Guyana Times - Saturday, June 4, 2022

CIOG supports grieving mother who lost children in Mocha fire P14

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

THE BEACON OF TRUTH

Issue No. 5029

SATURDAY, JUNE 4, 2022

Pres Ali announces $100,000 one-off cash grant for children with disabilities See story on page 3

– $120M special needs centre for all regions

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WHAT'S INSIDE:

Guyana earned over $68B P13 from extractive sectors in 2019 …63% of earnings from oil & gas industry

Body of missing fisherman found floating in P8 Mahaicony River Teen arrested with ganja P12 following Police operations

IMF praises Guyana for ‘recovering well’ from deteriorated economy in 2020 …advises Govt to move at “cautionary pace” in public spending

VP Jagdeo announces $300M fertiliser support Page for Region 6 farmers 11

– 20-member committee to determine procurement, distribution

Page 16

Guyana to submit infrastructure Page proposal to 7 IsDB Board in September – Finance Minister

– tells Meeting that Bank will remain highly-valued developmental partner

Mechanic reportedly confesses to killing wife

Page 2

93-year-old found dead P14 in Cummings Lodge home Parents urged to get children immunised as highly- P15 transmissible variants spread – 73 new COVID cases detected within 24h

Linden-to- P15 Mabura road link will be ‘completely transformative’ – British envoy

2 NEWS

SATURDAY, JUNE 4, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Mechanic reportedly confesses to killing wife

Murder suspect Clarence Farley after being arrested on Thursday

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ours after he had been arrested in a hotel in Berbice, Clarence Farley, called Junior, reportedly confessed to murdering his wife, 39-year-old school

teacher Omega Ault, several days prior to the discovery of her body.

This has been confirmed

by Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum, who did not divulge any further details

about the confession. The post-mortem, however, has revealed that Ault, a Home Economics teacher formerly of Aurora, Essequibo Coast, Region Two, had been severely beaten to the head, one of the major factors that had led to her demise.

Blanhum, nevertheless, stated that after Farley’s arrest in a hotel room in the ancient county of Berbice, he was brought to the Criminal Investigations Department Headquarters, where he is being questioned. It was during that interrogation that he confessed to committing the heinous crime.

“He is cooperating with the detectives”, Blanhum told Guyana Times on Friday.

Now that a confession has been secured, the file would be sent to the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) for legal advice.

Farley, called “Junior”, a 40-year-old mechanic of Lot 18 Crane Village, West Coast Demerara (WCD),

Dead: Omega Ault

was arrested at some time around 19:50h on Thursday. Reports are that Police ranks acting on information received went to the hotel at Number 78 Village, Corriverton, Berbice where Farley was seen, and arrested.

“Farley was contacted in room number nine in the said hotel. He was told of the allegation, cautioned, and arrested. He was escorted to Springlands

Police Station, where he was placed in custody,” the Police have said.

Ault’s decomposing body was found on Friday evening at the couple’s Crane Public Road home. The discovery was made after the woman’s brother had gone to the house to check on her because he had failed to get in contact with her for two weeks. The man told the Police that after phone calls to his sister had gone unanswered, he went to her home to check on her.

He related that he pushed open the front door to the house, and immediately got an unpleasant scent. He then went into the front room of the house, and saw the motionless body of his sister lying in a state of decomposition.

It has been reported that Ault and Farley, who lived with their three-year-old son, had been encountering “problems” in their marriage.

Police have said that about four days prior to the

discovery of the woman’s body, Farley had taken their son to his deceased wife’s sister at Diamond, East Bank Demerara (EBD), and had left the boy there after telling her that he was going into the backdam.

A wanted bulletin was issued for Farley on Saturday. The man’s car was found over the weekend in a lumberyard at Coverden, EBD. A source had told <<Guyana Times>>> that Farley was contracted to the lumberyard, and, two Sundays ago, had parked his car at the business place at Coverden and had used one of the company’s vehicles to travel into the interior.

On his way in, the vehicle reportedly encountered mechanical issues, and the wanted man returned the following day to the office to get the parts to fix the problem. He left with the intention of securing the parts, but was since not seen or heard from at the office.

NEWS

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SATURDAY, JUNE 4, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

BRIDGE OPENINGS OPENINGS BRIDGE

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

Saturday, June 4 – 04:00h – 05:30h and Sunday, June 5 – 22:00h – 23:30h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Saturday, June 4 – 06:30h – 08:00h and Sunday, June 5 – 07:20h – 08:50h.

FERRY SCHEDULE

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

WEATHER TODAY

There will be thundery showers and light rain showers during the day and night. Temperatures should range between 23 degrees Celsius and 28 degrees Celsius.

Winds: Easterly to North-Westerly between 1.78 metres and 3.12 metres.

High Tide: 07:09h and 19:45h reaching maximum heights of 2.41 metres and 2.25 metres.

Low Tide: 13:16h reaching a minimum height of 0.81 metre.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 1, 2022

LOTTERY NUMBERS H

02 09 14

18 19 21

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Bonus Ball

FRIDAY JUNE 3, 2022

DAILY MILLIONS

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FRIDAY, MAY 27, 2022

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COMMODITIES Indicators

US$

Change %

Crude Oil

$119.872/barrel

Rough Rice

$302.99/ton

-0.84

London Sugar

$578.10/ton

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Live Spot Gold

+1.76

USD Per Ounce

Bid/Ask

$1851.30

$1852.30

Low/High Change

$1847.10 0.00

$1870.00 0.00%

Pres Ali announces $100,000 one-off cash grant for children with disabilities – $120M special needs centre for all regions

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ith the aim of bringing relief to and assisting all groups of people in Guyana, President Dr Irfaan Ali on Friday announced a one-off cash grant of $100,000 for every child living with a disability.

He made this disclosure during an engagement at State House, where 150 children with disabilities and another 100 adult persons with disabilities (PWD) were in attendance along with their caregivers. He was accompanied by First Lady Arya Ali and Human Services and Social Security Minister, Dr Vindhya Persaud.

President Ali explained that his Administration is cognisant of the hardships that parents and guardians of persons with disabilities, especially children, face. These, he noted, would have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and other global shocks that have been having a ripple effect on the rising cost of living.

As such, he said that they wanted to support these persons, as the Government has been doing with other groups across the country.

“With the increases of gas prices that are bringing tremendous hardship globally, we have been supporting every single group… and today, we want to give every single child with a disability a cash grant of $100,000 this year,” he declared.

The Head of State posited that there is a register of about 1000 to 1200 children with disabilities across the country who will benefit from this one-off grant.

“This will be an added incentive [for families] and we want to do more,” the President stated.

According to the Head of State, this is part of an aggressive plan being undertaken by the Government to benefit persons with disabilities across the country. That plan also includes the establishment of modern centres in all 10 administrative regions that will benefit all ages of PWDs including classroom facilities for children.

“Part of the whole development process is not only to create these classrooms and these safe zones and safe areas for the children, which we’ll commence investment on in this year but more importantly, is us trying to trying to build a national environment in which the needs of every single person is taken into consideration.”

“We at the level of the Government are committed to the building of these centres… And whilst we’re doing this building, we are working on the design with the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security of the classroom that we want to create in every single region,” he stated.

These centres, which will be built at $120 million each, were designed in collaboration with the Disability Commission. It will feature

150 children with disabilities and 100 adult persons with disabilities were invited to State House on Friday

amenities such as a boardroom, five primary workstations, a retail area, a cafeteria, a therapy room and three dedicated office spaces.

The Government will also be looking to add night care centres for children with disabilities whose parents have to work late.

These facilities will cost approximately $120 million each. The procurement process for potential contractors to construct these centres will commence soon.

Friday’s announcement of the one-off cash grant and the centres in every region comes on the heels of First Lady Arya Ali raising over $13 million through a fundraiser to establish a business centre for Persons with Disabilities.

Nevertheless, President Ali on Friday told the gathering that these initiatives are part of the Government’s agenda to ensure all of

Guyana moves forward under his “One Guyana” initiative. He said the Government is also working on other special initiatives targeting this vulnerable group.

However, he noted that in order to bring benefits to persons with disabilities, there needs to be a structured way of implementing these initiatives. As such, he said a register will be created so there can be an accurate count of this group.

Meanwhile, during the engagement on Friday, the Head of State listened to the concerns and complaints of persons such as parents who care for children and adults with disabilities.

Among some of the issues raised were the lack of transportation to and from schools and centres; difficulties accessing public assistance and the training of more teachers for children with disabilities.

These issues were ad-

dressed on the spot.

President Ali announced that for the seven current special needs institutions across the country, the Government will make funds available to ensure each has at least one vehicle to transport the children.

He also committed to working with the Cyril Potter Centre for Education (CPCE) and the University of Guyana to create special programmes that will see teachers receiving special needs training.

Regarding the access to public assistance, President Ali said that when the registry is created, all children with disabilities will automatically be qualified for that funding which will bring an end to the tedious task of parents and guardians having to verify this through the public system, of which there was a barrage of complaints against public officers.

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guyanatimesgy.com

SATURDAY, JUNE 4, 2022

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

Understanding the Withdrawal Rules, the NRF and the rationale

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n one of the Vice President’s recent press conferences, he responded to a series of misinformation peddled by a think tank organisation named the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA). In one of the articles done by the IEEFA, the author argued that the Government had drawn down 100% of the funds from the Natural Resource Fund (NRF).

However, the IEEFA failed to acknowledge the full withdrawal rules and/or formula of the fund, and the rationale for the formula.

With respect to the first drawdown, Sanzillo ignored the withdrawal rules and the rationale for the withdrawal rules in the NRF Act, where there is a sliding scale from 100% to 3%. To this end, all withdrawals from the Fund have to be deposited into the Consolidated Fund, in accordance with the Act, thus subjecting the monies from the Fund to full parliamentary scrutiny and approval through the budget process. According to the withdrawal rules (first Schedule), the ceiling on annual withdrawals is as follows: 1. 100% of the first US$500 million 2. 75% of the second US$500 million 3. 50% of the third US$500 million 4. 25% of the fourth US$500 million 5. 5% of the fifth US$500 million 6. 3% of any amounts in excess of US$2.5 billion.

Rationale for the Withdrawal Formula With this simplified formula, one can observe that the withdrawal rules of the Fund are NOT designed to withdraw all of the monies from the fund each fiscal year, especially as the balance of the Fund starts to grow. The upfront drawdown from the Fund is necessary to accelerate and advance Guyana’s massive development agenda in infrastructure (new roads and bridges, drainage & irrigation, social infrastructure, health care, education, national security, and ICT etc.), all of which are aimed at modernising, transforming the economy, and to structurally diversify the economy away from oil and gas; and, more so, a heavy emphasis on improving national competitiveness.

This is in keeping with a sustainable development model framework, thus preventing the economy from being exposed to any significant risks of bankruptcy and external shocks, and averting the paradoxical Dutch disease, or resource curse.

There is another important positive impact as a direct result of this withdrawal formula, and that is: the reduction in the national debt, in the first five years at least – thereby freeing up more liquidity in the banking sector to extend more credit to the Private Sector. As such, this augurs well for the longterm macroeconomic stability framework of the economy as the country seeks to accelerate development to a modern economy.

In other words, what might take 50 years to achieve without oil, Guyana can now achieve in 25 years, or half that time.

Importantly to note is that the investments of today are also for the benefit of the future generations and the present generation. The new four-lane road networks that will be built, the modern education system, cheaper energy, etc., will be enjoyed by the present and future generations.

The Government and country cannot only save for the future generations, but also needs to invest in the facilities, infrastructure, education system etc today for the future generation to enjoy. This is more so against the backdrop of Guyana’s development being stymied for various reasons, including political, for the past 15-20 years. For example, the new bridge across the Demerara river was identified as part of the 1996 development strategy, and should have been built 15 years ago; the Amaila project should have been built 10 years ago; the Brazil-Lethem road, Corentyne bridge connecting Guyana and Suriname, and a deep water port, to name a few, are examples of important development projects, a strategic national investment that was all part of the 1996 development strategy, and should have already been implemented.

But because of several periods of political instability during those years, a total of 17 years of disruption and political attempts to destabilise the country, those projects could not have been implemented.

Then there was the minority Government during the period 2011-2015 (which triggered snap elections in 2015) because, under this dispensation, the political Opposition at that time would have vetoed almost everything, including national budgets in the National Assembly. And so the country could not have moved forward as a result of this deadlock.

2022 Young Leaders of Americas Initiative - Ulex Smith, Jermaine Slater, and Akola Thompson are preparing to depart for the United States to complete their fellowship. Prior to their departure, they met with Chargé d'affaires Mark Cullinane to discuss their expectations for the program and challenges faced in their business operations. The YLAI Fellowship Program is an annual exchange program for 280 young business and social entrepreneurs from 37 countries across Latin America, the Caribbean, and Canada, who are matched with businesses and organizations across the United States.

100 days of economic war: Can the West win against Russia?

- To cut the economic lifelines of Russia’s war on Ukraine for good, the West needs to assume a carrot-and-stick approach BY: Maximilian Hess

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or 100 days Ukrainians have been resisting a brutal Russian invasion; they fight alone but are financially backed by the West.

The US Senate just passed a US$40 billion aid package with bipartisan support, at least US$15 billion of which will go to the Ukrainian armed forces. Much of the remainder is earmarked for the other front in the conflict with Russia: the geo-economic war.

Despite these efforts, however, Russia’s economy remains on its feet – largely thanks to record-high hydrocarbon prices and continued European gas purchases – allowing the bloody conflict which already claimed thousands of civilian lives and destroyed most of Ukraine to continue at full force. The dire fact that, after all this suffering, Ukrainians still seem to face at least another 100 days, if not more, of ruthless invasion, bloody offensives and unspeakable atrocities calls for a re-examination of the West’s strategy and tactics in its economic war against Russia.

Since the beginning, the West’s primary weapon on the economic front has been

sanctions – severing key banking linkages, barring Russian businesses from dollar markets, and freezing a significant portion of Russia’s war chest. Russian exports, especially coal exports, have also been targeted. However, Europe is still having gruelling discussions over how to fully ban Russian fuel. So far, the West appears to have opted to pursue what can be defined as a “supply-side strategy” to weaken the Russian economy but simultaneously failed to efficiently plan for the predictable costs such a strategy would inflict on itself.

