Guyana Times - Saturday May 21, 2022

MMG automated toll system at DHB enables efficient, cashless commute P

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

Issue No. 5015

THE BEACON OF TRUTH SATURDAY, MAY 21, 2022

Guyana, Antigua & Barbuda sign MoU on Economic Cooperation

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WHAT'S INSIDE: Discontinuation of charges against lawyer

See story on page 3

– to establish working group by June 7 to examine, make recommendations to implement areas of cooperation

Achieving food security in C’bean requires heavy political lifting from top – VP Jagdeo

P8 DPP notes inconsistencies in Policewoman’s evidence as reason for discontinuing charges

See story on page 7

...says each country needs champion of agri-sector His Excellency President Irfaan Ali and Trinidad’s Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley in intense conversation during their visit to the shade houses that were constructed at NAREI, on the East Coast of Demerara. President Ali told his colleague that it is his hope that the programme would be replicated across the Region

Boys, 17, 15, arrested for P14 shooting at cops Min Edghill P13 hints at closure of DHB for 3-5 days to facilitate repairs

…contingency mechanisms to be implemented

Sophia pensioner killed by garbage truck P2

Police report false, pensioner did not fall into truck’s path – family contends

Guyana-Barbados US$190M contract signed for construction of food terminal Linden-to-Mabura Road critical to move See produce within story on page 9 Region – PM See story on …reiterates top-10 trade page 10 Mottley barriers will be “attacked”

2 women P15 succumb to COVID, cases rise by 92 – active cases surpass 500

2 NEWS

SATURDAY, MAY 21, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Sophia pensioner killed by garbage truck

Police report false, pensioner did not fall into truck’s path – family contends

Dead: Yvonne Morrison

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ours after the Guyana Police Force (GPF) issued a report that 65-yearold Yvonne Morrison of B Field Sophia, Greater Georgetown, died after falling into the path of a garbage truck, the family is contending that some of the Police’s reporting is false.

Police had reported that on Thursday, the now deceased woman was proceeding along the roadway in front of the garbage truck owned by Puran Brothers.

It is alleged that as the

truck was passing the pedestrian, the driver sounded the horn of the vehicle and as such, the woman stopped and allowed the garbage truck to pass.

As the truck proceeded forward, it was further alleged that the pedestrian lost her balance, fell onto the roadway, and ended up under the truck where the left rear wheel “squeezed” her.

The report further added that the pedestrian was picked up in a semi-conscious condition by the driver and the porters, placed into a motor car, and transported to the Georgetown Public Hospital, where she was treated, but subsequently succumbed to her injuries while receiving treatment.

The driver was then arrested and taken into custody.

However, the family is refuting the Police’s reports, stating that something does not seem right since the driver of the truck keeps changing his story.

One relative related that based on what they were told, the driver first said he did not see the woman, and then he later changed his story to say he saw Morrison and blew

GPS to launch “Stop and Search” initiative to curb contraband being smuggled into prisons

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The truck that was involved in the accident

his horn. The family noted that it is quite unlikely that Morrison would have fallen into the pathway of the truck.

Morrison’s family explained that after she was injured by the truck, instead of taking her to the hospital, she was picked up and taken to her son’s house where she was put to wait for the Police to come to the scene.

The woman’s family said the Police arrived one hour after the incident which might have contributed to her not surviving her injuries.

After law enforcement officers arrived, her family said she was taken to the hospital where she later succumbed to her injuries.

The relatives are asking for a thorough investigation into the woman’s death.

he Guyana Prison Service (GPS) will be introducing a “Stop and Search” initiative within the confines of each prison location, in a bid to end the continued flow of contraband being smuggled into the prisons.

Director of Prisons, Nicklon Elliot in a statement to the media warned members of the public who are found colluding in trafficking contraband into the various prisons countrywide will be arrested and placed before the courts.

He also alluded to the recent attempts by members of the public to throw contraband items over the prison fences.

Elliot said that while there is increased monitoring and surveillance at all prison locations, over the past weeks it was observed that several attempts were made by members of the public to throw contraband (narcotics and cigarettes) over the prison fences.

This, he said, continues to pose significant challenges to the service. However, Elliot is reminding the public that it is an offence under Section 53 (1) of the Prison Act for persons to throw any item over the prison fence,

Director of Prisons Nicklon Elliot

which attracts a fine or a period of imprisonment.

Elliot indicated that the GPS will be erecting signs at strategic points outside of the prisons, warning the public to desist and the consequences attach to such an act.

Furthermore, the Prison Director also mentioned that the Prison Administration and the Guyana Police Force (GPF), will be engaging residents living in close proximity to the various prisons of the situation.

TURN TO PAGE 9

3 Guyana, Antigua & Barbuda sign MoU on economic cooperation NEWS

SATURDAY, MAY 21, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

BRIDGE OPENINGS OPENINGS BRIDGE

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

Saturday, May 21 – 22:00h – 23:30h and Sunday, May 22 – 23:30h – 01:00h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Saturday, May 21 – 08:20h – 09:50h and Sunday, May 22 – 09:35h – 11:05h.

– to establish working group by June 7 to examine, make recommendations to implement areas of cooperation

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 during the day and night. Temperatures should range between 23 degrees Celsius and 28 degrees Celsius.

Winds: North-Easterly to Northerly between 2.23 metres and 4.02 metres.

High Tide: 08:22h and 21:14h reaching maximums heights of 2.4 metres and 2.21 metres.

Low Tide: 14:36h reaching a minimum height of 0.82 metre.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 18, 2022

LOTTERY NUMBERS N

03 13 14

16 26 28

FREE TICKET

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FRIDAY, MAY 20, 2022

DAILY MILLIONS

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COMMODITIES Indicators

US$

Change %

Crude Oil

$112.55/barrel

+0.45

Rough Rice

$309.33/ton

+1.18

London Sugar

$559.00/ton

+1.30

Live Spot Gold

USD Per Ounce

Bid/Ask

$1846.70

$1847.70

Low/High Change

$1832.50 -0.00

$1849.90 -0.00%

President Irfaan Ali and Antigua and Barbuda’s Prime Minister Gaston Browne during the signing of the MoU

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he Governments of Guyana and Antigua and Barbuda on Friday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), providing for economic cooperation in eight areas, including tourism, financial services, agriculture, air transportation and energy.

The Memorandum was signed at State House, Main Street, Georgetown, by Guyana’s President Irfaan Ali and Antigua and Barbuda’s Prime Minister, Gaston Browne.

The two leaders observed that the memorandum is another step in the many collaborative efforts in which Antigua and Barbuda and Guyana have been involved since the Governments of the two countries, along with Barbados, launched the Caribbean Free Trade Agreement at Dickenson Bay in Antigua in 1965.

Recalling that Antigua and Barbuda has been home to a significant number of the Guyanese diaspora for decades, President Ali remarked that there is every basis for the strengthening of economic relations between the two countries, bringing benefits to their people.

“This agreement will open opportunities for the private sectors of both countries in several sectors, including tourism in which Antigua and Barbuda is regarded as a world leader,” Prime Minister Browne said. He added that financial institutions will also be able to cooperate in expanding the range of services offered to their clients.

On regional air transportation, President Ali noted that transportation was identified by Caricom Heads of Government, who attended the Agri-Invest Forum in Guyana this week as “an important factor in achieving food security in the Caribbean”.

“Therefore, we will closely examine the possibility of collaborating with Antigua and Barbuda in the provision of air transportation as an important element

in moving produce from Guyana to other parts of the region.”

The two leaders will establish a working group by June 7, 2022, with a mandate to examine and make recommendations on ways to implement the areas of cooperation as early as possible.

Only on Thursday, President Ali pointed toward support from the private sector in dealing with challenges confronting the agricultural sector. These extend to financing, logistics, transport, improving agro-processing, and linking markets.

He highlighted reports which signalled severe food insecurity increasing by 72 per cent within the last year.

Moreover, the costs of key commodities are positioned to rise even further in coming years. By 2022, wheat prices are projected to in-

cent increase in transport expenditure linked to higher charter rates.

In light of this, Ali commented, “The challenge for developing countries and us in Caricom is not only the rise in prices, but the supply. As the vaccination war taught us, our position in the line is definitely not in front.”

The Guyanese Head of State related that the overarching strategy of leaders should be aimed at streamlining procedures for exports and imports; a time commitment for the removal of barriers; developing a precarious system for the ex-

President Irfaan Ali and Antigua and Barbuda’s Prime Minister Gaston Browne after the signing ceremony at State House on Friday evening

crease by 40 per cent. Global use of cereal, wheat, corn and soya would increase to three million tonnes by 2030, of which developing countries would account for 90 per cent.

Current inflated costs for food products have been driven by a 100 per cent increase in fertilisers. Caricom has also reported a 17.1 per

port of goods, so as to reduce bureaucracy and spoilage; standardisation of certification process; technical support in developing business proposals for farmers; incentivised agricultural lands for financial institutions; greater involvement of youth and women in the production chain, among other things.

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guyanatimesgy.com

SATURDAY, MAY 21, 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

Noise nuisance G

overnments come and go, but the scourge of noise nuisance continues unabated, even though the adverse health effects of noise are trumpeted at various forums, and complaints by those affected are plentiful. There are so many people who seem to be oblivious to the injurious effects to the general health and wellbeing of victims when perpetrators uncaringly engage in activities that create noise nuisance. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), noise causes a wide range of health effects, including sleep disturbance; cardiovascular effects; damage to work and school performance; hearingimpairment including tinnitus.

The WHO also avers that noise has negative impacts on cognitive performance. For recall and reading, a reduction of the day and night noise levels by 5 dB(A) within the range of 65–80 dB(A) was shown to improve performance by almost 10 per cent. For attention and memory, a 5 dB(A) reduction in average noise level results in approximately two to three per cent improvement of performance. The Organization surmises that adverse impacts of noise on cognitive performance can lead to a reduction in productivity at work and learning performance at school.

The lack of a sustained campaign against noise nuisance has created a dynamic wherein the noise emanating from various sources has grown to unbearable proportions countrywide.

It would appear that playing music loudly has become part of our national culture. The situation has become worse because of advances in electronic technology, which have helped musical sets to become much more powerful than what they were a couple of decades ago.

Announcements by several Home Affairs Ministers over the years: that the Guyana Police Force (GPF) would adopt a ‘no nonsense’ approach, and the full force of the law would deal with offenders, have all come to naught.

Although the Ministry has, over the years, admitted that it continues to receive numerous complaints from senior citizens, the sick, working parents, students, and several other law-abiding people to the effect that they are being affected by loud, repetitive, and continuous noise emanating from a range of places in the different Police divisions, there is no evidence pointing to any long-term relief for victims.

Reports verifying that were checks made at the locations complained about on specified days and times have reenforced the validity and justification of the complaints, yet little or no relief is provided by law enforcement agencies, even though, sporadically, relevant Divisional Commanders of the GPF have been provided with the details pertaining to the complaints and have been directed to take appropriate action to ensure that Subsection (1) of Section 174 A of the Summary Jurisdiction (Offences) Act, as amended by Act No. 1 of 1989, is not breached.

The law states: “No person shall, in any road, street, public place or land or in building or premises, by operating or causing or suffering to be operated any stereo set, jukebox, radio, wireless loudspeaker, gramophone, amplifier, automatic piano or similar instrument of music, or by any other means whatsoever, make or cause or suffer to be made any noise which shall be so loud and so continuous or repetitive as to cause a nuisance to occupants of any premises in the neighbourhood.”

Another aspect of the noise nuisance the Ministry should look at is loud music emanating from privately owned vehicles.

Somehow or the other, it would appear that the operators believe they have the right to play music as loudly as they feel.

The campaign against noise nuisance must be relentless and sustained, or else this scourge would not be stopped, because it seems that some people get a sense of pleasure when they play loud music and disturb others.

President Dr Irfaan Ali, along with his colleagues, on Friday visited the Rudisa Motor Company booth at the Agri-Investment Expo. In photo are, from left: Chris Sheophrasad of Rudisa Motor; Indian High Commissioner to Guyana, Dr KJ Srinivasa; Prime Minister of Antigua, Gaston Browne; Prime Minister of Belize, John Briceno; Prime Minister of Trinidad, Dr Keith Rowley; CEO of Rudisa Motor Guyana, Maurice Gajadhar; Prime Minister of Barbados, Mia Mottley; Deputy Prime Minister of Bahamas, Chester Cooper; and Prime Minister of Montserrat, Easton Farrel

Guyana is heading in the right direction Dear Editor, Reading that “Guyana targets aquaculture, soya, poultry (in order) to cut food import bill,” is very heartening. This utterance came from President Dr. Irfaan Ali, who delivered the keynote address at the inaugural Agri-Investment Forum and Expo.

His audience comprised regional Heads of Governments and their Cabinet members; Caribbean Community officials; diplomats; dignitaries, and invited guests, who were seated at the Arthur Chung Convention Center this past Thursday.

The address was timely, and it got the deserved attention of our leaders in the region.

Now, I want to put things in perspective, so that we can grasp the import of what President Ali really said. According to the State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2021 report, “Projections now show the world is not on track to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 2, Zero Hunger, by 2030, and despite some progress, most indicators are also showing not on track to meet global nutrition targets.

The food security and nutritional status of the most vulnerable population groups is likely to deteriorate further, due to the health and socio-economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic”.

I hope this would remain with us, and motivate us to rally behind the efforts that are ongoing in Guyana.

The inner details from the expo show that “Guyana is looking to upscale its food production in key areas, to avoid the pit-

falls of food insecurity challenges.” This is like a go-go-now situation, more so that it is not only the effects of the global pandemic that we have to counter, but the escalating war between Russia and Ukraine.

With this background, “President Ali pointed out that Guyana will (rightly) invest heavily in areas such as fisheries. The reason is that, “By 2030, less than 50 percent of the marine stock will be fished sustainably,” and thus proper management measures are necessary, even as climate change will push numbers further downwards. After all, Guyana, and the region by extension, wants to minimise imports, and hence aquaculture production and expansion must be pushed extensively.

The staggering truth is that, “In 2020, close to 100 metric tons of fish and fish products were imported, amounting to close to US$340 million.” This is draining us. It is therefore vital that we grasp the necessity of pressing on quickly towards “…improved management of the fisheries and investment in aquaculture, in order to supply farm fresh and salt water species to replace declining catches.” I mean, we have no other choice, except to face dire circumstances.

I feel very optimistic that we can make it, as more than G$100 million has been invested in brackish water shrimp production. This is proving a good move so far, as it has realised an increase from 250,000 kilograms a year ago to 1.2 million kilograms in the same time frame. The world as we know it is that some additional G$150 million is expected to be invested in this said

area to boost production by more than 50 percent, while some $40M will be invested in state research and green programmes of indigenous freshwater species of fish, of which trials have already begun. This kind of incremental investment shows wisdom and futuristic thinking, and that is the safe way to go.

In fact, as of the present, some 50,000 metric tons of poultry are being produced in Guyana, but (thank God) that number is projected to reach 90,000 metric tons by 2025. In the area of corn and soya, the figure stands at 4300 metric tons, but here, too, that is likely to increase, reaching some 35,000 metric tons by 2025. The signs are good, and things will, in all likelihood, continue the upward trend. This is because of a whopping G$651 million to be allocated to develop the area deemed a “consortium” of farmers.

I will not belabour the issue, so I close with a most importunate reality, that is, “We cannot continue thinking of agriculture, the environment, health, poverty and hunger in isolation.” This is according to Gilbert F. Houngbo, President of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), who spoke at the virtual launch of the report. He added that “World problems are interconnected, and the solutions are intertwined.

