Guyana Times - Friday, October 29, 2021

New species of birds recorded in Guyana

P17 Nationwide coverage from the best news team in Guyana guyanatimesgy.com

Issue No. 4815

THE BEACON OF TRUTH FRIDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2021

Major hinterland communities to be powered mostly by renewable energy – President Ali …as Govt launches LCDS 2030 initiative with 4-month national consultation See story on page 3

Unfair to expect developing economies to leave oil in ground Page 7

Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo along with Governance and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Gail Teixeira; Finance Minister, Dr Ashni Singh; former Head of the Office of Climate Change, Shyam Nokta and Ministers Vickram Bharrat, Zulfikar Mustapha and Oneidge Walrond during the launch of the LCDS 2030 (Office of the President photo)

…Ali says Guyana will ensure petroleum sector operates in line with global climate solutions

4 more COVID-19 deaths, 98 new cases recorded Persons may soon have to be fully vaccinated to access public service

Murder accused escapes from Lusignan Prison

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Wastage of P13 oxygen found at hospitals

“Schools need to be more P10 conscious of rights of the child” – RCC Commissioner

Berbice man dies in mining pit accident P7 Gun, ammo, drugs unearthed as P10 Police nab rustler …security guard beaten as thieves escape with cattle

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Page 9

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…as Task Force considers changing definition of "vaccinated"

American Corner launched at National Library

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“My academic journey does not end here”− newly-admitted Attorney P11

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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

NEWS

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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

BRIDGE OPENINGS OPENINGS BRIDGE

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

Friday, October 29 – 11:30h-13:00h and Saturday, October 30 – 00:30h-02:00h and 12:30h-14:00h.

Major hinterland communities to be powered mostly by renewable energy in 5 years – President Ali …as Govt launches LCDS 2030 initiative with 4-month national consultation

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Friday, October 29 – 11:35h-13:05h and Saturday, October 30 – 12:35h-14:05h.

FERRY SCHEDULE

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

WEATHER TODAY Sunny conditions are expected during the day, with clear to partly cloudy skies at night.

Temperatures should range between 21 degrees Celsius and 30 degrees Celsius.

Winds: Northerly to North-Westerly between 1.78 metres and 4.47 metres.

High Tide: 10:48h and 23:13h reaching maximum heights of 2.03 metres and 2.10 metres.

Low Tide: 16:41h reaching a minimum height of 1.23 metres.

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2021

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COMMODITIES Indicators

US$

Change %

Crude Oil

$84.32/barrel

Rough Rice

$244.224 /ton

-0.15

London Sugar

$518.50/ton

+1.41

Live Spot Gold

-0.31

USD Per Ounce

Bid/Ask

$1798.20

$1799.20

Low/High Change

$1792.40 -0.90

$1812.40 -0.05%

President Dr Irfaan Ali during Thursday’s launch of LCDS 2030

S

everal major hinterland communities across Guyana are expected to undergo massive development as the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Government pursues a revolutionary transition agenda to clean and reliable energy under an updated version of the country’s flagship Low Carbon Development Strategy – LCDS 2030.

Launched virtually on Thursday by President Dr Irfaan Ali, LCDS 2030 outlines Government’s plans for clean energy and a suite of low-carbon development opportunities that will drive the future low-carbon development of the country.

The LCDS was the brainchild of former President and now Vice President, Bharrat Jagdeo and was launched in 2009 as the first low-carbon development strategy from a developing country.

According to President Ali, while the scale of vision captured 12 years ago remains valid today, a lot has happened since then hence the concept of the initiative has been refashioned to reflect the current-day context of low-carbon development.

A key feature of LCDS 2030 is the transformation of Guyana’s energy landscape with the aim of ensuring that the nation is fully powered by affordable and non-polluting power in the next decade.

The Head of State posited that the country’s high cost of electricity, which is 97 per cent dependent on imported fossil fuels, would have been countered with the completion of the Amaila Falls Hydropower Project (AFHP) – the flagship initiative under Jagdeo’s LCDS. Pegged at generating some 165 megawatts of electricity, the Amaila Falls project was scrapped by the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) coalition regime.

But President Ali said on Thursday that his Government would resume this project as part of its clean energy transition – a three-phase initiative under LCDS 2030.

The first phase covers 2022-2027, during which there is anticipated to be a near tripling of electricity demand in the country. This, the President noted, will be met through a combination of natural gas from offshore oil production operations and the Amaila Falls Hydropower Project to boost the main na-

tional grid.

Added to this will be a major expansion of solar power with batteries on the rural networks.

“By the end of this period, the Essequibo Coast, Linden, Leguan, and Wakenaam grids will be integrated with the national grid. The Bartica, Lethem, Port Kaituma, Mahdia, and Matthews Ridge grids will be almost exclusively powered by renewable energy,” he stated.

Additionally, the approximately 200 hinterland villages will undergo an electrification programme by about 2026. In fact, this work has begun already in villages across the country, included Seba, Waramadong, Paruima, Kurukabaru, Whyaka, Mission Capoey, Lake Top Capoey, Annai, St Monica, and Karaburi.

Moreover, the national transmission and distribution network will undergo a massive upgrade to manage the forecasted electricity demand and meet the standards expected of a modern

power utility company, the Head of State revealed.

The second phase will run from 2027 to 2032 and according to President Ali, it will see further increases in electricity demand being met by continued replacement of Heavy Fuel Oil, expansion of wind and solar power, and the commission of Guyana's second hydro plant – the site of which will be identified in the coming years.

“After 2032, the expansion will be driven by the pre-

crease fivefold with emissions staying essentially flat.

This transition agenda also included a suite of low-carbon investment opportunities.

“Small and medium businesses will be supported to create low-carbon jobs and economic opportunities,” the Head of State asserted.

He said some 15 per cent of funds from forest climate services would be invested in Amerindian communities' priorities, including land ti-

The Amaila Falls Hydropower Project

vailing market conditions, but it is likely that battery technology will be sufficiently advanced to enable solar and wind plants to provide new capacity increases while contributing to further downward pressure on electricity prices,” he stated.

The Guyanese leader pointed out that these initiatives under the LCDS 2030 would see Guyana boasting of an energy transition unlike any other country. He added that the anticipated supply of cheaper electricity could in-

tling and capitalisation of the Amerindian Development Fund to implement Community Development Plans.

In addition, low-carbon infrastructure will be expanded – including transportation, digital infrastructure, e-governance, and social inclusion.

The urban built environment such as roads, drainage and water infrastructure among other areas will also be improved in all towns across Guyana.

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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 29, 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

Guyana: a modern society

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uyana becoming a developed country is not merely an optimistic hope, but a doable and achievable reality, because Government’s facilitation of investments can propel this nation into First World status.

Before the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Administration assumed the primary executive office in the land in October of 1992, Guyana was rated on international developmental indices as being on par with Haiti. Graphed during the People’s National Congress (PNC) Administration as the least developed nation in the world, with a crippling debt burden, Guyana’s development under the astute leadership provided by successive PPP/C Presidents has been rapid.

After a relatively short time span of approximately two decades, Guyana has been recognised by the world as a middle-income developing country, and described by Prime Minister of St Vincent and the Grenadines as “The only shining star in the Caribbean”.

The popular prognosis heralded great things for this nation, because the focus of the PPP/C Administrations – then and now – is to make Guyana a modern and developed country; and Guyana had indeed been inexorably moving from a middle-income developing country to becoming, in the not-too-distant future, a developed country.

However, for the country to achieve such a status, it has to be a joint effort by all stakeholders working in conjunction and cooperation with Government. There have been, in the past, multiple successful partnerships between the Government, Private Sector and other stakeholders working together to create of Guyana a modern society.

The transformation of the national socio-economic landscape has not been easy, because there are elements of negativity who are intent on stymieing every developmental initiative.

Regrettably, this progressive developmental paradigm took a relentless and rapid retrogression – in every sector – with the advent of another PNC-led Government in 2015.

Post-2015 elections, a relentless reversal of Guyana’s developmental trajectory under the coalition Government administration brought this country to an almost bankrupt state, with a debt burden of billions of dollars.

One of the worst disincentives to private investment in Guyana is the high energy costs, which send overheads skyrocketing, especially in the manufacturing sector; and the PPP/C Government had attempted to address this problem through hydropower, but had reached the usual developmental roadblocks from the PNC-led A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Opposition, which used every armament in their arsenal to shoot down the project.

It is a proven fact that not having cheap energy is one of the most prohibitive factors that have impeded Guyana’s manufacturing sector from surging.

However, despite the setback with the Amaila Falls Hydro Project, President Irfaan Ali is determined that the pursuit of alternative energy will be prioritised, so that Government can provide cheap energy for the development of a strong industrial manufacturing sector and a strong processing sector. With a progressing agricultural sector that can easily develop an agroindustrial complex, Guyana is once again climbing global developmental graphs.

During the 2020 Budget debates, various Government Members of Parliament (MPs) outlined future transformative plans geared to making the dream of taking Guyana from a middle-income developing country to a developed country, and one could only hope that the joint Opposition would allow good sense and patriotism to prevail over self-centred agendas, to work along on these visionary plans and projects that would benefit all Guyanese and create of this country, not only “the only shining star of the Caribbean”, but the shining star of the world.

One of the winners of the COP 26 Child Art Competition explaining her piece to British High Commissioner to Guyana, Jane Miller. it was on display at the residence of the British High Commissioner to Guyana. Also in photo are the child’s mother and sibling. The theme of the competition was “The Environment and the impact of Climate Change” (Education Ministry photo)

PNC is having a leadership crisis Dear Editor, As I ponder on the leadership of the People’s National Congress (PNC), and as I monitor and analyse the various conversations in the print, electronic and social media, I have come to the conclusion that the PNC is certainly having a leadership crisis.

I say PNC because I am in full agreement with commentary that the PNC, AFC, WPA and all the small parties that formed the coalition are dead.

Now would be a good time for me to examine the candidates vying for the leadership of the PNC. Mr Van West-Charles is a known executive member of the AFC and the sonin-law of Mr Linden F.S Burnham. I don’t think he has much support within the membership of the PNC congress, because of previous questionable actions. He is already a very old man, although he is a very smooth man; I don’t think that he will get far with his campaign bid for

leader.

Now let’s move to Mr Aubrey Norton. He is a diehard PNC strongman, and he has never waiver over the many decades he has embraced this party. Mr Norton will get some support from the congress, but I don’t think that he can get over the line. Politics is about money, and Mr Norton doesn’t have any relationship with the Private Sector. Mr Norton has never spoken anything over the past 40 years supporting any race other than his own support base. He also lacks the ability to provide leadership to garner the crossover votes.

So, when you enter politics, your goal is to win an election. Can Mr Norton win an election? Certainly Not! His tactics would be to organise and give critical support and leadership to organise street protests, dissent, and other activities that don’t do good for any country.

Now let us examine

Madam Volda Lawrence.

It is unfortunate that she would not be running in this race. She is the most popular candidate in the PNC. However, she did something really stupid; that is, to put her signature on the Region Four Statement of Poll in an effort to support Mr. Clairmont Mingo’s actions, which resulted in her being charged and placed before the courts for something that can ultimately destroy her political career.

