Guyana Times - Sunday, June 5, 2022

From selling P14 nuts to launching his own transportation firm …how one man pioneered a thriving business in the NWD

Nationwide coverage coverage from from the the best best news news team team in in Guyana Guyana Nationwide Issue No. 5030 guyanatimesgy.com

THE BEACON BEACON OF OF TRUTH TRUTH THE

SUNDAY, JUNE 5, 2022

Guyana among countries to benefit from US$9.5M FAO fisheries project

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WHAT'S INSIDE:

Patterson P25 challenges Ramjattan for AFC leadership

Page 9

Taxi driver fakes kidnapping, P26 vendor arrested for selling car

…to improve sustainable fishing, provide new business opportunities Minimum Wage Increase We have no issues President instructs appointing Labour Minister Chancellor, to have wide Chief Justice – Pres Ali Page 10

…says will be done after establishment of service commissions

ExxonMobil contributed $12.2B to state coffers in 2019

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consultations

Page 3

…Guyana Goldfields, Troy Resources contribute over $4B

Woman, 50, dies from P28 COVID; 95 new cases detected High-powered P7 weapons discovered at Reg 7 mining camp 1 injured, 5 homeless P21 following West Berbice fires

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SUNDAY, JUNE 5, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

NEWS

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SUNDAY, JUNE 5, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

BRIDGE OPENINGS

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

Sunday, June 5 – 22:00h – 23:30h and Monday, June 6 – 22:30h – 00:00h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Sunday, June 5 – 07:20h – 08:50h and Monday, June 6 – 08:15h – 09:45h.

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 23 degrees Celsius and 27 degrees Celsius.

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

High Tide: 07:58h and 20:39h reaching maximum heights of 2.33 metres and 2.19 metres.

Low Tide: 14:07h reaching a minimum height of 0.89 metre.

SATURDAY, JUNE 4, 2022

LOTTERY NUMBERS F

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FREE TICKET

6 Bonus Ball

DAILY MILLIONS

01 05 08 09 10 LUCKY 3

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DRAW DE LINE

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PAY DAY

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FRIDAY, JUNE 3, 2022

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

COMMODITIES Indicators

US$

Change %

Crude Oil

$119.72/barrel

+1.76

Rough Rice

$302.99/ton

-0.84

London Sugar

$578.10/ton

+1.01

Live Spot Gold

USD Per Ounce

Bid/Ask

$1851.30

$1852.30

Low/High Change

$1847.10 0.00

$1870.00 0.00%

ExxonMobil contributed $12.2B to state coffers in 2019 …Guyana Goldfields, Troy Resources contribute over $4B

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xxonMobil’s local subsidiary, Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL), contributed over $12 billion to the State coffers in revenue during the 2019 fiscal year, by far the greatest contributing company, according to the latest report published by the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) Guyana.

The report notes that the $12.2 billion in revenue from EEPGL represents a 74 per cent increase in just one year. EEPGL’s contribution to the extractive sector revenues in 2018 was $7 billion.

EEPGL’s 2019 contribution accounted for 18 per cent of Guyana’s total extractive revenues for the year.

Coming in at second was Canadian mining company Guyana Goldfields Incorporated, which contributed $2.8 billion. This was a three per cent increase from the previous year. Pharsalus Gold Incorporated in collaboration with Australian mining company Troy Resources Guyana, came in third with $1.7 billion in extractive industry revenue, representing a 19 per cent increase.

Bosai Minerals Group Guyana meanwhile came in fourth with $843.3 million, a sizeable increase from 2018, when the Bauxite company contributed $21.8 million. The fifth company was gold company

Liza Destiny FPSO, which produces oil for ExxonMobil

Adamantium Goldings, which was recorded as contributing $502.9 million.

Other extractive industry companies, combined, contributed $50.1 billion for 2019. GYEITI noted that all of the revenues were collected and reported by a number of different agencies, including the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA), the Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC) and the Ministry of Finance.

An estimated $68.3 billion in revenues was earned by the Guyana Government from its extractive sectors in 2019. This is a significant increase from 2018 when some $27.6 billion was generated.

A further breakdown shows that of the $68.3 billion earned, $43.3 billion or 63 per cent came from the oil and gas sector. The mining sector accounted for $23 billion or 34 per cent while the forestry and fisheries sectors represented 1 per cent, respectively.

In 2018, the oil and gas sector contributed $7.5 bil-

lion or 27 per cent while the mining sector contributed $18.2 billion or 66 per cent to the $27.6 billion in total earned for that year.

Forestry and fisheries contributed 5 per cent and 2 per cent, respectively.

Since ExxonMobil found crude in commercial quantities offshore in 2015, there have been 31 oil finds to date in the Stabroek Block and an estimated recoverable resource of over 10 billion oil-equivalent barrels. ExxonMobil began producing oil on December 20, 2019, in the Stabroek Block.

The Natural Resources Fund (NRF), where Guyana’s direct earnings from ExxonMobil’s oil production are banked, has already received inflows for at least 10 oil lifts since the oil company started production in the Liza 1 Development. This figure also includes interest earned. It had been announced that the fund had a $150 billion closing balance at the end of March

2022.

Pursuant to Section 16 of the NRF Act 2021, US$200 million (or GY$41.7 billion) was transferred from the NRF to the Consolidated Fund last month, to finance national development priorities.

Revenues from the extractive sectors must be reported to and documented by the GYEITI National Secretariat within the Ministry of Natural Resources. The Secretariat operates under the supervision of the GYEITI MSG and is tasked with carrying out the day-to-day administrative and operational functions for the EITI implementation in the country.

The EITI is a global Standard to promote open and accountable management of natural resources. It seeks to strengthen Government and company systems, inform public debates, and enhance trust.

In each implementing country, it is supported by a Multi-Stakeholder Steering Group (MSG), which comprises Government agencies, extractive companies and civil society organisations working together.

Work on the 2019 report commenced in October 2021 shortly after the appointment of the new MSG on September 20, 2021. As a result of the time lost awaiting the new MSG, Guyana had applied for a five-month extension of the deadline for the report’s completion.

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guyanatimesgy.com

SUNDAY, JUNE 5, 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

An assessment of Guyana’s public debt sustainability

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n a report published by the IEEFA, it is stated that Guyana’s public debt is climbing, implying that the public debt levels would reach unsustainable levels. Yet, the report failed to demonstrate any thorough public debt sustainability analysis to support this wild and careless assertion.

If one were to perform a debt sustainability assessment for the period 2012–2022(F) using the forecasted position for 2022, one would find that total public debt stood at US$1.359 billion in 2012, and increased to US$3.127 billion by the end of 2021, representing an increase of 130% over this ten-year period, or an average annual growth rate of 13%. At the same time, real GDP moved from US$4 billion in 2012 to US$8.3 billion by the end of 2021, representing an increase of 115% over this period, or an annual average growth rate of 11.5%.

During the period 2012–2021, the debt-to-GDP ratio was 34% in 2012, and it decreased below 30% in 2014, and remained below 30% up to 2018. During the period 2018– 2020, the debt-to-GDP ratio reached its highest levels of 37%, 52% and 43% respectively – higher than the period between 2013 and 2017, albeit below the 60% benchmark.

However, by the end of 2021, the debt-to-GDP ratio had declined from its highest level of 52% in 2019 to 36%. In 2022, the debt-to-GDP ratio is forecast to reduce further, from 36% to 28%. This is reflective of prudent debt management, coupled with the expansion of the economy driven by the oil economy and the drawdown from the NRF, thereby reducing the level of borrowing. Moreover, this outturn is indicative of the fiscal space available to support the economy’s aggressive development and expansionary agenda within the framework of a sustainable development model.

Furthermore, the external debt-to-GDP ratio; that is: the foreign-denominated public debt exclusive of domestic debt, represented 34% of GDP in 2012, and this was consistently reduced over the years relative to the growth of GDP, and is now forecasted at 12% of GDP for the fiscal year 2022, based on the projected GDP growth rate of 47% and external borrowings. This is the lowest external debt-to-GDP ratio in eleven years, and it is among the lowest in Latin America and the Caribbean region, if not the lowest in the world.

Having examined the growth of the above indicators for the past eleven years (2012-2022F), the average annual growth in total public debt is 15%; external debt 1%; GDP 20%; and revenue 18%. Clearly, the level of growth in revenue and GDP is greater than the average annual growth rates for total public debt and external debt.

With this in mind, given the low debt-to-GDP ratio, Guyana’s total public debt is well below the minimum sustainable benchmark, which for the debt-to-GDP ratio is 60%, which is considered fiscally sustainable, and this ratio for 2022 is less than 30%.

Fiscal Deficit According to the IMF standard, moderate levels of fiscal deficit relative to GDP are in the region of 3%-10% of GDP. Evidently, Guyana’s fiscal deficit position for the period 2012– 2022(F) is well within this range. For the year 2022, fiscal deficit is forecasted at 3.7% of GDP. The highest fiscal deficits during this period were in the fiscal years 2020 and 2021, and they were 6.04% and 6.74% respectively, still below the 10% benchmark, and were due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. As such, budgets 2020 and 2021 had allocated substantial resources to help cushion the impact and revamp the economy. Therefore, in this situation, this level of fiscal deficit was very necessary and was well justified in the circumstance – while it is worthwhile to note that, even before the crisis, the average fiscal deficit for Latin America and the Caribbean in 2020 was 9% of GDP, according to an Inter-American Development Bank (IADB) report. Moreover, the median fiscal deficit forecasted for the fiscal year 2022 for Latin America and the Caribbean region is around 4.6% of GDP. Hence it is important to highlight that Guyana’s fiscal deficit forecasted for 2022 is well below the regional average, and is well within the minimum sustainable benchmark.

Entry #957 of the Ministry of Tourism, Industry and Commerce’s #snapnshare56 competition. This photo was submitted under the Active exploration/Adventure category by Timothy A. Jewanram and was taken at Lusignan, East Coast Demerara (Photo taken from Facebook of Ministry of Tourism, Industry and Commerce)

Strengthening Guyana’s rising democracy can catapult development, security at home and within the region Dear Editor, Two years onwards from the most flagrant and provocative ‘bright-daylight’ robbery attempts at stealing the right to govern in Guyana, the dawn of a new era emerges! His Excellency, President Dr. Irfaan Ali, and Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo are now supported by a strong ‘One Guyana Team’, providing exemplary leadership in moving the country forward while adrenalising like movements in the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Region.

Thanks to the bold and fearless stand international and Caricom regional leaders took as a collective against this APNU/AFC/PNC malignant tumour, the most significant threat to democracy in Guyana, and destabilisation of the region was rejected and repelled. The gouging process exposed and emphasise the need for internal healing through the corrective strengthening of the democratic pillars at the international, national, and internal community levels.

From the Guyana perspective, the replenishment of the latter is tied to, and built on, the timely cycles of Local Government elections, while the former are orchestrated through the foreign policy framework of forging meaningful partnerships with other states while realising the synergies from trade and other cooperation agreements established.

In addressing the foregoing key components, one must recognise an existing framework in which the many developing countries and countries in transition have, for decades, failed to sufficiently converge on anticipated developmental growth targets of key global and regional agreements. From another perspective, one may argue

that many of these agreements, albeit adjustments, are failing their members. Almost all of the regional, international and even global hemispheric countries in the United Nations are losing their sphere of influence and real purpose in sufficiently protecting the most vulnerable.

Consequently, exogenous factors such as the COVID-19 pandemic and its consequences, the World Climate Crisis, and particularly the Russia /Ukraine war have increased volatility and uncertainty, and demand immediate and meaningful interventions by our leaders to arrest the emerging food security crisis, to ensure our countries, regions and the world become better and safer places to live.

The Guyana-Caricom experience of 2020 confirms the fostering of fair and justified democratic harmony as a key and necessary essential to set the platform for effective cooperation among our sister states. In this regard, the recent GuyanaBarbados partnership and respective Agri-forums exemplify how the region could teamwork to reduce individual investment risks while guaranteeing competitive internal supply and markets.

President Alli’s initiative-driven approach, coupled with incorporation of a timebound implementation schedule, serves to establish a somewhat controlled environment for delivery, chartering a path for the swift removal of burdensome barriers that have long stymied regional progress. It builds on previously advanced opportunities such as the Jagdeo Initiative that our states failed to capitalise on, and the obvious resulting high opportunity costs borne at the individual levels.

The expressions of will and

commitment made at the level of Caricom confirm the breath of fresh air and relief induced to catalyse and optimise results from the slow-paced implementation of the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas.

Notwithstanding other regional leaders, Guyana’s President Ali and Prime Minister Mia Mottley of Barbados have boldly and fearlessly led the way.

