Guyana Times - Sunday, June 19, 2022

Nationwide coverage coverage from from the the best best news news team team in in Guyana Guyana Nationwide Issue No. 5044 guyanatimesgy.com

THE BEACON BEACON OF OF TRUTH TRUTH THE

SUNDAY, JUNE 19, 2022

“I want residents involved” – Pres Ali to South Ruimveldt residents on infrastructure investment …following impromptu visit to community, consultations with residents See story on page 3

Govt to tender for int’l project manager for gas-to-shore development 100 fathers US-based Guyanese honoured for family die in supporting massive NYC fire See story on page 7

See story on page 11

Page 8

their children’s educational development

Moruca teen uses sports to overcome disabilities

Page 13

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WHAT'S INSIDE:

Driver dies in truck collision P2 on EBD

74 new COVID cases, 2 P12 ICU patients monitored Rapid increase in value of GY currency could have severe P9 consequences – Ali …this could result in Dutch disease, economic turmoil – Vice President

7% increase in serious crimes recorded in Region 10 P32 3 homeless P10 after mentally unstable teen sets home ablaze

2 NEWS

SUNDAY, JUNE 19, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Driver dies in truck collision on EBD

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24-year-old driver lost his life in the wee hours of Saturday after the truck in which he was driving collided with another truck at

Supply on the East Bank of Demerara (EBD).

Dead is Ezekiel Edmond, known as “Zicky” of Bath Settlement, West Coast

Berbice (WCB).

In an interview with the Regional Commander of the District, Denise Griffith, she said that the accident occurred

Dead: Ezekiel Edmond

at around 1:00h on Saturday morning.

She said that at the time of the accident, there was a truck stationed on the Supply Public Road, EBD, and that based on the information they received, the dead driver, while driving in the vicinity, lost control of his vehicle and collided with the rear of the stationed truck.

Guyana Times was informed that at the time of the accident, the man was working. As a result of the accident, he sustained injuries to his body.

The man was picked up and rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital where he underwent surgery and later succumbed to his injuries. (G9)

NEWS

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SUNDAY, JUNE 19, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

BRIDGE OPENINGS

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

Sunday, June 19 – 22:00h – 23:30h and Monday, June 20 – 23:30h – 00:00h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Sunday, June 19 – 08:10h – 09:40h and Monday, June 20 – 09:10h – 10:40h.

“I want residents involved” – Pres Ali to South Ruimveldt residents on investment in infrastructure

…following impromptu visit to community, consultations with residents

FERRY SCHEDULE

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

WEATHER TODAY There will be thundery showers and light rain showers during the day and night. Temperatures should range between 22 degrees Celsius and 29 degrees Celsius.

Winds: East North-Easterly to North-Westerly between 1.78 metres and 4.91 metres.

High Tide: 08:16h and 20:56h reaching maximum heights of 2.47 metres and 2.32 metres.

Low Tide: 14:23h reaching a minimum height of 0.76 metre.

SATURDAY, JUNE 18, 2022

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COMMODITIES Indicators

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Change %

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$113.12/barrel

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Rough Rice

$292.59/ton

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London Sugar

$561.40/ton

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$1839.80

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$1833.70 0.00

$1854.30 0.00%

I

President Dr Irfaan Ali during the meeting with residents

n the wake of an impromptu visit to South Ruimveldt, President Dr Irfaan Ali has promised that investments will be made in South Ruimveldt’s infrastructure, and teams of technical officers and Ministers will return to the area to advance various initiatives.

During his visit to South Ruimveldt, Georgetown, on Saturday, President Ali inspected the infrastructure of the area and consulted with residents on needed improvements. The President walked about the community and inspected drains, roads and the community centre ground, even as he listened to the concerns raised.

“This is not going to be an engineer dictating what the drainage will be. I want you (the residents) to be involved. I’ll ask the engineers… to bring together the residents to have the initial discussions, on the plans that they have.”

“You see if it makes sense and if they need any changes. In the plan, it also speaks about raising the streets. Cause if you raise the streets, (it helps the drainage). And also, the three culverts,” President Ali said.

One of the complaints the President heard was of a road in the community that had deteriorated to the point where it had a hole that posed a threat to commuters. Summoning Public Works Ministry Permanent Secretary Vladim Persaud to his side, President Ali gave the Ministry until next week Friday to fix the issue.

In committing to resolving the long running draining issue affecting the area, President Ali also asked that the Ministers of Housing, Public Works, Local Government and Agriculture along with the Commissioner of Police return to the area next Thursday to advance several projects and initiatives.

The President was joined by Housing and

Water Minister Collin Croal, Central Housing and Planning Authority Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Sherwyn Greaves and other Government representatives.

Guyana is presently in the midst of persistent rainfall that has caused flooding in several parts of the country. Referencing the 2021 countrywide floods that wiped out farms and resulted in millions of dollars in losses, the Hydrometeorological Office had urged civilians and farmers earlier this year to prepare themselves to encounter torrential downpours during the May-June season.

Flooding was so bad last year that on June 9, 2021, President Ali had declared flooding in the country a level two disaster. All ten administrative regions across the country had experienced flooding, with

The President during his tour of South Ruimveldt

Regions 10, Seven, Six, Five, and Two being considered the most impacted areas.

In 2021, the PPP/C Government had also embarked on ground works for the construction of replicas of the Hope Canal in at least three other regions across Guyana, to aid with drainage and irrigation and water management in those areas.

The Hope Canal, or Northern Relief Channel, which is located at Hope/ Dochfour, East Coast Demerara, is a multi-component channel that allows excess water from the East Demerara Water Conservancy (EDWC) to be drained into the Atlantic Ocean via an eight-door sluice, so as to avoid overflowing and possible flooding.

President Ali has said the Hope Canal was instrumental in preventing

massive flooding along the East Coast of Demerara during the unprecedented May-June floods, and has announced that similar infrastructure would be constructed in other regions to curb devastating floods.

These include Regions Three, Five (MahaicaBerbice) and Six (East Berbice-Corentyne).

The $3.6 billion Hope Canal channel, which was conceptualised under the Bharrat Jagdeoled Government, was constructed following the 2005 floods, when excessive rainfall compounded by a breach in the embankment had resulted in Regions Four (Demerara-Mahaica) and Five (Mahaica-Berbice) experiencing massive flooding, causing significant damage to agricultural and residential areas. After several delays, the project became operational in 2016.

(G3)

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guyanatimesgy.com

SUNDAY, JUNE 19, 2022

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

Seismic changes in labour

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his year’s commemoration of Enmore Martyrs Day illustrated the vast changes that have been wrought in labour and its relations in Guyana since the shootings on June 16, 1948 at Enmore sugar plantation. The raison d’etre for Guyana, of course, was sugar, since it was those golden crystals shipped to Europe - rather than the gold of the fabled El Dorado – that generated the profits to fund the settlements since the early 17th century. This year, as it had been for five years, Enmore Sugar Factory had been shuttered, and the cane fields abandoned. Even a packaging plant that was supposed to “add value” to the product was relocated.

The story of Enmore Martyrs Day should be familiar to all Guyanese: five sugar workers shot, some in the back, as they protested living and working conditions. The occasion for the strike that was called was a drastic change in the cane cutters’ work regimen from “cut and drop” to “cut and load”.

In the latter method, the cane cutter had to also transfer the cane into the punts, which was much more onerous and also eliminated the workers, frequently women, who would have performed that task. But the cause of the strike was actually for the recognition of a new union, the Guiana Industrial Workers’ Union (GIWU), sponsored by Cheddi Jagan and the Political Affairs Committee (PAC).

The GIWU had been formed in 1946 to challenge the Man Power Citizen Association (MPCA), which had been recognised in 1939 after the shooting and killing of 4 sugar workers at Leonora, as the recognised bargaining union for sugar workers by the Sugar Producers Association (SPA).

The GIWU was registered in April 1948, the same month in which the Enmore strike was called, and as such wanted to demonstrate its militancy as opposed to what they described as the lethargy of the “company union”, MPCA. The two approaches, however, actually represented two divergent approaches to trade unionism.

The MPCA operated in the British/American tradition, which accepted the capitalist nature of organising production, and saw their role as working with the owners of the enterprises to obtain the best wages and working conditions for workers. On the other hand, even though led

by Dr JP Latchmansingh from the BGEIA, GIWU was inspired by the Marxist Socialist ideology of Dr Cheddi Jagan, which dubbed MPCA’s approach reactionary and at best reformist. Ultimately, GIWU proposed the industries must be nationalised and operated by the workers. In the 1948 strike, however, GIWI focused on the change on the work rule and on better wages and working conditions.

It was very interesting that Ayube Edun, the leader of the MPCA, also proposed a type of Socialist approach to organising the economy in general, and the sugar industry in particular. In his self-created “Rational Practical Idealism” philosophy, he also proposed nationalisation of industries, but as far as labour was concerned, he saw the relationship with owners more as a partnership, and in the case of Guyana, working along with the Imperial Government for the betterment of citizens. He would point to his approach witnessing the enactment of the Sugar Industry Labour Welfare Fund (SILWF) Act in 1947, which from 1950 created 12,000 housing units for sugar workers to replace their logies.

Even after the 1948 strike, shootings and killings, while the MPCA was discredited, the “cut and load” practice was retained, and remain in place to date. GIWU did not gain recognition, and in the 1955 split in the PPP -- which had been formed in 1950 -- Latchmansingh went with Burnham, and Jagan launched the Guyana Agricultural Workers Union (GAWU). The latter was finally recognised after a quid pro quo arrangement in 1976 by Burnham’s PNC Government to support nationalisation of the industry. By then Burnham had imposed a levy on sugar exports that removed the profit-sharing the sugar workers had won in 1968.

In the present, with sugar fast disappearing, to be replaced by a new economy fuelled by oil revenues, sugar and other unions would have to invent a model of labour relations such as was worked out post-WWII.

Best Wishes: President Dr Irfaan Ali attended the wedding ceremony of Haridave Dhanesar and Priti Baldeo, who got married on Saturday at the ISKCON of Guyana Hare Krishna Study Centre, University of Guyana Road

History of Father’s Day

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n July 19, 1910, the Governor of the US state of Washington proclaimed the nation’s first “Father’s Day”. However, it was not until 1972, 58 years after President Woodrow Wilson made Mother’s Day official, that the day became a nationwide holiday in the United States.

The “Mother’s Day” we celebrate today has its origins in the peace-and-reconciliation campaigns of the post-Civil War era.

During the 1860s, at the urging of activist Ann Reeves Jarvis, one divided West Virginia town celebrated “Mother’s Work Days” that brought together the mothers of Confederate and Union soldiers. In 1870, the activist Julia Ward Howe issued a “Mother’s Day Proclamation” calling on a “general congress of women” to “promote the alliance of the different nationalities, the amicable settlement of international questions, [and] the great and general interests of peace”.

However, Mother’s Day did not become a commercial holiday until 1908, when–inspired by Jarvis’s daughter Anna, who wanted to honour her own mother by making Mother’s Day a national holiday–the John Wanamaker department store in Philadelphia sponsored a service dedicated to mothers in its auditorium. Thanks in large part to this association with re-

tailers, who saw great potential for profit in the holiday, Mother’s Day caught on right away. In 1909, 45 states observed the day, and in 1914, President Wilson approved a resolution that made the second Sunday in May a holiday in honour of “that tender, gentle army, the mothers of America”.

The campaign to celebrate the nation’s fathers did not meet with the same enthusiasm – perhaps because, as one florist explained, “fathers haven’t the same sentimental appeal that mothers have”.

On July 5, 1908, a West Virginia church sponsored the nation’s first event explicitly in honour of fathers, a Sunday sermon in memory of the 362 men who had died in the previous December’s explosions at the Fairmont Coal Company mines in Monongah, but it was a one-time commemoration and not an annual holiday.

The next year, a Spokane,

Washington woman named Sonora Smart Dodd, one of six children raised by a widower, tried to establish an official equivalent to Mother’s Day for male parents. She went to local churches, the YMCA, shopkeepers and Government officials to drum up support for her idea, and she was successful: Washington State celebrated the nation’s first state-wide Father’s Day on July 19, 1910. Slowly, the holiday spread.

In 1916, President Wilson honoured the day by using telegraph signals to unfurl a flag in Spokane when he pressed a button in Washington, DC. In 1924, President Calvin Coolidge urged state governments to observe Father’s Day. However, many men continued to disdain the day. As one historian writes, they “scoffed at the holiday’s sentimental attempts to domesticate manliness with flowers and gift-giv-

ing, or they derided the proliferation of such holidays as a commercial gimmick to sell more products – often paid for by the father himself”.

During the 1920s and 1930s, a movement arose to scrap Mother’s Day and Father’s Day altogether in favour of a single holiday, Parents’ Day. Every year on Mother’s Day, pro-Parents’ Day groups rallied in New York City’s Central Park – as a public reminder, said Parents’ Day activist and radio performer Robert Spere, “that both parents should be loved and respected together”.

Paradoxically, however, the Depression derailed this effort to combine and de-commercialise the holidays. Struggling retailers and advertisers redoubled their efforts to make Father’s Day a “second Christmas” for men, promoting goods such as neckties, hats, socks, pipes and tobacco, golf clubs and other sporting goods, and greeting cards.

When World War II began, advertisers began to argue that celebrating Father’s Day was a way to honour American troops and support the war effort. By the end of the war, Father’s Day may not have been a federal holiday, but it was a national institution.

In 1972, in the middle of a hard-fought presidential re-election campaign, Richard Nixon signed a proclamation making Father’s Day a federal holiday at last. (History)

guyanatimesgy.com

SUNDAY, JUNE 19, 2022

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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

Promising steps towards governance reform Dear Editor, The Electoral Reform Group (ERG) is encouraged by the President’s announcement that he will soon name the members of an international commission of inquiry (CoI) “to probe attempts to rig the March 2, 2020 general and regional elections.”

We are further encouraged by the announcement that Government proposes a “broad-based commission to lead a constitutional re-

form process.”

These two announcements signal promising steps towards a process to heal major weaknesses in Guyana’s governance architecture.

A thorough investigation into the events of the 2020 elections is an obviously necessary step to determine the roots of the crisis, and take steps to ensure smooth elections in the future. In the absence of publicly available

Terms of Reference for the CoI, ERG anticipates that the CoI would inform the amendments being proposed to the Representation of the People Act, and highlight the need for reform of GECOM. While there is much attention on the 2020 elections’ controversy, which is evidently focused on breakdowns in electoral administration, we hope the Government is equally serious about the promise to

investigate the weaknesses of the electoral system, which includes the near absence of direct accountability of elected representatives to the electorate between elections. ERG, election observers, political analysts and others have consistently called for these reforms. We must fix the electoral system fundamentally, not entrench a bad system.

Reform of GECOM and the electoral system are ob-

vious focus areas for the proposed constitutional reform process.

The CoI must also seek to establish a framework for regular review of elections. An impartial review must be a regular, routine process that follows elections, and this process should be led by a competent GECOM. Sadly, this international CoI would not be the first case of international intervention to bring about

electoral reform in Guyana.

As an obvious requirement for success, the CoI and constitutional reform processes must seek broadbased cooperation with civil society and the political Opposition. ERG assures all stakeholders of its willingness to support these vital processes ahead of the 2025 elections.

Sincerely, Electoral Reform Group (ERG)

CoI will strip cover from many involved in attempts to rig 2020 Elections

Dear Editor, Justice Claudette Singh, the Chair of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), has correctly declared that there will be no investigation of the 2020 General and Regional Elections by GECOM, since it is outside of the Commission’s mandate to do so. Her response addressed the Opposition-nominated Commissioners’ sinister advocacy for the institution to investigate questions about the validity of votes and missing documents.

The recent rigging attempts involving the GECOM Secretariat staff -- who are now before the courts, answering charges of electoral fraud -- bring into question evidence-based support for these actors by the cabal representatives on the Commission. They utilised invited public press interviews to confirm this support, but there was convenient silence from the same Opposition commissioners when the filth began to spew.

While they were silent on certain relevant issues during the 5 months of suppression following polls on March 02, 2020, the recent call for GECOM to review certainly targets a mechanism of slowing down GECOM’s progress regarding the Local Government Elections, and presenting the tainted former CEO and his aids with opportunities for public-influencing coverups. They must tell their story to the Judge, not to the supportive and biased party influencing partners on

the commission!

It is factual that undercurrents, including the absence of the Opposition’s Statements of Poll (SOPs), reports from the Chief Elections Officer or Region #4 Returning Officer, did not elicit from this PNC cabal group any rational posi tion of fairness consistent with their responsibility under Section 162 (1) (b) of the Constitution Cap. 1.01; which states the commission “shall issue such instructions and take such action as appear to it necessary or expedient to ensure impartiality, fairness, and compliance with the provisions of this Constitution or of any Act of Parliament on the part of persons exercising powers or performing duties connected with or relating to the matters aforesaid.”