The question is, who will Miss Lawrence support at the congress in December? Whoever she supports will win the leadership. However, my understanding is that she will be on the sidelines and will allow her supporters to make their own individual choice.

Finally, Mr Joseph Harmon. He has been in politics for over 10 years, and has acquired some experience serving as Director General in the Office of the President. His role as Chief Minister un-

der the David Granger-led administration from 20152020 has placed him as the front-runner for the leadership. During that time, he has developed a reasonable relationship with the Private Sector, and only he can attract significant financial support for campaign funding.

All political parties and elections activities call for large sums of money, and the party with the most money stands a better chance of winning an election. In addition, Mr Harmon might be in a better position as he has a number of young former Ministers and Members of Parliament in full support of him as leader of the PNC. The time is now right for him to make public his philosophy and policies, as the Guyanese public is eagerly awaiting more details from Mr Joseph Harmon.

Respectfully, Raghubir Persaud

Home ownership changed my life

Dear Editor, Let me first say that I am not a fan of this Government, but, recently, they gave me a house lot that I had applied for since 2016 during the tenure of the APNU+AFC coalition.

I was shocked that this PPP Government was so professional and non-discriminatory with how they handled

my application, because of how I would campaign against them.

Now I have to say publicly that I was wrong, and stand corrected about the PPP Government’s house lot policy. I was led to believe that the PPP was inherently discriminatory to Afro-Guyanese, and would only give their own supporters the house lots. I fed

into the lies spoken by Annette Ferguson and the rest of the folks about the PPP. It is not true!

Not everything is perfect with this Government, but I am saying today that the Opposition is wrong, and must stop dissuading Guyanese who are their supporters and mostly Africans from having faith in the process.

I must say that receiving a house lot changed my viewpoint on life and politics in general. I was able to own something of value for the first time in my life. As a young professional, I was able to break the chain of poverty and proudly show my family who are all Afro-Guyanese that they can, too. If you know me, you know it was a big deal.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 5

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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 29, 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

Genuine partnership to GECOM must assert itself advance mutual interests

Dear Editor, Legislating ‘local content’ by way of quotas/percentages of goods and services is not the optimum approach to maximising Guyana’s earnings from its oil industry. There will always be loopholes, such as quality, experience, competence versus qualification, etc. for the operator and its contractors to slip through.

My suggested approach to increase local content is to first act aggressively to lower the cost of oil production by the operator, ESSO Exploration and Production Guyana Ltd. (EEPGL, a subsidiary of ExxonMobil).

Understanding this spatial pathway requires some background and explanation.

There are four partners in the Stabroek Production Sharing Agreement: Guyana, Hess, CNOOC, and ExxonMobil, who share the profits after production costs are deducted. It is in ALL partners’ best interest to ensure oil is pro-

duced at the lowest possible cost. For that to happen, EEPGL must meet their needs for goods, services, works and utilities in a way that achieves the best value for money. Guyana is not the only partner who is conducting audits to trim costs, HESS and CNNOC must be doing the same with great diligence for their respective shareholders. Logically, the three (non-operator) partners should work together to find and disqualify the excesses of the operator (EEPGL) and its contractors.

Here is where local content blooms under this model: when Company X’s expatriate engineer employee’s salary, which is ten times that of a local engineer, is deemed non-recoverable, it is inevitable that Company X will actively seek out local engineers to fill positions.

Similarly, when Company Y is informed that sending a part to be machined in Arkansas costs four times as much as what it would

locally, and is therefore ineligible to be considered for cost recovery, there will be a shift to local machining. It is important to include the costs incurred

by ExxonMobil’s contractors, for recent information in the public domain suggests that contractors are engaged in sole-sourcing of services and goods from preferred partners, to the exclusion of locals, who can be competitive, given the opportunity.

A genuine partnership is one where parties agree to cooperate to advance their mutual interests.

The non-operator partners realise that every cent cut in production cost per barrel of oil results in millions of USD increase in profit; when they (the partners) understand that this will come through local content, there will be a seismic shift to local goods and services.

Sincerely, Robin Singh

Arson to Govt buildings a grave concern

Dear Editor, Out of the blue came the revelation that another Government building was set on fire; this time, it is the Charlestown Post Office, and the fire allegedly was the work of arsonist(s).

From the report, it seems

that extensive damage was not the outcome, but the security hut was completely damaged.

It has to be asked: Was no security in place at the time of the incident? And if not, why not?

But these frequent fires to Government buildings, al-

Home ownership changed...

FROM PAGE 4

I must say that I am ashamed of the APNU+AFC Opposition for seeking to hold back the development and progress generally in the area of house lots’ distribution, land ownership, and other special schemes that the Government wants to pursue.

Specifically for AfroGuyanese, go down to the Ministry of Housing and apply for a house lot, or check on the process. I have not been discriminated against.

Yours truly, Adron Pires

legedly by arson, are of concern, and the authorities must be cognisant of the subtle undercurrent upheavals these acts might be intended to cause.

Sincerely, Shamshun Mohamed

Dear Editor, While it cannot be denied that the Guyana Elections Commission is a tough place to be, it is clear that the Chairperson will have to be objective and ensure that we get free and fair elections. The torture and depression, along with the tremendous cost that this nation had to bear during those terrible five months, must never occur again.

Further, the quality of persons employed at GECOM must be men and women of integrity, persons who would be honest and, above all, bold and courageous.

Rudy Collins was a man of substance, and he will forever be remembered as the first Chairman of GECOM who was prepared to bite the bullet and deliver free and fair elections in Guyana. The task then was not easy, but after all the threats and pressure, and with the support of the Carter Center, Guyana witnessed the return of free and fair elections.

After the 1992 Regional and National Elections, Collins triumphantly give way to Edward Hopkinson, who did a fair job in overseeing the Local Government Elections in 1994. At those LGEs, which were held after two decades, the PPP/C dominated the polls.

Enter Senior Council Doodnauth Singh as Chairman of the Commission, and highly successful National and

Regional Elections were held in 1997. Then the powerful former head of the Army, the eminent Joseph Singh, was the Chairman of the Commission for the 2001 highly successful National and Regional Elections.

For the 2006, 2011, and 2015 National and Regional Elections, Guyana had the rough period under the Chairmanship of Steve Surujbally. In 2006, the National and Regional Elections went pretty smooth. However, by 2011, the performance of the Commission deteriorated, as the staffing of the workers was taken over by the Secretariat, and the Commission members allowed things to slide. There were serious allegations against the employment of Election Day staff. Worst was the role of the Chief Election Officer and the Administration in respect to accountability. As a result, the Guyana Elections Commission was not audited for the 2015 National and Regional Elections.

The 2016 and 2018 Local Government Elections and the 2020 National and Regional Elections are yet to be audited.

With the dismissal of the famous ‘trio’, we are witnessing a galore of advertisements to fill vacancies at the Commission. It is most interesting to see the expression of interest from a wide cross section of persons. There are foreigners along with some very experienced individuals who have applied for positions in GECOM. Guyana must put an end to ‘rigged’ elections.

GECOM Chairperson will have to be fair and prepare to never do the things that the unfit and improper James Patterson did, by joining with the ‘rogue’ elements and employing and keeping in the employment ‘rogue’ elements that held the nation to ransom for five long months. Guyanese must be loud in their call for urgent LGEs. Sincerely, Neil Kumar

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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2021

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H

Foundation

ave you ever dreamed of becoming a nature explorer, discovering incredible ecosystems and amazing animal habitats around the world? Well, why not start in your own neighbourhood? With this checklist and key, you can identify habitats in your nearest greenspace or park based on the set of criteria below.

Make sure you have a parent or guardian in tow before heading out on your super-sleuth adventures!

A wetland is a very wet and soggy place with tons of vegetation and organic matter! You can find wetlands in a range of locations, some more temperate than others. One of the most common animals you’ll find in wetlands are frogs!

Habitat Checklist:

Grassland

How dry is this habitat?

Not Somewhat Very How moist is this habitat?

Not Somewhat Very Is there a lot of rain?

Not Somewhat Very Is there a lot of snow?

Not Somewhat Very What is the temperature like? Is it hot?

Not Somewhat Very

Is there a lot of vegetation present?

Not Somewhat Very

Wetland

Key:

Grasslands are dry and grassy!

They are found in arid, flat, and welldrained regions. Animals like prairie dogs and an incredible variety of birds can be found across the plains of Canada.

Forest

Forests are found in a wide variety in climates, depending on where they are located. For example, temperate forests receive a lot more precipitation than the Boreal Forest, and the tropical forests the most rain of all.

Tundra

The tundra can be a hostile environment, with a lack of vegetation and rain but a surplus of snow!

In the winter months, the landscape is a blanket of white, but wildflowers begin to burst come spring. You might even see an Arctic hare hopping along!

Aquatic

Aquatic habitats consist of ecosystems near rivers and lakes! These habitats are wet, and often have unique plants growing by the water’s edge. An example are the lovely floating lily pads that we see in rivers and on lakesides.

Marine

We are lucky to have beautiful coastal and marine habitats! These habitats are wet by nature, and also often receive a fair amount of rain owing to their proximity to the ocean.

If you’re lucky, you may see a sea otter bobbing by or a whale in the distance! (earthrangers.com)

By Walt Whitman When I heard the learn’d astronomer, When the proofs, the figures, were ranged in columns before me, When I was shown the charts and diagrams, to add, divide, and measure them, When I sitting heard the astronomer where he lectured with much applause in the lecture-room, How soon unaccountable I became tired and sick, Till rising and gliding out I wander’d off by myself, In the mystical moist nightair, and from time to time, Look’d up in perfect silence at the stars.

WORD SEARCH

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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Unfair to expect developing economies to leave oil in ground …Ali says Guyana will ensure petroleum sector operates in line with global climate solutions

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resident Dr Irfaan Ali has defended oil and gas production activities offshore Guyana, saying that it was unfair to ask developing countries not to tap into their petroleum resources for the betterment of their people while incumbent oil producers continue to enjoy the riches of such exploration activities.

The Head of State made these remarks on Thursday during the virtual launch of an upgraded Low Carbon Development Strategy – LCDS 2030, which, among other things, outlines how Government intends to align Guyana’s status as an oil and gas producer with being an active participant in the global search for climate solutions.

According to President Ali, the revenues that will be earned from the oil discoveries offshore Guyana, where production commenced in the Stabroek Block in December 2019, can transform the country and create unprecedented opportunities for its people.

However, President Ali recognised that the global market for oil and gas will not last forever, especially in the coming decades as the world decarbonises in line with the targets of the Paris Climate Agreement and the need to stabilise global temperature increases at 1.5 degrees above pre-industrial levels.

“Actively managing the development of this marketplace in line with global decarbonisation targets is a challenge that the world continues to fail to grasp. This is why demand for oil and gas to safeguard global energy security continues to be high, rebounding after a slowdown due to the pandemic. Global policies are needed, and if they are to work, they must be fair, economically rational and based on science,” he noted.

Against this backdrop, the Guyanese leader argued that it was unfair to expect developing countries like Guyana not to explore their petroleum resources.

