Guyana Times - Sunday, November 6, 2022

How a little red bird led to the formation of a Rupununi conservation body P13

Nationwide coverage coverage from from the the best best news news team team in in Guyana Guyana Nationwide Issue No. 5184 guyanatimesgy.com

THE BEACON BEACON OF OF TRUTH TRUTH THE

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2022

PRICE

ACMF Anchor Awards 2022

High costs of sea freight an obstruction to economic development – Pres Ali See story on page 3

– calls for urgent action to address inefficiencies within transport sector

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WHAT'S INSIDE:

Guyana aims for 90% reduction in malaria P32 cases by 2025 – Dr Anthony – says adopting stronger strategies necessary to achieve target

“Cake Man” killed in Enmore accident P10

CVQ in Guyana means ‘dual qualifications’ for students P33 – ACEO

President Ali in discussion with attendees at the American-Caribbean Maritime Foundation (ACMF)Anchor Awards 2022 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida on Friday evening

Guyana will be 3rd largest nonOPEC supplier of oil between 2021-2027 – Outlook report Page 7

Restorative Justice Bill Govt will not sell among transformational crude to any refinery above 30,000 Bills for National BPD – VP Jagdeo Assembly on Monday – says intention is not for Guyana to become refinery capital of Region See story on page 31

Police destroy over $184M in ganja during operation at Fort Nassau savannah – teen among 2 arrested

See story on page 12

Page 11

Guyanese man attacked, riddled with bullets in Trinidad P10

Kwakwani residents P19 benefit from Govt outreach – spectacles, wheelchairs, $100K disability cash grant distributed

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SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

NEWS

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SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

ACMF Anchor Awards 2022

BRIDGE OPENINGS

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

Sunday, Nov 6 – 03:30h – 05:00h and Monday, Nov 7 – 04:00h – 05:30h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Sunday, Nov 6 – 14:55h – 16:25h and Monday, Nov 7 – 15:30h – 17:00h.

High costs of sea freight an obstruction to economic development – Pres Ali – calls for urgent action to address inefficiencies within transport sector

FERRY SCHEDULE

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

WEATHER TODAY

There will be light cloud and light rain showers during the day. Expect thundery showers and partly cloudy skies at night. Temperatures should range between 22 degrees Celsius and 30 degrees Celsius.

Winds: South-Westerly to West South-Westerly between 1.78 metres and 3.57 metres.

High Tide: 15:12h reaching a maximum height of 2.66 metres.

Low Tide: 08:46h and 21:08h reaching minimum heights of 0.64 metre and 0.53 metre.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 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

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Change %

Crude Oil

$98.57/barrel

+3.96

Rough Rice

$318.38/ton

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President Irfaan Ali sharing a photo with stakeholders

resident Dr Irfaan Ali on Friday zeroed in on the realities of soaring freight costs within the Region and its burden on developing states, and as such, called for urgent action to address the inefficiencies within the transport sector.

He made this call at the American-Caribbean Maritime Foundation (ACMF) Anchor Awards 2022 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where he was the guest speaker.

During his address, the Guyanese Head of State acknowledged the ineptitudes in transport and how it is affecting the Region while outlining that expeditious movement cannot be achieved without intervention.

“Unless we can increase the productive capacity and we can improve the system of production, and use our geographic location to ignite a reversal in the chain of goods and supply, we will not be able to have this expeditious movement or changes in terms of efficiency within the Region,” Dr Ali stated.

He related that Guyana has been making strides to re-engineer the supply systems and develop infrastructure, as he lobbied for more investments in shipping logistics.

“Shipping and logistics, the industry itself has a very long life in the Region. This, of course, is

critically linked to human resource development. It is not training people to be exported. It is not training people whose skills will not be required in the future.

It is training in a developmental context.”

Today, more than 100,000 commercial shipping vessels navigate the oceans, moving more than 80 per cent of internationally-traded goods. This is seven per cent of the value of global trade.

Statistics show that trade in goods has more than quadrupled over the past five years, while it is estimated that the volume of cargo has increased from 2.5 trillion tonnes in 1970 to 11 trillion tonnes in 2019 – two-thirds of this trade occurring in developing countries.

Ali, however, underscored that the pandemic inflicted a range of challenges on the global economy with global output shrinking by 3.1 per cent in 2020. This slowdown in economic activity, lockdowns, and restrictions forced onto countries has led to a decline in maritime trade by 3.8 per cent and 422 million tonnes.

Moreover, shipping costs skyrocketed sevenfold in some instances, leading to a spike in prices and higher inflation.

“The high cost of sea freight stands as an obstruction to economic development. The high cost of

Attendees at the American-Caribbean Maritime Foundation’s Anchor Awards

sea freight is contributing to rising prices in commodities and inputs from both manufacturing and the agriculture sector. It is increasing import costs and making the Region’s export less competitive. Developed economies can better absorb price increases but not so much, as poor developing states. Our region’s Small Island Developing States, with a high dependence on imports, increased shipping costs add to their burden,” he noted.

He called for action and solutions immediately to turn around the sector, given the long-term consequences attached to current operations. According to Ali, the shipping industry has an important part in the recovery from COVID-19 devastation and the supply chain crisis. He added that better freight rates will support a better recovery.

“This requires us to collectively come to the table and find answers faster.

Otherwise, we will be hurting our economies severely in the long-term and the social tensions within our societies is going to escalate,” the Head of State positioned.

Maritime responsibility

On the other end, the

upkeep of maritime responsibility and ensuring that the Caribbean waters are kept safe from accidents were also put forward.

“The Caribbean Sea must be kept safe from conflict and environmental damage. The Heads of State in the Caribbean Community, since 1999, express great concern for the movement of nuclear and toxic waste through the Caribbean. This is a good time to reaffirm the position that the Region’s maritime space be protected from the risks of marine accidents,” the Guyanese President told the gathering.

According to the World Bank, the blue economy is the "sustainable use of ocean resources for economic growth, improved livelihoods, and jobs while preserving the health of the ocean ecosystem."

The President said in order to capitalise on the blue economy, modernisation of the economy is necessary.

“The maritime sector in the Caribbean must be modernised in order to help the Region seize the opportunity inherent to global trade and the exploitation of the blue economy.

Enhancing the Region’s human resources is an integral element of that modernisation.”

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guyanatimesgy.com

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 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

E

Education for critical thinking

ducation should not be based solely on the amount of book knowledge stored in the brain, called banking, or by rote learning, but on critical thinking, the ability to create knowledge within the domain of practice, praxis. By extension, metacognitive and metalinguistic reasoning skills are part of this critical thinking.

Within this framework, multiculturally designed curricula (the Australian model is exemplary) should define the instructional objectives, standards, and goals of each unit, with teachers having a significant input, especially at the school level, to bolster grasp and ownership.

Besides direct subject content built into curriculum planning, skill sets and standards that foster intelligence, analysis, and synthesis have to be taught and modelled continuously, especially given that they are neither static nor immutable. The pedagogy of Pablo Freire is a good starting point in this respect.

It is noted that the Ministry of Education (MoE) is seeking to strengthen instructional leadership and promote equitable learning via culturally responsive and effective instructional output and accountability. Within this context, MoE must enable methodologies that inculcate all of the above and cater to various learning styles, pace, and intelligence types of all students. The Workshop Model, for example, is a methodology that pushes students to be creative and responsible for their own learning. It enables students to take charge of their own learning, become active and engaged in their work and development of understanding. It also is a language-inclusive approach that fosters language learning regardless of the subject content. And it can be supplemented by various other approaches that may include: · Alternative Teaching: a co-teaching model in which one teacher works with a small group of students as the other teacher instructs the large group. · Peer Instruction: students work in pairs or small groups engaged in active learning from, and teaching to, their partners or the rest of the group. According to physicist and educator Eric Mazur of Harvard University, students are able to explain it in terms that other students can easily understand. · Small Group Work: gives students the opportunity to engage in process skills that are critical for processing information, solving problems, and evaluating management skills and self-responsibility through the use of roles within groups; assessment skills involved in assessing options to make decisions about their groups’ final answers and presentation skills, as each group must present to the whole class. · Flipped Classroom: the teacher acts as a facilitator, monitoring students’ progress on assigned work, and stepping in to help when they get stuck. · Project-Based Learning: students engage in projects, and are responsible for doing their own research and solving problems for themselves, with minimum guidance. Class time is devoted to group collaboration and class presentation of completed projects and what students have learned along the way.

Similarly, multiple evaluation yardsticks should be applied: standardized tests, often the only one used; project-based assessments; performance assessments; group work assessments; portfolios; game-based assessments; conferencing assessments, and peer and self-assessments that include use of checklists and rubrics.

In keeping with the physical and psychological needs of students, each teacher and school should be equipped with the necessary tools and mechanisms to promote inclusive learning, especially in depressed regions of the country. In addition to those mentioned above, other inclusive learning strategies include cooperative learning, independent practice, tiered lessons, and differentiated instructions; while fostering mechanisms include self-contained special education classes, homework help centres, resource rooms, push-in and pull-out services, and Individualized Education Plans (IEPs).

Finally, whole personality development via a pedagogical approach (emotional intelligence and fitness; character building, especially values and ethics; coping skills, including mental toughness, self-esteem, self-confidence, handling challenges and dealing with peer pressure; social fitness, including social responsibility, affirming norms, anti-violence, civic-mindedness, problem solving and decision-making skills) in the education process can reduce cognitive impoverishment and social and emotional under-skilling, thereby enabling both egalitarianism and equity in the education process.

This should thus not be outsourced to take place in a piecemeal, occasional manner, but be built into the instructional structure and possibly as a component to the curricula, which means that, at the minimum, teachers should be trained via ongoing professional development, with the Ministry of Education establishing a unit to focus on this.

Arau is a serene village located in the Cuyuni-Mazaruni Region Seven of Guyana, and is inhabited by one of Guyana's first peoples, the Akawaios (Ovid Williams photo)

LGE brings power to the people and strengthens local democracy!

Dear Editor, The rights and freedoms of people are enshrined in the systemic framework of democracy that has formed the global acceptance platform for most states. Consequently, most of the global population and the relationships between citizens and their various Governments have been developed along the tenets of this acceptable platform.

Central to the foregoing is the fact that Guyana, through our Constitution, has long supported this approach, with continuous improvements to local and international positions since. Several principal pillars are key to the evolution of Guyana’s internal framework at the local level, the building of which serves to ratify international commitments, support the realization of benefits, and reinforce deserving rights.

The Local Democratic Act, No. 12 of 1980, from which the system evolved was introduced to formally identify the Local Government System as the foundation of the democratic organization of the state. To foster development in the communities by the communities, the country was divided into ten administrative regions, which were further subdivided into sub-regions, districts, communities, neighbourhoods, and “people’s cooperative units”, with specific responsibilities.