It follows that the exercise of caution must now be a synonymous consideration by all dealing with the pattern of their agenda-setting prioritisation, which must now always be seen through a lens that uncovers disguise.

At almost every level, the cabal’s advancement of a seemingly agreeable position for simplification of the process is the intent-laden coating of subsequent legal challenges if the results do not work in their favour. The experience of the 1997 National Elections Identification Card fiasco is not too far in Guyana’s recent history, and serves to represent another imbued component to the typical PNC untrustworthy benchmark.

President Ali’s recent announcement of the commence-

ment of a State Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into the antecedents of the flagrant and contrived thieving, rigging, and denial of the truth comes on the heels of Justice Claudette Singh’s pronouncements. While the findings and recommendations of the CoI are not enforceable, and cannot bind courts considering the same subject matter, it is anticipated that the impartial fact-finding undertaking would provide the scope for informed rational conclusions and exposure of the truth regarding the roles played by various others in the abhorrent and unholy suppression attempt on the Guyanese people, who must continue to unite in their struggle for free and fair elections.

Further, the world would know the truth, and our citizens would be more aware of the existing monsters among them, when their silken covers are removed.

Editor, when one reflects on the elections events of 2020, it is easy to connect the activities and results of the 2015 elections, which bore the same scars. There was no

review, no discussion/reports or investigation into the rigging that took place there as well.

I was a Counting Agent of my party, the PPPC, and was present at the GECOM facility when the “rigging broadsheet” was introduced and the APNU/AFC was catapulted into office. It is obvious why our elections petition was never heard. But because we had the facts and we were convinced that we were cheated but not defeated, we contested the 2016 and 2018 Local Government Elections, and whipped all the other contesting parties.

In December 2018, the PPP/C, with a one-seat minority in Parliament, was bold enough to move the No-Confidence motion, and caught the corrupt APNU/ AFC with their pants down.

Eventually, after struggling for survival and numerous court cases, APNU/AFC accepted defeat and was forced to hold National & Regional Elections after numerous created delays. They did so in full hope that their backup plan to use another false broad-

sheet would work again.

APNU/AFC knew that GECOM could only conduct a review when they retrieve all ten ROs and the CEO reports. Hence, all efforts to put together the relevant reports for discussion must demand that the clean sweep of the computers must be enough reasons for some GECOM staff to face the necessary penalties. All missing documents must be accounted for.

In addition, with all the “facts” before us, the eminent Justice Claudette Singh must assert herself and demand that all GECOM spending over the last decade be audited. Those culprits who are calling for Review and investigation must face the Police and the courts.

GECOM must stop wasting precious time, and get on with the complete cleansing of all the strangers to the truth and “riggers”. Anyone who values his “sweat” will not deny the fact that the SoPs at the Elections are the most and best authentic documents to confirm the results of the Elections. To achieve this measure, the Guyanese

people struggled for decades to ensure the votes are counted at the places of poll, and this was achieved for the 1992 elections. It is universally accepted that the SoPs will be prepared by the Presiding Officers in every polling booth, and signed off by the ROs and all the Polling Agents present after the count, after verifying the tally results by cross-checking the SoPs. Legally, Polling Agents are allowed to take a copy of the SoPs to their respective political parties for reconciliation. Parties and other interested stakeholders also get the necessary information concerning various vote tally for each polling booth, since a copy of the verified SoPs is posted up outside of the polling booth for the public to scrutinise.

Had they produced their SoPs, we would not have had to go through five months with APNU/AFC/PNC knees on our people’s necks.

Sincerely, Neil Kumar

Sunday, June 19, 2022

06:00 (Sign on) Jewanram Rel. Hour 07:00 Cartoons 08:00 Shekinah Ministry 08:30 Evening News (RB) 09:30 Father’s Day Special with Anthony Persaud 10:30 Cartoons 11:00 D. Persaud Religious Program 11:30 Prime Series - Blippi’s Educational Adventures for Kids 12:00 Dharmic Ki Awaz 12:30 Movie - A Father’s Legacy (2021) 14:00 Movie - Father Of The Bride (1991) 15:45 Access Exxon Mobil 25 16:00 Celebrating our fathers with Mr. Jewanram 17:00 TVG’S Father’s Day Special 17:30 The Healing Touch 18:00 Maths is Fun 18:30 Week-in-Review 19:00 Lucifer S2 E8 20:00 Those People 21:00 Riverdale S3 E3 22:00 Arrow S3 E6 23:00 Heartstopper S1 E2 23:30 Whose Line Is It Anyway? S13 E11 00:00 Sign off

6 FEATURE

SUNDAY, JUNE 19, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Skin ailments in new-born puppies

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ithin the first week or two, new-born puppies exhibit several skin infections, which exhibit themselves as scabs and blisters.

Usually, the blisters would contain pus, and they appear on specific areas of the puppy’s body; for example, on the underbelly.

Q: What would be the appropriate treatment???

A:Whenever pus develops at the site of the blisters, it means that an infection has occurred. It also means that there has been a lack of proper hygiene in the birthing area and in and around the whelping box, allowing for multiplication of germs. The treatment must therefore be consistent with addressing the causative factors.

Keep the area devoid of leftover food, dried stool, damp urine containing bedding, and debris. I suggest the area in which the puppies are kept not be cleansed with strong detergents and heavily concentrated sanitizers; diluted "Pine Sol", "Smell-o-Pine" and the like would suffice.

The infections on the skin could be cleansed with sterilized salt water, or with hydrogen peroxide, or with anti-bacterial soap. After the infected area has been wiped dry, the caregiver can rub thin layers of antibiotic creams in the areas where the pustules are concentrated. Repeat this procedure twice per day.

Q: How does the caregivers treat eye infections in the new-born pup?

A:An eye infection often reveals itself even before the puppy’s eyes open (at 13,14,15 days after birth). As previously advised, please do not prise the eyelids apart too early, and please do not do so too roughly.

Since the eye is such a sensitive organ, especially in newborn puppies, it would be better for your veterinarian to institute the curative interventions. Press sterilised (boiled) cotton balls gently against the eyeball in a

wiping motion. Look at the cotton ball to see if there is pus involved, which would suggest an infection. Your vet would also guide you through the more specific procedures depending on the assessed severity of the infection. An antibiotic solution/ cream -- specifically, one that is produced to be used in infected eyes, and labelled for ophthalmologic use only -- may be required.

Q: How does the caregiver apply the antibiotic drops or cream?

A: For pups whose eyes are discharging pus, your vet may advise using liquid antibiotic eye drops. One can purchase the droppers or small syringes from any pharmacy. Usually, the medication is presented in bottles with nozzles. Place 2-3 drops of the antibiotic solution, via the aperture, through which the discharge is oozing. Apply the medication at least once every 8 hours. Gently massage the eyelid over the eyeball to disperse the antibiotic medication.

N.B: Try firstly to contact your vet for advice, not only about the preferred antibiotics, but also how to apply the medication. If one does not possess the confidence to apply the meds to the eyeball, especially if the active young pup is squirming too much, one should seek technical assistance. One does not want to inflict irreversible damage to the eyeball.

1. Do not dismiss the problem, believing that it would go away on its own. If your intervention is not producing the expected results, then knowledgeable technical treatment must be acquired.

2.As with all medication, do not purchase preparations which are expired, or those which do not contain the active ingredients that the vet has prescribed. And store same at the recommended temperatures.

AILMENTS OF YOUNG PUPPIES

So far, we have been dealing with eye ailments associated with new-born puppies. We will now turn our attention to ailments of young puppies, those whose eyelids are parted and that are older than 16 days of age. (Please note that if the eyelids are not opened by 16 days, it is time for that young pup to visit your veterinarian).

Q: What are other symptoms that suggest that something is seriously wrong with the pup’s eye and surrounding tissues?

A:1. If the pup is squinting, especially if a light source is placed by the eyeball.

2. If there is too much liquid/pussy discharge from the eye(s).

3. If the pup is scratching the eye(s) constantly.

Q: What would the caregiver be looking for when examining the eye even before he/she contacts the veterinarian??

A: Usually, the pet owner is looking for foreign bodies (visible dust particles, grain seeds, and larger particles of dirt).

These can easily be washed away with eye lotion. If the foreign body is embedded in the tissue surround the eyeball, or is actually wedged into the eyeball itself, then the pup must be taken to the vet, as the animal, in all likelihood, would have to go under full anaesthesia.

Q: What is the “Third Eyelid” in dogs?

A: Dogs (and so many species) have a third eyelid, which is a membrane that comes from the inner corner of the eye to further protect the eyeball from foreign bodies and mechanical trauma (hits, and bruises during rough play with its siblings).

On the inner surface of the third eyelid, which rubs on the eyeball, there is a lymph plate which can become red and swollen due to an infection. Antibiotic preparations which also contain anti-inflammatory compounds can be used to reduce the redness, swelling, and infection.

If the caregiver is not successful with the treatment, the vet would have to intervene - under anaesthesia.

Ancient wisdom in naming the Hindu Child

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he naming ritual (namkarana samskara) of a Hindu child bonds the child to the parents, community, and cosmos. The parents prepare to receive a child and meet the child’s material and spiritual needs.

Ideally, this happens within a community-recognized family structure.

While there are deviations in today’s world, the essence of the naming ritual remains alive. It reinforces the Hindu worldview that connects child, parent, community and cosmos, generating a strong sense of duty, focus, and meaningfulness in life.

During their marriage samskara, the couple would have been told of their duty to bring forth and rear children who are nation-builders. They would have recited mantras entreating them to see themselves as twin forces in the sustenance of society and the universe.

Hindu marriage is a sacrament and not a contract, and this sentiment still holds, even if divorces are now a viable option in failed marriages.

Sixteen major samskaras focus on shaping the child’s psychological, spiritual and material being. In our part of the diaspora, we perform the rites and rituals mainly found in North Indian folk cultures. It’s a community celebration when a baby is born, and this event is marked by several rites and rituals conducted over many days, and accompanied by folk songs and dancing.

The namkarana samskara, or naming ceremony, is performed on the 11th day after the child is born, on the 101st day, or on the first birthday of the child. This may vary according to different sampradayas (spiritual lineages) within the Hindu world.

The name of the child is specially chosen, taking into consideration the configuration of the planets in the skies at the time of birth. A specially chosen letter is used to start that special or rasi name that is only called and used on ritual occasions in the life of a person.

This naming ritual is centred on a yajna or puja with the holy Agni (Fire) in the middle. At the start, the father says to the child, in ancient Vedic poetic verses called mantras: “O child! Since your birth, we have been looking after your needs with milk. Today, as we prepare to give you a name, we do so through this naming ceremony of namkarana samskara. We don’t know for sure who you are and from where you have come. We don’t know what your special qualities are and what impressions you bring from your previous lives. What name shall we choose for you? O Lord, may we become proud parents of a fine, heroic child, and may we earn enough wealth to provide for our child’s needs. (Yajur Veda 7:29) At another stage, the parents chant the mantra saying: O child, who are you? From where have you come?

All we know is that you are an immortal atman/ consciousness. We welcome you into your new home, and we pray that you have a long and fruitful life. In this lifetime, we, your parents, give you the name (name of the child is mentioned here) (Gobhil 2:8:29).

The parents bless their child in high, sublime, ancient poetry, praying for the full span of life of the child as they recite, O (name of the child), may the sun hand you over to the day, and may the day hand you over to the night.

May the night hand you over to day and night. May the months lead you to seasons, and may the seasons entrust you to the year. May years add up to a full span of life, leading to your senior years.

At the end of the samskara, guests bless the child with flowers, coloured rice, and mantras praying for a long life filled with lustre, brilliance and wealth. There is much merriment and feasting.

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

NEWS

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SUNDAY, JUNE 19, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Govt to tender for int’l project manager for gas-to-shore development …RFPs sent out to prequalified companies; to be received by July

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he Government of Guyana plans to go out to tender for an international project manager for the gas-to-shore development, with Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo admitting that a company is needed with the capacity to manage a project of that magnitude.

During a recent press conference, Jagdeo revealed that the tender for the project manager will go out in a matter of weeks. Jagdeo freely admitted

that they do not possess the capacity to manage the implementation of such a project.

“We are going out to tender, in a matter of weeks, for an international project management group that will manage the contract on our behalf. To see that the quality is maintained and it comes in on budget and on time.”

“Because we don’t have that capability. Even at GPL, we had to get a foreign company to advise us. It’s a com-

bined cycle, steam and power plant and stuff. Which is more stable. So, we’ll go out (thereafter) for the project management team to oversee this project on our behalf,” he said.

Jagdeo also explained that the nine companies that were prequalified this year, have already been sent their Requests for Proposals (RFPs). These RFPs encompass the power plant and the Natural Gas Liquids (NGL) facility.

“We’re about to wrap

Berbice funeral parlour mix-up: wrong body buried

Dead: Mohabir Ragasammy

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he body of a man who was buried on Tuesday, was on Saturday exhumed after it was discovered that it was the wrong body that was buried.

The discovery of the wrong body being buried was made on Saturday morning when relatives of Mohabir Ragasammy, 79, of Reliance, East Canje, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) went to Persaud Funeral Parlour to prepare his body for cremation.

Initially, they were shown the body of another man who was later identified as Paul Albert Samaroo, 71, of Fort Ordinance Housing Scheme.

After they recognised

Body of Mohabir Ragasammy being exhumed

that it was not the body of Ragasammy and his body was not at the funeral home, family members started a frantic search, checking other funeral parlours and also the New Amsterdam Hospital Mortuary.

The man’s daughter, Neeta Mohabir, 52, said following the passing of her father on Sunday at the New Amsterdam Hospital, the body was taken to the Persaud Funeral Parlour, also situated in New Amsterdam.

“They told us that we don’t have to worry, Persaud Funeral Home deal with all COVID cases and they do everything so we would not have

to do anything,” she related to this publication.

She said that they had verified that his body was taken to the funeral home and made all of the necessary arrangements.

“Today [Saturday] is the cremation. Now when we come to bathe our father and dress him, we cannot find our father. They put somebody else on the table and tell us that it is our father. I tell them that this is not my dad because this is a strapping person. We get to understand that they give away my father Tuesday,” the woman told this publication in tears.

TURN TO PAGE 9

up the negotiations for the gas-to-energy project. So, the Requests for Proposals have gone to the nine prequalified companies. By the end of July, we will have the proposals from them. The nine prequalified companies. That is to build the power plant and the NGL facility.”

The gas-to-shore project will see the establishment of a gas processing plant (GPP) and a natural gas liquids (NGL) facility. This will be capable of producing at least 4000 barrels per day, including the separating of liquefied petroleum gas.

The scope of the US$900 million gas-to-shore project also consists of the construction of 225 kilometres of pipeline from the Liza field in the Stabroek Block offshore Guyana, where Exxon and its partners are currently producing oil.

It was originally expected that preparation of the NGL plant site would commence in August of this year. The entire construction process will take some three years hence

rich gas is expected to be delivered onshore by the end of 2024, and the NGL plant to be operational by mid-2025.

Head of the Gas-toShore Taskforce, Winston Brassington had previously explained that ExxonMobil Guyana, which is funding the pipeline aspect of the project out of cost oil, had found that there will be substantial savings from combining these two facilities. Hence, it was agreed that the power plant and the NGL plant will be done as a combined Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) process.

The gas-to-shore project, which has a 25-year lifespan, is expected to employ up to 800 workers during the peak construction stage, as well as some 40 full-time workers during the operations stage, and another 50 workers during the decommissioning stage.

It features approximately 220 kilometres of a subsea pipeline offshore that will run from the Destiny and Unity

Floating, Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessels in the Stabroek Block to onshore. Upon landing on the West Coast Demerara shore, the pipeline will continue approximately 25 kilometres to the NGL plant at Wales, West Bank Demerara.

The pipeline would be 12 inches and is expected to transport some 50 million standard cubic feet per day (mmscfd) of dry gas to the NGL plant but has the capacity to push as much 120 mmscfd.

The pipeline’s route onshore will follow the same path with the fibre optic cables and will terminate at Hermitage, part of the Wales Development Zone (WDZ) which will house the gas-toshore project.

The Guyana Government has invited interested parties to make investments in the Wales Development Zone, which will be heavily industrialised and for which approximately 150 acres of land has been allocated. Those lands were previously used by the Wales Sugar Estate. (G3)

8 NEWS

SUNDAY, JUNE 19, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

100 fathers honoured for supporting their children’s educational development

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he Education Department in Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice) has honoured 100 fathers for each being a role model and assisting in the all-around development of their children’s schooling.

