Guyana Times - Sunday July 18, 2021

P17

Amo – providing vital transportation for Mahaicony Creek residents for over 15 years Nationwide coverage coverage from from the the best best news news team team in in Guyana Guyana Nationwide Issue No. 4712 guyanatimesgy.com

THE BEACON BEACON OF OF TRUTH TRUTH THE

SUNDAY, JULY 18, 2021

“Special initiative” for 7000 sugar workers fired

by APNU/AFC – Jagdeo

PRICE

$120 VAT INCLUDED

WHAT'S INSIDE:

Retired Judge BS Roy to chair Law Reform Commission P10

Page 3

Bureaucracy at NIS led to huge backlog

See story on page 7

- Finance Minister … backlog already reduced by 11,000

Armed bandits P22 invade Rockstone store

Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh speaking with an NIS contributor during the outreach on Saturday

Almost 3 months under water

Mahaicony Creek residents still braving floodwaters Pages 13 & 14

Several renewable energy projects to come on stream − GEA Head P23 2 more deaths,P11 120 new COVID-19 cases recorded Govt intends to get farmers back into food production − Ashni Singh P25 P21 Dengue, leptospirosis cases recorded in Region 6 – Chairman

…as brothers lose 220 acres of harvest-ready rice “Because We Care" cash grant

Govt “actively” examining extension to private school students – VP Page 9

President P28 Moise's funeral set for Friday …First Lady returns to Haiti

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SUNDAY, JULY 18, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

NEWS

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SUNDAY, JULY 18, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

BRIDGE OPENINGS

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

Sunday, July 18 – 00:30h – 02:00h and 11:00h – 12:30h and Monday, July 19 – 01:00h – 02:30h and 12:00h – 13:20h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Sunday, July 18 – 10:20h – 11:50h and Monday, July 19 – 11:35h – 13:05h.

FERRY SCHEDULE

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

WEATHER TODAY There will be thundery showers and sunshine during the day. Expect clear skies at night.

Temperatures should range between 21 degrees Celsius and 31 degrees Celsius.

Winds: South South-Easterly to North-Westerly between 1.78 metres and 4.02 metres.

High Tide: 11:08h and 23:36h reaching maximum heights of 2.36 metres and 2.43 metres.

Low Tide: 17:03h reaching a minimum height of 0.87 metre.

SATURDAY, JULY 17, 2021

LOTTERY NUMBERS N

01 02 04 19 21 27

FREE TICKET

“Special initiative” for 7000 sugar workers fired by APNU/AFC – Jagdeo …to meet with them soon

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he Guyana Government is expected to implement a special initiative in the near future that focuses on bringing benefits to the thousands of ex-sugar workers who were dismissed under the APNU/AFC regime.

Some 7000-plus sugar workers were placed on the breadline after the APNU/ AFC Administration downsized the industry and shut down four estates across the country. Many of those workers have not been able to secure permanent jobs and remain on the breadline years later.

media commentator, Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo pointed out that Government has not forgotten this promise. In fact, Jagdeo disclosed that he will soon be meeting with those former sugar workers on this.

“We remember our pre-election promise and soon, I’ll be meeting with [the ex-sugar workers].

There is a special initiative that we’re working on for the 7000 workers who were laid off. Soon I’ll be meeting with them to explain more about this initiative… We intend to fulfil our promis-

Back in 2016, the former APNU/AFC closed the Wales Estate, and the following year, shut down the Enmore, Rose Hall and Skeldon Estates, putting over 7000 sugar workers on the breadline. The downsizing of the sugar industry resulted in only the Uitvlugt, Blairmont and Albion Estates in operation.

However, since the PPP/C Administration assumed office in August 2020, they have been putting systems in place to reopen the Enmore, Rose Hall and Skeldon Estates. Due to the deteriorating state of

However, the PPP/C, during the 2020 election campaign trail, had promised to reopen those estates and rehire those sacked workers.

During a recent interview with a social

es,” the Vice President indicated.

Several efforts to contact various Government officials including Jagdeo for additional information on this special initiative were futile.

the Wales factory, that estate will be converted into the Wales Development Authority – an industrial facility that will see the development of not only agriculture but agro-industries, processing facilities, manu-

03 Bonus Ball

DAILY MILLIONS

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DRAW DE LINE

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PAY DAY

PAY DAY FRIDAY, JULY 16, 2021

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

COMMODITIES Indicators

US$

Change %

Crude Oil

$73.59/barrel

+0.16

Rough Rice

$238.04 /ton

+0.06

London Sugar

$442.70/ton

+1.77

Live Spot Gold

USD Per Ounce

Bid/Ask

$1812.20

$1813.20

Low/High Change

$1808.90 0.00

$1828.90 0.08%

223-7230-1 (Ext 55)

Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo

facturing and other sectors to drive economic activities.

A d d i t i o n a l l y , Government, through the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) has already moved to rehire over 700 sugar workers.

Back in December 2020, the Agriculture Minister clapped back at naysayers as he made it clear that the PPP/C Administration is committed to rehiring at least 5000 of the sacked sugar workers.

“Our Government is cognisant of the fact that many livelihoods and communities are dependent on this industry. We are aware that the entire community are built around sugar. We heard your cry when hope seemed lost, when there was no work and loss of income… that is why the reopening of these estates is important…. more than 5000 sugar workers will be rehired,” the Minister had said at the time.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 7

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guyanatimesgy.com

SUNDAY, JULY 18, 2021

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

South Africa burns

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outh Africa remains gripped by a wave of violence, arson and looting unleashed by supporters of former President Jacob Zuma after he began serving a 15-month prison sentence following his refusal to give testimony to a Constitutional Court investigating massive accusations against him during his administration. It was alleged that almost US$83 billion was drained from the state. 212 persons have died - mostly from stampedes by frenzied looters running with their loot from the more than 200 malls and thousands of shops that were torched during the past week.

The violence and mayhem have been confined to the areas around Durban and Gauteng/Johannesburg, which are dominated by Zuma’s Zulu tribe. While during the long apartheid regime between 1948 and 1994, the white government had classified the populace as “White (9.4%), Coloured (9%), Indians (2.5), and Blacks (76%)”, the last category was comprised of a number of different tribes who spoke distinct languages and practised different cultures.

The Zulus have a proud history of having resisted the Boer/Dutch settlers, and even during the African National Congress (ANC) struggle against apartheid, maintained their separate identity and political organisation. The latter was the Inkatha Freedom Party, launched in 1975. While Zuma was a member of the ANC - responsible for Intelligence - the Zulus have rallied around him after the fall of apartheid.

To use a popular phrase from our own political history, the present riots in South Africa triggered by Zuma’s incarceration was the “occasion for the war, and not the cause of the war”. The latter is much more complex, and stems from a wide range of motives ranging from the systemic to the personal. In terms of the former, there is the legacy of apartheid that resulted in South Africa having the most diversified and dynamic economy in Africa, but almost completely in the hands of the White minority.

The African majority, excluded from sharing in the wealth, remained the poorest. While there have been sustained efforts after 1994 to empower them economically and socially, in line with their political clout stemming from their control of the ANC, which has held power continuously, the results have not been to their satisfaction. Ironically, the Whites, who started out obviously with a great advantage, have begun to resent and complain about the affirmative action programmes to benefit Blacks on the ground that they are a fetter on the international competitiveness of the country. The Coloureds and Indians, who have performed comparatively better than the Blacks, have also been the butt of Black resentment.

The COVID-19 pandemic hit South Africa particularly hard, especially after it was discovered that the 1 million doses of AstraZeneca vaccine was ineffective against an early variant of the virus. The economy has been severely disrupted and obviously hit the poorest - the Blacks - the hardest. These factors have been touted as the systemic factors behind the riots, but while there might be some truth in this, it cannot be the sole cause, since the poverty rates in the non-Zulu Blacks are as high but they have not rioted.

From the beginning, it was noted than not only had the Zuma family foundation praised the violence and disruptions, but that the latter was executed very strategically and was evidently centrally directed. Major roads to the port of Durban had been blocked, and trucks transporting essential goods like food have been blockaded. The result has been a paralysis in economic activity that might just cause the economy to implode if the disorder continues.

The ANC Government of Cyril Ramphosa, who was a bitter rival of Zuma within the ANC, brought out the personal element. He has reluctantly but finally brought out 25,000 troops in an effort to stem the hemorrhaging: the army’s role during apartheid still raises hackles. But the rule of law that undergirds the functioning of a democratic society has already been damaged.

The callousness of Zuma and his associates to fan the ethnic flames might burn down the whole house.

A Wakenaam, Region Three (Essequibo Islands – West Demerara) mother receiving her “Because We Care” cash grant for her three children (DPI photo)

1 CEC member defends Granger

Dear Editor, We, the elected members of the Central Executive Committee of the People’s National Congress Reform, were dismayed by the publication of an anonymous, unauthorised and unsigned ‘Statement’ titled – David Granger will not be allowed to turn the PNCR into a one- man show.

With regard to the specific matter to which the anonymous statement referred, we wish to bring the following facts to your attention: - It was reported that APNU Executive Council, the Partnership’s highest decision-making body, held a properly constituted

meeting on Thursday 10th June 2021.

- Mr. David Granger is properly the Chairman of A Partnership for National Unity, and has held that position for ten years.

- The Executive Council meeting was attended by Mr. David Granger, Leader of the People’s National Congress Reform; Mr. Vincent Henry, General Secretary of the Guyana Action Party, and Mr. Keith Scott, Leader of the National Front Alliance. Mrs. Volda Lawrence, Chairman of the PNCR, was also invited, but asked to be excused.

- APNU executive members deliberated and collectively and unanimously

approved the applications of the Equal Rights and Justice Party by its leader Mr. Jaipaul Sharma and the Guyana Nation Builders Movement by its leader, Mrs. Tabitha SaraboHalley.

- PNCR CEC did not reach a decision on the issue, and the publication of the ‘Statement’ was unknown to the Central Executive Committee, which is due to meet soon.

PNCR disassociates itself from the ‘Statement.’

We wish to point out that the CEC did not authorise, and does not endorse, the public disclosure of discussion of internal Party matters under current con-

sideration by the Central Executive Committee.

We denounce most emphatically the personal attacks against our constitutionally-elected Party Leader Mr. David Granger by a minority of persons, who did not have the courage to affix their names to the ‘Statement’ but who claimed, cowardly, to write on behalf of the entire CEC. Yours sincerely, Jennifer FerreiraDougal, Shurwayne Holder, Ganesh Mahipaul, Ernest Elliott & Annette Ferguson Elected Members, PNCR CEC

What has GTU done for teachers?

Dear Editor, Workers unions are formed to represent their subjects (workers). However, it is sad to know that - according to observations, reports and complaints - the Guyana Teachers Union has failed to do so over the past 15 months (since the pandemic began back in March 2020).

The Union’s partial objective is to “obtain and maintain for its members individually and collectively…proper remuneration, terms of employment, and such other condition of ser-

vice…” The question is: Has the Union lived up to its objective? The answer is “No!” Has the Union obtained “proper remuneration” for its members since the novel pandemic hit Guyana? “No!” The GTU has been collecting union dues from teachers continuously, but let’s just focus on the past 15 months. What form of relief have the Union leadership/ executives taken up since then? None!

Did the Union bargain with the Government for a stimulus grant/bonus in the faith of “proper conditions of

service and renumeration?”

No! Did the Union bargain for hazard pay for those teachers who had to have face-to-face interaction with grades 10 and 11 pupils in the midst of a pandemic, exposing themselves and their families to COVID-19?

Was there any form of relief (hamper distribution) to teachers? (An initiative taken by many independent groups during the first phase of the pandemic.) Many were affected emotionally by the pandemic, was the Union active

in bringing ease to teachers who might have been affected in this way? Another NO!” Now, let’s do some simple arithmetic. Realistically, the GTU represents in excess of 8000 teachers. The Union collects $700 monthly from each membered teacher.

Monthly total dues collected by the Union would amount to $5,600,000. Calculating since the COVID-19 pandemic began would total to a whopping $84,000,000 the Union had collected for the past 15 months.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 5

guyanatimesgy.com

SUNDAY, JULY 18, 2021

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

Electricity and hazards it poses Dear Editor, Today electricity is a phenomenon that exists absolutely everywhere. We use it to illuminate our homes, charge our devices, provide power to our appliances, and to perform most of our daily tasks. For most of us, the extent to which we think about electricity does not go beyond our everyday use. But how much do we know about the mysterious force that lights our rooms, powers our appliances, and charges our devices?

Given its prominent presence in our day-to-day lives here in Kwakwani during the flood period, understanding the basics of electricity and how to stay safe around it is essential.

This message seeks to help residents better understand electricity, including the hazards that it poses for workers and residents.

It will also identify ways to

mitigate those hazards.

Electricity is a form of energy that captures the flow of electrons through a conductor. It is important to know that water is a great conductor of electricity, allowing current to flow more easily in wet conditions and through wet skin.

It’s important to note also that some materials carry electricity better than others. How well a given material allows electricity to pass through it is known as its resistance. If a substance has a high resistance to electrical current, that means that electrons cannot pass through it easily. These materials are otherwise known as insulators. Glass, rubber, cloth, and plastic are a few examples of good insulators, and are generally used to guard against the flow of electricity.

A conductor is the opposite of an insulator, and is known

to carry electricity very well.

Good conductors include copper, steel, aluminum and most metals. Conductors are often used to provide an easy path for electricity, such as the copper used in electrical wiring in homes. Electricity will always take the quickest and easiest path. If the most direct path involves flowing through the human body, this is where electricity will flow.

