Guyana Times - Friday August 6, 2021

P11

95% turnout recorded during sitting of NGSA – MoE Nationwide coverage from the best news team in Guyana guyanatimesgy.com

THE BEACON OF TRUTH

Issue No. 4731

FRIDAY, AUGUST 6, 2021

Gunmen cart off $20M in gold, $38M in cash in early morning heist − security officer arrested Page 2

Guyana needs a dedicated funding partner for education – President Ali tells World Bank

...as the Bank’s regional reps commit to improving lives in Guyana

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WHAT'S INSIDE:

Commercial banks introduce increased fees for electronic transactions P7 ...hikes to offset installation cost of new US$6M payment systems – BoG Head

COVID death toll climbs to 553 with 2 P13 more fatalities − digitalising of the COVID-19 vaccine cards on the table

Duo now P12 charged jointly for murder of Henry cousins

Page 3

President Dr Irfaan Ali, Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo and Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh with the visiting delegation from the World Bank during Wednesday’s meeting

Mixing of COVID vaccines being discussed – Dr Ramsammy

5th suspect confesses to robbing USbased Guyanese − says accomplices murdered victim

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Page 16

...says it is now a pandemic among unvaccinated population

2 found murdered, assault rifle missing at Black Water Backdam Page 2

St Vincent PM injured amid antivaccination protest Page 18

6-year-old P11 drowns in reservoir at Tiger Creek Backdam

2 NEWS

FRIDAY, AUGUST 6, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Gunmen cart off $20M in gold, $38M in cash in early morning heist − security officer arrested

men extracted its contents.

They then moved to another safe, which was again opened by the employee, and they emptied that as well.

Brandishing their firearms, the men then went to the desk of the female employee and collected several packets, suspected to be money and raw gold.

After committing the heist, the men relieved the victims of their cell phones, before using duct tape to gag the employees prior to locking them in one of the offices and making good their es-

T

The armed men in the office

hree armed men who pretended to be customers have executed a daring robbery on the Wallison Enterprise at Lot 23 Gordon Street, Kitty Georgetown on Thursday at about 10:10h.

The men carted of $38 million in cash, 60 ounces of raw gold valued at $20 million, and two mobile phones.

Based on CCTV footage seen by Guyana Times, at about 10:04h, one man entered the establishment and started to speak with an employee, Wazim Kassim, about selling gold. Soon after, he was joined by a second person, and later by a third.

Upon entry of the third man, the visitors all went into their bags and pulled out firearms. Thereupon, they held Kassim at gunpoint and tied his hands behind his back.

Having donned masks and dark shades, the three armed men then entered another section of the establishment and held three other employees at gunpoint.

They then tied up a female and another male employee, and started to demand money and gold.

Fearful for their lives, one of the employees, from the footage seen, was forced to open one safe, and the gun-

The gunmen binding the employees

waiting white motorcar and departed the scene.

The Police were immediately contacted. Upon their arrival, they reportedly reviewed the CCTV recording of the ordeal. Statements are

being taken from the traumatised employees.

The Police have since arrested the security officer who was on duty at the time of the robbery. He is assisting with investigations.

2 found murdered, assault rifle missing at Black Water Backdam

The Wallison Enterprise at Gordon Street, Kitty

cape.

The cashier reportedly raised an alarm, and the security immediately went to

her rescue by kicking open the door. By the time the guard had responded, the men had already boarded a

A

team of detectives has been dispatched to Black Water Backdam in Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni) following the discovery of two corpses at a mining operation on Thursday.

The dead men have been identified as 62-year-old Suresh Bachan, and 31-yearold security officer Steven Niles.

Based on reports received, on Wednesday about 18:00h, the two now dead men remained at the worksite after completing a day’s work and stayed in separate camps about 100 meters apart.

However, about 06:00h on Thursday, the General Manager and several of his workers arrived at the worksite and made the gruesome discovery.

Bachan’s body was found lying on a makeshift bed with a mattress on his back while Niles’ body was found in a hammock lying on his back.

Niles was reported-

ly bludgeoned to the head, while Bachan might have been shot or stabbed. In addition, the AR-15 rifle that was in possession of the security officer is missing. The mats from the sluice box are also missing.

The Police have confirmed that Niles and Bachan were the only two persons at the ‘watch camp’ at the time of their demise.

Back in April 2020, 58-year-old Brazilian gold miner Fredson Da Conceiaco, also known as “Zezong”, and a bandit were killed during a robbery at the Marudi mining area at South Rupununi in Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo).

It was reported that four men armed with guns had attacked the miner’s camp to rob him. During the robbery, the miner, a licensed firearm holder, opened fire, killing one of the gunmen before he was gunned down. The other three bandits had reportedly ransacked the camp before making good their escape.

NEWS

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FRIDAY, AUGUST 6, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

BRIDGE OPENINGS OPENINGS BRIDGE

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

Friday, Aug 6 – 03:00h-04:30h and Saturday, Aug 7 – 03:30h-05:00h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Friday, Aug 6 – 15:35h-17:05h and Saturday, Aug 7 – 16:15h-17:45h.

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

WEATHER TODAY Light rain showers with instances of thunder are expected in the early morning, followed by sunny conditions throughout the day. Thundery showers are expected in the early evening followed by partly cloudy skies. Temperatures should range between 21 degrees Celsius and 32 degrees Celsius.

Winds: North North-Easterly to Southerly to North North-Westerly between 1.78 metres and 3.57 metres.

High Tide: 15:23h reaching a maximum height of 2.32 metres.

Low Tide: 08:54h and 21:10h reaching minimum heights of 0.81 metre and 0.90 metre.

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 4, 2021

LOTTERY NUMBERS C

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THURSDAY, AUGUST 5, 2021

DAILY MILLIONS

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COMMODITIES Indicators

US$

Change %

Crude Oil

$71.29/barrel

+1.28

Rough Rice

$238.77 /ton

-0.29

London Sugar

$461.80/ton

+3.24

Live Spot Gold

USD Per Ounce

Bid/Ask

$1800.90

$1801.90

Low/High Change

$1796.90 -3.20

$1815.90 -0.18%

Guyana needs a dedicated funding partner for education – President Ali tells World Bank

…as the Bank’s regional reps commit to improving lives in Guyana

P

resident Dr Irfaan Ali recently informed a visiting delegation from the World Bank that Guyana was looking to establish a programme that would focus heavily on enhancing its education sector.

The high-level team was led by the World Bank’s Vice President responsible for Latin America and the Caribbean, Carlos Felipe Jaramillo, and the Country Director for the Caribbean, Lilia Burunciuc.

During discussions on Guyana’s transformation agenda on Wednesday, the Head of State stressed that while the oil and gas sector was important, it would not be Guyana’s sole sector moving forward. He said that funds would be used to help strengthen other sectors, including tourism; agriculture; educational services for export; health services for export; Information C o m m u n i c a t i o n s Technology (ICT); environmental services; industrial development and manufacturing.

President Ali outlined that the most inhibiting factors to growth and development in the country were the cost of energy and the country’s human resource capacity – which, he noted, his Government was aiming to enhance.

To this end, he indicated that the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Government wanted a “dedicated funding partner for education”.

“We want an international partner who will commit to the education sector: primary, secondary, technical education, even building our international capacity. And that is an area that we would like to explore in great detail. To build a funding programme with the World Bank that focuses heavily on the education sector,” the President stated.

According to a statement from the Office of the President, the visiting officials explained that they too were concerned about the strain the COVID-19 pandemic has put on the global education sector and agreed to place education at the centre of discussions.

President Ali also expounded on Government’s development framework, which focuses on an expanded Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS). This strategy, he explained, will also address issues of equality, human rights, climate change, and environmental services, among other key areas.

“We have made it very clear that we have to exploit the oil and gas resources, but to do so in a manner that does not change our standing on the environment. We have a very strong standing on the environment,” he noted.

The President further

President Dr Irfaan Ali

told the group that the Government was pursuing an energy mix of solar, wind, gas and hydropower to ensure energy sustainability and reliability, which in turn will also reduce the cost of energy by 50 per cent

before the end of 2024.

“This will bring us closer to being very competitive in the region to support development in manufacturing,” Ali added.

He further explained that while there were opportunities in the oil and gas sector, there were also massive opportunities in other sectors such as agriculture. He pointed to the recent public-private partnership by a consortium to grow soya beans and corn with the intention of providing the local livestock sector with feed. Livestock feeds are usually imported.

This, President Ali said, will save millions of US dollars and is in line with

World Bank’s Vice President responsible for Latin America and the Caribbean, Carlos Felipe Jaramillo

Caricom’s 2025 goal to reduce importation in the Caribbean region by 25 per cent in the next four years.

TURN TO PAGE 7

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guyanatimesgy.com

FRIDAY, AUGUST 6, 2021

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

Tackling NCDs and COVID-19

T

he COVID-19 pandemic and its devastating impacts on individuals and communities as a whole are yet another stark reminder that both the health authorities and citizens must continue to take the issue of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) very seriously.

Based on what the medical professionals have found so far, most of the persons who have died from contracting COVID-19 had had some kind of underlying health complication, many of which are related to NCDs. Guyana’s COVID-19 death rate at the moment is 553. For a small population such as ours, this is quite disturbing, to say the least.

The Government had previously pointed out that several critical areas in the nation’s healthcare delivery were ignored to a large extent, and this is why renewed efforts have to be made to bring all levels of the health sector up to par, including putting effective and efficient systems in place to tackle NCDs. According to PAHO/WHO, people with underlying health conditions such as NCDs, including cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and cancer, have a higher risk of severe COVID-19 disease, and are more likely to die from COVID-19. Risk factors for NCDs can make people more vulnerable to becoming severely ill with COVID-19. For example, smokers may have reduced lung capacity, which would greatly increase risk of serious illness.

PAHO/WHO has suggested that informing populations about these health risks posed by COVID-19 is critical. In addition, health services need to be adapted to maintain essential NCD services to ensure continuity of care during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Due to poor lifestyle choices, such as tobacco use, alcohol abuse, unhealthy diets and physical inactivity, NCDs have resulted in large numbers of people falling sick and dying.

In 2007, Caricom leaders signed what they described as the “ground-breaking” Port of Spain Declaration, aimed at uniting countries to stop the epidemic of NCDs. The declaration was recently evaluated by a team of regional and international experts.

Sometime last year, leading health expert Dr Alafia Samuels had disclosed that, based on a study, Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago were found to have the highest mortality for premature cardiovascular disease and diabetes in the Americas.

In relation to Guyana’s case, while there have been some positive moves in tackling NCDs, such as finalising the Tobacco Control Legislation etc., some experts believe that enough is not being done in the fight against NCDs. It could be recalled that there was an NCD strategy in the years 2003-2008, and again in 2008-2015, which outlined a comprehensive and effective programme to fight NCDs. It is not clear if these are still being used as a guide by health authorities.

Former Minister of Health Dr Leslie Ramsammy was quoted in this newspaper as saying that some of the crucial programmes that were previously in place to tackle NCDs appear to have been reduced or totally abandoned during the tenure of the previous administration. Dr Ramsammy, in particular, had pointed to the aggressive education and awareness campaigns that were very much visible some years ago. Also, community health fairs and school programmes and other initiatives which were used to address issues such as positive lifestyles had become less visible.

These are all useful strategies in ensuring the message of healthy lifestyles continues to reach everyone in every community across the country. From all indications, some of these measures are being taken, but they are being done in a limited fashion.

We believe that discussions surrounding NCDs should constantly be kept on the national development agenda, where serious efforts are made at all levels to reduce the large numbers of persons suffering or facing death. On this basis, there is need for more collaborative efforts among all stakeholders.

That said, while the various stakeholders are involved in the battle to confront the COVID-19 pandemic, it is hoped that they will redouble their efforts to effectively address NCDs and their risk factors with a medium-to-long-term vision.

The athletes from the men’s decathlon pose for a picture on the Olympic rings at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Thursday, August 5, 2021, in Tokyo

Teachers Union must put aside politics Dear Editor, At such a time as this, when an unpredictable, deadly virus has killed over 4 million people and infected 196 million around the world, and there is no telling what would happen next, I expected the Guyana Teachers Union (GTU) to not only mould the nation, but be the teachers and educators of the nation that vaccination is the road we must take.

If not the teachers, who?

Vaccines do not kill, viruses do!

With only a disappointing 23% of teachers vaccinated and schools scheduled to reopen in September after more than a year’s hiatus, the voices of reason should prevail. I fully agree with President Ali, who said recently that he hopes teachers would show leadership and get vaccinated, as the Government would not be exposing children to unvaccinated teachers.

Because vaccines inoculate everyone against this dreaded, deadly virus, all of us should be troubled by those who refuse to get vaccinated. The unvaccinated are now as deadly as the virus itself, for they are not only susceptible to infection, but would carry it.

The Government has a responsibility to defend the health of all, President Ali has said.

But, according to a GTU statement, the President attempted “to cajole teachers to get vaccinated.” I ask what is wrong with “cajoling?” “Cajoling” means “persuading.” That’s what a Head of State should do!

When large numbers die or get sick and overwhelm the limping, limited, basic health care systems we have, who would they try to blame?

The union’s posture is reckless, when it says, “GTU is urging ‘all teachers and right-thinking Guyanese’ to resist any attempt if it becomes mandatory to take the COVID-19 vaccine…Teachers!

We will stand with you should there be any attempt to make vaccination mandatory for returning to the classroom.”

Because the union cares, won’t it be nicer for them to say, “If you voluntarily did not get the vaccine and the virus hits you, we will pay all your medical and treatment expenses, and take care of your families” while you are panting for breath on a hospital bed (if one is available)”?

The GTU will be hardpressed to defend itself for adopting such an adversarial position, and it would not be lost on the nation if people have perceptions that a top leader of the GTU, who was a candidate for the defeated

PNC, might be playing politics with the virus.

I agree with Minister Manickchand when she said GTU must decide if it wants to play politics or work for the nation’s education interests.

It sounds so silly when the Union says, “We wish to see awareness campaigns that match the zeal of the vaccination drives to assure our members (and all Guyanese) during this trying time.” Since they are the expert educators, shouldn’t the GTU and teachers be leading the education and awareness campaigns, in the national interest?

