of own..” – a reference to the fact he joined the club as an 11-year-old.

“It’s quite surreal, a magical feeling to do it in front of the home fans and to win the game, I wanted to do it at this special place and in front of these amazing fans.”

City sent on Kevin De Bruyne for Mahrez on the hour and the Belgian fired a shot wide while Julian Alvarez had a ferocious effort deflected over the crossbar.

Romero was shown a second yellow card for a foul on Jack Grealish, but City could find no way through as they missed a huge opportunity to put pressure on Arsenal and they find themselves only three points above in-form Manchester United.

“Sooner or later it is going to change, but it is strange we haven’t scored one goal,” Guardiola said of City’s troubles with Tottenham. “To find an explanation is not easy.

“We are not in the position to think about being champions, just the next game, Aston Villa, we will prepare well and play our game as best as possible.” (Reuters)

The National Sports Awards returned this year after a long hiatus owing to the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to the National Sports Commission (NSC), it has decided to build on what it has and hence, a review exercise will be implemented to analyse the overall criteria utilised for selection of the recipients of the National Sports Awards.

Director of Sport (DoS), Steve Ninvalle stated that the assessment procedure would be undertaken by a high-calibre panel comprising media experts and operatives, as well as ex-

perienced sports administrators and aficionados. The group will be meeting next week to commence the process, which will be thorough to ensure any inadequacies are remedied.

According to Ninvalle, “The panel, which is of the highest competence, and is littered with media experts and sports enthusiasts, will be meeting next week to analyse the entirety of the selection criteria and will make recommendations if shortcomings are identified, for possible amendments.

“The objective is to ensure that the selection process is not only

transparent, but can stand up to the highest level of scrutiny and examination on the local and international scene. The importance of the selection criteria must be reflected. That narrative must never be called into question.

“Ultimately, this assessment process is about possibly enhancing and amending the rules that are employed for selection if deficiencies are recognised. Some areas for analysis have already been earmarked by the panel, and discourse will occur on the way forward if amendments are required. There is no point in waiting

until next year to undertake the procedure, which can be reinforced now ahead of the next awards ceremony. This exercise will encompass the entirety of the National Sports Award selection platform,” Ninvalle further said.

Meanwhile, he explained that Culture, Youth and Sport Minister Charles Ramson Jr, who applauded the work undertaken by the panel during the 2022 National Sports Awards, has disclosed that the pending edition would be completely overhauled and upgraded to reflect his vision of a gala, red-carpet affair.

Abhijai Mansingh had a dream debut for Jamaica

Harry Kane scored a record-breaking goal

Awardees at the National Sports Awards along with Sport Minister Charles Ramson Jr, DoS Steve Ninvalle, and others (Jemima Holmes photo)

Sport Minister Charles Ramson Jr

Chanderpaul scores maiden Test century, Brathwaite scores 12th

- President Ali congratulates Chanderpaul

An opening double-century stand from openers Kraigg Brathwaite and Tagenarine Chanderpaul has lifted the West Indies into the ascendancy against Zimbabwe in the first Test match in Bulawayo. In control for large periods across days one and two, the pair’s biggest threat seemingly came from inclement weather, though rain only could delay the success of the pair who were both close to their best with the bat.

Brathwaite (126*) brought up his century first, reaching the milestone with a late cut through the slip cordon off the bowling of

Wellington Masakadza. Not to be outdone, Chanderpaul brought up his maiden Test century in just his third Test match, calmly pushing Victor Nyauchi into the leg-side. Chanderpaul’s hundred was also the first Test century scored by a West Indies opener

outside of Brathwaite since 2013, breaking a streak of a dozen unmatched hundreds from his partner.

As a result of their efforts, the pair joined elite company in their achievement, compiling just the West Indies’ 10th opening wicket double-century stand since their first-ever Test back in 1928.

Rather fittingly, Daren Ganga, who accompanied Chris Gayle in the West Indies’ other opening double-century stand in Zimbabwe (214 in 2001 at the same ground), was on the call when the pair passed his figure. The stand is the first double-century

By Brandon Corlette in antigua

Guyana Harpy Eagles leftarm spinner Veerasammy Permaul recently picked up 500 wickets for Guyana in FirstClass cricket. The 33-year-old who has 574 First-Class wickets overall (including Tests, A teams and First-Class) dedicated the milestone to his dad and his late mom.

In a wide-ranging interview with <<<Guyana Times Sport>>>, after the game at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua, Permaul recalled the wicket of Brian Lara, and noted that it was a highlight during his road to 500 wickets while playing for Guyana.

“The second season for me, it was when I got Brian Lara caught and bowled. I think that was his last season as well. Also when I got past Mahendra Nagamootoo, who had the most wickets for Guyana at that time.”

“It is just me and Nikita Miller are the top wicket-takers

at that time, and until now in the Caribbean. I am a few wickets away from being the leading wicket-taker in the Region,” Permaul said.

Permaul also thanked his parents for the sacrifices they made

over the years. “I want to give God praise and thanks for giving me this opportunity for representing Guyana over the years. I want to dedicate this milestone to my parents, my father and late mother for the sacrifice they have made for me over the years.

“It is a special feeling to get more than 500 First-Class wickets for my country, I don’t think anyone else has done it (for Guyana), so it is a special feeling for me.”

When asked on how his body is feeling and how long he can keep going, the man from Albion Community Centre Cricket Club said: “I don’t know. God has that say. All I can do is go out and do the work. Put in the training and work hard on my game. God is in control.”

Permaul is aiming to finish his First-Class career with the most wickets of any bowler in the Caribbean. “I am looking to finish with the most wickets (in FirstClass cricket in the Caribbean).

opening stand for the team in Test cricket since 2012, and the fifth away from home.

Perhaps making the feat more remarkable, just 17 fours and a six had been hit by the pair at stumps on day two, with Zimbabwe’s bowlers toiling to no avail across the two days.

The hosts’ five-pronged attack have 20 maidens to show for their efforts, with Masakadza’s 0-30 from 16 overs the most economical of the group (1.87).

President of Guyana, Dr Irfaan Ali has congratulated Chanderpaul on his maiden Test century. Ali posted the congratulatory message on his official Facebook page, moments after Chanderpaul reached the milestone. (Adapted from ICC)

to 500 wickets

I would love to get at least 600 or more for Guyana, before I finish playing. But God knows the best.”

The soft-spoken Berbician, who has a level two coaching certificate, said he was aiming to graduate with a level three certificate and start his coaching career after his retirement.

“Basically, I already finished level two in coaching. Before I finish playing First-Class cricket, I would want to finish my level three, so it will be an easy transition to get into coaching after cricket,” Permaul said.

Permaul made his debut for Guyana in First-Class cricket in January 2007 in St George’s, Grenada, the country where Guyana Harpy Eagles will play the second round of the West Indies championships. To date, Permaul has featured in 16 seasons of FirstClass cricket for Guyana.

Permaul’s most fruitful season for Guyana came in 2014/15, when he claimed 67 wickets in 10

matches. Permaul has played nine Tests, seven One-Day Internationals (ODIs) and one T20 International (T20I) for the West Indies.

Permaul says Lara’s wicket was a highlight during his road

Tagenarine Chanderpaul bats

Kraigg Brathwaite scores through the off-side

Permaul bowls during round one of the West Indies championships

Permaul went past 500 wickets in Antigua (Brandon Corlette photos)

Brathwaite celebrates his century