It cannot be denied that it was the unity of democratic purpose which harmonised the entire Caribbean and the larger world to return peace and democracy to our land. However, our democracy is certainly pivotal to the further strengthening of Caricom, and today, Caribbean countries are indeed united and working to make this part of the world a better place for our people to live.

With the necessary adjustments, a template for the swift remobilisation of Caricom gains is the new beacon of hope. As this model is operationalised, one must never forget the role of ‘Proletarian Internationalism” and ‘Peaceful Coexistence”. The world desperately needs a New Economic Order, and issues impacting global crises must be confronted peacefully. The region must now move as a collective in advancing the interests of our states at the relevant international and multilateral fora.

Congratulations to President Dr. Irfaan Ali, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo, and all embracing the One Guyana theme.

On the Local Democratic Front, the holding of Local Government Election (LGEs) is the most significant conduit to ensuring local democracy.

While the PPP/C Government is certainly doing a great job to develop the country at the national and international levels,

it is imperative that the various levels of our democracy also be more inclusive. Parallel democratic policies and supporting pillars must be used to uphold and sustain the crest on which we preach. Lest we are bound to fall!

GECOM’s recently concluded continuous registration process was highly successful, and this augurs well for the runoff of LGEs. The togetherness and work done by the GECOM staff, with the political party scrutineers as counterchecks, must be complemented. The results confirm that seventy thousand and sixty-one transactions were completed. These include twenty-one thousand one hundred and twenty-nine, (21,129) persons over 18 years old who were registered. Twenty-eight thousand one hundred and fifty (28,150) persons between the ages of 14 and 17 years who were registered. While there were four thousand, six hundred and twenty-nine (4,629) transfers and six thousand five hundred and thirty (6,530) changes/ corrections. There were also seven thousand six hundred and eighty (7,680) replacements of ID Cards, and one thousand, nine hundred and forty-three (1,943) photo retakes.

With the completion of successful continuous registration, GECOM must work out a proper timeline for the holding of LGEs. The local democracy will give our people at the grassroots levels an opportunity to work together, and strengthen development at the lower level. Our local democracy must be more inclusive, and this will bring tremendous development and build unity as a whole!

Sincerely, Neil Kumar

guyanatimesgy.com

SUNDAY, JUNE 5, 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

Govt’s fish cage initiative is a good one

Dear Editor, The headline that stated “Govt. to roll out fish cage initiative at Mainstay/ Whyaka” caught my attention in a special way. It is about time that ‘cage culture’ becomes normalised in Guyana. I mean, the thing has huge advantages, even though pessimists can pinpoint a few setbacks, even though these are all basically set off by some form of mismanagement.

By way of informing, many types of water resources can be used, including lakes, reservoirs, ponds, strip pits, streams and rivers which could otherwise not be harvested. Also, a relatively low initial investment is required in any existing body of water, and it is a case of harvesting be-

ing simplified, while observation and sampling are easily done. I add that less manpower requirement is a plus, and more can take to this form of earning a living.

Where Guyana is concerned, President Irfaan Ali is confident that the Region Two Village on the Essequibo Coast, Mainstay/ Whyaka, can be a trend-setter. He detailed that the project “could have a profitability of $10M per year.”

And urgency in this is vital, as there is a shortage of fish and fish products both globally and regionally. “So what we want to do is to start the first pilot phase (fish cage project) in Mainstay,” he said.

Lest we opine that President Ali is a dream-

er, I point out that, in many areas of the world, freshwater cage culture comprises a significant proportion of salmonid production.

In Scotland, for example, 14% of the rainbow trout is reared in marine cages, 42% of the trout production comes from freshwater cages, and the remainder comes from freshwater ponds and tanks.

In Finland, about 85% of farmed rainbow trout comes from brackish-water cages, with the remainder coming from freshwater cages.

In general, there has been a recent tendency in many countries to shift trout production from freshwater systems into marine cages.

Guyana must hurry up.

A nice thing to take in is that the President is target-

ing the young people of the village with the project, and he has assured them that it will be owned by them. He explained that the marine cage that the Government is spending millions to set up at Mainstay would be a commercial one, with the aim of producing some 11 metric tons of fish every nine months. This is really big, and the people can expect input from the Government.

In this vein, Mr. Tejnarine Geer, Chief Fisheries Officer at the Ministry of Agriculture, and his technical team will be with the villagers, and according to the President, “… they will be working with you in establishing this project. There will be ongoing testing and looking at

the best possible location.”

In fact, word from the Government team is that, “Once we do this right, based on the numbers we have established, the annual probability could be as much as $10M”.

What I like is that the Government went ahead and set aside some $200M for this project in this year’s budget. And even though many skeptics are still in ‘attack mode’ in terms of marine cage culture, we need to remind ourselves that we cannot sit still and expect to grow. We know that there are large-scale cage cultures going on in China and Thailand, so why not learn from them and make it the norm here?

And that is precisely what is happening, as, accord-

ing to Zulfikar Mustapha, the Minister of Agriculture, Guyana had actually asked China for advice and technical help in setting up the project in Guyana. So, even though “… the fish cage culture has proven to be successful in Asia; (and) it is fairly new in the southern part of the world, where Guyana is located”, only in this part of the world might the technology be new; for us, the Caribbean and South America, but we have to try it before to see how it ‘comes’ (to see if it can make money or not).”

I repeat: Guyana cannot sit and wait. Self-sufficiency is the aim, and overnight success is yet a reality.

Yours truly, H Singh

The remarkable story of Seelall Persaud Dear Editor, Former Commissioner of the Guyana Police Force, Seelall Persaud, opened up about his remarkable journey in law enforcement in his autobiography or memoir, ‘Stepping Out of the Herd: My Life in the Guyana Police Force (2022)’.

The book takes us through the humble life of young Seelall as he was growing up; life in Essequibo; his family life; his ancestors; and his 33.5 years as a law enforcement officer, rising through the Police Force (GPF) ranks to become the top cop; challenges and obstacles faced, including political interference and racism; reforming the GPF, and his forced retirement.

He also gave a brief overview or history of the Police Force (GPF) from its founding in 1838, and how it was used and abused as a force to control the population rather than as an institution for law enforcement. He offers recommendations for reforming the Force, including recruitment, training, promotion, and professionalism.

It is one of the finest books I have read, having found it gripping and quite engaging.

I think it is the first book from a former Guyana Police Commissioner or anyone from the GPF. I have written dozens of book reviews; this one gives me joy in penning it.

I do not hesitate to recommend this book for readership and for research purposes, especially for students and those in academia in the fields of political science and sociology. It should be compulsory reading for all college students, to know about various aspects of Guyana’s history, sociology, and politics.

Politicians should grab a copy and pay heed to the last couple of chapters on reforming the Force.

Persaud makes definitive statements.

The book reveals how Seelall had a dazzling rise through the GPF, and ultimately had a dazzling career, becoming among the most famous Police Commissioners in Guyana’s history. In this vital memoir, Seelall revealed the inside stories of his family, his grandparents, his training as a Police officer, and his Policing career. He shares his candid experiences as a lawman, from recruitment, undergoing training, being forced to consume beef against his cultural and religious upbringing, and his many encounters with criminals, politicians, and ordinary folks.

His professionalism, integrity, and reputation as a no-nonsense officer catapulted him to the position of Police Commissioner.

The son and grandson of farmers, Seelall grew up in rural Essequibo, and also spent time during school breaks on the islands with cousins. He came from very humble beginnings, receiving his primary and secondary education on the Essequibo Coast. He loved cricket.

He told how he lived a life marked by relative poverty and deprivation, and experiencing racism and yet soaring through the GPF ranks.

The book addresses controversial topics and offers insights into the challenges the GPF faces – recruitment training cadets, anti-Indian racism, Police morale, corruption inside the Force, political interference in law enforcement, and so much more.

He sheds light on anti-crime measures, youth programmes to get gangs off the streets, the prison outbreak, and the so-called Buxton Uprising; Fineman Gang, Phantom Gang, and individuals tied to them; Lusignan and Bartica Massacres, the capture of

violent criminals, Roger Khan, drug trafficking, Colombian connection; his training in UK, USA, Brazil; shootouts with violent criminals, corruption among some elements of the Force, declining morale, political directives of the Coalition that compromised his professionalism and that of the Force, and much more.

Seelall was dismayed by the corruption among some Police officers, especially among the old guard, and it is fair to say that the corrupt were upset with him for cracking down on them. He made passing reference to Burnhamism and banning of foods. He gave chilling accounts of terrorist plots against political opponents during the dictatorship, and harassment during the tenure of the Coalition (2015-2018, the year he retired). He describes his experiences with politicians, including President Cheddi Jagan, Bharrat Jagdeo, Donald Ramotar, David Granger, Khemraj Ramjattan, Basil Williams, and Winston Felix.

He also gives accounts of how some of his colleagues undermined him.

Seelall came to be known as a tough leader, a fixer of problems, not afraid to address complex matters. His interest in fighting crime cannot be denied. Although the GPF was politically compromised during the dictatorship, and had a bias toward the PNC, he acted professionally and did not take political sides. He was quite upset when he was told that Police officers were expected to vote PNC, and when instructed how to vote, marked the X next to the PNC palm tree in the December 1985 fraudulent election, witnessed by his commander. He accepted at the time that was the way things were done in the Force.

After working with var-

ious departments within the GPF, including overseeing Intelligence, when he became PC, Seelall tried to transform the force. He tried to slash crime rates and professionalise the vocation of the cop by providing computerised training in filing reports. Zara Realty (Sobhraj family) of NY equipped the Force with a computer training lab. Seelall tried to use computers to revolutionise the Force, especially in reporting and keeping tab of crimes, and to combat crime with modern data-driven policing. Efforts at reform were stymied.

He did not receive support from the then Coalition Administration to modernise and reform the Force.

Seelall’s career has not been without controversy, certainly under the PNC-led Coalition Administration.

There was the crisis of relations between himself and the Coalition, a crisis inflamed by a virtual non-issue relating to then President David Granger. Seelall was sent on leave while an inquiry was launched into why he did not investigate a benign (non-serious, jovial) threat against Granger, which was reported some five months later and which turned out to be bogus after investigation.

It was a plot to get rid of Seelall, hatched by a senior officer. The case against Seelall fell apart, yet he was not kept in his substantive position, and was unjustifiably sent on leave till retirement age.

This is one of the finest autobiographies I have read. It is a frank, forthright, free-spoken, open, plain, straightforward, candid account of the culture of the Police Force and his training and enforcement experience as a Police officer, and how politicians compromise the Force by using it for their

political agendas, rather than for law enforcement.

Seelall’s no-holdsbarred autobiography of his career as a tough, honest Policeman, who rose

from a young farm boy to a cadet to the top cop of the nation, is a must-read.

Yours truly, Vishnu Bisram

Sunday, June 5, 2022

06:00 (Sign on) Jewanram Rel. Hour 07:00 Cartoons 08:00 Shekinah Ministry 08:30 Evening News (RB) 09:30 Fast n Loud S7 E3 10:24 Eco Travellers 11:00 D. Persaud Religious Program 11:30 Prime Series - Blippi’s Educational Adventures for Kids 12:00 Dharmic Ki Awaz 12:30 Movie - Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore (2022) 15:00 Movie - The Winslow Boy (1999) 17:00 Coast Land 17:30 The Healing Touch 18:00 Maths is Fun 18:30 Week-in-Review 19:00 Those People 20:00 NBA Finals Game 2 22:30 Lucifer S2 E8 23:30 Whose Line Is It Anyway? S13 E1 00:00 Sign off

6 FEATURE

SUNDAY, JUNE 5, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

PUPPY AILMENTS

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e have devoted several weeks to providing guidance on the rearing of young puppies that have been orphaned, or whose mothers have died or are not producing milk.

We can now discuss situations which you may have to address with older pups which have not only survived, but which - with good care - will make it to adulthood.

Q: When should I take the pup(s) to the vet?

A: The eyes of the newborn pups should open by 12 to 16 days after birth.

Do not ever try to prise open those closed eyelids.

The pups would need a thorough examination and a deworming at 3 weeks of age, especially if the mother dog had not been dewormed during pregnancy. Actually, if the mother dog had a worm burden throughout her pregnancy, one can be quite sure that the unborn pups would be infected with roundworms

even while they were in the womb.

The vet would deworm the 3-week-old pups.

Q: What else will the vet be looking for?

A: The vet will be seeing the pup(s) for the first time.

He/she would be carefully examining each pup, and then preparing individual clinic cards/electronic records for each animal.

Body functions (defecation, urination, food intake and general behaviour) would be ascertained and noted, and recorded for each pup.

