Guyana Times - Monday, April 19, 2021

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Issue No. 4622

THE BEACON OF TRUTH MONDAY, APRIL 19, 2021

Guyana among South American nations to discover 3B barrels of oil for 2020 3 of 5 globally-approved FPSO projects in Guyana, Brazil

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WHAT'S INSIDE:

“Home Alone” arraigned for attempting to murder former best friend P8

See story on page 3

Hydromet Dept gets $66M to fix operational deficiencies P14 Bartica man busted with ganja during Police raid P9

Govt scholarships will prepare Guyanese for oil sector – VP Jagdeo Opposition Leader requests meeting with Exxon over troubled gas compressor Page 9

Page 7

Govt to engage GuySuCo on stalled wage increase talks

COVID-19 death toll jumps to 271 as 3 more die — 101 new cases recorded in 24h — national curfew extended to April 30, 2021

GRA says lawful procedures P15 were executed in Lethem raid

Page 7

Page 15

Mattai’s Food Market boss attacked, P10 stabbed in robbery attempt

Labourer stabbed to death during fight with housemate P2

2 NEWS

MONDAY, APRIL 19, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Labourer stabbed to death Motorcyclist injured during fight with housemate in 3-vehicle collision

F

orty-five-year-old Khemraj Sukhna also called “Bowe” of Coconut Dam, Cane Grove, East Coast Demerara (ECD), was on Saturday evening stabbed to death during a fight with his housemate.

Based on reports received, Sukhna and the suspect reportedly lived at the same address. However, on the night in question, the two men were consuming alcohol at a shop in the village when an argument broke out between them

which later turned into a fight.

The suspect, nevertheless, left the shop and went home while the now dead man remained on a nearby bridge.

After some time, Sukhna went home and another argument developed followed by a scuffle. It was at this time, the suspect reportedly armed himself with a knife and stabbed the labourer to his chest and left arm.

As a result of the injury, the man collapsed on a

mattress on the verandah, where he died. Guyana Times understands that at about 02:00h on Sunday, the suspect went to the Cane Grove Police Station where he reported that he and the now dead man were involved in a scuffle during which the victim fell on a knife and remained motionless.

The suspect was escorted to the scene where Police found Sukhna in a pool of blood. From all indications, he sustained one stab wound to his right-

side chest and another to his left arm.

A blood-stained knife suspected to be the murder weapon was found next to Sukhna’s body.

Meanwhile, during investigations, injuries were seen on the suspect’s head and feet, which he claimed to have received during a scuffle with the now dead man. He was taken into custody pending charges.

The body was taken to Lyken’s Funeral Home awaiting a post-mortem.

at Providence

A

motorcyclist was injured in a three-vehicle collision on Saturday along the Providence Public Road, East Bank Demerara (EBD). The injured man has been identified as 40-year-old Gary Archer of Block E Sophia, Greater Georgetown.

The accident reportedly involved a motor car bearing registration number PWW 8329 which was driven by a 23-year-old man of Grove Squatting Area, EBD, another motor car with plates PYY 5174 driven by a 63-year-old man of Liliendaal, East Coast Demerara, and a motorcycle, CG 8540.

Police stated that on the day in question at about 15:30h, motor car PWW 8329 and the motorcycle were proceeding along the Providence Public Road, EBD, and while in the vicinity of Princess Road (Red

Road), Archer made a sudden turn and ended up in the path of the car.

Upon seeing this, the driver of the car applied brakes, but despite his effort, the left side front of the motor car collided with the motorcycle.

As a result of the collision, the front of the motorcycle also collided with motor car PYY 5174. Due to the impact, Archer fell onto the roadway and sustained injuries about his body.

He was picked up in a conscious state and taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital where he was admitted a patient suffering from a fractured right leg and abrasions about his body.

His condition is regarded as stable. The Police have since conducted a breathalyser test on the two drivers but no trace of alcohol was found. Investigations are underway.

Berbice man shot while chasing after robber

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29-year-old man who went after a suspected bandit after he snatched his gold chain was in the wee hours of Sunday shot and injured.

Damion McKenzie also called “Tuckman” of Brighton Village, Corentyne, Berbice, was reportedly shot to his right thigh by the armed robber, who discharged several rounds in his direction. Police preliminary investigations revealed that at about 02:15h on the day in question, the victim was dancing with a female at a social event when the suspect allegedly approached him from behind and grabbed the two gold chains that he was wearing at the time.

The chains reportedly valued in excess of $1.5 mil-

lion.

However, after snatching the jewellery, the suspect started to run but McKenzie gave chase. Nevertheless, the man managed to escape through a clump of bushes but not before discharging three rounds in the direction of the victim.

After being shot, the injured man was rushed to the Port Mourant Public Hospital where he was treated and referred to the New Amsterdam Public Hospital for further treatment.

The shooting incident was reported to the Police who have launched an investigation. Police, according to reports received, have detained the organisers of the Barbeque for breaching the COVID-19 guidelines.

NEWS

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MONDAY, APRIL 19, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

BRIDGE OPENINGS OPENINGS BRIDGE

The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Monday, April 19 – 09:30h – 11:00h and Tuesday, April 20 – 00:30h – 02:00h and 10:30h – 12:00h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Monday, April 19 – 08:05h – 09:35h and Tuesday, April 20 – 09:25h – 10:55h.

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

WEATHER TODAY There will be sunshine during the day. There will be clear skies and partly cloudy skies during the night. Temperatures should range between 20 degrees Celsius and 30 degrees Celsius.

Winds: East North-Easterly to North-Easterly to North North-Easterly between 2.23 metres and 5.36 metres.

High Tide: 08:48h and 21:41h reaching maximum heights of 2.24 metres and 2.08 metres.

Low Tide: 15:02h reaching a minimum height of 0.98 metre.

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Guyana among South American nations to discover 3B barrels of oil for 2020 – 3 of 5 globally-approved FPSO projects in Guyana, Brazil

G

uyana is in good company when it comes to successful oil exploration. It turns out that along with Suriname and Brazil, it discovered three billion barrels of oil equivalent (BoE) for 2020.

This is according to Norwegian energy consultant Rystad Energy, which looked at the three South American countries and their oil finds last year.

In its newsletters, it was pointed out by the consultant that at a time of market turbulence, these countries led from the front.

“Between continued exploration success within the Guyana-Suriname basin, increasing M&A activity in the Brazilian offshore space and record production out of the Vaca Muerta in Argentina, the Latin America region continues to display its importance in the global energy mix,” Rystad Energy said.

“South America kept up the momentum from 2019 through last year’s market turbulence and topped the global ranking for exploration success for a second year running. The region delivered more than three billion barrels of oil equivalent discovered in Guyana, Suriname, and Brazil during the year.”

According to Rystad, the region also led sanctioning activity in 2020, that is the approval of large-scale oil developments. Rystad noted that the region contributed about 30 per cent of the total sanctioned investments as projects in Brazil and Guyana were greenlighted.

In fact, it was pointed out that three of the five Floating Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel projects sanctioned globally were in South America, reinforcing the region’s emergence as an FPSO hub.

Rystad Energy then referenced Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited’s US$9 billion Payara project, for which governmental approval was granted last year, and the Pacora project.

Last year, Exxon made discoveries via the Redtail-1 and the Uaru-1 wells. The Redtail-1 discovery was announced on September 8, 2020, with Guyana’s Natural Resources Minister, Vickram Bharrat, in a statement, speaking of the significance of the discovery and Exxon’s continued pursuit of high-quality reservoirs.

“The Government of Guyana welcomes the Redtail discovery and remains committed to the development of Guyana’s oil and gas resources… the ExxonMobil exploration programme continues to identify high-quality reservoirs in close proximity to previous discoveries. This

will play an integral part in our long-term growth plans which will bring significant value to Guyana’s development,” he had said.

“This discovery comes in wake of our country’s budget for the year 2020 and complements the number of progressive measures announced by Dr Irfaan Ali, President of Guyana and Vice President, Dr Bharrat Jagdeo. I assure you that the Government will do everything possible to ensure benefits from this and other sectors enhance the lives of all our people,” he added.

The company discovered oil via the Uaru-1 well back in January 2020. Uaru was ExxonMobil’s 16th oil discovery in the Stabroek Block. The Uaru-1 well was drilled in a new reservoir, encountering approximately 29 metres (94 feet) of high-quality oil-bearing sandstone reservoir and was drilled in 1933 metres (6342 feet) of water.

In 2019, Exxon made

five discoveries offshore Guyana, via the Tilapia-1, Haimara-1, Yellowtail-1, Tripletail-1 and Mako1 wells. These discoveries had pushed the total estimated recoverable BoE to over six billion.

It was previously disclosed in February of this year that over US$200 million earned in oil revenues is currently in Guyana’s

Natural Resource Fund, with the latest payment made in January this year.

Vice President Jagdeo made this disclosure during a press conference. He explained that US$206.6 million (G$43.1 billion) is currently in the NRF, including the latest royalty payment of US$8.3 million, which was received in January.

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guyanatimesgy.com

MONDAY, APRIL 19, 2021

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

Gearing students for success

T

he last results of the National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) were belatedly announced last September, less than two months after the new People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Administration had taken office. The exams had been delayed for almost a month in April 2020 and written under the new COVID-19 restrictions. The results were followed by the usual media hype, signalling that even though we have achieved the Millennium Goal of providing "universal" primary education, the event is still significant for our people. Meaning that for several reasons, the NGSA, which replaced the old "Common Entrance" examination, still signifies the latter's old promise of a better future for the children who perform well.

In our society that was grounded in slavery, the way out from the penury of the descendants of the poor ex-slaves was through "education". This tradition was picked up by the descendants of the indentured servants who followed them on the sugar plantations. The avenues for advancement in colonial society dictated the logic of that path. But to the poor of the post-slavery era, on the avenue from the Churchrun primary schools to the elite grammar schools of Queen’s and Bishops established in Georgetown for the children of the upper strata, who were expected to run the society when they graduated, money for fees proved to be the major stumbling block. The same impediment, albeit smaller, was placed on the entrance to the private high schools that sprung up mainly in Georgetown.

After WWII, the Common Entrance examination offered a place to the elite schools for a handful of the very highest performers across the country, who were now prepared in special "scholarship" classes for the examination. With the nationalisation of all schools in 1976, it was expected that the "scholarship" classes would have disappeared now that there was supposed to be a place for every child in the secondary stream.

But all that actually changed was that the "scholarship" classes became "privatised", which they remain to this day.

What the great excitement about the present crop of top performers – the "top one percent" -- is all about is that they now have an opportunity to attend the same elite schools of Queen’s and Bishops, joined now by three others below them in ranking. Almost every "top" child interviewed spoke of how excited they were to be about to enter "Queens". In a certain sense, then, not much has changed in the past half a century.

Not that the anomaly had gone unnoticed by then Education Minister Priya Manickchand back in 2013. There was the promise of "equalisation" of all secondary schools in the country, which would ,therefore, have made the existence of "premier " secondary school’ moot. It is rather unfortunate that the change in the Government in 2015 obviously derailed those plans. But now that she is back in the same portfolio with a clear mandate from the electorate, it is hoped that in our new oil-fuelled economy, those plans would be dusted off and implemented.

The change from "Common Entrance" to NGSA was itself a move to make the entrance to secondary schools less of an "all or nothing" event. "Assessments" rather than "examinations" were supposed to be more equitable, especially when they were spread over three grades – 2, 4 and 6. But from what we have seen, no one uses the early assessments for remedial action and critics maintain that they simply tripled the stress on the young students.

With Guyana poised to make a quantum leap into higher orbitals of growth rates, unless the educational system retools itself to allow every student from the primary system to believe that he or she can make a valid contribution to that growth, the youths who infer they are failures because of their poor performance at the NGSA can become a self-fulfilling prophecy. We can talk all we want about increasing the “local content” from the new economy, but we have to accept that the latter demands a qualitatively and quantitatively more educated populace.

We have to start at the beginning.

Children sit near a mosque as they wait to break the fast during the holy fasting month of Ramadan in Palu, Central Sulawesi Province, Indonesia, April 13, 2021 (Antara Foto/Mohamad Hamzah)

COVID-19 is no joke “man”; too many have died Dear Editor, There are people who throw caution to the wind and don’t get sick. Then there are people following the rules who still fall sick.

Talk about how unfair life is. But people need to follow the rules, it will end up saving your lives.

This call is likely to fall on very closed ears. Like mine, the voices making it are not those of prominent politicians, top business people, outstanding community leaders but most importantly our Minister of Health.

It is a call for an action not taken at the right moment, which was months ago.

Many other countries also failed to take it, but are trying now to correct their mistake. It is still not too late for us as Guyanese.

It is a call for immediate strong enforcement of protocols - very strong. It is the only way to escape the present and worse-to-come logjam, a genuine catastrophe.

Ponder the fact that our hospitals are bursting with the

rapidly increasing hospitalisations.

Ponder the rapidly growing number of deaths. Then, couple those data with the fact that several months will pass before a large enough pool of people will be vaccinated.

It seems that the preventive measures identified worldwide are being ignored by most of our people. Masks are worn by a few, and there is little social distancing.

The vaccine is the only solution.

The novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has taken more lives in a relatively short span of time than natural and health disasters have done over years.

The number of COVID-19 deaths crossed the three-million mark on April 17, 2021, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).

COVID-19 killed more people in 16 months than natural disasters in 20 years.

No disaster has killed more than 3 million people

in recent history and in such a short time period COVID-19 is now the third-leading cause of death globally after ischemic heart disease and stroke, according to the recent estimates of the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME).

Even as rising cases of infections were worrying, the recent increase in the number of deaths is even more worrying. As of April 16, 2021, the pandemic is turning out to be deadlier. There has been a nearly 60 per cent increase in new deaths due to COVID-19 in just a week (April 10-16, 2021).

The number of lives lost, as compiled by Johns Hopkins University, is about equal to the population of Kyiv, Ukraine; Caracas, Venezuela; or metropolitan Lisbon, Portugal. It is bigger than Chicago (2.7 million) and equivalent to Philadelphia and Dallas combined and the true number is believed to be significantly higher because of possible governments’ con-

cealment and the many cases overlooked in the early stages of the outbreak.

Guyanese, we must keep adhering to social distancing guidelines. Too many of our countrymen and women have fallen, the question is, what must we do to save lives? “We must all continue to wear masks and avoid crowds until all Guyanese have had an opportunity to be fully vaccinated and we must overcome vaccine hesitancy so that all Guyanese benefit from these life-saving scientific breakthroughs — including those of us who are in leadership positions, we ought to lead not by our words but by our deeds. Not just by precepts, but by examples. We ought to be an example.

Our Government has helped us deal with this pandemic painlessly. We all owe ourselves the responsibility to protect against COVID-19 and get vaccinated.

Sincerely, David Adams

Agriculture is pivotal to our development – Part 3 Dear Editor, According to the UN Food and Agricultural Organisation, agriculture is vitally important to all economies of the world, for the chief reason that civilisation began with agriculture. And though humanity has changed, by way of his various economic pursuits, agriculture is still pivotal

to the development of all of us. The reality is as a Third World Developing Country, Guyana cannot afford to miss so great an opportunity, we need to seize the day and move ahead aggressively in agricultural development.

On this note, we turn our attention to a sustainable animal husbandry programme.

Presently, Guyana is

self-sufficient in the areas of beef, mutton, pork, poultry and goat meat, however, there is no reason why these cannot be produced at the export level. The challenge, therefore, is for us to arrive at sustainable increases in livestock production to secure that foreign market. Our pastoral systems need modernisation, that is,

the effective management of grazing animals to the quality of forage. The development of feedlots and pasturelands is vitally important for overall livestock development. There should also be an improvement in vaccinations and other general veterinary health practices.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 5

guyanatimesgy.com

MONDAY, APRIL 19, 2021

5

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

Only 25% of reported rape cases lead to prosecution Dear Editor, A letter writer recently claimed that “It was the bounden and civic duty of persons knowledgeable of rape in the Guyana National Service to report these incidents to the Police”.

Is this writer even aware that over 80 per cent of rapes are never reported today and that that figure would have been much higher during the years of National Service, especially since in those days rape stigmas would have been more pervasive?

As American psychotherapist, Beverly Engel puts it, “Victims are often too ashamed to come forward.

Sexual assault is a very humiliating and dehumanising act against someone.” As well then, even more than now, parents and family elders preferred to sweep rape and sexual assault under the carpet because of misplaced family honour. Then, more than now too, victim-blaming was pervasive.

