Guyana Times - Sunday August 15, 2021

MoU for capacity building to be signed at Texas for oil & gas conference P7

… Vice President, Ministers, Private Sector attending Nationwide coverage coverage from from the the best best news news team team in in Guyana Guyana Nationwide Issue No. 4740 guyanatimesgy.com

THE BEACON BEACON OF OF TRUTH TRUTH THE

SUNDAY, AUGUST 15, 2021

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7.2 magnitude quake hits Haiti

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WHAT'S INSIDE:

Guyana to support relief, recovery efforts of Haiti – President Ali ...304 dead, over 1800 injured

Art is not a P17 “dunce people thing”, so we should stop saying that – Bevan Allicock

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Surinamese President for 4-day state visit this week

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…discussions on strategic dialogue, cooperation pact, COVID-19 impact on agenda

5 injured as aircraft crash-lands at Eccles dumpsite Page 9

Heavy floods wash away section of Mabura-to-Lethem Road

School principals on board for vaccination P31 of students – Education Ministry …consent forms ready

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DDL earns $1.6B taxed profit in 2021 – mid-year report … Demerara Rum brand to get protected status in Europe – Chairman Page 32

3 more P30 COVID-19 deaths, 111 new cases recorded “We need a cultural change P29 in NIS” – Finance Minister New COVID guidelines

Businesses P33 caught in breach will be shut down for 1 month – GTA

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Closing date for applications is Tuesday, August 31, 2021

NEWS

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SUNDAY, AUGUST 15, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

BRIDGE OPENINGS

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

Sunday, Aug 15 – 10:00h – 11:30h and Monday, Aug 16 – 11:00h – 12:30h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Sunday, Aug 15 – 08:50h – 10:20h and Monday, Aug 16 – 09:55h – 11:25h.

Surinamese President for 4-day State visit this week …discussions on strategic dialogue, cooperation pact, COVID-19 impact on agenda Minister, Albert E Jubithana; representatives of the State Oil Company of Suriname and members of the Private Sector out of Paramaribo.

The relationship between the two neighbouring leaders was cemented in August 2020 when President Santokhi visited Guyana for the inaugural ceremony of President Ali. During that visit, the two Presidents engaged in a series of meetings with stakeholders on a number of issues. In fact, the Guyanese and Surinamese Presidents met with members of the Guyanese Private Sector and diplomatic community during which business and commerce opportunities, among other mutual areas of benefit, were discussed.

FERRY SCHEDULE

Parika and Supenaam departure times – 05:00h, 11:00h and 16:00h daily

WEATHER TODAY There will be light rain showers and thundery showers during the day. Expect thundery showers and partly cloudy skies at night. Temperatures should range between 22 degrees Celsius and 30 degrees Celsius.

Winds: South South-Westerly to West NorthWesterly between 1.78 metres and 4.02 metres.

High Tide: 09:31h and 21:54h reaching maximum heights of 2.41 metres and 2.43 metres.

Low Tide: 15:24h reaching a minimum height of 0.86 metre.

File photo: Guyana's President Irfaan Ali and President of Suriname, Chandrikapersad Santokhi, during his visit in August 2020

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DISCLAIMER: WE ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY ERRORS IN PUBLICATION. PLEASE CALL THE HOTLINE FOR CONFIRMATION - TEL: 225-8902

COMMODITIES Indicators

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Change %

Crude Oil

$70.59/barrel

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Rough Rice

$243.59 /ton

+0.06

London Sugar

$491.10/ton

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resident of neighbouring Suriname, Chandrikapersad Santokhi will lead a high-level delegation for a four-day visit to Guyana next week.

This State-visit is as a result of an invitation extended

by President, Dr Irfaan Ali. It follows President Ali’s visit to the Republic of Suriname in November 2020, during which the two Heads of State launched the GuyanaSuriname Strategic Dialogue and Cooperation Platform (SDCP).

According to a statement from the Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Ministry on Saturday, the two leaders will review the progress made thus far under that mechanism in the areas of foreign policy coordination and political dialogue, environment, health, infrastructure and transportation, agriculture, immigration, customs, security and private sector enhancement.

In addition, the two Presidents will also discuss priority issues on the Caribbean Community (Caricom) agenda as well as the economic and social repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic on their respective countries.

This sustained engagement between Presidents Ali and Santokhi is testimony to their shared vision and commitment to converging the collective energies of the two countries for the benefit of the citizens of both countries and the region as a whole.

President Santokhi will be accompanied by First Lady, Mellisa K SantokhiSeenacherry, and a high-level delegation during next week’s visit. This includes: Foreign Affairs, International Business and International Cooperation Minister, Ambassador Albert R Ramdin; Natural Resources Minister, David Abiamofo; Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Fisheries Minister, Parmanand Sewdien; Public Works Minister, Riad Nurmohamed; Transport, Communication and Tourism

As newcomers in the oil and gas sector, the two countries are looking to tap into each other’s Private Sectors to peddle sustainable development and further strengthening bilateral ties.

President Ali had said at the time that Guyana and Suriname must not compete but complement each other as they embark on this new development trajectory.

Meanwhile, during President Ali’s reciprocal visit to Paramaribo last November, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed to facilitate the joint bridging of the Corentyne River.

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Views Editor: Tusika Martin News Hotline: 231-8063 Editorial: 231-0544 223-7230,223-7231,231-0544, 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

Decolonisation and decoloniality

I

ndia’s commemoration of their 1947 independence today reminds us that their “tryst with destiny”, as Nehru put it, opened up vistas for all the other colonies in the British Empire. After the unified nationalistic PPP, under the leadership of Cheddi Jagan and chairmanship of Forbes Burnham, were summarily ejected just 133 days after winning the first elections under universal franchise in 1953, these two leaders went to India to secure moral and political capital. Ghana’s independence under Nkrumah was to follow a decade later, and, like cascading dominoes, so would that of the other colonies in the following two decades.

Nkrumah himself was ousted just one month before we were “granted” independence in 1966, but he had unconsciously prophesied his downfall in his book “Neocolonialism: the last stage of imperialism”, a year before the coup. To use a phrase coined by George Lucas, “The Empire struck back”, even as Nkrumah explained that “independence” would always be nominal and enmeshed in neo-colonial relations. As he stated, “The essence of neo-colonialism is that the State, which is subject to it, is in theory independent and has all the outward trappings of international sovereignty. In reality, its economic system and thus its political policy, is directed from outside.”

He elaborated, “The result of neo-colonialism is that foreign capital is used for the exploitation rather than for the development of the less developed parts of the world.

Investment under neo-colonialism increases rather than decreases the gap between the rich and the poor countries of the world. The struggle against neo-colonialism is not aimed at excluding the capital of the developed world from operating in less developed countries. It is aimed at preventing the financial power of the developed countries (from) being used in such a way as to impoverish the less developed.”

Fifty-five years later, in Guyana today, Nkrumah’s analysis is sadly as relevant in the Africa he loved, most ex-colonies, and certainly in Guyana. In fact, in the intervening years, guided by Nkrumah’s insight, there have been numerous empirical and theoretical studies deepening and widening the neocolonial relations that conspire to keep us in thrall beyond Nkrumah’s Marxist economism. One explicated the “coloniality of power” - an expression coined by Anibal Quijano to distinguish it from the formulation of Nkrumah - serves “to name the structures of power, control, and hegemony that have emerged during the modernist era, the era of colonialism. He posits that the coloniality of power takes three forms: systems of hierarchies, systems of knowledge, and cultural systems. The power of coloniality as a structure of control is that it speaks for us so forcefully that we see no recourse but to represent it, to uphold its existence, to ratify its dispensing with ethics and with the sanctity of human life in everything we say and do as labour and resource.” The process to extricate us from this multidimensional matrix of intersectional power has been dubbed “decoloniality”.

What all of this suggests to us in Guyana is that our efforts to reverse the deforming effects of the PNC’s five-year rule between 2015-2020 must be seen as only the beginning of a much more expansive project to decolonise our nation, going all the way to the coloniality foundation that goes way beyond the economic substratum. In a word, decoloniality.

Particularly crucial for us is that decoloniality insists that our reality at each level - individual, community, national and international - is imbricated in a racialised order that is coeval with the “modernity” we have all been persuaded to pursue.

As such, when we rail against some Guyanese being “racist” against others, we invariably ignore the institutionalised structures that impel us unconsciously in the practice.

One of the starting points must be to introduce the perspective of decoloniality into our educational system, from nursery to university and beyond, so that we move beyond using the inherently subversive “tools of the master” to free us from the belly of the beast.

A costumed Indigenous man dancing during a march in recognition of the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, in Mexico City (VOA)

6,000 scholarships show Govt providing opportunities for Guyanese Dear Editor, Our people were starved of opportunities during the period 2015 to 2020. The APNU/AFC officials hoarded the opportunities for themselves simply because they do not care about the people, as they claim.

I make reference to some of the now Opposition MPs who, when APNU/AFC were in power, received millions in scholarship awards to complete their Bachelor’s degrees, and even Masters and PHDs, at top universities in the UK and USA. While they were benefiting from advancements in their academics, the ordinary Guyanese people were left to suffer.

However, following the PPP/ C’s victory in the 2020 elections, we saw a different approach in regard to public

service development than that which we experienced under the Coalition. I write to you on this matter.

I want to mention, first and foremost, that the current administration ought to be commended for all that they have done in the past year. They have focused on the people, rather than on themselves, and I believe that is what sets them apart from the Opposition.

I bring attention to the GOAL programme which was rolled out earlier this year.

We saw the Government delivering on their promise of providing thousands of scholarships to Guyanese. Just recently, the Government published the names of 6,000 scholarship awardees. This shows the Government actively trying to provide

Guyanese with opportunities to develop themselves, and I think that deserves all the adulation possible.

A simple inspection of the list of scholarship awardees would also show that the scholarships were distributed evenly between the two major ethnic groups. I was able to decipher that just by examining the names on the list published, and I am sure the actual percentages are close to what I estimated.

The Government should be commended for this, because it shows that they are governing in the interest of all Guyanese.

The same could not be said about the APNU/AFC. In fact, when the Government began rolling out the GOAL initiative, it was the APNU/ AFC Coalition that tried to

hinder its success.

Guyanese should ask themselves why the coalition were so against the GOAL, to begin with. The programme will benefit so many of our young scholars, so there ought to be no negativity surrounding it. Yet still, the Coalition were, and continue to be, critical of it, to the point that they were encouraging persons not to apply. They also ran with the narrative that the Government would discriminate against AfroGuyanese when selecting who would receive the scholarships. As far as I can see, nothing of the sort happened, and both Afro-Guyanese and Indo-Guyanese were treated equally.

Sincerely, Erin Northe

Anti-PPP march shows how rhinoceroses’ decisions are made in APNU/AFC camp

Dear Editor, Everyone has a right to express their sentiments on topics and political opinions; it adds value to the multiple narratives needed to drive change.

However, an anti-PPP march in Brooklyn, NY does not cause a change in Guyana. People will still send remittances, visit, and carry on with normal life after.

The disposition of Guyanese in the US and Guyana will remain the same. The PPP is in Government and APNU/ AFC is in Opposition, and that will not change for a

very long time.

It would be remarkable to mobilise the community to implement structures that would benefit us. Examples would be institutions to support the care of the elderly and vulnerable; education and training; youth programmes such as sport; and economic stability of those members most impacted by the COVID-19. We have a great opportunity to pursue ethnographic research into phenomenon impacting our lives in New York.

All of us desire improved financial freedom and op-

portunities to pursue education, home ownership, vehicle purchases, and other things. Mobilising the community to form institutions like a credit union supports our economic development.

An improved economic disposition expands into Guyana, and can support co-production activities and business.

It also supports in the long term, through equity and surety, providing a quality of life to be enjoyed by all.

Instead, we march against the PPP along the busy Flatbush Avenue - a location where few Guyanese

own businesses and most of us live in apartment buildings. It is great to see that leadership works in the Brooklyn community, but better if that leadership focuses on activities to uplift us. Does APNU/AFC only lead Guyana for members of the Brooklyn Community?

It is foolhardy to think that, but this shows how rhinoceroses’ decisions are made in that camp.

Let us see the effectiveness of this Big March.

Sincerely, Dustin Fraser

guyanatimesgy.com

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

Should Harmon continue to be Leader of the Opposition?

Dear Editor, Guyanese should be allowed to speak freely. Their voting rights must be preserved and respected by everyone, after speaking at polling places on Elections Day. This includes the current Leader of the Opposition and those who mock Guyana’s elections culture by alluding that it is part of a “socalled democracy.”

If Guyana is a “so-called democracy,” it may be so primarily due to the PNC’s

failure to win, even once, a free and fair election by its sole merits, despite 60 long years of electioneering and prime political space.

The Constitution never did, and does not now, require the existence of the PNC/R. Sixty years without winning an election is certain to hurt Guyanese adversely. Yet, even in a “so-called democracy,” the voices of at least 233,000 persons heard on March 2, 2020 cannot be gagged by Mr Joseph Harmon.

He and his party were afforded a fair opportunity in court to challenge the legitimacy of these voices.

To date, those voices remain intact, and the elected PPP/C Government of their choice must be respected.

This is where everything starts, in the ballot box. This is where the Leader of the Opposition must begin to pay his respect, because the Constitution and Elections Laws require it on ac-

count of the legitimacy of those 233,000 electors on Elections Day. This is the essence of the elections, not a “condition.” It has nothing to do with taking the high road or pettiness. A young man (Mr. Sewdat Hansraj) died because of a “condition” created by those who were attempting to suppress voting rights.

Young Hansraj should not die in vain, but too often the voting rights of the largest voting bloc in

Stop putting politics into discussion about vaccination

Dear Editor, Certain coalition leaders are dissuading Guyanese from taking the COVID-19 vaccines; they have scant regard for health and life, thus putting the lives of innocent people, even children, at risk. This is presumably to suit their agenda of making Guyana ungovernable under a PPP/C administration.

A WPA member verbalised their intentions, “Undermine the Government!”, which their avid supporters seem willing to do, even if it costs them their lives and the lives of their loved ones.

The escalation of the coronavirus pandemic is decimating families, with seemingly no end in sight for the deadly virus, which seems to be increasing in ferocity, especially in Third World nations like Guyana.

Prior to the advent of the PPP/C Government, there was scant governmental intervention and support for

the afflicted in particular, and for the wider society, which had been forced into a lockdown, in general. The pressing needs of Guyanese from every community - for protection from infection by COVID-19 virus as well as nutritional sustenance, the latter need of which ensued from lack of employment and job opportunities - seriously exacerbated by the deadly pandemic, saw Presidentelect Dr Irfaan Ali mobilising teams countrywide in mask and food distribution exercises, which were appreciated by even coalition-supporting communities, especially in light of the fact that the de facto coalition Government was ignoring their pressing needs while simultaneously illegally expending billions from already depleted national coffers on an unnecessary vote recount and fruitless legal challenges on nebulous and execrable charges of unsubstantiated allegations of

electoral fraud committed by the PPP/C. Worldometer reports worldwide infections, last updated on August 13, 2021, as having surpassed 206,254,882, with fatalities exceeding 4,348,282, while recoveries are numbered at 185,105,477.

Guyana’s population of less than a million has been hard-hit, with a Worldometer update listing current figures

at 23,244 cases, with 569 deaths and 21,848 recoveries.

Those rejecting the vaccines do so at their own risk.

Harmon and all the coalition leaders are fully vaccinated, and their urging persons not to be vaccinated is putting innocent people’s lives at risk in this parlous state of affairs.

Yours truly, Anson Paul

Guyana are sacrificed to appease those who lose elections and wish to govern, not through the ballot box, but against it.

For the record, then President Bharrat Jagdeo took the high road after winning the 2001 elections and gave concessions to the losers, and their response was to besiege Buxton, causing young women to be violated and young men to be murdered, while Congress Place refused to secure its constituency.

The failure to prosecute persons for what they created in Buxton has encouraged them to further mischief in 2020 —displaying their dangerous tact for guile by turning a wheelchair — a symbol of hope — into an instrument of attempted fraud.

Mr Harmon is not entitled to a free pass, even after it has been alleged that his party leader tapped Mr. Harmon’s telephone because of suspicion and distrust. Or, as Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo said in a recent interview

with They Break News (the “Guyanese Critic”) regarding a number of senior Coalition leaders, “They were being tapped because he [President David Granger] did not trust them. He didn’t trust them. And this happened after they were trying to steal the elections, because the pressure started mounting on President Granger, and then he realised that there was an active plot by a number of people, Harmon leading it, to steal the elections.”

This extraordinary allegation of telephone monitoring by one’s superior raises serious questions as to whether Mr. Harmon should be Leader of the Opposition, especially since he knowingly and willfully continues to deny the legitimacy of the standing Government, and disrespects the sanctity of voting rights of electors that support it.

Sincerely, Rakesh Rampertab

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Foundation

How to Escape the Cycle of Negative Thinking BY: Carla Shuman PhD

remember that things can change over time and that we don’t want to predict the future. Instead, use words such as “often” or “occasionally.”

W

e all think negatively sometimes.

