Guyana Times - Friday, August 4, 2023

Digital ID card with high security features to shield against fraud

…as Bill presented to National Assembly

Prime Minister Brigadier (ret’d)

Mark Phillips on Thursday presented the Digital Identity Card Bill to the National Assembly in a major endeavour by the Government to consolidate the biometric data of each citizen into one card.

The bill intituled an Act to provide for the establishment of a Digital Identity Card Registry for the collection of identity data for citizens fourteen years and over; and non-citizens, including skilled nationals of a Caribbean Community State. Data will be collected to facilitate electronic governance and to enhance government and other service-related matters.

It will also allow for issuance of digital ID cards and a Non-Citizen Digital Identity Card.

The Registry will be administered by the Data Protection Commissioner, who may establish in every region of Guyana one or more regional or mobile centres as deemed necessary for data collection and card distribution.

According to the Bill, “A Digital Identity Card shall be an official document, sufficient and necessary to lawfully identify the person in doing business with a public body or private entity, whether in person or online.”

Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police and Chief Medical Officer have been tasked with sending to the Data Protection Commissioner every four months a list of all persons whose deaths have been recorded. This will empower the Commissioner to cancel

the data of any such person from the databases.

Data which will be entered into the new identification card includes a person’s name, date and place of birth, photo or facial image satisfying the requirements for a photograph, unique identification number, sex, citizenship, fingerprints, and signature. In the case of a non-citizens, a number for the application of work permit and any other data that the Commissioner may prescribe will have to be provided.

“The Citizen Digital Identity Card and NonCitizen Digital Identity Card shall be made with high security materials and elements that offer durability, reliability, and exclude any possible alteration, so that they cannot be the object of any fraud and conse-

quently guarantee the identity of the holders of the cards,” the new framework outlines.

The design of the new cards will take into account relevant international standards, including those of the International Organisation for Standardization (ISO) and International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC).

Meanwhile, the Bill speaks to offences. If a person knowingly submits data at more than one registry for more than one card, uses falsified or altered card, or has in his/her possession a digital identity card which is known to be falsified or altered, they are committing an offence. Also, if false data is provided for obtaining, renewing or replacing a digital identity card, that person is committing an offence.

Fraudulently obtaining or using a digital identity card is also an offence. Any person found culpable is liable on summary conviction to a fine of $5 million and imprisonment for five years.

In March, the Guyana Government signed a US$35.4 million contract with German-based company Veridos Identity Solutions to implement the Single Electronic Identification System here. It would see new e-cards being issued to Guyanese for the conduct of a wide array of transactions as well as to monitor the issuance of work permits in the country.

In October 2021,

Guyana had reached out to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Government for assistance in introducing the electronic identification card. With the intervention of His Highness Sheikh Juma bin Dalmook Al Maktoum, two international companies were shortlisted. Veridos, a global leading provider of integrated identity solutions, was subsequently selected after making a presentation to the Guyana Government. It was explained that the evaluators found that the partially-owned German Government company presented the best solution for Guyana. (G12)

Suspect confesses to

shopkeeper’s murder

The prime suspect in the murder of 55-year-old shopkeeper Andrew Harris, known as “Shortman”, has confessed to the crime, according to the Guyana Police Force (GPF). Reports are that the 34-year-old suspect was questioned by Police at the Bartica Police Station at about 15:20h on Wednesday, and during the video interview, he confessed to stabbing Harris during an argument.

Guyana Times had previously reported that Harris, a shopkeeper of Surinamo Landing, Mazaruni, Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni), was found dead at ‘Mer Meria’ Backdam, Middle Mazaruni River at sometime between July 31 and August 1.

Police reports indicate that Harris and the suspect had been working together for the past 10 days on a newly-built shop owned by a 52-year-old businesswoman of Stewartville, West Coast Demerara (WCD).

According to that businesswoman, the suspect

contacted her on Tuesday at about 10:00h and informed her of the tragic discovery of Harris’s lifeless body at the shop. Upon reaching the scene, investigators found Harris’s body in a slouched position on a bench, with apparent bloodstains on his jersey and the surrounding area. Further examination revealed a 3-inch-wide stab wound on his upper left chest.

The suspect was subsequently apprehended at a nearby camp. (G1)

Prime Minister Mark Phillips presenting the Digital Identity Card Bill on Thursday

Dead: Andrew Harris

BRIDGE OPENINGS

The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Friday, August 4 –04:15h-05:45h and Saturday, August 5 – 05:00h-06:30h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Friday, August 4 –06:05h-07:35h and Saturday, August 5 – 06:50h-08:20h.

FERRY SCHEDULE

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

WEATHER TODAY

Thundery showers are expected during the day, interrupted by sunshine, and again at night. Temperatures should range between 23 degrees Celsius and 31 degrees Celsius.

Winds: East North-Easterly to Southerly between 1.34 metres and 4.02 metres.

High Tide: 06:24h and 18:49h reaching maximum heights of 2.80 metres and 2.70 metres.

Low Tide: 12:22h reaching a minimum height of 0.40 metre.

Govt pushing labour mobility in Guyana to address shortages – VP Jagdeo

…says cautiously allowing labour importation

have to now show that the project would be adversely affected before we give the permission,” he stressed.

Some of the large-scale projects that have been given permission to import labour are the India-funded Ogle (East Coast Demerara) to Eccles (East Bank Demerara) Bypass Road project and the new Demerara River Bridge project that is being undertaken by a Chinese contractor – China Railway and Construction Corporation (CRCC) Limited.

LOTTERY NUMBERS

The demand for labour locally has been growing exponentially as Guyana continues to undergo unprecedented transformation, and according to Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo, Government is trying to promote labour mobility within the country to address this shortage.

“We’ve spoken to a lot of the contractors here and we’re saying ‘can’t you build facilities to keep them?’; like if someone comes from Berbice or Linden or Essequibo or Region One so that they have decent accommodation here and then maybe on the weekend, they go back [home]. So, we’re trying to work through that problem to try to see if we can promote greater labour mobility,” he said during a press conference on Thursday.

The Vice President’s remarks come on the heels of a push by some sectors to import labour. But Jagdeo noted that while Government is allowing foreign workers to come in for certain projects, this is not being done at a scale that will disenfranchise Guyanese.

“There are a large number of people who are trying to bring in labourers. We’ve been very cautious in giving largescale permits. They have to demonstrate a need and they

“We know the demand is still growing and [so we’re] allowing selective projects to bring in their labour like the road projects. They’re complaining that they have a timeline to deliver the road – the Indian company or the Chinese company on the bridge… they bring in labourers to work on those projects,” Jagdeo stated.

Guyana Times understands that CRCC brought in Bangladeshi workers who had built the FIFA World Cup stadiums in Qatar last year. Since India is financing the bypass road, there is a stipulation that a certain per cent of Indians are contracted to be workers on the project.

Skilled labour

However, the Vice President said that while there were labour shortages for certain skill types in Region Four (DemeraraMahaica), this may not be the case in the other regions hence the Government’s cautiousness in allowing the importation of workers.

According to Jagdeo, finding skilled labourers in areas such as plumbing, carpentry, masonry and drivers, especially heavy-duty operators, in Region Four is a difficult task for many contractors.

“The situation is not the same in other regions of the country. So, we don’t want to allow a large number to come here when our own people in other parts of the country still may be looking for a job. But because they don’t have the same level of economic activities in those regions, then they can’t find one as yet,” he stated.

On this note, the VP posited that Government was trying to expand the local supply of labour through aggressive training programmes through the GOAL scholarships and Board of Industrial Training (BIT) as well as with the massive training school that is being established at Port Mourant in Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne). He added that these efforts were further bolstered with the parttime jobs initiative, which was not only a means for persons to earn an income but also an opportunity for them to get job training.

“We’re focused on training people… We’re trying also to bring women into the work force. We think the part-time job is a stepping stone for many women. Urban women tend to be working more, but a lot of rural women have not been working. All of them were home-makers or just simply at home. And, therefore, the part-time job is a good stepping stone for them to have an income, start coming out to work even for a few days and then of course, to study [or get training],” he noted.

GRA staff woes

However, these staffing woes are not only affecting the Private Sector. Only recently, Commissioner General of the state-run Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA), Godfrey Statia, complained of having to grapple with staff shortages in

key units relating to the petroleum sector within the agency, forcing them to outsource technical people. He also highlighted that GRA staff were being lured away with lucrative offers from oil companies, in some cases, with salaries higher that his own.

In response, VP Jagdeo pointed out that the taxation body needed to highlight specific areas where technical support was needed and Government would intervene.

“They have to demonstrate a need and a very specific need… If the Commissioner General goes to the Minister of Finance and say ‘my work is being affected because I don’t have skilled Guyanese and I need three persons of a skilled nature,’ if we can’t find them here, then we’ll have to bring them in, but it has to be specific,” Jagdeo noted.

He went on to note that Government was losing staff from various state agencies to not only oil and gas companies but also other areas in the Private Sector as well. However, he said while this situation was concerning, at the same time Government was also pulling staff from the Private Sector.

According to the Vice President, persons now have more job mobility and are no longer stuck at the same place for years.

“You can’t keep people in bondage [at workplaces] … You’re gonna continue to have [job] mobility. There is no position in the Government where we can restrict that and it’s hard to outcompete the alternate, and it’s a right that citizens have. There was a time when people felt that they had no option but to stick with one job for life. People now find [they] can do better in another place and they move on,” Jagdeo said. (G8)

Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo

Editor: Tusika Martin

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Rehabilitation & reintegration programmes

Government’s overall reform and modernisation programme for the Guyana Prison Service has been the topic of many discussions and there has been growing acknowledgement of the importance of rehabilitation and social reintegration programmes for persons leaving the prison system.

Earlier this year, Home Affairs Minister Robeson Benn alluded to this growing recognition when he said during his budget presentation that: “We’re talking about a release programme called ‘Fresh Start’ to enable them (female prisoners) to move to gainful employ, re-engage and rehabilitation with the society and with their families. We will do these things.”

This is in reference to the reform of the prison service initiative, which targets the transformation of the prison service from a penal to a correctional service, promoting an environment where custodial safety is assured, and inmates are rehabilitated and successfully reintegrated into society.

According to the Minister, focus will also be placed on establishing special programmes geared towards reintegrating these women into society.

The Doha Declaration, adopted in 2015 at the 13th UN Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, highlights the crucial importance of the rehabilitation of prisoners for achieving sustainable development.

It is with this declaration in mind, that it is laudable that Guyana is taking steps towards reintegration.

An important but yet alarming comment by the Home Affairs Minister during his presentation was the fact that there has been a tremendous increase in the entire prison population across the country. According to him, in recent years, the prison population has grown by some 14 per cent, that is, over 2100 new inmates in the system. Crucially, the underlying factors that led to this increase must be determined. That aside, it is important to note that female offenders have specific social reintegration needs that differ from male offenders.

Like male offenders but to a greater extent they face the heavy psychological consequences in addition to stigmatisation.

A study conducted in South Africa for the reintegration of women into society after incarceration found that:

1) Trauma victimisation and abuse: female offenders are generally more likely to experience physical and sexual abuse.

2) Mental health: Depression, anxiety and self-harm are more prevalent among female offenders than male

3) Parental stress: Female offenders who are also mothers have additional sources of stress and anxiety. Maternal demands may add to reoffending if they are accompanied by substance abuse, poverty and poor social support

Here is Guyana, addressing poverty and poor social support is of utmost importance in helping women prisoners reintegrate. Already and commendably so, there are numerous skills training programmes offered in our prison system to help lift inmates from poverty once released.

However, in developing this new initiative “Fresh Start”, it is hoped that the authors should examine the impact and quality of existing programmes and if these will have significant economic benefits for women once released from prison. This will allow authorities to determine what impact the current programmes are having and how to formulate appropriate strategies for rehabilitation and reintegration.

According to the Minister in 2022, some 1400 inmates were trained in areas such as block-making, basic agriculture and culinary arts among others at a cost of $88.9 million, and it is anticipated that in 2023, a further sum of $100 million will be expended towards the training of 1500 inmates, which will support their rehabilitation and social transformation in preparation for their exit from the prison system.

There is no doubt that the investments as outlined by the Minister are significant, and it is for this reason that a proper examination must be done of the current programmes to determine effectiveness or any gaps or deficiencies.

Rehabilitation and reintegration programmes must contribute in a significant manner to the lives of these women so that it can lead them to a crime-free life.

Amazon Forever, a renewed ambition for the region

B y I lan G oldfajn

It is hard to overestimate the importance of the Amazon. If it were a country, the Amazon region would be the 6th largest in the world. With nearly a third of the earth’s tropical rainforests, it stores up to 200 billion tons of carbon, mitigating climate change. Seventy percent of South America’s GDP also depends on rain cycles regulated by the Amazon Basin. So, protecting it is important to everyone's future, especially those living in it.

Guyana’s Amazon region is a hub of ecological wealth, with a high level of biodiversity, pristine forest, and freshwater resources that add value to Guyana’s economy. This helps create jobs and economic livelihoods for thousands of local communities and Indigenous people.

But the rainforest as a whole is reaching an ecological tipping point, and could lose its ability to sustain itself. If it does, we’ll lose a critical climate regulator which is essential to fighting global warming.

So, we must be more agile and ambitious about protecting the region and its 60 million residents. That requires leadership, resources, and coordination among everyone —people, national, state and municipal governments, the private sector, research institutions, and international organizations.

Only by working together can we quickly deliver the scale and impact needed to avert this tip-

ping point. We have an opportunity to become more ambitious and work closer with the region’s countries, taking advantage of renewed political will to set goals and a course of action which is key to ensuring that we succeed. We must also increase our capacity to organize and implement projects and initiatives.

A new Amazonia Forever program, organized by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and Amazonian country Finance and Planning Ministers (IDB Governors), aims to do this. Acting as an umbrella program that coordinates various initiatives in the region, including from the IDB, governments, stakeholders and other international organizations, Amazon Forever can be a key tool to support any goals for Amazon countries that emerge from the upcoming Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization Summit in Belem.