In addition to this, electricians and overhead line workers are at a very high risk of suffering electrocution on the job. Workers who work near overhead power lines bear the most considerable risk, primarily because the lines are not insulated even though they still can carry high volts of power. Even 50 volts can be damaging to the human body; thus, any contact with an overhead transmission power line could be deadly for our workers and our con-

Guyana United Broadcasters engaging Govt Dear Editor, The Guyana United Broadcasters (GUB) regrets the publication of a list of non-compliant broadcasters by the Guyana National Broadcasting Authority (GNBA) at a time when we are engaging the Government of Guyana concerning re-

lief due to the adverse national impact of the coronavirus, COVID-19, during the past sixteen months.

Sincerely, Guyana United Broadcasters

What has GTU...

The question now is: What have the union leadership/ executives done with the money collected in the past 15 months? No bargain or form of relief was given to teachers on behalf of the Union by the leadership /executives. Instead, the Union leadership/executives enjoy the fat salary paid to them by the Union and live the fancy lifestyle while the teachers are forced into silence by the politically affiliated leadership/executives.

Editor, what has the Union turned into? Is it now the host of politicians?

Is it now being used to catapult one into the political arena? Or is it a pawn used to become a Member of Parliament, as we’ve seen in the 2020 General and Regional Elections?

In fact, it can be boldly stated that part of the Union leadership/executive has failed to represent teachers to its full capacity at the relevant forums necessary.

This letter was penned after the author received numerous complaints from teachers about their disappointment in the Union’s leadership/executives.

The growing call is for politically affiliated executives who bring great conflict of interest to the po-

sitions they hold to resign from their post in the Union, which would pave the way for neutral negotiations and new ideas with the growing

FROM PAGE 4

population of young teachers in the system.

Yours truly, Randy Mangru

sumers.

Electricity can present a special hazard because of a likely or possible short circuit, electrical components under water, or water contacting electrically powered equipment, lighting, appliances or other electrically powered equipment. Electrocution can occur when someone enters a flooded yard which contains the electrical panel.

Electrocution can also occur when standing in water while turning off a breaker, or turning off electrical equipment with submerged or damaged electrical outlets.

Electrical hazards are

one of the many hazards that can occur in a flooding incident involving potential exposures to harmful substances, or contact with energized surfaces or energized water itself. During a flood, a hazardous flow of electric current can occur

from submerged or damaged electrical equipment and the associated risk of electrocution from water damaged appliances.

Sincerely, David Adams

6 FEATURE

SUNDAY, JULY 18, 2021| GUYANATIMESGY.COM

O

ver the previous two weeks, we have been discussing the preparation of the animals for mating, as well as activities immediately prior to the actual mating.

One colleague commented on an omission; it is good to know that my colleagues read this column. It is also always welcome when, from time to time, they offer advice on issues that I should emphasize and support in general.

The issue that I omitted mentioning is when the mating is to take place between a tall stud dog and a small bitch. Well, that scenario would not present itself in matings that deal with the perpetuation of the same breed (since the male and female of the same breed will more or less be the same size).

However, human’s idiosyncrasy dictates that some of us might just want to get puppies from parents of different breeds. In other words, some breeders might want to create new breeds, for example the “Labradoodle”, which is a cross between a Labrador and a Poodle. In this case, assistance may be needed at parturition because an obvious physical problem may present itself. I would suggest that mating of a tall stud dog and a small bitch should, if absolutely necessary, take place on an incline, with the small dog (obviously) on the higher end of the slope.

I must, however, advise against mating dogs whose sizes are too dissimilar, especially if the female is a smaller dog. Her pelvis may not be wide enough to accommodate large puppies after a successful mating, and serious difficulties during the actual birth/delivery period may occur.

The actual mating

A Labradoodle - cross between a Labrador and a Poodle

Now to the actual mating exercise

Question: Should the owners help the two animals to copulate?

Answer: Many dogs (especially the young and inexperienced ones) do not know their way about the practicals of this novel sexual excursion too well. The male dog might jump on to the side of the female, and even on her head. In this case, just gently physically gently steer him in the right direction.

Usually, however, the female knows what it is to be done; she would raise her tail and stand still to be mounted. If there is a problem with the bitch, then the attendant may wish to steady her, and from below (with their hands between the hind legs) lift the vulva. One should not manipulate the male dog’s sexual parts (for example, leading the penis to the vulva). It has happened on several occasions that such handling precipitates a premature ejaculation – especially in young, excitable, immature, and hyperactive stud dogs.

I should mention, in pass-

ing, that one can actually mate small breeds on a table - steering and holding the two participants together.

please do not intervene. This is not an abnormal condition. Under no circumstances should you panic and try to disassociate the two dogs which are ‘stuck’ together.

If the male turns himself around in such a manner that both dogs’ heads are in two opposite directions, there is no cause for concern – even if the male is puling the female in his direction.

After the ejaculation is completed and the time is up, the dogs will separate.

Sometimes, the actual act of separation is associated with a bit of pain. The dogs may snarl or throw a bite your way if you try to intervene. At this point, I would advise that you just leave the dogs alone for a while. If they are leashed, lead them away from each other. You may wish to make a cursory examination of the dogs so as

THE IMPORTANCE OF RIVERS

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he river is a natural stream of flowing water with a significant volume of freshwater. Rivers are found everywhere, on every land and every continent. They start from source or headwater areas such as springs, glaciers, and flow in meandering paths at different speeds. Finally, they discharge into a larger river, or lakes, or most likely into oceans. Rivers are the main channels of the drainage system. Some rivers flow around the whole year, while some flow seasonally or when it is wet. It may cover much of a continent or flow for just kilometres.

It goes without saying that fresh, clean water is essential for humans and nature to survive. Rivers are precious sources of fresh drinking water for people around the world. When rivers are so badly polluted by industry, or are unevenly distributed by poor water management practices, the situation can be a case of life-or-death. This, unfortunately, happens across the world.

Why are rivers important?

* Nutrient cycling Rivers carry water and nutrients to areas all around the Earth, playing a crucial role in the water cycle, and acting as drainage channels for surface water. * Habitats Freshwater habitats account for some of the richest biodiversity in the world, and rivers are a vital, vibrant ecosystem for many species. Animals also use river for food and drink. * Economic activities People depend on rivers for their way of life and their livelihoods. From fishing to agriculture, the way we manage our waterways has a direct impact on people’s lives. Rivers provide travel routes for exploration, commerce, and recreation. * Energy Rivers are an important energy source. During the early industrial era, mills, shops, and factories were built near fast-flowing rivers, where water could be used to power machines. Today, steep rivers are still used to power hydroelectric plants and their water turbines.

You may wish to place a cover (a carpet, for example) on the table to reduce slipping and sliding.

Question: What is a tie?

Answer: After intromission, the head of the stud’s penis will swell, thus ensuring the ‘tie’ (The dogs are ‘stuck’ together). This situation will remain for at least 10 minutes and can remain for as much as half an hour.

If the female (or the male for that matter) is whining,

to ascertain whether any major injuries are visible.

Well, I have taken you through the canine sexual adventure. We are on our way to have puppies – in two months time. Our weekly discussions will focus on the pregnancy itself.

Next week, there will be a guest column dealing with the well-being of companion animals.

Let's explore Guyana’s rivers

Guyana, meaning “land of many waters,” is rich in hydrologic resources.

Let’s take a quick look at Guyana’s three main rivers.

The Essequibo River, in east central Guyana, is the largest river between the Amazon and the Orinoco. It rises in the Acarai Mountains on the Brazilian border, and flows northward for approximately 630 miles (1,010km) through savannas and forests to the Atlantic Ocean. It reaches the Atlantic Ocean 13 miles (21 km) west-northwest of Georgetown. Its estuary, 20 miles (32km) wide, is obstructed by islands and silt. With its chief tributaries, the Rupununi, Mazaruni, and Cuyuni, its system drains more than half of Guyana.

The Berbice River, in eastern Guyana, rises in the highlands of the Rupununi region and flows northward for 370 miles (595km) through dense forests to the coastal plain. It enters the Atlantic Ocean at New Amsterdam, where its flow is obstructed by shallows. The basin of the Berbice is restricted by the proximity of its larger neighbours, the Essequibo and Corentyne rivers, and its only tributary of consequence is the Canje. The river is navigable for 100 miles (160 km) by small vessels; many rapids lie farther upstream.

The Demerara River, in eastern Guyana, rises in the forests of central Guyana and flows northward without important tributaries for 215 miles (346km) to the Atlantic Ocean at Georgetown. Its narrow estuary and rapid flow keep clear a direct channel of 16–20 feet (5–6m) to the ocean. Oceangoing steamers ascend 65 miles (105km) to Linden for bauxite; smaller ships reach Malali, 25 miles (40km) farther upstream; beyond lie numerous rapids.

Guyana’s waterways play a vital role in the Guyanese citizen’s day-to-day activities. As such, the EPA makes it a duty to provide water quality guidelines for any project that might pollute our waterways. The Agency also conducts biannual and annual water quality inspections on all projects that are approved by the Agency.

Did you know?

* The Essequibo River has a very rich fauna. More than 300 fish species are known from the Essequibo basin, including almost 60 endemic species. * The Pomeroon River is one of the deepest rivers in Guyana.

Every citizen must take up the mantle and help in the perseveration of our water resources. We need to keep our waterways free of pollution to continuously enjoy this liquid GOLD.

Sources

https://www.sam.usace.army.mil/Portals/46/docs/military/engineering/ docs/WRA/Guyana/Guyana%20WRA.pdf https://www.wwf.org.uk/updates/why-are-rivers-so-important-and-whatare-we-doing-protect-them https://www.jstor.org/stable/40570303 https://eartheclipse.com/geography/rivers-formation-importance.html https://www.news18.com/news/lifestyle/international-day-of-action-forrivers-2021-date-theme-significance-3533555.html https://www.wwf.org.uk/updates/why-are-rivers-so-important-and-whatare-we-doing-protect-them http://www.primaryhomeworkhelp.co.uk/rivers/importance.html https://www.britannica.com/place/Berbice-River https://www.britannica.com/place/Demerara-River https://www.britannica.com/place/Essequibo-River You can share your ideas and questions by sending letters to: “Our Earth, Our Environment”, C/O ECEA Programme, Environmental Protection Agency, Ganges Street, Sophia, GEORGETOWN, or email us at: eit.epaguyana@gmail. com. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram and subscribe to our YouTube channel.

NEWS

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SUNDAY, JULY 18, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Bureaucracy at NIS led to huge backlog …Govt seeks to reduce red tape – Finance Minister …backlog already reduced by 11,000

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he Government of Guyana, in the space of seven months, has been able to ensure that the National Insurance Scheme (NIS) reduced the backlog of claims from 14,000 to 3000, a backlog it hopes to further reduce through several outreaches across the country starting on Saturday.

This is according to Finance Minister, Dr Ashni Singh, during an interview

at the first outreach at the Giftland Mall. He acknowledged that many have complained about the red tape and other hurdles associated with accessing services at NIS. “For quite some time, you would know that a large number of contributors to NIS and NIS pensioners have been encountering a number of challenges in their interactions with

the scheme. For a variety of reasons, including issues of bureaucracy, timeliness of processing transactions and so forth.”

“When we came into Government, we recognised that this was an issue that required very urgent attention. And immediately upon appointment of a new Board, I raised with the Board the issue regarding the ease of interaction

“Special initiative” for...

M

eanwhile, in fulfilment of its promise to reopen the closed estates and return the sugar industry to a viable state, since taking office last year, the Dr Irfaan Aliled Administration has injected some $9 billion dollars into the sugar industry – $7 billion from the 2020 Emergency Budget to recapitalise the sugar industry and another $2 billion in the 2021 budget for critical capital works at the sugar corporation.

A further $1.5 billion in supplementary funding was also approved in the National Assembly last month for the restructuring of GuySuCo. Minister Mustapha had told the National Assembly that so far, 40 per cent of the works to restructure GuySuCo has been completed. He also revealed that there is a plan for the overall sugar sector which is currently being fine-tuned.

According to the

FROM PAGE 3

Agriculture Minister, GuySuCo is examining the plan right now and GuySuCo, which he noted has enough money to fulfil its financial obligations, will continue progressing on the path to recovery it has been set on.

“There is a plan. The plan is being fine-tuned now. The Board is looking at that. And very shortly they should give a me a copy of that and I will (provide it). GuySuCo has money to pay its current bills and we will continue to pursue value added to increase the profitability of GuySuCo. We have seen a lil turnaround with GuySuCo and GuySuCo is now moving in a positive direction, unlike before last year August,” Mustapha said.

In fact, Chief Executive Officer of GuySuCo, Sasenarine Singh during an interview with Guyana Times just over a week ago, explained and with the sugar company is in a better financial standing, it has paid

off almost $900 million in debt to its urgent trade creditors and unions.

“GuySuCo has different kinds of debts. It has urgent debts. And urgent debts are those debts that if we don’t pay, the whole operation grinds to a halt. Like BACIF, Brass Aluminium Cast Iron Foundry, the people who make bearings and cast-iron parts for the estate,” Singh explained.

He added, “If they withdraw their services from GuySuCo, then GuySuCo is in trouble. So that kind of urgent debt is about $1 billion. That is now reduced to about $750 million. Now while we’ve paid $700 million down, it’s a combination of everything.”

Included in the amounts GuySuCo has paid down over the past nine months is money owed to the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) – the Union representing sugar workers, and the National insurance Scheme (NIS).

Finance Minister, Dr Ashni Singh addressing an NIS contributor’s concern during the outreach

between contributors and NIS. And I charged the Board to take immediate steps to smooth processing of NIS transactions.,” he said.

According to Dr Singh, the Board immediately sprang into action and over the past few months, has chalked up a number of achievements. One of these was NIS’ ability to reduce the backlog of claims from 14,000 to 3000, a difference of 11,000 and it is hoped the outreach will help reduce it further. Another issue NIS has tackled head on is the processing of life certificates.

“If you submit your life certificate and it’s not processed in a timely manner, you would be unable to get your pension and you might even drop out of the pension roll. On average in each pension cycle, you would have about 3000 life

certificates that were not processed in a timely manner and this would result in a pensioner paying their pension late or a pension dropping off the pensioner’s roll,” he said, further noting that the NIS has been able to reduce this number to zero.