Teachers might be the most informed group in Guyana, and can influence their communities by their example. What more education do they need? Have they been living under a rock?

It is time for the parents, PTAs, school boards and civil society to speak up on this matter. Do parents want their children from nursery to high schools be exposed to unvaccinated teachers? Is that a wise thing? So, it’s voluntary to take the vaccine and to remain unvaccinated, posing high risks to our students in schools; but mandatory that teachers get hefty pay hikes and all kinds of allowances from the Government?

New York city just passed a rule that you must be vaccinated to go to gyms, restaurants, and other businesses. The PNC’s Dr. Karen Cummings and Burnham’s son-in-law, Dr. Van-West Charles, both doctors, have shed their political hats and called on people to get vaccinated.

I am a righteous person, and not given to colourful language, but my friend Suresh does. He said in his deep Corentyne accent, “Meh shack dem teachers nah get vaccinated.

Dem rass want kill ahbee pickney? Nowadays everybody gat rights. Rights to use mariwanna and grow hemp, right to cross-dressing, right to sodomy, right to ask for reduce sentence when dem kill people mercilessly, and now right fuh na vaccinate… Dem ah watch too much Merican TV,” Suresh added. “How come dem teacha nah seh, ‘We have the right fuh Exxan pay taxes, and fuh renegotiate the kontrack, suh we cyan give dem mo pay raises”? Suresh said.

The GTU should know that teachers have their choice, and the Government has a responsibility to protect the entire nation.

GTU, please put the nation’s interests first, and do the right thing!

Sincerely, Dr. Jerry Jailall

guyanatimesgy.com

FRIDAY, AUGUST 6, 2021

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

Poll shows strong support Burrowes’s suspicions and accusations for flood relief & agriculture Dear Editor, There is strong support for flood relief and greater investment in agriculture and infrastructure, and assistance to farmers and enforcement of local content laws in the oil industry, according to the findings of an opinion poll conducted in the latter half of July by this writer.

The poll also finds complaints about rising cost of living, soaring crime (particularly boldly committed ‘choke-and-rob’), and stagnant wages that are not keeping up with rising prices. Concerns have also been expressed about joblessness, race relations, the recalcitrant behaviour of the Opposition, and political instability, among other perceived problems.

However, Government has been praised for its handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, flooding, public works and infrastructure, local development, housing, education, social security, oil and gas, and public information, among other departments. In general, a majority of the public praise the Government for “trying” to address the challenges it faces, noting it has performed better than the preceding Granger Administration.

The poll interviewed 750 respondents (41% Indians, 30% Africans, 18% Mixed, 10% Amerindians, and 1% other ethnic categories) reflecting the demographics of the population.

Asked if Government should roll out another round of economic stimulus or pandemic assistance for low-income families, 82% said yes, with only 8% opposing and 10% not offering an opinion. Many respondents caution that Government should not create a dependency syndrome in overreaches to help the poor.

Many respondents feel Government should focus

on raising salaries and creating jobs, saying workers need livable wages rather than handouts. They note that salary is not keeping pace with inflation, and they complain that costs for basic goods are going up almost every week.

Respondents also call on Government to help create jobs to address the swell of unemployed from COVID and work termination during the coalition period of governance. On this note, they express support for the reopening of sugar estates of GuySuCo. However, they caution that only a small fraction of former terminated workers has been rehired.

Former GuySuCo workers say they are still waiting to be hired. The poll finds that those rehired at the reopened estates are very pleased at getting on a payroll, resulting in smiling faces.

Asked if Government should help farmers and households affected by flood, almost everyone answered positively. Asked if Government should invest more in agriculture, 74% of all respondents said yes, with 18% saying no, and 8% not offering an opinion.

The public feels Government should not rely on oil and gas for growth, but diversification of the economy.

On ministerial performance, asked whom they would rate as the most outstanding Minister, Anil Nandlall leads the list for his legal acumen and parliamentary presentations.

Nandlall has an approval rating of 74% and disapproval of 19%, with 7% not offering a view on his performance.

All of the Ministers are praised for their performance and outreaches, and it is felt that they are doing a better job than their predecessors.

On the Opposition side, Jermaine Figueira (new PAC Chair) and Ganesh Mahipaul stand out as the most outstanding MPs. The Opposition is critiqued (criticised) for ‘opposing for opposing sake’, and not offering workable solutions to problems.

Asked if GECOM should terminate staff charged for attempted election rigging, 59% said yes, with 31% saying no and 10% saying ‘not sure’. Many feel that those involved in rigging should have been long gone, terminated immediately after the declaration of the results last year August.

Asked if they think the country is moving in the right direction, 48% said yes, with 43% saying no and 9% not sure.

Respondents were also queried about the oil and gas contracts. Just half the population is au fait or paying attention to “oil”. The unemployed and lower and middle classes are more worried about eking out a living and daily survival, rather than focusing on oil and gas matters and how much revenue is being received. Of those familiar with the oil contract, almost all of them agree the benefits are lopsided in favour of the oil companies, and that Guyana’s royalty and profit sharing are low. They feel the contract should be honoured, and renegotiated if possible. They are not supportive of unilateral violations of the agreement, but they are of the view that the oil companies must honour local content laws to benefit Guyanese.

Respondents praise Minister Vickram Bharrat for his performance at the Natural Resources Ministry and for addressing the challenges of the emerging oil and gas industry.

Yours truly, Dr Vishnu Bisram

Electorate must remember words uttered by James Bond Dear Editor, I read with trepidation Mr. James Bond’s lengthy missive in a section of the media of August 4, 2021 regarding the part Mr. Granger played in the election loss for APNU. James Bond went so far as to say that due to their then President, they did not have “enough boots on the ground” on elections day. His meaning is clear and ominous.

He and his faction wanted Granger to intimidate the persons that would vote against the PNC, or did he mean that the army (boots)

should have been used to hijack the boxes from polling stations and stuff them with fraudulent ballots?

He also wrote in the same paragraph that, due to Granger, there was a lack of preparedness to deal with the shenanigans of the PPP on elections day.

He and his party have been unable to prove any wrong doing on the part of the PPP on elections day.

The only wrongdoing came from the APNU/AFC. Do we have to remind him of Mingo and his misdemeanors?

At this stage, I would

like to thank God Mr. Granger was in charge on elections day and the five months thereafter, and not James Bond and his “supporters”.

I would advise the entire electorate to remember James Bond’s words from this letter on elections day in 2025, and consider the APNU/AFC leadership at that time before casting your vote if Mr. Granger is no longer in charge at that time.

Sincerely yours, Shazad Sookram

Dear Editor, Edward Burrowes has arrogated to himself a whole lot of authority and learning. He assumes, but cannot authenticate. In his Aug 03 letter, he pontificates that “The PPP (People’s Progressive Party) is reminded that in March 2020, citizens voted for the lesser of the evils.” This is kind of ludicrous, and so I have to question him.

First, Borrowes has to explain the overwhelming statistical evidence that ‘skin-up’ the egregious shortcomings of the previous A Partnership For National Unity+Alliance For Change. In a mere fiveyear run, with almost a third being illegal, the APNU+AFC Administration, by virtue of unprecedented mismanagement, was inevitably toppled via the No Confidence Motion against it. After that, for some 18 months, it carried on as though nothing happened, trampling on the sacred Constitution as it bullied the country, thereby adding to the decline of the nation at every level.

I revisit what was illustrated in the Bank of Guyana’s statement of Assets and Liabilities published in the May 23, 2020 Official Gazette. It showed that the General Reserve stood “…at -$290,667,332.

Additionally, Public Deposits have also depleted to below $0, also recording a negative balance of -$88,629,401,855.”

Guyana’s Contingency Reserve account also reflected an alarmingly low amount of $2.3 billion.

Contrast this with when APNU/AFC took office in May 2015. Guyana’s General Reserve had in its coffers just about $6 billion, while the Contingency Reserve held $4 billion. This transits to the harsh reality that former regime actually spent $1.2 trillion in its five-year rulership, and thus left the economy in utter disaster.

It abused the Contingency Fund and also bequeathed a US$400 million in new external debt. Details herein proffered can be verified for the likes of Burrowes. He should explain the impact on voting, since, according to the record, from 2015 to 2019, the Former Government, APNU+AFC, overburdened the population with taxation and collected revenues totalling $992 billion, and then proceeded to squander $1.2 trillion.

As regards the Health Sector, the fact is that APNU+AFC spent in five years just as much as the PPP did in 23 years. In terms of medicines and medical supplies, that is $36.7B vs. $36.4B. However, shortages abound at hospitals and health centres, leaving the nation vulnerable and the present Government with a monumental repair job.

So, the PPP/C was re-elected after subsiding to the APNU+AFC, but people quickly realised their mistake

and corrected it, and now are more in support of the present Administration. In fact, I wonder how Mr. Burrowes would explain a contracting Opposition if one were to consider the numbers showing up at protests and resignations/defections that were effected of recent.

Let me get to this “…perceived corruption and failure to honour a promise to create 50,000 jobs,” Mr. Burrowes must be reminded that his biases are what he deems perceptions, which are not reflective of reality. Job creation has begun, and it is in conformity with the PPP/C’s five-year plan, as set out in its Manifesto. Let us all be mindful that the havoc created by the COVID-19 pandemic is ongoing; moreso, that the PPP/C had to clean up for APNU+AFC’s mismanagement of the diseases. Mr. Burrowes needs to assess the number of ongoing projects and what their realization would mean in terms of employment.

Outside of the Oil and Gas sector, there are many things happening countrywide, but I will take only GUYSUCO. It is common knowledge that APNU+AFC wrecked this industry, leaving not only thousands of indigent families, but psychological and mental despair. What is currently obtaining is very refreshing. GUYSUCO declared, just a few days ago, that some 442 people will be rehired by Christmas of this year, and that 200 are already in the work force. This is a huge accomplishment as, in 2017, some 6,000 - 6,500 workers were put out of jobs.

GUYSUCO has made it public that by 2023-2024, when

all is done with Skeldon, Rose Hall and Enmore, more than 3,000 persons will be coming back to work.

Let me close with a comment on the volatile Oil and Gas debate that is consuming so many people.

Guyana’s situation, if it can be deemed problematic and controversial, has its base in the APNU+AFC Coalition.

In fact, it is on record that The Alliance For Change (AFC), the minority party in the Coalition, did admit that it was trying to secure the contract with oil giant ExxonMobil, to kick off operations offshore Guyana, but in fast-tracking that process, there were several loopholes in that contract signed by its executive member Raphael Trotman. I wonder if Mr. Burrowes did check to see if and how this single ‘giveaway’ affected voting patterns.

This admission came directly from AFC Leader Khemraj Ramjattan, who served as First Vice President and Public Security Minister under the previous APNU/ AFC Administration that signed Guyana’s oil contract in October 2016. He explained that “…there was hardly anything the then coalition Administration could have done regarding the first contract that would not have been criticised.” This is where Burrowes should direct his angst and suspicions.

I challenge Burrowes and those he claims he is speaking for to debate, live, the PPP/C on these matters, since he and I are not speaking live, face to face.

Yours truly, Henry Singh

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FRIDAY, AUGUST 6, 2021

Page

Foundation

B

ird watching is often about being patient and waiting for the birds to show themselves.

While you wait and watch for birds, there’s much to observe. The highlight of the walk may not even be a bird, but an interesting rock formation, a flitting dragonfly, or a burst cattail.

To fire up powers of observation before the walk, choose a bird or birds you really want to see. Take a look at the bird in a field guide and read up on its habits and habitat. As different species have specific patterns of when they like to be active during the day, if possible, you may want to align the time you take your Bird Walk with when birds of interest are out and about.

In taking a daily Bird Walk, you can plan to visit a wide variety of habitat types or visit the same spot each day. There are benefits to each approach.

One will give you the chance to see more varieties of bird species and learn more about their relationship with their associated habitats. The other lets you get to know the “regulars” and their behaviours, helping you better be able to notice when something unusual comes along.

What you’ll need for daily Bird Walks:

• A place to walk and look for birds • Field guide • Bird Journal or notebook and pencil • Binoculars (optional) • Water, sunscreen, and first-aid items Finding locations for your Bird Walks

You don’t need to go far. Some of the best birdwatching can be in your own backyard! Birds can be seen on city and suburban streets as well as in parks, yards, and nature preserves. If you can, walk in areas near water, where more easy-to-spot birds are usually found.

You may also check with your local bird clubs, and other local nature organisations to find out where to go to find birds in your community. (Adapted from startwithabook.org)

POEM

By Suma Subramaniam

I come from a country so far away that you may have visited only in your dreams.

My face does not bear the pale color of my palms.

I don’t speak your language at home.

I don’t even sound like you.

If you come to my house, you’ll see my family: my mother in a sari, my father wearing a sacred thread around his body, and me, eating a plate of spicy biryani instead of a burger or pizza at the dinner table.

If you, for a moment, shed your filter, you will also see my pockets filled with Tootsie Rolls, waiting to be shared with you.

Source: Poetry (March 2021)

WORD SEARCH

NEWS

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FRIDAY, AUGUST 6, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Commercial banks introduce increased fees for electronic transactions …hikes to offset installation cost of new US$6M payment systems – BoG Head

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ommercial banks across Guyana have introduced increased service charges for all electronic transfer transactions.

These fee hikes are a result of the Bank of Guyana’s modernisation of the National Payment System.

Under the US$6 million World Bank-funded project, a range of electronic payment options have been made available.

These include the Guyana Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT), which enables low-value bulk payments such as payrolls and other electronic transfers, and the Guyana Real Time Gross Settlement (RTGS), which facilitates timely processing of high-value and urgent payments.

In a notice to the pub-

lic, the Guyana Association of Bankers said that these services aligned with international banking practices and also help to ensure efficient financial services.

However, in order to support the maintenance of these service enhancements, there will be a $100 charge for each EFT transaction, while RTGS transactions will incur a $500 charge.

These charges were approved by the Bank of Guyana and its Governor, Dr Gobind Ganga, who defended the increases. He pointed out these hikes, which he noted were not that significant, are to offset expenses incurred by both the Central Bank and the commercial banks for implementing these modern pay-

ment services.