Besides, the political dynamics of those times would have made it impossible for rape victims to report the rapes. In fact, one would recall during those days a prominent PNC personality raped a young lady from a very prominent family, but was exonerated by an “investigation”.

Today only a fraction - 25 per cent - of reported rapes lead to prosecution. In those days this fraction would have been even less. As well, everyone is aware that in Guyana, Police responses to rape have been anything but serious. Imagine how much

223-7230-1 (Ext 55)

more cavalier that attitude would have been so many decades ago.

The writer then claims, “It is still not too late to do so (ie, report those National Service rapes)”. How many of those victims would still be around or still living in Guyana?

How many of the perpetrators would still be around or still living in Guyana? As well, would medical evidence and other facets of those cases be available today? Would those victims want to revisit the horror of their rapes, decades later?

The writer also states, “Most of the administrators of the Guyana National Service were recipients of national awards…. It goes against the grain for anyone to think that administrators of such honourable repute will sit idly by and condone high incidences of rape under their watch.” Really? Is the writer aware that rapes in the military/paramilitary globally, has a higher rate than among the general population but very, very few victims ever report and those who report are usually vilified and further victimised? Yet, military/paramilitary institutions are usually headed by honourable administrators.

Besides is there an instance in the world, historically or in contemporary times, when a military/paramilitary Head has admitted to the rape culture? Even here in the US, while umpteen reports have pointed to this reality and many victims are now coming forward to report rapes, no Head/ad-

min has ever made any public statement on this. The simple fact is even the most honourable person generally does not breach a group cultural wall such as the rape culture wall that existed at National Service; one which was reinforced by an almost pervasive masochistic behaviour, toxic masculinity and patriarchal mindset.

The writer then makes an incursion into his own

experiences, to claim that “National Service is about discipline, a trait which is sadly lacking in our society.

With discipline comes exemplary work ethics, punctuality, leadership, respect for each other, educational pursuits, and many other desirable aspects of nation-building.” The issue of whether these traits actually saturate those who went through National Service, is debat-

able at best, but in any case, aren’t these traits supposedly inculcated by militaries also? I served for eight years in the US military so I’m absolutely aware of what is inculcated, what obtains and what is covered up. The simple fact is that discipline inculcated in military/paramilitary institutions, is a state of order and obedience within, characterised by prompt and willing responsiveness

Agriculture is pivotal to our...

An intensification in an increase in the number and quality of animals and animal products produced must be accomplished in improved breeds and upgrades. In cattle (beef and dairy), sheep, goats, rabbits, pigs and poultry, here specific mention is made of the rearing of ducks. Upgrades and improved breeding can be affected by artificial inseminations and progeny testing. Crossbreeding with imported breeds from places like India and Jamaica should be looked into.

These breeds are already acclimatised and are well suited to a tropical climate. Brazil our neighbour to the South South-West is a world producer in beef and beef products, we can tap into these good relations with our neighbour and work on an aggressive improvement programme of our local herds.

Another area that needs special attention is inland fishing or freshwater fishing. With hundreds of acres

of inland ponds, canals and other freshwater reservoirs, Guyana can improve on its freshwater fisheries. Inland fishing ranges from shrimp, tilapia and hassar. The lastnamed is a delicacy that is in great demand worldwide and Guyana can tap into this farming successfully.

Government must put in place an intensified agricultural extension programme to sensitise farmers to get into this lucrative farming pursuit.

Other small animals such as iguana rearing should be explored with an eye on the export market. Iguana is another one of the meat stocks that has an international appeal where culinary delights are concerned, especially among the Guyanese diaspora. Thus, a domesticated farming technique should be worked out, that is, the breeding of iguanas to meet sustainable levels for the export trade.

In our discussion of animal husbandry goals, we

to orders and unquestionable acceptance of compliance to regulation. It is not the kind of discipline that necessarily fosters ethical, humane and emphatic behaviour, especially when the institution, like National Service, was built for purposes other than what traditional militaries are tasked with.

Sincerely, Annan Boodram

FROM PAGE 4

must not think of it as limited to the large-scale extensive type farmer, rather, we should see this farming as one that is well suited to the small to medium-sized farms. These smaller farmers are poised to becoming partners in the new dispensation of agricultural development in Guyana.

Finally, evidence has shown that focusing on agriculture in the medium to

long term is significantly more effective for the development of Third World Economies.

Sustainable livestock production in developing countries is one of the best ways in which we can speed up development and improve our standing in the world.

Respectfully, Neil Adams

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MONDAY, APRIL 19, 2021

Page

Foundation ◄

Question 1

Friday’s answers i)

ii) Approximately 9m

D

o you like to bake?

Then give this cinnamon-snail recipe a whirl!

What you need can of refrigerated biscuit or bread dough flour cinnamon sugar melted butter slivered almonds or string liquorice What you do NB: Adult supervision required. Ask an adult for help Preheat oven to 400°.

Knead entire can of dough and form into a large

ball. Spread it out with a rolling pin on a floured surface until the dough is a rectangle about 1/4 inch thick. (If it’s too sticky, you can add a small amount of flour.)

Mix together equal amounts of cinnamon and sugar in a bowl.

Brush melted butter over the dough. Then sprinkle the cinnamon and sugar mixture on the dough until it’s evenly covered.

Starting with one of the short sides of the rectangle, roll up the dough to form a tight, spiralled log.

Cut the log into slices about 1/2 inch thick.

Carefully place the slices on

a greased cookie sheet or one lined with parchment paper.

Unwrap the outside end of each slice and form into the shape of a snail’s head.

Bake for 8-10 minutes, or

until the snails start to turn golden brown. While the snails are cooling, push two almond slivers or two small pieces of liquorice into each head to create tentacles.

(Rangerrick.org)

Questions: What type of poem is it? What is it all about? How did you know what it was about?

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MONDAY, APRIL 19, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Govt scholarships will prepare Guyanese for oil sector – VP Jagdeo

V

ice President Bharrat Jagdeo believes that the 20,000 online scholarships that are being offered by the Government will prepare Guyanese for the booming oil and gas sector.

“We have 4500 scholarships being offered this year. We will take resources to pay for the certification of Guyanese in many areas, so that they can be easily trained; to conduct or to bring the people in to conduct classes where they improve the skills of Guyanese, but in a very practical way, to deal with the industry,”

the Vice President told a social media commentator on Sunday.

The Vice President during the interview stated that the training of Guyanese for the petroleum sector is high on the Government’s agenda.

During a recent meeting between the Government and ExxonMobil, the VP said discussions were held on the need for the oil company to establish training facilities in Guyana. This, he said, will represent Government’s commitment to ensure Guyanese are prepared for the sector.

Dr Jagdeo also spoke of

an “indigenisation plan,” which will help locals get petroleum-related jobs, currently dominated by foreigners.

“We hope that a lot of the jobs that are being created by the oil companies now – where they have to recruit foreigners – that over time, once Guyanese have the comparable skills, that they will replace those individuals.”

The online scholarship initiative is a PPP/C 2020 election manifesto promise to provide some 20,000 scholarships to Guyanese over the next five years.

Education Minister, Priya Manickchand said Thursday that this year’s batch of 45000 awardees will begin studies in July.

Guyanese can apply to pursue studies in over 80 programmes being offered through the Guyana Online Academy of Learning (GOAL), from five internationally-acclaimed universities. They are the University of the West Indies Open Campus, the University of the Southern Caribbean, the University of Applied Sciences, the Indira Gandhi National Open University and the JAIN “Deemed To

Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo

Be” University.

Programmes are offered from the Certificate to PhD levels.

Application forms are available on the Ministry

of Education’s website at www.education.gov.gy.

The GOAL website will be launched this week to facilitate the submission of digital applications.

Govt to engage GuySuCo on stalled wage increase talks

D

ays after sugar workers at the Uitvlugt Estate, West Coast Demerara (WCD), downed tools to protest over stalled discussions regarding the increases of their wages and salaries, Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha said he will be engaging the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) on the matter.

The Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) on Friday said GuySuCo has failed to meet its promise regarding its position on wage/salary improvements for the period 2019 to 2021.

The Corporation was expected to get back to the Union by the end of March 2021 but despite writing GuySuCo on April 9, the Union is yet to be furnished with a response. This led to Friday’s protest action by the Uitvlugt workers.

Nevertheless, Minister Mustapha said Government is awaiting a report from the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of GuySuCo, Sasenarine Singh.

“The Government has not promised any increase, but we will ensure that we work with the Corporation to see what we can do for the sugar workers,” he said on the sidelines of a community consultation in Maida, Region Six (East BerbiceCorentyne).

According to the

Sugar workers at Uitvlugt during Friday’s protest

Department of Public Information (DPI), the Agriculture Minister said the agreements on wages and salaries are ultimately the responsibility of GuySuCo and GAWU. “As a Government, we don’t interfere with management and Union negotiations,” he posited.

However, the Minister noted that GuySuCo’s ability to pay the increases would take into account investments it has made since August, to revitalise the estates.

“We have been putting funds in GuySuCo over the last nine months to develop GuySuCo, recapitalise GuySuCo. As a matter of fact, we are starting to see results already from some of the estates,” Mustapha said.

The Albion and Blairmont sugar estates were lauded for making three additional days of pay due to the enhancement of the factories through critical capital works.

Minister Mustapha stated, “Our commitment was to ensure that we reopen the closed sugar estates. We are working aggressively to do that.”

In a statement on Friday, GAWU said sugar workers feel believe GuySuCo is being disrespectful to them and the Union.

“They shared that GuySuCo has boasted of massive investments in the fields and factories but there is no such boisterousness when it comes to addressing the plight of the workers.

The workers contended in

as much as the Corporation recognised the need for investment in its physical assets, its human assets also required some level of investment as well,” the Union said in Friday’s missive.

It went on to highlight the workers’ frustration over the pay freeze they suffered under the coalition’s term in office, noting that some of them were earning just above the national minimum wage.

“This they said was hardly sufficient to take care of their families. Workers shared that they recognised the plight of the Corporation and were in empathy but nonetheless believed that something should be done to at least alleviate their situation as efforts are furthered to turn the industry around.

Key to the success of the industry’s climb from the doldrums is a motivated and committed workforce,” the GAWU statement outlined.

On this note, the affected workers expressed delight

Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha

at the recent comments of GuySuCo Chief Executive Officer, Sasenarine Singh, who said in an interview that the Corporation is seeking to sell sugar at higher prices.

This initiative is lauded by the sugar workers, who are hopeful that even greater quantities of sugar can be sold in the new markets touted. Workers held that their efforts are partially responsible for the improve-

ments heralded and they ought to receive some due reward for their contributions.

Meanwhile, GAWU said it remains open for frank discussions with the Corporation.

Only in March, GAWU had accused GuySuCo of dragging its foot on the issue of wage increases during a picketing exercise staged by workers at the Albion, Corentyne, and Blairmont, West Coast Berbice Estates.

The Union had explained then that salary negotiations have been ongoing for years and the Corporation seems to not be interested in bringing an end to the discussions.

Since taking office, the PPP/C Administration has injected some 7 billion dollars into the sugar industry – $5 billion in the 2020 Emergency Budget and a further $2 billion in this year’s budget – to help in the turnaround of the sector.

8 NEWS

MONDAY, APRIL 19, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

“Home Alone” arraigned for attempting to murder former best friend

T

wenty-seven-yearold Kevin Bernard also known as “Home Alone” was remanded to prison on Friday when he appeared at the Sparendaam Magistrate’s Court where he was charged for attempting to murder his former best friend.

The accused was arraigned before Magistrate Alisha George, who read the charge to him under Section 103 (c) of the Criminal Law (Offences) Act Chapter 8:01.

Police stated that on February 20, at Prince William Street, Plaisance, East Coast Demerara (ECD), Bernard unlawfully wounded Keith Johnson with the intent to commit murder.

Bernard was not required to plead to the indictable charge and was remanded

until May 13.

It was reported that Bernard and the victim once

shared a friendship which ended abruptly in 2020.

According to Police, on the day in question, Johnson, 30, was heading to work when he was stopped by Bernard, who accused him of “talking his name”.

This, however, led to a heated argument between the two ex-friends.

Police said that as the argument intensified, the now injured man’s brothers rushed out to make peace, but Bernard allegedly whipped out his .32 calibre revolver and shot Johnson twice to his left side abdomen before running away.

Johnson was picked up by his brothers and taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital where he underwent emergency surgery. After committing the act, Bernard went

Confessed killer: Corwyn Arthur

was initially indicted for murder by State prosecutors Lisa Cave and Tyra Bakker.

He opted to plead guilty to the lesser count when he appeared before Justice Sandil Kissoon at the High Court in Demerara last week.

He admitted that on May 10, 2018, at the aforementioned location, he unlaw-

Kevin Bernard Alone”

aka

“Home

into hiding but was eventually apprehended on April 14, 2021.

Prior to their fallout, in May 2020, Johnson and Bernard were riddled with bullets in a drive-by shooting.

The men were at Bernard’s residence hanging out, and as they exited the yard, two men turned up on a motorcycle and opened fire, hitting both of them. Reports are Bernard was shot in the face while Johnson was shot to his body.

At the time of the shooting incident, no one was able to identify the suspects as they made good their escape on a motorcycle.

Following the shooting, the duo was rushed to the hospital where they were admitted.

“Cross Eye” pleads guilty to killing ex-girlfriend’s partner

A

34-year-old man has been further remanded to prison pending sentencing after pleading guilty to a manslaughter charge over stabbing his ex-partner’s lover to death.

Corwyn Arthur called “Cross Eye” formerly of Cinderella Street, Amelia’s Ward, Linden, Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice),

Dead: Claude DeJonge

fully killed 40-year-old taxi driver Claude De Jonge, also known as “Sonno”, of Lot 915 South Amelia’s Ward, Linden. The confessed killer returns to court next month for sentencing.

It was reported that De Jonge was stabbed to death while at the home of his girlfriend, who reportedly once shared a relationship with Arthur.

De Jonge was found lying motionlessly in a pool of blood next to the front door of the house. At the time, he was clad in trousers and his body bore several stab wounds to the neck, shoulder, and abdomen.

A post-mortem examination gave the cause of his death as shock and haemorrhage due to multiple stab wounds.

Desperately seeking...

Y

...SOPs our Eyewitness can understand (not accept but “understand”) the PNC’s refusal to show their SoPs. It’s like you’re playing cards while cheating the whole time – then finally insisting you’ve won the game even as your opponents are screaming “Thief! Thief!” You’re not gonna be showing your hand that would expose your swindle, would you? Thought not! You’d want to take that to your grave.

But now that the GECOM Secretariat’s rigging trio of Lowenfield, Myers and Mingo are before the courts, how can the prosecution prove that they “cocked” the tabulation of the Reg 4 SoPs? So that at long last the suffering Guyanese electorate can get justice? It’s no use asking the PPP for their copies since the Rigging Trio – backed strenuously and stentorianly by the PNC – would immediately object to them as tainted since the PPP has skin in the game.

You ask, Dear Readers, about the SoP copies that were nailed on the doors of the polling stations – after the voting and counting – like Luther’s Theses on that church at Wittenberg? Too late...those are all gone by now and blowin’ in the wind. So what’s left? Well, the law demands that a copy of all the SoPs be sent to GECOM – the official arbiter of our elections – so why not ask them? Aren’t they explicitly and constitutionally mandated to do the right thing for the sake of State and nation? Aren’t they funded to the tune of billions annually to take care of this business?

Problem is, the SoPs actually went to the CEO of the GECOM SECRETARIAT -- the same fella Lowenfield who’s on trial along with his DEPUTY Meyers and his Reg 4 Returning Officer Mingo!! Talking about putting the cat to guard the milk!! And very creamy milk at that – rich enough to determine who’d hold power for the next five years. Excepting that the Sanctimonious Gangster outsmarted himself when he called for a recount to bypass the Mingoed SoP scandal.

And we arrive at the DPP and the CoP – in charge of prosecuting in our law and order system – demanding that the GECOM SoPs be produced for them to make their case that the figures on them were cocked by the Rigging Trio.

Lucky for them, the then Opposition lawyers –- arguing to the Court for the recount figures be used – had the foresight to ask that the GECOM SoPs be sequestered with the Registrar of the High Court. She, however, balked. claiming she needed specific instructions from the court.

And so we finally get to where the matter now lies –- the DPP and CoP going to the Chief Justice for that order!

Who woulda thought all of this would be needed to obtain public documents?

Electoral reform anyone? ...a COVID-19 strategy That ever younger persons are now contracting COVID-19 is obvious from the numbers coming in. That more persons overall are contracting the disease and dying is also obvious from those daily numbers. But what your Eyewitness has been going on for months now is that all of this was predictable –- both from the intrinsic nature of viruses (that they’ll mutate and produce variants) and also from the evidence gleaned from other jurisdictions.

