Guyana Times - Sunday, December 31, 2023.pdf

Over 12,000 surgeries performed in 2023 at GPHC P14

Nationwide coverage coverage from from the the best best news news team team in in Guyana Guyana Nationwide Issue No. 5598 guyanatimesgy.com

THE BEACON BEACON OF OF TRUTH TRUTH THE

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2023

British warship arrives in Guyana’s waters on defence cooperation visit See story on page 3

…as top ranking GDF officials tour vessel, hosted by visitors

PRICE $140 VAT INCLUDED

WHAT'S INSIDE:

Govt remains prepared, despite waning public interest in COVID-19 vaccines – Health Minister

…quantity of expired vaccines discarded in 2023 P15

6 new regional hospitals to be operationalised by early 2025

…deplorable mortuaries in 6 regions rectified P13

Over 729,000 passengers processed at CJIA this year P11 Chief Of Staff of the Guyana Defence Force, Brigadier Omar Khan; British High Commissioner to Guyana, Jane Miller OBE, and a number of other dignitaries on board the British Warship which is in Guyana (HMS Trent photos)

Guyana earns $45.2B in rice exports for Page 2 2023 as production increases by 7 per cent

Motorcyclist Man killed by ‘friend’ in dispute killed after colliding with car over money, phone

Caricom Chairmanship

Guyana’s assumption is boost for food security effort - Mustapha P9

Page 8

Cemetery Road & Conversation Tree projects

Contractors could face termination over delayed road works - Edghill Page 7

Page 8

“More energy we have, the more we can develop your P16 community” – PM

2 NEWS

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2023 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Guyana earns $45.2B in rice exports for 2023 as production increases by 7 per cent …653,706 mt of paddy produced; Sierra Leone, other new markets secured

By Jarryl Bryan

A

s 2023 draws to a close, the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) Government has revealed that rice, one of the several non-oil economic sectors that have continued to grow, raked in over $45 billion in export earnings.

This is according to Minister of Agriculture Zulfikar Mustapha, who during an end-of-year press conference on Saturday at the Ministry’s Shiv Chanderpaul Drive office explained that the rice industry’s earnings represent an increase of over $3 billion compared to 2022 and production, a 7 per cent increase.

“In the rice industry, this remains an important pillar of our agriculture sector. In 2023, we saw an increase in paddy production by 7 per cent, which translated to the production of 653,706 metric tonnes. That is a 43,111 metric tonne increase in the production in 2023, compared to 2022 production of 610,595.”

“Notably, favourable

weather conditions, our variety in yield have increase from 6.2 tonnes to 6.3 tonnes per hectare. We earned approximately $45.2 billion in exports (US$210 million) in 2023, over $3 billion more than 2022. We have new markets in different parts of the world,” the Minister said.

Mention was also made of the industry’s groundbreaking achievements in the area of research, in collaboration with the Inter-

American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA). It was only in October that Guyana developed and launched its own strain of bio-fortified rice, making it the first country to develop this particular rice strain that naturally stores zinc.

This was accomplished through the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB) with the assistance of regional and international partners. The new rice

strain was launched during the Agri-Investment Forum and Expo.

During the expo, Prime Minister Brigadier (Retired) Mark Phillips made it clear that this is just one manifestation of the Government’s efforts to boost food production with the “25 by 2025” goal in mind. And according to Mustapha at his press conference, work is continuing on developing new strains.

“Due to our ground-

breaking research - we have a robust research team, we have been working with IICA, we are now growing zinc, the supplement, in the rice - for scientists to continue on this path and conduct more trials, we have renovated the plant breeding lab at the Burma rice research station. So, we are enhancing that lab and hoping we can do more research and bring out better varieties of this rice.”

Other accomplishments mentioned by the Minister include the construction of eight drying floors across the country and further, the Black Bush seed processing facility has restarted operations after a hiatus of several years.

According to him, this will produce almost 6000 bags of paddy, to benefit approximately 600 farmers in Black Bush Polder. He further noted that more such facilities will be constructed across the country.

Meanwhile, Minister Mustapha noted that Guyana was able to secure various new rice markets, including the West African country of Sierra Leonne.

He further made it clear that 2023 would see even more effort being put into acquiring new rice markets.

Earlier this month, the Minister had visited Onverwagt in Region Five, where he had expressed optimism that the MahaicaMahaicony-Abary (MMA) scheme will achieve record-breaking rice production acreage in the first crop of 2024.

This ambitious goal is fuelled by significant investments and various tangible initiatives being implemented to support farmers in the area.

The developmental plans, Minister Mustapha had stated, will contribute to Guyana attaining food security. To further develop agriculture in the Region, the Minister alluded to the 20,000 acres of new land that will be developed in the scheme.

In three years, farmers in the scheme have significantly benefitted from various initiatives, as they received 31,659 bags of fertiliser and 11,688 bags of seed paddy to increase their yield.

NEWS

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SUNDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2023 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

BRIDGE OPENINGS

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

Sunday, Dec 31 – 08:00h – 09:30h and Monday, Jan 1 – 04:00h – 05:30h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Sunday, Dec 31 – 07:10h – 08:40h and Monday, Jan 1 – 07:40h – 09:10h.

FERRY SCHEDULE

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

WEATHER TODAY There will be thundery showers and sunshine during the day. Expect partly cloudy skies and light rain showers at night. Temperatures should range between 23 degrees Celsius and 30 degrees Celsius.

Winds: North-Easterly to East North-Easterly

between 1.78 metres and 4.02 metres.

High Tide: 07:03h and 19:17h reaching maximum heights of 2.35 metres and 2.44 metres.

Low Tide: 12:50h reaching a minimum height of 0.87 metre.

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 29, 2023

LOTTERY NUMBERS G

01 02 06

09 23 25

22

FREE TICKET

Bonus Ball

DAILY MILLIONS

04 06 15 21 22 LUCKY 3

9

3

5

6

Afternoon Draw

1

2

Evening Draw

DRAW DE LINE

05 06 07 08 13 14 19

18

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SUPER

PAY DAY

PAY DAY

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2023

02 05 06 07 16 1

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FRIDAY, DECEMBER 29, 2023

01 11 13 14 17

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9 Afternoon Draw

2X Afternoon Draw

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1 Evening Draw

3X Evening Draw

955

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

COMMODITIES Indicators

US$

Change %

Crude Oil

$77.04/barrel

-0.14

Rough Rice

$315.95/ton

+0.56

London Sugar

$593.90/ton

-4.58

Live Spot Gold Bid/Ask Low/High Change

USD Per Ounce $2061.22 $2058.20 -5.51

$2063.71 $2074.73 -0.27

British warship arrives in Guyana’s waters on defence cooperation visit …as top-ranking GDF officials tour vessel, hosted by visitors

B

ritish warship HMS Trent has entered Guyana’s waters, in its effort to carry out routine defence cooperation and exercises with the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) and Coast Guard that the Government has made clear are not threats to neighbouring Venezuela.

The ship, which is under the command of Commander Tim D Langford, docked in Guyana’s waters on Friday, after which GDF Chief of Staff, Brigadier General Omar Khan, and United Kingdom (UK) High Commissioner to Guyana Jane Miller went onboard the ship and were given a tour and hosted by the ship’s officers.

The ship, a river class patrol vessel, is in Guyana to take part in joint exercises with Guyana’s Defence Force. Britain’s Ministry of Defence had announced the ship’s visit to Guyana since last week Sunday.

The ship’s presence comes after a recent visit of UK Under Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, David Rutley, to Guyana, where he met with President Dr Irfaan Ali and other top officials. That meeting saw discussions on expanding relations between the UK and Guyana in sustainable and economic development and security.

But following the reports of the UK sending its Royal Navy patrol vessel to Guyana as part of a series of engagements in this Region, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on Thursday had said the deployment of the British warship to Guyana’s waters violates the spirit of the Argyle Agreement between the two South American neighbours, made earlier this month in St Vincent and the Grenadines.

During a televised broadcast on Thursday, Maduro also described the visit of the British vessel as a threat to the peace and sovereignty of his country by the UK. He also ordered “the activation of a joint defensive action of the Bolivarian National Armed Forces” off the coast of Essequibo.

Based on international reports, some 5682 soldiers, along with three ocean patrol vessels, seven missile boats, 12 Sukhoi planes, and eight amphibious vehicles, were deployed to Venezuela’s eastern Caribbean coast near the border with Guyana’s Essequibo, which that Spanish-speaking nation is laying claim to. Maduro further called on the Guyanese

GDF Chief of Staff, Brig. Omar Khan, and British High Commissioner Jane Miller in discussion with ship Commander Tim D Langford (HMS photo)

Brig. Khan receiving a guard of honour composed of HMS Trent crew members (HMS photo)

authorities to have the UK Navy vessel withdrawn.

Meanwhile, Brazil’s Foreign Ministry in a state-

ment on Friday had urged calm and made it clear that “the Brazilian Government is following the latest de-

velopments in the dispute surrounding the Essequibo region with concern.”

TURN TO PAGE 12

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guyanatimesgy.com

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2023

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 Industrial Estate Industrial Site, Ruimveldt, Georgetown Email: news@guyanatimesgy.com, marketing@guyanatimesgy.com

Old Year’s prognosis

U

nder the threat of torture, the Pope in 1633 forced Galileo to recant his theory that the Earth revolved around the Sun, and not the other way round. As he left the courtroom, Galileo is said to have muttered, ‘All the same, it moves’. Well, the Earth has kept moving, and, after every 365 days, it is back where it began and we are ending another year – this time 2023. It is our tradition that, as the “old year” ends, we reflect on noteworthy events that occurred, and make plans for the new this year - as the Earth continues its eternal movement around our Sun. In 2023, we continued our journey out of the poverty into which we had become mired during the long PNC dictatorship, between 1968 and 1992. It is not our intent to cast blame on that party, but to point out that even though we have a sizeable inflow of funds due to our share of the oil funds, so had the PNC in 1974, when the price of our main export, sugar, skyrocketed and the imposition of a sugar levy brought a huge windfall into our treasury. The then Government did not expend the money strategically, but rather frittered it away on boondoggles intended to satisfy its political base. If we are not to repeat their mistake, we will have to resist the various “declarations” being made from some quarters for US$5000 from the oil revenues to be transferred directly into the pockets of each Guyanese family without any needs or other test. With our country having more than 200,000 families, this means that over US$1billion would be transferred to consumers, and not spent on national development. This is the kind of populist thinking that not only brought our economy crashing down our ears during the 1970s, but also did the same in neighbouring Venezuela, where, beginning in 1999, the Chavez Administration seemed determined to repeat every mistake Burnham made over here.

And this brings us to the other noteworthy event of this year: the frantic efforts of Chavez’s successor Maduro to deflect from their policy failures and antidemocratic rule by reviving the old controversy they raised in 1962 over our Essequibo region. Starting from his accession to office in 2013, Maduro demonstrated that he was willing to move from words into action when he had the Venezuelan Navy seize an oil exploration vessel belonging to Texas oil company Anadarko.

This harassment escalated after the ExxonMobil consortium struck oil in 2015, just when we had a change of Government from the PPP to an APNU/AFC coalition.

Our Government followed the diplomatic path we have doggedly traversed since 1966 when we signed the Geneva Agreement with Venezuela, detailing steps that could be taken to resolve the controversy over the status of the 1899 Arbitral Award that Venezuela had agreed was a “full and final” settlement. As Venezuela broke the fundamental international law – pacta sunt servanda: “agreements must be honoured” -- and refused to accept the jurisdiction of the Geneva Agreement-mandated ICJ when it became clear that the latter’s ruling would not be in their favour, Maduro suddenly announced this month, following a bogus “referendum”, that they were annexing Essequibo, which is two-thirds of our national territory. Maduro is clearly contemptuous of the international institutions that are in place to mediate between states.

Our Government once again followed a diplomatic path when Pres Ali accepted an invitation by Caricom and CELAC to meet Maduro face-to- face, but Venezuela reiterated its insistence that it does not recognize the ICJ’s jurisdiction, which we do. As such, while we have a breathing space over the holidays, it is evident from Maduro’s recent intemperate flaunting of Venezuela’s overwhelming military might at the visit of a single British patrol ship that next year will continue to be challenging to our nation.

Against this background, we, the Guyanese people, must resolve to put aside our internal differences to face the threat from the west.

United States Vice President Kamala Harris and First Gentleman Doug Emhoff with Guyana’s Ambassador to the US, Samuel Hinds, and his wife Yvonne Hinds

The Opposition’s New Year’s resolutions Dear Editor, Nothing will please our people more than an unequivocal apology from the PNC (APNU) and the AFC for the heinous wrongs meted out to us for more than three decades of misrule, dictatorship, and squandering and mismanagement of the economy.

It brought tears to my eyes, and my heart became overwhelmed with grief as I listened to Vice President Dr Jagdeo’s press conference last Thursday, as he related the traumatic experience of the people of this country under the PNC. It was a time when it was a crime to be in possession of basic food items, and when people were taxed to travel along the roadways - many of us will remember the toll gates which emptied our pockets even more.

When will the PNC apologise for the blatant rigging of General Elections from 1968 to 1985? When will they apologise for the nearly five months of numerous attempts to steal the 2020 Elections in front of the entire world?

The PNC has never been a Government ‘of the people, by the people, and for the people’. I wish to submit that PNC has never been an Opposition which reflects the will of the people. In fact, it has been equally worse as an Opposition, if not more detrimental to this nation.

One of its New Year’s

resolutions should not only be to apologise for these heinous crimes, but to make a vow never to repeat them.

Only then will its members and supporters have some confidence in them; until then, they will continue to move away. It is one thing to attempt to rig, but it’s totally unacceptable when you claim that you won the 2020 Elections but cannot submit your ‘winning’ SoPs, and then have the audacity to go to the courts for redress. You cannot fool all the people all the time.