The current pandemic is a wake-up call to all of us.” Guyana, as we can see, is on the right track.

Sincerely, H Singh

Think before you speak and act

Dear Editor, My attention was drawn to an article in the Kaieteur News on the 19th day of May 2022, under the title “Govt. gives in to private sector demands and removes tax duties”. The article was focused on the presentation made by Opposition Member of Parliament (MP) Juretha Fernandes, who was described as the “Shadow Minister of Finance” during the debate on the Tax Amendment Bill, which simply removes the need for business owners to affix revenue stamps to receipts for retail purchases.

The apparent “Shadow Minister of Finance” argued that this move would only benefit the Private Sector of Guyana. This is furthest from the fact. Ms. Fernandes

stated, according to the article, that “… the bill highlights the priorities of government, namely addressing the needs of the business class ahead of addressing with a sense of urgency the plight of the poor and working class citizens.”

The Member of Parliament (MP) based this on the assertion by the Minister of Finance, Hon. Dr. Ashni Singh, MP, that it was the Private Sector Commission (PSC) who asked for this measure to be implemented.

Editor, it is my contention that the Government of Guyana and Private Sector Commission (PSC) should be praised for this measure. Simply because anyone with common sense knows that businesses pass on their costs to the consumers.

Even primary school children know this fact. Therefore, this is a measure that benefits the consumer and the working-class citizens.

The Minister of Finance even pointed out this fact during his debate as well.

This fact is lost on the “Shadow Minister of Finance”.

I am amazed by the lack of understanding that permeates the National Assembly in the form of Opposition Members of Parliament (MPs). My advice to the Opposition Members of Parliament (MPs) is not to oppose something simply because it is brought by the Government.

Sincerely, Roodi Balgobin, MBA

guyanatimesgy.com

SATURDAY, MAY 21, 2022

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Actions taken to bring relief to ordinary Guyanese should be commended

Girmitiyas and the Police Force

By Guyanese of Indian Ancestry Association

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he BG Police Force was formed in 1839, and run by White officers. The early ranks were mostly Bajan immigrants, to reduce sympathy for local freed slaves. When the latter proved compliant, the indentured labourers brought in to replace them were now defined as the “threat”. By the 1870s, Governor Kortright noted, there were over 60,000 Indians on the plantations – with cutlasses in their hands, and this presented a clear and present danger of an uprising. Armed Police were recommended for the rural areas.

Colonial GPF: White officers, African ranks

Local Africans were now recruited to deal with this “threat”, and set into motion a historical discrimination against Indian recruitment that used various stratagems to exclude Indians. In Guyana, “minimum physical requirements” was one of their prime tools. The physical requirements for males were as follows: Height: 5’, 8", Weight: 135 lbs., Chest: 34". During the nineteenth century, the average height of the Indian male was about 5’, 3", and so, in one swipe, most Indians were excluded.

The age requirement was 18-25 years, and the applicant was also required to be unmarried. Up to the middle of the 20th century, however, Indian cultural practices ensured that most males were married by that age. Food, which was geared for the taste and diet of the Africans, was another barrier to Indians, who had religious proscriptions against certain foods. Breakfast was typically tea and bread, while lunch and dinner leaned heavily on ground provisions, (plantains, yams, eddoes – fried and in soups) beef, pork, saltfish. Muslims did not eat pork, while Hindus ate neither beef nor pork.

As late as 1884, of the 624 non-commissioned officers and Police ranks in the GPF, only forty-nine constables (8%) were from India. The remainder were Bajans and local Africans. It was not a question of literacy in English, since many Barbadians, local Africans, and even Whites, who were admitted, were illiterate.

During the entire 19th century, in only one year (1885) were Indians recruited in significant numbers - 58 of 157. The record showed that they performed credibly, yet there was no increase of Indians in the GPF. They turned elsewhere for employment, and began to accept they “were unsuited for Police work”.

Bengal Sepoy (soldier)

DID YOU KNOW? •

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Not “capable”? In 1857, the Bengal Army consisted of 151,361 men of all ranks, of whom 128,663 were Indians recruited from the same areas our Girmitiyas originated.

Many emigrated to BG after the 1957 “Mutiny”.

Since the Police enforced the “pass law”, and shot and killed striking Girmitiyas in 1872, 1896, 1903, 1913, they were resented by the community.

Dear Editor, There is no doubt that the rise in the cost of living is affecting all our Guyanese people.

The Government’s announcement of a number of interventions, such as the $25,000 cash grant for households in riverine and hinterland communities, is a welcome move. News reports quoted the President as saying that some $800M will be put into households in communities across the country.

This is quite a significant fig-

ure, and Government must be lauded.

Secondly, the farming community suffered a triple whammy. Farmers have had to contend with the effects brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, then the massive flooding which destroyed crops and livestock; and, to make things worse, they have had to deal with the effects of a steep rise in fuel, which sent up transportation and fertiliser costs.

This rise was undoubtedly transmitted to consumers,

as the prices for vegetables, other farm produce and meat went up significantly.

The announcement by the President: that Government would purchase $1B worth of fertiliser to be freely distributed to all farmers, is therefore welcome, as it would reduce production costs.

These and other interventions, though they might not see a drastic reduction in the prices of food and other items, would still provide some relief.

Guyana is not alone in

terms of feeling the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war, which drove up fuel prices. At present, the Guyana Government collects zero taxes from the sale of fuel.

This, along with the other relief interventions, should all be commended. Many other countries right here in the Caribbean and across the world have not seen this sort of action taken.

Respectfully, Attiya Baksh

Another third force, or farce?

Dear Editor, I have noted, with keen interest, a letter in a section of the media, making another call for the formation of a third-force party to hold the Government accountable. This party, according to one letter writer, must comprise of “decent people”.

I have also noted that even though the unaccountability, corruption, mismanagement and large-scale thievery of the Coalition is well documented, the letter writer gave an elaborate list of allegedly “untenable and bad or questionable practices under this government”, and made a passing remark of what pertained under the previous Government.

The corruption and mismanagement under the Coalition are not mere allegations, but indisputable evidence is available.

There is a huge similarity between the contents of the letter in question and what the AFC’s Founding Principles

outlined in that party’s Action Plan of 2005. This letter in question spoke as follows: “The coming together of small parties in a new third force might be enough to galvanise meaningful support to displace the two behemoths”. The 2005 AFC Action Plan made similar statements: “Trotman and Ramjattan bemoaned what they described as Guyanese being exploited by the PNC and the PPP, and concluded that neither Party was of any good for Guyana”.

In 2011, the AFC and the PNC had a majority in Parliament, and the PPP became a minority Government.

According to the letter writer’s theory, the AFC should have been the “counter-balance against bad governance”, but he admitted that this never took place. He admitted that “The AFC had let us down during its marriage with the PNC. So the nation can no longer depend on it for good governance as a third force”. But

This thing is not about politics

Dear Editor, I am a hard-working and proud Indigenous woman who provides for, and takes care of, my family of three while my husband is away in the interior in Region Seven.

Sometimes it’s difficult for me to send my children to school and put a nutritious meal on the table, but I makedo with what is at my disposal.

Recently, I read in the newspapers that the Government intends to give us a cash grant of $25,000 to assist us with the effects of the hardships brought about by the rise in cost of living.

As one of the intended beneficiaries, I must say that this is welcome. So, too, will be the $800M in total which would be placed in the hands of residents of the hinterland and riverine communities like myself.

I therefore want to thank the Peoples’ Progressive Party Civic Government and President Irfaan Ali for this impending relief and gesture.

I am grateful to them because they saw us, Amerindians and Indigenous people, as important and worthy of such an allocation at this time.

I am proud to say that had the sum been $15,000 or $20,000, I would have quickly joined any line and collected it. $25,000 will go a far way in ensuring I can meet the shortfall I am experiencing in the household with groceries.

This grant is the sort of intervention needed by hinterland families to help us withstand the hardship brought to bear by many factors. We suffered as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, then our suffering was made worse by flooding and the rise in fuel prices and essential food items.

In closing, I wish to urge all Guyanese to work towards making President Ali’s vision of “One Guyana” come true.

Every single affected resident or family must get this cash grant. They must feel like I do, that the Government cares and is trying to make our lives more tolerable as they fight off the effects of the rising cost of living.

This thing is not about politics; it is about the people surviving the storm caused by the prices.

Yours truly, Annalise Humphrey Kwakwani, Region Ten

was this scenario not clearly visible for all to behold when, after 2011, the AFC fully supported the PNC to derail the PPP Government’s socio-economic policies and make the country ungovernable? And which eventually led to the No Confidence motion?

The AFC was never interested in being a “counter-balance”, and this was as bright as daylight. The AFC simply wanted to be in Government by the shortest route possible. The goal was to cut up the Government and share it. The unsatiated lust for power became paramount to everything else; yet, some Guyanese were so blind that they felt the AFC would have been able to control the excesses that the PNC is noted for, and they voted for the Coalition.

The AFC became as gluttonous as the PNC. Together, the AFC and the PNC embarked on a most notorious journey to bankrupt the Treasury in the shortest time possible. How can any sane-minded individual even try to put the PPP and the PNC in the same light?

The PPP, in 23 years, brought Guyana out from being a poor and highly indebted country to a middle-income one. The PNC had devastated the socio-economic fabric of this country.

What happened from 2015 to 2020 during the Coalition’s reign? The PNC and the AFC resumed where the PNC had left off in 1992. How can a reasonable person conclude that

the PPP Government is the same as the Coalition?

Where is the evidence? It will take volumes to even outline the vast socio-economic development taking place since the PPP took Office in 2020.

The PPP had to undo the countless wrongs of the Coalition, and then resume its developmental policies once again. It is clear that while the Coalition destroys, the PPP builds. They are opposites!

In conclusion, once again there is a call for a third force, and the agenda is quite clear, but will some plead ignorance again? This is not about making the Government accountable, but to aid in the removal of the Government and to resume a PNC dictatorship.

Apparently, the PNC is resorting to an old technique. The UF did this, and the AFC perfected it, and now the same old strategy is being put into action.

Everyone knows about Mr Trotman and the Nassau Connection. He never left the PNC, and those “decent people” who are called upon to defect will undoubtedly be the same.

Guyanese can be assured of a Third Farce. Maybe some Guyanese have short and selective memories, and the five months of the worst attempts to usher in a dictatorship will be forgotten. Those who do not remember the past…

Yours sincerely, H Yusuf

Saturday, May 21, 2022

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

(Sign on) Inspirational Time Cartoons Evening News (RB) Stop Suffering Movie - Early Man (2018) Indian Movie - Jagga Jasoos (2017) Movie - Wedding of Dreams (2018) Movie - The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 (2008) Payless Power Hour Evangelistic Hour Hepzibah The Evening News Islam for Guyana Movie - The Sweetest Heart (2018) Movie - Uncharted (2022) Sign off

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SATURDAY, MAY 21, 2022

Page

Foundation ◄

I

n this fun and easy science experiment, we’re going to explore and investigate weather and the water cycle by making it rain in a jar.

NB: Adult supervision and assistance is required for this experiment.

Materials:

Glass jar Plate Stove Sauce pan Water Ice cubes

Instructions:

Have an adult heat the water until it is steaming hot, but not boiling.

CONTINUED FROM FRIDAY SCENE I. Before PROSPERO'S cell.

Enter certain Reapers, properly habited: they join with the Nymphs in a graceful dance; towards the end whereof PROSPERO starts suddenly, and speaks; after which, to a strange, hollow, and confused noise, they heavily vanish PROSPERO [Aside] I had forgot that foul conspiracy Of the beast Caliban and his confederates Against my life: the minute of their plot Is almost come.

To the Spirits Well done! avoid; no more!

FERDINAND This is strange: your father's in some passion That works him strongly.

MIRANDA Never till this day Saw I him touch'd with anger so distemper'd.

sir.

“The reading of all good books is like a conversation with the finest minds of past centuries.” – René Descartes

PROSPERO You do look, my son, in a moved sort, As if you were dismay'd: be cheerful,

Our revels now are ended. These our actors, As I foretold you, were all spirits and Are melted into air, into thin air: And, like the baseless fabric of this vision, The cloud-capp'd towers, the gorgeous palaces, The solemn temples, the great globe

Pour the heated water into a jar until the jar is about one third of the way full.

Place the plate on top of the jar and wait several minutes before the next step.

Now, put ice cubes on top of the plate and observe what begins to happen inside the jar.

How it works:

In this experiment, the jar will allow us to view the water cycle in one compact area. The hot water represents water on the surface of our planet that is heated by the sun.

The heated water turns into water vapor and rises into the atmosphere where it cools, condenses, and returns to the Earth’s surface as precipitation. This cycling of water

itself, Ye all which it inherit, shall dissolve And, like this insubstantial pageant faded, Leave not a rack behind. We are such stuff As dreams are made on, and our little life Is rounded with a sleep. Sir, I am vex'd; Bear with my weakness; my, brain is troubled: Be not disturb'd with my infirmity: If you be pleased, retire into my cell And there repose: a turn or two I'll walk, To still my beating mind.

FERDINAND MIRANDA We wish your peace.

Exeunt PROSPERO Come with a thought I thank thee, Ariel: come.

Enter ARIEL ARIEL Thy thoughts I cleave to. What's thy pleasure?

PROSPERO Spirit, We must prepare to meet with Caliban.

ARIEL Ay, my commander: when I presented Ceres, I thought to have told thee of it, but I fear'd Lest I might anger thee.

PROSPERO Say again, where didst thou leave these

has a significant impact and influence on Earth’s weather patterns.

Make this a science project:

Add salt to the water and record any observable differences. (sciencefun.org)

varlets?

ARIEL I told you, sir, they were red-hot with drinking; So fun of valour that they smote the air For breathing in their faces; beat the ground For kissing of their feet; yet always bending Towards their project. Then I beat my tabour; At which, like unback'd colts, they prick'd their ears, Advanced their eyelids, lifted up their noses As they smelt music: so I charm'd their ears That calf-like they my lowing follow'd through Tooth'd briers, sharp furzes, pricking goss and thorns, Which entered their frail shins: at last I left them I' the filthy-mantled pool beyond your cell, There dancing up to the chins, that the foul lake O'erstunk their feet.

PROSPERO This was well done, my bird.

Thy shape invisible retain thou still: The trumpery in my house, go bring it hither, For stale to catch these thieves.

ARIEL I go, I go.

Exit

WORD SEARCH

NEWS

7

SATURDAY, MAY 21, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Achieving food security in C’bean requires heavy political lifting from top – VP Jagdeo ...says each country needs champion of agri-sector

The gathering at the ACCC for Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo’s presentation on Day Two of the inaugural Agri Investment Forum and Expo

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ith the Caribbean C o m m u n i t y (Caricom) currently on the path to reducing its high food import bill by 25 per cent by the year 2025, Guyana’s Vice President, Bharrat Jagdeo, has stated that this would require intervention and heavy political lifting from the top level in each Members State.

He made this remark during a plenary session at the three-day inaugural Agri Investment Forum and Expo being held in Guyana from May 19 to 21 under the theme: “Investing in Vision 25 by 2025.”

This initiative was created by President Dr Irfaan Ali, building on a plan that was previously presented by Jagdeo to Caricom back in 2005 when he was President of Guyana – dubbed the “Jagdeo initiative”.

Many of the regional leaders who are currently in Guyana have lauded the efforts of both Guyanese leaders to push the food security agenda in the Caribbean.