The vet would engage you in a discussion on all aspects of the pup's diet, and provide you with feeding regimen options for the different growth phases.

More specifically, the vet would look for existing hernias (see below), skin ailments, the "Swimmer" syndrome, and undescended testicles (if it is a male pup), etc.

Q: What is a hernia?

A: There are several types of hernias. As an all-encompassing and easily understood definition, I would say that a hernia is simply a rupture. A protrusion of tissue from the abdomen in the navel area is called an Umbilical Hernia. If the protrusion of the tissue is in the groin area, it is termed an Inguinal Hernia. Those are the two types that the vet would primarily be looking for, not only during the examination of the pup at 3 weeks of age, but also later in the animal’s young

life.

Generally, hernias in dogs (pups) are often associated with an incestuous relationship between the mother and father of the pups. Perhaps this is the reason that the pups of roaming stray parents (themselves abandoned) seem to exhibit hernias

and other deficiencies to a larger degree than pups from parents that are unrelated and are far removed from each other.

Q: Will these hernias affect the animal’s well-being later in its life? And what can be done to repair this condition?

A: Yes, both the Umbilical Hernia and Inguinal Hernia are serious and life-threatening conditions. In the case of the Umbilical Hernia, if the orifice is so large that abdominal content is protruding, then surgery is required as soon as possible.

As early as six weeks of age (or even before), your vet will assess the situation

and advise accordingly.

I should add that, quite frequently, the orifice, through which the abdominal content is bulging, closes on its own. If there is no incarceration of the abdominal tissue outside of the animal's body, then surgery may not be necessary.

Again, your vet would give

professional advice.

Q: Can the caregiver strap/ bind the abdominal wall and inguinal area to prevent the protrusion of tissue?

A: This intervention does not help. Please do not pursue the argument that any intervention other than surgery may remove the problem. I can assure you that it is not a difficult surgery, and the success rate is excellent.

If the caregiver has the intention of spaying the pup later on, and if the vet, after taking all other factors into consideration, advises that the two surgeries (spaying and closing of the ring) can be conducted simultaneously, then both can be done at about 3-4 months of age.

Of course, we shall be constantly monitoring the size of the ring and the quantity of abdominal tissue accumulating in the bulge in the interim period.

I would also like to

suggest that, even if the Umbilical/Inguinal Hernia subsides and is reduced considerably, allow your vet to spay/neuter the animal. I mentioned above that these hernias might have a genetic (incestuous) origin. Neither the caregiver nor the vet wants the condition to continue congenitally from generation to generation.

Q: Are there any breeds that are especially prone to Umbilical and Inguinal Hernias?

A: During practice in Europe, at my university's small animal clinic, there seemed to be a preponderance of these hernias in Weimaraners, Airedales and Pointers. I have not noted any distinct preponderance of these types of hernias in the more familiar breeds of dogs that are present in Guyana.

Very rarely do we see cats/ kittens with Umbilical/ Inguinal Hernias.

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Minimum wage increase

President instructs Labour Minister to have wide consultations

E

ven as several civil society bodies are pushing for Government to implement the increase in the national minimum wage, President Dr Irfaan Ali contended that the Labour Minister has to conduct wide consultations before this is done.

The Head of State made this remark to reporters on the sidelines of an event at State House on Friday. He said that Labour Minister Joe Hamilton has been tasked with presenting a holistic paper to Cabinet after consulting with stakeholders.

“The Minister of Labour has been consulting on this issue. He has not brought before Cabinet the full paper to be discussed on this issue.

The private sector had views

President Dr Irfaan Ali

on this issue. We’ve asked the Minister to have wide consultation, bring together the views of everyone and then present a holistic paper. The Minister still has that responsibility to bring a holistic paper [to Cabinet],”

President Ali told reporters.

Shortly after taking office in August 2020, Minister Hamilton had announced the increase of the Private Sector minimum wage to $60,000 from $47,000.

However, while an order to

High-powered weapons discovered at Reg 7 mining camp

P

olice in Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni) on Saturday discovered several high-powered weapons at a mining camp in the district, as they hunt for a suspected criminal.

Police Headquarters said this criminal is suspected to be linked to the discovery of a high-powered Rock River 5.56mm rifle with 27 rounds at Blackwater Backdam on May 31.

Based on information received about the suspect’s whereabouts, ranks went to the mining camp at around 15:00h where they unearthed more high-powered guns.

The camp owner was questioned and revealed that the suspect was at the location the previous night but had already fled the scene by the time the Police arrived.

The camp owner admitted that the suspect had four firearms in a bag which he buried at three different locations.

The camp owner identified the areas to the Police ranks who dug up the earth

The high-powered weapons which were recovered at the mining camp in Region Seven

to uncover a Rock River 5.56mm rifle, a Benelli ARMI rifle, a 13-gauge magnum shotgun, an FN rifle, and 37 .223 rounds of ammunition.

The firearms and ammunition were taken to the Bartica Police Station and lodged. The investigation continues.

this effect was made, there was no timeline set for its enforcement. This was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the impact it has had on businesses.

When the country began opening up last year, these talks resumed. The Labour Minister had been re-engaging the private sector on enforcing these increases.

The public sector minimum wage currently stands at $70,000, and even with this increase for private sector workers, it would still be less. The private sector’s minimum wage was last increased in 2017, from an hourly rate of $202 to $255, taking the monthly wage from $35,000 to $44,200.

Minister Hamilton had previously explained that this increase to $60,000 would only impact about 10 per cent of private sector workers, who are currently being paid below that wage level.

Last year, when Government announced a seven per cent retroactive salary increase for all public sector workers, it sparked conversations about pay in the private sector.

In fact, the Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Guyana (FITUG) had called on private businesses to follow suit in order to attract and retain their workforce.

Labour Minister Joe Hamilton

This call was reiterated last month during the Labour Day March by FITUG President Carvil Duncan who urged the private sector to take the initiative and not wait for the policy to be implemented at the Government level.

“There are some employers who are saying to us, they are willing to pay the $60,000. But at the same time, they need the State to make the pronouncement and make the law. I say to them now, if you have the ability to pay and you are satisfied that your workers are poorly paid, then pay them and don’t wait on nobody. Because it is said, that the private sector is the engine of growth. You have to demonstrate that growth,” Duncan said.

Meanwhile, GAWU

General Secretary Seepaul Narine was also of a similar view when it comes to the time for paying workers an increased minimum wage. He also lauded the Government’s efforts to cushion the cost of living.

“The provision of grants and other direct support to vulnerable groups would have assisted to stem the challenges. We recognise too, fiscal measures to reduce duties payable on important commodities.”

“We had anticipated that by this time that the new minimum wage of $60,000 per month, which enjoys the support of the social partners, would have been implemented. It is our considered view, that it is difficult for any worker to survive on the current minimum wage,” Narine said.

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SUNDAY, JUNE 5, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Hague man nabbed with 76g marijuana

P

olice ranks from Regional Division Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara) on Saturday arrested a labourer after he was found in possession of a quantity of marijuana.

Reports are that around 14:00h, the ranks were patrolling on motorcycles at Vergenoegen, East Bank Essequibo, when they observed a male in an empty lot.

The suspect, a 30-yearold male of Hague, West Coast Demerara, was holding a bulky black plastic bag in his hands and acting in a suspicious manner.

One of the ranks ap-

The marijuana found on the suspect

proached the suspect and identified himself as a Police officer, and then requested to carry out a search on his person.

The suspect dropped the bulky plastic bag at his feet, however, the Police rank managed to take possession of the bag and con-

ducted a search in the presence of the suspect and the other ranks on patrol.

Inside the bag was a sheet of newspaper containing several small transparent zip-lock plastic bags, each filled with a quantity of leaves, seeds and stems suspected to be cannabis.

The labourer was arrested and escorted to the Leonora Police Station.

The suspected cannabis was weighed in his presence and it amounted to 76 grams.

The suspect was placed into custody pending further investigation.

The PNC’s… …goose getting cooked

T

he IMF isn’t known for handing out bouquets… brickbats are more their specialty!! In fact, just ask the leaders of Sri Lanka, whose country’s is presently undergoing their ministrations!! Burnham, forced into their arms by 1980, refused to deal with them, after insisting the initials meant International Mother F***ers!! When Hoyte had to keel over by 1989, their Praetorian Guards descended on him, and left the country pretty much bleeding on the floor. “EMPTY RICE POT” the PPP called their “remedies”!

Formed after WWII by the West to keep the global economy on the straight and narrow, they don’t mess around!!

Anyhow, even if a country isn’t in an IMF programme, they send down a team annually to “examine the books” much like the headquarters of a multinational corporation.

They set criteria to judge the performance of an economy, and when they issue their report, countries take notice -if for nothing else than the world’s bankers look at their reports like parents scrutinising their kids’ report cards!!

And decide whether to take them out of school to work for a living - or remain in school a while longer!

Anyhow, they did visit us, and have just issued their Report. All your Eyewitness will say is, if the PNC were counting on the economy tanking to help them slip back into office in 2025, then they’re gonna have to go back to the drawing board!! Their goose is good and cooked, unless they can put in a thumb and pull out a plum by 2025!! So, what did the IMF Mandarins say?? While they’re known for their kiln-dried prose, your Eyewitness can’t tell it better that they did!

“Staff strongly support the authorities’ efforts to reduce electricity costs, improve transport infrastructure, diversify the economy, improve access to and quality of social services, and advance more broadly towards the Sustainable Development Goals. Staff commend the authorities’ efforts outlined in the Low Carbon Development Strategy 2030 to maintain the country’s forest coverage and address climate change challenges by shifting towards renewable energy sources, while entering the international carbon credits market.

“Staff welcome the recent amendments to the National Resources Fund Act. The recent amendments to the 2019 Natural Resource Fund (NRF) Act set clear ceilings on withdrawals from the Fund for budgetary spending, and promote transparency in the management and use of oil resources. Staff praise the authorities’ thorough review of the 2019 NRF Act before making amendments, and the restraint in using any oil revenues before the passage of the amendments.”

But these fellas being the IMF, they had to find some nit to pick: “While Guyana’s medium-term prospects are favourable, they caution over the pace of public investment.”!! Slow down??! …and the Judiciary Remember when the CCJ gently suggested to the PPP that maybe they should float a balloon or two by the PNC under Granger as to who they wanted as the next GECOM Head?? They obviously didn’t know the PNC in general, or, more particularly, Granger!! They thought a signal from the PNC would make things easier. Granger, of course, interpreted this hint to mean that HE SHOULD BE THE ONE GIVING NAMES TO JAGDEO for himself to pick!! And he then gave that list of six to Jagdeo!!

Well, something similar seems to be playing out with his successor, Aubrey Norton. Invited to discuss the President’s choices for some Constitutional Commissions, he insisted on setting the terms of the engagement - and eventually didn’t show up at a meeting to conclude the consultations.

Don’t the PNC leaders know boundaries? Well…em…NO!!

Out of the blue, Norton proposed his choices for the top judicial posts - and is now kvetching that the President hasn’t responded!!

That’s not chutzpah…but delusion!! …handshake From a pic in the press, it seems Pres Ali and LoO Norton ran into each other at the British HC’s bash for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, and they shook hands.

Norton looked like he was handing a hand of bananas to Ali!!

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

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Guyana among countries to benefit from US$9.5M FAO fisheries project …to improve sustainable fishing, provide new business opportunities

G

uyana is among the three countries in the Caribbean that will be benefitting from a US$9.5 million project being implemented by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations.

The initiative is geared towards building the capacity to fish using a sustainable ecosystem approach.

The other countries slated to benefit are Trinidad and Tobago (T&T) and Suriname.

In a statement, it was explained by the FAO Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean that the Global Environment Facility (GEF) within the United Nations provided grant funding of US$1.7 million for the project.

Additionally, US$7.8 million in co-financing was raised from private and NonGovernmental Organisations (NGOs), bringing the total money invested in the project, which will benefit 12,000 persons in Guyana, Suriname and T&T, to US$9.5 million.

The FAO explained that the project will start in the first quarter of 2023 and last for a period of 48 months. Among its aims are to encourage smallscale fisheries to adopt more sustainable fishing practices through new business opportunities and supporting knowledge management and lesson learning.

The project has already had a preparatory phase workshop which was attended by more than 70 persons representing

fisherfolk, regional fisheries bodies, Government, civil society organisations, private sector and academia.

FAO collaborated with the fisheries agencies in Guyana, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago to host the workshop in April, which among other things, had the objective of presenting a workplan for the project document.

According to FAO Lead Technical Officer for the project, Marcelo Vasconcellos, the initiative aims to advance adoption and implementation of the ecosystem approach to fisheries (EAF) in the shrimp and groundfish fisheries in the North Brazil Shelf Large Marine Ecosystem.

