Guyana Times - Saturday, December 31, 2022

Durban Street murder

Ballistics test links weapon found at suspect’s home to murder of businessman

– suspect confesses to crime

Ballistics tests carried out on the weapon recovered at the home of Andrew Ridley have indicated that it is the same weapon that was used to kill Businessman Shimron Adams, aka Shem, who was gunned down at his business place in Lodge, Georgetown on Boxing Night.

Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum made this disclosure, and stated that Ridley, also known as “Aids Man”, a resident of of Campbell Street, Albouystown, Georgetown, has confessed to committing the heinous crime with the help of an accomplice.

This development has come just two days after Police arrested Ridley’s girlfriend and another wom-

an, who were on scene at the time of the murder and robbery. Under questioning, Ridley’s girlfriend told investigators that she had

shared an intimate relationship with both the businessman and the suspect, and when her boyfriend had found out that she and the

businessman were involved in a relationship, he had threatened to rob the businessman. She said she had recognised the suspects on the night of the murder and robbery when they barged into the business place.

Ridley, the main suspect in the murder/robbery, was arrested on Wednesday, and the murder weapon was recovered in his home. Akelow Marshall, 20, another suspect in the case, was arrested on Thursday afternoon.

Marshall resides at Lot 273 Independence Boulevard, East La Penitence, Georgetown, but was nabbed by Police in East Berbice, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne). Ranks have said that at the time of Marshall’s arrest, they were

acting on information received that the suspect was attempting to flee the country to Suriname.

Shimron Adams, aka Shem, was killed during a daring robbery committed at his business place at Durban and Chapel Streets in Lodge, Georgetown on Boxing Night. The 41-yearold, who had operated a liquor store, hailed from Macaw Drive in Kaneville, East Bank Demerara. He was attacked by two male suspects who were reportedly wearing surgical face masks, one of whom was also armed with a handgun.

According to Adams’s 29-year-old lover, at around 21:30h on Boxing Night, she had gone to Adams’s business place, and at that time the businessman was wearing a gold finger ring and one gold band, and had a small bag hanging on his shoulder.

At about 23:30h, Adams closed his business place and started to pack items into a freezer. About ten minutes later, Adams opened the shutter for them to leave from the bottom flat, and in the blink of an eye, the two suspects entered the building via the same shutter and ordered them to lie on the ground, and they complied.

The unarmed suspect

then took off the businessman’s gold band and finger ring, and ordered him to get up, which he did. She said the suspect then held onto the businessman’s shoulder bag and pulled at it, but Adams continued to hold onto the bag to prevent the suspect from taking it.

The suspect who was armed with the firearm then discharged a round at Adams, and it struck him in his right abdomen. He fell to the ground, remained unconscious, and was subsequently rushed to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

The scene was processed by ranks from CID Headquarters, and one 9mm spent shell and one warhead were recovered.

Prior to this murder and robbery, Ridley was wanted in connection with the murder of Dexter McFarlene, who was killed during a shootout in Laing Avenue, West Ruimveldt, Georgetown on November 11, 2022. He is currently before the court for discharging a loaded firearm at a man with intent to harm him back in July 2022; and, in January, he was charged with robbing a woman at gunpoint of over $4.5 million in jewellery, cash, and cell phones.

Akelow Marshall and Andrew Ridley have been arrested for the murder of Shimron Adams

Dead: Businessman Shimron Adams, aka Shem

BRIDGE

Pres Ali swears in 5 of 7 TSC members – charges Commissioners not to take responsibility lightly

FERRY SCHEDULE

After months of delay, the Teaching Service Commission (TSC) is now being reconstituted with the swearing-in of five new members on Friday – a move that has now paved the way for the appointment and promotion of teachers within the public education system.

The five new members of the TSC who took their oath of office before President Dr Irfaan Ali at the Office of the President (OP) are: Maydha Persaud, Doodmattie Singh, Joan Monkhouse, Shafiran Bhajan, and Mohammed Saddam Hussain.

The other two members, Avril Crawford and Satti Jaiserriesing, had prior commitments on Friday and would be sworn in at a later date.

The Commission will have a lifespan of three years with its Chairperson and Deputy Chair being elected after the body is fully constituted. Further, the TSC Chairperson, Deputy Chair, and one other member will be full-time members.

The TSC is in charge of appointing, disciplining, and removing teachers when necessary.

During brief remarks, President Ali charged the newly sworn-in members of the Commission to take their responsibilities seriously.

“The functions entrusted to the Commission must, therefore, not be taken lightly. I encourage you to be faithful to that oath. Your actions will contribute to no small measure in ensuring that the teaching profession is populated by persons that are worthy of educating the present and future generations,” he stated.

The Guyanese Leader further underscored the importance of teachers to Guyana’s education system.

President Dr Irfaan Ali

“Teachers are the backbone of our education system. They're responsible for moulding the minds of our children, equipping them with the knowledge, skills and the right attitude, readying them for higher education and for their varied roles in society,” he said.

Therefore, the Head of State posited that teachers were not only indispensable to the education system but vital to the fashioning of responsible citizenry. He added that since teachers had a defining role in society, it was necessary that great care and attention are taken in making appointments to the profession.

On this note, President Ali said that the Commission would have a vital role to play in ensuring that the right persons were placed in the classroom to teach the country’s future generations.

“Placing ill-qualified and ill-suited persons to educate our children can be disastrous to our children's future and the human resource development of the country. It’s equally necessary that within the teaching profession, appointments and promotions are dispensed in a fair and just manner,” the Guyanese Leader contended.

In order for the country’s children to benefit from

high-quality education, he went on to say that such appointments and promotions must be based on merit and be void of favouritism, cronyism, and nepotism.

Equally essential to this, according to the President, is that disciplinary action against teachers be judicious, fair and in conformity with due process, including provisions of the laws of Guyana.

He further contended that the establishment of the Commission was intended to insulate appointments, promotions and disciplining of teachers from any political interference or influence.

“Through the exercise of its mandate, the Teaching Service Commission makes a vital contribution to enhancing professionalism within the teaching profession. By ensuring fairness in appointments, the Commission encourages teachers to pursue rewarding careers with the expectation that they will not be discriminated against or treated unfairly,” the Head of State stressed.

President Ali concluded by wishing the newly swornin TSC members an impactful tenure as Commissioners.

The life of the previous TSC came to an end last year after being appointed in 2018. The members of that Commission included Avril Crawford, Alan Munroe, Elizabeth Ramlall, Amjad Ali Shaw, Debra Thomas, and Barbara Thomas-Holder, with the Chief Education Officer as an ex-officio member.

Back in May, President Ali and Opposition Leader Aubrey Norton had met for the first time and agreed to consult on the appointment of the TSC, along with several other bodies including the Police Service Commission,

Integrity Commission, and the Judicial Service Commission. This was in keeping with the Constitution, which stipulates that “meaningful consultation” be held on these appointments.

However, Norton had failed to show up to subsequent meetings with the Head of State, who went ahead and swore in the members of the Police Service Commission and the Integrity Commission.

The Opposition Leader then filed legal action in the High Court to challenge the appointment of these two Commissions, over claims that the President did not consult with him. He was seeking to have the court overturn the appointments of the Chairpersons of the Police Service Commission and the Integrity Commission.

In August, however, acting Chief Justice Roxane George confirmed that these appointments were lawfully made. The Opposition Leader has since appealed that decision, according to reports in September.

The new members of the PSC, who were sworn-in in May, are: Attorney-at-Law Lloyd Mark Conway; businessman Ernesto Choo-a-Fat and Pastor Patrick Findlay, who will serve as Chairman.

Businessman Hakeem Mohammed, who was also appointed to the Commission, will be sworn in at a later date.

Meanwhile, the Integrity Commission has Demerara Bank Corporate Secretary Chandra Gajraj as its Chairperson; along with Attorney-at-Law Mohamed Haniff , former Solicitor General Kim Kyte-Thomas, Hardesh Tiwari, and Wayne Chris Bowman as members.

(Vahnu Manickchand)

Editor: Tusika Martin

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Email: news@guyanatimesgy.com, marketing@guyanatimesgy.com

Atomic Habits

Today, the last day of the year, thoughts will be turning to New Year’s resolutions – those from last year we didn’t keep and our resolutions for 2023, and it bears repeating our previous thoughts on how we might keep our resolutions.

In his book, Atomic Habits – Tiny Changes Remarkable Results, James Clear flushes out puts forward actionable strategies for creating or reinforcing good habits and discontinuing or minimising unhelpful habits – a strategy for keeping New Year’s resolutions.

He uses the word Atomic in a counter-intuitive sense in that it refers to very small (as in the word atom) changes that can have large impacts, rather than great and powerful habits all at once, as the title appears to imply at first glance.

The challenge is that good habits such as exercising daily are harder to maintain than bad habits because of the latency between the habit and the outcome (or reward). For example, exercise leads to longer-term health but there is a latency between exercising and its long-term benefits showing up. The six-pack abs take a while to show and the life-long health benefits take many years. Good habits are harder to start and maintain but have great long-term benefits. Bad habits on the other hand tend to yield instant or near-term gratification, although the longer-term outcomes tend to be bad – such as in the case of smoking.

Bad habits, therefore, tend to persist while good habits are more easily extinguished. Habits, good and bad, become automatic and ingrained over time, or to put it another way, these habits become the essence of who we are.

To illustrate how unconscious automated habits take hold, Clear uses examples from animal studies. In one study, rats were conditioned to associate pressing a lever with being rewarded with cheese. Soon the rats began to associate the lever with cheese even when no cheese was forthcoming on presentation of the lever.

Clear breaks this stimulus-response into 4 stages:

Cue (lever), Craving (for cheese), Response (press lever) Reward (cheese)

The same continuous feedback loop is observed in humans and smoking.

Cue (stress), Craving (for cigarette), Response (light up) Reward (relief)

As can be seen, this works particularly well for bad habits, and explains why they live on. Good habits need a little more help to take root. So Clear suggests a strategy for increasing the odds of persisting through the boring reps to get the longer-term benefits.

He says rather than focusing exclusively on the long-term and far remote goal such as better health, focus more on the immediate processes that will get your there. For example, let your running shoe in obvious sight (rather than at the back of the closet) be the cue to get you out of the door. The first step is always the hardest, but the last mile is always the least crowded. Let the habit of process take hold. One action leads to another and another. This is what takes you to your bigger goal.

His action plan for building the good habits and its corollary for minimising unhelpful habits is to instil routines (or processes) which becomes automatic or second nature. He labels the 4 elements of his plan as follows:

1. Make it obvious

2. Make it attractive

3. Make it easy

4. Make it satisfying

1 Make the cue obvious: Place little reminders in your environment. Pair a new habit with a specific time and location.

2 Create an attractive association with the cue: Associate something you like or wish for with the cue. Pair an action you want to do with the action you need to do, eg I will have a warm shower after I exercise. The anticipation gives you a dopamine spike. Reframe your thinking from I “have” to exercise to I “get” to exercise.

3 Make the response easy: The key is repetition not perfection. Repeat the desired habit regularly. Start modestly eg, I will walk for 10 minutes each day rather than I will walk for 30 minutes. Or in terms of process, think, “open my note” rather than “study for class”.

4 Make the reward satisfying: The feeling of making progress is satisfying. Give yourself immediate rewards along the way. This can be as simple as placing a bead in a glass jar each time you perform the activity of a desired habit.

Once good habits are automated, we tend to perform them easily without conscious effort. You no longer have to exert your will power each time. This is a great energy saver. It frees up your mind for other things. And any good habit contributes to building a base on which more good habits can be stacked.

For younger folk aspiring to peak performance, the automated habits are the foundation. You leverage the automatic habits by combining them with completely focussed conscious attention whenever you need peak performance. For example, the best basketball players would combine “muscle memory” with complete conscious attention to everything occurring on the court in every game each time they come out to perform.

However, to get on any field of play and excel, you have to find your niche by the experience of trying different activities. Each person has different propensities. To use a sport analogy, the natural attributes of a champion swimmer are not the same as those of an outstanding basketball player or a gymnast. Your niche is likely to be in the area of an activity that you enjoy but most other people consider work.

To maintain peak flow, you have to continually challenge yourself. Showing up every day, day in and day out, is a huge part of winning the battle. It puts you in contention. It is a prerequisite and the necessary groundwork without which you would never get started, but it is not sufficient by itself. Complacency and boredom have to be warded off. Once you are in your field of choice, the tasks you choose must be challenging enough to require you to perform cognitive functions for the task at the limit of your ability – not below your ability or far beyond your ability, but just far enough above your ability that you have to stretch. This combined with ingrained automated habits produces peak performance.

A tribute to Pele - Long live the King

Dear Editor, Pele, born Edson Arantes do Nascimento, is to football (soccer), as Muhammad Ali is to boxing, Mario Andretti to motor sports, Tom Brady to American Football, Neil Armstrong to space, Patton to WW2, Albert Einstein to physics, Michael Jordan to basketball, Gary Sobers to cricket, Tiger Woods to golf, Usain Bolt to sprinting, Serena Williams to lawn tennis, and other heroes. Or what Thomas Edison is to science, the icon he was named after. These are all worthy icons, who transcend human achievement and life, each in his own domain.

Who is an icon? An “icon” is much more known than a celebrity, and is accorded to someone who leaves an indelible mark on media’s history, commanding strong significance, as well as achievement and reverence. They are persons who are unusually well known, and who people look up to, icons who, like Michel Platini, one of the greatest footballers of all time, and a player who would know, said, that “to play like Pele is to play like God.” Or as Pele settled this issue as to who was a greater soccer player, with another worthy contender, Diego Maradona, “But I score with right, left and head. And you not.”

One of the greatest players of all time and accorded “the greatest” by FIFA, Pele was in the highest tier of the successful and popular sports figures of the 20th century. He is the only player to win three FIFA World Cups: 1958, 1962 and 1970. In 1999, he was named Athlete of the Century by the International

Olympic Committee and was included in the Time list of the 100 most important people of the 20th century. In 2000, he was voted World Player of the Century by the International Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS) and was one of the two joint winners of the FIFA Player of the Century. His 1,279 goals in 1,363 games, which includes friendlies, is recognized as a Guinness World Record.

Fittingly, Pele has a street named after him-Rua Edson Arantes do Nascimento in the city of Três Corações in Minas Gerais state in Brazil, where he was born in 1940. A statue of him is also prominently placed in a plaza near the city's downtown. “The King of Football" (O Rei do Futebol), “The King Pelé” (O Rei Pelé) or simply “The King” (O Rei) is how he is known by. In 2014, the city of Santos inaugurated the Museu Pelé, or Pelé Museum, a display of 2,400 pieces collection of priceless Pele memorabilia, which cost approximately cost $22 million and was so large it had to be housed in a 19th-century mansion.

Among his contemporaries, Dutch star Johan Cruyff, who played against him, stated, “Pele was the only footballer who surpassed the boundaries of logic.” Carlos Alberto Torres Brazil’s 1970 World Cup-winning captain, reiterated, “His great secret was improvisation. Those things he did were in one moment. He had an extraordinary perception of the game,” while a mesmerized Tostão, his strike partner at the 1970 World Cup echoed, “Pelé was the greatest- he was simply flawless. And off the pitch he is al-

ways smiling and upbeat. You never see him bad-tempered. He loves being Pele.”

His Brazilian teammate Clodoaldo confirmed the adulation he witnessed, “In some countries, they wanted to touch him, in some they wanted to kiss him. In others they even kissed the ground he walked on.”

Franz Beckenbauer, West Germany's 1974 World Cupwinning captain, and a great player in his own right, said, “Pele is the greatest player of all time. He reigned supreme for 20 years. There’s no one to compare with him.”

Pele’s greatness and uniqueness lay in the fact that he was the world’s first black sports icon, and weaved an aura of mystique and bewilderment. After the semifinal against France in 1958, in which a teenage 17-year-old Pele scored a hat trick in a 5-2 Brazil win, the French goalkeeper, reeling from Pele’s glorious skills, lamented, “I would rather play against 10 Germans than one Brazilian (Pele).”