Well, the authorities have finally come aboard, but your Eyewitness still thinks not with enough nuance. First of all, it’s true that the vaccines we have are better than no vaccine at all – no matter what the variant. So, everyone should belly up to the bar and get their shot. But we do know that some vaccines are less effective against some variants.

For example AstraZeneca’s is effective against the Brazilian variant, but not the one from South Africa, which sent back their one million doses.

We still need to know what variants we have. ...to hide “power-from-gas” It was revealed that the PNC solicited and received from Japan, an extensive 100-page study of options for converting the excess gas from our oil fields into electricity.

But never released. What were they hiding??

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

NEWS

9

MONDAY, APRIL 19, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Opposition Leader requests meeting with Exxon over troubled gas compressor

O

pposition Leader Joseph Harmon has expressed concerns over the troubled gas compressor on the Liza Destiny floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) vessel offshore Guyana, and has requested a meeting with the local executives of United States oil giant, ExxonMobil, to be briefed on the matter.

After being sent all the way to Germany for repairs for several weeks and only returning recently, Exxon last week said the gas compressor on Liza Destiny has once again failed, resulting in oil production having to be reduced to 30,000 barrels of oil per day (bpd).

To this end, Harmon wrote President of ExxonMobil Guyana, Alistair Routledge, on Thursday last indicating that he is in receipt of numerous queries from the Opposition Members of Parliament, constituents of the APNU/AFC coalition, civil society and concerned citizens, who have expressed their worry that Exxon’s local affiliate Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited’s (EEPGL’s) performance, since inception, appears to be far below expectations.

This, he said in the letter that was released to the media on Sunday, is eroding the public’s confidence that the US oil major is engaged in a safe and environmentally sound operation.

“This reported lingering malfunctioning of equipment that continues to delay the termination of excess flaring of produced gas, plus the significant reduction of operations to a bare minimum production level, are of considerable concerns to the APNU+AFC Opposition, which as you are aware, represents almost half of the Guyanese population in the National Assembly,” the Opposition Leader posited.

As such, he added, “I, therefore, seek an urgent meeting with you and your executive team at the earliest mutually convenient opportunity to be briefed on matters to include this recent development, the root cause(s) of equipment failures resulting in excessive flaring and reduced production, your plan with schedule for permanently addressing these root cause(s),

ExxonMobil Guyana President Alistair Routledge

and the short and long term economic and environmental implications for all of Guyana.”

Harmon further asked to be accompanied by senior Members of Parliament including the Shadow Minister for Oil and Gas, David Patterson.

On Tuesday last, Exxon in a statement explained that as it was conducting the final testing phase of the reinstalled flash gas compressor and other components of the system on the <<<Liza Destiny>>> FPSO, they encountered an additional problem with the discharge silencer.

The US oil giant noted that a team from SBM Offshore, Germany manufacturer MAN Energy Solutions and ExxonMobil were on site to assess repairs, with support from engineering experts in Europe and the USA. “We have reduced production to a minimum level that mitigates formation of hydrates in subsea systems, maintains gas injection and fuel gas to the power generators, and minimises flare,” the company said.

When asked, ExxonMobil Guyana’s Public and

Governance Affairs Advisor, Janelle Persaud, revealed that this means the company is producing some 30,000 bpd – a reduction from an initial 120,000 bpd. This reduction, she noted, has the potential to throw off Exxon’s next lift, which was scheduled for the next few days.

“Relevant Government agencies have been notified and we are continuing to work with officials to determine the next best steps,” ExxonMobil stated.

The company also noted that it is “extremely disappointed by the design issues and continued underperformance of this unit”.

“This performance is below ExxonMobil’s global expectations for reliability,” it added.

ExxonMobil had previously announced that an “axial vibration” was to blame for the failure of its compressor.

When asked about the volume of flaring in light of the production cuts, Persaud had disclosed that flaring is now at 4 to 5 million cubic feet of gas per day, slightly above pilot levels.

Excess flaring had previously averaged at 16 million cubic feet of gas per day, following the compressor malfunction in February.

Meanwhile, the Guyana Government had subsequently expressed disappointment over the failure to resolve the issues with the gas compressor on its oil platform, which has not only led to heightened flaring but now a sharp drop in production as well. As such, it has hinted at possible actions against the oil company.

In a statement on Wednesday, the Ministry of Natural Resources said

Opposition Leader Joseph Harmon

“The GoG is, as would be expected, highly disappointed with the Operator’s inability to resolve this situation to date and will continue to monitor the levels of daily crude oil output and flaring to best allow for an economically feasible level of produc-

tion during this period. The GoG is currently examining the implications of the loss of output, and consequently loss of income and revenue, including measures that it may have to institute to protect national interest.”

Nevertheless, the Ministry noted that this occurrence has not affected GoG’s crude oil lift which was safely and successfully completed the day before at the planned quantity and in keeping with the Crude Lifting Agreement and Lifting Schedule. That was Government’s second lift for 2021.

Moreover, Exxon’s reduced production was announced the same day that Natural Resources Minister Vickram Bharrat was quoted projecting Guyana pro-

ducing 1 million barrels of crude per day and leading the Western Hemisphere in oil production.

“By 2027, we are hoping that there will be at least seven floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) vessels in the country, and that we will be producing either close or even over 1 million b/d,” Minister Bharrat had said.

In the meantime, Government through the Natural Resources Ministry, Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC), and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), has been receiving regular updates on the issue and is working with EEPGL to expeditiously resolve these complications with the compressor.

Bartica man busted with ganja during Police raid

A

32-year-old male of Third Avenue Bartica, Region Seven (CuyuniMazaruni), was on Sunday arrested after he was seen attempting to dispose of a bag containing cannabis during a raid.

Based on reports received, a team of Police ranks were conducting a raid in Third Avenue Bartica when the suspect was seen throwing a black plastic bag over the neighbour’s fence.

Swift actions by the Police would have led to the bag being retrieved and upon checking, a total of 132 transparent ziplock plastic bags containing the ganja was found.

As such, the suspect was shown the illegal substance, cautioned, arrested, and escorted to the Bartica Police Station where the suspected narcotics was weighed in his

The ganja that was found during the raid

presence.

He remains in custody pending charges.

10 NEWS

MONDAY, APRIL 19, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Mattai’s Food Market boss attacked, Gunmen storm Lime Street bar, stabbed in robbery attempt rob owner, foreign national

P

rominent businessman, Harry Mattai of Mattai’s Food Market was on Saturday evening stabbed during a foiled robbery at his Bel Air Park, Georgetown home.

Police preliminary investigations revealed that at about 22:00h, the businessman and his family returned home and as he stepped out of his motor car to open the gate, at least two men on bicycles attacked him.

At the time, his daughter and wife were in the vehicle.

However, the armed men reportedly held the man at gunpoint and instructed him to “hand over what you get”.

At that time, the businessman told the men that he did not have anything. Not pleased with the answer, the men attempted to search the

A

Harry Mattai in a scuffle with two perpetrators outside his home

businessman but he put up a fight.

One of the suspects, who was armed with a knife, dealt the victim one blow to his lower back. Upon seeing what was happening, the family members reportedly raised an alarm and the men jumped on their pedal cycles and left the scene.

The businessman was taken to a private medical facility where he was treated and discharged. The ordeal was captured on CCTV cameras that are placed at strategic locations on the man’s premises. The recording is presently being reviewed by the Police, who were summoned to the scene.

businesswoman and an overseas-based Guyanese are now left traumatised after they were both attacked and robbed by two armed men on Saturday at Lime Street, Werk-EnRust, Georgetown.

The incident occurred at about 21:00h.

Police stated that Teshana Blake was attending to customers when she observed four men pull up on two motorcycles and stop in front of her place of business. At the time, the overseas-based Guyanese was in the building.

The victims reportedly told Police that the riders stayed on their respective bikes while the pillion riders, who were armed with handguns, barged into

the business place and discharged several rounds. The men then demanded that they hand over their valuables.

Out of fear, the businesswoman ran to the back of the yard, leaving her money and two cellular phones behind.

The bandits made off with $400,000 in cash, one blue S9 Samsung phone and one white S10 Plus Samsung

mobile phone.

The overseas-based Guyanese was robbed of one piece of gold jewellery. Blake reportedly operates a bar at the bottom flat of a building on Lime Street.

After the men made good their escape, the Police were summoned to the scene and an investigation was launched. No arrests were made.

Body of missing fisherman Ganja found in empty lot during raid at Spliff Street recovered in Corentyne River

A

R

anks on the morning of Friday last unearthed several bags of cannabis in an empty lot, at Spliff Street Buxton, East Coast Demerara (ECD).

Police stated that the discovery was made during a cordon and search exercise between 04:00h and 10:00h by ranks of Regional Division 4 C. The suspected cannabis, when weighed, amounted to 160 grams.

Meanwhile, further searches in villages along the East Coast led to the arrest of a 32-year-old male of Enterprise Gardens, ECD, and a 47-year-old male of Annandale, ECD, in relation to break and enter and larceny.

In addition, searches were also conducted on 3 homes at Enmore, along

The cannabis found in the empty lot

with one house in Foulis and another in Enterprise. No arrests were made as no illegal items were unearthed.

Earlier in the month, a barber was busted with a quantity of cannabis during a Police operation at Tuschen Public Road, East Bank Essequibo (EBE).

According to reports, a mobile Police patrol was in the area when ranks observed the man standing in the vicinity of the car park

acting in a suspicious manner.

He was approached and a request was made for him to be searched during which five transparent ziplock plastic bags – each containing a quantity of ganja – were discovered.

He was arrested and taken to the Leonora Police Station, where the suspected cannabis sativa was weighed in his presence and amounted to 11 grams.

lmost one week after he went missing during a fishing expedition, 21-year-old Devin Persaud’s partially-decomposed body was discovered at Orealla, Corentyne River.

The body was found by the men with whom he was last seen. After the body was recovered, the Police stated, as a result of the state of decomposition, it was hard to determine if it had marks of violence.

It was taken to the Skeldon Hospital Mortuary to await a post-mortem, which was scheduled for today.

The young fisherman, called “Richard” of Crabwood Creek, Berbice, went missing last Thursday during a fishing trip with a group of friends. The trip, which was supposed to last a few days, ended sudden-

Devin Persaud, also called “Richard”

ly after Persaud reportedly drowned while trying to chase some fish into a seine.

At the time, he was not wearing a life jacket. On the dreadful night about 22:00h,

the young man jumped into the river, and later disappeared under the murky water. His friends reportedly searched for him for several hours, but to no avail.

It was then a decision was taken to return to shore and make a report.

Meanwhile, the father of the now dead young man had initially told reporters that he did not believe the story that was told to the Police and as such, he suspected that his son might have been murdered and thrown overboard.

The Police have launched an investigation into the incident; when contacted, Regional Commander, Superintendent Jairam Ramlakhan related that none of the men who were on the fishing expedition had been taken into custody.

NEWS

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MONDAY, APRIL 19, 2021|| GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Guyana harnessing foreign policy to market investment opportunities – academic

— urges Guyana to continue expanding foreign presence

W

hile many other nations use their foreign policy to compete with their neighbours, Guyana has been using its foreign policy, backed by the clout of its oil and gas sector, to promote economic opportunities in Guyana.

This is the view of Wazim Mowla, a Guyanese American academic and programme assistant for the Caribbean Initiative at the Atlantic Council’s Adrienne Arsht Latin America Center in Washington, DC. In a column on an online entity, he spoke of Guyana’s drive to market its investment opportunities and the embassies the country plans to open in oil-producing nations. It is an approach that Mowla lauded and urged Guyana to make more use of.

“Guyana, whose oil resources has brought it new political and economic capital, is using its Ministry of Foreign Affairs to strengthen existing relations with old allies and build new partnerships with other oil-producing nations as a way to draw foreign direct investment to both its oil and non-oil sectors.”

“The latest example was Guyana’s announcement that it will open embassies in Qatar and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), joining the extant mission in

President Irfaan Ali and Sheikh Ahmed Dalmook Juma Al Maktoum of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in discussion during his visit on November 19, 2020, at the Office of the President

Kuwait,” Mowla added while noting that the announcement came after high-level discussions with middle eastern officials about Guyana’s oil sector.

Mowla pointed out that not long after President Dr Irfaan Ali was inaugurated, a team from the UAE visited Guyana. He also noted that there were discussions with Qatar about investment opportunities. Qatar also sent a field hospital to Guyana, to aid in the battle against the COVID-19 pandemic.

The academic also noted in his opinion piece that with Guyana also strengthening relationships with old allies, the time is also opportune for establishing relationships with new ones. And Guyana opening new embassies can be seen as a way of making way for new markets for its nonoil sectors like agriculture and mining, while also diversifying the economy.

“To do this, Guyana will need to continue expanding its diplomatic relations with other coun-

tries. If Guyana relies on stateto-state discussions as a way to draw interest to the country, little investment is likely to materialize, and if substantial investments occur, it might be an ad-hoc event. If an embassy is opened, it would move beyond one-off discussions between Government officials and instead establish a direct, open line between each country’s representatives.”

“Guyana should continue to open embassies in the Middle East, such as with Saudi Arabia, but at the same time look toward European countries, as it looks to increase markets for rice and sugar, as well as Africa and East Asia. If Guyana manages to do this during the next few years, while the world watches its unprecedented economic growth, the country will quickly amplify its development,” Mowla wrote.

Guyana, with its oil and gas industry, has been spared the economic pain suffered by many of its regional counterparts.

For instance, the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) had recently noted that Guyana, unlike 19 other countries, did not record any increase in its debt to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) ratio.

This was revealed in the CDB’s 2020 Review and 2021 Outlook Regional Report. In the report,

Academic Wazim Mowla

the bank notes that on average, the regional debt to GDP ratio increased from 66.5 per cent to 79.5 per cent among 19 Borrowing Member Countries (BMCs).

Guyana, which is also a BMC, was able to avoid this altogether and was, in fact, the only BMC surveyed by the CDB to record economic growth for 2020, with 26 per cent. The economies of the other BMCs contracted by 12.8 per cent on average due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to the CDB, Guyana’s economic growth was driven solely by the start-up in first oil, though this growth was still lower than expected due to the declining oil prices that were brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic last year. It means, however, that Guyana is uniquely positioned as an investment destination.

12 NEWS

MONDAY, APRIL 19, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

COVID-19 cash grant

Every household will receive $25,000 – PM reassures

P

rime Minister, Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips said that every household will receive the COVID-19 cash grant being distributed by Government.

He made this reassuring comment during a community outreach at Paradise on the East Coast of Demerara on Saturday.

Prime Minister Phillips told residents that the first phase of the distribution had catered for primary households. Nevertheless, he said that the second phase, which caters to secondary households (renters) has begun and will also include primary households that were missed in the initial phase.

The Prime Minister in discussion with a resident during the outreach

“Pink slip or not, the team is coming back into every community, we have started in the interior regions already and we are going to work our way to the coast, the money is there...

we said every household, it will happen, they will get back to you,” he explained.

After taking office in August 2020, President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali announced that every house-

hold is slated to receive a $25,000 cash grant to help cushion the effects of the pandemic The grant also sought to stimulate the economy by increasing people’s spending power.

Distribution subsequently began on September 29, 2020, in the farthest regions, given their vulnerable economic state.

Meanwhile, earlier in April of this year, Local Government and Regional Development Minister Nigel Dharamlall said that a whopping $7 billion was already distributed on the first phase.

He further announced that the second phase of the Government’s $25,000 per

Prime Minister, Retired Brigadier Mark Phillips in Paradise on Saturday

household COVID-19 cash grant initiative would begin soon.

The second phase, the Minister said, will cost about $1 billion, with over 16,000 pink slips to be looked into and verified. The pink slips

were given to persons who did not receive their cash grants in the first phase for some reason or the other.

The cash grant initiative, since its announcement, has been welcomed by Guyanese citizens.

submitted by the contractor contained a breakdown of all completed works and their corresponding cost, as well as a breakdown of the outstanding works to be completed and their estimated cost.

“In further breach of the said contract you failed to respond within the required time in submitting additional requested information on the priced bill of quantities pursuant to Clause 28.2 of General Conditions of Contract which provide that at the request of the employer, the contractor within seven days shall provide the employer with a detailed breakdown of prices of change in the quantities indicating the rates for kinds of works and value of consumable material. The employer shall evaluate those rates and value of consumable material in comparison with the bill of quantities,”

Nandlall wrote to the contractor.