“The countries of Guyana, Suriname, and Trinidad & Tobago will be participating in the project which is intended to improve 5,982,900 hectares of marine habitat, contribute to moving 22,000 tonnes of marine fisheries to more sustainable levels, and benefit 8000 males and 4000 females including fisherfolk, fishing communities, Government agencies, relevant public and private sector, civil society, and academia,” the FAO regional office explained.

On its own, Guyana has already been making significant strides towards improving its fisheries industry. Recently, President Dr Irfaan Ali announced a commercial marine-cage fish farming project in Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), which

would seek to produce 11 metric tonnes of fish every nine months. This would also be a youth-driven project, with the assistance of the Government’s technical officers.

The President also recently announced the roll out of a one-off cash grant to the tune of $150,000, which will go to each of the thousands of registered local fisherfolk, across the country. He explained that this measure this intended as a direct help for those thousands of persons who depend on the fishing industry to sustain them.

Last year, President Ali had declared that his Government would be pursuing an aggressive campaign to dismantle regional barriers to agricultural trade and that in the next four years, with the assistance of boosted production and more diversified crops, Guyana would aim to reduce Caricom’s food import bill by 25 per cent, by 2025. Fishing is categorised as an agricultural sector.

Months after assuming office, President Ali had charged the Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Ministry with assessing and addressing the hurdles related to exporting food and agricultural products to markets within the Region. As such, concerns about barriers to trade in some Caricom markets were raised with the Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED) earlier this year.

The Ministry subsequently formed a National Working

Group on Barriers to Trade against Exports from Guyana.

According to the assessment on market access by the Working

Group, most of the challenges found were related to technical measures, including sanitary and phytosanitary measures. It

also found several technical and administrative regulations that were all hampering the export of Guyanese products.

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SUNDAY, JUNE 5, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

We have no issues appointing Chancellor, Chief Justice – Pres Ali – says will be done after establishment of service commissions

P

President Dr Irfaan Ali

resident Dr Irfaan Ali has stated that he would be engaging the Leader of the Opposition, Aubrey Norton, on the appointments of the Chancellor and Chief Justice (CJ) when the time is right, and after the various service commissions are established.

At a press conference on Monday last, Norton expressed his support for the confirmation of Justice Yonette Cummings-Edwards as Chancellor and Justice Roxane George as Chief Justice. They are currently acting in their respective positions.

“In recognition of the importance and necessity of making permanent appointments to the offices of Chancellor and Chief Justice, we restate our commitment to agreeing to the immediate appointment of Justices Yonette Cummings-Edwards and Roxanne George as the Chancellor and Chief Justice respectively,” the Opposition Leader has stated.

Article 127 (1) of the Constitution of Guyana states: “The Chancellor and the Chief Justice shall each be appointed by the President, acting after obtaining the agreement of the Leader of the Opposition.”

According to President Ali, consultations are cur-

Opposition Leader Aubrey Norton

rently ongoing for the service commissions, after which he would engage the Opposition Leader on the judicial appointments.

“We have no issues appointing (the Chancellor and Chief Justice), but when the right time comes, we will have the consultations on the Chancellor and the Chief Justice. The consultation (with the Opposition Leader so far) was on the Commissions,” the President has said. “The President asked for consultations on those commissions (specifically),” the Head of State told reporters on Friday at State House.

On May 13, President Ali and Opposition Leader Norton met for the first time to consult on the appointments of the various service commissions, including the Judicial Service Commission, Police Service Commission, Teaching Service Commission and the Integrity Commission.

At the time, the two leaders had agreed to consult, in keeping with the Constitution, which stipulates that meaningful consultation be held on the appointments of these Service Commissions.

In fact, Norton had requested additional information on the nominees, and this was provided to him.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 11

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We have no issues appointing...

Shooting themselves (the Opposition) in the foot

I

n a letter to the press, “No country really wants to conclude that it is a Failed State”, Dr David Hinds claims this condition is because “our (ethnicised) politics reflect our lack of a common nationalism”.

David’s statement isn’t merely false; it is “misinformation” that actually endangers Ravi Dev democracy in our country.

By basing his conclusion on a dilemma that was resolved through demographic changes, he refuses to accept the empirical evidence that, as a nation of minorities after 2006, the fatal democratic defect of an ethnic party (the PPP) having a built-in majority was eliminated. The African Security Dilemma of being locked out of power via democratic elections is over.

After observing the change in demographics following the 2006 elections, I engaged in a series of engagements with Eric Phillips, Lincoln Lewis, Freddy Kissoon, Tacuma Ogunseye and David Hinds. I noted in a 2009 article, ‘Ballots not Bullets’: “In the last couple of years, there have been persistent efforts to not only encourage the opposition into the streets to take on an “elected (PPP) dictatorship”, but actually to justify the armed outrages that have scandalised the country and further polarised the society. This approach not only locks out any possibility of exploiting the new opportunities for introducing fluidity into our political system, but, in a society as small as ours, ensures that the old political premises will stultify our politics for another half a century.”

Eric immediately shot back (as the others were to echo): “Neither the PNCR nor AFC, or any combined opposition, will defeat the PPP electorally – at least not in 2011.” This was because, “The sad reality is that the vast majority of PPP supporters will not allow themselves to vote for any other Party… If Indians did not vote for Desmond Hoyte, who was very pro-Indian and who engaged the REFORM to bring about fundamental change in the PNC…, why would they vote for the PNC or AFC now?”

I responded, “Well, for one, time and circumstances have changed, and the opposition could have changed their tactics and strategy to exploit those changes. The fact of the matter is that the opposition do not need “the vast majority of PPP supporters” to vote for them to create seismic changes in 2011. If, as is now most likely, Indians are at most 43% of the population (and if the PPP are getting all their votes from that community, as Mr. Phillips seems to assume), then, theoretically, the opposition do not need a single Indian vote to defeat them….

“The bottom line is that the opposition have not picked up the disaffected Indian voter from the PPP because, possibly like Mr Phillips, they have written them off. This is a grave strategic mistake. An even graver one is to pander to the disillusioned fringe that is clamouring for violence to overthrow the legally elected government of the day. This alienates even moderate voters from other communities.”

A few months later, in ‘Stuck in the past’ (Jan 2010), I advised, “I believe that it is the opposition’s own unwillingness to forge a strategy and build a mobilisation machinery that could deny the PPP a majority, rather than any inbuilt “ethnic censuses” that is keeping the PPP in office. In such a scenario, even if the PPP at best secures the Presidency, they would need opposition support to govern. This could provide the leverage for initiating changes in governance structures, and was the premise of my “Centre Force” proposal in 2005.

“I repeat my position that democracy is strengthened when there is a periodic alternation of governments. The responsibility for assuring this latter eventuality lies with the opposition: it is unrealistic to assume that the government will altruistically fold up their tent or open it to the opposition.

The opposition have to address the concerns, interests and fears of the majority of the citizens more competently than the incumbent government. They cannot blame the incumbent for retaining that majority if they ignore those concerns, disregard those interests, and stoke those fears. I am happy that the organised opposition parties have abjured the extremist rhetoric of Messrs Kissoon and Lewis et al.”

Because of that moderation, there was a “tie” after the polls of 2011, and a change in Government in 2015. The APNU/AFC coalition were ousted in 2020 because they shot themselves in the foot after 2015.

David appears determined to advise more shooting in that direction.

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

However, when the Head of State invited the Opposition Leader last Monday for a second meeting, Norton failed to show, citing that he was busy. As a result, President Ali went ahead and appointed the Police Service Commission and the Integrity Commission the following day, when the members were sworn-in.

Asked about the appointments of the other commissions on Friday, the Guyanese Leader said consultations were completed.

“I have completed consultations on those that were before the process, including the three names for the Teaching Service Commission and one name for the Judicial Service Commission,” the President indicated.

Meanwhile, Norton has since indicated his intention to legally challenge last week’s appointments of the Police Service Commission and the Integrity Service Commission. The Members of the PSC were select-

ed and approved by the National Assembly, and the two leaders were required to meet and appoint a chairman from among the names.

President Ali has criticised Norton’s no-show at the meeting as an act of unwillingness and immaturity, and has made it clear that the country’s development will not be held hostage by political objectives.

“I am pursuing ‘One Guyana’. It is clear to me that those aspirations of mine may not be shared by Mr Norton, because he did not have the dignity, the professionalism, to even respond orally or in writing to an invitation by the Office of the President. If this is the approach of the Leader of the Opposition, I have no problems with that. My approach is to move this country forward. Our approach as a Government is to take this country forward, in keeping with the constitutional requirements, and we will not have those requirements held up or held hos-

tage by political objectives,” the Head of State posited during a live Address to the Nation.

Meanwhile, Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister Anil Nandlall SC, who had accompanied President Ali on both occasions to meet with the Opposition Leader, said during his weekly programme – Issues In The News – on Tuesday that Government cannot wait any longer to make these appointments.

“Judges have to be appointed, teachers have to be promoted, Police (have to be promoted); important decisions have to be made…

We cannot allow Mr Norton to ridicule this process and reduce it to one of the egocentricities that he seems to be engaged in the public domain,” Nandlall stated.

The Attorney General noted that Norton has displayed a lack of understanding of the importance of these appointments, as well as the role of his office, and he has further reas-

FROM PAGE 10

sured that the Government and President Ali have complied with the provisions of the Constitution in relation to the appointments made last Tuesday, and will continue to do so with other similar appointments.

“No one will hold our Government at ransom and try to bully…and behave in any way that is contumacious and contemptuous, either of our Government or the important constitutional processes. That will not be tolerated… Every effort will continue to be made to engage Mr Norton in compliance with the Constitution. Wherever Mr Norton is unwilling to engage, the process will be proceeded with in accordance with the Constitution. The Constitution nor the law will ever contemplate a situation where the entire rule of law will be held to ransom because you have a recalcitrant or delinquent Leader of the Opposition who refuses to consult,” the Legal Affairs Minister has contended.

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14 FEATURE From selling nuts to launching his own transportation firm SUNDAY, JUNE 5, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

…how one man pioneered a thriving business in the NWD

C

lifford Henry, popularly known as “Peanut”, is considered one of the first persons to start a boat transportation service that operates in the North West District (NWD) route, plying the Moruca to Charity route along the Pomeroon River.

After over 20 years of successful operations, this father of five in an interview with Guyana Times shares his story of how he launched a profitable business that has managed to survive the influx of “stiff competition”.

Henry is known for his

broad smile and simplistic banter with passengers – a trait which makes travelling with “Peanut and Sons Speedboat Service” quite a pleasant journey.

In his early teenage years, Henry was exposed to the world of boating through his father who had an 8 HP engine vessel that would travel along the waters of Moruca.

After his father’s boat engine got damaged, Henry started working with other persons in the industry.

Henry recalled that one day, “luck struck” and he

was able to acquire his first engine, a 200 HP one, which gave him his “big break”.

From there, Henry launched his company and started to provide services from Moruca to Charity, and vice versa. This was around 2003.

Henry said at the time, another boat operator called Johnny Henry, also had an interest in the service and the two partnered to set the stage for what would turn out to be a highly competitive daily service offered between the two districts.

“The two of us were like

the first set of people who start the service here at Moruca. Twice weekly, we used to operate…that was on Sunday and Monday and then Thursday and Friday the other week,” he explained.

At the time, the fare to travel as $60 per person.

As the time passed, other persons recognised the profitable nature of the business, and more and more speedboats began to ply the route.

When this happened, Henry said he had to find a way to climb above the competition.

Moruca businessman and speedboat operations pioneer Clifford Henry, called ‘Peanut’

In addition to acquiring more vessels, Henry said he also invested in several cars which allowed him to introduce a better travelling experience.

“We started picking up the passengers from their homes with the cars which we used as taxi,” he explained.

Henry was proud of this strategy, noting that it provided travellers with seamless transportation.

“So, when we pick up five persons with the car, we know for sure our boat has five persons,” Henry remarked, with his signature broad smile across his face.

But these days, the competition is “very stiff”, he lamented.

Nevertheless, Henry said he has taken a backseat in the daily operations while one of his sons now runs the service.

Notable moment

One may think that a speedboat operator’s job is mundane, but Henry has had his fair share of notable moments.

One which he recalled is a horrific incident involving the death of a child sometime in 2010.

According to Henry, one of his boats had struck a piece of wood in the river whilst it was en route to Charity. At the time, a child was sitting next to the boat captain and the engine flipped into the boat as a result of the collision. Henry, who was not on the trip, said that the child was severely injured by the propellor and he died on the spot.