There are growing calls for further restrictions and heated discussions over whether – and how – to put in place a full embargo on Russian hydrocarbons and banking. But all parties to the discussions are aware that the added cost from such moves would be high.

And as Western attention slowly moves away from the war – a luxury that Ukrainians cannot afford – there is a risk that the resolve for passing more sanctions may soon weaken.

Putin has demonstrated clearly, however, that no matter which direction the West decides to take, he will continue to prioritise military spending, even

if it means resorting to autarky and impoverishing his own people.

All this means, that if it really wants to end Ukraine’s devastation promptly and hold Russia to account for its lawless actions, the West not only needs to tighten its sanctions regime against the Kremlin but also learn to use this effective weapon of economic warfare in a much smarter way.

Failure to envisage and prepare for the costs of the war’s economic impact thus far has already undermined the efficacy of sanctions.

And failure to plan for the ramifications of still-to-beintroduced measures would risk further weakening the West’s hand in this economic battle.

If Europe implements further sanctions without developing strategies to protect European nations from their costs, it may end up bolstering far-right arguments against economic resistance to Putin’s regime, such as concerns raised by France’s Marine Le Pen over how hydrocarbon sanctions may result in inflation and economic devastation.

Populist right-wing politicians like Hungary’s Viktor Orban or Italy’s Matteo Salvini are also chompingat-the-bit for the opportuni-

ty to rush back into Putin’s arms, and would use any further costs acquired from new sanctions to try and turn public opinion against the Western efforts to economically punish and restrain Russia.

This is not to say in any way that the West should ease sanctions. On the contrary, while Ukrainians continue to fight for their country’s survival, not one inch should be conceded on the supply-side efforts. But to build the necessary political support for sustaining, and winning, the economic war against Russia, the West also needs to implement a demand-side strategy. State investment, international supply-chain and production coordination, and the underwriting of risk by leading Western nations can help Ukraine fight and bankrupt Putin’s war machine.

The West has a soft underbelly – from Greece’s opposition to Russian shipping sanctions, to the Netherlands’ refusal to pump more gas in Groningen, to the opposition in the United States from the Trumpist right as well as the far left to allocating more aid for Ukraine.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 5

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SATURDAY, JUNE 4, 2022

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

use of our Desperately trying to rewrite history Making displaced fisherfolk

Dear Editor, Ever so often, you will encounter a PNC apologist who vainly tries to rewrite history. I recently encountered one. They come up with these jocular theories, hoping to find some relevance among educated people, but it will not work.

One Mr Moseley wrote that beriberi existed long before the PNC came to power.

In essence, he was saying that Burnham should not be blamed for an upsurge of this disease during his time in power here. That writer meant to absolve Burnham

from any problems this country suffered as a result of the breakdown of the healthcare system around that period.

Beriberi is a deficiency disease just like any other deficiency disease; it shows up when a country is being impoverished. Burnham pauperised Guyana with his blatant corruption and corrupt rule; as a consequence, this disease saw a significant rise in its occurrence.

A major cause for a lack of Thiamine 1 taking root here was due to the banning of certain ba-

sic food items, and the failure to source same from local foods. It was a hellish time for nursing mothers and the young infants in their care. To agree with Moseley's theory is like saying that Good Friday falls on a Wednesday, something that defies intelligence.

So, Moseley was just fooling himself, while at the same time trying to clean up after Burnham. no one can deny that the root cause for an upsurge in the disease was squarely pegged at Burnham's gross mismanagement of

the economy and a near-total breakdown of the primary healthcare system. The two things are intricately woven.

The point I am making is that trying to wipe out of our minds the horrible experiences we had during those 28 years of Burnham's reign would not work. The writer of that article was only exposing his ineptitude and stupidity, and this is very embarrassing, to say the least.

Respectfully, Neil Adams

Dear Editor, The extensive canal system in place in the country is very underutilised. There is also a requirement to expand the system to ease the flooding.

His Excellency has initiated the discussion on investing further in Hope Canal.

Expansion of the project's scope should be considered, as our waterways offer the opportunity to develop a non-automotive transportation network. Solar and renewable energy options are also now available, and are

100 days of economic war: Can the West...

And while the West has had significant success building a sanctions alliance, including Singapore and Switzerland, the Global South – at risk from Russian threats to global agricultural markets and wary of previous Western policy disasters – is hesitant to fully put its weight behind a sanctions regime. To increase the success of its sanctions regime, the West needs the support of more nations, and to achieve this, it needs to ensure it has developed strategies to protect not only itself but any potential allies from costs. There is no way that the West can expect would-be allies such as Serbia to refuse Russian gas deals when no genuine alternative is on offer.

Nearly one-quarter of the funding authorised in US President Joe Biden’s Ukraine aid bill is earmarked for mitigating the war’s economic impact on Ukraine and third countries. It is a start, but it does not go far enough – Ukraine’s own reconstruction bill is already in the hundreds of billions of dollars. It is a bandaid approach, whereas what is required is the grafting of a new limb to replace the Russian one Putin has severed, for Putin’s war on Ukraine is a war against the cur-

rent world order.

Several Western nations have already taken significant steps to try and preserve the status quo and protect themselves from potential future aggressions

by Russia. For example, many European states re-embraced defence spending and Germany even altered constitutional debt limits to do so.

However, even this newfound sense of Western unity is insufficient in such a globalised era – India, for example, is happy to buy Russian oil at a discount to global prices. Furthermore, the longer the war drags on, the more enticing Moscow’s offers to jointly challenge the US-led order may seem to Beijing, which has so far refrained from offering Russia direct economic support.

The West needs to adopt a new “neomercantilist” approach to sanctions, embracing “the need for strategic trade protectionism and other forms of Government economic activism to promote state wealth and power”. The nature of the geo-economic war is to remove Russia’s state wealth and power while avoiding the same for the West and its allies. That does not mean the ultimate aim should be to end liberalism

and the free-trading world, but neomercantilist tools can and should be employed to protect it in the long run from Russia’s existential threat.

Some of the groundwork for this has already been done, such as the US efforts to restructure development support under the Development Financial Corporation (DFC). Other worthwhile proposals include the Department of Energy offering to sell oil options and potentially pledge secure supplies to allies, to help limit uncertainty. But these efforts do not go far enough. Just as Congress authorised Biden’s $40bn Ukraine bill, for example, it rejected a proposal to effectively expand DFC. Europe can put forward solutions too, for example socialising the cost of major increases in gas drilling in the Netherlands.

Such a policy can be implemented far more quickly than building new LNG terminals, though efforts to build new energy infrastructure should also receive significant state support. European export credit agencies should be part of the fight, significantly expanding their capita could make them a key factor in making sanctions support and compliance more attrac-

viable for such an undertaking.

The recent shift occurring in the fishing sector of the economy has made our fisherfolk available to participate in such a project.

The current Administration should consider conducting a feasibility study in support of a transportation, drainage and infrastructure strategy that incorporates the use and development of our waterways.

Best regards, Jamil Changlee

FROM PAGE 4

tive for the developing countries.

Another vector of this approach should be a Western acknowledgement that food system inequality, fragility and interdependency mean Russia’s blockades will potentially be far more crippling to the Global South. A Western merchant marine and aid plan should be developed immediately to mitigate this and build credibility with would-be-allies threatened by Putin’s perfidiousness.

Finally, the US must remember it has a geo-economic lever more powerful than any other – the use of federal reserve swap lines. The selective offering of such support could help bring even the most reticent partners into line with Western sanctions given its potential to provide economic and monetary stability.

Demand-side policies are the carrots to the supply-side policies’ sticks in the West’s geo-economic war against Russia.

They must be the focus of the coming offensives, for without them this war will be far more costly and difficult to win. (Al Jazeera) (Maximilian Hess is a Fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute and a Political Risk consultant based in London)

SATURDAY, JUNE 4, 2022

06:00 06:30 07:00 08:00 09:00 10:35 13:00 15:00 17:00 18:00 18:30 19:00 20:00 20:30 22:03 00:00

(Sign on) Inspirational Time Cartoons Evening News (RB) Stop Suffering Movie - A Bug's Life (1998) Indian Movie - Heropanti 2 (2022) Movie - Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (2022) Movie - Afterlife of the Party (2021) Payless Power Hour Evangelistic Hour Hepzibah The Evening News Islam for Guyana Movie - A Cowgirl's Song (2022) Movie - The Lost City (2022) Sign off

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SATURDAY, JUNE 4, 2022

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Foundation

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION

Silence isn’t golden

National Grade Six Assessment 2016, Mathematics Paper 2

National Grade Six Assessment 2011, English Language Paper 1

Know where you study best. The silence of a library may not be the best place for you. It’s important to consider what noise environment works best for you. You might find that you concentrate better with some background noise.

Some people find that listening to classical music while studying helps them concentrate, while others find this highly distracting.

The point is that the silence of the library may be just as distracting (or more) than the noise of a gymnasium. Thus, if silence is distracting, but you prefer to study in the library, try the floor where there is more background ‘buzz’.

Keep in mind that active studying is rarely silent as it often requires saying the material aloud.

WORD SEARCH

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SATURDAY, JUNE 4, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Guyana to submit infrastructure proposal to IsDB Board in September – Finance Minister – tells Annual Meeting that Bank will remain highly-valued developmental partner

Senior Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh in Egypt

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ith the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) Government pursuing a comprehensive highway development plan, Guyana is seeking finance from the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) for a massive transport infrastructure project and will be submitting its proposal in September.

This was revealed

by Senior Minister with Responsibility for Finance Dr Ashni Singh, who is currently in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, for the IsDB Annual Meetings 2022, which is being held from June 1 to 4 under the theme: "Beyond Recovery: Resilience and Sustainability."

During his remarks at the Annual Meetings on Friday, Minister Singh expressed Guyana’s appreciation to the bank for its support over the years and noted that Government looks forwards to this support being further ramped up as they work on advancing the development agenda for the country in a very exciting but also challenging

era.

“The Islamic Development Bank will continue to be a highly valued development partner.

We are already at an advanced stage of developing new projects for our portfolio with the Bank, including one in transport infrastructure that is due to go to the Executive Board in September. Others, mostly in advancing the infrastructure upgrade and build-out agenda, will follow later,” Singh stated.

Meanwhile, on the sidelines of the 2022 Annual Group Meetings, Dr Singh held bilateral discussions with the IsDB Chairman, Dr Muhammad Sulaiman Al Jasser.

The engagement allowed for discussions with the Bank’s President on various opportunities for further collaboration with the Bank as the Government moves further ahead with its development agenda for Guyana.

Nevertheless, the Minister said during his formal address that the meetings are being held at a time when the global economy is reeling from multiple intertwined shocks including the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russia/ Ukraine crisis that has further disrupted production and trade in key commodities, resulting in additional inflationary pressure.

He pointed out that the result of those shocks is a significant reduction of the global economic growth which is now projected to slow from 6.1 per cent in 2021 to 3.6 per cent in 2022 and 2023, and fur-

ther decline beyond that.

Additionally, inflation for 2022 is now projected at 5.7 per cent in advanced economies and 8.7 per cent in emerging market and developing economies.

According to Singh, these combined realities make the work of the IsDB even more important to countries in the months and years ahead. He added too that the meeting’s theme this year aptly captures the essence of the mission that lies ahead.

Turning his attention to Guyana, Dr Singh outlined that his Government has taken a number of actions to limit the effects of COVID-19 on people’s lives and on the economy, as well as to contain the passthrough of imported price pressure on the most vulnerable.

“We structured these measures as far as possible to ensure they help stimulate productive activity in key areas such as agriculture. As a result, despite the unhelpful external conditions, we project real growth of over 7 per cent in our nonoil economy in 2022.”

“At the same time, in order to sustain strong non-oil growth into the medium and longer-term, we are putting in place the prerequisites for diversifying the productive sector, improving competitiveness, and increasing resilience,” he noted.

To this end, the Minister pointed out that particular areas of focus include investing in: adequate, reliable, affordable, and cleaner electricity which is essential for a competitive manufacturing sector; expanded and upgraded transport

infrastructure, including to increase the economic space in which the country operates, and to improve internal access; ramped up food production by bringing more acreage under cultivation and by widening the range of crops being grown, and animals being reared, at scale – corn, soybean, and tropical varieties of wheat being of special focus in the near term; and greater climate resilience, so that Guyana can be better able to withstand the consequences of climate change, in such areas as coastal defences, flood control, and water management.

On the climate front, Dr Singh informed the high-level gathering that despite being a new oil producer, Guyana places the highest level of importance to its climate credentials. This is especially since the country is extremely susceptible to rising sea levels and flooding as a low-lying coastal state.

At the same time, he explained that Guyana, with its vast forests and low deforestation rate, is making an outsized contribution to the global fight against climate change. He referred to the country’s revised Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS 2030) which articulates these two intersecting realities. It also outlines a plan to ensure that the role of the standing forests in the global effort to flight climate change is rec-

Senior Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh with IsDB Chairman at the Bank’s 2022 Annual Group Meeting

ognised and remunerated, in order to enable the country to make the required investments to achieve accelerated economic growth along a low carbon climate-friendly trajectory.

The Finance Minister is accompanied by Guyana’s Ambassador to Qatar, Safraaz Shadood, at the Annual Meetings in Egypt.

After his assumption of office on August 2, 2020, President Dr Irfaan Ali met with the then IsDB President and had discussions on financing for solar energy, agriculture, infrastructure, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and measures in the

fight against COVID-19.

Then, in June last year, following the unprecedented flooding of several areas in Guyana, the IsDB committed to mobilising support for the country in terms of critical intervention measures.

Meanwhile, last August, Government applied for financial support from the IsDB for the Hinterland Electrification Programme.

In October 2021, the Bank approved funding for the construction and rehabilitation of two small hydropower plants in Lethem, Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) with some of the money going towards consultancy services.

8 NEWS

SATURDAY, JUNE 4, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Construction worker charged for murdering BV labourer

T

wenty-nine-year-old Devon Mohamed, also called 'Chike Baba', a construction worker of Sideline Dam Beterverwagting, East Coast Demerara (ECD), has been remanded to prison on Thursday for the murder of 45-year-old Troy Hicks.

Mohammed appeared before Sparendaam Magistrate Rochelle Liverpool and was not required to plead to the indictable charge. He has been remanded to prison until July 14.