We have seen the many acts done to destabilise the duly elected PPP/C Government on more than one occasion. Just recall the 23 years from 1992 to 2015, and the period from 2020 to now. Dr Rouf Ahmad Bhat wrote, in the introduction to his Paper titled ‘Role of Opposition Party in Democracy’ (the International Journal of Science and Research) that ‘The Opposition is as important as that of ruling party. They ensure that the acts of the ruling party are not detrimental to the interest of general public or nation at large. The role of the Opposition party is not to oppose every decision of the ruling party. Rather, it is the duty of the Opposition party to support the ruling party for the acts that are in the interest of the nation. The Opposition parties play a very significant role

in a democracy as representatives of the people. The Opposition acts as watch dog of the system. In such countries where there is a two-party system in vogue, the Opposition party forms a shadow cabinet to exercise vigil over the performance of the Government.’

The Opposition in Guyana is the reverse of what is expected, since they oppose each and every action of the Government without offering a better alternative. We have seen that even when they pledged support to the Government in Parliament, they opposed their own decision in public.

They feel that if they support the Government’s decision on any issue, then that will be counterproductive to their ambition to be the next Government. We have seen the feeble arguments of the Opposition whenever the Budget is debated in Parliament. We have read and listened to people like Lincoln Lewis, Rickford Burke, Sherod Duncan and others. It is time for the Opposition to fully understand its role, and act accordingly. This should be one of its New Year’s Resolutions.

The Opposition and its sympathizers have failed to recognize the massive socio-economic development taking place in Guyana, and are bent on decrying the economic policies of the Government. It is even claimed that the Dutch

Curse is already upon us.

This is just to prey on the gullibility of some people, who feel that sharing out the oil profit and giving huge increases in wages and salaries will end poverty; but this is the very recipe for that Curse. This Government is using the oil money to develop all the sectors, including major infrastructures which are vital for social and economic transformation. The oil will not last forever, and what will happen when the oil revenue dries up?

The Vice President had explained this on many occasions, that there will be time when these increases will not be sustainable, but the Opposition continues to mislead the people. I will ask the Opposition to come clean on this issue in the New Year. Vow to tell the truth, be a responsible Opposition.

The PNC, under different names, including the Coalition, have never done any good for this country, and even when they were given an opportunity in 2015, they squandered that opportunity. The list of wrongs committed on the Guyanese people is an extremely long one, but I am sure that they can at least apologise for the major ones. Change can only come from accepting the wrongs you have committed. Albert Einstein once said that, ‘the measure of intelligence is the ability to change’.

Yours sincerely, Haseef Yusuf

guyanatimesgy.com

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2023

5

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

Traversing legal fallacies Dear Editor, The bold assertion making waves in the press: that the Natural Resource Fund is overstated by several billions, is one that is grounded in a shocking misunderstanding and misinterpretation of the intendment, policy and expressed provisions of the Natural Resource Fund Act 2021, as well as a misconception of certain elementary principles of law.

It would be a grave omission to leave such legal fallacies untraversed on the public record.

It is significant to observe, after careful reading, that the author of this assertion is not alleging any act of corruption or unlawful haemorrhaging of the petroleum revenues, although the tone in which he wrote and the sensational prominence he is accorded may very well have conveyed that erroneous impression to the unsuspecting reader. But, then again, that may be by design.

He contends that the

Fund contains taxes leviable on petroleum production that should be remitted to the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA). As an aside, even if the contention possesses a scintilla of merit, it would be of academic importance only, since whether the monies are paid to GRA as taxes or are paid into the Natural Resource Fund, they are in the State’s coffers, and, by operation of law, will eventually be deposited into the Consolidated Fund.

On the 29th of December 2021, the Parliament of Guyana enacted the Natural Resource Fund Act 2021, Act No. 19 of 2021. The principal objectives of this legislation were made clear by the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) several years before its enactment.

The intent was to create a special fund, embracing the Santiago Principles and Practices regarding Sovereign Wealth Funds, into which all Government revenues derived from the petroleum sector would be

deposited, oversighted, managed, invested, withdrawn, spent, and audited. These objectives are what guided the draughtsman in crafting forty-seven provisions spanning some thirty-two pages as the Natural Resource Fund Act 2021.

The Natural Resource Fund Act defines “Petroleum Revenues” as “all Government revenues specified in section 15”. Section 15 (1) provides: “Petroleum revenues shall be directly paid into a bank account denominated in United States Dollars and held by the Bank as part of the Fund.”

Section 15 (2) explains what Petroleum revenue shall include. These are royalties; Government’s share of profit oil; any petroleum income tax, additional profits tax, or any other future tax levied on the profits of companies or individuals undertaking production operations; any signature or other bonus related to production operations or the award of a petroleum licence; and any other current or future fis-

cal instrument levied solely or mainly on companies or individuals involved in production operations.

It is excruciatingly plain that Section 15 (1) and (2) authorises petroleum revenues to be paid directly into the Fund. This obviously includes whatever taxes are leviable in relation thereto. Cardinally, once deposited, the Act strictly and rigidly prescribes how monies are to be withdrawn from the Fund, by what process, and for what purposes. For example, by Section 16, “all withdrawals from the Fund shall be deposited into the Consolidated Fund, and shall be used only to finance national development priorities…” and “essential projects that are directly related to ameliorating the effect of a major natural disaster.”

There is absolutely no provision in the Act which permits or authorises deduction of taxes for or on behalf of the Guyana Revenue Authority. In fact, any unauthorised withdrawal from, or interference with, mon-

Vincent Alexander has it wrong on governance Dear Editor, I refer to a highly inaccurate and inflammatory letter penned by Vincent Alexander in the media under the title “Spouting the rule of law and good governance but observing them in the breach,” (12/30/2023).

Anyone familiar with modern world history, and specifically with the history of fascism, would either squirm or laugh aloud at Mr. Alexander’s claims about the emergence of a “fascist state” in this country. The diplomatic community would no doubt feel a sense of informed discomfort, because so many come from countries where their families and communities paid with their lives in defending democracy against fascism.

Ironically, the claims in the letter under consideration have a lot in common with real fascism and right-wing populism; namely, a diabolical disregard for the whole truth, combined with a sinister industrialisation of halftruths, innuendos, and emotional coercion.

Here is Vincent Alexander – “Our constitutional commissions and even other deliberative organs of the state are constituted in such a manner, and vested with such procedural autonomy that enables the ruling party to determine how, and what, decisions are made without reference or deference to the Rule of Law or the principles of Good Governance.”

There is a lot of cloaking here, where nonsense is hidden behind constructs like “constitutional commissions,” “deliberative organs,” “Rule of Law,” and “principles of Good Governance.” What specifically does “…in such a manner…” mean here?

What the heck is “…vested with such procedural autonomy”? State the “manner;” provide details about the “procedural autonomy.”

At best, Alexander’s letter is disingenuous. This is so because he is railing against the same Local Government Commission that the APNU-AFC fully accepted during their tenure of 2015-2020 tenure.

Further, Mr. Alexander has forgotten, or is in denial, that the Local Government Commission Act of 2013 made it through the National Assembly when his APNU-AFC held a oneseat majority. The design and competencies of Act No 18 of 2013 made it through the National Assembly during that APNU-AFC majority. Mr. Alexander’s party was happy with the passage of that Bill.

A highly placed source in the AFC confirmed to me earlier today that the APNU-AFC saw the Act No 18 of 2013 as a “conjoint” effort. Vincent Alexander therefore has it wrong.

Finally, Mr. Alexander treats contemporary historical memory with scorn.

His palpitations about GECOM appointments come dangerously close to a form of political bullyism. This is because he has

completely jettisoned from memory the extrajudicial October 19, 2017 unilateral appointment of Justice James Patterson as Chair of GECOM by President Granger. Even TIGI criticized the appointment.

Guyana today is governed on the bases of the nation’s Constitution. The National Assembly, the judicial system, security and law enforcement agencies, the banking system, and

other institutions of transparent governance are all functioning well. The basic fact is that the right to free speech, freedom of worship, and the protection of life, property, and liberty, are intact. Mr. Alexander has made full use of that right, even though what he claims cannot be sustained by evidence.

ies from the Fund constitutes an offence, and anyone so convicted becomes liable to imprisonment and several million dollars in fine. In short, the author, out of ignorance, is encouraging the commission of criminal offences.

Section 15 (4) of the Act specifically and scrupulously exempts from “Petroleum revenues” certain types of taxes. These include value added tax collection on inputs or outputs from production operations; customs duties collected on inputs into production operations; and withholding tax on payments made to contractors by companies or individuals undertaking production operations. These are revenues that are not deposited into the Fund, and the relevant taxes therein mentioned are levied and received by GRA. In other words, the draughtsman’s mind was alive to what taxes are to be paid directly to GRA. The author places great reliance on the infamous 2016 Petroleum Production Agreement, as that Agreement imposes upon the Minister a number of obligations in respect of the payment of taxes to the GRA on petroleum production. Those provisions of that Agreement have obviously been overtaken by the Natural Resource Fund Act. It is a very rudimentary principle of law that if a con-

tract conflicts with a statute, the statute shall prevail. Moreover, the Natural Resource Fund Act itself has a supremacy provision. It is Section 45. It provides: “in the event of any inconsistency between the provisions of this Act and the provisions of any other law on fiscal matters and financial management, or between the provisions of the Act and the terms of a petroleum licence, the provisions of this Act shall prevail.” This section is intended to, and shall, override every other taxing statute on the matter.

Additionally, when the 2016 Agreement was secretly executed, it is public knowledge that there was no fiscal framework to regulate petroleum revenues, and therefore the extant framework at the time would have applied. That regime is what is set out in the Agreement.

A new one has now been created. It finds expression by legislation. It must prevail as the law of the land.

No Agreement can stand in its path. If there is any conflict or inconsistency, even with existing legislation, the draughtsman has put that to rest by the crystal language of Section 45.

Sincerely, Mohabir Anil Nandlall, SC, MP Attorney General & Minister of Legal Affairs

Sincerely, Dr Randy Persaud

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2023

2:00

Movie - Operation Fortune: Ruse de guerre (2023) 4:00 Movie - Sharper (2023) 6:00 Jewanram Rel. Hour 7:00 Cartoons 8:00 Shekinah Ministry 8:30 Evening News (RB) 9:30 Fast & Loud 10:30 Cartoons 11:00 David Persaud Religious Program 11:30 Happy Old Years Day from Anthony Persaud 12:00 Movie - Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget (2023) 13:40 Movie - The Longest Ride (2015) 15:40 Forged in fire 16:30 Payless Power Hour 17:30 The Healing Touch 18:00 Wheel of Fortune 18:30 Week-in-Review 19:00 Movie - The Sound of Music Live (2013) 21:00 Movie - Love at First Sight (2023) 22:30 Movie - Joy Ride (2023) 0:00 Movie - Kandahar (2023)

6 FEATURE

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2023| GUYANATIMESGY.COM

O

ADOPTING A NEW PET IN THE NEW YEAR

n this last Sunday of 2024, I wish to urge readers to consider adopting a dog or cat in the New Year.

At this time, we are all determinedly listing our New Year’s Resolutions (many of which we will break within the first week!). Let me include one that is definitely worthwhile, and is a winner - adopting a pet.

I would like to share with you some thoughts on human- animal relationships, which in turn might move you in the direction of adopting a pet from the many shelters (e.g., GSPCA, PAWS FOR A CAUSE, Rosewood, Tails of Hope, among others) for the New Year.

Last week, we discussed Tender Loving Care at Christmas and the special friendship between pets and humans, which has scientifically been proven to improve our mental and physical health. I have often argued that the education a child receives from observing the pregnancy, birth process, and the mother dog’s care for its young is something that money cannot buy and textbooks cannot give.

In one very interesting study of heart attack patients at the University of Maryland, it was revealed that those who owned pets were more likely to be alive one year after the heart attack than those who did not.

The researchers also found that the simple act of petting a cat or dog consistent-

ly lowered a heart patient’s blood pressure.

This affinity that humans have for dogs did not just arrive. It has evolved from that very time, tens of thousands of years ago, when humans decided to

someone who believes that the whole human-dog association started with the canine (feline also?) conning us. They observed our behaviour, and they decided that mankind looked like it was going somewhere up-

cultivate, befriend, breed, and love wild forebears of the present-day dog. I know

wards in the evolutionary tree. They latched on to us, and mimicked our be-

havioural patterns so that we would believe they were easy to get along with. For that, we would feed them and keep them warm. In turn they gave us, then and today, immeasurable loyalty and protection. Indeed, it seems that compelling evidence is emerging that dogs and cats have figured out how to join the community of an entirely alien species; it is in itself evidence of their sophisticated social competence.

I know that, as a scientist, I should not be even thinking of attributing human characteristics to dogs and cats; you know, like feelings. Well, the scientists’

especially do exhibit the human characteristics of grief, envy, jealousy, anger, rage, bellicosity, love, hate, guilt, remorse, happiness, resentfulness, anxiety, fear, contentment, deceit, pride, arrogance, shyness, bravery, kindness, willingness to help, a desire to make the human happy, recklessness, sadness, depression, vexation, (e.g. at being blamed wrongfully), gluttony, malice (aforethought?), low self-esteem, laziness, greed, stubbornness, playfulness (including engaging in pranks), selective forgetfulness, vengefulness, boredom, communicativeness using the eyes/voice, flirtatiousness, coyness, loyalty, protectiveness.

I’m sure I have left out some important characteristics, but I’m equally sure

from hormonal and genetic explanations for the social behaviour of animals, to conditioned responses, fixed action patterns, and optimal foraging rates in the same steady, objective tone”.

Then she added: “And yet”. What came after those two words was the confession that, traditionally, science — as practised and deified in texts — rarely addresses pet owners’ experiences of living with, and attempting to understand the minds of, our companion animals. Since then, a lot more objective studies have been, and are being, carried out and shared with the public in easy-to-read articles.

Only relatively recently, the Scientific American (May/ June 2015 issue) carried an in-depth cover story on “Why we love pets and why

that one of you would point out my omission.

A professor in Animal Psychology, Alexandra Horowitz, wrote a seminal tome called “Inside of a Dog”. It became a bestseller when published in 2010.

Here is what she wrote: “In learning how to study the behaviour of animals, I was taught and adhered to the scientist’s mantra for describing actions: be objective; do not explain a behaviour by appeal to a mental process when explanation by simpler processes will do; a phenomenon that is not publicly observable and confirmable is not the stuff of science. These days, as a professor of animal behaviour, comparative cognition, and psychology, I teach from masterful texts that deal in quantifiable fact.