The Attorney General, therefore, instructed the contractor to immediately stop all works, secure and vacate the site as soon as possible.

According to Nandlall’s letter, the Government is not only terminating the contract but also instituting legal proceedings against the contractor for breach of contract and liquidated damages.

Auditor General Deodat Sharma himself had previously flagged the delayed state of the project under the nose of the former A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Government.

In the 2017 audit report, it was pointed out that the project was at a standstill during an August site visit.

By this time, the contractor had already collected $71.3 million in advance payments.

Govt retenders for construction of Health Ministry’s HQ

T

he Government of Guyana has retendered for the contract to construct the Ministry of Health headquarters at Brickdam - one of several troubled contracts that the People's Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) had to terminate over breaches by the contractor.

According to a published notice, phase one of the project will be retendered and bids will be opened on May 4, 2021, as per the Procurement Act of 2003. The notice further informed that bidding documents can be purchased from April 9.

"A pre-bid conference will be held on April 22, 2021, at the Ministry of Health's Permanent Secretary boardroom, Lot 1 Brickdam… bids will be opened in the presence of bidding representatives and anyone who chooses to attend on May 4,” the notice further explained.

After repeated contractual breaches, protracted delays and almost tripling of the contract costs, the Government had in November 2020 terminated the $356.8 million contract that was awarded to Chung’s Global Enterprise to construct the headquarters of the Health Ministry.

In a letter, Attorney General Anil Nandlall had written to Cleon Chung of Chung’s Global Enterprise had informed him that the contract was being terminated effective October 31, 2020, on the grounds of contractual breaches.

Chung’s was awarded the contract in 2017, to construct the Public Health Ministry’s head office building at Lot 1 Brickdam to the tune of $356.8 million. Works commenced on July 19, 2018, and the contractor was supposed to complete the project within a year.

The Ministry of Health headquarters in Brickdam

However, in September 2020, despite receiving $308.4 million for advance payments and mobilisation expenses, as well as two extensions totalling 317 days, permanent works were 70 per cent completed at the site.

To add insult to injury,

the contractor submitted a repriced bill of quantities, demanding an additional sum of $513.3 million on August 3, 2020 – a mere day after the Government officially changed hands with the swearing-in of President Dr Irfaan Ali. The new bill of quantities

NEWS

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MONDAY, APRIL 19, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

MoH receives medical supplies, PPE from NGO

F

ood for the Poor Guyana Inc (FFTP) has donated a quantity of medical supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) to the Health

at FFTP’s Festival City, Georgetown headquarters was Advisor to the Health Minister, Dr Leslie Ramsammy.

The Government offi-

South Georgetown residents being registered for vaccination

Ministry in its fight against COVID-19.

Receiving the timely donation on Saturday

cial revealed that Guyana’s usage of PPE in one year accounts for 10 years of pre-pandemic usage. “This

is the intense need for PPE, and this is the reason why, globally, there is a shortage of PPE because Guyana is not unique in the fact that our demand for PPE has increased 10 times,” he said.

He disclosed that despite the Government allocating resources to procure more PPE, it is constantly challenged to ensure they are received on time. He also used the opportunity to urge those gathered to encourage their peers to get vaccinated and to resist misinformation about the effects of the vaccines.

“One thing people need to know, all the vaccines in use in the world today, whether it’s in America or Europe or Russia or India or China or Guyana or Barbados, all of them that are in use in the world to-

Advisor to the Health Minister, Dr Leslie Ramsammy receiving the donation of medical supplies and PPE from FFTP CEO Kent Vincent

day are 100 per cent effective against serious illness from COVID-19.”

He added, “We want to reach every street, every household in this country, and South Georgetown as one of the very densely populated areas represents a priority area for us.”

Residents trickled into the area during the day to receive their first jab of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine as FFTP’s compound is being used as a site for the Ministry’s vaccination campaign in South Georgetown.

FFTP Chief Executive Officer, Kent Vincent said

the donation of syringes, medical gloves, face shields, and other equipment was made available by its generous partners in the United States of America and elsewhere in the world.

“Food for the Poor is committed to helping those who are in need,” he noted.

Former President David Granger

failing to recognise that the purpose of Rule 9 of the National Assembly (Validity of Elections) Rules, requiring service of an affidavit, is to verify that service was achieved within the time prescribed by the statute and that an error in the affidavit does not affect the fact of service.

They further contended that Justice George erred in law and misdirected herself by following the decision in Eusi Kwayana et al v The Chief Elections Officer et al, which decision in itself was erroneous. According to the lawyers, Justice George again erred in law and misdirected herself when she applied the doctrine of strict compliance by holding that such compliance related to the contents of the affidavit of service, instead of the filing of the affidavit of service on time.

Further, the lawyers argued that the Chief Justice also erred in law and misdirected herself when she concluded that leave was required to file a supple-

Attorney General Anil Nandlall, SC

CoA to hear arguments challenging dismissal of APNU/AFC’S election petition on June 14

C

ome June 14, 2021, the Guyana Court of Appeal will commence hearing arguments in the appeal filed on behalf of the A Partnership for National United/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC), challenging Chief Justice Roxane George’s dismissal of the party’s second election petition for non-compliance with effecting service on former President David Granger.

The proceedings will commence at 13:30h.

Known as election petition #99, its petitioners are Brennan Nurse and Monica Thomas, who are challenging the outcome of the March 2020 General and Regional Elections for which the PPP/C emerged winners. They are asking the High Court to declare

Chief Justice Roxane George

risdiction conferred on the Appeal Court to hear an election petition dismissed for procedural impropriety or any other reason not stated in Article 163 (1) of the Constitution of Guyana.

On January 18, 2021, Justice George dismissed

(Validity of Elections) Rules, which imposes on the petitioners the statutory obligation to effect service within five days after the presentation of the petition.

Petition #99 having been filed on September 15, 2020, should have been served on the former President five days thereafter, which would have been September 21, 2020, since the fifth day – September 20, 2020 – was a Sunday. However, in the affidavit of service of Nurse, it was stated that the petition, along with the relevant documents, was only served on Granger on September 25, 2020 – five days outside of the statutorily-prescribed period.

Following Justice George’s ruling, the petitioners filed a Notice of Appeal asking that the decision be set aside and/ or reversed, with costs awarded to them.

Irregular

Granger as President from the very elections they claim were conducted in violation of electoral laws and the Constitution of Guyana.

Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister Anil Nandlall, SC, has filed a Notice of Motion in which he is asking that the party’s appeal against the ruling of Justice George be dismissed.

Nandlall is contending that there is no statutory or constitutional ju-

the election petition owing to non-compliance with effecting service as prescribed under Section 8 of the National Assembly (Validity of Elections) Act and Rule 9 of the National Assembly (Validity of Elections) Rules.

The Chief Justice found that the petition was not properly served on Granger - the second named respondent. The manner of service is prescribed in Rule 9 (1) of the National Assembly

Given that the Court of Appeal has no jurisdiction to hear an election petition dismissed for non-compliance with effecting service, Solicitor General Nigel Hawke contended that should the Court permit the hearing of the matter, it would not only be unlawful but also irregular and unconstitutional.

In an affidavit in support of the motion for dismissal of the Notice of Appeal, Hawke deposed that appeals regarding an election petition are governed exclusively by Article 163 (3) of the Constitution of Guyana, which sets out the circumstances under which such appeals can be filed.

Among them, he outlined, is a decision granting or refusing leave to institute

proceedings for the determination of any question referred to in Article 163 (1) of the Constitution.

According to the Solicitor General, the decision of the Chief Justice was not, and did not involve, a determination of a question referred to in the aforesaid Article.

On this note, he submitted that the jurisdiction of the Court of Appeal to hear an appeal from a decision of the High Court must be founded in the Constitution and statute.

Like Nandlall, Hawke is contending “that there is no statutory or constitutional jurisdiction to the Court of Appeal to hear an election petition dismissed for procedural impropriety or any other reason not stated in Article 163 (1) of the Constitution of Guyana.”

Overriding objective

Expressing dissatisfaction with the ruling of the Chief Justice, lawyers of the petitioners are contending that Justice George, in dismissing the party’s election petition, failed to consider its overriding objective.

Lawyers for Nurse and Thomas contended that Justice George erred in law and misdirected herself by

mentary affidavit of service to give a more complete understanding of how service was effected on the former President.

Additionally, it is also being argued that the Chief Justice erred in dismissing the entire election petition for non-service, even though Granger notified the court that he would not oppose the election petition and that the other proper and necessary respondents were served within the statutory timeline.

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MONDAY, APRIL 19, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Hydromet Dept gets $66M to fix operational deficiencies

Minister Mustapha having a discussion with officials during a recent tour of the National Weather Watch Centre, Hyde Park, Timehri Minister of Agriculture Zulfikar Mustapha during a recent tour of the National Weather Watch Centre located at Hyde Park, Timehri

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he Government is making significant strides to recondition operations at the Hydrometeorology Department to improve its accommodation, data collection and operational deficiency.

Of the $22.6 billion allocated to the agriculture sector this year, $66 million has been earmarked to expand hydromet services.

During a recent tour of the National Weather Watch Centre at Hyde Park, Timehri, East Bank Demerara (EBD), Agriculture Minister, Zulfikar Mustapha said there would be no laidback

approach in addressing the insufficiencies at the centre.

"I have received a number of complaints. First of all, the suitability of the people who are here, they prefer to be at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA), and I am exploring the possibility of acquiring a space at that airport for the office to be housed to accommodate more persons."

The Hydromet Department is tasked with observing, archiving and understanding Guyana's weather and climate patterns.

It also provides meteorological, hydrological, and oceanographic services to

support Guyana's national needs and international obligations.

Consequently, Minister Mustapha believes that the proposal made by staff to relocate will allow the nation to receive accurate weather forecast while simultaneously aiding aviation operations.

"Generally, the Government is trying to make the workers comfortable, and in that way, they can work effectively and provide Guyana with the necessary information as precise as possible," Minister Mustapha relayed.

He stressed the importance of the venture, not-

ing that with the significant investments being made in the agriculture sector now, it is essential that agriculturists receive precise weather details.

"Guyana is an oil and gas producing country now, so these interventions are also important regarding determining the weather

pattern," the Minister added.

Minister Mustapha said the Hydrometeorological Service's general responsibility includes monitoring and evaluating the weather and water resources in Guyana. At the same time, it actively supports the Government in disas-

ter risk management and aeronautical, water, agriculture, engineering, and other agencies for the country's socio-economic development.

The Department is the official provider of weather, water and climate information and related products and services for Guyana.

Nail technician launches own gel polish line

Corentyne rice farmers appeal for urgent help to save crop — as early rains result in damage to dams — rehabilitation works to commence today – Minister Mustapha

Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha

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ice farmers across the Corentyne Coast, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne), on Saturday gathered on two separate occasions to engage Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha as they sought urgent intervention to save their crop.

Persistent rainfall over the last few weeks has resulted in many dams becoming impassible, leaving many farmers struggling to transport their paddy from the

fields. In some cases, farmers have not been able to reap some of their crops because their fields have been flooded.

During the first meeting at the Number 48 Primary School, Corentyne, rice farmers appealed to the subject Minister for immediate action so they would be able to salvage the remainder of their crop.

One farmer, Mahendranauth Doolchand, said certain sections of the dam he uses to transport his paddy are in a deplorable state, putting a halt on transporting his paddy from the field.

“Sir, we have over 200 acres of land, but the land is under water, and we can’t get to take out the paddy.

All we want is for you to fix the dam so that we can take out the paddy. We’re from Number 69 Village, planting rice in the scheme. We have to travel 14 miles to go there and bring out the paddy. At certain parts of the dam very bad. We urgently need your help because in five days, four half tanks of paddy can’t

reach out yet,” Doolchand noted.

Another farmer, Anand Tulsi, said he lost millions of dollars in paddy and sought the Minister’s assistance to save the remainder of his crop.

“We cannot take out one bag. We small farmers cannot bring out one bag. The dam situation is terrible.

Rice that was supposed to cut since the first week in March left there and all rotten out.

We need help. Right now, we need some help. We need a machine to fix the dams so that we can bring out our paddy,” the farmer said.

Another farmer from Number 47 Village said there was need for a larger koker and a pump in the area to help drain farmlands, especially during the rainy season.

“Rice farmers in the area have a big issue. For a number of years, we have saltwater coming in from the riverside into the farmland every May/June season and every Christmas season.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 15

The Cuteness Glow gel polish in use

Deon Glasgow with her very own polish

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ollowing the launch of her hair care line in January 2020, 31-year-old Deon Glasgow has this time dipped her toes into the nail polish industry.

The local nail technician, in an interview with Guyana Times, explained that after seeing the overwhelming responses her hair product line had received, she felt compelled to make an input in her own field.

“Well, I started to do the hair products and people loved them, but as a nail technician, I felt like I would know what makes good nail products. So, I decided, why not make products that reflect what myself and others in the field require” she told Guyana Times.

Glasgow related that after much brainstorming, she decided to begin with nail polish. She noted that she wants them to meet the demand of the modern beau-

ty industry and as such, she settled on creating not just any polish but gel polish.

“I always think what’s trending, what’s modern... so I said I’ll do gel polishes because these dry in seconds with the UV light and they don’t smudge and they last for weeks and even months,” she explained.

Moreover, Glasgow said that after she decided on her line of polishes, her next hurdle was packaging and labelling.

“I wanted it to be well packaged and I wanted my products to meet international standards. So, after some time I decide on white bottles and a minimalistic label with my logo,” she detailed.

She explained that after all the groundwork was completed, she launched her product line - “Cuteness Glow Gel Polishes”, on her birthday in April of this year.

She explained that the Cuteness Glow polish line consists of different types of gel polishes.

“So, in addition to the coloured polishes, I also

launched with my cat eye gel polish, the magnetic cat eye, temperature changing gel polish and the base coat and topcoat.”

She further noted that her gel polishes come in 240 colours including pastel and even neon colours.

Moreover, Glasgow, when asked about her market, explained that she is not only catering for nail technicians but her polishes are being retailed for at-home use.

“Nail techs like me can purchase them or even persons who just want to polish their nails themselves at home,” she explained.

She furthered that her products guarantee quality results with a shiny and classy finish.

“One thing I can assure is that the shades are beautiful and the texture is amazing. It applies smoothly and it doesn’t crack nor peel,” Glasgow said.

More of Glasgow’s products can be seen on her business’s Instagram page “Bundles n Glow” or at her storefront stall at 17-18 Orange Walk, Bourda.

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MONDAY, APRIL 19, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

COVID-19 death toll jumps to 271 as 3 more die – 101 new cases recorded in 24h — national curfew extended to April 30, 2021

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uyana’s COVID-19 death toll has gone up to 271 as three more men who tested positive for the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) have died.

These latest fatalities are a 69-year-old male from Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara), an 80-year-old from Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) and a 62-year-old man from Region Four (DemeraraMahaica). They all died on Saturday while receiving care at medical facilities.

With these, the total number of COVID-19 deaths thus far for the month of April is 28, of which 15 were recorded last week alone.

The most recent fatality was recorded on Friday when an 81-year-old female from Region Four died.

Meanwhile, some 101 new COVID-19 cases were detected in the last 24 hours.

According to new statistics provided by the Health Ministry on Sunday, the total number of confirmed cases in Guyana has skyrocketed to 11,863 – 6002 males and 5861 females.

However, a whopping 1412 of these are currently active cases. These include 12 patients in the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and the remaining 1400 persons in isolation, that is, 74 in institutional isolation and the remaining 1326 in home isolation.

There are also 15 persons in institutional quarantine.

Further, the number of persons who have recovered from the life-threatening disease in the country to date has increased to 10,180 – 19 more recoveries than the figure reported the previous day.

A total of 107,974 persons have been tested for the novel coronavirus in Guyana

since March 2020.

Of the 101 new cases recorded on Sunday, one was detected in Region One (Barima-Waini); two in Region Two (PomeroonSupenaam); 10 in Region Three (Essequibo IslandsWest Demerara), a whopping 57 cases in the Demerara-Mahaica region; four in Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice); another two cases in Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne); 5 in Region Seven (CuyuniMazaruni); 18 in Region Nine (Upper EssequiboTakutu) and the remaining two cases in Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Upper Berbice).

The figure in Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni) remained the same.

The rising number of COVID-19 cases and death toll comes as local authorities continue to battle with a new wave of the novel coronavirus that is seeing a

higher number of young people contracting the virus, and infected persons becoming sicker with some requiring hospitalisation.

In order to curb the spread of the virus and reduce the country’s death toll from the pandemic, Guyana rolled out its vaccination campaign in February and has thus far inoculated more than 70,000 persons.