As a result of this tragedy, Henry said he and other boatmen took on the responsibility to clear the Moruca River of mangrove stalks or wood in a bid to avoid such accidents. This exercise, he noted, has been ongoing ever since the accident.

Peanut

Henry is grateful for his successes as a result of the boating industry, noting that it has impacted his life in many positive ways and allowed him to spread that good fortune to others.

In fact, he said as a result of his business, he has successfully raised all five of his children, all of whom completed secondary school while some further pursued education at the university level.

Even though he is no longer as involved in the operations, Henry said he will always have that desire and hunger to provide top-notch services to the travelling public.

With all of these experiences in boating, one would think Henry’s nickname would be related to the industry.

However, he explained that the name “Peanut” stuck with him as a child, when he used to sell peanuts from his parents’ farm.

Henry explained that he used to walk around the community selling the nuts.

“So, it was “Nutman” they use to say and then it ended up being “Peanut”, so it left with me and, well, it is a well-known name now,” the businessman grinned.

Giving back

With all his successes, Henry understands the importance of giving back.

Henry often gives back to the community of Moruca, which is known for its love of cricket, football and volleyball.

In fact, various competitions are hosted throughout the year, especially at Christmastime, or during the Independence Day and Republic Day celebrations.

Henry would often sponsor these events through monetary donations.

In addition, he would provide boats to take teams free of cost to the destinations where sports events are held.

Henry also has another unique way of giving back, and this happens around Christmas. Henry said he would take a note of his regular passengers throughout the year and he would offer them a free ride to and from Charity during the hectic holiday season.

“It is my form of giving back,” the witty businessman said.

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16 FEATURE

SUNDAY, JUNE 5, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Indigenous women empowered to take on leadership role in Amazon conservation S

everal Indigenous women from Guyana who are part of an Amazon-wide fellowship undertaken by Conservation International (CI) across the country, have received critical training which is expected to further enhance their leadership abilities.

Immaculata Casimero – a Wapichan from Aishalton Village, in Region Nine; Caroline Jacobs – a Makushi of Surama Village, also in Region Nine; Esther Marslowe – a Lokono of Santa Cruz Village, Region One; Loretta Fiedtkou – a Lokono of Muritaro

Village, Region 10; and Althea Harding – a Carib of Kwebana Village, Region One have been working around the clock since last August on their individual projects at their respective communities.

During the past week, Conservation International Guyana undertook a capacity-building training which exposed the women to a number of concepts, such as basic training and practical skills in a variety of fields.

These included self-confidence and gender equality and women’s empowerment, leadership, conflict management and negotiation, conservation and climate action (REDD+ and LCDS), Indigenous identity and project management with focus on budgeting and the Excel computer application.

The training was undertaken by mentors Vanda Radzik and Patricia Fredericks, who urged the women to ensure they utilise the knowledge gained as they complete the various stages of their projects which fall under the fellowship.

Executive Director of Conservation International Guyana, Curtis Bernard during the closing of the training session on Friday at the National Toshaos

The Amazon Conservation fellows stand alongside Executive Director of Conservation InternationalGuyana, Curtis Bernard. From left are Althea Harding, Immaculata Casimero, Esther Marslowe and Loretta Fiedtkou. Mentors Vanda Radzik and Patricia Fredericks are in the forefront

Council (NTC) Secretariat on Hadfield Street, Georgetown, urged the women to continue being good leaders within their communities.

He said the fellowship is part of a wider Indigenous programme which seeks to cover stewardship of the Amazon Rainforest. The Government of France, he added, is covering the costs attached to the fellowship as part of climate change mandate.

“So, you are a part of something monumental,” he expressed, noting that the initiative is very special to the conservation body. He

said it is the first time the body has issued individual grants to persons to undertake projects at their respective communities.

He said he noted the impressive progress the women have made in their respective communities, noting that Conservational International Guyana is working to find ways to make a larger impact on the ground and it is looking at ways in which it can further support sustainable development in Guyana.

The Guyanese fellows are part of 150 candidates from other countries within the Amazon basin including

Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Perú and Suriname who are taking part in the fellowship.

In April this year, the Guyanese women travelled to Quito, Ecuador, where they grounded and shared their experiences of their individual project with their peers.

The women have been granted an extension to complete their individual projects by Conservational International Guyana, even as the body prepares to fund another group of fellows who have been selected to undertake projects for a calendar year from 2022.

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ONLY ONE EARTH!

B

illions of US dollars are being spent on exploration within our solar system. The race is on to find out if life can be sustained on other planets. Yet, on our own planetary home, we see and feel the effects of our collective actions on the environment that sustains us: melting of glaciers and deforestation at alarming rates, ocean acidification, unsustainable commercial consumption of wildlife; and the list goes on. While scientific exploration may tell us 20, 30, or 50 years from now that other planets are habitable, we need to think and act as if there is no option B. There is ONLY ONE EARTH! Here are some National Geographic facts that will help you to appreciate our shared home: * With a radius of 3,959 miles, Earth is the fifth largest planet in our solar system, and it’s the only one known for sure to have liquid water on its surface. Earth is also unique in terms of monikers. * Every other solar system planet was named for a Greek or Roman deity, but, for at least a thousand years, some cultures have described our world using the Germanic word “earth,” which means simply “the ground.” * Earth orbits the sun once every 365.25 days. Since our calendar years have only 365 days, we add an extra leap day every four years to account for the difference. * Like Venus and Mars, Earth has mountains, valleys, and volcanoes. But unlike its rocky siblings, almost 70 percent of Earth’s surface is covered in oceans of liquid water that average 2.5 miles deep. * Earth’s crust and upper mantle are divided into massive plates that grind against each other in slow motion. As these plates collide, tear apart, or slide past each other, they give rise to our very active geology. Earthquakes rumble as these plates snag and slip past each other. Many volcanoes form as seafloor crust smashes into, and slides beneath, continental crust. When plates of continental crust collide, mountain ranges such as the Himalaya are pushed toward the skies. * Earth’s atmosphere is 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, and 1% other gases such as carbon dioxide, water vapour, and argon. * The atmosphere not only nourishes life on Earth, but also protects it. It’s so thick that many meteorites burn up from friction before impact, and its gases — such as ozone — block DNA-damaging ultraviolet light from reaching the surface.

Today, as we celebrate World Environment Day under the theme “Only One Earth”, we are reminded that the stakes have never been higher. The slogan calls on us humans to “live sustainably in harmony with nature”, a mantra that should be a part of our daily existence.

While our individual consumption choices do make a difference, it is collective action that would create the transformative environmental change we need, so we can advance to a more sustainable and just Earth, where everyone can flourish.

Parents, please visit https://www.prodigygame.com/main-en/ blog/earth-day-activities-for-kids/ to do fun activities with your children, in order to encourage them to appreciate and care for the Earth.

Sources

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/earth https://www.worldenvironmentday.global/overview You can share your ideas and questions by sending letters to: “Our Earth, Our Environment”, C/O Communications, 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

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NEWS

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1 injured, 5 homeless following West Berbice fires

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ne person has been injured while five have been rendered homeless following two fires which erupted at separate locations along the West Coast of Berbice (WCB) on Friday.

One of the fires destroyed a building at Number 41 Village, while the other gutted a house at Number 9 Village.

According to Divisional Fire Officer Floyd McDonald, one of the fires is electrical in nature, while the other has resulted from a child playing with matches.

Reports are that shortly after 16:00h on Friday, smoke was seen coming from a section of a building at Number 41 Village.

McDonald said 29-year-old Leon Omar, a father, received first-degree burns as a result of that fire. The farmer had reportedly gone

Injured: Leon Omar

into the burning building to save valuables, but was repelled by the heat, resulting in him receiving the injuries.

He was taken to the Fort

Wellington Hospital, where he was admitted a patient.

McDonald said a child was playing with matches, and the flame ignited com-

bustible material which caused the fire to eventually spread throughout the one-storey wooden building.

The building and its contents were completely destroyed.

The injured man’s father, Reggie Khumchand, told this publication that he was not at home, but he saw smoke emanating from the building.

According to the labourer, the fire was seen coming from the kitchen area, and it quickly engulfed the single flat building.

“I don’t know if it is the points; the electrical points that you push in the phone charger, and they left it plugged in. I can’t tell you.

But that is right where we see everything coming from.”

The fire has left Khumchand, his son, daughter-in-law, and their two children aged 6 and 1, home-

less.

According to the labourer, at the time of the fire, the six-year-old was in the yard and his mother was under the house. The one-year-old was the only person in the building. As such, he is debunking reports that the fire was started as a result of the children playing with matches.

Reports are that after an alarm was raised, a child who lived next door went into the building and removed the infant.

The family was unable to save anything. In fact, the family slept at a brother’s house on the night of the fire, but they are uncertain of the future.

“He is in the US, but I don’t know how long I will be able to stay there,” Khumchand pointed out.

According to him, the building was rebuilt about

four years ago at a cost of $2M. He estimates that another million dollars were destroyed in household articles.

He is seeking assistance to ‘get back on his feet’, and is reaching out to the corporate society. He can be contacted on telephone number 232-3113.

Meanwhile, at Number 9 Village, neighbours formed a bucket brigade and were able to extinguish a midday fire.

Household items were damaged, but villagers were able to save the building from total destruction. All three of the occupants were out at the time.

When the Fire Service arrived on the scene, the fire was already extinguished.

According to McDonald, initial investigations gave the cause of the fire as electrical.

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SUNDAY, JUNE 5, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Indian Heritage Month Exhibition

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Rumal being tied

he Guyanese of Indian Ancestry Association (GIAA) recently held a very well-received “Indian Heritage Exhibition” on May 27 to 31 at Texila American University at Providence, East Bank Demerara (EBD), as part of their observance of Indian Heritage Month.

For the entire month, the organisation had published a daily feature in Guyana Times that illustrated thirty-one themes on what they declared to be “Girmitiya Indian Heritage” from India to Guyana.

Now that the organisers have had time to relax after their obvious exertions, this newspaper interviewed the President Khandai Seenanan (KS) and Secretary Sorojini Mohabir (SM) about their exhibition.

Guyana Times (GT):

First let us ask GIAA, what is Indian Heritage Month?

KS: GIAA has been around since 2017 following the commemoration of the Abolition of Indian Indentureship in March of that year. Then we organised a grand Mela for Indian Arrival Day at the Leonora National Track on West Coast Demerara that attracted thousands from across the region. In the following year, we broadened our horizons to encompass a wider range of activities during the month because we found that many Guyanese, even those of Indian Heritage, were not aware of their history.

SM: Yes. Especially the youths who are only exposed to what is on social media and movies, with them there is no awareness of the condi-

Books, boat and other items on display

Cooking utensils on display

tions under which their ancestors were brought here and the contributions they made to their country’s development. We conducted several heritage camps and also some sports activities.

GT: Tell us a bit more of the Heritage Exhibition.

KS: Well, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, our activities were curtailed since 2020 and even this year there were challenges since many were unsure of the protocols. The major focus of the exhibition was information on our Indian Guyanese Heritage. The plan was to use the daily “factoids” on our heritage published in the Guyana Times – and written by our group’s mentor, Mr Ravi Dev – as the core. Each day’s contribution, such as, for example, “The Journey across Kala

GT: We saw some clothes and food also.

SM: Well, most people think of Indian clothes when they think of “heritage” but the actual clothes worn by our ancestors when they came were very different and gradually, they evolved unique styles of dress. The rumal or Madrass woven headdress, for example, has now almost disappeared and all that we have now are the Bollywood-style clothes that have come with the movies.

KS: The food we brought were very simple since our ancestors were recruited from the farming sector for agricultural labour. Dhal, rice, roti and cooked vegetables like bigan, bora and lauki (squash) were staples and remain so in many homes.

Interestingly these are now considered a very balanced

Pani” was blown up to poster size and these were mounted to be exhibited.

SM: In addition to the information summarised on the posters, we also exhibited artefacts that our ancestors brought with them. Most important to them were what they felt were necessary for survival - cooking utensils!! The “Taawah” or cast-iron griddle, for instance was essential for cooking roti which is an integral part of their diet.

Many persons do not realise that they also brought many seeds that were important not only for agriculture, such as mangoes and paddy, but also for worship such as “Tulsi “and “Madaar”. The Holy books of the Quaran and Ramcharitmanas of Tulsidas were also brought.

meal with protein, carbohydrates, green vegetables.

Sweets like pera made from sugar and milk were also popular.

GT: Any closing words?

KS: We would like to thank those who assisted with the Exhibition. Mr Ravi Dev for writing the articles, Texila University for hosting the exhibition, Mr Chris Persaud and the Indian High Commission for assisting with the costs of creating the posters, Krishna Balram Printers/TP Image and Ms Ryhaan Shah for the mannequin to display the clothes.