Mohammed is being accused of killing Hicks, of Beterverwagting, ECD, on May 28 at Hendricks Street, Triumph, ECD. The Police have said that Hicks and

Remanded: Devon Mohamed

Dead: Troy Hicks

the suspect had had a misunderstanding earlier in the day. Reports are that Hicks

was walking on Hendricks Street when the suspect attacked him with a cutlass

and chopped him about his head and shoulders.

Mohammed, who was armed with a dog chain and cutlass, chopped the victim to his forehead, and the now-deceased man ran into a corner shop after a group of men started to pelt him with bricks. He also pelted bottles at the men, and managed to run north on Republic Drive, Beterverwagting, but the men ran after him. He later collapsed. Police have said that Hicks was picked up alive and escorted to the Georgetown Public Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

Several persons were questioned and statements were taken.

Body of missing fisherman found floating in Mahaicony River

T

he lifeless body of a 31-year-old fisherman was on Thursday found floating in the Mahaicony River, East Coast Demerara (ECD).

The dead man has been identified as Andrew Barnwell of Farm, Mahaicony, ECD. Police have said that Barnwell had last been seen alive on Tuesday at about 19:00h in the company of a 57-year-old fisherman of East Canje, Berbice. They had been imbibing alcohol on a

boat at Central Mahaicony.

Based on reports received, that other fisherman reportedly told detectives that, on the day in question, he and Barnwell had finished consuming alcohol and Barnwell climbed onto a moored boat to sleep, at about 19:00h. At about 1:30h the following day, he was awakened by his boat rocking, and upon checking, he discovered it was untied.

After he had secured the boat, he called out for Barnwell, but got no answer.

He said that he made checks around the area, but did not locate his friend, and he subsequently went back to sleep.

Later in the day, the fisherman said, he enquired about Barnwell’s whereabouts from the man’s wife, and she related that she had neither seen nor heard from him.

The fisherman said he subsequently visited the Mahaicony Police Station on Thursday and made a re-

port. At about 15:55h on that day, a group of fishermen reported to the Police that they had seen the body of Barnwell floating in the Mahaicony River. The man’s body, clad in blue short pants and a dark blue vest, was retrieved

by Police ranks, and was later identified by his mother as that of the missing fisherman.

The Police have detected no marks of violence on the man’s body, but Police investigations are continuing.

End of… …the British Monarchy??

B

ritain is celebrating its Queen’s Platinum Jubilee; that is, Elizabeth II being on their throne for 70 continuous years. In the history of the WORLD, only four other monarchs have lasted that long - the most famous being France’s Louis XIV. He, however, was only 5 when he became king, while Elizabeth was almost 26 at her coronation on Feb 6, 1952!! There’s something to be said for longevity!!

While Louis outlived his son and grandson, Elizabeth’s firstborn, Charles, has gotten quite long-in-the-tooth waiting to succeed his mother. But imagine Elizabeth becoming Queen when we hadn’t even gotten the universal franchise!! So, the PPP hadn’t even won the 1953 elections.

And then Churchill would’ve had to consult her when his Government decided to oust the PPP Government after a mere 133 days!! Did she have the confidence to question the old ultra-Imperialist?? Your Eyewitness doesn’t think so!!

But why does he think the Monarchy’s on its way out??

After all, for decades, the Royals have been muddling on in true British style!! But maybe that’s why, isn’t it? They still represent traditional British values, like “muddling through”! Or do they?? Elizabeth’s uncle, Edward, had to abdicate to allow her dad to become King - because he (Edward) wanted to marry a divorcee - and an American one at that!!

Couldn’t have that, could they?? But here it is, Charles had divorced Diana and eventually married a divorcee, and the (English) heavens didn’t fall!! But that - and the soap opera lifestyle of the rest of the Royal Family - have certainly dulled the Royal aura!! Then also there’s the continued shrinking of the British Empire, on which Elizabeth could’ve boasted “the sun never set”. From the globe being literally pink with their colonies, to today it’s not even freckled!!

The unkindest cut must’ve been wee Barbados dumping the Queen after almost 400 years of proudly being called “Little England”!!

Sadly, while her Uncle Mountbatten had started the ball rolling by partitioning India and “granting” the two rumps independence in 1947, it was Elizabeth who had to preside over the retreat of the pink tide on the globe, starting with Ghana in 1957!! She dropped by to visit us just before we got independence in 1966 - and oh, what a grand occasion it was. Last chance for the soi-disant “Freedom Fighter Burnham to fulfill his secret wish to play the Englishman!!

While there was an attempt to keep the old colonial ties in a “Commonwealth”, today that’s just a name. But, in the end, it’s her subjects in the United Kingdom who’ll decide on the fate of the Monarchy.

Significantly, it’s not “United”, and most don’t want it to be a “kingdom”. …fossil pretend?

Ah, what a brave new world COP 26 was gonna unleash.

Fossil fuel was out, and renewables were gonna be the thing. But as old Robert Burns pointed out some time ago, the best plans o’ mice and men oft go awry!! And Putin’s invasion of the Ukraine has certainly made the plans on oil and gas go awry!! To deter Putin, the West has imposed oil sanctions (well, slowly!) but Russia’s starting to play hard ball: you don’t pay in Rubles, you get nothing!! Your Eyewitness thinks we call that capitalism!!

The problem is everyone thought that oil is fungible maybe so…but they forgot that all oil isn’t identical!! And since Europe and much of the (rich) temperate zone is hooked on diesel for heating, where are they gonna get heavier oil to mix with the light from Saudi and the US to deliver diesel?? So, in the meantime, India’s picking up discounted Russian crude, refining it, and then re-exporting to Europe.

Who remembers their commitment to renewables?!! …the TT ploy Your Eyewitness returns to Rowley’s offer to refine our oil at their mothballed Petrotrin Refinery. As he’d pointed out, apart from being all rusted, that was configured for TT’s heavy oil!!

No, thanks!!

The views expressed in this column are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Guyana Times’ editorial policy and stance

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

NEWS

9

SATURDAY, JUNE 4, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Gov’t to work with fisherfolk to ensure all receive $150,000 cash grant … to receive relief grants by July

A section of the gathering on Thursday evening

V

ice President Dr Bharrat Jagdeo has assured fisherfolk that the government will be working with them to ensure all who are deserving to receive the one-off cash grant of $150,000 benefit.

The assurance was given on Thursday by the VP during an engagement with the fishermen at Corriverton, Region Six (East Berbice/Corentyne).

The grant is being given to fishermen to cushion the negative impact of the rising cost of living, low catch as a result of global warming, and increases in operational cost.

The industry plays a significant role as a foreign exchange earner for Guyana.

According to the United Nations COMTRADE database on international trade, in 2021, Guyana exported US$41.21 million in fish, crustaceans, molluscs, and aquatics invertebrates.

Low catch has been significantly affecting fishermen who operate in deep waters – a trend which was been impacting the industry over the past two years.

On Tuesday, President Dr Irfaan Ali announced the cash grant aimed at assisting fishermen.

However, at the meeting on Thursday, the Chairman of Number 66 Fisherman’s Coop Society, Pamashwar Jainarine said some of the members of the organisation are not registered with the

fisheries department.

He explained that scores of members do not have national identification cards and there is also a huge number who have no birth certificates.

“Many of the members do not place much importance on those kinds of documents,” he told the former Heads of State. As such, he enquired if these persons will be bypassed or left out.

But assured that once they are actively operating their vessels, they will be facilitated. “… but we also have to endure that that they get their ID cards and those who have to get birth certificates we get them looked after in the near future,”

Jagdeo said.

He also gave the assurance that persons who work in the industry but are not attached to any organisation will benefit from the grant.

Chairman of Sheet Anchor/Friends Fisherman’s Coop, Rishiram Ramkissoon explained, “In my village, we fish a lot but most of the boys don’t have licenses and I want the get the money too, we can’t leave them out.

No! I cannot leave the people in my village out. A lot of them are real fishermen; they go and fish.”

According to the Vice president the criteria for one to be eligible for the grant is that he or she must be making a living from catching and selling fish.

Meanwhile, the Vice President cautioned that persons who are not eligible should not make an attempt to collect the grants.

He noted that allegations have been leveled against some farmers who collected cash grants for farmers which were recently distributed.

“When we have out that cash grant some people said that they planted and lost their crop and then did not get any money while others who did not plant anything collected. We don’t want

Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo interacting with a few rice farmers

that to happen. So we will take the entire June to verify and we will pay out the money next month,” he explained.

Meanwhile, the Vice President stated that the administration continues to work tirelessly, to ensure that Guyanese fisherfolk plying their trade-in Suriname’s waters, receive their official licences.

He reiterated that the matter remains a priority of the government while stressing that from all the efforts being made at the

highest level, there is little progress.

The matter has even reached the Surinamese parliament but there has been no favourable response thus far.

“We were hoping that they come at the AgriInvestment Forum and Expo, but that did not happen,” he added.

The government has made it clear that it will not relent on its promise to address the fishing licences matter with the Surinamese authority.

10

SATURDAY, JUNE 4, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

NEWS

11

SATURDAY, JUNE 4, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

VP Jagdeo announces $300M fertiliser support for Region 6 farmers – 20-member committee to determine procurement, distribution

The huge gathering at the meeting on Friday

F

armers in Region Six (East BerbiceCorentyne) will soon benefit from support in the form of $300 million in fertiliser from the Government, as efforts continue to cushion the effects of the rising cost of living throughout the country.

This announcement was made on Friday by Vice President Dr Bharrat Jagdeo during an engagement with farmers at Number 63 Village.

Corentyne.

“We recognise that fertiliser is a big input into agriculture, and particularly into the rice industry; and if people have to spend more on fertiliser, it will cut

their profit margins. So, we wanted to do something to help, and that is why we’ve set aside this sum of money,” the VP said.

However, a 20-member committee has also been formed to determine how the fertiliser would be procured and distributed among the farmers.

The Vice President has said that establishment of the committee would ensure the equitable distribution of the fertilizer, and prevent attempts by persons who do not qualify for the support from depriving those in need.

Of the $300 million, some $25 million would go to cash crop farmers for fer-

tiliser.

Jagdeo said Government had set aside $1 billion in fertiliser support for the country following consultations with farmers.

The Vice President explained that, even though the PPP/C Government removed the 14 per cent tax that was placed on fertiliser by the APNU+AFC, the prices continue to climb, due to the rise in oil prices.

“So, every time crude oil goes up, the price of fertiliser and everything else goes up, and oil prices have moved from $28 in 2015 per barrel of crude oil to $120 per barrel. So, it’s a steep climb… It’s largely been because of the war in

Vice President Dr Bharrat Jagdeo addressing farmers at No. 63 Village in the presence of Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha; Minister within the Ministry of Public Works, Deodat Indar; and Local Government Minister Nigel Dharamlall

Ukraine,” the VP explained.

Government has also removed the taxes on gasoline and diesel from 50 percent to zero; however, the VP noted that external factors continue to affect prices.

Only recently, the Government announced the $250 million in fertiliser support for Region Two farmers.

President Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali, in a recent

Address to the Nation, announced several measures aimed at cushioning the effects of the rising cost of living, among which are the purchase of the fertiliser as well as $25,000 cash grants for households in riverine and hinterland communities.

Support is being provided to these two groups, since they have been severely affected by the cost-

of-living increases, which resulted from the global effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and the UkraineRussia war.

Meanwhile, the Vice President has said that, once farmers can provide proof of their losses, Government is willing to further assist with the purchase of seed paddy, among other interventions.

12 NEWS

SATURDAY, JUNE 4,, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Teen arrested following Police operations

P

olice ranks in Regional Division #3 conducted an intelligence-led operation on Thursday, during which a quantity of marijuana was found at two separate locations. Also, a 17-year-old was arrested during the operations.

Police have said that at Vreisland Backlands, West Bank Demerara, a search was conducted on a black bulky plastic bag that was found abandoned in a clump of bushes. Inside the bag was a quantity of ganja. The drug was later weighed and amounted to 155 grams.

At the Bagotville Junction, WBD, a 17-yearold male who is a carwash operator was searched, during which a transparent plastic bag containing ganja was discovered in

The cannabis that was found in the teen’s possession

his right-side pants pocket. He was told of the offence committed, cautioned, and arrested. He and the cannabis were taken to Parfaite Harmonie Police Station, where the

cannabis was weighed in his presence and amounted to 57 grams.

The teen remains in custody pending charge.

Investigations are ongoing.

13 Guyana earned over $68B from extractive sectors in 2019 NEWS

SATURDAY, JUNE 4, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

…63% of earnings from oil & gas industry

A breakdown of the extractive revenues by sector for the years 2018 and 2019

Revenues earned by Government agencies from the extractive sectors for the years 2018 and 2019

A

n estimated $68.3 billion in revenues was earned by the Guyana Government from its extractive sectors in 2019, according to the latest report published by the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) Guyana.

This is a significant increase from 2018 when some $27.6 billion was generated.

It was explained that the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) accounted for 72 per cent of the total revenue streams generated by the sectors while the Guyana Gold Board (GGB) and the Ministry of Finance (MoF), accounted for 15 per cent and 6 per cent, respectively.

This translates to $49 billion, $9.9 billion, and $3.8 billion, respectively.

Meanwhile, in 2019, the extractive sectors contributed 19.42 per cent to the country’s GDP, 24.94 per cent to revenues, 72.66 per cent to

exports, and 17.40 per cent to employment.

“In accordance with the Guyana Labour Force Survey covering the year 2019, there were 239,014 persons employed in Guyana, of whom 41,589 were employed in the forestry, fisheries, mining, oil and gas sectors…,” the report outlined.

A further breakdown shows that of the $68.3 billion earned, $43.3 billion or 63 per cent came from the oil and gas sector. The mining sector accounted for $23 billion or 34 per cent while the forestry and fisheries sectors represented 1 per cent, respectively.

In 2018, the oil and gas sector contributed $7.5 billion or 27 per cent while the mining sector contributed $18.2 billion or 66 per cent to the $27.6 billion in total earned for that year.

Forestry and fisheries contributed 5 per cent and 2 per

cent, respectively.

The EITI is a global Standard to promote open and accountable management of natural resources. It seeks to strengthen Government and company systems, inform public debates, and enhance trust. In each implementing country, it is supported by a MultiStakeholder Steering Group (MSG), which comprises Government agencies, extractive companies and civil society organisations working together.

