Guyana Times - Sunday, February 25, 2024.pdf

Guyana could export gas to Brazil, Caricom & Dominican Republic – Pres Ali tells IDB

…says Guyana could meet gas demand with 1st pipeline

Weven the Dominican Republic (DR).

This was revealed by President Dr Irfaan Ali during the 12th Annual Consultation with Caribbean Governors of the InterAmerican Development Bank (IDB) on Saturday. The consultation, which was held at the Marriott Hotel, saw the President lay out Guyana’s ambitions to be a regional supplier of energy.

When it comes to the Gasto-Energy Project, President Ali noted that the first pipeline will provide enough gas to meet the needs of Guyana and then some. This is in addition to the work being done to set up the transport and logistics structure.

“In the first pipeline that we’re bringing on stream, the opportunity for propane and butane, cooking gas. That first pipeline will allow us to meet the entire need of Northern Brazil., Guyana, Caricom and half of DR.

“Imagine the type of busi-

ness opportunities that will be created through transport and logistics, just in that one by-product,” the President further informed the roomful of attendees, including IDB President Ilan Goldfajn.

At present, the GtE Project will see the construction of a 300-megawatt (MW) combined-cycle power plant and a Natural Gas Liquid (NGL) Plant. Only a few days ago, when he addressed the recently-concluded Guyana Energy Conference and Supply Chain Expo, President Ali said that there was a possibility of a second NGL plant.

Meanwhile, during his last press conference, Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo assured that the Government would constantly look for opportunities to partner with Trinidad and Suriname, two countries with oil and gas production capabilities, which could see unrefined products and gas taking precedence. At the same time, however, he emphasised that affordability was a major factor.

“Energy security in the Region also has to be looked at in the context of affordability and competitiveness. Right now, we’re entitled to several barrels of crude, as part of profit oil. We sell that crude basically through a marketing arrangement that is pub-

licly tendered, at the prices in a particular benchmark,” Jagdeo had said.

“We don’t refine products here. The demand in the Region is for refined products, not crude. Except for Trinidad, which has a refinery. But other countries need refined products. So that excludes everything except the Trinidad refinery. That refinery has been mothballed since 2018 and we don’t know what it would take right now to rehabilitate that.”

The latest update on the project is that the pipeline and transmission will be completed by this year. This will see the power plant and NGL facility being operational by next year when electricity rates could potentially be slashed by 50 per cent. As it is now, electricity demand has been steadily rising. This year alone, demand is projected to peak at 236MW; however, GPL can only generate approximately 180MW s of power.

The scope of Guyana’s GtE project consists of the construction of 225 kilometres of pipeline from the Liza field in the Stabroek Block offshore Guyana, where Exxon and its

partners are currently producing oil.

It features approximately 200km of a subsea pipeline offshore that will run from Liza Destiny and Liza Unity Floating Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessels in the Stabroek Block to the shore. Upon landing on the West Coast Demerara shore, the pipeline would continue for approximately 25km to the NGL Plant at Wales, West Bank Demerara.

In last year’s national budget, the project received a $43.3 billion allocation, in addition to the $24.6 billion injected into the start-up of the transformational project, for construction of the NGL Plant and the 300- MW combined-cycle power plant at Wales, WBD.

This year, a whopping $80 billion was budgeted to advance this project and its associated infrastructure, including transmission and distribution upgrades to offtake the power.

As of January, this year, the marine offloading facility has been completed, and 26km of onshore pipelines have been installed. (G3)

President Dr Irfaan Ali

Works ongoing on the Gas-to-Energy facility at Wales, WBD

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Venezuela’s international hypocrisy

Ever since the end of WWII, there have been attempts to bring some kind of order in the international arena…

exemplified by the “naturalness” of that description as an “arena”; an area of competition which should follow some agreed-upon rules. But, as usually happens after wars, the victors dominated the process so that, in the UN and other institutions launched, like the IMF, ICJ etc., they arranged that they had an advantage, rather than creating a democratic system writ large.

However, the UN Charter did stress the importance of nations engaging each other when their interests conflicted – as would inevitably happen. This approach was summarized by the term “multilateralism”, and became the centrepiece of the UN’s ethos. Just last year, in a UNSC meeting on “Effective Multilateralism Through the Defence of the Principles of the United Nations Charter and the 1970 Declaration on Principles of International Law”, the UN Secretary-General said: “Multilateral cooperation is the beating heart of the United Nations, its raison d’être and guiding vision.”

Three years before, Venezuela had taken the lead at the UN to launch a “Group of Friends in Defense of the United Nations (UN) Charter,” (GFUNC) to promote a multipolar international order and respect for international law. The group included Algeria, Angola, Belarus, Bolivia, Cambodia, China, Cuba, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Iran, the Lao People's Democratic Republic, Nicaragua, the State of Palestine, Russia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Syria, and of course Venezuela. They were later joined by Equatorial Guinea, Zimbabwe and Mali.

The 1970 Declaration mentioned last year by SecretaryGeneral Guterres had been ratified by the General Assembly in the Declaration on Friendly Relations 1970 GA res 2625: “Every State must refrain from the threat or use of force to violate the existing international boundaries of another State or as a means of solving international disputes, including territorial disputes and problems concerning frontiers of States.” As such, it was quite hypocritical of Venezuela to be leading an organization that purports to defend the UN Charter while it has simultaneously been working assiduously to annex two-thirds of our national territory Essequibo.

It is of note that the so-called GFUNC was launched by Venezuela two years after 2018, when we resorted to the terms of the Geneva Agreement they had signed in 1966 to settle the border controversy precipitated by their claim. The Geneva Agreement had explicitly stated that upon a failure to arrive at a consensual agreement via bilateral negotiations, either party could submit the controversy to the UN Secretary General to select one of the dispute resolution options adumbrated by Art 33 of the UN Charter. The Secty General chose the “judicial settlement” option, and transferred the controversy to the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which is an institution of the UN.

In 2018, Venezuela immediately declared that the Court lacked jurisdiction to hear the case, and announced that it would not be participating in the proceedings. The Court held that, in the circumstances of the case, it was necessary first of all to resolve the question of its jurisdiction; and that, accordingly, it should rule on this question separately before any proceedings on the merits. In December 2020, the Court found that it had jurisdiction to entertain the Application filed by Guyana in so far as it concerns the validity of the 1899 Award and the related question of the definitive settlement of the land boundary dispute between Guyana and Venezuela. Yet Maduro hypocritically went ahead to annex Essequibo.

Yet Venezuela, which only months before had formed the GFUNC, again refused to accept the ICJ’s decision, and last year was to thumb its nose at the UN Charter and the ICJ by unilaterally declaring it was annexing Essequibo and establishing it as a Venezuelan Province.

It was therefore not surprising when, last week, Russia’s Foreign Minister Lavrov – whose country had unilaterally invaded Ukraine - praised Venezuela’s leadership as a founder of the GFUNC “in the fight for multilateralism.”

Mouth open, story jump out

Dear Editor,

As the saying goes, ‘Mouth open, story jumps out’, which means that sometimes when one speaks, one says more than one is expected to say. This is so especially when one’s mind and actions are conditioned to think and act in a certain manner. This is so especially when 28 years of one’s political affiliation is with a political party which rigged general elections in 1968, 1973, 1978(Referendum), 1980 and again in 1985. To sum it up, the founder leader has ensured that the rigging DNA is deeply embedded within the PNC for posterity.

Hamilton Green, the PNC’s fossilized and conditioned rigger, could not stop his mouth from opening and spewing the most astounding piece of reminder to his erstwhile(?) PNC colleagues, that they should continue to rig elections ‘to save us from these devils, these bastards, these demons that we have’ (referring to the PPP/C). The message is clear and unambiguous, and no amount of white-washing would change the fact that Green meant every word he uttered at the Burnham Foundation-organized lecture to mark the 101st birth anniversary of Guyana’s dictator LFS Burnham, the man who not only perfected the art of rigging in the most bla -

tant and shameless manner, but who pauperised an entire nation when it was criminal to have food on the table.

Even after his death, the late Desmond Hoyte shocked the world when he perpetrated the worst rigging in Guyana’s history. Hoyte was an ardent disciple of Burnham, and showed that he had mastered well the art of rigging.

However, not to be outdone, another of Burnham’s disciples, David Granger, tried to pull an even more blatant and shameless rigging in 2020 in full view of the whole world; he simply used a fabricated spread sheet which cannot be substantiated by Statements of Poll. Burnham would have been so proud of him, since there was no election day violence, no using of the GDF to steal ballot boxes, no stuffing the boxes with fake ballots, no gerrymandering, no fake names on voters’ lists, no repeated voting, no manipulation of the voters’ lists; it was rigging made simple. This crime against democracy is still before the Court.

Imagine a political party with this unenviable record would now want us to believe that a two-letter word, ‘if’, would change the contextual meaning and give the ‘true picture’ of what Green had said. Green’s statement should

indeed be interpreted within the context of the PNC’s history of rigging. That is the sordid and dirty past and present of the PNC. It’s in the DNA.

The Opposition leader, Aubrey Norton, was correct when he said that Green has ‘the ability to choose his language’, and will not make ‘some wild statement’. Green believed that by using ‘if’ he can mask what the PNC did in all those rigged elections yet made his message pellucid. ‘If’ cannot change the rigging DNA and rewrite our history.

Rigging is the modus operandi of the PNC, since they are fully cognizant that they cannot win any free and fair elections in this country, and the 2020 rigging attempts had made even their own supporters contemptuous of them. The PNC’s track record of poor governance is an indictment against them.

Green is fully aware that the PNC’s rigging history is well documented, so it is not about ‘if they say he (Burnham) rigged elections’, he indeed rigged from 1968 to 1980, then Hoyte in 1985 and the infamous attempts perpetrated by the Brigadier in 2020. The 2020 brazen rigging attempts to steal Guyana’s elections was confirmed by a COI; and the Mahipauls, the Greens and the Nortons should

peruse this document and produce their SoPs, which are still non-existent, if they disagree…

It is worthwhile to note that the Elections Reform Group sought to exhort the PPP/C Government ‘to understand the frustrations and fears expressed by Mr Green…’, thus justifying Green’s statement. Was it fear or a testimony or a suggestion? Should rigging be accepted in lieu of electoral and constitutional reforms? Is this the message of the ERG?

There can be no justification for rigging an election. The ERG cannot be apologetic on Green’s behalf; he said what he meant and he meant what he said, no ‘ifs and buts’.

For those who have remained silent on this call to rig, their silence has condemned them.

Green’s advice, however, comes too late, and will only serve to further open the wounds which his Party had inflicted on this nation. It exposed his evil and devilish mindset, out of which he cannot venture. Some people cannot change, but get worse with time. If you want to change attitudes, start with a change in behaviour, but will the PNC ever change its behaviour? The answer is ‘Never’.

Yours sincerely,

Yusuf

Haseef

Prime Minister of Grenada, the Honourable Dickon Mitchell, inspecting the Guard of Honour upon his arrival at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, Timehri on Saturday for the 46th Regular Meeting of the Conference of Caricom Heads of Government, which kicks off today

It was their mistaken belief that they could have bulldozed the Government into a corner, and, as such, Government would not have had any other choice but to rush to the union’s aid and promptly give in to their unreasonable demands.

That did not happen for the simple fact that their demands were not guided by good sense, nor were they based on fair expectations. It was purely an attempt to bully the Government into focusing in one direction only, to fulfil their demands at the expense of every other sector in the economy. That means all sectors, beginning with health, agriculture, industry, construction and infrastructure building, must grind to a screeching halt. This, in any developing economy, cannot -- and I repeat:

cannot - be allowed.

When the 2024 Budget was crafted, a progressive and forward-thinking Government planned for the advancement of every sector; that is, teachers and the educational sector as a whole. The Government can show the numerical advancement of the education sector, which none of the executives in the Teachers Union can deny. However, no one sector can be unjustly enriched at the expense of the whole of this country. This is what the economists refer to as the “overheating of the economy”; or, simply put, an economy expanding in an unsustainable manner.

So, I am forced to ask the question: Aren’t the other sectors important too? In which country do the farmers, pensioners and single mothers live? To which supermarkets do the other members of the public go to purchase their groceries?

To disassociate themselves from the rest of the economy is simply a fulfil-

ment of the age-old proverb: “feast for today and famine tomorrow”.

It was a comedy of errors, in that they called out a strike prematurely and they’ve left the teachers embarrassed and without any redress. The union has caused irreparable harm to the smooth running of Government; and it and the teachers stand more to lose than gain by this strike action.

Now that the union has seen the folly of their ways, they’ve approached the court for assistance. This, in my view, is adding salt to the wound, because appealing to the court would have made the situation even worse.

The learned judge has granted a stay, which in effect prolongs the anguish of teachers. On the issue of the Government collecting dues on behalf of the union, that would see an appeal by the Government and a sure win in the higher court.

Governments are not obligated to collect dues for

Government should repeal

Green’s Pension Bill for his “rigging” comments

Dear Editor, Mr. Alexander of the Burnham Foundation, who works very hard at helping us not forget Guyana’s FounderRigger, Mr. L. F. S. Burnham, is helping to make sure the PPP wins again in 2025. Any time a PNC person invokes Burnham’s name, people get diarrhoea remembering how Burnham’s 28 years of dictatorship have destroyed our people and country, leading to the great exodus and scattering of our people all over the world.

Why would anyone want to keep the memory of Burnham alive, when that fella was a zero, and not a hero?