The Amazon region requires a holistic and coherent approach to inclusive and sustainable development based on: (i) supporting deforestation and enhancing environmental policies, while offering sustainable economic alternatives, especially in the bioeconomy; (ii)empowering and supporting people and communities in the Amazon; (iii) improving the quality of Amazonian cities and; (iv) promoting adequate infrastructure for the region, including digital connectivity.

The Amazonia Forever program aims to protect biodiversity and accelerate sustainable development through a holistic approach that simultaneously scales up financing, boosts exchange of knowledge, and facilitates regional coordination to aid decision-making among the eight Amazonian countries. Three dimensions are key to success and renewed ambition in the region.

First, expanding the availability of resources to the region is critical. We must unlock public and private-sector credit, but also create innovative instruments to raise the necessary resources, such as sustainability-linked green bonds akin to those that the IDB recently helped Uruguay develop. We could even consider issuing Amazon bonds, and debt-for-nature conversions such as the one the IDB recently used to help Ecuador save more than $1 billion while conserving the Galapagos.

Second, we need to strengthen the planning and execution of projects, so that the funds raised actually generate impact. To do that, we are creating a Platform of Regional Partners of the Amazon to develop investment plans and increase the availability of good projects in sustainable infrastructure, including in the areas of education, health and agroforestry.

Finally, we must share knowledge and evidence-based innovations to drive research and help

decision makers create better synergies and opportunities across the region. To that end, we must expand coordination and collaboration cohesively through a new Amazonian Country Network of Finance and Planning Ministers and a technical group to oversee progress and ensure that we deliver the results that the region needs. This network, together with our partnership and support for the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization (ACTO), will help facilitate coordination between countries.

The challenge of developing the Amazon sustainably is greater than the capacity of any single country or institution to do it alone.

So, we must collaborate and involve the private sector and civil society.

By protecting one of our greatest natural resources, we can create a better future for local communities and Amazonian countries, while benefitting the entire planet. We need a sustainable, perennial Amazon. If we don't preserve the Amazon forever, it is hard to think of a future that we can look forward to forever.

We must use this opportunity to show that the region is taking an unprecedented approach to coordinating and implementing the changes needed to develop and preserve the Amazon. Now is the time to move from words to action.

(Ilan Goldfajn is President of the Inter-American Development Bank)

President Dr Irfaan Ali gave United States Congressman Rick Crawford (R-AR) a cricket bat when the two met on Thursday for discussions at the Office of the President. President Ali and Congressman Crawford during the meeting explored a number of areas of cooperation between the Government of Guyana and the State of Arkansas, including a possible collaboration in agriculture, particularly education and Private Sector investment (Office of the President photo)

Roger Luncheon was a doctor, politician, genuine friend, comrade!

Dear Editor,

The recent passing of Dr. Roger Luncheon signals the end of live engagements with an eminent medical doctor, decades of meaningful interaction with a people’s favoured politician, epochs of genuine friendships, and a longstanding comrade.

His departure is a significant loss to our country, and to thousands of friends and comrades who have modelled their political upbringing and other development charters, guided by a template that can be considered purely an art of ‘LUNCHEONISM.’

Dr. Luncheon grew up as a brilliant Queen’s College student, who demonstrated a tremendous likeness for people from all walks of life from a young age. On his return to Guyana after studying Medicine in the United States of America, he quickly established a tremendous repu-

tation as a highly respected medical doctor.

In many of his personal and articulate declarations, Dr. Roger Luncheon attributed his early affiliation with the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) to his tremendous positive impression of the PPP leadership, particularly Dr. Cheddi Jagan. When the PNC dictatorship created and persisted with the many hardships the country faced politically and economically, he quickly joined the PPP and immediately became very active in politics in Guyana.

Roger told us back in those days, “I am REALLY impressed with the PYO aggressive approach to political work in the country.”

His soft-spoken demeanor and craftily conveyed words inspire us to work among the youths and students. ‘The good Dr’, as we referred to him, quickly joined

others, such as Cde. Gail Teixeira and many others, to bring further credibility and respect to the PPP’s working class leadership.

In the struggle for free and fair elections, particularly after the massive PNC rigging of the 1985 National and Regional Elections, the PPP leadership assigned Dr. Roger Luncheon to its political team working in Region #10. He joined Cde. Samuel Hinds, and the PPP held weekly meetings across the terrain in Region #10. One would recall that he always started conversations by letting listeners know he was a PPP member.

After the Carter Center came to Guyana, we had to do house-to-house work in preparation for the ‘postponed’ 1990 Elections, held two years later, in 1992. He quickly recognized that we had to work in the Berbice

and Demerara Rivers. I remember that, in 2011, Roger was struggling to traverse from the boat landing to the meeting place, and he said, “This is most likely my last visit to the river.”

He was appointed Head of the Presidential Secretariat with the PPP/C victory at the polls in 1992. He held that position with five PPP/C Presidents. As a leader of the PPP, he leaves us with a legacy as a good listener, a man who cared for his comrades, and proved that he was a best friend or the equivalent of family.

Roger was indeed a strong team player. After the PPP/C was removed from Government in 2015, he quickly realized that the PPP needed a more aggressive and dynamic leader. Even though the Party’s Executives knew that his best health was fading, they often looked forward

Chinese Landing Village Council welcomes discussions with Govt

Dear Editor,

The Chinese Landing Village Council continues to look forward to engaging in discussions with the Government towards implementation of the IACHR precautionary measures request. We take this opportunity to clarify a few points raised in the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance press statement of August 2, 2023, in the hopes that this will assist the Government to better act in compliance with the Commission’s resolution.

The facts that we have raised before the IACHR and in our letter to the Government are that we continue to feel unsafe in our own lands because of the outside miners working on Mr. Vieira’s concession. They are armed with high-powered rifles, and they threaten and harass us in our lands. The Commission has accepted our evidence of these facts on a prima facie standard. It is

because of this that we have stated, as we have been requesting for years, that this outside mining – which we have never properly consented to – must stop.

We have never asked the Government to stop all mining on our lands. We feel that we must clarify this, as we note that some of our villagers do small mining for their livelihoods, and we hope that the Government will not cut off our source of livelihood and further infringe upon our rights in its attempt to respect our rights. Should there be any confusion regarding our right to our livelihoods, we are prepared to request clarification from the IACHR regarding our rights.

We continue to believe that a “fact-finding mission” is not what the IACHR has requested that the Government do, but rather that the Government must now work in consultation and agreement with us to

suffer

Dear Editor,

On the heels of ‘the remark in the sky’, which resulted in an airline turning back, inconveniencing hundreds of passengers, comes a damming statement from none other than the Honorary Consul on the poor service offered by a recent addition to regional airlines servicing Guyana (INews August 2).

The litany of complaints and issues graphically outlined in the statement demands serious

intervention from the authorities, other than a mere no termination is being considered (SN August 3). So, we need more airlines servicing the route, and pushing one out is not an option. So, we will continue to suffer the indignities, distresses and frustrations while the first approach is taken. The Honorary Consul's admonitions must be heeded.

Sincerely, Shamshun Mohamed

identify the targeted measures needed to protect our rights.

We must clarify that our submission of May 22, 2023 to the Commission was merely in response to the various legal and factual arguments raised by the Government in its own report to the Commission (which we had received only on May 15). Our response raised no new substantive facts that require investigation by the Government.

We also appreciate that there has been continued communication between us and the Government. We again offer the reminder that it is the Government’s responsibility to consult and agree with us on the measures to be taken to protect our rights to life and personal integrity. We hope that any discussions we will have together will be in this spirit. We are, however, disappointed that the MPAG chose to

use much of its press release to malign the Amerindian Peoples Association. The APA has always supported our village’s struggle for our rights, and we will continue working with the APA, as we value their dedication and support. We respectfully request that the Government focus on addressing the threats to our rights, rather than its views on the APA.

We have agreed to the delayed dates of August 5-6 requested by the Government for an initial meeting, and we have already sent our proposed agenda for that meeting to the Government. We look forward to welcoming the Government team to our village, and to constructive discussions towards the implementation of the IACHR resolution.

Sincerely,

Chinese Landing Village Council

to his astute advice, as he continued to play a respected role in the PPP Leadership Team.

Dr. Roger Luncheon often demonstrated his great faith in our General Secretary Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo and the leadership of the PPP. His words of inspiration and encourage-

ment will forever stay in our memories. “Dr,” your legacy will keep us in the PPP/C and Guyana safe and strong together.

Sincerely,

A Tribute to Dr Roger Luncheon

Gone at seventy-four, An age he well bore.

A pleasant personality to tour, His company all did adore.

Accolades the country will pour, His stripes represented décor. Now a vacuum filled with vapour, Not a moment was there any languor.

A scholar with scholarship to the core, Rewards were not weighed by the crore. Known by the worldly books he swore, There was no time for a minute of furore.

Diplomacy as a policy a domestic chore, How well he mastered with much candour. Politics and economics both presented a lot to encore, To the end, there was always resplendence so splendour.

To inform and perform, a job he did not ignore, Term after term, how loud he did roar. Rising above the surface, schooled by teachers of yore, Humility and integrity, his boat steered with that oar. Many fallen comrades left before, Now it’s his turn to wave to the shore. His name will be sung in many a folklore, As a mentor, how well he did score.

Yours respectfully,

Jai Lall

We must continue to

while first approach is taken

Neil Kumar Sean Richmond

Page Foundation

Metric units of measurement

The metric system is the most modern system of measurement used around the world! Its base units are the metre, the gram, and the litre. To make these base units larger or smaller, you can use prefixes.  A prefix can be added to the beginning of a word. It changes the meaning of the word. These are the most common prefixes used in the metric system:

Water

Oil

Materials:

Food colouring (any colour of your choosing)

16 oz clear glass

Another 16 oz clear glass

A fork

Instructions:

Fill the tall glass almost to the top with room-temperature water.

Pour 2 tablespoons of oil into the other glass.

Add 2 drops of food colouring to the glass with the oil.

Stir the oil into the food colouring using a fork. Stop once you break the food colouring into smaller drops.

Pour the oil and colouring mixture into the tall glass.

Now watch! The food colouring will slowly sink in the glass, with each droplet expanding outwards as it falls. Looks like fireworks! Right?

How it works:

Food colouring dissolves in water, but not in oil. So when you pour in your food colouring/oil mixture the

oil will float at the top of the water because it is less dense, and the food colouring will begin to dissolve once they sink through the oil and into the water.

Extra experiments:

Try using red and blue as your food colouring, and do one drop of blue and one drop of red when you start to mix the oil and food colouring together.

Try doing it without the oil and observe and record how the results are different.

Try using a larger glass, does it change the results? (sciencefun.org)

By Silvia Plath

I am silver and exact. I have no preconceptions. Whatever I see I swallow immediately Just as it is, unmisted by love or dislike. I am not cruel, only truthful‚

The eye of a little god, four-cornered. Most of the time I meditate on the opposite wall.

It is pink, with speckles. I have looked at it so long

I think it is part of my heart. But it flickers. Faces and darkness separate us over and over.

Now I am a lake. A woman bends over me, Searching my reaches for what she really is. Then she turns to those liars, the candles or the moon.

I see her back, and reflect it faithfully. She rewards me with tears and an agitation of hands.

I am important to her. She comes and goes. Each morning it is her face that replaces the darkness.

In me she has drowned a young girl, and in me an old woman Rises toward her day after day, like a terrible fish.

WORD SEARCH

Over 24,000 house lots delivered, 40 new housing areas in 3 years – Croal

…treated water to hinterland increased to 75%

Three years of governance under the Irfaan Ali-led administration has seen the delivery of over 24,000 house lots to Guyanese, Housing Minister Collin Croal disclosed on Thursday.

Moving closer towards fulfilling its manifesto promise of 50,000 house lots in five years, the Minister revealed, “On the eve of our third anniversary in Government, 24,116 house lots were delivered to date.”

Compared to the APNU/AFC’s delivery of 7,534 lots in its entire fiveyear term, Croal remarked 1,987 was distributed as a ‘gimmick’ leading up to the 2020 General and Regional Elections.

A breakdown of Government’s distribution reflected 719 in Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), 5,099 in Region Three

(Essequibo Islands-West Demerara), 15,010 in Region Four (DemeraraMahaica), 956 in Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice), 1,254 in Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne), 598 in Region Eight (PotaroSiparuni) and 471 in Region 10 (Upper DemeraraBerbice).

He pointed out that only three housing areas were developed under the former administration –sections of Peter’s Hall, Prospect and Providence. Drawing contrast, the PPP/C Government has pushed aggressively to develop housing schemes in Onderneeming, Charity, Edinburgh, Cornelia Ida, Meten-MeerZorg, Anna Catherina, Stewartville, Great Diamond, Little Diamond, Non Pareil, Enterprise, Hope Cummings Lodge, Lusignan, Good Hope,

De Endragt Golden Grove, Le Resouvenir, La Reconnaissance, Blairmont, Shieldstown, Burma, Fort Ordnance, Number 75 Village, Number 76 Village, Lethem, Amelia’s Ward, among several areas, and excludes areas under the 2023 work programme.

“In three years, a minimum of 40 new areas have been developed under the PPP/C tenure,” the Housing Minister added.

During its term thus far, construction commenced on 2,154 houses –and over 1000 have been handed over to new beneficiaries.

Water Access

Looking at the water sector, efforts have been made to improve water quality while expanding coverage to new areas.

In 2020, the coverage of treated water to household-

ers was a mere 52 per cent from Regions Two to Six on the coastland.

Croal updated the House, “Recognising that not only to ensure that we have water reaching to every household, but at a minimum, a better-quality means investment in a number of treatment plants. As a result, by 2025, a minimum of 95 per cent of the population on the coastland, including all new housing areas, will be receiving treated water.”

To expedite potable water access for residents, over $15 billion has been expended to make this a reality. The Housing and Water Ministry has achieved a 97 per cent access to safe water on the coastland and 75 per cent for the hinterland – up from 45 per cent before Government took office.

“Before 2025, we will (have) 100 per cent access

Housing Minister Collin Croal

to potable water delivery in the hinterland. We have provided more than 35,000 residents across the regions with first-time access.”

Customer service connection stands at 61 per cent as at June 2023. At the ending of 2022, 32 new wells were drilled and 7,684 water leaks were repaired. Deteriorating water treat-

ment plants have also been remedied.