The Department has, over the years, also been honouring mothers for their outstanding performances in the all-round development of their children and of others attending their children’s schools. Every school in the region has been represented in this respect.

This initiative belongs to the School’s Welfare Section of the Education Department, and has been observed in respect of Father’s Day 2022.

The programme was held on Friday at the Latchmansingh Primary School in Bush Lot, WCB under the theme, ‘The power of a dad in a child’s life is unmatched’. One father was selected from each of the 31 nursery, 30 primary and 10 secondary schools in Region Five, along with other fathers in the region who had been making outstanding contributions to their children’s educational development.

Speaking at the forum, Education Specialist Olato Sam pointed out that men do not have the best history in terms of their ability to raise their children. He pointed out that the term ‘single parent household’ has become synonymous with the absence of a male.

“No one thinks of a single parent household in most cas-

Region 5 Chairman Vickchand Ramphal presenting a token to one of the fathers, who was also adjudged the most outstanding father at two schools his children attend

es being an absent female,” he explained.

He underscored the importance of a father in a child’s development, but highlighted that males, as a group, have been the perpetrators of numerous transgressions.

“It is high time that we look at ourselves and begin to ask some of the hard questions in relation to our roles and responsibilities,” he challenged.

Sam pointed out that when compared, the bulk of a woman’s earnings returns to the household, while the bulk of a man’s earnings is spent on things which have little relevance to the home. He said he believes that men are not recognised when they do things within the home.

“This is because the home is considered a female domain area. So, oftentimes, people fail to notice that fathers highly value the education of their children and set high educational expectations for them.”

Those expectations, he explained, include children's attendance at school, and their performance; and Sam said it goes beyond that, significantly influencing their career choices.

“The fact that we are not present at PTA meetings does not mean that we do not value our child’s education, or we value it any less,” the Education Specialist pointed out.

He said it is pleasing to see that more fathers are taking up parental roles for children other than their own, and have been assisting them with their education.

“There are a lot of step-fathers who are doing wonderful things but are not recognized.

Many men are also fathers to their siblings, nieces, nephews and neighbours,” he declared.

Despite this, Sam pointed out, there are only a few programmes that focus solely on fathers. However, there is overwhelming evidence underscoring the presence and in-

volvement that males have in children’s education.

In applauding the initiative, the Education Specialist noted that men, from time to time, need to be applauded for the positive contribution that fathers make in a child’s educational development.

Touching on violence in schools, Sam said research has shown that in instances where teachers and fathers are in constant contact, the resultant effect is more discipline in a child’s life.

According to Senior School Welfare officer Gloria DavisonJames, the criteria used in selecting fathers were that they had to be supportive of at least one of their children towards that child’s educational development; the child or children had to be neat and clean; the father had to be cooperative in extracurricular activities, and be involved in the child's academics; and those honoured also had to be an inspiration to other parents, while their child had to be regular and punctual for online or face-to-face sessions.

The father honoured also were required to attend all PTA meetings, and attend all parent conferences, open days, and all activities planned by the class teacher; and the children of those fathers had to have their homework and assignments completed in a timely manner.

Davison-James said the fathers also had to show a willingness to work with other children. (G4)

Mo’ money… …PNC – mo’ money!

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ell…well…well, wouldn’t it be great if you could just throw back and yet get US$5000, or Gy$1.1 million bucks a year, at the present rate of conversion?? Well, if you vote for the WPA, and they win the next elections, you could see that happening!!

Isn’t it great??

Clive Thomas appears to’ve made the suggestion in Buxton back when he was a member of the PNC coalition, but they didn’t pay him no mind. Same as when he was made a member of the Sugar CoI and they ignored his recommendations!!

But what do you say to a fella who’d suggested back in the 1970s that we cut all trade relations with capitalist countries or else we’d never develop!?!

Burnham also ignored him - but then he had his own wacko ideas on the economy. Over in China, where they also were Marxist, like Thomas, they INCREASED trade with the capitalist countries, and today they’re about to overtake the US as the largest economy in the world!!

But his advice was taken by Chavez in Venezuela, and look where they are today!!

Now, every politician in a democracy ‘bigs-up’ spending for the people, so as to get their votes.

Something for nothing attracts, no?? In fact, they have a name for one version of giving citizens money in their pockets for just being citizens. It’s called Universal Basic Income (UBI), and while there’s no country in the world that has instituted it, there’s some talk. Now, the idea of a UBI isn’t new, and in fact Plato mentioned one version in his Utopian Republic.

Right now, we do have something like it in “welfare” economies, where quite a few services are provided “free” by the Government to the needy. Like here in Guyana, where we have free medical care. So, is the WPA’s idea to give the million bucks only to those who need some help because of joblessness or such like??

No, they want EVERYONE to get it. Your Eyewitness really doesn’t have a problem with that. He doesn’t mind helping the needy; so, maybe we ought to create a basic needs category of citizens that need to be satisfied??

Now, even if oil steadies at US$100/barrel and we get to one million barrels/day, we’ll be earning some US$5.8 billion at the Exxon contract rate, but would be dishing out US$1 billion to the present 200,000 families – which are expected to increase!! Does that make sense? How about trying to imitate China, and create jobs while improving infrastructure and facilities and welfare services??

Your Eyewitness’s main concern is based on human psychology. He knows that even if it’s a made-up job, folks have self-respect when they earn their money. …as minimum wage Your Eyewitness notes there’s now a minimum wage of $60,000 monthly for private industries. This, of course, translates to $720,000 annually for working stiffs getting the minimum wage. And the first thing you’d notice is it’s less than the $1,100,000 Clive Thomas wants to give every Tom, Dick and Harrilall!! The question that’s been asked in cases like this, where the UBI would exceed the minimum wage, is: “Will those workers then show up for their minimum wage work?”

Some may say that those minimum wage workers would see their UBI as a boost or “top up” of their take home pay, and would keep on working. Finland tried a pilot programme with UBI replacing unemployment benefits, and it showed no appreciable change on employment rates one way or the other. This pretty much supports your Eyewitness’s position, and he feels that’s the way to go. At present, the Government has already rolled out several grant programmes to several categories of needy citizens.

This can be regularised. …for war Have you noticed how quickly money’s been sourced to fund the war against the Ruskies in the Ukraine war?? One wishes the war on climate change could follow suit!!

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

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

NEWS

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SUNDAY, JUNE 19, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Rapid increase in value of GY currency could have severe consequences – Ali …this could result in Dutch disease, economic turmoil – Vice President

President Dr Irfaan Ali

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ith questions being raised about the strength of the Guyana Dollar (GYD) against the US dollar and whether this should be increased in view of Guyana’s oil wealth, the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) Government is making it clear that sudden increases in the value of the GYD can wreak havoc on the economy.

During a recent engagement with members of the diaspora, President Dr Irfaan Ali was asked about the Government’s plans for strengthening the GYD. Currently, US$1 is worth GYD$210. But he urged persons to consider the economic ramifications of a sudden increase in currency value.

“Sometimes we look at the glass and say its half empty or half full. I’m sure you’re asking the question;

you understand the implications of what you’re asking?

It has severe implications.

And it’s something we have to guard against. If the currency changes overnight, it has severe implications.”

“If that happens, you have overnight structural changes in the value of things. You would have tremendous erosions. One of the biggest management issues we have, is on the monetary side. We have to exercise great control and management on the monetary side. We cannot become fanciful,” he said.

He urged that Guyana stick to the basics, rather than get carried away. According to him, their priorities should include ensuring the improvement of services in Guyana, such as in healthcare and education.

Meanwhile, Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo during his recent press conference, explained that while there has been a greater supply to the market of foreign currency, care needs to be taken that the Guyana dollar does not rise in value too quickly. According to him, this could kill Guyana’s manufacturing and other productive sectors. He noted that the Government is watching the market very carefully.

“Often, you look at the price of the country (which) is a consequence of the demand and the supply. Now, often in markets like ours, where the markets are very shallow and fragmented, you don’t have equilibrium or reach based on

will be online by 2027.

Production has already started in the Liza phase 2 development, with the Liza Unity Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel in operation.

The third project –the Payara Development – will meanwhile target an estimated resource base of about 600 million oil-equivalent barrels and was at one point consid-

ered to be the largest single planned investment in the history of Guyana.

Meanwhile, the Yellowtail development, which will be oil giant ExxonMobil’s fourth development in Guyana’s waters, will turn out to be the single largest development so far in terms of barrels per day of oil, with a mammoth 250,000 bpd targeted.

The oil rich Stabroek Block

is 6.6 million acres (26,800 square kilometres). Exxon, through subsidiary EEPGL, is the operator and holds 45 per cent interest in the Block.

Hess Guyana Exploration Ltd holds 30 per cent interest, and CNOOC Petroleum Guyana Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of CNOOC Limited, holds the remaining 25 per cent interest.

Berbice funeral parlour...

Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo

those principles. It could be adjusted or distorted a bit.”

“However, just to avoid the Dutch disease, everyone has been warning about (this). We have to pay careful attention.

We cannot allow the currency to strengthen Guyana dollar too rapidly. It could kill the manufacturing and agriculture sector,” Jagdeo said.

Guyana’s oil and gas sector has catapulted Guyana’s economy to becoming the fastest growing in the region, with economic growth rates of 47.9 per cent and 34.3 per cent projected for 2022 and 2023, respectively. According to the World Bank, this is the highest projected growth rate in the Latin America and Caribbean region.

ExxonMobil has made over 30 oil finds in the Stabroek Block and anticipates at least six projects offshore Guyana

Meanwhile, contact was made with relatives of Samaroo who had buried a body on Tuesday and they identified the body at the funeral home as that of Paul Albert Samaroo.

The man’s 24-year-old son told this publication that his father passed away at a hospital in the city and arrangements were made with Persaud Funeral Home. He said he was there when they uplifted the body and on Tuesday when he went to the funeral home for the burial, he was shown a body and objected saying that his father had smaller feet and

was not so dark in complexion.

According to the young man, he was told that because of the time spent in the cold storage it was customary for bodies to get darker in complexion.

“He convince me by telling me that it is my father,” the son said.

At the funeral he said a few persons had objections saying that it did not look like Samaroo. Meanwhile, an official from the funeral home told this publication that the onus in on relatives to identify the body and that was done on

FROM PAGE 7

Tuesday.

Both families said the bodies were labelled at the time of being given to the funeral home.

N e v e r t h e l e s s , Ragasammy’s family members are concerned that he was buried according to Christian customs while he was of Hindu faith. They say it is a violation of his rights.

Following the intervention of the Police, permission was given to have the body exhumed. Ragasammy was later cremated and Samaroo is still to be buried. (G4)

10 NEWS

SUNDAY, JUNE 19, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

3 homeless after mentally unstable teen sets home ablaze

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hree persons are now homeless following a midday blaze at a building at Number 65 Village Corentyne, Region Six (East Berbice Corentyne) on Saturday.

The fire was started by a mentally unstable teenager. This is according to the teen’s mother, Khamlawattie Singh, who said she was underneath

In photos: The completely destroyed Number 65 Village home. Khamlawattie Singh searching the rubble after Saturday’s blaze

the house washing clothing when she sniffed smoke and upon investigating, she saw a mattress in the bedroom on fire.

“He nah deh pon he senses, this ah one week now; …

I ain’t know wha happen to he,” the unemployed woman said.

According to Singh, by the time she ran into the house, the fire was already

spreading from the mattress to the wall.

“Me ah pull he fuh come out the room and he ain’t wan come out. So, I come out back fuh save myself.

I try to pull out the sponge [mattress] because the sponge full with fire. I pull the sponge and carry it on the verandah and it start to catch there too,” the woman revealed.

According to the mother of two, she was trapped on the verandah and forced to jump off to escape the flames.

She said her son jumped through a window to escape flames also.

According to Singh, she had placed the mattress on the floor so her son could lie on it. At the time of the fire, her 15-year-old daughter

was on an errand.

The woman said she lost all of her kitchen utensils and clothing.

“All the things that I does use; clothes, footwear, wares and so; everything done.”

Singh could not say what her next move is going to be but said she is relying on God. However, she is encouraging persons who may want to assist.

“Right now I need some help. The Government had given me $250,000 to make a chicken pen and everything burn – the Government money burn out too. I didn’t get to save nothing,” Singh said while explaining that all she had was the clothing which she was wearing at the time of the fire. Police have since arrested the teenager. (G4)

NEWS

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SUNDAY, JUNE 19, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

US-based Guyanese family die in massive NYC fire A Guyanese hero and Deprofessionalising of Disciplined Forces

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he commemoration, at the beginning of this month, of Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee brought back memories of her first visit to Guyana on Feb 4-6, 1966, just before our Independence on May 26th. Apart from being granted a school holiday, what I remembered most was Major Raymond Sattaur presenting the Guard of Honour to her at Sprostons Wharf: “Your Majesty. Major Ramon Sattaur Commander of the Guard of Honour. The Guard of Honour Ravi Dev is drawn from the 1st. Infantry Battalion of the Guyana Defence Force. The Guard of Honour is ready for your inspection. Your Majesty.”

Major Sattaur passed away last November in Toronto, where he had lived since 1970, and I wondered why even the GDF had not noted his passing.

The recent fatal Police shooting of a young man, Bacchus, which followed a similar fatal shooting of Deanraj Singh, in “hot pursuit, while claiming the victims had fired on them, also reminded me of Major Sattaur. In both cases, the Policemen who fired the fatal shots are in close custody, and their files have been sent respectively to the Police Complaints Authority and Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR).

Relatives of both victims dispute the respective Police accounts of what had transpired. The connection, in my mind, with Major Sattaur is that, for decades, I have asserted that the de-professionalisation of our Disciplined Forces began with then PM Burnham’s firing of Major Sattaur. And most of the complains against members of those Services are merely symptoms of that lack of professionalism in their operations.

So as not to be accused of personal bias, I quote from an official US Government website that has been up for decades. (http://www.countrydata.com/cgi-bin/query/r-5478.html): “The Special Service Unit (SSU) began as a constabulary force in 1964. It became the Guyana Defence Force in 1965. Governor Richard Luyt created the SSU to aid the police in maintaining internal order in British Guiana. The colonial government’s goal was for the SSU to evolve into Guyana’s army after

Major Sattaur commanding the Guard of Honour for Queen Elizabeth in 1966

independence was granted. A British officer, Colonel Ronald Pope, aided by a British military instructional unit, organized and trained the SSU. “The British government strove to ensure an ethnic balance within the SSU. Its reasons were twofold: Guyana was already racially polarized in the 1960s, and the police force consisted mostly of Afro-Guyanese. The British were successful in recruiting a balance of Indo-Guyanese and AfroGuyanese cadets to fill the junior officer ranks. Indo-Guyanese were also wellrepresented among students at the Mons Officer Cadet Training School in Britain.

“The SSU was renamed the Guyana Defence Force in 1965. The transition to complete Guyanese control of the GDF began in 1966, shortly after independence was granted. Prime Minister Linden Forbes Burnham, who also served as minister of defense, oversaw the transition. Major Raymond Sataur, an Indo-Guyanese officer and graduate of the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst, was heir apparent to the British GDF commander. But perhaps because of ethnic considerations, Burnham selected an Afro-Guyanese officer, Major Clarence Price, as the new commander. After the 1968 election, Burnham began to purge Indo-Guyanese from the GDF’s officer corps. By 1970 Afro-Guyanese dominated both the officer and the enlisted ranks of the GDF.” Major Sattaur had been sent to the Jamaica Regiment after his graduation from the 18-month intensive officer training at Sandhurst in 1955, because British Guiana did not have an army, only a Volunteer Force of part timers commanded by Major Price, who was a civil servant. The Governor had sent for Major Sattaur in 1965 from Jamaica and, as certified by the ICJ Committee that examined the composition of the Armed Forced in that year, there were 72 African, 72 Indian and 2 Mixed Guyanese in the SSU that Sattaur commanded. In the same year, three Indian and three African Guyanese were selected for the six-month officer training in England at the Mons Officer Cadet School, to return in 1966. The British senior officer, Col Pope, had recommended Major Sattaur to lead the GDF that Burnham had formed from the dissolved SSU and Volunteer Force. After Maj Sattaur’s firing, he left, and the rest is the sordid history of our Disciplined Forces officers being forced to swear loyalty to Burnham.

It was the corrupted army that shot two civilians in 1973 when they attempted to guard ballot boxes, and assassinated Dr Walter Rodney in 1980.

Rather than only complain about “excesses”, we must professionalise our Disciplined Forces, starting with their composition reflecting the populace of our country.

