Guyana Times - Friday, February 19, 2021

Slashing of excise tax

Nationwide coverage from the best news team in Guyana Issue No. 4564

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Reduction of P7 fuel prices leaves more money in people’s pockets — Finance Minister THE BEACON OF TRUTH FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2021

Mazaruni Prison escapees spotted in Bartica

PRICE

WHAT'S INSIDE:

25 new COVID-19 cases after 1045 persons tested P10 Cop struck P10 down while on duty in Berbice

See story on page 3

Woman, lover to face retrial for murder of reputed husband

…father admits to helping convicted son, other convicts …confesses to giving them change of clothing Forced to consume poison

P8

West Berbice woman tried to leave abusive marriage, had dreams of a better life overseas Page 16

Woman “We have searched our stabs knife- waters thoroughly” – Edghill wielding husband threatening to kill her …says aerial, sea search proved futile Page 11

Decomposed bodies in boat

Corentyne youth wanted for P7 Anglican priest’s murder

Page 17

Govt announces resumption of Guyana-Suriname ferry service …only Guyanese, Surinamese allowed to travel

$80 VAT INCLUDED

See story on page 18

Labourer jailed, fined $1.7M for cocaine in fudge …wife walks free

P2

Calls for ExxonMobil to shut down P17 over flaring unnecessarily extreme – GOGEC

2 NEWS Labourer jailed, fined $1.7M for cocaine in fudge FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

…wife walks free

S

Shaka Nunes

haka Nunes, 36, and Vanica Williams, 46, both of Lot 31 Maxwell

Alley, Christianburg, Linden, appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts on Thursday to answer to trafficking in narcotics charges.

Nunes and Williams appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan and Nunes, a labourer, pleaded guilty to the charge.

As a result of Nunes’ guilty plea, the charge against Williams, his wife, was withdrawn.

The charge read that on February 15, 2021 between Lot 31 Maxwell Alley; DHL Express at Lot 34 B Republic

The cocaine-laden fudge

Avenue, Linden and DHL in Georgetown, the duo trafficked 3.692 kilograms of cocaine.

Based on reports, Nunes

had given Williams a box filled with several snacks and asked her to ship same to the United States of America (USA). The DHL Georgetown branch summoned the Customs AntiNarcotics Unit (CANU) about the suspicious package that arrived from Linden.

This resulted in an inspection and the field test conducted on the contents of

the box found that the fudge contained cocaine.

As a result, CANU ranks visited the mailing address in Linden where they met Williams, who told them that Nunes had given her the package to post. The father of five in a plea of mitigation begged Magistrate McLennan for leniency. He received a four-year sentence along with a fine of $1.7 million. (G15)

procurement monitoring software that was launched in 2020.

The software, which allows procuring entities to upload their procurement plans, revise them as necessary and keep track of contract award and procurement expenditure, was particularly welcomed by participants.

The annual training plan of the PPC prioritises sessions on procurement planning

and the use of the procurement monitoring software.

The PPC said it would continue to engage procuring entities and provide the necessary support to ensure compliance by procuring entities in accordance with Section 4. 11A of the Procurement (Amendment) Act 2019. Therein, it states, “Every procuring entity shall submit that entity’s procurement plans to the Public Procurement Commission for the fiscal year covered in the National Budget within three weeks after the National Budget is approved.” (G1)

Public Procurement Commission conducts best practices training

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he Public Procurement Commission (PPC), the regulatory body for public procurement in Guyana, recently conducted three virtual training workshops for procuring entities on procurement planning.

A total of 90 persons representing 57 procuring entities attended.

The training sessions were designed to emphasise the best practices and importance of procurement planning, provide tips to effectively monitor the implementation of procurement programmes, and explain the functionalities of the PPC’s

NEWS

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FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

BRIDGE OPENINGS OPENINGS BRIDGE

The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Friday, February 19 – 10:00h11:30h and Saturday, February 20 – 00:30h-02:00h and 10:30h- 12:00h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Friday, February 19 – 08:20h- 09:50h and Saturday, February 20 – 09:30h11:00h.

Mazaruni Prison escapees spotted in Bartica …father admits to helping convicted son, other convicts …confesses to giving them change of clothing

FERRY SCHEDULE

Parika and Supenaam departure times - 05:00h, 11:00h and 16:00h daily

WEATHER TODAY

Sunshine is expected during the day. There should be clear to partly cloudy skies at night.

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

Winds: North-Easterly to East North-Easterly between 2.23 metres and 4.91 metres.

High Tide: 09:16h and 21:50h reaching maximum heights of 2.29 metres and 2.18 metres.

Low Tide: 15:19h reaching a minimum height of 0.94 metre.

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2021

LOTTERY NUMBERS I

04 09 12

15 18 19

FREE TICKET

05 Bonus Ball

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2021

DAILY MILLIONS

01 12 20 22 24 LUCKY 3

1

9

0

8

Afternoon Draw

7

6

Evening Draw

DRAW DE LINE

05

06

07

17

19 20 21

PAY DAY

SUPER PAY DAY FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2021

04 07

08 10 17 13

03 11

13 14 21

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

COMMODITIES Indicators

US$

Change %

Crude Oil

$63.93/barrel

- 0.64

Rough Rice

$229.14/ton

- 0.10

London Sugar

$473.20/ton

+2.09

Live Spot Gold

USD Per Ounce

Bid/Ask

$1765.40

$1766.40

Low/High Change

$1759.80 -9.90

$1790.40 -0.56%

The belongings of the escapees that were found aback Ralph Jones’s home on Thursday

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he father of one of the four inmates who escaped from the Mazaruni Prison earlier this week has confessed to helping his son and the three other convicts after they broke out of the high-security jailhouse.

On Tuesday, 25-yearold Imran Ramsaywack of Adelphi Village, East Canje Berbice; 44-yearold Kenrick Lyte, whose last known address was Grant Good Intent, Lower Pomeroon River; 22-yearold Samuel Gouveia of Goedverwagting, East Coast Demerara; and 22-year-old Rayon Jones of Timehri, East Bank Demerara (EBD) broke out of solitary confinement and escaped from the Region Seven (CuyuniMazaruni) penitentiary.

In a statement on Thursday, the Guyana Police Force said the father of 22-year-old Jones, Ralph Jones, was further interrogated as part on ongoing investigations by the GPF and the Joint Services, during which he made the disclosure.

The elderly Jones told investigators that after escaping from the Mazaruni Prison, his son contacted him by telephone sometime after 21:00h on Tuesday and informed of his actions.

“Ralph Jones further admitted that sometime after 01:00 hour the following day, all four of the escapees showed up at his house, where he provided each of them with a change of clothing. He, in turn, collected the clothes that they were wearing and dumped them in an alleyway aback his house in Fourth Avenue Bartica [Region Seven],” the Police stated.

According to the missive, Police investigators on Thursday went to the location mentioned by the father, where they found a white salt bag that contained a number of items suspected to be belongings of the escapees.

These include: clothing, footwear, deodorant, topes, pillow and pillow-cases, along with a bottle of Red Star rub, a toothbrush and a food bowl.

Nevertheless, the Joint Services are continuing the search for the escapees,

and encourage all law-abiding citizens to report to the nearest Police station or call 455-2238, 4552222, 455-2241, 226-4585, 225-2700, 225-3650 or 911, should they be seen. The Police assure that all information will be treated with strict confidence.

On Wednesday, Director of Prisons (ag) Nicklon Elliot told Guyana Times that the prison officers who were on duty on Tuesday when four high-profile convicts escaped were being questioned by the Police.

“Officers who…worked the night period, they are all assisting with the investigation at the moment,” he noted.

Asked whether there is any suspicion of collusion between the officers on duty and the escaped prisoners, the Prison Director posited that this will be determined by the probe.

“Currently, the matter is being investigated by the Police and the prisons… we’ll have to wait until the investigation determines if there was collusion, and

what level of collusion there were [if any at all],” Elliot contended.

Meanwhile, the Prison Director had noted that the search for the four escapees is still continuing; the Joint Services and patrol teams are following several leads.

Elliot confirmed that the authorities had received information that the prisoners might have stolen a boat from a nearby village to aid in their escape. A team was dispatched to the location to investigate.

This newspaper understands that the boat owner was questioned for failing to report that the vessel was missing, but was subsequently released. Guyana Times understands that the boat owner’s relative was killed by one of the escapees.

Ramsaywack and Lyte were on death row, while Gouveia and Jones were convicted for manslaughter.

The four prisoners made their escape from the maximum-security prison at about 07:00h on Tuesday.

Police have since issued

wanted bulletins for the men, who will now face “escaping from lawful custody” charges.

The Guyana Prison Service had explained that at about 07:15hrs on Tuesday, during the unlocking of the Brick Prison (Solitary Division) supervised by the duty officer and four other ranks, it was observed that the padlock to the entrance gate was tampered with, and further checks revealed that two bars within the cell had been cut.

Nevertheless, the Guyana Police Force, in its efforts to recapture the inmates, is appealing to members of the public, relatives and friends to give any relevant information as to the whereabouts of these escapees, so that they can be captured and returned to the prison.

Also, an appeal is being made to the escapees to surrender to the Police or relevant authority to avoid any serious confrontation that is likely to result in the use of force. (G8)

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FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2021

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

Acceleration of domestic violence

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ver the past week, the local media have reported three incidents of domestic violence that resulted in two deaths and one partner being severely injured.

Notably, in all three cases – two in Berbice and the other in Linden – the violence had been ongoing for years.

Domestic violence has been described as “behaviour which causes one partner in a relationship to be afraid of the other. Domestic violence can take the form of physical or sexual abuse, and forced social isolation away from friends and family members.” However, domestic violence has many victims besides spousal partners.

The laws of Guyana prescribe one’s rights regarding this issue, which are laid out in the Domestic Violence Act as “recognised under the law and law enforcement agencies, such as the courts”, and stipulate that the Guyana Police Force must help to enforce the rights of, and offer protection to, any man, woman, or child who may be experiencing domestic violence.

Some signs of domestic violence are described as persistent verbal abuse, such as quarrelling and cursing (one can add to that derogating one’s character and making unjustifiable insulting remarks about one’s self and one’s loved ones); threatening the person with physical violence (threatening to hit the person with hands or objects) as well as actually hitting the person; damaging the property of a person (such as breaking a person’s cellphone, tearing or burning a person’s clothing, among other things); following a person from place to place, even though that person does not want to be followed; hiding clothing or property used by the person (for example, hiding a person’s cellphone, their clothing, their identification card, their passport, and even their money); making persistent and/or unwelcome contact with the person (such as calling the person on their cellphone or home phone many times per day, watching the person’s house, waiting for the person to leave work or place of study, following the person from home or work, even though that person does not want to be followed or watched); and using abusive language to a person, or behaving towards a person in such a way that could result in that person being ill-treated.

For example, cursing and quarrelling with a person in front of others, and then encouraging others to do the same.

A Government initiative to deal with the scourge of domestic violence suggested actions one should take to protect oneself (and possibly others) from domestic violence, and provides a descriptive analysis of a Protection Order. One of the suggestions made is to make a report to the nearest Police station, and therein lies a conundrum.

Those who are supposed “to protect and serve” most often have provided the catalyst for a tragedy to occur by their attitude and attention, or lack thereof, when a complainant drums up the requisite courage (most often with great difficulty) and lodges a complaint.

Guyanese have stopped being their brothers’ (and sisters’) keepers, because, in many communities, neighbours witnessing a continuum of, and escalating instances of, abuse refuse to become involved. They prefer to enjoy the enfolding tragedy, even adding to it with malicious rumour-mongering and strife-making, because the titillation of feuds and wars within families finds a corresponding resonance in the dark nuance resident in every soul, and the average person refuses to rise above their more decadent equivalencies to achieve a higher plane of thought and action, enough to maybe intercede – and probably save a family from ultimate destruction.

And one wonders what part the church bodies and religious leaders play in melding communities into units cohesive enough to fashion strategies for interventions within families and the general society, in efforts to divert energies into more productive and peaceful approaches to conflict resolution – even to the point of empowerment.

The acceleration in violence-prone conflicts within families and societies is spiralling to the extent where many lives have been lost, with many more dislocated, and there seems to be no end in sight.

Unless there is a holistic, proactive approach, where all stakeholders in the nation are made aware that this cause and this fight is a national one, every effort made – valiant and committed as they may be - would prove woefully inadequate, because domestic violence is a national tradition entrenched in the Guyanese psyche.

Persons within communities most often do not think it is their business to report instances of abuse, and many women and children have suffered violations, and even been murdered, when a timely intervention could have saved someone’s life.

Dress rehearsals: Members of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) and Guyana Police Force (GPF) were engaged in final preparations for the flag raising ceremony for Guyana’s 51st Republic Anniversary which will be held on the evening of the 22nd of February at the Public Building, Brickdam, Georgetown (Parliament of Guyana photo)

GAWU will continue to ensure sugar industry remains on right track Dear Editor, The GAWU saw the letter written by former President Donald Ramotar which appeared in sections of the media, and acknowledge that some of what was said by the former President has merit.

Indeed, like Mr Ramotar, we are of the firm conviction that the sugar industry can be revitalised and made successful. Like Mr Ramotar, we share the view that sugar and sugar-related products should be among industries that would exist alongside the oil industry, to ensure a diversified and robust economy.

Mr Ramotar pointed out that the industry needs experienced and capable persons at the helm. We cannot express any disagreement.

Indeed, the industry has suffered from a deficit of skills for some time. The situation became more acute over the last five (5) years, when innumerable personnel were lost and square pegs were placed in round holes. Certainly, the former President must be aware of what took place, especially given his long-standing association with the sugar industry.

We are aware that former sugar men and women, whether near or far, have deep interest in the industry, and are willing to lend their skills to aid in its revitalisation.

At the same time, the industry needs to listen to its workers, who also have valued and valuable institutional knowledge. We need, too, to develop a new cadre of sugar leaders. We believe we may require assistance from known successful sugar industries and states to assist the process. They may be aware of doing the tasks differently and more efficiently.

At the same time, we do not believe that the seeming denigration of the Management would assist in turning the industry around. It may well do the opposite and further demoralise a weakened management. The GAWU itself has not shied away from expressing critical views of the Management. While we contend that our criticisms were principled and with merit, at the same time, we do not believe in seeking to pull down managers.

The lamentations of the former President has to be considered in tandem with the critical role he played as a Director of GuySuCo for several years, and later as President. Undoubtedly, we believe he must have had several opportunities to address the shortcomings he pointed to.

The former President touted the idea of workers’ cooperatives to farm cane lands. This on paper sounds like an enticing idea. We believe that this is a concept that must be studied properly and thoroughly.

We remind Mr Ramotar that the industry has had cane farmers supplying canes to the factory prior to our Independence in 1966.

Yet, despite the lengthy period, cane farming potential has not been fully exploited.

There may be good reason for this, and several factors may be at play. We do know now that the industry is having difficulty to attract and retain farmers, and thus, to transition workers who lack the financial wherewithal when compared to farmers, could be a bit of a stretch.

That is why we believe this notion of workers’ cooperatives must be carefully considered, and not be rushed into, no matter how much it glitters.

With cane farming largely outsourced, the former President asserted, management could have more time to concentrate on product diversification. The GAWU does not believe it is a case where the management is not knowledgeable of what could or should be done.

Much of it has been known for some time now. Several studies have testified to this, and Mr Ramotar must be familiar with some of these during his time on the GuySuCo Board.

Certainly, we do not believe the GuySuCo knows of every possibility, but, at the same time, they are very much acquainted with several important possibilities. What is needed now is the mechanism to transform those possibilities from concept to reality. There are several avenues which may require deeper examination.