We’re having a bad day, and it feels like the world is against us. We start to believe that things are harder for us, that life is unfair, or that other people do not have good intentions.

The more that we allow ourselves to think negatively, the more often we will have negative thoughts and the harder it will be to break the cycle.

But thinking positively all the time is not the solution to conquering negative thinking. It is possible to have fewer negative thoughts and reframe them so they are more realistic. The strategies that I will suggest make it possible to be realistic, to be human, and to remain hopeful during difficult circumstances.

The key to keeping negative thinking under control so that it doesn’t turn into a negative attitude toward life is to first recognise that negative, pessimistic, or critical thoughts are a typical experience for most people. Being hard on ourselves is not the solution, nor is coming up with a positive alternative to every negative thought we have. If we’ve had a terrible day, it’s okay to say it was a rough day. When you have an argument with someone,

thinking they are treating you badly or that they are being unfair may be accurate. We don’t want to treat negative thoughts as unacceptable.

However, if you notice that most of your thinking lately has been negative and that it’s becoming harder and harder to be hopeful or optimistic, it might be time to try to put your thoughts into perspective. You definitely don’t want to dampen every situation by finding the negative aspects and focusing on them.

Sometimes, when we allow negative thoughts to consume us, it becomes harder to enjoy ourselves, to be kind to others, and to be grateful for our experiences. Below are some suggestions to keep negative thinking under control: Let negative thoughts come and go Allow yourself to have negative thoughts. Refrain from responding by saying you shouldn’t think

that way. Acknowledge the thought, and then let it go. Your thoughts don’t define you or your circumstances.

Some people visualise their thoughts as balloons that float away right after they have them. We don’t have to give each thought equal weight or let it define every future situation.

Be proactive in gratitude No matter what kind of day you’re having, take the time to think of some things you appreciate. It might be something as small as the cup of coffee that you are drinking or the fact that it’s Friday.

Practicing gratitude when you are not struggling will allow you to remember what you were grateful for if times get harder.

Avoid all-ornothing thinking Absolute thinking prevents us from taking each situation as it comes.

The frequent use of words like “never” or “always” makes it hard for us to

Manage your expectations Often, we expect things to work out one way and they don’t. We are disappointed, and that is totally understandable.

That is why we don’t want to place a lot of specific expectations on an outcome that we really can’t predict. We don’t know if relationships will work out right away. We don’t know if a job is going to be the right opportunity for us. Things can seem like they are going well and then something changes. We are less prepared for surprises when we already have a preconceived set of ideas about how something will turn out.

Allowing ourselves to feel every emotion, without pushing it away, means that even when we are disappointed, we know it will be okay.

Feeling hurt, sad, or sceptical about a situation doesn’t mean that we can’t survive it. Let your thoughts exist, sit with them, and be intentional about recognising the positive things in your life.

You will start to notice that you can handle anything and that your negative thinking will be under control. (Excerpt from Psychologytoday.com)

M

MINING

ining is the extraction (removal) of minerals and metals from the earth.

Minerals that are mined include manganese, tantalum, cassiterite, copper, tin, nickel, bauxite (aluminum ore), iron ore, gold, silver, and diamonds. Other natural resources that are mined include coal, sand, and petroleum.

Mining has proven to be a very lucrative enterprise, as minerals and metals are valuable resources that not only have extremely high market values, but also are used in our daily lives.

Fast fact about mining • The oldest known mine on archaeological record is the "Lion Cave" in Swaziland, which radiocarbon dating shows to be about 43,000 years old. At this site paleolithic humans mined hematite to make the red pigment ochre.

Types of mining 1.

Dredging This is a high-volume mining technique for low-value products near a plentiful source of water. Scoops/buckets are used to extract material from shallow water (often manmade lagoons). A high-tech variation of this is undersea mining, where material is sucked from the seafloor (although the only successful application of this to date has been for gem diamonds in shallow waters).

2.

Surface-Mining Called 'Open-cast' if soft-rock mining (e.g. coal or limestone), and 'Open-pit' if hard-rock mining (e.g. copper and diamonds), the mining process is fundamentally different between these soft and hard-rock operations. The former operations are usually rectangular in general shape (and advance along the seam, with waste infill behind as they advance), while the latter are oval.

Surface mines normally only extend to a depth of about 200m, below which it is usually cheaper to extract the metal from underground.

Hard-rock surface mining is dominated by drilling/blasting and then lifting of the broken ore either into trucks or onto conveyors for transportation to the processing plant. This lifting is usually by excavator (electric or hydraulic; with shovel or backhoe configuration) or front-end loader. The softer rocks can be recovered directly by using very powerful excavators (including the huge bucket-wheel machines).

3.

Underground Mining Access is via vertical shafts or inclined roadways (adits). There are usually two access routes (one for men and materials, and one for the ore) for safety and for ease of ventilation (fresh air comes in one and is then exhausted out of the other).

Once at the correct depth, horizontal tunnels are driven to reach the ore deposit.

These are permanent structures, so require strong roof supports (often including 'bolts' into the rock to tie the layers together for strength).

4.

Insitu Mining There are two main types of insitu mining; solution and thermal.

• Solution - Involves the injection of water down drill holes into soluble deposits (most commonly salt). The mineral-rich solution is then pumped back to the surface.

• Thermal - Although only still at the research stage, it is theoretically possible to burn coal insitu (by creating cracks, then injecting oxygen and a heat source), and recovering the resultant heat (in effect, an underground power station without going to the trouble of extracting the coal). This has happened spontaneously in numerous areas (particularly in India), but the difficulty has always come in controlling the burning process.

Mining and the environment The Bad Mining is generally very destructive to the environment. It is one of the main causes of deforestation. In order to mine, trees and vegetation are cleared and burned. With the ground completely bare, large-scale mining operations use huge bulldozers and excavators to extract the metals and minerals from the soil.

In order to amalgamate (cluster) the extractions, they use chemicals such as cyanide, mercury, or methylmercury. These chemicals go through tailings (pipes) and are often discharged into rivers, streams, bays, and oceans. This pollution contaminates all living organisms within the body of water, and ultimately the people who depend on the fish for their main source of protein and their economic livelihood.

Small-Scale Mining is equally devastating to the environment, if not more. Groups of 5-6 men migrate from one mining site to another in search of precious metals, usually gold.

There are two types of small-scale mining: land dredging and river dredging: • Land dredging involves miners using a generator to dig a large hole in the ground.

They use a high-pressure hose to expose the gold-bearing layer of sand and clay. The gold bearing slurry is pumped into a sluice box, which collects gold particles, while mine tailings flow into either an abandoned mining pit or adjacent forest. When the mining pits is filled with water from the tailings, they become stagnant water pools. These pools create breeding ground for mosquitoes and other water-bourne insects.

Malaria and other water-bourne diseases increase significantly whenever open pools of water are nearby.

• River dredging involves moving along a river on a platform or boat. The miners use a hydraulic suction hose and suction the gravel and mud as they move along the river. The gravel, mud, and rocks go through the tailings (pipes) and any gold fragments are collected on felt mats. The remaining gravel, mud, and rocks go back into the river, but in a different location from where they were originally suctioned. This creates problems for the river. The displaced gravel and mud disrupt the natural flow of the river. Fish and other living organisms often die, and fishermen can no longer navigate in the obstructed rivers.

How does mining affect people?

1.

The people who are exposed to the toxic waste from the tailings become sick.

They develop skin rashes, headaches, vomiting, diarrhoea, etc. In fact, the symptoms of mercury poisoning are very similar to the symptoms of malaria. Many people who cannot afford to go to a doctor, or who live in a village where a doctor is not accessible are often not treated for their illnesses.

2.

If the water is contaminated, it cannot be used for domestic purposes.

3.

Displacement of the family unit by miners, who leave their families to seek employment.

4.

Theft, drugs/alcohol, prostitution, rape, and sexual abuse are unfortunately some of the effects of mining.

5.

Cultural degradation also occurs in mining villages. For example, mining often destroys sacred sites and cemeteries. In Guyana, a special fishing event called Haiari Fishing unfortunately cannot take place if the river has been dredged for gold. The displacement of the gravel and mud obstructs the natural flow of the river. As a result, fish and other organisms die.

The Good 1. Provides employment, both directly in the mining industry & also elsewhere as the mine employees spend their income.

2. Provides minerals/metals that can either be exported, or avoids the importation of these minerals/metals from other countries.

3. Provides infrastructure (roads, electricity, telephone etc.) to remote areas of the country where mines are located, which are needed by the mines. When the mines are exhausted, the infrastructure remains, and can be used by others.

Although there are negative environmental effects, these can be minimised if proper environmental guidelines/practices and technologies are adapted and rigidly enforced.

Mining companies in most countries are required to follow stringent environmental and rehabilitation codes in order to minimise environmental impacts and avoid impacts on human health. These codes and regulations all require the common steps of Environmental Impact Assessment, development of Environmental Management Plans, Mine Closure planning (which must be done before the start of mining operations), and environmental monitoring during operation and after closure.

If you would like to find out more about mining, you can log on to http://kids.mongabay. com/lesson_plans/lisa_algee/mining.html, http://ggmc.gov.gy/mines.html, http://www. searchmining.net/mininginfo/mining101/ mining.asp Children’s Activity How well do you know your elements?

Match the periodic names on the left with the names of popular minerals on the right.

Pb Gold Pt Iron Mn Silver Al Lead Fe Aluminum Ag Platinum Au Manganese You can share your ideas and questions by sending letters to: “Our Earth, Our Environment”, C/O ECEA Programme, Environmental Protection Agency, Ganges Street, Sophia, GEORGETOWN, or email us at: eit.epaguyana@gmail.com. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram and subscribe to our YouTube channel.

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SUNDAY, AUGUST 15, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

MoU for capacity building to be signed at Texas oil & gas conference …Vice President, Ministers, Private Sector attending

A

high-level delegation of Guyanese will be headed to Houston, Texas in the United States of America (USA) for the Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) which has been in existence since 1969.

According to a statement from the Guyana Oil & Gas Energy Chamber (GOGEC), whose President Manniram Prashad will be leading a 15-member delegation, the conference will provide an opportunity to meet and network with energy professionals It will also allow for professionals to exchange ideas and opinions to advance scientific and technical knowledge for oil production and exploration, as well as environmental matters. According to the group, the aim will be to sign several Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) for increased collaboration and capacity building with Guyana.

“The event is an annual event which is held in Houston, Texas, USA. This year, they will be attending the OTC during the period August 16 – 19 with a 15-member.”

At the event, GOGEC intends to sign a few MoUs with key international play-

ers for mutual areas of collaboration namely in capacity building through education and training, and to promote strategic partnerships with local players in the energy sector in Guyana with international organisations, the statement said.

This publication meanwhile understands that the Government delegation will include Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo.

Also attending is Foreign Affairs Minister Hugh Todd, Natural Resources Minister Vickram Bharrat, Minister within the Public Works Ministry Deodat Indar and Guyana Office for Investment (GO-Invest) Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Peter Ramsaroop.

Members of the Private Sector who will be attending include Private Sector Commission (PSC) Chairman Paul Cheong, former Chairman Nicholas Boyer and Prashad, who will be representing GOGEC. The Offshore Technology Conference was founded in 1969, and forms a series of conferences and exhibitions focused on exchanging technical knowledge relevant to the development of offshore energy resources, primarily oil and natural gas.

At the 2019 OTC con-

Block to a total depth of approximately 3500 metres in water depth of approximately 1000 metres.

Norwegian oil and gas consultant Rystad Energy in an analysis earlier this year had said that Guyana, with oil giant ExxonMobil as the operator, accounted for 70 per cent of proven new oil reserves belonging to major oil companies over the last five years.

File photo: The Texas oil and gas conference in 2019

ference, the Guyanese delegation were the recipients of interest from a large number of major players in the oil and gas industry worldwide. At that time, Guyana’s participation at OTC was funded by Private Sector sponsorship, along with approximately 20 per cent funding from the Government.

Guyana, with US oil giant ExxonMobil as the operator, began producing oil on December 20, 2019, in the Stabroek Block. Guyana’s oil revenues are being banked in the New York Federal Reserve Bank, where it is earning interest.

ExxonMobil has also established an ambitious oil

exploration plan for 2021 offshore Guyana. Over the past few weeks, Exxon, the only company to have found and started producing oil in local waters, has been making preparations to drill simultaneous deep-water wells in both the Stabroek and Canje Blocks.

Canadian-owned CGX Energy also has plans to drill wells this year.

Drilling has already started at its Kawa-1 well, which will be drilled to a depth of approximately 6500 metres in 370-metre-deep water. On the other hand, its Makarapan-1 exploration well will be drilled in the Demerara

This is even as the world’s largest oil exploration companies run out of proven oil reserves.

According to the consultant, new oil reserves among Big Oil which comprises companies such as ExxonMobil, BP, Shell, Chevron, Total and Eni, have fallen.

However, Exxon has come out ahead of its peers, thanks to Guyana. (G3)

Surinamese President for...

FROM PAGE 3

Both Presidents had underscored the critical role that a bridge across the Corentyne River could play in advancing cooperation and joint activities and ventures in all the areas mentioned.

It was reported last month that 38 bids were received and jointly reviewed by the two countries and eight bidders were eventually shortlisted.

Suriname news agency Waterkant had reported these bidders as: China Road and Bridge Corporation (China), EGIS (France), Exp Services Inc, Pedelta, Arcadis, CEMCO (Canada, Spain, Netherlands,

Guyana), FIGG/Sunecon/ SRKN’gineering&Associates/ E&A Consultans/P-ALL Consultants/Environmental Management Consultant (United States of America), Politecnica and Rina JV/ ILACO/SRKN’gineering & Associates (Italy, Suriname, Guyana), SYSTRA International Bridge Technologies Inc/AP&G Consultancy Suriname NV/ Delta Marine Consultants/ Deltares (Dubai, Suriname, Netherlands),TYPSA/ Leonard, Andra und Partner GmbH/FIRM (Spain, Germany, Suriname) and WSP Caribbean Ltd (Trinidad). (G3)

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Monitoring Guyana’s porous borders

Continuous surveillance, continued engagements needed – Robeson Benn

W

hen it comes to Guyana’s land borders with neighbouring states such as Brazil, Suriname and Venezuela, Minister of Home Affairs Robeson Benn is assuring that the Government is working on boosting Guyana’s capacity to monitor the border.

In an interview with this publication, Benn was asked about border security. According to the Minister, porous borders is an issue that many countries grapple with. He nevertheless acknowledged that it could be said Guyana’s borders are more porous than most.

“One may consider that Guyana borders are more porous than others. But the truth is you can cross over any bor-

der at any point once you don’t have installations out there and people to monitor. The only way to otherwise deal with it at the important points of entry is to have roads, airports and other places along the way and in the community to be able to check on those people.”

In explaining what the Government is doing now, Benn said that they have been undertaking registrations in Region One (Barima-Waini).

According to the Minister, the Government is open to welcoming those who wish to come and work legitimately. He also referenced collaboration between Guyana’s immigration authorities and those in these neighbouring countries, when it

comes to identifying illegal migrants.

“Right now, we’re undertaking registrations in the North West, in Region One. And in Region Three, in respect to monitoring and registering people.

Many of them are Venezuelan migrants otherwise. Some of them have Guyanese heritage, could be registered as Guyanese if we go up the family tree.”

“But the thing is we have to have continuous surveillance, continued engagements. And that has to have a high degree of integrity. And issues which are coming out as a result of social degradation in Venezuela and questions of Syndicates and political organisations over there, we continue to do our work in

identifying and working with all agencies to make sure we’re on top of the situation.”

Borders have been closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but that has not deterred the more determined illegal migrants. It was announced earlier this year that border security on the Guyana-Brazil border in Region Eight and Nine would be beefed up.

Foreign Secretary Robert Persaud has said the Government of Guyana, in collaboration with the International Organisation for Migration (IMO), would be drafting a migration policy for those Guyanese who have returned to Guyana from Venezuela. (G3)

Politics…

S

…and PNC bedfellows o many of our everyday “sayings” have originated in one or another play by Shakespeare, and these have produced their own derivatives. The man had an opinion on everything!! Take the one from “The Tempest”, when the Bard claimed, “Misery acquaints a man with strange bedfellows.” Two centuries later, this had morphed into, “Politics makes strange bedfellows”, and shows that when folks couldn’t do anything about their miseries in the 17th century, all they could do was huddle to commiserate with each other. But by the 19th century and the rise in electoral politics, all sorts of folks with a common enemy were willing to hop into bed with each other - and even get it on under the covers!!

Well, your Eyewitness recently was advised there’d be a panel discussion on social media on “Forbes Burnham: In time, place and memory” by the strange bedfellows of David Hinds, Hamilton Green, Vincent Alexander and Henry Jeffrey. He couldn’t resist THAT, could he? The occasion was the anniversary of Burnham’s death on Aug 6th, 1985.

But by pure serendipity, in the same week, the Rodney CoI Report was finally approved by the National Assembly.

Its conclusion? Burnham was complicit in the Rodney assassination!