But according to the Vice President, there needs to be a clear commitment by the various Heads of State before they leave towards the implementation of this initiative that seeks to reduce the region’s high food import bill and achieve food security.

“We can’t leave here without that commitment [and] this process has to be driven right up from the top… They would need heavy political intervention on the part of the Heads of Government. And so, we need to have them here to make that commitment that they will either form a unit

or from their offices, they will drive this process,” he posited.

Jagdeo noted that in addition to that political commitment to the process, there also needs to be a champion of the agriculture sector in every Member State to ensure that the agenda is pursued.

“This means that we have to have a champion in each country for these measures. And it means intervention from the President or the Offices of the Prime Ministers of the region. This cannot be driven simply by the Ministries of Agriculture because there are so many cross-cutting issues that need to be addressed that cannot be addressed by the Agriculture Ministries alone,” he stated.

Jagdeo’s presentation was on “Addressing the key binding constraints to agriculture growth”. Zeroing in on this, he reminded the gathering at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC) on Friday of 10 major constraints to agriculture growth in the Caribbean that were identified in a regional strategy some 17 years ago.

These included: limited and inadequate financing; outdated and inefficient agriculture and health food safety systems; inadequate research; a fragmented private sector; inefficacy of land and water distribution systems; deficient and uncoordinated risk management systems; inadequate transport; weak integrated information intelligence; weak marketing linkages, and a lack of human resource.

While he noted there was

progress with some of these constraints, there is still a long way to go in addressing the others as a system.

The Vice President said this would require moving forward in a more practical way rather than just talking about strategies and potential policies.

He pointed out that the ambitious “25 by 2015” target would require a large scale of investment both from the private and public sectors. In fact, he touted an estimated $7 billion private sector investment coupled with public sector investments in roads, drainage and irrigation, research capability and so on – all vital to the success of the initiative.

But according to the Vice President, the region is a far way from mobilising the resources needed to achieve this.

“So it means a massive outreach and a framework and a practical one, to try to crowd in this sort of investment,” he said.

However, Jagdeo – who is also an economist – outlined that a short-term solution to achieving food security and reducing the food import bill does not necessitate further investments.

Instead, he explained that with the creation of market opportunities in the region, existing producers can ramp up production.

“An essential part of getting our food import bill down and a greater supply response, may not necessitate further investment…

It means simply addressing the issues that cause so much worry and have many people aggrieved – the issue

of trade barriers.”

“And so as we leave here, we have to leave with a firm commitment from the delegations that are here because much this action will have to take place, not at the regional level but at the individual jurisdiction,” he stated.

Meanwhile, Jagdeo also spoke about new binding constraints that have emerged over the years. One such issue is a concession, which he noted is more political. He outlined that the agriculture sector is usually on the bottom chain of industries that enjoy concessions.

This, he contended, needs to change, and here is where the need for champions of the agriculture sector comes in, once again.

“If there is no champion for the agriculture sector, the Ministries of Finances and the others will continue to operate in the same manner as they’ve done in the past and give the concessions to only those sectors that have the greatest

Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo

lobbying power. And farmers often don’t have that lobbying strength and that is why they need a champion in the Government,” he stated, while adding that there needs to be some ring fencing to protect investments in this sector.

Moreover, Jagdeo also underscored the need for political will of high offices to cut through certain monopolies in the region that causes impediments to trade in the

Caribbean.

“To open up trade, we have to break that monopoly and it’s not going to happen easily… It’s not necessarily the governments but that direct control from the private sector pushing those [State] agencies… We need to tackle this as a priority and this requires heavy lifting. We can’t leave here without that commitment right from the top,” the Vice President asserted.

8 NEWS

SATURDAY, MAY 21, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Discontinuation of charges against lawyer

DPP notes inconsistencies in Policewoman’s evidence as reason for discontinuing charges

Moving ahead...

Y

Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Shalimar Ali-Hack

Policewoman Shawnette Bollers during her solo protest outside the DPP’s office

A

mid public outcry on her decision to discontinue a private criminal charge for alleged racial hostility that was brought

by Policewoman Shawnette Bollers against Attorneyat-Law Nirvan Singh, the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Shalimar Ali-Hack, SC, on Friday, issued a statement explaining why she has advised the Police not to charge the lawyer.

The statement, which specifically addressed a file “Police v Nirvan Singh” that was forwarded to the DPP’s chambers by the Police on April 11 for legal advice, did not directly touch on her reasons for discontinuing the private criminal charge.

However, the private criminal charge filed by Bollers’s lawyer, Eusi Anderson, and the DPP’s advice to the Police were both pursuant to Section 2 of the Racial Hostility Act. The DPP did not provide a reason for discontinuing the charge other than stating, “In the exercise of the powers conferred on me by Article 187 (1) (c) of the Constitution…, I hereby discontinue the charge in the above matter,” in an April 27 letter addressed to the Chief Magistrate. The private criminal charge was read to Singh on April 20.

It had stated that on March 20, 2022, at Middle and Cummings Streets, Georgetown, by means of words spoken by him in a public place, Singh wilfully excited and or attempted to excite racial hostility and ill-will against her on the ground of her race as an Afro-Guyanese, by using words directed to her and published by him.

She had alleged that Singh referred to her by the following phrases: “black monkey”, “monkey”, and “black people have no purpose in life”.

This, she contended, is contrary to the Racial Hostility Act. Singh is the son of retired Justice Carl Singh, a former Chancellor of the Judiciary.

DPP’s explanation

In relation to the Police file on the matter, the DPP said that four days after Singh ap-

peared in court on the private criminal charge, she returned the file to the Police with several legal advice.

Ali-Hack noted that Section 2 of the Racial Hostility Act, states, “A person shall be guilty of an offence if he wilfully excites or attempts to excite hostility or ill-will against any section of the public or against any person on the grounds of their or his race – By means of words spoken by him in a public place or spoken by him and transmitted for general reception by wireless telegraphy or telegraphs; or by causing words spoken by him or by some other person to be reproduced in a public place from a record; or (c) by means of written (including printed) matter or pictorial matter published by him.”

She went on to explain that the elements of the offence are: “a person speaks words in a public place against any person on the grounds of their or his race, and he wilfully speaks those words to excite or attempts to excite hostility or ill-will against the person on the grounds of his race”.

According to the DPP, the aforementioned section when read as a whole suggests that the words spoken by the offender must also be transmitted for general reception by wireless telegraphy or telegraphs or be reproduced in a public place from a record.

Further, she explained that the words must be spoken in a public place and transmitted for general reception by wireless telegraphy or telegraphs or be reproduced in a public place from a record. However, the DPP found that the evidence in the Police file does not fit the criteria stated in Section 2 of the Act. Further, she said that word “against” used in the Section tends to suggest that the offender by his words tends to cause others to act in a certain way against the virtual complainant.

“Put another way, the offence is created when the offender’s expressions cause others to act in a certain way against a Section of the public or a person on the grounds

of their race (his expressions excited or attempted to excite others to act with hostility or ill-will against a section of the public or against another person),” the Senior Counsel outlined.

Here again, Ali-Hack noted that the evidence is not consistent with the offence created under Section 2 of the Act as the words used by Singh were not spoken in order to excite others to act with hostility or ill-will against Bollers.

With respect to the allegation

by Bollers that she was spat on

by Singh, the DPP again noted that there is an inconsistency regarding this allegation.

She said that the alleged incident occurred on March 20 at about 22:13h at the Singh’s residence. “…I was verbally attacked

by Mr Carl Singh’s son with racial slurs and was asked to leave the compound, however, I was about to document in the diary what was taking place, but after feeling threat for my life. Because he was in front of my face spitting up where I could smell the high volume of alcohol on his breath. I pick up my belongings, and I step out of the location…” the DPP quoted Bollers as saying in her written report entered in the Police station diary.

But the DPP said that Bollers’s written report does not state that the younger Singh wilfully spat on her. She disclosed that the Policewoman’s statement dated March 21, states on page two, that the lawyer “spit in my face” and “stepped away from the door.” As was pointed out before, this accusation was not reported in the Police diary on the night of the incident when the events would have been fresh in the mind of the complainant, the statement added.

Also, in her statement, Bollers, according to the DPP, disclosed that Singh “approached the hut door again and continue shouting with spit from his mouth spraying in my face, get out of the yard, get out of my yard.” Based on Bollers’s evidence as a whole, Ali-Hack noted that it is clear that Singh was “spitting up” while speaking and it was not a deliberate act of spitting.

Lawsuit

The cop has since institut-

Attorney-at-Law Nirvan Singh

ed civil proceedings against Singh. In a defamation lawsuit filed against him at the Demerara High Court, she is seeking $150 million in damages. She argues that the words uttered by Singh, in their natural and ordinary meaning, were understood to mean that she was not a human being, and by extension not worthy of recognition for her humanity or human dignity.

The Policewoman had alleged that Singh approached her and chased her off of the property, forcing her to abandon her post and duties. She complained that, in chasing her, the lawyer spoke to her in an “aggressive and loud manner”, while hurling several racist remarks at her.

She said the tirade lasted for about 14 minutes, after which she left the scene and walked a couple of miles to another location in Georgetown in the dark of night alone.

But Singh had denied the allegations, stating, “I wish to say that the racist conduct of which I am accused in no way reflects my philosophy or personal values. More importantly, it would be an indictment on my parents and elders, given their efforts to ensure that my upbringing would produce in me a person of the highest moral, ethical, and professional conduct”.

Addressing his alleged attack on Bollers, he had said that he would await the matter being properly determined in court, and had added that he would strive to remain respectful and faithful to his values, to serve his clients from all walks of life with professionalism, and to use every opportunity to be of service or support to his fellow citizens, regardless of race, class, or creed.

CCJ

Hours after the discontinuation of the charge, Bollers’s lawyer, in a press statement, threatened to institute legal proceedings if the DPP fails to provide reasons for her decision by Monday.

Meanwhile, during a solo protest outside the DPP’s office on Thursday, Bollers accused Ali-Hack of denying her of her right to be heard in a court of law. Still seeking redress, the Policewoman has vowed to challenge the DPP’s decision all the way to the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ).

…on food? ou’ll have to excuse your Eyewitness for not getting too excited by the hype and exhortations coming out of our Agri-Investment Expo bash. Not only has he been there and done that in his own lifetime without a single thing changing - but there’s the deadweight of history staring him in the face. Take the suggestion from the PM of Montserrat, that there’s gotta be a commitment to increasing shipping linkages - by sea and air - to get the food from where it’s produced to where it’s consumed.

Well…hello!! Hasn't this been the challenge from the beginning of time? Just this morning, your Eyewitness had cause to look up a meeting on the Legislative Council of Wednesday, 28th September, 1932. And there it was, the Honourable FJ Seaford - a bastion of the colonial order, and Bookers to boot - had moved a motion: “Whereas it is desirable that there should be freer and fuller exchange of domestic produce between this Colony, British Honduras and the British West Indian Colonies…”. And proposing how that could be done. Yet…!

Do we really need to be told that if one country’s producing oranges cheaply, other member states ought to buy from them and move on to producing something else?? Isn't this the basis of what Adam Smith wrote about in 1776 in his “Wealth of Nations”? Comparative advantage and all that? And launched the free trade movement??

Isn’t this what launched CARIFTA in 1968 and Caricom in 1973?? The question that needs to be answered is: why did those initiatives fail??

And it’s only after we answer that question honestly might we POSSIBLY make some progress. And that answer is that leaders of Caricom have mostly been in love with the sound of their own voices - they just live to spew hot air!!

The problem with all this talk is, no one wants to accept that when we complain about our food bill of US$6 billion (and counting), it’s not only about us importing FOOD from foreign to feed foreigners - but mostly to feed ourselves!!

We still see foreign food as superior to our own!!

Do you know how much (to pick one product) spinach we import, instead of serving local bhagee/callaloo?? Just look into the food basket of any islander or Guyanese and you’ll see that, rather than the colonial taste petering out, it’s intensified!! Isn’t it a proven scientific fact that sweet potatoes are a much better food that Irish potatoes from a health standpoint? Yet we import the latter by shiploads, while sweet potatoes are kicked to the curb.

Mia Mottley asked a good question: Why is it we don’t serve foreign tourists our local foods?? Isn’t that why they pay good money to visit?? …on sugar?

Your Eyewitness was a bit miffed to learn we’d just ploughed under a whole field of experimental sugar cane cultivars - to make way for housing!! We’re talking fat about food production, yet, here we are, using alluvial land that’s been irrigated and drained for agriculture through the blood, sweat and tears of our foreparents for housing!!

How many other areas in the world can boast about this type of agriculturally-suitable land?? Isn’t the problem in so many areas like California, that their ground water’s running out??

But that’s just the general problem – exacerbated, when we’ve agreed that we ought to be moving to higher ground for our housing!! The specific problem is: how do we replicate those experimental cane cultivars to ensure that our production costs won’t keep on rising? This, of course, is because we constantly produce new stocks that can deliver more sucrose, while becoming hardier and less susceptible to diseases.

Do we really want to produce SOME sugar? …with T&T Your Eyewitness is pleased that T&T’s Keith Rowley came to Guyana to beard the (GCCI) lions, who’ve been roaring at him about his trade policies. But he’s confused they growled at VP Jagdeo for suggesting an MoU - before even seeing its contents!!

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, MAY 21, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Guyana-Barbados food terminal critical to move produce within Region – PM Mottley …reiterates top-10 trade barriers will be “attacked”

President Dr Irfaan Ali and Prime Minister of the Republic of Barbados, Mia Amor Mottley, in discussion upon her arrival in Guyana for the Agri-Investment Forum and Expo

T

he COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated existing inequalities within the Caribbean region, including food security, with many households observing higher than usual food prices.

To this end, Prime Minister of Barbados Mia Mottley believes that it is very critical that affordable, safe, and nutritious food is made available to the people of the region as a matter of urgency.

PM Mottley expressed these sentiments on Friday during a press conference at the inaugural Agri-Investment Forum and Expo at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre, Liliendaal, Greater Georgetown.

She placed the spotlight on the region’s food transport issues and removal of barriers to trade in agriculture, noting that the latter will be given priority at the upcoming Caricom Heads of

Government meeting.

She reminded that the Caribbean has gone through a very difficult time in the last two years because of the pandemic, climate change issues, inflationary pressures as a result of the interruption in the global supply chain, and worst of all Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. According to the Barbadian leader, the region has seen a level of inflation with food that is really unbearable to most people, especially those who are vulnerable.

Concrete measures

As such, she noted, “We are therefore trying to see how we can be less dependent on the world while at the same time reducing foreign exchange expenditure for us...which is compromised largely because of our inability to earn through COVID with those who depend on tourism.”

She added that the “con-

GPS to launch “Stop and Search”...

FROM PAGE 2

Further, he added that a built-up civilian population living in close proximity to the prisons would have contributed to the increased contraband items being smuggled into the prions.

Meanwhile, the latest efforts from members of the public to smuggle con-

traband into a prison were thwarted by prison officers attached to the New Amsterdam Prison on May 16 and 17 last.

A bag containing 2275 grams of narcotics and 12 cartons of cigarettes was retrieved and handed over to the Police.

crete measures” being taken to move forward include: specific investment plans; special opportunities for financing those investment plans; and partnering with the private sector, in particular, the importers and distributors.

Importers and distributors, Mottley added, need to recognise that the region needs an efficient supply chain that is safe and secure and not necessarily one that is driven only

by imports. She, however, lamented that there is still an obstacle—food transportation. To make her point, she explained that Guyana, Suriname, and Belize as countries on the mainland, and with their vastness, have tremendous potential to help produce at scale, unlike small islands. She, however, pointed out, “With all that you are producing, if you can’t get it to the island chain in a manner that is quick and affordable, then it is of no use.”