Mr Ramotar reminds of the possibility of liquid fertilisers and bagasse briquettes, which he mentioned were experimented with a few years ago. In terms of the liquid fertilisers, we are aware that they did not have the intended effect, and had the probability of fertilising more than the canes, given their method of application.

This is not to say we should throw the baby out with the bathwater, but it signals the need for further investigation, to determine whether other solutions are available.

Maybe fertiliser cost could be reduced through local production when gas is piped to shore.

Regarding the bagasse briquettes, it was indeed a novel idea at the time, and held out some promise. However, it required an availability of sufficient quantities of bagasse, which had been limited by cane supply. We do not recall the

compression of garbage as a possibility, but we believe it would require separation of organic from inorganic materials. Moreover, uses of other biomass, such as sawdust and paddy husks, were experimented with at Skeldon, and did not yield positive results.

The former President made mention of the purchase of machinery. We agree with him that those suitable and economical machines should be purchased.

At the same time, we do not believe the industry should purchase the lowest cost machine if that machine cannot fulfill the objectives of the industry.

The Union, of course, is most interested in these matters, as we indeed want to see the maximisation of scare resources in the interest of the industry, and more so the workers. We are aware of the Government’s deep desire to turn around the fortunes of the sugar industry, and its strong commitment to getting the task realised. Clearly, given the Administration’s high level of interest in the industry, it certainly must be paying close attention to the unfolding situation.

Undoubtedly, it will take appropriate actions if necessary.

At the same time, our Union continues to pay close attention to the happenings in the industry. We have a vested interest, and we have seen the hardships spawned by the reckless policies of the Coalition. It is with this in mind that we would continue to do our utmost in seeking to ensure that the industry remains on the right track.

Yours faithfully, Seepaul Narine General Secretary, GAWU

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FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2021

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

Amaila Falls project will become a reality Dear Editor, The People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Government will push for development of the 165-MW Amaila Falls hydroelectric project, which was shelved by the APNU/AFC administration.

During his 2021 budget speech to Parliament, Dr Singh said Amaila “will become a reality” under President Irfaan Ali, who took office in August. The hydro plant has been targeted by the Government to help incorporate sustainable and cheaper electricity into the grid, and as part of a low-carbon development strategy.

The previous administration shelved the project

due to legislative opposition around the high price tag (US$860 million to US$1 billion, according to some estimates) “The single biggest impediment to accelerated economic and social development is the absence of adequate, affordable, and reliable energy. Key challenges include dependence on aged, fossil fuel-based generation capability; inadequate generating capacity, resulting in supply shortfalls; a porous transmission and distribution network, resulting in high technical losses; along with high levels of commercial losses,” said Singh.

The Amaila Falls Hydro Electric Plant will be a 165

MW (installed capacity) hydropower generation facility, that will be located in west-central Guyana, approximately 250km southwest of Georgetown.

The project involves (i) a hydropower plant at the confluence of the Amaila and Kuribrong rivers; (ii) an electrical interconnection facility consisting of about 270km of high-voltage redundant transmission line and sub-stations.

Guyana currently relies on imported fuel oil and diesel for its electricity generation, which is both expensive and carbon-intensive. The Amaila Falls Hydroelectric plant is expected to shift Guyana’s reliance from thermal gener-

ation to renewable energy, eliminate over 90 percent of our country’s energy-related greenhouse gas emissions, and provide energy production for approximately 90% of Guyana’s population.

In addition, improve Guyana’s balance of payments’ position by significantly reducing the importation of fuel, significantly reducing end-user costs for electricity, and improving reliability of energy supply and generation of clean energy; which will help to encourage economic growth and development by improving regional competitiveness, private sector investment, and foreign direct investment.

Daily oil production reports are a good, essential starting point Dear Editor, Speaking as an old (alumina) plant operator, I would like to encourage my fellow Guyanese citizens to accept that the daily oil production reports promised by Hon. VP Dr. Bharat Jagdeo are a good and essential starting point for knowing of, and validating the quantities of oil being produced.

We have heard the saying, “good fences make good neighbours”, and similarly, good accounting builds trust and good relations.

True, those daily results would be based largely on flow meters whose calibration accuracy and stability may be called into question even before any thought of any deliberate bias or adjustment by any Exxon employee along the production chain. These flows would in-

dicate performance efficiencies and recoveries from the field, in on-ship processing, spills/ losses, etc. – figures in which individual managers may have an interest and sections /departments may differ.

A common situation is that, on a day-to-day basis, production from flow measurements gives the best figure, but over longer periods – months and years – shipping (including storage tank changes over the period) provide more accurate numbers. I would expect that there would be monthly reconciliation of the sum of these daily production figures with the production quantity obtained from the sum of shipments during the month and inventory (storage tank) changes over the month, and similarly

over a year.

Concerning monitoring of the operations by Guyanese, I would expect that one or more knowledgeable officers from the GGMC (as of now) would be on board, continuously receiving (daily) a sufficiency of previously discussed operating reports, and utilising their alert eyes and ears. Additionally, for any arrival and departures of vessels in Guyana, officers of the GRA would be present, (along with the GGMC officers) to oversee and check arrival and departure drafts, which would determine quantities loaded.

One could further reconcile these “outloading” with reports on discharge at various ports, which may be available in various specialised news and other re-

ports. Then there are various voluntary and statutory periodic reports, including stockholders’ reports of participating companies, which provide additional checks.

In oil production and any other significant matter, we should be suspicious like doubting Thomas, and guard against being cheated by anyone, foreign or local. We cannot be sure beforehand whether or not there would be cheating. Once we are thoughtful, persistent and patient, and carry out knowledgeable checks, any attempt to cheat us would soon become evident.

Sincerely, Samuel A A Hinds Former President and former Prime Minister

ERC comes up short Dear Editor, A release from the ERC stated, “The ERC is again urging citizens to promote tolerance and understanding, especially towards those of different ethnicities for a better country.” The Ethnic Relations Commission has commenced legal proceedings against eight perpetrators accused of exciting hostility or ill-will on the ground of race, under the Racial Hostility Act, and for causing racial or ethnic violence under the Representation of the People Act. This is commendable of an organisation whose objective should be to prosecute defaulters who are callous and careless in the abuse of communication with the malicious intent of hurting any group of people physically, verbally, sociologically, or psychologically.

The ERC’s claim of wanting to work vigorously to stop the spread of racial incitement among Guyanese, especially on social media,

is again applaudable. This should be in keeping with the aims of the statutory body, whose job is to promote peace and avoid violence for ethnic stability in society.

Guyanese cannot help but be wary of the ERC functionality whose activities seem to fit a reason for a season. The ERC wakes up when it wants to; the ERC goes to work at its whims and fancies; the ERC raises issues only at its convenience; the ERC waits for a chosen season; the ERC then goes cherry-picking; the ERC operates with an aggrieved reason; the ERC is leash-led; the ERC is a divided entity; the ERC makes indecisive decisions; the ERC is a fragmented conclusion; the ERC is not autonomous; the ERC is dictated to by outside influence; the ERC is obviously controlled by political affluence. The ERC is transparently money hungry and parasitically im-

bibes at the expense of the poor Guyanese taxpayers.

The ERC is not a true representative of equality, justice or fraternity. It needs to be liberated from the clutches of prejudice. It is incapable of calling a spade a spade. Rather, it reaches out to a spade as a diamond, and it forfeits a heart for a clubs.

Its paper trail has established a journey of misconduct, blindness and favouritism, with its blemished insularity.

The ERC’s silence on the last Election fiasco raises eyebrows and opens the door for questions, queries and a “pussyfooting” quagmire. Cooperation, coordination, consolation and consolidation are not the pillars of a solid foundation for the ERC. Issuing statements which do not concur with a unified voice is dangerous, irresponsible and reprehensible.

The ERC has failed the Guyanese public, is misus-

ing and misspending the funds of the Government, and is a component of farcical absurdity because it refuses to comply with the true sense of its constitutional laws and regulations. Its ultimate meaningfulness has dissipated and its significance has subsided. Refusing to investigate, traverse and peruse the audacious, reckless, irresponsible and damaging behaviour and speeches by Mr. Granger and Mr. Harmon last year during the turmoil in Berbice confirms curry-favoured biasness and challenges the reasonableness and fairness of this body.

Like the statutory bodies comprising GECOM and GRHC, the Government needs to revisit the usefulness, sincerity, devotion and commitment of the components of the ERC. It is time for action in action.

Respectfully, Jai Lall

The Minister also pointed to the more immediate prospect of landing natural gas onshore via a 210-kmlong pipeline to supply a power plant of up to 250MW, and tapping non-conventional renewable sources of energy. In addition, Gy$700 million (US$3.35 million) has been budgeted to install 10 mini-grids and four offgrid systems this year for a combined 1.472 MW. Other projects that would receive funding are mini-hydros at Kumu and at Moco-Moco, which will be tendered in 2021; and completion of the Kato hydro would be advanced. A combined Gy$840 million (US$4 million) has been earmarked for these proj-

ects.

Hydropower has four major advantages: it is renewable, it produces negligible amounts of greenhouse gases, it is the least costly way of storing large amounts of energy, and it can easily adjust the amount of electrical energy produced to the amount demanded by consumers.

To stimulate business enterprises in the future, our Government must reduce the cost of energy by 50% through a mix of hydro, gas, solar and wind, in an effort to provide reliable, renewable and cheap electricity.

Sincerely, David Adams

President’s pledge for animal welfare and protection

Dear Editor, I read that President Irfaan Ali has pledged direct investment, and that allocations will be made to support associations and organisations concerned with the wellbeing and protection of animals. This brings to attention that our forgotten voiceless have been living in despair and desperation for far too long.

This benevolence from His Excellency and Government will add a measure of value to the short lives of animals, who share the entire landscape of our country as pets and sentients, living within our confines and external environs.

Make no mistake, animals have a sense of self, and are capable of emotions through physical senses. We must learn to show compassion and empathy for the greater

good of humankind towards animals.

I would like to add that animals must be allowed to live out their natural lives without fear of brutality and persecution. They are here to stay. Further, as an advocate for animals, I say that the outdated and dormant laws must be edited, refreshed, and re-enacted for offenders and violators who mistreat animals to correct immoral behaviour through the judicial system.

Finally, it was extremely thoughtful of First Lady Arya Ali to attend a meeting with Paws For A Cause, gathering all the information of urgent concerns, and in collaboration with the President, the process was initiated.

Sincerely, Zenobia Williams

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FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2021

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Foundation ◄ Thursday’s answers

Question 1:

dominoes and football (D ∩ F) + students who play all three games (D ∩ C ∩ F) = 38

So let Dominoes = D, Cricket = C and Football = F; U = Grade Five students 1a) The number of students who play all three games is found in the intersection of all three sets D∩C∩F=4 1b) The number of students who play dominoes = all the members contained in the set named Dominoes = students who play dominoes only + students who play dominoes and cricket (D ∩ C) + students who play

Materials:

Small paper cups, bowl or an ice cube tray Glass of water String (yarn or kite sting works great) Small stick Salt

Instructions:

Fill the cup or tray up with water and place it in the freezer. You can also use ice cubes from your freezer and skip this step.

When the water is frozen, remove the ice from the cup or tray.

Put the ice in the glass or bowl of water. The cube will bob up and down in the water and then float on the top.

Place one end of the string from the fishing pole on top of the ice cube and sprinkle salt on the ice where the string is touching. Watch as the water melts slightly and refreezes.

After about 10 seconds, carefully lift the ice cube out of the water with the fishing pole. You caught a

Æsop’s Fables

FOR CHILDREN

1c) The complement of a set, denoted Set Name', is the set of all elements in the given universal set U that are not in that set.

So, the number of students who do not play dominoes nor cricket = the number who play football only and the number who do not play any game = F ∩ C' ∩ D' + F ∩ C ∩ D' =2+8 = 10 1d) The number who do not play any game = The universal set – the union of F, D and C =U-FUCUD =8

fish (ice)!

How it works:

Ordinary water freezes at (32° F). When you add salt to water, it lowers the water’s freezing temperature – it has to get colder than 32° F to freeze. How much colder depends on how much salt is mixed in with the water. The salt you sprinkle on the ice cube lowers its freezing temperature and, since the ice cube can’t get any colder than it already is, it starts to melt. A little pool of water forms on top of the ice cube and the string sinks into it. As the ice cube melts, it dilutes the salt/water mixture in the little pool; the freezing point starts to go back up again. The ice refreezes, trapping the string. As soon as the ice cube hardens, you can raise it by lifting the string. All this happens very quickly, of course.

Extra experiments:

Try sugar, pepper, sand, flour, you name it. See what works, and what doesn’t, and try to figure out why! (scienceisfun.org)

WORD SEARCH

NEWS

7

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Slashing of excise tax

Reduction of fuel prices leaves more money in people’s pockets – Finance Minister

T

he decision by Government to reduce the excise tax on fuel will leave more money in the pockets of Guyanese.

These sentiments were expressed by Finance Minister Ashni Singh on Thursday, as he explained that it was for this very reason that the decision was made to slash the tax.

On Wednesday evening, Government announced that it had reduced excise tax on fuel from 50 per cent to 35 per cent. According to Dr Singh, this reduction will have an impact at both the micro and macro levels.

“The relief on the fuel prices will enable consumers, they no longer have to pay that much for fuel so they have a few extra dollars they can do something else with. For businesses, they no longer have to pay that much for fuel so they have a few extra dollars they can invest in something else or do whatever it is they will do with their additional cash flow to generate more economic activity,” Dr Singh is quoted by the Department of Public Information (DPI) as saying.

Dr Singh noted that

Finance Minister, Dr Ashni Singh

the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Administration has always paid keen attention to what happens on the world market. He said the price for fuel on the world market increased from US$35 in October to over US$60 as of Wednesday. Minister Singh said monitoring the world market price for fuel led to Government’s timely intervention, which relieves the financial burden on citizens.

“We are firmly committed to ensure that any possible shocks to cost of living are contained to make sure that consumers do not feel

too sharp an impact as a result of world market price developments. So that is the backdrop to which the intervention was made. So, basically, we implemented a cut on the excise tax rate, which then feeds into the price of the pump, so the price of the pump is reduced as well,” the Finance Minister stated.

As a result of the reduction in the excise tax rate, the prices at the pump would also be reduced with immediate effect. Specifically, gasoline prices are expected to be reduced from $184 per litre to $170 per litre and diesel prices from $170 per litre to $160 per litre.

The Minister explained that during the PPP/C’s previous term in office, it had put in place arrangements to adjust the excise tax rate on fuel from time to time to cushion the domestic impact of world market price fluctuations and the current tax adjustment was being effected using this previously-established mechanism.

Minister Singh emphasised that the adjustment was in keeping with the strong ongoing commitment

by President Irfaan Ali’s Government to ensure that

Corentyne youth wanted for Anglican priest’s murder

Murdered: Anglican Priest George Chuck-A-Sang

T

wenty-one-yearold Orlando Orin Armando Richards of Gibraltar Village, Corentyne, Berbice, Region Six (East BerbiceCorentyne) is wanted by the Police for questioning in connection with the murder of Anglican priest George Chuck-A-Sang.

The lifeless body of the elderly man was discovered at his Lodge, Georgetown residence in December 2020.

It was reported that his daughter Renata ChuckA-Sang had last spoken to him via a WhatsApp call on December 18, 2020, but on December 21, 2020, at about 15:00h, when she attempted to contact him, his mobile phone went unanswered.

This prompted her to visit his residence at the vicarage of the St Sidwell’s Anglican Church, but again she was unable to contact him. As a result, she went to the residence of the cur-

Charged: Rawle McPherson

Charged: Mohanie Mohabir

rent priest, at North East La Penitence, Georgetown, and explained the situation.

Consequently, they return to her father’s residence and the priest opened the door to his office to give her access to the upper flat of the building.

The woman then made her way into the living quarters, where she discovered the body of her father, clad in a pair of white briefs, lying motionless on the floor.