But here it was that Hamilton Green, the fella who’d denied employment to Rodney at UG, was now discussing the man who’d given the order to kill Rodney with the most vociferous member of Rodney’s party, the WPA!!

Ingredients for an explosive interaction? You bet! So, your Eyewitness sat down with his popcorn to enjoy the expected fireworks. Sadly, they never came, since the two most salient “memories” of Burnham’s time - rigging and Rodney’s assassination - were never mentioned!!

But Rodney himself had spoken about Burnham and his rigging: “We have said before that the Burnham dictatorship would prefer to hide under the disguise of being a democracy. Elections have not been abolished; instead, they have been rigged in such a way as to become a complete mockery of the most fundamental of rights – the right to self-determination and free choice of one’s government.

The rigged elections of 1968 and 1973 and the amazing referendum fraud of July, 1978 all indicate that Guyanese people have not chosen the PNC clique. The regime holds power by armed force. Guyanese are finding from their own experience that the dictatorship hates to be reminded that it is a dictatorship. To expose the dictatorship, the first step is to denounce the government as illegal and illegitimate.

“The people must remove any confusion in their own minds and see the dictator clearly for what he is: a villain and a monster, the principal enemy of the people.”

Burnham killed, but couldn’t silence Rodney!

…of (Burnham’s) Dictatorship Rodney also described the nature of Burnham and his minions: “Like all classic dictatorships, that which exists in Guyana has fostered the cult of the personality. The minority PNC regime has used all manner of tricks and gimmicks to make the “Comrade Leader” appear to be a demi-god.

(Like) on the exercise books of school children, the face of the reigning English Monarch was simply replaced by that of the Prime Minister. (There is also) the highly personalised nature of the dictatorship. The dictator and his cronies make it their business to hire and fire…(via) the state control over the economy was the main weapon used to keep people in line (or) who to prosecute in the courts…

“Burnham encourages around himself individuals who are weak or corrupt, because he then exercises vicious control over them… On the international scene, Burnham could never be a powerful force. But he has proved crafty and cunning in achieving his ends within Guyana.

“An old woman at Bourda shouted at a recent political meeting that “Burnham mek Satan cry!”

…and Burnham’s touch Rodney advised we mustn’t mince words on Burnham: “Our language must express not only ridicule, but anger and disgust. Guyana has seen the “Burnham Touch” – anything he touches turns to shit!”

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

NEWS

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5 injured as aircraft crashlands at Eccles dumpsite

By Rupa Seenaraine

F

ive passengers were injured after an aircraft crashed on Saturday morning, involving a Roraima Airways Trislander plane at the Haags-Bosch landfill site, East Bank Demerara (EBD).

It was about 11:30h when the aircraft, destined for the Eugene F Correia International Airport, made what was considered an emergency landing at a swamp-like section of the sanitary landfill site. Carrying three passengers and two crew members, the flight had initially departed from the community of Imbaimadai, Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni), at 10:20h on Saturday.

Minutes before the bizarre dive, residents in Perseverance and other neighbouring communities on the East Bank spotted the plane flying considerably lower near their homes, prompting an alarm. It would then hover for some time before making a nosedive into the landfill.

Rescue operation

As it hit the ground, emergency services were called in. A search and rescue operation was immediately activated by the Timehri Control Tower, and operatives from the Guyana Defence Force and the Guyana Police Force were mobilised and dispatched to the scene of the incident.

Passengers and crew members were extracted by the firefighters and transported to the Guyana Defence Force’s Camp Ayanganna base via a

The Roraima Airways plane

Bell 412 Helicopter, where they were taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC).

When this publication arrived at the scene, officials from the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority were assessing the situation.

Officers cordoned off the scene of the crash pending an investigation.

Speaking with media operatives, Fire Chief Kalamadeen Edoo shared that they received reports of the crash at about 11:41h and immediately dispatched responders.

“Immediately, we dispatched two tenders – one from the Central Fire Station and the West Ruimveldt Fire Station. Upon arrival at the scene, the persons in the aircraft were already airdashed to the Georgetown Public Hospital so the investigation is ongoing as to the nature and cause of what transpired,” the Fire Chief said.

When contacted, Public Relations Officer at GPHC,

Cheulana Providence indicated that the passengers: a 53-year-old male, 43-yearold female and a two-yearold girl also received injuries but none were considered life threatening according to initial medical evaluations.

“All of them are conscious and alert. They’re just being treated for their injuries. The adult female has the most injuries. She has trauma to her head, a laceration to her eye and she’s complaining of some pain in her hip and her leg.

She has the most injuries but she’s awake and able to communicate.”

The two pilots later arrived in the emergency room, where they too were treated.

“They’re conscious and alert. They don’t have any major injuries and they’re being looked at,” Providence added.

Cause unknown

After the situation unfolded, Roraima Airways issued a statement detailing

that the cause of the accident was unknown.

“Roraima Airways would like to sincerely thank the GDF for its rapid response and dispatch of the BELL 412 Helicopter to the accident site. We would also like to thank the Guyana Police Force, the GPHC and the Sherriff Medical ambulance services for their prompt and efficient emergency response. The cause of the accident is unknown at this time,” the Airways said it its missive with other corresponding details.

However, Public Works Minister Juan Edghill subsequently divulged that the aircraft reportedly experienced mechanical difficulties and the GCAA will lead an investigation.

“The aircraft was reported to have experienced mechanical difficulties. There were three passengers on board the aircraft with one experiencing minor injuries…The GCAA has dispatched its investigation team to the scene of the inci-

Fire Chief Kalamadeen Edoo

dent to commence the investigation,” a statement pointed out.

The pilots navigating the plane - Learie Constantine Barclay and Ryan Prashad - came in for high praise in the manner in which they successfully handled the situation.

This episode has occurred just over two weeks

since another Roraima Airways aircraft was involved in an accident at the Aricheng airstrip, Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni).

The Britten-Norman Islander plane was registered to Roraima Airways and reports indicate that the plane was transporting fuel at the time of the incident.

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Heavy floods wash away section of Mabura-to-Lethem Road

W

ith the collapse of a section of the Linden-Mabura roadway, which is an important part of the corridor used to transport persons and goods in and out of Lethem, the Government will be working around the clock to get the road fixed.

This is according to Public Works Minister Juan Edghill, who acknowledged that the road is an important link between Linden and Lethem. As such, he assured that no effort would be spared to get the road back up and running.

“It’s an important link.

We gotta make sure we get fuel and so on into Lethem.

To keep power and supply going. We gotta ensure that goods are getting into the interior area. So we’re sparing no effort to getting it fixed,” the Minister said.

The Minister also released a statement where it was explained that the Public Works Ministry received reports on Friday

afternoon that the Mile 42 Culvert of the Linden Mabura corridor had washed away.

“This washout was as a result of exceptionally heavy rainfall which caused the natural waterway which runs below the road to swell. The high volume and pressure overwhelmed the multiple lower-level culverts and then subsequently started overtopping the roadway, eventually taking the entire section with it.”

According to the Ministry, a team was dispatched to the site on Saturday to assess the situation and come up with a solution to allow for traffic to be restored. Additionally, a boat was provided on site since Friday by a nearby resident that would continue to shuttle passengers who were initially stranded by the washout, while contractor Mekdeci Machinery & Construction Inc will be conducting emergency repairs.

It was also noted that four contractors were engaged for the provision of Emergency Works and the Ministry opted to go with MMC to replace the culverts.

“The contractor has indicated that the mobilisation of materials and equipment is already in progress.”

The unpaved 450-kilometre road from Linden to Lethem has been at the centre of many woes, due to its impassable state in the rainy season, and moreover, flooding along low-lying sections of the road.

It was announced in December of last year that the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) had approved funding for the road project spanning 121 kilometres from Linden to Mabura Hill – the first phase of the much-anticipated construction of a Linden-Lethem Road connectivity.

The US$190 million project is being funded by a US$112 million loan from CDB, a grant of £50 million

Public Works Minister Juan Edghill

The section of the road that collapsed on Friday

from the United Kingdom Government through the CDB-administered United Kingdom Caribbean Infrastructure Fund; and a contribution of US$12 million from the Government of Guyana.

The upgraded road corridor will provide yearround connectivity between Linden and Mabura Hill, improving conditions for local and long-haul transport which can increase trade between Guyana and

Brazil.

Along with the improved road network, residents in the remote communities along the Linden to Mabura Hill corridor will see immediate benefits from improved access to basic essential services and an expansion in economic activity. The project is also expected to bolster eco-tourism along the corridor by improving access to several nature reserves, such as the Iwokrama Rainforest. (G3)

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PNC’s “Slow fyaah; mo’ fyaah” strategy again?

I

n modern multi-ethnic societies, ethnic relations are essentially group power-contests. Here, the role of leadership is critical as well as inevitable. In fact, some claim that ethnic contests are no more than the Machiavellian intrigues of power-hungry leaders: this is a popular refrain in Guyana. While the truth is more nuanced, since leaders cannot lead followers where they have no predisposition to go, this does not negate the importance of leadership.

The reality in Guyana is that Ravi Dev politics has been ethnicised, and it is not happenstance that notwithstanding their protestations, the leaders of the PNC and PPP have always been African and Indian Guyanese respectively. As with all leaders, these ethnic leaders have to appreciate the power implications on their bases with every act that they perform in their quest for political power.

Power has two major attributes – resources and their mobilisation. The resources of the group include the group’s total numbers, physical and financial assets, social organisation, culture and belief system, and education and skills. But especially in the Third World, with its underdeveloped legitimising institutions, the control of the armed forces and Bureaucracy and the other state institutions are key resources.

Mobilisation capabilities have to be defined in more behavioural terms, and include the group’s morale, motivation, cohesiveness, and strategic ability to cope with new situations. All of these, of course, are summarised by the word “leadership”. One group may possess superior resources, but, given ineffective leadership, it cannot mobilise its resources against another group possessing fewer resources but superior mobilisational capabilities.

In Guyana, where the two groups competing for power are of almost equal size, the PNC leaders of the African group, after assessing their resources since the 1960s, believe that they can achieve power through violent confrontation and intimidation. The temptation to consolidate ethnic leadership by aggravating conflict and appealing to violence appears irresistible. With the confluence of negative “Group worth” and positive “Group entitlement” in the African Guyanese community, combined with their historic fear of being swamped and subordinated, the PNC understand that most of their constituents will support their efforts to seize total power. This, in their view, is their “birthright”.

Burnham exploited this fear when he mobilised African Guyanese in the sixties. Installed into office, he constructed a totalitarian, racist state by massively augmenting the armed force with African Guyanese, and routinely rigging elections to exclude the majority Indian Guyanese from office. Economically, he defenestrated the latter’s economic influence when he nationalised 80% of the economy. Cooperatives were the vehicle to empower lower class supporters. Like Israel, he used the “control” option of holding on to power.

His successor, Hugh Desmond Hoyte, attempted to rebuild Burnham’s shattered economy. Forced by the IMF to “open up” the economy to private enterprise, and by the US to accept ‘free and fair” elections, which he lost to the PPP, he waged a bitter ethnic war of attrition, culminating with violent protests against the 1997 elections results. He concluded that “the only language the PPP understood was force” and counted on the loyalty of his “kith and kin” in the armed forces to support his violent “slow fyaah; mo’ fyaah” strategy.

This segued into open attacks against the Government and state, which were ended only in 2008 when he had passed away and the “freedom fighters” were liquidated.

The war of attrition accelerated the emigration of the PPP’s Indian Guyanese base, and in 2006, the new “multi-racial” AFC, with an African Guyanese at their helm, exposed a new fluidity in voting behaviour – especially from the PNC camp. This fluidity increased in 2011 as the Indian demographic plunged below 40%; the PNC moderated its rhetoric; went into an alliance with some small parties and rebranded as APNU, and two Indian Guyanese became the AFC’s leaders. The coalesced APNU/AFC defeated the PPP in 2015, and showed that the demographic change and rebranding had worked to introduce regime alteration through elections.

However, after their electoral loss in 2020, and the refusal of Granger, as with Hoyte, to buck the Western democracies and hold on to power illegally, it is clear that in the ongoing leadership fight within the PNC, factions are vying to repeat Hoyte’s “slow fyaah; mo’ fyaah” strategy, rather than continuing with competitive party politics within a new fluid polity. They should remember Marx’s caution that “history repeats itself, first as tragedy, second as farce.”

1998-2008 was the tragedy. “Will the farce now follow?”

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FEATURE

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SUNDAY, AUGUST 15, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

By Lakhram Bhagirat

F

or centuries, art has been used as a medium for communicating our innermost feelings.

It has been used to express what we cannot fathom to say while exposing our vulnerabilities. The world of art is vast and there is space for everyone.

Art adds meaning to life and everyone who appreciates art shares that sentiment.

Young Christine Doris is one of Guyana’s newest artists having completed her stint at the Burrowes School of Art after being held up because of the COVID-19 pandemic and now she is ready to take the world by storm.

Her creativity is bursting and she is excited to share all her unique ideas with the rest of the world.

“For me art allows me to express what I am feeling and while it may not be everything that I am feeling, through my work I can paint a picture of what my thoughts are. My art is

Christine and her major task. This side of her artwork depicts strength in unity and what we can achieve while working together

meant to add meaning to life and offer an escape to what we can do and be as a people. It is not all glittery and rosy but it shows what we can do to make ourselves better,” the 24-year-old said.

Christine spent her childhood between Meten-MeerZorg and Crane on the West Coast of Demerara after her parents split up when she

was about six years old. One day, she was on an errand to the neighbourhood shop and came across a “really nice” painting on the shop’s wall which captivated her. She stood there and stared at it for quite a while, becoming inspired and wanting to replicate it.

TURN TO PAGE 15

14 FEATURE

SUNDAY, AUGUST 15, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

By Lakhram Bhagirat

“M

y painting style is surrealism so what I try to do is to depict real life experiences in my work.

When you see a piece from me, you get the chance to live a little of my life and we are all human beings and we all have experiences to share. That is how I share mine,” John Nash told me.

We were standing in the middle of an exhibition held by the final year students of the ER Burrowes School of Art and John was relating his journey from Annai in the Rupununi to Georgetown, to me.

The 21-year-old never contemplated an artistic path rather he has always tried to steer clear from that. While growing up in Annai, he was encouraged to do other things and spent most of his childhood doing exact-

ly that.

He never paid attention to learning much about art and would spend his days roaming the village with his friends and engaging in all sorts of boyhood games. They farmed, fished and swam for most of it. However, as John was getting older and in secondary school, he realised that art came to him and it was something very hard to shake off.

In addition to being a natural talent, he saw many of his friends engaging the arts as part of their lives and that encouraged him to delve deeper.

“I was always really influenced by the young children around me and they made me want to pick up art as a career. As I got older, I started to do more drawings and started to build myself. I was never exposed to the various techniques in art so for me it was just colour pencils and pens that really got me

started doing art. I would do drawings in my spare time and so to make myself get better,” he remembered.

As he was nearing the end of his secondary school life, John was contemplating the next direction he wanted to take in his life so he decided to follow the art. He had very little knowledge of the world beyond the Rupununi but wanted to go on an exploration.

“Growing up in the interior is different from here in Georgetown. It is more open space and most artists that come from Region Nine or the Rupununi, they are exposed to naturistic views and you find more of that in their paintings and when they come here they find different art styles and they are opened up to expressing themselves differently.”

TURN TO PAGE 16

FEATURE

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My art is meant to add meaning to... and then work them up to a place where she is pleased with what she has on paper. Then comes the part of creating and translating what is on that paper to her actual projects. It is a process that takes precision, time and dedications – all character traits that Christine exemplifies.

Eventually, she went home with that fire in her thinking about all the possibilities with her art. At the time, she owned a kid-friendly version of the bible that had pictures to depict the stories, she took that out and began attempting to replicate what she saw. Being so young also meant that she had very little understanding of the effort that goes into creating such pieces as well as the various techniques.

“I have always had that desire to create the same figures and scenes that I would have seen and so I have a sister name Marcella and I would challenge her to draw with me and from since then I have been drawing and painting. Primary school days I enjoyed drawing in class and so on. In secondary school I picked up arts in Form Three. That was when I was going to Leonora Secondary School and I got into contact with Sir Clarkie and he attended Burrowes School of Arts and when we met him, he told us what his experience was like at Burrowes and I was like that is the place for me and from since then, I always imagined myself being at Burrowes,” she related.

Being armed with the idea that there is a place where she can hone her talent and follow the dream of becoming an artist made Christine hopeful for her future.

She worked hard throughout her

putting myself out there and that is why I am going in this direction of leather craft and jewellery.”

Speaking about her “major task” which is the art school’s equivalent of a final project for graduation, Christine said that she chose the theme “Guyana United” which seems applicable right now

secondary schooling to ensure she was positioned to take advantage of the opportunity at Burrowes.

In 2017, she officially joined classes at Burrowes and the feeling was overwhelming.

“The first day when I came to Burrowes it was like a dream come through for me and I was so excited. Nothing good comes easy and even though I was always excited about Burrowes, the work I had to put in and the effort and patience and time and so on made me never take the opportunity for granted,” she said.