The EITI was first announced at the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg in 2002 (the Earth Summit 2002) and was officially launched in London in 2003. EITI is currently being implemented in 56 countries in Africa, Asia, Europe and the Americas including Guyana.

The EITI Standard sets out the requirements that

countries need to meet in order to be recognised, first as EITI implementing countries and subsequently assessed against the EITI Standard.

The Standard is overseen by the EITI Board, which comprises members from Governments, extractive companies, and civil society organisations.

On 4 May 2010, the then Prime Minister of Guyana, Samuel Hinds expressed the country’s interest to implement EITI and on May 12, 2012, the Government signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the EITI International Secretariat.

In 2014, Guyana commissioned a scoping study of the potential adoption of EITI in the country. In December 2015, the Minister of Natural Resources publicly announced the Government's commitment to implement EITI and declared the commencement of a process to appoint the members of a Multi-Stakeholder Group (MSG).

In February 2017, the GYEITI MSG was officially formed and comprised twelve

members with four representatives each from civil society organisations, extractive entities, and Government agencies. Each MSG member has a designated alternate.

The Government then set up the GYEITI National Secretariat within the Ministry of Natural Resources and appointed a National Coordinator and a Deputy Coordinator.

The Secretariat operates under the supervision of the GYEITI MSG and is tasked with carrying out the day-today administrative and operational functions for the EITI implementation in the country.

This 2019 report was completed by BDO LLP, a UK-based auditing firm that won the tender for the contract for the compilation of Guyana's 3rd EITI report in an open and transparent process.

This report builds on the previous reports, for fiscal years 2017 and 2018, and shows solid progress in meeting the EITI Standard 2019. It also chronicles the progress Guyana has made in implementing the recom-

mendations of the previous reports, some of which relate to the implementation of new ways of capturing EITIrequired information from stakeholders by Government agencies, whether miners, beneficial owners, and/or taxpayers.

Work on this report commenced in October 2021 shortly after the appointment of the new MSG on September 20, 2021. As a result of the time lost awaiting the new MSG, Guyana had applied for a five-month extension of the deadline for the report’s completion.

In a statement, the Ministry of Natural Resources lauded the timely compilation and release of this latest EITI report and committed to upholding transparency and good governance in the management of the extractive sectors.

“The Ministry will continue to support the work of the Guyana EITI National Secretariat and the MSG as we seek to sustainably explore and harness the country’s natural resources for the benefit of each citizen,” the statement expressed.

14 NEWS Guyana is UK’s largest regional trade partner – Ambassador G SATURDAY, JUNE 4,, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

uyana has emerged as the United Kingdom’s largest trade partner in the Caribbean region, attracting interest in the establishment of a British Chamber of Commerce locally.

Last year, trade in goods and services between the United Kingdom and Guyana was £560 million.

This represented 21.6 per cent of trade facilitated between the Caribbean region, making Guyana the largest trade partner in the region.

Back in 2011, the exchange of goods with Guyana was pegged at £94 million, expanding six times since then.

For her platinum jubilee achievement and 96th birthday celebration, a reception was hosted for Queen Elizabeth II at the residence of the British High Commissioner to Guyana.

British High Commissioner to Guyana, Jane Miller,

OBE, alluded to new linkages between the United and Guyanese businesses in propelling trade relations.

“We’re now in the process of developing a more formal framework that will enable a deeper relationship, including for future commercial engagements…You might experience over the last year, the enormous opportunities for further growth of this relationship…In addition, we continue to explore the opportunity of the establishment of a British Chamber of Commerce in Guyana,” the diplomat suggested.

Since last year, former acting British High Commissioner Ross Denny had outlined his surprise that there was no British Chamber of Commerce. One of his high priorities during his brief tenure was to change this, and efforts were already mobilised to support this.

British High Commissioner Jane Miller and President Irfaan Ali during the reception

Already, there is an American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham Guyana) and a CanadaGuyana Chamber of

93-year-old found dead in Cummings Lodge home

T

he East Coast Demerara community of Cummings Lodge, was plunged into a state of mourning on Thursday at about 16:10h after the motionless body of a 93-year-old man was found at his home.

Police Divisional Commander Simon McBean has confirmed that man’s identity as Carlton King of Lot 845 Third Field, Cummings Lodge, ECD. According to reports received, the late Carlton King had lived alone in an unfinished one-flat concrete structure. According

to a neighbour, the motionless body of the elderly man was discovered lying in front of his door, which was partially open.

The slightly decomposed body was examined by the Police, and no marks of violence were seen on its exposed parts. Foul play is not suspected.

The body has been escorted to the Memorial Gardens Funeral Home to await a post mortem.

A few weeks ago, a cousin of 60-year-old Roystan Lam had stumbled upon his partially decomposed remains. It was reported that Lam, of Bachelor’s

Adventure, East Coast Demerara (ECD), was found at his home. Lam had lived alone in a one-storey wooden structure.

The man’s cousin had reported that he visited Lam’s residence and made several calls, but got no answer. Upon making checks, he detected a foul smell emanating from the house.

The Police were immediately summoned, and when they investigated, Lam’s decomposing body was found lying on his back. Lam’s home had not been ransacked, and no foul play was suspected.

Man charged over East Ruimveldt ganja bust

Remanded: Julian Aaron

The marijuana which was found during the operation

CANU said it also found several rounds of illegal ammunition

48-year-old man is facing a drug-related charge following a targeted operation at Guinep Lane, East Ruimveldt, Georgetown on Thursday. Julian Aaron called “Stammer” appeared before Senior Magistrate Leron Daly at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts on Friday.

He pleaded not guilty to the charge which alleged that on June 2, he had 1.26

kilogrammes (2.2 pounds) of marijuana in his possession for the purpose of trafficking. He was remanded to prison until July 7.

The Customs Anti Narcotic Unit (CANU) reported that its ranks conducted an operation at Guinep Lane, East Ruimveldt, Georgetown which led to the discovery of a quantity of marijuana and several types of illegal ammunition. As a re-

sult, Julian Aaron and a 46-year-old woman were arrested.

The ammunition discovered included: a .40mm, 100 .38, two .38 short, and 27 9mm. No charges were laid against the woman in relation to the drug bust. Guyana Times understands that the Guyana Police Force (GPF) will institute charges against Julian Aaron for the illegal ammunition.

A

Commerce here.

Apart from Guyana, the High Commissioner said work is continuing with the wider Caribbean Community in pursuing mutual trade and climate change agenda.

“I am honoured to continue the work to deepen our partnership with the UK and Caricom. Caricom is an important partner to the UK. We have a longstanding partnership based on shared values in advocating for faster and further action on climate change, advancing trade or advancing for the protection of human rights and democracy on the world stage.”

Guyana, as part of the wider region, will continue engagements with the United Kingdom to build capacity for small and developing states.

The High Commissioner told attendees, “We will work together in building capacity on issues like cyber-security and we will continue to advocate for access to finance. We will also work with a number of technical agencies to support good governance, disaster risk reduction, trade, regional security and so much more.”

President of Guyana, Dr Irfaan Ali, however, acknowledged that in ensuring readiness to undertake

new avenues, understanding the opportunities that exist for both countries will prove beneficial.

“I think we are on a great platform and we have great representation that can open up the gateway of opportunities. We have to be ready, be committed and we also have to play our part in going after these opportunities. Before you go after the opportunities, you have to understand the nature of the opportunities,” Ali reiterated.

The Guyanese Head of State would have met with Prime Minister of the UK, Boris Johnson in April, an engagement which has tightened relations between the two countries.

“We’re not talking about MoUs anymore. We have advanced the relationship between Guyana and the UK to deem what we call Government-to-Government cooperation, and defining and developing a Government-to-Government partnership.”

To mark Guyana’s leadership on the international stage, the President called for collective action from the GOVERNMENT, private sector, citizens and stakeholders from all cross-sections.

“The relationship with the UK has blossomed in what I would describe as technical assistance with a full-fledged partnership,” he underscored.

CIOG supports grieving mother who lost children in Mocha fire

D

ays after Tracy Flue had laid her three children to rest following the devastating fire at Barnwell, Mocha Arcadia, which took their lives, the Central Islamic Organization of Guyana (CIOG) has rushed to offer her assistance.

The CIOG has donated a quantity of food items and clothing, and has pledged its support for long-term counselling for her.

“We do understand how difficult it will be for her and her family, and also for her four-year-old son, who lost his 3 other siblings. We do pray for her to find the strength in God Almighty, and to live on with the fond memories of her beloved children,” the CIOG has said in a release to the media.

Flue plans to transform the area where her children lost their lives into a flower garden, in order to retain them lovingly in her memory.

The CIOG is urging other entities to assist Flue to build her home, and offer her whatever support they can at this trying time in her life.

The religious body and its collaborating partners remain committed to building and strengthening part-

CIOG General Manager Shameena Haniff with grieving mother Tracy Flue

nerships for a stronger and brighter Guyana, and wish to express gratitude to the donors who provided the items for Flue and her family.

On Independence Day, the charred remains of brothers eight-year-old Timothy and six-year-old Trayshon Kippins, and sister one-yearold Zhlia Flue were found after a blaze, later reported as electrical in origin, had been extinguished.

Flue, the children’s mother, was pulling a night shift at her security job to make ends meet for her fami-

ly when she received the news that her house was on fire with her three children trapped inside.

The Guyana Fire Service (GFS) was alerted to the fire immediately after it started, and fire tenders were dispatched to the scene.

Firefighters were forced to go to the burning house on foot because the terrain could not afford them driving. Home Affairs Minister Robeson Benn has revealed that the origin of that fire was an illegal electricity connection.

NEWS

15

SATURDAY, JUNE 4, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Parents urged to get children immunised as highly-transmissible variants spread – 73 new COVID cases detected within 24h

R

ecognising that uptake of the COVID-19 vaccination for adolescents remains stagnant, Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony has called for parental support to increase the figures, amid the circulation of the highly transmissible Omicron variants and subvariants.

Vaccination statistics for adults reflect 442,395 first doses, or 86.2 per cent. Second doses are at 342,021 doses, or 66.7 per cent. For the 12-to17 category, 34,726 first doses, or 46.7 per cent, have been administered, along with 25,451 second doses, or 34.9 per cent.

“I think where we have difficulties would be with the adolescent population. We have just been having incremental numbers of young people coming forward to get vaccinated. Part of the difficulty has been the need for permission from parents. If a young person does not have permission from their parents, we cannot vaccinate them, so these numbers have remained relatively low,” Dr Anthony stated.

For Guyana to increase its adolescent immunisation coverage, the Health Minister said, cooperation from parents is needed. He reminded that with the circulation of a highly-transmissible variant

in the country, preventing the virus requires vaccination.

“The variant that is circulating is more infectious, and therefore if we want to prevent the severity of the disease, it is better to be vaccinated. Unfortunately, while we have vaccines available, we’re not seeing people coming forward to take the vaccines…I’m appealing to parents to protect their children, and one way of doing this is by making sure they’re properly vaccinated.”

Meanwhile, 65,761 persons have come forward for their booster shot.

Infections

However, the Ministry reported on Friday that 73 persons have tested positive for the novel coronavirus – amounting to 65,1478 confirmed cases. This is approximately 29,952 males and 35,196 females.

There are two persons in the Intensive Care Unit, 25 in institutional isolation, 834 on home isolation, and three in institutional quarantine. Recovered cases stand at 1237, while 634,876 tests have been processed. The death toll remains at 1237.

A breakdown of the new cases showed that two were recorded in Region

One (Barima-Waini); seven in Region Two (PomeroonSupenaam); seven in Region Three (Essequibo IslandsWest Demerara); 45 in Region Four (DemeraraMahaica); seven in Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice); two in Region Six (East BerbiceCorentyne), one in Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni), and two in Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice).

During his daily updates, Dr Frank Anthony asserted, “While a lot of people have stopped wearing masks, what we’re seeing is an increase in cases. The increase that we have seen so far might be an underestimate. A lot of people who would have had the symptoms of COVID might not have recognised them as COVID symptoms.”

If anyone is displaying any of the symptoms associated with COVID-19, or need any additional information, they are asked to contact the COVID-19 Hotline: 231-1166, 226-7480 or 624-6674 immediately, or visit www.health. gov.gy.

Global figures show that 528 million people have tested positive for the virus, and 6.2 million have died. In the Americas, more than 157 million confirmed cases have been reported with over 2.7 million deaths.

GUYANA COVID-19 DASHBOARD JUNE 3, 2022 UPDATE

NUMBER OF NEW CASES

73

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN INSTITUTIONAL ISOLATION

25

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN HOME ISOLATION

834

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN COVID-19 ICU

2

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN INSTITUTIONAL QUARANTINE

3

TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES BY GENDER (FEMALES)

35,196

TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES BY GENDER (MALES)

29,952

TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES IN GUYANA SINCE 2020

65,148

NUMBER OF RECOVERED CASES

63,050

TOTAL 1st DOSE VACCINATED FULLY IMMUNISED

REGION 1

2526

REGION 2

2610

REGION 3

8227

REGION 4

32,406

REGION 5

2434

REGION 6

6040

REGION 7

2437

REGION 8

886

REGION 9

4059

REGION 10

3523

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

441,071 340,572

TOTAL NUMBER OF DEATHS

DISTRIBUTION OF TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES SINCE MARCH 2020

1237

Keep a physical distance of at least 6 feet.

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

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

Linden-to-Mabura Road link will be “completely transformative” – British envoy

T

British High Commissioner to Guyana, Jane Miller OBE

he United Kingdomfunded Linden to Mabura Road will be a transformative link for the people of Guyana in opening accessibility, and fortifying trade within the South American region.

This was the position shared by British High Commissioner to Guyana, Jane Miller, OBE, on Thursday evening, as she lauded the potential that the climate-resilient roadway will bring to the country.

“I believe this road will be completely transformative, not only to Linden, Lethem and communities along the road but nation-

wide and also to the Region.

The road will enable better access to healthcare, education, jobs for families but ultimately when the road goes all the way to Lethem, it will be a trade corridor enabling greater trade and access to markets to Northern Brazil,” she acclaimed.