Some of the things they have implemented include processing these life certificates through WhatsApp video calls which would provide an interface between pensioners, whether local or overseas and NIS staffers.

During Saturday’s outreach at the Giftland Mall, persons were able to meet directly with the Minister, members of the Board and senior management. NIS will next be at the Parika car park in Region Three on July 18, with additional locations to be announced later.

So important is the issue of NIS to the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Government, that President Dr Irfaan Ali himself led an outreach into Region Two in December of last year to listen to citizens’ concerns, including their concerns about NIS. During that presidential outreach, the Head of State heard multiple complaints about the NIS at the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) office in Anna Regina. He then instructed NIS Head, Holly Greaves, who was among the high-level team that was at the public event, to “fix it now”.

The Head of State had posited that all Guyanese should be treated fairly, and that all agencies and Government offices should be working to enhance the people’s lives and the services they provide. (G3)

8

SUNDAY, JULY 18, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Much ado…

W

…about helping parents ell, who told the PPP to revive their “Because We Care” programme to assist parents of publicschool children to get them ready for the new school-year; which, God willing, will begin in September!!

The project will help some 17,000 students by passing on $19,000 to each of them - costing the Treasury some $3.2 billion. But from the reaction of the PNC, it’s minions and its camp followers, you’d think the PPP was just about to drop a hand grenade - with its pin pulled! - into the hands of our little darlings!!

Now, this grant isn’t anything new. Back in 2014, the PPP had taken cognizance of the challenge to many poor parents to purchase materials for new uniforms and school supplies for their kids to start the new school year. They shared out $2000 for uniforms and $10,000 for supplies, and it was a boon to poor parents. In Guyana, it’s a source of shame to the latter when they’re especially unable to provide new uniforms. But the kids, who feel they’d be pitied by their peers, are even more humiliated.

So maybe the PNC have their drawers and bucktas in a knot because they callously pulled the plug on the programme when they slid into office in 2015. While it didn’t cause them as many votes as the closure of the 4 sugar estates did, it certainly didn’t help their political fortunes in 2020. Was it another case of Granger’s unilateralism?

Anyhow, as soon as the PNC finally left office last August, kicking and screaming after their defeat at the polls five months earlier, the PPP reintroduced the programme, but doubled the uniform allowance to $4000 and increased the grant from $10,000 to $15,000. And promised to keep on raising the grant incrementally over the next 4 years till it reaches $50,000. So all hell broke loose!

And against that background, we can now understand their tantrum. The PNC mandarins are afraid they’ll lose votes from their base, who’d been neglected in so many other ways! One tact they’ve taken is to insist the grant should’ve been larger right NOW! They couldn’t find it in their hearts to at least keep the programme at the previous PPP level, and now want it even larger with the present increase??!! Can you believe their chutzpah?? Well, their supporters can’t, and that’s the rub, isn’t it?!!

Another line of attack is to encourage parents who’re sending their kids to private schools to also demand the grant on the ground that SOME of these parents are also needy.

Well, this might very well be true. And your Eyewitness is sure the administration will consider their request.

If those parents can show need.

…about PNC “crisis” Some are pushing the line that “the PNC’s in crisis”. Now, a “crisis” is when a critical matter has reached an inflection point that, if it isn’t resolved, the entity might very well explode. In other (earthy) words, the sh*t will hit the fan.

And we know that ain’t pretty!! So is the PNC in crisis? Nah!!

This is just an intrinsic aspect of the PNC’s genealogy that impels its leadership to fulfill its urge to have a maximum leader at any cost.

So it was in the beginning with Forbes Burnham after he couldn’t become the authoritarian maximum leader of the PPP. He founded the PNC, where he could have his way, since he was the “founder leader”. Or he’d take his bat and go home!! Forget all the fancy talk about Congress and Central Committees and all that. The party’s the leader and the leader’s the party. Remember Rule 22 of the PNC’s original constitution?

The leader assumed all powers of the Congress between Congresses!! …about Volda

Volda Lawrence supports the anonymous CEC statement that Granger’s unilateral approval of the one-person parties is anti-PNC. Her leadership bid is thereby doomed for veering from the footsteps of the Kabaka.

Which Granger didn’t!

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

NEWS

9

SUNDAY, JULY 18, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

“Because We Care”’ cash grant

Govt “actively” examining extension to private school students – VP schools. It’s not as though they’re rich. And in a way, those kids who go to private schools, they take some pressure off public schools in terms of space. So, the Government will consider all the facts on the issue and we’ll make a determination very, very soon on the matter,” Jagdeo stated.

According to the Vice President, Education Minister Priya Manickchand is currently in the process of gathering the number

A father receiving the “Because We Care” cash grant for his children in the public school system

A

s Government continues to roll out the “Because We Care” cash grant to children in the public school system, Vice President Dr Bharrat Jagdeo has revealed that consideration is being given to extending the initiative to students in the private school system.

Last week, the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Administration re-

dents who attend private schools have been speaking out about the exclusion of those children from the $3.2 billion initiative.

In response to this, Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo during a recent interview with a social media commentator disclosed that Government is actively considering the extension of the “Because We Care” cash grant to public school stu-

“We are actively examining, now, the possibility of extending the grant to kids going to private schools. Maybe not all of them will take but some parents have been making the solid case that they struggle at home to send their kids to private schools. It’s not as though they’re rich. And in a way, those kids who go to private schools, they take some pressure off public schools in terms of space. So, the Government will consider all the facts on the issue and we’ll make a determination very, very soon on the matter,” – Vice President introduced and rolled out the “Because We Care” cash grant, which was increased to $15,000. Additionally, with the uniform voucher also increasing to $4000, each child in the public school system will receive a total of $19,000 cash.

However, parents of stu-

dents.

“We are actively examining, now, the possibility of extending the grant to kids going to private schools.

Maybe not all of them will take but some parents have been making the solid case that they struggle at home to send their kids to private

Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo

of children in the private school system. “…they’re trying to verify the numbers and then to see, should we extend to kids going to private schools, how we’re going to ensure that the intended beneficiaries receive the money without any leakage or corruption,” he posited.

However, this announcement by VP Jagdeo will bring relief to some parents, who had expressed concerns over Government’s move to

make the cash grant available exclusively to public school students.

Government commenced the rollout of the “Because We Care” cash grant programme on Wednesday last in Region Two (PomeroonSupenaam) with many parents of public-school students praising the initiative and saying it will greatly help in assisting them to ensure that their children’s needs are fulfilled.

TURN TO PAGE 21

10 NEWS

SUNDAY, JULY 18, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Retired Judge BS Roy to chair Law Reform Commission

Law Reform Commission Chairman, Justice of Appeal(retired) BS Roy

G

overnment has appointed a seven-member Law Reform Commission and Retired Justice of Appeal BS Roy has been selected to head the entity.

This was revealed by the Attorney General’s Chamber, Legal Affairs Ministry, on Saturday.

In a statement, the AG chambers said that President Dr Irfaan Ali, in the discharge of his functional responsibilities pursuant to the Law Reform Commission (Amendment) Act No 2 of 2021, approved the appointment of the Chairman and Members of the Law Reform Commission.

While Retired Justice of Appeal BS Roy was appointed Chairman, other members of the Commission include former Guyana Bar Association President, Attorney Teni Housty; former High

Commissioner of Guyana to Canada and People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) stalwart, Clarissa Riehl; Director of School of the Nations, Brian O’Toole; former Commissioner of the Public Procurement Commission, Attorney Emily Dodson; Attorney-atLaw Roopnarine Satram, and Member of the Board of Directors of Demerara Mutual, Deenawatie Panday.

These newly appointed members of the Commission are expected to be sworn in shortly.

According to the AG Chamber, these nominees were chosen after consideration of recommendations received from the various stakeholder organisations, consulted pursuant to the provisions of the Law Reform Commission (Amendment) Act No 2 of 2021, and in accordance with the said Act. The Law Reform Commission is an advisory body to the State and can recommend to the Government of Guyana amendments to existing laws, new legislation, and the repeal of existing legislation.

During his weekly online programme – “Issues In The News” – Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister, Anil Nandlall SC, last week said that operationalisation the Commission will allow for widespread consultations with and input from stakeholders.

This, he said, will drive the law reform process.

“One of the responsibilities

Clarissa Riehl

of the Law Reform Commission or its major responsibility would be to receive recommendations from civil society, from stakeholder organisations and from right across the spectrum of the Guyanese population…

So that when we put law reform forward and proposals in the Parliament, we don’t necessarily have to consult again because these recommendations would have received the imprimatur of the wider population because the law reform itself can do the kind of consultations and so on, which are required…,” Nandlall had explained.

The establishment of a Law Reform Commission is part of a fundamental component of the US$8 million InterAmerican Development Bank (IDB) funded Support for the Justice System Programme.

The IDB shall fund the functioning of this Commission for a specified period and the Government of Guyana is ex-

Attorney Teni Housty

Brian O’Toole

Emily Dodson

Deenawatie Panday

pected to take over funding thereafter.

Law Reform ensures that the country’s laws are updated at periodic intervals, and captures and embraces the aspirations, exigencies, social maladies and vicissitudes of the society as it evolves. A Law Reform Commission in Guyana is long overdue and exists in most Commonwealth

countries. This institution is expected to ensure that the country’s laws are updated regularly and embrace new and emerging legislative trends across the world.

When the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) took office in August 2020, it pledged to move swiftly to establish the Commission after it reviewed

Attorney-at-Law Roopnarine Satram

the Act and this was done with the Amendment of the Act which was assented to by the President on February 16, 2021.

The Commission will be operating out of a Government of Guyana building located at Lot 91 Middle Street, Georgetown. A Secretariat for the Commission has already been established and staffed.

The Law Reform Commission Act was enacted in January 2016 under the former A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Government, which failed to fully establish the entity since then.

However, Nandlall had revealed after taking office in August 2020 that while no Commissioner was appointed to sit on the Commission, approximately $98.3 million was spent on rental, payment of staff and other costs for the phantom entity. (G8)

NEWS

11

SUNDAY, JULY 18, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

2 more deaths, 120 new COVID-19 cases recorded Indian South Africans caught in the crossfire

S

outh Africa entered its post-apartheid phase in 1994 with much goodwill following the release of Nelson Mandela in 1990 from his 27year imprisonment by De Klerk. Just six months before, at the launch of GOPIO in August 1989, as the co-Chair of the panel of “Political Participation”, I had participated in some heated debates on South Africa’s future. Even though it had the largest population of People of Indian Origin (PIOs) Ravi Dev - now 1.4 million - they were just 2.5% of South Africa’s 55 million population; caught between the 76% Black majority and the larger 9.4% White and 9% Coloured minorities. As with the PIOs from the Caribbean and elsewhere, 140,000 of them had been sent to work on the sugar plantations of Natal as indentured servants, and many of the same dynamics that operated in other “indentured” colonies were precipitated. They were joined by some independent Gujarati merchants who would become quite wealthy.

South Africa’s Indentureship ended in 1910 - seven years ahead of the rest - because of the advocacy of Gandhi (he lived there between 1893 and 1914) to the Indian National Congress.

Even during Indentureship, there had been a determined movement by Whites for all the Indians to be repatriated to India, and this sentiment was adopted by the majority Blacks especially the Zulus of Natal. These efforts ceased only in 1962, but the view of Indians as transitory and not “real” South Africans have continued to be perpetuated. Their progress even during the apartheid years from 1948 to 1994 exacerbated those sentiments: “Why should the Indians do better than we?”. In 1949, 142 Indians were killed in anti-Indian violence in Natal, where they are concentrated.

At the GOPIO gathering, I discovered, however, that from the 1950s, several Indian leaders had decided to wage a common struggle with the Blacks in the ANC. Many were from the trade unions that had been permitted for Indians, but not Africans.

During the GOPIO debates, several trade unionists argued fervently that the ANC would be able to govern the country equitably for all groups. The African ANC executive who later addressed the GOPIO plenary session affirmed this position.

Some other members of their delegation were not so sanguine, having experienced violent attacks on their community (600 deaths) just four years before. They had been caught between rival Zulu factions on one side and the White government on the other. The latter had offered voting rights to Indians and Coloureds, but not to Blacks in a divide-and-rule ploy. Indian support for the ANC unfortunately worked against them, since both Zulu parties opposed the ANC. Mandela duly announced a “Government of National Unity” after the 1994 elections, and promised a new constitution with the widest input. The new, very advanced constitution, which proposed majority rule after the next elections, was ratified in December 1996. That same year, a ground-breaking “Peace and Reconciliation Commission”, under the leadership of Bishop Tutu, started conducting hearings.

These initiatives all helped to fuel South Africa’s growth as Africa’s most vibrant economy, to earn a position as one of the BRICS in 2010 on the 150th anniversary of the Arrival of Indians to South Africa. But as the new ANC Government instituted affirmative action programmes to improve the lives of poverty-stricken Blacks, new tensions were created in the Indian community. A new Black upper class - starting with the venerable Mandela and all his successors: Mbeki, Zuma and Ramphosa - came out of the ANC. This created tensions and rivalries within the party, which are presently playing out between Zuma and Ramphosa.

The Indians, already resented by Blacks for their modest upward mobility during apartheid, are now resentful that merit has been discarded by the imposed quotas that now favour the latter - especially as labourers and industrial workers. What has exacerbated the anti-Indian sentiment recently has been the post-1994 arrival of about 20,000 Indians and Pakistanis, who have joined the Gujarati merchant class, aggressively entered the commercial sector, and courted ANC leaders. The infamous Gupta brothers who were involved with the Zuma scandals are from this group. More opprobrium was poured on “Indians”.

Behind the present violence - with the loss of 212 lives and billions of dollars through arson and looting - supposedly sparked

by Zuma’s arrest, lies the Zulu anti-Indian sentiment that has once again seen that community targeted. The Indian is always seen as a soft target.