The sector has seen a turnaround since 2020, according to the Minister, when it was facing an operating loss of $1.1 billion, while the employment costs hiked by 153 per cent. Some 5000 customers were denied service connections due to depleted inventory, and over 8000 leaks remained unaddressed.

“We are on a robust metering programme to ensure that we can have a target of 100 per cent metering to our customers. We are close to 60 per cent treated water and counting. Clear focus on delivering promised projects and improving service delivery, emphasis on addressing water losses and increasing metering coverage, these are important tenets of where our resources are going to to ensure that we have a better level of service,” he concluded. (G12)

Berbice woman charged with causing death by dangerous driving

What’s…

…the “good life”??

In the wake of the Emancipation Day commemorations – still going on – your Eyewitness is reminded of an emancipation speech made by ex-President Granger a few years ago: “Our lives will be determined by how we make our living. If we make our living by hanging around the corner, liming by the Guinness Bar, we’ll be forever poor. But if we go into our farms, go into our workshops, into our schools, we’ll be able to have prosperity.” This seems to be a widespread viewpoint in the African Guyanese community.

Four months after she had allegedly struck down and killed a cyclist with a motorcar, 31-year-old Tamika Cummings was on Wednesday arraigned before New Amsterdam

Cummings, of Lot 60 Archer Street, Number 2 Village, East Canje Berbice, has been charged with being an unlicensed driver

and with causing death by dangerous driving. It is alleged that on March 27, she drove motorcar PWW 511 in a manner dangerous to the public, thereby causing the death of 61-year-old security guard Glen McLeod of New Area, East Canfield, East Canje Berbice. She has not been re-

Do we really gotta draw such a stark line between “work” and “play”?? This ain’t really good for either our individual or national health, is it? Your Eyewitness was raised according to the principle, “all work and no play” makes Jacko a dull boy!! The homily had been passed down by the British - who did all right for themselves on “prosperity” over the centuries, thank you!!

Granger had illustrated his puritan point by insisting that our society rested on “four pillars”: “the home, church, school and farm.” But what about the “pub”derived from the “public houses” that taverns, inns and suchlike were dubbed?? Weren’t pubs as important as any other institution for the stability and success of the Brits?? It’s agreed that England took off during the reign of Elizabeth 1, and at the beginning of her reign, it’s estimated there were some 17,000 alehouses!! Taking into account the population of the period, that gives us around one pub for every 200 persons!!

quired to plead to the charges, and has been placed on bail in the sum of $200,000.

It had been previously reported that the pedal cyclist McLeod was hit by a car on the Canje Bridge at around 22:30hrs on March 27.

According to the Police, the driver was proceeding west along the northern drive lane at a fast rate of speed when she lost control of the vehicle and collided with the cyclist, who was proceeding in the said direction.

The impact of that collision flung McLeod into the air before he landed on the roadway, while the car then collided with the southern rail of the said bridge and came to rest on its side. The driver and two occupants who were inside the vehicle sustained injuries in the crash, and all the injured persons were transported to the New Amsterdam Public Hospital, where McLeod subsequently succumbed to his injuries.

Chaitram Persaud of Lot 67 Belmont, Mahaica, East Coast, Demerara (ECD) has been charged with the offences of permitting an unlicensed driver and permitting a breach of insurance.

Persaud had initially claimed that he had been driving the car at the time of the accident, but based on the Police investigation, it was determined that Cummings had been behind the wheel. (G1)

Point is - as one official British publication says -the pub (our “Guiness Bar” that Granger knocked) “is also a unique social centre, very often the focus of community life in villages, towns and cities throughout the length and breadth of the country”. What the puritans ought to be pushing - rather than “work, work, work” - is to rebrand our “Guinness Bars” as local community centres, where ALL the peoples could “hang out” and resolve their inevitable disagreements over a “pint”!!

The other institution the puritans knock is “hanging out at the street corner”, and, as such, totally miss its social significance. The small cottages our foreparents built after emancipation weren’t exactly ideal to facilitate the “visiting relationships” that had evolved - and remains strong to this day. Kids of all ages were early socialised to decamp the premises when the “child-fathers” showed up.

Then, of course, it’s on the street corners that we kids learnt the real facts of life – by sharing our real experiences. Not just receiving the whitened versions from schoolbooks prepared by the same Brits, who wanted to keep us enslaved!

Let’s free ourselves from mental slavery!!

…real business culture?

Guyana is slowly - too slowly - learning how real business is conducted in the rest of the world, when corporations from the developed north are involved. Even though we’ve been independent for over 50 years, during more than half of those years under Burnham, we were busy nationalising the few such corporations that were in Guyana - and then running them into the ground. We’ve been trying to play “catch up” ever since.

In the world of business – we repeat, for the umpteenth time - a corporation HAS to seek to make profits by whatever means legal! And they’ll push the envelope on that!! It doesn’t matter if an owner is the world’s biggest philanthropist, like Bill Gates, Microsoft still plays hardball when dealing in the world of business. The point of it all, your Eyewitness is saying, we shouldn’t be whining about Exxon or GTT trying to maximise their returns. They’re serving their shareholders’ interests.

It was the PNC that had to protect OUR interests – but they told Trotty to sign!

…Haiti’s fate??

It’s beyond ironic that, as we commemorated Emancipation in the former British colonies - who insist they “gave” us emancipation in 1838 - a new intervention’s being planned for Haiti, which emancipated itself in 1802!! Wheels inside wheels.

Magistrate Renita Singh for causing death by dangerous driving.

The car that struck down Glen McLeod

Dead: Glen McLeod

McLeod was riding this bicycle at the time of the crash

Govt seeking $61B in supplementary funding for countrywide developmental initiatives

…raising debt ceiling allows for rapid

and 2 of 2023, was first presented on April 24 during the 63rd sitting of the National Assembly, and allocated US$150 million in revenues from carbon credits towards two critical priorities under the Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS).

development – Finance Minister

Government approached the National Assembly on Thursday for an additional $61.013 billion in supplementary funding, to be injected into several key sectors for the remainder of the fiscal year 2023.

Financial Paper No.3 was presented by Senior Minister in the Office of the President with Responsibility for Finance, Dr Ashni Singh. Funds were requested for continued expenditure, for which consideration of estimates will be convened at the next sitting.

A significant chunk of this money, to the tune of $33.37 billion, is for the Public Works Ministry, spanning capital projects. Some $25 billion for road works is for construction of, and rehabilitation of, community road; $1.5 billion for rehabilitation of hinterland roads and $1 billion for urban road works.

Construction of the Wismar Bridge warranted a sum of $2.1 billion, while $600 million has been earmarked to address emerging threats along the sea and river defence network.

Emergency works and resources needed to restore the Kumaka and Supenaam Stellings are expected to cost $32.7 million from the estimates provided. For advancement of works at Kingston Goods Wharf and Morawhanna, Port Kaituma and Kumaka Stellings, $2.5 billion was requested from the House.

Another $5.6 billion was sought for the Agriculture Ministry - $1.5 billion for rehabilitation of abandoned lands at Albion, Blairmont, Rose Hall and Uitvlugt estates.

The sum also catered $4 billion for urgent drainage and irrigation works in Regions Two (PomeroonSupenaam), Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara), Four (DemeraraMahaica), Five (MahaicaBerbice) and 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice).

Under the auspices of the Office of the Prime Minister – Power Generation, $5.047 billion was requested to advance the gas to power project through the provision of additional resources to support transmission and distribution undertakings. Monies were also budgeted under its Telecommunications and Innovations Unit.

Meanwhile, over $2 billion was requested by the Education Ministry for resources to be procured for the nursery, primary and secondary levels.

Under the Health Ministry, Government is seeking to upgrade existing facilities with $1 billion.

Last month, a $31 billion Supplementary Appropriation Bill was endorsed by the National Assembly, paving the way for funds to be injected into climate adaptation measures and support for Indigenous communities.

The Bill, comprising Financial Paper Number 1

Due to the aggressive push to execute critical works and infrastructure, there has been a demand for increased funding. In fact, this year saw the House approving a whopping $781.9 billion for the 2023 Budget – the first to be financed in part by revenues earned from Guyana’s historic carbon credit sale agreement, and the largest ever in the country’s history.

Rapid Development

Sporting one of the lowest debt-to-GDP ratios glob-

ally, Government’s move to raise the borrowing threshold was also defended, dubbed as moving one step closer towards delivering development in an accelerated manner. Dr Singh told the National Assembly that as the earning increases, so does the capacity to carry debt.

In July, the Finance Minister had proposed adjustments to the two ceilings. Firstly, that the domestic public debt ceiling be increased to $750 billion, up from $500 billion from its last revision. The second was for a new external borrowing ceiling of $900 billion, after its last increase to $650 billion.

As he defended this move during Thursday’s sitting, he voiced, “The rumblings that we’re hearing on the other

side reflect their studied opposition to development in this country. They are well aware that every single loan that has been contracted under this Government has been invested in economic and social development, and improving the circumstances of the people of Guyana.”

According to Singh, there is nothing wrong with responsible borrowing. This is coupled with the fact that his administration managed to restore debt sustainability from the precipice of bankruptcy.

“The People’s Progressive Party’s record in Government, as far it relates to the achievement, maintenance, preservation and strengthening of debt sustainability, is incomparable in the entire histo-

ry of this country… History will record that, in 1992, the People’s Progressive Party assumed office in an environment where Guyana was completely bankrupted as a country. We were uncreditworthy,” he zeroed in.

Today, Guyana’s debt is just about 25 per cent of its Gross Domestic Product – a turnaround from its towering debt pre-1992.

In line with the Government’s commitment to maintaining its sterling track record of transparent and prudent debt management, the increase in the debt ceilings aims to avert the dependency on utilising the Consolidated Fund overdraft as a means of financing, which was done under the APNU/AFC Administration. (G12)

Senior Minister with Responsibility for Finance, Dr Ashni Singh

| GUYANATIMESGY.COM

2 miners die after mining pit collapses at Kamarang

38-year-old Trayon Hastings of Kamarang Landing and his employee Rocky Norton are now dead after the mining pit in which they were working at Moonlight Backdam, Kamarang, Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni) collapsed on Wednesday evening at about 22:30h.

Based on reports received, Hastings owned a

six-inch land dredge mining operation at Moonlight Backdam, and Rocky Norton was employed with him. On Wednesday, Hastings and Norton were working alone in the mining pit when a 37-year-old miner who was in another camp close by observed the mining pit caving in and raised an alarm.

A search party was immediately organized, and

with the assistance of two excavators, the motionless bodies of the two men were finally retrieved at about 00:30h and 01:20h respectively on Thursday.

Hastings reportedly sustained injuries to his abdomen and head, while Norton was observed to have injuries to his rightside ear.

The bodies were taken to the Kamarang District Hospital, where the men were pronounced dead. The bodies will be transported to Georgetown to facilitate a post-mortem. The Police are continuing their inves-

tigations.

Less than two months ago, 28-year-old Oniel Richardson, a miner of Goshen village, Bartica, Essequibo River, Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni), was killed after the mining pit in which he was working collapsed at Quartzstone Backdam.

It was reported that on the day in question, the now dead man’s cousin and an associate made checks for him but only found his partially buried detector. Richardson was nowhere in sight. He was reportedly self-employed as a detector

in search of gold.

“Suspecting the worst, the began digging, and later found the motionless body of the victim beneath a heap of loam. The body was removed and the Police were notified,” the Police had stated.

However, upon arriving at the scene, the man’s body was seen lying above an old dug-out pit next to a wall of sand that appeared to have collapsed.

Meanwhile, only recently, the Ministry of Labour's Occupational Safety and Health Department launched an investigation

into two fatalities that occurred recently in Region One and Region Ten respectively.

Twenty-six-year-old Leroy Sandy, a pork knocker, was fatally injured by a falling tree limb on Monday, July 17, at 42 Miles Backdam, North West District. And on that same Monday, Rodwell Peters died after being pinned under the vehicle he was driving, when it turned turtle on the Ituni Trail.

Labour Minister Joseph Hamilton continues to emphasize the need for employers to ensure that safe and healthy working environments are provided for all workers, irrespective of the type of industry in which they are engaged, and that these work-related deaths are unacceptable.

He further states that his Ministry, through its OSH Department, is continuing to address unsafe workplace conditions and unsafe work practices through inspections and audits in order to reduce the number of accidents that occur in the formal and informal sectors.

Dead: Trayon Hastings

Dead: Oneil Richardson

Mahdia fire tragedy…

CoI panel to be sworn-in next week – VP

dium- and long-term support, including from mental health professionals.

Moreover, Government announced last month that in addition to medical and mental health support, $5 million would be provided to the families of each of the 20 children who died in the fire.

However, the Government has faced some criticism for the approach adopted in aiding the affected families.

affected by the deadly fire. He reassured that the CoI would work independently to investigate the dormitory fire.

“The CoI has an amplitude of power, based upon the terms of reference, to make findings based upon the evidence that will be presented to it. It’s totally unrelated, and will be totally unaffected by what the Government is offering as a form of financial assistance…

The much-anticipated Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into the deadly Mahdia fire is set to commence soon, with the investigating panel expected to be sworn-in next week.

Vice President Dr Bharrat Jagdeo disclosed, during a press conference on Thursday, that President Dr Irfaan Ali will be swearing in the CoI panel on Wednesday.

It was previously announced that Major General (retired) Joseph Singh would be leading the CoI, for which the Government had been working on finalising the Terms of Reference (ToRs). Singh served as Chief-of-Staff of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF), Presidential Advisor and Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM). He is the current chairperson of the Natural Resource Fund (NRF).

The May 21, 2023 inferno at the Mahdia Secondary

School dormitory in Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni) killed 20 female students between the ages of 12 and 17, and a five-year-old boy who was the son of the dorm parents.

Days after the horrific incident, the Guyana Police Force (GPF) disclosed that the fire was allegedly started by a 15-year-old student who also lived at the dorm, after her cellular phone was taken away by the dorm’s mother and a teacher.

The teen suspect has since appeared at the Diamond/ Golden Grove Magistrates’ Courts, and was not required to plead to the murder charges. Magistrate Sunil Scarce has ordered that she be held at a juvenile holding centre pending the trial.