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

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he lifeless bodies of a man and his wife and son were recovered at their home at 104-18 125th Street in Ozone Park, New York (NY) on Friday after a massive fire had broken out and spread through several homes in Queens, reportedly just after 14:00h.

Initial reports coming out of NY had stated that two persons were killed as a result of the fire. However, the body of a third victim has been recovered from the scene of the five-alarm fire on Saturday.

The victims have been identified as Nanda Balo Persaud, 59; Balo Persaud, who had been employed at the Kennedy Airport, NY; and their 22-year-old son, Devon Persaud.

According to the New York Post, the fire ravaged the three-storey house that neighbours said had had four apartments; located in

Nanda Balo (husband), Balo Persaud (wife) and Devon Persaud (son) who died in the fire

the attic, second floor, first floor, and basement, where the Persaud family had lived.

Two other houses were destroyed, and five more were damaged by the inferno. High winds had helped to spread the flames. The cause of the fire is still under investigation, according to the FDNY. Adam Santra, 15, who

had lived in the house next door to where the victims perished, has said he wasn’t home at the time, and his sister called him on FaceTime and showed him the blaze.

“All you could see is our house engulfed in flames,” he is quoted by the New York Post as saying. “Everybody is okay. We’re staying with family members at the mo-

ment.”

Valmacky Chattergoon, who lives on a nearby block, has said he saw firefighters struggling to extinguish the blaze. “They’re yelling, ‘We can’t do it! We can’t go inside! The fire is still high!’ They were trying to go inside, and they saw the roof collapse, and the chief said, ‘Pull back! Pull back!’”

Chattergoon has said.

12 NEWS

SUNDAY, JUNE 19, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

74 new COVID cases, 2 ICU patients monitored

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otal infections of COVID-19 in Guyana have reached 66,456, after 74 new cases were reported on Saturday.

There are still 1245 confirmed deaths, with two persons in the Intensive Care Unit. From the latest dashboard, 23 persons are in institutional isolation, 884 in home isolation and six in institutional quarantine.

Additionally, total of 64,302 persons have recovered – of which 126 were new. However, almost 1000 active infections are still being monitored across health facilities.

Meanwhile, 651,391 tests have been processed to date.

An analysis shows new cases dispersed among eight administrative regions, with two in Region One (Barima-Waini), two

in Region Two (PomeroonSupenaam), 11 in Region Three (Essequibo IslandsWest Demerara), 33 in Region Four (DemeraraMahaica), one in Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice), two in Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne), three in region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni) and one in Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice).

There were no new reported cases in Eight (Potaro-Suparuni) and Nine (Upper DemeraraBerbice). Current hotspots are Regions Three, Four and Six. Latest vaccination figures show that so far, more than 443,177 or 86.4 per cent of adults have taken a first dose, while some 342,918 or 66.8 per cent of persons 18 years and over are fully vaccinated.

For adolescents between the ages of 12 and 17, just over 34,833 or 47.8 per cent of them have received their first dose, and of that amount, some 25,532 or 35 per cent are fully immunised.

In the 5 to 11 age group, for which the Health Ministry started administering vaccines only last weekend, almost 700 children are inoculated.

Moreover, approximately 67,514 persons have returned for their third-dose booster shots thus far.

Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony on Friday said the adult vaccination numbers are “pretty good”, noting that they are hoping to get second doses up to at least 70 per cent, which is the World Health Organization (WHO) recommendation. He said the country is not “far off” from achieving that.

In fact, to facilitate the working population including parents, the Health Ministry has organised a late night vaccine drive at Cuffy Square in Georgetown. Depending on the response, authorities will determine whether to establish the site as a permanent one.

This week, Government also lifted the COVID-19 testing requirement for international travel.

Travelers 12 years and older are still required to be fully vaccinated for entry into Guyana. This is currently the only requirement needed to pass through the ports of entry.

If anyone is displaying any of the symptoms as-

GUYANA COVID-19 DASHBOARD JUNE 18, 2022 UPDATE

NUMBER OF NEW CASES

74

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN INSTITUTIONAL ISOLATION

23

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN HOME ISOLATION

884

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN COVID-19 ICU

2

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN INSTITUTIONAL QUARANTINE

6

TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES BY GENDER (FEMALES)

35,959

TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES BY GENDER (MALES)

30,497

TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES IN GUYANA SINCE 2020

66,456

NUMBER OF RECOVERED CASES

64,302

TOTAL 1st DOSE VACCINATED FULLY IMMUNISED

REGION 1

2540

REGION 2

2804

REGION 3

8350

REGION 4

32,998

REGION 5

2462

REGION 6

6323

REGION 7

2467

REGION 8

886

REGION 9

4072

REGION 10

3554

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

436,452 333,910

TOTAL NUMBER OF DEATHS

DISTRIBUTION OF TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES SINCE MARCH 2020

1245

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. sociated with COVID-19, or need any additional information, they are asked to contact the COVID-19 Hotline 231-1166, 226-7480

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

Global figures show that 532 million people have tested positive for the virus

and 6.3 million have died.

In the Americas, more than 158 confirmed cases have been reported with over 2.7 million deaths. (G12)

FEATURE

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Moruca teen uses sports to overcome disabilities Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examinations, saw a dream come true when he was selected in March to play for the Waramuri Village Cricket Team in the competition honouring the former Presidents.

It was the first time he had received a call-up to represent his village in the sport.

“That was my first competition, and the biggest experience for me playing cricket,” the teen has said in jubilant tones.

Speaking with the consent of his parents, Harris said he has been playing cricket for some four years to date, and has noted that he specialises in spin bowling. He has said he uses his mental awareness to trap the batsmen.

“Part of spin bowling is making the batsman think something is going to happen when it isn’t so,” he explained. “I do not (do) so much with the bat, but I can be dangerous with the ball,” he has said confidently.

Indeed, he has been described as a game-changer since he dismantled the oppo-

By Alva Solomon

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“I was born like this. I believe God has sent me with a purpose: to show other people that I can do whatever they can do” - Worren Harris

hen teenager Worren Harris stepped up to bowl in the finals of the Cheddi and Janet Jagan Memorial Cricket Competition at Moruca, NWD, in March this year, he immediately caught the attention of the large crowd of spectators on hand. Partially blind, the teen rolled his leg spin towards the opposition, dismissing several batsmen in the process.

Then, as his team fielded, the crowd cheered along jubilantly as he ran behind the ball. This may be because Harris also has a foot disability; he was born with a congenital condition called ‘clubfoot’, in which the instep is turned inwards. It is the result of the tendons, which connect the leg muscles to the heel, being too short, and according to medical research, as an infant, one’s foot becomes twisted inwards or downwards. In Harris’s case, his foot is bent inwards.

As a child, Harris had sustained an eye injury following an accident, and, as a result, had lost sight in his left eye. But while he grew up with these conditions, the teen has left many in awe at his exceptional talent as a cricketer, and to a lesser extent a football player.

Best year ever

This year has been one of the best he has experienced, Harris has said. The teen, who is writing 10 subjects at the Caribbean

Worren Harris, who has a foot disability and is partially blind, has said he prefers cricket over football

sition in the finals of the T20 competition in March, which was played at the Kamwatta Recreational Ground in Moruca, North West District. leading up to the finals of the competition, he played four games, and was allowed to bowl in three of those matches.

Harris grabbed 12 wickets in total, including the wickets of valuable players during the matches.

Overcoming the challenges

Speaking about his disability, Harris has said he uses sports to overcome the challenges he has faced over time. “I was born like this.

TURN TO PAGE 14

14 FEATURE

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Moruca teen uses sports...

FROM PAGE 13

Teenager Worren Harris says he uses cricket to overcome his eye and foot disabilities

Harris preparing to bat during a recent cricket competition

I believe God has sent me with a purpose: to show other people that I can do whatever they can do,” he said.

Harris, who has a younger brother, has said it was a “tough road” growing up socially. “Growing up like this, I faced a lot of challenges,” he said.

Noting that there were times when he felt ashamed while socialising with others, since some would stare at him and he felt as if the world was staring at his disability, he noted that he has grown out of that phase of his life.

He has said that since he started playing cricket and football, he has been described as talented, given his disabilities. But as he aged into his teens, he grew more “famous”, as many would come out just to see him perform.

“In this little village where I live here, a lot of people have said good things about me,” he added.

Harris, who attends the Waramuri Primary School Secondary Top Department, noted that his family moved to Waramuri some 7 years ago from the Bonasika Creek area aback Parika, where he was born.

During this interview, he said he has two additional subjects to write at the CSEC exams, and he expressed confidence of passing all 10 subjects.

Correcting his condition, and appealing for cricket gear Harris recently visited the doctor regarding the congenital disorder in his foot. He said the doctor indicated that he has grown too old to have it fixed surgically. “The doctor said if I was 9 years old it could have been surgically fixed,” he explained.

Nevertheless, the teen is upbeat that the condition affecting his foot can be remedied. “I will be happy if my foot can fix, and that I would still be able to play cricket,” he explained.

The teen has said he currently plays with cricket gear which have outgrown their use, and with a smile, he expressed hope that sports enthusiasts would assist him to procure gear such as cricket gloves, bats, guards and pads, among other things.

As regards sports in his village, he has said there are many talented cricketers, but, according to him, there are not many opportunities for them to play in matches beyond the village.

“The opportunities are not really there for us to go out there to show our talent and compete,” he explained.

Harris has said he believes in himself, and this talented teen has noted that he depends heavily on self-confidence. “Self-belief and hard work will always earn you success,” he added.

Anyone who wishes to assist Worren Harris can contact him on telephone number (592) 680-3036.

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24 FEATURE

SUNDAY, JUNE 19, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

HEALTH TIPS

T

Dr. Tariq Jagnarine Family Medicine,

HEALTHY PROSTATE

masturbating or having sex too often and prostate cancer. If anything, the effect may be the opposite, but more research is needed to know how and why.

he prostate is a small, rubbery gland that is situated just below the bladder. It's roughly the size and shape of a walnut, and sits around the urethra, the tube that carries urine from the bladder through the penis. From the side, the prostate sits between the front of the rectum and the base of the penis.

Prostate occurs only in males.

WHAT CAN GO WRONG?

Endocrinology/Diabetes

Function

Men could live without the prostate (it is not essential for life), but it plays a key part in fertility and reproduction, and grows during adolescence under the influence of the male hormone testosterone and its by-products.

The prostate produces some of the fluids contained in the semen, the liquid that transports sperm. About 70 to 80 percent of the fluid in semen comes from the seminal vesicles, two small structures that sit on top of the prostate like rabbit’s ears.

The muscles in the prostate also help push semen through the urethra when ejaculating.

KEEPING THE PROSTATE HEALTHY

• Living a healthy lifestyle is the best way to keep the body well, and to protect against cancer.

• Maintaining a healthy body weight, not smoking, exercising regularly, and having a healthy diet can all play important roles in preventing disease, including prostate cancer.

• A review of research suggests that eating red foods such as tomatoes and watermelons may reduce the progression and growth of prostate cancer cells. Red foods contain a powerful antioxidant called lycopene.

• Eating fruits, especially citrus fruits such as oranges, lemons, grapefruits, limes, and mandarins, may also slightly lower the risk of prostate cancer, according to some studies.

• Coffee and green tea may also lower cancer risk, but more studies are needed to confirm this.

• A review of research done in 2014 indicated there may be a link between saturated fats and animal fats and prostate cancer risk, so it may pay to reduce intake of these types of fats.

• Too frequent masturbation can cause prostate cancer. It’s been studied, and, so far, there has been no link found between

• Enlarged prostate (benign prostatic hyperplasia-BPH) It’s common for the prostate to get bigger as men age. Around half of the men aged over 50 experience benign prostatic hyperplasia, which means swelling or enlargement of the prostate. This can mean the prostate expands from the size of a walnut to the size of an apricot, or even a lemon.

For some men, an enlarged prostate doesn’t cause any symptoms or bother. Others will find that an enlarged prostate causes symptoms, including: • Difficulty peeing, including getting started or getting a strong or steady ‘flow’ • Frequent urination • Needing to urinate suddenly, without the normal build-up • Waking up at night to go to the toilet • Pain or burning when urinating • Pain when ejaculating.

Sometimes an enlarged prostate can be treated with lifestyle changes, like drinking less before going to bed. Some men would be prescribed medicines to help with the condition, and surgery can also be an option, though this is less common because of the risk of side effects.

• Prostatitis Prostatitis is inflammation of the prostate. It’s different from an enlarged prostate, though some of the symptoms are similar.

Prostatitis can cause the prostate to become swollen, tender, or inflamed.

Symptoms of prostatitis can include: • urinating urgently, often in the middle of the night • Pain when urinating, or after you ejaculate • Blood in the urine • Lower back pain • Pain in the rectum • Feeling of heaviness behind the scrotum • Urinary blockage There are different types of prostatitis. Bacterial prostatitis is caused by a bacterial infection, and can be treated with antibiotics.

Then there’s chronic prostatitis, or chronic pelvic pain syndrome.

TURN TO PAGE 26

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G

BIODIVERSITY FOR INCOMEGENERATION

uyana is known for its abundant natural resources, including its rich array of plants and animals. The extractive and agricultural industries have been the primary contributors to Guyana’s economy since there has been an average economic growth of 5% annually.

Located in the neo-tropical bio-geographical territory of northeastern South America, our country is also part of the Guiana Shield region which forms part of the Amazon Biome. This spans 6.7 million km2, is the single largest remaining tropical rainforest in the world, and is home to at least 10% of the world’s known biodiversity.

The biodiversity which Guyana possesses provides an important basis for climate regulation; poverty reduction; provisioning of freshwater; economic growth and development in areas such as agriculture, forestry and fisheries; payment for forest climate services and community-based economies, particularly in hinterland communities. For these reasons, it is important to ensure that development occurs in a sustainable manner.

Generating income through biodiversity use Eco-tourism

In simple terms, eco-tourism refers to those activities that use biodiversity, and include benefits to the local community while ensuring the protection and conservation of the very plants and animals that are the tourism product. The land of the giant and untold endemic species offers numerous opportunities for bird spotting, sport fishing, and other wildlife spotting and sporting activities.

The vast landscapes that exist in Guyana also offer opportunities for income- generation through tours to waterfalls, mountain hikes, and boating.

Medicine

Plants, and to a lesser extent animals, often contain compounds to treat a wide variety of illnesses, from ginger and caffeine to treat headaches, to aloe vera for treating menstrual cramps and burns. These applications have all been developed and commercialised locally and by multinational pharmaceutical companies.

Fees and taxes

Besides direct economic benefits to tour operators and communities, biodiversity generates financial revenues for countries through fees and taxes. Non-tax revenue from biodiversity includes Government, NGO, and private biodiversity-related revenue generated from user fees, licences, permits, etc. * Payments for accessing biodiversity resources and areas (extractive uses) Fees, licences, or permits for accessing natural resources, eg. hunting permits, fishing licences, and permits for collecting medicinal plants. * Payments for accessing biodiversity areas (non-extractive uses) User fees are collected for accessing parks and protected areas, and for conducting leisure activities. They are a good example of the user-pays principle in that they affect only those individuals or groups that directly benefit from biodiversity.

Non-extractive uses means that biodiversity resources are not depleted or sold in the process. Examples include entrance fees to protected areas, and biosecurity services fees. * Volume-based resource user fees (water, wood) Volume- or scale-based fees include rents, concessions, dividends and royalties collected in exchange for the right to extract renewable natural resources. Examples include royalties for resource extraction for timber, water tariffs or water extraction fees, royalties from bioprospecting contracts and transportation licences, export permits, and other fees and charges for transporting biodiversity products. * Land-based or infrastructure fees (tourism concessions) Payments made for business access to natural land, the establishment of infrastructure on natural land, and the creation of marketable services on public lands. Examples include concession agreements, payments made to Government from directly outsourcing protected areas’ management and rights of way; or use for telephone, electricity or water infrastructure. * Revenue from environmental funds A biodiversity endowment fund is a fund in which the capital is invested in perpetuity, and only the resulting investment income is used to finance grants and activities. It is a common vehicle to mobilise resources from donors, national governments, the Private Sector, as well as private citizens. * Environmental fines and penalties related to biodiversity Environmental fines and penalties are collected because of an illegal act, such as illegal logging, poaching, illegal dumping, and unplanned pollution, which directly harms the environment. Fines and penalties may be set as a flat rate for specific illegal acts, or as fixed amounts. Fines can either be paid to the treasury or Local Government, or placed in special accounts to cover environmental remediation and compensation to affected people and communities.