When asked whether her family is an artistic one, Christine said that as far as she can recall, her mother’s side is not. However, on her father’s side, his mother is of Indigenous roots and she believes that genetics is what passed on the passion to pursue the arts. She was quick to also state that her father has a knack for collecting unique items, something she finds to be “a bit strange.”

At Burrowes, Christine is deviating a bit from the traditional forms of art and entering into the world of leather craft. She is also minoring in jewellery making. For her, those aspects of art challenges her the most and it falls in line with the plan she has for her life.

“I want to be an entrepreneur.

Growing up, my grandmother used to be selling the salt bag handbag in the market and I used to help her and with that business mindset and that husting spirit I kinda have that passion to create work on a big scale. So I want to venture out in exporting my own work and

in light of all the polarising events Guyana has experienced in the past. When she started this project, about two years ago, she did not envision it taking her so long nor did she expect it would have been so relevant.

“What I have done is that I created a 6-foot map of Guyana to remind us of the accomplishments we have achieved over the years.

One side represents unity of the people and the other is showcasing the flora and fauna aspect of our wildlife and harmony with nature.

The majority of the material is leather but I tried to exhaust the various technique. I utilised my painting skills to add life and meaning. We have a rich history as a nation and I believe that Guyana has so much potential for greatness but only can be achieved if we work together. My task isn’t to tell us what to do but inspiring us on what we can do,” Christine explained.

“I love expressing emotions but I am sometimes afraid to express certain ideas so art somewhat allows me to go to my restricted place and be vulnerable.

So in future I want to be expressive with emotions and so on but in terms of the work I have displayed, I realised that Guyana have so much potential for greatness so I went deeper into expressing ways in which we can unite and work together and so on.”

For her to begin creating her masterpieces, Christine transports herself to a place where there is no pressure to excel. She starts with simple sketches of her ideas

To young and upcoming artists, Christine advised “Whatever you are working towards, you have to be diligent about it and you have to be serious about it. You might see some people in the world of business and excelling at great heights, things are happening for them and you want the same for

you but if you don’t want to put in the work that is needed then you can never accomplish what you want.

I find a lot of young people want to get rich and doing big things but they don’t want to put the work in. You have to put the work in and sometimes you have

FROM PAGE 13

to pull long nights or lose sleep.

Diligence, patience and knowing your purpose as a person are some important things.”

If you want to get into contact with Christine to purchase her artwork, you can contact her on 680-2354.

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You live a little of my life through...

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ent. Coming from being mostly self-taught, John was overwhelmed, at first, by the sheer amount of information that was being thrown at him.

He was exposed to the various facets of art and techniques in accomplishing what he had in his mind.

“I was never exposed to painting and so when I first started out. When I got accepted into Burrowes School of Art, I was exposed to other forms of art and jewellery. So I decided to major in painting and chose jewellery as my minor.

Here I was exposed to the different forms of art

FROM PAGE 14

sion. It’s from an experience you gain and it is different from most people. It is more about inner self experience and my experience is unique. So that helps me to tell what I have experienced and

John doing a live portrait

“Out in the interior you don’t have good internet and things to expose you to the outer world so you are locked in that area and when you come in town here it is a different thing.

You learn more about the internet and what you can do and what influences your style and so on,” he explained.

John heard of Burrowes School of Art and decided to apply. He officially joined there in September 2017 and began his journey of fine tuning his tal-

John with his major task project

and was able to find my style of painting which is surrealism,” John said.

Explaining his art style in more detail, John said, “Surrealism for me is all about self-expres-

what I have been through. Also, it is not just about me but I can use my paintings to express what others may be feeling too because at the end of the day we are all human beings and we

all go through bad times. So that is the way I express myself so when people see my painting, I expect them to walk off with a peace of mind and the belief that there is a reason to be alive.”

While painting remains the dearest to his heart, John is now contemplating a career in the world of jewellery since he believes he has a more unique advantage. =“I can make my own designs and come up with my own ideas which is something that is needed on the jewellery market. That doesn’t mean that I have to give up painting because painting takes time and I paint when I am [in] different moods so I will still do that.”

He believes that art is everything and it is everywhere and urged everyone to push their boundaries and live. If you want to get into contact with John to purchase his artwork, you can contact him on 622-9817.

FEATURE

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By Lakhram Bhagirat

I

n Guyana, art is not seen as a lucrative career since many Guyanese do not appreciate art and even if they do, they are quite often not inclined to pay the artist their well-deserved dues. This has led a number of people to often suppress their children’s artistic talents in favour of them

pursuing traditional careers.

Additionally, someone gravitating to the arts is quite often seen as “dunce” and in Guyanese secondary schools, the streaming process that happens in Fourth Form is a major contributory factor to that notion.

Students are placed in one of four streams with Science being the cream of the crop followed by Business, the Arts and Technical competes for the final two spots.

In my time as a secondary school student, I felt the pressure of the world on my shoulder to be streamed into either Sciences or Business and in the end, I gained a place in the sciences class. That is not to say that I was one of the top performers but it was more of parental and societal pressure to excel.

I, many Guyanese students, have seen

our peers cry bitterly when they found out that they were streamed into the Arts or Technical classes because they were now categorised as being “dunce”. Some of us students never failed to let them forget that too.

While the Arts stream may not exactly be all about the arts, it is from that the idea that most artists are dunces was birthed.

However, young Bevan Allicock is out to change that perception.

“In secondary school they kill the art and they tell you that art is for dunce people but it’s not and they should stop saying that.

There is more to art and you incorporate it in all aspects in your art. Art is important,” he said.

The 20-year-old hails from the Region Nine village of Surama and credits his entire outlook on life to his family and villagers. There he was taught respect, kindness and compassion and has been exhibiting those traits to keep him grounded while he lives out of the village.

“I consider myself as a respectful person, a person who someone could look up and I owe that to my parents and grandparents and the people in my village that I grow up around. The village and everyone had a great influence in me graduating here and being an artist,” he said.

Bevan’s talent is beyond measure and he has been slowly cementing his place among the greats. However, it was his struggles during the earlier days in his life that led him to art. He explained that while both of his parents are artistic – his father being a self-taught architect and mother a selftaught seamstress and painter – the drive to build a career surrounding around the arts has never crossed his mind.

Bevan Allicock

He knew he had a talent and wanted to nurture that but he never envisioned one where he would be creating masterpieces under the tutelage of the qualified teachers at the Burrowes School of Art. “I consider myself as an introvert. I was always shy and always trying to stay away from the attention and to do that I turn to art. I stuck with being creative to help me to deal with society around because in school I was one of the few guys that had a good performance and they expected me to represent the school but I was not that type of person to put myself out there. I was always in the backseat doing creative things so the arts really came to me rather than me going to it,” he said.

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18 FEATURE

My journey in art has allowed me to discover myself – Lakesha Chapman SUNDAY, AUGUST 15, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

this that way and you should do that this way, at the end of it all is what you want to say and the story you want to tell. You can listen to their opinion but it is up to you if you want to take the advice,” she said.

For Lakesha, art means therapy and it helps to relax her while allowing her the freedom to embrace herself.

She believes that art is life and everyone breathing engages in art without even knowing it.

The young artist is also very keen on the message she puts out through her art.

She carefully researches topics and creates themes to highlight that and one of the major aspects she focuses on is mental health.

She believes that the mental health spectrum is vastly unexplored and through

By Lakhram Bhagirat

I

t quite often takes us years to really discover and accept ourselves for who we are. Some of us are quite fortunate to make this discovery early in life while some make the discovery later on in life.

It does not matter when or how you make this discovery but what really matters is accepting you for who you are.

This has been the journey for Lakesha Chapman and she has been able to discover herself through art.

She discovered that she is talented, beautiful, caring, smart, kind and a whole host of other things and she is using her voice (art) to showcase that there is beauty in even the most flawed.

The 21-year-old Mahaicony native is a final year student at the Burrowes School of Art and said that the school has provided her with a safe space for self-discovery.

“This year was kind of a journey for me because while learning new things I got the opportunity to figure out who I am and embracing who I was. So my artwork is part of telling a story and communicating in ways I can’t communicate with others while also me loving myself,” she said.

Lakesha has always been artistic and was never told to suppress her creativity.

Rather, it was her mother who kept pushing her towards the creative sphere and in the end, she enrolled at Burrowes to find her place in the creative world.

“They introduced me to different categories of art like sculpting and painting and

Lakesha with her final project, depicting the thoughts of a person with schizoid personality disorder

leather craft and jewellery making and I fell in love with it. I discovered that in the midst of making art that everyone have their own opinion and it is all about what you want to display and all about the story you want to tell. And although people may come around and say you could have done

her work she hopes to identify what persons with mental health issues are going through in the hopes of sparking conversations that may lead to action.

It is no lie that in Guyana and the wider Caribbean society, mental health and its related illnesses are frowned upon and persons who suffer from these issues are quite often stigmatised.

For that very reason, Lakesha focused her entire final project on mental illness and particularly schizoid personality disorder. According to the Mayo Clinic, schizoid personality disorder is an uncommon condition in which people avoid social activities and consistently shy away from interaction with others. They also have a limited range of emotional expression.

If you have schizoid personality disorder, you may be seen as a loner or dismissive of others, and you may lack the desire or skill to form close personal relationships. Because you do not tend to show

emotion, you may appear as though you do not care about others or what’s going on around you. The cause of schizoid personality disorder is unknown. Talk therapy, and in some cases medications, can help.

“My final piece is about exploring mental health through art. It is about schizoid personality disorder. It is a disorder that many do not know about, it’s a disorder where people are withdrawn from reality and they are introverts and they don’t function well when it comes to forming conversations and I try to do my part to create that reality most of them would create for themselves, a comfort zone and I try to show a representation of what they may be feeling. It took 10-12 months because each piece had to be worked on by themselves because it was also about research and then linking that to the message being portrayed on the canvas.”

If you want to get into contact with Lakesha to purchase her artwork, you can contact her on 654-4043.

19

FEATURE

SUNDAY, AUGUST 15, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

HEALTH TIPS

Difficulty Sleeping - INSOMNIA - PART 2

Dr Tariq Jagnarine Family Medicine, Endocrinology/Diabetes

INSOMNIA AND PREGNANCY

Insomnia is common during pregnancy, especially in the 1st and 3rd trimesters.

Fluctuating hormones, nausea, and an increased need to urinate are some of the bodily changes that may keep women awake in early pregnancy. They may face emotional stressors such as anxiety about the increasing responsibilities as a new mother, or having a new child. Pain, such as cramps and back discomfort, may also keep them awake.

The pregnant body is undergoing many changes, like an active metabolism and increase in progesterone, to accommodate the new life growing inside. It’s normal for sleep patterns to change, too.

Lifestyle changes that may help include: * Keeping active during your pregnancy * Maintaining a healthy diet * Staying well-hydrated * Maintaining a consistent sleep schedule * Practising relaxation techniques during the day, or taking a warm bath before bedtime.

If experiencing anxiety, have a medical consultation about any new exercise routines, medications, or supplements that may be of interest. It is important to ensure they are safe for pregnancy.

The good news is that pregnancy-related insomnia usually passes, and it doesn’t affect the baby’s development.

INSOMNIA DIAGNOSIS

In order to arrive at a di-

agnosis, clinicians will at times ask questions about: * Medical conditions * Social environment * Psychological or emotional condition * Sleep history This information can help to determine the underlying causes of a sleep problem.

Persons might be asked to: * Keep a sleep log * Record when they fall asleep * Note the instances when they wake up repeatedly * Report what time they wake up each day

A sleep log would give a picture of a person’s sleep patterns. Also, medical tests or blood work may also be ordered to rule out other medical problems that can interfere with someone’s sleep.

Sometimes a sleep study is recommended, not for the diagnosis of insomnia, but for confirmation if the clinician suspects an underlying sleep disorder, such as obstructive sleep apnea.

There are two ways a sleep study may be carried out.

One option involves an overnight stay at a sleep centre.

The second option allows persons to do the study at home, in their own bed.

Both sleep study options involve having electrodes placed in various places on the body, including the head.

The electrodes are used to record brainwaves to help categorise the states of sleep.

They’ll also help detect body movements while sleeping.

The results of the sleep study would provide clinicians with important neuroelectrical and physiological information to determine the underlying issues related to sleep.

INSOMNIA IN CHILDREN

Children can have insomnia, too; often for the same reasons as adults. These reasons might include: * Stress * Medications * Excessive caffeine intake * Psychiatric disorders.

If a child has trouble falling asleep or staying asleep, or if a child wakes up too early, insomnia may be the reason.

According to the Cleveland Clinic, symptoms of insomnia in children may include: * Daytime sleepiness or restlessness * Irritability and mood swings * Repeated disciplinary issues * Memory problems and attention deficits Treatments for children are often the same as treatments for adults.

Children will benefit from a consistent sleep schedule and good sleep hygiene.

Reducing stress and avoiding screen time near bedtime would help as well.

INSOMNIA AND ANXIETY

Anxiety can cause insomnia, and insomnia can cause anxiety. This can result in a self-perpetuating cycle that may lead to chronic insomnia.

Short-term anxiety develops when persons worry frequently about the same specific issue, such as work, or their personal relationships.

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NEWS

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HEALTH TIPS

Difficulty Sleeping - INSOMNIA - PART 2 FROM PAGE 19

Short-term anxiety usually goes away once the issue is resolved. The sleep should return to normal as well.

People can also be diagnosed with an anxiety disorder such as generalised anxiety disorder (GAD), or panic disorder. These disorders can result in varying degrees of insomnia.

The causes of anxiety disorders aren’t completely understood. Treatment is usually long-term, and includes a combination of therapy and medications.

The same lifestyle and behavioural practices recommended for other forms of insomnia help diminish anxiety-related insomnia, such as restricting stressful topics of conversation to the daytime.

INSOMNIA AND DEPRESSION

According to a sleep study done in 2014, not only does insomnia make persons more likely to develop depression, but depression can also make

them more likely to develop insomnia.

A meta-analysis of 34 studies concluded that poor sleep — especially during times of stress — significantly increases the risk of depression. Another study found that as insomnia persisted and symptoms worsened, subjects developed an even greater risk for depression.

For other people, symptoms of depression may precede insomnia.

The good news is that the same treatments often help both depression and insomnia, no matter which condition comes first.

The most common treatments are: * Medications * Therapy * Lifestyle changes These lifestyle changes can include: * Developing better sleep habits * Exercising in the daytime * Eating a balanced diet

COMPLICATIONS OF INSOMNIA

Not getting enough sleep can take a toll on our health.

Insomnia can increase our risk for a number of conditions, including: * Anxiety * Depression * Stroke * Asthma attacks * Seizures * Weak immune system * Obesity * Diabetes mellitus * High blood pressure * Heart disease Insomnia can also: * Increase risk for an accident, including vehicular * Affect performance at school or work * Lower sex drive * Affect memory Insomnia isn’t just a nuisance or a small inconvenience; it’s a real sleep disorder, and it can be treated.

If you think you have insomnia, talk to a health care provider. That person can help

explore possible causes, and develop a safe and appropriate treatment plan, based on your healthcare needs.

Also, technology makes us more alert, and can lead

to insomnia when used at night. Lights from computer screens can mess with the body’s circadian rhythm, and can lead to poorer sleep.

“Electronic curfew”

At least 30 minutes before hitting the hay (sleeping), hit the “off” button on all electronic devices.

26 NEWS

SUNDAY, AUGUST 15, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

L

ast week (August 8th,2021), we made a light detour from our discussion on the matter of pet (dogs and cats) pregnancy. Instead, we inserted a very compelling and convincing essay on the topic of necessary public support for those genuine Humane Societies, individuals and Agencies promoting animal welfare. This need is very current, and we trust that the article served to convince more of our readers to assist, in whichever way they can, the genuine efforts of these parties to improve the wellbeing of those animals that are not lucky enough to be in the care of families.

Today, we return to the series on “pet pregnancies.” During past weeks, we documented basic data on dog and cat pregnancy- length and signs, “morning sickness,” “false pregnancy”, and how the caregiver can accurately determine pregnancy via palpation and technical aids, e.g., the use of X-ray and ultra-sound technologies (see “Pet Care” columns of July 25th and August 1st, 2021).

Now, lets take for granted that your bitch has become pregnant. What now?

I would suggest that you take her to your veterinarian for a physical check-up, especially if it is her first pregnancy. Even old-

Pet Pregnancy (continued)

CARING FOR YOUR PET DURING PREGNANCY

er and experienced females could have some unexpected problems. The one that springs to mind is a vaginal tumor. This is a condition that usually results from mating with an unclean, contaminated male dog – usually (but not only) a stray. The tumors could grow to a size that would occlude the vaginal passage, thus resulting in a problem at birth.

Then there is the need for an oral checkup. If the birth/cat has a problem (an infection) like stomatitis or gingivitis in her mouth, then the infection could be transmitted to the puppies when she is caring

for them (licking them, lifting them, etc.).

Similarly, if she has a problem with her teeth (periodontitis), then when she is severing the navel cord at birth, she could pass the germs to the newborn pups.