“Basic fairness means that the oil industry, and its US$34 trillion of annual revenue, should not just be for the benefit of incumbent oil producers, particularly when those incumbents are already very wealthy. Expecting developing economies to leave their oil in the ground really means protecting the monopoly-like situation of existing producers so that they can maximise their income from oil and gas,” he contended.

The Head of State pointed out that the three major global oil producers produce about 24 million barrels today – the level of oil production that needs to be reached by 2050 to align with the Paris goals. He opined

President Dr Irfaan Ali speaking at the virtual launch of the expanded Low Carbon Development Strategy − LCDS 2030 on Thursday

that it would be perverse if the market was protected for them alone. In fact, he highlighted that the world's largest oil producer – the United States of America – has a per capita income of US$65,000 which is about 10 times that of Guyana’s.

“No responsible government should volunteer that its people stay poor so that richer countries can have their market protected. Putting faith in solutions that expect this to happen is irresponsible and, ultimately, damages the prospects of climate success,” he maintained.

Nevertheless, President Ali outlined that in order to drive global decarbonisation, there needed to be a global price on carbon, levied on the consumption of oil and gas. This, he said, is the way to incentivise both

the investment in lower carbon replacements for fossil fuel-based electricity and transportation such as renewable energy and electric vehicles, while at the same time managing the global low-carbon transition through incentivising progressively lower-carbon sources of fossil fuels.

Another such policy is the removal of subsidies for fossil fuel production. According to the Guyanese leader, 50 of the largest economies in the world – which account for 80 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions – increased their support for fossil fuel production by 30 per cent in 2019.

“Most of this was in developed countries, which are already the incumbents benefiting most from the trillions of dollars in the oil and gas market. The Government of

Major hinterland communities...

“Consideration will be given to international architecture and urban planning competitions for Georgetown and Silica City to match the unprecedented anticipated growth with high standards of urban planning. The LCDS 2030 will support entrepreneurship and innovation. The Protected Areas System will be expanded, and we will see the creation

of an International Center for Biodiversity. Work will resume on the restoration and maintenance of our important mangrove forests.

“In 2022, work will start on the implementation of Guyana's Climate Resilience Strategy and Action plan, which was produced using revenues received under the Guyana-Norway partnership.

Work will re-start to imple-

ment the strategy and upgrade sea defences, irrigation systems, build agriculture systems that are more resilient and address the threat to public health from climate change,” the President added.

Meanwhile, as Government outlines its transformation vision under LCDS 2030, the 110page document has been made public and will un-

FROM PAGE 3

dergo a four-month consultation to get feedback from stakeholders countrywide. A Multi-Stakeholder Steering Committee will be reconstituted to hold these discussions before the initiative receives final approval.

During this time, President Ali reassured, no agreements will be entered into before LCDS 2030 is finalised. (G8)

Guyana supports calls for the elimination of such fossil fuel subsidies, especially in OECD [Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development] countries where the subsidies are the most distorting, destabilise prices, and do nothing to reduce the carbon intensity of the world's economy,” he stated.

President Ali believes that these two policies alone could create a much fairer marketplace for oil and gas that is compatible with achieving the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement, adding that Guyana would not shirk its responsibilities in such a marketplace.

In the same breath, the Head of State reassured that Guyana would pursue strong policies to ensure that its oil and gas sector operated to international standards. He added that his government was already working to eliminate flaring from oil production, except in the case of genuine emergencies.

“When my Government took office in 2020, there were no safeguards in place to disallow flaring. As a result, we introduced one of the very few taxes on flaring in the world – where beyond the commissioning period, all flaring will be taxed at US$45 per tonne of carbon, along with the actual gas lost. For newly-licensed

production, the tax on flaring will be accompanied by legal limits on the overall amount of flaring. In parallel, with advancing a "no flaring" policy, new measures have been introduced to ensure that all waste management is the responsibility of the oil producer, in accordance with international standards, from "cradle to grave",” Ali noted.

He went on to say that Government would continue to engage oil producers to also ensure that exploration and production operations would explore all opportunities for lower carbon technological innovation – including the use of renewable energy in oil production, Carbon Capture Utilisation and Storage (CCUS) and – when technologically viable – green hydrogen.

“My Government will meet our responsibilities to the people of Guyana by maximising the benefits to be accrued from the oil and gas industry while at the same time advocating for global policies to create a level playing field to align the global marketplace for oil and gas with the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement. But to only focus on oil and gas is to be short-sighted. In all scenarios, a future global economy will decarbonise, so the other two themes of the LCDS 2030 look beyond the oil and gas sector,” he asserted. (G8)

Berbice man dies in mining pit accident

A

49-year-old man of New Amsterdam, Berbice was on Sunday killed in a mining pit accident which occurred at White Hole Backdam, Potaro, Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni).

Dead is Bertie John Williams.

Police on Thursday said Williams was employed as a pitman, and on Sunday he

and his colleagues were working in the pit when a portion of its walls collapsed.

Williams became trapped while the other workers escaped.

The man’s lifeless body was later recovered and taken to the Mahdia Regional Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Investigations are ongoing.

8 NEWS

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

EBD man remanded over $4.7M ganja find

Polarising…

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The marijuana CANU ranks found in the car

Remanded: Duvendra Sukhdeo

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uvendra Sukhdeo, a resident of Lot 14 Republic Park, East Bank Demerara (EBD) who was recently busted with $4.7 million worth in marijuana, was remanded to prison on Thursday by Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan.

The 39-year-old pleaded not guilty to the charge on which he was arraigned, which alleged that on October 25, he had 15.566 kilogrammes (34 lbs) of marijuana in his possession for the

purpose of trafficking.

Ranks of the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU), acting on information, intercepted a motor car in the vicinity of Rahaman’s Park, Greater Georgetown and found eight bulky parcels containing the narcotic.

In a release, CANU said the foreign and local marijuana is worth over $4.7 million.

Sukhdeo’s next court date is on November 29, for disclosure of statements.

Earlier this week, a minibus conductor who was allegedly found with a quantity of marijuana stashed in his crotch was placed on

$100,000 bail after pleading not guilty to a drug trafficking charge.

Warren Broomes, 33, of Lot K7 Edon Street, Tucville Housing Scheme, Georgetown, was arraigned before Principal Magistrate Sherdel Isaacs-Marcus in that Georgetown Magistrate’s Court.

It is alleged that on October 22, at Macaw Road and Arapaima Street, Tucville, Georgetown, he had 44.5 grammes of cannabis in his possession for the purpose of trafficking.

Last Friday, ranks of the CANU were conducting op-

erations in the vicinity of Turning Point Sports Club at Tucville, Georgetown when they searched Broomes.

A release from CANU said a quantity of leaves, seeds, and stems were found in Ziploc bags in the man’s crotch area. As such, Broomes, a father of three, was arrested pending charges.

A conditionality attached to his bail requires Broomes to report to CANU Headquarters every Friday until the hearing and determination of his trial.

Broomes is due for another court appearance on November 22. (G1)

“Zipper” for court today for $2M cocaine found at Campbellville house

Andre Gomes

Eon Joseph

The cocaine found by CANU at the house

wo men who were this week arrested by the Customs AntiNarcotics Unit (CANU) following a cocaine bust at a house at Craig Street, Campbellville, Georgetown are expected to appear at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts this morning on drug trafficking charges.

Eon Joseph, 33, and

Andre Gomes, called “Zipper”, 60, were arrested and escorted to CANU Headquarters after $2 million in cocaine was found at the house. During an operation there on Tuesday night, CANU seized two kilogrammes of cocaine.

Gomes had previously been charged with drug trafficking, but was never

convicted. Three years ago, Gomes was freed of a cocaine trafficking charge after it was found that insufficient evidence surrounded the case.

Based on previous reports, back in 2018, Gomes was arrested in the same Campbellville area after CANU ranks had found just over two pounds of cocaine

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at a house.

He was arrested after a wanted bulletin was issued for him. Three years before that case, Gomes was arrested and charged for the shooting of a taxi driver outside Palm Court on Main Street, Georgetown. He was also freed of that charge because of insufficient evidence. (G1)

…the Courts hile everybody and their uncle’s politics depends on which party could do the most for the country (and not so incidentally themselves!), in Guyana it all had to do with which race or ethnic group the parties “belong” to. It made for real messy politics for over half-a-century! And even though we’re still knee deep in the stuff, up comes two academics from UWI to inform us that we suffer from another political ailment - the “Judicialization of politics”!! Go ahead…your Eyewitness had to roll it off his tongue a few times too!!

Now, after scratching his head and “googling” the expression he found there are several kinds of “judicialization”. And the charge made by those two UWI academics - one of whom had come in with the CariCom Recount team in our Guinness-Book-of-Records Elections - was that rather than resolving certain disagreements that are purely “political”, our politicians keep handing them off to the judiciary.

Now you may say “what’s wrong with that?” Isn’t it a good thing to have a referee to make decisions when there’s disagreement?? Well, that might be so in boxing.

But contrary to what some may think, politics isn’t a “blood sport”!! In politics, since the parties represent real live people there are some disagreements they must resolve themselves to that the people will accept “solutions” that weren’t imposed on them.

So let’s take an example from the furor created in legal and political circles about the role of our Guyanese Appellate in the “Judicialization of politics” charge. The academics simply pointed out that during the welter of cases filed by the politicians from both sides of the aisles after the elections, a clear pattern emerged. The Court of Appeal more often than not went along with the PNC claims and had to be overruled by our Apex Court the CCJ - which would reinstate the decision by our CJ in the High Court. Like insisting that the majority of 65 had to be 34, even though the PNC became the govt with a 3332 majority!!

Now since the CCJ doesn’t have any skin in Guyanese politics, one has to assume their impartiality and wonder about that of our Appellate Court!! But this isn’t the “judicialization of politics” - the fact that the matter wasn’t settled by the politicians makes it that!! Another is this PNC elections petitions case where the PNC can’t accept they made a fatal error when they didn’t follow the procedure for filing the summons oh Granger.

And they’re now expecting to be bailed out by the Appellate Court. They don’t mind sinking the judiciary for their survival!

And half the country still won’t accept the decision!

That’s judicialization! …the Standing Committees Well, they finally got a Clerk who’s not afraid to enter the arena when the Public Affairs Committee is meeting!!

The arena being the very Chambers in which Parliamentary Sitting are conducted. Isn’t this the place where everyone has to speak through the Speaker and refer to each other as “Honourable” this or “Honourable” that? Even when that female MP from the Government benches was having the vapors as she moaned “No Charrandass…no,” and the fella from Linden was elbowing the said Charrandass something fierce, everyone kept their cool!!

So what was going on in the PAC that caused all the Clerks to refuse attending to keep the minutes? It had to be more than cuss words as your Eyewitness had speculated. We Guyanese are inoculated against salty language…having been exposed to more than our fair share growing up. Was there some yelling as we were told? But that’s the way we usually speak!!

The PAC needed - and finally got - someone who could beard the lion? …workers The extremists are really going to town on the $250,000 grant to sugar workers who’d been arbitrarily terminated by the PNC - and are still unemployed. They say “severance” was already paid.

So they expect that’ll to feed them forever?