After all, who else but Pele could have stopped a Civil War in Nigeria for two days in 1969, so both fighting sides could watch him play, at an exhibition match? These sagas of immortality, coupled with his humble beginnings from being born in a slum, and reared on dirt fields in Brazil, playing barefoot with a soccer ball made of rags, accredits him Biblical relevance to the King and Savior of the World who was similarly born in humble beginnings, a manger.

Pele’s early footballs were made of stuffing a sock with old newspapers held togeth-

er with strings. Even grapefruits were used. Pele, the oldest of two children, supplemented his parent’s inadequate income by working in tea shops, and cleaning shoes at the local train station, until 1956. When his youth coach took him to Santos for a tryout at age 15, his world, and soccer, changed dramatically, so much so, that, at his death, NASA marked “the passing of the legendary Pele, known to many as the king of the “beautiful game.” This image of a spiral galaxy in the constellation Sculptor shows the colors of Brazil.”

His greatness lay to a large extent in his adeptness at dribbling the ball as if it was attached by an invisible string to his boots, explosively striking the ball with either foot, his speed and the uncanny ability to turn, accelerate and decelerate on a dime, all in a second, in addition to anticipating his opponents’ movements on the field, moves ahead, like a chess grandmaster. Much taller opponents marveled at how he defied gravity, and his jump and hang time were the highest and longest, enabling him to be the last to head the ball wherever he pleased. Little wonder he averaged almost a goal per game throughout his career.

Pele was a unique athlete. Medical tests revealed that his heart used to beat 56 to 58 times a minute, rather than the average 90 to 95 times a minute. His aerobic capacity was such that he could repeat a ‘great effort within 45 to 60 seconds’ and his peripheral vision was 30 per cent greater than an average athlete.

An aerial view of a privately-owned resort on the Biesen Island in the Demerara River (Mike Gonsalves Photo)

President Ali wants Guyana to enjoy more peace, progress, prosperity and happiness in 2023

Dear Editor, We welcome the last day of the memorable year 2022, a year in which Guyanese experienced peace, progress, and prosperity carefully engineered by the indomitable President Dr Mohammed Irfaan Ali, his hard-working Ministers, and the staff (some?) of the various Ministries and other Government agencies.

After the biggest National Budget of $552.9 billion (plus a $44.8 billion supplementary) was presented by the PPP/C Government and approved by Parliament, there was no turning back, but sleepless nights were spent toiling upwards throughout the year, working assiduously and tirelessly for the benefit of all Guyanese: equitably, justifiably and favourably; and in the interest of the nation economically, politically and socially.

The PPP/C Government continued to pursue their safe, sane and sober election 2020 manifesto, wisely implementing and plausibly executing their agenda while convincingly achieving consequential success to honour the Party’s pellucid promises. All these historical achievements are unambiguously recorded in the manifestation of Guyana being accepted, acknowledged, and accorded globally as the fastest-growing nation per capita.

The Private Sector re-

mains a pivotal partner in supplying goods and services, and also cements a close working relationship in this rich, thriving story, affording a unique opportunity for the longest while, to augment the PPP/C Government’s development programme in a closely knitted and supportive cause, wholeheartedly and with the least reservation.

The nation’s prosperity is translated via numerous arteries. Under the PPP/C Government’s governance, Guyana’s 2022 GDP growth is anticipated by the IMF to reach 57.8%, and 47.9% as predicted by the World Bank. In contrast, the former PNC Government had driven the economy to a state of bankruptcy during both periods they were in dictatorial power, and the country was classified as the poorest in the Caribbean, next to Haiti!

World Data.Com now rates Guyana as the 60th in the list of richest countries. According to the IMF, Latin America and the Caribbean will see a 3.5% growth in 2022.

The PPP/C Government’s prudent stewardship is a major contributing factor towards this unsurpassable achievement, while managing an 800,000-person population boosted by offshore oil discoveries and the production and marketing of the country’s natural resources. Local

content suppliers for the procurement of goods and services are revelling in billions of dollars in sales due to the oil and gas sector. Some $38 billion was budgeted to enhance the massive agriculture drive, whereby Guyana is again infused as the ‘food basket’ for the Caribbean, and reducing food importation while preventing the ‘Dutch Disease’ syndrome.

Guyana’s fantastic housing allocation has surpassed its 10,000-mark for the year, almost doubling what the PNC Government barely scraped for 5 years (2015-2020). Trading Economics revealed that under the fearful days of the PNC’s 2020 (partial) rule, tourism was reduced to a mere 86.4K. Total arrivals in 2022 is expected to top 370K, reflecting a global confidence in the current Government and reaction to the proud marketing strategies enhancing Guyana as a visitors’ paradise.

The unbelievable and humungous projects undertaken for the transformational infrastructure to landscape a new and modern Guyana portrait provide tremendous employment opportunities for Guyanese and an outlook to present Guyana with an international status quo.

The making and repairing of streets, roads, highways, bridges, airports, schools, hospitals, Police stations, office buildings, housing schemes, wel-

fare centres, playgrounds, sports complexes, markets and other buildings are just a few examples Guyanese will witness to upgrade their living status.

Recapping the year’s conventional performances by this Government is not the motive of this letter, but to recall, on a tangent, a portion to substantiate this projection.

The people of Guyana perceive the progress of the PPP/C Government by using various measuring rods through a telescope of progression with a microscopic lens. Meticulous perception is not estranged in a Guyanese context, but the PPP/C Government has holistically and honestly satisfied all the enquiries and removed all doubts by clearing all hurdles. From the inception of the year, all PNC’s cumbersome VAT taxes were removed to lessen Guyanese cost of living, followed by reducing the cost of fuel.

The scores of grants given to the public include flood relief, free fertilizer, financial increase for school children’s uniforms, GOAL scholarships, financing dialysis patients, free hearing aids, waiver of medical expenses (this year, 1,000 plus people received some $292 million in financial assistance), procurement and deployment of 30,000 solar units to the hinterland areas, employing Indigenous rangers, giving free housing loans

A tribute to Pele...

In the early 1970s, medical experts studied Pele’s body structure-the parallel feet, and the strong bones in his heels which helped his speed and acted as shock absorbers after a jump or a kick. For weeks, the New York Times added, they examined him, attached wires to his head for readings and measured his muscles before declaring: “Whatever this man might have decided to do in any physical or mental endeavor, he would have been a genius.”

Brazilian soccer star Neymar said, “Pele changed everything. He turned football into art, into entertainment. He gave a voice to the poor, to black people and especially. Gave visibility to Brazil. Football and Brazil have raised their status thanks to the King! He is gone, but his magic will remain. Pele is ETERNAL!!”

Another great, Cristiano Ronaldo, said, “A mere ‘goodbye’ to the eternal King Pele will never be enough to express the pain

that currently embraces the entire world of football. An inspiration for so many millions, a reference from yesterday, today, forever. The affection he always showed for me was reciprocal in every moment we shared, even from a distance. He will never be forgotten and his memory will last forever in each of us football lovers. Rest in peace, King Pele. His legacy transcends generations. And that’s how he will live on. Today and always, we will celebrate you.”

On 1 June, 2022, Pelé published an open letter to the President of Russia Vladimir Putin on his Instagram account, in which he made a public plea to stop the “evil” and “unjustified” 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, an act that raises his profile even higher.

Pele sparked the growth of interest and participation in soccer in the United States by playing for the New York Cosmos in the

North American Soccer League late in his career, and must be credited for the popularity and development of the sport in the USA. His legacy extends to the entire world, who treasure human endeavor and excellence in whatever form.

These stars will fade away into legend and myth, but never die. And someday people will speak of these humans and their accom-

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plishments and be met with skepticism for who would believe that such men and women really existed. RIP, and Thank You for the memories, King Pele. Rest assured that, because you will never be forgotten, your immortality will reign supreme in your field, and you are never really gone.

Sincerely, Albert Baldeo

to the Indigenous people, free cement, low interest rates for loans, increase in pensions and welfare benefits, 8% minimum salary increases, bonus for the disciplined forces, increase in salaries for various medical and disciplined categories, etc.

The PPP/C Government’s neighbourly friendship allowed Guyana to be the international forum to showcase many agriculture, housing and tourist fairs for the Caribbean, affording many Heads of Government to visit and participate in these activities. Guyana also chaired many international meetings and conferences globally, all because of the respect for President Ali and the pace at which the country is developing. Guyana has earned some US$750 million in carbon credits from the preservation of its forests.

The gas industry will commence its building stage next year, along with a new Demerara Bridge.

While embracing democracy, freedom of speech and movement, safety, justice and the rule of law, resilience to climate change, women’s development, child protection and a host of equitable well-being for Guyanese at large, the United Nations has scored Guyana with an SDG global rank of 104 out of 156.

Peace was promised by the PPP/C party during

their 2020 election campaign. President Dr Irfaan Ali has stuck to his words and delivered the essence of truth, honesty and integrity in his propagation for the love, respect and unity of this nation with the theme “One Guyana.”

His “Men On Mission” enshrines his conscientious effort to revamp, replenish and reconstruct answers and solutions to be implemented to resolve social issues affecting society throughout Guyana. His meet the people tour ensures that he acquaints himself personally with the ground root problems facing the man in the street.

President Ali extends a handshake to all Guyanese, regardless of race, religion, gender or political affiliation. He socialises in all sports, all religious events, weddings, birthday parties, educational gatherings, political platforms, Private and Public Sector engagements, and in any event which necessitates his personal intervention for his own satisfaction.

President Ali is indeed a man who wants the best for Guyana and Guyanese, so that they may enjoy the coming new year with more peace, progress, prosperity and happiness. Do enjoy, with a smile, a safe, healthy, blooming and joyous new year, Guyana.

Yours respectfully, Jai Lall

Page Foundation

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By Jennifer Tammy

Letting the kids stay up for New Year’s may sound like a good idea… until you’re two hours past bedtime and they are bored out of their minds! Keep them happy with these fun New Year’s crafts for kids (and while they’re occupied, consider turning the clock forward a couple hours!)

I’ve learnt the hard way that New Year’s Eve and Kids don’t mesh, so we like to celebrate early in the day and count-down to bedtime.

A fun way to build up excitement is to make some homemade New Year’s crafts and talk about your favourite parts of the past year and what you’re most looking forward to for the next year. While your kids are engaged with these fun craft ideas, they may just open up and share some insights you wouldn’t expect!

Several of these crafts are pure fun – while others have a sentimental or thoughtful side. Try a mix when planning your New Years with kids.

meets craft for New Year’s. (from Meaningful Mama)

What a sweet homemade New Year’s Noisemaker from Teaching Mama.

Make some Paper Plate Party Animals with your party animals!

This Fireworks Straw Rocket from Fantastic Fun & Learning is a festive craft that works for just about any occasion involving fireworks.

So many fun New Year’s Party Ideas including a DIY New Year’s hat are in this post from Artsy Fartsy Mama.

No matter what you’re eating for New Year’s, you can still make and enjoy these Paper Fortune Cookies!

I love how festive these Homemade Star Noisemakers are! (from Teaching Mama)

I love the idea of making and decorating your own New Year’s Crowns. (printable from Hattifant)

Reflect on the best of the year with this Printable Journal from Adventure-in-a-Box.

A cute activity for kids who are too young for their own watches – Printable Paper Watches from Hattifant.

corner)

Skip the fireworks and celebrate with bubbles – and make your own toddler-friendly bubble wands with Red Ted Art.

Making your own time capsule is a wonderful activity

(Clockwise from top left corner)

Counting down isn’t the only math activity you can have fun with on New Year’s – check out this Thaumatrope for New Year’s from JDaniel4’s Mom.

Find out what the New Year has in store for you with this Paper Fortune Teller Ball from Hattifant.

Make your own pretty countdown clock with this printable from Red Ted Art.

Make some pretty resolutions with this New Year’s Garland from Red Ted Art.

Grab this New Year’s colouring page for some quiet, reflective time. (from Twitchetts)

What little girl could resist

(from Fantastic Fun & Learning)

No need to spend a fortune on a mirrored ball when you can make your own New Year’s Ball with Makeovers and Motherhood.

Make your own New Year’s Clock with the Pinterested Parent (and a paper plate).

I love this idea for DIY Biodegradable Confetti from Mother Nature! And it’s naturally coloured, too.

Make your own “ball drop” with this New Year’s Activity from JDaniel4’s Mom.

Ring the bell for New Years with these DIY New Year’s Bells from the Gingerbread House. (below) (craftsbyAmanda)

Should old acquaintance be forgot, And never brought to mind?

Should old acquaintance be forgot, And old lang syne?

(Chorus)

For auld lang syne, my dear, For auld lang syne, We’ll take a cup of kindness yet, For auld lang syne.

And surely you’ll buy your pint cup! And surely I’ll buy mine!

And we’ll take a cup o’ kindness yet, For auld lang syne.

We two have run about the slopes, And picked the daisies fine; But we’ve wandered many a weary foot, Since auld lang syne.

We two have paddled in the stream, From morning sun till dine; But seas between us broad have roared Since auld lang syne.

And there’s a hand my trusty friend!

And give me a hand o’ thine!

And we’ll take a right good-will draught, For auld lang syne.

(Clockwise from top left

Our Paper Plate Noisemaker is a simple classic that is still loads of fun to make and play with!

making her own fireworks ring?!

6 million tonnes of aggregates needed for 2023 road projects – VP Jagdeo

600,000 tonnes. We need 10 times more quarry products that we can produce…We may have to explore bringing in stone from Canada or some other part of the world if we want to keep the building programme going for the Government sector,” Jagdeo shared.

In 2023, the Dr Irfaan Ali-led Administration will be focusing heavily on community infrastructure, having mobilised major projects within the last two years. As such, the Vice President pointed to the immediate need for labour and material in adequate proportions.

Massive road projects for the public sector in 2023 will require a whopping six million tonnes of aggregates and while this is viewed as a positive sign, the Government is now faced with the challenge of meeting demand.

This was according to Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo while addressing a gathering on Friday at the launch of the part-time jobs initiative in Diamond, East Bank Demerara (EBD), where he shared that apart from public sector demand, the Private Sector would also require significant aggregate resources.

At the national level, the

country can produce about 600,000 tonnes, representing just 10 per cent of the demand. Jagdeo related that Government was exploring various options to keep the construction sector going. Neighbouring countries such as Suriname and Trinidad are also unable to fulfil these needs.

“We need, next year, about six million tonnes of crusher-run and stones for the road programmes. That’s the public sector alone, leaving out the Private Sector, all the buildings and construction. With the new quarries coming on stream, we’ll probably be able to produce 10 per cent of that, about

“Now, we’re going back to the roads in the villages and towards the city to start fixing those , but we need aggregates. You can have a big programme but you don’t have material and labour to implement the programme. And that has become a challenge here.”

Labour

According to the Vice President, Government is driving a diversified economy so that the future source of wealth and employment will come from other sectors. He reminded that the job opportunities would be generated mostly from the nonoil sectors. The hospitality sector and services sector, he noted, will demand thousands of jobs to support the

oil and gas sector, along with an expanding economy.

“The oil and gas sector may bring in more money and more revenue ,but it is not going to create a lot of employment…If you look at what is happening outside of the oil and gas industry now, we have seven new hotels under construction. They will need about 3000 people to work.

“This has already started to put a strain on our labour market. In some parts of the country, we can’t find labourers. The Private Sector can’t find labourers. They want to bring in labourers from abroad. In other parts of the country, we have a surplus of labour. So, we have to have a balanced policy and allow some of the labour to come in. If we don’t, we’re not going to get some of the big projects imple-

mented,” Jagdeo added.

He pointed to such projects that will change the landscape of the country and people’s lives which include the four-lane road from Crane to Schoonord in Region Three; a fourlane Demerara Harbour Bridge; a four-lane road from Georgetown to Diamond; a four-lane road from Ogle to Eccles; the four-lane Diamond bypass road to Timehri; a fourlane road from Georgetown to Mahaica. He also spoke on the seven new hospitals, and seven internationally branded hotels that are on the card.