In 2009, legislation was enacted to change the system of elections in the Local Authority Areas. The Local Authorities (Elections) (Amendment) Act, No.26 of 2009, along with subsequent amendments in 2015, pro-

vides for Local Government Elections to be held in nine (9) Municipalities and sixty-two (62) Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDCs) throughout Guyana, using a hybrid system of Proportional Representation and FirstPast-the-Post. This hybrid system provides opportunities for voluntary groups, political parties, and individuals to contest for seats in the Municipalities and NDCs. GECOM must follow and implement the elections system following the existing legal positions to ensure the objectivity of the intent of our Constitution is attained.

Given the unacceptable developments following the 2020 National and Regional Elections, it is understood that necessary corrective mechanisms had to be put in place to assure acceptable results and avoid abuses. To this end, GECOM must be commended for releasing the Revise List of Electors (RLE) for the public to scrutinise.

After this exercise, GECOM would produce the Official List of Electors, which would eventually lead to the production of the Official List of Voters for the holding of Local Government Elections.

Voluntary groups and independent individuals are expected to contest these most interesting Local Government Elections. However, the individual contestants should not allow themselves to be used as political footballs to contest in the interest of any political party. The widest cross-section of our people should make sure to play a lead role in the development of their respective communities. Hence, it is

expected that well-established community leaders would encourage younger persons to contest the LGEs; women, religious leaders, and other prominent persons should take the opportunity to be part of their community development.

There are serious challenges in many Neighbourhood Democratic and Municipality Councils. Over the period since the last LGE, all the NDCs and Municipalities are depleted because of the serious loss of elected members.

On many occasions, meetings are cancelled because of a lack of quorum. In many instances, required services to residents have been attenuated, while the people’s representation at the grassroots level is of premier importance for informing the required areas for improvement. Further, the holding of LGEs will allow the communities to carefully nominate men and women who are prepared to serve their communities.

Our people must participate in the LGEs; particularly, our young people must get involved to preserve our young and growing democracy. While Guyana is on the rise, we must develop a nation with brilliant young minds that would say no to racism and never allow anybody to divide us. The empowerment and involvement of people at the community and village levels at the various tiers will serve as drivers to harmonise the distribution of benefits from national government programmes, leaving no community behind.

In essence, one must recognise that while the PPP/C Government is certainly do-

ing 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 which we strive to attain. In this respect, the holding of Local Government Elections (LGEs) in which there is meaningful involvement is certainly an empowering catalyst and the most significant conduit to ensuring local democracy and development!

Certainly, the strengthening of our local democracy through these elections will give our people at the grassroot 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! Let us use the upcoming LGEs to ensure citizens at the local or ground level are fully prepared for the further development of the country.

Consequently, the opportunity must be taken to refresh the community leadership, where areas are suffering from attrition due to unavoidable circumstances, or have become weak and urgently need to be resuscitated through these elections.

As Guyana gets into full gear for LGEs, the entire nation must be fully involved.

The way forward to 2023 LGEs is clear and most welcome.

Sincerely, Neil Kumar

NEWS

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SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Court’s verdict on murder of Berbice carpenter

“It is not going to carry away the pain or bring back my son, but it makes me feel a lot better” – mother

F

amily members of murdered Corentyne carpenter Faiyaz Narinedatt are elated over the verdict arrived at by a Berbice jury at the conclusion of the 13-day trial at the Berbice Assizes on Friday.

The 12-member jury on Friday found Orlando Dickie, Radesh Motie, Diodath Datt, Harri Paul Parsram, and Niran Yacoob guilty of murdering the father of two.

The men were remanded to prison to await sentencing on December 28, and the Judge has ordered that a probation report be prepared.

Six years ago, the battered body of the 26-year-old carpenter was found along the Number 70 Village Pubic Road – a stone’s throw away from his home.

Police had initially said that it was a hit-and-run case but hours after the body was discovered the Police concluded that it was a homicide.

In fact, this publication published several stories, and the first one disclosed that there was a sign of a struggle in the drain two houses away

Dead: Faiyaz Narinedatt

from where Narinedatt reportedly attended a party.

A shirt was also seen at the scene along with broken pieces of a picket fence. The shirt is said to have had a resemblance to the one which the carpenter reportedly left home with.

Eventually, the men were arrested, charged, and remanded to prison. Following a lengthy Preliminary Inquiry, the men were committed to stand trial in the Berbice High Court.

However, following the 13-day trial, they were found guilty by the jury. In light of the ruling, the now dead man’s mother, Bibi Shakira Aziz, said she waited six years for justice

Mother: Bibi Shakira Aziz

to be served.

“I am happy about the decision made – it is not going to carry away the pain or bring back my son but it make me feel a lot better than I use to before. I feel a lot of relief and I am happy about that,” the woman told Guyana Times on Saturday – one day after the verdict.

It was revealed that on the night of October 31, 2016, Narinedatt attended a party hosted by US-based Guyanese businessman, Marcus Bisram at his home.

It was also revealed that at some point when Narinedatt left to use the washroom, Bisram followed him and al-

Rotten eggs?

Dear Editor, The plans being unfolded to clean the city’s drains are encouraging, and should be part of the annual budget.

What is missing is the prevention of that rotten egg smell that occurs during the process. That smell is also present when the drains do not flow adequately, and there is a build-up of organic matter that has decayed.

Having an annual cleaning schedule for the towns in the country, especially for the Capital City, would help prevent the build-up of this decayed organic matter and its accompanying rotten egg/hydrogen sulfide smell. We must also include cleaning of the villages in this annual process.

Ensuring that the drains, gutters, trenches and canals are flowing is also important to prevent the buildup of organic decaying matter.

Sometimes, there are unexpected problems that result in blockages, and we must have the ability to quickly react and correct those problems when they occur. An additional allocation within the budget of 10% above what has already been allocated for this item should be considered to minimise the need for emergency funding.

Ensuring the funds are in place each year, and that the work is inspected while ongoing and after completion would minimise the ongoing flooding that has been negatively impacting our current infrastructure. Having the above in place would also help increase the importance of where drainage infrastructure improvements must take

place - another area for annual budgetary considerations.

Auditing of the accounts associated with this budget item would be necessary to prevent any potential pilfering of funds. The complaints are already being heard on other infrastructure projects, and preventing them from occurring in this area is a must.

When the rains and high tides hit our shores, people would see for themselves how effective the Government has been and is being in this critical area of good governance.

Eliminating flooding and its impact on our citizenry would open the door to an election win in 2025 and beyond. Local Government elections offer an opportunity for citizens to choose who would champion their efforts in this area of good drainage and flood prevention. Each party would have an opportunity to show their respective constituents and the rest of the country how effectively they can govern. Lack of funding must not be an issue, as it would reflect poorly on the party controlling the purse strings. All the best to those who take up the challenge of flood prevention.

The smell of rotten eggs has been associated with many things, including the state of the governing party.

I remember it well while sitting with my girlfriend near the trench in front of Queen’s College. The water wasn’t flowing, and the smell was strong. She asked me, “What’s that smell?” It smells like rotten eggs. It was the smell of sulfur.

Is that a sign of the hell-

ish times in our country’s history? Embargoed, running out of funds, and most importantly reducing motivation and appreciation for the freedom and independence of our beautiful country. Our people could fix the problems if they were happy to do so, but disappointment and lack of contentment with what we had were spreading after the ban on wheat flour. The irony of it now is that rice flour is on the rise, and is needed for those who have to eat items that are gluten-free. I enjoyed those rice flour cookies that were hitting the stores.

I smile every time I eat chakri/chakli, which is an Indian snack made of rice flour. It reminds me of an African Guyanese guy who grew up in Guyana. He would complain all the time about the lack of bread, and speak badly of President Burnham.

I had no complaints. I could still buy a curry & roti at Demico, and rice is still a favourite of mine. Many good things come to those who wait and are content with good health and the simple joys of life.

As the smell of the bad eggs goes away, so will the smell of bad governance start to disappear. The people of Guyana will thank you when it is time to elect their leaders for the next five years. To be chosen to lead is a privilege bestowed upon someone whom the electorate can trust. There is no place for someone who is a glutton in good governance.

Best regards, Jamil Changlee

legedly began making sexual advances to him by touching his penis.

The carpenter rejected the advances by telling Bisram, “Me don’t go in for man. Me got wife and children”. With Bisram refusing to stop, Narinedatt slapped him and walked away.

It was reported that an upset Bisram walked to the front of his yard where he informed Dickie, Motie, Datt, Parsram and Yacoob, that Narinedatt had slapped him and that they must “kill um dead”.

As such, the carpenter was severely beaten with pieces of wood and his lifeless body dumped on the Number 70 Village, Corentyne, Berbice

Public Road. One of the men then used his car to drive over Narinedatt’s body to make it appear like a vehicular accident.

Meanwhile, Bisram was extradited to Guyana to face a charge for the carpenter’s killing. However, at the end of two separate Preliminary Inquiries (PI), he was discharged/freed, because of insufficient evidence. The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Shalimar Ali-Hack, SC, would thereafter step in, directing the Magistrate to commit Bisram to face a trial at the High Court.

The businessman challenged the DPP’s directive, which was subsequently quashed by a High Court

Judge, who also barred AliHack from proffering a murder indictment against him.

An appeal against the Judge’s decision was filed by the DPP to the Court of Appeal of Guyana, which overturned the lower court’s decision, ordering that Bisram be arrested and tried.

But Bisram then challenged the local Appeal Court’s ruling at the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ).

In the end, the apex court restored the High Court Judge’s decision, but ruled that nothing is preventing the DPP from having Bisram re-arrested and charged again if fresh evidence is obtained linking him to the murder.

Justice has been served

Dear Editor, It’s good to see that justice has finally been done in the case of the murder of Faiyaz Narinedat. The jury rightly returned a unanimous verdict of guilty against all five accused persons. It’s unfortunate that Marcus Bisram, the man who allegedly told them to kill Narinedat, was not allowed to be tried for the murder.

The judge who conducted the trial must be complimented for holding a fair trial, in keeping with the Constitution of Guyana. The Guyana Court of Appeal must also be complimented, because they had ruled that Bisram, too, must stand trial for the murder of Narinedat.

The Guyana Court of

223-7230-1 (Ext 55)

Appeal and Justice Navindra Singh who held the trial must be complimented. We, the law-abiding people of Guyana, thank Justice Singh and the judges of the Court of Appeal for ensuring that justice has been done in this case.

The original trial in the murder of Neesa Gopaul was another case in which Justice

Navindra Singh did a great job with the trial. Judges of our Guyana Court of Appeal have also done a great job in that case. What this shows is that, in our criminal justice system, there is still some hope from our local judges.