The Mahdia dorm facility housed about 59 students from the communities of Karisparu, El Paso, Micobie and Chenapau. Information from the Guyana Fire Service

indicated that 14 youths died at the scene of the fire, while five died at the Mahdia District Hospital, and one succumbed while being treated at the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPHC).

The girls who perished in the fire are: Sherana Daniels, Subrina John, Belnisa Evans, Loreen Evans, Bibi Rita Fiona Jeffrey, Lisa Roberts, Tracil Thomas, Delecia Edwards, Lorita Williams, Natalie Bellarmine, Arianna Edwards, Cleoma Simon, Martha Dandrade, Mary Dandrade, Omerfia Edwin, Nickleen Robinson, Sherlyn Bellarmine, Eulander Carter and Andrea Roberts.

Adanye Jerome, the five-year-old son of the dorm mother, was also among those who passed.

Apart from the CoI, President Ali had announced that the victims’ families would be compensated by the State, and offered short-, me-

The Amerindian Peoples Association (APA) recently issued a statement regarding what they called a “rush” to settle all possible claims as “disrespectful.” The APA also claimed that families were coerced into signing settlement agreements absolving the State of all liability, and that the monetary assistance can influence the impending Commission of Inquiry (CoI).

These allegations were rubbished by Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister Anil Nandlall, who travelled to Mahdia earlier this week to meet with families and community members

“The CoI, if they wish, may take that into account, but that is a matter completely within the remit and jurisdiction of the CoI members,” the AG noted.

According to Nandlall, Government’s financial assistance to persons affected by the Mahdia fire tragedy is not aimed at compensating those families for their losses.

“I made it very, very clear that if the Government is to offer hundreds of millions of dollars, it will not be appropriate compensation for the loss of any child…. There is no compensation being paid or offered. Compensation is a

legal terminology which connotes that there is an acceptance of blame or culpability, or there is a finding of blame or culpability by a tribunal of competent jurisdiction. None of those things have happened,” he contended. The Attorney General has also called for persons to stop politicizing the Mahdia fire tragedy. (G8)

Major General (retired) Joe Singh will head the CoI into the Mahdia fatal fire

Mahdia fire victims

World Breastfeeding Week… Workplaces urged to provide support to breastfeeding working mothers

This year’s World Breastfeeding Week is themed “Enabling Breastfeeding: Making a difference for working parents,” and the Health Ministry is encouraging workplaces to implement measures that allow working mothers to safely provide breast milk to their babies.

The Health Ministry’s Food Policy Division on Thursday held a Breastfeeding Education and Awareness Symposium that sought to inform stakeholders of the nutritional value of breast milk, and the importance of breastfeeding exclusively during the baby’s first six months.

Director of the Food Policy Division, Gillian Trim, explained that exclusive breastfeeding during this period guarantees the baby's healthy development, and is also a cheaper and more sustainable alternative to formula.

“Exclusively breastfeeding means giving the baby breast milk alone. No other foods are given, not ever water. All of the nutrients are provided in the breast milk,” Trim said.

“Breast milk has a lot of antibodies that help to protect your baby before they get all their vaccinations. Breast milk provides their first line of defence,” Trim added.

However, noting the challenges some new mothers may face in doing so, Trim shared some measures workplaces can put in place to cater for them.

“We can have flexible working schedules where the mother is given time to express her milk, whether she’s expressing by hand or doing it with the aid of a pump. And [she can be given] access to a private area for expression,” Trim said.

“[She should also be given] access to a nearby clean and safe water source and a sink for washing her hands and rinsing out any storage containers. [She should have] access to hygienic storage options for the mother to store her breast milk, like a fridge,” Trim said.

Meanwhile, Advisor to the Health Minister, Dr Leslie Ramsammy, reiterated the lasting positive impact of breastfeeding. Dr Ramsammy urged a national

movement to push for universal exclusive breastfeeding, noting that if practised globally, it will prevent the premature death of almost 1 million persons.

“Mothers who were breastfed when they were babies could have safer pregnancies and deliver healthier babies, because the benefits

ment, because it's not just the mothers and it is not just our health workers; this is all of us who must work to achieve universal exclusive breastfeeding for our babies,” he said.

Meanwhile, acknowledging that some mothers may not be able to breastfeed

of the first sixth months of exclusive breastfeeding… last forever,” Dr. Ramsammy said.

The Health Advisor also added the economic benefits of breastfeeding, given that formula products require a higher cost attached to their production and marketing.

“In a world where we need to save on the resources that we spend on health, universal breastfeeding could save the world US$302 billion per year,” he said.

As such, Dr Ramsammy urged a national movement to push the need for universal exclusive breastfeeding.

“We should ensure that the curriculum throughout primary and secondary school includes the benefits of breastfeeding, so that children already know,” Dr. Ramsammy said.

“We need this move-

their babies, he noted the Government’s establishment of several baby-friendly hospitals.

The Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI) is a programme started by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the World Health Organization (WHO) in 1991 to ensure that all hospitals become centres committed to actively encouraging and supporting breastfeeding.

In Guyana, this initiative, whereby healthcare professionals provide guidance to new mothers on breastfeeding, exists in hospitals, including the West Demerara Regional Hospital, Davis Memorial Hospital, Mahaicony Cottage Hospital, Mahdia District Hospital, Lethem Regional Hospital and the Upper Demerara Hospital.

Advisor to the Health Minister, Dr Leslie Ramsammy

Director of the Food Policy Division, Gillian Trim

CJIA engages low-cost carriers to provide services to South America, Europe & Middle East

more attractive destination for travellers.

In fact, the CJIA, in a release, has said it has thus far processed a total of 405,000 passengers in 2023 – 50,000 more than the amount processed for the same period last year. It credits the increase in passenger numbers to the increased airlift by the existing carriers, and to the entrance of British Airways in the Guyana market in March.

ly.

LATAM Cargo now provides freighter service between Houston, Miami, and Guyana, and has moved 133,000 kilograms of cargo since May 9, 2023.

Public Works Minister Bishop Juan Edghill has said the CJIA is poised to achieve unprecedented growth in the coming years.

The Cheddi Jagan International Airport

(CJIA) has recorded a 14 per cent increase in passengers for the year so far, when compared to 2022, and its Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Ramesh Ghir, has

Passenger movements are projected to rise further when Sky Cana Airlines commence flight operations to Houston, Texas and Canada.

In addition, 1.33 million kilograms of cargo were processed in 2023, compared to what was processed in 2022.

Cargo exports have increased by 450,000 kilograms, or 54

“The airport is a critical part of Guyana’s economic development, and the Government is committed to ensuring that it can meet the needs of the country’s growing economy,” he said.

CJIA CEO Ramesh Ghir has said the airport is on track to achieving President Irfaan Ali's prediction of one million passenger movement by 2025.

The Government of

announced that talks are underway with low-cost carriers to provide services to and from South America, Europe, and the Middle East.

This, he explained, would further boost the airport's connectivity and make it a

per cent, compared to last year.

The increase in cargo numbers is a result of increased imports in oilfield equipment and ship spares, but exports in agro-products have increased exponential-

Guyana is currently working to automate the arrival and departure processes by introducing biometric kiosks and electronic gates. This project has commenced, and is expected to be completed in early 2024.

CJIA CEO Ramesh Ghir

Passengers being processed at CJIA

AUGUST 4, 2023 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

India’s “not here for the quid pro quo” – outgoing Indian High Commissioner …reiterates commitment to continuing India-Guyana partnership

With his four-year tenure as Indian High Commissioner to Guyana coming to a close, Dr. K.J Srinivasa reflected on his experience in Guyana and assured of continuously strengthening the bilateral partnership between the two countries.

At a farewell reception held in his honour on Wednesday, Dr. Srinivasa took note of the numerous joint ventures between the two countries over the years as they collectively address climate change, sustainable development, and inequality.

“We have embarked upon many joint ventures with the Guyanese Government and the people of Guyana, wherein our partnership ranges from promoting trade and commerce, investments, political engagements, and also addressing challenges and opportunities in various sectors,” Dr Srinivasa said.

“India has so far extended concessional lines of credit of over US$125 million for various projects for developing infrastructure –the stadium, the roads, the traffic lights, the pumps, the ocean-going ferry, the solar energy projects,” he added.

Depicting India’s continued commitment to aiding Guyana, Dr. Srinivasa also noted India’s efforts to provide vaccines needed during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Some of the cherished moments include being part of the Indian vaccine initiative of 2021, when India began the donation of life-saving COVID-19 vaccines to the Caricom region of over 800,000 vaccines in the first [stretch] and 80,000 for Guyana in particular, when the rest of the world was involved in vaccine nationalism,” Srinivasa said. India has also provided a number of scholarship pro-

grammes and training courses to benefit Guyanese, with dozens of Guyana Defence Force (GDF) officers now being sent yearly for training in India.

“Our aim is to develop the technical capacity of Guyana so that the Guyanese can lead their developing story without having to depend on others,” Srinivasa said. India and Guyana have

also been privy to an exchange of visits between high level officials, with President Dr. Irfaan Ali and Vice-President Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo visiting India on two separate occasions, and India’s External Affairs Minister Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar returning the visit in April.

As Guyana enters a new era of development, Dr.

Srinivasa signalled the continued growth of this bilateral partnership going forward.

Meanwhile, speaking at the farewell reception, Dr Jagdeo extended appreciation towards the High Commissioner, and reinforced the need for this collaboration with India, particularly in sectors including agriculture and infrastructure.

“I know in [Srinivasa’s] future endeavours he’s going to remain closely connected to Guyana and to the bilateral agenda that we have between our two countries. So, we take comfort in that, because he has great institutional knowledge of the burgeoning economic and social ties between our two countries that were given an impetus when the President visited India,” Jagdeo said.

He added that India’s approach can aid Guyana as the country continues its ag-

gressive development agenda.

“We believe that countries like India, that don’t have a doctrinaire but a more practical approach to finding solutions for climate change, but at the same time allowing people to grow out of poverty and expand welfare,” Jagdeo said.

Dr Srinivasa is returning to India to fulfil duties under the External Affairs Ministry as the country prepares for the Group of 20 (G20) Summit in September.

He held a final press briefing on Thursday, reiterating his cooperation with Guyana as they continue to progress.

“One thing stands: India's partnership with Guyana shows that India doesn't do things for something in return. We are not here for the quid pro quo. We regard Guyana as an equal partner in the… cooperation Initiative,” Srinivasa said.

Outgoing Indian High Commissioner to Guyana, Dr. K.J Srinivasa

“Our nation owes him a lot of gratitude” –former President on passing of Dr Luncheon

Reflecting on the great life and outstanding contributions of the late Dr Roger Luncheon (July 17, 1949–August 2, 2023), former President Donald Ramotar expressed that “our nation owes him a lot of gratitude” for all he had done for the development of the country.

During a recent interview with Guyana Times, Ramotar remarked that Dr Luncheon’s death was a great loss to the country, as he made significant contributions to Guyana during his many years spent in public service.

“He gave his best, the fact that he served five

Presidents of this country with distinction is in a way a testament to the quality of man that he was and the quality of work that he

produced. Our nation owes him a lot of gratitude; we thank him for the contribution that he has made,” the former President said.

Whim residents protest for removal of NDC Chairman

receive same, adding that they were also not included in Government’s parttime jobs initiative despite the NCD being informed of their interest.

One resident of Bloomfield Village, Roopdai Latchman, said as a single parent she was expecting to receive the grant to help her develop her small business.

“We want him to go! He has to go!” she said in referring to the NDC Chairman.

have a final say. There is an application process where persons complete their application, and once a vacancy exists, the region would call them and they would get onboard. So, anyone who is desirous of being a part of the ten-day programme, they need to go to the Region and have their application processed," he explained.

He added that Dr Luncheon was very strong against oppression and as such, decided to join the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) to make a difference in the lives of the poor and the working class.

“The other good thing about it, he was a person who was very strong against oppression and that's why he joined the PPP and there [were] a lot of qualities that he had... he admired the qualities that Dr Jagan, [and] he himself had the sense of being incorruptible. He was a down-to-earth person who constantly thought about the poor and the working class of our society,” Ramotar remarked.

He shared that since Dr Luncheon left the medical field to serve in a higher office, he still displayed a love for medicine, and was still involved in the field in many ways.

"I think his whole life was spent in public service – first in medicine, he was a very good doctor. After 1992, I think he decided to serve at a higher level where he could solve more ills in the society than just

by looking after people. He still kept a strong interest and a love for medicine, and he was still involved in many ways in that regard,” Ramotar told this publication.

He noted that during his tenure in office he had the opportunity to work closely with Luncheon who played an important role in the implementation of a lot of decisions that were made at Cabinet.

“We had to be working very close with each other, he was more of an implementer, he helped me to implement a lot of the decisions we made at Cabinet, he was important to see that decisions were not left on paper, but to see that they were implemented and he did a great job,” Ramotar highlighted.

Luncheon served as the Cabinet Secretary and Head of the Presidential Secretariat under previous PPP/C Governments. He was also a senior Central and Executive Member of the PPP.

Throughout his life, he left a rich legacy of true commitment to service, patriotism, and a deep sense of national pride and hard

work for the people of Guyana.

Dr Luncheon was a graduate of Queen’s College, after which he proceeded to study at Howard University in Washington, DC, and became an internal medicine specialist in nephrology.

After serving the Health Ministry as an Internal Medicine Consultant, he became head of the Internal Medicine Department. He worked at the University of Guyana as an Associate Professor of the Medical Practitioners Programme.

A member of the PPP since the early 1980s, Luncheon served as head of the Presidential Secretariat from 1992 to 2015. He also chaired and served on a number of Boards during this time, including the NIS and the Defence Board. He was also Chairman of the Joint Intelligence Committee.

Dr Luncheon is the third PPP/C stalwart to have died in a year, following the death of Bibi Shadick in August 2022 and the death of party co-founder and renowned Attorney-at-Law Ashton Chase, OE, SC, last month.

Residents of Whim and surrounding villages on the Corentyne in Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) on Thursday staged a picketing exercise outside of the Whim-Bloomfield Neighbourhood Democratic Council office, calling for the chairman to step down.