Several stab wounds

Wanted: Orlando Orin Ormando Richards

were visible on the retired priest’s body, and his forehead appeared to be swollen.

After over a month of probing, Police on Wednesday charged Rawle McPherson, 45, of Victoria, East Coast Demerara (ECD) and Mohanie Mohabir, 43, of Corentyne, Berbice with the murder of George Chuck-ASang.

The couple appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan and were not required to plead. They were remanded to prison, and will return to court on February 25.

Meanwhile, anyone with information that may lead to the arrest of Orlando Orin Ormando Richards is asked to contact the Police on telephone numbers 226-6978, 225-8196; 226-2870; 2267065, 911, or at the nearest Police station.

All information will be treated with the strictest confidence.

domestic customers are protected from sharp price escalations on the world market and cost-of-living increases.

On Friday last, the Government presented the $383.1 billion 2021 budget, themed “A Path to Recovery,

Economic Dynamism and Resilience”, without the introduction of any new taxes.

8 NEWS

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Woman, lover to face retrial for murder of reputed husband T

he trial of Alexis Turpin, formerly of Lodge, Georgetown, and her lover Sterfon Barlow, who are charged with murder, ended around 19:00h on Wednesday with a hung jury. In light of this, Justice Brassington Reynolds has ordered that the two accused face a new trial at the next practicable sitting of the Demerara Assizes.

They are jointly charged with the July 2016 murder of Sherwin Johnson. Following their arraignment at the High Court in Demerara, they both pleaded not guilty to the charge. Their trial commenced thereafter, with State Prosecutors calling

Murder accused Alexis Turpin

several witnesses. Turpin and Barlow testified in their defence.

According to reports, Turpin and Johnson shared a child and lived together at Chapel Street, Lodge, Georgetown. It was reported that Johnson arrived home on July 2, 2016 and found Turpin in bed with Barlow.

A heated argument ensued between the parties, which escalated into a fight.

During the ordeal, Turpin and Barlow reportedly dealt Johnson several stabs about his body with a knife and crowbar.

Following the incident, Johnson was hospitalised, and Turpin and Barlow were charged with attempted murder. However, after the man succumbed to his injuries, the charge

T Murder accused Sterfon Barlow

against them was upgraded to murder. (G1)

Man previously jailed for robbing cop gets bail on similar charge

A

man who was sentenced to 50 months’ imprisonment back in 2018, after pleading guilty to robbing a Policeman, has found himself again before the court on a similar charge.

Darren Bailey was on Wednesday arraigned before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts, where he pleaded not guilty to two robbery-under-arms charges.

Partiality...

The first charge stated that on February 14 at America Street, Georgetown, while armed with a gun, he robbed Renaldo Thorne of an iPhone 6 valued at $41,800, and of $1,800 in cash.

The second charge al-

Robbery accused Darren Bailey

leged that on the same day and at the said location, he robbed Steve Ramsubhaj of one Apple haversack valued at $4,000, a BLU cellphone valued at $19,000, and $1000 in cash.

Bailey was placed on bail in the sum of $50,000, and the cases will continue on February 24.

In March 2018, Bailey was handed a 50 months’ jail sentence by Principal Magistrate Judy Latchman, before whom he appeared and pleaded guilty to robbing a Policeman.

The facts stated that Bailey carried out the daring robbery on March 2, 2018 at Hincks Street, Georgetown.

At the time of the robbery, he was armed with a pair of scissors. He relived the cop of his cellphone and $240.

Bailey had told the Magistrate he was at the Plaisance Bus Park in Georgetown when he mistook the Police officer for someone from the interior who reportedly owed him.

“I pulled out my scissors to take back my goods,” he told the court.

Following the robbery, the Policeman and his colleagues went to the Stabroek Market area and found Bailey standing under the clock. He was arrested and the cop’s belongings were found in his possession.

Given the serious nature and prevalence of the offence, Magistrate Latchman had jailed him for 50 months. (G1)

…on ethnic provocation his latest ERC - the one that was reformed by the PNC coalition after they’d boycotted its former incarnations for a decade - is a funny organisation.

Not “ha-ha” funny, but pathetic funny. After sporadic ethnic tensions and clashes for the last SIXTY YEARS, you’d think they’d plunge right into taking care of the business they’re funded to the tune of $250M annually to take care of: to address the ethnic issues triggering ethnic clashes.

After being trenchantly criticised after the latest ethnic clashes in W Berbice, the organisation filed charges against a few individuals who’d made racist comments over social media. The charges were for “exciting hostility or ill will on the grounds of race under the Racial Hostility Act, and for causing racial or ethnic violence or hatred under the Representation of the People Act.” Now, it’s not as is these grounds for charging transgressors had suddenly appeared from the sky: they’d been instituted coterminous with the formation of the ERC!!

Most recently, the ERC boasted about taking legal action against eight defaulters - three in December, 2020, four in January, and one so far in February, 2021. The ERC announced that five of the accused pleaded guilty at the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court, and the remaining two are contesting their charges. Now, nothing wrong about taking these actions, since we can’t tell which provocative statement MIGHT spark ethnic hostilities.

BUT WHAT ABOUT STATEMENTS THAT ACTUALLY BROUGHT DOWN ETHNIC VIOLENCE? Don’t the ERC have a responsibility to bring the actual perpetrators of such speeches to justice? Do they only have a prospective responsibility, and not a retrospective one, to apply the law?

Your Eyewitness, of course, is referring to the provocative and incendiary statements of that Sanctimonious Gangster Granger and his henchman Harmon in West Berbice last September, which led to the aforementioned ethnic clashes.

After the “protests” broke out following the discovery of the bodies of the murdered Henry cousins, Granger had the cold-bloodedness to declare to the inflamed crowed in front of him that it was the “correct” response, and they should organise for “self defence”. That is, stopping cars driven by, and robbing and beating, Indian-Guyanese along the PUBLIC road was “correct”. And presumably also burning their vehicles and looting their goods!

President Ali explicitly called upon the ERC to “investigate” Granger’s statements and their denouement.

That was met with a studied silence! But the ERC did, in fact, chide one of their members for advising the attacked group to defend themselves! If this was an inappropriate statement by their Commissioner, why isn’t it so for Granger and Harmon? Against this background of blatant partiality towards Granger, the ERC should hang their head in shame.

Or, more appropriately, resign en masse! …on excusing the PNC For an old fella who claims he didn’t have access to the details to comment on Mingo’s manipulation with that dirty bedsheet, Eusi Kwayana has certainly made himself intimately familiar with local matters after August 2nd. Your Eyewitness wonders whether the crucial variable is that the PPP ousted the PNC that day!? Before then it was “see no evil; hear no evil, and speak no evil”!

Anyhow, Kwayana wants the upcoming Budget Debate to discuss compensation for Rodney’s survivors. He claims former President Ramotar acknowledged this could’ve been done since the COI of 2014. But the question is: Why didn’t Kwayana and the WPA make this a quid pro quo for supporting the PNC coalition? Didn’t they present FIVE Budgets that could’ve discussed compensation for Rodney’s heirs?

He also insisted that Ramotar’s prorogation after the threatened NCM in 2014 was “against the spirit of the constitution”. What about the PNC not resigning after their NCM DEFEAT in 2018?

Kwayana didn’t hear about that also? …COVID-19 vaccines?

The MoH is in a quandary about using the 3000 COVID-19 vaccines we’ve received. To use it all up, or save half for the second dose that’s needed for effectiveness?

That’s a no-brainer: Why risk losing corn and husk? Save half.

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

9 Budget 2021 to prepare local economy for massive job creation – Nandlall NEWS

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

W

ith Guyana embarking on a massive infrastructural transformation, there will be a plethora of jobs available to Guyanese, not just from Government-funded projects, but many of the private sector-driven ventures.

This is according to Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister Anil Nandlall, S.C during his recent programme, ‘Issues in the News’.

Nandlall posited that Government’s proposed 2021 National Budget seeks to lay the foundation and prepare the local economy to be conducive to job creation for Guyanese.

“You can’t have a policy in the Budget call ‘job creation’ and just create jobs in isolation. What a government has to do is to prepare the economy, prepare the country to make it conducive for jobs to be created, and that is what the Government is doing… We have specific programmes to target specific communities to attract investments to those communities to create jobs,” he noted.

This, the AG pointed out, is reflected in the huge volume of capital expenditure Government has injected into the economy.

“When the money is going to be spent, and when the Government execute capital projects, who will we employ in these projects? Is it not Guyanese that will be employed in these projects? How are these projects going to become reality?

Where the construction materials will come from? Not

Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister Anil Nandlall

from the stores in Guyana if they are available locally? And who supply the stores with locally-produced goods? Isn’t that how employment is created?” the Minister contended.

Moreover, Nandlall went on to outline that Government is fostering the creation of jobs through Private Sector partnerships.

“What the budget does not even mention is the tens of thousands of jobs that are going to be created because of the foundation laid by the Budget. So, you have all these hotels that are coming to be built – one by the seawall, one by the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, one by the Ogle Airport; and then you have that road that is going open the highway between Ogle and Eccles. With the lands that will be open up there, don’t you think jobs are going to be created by these

projects, almost all of which are going to be private sector-driven projects?” the AG asserted.

In fact, he noted that already there are many local and foreign investors that are preparing to capitalise on the infrastructural transformation projects by setting up critical ventures such as ready-mix cement plants.

“You think these plants are decorative? These businessmen invested huge sums of money to bring all these expensive and sophisticated type of machinery and equipment. You think they are doing it for decorative purposes? Don’t you think they intend to use them? And when they do, they are going to create jobs directly and indirectly and use them in projects,” Nandlall argued.

The PPP/C presented its first full year but second national budget last week

to the tune of a whopping $383.1 billion, and according to Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh, one of its main objectives is to ensure a diversified and resilient productive sector by facilitating large-scale private investment in both traditional and new and emerging sectors, in order to create 50,000 jobs in the next five years.

“Budget 2021 outlines a set of policies, programmes and projects which will not only directly catalyse economic growth, but will also see billions of US dollars of private investment realised across several sectors of the economy. Over and beyond oil and gas, the opportunities in agriculture, in

tourism and hospitality, in manufacturing, in the service sector, all point to investment opportunity and tens of thousands of jobs being created in the shortest space of time, generating incomes and creating prosperity at both an individual level and at a national level,” the Finance Minister had stated.

Dr Singh further noted that Government will continue to generate opportunities for youths to participate in the job market and national development. With this in mind, Government plans to establish a National Job Bank and Labour Exchange to improve access to employment opportunities for job

seekers, including youths.

Already, more than 450 jobs are anticipated to be created in the area of business process outsourcing (BPO) with the operationalisation of call centres at Tuschen, Enmore, and Linden partly facilitated by decreased cost of internet service after Government proposed to remove the value-added tax (VAT) on data for residential and individual use as part of its liberalisation agenda.

Meanwhile, another 3000 employment opportunities are expected to be created when the Wales Development Authority (WDA) becomes operational. (G8)

10 NEWS

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

25 new COVID-19 cases 4-month-old after 1045 persons tested baby dies after G

uyana’s COVID-19 cases increased by 25 on Thursday after a total of 1045 swabs were sent for analysis.

Seven patients are seeking treatment in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), as deaths remain at 189.

There are 45 persons in institutional isolation, 468 on home isolation, and 14 in institutional quarantine.

The country has seen a total of 7629 recoveries from 8338 positive cases.

Meanwhile, Guyana has tested 56,902 persons thus far, with 4323 males and 4015 females turning up positive.

airport here before being allowed to exit the building.

Private facilities have been set up at the airport to conduct these tests for persons both arriving into and leaving the country.

However, while he noted that there have been cases of people falsifying their COVID tests to entire Guyana, Dr Anthony said there has not been any such specific case for persons leaving the country.

Nevertheless, the Heath Minister on Wednesday cautioned that those found culpable of committing this act would be prosecuted by the Police. Further, he is urging persons to check which labs have been certified in Guyana to conduct these COVID tests. (G12)

New cases

A breakdown shows that two new cases were detected in Region One (BarimaWaini), three in Region Three (Essequibo IslandsWest Demerara) and 20 in Region Four (DemeraraMahaica).

Cases in the other regions remain the same, with 233 in Region Two (PomeroonSupenaam), 225 in Region Five (Demerara-Mahaica), 462 in Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne), 758 in Region Seven (CuyuniMazaruni), 245 in Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni), 413 in Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) and 641 in Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice).

Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony on Thursday said that Ministry have witnessed an overall decline in the active cases after there was a spike in the trend at the beginning of the year.

However, in the community of Waramadong, the situation is yet to improve.

“We still have an issue in Waramadong, where we still

have a number of cases in that community. But, as we know, we have a team there.

We have a resident doctor who has been providing additional support. My anticipation is that, in a next couple of days, we should start seeing a decline in the cases that we have there,” he explained.

This week, it was informed that local authorities are heightening their monitoring of persons passing through Guyana’s airports amid reports of forged COVID-19 test results.

Dr Anthony disclosed, “We had reports of people forging their PCR to come to Guyana, and we have launched an investigation into that, and we have alerted airport authorities

for those respective countries, telling them that this is something we have heard of and we would like them to be extra vigilant. We’ve also alerted the airlines that are bringing in passengers from those destinations. So, we have done some of that work to heighten vigilance in terms of persons coming in.”

As it is, persons entering Guyana are required to have a negative PCR test taken within seven days prior to their arrival. Persons with tests done within one to three days upon their arrival will not be subjected to any further health checks.

However, those with tests that were completed within four to seven days prior to their arrival would be subjected to a PCR test at the

falling asleep

P

olice are investigating the circumstances which led to the death of a four-monthold baby from Siparuta Village, Upper Corentyne, Region Six (East BerbiceCorentyne), who died suddenly after she went to sleep. The incident was reported at about 11:15h on Wednesday.

Her 33-year-old father told Police that his child was having difficulty breathing moments before she fell asleep. About 15 minutes after, the logger discovered that she was not breathing.

The child was taken to the Skeldon Hospital, where

she was pronounced dead on arrival. Investigations are continuing.

On February 9, a twoyear-old of Barima Kariabo, North West District, Region One (Barima-Waini), began suffering from a high fever.

On February 13, the child’s condition worsened, and the toddler became motionless.

He was rushed to the Barima Kariabo Health Centre and then to the Mabaruma Hospital. The child was seen by a doctor, who pronounced him dead on arrival. A post mortem examination later revealed the cause of death as pneumonia.

Cop struck down while on duty in Berbice

A

Police Constable is now a patient in the male surgical ward of the New Amsterdam Hospital, after he was stuck down by a motor car along the Lewis Manor Public Road, East Coast Berbice, on Wednesday evening.

The injured cop has been identified as 27-year-old Phildon Henry. Based on reports received, at about 18:45h on the day in question, the Police rank was responding to a report in the area when he was struck down by a car driven by a 22-year-old woman of Cumberland, East Canje Berbice.

As a result of being struck down, Henry fell on the roadway and sustained

injuries. He was subsequently picked up and taken to the New Amsterdam Public Hospital, where he was treated and admitted a patient. Guyana Times understands that Henry suffered a fractured right collarbone.

The driver of the vehicle was arrested, and is assisting Police with investigations.

On Sunday last, Police Lance Corporal Culwin Forrester, attached to the Beterverwagting Police Station, East Coast Demerara, suffered a broken pelvis after he was struck down by a motor car while on patrol.

It was reported that the now injured rank, along

with three others, was on patrol duty in the vicinity of Agriculture Road, Triumph, ECD when an unknown silver-grey Carina 212 motor car was observed parked on the western side of the road.

The ranks reportedly exited their vehicle and approached the motor car, but it suddenly sped off, hitting Forrester in the process.

As a result, the rank fell onto the road surface and sustained several injuries about his body.