“It’s somewhat [to cover the costs of] equipment that was purchased, software that had to be put in place and other oversight kind of charges. But it’s not that excessive. I think it’s up to $5 million for the EFT and for RTGS, above $5 million [in electronic transfers]. So, it is very, very small charges and all of it does go to the commercial banks by the way… Some of it will come back to the Bank of Guyana, because we would have also invested quite a lot in these systems,” the BoG Governor explained during a telephone interview with <<<Guyana Times>>>.

While these increased fees officially took effect from August 3, 2021, Dr Ganga disclosed that some of

Guyana needs a dedicated...

Accompanying the Guyanese Leader during Wednesday’s high-level meeting at the Office of the President were Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo and Senior Minister with responsibility for Finance, Dr Ashni Singh.

It was reported that the visiting delegation was pleased with Government’s clarity and consistency as it relates to its developmental plans. The visit to Guyana, which was wrapped up on Thursday, has left the World Bank team impressed particularly with the country’s emphasis on the expanded LCDS, human resource capacity and educational development, the Government’s handling and response to the COVID-19 pandemic and its focus on involving the Private Sector in its progression.

In fact, a missive from the World Bank’s Latin America and the Caribbean office detailed that the visiting delegation commended the progress made by the Government of

Guyana towards COVID-19 recovery, noting that over 51 per cent of Guyana's adult population has received the first dose of a coronavirus vaccine.

Jaramillo and Burunciuc also discussed how the World Bank could support the Government’s plan to create a more enabling environment for the Private Sector and improved living standards for the citizens of Guyana.

“We are pleased to provide ongoing support for the COVID-19 vaccination effort in Guyana, which is critical to accelerate the recovery and for equitable growth,” said the Vice President for the Latin America and the Caribbean Region.

Adding to this, Burunciuc said: “In our conversations with the country’s leadership, we underscored our commitment to making a real impact on improving people’s lives in Guyana.”

“I look forward to continuing work with the Government on climate resil-

FROM PAGE 3

ience, supporting the Private Sector, and investing in people,” the World Bank Country Director for Caribbean countries posited.

During their visit, the two officials also inspected some of the projects financed by the World Bank in Guyana including the Westminster Secondary School that was constructed and equipped under the Guyana Secondary Education Improvement Project and the water pump stations in Lusignan and Enmore, East Coast Demerara, which were built as a component of the Guyana Flood Risk Management Project. These pumps mitigate the impact of floods by reducing the time that floodwaters remain on the land.

The World Bank currently has seven active projects in Guyana that address human capital development, fiscal sustainability, disaster risk management, and governance, as well as the mitigation of the health impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

the commercial banks were already charging for these services. It was against this backdrop that the hikes in the fees were instituted in order to bring some sort of uniformity across the local banking sector.

Electronic payment methods are increasingly becoming the preferred option; according to Dr Ganga, there has been a sharp increase in the utilisation of these services especially over the past year.

“There has been a steady increase in the usage of the G-EFT system primarily as a result of the prevailing COVID-19 pandemic,” he noted, adding that it was being used continuously by the Finance Ministry and at least six commercial banks.

In fact, the BoG Governor shared that during the period January to June 2021, there were 426,226 transactions valued at $122.3 bil-

lion. This is compared with some 87,711 transactions valued at $22.3 billion in the entire 2020, representing an increase of 486 per cent and 548 per cent, respectively.

“The use of the G-EFT system is projected to increase significantly in the second half of 2021 as additional users sign on to the system such as GRA (Guyana Revenue Authority) and NIS (National Insurance Scheme),” Dr Ganga indicated.

The BoG began the development of a modern, electronic payment infrastructure in 2017 with a US$6 million loan from the World Bank.

The introduction of these new services was facilitated through the National Payment System (NPS) Act, which was passed in the National Assembly back in 2018. However, the legal

framework for the new payment services in Guyana came into effect until the following year and sought, among other things, to reduce the prevalence of cash transactions and promote more electronic payments.

In the past, Guyana’s National Payments System was predominantly paper based, with a cash-oriented culture driving most transactions.

A NPS is a system that provides the economy with Information Communication Technology (ICT) options for processing payments resulting from the many different types of economic transactions that take place daily. In other words, this includes e-payments, credit cards, and wire transfers.

The BoG was tasked with leading the development and implementing a strategic approach to advancing the development of Guyana’s NPS by establishing the parameters to guide policy and set priorities.

The Act describes electronic money as something representing cash that is “stored electronically, including magnetically or in any other tangible or intangible device such as a SIM card or a software; issued on receipt of funds of an amount not less in value than the monetary value issued for the purpose of making payment transactions; and accepted as a means of payment by persons other than the issuer”.

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FRIDAY, AUGUST 6, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Fighting…

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…with people’s lives our Eyewitness saw some videos of the PNC protest at Cuffy Square on Wednesday. You didn’t know the PNC was protesting? Well, they gotta do SOMETHING to show their dwindling supporter base they’re worth their salaries, no? The PPP - under the young and energetic President Irfaan Ali - has launched such a blitzkrieg of positive initiatives into that base that the PNC leadership has been thrown for a loop!

COVID-19 relief; school grant relief; house lots; lowincome houses; flood relief; assistance in drainage; grants to 44 groups to commemorate Emancipation, and the list (and beat) goes on. What is a party - already discredited for trying such an inept rigging attempt, and getting caught in the process! - to do? Well, if you’re the PNC, when in doubt, protest!! These are one set of politicians who’re totally bereft of creative thinking, they just follow Burnham’s lead! But what to protest when the PPP Government has covered all bases in these difficult times - bequeathed by the same PNC? So, your Eyewitness listened closely! Rather pathetically, they played the race card for every measure by the PPP. Since their supporters KNOW they were assisted, they were told there was DISCRIMINATION! Flood relief? Well, the PPP SKIPPED African-Guyanese homes and villages!!

Never mind they couldn’t actually name any such village!

Ditto for everything else.

But while you will always have the gullible in any group of people who’ll latch on to what their leaders say, the vast majority of Opposition supporters were pleased. This doesn’t mean that they’ll all vote PPP, come 2025…but we all know that “one-one dutty buil’ dam”! And this is giving the PNC “belly wuk”!

But, as cynical, Machiavellian politicians, the PNC decided to really play dirty pool - with their supporters’ lives. The issue they harped on was the Government’s efforts to vaccinate up to 80% of the populace, so that we’d all get “herd immunity” against the COVID-19 pandemic!

Meaning that so many of us would be able to fight off the viral spread, it’ll be stopped in its tracks. Now, this is the goal of EVERY government in the world…so how could they put the PPP in a bad light?

By playing on the fears and prejudices of their supporters about vaccines in general, and the COVID-19 vaccines in particular. Rather than challenge the science their own medical doctors in the party hierarchy, like Drs Van West-Charles and Karen Cummings, support herd immunity - they’ve used the argument that the supporters shouldn’t be FORCED to take the vaccine, as with those working in some Government departments. Their rights are being violated!! The PPP is a dictatorship.

Is this the 21st century Luddite argument? …and infighting Interestingly, neither the leader of the PNC - the Sanctimonious Gangster David Granger - nor his unilaterally appointed Opposition Leader Lil Joe Harmon were at the protest. Was it too infra dig for them, or they weren’t invited? One of the major accusations against Granger’s leadership, of course, is his “aloofness”. It seems they’ve forgotten that Hoyte was also “aloof” but Burnham picked him ahead of the garrulous and glad-handing Hamilton Green!!

Or was it that Granger and Harmon took their COVID-19 vaccine shots quite early in the day?? It couldn’t be that, because all those on the picket line (were they picketing Cuffy? What did he ever do them?) had gotten their shots quite early in the day, thank you. Special treatment at that time!! Anyhow, it looks like Granger’s gonna have to convert his spread at Pearl into a Bunker - since the addition of Volda Lawrence to the list of open challengers has left all four flanks exposed!

Will they wait for Congress, or would a putsch be staged? …the first battle Unless there was a massive number of no-shows, over 14,000 kids would’ve just completed their NGSA. Imagine, 99% will be forever stigmatised by not getting into the 5 Georgetown “elite” schools.

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

NEWS

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FRIDAY, AUGUST 6, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Jagdeo/Ferguson defamation case…

Full Court suspends damages assessment hearing …to hear appeal to set aside default judgment on Oct 14

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ice President Bharrat Jagdeo’s bid to set aside a default judgement made against him by High Court Judge Sandra Kurtzious, in a defamation suit mounted against him by former APNU/ AFC Government Minister Annette Ferguson, comes up for hearing on October 14 before the Demerara Full Court.

In the interim, the Full Court, comprising Chief Justice Roxane George and Justice Priya SewnarineBeharry, has granted a stay of execution - an order temporarily suspending an assessment of damages hearing that had been fixed for last month by Justice Kurtzious, who was scheduled to make her ruling on July 28.

Ferguson, who filed the lawsuit in January 2020, had claimed therein that Jagdeo had made defamatory statements in which he questioned her acquisition of a house lot and the construction of her home at Eccles, on the East Bank of Demerara.

The former Government Minister has complained that the unjustified statements have tarnished her reputation.

On June 16, Justice Kurtzious upheld her previous judgement that was rendered on March 11, and in so doing, dismissed Jagdeo’s application to have it set aside. At that time, Justice Kurtzious had recalled her previous award for damages, which was set at $20 million, and had fixed the later date for an assessment of the quantum of damages.

Moreover, Justice Kurtzious had gone on to determine the case on its merits, and, in upholding the

Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo

judgement, had found that as a result of Jagdeo’s slanderous statements, Ferguson stood to be prejudiced by suffering financial loss and injury to her character.

The default judgement was entered against Jagdeo after he had failed to file a defence within the 28 days prescribed under Art 12:01 (2) (d) of the Civil Procedure Rules (CPR).

Shortly after the judgment was rendered, Jagdeo, through his lawyer Devindra Kissoon, had moved to have it set aside; and, among other things, had contended that his failure to file a defence could be justified.

The Vice President has argued that Ferguson did not meet the requirements for such a judgement, and that he had real prospects in defending the claim.

Hoping that Justice Kurtzious would have overturned her own judgement, Kissoon had said that his client’s former lawyer, Anil Nandlall, SC, the current Attorney General, had drafted a defence before January

27, 2020, but, owing to several reasons, it was not filed.

Kissoon had submitted that Nandlall was preoccupied, having been responsible for a large part of the PPP/C’s campaign for the March 2020 national elections, and had been extensively and exclusively engaged in matters relating to elections, including acting as lead counsel for Jagdeo - who was at the time Opposition Leader - in election-related litigation as well as matters involving a recount of votes.

“These tasks resulted in Mr. Nandlall inadvertently failing to file the defence, though it was drafted. This inadvertence was not due to neglect, but rather a combination of unusual and exceptional circumstances which caused counsel to simply be unable to comply with the time limits established by the rules.”

Although the reasons for the non-filing of a defence proffered by Jagdeo were numerous, Justice Kurtzious had held, “They left the court unconvinced as to their accuracy and reasonableness.”

According to her, the time for the filing of a defence began to run from January 2020, and one year later, in January 2021, no steps had been taken to cure the default, and more so, no evidence was provided to prove same.

Additionally, Kissoon had stated that the COVID-19 pandemic had resulted in the shuttering of Nandlall’s law office for several months, and files had subsequently been relocated. Because of this, the lawyer stated, Nandlall did not discover that the defence, though drafted, was not filed.

Addressing this, Justice Kurtzious had said, “[Jagdeo’s] claim that his counsel’s chambers were shuttered cannot be a true representation of the situation that existed when other explanations are examined.”

The Judge had then queried, “How could his (Nandlall’s) office be shuttered for several months when, as stated by (Jagdeo), counsel was constantly in court representing [his] interest in [his] capacity as Leader of the Opposition?”

According to the High Court Judge, Jagdeo’s claim that his failure to file a defence was as a result of the courts not sitting for most of 2020 “is incorrect, to say the least.” She had added, “The court was never closed totally to the public…” In doing so, she outlined the COVID-19 practice directions issued by the Judiciary, which were decimated by the Bar Association.

In his application seeking to overturn the default judgement, Jagdeo had also filed a defence in which he argued that he had a real prospect of defending the lawsuit, since the statements he had made about the former APNU/AFC Government Minister were not defamatory.

Jagdeo’s lawyer had submitted that the defence of justification, fair comment, qualified privilege, and the provisions of the Defamation Act apply in this case. As such, the lawyer had submitted that his client acted reasonably and responsibly as a constitutional office-holder.

Having examined the statements made about Ferguson, Justice Kurtzious had held that they were very serious allegations, as they suggested that Ferguson was

corrupt and involved in misappropriation. The Judge had said the defences relied on by Jagdeo could not stand. “[Jagdeo] must have bourne the seriousness of the allegations when he compounded his utterance, (for) he dared (Ferguson) to sue him. His utterances, therefore, do not meet the threshold of public concern. They were uttered in the face of materials that ought to have put him on notice that his utterances were not accurate.

[Jagdeo] also failed to disclose the source of the information he disseminated,” Justice Kurtzious had said.

She said Jagdeo’s submission, that at the time of making the statement he was “only wondering”, reflects “[his] lack of knowledge of the events, if any, to which he referred.” Moreover, there is also no evidence that he sought to verify the information he sought to disseminate,” she had added.

As such, the High Court Judge concluded that Jagdeo had no real prospect of defending the lawsuit. In the circumstances, his applica-

Former APNU/AFC Government Minister Annette Ferguson

tion to have the judgement set aside was dismissed, with the court ordering him to pay costs in the sum of $75,000 to Ferguson.

Ferguson was seeking more than $50 million in damages from Jagdeo for statements he made on December 18 and 19, 2019 that were intended to damage her good character. She had also filed a similar suit against Guyana Times newspaper, which had published Jagdeo’s utterances.

10 NEWS

FRIDAY, AUGUST 6, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Public Works Ministry on track with 2021 work programme – Permanent Secretary

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he Public Works Ministry is on track with its work programme, having already awarded all of the contracts for planned projects this year.

This was revealed by Public Works Ministry Permanent Secretary Vladim Persaud, during the signing of three contracts on Wednesday for additional works to be carried out at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA).

He also revealed that most of the supplementary projects such as rehabilitation works to repair damage caused by the recent floods were also awarded.