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

NEWS

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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

4 more COVID-19 deaths, 98 new cases recorded GUYANA COVID-19 DASHBOARD OCTOBER 28, 2021 UPDATE

NUMBER OF NEW CASES

98

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN INSTITUTIONAL ISOLATION

DISTRIBUTION OF TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES SINCE MARCH 2020

70

REGION 1

1605

REGION 2

1424

REGION 3

4795

REGION 4

16,841

REGION 5

1271

REGION 6

2597

REGION 7

1734

REGION 8

564

REGION 9

2445

REGION 10

2074

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN HOME ISOLATION

2832

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN COVID-19 ICU

23

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN INSTITUTIONAL QUARANTINE

10

TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES BY GENDER (FEMALES)

18,631

TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES BY GENDER (MALES)

16,719

TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES IN GUYANA SINCE 2020

35,350

NUMBER OF RECOVERED CASES

31,521

Wear a face mask.

TOTAL 1st DOSE VACCINATED

380,257

FULLY IMMUNISED

241,211

TOTAL NUMBER OF DEATHS

904

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

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our more persons who tested positive for the novel coronavirus have died, taking the country’s death toll to 904.

The Health Ministry informed on Thursday that three of these persons were unvaccinated while one was fully-vaccinated.

A 64-year-old male from Region 10 (Upper DemeraraBerbice) died on October 22. Then, two persons from Region Four (DemeraraMahaica) – a 67-year-old male and a 56-year-old female succumbed on October 27. The last person was a 58-year-old female from Region Four, who died on October 28.

Meanwhile, the daily dashboard showed an in-

HERE IS HOW YOU CAN BE SAFE DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

crease of 98 cases, resulting in a total of 35,350 cases. Some 16,719 males and 18,631 females contracted the virus.

There are 23 persons in the specialised Intensive Care Unit (ICU), 70 in institutional isolation, 2832 in home isolation and 10 in institutional quarantine.

The number of recoveries now stands at 31,521, while 351,051 persons have been tested to date.

Regionally, there were three new infections in Region One (BarimaWaini); one in Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam); five in Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara); 52 in Region Four; six in Region Five (Mahaica-

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.

Berbice); 25 in Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne); two in Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) and four in Region 10.

No increases were reported in Regions Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni) and Eight (Potaro-Siparuni).

Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony said the National COVID-19 Task Force Secretariat has exercised more stringency in issuing permission for social gatherings in light of blatant violations. He explained that there were many cases where more people than stipulated were accommodated.

“The orders are explicit how many persons can be in such setting and our experience has been that people abuse. When they ask for

permission and they’re given permission, they abuse that permission. Very often, they have more people than they’re allowed. Most of those people are not adhering to any COVID-19 measures and therefore, those events potentially become a place where COVID can be spread and we’re very mindful of that,” he expressed.

For restaurants and bars, if the Task Force finds breaches to the vaccination requirement, then the establishment in question can be shut down.

“We don’t want to do that, but people need to abide by the rules. If they’re not going to abide by the rules, then they leave us with no alternative, but to shut the business now…COVID-19 is not a governmental prob-

lem. COVID-19 is a societal problem and the only way we can return to some level of normalcy is if all of us behave responsibly,” Dr Anthony stressed.

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

All Guyanese are reminded to observe the protocols of the COVID-19 emergency measures which emphasise: correct and consistent use of a face mask when leaving your home, maintaining six feet of physical distance from others and good hand hygiene. (G12)

10 NEWS

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Gun, ammo, drugs unearthed as Police nab rustler …security guard beaten as thieves escape with cattle

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ne person has been arrested after three armed bandits on Monday evening attacked a security guard in a bid to thief a cow.

Police in Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) have been able to track down the cattle rustlers and recovered arms and ammunition and, in the process, also stumbled on some illegal drugs.

Cattle rustling in the Black Bush Polder has been a major concern for cattle farmers, more so those who operate in Cookrite Savannah.

The firearms and ammunition that were found

Cattle rancher Seenarine Deonarine, 63, said every week he has been attacked by the thieves. For

the year, he has lost about fifty head of cattle, with about $1.5 million in animals being stolen just last

week. He said rustlers even went to his ranch and killed three of his largest bulls, which were imported for the purpose of breeding.

The rustlers are now demanding that workers on his ranch catch animals and hand them over. He said that was what happened on Monday night in the latest attack when three armed men went to his ranch in Cookrite Savannah.

“Tuesday morning, me workman called me from Black Bush and he told me that three men went in on him, one was Mark, one was “Bow Foot” and anoth-

The cannabis that was seized by Police

er man. He told me that the men cuff him and put a gun to his belly and tell him that he have to give them a cow and he give them cow and they go away with the cow,” Deonarine said.

Meanwhile, some sections of the media had reported that the suspect who goes by the alias “Bow Foot” was shot.

However, Deonarine said he was not aware of that. In fact, he told Guyana Times that he was with the Police during the operation in the Canje River.

“They went and searched several houses in the Black Bush Pumping Station area and they picked up two weapons, also some cartridges and they arrest one man called Mark,” he related.

He said the man arrested was one of the men he was told went to his cattle ranch on Monday evening.

Deonarine said they did not see “Bow Foot”.

Meanwhile, on Thursday, Police said based on information received, ranks went to a house at Canje Creek, East Canje, Berbice where they saw a 51-year-old male cash crop

farmer.

The ranks conducted a search in his presence and found a Stevens US-made 16-gauge shotgun without a number about four feet away from his bed. A further search was conducted which unearthed one Russia-made 16-gauge shotgun, along with 26 12-gauge cartridges on his mattress.

The man was arrested and is assisting with the investigation. Police are on the hunt for two more suspects.

Meanwhile, as the officers were on that operation, in the vicinity of Calabash Creek, they observed a purple, white and orange wooden boat with two males acting in a suspicious manner.

The ranks stopped the boat, and a search was carried out whereby a white salt bag containing three bulky plastic bags wrapped with transparent plastic tape was found. They were opened in the men’s presence and they were found to contain a quantity of leaves, seeds, and stems suspected to be cannabis.

The men, aged 39 and 44, were arrested. (G4)

“Schools need to be more conscious of rights of the child” – RCC Commissioner

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ights of the Child Commission (RCC) member Rosemary Benjamin-Noble during the handing-over ceremony of its annual reports on Wednesday, indicated that the Commission was in receipt of complaints in regards to the suspension and expulsion of children from school.

To this end, she signalled that this should not be occurring since the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child does not allow this. “…you would also be aware that the Convention on the Rights of the Child is a part of our Constitution and, thus, is a part of our laws here in Guyana,” the Commissioner warned.

“Because we’ve found sometimes that in complaints that we’ve received, the principals, for instance, are not conscious of the rights of the child and, therefore, make decisions in relation to children,” she went on to state.

It was highlighted that more engagements with

RCC Commissioner Rosemary Benjamin-Noble

the principals and the leadership within schools were needed in the disseminating of information in regards to the rights of children. “…this should not be left only to us, because it’s part of our mandate, it is something that needs to be a part of the curriculum or part of the management training, perhaps, of the leadership of the school and of the teachers of the schools,” Benjamin-Noble stressed.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 11

11 “My academic journey does not end here” – newly-admitted Attorney F NEWS

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

ully aware that education empowers one and provides a pathway out of poverty, the academic journey of newly admitted Attorney-at-law Aliyyah Abdul Kadir is certainly one of excellence.

Her thirst for knowledge and education is evident in her academic achievements thus far. Kadir is among the scores of students who graduated from the Hugh Wooding Law School (HWLS) this year with their Legal Education Certificate (LEC)- a prerequisite to practise law in Guyana and the Commonwealth Caribbean. Even more outstanding, she made it onto the HWLS Principal’s Honour Roll.

Kadir’s petition to practise law was presented on Thursday by Attorney-atlaw Dexter Todd before Justice Simone MorrisRamlall at the High Court in Demerara. Describing her as an outstanding young wom-

an, Todd told the court that Kadir has not only excelled in academics, but also in extra-curricular activities.

The former Queen’s College student attained 15 Grade One passes at the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC), and copped the regional award for Most Outstanding in Humanities in 2014. From there she went on to Sixth Form and earned an Associate Degree in Humanities at the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE).

With a scholarship to attend the University of the West Indies (UWI), St. Augustine Campus, Kadir travelled to the twin-island Republic of Trinidad and Tobago and read for and obtained her Bachelor of Laws (Honours) in 2019. She later went on to attend the HWLS. “Her performance at the Hugh Wooding Law School

“Schools need to be...

“And that is another recommendation we keep having – mechanisms where we can, far and wide, encourage and educate people in relation to the rights of the child.

We have found also when in various communities, some of the schools need to also be more conscious.”

Additionally, it was revealed that there were a number of children who were in need of exposure to knowledge of their human rights and the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

“We have – as indicated in our report – moved around quite a bit and held several types of engagements, including having youth camps and meeting with communities in relation to abuse and so on,” the Commissioner revealed. “…and, therefore, we sought through that mechanism to have those children be given leadership training through those camps for them to take the information they have learnt to their communities and back

Attorney-at-law Aliyyah Abdul Kadir at the High Court in Georgetown

was indeed outstanding, as she was able to be placed on the Principal’s Honour Roll.

During her first year at the Hugh Wooding Law School, she obtained prizes for best performer in Civil Procedure and Practice I,” Todd said as he presented Kadir’s petition.

For her exceptional per-

FROM PAGE 10

to their schools.”

The youth camps, which are usually held every year, however, were unfortunately put on hold in the last two years owing to the coronavirus pandemic.

The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child affirms that every child has a right to education. The purpose of education is to enable the child to develop to his or her fullest possible potential and to learn respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms.

formance, she was awarded the Cameron and Shepherd Prize for best performance in Civil Procedure and Practice I and II by a Guyanese student.

Todd added, “This young lady is ambitious…very soon she will pursue her LLM. This young lady is most qualified to stand before any court, not only competently as a trained legal person, but she holds the character that I believe will support any good standing in this noble profession.”

Reach for the skies

For her part, Justice Morris-Ramlall expressed that it is always a pleasure to admit new lawyers. She, however, noted that admit-

ting a lawyer who has ties to her hometown of Linden, Region 10 (Upper DemeraraBerbice) gives her a particular source of pleasure and pride.

“As you embark on this new chapter, I encourage you to hold still to the ethics you were exposed to at law school. They were not just for academic purposes. Be always mindful of your obligations to the Bench, your colleagues at the Bar, your clients, and other members of society. Your interactions and conduct determine what reputation you will craft for yourself. A good reputation is a key instrument in an attorney’s toolkit; without it, the other tools have minimum values…” the Justice advised the new lawyer.

While Justice MorrisRamlall urged Kadir to find a mentor, she cautioned her to “choose wisely, and be careful who you emulate.”

Based on her biography, the Judge said that Kadir appears to be on the right path in relation to her social responsibilities, since she has recognised the value of service to those in need from a very young age.

The High Court Judge urged the young lawyer to reach for the skies and even beyond, and wished her a rewarding and successful career in the practise of law.