The residents claim they were promised small business cash grants, but their names were not included on the list that was submitted to Government.

On Saturday, small business owners in Region Six were given grants of $200,000 each to assist them in their various business ventures. Distribution of the business grants coincided with National Small Business Week, which concluded on Saturday.

In total, 700 small business owners in Region Six have received a combined sum of $140M.

However, during the protest on Thursday, persons said they were promised the grant but did not

Another resident said her husband had submitted his name to the chairman to be included on the list, and was promised that he would be one of the recipients of the business grant, but on Saturday last he found out that his name was not on the list.

“I never promised anyone”

Newly-elected Chairman of Whim-Bloomfield NDC, Omeshwar Sirikishun, who took office two weeks ago, has denied the allegations levelled against him. He said he does not have the final say as to who collects the business cash grant.

“I never promised anyone that they will get the grant. We only make recommendations for persons to get assistance,” he said, while explaining that meetings were held and persons who needed assistance were recommended.

“…but the final decision was made by the Regional Administration. There were 25 recommendations, and those persons would have received. With regards to the tenday workers, again, I don’t

The NDC Chairman said he had advised persons of the criteria needed in order to be a part of the programme.

Nevertheless, a meeting was subsequently convened with the aggrieved residents, who were told that those who are part of the Government’s part-time job initiative were not eligible for the grants.

Latchman said there are cases involving about three persons from one household who are employed under the part-time initiative and also received the grants.

Several of the residents claim that persons who are a part of the Government's 10-day part-time work programme received small business cash grants on Saturday. Meanwhile, inside sources told this publication that the protest was orgainsed by officials from the NDC, who were not re-elected.

About 26 persons from each of the 19 NDCs in the region received the $200,000 business grant on Saturday, while 200 from the town of New Amsterdam were given the cash grants. (G4)

Dr Roger Luncheon

Chairman of Whim-Bloomfield NDC, Omeshwar Sirikishun

…

“I never promised anyone”

– NDC chair, says formal application process in place

Law books defamation case… Nandlall to seek increase in award of damages against Basil Williams …says “$10M is not adequate” for gravity of harm done

Attorney General

Anil Nandlall, SC, has expressed his dissatisfaction with the $10M award for damages his predecessor Basil Williams, SC, has been ordered to pay to him for defamation over allegations of him stealing law reports from the Attorney General’s Chambers.

And while Williams has appealed that judgement, arguing that it is erroneous and misdirected in law; Nandlall plans to file a cross-appeal in which he intends to seek a higher award of damages.

“I will challenge the quantum of damages awarded, for I feel that $10M is not adequate, having regard to the gravity of the harm done and having regard to recent defamation awards made by our courts in assessing compensation/damages in particular in defamation cases,” said Nandlall during a recent airing of his weekly programme “Issues in the News”.

Explaining how damages are decided, Nandlall noted that Judges are guided by awards made in similar circumstances, “and if one is to examine the awards made recently, one will conclude that $10M is an award to the lower end of the spectrum rather than to the upper end…”

The Attorney General is expected to lodge his legal documents soon.

In a Notice of Appeal

filed with the Court of Appeal, Williams, who is appearing on his own behalf, advances, inter alia, that the entire decision of Justice Priya SewnarineBeharry is against the weight of the evidence, and that she erred in law and misdirected herself when she failed to give him adequate time to conduct his defence.

The denial of a fair hearing, he argues, is contrary to Article 144 (8) of the Constitution, and is a violation of his fundamental right to a fair hearing before an independent and impartial court.

Further, Williams argues that the Judge failed to take judicial note or consider whether a short video exhibited by Nandlall of him allegedly uttering defamatory statements was fake, generated five years later by artificial intelligence (AI) voice-cloning technology and photo-shopping internet technology to

the prejudice of him.

In the circumstances, he is asking the Appellate Court to set aside and/or reverse Justice SewnarineBeharry’s ruling, and that costs be awarded to him in the court below.

In the decision, handed down on June 30, Justice Sewnarine-Beharry, after deliberating on the evidence led by both parties, found that Williams had tarnished the reputation and professional standing of Nandlall when he made remarks accusing him of stealing law reports from the State.

Those allegations were always vehemently denied by Nandlall, who had testified that when he was appointed Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs in 2011, he had requested that, as a condition of his service during his time in office, the Government take over payment arrangements that he had with LexisNexis UK in relation to the Commonwealth Law Reports.

He had further testified that those terms and conditions had been agreed to by then President Donald Ramotar, and were made part of his terms of employment, resulting in him receiving 14 volumes of the Commonwealth Law Reports under this arrangement.

When the APNU/ AFC Coalition came into Government in 2015,

Nandlall had briefed Williams on this arrangement; however, through press reports, he had learned that Williams had commissioned a special audit into the Law Reports, Justice Sewnarine-Beharry said in her decision.

“During the course of the investigation, the Auditor General contacted [Nandlall] for a response, and later submitted his findings in a report in January 2016. This report did not implicate either [Nandlall] or the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Legal Affairs in any wrongdoing,” the Judge had said.

Notwithstanding this, the Judge said, whenever Nandlall, a critic of Williams, was publicly critical of Williams, the latter would threaten to embarrass Nandlall by making the Law Report issue contentious, and implicating him in some law books scandal.

“This caused [Nandlall] to issue a public statement disclosing that the law reports were a condition of his service,” the Judge noted.

For his part, Williams relied on the defence of justification, knowing that he could not prove that his statements were true, according to the Judge.

She said the former Attorney General also insisted on pursuing the defence of fair comment “although there was no factual basis for such a defence.”

In assessing the sum of damages to award to Nandlall, Justice Sewnarine-Beharry explained that she considered that Williams’s defamatory statements were made during a press conference that was reported on by several media entities and live-streamed on Facebook.

Moreover, she also took into consideration Williams’s failure to apologise or publish an apology to Nandlall. As such, damages in the sum of $10M were awarded to Nandlall, the Attorney General.

Interest on the said sum has been awarded at a rate of six per cent per annum from April 4, 2017 to June 29, 2023, and four per cent per annum thereafter until the sum is fully paid.

Williams has also been ordered to pay Nandlall $1,650,000 in costs on or before August 18.

Nandlall, who filed the lawsuit in April 2017, was represented by Darshan Ramdhani, KC, and Attorney-at-Law Rajendra Jaigobin; while Williams had represented himself.

Back in 2017, the Police had charged Nandlall with the offence of larceny by bailee.

That charge had stated that between May 8, 2015 and May 29, 2015, while being the Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, and having 14 Law Reports valued at $2.3M belonging to the Legal Affairs Ministry, he fraudulently converted them to his own use and benefit.

However, the charge was discontinued by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Shalimar Ali-Hack, SC, in October 2020, a few months after the PPP/C had been returned to office.

The Attorney General had always maintained that he was innocent. (G1)

$140M in grants distributed to 700 small businesses in Region 6

Some 700 small business owners in Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) have each received cash grants of $200,000 to assist them in their various business ventures. The 700 small business owners have received a total of $140M.

Distribution of the cash grants to small business owners coincided with National Small Business Week, which concluded on Saturday last. The distribution was held during an outreach in Region Six by Vice President Dr Bharrat Jagdeo.

According to Jagdeo, the process to access the cash grants has been simplified. Where previously persons were required to set up their business, have Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) tax compliance certificate in place, and undergo training, those re-

quirements have now been removed.

The Vice President explained that lowering the requirements was due to the fact that people are forced to spend money to get all requirements in order to receive the grants.

During last Saturday’s

outreach, VP Jagdeo announced that a further 300 roads in the region would be upgraded. This will see $10B being given to the region. According to Jagdeo, the system being used to select those roads will see those in the worst state and those which would

have the most beneficiaries being given priority.

“So, we will decide which we give priority. The first 300 would be the worst roads and those that have the most people living. Eventually, all of the others are going to be done, because next year you will

have another set of roads being done. We are already halfway through this year. These would be tendered soon, and next year we will have another set,” Jagdeo said while noting that Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDCs) would be required to assist in identifying streets to get on the list of 300.

The Vice President noted that the existence of places of worship would not be a criterion for a street to be given priority.

“Schools and hospitals and anything to do with health and roads that lead to grounds will be given priority,” Jagdeo instructed Regional officials.

Meanwhile, the Vice President also announced that another 1000 persons would be employed under Government’s part-time employment system.

Despite the malicious

rumours being spread about the part-time job initiative, Jagdeo had announced earlier this year that not only would the programme continue, but the Government is in the process of expanding this initiative.

The 1000 new recruits were able to sign their contracts on Saturday, bringing to 5000 the total number of persons employed under the programme in the Berbice region.

“APNU [A Partnership for National Unity] terminated about 3000 of them in this region, and so far we have been able to rehire nearly 1700 at Rose Hall, where we are reopening the estate. So, people are getting back jobs. With these roads, the contractors in the region are getting jobs and hiring people,” the Vice President boasted. (G4)

Attorney General Anil Nandlall, SC

Former Attorney General Basil Williams, SC

High Court Judge Priya Sewnarine-Beharry

Distribution of the business grants in Region Six

Cybercrime trial for interdicted cop to begin next month

Interdicted Police Sergeant Dion Bascom, who has allegedly committed cybercrime offences against two senior Police officers, is due to go on trial on August 21 before Senior Magistrate Leron Daly at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.

Bascom was initially arraigned in September 2022, and the charges are in connection with Facebook live videos in which he accused several senior Police officers of a massive cover-up in the probe into the murder of gold dealer Ricardo Fagundes, who was executed in a hail of bullets outside the Palm Court nightclub in March 2021.

It is alleged that twice, between August 13, 2022 and August 19, 2022, he used a computer system to transmit electronic data with intent to humiliate, harass, or cause distress to Superintendent Mitchell Caesar; and on one occasion, he allegedly did the

same to Superintendent Chabinauth Singh.

He has been placed on a total of $300,000 bail under these conditionalities: he lodges his passport with the Clerk of Court and reports to the Criminal Investigation Department Headquarters, Georgetown, every other Friday pending the outcome of his trial.

Bascom was interdicted from duty and placed on half pay with effect from September 14, 2022, pending the outcome of the criminal charges. As a result, all powers conferred on him by virtue of his office of Sergeant were taken away completely. He is forbidden to wear his Police uniform, exercise his office of Sergeant, and is not permitted to enter any Police station or compound except to make a report.

Failure to attend court and/or to be available when summoned by the Guyana Police Force may result in him being absent from duty,

and may have consequences flowing therefrom.

Bascom was among several persons arrested by the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) on August 8, 2022, after a quantity of cocaine was discovered at a Norton Street, Georgetown house.

While a charge for trafficking in narcotics was laid against some of the persons, none was laid against Bascom.

Seemingly angered by his arrest, Bascom made several Facebook live videos in which he made damning allegations of corruption against several senior Police detectives and prominent businessman Azruddin Mohamed. Bascom has alleged that Police ranks have accepted bribes and are “covering up” the murder of Fagundes, called “Paper Shorts”. Police are yet to charge the perpetrators of that crime.

Bascom later deleted the posts out of fear for his

BV man nabbed with 47.3g ganja after crashing vehicle into Police car

A33-year-old taxi driver was on Thursday arrested with 47.3 grams of cannabis after he reportedly crashing his car into a Police vehicle at Beterverwagting, East Coast Demerara (ECD).

Based on reports received, the driver of motorcar HD 740 was seen driving out of a known drug yard, and Police attempted to intercept him but he refused to stop. This driver, of Beterverwagting, ECD, reportedly increased his speed and drove away.

“The Police patrol vehicle pursued him, and the ranks saw the driver throw out a black plastic bag from the driver’s side window. The ranks stopped and picked up the black plastic bag, checked and observed the bag contained a quantity of leaves, seeds and stems suspected to be cannabis,” the Police stated in a release.

The ranks continued to pursue the car, since it was in close proximity, and the driver continued evading the Police until he was cornered. The pursuit came to an end when the driver crashed his motor car into the Police vehicle.

A search was conducted on the vehicle, but nothing illegal was found. The driver was, however, told of the offences committed, cautioned and arrested. He was taken to the Beterverwagting Police Station, where the narcotic was weighed and amounted to 47.3 grams. The suspect has been placed in custody pending charges.

The RSS, in pronouncing on the matter, made it clear that there was no evidence to substantiate Bascom’s claims. The RSS team also found that the two live recordings made by Bascom were in contravention of Section 19 (5) (a) of the Cyber Crime Act.

to Mohamed’s Enterprise as a security detail, has since claimed $50 million in damages for defamation against Bascom.

family members’ lives.

Acting Police Commissioner Clifton Hicken and Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum have debunked Bascom’s allegations, calling them “malicious and untrue”, and Government had solicited the assistance of the Regional Security System (RSS) to investigate the claims made by Bascom.

Businessman Mohamed, who from the outset had distanced himself from the allegations, has since filed a $200 million defamation lawsuit against Bascom, arguing in his Statement of Claim that the words and statements uttered by Bascom are all untrue, false, dangerous, disingenuous, malicious, irrational, unfair, unsubstantiated, unfounded, and baseless, thereby tarnishing and lowering his reputation.

Another claimant, 44-year-old Mark Richmond, who is attached

In his lawsuit, Richmond alleges that on August 11, 12, 13, and 14, 2022, Bascom broadcast on Facebook several statements about him that were false, untrue, disingenuous, dangerous, malicious, irrational, unfair, unsubstantiated, and baseless. This, he argued, has resulted in his reputation being tarnished and lowered, and has caused him great embarrassment, psychological trauma, emotional distress and public humiliation.

Superintendent Caesar, through his lawyer, had threatened to take legal action against Bascom if he did not remove the posts and offered him an apology and $50 million compensation. (G1)

CANU finds $18.4M worth of ganja in Canje operation

The Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) on Wednesday discovered a quantity of cannabis during an operation conducted at Palmyra Village in East Canje, Berbice.

Based on reports received, the officers were conducting a search in the vicinity of a koker at Palmyra Village, East Canje when eight parcels of cannabis were found hidden in a clump of bushes. The cannabis was retrieved and taken to the CANU Skeldon Office, where it was weighed and amounted to 61.2 kilograms (approximately 134.9lbs), which has a street value of $18.4 million. At the time of the interception, no one was arrested. Investigations are continuing.