SM: GIAA would like to say to all Guyanese that we must be knowledgeable and proud of our heritages since they all help to make up this wonderful mosaic called “One Guyana”.

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NEWS

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Patterson challenges Ramjattan for AFC leadership

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eneral Secretary of the Alliance For Change (AFC) David Patterson will be competing against incumbent party leader Khemraj Ramjattan for the top position at the upcoming National Executive Conference (NEC) on June 11.

Patterson, who has been a member of the AFC since its formation in 2005, said he is “quite pleased and honoured” to be nominated for this position. Ramjattan, who is also a party co-founder, was also nominated to return as leader.

In an interview with this publication on Saturday, Patterson said if elected, he has “several plans which I will implement”, noting that details of such will be made available next week.

Among these plans, he explained, are on how to improve the AFC’s representation and to strengthen its party structures.

In fact, Patterson said one of the main issues the party needs to address is its physical outreaches across the country, noting that these were affected as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Asked if there is any particular weakness within the party he would

Incumbent AFC leader Khemraj Ramjattan (left) and incumbent AFC GS David Patterson will face off for the leadership of the party

like to address as leader, Patterson said the AFC has “acknowledged” that it is in the Opposition and therefore, would work on not only improving its role as an opposition force but also on regaining power.

There have been rumours that at its upcoming NEC, the AFC will discuss the possibility of parting ways from its coalition partner, the PNC-led APNU, which it had joined forces with in 2015 to win that year’s national election.

Asked to comment on this, Patterson indicated that at the NEC, all members will give their input on the party’s way forward. “How best they see the AFC in the next two years,” he explained.

He added that this is noted limited to the party’s relationship within the co-

alition but other issues such as more youth memberships and policy areas.

“I’m sure that discussions will come up, how to lend our support in strengthening coalition politics because we are in a coalition…[but] it’s not a question of simply concentrating on coalition,” Patterson explained.

Meanwhile, four persons were nominated for chairmanship of the AFC. They are Members of Parliament (MPs) Ramjattan, Cathy Hughes, Sherod Duncan and Juretha Fernandes.

Among those nominated for Vice Chair are MPs Ricky Ramsaroop, Devin Sears, Valerie GarridoLowe, Duncan, Hughes and Fernandes.

When it comes to the nominations for General Secretary, Duncan,

Hughes, Fernandes, Ramsaroop, Ramjattan, Neilson McKenzie and Michael Carrington were nominated.

Additionally, 55 members are competing for the 12 seats on the NEC. The AFC said its NEC will see 285 delegates representing the ten regions in Guyana, the USA, Canada, UK, the Caribbean, the Women for Change (WFC) and the Youth For Change (YFC) in attendance and participating. Fifty observers will also attend.

Young blood

Moreover, this publication also spoke to two of the younger members of the party who are up for executive positions.

Fernandes, who also serves as a member of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), expressed thanks to those who nominated her.

“I’m very thankful for the confidence that persons have put forward in me by the nominations, very humbling to say the least. A lot of work to be done, as we move into the National Conference. But more importantly, a lot of work to be done moving forward. So, we’re going to put our best foot forward to make sure the AFC comes out of it altogether strong,”

AFC MP Devin Sears

Fernandes said.

Sears, another young member, noted that while he is honoured by his nomination as Vice Chair of the party, his eyes are also set on being elected to the executive committee. This, he noted, is something he and his team are working towards.

“I’m actually honoured.

I think I got nominated for Vice Chair from Region Six. But as it is right now, I’m (also) interested in being a National Executive member. That’s what I’m interested in at this time…

AFC MP Juretha Fernandes

I have a team that is working, reaching out to all the delegates and chapters,” Sears explained.

The NEC is the highest decision-making forum of that party, and in it delegates vote for persons to fill the executive positions of Leader, Chairman, Deputy Chairman, General Secretary, and Treasurer.

This is in addition to the election of ten members to represent the 10 administrative regions of Guyana, and four members to represent the diaspora.

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SUNDAY, JUNE 5, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Taxi driver fakes kidnapping, vendor arrested for selling car A taxi driver, whose car was stolen after he used cocaine and fell asleep at a “drug yard” on the East Bank of Demerara, has been arrested for faking his kidnapping.

Keshan Bhola, a 30-yearold taxi driver of Section C Block Y Golden Grove, EBD, is said to be a habitual cocaine user, the Police said.

They added that he would often visit the “drug yard” located at Grove, EBD. According to the Police, the man went to the Madewini Police Station at about 07:00h on Friday, where he reported that he was abducted and robbed of his motor car, HD 2794, by two males and a female on Sunday, May 29.

However, during an interview conducted by investigators, Bhola recanted his false report to the Police. “…he claimed that he went to a ‘gamble shop’ in Grove with his motor car #HD 2794 where he used co-

Keshan Bhola who faked his kidnapping

caine, and drank beers then fell asleep with the sensor (key) on his pants waist.

When he finally woke up, he realised that the sensor (key) for his car was missing, as well as his vehicle,” a Police report detailed.

Bhola further told investigators that he asked around and was told that the shop owner and another male, who is known to him by being in the said “drug

yard”, were the ones who removed the car key and vehicle.

However, further investigations were conducted on Friday during which Bhola revealed that he conspired with another person to concoct the kidnapping story.

“On Sunday 29, May 2022 at about 22:00 hours, Bhola said he went to the drugs yard and used cocaine which led him to conspire

with a 45-year-old vendor of Grove,” the Police said.

Detectives contacted the vendor in question, who was arrested and interviewed at CID Headquarters, and it was revealed that he sold the car to a named individual, who is currently being pursued by the Police.

This individual has not been located as yet but Police are said to be closing in on him as investigations continue.

This is the fifth case of fake kidnapping within the past three months.

The most recent case occurred last month, where a 23-year-old taxi driver faked his kidnapping to allegedly pay for a quantity of ganja he had abandoned.

The man had reportedly run away from cops in Region Five (MahaicaBerbice) and abandoned his car which contained a large amount of marijuana. The incident occurred on April 22.

At the time the cannabis was found, the man was allegedly transporting the drug for another person. The man’s vehicle was stopped and searched by Police ranks and the drug was discovered.

Upon seeing this, the man buckled from the scene and the Police said, “the person he was transporting the cannabis for demanded that he (the taxi driver) paid him $1 million for his losses”.

This caused the taxi driver to allegedly conspire with others to fake his kidnapping.

It was also reported that the man’s 21-year-old fiancée went to the Police and reported that her partner left home to drop off a passenger in Georgetown. The passenger, Police said, is known to her.

The woman said she called her fiancé and he told her that he was at Weldaad, West Coast Berbice, and

had to turn back to make a pick up at Bath Settlement.

That was the last she heard from him.

Sometime later her landline phone rang and a male voice at the other end told her that he had narcotics in her fiancé’s car and he wanted $1 million for it. She said she was also threatened that if she did not pay the money, “she will find his body at the road corner”.

She later checked her phone and saw a number of photographs of her fiancé on a bed with his hands and feet tied up with a yellow rope. The photos were sent to her from her fiancé’s phone.

She also received some text messages demanding $500,000. She told investigators she was also warned against making contact with the Police or it would be worse.

It is still unclear if the man was ever caught and arrested by Police.

NEWS

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SUNDAY, JUNE 5, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Education Ministry continues consultations on improving education sector

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he Ministry of Education has once again engaged with stakeholders to solicit their views on how to improve the country’s education sector.

Speaking during the recent exercise held at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre, Education Minister Priya Manickchand underscored the importance of this undertaking, especially coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“This is important for us.

While this consultation is framed in a worldwide movement right now, so UN countries are currently, and some

Chief Education Officer Dr Marcel Hutson

have finished, engaged in consulting in and around on

how to recover from COVID and how we could reimagine education, generally. This, for us, is a process that is not foreign.

“In getting to our strategic plan we had massive consultations across the country with different interest groups and that is the same thing we want to do to arrive at this particular plan where we’ll have an outcome,” Manickchand said during her presentation at the consultation.

Manickchand expressed that COVID taught the world that no education system was resilient enough to

withstand the impact of such a pandemic.

“I think, the consensus was there around the world that we weren’t meeting needs and that we had become too ensconced in doing things traditionally in the same way. And then came COVID. And if we were ever unsure about whether our systems were resilient and whether we could deliver education in varied ways, we learnt as a world that nobody was ready,” the Education Minister stated.

Meanwhile, Chief Education Officer, Dr Marcel Hutson said that innova-

Education Minister Priya Manickchand

tion and creativity must be brought into focus if the sec-

tor is to be transformed.

“I wish to say this, transformation and change are not synonymous. Some people use them, the terms, synonymously, but they’re not.

Anything that changes can change back. When something is transformed, it cannot change back, it cannot.

It will not because it has gone through a process that will not allow it to reverse.

And I think that is the focus we’re looking at. So, for us to achieve that, innovation and creativity must be brought sharply into focus which we’re going to do that,” Dr Hutson said.

WCD deadly bee attack…

Residents had complained of killer bees’ presence to authorities the Agriculture Ministry would use the remainder of this month to collect the names of active fishers and

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ne month ago, before a deadly bee attack in the area, fishermen along the West Coast of Berbice, Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice), had reported to authorities the presence of the killer bees at Onverwagt.

On Thursday, 71-yearold Winston Rigby, a fisherman of Number 41 Village, WCB, was killed and seven others were injured after they were attacked by a swarm of bees while they were walking out from a dam onto the public road.

This is not the first time that this same group of fishermen was attacked by the bees. The men were previously attacked on Mother’s Day, and the matter was reported to the Neighbourhood Democratic Council and the Regional Democratic Council.

William Rigby, brother of the late Winston Rigby, said the authorities had subsequently informed the men that specialists were sent to “catch the bees”, but the insects were not located.

As such, Rigby said, he had set out to locate the hive, and when he did, he marked the area, which

was along the very dam.

His plan was to lead authorities to the location, but before he could, infrastructural works took place, and his marking was bulldozed.

Since then, no other efforts were made to track down the bees and address the situation.

The late Winston Rigby had been a father of four and a sibling of 20. The man had lived alone following the demise of his wife just under a year ago. He had worked as a fisherman for more than 50 years.

At the time of the deadly bee attack, the group of fishermen was heading to meet with an officer from the Fisheries Department concerning Government’s announcement of $150,000 one-off cash grant for persons in the industry. The grant is being given to fishers to help cushion the negative impact of low catches that deep-sea fishers have been experiencing over the past two years. The grant also seeks to assist persons operating in that area of the agriculture sector with the rising cost of equipment.

Vice President Dr Bharrat Jagdeo has said

to verify that they are indeed fishers.

Meanwhile, those fishers who operate from the

Onverwagt foreshore met with Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha on Saturday. They have been

assured that once they are legitimate fishmen, they would receive the $150,000 grant.

28 NEWS Woman, 50, dies from COVID; 95 new cases detected SUNDAY, JUNE 5, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

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he country’s novel coronavirus death toll has risen to 1238 following the death of a 50-year-old woman who was infected with COVID-19.

The woman, who hailed from Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica), was partially vaccinated. She died on Saturday, June 3, according to the Ministry of Health.

Meanwhile, the country has also seen an increase in its active cases, which went up to 885 on Saturday after 95 new infections were recorded within the last 24 hours.

This now takes the total positive cases detected to date to 65,243. There is currently one patient in the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit (ICU), 28 oth-

DISTRIBUTION OF TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES SINCE MARCH 2020 REGION 1

2529

REGION 2

2621

REGION 3

8242

REGION 4

32,461

REGION 5

2435

REGION 6

6042

REGION 7

2445

REGION 8

886

REGION 9

4059

REGION 10

3523

ers in institutional isolation and a whopping 856 persons in home isolation.

Another 10 persons are also in institutional quarantine.

To date, a total of 63,120 individuals who were infected with the virus have recovered.

Since the outbreak of the novel coronavirus in Guyana over two years ago, a total 636,238 tests have been conducted countrywide and of this, some 30,004 males and 35,239 females were found to be positive.

Of the 95 new cases recorded on Saturday, three were from Region One (Barima-Waini), 11 cases from Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), 15 cases from Region Three (Essequibo IslandsWest Demerara), a whopping 55 cases from the Demerara-Mahaica region, one more from Region Five (MahaicaBerbice), two other cas-

GUYANA COVID-19 DASHBOARD JUNE 4, 2022 UPDATE

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

Keep a physical distance of at least 6 feet.

Wash your hands or use handsanitizer If you have any symptoms, call the COVID-19 Hotline. es from Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) and the remaining eight cases from Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni).