More than 60,000 applications are in the system for approval of house lots, amid a continuous demand for land in the country. Jagdeo spoke on the lacking housing policy and infrastruc-

ture to support land allocated under the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC), in contrast to the surplus of 20,000 lots allotted by his Government since 2020.

The VP emphasised, “If we don’t have a long-term vision of Guyana, a lot of the improvements we see now we will not be able to sustain. That is what has always characterised the People’s Progressive Party. We have always planned for the long term. We make investments into things that you will not see the return on today, but will change people’s lives in a dramatic way in the future. We believe that our country, with the advent of oil and gas and some additional resources, can accelerate its accomplishment of that vision.”

Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo

25 of 307 cases disposed of at October Demerara Criminal Assizes

…new session to open on Jan 10

The October Demerara Criminal Assizes commenced on October 4 at the High Court in Demerara, and according to a statement from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), only 25 of 307 cases have been disposed of. Of these 25 matters, 21 were presented in the Demerara High Court, seven being for the capital offence of murder, 13 for sexual offences, and one for manslaughter. The remaining four were nolle prosequi by the DPP.

Of the 21 cases presented in the Demerara High Court, six resulted in convictions, eight in guilty pleas, three in not-guilty verdicts by jury, three in formal verdicts of not guilty, and one in hung jury.

State Counsel Muntaz Ali, Taneisha Saygon and Simran Gajraj completed six matters before Justices Simone Morris-Ramlall and Sandil Kissoon, five of which were for the offence of murder and one for the offence of manslaughter. In two of these cases, the accused persons were acquitted by

jury verdicts of not guilty; in another two, the trial Judge upheld no-case submissions and directed the juries to return formal verdicts of not guilty; in another one, the accused pleaded guilty to the lesser offence of manslaughter and was sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment; and in the sixth one, the accused was found guilty of the lesser offence of manslaughter by the jury verdict, and was sentenced to 30 years’ imprisonment.

State Counsel Caressa Henry, Cecilia Corbin and Marissa Edwards prosecuted 13 sexual offences before Justice Sandil Kissoon in the Sexual Offences Court.

In five of these cases, each of the accused pleaded guilty as charged. One of them was sentenced to life imprisonment, and becomes eligible for parole after serving 18 years, while two others were respectively sentenced to nine years’ and 11 years’ imprisonment.

A fourth person, who was charged with two counts of rape of a child under 16 years, was sentenced to 16 years and three months’ im-

prisonment on each count.

His sentences will run concurrently. The fifth person, who was charged with three counts of the same offence, was sentenced to 12 years on count one, 13 years and three months on count two, and 15 years and three months’ imprisonment on count three. These sentences are to run concurrently.

Meanwhile, in another five cases, the juries returned guilty verdicts for each accused. In one of those, the accused person, who was indicted on three counts of rape of a child under 16 years, was sentenced to 15 years on count one, and 17 years each on counts two and three, after the jury returned a majority guilty verdict in the proportion of 10 guilty to two not guilty. His sentences will also run concurrently.

Another accused, who was also charged with three counts of rape of a child under 16 years, was found guilty on count two and sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment. The other three persons were found unanimously guilty by jury ver-

dicts. While one was given a life sentence and another was sentenced to 14 years’ imprisonment, the third will be sentenced in January 2023.

In the three other cases, an accused was acquitted by jury verdict, while another accused will face a retrial because the jury in his case was unable to reach a verdict. The virtual complainant in the third case testified that she did not wish to give evidence, and as such, the Judge directed the jury to return a formal verdict of not guilty.

Before Justice Brassington Reynolds, State Counsel Latiffa Elliot, Paneeta Persaud and Robina Christmas presented and completed two matters for the offence of murder. In both cases, the accused pleaded guilty to the lesser offence of manslaughter and were sentenced respectively to eight years’ and six years’ imprisonment.

Of the four matters nolle prosequi by the DPP, two were for sexual offences. The complainants in each submitted written statements indicated that they did not wish to proceed with their matters. The two other matters were for the offence of manslaughter. In one, the accused was deemed unfit to stand trial, while in the other, the witnesses could not be located.

The January 2023 Criminal Assizes will open at the Demerara High Court on Tuesday, January 10, 2023.

There are 307 cases listed to be heard. Justices Jo-Ann Barlow, Priya Sewnarine-Beharry and Simone Morris-Ramlall have been rostered to sit during this Assizes.

Police sought DPP’s advice in over 7000 cases this year

Setting goals...

…by Pele

He’s gone! The greatest footballer in the history of the game is no more. Pele passed away - at the age of 81 - over the Christmas Holidays, after many had hoped that Brazil would’ve brought back this year’s World Cup. They didn’t, and the man who’d placed Brazil on the top of the football world for decades, who of recent had been hospitalised with cancer, didn’t get the parting gift that would’ve been so fitting!

Born Edson Arantes do Nascimento in a poverty-stricken home, he received the nickname Pele at a very young age when he persistently mispronounced the name of his favourite player, local Vasco da Gama goalkeeper Bilé. Nowadays it’s difficult for the young’uns to appreciate the impact Pele had on global football; after all, he retired more than fifty years ago!! So, let’s just mention some stark facts: He was a mere 17 years old when he starred in the Brazilian team that won the World Cup in 1958 – their first!! With him breaking all sorts of records in that feat, it took another fifty years for Neymar to match his scoring record for his country. He went on to be on teams that won two more World Cups by 1970, and remains the only player to have to his name the credit of winning 3 World Cups!!

Pele was the first global superstar, and it paved the way for the present billionaire players. There are so many stories about him that illustrate his impact, but none more so than the fact that a civil war in Nigeria – in which a million lives were taken - was halted when he visited in 1969!! Both sides wanted to see him in the flesh!!

When the US decided they’d enter the world of soccer, the NY Cosmos signed the retired Pele in 1975 for the highest contract for an athlete at the time – US$2.8M annually!! And he was invited to the White House to meet another global icon – boxing’s Muhammad Ali!!

Pele didn’t make the fortune he left at his death from football salaries, but through endorsements. And he was very selective about what he put his name to. He said, “I earned money from advertising when I stopped playing, but none from tobacco, alcohol, politics, or religion.” This was a man who understood his social obligations to the poverty out of which he had pulled himself!

One of the earliest marketing coups in sporting history occurred during an Adidas-sponsored 1970 World Cup. Puma – the arch-rival of Adidas - paid Pele to tie his shoelaces just before the final kickoff, so that the cameras could zoom in on his Puma boots!!

The Italian poet and filmmaker Pier Paolo Pasolini gave him the best accolade: “The moment the ball arrived at Pele's feet football was transformed into poetry”!!

RIP, Pele!!

…in housing

When the PPP finally took office - after the PNC’s 5-month illegal squatting on the Government’s treasury! - they emphasised they were gonna fulfill their manifesto promise of distributing 50,000 house lots. This, of course, was based on the basic premise that a house isn’t just a shelter, but, in the modern world, is the beginning of the accumulation of intergenerational assets. Wealth, baby… wealth!! And you can’t have a house unless you have a place to build it on – a house lot!!

Of course, critics will point out that a house lot doesn’t guarantee a house, but the Government immediately unfolded a menu of measures to make that eventuality more certain – getting banks and mortgage institutions to lower mortgage rates; lowering acceptance criteria; providing cement and steel rods for the poor; and even donating some houses to the said poor gratis!!

Anyhow, the Govt has already given out 20,000 house lots; and on only the ECD of Reg 4, 5000 lots were given out as $10 billion was allocated for infrastructural works!!

…in murders?

The Office of the Director

Public Prosecutions (DPP) has given legal advice in 7,294 files it received from the Guyana Police Force (GPF) in 2022.

This is according to the endof-year statistics released by the DPP’s Office on Friday.

Over the years, the offences for the files have included murder, manslaugh-

ter, sexual offences, causing death by dangerous driving, possession of illegal arms and ammunition, financial crimes, and possession of narcotics for the purpose of

trafficking.

Apart from the GPF, the DPP’s Office offers legal advice to the Customs AntiNarcotics Unit (CANU) and other Government agencies, and the DPP also provides legal advice to Government Ministries.

The headline read “Trinidad reaches 600 murders”!! So that’s where we’ve arrived?? Boasting about how many murders were committed?? Ok…OK…your Eyewitness understands that’s not what was meant; but Rowley’s “Day of Prayers” ain’t gonna help reduce it.

The High Court in Demerara

of

Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Shalimar Ali-Hack, SC

GAWU bemoans “underwhelming performance” of sugar industry in 2022

…as GuySuCo misses production target by over 17,000 tonnes (27%)

As the year 2022 comes to an end, the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) has bemoaned what it described as an “underwhelming performance” in the country’s sugar industry.

In a statement, GAWU said it remains “disappointed and disturbed” by the industry’s production of just 47,011 tonnes of sugar –17,878 tonnes short of its target. According to statistics released by the Union, the Albion Sugar Estate fell short of its 30,961-tonne target by over 5,000 tonnes, as it recorded production of just 25,834 tonnes.

At Blairmont Estate, 15,097 tonnes were produced when the target was 20,262 tonnes – a shortfall of 5,165 tonnes; while at Uitvlugt, the target was 13,666 tonnes, but only 6,080 tonnes were produced – a shortfall of 7,586 tonnes.

“We were told that the initial annual production estimate (64,889 tonnes sugar) was arrived at after a thorough and vigorous examination of the canes in the fields. Lamentably, that target was not attained,” GAWU posited.

The Union further lamented that the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) “has justified its performance on account of the weather and workers”.

“The sugar company said that the 2021 floods, which particularly affected Albion Estate, (were) one of the causes of its low output. In as much as that justification may seem acceptable, the industry said it assessed all its canes prior to the commencement of production. It goes to reason that the canes which sustained damages during the floods were also assessed. As has become the norm, the GuySuCo sought to blame the workers for its production woes as well,” the Union contended.

Describing this as a “worn out” excuse, GAWU pointed out that GuySuCo, at several times during the year, praised its workers’ efforts in enabling the realisation of sugar targets.

“How can the workers

be bad on one occasion and good in another? It speaks of the state of confusion that the Corporation currently finds itself. While workers are scapegoated, the industry harvested nearly all its canes, except for a small amount at Albion after the rains brought the crop to an end,” GAWU argued.

Nevertheless, the Union said it understands the industry hopes to produce 100,000 tonnes of sugar by 2025, and noted that it believes this target is achievable, and can even be surpassed. “We, however, contend that important to such feats are a committed workforce and a capable management.”

GuySuCo Management

In this regard, the Union, in its statement, reiterated its concerns about the management of the sugar industry.

“We are aware that over time the industry has lost critical skills arising from attrition and retirement. The Union understands that the exodus has hastened in recent times arising from differences of opinion among personalities. If our reports are indeed correct, this is an unhealthy development and does not help the industry in any form. We share the view expressed by Vice President Dr Bharrat Jagdeo that there is a need to strengthen the industry’s management cadre to replace lost skills and to bring new ways of thinking in addressing present day challenges,” the

Union expressed.

In June 2022, in the presence of President Dr Irfaan Ali, GAWU President Seepaul Narine called for the removal of the GuySuCo Chief Executive Officer Sasenarine Singh. But in response, the Head of State had referenced issues of the unprecedented rainfall and the state of the industry inherited in 2020.

The President then expressed, “I am not saying to you that management issues must not be addressed, but we need to have an honest conversation, and in that honest conversation, the union has a place. The success of this industry is not only about Government, it is the collective effort of all of us who are part of the industry.”

Role of Sugar Workers

Meanwhile, GAWU further expressed that the role of sugar workers cannot be “over emphasised in the success of the industry”.

“The Union and the workers remain appreciative of the efforts of President Dr Irfaan Ali and his Government in supporting the industry. We believe the investments, once properly and adequately utilised, can make a meaningful difference,” the Union expressed. However, it urged similar focus on the industry’s workers, who suffered the indignity of a wage freeze between 2015 and 2020 under the Coalition Government. According to the organisation, this massive setback and stagnation

Police sought DPP’s...

Among other things, the functions of the DPP include presenting indictments in the criminal sessions at the High Courts in Demerara, Berbice, and Essequibo. During these criminal sessions, one or more state counsel would be assigned to prosecute the cases listed to be heard by the sitting trial judges.

There are four assizes for the year in the county of Demerara and three assizes each in the counties of

Berbice and Essequibo. The courts in all three counties sit nearly simultaneously during these assizes.

The DPP also enters plea bargain agreements with lawyers at their request and after due consideration of the matter.

Furthermore, prisoners who are awaiting trial in the High Courts and other parties to a criminal matter can complain to the DPP if they are not satisfied with the Police investigations.

FROM PAGE 8

The DPP also receives letters from Attorneys-atLaw about issues concerning their clients’ cases. The Office of the DPP would take the appropriate action.

Complaints received on misconduct by members of the Police Force are sent to the Commissioner of Police for action to be taken by the Office of Professional Responsibility. Complaints can also be made to the Police Complaints Authority for their action.

of pay rates placed the workers at a disadvantage.

“To illustrate the starkness of the situation with the recent eight percent pay rise, a sugar worker is paid $1,285 to cut 2,200 pounds of canes and fetch those canes in 100-pound bundles on their head to the punt some distance away. While efforts are being furthered to assist through mechanisation, there is need to also invest in the workers.”

GAWU also highlighted that the industry recruited contractors to undertake tasks at rates higher than it pays its own employees. It pointed to reports regarding mechanical tillage works at Rose Hall. “In a letter by the former Estate Manager, the public learnt that the Corporation increased its rates payable for this task by over 40% in less than a year. We have heard too that the company is about to embark on similar works at other estates, paying rates that are above the prevailing GuySuCo rates, inclusive of all overheads. The GAWU understands that the company was motivated to approve higher payments partially on account of the need for contractors to earn prof-

its. By that yardstick, at the current rates of pay, it would indicate that the workers are not earning profits for their labour. It is our sincere view that the industry should practise what it preaches and offer similar rates of pay to its employees,” GAWU contended.

Unsuitable machinery

GAWU also expressed concerns about the purchase of certain unsuitable equipment and machinery by the sugar company.

“In one recent instance, GAWU has learnt that

cane-loading machines delivered had to be returned to the supplier after (they were) deemed unsuitable. While it is said the company did not pay over any monies to the supplier, the lost opportunity of not having the machines would impede the industry’s progress.

“In other instances, we have learnt that certain implements and equipment have been purchased only to lie idle at estates. These are serious worries which, in our view, require further examination”, GAWU has said.

GAWU President Seepaul Narine

Chief Executive Officer of GuySuCo, Sasenarine Singh

Another 1200 Guyanese on EBD benefit from Govt’s part-time jobs

Some 1,200 persons living along the East Bank Demerara corridor have become newest beneficiaries of the Government’s Part-Time Jobs initiative.

Vice President Dr Bharrat Jagdeo launched the programme at the Diamond Secondary School on Friday, during which he reiterated that the initiative forms part of the administration’s efforts to supplement household incomes, in light of the rising cost of living due to several external factors, specifically the COVID-19 pandemic.

The administration is aggressively pushing to pro-

vide 50,000 jobs over a fiveyear period, as was promised in its manifesto. Since taking office in August 2020, it has invested a significant number of resources to strategically enhance the lives of citizens.

“Because we were looking at the situation, so many of our people were unemployed, but then we had COVID. And so, we didn’t lose only 30,000 jobs after COVID, and the country was shut down; we lost maybe another 40,000 [jobs], so we have to get those people back to work,” the VP told the gathering.

The job opportunities allow for the employees to

work for 10 days and earn up to $40,000 on a monthly basis. The jobs are being offered in specific areas within Government Ministries and agencies, and cater to one person per household. So far, some 11,000 Guyanese are currently benefitting from the programme countrywide, and this would cost the Government some $10 billion annually.