They describe everything,

they love us — the science behind the bond.” It is quite a revealing treatise.

What does all of this mean?

There should be less trepidation and worry when we go into a shelter to choose a companion animal as a complement to our family. I assure you that our society would benefit in the long term with more kind, compassionate and responsible persons.

Wishing you and your pet-owning, animal-loving families all the very best for 2024 and beyond.

Please be kind to our pets tonight, and protect them from the great stress they experience due to the noise of firecrackers, squibs, etc.

Keep them indoors, secure them in a cosy part of your home, distract them with toys and treats, and keep a watchful eye on them.

code is beginning to change.

Researchers are now seeing what every dog (and cat) owner knew all along: dogs

NEWS

7

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2023 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Cemetery Road & Conversation Tree projects

Contractors could face termination over delayed road works – Edghill

P

ublic Works Minister Juan Edghill has issued a stern warning to contractors carrying out major works on two main roads in Georgetown, at Cemetery Road and Conservation Tree Road, cautioning that they could face termination if they do not meet new deadlines given to them.

“These two important thoroughfares that we can’t allow to languish like this,” Edghill posited at his Ministry’s end-of-year press conference on Friday.

At Cemetery Road, the Public Works Minister said this project should have been completed this year and Government is concerned about the delays.

“The project is significantly behind time, which is of concern to us. The contractor has received a revised deadline of January 2024 to complete this road… If January end comes and this project is not completed, the contractor will be removed from the project and we will get a proper contractor, a dedicated contractor, to complete, or the Special Projects Unit,” the Minister cautioned.

Public Works Minister Juan Edghill

“is not one of our proud moments in 2023 at all.”

The $475M contract for the upgrade works on Cemetery Road was awarded to Avinash Construction and Metal Works Company last year and the project was expected to be completed since July 2023.

Back in August, Edghill had told the National Assembly, in response to questions from the Opposition, that rain and procurement delays took a toll on the project’s advancement.

At the time, Edghill revealed that only 25 per cent

tract shows that from Princes Street to Sussex Street, 20 per cent has been completed. It was explained that this section of the project has been delayed by rain, shortage of concrete and materials and the relocation of utilities.

Meanwhile, five per cent was completed from Sussex Street to Middle Road as of August. A similar per cent was also completed from Middle Road to Front Road.

Both sections, $68.6 million and $66.5 million, respectively, were delayed by rain.

While $86.1 million was allocated from the contract for Front Road to Mandela

File photo: Work ongoing on the Conversation Tree Road project

He noted that Cemetery Road is too much of an important road for the Ministry to allow the delays to prolong further. In fact, he noted that the delays with this project

of the project had been completed, with some $197.4 million of the contract sum spent.

A breakdown of the con-

Avenue and $15.9 million for traffic lights, signs and other road furniture, no notes accompanied these categories. However, 50 per cent

was listed under per cent done for traffic management and control. General items meanwhile saw 80 per cent of $54.2 million from the contract being spent.

The Cemetery Road upgrade is part of $1.4 billion Enhancement Project along Independence Boulevard and Cemetery Road.

Conversation Tree

Meanwhile, Edghill during Friday’s press conference similarly expressed concerns about the pace of the works being done on sections of the Conversation Tree Road.

Guyanese company S Jagmohan Construction and General Supplies Inc (Lot One) and Trinidadianowned Kalco Guyana Inc (Lot Two) were awarded the contract for the $1.8 billion road widening project from Conversation Tree to Dennis Street, Georgetown.

According to Edghill, while the works on Lot One are progressing satisfactorily, the same cannot be said for Lot Two. “Significant delays are being experienced at Lot Two. The contractors also received a revised deadline and if Lot Two is not completed as well – that’s the contract with Kalco – they will be removed

A section of Cemetery Road where road works are ongoing

from the project and we will complete it,” the Public Works Minister stated.

In July, Minister Edghill had called out Kalco for being behind schedule on the project, which had a November 5 deadline.

At the time, both contractors were experiencing delays but while works were progressing on Lot One, there was no progress at Lot Two. After expressing concerns about Kalco’s non-performance, the Public Works Minister had told reporters in September that the Government and the company have since met and made certain agreements.

This include Kalco engaging Guyanese subcontractors to do specific aspects of the work so that multiple things will be done simultaneously to move the project along.

This project involves the construction of a fourlane carriageway from the East Coast Highway at Conversation Tree to Delhi Street.

It also includes a double-lane carriageway on the reserve west of Delhi Street for northbound traffic and the implementation of concrete revetments between the East Coast Demerara Highway and Railway Embankment.

During the project launch last year, Minister Edghill had emphasised that this initiative forms part of Government’s plan to provide alternative routes to persons entering and leaving Georgetown.

S Jagmohan Construction and General Supplies Inc’s contract is to the tune of $1,066,358,738, while the Kalco Guyana Inc’s contract is $830,293,458. (G8)

8 NEWS

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2023 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Man killed by friend in dispute over money, phone

A

dispute over money and an iPhone has resulted in the death of an East Ruimveldt Squatting Area man.

Dead is 30-year-old Chavis Wilson.

Reports are that on Saturday morning between 08:30h and 09:00h at East Ruimveldt, Georgetown, the suspect and Wilson had a confrontation.

A resident of the community recounted that the altercation quickly escalat-

Dead: Chavis Wilson

ed, with the suspect dragging Wilson from one section of the East Ruimveldt Squatting Dam to another, and throwing Wilson into a trench before firing a shot at him.

According to reports, the disagreement stemmed from the suspect seeking repayment of a loan from Wilson.

A resident said that after the shooting, the suspect initially walked away, only to return when Wilson attempted to exit the trench

with help from another resident.

Though reportedly dissuaded from further violence by onlookers, the suspect callously uttered a final remark before fleeing the scene.

Guyana Times was informed that the suspect is no stranger to the law. He was recently released on bail after facing charges related to robbery under arms offences in the Albouystown area. (G9)

Motorcyclist killed after colliding with car

A

42-year-old man of Section B Nabaclis, East Coast Demerara (ECD), lost his life in a fatal collision on the Enmore Public Road, East Coast Demerara.

Dead is Joshua Savory, a construction worker.

Reports are that the accident occurred at about 23:25h on Saturday.

Guyana Times was informed that Savory was on motorcycle CL 7067, heading east along the northern side of Enmore Public Road, ECD, while motor car PAF 3878, driven by a miner from Devonshire Castle,

Dead: Joshua Savory

Essequibo Coast, Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) was stationary, facing east along the same side of the road.

It was revealed that the

motor car drove off from where it was parked, and executed a turn from north to south across the road.

Unable to evade the manoeuvre, Savory lost control, leading to a collision with the right front door of the car.

The impact resulted in Savory being thrown onto the road, sustaining injuries to his forehead and various parts of his body.

Despite the prompt arrival of an ambulance, a doctor at the scene pronounced him dead. The body was subsequently transported to Memorial Gardens Funeral

Home, where it awaits a post-mortem examination.

The driver of the motor car was subjected to alcohol testing. There were no traces of alcohol in his breath, however, he was taken into custody to assist with ongoing investigations.

Meanwhile, in an interview with one of Savory’s sisters, she said that her brother’s death has left their family shaken, and they are trying to cope with their loss.

“We are trying to cope…I just want justice for my brother,” the woman who asked that her name not be published said. (G9)

Platform…

T

…for development

oday 2023 ends, and tomorrow a whole new year begins. Now, cynics might say, “So what?? It’s always been going on, and will always be going on!!” But they miss the entire point, don’t they? This old year-new year cycle gives us a chance to think about what’s been going down with us; and, more importantly, what we’re gonna be doing to make sure the same thing doesn’t keep happening on and on and…! So, to look at what it’s all about for our dear land of Guyana, let’s look at the man Pres Mohammed Irfaan Ali, who’s responsible for the welfare of our country, and see how he’s been doing and what he might have to do differently, starting tomorrow.

Now, from where your Eyewitness sits, he doesn’t think any Guyanese – on any side of the aisle – would disagree that Pres Ali’s about the most energetic person to ever occupy State House. Period! The man’s like the energizer bunny – no need to even wind him up!! Now, this energy is very important – for all sorts of reasons.

After a hundred years of TALKING about our potential, we’ve finally hit the jackpot with a potential we didn’t even KNOW we had – oil!! While we might rightfully kvetch about the lopsided contract the PNC’s Raphael Trotman brought home, at least we ain’t in a position no mo for countries like Trinidad to tell us they don’t have to listen to a country that goes around with a begging bowl!!

And about that contract…it’s been the source of much rancour from a small minority, who insist that Pres Ali’s Government must RENEGOTIATE the contract so we can get a bigger slice of the pie. Now, that might sound OK… but with international contracts, we’re dealing with the LAW, and not sentiments!! Your Eyewitness is still waiting for someone to tell him why the oil majors should accept a demand from Pressie to rewrite the contract!!

Meanwhile, as the money flows into our Natural Resource Fund, the Government’s been drawing it down, in accordance with the rules, to develop our infrastructure. And that’s why President Ali’s energy is so important: with so much going on, the folks executing the projects in far-flung areas of our country need to be given a push. And who better than the pushy president!!

Well, we know this year Mad Maduro tried to spoil our party through sheer jealousy!! As 8 million Venezuelans fled his rule, he can’t bear to see that, right next door, we’re developing by leaps and bounds!! And next year??

Well, Pressie’s gonna be the Chair of Caricom – and as such, he should be in a better position to ensure Mad Maduro doesn’t roil our Zone of Peace!! …for connections Ever since the floating Demerara Harbour Bridge was built in 1978, it’s been the source of as much angst – if not more – as joy for the residents of Reg 3. Sure, it was a great idea - and all credit to the then PNC Government.

But even before the structure had passed its past due date, horrified commuters experienced sections of the bridge floating down the river – with them inside their cars!! Then, as Reg 3 developed – along with the rest of the country - the traffic jams at “openings” soon became even worse than those entering the Midtown Tunnel in NYC!!

Well, your Eyewitness just experienced a surge of relief as he read that the new Fixed Span Bridge is ONE THIRDS completed!! This means we really got something to look forward to, as we’re well on our way for the promised 2024 opening!! Plus the Bridge is only the tip of an iceberg of development that includes opening vast new settlements in Reg 3!! Go West, young man!! …for caring So, there’s a vast shortage of nurses at the Big Hospital. But is inviting Cuban nurses the answer?? Your Eyewitness’s main concern is that most of these nurses can’t communicate in English – much less our vernacular!!

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

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

9

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2023 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Caricom Chairmanship

Guyana’s assumption is boost for food security effort – Mustapha …says agriculture will be a priority, 25 by 2025 target will be met W ith Guyana set to assume the Chairmanship of the Caribbean Community (Caricom) next year, Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha is optimistic that this will build on the work Guyana has already been doing to advance regional food security and the 25 by 2025 initiative.

The Minister was at the time hosting his Ministry’s end-of-year press conference on Saturday, where he noted that President Dr Irfaan Ali’s impending assumption of the mantle of Caricom Chairmanship is a big boost for Guyana and the Region, especially as it relates to food security.

“For Guyana’s ascension to the Caricom Chairmanship, this is a big boost for us. Because first of all we know that His Excellency is leading the agriculture agenda in Caricom.

He’s the lead spokesperson for agriculture. For me as the Minister, I think agriculture will be one of the main focus,” Mustapha said.

“Because we have seen, over the last two years, a number of countries who had indicated their interest in this sector. now, for His

Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha Excellency to assume the chair of Caricom, I think agriculture will be given priority. Other issues will be given priority, but agriculture… because we’ve seen what has happened during the pandemic. Many countries.”

According to the Minister, more and more countries have come around to the importance of food security and have expressed the political will to reduce the regional food import bill. And with Guyana now chairing Caricom, the food security agenda will take on a major focus.

“Rich places in the Caribbean whose economies afforded it. They were unable to get food sometimes. So

that is why Caricom leaders met and decided that look, we have to reduce the dependency and external import. We have to reduce it and phase it out. For the first five years, we have to reduce it by 25 per cent.”

“Over the years, you would have seen Caricom make different statements about agriculture and food production. But now, we are seeing the political will is there.

And I think with the passion our President has, he will drive this agenda and I think Caricom will focus directly towards food production and reducing the food import bill.

So that will help not only us, but the Caribbean in achieving its goal in terms of moving in the direction we want Caricom to move.”

The Minister recalled that the commodities targeted for the 25 by 2025 initiative include poultry meat, rice, coconuts and corn and soya… all of which are produced in Guyana and, in the latter case, Mustapha was confident that by the end of 2025, production of this could reach 30,000.

“We have about eight commodities that are targeted to reduce the importation.

Things like poultry meat,

The Caricom Secretariat

rice, coconuts, those things that come into the Caribbean.

Guyana will be playing a leading role in helping to reduce that importation. And those commodities that were identified, are commodities that Guyana is producing.”

“The last time we would have taken a stock, was about 58 per cent we are at presently. Hoping that by 2025 we can achieve the 100 per cent we set ourselves, in terms of achieving the 25 per cent.”

While he declined to identify countries that were lagging behind in their food

security commitments to contribute to the regional efforts, Mustapha did admit that some countries faced challenges of their own that they were making an effort to surmount.

“For instance, Montserrat.

You don’t expect Montserrat to make a large contribution.

They have a very large volcano. Places like St Vincent and the Grenadines, they had a volcano eruption the other day. They are now rebuilding the sector. We’re working with them to rebuild their (agriculture) industry once

again. But they are making their contributions. They’re trying as much as possible.”

“Reducing the food import bill of Caricom was a long discussion before, but now we are seeing the political will. We’re seeing countries now interested, places like Barbados. Whose economy was built on tourism. Who never had interest in agriculture much. Now they are interested.”

According to the Minister, this interest has translated into Guyana helping these countries to accomplish certain goals, such as building shade houses and cultivating brackish water shrimp.

In the case of Trinidad and Tobago, Mustapha said Guyana is helping them to resuscitate their rice industry.

Additionally, Guyana will be sending a technical team to Trinidad next year to assist them with this.

As part of chairing the Conference of Heads of Government for the period January 1 to June 30, 2024, Guyana will be hosting the 46th Regular Meeting of the Conference in February 2024 and continue the Community’s activities to mark Caricom’s 50th Anniversary.