Additionally, several hundred persons have also received their second-dose shots.

Only Friday, Government extended the vaccination exercise to persons 18 years and older. Since then, scores of young persons have been flocking vaccination sites across the country to get immunised.

Thus far, Guyana has received 3000 doses of AstraZeneca vaccines from Barbados, another 80,000 doses of the same jab from India and 20,000 doses of

Sinopharm from China – all donations.

The country subsequently collected its first tranche of COVID-19 vaccines from the COVAX Facility – 24,000 doses of AstraZeneca and another batch is expected to arrive next month.

Further, Government has purchased 200,000 doses of the Sputnik V vaccine from Russia to the tune of some US$4 million, through the UAE. Of these, Guyana has already received 55,000 doses of the Russian-made jab and another 83,000 is slated to arrive early this week.

Meanwhile, health authorities are reminding all Guyanese to observe the protocols of the COVID-19 Emergency Measures (No 16), which was extended for this month and will be in effect until April 30, 2021.

Among these measures is the 22:30h (10:30 pm) to 04:00h (4 am) national curfew, which the National COVID-19 Taskforce reminded in a statement on Sunday remains intact and cautioned that those who fail to adhere to the guidelines will be prosecuted.

It also reinforced that only essential services are authorised to operate on a 24-hour basis and that other services and businesses are required to close operations by 21:30h (09:30 pm) in order to facilitate workers getting home by the curfew time.

Restaurants and places of worship have been approved to operate at 40 per cent capacity. Gyms are to operate at 50 per cent capacity while sporting events are only permitted with approval from the Health Minister.

The order further emphasises the need for correct and consistent use of a face mask when leaving home;

Corentyne rice farmers appeal...

The koker there has to drain Number 48, Number 47, and Number 46. It has to drain rice land water, reef water, and the housing area water. The next thing, we have a 4’x4’ koker. That koker cannot take off the amount of water when we get the high rainfall. We are asking for a new koker that is bigger, and we need a pump within the area because if this rain continues, farmers in the area will lose millions of dollars in rice,” the farmer said.

Meanwhile, farmers at Maida raised similar issues at the second meeting.

One farmer said tractors could not traverse the dam to transport the paddy because of the state of the dam.

“Right now, we have rice to cut, and we don’t have dams to bring it out. I’m from Phillippe. The dam has some big big ponds, that if the tractors drive there, it would leave right there, so we need you to look at the dams and do some work on it so that we

Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha in discussion with residents during the outreach on Saturday

can bring out the paddy,” the farmer said.

Another farmer said works needed to be carried out on both the trench and the dam in her area.

“The canal needs to be dug from the road all the way to Crown Dam, and both dams need to be fixed. Right now, the dams are bad, and the farmers cannot use the boats because the trench is clogged up,” the farmer said.

After listening to the farmers, Minister Mustapha committed to having works

carried out on all the dams that need fixing.

“Before the rains came, we expended a lot of money to fix the dams, and we are going to fix them again.

I have a request from the Water Users Chairman for funds to fix about 10 dams in the Number 52/Number 74 areas. I will approve this, and through the NDIA, we will have works commence to rehabilitate those dams from as soon as tomorrow. I’ll also ask the NDIA to do an urgent assessment of those

FROM PAGE 14

other dams that need to be fixed, and we will assign machines to fix them.

For the farmer that raised the issue about saltwater intrusion twice a year, if the structure is too small and cannot take off the amount of water, I’ll ensure a proper assessment of the area is done.

If we need to put a pump and a larger koker there, we’ll do it. I will send our technical officers there in the new week to meet with you, and they will do an assessment and provide me with a report in the new week,” Minister Mustapha said.

Over at Maida, Minister Mustapha told farmers that a team from the Ministry would be visiting the area today to meet residents and the NDC. A small committee will be formed to look at all the canals and dams that need to be rehabilitated.

The subject Minister publicly committed to having the works done and ensuring farmers benefit from proper infrastructure.

the importance of maintaining the six feet physical dis-

tance from others, and the need for good hand hygiene to help reduce the spread of COVID-19.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), as of Sunday, some 140,322,903 confirmed cases were reported globally along with 3,003,794 deaths.

The WHO also reported on Sunday that in the Region of the Americas, that is, Latin America and the Caribbean, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases has increased to 59,550,930 while the death toll in the region has gone up to 1,444,736.

GRA says lawful procedures were executed in Lethem raid

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n light of reports in the media and social media in connection with the recent raid at Lethem, Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo), the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) on Saturday noted that lawful procedures were properly executed in the joint operation.

In a missive to the media, the revenue body noted that on Thursday last, The goods that were seized a team of officers attached to the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) more intense approach takwhile performing du- en by the officers, and thereties at the Lethem Multi- after, the premises was Purpose Complex observed searched in accordance with a Brazilian-registered cargo Section 209 of the Customs truck illegally exiting the lo- Act, Chapter 82:01, which cation without the requisite led to a large quantity of unexamination being conduct- customed items being found concealed. This allowed for ed by the proper officers.

“This action prompted the individual who subsesuspicions about the con- quently claimed ownership tents therein, and as a conse- being cautioned and arrestquence thereof, the team of ed, and placed on station officers followed the consign- bail. The investigation conment to the premises where tinues.”

On this note, the GRA is a joint search was conducted reminding persons involved

by CANU and officers of the in smuggled and unlawful Revenue Authority.” activities that the Authority The release added that will continue to maintain a the officers properly iden“zero-tolerance approach” to tified themselves, as is the such activities in accordance standard operating procedure (SOP) and stated the with the laws administered by the Authority. purpose of the visit.

Meanwhile, the Police The officers, the GRA have arrested the CANU stated, were, however, met rank after he was caught with acts of aggression, inon camera assaulting the sults and hostility by persons within the said prem- brother of one of the men ises who denied the team of who were busted with the ilofficers from gaining access legal items. He remains in to the premises, as is re- custody while the two men who were arrested during quired by law.

However, after a brief the operation were released stand-off, the team of offi- on bail.

In addition, the weapon cers finally gained entry to which the CANU rank used the premises where they to discharge a round at the were met with further acts including aggression and fe- dogs was handed over for ballistic testing. rocious dogs.

It was reported that 30 “Despite several requests cases of Black Stone Whisky, for the ferocious dogs to be four cases of Skarloff Beers secured, these were aggressively denied. The dogs were and nine cases of Blend however secured based on Seven Whiskey were seized.

16 NEWS

MONDAY, APRIL 19, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Over 15000 persons vaccinated in Region 6 – RHO

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he COVID-19 vaccination campaign in Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) has been hailed a huge success by the region’s Health Officer, Dr Vishalya Sharma, who disclosed that 15,655 persons have been vaccinated to date.

During an interview with Guyana Times on Sunday, Dr Sharma disclosed that the region recorded its highest number of vaccinations on Friday and Saturday, surpassing 1000 persons on both days. On Friday, 1015 people were vaccinated, while 1354 persons received theirs on Saturday.

According to her, Region Six started with five health centres being used as vaccination sites. However, this gradually increased to 13 health centres to cater to the growing needs of residents.

Guyana received its first shipment of COVAX vaccines in March

persons visit each site daily.

Apart from the health centre, temporary vaccination sites have been set up at markets across Region Six. While concerns have been raised in the region about persons’ reluctance to take

various means.

On this note she disclosed that these programmes have featured face-to-face interactions with religious leaders, youth, and non-governmental organisations, to name a few. Added to that, she said that health officials have been visiting both public and private worksites to administer the COVID-19 vaccines.

“The time to get vaccinated is now, no other time. We need to play our part in the pandemic,” Dr Sharma said, as she urged persons to take a more serious approach in safeguarding themselves against the deadly virus.

The Health Ministry kicked off immunisation against COVID-19 in February with healthcare

workers across the country receiving doses of the Covidshield-AstraZeneca vaccines that were donated

by Barbados.

Last week, the Government widened the eligibility requirement for COVID-19 vaccination to now allow for persons 18 years and older to get immunised against the novel coronavirus. As the vaccination rollout continues with almost 100 permanent sites in the 10 regions along with temporary sites in some areas, outreaches are being conducted in communities to sensitise persons.

VP Jagdeo has revealed that Guyana has paid for enough vaccines for about half of the adult population, having had to secure them through “other” means, as developed nations are procuring the lion’s share. In this regard, Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony has been calling for equitable distri-

Health Officer of Region Six, Dr Vishalya Sharma

bution of vaccines among countries.

While Government is doing its part to immunise the nation against the deadly virus which has claimed the lives of over 270 persons, Dr Anthony noted that the public needs to play its role in ridding Guyana of the pandemic by getting vaccinated and adhering to the safety guidelines.

Against this backdrop, he pointed out that Guyana could be out of danger by the year-end or early 2022.

Investigations into land irregularities in Region 2 to be launched

A An elderly resident of Region Six taking the COVID-19 vaccine

Come Monday, three more health centres will be added, bringing the total number of vaccination sites in that region to 16. The Regional Health Officer disclosed that on average, 200

thorough investigation is expected to get underway soon into land irregularities uncovered along the Essequibo Coast, Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) during a two-day outreach over the weekend.

This announcement was made by Housing and Water Minister, Collin Croal, who explained that the Ministry will be establishing its re-

be placed on Essequibo, and one of the first steps will be to ensure there is a functional regional office…We want to bring some order to Region Two,” he told DPI. Croal was at the time providing an update on the recently-concluded two-day “Dream Realised” housing initiative in Anna Regina, where some 300 persons were allocated house lots in Onderneeming Phase Four.

the vaccines, Dr Sharma said that officials are working to remedy this with massive sensitisation and mobilisation campaigns. She said the region has increased its sensitisation programme by targeting persons through

Minister of Housing and Water Collin Croal

Minister within the Ministry of Housing and Water Susan Rodrigues meeting residents to address their concerns

gional office equipped with qualified personnel who will lead these investigations.

A building has been identified, and a regional housing official appointed.

“Specific emphasis will

Over 40 allocations were reserved and await the investigation.

Minister Croal said the Essequibo Coast has had longstanding land matters that border on double alloca-

tion, persons illegally occupying lands and houses being constructed in areas not under an allocation.

“So, what happens, after constructing in the Ministry’s system, it does not show an allocation was done, and so for us, it appears as vacant. We have a number of issues like that, and so Lima Sands has a history of that, and so, we are trying to rectify all of that,” he explained.

Meanwhile, Minister Croal, along with Minister within the Ministry, Susan Rodrigues and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA), Sherwyn Greaves, met residents to address other housing matters.

The CEO explained that several longstanding land issues were resolved over the two days of the allocation event.

“Fortunately, we had the two Ministers who were able to make immediate decisions to assist persons… mainly, we had some mix up with allocations, more than one person with one lot, and we were able to sort those out and people waiting years for title,” he explained.

The allocations in Essequibo add to the 3600 lots the Government distributed in just five months last year as it looks to make 10,000 lots available in its first year in office. The President Ali Government plans to distribute 50,000 house lots during its first term.

Man kills self after attacking, chopping girl, 17

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17-year-old girl was on Sunday attacked and chopped by a 22-year-old man whose lifeless body was later found at Morashi, Essequibo River.

The chopping incident reportedly occurred at about 11:45h in the vicinity of Fort Island, Essequibo River.

Based on reports received, the teenager and her siblings were heading to Fort Island from Hubu,

East Bank Essequibo (EBE), when the now dead man approached them with another boat and forced his way into theirs.

At the time, he was reportedly armed with a cutlass and was heard telling the teenager “all the time you does fool me” while dealing her several chops to her head and hand.

In an attempt to ward off the suspect, the teen’s sister reportedly pushed

him overboard but he managed to pull himself up and fired a chop at the sister, thus causing her to receive injuries to her left hand.

Again, he was pushed overboard and the cutlass fell into the river. The Police stated that the suspect then swam to his boat and left the scene.

The injured teenager was subsequently rushed to Parika Koker and then to Leonora Cottage Hospital

where she was treated and referred to the Georgetown Public Hospital. She was admitted in a stable condition.

The matter was reported to the Fort Island Coast Guard and as such, they went in search of the suspect but instead, his lifeless body was found. The body was taken to the Ezekiel Funeral Home awaiting a post-mortem examination.

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MONDAY, APRIL 19, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Latin America and the Caribbean are “pillar for world food security”

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atin America and the Caribbean "are truly a pillar for world food security", Qu Dongyu, Director General of the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO), said Thursday in an address to more than 30 Ministers from the Region and North America.

Addressing the Third Hemispheric Meeting of Ministers and Secretaries of Agriculture of the Americas, the Director General hailed the Region's contribution to preventing the COVID-19 health crisis from becoming a food crisis. "Now you need to be the architects of recovery, a recovery with transformation," he urged.

Latin America and the Caribbean Region accounts for 14 per cent of global food production and 45 per cent of net international agri-food trade, and agri-food systems account for up to half of total employment and 30 to 40 per cent of economic gross domestic product, he noted, adding that, as the Green Revolution of the 1960 and 70s grew out of Mexico, it had also been instrumental in ending famines around the world.

The new mission, the Director General stated, is "to drive the necessary agrifood systems transformation so that we can feed 10 billion people by 2050".

That, he explained, will require increased agricultural productivity by sustainable agri-food systems with safe and healthy diets, great-

er water efficiency, soil regeneration and carbon sequestration, fewer greenhouse gases, preservation of tropical forests and biodiversity and greater equity for smallholders, Indigenous peoples and rural youth and women.

The COVID-19 pandemic's toll has been heavy in the Americas, home to almost half the associated deaths and documented cases, and GDP in Latin America and the Caribbean contracted by 7.7 per cent in 2020, triggering an unprecedented setback in the fight against hunger and poverty.

"It's not a normal recession," stressed FAO Chief Economist Maximo Torero in his detailed presentation to the Ministers, which warned that more than 20 million people might join the ranks of the poor and proposed an array of agricultural investments and policy measures to accelerate recovery to pre-pandemic levels of employment and activity.

Despite sharp rises in unemployment levels, region-

al agricultural exports rose during the pandemic, even as imports fell, highlighting the sector's resilience in most countries, Torero said.

FAO's actions

FAO has responded to the pandemic with a strategic overhaul – moving from a project-based to a programmatic approach – that should raise efficiency and impact, and supported a new regional innovation and Digitalization Action Plan, the Director General said.

FAO's Hand-in-Hand Initiative has been launched in six countries, including El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras, Qu said. "We are confident this initiative will make a significant contribution in addressing the root causes of migration that grows out of despair and lack of opportunities," he said.

Voluntary contributions for FAO's work in the Region will grow by at least 75 per cent in the current funding biennium, helping turn plans into realities on the ground,

he added.

"Every single FAO project in Latin America and the Caribbean will make a tangible contribution to the transformation of agri-food systems and rural societies," he noted. "These are deeds and actions, not only words or promises."

While emphasising the need for large investments – especially in value-chain infrastructures such as cold chain networks – and major innovation efforts, the Director General expressed optimism for the region's potential, noting its vast natural resources, ample fresh water and productive soils as well as diverse ecosystems and significant biodiversity.

The meeting, chaired

by Peruvian Agricultural Development and Irrigation Minister Federico Tenorio, was organised by FAO in conjunction with the InterAmerican Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA).

At the first Hemispheric meeting in April 2020, Ministers and Secretaries from 34 countries opened a dialogue space to compare policies and actions aimed at avoiding collapse in food systems. In the second meeting, in July 2020, they shared updated information about actions being taken to sustain international agri-food trade, food safety, commercial flows, supply chains and assuring family farmers' access to input and output markets amid the pandemic. (FAO.org)

China and US pledge climate change commitment

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hina and the United States say they are committed to working together and with other countries on tackling climate change.

It comes after several meetings between Chinese climate envoy Xie Zhenhua and his US counterpart John Kerry in Shanghai last week.

They both agreed on fur-

ther specific actions to reduce emissions, a joint statement on Sunday confirmed.

US President Joe Biden is holding a virtual climate summit this week, which China says it is looking forward to.

However, it is not yet known if Chinese President Xi Jinping will join the world leaders who have pledged to attend.

"The United States and China are committed to cooperating with each other and with other countries to tackle the climate crisis, which must be addressed with the seriousness and urgency that it demands," the statement said.

It added that both nations will continue to discuss "concrete actions in the 2020s to reduce emis-

sions aimed at keeping the Paris Agreement-aligned temperature limit within reach".

Both nations also agreed to help developing countries finance a switch to low-carbon energy.

Li Shuo, senior climate adviser for environmental group Greenpeace, described the statement as "positive".