Sincerely, Chandra Jagmohan

Sunday, November 6, 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 S8 E6 10:25 ExxonMobil Offshore Diaries S2E9 10:30 Sunday Morning Melodies 11:00 Prem’s Electrical Religious Program 11:30 Prime Series - Blippi’s Educational Adventures 12:00 Dharmic Ki Awaz 12:30 Movie - Sense and Sensibility (1995) 15:00 Movie - Perfect Harmony (2022) 16:30 Forged in FIre 17:30 The Healing Touch 18:00 Maths is Fun 18:25 ExxonMobil Offshore Diaries S2E9 18:30 Week-in-Review 19:00 In Retrospect 20:00 Those People 21:00 Riverdale S3 E14 22:00 Arrow S3 E16 23:00 Girl Boss S1 E10 23:30 Grace & Frankie S2 E6 00:00 Sign off

6 FEATURE

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Questions and Answers

W

ell, dear readers, we have exhausted the complex issue of Heartworm infestation in dogs and cats – and quite rightly so, because of the seriousness of this ailment.

Before we continue with other specific ailments, I would like to respond to some of the many questions readers of this column pose to us – questions which do not fall into a specific disease category, for example skin disorders, with which we will deal as soon as the potpourri of miscellaneous questions are answered.

Q: DO DOGS SEE COLOURS?

A: For many years when this question was asked, the automatic answer was that dogs do not see colours, rather most likely only black and white.

I suppose such answers were based on empirical observation and “feelings” of the owner – and even of the vet.

N e w scientific re-

search is revealing that dogs can recognize dark and light blue and yellow hues and some shades of grey. The colour blue seems to be calming in dogs (as with humans). See attached comparison of colour vision of humans and dogs. (Source: PETMD) Having documented the above, other questions immediately follow, for example

or smell, the a n i m a l would immediately become

fortable sleeping in an area which is pitch black. For the dog sleeping

Q: Should dogs sleep in a room where there is complete darkness?

A: The quick answer is PREFERABLY. I have already mentioned that dogs are “NOSE” and “EAR” animals – meaning that their senses of smell and sound are much more acute than is the case with humans.

As a result, if there is foreign/unaccustomed sound and/

more alert. By the same reasoning, therefore, there is no need to have a light on in the room where the dog sleeps.

The dog is quite com-

in the house, this condition is more easily achieved.

For the dog sleeping in a kennel, total darkness may not be possible (presence of streetlights, neighbours’ security lights etc.).

While kennel dogs adjust to kennel conditions, a lit area is not the bestcase scenario. As in humans, there is a hormone (Melatonin), the production of which is compromised if the

animal i s i n g s l e e p where there is much light during the night.

This, in turn, affects the biorhythm (circadian rhythm) adversely. I dare say that bright lights (even those emanating from household appliances), where humans sleep, can upset one’s body clock.

I should also mention that dogs (like humans) need deep sleep and dreams.

Sleep and dream deprivation/interruption (for example, as is normal for security service dogs) can represent serious stress factors with serious health consequences. Security Service Companies are well aware of the behavioral impact on their canine wards that experience/ endure sleep and dream deprivation. They are urged to roster the service animals in a schedule that ensures that they are not in service every night.

Q: Can LED lights all over the house (even in the bedroom)

have a negative effect on the dog’s seeing ability?

A: Well, yes.

LED lights do have a strobelike/flicker effect on the sensitivity of your canine pet’s eyes/health and functioning.

Can you imagine how brilliant lights – as in fireworks - damage your canine and companion animal?

I know the next questions will follows!

Q: DO CATS SEE IN COLOUR?

A: For some reason, cat caregivers, as does the general public, feel that cats have a nocturnal (predatory) instinct which allows them to see the world better at night and in black and white.

Let’s be clear: cats (and dogs) do not distinguish colours as we humans do.

Moreover, cats, like dogs, are more comfortable dealing with blue and yellow hues. Nevertheless, cats do possess very good night vision.

NEWS

7

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Guyana will be 3rd largest non-OPEC supplier of oil between 2021-2027 – Outlook report T

he Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) has released its 2022 world outlook report, showing that Guyana will be the third highest nonOPEC contributor to the growth of oil supplies on the world market, between 2021 and 2027.

According to the outlook report, non-OPEC oil supplies will expand from 63.6 million barrels per day (bpd) in 2021, to 71.4 million bpd in 2027. It will then peak at 72.4 million bpd around 2030 and decline to 67.5 million bpd by 2045.

“The main medium-term driver of non-OPEC liquids supply growth is the US, followed by Brazil, Guyana, Canada and Norway. In the long-term, after US supply is set to peak in the latter 2020s, the two Latin American producers are joined by Canada, Kazakhstan and Qatar as the primary sources of nonOPEC liquids supply increments,” OPEC said in its report.

“Resource constraints see US tight oil peak at just over 16 mb/d around 2030.

Thereafter, supply growth continues in Guyana, Canada, Kazakhstan, Brazil and Qatar, but is insufficient to offset nonOPEC declines elsewhere.”

OPEC is made up of 13 countries, but Saudi Arabia is considered the most prominent country.

Other OPEC+ countries include Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Brunei, Kazakhstan,

Malaysia, Mexico, Oman, Russia, South Sudan and Sudan. Guyana is not a member of either group.

The oil-rich Stabroek Block, which is producing the light-sweet crude offshore Guyana, is 6.6 million acres (26,800 square kilometres).

US oil giant ExxonMobil, through its local subsidiary Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL), is the operator and holds 45 per cent interest in the Block.

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

So far, Exxon’s total investments in Guyana total GY$1.3 trillion on its own and over GY$3 trillion with its partners. Additionally,

the joint venture exploration and production plans up to 2025 will likely increase their investments to more than GY$6 trillion.

ExxonMobil has said it anticipates at least six projects offshore Guyana will be online by 2027, with production having already started in the second phase, with the Liza Unity FPSO vessel in operation.

The third project –the Payara Development – will target an estimated resource base of about 600 million oil-equivalent barrels, and was at one point considered to be the largest single planned investment in the history of Guyana.

Meanwhile, the Yellowtail development, which will be oil giant ExxonMobil’s fourth development in Guyana’s waters, will turn out to be the single largest development so far in terms of barrels

per day of oil, with a mammoth 250,000 bpd targeted.

It has been reported that total production offshore Guyana is expected to reach 93.6 million barrels by year-end.

The Guyana Government is expected to earn a whopping US$1.1 billion from its total share of profit oil for 2022, with some US$307 million in profit oil revenue for the first half of the year.

In addition to that, the country also received

US$37.1 million in royalties in the first half of 2022.

Only last month, the Bank of Guyana (BoG) revealed in its 2022 third-quarter report that the July to September period turned out to be the most lucrative quarter yet for Guyana’s oil earnings, with inflows of over $100 billion going into the Natural Resource Fund (NRF).

According to the BoG report, Guyana earned a total of $102.8 billion (US$493.1 million). This includes profit oil of $92.1 billion (US$442.1 million) and royalties of $10.6 billion (US$51 million).

The increase was attributed to the additional Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel, the Liza Unity, being in operation in the Liza Phase Two of the Stabroek Block.

“These funds were deposited into the Natural Resource Fund Account held at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. As a result of an additional FPSO being in operation, more lifts were made and hence, more profit oil received

compared to previous quarters,” the Central Bank said.

It was explained that since oil production began in December 2019, there have been 16 lifts of profit oil which have brought in $269.3 billion (US$1.2 billion) in profit oil revenue and $31.9 billion (US$153.1 million) in royalty payments.

According to the report, the fund earned $995.7 million (US$4.7 million) in interest income over the third quarter, compared to the $266 million (US$1.2 million) it had earned in the previous quarter.

On the other hand, the Local Content Secretariat (LCS) last week reported that Guyanese suppliers have earned over GY$129 billion from the oil sector.

Although not yet completed, Director of the Secretariat Martin Pertab noted that preliminary assessments show that local content earnings from this year alone are well above GY$129 billion – representing 23 per cent of Guyana’s GY$552.9 billion budget for 2022.

8

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Mout’ open… …an’ (Police) ‘tory jump out

W

ell, whaddya know??! Your Eyewitness isn’t surprised at the testimony of Commander Thomas to the CoI - hereinafter the “Mingo CoI!) - into the shameless attempt to rig the elections of 2020! After all, through the wizardry (even better that the Hogwarts brand!) of social media, he saw (almost) everything in living colour - not only in his living room, but wherever he was (even in the loo!) via his smartphone!!

Yeah…if Burnham had co-opted the army to rig the elections in 1973, this time it was the turn of the Police!!

The rigging attempt, of course, was on behalf (and behest?) of the Sanctimonious Gangster Granger. He’d been in the thick of things as a rising star in the GDF, being moulded in the image of Burnham – who pampasetted about the place in a 2-star General’s uniform!! True story!!

As Granger revealed to a PNC Group in Georgia - all the way back in 2017 - he was gonna do everything the way his hero Forbes had done it!! And lo and behold, he tried the elections’ rigging bit using the Police!!

OK…we learnt from this particular (rebellious) horse’s mouth that Granger hadn’t left anything to chance. Just as he’d selected his old buddy Justice James Patterson to head GECOM - as Burnham had done with CJ Bollers - he had a plan B, if the original fix went awry. Knowing that the Police would be used to offer security to the GECOM counting centres, he’d done a “night of the long knives” on the entire top brass of the Police Force. When he said “jump” to his hand-appointed GPF top-brass, they all meekly enquired, “HOW HIGH, SIR??!!”

So how come the “Doubting Thomas” Commander was appointed to head the Security detail at Ashmins?? Well, that’s the “danger” that’s immanent in ethnic politics.

The newly appointed hand-picked top brass of the Force didn’t have time to suss out all the officers below them.

They assumed - like Granger’s done when he fired the Two Indian Guyanese Top Guns – that once these lower officers looked like them, they’d fall into (the party) line unprompted!!

Well, it’s now clear that Commander Thomas is one of those rarities in Guyana – a PROFESSIONAL Policeman!!

From what he said on the stand, he saw his job at the centre of the election as protecting that which it was all about – the SoPs and ballots and other records that are vital to call any elections!! Not the protection of the PNC and its leaders, even as they subverted the framework that holds this nation together!!

This man deserves a National Award from the state as a “Defender of Democracy” – as much as those fellas who later guarded the ballots!! …Twittered?

Now, your Eyewitness must confess he’s not on Twitter.

As you can tell, dear reader, he can’t be constrained by 280 characters on any given subject!! Now, that doesn’t mean he’s not impressed by brevity – please note his trademark last lick in every column, such as below!! But after God carved those ten, terse commandments in stone and handed them to Moses, he thinks the literary form has gone downhill!!

Anyhow, he witnessed the rise of Twitter and its clout when a big names like Trump – who was a Twit, to begin with!! – started to conduct both domestic and foreign policy of the biggest nation on earth over that social platform!! Now, it also attracted the attention of another Twit – Elon Musk of Tesla fame. He’s convinced that he’s the Second Coming – with a new Sermon (from Space, this time) to tell.