Mottley said that it is cheaper to send produce outside of the Caribbean than within the region.

Food terminal

Against this backdrop, she said that the imminent Guyana-Barbados food terminal “will allow us to move food from whichever countries are doing mass production…”

“So, we have to perfect the logistics and we believe that that investment in the food terminal will be critical. We have the plans and numbers that we are working on. I am to convene a meeting week after next,

not just on that project but all of the projects with the financial institutions to make sure that we can have ready and affordable access to capital to be able to help State entities or private sector individuals, be able to expand production and be able to undertake logistics.”

The Prime Minister revealed that the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) along with other countries have agreed to take to lead in transport arrangements to finally see how we can resolve this, especially for the movement of produce.

She added, “The urgency of what we are facing with the inflation, particularly as it relates to food, means that everybody knows that we have to get on board and get this right because what is at stake is people’s and family’s ability to stay above the crisis and be able to feed themselves.” PM Mottley posited that there are opportunities for air transport especially for perishable goods but those mechanisms need to be put in place. She said, too, that once the region can grow/produce its own food and make it cheaper, it will

be a “win, win”.

Trade barriers

Meanwhile, she emphasised that the trade barriers have been very significant.

“There are too many stories of containers of produce being left at ports to spoil and it has happened in too many countries or restrictions because of failure to comply with sanitary and phytosanitary conditions.

We need to be very practical now, we can’t move produce from country to country if people are going to lose their investment…” Prime Minister Mottley stressed.

She added, “We, therefore, hope that at the next Heads of Government meeting which is in about two months’ time, between now and then, and then immediately after, that we can go and sit down without all of the fanfare… and just attack the top barriers in the same way that President [Dr Irfaan] Ali has done for us… a clear framework to take the top 10 items that we want to be able to have total capacity to produce within the region without importing…”

10 NEWS

SATURDAY, MAY 21, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

US$190M contract signed for construction of Linden-to-Mabura Road

The US$190M contract for the Linden-to-Mabura Hill Road being signed by Permanent Secretary of the Public Works Ministry, Vladim Persaud, and a representative of Construtora Queiroz Galvao SA

C

onnectivity to major hinterland communities from

Georgetown, as well as between Guyana and Brazil will soon be made easi-

er with the construction of the Linden-to-Mabura Hill Road.

The officials turning the sod for the commencement of construction works on the critical road

The US$190 million contract was signed on Friday with Brazilian company Construtora Queiroz Galvao S.A. 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 process.

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.

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.

Speaking at the ceremony on Friday, Public Works Minister Juan Edghill described this road to be constructed as one of the most transformative projects to bring about the transformation of the country.

“When we map out as a Government, and we look at Guyana’s development, there were certain things that we knew we must do.

One, we must be able to get a direct link from Linden into Lethem and across the Takutu [Bridge], so that we could have access to the markets in northern Brazil…and eventually into all of South America, because of the road connectivity that exists there,” he stated.

Edghill noted that construction of this road has been on the front burner since the commissioning of the Takutu Bridge. He added that as a further commitment of the Dr Irfaan Aliled administration to this major connectivity, some $3 billion has been allocated in the 2022 Budget for the construction of 32 bridges along the Linden-to-Lethem Road. TURN TO PAGE 17

NEWS

11

SATURDAY, MAY 21, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

MMG automated toll system at DHB enables efficient, cashless commute

Minister Juan Edghill cutting the ribbon to open the new cashless system

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he cashless and time efficient alternative to traverse the Demerara Harbour Bridge is now within the reach of commuters, with the launch of its new automated toll system on Friday.

The Demerara Harbour Bridge Cooperation (DHBC) has collaborated with Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GTT) through its MMG to offer this new system to the public.

To make toll payments via MMG, there are simple steps involved: set up an ac-

count with DHBC and load money to the account from MMG. The Harbour Bridge toll will be paid automatically when a person drives through the toll station.

It is explained that the magnetic RFID tag would be placed on the vehicle, and when that vehicle approaches the toll station on the eastern end of the bridge, the system’s sensors would identify the commuter’s vehicle using the tag and the toll would be deducted automatically. With the system, tags would be created based on the vehicle type.

Public Works Minister Juan Edghill stressed that this will ease the distress of congestion faced by commuters, especially during peak hours, and allow a smooth flow of traffic through the toll stations and onto the bridge. Moreover, it allows for greater accountability.

“With this system and the possibility of a reconciliation model that will be employed because of the electronic reading and calculations, it should be able to bring greater level of accountability.”

General Manager of the DHB, Wayne Watson contended that management’s decision to review the modalities in services provided led to this technological change. It replaces the archaic system of using cash and waiting for several minutes at the toll booths to collect change.

“If we look around, there are lots of development going on and in the near future, we will have a new bridge. To go to a system like that where you have to wait on change is not something one wants to perceive with the chaos and confusion,” the General Manager pointed out.

General Manager of MMG, Babita Ram has la-

The first vehicle to utilise the automated toll system at the DHB

belled this as an innovative solution, changing the land-

scape to keep up with massive developments ahead.

“It provides a cashless alternative and creates a 21st century experience for our rapidly developing nation.

Since its launch in 2013, MMG has singularly transformed the way Guyanese pay for everyday things, things that are part of our everyday lives,” said Ram. Accounts are approved within 48 hours. The minimum amount of money that can be added to the DHB account is $500. There are over 600 MMG accounts countrywide. Several vehicles can use the same account but each vehicle will have its own unique RFID tag attached to its windshield.

FAO lauds Guyana’s transformation of agri-food system – Guyana to host 38th Regional Conference for Latin America and the Caribbean

F

AO Assistant Director General and Regional Representative for Latin America and the Caribbean, Dr Julio Berdegué has lauded Guyana’s passion for transforming the agri-food

system, noting that it is unmatched when compared to other countries in the region.

His remarks came on the heels of signing an agreement with Foreign Affairs and International Relations Minister Hugh

Todd for the Memorandum of Responsibilities (MoR) between Guyana and the FAO for the hosting of the 38th Regional Conference for Latin America and the Caribbean in 2024.

TURN TO PAGE 13

12 NEWS IPED records $512M increase in asset value for 2021 T SATURDAY, MAY 21,, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

he Institute of Private Enterprise Development (IPED) has reported an increase of 12 per cent in asset value when compared to the value of the previous year.

The institution’s assets at the end of 2021 were valued at $4 billion, 808 million -- an increase of $512M, or $4 billion, 296 million as at December 31, 2020.

Assets recorded as at December 31, 2021 have been financed by an accumulated surplus of $3 billion, 808 million, and liabilities of $998 million. This is in comparison to the 2020 accumulated surplus of $3 billion, 496 million in assets, and

Part of the IPED Board of Directors. From left are: Major General (ret) Joseph Singh; CEO Jagdesh Haripershad; Board Chairman Komal Samaroo; Company Secretary Sherrie Hewitt-Robin, and Legal Manager Ramsay Ali. Dr. Ian McDonald is also in the picture

$800 million in liabilities.

In the just-released Annual Report, Chairman of the IPED Board, Komal Samaroo, has said, “We are optimistic about IPED’s future as it pursues the fulfil-

ment of its many objectives, which include building partnerships with organisations that provide complementary support services to micro and small business entrepreneurs to enhance their

production potential and capacity to meet their market demands.”

IPED remained resolute in providing services to its new and existing clients. In 2021, IPED processed 4,060

loans for a total value of $3 billion, 224 million; compared to 3,566 loans for a total value of $2 billion, 921 million in 2020.

A total of 325 loans for a total value of $402 million

has been refinanced, granting entrepreneurs the opportunity of furthering their respective enterprises; and IPED has determined those loans to be worthy investments.

Loans granted to 2005 small-scale farmers accounted for 49 per cent of loans granted for 2021. This shows IPED’s major role in supporting small-scale farming.

As at December 31, 2021, IPED had serviced 4,122 small and micro enterprises with a gross loan receivable of $3 billion, 688 million.

Non-performing loans as at December 31, 2021 were valued at $310 million, or 8 per cent of loans receivable, compared to 2020’s $368 million, or 10.8 per cent of same.

Cash resources and financial investments at the end of 2021 totalled $530 million, compared to $510 million in 2020. IPED has been able to cover all operating and loan impairment costs for 2021.

“IPED’s total operating income for 2021 was $717 million, compared to $594 million in 2020, an increase of $123 million, or 21 per cent. Total operating cost before loan impairment for 2021 was $550 million, compared to $515 million in 2020, an increase of $35 million, or 7 per cent. Loan impairment cost for 2021 was $14 million, compared to $56 million in 2020,” that institution has stated in a release.

Further, IPED has stated that it was able to cover all its operating costs and loan impairment costs for 2021 and 2020, to generate a surplus of $153 million and $24 million respectively. After remeasurement of its employees’ pension plans, the net total comprehensive income for 2021 was $314 million, compared to $72 million in 2020.

IPED Chairman Komal Samaroo added, “IPED’s success in achieving its mission to provide financial and advisory services to small and micro business entrepreneurs, enabling them to build sustainable enterprises, remains a true testament to its indelible contribution to reducing poverty and expanding Guyana’s economy.”

Meanwhile, Haimlall Persaud has been recognised for having the Best Medium Enterprise, while Munesh Persaud has been recognised for having the Best Youth Enterprise. The Best Small Enterprise Project has been recognised as that of Hardat Pearce, while the Best Micro Enterprise Project has been recognised as that of Cecelia Peters. Naveta Ramkripal has been recognised as the Best Woman Entrepreneur, while the Best Agricultural Project has been recognised as that of Jagdesh Sookhoo.

The abovenamed persons have all received awards for their outstanding performances for the year.

13 Min Edghill hints at closure of DHB for 3-5 days to facilitate repairs NEWS

SATURDAY, MAY 21, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

…contingency mechanisms to be implemented

C

ommuters are being advised that the services of the Demerara Harbour Bridge (DHB) may be interrupted for a few days, in order to facilitate critical repair works to that facility.

Public Works Minister Bishop Juan Edghill on Friday related that while a new bridge across the Demerara River is in the pipeline for 2025, relentless efforts are being undertaken to maintain use of the existing structure. Funds have been invested to repair two spans of this bridge: while repairs along Span 10 have been completed, a new Span 9 has been built externally,

and needs to be installed.

“Span 9 has been built off-site. It was so badly damaged that we couldn’t repair it, we had to build a new Span 9. This is the dilemma that we have; we have to take out Span 9 and put in the new Span 9,” the Minister has said. He added, “There will be some hours or some days where the Demerara Harbour Bridge would not be available for the travelling public…We are looking, and we are planning. It may take about three to five days that we will have an interruption to service.”

The Public Works Ministry is awaiting Cabinet’s approval to move

FAO lauds Guyana’s...

FROM PAGE 11

FAO Assistant Director General, Dr Julio Berdegué

The FAO official said this event was birthed after 33 countries in the Caribbean and the Americas threw support behind Guyana as the host nation.

“Guyana is the place to be today. No other country in the Americas is conducting a transformation of its agrifood systems with the level of dynamism, political support that I have seen here in Guyana…Let me emphasise that in 2024, we will be celebrating or commemoration 20 years since the launch of the Jagdeo Initiative. It’s been 20 years since Guyana has been leading efforts for food security and revitalisation of agriculture in this part of the world,” Berdegué expressed.

Meanwhile, Minister Todd relayed that such efforts feed directly into the development trajectory envisioned by the Ali-led Administration, putting agriculture as the central pillar for driving the economy.

“We are about diversification. We are at a very good position in terms of our resource base with the oil and gas revenues to really make massive gains in terms of our diversification process.

We have to do that by being fully integrated within the global economy. Working with the FAO as a multilateral agency assures that we’re connected fully. Our national policies are aligned

with our regional objectives, which are also aligned with the policies at the global level,” Todd detailed.

The Foreign Affairs Minister believes that the Government is cognisant of the sectors to embrace.

Despite being a small State, he said Guyana has a bigger role to play in Caricom.

“Everything is culminating nicely to show that there is good planning at the political level. There is political will and there is policy space for us to engage. Our development partners understand our development thrust.”

The Country Programme Framework for the period 2022 to 2026 was also signed between FAO Assistant Director General and Regional Representative for Latin America and the Caribbean, Dr Julio Berdegué and Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha.

The FAO Assistant Director General said this signing cements the cooperation with Guyana in the coming years.

“We have been working in this country for many, many years. We will continue to be here as long as the Government and the people of Guyana believe that we have something to offer to this country,” Berdegué commented.

forward with the upgrade works, and Minister Edghill has reassured that a contingency plan would be put in place to allow for vehicles to traverse the river at two locations. Water taxis would also be plying the route on a 24-hour basis.

“We will make a public announcement as to when that operation will take place. To facilitate that short-term operation, we have studied, and will put, initiatives in place. There is no need for panic…cars trucks and vehicles can possibly cross from two locations on both sides of the river on a 24-hour basis,” the Minister has said.

With 44 years of existence, the Demerara Harbour Bridge remains a vital link and an important piece of infrastructure in the everyday lives of thou-

sands of Guyanese. A floating bridge that’s 1.25 miles long, this infrastructure is a strategic link between the East and West Banks of the Demerara river, facilitating the daily movement of thousands of vehicles, persons,

and cargo.

The structure was built in the 1970s, and was opened in July 1978 with the expectation of lasting only 10 years. However, some 42 years later, it is still floating.

This year, the National

Assembly approved $900 million to finance repair works to several components of the structure. Those components include the installation of anchor blocks, deck plates, and pontoons, among other things.

14 NEWS

SATURDAY, MAY 21,, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Boys, 17, 15, arrested for shooting at cops T

wo teenage lads, aged 17 and 15 years old, have been arrested for reportedly opening fire at three Police ranks who were on motorcycle patrol along Oronoque Street, Queenstown, Georgetown, on Thursday.

The incident occurred at about 20:45h, when the ranks observed four “suspicious-looking males” in the area. Two of those males were on a red motorcycle, and the other two were on a black motorcycle.

The Police have said that upon seeing the ranks, the four males immediately turned around and proceeded south on Oronoque

Street. In the process of the ranks going after them, the pillion rider of the red motorcycle discharged a round in the direction of the Police.

One of the ranks was armed with a 9mm pistol, and he retaliated by discharging a round in the direction of the youths.

TURN TO PAGE 16

NEWS

15

SATURDAY, MAY 21, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

2 women succumb to COVID, cases rise by 92 – active cases surpass 500

T

he Health Ministry on Friday reported that two women who had tested positive for COVID-19 have succumbed, thus bringing to 231 the total number of deaths by this disease in Guyana.

One of these two women is a 37-year-old from Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) and the other is a 79-yearold from Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara). They both died on May 18, and their vaccination status is unknown.

A whopping figure of 92 new infections accompanies the report of these fatalities on Friday, and confirmed cases have climbed to 64,174. From just a few daily cases being report-

ed last month, the pandemic has taken a deadly turn locally. New statistics provided by the Ministry have shown that 504 persons are in isolation, two are in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), 25 are in institutional isolation, and four are in institutional quarantine.

An analysis of these new cases shows them dispersed among six administrative regions, with four being in Region Two (PomeroonSupenaam); seven in Region Three (Essequibo IslandsWest Demerara); 56 in Region Four (DemeraraMahaica); five in Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice); 17 in Region Six (East BerbiceCorentyne) and three in Region 10 (Upper Demerara-

Upper Berbice).