He was picked up in a semi-conscious state and taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital, where he was seen, examined, and later admitted for a broken pelvis.

NEWS

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FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2021|| GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Alleged boyfriend arrested for murder Woman stabs knife-wielding husband threatening to kill her of Guyanese teacher in St Maarten

A

32-year-old woman stabbed her husband at their Linden, Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice) residence after he threatened to kill her at knifepoint.

According to Police reports, the wounding incident occurred at about 21:00h on Wednesday.

The woman, a supervisor at Church’s Chicken, went home after a day out, and

a heated argument ensued with her 27-year-old partner. As he questioned her whereabouts, the taxi driver armed himself with a knife, placed it across her neck, and threatened to kill her.

He then placed the knife on the kitchen counter, and the woman picked it up and dealt him one stab wound.

In reaction, the injured man went into the living

Police issue wanted bulletin for fraudster

T

he Guyana Police Force has issued a wanted bulletin for 63-year-old Ryan Ferreira.

He is wanted for questioning in relation to forging of documents with intent to defraud the public, and demanding property upon a forged instrument. These offences were allegedly committed on April 2, 2020.

Ferreira’s last known address was given as Lot 16 Durban Street, Werk-enRust, Georgetown.

Anyone with information that can lead to the arrest of the wanted man is asked to contact the Police on telephone numbers 226-6978,

Wanted: Ryan Ferreira

225-8196, 226-2870, 911, or at the nearest Police station.

All information would be treated with the strictest confidence.

room, picked up a cutlass and inflicted several injures about the woman’s body with the flat side of the weapon. She also received a chop wound to her right index finger.

They were both taken to the Linden Hospital Complex, where they were seen and examined by a doctor on duty. The woman was treated, discharged, and thereafter arrested and placed into Police custody.

Her spouse was admitted a patient suffering a punctured lung. He was transferred to the Georgetown Public Hospital, where a surgery is scheduled.

The cutlass and knife were retrieved by the Police and lodged as exhibits.

Police are continuing their investigations. (G12)

Murder suspect: Bernal Louingston Neale

A

s authorities in St. Maarten continue their investigation into the brutal murder of Guyanese art teacher Rhonda Thomas, who was found dead in her Beacon Hill home on Monday last,

Police have arrested a suspect identified as Bernal Louingston Neale.

It was reported by SMN News that the suspect, a national of Nevis, is the alleged boyfriend of the dead teacher. Neale is well known to Police as a “woman abuser”, as his permanent residency was revoked in 2006 by former Lt. Governor Franklin Richards because Police had several cases against him for abusing women with weapons.

In 2006, Neale was accused of abusing his ex-wife, a minor, and a girlfriend.

However, he appealed the decision issued by former Lt. Governor Franklin Richards, and managed to keep his permanent residency and remain in St. Maarten.

Linden taxi driver fined for assaulting cop

A

Linden taxi driver was on Wednesday fined $30,000 by Magistrate Wanda Fortune for assaulting a Police officer.

Thirty-year-old Tramaine Ross appeared at the Linden Magistrate’s Court, where the charge was read to him. Police stated that he assaulted Police Corporal Nicholas Ingram, thus provoking a breach of the peace. The incident occurred on December 2, 2020 at Republic Avenue, Mackenzie, Linden.

Prosecution facts stated that on the day in question, the rank was performing traffic duties at the location when he observed a heavily tinted vehicle bearing registration number PXX962 being driven by the defendant. The rank reportedly intercepted the

Taxi driver Tramaine Ross

vehicle and enquired about a tint permit, while asking the defendant to produce his driver’s licence and other relevant documents.

The court heard that the defendant failed to produce the necessary documents, but exited his car and hurled an insult at the rank before physically assaulting him to his head.

He was arrested and later charged.

Murdered: Rhonda Thomas

Police Spokesman Joe Josepha confirmed a suspect was arrested on Wednesday evening. It was reported that on Monday, February 15, 2021, at approximately 12.00h, the Police officers found Thomas lying motionless in her home.

It was concluded that the victim died of foul play, and her body was confiscated for further investigation.

After the arrest, a search was conducted at the house of the suspect in the Middle Region area. Several items were confiscated during the house search by the detectives.

Subsequently, the suspect was handed over to the Police Station in Philipsburg, St. Maarten, where he remains in custody pending further investigation.

12 NEWS

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Woman wanted for murder of La Grange businesswoman nabbed in Suriname

Murdered: Bibi Nasmonisha Ramjit

A

woman who is wanted for the murder of La Grange, West Bank Demerara businesswoman Bibi Nasmonisha Ramjit has been nabbed in Suriname, and was handed over to Guyanese authorities on Wednesday.

The suspect, Jankie Tapsie, 27, was arrested in the ancient county in November, 2020, but escaped from the Springlands Police Station after she requested to use the washroom.

On November 19, 2020, Police issued a bulletin for the woman, who was wanted for questioning in connection with the murder of the

85-year-old businesswoman.

Following her escape from lawful custody, local authorities were of the view that she had absconded to the Dutch-speaking country via the ‘back track’ route.

As such, the Police contacted their counterparts in that country.

The elderly businesswoman, who had lived alone, was found gagged and murdered in her home in October 2020. Her home was reportedly ransacked, thus leading investigators to believe that she was murdered during the commission of a robbery.

The now dead woman’s children are all overseas, and would visit from time to time.

It was reported that about four months ago, Ramjit, who operated a grocery shop, was terrorised, assaulted and robbed by several men who had invaded her home. They escaped with a large sum of money.

According to a family member, Ramjit did not make a report to the Police, since she was fearful that the robbers would return.

One month after that incident, Ramjit was again robbed while she was sleeping in her hammock.

It is believed that the same group of men who committed the first robbery had entered her home and removed an undisclosed sum

Murder accused: Rishiram Singh

of money, which had been kept in one of the bedrooms of the house.

On the day Ramjit was murdered, one of her customers had gone to pay some money that he owed her, but after calling out several times and receiving no response, he thought something was amiss, since both the doors to her shop and house were opened.

As such, he went into the house, where he made the horrific discovery. He reportedly raised an alarm, and the Police were contact-

ed.

Meanwhile, Rishiram Singh, a taxi driver, was subsequently arraigned for the murder of the 86-yearold businesswoman, and was remanded to prison by Magistrate Faith McGusty.

Singh was not required to plead to the indictable charge when he appeared in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court.

Now that Jamkie is arrested, she is expected to be slapped with a murder charge.

Murder suspect: Jankie Tapsie

NEWS

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FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Filaria campaign already reached 39,000 persons

Public Works Minister Juan Edghill about to take his filaria pills

L

ess than one week into the last leg of the filaria campaign, than 39,000 persons already taken their a good start in the to eliminate the dis-

more have pills– quest ease.

This was announced by Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony on Thursday, who commended the response received thus far. This figure is only for Regions Three (Essequibo IslandsWest Demerara) and Four (Demerara-Mahaica), where the mass drug administration programme is currently ongoing.

Once the campaign proves successful, Guyana would have succeeded in eliminating filaria through

Local Government Minister Nigel Dharamlall about to ingest the filaria pills

certification from the World Health Organisation (WHO).

“Our expectation is that we are going to be spending 14 days in these two regions. So far, the response has been really good. We were able as of yesterday afternoon (Wednesday) to reach at least 39,000 persons and that’s a relatively good percentage in just a short time. Our teams continue to work and we would like to urge the population to give them the cooperation,” the Minister said.

He added that the teams were circulating in various communities and would be able to address any questions from the public.

Persons are asked to take

the pills, as the campaign later moves to other regions.

“This is a team effort.

We are providing the medication and we want people to take the medication, because we want them to be protected. When you see the team around, talk to them, get educated, and take the medication so that we can eliminate filaria from Guyana,” Dr Anthony stressed.

The WHO data shows that some 900 million people in 49 different countries are at risk of contracting filaria. As such, the Health Minister said this campaign was a national effort to completely eliminate filaria, as he called for political unity

Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony leading by example in the filaria campaign

in realising this objective.

“More than 90 per cent of our population is at risk of this disease…Once we complete this exercise, then henceforth, nobody in Guyana should ever have to deal with filaria again.

If we are able to accomplish this as a people, then that is going to be a wonderful achievement for all of us...This exercise is one where all of us would have to come together as one people to fight this disease, and I am extremely happy that we can have political unity, so that we can demonstrate to our public that there is no politics involved here,” he was quoted as saying during the launching last week.

For the campaign, training has been completed for 1400 pill distributors, 170 field officers, 20 regional coordinators, and eight national supervisors spanning 138 health facilities across the country. For those persons who have already contracted filaria, he said they were working on treatment to prevent them from developing a disability.

It is recommended by the WHO that mass administration of medicines will be rolled out in countries seeking to eliminate filariasis completely. Guyana would have completed the first round of pills distribution and now the last round will be administered to citizens. The campaign should

be completed by May. Guyanese are given three tablets: Ivermectin, Diethylcarbamazine (DEC) and Albendazole. The combination of pills is called the IDA. The number of tablets administered varies by age, and they are not to be given to pregnant women and children below the age of two years old.

According to information from the WHO, the disease is caused by three species of thread-like nematode worms, known as filariae – Wuchereria bancrofti, Brugia malayi and Brugia timori. Male worms range from three to four centimetres in length, and female worms eight to10 centimetres.

$900M HIV allocation will expand PrEP programme – Health Minister

H

ealth Minister, Dr Frank Anthony has said that strategies were underway to expand the Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) services , supported by the $900 million budgetary allocation that was set aside for the HIV programme.

Guyana is aiming to achieve the United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) “90-90-90 target”, which seeks to have 90 per cent of people living with HIV become aware of their infection, 90 per cent of the people diagnosed with HIV gain access to antiretroviral treatment (ART) and 90 per cent of those on treatment achieve having undetectable levels of HIV in their blood.

“We want to accelerate this process of getting more people on treatment and to get more people virally suppressed. With that in mind, the allocations that we have received, a lot of that would go in the direction of providing adequate amounts of ARVs (Antiretroviral treatment) and to make sure that the patients are receiving

the ARVs… Starting from this year, we will be extending our pre-exposure prophylaxis programme to cover anyone who is at risk.

That is something that is going to be new,” the Minister outlined on Thursday.

The previous Government had started a programme of offering these medications to persons who were in relationships with HIV-positive persons.

However, Dr Anthony said they were moving to expand the service to anyone who feels they are at risk.

“We want to extend that so that anyone who feel that they’re at risk would be able to come into one of our clinics and receive the pre-exposure prophylaxis medication. That is something that has been recommended by PAHO/WHO, UNAIDS and many of the international bodies that have been working on HIV because they see this as one of the most effective ways in reducing HIV transmission,” he noted.

The Minister further noted that PrEP is shown to work in persons who consistently take the medication

based on the guidelines – that is, they would not contract the virus.

Earlier this year, it

was announced that HIV self-testing would be rolled out, and Dr Anthony said that while some may be fear-

ful, it presents an advantage for greater privacy for the individuals. Moreover, other countries have not detected any of the concerns which have been raised.

He explained, “The research and findings from other countries where this is being implemented has not shown any of these fears or things that people would envisage has happened. In fact, it allows people in the privacy of their own home to be able to do these tests, check their status. Once

they know, then they would probably come into the clinic and get it verified and further actions can be taken.”

Currently, the National AIDS Programme Secretariat and other stakeholders are developing a strategy to materialise this self-testing mechanism. It will be implemented after the Budget debates when kits are procured. These initiatives fall under the new strategic plan that ends in 2025, which also focuses on HIV/TB coinfections. (G13)

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FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

CDC, CDEMA talk disaster recovery in agriculture sector R

esponse to disaster recovery in the agricultural sector was the focus of discussion on Wednesday, as the Civil Defence Commission (CDC) facilitated a workshop on resiliency and addressing gaps.

In collaboration with the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA); the World Bank and Enabling Gender-Responsive Disaster Recovery, Climate and Environmental Resilience in the Caribbean (EnGenDER), the engagement focused on the completion of the sectoral level assessment of the Comprehensive Disaster Management (CDM) Recovery Audit Tool.

CDEMA’s Planning and Business Development Manager, Sharon Layne-Augustine noted, “Since the revision of the recovery component of the tool in September 2020, we are now better able to assess the state of resilient recovery and identify gaps.

This ensures that underlying risks and long-term recovery are ad-

Flooding at Mahaica which resulted in damage to crops and livestock (file photo)

dressed. The recovery phase of the Audit Tool now also better recognises inclusiveness through the promotion of partnerships and collaboration across multi-agency and interdisciplinary groups,” Layne-Augustine added.

She said it also promoted better social inclusion as it considered the poor, elderly, and other vulnerable groups such as farmers who

rely on natural resources for their livelihood and are at high risk of these disastrous impacts.

The application of the CDM Recovery Audit Tool component and the analysis of data gathered are expected to improve from Governments and agencies to enable faster and resilient recovery in the aftermath of disasters.

Recommendations from the as-

sessment will form the design of technical assistance activities to improve resilient recovery in national sectors of eligible countries.

Apart from Guyana, technical assistance will be offered to Antigua and Barbuda, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Jamaica, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, and Suriname.

In January 2021 with support

from the CDEMA, the CanadaCaribbean Resilience Facility and the World Bank, the CDC commenced the application of a national disaster recovery audit to ascertain the country’s disaster recovery capacity.

This process led to a more focused approach on the agricultural sector, which is one of the largest sectors that contribute to the economy in Guyana. However, the sector is very susceptible to the impacts of natural and anthropogenic hazards.

CDC Director General, Lieutenant Colonel Kester Craig also highlighted, “Guyana’s coastal plain, where most of the agricultural land and businesses are located, is highly vulnerable to floods and droughts. The reported frequency of natural emergencies and disasters has risen significantly in the past years, with the coastal zones particularly exposed.

Managing the changes in coastal dynamics and protecting our agriculture sector should not be taken for granted.” (G12)

Movietowne unveils exciting Mash Festival

T

o raise the spirits this Mashramani season amid the current pandemic, Movietowne on Wednesday evening launched its Mash Festival with an explosion of colours and local culture.

Filled with local food, crafts, and everything that is synonymous with Guyanese, the Liliendaal, East Coast Demerara (ECD) mall has been transformed to give a glimpse of the true Mashramani spirit.

General Manager Rochelle Parasram said

this initiative was to celebrate Guyana, as the country marks another Republic Day milestone on February 23. Movietowne’s Mash Festival was coordinated with the Culture, Youth and Sport Ministry to celebrate the holiday in the safest way.

“As always, Movietowne loves to celebrate and Mash is soon around the corner, and we wanted to make a season out of this.

Mashramani is an annual festival to celebrate Guyana becoming a cooperative republic and Movietowne is

adamant on promoting local crafts, services, [and] talents.”

This format was chosen in light of the current COVID-19 pandemic, which has limited social contact and large gatherings. As such, persons are presented with a safer environment to be part of the festivities.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has deeply impacted the world and all businesses alike, restructuring the way we live and the way we operate. Being patriotic and celebrating our national heritage should be no dif-

A glimpse of the Mash Festival at Movietowne

ferent…This event is free of cost to visit and purchases can be made to local vendors, showcasing their various crafts, whether it may be jewellery, clothing, footwear, ornaments, souvenirs and more,” Parasram expressed.

Meanwhile, Tourism

and Hospitality Association of Guyana (THAG) President Mitra Ramkumar lauded the event as an avenue for persons to participate in the cultural aspect of Mashramani.

He highlighted, “It creates a safe space also for all the artisans and vendors. It

is not only safe for COVID, but it is also safe from a security perspective, meaning that the vendors are here and they don’t have to worry about a secure space.”

The stage at Movietowne will ignite with special performances on February 23 .