“At this juncture, all of

our programme work for 2021 has been awarded and the supplementary [projects] that were granted via Parliament, almost 80 per cent have been awarded and only a few are at the stage of evaluation. Within the next week, we should be awarding those remaining contracts,” Persaud said.

This, according to the Permanent Secretary, has placed the Ministry well on track regarding timelines for the implementation of its 2021 work programme.

On this note, Persaud cautioned contractors that the Public Works Ministry would not be lenient when it came to the deadlines of projects.

“We are very stringent with regards to timelines and it is no secret that our implementation is one that we take very seriously. We will be behind all of the respective contractors to ensure that their project implementation timelines are met and kept within agreed contract-signing,” he stressed.

Nevertheless, the Permanent Secretary further committed to work with contractors to ensure that the projects under the Ministry were implemented in a timely manner.

A sentiment that was shared by Public Works Minister Juan Edghill, who warned against making ex-

Public Works Ministry Permanent Secretary Vladim Persaud

cuses for delays. “…to all our agencies and contractors, including those engaged with our Works Services Group, let’s wake up and think every day – implementation. An excuse for me is the opportunity to do the same thing without feeling bad. So, I don’t make excuses, I see opportunities. We have rain days so when we get sun days, let’s do longer hours – day and night,” Edghill said on Wednesday.

The Public Works

Minister went on to outline, “I frown very seriously on contracts once signed, contractors coming back with excuses that they have to get variants and different sums and so on. Anybody who would’ve engaged me since I’ve been Minister know that’s not something I take very lightly, because once you bid, you should have studied carefully what you are seeking to do and when you put a sum there and we have a signed contract for what you will do shortly,

that we’re able to get that done within the frame that you have provided.”

The three contracts signed on Wednesday for additional works on the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) are part of the Ministry’s work programme for this year. The contracts include the construction of a new building to be attached to the terminal building, repairs to the international apron and Runway Charlie, and the design of a new office building for the airport employees.

The Public Works Ministry received a whopping $40 billion from the $383.1 billion 2021 National Budget. In addition to this, the Ministry also received $2.6 billion in supplementary funds in June for repair works on the Demerara Harbour Bridge’s retractor span as well as to facilitate the upgrading of roads and drains in various communities, and urgent rehabilitation and upgrading of key access roads across the country.

NEWS

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FRIDAY, AUGUST 6, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

95% turnout recorded during sitting of NGSA – MoE the challenges, such as being out of school for more than a year, along with the many issues related to online learning,” the Ministry added, while positing that teachers have stepped up to deliver under conditions that they had never previously faced.

This year, arrangements were made for the students in the public education system to receive an NGSA Care Package containing face masks, pencils, eras-

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he National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) examinations, which were written on Wednesday and Thursday, have seen a resounding 95 per cent turnout despite the disquietude brought on by COVID-19.

Statistics provided by the Education Ministry showed that this 95 per cent attendance was garnered from the 14,400 candidates who were registered to sit the exams this year at the 503 examination centres across Guyana. The figures were compiled by each Department of Education in the 11 education districts.

“The Ministry of Education commits to searching for and re-integrating the remaining five per cent of pupils who did not turn up to write the examination,” said the

Ministry in a statement.

This year, 33 new examination centres were established to eliminate the burden placed on children of having to travel long distances to get to their respective centres, which were not the schools they attended.

In addition, the Ministry had established emergency centres that could accommodate those candidates who may have tested positive for COVID-19 or were in quarantine.

This was done for the 2021 CSEC and CAPE examinations, in which COVID-19 positive candidates were accommodated and allowed to write their examinations in a separate building.

Education Minister Priya Manickchand, Chief Education Officer Dr Marcel Hutson, and sever-

al officials visited examination centres on Thursday to observe the process and ensure that all established guidelines and protocols were in place and being followed.

Candidates continued to write their examinations under strict COVID-19 guidelines, including sanitising and washing of hands before entering examination centres, wearing of the recommended face mask, observing and maintaining social distancing at all times, and cleaning and sanitising of buildings and furniture.

“This year’s NGSA is being written at a time when Guyana, like the rest of the world, is in the middle of a pandemic. The Ministry of Education is proud of all Grade Six pupils for writing their examinations despite

ers, sharpener, hand sanitizer and ruler. Each pupil was given a study package containing notes, worksheets for the four subjects, past papers and 12 textbooks on the four subject areas.

In order to increase the pass rate and prepare students, the Ministry had launched the Quiz Me Platform on its website earlier this year, and it had offered students the opportunity to practice NGSA

type questions and be given their results instantaneously.

The NGSA Booster Programme was also launched, whereby local teachers recorded teaching the topics featured on the examination. These videos are aired on the Guyana Learning Channel according to a timetabled schedule, and are also available for streaming on the Guyana Learning Channel’s YouTube channel.

6-year-old drowns in reservoir at Tiger Creek Backdam

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he lifeless body of 6-year-old Travis Dwayne Jacobis, also called “Junior”, has been found floating in a reservoir pond at Tiger Creek Backdam in Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni).

Based on reports received, the now dead child, of Wismar Housing Scheme, Linden, Region Ten, was with his grandmother, who works as a cook at a mining camp at Tiger Creek.

The woman told detectives that, between 11:30h and 12:30h, the child was with her in the kitchen as she prepared lunch for the workers. After some time had elapsed and she did not notice the child, she

checked around the camp, and immediately raised an alarm.

A search party was assembled and, upon checking the area, a pair of slippers belonging to the child was seen floating in a reservoir pond.

Upon seeing this, a min-

er jumped into the 10-footdeep reservoir and brought up the unconscious body of Jacobis. He was rushed to the Mahdia District Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

His body is at the Mahdia Hospital Mortuary awaiting a post mortem.

12 NEWS

FRIDAY, AUGUST 6, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Duo now charged jointly for murder of Henry cousins

Killed: Isaiah and Joel Henry

Charged with Haresh Singh’s murder: Charles Scott, Joel Gittins, Phillip Anderson, Gladston Henry

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ased on advice from the Chambers of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), the Police on Thursday filed a joint charge against Vinod Gopaul and Anil Sancharia for the September 2020 murder of Berbice teens Joel and Isaiah Henry.

The charge was read to Sancharra at the Fort Wellington Magistrate’s Court; he was not required to plead to the indictable charge. Gopaul, on the other hand, was not present at the Zoom hearing. The charge is expected to be read to him on August 10, when the matter comes up at the Blairmont Magistrate’s Court. Both accused have been remanded to prison.

Killed: Haresh Singh

Gopaul, called “Magga”, 34, and Sancharra, called “Dan Pole, 33, were initially charged with the crime on January 16, and remanded to prison pending the hearing and determination of a

preliminary inquiry (PI).

One month ago, Magistrate Peter Hugh, at the end of the PI, found that there was not sufficient evidence to support the murder charge brought against the men for the murder of Isaiah Henry. Accordingly, the Magistrate dismissed the charge against them.

Throughout the PI, Attorney-at-law Dexter Todd had represented the two defendants pro bono.

However, at that time they had remained on remand, pending a PI into the murder of Joel. But following the discharge, DPP Shalimar Ali Hack, SC, pursuant to Section 72 (1) of the Criminal Law (Procedure) Act, wrote to Magistrate

Hugh, requesting that the depositions in the case be dispatched to her chambers.

The DPP, in the missive, noted that there was sufficient evidence at the time the charge was laid against the two, and that she would have to ascertain why they were discharged and take “appropriate action”.

Guyana Times was able to confirm that, upon pe-

On September 6, 2020, the badly mutilated bodies of Isaiah, 16, and 17-yearold Joel were found in the backlands of Cotton Tree, West Coast Berbice (WCB) – almost two days after they had left their Number Three Village, WCB home to pick coconuts. An “X” was marked on one of the teen’s foreheads.

Then, on September 9, 17-year-old Haresh Singh was found murdered at the Number Three Village backlands. It is suspected

rogue elements.

Meanwhile Joel Henry’s brother, Gladston Henry, is among four men charged with Singh’s murder. Only last month, about 10 of Gladston Henry’s family members, including his mother, were arrested by the Police for attempting to pervert the course of justice in relation to Singh’s murder.

The family members had claimed that Gladston was at home with them at the time Singh was killed, and

Murder accused Vinod Goopaul, Akash Singh and Anil Sancharra

rusal of the depositions, the DPP discontinued the previous charge against them for the murder of Joel Henry.

The Police were therefore instructed to institute a joint charge against Goopaul and Sancharra for the murder of the cousins.

Apart from Goopaul and Sancharra, Akash Singh, called “Money”, 19, is also charged with the cousins’ murder.

Closing date for applications is Tuesday, August 31, 2021

that his death was in retaliation for the murders of Isaiah and Joel, since he is related to one of the persons initially held by the Police for the cousins’ murder.

The murder of the Henry cousins and Singh had sparked protests across several villages along the West Coast Berbice corridor, with many persons being robbed and vehicles set alight by

as such he was wrongfully charged. The “alibi witnesses” were later arrested and held at the Criminal Investigations Department Headquarters.

They were later released on $100,000 bail pending investigations.

The Guyana Police Force has reiterated that the alibis provided by the alleged witnesses were investigated and found to be unverified.

13 COVID death toll climbs to 553 with 2 more fatalities NEWS

FRIDAY, AUGUST 6, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

− digitalising of the COVID-19 vaccine cards on the table

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he COVID-19 death toll has now climbed to 553 as of Thursday, with the announcement of the death of two women.

The latest fatalities are a 56-year-old Female and a 62-year-old female from Region Five (MahaicaBerbice) – both of whom died while seeking treatment at a medical facility.

However, new statistics provided by the Ministry showed that 84 new cases were detected in one day which now bring the total number of confirmed cases in the country to 22,789 – 11,090 males and 11,699 females.

There are 13 patients in the designated COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit (ICU), 661 in home isolation, 89 in institutional isolation and three in institutional quarantine. The data shows that 21,473 patients have recovered from the life-threatening virus while 231,121 persons have been tested.

New cases were detected across Regions One (BarimaWaini), Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara), Four (Demerara-Mahaica), Five, Six (East BerbiceCorentyne), Nine (Upper Takutu- Upper Essequibo) and 10 (Upper DemeraraBerbice).

Regions Two (PomeroonSupenaam), Seven (CuyuniMazaruni), and Eight (Potaro-Siparuni) saw no increases.

Given the bugbear of

physically carrying the COVID-19 vaccination card to access services and conduct business in Guyana, the Health Ministry is working to possibly implement an electronic version.

Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony on Thursday stated that the digitalising of the COVID-19 vaccine cards would take some time. It is an initiative Government is considering to make it easier for persons to prove that they are vaccinated, rather than physically carrying their immunisation card.

“One of the things that we have been contemplating is maybe to create an electronic version of the card, but that’s going to take some time. We have been discussing it and we’ll see if that’s possible because it would entail a lot of things.

Because 1) a person who already received their card, how do we then get this new card to them and whole host of logistical issues would come up. But it is something that we’re thinking about to make the card more portable,” he said.

In the meantime, persons have been cautioned to have their card in their possession at all times when conducting business or in public.

“The key to the card is really to identify that that’s the person ,also to verify if the person would have received the vaccination. How

GUYANA COVID-19 DASHBOARD AUGUST 5 UPDATE

NUMBER OF NEW CASES

84

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN INSTITUTIONAL ISOLATION

89

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN HOME ISOLATION

661

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN COVID-19 ICU

13

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN INSTITUTIONAL QUARANTINE

3

TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES BY GENDER (FEMALES)

11,699

TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES BY GENDER (MALES)

11,090

TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES IN GUYANA SINCE 2020

22,789

NUMBER OF RECOVERED CASES

21,473

TOTAL 1st DOSE VACCINATED

254,000

FULLY IMMUNISED

142,000

TOTAL NUMBER OF DEATHS

553

DISTRIBUTION OF TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES SINCE MARCH 2020 REGION 1

1306

REGION 2

641

REGION 3

2601

REGION 4

10,232

REGION 5

765

REGION 6

1914

REGION 7

1282

REGION 8

380

REGION 9

2115

REGION 10

1553

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

Keep a physical distance of at least 6 feet.

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

GET MEDICAL ADVICE ON COVID-19 FROM MOH 24/7 HOTLINE NUMBERS: 2311166; 226 7480; 624 6674; 624 2819; 624 3067 OR 180/181.

the card is made up, it is folded so I think it would be difficult to laminate it to

show all the pertinent information. So, my advice would be that they walk with their

card and they find ways and means of protecting it.”

The Indian Government

has consented to give Guyana a customised version of its CoWIN software, which is a web portal used for COVID-19 vaccination registration. Authorities are working to have the database available in the near future.

“We’re still working to get that system. It’s called CoWIN. That’s the software India is using and they have consented to give us a customised version of that software for our use. So we’re continuing those discussions and as soon as we finalise it, we will then be able to move our database into that software and it has a lot of ease of functions to allow quick search and a whole host of features,” he added.

All Guyanese are reminded to observe the protocols of the COVID-19 emergency measures which emphasise: the need for correct and consistent use of a face mask when leaving your home; the importance of maintaining six feet of physical distance from others; and the need for good hand hygiene.

If anyone is displaying any of the symptoms associated with COVID-19, or need any additional information, contact the COVID-19 Hotline 2311166, 226-7480 or 624-6674 immediately or visit www. health.gov.gy.

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GTT donates smartphones to Linden co-op society − company continues work to strengthen our community

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he Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GTT) on Tuesday donated six smartphones, SIMs and $1,000 Top Up on each phone to the Future Economic Development Strategy Cooperative Society Limited (FEDS).

FEDS is a multi-purpose co-op society that serves the community of Region Ten by providing self-employment opportunities and by assisting the Linden community in a number of ways. The outfitted handsets will go towards aiding selected students in the Linden community who have difficulties accessing their schoolwork online.

GTT’s Linden Retail Manager Avril Bacchus, who handed over the donation, has said the company is pleased to maintain its ‘Together We Rise’ support to those who need it most during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We recognise the importance of access to education, and the company has done a lot to support students across Guyana. Our support does not end here, and we look forward to further strengthening our community in the areas we serve and beyond,” Bacchus has said.