The US$190 million contract was signed last month with Brazilian company Construtora Queiroz Galvao SA for the construction of the 121-kilometre road. In addition to the contract signing, a sod-turning ceremony was held at the Wisroc Junction in Linden, marking the starting point of the road construction pro-

Sod being turned for the construction of the Linden-to-Mabura Hill Road by Deodat Indar, Bishop Juan Edghill, Dr Ashni Singh, Jane Miller, and representatives from Brazilian company Construtora Queiroz Galvao SA and Region 10 officials

cess.

The project is being funded by the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) via a US$112 million loan, a grant to the tune of £50 million (US$66 million) from the United Kingdom under the Caribbean Infrastructure Partnership Fund (CIPF), and an input of US$12 million from the Guyana Government. This is the largest grant Guyana has ever received from the Government of UK. With a 7.2-metre-wide carriageway, the Linden-toMabura Road will feature a cycle and pedestrian lane

measuring 2 metres wide, along with 10 bus stops outfitted with ramps for persons with disabilities.

Additionally, a number of bridges and culverts along the way will be replaced, and some 123 lights would be installed.

In its commitment to this project, the Dr Irfaan Ali-led Administration has set aside some $3 billion in the 2022 budget for the construction of 32 bridges along the Linden-to-Lethem Road link.

However, the envoy was keen to point out her government’s commitment to the

global climate change fight.

Credit was given to Guyana for pursuing its low-carbon and climate agenda, despite being an oil producer.

Speaking on the country’s green footprint potential, Miller expressed, “I have seen through my time here that the investments and the Low Carbon Development Strategy, how Guyana can convert that into long-term sustainable development, transitioning into renewable energy, ensuring jobs, long-term growth in agriculture, services, tourism that will last long beyond the world’s

thirst for oil.”

She added, “The UK will continue to support that on your agenda. For many years, we have been supporting the forestry sector…Guyana’s forest is the same size as England and Guyana has one of the lowest deforestation rates in the world.”

Some climate-driven projects supported by the UK include the SMART Hospitals initiative, solar energy at Moraikobai Lodge and funding for the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA).

16 NEWS

SATURDAY, JUNE 4, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

IMF praises Guyana for ‘recovering well’ from deteriorated economy in 2020 …advises Govt to move at “cautionary pace” in public spending

President Dr Irfaan Ali

I

n its preliminary findings published on Friday, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has lauded the Guyana Government on many fronts for its policies implemented and initiatives taken to transform the local economy, which the institution said had deteriorated in 2020 but has since “recovered well”.

The IMF explained that the Guyanese economy was negatively impacted by the pandemic, and 2021 the countrywide floods, but has recovered well supported by the oil boom and policy actions.

“Following the pandemic-induced recession and delayed political transition in

2020, economic growth recovered in 2021, with nonoil Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth reaching 4.6 percent. The war in Ukraine exacerbated inflationary pressures in 2022—due primarily to higher fuel and food prices—but the government implemented measures to mitigate the impact on vulnerable households and the economy. Even though the current account deficit widened significantly in 2021 in part reflecting increased capital imports, the foreign exchange (FX) reserve position improved, due to the new Special Drawing Rights (SDR) allocation,” the report noted.

It added that “After deteriorating markedly in

2020, the fiscal position remained appropriately supportive in 2021. In response to the pandemic, the authorities reallocated expenditures towards cash grants and transfers and ‘shovel ready’ public investment projects, primarily improving road networks and providing affordable housing, and eased the tax burden on the most vulnerable. Public debt stood at 42.9 percent of GDP at end-2021, one of the lowest in the region.”

While noting that oil production is expected to increase significantly, the IMF indicated that Guyana’s commercially recoverable petroleum reserves are estimated to be well over 11 billion barrels, the third-largest in Latin America and Caribbean, and one of the highest levels of oil reserves per capita in the world.

The IMF noted that this could help Guyana build up substantial fiscal and external buffers to absorb shocks while addressing infrastructure gaps and human development needs.

“However, increased dependence on oil revenues will expose the economy to volatility in global oil prices.

A slowing global economy and the repercussions from the war in Ukraine could also adversely affect non-oil exports. On the other hand, higher global oil prices and additional gas and oil dis-

coveries could significantly improve Guyana’s longterm economic prospects,” the institution cautioned.

LCDS

Meanwhile, the IMF highlighted that it is strongly supportive of the authorities’ efforts to reduce electricity costs, improve transport infrastructure, diversify the economy, improve access to and quality of social services as well as advance more broadly towards the Sustainable Development Goals.

As such, the government was commended for its Low Carbon Development Strategy 2030 to maintain the country’s forest coverage and address climate change challenges by shifting towards renewable energy sources, while entering the international carbon credits market.

Natural Resources Fund

The IMF went on further to laud the authorities for the recent amendments to the Natural Resources Fund Act. “The recent amendments to the 2019 Natural Resource Fund (NRF) Act set clear ceilings on withdrawals from the Fund for budgetary spending and promote transparency in the management and use of oil resources. Staff praised the authorities’ thorough review of the 2019 NRF

Act before making amendments, and the restraint in using any oil revenues before the passage of the amendments,” the report said.

Anti-Corruption

The IMF also highlighted that several pillars of the anticorruption framework have been recently strengthened in Guyana.

These include the Integrity and Public Procurement Commissions (IC and PPC) and the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB).

The IMF added that asset declarations of a large number of public officials are submitted annually, and public procurement tenders are streamed live.

The IMF also noted that government made progress in implementing the recommendations of the 2019 and 2021 EITI (Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative) reports, notably on the reconciliation with the fiscal regime.

“Some progress has also been made on information sharing and publication of extractive industries’ financial statements, and the authorities are strengthening capacity to address remaining gaps, including in moving towards electronic disclosure and adequate follow-up,” the institution observed.

Caution

On another note, while the international financial institution praised the government for several of its initiatives, it also recommended that it moves at a cautionary pace in ramping up public investment.

“While pressing development challenges still face the country, a large surge in public investment could add inflationary pressure, affect competitiveness of the non-oil economy, lead to an eventual loss in FX reserves, and might not be sustainable over the medium-term,” the IMF said.

In this regard, the institution urged government to simultaneously strengthen the capacity to manage public investment, based on recommendations from the 2017 PIMA report. It also recommended that government set annual budgets within a fiscal framework that, over the medium term, constrains the annual non-oil overall fiscal deficit (after grants) to not exceed the expected transfer from the NRF, to anchor fiscal policy in a sustainable way.

“This rule will also ensure that fiscal spending, including capital spending, is increased at a measured pace, to address development needs without macroeconomic imbalances,” the institution said while also recommending that further analysis of the oil transfer rules be done, to ensure the long-term sustainability of the NRF and intergenerational equity.

Iwokrama welcomes Linden-to-Lethem Road rehabilitation project – says will increase trade, lower transportation costs

Iwokrama Chief Executive Officer, Dane Gobin

T

he Iwokrama Centre on Thursday expressed its elatedness at the imminent rehabilitation of the Linden–Mabura section of the Linden– Lethem road link.

In a release to the media, the NGO stated that this anticipated initiative will improve access to southern Guyana and thus lower the current prohibitive transport and logistics costs, something that has plagued Iwokrama, communities and businesses of the North

Rupununi for many years.

“This main artery provides goods to market route for crops in Regions 8 and 9, provides lower-cost access for visitors to tourism destinations in the North Rupununi, allows for increased trade between Brazil and Guyana thus improving livelihoods for many residents of the region and Guyanese in general,” the release added.

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Iwokrama, Dane Gobin noted that “the Centre stands ready to support the Government with this initiative as approximately 72 km of this road transects the Iwokrama Forest. Historically, poor road conditions have resulted in harsh and expensive logistics which has affected many facets of the Centre’s operations and businesses. He also noted that the Centre stands ready to intensify its forest monitoring programme to ensure that the integrity of the FSC certified Iwokrama Forest remains intact with the resulting increased traffic.”

Resource Management and Training Director

Resource Management and Training Director at Iwokrama, Dr Raquel Thomas

Some rehabilitation work was done on the road recently

at Iwokrama, Dr Raquel Thomas also added that “any road also comes with challenges and over the past two decades Iwokrama has effectively collaborated with several State agencies including the Ministry of Public Works, the Guyana Police Force, the Guyana Wildlife Conservation and Management Commission and the local North Rupununi communities to manage the section of the road in the protected area.

Iwokrama therefore is willing to share experiences that could be of benefit to all that have a stake in this important corridor. We also look forward to seeing the all-weather road extended all the way to Lethem in the near future”.

Further, Toshao of Fair View Village and Chairman of the North Rupununi District Development Board (NRDDB), Bradford Allicock stated that the North Rupununi communities wel-

come this news and offer their support to this project.

“Our farmers, small business owners, tourism operators, school children and transport operators, amongst others, will all benefit from the reduced transportation costs and time savings. As Toshaos for Fairview, our community also welcomes this news as with financial support of the Government and help from Iwokrama’s forest management team, our communi-

ty has embarked on a small community-owned forestry operation. This road improvement will reduce the costs of our inputs and make our operation more profitable. Also, as Iwokrama’s operations and businesses grow, more of my community’s members will get jobs at Iwokrama where they can learn skills which can then be used to enhance their own lives, those of their families and the general community,” Allicock added.

17 Venezuelan Ambassador, Min Benn discuss security, influx of migrants H NEWS

SATURDAY, JUNE 4, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

ome Affairs Minister Robeson Benn on Friday received a courtesy call from His Excellency Carlos Amador Pérez Silva, Resident Ambassador of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela to Guyana.

During the meeting, which took place at the Ministry’s Secretariat, there were discussions on bilateral agreements, mutual interests, and possible collaboration as it relates to the well-being of the high influx of Venezuelan migrants in Guyana.

Friday’s meeting was the first between the Minister of Home Affairs and the newly-accredited diplomat.

Prior to being accredited on April 12, the Ambassadordesignate had met with Guyana’s Foreign Affairs Minister Hugh Todd.

Minister Todd had welcomed the Ambassadordesignate and informed him that President Dr Irfaan Ali’s Administration remains committed to advancing relations with Venezuela in areas of mutual interest.

Minister Todd also reiterated President Ali’s commitment to maintaining the region as a zone of peace.

“The Ambassadordesignate emphasised his

Home Affairs Minister Robeson Benn meeting with Venezuelan Ambassador to Guyana, Carlos Amador Pérez Silva

Government’s commitment to friendly relations and strong bilateral ties with Guyana. Minister Todd welcomed the Ambassadordesignate and informed that His Excellency President Mohamed Irfaan Ali’s Administration remains committed to advancing relations with Venezuela in areas of mutual interest,” the Ministry said in its information note.

This is particularly significant since Guyana took Venezuela before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) over the border controversy between the two countries. In 2015, Venezuelan President

Nicolás Maduro had withdrawn the country’s Ambassador to Guyana after Exxon found oil in Guyana’s waters. Eventually, this decision was reversed.

Venezuela claims Essequibo as its own, despite the 1899 arbitral award confirming Guyana’s sovereignty, which is accepted by the international community.

Matters escalated in 2021, when Maduro issued a presidential decree reinforcing his country’s illegal claim to Guyana’s Essequibo region.

In the wake of Maduro’s decree, there was condemnation from all corners including from President Ali, then Opposition Leader

Joseph Harmon and even the United States. More condemnation would follow when Venezuela detained two Guyanese vessels.

At the time, Minister Todd had summoned the head of the Venezuelan mission in Guyana to a meeting to remonstrate with Venezuela over its actions.

Todd met with Chargé

d’Affaires, Embassy of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, Moses Chavez, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

During the meeting, Minister Todd registered the strong objection of the Government of Guyana over events that were developing in Caracas related to the attempts by Venezuela to assume jurisdiction over marine and terrestrial areas, solely based on unilateral action without due regard for international law and the rights of Guyana. The vessels were eventually released.

Guyana moved to the ICJ after exhausting all means of negotiation with Venezuela and the failed good offices process between the two South American neighbours. Then United Nations Secretary General, António Guterres in January 2018, decided that the case should be settled by the ICJ, after exercising

the powers vested in him to decide how the controversy should be settled by the 1966 Geneva Agreement between Guyana, Venezuela, and the United Kingdom.

Back in March 2021, the ICJ had granted Guyana until March 8, 2022, to file its written submissions for the case, after requesting 12 months. Guyana filed its submissions on schedule.

Venezuela was meanwhile given until March 8, 2023, to submit its counter-memorial.

The ICJ is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations. It was established by the United Nations Charter in June 1945, and began its activities in April 1946. The Court is composed of 15 Judges elected for a nine-year term by the General Assembly and the Security Council of the United Nations. The seat of the Court is at the Peace Palace in The Hague (Netherlands).

UN officially launches Pride Month with flag-raising ceremony

Police to focus heavily on security as ECD is set for major transformation in future – Commander Pareshram

A

number of potential obstacles are confronting the ranks of the Guyana Police Force (GDF) as the East Coast of Demerara (ECD) is on the verge of seeing a major transformation.

One of the major challenges is that the Division would have to focus heavily on security, which would ultimately expand the lawmen’s workload.

The Commander of that Division, Senior Superintendent Khali Pareshram, has said that before the year ends, there will be an extension of about six housing schemes between the communities of Strathspey and La Bonne Intention (LBI), ECD. “This will be…all south of the embankment, going all the way down to the first dam. Those additional housing areas will be challenging for the Force, and we need to cope with it,” he has said.

Pareshram has said that apart from those major developments, the entire landscape around the Ogle and Goodverwagting area would be commercialised, with a number of hotels and oil companies’ offices being built there. The area would also see renovations being done to the Eugene F. Correia International

Commander Khali Pareshram

Airport.

“Between that, Goodverwagting to LBI, those additional areas also, we will see in a medium-term, if not this year, sometime next year, according to our colleagues from the CH&PA, that those areas are also identified for housing…the Enmore area will be an industrial area,” he explained.

With such a massive transformation, Commander Pareshram has said he would have to put systems in place to curb any ‘obstacles’. He added that the challenges must be positively dealt with, and the Police would do so by collaborating with various communities.

“We are pushing for-

ward. We want to build all the partnerships; we want to build all the safe communities that we can’t at this time. In the medium term, whatever systems we are putting in place, we will be able to cope with those challenges”, he said.

Last year, President Irfaan Ali announced that land-clearing works for new housing schemes would be undertaken around the country. He noted that the Government’s housing programme would create tens of thousands of jobs in the construction and home improvement sectors.