What is worse is PNC strongman Mr. Green, the mention of whose name caused people to tremble when he was Burnham’s henchman, has reportedly called on the Burnham loyalists to resort to rigging to get out the PPP. Mr. Green likes to add “Elder” to his name when he writes letters in the papers. What is Mr. Green an elder of? Whose elder? Most Guyanese, especially PPP supporters, do not see Mr. Green as an elder. They may wonder if he means “elder rigger” given his association and his occupying senior positions under Burnham’s dictatorship.

Mr. Green would have done well if he had instead said the PNC never rigged and that he did not participate in the rigging. His remarks leave questions. We fully understand the context

of Green’s comments!

The PNC should always hang their heads in shame trying to rig the 2020 election in full view of international observers. Instead of renouncing rigging and apologizing for the PNC years of rigging, here we have a PNC elder seemingly advocating for more rigging to get rid of what he calls “… these devils, these bastards, these demons that we have.”

This alone should cause the Government to repeal the bill that the PNC passed to give Green a special pension, probably 10 times that of a graduate teacher. The majority of Guyanese never supported a special pension for Green or the nation’s second highest honour. Green might be in the hall of fame of the Burnham Foundation, but the majority of Guyanese may not have warm sentiments towards Green. Many wonder why the PPP did not move quickly to repeal Green’s Pension Bill in 2020 when they got in.

Regarding Mr. Alexander’s letter, that we should embrace Mr Hughes’s proposition that politics be restarted from ground zero, Mr. Hughes lost much credibility when he argued that 33 was not the majority of 65, although that was the basis on which the PNC occupied the Government. That may have caused him the Senior Counsel honour, although he is well deserving. Not sure what Mr. Hughes is advocating. I am wondering if he would think zero is greater than 2. (See “Burnham

any union; collection of dues is the sole responsibility of a union and its members, that’s the way it is done in the civilized world.

On the second issue, of no work, no pay; it is a cardinal rule that controls all jurisdictions. The union called a strike that they indicated would last for 10 days, those 10 days have passed and there was a third. The GTU would be hard-pressed to convince a judge why this

could have happened, despite the repeated call by the Government to return to the bargaining table. These and other questions would have to be addressed in a subsequent roundtable meeting.

In closing, no collective agreement can be forthcoming while the teachers are on the streets; that’s the law! The union will have to get the teachers back into the classrooms, then meet the employer around a bar-

gaining table to discuss important matters, which would have to be done in a frank and thorough manner in a nonconfrontational atmosphere. This is what the Government has been calling for ever since, but their efforts have fallen on deaf ears. However, at this stage of the impasse, the union will have to listen.

Respectfully,

Neil Adams

A sonnet to Nandu

by CeCil RamkeRath fRom UitvlUgt

Foundation embraces proposition of Mr Hughes that Guyana’s politics be restarted from Ground-Zero,” SN, Feb. 24, 2024).

Sincerely, M Singh

He raised his voice; he blended it with every sentiment in his heart.

And when none around to listen — he was never less alone. That’s when he found

through his music a glimpse of the realm of the Divine, inexpressible to the human mind.

Something in his every note endeared him to the downtrodden, and common folk. As if he was ahead in a strident march to proclaim the music of a glorious past.

When will we hear again someone from the common soil, raising his voice, and stretching the strings of the heart to the limit in “Oh Duniya Ke Rakhwale,” or regaling us on the melody and beauty of Raag Bhairavi in “Laga Chunari Mein Daag”?

Mohan Nandu (centre) with the Uitvlugt Community Center Band in the 1960s

Simply put, a hernia is a rupture. However, that definition is not only simplistic, but it also does not cover the entire gamut of this potentially fatal occurrence. On the other hand, the correct definition becomes difficult to understand. Moreover, when one tries to simplify the meaning of the word, that explanation itself becomes unfathomable. Anyway, let’s try.

A hernia is a protrusion of portion of an organ or tissue through an abnormal opening. It must have a ring around the opening, a sack and contents.

According to where the hernia is located, it will be defined as a Diaphragm Hernia, an Umbilical Hernia, an Inguinal Hernia or a Scrotal Hernia. The latter three cases are readily and easily visible.

Sometimes, as in the case of the Diaphragm Hernia, the hernia is inside the animal’s body, whereby the diaphragm (that strip of muscle which separates the contents of the abdomen from the thoracic cavity containing the lungs and heart) is torn, thusly allowing abdominal content to protrude through the diaphragm into the thoracic cavity. Since this cannot be seen, the first step is to have an X-ray done. The veterinary surgeon will take it from there.

UMBILICAL HERNIAS

These hernias usually involve the umbilical cord (navel string) which connects the mother dog to the foetus.

These types of hernias may vary in size. Some may contain only fat, while, in

the hole in the ventral (lower part) surface of the abdomen.

It would be unwise for the caregiver not to agree to have this relatively simple procedure performed on the pup/ young adult. If left on its own, the orifice will increase in

other presentations, the protrusion may be filled with portions of the intestines. Your vet will use his/her finger to ascertain how large the hole in the lower part of the abdominal surface is, and whether he/she can easily replace the intestines. In any case, the vet will advise that surgery be performed to seal

size, and greater portions of intestines will protrude into the sac, and the ring will constrict and imprison parts of the intestines. The pup would eventually die.

The question is often asked whether the Umbilical Hernia is linked to a genetic origin. The scientific jury seems to still be out on this

debate. Having said that, one cannot negate the fact that Umbilical Hernias are often seen in male animals that are born with a condition, whereby one or both testicles are not visible, and do not appear even after weeks/months have elapsed. This ailment is known as Cryptorchidism (hidden testicles). The “genetic” argument seems to hold more sway.

Furthermore, some breeds are known to exhibit the Umbilical Hernia more often than others, again giving credence to the argument supporting the genetic predisposition to the development of hernias in pups and young adults.

Such breeds are: Weimaraners, Pekinese, Basenjis and Airedale Terriers.

It should be noted that, during birthing, the mother dog might sever the umbilical cord too close to the puppy’s abdominal wall, which increases the susceptibility to Umbilical Hernias.

INGUINAL HERNIAS

These are seen when abdominal contents protrude into the groin area. This condition is easily visible. Small Inguinal Hernias seem to appear more frequently in male puppies, above the scrotum (the sac in which the testicles reside). My advice is to keep the newborn pup under constant supervision. If the condition does not go away with-

in a week, surgical repair is indicated.

SCROTAL HERNIAS

This visible occurrence emerges when abdominal contents protrude into the scrotum (see above paragraph).

The clinical signs of Inguinal and Scrotal Hernias

strangulated. The good news would be that the trapped intestines could naturally free themselves and the symptoms would disappear. The bad news is that the condition might recur within a week. Surgery would then be necessary to alleviate the condition more permanently.

Finally, allow me to advise that any attempt by the caregiver to place a bandage in the herniated areas will not yield great success. Many of the above-mentioned hernias may correct themselves and disappear within 4-6 months. My “rule of thumb” is simply this: if the caregiver/vet can push his/her little finger through the ring and the aperture increases in size, then perform the surgery. Actually, if it is a female pup, scheduled to be spayed within a few months, one might (after discussion with the vet) opt to wait and carry out both surgical interventions (correction of the hernia and spay) at the same

IDB, Guyana ink US

multimillion-dollar

agreements

– energy, education among key sectors to benefit

By Rupa SeenaRaine

The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) Group has signed six new agreements with Guyana for both Public and Private Sector partnerships, further cementing ties between the two parties for the country’s continued growth.

The signings took place during the IDB Group’s XII Annual Consultation with Caribbean Governors of the IDB in Guyana on Saturday.

The agreements include two operations with the Government to improve the country's education sector by enhancing education quality and infrastructure. The third caters for an amendment to a current operation to strengthen Guyana’s energy matrix diversification and reliability.

Additionally, IDB Invest, the Private Sector arm of the IDB Group, signed three operations with companies in Guyana for financing in the logistics sector, tertiary education, and sustainable tourism. Private stakeholders in this arrangement are Texila American University Guyana; Republic Bank; Muneshwers Limited; the Guyana Bank for Trade and Industry (GBTI) and Caribbean Green Building.

IDB President Ilan Goldfajn said, “Today's signings are an important step in our continued collaboration with the Government to improve the lives of the Guyanese people. We are confident that these projects will make a difference in improving education conditions, increasing energy reliability and financing sustainable tourism, tertiary education, and logistic sectors.”

Education and energy

In education, close to 9000 primary school students and their communities will benefit from a Conditional Credit Line for Investment Projects (CCLIP) for transforming Guyana’s education sector and the first individual operation for support for educational recovery and transformation.

The CCLIP enables Guyana to access up to US$150 million of which the first operation is for US$90 million.

With this investment, over 2600 students are expected to benefit from the construction of six new primary schools and more than 6000 students in 19 primary schools in the hinterland regions will see their schools rehabilitated. Additionally, 7000 students and 300 teachers from Grades Two to Six in the selected schools will receive digital devices to enhance teaching and learning experiences.

An investment grant for a total of US$5 million will strengthen instructional leadership at the district and

school levels, with financing from the Global Partnership of Education (GPE).

It will complement the educational support by enhancing leadership capabilities among 200 education leaders, spanning district and school leadership, Ministry officials, and subject specialists. The operation aims to contribute to improved quality, equitable participation, and achievement in basic education for the sustainable development of Guyana.

Meanwhile, the amendment to strengthen the energy matrix diversification agreement will cost US$26.9 million. It will benefit more than 200,000 persons, about 90 per cent of the Guyana Power and Light Inc customer base on the DemeraraBerbice Interconnected System (DBIS).

The modification uses approximately 63 per cent of the funds to focus on reliability of electricity supply by replacing and upgrading two existing 12-kilometre 69-kilovolt (kV) transmission lines, and installation of capacitor banks to reinforce four power substations over the next three years.

Private Sector support

In the Private Sector, IDB Invest partnered with GBTI to finance US$14 million for Muneshwers Limited to purchase two new gantry cranes for multipurpose cargo activities and to build a logistics warehouse.

The cranes will be installed at Port Georgetown and will enable Muneshwers to double its cargo handling capacity by 2025, from the current 30,000 20-foot equivalent unit containers per year.

This operation includes a senior loan of US$10 million from IDB Invest and US$4 million from GBTI. It is Muneshwers’ second facility with IDB Invest, which provided a US$4 million loan in 2022 for the company to acquire its first mobile harbour crane.

IDB Invest also partnered with Republic Bank (Guyana) Limited to help Texila American University

enhance services in Guyana by expanding its accommodation facilities for staff and students.

This is IDB Invest's first Private-Sector education project in the Caribbean.

Total financing of US$9 million includes a senior loan of US$5 million from IDB Invest and US$4 million from Republic Bank. This investment is expected to increase student enrolment by almost 73 per cent and by 2026, increase the number of students graduating by 20 per cent.

Sustainable tourism

Additionally, IDB Invest partnered with Caribbean Green Building to provide US$22 million in financing to develop a sustainable mixeduse tourism project consisting of a 172-room Four Points by Sheraton Hotel, a conference facility and retail in Georgetown, Guyana.

The project will be the first EDGE advanced-certified hotel in Guyana and is expected to contribute to the economic development of the country by generating tourism revenue, creating more than 150 jobs during construction and over 60 jobs during operations, and strengthening the local value chain.

Funding

Senior Minister in the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance, Dr Ashni Singh underscored the Bank’s reliability as a development partner over the years from the time Guyana joined the bank in 1977 to now, with over US$2 billion worth of support for Public Sector operations approved.

“We remain today firmly focused on delivering improvement to the lives of all of our citizens in the shortest possible time, ensuring that we build resilience for the medium and long term by diversifying our economic base and improving our competitiveness across all sectors; and remaining at the forefront of both fiscal and environmental sustainability,” he underlined.

Dr Singh added that

the IDB has been an important source of financing for Guyana’s rapidly-growing and diversifying Private Sector where through IDB Invest, US$177 million was disbursed since 2020.

“This brought to an end the drought of Private Sector approvals that preceded 2020 and is a tangible response by the Bank to the Government’s long-standing call for ramped-up support by the Bank and other multilateral and regional development banks through their Private Sector windows

to the Guyanese Private Sector,” Dr Singh added.

He further noted that this consultation provided an important opportunity for stakeholders to discuss the future strategies and goals of the IDB Group as reflected in the new institutional strategy of the Bank.

He encouraged the IDB to pursue innovative approaches towards mobilising and leveraging capital for both Public and Private Sector operations to build greater resilience in the Caribbean.

“We particularly look for-

ward to discussing the regional development plan by the bank under the very appropriate banner of One Caribbean, which especially resonates with us in Guyana as we pursue ourselves the goal of One Guyana. This plan is timely if not overdue; we have long called for the bank to develop a specially-targeted sub-regional plan or strategy for the Caribbean given the very peculiar circumstances and challenges faced by the Bank's smallest and most vulnerable member states,” Dr Singh stated.

Representatives of various banking institutions and officials from the IDB

Starting over…

…from Ground Zero?

Now that your Eyewitness has gone over Hammie “the thug” Green’s ejaculation at the Burnham Foundation conclave on the Founder Leader’s legacy with a fine-tooth comb, we should know that - as with most ejaculations - it might’ve been uncontrolled!! While it’s in these moments of unguardedness that the unvarnished truth is let out, it is also useful to take note of what the “varnished truth” might look like – since this most likely would be the more palatable articulation that’s considered suitable for public consumption!