Secretary to the FEDS, Clyde Fowler, has thanked GTT for its contribution towards its priority project of

supplying electronic devices to students in need in the Linden community.

“We observed that many youths in the community have difficulties in accessing their schoolwork via the social platforms. While many may have access to the websites for free, some do not have the necessary devices to connect; so, we are grateful for this contribution by GTT,” Fowler said.

In October 2020, GTT signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Education Ministry to zero-rate several educational websites in support of online learning in Guyana. By zero-rating the websites, students have been able, and continue to be able, to browse and learn without a data plan. The company has also made a number of SIM and data donations to several schools across Guyana.

GWI hands over water tanks to residents of Great Troolie Island

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GTT’s Linden Retail Manager Avril Bacchus handing over smartphones to Secretary to the FEDS, Clyde Fowler

ust days after visiting the Great Troolie Island (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara), the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) has already delivered on its promise to provide the community with water tanks.

A team headed by Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Shaik Baksh visited the island on Monday to assess the water situation. This visit was as a result of a request made last month by a resident, Estelle De Costa Wallace, for intervention in her community of about 40 households.

The CEO heeded this call for assistance and met with the residents at the Island’s

Some of the black water tanks that were handed over to the residents of Great Troolie Island

primary school, to listen to their concerns. Along with the technical team, Baksh also visited an existing well in the community, which

was drilled some 20 years ago by Global Outreach Ministries, USA. CONTINUED ON PAGE 15

NEWS

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Govt pumps $80M into improving water services in Reg 7 villages

Housing and Water Minister Collin Croal hands over the contract for the well at Jawalla to Toshao Verrom Henry as other village councillors and GWI Hinterland Services Director Ramchand Jailall (second right) look on

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pproximately $80 million will be invested for the drilling of two wells in Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni) to improve the water services in that region as the Housing and Water Ministry aims to achieve 95 per cent hinterland water coverage.

Housing and Water Minister Collin Croal, who handed over the first contract in the community of Jawalla, stated that development would bring firsttime access to hundreds of households.

"Delivery of safe water to communities is a priority for the PPP/C Government, to enhance the livelihood of Guyanese, irrespective of their geographical location," Croal added.

He further stated that "we want to assure you that we're at work and there is currently 80 per cent coverage across the hinterland, despite geographical challenges" .

Meanwhile, in the community of Kamarang, the Minister said, during needs assessments for Budget

2021, it was discovered that the area had no means of accessing potable water.

Through this intervention 90 per cent of the community will now have access to potable water, including Government buildings. The contracts were handed over to the Toshaos in the presence of Member of Parliament and the geographical representative, Allister Charlie; Guyana Water Inc’s Hinterland Services Director, Ramchand Jailall; regional representatives and residents.

Jailall explained that the scope of works in Jawalla includes the drilling of a $39.9 million well, and installation of 2000 metres of 50mm (2”) PVC pipes, and 1000 metres of 19mm (3/4”) pipes with 80 service connections.

In Kamarang, a $42 million well will be drilled, with installation of 2500 metres of 50mm (2”) PVC pipes and 500 metres of 19mm (3/4”) pipes, with 50 services connections. Works at both locations will also comprise the construction

GWI hands over....

At that time, he committed to providing several water tanks to the community in order to facilitate rainwater harvesting, and advising the residents on same. On Thursday, 12 water tanks were handed over.

In his address to the residents, Baksh committed to testing the quality of the water produced by the existing well, and in this regard, a sample has been taken.

The CEO also committed to analysing the well to determine what rehabilitative works could be done for the well to produce potable water for the residents.

This, of course, depends on the quality of water it produces.

Great Troolie Island has a relatively small population, but Baksh has said that that notwithstanding, GWI’s objective is to bring service to all communities.

The visit by the team also proved to be an opportune time for the residents to highlight the difficul-

FROM PAGE 14

ty faced in their primarily farming and fishing community concerning drainage and irrigation.

The CEO committed to bringing this issue to the attention of the Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha.

The residents showed up in their numbers, and were pleased about the interventions GWI would be making to improve access to water in their community.

Chairman of the Community Development Council, Nigel Stephen, was one such person. He expressed his view that the interventions would “bring joy into the hearts of our community people, knowing that help is on the way.”

Another resident, Nicola Stephen, asked for a level of cooperation among the community members as GWI improves the water supply over time. She also expressed gratitude to the team for the interventions which would be made.

of a 20-foot elevated metal trestle with four 450-gallon storage tanks and the installation of photovoltaic pumping systems, including submersible pump, controller, solar panels and accessories.

Drilling in Kamarang will begin in one week, af-

Minister Croal hands over the contract for the well at Kamarang to Toshao Lemmel Thomas in the presence of other Village Councillors and Member of Parliament Allister Charlie (left)

ter which the rig will move to Jawalla by mid-September, and works completed in October. A total of 3000 residents are expected to benefit from the projects.

The Minister stated that

in 2022, a number of new wells will also be drilled to improve hinterland services, for a $350 million injection by the Ministry since August 2020.

Minister Croal also

used the platform to push the Government’s agenda for herd immunity against COVID-19. Residents were also given an opportunity to raise a number of concerns in various sectors.

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Mixing of COVID vaccines being Parents of NGSA students in Reg 2 optimistic of them doing well discussed – Dr Ramsammy − says it is now a pandemic among unvaccinated population

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t is now a pandemic among the unvaccinated as the COVID-19 continues to spread and give rise to new variants of concern, and local authorities are considering every move possible to ensure Guyanese are protected.

This was the position shared by Advisor to the Health Minister, Dr Leslie Ramsammy, on Thursday, who noted that all measures are being looked at with the aim of tackling the extant pandemic crisis.

He was at the time responding to Guyana Times on whether Government has considered vaccine mixing – a combination of different coronavirus jabs.

“All of these are things that are on the table. We are driven by science. No one should think these are not things we are not discussing.

And at some point, based on science, we will make these decisions,” Dr Ramsammy noted.

In keeping with the Ministry’s mandate of implementing policies on an evidence-based tactic, the former Health Minister pointed out that vaccine mixing is common, and, in the case of COVID-19, studies are now pointing positively in this direction.

“Everything is on the table. Mixed vaccine is nothing new…and we now have accumulating evidence with COVID-19. The Russians have done a small study with Sputnik and AstraZeneca interchangeably. In Spain, Argentina, Chile, France and many countries, there are some trials going on in looking at mix-and-match. So yes, the homologous vaccines

have been traditional, but heterologous is not anything new, and in the specific case of COVID-19, we see several small studies, and very prestigious journals have published some of these studies.”

This past week, Trinidad and Tobago updated vaccine combinations which are accepted in the country.

These include AstraZeneca and Pfizer, as well as AstraZeneca and Moderna.

In Guyana, the Sputnik V, AstraZeneca and Sinopharm jabs have been used primarily in the vaccination of over 254,000 persons who took their first doses.

Dangerous

While Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony this week announced tough penalties for those caught forging and selling vaccine cards, Dr Ramsammy has also warned that this practice is dangerous, and can put people’s lives at risk. He said Government has been monitoring cases of such practice locally.

“In recent times, there is more noise. I know we are investigating a couple of cases now. The Minister has issued an order, and yes, we are looking at this. I think it’s a dangerous, dangerous thing, because you are allowing yourself to be reckless. But in putting yourself in danger, you’re putting others in danger. If all of us produce a card that we are vaccinated and we let our guard down a little bit, we are all in danger. This is where people should understand the danger,” Dr Ramsammy outlined.

He further stated that the virus is constantly mu-

Advisor to the Health Minister, Dr Leslie Ramsammy

tating, and people should seek to protect themselves against deadlier strains which have been emerging.

The Delta variant, first detected in India, has been creating a stir among health authorities as it continues to claim lives.

“We’re not dealing with the virus that came here in March, 2020. We are dealing with an entirely new virus.

The Delta virus has proven to be five times more transmissible, but also more than 20 times more deadly. As dangerous as it is - and we need to protect ourselves you could have a variant of that variant, and that variant can be even deadlier.

“But the deadlier and the greater transmissibility is only one challenge we have.

The biggest challenge is that we could have a variant that is so unrecognisable that the vaccine doesn’t see it anymore. Then all of us who are vaccinated are back to the starting point,” he cautioned.

A section of students who turned up to write their exams at the Taymouth Manor Primary School

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espite the pandemic, over 900 children along the Essequibo Coast, Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) turned up to write the National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) examinations on Wednesday and Thursday.

Most students, dressed neatly in their uniforms, observed all COVID-19 protocols and, without a doubt, were anxious to write the exams, which were delayed.

Regional Education Officer Nichola Matthew told Guyana Times that Education Officers had visited the various exam centres to ensure all COVID-19 guidelines were observed.

She added that addition-

al centres were also established this year, unlike in previous years.

Natasha Jaigobin, a parent, explained that she has been working diligently with her son during the past months in preparation for this examination. She added that the assessment will determine her child's future and will further motivate him to work even harder than he had worked in the previous school year.

"Working with him was very challenging at some point of time, because he loves playing with his siblings… I never stopped him, because I believe that all work and no play makes jack a dull boy." The mother emphasised.

She also expressed gratitude to the Education Ministry for setting dates for the exams, despite the ongoing pandemic. Further, she was happy that the children were able to attend school for revision leading up to the August 4 and 5 exams.

Another parent, Sharmilie Singh, said, "I am very much happy that my daughter got the opportunity to complete her primary education, because, with the virus, many plans were put off…working with her was quite a success, because after the first day of the exam she came home and said, ‘Mommy, the exam was a boss…just a few questions from Science Paper 2 puzzled me’.”

5th suspect confesses to robbing US-based Guyanese − says accomplices murdered victim

Murdered: Hemraj Pardessi

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ne of the five persons arrested for the murder of 60-yearold Hemraj Pardessi, a USbased Guyanese, has since confessed to robbing and murdering the elderly man.

Pardessi was killed shortly before midnight on Tuesday at his Reliance Settlement, East Canje Berbice home in Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne).

Police had initially ar-

rested four suspects – three men, aged 22, 28, and 31, and a 36-year-old female.

This newspaper was told that the suspects include two of the dead man’s relatives.

However, based on an intelligence-led investigation, detectives apprehended a fifth suspect in the Canje Creek and backlands. That suspect, who is known to the Police and had been found

guilty in 2019 of the robbery of a Chinese supermarket, was released from prison about seven months ago.

Guyana Times understands that the suspect was interrogated, during which he crumbled and provided a caution station to investigators, in which he detailed his involvement in the crime.

The suspect told investigators that he had held down Pardessi, but did not injure him. However, he implicated another person, whom he told investigators had hit Pardessi to the head.

As such, Police are continuing the hunt for a sixth suspect.

The cops are also on the hunt for the wife of the Chinese supermarket robber, whom it is believed had lured the victim out of his yard, allowing the perpetrators to gain entry into the man’s home. This female suspect reportedly lives opposite Pardessi’s home.

NEWS

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FRIDAY, AUGUST 6, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Housing Ministry rejects reports of housing drive being a ‘profit tool’

Housing and Water Minister Collin Croal

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he Housing and Water Ministry has outright rejected an article that was published in a section of the media suggesting that the Government’s housing drive is a profit tool.

In rebuffing the assertions in the article, the Ministry has said that its housing projects seek to benefit and improve the lives of Guyanese.

In an article dated Wednesday, August 4, 2021, the Ministry said the news entity published the following headline, “Housing Ministry to now construct and sell houses for profit”.

However, to say the least, the Ministry noted, the article reflects poor journalistic skills, and is grossly inaccurate.

“The information shared in the article is grossly distorted, and does not fully reflect the information presented by the Minister of Housing and Water, the Hon.

Collin Croal, in response to questions posed to him by Opposition Parliamentarian Annette Ferguson,” a statement from the Ministry has said.

The Housing and Water Ministry clarified that Ferguson’s two-part question sought clarity on the $13.9B contract for the construction of housing units in Regions Three, Four, Five, and Six, as well as the breakdown of the category of persons to benefit and the expected and final cost for the housing units.

According to the missive, Minister Croal clearly outlined that persons within the low, moderate, middle, and high-income brackets would benefit from the initiative.

It added that a breakdown of the costing was also provided, and as has been the policy for years under similar housing projects, the cost for the land is included in the final cost. The Ministry disclosed that the low-income units carry a final cost of $5.5 million, of which $300,000 is the cost for the land.

It was further disclosed that the moderate-income units will be sold at $7.5 million, of which $300,000 is the cost for the land. The costs for high- and middle-income units stand at $19.9 million and $13.9 million respectively, with the land carrying a cost of $1.5 million in each case.

“As has been the policy on similar housing projects for the construction of housing, each beneficiary is only required to pay the Ministry of

Housing’s Central Housing and Planning Authority the cost of the land, and the remaining cost is paid to the contractor through a mortgage scheme with any financial institution of the beneficiary’s choice,” the correspondence from the Ministry noted.

“For Kaieteur News to even suggest that the agency is making a profit on these units is preposterous and disingenuous, as the cost for the lands these units are built on is heavily subsidised by the Government.

If the newspaper is running out of options for sensational clickbait headlines, in hope of generating a profit, they should spend time researching facts and useful information, which will be beneficial to their readers, and not mislead them.”

The Ministry has assured that all of the Government’s programmes, including its ambitious housing drive, are crafted for the people of this country, and are not profit-driven in any way. On this note, it said the contracts for the construction of the 5,000 housing units across the aforementioned regions were awarded using the competitive bidding process by public tender.

The Ministry, therefore, said that it will not be daunted or distracted from its numerous development projects, all of which stand to benefit Guyanese from all walks of life, and will continue to execute its programmes and policies with precision, transparency and equality.

DPP reviewing file on REO for accidentally shooting woman

Shot: Gladys Benedict

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he Chambers of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) is presently reviewing the Police file on the Regional Executive Officer (REO) of Region Nine, (Upper Takutu-Upper

Essequibo) Karl Singh, who was arrested last month for accidentally shooting a woman.

Gladys Benedict, 25, a pharmacist of St. Ignatius Village, Central Rupununi, was reportedly shot to her abdomen on July 20 by Singh while she was seated in his pickup vehicle. The incident occurred in the Commercial Zone of Lethem Central.