Dion Bascom

The car that was being driven by the suspect

The ganja that the Police found in the black plastic bag

The damaged Police car

The ganja that was found in the bushes

Colombian President’s son admits illegal money entered election campaign – Prosecutor

Administration's pursuit of peace-and-surrender deals with armed groups and its ambitious reform agenda.

The President insisted he will remain in office until 2026, citing the mandate of his election victory.

"No one but the people can end this government," Petro said during a speech in Sincelejo, in Colombia's Sucre province.

Petro denied accusations that he was aware of the illegal activities and said he hoped any claims to the contrary would "vanish quickly”. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Nicolas Petro, the eldest son of Colombian President Gustavo Petro, on Thursday admitted that illegal money entered his father's election campaign last year, the Prosecutor handling the case said on Thursday.

Nicolas Petro, 37, was arrested on Saturday in the city of Barranquilla alongside his ex-wife, Daysuris del Carmen Vasquez, who was quoted in the media in March saying that two persons accused of having ties to drug trafficking gave her former spouse cash to support the President's election campaign.

"Mr Nicolas Fernando

Petro Burgos gave relevant information that was unknown until now by the Attorney General's office, including ... about the financing of the past presidential campaign of the current President, Mr Gustavo Petro Urrego," Prosecutor Mario Burgos said during the hearing, where Nicolas Petro was present.

The information pertained to campaign funding, which appeared to exceed legal limits, and some of which was not reported to electoral authorities, Burgos added.

Although Vasquez said the President was not aware of the dealings, the scandal could hamper the Petro

Opposition Leader under fire for “empty the clip” comments

Opposition Leader

Kamla PersadBisessar has come under fire for her now popular “empty the whole clip” on intruders comment.

The People’s National Movement (PNM) has described Persad-Bissessar’s comments as worrying, and the party is urging her supporters to not be misled into the path of lawlessness.

In promoting the United National Congress’ (UNC) proposed “stand your ground” laws along with easier access to legal firearms, the Opposition Leader in Chaguanas on Monday evening went a bit further than she usually does on this topic and envisioned a UNC-led future where lawful firearm holders can “empty the whole clip” on intruders in your homes as she believes it is time to “fight fire with fire”. Almost immediately that part of her speech was posted on various social media platforms with comments ranging from, “I didn’t know Aunty Kams does lime on the block”, to, “Did Kamla really say that?!” Some even pledged their support in the upcoming Local Government Elections.

But the PNM does not see the funny nor encouraging side of what was said. The party’s Public Relations Officer (PRO) Faris Al-Rawi told Guardian Media, “I am deeply concerned that Trinidad and Tobago is at present being encouraged into a form of behaviour that can lead to immense problems for the people she is speaking to.”

He said while there was a right to self-defence, the proportionate use of force is a hallmark of those laws.

“Don’t get me wrong, this country has a Firearms Act already and allows licensed firearm users to carry firearms in certain conditions, that is the law. Inside of that law, the use of firearms is something that has to be balanced, a law that Mrs PersadBissessar is suggesting will be challenged inevitably by persons in society and, therefore, for her to make boldfaced announcements, borrowing from the United States law which may very well not stand up in countries such as ours, it is an attempt to be extremely dramatic with very irresponsible content.”

(Excerpt from Trinidad Guardian)

Deforestation

in Brazil’s Amazon falls 66% in July

Deforestation in Brazil’s Amazon fell in July to its lowest level for the month since 2017, according to preliminary Government figures.

Satellite data from Brazil’s National Institute for Space Research (INPE) on Thursday indicated that 500 square kilometres (193 square miles) of rainforest were cleared in the month, a 66 per cent drop from the same period a year ago.

In the first seven months of the year, deforestation has fallen a cumulative 42.5 per cent from the same period of 2022, INPE’s prelimi-

Fugitive sends video thanking Police for “tip-off”

An alleged drug trafficker, who is the target of an international manhunt, has sent a video to the media in which he thanks Bolivian police for allegedly giving him prior warning of an attempt to arrest him.

On Saturday, Bolivian officers raided the home of Sebastián Marset, who is wanted in his native Uruguay, as well as in Brazil, Paraguay, and the United States.

But Marset, 32, managed to get away.

Bolivian Police have denied tipping him off and continue to search for him.

More than 2250 Police Officers have been deployed to track him down, but he has so far given them the slip.

Officers moved to arrest him in the Bolivian city of Santa Cruz on Saturday, but Marset's bodyguards took one of them hostage

and the wanted man managed to escape along with his wife and their children.

Police have since searched a total of eight properties and arrested a dozen people with suspected links to the Uruguayan, but have so far failed to locate him.

On Wednesday, Bolivian media were sent a video recorded by the fugitive in which he appears to try to exonerate those who have been arrested.

"I don't implicate people who are innocent. None of these people who are in trouble have anything to do with my business, and they're going down the drain because of this," he says after briefly looking at the camera before pointing it at the sky above him.

"They're linking people everywhere [to the case against me] who have nothing to do with me."

(Excerpt from BBC News)

nary data showed. The data comes after figures last month showed deforestation in the Amazon had fallen 34 per cent in the first half of 2023.

Sequential drops in June and July are especially promising, as monthly data on Amazon deforestation often spikes this time of year, when the weather turns drier.

“We are seeing the deforestation growth curve invert,” Environment Ministry Secretary Joao Paulo Capobianco told reporters in Brasilia.

The fresh data come as

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva gathers next week with leaders of Amazonian countries for a summit in northern Brazil to discuss ways to protect the world’s largest rainforest.

President Lula said on Wednesday that the summit would seek to draw up a common policy for the first time to protect the region, which will include dealing with security along the borders and asking private businesses to help with the reforestation of 30 million hectares (74 million acres) of degraded land.

(Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Mexico bus crash death toll rises to 18, driver detained

At least 18 people died in western Mexico when a passenger bus plunged off a highway into a ravine early on Thursday, state officials said, adding the passengers were mostly foreigners and some were heading for the US border.

En route to the northern border town of Tijuana, the bus had been carrying around 42 passengers, including citizens from India,

PM confirms Jamaica ready to send soldiers to Haiti

Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness has confirmed that Jamaica is prepared to send soldiers to Haiti as part of a multinational peacekeeping force.

Addressing a media briefing at the Office of the Prime Minister Thursday morning, Holness said Jamaica has always made it clear that it is ready to play its part in restoring peace and stability in the violence-plagued country.

“We said this when we spoke in Parliament, we have said it before and yes

we are the first to say so,” declared Holness.

“In fact, you could say that Jamaica’s statement would have started an interest in the situation there,” added Holness.

The African nation of Kenya has already offered to send a thousand Police Officers to Haiti and lead a multinational effort to support the Haitian Police.

In addition, the United States has indicated that although it does not want to lead a force, it will support this move.

The US has written a

resolution that has been before the United Nations Security Council now for about nine months calling for a multinational force to be deployed to that country.

This came after the Haitian Government requested international help and a specialised force to enter the country to help the Haitian National Police.

The country has been in turmoil since the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in 2021. (Excerpt from Jamaica Observer)

Dominican Republic, and African nations.

The bus driver has been detained, the Nayarit state government said in a statement, with authorities suspecting him of speeding round a bend in the road.

Officials said they were still working to identify those who had died on Thursday afternoon.

Around 20 persons have been taken to hospital to treat injuries, with one woman's condition described as "delicate", the state government said.

The bus, part of the Elite passenger line, crashed near Barranca Blanca on the highway outside state capital Tepic, officials said.

Rescue has been "extremely difficult", said Jorge Benito Rodriguez, security and civil protection secretary for Nayarit, as the ravine was some 40 metres (131 feet) deep.

Neither the bus company nor Mexico's migration institute immediately responded to requests for comment.

Last month, a bus crash in the southern state of Oaxaca left 29 people dead, and in February, a bus carrying migrants from South and Central America crashed in central Mexico, killing 17. (Reuters)

T&T

Authorities work to remove a passenger bus that plunged off a highway killing several persons, in Tepic, Mexico, August 3,2023 (Reuters/Christian Ruano photo)

Nicolas Petro, son of Colombian President Gustavo Petro, speaks at the Atlantic Assembly in Barranquilla, Colombia on March 14, 2023, in this screengrab taken from a handout video (Asamblea del Atlantico / Handout via Reuters)

Around The World OIL NEWS

Trump pleads not guilty of plotting to overturn election loss

Oil rises 2% as Saudi Arabia and Russia keep supplies tight

Oil prices gained about two per cent on Thursday as Saudi Arabia and Russia took steps to keep supplies tight into September and possibly beyond.

Brent futures rose US$1.94, or 2.3 per cent, to settle at US$85.14 a barrel, while West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude rose US$2.06, or 2.6 per cent, to settle at US$81.55.

A lack of big price moves in recent weeks has cut Brent's historic or actual 30-day close-to-close futures volatility to its lowest since February 2022.

In other oil markets, US diesel futures rose about two per cent to close at their highest since January 2023.

Saudi Arabia said it will extend a voluntary oil output cut of one million barrels per day (bpd) for a third month to include September, adding it could be extended beyond that or deepened.

Saudi production is expected to be around nine million bpd in September.

Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said Russia would cut oil exports by 300,000 bpd in September.

Those announced cuts follow moves in June by the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and its allies like Russia, collectively known as OPEC+, to limit oil supply into 2024.

OPEC+ Ministers will meet today to review the market.

"We expect the (OPEC+) meeting to result in the producers’ group continuing the production cuts initially made at its October 5 meeting, and increased on a voluntary basis at its April 3 and June 4 meetings," analysts at ClearView Energy Partners, a research firm, said in a note.

Oil prices rose despite concerns that some central banks around the world will keep increasing interest rates to reduce stubborn inflation, which could slow economic growth and reduce oil demand.

In the United States, the number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits rose slightly last week, while layoffs dropped to an 11-month low in July as labour market conditions remain tight. Despite labour market tightness, some analysts said the inflation outlook continues to improve.

At the same time, the US services sector slowed in July as businesses faced higher prices for inputs even though demand continued to hold up, suggesting the road to low inflation could be long and slow.

"The ISM (Institute for Supply Management) activity indicators suggest that manufacturing is in recession and service sector output is becoming a little more sluggish," analysts at ING, a bank, said in a note.

In China, the world's second biggest oil consumer, the central bank pledged to guide more financial resources towards the private economy, suggesting new urgency from Beijing to bolster confidence as economic momentum weakens.

In the United Kingdom, the Bank of England raised its key interest rate by a quarter of a percentage point to a 15-year high of 5.25 per cent, its 14th back-to-back increase, and warned that borrowing costs were likely to stay high for some time.

In Europe, a downturn in eurozone business activity worsened more than initially thought in July as the slump in manufacturing was accompanied by a further slowing of growth in the bloc's dominant services industry. (Reuters)

Donald Trump pleaded not guilty on Thursday to charges he orchestrated a plot to try to overturn his 2020 election loss in what US Prosecutors call an unprecedented effort by the then President to undermine the pillars of American democracy.

Special Counsel Jack Smith, who has overseen the federal investigation, looked on from the courtroom's front row as Trump entered his plea before US Magistrate Judge Moxila Upadhyaya.

"Not guilty," Trump said, emphasising the first word.

The arraignment, lasting about half an hour, took place in a Washington courthouse one kilometre (half a mile) from the US Capitol, the building Trump's supporters stormed on January 6, 2021, to try to stop Congress from certifying his

defeat.

It was the third time Trump has pleaded not guilty since April, with months of pretrial legal wrangling expected against the backdrop of the 2024 presidential campaign, in which Trump is the front-runner for the Republican nomination to take on Democratic

President Joe Biden.

In a 45-page indictment on Tuesday, Smith accused Trump and his allies of promoting false claims the election was rigged, pressuring state and federal officials to alter the results and assembling fake slates of electors to try to wrest electoral votes from Biden.

Trump, 77, faces four counts, including conspiracy to defraud the US, to deprive citizens of their voting rights and to obstruct an official proceeding. The most serious charge carries a maximum prison sentence of 20 years.

The next court date in the case will be August 28 before U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan, though Upadhyaya said Trump would not be required to attend. Chutkan intends to set a trial date at that time, Upadhyaya said.

Trump's lawyer, John Lauro, registered an early objection, arguing that the magnitude of the case and the amount of materials involved could require a lot of time. Prosecutor Thomas Windom countered that the case should proceed as normal, including with a speedy trial. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Chance discovery helps fight against malaria

Scientists have found a naturally occurring strain of bacteria which can help stop the transmission of malaria from mosquitoes to humans.

They found it by chance, after a colony of mosquitoes in one experiment did not develop the malaria parasite.

The researchers say the bacteria could be a new tool for fighting one of the world's oldest diseases, which kills 600,000 people every year.

Trials assessing its safety in the real world are now taking place.

Scientists at a research facility in Spain, run by the GSK pharmaceutical company, made the discovery after noticing that a colo-

ny of mosquitoes being used for drug development had stopped carrying malaria.

"The infection rate in the mosquitoes started dwindling and so by the end of the year the mosquitoes just would not be infected with the malaria parasite," says Dr Janneth Rodrigues, who led the programme.

The team froze the samples from their 2014 experiment and went back to them two years later to explore what had happened.

Further studies revealed that a specific strain of bacteria – TC1 – which is naturally present in the environment, had stopped the development of the malaria parasites in the gut of the mosquitoes.

Scientists are researching ways of preventing mosquitoes spreading malaria at a lab in Spain

"Once it colonises the mosquito, it lasts for the entire lifespan," says Dr Rodrigues.

New data published in

Ukraine keeps up Russia pressure as drone raids intensify psychological war

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy warned this week that war is coming to Russia after kamika-

ze drone attacks targeted skyscrapers in Moscow’s financial district, as his country’s forces continued to score small-scale territorial

Niger: President Mohamed Bazoum calls on US for help after coup

Niger’s ousted leader has urged the US and "entire international community" to help "restore... constitutional order" after last week's coup.