At the conclave, the varnished truth was presented by eminent attorney Nigel Hughes, who was the featured speaker. Hughes, of course, has striven mightily for over a decade to rise above the vicious infighting that characterises our politics – as so pungently summarised by Hamilton Green. He’s been in several leadership positions in the AFC over the last decade, but, for whatever reason, has developed a “hold-me loose-me” reputation during that time. He’d resigned as Chairman of the AFC in 2013, and then again in 2018 – the first when he was in a conflict of interest with AFHEP, and the latter with decisions of the coalition he felt were high-handed.

He’s been heavily panned ever since he offered the “33 is not the majority of 65-member House” - even though the coalition had secured power through a 33 to 32 majority, which was reversed by Charrandass’s voting for the PPP in the latter’s NCM.

But aren’t lawyers allowed to try a thing?? Anyhow, in his address, Hughes argued that the political forces in Guyana today have become less polarised – almost approaching the Golden Moment of 1953, when most social and political forces were in alignment, and took a common position against the colonial Brits!! As such, he advised the political leaders that they have an opportunity to start from “ground zero” to move out from the zerosum game into which they’re presently locked!!

Now, while it’s true that both the PPP and PNC have dumped their leftist postures, just as they differed on exactly where they stood on that continuum (Menshevik or Bolshevik??) they’re faaar from being on all fours in the present neo-liberal dispensation. For instance, the Opposition is pushing for a universal basic income, while the PPP’s sticking to the “rising tide bringing up all ships”. Then there’s their approach to the question of race in our politics. The Opposition has dubbed the PPP courting votes from African Guyanese across the divide as being the new “slave catchers”!! Maybe if the Opposition had a game plan to court Indian Guyanese voters, might they be dubbed “arkatis”??

Anyhow, there’s the question of our political history: can we forget it and risk Santayana’s caution??

…on Republican values?

Now that our Ministries have paraded their floats on Mashramani - supposedly celebrating our attainment of Republican status - your Eyewitness reminds all and sundry about Republican values as opposed to our prior colonial status, where we were natives who had to be tutored into civilised behaviour. So, what are the Republican values we’re supposed to have imbibed over the centuries??

Political scientists and historians have described these central values as liberty and inalienable individual rights; recognizing the sovereignty of the people as the source of all authority in law; rejecting monarchy, aristocracy, and hereditary political power; rule of law, virtue, anticorruption, and faithfulness in the performance of civic duties. So how do we rate what was depicted on the Mash Floats and music on these qualities?? Well, liberty and inalienable individual right to do whatever we wanted to do with our bodies – and some – was certainly in evidence!! And the way we threw our garbage in the streets, who could doubt we’re the source of all authority??!!

…with defence

If there’s one error we shouldn’t repeat, it is Burnham’s exploitation of Venezuela’s rattling of sabres on our western front to build up our forces – but use them to suppress our people’s aspiration towards Republican liberty.

Cheaper energy will drive next wave of investments in Guyana – GO-Invest CEO

By Jarryl Bryan

In the wake of the discovery of oil in 2015, more and more investors began coming to Guyana lured by the growing oil sector. Now, with the impending commissioning of the Gasto-Energy (GtE) Project, expected to usher in low rates of energy, a new wave of investors is expected.

This is according to Guyana Office for Investment (GO-Invest) Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Dr Peter Ramsaroop, during a recent interview with Guyana Times. He explained that from 2020 to now, investments have more than tripled, citing some international companies, including Baker Hughes, which set up a multimillion-dollar local supercentre facility for oilfield services and equipment back in 2022.

“Over the three-year period which we’re categorising, the investments were almost 1000 per cent the five years before in every sector. And definitely, the energy sector drove the first set of investments, given the Haliburton and Baker Hughes of the world.”

But Dr Ramsaroop made it clear that in terms of the

sheer number of investors, the foreigners were not even the majority over the past few years. According to him, more and more locals are also seeing the opportunities brought on by the oil and gas sector and investing as well.

He said more than 60 per cent of investors in Guyana between 2022 and 2023 were locals. And more are expected to come on board with the GtE Project that will come online next year, bringing with it cheaper electricity rates.

Dr Ramsaroop stressed that cheaper electricity would be responsible for the next wave of investors in Guyana. “The next wave

of investors is going to be driven by the gas- to-shore cheaper energy, the fact that we can go into manufacturing, we can go into agro-processing, we can actually do feed the Caribbean. The 25 per cent may be 50 per cent. And you’re going to find a whole new set of investors, [20] 24 and [20] 25.”

“Consider 24 the pivotal year and 25 the explosion year. And if you listen to the President’s vision, he has outlined that. And that’s what the next wave of investors will look like. It’s an exciting time,” the GO-Invest CEO said, adding that his office continues to push for more partnerships among the growing pool of investors.

Only last week, Winston Brassington, the Head of the GtE project team, said with the impending start-up of the GtE project, consumers could be seeing a 50 per cent reduction in Guyana Power and Light (GPL) rates by mid-2025.

The importance of Guyana growing its capacity for cheap, reliable energy has never been more apparent than now. Electricity demand has been steadily rising. This year alone, demand is projected to peak at 236 megawatts; however,

GPL can generate only approximately 180 megawatts of power.

In 2020, the power demand was around 120 megawatts and this grew to 136 megawatts in 2021; 156 megawatts in 2022; and then peaked at 184 megawatts in 2023. Last year’s peak was recorded when all industrial customers were on the grid.

And with electricity costs slated to be significantly reduced in the coming years, there will be a significant surge in the demand for power in the near future, Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo had previously outlined.

The cost of energy has long been cited as not only a major bugbear for residential customers, but also a hindrance to commercial customers and the manufacturing sector. Only recently, the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) held a press conference where it noted the massive industrialisation and growth of the manufacturing sector that cheaper power would usher in.

At present, the GtE Project will see the construction of a 300-megawatt combined-cycle power plant and a Natural Gas Liquid (NGL) Plant. Guyana’s GtE proj-

ect also consists of the construction of 225 kilometres of pipeline from the Liza field in the Stabroek Block offshore Guyana, where Exxon and its partners are currently producing oil. Approximately 200 kilometres of a subsea pipeline offshore will run from Liza Destiny and Liza Unity Floating Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessels in the Stabroek Block to the shore. Upon landing on the West Coast Demerara shore, the pipeline would continue for approximately 25 kilometres to the NGL Plant at Wales, West Bank Demerara.

Overhead shot of the Gas-to-Energy Project location

GO-Invest CEO, Dr Peter Ramsaroop

Centripetal Power Sharing mechanism in place

The demands for “power sharing” in various garbs are once again rising to a crescendo in sections of the Opposition camp as they did after 2011 but had become muted after forming a coalition government in 2015. The present PPP government is dubbed an “installed dictatorship” and old PNC strongman Hamilton Green has actually proposed that rigging of elections and use of violence is justified because ipso facto, African Guyanese must be “pan tap”.

Post 2008, after the attacks on the state and perceived PPP Indian Guyanese supporters by armed bandits based in Buxton had waned, the then PPP was described by influential columnist Freddy Kissoon as an “elected dictatorship” and he demanded street protests by the Opposition PNC. Pointing out the omnipresent danger of street protests in Guyana that unleash violence against Indian Guyanese, I argued against such actions. They would deter crossover votes from that community, which traditionally voted for the PPP, but might be suffering from incumbency fatigue or have other reasons for not voting for them. The PNC, I proposed, should instead reach across the divide and modify its old image and it could actually start winning elections. Mr. Kissoon and several leaders from the African Guyanese community – Messrs Lincoln Lewis, Eric Phillips etc. – accused me of seeking to have African Guyanese commit political suicide.

But our surveys showed that the Indian Guyanese population had dropped precipitously to less than 40% and we were now a nation of minorities. The African/Mixed Guyanese populace had now more than matched the Indian Guyanese to resolve the African Security Dilemma. The Amerindian population and moderates from the major communities were now a potential floating voter pool who could be swayed by either side to agglomerate a majority. The AFC from 2006 mobilized this segment.

From a mobilization standpoint, I was pointing out that the changed demographics had serendipitously delivered a situation where power could be effectively shared among the various ethnic groups in the society at the polls under the present majoritarian system. In many other divided societies, this needed explicit constitutional and electoral innovations such as a 65% supermajority, the Alternative Vote (AV) and the Single Transferable Vote (STV). The PNC abjured street protests and changed their name to APNU by coalescing with five nominal outside parties and the 2011 elections showed I was on the right track. APNU’s subsequent coalition with the AFC – led by Ramjattan and Nagamootoo for the 2015 elections – deepened the coalition’s attraction for crossover votes and their win confirmed our prediction.

There will be objections to my claim that any government elected in Guyana by the present demographics will be a “power-sharing” one. This is primarily because our discourse on power sharing has been dominated by the notion of a “grand coalition” of all parties – part of what is called a “consociational” arrangement. The other power-sharing approach, which we had been promoting, is “centripetalism”; connoting a force (here, selfinterest) that moves the parties towards a moderate centre. If our parties act rationally, as the PNC from 2011 to 2015 and the PPP in 2020, either could win elections here if they moderate their claims and actions. APNU/AFC lost the plot after 2015 when they fired 7000 primarily Indian Guyanese sugar workers.

As one who has been making power-sharing proposals since the late 1980s, we accepted there would be challenges. The first is “adaptability”: whether the major political parties will adopt them. Consociational “Executive power sharing” has been a nonstarter since the 1960s by whichever party is in government. It is always threatened by the second challenge of “immobilism”, which occurs when one party has a veto: we have been unable to have substantive Chief Justices and Chancellors because of this.

Centripetal power sharing, however, has been serendipitously delivered to us. As I noted in my 1990 paper “For a New Political Culture”: “Those who wish to engender social changes have to start from where we are – not where we ought to be.” We need to institute guarantees such as Ethnic Impact Statements (EIS), and strengthen the judiciary, to ensure that the government is treating all groups equitably. Lastly, in centripetal power sharing, there is the problem of “degradation”: when the larger party that attracted cross-over votes breaks their agreement with their representatives. Their censure comes at elections. The post-2015 APNU/AFC coalition was “mannered” in 2020 and the PPP’s test will come in 2025. We have been delivered into the democratic comity of alternating governments.

15 new hotels to come on stream in next 4 years – Pres Ali …says

Govt will continue to invest in human resources

Within the next four years, the Government is expecting an influx of new investments in the hospitality sector as the economy expands, whereby some 15 hotels will be constructed, bringing thousands of rooms on stream.

President Irfaan Ali made this disclosure during the XII Annual Consultation with Caribbean Governors of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) on Saturday at the Marriott Hotel, Kingston, Georgetown.

“We are building 10 new hotels in the country. We will need a lot of human resources that we don’t have in the hospitality sector. We foresee that in the next four years, we will have at least 14 or 15 new hotels. And that is outside of the eco-tourism facilities that we’re going to push for investment,” the Head of State noted.

In the same breath, Ali referred to Guyana’s status as an eco-tourism destination and the potential to develop this untapped opportunity to create a high-value service sector.

“We have one of the best eco-tourism products, but we have not been able to invest in this product for lack of infrastructure, lack of marketing. Today, we have the opportunity to invest in this product. We’re investing heavily in our eco-tourism products…This is an area which is sustainable, resilient, high value and can bring tremendous opportunities for investors within the Region and investors here in Guyana,” he contended.

With such facilities coming on stream, there is a burning need for human resources to fill various capacities in the hospitality industry. On this note, the President added that the Government would continue to invest in its human resources not only to fill the gap in the hospitality sector

but also in the oil and gas sector.

Earlier this month, Prime Minister, Retired Brigadier Mark Phillips

average visitor spends US$1060.

In keeping with Guyana’s push to increase the number of hotel rooms that can accommodate visitors to the country, the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) has been intent on creating an enabling environment for new hotels to add some 2000 hotel rooms to the local stock over the coming years.

To this end, the Government, through GO-Invest, launched an Expression of Interest (EoI) in 2021 for hotel developers. Consequently, Guyana is to see the construction of

turned the sod to symbolically commence the construction of the over US$7 million Hospitality and Tourism Training Institute (HTTI).

Currently, tourism is Guyana’s fourth largest foreign exchange earner, accounting for 2.3 per cent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP). It is estimated that by 2030, the sector will employ some 50,000 persons locally.

The HTTI project was awarded to Kares Engineering Inc, and has a completion date of January 21, 2026.

Guyana recorded its highest number of tourist arrivals in 2023, as some 319,000 persons visited the country. This figure is significant as it represents a 270 per cent increase in visitor arrivals since 2020.

More than 21,000 visitors arrived through the Moleson Port in Region Six last year.

The month of September 2023 saw the most arrivals in the country as the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) Cricket Carnival was hosted. Last year, 319,056 visitor arrivals spent an estimated US$338 million. This figure is based on a Guyana Office for Investment (GOInvest) estimate that the

Jagan International Airport (CJIA), is expected to be opened in the first quarter of 2024. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was also signed for a US$90 million Hilton Hotel to be constructed at McDoom, Greater Georgetown. The 289-room hotel would be constructed in the already busy area, which is home to many businesses such as Gafoors, Pritipaul Singh Investment, Guyana Shore Base Inc, Farm Supplies, and Schlumberger.

Moreover, works are underway on the US$32.2 million Hyatt Place Hotel at Providence, East Bank Demerara. The 125-room four-star hotel, located along Red Road in Providence, is also slated to be completed next year. The US$15 million boutique-style Aiden by Best Western Hotel is located at Robb and Oronoque Streets in Georgetown and is expected to be opened in March 2024. The 150-room hotel will span nine floors of a 74,000-square-foot modern building with an executive bar and lounge, executive conference rooms, private dining rooms, and a state-ofthe-art gym, bar, and restaurant.