10

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2023 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

NEWS

11

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2023 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Over 729,000 passengers processed at CJIA this year

Total Defense reloaded

I

f anyone needed convincing that Maduro’s tactic is to browbeat us in bilateral engagements, rather than engaging us through international institutional mechanisms in his drive to annex Essequibo, his reaction to the visiting British patrol vessel HMS Trent should suffice.

Denouncing Britain as a Ravi Dev “decadent, rotten, ex-empire”, he warned them “not to mess” with Venezuelans, who are “warriors”. He then deployed 5682 soldiers; 3 ocean patrol vessels; 7 missile boats; 12 Sukhoi fighter jets, and amphibious vehicles in manoeuvres off their Caribbean coast. Further, he demanded that Guyana rescind permission for the Trent to conduct its open sea defence training exercises with our Coast Guard.

Maduro’s intemperate action reinforces our conviction that we have to strategically rejig our military response to make him think twice before rattling his sabres at his whims and fancies.

Presently, he obviously feels there is no cost to his over-the-top reactions.

Last week, we suggested one option in rethinking our military doctrine and force structure: creating a professional irregular force, to augment our present conventional forces with one that is specifically selected, organized, educated, trained, equipped, and supported for asymmetrical operations against Venezuela in our jungle terrain. Note that unlike what some read into my statement, we are not suggesting our present forces be disbanded, but augmented. Coming out of WWII into the Cold War, military doctrine stressed “total defense” against a superior enemy in which conventional military activities were buttressed by civilian resilience and resistance against external aggression.

In Guyana, the PNC of Forbes Burnham purported to implement a “total defense” strategy after Venezuela annexed our half of Ankoko Island in 1966, and later supported insurrectionists in the Rupununi in 1969. He expanded the GDF and GPF, and launched the GNS and Peoples Militia to a point where we had a military-civilian ratio of 1:35. Unfortunately, he exploited the strategy to prop up his illegal rule, and further expanded the ethnic divide when he disbanded the ethnically balanced SSU formed in 1962 by the British Governor as the nucleus of the independent army. As detailed by Prof Ken Danns, he skewed recruitment in favour of African Guyanese.

To its credit, the GDF remained in the barracks after 1992, even though Burnham had explicitly announced that their support for any government other than the PNC – to which officers had to swear fealty – was up to them. The total defense strategy lapsed after 1992, even though the conventional capabilities of the GDF were maintained even as its numbers dwindled. It was revived by David Granger in 2012 in his “National Defence: A small state in the subordinate system”, after he was elected the leader of the PNC in 2011. But even though he wrote, “Defence policy in the new century must be driven by new thinking and serious planning by competent people who recognize the changes taking place on our frontiers”, he merely reiterated the old doctrine and force structure he had grown up with under Burnham’s PNC. As president after 2015, he immediately and explicitly reiterated his vision of “total national defence” at the GDF Annual Officers Conference. He stressed “reorganization and strengthening of the GDF on five pillars: personnel, readiness, infrastructure, morale and equipment, with emphasis on the Air Corps, the Coast Guard and the Engineer Corps.” In terms of personnel, while reintroducing the Peoples Militia as a reserve for the GDF with 50% of its manpower, he spoke of “vertical augmentation and horizontal amalgamation” – but no change in strategy. The problem with this approach is that, with our small population, even though we now have the wherewithal, we would never be able to match, and so deter, Venezuela with conventional forces.

However, in the meantime, the rest of the world have also rejiggled the notion of “total defence”, especially in Europe, where neutral states such as Switzerland and the Baltics felt threatened by Russia after it annexed Crimea. They are already being trained by US Special Operations Forces in competitive strategies, one of which I described for our circumstance last week. This was to create an irregular force to change Venezuela’s decision-making calculus, and consequently their strategic behaviour. Some of the necessary infrastructural preparations would also benefit conventional forces, which might even be trained to go underground when an unfavourable outcome is clear.

Finally, the new irregular force should be ethnically representative of our society, if for no other reason than we have to be as one to face the existential Venezuelan threat.

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

P

assenger movement at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport continues to increase as the airport processed 729,680 passengers for this year.

This represents an increase of 11 per cent, compared to the 657,249 passengers processed last year.

Public Works Minister Juan Edghill made the dis-

Wight’s Lane office on Friday.

According to a DPI report, CJIA has reported that there has been a notable increase in air travel to Guyana over the past two years. These increases reflect the transformational impact of the Government’s programmes and policies in positioning Guyana as a premier tourism hub.

closure at a year-end press conference at the Ministry’s

The Government’s heavy investments into developing

the country’s infrastructure and services, coupled with the continued growth of the oil and gas sector have seen a massive influx of traffic, and Government is aiming for 1 million passenger arrivals by 2025.

“We’re seeing growth, and we are looking forward to the million mark very soon, and that will come as a result of

us boosting our tourism potential, and us continuing to use Guyana as a hub to connect the Caribbean and South America,” the Minister told reporters.

Additionally, over 11 million tonnes of cargo have been processed at the airport this year, representing a 25 per cent increase from last year’s figure.

Cargo imports increased by 25 per cent, while exports saw a 45 per cent increase.

“This is as a direct result of shipment of agro-industrial supplies. The Government’s agricultural plan is making its impact even in the export sector,” he added.

To date, there have been 4316 landings managed at the airport, owing to the addition of new airlines.

12

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2023 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

“I am honoured to lead Demerara Bank Limited” – new CEO

D

emerara Bank Limited has announced the retirement of its Chief Executive Officer, Pravinchandra Dave, with effect from today.

Joining the bank on July 1, 2001 as an international banker, with vast knowledge in banking operation especially in the areas of investment and credit, Dave adeptly guided its growth, transforming it into great success and being one of the best financial institutions in Guyana.

In a release on Friday, the bank said that when Dave

New Demerara Bank Limited CEO, Dowlat Parbhu

joined, the bank was a one branch operation with an as-

set size of G$11 billion and net profit of G$107 million, and today the bank has nine branches countrywide with a modern platform in technology, assets of over G$150 billion and profit greater than G$4 billion as at September 2023.

According to the bank, a pioneer behind the institution's bold leap into the digital era, Dave has spearheaded innovative initiatives that have revolutionised the traditional banking landscape.

His tenure, the bank stated, has witnessed the rise of

Home Affairs Minister, Robeson Benn visited Constable Kyvon James at his residence following the incident where a speeding car crashed into him while he was attending to an accident scene at the Parliament Building on Brickdam and Avenue of the Republic, Georgetown. James sustained fractures to both legs while performing duties (Home Affairs Ministry photo)

a robust and skilled management team, a testament to his commitment to nurturing talent and fostering professional growth culminating in the appointment of the bank's new CEO, Dowlat Parbhu.

Parbhu, a son of the soil, has been with the bank since

2007, serving in various capacities, with the general manager being the most recent. Under the guidance of Dave, Parbhu has been an integral part of the bank’s success story and his capabilities and strategic insights have significantly contributed to

the bank's growth and financial prowess.

Parbhu expressed enthusiasm, stating, “I am honoured to lead Demerara Bank Limited and look forward to building on the incredible legacy established

by Mr Dave.”

British warship arrives...

FROM PAGE 3

However, top Guyanese officials have made it clear that Venezuela has nothing to concern itself with when it comes to the ship’s visit.

President Ali had dismissed concerns over the impending visit of the HMS Trent to Guyana’s waters, saying that no activities within the country’s territory should be viewed as a threat to any other nation, including Venezuela.

“Neither Venezuela nor any other state has anything to fear from activities within Guyana’s sovereign territory or waters. I have iterated before that we harbour no ambitions or intentions to covet what does not belong to us.”

“We are fully committed to peaceful relations with our neighbours and all countries in our Region.

Guyana remains fully steadfast in promoting and advancing peace whilst pursuing national development,” President Ali had posited in a statement to the media on Thursday evening.

Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo has insisted that the visit of the HMS Trent is a planned and routine measure, and is not intended to be used in any way to threaten Venezuela. He noted that the visit is aimed at bolstering Guyana’s defensive capability.

“Nothing that we do or we’ve done has threatened Venezuela. We don’t plan on invading Venezuela.

President Maduro knows this, and he needs not have any worry about that. That assurance was given to

him in St Vincent and the Grenadines, and we have done so before St Vincent and the Grenadines and we will continue to do so now.

We don’t have any plan to take offensive actions against Venezuela.”

“Whatever we do here has been routine, and has been long planned and is part of our build-

ly to fight wars, but to police better our Exclusive Economic Zone and our territorial integrity and sovereignty…President [Ali] has not asked the British vessel to move away from what was a planned activity, and [what] we see as routine and which has no offensive intent against Venezuela,” Jagdeo had stated during

A Guyana Coast Guard vessel

ing a defensive capability in Guyana, not necessari-

his press conference Thursday. (G3)

on

NEWS

13

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2023 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

6 new regional hospitals to be operationalised by early 2025 …deplorable mortuaries in 6 regions rectified

A blueprint of the new regional hospital at Bath, one of the new ones

T

An artist’s impression of the new Paediatric and Maternal Hospital

he six regional hospitals currently under construction across the coast will be operationalised by early 2025, according to Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony.

Government is building out the facilities at Lima in Region Two (PomeroonSupenaam), De Kinderen in Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara), Diamond and Enmore in Region Four (DemeraraMahaica), Bath in Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice) and Skeldon in Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne).

The Minister updated on Friday that foundation works have been completed, and the infrastructural

component will commence in the first quarter of 2024.

He outlined at the Ministry’s year-end press conference, “All six of these hospitals, we’re expecting the physical infrastructure to be completed by the end of 2024. Then we will start the equipping and making sure that the facilities are functional. So, by early 2025, all of these facilities should be operational.”

China National Pharmaceutical Group Corporation, a Chinese State-owned enterprise referred to as Sinopharm, is rolling out this massive project. Each hospital will span 65,000 square feet and equipped with 75 hospital

beds, laboratories, accident and emergency units, modernised imaging capacities, operational surgical theatres and outpatient facilities.

Construction will also commence in 2024 for the US$161 million new hospital in New Amsterdam, Region Six (East BerbiceCorentyne). The facility will sport a 220-bed capacity, four main theatres, catheterisation lab, MRI capacity, specialised theatre for pregnant mothers, among others.

“It’s also going to be a Level Five hospital, meaning that we can do a lot of surgical procedures that we’re not able to do at New

Amsterdam right now. It will also have a building for teaching and a building to house psychiatric patients when they have acute episodes,” the Minister relayed.

In addition, foundation works have been laid for the €149 million Paediatric and Maternal Hospital at Ogle, East Coast Demerara.

The facility, financed by the United Kingdom’s export credit agency – UK Export Finance (UKEF), will be built and equipped in twoyears’ time by Austriabased Vamed Engineering.

It will feature 256 beds and will be a referral centre for women and children.

It will specialise in maternal, neonatal, and paediatric care with a huge imaging suite for services such as CT scans and MRIs, a modern laboratory, and surgical suites.

Tenders will soon be out for new hospitals at Moruca,

Bartica, Kato, Lethem, and Kamarang.

It was previously reported that all other existing hinterland hospitals outside of Mabaruma, Port Kaituma, Mahdia, Paramakatoi, Annai, and Kwakwani are scheduled for major upgrades between 2024 and 2026 while oxygen plants are being established in all hinterland hospitals.

Plans are also underway to reconstruct the West Demerara Regional Hospital and to upgrade the hospitals at Suddie, Port Mourant, Mahaicony, and Mibicuri.

This year, $2 billion was also expended to upgrade 210 health centres and health posts in all regions.

Neonatal units were added to fix hospitals.

Mortuaries

Mortuaries across the

country have been upgraded in ensuring that post-mortem examinations can be conducted in a proper environment. It was disclosed that previously, these quarters were in a deplorable state.

“Our mortuaries in some of our regional hospitals would have been in a very deplorable condition…This is a programme that we have to upgrade these facilities and not only the mortuaries but if we need to do post-mortem at these facilities, that we’re able to do the post mortems there,” the Health Minister updated.

Mortuaries were upgraded in Regions One (BarimaWaini), Two (PomeroonSupenaam), Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara), Five (MahaicaBerbice), Eight (PomeroonSupenaam) and 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice). (G12)

14 NEWS

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2023 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Over 12,000 surgeries performed in 2023 at GPHC

Head of Surgery, Dr David Samaroo

T

he Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), through its international partnerships and advanced training for health practitioners, with Mount Sinai, McMaster University and Northwell Health, and Operation Walk, among others, has reaped success in 2023.

Additionally, Guyana was able to successfully facilitate 17 surgical missions, that played a pivotal role is clearing the backlog for specialised surgeries.

This is according to GPHC’s Head of Surgery, Dr David Samaroo, who dis-

closed last week that the public hospital was able to successfully execute some 12,495 surgeries this year.

A total of 876 elective surgeries were executed, 587 minor surgeries, 845 emergencies surgeries and 56 hernias.

Procedures ranged from complex spine, plastic, vaginal, skin, neurological, ligament reconstruction and joint replacement surgeries.

Meanwhile, the Orthopaedics Department provide care to a total of 2550 new patients and 9356 revisiting patients this year.

During his remarks to those present at GPHC’s End of Year Press Conference, Dr Samaroo explained that the figure aforementioned represents a ten per cent increase in surgeries, when compared to the corresponding period last year.

He attributed the success to the many collaborations facilitated by Government, the development of strong clinical teams, hiring of skilled specialists, modification and improved infrastructure and adoption of more efficient processes and patient pathways.

“We were able to, over

the years, achieve a new CT scan machine here at the hospital and having a CT scan allowed us to study the fractures personally, and as we understand the characteristics of these fractures, surgeons were able to train themselves, gear themselves to treat these complex problems,” Dr Samaroo explained.

Meanwhile, Head of General Surgery Dr Shilindra Rajkumar explained that while GPHC recorded an increase in surgeries, many procedures were avoided this year following the procurement of gold standard machinery for

the department.

He disclosed that due to this, many neurological procedures were conducted swiftly without the need to open the skull or spine of patients.