Moreover, the construction sector will be key to driving growth in Guyana’s non-oil sectors.

As part of the PPP/C Government’s ambitious plan to make available to citizens over 50,000 house lots over the next five years, the Housing Ministry has commenced steps to access 6,356 acres of land to help satisfy this demand.

In addition to other areas, the lands were being sought between Golden Grove and Peters Hall on the East Bank of Demerara (EBD), and between Ogle and Cummings Lodge on the East Coast of Demerara (ECD) for the development of additional housing schemes.

Affairs and Governance Minister Gail Teixeira, along with UN Resident Coordinator Yeşim Oruç and members of various LGBTQ+ organisations, at the flag-raising ceremony

T

he United Nations (UN) in Guyana, on Friday, officially launched pride month 2022 with a flag-raising ceremony at the UN House, Duke Street, Kingston, Georgetown.

According to the UN, the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, and queer (LGBTIQ+) persons are protected by international law.

UN Resident Coordinator Ye?im Oruç stated, “UN agencies have a history of working together with LGBTIQ+ organisations to address the challenges and vulnerabilities that LGBTIQ+ communities face and to ensure that they are not left behind from Guyana’s enormous development potential.”

Offering remarks at the ceremony, Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance Gail Teixeira,

said, “the Government is committed to human rights and democracy…this is an issue that we will continue to strive to make progress on.”

The UN has worked closely with LGBTIQ+ organisations in Guyana since 2005/2006 when the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) worked to raise awareness of health issues affecting key populations in Guyana.

In 2017, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) undertook a National Dialogue on HIV and the Law as part of its “Being LGBTI in the Caribbean” project, which was funded by the generous support of the USAID. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) supported the outfitting of safe spaces for gender-based violence

victims. Additionally, the International Organisation (IOM) supported the provision of food hampers for LGBTIQ+ migrants.

In 2022, the UN will also host a gender-based violence sensitisation session with LGBTIQ+ organisations, under the Spotlight Initiative, which is supported by the European Union.

The ceremony was attended by representatives of LGBTIQ+ organisations – Guyana Trans United, the Guyana Rainbow Foundation, EQUAL Guyana, Proud To Be Trans, and Tamùkke Feminists; members of the diplomatic community, and UN staff.

The month of June is internationally known as Pride Month, and is dedicated to vocalising the many injustices people of the LGBTQ+ community face, and also celebrating the community and its people.

18

guyanatimesgy.com

SATURDAY, JUNE 4, 2022

Regional

Corruption in Central America Colombia arrests 5 in probe of frustrates US plan to tackle Paraguay prosecutor’s murder F migration “root causes”

Honduran President Xiomara Castro and US Vice President Kamala Harris attending a bilateral meeting at the Presidential Palace in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, January 27, 2022

M

ore than a year into US President Joe Biden’s sweeping effort to tackle the “root causes” of migration with aid to Central America, projects likely worth millions of dollars have been cancelled or put on hold due to corruption and governance concerns, US officials and others tracking the issue said.

The setbacks come as the Biden Administration is hosting the Summit of the Americas in Los Angeles next week, where the

United States hopes to find common ground with other nations and issue a joint statement on migration.

At the same time, corruption in Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras has also limited potential investment from US companies, another prong of Biden’s strategy, according to a group coordinating the effort.

In one striking example, the US Agency for International Development (USAID) abruptly suspended an undisclosed amount of

funding tied to Guatemala’s Justice Ministry in July 2021 after the firing of a special prosecutor targeting corruption days earlier.

USAID also redirected funding away from projects linked to the Justice Ministry in El Salvador weeks after El Salvador’s Congress, dominated by lawmakers aligned with President Nayib Bukele, voted to remove top Judges and the Attorney General in May 2021.

As the efforts faltered in the past year, record numbers of migrants attempted to cross the US-Mexico border illegally, fueling criticism by Republicans as they seek to gain control of Congress in Nov 8 midterm elections. Migrants from the three countries collectively known as the Northern Triangle - were caught crossing the border more than 300,000 times from Oct 2021 to April of this year, according to US Government data, a quarter of all border apprehensions.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

Peru Cabinet seeks solution for Las Bambas crisis as leftists urge nationalisation

P

eru’s Cabinet was meeting on Friday to try and find a truce to the ongoing conflict that has paralysed operations at MMG Ltd’s Las Bambas copper mine, as some left-wing lawmakers suggest nationalising the company would be the solution.

Operations at Las Bambas, one of the world’s largest copper mines, have been at a standstill since April 20 by protesting members of the Indigenous Huancuire community that has settled inside company property.

Late on Thursday, leftwing lawmakers from the ruling Peru Libre party pre-

sented a bill to nationalise copper production in Peru, the world’s No 2 copper producer, including troubled Las Bambas. The Bill is unlikely to go through in the current conservative-led Congress.

Leftist President Pedro Castillo will lead “an extraordinary session of the Council of Ministers to address the situation and the problems of the Las Bambas mining project,” on Friday, according to a Government press release.

Defense Minister Jose Luis Gavidida said he was ready to launch a military operative that would remove the protesting communities and restore operations at the

mine, but that this needed Cabinet approval.

The Las Bambas conflict, which has already left 3000 without jobs, worsened this week after a fire broke out in part of a mine camp following clashes between Police and community members.

The company blamed the protesters, but the community of Huancuire denied any involvement in the fire.

Castillo’s Government has struggled to appease protesters since taking office last July. Castillo was elected with massive support in mining regions amid pledges to better redistribute mining profits. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Guatemala welcomes reports that Spain will hike quota of temporary workers

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uatemala welcomes reports that Spain will increase its quota for the number of temporary workers coming from Central America, the Government said on Thursday.

The comments followed a report on Wednesday by news outlet Axios that Spain is expected to double or triple the number of temporary workers accepted from Central America through an already-established program based on employment status.

“We are very pleased with the willingness of the Government of Spain to work together with Guatemala in favor of workers,” the Guatemalan Government told Reuters in a statement.

The two countries have been in contact, but have yet to come to a solid agreement, a Government spokesperson said.

The United States has been in talks with Spain and Canada to increase the number of refugees accepted from the Western hemisphere, though no decisions

have been made, sources have told Reuters.

There was no immediate response from Spanish authorities.

Commitments could be made at the upcoming Summit of the Americas, to be hosted in Los Angeles, those familiar with the matter have suggested.

More than 1000 Guatemalans have travelled abroad to work through a programme sponsored by the Labour Ministry, the Guatemalan Government said. (Excerpt from Reuters)

ive people have been arrested in Colombia for alleged involvement in the murder last month of a Paraguayan prosecutor known for fighting organised crime, Colombian President Ivan Duque said on Friday.

Prosecutor Marcelo Pecci, 45, was shot dead on the island of Baru near the Caribbean city of Cartagena on May 10, while on his honeymoon with his wife.

Colombian Police said soon after the murder that Pecci’s killing was likely related to his prosecutions in Paraguay, which often focused on high-stakes anti-money laundering and anti-drug cases.

“We have captured all

of those presumed to be involved, including the material author of the murder of prosecutor Marcelo Pecci,” Duque, who is on a visit to the United States, said in a video message. “This is an intelligence operation, meticulous work which has allowed us to reach this criminal structure.”

More details of the arrests will be shared once those apprehended have appeared before a Judge, Duque added.

The five accused people were arrested in Medellin, Attorney General Francisco Barbosa said in a separate video, adding the captures were the result of coordinated work between authorities in Colombia and Paraguay.

Pecci and his wife, Paraguayan journalist Claudia Aguilera, announced her pregnancy on Instagram shortly before the couple was approached by two men on a private beach near their hotel. She told authorities one of the men later shot Pecci.

“We are grateful for the commitment of the Colombian state,” Paraguayan President Mario Abdo said in a post on Twitter. “The investigation into the tragic death of prosecutor Marcelo Pecci, in which Police and prosecutors from both countries have cooperated seeking justice, advances with the capture of those suspected of his murder.” (Excerpt from Reuters)

AR-15s in hands of criminals coming into T&T via legal ports

C

A cache of weapons seized by the TTPS

riminals are using high-powered weapons, including AR15 variants which can fire between 35 to 50 rounds in a few seconds over a range of 600 yards, gun experts disclosed.

And while the Police have retrieved about 44 high-powered firearms up to May this year, law enforcement experts say hundreds more of these weapons are coming into T&T from the United States via legitimate ports of entry.

Speaking to Guardian

Media, security consultant and combat specialist Paul Daniel Nahous, who worked as a counter-terrorism instructor in Israel, said he was concerned that these weapons are in the hands of criminals.

“Weapons such as AR15 and other similar type rifles are concerning for law enforcement and military. This is not because it is more devastating or because you can empty a magazine of 35 to 50 round capabilities but also because of the range it can be engaged from,” Nahous

said.

He added: “The effective combat range from a 5.56 cartridge or similar weapon is 300 yards or so, but the rounds go out to further and they are capable of inflicting damage at 600 yards.”

He noted that criminals do not have training concerning these weapons but said the public remains in danger once these weapons are on the streets.

Meanwhile, firearm expert Major Dirk Barnes said many of these weapons are coming through legitimate ports of entry.

Barnes said there should be close monitoring of activities at the port.

“We have seen guns coming in containers and barrels. There are people in law enforcement who are involved in this. How can this be overlooked by Customs?

It has to be that certain law enforcement officers are involved in these importations,” he said. (Excerpt from Trinidad Guardian)

At least 18 have died in Salvadoran Police custody amid crackdown – Amnesty

A

t least 18 people have died in Salvadoran Police custody since the Central American country introduced a controversial state of emergency to combat gangs two months ago, according to an investigation presented Thursday by Amnesty International.

President Nayib Bukele’s Government declared an emergency regime at the end of March after a historic rise in homicides, limiting constitutional rights and provoking criticism from human rights organisations.

During a speech marking his third year on Wednesday, Bukele assured that his Government was on the verge of “winning the war against

the gangs” and questioned the countries and international organisations that have accused the Government of abuses of authority and human rights violations.

But London-based Amnesty accused the Salvadoran authorities of committing “massive human rights violations” in the gang crackdown, including arbitrary arrests, violations of due process, torture and mistreatment.

“As of May 28, at least 18 people died under Police custody during the state of emergency. Given the precarious prison conditions, there is a well-founded fear that the number of fatalities could increase in the following days,”

Amnesty said in a statement.

The figures come from the Central American nonprofit organisation Cristosal, which said all those who had died had been males. Some had died due to lack of timely medical attention and others had shown signs of suffering aggression, such as bruises, it said.

In its report, Amnesty also pointed to mass hearings of up to 500 detainees.

In mid-May, Reuters reported that, in the midst of the state of emergency, police forces had detained dozens of innocent people and accused them of belonging to gangs to meet arrest quotas.

The report cited five officials.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

guyanatimesgy.com

SATURDAY, JUNE 4, 2022

19

Around the World

OILNEWS OIL NEWS Oil settles up despite OPEC+ output hike plan; supply still tight

O

il settled higher on Friday, supported by expectations that OPEC's decision to increase production targets by slightly more than planned will not add that much to global supply which should tighten as China eases COVID restrictions.

The Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and allies, known as OPEC+, on Thursday agreed to boost output by 648,000 barrels per day (bpd) a month in July and August rather than 432,000 bpd as previously agreed.

Brent crude rose US$2.11, or 1.8 per cent, to settle at US$119.72 a barrel by 1338 GMT. US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude advanced US$2, or 1.7 per cent, to US$118.87. Both benchmarks were up by US$3 in afterhours trading.

US crude notched a sixth weekly gain on tight US supply, which has prompted talk of fuel export curbs or a windfall tax on oil and gas producers.

"Yesterday’s OPEC+ decision and the ongoing acceleration in SPR releases is maintaining crude availability at an ample level especially with demand from the refiners appreciably downsized from a few years ago," said Jim Ritterbusch, President of Ritterbusch and Associates LLC in Galena, Illinois.

The output hike could undershoot the pledged amount since OPEC+ divided the hike across its members and still included Russia, whose output is falling as sanctions have prompted some countries to avoid buying its oil since the invasion of Ukraine.

President Joe Biden publicly acknowledged that he may travel to Saudi Arabia soon, a trip multiple sources said was expected and could include talks with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

The visit would be aimed at bolstering US-Saudi relations as Biden seeks ways to lower US gasoline prices.

As recently as Wednesday, the White House said Biden still felt bin Salman was a "pariah" for what US intelligence says was his role in the killing and dismembering of a political opponent, Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi, in Turkey in 2018.

Supplies remain tight. On Thursday, a US weekly inventory report showed crude stockpiles fell by a morethan-expected 5.1 million barrels. Gasoline inventories also dropped.

US energy firms this week left oil and natural gas rigs unchanged at 727 in the week to June 3, Baker Hughes Co said in its closely followed report on Friday.

Demand is rising too. China's financial hub Shanghai and capital, Beijing, have relaxed COVID-19 restrictions and the Chinese Government has vowed to stimulate the economy.

Oil held gains after US data showed employment increased more than expected in May, signs of a tight labour market. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Five men wanted after gang rape of Indian teen

I

ndian Police said on Friday they were seeking the arrest of five men in connection with the gang rape of an underage teenager in the southern city of Hyderabad.

In December 2012, the gang rape and murder of a 23-year-old woman in Delhi caused nationwide outrage and led to a tough new anti-rape law.

But India remains one of the world's most dangerous places for women, with a rape occurring every 15

minutes, federal data show.

In the Hyderabad case, the girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, has accused the men of assaulting her in a car after they had attended a party at a bar on May 28, according to a Police report of the incident seen by Reuters.

"We are in the process of zeroing in on the alleged accused," Deputy Police Commissioner Joel Davis told Reuters. "So far nobody has been apprehended". (Excerpt from Reuters)

Ukrainians hold out as Russia storms eastern city on war's 100th day

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kraine on Friday said it recaptured a large chunk of territory in fierce fighting for Sievierodonetsk and foiled an attempt by Russian troops to advance from the devastated eastern industrial city on the 100th day of Moscow’s invasion.

Ukraine's Defence Minister said his soldiers were already training in Europe to operate new, advanced missile systems pledged this week by the United States and Britain, which Kyiv hopes will help swing the battle in its favour.