Environmental fines can be set firstly to form a threat that is sufficient to discourage the illegal behaviours. Secondly, the collected revenues can be used to recover the costs associated with rectifying the environmental impact.

Fines, similarly to environmental taxes, should not be seen only as a source of revenue-generation. This can have the perverse effect of allowing transgressions to happen simply to collect a fine.

Certain revenues from biodiversity and ecosystem services are explicitly linked to natural resources’ extraction, eg. logging.

Guyana’s Low Carbon Development Strategy 2030 is seeking to explore new avenues for the sustainable use of biodiversity for income-generation.

The Environmental Protection Agency, with the support of sister agencies, ministries and NGOs, is joining forces to make the necessary changes and implementations for this achievement. Research and surveys are being conducted where the LCDS will continue to prioritise the strengthening of measures for low-impact mining, rehabilitation and restoration of minedout areas, and improved transparency in the mining sector, in addition to aiding in the development of strict sustainable forest management rules and guidelines.

Sources

https://www.biofin.org/sites/default/files/content/publications/ workbook_2018/step-13.html You can share your ideas and questions by sending letters to: “Our Earth, Our Environment”, C/O Communications Department, 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.

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

26 FEATURE

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HEALTH TIPS

HEALTHY PROSTATE

FROM PAGE 24

• Prostate cancer Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in men. The risk of developing prostate cancer increases with age. For men under 75 years, the chance of developing it is 1 in 7. By age 85, this increases to 1 in 5. Other factors that might increase the risk of developing prostate cancer include: • Family history: a father or brother who has had prostate cancer • Hereditary genetic mutations in the BRCA1 or BRCA 2 genes • Having the genetic condition Lynch syndrome.

Symptoms of prostate cancer In its early stages, prostate cancer doesn’t necessarily cause symptoms.

Men with prostate cancer might experience some of the following symptoms: • urinating frequently or suddenly • Difficulty urinating, including trouble getting started or maintaining a strong or steady flow • Feeling of haven’t completely emptied the bladder after going to the toilet • Pain, burning, or discomfort when peeing • Blood in urine or semen • pain in the lower back, upper thighs, hips, or chest • Feelings of weakness or numbness in the legs or feet

• unexplained weight loss • Feeling tired, short of breath, or dizzy • Rapid heartbeat • Pale skin.

PROSTATE TESTS

There isn’t one simple test that can be used to diagnose prostate cancer.

Below are the types of tests that might be recommended to check prostate health.

• Digital rectal exam (DRE) This test can’t diagnose prostate cancer. It can only give the doctor an indication of prostate health, and may help them feel any abnormalities or changes in the prostate.

• Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) testing Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) is a protein made by the cells in the prostate. A PSA test isn’t a test for cancer. Higher levels of PSA might indicate prostate cancer, but a high reading could also be caused by other conditions. It is also possible to have low-level readings and prostate cancer.

• Ultrasound • Prostate biopsy A prostate biopsy is used to diagnose prostate cancer.

If there are signs of cancer or prostate abnormalities, it will be done to either diagnose or rule out cancer.

• MRI It’s a good idea to check in with the healthcare provider about prostate issues.

NEWS

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Almost 1 billion people suffer from mental disorders – WHO review

T

he World Health Organisation has released its largest review on world mental health since the turn of the century, which provides a stark reality into the global mental health situation.

The detailed work provides a blueprint for governments, academics, health professionals, civil society and others with an ambition to transform mental health.

Statistics show that in 2019, nearly a billion people – including 14 per cent of the world’s adolescents – were living with a mental disorder. Suicide accounted for more than 1 in 100 deaths and 58 per cent of suicides occurred before age 50.

Mental disorders have been labelled as the leading cause of disability, causing one in six years lived with disability. People with severe mental health conditions die on average 10 to 20 years earlier than the general population, mostly due to preventable physical diseases. Childhood sexual abuse and bullying victimisation were listed as major causes of depression.

Meanwhile, social and economic inequalities, public health emergencies, war, and the climate crisis are among the global, structural threats to mental health. Depression and anxiety went up by more than 25 per cent in the first year of the pandemic alone.

Stigma, discrimination and human rights violations against people with mental health conditions are widespread in communities and care systems everywhere; 20 countries still criminalise attempted suicide. Across countries, it is the poorest and most disadvantaged in society who are at greatest risk of mental ill-health and who are also the least likely to receive adequate services.

Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, just a small fraction of people in need had access to effective, affordable and quality men-

tal healthcare. For example, 71 per cent of those with psychosis worldwide do not receive mental health services.

While 70 per cent of people with psychosis are reported to be treated in high-income countries, only 12 per cent of people with psychosis receive mental healthcare in low-income countries. For depression, the gaps in service coverage are wide across all countries: even in high-income countries, only one third of people with depression receive formal mental healthcare and minimally-adequate treatment for depression is estimated to range from 23 per cent in high-income countries to 3 per cent in low- and lower-middle-income countries.

Drawing on the latest evidence available, showcasing examples of good practice, and voicing people’s lived experience, the WHO’s comprehensive report highlights why and where change is most needed and how it can best be achieved.

It calls on all stakeholders to work together to deepen the value and commitment given to mental health, reshape the environments that influence mental health and strengthen the systems that care for people’s mental health.

WHO Director General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has commented on the findings, “Everyone’s life touches someone with a mental health condition. Good mental health translates to good physical health and this new report makes a compelling case for change. The inextricable links between mental health and public health, human rights and socioeconomic development mean that transforming policy and practice in mental health can deliver real, substantive benefits for individuals, communities and countries everywhere.

Investment into mental health is an investment into a better life and future for all.” (G12)

28 NEWS President calls for strong leadership in communities SUNDAY, JUNE 19, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

…says allowances for toshaos, regional councillors being reviewed

P

resident Dr Irfaan Ali has promised a special announcement to address the issue of allowances for toshaos and regional councillors, in light of complaints within the past years.

The Head of State visited the community of Kaikan, Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni) on Friday, where he committed to having these concerns resolved. It was pointed out that the leadership of villages must be secured.

“Toshaos and Deputy Toshaos in the Council have consistently raised the issue of the allowance that they have received, so too are the regional councillors across the country for the different regions. I

President Dr Irfaan Ali

assure you that in the coming weeks or months, I will make a special announcement to address this issue so that we can have leadership that feels as if they’re

taken care of,” Ali relayed.

Currently, regional councillors are given a stipend of $10,000 on a monthly basis. Meanwhile, toshaos receive a stipend of $30,000 monthly. Ali underscored that for transformation to take place, there must be equitable opportunities and avenues for growth.

“Each of us has a responsibility to leave a better Guyana to the next generation that comes. If we take seriously, that responsibility, then I assure you that we will succeed in this…You are entitled to equitable development, equal opportunities just like any other person.”

The President shared with residents, that his Government is strategical-

ly planning on including the hinterland region in all areas of development.

“For us, strong leadership in communities and strong leadership on the ground are important.

We’re working on an aggressive plan to fix the hinterland infrastructure, whether it is water, roads.

These communities will not be left out. We’re working on this plan to improve the welfare and well-being of hinterland communities…Whether your community has 420 people or your community has 100,000 people, you’re entitled to the development, and you’re entitled to be part of the prosperity of this country.”

To ease the rising cost of living, the Government an-

nounced a one-off $25,000 cash grant to households in the hinterland and riverine communities last month.

The Region Seven residents were updated on the Government’s progressive agenda, including its aim to improve the health and education sectors countrywide. Residents will soon receive a new tractor with agricultural implements that will serve the communities of Arau and Kaikan.

These interventions, he reiterated, are to enhance the welfare and wellbeing of the people.

The President lauded the support of the army in the border community, whose members have worked on several projects over the last year. He announced that they will now

work together to build a guest house, with materials from the Government.

Several other projects were identified, including the construction of shade houses and a poultry project, both with an aim of enhancing food production.

In Philippi and Kamarang, President Ali said that the Ministry of Agriculture will work along with the communities on an agricultural plan to enhance their production.

“The only way we can build an equitable society is if we have a society in which the prosperity of the country can be shared with every single family across our country…. As a people, we have to have humility and we have to support each other.” (G12)

NEWS

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Do not be influenced by “wrong things” – Top Cop to Ithaca youths P olice Commissioner Clifton Hicken on Saturday challenged young persons in the West Berbice community of Ithaca, Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice) to not be influenced into committing wrong acts. At the time, the Commissioner was conducting community outreaches.

Hicken, while addressing the crowd, told the residents that the Police Force is currently undergoing a transition to being a more modernised and service-oriented organisation to meet the needs and overcome the challenges of contemporary policing.

“We want to create an environment where residents in every community feel safe and secure and where the youths are the future and must be able to achieve their full potential,” he told the residents.

Alluding to the fact that he is down-to-earth and practical, the Top Cop urged the residents to be at the forefront of the change that they want to see and to have

making every effort to do so. “…we must regain the public’s trust and confidence and we must do everything in our power to rebuild and improve the image of the Force and regain the trust of the people,” he said.

Since he took office in March this year, Hicken has been doing several community outreaches with the aim of fostering a better relationship with the public. This is in keeping with the Force’s five-point strategic plan, one of which focuses heavily on building partnerships with communities and civil society to create safer environments countrywide.

Police Commissioner Clifton Hicken meeting residents of Ithaca

a cohesive and close-knit community at Ithaca.

On this note, he urged the residents to come together and look out for each other.

He urged residents to also form a community WhatsApp group which will aid in information sharing and crime-fighting. Also, he

instructed that Community Policing Groups in the community be formed/resuscitated.

Recently Hicken had urged the Force’s ranks to aim to change the negative image and perception members of the public have of the Force. As such, the Commissioner (ag) has been

Outreach

Focusing on the youths present, Hicken made a special appeal: “The youths today must understand that they are the leaders of tomorrow. You need to understand the difference between right and wrong. You must not be influenced to do the wrong things…I plead with you and I make a special appeal to you as the

Commissioner of Police.”

The Commissioner also made it clear that “drugs kill….and I will be frank, I have never seen a ‘retired thief man’ in my life”. This remark by the Top Cop evoked a round of applause from the residents.

The residents were also told that a Zara Computer Centre and a Skills Training Centre is earmarked for the community and this will be of tremendous benefit to all residents, especially the youths. Residents raised a number of concerns with the Top Cop who gave the assurance that each of the concerns will be addressed.

One youth raised a concern about lack of sports gears or facilities, to which the Commissioner promised to send in five footballs, five basketballs, and cricket gear. He also noted that the Police Force’s football team will challenge a team from Ithaca, and the match will be played on Sunday, July 10 in Ithaca.

One resident raised concerns relating to a deplorable

dam in the area, to which the Commissioner called a Government Minister who assured the residents that the dam is slated to be fixed.

Through the intervention of Commissioner Hicken, who called a member of the corporate sector, 10 desktop computers will be donated to a resident of Ithaca to be used for the benefit of the community.

The businessman, whom the Commissioner put on speaker so the residents could hear him, assured that the computers will be donated by next Friday.

Also, within three weeks, a Scouts Group will be formed at Ithaca, something that Hicken has been pushing for in communities across Guyana.

Meanwhile, Commander Simon, in brief remarks, thanked those present for coming out in their numbers to meet with the Commissioner of Police.

Following the engagement, hampers were distributed to the appreciative residents.

30 NEWS

SUNDAY, JUNE 19, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Leonora Market vendors to be relocated to facilitate $66M road works

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endors plying their trade at the Leonora Market, West Coast Demerara, Region Three (Essequibo Islands – West Demerara), will soon be relocated, to the make way for the rehabilitation of the old road valued at $66 million.

The contract for the 30 feet wide concrete road was awarded to Y. Bola Construction Services.

Minister within the Public Infrastructure Ministry, Deodat Indar, DPI reported, said a land has been identified aback of the market to relocate the vendors who are currently plying their trade on the roadside.

This new area, which will be developed to make way for the much-needed road works, can accommo-

Minister within the Public Works Ministry, Deodat Indar, speaking with vendors on Saturday

date over 500 vendors. On Saturday, the minister conducted an outreach in the

area where he met with vendors and provided an update on the project.

He explained that there was a challenge with the

portion land which was initially proposed and so, immediate steps were taken to identify another area to house the vendors during the road works. “There are a lot of people that are plying their trade at the side of the road so we can’t move them and we have to fina a place to put them…so we found some land that is the market property to be developed and we will bring everybody here,” Indar is quoted by DPI as saying.

In the interim, vendors are expected to benefit from a clean-up initiative to improve the market’s environment. The works will begin on June 19 in collaboration with the ministry of public works, the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) and the market committee among others. “Immediate

works will start with cleaning of the drains at the side of the road to improve the drainage system and the tidying up within the market because some people were complaining about bushes and some snakes and so we’re going to try to at least lift the area up a little before the road construction.”

In April, His Excellency, Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali visited the market and met with the vendors, where he announced government’s intention to construct a new tarmac and upgrade the Lenora market old road to create a more enabling environment for business.

Some $69.3 million will be used to execute these works which includes the rehabilitation of the road and upgraded to the market.

31 30 cops to benefit from quality management training NEWS

SUNDAY, JUNE 19, 2022| GUYANATIMESGY.COM

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hirty Police officers, who will soon undergo a quality management training programme, participated in an orientation session on Friday, at Texila American University (TAU), Plantation Providence, East Bank Demerara.

Quality management encompasses all of the functions of the organisation that creates and provides high-quality products and services that meet the expectations of consumers and create ultimate satis-

faction.

Upon successful completion of this programme, the officers and ranks will be able to enumerate total quality management concepts like customer focus, leadership, and continuous process improvement; analyse different quality management frameworks; elaborate on different types of reliability; process capability, and the significance of statistical process control for effective management of quality, among other gains.

2 actors dead, 6 others hurt after car crash

Texila American University officials along with High Commissioner of India, Dr KJ Srinivasa, and Police officers

Meanwhile, the Guyana Police Force, on Thursday, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Texila American University (TAU). The MoU was signed

by Texila officials Kumar and Dr Bansal, Deputy Commissioner of Police Calvin Brutus, and Woman Assistant Superintendent Nicola Kendall, who is the Juan Francisco González Aguilar

T

wo actors working on the upcoming Netflix series “The Chosen One” were killed and six other people were injured when the van they were riding crashed in Mexico on Thursday.

The Baja California Department of Culture released the name of the two actors, Raymundo Garduño Cruz and Juan Francisco González Aguilar. The six others who were hurt are believed to be cast and crew members. They are said to be in stable condition. The van reportedly ran off the road and then flipped. The crash happened in a desert area near the city of Mulegé on the Baja California Sur peninsula, according to local

Raymundo Garduño Cruz

media reports.

A source close to the production told Variety that the group was going from the city of Santa Rosalía to the local airport.

The series is based on the comic book series “American Jesus” by writer Mark Millar and artist Peter Gross. It features a 12-yearold boy who learns he is the returned Jesus Christ, destined to save humankind, according to a Netflix description.

Filming on the show, which had previously been titled “American Jesus,” reportedly started in Mexico in April.

Redrum, the company running the filming, has temporarily paused production, Deadline reported on Saturday. (NY Daily News)

Former BVI Premier signs extradition waiver ahead of trial

F

ormer Premier of the British Virgin Islands, Andrew Fahie has signed an extradition waiver that prevents him from remaining in another country if he takes flight while out on bond ahead of his trial next month.

The extradition waiver was part of the conditions of Fahie’s modified bail bond, which amounted to US $1,000,000, and was divided into two parts. The first part is a US$500,000 corporate security bond that was recently facilitated by his close associate and childhood friend, Albion ‘Bobby’ Hodge, before he was allowed to leave custody.

The second is a US$500,000 personal surety bond to be co-signed by Fahie, his daughter, and a friend as part of Fahie’s pre-trial freedom conditions.

The extradition waiver states in part that if Fahie were to flee to any country apart from the United States or its territories, the government may seek his return through an extradition process or any other means for the purpose of trial or, if convicted, sentencing or service of sentence.

The waiver was signed on June 13 and submitted to the court by his attorney, Theresa Van Vliet, the following day. (CMC)

Head of the GPF's Strategic Planning Unit.

The MoU extends learning opportunities for the Guyana Police Force through the Centre for Professional Development (CPD) of TAU. Consequently, nearly 3500 Guyana Police officers will benefit from CPD’s short-term courses.

Under the MoU, the courses will be offered free of cost to the GPF, with each lasting for three months. On successful completion of the courses, the ranks will be issued with certificates.

Also present at the orientation ceremony was Officer in Charge of GPF's Information Technology

& Communications Branch, Superintendent Jermaine Johnson; Deputy Chief Immigration Officer, Superintendent Dennis Stephen; Head of Community Relations Department, Woman Superintendent Crystal Robinson; among other senior and junior officers and other ranks.