“Not a single case of renal stone had to be operated on in 2023. It was all done minimally invasive and this is the accepted international standard. So, in terms of stone treatment at GPHC, we’ve gotten there.

ENT - ear, noses and throat, they’ve acquired a nasal endoscope and with the assistance of neuro surgery they were able to drain and in-

tracranial opus through the nostril. Therefore, avoiding any incisions in the skin or through the skull,” Dr Rajkumar stated.

Further, Dr Rajkumar explained that the provisions have reduced the waiting time for surgeries across the board, noting that most procedures are now being conducted within 7 days instead of 37 days.

Notably, diagnosis capabilities also improved following the employment of skilled pathologist, radiologist, lab technicians and trauma response physicians, among others.

15 Govt remains prepared, despite waning public interest in COVID-19 vaccines – Health Minister NEWS

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2023 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

…quantity of expired vaccines discarded in 2023

I

nterest from the population to get immunised against COVID-19 has dropped during 2023, despite new strains of the virus circulating globally and an uptick in cases.

Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony disclosed during a press conference on Friday that many people do not feel at risk anymore, and as such, vaccination numbers are low.

It has been three years since the virus was first detected, and over time, some sense of normalcy has returned. However, attention was drawn to the JN.1 virus, which has been circulating in some countries and contributing to rising cases.

The Health Minister disclosed, “Unfortunately, I think people don’t feel that they’re at risk anymore.

We have seen over the last year, not many people coming for vaccination. While vaccines are available as boosters, people are not coming to take them. You have the current strain that is circulating now, JN.1 and we have seen in some countries, it’s caused an uptick in numbers.”

Over the year, the Health Ministry would have discarded a number of expired vaccines but Moderna and Pfizer doses remain available to the population.

Dr Anthony reasoned, “When more vaccines became available, a lot of peo-

ple didn’t want the Sputnik vaccine. We can’t do anything about that. We had vaccines available but if people don’t want it, we can’t force them to take it.

So, we had a quantity of vaccines that expired.”

Alert and prepared

It was added that the Health Ministry is alert and prepared at full capacity with adequate vaccines and testing kits.

“COVID is still out there and it’s mutating and so forth. We have to still monitor and be alert. We have full capacity to be able to test. We have the testing kits and everything else.

We have machines at the

regional levels and PCRs.” The JN.1 strain is a sub-variant of Omicron and is more transmissible compared to the previous strains. Experts have indicated that it spreads at a faster rate than the other Omicron variants but does not cause more severe disease.

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), COVID-19 still remains a serious public health threat, especially for people at higher risk of severe disease, such as older adults, infants, and people with certain disabilities and underlying health conditions.

One of the recommendations is to get vaccinated with COVID-19 shots and

Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony

updated booster doses.

It added, “The continued growth of JN.1 suggests that it is either more transmissible or better at evading our immune sys-

tems. At this time, there is no evidence that JN.1 presents an increased risk to public health relative to other currently circulating variants.”

Sawmiller donates $1.3M in school supplies to Yupukari students and Rotterdam on the East Bank of Berbice explained that it was his goal to improve the lives of persons in remote communities, in whatever way he could.

He explained that he currently employs a few persons from far-flung villages.

“These gifts were not

A

businessman of Crabwood Creek in Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) journeyed across Guyana to the Rupununi to donate school supplies to children of Yupukari, Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo).

It is one of the communities which is not easily accessible and children who are attending secondary school would have to spend between three to five hours travelling to do so in the town of Lethem.

the community of Yupukari.

The 691 registered inhabitants live about 28 kilometres or about one and a half hours off of the Rupununi Highway.

When school reopens, secondary school students who have to journey to Lethem to get higher education, along with all of the other children in Yupukari, will be doing so with their new school bags, books, and other supplies.

Former Toshao of Yupukari, Russian Dorrick welcomed the donation,

Derrick noted that each package for nursery school children included four writing books and two colouring books along with crayons and a school bag. Those attending primary school got a similar package but with items that were more suited for their level of educational development.

For those at the secondary level, a geometry set was included in their package. Those students also received a school bag.

Meanwhile, businessman Ameer Bacchus of NS

Situated about one and a half hours east of Lethem is

which amounted to some $1.3 million.

Bacchus Sawmill with locations at Crabwood Creek

purchased to gain something from you. I have done this in many other parts of this country; it is not for self-gain. It is my desire to support the children of this community,” the sawmiller and logger said.

Bacchus also committed to assisting those in the community who need driv-

er’s licenses and find it difficult to attend the needed classes that are held in Lethem.

The community of Yupukari currently has little economic activity taking place, with most villagers being involved in smallscale manufacturing and tourism. (G4)

16 NEWS

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2023 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

“More energy we have, the more we can develop your community” – PM …commissions solar farms, ICT hub at Annai and Karasabai

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wo mini solar photovoltaic (PV) farms were on Friday commissioned in the hinterland communities of Annai and Karasabai in the northern sub-district of Region Nine (Upper TakutuUpper Essequibo), bridging the energy and digital divides for remote areas.

Prime Minister, Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips commissioned the facilities and emphasised the importance of energy in community development.

He underscored, “Energy means everything to us, the more energy we have, the more we can develop your community. So, from the Government standpoint, I am really happy to be here

divide, in the sense that we want to bring energy to every community in Guyana.”

The solar grid installed in Annai is a 41.5kW (ground-mounted) PV Array comprising 83 – 505Wp solar PV modules. The system has 5 – 12kW hybrid inverters which control the charging of the 125.3kWh battery energy storage system.

Prime Minister Phillips also reopened the newly-rehabilitated Annai Community Centre Ground, which was completed at a cost of $5 million through the Culture, Youth and Sport Ministry as well as the newly-built ICT hub under the Office of the Prime Minister’s ICT Access and e-Ser-

Prime Minister Phillips flanked by residents at one of the new solar farms

The newly-rehabilitated Annai Community Centre ground

today to be part of the development of your community.

Our Government is committed to bridging the energy

vices for Hinterland, Poor, and Remote Communities Project.

He committed to having

the ICT hub fully functional to assist residents in advancing their education through the Guyana Online Academy of Learning (GOAL) and other opportunities offered by the Government.

Moreover, Prime Minister Phillips assured residents of the Government’s commitment to working closely with regional and village councils to ensure continuous development in the region. He stressed the significance of ICT connectivity and internet access for all communities.

“We are committed to bringing development to your communities, we are commit-

ted to bridging the digital divide, because we feel that every community must have access to the internet, because the greater the access to the internet is the greater the possibility of integration of all our peoples.”

In Karasabai, the Prime Minister reflected on the Government’s comprehensive approach to development and noted that the focus is on “bringing development to the people of Guyana”.

Further, he encouraged residents to utilise the new energy source to develop the cottage industry and increase production.

He added, “You can in-

vest in equipment that will utilise the energy to produce goods not only for your community but to sell. Whatever you want to produce in your village, so with increased energy resources, you can now increase your production to earn more money.”

The newly commissioned grid installed at Karasabai is a 46.5kW (ground-mounted) PV Array comprising 93 – 505Wp solar PV modules.

The system has 5 – 12kW hybrid inverters which control the charging of the 141.41kWh battery energy storage.

Phillips also listened to the concerns affecting resi-

dents from both communities.

The head of the Guyana Energy Agency, Dr Mahender Sharma, provided an overview of the projects and spoke of the transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources.

This shift, he said, aligns with Guyana’s Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS). The mini-grid systems are configured as offgrid solar PV systems with battery energy storage systems with an associated electricity transmission and distribution network to link the communities’ public buildings.

Curbing recidivism...

Prison Service prioritising inmate reintegration with skills development – welfare officer

I

n a move to curb recidivism and promote the successful reintegration of inmates into society, the Guyana Prison Service (GPS) has spearheaded a series of impactful programmes across its five prison facilities nationwide.

These programmes, designed to enhance the overall well-being of inmates, have a multifaceted approach. They not only foster social cohesion among prisoners but also ex-

Some of the prisoners who underwent training pand their opportunities for retraining. The Government is actively supporting these initiatives, recognising their potential to alleviate the cycle of reoffending.

In a notable achievement for 2023, the Prison Service announced that a total of 1520 inmates from various prison locations have completed training in technical and vocational skills. This aligns with the Guyana Prison Service's commitment to facilitate a

seamless reintegration process.

The Prisoners’ Welfare and Correctional Officer, Tassa McGarrell, emphasised the holistic nature of the training programmes.

Inmates undergo thorough assessments by the Sentence Planning Unit at each location, followed by the concurrence of the Sentence Management Board. The programmes encompass vocational, academic, and behavioural

aspects, ensuring a tailored approach to meet the specific needs of each individual.

Partnerships with various Ministries, and internal and external facilitators, played a crucial role in the successful execution of these training programmes. The year 2023, according to the Prison Service, witnessed a simultaneous implementation of diverse programmes at each location, with a primary focus on preparing inmates for rein-

tegration into society.

While a range of skills was imparted, special emphasis was placed on Literacy, Family Reconciliation, Anger Management, Culinary Art, Food and Nutrition, Domestic Violence, Men on Mission (MoM) sessions, Citizenship, Carpentry and joinery, Welding, Masonry, Plumbing, Animal and Crop Husbandry, Information Technology, and Agriculture.

Director of Prisons,

Nicklon Elliot underscored the broader strategy behind the training initiatives. As the Prison Service transitions from a penal to a correctional model, efforts are being directed towards forging partnerships with the private sector.

This approach aims to provide inmates with opportunities to meet the growing demand for skilled labour, marking a significant step in the demilitarisation of prisons in Guyana.

FEATURE

17

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2023 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

HEALTH TIPS

HEALTHY NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS

By Dr. Tariq Jagnarine

A

new year often signifies a fresh start for many people. For some, this means setting health goals, such as losing weight, following a healthier diet, and starting an exercise routine.

However, often, the health and wellness resolutions chosen are highly restrictive and unsustainable, leading most people to break their resolutions within a few weeks. That is why many people make the same resolutions year after year.

To break that cycle, it’s important to make resolutions that can not only improve health, but also be followed for life. Here are some New Year’s

resolutions that are possible to keep.

1. Eat more whole foods.

One of the easiest and most sustainable ways to improve overall health is to eat more whole foods. Whole foods -- including vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, whole grains, and fish -- contain a plethora of nutrients that your body needs to function at an optimal level.

Research shows that following a whole-foods-based diet may significantly reduce heart disease risk factors, body weight, and blood sugar levels, as well as decrease your risk of certain diseases, such as type 2 diabetes.

• 2. Sit less, and move more Whether it’s due to having a sedentary job or simply being inactive, many people sit more than they should. Sitting too much can have negative effects on health, and may be linked to an increased risk of overall mortality.

If at a desk job that requires long periods of sitting, resolve to go for a 15-minute walk at lunch, or to get up and walk for 5 minutes every hour.

• 3. Cut back on sweetened beverages Cutting back on sweetened beverages is a smart idea, con-

sidering that sugary drinks are linked to an increased risk of obesity, fatty liver, heart disease, insulin resistance, and cavities in both children and adults.

• 4. Get more quality sleep Sleep is an essential part of overall health, and sleep deprivation can lead to serious consequences. For instance, lack of sleep may increase your risk of weight gain, heart disease, and depression. There are many reasons why people don’t get enough sleep, so it’s important to focus on a daily schedule and lifestyle to determine the best ways to improve sleep quantity and quality.

• 5. Find a physical activity that is enjoyable Every New Year, people

purchase expensive memberships to gyms, workout studios, and online fitness programmes in hope of shedding excess body fat in the year to come. Though most people start strong, the majority don’t make their new routine into a lasting habit. For example, taking a half-hour walk, jogging, or bike riding before work, swimming, and going to the gym after work are simple and sustainable exercise resolutions.

• 6. Take more ‘me time’ and practice self-care Taking time for yourself is not selfish; it’s imperative for optimal health and well-being.

This is especially true for those in caretaker roles, such as parents and healthcare workers.

Self-care doesn’t have to be

elaborate or time-consuming.

It can simply mean going for a swim every week, attending your favourite yoga class weekly, preparing a healthy meal for yourself, going for a nature walk, or getting an extra hour of sleep.

• 7. Cook more meals at home Research shows that people who cook more meals at home have better diet quality and less body fat than people who eat more meals on the go. A study of 11,396 adults found that those who ate 5 or more home-cooked meals per week were 28% less likely to be overweight, compared with those who ate fewer than 3 home-cooked meals per week.

• 8. Spend more time outdoors Spending more time outdoors can improve health by relieving stress, elevating mood, and even lowering blood pressure. Making a New Year’s resolution to spend more time outdoors every day is a sustainable and healthy goal that can benefit almost everyone.

9. Limit screen time Many people depend on their phones and computers for work and entertainment.

However, spending too much time on electronic devices

--particularly on social media -- has been linked to depression, anxiety, and loneliness in some. Setting a resolution to cut back on the time you spend scrolling through social media, watching TV, or playing computer games may help boost your mood and enhance productivity.

• 10. Try meditation Meditation is an evidence-based way to promote mental well-being. It may be particularly helpful for people who have anxiety or depression. Trying out this practice is a perfect New Year’s resolution, because there are many ways to meditate, and it’s easy to find books, podcasts, and apps.

• 11. Rely less on convenience foods Many people rely on convenience foods, such as packaged chips, cookies, frozen dinners, and fast food, for a quick meal or snack. Though these items may be tasty and readily available, they can have detrimental effects on your health, if eaten too often. For example, frequent fast-food intake is associated with poor overall diet quality, obesity, and an increased risk of numerous conditions, including heart disease and diabetes.

HAPPY 2024!

“Lightning killed my family on my wedding day” – groom

By Rajini Vaidyanathan

O

n the day he thought he'd be celebrating his wedding, Mamun buried 16 of his relatives.

They had been killed by lightning on the way to the ceremony.

Dressed in their finest saris and suits, his family members boarded a boat to join Mamun, when a heavy storm struck. As the rain lashed down the boat pulled over and they took shelter under a tin shed on the riverbank, when they were hit. Bangladesh, which is blighted by extreme weather and heavy storms, suffers an average of 300 deaths by lightning every year, according to the UN. That's compared with fewer than 20 annually in the United States, which has almost double the population.