The part-time jobs initiative is just one of a menu of measures implemented by the Government to cushion the effects of the cost of living. Along with supporting farmers and cushion -

ing the net effect of the increased cost of freight and the Russia/Ukraine war, Guyanese are benefitting from a range of tax incentives. Removal of VAT on electricity, water and data; reduction of the excise tax on fuel to zero; in addition to the many non-tax measures, such as the one-off $25,000 relief grant; reintroduction and increase of the school children cash grant, as well as its extension to private schools; and a one-off $25,000 cash grant for pensioners and cash grants to support small businesses, among others.

Additionally, despite the rise in the price of fuel, the

Government has absorbed the increased cost associated with the production of electricity, so there has been no increase in electricity tariff.

Further, Dr Jagdeo said the Government would continue to plan incrementally for the advancement of the country and all Guyanese. “If we don’t have a longterm vision of Guyana, a lot of the improvements we see now we will not be able to sustain, and that is what is always characterised by the People’s Progressive Party. We have always planned for the long term,” he explained.

He also called on those

who signed up for the jobs to take advantage of the educational opportunities being afforded to them, particularly through the Guyana Online Academy of Learning (GOAL).

The Vice President was accompanied by Local Government and Regional Development Minister Nigel Dharamlall; Natural Resources Minister Vickram Bharrat; Minister within the Office of the Prime Minister, with responsibility for Public Affairs, Kwame McCoy; and Members of Parliament Jennifer Westford, Alister Charlie and Yvonne Pearson.

Govt inks €160M loan agreement with Bank of China for construction of new DHB

Finance Minister, Dr Ashni Singh on Friday signed a loan agreement with the Bank of China for 160.8 million euros to be injected into the construction of the new Demerara Harbour Bridge (DHB).

According to the Finance Ministry, the signing was done electronically.

Dr Singh explained to Guyana Times that this loan would finance the majority of the cost to advance the bridge construction. He also indicated

that the Guyana Government will put up the remaining funding to complete the critical infrastructure.

Already, some $21.1 billion in the 2022 Budget has been allocated toward work on the bridge.

Back in May of this year, the Government signed the US$260 million contract for the major new Bridge as part of its plans to expand and modernise Guyana’s transport infrastructure and significantly reduce the traffic woes on the

East Bank of Demerara.

The project, which has been long in the making by the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) Administration, was awarded to a joint venture of China Railway Construction Corporation (International) Limited, China Railway Construction (Caribbean) Co Ltd, and China Railway Construction Bridge Engineering Bureau Group Co Ltd.

A section of the gathering on Friday at the Diamond Secondary School

Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo addressing the gathering

A design for the new Demerara Harbour Bridge

Judge sets March 17, 2023 for ruling on legality of NRF Act

Nandlall expressed that he has every confidence that justice would prevail, and noted that the rule of law would win another battle. He also articulated his conviction that the matter should never have been filed.

The Attorney General shared, “That is what this case is about: one side [APNU/AFC] moving to the court to basically ask the court to vindicate their unlawful, unruly, and vulgar conduct in the National Assembly, and the rule of law will never countenance that type of behaviour. The law is not structured that way.

High Court Justice Navindra Singh is expected to make a ruling on the validity of the Natural Resource Fund (NRF) Act at the Demerara High Court on March 17 at 09:00h.

On the night of December 29, 2021, A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Members of Parliament dislodged the Mace from its position at the desk of the Clerk of the National Assembly, and protested in an attempt to prevent the Natural Resource Fund Bill from being passed.

Opposition Chief Whip Christopher Jones and Trade Unionist Norris Witter (the claimants) had earlier this year initiated legal proceedings against the Government, claiming that due to the absence of the Parliamentary Mace – the most significant symbol in the National Assembly - and because some members of the National Assembly had not been seated, the NRF Act cannot be regarded as being lawfully passed.

The defendants in the claim are Attorney General Anil Nandlall, SC; Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh; House Speaker Manzoor Nadir; Clerk of the National Assembly, Sherlock Isaacs; and the Parliament Office.

The trial into the matter, which commenced on September 12, concluded on Friday, December 31, with one of the defendants calling their final witness, the Videography Manager at the Department of Public Information (DPI), Kennyann Bacchus.

Both sides have now closed their respective cases, and have been given up to February 10, 2023 to file written closing submissions. Submissions in reply have to be filed 10 days after, and Justice Singh will hand down his ruling on March 17, 2023.

Speaking with reporters after conclusion of the case,

“The world saw their conduct; the world saw that they broke the Mace; the world saw or heard that they disrupted the microphone system, and by their conduct they disqualified themselves from speaking. And, lo and behold, they are moving the court now to essentially take advantage of their own wrongdoing; of their own misbehaviour; of their own misconduct,” Nandlall explained.

Replica Mace

At one point in the National Assembly’s proceedings, the Speaker’s Personal Assistant was seen latching onto the Mace as he lay on the floor in an attempt to secure it, while the Opposition Parliamentarians stood by hurling racial slurs and taunts at him. However, the Opposition’s protest and its mounting calls for the Bill to be sent to a Special Select Committee had no effect, as the Government passed the Bill.

House Speaker Nadir is, however, adamant that the NRF Act was lawfully passed. He noted that a replica Mace was in place, and explained that almost all Parliaments in the Westminster System have two Maces present, in case one is not found or has been stolen.

Abuse of the court process

In his Affidavit in Defence, Nandlall contended that the claim is an abuse of the court process, and is without any legal basis. In light of this contention, he has urged the court to dis-

miss the matter. According to the Attorney General, there is no principle known to the law - neither does either the Constitution or the Standing Orders of the National Assembly require - that the Mace must be present and in place for Parliament to exercise its constitutional power to make laws for the peace, order, and good governance of the country.

He argued that whether or not the Mace is in place, or whether an instrument can be used as a Mace, the purpose of the Mace and matters connected to Parliament are matters over which the High Court has no jurisdiction, as they constitute procedural matters of Parliament over which the Parliament has exclusive jurisdiction under Article 165 of the Constitution.

In any event, Nandlall argued, the Mace has “no relevance and place” in the exercise of Parliament’s constitutional power and authority to make laws.

Contrary to the rule of law

In their claim, Jones and Witter are seeking a number of declarations, including one that the conduct of the business of the House without the Mace, and another that the later passage of the NRF Bill, were illegal. They argue that this is contrary to constitutional values of the rule of law, democracy, inclusive governance, and the Standing Orders of the National Assembly.

The Opposition’s position is that civil society bodies were excluded from consulta-

tions on the Bill.

Witter argued that under Article 154A of the Constitution and Article 25 of the Covenant of Civil and Political Rights, he has a fundamental right to political participation in the conduct of public affairs; and that right was violated with the passage of the Bill. In light of this, the trade unionist is asking the court to declare that pursuant to Article 154A, the Government, in formulating an NRF policy, had a responsibility to engage in consultation.

Manifesto promise

Nandlall has, however, submitted that a lack of consultation does not, in any manner, affect the lawful power and authority of Parliament. He deposed, “It will be contended that the debates among the elected representatives of the people in the National Assembly, which is a component of the legislative process, constitutes consultation.” He said the Natural Resource Fund Bill received widespread national consultation, and to support his argument, he reminded that the legislation was a promise contained in his party’s manifesto for the 2020 National Elections – a document he has included as an exhibit.

He said the manifesto itself was a product of five years of public consultations, from 2015 to 2020; across all 10 regions, including a grand public consultation held at New Thriving Restaurant

at Providence, EBD on February 17, 2019.

For the aforementioned reasons, the Attorney General has argued, he “most resolutely” submits that the Natural Resource Fund Act was lawfully, validly, and properly passed, and received the due assent of President Dr Irfaan Ali in accordance with the Constitution.

The Government has said that the NRF Act will ensure the security, transparency, and accountability that Guyanese need in order to benefit from the oil and gas revenues.

The law provides for a governance structure of how these monies will be used, with continuous public disclosures, audits, and parliamentary approvals.

Since the passage of the legislature last December,

the Government has gone on to establish the Natural Resource Fund Board.

Following parliamentary approval, the Government has made several withdrawals from the fund, amounting to tens of billions of dollars, which were transferred to the Consolidated Fund to finance national development priorities.

However, Jones and Witter are seeking court orders necessary to ensure that the Natural Resource Fund is replenished to the extent of all sums disbursed from it.

The pair was represented by Senior Counsel Roysdale Forde and Canada-based Guyanese lawyer Selwyn Pieters. Included on the legal team for the defendants are the Attorney General, Deputy Solicitor General Deborah Kumar, and Attorneys-atLaw Sase Gunraj and Kamal Ramkarran.

“I have every confidence that justice will prevail” – AG Nandlall

Trade Unionist Norris Witter

Attorney General Anil Nandlall, SC

High Court Justice Navindra Singh

Opposition Chief Whip, Christopher Jones

96.9% increase in visitor arrivals recorded – GTA

…17 new experiential

The Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA) has announced a 96.9 per cent increase in visitor arrivals in the country as of July 2022 when compared to the same period last year, pointing to a successful postCOVID recovery.

In keeping with the Government of Guyana’s progressive approach to managing the COVID-19 pandemic, the country has since been fully reopened while maintaining all the necessary public health measures to ensure absolute safety. In its year-end report, the GTA shared that this return to normalcy has had a significant, positive impact on the tourism sector.

As of July 2022, the total visitor arrival figure stood at 156,428 – reflecting the 96.98 per cent increase compared to the same period in 2021. The projected visitor arrivals figure for the entire 2022 is 291,241 compared to 2021’s 158,347. This is above the global recovery rate of 65 per cent, the GTA added.

tourism products launched during 2022

This year also saw more tourism businesses becoming officially licensed. As of December 21, the GTA officially licensed 20 tourism accommodation establishments – hotels, interior lodges and resorts; 18 tourist guides and 21 tour operators. These businesses benefited from extensive support provided by the GTA, including inspections and training in priority areas such as First Aid and CPR, which is critical to becoming licensed.

“The GTA continued to strengthen resilience and improve the product offering of the industry by executing training sessions in Delivering Quality Service, Financial Management, First Aid and CPR, and Culinary Arts. Most notably, the GTA introduced two new training opportunities – mixology/bartender training and Wilderness First Responder training. A total of 2089 persons have been trained for 2022 in these areas, surpassing the team’s initial target of 2000,” said the GTA.

In 2022, the GTA successfully developed 17 new experiential tourism products, compared to seven products launched in 2021. These are the Kopinang Waterfall Tour; Yoga, Breakfast and Nature Walk Tour; Bush Cow Eco Trails Experience;

Paruima Village; Quarrie Waterfall Tour; One Cent Black on Magenta Tour; Mangrove Heritage Tour; New Amsterdam Heritage Tour; Mahdia Tour; Capoey Day Tour; Leguan Tour; Yarrowkabra Tour; Essequibo Tri-Island Tour; Tapakuma Camping & Fishing Expedition; Rainforest Escape Tour; Farm to Table Experience with Gobin’s Farm and GT Bar Crawl.

In 2022, the Authority, in collaboration with stakeholders, donated a boat to Warapoka Village, Region One (Barima-Waini). This is one of the priority capital projects under the Tourism, Industry and Commerce

Ministry for 2022 to significantly reduce travel costs to Warapoka and improve the comfort level of travellers going into the village. The acquisition of this boat will also contribute to an additional stream of revenue being injected into the village through boat transfers. Warapoka was officially launched as a tourism community in 2021.

The Training of Trainers programme in South Rupununi was also facilitated in collaboration with Swisscontact under the framework of the “Consultancy to Develop a Sustainable Tourism Circuit in the South Rupununi area of Guyana”, commissioned

by Compete Caribbean in partnership with GTA and Visit Rupununi.

Speaking on its innovation and technological advancements, the statement, “The GTA has continuously proven that innovative enhancements will propel the tourism sector to new heights. Using technology to our advantage has always been a necessary marker for development, especially now that we are in a significantly technologically advanced era. As such, the Authority launched the first of its kind – the Tourism Business Licensing Portal. The launch of this portal will make the registration process as easy as possible for existing as well as new tourism-focused businesses, especially those that are located in outlying areas.”

The GTA is a semi-autonomous governmental organisation responsible for developing and promoting sustainable tourism in Guyana through collaboration with sister agencies and the Private Sector, in order to maximise local socio-economic and conservation outcomes and improve the travellers’ experience.

The GTA is focused on Guyana becoming recognised locally and internationally as a premier destination for protecting its natural and cultural heritage, providing authentic experiences, and maximising local socio-economic benefits.

Govt inks €160M loan agreement...

The hybrid bridge will feature a modern fourlane structure (two carriageways), cycle lane, with a 2.65 kilometres length, driving surface of about 23.6 metres or 77.8 feet, and will have a lifespan of some 100 years. The DHB is a vital linkage for the transport of agricultural goods from Regions Two (PomeroonSupenaam) and Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara) into Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica) and beyond. Easier and more efficient transport links will support agricultural development and food security for Guyanese.

The construction of the new bridge across the Demerara River is expected to last for several years upon the commencement of work.

The current Harbour Bridge is over 40 years old and has outlived its lifespan. It connects the East Bank and the West Bank at Peters Hall and MeerZorgen respectively

with an estimated 40,000 to 45,000 persons and more than 20,000 vehicles traversing each day (11,000 per direction).

The new Harbour Bridge is a critical component of the Government’s drive to expand and modernise Guyana’s transport infrastructure and will address the challenges faced by users of the current bridge by providing safe, efficient, and effective crossing.

It will offer easy con -

nectivity to both the existing East Bank Demerara Highway as well as the new Diamond-to-Eccles bypass, the existing West Bank Demerara Road, and the new Parika-toSchoonord road. The new bridge will transform the face of transportation between Regions Three and Four as well as others.

The new high-span, four-lane bridge will facilitate the smooth flow of traffic without congestion and delays.

The bridge is also a key strategic investment as economic activity on both sides of the Demerara expands rapidly, with developments on the horizon, such as new and expanded shore bases, a massive gas-to-power project, and other industrial activities, alongside growth in more traditional sectors such as housing and construction, and services such as tourism. The bridge will play a significant role in accommodating and propelling economic growth.

Visitors arriving at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport

Finance Minister, Dr Ashni Singh

Guyana secures US$192M loan for Phase 2 of ECD road project

On the other hand, Minister Edghill noted that the road project was a major intervention in the road network along the East Coast corridor and would create greater accessibility, especially with the kinds of investments that the President Ali-led Administration was making and the possibilities of what could develop at Enmore in terms of industrialisation and job-creation for people on the East Coast corridor.

“The already congested

new four lane needs to be supported by additional carriageways. It was the PPP/C while in office in the 2011 period that started that East Coast expansion and widening and here, we are today. It will see the Railway Embankment from Sheriff Street (from the roundabout) to Orange Nassau being expanded into four lanes then the expansion of the East Coast.”

“Then there will be the rehabilitation of the existing ECD road from Belfield

to Orange Nassau. This will allow us to have additional lanes (four lanes on the Railway Embankment and for some sections-two lanes so that we’ll be able to see greater comfort in commuting into the city or out of the city while allowing for larger capacity in terms of containerised traffic to help with the movement of goods that will eventually evolve with the development of Enmore as a major job-creation centre,” the Public Works Minister stated.

The Governments of Guyana and China on Friday signed a Framework Concessional Loan Agreement to the tune of US$192 million for the funding of Phase II of the East Coast Road Project.

The signing was done by Senior Finance Minister, Dr Ashni Singh, and Chinese Ambassador to Guyana, Guo Haiyan. Public Works Minister Juan Edghill and other officials of the Finance Ministry and the Chinese Embassy also witnessed the inking of the loan agreement.

Phase II of the project will include an extension of the Railway Embankment Road into four lanes from Sherriff Street to Orange Nassau, an extension of the main East Coast Roadway from Orange Nassau to Mahaica as well as rehabilitation of the existing East Coast Demerara Road from Belfield to Orange Nassau which will allow for additional lanes.