T

he Health Ministry reported two more COVID-19 related deaths on Saturday. These are a 16-year-old male from Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) and a 74-year-old woman from Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice).

These two latest fatalities have now taken the local death toll to 509.

The death of the 16-year-old was announced

by Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony on Friday during his COVID-19 update. The teen died on Thursday while receiving medical treatment. The teenager was said to have cancer, which was a major contributor to his death.

This 16-year-old is now the third child to have died from COVID-19 in Guyana since the outbreak of the virus in March 2020.

In November 2020, an 11-year-old cancer patient died while receiving treatment at the Georgetown Public Hospital and was later found be positive for COVID-19, and a 17-yearold boy of Covent Garden, East Bank Demerara (EBD), succumbed back in May after he tested positive for the virus.

GUYANA COVID-19 DASHBOARD JULY 17 UPDATE

NUMBER OF NEW CASES

120

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN INSTITUTIONAL ISOLATION NUMBER OF PERSONS IN HOME ISOLATION NUMBER OF PERSONS IN COVID-19 ICU

95 1050 12

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN INSTITUTIONAL QUARANTINE

5

TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES BY GENDER (FEMALES)

10,990

TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES BY GENDER (MALES)

10,481

TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES IN GUYANA SINCE 2020

21,471

NUMBER OF RECOVERED CASES

19,805

TOTAL 1st DOSE VACCINATED

241,680

FULLY IMMUNISED

126,620

TOTAL NUMBER OF DEATHS

509

DISTRIBUTION OF TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES SINCE MARCH 2020 REGION 1

1291

REGION 2

595

REGION 3

2441

REGION 4

9717

REGION 5

712

REGION 6

1741

REGION 7

1274

REGION 8

380

REGION 9

1819

REGION 10

1501

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

Keep a physical distance of at least 6 feet.

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

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

This latest teen fatality, has led to the Health Minister again encourag-

ing parents, to take extra precautions to ensure their children’s safety, especial-

ly those with underlying health conditions.

TURN TO PAGE 22

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FEATURE

13

SUNDAY, JULY 18, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Almost 3 months under water...

Mahaicony Creek residents still braving floodwaters

The water level in the Mahaicony Creek

By Lakhram Bhagirat

J

ust about three months ago, Guyana experienced countrywide flooding, devastating communities in all ten Administrative Regions.

Among those hardest hit were communities in Regions Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), Five (Mahaica-Berbuce), Six (East Berbice-Corentyne), Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni) and Ten (Upper Demerara-Upper Berbice).

The Mahaicony Creek is located in Region Five and is one of the frontier farming communities in country. Residents there have been underwater for almost three month and being a riverine community, one would expect that they are usually flooded during the rainy season. However, the residents

there are reporting that while flooding would occur during heavy rainfall, this is the first time in over a decade that they have experienced such devastation.

Rather, some are contending that this level of devastation never occurred in almost 50 years.

In an effort to understand the level of devastation and highlight what the residents need going forward, to pick up the pieces and restart, the Sunday Times travelled to the community.

Over 6ft of water Currently, the water level is receding in the Mahaicony Creek but very slowly. In some cases, the water is being reaccumulated since it is still raining.

The entire lower flat of

Seerattie “Sani” Sohanlall’s home was flooded and according to her it didn’t happen over time rather it was fast and left them no time to take precautionary measures. However, she adds that even if they were given the opportunity to move to higher grounds, they had nowhere to go with all their belongings.

The lower flat of her home housed her kitchen and a bedroom. That is completely destroyed by the water. Now, she prepares meals for the family in the verandah where she set up a temporary kitchen.

Access to her home is still restricted because the lower flat is still under almost 3ft of water. So when her daughters and husband wants to leave the home, they have to climb over the verandah, onto the shed, slip onto a barrel positioned on the septic tank, then onto a jar that acts as a stair, and then into their boat to go wherever they need to. To get into their home, they would have to take the same steps but in reverse.

Sani’s youngest daughter is a Community Health Worker at the Mora Point Health Centre in the Creek and has to go to work everyday so imagine the hassle to get out of her own home. Of course, the risk of injury is great.

“Now it a draw and we trying to make comfort to go back down in my kitchen. We a just bare patient till the water gone

Khemkarran Jori speaking with Guyana Times in his still flooded yard

and see what more we can do.

We get plenty damage. Right now one a me bed downstairs, the whole bed, mattress and everything under water deh.

We can’t do nothing because we can’t hoist and put it no where.

All the stuff in the kitchen like salt, sugar and whatever, turn over and fall and destroy,” she related.

Sani has been living in Mahaicony Creek for about 42 years now and in that time, she said that this is the big-

gest flood they have ever had.

Her husband has been unable to work for three months now and that significantly limits the family’s ability to survive.

While they received flood hampers from government and private organisations, Sani says that they need help beyond just food. They need financial assistance and other forms of assistance to commence rebuilding their lives and that assistance is needed urgently. She added that she cannot stress how important it is for them to commence the rebuilding phase since it is quite a long time now that their lives literally came at a standstill.

“I won’t lie and say that I lose millions but me lose about $300-500,000 in things. If we can get we can get some money to buy back some stuff and them thing that then we can start back doing things,” she said.

Also, in Sani’s yard there is a low hanging powerline that she has been pleading with GPL to raise but has had no success in that regard. She said that when the water was at it highest, the line was just mere inches above it and stressed how dangerous that is.

“Nothing nah deh, all dead” The water rose as high as 4ft in 65-year-old Lucille Budhoo’s yard. At the time of the flood, she had construction ongoing along with a thriving business selling cow’s milk, creole fowl, ducks, eggs, ice and

Lucille Budhoo pointing to how high the water had risen in her yard

other things. The income generated from that would pay her bills and sustain the household consisting of her husband and her.

It would also leave money for her to save. However, for three months now all she has been incurring is losses upon losses.

“This is the hardest hit of flood. We had flood in 2005 and 2008 but this is the worse.

The water take all me animals them.

TURN TO PAGE 15

14 FEATURE

Brothers lose 220 acres of harvest-ready rice to devastating floods

SUNDAY, JULY 18, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

By Lakhram Bhagirat

T

he Mahaica-Berbice Region has been consistently ranked as the region that produces the largest amount of rice in Guyana and there are plans afoot to expand that production by opening more lands for the farmers.

Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha, late last year, committed to expanding the Region’s production by 100 per cent in the next five years – a task that would see major infrastructural changes in the Region’s landscape.

Over the past three months, we have seen how

Dhanraj Persaud

The NDIA excavator helping to control the water level

volatile the farmlands are in the Region. Since mid-May, a large part of the Region has been underwater and the water is slowly receding and leaving behind it, devastation of exceptional magnitude.

The Persaud brothers – Dhanraj and Richard – controls about 800 acres of farmlands at Esau and Jacob, Mahaicony and have taken out massive loans to develop that land and convert it to suit their needs. Now they are scratching their heads and trying to determine what will be their next move since the flood water destroyed 220 acres of harvest-ready rice.

On the land that the

ing, they have never experienced such devastation.

Their lands were flooded but they were always able to pump the water off the lands but the recent floods, as a result of the overtopping of sections of the Mahaicony River, caused irreparable damages.

However, Dhanraj explains that the water level in the fields could have been controlled but shoddy works by a road contractor contributed to their significant losses.

“These tubing cause it (the flood) because during the previous administration them do this road and cast the tubing on the concrete wall so we can’t lock these tubing. We could ah save rice

Dhanraj Persaud showing the level of water in his field

brothers’ control, they plant rice as well as rear livestock.

Sunday Times travelled to Mahaicony where it met with Dhanraj who explained the situation they are currently faced with. He said that they come from a rice farming background since his father was involved in the business.

They would work with his father in their lands but about ten years ago the duo decided to venture off on their own and acquired lands. They bought the lands through bank loans and acquired others through leases.

In the years that the brothers have been farm-

by pumping out the rainwater but when we get the water by the overtopping of the Mahaicony River we couldn’t control it,” he explained.

Dhanraj further related that the former government embarked on construction without consulting the farmers and when they objected, the objections fell on deaf ears. The farmer said that they formed a group and met with the contractors that were executing the roadworks and informed him to put provisions in place so that the tubing can act as a koker.

TURN TO PAGE 16

FEATURE

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SUNDAY, JULY 18, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Mahaicony Creek residents still...

I does depend pon cow and milk it and sell but now we nah got nothing leff…nothing nah deh, all dead. Me lose 25 head cow, 4 goat, 100 duck chicken, plenty big duck and creole chicken. Me only get about 10 leff now and me does mine all this thing and sell fuh mek awe daily bread when the week and month come. Me nah get no money nowhere now,” Budhoo said.

She has been living at Water Dog Creek Mahaicony Creek for 43 years now and worked hard to ensure that she had an income to sustain her during her older days. Now that is being threatened since she now has to start from the beginning again.

“Now you got to depend on you children them and that what me nah like at all – ask children for something. When you work, you work and build of your own sweat… All the lil thing we got here done. It is very hard. You nah get no income nowhere, me does sell milk for meh living, sell ice, sell creole egg, sell duck and my husband does mine cow and sell when qurbani deh and you can’t sell none this qurbani because all dead out…It would cause over $2M for me cow them alone because me a sell more than that when the year come. Me get about 7 pen what me a mine livestock in at that back there and all them gone

Seerattie “Sani” Sohanlall on her roof, which is the only access point to her home

now,” the distraught woman said.

On the verge of tears, the devastated woman questioned how they are going to restart now. She notes that as every day passes by, they have to dig deeper into their savings and bother her husband and she are not at an age where they can have that replenished easily.

When she was flooded out, Budhoo was constructing the lower flat of her home to act as storage space for her milk, eggs and freezer to make it easier when she’s selling those items.

Construction was stopped and she is now at risk of losing her construction materials.

Budhoo, like many other in the Creek, is hoping that they would soon be able to receive some financial assistance to begin rebuilding.

“Me need back money fuh

start back me business and if them can help me back my livestock. We need the money. If me nah get the money me can’t do nothing…Me nah know what go tek place with we but me need back help for me animal. Me need all help to put me on my foot because me nah get anything, nothing nah deh, all dead,” Budhoo pleaded.

Bank loans, debt to millers and total losses The major economic activity in Mahaicony Creek is farming, whether it is rice or cash crops, residents have invested millions in their crops.

Khemkarran Jori has been farming rice in the creek for about 10 years now. He operates 113 acres of land and when this flood came around,

he was harvesting. However, he lost over 100 acres to the floods – which totally devastated him.

“The water get big and the bush water start come.

Me been a cut rice at the back there and we could just cut 2 load paddy…the combine leff there and we get the grain bin and so,” the 62-year-old farmer said.

Jori is now worried about how he will be able to restart his operations since he lost over $10 million from the rice crop.

The losses, according to him, is devastating but the least of his problems at this time since his debts is what he is more worried about.

He owes the bank, IPED, the Small Business Bureau $2.5 million and a combined $7 million to millers.

“It is a big set back because the man (millers) them want money because remember them ah invest. Them a give fertilizer, drugs, diesel and those are things them tek them money and invest in you to spend back ah the rice…Me under water over 2 months now. The help I need is with the bank so they can reduce the interest and renew the loan them and if the millers can give assistance to go back pon

FROM PAGE 13

Sani’s makeshift kitchen

the next crop. Me nah know if them go want do that because we owe them the money but that is all we can ask for fuh the next crop because this crop out so till in October/November we go shy (throw paddy) again and till then we will ask them fuh lil help again,” Jori explained.

He said that they are hopeful that the government, the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB) and the Ministry of Agriculture can step in and provide them with some substantial financial assistance to get back into operation. He added that they could have been able to save the fields if the flooding was just as a result of the rainy season.

Many of the rice farmers are hoping that the GRDB can assist them with everything needed to get back on their feet because their income from this crop has been totally destroyed by the floodwaters. They say that there was very little they could have done to prevent the flooding since the water took them as a surprise.

Almost three months later, the floodwaters are still reigning supreme and as some residents are now beginning to pick up the pieces, they are pleading for assistance. The assistance they require is not in the form of food hampers rather it is financial since many of them have been out of jobs and not earning for months now.

16 FEATURE

SUNDAY, JULY 18, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Brothers lose 220 acres of harvest-ready...

FROM PAGE 14

that we put some cows on it because some ah the land we get is high…the water was covering this whole road. We went pumping out water deh and then one ah me engine bruck deh,” Dhanraj noted.

Harvest-ready

The makeshift embankment the authorities created

However, that was not done.

“They do about 8 tubings and none them nah put koker pon. The man that been a run this work we tell he that he got to put door and he do nothing. When the flooding come the government help, we with the excavator and how them a block the tubing the creek water come here with a force and blowing out the thing. We couldn’t block it because every day the water force a push it out,” he said.

The government through the Agriculture Ministry’s National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) attempted to protect the

farmers in the Esau and Jacob area by creating a makeshift embankment to prevent the water from devasting them, but that was unsuccessful. The embankment could not prevent the water and in the end, all the lands were flooded.

“Government real try with we because the water was in excess and they send excavator to help we. How the excavator been a block um, so the water come and it ah overtop um… Nuff farmer loss. We get about 800 acres that we a control and plant but presently some farmers get cow on them.

The Ministry of Agriculture asked

The Persaud brothers were preparing to begin harvesting when the flood came. They were not able to reap any benefits from their hard work put in to care for the rice fields.

When asked to explain the magnitude of their losses, Dhanraj tells me that every acre would bring about 35 bags of paddy but he is calculating 30 bags per acre.

They would be paid $3400 per bag for paddy so if one is to calculate his losses it would be a total of 6600 bags of paddy at $3400 per bag which is over $22.4 million.

That amount is just from one field the brothers’ farm.

In addition to losing rice, Dhanraj said that lost over 130 goats to the flood.