He's just acquired Twitter – a company with annual revenues of US$5 billion (2021) - by taking US$13 billion in debt - with US$1billion interest to be serviced annually!!

Go figure!! …and riled democrats NY AG Leticia James gonna rue the day she decided to cuss out the Guyanese Government just because a PNC spokesperson asked her to.

Yesterday, her Republican opponent got a huge welcome in Richmond Hill!!

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

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

9 Guyana in process of having over 30 million carbon credits certified – VP Jagdeo – says Guyana will remain net zero even with oil sector S NEWS

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

ince the Government relaunched the Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) and sought to put its carbon credits on the international market, there has been significant interest. The Administration is now in the process of certifying more than 30 million credits.

During a recent press conference, Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo revealed that the Administration is currently having over 30 million of its carbon credits certified.

The certification is done by the Architecture for REDD+ Transactions (ART), an international register that lists validated carbon credits.

“Since the PPP got back into the office, we have launched a new, expanded LCDS. And we have been working to get our forest carbon certified. We’ve listed with the Arc Registry, the Architecture for REDD+

transactions.”

“And now we’re in the process of certifying in excess of 30 million credits. We’ve made it known that we’ve solicited offers for the sale of credits. We’ve discussed this publicly. And at the NTC level we had buy-in from the Toshaos,” Jagdeo expressed.

The Vice President also addressed the concerns in some quarters about the message being sent by Guyana’s accelerated production of oil.

According to Jagdeo, Guyana will remain a net zero producer of carbon emissions. As he explained, oil produced by the Floating Production and

Storage Offloading (FPSO) vessels offshore Guyana is easily covered by Guyana’s carbon sink.

“So, although we are increasing the production of oil, we will still remain a net zero country. In fact, a carbon-negative country. Even with us producing a million barrels per day. So clearly the role of the forests has to be recognised,” Jagdeo explained.

A carbon credit is a tradable permit that allows the holder of the credit the right to emit a specific amount of carbon dioxide or other greenhouse gas. Countries

Guyana is known for its low deforestation

and companies that exceed their permitted limits can purchase carbon credits from other nations that have low emissions such as Guyana.

Guyana’s 18.4 million hectares of largely pristine forest stores approximately 5.31 gigatons of carbon.

During the Energy Conference and Expo early in the year, Climate Change Advisor Kevin Hogan had announced that the Government planned to put at least eight

million carbon credits on the market for sale.

Back in April 2021, President Ali announced that Guyana had signed a letter of intent with a USbased non-profit organisation (NGO), Emergent Finance Accelerated Inc, to market the country’s carbon credits through a credit contract – a deal that could earn the country millions of US dollars.

Last year, Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo said that

Emergent would soon be commencing work towards marketing Guyana’s carbon credits on the world stage. And indeed, the process of seeking proposals has attracted interest in the world market.

Jagdeo has been vocal about the need for the developed world to create incentives for carbon credit products from the developing world, as the fate of the world and carbon emission targets hang in the balance.

10 NEWS Guyanese man attacked, riddled “Cake Man” killed with bullets in Trinidad in Enmore accident SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

G

uyanese national Yancy Fox is now battling for his life after being shot on Thursday evening while standing outside of his home at Orange Grove Road in St Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago.

The 40-year-old Fox remains hospitalised in stable but critical condition, sources say.

According to the Trinidad Guardian, at about 19:50h on Thursday, November 3, Fox had reportedly emerged from his home, and was standing in his front yard when he was confronted by two men wearing masks and dressed in dark clothing.

They opened fire, and as Fox ran inside, he was shot in the lower left abdomen and fell to the ground.

Fox’s wife and neighbours claim they went to check on him and found him draped in blood. He was taken to the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex at Mt Hope, where he was treated and warded. Forensic officials have recovered ten 9mm spent shells at the scene.

While Fox is left counting his lucky stars, two other Guyanese nation-

The injured Yancy Fox

als were not so fortunate last year, when they were murdered in this twin-island republic. In April 2021, young Guyanese fashion designer, cosmetologist and runway coach Latchman Singh, popularly known as Marcus or Marc Anthony Singh, was found dead in his El Dorado apartment by one of his roommates. He had multiple stab wounds about his body. The 27-year-old Singh originally hailed from Seventh Street Martyrsville, Mon Repos, East Coast Demerara (ECD). When Police officials arrived on the scene, they found

Singh’s underwear-clad body bearing several stab wounds. It is still unclear if the killer has been found.

And in September 2021, a one-year-old Guyanese girl was killed during a bloody cutlass attack during a family quarrel over washing wares.

Little Sariah Williams, who had just celebrated her first birthday, was chopped on the head and forehead as she sat in the lap of her grandmother.

Tempers had flared at the home when Sariah’s grandmother, Michelle Williams, tried helping the child’s mother wash some wares. A male relative was enraged by Michelle’s offer to help the child’s mother, and a quarrel had ensued.

The man had then disappeared for a few minutes, but had returned with a cutlass with the intention of chopping Michelle.

Instead, the cutlass fatally struck Sariah, who was sitting on her lap.

The baby was taken to the San Fernando General Hospital, but was unresponsive by the time she arrived there. She was later pronounced dead.

T

Anil Ramanand and the pedal cycle he was riding at the time of the accident

he body of the man who was identified as Anil Ramanand or “Cake Man” of Enmore, East Coast of Demerara (ECD), met his demise on Saturday after he was struck off his pedal cycle by an SUV. The accident reportedly occurred at about 16:30h.

While details remain sketchy, Guyana Times understands that the driver of the motor vehicle bearing registration number PXX 8090 was taken into Police custody.

Eyewitnesses told this

publication that at the time of the accident, “Cake Man” was on his way home.

After the impact, the now dead man was pitched several feet away and landed on the road, where he sustained severe head injuries.

He was seen lying in a pool of blood for some time as people flocked to the scene, including his wife. The distraught woman said he had left home to run some errands.

Emergency Medical Technicians arrived on the scene sometime later and

pronounced him dead.

However, checks are being made in the area for CCTV footage as investigations continue.

This is the second fatal accident that has occurred in Enmore over the past weeks.

Last month, Police Constable Roger Clinton Bowen died after he was involved in a motor vehicle accident along the Enmore Public Road.

He was admitted to the High Dependency Unit at Georgetown Public Hospital but succumbed a few days later.

NEWS

11

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Govt will not sell crude to any refinery above 30,000 BPD – Jagdeo – says intention is not for Guyana to become refinery capital of Region

The banality of V evil and rigging

S

ome have questioned the need for the CoI into the attempted heist of the March 2020 General Elections.

The first day’s testimony should have clarified why a definitive account from involved participants is needed. A CoI is particularly suited to accomplish this task. It is not a court trial, to punish persons alleged to have broken the law; Ravi Dev yet, those giving evidence are under oath. If they commit perjury, they can be “prosecuted and punished accordingly”.

Such accounts may allow institutions to deliver the justice they are designed to, but are betrayed by citizens who staff them and who support leaders more concerned about pelf and power. It is one of the consequences of the politics of populism – inherent in all ethnic politics - where demagogic leaders persuade followers in very simplistic terms that all their ills and discontent are due to the machinations of another, who is oppressing them. Populist discourse, then, is often couched in narratives of victimhood, that juxtaposes “the oppressed” against “the oppressor” in both moral and emotional terms. From this formulation, the “solution” is justified that the “others” must be removed by any means necessary.

For instance, Hitler had convinced his Nazi supporters that Jewish citizens were the “enemy of real Germans”, and had six million of them exterminated in gas chambers. The philosopher Hannah Arendt spoke of the “banality of evil” to describe those who followed his orders. They were ordinary people like you and me, who claimed afterwards that they “were just carrying out their orders”, as they efficiently rounded up and transported Jews to the Concentration Camps for the “final solution”.

Burnham had simplistically buttressed his supporters’ fears that if Indian Guyanese were “allowed” to combine their economic aggressiveness with political power, they would be – to use Arthur Lewis’s phraseology – “annihilated”. Most of them became willing enablers as staff of all the institutions of the state that Burnham massively expanded –especially the bureaucracy, the armed forces and nationalised economy. Indian Guyanese were denied their fundamental right to choose their Government when the state institutions were used to routinely rig elections. They lost their fundamental right to security, as the Police and army even aided and abetted “kick down the door” bandits. Their depredations against Indian Guyanese had a “flavour of genocide”, in the words of Eusi Kwayana. But all those who perpetuated those acts were ordinary citizens, like the neighbours who expelled 3000 Indian Guyanese from Wismar in 1964.

And it is this banality of evil that we have started to hear about, and will continue to hear as the Commission continues its hearings. Let’s take the testimony of former Police Division 4 ‘A’ Commander Edgar Thomas, who had been placed in charge of security of the GECOM Command Centre at the Ashmins Building.

Without getting into all the names involved, but which are now on record, we heard of the GECOM Secretariat’s DCEO refusing to listen to the concerns of a Commissioner of GECOM – who was technically her superior – about the need to protect the security of the SOPs etc. She was single-mindedly focused on removing all persons from the Centre, putatively because of a “bomb threat”.

This threat was later traced to a relative of a Permanent Secretary.

Commander Thomas was also concerned about the security of the election materials, but he was incredibly overridden by a junior officer, who was supported first by a Dep. COP and subsequently the COP himself. Thomas was soon reassigned and effectively demoted.

The second witness was the new GECOM Secretariat’s CEO. He revealed that all the recordings from the cameras at the Ashmin Building have been erased from the storage devices and backup computers. This, of course, defeats the purpose of the cameras being placed there, to begin with: to provide incontrovertible visual evidence of what transpired in the building.

All of these actions were committed by persons who were supposed to act according to the rules of their state institutions, but refused to do so. It can occur again, even in the face of new rules and sanctions. We have been arguing for decades that our state institutions must be more representative of our population’s composition. Because of our voting pattern, this would translate into representation for both major parties that are driven to populist mobilisation and discourage such “banalities of evil” by our state institutions.

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

ice President Bharrat Jagdeo has made it clear that the Government will not be selling crude to any refinery with a capacity above the 30,000 barrels per day (bpd), as the Government is currently seeking proposals from interested companies.

During a press briefing on Thursday, Jagdeo explained that the Government does not want the carbon footprint a large refinery would leave. Earlier this year, there were a number of companies that had expressed an interest in building large refineries in Guyana. Jagdeo noted that this is why the Request for Proposals (RFP) that has been issued by the Government, specifies that the proposals must be for a 30,000-bpd refinery.

“We need for national security, a small refinery in the country. So, we’re not looking to become the refinery capital of the Region. So how do we trigger this? We don’t want to own it in Government, but how do we get all these bidders to work together? We’re only selling 30,000 barrels of crude per day to one, the bidder most serious about building the refinery.”