(Excerpt from BBC News)

Russia expels Czech diplomats over explosion row

“Alexander Petrov” (left) and “Ruslan Boshirov”

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ussia has announced that 20 diplomats from the Czech Republic will be expelled from the country.

The Czech Republic expelled 18 Russian diplomats on Saturday.

Czech local intelligence agents claim the diplomats are Russian intelligence operatives. They are suspected of involvement in an explosion at an arms depot in 2014.

European Union Foreign Ministers are set to discuss the claims about the blast during a meeting today.

Moscow has given the Czech diplomats a day to leave while the Czech Republic has given the Russians 72 hours.

The Russian Foreign Ministry called the Czech decision “unprecedented” and a “hostile act”.

“In their desire to please the United States against the background of recent US sanctions against Russia, Czech authorities in this respect even outdid their masters from across the pond,” said a Foreign Ministry statement.

Czech authorities say the diplomats are believed to be intelligence operatives, claims the Russians have

Ontario’s COVID crisis: “This scenario was entirely preventable”

D Tunisian President draws security powers into dispute with PM

T

unisian President Kais Saied said on Sunday that his powers as commander of the armed forces also cover the internal security forces, not only the army, in the latest escalation of his dispute with the Prime Minister.

Saied's comments threaten to draw the sensitive Interior Ministry into the political arena and potentially divide the security establishment as Tunisia's young democracy grapples with a coronavirus-induced slump as well as militant Islamists.

Tunisia's 2014 Constitution has until now been widely interpreted as putting the internal security forces and the Interior

Ministry under the control of the Prime Minister.

"The President is the supreme commander of the military and civilian armed forces. Let this matter be clear to all Tunisians ... I do not intend to monopolise these forces, but the Constitution must be respected," Saied said in a speech attended by his political adversaries, the Speaker of Parliament and the Prime Minister.

Saied is a professor of constitutional law whose surprise election victory in 2019 has rattled Tunisian politics.

The dispute erupted when Saied refused this year to approve a reshuffle that included the

Tunisian President Kais Saied gives a speech at the Government's swearing-in ceremony at the Carthage Palace outside the capital Tunis, Tunisia, February 27, 2020

dismissal of Ministers close to him including the Interior Minister, Taoufik Charefddin.

Since then, Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi has held the position of acting Interior Minister.

Mechichi responded to Saied's speech by saying: "There is no need for indi-

vidual, odd readings which, moreover, are taken out of context."

Tunisia was meant to establish a constitutional court to adjudicate such disputes by 2015, but politicians have been unable to agree on the names of the judges to sit on it. (Excerpt from Reuters)

classed as unfounded and absurd.

The explosion tore apart an ammunitions storage depot in a forest at Vrbětice in the Czech Republic on October 16, 2014.

Windows in nearby buildings were blown out and local schools were evacuated as emergency vehicles rushed to the scene. The remains of two men – aged 56 and 69 – who worked at the site were found more than a month later.

The blast was assumed to have been an accident.

But painstaking detective work by Czech authorities has pointed the finger at Moscow – and Unit 29155 of Russia’s GRU intelligence agency.

Czech Police have identified two suspects in connection with the blast – Alexander Mishkin and Anatoly Chepigov – who are also accused of involvement in the Salisbury poisonings in 2018.

Sergei Skripal, a former double Russian agent, and his daughter Yulia were poisoned in the English town, while a local woman, Dawn Sturgess, was killed months later by Novichok from a discarded perfume bottle.

(Excerpt from BBC News)

r Naheed Dosani says healthcare workers in Ontario are angry.

Working tirelessly amid a recent surge of COVID-19 infections, which have quickly filled up Intensive Care Units across the Canadian province, hospital staff are “dealing with immense trauma (and) moral injury” as they treat scores of coronavirus patients, said Dosani.

But what makes it even more difficult, the Torontobased palliative care physician and health justice activist told Al Jazeera, is watching the Ontario Government put measures in place that he says will not do enough to get the pandemic under control.

“This entire humanitarian catastrophe should never have happened. Had the Ontario Government just listened to the experts and made the important decisions … around pub-

lic health restrictions, we would never have been here,” Dosani said.

“This whole scenario was entirely preventable.”

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau warned on April 6 that Canada was facing a “very serious” third wave of the pandemic, and this week, the national seven-day average of new coronavirus cases surpassed that of the United States per capita.

Ontario, the country’s most populous province, has been one of the hardest-hit places, with new, more easily transmissible strains of the virus spreading rapidly. According to Ontario’s COVID-19 advisory table, the so-called variants of concern accounted for 67 per cent of all infections as of March 29. The variants also increased the risk of hospitalisation by 63 per cent; intensive care admissions by 103 per cent, and death by 56 per cent. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

18

guyanatimesgy.com

MONDAY, APRIL 19, 2021

Regional

Cuba’s Raul Castro leaves Boat sinks with relief the political stage, his supplies for St Vincent legacy yet to be written A

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aul Castro, who is retiring from high public office, for most of his life toiled in the shadow of his older brother, Fidel Castro. Yet he also played a key role in Cuba’s 1959 leftist revolution and the preservation of Cuban socialism.

While Fidel was the charismatic leader who rallied Cubans to defend the revolution and defy the United States, Raul, 89, built the military into a formidable fighting force that saw off enemies including a USbacked invasion at the Bay of Pigs.

Later, after the fall of former benefactor the Soviet Union sent Cuba into an economic tailspin and left it politically isolated, he launched market-style reforms to its centralised economy and sought to normalise relations with Western powers.

But he leaves office amid an economic crisis that has

Raul Castro

caused shortages of even basic goods and is threatening the universal access to quality healthcare and education hailed by supporters of Cuban socialism as among the most important achievements of the revolution.

Former US President Donald Trump unravelled a détente Castro reached with his predecessor Barack Obama and tightened the decades-old US trade embargo. The rollout of Internet has fuelled internal dissent.

Still, some 30 years after the end of the Cold War, Cuba remains one of the last Communist-run countries in the world.

“Always preferring the supportive role to his brother and carrying out that role brilliantly, Raul eventually had to take on Fidel’s leadership himself at a time when the revolution showed every sign of faltering,” said Hal Klepak, a Canadian historian living in Havana who wrote a book on Raul’s military life.

“That it is still there, wounded and shaken but still there, in the face of massively powerful forces out to destroy it, is no small part a result of his leadership.”

His retirement from the even more powerful position of Cuban Communist Party first secretary, expected to be made official on today, will end six decades of rule by the Castro brothers.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

Trinidad: Late Minister Khan saluted by Opposition

F

ormer Trinidad and Tobago Energy Minister Franklin Khan, who died on Saturday, was saluted by the Opposition for his personal qualities and for being part of Senate debates which helped advance the nation’s affairs.

In a statement on Sunday, the Leader of Opposition Business in the Senate, Wade Mark expressed the collective condolences of the Opposition Bench in the Senate on the sudden and untimely passing of Khan, who was the former leader of government business in the Senate, Saturday morning.

“As a former elected MP (Khan) and more so as a

Senator we have been engaged over the past few years in many healthy exchanges of important information pertinent to the management and business of the Senate. These exchanges contributed in assisting and propelling the Senate forward in the organisation of its affairs during his stewardship.

“Former Senator Khan was a quiet and unassuming individual who firmly promoted and championed the PNM Government’s agenda even in the face of stiff opposition from the United National Congress.”

Mark said Khan was extremely loyal and uncompromising in his promotion of the Government’s agen-

da, which Mark said had clashed at times with the national interest and the people’s ultimate welfare and well-being.

“In sanctifying his memory, we will always value his cordial approach to matters raised and discussed, his frankness of thoughts and views and his trademark smile and at times infectious sense of humour. Franklin Khan remained loyal and dedicated to his political views and party right to the very end.

“In celebrating his short, yet colourful, life on earth we would like to extend our collective condolences to his family, friends and associates.” (Excerpt from Trinidad Guardian)

Argentina receives AstraZeneca jabs amid anti-lockdown protests

A

rgentina has received a shipment of 864,000 AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines through the COVAX global vaccination programme, the Government said on Sunday, a day after demonstrations broke out against lockdown measures imposed in the Buenos Aires area.

The doses from the Netherlands come after Argentina received 218,000 jabs last month through COVAX, which aims to ensure lower-income nations have equitable access to much-needed vaccines.

The South American country has administered 6.2 million jabs since its vaccine roll-

out began in December of last year, while around 800,000 people are considered fully immunised after receiving two doses.

Argentines took to the streets on Saturday, however, to protest against new coronavirus-related restrictions in and around the capital, Buenos Aires, that came into effect on Friday.

The new measures, which include an 8pm curfew, school closures and a ban on activities in indoor public spaces, are expected to last through the end of the month.

Waving Argentinian flags and shouting slogans against President Alberto Fernandez.

The restrictions affect the

capital and its peripheries, an area home to 15 million people.

“Yesterday, the national government decided to break the mechanism of dialogue and consensus that we had for more than a year,” Horacio Rodriguez Larreta, head of the city government, said last week during a news conference. “I want to be very clear: we were not consulted about any of the measures taken.”

Last week, the Pan American Health Organisation said cases of COVID-19 were rising in Argentina, among other countries in Latin America.

(Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

boat carrying relief supplies to volcano-wracked St Vincent and the Grenadines sank Saturday, according to media reports.

The St Lucia Times reported that the relief vessel sank about 14:40h some six nautical miles South West of St Vincent.

The three people on board the vessel, which was travelling from St Lucia, were reportedly saved by another boat.

St Vincent has been thrown into turmoil since the La Soufrière volcano began erupting on Friday, April 9, blanketing the island in a layer of ash and forcing people to evacuate their homes.

Meanwhile, the University of the West Indies Seismic Research Centre (UWI-SRC), in an update on La Soufrière in St

Pyroclastic density currents reaching the coastline of St Vincent (UWI-SRC photo)

Vincent and the Grenadines at 06:00h Sunday, said “the swarm of long-period and hybrid earthquakes continues at La Soufrière”.

“These earthquakes still occur at a near-constant rate.”

An update on the Centre’s Facebook Page said small volcano-tectonic earthquakes are still being recorded occasionally, how-

ever, no episodes of tremor have been recorded since April 16.

“The volcano continues to erupt although there appears to be a pause in explosive activity at this time.

The volcano’s current pattern of seismic activity may indicate growth of a lava dome, but this has not yet been confirmed. (CMC and Nation News)

Man killed in plane crash off The Bahamas

T

he Civil Aviation Authority has launched an investigation following the death of a man after a plane crashed in waters near South Bimini late Friday.

It was reported that shortly before 22:00h, the Police were called to waters near the South Bimini International Airport, where the aircraft went down.

It was reported that the Police, assisted by residents

from Bimini, went to the crash site some 200 to 300 yards east of the airport runway.

Two men were pulled from the water – one was alert but appeared to be severely injured, the other appeared lifeless.

Both were taken to the Bimini Clinic where one of them was pronounced dead.

The Police reported that the aircraft left Tamami

Airport in Florida earlier in the day on Friday with four passengers.

They arrived at the South Bimini International Airport shortly before 09:00h and all four passengers disembarked.

Later that day, shortly after 21:00h, the plane took off with two passengers from the South Bimini International Airport before it crashed.

(CMC)

Mexico’s President to propose extending social programme to Central America

M

exico’s President has said he plans to propose to his US counterpart, Joe Biden a plan to extend to Central America a key Mexican social programme, as part of ongoing efforts to stem migration to the United States.

In a video message on Sunday, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said he wants to propose offering the Sembrando Vida programme, which provides work and support for the agricultural sector, in Central America.

“What I want to propose is that the programme Sembrando Vida is implemented in Central America,” Lopez Obrador said in the video.

“So people aren’t forced to migrate, and it helps the environment.”

Thousands of migrants and asylum seekers from Central America and Mexico have taken often perilous journeys north towards the US in recent years, fuelled by economic hardships, gang violence and natural disasters,

Asylum seekers from Central America who were deported from the US walk near the Lerdo Stanton international border bridge in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, on March 30 [Edgard Garrido/Reuters]

among other things.

US officials apprehended more than 172,000 people who had crossed into the country at its southern border with Mexico in March alone.

Many of those who crossed into the US were expelled under a Trump-era policy that effectively sealed the border to most migrants due to the coronavirus pandemic.

But the Biden Administration is allowing

unaccompanied children into the country, as well as some families – prompting it to deploy additional federal resources to the border and to open additional facilities to house people.

As of Thursday, more than 22,000 children were in US Government custody, the AP news agency reported, including more than 2500 who were still in substandard facilities run by US border authorities. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

guyanatimesgy.com

MONDAY, APRIL 19, 2021

19

Around the World

OILNEWS OIL NEWS Historic oil glut amassed during the pandemic has almost gone

T

he unprecedented oil inventory glut that amassed during the coronavirus pandemic is almost gone, underpinning a price recovery that’s rescuing producers but vexing consumers.

Barely a fifth of the surplus that flooded into the storage tanks of developed economies when oil demand crashed last year remained as of February, according to the International Energy Agency. Since then, the lingering remnants have been whittled away as supplies hoarded at sea plunge and a key depot in South Africa is depleted.

The re-balancing comes as OPEC and its allies keep vast swathes of production off-line and a tentative economic recovery rekindles global fuel demand. It’s propping international crude prices near US$67 a barrel, a boon for producers yet an increasing concern for motorists and governments wary of inflation.

“Commercial oil inventories across the OECD are already back down to their five-year average,” said Ed Morse, head of commodities research at Citigroup Inc. “What’s left of the surplus is almost entirely concentrated in China, which has been building a permanent petroleum reserve.”

The process isn’t quite complete. A considerable overhang appears to remain off the coast of China’s Shandong province, though this may have accumulated to feed new refineries, according to consultants IHS Markit Ltd. Working off the remainder of the global excess may take some more time, as OPEC+ is reviving some halted supplies and new virus outbreaks in India and Brazil threaten demand.

Still, the end of the glut at least appears to be in sight.

Oil inventories in developed economies stood just 57 million barrels above their 2015-2019 average as of February, down from a peak of 249 million in July, the IEA estimates.

It’s a stark turnaround from a year ago, when lockdowns crushed world fuel demand by 20 per cent and trading giant Gunvor Group Ltd fretted that storage space for oil would soon run out.

In the US, the inventory pile-up has effectively cleared already.

Total stockpiles of crude and products subsided in late February to 1.28 billion barrels -- a level seen before coronavirus erupted -- and continue to hover there, according to the Energy Information Administration. Last week, stockpiles in the East Coast fell to their lowest in at least 30 years.

“We’re starting to see refinery runs pick up in the US, which will be good for potential crude stock draws,” said Mercedes McKay, a senior analyst at consultants FGE. There have also been declines inside the nation’s Strategic Petroleum Reserve, the warren of salt caverns used to store oil for emergency use. Traders and oil companies were allowed to temporarily park oversupply there by former President Trump, and in recent months have quietly removed about 21 million barrels from the location, according to people familiar with the matter.

The oil surplus that gathered on the world’s seas is also diminishing. Ships were turned into makeshift floating depots when onshore facilities grew scarce last year, but the volumes have plunged, according to IHS Markit Ltd. They’ve tumbled about by 27 per cent in the past two weeks to 50.7 million barrels, the lowest in a year, IHS analysts Yen Ling Song and Fotios Katsoulas estimate.

A particularly vivid symbol is the draining of crude storage tanks at the logistically critical Saldanha Bay hub on the west coast of South Africa. It’s a popular location for traders, allowing them the flexibility to quickly send cargoes to different geographical markets.

Inventories at the terminal are set to fall to 24.5 million barrels, the lowest in a year, according to ship-tracking data monitored by Bloomberg.

For the 23-nation OPEC+ coalition led by Saudi Arabia and Russia, the decline is a vindication of the bold strategy they adopted a year ago. The alliance slashed output by 10 million barrels a day last April -- roughly 10 per cent of global supplies -- and is now in the process of carefully restoring some of the halted barrels.

The Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries has consistently said its key objective is to normalise swollen inventories, though it’s unclear whether the cartel will open the taps once that’s achieved. In the past, the lure of high prices has prompted the group to keep production tight even after reaching its stockpile target.

To consuming nations the great de-stocking is less of a blessing. Drivers in California are already reckoning with paying almost US$4 for a gallon of gasoline, data from the AAA auto club shows. India, a major importer, has complained about the financial pain of resurgent prices.

For better or worse, the re-balancing should continue. As demand picks up further, global inventories will decline at a rate of 2.2 million barrels a day in the second half, propelling Brent crude to US$74 a barrel or even higher, Citigroup predicts.