It's a heavy burden for the South Asian nation, and for many like Mamun, who is speaking for the first time about what happened on that day in August 2021.

The 21-year-old was getting ready at his in-laws' home in the Shibganj area in the country's north-west, when he heard the crackle of thunder, minutes before he got the gut-wrenching news.

He rushed to his family, where he was confronted with a scene of chaos and confusion.

"Some people were hugging the bodies," Mamun recalls, "the injured were crying out in pain… children were screaming. I was at a loss. I could not even decide who I should go to first." Mamun lost his father, grandparents,

The funerals took place on the evening of Mamun's wedding

Mamun lost 16 of his relatives after they were struck by lightning on the day of his wedding

cousins, uncles and aunts. His mother wasn't on the boat and survived the lightning attack.

"When I found my father's dead body I simply burst into tears. I was so shocked I fell sick," Mamun says.

Later that evening, the funerals of his relatives took place - the wedding feast they were meant to enjoy was instead distributed to the homeless.

Mamun later got married, but says he doesn't celebrate his wedding anniversary as it triggers painful memories.

"After the tragic incident, now I am really scared of rain and thunder."

Lightning is a big killer in Bangladesh, claiming more lives annually than floods.

The number of reported deaths due to lightning has also risen steeply, from just dozens per year in the 1990s.

Nasa, the UN and the government of Bangladesh cite

increased storminess due to climate change as a reason for the increase in deadly strikes.

"Global warming, environmental changes, living patterns are all factors for the increasing death toll due to lightning," Md Mijanur Rahman, the director general of Bangladesh's disaster management division, told the BBC. Such is the seriousness, that the government has added lightning strikes to the official list of natural disasters the country faces which includes floods, cyclones, earthquakes and droughts.

The majority of victims of lightning are farmers, who are vulnerable to the elements as they work the fields through the rainy monsoon months in the spring and summer. A football shirt, hanging on a rickety fence, overlooking a field in the Satkhira region of Bangladesh is a poignant re-

minder of one of the victims.

Just days earlier, the shirt had been worn by Abdullah as he went into the vast rice fields to do his day's work.

Now, draped over the wooden barrier, the Barcelona football shirt is singed and frayed, the burnt edges of thread show where the lightning left its mark in May this year.

Abdullah's wife of three decades, Rehana, took me to the field to tell me what happened the day she lost her husband.

It was bright and sunny as Abdullah and a group of farmers went to harvest rice. By late afternoon a heavy storm began, and a lightning bolt struck her husband.

"Some of the other farmers brought him to this roadside shop," Rehana says, pointing to a small shack along the lane. "By then he was already dead."

Back at Rehana's house, the rice Abdullah harvested a day earlier lies in fresh piles outside the small one-room dwelling.

The couple had recently taken out a loan to build a second room to extend their modest home.

Inside, the couple's 14-year-old son Masood is reading a book. With no primary earner, Rehana fears she will be left with a lifetime of debt and wonders how she will pay for his studies.

"The fear gripped me so deeply that now if I see a cloud in the sky, I don't even dare to let my son go outside any more," she says consumed by tears. Lightning is a growing concern in other countries too - including neighbouring India which has also seen a rise in the number of strikes in recent years, but a significant reduction in the number of fatalities due to a number of initiatives.

There are efforts in Bangladesh to do more to reduce the number of deaths due to lightning.

Activists say more tall

trees need to be planted in remote rural areas to absorb the impact of the strikes, especially in places which have borne the brunt of deforestation.

They also call for a largescale programme to build lightning sheds, so farmers can take safe shelter, and for broader early warning systems to alert people about possible storms.

One challenge is the poor connectivity and lack of mobile usage in the areas where people are the most vulnerable.

A lack of awareness is also a challenge. Many in the country don't realise how dangerous lightning can be - few people anywhere in the world expect to be hit by a thunderbolt.

Farmer Ripon Hossen - who was with Abdullah the day he was killed - never imagined what lightning would look like up close, until it struck. "There was a big loud sound, and then I saw lots of flashing lights," he recalled. "It was as if a disk of fire had fallen on us. I felt a great electric shock and fell to the ground.

"After a while, I opened my eyes and saw that Abdullah was dead."

Ripon can't believe he survived. He says he's terrified to work in the open, but in this impoverished agricultural area farming is the only source of income for him.

"I cry whenever I think of my friend Abdullah," he says.

"When I close my eyes at night, all the memories of that day return like a flashback. I can't console myself." (BBC)

18

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2023

guyanatimesgy.com

Regional

Colombia to hike minimum T&T: Woman snatched outside businessplace by men posing as cops wage by 12% in 2024

A

C

olombia’s minimum wage will increase by 12% in 2024, Labour Minister Gloria Ines Ramirez said on Friday, taking the figure to 1.3 million pesos (US$340) per month.

The increase in the minimum wage represents a hike of 140,000 pesos (US$36.63) per month.

The wage increase comes as the country battles persistently high inflation and an ailing economy. Twelvemonth inflation to the end of November hit 10.15%.

The increase for 2024 is less than the rise in the minimum wage in 2023, when the Government reached an agreement to boost it by 16%.

The increase for 2024 was not agreed with business leaders, despite meetings between the Government and industry groups, Ramirez told journalists.

“There were discussions and movements by the parties, but they were not

Gloria Ines Ramirez, Labour Minister, speaking on the day that Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro will deliver a statement about the labour reform that his Government wants to carry out, in Bogota, Colombia March 16, 2023

enough to reach an agreement,” Ramirez said, adding that 10 meetings took place in search of an agreement.

The lack of agreement, however, has no impact on implementing the new minimum, which is set by the Government.

Business associations and workers’ unions had managed to reach an agreement with the Government on minimum wage increas-

es for 2022 and 2023.

The hike to the minimum wage comes as Colombia’s economy stalls.

The central bank’s technical team had hiked its 2023 growth outlook to 1.2% at the end of October, but the economy shrank 0.3% in the third quarter versus the year-earlier period, prompting bank chief Leonardo Villar to warn that the forecast was unlikely to be met.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

Venezuelan media magnate Gustavo Cisneros dead at 78

V

enezuelan media mogul Gustavo Cisneros, who had expanded Cisneros from a family business into an important conglomerate for the Latin American and US Hispanic market, has died at the age of 78, the company said.

The company confirmed his death on Friday on social media, calling him a “leader who transcended business, characterised by his strategic vision and commitment to innovation”, without giving further details.

Cisneros, who remained chairman until his death, had signed several deals across different sectors and expanded the business.

In 1992, he co-founded Univision, the first Spanish-language media company in the United States. In 1995, he launched DIRECTV Latin America, the first all-digital direct-to-home satellite television service in Latin America.

His death prompted an outpour of sympathy from across the country.

The Unitary Platform,

which brings together Venezuela’s main political parties, said on Saturday on social media that it “joins the mourning that afflicts the Cisneros family.”

So did Fedecamaras, the largest Venezuelan employers’ association, which in a statement on Saturday recognised him as a successful businessman on a national and international level.

Cardinal Baltazar Porras from the Archdiocese of Caracas, called him in a statement “a media man and promoter of technology.” (Reuters)

Nicaragua arrests 4 more priests, intensifies crackdown on Catholic Church

N

icaraguan Police detained four more priests early on Saturday, bringing the total number to 12 over the past three days, according to a high-ranking member of the Catholic Church with knowledge of the matter and local media.

Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega, who has governed the Central American country since 2007, has started a crackdown on the Catholic Church and political opponents.

Priests Mikel Monterrey, Gerardo Rodriguez and Raul Zamora, along with Monsignor Miguel Mantica,

the son of one of the richest families in Nicaragua, were taken from their respective homes, the source said.

“They’re all from the Archdiocese of Managua,” said the source, who spoke to Reuters on the condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals.

The Nicaraguan Government and Police did not respond to a request for comment. La Prensa, one of the country’s last remaining newspapers, also reported the four arrests of the priests.

Among those arrested early Saturday were two priests - Monterrey and

Zamora - who opened the doors of their parish to students from two universities that were attacked by the Government in 2018.

In total, 12 priests and Bishop Isidro Mora have now been arrested in recent days. In August 2022, Bishop Rolando Alvarez was arrested and sentenced to 26 years in prison.

Since the 2018 protests, Ortega has accused priests of organising themselves and orchestrating a coup; the bishops had asked the President for justice for those who died during the protests, and early elections. (Reuters)

s the search for abducted businesswoman Anesha Narine-Boodhoo continued last night, relatives and friends held a vigil at her home in El Socorro, San Juan, as they prayed for her safe return.

The mother of two teenage girls was snatched around 8 am along Girez Lane by four men wearing what resembled Police uniforms and bundled into a heavily-tinted black Rush equipped with blue strobe lights on the dashboard.

Guardian Media was told that up to 3:40 pm on Thursday, no ransom had been made for NarineBoodhoo’s safe return.

Along with her husband, Narine-Boodhoo operates

the Autorama Limited along the El Socorro Main Road.

The former Ministry of Education employee was taken metres away from the business, which is situated up the street from the family home.

Reports indicate that Narine-Boodhoo had walked with several employees to open the business, as she was accustomed to every morning, and then walked back to the house to collect her white Prado. It is alleged that as she drove off, the kidnappers sped past and blocked her, before hustling her out of her vehicle and into theirs, which then headed south towards the Churchill-Roosevelt

Highway.

One resident along the street said they had observed suspicious activities during the past couple weeks, with strange vehicles coming down the deadend street and remaining parked for hours. However, believing this to be plain clothes police officers, the residents did not raise any alarms as they felt it was nothing out of the ordinary.

Addressing the abduction, Barataria/San Juan MP Saddam Hosein said the El Socorro Main Road was one of the busiest streets in the district, and the kidnapping was an indication of just how appalling and disgusting the crime situation had become. (Excerpt from Trinidad Guardian)

J/ca: 10 Cubans in Police custody after allegedly trespassing in Trelawny hotel

T

en Cubans are being processed by Police after allegedly trespassing in a hotel in Trelawny on Saturday.

The development has been confirmed by the Jamaica Constabulary Force Corporate Communications Unit (CCU).

Reports are that the

Cubans were discovered around 2:00 am on the Excellence Resort property.

It is not clear how the group arrived on the property.

However, a source noted that while the group was spotted on a section of the property, it was after one went to a member of staff and asked for a phone char-

ger that the hotel realised that they were not guests at the facility.

It is understood hospitality was shown to the group as the hotel awaited the arrival of the Police who were called.

They were later taken to the Falmouth Public General Hospital. (Jamaica Observer)

Barbados: Bright youth found dead in well

T

he community of Bibby’s Lane in St Michael is struggling to come to grips with the gruesome discovery of a body on Friday afternoon.

For about an hour and a half, a Barbados Defence Force soldier, with the support of the Barbados Fire Service, extracted the body of 28-year-old Mitchell Anderson Nicholls from a 30-foot well along nearby Exchange Hill.

Upset residents vented their frustration and anger over what they charged was the slaying of Nicholls, whose family operates the nearby Nicholls Bakery.

They said the deceased was a decent, generous young man who often bought drinks for people in the community, lent money and even offered jobs at the bakery.

“He [Nicholls] used to feed them [two suspects] and lend them money and they turn around and kill he Saturday night (December 23). He was a good man. He used to bring me cakes and thing and buy things for the rest of fellas . . . ,” one woman declared.

“They put he down in a hole . . . which he didn’t de-

Twenty-eight-year-old Mitchell Anderson Nicholls

serve. They light fire to the car up the road but they get burn up doing it – that’s God at work. They wrong for killing a good man like Mitchell that way; that hurt me,” she lamented.

As police continued their search of a bushy area, some of Nicholls’ family members hugged each other and openly cried.

Some waited in Police vehicles while others stood just waiting for any word on their loved one. Relatives of those residents suspect-

ed were involved in the death were also present, with some arguing loudly and trying to refute some of the allegations.

Police had issued a missing person’s report around 9 am for Nicholls, of Apt A, West Coast Apartments Hotel, Pond Bottom, Westmoreland, St James. He was last seen on December 23 by his adopted mother Cheryl Nicholls.

At that time, he was driving a black car. (Excerpt from Nation News)

guyanatimesgy.com

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2023

19

Around the World

Israeli tanks advance deeper into OILNEWS OIL NEWS Gaza districts 12 weeks into war

US sees minor uptick in oil rigs

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he total number of active drilling rigs in the United States rose this week by 2, according to new data that Baker Hughes published on Friday.

The total rig count rose to 622 this week. Since this time last year, Baker Hughes has estimated a loss of 157 active drilling rigs. This week’s count is 452 fewer rigs than the rig count at the beginning of 2019, before the pandemic. Meanwhile, US production has grown by 1.377 million bpd, according to the most recent EIA data published Friday.

The number of oil rigs rose by 2 to 500. Oil rigs are now down by 121 compared to this time last year. The number of gas rigs stayed the same this week at 120, a loss of 36 active gas rigs from this time last year.

Miscellaneous rigs stayed the same at 2.

Primary Vision’s Frac Spread Count, an estimate of the number of crews completing unfinished, fell by 13 in the week to December 22 to 252—it is also 13 below the frac spread from a year ago.

Oil prices were trading up on Friday. At 10:37 am ET on Thursday, the WTI benchmark was trading up US$0.27 (+0.389%) on the day at US$72.04. This is a decrease of roughly US$1.70 per barrel from this time last week.

The Brent benchmark was trading up US$0.33 (+0.43%) at US$77.48 US$79.25, but down about US$1.70 per barrel from a week ago. (Oilprice.com)

I

sraeli forces pushed deeper into central and southern Gaza on Saturday with heavy air and artillery fire, residents said, pressing a deadly offensive that has razed much of the enclave and that Israel has said may last months more.

Fighting was focused in al-Bureij, Nuseirat, Maghazi and Khan Younis, backed by intensive air strikes that filled hospitals with wounded Palestinians.

The bombardment has killed 165 people and wounded 250 others in Gaza over the past 24 hours, health authorities in the Hamas-run territory said.

At Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, the biggest and most important medical facility in the south of the tiny, crowded territory, a Red Crescent video showed paramedics rushing a tiny, dust-covered baby into a busy

hospital as one shouted “there is breathing, there is breathing”.