32 NEWS

SUNDAY, JUNE 19, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

7% increase in serious crimes recorded in Region 10

C

ommander of Regional Division 10, Superintendent Hugh Winter has revealed that there has been a seven per cent increase in serious crime in the division.

Winter was at the time speaking on a recent episode of the Guyana Police Force’s programme “Police and You”.

“This year we have 45 serious crimes and last year we had 42, the percentage is a slight increase of 7 per cent but we’re looking at just three serious crimes for that seven per cent… so we’re trying now to be in the minus.”

However, despite the slight increase in serious crime, the Commander stated that there have not been any reports of serious crimes in the division for the past month.

“For the past weeks there have been no serious crimes, we’re trying to get this figure way own in the negative…so we’re working,” he said, adding that there has been a reduction of sexual offences in the division.

Region 10 Divisional Commander, Superintendent Hugh Winter

“The sexual offences, I must say its drastically had a reduction in our region and we’re in the minus for sexual offences. The reason behind that minus in sexual offences is because we are actually in the schools, we are speaking to the students, we’re telling them the right from the wrong,” the Commander said.

School outreaches

Commander Winter stated that these various initiatives conducted in the schools of the

division not only cover sexual offences but other unwarranted behaviour.

“Last week we were at 3 different secondary schools in the region, we’re advocating to the students about drugs and different offences, we [brought] a person from the sexual unit of division to tell the students about the sexual activities that’s happening in the region and if they are faced with it what to do.”

“We had persons [talk] about the fights in schools, the bullies in school spoke at length to the students along with the teachers,” he said.

The Commander also urged parents to cooperate with the Police Force in this regard.

“I would ask the parents to sit and speak with the children, partner with us as parents. We are not bad people, we are Police and we are here to serve and protect, policemen and women are looking out for the children or adults or each and everyone in the community…we are also here to give advice, bring the children along that we could talk,” he said.

NEWS

33

SUNDAY, JUNE 19, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Rotary Club elects new Board T

he Rotary Club of Georgetown – Guyana’s premier Rotary Club – inaugurated its new Board of Directors for the year 20222023, under the leadership of President Sheldon Hazelwood.

Newly inaugurated Immediate Past President Ramona Singh thanked the outgoing Board of Directors for their priceless contributions towards the achievements of the club over the past year.

The club celebrated its 63rd anniversary on May 20, a significant milestone. Over the years the club has made notable contributions to society such as the construction of the Convalescent Home, the construction of water wells in areas such as Old England/ Siberia, Coomacka, and Kuru Kururu; numerous donations to several organisations throughout Guyana; food supplies for many senior citizens homes; Christmas gifts to children hospitalised as well as medical equipment to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation and other institutions; sponsorship of other rotary, rotaract and interact clubs; several medical outreaches and many other projects.

This year, the Rotary Club of Georgetown, in a release on Saturday, expressed how proud they are to have executed projects across seven of Guyana’s 10

New members of the Board of Directors of the Rotary Club of Georgetown

administrative regions, impacting and changing the lives of persons living in those regions. This is the level of impact organisations such as Rotary seek to make in their communities which Singh said the club will continue to do.

Some of the major projects included the donation of an ECG machine and Electrocardiograph Unit to the Georgetown Public Hospital; donations of electronic tablets to the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security’s WIIN Programme; distribution of flood relief hampers across seven regions of Guyana,

distribution of back of school hampers to children across Guyana; distribution of wheelchairs to hospitals across Guyana; medical outreaches in Regions Three (Essequibo IslandsWest Demerara), Five and 10.

The inauguration of the club’s new Board of Directors was yet another great way to continue the celebration of achievements as the club continues to execute life-changing projects.

President Hazelwood in his acceptance speech said, “It is quite an honour for me to serve as President for

Guyana’s premier and prestigious club - The Rotary Club of Georgetown. I will always cherish the invaluable support I received from Rotarians ever since I was a Rotaractor and more specifically, a Rotaract President through the investment of time and resources; collaboration on many projects; the sharing of advice and knowledge, and more importantly the facilitation of Rotaractors into Rotary.”

He committed to leading his club through yet another successful year under the Rotary International theme “Imagine Rotary”.

The President further stated “As the 64th President of the Rotary Club of Georgetown, we will continue with our community service agenda, invite new people to our organisation, energise our new members, bring back the projects that have impacted so many, and above all, share the tradition of rotary with others”.

He emphasised that the club was not spared the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and its effects on attendance and membership engagement. He stressed, however, that the focus for this new rotary year “will be on projects that will be geared towards bringing our club back together. We will have to reach out to our membership individ-

ually, elicit feedback from them on how best to re-engage them, organise social events that will engender camaraderie, and organise speakers that are high impactful, influential, and interesting”.

“In terms of service projects for this year in this post-pandemic period, our focus will be aimed at follow-up projects in some communities where projects were executed before.

More emphasis will be placed on collaborations as we strive to execute projects within the ambit of Rotary’s 7 Areas of Focus,” the President further noted.

The Rotary Club of Georgetown expressed its appreciation to all of its sponsors, partners, and volunteers for their generous support over the years which has made their projects and activities successful.

34

guyanatimesgy.com

SUNDAY, JUNE 19, 2022

Regional

Ecuador’s President Lasso declares J/ca: Woman sets man ablaze ‘state of exception’ over protests after drink request refused

E

cuador’s President Guillermo Lasso has declared a state of exception in three of the Andean country’s provinces, in a bid to calm protests called by Indigenous groups in rejection of the Government’s economic policies.

The measure will last for 30 days in the provinces of Imbabura, Cotopaxi, and Pichincha - areas that include capital city Quito which have seen greater violence amid protests, with attacks on flower farms and damage to infrastructure, while Police officers have also been detained by protesters.

Curfews in Quito will run from 22:00 local time (03:00 GMT), until 05:00 starting Saturday, Lasso said late on Friday, while gatherings will be banned all day in the affected provinces. He did not say how long the measures would last.

Indigenous groups launched protests on Monday, with demonstrators blocking roads across the country in opposition to Lasso’s social and economic policies, demanding gas-

R

An Indigenous man holds the Ecuador National Flag as he camps in Cotopaxi province, following the protests against President Guillermo Lasso’s economic and environmental policies, near Latacunga, Ecuador, June 18, 2022

oline price freezes, a halt to further mining and oil projects, and more time for small farmers to pay their bank loans.

Lasso will increase help for the most vulnerable sectors and will subsidise fertiliser costs by 50 per cent for small and medium farmers, while the public bank will forgive overdue loans worth up to $3000.

There will be no increase in the costs of diesel, gasoline, and gas, Lasso added.

Indigenous groups continue to block roads connect-

ing Quito with the north and south of the country, while students have supported the protests.

Leonidas Iza, President of Ecuador’s CONAIE Indigenous organisation, said Lasso’s proposals partially resolved the issues, but doubted they would be implemented, he said on social media.

The protests have cost the country’s productive sector $50 million and led to shortages in certain products and fuels. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Four sentenced for murder of Paraguayan prosecutor in Colombia

F

our people who confessed to taking part in the murder of a Paraguayan prosecutor were each sentenced to 23 years and six months in jail on Friday.

Prosecutor Marcelo Pecci, 45, known for fighting organised crime, was shot dead on the island of Baru near the Caribbean city of Cartagena on May 10, while honeymooning with his wife.

Brazilian prison gang First Capital Command (PCC), a major exporter of cocaine, was involved in co-

ordinating the murder, according to Colombian authorities, who also say the crime may be connected to international drug trafficking and “radical terrorism”.

A fifth person has plead innocent, while a sixth suspect remains at large, according to Colombia’s Police.

The judge presiding over the case in Cartegna said the full sentence of 47 years each for the four people was cut in half as part of a plea deal, but the judge ruled out other benefits such as serving any of the sentences at home.

Pecci and his wife, Paraguayan journalist Claudia Aguilera, announced her pregnancy on Instagram shortly before the couple were approached by two men on a beach near their hotel. She told authorities one of the men later shot Pecci.

The organisers of the murder allegedly paid $500,000 for the killing, Colombian Attorney General Francisco Barbosa said in a press conference earlier this month. (Excerpt from Reuters)

US Coast Guard offloads US$99 million in cocaine seized in Caribbean Sea

T

he United States Coast Guard said on Friday that the crew of its cutter Thetis offloaded more than US$99 million in illegal narcotics at Base Miami Beach.

The drug was seized in the Caribbean Sea. The Coast Guard said it collaborated with partner agency crews in seizing about 5237 pounds of cocaine.

It said the drug was interdicted in Caribbean Sea by crews from US Coast Guard Cutter Donald Horsley, and the Netherlands Majesty’s Ships Friesland and Groningen.

“Interdicting drug traffickers on the open ocean is challenging work and every

interdiction is complex and unique,” said Commander Justin Nadolny, commanding officer of Thetis.

“This offload is a testament to the teamwork and devotion of every crew assigned to carry out this mission, and it showcases the strength of the valuable international partnerships united to combat transnational organised crime,” he added.

The US Coast Guard said the fight against drug cartels in the Caribbean Sea requires “unity of effort in all phases from detection, monitoring and interdictions, to criminal prosecutions by international partners and US Attorneys’ Offices in districts across

the nation”.

During at-sea interdictions, the Coast Guard said a suspect vessel is initially detected and monitored by allied, military or law enforcement personnel coordinated by Joint Interagency Task Force-South based in Key West, Florida.

The law enforcement phase of operations in the Caribbean Sea is conducted under the authority of the Seventh Coast Guard District, headquartered in Miami, the US Coast Guard said.

The interdictions, including the actual boardings, are led and conducted by members of the US Coast Guard. (Excerpt from Jamaica Observer)

esidents of Negril were sent scampering on Thursday after a man was set ablaze by a woman who is believed to be mentally ill.

Identified only by his alias Duppy, the man’s clothes were completely burnt from his body. He suffered burns to his lower back.

Eyewitnesses said the woman poured gasoline on the man and used a lighter to set him ablaze.

The incident, which took place at Taits Plaza, left pedestrians fearful the fire would spread to motorcycles parked nearby, which could

have resulted in an explosion.

The fire department was alerted, however, and danger was averted.

An ambulance transported the injured man to hospital.

The woman’s actions were roundly condemned.

An employee of Royale Delytes Cafè, located on the plaza where the incident occurred, who gave her name as Kameika, told the Jamaica Observer the woman had earlier tried to attack her and others.

Her co-worker, who opted not to provide a name, said the woman entered the café

and asked for a patty and a drink. She had no money, and a tourist gave her enough for a patty, which she bought.

She later returned and demanded a drink. After her request was denied she left, then returned and declared her intention to start a fire.

She said the woman ran from the scene after setting the man ablaze, but was later seen passing on a motorcycle.

There are unconfirmed reports that her father had been fatally shot last week and that may have left her unsettled. (Excerpt from Jamaica Observer)

IMF Chief heaps praise on Barbados

B

arbados is being held aloft as proof that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is no longer the institution that pushes countries into economic reforms at the expense of pain and social dislocation.

This was made clear by Managing Director of the IMF, Kristalina Georgieva, who noted that unlike the tough structural adjustments of years gone by that gave little consideration to the social cost, Barbados had emerged from its four-year programme a stronger economy without sacrificing the most vulnerable.

“The Barbados programme here is very successful, and it is an example of agility and adaptability because of changing conditions. We not only made sure that we protect the most vulnerable people in soci-

Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley (left) and Managing Director of the IMF, Kristalina Georgieva, during the press conference (Picture by Jameel Springer)

ety but also key objectives of the Government to bring forward development in the country,” said Georgieva, who was speaking at a press conference at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre at the conclusion of her four-day visit to Barbados.

She said the programme was quick to adjust to the exogenous shocks which Barbados faced during the period, ensuring that the economic reforms did not add greater hardship to citizens and residents. (Excerpt from Nation News)

South Korea’s Innospace to launch rocket from Brazil in December

S

outh Korean aerospace and defence company Innospace will be the first private business to send up a rocket from the Alcantara launch centre in northern Brazil in December, Brazilian Space Agency President Carlos Moura told Reuters on Friday.

Innospace, which plans to make low-cost small satellite launches more accessible from multiple locations around the globe, is still developing its rocket and will test it with an experimental launch from Alcantara, Moura said in an interview.

The South Korean startup is developing a hybrid rocket powered by both solid and liquid fuel and will test the vehicle in a suborbital flight that will carry an inertial navigation system payload for the Brazilian Air Force (FAB) that operates the Alcantara base, the Brazilian agency said.

Brazil is hoping to get a slice of the rapidly growing small satellite launch market by offering its base in Alcantara, whose location on the Atlantic coast by the equator reduces fuel costs as satel-

A view of Alcantara Space Centre during a media members visit in Alcantara, Maranhao State, Brazil September 14, 2018

lites do not have to travel so far to get into orbit.

US rocket company Hyperion pulled out of negotiations with Brazil and Innospace took its place to become the operator of the main launch area at Alcantara base, which is run by the Brazilian Air Force.

Canadian aerospace company C6 Launch Systems Inc, which last year obtained a Brazilian operator licence, plans a launch from Alcantara in 2023, while Virginia-based

Orion AST, which plans launches initially aimed at collecting space junk, has not made any progress, Moura said.

Billionaire Richard Branson’s Virgin Orbit has also obtained a license to operate in Brazil and will use Alcantara’s existing 2.6-kilometer (1.6-mile) runway for its Boeing 747, Cosmic Girl, to take off and launch rockets that put smallsats into low earth orbit. (Excerpt from Reuters)

guyanatimesgy.com

SUNDAY, JUNE 19, 2022

35

Around the World

OILNEWS OIL NEWS OPEC+ mulls what to do after the oil pact ends

D

elegates from OPEC+ are trying to decide what to do when the oil production pact ends in August, Bloomberg reported on Friday.

The pact is faced with numerous uncertainties and difficult situations – not the least of which is its relationship with one of the top members of the group – Russia.

Saudi Arabia has stressed that Russia is an integral part of OPEC+ despite Russia’s aggression in Ukraine, pointing out that OPEC+ is not an alliance formed out of politics, but one of market management.

Saudi Arabia – and other OPEC members – must weigh the benefits of keeping Russia included should its services be needed again in the future – risking the possibility of angering the United States and Europe.

The group must also decide what to do with spare capacity – which some believe to be relatively scarce at the moment and limited to just a few OPEC members. But today’s high prices are calling loudly – along with the United States and others – for the group to increase production.

But once spare capacity is no longer spare, it ceases to be a tool that can be used to manage the supply and demand balance.

Questions of OPEC’s actual spare capacity only cloud what lies ahead for OPEC. OPEC’s production fell – not rose – in May despite an increase in quota for its members. While the resounding forecast in the market was that OPEC would fail to meet its production targets again in May as a group, OPEC’s falling production sent oil prices falling. Saudi Arabia did manage to increase its production by 60,000 bpd that month, but this increase was more than offset by losses in Libya, Nigeria, Gabon, and others.

The International Energy Agency that Saudi Arabia and the UAE have another 2.2 million barrels per day that they can ramp up to on top of what’s left in rolling back their quotas.

(Excerpt from Oilprice.com)

Fires burn through Shanghai chemical plant

F

ires at a large chemical plant in the Chinese city of Shanghai have killed at least one person.

They broke out around 04:00 on Saturday (20:00 GMT Friday) at one of the country's largest refining and petrochemical plants.

Flames could be seen engulfing parts of the sprawling complex and spewing thick columns of black smoke into the sky.

Shanghai is China's economic hub and only recently emerged from a strict pandemic lockdown lasting two months.

The cause of the fires, which affected an ethylene glycol facility, is still unclear.

Sinopec - the stateowned company that operates the plant in the suburb of Jinshan - said the driver of a transport vehicle had been killed and a company employee had been injured.

Residents living up to 6km (four miles) away reported hearing an explosion, local media report.

Shanghai's fire depart-

ment dispatched more than 500 personnel to the scene.

State media say the fires are now under control but protective burning is being carried out.

Drone footage shared on social media showed the sky above Shanghai, China's most populous city, turning black from smoke.

Sinopec said it was monitoring for environmental impact and no damage to the surrounding water environment had been recorded.

The Ministry of Emergency Management has dispatched an expert group to the scene.

Shanghai had been under a strict lockdown imposed by officials to curb a coronavirus outbreak driven by the spread of the Omicron variant.

For two months residents in the global trading hub were forbidden from leaving their homes - shutting down factories with far-reaching consequences for both the local economy and global supply chains.