In July last year, con-

these hotels over the next few years, including globally-recognised hotel brands, such as Marriott, Hyatt, Hilton, Radisson and Best Western.

Currently, works are ongoing on the US$20 million Courtyard by Marriott Hotel at Timehri, East Bank Demerara. The 140room hotel, which is located close to the Cheddi

struction work commenced on a Blue Ridge Hotel at Liliendaal, Greater Georgetown. When completed in 2024, this US$45 million facility will add a further 200 rooms to the 2000 hotel rooms the Government anticipates will be created over the next few years. (G12)

Ravi Dev

President Dr Irfaan Ali

The design of the US$20 million Courtyard by Marriott Hotel being constructed near the CJIA

The Sheraton Hotel which will be built here

One has crafted a story about the world’s oldest tale of betrayal; the other tells a more contemporary narrative about political upheaval and family estrangement in Guyana. They are voracious readers who contradict the assertion that young men in particular are shunning all things literary.

Shaphan Hestick is 27; Jamal G. La Rose is 35. They are both finalists for the Guyana Prize for Literature (2022) in the Drama category.

“With A Kiss”

Shaphan Hestick says that his play, “With A Kiss”, is a modern take on the story

Emerging young playwrights

of Jesus’s betrayal by Judas Iscariot. “It blends modern themes of family, trauma, and loyalty to tell the story of Jesus’s Crucifixion from another point of view. A lot of the story was developed from the biblical account, supplemented by historical findings.”

The former New Guyana School and Queen’s College student said that “With A Kiss” humanizes the world’s most infamous traitor, “exploring what experiences and trauma pushed him to become the person he was.”

Shaphan revealed that he had written pieces for his youth group at the Vreed-enHoop Wesleyan Church, which he regularly attends.

The idea for “With A Kiss” came to him during a staging in church of the Nativity Story. “We told the Christmas story from the perspective of

people who did not know Mary and Joseph, and had no reason to believe she was a virgin,” he explained.

But crafting ‘With A Kiss’ proved to be challenging.

“Fleshing it out took me awhile. I continuously sent my drafts to friends to receive feedback, and refined the narrative until I was contented,” he explained.

After eight months of intense work, he was able to stage his play at the Theatre Guild. “I then took another four or five months to prepare the script for publication and public consumption. I found it important to incorporate Caribbean dialogue and family dynamics into the narrative.

I marketed my event to a wide variety of churches. The event sold out. My family and church have been my biggest supporters. My brother Vaon-

Marc and I built the set for the play ourselves. My sister coordinated finances, marketing, and other logistics while I was organizing rehearsals. My cast worked assiduously to absorb the character of the piece, and portrayed my characters with even more human emotion than I could have written them,” the young writer said.

Shaphan credits “the excellence of the curriculum of the New Guyana School” for his acumen for writing. He has three undergraduate degrees from Houghton University in New York in Environmental Biology, International Development, and Political Science. He’s pursuing his Masters in International Science and Technology Policy at the George Washington University.

When he submitted his

play for the Guyana Prize, he never expected to have been shortlisted. “I was surprised, as someone who has never been through this process before. That being said, I am confident in my work, and I am happy to see that confidence is not misplaced.

“As a recipient of a National Prize in Literature, I’d be happy to have some credibility lent to my future endeavours in performing arts. I say future endeavours because I plan to keep writing and executing dramatic productions,” he explained.

“Fingers And Toes Crossed” by Playwright Jamal La Rose

Jamal G. La Rose is no stranger to the Guyana Prize for Literature. His first book

of poetry, ‘Snapshots from a Broken Lens’, was shortlisted for the Guyana Prize for Literature (2022), and received an honourable mention from the jury. His short story ‘PG-13’ was longlisted for the BCLF Elizabeth Nunez Award for Writers in the Caribbean (2023). He hopes his play, “Requiem For The Living,” wins the nod from the Guyana Prize jury this time around.

He describes Requiem For The Living as a poetic tragedy set in Guyana on the brink of political turmoil following the no-confidence motion of December 2018.

TURN TO PAGE 15

Playwright in drama category for Guyana Prize for Literature, Jamal G. La Rose

Playwright in drama category for Guyana Prize for Literature, Shaphan Hestick

Licensing of the Wildlife Trade in Guyana

Guyana is a country that is blessed with numerous natural resources. This includes our wild fauna and flora, which many persons utilise for various reasons, including for economic gain. To ensure Guyanese continue to benefit from these gains for generations to come, there is a system in place to manage how, when, where, which, and by whom wildlife is utilised. This system is known as the Licensing and Permitting System. There are two aspects to the wildlife trade: international and domestic (local).

International Trade

Internationally, the trade of wildlife is governed by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). As a signatory to the Convention, Guyana is obligated to have certain systems in place as it relates to managing the wildlife trade. As such, under the Wildlife Conservation and Management Act (2016), there is a system of permits and licences which are issued for the import, export, reexport or introduction from the sea of any specimen of wildlife.

In Guyana, the GWCMC is the CITES Management Authority and is therefore the organisation responsible for managing the wildlife trade here. To obtain the necessary licenses for the international trade the following steps must be taken:

Submission of completed application forms for the Licence being applied for.

Submission of the following documents:

National Identification Card, Driver Licence, Passport or any other form of national identification

If a registered business, a sealed certified copy of the Business Registration

In the case of a company, sealed and certified copies of the following documents

Certificate of Incorporation

Articles of Association

Notice of Directors

Copy of Transport or Rental or Lease Agreement for Holding Premises

Attendance of an interview. This step is applicable to all new applicants and may also apply to some re-applicants.

Currently, there is a cap of 25 persons who are allowed to engage in the international trade.

In addition to obtaining licenses to be involved in the import and export of wildlife, international traders are also required to obtain permits whenever they make a shipment. To manage the amount of wildlife that is traded, the GWCMC implements a quota system. There is a national quota which is the total number of a particular species that is allowed to be exported within a year while each exporter also has an individual quota which they must respect. Additionally, international traders must respect closed seasons during which particular species aren’t allowed to be traded and they are also prohibited from trading protected species and species that are listed in CITES Appendix I.

In the table below, the fees for the permits and licenses are outlined.

For more information on the licensing system, you can log on to: wildlife.gov.gy/licensing-procedure or contact the GWCMC on 223-0939/0940.

Emerging young playwrights...

FROM PAGE 13

Its main character, Liz Hunter, returns home with her family from a funeral, to discover home has been invaded by Liz’s estranged sister, Beverly, and her lover. As long-buried secrets are exhumed, Liz and Beverly must face the reasons for their estrangement or risk losing each other forever.

It explores themes of sexual abuse, mental health, the burden of the past, family dynamics and estrangement, identity and self-discovery, and the power of resilience. It also contains social and political commentary.

“I completed the first draft in approximately 21 days, from 21 February to 12 March 2023. After that, I invited a few of my peers to attend a virtual table read to get their feedback.

Then I took a break from it, before returning to work on the second draft. I submitted the second draft to another friend, and kept editing until I was satisfied with the final draft. It took me around a month to complete the play. However, the entire process took place at various intervals over a few months,” he explained.

“Initially, I had broken my Acts down into scenes; but it wasn’t working structurally, plus it disrupted the pacing of the story. In remedying that, one of my greatest challenges was writing continuous Acts (i.e., Acts without breaks). Also, the original goal/idea was to craft a political allegory beneath the family drama. If readers unearth it, kudos to them; I would have succeeded.

“This is my first full-length play. I attempted writing oneact plays before my understanding of storytelling blossomed into what it is today.

“I was confident that I had a reasonably solid play, but given the subjective nature of art, I was surprised to have been shortlisted. Moreover, I was shortlisted alongside our creative genius and literary icon Harold Bascom. When I saw his name, I had to let it sink in. That said, it was the clearest indication that my stories resonate in another medium beyond poetry, songs and short stories.

“I try not to think about the award ceremony, because every time I do, I get butterflies (yes, cliche but true). Also,

I’d be lying if I said I am not already resigned to a Harold Bascom win. However, anything is possible, and with that, there is still hope for Shaphan and me, fingers and toes crossed!” he explained.

The Melanie Damishana, ECD resident is a former St. Joseph High and Queen’s

College (Sixth Form) student. He also attended the University of Guyana, where he gained his LL.B. (Distinction). Nevertheless, he’s currently unemployed.

“The monetary reward would come in handy for an unemployed creative like me. Beyond that, a win realises

my dream of contributing to Guyanese literature. I have always admired and interacted with many Guyanese writers, including former Guyana Prize-winning writers. So, it’s an honour and humbling to be referred to in the same sentence as these writers, and to have my play included in the

literary annals,” he explained. He said he has enjoyed the works of George Orwell, Tennessee Williams, Arthur Miller, George Bernard Shaw, William Shakespeare, Henrik Isben, Derek Walcott, Martin Carter, Louise Bennett, Harold Bascom, Paloma Mohamed, and Ian McDonald.

Guyanese musician Sach Persaud returns home, debuts new album

Famous musician of the 70s, Sach Persaud, has returned to Guyana to debut his upcoming album, titled “Love Songs for Guyana”, for 2024.

Sixty-six-year-old Sach Persaud, who hails from Bartica, rose to fame in the 1970s with hit songs such as “My Love is not Retail”; “Love Me Now and Ever”, and “End of the Rainbow”, and has re-emerged on the local music scene with what

he hopes to be an electrifying comeback.

Starting the engine of the car, he carried Guyana Times down memory lane. No stranger to exercising his vocal cords at a young age, Persaud spoke about his Hindu-cultured family background, and recounted persons telling his mother, “Betty, this bai hay could sing.”

With a unique voice no

one in his village had ever heard before, Persaud did not know that he would be a well-rounded musician who knows how to play the guitar.

He recalled that, during his youthful days, his older brother, who played the guitar, gave it to him to try out, and when he played the C chord, it came out as “plain.” According to him, in those days, guitars would

not come out plain by a firsttime player; rather, they would normally have a distorted sound. But when he had his first try to play it, he played a song they liked.

In the historical scene, where he brought rivers of notes flooding the eardrums of listeners interested in what he was doing, a man who was listening threatened Persaud, who wanted to play cricket, that if he didn’t continue playing, he would beat him with a broomstick.

Held hostage to fear, Persaud had no choice but to continue playing, amusing the little audience he gathered through his naturality.

Persaud stated, “I wanted to go outside and play cricket, but a man next to me said, ‘Continue playing! If yuh stop, I gon lash you with a broomstick!”

Following this experience, he began experimenting with the instrument, and he developed a passion for music. From climbing over new hurdles in his dynamic natural musical reach, he began watching various bands perform in Guyana. With this variety of experience, he finally moved from playing cricket to playing music.

The young guitarist was, at the age of 17, contacted by Guyanese singing sensation

such as Brazil, where artists had abundance of opportunities to make a living out of their craft, unlike what obtained in Guyana.

“To this day, artists can’t make a living in Guyana,” he sadly expressed.

Contrasting his experience against what other singers are forced to accept in Guyana, he said that while travelling on a plane to New York, the happiness of the nature of his birth land that he had the privilege to experience as a youngster revisited him. According to Persaud, it was understood that no other country around the world had captivated him as much as his homeland Guyana, which prompted him to make a brand-new album titled “Love Songs for Guyana.”

“I realized that I travelled and travelled, but I realized Guyana is home. One time, while on a plane to New York, I started thinking that I am going to create a project called Love Songs for Guyana,” he explained.

Eddy Grant and his team, in 1975, and was given the offer to open five of their shows.

Popularity was then attributed to him, as he was among persons nowhere in his musical league, age and talent.

“I was amongst monsters of musicians in the music industry. I was just 17, performing alongside musicians who were 28, 30 and 32,” he explained.

As the years flew by, the musical arena made him charter new waters, as he was blessed with a fruitful career in Brazil, and even worked more with the likes of Eddy Grant. He recounted his journey of travelling around the world, creating music while crossing different lands and making a living. Through his travelling, a realization sprung within Persaud of the difference between Guyana and countries

Quickly realizing the change in his perspective, he returned to Guyana, where the icon now wishes to paint pictures of the number of beautiful sites in Guyana.

Intending to create 10 songs aimed at resurfacing the love for Guyana, “Good Morning, Guyana” is the first to be produced.

Persaud foresees that upon the completion of ten songs, foreigners will have a different outlook on how they view Guyana. He nevertheless called on sponsors to support the idea and assist in the production of the other nine songs.

“I believe this is a good vision. This vision brings out the love in the country, and foreigners will get to know about Guyana,” he said.

Anyone who would like to support Sach can easily contact him by calling him at +592 688 0405

Family support critical to children battling cancer – Dr. Stanton

The World Health Organization (WHO) has reported that, each year, about 400,000 children between the ages of zero and 19 years are diagnosed with cancer. The most common types of cancer among children are Acute Leukaemia (cancer of the blood and bone marrow); Brain tumours; Lymphomas (a group of cells throughout the body that help your body fight off infections); and Solid tumours of the kidneys.

Unlike the other cancers, Acute Leukaemia is the most prevalent form of cancer in Guyana, and amounts to sixty-nine per cent of cases recorded.

While local studies on childhood cancers in Guyana are limited, the public health system has made significant strides towards improving access to care and service delivery for children living with cancer. While there is no specific screening test for these forms of cancer, Guyana can diagnose, provide chemotherapy, scan, monitor, medicate, and provide counselling for children who have cancer, through its Pediatric and Adult Oncology Programmes, available at the Georgetown Public Hospital Cooperation (GPHC).