(G12)

NEWS

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FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

M&CC moving to regularise street vending in Georgetown

G

eorgetown Mayor Ubraj Narine announced that the Mayor and City Council will be regularising all street vending activities in Georgetown, Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica).

He made this announcement on Thursday during a meeting held at the forecourt of the City Hall, themed “Keeping vending neat, clean and organised”.

Narine explained that the implementation of the regularisation policy will ensure that street vending was done in an organised and uniform manner.

“You will come and register at the Mayor and City Council. You will have a vendors’ ID card and you will be given a spot [that’s] numbered and your ID will carry that number,” he detailed.

In addition, he urged vendors to adhere to the existing laws and regulations that are in place.

Echoing the Mayor’s sentiments for proper documentation, Head of the Public Health Department of the M&CC, Dr Suzette Reynolds also encouraged vendors to acquire their food handler’s certificate. She noted that the certificate was applicable to all vendors who peel and repackage fruits, sell homemade juices and ultimately, those who sell food.

Dr Reynolds added that the licences were valid for one year and ensured vendors and workers were fit to handle food. She explained that acquiring this licence would save vendors from being served notices.

Mayor Narine added that the Council was working on a standardised receipt to issue to vendors after they pay their user fee in an effort to develop a more standardised and accountable system.

Meanwhile, highlighting the issues that the Council currently faced with the

Vendors gathered at City Hall’s forecourt on Thursday during a meeting with officials from M&CC

street vendors, Senior Supervisor of tax within the M&CC, Kurt Clarke explained that issues ranged from payment of user fees to poor environmental hygiene.

He detailed that “what we have discovered over a number of years, with reve-

nue staff and vendors alike, there is always an issue of payment. There have been numerous complaints coming in from not only vendors but also revenue staff”.

Additionally, he explained, “What is observed also is the untidiness of our environment. You find ven-

dors are giving persons garbage even to bring outside of the fences here and offload it into our drains. Even between Hincks Street and Avenue of the Republic, you stand there in the nights and you will observe persons are dumping and urinating.”

He noted that with the dumping of the garbage, main drains and even the sewerage system become clogged.

“I observe on numerous occasions that people with disabilities cannot use the pave, they have to walk on the road. You need to control the spaces you use; we notice people are regularly extending without the permission of the Council,” he further explained.

Clarke warned vendors about erecting unauthorised structures on the pavement and along the roadways.

He urged vendors that they should remove their belongings after the end of vending daily.

Ultimately, he urged vendors to cooperate with the Council and to work with them to remedy the existing issues. Further, Clarke pleaded for a productive year with fewer confrontations between the vendors and the City Council. (G15)

2014 taxi driver’s murder

Jury hears accused killer pointed out at ID parade

Dead: Raphael Campbell

A

s s i s t a n t Superintendent of Police (ASP), Mahadeo Singh on Thursday told a 12-member jury that Shawn Edinboro – one of the men on trial for the 2014 murder of Beterverwagting, East Coast Demerara (ECD) taxi driver Raphael Campbell – was pointed out at an identification parade.

Edinboro and Michael Bishop are on trial before Justice Brassington Reynolds for the murder of Campbell, which occurred between January 2

and January 3, 2014. The two accused are appearing in court virtually from the Lusignan Prison. Attorneysat-Law Latchmie Rahamat and Bernard DaSilva are appearing for the defence; the State’s case is being presented by Prosecutors Seeta Bishundial and Tyra Bakker.

Reports are that on January 2, 2020, Campbell picked up a few male passengers at Camp Street, Georgetown, and took them to a village on the East Coast of Demerara, where he was robbed and slain.

His body was found the next day. Police had stated that Edinboro, Bishop, and some other men were stopped at a roadblock on the LindenSoesdyke Highway.

They were allegedly found in the motor car that was stolen from Campbell.

When the trial continued on Thursday, ASP Mahadeo, who was stationed at the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) in January 2014, said that he assisted with investigations into the

Murder accused: Michael Bishop

taxi driver’s killing. He said that on January 11, 2014, he contacted Edinboro at the Beterverwagting Police Station and told him that he was a suspect in the murder.

According to the Police rank, he informed Edinboro that he would be conducting an identification parade to which he agreed. He said that he told the accused of his rights before placing him on the identification parade with seven other persons of a similar race, colour, height, and general appearance.

Murder accused: Shawn Edinboro

Jailed: Shawn Collins

The ASP recounted that a Police Constable pointed out Edinboro as the person who drove away from him on the day in question.

In November 2020, another man, 23-year-old Shawn Collins was sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment for the taxi driver’s killing. He was arraigned before Justice Navindra Singh and opted to plead guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter. (G1)

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FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Forced to consume poison

West Berbice woman tried to leave abusive marriage, had dreams of a better life overseas

Deceased: Sattie Jagmohan

By Devina Samaroo

S

attie Jagmohan, 27, of Cotton Tree, West Coast Berbice (WCB,) had tried on numerous occasions to leave her abusive marriage, but would always return to her partner after he would threaten to take her life.

Jagmohan, a mother of three young children, died on Wednesday – some two weeks after her husband, Ramesh Nandlall, held a cutlass to her neck and forced her to consume a poisonous substance.

The woman’s best friend of some 17 years, Deepa Khublall, is calling for the

full force of the law to be meted out against the man responsible for her friend’s demise, and for more to be done to help women who are silently suffering from domestic violence.

Khublall, who knew Jagmohan since high school, related that the young lady grew up in poverty. Though she performed well in school, Jagmohan had gotten pregnant shortly after she graduated, and was unable to find a job. The man with whom she was having a child had left her. Sometime after, Jagmohan entered into a relationship with Nandlall, and the two have been together for some eight years.

However, Khublall said, Nandlall had always been abusive towards Jagmohan, but the woman was forced to stay in the relationship due to poverty and for the sake of her three children, aged 10, six, and four.

Notwithstanding, Jagmohan attempted to leave the abusive marriage on numerous occasions, but her husband would always find her and force her to return to him.

“Every time she leaves the relationship, he would always find her and beg her to go back…she would always go back because of

Deepa Khublall

the kids, and then his family would go and beg, and she would eventually go back,” Khublall explained to Guyana Times.

“So many times she refused not to go, and he would always threaten her [by saying] ‘If you don’t come back to me, I am going to kill you’, or, ‘If I see you with any other guy, I am going to harm you or kill you’,” the friend added.

Against this backdrop, Khublall said, she had encouraged her friend to leave the country, and she was in the process of helping her friend and her children.

“Any time she tried to

leave in Guyana, he would always stop her, and beg her to go back. So, she had a vision to move out of Guyana and go to a foreign country and make a better life,” she explained.

However, Khublall noted that whenever her husband finds out that Jagmohan has money in her possession, he would take it away from her.

Khublall also related that her friend had dreams of furthering her studies, but was unable to do so because of her financial situation.

“She was a kind person.

She doesn’t have much to give you, but she would give you anything and everything. She is the type of person that is always willing to help and give,” Khublall expressed.

“Fed up”

Khublall said that during conversations with her best friend, she would often express that she is “fed up” of her current living conditions and the constant abuse.

According to Khublall, on February 3, Nandlall had returned home drunk and began to verbally abuse Jagmohan. Jagmohan had then expressed that she was “fed up”.

This caused her husband to become angry and he

started to beat her.

Khublall said Nandlall told his wife if she was “fed up”, then she should just “drink poison and dead”.

The man then found a bottle of poisonous substance and gave the woman to drink, but she refused.

He started to beat her, and then he grabbed a cutlass and place it behind her neck, forcing her to consume the poison.

The incident, according to Khublall, unfolded in the presence of the three young children.

Jagmohan was then rushed to the Fort Wellington Hospital, and was later transferred to the New Amsterdam Hospital, where she died on February 17.

Prior to her death, Jagmohan informed Police of what had transpired, and Nandlall was arrested on February 9.

An investigation was done and the file was sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions, from whom legal advice was obtained.

It was recommended that Nandlall be charged with attempt to commit murder.

Nandlall was charged on February 12 with the said offence. He appeared before Magistrate Peter Hugh at

Ramesh Nandlall

the Blairmont Magistrate’s Court and was not required to plead; and he was remanded to prison.

Nandlall is still on remand. However, it is expected that he will now face a murder charge.

Meanwhile, with their mother dead and their father likely to be imprisoned, it is unclear what will become of the children, as the woman’s family still lives in poverty.

Khublall says she would do all she can to help, but she is also calling on the Government and other organisations to assist in any way they can.

More Prosecutors, case management software for justice system …as Govt addresses backlog, delays in Budget 2021

T

he human resource capacity and infrastructure at the Chambers of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) will be significantly boosted under the $4.6 billion allocated in the 2021 budget for justice sector reform and strengthening.

Added to this, the Government intends to procure software to better manage cases to reduce the backlog and delays in the justice system.

This is in keeping with the Government’s commitment to ensure that all citizens have access to, and are

protected by, the justice system. The budget makes provisions for the DPP’s Chambers to get expanded office space, to house more prosecutors who currently are unable to be hired at the moment. Once this is done, 10 legal staff will be hired to assist the Director of Public Prosecutions, Shalimar Ali-Hack, SC, in addressing a larger caseload over a shorter period.

The DPP is currently assisted by three Assistant Directors of Public Prosecution, three Senior State Counsels, and approximately 11 State Counsels.

Also, $100 million is ear-

be deployed to courthouses throughout Guyana, augmenting the current complement of prosecutors, thereby reducing the time taken to administer related legal services.

marked for the maintenance of infrastructure and buildings for the Supreme Court of Judicature and the DPP’s Chambers, which will together serve to ensure that improved physical facilities are made available.

According to the budget, the activities under the Support for Criminal Justice System programme will unfold, after a period of stagnation under the previous APNU/AFC Administration, with $325 million budgeted for 2021 for interventions, in-

In January 2021, Attorney General Anil Nandlall, SC, said Government intends to confront the large delays and backlogs across the judicial system, especially at the Court of Appeal, where he noted that the situation is a

cluding strengthening of probation services and legal aid.

Under the programme, the Government has initiated a programme with the University of Guyana that will see law degree holders who are unable to attend the Hugh Wooding Law School being trained to prosecute alongside public and Police prosecutors. They will

significant problem.

According to him, the backlog of cases and delays in access to justice have characterised Guyana’s judiciary for close to two decades. He noted that the delay has resulted in massive miscarriages of justice. Although the backlog was cleared in the civil division of the High Courts, there remains stagnation in the

Significant problem

Criminal Assizes, the Appeal Court, and the Magistrates’ Courts, Nandlall added.

He pointed out that the previous backlog “virtually brought the wheels of justice in this country to a standstill in civil cases, and it caused persons in the criminal justice system to spend years and years in prison, incarcerated sometimes for offences they were later found not guilty of.”

Taking this into consideration, in Budget 2021, the Government announced that it will procure software to better manage cases.

The previous PPP/C Government had commenced addressing the issue of backlog cases in the High Courts; however, these gains were not sustained by the APNU/ AFC Government, resulting in serious implications for both the justice system as well as the security sector.

Last week, the US Embassy in Georgetown announced that it was part-

nering with the Judiciary of Guyana to develop an automated court case management system. The United States expects to invest more than US$400,000 in the system, making it the largest new investment in a judicial sector assistance programme in Guyana in years. It is scheduled to be completed in 17 months.

The overall goal of this project is to improve the functioning of Guyana’s judicial system. The new case management system would help Guyana’s judiciary ensure criminal cases are handled expeditiously, reduce the case backlog, and increase public trust and confidence in the justice system. The court case management system would utilise a shared, open-source and cost-effective technology to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of judges and court staff by automating document production, improving processes, and facilitating data sharing.

NEWS

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FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Decomposed bodies in boat

“We have searched our waters thoroughly” – Edghill …says aerial, sea search proved futile

I

t has been four days since a boat containing several decomposed bodies was spotted offshore Guyana, but it has since disappeared without a trace.

After days of combing Guyana’s waters, members of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Coast Guard were not successful in locating the vessel, which was first spotted on Monday at about 14:15h.

When contacted on Thursday, Public Works Minister Juan Edghill told Guyana Times there has been no sighting of the vessel although there were both aerial and water top searches.

He explained that following the news of the vessel being spotted, a GDF boat was deployed to the area, which is about 112 nautical miles offshore Guyana, to search for same, but after more than two days, the

boat returned on Thursday morning without any success.

“We have searched our waters thoroughly, and there was not sighting… we now depend on our international collaboration to search outside of Guyana’s EEZ (Exclusive Economic Zone).

He further stated that once the boat in question is spotted in any other country, there is a mechanism in place to alert the various international partners.

On Wednesday evening, the Maritime Administration Department (MARAD) explained that “the boat with the seemingly lifeless persons on board has not been seen since the evening of Monday, February 15, 2021”.

The agency had stated that a vessel of the Coast Guard remained at sea with the aim of locating

the vessel, but up to late Wednesday evening, it did not report any sighting of the boat.

As such, MARAD stated that the vessel might be possibly drifting to Trinidad and Tobago, based on ocean current.

The boat was last sighted at around 17:53h on Monday, approximately 83 miles off Guyana’s coast.

Authorities say the boat was drifting in a westerly direction.

A crew from ExxonMobil had informed MARAD of the situation. The bodies were in a badly decomposed state, and it was suspected that there were about five to ten persons. The unverified photos of the vessel seen by this publication suggest that the bodies were mutilated.

However, MARAD had asked ExxonMobil to put out a tow line and bring the

boat to shore, but the crew indicated that they had to seek permission. By 15:00h, they received permission to tow the boat to the shore, but their efforts proved unsuccessful.

On Tuesday, after hours of searching, the boat was not found. During an emergency press conference on Tuesday night, officials explained that the weather was bad at sea and there was a possibility that the boat had sunk.

This was according to Director of Maritime Safety, Retired Coast Guard Commander John Flores, who stated that the vessel, which is fairly deep, might have accumulated sea water or rain water due to “very bad weather.”

He noted that the open vessel seemed to be a river craft, which made it more susceptible to flooding by rain or sea water.

Public Works Minister Bishop Juan Edghill

On Tuesday, two boats with two 200-horsepower outboard engines had left Morawhanna in Region One (Barima-Waini) and executed search patterns offshore and inshore that encompassed the area from the western boundary of Guyana’s maritime bor-

der all the way to Anna Regina, Essequibo Coast.

Additionally, the GDF executed three reconnaissance flights over the initial search area, and also the expanded search area.

Despite these efforts, the vessel has not been found.

(G10)

Calls for ExxonMobil to shut down over flaring unnecessarily extreme – GOGEC

R

ecent calls for the Government to shut down operations of United States oil giant ExxonMobil over its latest flaring episode on the Liza Destiny vessel offshore have been described by President of the Guyana Oil and Gas Energy Chamber (GOGEC) Manniram Prashad as “unnecessarily extreme”.

During a press conference on Wednesday hosted by the Alliance For Change (AFC), Executive Member and former Head of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Dr Vincent Adams, said the Liza permit explicitly states that the EPA has the authority to terminate operations at any time.

til the issues with the flash gas compressor are solved.

“GOGEC wishes to point out that this call by the former EPA head is an unwarranted and unnecessarily extreme in the circumstance.

While any excessive flaring is unacceptable, GOGEC is cognisant that with regards to the specific matter, the Government of Guyana and ExxonMobil and its partners are currently addressing the matter,” the missive detailed.

Prashad posited in the missive that, as a new oil producing country, it is imperative that Guyana appreciates and understands that the global oil industry is one that is heavily capital intensive, and by its very nature,

GOGEC President Manniram Prashad

of the manifestations of such risks over the years in other parts of the world, and has borne the costs that comes with it,” he noted.

Exxon flaring

As such, Dr Adams, who was sent on leave in August 2020, posited that if he were still heading the EPA, “… that is what I would’ve done, because we have been bending over for Exxon.”