Jagdeo noted that in the Request for Proposals, the Government put out that they would provide the land, and tax concessions and would sell the oil needed for the refinery to operate. He explained that while the company that eventually wins the bid will not be restricted to selling fuel to the Government, in times of crisis the State can exercise its powers to restrict fuel export and make the company sell to them for domestic consumption.

“So, this is for national security purposes, to have energy security at home so we don’t run out of gas or diesel or anything like that here.

We’re pursuing this refinery.

But not with Government

Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo

funds. And through an open process,” Jagdeo explained.

“I saw one person say they want to build four refineries. Who is that? I don’t know who would want to build four refineries… it doesn’t make sense. That’s all we’re supporting, a 30,000-barrel-aday refinery for Guyana. The others, we’re not selling any crude to them.”

Successive Governments have been cautious on the matter of building a refinery in Guyana that is Stateowned, resulting in the only takers for this initiative coming from the private sector.

The former A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Government had previously hired a consultant, Pedro Haas, to carry out a feasibility study into constructing an oil refinery.

The results of the study did not favour building a refinery, particularly one with a capacity to produce over 100,000 barrels per day. In his study, Haas looked at the cost of building an oil refinery with a capacity of producing more than 100,000 barrels of oil per day. The study had come up with a US$5 billion price tag in order to construct the refinery in Guyana.

The expert also suggested that as an alternative to the establishment of an oil refinery, the Government could pursue maximising income from commercialising crude

oil. Another suggestion was that the Government swap or toll crude oil for products on the global market or create joint ventures with offshore refineries, as well as acquire stock in refining companies.

However, the study was done at a time when oil giant ExxonMobil was the only operator in Guyana’s waters to find oil in commercial quantities. Members of the private sector have previously urged that the construction of a refinery be re-explored when more operators find oil.

Back in August, Jagdeo had hinted that while the

Government had received at least eight or nine proposals for big refineries to be set up here, there is a need for at least one small refinery in the country to process the crude for local consumption in order to ensure the country’s energy security in the future.

According to the RFP that was issued, construction on the refinery is expected to begin by the first half of 2023, with the project expected to be completed within two years. The refinery will be located near the Berbice river.

The proposals are due next month.

12 NEWS

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Police destroy over $184M in ganja during operation at Fort Nassau savannah – teen among 2 arrested

Some of the dried marijuana under the tent

A

19-year-old farmer along with another man were on Friday arrested following the discovery of over $184 million worth of ganja during an operation at Fort Nassau Savannah, Upper Berbice River.

The exercise was conducted by ranks of B Division led by an Assistant Superintendent of Police.

Police stated that during the eradication exercise, a search was conducted on a two-storey wooden building owned Rasleigh Ragan called “Blackie”, 38, of Fort Nassau Savannah, Upper Berbice River, during which three live 20-gauge cartridges were found along with seven 25-gauge spent shells.

At the time of the op-

The makeshift tents destroyed by fire

eration, 19-year-old Atley Hinds of Gateroy Village, Berbice River, was at the location and as such, he along with Ragan were told of the offence committed, cautioned and arrested.

However, in the presence of the duo, a further search was conducted in the building, where three bulky parcels containing a quanti-

ty of cannabis were discovered.

Ragan immediately claimed ownership of one of the parcels while Hinds took ownership of the oth-

Rasleigh Ragan

Atley Hinds

er two.

Nevertheless, about 30 metres away from the building, several cannabis plants measuring about six inches to three feet in height were found. Again, Ragan claimed that he cultivated the plants for smoking purposes.

Meanwhile, the ranks then went to a nearby makeshift camp where they found about 450 pounds of dry cannabis with an estimated worth of $183,704,940.

The ranks also found another makeshift camp on a plot of land with about 137 suspected cannabis plants measuring about six inches

to three feet in height along with a chainsaw and a water pump and a quantity of cannabis seeds.

The suspected cannabis plants were uprooted and destroyed, while the makeshift camps, the dry cannabis along with the chainsaw and other items were destroyed by fire.

The suspected cannabis seized and destroyed by Police during the eradication exercise amounted to six kilograms.

Ragan and Hinds were escorted to Central Police Station where they were placed into custody pending charges.

FEATURE

13

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

By Alva Soloman

T

wo Saturdays ago, members and well-wishers of the South Rupununi Conservation Society (SRCS) gathered to share their thoughts, memories and experiences at a simple ceremony as the body celebrated its 20th year of serving the region.

The event, held at the Wichabi Ranch - headquarters of the body - was one that brought back fond memories to those in attendance, especially the founders. It also provided the entity with an opportunity to reflect on its efforts thus far, and to map its plans ahead.

But what dominated the conversations was a bird -the endangered Red Siskin finch. Building from scratch, Programme coordinator of the conservation body, Neal Miller, recounted that in the early 2000s, a group of scientists from the Smithsonian Institute, accompanied by local guides from the tour operator, made a discovery that was set to shock the global scientific community and drastically change the future of conservation in the Rupununi region.

He told Guyana Times that the group identified the

Friends, officials and well-wishers of the South Rupununi Conservation Society (SRCS) joined the body as it celebrated its 20th anniversary at the Wichabi Ranch in South Central Rupununi, where the entity is headquartered (SWM photo)

Red Siskin, known scientifically as the Spinus cucullatus, a seed-finch which until then was only known to be found hundreds of miles away in northern Venezuela.

He said that, at that time, the Red Siskin was classified as “Critically Endangered” due to its history of being intensely trapped for the purpose of selling. He said this resulted in a severe population decline, to the point where it was almost impossible to find the Red Siskin in the wild, and the species was on the brink of extinction.

“The unexpected discovery of the Red Siskin catalyzed a group of nature-loving friends, who had noticed a decline in the abundance of wildlife, a degradation of the environment, and continued loss of culture in the Rupununi, to form the South Rupununi

Conservation Society,” Miller said. That was in June 2002.

The founding members, Justin de Freitas, Nicholas Fredericks, Asaph Wilson, Nicholas Cyril and Leroy Ignacio, decided that they wanted to use a combination of community-based conservation, environmental education, and research to preserve the wildlife, environment, and culture of the Rupununi. The first task for the newly formed SRCS was to understand more about the Red Siskin, Miller said, and he noted that that was in order to ensure that this bird’s population was safe from the threats it had faced in Venezuela.

To do this, the SRCS recruited members from Indigenous communities across the South Rupununi, who shared the founding group members’ passion for

wildlife, the environment and adventure. These new recruits were then trained in skills such as binocular use, GPS use, bird identification, and bird handling, to become SRCS “rangers”.

In the years that followed, Miller said, the SRCS spearheaded efforts to collect data that was new to science, including the range of the Red Siskin in Guyana, its population size, and its genetic code.

At the same time, he said, the SRCS also advocated for the Red Siskin to be added to the list of protected species in Guyana, and this was successfully done.

“The SRCS was also officially appointed as the guardians of the Red Siskin by the Guyana Environmental Protection Agency in 2003,” Miller said.

SRCS Ranger Maxi Ignace holding a small Red Siskin finch (SRCS photo)

Trapping, other threats

But even as the conservation body exhausted its efforts in understanding the SRCS, rangers discovered that the local population of the Red Siskin was under threat from trapping, trading, and habitat destruction. “If these threats were left unabated, it was possible that the Guyanese population of Red Siskins could have severely declined,” Miller said.

He said those threats prompted the SRCS to further engage some of the Indigenous communities, on whose titled and proposed extensions the Red Siskin’s range occurred, to work together to find a solution. Those villages were Sand Creek, Sawariwau, Katoonarib, Rupunau and

Shulinab, all of which remain committed to the SRCS cause.

Their efforts resulted in the creation of the “Red Siskin Community Based Conservation Management” zone, which is one of the first of its kind in Guyana.

According to Miller, the zone covers the known range of the Red Siskin, and has a set of rules, the purpose of which is to protect the finch population that was decided upon by the five communities. The zone will now be monitored

by SRCS rangers from each of the five communities with the aim of reducing the number of threats these birds face and hopefully increasing their population.

TURN TO PAGE 15

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SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

RENEWABLE ENERGY

F

ossil fuels in the forms of petroleum, coal or natural gas have no doubt been the most used sources of energy in modern history. They have been used to produce in today’s world the commodities that most would consider basic needs.

Energy from fossil fuels provides us with electricity in our homes, fuel for transportation, and power in our production industries. Energy from fossil fuels is certainly a demand, but just how much of this resource, hidden deep under the Earth’s surface, do we have left? The fact is that not a lot is left. Fossil fuels are becoming harder and harder to find, and are considered a non-renewable resource. More so, this source of energy has been associated with having a negative impact on the health of the environment; and, more specifically, has significantly contributed to humaninduced climate change.

It is no wonder, then, that great effort is made to utilize other sources of energy, which, when compared to fossil fuels, have a minimal environmental impact. Such alternative energy sources are being obtained from the natural elements in the environment, such as the sun (solar), wind, water (hydropower), steam (geothermal) and even tidal action (wave).

The alternatives to fossil fuels all have one very important feature in common – they are all renewable sources of energy. Renewable energy is far more beneficial for the environment than fossil fuels, and the use of renewable sources such as solar panels and wind turbines would lead to cost savings, a healthier environment, and can be utilized at both the domestic and commercial levels.

In keeping with the Low Carbon Development Strategy 2030, Guyana is making significant strides to wean itself from the substantial use of fossil fuels by implementing renewable energy projects across the country in both the private and public sectors. The installation of solar panels on homes, especially in the interior regions such as Mahdia - Installation of 0.65 MW Solar Photovoltaic Grid-Connected System; Leguan - Installation of 0.6 MW Solar Photovoltaic Grid-Connected System; Bartica – Construction/Installation of a Solar Photovoltaic Grid-Connected System at Dogg Point; are examples of Government-funded projects.

Hydro-power projects include investment in the Amaila Falls Hydro-Electric Project, and the Kato Installation of 150 kW Micro Hydropower Plant.

Meanwhile, we can all make a conscious effort to conserve energy in our daily activities by better managing our consumption of electricity in our homes and work places.

Here are some tips for energy conservation that we can easily adopt: used; -

Switch to using energy-saving bulbs; Purchase appliances with the Energy Star Logo; Turn off and unplug appliances that are not being Collect rainwater for use; Open windows and make use of natural light.

These simple actions can certainly help you to contribute to protecting the environment while reducing energy expenses.

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

FEATURE

15

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM FROM PAGE 13

The zone has also been recognized as the first Important Bird Area (IBA) in Guyana.

the first 16 years of its history.

Expansion

Tourist draw

Miller has said that the conservation efforts of the Red Siskin has also resulted in tourists having an interest in the bird. “Since the discovery of the Red Siskin, the number of tourists travelling to the South Rupununi has significantly increased, with eager bird watchers travelling from all across the world to see the magnificent little red bird,” he said.

He said this has benefitted the local communities, which are now able to find opportunities as guides, caterers, accommodation providers, transportation providers, and more.