(Excerpt from BBC News)

After EU blessing, Ukraine vows to prevail as it battles Russian assaults

W

ith a blessing for its EU ambitions and a pledge of unwavering support from Britain, Ukraine vowed on Saturday to prevail against Moscow as it battled Russian assaults near a key eastern city and multiple locations came under shell and missile attack.

European Union countries are expected at a summit next week to grant Ukraine EU candidate status following a recommendation from the bloc's executive on Friday, putting Kyiv on course to realise an aspiration seen as out of reach before Russia's Feb 24 invasion, even if actual membership could take years.

British Prime Minister

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy walk at Mykhailivska Square, as Russia's attack on Ukraine continues, in Kyiv, Ukraine June 17, 2022

Boris Johnson made a surprise visit to Kyiv on Friday and offered training for Ukrainian forces. Back in Britain on Saturday, he stressed the need to avoid "Ukraine fatigue" after nearly four months of war.

"The Russians are grinding forward inch by inch and it is vital for us to show what we know to be true, which is that Ukraine can win and will win," he told reporters.

"When Ukraine fatigue

is setting in, it is very important to show that we are with them for the long haul and we are giving them the strategic resilience that they need."

On the battlefields on Saturday, Sievierodonetsk, a prime target in Moscow's offensive to seize full control of the eastern region of Luhansk, was again under heavy artillery and rocket fire as the Russian forces attacked areas outside the industrial city, the Ukrainian military said.

A Russian-backed representative said a big explosion rocked the Sievierodonetsk area on Saturday and a large orange-coloured cloud could be seen rising into the air.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

Dozens dead, millions stranded as floods hit Bangladesh, India M onsoon storms in Bangladesh and India have killed at least 41 people and unleashed devastating floods that left millions of others stranded, officials said on Saturday.

Floods are a regular menace to millions of people in low-lying Bangladesh, but experts say climate change is increasing their frequency, ferocity and unpredictability.

Relentless downpours over the past week have inundated vast stretches of Bangladesh’s northeast, with troops deployed to evacuate households cut off

from neighbouring communities.

Schools have been turned into relief shelters to house entire villages inundated in a matter of hours by rivers

that suddenly burst their banks.

Asma Akter, a woman rescued from the rising waters, said her family had not been able to eat for two days.

“The water rose so quickly we couldn’t bring any of our things,” she said. “And how can you cook anything when everything is underwater?”

Lightning triggered by the storms has killed at least 21 people around the South Asian nation since Friday afternoon, Police officials told AFP. Among them were three children aged between 12 and 14 who were struck by lightning on Friday in the rural town of Nandail, said local Police chief Mizanur Rahman.

(Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Afghanistan: 2 killed Pleas for help as as blast hits Sikh Myanmar awaits hightemple in Kabul profile executions

A

t least two people have been killed and seven others injured following an attack on a Sikh temple in the Afghan capital, Kabul, officials said.

A Taliban Interior Ministry spokesman told Reuters news agency that attackers had laden a car with explosives but it had detonated before reaching its target.

Taliban authorities were securing the site, he added.

A spokesman for the commander of Kabul’s security forces said soldiers have taken control of the area and cleared it of attackers. One Sikh worshipper and a Taliban fighter have been killed during the clearing operation, he added.

Members of the Sikh community said they were been prevented from entering the building by the Taliban.

“There were around 30 people inside the temple. We don’t know how many of them are alive or how many dead. The Taliban are not allowing us to go inside, we don’t know what to do,” Gornam Singh told news agencies on Saturday.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack.

Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers say they have secured the country since taking power in August, but international officials and analysts say the risk of a resurgence in violence remains. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

T

he wife of pro-democracy figure Kyaw Min Yu, sentenced to be executed on the orders of Myanmar's ruling generals, said that if her husband dies he will take with him the beliefs he has carried throughout a life spent fighting dictatorship.

Kyaw Min Yu, better known as Jimmy, and former lawmaker and hip-hop artist Phyo Zeya Thaw are set to be the first people since 1988 to be executed judicially in Myanmar.

They were sentenced to death in January for treason and terrorism in a closeddoors trial, accused of helping militias to fight the army that seized power last year and unleashed a bloody crackdown on its opponents.

The military has not said when they would be hanged, but speculation is rife in Myanmar that the execu-

tions are imminent.

The planned executions have been strongly condemned abroad and two UN experts have called them a "vile attempt at instilling fear" among the people.

Kyaw Min Yu's wife, Nilar Thein, said her husband, a political prisoner for 18 years under Myanmar's last military dictatorship, was being made an example of for refusing to cooperate with his captors.

Kyaw Min Yu, 53, and Phyo Zeya Thaw, a 41-yearold ally of ousted Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi, lost their appeal earlier this month.

It is not clear how they pleaded in their trial, nor the extent of their alleged involvement in the resistance movement, which is fighting what it calls a "people's defensive war" against the junta. (Excerpt from Reuters)

36

guyanatimesgy.com

SUNDAY, JUNE 19, 2022

ARIES (March 21April 19)

Follow your heart.

Revisit how you want to live or earn money, then tweak your situation to suit your needs. Don’t limit what you can do because someone complains.

Emotions will flare up TAURUS if someone pressures you.

(April 20Rethink your plans. Consider May 20) who you want to spend time with before agreeing to participate in someone’s proposal. Put your energy where it will count.

Take care of unfinished GEMINI (MAY 28- business and prepare for your next endeavor. Weigh the pros June 20) and cons and suggestions others make before you jump into something new. Draw up a timeline for your plan.

Making assumptions or overCANCER reacting will not go well. Push (June 21forward with an open mind and July 22)

use your imagination to develop solutions. Search for the truth, and don’t let emotions interfere.

LEO (July 23Aug. 22)

VIRGO

(Aug. 23Sept. 22)

Dilbert LIBRA (Sept. 23Oct. 23)

SCORPIO (Oct. 24Nov. 22)

Peanuts

Stick to what you need to accomplish. Inconsistency will not go over well when dealing with others. Make friends, relatives, traveling and socializing your priorities.

Make a focused effort to bring about change. Consider the pros and cons of each option that comes your way, and change only what’s necessary and feels right to you.

Focus on love, not chaos.

Tie up loose ends. Prioritize what’s important and adjust your lifestyle accordingly. Take responsibility for your happiness and do things that put a smile on your face.

Align yourself with like-minded people. Discuss concerns and develop plans that will help you solve problems. You will get your way if you show passion, strength and courage. Romance is favored.

Don’t trust your emotions to SAGITTARIUS lead you in the right direction.

(Nov. 23Gullibility will lead to vulnerDec. 21) ability. Step outside your comfort zone if that’s what it takes to normalize your life.

CAPRICORN Do your best to lower overhead without sacrificing (Dec. 22your comfort or convenience.

Jan. 19)

Declutter your space, sell things you don’t need and let go of responsibilities that don’t belong to you.

Calvin and Hobbes

Take care of yourself.

AQUARIUS Stick close to home and use (Jan. 20your time to carry out imFeb. 19) provements that make your life easier and your relationships better. Keep the peace.

PISCES (Feb. 20Mar. 20)

Emotions will surface if you share sensitive information. Make positive changes before someone complains or criticizes you. Be honest about the way you feel and what you want to pursue.

SUNDAY, JUNE 19, 2022

37

CG Insurance Women's Super50 Cup

Barbados beat Jamaica in defending 122 L

By Brandon Corlette

ed by a collective bowling effort, Barbados successfully defended 123 runs against Jamaica in the CG Insurance Women’s Super50 tournament being played at Providence, East Bank Demerara, Guyana.

Kyshona Knight scored an even half-century as Barbados made 121 all out in 31.4 overs, while Jamaica had managed only 106-9 after 25.3 overs when rain ended the day.

Due to overnight showers and early morning rain, the match commenced at 11:08h.

Barbados won the toss and opted to bat first in a match

Barbados celebrating a Jamaican wicket

initially reduced to 45 overs. Kycia Knight was dismissed for a duck when Chinelle Henry rocked her stumps. And Hayley Matthews was sorely disappointed to be

Kyshona Knight made an even fifty

caught for 16 off a full-toss from Jody-Ann Brown.

Matthews and Kyshona Knight added 57 runs together for the second wicket. The rain came again with Barbados on 66-2 in 13.2 overs. After the rain delay, the overs were reduced to 32 per side.

Alisa Scantlebury was run out for six, but Kyshona Knight continued her merry way, and reached her half-century after striking two fours off Coraine Howell. But in the next over, she was removed by Vanessa Watts at 96-4 after 20.3 overs.

Wickets continued to fall for the Barbadians as the Jamaican spinners enjoyed the spin-

friendly conditions.

At one stage, the Barbadians had lost seven wickets for 25 runs. After Matthews's 16 and kyshona Knight's 50, no other Barbadian batter reached double figures.

Skipper Stafanie Taylor, who was denied a wicket off a ball when her towel fell from her trousers, and an extra fielder being outside the ring, eventually cleaned up the tail. She ended with 3-13 in 5.4 overs. She was supported by Henry, Watts and Brown, who each claimed two wickets as Jamaica were bowled out for 121 in 31.4 overs.

In reply, Natasha McLean and Rashada Williams looked to attack from the inception.

McClean played one shot too many and was removed by Shanika Bruce at 17-1. Chedean Nation was then trapped by Matthews, and that wicket saw Taylor partnering Williams. The duo added 38 runs together, but Taylor (13) was removed by Shakera Selman with a ball that kept low and rattled her stumps.

Barbados kept looking for wickets, and Williams played a reckless shot and was caught for a 41-ball 29 which had five fours.

Henry came and muscled a six down the ground, but watched Watts being dismissed with the score on 84-6 after 17.2 overs.

Captain Matthews rallied her Barbadian troops well,

inserted a short-leg, and had her fielders always saving one. Young Aaliyah Williams had 3-22, while Matthews had 3-16.

Guyana will be playing Trinidad and Tobago from 9:30h.

SCOREBOARD

Barbados Kycia Knight b Henry 0 Hayley Matthews c Howell b Brown 16 Kyshona Knight c Sanford b Watts 50 Alisa Scantlebury run out 6 Aaliyah Alleyne lbw b Taylor 5 Shakera Selman b Watts 0 Naijanni Cumberbatch b Henry 7 Aaliyah Williams c Ferron b Brown 5 Trishan Holder b Taylor 6 Shaunte Carrington not out 0 Shanika Bruce b Taylor 1 Total (10 wickets, 31.4) (25 extras) 121 FOW: 0/1 (0.3) Hayley Matthews 57/2 (10.4) Kyshona Knight 79/3 (16.5) Alisa Scantlebury 96/4 (20.3) Kyshona Knight 96/5 (20.6) Shakera Selman 97/6 (21.4) Aaliyah Alleyne 106/7 (24.1) Aaliyah Williams 118/8 (25.5) Trishan Holder 120/9 (28.1) Naijanni Cumberbatch 121/10 (31.4) Shanika Bruce Bowling Chinelle Henry (7-1-25-2) Vanessa Watts (7-1-24-2) Neisha-Ann Waisome (3-0-17-0) Jody-Ann Brown (5-0-20-2) C Howell (4-0-18-0) Stafanie Taylor (5.4-1-13-3)

Jamaica Women Batting Rashada Williams c Knight b Williams 29 Natasha McLean c Cumberbatch b Bruce 9 Chedean Nation lbw b Matthews 3 Stafanie Taylor b Selman 13 Keneshia Ferron run out 4 Chinelle Henry not out 28 Vanessa Watts c Carrington b Williams 1 Tameka Sanford lbw b Williams 6 Neisha-Ann Waisome lbw b Matthews 0 C Howell b Matthews 0 Jody-Ann Brown not out 0 Total (9 wickets, 24.4) (12 extras) 105 FOW: 17/1 (2.4) Natasha McLean 20/2 (3.4) Rashada Williams 35/3 (12.1) Taylor 65/4 (13.4) Keneshia Ferron 72/5 (15.2) Rashada Williams 84/6 (17.2) Vanessa Watts 98/7 (21.5) Tameka Sanford 101/8 (22.3) Neisha-Ann Waisome 101/9 (22.5) C Howell Bowling Shanika Bruce (3-0-22-1) Aaliyah Alleyne (3-0-21-0) Hayley Matthews (7-0-16-3) Shakera Selman (6-0-25-1) Aaliyah Williams (6-0-21-3)

CSA vs India: T20I series, Game 5 of 5…

Weather threatens to play spoilsport – as Bengaluru gears up for series-decider I f we needed an advertisement for a fivematch bilateral T20I series, and one on the back of a 74-match IPL, this is it.

Locked at 2-2, this series has seen South Africa record their highest successful chase and their lowest T20I total, India's biggest win over South Africa, career-best performances for six players, and a comeback for a veteran who was part of India's first-ever T20I in 2006. It has had big batting performances and crafty bowling, and if there is a criticism, perhaps it's that spin has only had a small say; but that's just being nit-picky.

We've seen the hosts going down 2-0 with a middle order that looked like it couldn't get it together, and then coming back to win their last two mustwin games with finishers who dominated a much-vaunted visiting attack.

India have the momentum, but South Africa have enough reason to snatch it away. South Africa came into this series on the back of a highly successful T20I run, and had won 11 of their last 12 games. They found unlikely heroes, and went on to win the first two matches, underlining that theirs is a team effort, not a galaxy of superstars.

Inevitably, some superstars have emerged in this series.

The biggest, of course, is Dinesh Karthik, who has played cricket throughout the T20I age, and has developed his game to match the format's evolution.

He has become a finisher, and may be eyeing the T20 World Cup to make his actual finish.

Then there is Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who dictates the opening passage of play like it's his script to write; and Hardik Pandya, who must surely be in line to lead India soon. Ishan Kishan, too, has impressed.

For South Africa, Rassie van der Dussen and Heinrich Klaasen won the first two matches despite few considering them T20I matchwinners, and they've found

room for two allrounders and two specialist spinners in an XI. Their team composition is showing signs of the creativity it once lacked, and their T20 approach has become more innovative. But their frontline bowlers have been lacking, and that may be where the series could be won or lost. The likes of Kagiso Rabada, who sparkled at the IPL, and Anrich Nortje, who is coming back from injury, may want to have their say on that.

Or they may not get to, because the weather in Bengaluru does not appear to be playing ball, and if the series stays shared at 2-2, that won't be so bad either.

In the spotlight Dinesh Karthik may have already enjoyed his fairytale

return in Rajkot, but now he returns to his adopted home on the back of an exceptional IPL run and a stuff-that-dreamsare-made-of international comeback. He will now have the support of the home crowd to cap off this series. They'll want to see the Karthik who hit 19 fours and 19 sixes with a strike rate of 220 at the death in this year's IPL, not the Karthik who averages 14.40 for RCB at the Chinnaswamy; and he won't want to let them down.

Even if he doesn't produce big runs, Karthik is playing with the freedom of a player given a second chance he didn't expect, and making the most of it. That warm, fuzzy feeling is sure to catch on.

A South African side that has stopped relying on superstars seems to have dimmed the brightness of Quinton de Kock, who has not scored a T20I half-century in six innings since before last year's T20 World Cup. In this series, de Kock missed two matches with injury, and was run out after a mix-up with Dwaine Pretorius in the previous match, so he hasn't had as much opportunity to make an impact as he might have liked.

But South Africa need him if they want to have

better, quicker starts. Their other opening batters, Temba Bavuma and Reeza Hendricks, both need some time to settle, and are more about strike rotation than boundary-hitting, which makes de Kock's role even more important.

Team news India have been unchanged throughout this series. Unless they want to unleash Umran Malik in the finale, there would be no reason to change that up.

It would be harsh to leave out any of the current seamers, so we may all just have to wait to see the speedster in another series.

India: (possible) 1 Ishan Kishan, 2 Ruturaj Gaikwad, 3 Shreyas Iyer, 4 Rishabh Pant (capt & wk), 5 Hardik Pandya, 6 Dinesh Karthik, 7 Axar Patel, 8 Harshal Patel, 9 Avesh Khan, 10 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 11 Yuzvendra Chahal.

South Africa's most pressing injury concern is captain Temba Bavuma, who has had to retire hurt after injuring his left elbow on Friday night. Bavuma did the damage while diving to complete a single, but had been hit on that upper arm a few balls before. By Saturday afternoon, they had yet to test whether he could comfortably

hold the bat or generate power, and would likely take a late call on his availability.

If he is unable to play, Reeza Hendricks will slot into the opening berth, with Keshav Maharaj to take over the captaincy.