A war that Western countries believe Russia planned to win within hours has ground on for more than three months at a cost of thousands of lives and disruption to the global economy. Moscow was driven back from Kyiv and launched a huge new assault

A local resident walks, as his neighbour's house burns after shelling, as Russia's attack on Ukraine continues, in Lysychansk, Luhansk region Ukraine, June 2, 2022

in the east.

Rejecting Western criticism that the war is to blame for rising global food prices hurting poor countries, Russian President Vladimir Putin denied Moscow was preventing Ukrainian ports from exporting cereals.

Reuters reached Sievierodonetsk on Thursday and was able to verify that Ukrainians still held part of the city. Troops drove towards a plume of black smoke at high speed over roads littered with wrecked armoured vehicles. One soldier sat in the

back seat, his face streaked with blood from injuries.

At another location in the city, Ukrainian troops, including foreign volunteers, unloaded weapons from a truck.

On Friday, the Ukrainian head of the Luhansk region told national television that Ukrainian troops had recaptured around 20 per cent of the territory they had lost to Russian forces in Sievierodonetsk.

The past weeks have seen Russia pour forces into the battle for the city known for its large chemicals factory.

Russia must capture it to achieve its stated aim of holding all of Luhansk province.

Both sides have been taking punishing losses there in a street-by-street battle that could set the trajectory for a long war of attrition. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Global plastic waste is projected to triple by 2060 – OECD

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world severely blighted by plastic pollution is on track to see the use of plastics nearly triple in less than four decades, according to newly released findings.

Annual production of fossil fuel-based plastics is set to top 1.2 billion tonnes by 2060 and waste to exceed 1 billion tonnes, according to a report by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) on Friday.

The report said this increase will be driven by economic and population growth, the largest increases are expected in emerging economies in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia.

According to the OECD

A worker collecting plastic bottles to sell at a dump site, in Banda Aceh, Indonesia [AFP]

even with aggressive action to cut demand and improve efficiencies, plastic production would almost double in less than 40 years.

Such globally coordinated policies, however, could huge-

ly boost the share of future plastic waste that is recycled, from 12 to 40 percent.

There is increasing international alarm over volume and omnipresence of plastics pollution, and its effect.

Infiltrating the remotest and otherwise pristine regions of the planet, microplastics have been discovered inside fish in the deepest recesses of the ocean and locked inside Arctic ice.

The debris is estimated to cause the deaths of more than a million seabirds and more than 100,000 marine mammals each year.

Since the 1950s, roughly 8.3 billion tonnes of plastic have been produced with more than 60 per cent of that tossed into landfills, burned or dumped directly into rivers and oceans.

Some 460 million tonnes of plastics were used in 2019, twice as much as 20 years earlier. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Bavaria train crash: At least 4 Biden urges ban on assault-style weapons killed in German rail accident A and gun age limits

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resident Joe Biden has said the US should ban assault-style weapons and high-capacity magazines to tackle the "carnage" of gun violence.

Addressing the nation after a spate of mass shootings, Biden said too many places had become "killing fields".

He said if a ban was not possible the age limit for buying such weapons should at least go up from 18 to 21.

But deadlock on the issue between Republicans and Democrats in Congress means progress is seen as unlikely.

In order for any laws to pass, Republicans in the Senate need to back them, which is unlikely because they defend access to guns as a constitutional right for every American.

Even if some are privately sympathetic to stricter gun controls, as one analyst suggested to the BBC, they may

also fear the electoral consequences of supporting them.

So far the only area of possible bipartisan agreement involves red flag laws, which let authorities take guns from people at high risk of harming themselves or others.

"This is not about taking away anyone's guns," said Biden. "This isn't about taking away anyone's rights... It's about protecting children."

"Why in God's name should an ordinary citizen be able to purchase an assault weapon that holds 30-round magazines, that let mass shooters fire hundreds of bullets in a matter of minutes?" the Democratic President continued.

Biden touted a 1994 ban on assault-style weapons that he helped pass. It lapsed after 10 years, and debate has raged ever since over whether it was effective in reducing gun violence. (Excerpt from BBC News)

t least four people were killed and about 30 injured when a train derailed in Germany's south-eastern state of Bavaria, Police say.

The train, which was carrying many students, was heading to Munich when three carriages came off the tracks near GarmischPartenkirchen.

It is unclear what caused the accident, a Police spokesperson said.

Images published by local media show several crumpled train carriages lying on their sides.

An official from the Garmisch-Partenkirchen local authority had initially suggested that some 60 people had been injured, but Stefan Sonntag, a spokesperson for the German Federal Police, said that figure referred to the number of passengers on the train.

In a separate development, a carriage on an Italian highspeed train travelling from Turin to Rome derailed while approaching the capital.

Local emergency officials say nobody was injured in the incident, which saw the train's back carriage come off the tracks as it neared the Serenissima tunnel in Rome.

In Germany, Sonntag told reporters that 15 of the injured were in serious condition at a local hospital.

Officials said that people had been "pulled through the windows" to rescue them from the crash.

Six helicopters, including three scrambled from the Austrian region of Tyrol, were sent to the scene to assist in rescue efforts.

The accident happened at around 13:15 local time (11:15 GMT) on Friday, shortly after the train left Garmisch-Partenkirchen for Munich.

It comes as Germany launched a new discounted rail ticket and Sonntag said the regional train was "very crowded and many people were using it, hence the high number of injured". (Excerpt from BBC News)

20

SATURDAY, JUNE 4, 2022

guyanatimesgy.com

DAILY HOROSCOPES

ARCHIE

Participate in activities that make you think and encourage you to broaden your skills and knowledge. A professional change will entice you, but you must assess your motives carefully.

(March 21-April 19) Take care of domestic matters swiftly. Letting your emotions fester will not help resolve issues. Look for solutions that make everyone happy. Keep the peace and have a positive attitude.

DILBERT (April 20-May 20)

Don't budge unless you are taken care of fairly. Letting someone get away with something will lead to more of the same. Make your position clear and refuse to let anyone take advantage of you.

(May 21-June 20) You'll receive more help if you are open to suggestions. Put emotional differences aside, and get things done on time. Look for a unique way to enforce your ideas without going over budget.

PEANUTS (June 21-July 22)

Take better care of yourself and focus on what matters to you. Gather information and determine what others think and how they feel before deciding who gets to do what. Be organized.

(July 23-Aug. 22)

CALVIN AND HOBBES

(Aug. 23-Sept. 22)

Divvy up responsibilities and press on until you are happy with the results. Your diligence will set the stage for success. Someone will admire your efforts and will help give you a platform.

Work with people who share your sentiments. You'll make headway by being open to suggestions and learning as you go. A relationship with someone you care about will flourish.

(Sept. 23-Oct. 23)

SUDOKU (Oct. 24-Nov. 22)

(Nov. 23-Dec. 21)

Deal with and adjust to others' changes. Go about your business and do what's important to you instead of worrying about how others are doing. Distance yourself from anyone who stands in your way.

Put your energy where it will bring the highest return. Focus on home and family, and live within your means.

Keeping your costs down will help you lower stress and make you feel comfortable.

Keep your life moderate, friends close and enemies in sight. Spend time at home rearranging your space to ensure it encourages a good rapport with someone special. Romance is encouraged.

SOLUTION FOR LAST PUBLISHED PUZZLE

(Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Rethink your strategy before sharing your intentions with others. By letting your experience overrule your emotions, you will avoid a compromising situation.

Play fair.

(Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Put your energy where it can do some good. Don't reveal your plans until you feel confident you have everything under control. A personal change will add to your appeal. Love is in the stars.

(Feb. 20-March 20)

SATURDAY, JUNE 4, 2022

21

The inaugural Tertiary Basketball League…

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he inaugural Tertiary Basketball League finals will be contested this Sunday, June 5th, at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall.

The event is anticipated to be a highly competitive battle played in front of a sizable crowd and between the nation’s highest learning institutions: the University of Guyana, and the oldest technical and vocational learning institution the Government Technical Institute.

Both teams have made strong claims to the first Tertiary Basketball Championship in the

Kobe Tappin would be aiming to continue his dominant streak

MVP Shaquan Gill will be in action

YBG era, with GTI continuing in the tradition of attracting great basketball talent from across the country, and UG showing its ability in leadership by being able to make the right adjustments.

The matches make for an exciting evening of basketball and entertainment for local fans and family members.

Preceding the finals will be the third-place game between two equally matched and talented teams in the Linden Technical Institute and the New Amsterdam Technical Institute.

The evening will also see a

special half-time performance by local artist cKush, which would no doubt be one of the high points for fans.

Following the final, awards will be presented. First place awardee would receive a trophy, medals, plus $100,000; second place awardee would receive a trophy, medals, and $60,000. Third place awardee would receive a trophy plus $40,000. The award to be given to the MVP would include a trophy and a gift.

An admission fee of five hundred dollars ($500) applies for patrons to enter. The gates

will be open from 15:00 hrs. The first matchup would see the thirdplace game beginning at 16:00 hrs and featuring New Amsterdam Technical Institute battling Linden Technical Institute.

The Championship game will begin at 18:00 hrs, and the Government Technical Institute would attempt to topple the University of Guyana therein.

The TBL is made possible by the National Sports Commission, ExxonMobil, G-Boat Guyana, Edward B. Beharry & Company Ltd, Fireside Grill and Suites, and Banks DIH Ltd.

Grill Masters City Stars crowned GCOS anniversary softball champions

A

s part of its sixth anniversary, the Guyana Committee of Services (GCOS) wrapped up its nationwide 11-a-side softball cricket competition last weekend with Grill Masters City Stars emerging champions.

In the championship game at Togetherness Park at Liliendaal, ECD, Speedboat made 103 from their allotted 10 overs, and Grill Masters City Stars knocked off the target in 8.2 overs.

For the victory, Grill Masters City Stars of New Amsterdam, Berbice copped the championship trophy and G$100,000, compliments of Vitality Inc., while West Demerara-based team Speedboat collected the runner-up trophy and G$50,000, sponsored by Rockaway Roti Shop

Roy Jafarally (left) of Grill Masters City Stars of New Amsterdam, Berbice receiving the championship trophy and cash prize from Rajan Tiwari of the Guyana Committee of Services

of New York and the GCOS. In the third-place playoff, Savannah Stars of Canal Number

Two scored 82 from their quota of five overs, and then restricted Hydro Pure of Success, East Coast

Central Essequibo victorious at inaugural Independence 10-10 Cup

The top four teams displaying their prizes at conclusion of the tournament

Demerara to 74, to win by eight runs.

Savannah Stars received a trophy and G$25,000, put up by Amanda’s Bridal and Costume Jewellery, while Hydro Pure took home the fourth-place trophy.

GCOS member Rajan

Tiwari said the competition was a resounding success, and he thanked all the teams for showcasing their talent as part of the anniversary activities.

He noted the contributions of the many corporate partners, who played their part in ensuring the

tournament came off the ground.

Tiwari expressed appreciation to Payless Variety Store, Vitality Inc., Rockaway Roti Shop, Amanda’s Bridal and Costume Jewellery, Smart Choice Variety Store, and Team Sankar.

NBA Finals…

Green calls for calm after Celtics pip Warriors in Game 1 “We’ll be fine,” he promised

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The triumphant Central Essequibo team striking a pose with the Honorable Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Charles Ramson Jr

entral Essequibo emerged champions at the recently held inaugural Independence 10-10 Cup on the Essequibo Coast in Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam).

Playing at the Imam Bacchus ground, Central Essequibo beat South Essequibo by 40 runs. Central Essequibo tallied a challenging 92-4 from the 10 overs, and then kept South Essequibo to 52-6 at the expiration of their ten overs.

Leading the way for Central Essequibo was captain and former national youth player Rovindra Parasram with a steady

24, while ex-Guyana under-19 cricketer Nathan Persaud chipped in with 18. Javid Azeeze captured two wickets for 10 runs from his two overs in delivering for South Essequibo.

No batsman was able to make any impression when South Essequibo pursued the target, as off-spinner Narindra Madholall grabbed three wickets from two economical overs wherein he conceded only six runs.

The two other participating teams were Pomeroon and North Essequibo.

The winning side received

$100,000 and a trophy while $50,000 was given to South Essequibo, along with a trophy.

The day’s event was played in honour of Guyana’s 56th Independence Anniversary and was organized by the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport in conjunction with the Essequibo Cricket Board.

President of the Central Essequibo Cricket Committee, Trevis Simon, has congratulated his team for emerging victorious.

He said they had played handsome cricket throughout the day, beginning by defeating North Essequibo by six wickets.

D

raymond Green has assured that the Golden State Warriors have nothing to worry about, after the Boston Celtics secured victory in Games 1 of the NBA Finals.

The Warriors were in the ascendancy for large parts of the game, leading 32-28 after the first quarter, with Stephen Curry hitting a finals’ record six threes in a quarter from eight attempts.

The Celtics responded to take a slender 56-54 halftime lead, but Curry, Andrew Wiggins and Jordan Poole starred to send Golden State into the final quarter 92-80 up.

However, there was another twist, as Boston went on a rampant 40-16 fourth-quarter run to snatch a 120-108 road win at Chase Center.

Al Horford hit a career-high eight threes on his way to 26 points, while Derrick White set

a new season-high from deep, hitting five-of-eight for his crucial 21 points off the bench.

Experienced campaigner Green pinpointed the pair, along with Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart, as he called for calm from the Warriors in the seven-game series.

“They stayed within striking distance, and they made shots late,” Green told reporters after the loss. “They hit 21 threes, and Marcus Smart, Al Horford and Derrick White combined for 15. Those guys are good shooters, but they combined for what…15-for-23, from those guys. We’ll be fine. We’ll be fine.

We’ll figure out the ways we can stop them from getting those threes, and take them away.

“I don’t think it was a rhythm thing. We pretty much dominated the game for the first 41/42 minutes, so we’ll be fine.” (Sportsmax)

22

SATURDAY, JUNE 4, 2022

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

GABF shortlists players for FIBA Centrobasket U15 Championship …Mohan appointed head coach

The Guyana delegation comprising the following players will depart Guyana on June 16, 2022:

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The team will be coached by Lugard Mohan

he Guyana Basketball Federation (GABF) has shortlisted twelve players for the upcoming

FIBA Centrobasket U15 Championship, scheduled to be played in Gurabo, Puerto Rico, from June 18 to 22, 2022.