He said the SRCS has been credited for its role in this development, and its efforts have been recognized by the Guyana Tourism Authority, which presented the body with an award for “an outstanding contribution to tourism by an NGO.”

Not an easy road

Jamaican singer Buju Banton’s single “It’s not an easy road” is almost identifiable with the journey of the SRCS and the Red Siskin project. “When the organization was founded,

A section of the gathering at the simple ceremony two Saturdays ago (SWM photo)

there was no money available at all to implement the projects that were needed.

Further, it was very difficult for SRCS to access funding grants in the early years, as they had no prior experience to prove to funders that they were capable of implementing projects,” Miller related.

He told this publication that the founding members of SRCS were not holders of university degrees, and had no experience in applying for grants. However, he said what they did have was the local knowledge of their environment combined with some scientific knowledge that they had

learnt from visiting researchers over the years.

“Therefore, for the first five years of SRCS, the members completed all their activities using their own resources, and by donating money from their own pockets,” he said.

Miller noted that this allowed the organization to complete multiple activities, including mapping Red Siskin habitat sites and learning more about their behaviour.

After these first five years, he said, the SRCS was successful in being awarded its first grant from the Conservation Leadership Programme.

Following this grant, SRCS went from strength to strength, receiving grants from the Mohamed Bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund, the Small Grants Programme, and the Rufford Foundation; as well as a second grant from the Conservation Leadership Programme.

“The SRCS was then able to use these funds to implement various aforementioned activities to collect information on the Red Siskin that would aid in its conservation,” Miller added.

He said the Red Siskin project implemented was therefore its main focus for

According to Miller, the SRCS had always sought to expand its work to research and protect other threatened wildlife in the Rupununi, and to implement projects to preserve the local environment and culture.

This ambition was given a great boost in 2018 when the Sustainable Wildlife Management – Programme Guyana (SWM) was established and created a partnership agreement with SRCS. He said Support from SWM allowed SRCS to implement an environmental education curriculum, research and protect Giant Anteaters, research and protect the Yellow-spotted River Turtle, and implement projects to preserve traditional knowledge. The partnership with SWM also allowed the organization to build its internal capacity to manage projects.

He said for all projects that the SRCS has ever implemented, the organisation maintains that they should be led by the communities and that SRCS is therefore to facilitate the project.

“Therefore, the aim of each project is to build the capacity of the project communities to be able to

sustainably manage their wildlife, environment, and culture. This is always done in collaboration with the community and through combining scientific and traditional knowledge,” Miller pointed out.

Last Saturday’s event was held to celebrate the achievements of SRCS, and to acknowledge the individuals who have contributed to that success. At the event, all SRCS members unanimously agreed that the success of the organization so far has been down to the commitment, dedication and sacrifice made by its members, who want to see the wildlife, environment and culture of their home preserved.

In the future, the members of the SRCS realise that threats to this vision have increased, and according to Miller, members agreed that they must be proactive to mitigate these and other potential threats.

He said the SRCS expressed hope that their story can inspire other groups of individuals within Guyana and across the world to take action to protect what is around them.

“As the SRCS members agreed, we cannot wait for someone else to come, or for funding to arrive; it is our home, and we need to be the ones responsible for preserving it and our way of life.”

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FEATURE

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his weekend, Guyanese can tune their ears to the fresh new single named Coco Krazy, a song that singer Azar says brings a feeling of fulfilment mixed with a few goosebumps.

Azar told Guyana Times that the song, mixed and mastered by producer Darrel Pugsley of DP Records, is a love story. “When people are in love, the crazy things which they would do, the vibe that they get from each other, the atmosphere, is there,” Azar said of his new song, which is expected to hit social media on Sunday evening.

Coco Krazy, which falls within the pop and R&B genres, speaks of a man who confesses his feelings to a girl. They were best friends, and although they had feelings for each other, they did not wish to risk confessing those feelings to each other, fearing it would end their friendship.

“But by the time he confessed, it was too late,” Azar said.

Azar said the lyrics are an illustration of what he felt from his own experience. “That was a couple of years ago,” he said.

Prior to recording

According to the singer, prior to recording, he had the song’s melody in his mind and its structure organised in his memory. He said he did a previous version of the song with Vision Sounds Recording Studio and Paradigm Auto Lab, and he

ate the hit, and soon after, the video was created to match the song.

Talented videographer Keon Hector used his magic to create the video, which viewers would surely enjoy when it’s released this weekend. “We took two months more to plan the video. We shot the video in one night, we had to find a model, and Kristy Kissoon, a good friend of mine, she played the lead female role in the video,” Azar said.

He described the video production as being second to none, and according to him, fans will enjoy the storyline which the video exudes.

He said the song will be available on multiple social media platforms, including Itunes, YouTube, and Spotify, from this Sunday.

His personal Facebook page-Azar Lalljee- as well as his fan page, Azar Music, also has links to the new hit.

More about Azar

A snapshot promoting Azar’s new song, “Coco Krazy”

noted they all played a major part in the hit’s creation.

He explained that he was sitting in the DP Studios one day listening to the original version of the song from Paradigm when an idea came to mind. He said Pugsley and another local artiste, Richard, were also in attendance. According to Azar, Richard suggested that the

song can become a major hit. “He said this song could blow up, and in my mind, I said we did well with the song,” Azar noted. However, they agreed that more can be done with the song, and soon after, Pugsley started building a new track while the vocals were also recorded to match the new track. He said it took the team two months to cre-

Born Azharuddin Lalljie in December 1997, the singer is the second child of three siblings. He was also always fond of singing from a very young age, and would sing different songs while playing with his sister during their childhood years.

After completing secondary school, Azar worked on the set of the film ‘A Bitter Lime’ an AustralianAmerican-Guyanese film predominantly made in Guyana. Following this experience, he was encouraged

Azar, taking a break while recording in the studio with Darrel Pugsley of DP Records

by the actors to pursue his singing talent.

Azar then entered a competition which was held at the Ramada Hotel, called Guyanese Karaoke Star, in which he won an award for the most promising contestant.

The award was bestowed upon him mainly because of his ability to compose and write his own songs, which he performed in the competition.

He describes his music as promoting positivity, and he plans to continue honing his musical skills with the hope of being recognised for his talent within the industry.

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SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

COURTS’ Main St operation rebranded as 1st Mega Store in Guyana – Regent St’s Lucky Dollar outlet now COURTS

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OURTS Furniture Store recently rebranded its Main Street store as Guyana’s first COURTS Mega Store with a whopping $120 million upgrade.

This new brand would provide Guyanese with more options and services to choose from, especially with the festive season around the

corner.

To date, Courts Guyana has been a trusted name for Guyanese, and is known for its hire purchase deals and easy access to credit.

During the rebranding ceremony last week, Sub-Regional Managing Director Vincent Gordon explained that the huge investment signals the

commencement of a series of projects which are expected to be rolled out in Guyana shortly. He noted that the Unicomer Group, under which the brand is being operated, is looking forward to doing business in Guyana, and he added that, with the new store, Guyanese would have a shopping experience of a

lifetime.

The new store has an enhanced layout with the main aim of drawing its Guyanese customers to a more spacious and wellstocked shopping environment. As a matter of fact, the Mega Store will be having a grand sale on items

storewide today, with up to 50 per cent off on selected items, including electronics, home furnishing, Christmas decorations, and many other items.

Public Relations Officer Ulex Johnson has related that Guyanese can expect more, with better promo-

tions, at the rebranded location.

She added that the Lucky Dollar outlet on Regent Street is now under the Courts Brand, and will offer customers the same services as any other Courts location.

NEWS

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SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Kwakwani residents benefit from Govt outreach –spectacles, wheelchairs, $100K disability cash grant distributed

Human Services and Social Security Minister Dr Vindhya Persaud addressing the residents at Kwakwani

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undreds of residents of Kwakwani in Region 10 (Upper DemeraraBerbice) have benefitted from an outreach hosted by the Human Services and Social Security Ministry.

On Friday, November 4, at the Workers’ Recreational Centre, approximately 64 residents between eight and 90 years old received spectacles for the first time, at no cost, through the Ministry’s Difficult Circumstances Unit (DCU) and Miracle Vision Care

One of those recipients, 86-year-old Rachel Vanlewin, related that it feels good to finally have a clearer vision.

As such, she thanked the Ministry. “It feels comfortable and I see clear. Thank you so much,” she said.

Human Services and Social Security Minister Dr Vindhya Persaud told the gathering, “This is part of the work the Ministry of Human Services does, and is part of our programme where we take our services to the community. Kwakwani is an important community, like any other in

the country, so we brought the key services to each one of you.

“This Ministry deals with everybody: from families, women, men, boys, girls, persons living with disabilities; everybody. So, this Ministry tackles social issues, and from time to time, we would have received several reports involving children, domestic violence and elder abuse, so the theme today is an extensive one.”

The Unit also provided wheelchairs, crutches, walking canes, and hampers to persons living with disabilities in

the area.

Joyce Primo, a pensioner living with a permanent disability, has said her life would be significantly improved with the receipt of her new wheelchair, as she is now able to move around freely in her community.

During the engagement, children living with permanent disabilities also received Government’s $100,000 oneoff cash grant.

Additionally, the community was educated on the Ministry’s initiatives to tackle domestic violence, including the toll-free 24-hour 914 hotline and Imatter App. In this regard, Head of the Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Unit, Dr Cona Husbands, said: “The outlying

Dr Persaud sharing a light moment with a resident who received spectacles for the first time

communities are often starved for information when it comes to these issues, even though

Dr Persaud engaging some of the residents

they are faced with it (domestic violence). And as a department, we aim to give everyone everywhere the information that will make a difference in their lives.

“For instance, a lot of persons in the community were informed of the avenues available to seek help, including shelters, legal pro-bono, survivor advocates, and the community advocates’ network,” Dr Husbands said.

Meanwhile, the Childcare and Protection Agency also took the opportunity to interact with residents about issues affecting them in their respective communities.

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FEATURE

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HEALTH TIPS DANDRUFF

the face

Dr. Tariq Jagnarine Family Medicine/ Endocrinology

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andruff is related to Seborrheic Dermatitis (SD), which causes itchy and flaky skin, but it occurs only on the scalp. It’s so common that it affects about half of the global adult population.

Most people focus on the flakes. Itching, on the other hand, may be the most uncomfortable side effect.

CAUSES Many factors can contribute to the development of dandruff, so pinpointing the exact cause of the itchy, flaky scalp can be difficult. Here are a few likely culprits: * Secretions from the sebaceous glands * Fungal colonization on the surface of the skin * Not shampooing enough, which may cause skin cells to accumulate and create flakes and itching; or, alternatively, over-shampooing and over-drying the scalp. * Over-brushing the hair on the head creates too much friction with the sensitive skin on the scalp * A yeast called Malassezia, which aggravates the scalp and causes excess skin cell growth * Different personal care products may cause contact dermatitis, which makes the scalp red and itchy * Too much exposure to sunlight * Excessive pressure on the scalp from hats * Eating habits * Exposure to dust or dirt Some people may be more predisposed to dandruff than others, for reasons that are unknown. However, it’s known that men develop dandruff more frequently than women.