There were no new cas-

NUMBER OF NEW CASES

95

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN INSTITUTIONAL ISOLATION

28

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN HOME ISOLATION

856

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN COVID-19 ICU

1

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN INSTITUTIONAL QUARANTINE

10

TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES BY GENDER (FEMALES)

35,239

TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES BY GENDER (MALES)

30,004

TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES IN GUYANA SINCE 2020

65,243

NUMBER OF RECOVERED CASES

63,120

TOTAL 1st DOSE VACCINATED

440,628

FULLY IMMUNISED

339,960

TOTAL NUMBER OF DEATHS

es recorded in the other three regions within the reporting 24-hour period.

Earlier this month, health authorities attributed this rapid increase in COVID-19 cases to the BA.2 subvariant of the Omicron strain here.

After a prolonged period of declining cases, the Guyana Government, back in March, removed most restrictions as the country moves to recover from the pandemic and return to normalcy.

But while mandates such as masking in public and social distancing are no longer in place, health authorities are still encouraging persons to get vaccinated, and for those who are qualified to get their booster shots, in order to add a layer of protection against the virus.

Vaccination statistics for adults reflect 442,395 first doses, or 86.2 per

1238

cent. Second doses are at 342,021 doses, or 66.7 per cent. For the 12 to 17 category, 34,726 first doses, or 46.7 per cent, have been administered, along with 25,451 second doses, or 34.9 per cent.

These vaccination numbers have been largely stagnant within the past weeks, as authorities continue to implore with Guyanese to get boosted.

According to the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) recent figures, some 528,816,317 confirmed cases were reported globally along with 6,294,969 deaths.

In the Region of the Americas, that is, Latin America and the Caribbean, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases has increased to 157,725,452 while the death toll in the Region has gone up to 2,744,395.

Police probing death of pensioner in cemetery

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olice have launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death of a 76-year-old man whose body was found at the Logwood Enmore Cemetery at around 07:30h on Saturday.

The dead man has been identified as Compton Lawrence who resided at Logwood Enmore, East Coast Demerara. He was last seen alive on Thursday at around 13:00h.

The man was reportedly in the cemetery con-

suming alcohol. A resident reported to Police that he was passing by the cemetery when he observed the man’s body lying face down between two tombs.

“The body was examined and what appears to be bruises were seen about his face,” Police explained in a statement.

Several persons were questioned in the area but no additional information was received.

Investigations are ongoing.

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Former Top Cop, Seelall Persaud releases autobiography …narrates Guyana’s turbulent political history, crime wave period …Attorney General hails book as unprecedented, valuable

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eelall Persaud, DSM, who retired as Commissioner of Police in 2018, has written an autobiography in which he, among other things, chronicled his life in the Guyana Police Force (GPF) where he served for in excess of three decades.

He served as the Top Cop from 2014-2018 under the presidencies of PPP/C’s Donald Ramotar and APNU/ AFC’s David Granger.

Persaud, who was born in the former British colony, hails from the Cinderella county of Essequibo. He enlisted in the GPF on October 15, 1984. He was the country’s eleventh Police Commissioner.

Persaud is a highly qualified man, having pursued academic studies in the areas of international relations, public management, and security. He is the holder of a Master of Business Administration (MBA), a graduate diploma in international studies and a certificate from Harvard Kennedy School for senior executives in national and international studies. He is currently employed in the public service.

The book titled “Stepping Out of the Herd: My life in the Guyana Police Force”, which consists of 12 chapters, was formally launched on Friday at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC) Liliendaal, Greater Georgetown.

Besides narrating his successful career in law enforcement, Persaud also wrote about Guyana’s turbulent political history, and about how Senior Police officers were subjected to political directives, setting out whose interest the Police Force was designed to serve at varying periods and what impact it had on society.

He also give insight into the many cases he investigated during the country’s crime wave period from 2002 to 2009 including the notorious Rondell “Fine Man” Rawlins gang, drug lord Roger Khan, former Guyana Defence Force (GDF) officer turned seasonal criminal Lindon “Blackie” London, the Agricola, East Bank Demerara (EBD) and Lusignan, East Coast Demerara (ECD) massacres, the phantom squad, the unsolved murder of former Agriculture Minister Satyadeow Persaud and the disappearance of three dozen AK 47 rifles from the Police Force.

Persaud, who achieved his first promotion to cadet in the 1990s in the Standard Officer’s Course, also gave several recommendations in his book for the reforming of the Police Force.

Former Police Commissioner Seelall Persaud signs his newly-released book as Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister Anil Nandlall looks on

Among them, is better remuneration for Police ranks, as he believes without this, they will be susceptible to corrupt activities. He also recommended that more qualified ranks be recruited into the organisation which has been in existence for more than a century.

Attorney General Anil Nandlall, SC, who delivered the feature address, assured that the Government will review Seelall’s recommendations as it seeks to create fair and effective policing practises.

Nandlall described the book as “unprecedented and valuable”, noting that it is the first time a former Top Cop has written such a book.

“For the first time, a Police officer who would have been on the scene, who would have been involved, who would have had first-hand knowledge of a lot of events, a lot of violent episodes that took place in this country, and we now have a narrative coming from almost an eyewitness, and investigator…” said Nandlall as he pointed out that Persaud is the second Police Commissioner of East Indian ancestry.

The book, Nandlall said, confronts in a very real and frank manner many subjects that have been swept under the carpet, and many incidents that we do not wish to talk about.

While there are writings about these issues by academics, Commissions of Inquiry (CoIs) and journalists, Nandlall said that these reports are radically different from what Persaud presents in his book, describing them as “ex post-facto examination”.

He said that the former Police Commissioner displayed perseverance throughout his Police career, having come from a poor background and being able to rise all the way to the helm of the Police Force.

Importantly, the Attorney General pointed out that, in the book, Persaud repeatedly makes the connection between politics and criminality in Guyana. He added, “This is something I have been saying… The strong connection between criminality and politics…”

According to him, the book deals candidly with how policing was approached under the APNU/ AFC Government as compared to the previous PPP/C Administration. Nandlall said, too, that Persaud further documents about how he was escorted into the polling station during the 1985 elections and told to “mark his x next to the

palm tree”.

“This book is very, very valuable. The book is going to be a remarkable addition for literature, for history and it will shed light on many areas that we lack information on, or we have wrong information on. And it will also put out there once more, many of the conclusions that have been put out, many inferences that have been drawn,” he said as he encouraged people to read the book.

He said that there are many good recommendations in the book that the Government will review.

Meanwhile, Persaud explained that after his retirement, his mind could

not retire into idleness, and as such he decided to write the book. He shared that in 2019 with significant free time on hand, he realised that he was not done with public service and embarked on writing.

“I decided to write about the Guyana Police Force to give a better understanding of the organisation in a way that can provide a basis for discussions on improving its efficiency and effectiveness in the future.

I was cognisant that the Police Force operated under the principles of monopoly, isolation and secrecy. And therefore, while there were public comments on deliverables, the dynamics of the system and culture were to a large extent misunderstood or unknown,” he said.

According to the former Police Commissioner, he was motivated by the belief that information and knowledge he acquired over his years of service can make a difference in policing services in the country.

He explained that as he began his research, he became convinced that his experiences will be significantly useful in enhancing and understanding the system, weaknesses, culture stereotypes, biases, control mechanisms, accountability and other things.

Persaud shared that his time in the Police Force was

a period of self-development from which youths can benefit from.

The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Shalimar Ali-Hack, SC, told the gathering that Persaud always displayed attributes of a good Police officer, so it was no surprise when he was appointed Top Cop. She noted that his many quality investigations yielded convictions. Besides seeking advice from the DPP’s Chambers on Police investigations, Persaud also sought help with his University of Guyana (UG) assignments, the DPP added.

UG’s Deputy Vice Chancellor, Dr Emmanuel Cummings advocated for Persaud’s book to be part of the libraries of universities in the Caribbean. He believes it will be beneficial to those studying law, Caribbean/political history as it is well-researched.

Also present at the launching were former President Donald Ramotar, Natural Resources Minister Vickram Bharrat, Education Minister Priya Manickchand, several senior Police officers, High Court Judge Navindra Singh, Magistrates, Private Sector Commission (PSC) Chairman Paul Cheong, Persaud’s wife and children and other well-wishers.

30

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

SUNDAY, JUNE 5, 2022

helped West Indies complete a 3-0 whitewash of Netherlands at Amstelveen; where they won the final ODI despite a strong reply from Netherlands, who were in the chase of 309 for about 40 overs, thanks to half-centuries from Vikramjit Singh and Max O’Dowd.

Netherlands began slowly, but Vikramjit took on Mayers in the 7th over, and subsequently found boundaries more often. Dropped

M

Akeal Hosein bagged 2 wickets, and was also named “player of the series” for his 8 wickets

aiden ODI hundreds from Kyle Mayers and Shamarh Brooks, along with crucial strikes from Hayden Walsh and Akeal Hosein,

Shamarh Brooks remained unbeaten on 101

Kyle Mayers blasted 120

West Indies captain Nicholas Pooran celebrated with his wife Alyssa

on 33 by Brooks in the 10th over, Vickramjit helped himself to three more fours, before Mayers had the last laugh by having Vikramjit play one onto the stumps right after the drinks break, when he departed for 54.

Musa Ahmed then took over the scoring to allow O’Dowd, who looked to play through, to consolidate. The first ten overs of their partnership had only three fours, but they rotated the strike well to keep the run rate at more than five. Though Bas de Leede’s 24-ball 25 allowed O’Dowd to play himself in despite slowing down a touch, the asking rate for Netherlands had climbed over six. After Walsh got the better of Musa in the 30th over, de Leede and O’Dowd ensured that the hosts kept the asking rate under eight, till the 37th over.

Hosein then bowled a wicketmaiden in which he dismissed de Leede, and that shot the required rate up from 7.92 to 8.58.

Despite the downturn at the other end, O’Dowd took the game deep. He was unfazed by a couple

SCOREBOARD WEST INDIES INNINGS (50 overs maximum) Shai Hope † c Kingma b de Leede 24 Kyle Mayers c de Leede b Klein 120 Shamarh Brooks not out 101 Nicholas Pooran (c) lbw b Dutt 7 Brandon King c †Edwards b van Beek 10 Akeal Hosein c Musa Ahmed b Kingma 3 Nkrumah Bonner not out 19 Extras (lb 4, nb 4, w 16) 24 TOTAL 50 Ov (RR: 6.16) 308/5 Did not bat: Keacy Carty, Hayden Walsh, Shermon Lewis, Jayden Seales Fall of wickets: 1-58 (Shai Hope, 11.3 ov), 2-242 (Kyle Mayers, 40.2 ov), 3-251 (Nicholas Pooran, 41.5 ov), 4-267 (Brandon King, 44.4 ov), 5-274 (Akeal Hosein, 45.6 ov) BOWLING O-M-R-W Logan van Beek 10-1-58-1 Vivian Kingma 9-0-66-1 Ryan Klein 8-0-52-1 Bas de Leede 5-1-34-1 Aryan Dutt 10-1-44-1 Pieter Seelaar 8-0-50-0 NETHERLANDS INNINGS (Target: 309 runs from 50 overs) Vikramjit Singh b Mayers 54 Max O’Dowd b Hosein 89

of economical overs, and found a boundary an over from the 41st to the 43rd, when he chopped on to his stumps off Hosein.

West Indies then managed to get three boundary-free overs while picking up the wickets of Scott Edwards and Teja Nidamanuru. Pieter Seelaar scored back-to-back fours towards the end, but with 60 needed off the last five, the demand was too high.

Shermon Lewis then knocked off Seelaar and the tailenders in his last over, which was the game’s last as well, to earn himself figures of 3 for 67, after being expensive.

Earlier in the day, Mayers had laid the batting platform for West Indies in sharing a 58-run opening stand with Shai Hope, which was followed by a mammoth 184-run partnership with Brooks.