You could use this visit to enquire from the veterinarian, this type of nutrition that is needed during pregnancy, what signs to look for when she is close to delivery, and what complications could arise during the birth process, and, of course, what constitutes a normal delivery.

Things to expect when your when the female cat/bitch is close to brining a new gen-

eration into the world: • Loss of appetite • Restlessness • Concentrated effort to find a place for delivery and to build her “nest” • Decrease in body temperature (from 101 0F to 98-99 0F).

Lastly, and very importantly, keep your veterinarian’s number handy, just in case a problem, however slight, develops. You know you are going to panic. Get your professional to help. He or she has been trained for such an eventuality. Within the context of contacting your vet, you must know his/ her schedule; you mut know whether he or she will be available. There is no sense calling the vet on a weekend when he is fishing in the Abary or is conducting a spay and neuter campaign far away from his Clinic.

For that reason, the vet will have a record of the likely time your pet will be delivering the pups or kittens. The client/caregiver must have a personal rapport and interaction with the vet (via the pet’s vaccinations, deworming, continuous visits, and checkups). This also means that the caregiver would have been told, if the vet is unavailable, and to whom the patient could be referred in case of an emergency.

27 For the love of diesel – CEO details road to Swiss Machinery I FEATURE

SUNDAY, AUGUST 15, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

magine Guyana without electricity or water for a day. Homes, hospitals, hotels, restaurants and all industries would be affected.

Trucks, tractors, bulldozers, excavators, trawlers, skidders and loaders, would all be parked.

The nation would be in total distress.

One man’s interest to the benefits of diesel has led to the establishment of Swiss Machinery. Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Swiss Machinery, Harold Beharry believes that diesel power should never be taken for granted because it is the backbone of production in the entire world.

Without diesel power, the wheels of industries will grind to a halt including but not limited to transportation, agriculture, gold mining, forestry, marine, hotels and many other businesses, which will result in millions of dollars of revenue and thousands of jobs lost, seriously affecting the economy of our country.

Invented in 1897 by German mechanical engineer Dr Rudolf Diesel, the diesel engine was created as a compressed ignition engine that works with a piston which compresses air and injects oil-based fuel into the superheated air, causing spontaneous combustion of the fuel.

Today, the word diesel is associated with power, hence the name “diesel power”.

Swiss Machinery’s pas-

pumps and there is even a surgery department where they provide metal stitching on large units in the fields where welding cannot provide the answer.

Additionally, there is diagnostic testing and repairs to the diesel engine’s electrical system, in field repair to worn excavator buckets and arms pivot holes, complete rebuilding of engines and general machining and fabricating engine parts.

In order to minimise down time, the company went to the extent of establishing a shipping and procurement company in Miami called “HAB-IT” to purchase and air freight parts that are not available locally.

HAB-IT’s fast delivery has rewarded it with the slogan “if you have to have it HAB-IT” The diesel engine is amazing because it is a copy of the design of the human body. It has a breathing sys-

sion for diesel has pushed it to be the only company in Guyana that is involved with diesel engine from the storage tank until the process is completed, when smoke exits the exhaust.

Some of Swiss Machinery’s contributions to diesel includes stocking tested and proven quality parts for almost all diesel engines, cleaning diesel storage tank by applying the principle of the human kidney (the fuel

passes through a system which captures water and sediments in the fuel and returns the clean fuel back into the tank and the process continues until the entire tank has clean fuel which is now healthy food for the engine to maintain good performance), the repairing and rebuilding of critical engine components such as engine blocks, engine heads, crankshafts, fuel pumps, fuel injectors, turbocharger, water

tem, cooling system, feeding system, filtration system, power system and finally the exhaust system, all working in coordination to provide diesel power.

For example, the excavator’s arm and bucket is a copy of the human hand, from the shoulder, elbow, wrist and the teeth on the bucket represent human fingers The track on a bull dozer or crawler machine is a copy of the human foot with the

links representing our toes.

The fuel pump is a copy of the human heart and the list goes on and for that reason, Swiss Machinery does not consider the company as a service industry but a diesel clinic with diagnostic facility to find cause of failure and apply tested and proven solutions to bring new life to defective engines and components.

Diesel power is the life blood of the nation and the intention of Swiss Machinery is to keep diesel engines in good health to continue to support Guyana.

Today, the company is proud to say that it is well positioned in the diesel world to follow and apply new innovations for new and improved electronic diesel engines.

And after 46 years, Swiss Machinery has earned itself the title as the only one-stop diesel solution company in Guyana.

28 FEATURE

SUNDAY, AUGUST 15, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Art is not “a dunce people thing”, so we should...

FROM PAGE 17

When asked about how he approach his pieces, the painting and leather art student said, “I try to make them tell a story. I have this semi realism style, this abstract and realistic approach so I basically have a mixed style. I try different mediums to tell different stories. My major task was based on like my spiritual, religious and ancestral beliefs.

I tried to incorporate that into one and tell a story.”

He draws inspiration from various sources but majority of the inspiration for his work comes from that of the late Guyanese artist George Simon. Bevan said that he tries to honour Simon by dabbling in his style of art and ensuring that his legacy lives on.

For Bevan, he gravitates more towards portraits because they allow him to show others how beautiful they can be.

“I am mostly like a portrait artist and I chose that because of the joy it brings to my customers and their expressions when you deliver it. How they feel and how you

approach the work, they have this connection to it. If you do a work for a customer and they are an introvert like me, always quiet, sad and so and I do paintings with them smiling and colours, they tend to be extremely happy. Colours plays an important role psychologically with people and I try my best to use colours to help show emotions and I want them to feel happy and have a sigh of relief. I want to bring life to the world,” Bevan said.

If you want to get into contact with Bevan to purchase his artwork, you can contact him on 638-8219.

Bevan with his major task, paying homage to his ancestral roots

29 “We need a cultural change in NIS” – Finance Minister NEWS

SUNDAY, AUGUST 15, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

…as Guyana’s lone-standing Olympian medallist unable to access pension

F

inance Minister Dr Ashni Singh said there is great need for a culture change within the National Insurance Scheme (NIS).

During an outreach at Mon Repos Primary School, East Coast Demerara, on Saturday, the Minister stated that “what we’re seeing here is a confirmation of the fact that there are a lot of people out there that are experiencing serious challenges with their interactions with the NIS and serious challenges in accessing their benefits.”

The Minister noted that while the outreaches are bringing to light the challenges persons are having with NIS, they are also helping to provide the opportunity to address to address those challenges.

It was noted that the Minister and his team were successful in addressing the overwhelming majority of the cases thus far through the outreaches and were able to resolve them in a matter of weeks.

Singh expressed that he wants the organisation to be more citizen-friendly.

“I’ve used these exercises to re-emphasise the point that we need a cultural change in the NIS – we need a change that focuses more on addressing people’s concerns in a more timely manner,” he stated.

He further went on to say “I think there’s room for customer service training and I’ve raised that with the Board and the Board agrees fully that there is certain-

of claims, and benefits and pension queries.

In December 2020, during a presidential outreach in Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), President Dr Irfaan Ali had called on the NIS to address the issues residents were having with their payments that had been remitted.

In just one month after the commencement of his

Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh with Guyana’s lone Olympian medallist Michael Parris at an NIS outreach

ly room for customer service training – and training in rules and procedures and options that are available for addressing disputes…the NIS regional offices need to see this themselves as citizen-focused. They’re there to serve the citizens and to assist people to get their matters resolved within the framework of the rules that govern the NIS of course.”

Additionally, the Minister noted that there are matters that most time cannot be dealt with by the front-line workers, but may have to be “escalated up to the Office Manager, the Area Manager, the General Manager, and then to the Board.”

Unfortunately, this procedure is most times not followed and persons fall victim to the royal run-around.

“We need to develop SOPs where they don’t exist, and where they do exist, we need to disseminate them so that all of the staff know what is the process and how to deal with a matter when

they can’t resolve it at their level, they should know what are the options for escalating it to deal with the matter.”

Unable to access

Meanwhile, Guyana’s lone-standing Olympian bronze medallist Michael Parris was amongst the persons that were fortunate to have their issues resolved during the outreach.

He stated that he had turned 60 about three years ago, and was unable to access his NIS contributions.

“I always prayed and asked God to let that dream come true, and it come true when I met Mr Ashni Singh…so it feels great. I always say that, okay, I do this for the country and no [NIS] pension and now Minister Ashni come and rectify it, so it’s a pleasure.”

The outreach dealt with issues such as compliance certificates, contribution statements, registration & replacement of NIS cards, signing and submission of life certificates, submission

duties, Dr Singh met with the new NIS Board. At that meeting, he outlined his expectations, charging the Board to ensure these were met.

Last month, the Minister had announced that he would be embarking on a series of countrywide outreaches to meet with residents on the ground and listen to their concerns in

relation to any issues they may wish to address with NIS. This came in light of Government’s expression of grave concern at the number of complaints received from contributors about delays in receiving their benefits and entitlements, most often as a result of incomplete records of their contributions to the Scheme.

30 NEWS

SUNDAY, AUGUST 15, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

3 more COVID-19 deaths, 111 new cases recorded GUYANA COVID-19 DASHBOARD A nother three persons have died after contracting the novel coronavirus in Guyana, with another 111 new infections surfacing in one day.

With a death toll of 573, latest deaths are a 54-yearold woman from Region Three, a 65-year-old man from Region Four and a 47-year-old woman from Region Five. They died on Thursday while receiving care at a medical facility.

Total confirmed cases in the country now stand at 23,455 with the additional 111 new cases. This represents a gender breakdown of 11,416 males and 12,039 females.

There are 16 persons in the Intensive Care Unit, 80 in institutional isolation, 859 in home isolation and six in institutional quarantine. Recoveries are pegged at 21,927 while 243,049 have been tested.

New cases

Regionally, there were three new cases Region One (Barima-Waini), 25 in Region Two (PomeroonSupenaam), four in Region Three (Essequibo IslandsWest Demerara), 69 in Region Four (DemeraraMahaica), one in Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice), two in Region Six (East BerbiceCorentyne), two in Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni), one in Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) and four in Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice).

There were no increases in Region Eight (PotaroSiparuni).

With over 282,000 first doses administered and more than 146,000 persons returning for the second doses, Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony acknowledged on Friday that there is still some level of vaccine hesitancy – which authorities are trying to dispel by providing accurate informa-

tion.

“There are many factors that are driving the hesitancy. Some of it can be because of influential persons just spreading misinformation pertaining to the vaccine and some of those persons themselves do not have adequate knowledge about the vaccine and unfortunately, they influence others. One of the strategies that we have been using is trying to talk to organisations with these persons and offering to run education sessions so that they become better aware of vaccines, types of vaccines, the efficacy, how it works, safety and all of those good things,” the Minister pointed out.

He said engagements are continuing at the level of religious networks, non-governmental organisations and other community-led organisations. Misinformation on social media, he shared, is also a significant setback but persons were urged to acquire data from credible

AUGUST 14 UPDATE

NUMBER OF NEW CASES NUMBER OF PERSONS IN INSTITUTIONAL ISOLATION

111 80

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN HOME ISOLATION

859

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN COVID-19 ICU

16

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN INSTITUTIONAL QUARANTINE

5

TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES BY GENDER (FEMALES)

12,039

TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES BY GENDER (MALES)

11,416

TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES IN GUYANA SINCE 2020

23,455

NUMBER OF RECOVERED CASES

21,927

TOTAL 1st DOSE VACCINATED

275,451

FULLY IMMUNISED

145,556

TOTAL NUMBER OF DEATHS

573

DISTRIBUTION OF TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES SINCE MARCH 2020 REGION 1

1331

REGION 2

678

REGION 3

2695

REGION 4

10,613

REGION 5

779

REGION 6

1954

REGION 7

1302

REGION 8

380

REGION 9

2153

REGION 10

1570

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

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.

sites.

“We have been working with a number of NGOs – national ones and community-based ones – so that we can get more people talking about the vaccines and being able to spread the right information. That has been one way in which we have been working. There are a

lot of misinformation on social media and that’s much more difficult to counter but we want people instead of looking on social media whether there might be a lot of inauthentic types of information, that if we can get them to look at websites that are authentic where you can have authentic information.”

Agencies which provide accurate information include the World Health Organisation, Pan American Health Organisation, the Lancet Journal and the Center for Disease Control among others. Sensitisation also continues through the Ministry’s social media platform. (G12)

NEWS

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SUNDAY, AUGUST 15, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

School principals on board for vaccination of students – Education Ministry …consent forms ready …as COVAX to deliver 100,000 Pfizer shots

T

he COVAX mechanism will be delivering 100,000 shots of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines to Guyana, as part of the next shipment of jabs that will arrive under this arrangement.

Representative from the Pan American Health Organisation, Dr Luis Codina said that the Pfizer shots are expected by September. The 100,000 doses will likely be used for the vaccination of adolescent children as Government seeks to reopen classrooms in the near future.

The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, one of two which has been approved for children aged 12 to 17, is proven to be 95 per cent effective at preventing laboratory-confirmed infection with the virus that causes COVID-19 in people who received two doses.

Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony added that while the mechanism had promised to deliver doses to cover 20 per cent of Guyana’s population, this target can be exceeded at the rate at which countries are donating to this initiative.

“COVAX is also going to donate to us Pfizer vaccines and those are expected in the next shipment…We’re still working with that 20 per cent range.

That has not changed. With the first three shipments, we did not get to 20 per cent as yet but in addition to that, there are countries that are donating vaccines to COVAX so while COVAX would have set itself an initial target of giving countries about 20 per cent of their needs, COVAX through the kind donations now have additional vaccines and they have

been using that to top up countries,” Dr Anthony highlighted.

COVAX is a partnership between the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), Gavi the Vaccine Alliance, the Pan American Health Organisation/ World Health Organisation (PAHO/WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

The mechanism aims to secure 1.3 billion doses for 92 low and middle-income countries by the end of the year. Guyana has been included among ten countries in Latin America and the Caribbean that are receiving vaccines at no cost through the Advance Market Commitment (AMC). Thus far, 120,000 AstraZeneca vaccines have been sent to immunise Guyanese.

The Health Ministry has already commenced preparations for the rollout of the Pfizer vaccines for children through collaboration with the Education Ministry. When completed, school-aged children will be able to return to school.

“We have since started training our staff on how to store the vaccines and have procured additional equipment to make sure that we can store these vaccines properly. The vaccines would come with special syringes. We have received those syringes yesterday and we will commence training for staff to use these types of syringes and once we complete that, we will be ready to start the rollout of this vaccination programme,” Dr Anthony had indicated.

Additionally, the 5000

Sputnik V doses that arrived on Friday will be available at vaccination sites from today.

However, those awaiting their last jab of the vaccine have been assured that more is scheduled to arrive next week.

“Persons who are due now for the second dose Sputnik, which means persons from May, we would be able to give those doses probably from Sunday…By latest Monday, people will be able to access those doses,” the Minister noted.

Engagements

Meanwhile, the Education Ministry begun engagements with principals of schools regarding vaccination for students as the reopening of schools draws closer, amid announcement of the Pfizer shipment.

On Saturday, the Ministry outlined that reopening schools safely is inextricably linked with administration of this vaccine. Over 50 Head Teachers and senior teachers primarily from the secondary sector were part of these engagements to which the educators were all on board to support the successful implementation of this programme.

Consent

Education Minister Priya Manickchand said that consent forms will be made available to parents for them to fill out and submit which will serve as proof of the permission given to have their child vaccinated.

Parents and guardians will also be required to be present when the vaccine is administered.

These forms have already been given to the Departments of Education in the 11 Education Districts (Regions One to 10 and Georgetown). Also, the form is available on the Ministry of Education’s website at: https:// education.gov.gy/covid-vaccine. Additionally, parents and guardians can fill out the form and submit them electronically by using the link: https://forms. office.com/r/jGKHNM5mzk.

If parents choose to print the form but are unable to sub-

mit it, they can take a photograph of the completed form and submit using WhatsApp number: 652-9144.

On Saturday, the Ministry said that during its Because We Care cash grant initiative, parents at the various distribution centres were engaged on the vaccination matter and were also given a flyer with information regarding the vaccine so that when the time comes for an informed decision to be made, they have all the facts.

The reopening of schools to face to face engagement, the Ministry said, hinges heavily on the national vaccination programme.

“More of the adult population needs to be vaccinated to protect themselves and children, especially those who are below the age of 12 for whom no vaccine has been approved as yet…the Education sector has been hit hard due to the pandemic and having to close schools as a response. However, the longer the school doors are closed the more our students will suffer from learning loss and greater is the likelihood of an increase in school dropouts,” the Ministry said on Saturday.

(G12)

32 NEWS

SUNDAY, AUGUST 15, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

DDL earns $1.6B taxed profit in 2021 – mid-year report …Demerara Rum brand to get protected status in Europe – Chairman

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espite the fallout from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the recent devastating floods across Guyana, the Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL) Group has registered $1.675 billion in profit after tax during the first half of 2021.

This represents a 21 per cent increase from the $1.380 billion recorded in the corresponding period last year.