(Excerpt from Bloomberg)

Egypt: 11 dead, 98 injured after train derails near Cairo

E

leven people were killed and 98 injured in a train accident in Egypt’s Qalyubia province north of Cairo, the Health Ministry said in a statement.

The train was heading from Cairo to the Nile Delta city of Mansoura when four carriages derailed at 1:54 pm (11:54 GMT), about 40km (25 miles) north of Cairo, Egyptian National Railways said in a short statement.

The cause of the accident is being investigated, it added.

More than 50 ambulances rushed to the site and moved the injured to three hospitals in the province, the Health Ministry said.

Videos on social media purportedly showed carriages overturned and passengers escaping to safety along the railway.

Egypt has seen several

railway tragedies in recent years.

At least 20 people were killed and nearly 200 were injured in March when two trains collided near Tahta,

about 440km (275 miles) south of Cairo.

Earlier this week, 15 people were injured after another train derailed in the northern province of Minya

al-Qamh.

Egypt’s Transportation Minister Kamel al-Wazir, a former army general, has faced calls to resign from some Egyptians on social media. He has rejected these and said he would keep working on developing the ageing rail network.

In February 2019 an unmanned locomotive slammed into a barrier inside Cairo’s main Ramses railway station, causing a huge explosion and a fire that killed at least 25 people. That crash prompted the then-Transportation Minister to resign.

Egypt’s deadliest train crash was in 2002, when more than 370 people were killed after a fire broke out in an overnight train travelling from Cairo to southern Egypt. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

social media was flooded with people complaining about lack of beds, oxygen cylinders and drugs.

"The bigger worry is that in last 24 hours positivity rate has increased to around 30 per cent from 24 per cent ...

The cases are rising very rapidly. The beds are filling fast," Kejriwal told a news briefing.

In a separate statement, the city Government said it had informed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Federal

Administration about "the dire need of beds and oxygen" and beds were now being set up in schools.

New Delhi, which has imposed a weekend curfew, is among the worst-hit cities in India, where a second major wave of coronavirus infections is straining health infrastructure.

Nationwide, India reported 261,500 new cases on Sunday, taking the total number of cases to nearly 14.8 million, sec-

ond only to the United States, which has reported more than 31 million infections. The country's deaths from COVID-19 rose by a record 1501 to reach a total of 177,150.

As cases rise across India, criticism is mounting over how Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Administration has handled the health crisis, as religious festivals and election rallies attended by thousands continue. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Derailed train carriages in Egypt’s Qalyubia province north of Cairo

“Dire need of beds, oxygen”: India’s capital under siege from COVID-19

I

ndia’s capital New Delhi recorded 25,500 coronavirus cases in a 24-hour period, with about one in three people tested returning a positive result, its Chief Minister said, urging the Federal Government to provide more hospital beds to tackle the crisis.

Less than 100 critical care beds were available in the city of more than 20 million people, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Sunday, as

Table Mountain fire: Historic buildings destroyed in Cape Town

A

wildfire on the slopes of South Africa's Table Mountain has spread to the nearby University of Cape Town campus, forcing the evacuation of hundreds of students, officials say.

The blaze spread quickly after breaking out on Sunday morning near a memorial to politician Cecil Rhodes. A restaurant was destroyed.

The university's historic library and other buildings were also affected.

Four helicopters are water-bombing the flames.

South African National Parks said firefighters were alerted at 09:00 local time (07:00 GMT). The flames spread quickly because of the low humidity and dry bush.

This file photo of Table Mountain shows its position above Cape Town

The fire created its own wind further increasing the rate of spread, it added, estimating that firefighters would need at least three days to control the blaze.

"After the initial investiga-

tion, it is surmised that the origin of the fire is from a vacated vagrant fire," it said.

More than 120 firefighters have been deployed to the area, and one had to be sent to hospital for treatment with

burn wounds.

The fire partially destroyed the University of Cape Town's Jagger Library and the historic Mostert's Mill. Other buildings were also affected.

"All UCT students have been evacuated from campus by emergency services support staff," the university said on Twitter.

Residents in the area have been warned of smoke and soot in the air, and told to keep windows and doors closed.

Meanwhile, hikers in the Table Mountain National Park have been urged to leave and drivers who have parked in the area have been told to collect their vehicles. (Excerpt from BBC News)

Clashes in Pakistan after TLP takes several Police hostage

P

olice in Pakistan said a right-wing group has taken six security personnel hostage at its headquarters in Lahore on Sunday after a week of violent clashes following the arrest of the group’s leader.

Pakistan’s Government banned Tehreek-e-Labbaik (TLP) Pakistan earlier this week after supporters took to the streets to protest against the arrest of their leader, Muslim scholar Saad Rizvi.

“Today in the early morning, miscreants attacked Nawankot Police Station where [paramilitary] Rangers and police officers were trapped inside the police station and [Deputy Superintendent] Nawankot [was] kidnapped,” read a statement from the provincial police in Punjab, of which Lahore is the capital.

The statement said the attackers were armed with petrol bombs and had stolen a

tanker truck carrying 50,000 litres of petrol.

A senior Police officer and two paramilitary staff were among the six being held by supporters of TLP, Lahore police spokesman Arif Rana told Reuters news agency.

Police said they have launched a security operation against the group in response to the attack.

Pakistani news channels have been barred from providing coverage of the group since

it was banned, and on Sunday mobile and internet services were down in the area where clashes were taking place.

Addressing the media in the capital, Islamabad, Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed said the situation in Lahore was “tense”, with an operation centring on the Yateem Khana intersection, about a kilometre (0.6 miles) from a TLP regional headquarters building. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

20

MONDAY, APRIL 19, 2021

guyanatimesgy.com

ARCHIE

ARIES

(March 21April 19)

Pick up the pace, and finish what you start. Refuse to let emotional issues bog you down. A productive day will make you feel good about the future. Channel your energy into worthwhile endeavors.

Don't let others stand in your way. Focus on your (April 20goals, and use your skills and May 20) knowledge to improve your life. Romance is on the rise, and a promise will stabilize your personal life.

TAURUS

DILBERT

Stop talking and focus on GEMINI your work. Empty promises (May 21- will not leave a good impresJune 20) sion. If you take control and do things for yourself, it will improve your relationships with colleagues and friends.

CANCER (June 21July 22)

PEANUTS

LEO (July 23Aug. 22)

You'll gain perspective if you sit back and observe. The changes others make will give hints of what's to follow. Be bold and question anyone trying to put pressure on you. Do your own thing.

VIRGO (Aug. 23Sept. 22)

Reach out to people you find stimulating and entertaining. Doing so will spark your imagination and help you develop a plan that will improve your life. Romance is on the rise.

LIBRA (Sept. 23Oct. 23)

Keep the peace, even if someone tries to pick a fight.

Everyone has a right to his or her opinion, including you.

Broaden your outlook by being a good listener. Scrutinize information closely.

CALVIN AND HOBBES

SCORPIO

SUDOKU

ush for what you want and what you believe. Refuse to let anyone limit what you can do.

An unexpected change will influence your income. Don't give anyone control over your journey.

(Oct. 24Nov. 22)

Let your intuition lead the way, and you'll lower your overhead and make your home less stressful. Eliminate negativity and situations that leave you feeling unhinged.

Follow your heart.

Learn from your mistakes SAGITTARIUS when dealing with money (Nov. 23matters, joint ventures and Dec. 21) contracts. Make your objective clear to avoid a misunderstanding. Stabilize your life.

Channel emotional enerCAPRICORN gy into something productive.

(Dec. 22Use your imagination and Jan. 19) take a new and exciting ap-

proach to work. Getting along with partners and colleagues will be essential.

SATURDAY'S WORD - WINDFALL

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

Pay attention to detail, and do the best job possible.

Don't fold under pressure or let anyone bully you into doing something you don't want to do. Use your intelligence to overcome opposition.

It's time to make a change PISCES that will give you the free(Feb. 20dom to follow your heart and March 20) dreams. Anger will be a waste of time. Pour your energy into what matters most to you.

MONDAY, APRIL 19, 2021

21

AB, Maxwell make it 3 out of 3 for RCB R

oyal Challengers Bangalore ended their Chennai leg of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 with a hat-trick of wins, beating Kolkata Knight Riders on the back of explosive half-centuries from Glenn Maxwell and AB de Villiers.

Maxwell made a 49-ball 78, his second fifty of the season, while de Villiers clubbed an unbeaten 34-ball 76. Between them, they hit 18 fours and six sixes to take the Royal Challengers to 204 for 4 after Virat Kohli chose to bat in the afternoon game, and that total proved 38 runs too much for the Knight Riders.

The Knight Riders were aggressive through their chase, but lost wickets regularly.

Shubman Gill, Rahul Tripathi, and Eoin Morgan got starts, and Andre Russell muscled 31 off 20 balls at the back end, but the West Indian's expensive bowling spell at the death – he conceded 38 runs in two overs – ended up as his more decisive contribution. The win for Kohli's men kept them at the top of the points table while the Knight Riders ended their Chepauk run with two defeats in three games.

A topsy-turvy day for Chakravarthy The Knight Riders began with Harbhajan Singh for a third straight game after the Royal Challengers chose to bat, and Virat Kohli under-edged a free-hit in the first over, which nutmegged the wicketkeeper and went for four. However, he was out in the next over to Varun Chakravarthy, mistiming an attempted drive to be caught

by Tripathi running back from cover. Four balls later, a slider from Chakravarthy bowled Rajat Patidar, who had replaced Daniel Christian in the Royal Challengers' XI. Morgan did not continue with Chakravarthy after that two-wicket over, even though

AB de Villiers and Glenn Maxwell destroyed the KKR bowlers

Devdutt Padikkal and Maxwell were new at the crease. When he returned for his second over after the powerplay, the duo hit him for 14. And in his last spell, he conceded a further 22 off 12 balls, raising more question marks over Morgan's use of his mystery spinner's overs.

Maxwellball once again Coming in when the ball was still new, Maxwell settled in with seven runs in his first seven balls, and rode a bit of luck when he inside-edged a Pat Cummins delivery for four past his leg stump. But that opened the gates for Maxwell, and the Royal Challengers, who had made a slow start until then, having had 19 for 2 after four overs.

Maxwell capitalised on Shakib Al Hasan's wayward lengths, shanking a six over midwicket and switch-hitting a four over point in the sixth over.

That 17-run over from Shakib helped the Royal Challengers reach 45 for 2 after the powerplay, and Maxwell clobbered five more fours and another six off the next five overs. Cummins was scythed over point and flat-batted through mid-off, Chakravarthy dispatched over long-on and

through square leg, Prasidh Krishna rifled through point, and Singh crunched over extra cover. By the time Padikkal was out for a 28-ball 25 in the 12th over, Maxwell had raced to 60 in 34 balls.

With a grandstand finish expected in de Villiers' company, Maxwell continued with his sweet timing. He carved Cummins through third man and hammered Chakravarthy for a six over cover. However, Cummins got the better of him off the last ball of his spell when the batter top-edged a pull to fine leg to depart with 78 off 49 balls. By then, the Royal Challengers were already on 148 with three overs left and de Villiers already looking imperious.

When de Villiers walked in after Padikkal's dismissal, the Royal Challengers were 95 for 3 with 8.5 overs remaining. Quick singles and doubles helped him get his eye in, and he began his onslaught with consecutive fours off Chakravarthy in the 15th over. He followed up with back-to-back boundaries off Krishna to reach 31 in 18 balls without breaking a sweat.

But he saved his best for last, after Maxwell's dismissal.

With 18 balls to go, and the Royal Challengers at 148, de Villiers tore into Andre Russell, clobbering him for a six and two fours – one over deep midwicket and two behind point – as the bowler tried to go full and wide. He then launched Singh – entrusted with bowling the 19th – with a six over extra-cover to reach his half-century in 27 balls.

In the last over, de Villiers muscled another 21 runs, hitting Russell over his head, over midwicket, past short third man and over Russell's head once more. With Kyle Jamieson chipping in with 11 off 4, the Royal Challengers hit 56 in their last three overs, finishing on 204 for 4 with de Villiers unbeaten on 76 off 34 balls.

Knight Riders' top order falters Gill got the chase underway by crashing Mohammed Siraj to the cover boundary in the first over. He then smacked Jamieson for a four and two sixes in the space of four deliveries to race to 21 off just eight balls. But he paid the price of going full throttle next ball, when his uppish drive found the flying Christian at mid-on.

No three Tripathi then struck five fours in 19 balls to race away to 25, but was deceived by a slower Washington Sundar delivery, which he top-edged to midwicket. Nitish Rana, who started the day wearing the Orange Cap, began slowly but seemed to be changing gears when he hit Yuzvendra Chahal for two fours in three balls in the seventh over. But the next ball was hit too well, and he found deep midwicket for 18. Dinesh Karthik's stay was short-lived as he was trapped lbw by Chahal with a wrong'un that reduced the Knight Riders to 74 for 4 after 8.3 overs. These were the first wickets for Chahal in the competition so far.

Too much for Russell to do Morgan and Shakib tried

to keep the momentum going, but only one of them was succeeding. Morgan hit two sixes and a four in his 23-ball 29, but Shakib struggled with his timing, and was eventually bowled by Jamieson for 26 off 25.

After Morgan's dismissal to Harshal Patel, the Knight Riders needed 91 off 38 balls. Shakib couldn't find the boundaries, but Russell gave the Royal Challengers a brief scare. He

swatted Chahal for 6, 4, 4, 4 in the 17th over, but even after that over the asking rate was nearly 20 an over. Jamieson's 18th didn't go for enough, and Siraj kept hitting the blockhole in a 19th over peppered with refused singles from Russell.

With six balls to go, Knight Riders needed 43, and Russell soon dragged Patel onto the stumps.

Patel finished with 2 for 17 in his four, and Jamieson with 3 for 41.

(ESPN Cricinfo)

SCOREBOARD RCB INNINGS Virat Kohli (c) c Tripathi b Varun 5 Devdutt Padikkal c Tripathi b Prasidh Krishna 25 Rajat Patidar b Varun 1 Glenn Maxwell c Harbhajan Singh b Cummins 78 AB de Villiers † not out 76 Kyle Jamieson not out 11 Extras (nb 3, w 5) 8 TOTAL (20 Ov, RR: 10.20) 204/4 Did not bat: Washington Sundar, Shahbaz Ahmed, Harshal Patel, Mohammed Siraj, Yuzvendra Chahal Fall of wickets: 1-6 (Virat Kohli, 1.2 ov), 2-9 (Rajat Patidar, 1.6 ov), 3-95 (Devdutt Padikkal, 11.1 ov), 4-148 (Glenn Maxwell, 16.6 ov) BOWLING Harbhajan Singh Varun Chakravarthy Shakib Al Hasan Pat Cummins Prasidh Krishna Andre Russell

4-0-38-0 4-0-39-2 2-0-24-0 4-0-34-1 4-0-31-1 2-0-38-0

KOLKATA KNIGHT RIDERS INNINGS (TARGET: 205 RUNS FROM 20 OVERS) Nitish Rana c Padikkal b Chahal 18 Shubman Gill c sub (DT Christian) b Jamieson 21 Rahul Tripathi c Mohammed Siraj b Washington Sundar 25 Eoin Morgan (c)c Kohli b Patel 29 Dinesh Karthik † lbw b Chahal 2 Shakib Al Hasan b Jamieson 26 Andre Russell b Patel 31 Pat Cummins c †de Villiers b Jamieson 6 Harbhajan Singh not out 2 Varun Chakravarthy not out 2 Extras (w 4) 4 TOTAL (20 Ov, RR: 8.30) 166/8 Did not bat: Prasidh Krishna Fall of wickets: 1-23 (Shubman Gill, 1.5 ov), 2-57 (Rahul Tripathi, 5.6 ov), 3-66 (Nitish Rana, 6.5 ov), 4-74 (Dinesh Karthik, 8.3 ov), 5-114 (Eoin Morgan, 13.4 ov), 6-155 (Shakib Al Hasan, 17.4 ov), 7-161 (Pat Cummins, 17.6 ov), 8-162 (Andre Russell, 19.1 ov) BOWLING Mohammed Siraj Kyle Jamieson Yuzvendra Chahal Washington Sundar Glenn Maxwell Harshal Patel

3-0-17-0 3-0-41-3 4-0-34-2 4-0-33-1 2-0-24-0 4-0-17-2

Verstappen takes victory from Hamilton and Norris in action-packed Grand Prix

M

ax Verstappen took a superb victory in an action-packed Emilia Romagna Grand Prix that was redflagged half way through after a high-speed crash involving Valtteri Bottas and George Russell, from which both walked away unhurt.