After the incident, the 33-year-old REO took the woman to the Lethem Regional Hospital, where she underwent emergency surgery. The Police, in a statement, had said that Singh was later arrested and his licensed firearm was confiscated and lodged.

In a subsequent state-

Region Nine REO, Karl Singh

ment, the Police Force has said its investigations have revealed that the shooting was “allegedly accidental”. On July 22, the REO was released on station bail pending investigations.

Fmr national footballer drowned – autopsy

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n autopsy performed on the body of 21-year-old Joshua Butts of Stanleytown, New Amsterdam has proven that he died by drowning.

Butts died after the car he was driving ended up in a trench in an accident that occurred along the Warren Public Road, East Coast Berbice.

It was reported that on the day in question, at about 03:30h, Butts was driving motor car PTT 7891 along the public road at Warren when he reportedly lost control of the vehicle and it ended up in the canal.

He was pulled from the vehicle by public-spirited citizens and taken to the

Dead: Joshua Butts

New Amsterdam Public Hospital, where he was admitted but later succumbed to his injuries.

Guyana Times understands that Butts and others had attended an

Emancipation Day function on the Corentyne, and were returning home when the accident occurred. It is unclear if anyone else was in the vehicle at the time of the accident.

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Regional

Argentina’s new pensions programme St Vincent PM injured amid anti-vaccination protest pays women for caregiving

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St Vincent Prime Minister, Dr Ralph Gonsalves at a medical centre receiving treatment after receiving a blow to his head amid protests in the country

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t Vincent Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves had to receive treatment after receiving a blow to the head during protests on Thursday.

Initial reports indicate he was hit in the head by an object thrown by a demonstrator who was among those protesting proposed changes to the Public Health Act that would remove the word “voluntary”

Mass protest in Kingstown on Thursday

from a section of the law that speaks to vaccination against an illness that triggers the declaration of a public health emergency, such as COVID-19.

The Prime Minister was on his way back to Parliament, where the amendments were scheduled to be debated on

Thursday, when the incident occurred.

A video circulating on social media shows blood to the right side of his head as he is rushed from the area.

Shouts of “shield, shield” could be heard as Prime Minister Gonsalves was covered by security forces after being hit. (CMC)

or 60-year-old Maria Luisa Suarez, retirement is a dream she will never realise.

It is not for lack of hard work. Since moving from the Argentine province of Santiago del Estero to the capital, Buenos Aires, at the age of 17, she’s found gainful employment at a bakery, run a general store and cleaned other people’s homes to help make ends meet.

In between, she stayed home with her children when they were little, and juggled caring for them with extra shifts she picked up when her former husband lost his job.

But the vast majority of the income she has earned over her lifetime has been paid by the hour and unreg-

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on Wednesday. Of these, there are 80 people at the Couva Hospital and Multi-Training Facility, with 13 in the Intensive Care Unit and eight in the High Dependency Unit. There are 19 people at the Caura Hospital, 42 at the Augustus Long Hospital, 16 at the St Ann’s Hospital, 57 at the Arima General Hospital, 26 at the new Point Fortin Hospital, 36 at the St James Medical Complex, 41 at the Scarborough Regional Hospital, Fort King George and three at the Scarborough Regional Hospital, Signal Hill.

There are 82 patients in step-down facilities, with none at the Claxton Bay

Correctional Facility, 39 at UWI Debe, three at UTT Valsayn, 28 at the Point Fortin Area Hospital, none at the Port of Spain field hospital, six at the Couva Field Hospital, six at the Tacarigua Facility, and none in Tobago.

There are 170 people in state quarantine facilities, and 5189 people in home self-isolation. There are 131 recovered community cases and 52 people have been discharged from public health facilities.

The number of people tested in public and private facilities is 276,152. Of these tests, 118,109 were done at private facilities.

(Excerpt from Trinidad Newsday)

Peru’s new President Pedro Castillo addresses the lawmakers and invitees during the Inauguration Day at the Congress in Lima, Peru, July 28, 2021

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n its first week in office, Peru’s new left-wing Administration under President Pedro Castillo has been quick to extend a friendly hand to China, the Andean nation’s most important commercial partner and the main buyer of

H

bouring country said in a statement. Specifically, Haiti called for an “international commission of inquiry” to be formed, along with a special court to prosecute the suspects.

The letter, signed by Foreign Minister Claude Joseph, said that Haiti considered the attack on Moïse in his residence an international crime due to the alleged role of foreigners in planning, financing and

carrying it out.

Haitian authorities have detained former Colombian soldiers allegedly hired by a Miami-based security firm on suspicion of carrying out the assassination of Moïse.

Haiti also said the UN support should follow the model of its inquiry into a 2005 terrorist attack in Lebanon, which killed 22 people, including the Prime Minister. (Reuters)

its copper, a crucial source of tax revenue.

Since Castillo was inaugurated on July 28, Administration officials have met with the Chinese Ambassador and Chinese mining executives to discuss not just policies for their industry but also to strengthen a previous free trade agreement first signed in 2009, Government sources told Reuters.

Castillo is poised to tilt Peru to the left after successive centre and rightwing Administrations, although preserving a good relation with China has been a priority of all recent Peruvian leaders, analysts said.

“This doesn’t have an ideological character, this has a pragmatic character,” said Jorge Heine, a Professor of international relations at Boston University and a former

Chilean Ambassador to China, in an interview.

In addition to China, Peru also has a free trade agreement with the US and has been considered for decades a US ally.

Mining tax policy will be crucial to China, whose companies are important copper miners in Peru, the world’s number two producer of the metal.

Castillo has said he wants to extract higher tax revenues from mining companies, and would potentially push to tear up the tax stability deals that prevent such hikes agreed with many miners.

Pablo de la Flor, who heads the National Society of Mining, Oil and Energy. said miners who enjoyed tax stability deals included China’s MMG Ltd and Chinalco’s Aluminium Corp and that the topic was likely to have come up.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

US issues Level 3 COVID travel advisory for Barbados

Haiti requests UN Commission T to probe President’s killing aiti’s Government has requested help from the United Nations to conduct an international investigation into the killing last month of President Jovenel Moïse, the country’s Embassy in the Dominican Republic said on Thursday.

Haiti requested the aid in a letter dated August 3 addressed to UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, the Embassy in the neigh-

Government is seeking to redress that gender inequity by assigning a pension contribution value to the time people have spent raising children.

The programme, launched this week, marks the first time the role of an unpaid caregiver has been recognised by the Argentine state as something akin to work. The policy is expected to enable 155,000 more women to collect a pension immediately.

As of August 1, women can earn the equivalent of one year of social security contributions for every child they have raised, or the equivalent of two years per child who has been adopted or has a disability. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Peru’s new leftist President prioritises China ties during early days in office

7 deaths, 232 new COVID-19 cases recorded in Trinidad even Covid-19 deaths were reported on Thursday in Trinidad and Tobago, bringing the toll to 1117.

In addition, 232 new cases were recorded from samples taken between August 1-4.

The Health Ministry’s COVID-19 update on Thursday said the people who died were three elderly men, two elderly women, and one middle-aged woman, all with comorbidities, as well as one middle-aged man without comorbidities.

Since March 2020, there have been 39,577 cases, of which 32,637 have recovered.

There are 320 patients in hospital, 19 less than

istered. While that helped her keep more of what she earned at the time, it also resulted in paltry pension contributions.

Her situation is not unique.

The Argentine Government estimates that more than 300,000 women between the ages of 59 and 64 are unable to retire, because they have not accumulated the necessary pension contributions.

That shortfall is driven in large part by a structural division of labour that underpins many societies including Argentina’s. Women end up participating less in the formal workforce because they are taking on the lion’s share of caregiving responsibilities at home.

But the Argentine

he Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the United States has issued a Level 3 travel health notice for Barbados.

This notice has advised people to reconsider travel to Barbados, as a result of novel coronavirus (COVID-19) “indicating a high level of COVID-19 in the country”.

“Your risk of contracting COVID-19 and developing severe symptoms may be lower if you are fully vaccinated with a FDA [Food and Drug Administration] authorised vaccine. Before planning any international travel, please review the CDC’s specific recommenda-

tions for vaccinated and unvaccinated travellers. Visit the Embassy’s COVID-19 page for more information on COVID-19 in Barbados,” a bulletin on the website of the US Embassy advised.

Potential travellers to Barbados were advised to check the website of the US Embassy, CDC and official information disseminated by the Government of Barbados.

The United States has issued travel advisories in the past as local officials grappled with the effects of COVID-19.

In recent weeks, Health Ministry officials announced COVID-19 clusters in rela-

tion to a large business, a church and a family. In addition, numbers in isolation have been over 100 for more than a week.

On Sunday, Health Minister Jeffrey Bostic made an appeal to people who had frequented specific areas to be tested for COVID-19 as the areas were associated with a recent cluster.

In June, Barbados was among 16 countries added to a United Kingdom green travel list, when COVID-19 numbers were reduced.

Countries worldwide have been implementing green travel lists and other protocols to curb the spread of COVID-19. (Nation News)

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19

Around the World

OILNEWS OIL NEWS Oil rises over 1% as Mideast tensions face virus concerns

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il prices rose more than one per cent on Thursday

on increasing Middle East tensions, but gains were capped as fresh restrictions to counter a surge in COVID-19 cases threatened the global energy demand recovery.

Brent crude oil futures rose 91 cents, or 1.3 per cent, to settle at US$71.29 a barrel, after earlier dipping below US$70 for the first time since July 21. US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures rose 94 cents, or 1.4 per cent, to settle at US$69.09 a barrel.

Both benchmarks fell more than US$2 on Wednesday to a two-week low.

"Yesterday it was really all about concerns about the Delta variant, and then today there were worries that maybe we overdid it," said Phil Flynn, senior analyst at Price Futures Group in Chicago. "We saw an increase in geopolitical risk as well."

Israeli jets struck what its military said were rocket launch sites in Lebanon early on Thursday in response to two rockets fired towards Israel from Lebanese territory, in an escalation of cross-border hostilities amid heightened tensions with Iran.

The exchange came after an attack on a tanker off the coast of Oman last Thursday, which Israel blamed on Iran.

Two crew members, a Briton and a Romanian, were killed.

Iran denied any involvement.

"With tensions brewing amongst Iran and world powers over last week's drone attack, it seems nuclear deal talks will be lengthy and unlikely to provide imminent sanction relief for Iran," said Edward Moya, senior analyst at OANDA. Offsetting the geopolitical tensions, concerns over the recovery of global oil demand grew amid a surge in coronavirus cases.

In the United States, the world's biggest oil consumer, COVID-19 cases hit a six-month high with more than 100,000 infections reported on Wednesday, according to a Reuters tally. (Excerpt from Reuters)

US urges Iran's new President Ebrahim Raisi to resume nuclear talks

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he United States has called on Iran's new President to return to talks on reviving a historic nuclear deal.

The window for diplomacy would not remain open forever, a spokesman for the US State Department warned.

Tensions between the US and Iran have soared since 2018, when then President Donald Trump pulled out of the nuclear deal and restored sanctions.

Ebrahim Raisi was sworn in on Thursday saying he would support "any diplomatic plans" to end sanctions on Iran.

"All illegal US sanctions against the Iranian nation must be lifted," he said.

Western countries accuse Iran of trying to build nu-

Ebrahim Raisi (centre) was sworn into office on Thursday

clear weapons –- a charge Tehran denies.

The 2015 deal between Iran and six other countries – the US, UK, France, China, Russia and Germany – saw it stop some nuclear work in return for an end to sanctions hurting its economy. But Iran re-start-

ed banned nuclear work after Trump pulled out of the deal.

Thorny negotiations have been taking place in the Austrian capital, Vienna, between Iran and other countries which are still part of the agreement to try to revive the frayed deal and

lift sanctions. However the talks have been on hold for several weeks.

In comments following Raisi's inauguration, US State Department spokesman Ned Price told reporters: "We urge Iran to return to the negotiations soon so that we can seek to conclude our work."

"Our message to President Raisi is the same as our message to his predecessors... the US will defend and advance our national security interests and those of our partners. We hope that Iran seizes the opportunity now to advance diplomatic solutions," he said.

Raisi, a hardline cleric, has succeeded Hassan Rouhani, seen in the West as a relative moderate.

(Excerpt from BBC News)

Apple to scan iPhones for child sex abuse images

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pple has announced details of a system to find child sexual abuse material (CSAM) on customers' devices.

Before an image is stored onto iCloud Photos, the technology will search for matches of already known CSAM. Apple said that if a match is found a human reviewer will then assess and report the user to law enforcement.

However there are privacy concerns that the technology could be expanded to scan phones for prohibited con-

tent or even political speech.

Experts worry that the technology could be used by authoritarian governments to spy on its citizens.

Apple said that new versions of iOS and iPadOS – due to be released later this year – will have "new applications of cryptography to help limit the spread of CSAM online, while designing for user privacy".

The system works by comparing pictures to a database of known child sexual abuse images compiled by the

National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) and other child safety organisations.

Those images are translated into "hashes", numerical codes that can be "matched" to an image on an Apple device.

Apple says the technology will also catch edited but similar versions of original images.

"Before an image is stored in iCloud Photos, an on-device matching process is performed for that image

against the known CSAM hashes," Apple said.

The company claimed the system had an "extremely high level of accuracy and ensures less than a one in one trillion chance per year of incorrectly flagging a given account".

Apple says that it will manually review each report to confirm there is a match.

It can then take steps to disable a user's account and report to law enforcement.

(Excerpt from BBC News)

Biden offers “safe haven” Ethiopia's Tigray rebels take to Hong Kong residents in Unesco world heritage town US after China crackdown R

P

resident Joe Biden on Thursday offered temporary "safe haven" to Hong Kong residents in the United States, allowing what could be thousands of people to extend their stay in the country in response to Beijing's crackdown on democracy in the Chinese territory.

Biden directed the Department of Homeland Security to implement a "deferral of removal" for up to 18 months for Hong Kong residents currently in the United States, citing "compelling foreign policy reasons."

"Over the last year, the PRC has continued its assault on Hong Kong's autonomy, undermining its remaining democratic processes and institutions, imposing limits on academic freedom, and cracking down on freedom of the press," Biden said in the memo, using the acronym for the People's Republic of China.