Chief Medical Officer Dr. Narine Singh has said that the country continues to see more cases of childhood cancer in young adolescents, and the primary contributing factor is late detection.

According to Dr. Singh, some of the common indicators that children generally present with are unexplained weight loss, anorexia, prolonged fever or chills, but more specific symptoms include bone pain that can be particularly worse at night, weakness, easy fatiguability, easy bruising to the skin, and frequent infections.

Those with brain tumours may present with headaches that wake them up from their sleep, early morning vomiting, seizures, or gradual changes in personality or behaviour.

Dr. Singh noted that routine check-ups and a healthy rapport between parents and healthcare providers can aid in clarifying any suspicion, and treatment is readily available.

“We recently acquired the services of one of our local doctors who has specialized training in childhood cancers and is now attached to the pediatric department. In terms of medication, we do have treatment for these cancers; and in the case of those who might need radiotherapy, that is available through the Cancer Institute,” Dr. Singh noted.

Family Support

When caring for a child with any form of cancer, parents need to understand that cancer is not caused by anything they did or did not do. Instead, remember that certain risk factors: like a strong family history of cancer, certain medical conditions a child may have, and exposure to prolonged radiation and environmental toxins, can increase a child’s risk of developing cancer.

This is according to the GPHC Consultant for its Pediatric Medicine Department, Dr. Sherelyn Stanton, who contends that childhood cancers must be managed in a holistic way that blends treatment with normalcy.

Battling cancer is challenging for both patients and caregivers. It can be painful and frustrating, and almost always takes a toll on everyone involved: physically, financially, and emotionally.

To elevate this, Dr Staton believes, focus should also be placed on mapping out a way to improve the quality of life of those involved. This can range from joint and separate therapy to maintaining their social lives as much as possible, among other things.

“Family support is important because, in most cases when children are admitted, they would like to have a parent there, or another family member who is there with them as they go through this treatment. For single-parent families, you can tell that is quite difficult, but if they have extended family members, they can also offer that help,” she explained.

“All of those relationships that children make and nurture during these years are interrupted, because now they have to be in the hospital and they have to get chemotherapy and can’t have that access to other children that they need. So, support in that regard is quite important,” Dr. Stanton added.

Dr. Stanton underscored that offering support would prevent children from isolating themselves, and improve communication between patients and caregivers.

GPHC Consultant for its Pediatric Medicine Department, Dr. Sherelyn Stanton

For almost a year, Makeda Braithwaite lived with the disquieting thought that someone would inform her that her Guyana Prize for Literature award (third place Fiction, 2022) was a huge mistake.

“It (winning the award) still hasn’t sunk in,” she laughingly told Guyana

Times last week. “I kept waiting for them to ask me to return the prize money.”

A year after her award for her collection, ‘An Anthology of Shivers’, Makeda is experiencing that same state of euphoria and disbelief.

Her poetry collection, Go Fish, Go In The Pack, has been shortlisted for the

I sit beside my aunt and uncle, middle and centre on a bench,

I wonder how alike we are, that he holds up a bright blue monocle to stare into my soul, through my ribs, spike through my flesh and pull me apart.

My aunt sneers, she is protective. always. I want to ask him what he sees, if the eye can part My lies and tales. does his past mimic my future, a haze of loneliness because I could not love and would not love. Oscar, don’t look at me like that. you didn’t try either, so we’re both to blame, the glove fits you as it did me. You told a lie and I responded in kind.

My auntie pulls me aside I know better than to speak with the dead, and tells me, only the living can make a future and to lean to the tide, so I take heed, and leave the dead, and try to spread my arms to the coming rise of the tide, roaring, and rising, drowning the bench and taking my aunt and uncle with it.

Anne Rice; but then she began to take a more serious interest in West Indian writers, such as Samuel Selvon. Grenadian poet Merle Collins, Adrienne Rich, and Derek Walcott are among her great influences.

It certainly doesn’t hurt that this talented 26-year-old is the daughter of Barrington Braithwaite, who is one of the Caribbean’s leading graphic artists, and the creator of the Guyanese super-hero ‘The Jaguar.’ He’s also a fount of knowledge of local myths and folklore, particularly those linked to the rainforests.

“I’m definitely who I am because of my father. My

parents, Donna and Barry, are my most ardent supporters; as well as my close friend Gabriel, who reads almost everything I’ve published, and my best friends Aaliyah and Nicola,” she disclosed.

Makeda is the Editorial Production Officer at UG Press, as well as a Submissions Editor at the Hugo Award-winning Uncanny Magazine. “I’m currently working on a few other projects I can’t share,” she said.

She has recently been added to a science fiction anthology that would begin to raise funding for publication this year from MVMedia called Spacefunk!

(M

(Makeda Braithwaite)

Guyana Prize for Literature 2023 (First Book of Poetry).

And though she said she’s matured as a writer since winning her Fiction award, Makeda admits she has been “extremely surprised” that her anthology of poems, including some written in her teens, has made the shortlist.

“I did not think my poems possessed the maturity that was worthy of the Guyana Prize. Winning would mean that my efforts were appreciated, and the judges found my collection cohesive and well-crafted. To be shortlisted alone is a great boost,” she declared.

The former St. Joseph High student has said she explored several themes in ‘Go Fish, Go In The Pack.’

“There are a variety of themes — which is where the title of ‘go in the pack’ came from. You go into a pack of ideas and themes. There’s a section for speculative poems and a section for love poems. I wrote about social issues, speculative stuff, maturing and failure. Some of these poems were written when I was sixteen, some a week

before I submitted. I think I have matured, as I have become much more deliberate in what I write now, and I don’t rush as I did before,” she explained.

Her perseverance has borne success. FIYAH Literary Magazine, which publishes speculative fiction by black writers, has published her short story, “The Pastry Shop Round the Bend”, which is one of the stories from Makeda’s award-winning collection.

“Many of my ideas came from the fiction I read and that my parents exposed me to. Sometimes they spring from something I passed on the street, or a private moment.

I’ve been writing since school days. I had a lot of encouraging teachers while attending St Joseph’s High School, who were supportive; like Ms. Michelle Cummings, Ms. Anatha Morris, and Ms Martina Byrne,”she disclosed.

In a previous interview, Makeda revealed that one of her early childhood literary influences was ‘Interview With A vampire’ author

Makeda Braithwaite at the 2022 awards ceremony

“The National Flag”

The National Flag of Guyana is called “The Golden Arrowhead”. It bears five colours - red, black, yellow, white and green The flag has the unique design of two tri other) issuing from the same base. The outer triangle is gold-colored (arrow-shaped) with a narrow border of white along two sides.

The inner triangle is red with a narrow strip of black bordering the sides. The back-ground of the flag is green, representing the agricultur al and forested nature of Guyana.

The white border represents the rivers and water potential. The golden arrow represents Guyana’s mineral wealth and the black bor-der, the endurance that will sustain the forward thrust of the Guyanese people.

The red of the flag represents the zeal and dynamic na-ture of nation-building which lies before the young and independent Guyana. The Flag was designed by Whitney Smith, Director of the Flag Centre, Florida, U.S.A.

“The Coat-Of-Arms”

The national Coat-of-Arms of Guyana is a composite of motifs suggested in separate de-signs by three Guyanese artists. The design is interpreted as follows:

The Amerindian head-dress symbolizes the Amerindians as the indigenous people of the country. The two diamonds at the side of the head-dress represent the country’s mining in-dustry. The helmet is the monarchial insignia. The two jaguars holding a pick axe, a sugar cane and a stalk of rice symbolize labor and the two main agricultural industries of the coun-try - sugar and rice. The shield which is dec-orated with the National Flower, the Victoria Regia Lily, is to protect the nation. The three blue wavy lines represent the many waters of Guyana. The Canje Pheasant, the National Bird, at the bottom of the shield represents a

National History and Arts Council and ap-proved by the College of Arms, England. It was accepted by the House of Assembly on Friday, 25th February, 1966.

“The National Flower”

The Victoria Regia, a wa-ter lily, was discovered by Robert Schomburgk, a German Botanist in 1837, while leading an expedition into the interior of what was then British Guiana. In its native habitat of tropical America, the plant is pe-rennial. It grows in 4 to 6 feet of wa-ter, the base of the stems being situ-ated in soft mud. From each plant there are seldom more than 4 or 5 leaves. The largest flowers can mea-sure 10 inches to one foot in diame-ter. When first open, they are white with a sweet smell rather like a ripe fruit; by the second day they are ful-ly expanded and a deeper pink; by the third day, they start to wither. One of the other national symbols chosen for Guyana is a bird - the Hoatzin or Canje Pheasant. The adult Hoatzin is about 22 inch-es long from beak to tail. Its color is reddish-brown streaked with green. The under parts are pale brown. The feathers on its shoulder and sides are edged with creamy-white. There is a crest of very long feathers on its head which gives the bird an almost majestic look. The Hoatzin has a very short and very thick beak, and the skin around the crimson eye is of a pale blue color.This bird can be found throughout the year in areas along the banks of the Berbice River and its tributary, the Canje Creek, and to some ex-tent, on the Abary, Mahaicony and Mahaica Rivers. It feeds on the leaves of aquatic vege-tation. The nesting period for the Hoatzin, commonly known as the Canje Pheasant, is usu-ally from April to September.

GM&CC spearheads post-Mash clean-up

The Georgetown Mayor and City Council (M&CC) has delivered on its promise to promptly clean the City following Friday’s Mashramani Day Costume and Float Parade, which saw thousands in attendance.

Guyana’s 54th Republic Anniversary celebrations saw thousands of citizens and tourists jamming to sweet Soca vibes as the parade moved through the streets of Georgetown. The atmosphere was engulfed

Some 60 sanitation workers from the municipality’s

with vibrant and creative costume bands, a lively parade, and high-quality performances by local artistes. Thousands of vendors also gathered along the streets of Georgetown to ply their

Solid Waste Management and Engineers departments, and staff from the Ministry of Public Works spearheaded the exercise, which started at 4:00h on Saturday and finished at around 11:00h.

trade and immerse themselves in the vibrant festivities.

As anticipated after a

In an interview with local media entities, City Council’s Solid Waste Management Director, Walter Narine, dis-

public event of this nature, large amounts of waste products littered the City’s streets after Friday’s celebrations. However, as planned, the Georgetown Mayor and City Council (M&CC) commenced its post-Mash clean-up exercise shortly after the festivities concluded.

closed that the teams were mobilized several days before the proceedings.

Narine explained that, over the years, the municipality has adopted an instant clean-up approach after the annual Mashramani Day Costume and Float Parade in order to ensure

that Georgetown is environmentally healthy after such major events.

“The three teams came together. We were out here since four o’clock - that is, Council’s team - and we cleared from Camp and Church Street, coming all the way down to Irving, all the way to Lamaha; the Engineer team would have done that. The Solid Waste team would have done Vlissengen Road from by the Zoo to the Kitty Roundabout,” Narine explained.

Additionally, before the 2024 Mashramani Costume

and Float Parade, the City Council had strategically placed a total of 100 skip bins along Middle, Main and Church streets, Thomas Lands and the National Park.

Narine said this strategy resulted in less garbage being thrown onto the streets when compared to previous years.

“It wasn’t as much (as) what we saw in previous years, in terms of garbage.

So, I must commend the citizenry for doing better with the littering. We would provide bins, so some of the bins were used; so, I am very happy about that,” Narine said. He added that the skip bins provided by the City Council would be emptied on a 24-hour basis, and would be situated in highly populated communities across Georgetown. The bins have been removed, and will now be situated in highly pop-

ulated communities across Georgetown.

“…the Council will take those bins after clean-up, and they will place them strategically within the highly populated areas, like for example Regent Street, Robb Street, King Street, Wellington Street, and around the bus park, with the hope that the commuters use the bins that will stop littering,” the Solid Waste Director explained.

Director of Solid Waste Management, Walter Narine

Stabroek Rotary hosts annual Peace Poster Competition

The Rotary Club of Stabroek, in partnership with Nextech Inc., has hosted its 2024 Peace Poster Competition under the theme “Imagine a World of Peace.”

The event was hosted in celebration of Rotary’s World Understanding Month, traditionally observed in February. Rotary’s 119th Anniversary was celebrated on February 23, and was designated World Understanding and Peace Day, commemorating the first Rotary meeting held in 1905.

However, the poster competition, which is in its 10th year, promotes Rotary’s continued quest for goodwill, peace, and understanding among people of the world.

Students between the ages of 12 and 16 were required to interpret the

The children showing their finished products

theme, and visually depict their interpretation using artwork within a two-hour timeframe.

Posters were judged by a panel for creativity, quality, artistic merit and expression of the theme, ex-

planation of artwork, and presentation. The three winners received cash prizes of G$25,000, G$20,000 and G$15,000 respectively. Coming in 3rd place was Sabastian Khan, while in 2nd place was Naeem Alli, and copping first place was Kadence Belony, all of St.

Joseph High School.

CEO of Nextech, Rehman Majeed, was pleased to collaborate with the Rotary Club of Stabroek on this initiative. He has committed to an annual collaboration so that more children can experience the significance of promoting peace, especially

at this time.

President of the Rotary Club of Stabroek, Marva Benjamin, has expressed gratitude to Nextech, and encouraged the children to use their imagination to interpret the theme and embody the ideals of peace in their daily lives.

Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield leads U.S. Delegation to Caricom Summit in Guyana

Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield, Representative of the United States to the United Nations and a member of President Biden’s Cabinet, arrived in Guyana on Saturday, and will lead the US Delegation to the 46th Regular Meeting of the Conference of Governments of the Caribbean Community (Caricom).