However, in a statement on Thursday, Prashad expressed deep concern over the strong assertions by former EPA Executive Director to shut down operations un-

is an extremely risky business.

“Not only is the nature of the oil industry business one that is highly risky, but this is compounded by high regulatory costs in other countries whose industry is heavily regulated and of course – risks of oil spill which are also very costly to oil companies. ExxonMobil, unfortunately, has not been spared

Beyond control

The GOGEC President argued that these are factors that are beyond the control of ExxonMobil, coupled with the demand and supply dynamics that impact oil price volatility as well.

Prashad went on to remind that the US oil major commenced oil exploration activities in Guyana since 1999, after securing a con-

tract with the government of the day, and it was not until more than a decade later that Exxon struck oil in commercial quantities in 2015. “…if it wasn’t for ExxonMobil’s persistence and its risk appetite, Guyana would not have been an oil producing country today,” Prashad contended.

Meanwhile, GOGEC further outlined in its missive that owing to the now burgeoning oil and gas sector, Guyana’s average Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) annually pre–oil was US$260 million.

However, post oil production which started in 2019, FDIs now amount to US$1.7 billion - reflecting an increase of US$1.4 billion or 536 per cent from what Guyana’s normal average level of FDIs was before becoming an oil producing country.

In Thursday’s missive, Prashad reiterated the fact that ExxonMobil is an important partner in Guyana’s long-term development.

As such, he said “…it is unacceptable to allow any unnecessary calls for extreme consequences towards the company.

GOGEC, therefore, wishes to urge all stakeholders to seek to obtain win-win situations in these matters, rather than a strong-arm approach. This may not be healthy for the country’s and ExxonMobil’s mutual interest.”

Further, GOGEC cautioned that such calls for extreme actions can also stave off foreign investors and dampen investors’ confidence altogether – at a time when investors’ confidence in Guyana is at an all-time high.

“We therefore strongly reject such calls by the former EPA Head,” the Chamber stated.

Last month ExxonMobil

Former EPA Head, Dr Vincent Adams

said it had to increased its flaring of gas due to more technical issues on the gas compressor of the Liza Destiny Floating, Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel.

Technical issue

In a statement on January 29, the oil major said it is experiencing a technical issue with a seal on Liza Destiny’s gas compressor.

“This unfortunate incident resulted in us having to temporarily increase our flare above pilot levels in order to maintain safe operations,” the missive stated.

President of ExxonMobil

Guyana, Alistair Routledge, had noted that efforts are underway to fix this issue as soon as possible.

Only less than a year ago, the oil giant came under heavy fire for its flaring activities, which have negative effects on the environment, and has had environmentalists up in arms over the harmful exercise.

Meanwhile, the PPP/C Government has made its position pellucid on routine flaring, and, in the Payara Development Licence, prohibited the activity and included fines as well as provisions for the oil company to repay Guyana the cost of the gas wasted.

With regards to the Liza Destiny flaring, Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo, at a press conference last week, said the current levels are unacceptable.

ExxonMobil’s current level of flaring offshore Guyana has been described

by Vice President (VP) Bharrat Jagdeo as unacceptable, but he noted that the EPA’s hands are tied due to the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) that was approved. (G8)

news@guyanatimesgy.com

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FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2021

News

Govt announces resumption of Guyana-Suriname ferry service …only Guyanese, Surinamese allowed to travel

T

he Government has announced the resumption of the Guyana-Suriname ferry service, which operates between Moleson Creek, Corentyne, Berbice, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) and South Drain, Suriname from Sunday.

In a statement on Thursday evening, the Public Works Ministry said that the ferry was expected to depart Guyana about 09:00h and return to Guyana at 13:00h. Checkin, therefore, begins at 06:30h and ends at 08:00h.

This service will operate every Sunday, Wednesday, and Friday until further notice, the Ministry said.

However, importantly,

the Ministry advised that as a result of serious health concerns only Guyanese and Surinamese would be allowed to utilise this facility.

“We are not opening for regular international traffic for passengers with other passports. Diplomat residents in Guyana and in Suriname will be facilitated upon request through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of both countries,” the Ministry’s statement read.

Additionally, every passenger must have a negative Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) Test, and this must be taken within 72 hours of travel.

“All COVID-19 protocols, including the observing of social distancing on board

The MB Sandaka

and in the terminal building will be observed. Guyanese

can receive PCR test at all approved medical institu-

tions conducting PCR Test in Guyana while Guyanese in

Suriname can conduct their testing at Suriname’s Public Hospital and MeDiLab in Paramaribo.

Passengers are also asked to have all their travel documents required to travel to Suriname prior to COVID-19,” the Ministry said.

In the absence of the MV Canawaima, which is currently in Paramaribo undergoing maintenance works, Guyana will facilitate the service using the MB Sandaka.

The Guyana-Suriname ferry service was closed since March 14, 2020 – days after the first COVID-19 case was recorded in Guyana, prompting the shutdown of all ports of entry.

UG to host historic virtual graduations for 2500 in March GTT donates handsets to health-care workers

A

total of 2500 graduands from 50 different disciplines will graduate from the University of Guyana (UG) in a series of online graduation events at the end of March 2021, according to a statement from the university.

Those attending the event will be part of several historic events, including the first cohort of UG-trained PhDs from the Doctorate in Biodiversity programme.

Four virtual graduation ceremonies will be held for students who have completed the requirements for the academic year 2019/2020.

The graduations will be

held on March 19, 20, 26, and 27, 2021. Graduands will be grouped according to disciplines. The graduations will combine grad-

uands from across the university’s two campuses.

UG said that despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of prospective

graduands this year is set to break last year’s graduation record of 2133 by 367 or 17 per cent. Owing to the need to conduct business in safe mode in prevailing COVID-19 conditions, graduands will participate through a virtual march of graduate portraits to be taken in advance as well as through a live online interface.

A record number of attendees are expected at this year’s graduations, since given the online nature of the event there will be no limit to the number of invitees a graduand may bring along. The University has graduated upwards of 50,000 graduates in its 58year existence. Many of them have gone on to serve at the highest levels nationally and internationally.

The annual graduation exercise is a highlight on UG’s calendar of institutional events, since it provides not only an opportunity for celebrating the efforts of students, lecturers, families, and supporters but for stirring graduation speeches from valedictorians and high-profile keynote speakers.

Doctor Abel Caesar receives his handset from GTT Product Marketing Manager Ubrina Khan

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s part of GTT’s 30th anniversary giveback and in keeping with the company’s continued efforts to support frontline workers during the COVID-19 pandemic, it has provided another 15 of them with new handsets.

The mobile handsets were recently distributed to doctors and nurses across Guyana.

GTT Product Marketing Manager Ubrina Khan related that the company was expanding its initiative in assisting frontline workers in Guyana.

“This is the latest in our ongoing way of saying thank you to our frontline workers for being there 24/7 throughout the pandemic,” Khan shared.

“Since the start of the pandemic in Guyana, we have opted to show our support for doctors and nurses on the frontline.

In doing so, we promptly launched our Guyanese Heroes initiative that provides our medical professionals with free mobile service for as long as this pandemic lasts. We have pledged our support from

the start and intend on continuing that support to the end.”

Receiving one of the handsets was Doctor Abel Caesar, who is attached to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC). Dr Caesar expressed his gratitude to GTT for its commitment to frontline workers in Guyana.

“Since the pandemic started in Guyana, we have been working tirelessly, and GTT has recognised and supported our efforts. We are grateful to you [GTT] for your gifts,” Dr Caesar said.

Among the others who received handsets were Christian Lawrie, Dianne Edwards, Shelisa Wills, Shianne Gangoo, Vanrick Baird, Anasha Venture, Aneesa Venture, Dame Hercules, Mahadai Singh, Dr Orlando Hendricks, Arlene Burnett, Dr Nalini Williams, Dr Rhyan Henry, and Dr Serena Rambarran.

Since April 2020, GTT has been providing free mobile services to doctors and nurses in Guyana in light of the pandemic.

guyanatimesgy.com

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2021

19

Around the World

OILNEWS OIL NEWS

US says ready for talks with Iran over nuclear deal

Oil slides with US refinery outages boding poorly for demand

O

il fell the most in nearly a month alongside a broader market selloff with the ongoing energy crisis in the US likely keeping refineries shut for another week.

Futures in New York declined one per cent in a choppy trading session on Thursday. While US oil output has plunged nearly 40 per cent amid the unprecedented cold blast in parts of the country, crude demand from refineries is expected to remain weak as Gulf Coast fuel-making plants make repairs and take time to restart following operating issues caused by the freezing temperatures. Further pressuring prices, US equities weakened after initial jobless claims hit a four-week high.

“Right now, we have both refining capacity and oil production down at the same time, so there aren’t particular supply stresses and the market is reflecting that,” said Bart Melek, head of commodity strategy at TD Securities.

Meanwhile, despite crude stockpiles declining, there’s a sense that “oil’s rally may be a little overdone”.

Technical indicators also show crude is due for a pullback.

The 14-day Relative Strength Indexes for both the US and global crude benchmarks remain above 70 in a sign the commodity is overbought. West Texas Intermediate futures are up about 25 per cent this year as Saudi Arabia’s deep output cuts and an improving demand outlook encourage investors.

Still, capping further losses, US crude stockpiles tumbled more than seven million barrels last week to the lowest in almost a year, according to an Energy Information Administration report on Thursday. The data also showed supplies at the nation’s largest storage hub at Cushing, Oklahoma, fell by the most in a month, while crude output ticked lower.

Traders are assessing the limited available US output with another freeze expected in Texas overnight. Estimates for how long the US outages may last have risen in recent days as analysts try to figure out the timespan involved in thawing out infrastructure. (Excerpt from Bloomberg)

Caricom asks WHO to host meeting on COVID vaccine distribution

T

he 15-member Caribbean C o m m u n i t y (Caricom) on Thursday reiterated its call for the World Health Organisation (WHO) to host an international summit on distribution of the coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine.

Trinidad and Tobago’s Prime Minister, Dr Keith Rowley, who is also Chairman of the regional integration grouping, told a WHO news conference that he was also concerned about price gouging.

“As there is the understandable rush to receive the vaccine and the inoculation of our various populations, we are more than a little bit concerned that there is or is to be hoarding and price gouging as well as undue preferences in some quarters.

“This being so, we at Caricom, recently called on WHO to immediately convene an international convention of the world’s people’s representatives to explain, assist, and commit to a fair sharing of the available vaccine resources

for the benefit of all humankind and not just a privileged few,” Dr Rowley said.

“Today we continue to make that call,” Rowley said.

He added that Caricom was also wary of the many “charlatans who are increasingly emerging as they stalk the vulnerable with offers of opportunities that seem too good to be true, only because they really are, but are protected by the many disguises”.

The Caricom chairman said the work of the WHO “is far from over [and] that now, more than ever, you are required to protect us” on a range of issues, including the equitable distribution of the vaccine.

“Small states such as ours have made and continue to make high and huge sacrifices in an endeavour to protect our populations from the worst ravages of the virus. We anxiously anticipate the promised relief and general benefits that an early successful vaccination programme can bring to each of us.” (Excerpt from Nation News)

Iran reacted coolly to the US idea, which was conveyed by US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken

T

he United States on Thursday said it was ready to talk to Iran about both nations returning to a 2015 agreement that aimed to prevent Tehran from acquiring nuclear

weapons, seeking to revive a deal that Washington abandoned nearly three years ago.

Iran reacted coolly to the US idea, which was conveyed by US Secretary

of State, Antony Blinken during a video meeting with his British, French, and German counterparts gathered in Paris.

Blinken reiterated the US position that President Joe Biden’s Administration would return to the accord formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) if Iran came into full compliance with the deal.

“Secretary Blinken reiterated that ... if Iran comes back into strict compliance with its commitments under the JCPOA, the United States will do the same and is prepared to engage in discussions with Iran toward that end,” a joint statement from the four nations said.

A US official told Reuters that Washington would re-

spond positively to any European Union invitation to talks among Iran and the six major powers who negotiated the original agreement: Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia, and the United States.

“We are ready to show up if such a meeting were to take place,” the official told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity, after a senior EU official said he was prepared to convene such a meeting among the parties to the deal.

London, Paris, and Berlin welcomed Biden’s intention to return to diplomacy with Iran. But Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif fired back that it was for Washington to make the first move. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Biden to pledge US$4B to Nasa's Perseverance COVAX vaccine programme rover lands on Mars at G7 meeting today

A South African health worker holds doses of the Johnson and Johnson coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine at the Khayelitsha Hospital near Cape Town, South Africa, February 17, 2021

T

he Biden Administration will pledge US$4 billion to a vaccination programme for poorer countries at a global economic summit today in hopes that other countries will follow suit and contribute additional funds, US officials said on a Thursday press call.

At a meeting of the Group of Seven nations, a summit for the world’s largest economies, the White House will announce plans to immediately grant US$2 billion to the international COVAX programme, which aims to ensure a fair supply of coronavirus vaccines around the world, officials said.

The United States will supply the remaining US$2 billion over the next two years

as other nations fulfil their own pledges, the officials said.

The funding was approved by Congress earlier this month.

Meanwhile, Britain will challenge fellow G7 countries to help speed up the development of future vaccines to 100 days today when Prime Minister Boris Johnson hosts a virtual meeting of leaders including US President Biden.

Johnson’s Britain holds the presidency of the Group of 7 developed economies in 2021 and wants to use it to build momentum for a more coordinated approach to future pandemics, including the creation of a global health treaty.

The 1400 GMT call will be Biden’s first multilateral engagement since he took over from Donald Trump, whose unorthodox approach to G7 meetings often left attempts to build international consensus in disarray.

Johnson wants to seize on the change in US leadership and the trail of destruction left by the COVID-19 pandemic to put three items at the top of the global agenda: health, climate change, and a rebound which distributes economic benefits more fairly.

(Excerpts from Reuters)

The American space agency has successfully landed its Perseverance rover in a deep crater near the planet's equator

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here's a new robot on the surface of Mars.

The American space agency has successfully landed its Perseverance rover in a deep crater near the planet's equator called Jezero.

Engineers at Nasa's mission control in California erupted with joy when confirmation of touchdown came through.

The six-wheeled vehicle will now spend at least the next two years drilling into the local rocks, looking for evidence of past life.

Jezero is thought to have held a giant lake billions of years ago. And where there's been water, there's the possibility there might also have been life.

The signal alerting controllers that Perseverance was down and safe arrived at 20:55 GMT. In the past they might have hugged and high-fived, but strict coronavirus protocols meant they had all been separated by Perspex screens. A respectful fist bump was about all they could manage.

Steve Jurczyk, the acting administrator at Nasa, saluted the achievement: "What a credit to the team.

Just what an amazing team to work through all the adversity and all the challenges that go with landing a rover on Mars, plus the challenges of COVID. Just an amazing accomplishment." (Excerpt from BBC News)

COVID rumours hamper Brazil’s efforts to vaccinate Indigenous

I

ndigenous nurse Almeida Tananta battled heavy downpours of tropical rains as he rode his motorbike for hours across the red-soiled dirt tracks of Tabatinga, a municipality in Western Amazonas, which borders the Amazon rainforest and Colombia, and has the largest concentration of Indigenous Brazilians in the Amazon.

Tananta was en route to apply the first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine to the remote Umariacu villagers, in Alto Rio Solimoes. But when

he arrived at the village of wooden-thatched houses skirting the banks of the Amazon River, the nurse’s hopes of vaccinating the 1037 villagers quickly vanished.

“Indigenous people of all ages are rejecting the vaccine.

They’re terrified that if they take it, they’ll turn into an animal, or die,” Tananta told Al Jazeera.

Tananta has worked with Indigenous communities like the Umariacu for more than 20 years and says the panic over the COVID-19 vaccine is

a recent occurrence.