“We owe Demerara Bank for the land and you nah go want hear is how much I does have to pay them…we does got to pay them $30 million every crop but we go cant reach this. We a wait for this water to go down and then see how to pick up. The government say

A cow in one of the flooded rice fields

they will give we assistance so we a wait to see what they will give we,” he said.

Going forward

While they are waiting on the water to recede, Dhanraj and the other farmers have come up with what they think are solutions to prevent such a reoccurrence.

According to him, they would have to first replace the tubing in the road and build them as kokers so that water can be controlled.

They are also proposing that

the area be impoldered because it is a prime rice farming area.

“We need to get the koker fixed and if it nah fixed farmer doomed here. The previous administration we plea with them to see with we and we couldn’t even put the door because them cast down the edge.

We told the Minister of Agriculture and he said he will look at it…

They tried their best with all the farmers. I didn’t mek any money and everything lost. I got workers and we got to go in savings to pay them.”

FEATURE

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By Lakhram Bhagirat

W

hen you are living in a riverine community, access to a boat is vital.

However, in Guyana, owning a boat can be out of reach for a lot of people so that is where reliable boat operators come in.

If you are to venture to Mahaicony Creek in Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice), the general consensus is that Amo is the most reliable of boat operators in the Creek. He will get you in and out of the Creek at any time you wish – well that is if he is available since being the most reliable means he is currently on the job.

Amo’s legal name is Cabinath

Deolall but very few people know him by that name so if you are ever going to Mahaicony Creek just ensure you ask for Amo. The 41-year-old was born in the Creek and comes from very humble beginnings. His parents were humble people and always stressed the importance of hard work. He attended the Gordon Table Primary School but was unable to go beyond primary because of financial constraints.

So, he dropped out of school and then entered the world of work. He started working as a labourer with various persons. After doing that for some time, he moved to catching aquarium fishes to sell.

“We used to catch aquarium fish and sell right here. I work and save and after I find it hard to still work with people, I try to start do me own thing. I was working with a man name Bridgeanand and he had a 25 (horsepower engine) and me buy it,” he said.

He purchased his first boat 15 years ago and has upgraded

at least 10 times.

Now he has two boats, one which

is operated by his wife.

The father of three also plants rice.

“I does plant rice too. I get about 100 acres. I doing this boat work for 15 years now and everybody know me. Them can call me any time in the day or night and I will come out and go for them to take them where they want to go. It nah matter the time, I does go out,”

he said.

Amo does everything to ensure that the Creek is served with reliable transportation.

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FEATURE

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HEALTH TIPS ANXIETY PART 1

CAUSES OF ANXIETY

Dr Tariq Jagnarine Fam Medicine, Endocrinology / Diabetes

I

t’s normal to feel anxious about moving to a new place, starting a new job, or taking a test. This type of anxiety is unpleasant, but it may motivate us to work harder and to do a better job.

Ordinary anxiety is a feeling that comes and goes, but does not interfere with our everyday life.

In the case of an anxiety disorder, the feeling of fear may be with people all the time. It is intense and sometimes debilitating.

This type of anxiety may cause individuals to stop doing things they enjoy. In extreme cases, it may prevent them from entering an elevator, crossing the street, or even leaving their home. If left untreated, the anxiety will keep getting worse.

Anxiety disorders are the most common form of emotional disorder and can affect anyone at any age. According to the American Psychiatric Association, women are more likely than men to be diagnosed with an anxiety disorder.

TYPES OF ANXIETY DISORDERS

Anxiety is a key part of several different disorders.

These include: • Panic Disorder: experiencing recurring panic attacks at unexpected times.

A person with panic disorder may live in fear of the next panic attack.

• Phobia: excessive fear of a specific object, situation, or activity • Social anxiety disorder: extreme fear of being judged by others in social situations • O b s e s s i v e compulsive disorder: recurring irrational thoughts that lead you to perform specific, repeated behaviours • Separation anxiety disorder: fear of being away from home or loved ones • Illness anxiety disorder: anxiety about your health (formerly called hypochondria) • P o s t - t r a u m a t i c stress disorder (PTSD): anxiety following a traumatic event

Researchers are not sure of the exact cause of anxiety.

But, it’s likely a combination of factors plays a role. These include genetic and environmental factors, as well as brain chemistry. In addition, researchers believe that the areas of the brain responsible for controlling fear may be impacted.

Current research of anxiety is taking a deeper look at the parts of the brain that are involved with anxiety.

The causes of anxiety disorders are complicated.

Many might occur at once, some may lead to others, and some might not lead to an anxiety disorder unless another is present.

Possible causes include: • E n v i r o n m e n t a l stressors, such as difficulties at work, relationship problems, or family issues • Genetics, as people who have family members with an anxiety disorder are more likely to experience one themselves • Medical factors, such as the symptoms of a different disease, the effects of a medication, or the stress of an intensive surgery or prolonged recovery • Brain chemistry, as psychologists define many anxiety disorders as misalignments of hormones and electrical signals in the brain • Withdrawal from an illicit substance, the effects of which might intensify the impact of other possible causes

SYMPTOMS OF ANXIETY

Anxiety feels different depending on the person experiencing it. Feelings can range from butterflies in one’s stomach to a racing heart. Feeling out of control, like there’s a disconnect between a person’s mind and body.

Other ways people experience anxiety include nightmares, panic attacks, and painful thoughts or memories that can’t be controlled.

A general feeling of fear and worry, or may fear a specific place or event.

Symptoms of general anxiety include: • Increased heart rate • Rapid breathing • Restlessness • Trouble concentrating • Difficulty falling asleep Anxiety symptoms might be totally different in persons. That’s why it’s important to know all the ways anxiety can present itself.

ANXIETY ATTACK

An anxiety attack is a feeling of overwhelming apprehension, worry, distress, or fear. For many people, an

anxiety attack builds slowly.

It may worsen as a stressful event approach.

Anxiety attacks can vary greatly, and symptoms may differ among individuals.

That’s because the many symptoms of anxiety don’t happen to everyone, and they can change over time.

Common symptoms of an anxiety attack include: • Feeling faint or dizzy • Shortness of breath

• Dry mouth • Sweating • Chills or hot flashes • Apprehension and worry • Restlessness • Distress • Fear • Numbness or tingling A panic attack and an anxiety attack share some common symptoms, but they’re not the same.

DIAGNOSIS

A single test can’t diagnose anxiety. Instead, an anxiety diagnosis requires a lengthy process of physical examinations, mental health evaluations, and psychological questionnaires.

Some doctors may conduct a physical exam, including blood or urine tests to rule out underlying medical conditions that could contribute to the symptom’s persons are experiencing.

Several anxiety tests and scales are also used to help your health care providers assess the level of anxiety you’re experiencing.

TREATMENT

Once diagnosed with anxiety, treatment options can be explored with one’s health care provider. For some people, medical treatment isn’t necessary.

• Lifestyle changes

may be enough to cope with the symptoms.

In moderate or severe cases, however, treatment can help to overcome the symptoms and lead a more manageable day-to-day life.

Treatment for anxiety falls into two categories: psychotherapy and medication.

Meeting with a therapist or psychologist can help learn tools to use and strategies to cope with anxiety when it occurs.

Medications typically used to treat anxiety include antidepressants and sedatives. They work to balance brain chemistry, prevent episodes of anxiety, and ward off the most severe symptoms of the disorder.

Treatments will consist of a combination of psychotherapy, behavioural therapy, and medication.

TURN TO PAGE 20

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HEALTH TIPS FROM PAGE 19

Alcohol dependence, depression, or other conditions can sometimes have such a strong effect on mental well-being that treating an anxiety disorder must wait until any underlying conditions are brought under control.

SELF-TREATMENT

In some cases, a person can treat an anxiety disorder at home without clinical supervision. However, this may not be effective for severe or long-term anxiety disorders.

There are several exercises and actions to help a person cope with milder, more focused, or shorter-term anx-

ANXIETY PART 1

iety disorders, including: • Stress management: Learning to manage stress can help limit potential triggers. Organize any upcoming pressures and deadlines, compile lists to make daunting tasks more manageable, and commit to taking time off from study or work.

• Relaxation techniques: Simple activities can help soothe the mental and physical signs of anxiety.

These techniques include meditation, deep breathing exercises, long baths, resting in the dark, and yoga.

• Exercises to replace negative thoughts with positive ones: Make a list of the negative thoughts that might

be cycling as a result of anxiety, and write down another list next to it containing positive, believable thoughts to replace them. Creating a mental image of successfully facing and conquering a specific fear can also provide benefits if anxiety symptoms relate to a specific cause, such as in a phobia.

• Support network: Talk with familiar people who are supportive, such as a family member or friend.

Support group services may also be available in the local area and online.

• Exercise: Physical exertion can improve self-image and release chemicals in the brain that trigger posi-

tive feelings.

COUNSELLING

A standard way of treating anxiety is psychological counselling. This can include cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT), psychotherapy, or a combination of therapies.

• CBT This type of psychotherapy aims to recognize and change harmful thought patterns that form the foundation of anxious and troublesome feelings. In the process, practitioners of CBT hope to limit distorted thinking and change the way people react to objects or situations that trigger anxiety.

For example, a psycho-

therapist providing CBT for panic disorder will try to reinforce the fact that panic attacks are not really heart attacks. Exposure to fears and triggers can be a part of CBT. This encourages people to confront their fears and helps reduce sensitivity to their usual triggers of anxiety.

MEDICATIONS

A person can support anxiety management with several types of medication.

Medicines that might control some of the physical and mental symptoms include antidepressants, benzodiazepines, tricyclics, and beta-blockers.

Anxiety itself is not a medical condition but a natural emotion that is vital for survival when an individual finds themselves facing danger. An anxiety disorder develops when this reaction becomes exaggerated or out-of-proportion to the trigger that causes it. There are several types of anxiety disorder, including panic disorder, phobias, and social anxiety. Treatment involves a combination of different types of therapy, medication, and counselling, alongside self-help measures. An active lifestyle with a balanced diet can help keep anxious emotions within healthy limits.

NEWS

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SUNDAY, JULY 18, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Dengue, leptospirosis cases recorded in Region 6 – Chairman H ealth authorities in Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) are reporting that more than 60 cases of dengue and several cases of leptospirosis have been recorded in the region.

This was revealed by Region Six Chairman David Armogan on Thursday. He said 67 cases of dengue and five cases of leptospirosis have been recorded in the region. He said the cas-

es have all been linked to floodwaters.

“Now that the floods have receded for quite some time, we have had some dry areas so a number of areas are dry like in the Black Bush Polder, they don’t have too much problems with flooding and a lot of the cases came out from the Black Bush Polder,” he said.

Armogan said it was hoped that the situation

Govt “actively” examining...

But some parents took to social media to question the move by the Government to only give the cash grants to those children who attend public schools.

Nevertheless, Jagdeo reassured that the ongoing disbursement of the cash grants to children in the public education system is being overseen by the Auditor General to ensure transparency so that every child who is entitled to the grant receives it.

Disgust at APNU/AFC

On this note, Jagdeo expressed his disgust at the APNU/AFC Opposition’s criticism of the initiative. He specifically called out Opposition Member of Parliament (MP) and President of the Guyana Teachers’ Union (GTU), Coretta McDonald, who on Wednesday called the $3.2 billion cash grant initiative a waste of money and has since come under widespread criticism especially from parents and teachers.

“I was shocked that Coretta McDonald… is trying to get the teachers not to cooperate with Government in extending this grant. As an educator, she has failed miserably. She has allowed her jaundiced APNU politics to influence her and she’s trying to use the Union to sabotage an initiative that will help the children of this country,” the Vice President contended.

The “Because We Care” project was launched back in 2014 under the then

FROM PAGE 9

PPP/C Government. It was implemented to provide support to parents with school-age children and increase their disposable income, to raise enrolment and attendance rates.

After taking office in 2015, however, the APNU/ AFC Government scrapped the project, saying the treasury cannot afford to continue with the programme.

But the Irfaan Ali-led Government restored the initiative after taking office last year – a promise the PPP/C had made in its 2020 election campaign manifesto.

As such, in the $383 billion National Budget passed in March 2021, some $60.7 billion was allocated for the education sector. In keeping with its manifesto, the PPP/C Administration increased the “Because We Care” cash grant from $10,000 to $15,000. The party has promised a phased increase of the cash grant to $50,000 per child by the end of its five-year tenure in office.

Some 172,000 public school students are now expected to benefit from the programme this year, and unlike last year, the school uniform grant will not be given in the form of a voucher but rather as cash.

The distribution schedule for the “Because We Care” cash grant will be posted on the Education Ministry’s Facebook page, the Ministry’s website, and in the daily newspapers.

(G8)

could be brought under control.

“We also had a few cases of leptospirosis and those persons are being treated.”

He further revealed that the cases of leptospirosis were from Angoy’s Avenue in New Amsterdam, while noting no deaths have been recorded.

Leptospirosis is a bacterial disease that affects humans and animals. It is caused by bacteria of the genus Leptospira. In humans, it can cause a wide range of symptoms, some of which may be mistaken for other diseases. Some infected persons may have no symptoms at all.

Dengue fever is transmitted by the bite of an Aedes mosquito infected with a dengue virus. The mosquito becomes infected when it bites a person with dengue virus in their blood.

It cannot be spread directly from one person to another person.

Sometimes, symptoms are mild and can be mistaken for those of the flu or another viral infection. The symptoms may progress to massive bleeding, shock, and death.

Armogan, who has the responsibility of updating the media on developments, said he was only informed of the outbreak when there were 60 cases of dengue and two cases of leptospirosis.

“Sometimes people don’t want to report ‘is bad’, but I am of the view that the press must be informed of what is happening and people too need to know, because we don’t have anything to hide,” he said.

The Region Six Chairman said health authorities have assured that the situation is under con-

Region Six Chairman David Armogan

trol.