People who tend to have oilier hair or live with certain illnesses (such as Parkinson’s disease or HIV) are also at higher risk.

SYMPTOMS Flakes and an itchy, scaly scalp are the main symptoms of dandruff. White, oily flakes typically accumulate in the hair and on the shoulders, and often get worse during the fall and winter months, when the air is dry. Additional symptoms can include: * Erythema, which are red patches on the skin of the scalp, and sometimes on the face * Eyebrow dandruff * Hair loss * Dry flakes on the skin of

TREATMENT Getting rid of dandruff can consist of taking medications that can be obtained both through prescriptions and over the counter. There are also some home remedies.

The best way to get rid of dandruff is to use dandruff shampoo and scalp treatments. The American Academy of Dermatology Association (AAD) recommends taking the following steps: Follow instructions. Since there are many different types of dandruff treatment shampoos, and each comes with its own instructions, it’s important to carefully read and follow the directions of the product of choice.

Different skin and hair types require different care.

African American people may need to wash only once a week with a dandruff shampoo.

Asian American people and those who are white may need to alternate between different dandruff shampoos that contain different ingredients in order to achieve the best results.

Shampoos for dandruff can be medicated (which requires a prescription to purchase) or available over the counter. Usually, this means that the amount of the medication in medicated shampoos is just higher.

Typical ingredients include ketoconazole, selenium sulfide, coal tar, and zinc pyrithione. These ingredients usually loosen the dandruff flakes from the scalp, or fight the overgrowth of the Malassezia fungus, which may play a role in the development of dandruff.

Common dandruff shampoo brands Some specific products you may see on the shelves include: * Head & Shoulders and Jason Dandruff Relief, which contain zinc pyrithione, an antibacterial and antifungal.

Dandruff is not caused by a fungus, but these shampoos can help to slow the production of excess skin cells. * Neutrogena T/Gel, which is a tar-based shampoo. Coal can ease conditions from dandruff to psoriasis by slowing how quickly the scalp’s skin cells die and flake off. This type of shampoo can discolour hair. * Neutrogena T/Sal, which has a dose of salicylic acid and may lessen the amount of scale on the head. It can leave the scalp dry, however. If the scalp is particularly dry, follow up with a moisturizing conditioner. * Selsun Blue, which has the power of selenium sulfide. It can slow the death of skin cells and also reduce Malassezia. This type of shampoo may discolour lighter shades of hair. * Nizoral, a ketoconazole shampoo, meaning: it contains a broad-spectrum antifungal. This type of shampoo can be found over the counter or by prescription.

However, the AAD warns about using coal tar shampoo. This kind of shampoo can discolour light hair and make the scalp more sensitive to the sun.

HOME REMEDIES Some natural remedies before the use of medicated solutions include the following options: * Baking soda. Gently rub it into the scalp in the shower, and rinse after a few minutes. * Apple cider vinegar. Mix 1/4 cup with a 1/4 cup of water. Apply to the hair for 15 minutes to 1 hour, and then rinse out. Do this twice a week. * Coconut oil. Rub 3–5 teaspoons into the scalp and leave for 1 hour. Then shampoo the hair and wash it out. * Lemon juice. Rub 2 teaspoons into the scalp and rinse out. Then rub one more teaspoon mixed with 1 cup water. Do this every day. * Aloe Vera. Rub into the scalp before you wash the hair. * Olive oil. Rub 10 drops into the scalp. Cover the head with a shower cap and leave overnight. Shampoo and wash the hair in the morning.

PREVENTING DANDRUFF Here are some tips to avoid dandruff: * Practise good hygiene.

Do your best to resist the urge to touch the scalp, especially if it’s already itchy. Scratching can increase irritation and lead to a vicious cycle. By scratching, you can also introduce dirt into the mix, which can make dandruff worse. * Find the right shampooing balance for the scalp. The shampoo is often enough to keep oils at bay, but don’t use too many products in the hair, as that can irritate the scalp. * Reduce stress. Stress can aggravate or even worsen dandruff for some individuals.

While Malassezia is not introduced to the scalp by stress, it can thrive if the immune system is compromised, which is exactly what stress does to the body. Do the scalp a favour and relax. Try taking a restorative walk or practising yoga. * Breathe fresh hair.

Research shows that including regular exposure to the outdoors, especially where the air is fresher, can help reduce oil buildup on the scalp. * Massage the scalp. This may also help prevent dandruff symptoms. * Brush those locks. Brush the hair when it’s damp (not wet) at least twice daily. * Limit friction. Limit the wearing of hats and scarves, especially those of synthetic materials.

The good news is that many cases of dandruff can be treated effectively with overthe-counter (OTC) shampoos and other lifestyle measures.

That being said, dandruff isn’t the only reason for an itchy scalp. If the dandruff is particularly stubborn or itchy, it may be psoriasis, eczema, or true fungal infection. The doctor can help.

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Shade house, other assistance announced for Reg 10 farmers

Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha engaging Region 10 farmers during the outreach

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griculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha on Saturday led an outreach to Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice), where he met with farmers from West Watooka and Dallawalla to discuss some of the issues affecting them.

During the meeting, farmers requested assistance with lands to develop cattle pastures, access roads to gain entry to their farms, farming tools, improved drainage and irriga-

tion, as well as assistance to develop poultry rearing and expand their farming activities.

In response, Minister Mustapha told the farmers that the Government remains committed to working with every farmer to develop the sector. Mustapha added that his Ministry will work to ensure all their issues are resolved.

He also advised that a farmers' group consisting of young people in the area be established. Once the group is formed, Mustapha said that he will meet with them and provide assistance with setting up a shade house to assist with their cultivation.

Recently, the Minister has been conducting widespread outreaches across communities, where engagements with farmers have led to issues facing them, and Government’s

plans for intervention.

Just a few hours before, Mustapha met with cattle and cash crop farmers from Enmore on the East Coast of Demerara (ECD). Both groups of farmers, some of whom are past estate workers, said following the closure of the Enmore Estate they began rearing cattle and planting cash crops to sustain their families.

During the meeting, they sought the Minister's assistance with providing additional land to expand their cultivation and improved pastures to graze their animals.

Minister Mustapha told the farmers that the Government was working to develop the sector and that the Ministry will work to identify alternative areas to assist them with their agricultural needs.

These outreaches have

led to immediate interventions for numerous villages.

On Friday, cattle farmers from Belladrum in Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice) benefitted from improved genetic material after receiving a breeding bull to boost their stock.

The Agriculture Minister made the handover just two weeks after they made a request to President Dr Irfaan Ali during a community meeting.

Mustapha related that his Government intends to develop the cattle industry and that the necessary resources will be made available to assist cattle farmers across the country to improve their herds.

It was also announced that Cabinet recently approved the construction of a state-of-the-art abattoir in the region as part of the efforts to develop the sector.

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SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Work on Mahaica sea defence to commence immediately amid threats from sea, high tide P

ublic Works Minister Bishop Juan Edghill, having inspected the sea defence structure at Essex and Concord in Mahaica, and along the shoreline all the way to Fairfield Village, East Coast Demerara, on Saturday announced that measures would immediate be put in place to guard against the occurrence of any flooding in those communities.

Accompanied by the Sea and River Defence Manager Kevin Samad, Project Manager (Sea and River Defence) Jermaine Braithwaite, and Chair of the Sea and River Defence Board Brigadier Gary Beaton, Minister Edghill said works in these areas would continue, since the ocean is posing some threats there, especially with increasing high tides.

“My Engineering and the Sea and River Defence Board have brought to my attention occurrences that are taking place, and the need for interventions. They have been able to show me drone images, and explained to me all the technical terms of what is taking place. We decided

The shoreline assessed by officials of the Public Works Ministry

to come out and see for ourselves, because we have to make the necessary policy intervention to ensure we’re not playing catchup or responding to an emergency after the fact,” the Minister has explained.

He said climate change has played a major part in creation of these present conditions, but Government will continue to put measures in place to ensure citizens living in communities in close proximity to the sea are not severely impacted by these environmental changes.

“What is happening here is that, with the movement of mud, climate change, weather patterns and everything

else, we are losing a significant amount of mangroves in this section. Once the mangroves are removed, the dam becomes compromised. Once this dam is breached, the water (goes) all the way in (and everybody is affected), whether farmlands, poultry farmers or households,” he clarified.

The team has been examining the progression of such impacts over the course of months, and the rate at which deterioration is occurring. Engineers have estimated that intervention would have to be made within a couple of months, the Minister added.

“If we continue this way,

Minister Edghill on the ground with other officials during the inspection

in another 10 spring tides we could be in shambles,” he remarked.

Project Manager Jermaine Braithwaite pointed out that completing the construction of sea defence in a timely manner has been a challenge over the years, since there are several critical areas along the coast.

“With the resources that the Ministry has allocated, we have to target those areas. What we want to continue doing here, and what the Sea Defence Department has been doing over the past two years, is to implement ahead of the rate of depletion of the mangrove…,” Braithwaite

explained. “We are in discussion, and we have brought to the attention of the Minister the financial needs and what procurement needs to be undertaken urgently,” Braithwaite examined.

This week, the Hydrometeorological Service of the Agriculture Ministry has forecasted wetter-than-usual rainfall conditions across all regions of Guyana for the months of January 2022 to November 2023, otherwise known as Guyana’s secondary rainfall season.

A notice from the Hydromet Office predicted that, during the upcoming

rainy season, water levels in conservancies, reservoirs, and inland rivers across Regions One to Eight and 10 are likely to be increased, and there is a high risk of flooding. On the other hand, Region Nine would continue to be dry, but can expect more than the usual amount of rainy days.

The continued maintenance of drainage infrastructure is essential as the country progresses towards the wet season, it was been noted. Farmers are being urged to take all the necessary precautions to secure crops and livestock in advance of significant rainfall events.

NEWS

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Restorative Justice Bill among transformational Bills for National Assembly on Monday

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he Restorative Justice Bill is among a series of transformational Bills that are set to be tabled during Monday’s sitting of the National Assembly.

This is according to Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister Mohabir Anil Nandlall, who said that the Bill will see the establishment of a body that will administer the new Act, as well as educate the country and its citizens on the relatively new concept of restorative justice in the justice system.

The Restorative Justice Bill which will be read for a second time will give more prominence to the cases of victims of criminal offences and offenders and accentuate the injury it has caused to the persons involved, rather than the violation of the law.

As such, Nandlall said it will now take the cohesive efforts and roles of forensic personnel, such as criminologists, sociologists, and psychologists in the process.