This Phase will also see the construction of 48 bridges and 22 culverts and another bridge across the Hope Canal.

According to the Finance Ministry, the loan for the project is being provided by the Export/Import (Exim) Bank of China. Phase I of the project was done during the previous term of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Administration and included the extension of the East Coast main road, which was also funded by the Chinese Exim Bank.

Prior to signing the loan agreement, Minister Singh pointed out that this road project, upon completion, would not only allow for the ease of traffic congestion and decrease in commute time along the East Coast corridor, but will also foster the ramping-up of economic activity and development occurring under the stewardship of the PPP/C Government.

The Finance Minister also highlighted the in-

crease in vehicular traffic owing to more persons being able to own their own homes and vehicles while the PPP/C was in office. He also alluded to the increase in the number of trucks and other large vehicles carrying goods and materials and noted that this was a reflection of the construction and development boom.

“This is something that we welcome…in response to it, we take very seriously the obligation to expand our road network to ease this pressure and so as soon as President [Dr Irfaan] Ali came into office, Government set about an aggressive campaign to immediately transform our transport network. We have seen already parallel bypass roads constructed on the East Bank. Today you can drive from Sheriff Street to Diamond without ever touching the traditional East Bank Road as we know…,” he emphasised.

Dr Singh further added that Government was building an Ogle-to-Diamond Road so that there would be multiple roads, pointing out that Government was not only addressing the EBD, but also the ECD as Government continues building out to provide an additional artery for travel

between the East Coast and the East Bank, which ultimately forms an important part of Government’s transport infrastructure modernisation plans.

Meanwhile, following Friday’s simple signing ceremony, Ambassador Guo recalled that Guyana and China only recently celebrated 50 years of good relations, cooperation, mutual respect and mutual support and benefit. She noted that China cherishes friendship and cooperation with Guyana.

The Chinese diplomat added that China was willing to strengthen this cooperation and the road-building project formed part of its global development initiative.

“We believe that the project borne through the cooperation of the two countries will bring more benefit for people. The current financial situation is so volatile and poses a great challenge to developing countries and the concessional loan demonstrates China’s commitment to common development and gives an indication of China’s confidence in Guyana’s development and in the two countries’ bilateral cooperation,” Ambassador Guo added.

Public Works Minister Juan Edghill sharing a light moment with Chinese Ambassador to Guyana Guo Haiyan after she signed the loan agreement with Finance Minister, Dr Ashni Singh (centre) on Friday

16 Pigeon Island squatters receive land titles

that document in their hand, [whether] an allocation letter, an agreement of sale and ultimately a Title or Transport," said the Minister.

She continued, "from that many avenues open up for families; yes, you have security in the sense that you have a roof over your head that you own, you don't have to fear, especially our senior citizens, that if something happens to them the family property or home will be in jeopardy."

Moreover, the Minister outlined that when the PPP/C Administration took office in 1992 over 200

The first 16 of 44 persons who were squatting at Pigeon Island, East Coast Demerara (ECD) are now legal landowners after Minister within the Ministry of Housing and Water, Susan Rodrigues presented them with their Certificates of Title.

This is in keeping with a commitment of President Dr Irfaan Ali in August 2022 –to deliver the documents by the end of the year.

Director of Community Development at the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA), Gladwin Charles and other officials from CH&PA were also present to facilitate the process.

The activity, which was held at the Life Spring

Ministries Multi-purpose Hall, Chateau Margot, ECD also follows the registration of the squatters for their Titles, just two weeks ago. Some of the recipients have been occupying the area dating back to the 1980s.

Efforts to regularise Pigeon Island were made since 2002, including a review of the area by President Ali, during his tenure as the Minister of Housing and Water. The process was then stalled under the previous Government and restarted in 2020 under President Ali. Minister Rodrigues, therefore, emphasised that the distribution was a significant achievement for the Government and residents.

"We want to empower people by giving them

squatting areas were identified.

Through several PPP/C Administrations, some 158 of these communities have

since been regularised. The Minister urged the cooperation of residents in other areas, to make further progress.

Speaking to the overall

housing sector, the Minister said the Government was accelerating the development of house lots and the construction of housing units. She also said that infrastructural works would be advanced.

Beneficiaries at Friday's exercise expressed happiness, having received their Land Titles. Deomattie Laljie stated that she and her family (including eight children) began living in the area approximately 34 years ago in a cramped 10x20 foot home and were always in fear of building due to ownership issues. The family has since upgraded their home and is happy to close this chapter of their lives.

"I am so happy, because we were always discriminated by people saying that

we are not entitled to this [and], we are not entitled to that. [...] I want to thank the President for delivering on his promise and Minister Susan for the extraordinary work that she put in," Laljie said.

Mother of two, Kamani Sukhu, also shared, "My kids are very excited because they know in the long run nobody will have to come and tell them 'well, you have to move' or they will have to break your house down."

Sukhu added that her family now plans to make some minor repairs on her home to enjoy a more comfortable shelter.

For persons who were unable to receive the documents on Friday, the Ministry will facilitate the processing at a later date.

GECOM to start continuous registration exercise on Jan 3

The Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) will be commencing a continuous registration exercise to cater for new registrants as well as registered persons who want to make changes or corrections to their information.

In a statement on Friday, GECOM said this exercise will start on January 3, 2023 and run until May 31, 2023 at all of its permanent Registration Offices in the ten Administrative Regions across the country. During this registration exercise, the Elections Commission said, any person who will be 14 years and older by June 30, 2023; is a Guyanese citizen by birth, descent or naturalization; or is a citizen from a Commonwealth country who has been living in Guyana for one year or more, can apply for registration, provided that he/she was never registered.

Additionally, existing registrants who are desirous of updating their records, such as a request to correct or change their names, date of birth, occupation and update their addresses are being advised that those transactions would also be facilitated during this exercise.

GECOM said persons desirous of conducting any registration transaction, whether new registration or changes/corrections to their particulars, are required to visit the GECOM Registration Office responsible for their area of residence with the relevant source documents.

These documents include original birth certificate, val-

id passport, adoption certificate, Naturalisation Certificate or Certificate of Registration, and Deed Poll along with original birth certificate (if applicable) in the case of making applications for new registration.

For those wanting to make changes/corrections, they are required to present their original marriage certificate, marriage certificate with decree absolute for divorced women, deed poll with birth certificate, or a new original birth certificate reflecting the new name in the case of application for change/correction of name and other particulars.

Registration transactions can be done during the official working hours, which are: Mondays to Thursdays 08:00hrs – 12:00h then 13:00h – 16:30h and on Fridays 08:00h – 12:00h then 13:00h –15:30h.

The Elections Commission

three weeks ago postponed Nomination Day for Local Government Elections (LGE) to facilitate this continuous registration exercise.

In October, it was announced that LGE was set for March 13, 2023, with Nominations Day initially slated for December 12, 2022, but GECOM has said that at a special meeting on December 8, a decision was taken by the seven-member Commission, based on a proposal submitted by the Chief Elections Officer (CEO) Vishnu Persaud, to conduct an exercise to correct the Registers of Voters for LGE under Section 24A of the Local Authorities (Elections) Act, Chapter 28:03.

“Subject to further deliberations on this matter, which has been deemed necessary by the Commission, information on the way forward would be shared in a timely manner with all stakehold-

ers,” the electoral body had stated.

Prior to that meeting, the CEO had sent a letter to GECOM Chairperson Justice (retired) Claudette Singh, seeking a 14-day extension of the period of Claims and Objections. The missive proposed that GECOM should have an extended “Correction of Registers” period within the additional two weeks, before the holding of the LGE, which were scheduled for March 13, 2023.

Persaud had indicated in his letter that this proposal, if accepted, “would cause the conduct of Local Government Elections to be further delayed”.

GECOM had previously conducted a cycle of Continuous Registration from March to May 2022, and a Claims and Objections Exercise from August to October 2022. That Claims and Objections exercise captured more than 3000 new applicants, who will be eligible to vote by October 31, 2022, as well as a total of 18 objections to names on the Preliminary List of Electors (PLE).

Nevertheless, this new registration exercise that will get underway next week is in response to a legal challenge filed by the A Partnership for National Unity/ Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Opposition, which had been calling for a clean voters’ list.

APNU/AFC Chief Scrutineer Carol Smith-Joseph filed legal action against GECOM earlier this month, challenging the process used to compile the List of Electors, or voters’ list, for the upcoming local Government polls.

However, Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister Anil Nandlall, SC, says the Opposition is employing a series of delaying tactics to disrupt the holding of the long overdue LGE.

This was after the Coalition claimed that Local Government and Regional Development Minister Nigel Dharamlall has no power to set boundary demarcations.

According to Nandlall, now that the Government-nominated Commissioners at GECOM agreed to do what they want, and will conduct a new registration exercise, the Opposition has found another issue to pick at as part of its delaying tactics.

“Today, when they realize that [the legal challenge] now would be rendered moot, or be evaporated, they now come with a new issue now, and that is a question of Ministers don’t have the power to demarcate boundaries. This is another attempt at stalling. They don’t want the Local Government Elections, so they will come with all kinds of shenanigans – all types of and all manner of foolish arguments to detain and delay the Guyana Elections Commission. I am calling on the Guyana Elections Commission to proceed to hold Local Government Elections that are lawfully due under the laws of Guyana,” the AG had stated.

The Attorney General pointed out that GECOM has a duty to hold elections in accordance with the time stipulated by law, unless Parliament extends that time, which has not been done.

Minister within the Ministry of Housing and Water, Susan Rodrigues hands over the title to an elated resident

Minister Rodrigues addressing concerns

Some of the residents of Pigeon Island on Friday

Govt injected over $2B to assist farmers, fisherfolk in 2022 – Agriculture Ministry

… says high success in

new crops

recorded

Relief grants and supplies exceeding $2 billion were given in 2022 to support farmers and fisherfolks to continue their operations and cushion rising costs of living, the Agriculture Ministry has said.

In a statement on Friday documenting its achievements for the year, the Ministry related that, nationally, rice, livestock, and cash- crop farmers across Guyana received more than $109 million in flood relief grants, while 7,500 fisherfolks benefitted from grants totalling more than $1.1 billion.

To cushion the impact of the rising cost of fertilizer on farmers, and to limit the impact of rising food prices, $1 billion worth of fertilizer was purchased for free distribution to farmers.

In 2022, $38 billion was allocated to advance Guyana's agriculture sector, representing an almost 100 percent increase from what was allocated in 2020 at some $19.7 billion. The allocation accounted for approximately seven percent of the

national budget.

Looking at achievements for 2022, Guyana hosted the inaugural Regional AgriInvestment Forum and Expo, which provided an opportunity for agri-businesses and organizations to participate and network with potential investors in business-to-business engagements, and to match bankable and shovel-ready business proposals with concrete investments in the regional agriculture sector and agri-food systems.

Through collaboration with the Government of Barbados, work has commenced on the construction of the Guyana/Barbados Food Terminal, which will address the many hurdles of transportation and logistics in the Region. Once established, the facility would also assist in the movement of products and reducing the cost of local produce, while also providing the opportunity to access new markets.

Subsector Achievements

As of September, some 1,479 persons were employed by GuySuCo at the re-opening of estates. This consists

of 1,091 previously severed persons and 388 new persons hired for the period August 2020 to September 2022. The mechanisation of the factories is progressing at Blairmont Estate with the first phase of expansion of the packaging plant being in progress.

In the rice sector, exports amounted to approximately US$185 million. Guyana also saw Lebanon coming on board as a new export market, with more than 24 tonnes of packaged white rice being shipped to the country for the year.

Meanwhile, the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) facilitated the rehabilitation of pump stations at Albion, Manarabisi and Mibicuri, and rehabilitation of sluices was done at Union, Leguan and Cane Grove, among other locations.

Construction and rehabilitation of pump stations to the tune of $1.3 billion are progressing in Black Bush Polder, Adventure, Canal Number One, Versailles, Cottage, Greenwich Park, Andrews, and Cozier.

Additionally, the dredging of the Pomeroon river mouth is ongoing following the procurement of two excavators and a pontoon.

Over at Mahaica/ Mahaicony/ Abary Agricultural Development Authority, 128 leases were distributed to farmers. A 5-kilometre all-weather road was done from Onverwagt to Bel Air; maintenance of 730 miles of channel was done monthly; and the seed facility plant has been rehabilitated.

In 2022, some 366 acres of corn and 495 acres of soyabean were sowed. The Agriculture and Innovation Entrepreneurship Programme (AEIP) also launched the use of shade house technology for high-value crops and promoted youth in agriculture.

To date, 120 shade houses have been constructed, with nine nurseries established around the country under the National Coconut Decentralization Programme. The export volume of coconut and coconut products as at November amounted to 7,375 metric tonnes, while 1,000 Brazilian Green Dwarf seed nuts were acquired and another 1,000 are being procured.

This year, some $20 mil-

lion was approved to procure planting materials for ginger, and 65 farmers commenced planting in mid-August. Meanwhile, 30 farmers cultivated 0.5 acres each of turmeric, which is equal to 15.0 acres, and is expected to yield 14,000 pounds.

For black pepper, 3,193 cuttings were produced where 1,500 were distributed to farmers in Region One; and of the 850 nutmeg seedlings that were generated, 350 were distributed to farmers to aid in expanding cultivation.

Wheat production trials commenced in Regions Eight and Nine, while, under the floriculture project, 2,551 roses have been harvested to date.

In aquaculture, brackish water shrimp production from January to November 2022 increased by over 400 percent. Eight cages were procured for cage fishing, and these have been stocked with Tambaqui fingerlings, and land clearing has commenced at Onverwagt for the Prawns Project (Vannamei).

Under livestock, the Barbados Black Belly Sheep Programme has seen 472 sheep imported. The flock has grown to 494. For beef, the Genetic Improvement Programme saw 64 bulls be-

ing imported from Texas, while preliminary civil works have been completed for the establishment of a modular pig slaughtering and processing facility at Garden of Eden.

Guyana’s main export markets in 2022 included the Dominican Republic, France, Antigua, Barbados, USA, Canada, and Trinidad and Tobago.

Legislation & Financing

In August, the Industrial Hemp Bill was passed in the National Assembly, paving the way for prospective growers, processors and builders to maximise the significant opportunities that the hemp industry has to offer.

Also, with technical assistance from FAO, work has commenced on the development of a Food and Security Bill. This will be the first Food and Security Bill in the Caricom Region.

The Republic Bank Limited has pledged US$100M in financing for the regional agriculture sector, and a number of projects have been identified for funding under this financing programme. Last May, following consultations with Government, Demerara Bank’s Farmers Credit Line was launched.

Businesswoman’s battered lifeless body found in home

Ramdia Balkaran, a 78-year-old businesswoman also known as ‘Sister Jean’, has been found dead in her bed in her home at Paramakatoi Village, Region Eight on Thursday.

Guyana Times understands that the woman’s body was discovered at around 06:00h, after a family member had gone to the woman’s home to do some cleaning, but had received no response after calling for her several times. The relative had then

gone to another part of the premises and informed the woman’s husband, Rev. Basil Balkaran; and they both had gone back to the house and made their way inside.

Upon entering the house, they discovered the woman bound, gagged and battered, lying in her bedroom. The Police were summoned, and further checks around the yard revealed that the mesh fence at the back of the yard had been cut open.

So far, no one has been arrest -

ed, but Police are on the hunt for the suspect/s.

The woman and her husband had been working as missionaries for more than 50 years in the Wesleyan Church in Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni). Following publication of the woman’s death, scores of persons flooded social media to express condolences to her family. One friend said: “A woman who won’t even hurt a fly was killed. She took time to serve wholeheartedly the Amerindian People in the interior for many

years. This is tough news to receive…no amount of words can console anyone when death comes, and the way it did….

“I hope the perpetrators of this evil will be found, and the whole book of the law be thrown at them. This wanton killing is one time too many by very wicked and evil people. It seems they left something there at the Balkarran’s home and went for it. I can’t begin to imagine what this lady went through before drawing her last breath”.