Ambassador ThomasGreenfield will meet with President Dr. Irfaan Ali to discuss the United States’ commitment to Guyana’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and Guyana’s priorities on the UN Security Council for its elected term, and reaffirm bilateral partnerships on shared priorities such as food security, migration, and cli -

mate change.

The Ambassador will also advance an array of Biden-Harris Administration regional policy goals under the U.S.Caribbean Partnership to Address the Climate Crisis (PACC 2030) and the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative (CBSI) – including on firearms’ trafficking, governance, energy, trade, climate resilience, and sustainable development – with multiple leaders attending the Summit.

At the Caricom Summit, Ambassador ThomasGreenfield will continue to rally global support for the Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission to Haiti, and reiterate the urgency of establishing a credible and inclusive path toward elections in

order to enable the return to democratic order for the Haitian people.

During her three-day visit, Ambassador ThomasGreenfield will also meet with Venezuelan migrant small business owners and members of civil society. She is accompanied by members of the U.S. delegation, including Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs, Brian A. Nichols; USAID Assistant Administrator for Latin America and the Caribbean, Marcela Escobari; Senior Coordinator for Atlantic Cooperation, Ambassador Jessye Lapenn; and Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Energy Diplomacy, Laura Lochman.

Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield being welcomed by Tourism, Industry and Commerce Minister Oneidge Walrond and US Ambassador Nicole Theriot

SBM Offshore remains steadfast in its sustainable, efficient energy production – LCO

– as company hosts local content seminar

More than 200 representatives of local vendors and organisations have participated in SBM Offshore Guyana’s “Let’s Talk Local Content” seminar, which was held on the last day of the Guyana Energy Conference and Supply Chain Expo at the Guyana Marriott Hotel.

The participants were engaged in discussions about the company’s procurement process, key vendor requirements, compliance guidelines, and local content initiatives.

The activity aligned with the company’s objective of building the capacity of businesses to provide services to the oil and gas sector, and followed several similar routine activities, including participation in the Centre for Local Business Development’s Community Business Talks, Supplier Forum 2022, and the company’s Vendor and Compliance

Days.

In his opening remarks, Local Content Officer of SBM Offshore Guyana, Garri Fraser, related, “As we navigate through the upward trajectory of the global energy landscape, the role of local content has never been more critical. SBM Offshore, as a leader

in floating production solutions, remains steadfast in our sustainable and efficient energy production.”

In speaking to the criticality of local content in propelling Guyana’s growing economy, and the role that SBM Offshore Guyana plays, Senior Petroleum Coordinator at the Natural

understands local content and its impact.”

Further, Director of the Local Content Secretariat, Dr. Martin Pertab, in his remarks, underscored the role of the Secretariat in ensuring that Guyanese benefit from the industry.

In a comprehensive panel discussion, titled "Synergies in the SBM Offshore Ecosystem – Building Capacity, Workforce, Supply Chain, and Partnerships for Success in the Guyana Market," SBM Offshore's key stakeholders emphasised the pivotal role of collaboration in cultivating robust business relations.

Coordinating Coalition (NCC), Guyanese Achieving Together Enterprises (GATE), and the Guyana Oil and Gas Support Services Incorporated (GOGSSI).

Representatives from each group, including Simone Sills from NCC, Clinton Urling from GATE, and Nicholas Deygoo-Boyer from GOGSSI, shared insights on how their partnership with SBM Offshore Guyana has helped their organizations grow and succeed.

They spoke about the ongoing support from SBM Offshore that has played a crucial role in advancing the work they do.

Resources Ministry, Bobby Gossai, expressed, “We wanted to see economic growth and economic development. We wanted to see investments and investments back into the economy, and SBM [Offshore] is a partner in the development of local content in Guyana; SBM [Offshore]

The discussion shed light on the strategic investments made in capacity-building and training, underscoring their significance in driving forward local content initiatives.

The company works closely with various groups, like the non-governmental organisation the National

Local content is a key pillar in SBM Offshore Guyana’s integration into Guyana, and the company remains committed to its efforts to ensure that Guyanese benefit from its operations locally, and are guided in providing sustained services to the oil and gas industry.

The company’s stakeholders during the panel discussion

Taxi driver shot dead during argument over parking

Ataxi driver was shot dead on Saturday during an argument with two other men over parking in the vicinity of Bourda Market, Georgetown.

Dead is 43-year-old Eon Holder of Lot 2498 North Ruimveldt, Georgetown. The incident reportedly occurred around 05:30h on Alexander Street, Georgetown.

According to information received, about 04:40h on Saturday, Holder was at a taxi service working his motor car, PRR 271, when he was hired by a 50-year-old businessman of Queenstown, Georgetown, to go to the Bourda Market to purchase vegetables.

On arrival at Alexander Street, the businessman exited the car and walked towards the market while Holder looked for a parking space.

About five minutes later, the businessman heard a loud

explosion and as he turned around, he saw Holder lying on the ground about 15 feet away from his car, helpless. At the time, two men – one armed with a handgun, were seen running away from the scene.

The Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT) Service arrived at the scene and pronounced Holder dead. During

examination of his body, a gunshot wound was seen on his face.

Police stated that several persons were questioned and based on information received, it is alleged that the taxi driver argued with the suspects after he parked his car in the centre of the road, blocking vehicles from passing.

During the argument, one of the suspects drew a handgun and discharged a round at the taxi driver. The suspects remain on the run as investigations continue.

Meanwhile, at the home of the now-dead man, his mother Muriel Holder said she last saw her son early Saturday morning when he left to meet up with one of his customers.

“He goes with this man [his customer] every morning to pick up fruits… he has been working taxi for some time. He was a former

Guyana Defence Force rank and he left and started working taxi. While at the market someone told me that somebody shot my son over some parking,” she explained.

The grieving woman believes that the suspects and her son were known to each other, noting that it was heart-breaking that arguing over parking could lead to someone’s death in Guyana.

“Why did you kill my son?

Why? My son doesn’t do anybody anything; he works for an honest dollar and comes home to his girl and his three children. Why? I hope the Police catch you two that did this to my son, and God will give me justice. I know he will,” the woman said, in hope that the suspects would hear her message.

She added that she believed that after shooting her son in the head, the suspect/s

might have picked up the spent shells.

“The man had to shoot my son at close range and I think he picked up the spent shell because the Police said that when they searched the scene, they couldn’t find the shell, but God doesn’t sleep. I hope the Police can review the cameras around to know who these two men are, so that we can get justice,” she said. (G9)

Dead: Eon Holder

The area where Holder was killed (Photo: Royston Drakes)

Caricom Heads of Government Meeting begins today

The 46th Regular Meeting of the Conference of Caricom Heads of Government is set to open today (Sunday, February 25, 2024) at the National Cultural Centre in Georgetown.

This year’s meeting, which will run from February 25-28, will be convened under the Chairmanship of President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali, who will provide the feature address at the opening ceremony.

Dr. Carla Barnett, Caricom Secretary-General, and Roosevelt Skerrit, outgoing Chairman of Caricom and Prime Minister of Dominica, will also address the gathering.

Starting on Monday, the Heads of Government will come together for a series of business meetings at the Marriott Hotel in Kingston, Georgetown, where several topics will take centre stage. These include the Caricom Single Market and Economy (CSME), climate

change, regional security, and other issues within the realm of regional development.

President Ali is also the lead Head of Government with responsibility for agriculture, agricultural diversification and

food security in the Caricom Quasi Cabinet. As such, agriculture and food and nutrition security are key issues that would also be discussed. Already, Heads of Government have begun to ar-

rive in Guyana for the meetings. Prime Minister of St Kitts and Nevis, Terrence Drew, arrived with his delegation this morning. He was greeted by Minister within the Ministry of Local Government and

Regional Development, Anand Persaud.

In his New Year’s address as Chairman, President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali said this year will see advancements in improving regional transporta-

tion as well as seeking reliable, affordable, and sustainable energy services to pilot further innovation in the agriculture sector.

“Ensuring our Region’s food and nutrition security continues to be at the forefront of our endeavours. Despite adverse challenges, including climate change, Caricom Member States have made steady progress towards achieving our ‘25% by 2025’ target to reduce the Region’s food import bill. We will build on these achievements, including advancing our regional agenda for energy services that are available, reliable, affordable and sustainable to support expected innovations in the agriculture sector. Crucial to this initiative is the need to improve regional transportation, and this will remain as one of our top priorities,” the Guyanese leader has said.

Non-fiscal terms in new PSA could be reviewed – VP Jagdeo

…says Govt doesn’t want to deter investors

Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo has hinted at the possibility of revising the non-fiscal terms in the new Production Sharing Agreement (PSA) that the Government has drafted to ensure that Guyana gets more benefits from future oil deals.

The People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Administration last year introduced a series of stringent terms and conditions for new oil deals that the country will sign. These include the increase of the royalty from a mere two per cent to 10 per

cent fixed rate; the imposition of a 10 per cent corporate tax, and the lowering of the cost recovery ceiling to 65 per cent from 75 per cent, while maintaining the retention of the 5050 profit-sharing after cost recovery. The 2016 oil contract for

the Stabroek Block signed between the ExxonMobil-led co-venturers and the then A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) coalition Government for production in the oil-rich Stabroek Block had been heavily criticised for low royalty, lack of ring-fencing provisions and cost oil claims that saw Guyana losing billions, among other issues.

Based on feedback received, Jagdeo noted that the new PSA was said to be one of the toughest oil contracts in the market. He maintained that while there would be no changes to the fiscal terms in the new oil contract, if the non-fiscal conditions become too onerous then the Government would have to consider reviewing it.

“We got a lot of feedback that the increased fiscal terms might be acceptable, but there were some, several other areas where the conditions were too tough. We had too tough a condition globally… If they become too onerous that is where we may have to make adjustments… [But] we made it clear there will be no changes on the fiscal terms. We’re not changing the fiscal at all,” he contended.

Currently, the Guyana Government is negotiating with the six groups that were awarded blocks in the country’s inaugural oil blocks’ auction held between 2022 and 2023.

The bidding round, which was launched in December 2022, closed off in September 2023 with six companies bidding on eight of the 14 blocks offshore that were up for grabs. In total, there were 14 offers made on those blocks –two deep-sea blocks and six shallow-area blocks.

Among those awarded oil blocks during the bid round was a Guyanese female-led company, Sispro Inc, which received a shallow block (S3) and a deep-water block (D2). Other shallow blocks were awarded

to Total Energies EP Guyana BV in consortium with Qatar Energy International E&P LLC and Petronas E&P Overseas Ventures SDN BHD (Malaysia), which got Block S4; Liberty Petroleum Corporation of the US and Ghana-based Cybele Energy Limited, which got Block S7, and International Group Investment Inc of Nigeria, which got two blocks – S5 and S10.

Another shallow block, S8, was awarded to the Stabroek Block partners – ExxonMobil Guyana Limited, Hess New Ventures Exploration Limited, and CNOOC Petroleum Guyana Limited. The second deep-water block – D1 – was awarded to Delcorp Inc Guyana, which comprises Watad Energy and Communications Limited and Arabian Drilling Company of Saudi Arabia.

VP Jagdeo told reporters last week that the Government was awaiting feedback to determine whether those non-fiscal terms were a deterrent to moving these deals along. This, he explained, is critical especially with Guyana gearing up to hold its second bidding round, possibly later this year, and they needed to ascertain how attractive the country would be with the current terms and conditions in the

model PSA.

“The next round should be exciting, because… we will by the end of October of this year, get the 20 per cent of the Stabroek Block returned to the Government from Exxon and we already have some areas to our East that are available with us. So, you’d have more excitement ,but we don’t want because of the non-fiscal terms to kill interest and so we’re looking for the feedback,” Jagdeo stated.

However, the Vice President noted that so far, the Government has not been told that these new terms were a hindrance to any of the ongoing negotiations – either new deals or existing agreements.

This was in response to a question about the delays in the Corentyne Block, which is being operated by Canadabased CGX Energy Inc and its joint venture partner, Frontera Energy Corporation.

CGX and Frontera are trying to secure additional partners to advance operations. While oil was found in the Corentyne Block, the commercial viability is unknown.

According to Jagdeo, the joint venture partners have certain obligations under the Corentyne Block prospecting licence that they need to meet. However, he was unaware if these non-fiscal terms in the new PSA were a deterrent to them securing new investors.

“I don’t that the new fiscal regime or the new PSA is a deterrent to them securing partners as yet. That’s the feedback we’re looking for. But so far, we’ve been given assurances that they’ve approached and they’ve been given receptive ears from new partners… If this becomes a major issue not only for CGX and the others in securing partners, but anyone else who is participating in the current auction or future auction, the non-fiscal terms – because the fiscal terms are cast already – then, we’re prepared to have a look at those,” the VP stated. (G8)

Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo

Caricom Heads of Government

4 years later: Americas account for 43% of COVID deaths – PAHO

Four years after the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic struck the world and wreaked havoc on health systems, the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) reported that 43 per cent of the recorded deaths were in the Americas.

On February 26, 2020, Brazil recorded the first case of COVID-19 in its territory, marking the beginning of the pandemic in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Since its emergence in

December 2019, in Wuhan, China, the SARS-CoV-2 virus left a devastating trail globally, with 774 million cases and seven million deaths recorded to date.

“The Americas were hard hit, accounting for 25 per cent of all cases and 43 per cent of all deaths, making it the region with the highest number of COVID-19 deaths worldwide,” PAHO disclosed.