He said offering safe haven for Hong Kong residents "furthers United States interests in the region. The United States will not waver in our support of people in Hong Kong."

It is not clear exactly how many people the move would affect but the vast majority of Hong Kong residents currently in the United States are expected to be eligible, according to a senior Administration official.

The White House said in a statement the move made clear the United States "will not stand idly by as the PRC breaks its promises to Hong Kong and to the international community". (Excerpt from Reuters)

ebels from Ethiopia's northern Tigray region have taken control of the town of Lalibela, a Unesco world heritage site in neighbouring Amhara region.

Lalibela, home to 13th Century churches hewn from rock, is a holy site for millions of Orthodox Christians.

Residents have been fleeing the rebel advance, local officials told the BBC. Thousands have been

killed since war broke out last November. Fighting is now spreading into Amhara and Afar, another region bordering Tigray.

Millions of people have also been displaced.

Both the Tigray rebel forces and the Ethiopian army and its allies have been accused of committing human rights abuses and war crimes.

The deputy mayor of Lalibela, Mandefro Tadesse, told the BBC that

the town was under the control of the Tigray rebels.

He said there had not been any shooting, but residents were fleeing from the town and he was concerned about the safety of the historic churches. line There are 11 medieval monolithic cave churches in Lalibela carved out of rock that date from the 12th and 13th Centuries.

They were built as a sub-

stitute for pilgrimages to the Holy Land, which was unreachable at the time "This is the world's heritage, and we must cooperate to guarantee that this treasure is preserved," Mandefro said.

The US State Department called on Tigrayan forces to respect the cultural heritage of Lalibela, as Washington becomes increasingly concerned over the conflict.

(Excerpt from BBC News)

US COVID-19 cases reach 6-month high

D

aily new COVID-19 cases have climbed to a six-month high in the United States, with more than 100,000 infections reported nationwide as the Delta variant ravaged Florida and other states with lower vaccination rates.

Seven US states with the lowest COVID-19 vaccination rates account for half of the country’s new cases and hospitalisations in the last week, despite making up less than 25 per cent of the nation’s population,

the White House said on Thursday.

The states are Florida, Texas, Missouri, Arkansas, Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi, according to President Joe Biden’s COVID-19 coordinator, Jeff Zients, who spoke during a press briefing.

Of those states, Florida and Texas account for about a third of new coronavirus cases and an even higher share of hospitalisations in the country.

“Driven by the more transmissible Delta vari-

ant, these cases are concentrated in communities with low vaccination rates,” Zients said.

Although 70 per cent of adults nationwide have received one shot, in Mississippi that figure is only 40 per cent. Louisiana and Alabama have similar figures: 43 and 44 per cent, respectively.

Zients said several states with low vaccination rates have been making a recent push to vaccinate more people, and in the past 24 hours, 864,000 doses have

been administered nationwide – the highest number since July 3.

“Vaccinations are the best line of defence against COVID and the Delta variant,” Zients said, “and we’re doing everything we can to get shots in arms.”

The Biden Administration has been eager to thaw opposition by some Americans, including those who distrust the Government, to taking the vaccine as the highly infectious Delta variant sweeps the country.

(Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

20

FRIDAY, AUGUST 6, 2021

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ARIES (March 21April 19)

Make plans with someone who brings out the best in you. An activity that challenges you mentally will help you make a good impression on someone influential.

An impulsive move will TAURUS leave you in a precarious (April 20- position and eager to backMay 20) track. Don’t let stubbornness keep you from making better decisions. Listen to reason, then make adjustments.

DILBERT

GEMINI (May 21June 20)

CANCER (June 21July 22)

PEANUTS

CALVIN AND HOBBES

SUDOKU

Indulgent behavior will come at a cost. If you need help, seek reliable people who will look out for your best interests. Learn from your mistakes, and find productive outlets.

Intuitive insight will guide you to make better decisions, and the changes that will improve your relationships with friends, relatives or your lover. Spruce up your looks and your surroundings.

LEO (July 23Aug. 22)

Search for hidden opportunities and set goals using your imagination. Consider the changes going on around you as an asset, not a restriction. Progress depends on your response.

VIRGO (Aug. 23Sept. 22)

Choose your partners and friends based on how you play off one another and the outcome you achieve when you work side by side.

Romance is favored.

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Make your point clear, but be willing to listen to the other side of the story.

Making a fair assessment will encourage those you deal with to meet you halfway.

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Contradictions and inconsistency will lead to a stalemate. Persuasive charm will get you further ahead in your talks than false accusations. Selfimprovement is encouraged.

Confusion will set in if SAGITTARIUS you don’t honestly discuss (Nov. 23what concerns you. Offering Dec. 21) a false impression of your feelings for someone will end up putting you in a precarious position. Face facts.

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SOLUTION FOR LAST PUBLISHED PUZZLE

Focus on health, fitness and investing more time and money into personal gain.

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AQUARIUS (Jan. 20Feb. 19)

A realistic attitude will be helpful when it comes to responsibilities and doing your part. Sign up only for what you can handle. Don’t feel obligated to match what someone else offers.

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A creative approach to how you do things will encourage new and exciting ideas. A meaningful relationship with someone who shares your beliefs is favored. Love is in the stars.

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21

The Nottingham Test: India v England…

Masterful Anderson leaves India wobbling on rain-hit day

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– Kohli falls for a golden duck in visitors' mini-collapse of 4 for 28

man not supposed to be looked at as an opener anymore stepped in at the last moment to replace a concussed good friend of his, scored an unbeaten fifty in trying conditions, but wasn't even the story of the day on which only 33.4 overs were possible.

Three full series since getting Virat Kohli out four times for 19 runs in 2014, James Anderson got India's captain out first ball to rouse England back into the contest after a 97-run opening stand between the returning KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma.

Oh, and the ball to get Kohli was a really good one, but it was not even the best ball to get a wicket on the day. In what is now becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy from Cheteshwar Pujara, a bowler would do well to top the delivery Anderson bowled just one ball before getting Kohli out. Perhaps it was fitting that there wasn't more cricket: you need to ration things so good.

India ended the day 58 behind England's first-innings score of 183, an outcome they would have settled for if offered at the start of the day, but not from the possible domination they were eyeing at the end of the first session.

In 2018-19, Rahul's good friend from Karnataka, Mayank Agarwal, replaced him at the top of the order. They then opened together for three Tests, before Rahul was dropped and then later looked at as a back-up

James Anderson removed Virat Kohli for a golden duck

a challenging first hour, during which both the openers had to remain vigilant.

A mistake occurred once every four balls, but the batters kept putting it behind them, and resisted attempting a wishful stroke. If, in between, there was a rare loose ball, Sharma especially took advantage, playing a lovely off-drive and a flick-pull for the only two boundaries in the first 11 overs, which brought just 12 runs.

Anderson was imperious with his outswing, Robinson awkward with seam and bounce.

However, when Anderson flipped the shiny side to bowl the inswinger, it didn't quite come out right. Robinson failed to get full enough to get an lbw verdict.

KL Rahul celebrating his half-century

middle-order option only. Two days before this Test, though, Agarwal suffered a concussion in the nets, and here was Rahul, trying to revive his career and give India some sort of launch pad.

With him was the naturalised opener Sharma, who has looked as good as any opener going around in the most challenging era for Test openers.

England resumed the day with Anderson and Ollie Robinson, possibly to spread their two experienced fast bowlers in a thin four-man attack, whose fourth bowler was Sam Curran. Anderson and Robinson gave it their best in

Sharma and Rahul left expertly, played late, defended under their eyes, and attacked only when the ball was absolutely there to be attacked. This was batting of great discipline and expertise.

As the attack was handed over to Stuart Broad and Curran, scoring opportunities began to present themselves. Broad is usually excellent at capitalising on such spells of play with an attacking length, but here he began to overpitch. Rahul broke free in that second hour; after an extremely watchful start of 12 runs from 79 balls, Rahul took 32 off the last 45 balls he faced in that session.

Sharma didn't get as many loose balls, and was happy to play second fiddle.

Broad's spell of 5-0-27-0 was done. Anderson and Robinson had been thwarted. Curran needed more pressure from the other end to be effective. India were three short of only the second century opening stand in all Test cricket in England since 2016. Lunch was approaching.

Robinson went wide on the crease and bowled a bouncer just high enough and straight enough. Any higher, Sharma might have left it alone. Any lower, he might have been able to pull it down. Any wider, he would have been able to control it. He ended up sending this one straight down fine leg's throat.

Post lunch, Anderson and Robinson found more menace from the conditions. There seemed a shift in the attack: towards the stumps. Pujara survived an lbw decision when padding up by winning a review on height, but Anderson soon caught up with him.

In this spell, Anderson tried the inswinger more often by switching the shiny side to the outside. The one that got Pujara looked like just that: a testing inswinger, pitching full and within the stumps, making him defend; but upon pitching, it assumed fangs, seaming the other way, squaring Pujara up, and taking a faint outside edge.

Everything about this delivery was so good it would possibly have got him lbw had he missed the edge.

Now resumed the contest of all contests. In 2014, Anderson got Kohli out four times in just nine mistakes. In 2018, he induced 58 mistakes and two catchable edges from the bat of Kohli, but couldn't dismiss him.

Earlier this year, he drew the edge again, but they dropped Kohli off Anderson even in India. Four hundred and fiftyfour balls since he last got Kohli out, 69 false responses and three dropped catches later, the 39-year-old Anderson ran in to

resume one final contest with Kohli.

Kohli has not scored an international hundred since November 2019, but only recently has a slightly serious issue cropped up in his batting.

He is possibly playing too much for the inswinger, just like he did in 2014 when he played away from body too often, fearing that inswinger. Already this summer, Kyle Jamieson has got him out that way, but that is also the result of the lbws bowlers have been able to take off him by dragging him across.

That in mind, Anderson chose the perfect ball to start off

with. Once again he bowled with the shiny side outside, hoping this one goes in and tests how much Kohli is watching out for that inswinger. It swung in all right, and Kohli pressed forward to try to defend. It was wide enough to leave it alone, but it was also an inswinger first up, so it is not easy to judge what to leave.

Kohli had it covered in the air, but once again the ball pitched and seamed the other way to take a healthy edge and leave a packed Trent Bridge in frenzy.

Anderson had got Kohli out for the first time in seven years, India had been reduced to 104 for 3 from 97 for 0, and England, who will have to fight every inch to save this home series after having lost to New Zealand already, were breathing again.

It seemed this oxygen was in short supply for Ajinkya Rahane, who is a nervous starter at the best of times and was hell bent on running every time ball touched bat. He eventually ran himself out for five, leaving India at 112 for 4, and bringing out Rishabh Pant, who is not quite known for buckling down and absorbing the pressure.

It was going to be this way or that pretty soon, but rain arrived to leave us to contemplate what we witnessed.

Not before Dom Sibley dropped Rahul at second slip off Anderson, though. Just a reminder that India were still ahead in the contest, but with these batting line-ups in these conditions against these attacks, who can ever say for sure? (ESPN cricinfo)

SCOREBOARD England 1st Inning 183 all out India 1st Innings 125-4 Rohit Sharma c Curran b Robinson 36 KL Rahul not out 57 Cheteshwar Pujara c † Buttler b Anderson 4 Virat Kohli (c)c †Buttler b Anderson 0 Ajinkya Rahane run out (Bairstow) 5 Rishabh Pant † not out 7 Extras (b 5, lb 3, nb 8) 16 TOTAL (46.4 Ov, RR: 2.67) 125/4

Yet to bat: Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj Fall of wickets: 1-97 (Rohit Sharma, 37.3 ov), 2-104 (Cheteshwar Pujara, 40.2 ov), 3-104 (Virat Kohli, 40.3 ov), 4-112 (Ajinkya Rahane, 43.2 ov) BOWLING O-M-R-W James Anderson 13.4-7-15-2 Stuart Broad 11-1-45-0 Ollie Robinson 15-5-32-1 Sam Curran 7-1-25-0

Tokyo 2020 Olympics: Team USA to face France in men's basketball gold medal game

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eam USA will play France in the final of the men's basketball as they chase their fourth consecutive gold medal.

The Americans recovered from a shaky start to beat Australia 97-78 in their semi-final. Australia had led by 15 points in the second quarter, before the three-time defending champions launched a 34-point run to overturn the deficit.

France later beat Slovenia 90-89 to reach

their first Olympic final since Sydney 2000.

The gold medal game will take place on Saturday (03:30 BST).

Team USA's comeback was spearheaded by Kevin Durant and Devin Booker, the latter outscoring Australia single-handedly in the third quarter.

"I've got to give credit to Australia, they came out and hit us with a nice haymaker," said Durant, who top-scored for Team USA with 23 points, with

Booker adding 20.

"We were able to get some momentum going to the half. Guys came out with that intensity, we made shots as well.

"I feel like everything aligned for us in that second half, and that's who we are.

I think [teams] want to get us down early in hopes that we panic. We didn't.

We came out in the third quarter with amazing energy and fight." (BBC Sport)

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GUYANATIMESGY.COM

FRIDAY, AUGUST 6, 2021

GMR&SC distances self from ‘illegal racing’ and privatisation claims

he Guyana Motor Racing and Sports Club (GMR&SC) on Wednesday disseminated a missive on the Club’s behalf, addressing a number of pertinent issues with respect to the sport of Motor Racing, and chiefly the South Dakota Circuit.

That missive reads as follows: “The Guyana Motor Racing and Sports Club (GMR&SC) wishes to state that it has given ‘NO PERMISSION’ to any competitor, group of competitors, or persons to host any event of any kind at the South Dakota Circuit”.

Firstly, the Club has distanced itself from any current event at the Timehri venue.

The GMR&SC wrote, “GMR&SC, the local body charged with the administration and control of all motorsport events, has noted several instances where persons have been using parts of the ‘drag strip’ with an aim to hosting racing events/meets.

“Brought to the club’s attention via social media, some instances have featured persons attempting to drag race using sections of the strip. The

club is in no way, shape or form associated with those events, and discourages its members from participating in such.

“It is against the National COVID-19 guidelines to host an event without proper permission from the National COVID-19 Task Force.