Uphold the rule of law

In response, Kadir, who served as Vice President of the HWLS Muslim Students’ Association, vowed to uphold the laws of Guyana and the rule of law as she embarks on her career in the legal profession. She said she would conduct herself in a manner that is in keeping with the profession and ethical obligations. “[I vow] to discharge my duties to the court, to my clients, and my colleagues and members of the public with dignity and integrity, and most certainly to be kind and respectful; but, most importantly, I vow to help others to the best of my ability,” the Attorney-at-law pledged.

She credits her success firstly to God, family, and friends, and all who helped her in one way or another during the past five years.

“I am here today because of not only the tremendous sacrifices of myself, but of my supportive family. All of these people have played a pivotal role in moulding me into the young woman and the now Attorney-at-law I am today. My academic journey does not end here. Just as I was able to excel in my legal studies, I undertake to employ the same work ethic in my legal career…” she added. (G1)

12 NEWS

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

COVID-19 vaccine

Persons may soon have to be fully vaccinated to access public service

…as Task Force considers changing definition of ‘vaccinated’

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he National COVID-19 Task Force Secretariat is examining the requirement of having a person’s vaccinated status be reflected as having acquired both doses of a coronavirus vaccine.

In Guyana, for a person to be considered vaccinated, they have to be immunised with at least one dose of an accepted vaccine, but officials have been considering whether this should be changed to both dos-

es.

Speaking during the COVID-19 update, Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony said this move has already been adopted in other countries.

“We are considering because our definition of ‘vaccinated’ was that if you got at least one dose of the vaccine.

The Task Force is currently examining whether or not to implement fully vaccinated, or

what measures to take. We’ll see when those orders come out whether those changes have been made,” he noted.

New Center for Disease Control (CDC) requirements, effective on November 8, state that all airline passengers travelling to the United States must show proof of being fully vaccinated against COVID-19, in addition to existing requirement of a negative COVID-19 test taken within three days

prior to flight.

As it relates to the country’s travel guidelines, he outlined, “If we change our definition in the Order, moving from vaccinated being at least one to vaccinated being both doses, that would be a requirement for everybody. But at this point in time, no decision has been made by the Task Force.”

In Guyana, 380,257 persons, or 74.1 per cent of the adult population, have taken their first COVID-19 vaccine dose. Some 241,211 persons, or 47 per cent of the abovenamed demographic, have returned for their second shot and are completely immunised.

Meanwhile, 27,193 persons, or 37.3 per cent of children, have been immunised with a first dose.

The Minister pointed out that there is a stark difference of about 139,000 persons between the first and second dose uptake.

“When you look at how (many) persons got their first dose and how (many) got their second dose, there is a difference of 139,000 people. There is still a lot of people who need to come back to get their second dose vaccine,” he underscored.

In terms of second dose coverage, the breakdown shows 40.4 percent for Region One, 39.2 percent for Region Two, 44.7 per cent for Region Three, 53.7 per cent for Region Four, 47.5 per cent for Region Five, 47.2 per cent for Region Six, 42.4 per cent for Region Seven, 32 per cent for Region Eight, 51.2 per cent for Region Nine and 17.7 per cent for Region 10.

AstraZeneca expiration date nears

“Most countries consider someone to be fully vaccinated with a two-dose regimen 14 days after the last dose. Even after you got your second dose, you got to wait 14 days before you can be considered fully vaccinated. Similarly, with the J &J vaccine, after you got vaccinated, then you wait 14 days,” Dr Anthony clarified.

As the deadline nears for

the expiry of AstraZeneca vaccines, the public is urged to get vaccinated. By the ending of November, thousands of jabs will have to be discarded. The Health Minister said a significant amount of second doses need to be administered to outstanding persons.

“When I referred to November, I’m talking about the end of November, so we still have a few more days to ensure that people come and get their second dose. The challenge that we have is that you have a number of persons who got first dose AstraZeneca and we currently have the second dose available to them. If they don’t come by the end of November, these vaccines expire, then we don’t have any in stock. We would have to wait until we get another shipment or purchase another shipment. That would be a pity,” he said. (G12)

NEWS

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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

accused escapes Wastage of oxygen found at hospitals Murder from Lusignan Prison …issue being addressed – Health Minister O R

ecognising that proper use of the resources at hospitals can reduce wastage and save money, the Health Ministry has embarked on efforts to effectively manage oxygen at those facilities.

Speaking at a recent Healthcare Technology Management Training exercise, Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony declared that there has been ‘rudimentary’ use of this resource in the health sector. The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) had been called in to assess regional hospitals in a bid to fix existing issues.

“In many of our regional hospitals, we have rudimentary use of oxygen. I would say because what we would normally do is have an oxygen tank, and from that tank, we then would try to provide for patients with oxygen. We’re moving away from that, because that’s something that’s not the ideal,” Dr Anthony has said.

He further said, “Therefore, we asked PAHO that we want to have a complete assessment of at least up to the level of our district hospitals, to understand the challenges that we have with oxygen.

What systems do we have on the ground? Where are they located?

Are they functioning? Are they optimum? What else can we do at that particular facility to improve it, to make sure that we get better outcomes?”

Sometime ago, an expert from PAHO visited some facilities and offered a comprehensive report on the state of affairs at these facilities. There, it was pointed out that

there was wastage of oxygen at some facilities.

The Minister recalled, “He said, ‘You’re wasting a lot of oxygen at some of these facilities…because of the pressure that you’re using in some of those lines. It’s too high, and therefore the volume that you’re expending is too much’.

One simple thing like that, putting the right amount of pressure in the system, can change outcomes and save millions of dollars as well.”

The Health Minister contended that the intention is to use the content of the report to fix loopholes and flaws in the current system.

“We don’t want to be like what happens after a consultant would do their report…We want to make sure that if recommendations are there, that we work on those recommendations to fix the problems, so that we can enhance the services that we are providing. If we have persons that know what they’re doing, then a lot of the sys-

tems can be properly monitored and we can make some quick fixes, meaning that whatever systems we have would work better.”

Meanwhile, in order to extend the life of these machines, the Ministry is considering routine maintenance within the sector.

“On an annual basis, the Government of Guyana would spend millions and millions of dollars in equipment. Very often, within a year, a lot of these equipment, because of lack of maintenance (and) other issues, becomes obsolete. Sometimes, when we go out to procure equipment, if we don’t have the competence within the region, maybe we’re getting older models of these equipment; and therefore, when you start looking for the parts, it is problematic,” he added.

On the agenda is the standardisation of medical equipment used in the sector and prevention of ad hoc repairs to machines. (G12)

ne week after he was remanded to prison for two different murders, 24-year-old Kapildeo Gangadin has escaped from the Lusignan Prison on the East Coast of Demerara (ECD).

A statement from the Guyana Prison Service (GPS) explained that the prisoner made his escape at around 04:05h on Thursday. Director of Prisons (ag) Nicklon Elliot has said the discovery was made after a routine check was conducted. However, he did not indicate how long after the jailbreak occurred the discovery was made.

The GPS has said Gangadin was housed in the quarantine section of the prison, and based on preliminary investigations, he escaped after tampering with the housing unit.

Officials stated that from there he ventured to the back of the prison, where he used a cloth-pole to scale the fence and proceed into the farms, from where he scaled another fence and made good his escape.

“He proceeded into the farms, where he scaled the gate and made good his escape into the dumpsite,” the GPS statement explained.

Immediately upon discovery of the missing prisoner, a joint patrol was established at the outer perimeter of the prison, and a search was launch by the Joint Services to recapture the escapee. Up to news time, the prisoner remained at large.

The GPS is warning persons that aiding and abetting the escapee is a criminal offence. Anyone knowing the whereabouts of the escapee should contact the nearest Police station, or call 911.

Gangadin had reportedly confessed to the murder of 20-year-old Chris

Kapildeo Gangadin

Persaud of Strathspey, East Coast Demerara (ECD), and was subsequently remanded to prison. Persaud had owned an electronics store which was located at his home.

Gangadin was also charged with the 2020 murder of fisherman Mukesh Mangra.

Gangadin, of Annandale, ECD, was not required to plead to the two counts of murder which were read to him by Magistrate Fabayo Azore at the Cove and John Magistrate’s Court.

On October 15, Persaud was in his store when the bandit approached, robbed him of his gold chain, and stabbed him to the neck. Gangadin was reportedly later arrested and found to be in possession of the gold chain.

It was also alleged that on January 18, 2020, at Coldingen, ECD, Gangadin murdered Mukesh Mangra, known as “Paul”, during the furtherance of a robbery.

The matters involving Gangadin were adjourned until January 17, 2022.

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NEWS

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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

New species of birds recorded in Guyana

The Black-chested Tyrant [Leon Moore photos]

Brian O’Shea (left) and Leon Moore

By Amar Persaud

B

irding experts Brian O’Shea and Leon Moore have recorded a new species of bird in Guyana during an ongoing study being conducted in Region One (Barima-Waini).

The new recorded species is the black-chested tyrant, which is more commonly found in neighbouring Brazil, Suriname, and Venezuela. It has a chestnut head, a black breast band, and gray underparts. This species has a large range, and does not approach the thresholds for vulnerability.

In addition to this new record, the experts also made the first confirmed record of the belted kingfisher, which is a stocky, medium-sized bird with a large head which has a shaggy crest. Its long, heavy bill is black, with a grey base. The belted kingfisher’s breeding habitat is near inland bodies of water or coasts across most of North America, within Canada, Alaska and the United States.

The belted kingfisher was already reported as a new record, but there was no evidence of this until now, when O’Shea and Moore succeeded in capturing a photograph.

“For new birds to be added to any country list, you need picture proof or a voice recording to back up the sighting,” Moore explained in an invited comment.

The discovery of both birds was made along the Barima-Mora Passage (BMP) in Region One, which, according to Moore, “holds great promise as a megadiverse site with high tourism and conservation potential.

“Our survey will provide the first comprehensive list of birds for the BMP, thereby adding to the emerging baseline dataset of vertebrates in the region, and will also build capacity of local scientists to conduct follow-up studies and monitoring,” the birding expert highlighted.

This birding study is being conducted under the auspices of the Guyana Marine Conservation Society, which is led by environmentalist Annette Arjoon-Martins.

In addition to Moore and O’Shea, there are seven local participants from Region One engaged in this activity.

Moore is a native of Linden, Guyana, and is the founder of Leon Moore Nature Experience.

He has conducted bird surveys in both Guyana and Suriname, most recently working with shorebirds in partnership with the US Fish and Wildlife Service and BirdLife International.

In the course of his work, Moore has trained and supported several budding field ornithologists in Guyana.

He is an accomplished tour guide and photographer, and serves as a regional re-

viewer for eBird in Guyana.

O’Shea has studied birds in the Guianas for more than 20 years, working with many organisations including the Smithsonian Institution, Conservation International, WWF, the Iwokrama International Centre, and the South Rupununi Conservation Society. He currently runs long-term survey projects in Iwokrama and the southern Rupununi, and serves as a regional reviewer for eBird in the Guianas. O’Shea has mentored several students in Guyana and Suriname, and believes strongly in fostering the development of skills that lead to career opportunities in environmental management and conservation.

NRG Holdings Incorporated, a Guyanese consortium developing a massive Port of Vreed-enHoop Project, provided $5 million to the Guyana Marine Conservation Society to fund the birding study.