Over time, the virus has changed and evolved, becoming more transmissible but less lethal. In May last year,

WHO declared the end of COVID-19 as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, but infections continue to occur, with more than half a million cases reported worldwide in the last month.

Virologist Jairo Méndez, who is also the Regional Advisor on viral diseases at PAHO, shared that the pandemic left a profound impact at the global and regional level.

“We recognised the gaps in our preparedness and the

Man wanted for 2022 murder arrested

After evading law enforcement for over a year, Shawn Thomas, a key suspect in the 2022 murder of Ray Wame Narine, was apprehended by the Police on Friday following a tip-off from the deceased man's father.

Thomas, who is also facing a two-year sentence for illegal possession of firearm and ammunition, was captured at Grill King on Mandela Avenue.

The Guyana Police Force had issued a wanted bulletin for Thomas and his son, Ackime Richards in connection with the fatal shooting of Narine, which took place on September 22, 2022, at Sand Hill Landing, Cuyuni River, Region Seven (CuyuniMazaruni).

Police reports stated that the motionless body of Narine was found covered with several tree branches in the northern corner of the main access road, in Region Seven.

Upon examination, two gunshot wounds were seen in the chest area along with one-inch lacerations to the abdomen and shoulder. A two-inch laceration was also seen on the right arm.

One suspected exit wound was observed on the right side of Narine’s back, and a warhead was also recovered near the victim which appeared to be .32 calibre. Investigations revealed that Narine and his brother operated a fourinch dredge in the Sand Hill Backdam.

Narine’s brother, Ron had explained to the Police that he and Narine left their mining operation and went to Sand Hill Landing, and while sitting on the front step of the Shanaz Allicock shop, a Honda XR motorcycle approached from the west with Thomas

and his son.

Ron Narine said he recognised the pillion rider, as only a few days prior he had an altercation with him, and he relieved him of a firearm and ammunition, which were later handed over to the Police.

He said the suspects dismounted the motorcycle, hurriedly walked in their direction with handguns, and started to discharge several rounds in their direction.

After Ray was shot, the gunmen escaped in a westerly direction, still discharging rounds towards the brothers. Ron added

that while running, he saw his brother collapse on the roadway, and he continued to run and sought refuge in some bushes where he remained for about two hours before returning to the landing.

Upon arrival, he found his brother lying motionless on the road with what appeared to be blood on him. He later learnt that the suspects had made good their escape.

Thomas is currently in Police custody pending further investigation, and it is still unclear if his son was ever captured.

need to strengthen our capabilities. We learned to rely on science, which allowed us to develop safe and effective vaccines in record time. However, we have also realised that the virus is highly adaptable and can change rapidly, requiring us to continue to closely monitor its

cant increase in variant severity or mortality has been detected. While several variants, such as JN.1, are currently being monitored, none have characteristics that make them more aggressive or lethal so far.

The challenges were numerous and significant in the

role during the pandemic in several areas, for example, by supporting surveillance of respiratory diseases, facilitating the implementation of diagnostic protocols for COVID-19 and debunking false information.

In addition, the entity has developed evi-

evolution and explore potential natural reservoirs. Surveillance networks led by PAHO have been established to monitor the presence of new coronaviruses,” he said.

Several variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus have been identified since its emergence, starting with Alpha in late 2020, followed by Gamma and Delta, which had a major public health impact.

Subsequently, Omicron emerged in late 2021, classified as a variant of concern due to its rapid spread. Although the virus has continued to evolve, no signifi-

inception. First, the initial lack of understanding about the virus and how to deal with it was daunting. We did not have the necessary tools to detect and diagnose it effectively.

Then, the rapid change of the virus and the emergence of variants posed additional challenges for monitoring and control. However, despite these, progress has been made in integrating epidemiological and virological surveillance systems, which enable us to detect and respond more effectively to future threats.

PAHO played a crucial

dence-based clinical guidelines and supported the implementation of vaccination plans. Currently, it is focused on strengthening regional capacity to deal with future pandemics, reducing dependence on external inputs and promoting solidarity among countries to share information and provide mutual support.

One lesson learned is that science must guide actions in response to health emergencies, and PAHO said it hoped that confidence in it would grow and that this will happen in the next emergency.

Home of WCD teacher burglarised

Ramona Jagbar, a 32-year-old teacher who lives at Back Street, La Jalousie, West Coast Demerara (WCD), has had her home burglarised by persons unknown.

Guyana Times understands that Jagbar was at her regular evening classes on Thursday when, at about 18:35h, she received a telephone call from a neighbour informing her that her home had been broken into; and she immediately rushed home, only to find her front window had been broken.

But as she entered her home, she observed that the house had been ransacked, and several pieces of electronic and household items had gone missing. The incident has been reported at the Leonora Police Station.

At the time of the robbery, Jagbar was not occupying the house, since it is under construction.

Contacted on Saturday, the young teacher called on the Police to conduct a thorough investigation, while pleading with residents to be on the lookout for persons

who might be selling household items.

According to this young teacher, who said she has spent most of her life’s savings building her home, “The pain I am feeling at this moment is beyond words. To watch the empty house with all that I sweat for gone is depressing…I recently started building my house in La Jalousie. Every

month, I sacrifice my wants and needs just to save up to buy the materials to complete my house from a small teacher’s salary.”

Jagbar, who is currently reading for her Master’s Degree in Education Administration and Leadership while teaching, has estimated her losses to be around $2.5 million.

Captured: Shawn Thomas

Dead: Ray Wame Narine

The suspect’s son, Ackime Richards

The vandalised window The hose to the gas cylinder that was stolen

ARIES

(March 21April 19)

TAURUS

(April 20May 20)

GEMINI

(MAY 28June 20)

CANCER

(June 21July 22)

LEO

(July 23Aug. 22)

VIRGO

(Aug. 23Sept. 22)

LIBRA

(Sept. 23Oct. 23)

SCORPIO

(Oct. 24Nov. 22)

SAGITTARIUS

(Nov. 23Dec. 21)

CAPRICORN

(Dec. 22Jan. 19)

AQUARIUS

(Jan. 20Feb. 19)

PISCES

(Feb. 20Mar. 20)

Recognize the possibilities and the downfalls before you make a move. Observation will help you distinguish what’s right for you. Don’t be too eager to offer your services.

Turn your back on what you disapprove of and focus on what makes you hopeful. Advocate for positive change. Your insight and wisdom will impact others and make a difference.

Don’t let someone lead you in a direction that fulfills them more than it does you. Deferring to others will deplete your confidence and waste your time. Concentrate on doing something physical.

Explore what life has to offer. Contact friends who enrich your life, and start conversations that fuel your imagination. Don’t let change cost you. Be smart, not emotional.

Don’t let anyone take advantage of you. If you want clarity, ask questions, and don’t be afraid to take a pass if you don’t like what you see or hear. Pay attention to the details.

Look for alternatives, and you’ll discover the best route forward. An unusual connection will offer insight into new possibilities. Seek out new people and visit new places.

Don’t follow someone else’s playbook. Pick up the slack and put some muscle behind your words. You have plenty to gain if you stay focused, keep it simple and stick to a budget.

A change at home will influence how those close to you feel and what they choose to do next. Be prepared to let go of the past and to plant your feet firmly in a place that makes you happy.

Emotions will run high, and conversations will leave you questioning your actions. Consider what brings you joy and whether it’s time to mix things up and try something new.

Address issues affecting your home or finances before someone pressures you. Take an intelligent approach that encourages organizing and executing an unexpected plan.

Keep your thoughts to yourself until you have a plan and enough knowledge to ward off any interference you encounter. Take care of your promises and responsibilities.

Embrace change and discard whatever’s holding you back. Set yourself free from negativity and head in a direction that offers a direct link to someone or something you want to pursue.

Peanuts

Calvin and Hobbes

Pickles

Jumbo Jet’s Mashramani horse meet set to ignite Rising Sun today

TWest Coast Berbice.

Eight high-quality races are on the cards for the Jumbo Jet Thoroughbred Racing Committee’s Mashramani meet, and the day’s action would commence from 12:30h. A total of Gy$10 million will be up for grabs across the eight-race programme.

The feature race will be the Jumbo Jet Group Open, in which all imported and locally bred horses can participate. It would be run over a distance of 1600 metres, and would have a winner’s purse of Gy$2M. Seven top horses have been entered to run this race; they are Spankhurst, Phil In Echo, Easy Time,

Eight races are on the cards for Rising Sun today

Bossalina, Jessica’s Pride, El Tarzan, and Stolen Money.

The opening race will be the G Class and Lower, to be run over a distance of 1400 metres. The K Class race,

open to J3 First time starters, will be the second race of the day; while the threeyear-old Guyana bred non winners of two races will follow.

England tour of India 2024: Test 4 of 5…

Race four is the L Class and open to J3 first time starters. It will be run over a distance of 1100 metres. The fifth race on the card is the West Indian bred four-year-

old and West Indies threeyear old horses. The AJM sprint – handicap E & Lower horses will be the sixth race of the day.

The penultimate race of the day is the Handicap I Class, J Class and West Indian-Bred three-year old maidens.

According to veteran journalist and administrator Glen Mohammed, all systems are in place for race day.

“Plans have been very successful. We must commend the trainers and owners for meeting the entries deadlines. We have a very completive eight-race card. Horses from different variety will be on show,” Mohammed said.

“Easy Time looks to be unstoppable, but we have Stolen Money. A lot has been said, there will be a battle

between the Corentyne horses and West Berbice horses, and that rivalry is what brings people together.

“Stolen Money is owned by Dennis Deoroop, who also owned Scores Even, so they are hoping that Stolen Money could emulate Scores Even, a grey horse also.”

“The track needs to be reconditioned every day. Mr Nasurdeen Mohamed Jr. has invested a lot in getting these tracks ready for race day. A lot has been done to improve the standard of the sport in Guyana. There are also works behind the scenes to get horses more affordable for prospective owners,” Mohammed explained.

He also noted that a lot is being done to get horses regulated, and he spoke about the importance of having a breeding industry.

Spinners put England in sight of huge lead

Shoaib Bashir spun India into the danger zone with a four-wicket haul that ensured England ended the second day of the fourth Test still 134 runs ahead and needing only three more wickets to secure a crucial first-innings lead on a deteriorating pitch in Ranchi.

Bashir, the 20-year-old offspinner playing only his second Test after making his debut in

Visakhapatnam, snared 4 for 84 during a marathon unbroken spell of 31 overs that began before lunch and ended after tea. It was broken only to change ends in the fading light of the evening to squeeze out one more over. His haul included the wicket of opener Yashasvi Jaiswal, whose half-century was India’s only score of over 40. At the close, Dhruv Jurel was unbeaten on

30, joined by Kuldeep Yadav on 17.

James Anderson had Rohit Sharma caught behind for just 2 in the third over of India’s first innings. With the pitch behaving better than its appearance suggested it might early on, before keeping increasingly low as the day wore on, Jaiswal settled in as expected of a player who had scored double-centuries in his previous two Tests.

James Anderson 12-4-36-1

Ollie Robinson 9-0-39-0

Shoaib Bashir 32-4-84-4

Tom Hartley 19-5-47-2

Joe Root 1-0-1-0

Jaiswal and Shubman Gill started to find their groove after lunch. Gill brought up the 50 partnership with a couple of fours in one Anderson over, before Jaiswal lifted Bashir over mid-on for six. England thought they’d broken their flow when Jaiswal, on 40, edged a wide delivery from Ollie Robinson low towards a diving Ben Foakes, who thought he’d taken the catch, but the third umpire ruled that it was grounded.

Bashir returned to the England side after missing the third Test, replacing Rehan Ahmed, and doubled his wick-

that skidded on from outside off stump and would have gone on to ping leg.

Ravindra Jadeja crashed back-to-back sixes over the leg side off Tom Hartley after surviving England’s lbw review the previous ball, but he was Bashir’s third wicket, defending a top-spinner from a good length which hooped into Ollie Pope’s hands at short leg.

But it was Bashir’s fourth wicket that was the most crucial. Jaiswal was the steadying influence after Rohit’s early exit, reaching 73 off 116 balls with eight fours and a six, moving

et tally, his latest efforts putting England in position to level the series 2-2 with three days remaining.

He had Gill lbw after an 82run stand with Jaiswal, which allowed India to recover from 4 for 1 to 86 for 2, with one that turned sharply to beat the inside edge. He then rapped Rajat Patidar on the pad with one

down the wicket and thrashing Bashir over long-on. But when he moved back to a length ball that stayed low and crashed into middle stump, India were well and truly in trouble.

Bashir’s performance signalled the arrival of a player for whom the journey hadn’t been smooth. Plucked from relative

obscurity with a first-class average of 67 ahead of the tour, he returned home from England’s pre-series training camp in the UAE while a visa delay was ironed out, and missed the first Test. On Saturday, all that seemed a long way behind him.

Left-armer Tom Hartley, the third prong in England’s young spin brigade, chimed in with the wickets of Sarfaraz Khan, who ground through 53 balls for 14 before he was well caught by a diving Root at slip, and R Ashwin was lbw to one that stayed low and struck the batter just above the boot. Ashwin tried in vain to overturn the decision, the third umpire’s call in England’s favour after the furore of the previous match.

England had added 51 in the morning session, but lost their last three wickets for six runs in the space of 17 balls. The end began after Robinson raised his maiden Test fifty, moving swiftly from an overnight 31 with five boundaries. He fell for 58, the ball brushing his glove through to the wicketkeeper while trying to reverse-sweep Jadeja.