Similarly, the profit before tax for January to June 2021 grew by 20 per cent from $1.948 billion to $2.340 billion.

According to DDL Chairman, Komal Samaroo, “In Guyana, quite apart from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, there was also unprecedented flooding in most administrative regions of the country, which adversely affected supply of certain fruits as well as local sales across several Divisions of the Group.”

Notwithstanding these challenges experienced in the first half of 2021, the Group saw a turnover of $12.24 billion compared to $11.19 billion in the preceding year. This represented an increase of $1.05 billion or 9.4 per cent increase compared to turnover for the same period in 2020.

During the six months period, work on the implementation of the Topco Fruit as well as Dairy Processing and Packaging Project continued. The Juice Processing and Packaging Line was commissioned in the period and the 1-litre packaged Topco juices were introduced on the market in February 2021, while the Fruit Processing Line was successfully commissioned in May 2021.

However, the Dairy Processing Plant is now expected to be commissioned in August 2021.

“Delays were experienced on account of several equipment suppliers’ operations being affected by the pandemic resulting in unavailability of technicians to travel,” the Chairman explained.

Further, in this period, the Group commenced work on a project to re-locate the Bulk Terminal Operations from Water and Schumaker Streets to Diamond in order to more efficiently facilitate the change of logistics arrangement for the export of bulk products to customers.

This project is expected to be completed by the end of this year. These projects were the

main elements in capital expenditure of $1.029 billion incurred during the six-month period.

The COVID-19 vaccine, Government’s policy approaches, the unvaccinated, and the protests against vaccination

Protected status

Meanwhile, Samaroo also announced in his mid-year report that during this period, significant progress was made to protect the Demerara Rum Geographical Indication (GI) in the European Union (EU).

Geographical indications are words that identify a product originating from a particular place. The EU Geographical Indications system protects the names of products that originate from specific regions and have specific qualities or enjoy a reputation linked to the production territory.

According to the DDL Chairman, the Demerara Rum GI application was officially published on April 8, 2021, and upon the expiration of the three-month period for any opposition, it has now progressed within the European Commission to be translated into the various languages of EU countries.

Following publication of the Demerara Rum Technical Specifications in the EU Official Journal, in the coming

Background

DDL Chairman Komal Samaroo

months, Demerara Rum will be added to the list of protected GIs in the EU. “This is a major development in the Group’s drive to optimise the premium value of Demerara Rums as we continue the transition from being merely a commodity producer to a producer of premium rums,” Samaroo noted.

He further outlined that the EU registration of the Demerara Rum GI will be Guyana’s first GI registration in the EU, as well as the first Caribbean rum GI registration in the EU. “It is anticipated that, in the future, Demerara Rum will join well-known spirits categories like Cognac, Scotch Whisky and Tequila to benefit from the protection offered by GI Regulations in the EU,” the Chairman posited.

Nevertheless, Samaroo said in his 2021 report that during this reporting period, countries around the world made significant progress in getting the COVID-19 pandemic under control through the implementation of widespread vaccination programmes. However, new variants of the virus continue to pose a serious challenge.

He noted that this, as well as, misinformation about vaccines and the unavailability of vaccine supplies in third world countries have resulted in surges of infection in various parts of the world.

Several countries commenced the re-opening of their economies in a phased way, resulting in the gradual reopening of the tourism and hospitality sectors, which were severely affected by the pandemic. Consequently, supply chains into key markets were re-opening and had positive impact on sales in the period.

Nevertheless, the DDL Chairman posited that during the second half of 2021, it is anticipated that several new projects would commence, as the Group seeks to preserve competitiveness in an increasingly competitive market; while continuously diversifying the business.

Samaroo also took the opportunity to commend staff of the DDL Group, who have risen beyond the normal call of duty and responded positively to the many challenges in the period.

“Their efforts are fully recognised and I would like to thank them most sincerely for their hard work and commitment,” he stated, while also expressing similar sentiments to the Board of Directors as well as customers. (G8)

More than a year ago, the COVID-19 pandemic induced a devastating health and economic crisis across the globe. As at August 13, 2021, according to statistics published by the World Health Organization (WHO), there are 205.3 million cumulated COVID-19 cases globally (3% of the global population); and over 4.3 million cumulative deaths globally, representing 2.1% of the global confirmed cases.

In the case of Guyana, as at August 13, 2021, Guyana’s cumulative confirmed COVID cases amounts to 23,156 persons, which represents 3% of the local population – well in line with the global average; and 567 deaths, representing 2.4% of the total COVID-19 cases, which is above the global average of 2.1%.

Global economic impact

With respect to the global economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the pandemic disrupted lives across all countries and communities, and negatively affected global economic growth in 2020 on an annualised rate of -3.4% to -7.6%, with a projected recovery rate of 4.2% and 5.6% for 2021. Global trade is estimated to have fallen by 5.3% in 2020, and was not as negative as initially estimated, due in part to the fiscal and monetary policies governments adopted in 2020 (CRS Report, 2021).

In a report prepared for the January 2021 World Economic Forum, the International Labor Organization (ILO) estimated that “93% of the world’s workers at that time were living under some form of workplace restrictions as a result of the global pandemic, and 8.8 % of global working hours were lost in 2020 relative to the fourth quarter of 2019, an amount equivalent to 255 million fulltime jobs.

In July 2021, the OECD estimated that the pandemic-related recession cost 22 million jobs in the OECD countries in 2020, and 114 million jobs globally, compared with 2019.

As a consequence of the slowdown in economic activity in the fourth quarter of 2020, and projected slow but partial recovery in 2021, the OECD estimated that there would be long-lasting effects on the global economy, including: * Output was projected to remain around 5% below pre-crisis expectations in many countries in 2022, raising the spectre of substantial permanent costs, disproportionately affecting vulnerable populations. * Smaller firms and entrepreneurs are more likely to go out of business. * Many low-wage earners who lost their jobs and are only covered by unemployment insurance at best, with poor prospects of finding new jobs quickly. * People living in poverty and usually less well covered by social safety nets experienced a deterioration in their living standards. * Children and youth from less well-off backgrounds, and less qualified adult workers struggled to learn and work from home, with potentially long-lasting damage.

The OECD also concluded that:

* Real per capita income in 2020 was projected to decline by 8% and 9.5% respectively, depending on a year or two-wave contagion, with substantial declines in all economies. Even with an economic recovery in 2021, real per capita income was projected to rise to only that of 2013. * Unemployment was projected to rise to its highest level in more than 25 years, while the average unemployment rate was projected to rise to 7.4% in 2021 and 6.9% in 2022.

The OECD concludes that, “scarring effects from job losses are likely to be felt, particularly by younger workers and lower-skilled workers, with attendant risks of many people becoming trapped in joblessness for an extended period.” * Net productive investment (business and government) was weak prior to the pandemic, falling behind the average rate of investment during the previous decade. Investment was forecast to contract by half as a percentage of GDP, falling from 4.7% to 2.3% and 2.0% respectively for the one-wave and two-wave scenarios, and increasing the risk of entrenched weak economic growth.

Investment is also expected to be negatively affected by bankruptcies and insolvencies among corporations and financial institutions.

According to the OECD forecast, the greatest impact of the containment restrictions has been on the retail and wholesale industries, and in the professional and real estate services, although there are notable differences between countries. Business closures may have reduced economic output in advanced and major emerging economies by 15% or more; other emerging economies could have experienced a decline in output of 25%. Countries dependent on tourism have been affected more severely, while countries with large agricultural and mining sectors experienced less severe effects.

To be continued…

About the Author: JC. Bhagwandin is a financial and economic analyst. The views expressed are exclusively his own, and do not necessarily represent those of this newspaper and the institutions he represents. For comments, send to jbbankingadvice@gmail.com.

NEWS

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SUNDAY, AUGUST 15, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

7.2 magnitude quake hits Haiti

Guyana to support relief, recovery efforts of Haiti – President Ali ...304 dead, over 1800 injured

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uyana has pledged to support Haiti in the wake of the devastating 7.2 magnitude earthquake that rocked that nation on Saturday.

The BBC reported that at least 304 people died and more than 1800 were injured.

According to the BBC, the 7.2-magnitude quake hit the west of the country on Saturday morning, toppling and damaging buildings including churches and hotels.

On Saturday evening, President Ali, on behalf of the Government and people of Guyana, expressed solidarity and support to the people of the Republic of Haiti.

Guyana's support will be part of a regional relief and recovery initiative that will be coordinated by the Chairman of Caricom.

Assessment

The Head of State, in telephone conversations with the Prime Minister of Haiti, Dr Ariel Henry, and the Chairman of Caricom, Prime Minister of Antigua

and Barbuda Gaston Browne, assured them that the Government of Guyana will provide assistance to aid the relief and recovery efforts.

A statement from Guyana’s Office of the President said that Prime Minister Henry thanked President Ali for offering assistance. He indicated that an assessment is being done to ascertain the extent of the impact of the earthquake and to identify the critical areas of need. Dr Henry also said that the assessment report will be shared with President Ali and Caricom as soon as it has been completed.

The Prime Minister said there was "extensive damage" and declared a monthlong state of emergency.

Haiti is still recovering from a devastating 2010 earthquake. The BBC re-

ported that the epicentre of Saturday's quake was about 12km (7.5 miles) from the town of SaintLouis du Sud, the US Geological Survey (USGS) said.

New COVID guidelines…

Businesses caught in breach will be shut down for 1 month – GTA

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usinesses which are caught breaching the new COVID guidelines as outlined in the National Emergency Safety Measures No. 20 will be shut down for one month.

This has been iterated by the Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA) and the Tourism & Hospitality Association of Guyana (THAG) in a joint release on Saturday. Both businesses and patrons have been urged to comply with the new guidelines.

President of THAG, Harrinand Persaud, in the statement, noted that THAG fully appreciates the magnitude of these revised guidelines on tourism and hospitality businesses in a peak period.

“However, we also recognise that these efforts are necessary for the health and

continue to serve you,” Persaud said.

WhatsApp group

safety of all. Vaccinations protect us all from becoming very ill. It ensures that we can continue to safely reopen and operate our businesses, to support the livelihoods of our staff and families.

We call on all patrons to be supportive of the operations who, for their part, are complying with the guidelines set by the Ministry of Health and National COVID-19 Task Force that they may

Meanwhile, Director of the GTA, Carla JamesVantull, has reinforced the importance of persons becoming vaccinated, and reassures stakeholders in the sector that the GTA is noting the continued challenges with operating during these trying times, and is available to provide whatever support they may need during this time.

“The GTA recognises the challenges that establishments have been facing since the implementation of these measures, and would like to commend those establishments that have taken the necessary steps to ensure that their businesses provide safe services,” JamesVantull said, adding that as

safety measures are rolled out, it is important to provide the most up-to-date information and get feedback on how these systems are working.

“As such, we have created an outlet to receive feedback from owners and manage rs of these establishments through a WhatsApp group.

Here they will be able to have their concerns heard and addressed in real-time. We are here to help, so we hope that businesses will continue to reach out to us. This pandemic is affecting everyone, so we are all in this together, and it is only together we will be able to make it through the end of the tun-

nel,” she said.

The two organisations further reminded that through these measures, supported by the Laws of Guyana, the Government has embarked on a more multifaceted, strategic approach to ensure that Guyana achieves herd immunity.

By reaching its 80% to 85% vaccination target, Guyana, and by extension its tourism and hospitality sectors, will be able to resume some amount of normalcy as it works towards a safe reopening and operations.

34

guyanatimesgy.com

SUNDAY, AUGUST 15, 2021

Regional

Hundreds killed in Nicaragua: Police raid offices magnitude 7.2 quake in Haiti of La Prensa newspaper

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t least 227 people died and hundreds were injured or missing after a major earthquake struck southwestern Haiti on Saturday, authorities said, reducing churches, hotels and homes to rubble in the latest tragedy to hit the impoverished Caribbean nation.

The 7.2-magnitude quake, which was followed by a series of aftershocks, struck 8 km (5 miles) from the town of Petit Trou de Nippes, about 150 km west of the capital Port-auPrince, at a depth of 10 km, the United States Geological Survey said.

That made the temblor which was felt as far away as Cuba and Jamaica potentially bigger and shallower than the magnitude 7 earthquake 11 years ago that killed tens of thousands in the poorest nation in the Americas.

This one - which occurred around 8:30 am local time - hit farther away from the capital, however. In Port-au-Prince, it was strongly felt but did not appear to have caused major damage, according to Reuters witnesses.

Still, Haiti’s Civil Protection service said the preliminary death toll already stood at 227 and Prime Minister Ariel Henry declared a month-long state of emer-

P

A view of a collapsed building following an earthquake in Les Cayes, Haiti. This still image is taken from a video obtained by Reuters on August 14, 2021

gency.

The nearest big town was Les Cayes, where many buildings collapsed or suffered major damage, according to authorities, who said they were searching for survivors.

In Les Cayes, locals said water had briefly flooded the coastal town of 126,000, causing panic amid fear of a tsunami, but then appeared to retreat. Haitian media outlets reported some people along the coast had already fled to the mountains.

US President Joe Biden authorized an immediate US response to the earthquake and named Samantha Power, administrator of the US Agency for International Development, coordinator of the effort.

The earthquake comes just

over a month after the assassination of President Jovenel Moise, who had been ruling by decree, which deepened the country’s political turmoil.

Meanwhile, swaths of Haiti are facing growing hunger and healthcare services are overwhelmed by COVID-19. Access by road to the southern region, where the quake struck, has been restricted by gang control of key areas, raising questions over how aid will be delivered.

That region had only recently recovered from Hurricane Matthew, which struck in 2016, killing hundreds and causing widespread devastation. Haiti is now in the probable track of Tropical Storm Grace which could bring heavy rains early next week. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Bolsonaro attacks Brazil Judges, warns of “institutional rupture”

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razilian President Jair Bolsonaro on Saturday called for the Senate to bring charges against two Supreme Court justices, warning of an “institutional rupture” in his latest clash with the Judiciary as investigations threaten him and his allies.

“It has been a while since Supreme Court Justices Alexandre de Moraes and Luis Roberto Barroso have exceeded constitutional limits with their acts,” Bolsonaro wrote on Twitter. “Everyone knows the consequences, inter-

nal and external, of an institutional rupture, which we neither provoke nor desire.”

On Friday, Moraes jailed the head of a party allied with the far-right President in a probe of online misinformation and anti-democratic threats.

A day earlier, he opened a probe of Bolsonaro for posting confidential material on social media in his push to substantiate unproven allegation of election fraud.

Barroso, who is also head of the federal electoral court, has pushed

back forcefully against Bolsonaro’s claims, leading the President to call him a “son of a whore.”

Facing the expanding legal probes and legislative defeat for his proposal to overhaul Brazil’s voting systems, Bolsonaro has already threatened to respond outside his constitutional limits. On Tuesday, the formerly army captain took part in an unusual military display outside the presidential palace ahead of a key congressional vote. (Excerpt from Reuters)

olice in Nicaragua have raided the offices of the country’s main newspaper, La Prensa, which has been highly critical of President Daniel Ortega’s Government.

Photographs on La Prensa’s website show Riot Police entering the building and boxes of materials being removed.

Journalists said internet access and electricity were cut during the raid.

Police said they were investigating allegations of customs fraud and money laundering by the newspaper’s managers.

La Prensa is owned by the family of Christiana Chamorro, a high-profile politician who was detained

two months ago after announcing she would run against President Ortega in November’s elections. Other presidential hopefuls have also been detained.

La Prensa has repeatedly referred to Ortega as a “dictator”.

On Thursday, the paper said it was having to suspend its print edition because authorities had refused to release imports of newsprint.

Pro-Government news outlets published images of the newspaper’s warehouses which they said showed it had no reason to halt the print version.

La Prensa staff insisted that there was not enough paper in the building to

print even one edition.

Editor-in-chief Eduardo Enríquez told Reuters news agency that staff had been prevented from using their mobile phones during Friday’s raid.

Opposition to Ortega, who is currently serving his fourth term in office, has been growing in recent years.

In 2018, mass anti-Government protests swept through the country but were met with a violent Police response. Hundreds were killed and thousands injured in the clashes, with protesters on one side, and the security forces and pro-Government militia on the other. (Excerpt from BBC News)

Caricom hails Rowley’s role in getting vaccines from US

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aricom has cited the culmination of former Caricom Chairman Prime Minister Keith Rowley’s efforts to get COVID-19 vaccines for the region from the US – and the US Government’s gift of 5.5 million Pfizer vaccines to Caricom.

Caricom issued a statement on this, stating the vaccines were “the culmination of efforts initiated by the Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, Dr the Honourable Keith Rowley, who as Chair of Caricom, wrote to President Joseph Biden of the United States earlier this year requesting a supply of vaccines for the community.”

Caricom noted Biden subsequently announced the US was donating a supply of vaccines to the region as part of its worldwide distribution of 80 million doses and that US Vice President Kamala Harris also spoke with Rowley in June, confirming the allocation to Caricom.

Former Caricom Chairman, Prime Minister Keith Rowley

Fifteen Caricom member states will receive the Pfizer vaccines, with 1.5 million doses being allocated to Haiti and the other four million doses for distribution among 14 Caricom countries. T&T received 305,370 Pfizer doses on Thursday.