“Other vaccines are already well-known. This COVID-19 vaccine is new. There are myths that China has contaminated the vaccine, that it comes with a chip designed to control Indigenous people,” he explains.

Indigenous communities living in remote villages are a priority group in Brazil’s national vaccination programme as they only have access to basic medical services unequipped to treat the virus and most practise communal

living. They have also become a target for misinformation.

Tananta partly blames the Brazilian President, Jair Bolsonaro, for sowing doubts about the vaccine’s efficacy, despite the country having the world’s second-highest death toll behind the United States. Bolsonaro has refused to take the vaccine himself and questioned the origins of CoronaVac, Brazil’s most widely-available vaccine made by China’s Sinovac Biotech. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

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FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2021

guyanatimesgy.com

ARCHIE

ARIES

(March 21April 19)

TAURUS (April 20May 20)

DILBERT

GEMINI (May 21June 20)

You'll find a way to get what you want. Taking a back seat to someone trying to outdo you is not acceptable. You have plenty to offer, and it's time to strut your stuff and make things happen.

Use your charm to get your way. A chance to show off will draw attention from someone who can give you the boost you need. Opportunity is within reach, but you must be willing to adapt.

LEO (July 23Aug. 22)

Settle into something that feels comfortable. It will ease stress and encourage you to follow a path that is more to your liking.

Love and romance are on the rise.

VIRGO (Aug. 23Sept. 22)

SUDOKU

Do whatever it takes to live up to your promises.

It's what you accomplish, not what you talk about, that will ultimately turn heads. Show passion in all that you do.

CANCER (June 21July 22)

PEANUTS

CALVIN AND HOBBES

Be receptive to ideas presented to you. Something someone shares will set the foundation for a concept that can help provide insight into something you want to pursue. Follow your dreams!

Live in the moment, learn from experience and pour your energy into something you find fulfilling. Taking a stroll down memory lane will be a good reminder of what you don't want to pursue.

LIBRA (Sept. 23Oct. 23)

You're ready to take on the world. Let negativity go. Allow a positive attitude, new ideas and the desire to make a difference lead the way. Your discipline and hard work will pay off.

SCORPIO

Mixed emotions will get in the way of success. It will be easier to complete your responsibilities if you don't compartmentalize them.

One step at a time is all it takes.

(Oct. 24Nov. 22)

The past will be your best SAGITTARIUS reference when you want to (Nov. 23move forward or start someDec. 21) thing new. Don't rely on others when it's your insight that will point you in the right direction.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22Jan. 19) YESTERDAY'S WORD -- AUTOGRAPH

SOLUTION FOR LAST PUBLISHED PUZZLE AQUARIUS (Jan. 20Feb. 19)

PISCES (Feb. 20March 20)

Stay on course. Don't deviate from your plans or let anyone push you in a direction you don't want to go.

Change begins with you; make decisions that will set you up for success.

Take your time. Listen carefully and consider the effect your words will have on others. Getting along with others will be essential when you are trying to get things done.

Put more energy into getting ahead. Connect with people who owe you a favor or those who have something to offer that will help you reach your goal. A positive change is heading your way.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2021

21

IPL Auction 2021…

South African all-rounder Chris Morris is most expensive buy in IPL history Glenn Maxwell

I

t was a quiet day for the West Indian players who submitted their names at the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 auctions. The likes of Keemo Paul, Sherfane Rutherford, Romario Shepherd, Darren Bravo and Evin Lewis did not find a place in any team during the recent auctions.

Fabian Allen was the lone West Indian to be auctioned, snapped up by the Kings XI Punjab for his base price of 75 lakhs.

Meanwhile, South African allrounder Chris Morris became the IPL's most expensive overseas player ever signed at an auction after he was picked up by Rajasthan Royals for Rs 16.25 crore (US$2.2M).

Morris was at the centre of a fierce bidding war involving four different teams, with the Royals eventually beating out Royal Challengers Bangalore, Mumbai Indians and Kings XI Punjab to sign the player. Morris had previously played for Rajasthan Royals during the 2015 season, and was the team's joint-highest wicket-taker that year with 13 scalps.

Morris overtook Yuvraj Singh (Rs 16 crore in 2015), Pat Cummins (Rs 15.5 crore in 2020) and Ben Stokes (Rs 14.5 crore in 2017) as the costliest buy at an IPL auction, but the Royals believe it is money well spent.

Australia's Glenn Maxwell, Jhye Richardson and Riley Meredith also bagged multimillion-dollar deals in the auction, as did New Zealand's Kyle Jamieson.

The Royal Challengers snapped Maxwell up for $1.95 million and Jamieson for $2 million, while Kings Punjab got Richardson for $1.91 million and Meredith for $1.09 million.

Bidding for Maxwell began at his base price of Rs 2 crore and quickly spiralled, with the Royals, Chennai Super Kings, and Kolkata Knight Riders also fighting for his signature.

The Knight Riders and Royals began the initial tussle, before the Royal Challengers swooped in with an offer of Rs 4 crore.

Soon, the Super Kings also threw their bid into the hat, going as far as Rs 14 crore before bowing out.

Maxwell had spent seven seasons with the Kings XI Punjab, scoring 1383 runs at a strike rate of 157.69, and helped the team reach the final in 2014.

The Royal Challengers

– Fabian Allen is lone West Indian snapped up

returned later to spend over Rs 14 crore again, this time holding off Punjab Kings to secure Jamieson for Rs 15 crore.

The Royal Challengers also came close to bagging Maxwell's Australian team-mate Steven Smith, but were eventually beaten out by Delhi Capitals, who signed him for Rs 2.2 crore.

The Capitals have also bolstered their squad with the addition of India quick Umesh Yadav for Rs 1 crore.

Having missed out on Maxwell, the Super Kings did eventually manage to get another allrounder, fighting off bids from Punjab Kings to land England's Moeen Ali for Rs 7 crore.

The Super Kings also signed Karnataka's offspin-bowling allrounder K Gowtham for Rs 9.25 crore, the highest amount paid for an uncapped player. Interestingly, the Super Kings roped in Test specialist Cheteshwar Pujara for Rs 50 lakhs, bringing him back into the IPL fold for the first time since 2014. The last time Pujara played any form of T20 cricket was in March 2019, for Saurashtra in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.

Punjab Kings also tried to secure Shakib Al Hasan for Rs 2.6 crore, but Bangladesh's premier allrounder was eventually sold for Rs 3.2 crore to his former team the Knight Riders, with whom he won the title in both 2012 and 2014.

Punjab Kings finally got the ball rolling by signing England opener and top-ranked T20I batsman Dawid Malan for his base price of Rs 1.5 crore. They then splashed Rs 14 crore on Richardson, winning a lengthy battle against the Capitals and the Royal Challengers for the Perth Scorchers fast bowler.

Soon after, Punjab Kings and the Capitals locked horns yet again, this time for Hobart Hurricanes seamer Meredith.

The Capitals went as high as Rs 7.75 crore for Meredith's signature, but Punjab Kings sealed the deal with an Rs 8 crore bid.

Tamil Nadu finisher Shahrukh Khan, who recently won the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, also landed a giant payday, thanks to Punjab Kings, who signed him for Rs 5.25 crore, more than 51 times his base price of Rs 20 lakh.

Mumbai, the most successful IPL team and two-

time defending champions, spent most of their purse on boosting their already stellar bowling attack, signing Adam Milne (Rs 3.20 crore), Nathan Coulter-Nile (Rs 5 crore) and Piyush Chawla (Rs 2.40 crore).

List of buys at IPL 2021 auctions: CSK: K Gowtham (9.25 crore), Moeen Ali (7 crore), Cheteshwar Pujara (50 lakh), K Bhagath Varma (20 lakh), C Hari Nishaanth (20 lakh), M Harisankar Reddy (20 lakh) DC: Tom Curran (5.25 crore), Steven Smith (2.2 crore), Sam Billings (2 crore), Umesh Yadav (1 crore), Ripal Patel (20 lakh), Vishnu Vinod (20 lakh), Lukman Meriwala (20 lakh), M Siddharth (20 lakh) KKR: Shakib Al Hasan (3.2 crore), Harbhajan Singh (2 crore), Ben Cutting (75 lakh), Karun Nair (50 lakh), Pawan Negi (50 lakh), Sheldon Jackson (20 lakh), Venkatesh Iyer (20 lakh), Vaibhav Arora (20 lakh) MI: Nathan Coulter-Nile (5 crore), Adam Milne (3.2 crore), Piyush Chawla (2.4 crore), James Neesham (50 lakh), Yudhvir Charak (20 lakh), Marco Jansen (20 lakh), Arjun Tendulkar (20 lakh) KXIP: Jhye Richardson (14 crore), Riley Meredith (8 crore), Shahrukh Khan (5.25 crore), Moises Henriques (4.2 crore), Dawid Malan (1.5 crore), Fabian Allen (75 lakh), Jalaj Saxena (30 lakh), Saurabh Kumar (20 lakh), Utkarsh Singh (20 lakh) RR: Chris Morris (16.25 crore), Shivam Dube (4.4 crore), Chetan Sakariya (1.2 crore), Mustafizur Rahman (1 crore), Liam Livingstone (75 lakh), Akash Singh (20 lakh), KC Cariappa (20 lakh), Kuldip Yadav (20 lakh) RCB: Kyle Jamieson (15 crore), Glenn Maxwell (14.25 crore), Dan Christian (4.8 crore), Sachin Baby (20 lakh), Rajat Patidar (20 lakh), Mohammed Azharuddeen (20 lakh), Suyash Prabhudesai (20 lakh), KS Bharat (20 lakh) SRH: Kedar Jadhav (2 crore), Mujeeb ur Rahman (1.5 crore), J Suchith (30 lakh) Final squads for IPL 2021 Chennai Super Kings: Suresh Raina, MS Dhoni, Narayan Jagadeesabn, Ruturaj Gaikwad, KM Asif, Josh Hazlewood, Karn Sharma, Ambati Rayudu, Deepak Chahar, Faf du Plessis, Shardul Thakur, Mitchell Santner, Dwayne Bravo, Lungi Ngidi, Sam Curran,

Ravindra Jadeja, Imran Tahir, Robin Uthappa, Moeen Ali, K Gowtham, Cheteshwar Pujara, M.Harisankar Reddy, K.Bhagath Varma, C Hari Nishaanth Delhi Capitals: Shreyas Iyer, Ajinkya Rahane, Amit Mishra, Avesh Khan, Axar Patel, Ishant Sharma, Kagiso Rabada, Prithvi Shaw, R Ashwin, Rishabh Pant, Shikhar Dhawan, Lalit Yadav, Marcus Stoinis, Shimron Hetmyer, Anrich Nortje, Steve Smith, Umesh Yadav, Ripal Patel, Lukman Hussain Meriwala, M Siddharth, Tom Curran, Sam Billings Kings XI Punjab: KL Rahul (c), Chris Gayle, Mayank Agarwal, Nicholas Pooran, Mandeep Singh, Sarfaraz Khan, Deepak Hooda, Prabhsimran Singh, Mohammed Shami, Chris Jordan, Darshan Nalkande, Ravi Bishnoi, Murugan Ashwin, Arshdeep Singh, Harpreet Brar, Ishan Porel, Dawid Malan, Jhye Richardson, Shahrukh Khan, Riley Meredith, Moises Henriques, Jalaj Saxena, Utkarsh Singh, Fabian Allen, Sumit Kumar Kolkata Knight Riders: Dinesh Karthik, Andre Russell, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Kuldeep Yadav, Lockie Ferguson, Nitish Rana, Prasidh Krishna, Rinku Singh, Sandeep Warrier, Shivam Mavi, Shubman Gill, Sunil Narine, Eoin Morgan, Pat Cummins, Rahul Tripathi, Varun Chakravarthy, Ali Khan, Tim Seifert, Shakib al Hasan, Sheldon Jackson, Vaibhav Arora, Karun Nair, Harbhajan Singh, Ben Cutting, Venkatesh Iyer Mumbai Indians: Rohit Sharma, Aditya Tare, Anmolpreet Singh, Anukul Roy, Dhawal Kulkarni, Hardik Pandya, Ishan Kishan, Jasprit Bumrah, Jayant Yadav, Kieron Pollard, Krunal Pandya, Quinton de Kock, Rahul Chahar, Suryakumar Yadav, Chris Lynn, Mohsin Khan, Saurabh Tiwary, Trent Boult, Adam Milne, Nathan CoulterNile, Piyush Chawla, James Neeshan, Yudhvir Charak, Marco Jansen, Arjun Tendulkar Rajasthan Royals: Sanju Samson, Ben Stokes, Jofra Archer, Jos Buttler, Riyan Parag, Shreyas Gopal, Rahul Tewatia, Mahipal Lomror, Kartik Tyagi, Andrew Tye, Jaydev Unadkat, Mayank Markande, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Anuj Rawat, David Miller, Manan Vohra, Shivam Dube, Chris Morris, Mustafizur Rahim, Chetan Sakariya, K.C. Cariappa, Liam Livingstone, Kuldip Yadav, Akash Singh Royal Challengers Bangalore:

V i r a t Williamson, Chris Morris Kohli, AB David Warner, de Villiers, Yuzvendra Chahal, Manish Pandey, Virat Singh, Devdutt Padikkal, Harshal Patel, Priyam Garg, Abdul Samad, Daniels Sams, Washington Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Khaleel Sundar, Mohammed Siraj, Ahmed, Sandeep Sharma, Navdeep Saini, Adam Zampa, Siddharth Kaul, T Natarajan, Shahbaz Ahmed, Josh Philippe, Abhishek Sharma, Shahbaz Kane Richardson, Pavan Nadeem, Mitchell Marsh, Vijay Deshpande, Glenn Maxwell, Shankar, Mohammad Nabi, Sachin Baby, Rajat Patidar, Rashid Khan, Jonny Bairstow, Mohammed Azharuddeen, Wriddhiman Saha, Shreevats Kyle Jamieson, Dan Christian, Goswami, Basil Thampi, Jason Suyesh Prabhudessai, K.S. Holder, Jagadeesha Suchith, Bharat Kedar Yadav, Mujeeb ur Sunrisers Hyderabad: Kane Rahman

Support pours in for Jai Hind Cricket Club Masters Mash Cup

– Permaul Trading of Albion is main sponsor

Romash Munna (right) making presentation to Captain Rajin Moonsammy

T

he Jai Hind Cricket Club of Albion, Corentyne, Berbice has received cash sponsorship for its inaugural Mash Cup Masters T20 cricket tournament to be played on February 23, 2021.

The tournament would involve four Masters teams; namely: the host, Jai Hind Jaguars; West Berbice Masters; West Demerara Masters, and Strathavon Masters, competing for a first prize of $100,000, or runner-up prize of $25,000, along with trophies for the winner, runner-up team, and man of the match in the finals, all sponsored by Permaul Trading of Albion, Corentyne.

Proceeds from the event would go towards further development of the venue.

Government recently handed over floodlights for the ground, and funds to assist in construction of the fences.

At a simple ceremony held

recently, Albert Khan and former Berbice Cricket Board executive member Romash Munna, who is home on vacation, handed over the cash sponsorship. Both Khan and Munna said they are very pleased with the work of the Cricket Club, which has transformed the venue into one of the best in Berbice. The donors urged the club to invest in the development of youth cricket, which would be used as a feeder for Berbice Cricket.

They both promised continued support as it becomes necessary.

In response, Rajin Moosammy, Captain of the Jai Hind Cricket Club, thanked the sponsors for coming on board without hesitation, and promised to make the tournament an annual one. He also mentioned that it would be well organized, and mileage would be given to all the sponsors.