Lewis Hamilton recovered from a spin at Tosa to finish second, while Lando Norris made it from seventh to third with a terrific drive that earned him the Driver of the Day tag.

For the 99th time in his F1 career, Hamilton started from pole as rain fell at Imola, but it was Verstappen who jumped from third to first with a masterful second-gear launch. Hamilton briefly led again when Verstappen pitted for mediums from intermediates on Lap 27, but the Briton emerged second thanks to his sluggish stop one lap later. On Lap 31, the seven-time champion locked up and beached his car at Tosa, only to rejoin P8.

A terrifying accident followed that as Bottas and Russell came together at Tamburello. Both were thankfully unhurt, but Bottas was apparently winded and Russell furious as another potential points finish slipped away from the

Williams driver in a spectacular fashion.

The red flag followed to allow marshals to clear the cars and debris, and the rolling restart saw Verstappen keep his lead, with Hamilton quickly making up ground from P8. A brilliant recovery followed, with the world champion up to fifth by Lap 43, fourth by Lap 50 and third – at the expense of Leclerc – by Lap 55.

Victory was to be Verstappen’s, however, and by a margin over 20 seconds at the flag as the action behind did nothing to rattle him. That left Hamilton second, Norris third thanks to a sensational drive from P7, and Leclerc fourth – his podium having slipped away to the superior McLaren of Norris, who had jumped the Ferrari after the red flag restart.

Carlos Sainz finished fifth even after two trips through the gravel, while Daniel Ricciardo took sixth for McLaren having started there.

Lance Stroll was once again rapid in the wet and made it to P7 from P10, ahead of Pierre Gasly whose choice to start on wets didn’t pay off, leaving him as low as 17th on Lap 16 when he bit the bullet and swapped to inters.

Alfa Romeo’s Kimi Raikkonen started 16th, but made it up to P11 in the wet, taking P9 when Bottas and Russell came together. That left Esteban Ocon, who started ninth, rounding out the top 10 for Alpine’s first point of the season. (F1)

22 Dhawan’s 92 trumps Agarwal, Rahul fifties as Delhi Capitals cruise past big target S

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

MONDAY, APRIL 19, 2021

hikhar Dhawan's 49-ball 92 outshone Mayank Agarwal and KL Rahul's half-centuries as the Delhi Capitals beat the Punjab Kings by six wickets in a run-fest at the Wankhede Stadium.

After being sent in, Agarwal and Rahul gave the Kings a blazing start of 122 in 12.4 overs. Agarwal was the aggressor, hitting seven fours and four sixes in his 36-ball 69, while Rahul played second fiddle with 61 off 51 deliveries.

The Kings posted a formidable 195 for 4, but Dhawan and Shaw laid the platform for the Capitals' chase with a start of 59 in 5.3 overs.

A f t e r that, it was the Dhawan show.

Targeting primarily the leg side, the opener struck 13 fours and two sixes and kept the Capitals on par with the required rate.

For the second time in three games he had a chance to score a h u n -

dred. He failed once again, but his knock had put the Capitals ahead. So much that when Marcus Stoinis hit the winning boundary, there were still 10 balls left.

for no loss.

Dhawan continues the carnage

Agarwal, Rahul provide dream start

Chris Woakes conceded only five in the opening over, but a 20-run second over opened the floodgates for the Kings. That over, left-arm seamer Lukman Meriwala's first in the Indian Premier League (IPL), featured a dropped catch, a misfield, a no-ball, three fours and a six. By the end of the fifth over, Agarwal and Rahul had added 50, of which the latter's contribution was a run-a-ball 18.

Kagiso Rabada was introduced into the attack in the sixth over; Rahul greeted him with a four through point, but largely looked subdued. Agarwal, meanwhile, was batting on a different plane. With a four off Avesh Khan, he raced away to his fifty in just 25 balls.

The harshest punishment was perhaps meted out to arguably the best bowlers in the Capitals' side. On the first ball of the 11th over, Agarwal cleared his front leg and launched Rabada over long-off.

Rabada responded with a bouncer, but erred down the leg side. Agarwal swivelled and pulled it over fine leg for another six.

A ball later, Rahul too joined in with a six o v e r

deep square leg.

Meriwala eventually broke the stand when Agarwal holed out to sweeper cover trying to reach out for a wide delivery. It was Rahul's 29th birthday and it looked like the Capitals' fielders did not want to spoil his day. Smith dropped him in the second over, Shaw failed to hold on to a screamer in the 12th and Stoinis grassed a regulation chance in the 15th.

Rahul was on 9, 42, and 50 respectively; Meriwala the unlucky bowler on the first occasion, Avesh on the next two. Stoinis eventually made amends when he caught him off Rabada in the 16th over.

Hooda, Shahrukh take Kings close to 200

Deepak Hooda continued his good form with an unbeaten 22 not out off 13 balls. Coming in at number four, he smashed Rabada for six off the first ball he

William Walker wins Bank of Baroda Gold Tourney

T

he Bank of Baroda Golf Tournament was held Saturday at the Lusignan Golf Club (LGC) with William Walker taking top honours.

Present for the occasion were the Bank’s Managing Director , Arun Gupta and members of staff.

Twenty-one golfers participated in the tourney, which also saw the presence of dignitaries such as Finance Minister, Dr Ashni Singh; Indian High Commissioner, Dr KJ Srinivasa and the acting UNICEF Resident Representative for Guyana and Suriname, Irfan Akhtar.

The top four results are as follows: 1st place: William Walker – handicap 11 gross 80 net 69 2nd place: Maxim Mangra – handicap 15 gross 56 net 71 3rd place: Gavin Todd – handicap 20 gross 91 net 71 4th place: Aasrodeen Shaw – handicap 12 gross 84 net 72

faced. Later, he went down on one knee to carve Avesh over the extra-cover boundary for another.

Chris Gayle and Nicholas Pooran fell in search of quick runs, leaving the Kings 179 for 4 after 19 overs. Shahrukh Khan, though, muscled Woakes for two fours and a six in the final over to take the side close to 200.

Dhawan-Shaw onslaught

Chasing 196, Dhawan and Prithvi Shaw did not waste any time and gave their side an even better start than the Kings had got. Rahul tried four different bowlers in the first four overs – Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Shami, Jalaj Saxena, and Jhye Richardson – and each one of them went for at least ten in their respective overs.

When Shami returned in the fifth over, Dhawan creamed him for three fours. By the end of the fifth over, the Capitals were 57

The Capitals openers were running away with the game, just like they had done against the Chennai Super Kings while chasing 189, but Shaw ended up miscuing a pull against Arshdeep and fell for a 17ball 32. Steven Smith laboured for a 12-ball nine before his ugly swat against Riley Meredith was caught at third man.

Dhawan, though, kept batting in the same vein.

Having reached his fifty in 31 balls, he stepped out against Shami and hit him for a six over long-on.

But it was the 14th over, bowled by Meredith, that turned the game decisively in the Capitals' favour.

Dhawan started the over by hitting the first three balls for fours. The next delivery went for five wides down the leg side. By the time the over ended, Dhawan had moved into the 90s and the Capitals needed 53 off 36 balls with eight wickets in hand.

Stoinis sees the Capitals home

Dhawan fell eight short of a hundred when he was bowled while trying to swipe Richardson fine. From the other end, Arshdeep bowled a quiet over to make it 36 needed from 24 balls. But Stoinis quelled any hopes the Kings may have developed by hitting two fours and a six off Shami in 17th over. He also hit the winning runs, dispatching Meredith to the midwicket boundary for four to finish with an unbeaten 27 off 13 balls. (ESPN cricinfo)

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SCOREBOARD KXIP INNINGS KL Rahul (c)†c Stoinis b Rabada 61 Mayank Agarwal c Dhawan b Meriwala 69 Chris Gayle c sub (RV Patel) b Woakes 11 Deepak Hooda not out 22 Nicholas Pooran c Rabada b Avesh Khan 9 Shahrukh Khan not out 15 Extras (lb 6, nb 2) 8 TOTAL (20 Ov, RR: 9.75) 195/4 Did not bat: Jalaj Saxena, Jhye Richardson, Mohammed Shami, Riley Meredith, Arshdeep Singh Fall of wickets: 1-122 (Mayank Agarwal, 12.4 ov), 2-141 (KL Rahul, 15.2 ov), 3-158 (Chris Gayle, 16.2 ov), 4-179 (Nicholas Pooran, 18.5 ov) BOWLING Chris Woakes Lukman Meriwala Ravichandran Ashwin Kagiso Rabada Lalit Yadav Avesh Khan

4-0-42-1 3-0-32-1 4-0-28-0 4-0-43-1 1-0-11-0 4-0-33-1

DELHI CAPITALS INNINGS (TARGET: 196 RUNS FROM 20 OVERS) Prithvi Shaw c Gayle b Arshdeep Singh 32 Shikhar Dhawan b Richardson 92 Steven Smith c Richardson b Meredith 9 Rishabh Pant (c)†c Hooda b Richardson 15 Marcus Stoinis not out 27 Lalit Yadav not out 12 Extras (lb 2, nb 3, w 6) 11 TOTAL (18.2 Ov, RR: 10.80) 198/4 Did not bat: Lukman Meriwala, Chris Woakes, Ravichandran Ashwin, Kagiso Rabada, Avesh Khan Fall of wickets: 1-59 (Prithvi Shaw, 5.3 ov), 2-107 (Steven Smith, 10.6 ov), 3-152 (Shikhar Dhawan, 14.5 ov), 4-180 (Rishabh Pant, 17.1 ov) BOWLING Arshdeep Singh Mohammed Shami Jalaj Saxena Jhye Richardson Deepak Hooda Riley Meredith

3-0-22-1 4-0-53-0 3-0-27-0 4-0-41-2 2-0-18-0 2.2-0-35-1

223-7230-1 (Ext 55)

MONDAY, APRIL 19, 2021

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

23

West Indies tour in jeopardy

after CSA reneges on agreement S

South African Sport Minister Nathi Mthethwa

outh Africa's upcoming visit to the Caribbean could be in jeopardy in the wake of highest authority of Cricket South Africa (CSA) reneging on their agreement to adopt a new constitution. West Indies are due to host them for two Tests and five T20 Internationals in June, but by then the Proteas may not be the country's officially-recognised team.

A Government release on Sunday said Sports Minister Nathi Mthethwa had been "left .. with no further option but to exercise his rights in terms of section 13(5) of the Sports Act". That law allows Mthethwa to strip federations of the privilege of calling their teams national sides and to stop funding them.

On April 10, a CSA release said a "majority of the members council [had decided to] accept the principle of a majority independent board led by an independent chairperson". At a special online meeting on Saturday, the council, comprising the Presidents of CSA's 14 provinces and associates, refused to do what it had said it would do: it voted against the motion.

That means cricket in South Africa remains structurally unsound. Seven of the 12 places on CSA's Board are reserved for the members council, leaving the door open for cronyism and the kind of poor governance that has led to cricket losing major sponsors and damaging its relationship with broadcasters.

An interim board, established with

Kieron Pollard and his white-ball team were initially set to play five T20s against South Africa

Government help and appointed after the elected board laden with council members was persuaded to resign, has been in place since November. The new Board's chief mandate is to fix CSA's faulty memorandum of incorporation (MoI). On April 10 it seemed that was about to be achieved. On Saturday, the glimmer of hope was dashed.

Council member Donovan May - -a member of the dysfunctional elected board that was pushed out of office – proposed that Barry Hendricks, the president of the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC), be allowed to address the meeting despite the fact that Hendricks was in attendance as an observ-

Jamual John storms to victory in Team Alanis/ GCF 60-miler F

resh from a stint in the United States of America, national cyclist Jamual John returned to home soil and registered a crushing win in the Team Alanis/Guyana Cycling Federation (GCF) 60-mile road race, stopping the clock at 2 hours, 23 minutes.

Jamual, who showed aggression, strength and skill, took the final attack with 400 metres remaining in the race, leaving his dust ahead of Briton John, who finished second after suffering mechanical problems. Forty wheelsmen took centre stage at Carifesta Avenue and transformed the East Coast roadways into their battlefield, with the turning point at Mahaicony, East Coast Demerara (ECD).

Team Evolution's Christopher Griffith came in third position while top veteran cyclist Alex Mendes came in fourth. Berbician Andrew Hicks rode in fifth while Deeraj Gharbarran finished sixth. Mendes, who continues to impress this season, emerged as the top rider in the Masters category while Paul Choweenam was second and Jaikarran Sookhai came in third.

David Hicks was the top junior wheelsman while his Berbice counterpart, Mario Washington came in second and Shurwyn Sampson finished third. Jamual and Briton had two sprint prizes while Andrew Hicks and Marcus Keiler had one sprint prize each.

The National COVID-19 Task Force had given the GCF the green light to proceed with the race, and the Guyana Police Force (GPF) had been duly notified. Champion rider Jamual John won the first prize of $20,000, while second-place Briton received $18,000.

The GCF expressed gratitude to the National COVID-19 Task Force and the GPF for their continued support for the development of cycling in the country, as Sunday's event was hailed as a success.

er only. Hendricks demanded that the new MoI be sent to SASCOC "for approval before it is signed off", and threatened to "suspend, fine and terminate the membership" of CSA if that did not happen. SASCOC, which serves as an interface between sport and Government, is itself beset with reputational damage caused by financial, corruption, sexual harassment and governance scandals. But it has the authority to do what Hendricks said it could.

So Mthethwa's hand is being forced.

Sunday's release spoke of his "disappointment at the failure of the CSA delegates to adopt the revised MoI". Clearly, Government sees the members council as the rotten apple

in the barrel: "The revised MoI ... constituted an agreement between the CSA members council and the interim board. Accordingly, any failure to ratify such an agreement entered into by a duly-authorised members council representative can only be interpreted as acting in bad faith."

Mthethwa "will be taking the necessary steps required to exercise his rights in terms of the law prescripts next week".

If he decides CSA's teams are no longer the country's national sides, CSA could lay a complaint of interference with the International Cricket Council (ICC). Should the ICC concur, it could suspend CSA's membership. Then Mthethwa looks like the bad guy and the members council would have the ammunition to get him to back down.

But Mthethwa has previously explained his actions to the ICC, which has been silent on the issue. That amounts, many would think, to the ICC's tacit approval of what Mthethwa has done so far. And the ICC has enough precedent of State involvement in cricket in Pakistan and India to cover itself and justify backing Mthethwa.

The members council has a clear vested interest – which is also a clear conflict of interest – in continuing to make its own rules and mark its own homework. It is notorious for resorting to stalling tactics to cling to power and its trappings. In an echo of what happened on Saturday, in August 2012 CSA pledged to "implement the letter and spirit of the recommendations contained in the Nicholson report". That has yet to happen, not least because Nicholson calls for a majority independent Board.

Mthethwa and the ICC are the only figures in this saga who can neuter the members council, which must be done for the game to emerge from years of increasing ruin. It's time to see who blinks first. (cricbuzz)

El Salvador defeat Guyana in exciting finish

T

Briton John

he host team, El Salvador (1-1) debuted with an exciting 92-90 victory over Guyana on the third day of the FIBA World Cup Central America and the Caribbean Pre-Qualifiers 2023, at Adolfo Pineda Gymnasium in San Salvador.

The hosts, out of sheer courage, came back from a 13-point deficit at the start of the fourth, led by the monstrous performance of centre Ronnie Aguilar, who scored 35 points, with 16 rebounds, three steals and three blocks.

Aguilar tied the game at 89 with 1:28 minutes remaining, but the turning point was scored by Brayan García, after an offensive rebound, which put his team in front 91-90, with just 26 seconds on the clock.

Guyana were left without execution and lost two possessions in the last minute. Then, Roberto Martínez, who produced 24 points, was sent to the foul line and made one of his shots, leaving the possibility open for his rivals. But with five seconds left, Rose missed a three-pointer and the home team took the victory.

With this setback, Guyana are now 0-3 despite Delroy James’ 25 points and 5 assists and Rose’s 19 points with 10 rebounds.

Costa Rica faced Guyana last evening and El Salvador met Nicaragua.

The top three teams will advance to the second round of the FIBA World Cup Americas Pre-Qualifiers 2023, scheduled for July. (FIBA)

MONDAY, APRIL 19, 2021

Dhawan’s 92 trumps Agarwal, Rahul fifties as Delhi Capitals cruise past big target

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

Page 22

Page 22

Jamual John storms to victory in Team Alanis/ GCF West Indies tour 60-miler in jeopardy after CSA reneges on agreement Page 23

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