Of those who had been infected by this disease -29,395 males and 34,466 females -- 62,315 persons have since recovered; the recovery rate in Guyana is approximately 97.5 per cent.

The most recent vaccination figures in Guyana indicate that over 441,000 first doses and 340,500 second doses have been administered to adults. This is approximately 86 per cent and 66.4 per cent respectively of that demographic. For children aged 12 to 17, more than 25,000, or 34.7 per cent, are completely vaccinated. Booster coverage has surpassed 63,000 doses.

These numbers have been stagnant within the

Rape survivor says she expected more love, comfort, care from her mother …feels satisfied perpetrator was found guilty

Child rapist Aduke Josiah

A

n 18-year-old woman who is the survivor of adolescent rape told the Demerara High Court on Thursday that she expected more love, comfort, and care from her mother after the traumatic incident.

“When he raped me, I was just 15. I felt very painful and ashamed; I also felt very depressed. This incident left me feeling shameful with all the people that found out about my story…” the young woman shared in a victim impact statement.

The man she spoke of is 36-year-old Aduke Josiah of Plum Park, Sophia, Greater Georgetown. Josiah was found guilty of child rape last month by a 12-member jury after a trial before Justice Priya SewnarineBeharry. The prosecution’s case is that the teen was left in Josiah’s care when he raped her on April 8, 2018.

Following the incident, the teen informed her mother who made a report to the Police.

The rape survivor said

that no one knew of the conflict raging inside of her until she was given a chance to tell her story to the court. In fact, it was the most horrifying experience for her.

She expressed, “It left a mark of pain in my heart to know that my maiden was taken by someone it didn’t belong to. I learned to cope my best with my family not wanting to talk about this incident at all. It was very hard; it was not easy at all for me.”

The love and care she expected from her moth-

er were not forthcoming.

Although her mother was aware of what happened to her, the teenager shared that her mother would constantly abuse her. “…It was very abusive as a mother to a daughter. I expected more love, comfort, care, and protection but instead, I was verbally, physically, and emotionally abused,” she said.

Nevertheless, she added that her heart is at peace and her mind is relaxed and calm now that she has told her story to the court.

Though it took her four years to receive justice, the woman said that she feels satisfied because Josiah took something from her that did not belong to him.

“He made me live with that memory repeating over and over in my head every day of my life.

This is an incident that affected me emotionally, physically, and mentally for many days. I will not eat, lashing out at others, feeling depressed and crying having this memory repeating over and over in my head that I will never forget.”

Josiah will be sentenced next Tuesday.

GUYANA COVID-19 DASHBOARD MAY 20, 2022 UPDATE

NUMBER OF NEW CASES

92

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN INSTITUTIONAL ISOLATION

25

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN HOME ISOLATION

504

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN COVID-19 ICU

2

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN INSTITUTIONAL QUARANTINE

4

TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES BY GENDER (FEMALES)

34,643

TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES BY GENDER (MALES)

29,531

TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES IN GUYANA SINCE 2020

64,174

NUMBER OF RECOVERED CASES

62,412

TOTAL 1st DOSE VACCINATED FULLY IMMUNISED

REGION 1

2520

REGION 2

2522

REGION 3

8131

REGION 4

31,819

REGION 5

2398

REGION 6

5944

REGION 7

2426

REGION 8

886

REGION 9

4043

REGION 10

3485

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

1231

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. past weeks, and authorities are urging Guyanese to get their immunity boosted.

The World Health Organization has published its latest comprehensive set of World Health Statistics up to the year 2020, the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to an estimated 4.5 million excess deaths in that year. These

disruptions are likely to set back global progress on both life expectancy and healthy life expectancy made in the first 20 years of the century.

If anyone is displaying any of the symptoms associated with COVID-19, or needs any additional information, they are asked to contact the COVID-19 Hotlines: 231-1166, 226-

7480, or 624-6674 immediately, or visit www.health. gov.gy.

Global figures show that almost 517.6 million people have tested positive for the virus, and 6.2 million have died. In the Americas, more than 154.2 million confirmed cases have been reported, with over 2.7 million deaths.

16 NEWS 5 youths get cash grants GNBS to digitise measurements from IDPADA-G to fund with $12.5M metrology portal C business ventures SATURDAY, MAY 21, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Winners of IDPADA-G Youth Committee’s Second Annual Invest-A-Thon/Pitch Competition

F

ive youths were awarded, on Friday, with cash grants from the International Decade for People of African Descent Assembly – Guyana (IDPADA-G) to invest in their businesses.

Clinton Samuels of COBBEC Vision received $500,000; Earlecia Hieronymo of Khayr Organics - $250,000; Brian Smith of Dragonfly Geospatial Aerial Productions $150,000; Jermaine Hall of Country Boy Farming Supplies $75,000; and Delon Simpson of Kukki Aquaculture $50,000.

The young business owners were the top five winners of IDPADA-G Youth Committee’s Second Annual Invest-A-Thon/Pitch Competition, which ran for a 3-week period and ended on May 1.

54 youths from across Guyana with businesses and ideas needing investment opportunities applied to take part in the competition, from which 20 were selected to advance to a preliminary round to pitch their businesses in front of a panel of judges, after which the top 5 winners were selected based on their scores submitted by the judges.

At the prize-giving ceremony held at the secretariat of IDPADA-G on Friday, Chair of the Youth Committee, Ascena Jacobs explained that the initiative was birthed after realising the lack of access to funding opportunities for start-up businesses.

“We know businesses have a hard time, especially young people, acquiring capital from the bank to start their business. Some persons may not have an established business, but they

have an idea and are not able to take that idea off the ground without money. So, this initiative was birthed because of that. Awarding winning contestants cash prizes to take their businesses to the next level, or take their business idea off the ground,” Jacobs said.

In his remarks, Chairman of IDPADA-G, Vincent Alexander said that the Invest-A-Thon/Pitch Competition falls within the mandate of the work of IDPADA-G, since it fits neatly into the theme of the Decade “Recognition, Justice & Development”. He charged the winners to be further inspired, to continue the course which they have embarked on, and commit to sustaining their businesses for future generations.

IDPADA-G has committed to providing further support for the participants through mentorship and coaching to develop their businesses.

“Separately and apart from the award of prizes, IDPADA-G’s Youth Committee and IDPADA-G at large, will find ways and means in which we will continue to work with all of the contestants so that we can continue to provide them with the kind of inspiration to do what they have embarked on. And as people of African descent, to attempt to inculcate the right disposition towards business, and to understand that business is not about early gratification… We are undoubtedly talented, we undoubtedly have ideas, we undoubtedly are industrious. Sometimes the aspect of gratification can be a source of problem,” Alexander said.

Samuels, who is the firstplace winner of the competi-

tion, said that the competition was an opportunity of his lifetime and the training received has helped him to nurture his business and bring it to the stage front.

Meanwhile, Hieronymo, the second-place winner said her participation has now enabled her to muster up the courage and confidence to present herself to investors.

“The feedback from the judges, the feedback from the crowd, has allowed me to assess my pitch deck and to tweak the areas I needed to tweak so that being presented with another opportunity to pitch my business and pitch myself, I know exactly what to say and what to do.

It gave me the upper hand to access financing for business because, with the experience, I can say I’m already a pro pitcher,” she said.

Simpson, the fifth-place winner, whose business is aquaculture focused, said that the experience, more so the advice from the judges, opened his eyes to focus on the business aspect of his operations. The knowledge, he said, will be applied to his business going forward.

Many members of the public lauded the initiative, echoing the importance of empowering youths of African descent in Guyana.

The International Decade for People of African Descent 2015-2024 was proclaimed by the United Nations (UN) General Assembly under the theme “People of African descent: recognition, justice, and development”. The Youth Committee seeks to create initiatives such as these, to empower African youths and provide them with access to opportunities that will aid in their development.

elebrating World Meteorological Day 2022 under the theme “Metrology in the Digital Era”, the Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS) has launched a metrology portal in an attempt to digitise the way the Bureau gathers information on measurement.

This new system will create a much easier flow of information gathering for the GNBS and steer the company into the digitised era.

The metrology portal will increase efficiency and effectiveness in the delivery of accurate and reliable measurement services.

The portal essentially digitises the services offered by the Legal Metrology and Industrial Metrology & Testing Services Departments of the Bureau, reducing the need for the manual completion of checklists and other paper-based methods of conducting business.

This portal allows stakeholders - from the comfort of their homes or at any location - to request metrology services, at any time while promoting an environmentally friendly paper-free approach.

This is according to the Head of the Legal Metrology Department, Shailendra Rai. “The main objectives of developing the metrology portal are to transform the operations of the legal metrology service department and the industrial and testing department from a pa-

Legal Metrology Department Head Shailendra Rai

per-based system to a fully digital system. And this is basically in keeping with our theme this year for World Meteorology Day. It also would increase the operational efficiency of the departments in the provision of verification and calibration services and also improve interactions between the GNBS and its customers,” Rai said in his remarks at the launching ceremony.

He added that previously with the paper-based system, a form was used to compile the relevant information.

“With the implementation of this portal, we’re now able to input the information digitally into the portal and it also makes provision for the acquisition of more detailed information which would be critical for the Bureau in the provision of verification and calibration services. And also, it helps to capture more information

as well, on the types and the different levels of measuring instruments used by our clients.”

Further, he explained that the new operating system would play a key role in the scheduling of inspections. He said that with the portal’s help, inspections would be scheduled digitally and more effectively.

“In addition to that, we have the scheduling of verification activities. Previously, similar with the paper-based system, you used to write on a form, we would schedule inspectors and on the day in questions, we would instruct the inspectors who would do what activities. With the new digital system or the portal, inspectors are now programmed in advance. As soon as the client call and they make a request and we prepare, we input that information, we assign the inspector to the task,” Rai explained.

Though the system is up and readily available for GNBS clients, the company is working on making advancements to the system.

According to the head of the industrial meteorology and testing department, Donna Canterbury, the GNBS has already started working on advancing the portal with the intention to have payment options on the system. Republic Bank point-of-sale system, Mobile Money Guyana (MMG) and PayPal are all the electronic online payment methods being considered by the Bureau.

Boys, 17, 15, arrested...

FROM PAGE 14

After several minutes of giving chase, the ranks managed to apprehend the two males on the black motorcycle: a 17-year-old from Tucville Squatting Area, Georgetown, and a 15-yearold from South Sophia, Greater Georgetown.

A search conducted on the suspects unearthed an air gun in the 17-year-old’s possession. A wound suspected to be inflicted by gunshot was also seen on the teen’s lower right foot. He was accordingly escorted to the Georgetown Public Hospital to seek medical attention.

The 15-year-old lad is also presently in Police custody, assisting with investigations.

Meanwhile, Police said on

the same day they received reports that a Brazilian national was robbed in the vicinity of Eping Avenue, Bel Air Park, Georgetown by four males on two motorcycles.

Reports are the victim, Francesco Alves De Arujo Junior, a 28-year-old business administrator is currently staying at Roraima Inn located at Eping Avenue, Bel Air Park, Georgetown.

He was robbed of $3000.

Police stated that the victim arrived in Guyana on Tuesday and was heading to Eping Avenue after purchasing a meal from the nearby Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC).

While in the vicinity of Roraima Inn, he was confronted by the four perpetrators.

The two pillion riders immediately dismounted the motorcycles, and one was armed with a knife which he placed to the victim’s neck.

He then relieved the victim of his cash, after which they made good their escape on the said motorcycles.

The victim subsequently made a report to the Alberttown Police Station.

While there, he identified the 15-year-old suspect who was in Police custody at the said Police station in relation to the shooting of the officers, as one of the suspects who robbed him.

It is suspected that after robbing the Brazilian national, the suspects came face to face with the cops, and tried to make good their escape.

17 GOAL scholarship extended to women in maritime for years of service NEWS

SATURDAY, MAY 21, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

the years. He said, “you are not weak; you are not insignificant. I can say on behalf of the PPP/C Government, you are recognised, valued and we celebrate you for the role you have been playing and continue to play for the success of maritime affairs in Guyana.”

Government, through the Public Works Ministry, has resumed the cadet programme, of which 50 per cent of the enrolment figure will be women. This measure is implemented to ensure gender equality in the maritime department.

Minister within the

Public Works Minister Juan Edghill with women in maritime

T

hirty-five women in the Maritime Administration Department (MARAD) and the Transport and Harbours Department who were celebrated for their 25 years of service have been offered scholarships through the Guyana Online Academy of Learning (GOAL) for further self-development.

This year women in maritime are, for the first time, being celebrated for their active contribution to the sector. The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) last year declared May 18 as “International Day for Women in Maritime”.

The theme for this year’s celebration is “TrainingVisibility-Recognition: Supporting a barrier-free working environment”.

At the celebratory cer-

emony, Public Works Minister, Bishop Juan Edghill committed to ensuring that the women are provided with the opportunity to receive training. He said, “the Government has a policy position where training and self-development is important,” as he encouraged women to keep breaking barriers.

“Empowering women is making a difference in our country. There was a time where women were owned by men and we had to break those barriers. We have women who have broken the glass ceiling, and we have to continue to empower women into that path. When you elevate yourselves, it is just not just you, it is the whole society that is being elevated.”

Minister Edghill further

Minister within the Public Works Ministry, Deodat Indar, handing over a token to a woman in maritime

Public Works Minister Bishop Juan Edghill handing over a token to a woman in maritime

elaborated on the significant role women played in the maritime department over

Public Deodat

Works Ministry, Indar also rec-

ognised and applauded the women for their unwavering contribution, and commitment to Guyana’s maritime sector.

“I am very proud of this gathering, very, very proud.

It takes some amount of fortitude. Since 2015, the maritime space in Guyana became valuable, and the maritime jobs became more lucrative outside of Government. All of the tier one and the subcontractors; all of the maritime operators, everybody is looking for persons with experience in the sector. You guys did not pick up and you left, you stayed and you served Government and continue

US$190M contract signed for construction...

Regarding the construction of a bridge across the Kurupukari crossing, which forms part of the trail, the Public Works Minister has said there are several options being considered by the Government.

Meanwhile, Senior Minister with Responsibility for Finance, Dr Ashni Singh, delivering the feature address at the ceremony, re-emphasised that Government continues to work diligently and tirelessly to transform the economic and physical landscape of Guyana, and this catalytic road project is another demonstration of the Government’s commitment to expediting this transformation.

“This project is part of a much wider and more comprehensive plan… We want you to be able to ultimately drive from Paramaribo to Corriverton, to Georgetown, to Linden, to Lethem, to Bon Fim, to Boa Vista and beyond. Not just as a joyride, but our vision for Guyana is one where, if you are a farmer producing produce in Linden, you must be able to load up your produce and drive unimpeded to Lethem to sell it.”

According to Dr Singh, the same goes for any other sector, including the

Unveiling of a plaque ahead of construction of the Linden-to-Mabura Hill Road

manufacturing industry in Guyana.

The Senior Finance Minister recalled the rigorous process in mobilising resources for this project. “It wasn’t easy to get here,” he posited.

On the other hand, British High Commissioner to Guyana, Jane Miller, explained that funding for this Linden-to-Mabura Hill Road is part of the £300 million UK CIPF initiative from which eight countries, in-

cluding Guyana, have benefited from funding for climate-resilient projects. “[This] is the biggest project within the Caribbean Infrastructure Partnership Fund. It is also the biggest project within the Caribbean Development Bank,” she stated.

Having traversed the current Linden-to-Lethem trail several times, the British envoy underscored the ease of travel that this road will bring when it is

completed.