In an opinion piece in the Washington Post, President Mohamed Bazoum said he was writing "as a hostage".

Unrest has erupted in the west African state since

he was overthrown.

The country is a significant uranium producer and lies on a key migration route to North Africa and the Mediterranean.

"Fighting for our shared values, including democratic pluralism and respect for the rule of law, is the only way to make sustainable progress against poverty and terrorism," Bazoum wrote.

Science magazine suggests the bacteria can reduce a mosquito's parasite load by up to 73 per cent. (Excerpt from BBC News) successes against Russian troops in Ukraine’s east and south.

Here is a round-up of the main battlefield events during the 75th week of the war.

On July 30, a suspected Ukrainian long-range drone hit a Moscow highrise building that houses the Ministry of Digital Development, the Economy Ministry and the Ministry of Industrial Development, responsible for military industry.

Two days later, another pair of drones was shot down outside Moscow, but a third made it through to the city where it was intercepted by electronic jammers and crashed into a skyscrap-

er, damaging the facade. The attacks came just days after a previous drone raid on the centre of the Russian capital. While there were no reported casualties, the latest attacks sustained a psychological impact of insecurity that Ukraine has been slowly building up since May 3, when it first attacked the Kremlin with a drone.

Although Ukraine did not directly claim responsibility, Zelenskiy said in his nightly video address, “The war is gradually returning to the territory of Russia –to its symbolic centres and military bases, and this is an inevitable, natural and absolutely fair process.”

(Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Former US President Donald Trump

President Mohamed Bazoum "The Nigerien people will never forget your support at this pivotal moment in our history." (BBC News)

ARCHIE

DAILY HOROSCOPES

Monitor your intake and do what’s affordable and physically within your means. Too much of anything will put a damper on your day. Make personal growth, self-improvement and love your priorities.

PICKLES

(March 21-April 19)

Look beyond the negative and develop a positive alternative within budget. A personal plan will reveal something unexpected, leaving you with more options. A challenge will turn in your favor.

(April 20-May 20)

PEANUTS

(May 21-June 20)

Watch out for anyone who is using manipulative tactics to steer you in the wrong direction. If you don’t feel comfortable, take a different path. Be honest, and demand the same from others.

Use your imagination, and you’ll devise unique ways to outdo yourself and anyone who tries to step in and take over. Step into the spotlight and show everyone what you have to offer.

(June 21-July 22)

CALVIN AND HOBBES

(July 23-Aug. 22)

Don’t take on too much or make promises you cannot keep. Be resourceful, use your intuition and make calls based on experience and knowledge. You will succeed.

Discuss your intentions with those you want to include in your plans or with an expert who can help decide how to move forward. Be secretive regarding personal matters and beliefs.

(Aug. 23-Sept. 22)

Let your actions speak for you and you’ll gain momentum. Be observant and you’ll discover who shares your beliefs. Changing plans will cost you. Don’t let temptation be your downfall.

(Sept. 23-Oct. 23)

Use your intuition and intelligence. You can make a difference by taking the high road and marking a just path. Don’t believe everything you hear; ask questions and stick to the facts.

(Oct. 24-Nov. 22)

Don’t follow the crowd. Listen, but don’t get involved in impossible battles. Give others the same freedom you expect in return. The only person in charge of your happiness is you.

(Nov. 23-Dec. 21)

SOLUTION FOR LAST PUBLISHED PUZZLE

(Dec. 22-Jan. 19)

The journey will be informative, and the people you meet will offer insight into possibilities that can change how you use your attributes and earn a living.

If someone chooses to head in a direction, wish them well. Make your health, emotional well-being, and the activities and events that make you happy your priorities.

(Jan. 20-Feb. 19)

An opportunity will develop that is too good to refuse. Make the necessary adjustments, take advantage of what’s available and high-tail it to the finish line. Embrace new beginnings.

(Feb. 20-March 20)

U-15 national team named for CONCACAF Championship in Curaçao

Guyana Under-15 Boys’ National Team Head Coach Devnon Winter said game intelligence, and technical, physical and mental strength were key qualities looked for during the selection process of the 18-member final squad for the 2023 CONCACAF Boys’ Under-15 Championship in Curaçao.

The junior national squad includes players attached to the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) Academy Programme in Bartica, Berbice, Rupununi, Georgetown, East Demerara, and Upper Demerara, as well as international players from the United States and Canada.

“Selection was tough because of the pool of very good players we had to select from, especially having some international players among the

group, but we are confident this is the right group of players. The team selection was

and game intelligence,” Winter said.

The junior players have

Centre in Providence, East Bank Demerara (EBD) under the watchful eyes of Coach Winter and the coaching staff – Assistant Coach Selwyn Isaacs, Goalkeeping Coach Andre Gibbs, Physiotherapist Pablino Cupido and Team Manager Joyann Williams.

The final squad has two goalkeepers, five defenders, eight midfielders, and three forwards.

Goalkeepers: Tejpal Nijjar and LeAndre Garnette

Defenders: Jameal Garnett, Michael Joseph, Candel Hazel, Kemron Pellew and Max Robinson

Forwards: Ezekiel Baldeo, Stephon Sprosta and Machaia

Defreitas

The Texas Golf Association teamed up with Champions Golf Club in Houston to ship over 8000 golf balls to the Guyana Golf Association (GGA) which were received this week.

Education Ministry

Permanent Secretary Alfred

A look at the U-15 team’s preparation

based on the quality of discipline, technique, tactics, physical/mental strength, social

spent approximately seven weeks in preparation at the Federation’s National Training

Midfielders: Shaquan David, Mikkel Mills, Keishon Leacock, Malcolm Hendricks, Luke Langevine, Quancy Fraser, Jaden Harris and Joseph Eussebio

Winter said he was “optimistic that the boys will make Guyana proud. The coaching staff along with the players have done the hard work so it's just how good we execute on the game day, [that] will determine our chances against the countries in our group.”

This is Guyana's fourth appearance at the CONCACAF

Boys’ Under-15 Championship. This year Guyana are drawn in Group F of League B with Guadeloupe, Barbados and St Lucia. Matches will be played on August 6, 7 and 8.

Winter added that Guyanese at home and overseas should be proud to support “this committed and talented young team” in the prestigious regional competition.

The team depart Guyana today, Friday, August 4.

the sport being done by Aleem and his team in Guyana. This is a small step that the TGA and the members and staff of the Champions Golf Club in Houston have taken to support their efforts. We reiterate our commitment to the young players and will ensure that

this happen. With this support from the TGA, we now have the resources to continue our push to make golf a top sport in the country. The model we have built proves that even without access to a golf course as other countries have, innovation will overcome all obstacles as our learners’ participation and pass rate is the highest in the region! "

CWI welcomes SATsport as team partner for Windies v India white-ball matches

…Betbricks7 new principal team partner

Cricket West Indies (CWI) on Thursday announced SATsport as a new partner for the ongoing white-ball series between West Indies and India.

King said, "The Ministry is extremely happy with the results of this partnership which we started in January 2021 with the Guyana Golf Association and Nexgen Golf Academy.

Under the driving force of Mr [Aleem] Hussain, this sport was introduced into the school system and with the support of the UAA [Unit of Allied Arts], hundreds of learners have taken golf as a PE elective. I just left a meeting with the Honourable Minister and with the push to ensure that all learners are exposed to at least one sport during their school years, we see this partnership growing in the years ahead."

According to Texas Golf Association President Jon Shipley, "We continue to be impressed by the level of dedication to the development of

every opportunity possible for events, scholarships and activities in our region are open to them."

Head of the Ministry’s Unit of Allied Arts, Nicholas Fraser said, "The UAA continues to support the development of the sport by the Guyana Golf Association and has facilitated its growth in more ways than one. We are seeing that golf has a wide appeal, especially with female students and PE class sizes have increased drastically in several schools since the introduction of the sport."

GGA President Hussain said: "We wish to thank the members of the TGA and Champions Golf Club along with the Pas Cargo team and the Ministry of Education, all of whom contributed to make

In just two years, the GGA has been able to affiliate with the LPGA/USGA Girls Site, Texas Golf Association and several other organisations, and has allowed more than 8000 persons access to play the sport for the first time in eight of 10 regions in the country. They are awaiting approval of their membership application to the Guyana Olympic Association, which once received will allow for other educational, tournament and training activities to become available for young Guyanese.

The arrival of the thousands of balls is timely as starting August 10, the GGA, in partnership with the Education Ministry and the Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA), will host the first-ever Savannah Milk National Junior Golf Championship. Regional competitions will be hosted in Essequibo (August 10); West Coast (August 11); Georgetown (August 12); Rosignol and Albion (August 13) with the National Finals on August 19 at the Nexgen Golf Academy on Woolford Avenue.

The competition is open to ages 10-22 at all skill levels with Coaches on hand to assist first time players. Top performers will be selected to represent the country in Barbados, Trinidad and Suriname.

This new partnership will see the SATsport brand on the upper back of the West Indies playing jersey for the CG United One-Day Internationals (ODIs) and T20 Internationals (T20Is). The white-ball series comprised three CG United ODIs as well as the five-match Kuhl Stylish Fans T20I Series powered by Black and White which started on Thursday at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Trinidad.

CWI Commercial Director Dominic Warne said: “We are delighted to welcome SATsport as a partner for the white-ball series against India. It’s exciting to develop new partnerships which provide valuable partnership investment for the development of cricket in the West Indies. SATsport’s logo will be visible on the shoulders of the iconic West Indies maroon and gold playing jersey and will be seen by millions of fans around the world.”

A SATsport senior representative said: “SATsport is thrilled to be a part of the ongoing West Indies vs India ODI and T20I series, it's a privilege to be associated with the legendary maroon jersey, which is synonymous with bringing joy and excitement to cricket fans all over the world. We are confident through this association we will be able to reach out to our target audience and engage

with them proactively.”

Meanwhile, CWI also announced Betbricks7 as the new principal team partner for the five-match T20I Series against India. The Betbricks7 logo will be displayed on the front of the West Indies playing jersey throughout the five-match Kuhl Stylish Fans T20I Series powered by Black and White.

Warne said: “We’re very happy to welcome Betbricks7 into Cricket West Indies’ family of sponsors as the Title Sponsor for the West Indies for the T20I Series against India. This series will be filled with entertainment for all fans in the stands as well as to the hundreds of millions watching around the globe on TV and on their devices. Betbricks7 will be present on the front of the iconic West Indies maroon and gold shirt as the world follows this T20I Series.”

BetBricks7 Chief Marketing Officer Akash Khanna said: “We are excited to be the Title Sponsor of the West Indies cricket team for the West Indies vs India T20I series in 2023.

Cricket is hugely important to Caribbean heritage, culture,

community and youth development. At BetBricks7, we have always been passionate about sports and the thrill it brings to millions of fans worldwide. The sponsorship comes as the West Indies step onto the field against India ready for the much-anticipated T20I series, and they carry with them the hopes and dreams of millions of fans. Joining forces with the West Indies team for the T20I series against India allows us to bring that passion to the forefront and be a part of an exceptional cricketing experience.”

Match Schedule — Kuhl Stylish Fans T20I Series powered by Black and White August 3: 1st T20I, Brian Lara Cricket Academy, Trinidad August 6: 2nd T20I, National Stadium, Guyana August 8: 3rd T20I, National Stadium, Guyana August 12: 4th T20I, Broward County Stadium, Lauderhill, Florida August 13: 5th T20I, Broward County Stadium, Lauderhill, Florida • start time: 10:30am (9:30am Jamaica)

Education Ministry Permanent Secretary Alfred King and Head of the Unit of Allied Arts, Nicholas Fraser along with parents and kids from the summer golf camp which included Lions families and the Enmore Orphanage

Windies kits will be branded with the SATsport logo

MoE, GGA benefit from massive shipment of golf balls

Ethiopia ease past Golden Jaguars 2-0 in friendly

T&T confirm large Winfield Braithwaite tournament contingent

With the prestigious Winfield Braithwaite

Chris Persaud – Junior (1516yrs); (7) Jadiah Blake –Junior (15-16yrs); (8) Paul

largest contingent in the event’s history. Participation has also been confirmed by Barbados, St Lucia, and Jamaica, while Aruba, Grenada, the Bahamas, and St Maarten are also expected. Guyana have emerged as the overall Champion County in each edition.

Guyana’s senior men’s national football team, the Golden Jaguars, went down 2-0 to Ethiopia on Wednesday night in an international friendly match.

The man in charge, Coach Wayne Dover opted for a starting XI consisting of goalkeeper Akel Clarke, Jeremy Garrett, Reiss Greenidge, Curtez Kellman, Leo Lovell, Raushan Ritch, Captain Daniel Wilson, Darren Niles, Kelsey Benjamin, Deon Moore and Nicholas McArthur.

Ethiopia opened the scoring early in the 11th minute, through a Captain Shemeles Bekele shot across the face of the goal.

While the Golden Jaguars did well to fend off the Ethiopians, it was Bekele again, who would extend the lead. This time, the striker capitalised on a pass from the midfield well beyond Guyana’s defen-

sive line and later met resistance from

Caribbean Schoolboys/ Juniors Championship programmed for August 18-20 on local shores, Guyana’s traditional rival Trinidad and Tobago have officially confirmed a 14-member travelling contingent, which is their largest delegation for the Caribbean tournament.

The team, which were officially submitted to the Guyana Boxing Association (GBA), comprises a two-member technical staff, and a 12-party fight roster. Vicki Boodram and Cecil Forde will serve in the capacities of Head Coach and Manager respectively.

Matthew Newallo – Junior (15-16yrs); (9) Rhys Grant –Junior (15-16yrs); (10) Neraj Mahadeosingh – Junior (1516yrs); (11) Joshua Lewis –Junior (15-16yrs); and (12)

Shania Nunez (female) –

Meanwhile, the GBA, in a move to improve its preparatory mechanism, will also stage a Referees/Judges Training Seminar from August 14-17. This platform will be managed and supervised by Three Star Trainer James Beckles of Trinidad and Tobago and is being conducted to provide clarity and educate the respective participants on the recent rule changes that were effected by the world governing body, the International Boxing Association (IBA).