Arjoon-Martins, during an interview with this publication, lauded the efforts of the team in making these remarkable discoveries.

“Despite the rain being very terrible and giving them a challenge, imagine that they found two previously unrecorded species,” she remarked with excitement. “They are on the river as early as 04:30hrs in the morning, because that’s the best time to be prepared to get the birds, in the early morning period; and they basically do the bird watching there, and then go and walk transects into the forest, to also go back to check, maybe where they see two species,

they might see eight.”

According to the environmentalist, this birding study will bring tremendous benefits to the people of Guyana.

“So not knowing that we have these very rare species in Region One, now that we have it, we can now take

The Belted Kingfisher [Leon Moore photos]

steps and have the populations increase. So, this in itself would be a natural attraction for the tourist who want to go to Region One,” she explained.

The areas being captured in the study include the Lower Kaituma area all the way down to Imbotero.

In fact, Arjoon-Martins explained, her organisation plans to establish a Research Centre in Imbotero for “national researchers to come and stay there while conducting studies”.

The study commenced on October 19, and is expected to end on October 29.

18

guyanatimesgy.com

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2021

News

American Corner launched at National Library

Deputy Chief Education Officer (Development) Volika Jaikissoon, National Library Committee Chairman Petamber Persaud, US Ambassador Sarah-Ann Lynch and Chief Librarian Emiley King at the launch

U

S Ambassador to Guyana, Sarah-Ann Lynch on Thursday announced that the collaborative efforts between the National Library and the US Embassy in the launch of the American Corner (Guyana) will accommodate refugee learners from elementary to advanced levels in efforts to have them adapt to local culture.

The opening saw in attendance National Library Committee Chairman Petamber Persaud, Chief Librarian Emiley King, Deputy Chief Education Officer Volika Jaikissoon, and Ambassador Lynch.

During remarks at the event, the US Ambassador announced that the corner would assist refugee learners in adapting to local culture.

She revealed that Venezuelan migrants have benefited from a virtual sixmonth programme.

“So far, two programmes have been piloted at the American Corner.

The English Alive Language programme was taught virtually for six months and 12 students from the Venezuelan migrant community gained the basic skills for conversational exchanges in their new Guyanese communities.

Looking ahead, the Corner will accommodate refugee learners at the elementary, intermediate, and advanced levels with the aim of helping them to adapt to local culture,” the Ambassador stated.

In addition to this, the corner will feature a series of blended programmes such as entrepreneurship,

English Language, STEM, and information and literacy.

It will also provide resources and information on studying and participating in educational and cultural exchanges in the United States.

Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Education Officer Jaikissoon expressed gratitude on behalf of the Education Ministry and stated that the initiative would help to enhance education delivery in Guyana. “…we’re in this pandemic and you find that our children at this time, they’re experiencing a lot of learning loss, because a lot of them – especially the learners from the poor communities – they’re deprived of learning materials…they do not have books to read, they do not

have the Internet or they do not have devices,” she stated.

The American Corner (Guyana) is expected to bring together persons of all ages and backgrounds to learn, share, create, and build skills through the various initiatives.

Local organisations and experts have already been engaged to assist in developing and executing programmes to foster interest and development of youth entrepreneurship and financial literacy as well as science and technology, such as Robotics and STEM, Scratch and Coding.

The American Corner is a public information and activity corner which offers a select collection of resources on topics of interests to both countries as well as regular programmes for diverse audiences. Activities will include group discussions, electronic interactive programmes, and cultural presentations.

Ambassador Lynch and Chairman Persaud unveil the plaque to open the American Corner (Guyana)

The Corner will be open Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays 13:30h-16:30h, Tuesdays and Thursdays 09:00-12:00h and 13:30h-16:30h, and Saturdays 09:00h-12:30h, with all programmes being free of charge.

These activities of the

National Library, through the American Corner , together with public access to the educational and informational materials will enhance mutual understanding between the people of Guyana and the people of the United States of America.

Use Linden, Berbice passport facilities – Deputy Chief Immigration Officer urges

Street, Georgetown recorded a major hike in traffic.

Stephens had explained back then that the reason for the heavy traffic is that many persons were not utilising the regional passport offices located in Linden and Berbice.

Additionally, Stephens highlighted that even

Linden Passport Office

D

eputy Chief Immigration Officer Dennis Stephens on Thursday confirmed that persons have begun utilising the regional passport offices located in Linden and Berbice. This, he noted, is due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the fact that the central office is currently accommodating 100 persons on a daily basis.

“Yes, persons start to utilise – in fact, it is not really Linden persons are coming, Linden residents are utilising Linden. But we would have observed that persons would have come here to Georgetown to utilise their service, and that would have caused a build-up in applicants in Georgetown,” Stephens confirmed during a telephone interview with this publication.

“I indicated that quite recent we would have observed that persons are coming from Berbice, but that would have… for this week, we observed that persons are now fully utilising New Amsterdam.

“I think that would have occurred because of the COVID, and we would have

Passport Office at Fort Canje, Berbice

only been able to take in a certain number of persons,” he further indicated.

Moreover, he explained that persons who have been going to the Central office in Georgetown have been using the expedite service, whereby persons wanted their passport immediately.

“And that is why they are coming in that amount.

So far, we would have observed that recent, as of yesterday (Wednesday) and today (Thursday), they are now fully utilising the Berbice branch… we had three days of a high influx, and we’re back to normalcy, from what I observed today,” he revealed.

Earlier this year, the Central Immigration and Passport Office in Camp

though the central office would have stipulated 100 persons per day, it is flexible, depending on the individual’s situation. Persons would come in two batches.

The first 50 from 07:00hrs and the second batch from 11:00hrs.

“Depending on the geographic location, we would accept persons. And depending on persons’ situation, we take into consideration. Persons use their passports to conduct business and also have to travel, so we would take into consideration. Even though we would have indicated earlier that we’re taking in 100, it is not cast in stone,” he indicated.

guyanatimesgy.com

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2021

19

Around the World

change: Major US oil OILNEWS OIL NEWS Climate companies face grilling by Congress Oil settles down, but off 2-week low; supply concerns in focus

O

il prices dipped on Thursday, but settled off twoweek lows as concerns about US supply growth vied with speculation that Iran's supply could come online following nuclear talks with global powers.

Brent crude settled down 26 cents, or 0.3 per cent, lower at US$84.32 a barrel. During the session it hit a two-week low of US$82.32 after falling 2.1 per cent on Wednesday.

West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude rose 15 cents, or 0.2 per cent, to settle at US$82.81. During the session the contract touched a two-week low of US$80.58. On Wednesday, the benchmark dropped 2.4 per cent after weekly data showed US crude stockpiles grew more than expected.

On Wednesday, Iran's top nuclear negotiator Ali Bagheri Kani said the country's talks with six world powers to try to revive a 2015 nuclear deal will resume by the end of November.

A deal could pave the way to lifting harsh sanctions imposed by former US President Donald Trump on Iran's oil exports in late 2018.

"The market reacts to these headlines, but may be disappointed by how much oil actually returns," said Phil Flynn, senior analyst at Price Futures Group in Chicago.

US crude stocks rose by 4.3 million barrels last week, the US Energy Department said on Wednesday, more than double the 1.9 million-barrel gain forecast by analysts.

The hefty stock build was because of a large jump in net imports of crude oil while refinery processing remained sluggish, Citi Research analysts said in a note.

Yet gasoline stocks fell by two million barrels to their lowest in nearly four years, even as US consumers contend with rising pump prices.

Outbreaks of coronavirus infections in China and record deaths and the threat of lockdowns in Russia, along with rising cases in western Europe, also weighed on prices. (Excerpt from Reuters)

T

op oil executives have appeared before US lawmakers to face allegations they misled the public about climate change.

Major producers were quizzed about the impact of the fossil fuels they profit from and their effects on the climate.

Democratic lawmakers described the hearings as "historic" and hope they will help shift public view like with the tobacco industry in the 1990s.

The hearings, involving firms like BP and Shell, come days before the start of the United Nations' COP26 climate conference.

President Joe Biden is set to fly to Glasgow for the meeting of world leaders – seen as a crucial moment in the global fight against climate change.

Thursday's hours-long hearing saw decades of political lobbying and public statements by America's biggest energy firms put under the spotlight.

The Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of ExxonMobil, Chevron and BP America were among those to appear remotely before the House of Representatives Oversight Committee hearing.

It marks the first time

that major industry heads have appeared under oath together before Congress and is part of a broad probe that Democrats say will last a year.

"For far too long, Big Oil has escaped accountability for its central role in bringing our planet to the brink of a climate catastrophe," Chairwoman Carolyn B Maloney said in her testimony.

Questioning Exxon CEO Darren Woods, Maloney insisted there had been a "clear conflict" between what past company executives had said publicly versus the reality of internal

company research.

She also said she intended to issue subpoenas to companies to get them to hand over internal documents.

A statement by the committee said the industry had known about the effects of global warming since 1977, but "for decades spread denial and doubt about the harm of its products".

Woods said his company had long recognised climate change was real, but said there were "no easy answers" and insisted "oil and gas will continue to be necessary for the foreseeable future". (Excerpt from BBC News)

Facebook changes its name to Meta in major rebrand

F

acebook has changed its corporate name to Meta as part of a major rebrand.

The company said it would better "encompass" what it does, as it broadens its reach beyond social media into areas like virtual reality (VR).

The change does not apply to its individual platforms, such as Facebook, Instagram and Whatsapp, only the parent company that owns them.

The move follows a series of negative stories about Facebook, based on documents leaked by an ex-employee.

Frances Haugen has accused the company of putting "profits over safety".

In 2015, Google restructured its company calling its parent firm Alphabet, however, the name has not caught on.

Facebook boss Mark Zuckerberg announced the

The company unveiled its new sign at its headquarters in Menlo Park, California, on Thursday

new name as he unveiled plans to build a "metaverse" – an online world where people can game, work and communicate in a virtual environment, often using VR headsets.

He said the existing brand could not "possibly represent everything that we're doing today, let alone in the future", and needed to change.

"Over time, I hope that we are seen as a metaverse com-

pany and I want to anchor our work and our identity on what we're building towards," he told a virtual conference.

"We're now looking at and reporting on our business as two different segments, one for our family of apps, and one for our work on future platforms.

"And as part of this, it is time for us to adopt a new company brand to encompass everything that we do, to reflect who we are and what we hope to build."

The company also unveiled a new sign at its headquarters in Menlo Park, California, on Thursday, replacing its thumbs-up "Like" logo with a blue infinity shape. (Excerpt from BBC News)

20

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2021

guyanatimesgy.com

ARCHIE

ARIES (March 21April 19)

TAURUS

DILBERT

(April 20May 20)

GEMINI (May 21June 20)

CANCER (June 21July 22)

PEANUTS

LEO (July 23Aug. 22)

VIRGO (Aug. 23Sept. 22)

CALVIN AND HOBBES

LIBRA (Sept. 23Oct. 23)

SUDOKU

SCORPIO (Oct. 24Nov. 22)

An upbeat attitude will attract attention. Stand up and be counted, and you'll receive information and ideas that will fit into your plans. Discuss what you want to do with a loved one.