Bashir followed three balls later with a loose leading edge that was snaffled by Patidar at backward point, and Jadeja sealed his fourth wicket when he pinned a sweeping Anderson lbw.

Root remained unbeaten on 122, having resumed on 106, and shared century stands with Ben Foakes to rescue England from 112 for 5 on the opening day, and Robinson, which crucially pushed England’s total beyond the 300-mark. (ESPNCricinfo)

Dhruv

Tom

Indoor Pan American Cup…

Guyana to battle Argentina, USA on opening day

The Guyana national men’s hockey team will have a challenging opening day in the Indoor Pan American Cup, scheduled to start on the 19th of next month in Priddis, Alberta, Canada.

The Golden Arrows will play regional powerhouses Argentina at 1:15pm local time, before going up against the USA at 6:15pm. They then face Canada on March 20th, before concluding round robin play against Trinidad & Tobago on March 21st. With the semi-finals and finals scheduled for March 22nd.

Traditionally Guyana’s strength, this will be the first time the men’s team would be playing the Indoor Pan Am

Cup since they placed 4th on home soil in 2017. Guyana’s best finish at this level was when they won bronze in 2014 in Uruguay.

Speaking about preparations for the tournament, Head Coach of the national men’s programme, Robert Fernandes, said, “Our preparation has not been ideal up to this point. Due to the renovations at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall, we’ve had to utilise the St. Stanislaus College auditorium and GCC, both of which are not the size of the surface we’ll be competing on; but we’re making the most of these facilities. We’re also in a transition phase, both in terms of players and coaching staff. The majority of the

Flashback! The 2017 Indoor National Men’s Hockey Team

squad is either under 21 or in their early 20s, and only six of the players have Indoor Pan Am Cup experience.”

Taking over the reins as head coach for this tournament will be former national player and Level 2 FIH coach Shane Samuels. Fernandes commented, “Shane is an exceptional indoor coach. He has a great deal of experience

both locally and coaching in England. His success in indoor hockey, both as a player and coach at the club level, made him the best candidate for this role. Although we would have liked to have given him a longer preparation

period, he is committed to the task and will put the boys in the best position to succeed.”

The final team of 12 players will be selected from the 17- man squad presently in training. The squad includes three overseas players in England-based Jamarj Assanah and Andrew Stewart, and USA-based Aroydy Branford. The local players include veteran captain Robert France, Medroy Scotland, Paul D’Andrade, Raoul Whittaker, Jabari Lovell, Kareem McKenzie, Meshach Sargeant, Omar Hopkinson, Shakeem Fausette, Shaquon Favorite, Shomere Garnett, Simeon Moore, Tahrea Garnett and Warren Williams.

The team is scheduled to depart on March 16th, pending the approval of their Canadian visas.

…Foster bids goodbye to Berbice cricket

23 clubs receive cricket gear for youth development Champions to be crowned today after Santos/Fruta clash

The Berbice Cricket Board on Saturday distributed millions of dollars’ worth of cricket gear to youth cricket clubs across the county in conjunction with famed Guyanese medical doctor Amarnath Dukhi. The presentation was done under the BCB/Dr. Amarnauth Dukhi Trust Fund, and was attended by representatives of the 23 clubs who benefitted from the donation of gear.

BCB President Dr. Cecil Beharry described the event as another red-letter day in the ongoing effort to develop the game in the Ancient County. Dr. Beharry, who replaced Hilbert Foster in December 2023 as BCB President, said the trust fund was developed when his predecessor, in October last year, met with Dr. Amarnauth Dukhi, a Berbican by birth and a strong follower of Berbice cricket. Mr. Foster and Dr Dukhi agreed to set up a fund to assist clubs to fulfill their mandate to youths.

The clubs receiving donation on Saturday are: Achievers CC, Cotton Tree CC, Police Sports Club, Bush Lot United Sports Club, Mt Sinai Cricket Club, Guymine Sports Club, East Bank Blazer, Tucber Park CC, Rose Hall Canje Community Center CC, Albion Community Center CC, Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club, Port Mourant Community Center CC, Edinburgh Sports Club,

Kendall’s Union Cricket Club, Whim Cricket Club, Scottsburg Cricket Club, Skeldon Community Center, Kildonan Cricket Club, Betsy Ground Cricket Club, #72 Cut and Load, #73 Young Warriors, and #69 Cricket Club.

The items handed over to the clubs comprised cricket balls, batting pads, batting gloves, wicket-keeping pads, wicket-keeping gloves, helmets, bat rubber and self-protection equipment like thigh pads, seed guards and forearm guards. Dr. Beharry expressed thanks to Dr. Dukhi for his timely assistance, and called on the benefactors to use the gear for the intended purpose.

Dr. Dukhi, a famous Neurosurgeon in Guyana, has said he is very pleased to assist in the development of the game in the county, as he is a proud Berbician. He said he agreed to Foster’s request without hesitation as he was aware of the progress of the game in the county with players like Shamar Joseph, Kevlon Anderson, Kevin Sinclair and Ashmini Munisar emerging from the grassroots.

He expressed thanks to his friends Ryan Perreira and Steven Shim for supporting him in the project, committed himself to supporting the administration of Dr. Beharry, and said he would sponsor two sports psychologists to work

with promising youth players in Berbice to improve the mental aspect of their game. Dr. Dukhi also promised to assist with much needed coaching equipment in the future.

Former BCB President Hilbert Foster expressed delight at the presentation, and called Dr. Dukhi a true friend of Berbice Cricket. Foster noted that the Neurosurgeon had committed to sponsor major repairs to the No 69 ground, and has already sponsored the Berbice Under-15 Inter-Club tournament.

Meanwhile, Foster announced to the audience that, after the completion of the ceremony, he was quitting all appointed positions on the Berbice Cricket Board, as his main priorities were his club and regaining his full health. The former president was hospitalized last year for close to two months, and is currently attending therapy sessions in an attempt to regain full fitness.

He said he had given all he could to Berbice Cricket, and expressed confidence in the leadership skills of the present president. He resigned from being chairman of the Special Events Committee and member of the Competition and Marketing Committee.

BCB President Dr. Beharry expressed gratitude to Foster for his years of service to the BCB, and wished him well in the future.

…Swan plays Friendship for 3rd place

The 5th edition of the National Sports Commission-sponsored Ralph Green/East Bank Football Association Under-11 League is anticipated to come to an exciting end this afternoon when the final is contested at the Agricola Community Centre ground.

Set to battle for the championship trophy are city sides Santos FC and Fruta Conquerors, which had won their respective semi-final contests against East Bank clubs Swan and Friendship All-Stars.

Santos was pushed to the brink against Swan. That semi-final contest was decided via kicks from the penalty

six individual prizes on offer. The Most Valuable Player, Best Goalkeeper, Highest Goal Scorer, Most Promising

mark after a riveting 2-2 regulation time duel. Conquerors, on the other hand, eased to a 2-0 win over Friendship AllStars. All the players from the final four teams are guaranteed to walk away with something. The winner will cart off a beautiful trophy and 12 replicas, while the losing finalists will receive 12 replicas.

Players from the thirdand fourth-placed teams would each be presented with medals, while there will be

Player, Most Disciplined Player, and the Best Coach.

The competition had initially catered for 16 teams, but only 14 competed. Each team received branded and numbered tops along with two footballs.

Friendship All-Stars: Ezekiel Lynch, Jaden Glasgow, Christopher Hunte, Omario Welch, Mario Welch, Ronaldo Hubbard, Phillip Sealey, Andre Sullivan, Keon Yaw, Jahfree Davson, Trinity

Bruce, Keimo DePeazer.

Fruta Conquerors: Gilbert Frank, Keion Alexis, Shines Authur, Kendo George, Troyce Bascom, Fabio Kowlessar, Clive Jacobs, Dane Vancooten, Dazell Fernandes, Dontay Kowlessar, Kareem Milton, and Kenyatta Saul.

Swan: Eleon James, Stefon Singh, Kevon Charles, Jonathan Charles, Avanish Hoosain, Marcus Andrews, Ezekiel Loncke, Samuel Loncke, and Akeem Daniels.

Clubs that benefitted from the Trust Fund

Santos FC’s U11 team

The Fruta Conquerors U11 team

West Indies 4-Day Tournament…

Harpy Eagles seal 221-run win over Academy

…Imlach describes Sinclair as ‘special’ player

All the Guyana Harpy Eagles (GHE) required on Day 4 of their third-round encounter with the West Indies Academy on Saturday were three wickets to seal a victory.

This was on the heels of Kevin Sinclair’s brilliant all-round performance on Thursday. Sinclair had slammed an unbeaten 165 to help the GHE set a tall total, and followed up his day-long batting marathon with 2 wickets for 30 runs in 11 overs.

Isai Thorne was also breathing fire on Friday afternoon, and continued in similar fashion on Saturday morning to end with figures of 4-49 from 13 overs.

Improving on his overnight score of 34, Carlton Bowen- Tuckett went on to complete a half century on Saturday morning, before getting out on 65 runs from 96 deliveries.

The Harpy Eagles were in the driver’s seat, claiming the necessary three wickets for victory in under an hour after the beginning of play.

Thorne and Permaul combined to take the remaining wickets, with Permaul finishing on figures of 2-48 from 9.5 overs.

The duo of Thorne and Sinclair played a major role in the Harpy Eagles’ securing a 221-run win over the youth team, which Captain Tevin Imlach credited in his assessment of the team’s performance following the win. Imlach reflected, “Obviously, it’s always good to get a win.

Junior Jags falter in U20 Qualifiers’ opener

…To face El Salvador today

It wasn’t the best of starts for Guyana’s under-20 men’s national football team the Junior Jags in Antigua and Barbuda, as they suffered a 4-0 opening loss to the hosts on Friday afternoon.

Head Coach Kayode McKinnon opted for a starting XI that read Captain Solomon Austin, Goalkeeper Emmanuel Lewis, Gerry Burnette, Tyrese Lyle, Tyler Lyle, Tyrel Stephen, Kvist Paul, Nathaniel Pydana, Kyle Reid, Brandon Khedoo and Matrim Martin.

The nightmare began as early as the 2nd minute, when Lewis executed a save at the corner of his station but could not get his hands on the rebound shot by Javaughn Parker, which went into the opposite corner of the net.

Then a foul in the box gifted Antiguan Captain Aiden Jarvis a penalty opportunity, which he successfully connected in the 16th. Two minutes

later, the score moved to 3-0 with a Christopher Douglas strike.

The Junior Jags managed to hold off their opponents for much of the remainder of the game, but Javaughn Jarvis sneaked one in in the 84th.

The Junior Jaguars will continue their campaign tomorrow, against El Salvador

at the same venue.

The Guyanese under-20 team is in Group B of the CONCACAF Qualifiers, alongside Antigua and Barbuda, EL Salvador, Suriname, and Turks and Caicos. The winner of the group will advance to the Under-20 Championships, scheduled for later this year.

Slingerz FC signs Jamaican Alex Thomas as head coach

Slingerz FC has announced Jamaican Alex Thomas as the club’s new head coach ahead of the Guyana Football Federation’s (GFF’s) Elite League.

Thomas, 41, who replaces Charles ‘Lilly’ Pollard who resigned from his position as head coach of the Vergenoegen -based club, brings to his post a wealth of experience, having previously served as head coach for Jamaica Premier League teams Arnett Gardens FC and Molynes United. In his playing days, Thomas captained Jamaica’s Under-17 team during the 1999 World Cup in New Zealand, and was part

I mean, it’s the first one, but hopefully the first of many. You know, some stuff to iron out as a team, the batting unit, we haven’t been as good as we wanted to, but a good innings from Kevin Sinclair in this match. Also, a good bowling performance from him early on too. Isai Thorne, his second innings.

“We had a lot of good things too, but it’s just about ironing out the stuff that we need to work on to get batter as a team,” the GHE captain added. Quizzed on what made the difference for the Harpy Eagles this time around, Imlach chalked it up to the reintroduction of experienced players.

“I think experience. Obviously, we got back two players, myself and Moti. So, that brings a bit of experience

to the team. A very inexperienced side in the first two, a lot of debutants and what not.

So, I think a lot of it was just the camaraderie and getting these players back into the team. I think that brought a lot of confidence to the team,” Imlach divulged.

On the topic of Sinclair’s

all-round brilliance, the Harpy Eagles Captain labelled the Berbician as a special player.

“Very, very [Special]. It’s been a long time coming. He’s been a rock for us, you know, at the bottom of the order, scoring runs consistently year after year. You know, it’s good to see him finally get over the line and score his first hundred. He’s always a special player. You’ll go to war with him anytime, always offer something with the bat and the ball. So, credit to him, it was an excellent innings,” Imlach shared.

After completing the 3rd round today, the West Indies Championships will take a 2week break before returning on March 13. In that round, the Harpy Eagles will be taking on the Barbados Pride.

of Jamaica’s Under-20 squad that competed in the 2001 U20 Youth World Cup held in Argentina. He also earned one cap for Jamaica’s senior team under Serbian Coach Bora Milutinovic during the Lunar Cup in China.

Slingerz FC has expressed enthusiasm over Thomas’s appointment, citing alignment with the club’s vision. They are confident in his ability to lead them to their second Elite League title.

Thomas will make his debut as head coach on Sunday in the league’s opening match against Monedderlust.

Antigua’s ‘Benna Boys’ (yellow) got the better of the Junior Jaguars

Slingerz FC’s new head coach, Alex Thomas

Kevin Sinclair took 6 wickets and made 189 runs, including an unbeaten 165

Isai Thorne picked up 4 wickets in the second innings to help rout the Academy