The soyabean project

The corn project at Ebini

Dead: Ramdia Balkaran

Govt acquires 3 amphibious excavators to address flooding

The Agriculture Ministry’s Agriculture Sector Development Unit (ASDU) on Friday hosted a simple exercise to test and inspect three recently acquired amphibious excavators as part of the Government’s ongoing flood risk management project.

The pieces of equipment were procured at a cost of $438,654,750, and will be used to execute the upcoming phase of reconstruction of the north-eastern dam of the East Demerara Water Conservancy (EDWC). With flood risk management being high on Government’s agen-

da, Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha has said Government has been consistently investing in developing improved drainage structures.

While offering remarks, he said Government would continue to invest in critical machinery and infrastructure, and assured that the machines would be used in different parts of the country.

“These excavators will not only be used in this conservancy. They will also be used to execute work in different parts of the country, depending on the needs within those areas. Outfalls that lead directly to the

Atlantic Ocean become silted, and we have to do work to desilt them. We’ll have to use these types of machines to do those works.

“We will ensure we continue to invest in modern machinery to develop the sector and make it more sustainable and attractive,” he promised.

Chairman of the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA), Lionel Wordsworth, has said, “With regard to the project, we’ve since added discharge capacity with the new Hope Canal; restored the Cunha Canal; and maintained the exist-

ing outlets should there be a phenomenal amount of rainfall. The acquisition of these equipment would give support to in-house capacity and add to the skillset within the management of the conservancy, so that we can execute and implement all planned works,” he noted.

The Chairman also noted that similar upgrades would be done to infrastructure along the Coast.

The excavators are said to be the largest in the Caribbean, comprising DX300 Long Reach superstructures, each mounted

on two hydraulic amphibious pontoons.

Following the 2005 flood and overtopping of the EDWC, former President and now Vice President, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo, had sought assistance from international donor agencies to fund projects to develop Guyana’s flood risk management. The Vice President has also been responsible for pursuing the construction of the Hope Canal, which drains excess water from the EDWC to the Atlantic Ocean.

The project, funded by a loan from the Inter-

American Development Bank (IDB), aims to significantly increase flood resilience in the low-lying coastal lands of the East Demerara area, which include the country's capital, Georgetown, where much of the population, as well as administrative and commercial activities, are concentrated.

The additional financing also caters for extensive work to improve the East Demerara Water Conservancy (EDWC), one of Guyana's major water storage and flood control facilities.

Trio busted with ganja, cocaine during Police operations

Two men and a woman were arrested on Wednesday and Thursday respectively after being found in possession of a quantity of ganja and cocaine.

The Police have said that at around 19:45h on Thursday, ranks were on mobile patrol in Phase 2’ Good Hope, East Coast

Demerara when they observed a male and female standing at a corner of the road acting in a suspicious manner.

The two persons were contacted, and a search was carried out on the male, a 34-year-old fisherman. A transparent Ziplock plastic bag containing a whitish, rock-

like substance suspected to be cocaine was found on the ground right beside him.

He was told of the offence, cautioned, arrested, and escorted to the Vigilance Police Station, where the cocaine was weighed in his presence and amounted to 0.5 grams.

The female, a 30-yearold housewife of Foulis, Enmore, ECD, was also arrested. A search conducted on her person unearthed a yellow and black plastic bag containing several small, transparent Ziplock bags containing a whitish, rock-like substance suspected to be cocaine, and three transparent Ziplock bags containing cannabis sativa. The narcotics were weighed in her presence, and amounted to 9 grams of cannabis and 5.3 grams of cocaine.

Both suspects were taken into custody, pending charges.

Meanwhile, on Wednesday at about 17:00h, ranks on the Essequibo Coast in Region 2 (Pomeroon-Supenaam) were on mobile patrol in the vicinity of the Coffee Grove Old Road when they observed a male attempting to evade them.

The ranks exited the vehicle, gave chase, and subsequently apprehend the man inside a house, whom they later determined to be Philbert Henry, 51, a labourer.

A search was carried out on his person, and in his right-side trousers pocket, two transparent plastic

bags were found. One contained a whitish, rock-like substance suspected to be cocaine, and the other contained a quantity of cannabis.

He was immediately shown the drugs and told of the offences committed, and he claimed ownership. He was taken to the Anna Regina Police Station, where the cocaine and cannabis were weighed in his presence separately. The cocaine amounted to 28.3 grams while the ganja amounted to 5.3 grams.

He remains in custody pending charges.

One of the amphibious excavators

Minister Zulfikar Mustapha receiving a model excavator from representatives of Farm Supplies Limited

The cocaine and ganja that were found at Good Hope, ECD

The cocaine and ganja that were found on the Essequibo Coast

Wall Street ends 2022 with biggest annual drop since 2008

US stocks closed out 2022 lower on Friday, capping a year of sharp losses driven by aggressive interest rate hikes to curb inflation, recession fears, the RussiaUkraine war and rising concerns over COVID-19 cases in China.

Wall Street's three main indexes booked their first yearly drop since 2018 as an era of loose monetary policy ended with the Federal Reserve's fastest pace of rate hikes since the 1980s.

The benchmark S&P 500 has shed 19.4 per cent this year, marking a roughly US$8 trillion decline in market cap. The tech-heavy Nasdaq is down 33.1 per cent, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average has fallen 8.9 per cent.

The annual percentage declines for all three indexes were the biggest since the 2008 financial crisis, largely driven by a rout in growth shares as concerns over the Fed's rapid interest rate hikes boost US Treasury yields.

"The primary macro reasons ... came from a combination of events: the ongoing supply chain disruption that started in 2020, the spike in inflation, the tardiness of the Fed beginning its rate tightening programme in the attempt to corral the inflation," said Sam Stovall, chief investment strategist at CFRA Research.

He also cited economic indicators pointing to recession, geopolitical tensions including the Ukraine war, and China's surging COVID cases and uncertainties over Taiwan.

Growth stocks have been under pressure from rising

yields for much of 2022 and have underperformed their economically-linked value peers, reversing a trend that had lasted for much of the past decade.

Apple Inc, Alphabet Inc, Microsoft Corp, Nvidia Corp, Amazon.com Inc and Tesla Inc are among the worst drags on the S&P 500 growth index, down between 28 per cent and 66 per cent in 2022.

The S&P 500 growth index has fallen about 30.1 per cent this year, while the value index is down 7.4 per cent, with investors preferring high dividend-yielding sectors with steady earnings such as energy.

Energy has recorded stellar annual gains of 59 per cent as oil prices surged.

Ten of the 11 S&P sector indexes dropped on Friday, led by real estate and utilities.

"The housing market

Artistes pushing for minimum wage

The Barbados Association of Creatives and Artistes (BACA) is educating members, especially musicians, on how much to charge for their services.

And in 2023, the intention is also to have a minimum wage for certain events and shows, says President Sean “Apache” Carter. The national minimum wage does not apply to creatives, but he hopes to have a tiered system based on specific criteria.

“You would have an artiste who has to bring his/ her own equipment, set up that equipment and sing and perform for $150 [Bds] that night. We are educating the [artiste] about the cost involved in getting

that equipment to the venue, in the set-up and for the actual performance, so $150 [Bds] for everything they’re doing is really selling themselves short,” Carter said.

“One of the things we’re hoping to do through the Barbados Coalition of Service Industries is to have a minimum wage for certain shows and certain events. Different shows, events and gigs will have a different minimum wage, so it will be a tier system, but you can negotiate rates within that tier system based on if the person is a recording artiste, an international artiste, their years or experience and their popularity.” (Nation News)

has really slowed down and the values of people's homes have declined off of the highs earlier this year," said J Bryant Evans, investment advisor and portfolio manager at Cozad Asset Management in

Champaign, Illinois.

"That affects people's mind frame and actually affects their spending a little bit."

The focus has shifted to the 2023 corporate earnings outlook, with growing con-

cerns about the likelihood of a recession.

Still, signs of US economic resilience have fuelled worries that rates could remain higher, though easing inflationary pressures have raised

hopes of dialled-down rate hikes.

Money market participants see 65 per cent odds of a 25-basis-point hike in the Fed's February meeting, with rates expected to peak at 4.97 per cent by mid-2023.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 73.55 points, or 0.22 per cent, to 33,147.25; the S&P 500 lost 9.78 points, or 0.25 per cent, at 3839.50; and the Nasdaq Composite dropped 11.61 points, or 0.11 per cent, to 10,466.48.

Volume on US exchanges was 8.50 billion shares, compared with the 10.79 billion average for the full session over the last 20 trading days.

Declining issues outnumbered advancers on the NYSE by a 1.50-to-1 ratio; on Nasdaq, a 1.03-to-1 ratio favoured decliners.

The S&P 500 posted no new 52-week highs and no new lows; the Nasdaq Composite recorded 85 new highs and 134 new lows. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Criminology graduate student held in Idaho student murders

ony burglary.

The suspect, who is expected to be extradited to Idaho, has already appeared before a judge, and was remanded in custody without bail.

Officials confirmed at the same news conference that the suspect was a PhD student in criminal justice and criminology at Washington State University.

Its campus in the town of Pullman, Washington – where the suspect was living – is a 10-mile drive across the border to Moscow.

of the victims have voiced frustration with the investigation's progress.

"This was a complex and extensive case," said an emotional Moscow police chief James Fry.

"These murders have shaken this community and no arrest will ever bring back these young students," he told reporters.

Acriminology graduate has been arrested in the mysterious killings of four university students in the state of Idaho last month, Police say.

Bryan Christopher Kohberger, 28, was detained in Pennsylvania, more than 4020 kilometres (over 2500 miles) from the crime scene.

The University of Idaho students were found stabbed to death in their beds in a rental home near the campus on November 13.

Police say the suspect lived in a town near where the murders occurred.

Xana Kernodle, Ethan Chapin, Kaylee Goncalves, and Madison Mogen were discovered dead from multiple stab wounds in their

home in the small college city of Moscow, northern Idaho.

Some of the students, who were 20 or 21 years old, had defensive injuries.

A post-mortem examination found the four were probably asleep when they were attacked. There was no evidence of sexual assault, Police say.

Kohberger was arrested near the city of Scranton, Pennsylvania, on Friday by State Police and FBI agents. He was traced to his parents' home in Albrightsville, officials told CBS, the BBC's US partner.

Latah County prosecutor Bill Thompson told a news conference the accused faces four counts of first-degree murder and fel -

In the weeks after their deaths family members

Police did not disclose any motive, saying it was necessary to keep certain details private in order to secure a conviction at trial. They said they were investigating whether the suspect knew the victims.

(Excerpt from BBC News)

Ten of the 11 S&P sector indexes dropped on Friday, led by real estate and utilities

Bryan Christopher Kohberger

Regional

Brazil's Bolsonaro flies to Florida, avoiding Lula handover

President Jair Bolsonaro left Brazil for the United States on Friday, 48 hours before his leftist rival Presidentelect Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva was set to take office, saying in a teary goodbye speech he had "lost a battle but not the war."

Bolsonaro, who has barely spoken since losing the election, has not confirmed where he is going, but plane tracking data suggests he is heading to Florida, where his security staff are already in place.

He has repeatedly said he would not hand over the presidential sash to Lula at Sunday's inauguration, breaking with Brazil's democratic tradition.

He may also face legal risks from remaining in Brazil as his presidential immunity expires when Lula takes office.

Vice President Hamilton Mourao is now acting President, his press office told Reuters, confirming Bolsonaro had left the country. But Mourao will not pass the presidential sash to Lula either, a spokesperson said, raising questions about who will hand over the cere-

monial ribbon to the leftist.

Website FlightAware, which monitors air traffic, showed the presidential plane departed Brasilia shortly after 14:00h local time, bound for Orlando, Florida.

"I am in flight, back soon," Bolsonaro was quoted as saying by CNN Brasil. His press office did not respond to a request for com-

Chile's Boric pardons 12 convicted after 2019 protests

Chilean President Gabriel Boric on Friday pardoned 12 people connected with widespread protests against inequality in 2019 that left more than 30 dead.

Political factions and organisations had called for the release of the people connected to violent protests that shook the South American country. As a candidate, Boric had talked about pardoning some of those convicted for less violent crimes after the protests.

The list of those pardoned included men between the ages of 21 and 38 involved in various crimes such as looting, robbery, handling Molotov cocktails, and others.

The move was celebrated by political allies with Senator Fabiola Campillai, who was blinded during the protests before running for office, calling it a "humanitarian act".

Political opponents decried the move.

"It's a slap in the face to all Chileans that want more security," right-wing senator Gonzalo de la Carrera said on Twitter, saying the move disrupts negotiations currently under way to create a national safety council.

Bolivian Opposition Leader Luis Fernando Camacho receives a medical evaluation following his detention

Boric also pardoned a member of a rebel group on Friday for a total of 13 pardons. Jorge Mateluna, 48, is linked to the Manuel Rodriguez Patriotic Front (FPMR), had been sentenced to 16 years in prison after being accused of participating in an assault on a branch in Santiago in June 2013.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

ment.

The US State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The US Embassy in Brasilia referred questions about Bolsonaro's trip to the Brazilian President's office.

Before take-off, Bolsonaro delivered an emotional final address on social media in which he ran through the highlights of his time in office, sought to defend his legacy, and tried to inspire his followers into keeping up the fight against Lula.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

Venezuelan Opposition removes interim President Guaidó

Venezuela's Opposition national assembly voted on Friday to remove interim President Juan Guaidó, dissolve his Government and appoint a commission to govern the country's foreign assets, as lawmakers seek a united front ahead of elections slated for 2024.

Guaidó has been the public face of Venezuela's fractious Opposition since 2019, when he invoked the Constitution to assume an interim presidency, garnering backing from the United States and other Governments who reject the 2018 re-election of President Nicolás Maduro as fraudulent.

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But Maduro has remained in control of nearly all Venezuela's institutions, including its security forces, and Guaidó's interim Government, which has control over some foreign assets and runs many Embassies, has seen its support wane.

Three of four major Opposition groups – Justice First, Democratic Action and A New Era – backed the bill to oust Guaidó and create the five-member

commission to manage foreign assets, especially USbased refiner Citgo, a subsidiary of State-owned oil company PDVSA.

Supporters say Opposition control of foreign assets is not at risk and the dissolution is necessary for unity ahead of the elections.

"There are already tools to protect the assets in the United States, the United Kingdom, Portugal," said Justice First lawmaker Juan Miguel Matheus.

Both the article eliminating the interim Government and the arti -

cle creating the assets commission passed with 72 votes in favour, 29 against and 8 abstentions.

Guaidó, whose Voluntad Popular party did not back the effort, had urged lawmakers to replace him instead of dissolving the interim Government.

The United States will continue to support the Opposition, the assembly and the interim Government "regardless of what form it takes", a spokesperson for the US National Security Council said on Friday.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

Firearms, illegal meds seized at bond in central T&T

Police seized a quantity of firearms and illegal medicine during a raid at the bond in central Trinidad.

A Police press release on Friday said that on Thursday, a specialist unit of the TTPS and Customs and Excise Division officials raided the bond . A package consigned to a Chaguanas man was placed under surveillance.

As such, both consignee and package were secured, and the package was searched. Officers found

a hidden compartment in which a large quantity of firearms, ammo magazines, and other component parts for firearms were concealed.

The processing of the crime scene was ongoing on Friday and the release promised full details of the firearms would be forthcoming upon completion of the processing by officers of the Special Evidence Recovery Unit (SERU).

The Special Investigations Unit (SIU) and the Crime Scene

Investigations (CSI) along with the Customs Division, are conducting further enquiries.

Sometime in November, during a similar exercise at the same bond, officers of the SIU profiled cargo including packages consigned to a local resident, which was sent from a company in Pakistan. The cargo was described as household items and personal effects.

The cargo was flagged and suspected to contain medication. The cargo was then secured and moni -

tored in anticipation of the consignee coming to clear said cargo.