Stretching your budget to accommodate someone will lead to stress. Put your money in a safe place and offer alternative solutions to anyone who wants you to spend it unnecessarily.

A small change will help you succeed. Mix business with pleasure, and you will gain trust, respect and the opportunity to try something new and exciting.

Plan a romantic adventure.

Problems will crop up at home if you cannot agree with the people you live with or near. Be willing to compromise to avoid an argument that could bring overall bad feelings.

Make a move or change for the right reason. Refuse to let your emotions take control. Don't feel the need to follow someone else when you have plans that will benefit you more.

Trust your instincts.

Someone will mislead you if given a chance. An insincere gesture of friendliness will throw you off guard, putting you in a vulnerable position.

Reach out to someone you enjoy working alongside, and together you will get things done quickly and have time to do something fun together. A proposal will lead to exciting plans.

A change of plans will leave you in limbo. Pick up where you left off and continue in a direction that engages your mind and encourages you to make changes that will improve your life.

Listen and you will find SAGITTARIUS out something that will ex(Nov. 23pand your mind and boost Dec. 21) your chance to advance. A chat with a friend or relative will lead to a proposal that's worth considering.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22Jan. 19)

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

Mull over new information and decide how to put what you discover to good use. A valid suggestion will encourage you to make a personal alteration that will give you a new lease on life.

You have more to offer than you realize. Stop being noncommittal. Make a decision and then follow through with your plans. The stronger your stance, the easier it will be to gain approval.

Not everyone will abide by the rules. Refuse to let some(Feb. 20one take advantage of you.

March 20) Put your time and energy into something that will help you get ahead. Don't take a risk with your reputation.

PISCES

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2021

D

avid Warner returned to form with a powerful half-century as Australia started the Super 12s with back-to-back victories.

For the second match in a row, Australia chased a target - although there was minimal drama this time, as Sri Lanka were made to pay for dropping Warner early in his innings.

Sri Lanka's attack has played a big part in their success in the tournament so far, but the challenge provided

by Australia represented a step up. Their three frontline quicks were largely treated with disdain, allowing Australia to tread carefully against the legerdemain of Maheesh Theekshana.

Two wickets in consecutive overs from Wanindu Hasaranga, accounting for Aaron Finch and Glenn Maxwell, did lift Sri Lankan hopes, only for a half-century stand between Warner and Steven Smith to steady the chase.

Having chosen to bowl, Finch was grateful to the combined efforts of Adam Zampa and Mitchell Starc, as Australia dragged the innings back during the middle period.

With Charith Asalanka providing the spark, Sri Lanka

scooped a boundary in Theekshana’s exploratory over, and rode his luck on the way to his highest T20 score since making 85 not out for Sunrisers Hyderabad almost a year ago. He should have been dismissed on 18, after gloving Chameera behind, but Perera dropped a simple chance, and Warner drew on all his experience to produce the goods when needed.

Australia have won both games in the T20 WC thus far

rattled along to 53 for 1 in the powerplay, and were wellplaced approaching halfway, only for Zampa to induce a slide from 78 for 1 to 94 for 5.

Zampa finished with fine figures of 2 for 12, while Starc's pace accounted for Kusal Perera, Sri Lanka's joint top-scorer alongside Asalanka, and the dangerous Hasaranga.

Some resourceful batting from Bhanuka Rajapaksa helped repair some of the damage, as Sri Lanka managed to set a target above 150 - but it was not enough to stretch

Australia, who became the 13th side out of 17 to win, batting second in Dubai this year.

The Zampa and Starc Show Legspin and pace, always an exciting combo, are two of the weapons of choice in T20.

Sri Lanka had recovered well from the early loss of Pathum Nissanka, with Asalanka and Perera racing during a secondwicket partnership worth 63, before Zampa made the breakthrough in the 10th over.

Among all teams in the

Dropping Gayle now wouldn’t be right − Windies batting great Lara believes batsman should be given a proper send-off

Windies legend Brian Lara believes Chris Gayle should get a proper send off

W

est Indies batting great Brian Lara does not believe it would be a good idea to drop an out-of-form Chris Gayle at this point, despite the player’s struggles at the T20 World Cup thus far.

The 42-year-old batsman has faced heavy scrutiny in recent weeks, and has managed just a total of 25 runs in two heavy losses for the Windies at

the tournament so far.

The storm of criticism surrounding the batsman, however, extends beyond that.

Heading into the tournament, Gayle had struggled to look like anything close to the player who has scored over 14,000 runs in T20 cricket. In the last 16 matches, the batsman has averaged 15.93 and scored 239 runs with a strike rate of 13.80, well

below his career average of 138.46.

Despite that, however, Lara, considered one of the game’s greatest ever batsmen, believes the player could still have a role to play in the team, and should remain a part of the line-up at this point in time.

"Chris Gayle is already in the World Cup, and his experience and the fact that he can pass on something to the younger players is key,” Lara said recently on Star Sports. "I personally believe that Chris Gayle has to be given a proper send-off. This, I think, is his last tournament.

Dismissing Chris Gayle at this stage of the tournament, I am not sure it's the right thing. I would like to see some sort of nice approach for the rest of the tournament. I think he can still make an impression on the younger players, even if he doesn't score," Lara added.

(Sportsmax)

Super 12 stage, Sri Lanka have the worst record against legspin since the last World Cup, and Asalanka's dismissal slogging against the turn of a googly precipitated a middleorder collapse.

In the next over, Starc responded to being slammed for six over long-on by sending a searing yorker through Perera's defences and into the base of leg stump.

Avishka Fernando top-edged an attempted slog-sweep off Zampa, and Wanindu Hasaranga was then caught behind aiming an expansive drive at Starc, as Sri Lanka lost 4 for 16 in the space of 17 deliveries, to put Australia on top.

Openers find form Australia have kept faith with Finch and Warner at the top of the order despite their slim recent returns, and that faith was repaid handsomely as the experienced opening pair took advantage of a sloppy Sri Lanka start with the ball to reach 63 without loss after six, the highest powerplay score in all T20 World Cups.

Defending what was roughly a par score batting first on this ground, Sri Lanka needed early wickets. But Chamika Karunaratne’s first over was loose, twice going short and wide, to allow Finch to cut fours. With those two boundaries, Australia’s captain had already raised his highest score in seven T20I innings in the UAE. And with the ball coming on nicely under lights, he took on the extra pace of Lahiru Kumara and Dushmantha Chameera, ramping the former over third and then lofting a straight six, before another four off Chameera brought up Australia’s 50 in the fifth over.

Warner has been in even worse nick, but he reverse-

Balancing act The switch from playing five specialist bowlers to trying to fiddle their allocation from a clutch of allrounders has been a recent one for Australia, and this match demonstrated both sides of the coin.

Maxwell got through four cheap overs in the win over South Africa, but was taken down by Asalanka in the powerplay here, meaning Finch turned to Marcus Stoinis – only for Rajapaksa to collar him at the death as Sri Lanka kicked on.

In all, four overs from Australia’s “fifth bowler” cost them 51 runs, almost exactly a third of Sri Lanka’s total. But the benefit of adding depth to their batting was also clear to see. A confident start from the openers, hitherto

21

lacking in the UAE, meant Maxwell could be sent in at No. 3 to attack the spinners; and although he failed, Smith kept things ticking over before Stoinis came out and whacked 16 off seven balls to demonstrate his appetite for the finisher’s role.

Mitchell Marsh, who wasn’t required to bat or bowl, and was rarely called on in the field, couldn’t have had a much easier night’s work. (ESPNcricinfo)

Charith Asalanka was the join highest run scorer for Sri Lanka

SCOREBOARD SRI LANKA INNINGS (20 OVERS MAXIMUM) Pathum Nissanka c Warner b Cummins Kusal Perera †b Starc Charith Asalanka c Smith b Zampa Avishka Fernando c Smith b Zampa Bhanuka Rajapaksa not out Wanindu Hasaranga de Silva c †Wade b Starc Dasun Shanaka (c)c †Wade b Cummins Chamika Karunaratne not out

7 35 35 4 33 4 12 9

Extras (lb 4, nb 1, w 10) 15 TOTAL (20 Ov, RR: 7.70) 154/6 Did not bat: Dushmantha Chameera, Lahiru Kumara, Maheesh Theekshana Fall of wickets: 1-15 (Pathum Nissanka, 2.3 ov), 2-78 (Charith Asalanka, 9.4 ov), 3-86 (Kusal Perera, 10.3 ov), 4-90 (Avishka Fernando, 11.5 ov), 5-94 (Wanindu Hasaranga de Silva, 12.2 ov), 6-134 (Dasun Shanaka, 17.4 ov) BOWLING Mitchell Starc Josh Hazlewood Pat Cummins Glenn Maxwell Marcus Stoinis Adam Zampa

O-M-R-W 4-0-27-2 4-0-26-0 4-0-34-2 1-0-16-0 3-0-35-0 4-0-12-2

AUSTRALIA INNINGS (TARGET: 155 RUNS FROM 20 OVERS) David Warner c Rajapaksa b Shanaka 65 Aaron Finch (c) b de Silva 37 Glenn Maxwell c Fernando b de Silva 5 Steven Smith not out 28 Marcus Stoinis not out 16 Extras (nb 2, w 2) 4 TOTAL (17 Ov, RR: 9.11) 155/3 Did not bat: Mitchell Marsh, Matthew Wade †, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood Fall of wickets: 1-70 (Aaron Finch, 6.5 ov), 2-80 (Glenn Maxwell, 8.3 ov), 3-130 (David Warner, 14.6 ov) BOWLING O-M-R-W Chamika Karunaratne 2-0-19-0 Maheesh Theekshana 4-0-27-0 Dushmantha Chameera 3-0-33-0 Lahiru Kumara 3-0-48-0 Wanindu Hasaranga de Silva 4-0-22-2 Dasun Shanaka 1-0-6-1

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GUYANATIMESGY.COM

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2021

Bonner slams unbeaten 166 on Day 2 of Best v Best 3-day match

N

krumah Bonner continued from where he left off on the first day, hitting an unbeaten 166 on day two of the Best v Best three-day match at Coolidge Cricket Ground in Antigua.

The Test batsman’s innings of 166 from 367 balls was laced with 17 fours and two sixes as Team Jermaine Blackwood scored 384-6 in 143 overs.

In response, Team Kraigg Brathwaite ended the day on 73-2 in 41 overs, with captain Brathwaite on 35 not out and Shamarh Brooks having made 34. Shai Hope, who is yet to get off the mark, will resume the third day with his captain.

Resuming the day on 234-4 in 87 overs, Bonner was supported by Barbadian Raymon Reifer, who made 71

off 155 balls, decorated with eight fours and two sixes.

Earlier on the opening day, Sheyne Moseley and Kaveem Hodge made 39 runs each. Rahkeem Cornwall ended with 2-79 in 27 overs, while Jayden Seales and Preston McSween had 1-23 and 1-51 respectively. Team Brathwaite lost Jeremy Solozano for two when he was trapped by veteran Kemar Roach, and Brooks was removed by leg-spinner Imran Khan.