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GUYANATIMESGY.COM

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2021

Race to CWI Presidency…

Stronger regional, grassroots and women's cricket in Sanasie's manifesto

L

ong-standing Secretary of the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB), Anand Sanasie, has said he would focus on improving team performance, strengthening regional cricket, and revolutionising grassroots cricket if he becomes the next president of Cricket West Indies at the Annual General Meeting set for March 29.

He has also made a case for improving women's cricket and expanding the sport into the North American market by stating that now is the time for CWI to adopt more visionary policies.

In a lengthy statement released on Wednesday night, Sanasie outlined the pillars of his manifesto as he formally announced his challenge to the presidency of Ricky Skerritt, who is in the latter stages of the role he won in March 2019 when he unseated then incumbent Dave Cameron.

Sanasie has said his decision to run for the presidency had been a year in the making.

“Over the past year, several directors of CWI, along with many stakeholders across the region, have reached out to me and sought to persuade me that I should consider serving as CWI President. Over the past months, I have given it deep thought and consideration, discussed it with

my family and the executives of the Guyana Cricket Board, and today I consider it a distinct honour to announce that I will be contesting the CWI presidency,” Sanasie said in the statement.

“I am equally honoured to also announce that I will be contesting along with a stalwart of West Indies Cricket administration, my colleague Mr Calvin Hope of Barbados. Calvin and I have consulted widely across the region, and out of these consultations we have developed a detailed manifesto which we will be unveiling in the coming weeks.”

Sanasie has identified what he said are the key pillars of that manifesto. “First, we recognise that the performance of the West Indies Team serves as a barometer for the state of West Indies Cricket, and as the only constant in the regional psyche.

Therefore, the West Indies Team Performance is one central pillar,” he said.

“Secondly, regional cricket is what supplies and fortifies the West Indies Team. The territorial boards manage the production line of elite players for the West Indies teams. We believe that regional cricket requires greater investment from the CWI level, and will implement a system of greater sponsorship share and larger annual subvention to each

Anand Sanasie

territorial board.”

He has also stated that, for there to be any sustained success of the West Indies team, there needs to be a better grassroots programmes across the region.

“Thirdly, he said, regional cricket, and ultimately the West Indies Team, is only as strong as our grassroots cricket programmes. We believe that there needs to be the renewed focus, revitalization, and a revolution in grassroots and school cricket all across the Caribbean.”

Sanasie has also announced plans to return power to the territorial boards, increase support to women’s cricket, and tap into the potential of the massive US market.

“We recognise, critically, that over the past two years, there has been a systematic centralisation

of power and decision-making, and the ostracisation and miniaturisation of the territorial boards who are the shareholders of West Indies Cricket, acting on behalf of the people of the Caribbean,” he said.

On women’s cricket, he said: “Our team will place renewed and heavier emphasis on the development of women’s cricket, focusing on girls’ cricket in the form of training, competition and tournaments, camps and succession planning.

The West Indies Women’s Team must be consistently among the best in the world, and we will ensure there is a comprehensive, strategic, measurable programme in place to achieve this.”

In regard to tapping into the US market, Sanasie has said: “Cricket globally is in the

throes of rapid transformation from the perception of a lethargic pastime to high-energy, desirable entertainment. West Indies cricket and CWI must be at the forefront of this transformation.

“West Indies Cricket must also meaningfully and purposefully pursue expansion into the vast and lucrative North American market as a critical plank of augmenting and guaranteeing financial stability.

This requires a planned, strategic approach, which our Team will pursue with the United States cricket authorities through partnership, collaboration and synergies. The US market is poised for transformative and explosive take-off, and as the leading cricket governing body in this hemisphere, CWI can both partner with, and offer support and guidance to, Cricket USA for our mutual benefit.

“It is not long before T20 cricket and other variations of the shorter game become staples on the US sporting and entertainment calendar.

It is now time for the executive leadership and governance of Cricket West Indies to transition from raw political horse-trading and a centralised hoarding of power to professional, visionary and astute policy-making based on equity, transparency, fairness and demonstrable competence.”

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GFF rolls out several infrastructural plans 2237230-1

(Ext 55)

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he Guyana Football Federation (GFF) is making moves off the field, as it has announced several infrastructural projects that it would soon embark upon.

Listed under its mandate of strategic goals to improve football facilities across the country, the Federation on Wednesday kick-started major infrastructure upgrades at GFF Headquarters, BB Eccles Play Field, Ann’s Grove Community Ground on the East Coast, and in New Amsterdam – a big leap forward for the GFF. The projects, fund-

From left: GFF First Vice President, Brigadier (rtd) Bruce Lovell; Romario Nigel Peters of Team Wanted Construction; GFF General Secretary Ian Alves

ed by the FIFA Forward programme and CONCACAF’s One CONCACAF Programme (OCP), include the installation of a perimeter fence at a playfield in BB Eccles Housing Scheme on the East Bank; the rehabilitation of the GFF office building in Campbellville, Georgetown; and construction of changing rooms suitable for both male and female players and match officials at Ann’s Grove Community Ground and the Vryman Erven Ground in New Amsterdam.

“This is ground-break-

ing for us, because the whole rehabilitation process is part of the Federation’s strategic plan,” GFF First VicePresident Brigadier (rtd.)

Bruce Lovell has said at a signing ceremony at GFF headquarters. “One of our strategic goals is to deal with the issue of infrastructure. The paucity of infrastructure has continued to hamper the effective development of football in Guyana.

“An important aspect of the works in Ann’s Grove and New Amsterdam has to do with ensuring that there

are female-friendly facilities,” Lovell said, while urging the selected contractors to strive for the highest quality standards in construction, and to deliver the projects on time, to ensure value for all stakeholders.

The projects will begin as early as next week, and are due to be completed in June. In line with strict FIFA Forward regulations, the contracts were awarded following a thorough tendering process overseen by the global governing body of football. Progress would be monitored closely by the

GFF and FIFA, to ensure the timely and high-quality delivery of the upgrades.

“This is a historical moment for us, as a Federation,” said GFF General Secretary Rev. Ian Alves. “We are endeavouring to make our football environment the best we can, especially for our stakeholders and members.”

The selected contractors are East Bank-based firms H&D Investments and Romano Builders Contractors, and Berbicebased Team Wanted Construction.

223-7230-1 (Ext 55)

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2021

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

23

FIFA World Cup Qualifiers…

Guyana yet to receive game confirmation from Trinidad

A

cloud of doubt has recently descended over Guyana’s first FIFA World Cup Qualifying match against Trinidad and Tobago, as reports surfaced that the host country is unsure about the logistics when it comes to hosting the game.

The closed-doors event was initially fingered for the Hasely Crawford Stadium in Mucurapo, Trinidad but various media reports have indicated that the host country still has its reservations about having foreigners enter the country and where the event should be held.

As such, the Guyana

Times Sport reached out to Guyana Football Federation (GFF) President Wayne Forde, probing the GFF’s position in the matter.

During the exclusive telephone interview with this publication Forde has confirmed that the local Federation has received no correspondence about the debacle.

“On to now, the GFF hasn't received any confirmation from Trinidad regarding the regarding; A, that they will be hosting the game in Trinidad and B, where the game will be hosted,” The GFF President stated.

After reading similar reports, Forde explained that he has reached out to the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF), under whose jurisdiction the tournament will be held, to ascertain whether or not Trinidad will still play hosts.

T h e GFF boss explained, “We have e x pressed our concerns to CONCACAF informing them that we would want to have that informa-

tion in our possession as already as possible, so that we can have our people on the ground in Trinidad inspect whatever facility the Trinidad Football Association (TTFA) may have identified for the GFF and ensure that those facilities are suitable for a national team.”

With the event billed for March 25, the Golden Jaguars have just a little over a month to prepare and with the COVID-19 quarantine stipulations, one to two weeks of that time will be stolen away, hence creating

CGI confirms the addition of Reifer and Permaul to Jaguars squad – available for semi-finals

F

resh from touring Bangladesh with the West Indies team, the Guyana Jaguars duo of Veerasammy Permaul and Raymon Reifer arrived in Antigua on Wednesday, February 17, and have been added to the Guyana Jaguars squad.

Cricket Guyana Inc. (CGI) confirmed that the duo would be available for the semi-finals of the ongoing CG Insurance Regional Super50 Cup. Due to the strict COVID-19 guidelines, the players will undergo quarantine, which

will make them unavailable for selection until the semifinals, which are slated for February 24 and February 26.

The grand final is set to bowl off on Saturday, February 27.

CGI also confirmed that two players will be sent home to Guyana to facilitate the West Indies duo of Permaul and Reifer. The two players to be sent home will be confirmed over the next few days. Multiple sources have indicated that Assad Fudadin, Kemol Savory or Tevin Imlach may be a part of the duo being sent home to facilitate

a time constraint.

“So far we do not have that information and the time is drawing close where that information is becoming increasingly critical for the GFF internal planning and logistics,” Forde added.

It is understood that a neutral venue is still in play and the Guyana Times Sport was reliably informed that that venue is right within the Caribbean. However, it is believed that the GFF is willing to host the Soca Warriors clash right in the Golden Jaguars’ back yard.

This comes on the heels of article published in Wednesday’s Trinidad and Tobago Guardian, where it was revealed that the Country is on the fence about their hosting of the first FIFA World Cup qualifying games between the Golden Jaguars

and the Soca Warriors.

In the article, it was reported that a ‘neutral’ venue was being considered for what should have been Trinidad’s home game as talks between the country’s Normalisation Committee, the Ministry of Sports and the Ministry of Health continue.

The publication reported that the Chairman of TTFA’s Normalisation Committee, Robert Hadad stated, "We are trying to have the match played in Trinidad."

Guyana is slated to take on Trinidad on March 25 and then Bahamas on March 29 in their first home game. The World Cup quest will continue in June with a game against St Kitts and Nevis on June 4 and another against Puerto Rico on June 8. (Jemima Holmes)

“More meets” is Baird’s solution for Olympic qualification

Permaul and Reifer.

Jaguars have recorded three wins in as many matches, and have one foot in the semi-finals. Jaguars will meet Trinidad and Tobago Red Force on Saturday, February 20, followed by the Windward Islands Volcanoes on Monday February 22.

Most of the West Indies players and management personnel are in Antigua undergoing quarantine as West Indies prepare to face Sri Lanka in an all-format series commencing from March 3.

BCB 2021 Junior Cricket season commences…

Brian Ramphal, Ahmad Construction, Premium Asphalt inter-zone U-19 bowls off on Saturday The fixtures for Saturday are as follows West Berbice 1.Blairmont vs D Edwards at Cotton Tree Ground 2.Achievers vs Paradise at Paradise Upper Corentyne 1.Scottsburg vs No 73 Radha Krishna Foundation at No 72 Cut and Load Ground 2.No 73 Young Warriors vs No 69 Youth Club New Amsterdam/Canje/East Bank Berbice 1.East Bank Blazers vs Edinburgh at Edinburgh 2.Kendall’s Union vs Tucber Park at Tucber Park 3.RH Canje vs Edinburgh A at RH Canje BCB Public Relations Officer Simon Naidu receiving one of the sponsorships for the U-19 tournaments

T

he Berbice Cricket Board’s (BCB’s) hectic 2021 season would continue on Saturday, February 21, with three historic internal Under-19 tournaments bowling off across the Ancient County.

The BCB plans to hosts more than thirty tournaments at different levels during the year, started on Wednesday with the first round of the Nand Persaud female 30 overs’ tournament.

The three tournaments to bowl off on Saturday are: the Brian Ramphal West Berbice Under 19, Premium Asphalt New Amsterdam/Canje Under-19, and the Ahmad’s Construction Upper Corentyne Under-19. BCB President Hilbert Foster has said the tournaments are all historic, as it is the first time that the

board would be hosting internal zone under-19 tournaments.

The BCB has obtained sponsorship for the tournaments in four zones: West Berbice, New Amsterdam/Canje/East Bank Berbice, Lower Corentyne, and Upper Corentyne. The Ricky Itwaru-sponsored Lower Corentyne Under-19 tournament would be played in June at the request of the sponsor. Foster explained that at the end of the three internal zone tournaments, the BCB would start its countywide under-19 tournaments.

The Brian Ramphal West Berbice Under-19 tournament would be contested by four teams: Blairmont, Achievers, Paradise and D’ Edward, while the Premium Asphalt New Amsterdam/Canje/East Bank Berbice leg would have Tucber

March 29 to April 2: 2nd Test at SVRS – 10am ECT/9am JT Park, Edinburgh A, Edinburgh B, East Bank Blazers, RH Canje and Guymine.

Four teams would participate in the Ahmad Construction Upper Corentyne tournament, and they are the No 69 Youth Club, No 73 Young Warriors, No 73 Rama Krishna Foundation, and Scottsburg CC. The West Berbice and New Amsterdam tournaments would be played 50 overs per side and start at 9.30am, while the Upper Corentyne tournament would be 40 overs per side, starting at 11AM. The cut-off date of birth is the 1st of September 2002, and clubs are reminded that all players must have a birth certificate to verify their date of birth in the event of a protest.

The BCB has made it quite

clear that all of its tournaments would be played under very strict COVID-19 guidelines, and as such, no spectators would be allowed into venues, players must wear masks while they are in the pavilions, and practise social distancing at all times.

Teams are also encouraged to walk along with hand sanitisers and their own personal drinking water.

The BCB would, in 2021, be hosting tournaments at the following levels: Under 23, Under 15, Under 17, Under 19, Under 21, Under 23, Female, Second Division, Intermediate, Internal Zone, Double Wicket, Grass Root and First Division. This proactive board has already secured sponsorship for twenty-five tournament, and is on the verge of securing for the others.

Leslain Baird

E

ven after a promising first meet, there is still much more for local athletes to do if they hope to qualify for the Tokyo Summer Olympics.

Guyana’s Javelin record holder Leslain Baird is pretty certain that he can make it to the Olympics. But if he could have it his way, more track and field meets is the boost that he and Guyana’s other athletes need ahead of the international competition.

With the Olympics being just 6 months away, Guyana Defence Force (GDF) member and Javelin record holder Leslain Baird believes the best solution for preparedness is constant competition.

Here’s what he had to say: “Yes, it (Olympic qualification) is possible, but we have to get more meets. More meets would give us the opportunity to throw or perform better.

This is the first competition; we’re looking forward to at least 4-5 more meets before Senior Championships in April and South American Championships in May,” the Javelin maestro opined.

On Sunday last, Baird’s best javelin throw was 77.23m, just a metre shy of his personal best and National Record of 78.65m, an indication of

his preparedness coming out of the COVID-19 break.

When probed about this, Baird explained that it was all beyond his control.

“Well, we had to get patience. The Task Force, they had to do their job. We couldn’t do anything about COVID, just stay home and train. Just home training,” Baird stated.

The Olympic hopeful, however, sought to find the positive in a bad situation, sharing that the quarantine period allowed him to heal from an injury.

“But I was very grateful for the long lay-off because, due to my injury, I had a long recovery. So, it was a plus for me at the end,” Baird divulged to this publication.

Should Leslain Baird qualify for the Olympics in Tokyo, set to be held from July 23 to August 8, he would need to throw in excess of 85m, at which qualification is set. As it is, the Athletics Association (AAG) has two more developmental meets planned before the athletes head into the National Seniors. However, with the date of the first meet being pushed back by a tardy response from the National COVID-19 Task Force, the initial dates for those meets may be revised. (Jemima Holmes)

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2021

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

FIFA World Cup Qualifiers…

Page 23

CGI confirms the addition of Reifer and Permaul to Guyana yet to receive Page 23 Jaguars squad game confirmation from Trinidad – available for semi-finals

IPL Auction 2021…

South African all-rounder Page 23 Chris Morris is most expensive buy in IPL history “More meets” is Baird’s solution

– Fabian Allen is lone West Page 21 Indian snapped up

for Olympic qualification

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