On Thursday, after a no-show by the consignee, the officers proceeded to search the cargo in the presence of the agent of the freight company.

During the search, 2800 tablets were found. The shipment did not have the required documents to import the items. Customs officials are continuing investigations.

(Excerpt from Trinidad Newsday)

Bolivian Judge places Opposition Leader in pre-trial detention

AJudge in Bolivia has sentenced Opposition Leader Luis Fernando Camacho to four months in pre-trial detention amid growing tension in the country.

Judge Sergio Pacheco ordered Camacho, Governor of the country’s Santa Cruz region, to be remanded in custody on charges of terrorism during a hearing on Friday. Camacho was transferred to a prison 25 kilometres (15 miles) from the capital city of La Paz shortly after.

Speaking during the virtual hearing that was held in the La Paz Police Station,

Camacho struck a defiant note stating that he would “never give up on this fight for Bolivia’s democracy”.

Prosecutors have alleged that Camacho played a key role in political unrest in Bolivia following the elections in 2019, which resulted in the forced removal of leftist President Evo Morales that some described as a right-wing coup.

Groups such as the Organisation of American States (OAS) alleged that those elections were riddled with fraud, and protesters took to the streets in protests that killed 37 people

and resulted in the installation of right-wing Jeanine Anez as interim President.

Morales was the first member of Bolivia’s large Indigenous community to become president. Following his removal, some Indigenous people feared setbacks for their rights and accused Anez of anti-Indigenous racism.

Subsequent investigations have cast doubt on the claims of fraud that were used to justify Anez’s installation, and Morales’s Movement Towards Socialism (MAS) party won a resounding victory in the

Brazil's outgoing President Jair Bolsonaro had said that he would not attend the inauguration of incoming President Lula da Silva (Reuters/Adriano Machado)

Venezuelan Opposition Leader Juan Guaidó speaks during an interview with Reuters, in Caracas, Venezuela, December 6, 2022 (Reuters/Gaby Oraa)

2020 elections, elevating MAS candidate Luis Arce to the presidency. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Luis Fernando Camacho, a Santa Cruz civic leader and major Opposition figure, is being held in a jail outside La Paz, Bolivia [Reuters/Marco Bello file photo)

Oil ends year of wild price swings with 2nd straight annual gain

Oil prices swung wildly in 2022, climbing on tight supplies amid the war in Ukraine, then sliding on weaker demand from top importer China and worries of an economic contraction, but closed the year on Friday with a second straight annual gain.

Prices surged in March as Russia's invasion of Ukraine upended global crude flows, with international benchmark Brent reaching US$139.13 a barrel, the highest since 2008. Prices cooled rapidly in the second half as central banks hiked interest rates and fanned worries of recession.

"This has been an extraordinary year for commodity markets, with supply risks leading to increased volatility and elevated prices," said ING analyst Ewa Manthey. "Next year is set to be another year of uncertainty, with plenty of volatility," she said.

Brent crude on Friday, the last trading day of the year, settled at US$85.91 a barrel, up nearly three per cent to US$2.45 per barrel. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude settled at US$80.26 a barrel, up US$1.86 or 2.4 per cent.

For the year, Brent gained about 10 per cent, after jumping 50 per cent in 2021. US crude rose nearly seven per cent in 2022, following last year's gain of 55 per cent. Both benchmarks fell sharply in 2020 as the COVID-19 pandemic slashed fuel demand.

Investors in 2023 are expected to keep taking a cautious approach, wary of interest rate hikes and possible recessions.

"The demand and demand growth is going to be a real question, because of the heavy-handed actions by the global central banks and the slowdown that they're trying to engineer," said John Kilduff, partner at Again Capital LLC in New York.

A survey of 30 economists and analysts forecast Brent would average US$89.37 a barrel in 2023, about 4.6 per cent lower than the consensus in a November survey. US crude is projected to average US$84.84 per barrel in 2023, down from the prior view.

While a jump in year-end holiday travel and Russia's ban on crude and oil product sales has supported crude, tighter supply will be offset next year by declining fuel consumption due to a deteriorating economic environment, said CMC Markets analyst Leon Li.

Oil declined in the second half of 2022 as rising interest rates to fight inflation boosted the US dollar. That made dollardenominated commodities like crude more costly for holders of other currencies.

The dollar was on track to post its biggest annual gain since 2015.

China's zero-COVID restrictions, which were eased only this month, had squashed demand recovery hopes. The world's top oil importer and second-biggest consumer in 2022 posted its first drop in oil demand for years.

While China's oil demand is expected to recover in 2023, a recent surge in COVID-19 cases has dimmed hopes of an immediate boost in barrel buying.

In an indicator of future supply, the US oil and gas rig count rose 33 per cent for the year, energy services firm Baker Hughes Co said in its latest report. (Reuters)

Around the World

Russia attacks Ukraine along frontline from north to south

Russia shelled Ukrainian towns across a long stretch of the frontline from north to south, Ukrainian officials said on Friday, a day after Moscow fired dozens of missiles in its latest barrage against critical infrastructure.

Air attack sirens blared overnight into Friday in the capital Kyiv, and Reuters heard several explosions and the sound of anti-aircraft fire south of the city as Russian forces fired 16 Iranian-made Shahed drones, the officials said.

The Ukrainian military said all the drones had been destroyed. Seven had targeted Kyiv, where an administrative building was damaged, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said.

In a Friday evening statement, the General

Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces said Russian forces had tried to advance near Bakhmut and Avdiivka, the focal points of their slow-moving campaign to take all of Donetsk region in the east.

Russian forces fired on several towns and villages, including Bakhmut, Kudryumivka just to the south, nearby Soledar and also the town of Kostyantynivka, west of Bakhmut.

Russian forces also fired on Avdiivka, the nearby town of Maryinka as well as Nevelske, the statement said. Russian forces shelled settlements further west in Donetsk region, including the town of Vuhledar, it said.

"On the whole, we are holding our positions," President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said of the fighting in the east in his nightly video address on Friday. "There are also some areas of the front where we are advancing a bit."

The Luhansk regional administration said Ukrainian forces had captured the small town of Novoselivske just inside Luhansk region, about 20 kilometres northwest of Svatove, a Ukrainian target in the region. (Excerpt from Reuters)

WHO calls on Beijing to strengthen COVID-19 response; UK, others to screen Chinese travellers

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has called on Chinese officials to share more real-time information on COVID in the country.

It comes as COVID infections surge across China following its decision to relax its zero-COVID policy.

During a meeting on Friday, WHO officials called for more data on hospitalisations, Intensive Care Unit (ICU) admissions and deaths.

It also called for more data on vaccinations.

Several countries have announced they will be screening travellers from China after cases surged this month.

The United States, the United Kingdom Spain, France, South Korea, India, Italy, Japan and Taiwan have all imposed COVID tests for travellers from China.

And passengers arriv-

ing in England from China will have to provide a negative COVID test before they board a flight, Ministers confirmed on Friday.

"WHO again asked for regular sharing of specific and real-time data on the epidemiological situation... and data on vaccinations delivered and vaccination status, especially in vulnerable people and those over 60," the United Nations health agency said in a statement after the talks.

The agency "expressed willingness to provide support on these areas, as well as on risk communications on vaccination to counter hesitancy".

It also "stressed the importance of monitoring and the timely publication of data to help China and the global community to formulate accurate risk assessments and to inform effective responses".

(Excerpt

from BBC News)

Romanian Police to hold Andrew Tate for 30 days on TIP, child rape, gang allegations

The controversial British-American influencer Andrew Tate will be held in detention in Romania for 30 days, after a court agreed to a Police request.

Tate was arrested alongside his brother Tristan on Thursday as part of an investigation into allegations of human trafficking and rape, which they deny.

Authorities suspect

the pair, along with two Romanian men, of running an "an organised crime group".

Tristan, and two others, were also detained by the court in Bucharest.

Outside the court, the Tates' lawyer, Eugen Vidineac, said they would appeal against the detention.

"We are not at a stage where guilt or innocence is

Aung San Suu Kyi jailed for 7 more years

AMyanmar military court has sentenced

Aung San Suu Kyi to a further seven years in prison, taking her overall jail time to 33 years.

The country's former democratically-elected leader has been under house arrest since a military ousted her Government in a coup in February 2021.

Since then she's faced 18 months of trials on 19 charges – which rights groups say are a sham.

The United Nations Security Council called for her release last week.

On Friday, she was sentenced on the final five charges she faced. A court found her guilty of corruption because she had not followed regulations in renting a helicopter for a Government Minister.

She had already been convicted of 14 different crimes including breaching COVID public safety rules, importing walkie-talkies, and violating the official se-

crets act.

Her trials this year have been set behind closeddoors where the public and media are barred access and her lawyers are also banned from speaking to Journalists. She has denied all the charges against her.

The 77-year-old Nobel laureate has spent most of her time in detention under house arrest in the capital Nay Pyi Taw.

Suu Kyi and many members of her party are among more than 16,600 people

who have been arrested by the junta since they seized power – 13,000 remain in prison, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (Burma).

Last week the UN Security Council called for an end to violence in Myanmar and the release of all political prisoners. China and Russia abstained from the vote and did not use their veto power following amendments to the resolution's wording. (Excerpt from BBC News)

proven, for now we only discuss preventive measures," he added.

Vidineac told the BBC his clients reject all the allegations.

Andrew Tate, 36, has yet to comment directly on the accusations.

But after being detained, a tweet was sent from his Twitter account alluding to the 1999 movie “The Matrix”.

"The Matrix sent their agents," the post said. The account also retweeted Matrix memes posted by Twitter owner Elon Musk.

During the detention

hearing, the two brothers maintained their right to silence, their lawyer told the BBC.

Earlier, a Police spokesperson told the BBC that the 36-year-old would be held at a "detention centre".

On Thursday night, Romania's Directorate for Investigating Organised Crime and Terrorism issued a statement, but did not name the Tate brothers, stating that two British citizens and two Romanian citizens were suspected of being part of a human trafficking group. (Excerpt from BBC News)

Local resident Klavdia, 82, stands near her house which was destroyed by a Russian military strike, as Russia's attack on Ukraine continues, in Kherson, Ukraine, December 29, 2022 (Reuters/Oleksandr Ratushniak)

Andrew Tate after his arrest by Romanian Police

DAILY HOROSCOPES

Protect your back and share information carefully. Sit back and observe. Avoid overindulgence, and don't put up with anyone trying to coerce you into doing something that doesn't appeal to you.

(March 21-April 19)

(April 20-May 20)

Be careful what you say. Emotional mayhem will surface if you don't try to get along with others. A positive outlook will encourage others to make worthwhile suggestions. Mingle and network.

Keep your intentions secret. A reserved approach will encourage you to contemplate what's important and how to implement the changes necessary to live life your way.

(May 21-June 20)

(June 21-July 22) (July 23-Aug. 22)

How you help others will affect how you approach the new year. A shift in how you think and do things will spark resolutions you can put in place. It's a new year, and time to sport a new attitude.

Think before committing to something that puzzles you. Choose moderation and keep an eye on what's happening around you to avoid problems. Stability is your ticket to success.

Don't let trivial matters get to you. Look for the good and positive in everything and everyone, and you'll be a magnet for good vibes and a fun time. A suggestion will lead to a new beginning.

(Aug. 23-Sept. 22)

(Sept. 23-Oct. 23)

Sit tight when dealing with emotional issues. Don't start something you can't finish or get into a discussion with someone critical and negative. Look inward and live in the moment.

Leave nothing undone. Plan your day from top to bottom to ensure things run smoothly. Take care of your responsibilities first and tgeb turn your focus to friends and celebration.

(Oct. 24-Nov. 22) (Nov. 23-Dec. 21)

Aim to please, but don't make empty promises. Reminisce and recap the highs and lows of the year and what you'll do differently in 2023. Take a moment to thank those who have helped you.

Relax and enjoy the festivities without getting involved in a debate with someone who will never share your opinion. It's time to say goodbye to 2022 and open your arms to a new year.

(Dec. 22-Jan. 19)

(Jan. 20-Feb. 19)

There will be a lack of understanding among family and friends. Do your best to keep the peace and not take sides. You'll be far more effective if you practice the art of listening.

Refrain from taking on too much. Avoid risks that affect your health or financial well-being. An opportunity to network will lead to a professional move. Update your resume. Romance is favored.

(Feb. 20-March 20)

ARCHIE PEANUTS

CALVIN AND HOBBES

DILBERT

Brazil has woken up to its first day without footballing legend Pelé. "The King", who won three World Cups and was widely considered the greatest footballer of all time, died at the age of 82 in São Paulo on Thursday.

Overnight, Pelé's face shone on buildings across the South American nation, landmarks were lit up in his memory, while fans took to the streets dressed in his iconic number 10 shirt.

The Brazilian Government has declared three days of national mourning for the “King”. The front pages in Brazil were all talking about Pelé on Friday. One read "Pelé died, if indeed Pelé can die", because, for Brazilians, he is their eternal King.

The last time national mourning was declared was when Queen Elizabeth II died. Lots of parallels have been drawn between Pelé and royalty; he was the closest Brazil had to royalty. Supporters began gathering outside São Paulo's Albert Einstein Hospital the previous afternoon, when they heard news of Pele's death.

Pelé had been undergoing treatment for colon cancer since 2021. Knowing his condition was worsening, Brazilians had spent weeks reflecting on his life and legacy.

Many feel relieved his suffering is over, but he is an iconic sportsman who will be dearly missed. The hospital issued a statement confirming his death from multiple organ failure connected to his cancer.

But in a reflection of his status, the hospital added it shared the suffering felt by the family and everyone over the loss of "our beloved King of football".

The player who united a nation Standing outside the Fiesp building in São Paulo as it displayed a colourful

tribute, one man spoke of the intensity of feeling for Pelé. "It is indescribable to say at this moment what we are going through here; the loss," Widisley Guimarães told Reuters news agency.

Tributes have poured in for the late footballer, including from Brazil forward Neymar, who said: "Before Pelé, football was only a sport. Pelé changed everything. He turned football into art, into entertainment. He gave a voice to the poor, to black people."

France striker and Neymar's Paris St-Germain team-mate Kylian Mbappé added, "His legacy will never be forgotten".

Pelé scored a world record of 1,281 goals in 1,363 appearances during a 21-year career, including 77 goals in 92 matches for his country. The only player to win the World Cup three times, lifting the trophy in 1958, 1962 and 1970, Pelé was named FIFA's Player of the Century in 2000.

But he was a cultural icon, too. As a black man, Pelé rose to the status of national treasure in a country with a deep history of slavery and legacy of segregation that persists.

He regularly faced monkey chants on the pitch, and was called several racist

nicknames. But Pelé once said that if he had stopped every game after a monkey taunt, he would have had to stop them all.

Pelé was key to carving out space and recognition for black people in Brazilian football, his biographer Angelica Basthi has said, but he was never directly involved in the fight against racism.

Seven reminders why Pele is a footballing great

The King and I: Memories of meeting a football legend

While national mourning will last for three days, São Paulo state authorities have said their period of mourning will go on for a week. But really, Brazilians will mourn for much longer.

Pelé's wake will be held on Monday at the Santos Football club - for many years his home stadium. The following day, his coffin will be carried through the streets of the coastal city of Santos, before a private burial.

This weekend was expected to be momentous in Brazil as Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva - whose swearing-in takes place on Sunday - returns to the presidency 20 years after the start of his first term in office. Instead, Brazilians will be paying tribute to a man who transcended politics - a man who represented this entire footballing nation. (BBC)

The Everest Cricket Club Masters Team recently held their Annual Awards Ceremony and Gala after a year of sterling performances on the field, and each of those enthusiastic players received a token for their contribution to the team’s success in 2022, while the overall top run-scorer and wicket-taker have each received individual prizes.

Despite the extended wet weather attending the latter part of this year, Everest Masters were able to play unbeaten in their 15 completed matches - a record since their establishment in 2010, and a feat that was special to the group.