South Africa: (possible) 1 and 2 Quinton de Kock/ Reeza Hendricks/Temba Bavuma (capt), 3 Rassie van der Dussen, 4 David Miller, 5 Heinrich Klaasen (wk), 6 Dwaine Pretorius, 7 Marco Jansen/Wayne Parnell, 8 Kagiso Rabada, 9 Keshav Maharaj, 10 Anrich Nortje, 11 Lungi Ngidi/ Tabraiz Shamsi.

Pitch and conditions Known for being a belter, thanks to small boundaries and a flat pitch, the Chinnaswamy hasn't hosted any whiteball cricket since before the pandemic, when it was known as a venue that produces runs and is unkind to spinners. But for that to happen, the players will have to get on the park.

It's been a wet build-up to the match, with heavy rain on Friday night and drizzles throughout Saturday, which affected the Ranji Trophy semi-final. There's a 70% chance of rain on match day.

(ESPNCricinfo)

38 Barcelona’s Martin Braithwaite to visit Guyana as part of GFF-DBU partnership B

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

SUNDAY, JUNE 19, 2022

arcelona and Danish national team forward Martin Braithwaite will visit Guyana next week in his first assignment as the Goodwill Ambassador of the capacity-building partnership between the Danish Football Association (DBU) and the Guyana Football Federation (GFF), which has been facilitated by UEFA Assist and Concacaf.

Braithwaite, 31, has a strong connection with the Land of Many Waters, through his father, who is Guyanese. The Barcelona forward, who will visit Guyana from June 22-26, has amassed 60 caps for the Danish national team, including selection for the 2018 FIFA World Cup

Martin Braithwaite

and the UEFA Euro 2020.

“The visit of a player of Martin’s calibre and standing underlines the significance of the partnership between the

DBU and the GFF, and the importance that both organisations place on delivering real impact on the ground to develop football in Guyana,”

LGC upbeat about pushing golf to its highest level …LIV golf rules to be incorporated to add excitement, says Persaud

By Timothy Jaikarran

T

he Lusignan Golf Club (LGC) has continued to strive in that, throughout all seasons, the club and its executives, under the leadership of Patanjilee Persaud, have undertaken to have the sport taken to higher levels.

Most recently, Persaud has been re-elected president of the LGC, and has guaranteed that the push to take golf in Guyana to its highest level will continue.

The rainy spells had caused some delays in playing of the

sport and, Persaud mentioned, there was an issue with the pump. Now that that issue has been resolved, he is adamant that no more than three playing days have been lost, despite close to six weeks of rainfall. He sees this as an accomplishment for the club.

The club, he said, is making strides in partnering with companies to be transformed.

Persaud relayed that the LGC is seeking to partner with overseas persons to create longerterm and more harmonious relationships, and is even seeking joint ventures with companies or persons who would like to utilise the LGC to market themselves in Guyana.

Persaud has said the LGC would welcome any venture or capital “who see things differently”, so the club can accommodate them and move the game of golf forward.

The LGC president also shed some light on the recently concluded Annual General Meeting by disclosing, “We were elected back on to the slate. The members thanked us for running

such a golf club with dedication, commitment, and making sure we are up with the financing and all the club house and surrounding areas we are trying to upgrade.

“We did lose two of our former executives, Patrick Prashad and Anasha Ally, who opted out because of their schedules. Former Club Captain Patrick Prashad did do some training with the new Club Captain Videsh Persaud over the last six months. However, Anasha and Patrick, we have incorporated them into

committees to continue to assist us; albeit, they are not serving on the executive, they did indicate their willingness to assist.”

Persaud noted that the club does see a lot of prospects. He related that as soon as the course

has reopened and there are fully dry conditions, tournaments would again be hosted. He explained that, despite the rains, the club has had some excellent drainage done to it, and while tournaments cannot be hosted, it is still in good shape for members to come out and practise their game.

GFF President Wayne Forde has said. “We are extremely excited to welcome Martin to Guyana, and we look forward to working with him in the future as we continue to build on this strong, close relationship with our Danish partners.”

In a busy schedule, Braithwaite will, on June 22, be introduced to the media as the Goodwill Ambassador of the DBU-GFF partnership. The following day, he will visit tourist attractions in Georgetown; pay a courtesy call on Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Charles Ramson Jr; and visit the proposed Durban Park site which would host the GFF’s planned National Football

Stadium before rounding off the day with a novelty futsal match at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall.

On June 24, the former Middlesborough and Toulouse player would visit the place of his father’s birth in Charlestown, and participate in the launch of the UEFA Assist/DBU Women’s Development League at the GFF National Training Centre.

Before heading home to Europe, Braithwaite would take time out to visit a grassroots football tournament, and watch the GFF Blue Water U15 Girls’ Development League at the GFF National Training Centre.

He went on to state that, currently, the LGC is gathering its sponsors and is very upbeat to have the sponsors on board, as they have shown a lot of commitment to repeat their sponsorship from last year.

“We are very happy and excited. We’d like to thank them for coming through for us, and sticking with us as they see we have a lot to offer. Currently, we are planning a lot of different events, (to be held) as soon as the rain gives us a break. So, we will update with these different types of events.

“There is a different type of game with the LIV golf, which is a much faster, competitive partner kind of golf; I think we will incorporate those… rules so we can add excitement to golf,” Persaud shared.

The LGC boss further

revealed that the course has seen an increase, as expatriates and diplomats are frequenting the course, for which the club is extremely grateful.

He also declared that the club is looking to transform itself and become more manageable, safer, and robust in terms of finance, so the sand traps and bunkers are in top condition.

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LGC President, Patanjilee Persaud

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he cricket teams of the Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club (RHTY&SC) will, from July 18, be hosting their annual Republic Bank Summer Camp and Cricket Academy as part of their personal developmental programme.

The teams: Poonai Pharmacy U13, Farfan and Mendes U15, Bakewell U17 and Second Division, Pepsi Under-19 and Intermediate, Metro Females, Vitality U21, and Namilco U21 and First Division, would be organising the events after a break of two years due to the COVID pandemic.

RHTY&SC Asst Secretary/ CEO Jonathan Rampersaud, who would be supervising the two events, has said the summer camp would be held at the Rose Hall Town Primary School, and would have 50 students in attendance.

The main objective of the four-week camp, he has said, would be to make sure all students make a successful transition from primary to secondary school.

Students would be taught four subjects: Math, Science, History and English, by two highly qualified teachers, and would also be involved in several social developmental sessions with social work students from the University of Guyana.

Among the topics to be discussed with the students are peer pressure, importance of education, importance of discipline, drug abuse, suicide, personal hygiene, and public manners. Every student who has successfully completed the camp and has a ninety percent attendance rate would receive a school bag and educational materials, while attractive prizes would be up for grabs, including educational grants, bicycles, food hampers, and personal care hampers.

Rampersaud has disclosed that the cricket academy would last for two weeks, and would be hosted at the Area H Ground and in the compound of the Rose

Hall Town Primary School. The camp would have approximately 120 youths between the ages of 10 and 18 years, and would be conducted by several coaches, including Winston Smith, Delbert Hicks.

Club executives Robby Kissoonlall, Tyrone Pottaya, Keith Hicks.

Hilbert Foster and Rampersaud would look after the administrative aspects of the two events. Foster stated that the main objectives of the academy would be to look at new talents for further development, to cement the club reputation as one of Guyana’s leading cricket nurseries, and to develop the existing talents in the club.

The RHTY&SC has, Since its formation in 1990, the St Francis Xavier Roman Catholic Youth Club has produced 13 players who have played at the international level, and a total of 110 players for Berbice and Guyana.

Members of the academy would also be involved in offthe-field sessions in an effort to prepare them to be sports ambassadors. Special effort would be placed on the mental aspect of the game and on improving the players knowledge of the rules and history of cricket.

All 120 cricketers attending the academy would receive a school bag and educational materials, while prizes that would be up for grabs would include cricket gear, cycles, educational grants, cricket uniforms and household items.

Foster has also disclosed that the Region Six division of the Guyana Police Force has accepted an offer to send 50 youths to the academy as part of its community outreach programme directed to communities across the county.

The clubs also plan to invite former and present cricketing icons to visit the academy for inspirational sessions with the youths. Interested parents can call 337 4562 OR 613-4970 for more information.

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SUNDAY, JUNE 19, 2022

39

WI vs Bangladesh: Test 1 of 2…

Kemar Roach’s five-for puts West Indies on brink of a win

K

emar Roach’s five-wicket haul in the first Test match of this two-Test series against Bangladesh has put the West Indies on the brink of a well-deserved victory.

On Saturday, June 18, West Indies took a significant step towards the win, despite a spirited fightback from Shakib Al Hasan and Nurul Hasan. at one stage, the hosts went into stumps needing just 35 more runs to get the job done with seven wickets still intact.

Bangladesh got off to a disastrous start to the day, even though Najmul Shanto began proceedings with a

Alzarri Joseph chipped in with 3-55

Roach and induced an edge behind.

Bangladesh were clear-

ing it to the keeper to add to Bangladesh’s woes. That wicket prompted Shakib to bat out in a very determined fashion alongside Nurul Hasan as Bangladesh showed spirit to storm into

this contest.

The pair played out a wicketless session at a crucial time to not only erase the deficit, but also to build a substantial lead. While Shakib was the aggressor in the first half of the session, Nurul took charge in the second half as the pair were involved in a century partnership to raise Bangladesh’s hopes.

Unfortunately, they both played tame strokes after the Tea break to provide West Indies the opening they were looking for, as the visitors’ resistance came to an end while setting the hosts a target of 84 runs.

The result wasn’t a foregone conclusion, as one more twist was left in the tale. Kraigg Brathwaite

Shakib Al Hasan (L) and Quazi Nurul Hasan Sohan (R) of Bangladesh celebrating their 100-run partnership

was strangled down the leg side, and Raymon Reifer gloved one to the wicketkeeper in the same over, to provide Bangladesh with a dream start.

Nkrumah Bonner’s off

stump was uprooted by Khaled Ahmed in his second over as West Indies, in quite stunning fashion, found themselves reeling at 9/3 after the first four overs.

John Campbell was in

SCOREBOARD Kemar 5-53

boundary. The introduction of Kyle Mayers early into the attack proved to be a masterstroke, as he induced Shanto’s edge. Mayers then struck gold in getting rid of Mominul Haque by trapping the former captain leg-before-wicket with an inswinger.

Liton Das came out with all guns blazing in an attempt to quickly erase the deficit, but the high-risk approach resulted in his downfall shortly after, as he chased a wide delivery from

Roach

bagged

ly panicking at this stage, even though Hasan Joy looked assured at one end.

The onus was on Shakib Al Hasan to rescue his side and ensure they don’t suffer an innings defeat, but Bangladesh also needed their opener to get through the session unscathed.

However, the hosts landed the killer blow when Roach got rid of the well-set batsman.

Hasan Joy attempted a loose cut, and ended up edg-

Syed Khaled Ahmed bagged three quick wickets to give the West Indies some trouble, as they need 35 more runs to win

BANGLADESH 2ND INNINGS Tamim Iqbal c †Da Silva b Joseph 22 Mahmudul Hasan Joy c †Da Silva b Roach 42 Mehidy Hasan Miraz c Mayers b Joseph 2 Najmul Hossain Shanto c Campbell b Mayers 17 Mominul Haque lbw b Mayers 4 Litton Das c Mayers b Roach 17 Shakib Al Hasan (c) c Brathwaite b Roach 63 Nurul Hasan †c † Da Silva b Roach 64 Ebadot Hossain b Roach 1 Mustafizur Rahman b Joseph 7 Khaled Ahmed not out 0 Extras (b 2, lb 1, nb 1, w 2) 6 TOTAL 90.5 Ov (RR: 2.69) 245 Fall of wickets: 1-33 (Tamim Iqbal, 9.4 ov), 2-35 (Mehidy Hasan Miraz, 11.4 ov), 3-64 (Najmul Hossain Shanto, 28.4 ov), 4-75 (Mominul Haque, 34.3 ov), 5-100 (Litton Das, 39.4 ov), 6-109 (Mahmudul Hasan Joy, 45.2 ov), 7-232 (Shakib Al Hasan, 82.1 ov), 8-238 (Nurul Hasan, 86.3 ov), 9-245 (Mustafizur Rahman, 89.1 ov), 10-245 (Ebadot Hossain, 90.5 ov) BOWLING O-M-R-W Kemar Roach 24.5-10-53-5

Jayden Seales Alzarri Joseph Kyle Mayers Gudakesh Motie Raymon Reifer

14-1-45-0 19-6-55-3 13-3-30-2 15-2-42-0 5-1-17-0

WEST INDIES 2ND INNINGS (Target: 84 runs) Kraigg Brathwaite (c) c †Nurul Hasan b Khaled Ahmed 1 John Campbell not out 28 Raymon Reifer c †Nurul Hasan b Khaled Ahmed 2 Nkrumah Bonner b Khaled Ahmed 0 Jermaine Blackwood not out 17 Extras (lb 1) 1 TOTAL 15 Ov (RR: 3.26) 49/3 Yet to bat: Kyle Mayers, Joshua Da Silva †, Alzarri Joseph, Kemar Roach, Jayden Seales, Gudakesh Motie Fall of wickets: 1-1 (Kraigg Brathwaite, 1.1 ov), 2-3 (Raymon Reifer, 1.5 ov), 3-9 (Nkrumah Bonner, 3.5 ov) BOWLING O-M-R-W Mustafizur Rahman 4-1-7-0 Khaled Ahmed 5-0-14-3 Mehidy Hasan Miraz 2-1-10-0 Ebadot Hossain 2-0-14-0 Shakib Al Hasan 2-0-3-0

UEFA commences League Development workshop in Guyana

T

he capacity of football’s Regional Member Associations (RMAs) and local clubs will again be boosted through assistance from UEFA Assist. This time around, the help has come in the form of education: administrators would be taught how to establish and maintain professional leagues, through a workshop.

After working virtually for quite some time, local football administrators on Saturday got the opportunity to learn the trick of the trade about running professional leagues by way of the UEFA Assist League Development programme clubs’ workshop The workshop has been realised through the joint efforts of CONCACAF and the Guyana Football Federation (GFF). Speaking at the official opening of the workshop on Saturday morning, GFF President Wayne Forde emphasised the need for such knowledge, especially for establishing sustainable foot-

GFF President Wayne Forde is flanked by UEFA’s Chris Milnes and Joost de Wit

ball leagues in Guyana.

“The most important project that we’ve been working over the past couple of years with UEFA on is the professional league development project, and we’ve spent the past couple of months online on zoom. It’s actually the first time that we’re meeting these gentlemen in person,” Forde said.

He added, “We’ve been engaged in many aspects of the planning, and what it will take for Guyana to take that faithful step in establishing a sustainable, professional football league, and I must say it’s been very exciting, the journey that we’ve been on so far.

“At times it appears intimidating because, given

where we are as a football nation and where we understand we need to be, it can be daunting. But I think the fact that UEFA is here today to work with you, to share deeper knowledge of what are the changes that are essential if we are to go in the direction of professional football, is a testimony of a collective faith, that together we can do

this,” Forde has said.

UEFA’s International Relations Project Specialist Chris Milnes gave an overview of the workshop’s contents.

Milnes highlighted, “Over the next few days, we’re going to be focusing on club development as part of the league development programme that actually started with Joost’s leadership over a year ago now, and because of the pandemic, we hadn’t been able to make these steps that we’re about to make.”

He further stated, “But that doesn’t matter, because we’re all here now today to make this happen. We’re looking forward to also treating this next couple of days as a learning experience, where we learn about your reality here in Guyana and we share best practices from Europe, so that together we can develop football, moving forward.”

The workshop is being conducted by Milnes, alongside UEFA’s Assist’s Joost

de Wit at the GFF’s National Training Center, Providence.

Joost emphasised that UEFA Assist was not there to play boss, but rather to boost the knowledge and range of tactics that Guyanese administrators would have.

“It’s not that we’re here to say how you must do things. I just want to show you how in Europe, especially in Holland, where I come from, how we organize clubs, and hopefully you can see how we do that and you can learn from it a little bit,” The UEFA Assist representative said.

“One thing very important is that you are manager of a club, but you have to work with your regional association and with the federation, of course. And if you can work really close together, football in Guyana can go better and better,” Joost concluded.

Members of Each RMA and several elite clubs are attending the workshop.

SUNDAY, JUNE 19, 2022

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

guyanatimesgy.com

Kemar Roach’s Roach finished with figures of 5/53

Page 39

WI vs Bangladesh: Test 1 of 2…

Kemar Roach’s five-for puts West Indies on brink of a win

LGC upbeat about pushing golf to its highest level Page 38

UEFA commences League …LIV golf rules to be incorporated Development workshop in Guyana to add excitement, says Persaud Page 39

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