Almost all of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents have been forced from their homes by Israel’s 12-week assault, triggered after Hamas and allied groups killed 1200 people and captured 240 hostages in a rampage in southern Israel on Oct 7.

The offensive has killed at least 21,672 Palestinians, according to health authorities in Gaza, with more than 56,000 injured and thousands more feared dead under the rubble.

Israel says 172 of its military personnel have been killed in the Gaza fighting.

On Saturday, the armed wing of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine said an Israeli soldier being held captive by the group had been killed in an Israeli air strike that had also wounded

Palestinian girl Mariam Abu Akel and her brother Hamed, who were rescued from under the rubble of a house hit by an Israeli strike, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, receiving medical attention inside an ambulance in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, December 29, 2023

some of his captors.

A spokesperson for the group, the second-biggest faction of the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) after Fatah, said in

comments broadcast by Al Araby television that the air strike took place following a failed attempt by Israeli commandos to free the soldier.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

Russia says 20 dead after ‘indiscriminate’ Ukrainian strikes on Belgorod

R

ussia said 20 people including two children had been killed and 111 injured in “indiscriminate” Ukrainian strikes allegedly including cluster bombs on the Russian provincial capital of Belgorod on Saturday, and vowed to retaliate.

The Belgorod region, which adjoins northern Ukraine, has like other Russian border zones suffered shelling and drone attacks all year that authorities have blamed on Ukraine, although none have previously been on

such a scale.

N e w s p a p e r Kommersant cited a source close to the Russian Investigative Committee as saying missiles fired from a multiple rocket launcher in Ukraine’s Kharkiv region had hit a skating rink on the central Cathedral Square, a shopping centre and residential buildings.

No official comment was immediately available from Kyiv, but the Ukrainian news outlet RBC-Ukraine quoted unnamed sources as saying Ukrainian forc-

es had directed fire at military targets in Belgorod in response to the massive Russian bombardment of Ukrainian cities the previous day.

News website Ukrainska Pravda quoted an unnamed security service source as blaming the destruction of civilian infrastructure on “unprofessional actions by Russian air defence, as well as deliberate and planned provocations”.

Within hours of the attack on Belgorod, Ukrainian authorities said

two Russian S-300 missiles hit the centre of Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second city, injuring 21 people including two boys aged 16 and 14.

One missile hit the Kharkiv Palace Hotel and another an apartment building. Officials said a medical institution and other civilian infrastructure were also damaged.

Air raid sirens had earlier sounded all over Belgorod as regional Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov urged all residents to move to shelters.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

Veiled rebellion: Female medical students go underground in Afghanistan

L

ima stayed home the last time the Taliban inspected the hospital where she secretly trains as a nurse.

After five years of medical training, Lima, 28, should be one year into her residency as a doctor, perfecting her diagnostic skills. Instead, she takes temperatures and administers injections, tasks she has been doing at an emergency room in Kabul for three months now. While this is not the work she expected to be doing at this point in her career, she’s happy to at least be doing this.

Lima was just weeks away from graduating from a medical school in Kabul when the Taliban banned higher education for women last December, interrupting her studies and that of thousands of other women. Women already qualified as doctors, nurses and other medical workers are permitted to continue in their jobs, but no new women may enter the field or undertake training.

More than 3000 women who had already graduat-

portunities.

In September, nine months after the ban, Noor lost hope that the university would reopen and called the hospital that had offered her a two-month internship back in 2020. They agreed to let her come in to complete it.

Everyone treats it as a secret.

When the two months were up, the hospital allowed her to stay on to continue observing surgeries for as long as she wished. Noor says she is too afraid to even think about what would hap-

Girls in Herat gather to stage a demonstration demanding the right to continue their education in schools and universities, on September 20, 2021, in Herat, Afghanistan [Anadolu Agency via Getty Images]

ed from medical schools before the ban were barred from taking the board exams required to practise, depriving the country – already struggling from a dire shortage of female medical workers – of a desperately needed infusion of new doctors.

On the day they heard about the new ban on women completing medical stud-

ies, Lima and her classmates were having lunch together.

They cried together because of what this would mean for their future and because they were worried they would not be able to see each other again. The Taliban’s strict ban on women leaving their homes without a male chaperone makes meeting friends near-impossible.

Almost a year later, many women have refused to give up on their chosen path and have continued studying on their own or online, hoping that they will one day be allowed to study officially at university and medical school again. Some women have managed to work around the restrictions, finding secret internships and residency op-

pen if the Taliban discovered her studying there. It is unclear what would happen if she was discovered, but women found studying medicine or undertaking internships would likely be removed from hospitals and banned from returning, if not worse. There have already been arrests of activists who tried to defy the ban on girls’ education.

Whatever the risks, however, women refuse to stop trying to defy the ban on higher education completely.

(Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Magnitude 6.3 earthquake strikes Papua, Indonesia

A

magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck Papua, Indonesia on Sunday, the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre said.

The quake was at a depth of 39 km (24.23 miles) the EMSC said.

EMSC earlier pegged the earthquake at a magnitude of 6.2, with a depth of 46 km (28.58 miles).

The U.S. Tsunami Warning System said there was no threat of a tsunami after the quake. (Reuters)

20

guyanatimesgy.com

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2023

You owe yourself a break to regenerate before the year (March 21ends.

Size up your situation, April 19) consider your goals and establish a plan that positions you for success. Take it easy while thinking ahead.

ARIES

Protect your money, health TAURUS and reputation, but don’t for(April 20go having fun with family or May 20) friends. A get-together will bring you closer to the people who matter to you most.

Don’t mix business with GEMINI pleasure.

Someone you think (MAY 21you can trust will let you June 20) down. Keep an open mind, but don’t share personal information. Love is on the rise.

A change of plans will favor CANCER you.

Be open to suggestions, and (June 21July 22) the information you receive will help you throw something you want to do into the mix. Stick to what you know and trust.

LEO (July 23Aug. 22)

Pickles VIRGO

Dig deep, ask questions and find out where you stand. You may be ready for a change, but it must be on your terms. Now is the time to flourish and take the path that excites you.

LIBRA (Sept. 23Oct. 23)

Take advantage of an opportunity to enjoy the festivities. A conversation or chance meeting will reveal something important. A change will point you in an exciting direction.

SCORPIO

You can have fun without overspending. Healthy discussions regarding long-term financial plans will be helpful and guide you in a prosperous direction as you enter the new year.

(Aug. 23Sept. 22)

Peanuts

Step into the spotlight and entertain those you want to impress. Don’t give in to overindulgence when you must fine-tune your intelligence and purpose. Romance is favored.

(Oct. 24Nov. 22)

Check your emotions at SAGITTARIUS the door, and don’t share (Nov. 23your feelings or personal inDec. 21) formation. An overly friendly attitude will put you in a vulnerable position. Don’t overindulge.

Calvin and Hobbes

Set a plan in motion that CAPRICORN carries you into the new year (Dec. 22with hope and optimism.

Jan. 19) Share your thoughts, gather feedback and get the ball rolling. Take a look at what’s available to you.

AQUARIUS Overindulgence isn’t a good way to welcome the new (Jan. 20year. Back away from loud, Feb. 19) obnoxious people and surround yourself with those who stimulate your mind and give you hope.

PISCES Steer clear of chaos, anger (Feb. 20- and places that are magnets Mar. 20) for unrest. Protect yourself and your loved ones by making your immediate environment safe and welcoming.

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2023

21

SA name squad with just 7 capped players for NZ Tests J

anuary is the window that South Africa have earmarked for their flagship T20 tournament, which kicked off to much fanfare in 2023. To ensure its success which depended on their biggest stars being available for the tournament - CSA forfeited an ODI series against Australia, even though there was a chance that might affect their qualification for the 2023 World Cup. Although they tried to reschedule the upcoming Tests against New Zealand, they were once again left with a decision to make.

Long story short, the firstchoice picks will be playing the SA20. These newbies will head out to the other side of the world.

Neil Brand is South Africa captain Brand is yet to play a Test, but when he does, on February 4, he will be captaining his country. Brand is an experienced domestic cricketer who spent some time at Cardiff MCC, and has built his professional career in Centurion.

He has also spent time with the Somerset and Glamorgan Second XIs. He is 94 away from 3000 first-class runs, and has a batting average of 39.27, including six hundreds; and also has a track record as a leader.

Brand has captained in 18 of his 51 first-class matches, including for a significant part of the 2021-22 season, when he led Titans to the domestic first-class trophy and finished as the tenth-highest run-scorer in the competition.

He also led the South African

average of 42.84, is likely to be capped in New Zealand, along with Ruan de Swardt, who averages 45.75.

David Bedingham is one of the few South Africa players who would play both the India and New Zealand Test series

‘A’ side against West Indies ‘A’ earlier this year, a series that was organised to help prepare players for the New Zealand Tests, and which South Africa won 2-1. Brand scored a century in the opening game, and was the fifth-highest run-scorer in the series.

The top six Three of the top six are players who have been in or around South Africa’s Test squad: Keegan Petersen, David Bedingham and Zubayr Hamza, and all three have strong records. Petersen and Hamza were the leading and third-highest run-scorer in the South African ‘A’ series against West Indies, and all three are involved in the ongoing rubber against India.

Petersen was named in the Boxing Day Test after being dropped last summer against West Indies, and scored 2 but has four half-centuries in 12 Tests and 11 years of experi-

ence in the domestic system.

Bedingham, who considered trying to play for England when he was at Durham, has returned home and debuted against India, and impressed with a confident 56; while Hamza could feature in the New Year’s Test. Hamza last played Test cricket in New Zealand in 2022, and has six caps, 212 runs, and a top score of 62. He is also the fourth-highest run-scorer in the ongoing domestic fourday competition, and appears to have found his touch after serving a nine-month ban for a doping violation.

The only other capped batter in the 14-man squad is Khaya Zondo, who has played five Tests, the most recent against Australia earlier this year. He was the fourth-highest run-scorer in the series against West Indies ‘A’.

Former South African Under-19 batter Raynard van Tonder, who has a first-class

The pace attack Former Kolpak players Duanne Olivier and Dane Paterson will lead the attack, and offer pace, movement and, most importantly, experience. Olivier, who has played 15 Tests, was establishing himself as a regular in the South African side before he went to Yorkshire in 2019. He has 59 Test wickets at an average of 21.93, including a best of 6 for 37 against Pakistan, three five-fors and a

23.63, and conditions in New Zealand are expected to suit him.

The rest of the attack will be made of uncapped players, including allrounder Mihlali Mpongwana, who was named in the ODI squad for the India series but did not get a game.

He earned the praise of T20I captain Aiden Markram, who said he “thinks about the game in a great way”, and adapts well to conditions. He operated as a third and sometimes fourth seamer in the series against West Indies ‘A’, but has only played one other first-class match this season.

Alongside him is anoth-

Duanne Olivier is the most experienced player in the squad, with 15 Tests

ten-wicket haul.

Paterson, a bowler in the Vernon Philander mould of subtle seam movement, played two Tests for South Africa in 2020 before a brief stint as Kolpak and then overseas player for Nottinghamshire.

He has more than 550 firstclass wickets at an average of

er former Under-19 player, Tshepo Moreki, a swing bowler with 93 first-class matches to his name.

The spinners Offspinner Dane Piedt played nine Tests for South Africa between 2014 and 2019, before becoming part

of a wave of cricketers who left the country to join the Major League Cricket circuit.

He now lives in Washington, USA, but answered an SOS from Test coach Shukri Conrad to come back to South Africa this season with a view of travelling to New Zealand.

Piedt played two matches for the second-division Knights side, was the leading wicket-taker in the series against West Indies ‘A’, and can expect to add to his international caps on this trip.

While New Zealand may not be a place to play two spinners in a Test, Conrad has decided to do so, with the addition of 37-year-old legspinner Shaun von Berg. Von Berg has played on South Africa’s domestic scene since 2009, and has regularly been among the leading wicket-takers in the first-class competition.

He is currently playing for Boland, and has 15 wickets from five games in the fourday tournament.

The wicketkeeper Clyde Fortuin was part of South Africa’s Under-19 World Cup-winning side in 2014, but did not go on to reach the heights of his team-mates Markram or Kagiso Rabada.

Instead, he has racked up 74 first-class caps, 68 of them as wicketkeeper, and was the only wicketkeeper used in the ‘A’ series against West Indies.

Though his batting average overall is just 27.10, he has shown recent form, and was the fifth-highest run-scorer in last season’s first-class competition. (ESPNCricinfo)

Late Gibbs-White goal earns Forest Premier League win over Man Utd M

organ Gibbs-White scored an 82nd-minute winner, and Nottingham Forest recorded their first Premier League victory over Manchester United in 29 years, to bring 2023 to a miserable end for Erik ten Hag’s side.

It looked as if Marcus Rashford had rescued a point for the visitors when he capitalised on a blunder from Forest keeper Matt Turner 12 minutes from time and end his wait of more than six hours for a Premier League goal. But after Turner had redeemed himself with a fine save to deny Christian Eriksen, Forest counter-attacked, and Gibbs-White struck the decisive blow from a neat cut-back from former United forward Anthony Elanga.

After a tepid first-half, Nicolas Dominguez opened the scoring, as new manager Nuno Espirito Santo steered Forest to back-to-back victories for only the second time since being promoted back to the top flight.

It was another desperate night for Ten Hag, and

it was in front of Sir Dave Brailsford, who will have a significant say in United’s onfield operations following Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s 25% purchase of the club. It was United’s 14th defeat of a dreadful campaign, their highest number of losses before the end of a year since 1930-31.

United have been beaten four times in December alone, and could end this round of matches in ninth spot, just three points in front of Chelsea.

Another bad night for Antony Ten Hag told Brailsford he did not want to speak to him yet, because of the packed Christmas programme, but has said he feels INEOS are looking forward to working with him.

Those talks are bound to happen in January, when United only have a single Premier League game, although whether Ten Hag will want to disrupt preparations before a potentially perilous FA Cup third-round tie at League One Wigan on 8 January is open to debate.