Batsman Saheed Mohamed, a consistent and compact right-hander who scored 513 runs that included one century and four half-centuries, was the clear winner, ahead of Basil Persaud, who scored 253 runs, and Sahadeo Hardaiow, who scored 195 runs in the year. This has been Mohamed’s fifth consecutive award as Best

Batsman.

Right arm off-spinner Randy Lindore has received the Best Bowler’s Award for the second consecutive year, after capturing 13 wickets. He was followed closely by right-arm seamer Ronald Jaisingh, who took 12 wickets, and Rajesh Singh, who took 11 wickets.

Captain Rajesh Singh was elated to present the statistical report of the matches played in the year.

The skipper charged his troops to be consistent in order to equal or improve the already formidable record.

In his address, Singh also made special mention of the supporters who contributed to the overall success, including the staff and Directors of Everest CC, and the various sponsors, especially Trophy Stall.

It was also a historic occasion in the Members’ Pavilion for West Indies’ latest Test Cricketer

Tagenarine Chanderpaul and Businessman Ramesh Sunich who were named Everest Cricket Club’s new Life Members. It is a policy of the 108-year- old club to bestow the prestigious award to its members who achieve the distinction of playing international cricket.

However, Chanderpaul was not present to receive his new membership card, while Sunich, of Trophy Stall, was slightly emotional as he accepted his card

from the special guest of the night, Honourable Minister of Natural Resources, Vickram Bharat.

Sunich’s recognition as Honorary Life Member is as a result of his consistent and dedicated contribution to the club using his business establishment as a vessel of empowerment. Over the years, Everest CC was on the receiving end of Sunich’s generosity as he provided trophies, other tokens, printed signs, uniforms, balls and gear, sometimes without any formal request.

Another Test player that represented Everest CC in his early playing days, Clyde Butts, became a Life Member after making his debut in 1985, but was never presented with his Membership card. The former right-arm off-spinner was on hand to receive his card, and later thanked the Executives and membership of the club for the recognition.

Butts also congratulated the Everest Masters side for their achievements on the field and for putting

on the gala event to recognize the performances of its members.

In his remarks to the audience of mainly players and their spouses, Minister Bharat was full of praise for Everest Masters, for their remarkable accomplishments and for organizing games to keep the game which is a unifying force alive.

The Honorable Minister also spoke glowingly of Everest Cricket Club and its members, for being the shining example of what other clubs should be.

Charismatic international cricket commentator John Ramsingh, who is also an executive member of Everest CC, was the Master of Ceremonies for this annual event, which was itself lively and well attended.

Former Test player Clyde Butts receiving his award from Minister Bharat

Randy Lindore receiving his award from Minister Vickram Bharat

Saheed Mohamed collecting his award from Minister Bharat

-Brazil lights up in honour of Pelé

Brazilians watching the lights in remembrance of Pele

RISING STAR OMARI GLASGOW

for big outing at 2023 Concacaf Nations League

Omari Glasgow is one of the rising stars of the 2022–23 Concacaf Nations League. The 19-year-old winger is the leading scorer for the Guyana national team through the first four matches, and trails the Golden Boot race by one in League B.

His love for the beautiful game was ignited half a life ago while growing up in the village of Beterverwagting, approximately 14 kilome tres east of the Guyana capital of Georgetown, off the coast of the Atlantic Ocean. With soccer en grained in his family, it was only inevitable that he be destined to become an artful ex ponent of the beauti ful game.

“My family used to play football: my dad, my granddad and my oth er granddad. My granddad from my dad's side, he was one of the best players on the East Coast, and he passed away before I was born, so I didn't get to see him play,” Glasgow told Concacaf.com. “I went to go watch my dad play, and I just started fall ing in love with the game, and I started playing at age eight.”

At 13, Glasgow was called up to the Under-15 national team in what started his journey to the senior team a hand ful of years down the road. He made his senior team debut in a 4-0 win over the Bahamas during the Concacaf World Cup qualifying tour nament for Qatar 2022 on March 30, 2021, coming off the bench to score and help end a 10-match winless streak in qualifiers for Guyana.

“Growing up watching the national team play soccer, some of the guys that I play with, I watched them play at a young age and I always dreamed about playing with the national team,” Glasgow said. “I did that, and I'm so grateful to get called up to the senior national team.”

The Golden Jaguars were unable to advance out of the first round of qualifying, and again tasted heartbreak by elimination in the 2021 Concacaf Gold Cup prelims the following June. Despite the loss to Guatemala, Glasgow’s participation in that match led to his signing with Chicago Fire II in the United States.

With the desire to return winners, Glasgow and his teammates prepared at their respective clubs to arrive in the best form possible for the 2022/23 CNL with the objective of earning promotion to League A.

“We come into the tour-

nament with a mindset: just playing to win and try to get into the other tier of Concacaf,” Glasgow said. “When we come together, we just want to win. We just play to win, do good for the country, and put the country out there on the map.”

just what Glasgow did in Guyana’s second CNL match, to take a 2-1 result against Bermuda. With six points in hand, the Golden Jaguars were holding onto the top of Group B.

The following two matches, back-to-back encounters

good for us, because we showcase ourselves. As I said before, we're trying to get into the top tier of the Concacaf with the big teams,” Glasgow said about playing in CNL. “We’re working to get there. This round of Nations League, we’ve just got to take what God make happen for us, and just continue working to get there one day.”

As Guyana looks to the future as well as the present, the ultimate aspiration is to earn the country’s first ever World Cup berth. An expanded 48-team tournament in 2026, hosted in Concacaf, has painted the setting for a dream debut.

“One of my main goals is trying to get Guyana into

Glasgow is aiming for a big outing in 2023

the World Cup. In 2026, the U.S., Mexico, and Canada are hosting the World Cup, so that's a good chance for us to get in there,” Glasgow has said. “I think the small Caribbean countries have a

chance to get in there, and I hope we make full use of that chance by then; because, as I said, it’s a process, and we’re building towards that.” (Adapted from a Concacaf article)

India’s Rishabh Pant in serious condition after car accident

Glasgow was the star in Guyana’s opening CNL encounter when he led a comeback with a second half brace for a 2-1 win over Montserrat. The young forward scored off a free kick in the 61st minute, and provided the game winner 10 minutes later at the Estadio Olímpico Félix Sánchez in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic - the same setting of his debut senior international goal just one year prior.

“The first time I get called up to the senior team, that's when we played in a World Cup qualifier. On that same ground, I scored a free kick against Bahamas on that same end of the field,” Glasgow recalled. “I just pick up the ball and said I'm taking it. The confidence was there, and I just delivered.”

Delivering another game-winning goal is

with Haiti, threw a wrench in Guyana’s aspirations to ascend. Haiti won both encounters to take pole position for promotion and the direct qualification to the 2023 Gold Cup.

Guyana can still get promoted by winning its remaining two matches, but the country would need Haiti to stumble. What can be secured with the second-place spot is a spot in the Gold Cup Preliminary Round, as the country is hopeful to return after making its first appearance in the 2019 edition.

“Getting them to the Gold Cup would be a dream come true for me, because I always want to play in one of the highest levels in Concacaf,” said Glasgow. “I think we could qualify, but we just have to work. We have two more games, we just got to get full points.

“The tournament is very

India wicketkeeper

Rishabh Pant has sustained a series of injuries when the car he was driving to Roorkee, Uttarakhand on Friday morning reportedly hit the divider on the road, caught fire, and ended up being severely damaged.

Pant was initially taken to a local hospital - Saksham Hospital Multispecialty and Trauma Centre - where he was treated for impact injuries before being moved to Max Hospital in Dehradun. He had reached the hospital at 6am.

The results of MRI scans done of the brain and spine are normal. He has also undergone plastic surgery to manage his facial injuries, lacerated wounds and abrasions he suffered. MRI scans of his ankle and knee have been postponed till tomorrow because of pain and swelling.

The doctors at Max Hospital in Dehradun have also given him "above knee splintage… for suspected

right knee ligament injury, and suspected right ankle ligament injury".

The medical bulletin released by the hospital on Friday evening also said Pant is "stable, conscious and oriented". The bulletin noted that "prima facie, he had sustained multiple abrasions on right-hand forearm and leg, and lacerated wounds over forehead and near eyebrow, and multiple graze abrasions on the back".

Pant, 25, was not part of the India squads for the T20I and ODI home series against Sri Lanka beginning on January 3. He was due to head to the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru for strength and conditioning before the Test series against Australia in February.

He most recently played a match-winning innings of 93 in the second Test against Bangladesh in Mirpur, which helped India clinch the series 2-0. (Adapted from ESPN Cricinfo article)

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Pant has been seriously injured in a car accident

Omari Glasgow

-Aiming

- MRI scan results for brain and spine normal -undergoes plastic surgery for facial injuries

Berbice Cricket to undergo massive development in 2023

-emphasis to be placed on longer version of the game and school programmes

The Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) is planning to build on the success it enjoyed in 2022 and over the last five years under the leadership of the Hilbert Foster led administration.

The BCB in 2022 enjoyed a very successful year with the organising of tournaments, hosting of developmental programmes and assisting clubs across the ancient county. Among the major achievements were the hosting of numerous tournaments at all levels, the se-

lection of fifty Berbicians on national teams, hosting of several cricketing legends for coaching sessions/ inspiration sessions and obtaining pitch covers at the cost of over $1.5 M dollars.

Other achievements include twelve Berbicians on different West Indies teams, assisting clubs with gears, balls and scorebooks, massive investment in school cricket across the county, assisting twenty junior teams with practice nets and obtaining sponsorship for a county wide

secondary school coaching project.With the assistance of Local Government Minister Nigel Dharmlall, the BCB was able to obtain the services of nineteen coaches in a massive coaching project.

BCB President Hilbert Foster has disclosed that the board intends to build on the success of 2022 and among the major plans are the hosting of cricket tournaments at the primary and secondary school levels and coaching sessions in an historic drive to unearth new talents

Jonathan Rampersaud receives UG scholarship

from RHTY&SC

The Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club (RHTY&SC) has - since its formation in 1990 by three-time Commonwealth Youth Service awardee the St Francis Xavier Roman Catholic Youth Club - always placed special emphasis on the importance of education for its membership and youths across the ancient county.

On Thursday last, the club continued this tradition by handing over a University of Guyana scholarship to its Asst Secretary, Jonathan Rampersaud. This national under-19 vice-captain is currently attending classes at the Tain Campus of the University of Guyana as he seeks to obtain a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management. Earlier this year, he obtained his Associate Degree with distinction.

RHTY&SC Secretary Hilbert Foster has committed to Rampersaud’s mom Rohanie that the RHTY&SC would assist her son in his pursuit of an education. Foster has said the commitment was made as he was very impressed by the drive and hard work of Rampersaud to succeed on and off the cricket field, and also to support his mom who is the single breadwinner in the home.

Foster noted that his Assistant has always placed special emphasis on his education, and had also excelled at the CSEC while being a student of the J.C Chandisingh Secondary School.

The scholarship has

been made possible by the RHTY&SC Namilco First Division, Bakewell Second Division and Pepsi Under-19 teams.

Rampersaud, who recently was the leading wicket-taker for the Guyana under-19 team in the 2022 CWI Regional Tournament, plays for all three teams. He is captain of the Pepsi under-19 team, vice-captain of the Bakewell Second Division team, and a senior member of the Namilco Thunderbolt First Division team. Among his teammates are Kevin Sinclair, Kevlon Anderson, Junior Sinclair, Clinton Pestano, Shawn Perreira, Assad Fudadin, Eon Hooper, Shemaine Campbelle, Mahendra Gopilall, Jermey Sandia, Shabika Gajnabi, Sheneta Grimmond, Matthew Pottaya and Jason Sinclair.

The scholarship is a continuation of the cricket teams’ efforts to pro-

mote the importance of education under their massive Say No/Say Yes programme directed at over eighty youths in the ancient county. The teams under the programme host the annual Republic Bank Summer Camp; honour teachers and outstanding students; distribute educational materials, including school bags; host educational competitions and programmes like essays, spelling bees, debating competitions; and assist students with bicycles to attend school.

The teams also publish youth magazines, stickers, youth information booklets, and place billboards in the county.

Rampersaud, in brief remarks, said he is very happy that the club that he has represented since he was twelve years old has invested in his future. And he has committed to making his teammates and club very proud.

for clubs. The BCB would also be hosting inter club limited overs tournaments at the inter club level at the under 11, 13, 15, 17 and 19 levels in 2023 but special emphasis would be placed on the hosting of special two days inter zones tournaments at the under 15, 19 and 21 levels in an effort to get youths to play the longer version of the game.

The BCB is working hard also to organise a tour to a Caribbean island for an under 21 team as part of its developmental programme. The board is working along with Dr Frank Denbow on this tour, which would be the first for the county in over forty five years. Foster disclosed that the main objective is to encourage youths to stay in the game after the crucial under 19 level while exposing them to different conditions.

Among the other plans for the new year are obtaining a large mobile grass cutter and heavy roller, which would as-

sist clubs to get their venues in order quickly. The board would also be working to get additional pitch covers to add to the five, it currently has to avoid long delays in matches. One of the special projects that Foster intends to push in 2023 is getting at least four bowling machines for the county and the construction of concrete pitches in each of the four sub zones- West Berbice, New Amsterdam/Canje, Lower Corentyne and Upper Corentyne. The sub zones would also benefit from mini academies and youth development forums.

Clubs would continue to benefit from cricket balls under the Hetmyers Trust Fund along with scorebooks and bicycles from the Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club.

Thousands of youth information booklets along with the BCB historic Coaching Manual would be published as part of its educational

drive for youths while promising players would receive assistance with gears.Several special coaching sessions for fast bowling, spinners, wicket keepers and batsmen would be organised under the Dr Tulsi Dyal Singh coaching programme . A number of former West Indies players would conduct these sessions along with the BCB coaches.

Former national wicket keeper Sheik Mohamed would kick off the sessions shortly with a wicket keeping clinic.

The BCB would also be working with the University of Guyana Tain Campus to set up a Wall of Fame to honor outstanding Berbice Cricketers and would also update the BCB billboard for test players in front of the historic Port Mourant Cricket Ground. Foster is urging players, club executives and all cricket related officials to redouble their efforts in 2023 and to always strive for excellence.

Umpire Candace La Borde to make history at ICC World Cup

-in show of woman power

Candace La Borde will create history when she takes to the field at the International Cricket Council’s (ICC’s) Women’s Under-19 T20 Cricket World Cup in South Africa from January 14-29, 2023. La Borde will become the first woman from Trinidad and Tobago to stand in an ICC Cricket World Cup.

Like ICC Elite Panel umpire Joel Wilson of TT, La Borde, 35, is a member of the North Zone Cricket Umpires and Scorers Association. Recently, she and Vincentian women's umpire Maria Abbott, who has also been appointed for the 2023 tournament, underwent an intense oneweek development programme in Antigua, held under the supervision of West Indies Cricket Umpires Association's umpires coach and former international umpire Peter Nero.

La Borde also had opportunity to test her skills as a third (TV) umpire in the recently concluded third edition of the Trinidad Dream XI T10 Blast. A media release from the North Zone Cricket Umpires and Scorers Association on Wednesday said, "La Borde,

a member of the TT Defence Force and mother of one, has a bright umpiring career ahead of her. Her appointment is being hailed throughout the umpiring fraternity in TT, and is seen as an appointment for all female umpires in the country."

La Borde leaves for South Africa on Tuesday.

Chairman of the North Zone Cricket Umpires and

Scorers Association, Shawn Wilson, in congratulating La Borde, said her appointment is an indication of the association’s high standard of training. Joining Wilson in congratulating La Borde, President of the TT Cricket Umpires Council, Kellman Kowlessar, said La Borde's appointment should be seen as an incentive for women and young men to become umpires. (T&T Newsday)

RHTY&SC

Executive Member Tyrone Pottaya handing over the scholarship to Jonathan Rampersaud

Umpire Candace La Borde

Berbice senior female team - Guyana Champions

The successful Berbice senior male 2022 team