“They have packaged some tablets and they were giving it to persons in the areas where they found that there was dengue,” he said.

However, the Region Six Chairman could not say whether the pills being distributed were for prevention purposes or for a cure.

Armogan made the revelation while engaging the media at the Regional Boardroom in New Amsterdam. He said that he was informed that arrangements have been put in place to ensure that medication was available for persons who may be at risk of contracting either or both of the diseases.

22 NEWS

SUNDAY, JULY 18, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Armed bandits invade Rockstone store

A

57-year-old businesswoman was robbed by three armed men who invaded her Rockstone Junction, Mabura Access Road grocery store.

Reports are that at about 22:00h the woman was in her shop with her with her grandson when the suspects approached her shop on two XR motorcycles without number plates.

According to Police, one of the suspects went into the shop and purchased a few items then re-joined his accomplices, after which they left the store but were lingering in the area smoking “weed”.

She told Police that

the men then rode off in the direction of Mabura and shortly afterwards, she retired to her room.

According to the woman, about 20 minutes later, her dogs began barking continuously causing her grandson to become suspicions. The young lad armed himself with a cutlass and went outside to make checks.

He was then confronted by one of the suspects, who is known to the family from Kuru Kuru, SoesdykeLinden Highway.

Police said that the suspect choked the businesswoman’s grandson, pointed a hand gun to his head and instructed him to be quiet as his accomplices,

whose faces were tied with black jerseys, barged in and confronted his grandmother, whom they told to lay on the ground.

The bandits then relieved the woman of her jewellery valued $240,000 and went to the shop, where they took her “bowl” along with five cellular phones valued at $164,000. The men then escaped and the victims raised an alarm and alerted a car driver who made efforts to apprehend the men, but this proved futile.

Ranks from Mabura Police Outpost were alerted about the robbery and an investigation has been launched.

2 more deaths, 120 new... “…the medical type masks are more suitable for children with severe medical conditions such as cancer and bronchitis and so forth, and it is recommended that they wear these types of masks as it protects them from getting these infections,” the Health Minister urged in his COVID-19 update, adding that It was also noted that relatively healthy children can wear the regular cloth masks.

Guyana’s COVID-19 guidelines require everyone over eight years old to wear a mask in public.

New cases Meanwhile, Saturday’s updated dashboard showed that 120 new COVID-19 cases were recorded.

The dashboard also stat-

ed that there are 12 patients in the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and some 1145 persons in isolation, that is, 95 in institutional isolation and 1050 in home isolation.

Also, there are still five persons who are in institutional quarantine.

A total of 19,805 persons have recovered from the life-threatening disease.

Since the outbreak of the pandemic in Guyana last year, 208,667 persons have been tested for the novel coronavirus so far, of which 10,990 females and 10,481 males tested positive.

Region Four (DemeraraMahaica) accounts for the largest number of cases which is a total of 1917, whereby Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni) has 380

FROM PAGE 11

cases in total.

The Health Ministry continues to remind the Guyanese population to observe the protocols of the COVID-19 Emergency Measures (No 19), which are in effect until July 31, 2021. This order emphasises the need for correct and consistent use of a face mask when leaving your home, the importance of maintaining the six feet physical distance from others, and the need for good hand hygiene to help reduce the spread of COVID-19.

If anyone is displaying any of the symptoms associated with COVID-19 or needs any additional information, kindly contact the COVID-19 Hotline 2311166, 226-7480 or 624-6674 immediately or visit www. health.gov.gy.

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SUNDAY, JULY 18, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Several renewable energy projects to come on stream – GEA Head

A number of renewable energy projects, necessary to wean Guyana off its dependence on unreliable fossil fuel, will be coming on stream locally by either this year end or next year, according to Guyana Energy Agency (GEA) Head, Dr Mahender Sharma.

Sharma made this disclosure during a virtual forum on Saturday organised by the Public Utilities Commission (PUC), which also featured Guyana Power and Light (GPL) Chief Executive Officer Bharrat Dindyall, Head of the Caribbean Community (Caricom) Energy Unit, Dr Devon Gardner and consumer representative Dexter George. According to Sharma, they are working on building Guyana’s renewable energy capacity.

“The target is for us to reduce electricity (costs) to

consumers, who are an important stakeholder and all of this is for them. Making energy costs globally competitive is also another important target and working with our neighbours Brazil and Suriname to create a new energy corridor, because we want to have a clear path to become a net energy exporter in time to come as well,” he said.

Sharma spoke of installing ground mounted solar panels that would feed into the mini grids in Bartica, Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni); Lethem, Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo); Leguan and Wakenaam, Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara) in collaboration with the Guyana Power and Light (GPL).

Sharma noted that a number of other renewable energy projects are slat-

Dr Mahender Sharma Head of the GEA

ed to come on stream either this year or next year.

Additionally, they are planning to approach the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) for funding for loan for hydropower projects in Region Nine.

“Quite a bit of solar farms are in the process of being developed, with very ambitious completion times, either by the end of this year or next year.

Some are being tendered

as we speak. And we’re also about to tender the rehabilitation of a .7-megawatt hydro at Moco Moco in Region Nine. And a new installation of 1.5 megawatts at Kuoma in Region Nine.”

“We’ve just completed all of the major studies and we’re about to apply to the Islamic Bank for final loan effectiveness. And as soon as that happens, we’ll be tendering. We have tender ready documents. So, if I was to identify two things that are well advanced, those would be the solar farms and the mini-hydro projects that we’re working on.”

And while the gas-toshore project being built by oil giant ExxonMobil is expected to add some 200250 megawatts of energy to the national grid, Sharma reminded that the aim is to diversify Guyana’s ener-

gy sources.

“Gas is meant to be a transitional fuel and not the end. Hydropower, solar and wind will provide a lot of those resources. No energy source will offer you 100 per cent of anything… hydropower is good, but it is also subject to the hydrological cycles. It is subject to climate change. And they have to be supplemented by other things.

Which is why you have a combination of thermal sets, hydro, solar and wind,” he explained.

Last year, the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Government had set up a Gas-to-Shore Project Advisory Committee headed by former National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL) Head Winston Brassington, which looked at various locations for the gas-to-shore project.

A number of factors including geotechnical, geophysical and environmental were examined before Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo announced earlier this year that the Government had settled on Wales to land the pipeline for the project. Prime Minister Mark Phillips, who has responsibility for the energy sector, has previously said that the Government is looking to produce 200 megawatts of power from the gas-toshore project by 2024.

Exxon has said that around 30 to 35 million cubic feet of natural gas would be required for the gas-to-shore project. Data from Norwegian research company Rystad Energy had indicated that less than 20 per cent of the 1.8 billion Barrels of Oil Equivalent (BOE) discovered last year was gas.

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25 Govt intends to get farmers back into food production – Ashni Singh NEWS

SUNDAY, JULY 18, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

…says rising fuel prices being monitored

G

Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh

uyana has seen rising commodity prices in recent times, particularly in agricultural produce and fuel. With respect to agricultural produce, Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh cited flooding as one factor and emphasised that the Government intends to get farmers back into production.

On the side lines of an event on Saturday, the

Minister said that the price of agricultural commodities is very much market-driven and with the recent flooding caused by months of torrential rainfall, this is something that must be considered.

"Well, it would to the extent that there has been an issue with agricultural output. We have seen what the floods would have done to agricultural output.

Without a doubt that would feed into supply of that agricultural output to the market and in turn prices.

Also, the price of agricultural produce in Guyana is market determined, based on demand and supply.”

“This in fact is why it is so important for us to get production back up and we have been making this point. Obviously, the farmers want to get back on their feet because this is how they live. There is no farmer anywhere in Guyana that doesn’t want to get back on the land, get his plants back in the ground, get his crops out of the ground, get his animals back up so that he can start producing his milk, eggs or meat,” the Finance Minister said.

For its part, he explained that the Government has been encouraging farmers to return to crop cultivation and livestock rearing as soon as possible. Speaking to the $10 billion in supplementary funds that the

Government had sought in June to assist with flooding, the Finance Minister said this will help support flood affected farmers.

“We have been saying to the farmers that we want them to return to crop cultivation and rearing of livestock as soon as possible and this is also going to influence the shape of the support that we provide as well, because we want them and production to get back to the pre flood levels and even ramped up further, because we want to make sure that adequate agricultural produce gets to the market.”

“Of course, there is a bigger agenda to increase agricultural production beyond just the short-term shock of the floods. There is a bigger agenda and we have to get a bigger agenda to increase the output because agriculture is an important sector for us economically and in terms of our medium- and long-term plans, but I’m not going to speak about that

now.”

For now, Singh said that the priority is to get farmers back on their feet, producing and increasing output so that adequate supplies can return to the marketplace and prices and production can return to the pre flood levels.

When it comes to oil prices, the Finance Minister noted that they are monitoring the situation and considering options, including whether to further reduce taxes on fuel. Dr Singh pointed out that soon after the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) took Government last year, it reduced taxes on fuel.

“It is a fact that oil prices have been rising globally.

We are monitoring it closely. The reality is that oil prices are a function of the international markets. And so, the cost of landing fuel in Guyana has increased.”

“As you know, a few months ago we took the important step of reducing the

taxes on fuel prices significantly. So, we’ve already implemented one very sharp reduction on the excise taxes that are charged on gasoline and diesel. So that has already been implemented,” Minister Singh said.

The Minister stressed, however, that taxes are only a small fraction of the fuel prices. He noted that the underlying reason for the fuel increase is the increase in the Cost Insurance and Freight (CIF) of the fuel, something the Government has little control over.

At present oil is being traded at US$71.45 a barrel, an increase likely caused by the reopening of economies around the world due to COVID-19 restrictions being lifted. It was only a few days ago that the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) called attention to the issue, noting that rising fuel prices have been hitting local businesses hard.

(G3)

26 NEWS

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New Amsterdam Hospital gets new CEO

N

ew Amsterdam Hospital has a new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) as several requests are being made to improve facilities and the services provided at

that institution. This was announced by Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) Chairman David Armogan.

Dr Bob A. D. Ramnauth is the new CEO of the New Amsterdam Hospital re-

New CEO, Dr Bob A D Ramnauth

placing Michael Khan. The media was officially informed of this development

by Armogan.

The chairman since Dr Ramnauth has taken up the new position several interventional are being made aimed at improving the services. Dr Bob will also have the responsibility

of overlooking the Skeldon Hospital.

“He has identified quite a number of things that has to be done at both these hospitals in terms of bringing improved services to our people.”

He explained that some of the issues focus on the dentistry department.

According to Armogan residents on the Corentyne raised those issues with hi saying that the dentist at the Skeldon Hospital had only been operating at that institution for a short period each day.

He also made mention of doctors who work in the public health system and have private practices.

“We will have to be able to move around doctors and give them a chance to operate at another level and at anther hospital. So, when we move doctors around it is not to victimize anybody but just to widen their experience. “ Among some of the recommendations made by the new CEO also include a new portable X-ray and the doors to the mortuary to be fixed.

The mortuary doors, he

explained have lost their hinges and pieces of wood are used to brace against the door to keep it closed.

“That is not good enough to have air coming out because the bodies that are there can sometimes go bad,” Armogan pointed out.

He noted that the CEO has pointed pot of the inconvenience and discomfort to remove patients from the ward to take them to the X-ray room. The portable X-ray at the New Amsterdam Hospital has not been working for some time.

“There are a number of things that Dr Bob has listed that is of great importance for both maternity and surgery as well as inpatient care. We are working towards procuring these things so that we can improve at both hospitals.”

Asked whether the issues with the dentistry department at the Skeldon Hospital, the portable X-ray at the New Amsterdam Hospital and the mortuary all went bad after the former CEO Michael Khan left, the Chairman replied in the negative.

“Some of these issues

were not raised before.

There were quite a number of things that were not available and the new doctor there feels are important and should be available to improve health care and that is why he is recommending all these things.

Michael Khan use to be a very efficient CEO at the Georgetown Hospital… It is like a cricketer, you have your days and you make a lot of runs and then comes a time when you can function as a coach,” Armogan said.

He added that Khan will be functioning in another capacity in the Health Ministry.

Meanwhile, a new mortuary is to be opened at the National Psychiatric Hospital compound which will be a partnership between the CIOG and the government.

The CEO has also recommended that new ambulances should be at the New Amsterdam. Armogan said four new ambulances will be coming to the Region and two are to be repaired.

The entire Region only has two functioning ambulances.

NEWS

27

SUNDAY, JULY 18, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Trinidadians return from Guyana in 1st Death toll rises to 170 in Germany and Belgium floods international flight as borders reopen

A

T

he death toll in devastating flooding in western Germany and Belgium rose to at least 170 on Saturday after burst rivers and flash floods this week collapsed houses and ripped up roads and power lines.

Some 143 people died in the flooding in Germany’s worst natural disaster in more than half a century. That included about 98 in the Ahrweiler district south of Cologne, according to Police.

Hundreds of people were still missing or unreachable as several areas were inaccessible due to high water levels while communication in some places was still down.

Residents and business owners struggled to pick up the pieces in battered towns.

“Everything is completely destroyed. You don’t recognise the scenery,” said Michael Lang, owner of a wine shop in the town of Bad NeuenahrAhrweiler in Ahrweiler, fighting back tears.

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier

Members of the Bundeswehr forces, surrounded by partially submerged cars, wade through the flood water following heavy rainfalls in Erftstadt-Blessem, Germany, July 17, 2021

visited Erftstadt in the state of North RhineWestphalia, where the disaster killed at least 45 people.

“We mourn with those that have lost friends, acquaintances, family members,” he said. “Their fate is ripping our hearts apart.”

Around 700 residents were evacuated late on Friday after a dam broke in the town of Wassenberg near Cologne, authorities said.

But Wassenberg Mayor Marcel Maurer said water

levels had been stabilising since the night. “It’s too early to give the all-clear but we are cautiously optimistic,” he said.