“The club wishes to remind all members and competitors that attending, promoting and participating in non-sanctioned GMR&SC events may result in bans or suspension of said competitors and team members.”

The Club has also vehemently

denied that the track has been privatised with a movable blockade across drag strip. The GMR&SC informed that this is to prevent the destruction of the strip.

It has said, “GMR&SC also notes comments by some club members regarding the ‘privatisation of the track’ by racing stakeholders stemming from a ‘fence’ erected across the drag strip.

The club wishes to categorically deny any such ideology of privatisation.

Due to private citizens, and even members of the club,

Recap of Tokyo 2020 Olympics…

Gold for Parchment, Gardiner – McLeod, McPherson run personal best times to lead five Caribbean women to 400m final

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arileidy Paulino of The Dominican Republic won semi-final 1 in a national record of 49.38 to advance. Jamaica’s Candice McLeod and Cuba’s Roxana Gomez also progressed from semi-final 1.

McLeod ran a personal best of 49.51 to finish second and advance automatically, while Gomez finished third in a personal best of 49.71 and advanced in a fastest loser spot.

Shaunae Miller-Uibo advanced by running 49.60 to win the second semi-final.

Jamaica’s Roniesha McGregor and Guyana’s Aliyah Abrams were also in semi-final 2, but failed to advance, finishing third in 50.34 and seventh in 51.46 respectively.

Stephenie Ann McPherson won semi-final 3 in a personal best time of 49.34 to qualify.

Sada Williams finished third in that race in a national record of 50.11, but that wasn’t enough to get her into the final.

Men’s 200 Metres Canadian Andre DeGrasse ran a Canadian record 19.62 to take gold.

DeGrasse, silver medalist behind Usain Bolt at the 2016 Rio games, will be joined on the podium by Americans Kenny Bednarek and Noah Lyles.

Bednarek ran a personal best 19.68 for silver and Lyles ran a season’s best 19.74 for bronze.

Jamaica’s Rasheed Dwyer finished 7th in 20.21 and Jereem Richards of Trinidad & Tobago finished 8th in 20.39.

Women’s High Jump St. Lucian Levern Spencer finished 22nd in qualifying.

Women’s 4x100 Metres Relay The Jamaican team

consisting of Briana Williams, Natasha Morrison, Remona Burchell and Shericka Jackson ran 42.15 to finish third in heat 1 and advance to the final.

Men’s 4x100 Metres Relay Jamaica qualified for the final after running the fastest time in the heats.

The team of Jevaughn Minzie, Julian Forte, Yohan Blake and Oblique Seville ran a time of 37.82 to win heat 1.

Trinidad & Tobago were also in heat 1, and finished 6th with a time of 38.63.

Their team consisted of Kion Benjamin, Eric Harrison, Akanni Hislop and Richard Thompson, silver medalist from the 2008 Beijing games.

Men’s 110 Metres Hurdles Jamaica secured two medals in the final of the men’s 110 metres hurdles.

Hansle Parchment, a bronze medalist at the 2012 London Olympics, ran a season’s best of 13.04 to win gold ahead of the prohibitive favourite, Grant Holloway of the USA, who took silver in 13.09.

Ronald Levy ran 13.10 for bronze, his first Olympic medal.

Williams breaks Barbados 400m national record but misses out on final Barbadian Sada Williams set a new national record in the 400 metres at Tokyo 2020.

Running in semifinal 3, Williams stopped the clock at 50.11 seconds to place third.

She smashed the 43-yearold Barbadian record of 51.04 seconds. It is also, of course, her new personal best.

Stephenie Ann McPherson from Jamaica won the race with a personal best of 49.34, while veteran Allison Felix was second

with a season's best of 49.89.

Despite Williams's valiant run, she did not advance to the final. Her time is now the fastest run by an athlete to not make it to the final.

The finals of the women's 400 metres will take place on Friday.

Gardiner takes 400m crown as James holds on for bronze Steven Gardiner made it a World and Olympic double by winning the men's 400 metres at Tokyo 2020 on a day when Hansle Parchment shocked Grant Holloway to win the 110m hurdles.

Defending 400m champion Wayde van Niekerk, who suffered a horrific knee injury in 2017, was not in the final, and Gardiner displaced the South African in the Tokyo humidity.

The man from the Bahamas won gold in Doha at the world championships two years ago, and timed his race to perfection in the Japanese capital, storming ahead from the final bend and passing the line in a time of 43.85s.

Anthony Zambrano of Colombia was second, while 2012 champion Kirani James added Olympic bronze for Grenada.

Just a night on from Andre De Grasse becoming men's 200m champion, Canada had more reason to celebrate as Damian Warner earned an Olympic record 9,018 points to win the decathlon. Kevin Mayer of France took silver ahead of Australia's Ashley Moloney.

In the heptathlon, Nafissatou Thiam defended her gold from Rio 2016 – the Belgian accruing 6,791 points. Dutch pair Anouk Vetter and Emma Oosterwegel were second and third respectively. (Sportsmax)

attempting to host unsanctioned drag race meets, and to prevent the heavy machinery which frequents the area from destroying the strip, the club has sought to protect the investment made by Team Mohammed’s Enterprise with the erection of a ‘movable blockade.’

“For members wishing to utilise the track for ‘PRIVATE TESTING OF THEIR CARS’, contact can be made with the office to secure permission and subsequent removal of the blockade.

Those persons that are granted permission for testing are also reminded that they must adhere to ALL COVID-19 guidelines set out by the Government of Guyana regarding the wearing of masks and social distancing.

Those granted permission must also be reminded that ‘PRIVATE TESTING, is not ‘RACING’.”

With respect to hosting

activities, the Club has noted that it is still in talks with the National COVID-19 Task Force, and wishes to take a page out of cricket’s book.

“GMR&SC has been in constant consultation with the NCTF to gain requisite permission for the hosting of several events for the remainder of the year.

“These talks have been set back by the videos and photos of unsanctioned racing at the South Dakota circuit, but the club has managed to regain the trust of the NCTF. “To that end, the club has put forth a request for a spectatorless and advertisement-free event in the near future. In light of this, the club is urging all drivers, team members, marshals and officials to get vaccinated as it tries to mimic the same guidelines set out for the recent hosting of the West Indies versus Pakistan cricket series.”

West Indies Rising Stars to play 6 youth ODIs in England

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T

he West Indies Rising Stars U19 team will tour England for six Youth One-Day International matches in September.

Cricket West Indies (CWI) and the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) have announced the match schedule for the series, which sees West Indies Rising Stars U19s taking on England Under-19s at The County Ground, Beckenham, and The Polo Farm, Canterbury from Saturday, September 4 to Friday, September 17.

Jimmy Adams, CWI Director of Cricket, has said: “The first West Indies U19 tour to England took place in 1970, 51 years ago. Such overseas tour opportunities have always formed a vital part of the development of cricketers in the West Indies, and we are delighted to partner with the ECB to make this tour a reality.

We have been working with our players for most of the year, and this opportunity to experience foreign conditions will be a critical part of their career path.

“We have a talented group of 56 young men presently in Antigua preparing for some ‘trial matches’, from which 18 players will be selected for the Rising Stars U19 tour to England. This is all part of our preparations for the ICC U19 World Cup early next year, and we want to ensure that we have a well-prepared squad when we host the tournament for the first time in the West Indies.”

ECB Performance Director, Mo Bobat, has said: “With no international U19 cricket having been played for well over a year now, we’re really looking forward to our U19 men’s team getting back to action in what should be an exciting and competitive series against West Indies. The opportunity for our best young players to test themselves against their international peers is a key foundation of their development, and an important contributor to future international success.

“We’re also looking ahead to the next U19 World Cup, which is due to be held in early 2022, and so it’s important that we can start building towards that event.”

The Rising Stars U19 Tour is a key component of CWI’s investment in developing the next generation of international West Indies Men’s cricketers. Following the tour, CWI will also be investing in further development camps and international matches before the World Cup. This will help prepare for the ICC U19 World Cup in 2022, and then beyond, to help the Rising Stars develop to compete and perform at the elite level in regional and international cricket.

FULL MATCH SCHEDULE – West Indies Rising Stars U19 Tour of England Saturday September 4: 1st Youth ODI – Beckenham Monday September 6: 2nd Youth – Beckenham Wednesday September 8: 3rd Youth ODI – Beckenham Friday September 10: 4th Youth ODI – Canterbury Tuesday September 14: 5th Youth ODI – Canterbury Friday September 17: 6th Youth ODI – Canterbury

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West Indies-Pakistan T20Is: Different series, different atmosphere

The few local media personnel covered the games from the stands

By Brandon Corlette

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completely different atmosphere.

That is the description of the three West Indies and Pakistan T20 International matches at the Guyana National Stadium at Providence.

The COVID-19 protocols being observed made the atmosphere different; the rain also made it different, to an extent; and from the media's perspective, it was a new way of watching and covering the games from the stands, and not from the comfort of the media box.

While the media had

hopes of being accredited for covering the games, those hopes were crushed only at the morning of the second T20 International, which was played on Saturday July 31.

This International series was also the first for the new Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) led by Bissoondyal Singh.

West Indies and Pakistan were set to play five T20I matches, but owing to a COVID-19 setback in Barbados, the series was reduced to four. Three of those four matches were called off due to rain, one in Barbados and two in Guyana.

Spotted in the stands: Former West Indies legspinner Devendra Bishoo

Ironically, the day after the final match at Providence, the rain went away as the players departed for Jamaica for the upcoming Test series.

The one completed match played in Guyana saw Pakistan winning by seven runs, after posting a par total on a slow Providence wicket.

Despite being on course for an unusually big total in international cricket at Providence, Pakistan were restricted to 1578, with Babar Azam and Mohammed Rizwan being

The groundsmen were busy at work

among the runs.

West Indies, in an innings with 47 dot balls, replied with 150-4, with Nicholas Pooran scoring his career best 62. With all the 'big talk' about Providence being a 170-180 track, that has not yet been seen. Even the players shared different sentiments about the surface. Pooran himself described the pitch as tough, low, and inconsistent.

Historically, the Providence pitch is slow and hard for batsmen, espe-

cially in T20 International cricket. The highest team total at Providence came in March 2010 with England scoring 191-5 against the West Indies. The second highest team total is 173-7, scored by Sri Lanka, while Pakistan’s 157-8 in that recent second T20I was the third highest team total.

West Indies’ highest T20 total at Providence is 150-4, which came in that same match. Historically, the National Stadium at Providence is not a hap-

py hunting ground for the men in maroon, but in CPL, team scores are on the higher side.

Despite all the difference in atmosphere during this series, the buildup to these matches at Providence was high, with the relevant authorities and fans sharing exciting sentiments to see international cricket return to Providence for the first time since 2019. What's next for cricket at Providence?

Time alone will tell.

GFF gives RMAs millions in equipment …As the reins of the ATC are given to the RMAs

GFF President Wayne Forde

Youth Development Officer Bryan Joseph

T

he Guyana Football Federation (GFF), in the interest of facilitating a smooth restart of the sport, on Thursday afternoon made a costly donation to each of its Regional Member Associations.

These RMAs, of which there are 9 across Guyana, will be tasked with managing the ATCs. With vaccines available, the GFF’s Academy Training Centre (ATC) programme is set to get going again, but not without some changes by the Federation. In explaining the Federation’s rationale behind shaking up the ATC programme, Forde explained that many of the Regional Member Associations believed that the organizing was exclusive to the GFF. “The Academy Training Centre programme was launched in 2017. And from 2017 to the end of 2018, we monitored and evaluated the impact of the pro-

Action during a showcase game on Thursday

gramme. And we've seen the impact that the programme has had, in particular on our youth teams, both male and female. But we've also identified some challenges,” Forde related.

“And among the key challenges were the fact that we did not see the level of involvement and engagement from our Regional Associations. And we felt that the programme was perceived by them as an exclusive GFF development programme and their input was not really that necessary.”

The GFF Boss continued, “So what we have done over the past couple of months is that we have remodelled the Academy Training Centre programme. And the programme has now been has handed over to each of our

regional Association.”

With the ATCs now being in the hand of the Associations, the GFF has handed over millions in equipment, inclusive of competition size goals, collapsible goals, balls, cones and kits.

This distribution, in the GFF’s eyes, will foster equality between the RMAs while pushing a competitive spirit between them.

“What we are hoping is going to come from this with this ownership is that our members will take greater responsibility for running this programme and for ensuring its success,” the GFF President has said.

Forde added, “We believe that this competition will drive our members to crave the identity of having the best Academy in the

country. So, we are all excited about these changes. And we just hope that our partners who are our Regional Associations will join us in bringing life to these plans.”

In addition, the GFF has introduced a competition concept to the ATCs that will see inter-academy competition at every grass root level: U11, U13, U15, U17, U20, for both males and females.

Touching on the consistency that Forde mentioned, Technical Director Ian Greenwood revealed that coaches would work according to several documents on fundamentals, review process and philosophy.

“So, to ensure we keep consistency across all the regional coaching and all the regional centres is forming

documents that are driving this behind,” Greenwood divulged.

“The first document is the GFF coaching philosophy. So, this is talking about how each of the regions is able to create a positive learning environment.

We talk about the Three Rs, which are the three principles of coaching. So we‘re looking at practices being realistic, being relevant to the age group, and being high repetitional practice to ensure they get maximum touches on the ball.”

On the other hand, Youth Development Officer Bryan Joseph shared one of the key aspects to ensure the Academy is run smoothly, while sharing expectations that the Associations will guide the new process.

“So, we at this stage,

we're prepared to engage the regional associations and have a smooth transition of management. The technical officers that are standing behind us will continue to monitor them, continue to ensure that they receive their remuneration from the GFF, but (for) the general management, we expect that the regional associations will be there to guide the processes going forward,” Joseph stated.

On the matter of transparency, Joseph revealed.

“One of the key things that are going to happen is the process for payments for coaches that are operating within the academies, and this process has to be verified by Presidents of the respective Associations.

“That president has to so sign off on verification that all the sessions that were planned were actually delivered before the coaches receive their remuneration at the end of every month.”

FRIDAY, AUGUST 6, 2021

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

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GFF gives RMAs millions in equipment Page 23

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