The donation from the White House also included three million ancillary kits containing needles, syringes, diluent and other supplies which have already been received.

The donation by the

US followed months of discussions betweaen the US Department of Health and Human Services, Pfizer, the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) and Caricom’s Secretariat.

“At the beginning of those discussions, the total number of persons vaccinated in Caricom countries stood at a meagre 515,000, which emphasises the importance of the donation by the US Government,” it said. (Excerpt from Trinidad Guardian)

Venezuela Government, Opposition Court orders Biden to reinstate launch talks in Mexico Trump’s “remain in Mexico” policy

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e n e z u e l a n Government and Opposition members are starting talks in Mexico City to seek elusive consensus on how to overcome the economic and social crises gripping the country, according to the AFP news agency.

Representatives of the two sides signed an agreement on Friday in Mexico City, officially inaugurating the start of the dialogue mediated by Norway and hosted by the Mexican Government.

The Government of President Nicolas Maduro is pressing for the lifting of sanctions imposed by the

United States and Europe against Venezuelan officials and institutions for what they see as criminal activities and the state’s suppression of democracy.

For its part, the Opposition in the oil-producing South American country wants Maduro to release dozens of people it considers political prisoners and provide guarantees its candidates can run in regional elections due in November.

It has also requested that humanitarian aid, such as COVID-19 vaccines, be allowed in.

Norway also helped broker previous talks in 2019 that ultimately came

to nothing. In 2016, the Vatican supported similar talks that also failed.

Expectations for success during the first round to take place in Mexico have been tempered by past experience.

Returning to the negotiating table is a change of tack for the Opposition, which accused Maduro in the past of using dialogue to gain time and relieve international pressure.

Venezuelan Government officials abandoned the 2019 talks in Barbados and Norway after the US stepped up sanctions against the Maduro Administration.

(Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

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federal Judge has ordered President Joe Biden’s administration to reinstate his Republican predecessor’s “remain in Mexico” policy, which forced tens of thousands of Central American asylum-seekers to wait in Mexico for US court cases.

In a victory for the states of Missouri and Texas, which brought the suit, US District Court Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk said on Friday that the Biden Administration had violated laws on procedure by failing to consider “several

of the main benefits” of the programme and acted “arbitrarily and capriciously” in ending it.

A Biden Administration memo announcing a formal end to the policy was circulated June 1. It was not clear how the ruling would ultimately impact that decision. Former President Donald Trump instituted the policy in early 2019.

Kacsmaryk, a Trump appointee, stayed his decision for a week to allow the Biden Administration to appeal. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS)

did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Trump’s “remain in Mexico” policy sought to block asylum seekers from Central America by making them wait in Mexico for the outcome of their US asylum hearings.

Defenders of the policy said it reduced pressure on overburdened immigration officials; human rights groups said it violated due process and exposed destitute refugees to the risk of kidnap, abuse and rape.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

guyanatimesgy.com

SUNDAY, AUGUST 15, 2021

35

Around the World

OILNEWS OIL NEWS Asia buys more US crude as Middle East hikes oil prices

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espite a slowdown in fuel demand due to the Delta variant, Asian refiners have booked more crude oil from the United States for the fourth quarter, taking

advantage of the lower US benchmark prices than last month, traders told Bloomberg on Friday.

Refiners in Asia seek cheaper crude, especially after Saudi Aramco raised last week its official selling prices for crude oil loading for Asia in September to the highest premiums to benchmarks since February 2020. Since other major Middle Eastern producers follow the trends in Saudi pricing, other oil exporters in the Gulf also raised their prices.

Signs have already emerged that some Asian refiners have asked for lower Saudi crude volumes for September.

Some Asian refiners have nominated lower than usual volumes of crude oil from Saudi Arabia as authorities in China and the rest of Asia have reimposed restrictions to fight the Delta variant surge, officials at four refineries told Bloomberg.

Refiners are thus opportunistically seeking lower-priced crude, which the US is happy to supply. US producers of medium heavy are selling their oil at lower prices than last month’s. And Russian oil companies are discounting their Urals grade, according to traders who spoke to Bloomberg last week.

With US crude prices now lower than last month’s, and at significantly lower premiums over the Dubai benchmark, Asian refiners have bought at least 7 million barrels of US crude set to arrive in October and November, according to Bloomberg’s trading sources.

Bharat Petroleum Corporation of India has acquired 2 million barrels of the West Texas Intermediate Midland crude grade scheduled to arrive in October. In Northeast Asia, two refiners have bought 5 million of Mars crude for November arrival, the traders said.

Chinese refiners, however, could reduce crude throughputs due to the renewed travel restrictions. China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation, or Sinopec, is expected to reduce run rates by up to 10 per cent at some of its facilities amid new travel restrictions in China to fight a COVID wave, a commodity research analyst told Bloomberg in an interview earlier this week. (Excerpt from Oilprice.com)

Russian firefighting plane crashes in southern Turkey

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ussia said all eight people onboard a Russian water-dropping plane died when it crashed in Turkey during a firefighting mission.

The Russian Defence Ministry said on Saturday that the Be-200 plane had crashed at about 3:10 pm Moscow time (13:30 GMT) and that it carried five Russian servicemen and three Turkish citizens, Russian news agencies reported.

Turkey’s Anadolu Agency said the plane

was linked to the General Directory of Forestry. Search and rescue teams were sent to the area in Kahramanmaras.

Private news agency DHA said the plane crashed as it was fighting a forest fire in the inland Bertiz region. It said the cause of the crash had not yet been identified.

Kahramanmaras Governor Omer Faruk Coskun told Anadolu that a wildfire had begun after lightning struck trees.

“We had dispatched a plane to the area but we lost com-

T

Saturday.

For weeks, US health officials and top infectious disease experts have urged Americans to get vaccinated to stem a rising wave of infections, deaths and hospitalisations that they say is linked to the Delta variant.

Dr Anthony Fauci, the White House’s chief medical adviser, has described the current wave as “an outbreak of the unvaccinated“.

While 50.5 per cent of people in the US are considered fully vaccinated, according to US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data, and 59.4 per cent have received at least one dose, millions of people have not received a single jab.

The recent increase in cases has spurred heated debate across the country around whether state and local governments should institute vaccine mandates – a move that Fauci and other officials recently said they support. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

der control over 16 days by firefighters, helicopters and planes.

Eight people have died in the wildfires, which came after Turkey and the whole Mediterranean region endured a prolonged heatwave.

Climate scientists say there is little doubt climate change from the burning of coal, oil and natural gas is driving more extreme events, such as heatwaves, droughts, wildfires, floods and storms. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Japan rain: Nearly 2 million residents told to seek shelter

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early two million people have been urged to evacuate their homes amid heavy rainfall in parts of Japan.

Highest-level rain warnings have been issued in a number of prefectures, including Fukuoka and Hiroshima.

One woman has died and her husband and daughter are missing after a landslide destroyed two homes in Nagasaki prefecture.

More than 150 troops, Police and firefighters have been sent to help with rescue operations in the area.

"They are carefully searching for the missing residents, while watching out for further

Experts warn the rain is forecast to continue throughout the week

mudslides as the heavy rain continues," a local official told the AFP news agency.

The west of the country is worst affected but heavy downpours are expected

across the country in coming days.

In total, non-compulsory evacuation warnings are now in place for more than 1.8 million people across sev-

en prefectures, according to Japanese broadcaster NHK. Yushi Adachi, from Japan's meteorological agency, described the current rainfall as "unprecedented".

"It's highly likely that some kind of disaster has already occurred," he said.

Local television footage showed submerged roads.

Rivers in Saga and Fukuoka have overflowed with water levels still rising, local media reports said.

The flooding comes just weeks after heavy rain caused landslides and prompted rivers to burst their banks, killing dozens. (Excerpt from BBC News)

Climate change: July is world's hottest month ever recorded – US agency of named storms.

Earlier this week, a report from the United Nations said that climate change is having an "un-

US sees record number of children in hospital with COVID he number of children hospitalised with COVID-19 has hit a record-high in the United States, which continues to grapple with the rapid spread of the highly contagious Delta variant, especially in areas with low vaccination rates.

Paediatric hospitalisations hit 1902 on Saturday, according to data from the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) – accounting for about 2.4 per cent of the country’s total coronavirus-related hospitalisations.

Children below 12 years of age are not eligible to receive the coronavirus vaccine, leaving them more vulnerable to infection from the highly transmissible variant.

“This is not last year’s COVID. This one is worse and our children are the ones that are going to be affected by it the most,” Sally Goza, former President of the American Academy of Paediatrics, told CNN on

munication with the plane a while ago and it crashed.

The situation is very new.

We dispatched many units to the area where the plane crashed,” he said.

Wildfires in Turkey’s Mediterranean region began in late July and have incinerated thousands of acres of forests, mostly in the seaside provinces of Mugla and Antalya.

Turkey’s Forestry Minister, Bekir Pakdemirli, said on Thursday that 299 fires had been brought un-

precedented" impact on earth, with some changes likely to be "irreversible for centuries to millennia."

(Excerpt from BBC News)

Nobody's running Lebanon, Central Bank boss says Turkey is one of several Mediterranean countries to be affected by wildfires during high temperatures

J

uly was the world's hottest month ever recorded, a US federal scientific and regulatory agency has reported.

The data shows that the combined land and ocean-surface temperature was 0.93C (1.68F) above the 20th Century average of 15.8C (60.4F).

It is the highest temperature since record-keeping began 142 years ago.

The previous record, set in July 2016, was equalled in 2019 and 2020.

Experts believe this is due to the long-term impact of climate change.

In a statement, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said that July's "unenviable distinction" was a cause for concern.

"In this case, first place is the worst place to be," NOAA administrator Rick

Spinrad said in a statement.

"This new record adds to the disturbing and disruptive path that climate change has set for the globe."

The combined land and ocean-surface temperature was 0.01C higher than the 2016 record.

In the Northern Hemisphere, land-surface temperature reached an "unprecedented" 1.54C higher than average, surpassing a previous record set in 2012.

The data also showed that July was Asia's hottest month on record, as well as Europe's second hottest after July 2018.

The NOAA statement also included a map of significant climate "anomalies" in July, which noted that global tropical cyclone activity this year has been unusually high for the number

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ebanon's Central Bank Governor said nobody was running the country, hitting back after Government criticism of his decision to halt fuel subsidies that have drained currency reserves.

In an interview broadcast on Saturday, Riad Salameh said the Government could resolve the problem quickly by passing necessary legislation.

The country's President Michel Aoun later on Saturday called on Parliament to convene and take appropriate action on the crisis, his office said in a statement, without specifying a time or a particular proposal.

Salameh denied he had acted alone in declaring an end to the subsidies on Wednesday, and said it was widely known that the decision was coming.

"So far you have nobody running the country," Salameh told Radio Free Lebanon.

The worsening fuel crisis is part of Lebanon's wider fi-

nancial meltdown. Hospitals, bakeries and many businesses are scaling back operations or shutting down as fuel runs dry.

Deadly violence has flared in fuel lines, protesters have blocked roads, and fuel tankers have been hijacked this week.

The American University of Beirut Medical Center said it was threatened with a forced shutdown as early as Monday because of shortages of fuel used to generate electricity.

"This means that ventilators and other lifesaving medical devices will cease to operate. Forty adult patients and 15 children living on respirators will die immediately," the hospital said.

The Central Bank's move to end subsidies will mean sharp price increases. It is the latest turn in a crisis that has sunk the Lebanese pound by 90 per cent in less than two years and pushed more than half the population into poverty. (Excerpt from Reuters)

36

SUNDAY, AUGUST 15, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

guyanatimesgy.com

SUNDAY, AUGUST 15, 2021

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GUYANATIMESGY.COM

SUNDAY, AUGUST 15, 2021

GFF inducts new coaches with first online ‘Introduction to Coaching’ course T he Guyana Football Federation (GFF) has successfully delivered its first online “Introduction to Coaching” programme, in which it shared fundamental coaching principles with participants from all over the country as it accelerates its investment in the coaches’ development ahead of the safe resumption of competition.

The introductory online course is designed to rapidly integrate as many coaches as possible into the GFF’s national coaching philosophy and pathway, as part of ongoing efforts to further professionalise coaching standards in Guyana to spur the development of football.

“My participation in this introductory course has strengthened my resolve to develop myself as a coach,” said course participant and former Golden Jaguars team member Dwain Jacobs, who is based in the East Coast Demerara Football Association.

“My main focus as a coach was on a tactical level, but now I have a holistic view of being a coach,” he said.

The online course,

which received 61 registrations from aspiring and practising coaches across Guyana,

provides a basic foundation for coaches to progress to the Concacaf ‘D’ license course and qualification – the first level of recognised professional certification.

“The GFF is fully committed to improving the standard of coaching through structured and consistent education, as we prepare for

the return of play after the COVID-19 pandemic,” said GFF Technical Director Ian Greenwood.

“We have a huge pool of talented and passionate coaches around Guyana – the key is to provide a clear pathway for development, so that they can all reach their potential and then produce better quality players for our clubs and national teams.”

The online course was delivered by Greenwood, GFF Coach Education and Development Officer Lyndon France,

GFF Youth Development Officer Bryan Joseph, and GFF Coach Mentor Sampson Gilbert.

“We continue to encourage our regional associations to put forward as many coaches as possible to receive this essential training, so that we can build on the excellent progress

we have made so far in improving coaching standards at all levels of the game,” said France.

Having inherited a system of coaches with no valid qualifications in 2015, the GFF has since facilitated the progression of 51 coaches to Concacaf ‘D’ licence or ‘C’ licence level, and introduced a national

E

chipped in with 27 and 23 respectively.

Just as England looked set for a healthy first-innings lead, Ishant Sharma removed Moeen and Sam Curran in successive deliveries. The hosts were eventually bowled out for 391 an advantage of 27 - off the final ball of a compelling, entertaining day.

The direction of the match will now be shaped

by India’s second innings, with the tourists set to bat again on a pitch that remains slow and flat, albeit with the occasional hint of

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learned key points that will help me to become much better than I already am. This could have only been done through the Federation.”

The GFF plans to run courses for ‘D’ and ‘C’ licences this year, alongside goal-keeping qualifications, fitness workshops, and child protection training for coaches in the coming months.

“After these last few sessions, I’m better equipped in sticking to my session plans and being more patient with players,” said East Bank Demerara Football Association participant Orin Angoy. “The support from the GFF’s webinars and coaches, they have guided me along the path, and they are still guiding me.”

punches of front and back foot, delicate dabs to third man, with whips and flicks off the pads. He was never bogged down, hustling between the wickets as if his life depended on it.

In a repeat of last week, Root celebrated this hundred - his 22nd - in animated and emotional fashion, punching the air and howling to the heavens. There was plenty more to come, including an audacious scoop off the pace of Mohammed Siraj, Root remaining untouchable and soaking up the applause as the last man standing. (BBC Sport)

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Joe Root scored a magnificent 180*

ngland captain Joe Root has made a second masterful century in the space of a week, but the second Test is deliciously poised after India’s resurgence late on day three.

Just like last Saturday at Trent Bridge, Root imperiously carried the home side, this time batting through a sun-kissed day for an unbeaten 180 at Lord’s.

He was supported by Jonny Bairstow, whose 57 was his first Test half-century for two years, while Moeen Ali and Jos Buttler

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Root’s masterful century pushes England to 27-run lead century of 2021. Only two England batsmen - Denis Compton and Michael Vaughan - have made six in a year. Root was denied the opportunity to become the first England player to make three double hundreds in a year only because he ran out of partners.

From 48 not out overnight, there seemed an inevitability that Root would take advantage of the ideal batting conditions when he drove to the point boundary in the second over of the day. Barely a run was scored down the ground. Instead, it was off-side drives and

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GFF Technical Director, Ian Greenwood

coaching philosophy and pathway.

Rolled out over several weeks, the online course featured 24 hours of training with a special focus on coaching 6-to-12-yearolds, the age range targeted for development within the GFF’s grassroots programme.

“This is my first coaching programme with the Federation, and it has not disappointed,” said Linden Pickett, a former player and participant from the Georgetown Football Association’s region. “I’ve

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low bounce.

England were fragile in the drawn first Test, and were in a vulnerable position when India reached 276-3 on the first day here, but they have fought back through the two all-time greats in their side - Joe Root and James Anderson.