“I don’t need to tell you how transformative turning that into an all-weather will be. And that is the reason why this project has been chosen. So, the Caribbean Development Bank, with the Caribbean Infrastructure Partnership Fund, is looking to find projects which are going to be economically transformative, but also those that promote climate resilience. And for this road, we all know that this needs

to do so with distinction. We are very proud of this team, very, very proud and it is led by women.

“I believe with all of you in Transport and Harbour and in MARAD you would have kept those organisations glued together very strong. And I want to thank you from the Government’s side, and from my side too, personally staying on, making sure that we charter all of the stormy waters in the past. This is a time of glory.”

All of the women were awarded with a token of appreciation for their contributions to the Transport and Harbours Department and the MARAD.

FROM PAGE 10

to be a climate-resilient road,” Miller noted.

She added that the road will also be economically transformative for sectors such as mining and forestry, as well as provide easy access for hinterland communities, thus improving social lives.

Meanwhile, Minister within the Ministry of Public Works, Deodat Indar, in brief remarks, reminded that this project was conceptualised under the previous People’s Progressive Party/Civic Government, and further reiterated the administration’s commitment to finishing the entire project from Mabura Hill to Lethem.

Also attending the ceremony were the Chief Executive Officer of GOInvest, Dr Peter Ramsaroop and leaders of Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice).

The Linden-to-Mabura Road forms part of the Government’s transport infrastructure integrated development plan, which includes a new high-span bridge across the Demerara River and the bridge across the Corentyne River linking Guyana and Suriname.

The development of this all-weather road will bolster trade and commerce to unlock the vast opportuni-

ties in linking Guyana with Brazil. The improved road network will also support ease of travel, the transport of goods, and the provision of services between hinterland communities and Georgetown.

This project is the first link of the highway between Linden and Lethem, and is the first segment of the approximately 450-kilometre roadway.

In February last, the Caribbean Development Bank issued its no-objection for negotiations to commence, with the most responsive bidder, Construtora Queiroz Galvao S.A. from Brazil, being awarded the contract for the upgrading of the road.

Ten contractors were prequalified, and after a thorough evaluation process, the Brazilian company was found to be the most responsive bid, indicating full compliance with all environmental, social, health and safety requirements.

Construtora Queiroz Galvao S.A is a large Brazilian Contractor, established in 1966 and specialising in the construction of refineries, roads, bridges, commercial offices, residential buildings, highways and sewage systems worldwide.

18

guyanatimesgy.com

SATURDAY, MAY 21, 2022

Regional

Ecuador tribunal orders former Colombian leftist Petro holds lead Vice President back to prison in presidential race, poll shows

Ecuadorean Vice President Jorge Glas attending a trial for alleged corruption by case Odebrecht at the National Court of Justice in Quito, November 24, 2017

A

n Ecuadorean tribunal on Friday ordered former Vice President Jorge Glas, who served fourand-a-half years in prison on a bribery conviction, to immediately return to jail, annulling a decision that freed him last month.

Glas was sentenced to jail in 2017 after a court found him guilty of receiving bribes from Brazilian construction company Odebrecht in return for giving the firm state contracts.

He was also convicted in

2020 of using money from contractors to fund campaigns for the political movement of former President Rafael Correa.

Glas was released in early April after a court in coastal Santa Elena backed a habeas corpus petition saying his well-being was at risk.

But a higher court in the same province annulled that decision after a petition from the SNAI prison agency, which argued that procedural errors mean Glas must

serve the rest of his sentences for the convictions.

“The immediate locating, capture and transfer of citizen Jorge David Glas Espinel to the social-regional rehabilitation centre Sierra Centro Norte Cotopaxi is decreed,” the Santa Elena Justice Court said in a statement.

Glas’ lawyers did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but the Interior Ministry said it would comply with the court order.

Glas’ first conviction carries a 6-year sentence. His conviction in the second case - where Correa was also sentenced - carries an 8-year term.

Correa has said the convictions are political persecution and is fighting extradition from Belgium, where he has lived since he left office.

“Evil has once again triumphed, but the definitive victory will be ours. Never doubt it,” Correa wrote on Twitter. “Jorge, please, resist.” (Excerpt from Reuters)

US tags Cuba as uncooperative in counter-terrorism efforts

T

he Biden Administration on Friday once again placed Cuba on a shortlist of countries the United States alleges are “not cooperating fully” in its fight against “terrorism”, further inflaming tensions with the Caribbean island nation.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken, in an assessment on “antiterrorism efforts” published Friday in the US Federal Register, named Cuba among five countries – along with Iran, North Korea, Venezuela and Syria – that the US Government said fall short of its expectations.

The Department of State is required by law to

provide this list annually to the US Congress.

Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez anticipated the move on Thursday, calling a draft notice from May 11 signed by Blinken “one more lie” coming from Washington.

“The United States again maintains the slander of saying that Cuba doesn’t cooperate sufficiently in the fight against terrorism,” Rodriguez said on Twitter on Thursday, calling it a “pretext to continue an unceasing economic war universally repudiated”.

Relations between Washington and Havana have been fraught for decades and were dealt a set-

back by former President Donald Trump who in June 2017 reversed an historic rapprochement begun under his predecessor, former President Barack Obama.

Trump later designated Cuba a “state sponsor of terrorism” days before leaving office. Critics called that decision unjustified and aimed at complicating incoming President Joe Biden’s approach to Cuba.

Bottom of Form Last year, Havana’s crackdown on street protests during the height of the coronavirus pandemic prompted Biden, who condemned the crackdown, to impose new sanctions on Cuba. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Sons of ex-Panama President to be sentenced on US money laundering charges

T

wo sons of former Panamanian President Ricardo Martinelli will be sentenced on Friday in a US court for their roles in helping launder millions of dollars in bribe payments Brazilian construction firm Odebrecht made to a high-ranking Panamanian official.

Prosecutors are seeking prison sentences of between 9 and 11 years for Ricardo Martinelli, 43, who shares the same name as his father, and Luis Martinelli, 40.

The case stems from Odebrecht’s own 2016 guilty

plea to bribery and money laundering charges related to the payment of more than $700 million in bribes to officials across Latin America to win contracts.

The Martinelli brothers pleaded guilty last year to charges of conspiracy to commit money laundering. US authorities say they established offshore bank accounts in the names of shell companies to receive bribe payments Odebrecht made while their father was president from 2009 to 2014.

Prosecutors argued in court papers this month that

their recommended sentences for both men would demonstrate that people “who cheat and steal from their own people to enrich themselves, and profit from the same, will be held accountable.”

Both men, who were extradited to the United States from Guatemala, have requested sentences of time served, meaning they would spend no more time in custody. Lawyers for each of the brothers argued they should be credited for the nearly two years they spent in jail in Guatemala. (Excerpt from Reuters)

L

eftist Colombian presidential candidate Gustavo Petro, a former guerrilla vowing to tackle grating inequality, held a big lead ahead of the May 29 vote, a poll showed late on Thursday, though center-right rival Federico Gutierrez saw an uptick in support.

Petro, who was the mayor of Bogota between 2012 and 2015, had 40.6 per cent support, according to pollster Invamer. That is three percentage points lower than what he had in an April 22 poll.

Gutierrez, the former mayor of Colombia’s second-biggest city Medellin,

has 27.1 per cent support, up from the 26.7 per cent he got in April.

If no one wins more than 50 per cent in the first round of voting and the two men head to a June run-off, Petro would win 52.7 per cent against 44.2 per cent for Gutierrez, the survey showed.

Petro has pledged to stop all new oil development and redistribute pension savings, while Gutierrez has promised better salaries and cuts to inefficient Government spending.

Independent candidate Rodolfo Hernandez, also a former mayor, saw a significant leap in first-round support - jumping to 20.9 per cent

from 13.9 per cent in April.

Hernandez, a businessman from the city of Bucaramanga who casts himself as the anti-corruption candidate, has attracted attention for his whimsical uploads to social media site TikTok. In a run-off between Petro and Hernandez, the leftist would win 50 per cent to 47.4 per cent for his opponent, the poll showed.

Support for centrist Sergio Fajardo fell from 6.5 per cent to 5.1 per cent support.

More than 39 million Colombians are eligible to vote in the election. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Brazil’s Bolsonaro calls Musk’s Twitter bid a ‘breath of hope’

B

razilian President Jair Bolsonaro called Elon Musk’s proposed takeover of Twitter Inc a “breath of hope” as the two met in Brazil on Friday, adding he hoped the US billionaire would help end the “lies” about his widely criticised stewardship of the Amazon rainforest.

Bolsonaro and Musk, the CEO of electric carmaker Tesla Inc and rocket company SpaceX, met to discuss rural internet connectivity and monitoring of the Amazon.

The meeting comes at a sensitive time for both men.

Bolsonaro faces an uphill battle to get re-elected in the October, and has become in-

creasingly isolated on the global stage, while Musk was on Thursday accused of sexual harassment in a news report - an allegation he denies.

Bolsonaro, a far-right nationalist, has blasted major social media platforms for their efforts to combat disinformation, including taking down his baseless comments linking COVID-19 vaccines to developing AIDS. Musk, who Bolsonaro called a “legend of liberty,” has vowed to defend free speech on Twitter.

Bolsonaro has been globally condemned for advocating more mining and farming in the Amazon and for

Brazil’s environmental backsliding.

Recent satellite data show deforestation of the Brazilian Amazon has surged to a 15-year high under Bolsonaro.

Speaking alongside Musk at an upscale hotel in the countryside near Sao Paulo, Bolsonaro hailed the billionaire’s bid for Twitter, saying “it was like a breath of hope.”

“We need, and are counting on Elon Musk for the Amazon to be known by all in Brazil and the world, to show ... how we have protected it, and how much harm is caused by those who spread lies about that region,” he told a news conference.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

Argentina found guilty of massacre of Qom and Moqoit people

A woman holding an Indigenous Wiphala flag during the trial in Buenos Aires, Argentina on May 10

A

landmark criminal trial in Argentina has found the state guilty of the massacre of more than 400 Indigenous people nearly a century ago.

The Qom and Moqoit communities had been protesting inhumane living and working conditions on a cotton plantation when authorities shot them dead in 1924.

Until now, no responsibility had ever been officially acknowledged.

A Judge has now ordered historical reparations to be awarded to the communi-

ties.

The Qom and Moqoit peoples in Argentina’s northern Chaco region were living partly-enslaved on a plantation settled by immigrant farmers from Europe.

They were underfed, paid with vouchers, taxed for the cotton they harvested and were mostly denied the freedom of movement, the Buenos Aires Times reports, citing court documents.

According to survivor accounts, many children and elderly people died in the massacre, AFP reports.

And those who were wounded and could not escape were killed “in the cruellest form possible with mutilations and burials in common graves,” Judge Zunilda Niremperger said.

A Federal Judge had previously ruled the mass killings a crime against humanity, but no criminal trial had ever been held because the defendants had already died.

But on Thursday, after a month of hearings, a guilty verdict was delivered.

“The massacre provoked grave consequences, [those people] suffered the trauma of terror and were uprooted with the loss of their language and their culture,” Judge Niremperger is quoted as saying in the Buenos Aires Times.

The reparations ordered by the Judge include the massacre being added to Argentina’s school syllabus and continuing forensic efforts to find the victims’ remains. No financial reparations were sought. (Excerpt from BBC News)

guyanatimesgy.com

SATURDAY, MAY 21, 2022

19

Around the World

OILNEWS OIL NEWS ‘Cruel summer’: Oil set to muster fourth straight weekly gain

O

il appears set to muster a fourth straight weekly gain as product markets remained tight amid strong demand, eclipsing concerns about an economic slowdown that have roiled financial markets.

West Texas Intermediate futures traded near US$113 a barrel and are heading for the best run of weekly increases since midFebruary. Rising demand for motor fuels and shrinking inventories ahead of the summer driving season underscored a fundamentally tight oil market even as broader economic fears shook equity markets. US retail gasoline and diesel prices surged to record levels.

“There continues to be a disconnect between the risk financial markets associate with crude financial assets and the physical market that is trying to digest SPR releases to meet product demand,” said Rebecca Babin, senior energy trader at CIBC Private Wealth Management. “This dichotomy keeps markets fragmented and volatile – it could end up being a cruel summer for energy traders.”

Crude has surged almost 50 per cent this year, also helped along by Russia’s assault on Ukraine that sent shock waves through markets. While the US and UK have announced bans on Russian exports, flows to Asia have picked up. China is seeking to replenish strategic stockpiles with cheap Russian oil even as officials grapple to suppress COVID-19 outbreaks. India has also boosted purchases.

There were mixed signals from China on Friday. While banks cut a key interest rate for long-term loans by a record to bolster a slowing economy, Shanghai found the first cases of COVID-19 outside quarantine in six days. It raises questions on whether the easing of the city’s lockdown will be impacted. WTI for June delivery rose 4 cents to US$112.25 a barrel at 10:26 am in New York. WTI for July, which has greater volume and open interest, rose 10 cents to US$109.99. Brent for July rose 14 cents to US$112.18 a barrel. The global benchmark’s prompt spread, the difference between its two nearest contracts, widened as much as US$2.45 in backwardation — a bullish pattern — compared with US$1.80 a week ago Traders are also keeping a close eye on refined products market, as a global crunch on inventories coincides with entering the summer driving season. On Wednesday, US crude data revealed continued market tightness with gasoline inventories falling to the lowest since December and a pickup in demand.

Oil’s jump has contributed to the fastest inflation in decades, prompting the US Federal Reserve to vow that it’ll go on raising interest rates until there are clear signs that price pressures are easing. That’s spurred wild shifts in investors’ appetite for risk, swinging equity, bond and commodity markets. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Struggling in Ukraine, Russia paves way to sign up over-40s for army

I

n a sign of Russia's urgent need to bolster its war effort in Ukraine, Parliament said on Friday it would consider a Bill to allow Russians over 40 and foreigners over 30 to sign up for the military.

The website of the State Duma, Parliament's Lower House, said the move would enable the military to utilise the skills of older professionals.

"For the use of high-precision weapons, the operation of weapons and military equipment, highly professional specialists are needed. Experience shows that they become such by the age of 40–45," it said.

Currently, only Russians aged 18-40 and foreigners

Russian service members march during a parade on Victory Day, which marks the 77th anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany in World War Two, in Red Square in central Moscow, Russia May 9, 2022

aged 18-30 can enter into a first contract with the military.

Russia has suffered huge setbacks and heavy losses of men and equipment in the 86-day-old war, in which

Ukraine has mobilised practically its entire adult male population. Despite taking full control of the ruins of Mariupol, Moscow remains far from its objective of seizing all of the Donbas region

of eastern Ukraine.

"Clearly, the Russians are in trouble. This is the latest attempt to address manpower shortages without alarming their own population. But it is growing increasingly difficult for the Kremlin to disguise their failures in Ukraine," said retired US General Ben Hodges, a former commander of US Army forces in Europe.

Separately, Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said on Friday that Russia was forming 12 military units in its western military district in response to rising threats there, citing NATO membership bids

by Finland and Sweden.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

Monkeypox cases investigated in Europe, US, Canada and Australia

C

ases of monkeypox are being investigated in several European countries as well as the US, Canada and Australia, according to health authorities and local media reports.

The new cases were reported in Belgium, France, Australia and Germany.

This follows infections confirmed in Italy, Sweden, Spain, Portugal, the US, Canada and the UK - where the first European case was reported.

Monkeypox is most common in remote parts of Central and West Africa.

Instances of the disease outside of the region are often linked to travel to the area.