The Steinbachtal dam in western Germany, however, remained at risk of breaching, authorities said after some 4500 people were evacuated from homes downstream.

Steinmeier said it would take weeks before the full damage, expected to require several billions of euros in reconstruction funds, could be assessed.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

couple dozen passengers touched down at Piarco International Airport on Saturday morning, marking the first commercial flight welcomed in Trinidad and Tobago, hours after the country's borders were reopened.

Minister of Works and Transport Rohan Sinanan and representatives of the Airports Authority greeted the passengers disembarking Caribbean Airlines flight BW 607 from Georgetown.

"I'm very happy with what the airport would have put in place and I think, as we go forward, obviously (as) we have more flights coming in, they will continue to revisit the protocols... to ensure once passengers arrive, we can get them out the airport terminal in the shortest possible time.

The resumption of air travel for commercial traffic comes some 16 months

Passenger Pamela Ramnath is assisted by passenger service agent Tyrell Da Costa after she returned from Guyana at the Piarco International Airport when international flights resumed on Saturday (Photo by Ayanna Kinsale)

after government made the swift and controversial decision to close the borders.

Many citizens were stranded outside the country for months awaiting an exemption to re-enter.

Instead of an exemption, citizens and permanent residents are now required to apply for a travel pass or TTravel Pass, which must be completed online at ttravelpass.gov.tt

within 72 hours of travel.

The website, hosted by the Ministry of National Security, outlines the criteria for both vaccinated and unvaccinated citizens or permanent residents to enter the country.

Later on Saturday, another flight arrived at Piarco from Dominica. A flight destined for the US departs at midday. (T&T Newsday)

28

guyanatimesgy.com

SUNDAY, JULY 18, 2021

Around the World

OILNEWS OIL NEWS

President Moise’s funeral set for Friday …First Lady returns to Haiti

H

aitian President Jovenel Moise will be buried on July 23 in the northern city of Cape Haitian, a member of the official funeral organization committee said Friday.

“We have a logistical team who will evaluate the site where the funeral will be held,” Minister of Culture and Communication Pradel Anriquez, a member of the committee, told reporters during a news conference in Port-au-Prince. A schedule of events will be published soon, he said.

Funeral planning committee members include interim Prime Minister Claude Joseph; the ministers of defense, culture and communication, and interior; the director of the Cabinet (chief of staff); the secretary-general of the presidency; and the director-general of the MUPANAH (Musée du Panthéon National Haitien).

Anriquez said there are three events planned. On July 20, an official ceremony honoring the life of Moise will be held at the MUPANAH. He said the national palace protocol team is organizing that event.

On July 22, the president’s wake will be held, Anriquez said. But he did not provide further details, adding only that “the public funeral of the president of the republic will be held in accordance with the wishes of the Moise family and also in accordance with the law.”

First lady Martine Moise

Haiti’s First Lady Martine Moise returned to Port-au-Prince on Saturday Late President Jovenel Moise

was being treated in Miami, Florida, for injuries suffered during the attack that killed her husband.

Joseph also confirmed that a video message posted earlier this week on Martine Moise’s official Twitter account is authentic, along with subsequent tweets she posted this week of herself lying in a hospital bed.

The interim prime minister said the slain president had expressed a desire to be buried next to his father in Haiti’s north. The details were included in an official government decree issued on March 11, 2020, pertaining to the burial of heads of state, Anriquez told reporters.

“The Haitian government in its entirety is committed to giving the president a proper funeral,” he said.

Ex-president Aristide back in Haiti Elsewhere in the capital, a group of supporters of former President Jean

Bertrand Aristide took to the streets to welcome him back to Haiti after undergoing treatment for an undisclosed illness in Cuba.

Aristide fans waved Haitian flags, white flags, freshly picked tree branches, homemade signs and played traditional festive “rara” music as they waited to see him.

“Welcome back, king. We have always said that Haiti is now paying for what happened in 1990, and as long as the constitutional order is not reestablished, the wound will remain. It is time to repair the divisions that exist,” a man who did not give his name told VOA Creole. “We are standing out here in front of the airport to extend our greetings.”

“The president who truly loved us and was the most capable leader to lead us was removed by the colonists in a coup d’etat. Hopefully, the Haitian people now see clearly what is going on,” another Aristide supporter, who stood on the side of

the airport road to welcome the former president back to Haiti, told VOA. Aristide was Haiti’s first democratically elected president after dictator JeanClaude Duvalier was removed from power in 1986.

He governed Haiti from Feb. 7-Sept. 30, 1991, when he was deposed in a military coup. After living in exile in the United States for three years, he returned to lead Haiti in October 1994 until 1996.

A year later, he created the Fanmi Lavalas (Lavalas Family) political party. He ran for president as its candidate and won in 2000.

(Haiti’s constitution bars heads of state from holding consecutive terms.)

In July 2001, Aristide was ousted in another military coup and lived in exile in South Africa until spring 2011, when he was allowed by then-President Michel Martelly to return to Portau-Prince. He has mostly stayed out of the limelight, but his party remains active in politics. (AFP)

OPEC+ plans new output policy meeting today, sources say

O

PEC+ Ministers plan to hold their next meeting today to decide on output policy, three sources within the producers group told Reuters on Saturday.

The development comes after Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) reached a compromise last week in a dispute over OPEC+ policy, in a move that should unlock a deal to supply more crude to a tight oil market and cool soaring prices.

The Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, along with Russia and other allies, a group known as OPEC+, still needs to take a final decision on output policy after talks earlier this month were abandoned because of the dispute between Saudi and the UAE. OPEC could not be reached for comment outside regular business hours.

Today’s meeting will be held virtually as have all such discussions since last year.

OPEC+ last year agreed record output cuts of almost 10 million barrels per day (bpd) to cope with a pandemicinduced slump in demand, curbs which have been gradually relaxed since then and now stand at about 5.8 million bpd.

The dispute between Riyadh and the UAE spilled into the open after previous OPEC+ talks, with both airing concerns about details of a proposed deal that would have added an extra 2 million bpd to the market and extended the pact until end of 2022.

The objective was to ease upward pressure on oil prices that have recently climbed to 2-1/2 year highs.

One OPEC+ source said last week Riyadh had agreed to Abu Dhabi’s request to have UAE’s baseline - the level from which cuts under the OPEC+ agreement on supply curbs are calculated - set at 3.65 million bpd from April 2022, up from 3.168 million. (Excerpt from Reuters)

South Africa’s leaders fear fresh wave of violence by Zuma loyalists

S

outh African authorities fear a new wave of attacks aimed at undermining the economy, investment and the rule of law as networks loyal to former president Jacob Zuma seek to force his return to power.

Investigators believe the unrest last week, which killed more than 200 and caused massive damage across a swath of the country, was deliberately provoked as part of a broader strategy by political opponents to force president Cyril Ramaphosa to pardon Zuma or even step down.

The worst violence since the end of the apartheid regime 27 years ago has injured many people beyond the 200 people dead and caused massive economic damage.

Hundreds of shops have been looted, factories destroyed, warehouses razed, clinics vandalised and ports disabled.

The immediate trigger for the chaos was the imprisonment last week of Zuma to serve a 15-month sentence for contempt of court. Loyalists and close aides of the former president, who faces a number of corruption charges, are among those suspected by authorities of organising the wave of violence.

On Friday, Ramaphosa, in his third televised speech

Rioting and looting were sparked by the jailing of former President Jacob Zuma (BBC photo)

in six days, said it was clear the unrest had been an attempt to provoke an insurrection. “The constitutional order of our country is under threat.

These actions are intended to cripple the economy, cause social instability and severely weaken – or even dislodge – the democratic state,” said the president, who ousted Zuma in 2018.

“Those responsible for organising this campaign of violence have not yet been apprehended and their networks have not yet been dismantled … We must therefore remain vigilant.”

Officials now fears that networks loyal to Zuma will attempt further sabotage operations to destabilise the gov-

ernment, and possibly attempt to provoke security forces into opening fire on civilians, thus undermining the legitimacy of Ramaphosa’s government.

“The second phase is to burn resources, [then] they will be able to wage a serious war and hide behind the people. They can mobilise the masses if people are hungry.

A serious military operation is yet to come. People go hungry because there is no food, and that is when they will launch the next phase,” one official source told the Mail and Guardian, a respected local newspaper.

The unrest reached Johannesburg, the commercial capital of South Africa, but was concentrated in KwaZuluNatal, the south-eastern prov-

ince that is a stronghold of Zuma. Police discovered several large caches of ammunition in Durban during the week, which minister of police Bheki Cele said belonged to people who were instigating the violent riots in the coastal city.

Many of the targets attacked during six days of violence suggested a campaign of deliberate sabotage aimed at making the country ungovernable, experts said.

“The burning of trucks and factories … is linked to people around the former president, said Gareth Newham, head of justice and violence prevention at the Institute for Security Studies in Pretoria.

William Gumede, chairman of the Democracy Works

Foundation, a group supporting governance in Africa, said the violence had been well-coordinated and well-funded.

“Strategic commercial hubs were blocked, strategic roads were blocked at really key points. It was very organised,” said Gumede.

“The arson, the looting and then the burning of malls, the burning of warehouses … that indicates a really strategic destruction of the economy of KwaZuluNatal.”

Zuma, who once ran the ruling African National Congress party’s intelligence operations, acquired many allies in South Africa’s military and security services during his long time in power, experts say.

These have rallied to Zuma’s cause as a series of senior figures who thrived during his rule have been marginalised, hit with legal cases or forced to relinquish powerful posts.

The jailing of the former president for repeated failure to appear before a judicial inquiry probing allegations of systematic corruption during his rule was a significant victory for Ramaphosa, who leads a moderate and pragmatic faction of the ANC, but appears to have provoked a

violent response.

Zuma’s supporters say the 79-year-old former anti-apartheid fighter is the victim of a witch-hunt orchestrated by political opponents.

On Friday, the “Free Jacob Zuma Campaign”, which is led by two suspended members of the ANC, issued an ultimatum to Ramaphosa, saying the president had 14 days to release his predecessor.

“Let us be crystal clear; we do not support violence.

Only a free president Zuma can address our nation and call for calm,” a statement from the campaign said.

“White monopoly capitalism and the parasitic black comprador capitalist that continues the exploitation of our people are our main enemies. Their removal from power and continuing control over our economy and lives is non-negotiable and cannot wait a day longer.”

Zuma’s faction claimed to want to implement a “radical economic transformation” of South Africa, one of the most unequal societies in the world – though, under his rule, unemployment soared, services deteriorated and institutions were undermined by widespread corruption.

(Excerpt from The Guardian)

guyanatimesgy.com

SUNDAY, JULY 18, 2021

ARIES (March 21April 19)

29

Put more time and effort into self-improvement.

Adopting a new look, updating your image or taking time to nurture a meaningful relationship will make your life better.

Don’t face off with someTAURUS one over something that isn’t (April 20important to you. Getting May 20) into a spat will not make you feel better or resolve issues.

Getting along with others will be necessary.

Move things around at GEMINI (MAY 28- home to suit your needs.

Having an adequate setup to June 20)

take on the tasks you want to pursue will help you get things done. Don’t let anyone rain on your parade.

CANCER Share your thoughts and feel(June 21- ings with a loved one, and you’ll July 22) patch up any differences. The

suggestions you make will encourage others to pitch in and help. A change will pay off.

LEO (July 23Aug. 22)

VIRGO

(Aug. 23Sept. 22)

Dilbert LIBRA (Sept. 23Oct. 23)

SCORPIO (Oct. 24Nov. 22)

Peanuts

Don’t fold under pressure.

Choose the direction you want to head in. Don’t feel let down if someone decides to take a different path. Focus on what’s important to you.

An unexpected change will push you in a direction that encourages you to team up with someone who has something unique to offer.

Listen to advice and your intuition.

Challenge yourself. Selfimprovement projects will encourage you to spend more time figuring out how to be your best. Spend less time trying to change someone else. Discipline will pay off.

Set your sights high. The sky is the limit if you take control and get things done.

Stop dreaming and start doing. Think innovatively to make a dramatic change to the domestic scene.

SAGITTARIUS Get involved in something (Nov. 23that intrigues you. You may Dec. 21) have to get physical to reach your goal. Embrace a challenge and play to win. Your devotion to personal growth and physical fitness will impress others.

Do what makes the most CAPRICORN sense to you. Take command (Dec. 22and initiate change. You’ll be Jan. 19)

happy with the results you get, and you’ll outdo anyone who tries to slow you down or stand in your way.

Calvin and Hobbes

Keep life simple. Don’t

AQUARIUS make a fuss or let anyone push you around. A problem (Jan. 20with a friend or relative will Feb. 19)

leave you in an awkward position. Know when to say no or walk away in order to avoid a scene.

You’ll be attracted to anyPISCES (Feb. 20- thing new and exciting. Take Mar. 20) a unique approach to life,

and you’ll discover something that will encourage you to explore the road less traveled.

30

SUNDAY, JULY 18, 2021

Max Verstappen triumphs in inaugural F1 sprint race

– to take pole at Silverstone

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ax Verstappen has inflicted more damage to Lewis Hamilton’s Formula One title hopes as the Red Bull driver held on to win the inaugural sprint race at Silverstone.

Verstappen started in second in the trial event ahead of the British Grand Prix, but a flying first lap saw him overtake championship rival Hamilton by the first corner.

It was a lead which proved unassailable, the Dutchman cruising to a victory which sees him take pole position in Sunday’s main race, as well as three championship points.

Hamilton and teammate Valtteri Bottas ensured it was not all bad for Mercedes, as they claimed second and third on the grid, while Fernando Alonso was unable to sustain a brilliant start.

Verstappen flew out of the blocks, with Hamilton unable to compensate when he attempted to skirt around the outside at the first corner, only to pull out of the manoeuvre.

Bottas was hot on the tracks of the duo, while Alonso charged up from 11th to fifth with a first lap just as impressive as

Verstappen’s effort. The veteran Spaniard was unable to maintain it though, dropping down to seventh as his soft tyres started to struggle.