It is clear that one of the

Gibbs-White has scored two Premier League goals for Forest this season

issues Brailsford and fellow INEOS representative Jean Claude-Blanc need to sort out as a matter of priority is recruitment; and there is no greater evidence of where United have gone wrong in that department than Brazil winger Antony. It is 16 months since Ten Hag pushed to sign Antony, United eventually paying £81m for the winger, making him their second most expensive signing after Paul Pogba. Sitting to-

gether in the directors’ box, neither Brailsford nor Sir Alex Ferguson could possibly have been thinking his latest performance made the fee look value for money.

The winger’s supporters say he does not shirk work, and can be trusted to track back.

That may well be true, but it ignores the point that there is little end product from him.

Towards the end of the first half, Rashford presented

Antony with a shooting opportunity inside the penalty area, but before he could decide how to manipulate the position into a chance, Forest defenders surrounded him, and the chance disappeared.

A few moments later, he shaped as if he was going to take his opponent on at the touchline, but stuck between going down the line or cutting inside as he prefers, he did nothing, and the ball ended up going out for a throw.

When he was replaced by Amad Diallo after 54 minutes, it meant Antony had failed to score or set up a goal in 21 consecutive appearances.

Amad cost £19m, and did not do much to justify that smaller fee either - but the Ivory Coast youngster has only just returned from a serious knee injury, so judgement on him should be reserved.

Agony turns ecstasy for keeper Turner The relief on the face of Forest keeper Turner at the final whistle was clear for all to see. The United States international had a shaky start to the game, with a couple of

wayward passes putting the hosts in trouble as he attempted to follow Nuno’s demand to play out from the back.

His propensity to misplace passes ultimately proved costly, as Rashford celebrated an equaliser where the blame lay squarely at his door. An attempt to play out of his area was intercepted by the alert Alejandro Garnacho, who found Rashford; and he applied a superb first-time finish.

Anguish soon turned to relief for the former Arsenal man, though. His save from Eriksen allowed him to start a counter that ended with Gibbs-White driving home his second goal of the season. As Gibbs-White raced to celebrate with the Trent End faithful, at the other end of the field Turner was repeatedly punching the air.

He still had one more bit of work to do in repelling a deflected Bruno Fernandes effort as United pushed forward in desperation, but the ruffle of hair from Moussa Niakhate underlined he had earned a memorable reprieve. (BBC Sport)

22 West Indies in Australia Spankhurst named “horse of the year 2023” for 2-Test series …first-ever awards ceremony hailed a success T GUYANATIMESGY.COM

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2023

he West Indies team touched down in Adelaide, Australia on Friday evening, ahead of their 2-match Test Series starting next month.

The 15-man Caribbean side is again led by Kraigg Braithwaite, with Alzarri Joseph being new vice-captain. Five Guyanese are

will run from January 2-9, after which they will play a 4-day warmup match from January 10-13 against a Cricket Australia XI. The two Test matches are scheduled for January 15-20 and 24-28, at the Adelaide Oval and the Gabba at Brisbane respectively.

Motie, Kemar Roach, Kevin Sinclair, Tevin Imlach, Shamar Joseph and Zachary McCaskie.

Match schedule (start times in brackets) is as follows: 17-21 January: 1st Test at Adelaide Oval, Adelaide

Winners’ row: Those awarded by the “One Guyana” Horse-Racing Committee for 2023

T

The West Indies players arrived in Adelaide on Friday

in the team: Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Gudakesh Motie, Kevin Sinclair, Tevin Imlach and Shamar Joseph; the latter three being uncapped players.

Their first assignment Down Under is a preparation camp which

The full squad reads: Kraigg Brathwaite (captain), Alzarri Joseph (vice-captain), Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Kirk McKenzie, Alick Athanaze, Kavem Hodge, Justin Greaves, Joshua DaSilva, Akeem Jordan, Gudakesh

(15-20 January, 7:30pm Eastern Caribbean/6:30pm Jamaica) 25-29 January: 2nd Test at the Gabba, Brisbane (24-28 January, 12 midnight Eastern Caribbean/11pm Jamaica)

Jamaica to host Caribbean Ministers at World Anti-Doping Agency forum in January

T

he Jamaican Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, the Honourable Olivia Grange, has announced that Jamaica would again be hosting the World Anti-Doping Agency forum for Caribbean Ministers of Sport.

Minister Grange has said that several Ministers have already confirmed they would be attending the Forum — to be held from January 16-17, 2024 — and WADA President Witold Banka would be making an address and leading discussions.

Minister Grange, fresh from her first meeting of the WADA Foundation Board as the representative of countries in the Americas, is also slated to address the Forum.

“At the upcoming Forum, we will report on the progress we have made as countries and as a region in implementing the Anti-Doping Action Plan that we discussed at last January’s Forum right here in Kingston,” Minister Grange has said.

“Additionally, we will discuss a number of clean-sport issues and initiatives, including athlete education, strengthening national antidoping organisations in the region, and the critical process of updating the WADA

he history books were rewritten on Friday evening when the first-ever Horsemen and Equine Stars of 2023 Awards Ceremony were hosted by the “One Guyana” Horse-Racing Committee (OGHC).

In a simple but significant ceremony held at the Old Broom Lounge in Corentyne Berbice, Spankhurst was adjudged “horse of the year 2023” after a thrilling win at the Boxing Day races.

Jumbo Jet Racing Stables have been adjudged “champion owners for 2023”, while Colin Ross has been adjudged “jockey of the year”.

Feature speaker Dennis Deoroop spoke of impending legislation that would ‘green light’ legislative processes to regulate horse-racing in Guyana from very early next year. This, he explained, would see a surge in sports tourism for the country, as fellow Caribbean countries would be sending horses to compete. He said the international racing jurisdiction will also follow suit.

Deoroop promised that the horse-racing industry would see a boom, and though he did not compare that boom to the one of the oil industry, he hinted that purses would

be significantly increased. His statement was endorsed by retired racing journalist Glen Mohammed, who spoke about the future of the sport and this year’s influx into Guyana of horses from Trinidad and the USA. The newly-opened Old Broom Lounge where the event was hosted came in for high praise for the home style cooking and the wide array of dishes prepared, which the gathering enjoyed.

Former Guyana Test cricketer Devendra Bishoo, who handed out the plaque to Damain Dharamjit, trainer of the “horse of the year” Spankhurst, was also very upbeat about the initiative introduced by the racing fraternity to recognize the achievements of horsemen and horses.

Here are the champions of 2023: CHAMPION OLDER HORSE GUYANA-BRED: Amazing Grace CHAMPION TWOYEAR-OLD GUYANABRED: Star Fire Gold CHAMPION THREEYEAR-OLD GUYANABRED: Rachel

Fraser-Pryce thankful after 16th Annual Christmas treat in Waterhouse Jamaica’s Minister of Sport, the Hon Olivia Grange

Code,” she added.

It’s the third consecutive year that WADA is meeting with Ministers of Sport in the Caribbean to discuss anti-doping matters.

Minister Grange says Jamaica has been happy to mobilize countries, on behalf of WADA, to the meetings which have facilitated cooperation and collaboration towards a stronger anti-doping programme in the region.

Ministers from the Bahamas, Barbados, Bermuda, St Kitts and Nevis, Suriname, and Trinidad and

Tobago are among representatives from 18 countries that are expected to participate in the WADA Forum at the Jamaica Conference Centre.

“We expect full representation again from all the countries in our region at this very important Forum. We are each at varying stages of the development of our AntiDoping in Sports programme, but each of our countries is deeply committed to learning from each other and working together to keep sports clean.” (Sportsmax)

I

conic Jamaican sprinter Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce brought some festive cheer to her community of Waterhouse with her second Christmas treat of the month, on Boxing Day; her 16th overall. Her first treat was held at the Windalco Sports Complex in Ewarton a week earlier.

On Boxing Day, children at the Fesco Field and children in the Waterhouse community were treated to a mixture of toys, rides, food and face painting, to name a few treats. Sponsors of the treat were Nike, Digicel Jamaica, Grace Foods, XLCR Jamaica and Toyota Jamaica Limited.

“The best birthday gift I can ever receive is having a

successful treat each year,” said Fraser-Pryce, who also celebrated her 37th birthday on Wednesday. “Nothing more, nothing less. Thank you to our amazing sponsors and volunteers,” added the three-time Olympic and 10time World Champion.

Fraser-Pryce competed in only five 100m races in 2023 due to a nagging knee injury.

Despite those concerns, she was still able to perform when it counted, with 100m bronze at the World Championships in Budapest in August. Her time (10.77) was a season’s best in her last race of the season.

(Sportsmax)

CHAMPION BREEDER: Bronson cheefoon CHAMPION THREEYEAR-OLD: Red Ruby CHAMPION OWNER: Jumbo Jet Racing Stable CHAMPION JOCKEY: Colin Ross HORSE OF THE YEAR: Spankhurst

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SUNDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2023

23

Core sports to get financial boost for Academy programmes T

he Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport (MCYS) will soon be presenting Gy$500,000 to 10 of Guyana’s 12 core sports in an effort to better the quality and training provided by their National Sports Academies.

The move is being carried out in collaboration with the National Sports Commission (NSC), and is part of a financial assistance package for the acquisition of equipment.

The brainchild of subject Minister Charles Ramson jr., the financial assistance mechanism is a first in local sports history, and will

Director of Sport, Steve Ninvalle

assist the disciplines of athletics, badminton, basket-

ball, hockey, lawn tennis, rugby, squash, swimming,

table tennis, and volleyball.

It is important to note that cricket and football, the two largest sports on the local landscape, have been excluded from this grant, as they are the recipients of annual financial aid from their respective global and regional governing entities.

Speaking on the groundbreaking initiative, Director of Sport, Steve Ninvalle, divulged that the project came as a result of talks between the sports entities and associations.

“This initiative is a novel approach to the development of sports, and is the brainchild of the

Honourable Minister of Culture, Youth, and Sport, Charles Ramson Jr. It is a direct consequence and result of the discourse between the associations of the core sports, the Ministry of Culture, Youth, and Sport and the National Sports Commission; and highlights the importance of communication, cooperation, and collaboration between sports organisations and Government agencies and bodies,” Ninvalle expounded.

“This programme illustrates that the Ministry of Culture, Youth, and Sport and the National Sports Commission understand

what is required in the developmental process, and are committed to ensuring that sports continue (the) upward trajectory and growth,” Ninvalle shared.

The Director of Sport added, “The associations are very supportive of this gesture, and welcome this initiative, which will certainly improve and evolve in the future. By the same token, additional assistance and collaborations between the Ministry of Culture, Youth, and Sport, the National Sports Commission, and the sports fraternity will be a (recurring) theme as we strive to enhance our sporting culture and landscape.”

Slingerz, Monedderlust one step closer to Elite League promotion

T

wo exhilarating matchups lit up the Police Sports Club Ground, Eve Leary, Kingston on Friday night in the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) organized-Elite League Promotional Playoff semifinal stage.

And when the dust had settled, it was West Demerara Football Association’s (WDFA) Slingerz Football Club and Berbice Football Association’s (BFA) Monedderlust Football Club who were rejoicing, as they had moved one step closer to sealing a spot in the Elite League.

Both of these teams played undefeated thus far in the competition. The semifinal round pitted Slingerz against Upper Demerara Football Association’s (UDFA-Linden) Winners’ Connection, while Monedderlust came up against Georgetown Football Association’s (GFA) Beacon FC. Maintaining their unbeaten streak that has extended from their Association League to this competition, Slingerz pulled off a comfortable 3-0 win over their opponents from

the mining town of Linden.

Simeon Moore, playing an attacking role on the night, was rewarded for his efforts first in the 26th minute, as he gave Slingerz the 1-0 lead. Just before the half

Wharton, who just came off a highest goal-scorer’s performance in the KFC International Goodwill series, weaved through the defenses of his seniors to connect with the nets in

A look at some of the action between Monedderlust (grey) and Beacon FC (yellow)

expired, Moore added to the Slingerz tally in the 45th+3.

While Winners Connection looked composed in the second segment, and managed to keep the ever-attacking Slingerz at bay, their efforts were not good enough to pose a threat to the star-studded West Demerara team.

Then the up-and-coming teenage sensation Bryan

the 90th+3, adding the icing on the cake for Slingerz.

Speaking on the team’s ascension to the Promotional Playoff final, Slingerz FC Head Coach Charles Pollard, while grateful for the win, was not too content with the performance in the semifinal.

Pollard told media operatives following the game,

“Basically, I didn’t think we played well in both halves; I think we need to dominate the game more. I think we are better, better individuals in our team and good quality, but I’m trying to change the mindset of the players, and not just Slingerz players; the concept of football in Guyana. I think we saw the football one way. For years I’m playing, and I said when

top.

Beacon FC lost the services of their goalkeeper, who was sent off in the 20th minute owing to an infraction outside his area. This turned out to be a key factor in their loss, although Anthony ‘Awo’ Abrams’s 33rd-minute strike from the top of the box to put Beacon ahead masked their troubles for a while.

It was a comfortable win for Slingerz (orange) against Winners Connection

Slingerz head coach Charles Pollard having a chat with his troops

I become a coach I want to change it.”

The second semifinal between Georgetown’s Beacon FC and Monedderlust FC was filled with thrills from the very first minute, but it was the apparent underdogs that eventually came out on

However, with their opponents down to ten men and a visibly inexperience campaigner manning the nets, Monedderlust’s Kevin Cottoy took advantage of the situation and equalised in the 38th with a soft tap into the goal.

Before the half ended, Beacon’s goalkeeping woes haunted them again, as an own goal resulted in Monedderlust securing the half-time lead, 2-1.

The Berbice outfit remained steadfast, and did well to lock down the experienced ‘Awo’ Abrams in the second half.

Terrence Lewis and Teron Delph found the back of the net in the respective 53rd and 83rd minutes to ensure Monedderlust the 4-1 victory.

The Elite League Promotional Playoff final is set for next Saturday, January 6, 2024, with the winner of the Slingerz vs Monedderlust contest sealing their spot in the fast-approaching 6th edition of the Elite League.

In addition, the losing finalist will have an opportunity to challenge Victoria Kings for their spot in the League.

Linden’s Milerock FC was relegated from the Elite League after this year’s 5th edition, having finished at the bottom of the ten-team League. Victoria Kings, while still having a chance to fight for their spot, can also face relegation as a consequence of finishing 9th in this year’s league.

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2023

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