Brooks and Mayers struck 11 sixes between them. A fair chunk (61%) of Mayers’s 120 came in boundaries. He got a reprieve when Vikramjit dropped him before he got off the mark, and matched-up well against Vivian

Musa Ahmed lbw b Walsh 42 Bas de Leede c Lewis b Hosein 25 Scott Edwards †c Lewis b Walsh 18 Teja Nidamanuru c †Hope b Seales 8 Logan van Beek run out (Walsh/ †Hope) 15 Pieter Seelaar (c) c & b Lewis 16 Aryan Dutt not out 1 Ryan Klein b Lewis 2 Vivian Kingma c Bonner b Lewis 0 Extras (b 3, lb 2, w 13) 18 TOTAL 49.5 Ov (RR: 5.77) 288 Fall of wickets: 1-98 (Vikramjit Singh, 17.1 ov), 2-164 (Musa Ahmed, 29.3 ov), 3-206 (Bas de Leede, 37.4 ov), 4-239 (Max O’Dowd, 42.6 ov), 5-243 (Scott Edwards, 43.4 ov), 6-262 (Teja Nidamanuru, 46.2 ov), 7-274 (Logan van Beek, 47.5 ov), 8-286 (Pieter Seelaar, 49.1 ov), 9-288 (Ryan Klein, 49.4 ov), 10288 (Vivian Kingma, 49.5 ov) BOWLING O-M-R-W Jayden Seales 10-0-59-1 Akeal Hosein 10-1-52-2 Shermon Lewis 9.5-0-67-3 Kyle Mayers 7-1-31-1 Keacy Carty 1-0-9-0 Hayden Walsh 10-1-54-2 Nkrumah Bonner 2-0-11-0

Kingma, against whom he got four of his seven sixes.

Brooks balanced his innings with good strike rotation, and dispatched the loose balls. Their platform, however, was not capitalised on, as West Indies made only 67 in their last ten. That was thanks to Ryan Klein, who conceded 19 in the three overs he bowled in that period, and he picked up Mayers in the process.

However, that loss of momentum did not affect the tourists, who eventually sealed a 20-run win.

(Cricinfo)

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31 National Swimming Academy launched GUYANATIMESGY.COM

SUNDAY, JUNE 5, 2022

S

wimming has become the latest sport to have its Academy Programme launched.

This occurred on Saturday afternoon with a ceremony being done at the National Aquatic Centre at Liliendaal, East Coast Demerara.

Through the National Swimming Academy’s nursery, hundreds of young children and teenagers would be introduced to the sport, and be later groomed for competition.

At the launch of this Academy on Saturday afternoon, with more than 100 children present, the Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Charles Ramson Jr, assessed the successes of the

various nursery programmes in several sporting disciplines, and voiced his appreciation for the attention to detail the MCYS had taken in consulting stakeholders before the start of the Academy initiative.

“The idea was presented to all the sports associations, the media, representatives, for their assessment, evaluation, and critique. I also placed on Facebook page the entire presentation, which was half an hour. I placed it so that we could have public criticism, public input of what our sports academy would be, and the design of our sports academy,” Ramson explained.

The Sport Minister added,

“I’m very pleased (with) all of our public assessments, all of our media assessments, that it has had.”

In his remarks, Director of Sports, Steve Ninvalle, touched on his entity’s commitment, to not just swimming, but all sports across Guyana, while highlighting the commitment to keep promises.

Ninvalle shared, “It was just 6 weeks ago that there was a promise that this academy would be launched; that promise has been kept. And these are the fundamentals of the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport, led by our astute Minister and by extension the Government of Guyana.

Lusignan Golf Club to hold AGM today …fantastic job done by committee, says Chet Bowling

A section of the children and parents gathered for the start of the Swimming Academy

“Let it not be thought that swimming in isolation would be a beneficiary, but all sport disciplines across the 83,000 square miles we call our beloved Guyana will be benefiting from whatever resources (the) National Sports Commission has,” he declared.

Also, on the topic of promisekeeping, Guyana Amateur

Swimming Association (GASA) President Dwayne Scott has said he values the commitment made by the Sport Ministry and the NSC to seeing the Swimming Academy through to fruition.

“The initiative was to harness the athletes involved in 12 disciplines, bringing them together to form the Academy to boost sports throughout Guyana.

GASA was selected as part of that, and we are extremely grateful,” Scott said. “Today we see the initiative being realised,” he added.

Athletics, badminton, basketball, rugby, squash, table tennis and volleyball are some of the other sports for which academies have already been launched.

CG Insurance Women’s Super50 Cup, CWI T20 Blaze tourney in Guyana…

Police, GCB officials discuss security arrangements

The current committee has been responsible for hosting the highly successful GTT Guyana Open

By Timothy Jaikarran

T

he Lusignan Golf Club will be hosting its Annual General Meeting today at its premises. The last such meeting was held in December 2021, when the same managing committee was returned to serve until June 2022.

According to LGC Secretary Chet Bowling, The AGM would be much focused on taking the club to the next level in the next five years, and he is optimistic that most members of the committee would be returned to office.

In an interview with this publication, he was asked how the current committee has functioned, and he said: “I don’t think we can say that the club is at a new level as yet, but it is on its way to that new level. I think that is why this AGM is important, as we will outline our vision for the club for the next five years; and I think once the other members

buy in, we can see the club moving to that other level.

“But that said, the committee has done a fantastic job, the camaraderie in the club has been rebuilt, and even during the rainy season, the course is playable and the club house looks much better.”

Bowling alluded to the fact that, because of major improvements at the club, more members are seeking to join the club, and there is a constant flow of sponsorship. It is his belief that while the committee has done “a fantastic job”, it would need to build on this as the club continues to grow.

Further, Bowling has related that the AGM would be a standard affair, as he is optimistic that most of the committee members would be re-elected to continue the good work they have started.

He divulged that there is an attempt to bring in new blood on the committee in the form of some younger persons, but

while it is still in play, most of the committee members are up for selection, and the outcome of the results would be an endorsement of the work they have done so far.

Pertaining to the weather and the resumption of golf, bowling noted that the club is being very cautious. “We are being very cautious and optimistic; we haven’t scheduled any tournaments, even though we have quite a few sponsors lined up and waiting to announce the regular resumption,” he shared.

The committee seeking another term in office comprise: * Patanjilee Persaud: President * Paton George: Vice President * Chet Bowling: Secretary * Maxim Mangra: Treasurer * Anasha Ally: PRO * Patrick Prashad: Captain * Mike Guyadin: Grounds Superintendent *Pandit Ravi Persaud: Asst Treasurer

D

eputy Commissioner ‘Operations’ (ag) Ravindradat Budhram has chaired a meeting with officials of the Guyana Cricket Board to discuss the Force’s security postures and arrangements for the upcoming CG Insurance Women’s Super50 Cup and CWI T20 Blaze Cricket tournaments that are slated to be hosted in Guyana.

That meeting was held at the Officers’ Training Centre Boardroom on Friday, June 3, and it focused primarily on the Force’s operational

postures, security details for the athletes during their stay, and arrangements for their transportation before and after the matches.

The tournament is scheduled to start on Tuesday, June 7 and end on Sunday, June 26, 2022. Matches will be played daily at three venues: the Guyana National Stadium at Providence, Everest Cricket Club in Georgetown, and Enmore Cricket Ground on the ECD. Commander of Region 4’A’, Assistant Commissioner Simon

McBean; Commander of 4’C’, Senior Superintendent Khali Pareshram; Commander of 4’B’, Woman Superintendent Denise Griffith; and the Traffic Chief, Superintendent Ramesh Ashram, participated in the meeting on behalf of the GPF. Guyana Cricket Board’s Territorial Development Officer Colin Stuart; Events Coordinator Dr. Viola Rowe; Head of Security, Robby Saywack; and Cricket West Indies Project Officer Sheena Gooding participated in the meeting on behalf of the GCB and Cricket West Indies.

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

SUNDAY, JUNE 5, 2022

guyanatimesgy.com

CWI Regional 4-Day tourney…

-Sinclair, Imlach record half-centuries

Charles after scoring three.

With the score at 113-4, Persaud fell and lunch was taken.

Prior to that lunch interval, the

game, Keemo Paul partnered Imlach, and the duo added 28 runs to the score. Imlach reached his half-century in the

Tevin Imlach on the drive

By Brandon Corlette in Trinidad

T

he contest between Guyana Harpy Eagles and Trinidad and Tobago Red Force ended in a draw after rain had persistently intervened over the days of the match, although Tevin Imlach and Kevin Sinclair had made contrasting halfcenturies to see Guyana Harpy Eagles post 331 all out in 83.1 overs at Queen’s Park Oval.

Barbados Pride have consequently been crowned winners of the West Indies Regional Four-Day

championships.

The game ended with Trinidad and Tobago Red Force on 25-1.

Resuming the final day on 30-0 after 16 overs, Guyana Harpy Eagles reached lunch on 113-4 after 37.4 overs.

Tagenarine Chanderpaul and Tevin Imlach took the score past 50, but right-arm seamer Uthman Muhammad produced a good delivery to peel the edge of Chanderpaul, who was caught behind for 25 from 75 balls. That ended a 72-run partnership, but it was the start of an eventual

SCOREBOARD GUYANA 1ST INNINGS Tagenarine Chanderpaul c Da Silva b Muhammad 25 Tevin Imlach lbw b Hinds 76 Leon Johnson b Muhammad 4 Vishaul Singh c Da Silva b Charles 19 Akshaya Persaud lbw b Charles 3 Keemo Paul b Charles 20 Kevin Sinclair lbw b Hinds 58 Veerasammy Permaul lbw b Khan 47 Gudakesh Motie c Da Silva b Hinds 37 Nial Smith not out 21 Demetri Cameron lbw b Khan 0 TOTAL (10 wickets, 83.3) (21 extras) 331 72/1 (26.1) Tagenarine Chanderpaul 76/2 (26.4) Leon Johnson 109/3 (35.2) Vishaul Singh 113/4 (37.4) Akshaya Persaud 141/5 (43.5) Keemo Paul 205/6 (60.5) Tevin Imlach

218/7 (64.5) Kevin Sinclair 277/8 (76.4) Gudakesh Motie 331/9 (83.2) Veerasammy Permaul 331/10 (83.3) Demetri Cameron BOWLING Bryan Charles (18-4-56-3) Shannon Gabriel (12-1-39-0) Uthman Muhammad (14-5-40-2) Terrance Hinds (14-075-3) Imran Khan (18.3-4-77-2) Yannic Cariah (7-0-30-0) TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO BATTING Keagan Simmons not out 13 Joshua Da Silva lbw b Paul 2 Isaiah Rajah not out 5 TOTAL (1 wickets, 11.0) (5 extras) 25 FOW: 10/1 (7.3) Joshua Da Silva BOWLING Veerasammy Permaul (6-2-11-0) Keemo Paul (5-1-10-1)

Hinds in delight after removing Imlach

process, while Paul came and attacked. He slammed Imran Khan over his head for a six, but was bowled by Charles for 20 as he played across the line.

Kevin Sinclair came and played his usual attacking game.

He struck boundaries at will while Imlach’s innings finally came to an end when he was

fours and one six. That six came off a full-blooded pull over fineleg.

Sinclair continued to play dashing shots while living on the edge. He reached his maiden first-class fifty with a glorious cover drive, and his milestone came from 69 balls. He then slapped Hinds for four, but fell to the same bowler, trapped at the crease for 58. His top knock included seven fours and two sweet sixes.

Sinclair having departed at 218-7, Veerasammmy Permaul and Gudakesh Motie joined forces and took the Guyanese side to tea on 269-7, enjoying a lead of 51 runs. Motie was on 31 while Permaul was on 15. After spanking eight fours, Motie departed for 37 from 33 balls.

He was caught behind off the bowling of Hinds when the score was at 277-8, and a 59-run stand had come to an end.

Nial Smith and Permaul added 54 vital runs to the tally, with Smith playing some lovely shots. Permaul was, however, trapped leg-before for 47. Smith ended his innings unbeaten on 21 from 20 balls. Charles ended with 3-56 in 18 overs, while Hinds had 3-75 in 14 overs.

Kevin Sinclair celebrating in style (Brandon Corlette photos)

over in the context of the game.

Muhammad, who was then driven for four by Leon Johnson, got a straight delivery to keep low, and Johnson was bowled all ends up playing back. He made four.

Imlach, who had gotten some chances, then added 33 runs with Vishaul Singh for the third wicket, before off-spinner Charles got the wicket of Singh, caught behind in attempting to cut. He made 19 from 30 balls in an innings that included three fours.

The struggling Akshaya Persaud then came and looked tentative at the crease. His stay was brief, and he was trapped by

Vishaul Singh exited as the Red Force players celebrate

players had left the field after the rain came at 11:35 and delayed the game for 13 minutes. Play was resumed at 11:48h after the rain had passed, and Imlach was unbeaten on 49 from 108 balls.

Upon resumption of the

trapped leg-before to seamer Terrance Hinds.

Imlach departed with the score on 205-6; he and Sinclair had added 64 runs for the sixth wicket. His innings of 76 came off 172 balls, and included eight

In response, Red Force ended on 25-1. Joshua DaSilva made two before being trapped by the impressive Keemo Paul, who ended with 20 wickets in the season, finishing behind Rahkeem Cornwall’s 23 wickets.

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