1. Tracey: Giovanni Bartica 2. Easton: Yaneil - Linden 3. Leacock: Ezeke - Linden 4. Fiedtkou: Marion – G/ town 5. Griffith: Ezekiel -G/town 6. Howard: Kalani – G/town 7. Carter: Stephen - NA 8. Pydana: Cayden - NA 9. Saul: Ezekiel - ECD 10. Grant: Dejaun - ECD 11. Phillips: Keron Aroaima 12. Sampson: Hayden Kwakwani Head Coach: Lugard Mohan Team Manager: Troy Alex Graham.

The official draw was held at the FIBA Americas Regional Office in Miami, USA on June 1, 2022. The national teams were previously placed in pairs, taking into account their Nike Youth Ranking position.

Then the teams and their spots were drawn to define the matchups. Here’s how the groups are aligned: Group A: 1. Costa Rica 2. Mexico 3. Dominican Republic 4. Turks and Caicos Group B: 1. Panama 2. Guyana 3. Bahamas 4. Puerto Rico The competition will be held at the Fernando "Rube"

The team manager is Alex Graham

Hernandez Colosseum. The top two teams from each group would advance to the semi-finals, while the rest would compete for the 5-8 spots in the classification round.

In the semi-finals, the top

two teams from each group would face the second team of each opposing group (1A vs 2B and 1B vs 2A). The semifinal winners will qualify for the gold medal game, while the losers would play for third place and the bronze medal.

The three best teams at the end of the tournament would qualify to participate in the FIBA U16 Americas Championships in 2023.

MCY&S, NSC support Faye Joseph Memorial domino tournament

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he Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport (MCY&S) and the National Sports Commission (NSC) on Friday made a presentation of over $500,000 in cash, along with trophies, to the Georgetown Domino Association (GDA) for the hosting of the Faye Joseph Memorial nationwide tournament.

The tournament will start on Saturday (today) at the

National Gymnasium and conclude on Monday at the same venue. Over 30 teams from across the country would be participating.

According to Director of Sport, Steve Ninvalle, “Dominoes is one of the indoor sports that carries a large crowd. We live in the spirit of One Guyana, and so we’ve asked the Domino Association to see how they can start

decentralising the sport. So, next year we expect to not only support it, but hope it can be held in Berbice and Essequibo as well.”

On behalf of Minister Ramson and his fellow NSC Commissioners, Ninvalle wished the Association a successful tournament, while pledging the Commission’s support for the tournament next year.

Ronaldo Renee, Richie Looknauth set to make debut for MMZ this weekend in NY

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MZ CC will be playing two games this weekend, and will have in their line up former Guyana youth players wicket keeper-batsman Ronaldo Renee and all-rounder Richie Looknauth. They would also have the young, talented rightarm leg spinner and left-hand batsman Ushardeva Balgobin.

It will be a very exciting two days of cricket for the MMZ boys to have these three talented cricketers on show in New York for the first time. Renee, who is from Tuschen, East Bank Essequibo, represented Guyana at the under-15, under-17 and under- 19 levels from 2014 to 2018, and is currently playing for the West Demerara senior team. Looknauth, who is from Anna Catarina, WCD, also represented Guyana in the

under-15, under-17 and under19 levels from 2013 to 2018.

Currently he is a senior player at the Everest cricket club.

Also on show will be the flamboyant and exciting 19-year-old Ushardeva Balgobin, who is playing in his second season in the US. Balgobin is a right-arm leg spinner and a left-handed batsman who shows great potential. He is also a senior player at the Everest CC in Guyana, and is surely a player to watch in the future.

Team Manager Ejaz Asgarally, on behalf of the MMZ family, welcomes Ronaldo Renee, Richie Looknauth and Ushardeva Balgobin to the MMZ family. The two captains, Andy Mohammed (Sunday) and Kelvin Shewprasad (Saturday), are very optimistic that with

the inclusion of these talented cricketers MMZ CC has a great chance to come out on top this year.

Full Squad for Saturday: Kelvin Shewprasad (Captain), Melvin Shewprasad, Keith Edie, Ushardeva Balgobin, Andy Mohammed, Richie looknauth, Nicholas Chinkoo, Joe Knights, Ronaldo Renee, Ansar Yasim, Randall Wilson, Mark Fredericks, Matthew Lutchena.

Full squad for Sunday:

Andy Mohammed (Captain), Melvin Shewprasad, Kelvin Shewprasad, Keith Edie, Ushardeva Balgobin, Richie looknauth, Ejaz Asgarally, Nicholas Chinkoo, Ronaldo Renee, Matthew Lutchena, Mark Fredericks, Samuel Raghubir, Shawn Sue, Troy Mars

Director of Sport, Steve Ninvalle, making the NSC presentation to GDA representatives for the inaugural Faye Joseph Memorial domino tournament.

Meanwhile, Colin Boyce, the GDA Vice President, thanked the NSC and the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport for what he called ‘a timely intervention’.

Boyce reminded that Joseph was a household name across Guyana in dominoes. In fact, at the time of her death, Joseph was the serving President of the Guyana National Domino Federation.

“It is only fitting that we have this event, and we thank the Minister (Ramson) and Director of Sport for this support,” Boyce said.

BCCCC elects Bachan president

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The newly elected Blairmont Community Centre Cricket Club Committee

he Blairmont Community Centre Cricket Club held their Annual General Meeting on Thursday 2nd June, 2022 in the Roy Fredericks Pavilion of the Blairmont Estate Ground.

The attendees elected the following persons to serve from June 2022 to May 2023: * Richardo Bachan - President * Karamdatt Bissiondyial - 1st Vice President * Shazad Chinapin -2nd Vice President * Anil Sukra - Treasurer * Kevin Kissoon- Secretary * Seon Glasgow Jr -Assistant Secretary/Treasurer. * Committee members are: Nigel Deodat, Zameer Nazeer, Jerry Karim, Farouk Subhan,

Shizad Ali & Shabeer Baksh.

Richardo Bachan thanked the attendees for electing him president, and pledged his full commitment and dedication towards the best interest of the club.

In the past, Bachan served the Berbice Cricket Board as a Vice President. Bachan also congratulated the other executives, and aired his enthusiasm to know their cricket background.

Bachan thanked former President Shabeer Baksh for the work he had done for the last 12 years, and applauded the way Blairmont Centre Cricket Club for becoming one of the better clubs in the country. He said he is looking forward to being

supported on the way forward.

The Executives will meet soon to plan camps and fundraising and other internal and external strategies to maintain and develop the high standard of the club.

CLASSIFIED ADS HOUSE FOR SALE Fully concrete Top and Bottom, 24 x 42 - + 8 FT Extention, 4 12x12 Rooms, $30 Million neg. Contact: 692-7305 or +1 646 972 9267.

SATURDAY, JUNE 4, 2022

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

…Shepherd, Powell to fly directly to Pakistan On the other hand, the Netherlands would look to strengthen their bowling unit to win this last match of the series. As a bowling unit, they failed to take wickets at crucial stages, which cost them this series.

Only Logan Van Beek managed to pick up three wickets in two matches at an economy of 4.89.

N

etherlands and West Indies are scheduled to lock horns in the third and final ODI today at the VRA Cricket Ground in Amstelveen. West Indies are already leading the series with a margin of 2-0, and will look for a clean sweep over the Dutch.

Another win would also help the Windies to improve their position on the ICC Cricket World Cup Super League table.

In both the previous matches, West Indies chased down targets quickly, and won those matches by seven and five wickets

respectively. Akeal Hosein has enjoyed a good series so far, scalping six wickets at an economy of 3.58. Wicketkeeper-batter Shai Hope and Brandon King looked in good touch for their matchwinning knocks in these two matches.

Pitch and conditions

The match will be played at VRA Cricket Ground in Amstelveen. In the previous two games, the pitch did not show any sign of concern. However, West Indies won both matches while chasing. Therefore, the captain winning the toss would opt to bowl first.

Playing XI for NED vs WI

Netherlands - Max O’Dowd, Vikramjit Singh, Musa Ahmed, Scott Edwards (wk), Bas de Leede, Pieter Seelaar (c), Teja Nidamanuru, Logan van Beek, Aryan Dutt, Ryan Klein, Shariz Ahmad West Indies - Shai Hope (wk), Shamarh Brooks, Nkrumah Bonner, Nicholas Pooran (c), Brandon King, Keacy Carty, Kyle Mayers, Alzarri Joseph, Hayden Walsh, Akeal Hosein, Anderson Phillip

Rovman Powell, Romario Shepherd miss West Indies ODI series in the Netherlands Cricket West Indies (CWI) on Friday confirmed that Rovman Powell and Romario Shepherd are

Rovman Powell

23

unable to take part in the ongoing One-Day International Series (ODI) against the Netherlands, due to visa delays.

They travelled to London immediately following their participation in the Indian Premier League (IPL), as their visa interviews could not have taken place in India due to the IPL biosecure protocols.

Despite having the interviews the day after their arrival, they are both still in London, awaiting the appropriate visas to be able to travel to the Netherlands.

With the final match to be played at the VRA Cricket Ground, Amstelveen on Saturday, Shepherd and Powell will now fly directly to Pakistan to join the ODI squad for the three-match series.

West Indies have an unassailable 2-0 lead following wins by seven wickets on Tuesday and five wickets on Thursday.

The West Indies had 13 players available for the first two matches, and will have the same squad now for the final contest.

The West Indies Squad will travel from Amsterdam to Pakistan on Sunday for matches at the Multan Cricket Stadium on June 8, 10 and 12. (Extracted and modified from Crictraker and Sportsmax)

CWI Regional 4-Day tourney…

Rain hits another day in Guyana-Trinidad contest

Tevin Imlach and Tagenarine Chanderpaul are unbeaten at stumps (Brandon Corlette photos)

By Brandon Corlette in Trinidad

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nly 20.2 overs were possible at the Queen’s Park Oval in Trinidad in the fifth and final round clash of the West Indies Four-Day Championships match between Guyana Harpy Eagles and Trinidad and Tobago Red Force.

Red Force resumed the third day on 203-9, and ended on 218 all out, with Keemo Paul claiming 6-50 from 19.2 overs.

The covers never came off in the afternoon session, with Guyana Harpy Eagles on 30-0 after 16 overs, trailing by 188

Keemo Paul ended with 6-50 while Motie claimed two wickets on day one

runs.

After it had rained for the entire day two, Red Force resumed on 203-9, their overnight score from day one.

Terrance Hinds attempted to play his shots while shielding Shannon Gabriel, but Paul uprooted the stumps of Gabriel.

Red Force innings ended on 218 all out in 94.2 overs.

Paul ended with 6-50 from 19.2 overs. Jeremy Solozano was the top-scorer with 72 and Jason Mohammed made 68.

Guyana Harpy Eagles started their first innings’ reply in cautious fashion. The Red Force began with the offspinner bowling to openers Tevin Imlach and Tagenarine Chanderpaul. Imlach opened the scoring with a spanking cover drive off Gabriel, which went into the boundary.

Imlach looked solid in his stroke-play, while Chanderpaul was slow to get going. The Red Force players were saying to Chanderpaul, "If you want to play Test cricket, you have to play shots."

At 11:00h, the deluge commenced, and the players rushed off the field. The covers came on with Harpy Eagles on

Compliments of

19-0 after 12.4 overs. Imlach was on 16 from 41 balls, while Chanderpaul was on one from 36 balls.

At 11:00h, the players came off with the score on 19-0 after 12.4 overs. The groundsmen then attempted to take the covers off at 12:45h but the showers came again, and the covers were grounded again at 13:24h. At 14:50h, the covers came off, and the stumps were rooted despite overcast conditions at Queen’s Park.

It was then official that play will resume at 15:40h, with

30.2 overs (minimum), and close of play was set for 17:30h.

At 15:59h, the covers came on again, with Guyana on 30-0 in 16 overs. Imlach, who struck Gabriel for another boundary, was looking good on 25 not out from 54 balls, and Chanderpaul was on three from 43 balls.

The rain had affected the other matches as well, and with one day left in the championships, Barbaods Pride are expected to retain the title, while Leeward Islands are expected to finish in second.

SCOREBOARD TRINIDAD 1ST INNINGS Jeremy Solozano c & b Motie 72 Keagan Simmons b Paul 3 Isaiah Rajah lbw b Sinclair 26 Jason Mohammed c Johnson b Cameron 68 Yannic Cariah lbw b Motie 3 Joshua Da Silva lbw b Paul 2 Imran Khan c Singh b Paul 2 Terrance Hinds not out 22 Bryan Charles c Imlach b Paul 0 Uthman Muhammad lbw b Paul 0 Shannon Gabriel b Paul 5 Total (10 wickets, 94.2) (15 extras) 218 FOW: 6/1 (4.1) Keagan Simmons 60/2 (21.1) Isaiah Rajah 178/3 (72.5) Jason Mohammed 183/4 (77.1) Jeremy Solozano 186/5 (79.6) Yannic Cariah 186/6 (80.1) Joshua Da Silva 189/7 (82.4) Imran

Khan 199/8 (86.4) Bryan Charles 199/9 (86.5) Uthman Muhammad 218/10 (94.2) Shannon Gabriel Bowling Keemo Paul (19.2-4-50-6) Nial Smith (10-0-39-0) Demetri Cameron (12-1-38-1) Veerasammy Permaul (23-10-31-0) Kevin Sinclair (10-5-21-1) Gudakesh Motie (20-2-35-2) GUYANA BATTING Tagenarine Chanderpaul not out 3 Tevin Imlach not out 25 Total (0 wickets, 16.0) (2 extras) 30 Bowling Bryan Charles (4-3-4-0) Shannon Gabriel (5-1-12-0) Uthman Muhammad (5-2-9-0) Terrance Hinds (2-0-5-0)

SATURDAY, JUNE 4, 2022

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

CWI Regional 4-Day tourney…

Rain hits another day in Guyana-Trinidad contest

Tagenarine Chanderpaul cutting as the Red Force players look (Brandon Corlette photo)

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West Indies to see off Netherlands in final ODI in bid to improve Super League standings Page 23

GABF shortlists players for FIBA Centrobasket U15 Championship

…Mohan appointed head coach

…Shepherd, Powell to fly directly to Pakistan

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