Just like when Anderson returned 5-62 on Friday, there are not many superlatives left for Root, who is producing the sort of batting that few in the history of the English game have been capable of. From 10 Tests, this was his fifth

England Innings Rory Burns lbw b Mohammed Shami 49 Dom Sibley c Rahul b Mo hammed Siraj 11 Haseeb Hameed b Mohammed Siraj 0 Joe Root (c)not out 180 Jonny Bairstow c Kohli b Mohammed Siraj 57 Jos Buttler † b I Sharma 23 Moeen Ali c Kohli b I Sharma 27 Sam Curran c RG Sharma b I Sharma 0 Ollie Robinson lbw b Mohammed Siraj 6 Mark Wood run out (Jadeja/†Pant) 5 James Anderson

b Mohammed Shami 0 Extras (b 5, lb 6, nb 17, w 5) 33 TOTAL (128 Ov, RR: 3.05) 391 Fall of wickets: 1-23 (Dom Sibley, 14.2 ov), 2-23 (Haseeb Hameed, 14.3 ov), 3-108 (Rory Burns, 41.2 ov), 4-229 (Jonny Bairstow, 78.4 ov), 5-283 (Jos Buttler, 90.6 ov), 6-341 (Moeen Ali, 110.5 ov), 7-341 (Sam Curran, 110.6 ov), 8-357 (Ollie Robinson, 116.6 ov), 9-371 (Mark Wood, 124.3 ov), 10-391 (James Anderson, 127.6 ov) BOWLING O-M-R-W Ishant Sharma 24-4-69-3 Jasprit Bumrah 26-6-79-0 Mohammed Shami 26-3-95-2 Mohammed Siraj 30-7-94-4 Ravindra Jadeja 22-1-43-0

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GUYANATIMESGY.COM

SUNDAY, AUGUST 15, 2021

10-member powerlifting team for Pan Am Championships A

team comprising 10 of Guyana’s best powerlifters will, on Monday night, jet off for the 18th FESUPO/NAPF Pan-American Regional Powerlifting Championships in Orlando, Florida.

Scheduled for August 17th to 23rd, the trip, inclusive of the total cost of preparation, is valued at $4.2M. Speaking with media operatives during a briefing on Saturday morning, President of the Guyana Amateur Powerlifting Federation (GAPLF), Gordon Spencer, opined that the GAPLF had made a ‘fair selection’ of the team, and he expects the athletes to have good returns at the event.

“The Team we’ve put together is one that we carefully selected. Coming out of the pandemic in 2020, many of our athletes were not able to train as they would have liked, but those that are selected here are those who were able to find a gym and (do) what was expected of them; and so we were able to make a fair selection,” Spencer noted.

“All in all, we think that this team here - that we’re using to represent Guyana is going to do us well. We’ve always been able to raise the flag of Guyana, and we’d like to do so again,” he declared.

On a similar note, General Secretary of the GAPLF, Roger Rogers, vo-

Executives of the GAPLF pose with members of the travelling team

calised his trust in the selection process that the GAPLF abides by.

“It’s a team that was selected based on very clear criteria which (were) developed by the Guyana Amateur Powerlifting Federation over the years, and which we have used diligently; which would have proven the quality of the athletes and the accolades they benefited from on previous outings,” Rogers explained.

Responding to a question about the athletes’ travel arrangements and avoiding any hiccups, Rogers disclosed that the only box left to be ticked is their mandatory COVID-19 testing.

“Our flight arrange-

ments are confirmed. We do not envisage any difficulty. The only procedural requirement that remains outstanding at this juncture is our COVID test, which will be done tomorrow, facilitated by the Ministry of Health, for which we’re grateful.”

He added confidently, “So, barring any adverse outcome of that exercise, all our arrangements are firmly set.”

The lone female on the team, Nadine Taharally, is hoping to make the most of the competition while remaining injury free.

“Some of us who could make the gym and some of us who couldn’t make the gym made much with what we had at home to do the

training and, you know, try our best to do our best with what we had. With that said, I’m just hoping to do my best, make Guyana proud,

and return injury free,” Taharally stated.

Carlos ‘The Showstopper’ Peterson-Griffith gave more in-depth information about his training routine, and noted that he is grateful for the international competition.

“My preparation? Yeah, it’s been off for 2-3 months.

With that being said, I’ve found myself being in and out of Jamie’s (Mc Donald’s) backyard training facility.

With that I was able to do tyre flips, sandbags, most likely strongman training; did some car deadlifts which you’re able to not just keep in the powerlifting arena,” he explained.

‘The Showstopper’ added, “With the pandemic hitting us, I was a bit off, nevertheless the difficulties here and

39

there. But with that being said, I’m happy once again, not just to make the team, but to compete abroad.”

The Guyana team consists of Nadine Taharally (78kg M1/Open Classics), Roger Rogers (120kg M2 Classics), Carlos PetersonGriffith, Wasim Mohamed (93kg Open Classics), Naranjan Singh (83kg M4 Equipped), Martin Webster (93kg M2 Classics), Referees Franklin Brisport-Luke (66kg M2 Classics/ Equipped), Gordon Spencer (93kg M3 Equipped), Andrew Austin and Coach/Manager Kerma Singh.

Barbados to participate in 2022 Commonwealth Games – after CWI postpones Regionals

Team Alanis/Attack Racing/Professional Keyshop 55-miler set for today

C

Today’s race is organised

by Team Alanis

G

Mario Washington has been the most consistent junior rider this year

uyana’s top cyclists will hit the roadways today (Sunday August 15) as contestants in the lucrative 55-mile cycle race that pedals off on the East Bank of Demerara and the LindenSoesdyke Highway.

Sponsored by Attack Racing and the Professional Keyshop, this race is organised by Team Alanis Cycle Club (TACC), and is set to commence at 7:15hrs from before Banks DIH Thirst Park, then proceed to Yarrowkabra Police

Outpost on the Soesdyke Linden Highway and return for the grand finish at Thirst Park.

The Masters over-50 riders and females will cover a distance of 40 miles.

First eight elite/senior riders as well as the top masters, females and juniors would each earn $15,000. The Masters/ Veterans over-50 category is being sponsored by Mr. Shameer Baksh. Six sprint prizes will be up for grabs at $1,000 each.

Meanwhile, on August

29, another big cycling event is billed for the outer circuit of the National Park. That lucrative event is sponsored by Touche Kosmetics, and the winner of the open category would bag a cash prize of $60,000 riding 15 laps.

The Veterans under-50 and over-50 will ride for 10 laps and the winner will be rewarded with $40,000.

Top female, junior and juvenile riders would each be rewarded with $40,000 in their 10-lap race. The action commences at 8:00h.

Registration for that August 29 race will be closed five days prior to the race, and the masters will have the option to choose which race they prefer to participate in on the day, whether the Open or Masters category.

(Brandon Corlette)

Team Barbados won the last Regional tournament

ricket West Indies (CWI) has announced that the Barbados Women’s Team will participate in Commonwealth Games 2022 in Birmingham, England. This event will be held from July 28 to August 8, and women’s cricket tournament will be staged for the first time at Edgbaston.

This follows the CWI Board of Directors’ decision, taken on Friday, July 30, to postpone the 2021 T20 Blaze tournament and the 2021 Women’s CG Insurance Super50 Cup until 2022.

The 2021 CWI T20 Blaze competition was to be the West Indies qualifying tournament for the Commonwealth Games. Following the postponement, the Barbados Women’s Team will be the representative team from the West Indies, as a result of their victory in the 2020 CWI T20 Blaze tournament and in line with Commonwealth Games Association’s tournament rules agreed by the International Cricket Council (ICC).

The decision to postpone regional women’s cricket tournaments was taken with the news of the recently announced women’s international CG Insurance ODI and T20 fixtures between West

Indies and South Africa, to be played from August 31 to September 19; and the ongoing logistical challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic requiring multiple teams to be hosted in one country. This has made it very challenging to find a suitable scheduling window.

CWI has committed additional investment into West Indies Women’s cricket development with two additional high Performance Camps. The first commenced in Antigua on August 9, and would last for a three-week preparation camp ahead of the international Series against South Africa.

A second camp, to be held in Antigua from October 10 to October 31, has been scheduled to give the West Indies Women the best possible preparation to perform in the ICC World Cup Qualifiers, starting in November.

Ahead of the World Cup Qualifiers, CWI would also confirm a further series of warm-up One-Day Internationals, to be played overseas in November.

Details on this Series will be announced in coming weeks.

CWI CEO Johnny Grave has said: “We want to congratulate the Barbados Women’s Team for being named to rep-

resent the West Indies in the Commonwealth Games 2022. This is an historic occasion as, for the first time, Women’s Twenty20 cricket will feature at this prestigious global sporting event, which is a great fillip for our sport and great exposure and opportunity for the players.

“We wish them all the very best as they compete for the gold medal, and we know they will continue to do West Indies proud.”

Grave added: “It has been a challenging period, with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic at our doorstep, and we have been forced to take the decision to postpone the Women’s T20 Blaze and Women’s CG Insurance Super50 Cup for this year. We have, however, been able to invest in several High Performance Camps and international fixtures to the Women’s squad, conducted by Courtney Walsh and his coaching staff. These have been hugely beneficial to date, and we have identified a core group of players who are the best available in the region for the ICC Women’s World Cup qualifiers, who will benefit from the additional resources that CWI is committing to preparing the West Indies Women’s squad.”

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

SUNDAY, AUGUST 15, 2021

guyanatimesgy.com

Babar’s fifty extends Pakistan’s lead on hard-fought day Babar Azam stood tall

A

resolute 54 not out off 139 balls from Babar Azam helped Pakistan put up a strong fight, even as West Indies chipped away at the wickets on a rain-hit Day 3 of the first Test in the Betway series, being played in Kingston, Jamaica.

After the West Indies innings was wrapped up early, with the hosts being bowled out for 253, Pakistan slipped to 65 for 4, only 29 runs ahead. Kemar Roach and Jayden Seales bowled fine spells, but Babar held his own, putting on important partnerships with Mohammad Rizwan and Faheem Ashraf to take Pakistan to 160 for 5 at Stumps. The visitors were leading by 124.

West Indies added only two runs to their overnight total, as Shaheen Afridi’s yorkers to Jomel Warrican (bowled) and Joshua Da Silva (LBW) ensured a quick end to their first innings. With a slender lead of 36, West Indies struck early through Kemar Roach, who trapped Imran Butt leg-before in the third over, using the review to overturn the onfield decision of not out.

A half-century partnership between Abid Ali and Azhar Ali ensued, helping Pakistan into the lead. Abid got off to a

positive start, driving the full deliveries from Jayden Seales and Roach for boundaries. Azhar was watchful at the other end, defending well and clipping deliveries to the on side for singles, while he scored his first four by helping a Kyle Mayers delivery to the fine leg fence.

Abid went without a run for 16 deliveries before playing a Jason Holder delivery with soft hands for a four to third man.

Warrican had an expensive start, conceding 21 runs off his three overs in the first session, including a straight six for Abid and two successive fours for Azhar.

The No. 3 batsman was put down by Holder at second slip off Roach, while another edge dropped short of the ‘keeper.

But Roach finally got the better of Azhar by having him bowled around his legs just before Lunch.

Seales was brought on to bowl in the fifth over of the second session, and he struck immediately, getting Abid and Fawad Alam in the same over, to leave Pakistan in trouble. Abid fell attempting the cut shot, while Alam’s poke outside off resulted in an edge to the ‘keeper.

Babar and Rizwan had the job of resurrecting the Pakistan

innings, and the latter had a nervous start when he topedged a six off Seales. But he got over that, and settled into a partnership with his captain, with both batsmen displaying good application.

They also played their shots confidently - Babar preferring the on side for his fours while Rizwan drove and pulled well - as they raised a half-century stand off 100 deliveries before rain forced

loose shot in what was otherwise a solid innings when he went for a cut off Seales, and the ball went over slips to the ropes.

Soon after the lead reached 100, Ashraf had a reprieve as Jermaine Blackwood put down a catch at third slip, much to the disappointment of Mayers.

He tightened his defences from there on to keep the West Indies bowlers at bay.

Ashraf wasn’t in any hurry

Kemar Roach continued to test the batsmen

early tea.

After a delay of more than two hours, play resumed and West Indies lost a review for a caught-behind decision early in the third session. But they struck soon after, as Holder got Rizwan to edge to the ‘keeper to end a 56-run partnership.

Roach also found the outside edge of Babar and Ashraf’s bats, but the ball landed short or clear of the slip cordon. Babar played a

to score runs, playing out a few maidens, while Babar struck a sweep off Roston Chase and then got an inside edge to the boundary off the spinner to bring up a 117-ball fifty.

With the light fading, the spinners were on, and got through their overs quickly, but couldn’t pick up any wicket as Babar and Ashraf ended the day unbeaten, having added 39 off 145 deliveries. (cricbuzz)

Jayden Seales celebrates

SCOREBOARD West Indies 1st Innings Kraigg Brathwaite (c) run out (Hasan Ali) 97 Kieran Powell c Imran Butt b Mohammad Abbas 0 Nkrumah Bonner lbw b Mohammad Abbas 0 Roston Chase c †Mohammad Rizwan b Hasan Ali 21 Jermaine Blackwood c Mohammad Abbas b Shaheen Shah Afridi 22 Kyle Mayers lbw b Shaheen Shah Afridi 0 Jason Holder c †Mohammad Rizwan b Faheem Ashraf 58 Joshua Da Silva † lbw b Shaheen Shah Afridi 21 Kemar Roach lbw b Mohammad Abbas 13 Jomel Warrican b Shaheen Shah Afridi 1 Jayden Seales not out 0 Extras (b 3, lb 11, nb 6) 20 TOTAL (89.4 Ov, RR: 2.82) 253 Fall of wickets: 1-1 (Kieran Powell, 2.2 ov), 2-1 (Nkrumah Bonner, 2.3 ov), 3-51 (Roston Chase, 20.4 ov), 4-100 (Jermaine Blackwood, 37.1 ov), 5-100 (Kyle Mayers, 37.2 ov), 6-196 (Jason Holder, 68.5 ov), 7-221 (Kraigg Brathwaite, 77.1 ov), 8-249 (Kemar Roach, 86.2 ov), 9-252 (Jomel Warrican, 87.6 ov), 10253 (Joshua Da Silva, 89.4 ov)

BOWLING O-M-R-W Mohammad Abbas 22-9-43-3 Shaheen Shah Afridi 21.4-6-59-4 Yasir Shah 13-1-46-0 Faheem Ashraf 14-6-37-1 Hasan Ali 19-4-54-1 PAKISTAN 2ND INNINGS Imran Butt lbw b Roach 0 Abid Ali c Holder b Seales 34 Azhar Ali b Roach 23 Babar Azam (c) not out 54 Fawad Alam c †Da Silva b Seales 0 Mohammad Rizwan † c †Da Silva b Holder 30 Faheem Ashraf not out 12 Extras (b 4, lb 2, nb 1) 7 TOTAL (70 Ov, RR: 2.28) 160/5 Yet to bat: Hasan Ali, Yasir Shah, Mohammad Abbas, Shaheen Shah Afridi Fall of wickets: 1-1 (Imran Butt, 2.5 ov), 2-56 (Azhar Ali, 21.2 ov), 3-65 (Abid Ali, 25.1 ov), 4-65 (Fawad Alam, 25.4 ov), 5-121 (Mohammad Rizwan, 45.5 ov) BOWLING O-M-R-W Kemar Roach 15-7-15-2 Jayden Seales 13-2-50-2 Kyle Mayers 12-4-19-0 Jason Holder 14-5-27-1 Jomel Warrican 7-2-28-0 Roston Chase 6-2-12-0 Kraigg Brathwaite 3-1-3-0

Prime Minister Mark Phillips hands over lights to the Buxton Community Centre Ground

P

rime Minister Brigadier (ret’d) Mark Phillips yesterday afternoon handed over eight concrete lantern poles and 16 one-thousandwatt lamps to the Buxton Community Centre Ground during a visit to the community.

Accompanied by Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Charles Ramson Jr, he met with members of the community at the ground, and reminded that the Government’s support for all communities is an integral part of its developmental agenda.

“We have what we call a One Guyana approach to everything that we do. Every community will be involved in our developmental initiative…all our developmen-

tal projects are people-centred. Whether it’s health, education, sports or infrastructural development, the entire Guyana will benefit from our programmes,” the Prime Minister has said.

He has encouraged residents to organise themselves into a group to effectively manage the affairs of the community centre.

“As soon as possible, this ground will be rehabilitated, but what we need is for the community to organise yourself…to secure and maintain the facility that we provided for you. So, here is a case where we are providing, but we want you to come on board in partnership with us, so what is provided is available and maintained for the youths of your community,” he explained.

Prime Minister Brigadier (ret’d) Mark Phillips (purple shirt, centre) is flanked by citizens of Buxton displaying the new lights

The equipment handed over was purchased from a $10M allocation by Government for rehabilitation of the ground. It is one of 25 community grounds that have also received an

allocation of $10M for enhancement works.

Minister Charles Ramson Jr, pointed out that the money allocated for the development of the Buxton ground is being managed

by the Regional Democratic Council of Region Four.

“Only a portion of the money has been spent so far, the remainder of the money is at the Regional Democratic Council, they

are doing the procurement.

So, today, for example, I saw some horses on the field, which means that there are some structural integrity issues in relation to the fence, so I’ve asked them to do a new fence there so that we wouldn’t have animals going on the field”.

Minister Ramson added that, shortly, his Ministry would also be donating a lawnmower to the community ground, and would be facilitating several other upgrades.

Following the presentation, the Prime Minister and the Minister of Culture walked the access road to the community ground with the residents to examine the ongoing works being undertaken to resurface the street.

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