Further ahead, Hamilton – who set a blistering time in Friday’s qualifying session – was demanding more from his team over the radio, yet he could not close the gap on Verstappen, who held a 2.3 second lead heading into the 17th and final lap.

Hamilton managed to close in on the final straight, but Verstappen was the deserving victor in the first taster of F1’s latest format tweak.

There was less luck for Verstappen’s team-mate Sergio Perez however, with the Mexican crashing on Lap 7 and dropping down to 18th before Red Bull called him back to retire in the pits, meaning they have drivers bookending both ends of the grid.

Charles Leclerc came fourth, with Lando Norris capping a difficult week personally with an impressive drive to place himself fifth.

George Russell dropped to ninth, though he faces an investigation for an early incident involving Carlos Sainz. (Sportsmax)

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GUYANATIMESGY.COM

SUNDAY, JULY 18, 2021

Rugby Americas North tournament…

GRFU Head Coach Theo Henry

By Timothy Jaikarran

T

he Guyana Rugby Football Union (GRFU) has shown interest in competing in the Rugby Americas North (RAN) tournament which is scheduled

for October 16 & 17 in the Turks & Caicos Islands.

GRFU President Ryan Dey

GRFU waiting for permission from COVID-19 Task Force

– “The Green Machine is still feared in the Caribbean,” says GRFU President Ryan Dey has noted that while the union is awaiting permission from the COVID-19 Task Force, players have been given a fitness regime to which they must adhere until it is safe to return to action.

In an interview with this publication, Dey was asked how the GRFU plans to tackle training, since it has not yet been given permission, and he responded as follows: “While we’re awaiting the go- ahead from the Task Force to go into tackling, we (have given) the players a fitness regime to work with until such time; (but) we are hoping we get the okay from the Task Force before the

new week.”

Dey has said he believes that once the members of the

GRFU President Ryan Dey

team have ample time to get themselves into that peak fitness and to rehearse the technical skills they have learnt from the team of experienced coaches during training, the Green

N

of Health & Wellness in Barbados, there will be no spectators allowed at Kensington Oval during the hosting of the West Indies One-day International and Twenty20 International home series of matches,” the BCA media release has said.

Cricket fans in Barbados hoping to see Jason Holder, Shai Hope and Roston Chase in action during the ODIs will not have the same privilege that was extended to spectators in St Lucia and Grenada, following meetings earlier this week involving cricket officials, the ministry and the COVID-19 Monitoring Unit. (Nation News)

Machine has a great chance of winning it all once again.

Dey is convinced The Green Machine is still feared by all teams in the Caribbean, and he believes the mixture of seasoned players and hungry youths that comprise the team can result in something great happening.

“Like I said earlier, the guys have their fitness regime, and we are working with them to get to that stage by the time we iron out things with the Task Force.

“In terms of the safety of the players, we already have running masks for the guys. We will also be testing temperatures. We have a trained medic as well to look over any other prescribed measures the Task Force gives,” Dey added.

Dey disclosed that as far as fitness is concerned, most of the players are about 50% there when it comes to personal fitness. However, he said, the players must be game fit, and that can come only through playing rugby.

Dey is confident that once permission is give, The Green Machine can return to full fitness, as the team is being coached by the well decorated fitness icon Theo Henry, and he is absolutely certain that Henry has the requisite knowledge to get the local side back to optimum fitness.

In terms of selection, the

GRFU boss has said there would be three tests carried out to determine who would be selected for the team being sent to the Turks & Caicos. the first test would be to determine the level of fitness, while technique and team play would be the other requirements.

The GRFU has shortlisted 34 players from whom to select the team. Their names are stated below.

From the Panthers Rugby Football Club: Godfrey Broomes, Jamal Angus, Osei McKenzie, Tyreese Prescod, Owen Adonis, Lancelot Adonis, D’Arcy Durant, Rondel McArthur, Kareem Fisher, and Selwyn Henry.

From the Caribs Rugby Football Club: Kempton David, Kevon David, Alex Crawford, Elio

Cameron, and Makaya Smith.

From the Guyana Defence Force Rugby Football Club: Avery Corbin, Dwayne Schroder, Sean Phillips, Glenroy Poole and Jamal Mona.

From the Police Rugby Football Club: Shawn David, Odida Douglas, Marlon Small, Adrian Hall, Kareem Simon, Michael Barrow, Scott Garraway, Richard Butcher, and James Osborne.

From the Hornets Rugby Football Club: Ryan Gonsalves, Rickford Cummings, Peabo Hamilton, Patrick King, and Johnathan Garnett.

Theodore Henry has been selected as the Head Coach, and Laurence Adonis is the Assistant Coach. George David has been appointed Manager.

Momentum can help West Indies lift 3rd World T20 title

No spectators allowed during ODIs in Barbados F

o spectators will be allowed at the Kensington Oval during the slew of international matches to be staged there at the end of this month.

The Barbados Cricket Association has said in a media release yesterday that the non-admittance of spectators will extend to the three One-day International matches between West Indies and Australia on July 20, 22 and 24, and the two Twenty20 International matches between the West Indies and Pakistan on July 27 and 28.

“Due to the recent directive issued by the Ministry

31

– says former West Indies manager Omar Khan

ORMER West Indies manager Omar Khan has said the West Indies are in the running to win their third World T20 title with the momentum and passion that the team is showing recently.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) T20 World Cup tournament will be staged in Oman and the United Arab Emirates from October 17 to November 14.

“Our West Indies team, if they continue the way they are going with the momentum they have and the energy I see on the field, and the good team spirit, those are basic qualities for us to do well,” Khan told Newsday on Friday.

West Indies have shown form in the T20 format in 2021, defeating Sri Lanka 2-1 in a series, falling 3-2 to South Africa in a closely contested series, and defeating Australia 4-1 in a five-match series that was recently played in St Lucia.

Khan has said, “With Kieron Pollard back at the helm when he is fully fit, and Nicholas Pooran who is doing pretty okay as vice-captain, we should have a very good odd

Former West Indies manager Omar Khan

chance to retain the World T20 Trophy.”

The ICC has confirmed the groups for the T20 World Cup on Friday. West Indies will play in Group One of the super 12, alongside England, Australia and South Africa.

Group Two will include India, Pakistan, New Zealand and Afghanistan.

Prior to the super 12, the first round would feature eight teams split into groups A and B, with the top two teams in each group advancing to the super 12.

Sri Lanka, Ireland, Netherlands and Namibia

would play in Group A. Bangladesh, Scotland, Papua New Guinea and Oman would battle in Group B. The winners of Group A and the runners-up of Group B in round one will qualify to play in Group One, and the winners of Group B and the runners-up of Group A will qualify to play in Group Two. South Africa and Australia will be familiar opponents for the regional team, but West Indies have not played England in a T20 series since 2019.

Khan has said the West Indies are fortunate to be placed in a group with teams they have played in 2021. However, Khan believes it would not be a huge factor in the outcome of the matches, as the World T20 event is a competitive tournament in which fully prepared teams participate.

“Well, of course, they (West Indies) will have some knowledge of the players,” Khan said. “The World T20 is a totally different tournament, with teams coming differently prepared, ready to conquer the trophy, and they will be

playing high- intensity and with the objective of winning the tournament.”

Khan has said that most of the South Africa players who toured the Caribbean would be on the World Cup team. However, the Australia team on tour of the Caribbean may be a new outfit when the T20 World Cup rolls around.

Marquee Australian players including David Warner, Steve Smith, Glenn Maxwell, Pat Cummins and Marcus Stoinis have decided not to tour the West Indies.

The West Indies T20 team is known for its power hitting, with the likes of Keiron Pollard, Nicholas Pooran, Andre Russell, Chris Gayle, Evin Lewis, Lendl Simmons and Shimron Hetmyer in the line-up.

Khan has also said the West Indies bowling has been showing quality in recent series, with Dwayne Bravo, Obed McCoy and Hayden Walsh Jnr demonstrating their ability.

Spinner Sunil Narine is a player who Khan believes can boost the West Indies pedigree. (TT Newsday)

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

SUNDAY, JULY 18, 2021

guyanatimesgy.com

GCF names 22-member Youth World Cup team T he Guyana Chess Federation (GCF) on Saturday revealed the names of the persons on a 22-member team that is currently preparing for the FIDE Youth World Cup tournament.

Although hampered by examination dates, members of the team have been selected based on performances at a national qualifying tournament held last month.

The World Chess Federation (FIDE) has invited players from Guyana to compete in the FIDE Cadet & Youth Online Rapid World Cup tournament, which will take place from August 1st to 31st, 2021. This World Cup tournament is an official FIDE competition, and will attract the best under-18 players from all affiliate nations around the world.

Prior to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, events like this were held in person at venues around the world, and they required teams to incur the cost of travel and accommodation for the duration of the tournament, which resulted in small contingents from federations like Guyana’s. However, this online event offers the Guyana Chess Federation (GCF) a unique opportunity for its young players to participate with their peers from other countries at a fraction of the cost.

The Guyana players who qualified to play in this tournament are up against the best in the world, and are expected to gain valuable experience from this competition.

The GCF has been able to field a larger team this year, expanding from 14 players last year to 22 this year.

Disappointingly, the team

will miss the contributions of some of the nation’s strongest youth players as a result of the irregular schedules of the National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA), Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) and Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) examinations.

The GCF has said that its Chess in Schools programme

is now bearing fruit, with the availability of a wider base of competitors from which to select its best players.

The implementation of ongoing training and investment in our very young brings two eight-year-olds from School of the Nations, Julian Mohabir and Aquilani Swaminadha; and nine-year-old Nicholas Zhang from Mae’s School playing in the Under- 10 category. They have been under the guidance of a trained world-class chess coach, and this sets the stage for a great future, the GCF has said.

The NGSA examination schedule has had a major impact on the Under-12 division, with many of the players preparing for this important exam. This open category still carries a formidable team, with Omar Sharif from Mae’s School, who has demonstrated remarkable prowess for the last year and easily deserves to be the number one contender to represent his country at this event.

Joining him in the Under-12 Open will be his schoolmates Alexander Zhang and Mahir Rajkumar, and Micaiah Enoe from Marian Academy.

In the girls’ section, player Anaya Lall, who has a hearing impairment, will be playing in the female Under-12 category, after competing in the Under-10 category last year. Despite her

challenges, Lall is said to be a dedicated player, and has shown love for the game and determination to excel over the last two years. However, she would need to play at her best to do well in this event.

In the Under-14 Open division, Guyana will be represented by School of the Nations student Emmanuel Primus, a consistent and dedicated competitor. For the girls’ section of the Under- 14 tournament, Queen’s College student Maliha Rajkumar, who played in this category last year, will use this experience to improve her expertise and chess acumen, along with these newcomers to the team: Saint Stanislaus College’s Italy TonChung, Queen’s College’s Nailia Rahaman, and Pooja Lam from the Saraswati Vidya Niketan (SVN) School.

The Under-16 Open event will see a seasoned Queen’s College trio led by Kishan Puran, the tournament’s champion of the qualifying tournament, who has shown remarkable progress over the past year. He is joined by fellow QC students Raveon Adonis and Mathew Singh.

The girls’ Under-16 event will feature Aniyah Couchman of Queen’s College and Adia Alphonso of Marian Academy, who have both been in constant training but will face quality players in that highly

competitive category.

For the Under-18 Open, Marian Academy’s Upper Six student Oluwadare Oyeyipo, Saint Stanislaus College’s senior student Keron Sandiford, and Akili Theophil of the University of Guyana will take to the board to prove that they are the best juniors in the country. They will be playing at the highest level, for which they have been preparing over the last 18 months. They have all been competing against the best senior players in Guyana during local tournaments, but will have to apply themselves well to advance in this category.

This international tournament is expected to be a 10-round Swiss, and could see the top players gaining entry to Fide’s FIDE Online Rapid Super Final 2021 and the FIDE Online Rapid Grand Prix Series 2021.

The GCF, through a missive, has sought to extend its gratitude to School of the Nations, Saint Stanislaus Alumni Association, the Queen’s College Old Students Association and Marian Academy for sponsorship of their respective students in the World Cup event. The Federation is grateful for the interest and support from these organisations, and for their acknowledgement of the importance of chess in the development of the minds of our youths.

Farmsup/Doosan/Team Alanis-organised cycling rescheduled for July 21

T

he Ministry of Home Affairs having announced that Eid-ul-Adha will be celebrated on Wednesday July 21 instead of Tuesday July 20, the Farmsup/ Doosan/Team Alanis-organised cycle race has consequently been rescheduled for Wednesday July 21.

Some of the country’s top cyclists will battle for supremacy on the roadways of the West Side when this 45-mile contest is held. It will commence at Schoonord, West Bank Demerara and race to Bushy Park, Parika, East Bank Essequibo, before returning for the finish at the western end of the Demerara Harbour Bridge.

The action starts at 8:00hrs.

This event is organised by

contesting the open category would cover the full 45-mile distance.

The race has 10 sprint prizes each worth $5,000.

The full prize payout is as follows:

Andrew Hicks will be aiming to place among the top riders

Team Alanis Cycle Club (TACC).

Farm Supplies Ltd (Farmsup) has pledged to put up a total of $485,000 in prizes for the top six finishers in the open category, as well as the top three cyclists

in the female, junior, masters under-50 and masters over-50 categories.

The masters, females and juniors would cover a distance of 30 miles, while those

Open 1st: 75,000 2nd: 55,000 3rd: 45,000 4th: 35,000 5th: 30,000 6th: 25,000 Masters U-50 1st: 20,000 2nd: 15,000 3rd: 10,000 Masters O-50

1st: 20,000 2nd: 15,000 3rd: 10,000 Juniors 1st: 25,000

2nd: 20,000 3rd: 15,000 Females 1st: 20,000 2nd: 15,000

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