Monkeypox is a rare vi-

ral infection which is usually mild and from which most people recover in a few weeks, according to the UK's National Health Service.

The virus does not spread easily between people and the risk to the wider public is said to be very low.

There are now 20 confirmed cases in the UK, Health Secretary Sajid Javid said on Friday.

There is no specific vaccine for monkeypox, but a smallpox jab offers 85 per cent protection since the two viruses are quite similar.

Authorities in the UK said they had bought stocks of the vaccine and started offering it to those with "higher levels of exposure" to monkeypox.

Symptoms of monkeypox include a rash, fever, headache, muscle aches, backache, swollen lymph nodes, chills and exhaustion

Spanish health authorities have also reportedly purchased thousands of smallpox jabs to deal with the outbreak, according to Spanish newspaper El País.

Australia's first case was detected in a man who fell ill after travelling to the UK, the Victorian Department of

Health said.

In North America, health authorities in the US state of Massachusetts confirmed that a man has been infected after recently travelling to Canada. He was in "good condition" and "poses no risk to the public", officials said.

(Excerpt from BBC News)

China's international schools “We are going to die”: Sri Ethiopia’s Tigray forces announce Lanka warns of food shortages hit by exodus of teachers release of thousands of PoWs dejected by COVID curbs

S

ri Lanka's Prime Minister has warned of a food shortage as the island nation battles a devastating economic crisis and vowed the Government will buy enough fertiliser for the next planting season to boost productivity.

A decision in April last year by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to ban all chemical fertilisers drastically cut yields and although the Government has reversed the ban, no substantial imports have yet taken place.

Sri Lanka is facing a dire shortage of foreign exchange, fuel and medicines, and economic activity has slowed to a crawl.

"There is no point in talking about how hard life is," said APD Sumanavathi, a 60-year-old woman selling fruit and vegetables in the Pettah market in Colombo, the commercial capital, on Friday. "I can't predict how things will be in two months, at this rate we might not even

be here.

The central bank governor said on Thursday foreign exchange had been secured from a World Bank loan and remittances to pay for fuel and cooking gas shipments, but supplies are still to flow through.

Inflation hit 29.8 per cent in April with food prices up 46.6 per cent year-on-year.

As anger against the Government spread, Police fired tear gas and water canon to push back hundreds of student protesters in Colombo on Thursday. The protesters are demanding the ouster of the President as well as the Prime Minister.

Sri Lanka's economic crisis has come from the confluence of the COVID-19 pandemic battering the tourism-reliant economy, rising oil prices and populist tax cuts by the Government of President Rajapaksa and his brother, Mahinda, who resigned as Prime Minister last week.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

A

fter teaching for three years at an international school in Shanghai, Michael is preparing to break his contract and leave, worn down by stringent measures against the coronavirus.

Following two years of nearly-shut borders, onerous health checks and quarantine norms, a decision at the beginning of April to lock down China’s commercial centre proved the last straw for the 35-year-old.

"It has reached a point where the economic benefits of working here don’t make up for the lack of freedom to come and go," the science teacher said, declining to give his full name for reasons of privacy.

Michael is one of hundreds of international teachers heading for the exits as the COVID-19 pandemic and new rules on education reshape the working environment in China.

The situation is prompting

international schools that proliferated over the past two decades, as China opened up to foreign investment and talent, to sound warning bells.

Some find their survival is now on the line, while the quality of education stands to suffer in the long run.

About 40 per cent of Michael's peers will leave mainland jobs this year, up from 30 per cent last year and 15 per cent before the pandemic, says a group of 66 schools in China that employs about 3600 teachers.

And hiring replacements for them is getting harder, said Tom Ulmet, executive director of the group, the Association of China and Mongolia International Schools (ACAMIS).

"People around the world have been reading about the lockdowns and just don't feel a need to subject themselves to that," he added. (Excerpt from Reuters)

T

he Tigray rebel forces fighting Ethiopia’s federal army have said they will release 4000 prisoners of war as part of an amnesty.

The Tigray Peoples’ Liberation Front (TPLF) announced the prisoner release on Twitter on Friday, amid an escalating war of words between Ethiopian and Tigray regional officials over provocations and preparations for another round of fighting in the country that has been mired in conflict for more than 18 months.

Ethiopia’s civil war erupted in November 2020 when the Central Government sent troops in to topple the Tigray region’s governing TPLF party, saying it was in response to rebel attacks on army camps.

Hundreds of thousands of people have been driven to the brink of famine, more than two million people have been displaced and more than nine million left in need of food aid,

the United Nations has said.

Aid groups said federal forces have sealed off the Tigray region since July 2021, frustrating the delivery of food and desperately needed aid.

In recent months, Ethiopia has relaxed the restrictions somewhat to allow a better flow of aid into the Tigray region.

The Tigray forces decided to release 4208 prisoners of war with an amnesty, out of whom 401 are women, according to the TPLF tweet.

Birhane said those with disabilities, illnesses and women who gave birth in detention were given priority for release.

Bottom of Form The decision to release the prisoners followed weeks of talks held between military commanders on both sides, according to a foreign diplomat in Addis Ababa, who said talks at the political level have not yet taken place.

(Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

20

SATURDAY, MAY 21, 2022

guyanatimesgy.com

DAILY HOROSCOPES

ARCHIE

Don't ruffle feathers or get in the way. Find a quiet spot in which to organize your plans. Trust your instincts.

Concentrate on physical improvements.

(March 21-April 19) Keep your feelings to yourself. Don't allow anyone to make you look bad or take advantage of you. Consider what you want to achieve and find an innovative way to get things done on time.

DILBERT (April 20-May 20)

Conversations will be informative and will help you make decisions that prompt immediate action. Staying ahead of the competition will give you the stamina to go further than anticipated.

(May 21-June 20) Emotional issues will confuse you.

When in doubt, don't make a move.

Take a wait-and-see approach, and don't spend money unnecessarily. Consider your options and think outside the box.

PEANUTS (June 21-July 22)

Push the envelope and step outside your comfort zone, and you'll discover you have more options than you realize.

Focus on what you want and the best way to pursue your objective.

(July 23-Aug. 22) Take a break and relax. Distance yourself from unsavory situations or problems you face. You'll gain perspective once you clear your head and have a chance to see things differently.

CALVIN AND HOBBES

(Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Participate in events that interest you, and you'll meet someone intriguing. Refine your look and image to reflect what you want to do and who you want to attract. Don't let anyone intimidate you.

(Sept. 23-Oct. 23) Don't let uncertainty or an unexpected change get you down. Take the initiative and follow through with your plans.

Participate in something that broadens your outlook.

SUDOKU (Oct. 24-Nov. 22)

Don't wait for someone to outdo you.

Take responsibility and bring about changes that will make your life and relationships more enjoyable. Pay attention to loved ones.

(Nov. 23-Dec. 21) Rethink your strategy and what you want to accomplish. Changing how you handle money will provide you the freedom to live life your way. Take responsibility for your happiness.

SOLUTION FOR LAST PUBLISHED PUZZLE

(Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Know your limits and what you are up against before you agree to get involved in a joint venture. Weigh the pros and cons of doing things yourself. Be practical and make intelligent decisions.

(Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Keep your thoughts to yourself until you are ready to make an irresistible pitch. How you demonstrate your capabilities will be crucial. Precision and attention to detail are essential.

(Feb. 20-March 20)

SATURDAY, MAY 21, 2022

21

Yashasvi Jaiswal brought up a 39-ball half-century

T

he all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin has carried Rajasthan Royals to a top-two finish with a tense win over Chennai Super Kings, the team that represents his hometown, in their final league match.

On a slow pitch, both sides made superb use of the powerplay, before struggling once the fielders went out.

Knowing their target played a part in Royals’ being able to plan their innings better than Super Kings.

Super Kings' slowdown was drastic: they could only double their powerplay score of 75 despite the set batter M o e e n Ali batting a l m o s t throughout the innings.

But he, too,

went from 59 off 21 to 93 off 57.

Royals scored 47 off their first five overs, but the next eight overs brought them just 37 runs, and that at the loss of two wickets. In the end, Ashwin, promoted to # 5, hit three sixes in his 23-ball 40 not-out to go with his bowling analysis of 4-028-1, to ease Royals home from 43 required off the last four.

Moeen Special

It might be all gloom for Super Kings this season, but it is not possible to be gloomy when Moeen is on song.

That he had come in early meant S u p e r Kings

began the acceleration in the fourth, and not the customary fifth, over. First, he went after the hard lengths of Prasidh Krishna, which is usually a good bet against Moeen.

Then Ashwin's away turn didn't matter, as he took 16 off the fifth. The last over of the powerplay was the best of the lot: Moeen hit Trent Boult for boundaries to square leg, midwicket, long-on, third man, point, and extra-cover.

He brought up his halfcentury off the 19th ball, and it was the second-fastest fifty for Super Kings.

The slowdown

The slowdown began with Ashwin making a comeback in the eighth over. Devon Conway went to sweep him, but the ball turned out to be too full, and it trapped him lbw.

Obed McCoy then used his slower ones to good effect on the slow surface. Add Yuzvendra Chahal and an experimental middle order to the mix, and Moeen found himself taking on more responsibility than he would have liked.

Not that it was easy to hit out. MS Dhoni, who had earlier announced he was going to play at least one more season for Super Kings, was

R Ashwin has reason to be pumped; he had returns of 1 for 28 from four overs before scoring 40 not out in 23 balls

RAJASTHAN ROYALS INNINGS (Target: 151 runs from 20 overs) Yashasvi Jaiswal c Pathirana b Solanki 59 Jos Buttler c Ali b Simarjeet Singh 2 Sanju Samson (c)† c & b Santner 15 Devdutt Padikkal b Ali 3 Ravichandran Ashwin not out 40 Shimron Hetmyer c Conway b Solanki 6 Riyan Parag not out 10 Extras (lb 8, w 8) 16 TOTAL 19.4 Ov (RR: 7.67) 151/5 Did not bat: Trent Boult, Yuzvendra Chahal, Prasidh Krishna, Obed McCoy Fall of wickets: 1-16 (Jos Buttler, 1.4 ov), 2-67 (Sanju Samson, 8.3 ov), 3-76 (Devdutt Padikkal, 11.2 ov), 4-104 (Yashasvi Jaiswal, 14.5 ov), 5-112 (Shimron Hetmyer, 16.2 ov) BOWLING O-M-R-W Mukesh Choudhary 4-0-41-0 Simarjeet Singh 3-0-18-1 Mitchell Santner 3-0-15-1 Matheesha Pathirana 3.4-0-28-0 Moeen Ali 4-0-21-1 Prashant Solanki 2-0-20-2

Jaiswal's impetus

Jos Buttler has had a sensational start to the tournament, but he has now scored 63 in his last five innings at a run a ball.

Thankfully for Royals, Yashasvi Jaiswal has stepped into the breach, after being reintroduced to the XI midseason; he single-handedly made the powerplay count after Buttler got out in the second over and Sanju Samson kept finding fielders.

Jaiswal raced away to 31 off

J

SCOREBOARD

CHENNAI SUPER KINGS INNINGS (20 overs maximum) Ruturaj Gaikwad c †Samson b Boult 2 Devon Conway lbw b Ashwin 16 Moeen Ali c Parag b McCoy 93 Narayan Jagadeesan c Parag b McCoy 1 Ambati Rayudu c Padikkal b Chahal 3 MS Dhoni (c)†c Buttler b Chahal 26 Mitchell Santner not out 1 Simarjeet Singh not out 3 Extras (w 5) 5 TOTAL 20 Ov (RR: 7.50) 150/6 Did not bat: Mukesh Choudhary, Prashant Solanki, Matheesha Pathirana Fall of wickets: 1-2 (Ruturaj Gaikwad, 0.6 ov), 2-85 (Devon Conway, 7.3 ov), 3-88 (Narayan Jagadeesan, 8.4 ov), 4-95 (Ambati Rayudu, 10.2 ov), 5-146 (MS Dhoni, 18.6 ov), 6-146 (Moeen Ali, 19.1 ov) BOWLING O-M-R-W Trent Boult 4-0-44-1 Prasidh Krishna 4-0-32-0 Ravichandran Ashwin 4-0-28-1 Yuzvendra Chahal 4-0-26-2 Obed McCoy 4-0-20-2

dropped twice, but he couldn't find any timing either. At one point, 45 balls went without a boundary, a drought Dhoni broke with a four off Chahal in the 15th over.

However, the trio of Ashwin, Chahal and McCoy continued to stifle the life out of the innings, with only 30 coming off the final four overs.

Moeen Ali top scored with 93

immy Butler has said the Boston Celtics "whipped our tail on our home floor" in their 127-102 beatdown of the Miami Heat in Game 2.

The return of “Defensive Player of the Year” Marcus Smart from a foot injury ignited the Celtics on the offensive end just as much as defensively, with the team hitting a red-hot 20-of-40 from three-point range.

The Boston five, who played at least 30 minutes: Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Grant Williams, Al Horford and Smart, shot 17-of-29 from long-range and combined for 23 assists, which was two more than Miami had as a team.

Speaking to post-game media, Butler said the Celtics "tried to embarrass us", but pointed out that the Heat were always going to be facing an uphill battle against such an outlier shooting performance.

17, even as the other 13 balls in the first five brought them just 16 runs.

The Royals’ slowdown

The spreading of the fielding and the introduction of spin, however, brought a similar challenge for Royals. When Samson went to force the pace, he found the tall Mitchell Santner in the way of a straight drive.

Devdutt Padikkal got frustrated too, and tried a big slog sweep off Moeen, only to be bowled for 3 off nine.

The Ashwin endgame

This is when Royals promoted Ashwin, whom they have previously used as a pinch anchor and a pinch hitter, but not in such a critical situation.

As Ashwin got himself in, the ask went up to 67 off the last seven overs, with Jaiswal also finding it tough to maintain the

"You do have to move on, but I don't like to move on from this; it has to hurt," he said.

"They tried to embarrass us; they did embarrass us. I think we got to realise that, or use it as fuel, but realise that the game can get out of hand when you're playing against a really good team like them that can score the ball and get stops.

"They made shots that they missed last game. That's just what it is. It's going to be hard to beat anybody when they shoot 50 per cent from the field and 50 per cent from three. They were the more physical team overall, and they got one on the road.

"Overall, we just have to be better. We've got a tough job to do to go over there and win, but if they did it, we can do it as well," he said.

He added: "I look at it as 'It can't get too much worse'. They whipped our tail on our home

scoring rate of the powerplay.

Ashwin then skipped down the track and lofted Moeen for a six. Jaiswal repeated that dose to legspinner Prashant Solanki, but holed out when he attempted again. Dhoni gave Solanki an over at the death, in which he got rid of Shimron Hetmyer with a slider.

With 38 required off 19, though, Ashwin slogged Solanki from wide outside off and against the turn to target the short boundary; and he nailed it.

The slinger Matheesha Pathirana didn't have many runs to work with, but it was 24 off 14 when Ashwin ramped him over short third man to ease the pressure again. In the 19th over, Ashwin targeted the short boundary against Mukesh Choudhary's left-arm angle, before sealing it by steering Pathirana behind point in the last over. (Cricinfo)

floor. I guess if they do it on their home floor, it's supposed to happen, but I don't see us doing that again.

"The first half has been brutal for us in both of these games.

We just got to come out and play harder from the jump, and be ready, because they be throwing some haymakers in the first half."

Heat’s coach, Erik Spoelstra, has said he did not feel like his side played poorly, but that it felt like the Celtics wanted revenge for Game 1.