West Indies players are using this match as part of their preparation for a two-match Test series in Sri Lanka

Jason Sripal of J's Supermarket handing over sponsorship to BCB President Hilbert Foster

T

Nkrumah Bonner slammed 166*

UDFA and EDFA going head-tohead

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Under-13 action between BFA and ECPF

The second match saw UDFA travelling to the Melanie Community Centre Ground to confront the East Coast U13 team, and were defeated by a 2-1 margin, with goals coming from Shaquan Frank and Brandon Gonsalves for East Coast, while Azizi David netted for UDFA. The tournament will see all nine Regional Associations fielding a team from their U13 ATCs, along with the National U17 Girls team participating as a guest team. A primary purpose of the tournament is to identify players to participate in the Caribbean Football Union Boys

− to be launched in November

next month. The series is the second of six series – three at home and three away – that West Indies will play in the 2021-2023 ICC World Test Championship.

GFF Inter-Academy Boys U13 Challenge Trophy successfully kicked off

he GFF Inter-Academy Boys U13 Challenge Trophy began last weekend with four matches, and saw victories for Bartica, Georgetown, and Linden, with the other match ending in a draw.

On Saturday October 23, two matches were played, with the first between the lads from Bartica U13 Academy Training Centre (ATC), who hosted their counterparts from Essequibo Coast/Pomeroon Football Association and defeated them 6-nil. Ezekiel Baldeo netted a hattrick, while Jadan Christian and Alex Roopwah each scored a goal, and there was an own goal from Essequibo.

The second match was played at the Saint Ignatius ground in Rupununi, and the home team and the East Bank Football Association (EBFA) U13 team played to a thrilling oneall draw, with goals coming from Danile John for the Rupununi Football Association U13 team and Seon Grant for the EBFA. The other two games were played on Sunday October 24. The first was between the Georgetown Football Association ATC U13 coming up against Berbice and downing them 4-nil, with goals coming from Chadish Nurse, Jeorman Miller, and Omarion Lewis, along with an own goal from Berbice.

J's Supermarket sponsors full coloured booklet for BCB

U14 tournament, which will be held in 2022.

Apart from talent identification for the CFU tournament, the U13 Challenge Trophy tournament will also provide an opportunity for the GFF to assess the quality of work being done by the ATCs in all nine Regional Associations, as well as provide an opportunity to test the logistics for the interacademy and inter-association tournaments, which will be a key feature in the 2022 national football season.

The GFF Inter Academy Boys U13 Challenge Trophy continues this weekend with the Rupununi

travelling to West Demerara to take on the WDFA team, Bartica taking on the East Bank at the GFF NTC Providence, and Berbice travelling to Linden to face the UDFA team.

This tournament is part of the GFF’s ground-breaking ATC programme, the first of its kind in the Caribbean, that was launched in 2017. The ATC is an elite and selective national youth development programme to give girls and boys aged 6-19 a weekly, structured training curriculum that is anchored in the GFF football philosophy and delivered consistently across the nine Regional Associations.

he Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) would shortly be launching another publication as it pushes ahead with plans to develop Berbice Cricket even further.

The proactive board would be publishing a 30-page booklet to highlight its outstanding work over the last three and a half years, since current President Hilbert Foster and his executive body were voted into office.

Elected in a fierce contest in February 2018, Foster has led a complete overhaul of Berbice Cricket, and the BCB is today considered the most vibrant cricket board in the Caribbean.

The BCB President has said his administration had no honeymoon period, as, when they took office, Berbice Cricket was in the gutter, and was on the verge of a total collapse.

He recalled that on the same day he was elected, several sponsorships were secured, including one from former West Indies Captain Ramnaresh Sarwan and current GCB President Bissoondyal Singh.

The board has since organised more than 70 different cricket tournaments at all levels, and raised more than $50 million in sponsorship in cash and kind. Tournaments have been organised at the junior, senior and female levels, while dozens of developmental programmes have also been organised.

Moreover, the BCB has invested heavily in the educational careers of hundreds of youths, and assisted clubs/players with items costing $15 million, including bicycles, uniforms, cricket gear, school bags and educational materials.

The success of the BCB, Foster has said, lies in its ability to attract and maintain a large pool of sponsors and donors via an aggressive marketing and public relations campaign.

Additionally, the board has worked very hard at being very transparent with every sponsor and club in the county.

Publication of the 32-page booklet would serve as a review of the board, and would form part of the BCB’s aggressive marketing drive over the next two years. The booklet would include Presidential Remarks from Foster, portraits of executives and Patron Vickram Bharrat, along with main achievements of the BCB from 2018 to 2021.

Over 140 full-colour photos would showcase the work of

the board during the period under review. Among the areas to be reviewed are winners of several tournaments, major sponsorship received, educational programme, coaching programme, assistance to clubs/players, community outreaches, and the honouring of persons within the cricketing community.

BCB Public Relations Officer Simon Naidu, who is the editor of the booklet, has said the booklets would be distributed free of cost across the country and in the the Caribbean and North America.

He expressed gratitude to the management of J's Supermarket for their support, especially Managing Director Jason Sripal, a former Berbice and Guyana junior cricketer, who has said he is very impressed with the current state of Berbice cricket, and expressed confidence in the leadership of Foster.

Sripal has noted the importance of documenting the history of the game in the county for the next generation to build on the success of the current leadership. The supermarket has been one of the main supporters of the BCB over the past year, and has sponsored several programmes and a cricket tournament for teams in New Amsterdam.

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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2021

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

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n a do-or-die game for either the West Indies or Bangladesh, the Caribbean team are focusing on getting their first win of the ICC T20 World Cup. ViceCaptain Nicholas Pooran has said the batsmen did not come to the party, and the team is hurting after heavy defeats in their first two matches.

Speaking on the eve of the match in Sharjah, Pooran welcomed the inclusion of Jason Holder, disclosed that the batting group accepted their failures, and said they will be up for the challenge for the remaining matches.

"With the batting order, the batting order and batsmen, we just didn't rise to the occasion, to be honest. If you can accept that we weren't good on the first two games, I think as batsmen, as a team, we already accepted that we didn't come to the party. And

Gayle and company will have to come good with the bat

we're looking forward to moving forward, and hopefully we can do much better,” Pooran said.

While not looking too far ahead, but cautious about the tricky surface and conditions at Sharjah, Pooran said the West Indies must really want this victory. "Bangladesh, after losing two games, they are in a situation with us, so it will be a good challenge for us tomorrow, and we need to get that victory, it's how bad we actually want it," he declared.

"It is a good opportunity to

bounce back. Our focus is not on t h e small boundary; we just want to execute our skills, and once we can do that, the result will take care of itself. We can't say it's short boundaries, and we can hit sixes and be aggressive, we have to assess and then actually put a game plan in place and get a good score," Pooran added.

Sharing his sentiments on the vexed dot-ball issue, Pooran said: "I think every team bat dot balls. It is the

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way we are batting dot balls, not showing intent, and that is hurting. We spoke about it, we don’t mind batting dot balls, it is just the intent, and we know we can make up back."

Unlike the West Indies, Bangladesh have proverbially blown hot and cold with the bat. What would rankle them, though, is that they've fallen to well laid out plans by their opponents twice. Against Sri Lanka, they were left hiding their left-arm spinners when two left-handers made merry in the small Sharjah ground.

Against England, they lost the plot with the bat right through to spin, as Moeen Ali opened the attack successfully once again.

That they have fallen short in smarts to outplay the opposition match-ups as well as the conditions at play could point to a lot more work needed from the backroom staff to address a lot of key issues.

FULL SQUAD: Kieron Pollard (Captain), Nicholas Pooran (Vice-Captain), Dwayne Bravo, Roston Chase, Andre Fletcher, Chris Gayle, Shimron Hetmyer, Jason Holder, Akeal Hosein, Evin Lewis, Ravi Rampaul, Andre Russell, Lendl Simmons, Oshane Thomas and Hayden Walsh Jr. Travelling Reserves: Darren Bravo, Sheldon Cottrell and Gudakesh Motie.

Allicock misses out in Serbia

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Guyana’s U17 team celebrating their first win

ue Edwards starred for Guyana’s Under-17 Female Football Team as they cruised to a 1-0 victory over Anguilla during their opening match of the CONCACAF U17 Qualifiers.

The Guyana team dominated play at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, USA on Thursday morning, but lacked the wherewithal in the finishing department, otherwise there could have been victory by a much bigger margin.

Head Coach Akilah Castello fielded a starting XI consisting of Captain Sidney Facey, Ciara Sarius, Alyssa Blake, Nakasi St Jules, Akeelah Vancooten, Sara Matthies, Anaya Willabus, Sue Edwards, Karan Jupiter, Sandra Johnson and Jalade Trim.

The Guyanese girls had many opportunities to score

in the 90 minutes of play, but the finishing proved sketchy for the team. With Anguillan goalkeeper Dainelle Proctor slipping outside the box, Guyana had their first chance at the goal in the 18th minute, but it was intercepted by an opposite defender. A freekick taken by Jalade Trim in the 24th minute sailed just outside the perimeters of the goal, and another chance similarly went abegging.

However, Sue Edwards finished off a perfectly placed ball coming from the corner to register Guyana’s and the game’s lone goal.

Feeding off an assist from Trim, Edwards, poised directly in front of the goal, lofted the ball over the head of the keeper for the 44th minute goal.

The second half saw both teams hunting another strike, but neither side was

Goal-scorer Sue Edwards

successful. Guyana had another notable opportunity to go 2-0 in the second half, when Naiomi Paul found herself in a one-on-one challenge with Anguillan goalie Proctor, but Proctor scooped up a soft shot from Paul on the edge of the goalpost to keep the score at 1-0.

The Under-17 girls will come up against Honduras on Saturday at the same venue. Honduras is coming off of a 6-0 win over Turks and Caicos Islands, which was also played on Thursday. their final Group game will come against Turks and Caicos on Monday, November 1.

At the end of the group stage, the top finishers in each group, inclusive of the best second place finisher, will book spots in the 2022 CONCACAF Women’s U-17 Championship. (Jemima Holmes)

Keevin Allicock and his opponent await the results following their clash on Thursday

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uyana’s Keevin Allicock fell out of the running at the International Boxing Association’s (AIBA’s) World Boxing Championships in Belgrade, Serbia following a loss on Thursday.

Allicock, who in the first preliminary stage received a bye, sending him directly to the Round of 32, was tasked with coming up against Rajkuran Juntrong of Thailand.

However, the Thai boxer’s aggression proved too much for the Guyanese Allicock; at least according to the judges’ scorecards.

Regarded as having a similar “hop-in, hop-out” style to that of Manny Pacquiao, Juntrong was scored tens across the board from the 5- judge panel in the three- round fight, while Allicock, received 9s, resulting in a loss on points for the Guyanese pugilist.

Keevin Allicock is one of two boxers representing Guyana at the World Championships.

The other is Desmond Amsterdam, who will head into the ring on Saturday, October 30, in a 75kg bout. The two boxers are accompanied by three-star Coach Terrence Poole MS.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2021

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

Page 23

Guyana girls needle Anguilla in CONCACAF U17 Qualifiers’ opener

J's Supermarket sponsors full coloured booklet for BCB Page 22

− to be launched in November See story on page 23

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