GBA President Ninvalle

Garrett. Goalkeeper Clarke daringly advanced out of the goal area, and in spite of Garrett’s defensive efforts, the Ethiopian captain had a clear shot at the goal, and registered their second strike in the 76th minute.

Later on, Coach Dover opted for a few more changes which saw

Reid entering the game; however, the fresh legs were not enough to get any of the Jaguars on the scoresheet.

It was the first time that the Golden Jaguars took on an African nation.

Digicel Schools’ Football Championships…

More importantly, the invading pugilists are

(1) Jaheem Alexander –Schoolboys (11-12yrs);

(2) Kayden McKenna –Schoolboys (11-12yrs);

(3) Makieve Bellille –Schoolboys (13-14yrs); (4) Ekile John – Schoolgirls (1314yrs); (5) Prince Charles – Junior (15-16yrs); (6)

Junior (15-16yrs).

The competition, which is a 2016 conception of GBA chief Steve Ninvalle, will be staged at the National Gymnasium, Mandela Avenue. The 2023 edition is scheduled to feature the

Tucville, St Ignatius, Santa Rosa, Waramuri advance to quarter-finals

The first four teams have secured their spot in the Digicel Schools’ Football Championships quarter-finals, after an afternoon of exciting football action on Wednesday.

At the Ministry of Education (MoE) Ground, Carifesta Avenue, Tucville Secondary were the first to book passage by way of

ute, followed by a Dwayne Kellman brace in the 27th and 55th. Ryan Greene added their fourth in the 67th.

For Charity, Oundra Sobers netted their consolation in the 28th minute.

In the second game, Buxton Secondary sought to challenge St Ignatius Secondary, but came up a few goals short. The winning side

in the 19th and 27th minutes respectively, to push Ignatius’ tally to 5. Meanwhile, Andre Nelson (40th) and Omar Edwards (63rd) scored one goal each for Buxton in the 5-2 affair.

Santa Rosa’s Captain, Roy Vansluytman came to the party in the following game, netting three set pieces in the 10th, 28th and 78th minutes to lead his team to a 5-2 win over Mackenzie High. Darius Williams netted the other two for Santa Rosa in the 54th and 89th minutes. One goal each from Mondela McRae (50th) and Azainneo Benjamin (57th) accounted for Mackenzie’s 2.

a 4-1 victory over Charity Secondary. For Tucville, Tyrese Adams opened the scoring in the 23rd min-

was led by an Akon Albert treble in the 32nd, 53rd and 59th minutes; Morgan Taruma and Romel Ernest netted one each

The final game on Wednesday night saw Waramuri Top drubbing Kwakwani Secondary 4-1. Zundel Abrams netted the first for Waramuri in the 15th minute. Nine minutes later, Bruce Vincent found the back of the net for the first in what would eventually become a brace. The youngster beat the keeper again in the 63rd minute. Meanwhile, Lidell Boyal had found the back of the net in the 43rd minute

St Ignatius got five goals past Buxton Secondary

for Waramuri’s 4 goals. In the 90th minute, Lelon Phillips scored Kwakwani’s lone goal. The Digicel Round of 16 was set to continue on

Thursday evening with the remaining four games in that round, while the quarterfinals are set for Sunday, August 6th at the same venue.

said, “Once again we are at this annual juncture, where the future of the discipline takes centre stage. The Caribbean School Boys and Junior Championships have grown from strength to strength with each iteration which is indicative of its actual and emerging value within the region.

TURN TO PAGE 23

a sprinting

Goalkeeper Joshua Narine, Marcus Wilson and Kyle

The Golden Jaguars’ starting line-up for the Ethiopia friendly on Wednesday night

A look at the action during the friendly encounter

A look at the encounter between Tucville and Charity Secondary

Waramuri Top stunned Kwakwani Secondary

A look at what to expect at the Caribbean School Boys/ Junior Championships

South Africa’s Klusener among strong GAW coaching unit

The Guyana Amazon Warriors franchise has announced its coaching contingent for the 2023 Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League (CPL) with former South Africa all-rounder Lance Klusener appointed as Consultant Coach.

The 51-year-old expressed his excitement to join the franchise, noting that he has always been impressed with the Caribbean vibe generated during the “Biggest Party in Sport”.

Klusener said, “I’m looking forward to joining the Amazon Warriors! I’m ready for the challenge. I’m thankful for the opportunity to work with some of the best players from the Caribbean and around the world.”

Klusener brings a wealth of experience with a successful coaching career in South

Africa, Afghanistan and Zimbabwe.

In recent times, Klusener has coached Durban Super Giants in the SA20 Tournament and Delhi for the Indian Premier League.

Klusener is also Coach of the Cape Town Samp Army for

the inaugural T10 Zim Afro League.

During his playing days, Klusener featured in 49 Tests where he scored 1906 runs, including four centuries, as well as took 80 wickets. In OneDay Internationals (ODIs), he featured in 171 matches and

ended with an average of 41 and 192 wickets.

The experienced coaching unit also features longstanding senior West Indies Coach Rayon Griffith, who is in his fifth season with the franchise. The former national player has been an integral part of the West Indies coaching set-up, particularly in the

longer format.

Completing the coaching unit is Ryan Hercules. Hercules, who currently serves as Guyana’s senior men’s Head Coach, is a level three certified coach and former national youth player who served last season.

The 2023 Republic CPL will run from August 16

to September 24. Amazon Warriors play their first match of the season on August 19 against St Lucia Kings before tackling St Kitts and Nevis Patriots on August 24.

Amazon Warriors then battle Jamaica Tallawahs backto-back on August 27 and September 2 respectively before going up against Trinbago Knight Riders on September 6 and Barbados Royals on September 10.

Amazon Warriors head home to the National Stadium, Providence where they face Patriots (September 13), Kings (September 14), Knight Riders (September 16) and Royals (September 17). Providence will also host the Eliminator on September 19 followed by Qualifier One and Two on September 20 and 22. The final is set for September 24 at 19:00h.

Shepherd, Holder and co stoutly defend 149 as West Indies beat India

the hand, he showed courage by constantly charging them, and once he got to the pitch of the ball, the direction of the turn did not matter.

Mukesh and Arshdeep then bossed the death overs with their yorkers and hard-to-hit full tosses. India did not concede a single boundary in the last three overs of the innings.

Tilak's arrival

have struck at over 150 on this pitch. The result may not have gone India's way, but defeat can be a good teacher and this team have a lot of room to grow.

WI complete the job

AT20 team built with the future in mind was unable to deal with the challenges of the present as West Indies made India scratch, struggle and finally submit.

It was a hard-earned victory too. West Indies repelled a three-man spin attack on a slow Tarouba pitch to put up 149, their captain, Rovman Powell, who was discarded in the preceding one-day series, top-scoring with 48. That total proved four more than enough as the experience of Jason Holder, the guile of Akeal Hosein and the gumption of Romario Shepherd combined to buck a recent trend. West Indies haven't had a lot of success against India in T20Is over the last five years. So this one will have tasted extra sweet.

The game was in the balance when Hardik Pandya was bowled in the chase with India needing 37 off 29 balls. It was still in the balance when India needed 10 off the final over with three wickets in hand. Shepherd tipped it West Indies' way, showing everyone that they can be competitive even when their seniors are available.

Hosein, who was back from the Major League Cricket tournament in the USA, had set the tone for West Indies by taking out Shubman Gill in the powerplay. The left-arm fingerspinner then returned to finish with outstanding figures of 4-017-1, including 14 dots. Holder, Obed McCoy, and Shepherd all took pace off the ball to make life difficult for India's batters.

On such a pitch, Suryakumar Yadav could score just one of his 21 runs behind

square. Both debutant Tilak Varma, who had top-scored for India with 39 off 22 balls, and Captain Hardik were done in by offcutters. There would be no way back for India, despite a late cameo from Arshdeep Singh.

King and Pooran tee off Brandon King and Nicholas Pooran, fresh off a hundred in the MLC final, were responsible for 51 of the 54 runs West Indies had scored in the powerplay. With the pitch expected to slow down as the game progressed, King went harder against the new ball, pumping debutant Mukesh Kumar for back-to-back fours in his first over. King also lofted Axar Patel for a six before Yuzvendra Chahal trapped him in his first over.

Pooran took over from King and laid into India's spinners with his variety of sweeps. Despite Pooran's presence in the middle, Hardik gave the last over of the powerplay to Axar, who ended up leaking 14.

India pull WI back

Axar did not bowl an over after that, but Kuldeep Yadav, Chahal and the seamers used the pitch to their advantage to apply the brakes on West Indies' innings.

Kuldeep and Chahal split three wickets between them on their reunion, but it was Hardik who claimed the prized scalp of Pooran for 41 off 34 balls.

Powell led a charmed life – he was dropped twice – but managed to repair West Indies' innings with 48 off 32 balls. Even though he did not always pick the wristspinners out of

India then had a skittish start, losing both Gill and Ishan Kishan in the powerplay. Hosein made the new ball dip and turn to have Gill stumped for 3 off 9 balls. Kishan also tried to manufacture a shot by advancing at McCoy, but he ended up mis-hitting it to midon.

In the next over, however, Tilak announced his arrival into international cricket with back-to-back sixes off 140plus kph rockets from Alzarri Joseph. Then when Shepherd went full, Tilak drilled him over extra-cover for six more. Shepherd, though, struck back to hoodwink Tilak with a cutter. Tilak was the only proper batter from either team to

The fielding had cost West Indies a spot in the upcoming ODI World Cup, but on Thursday, it was particularly sharp, best exemplified by Shimron Hetmyer's diving catch at extra-cover to dismiss Suryakumar. Kyle Mayers then produced a direct hit at the death to run Sanju Samson out for a run-a-ball 12.

All the seamers kept hitting the pitch with quick short balls or slower cutters. Holder even bowled a double wicket-maiden in the 16th over. West Indies' slow over-rate meant they had to contend with having only four fielders on the boundary for the last two overs of their defence, but McCoy and Shepherd coolly finished it off for them. (ESPNcricinfo)

SCOREBOARD

West Indies (20 ovs maximum)

Brandon King lbw

b Chahal 28

Kyle Mayers lbw

b Chahal 1

Johnson Charles c Tilak Varma

b Kuldeep Yadav 3

Nicholas Pooran † c Tilak Varma

b Pandya 41

Rovman Powell (c)c Yadav

b Arshdeep Singh 48

Shimron Hetmyer c Patel

b Arshdeep Singh 10

Romario Shepherd not out 4

Jason Holder not out 6

Extras (lb 1, nb 1, w6) 8

TOTAL20 Ov (RR: 7.45) 149/6

Did not bat: Akeal Hosein,

Alzarri Joseph, Obed McCoy

Fall of wickets: 1-29 (Kyle Mayers,

4.1 ov), 2-30 (Brandon King, 4.3 ov), 3-58 (Johnson Charles, 7.3 ov),

4-96 (Nicholas Pooran, 14.1 ov),

5-134 (Shimron Hetmyer, 18.1 ov),

6-138 (Rovman Powell, 18.5 ov) •

DRS

BOWLING O-M-R-W

Arshdeep Singh 4-0-31-2

Mukesh Kumar 3-0-24-0

Axar Patel 2-0-22-0

Yuzvendra Chahal 3-0-24-2

Hardik Pandya 4-0-27-1

Kuldeep Yadav 4-0-20-1

India (T: 150 runs from 20 ovs)

Ishan Kishan † c Powell

b McCoy 6

Shubman Gill st †Pooran

b Hosein 3

Suryakumar Yadav c Hetmyer

b Holder 21

Tilak Varma c Hetmyer

b Shepherd 39

Hardik Pandya (c)

b Holder 19

Sanju Samson run out (Mayers) 12

Axar Patel c Hetmyer

b McCoy 13

Kuldeep Yadav

b Shepherd 3

Arshdeep Singh run out (Hetmyer/†Pooran)

T&T confirms large Winfield...

It was conceptualised to be an exhibition of the country’s backbone and future, and has emerged to undertake an identical element and trait amongst the other participating nations, effectively rendering the event a World Championships within the region, which is a testament to the drive and ambition of the GBA.”

He further said, “This is the most important boxing tournament in the English-speaking Caribbean. Without this event, which is of Guyanese identity, the growth and continuity of the discipline would be a herculean task not only for Guyana but the entire region, as it provides a humble but substantial avenue for the development of the respective athletes. Its overall value to the Caribbean Community cannot be quantified. That is where the event’s true benefit and success materialises.”

“This is going to be the largest contingent that we would’ve ever had, especially from Trinidad and Tobago and Barbados. St Lucia also would be sending a large contingent, St. Lucia would’ve been sending two and three before, now we expect to have over seven persons from St Lucia,” Ninvalle added in highlighting the growing interest in the competition.

The GBA boss went on to reveal that Martinique, Antigua and Grenada are likely to confirm their teams by Saturday.

The GBA had initiated its rigorous selection procedure with its monthly U16

FROM PAGE 22

Championships at the Andrew “Six Head” Lewis Gym, Albouystown, as part of its selection criteria for the looming tournament. Following the results of the previous event which occurred in July, pugilists were selected and will be encamped for two weeks prior to the prestigious regional championship to continue the preparatory segment.

Trinidad and Tobago Boxing Team:

Technical Team

Vicki Boodram Head Coach

Cecil Forde Manager/ Coach

Boxing Roster

(1) Jaheem Alexander Schoolboys (11-12yrs)

(2) Kayden McKenna Schoolboys (11-12yrs)

(3) Makieve Bellille Schoolboys (13-14yrs)

(4) Ekile John Schoolgirls (13-14yrs)

(5) Prince Charles Junior (15-16yrs)

(6) Chris Persaud

Junior (15-16yrs)

(7) Jadiah Blake

Junior (15-16yrs)

(8) Paul Matthew Newallo Junior (15-16yrs)

(9) Rhys Grant Junior (15-16yrs)

(10) Neraj Mahadeosingh

Junior (15-16yrs)

(11) Joshua Lewis

Junior (15-16yrs)

(12) Shania Nunez (female) Junior (15-16yrs)

Rayon Griffith will continue in his role in the GAW team

Ryan Hercules also returns to assist in steering the GAW

Rovman Powell swings at the ball

Romario Shepherd took out Tilak Varma