"You definitely have to credit Boston," he said. "It's not just that they came in with great urgency and physicality – they did have that for sure – they also played well. They played really well on both ends.

"We know what they're capable of defensively – they've done this to some very good offenses. I'm sure they were not happy with us putting up 118 in Game 1, and they came out very disruptive. They got us out of our normal rhythm and flow, and the shot-making on the other end was very tough to overcome.

"You get to this point in the Conference Finals: you just have very good teams, teams without many weaknesses; it's great competition.

"This only counts as one, and that's what the experienced players and staff in the locker room understand. We don't like it, but they played extremely well," he said. (Sportsmax)

22

SATURDAY, MAY 21, 2022

A

ction in the GCB Female Inter-County 50-Over tournament continued yesterday with Demerara continuing their

winning ways by defeating Essequibo by nine wickets in a one-sided affair played at the National Stadium at Providence, EBD.

Organiser Damodar Daesrath

Bobby Parasnauth will be one of the many Guyanese on show

galaxy of softball cricket starts is expected to be on show tomorrow as the second edition of the Dassie and Friends Production one-day round-arm knockout softball extravaganza gets underway at Keele Top, North York in Toronto, Canada.

The organiser of this extravaganza is former national captain Damodar Daesrath, who is promising an engrossing day with ten teams ready to rumble in what should be a spectacle. Action commences from 09:30 hrs.

Apart from acknowledging the kind generosity of the sponsors, Daesrath wishes to thank the competing sides in anticipation of their participation. The two main sponsors are ALARM TECHZ and KP Employment Solutions Inc.

Daesrath wishes to extend special gratitude to Ravi Etwaroo of Cricketzone USA, who is donating an E4 cricket bat to the man-of-the-match in the final.

The winning side is set to collect Cdn$2,000 and a trophy, while the runner-up team would cart off a trophy and Cdn$500. Outstanding individual performances would also be rewarded.

Notably, the day’s games are in memory of the late Johnny Bujan, whose contributions to cricket Canada had been stupendous. Bujan had managed the Canada national cricket team on many occasions, while he had partnered the Brampton Masters Cricket Club for a long time.

Bujan died in a vehicle accident in Trinidad and Tobago

A

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Heema Singh’s five-wicket haul, followed up by an excellent four-wicket haul by Joann Van Sertima, sealed the deal for Demerara.

in 2016 at the age of 48. His services and contributions to game must be recognised, according to Daesrath, who also represented Canada internationally and Brampton Masters.

Meanwhile, team Assassins had emerged as champions last year, and Captain Riaz Kadir recently informed that the team is still brimming with confidence. He has said he is anxious to lift the trophy again, but is cognisant that other skippers have expressed intention of doing same by the end of the day’s proceedings.

Teams participating in Sunday’s extravaganza are: Vikings, Assassins, Young Warriors, Ruff Riders, Leguan Boyz, Phoenix Eleven, Pegasus, Brampton Gladiators, Sunshine, and VIP Boys.

Several seasoned campaigners are expected to exhibit their skills, among whom are: Riaz Kadir, Bobby Parasnauth, Damodar Daesrath, Sunil Ramkissoon, Anil Mahadeo, Avish Rukhram, Troy Gobin, Zaheer Allard, Looknauth Ramsuchit, Avinash Sukhdeo, Rawle Scott, Naresh Roopnarine, Anil Ablacksingh, Devo Ramsawack and Naresh Bhagwandin, among others.

At the spin of the toss, Essequibo elected to bat first, and from the first ball bowled, they were in trouble.

Wickets tumbled at a dizzying rate, and runs alarmingly began to dry up. Demerara had Essequibo on the ropes, and they capitalised on every opportunity as their bowlers kept a tight line and length and remained disciplined throughout their allotted overs.

Heema Singh was particularly brilliant with her spell of 5-4 off six overs, which included two maidens. She was able to remove the top five batters with ease, despite some resistance. Joann Van Sertima assisted Singh with figures of 4-20 off her 4.1 overs, and Akaze Thompson chipped in with 1-9 to dismiss Essequibo for 62 in 29.1 overs.

Needing a simple target of 63 for victory off a whopping 300 balls, Demerara pounced on a weakened Essequibo

unit, and ended the game in 7.1 overs after spending 33 minutes on the field. Lashuna Toussaint’s score of 25 off 21 balls included four boundaries before she was dismissed

by Rhona Jones.

And although the first wicket fell with the score on 45, it didn’t budge the Demerara unit, who were just a few runs away from backto-back victories.

Demerara captain CherryAnn Fraser joined Mandy Mangru at the crease, and the

Courtney Walsh, coach of the West Indies senior women’s cricket team

C

ourtney Walsh, coach of the West Indies senior women’s cricket team, has expressed an opinion that return of the domestic competition this year, and a push to introduce the game at the schools’ level across the Caribbean are key factors in successfully developing the women’s version of cricket from a regional perspective.

“We need to get our regional season up and going, and try to get cricket across the schools, if we can, for the females; because we need to get more ladies playing cricket as much as possible in the schools and in the clubs, so we can have a wider pool to look at. And that’s one of the ways of improving going across, so we have to look at the entire structure,” he said.

Obviously, when we have camps …we can finetune, but we definitely need to have them playing more cricket in the middle, so we could see what’s happening.

Actually, for the first time, I am very excited about the regional tournament coming up in June, because that would be the first chance we’ve had of looking at most of our locals,” he said.

Walsh, a legendary former West Indies fast bowler, was at the time speaking on the Good Morning Jojo sports show regarding the team’s recent participation in the ICC

Women’s World Cup, held in New Zealand.

The Jamaican has said he believes the team surpassed expectations, after being eliminated in the semifinal round by eventual winners Australia.

“Obviously, when you’re in a competition, you want to win it, so it would have been nice to get into the final, to give yourself a chance to win it. But if you look at where we are coming from: in having to go to the qualifiers and leaving the qualifiers and making it to the semifinals, I think (it) was a top achievement by the team, and the ladies need to be complimented for the work that was put in,” he said.

“Obviously, we know we had some lapses along the way, but the end result, I don’t think anybody would argue with that based on where we’re coming from,” the former player has added.

Walsh has said that although all teams would have had COVID-related issues regarding their preparation in the marquee tournament, the regional squad had been significantly hampered by the number of restrictions that had been put in place.

“We haven’t had any regional competitions for at least two seasons; so, on an account of that, we haven’t had the chance to see new talent, to have the girls play-

duo guided their team over the line, with Mangru registering an unbeaten run-a-ball 18 while Fraser chipped in with 9 off 5 deliveries.

The action will continue today at the Providence Stadium from 09:00h with Berbice coming up against the Select XI. Guyana is, in early June, preparing to host the Regional Women’s Tournament, and this tourney is being used as a yardstick to select the Guyana team.

ing cricket. And the ladies do need (to) play as much cricket as possible to improve their game. And that was one of the setbacks,” he said.

“When you look at the Australia team - and not because they just won the tournament, but they have been a team that has been pretty consistent over the years - they have played a fair amount of cricket, and they have their own domestic league going on in Australia.

So, they are always going to have players to look to, and (those are players) who would have a pretty good understanding of the game. So, I don’t think we are as dominant in terms of being up there as we are used to. So, I don’t want to say teams have caught up; I think we need to sort of put some things in place to be able to compete with the teams that are ahead of us,” Walsh has added.

Eventual champions Australia waltzed into the final of the Women’s World Cup with a 157-run dismantling of West Indies in Wellington on March 30. (Article taken from the Antigua Observer and modified)

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the outside edge. Carter was caught by Imlach for six, and Pride were reduced to 178-6 after 58.2 overs.

Hope continued to ‘shine brightly’ and gather runs.

He reached his eighth firstclass century by driving one to cover, and his fluent innings ensured Pride reached tea at 237-6 after 71 overs, trailing by 253 runs, with another 53 runs needed to avoid the follow-on.

Wicketkeeper-batsman Shane Dowrich settled in nicely, and added 64 runs with Hope for the seventh wicket. Dowrich swept and

Shai Hope raised his bat after scoring a century

Veerasammy Permaul claimed four wickets

sixes in batting for 286 minutes.

Pride were bowled out for 266 from 84.4 overs, and the Guyana Harpy Eagles

Motie bowling while Reifer looks on

By Brandon Corlette in Trinidad

T

he Guyana Harpy Eagles have enjoyed a successful third day in their match against the Barbados Pride in the third round of the Cricket West Indies Regional Four-Day Tournament being played at the Queen's Park Oval in Trinidad.

Shai Hope had scored a double-century the last time he played against Guyana in a first-class game in 2017,

Guyanese enforced the follow-on, and at stumps Barbados were 44-0 after 19 overs, trailing by 180 runs.

Resuming the second day on 48-2, Barbados Pride lost two early wickets in the first session. In yet another hot day at the Oval, Sheyne Moseley was the first man dismissed, bowled by Keemo Paul for 17 when the Pride score was at 49-3.

Roston Chase played some decent shots before he attempted to go over midoff and was caught, to give

Motie backed up his century with two wickets

and he continued his love affair with Guyana by scoring a magnificent century this time. Nevertheless, the Barbados Pride were bowled out for 266 after the consistent Veerasammy Permaul had produced a four-wicket haul.

Having declared their first innings at 490-7, the

Permaul his second wicket.

Barbados Pride were then reduced to 75-4 after 23.2 overs, but Hope looked at his classy best, and despite being dropped on 39 by stand-in wicketkeeper Tevin Imlach off the bowling of debutant Demetri Cameron, the West Indies ODI vice-captain pushed on

Shai Hope driving one to the boundary (Brandon Corlette photos)

and reached his half-century in the process, while Raymon Reifer looked comfortable at the crease.

At the lunch interval, Pride had amassed 147-4, with Hope on 62 from 81 balls while Reifer was on 26.

The duo dispatched the poor deliveries and respected the good balls, but a mis-communication caused Reifer to lose his wicket.

Hope had dabbed one into the leg-side and was off and running, while Reifer was half-way down the track. Reifer was run out for 29, after four boundaries, ending an 89-run stand.

Hope continued to score freely, while Jonathan Carter came and looked tentative. Cameron continued to probe, and on a good line and length, he got Carter to push at one that peeled off

drove sweetly, and even attempted to counter-attack with some pull shots, despite his short-ball troubles.

He was eventually caught at slip by Johnson, off the bowling of Permaul, for a shot-filled 44. His innings included five fours and two sixes.

At 242-7, the Pride bowlers came to bat, and Permaul and his partner in crime, Gudakesh Motie, kept chipping away at wickets. Motie removed Akeem Jordan for six and Keon Harding for one; and while Hope was shielding birthday boy Jomel Warrican, Permaul drew the centurion forward and found the outside edge. Hope was caught at slip by Johnson for a wellmade 119 from 200 balls. He had struck 13 fours and two

Compliments of

23

enforced the follow-on.

Permaul ended with 4-81 from 22.4 overs, while Motie had 2-37 from 21 overs. The probing Keemo Paul had 2-43 from 15 overs, while

debutant Demetri Cameron had 1-36 from 12 overs.

In Pride's second innings, Kraigg Brathwaite looked comfortable, but while he was on 11, Guyanese were jumping for joy, as they believed he had gloved one down the leg-side off Nial Smith. It proved to be false hope Moseley grew in confidence, but Permaul and Motie, bowling in tandem, restricted Pride to 44-0 after 19 overs. Moseley and Brathwaite will resume the fourth and final day with Pride 180 runs behind. First ball is expected from 10:00h Eastern Caribbean Time.

Summary for other matches: TT v LEE. LEE: 357 & 241/7 (47.1) Thomas 84, Powell 83; Cariah 3/33.

TT: 140 & 143/6 (51) Cariah 36*; Louis 3/26. TT need 316 runs to win.

JAM v WIN. WIN: 137 & 195 (74.2) Hodge 63; Green 5/46, Merchant 5/72.

JAM: 346 (87) King 119*; McSween 4/96. JAM won by an innings and 14 runs.

SCOREBOARD Guyana 1st Innings 470-9 Barbados 1st Innings Kraigg Brathwaite c Persaud b Permaul 17 Sheyne Moseley b Paul 17 Sharmarh Brooks lbw b Paul 2 Shai Hope c Johnson b Permaul 119 Roston Chase c Sinclair b Permaul 10 Raymon Reifer run out 29 Jonathan Carter c Imlach b Cameron 6 Shane Dowrich c Johnson b Permal 44 Akeem Jordan c Sinclair b Motie 6 Keon Harding c Sinclair b Motie 1 Jomel Warrican not out 0 TOTAL (10 wickets, 84.4) (15 extras) 266 29/1 (11.5) Kraigg Brathwaite 48/2 (14.5) Sharmarh Brooks 49/3 (16.4) Sheyne Moseley 75/4 (23.2) Roston Chase 164/5 (51.5) Raymon Reifer 178/6 (58.2) Jonathan Carter 242/7

(72.6) Shane Dowrich 257/8 (77.5) Akeem Jordan 262/9 (81.4) Keon Harding 266/10 (84.4) Shai Hope BOWLING Keemo Paul (15-2-43-2) Nial Smith (14-2-58-0) Veerasammy Permaul (22.4-4-81-4) Demetri Cameron (12-36-1-3) Gudakesh Motie (21-3-37-2) Barbados 2nd Innings Kraigg Brathwaite not out 17 Sheyne Moseley not out 25 TOTAL (0 wickets, 19.0) (2 extras) 44 BOWLING Keemo Paul (4-1-13-0) Nial Smith (5-2-14-0) Demetri Cameron (3-0-7-0) Gudakesh Motie (4-2-9-0) Veerasammy Permaul (3-3-0-0)

SATURDAY, MAY 21, 2022

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

Page 23 Guyana enforced the follow-on

CWI Director of Cricket, Jimmy Adams

Providence Stadium and the Everest Cricket Club are just two of the venues to host these electrifying matches Guyana celebrating their victory over Leeward Islands in 2019

T

he best women’s cricketers in the West Indies will be back in action as Cricket West Indies (CWI) hosts the CG Insurance Super50 Cup and the T20 Blaze regional tournaments in Guyana.

The CG Insurance Super50 Cup matches, to be played from June 7 to 17, will be played at three ven-

ues: Everest Cricket Club, Enmore Cricket Ground, and the Guyana National Stadium.

The T20 Blaze event, to be played from June 19 to 25, would feature five full days of entertainment for the fans. There will be three matches per day, starting at 10am, 2:30pm, and 7pm under lights at the Guyana

National Stadium.

For this year’s CG Insurance Super50 and T20 Blaze, several world-class players would each be representing their home territory in what promises to be a keenly contested three weeks of action. Barbados are defending champions in both formats.

This will mark a significant return to action, as women’s tournaments were not played in 2020 and 2021

due to the COVID-19 pandemic. During that period, CWI had continued its investment in the development of women’s players, and had organised several high-performance camps at the Coolidge Cricket Ground in Antigua, besides hosting international series, including an inaugural Women’s “A” Team series. The West Indies Women’s team had also toured England, Pakistan and South Africa.

“We are delighted to see the return of the women’s regional tournament on our annual calendar, as it is a crucial component of our cricket in the region.

We are also pleased to have our international players in action on home soil playing with our regional players.” Jimmy Adams, CWI Director of Cricket, has said.

“Our women’s game is showing improvement, as was demonstrated with some

good performances during the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup in New Zealand earlier this year. Ideally, we want to see further demonstration of that progress as we look to upcoming bilateral series and international events. Very importantly, the regional tournament will serve to identify players who could potentially graduate to our international squads in the near future.”

(Windies Cricket)

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