“The criminologists, sociologists, and psychologists have done all the analyses and have concluded that the traditional and conventional punitive penal sanctions that we have been administering in the world for the past century have not been as effective as they should have been” “Therefore, they are exploring newer, more modern

concepts of a softer nature directed more to the rehabilitative component rather than the punitive component of punishment…” he explained.

He said through restorative justice, the inquiry will not necessarily focus on the conduct of the person in a conflict of the law, but rather on the underlying factors or circumstances that led to them committing an offence.

“The theory is that practically, if you don’t address the root cause, and you inflict a punishment of imprisonment and the root cause is a societal factor—perhaps residents in the abode, or the dwelling— and the delinquent is charged and convicted, serves the sentence and upon completion of service of sentence, goes back to the nest that created the problem in the first place, then there is a high likelihood that that person will be back in the prison within a short period,” the AG highlighted.

While this initiative is new to Guyana, the Attorney General said the Government has commenced training and educating several persons at the community level across the country.

“This concept, as of Monday when the Bill is passed, and when His Excellency assents to it, will become for the first time a permanent feature in our criminal justice system.”

Also, on the order paper

to be tabled Monday is an amendment to the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substance Control Act 1999.

“Something that we have to address if we want to stop putting our young people in particular, into the prison system for a protracted period for possession of small quantities of marijuana…This particular piece of law-making has evoked widespread reactions of a disparate and different nature”. “…some of them competing, some coinciding based upon the different facets of society…. As a Government, and in keeping with the objectives of this programme, we have to strike a delicate balance, and that is what our intervention in that piece of legislation seeks to do,” the Attorney General explained.

He stated that while amounts under 30 grams currently carry a prison sentence of three to five years, the amendment will see persons in possession of 15 to 30 grams of marijuana receiving community service sentences, while possession of 15 or fewer grams will see persons being prescribed counselling.

“That is the type of balance that we have to strike if we want to implement laws to govern the lives of people, and we want their consent,” the Attorney General said.

32 NEWS Guyana aims for 90% reduction in malaria cases by 2025 – Dr Anthony SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

– says adopting stronger strategies necessary to achieve target

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he Health Ministry is seeking to reduce the mortality rate and

the number of cases of malaria in Guyana by 2025, in keeping with the 2030

target of the World Health Organisation (WHO).

The WHO aims to reduce malaria cases and mortality rate by at least 90 per cent; eliminate malaria in at least 35 countries and prevent a resurgence of malaria in all malaria-free countries.

Minister of Health, Dr Frank Anthony, speaking at an event held in observance of Malaria Day in the Americas on Friday, said the Government has strongly embraced the WHO’s targets.

“We certainly like to do this much earlier and you would have seen from the plan that we have unveiled that we’re trying to get closer to the WHO target for 2030 by 2025, and we strongly believe we can do this with the techniques we are employing,” Dr Anthony stated.

He added that malaria is endemic in Regions One, Seven, Eight, Nine, and in some parts of 10 but noted “we believe by adopting

Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony

a strong strategy where we can be more in the community, that we will be able to change this endemic nature of malaria in these regions”.

The Health Ministry has collaborated with Harvard University to train laboratory personnel to detect whether the parasite responsible for infecting a person with malaria has become resistant to medication.

“I think it’s the first time we’ve been able to do that

here in Guyana but now that we’ve done it, we have to keep monitoring at this level and this would give us more accurate results about resistance. So, we have been making progress in several areas and this is the kind of collaboration that we’d like to see not just to be able to do the traditional things, but we want to use innovations that are in the field so that we can improve what we’re doing.”

Breakthrough Action Guyana, an international organisation funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), has been working to ensure infected persons properly take their medication.

Minister Anthony said there is a need for an analysis to see whether the compliance rate has improved.

The Minister also said the Ministry must be able to respond swiftly to emerging cases.

“One of the collaborations we have to build with miners is to make sure that when we finish mining in an area, we fill the areas back up so that we don’t create habitats. These habitats and the breeding sites for mosquito is what is going to help to endanger you in the long run, especially in that area.”

The Health Minister noted that with traditional and new effective strategies, the population of mosquitoes can be reduced.

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CVQ in Guyana means ‘dual qualifications’ for students – ACEO T

he Caribbean Examinations Council has granted conditional approval for the implementation of the Caribbean Vocational Qualification (CVQ) in secondary schools across Guyana.

During this week’s Education Spotlight, Assistant Chief Education Officer - Technical, Marcia Paddy outlined that this competency-based certification allows students to achieve skills that are set to a specific standard based on the occupational area of study.

This will prove advantageous for students and means greater opportunities.

“It means that students leaving school will now have dual qualifications. If a child would

Assistant Chief Education Officer - Technical, Marcia Paddy

have achieved CVQ, the child can further his education at any post-secondary institution in Guyana or if they move across the

Remaining black belly sheep from Barbados expected in 2 weeks

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ith the PPP/C Government’s vigorous efforts to develop the livestock sector, some $177.7 million was allocated to offer extra funding for the promising Black Belly Sheep Project.

During a community outreach at the Enmore Community Centre Ground, East Coast Demerara (ECD), Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha disclosed that the remaining black belly sheep from the promised 1000 are expected to arrive from Barbados within two weeks.

He noted that the ship is scheduled to leave Guyana on Saturday, for the sheep.

“Very shortly, in two weeks, we will receive the entire set of sheep from Barbados to start that programme that the President launched a few months back at the MMA scheme.”

This undertaking will also see Guyana integrally involved in the move to reduce Caricom’s food import bill by 25 per cent by 2025.

The Minister added, “We want all of the sectors

in the country to be robust.

We want all sectors to be sustainable and all the sectors to be performing.”

The first 132 black belly sheep arrived in Guyana on August 4. This included 20 rams and 112 ewes. The breed is mainly reared for meat and by-products that are in high demand.

Back in August, Mustapha stated that Guyana has enough land, the ideal climate, and all other prerequisites for increasing the production of black belly sheep.

On March 27, President Dr Irfaan Ali launched the project in Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice).

With Region Five being Guyana’s largest livestock producer, the President stated that it could become the livestock capital of the Caribbean Community.

The proposal also fits in with President Ali’s “One Guyana” agenda.

Even in the face of the profitable oil and gas sector, the Administration is leading several initiatives to increase production and diversify the economy.

Caribbean, they can seek employment and further their studies,” the education official pointed out.

According to the ACEO,

Level One CVQ is being offered at the secondary level, with Levels Two and Three accessible at post-secondary institutions. CVQ will be implemented in all schools across Guyana.

“Students are not required to write an exam.

They are expected to achieve certain skills as they progress. In the implementation, what is needed is evidence of the student’s work that will be audited at the end of the programme,” she expounded.

Preparation on the Education Ministry’s end would have entailed selecting schools and preparing them for an audit spearheaded by the Caribbean Examinations Council to determine their readiness.

“Following the pilot

of CVQ in Guyana with eight schools, we would have made a decision to do an expansion. We would have initially identified 34 schools to be added to the programme. However, we dropped one school due to some technical difficulties.

As part of the process, CXC conducts a pre-readiness audit in order to determine whether these schools are ready for the programme or not,” Paddy explained.

She added that conditional approval was granted since the country was five marks short in the audit. These are being corrected internally. In January, a full report on the individual schools will be sent by CXC. “They would have granted us conditional approval, which means that we fall short of five marks of be-

ing qualified but there are some things that we can fix which are based on occupational safety and health.

These are some issues that we have been addressing following that audit.”

In 2021, when the CVQ certification was originally introduced in eight secondary schools in Guyana, approximately 119 students registered in four areas: commercial food preparation, furniture making, fabric decoration, and crop production.

The Ministry then expanded it to 34 more schools with the aim to eventually have CVQ programmes offered in every secondary school across Guyana. This will enable each child to exit secondary school with both a CXC certificate and a CVQ certificate.

34

guyanatimesgy.com

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2022

Regional

Lula transition team invites Belize asks for funds in the experts who helped stabilise aftermath of Hurricane Lisa Brazil economy in 1990s T

Brazil’s former President and presidential candidate Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva reacting at an election night gathering on the day of the Brazilian presidential election run-off, in Sao Paulo, Brazil, October 30, 2022

B

razilian Presidentelect Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s transition team has invited two economists, Persio Arida and Andre Lara Resende, who helped design the Real Plan that stabilised the economy in the 1990s, two sources with knowledge of the matter said on Saturday.

The sources, who spoke on condition anonymity, added that another economist Guilherme Mello, who leads the team drafting economic proposals for Lula at the

leftist Perseu Abramo think tank, was also invited to the transition group.

The three names were first reported in the Brazilian newspaper O Estado de S.Paulo. Lula, who takes office on Jan 1, won a runoff election last Sunday against President Jair Bolsonaro but he has been questioned for not providing details of his economic programme.

Lula has not yet said who will head the Finance Ministry in his Government, causing broad specula-

tion in the markets of Latin America’s largest economy.

Vice President-elect Geraldo Alckmin had already stated that the transition team members would be announced on Monday. Some of them are expected to be further appointed by Lula to Cabinet posts.

Arida, an orthodox economist well regarded by the market and close to Alckmin, was appointed to the transition team by him, one of the sources said.

Arida has already held positions in public administration in the 1990s, including the presidency of the central bank and development bank BNDES. Lara Resende, a frequent interlocutor of economists from Lula’s Workers Party (PT), was appointed as a counterpoint to Arida’s more traditional economic views, the source said.

Lara Resende has already argued that a constitutional spending cap strangled public investments, which he sees as a mistake. Lula has repeatedly said he will end the spending cap, without detailing which fiscal anchor will replace it. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Five women found dead in violent Mexican state

F

ive women were found dead in a central Mexican state suffering from a wave of violent crime against women, local authorities said on Friday.

Their bodies were found on Friday morning in the city of Cuautla, Morelos, which borders Mexico City. The women were likely killed in disputes linked to organised crime, Morelos’ Attorney General Uriel Carmona told news network Milenio.

Three of the bodies were in bags with a message from a gang leader claiming the killings were carried out against another gang. The

two other bodies, one of a trans woman, were described as showing the hallmarks of gangland killings, Carmona added.

The news comes after Morelos and Mexico City began investigating the fate of Ariadna Fernanda Lopez, a 27-year-old woman who was last seen alive on Sunday evening in Mexico City, and was found dead on a highway also in Morelos on Monday.

Carmona told a news conference an initial autopsy showed Lopez’s death was caused by alcohol intoxication.

Authorities are still investigating the circumstances of how her body came to be in Morelos, his office said.

An average of 10 women a day are killed in Mexico, and Morelos had the third highest rate of femicides in the country between January and September this year, official data showed.

Mexico’s Senate this week approved measures aimed at tackling violence that could impose 22-year jail terms for acid attacks against women, and up to five years for sexual harassment. The measures still require lower-house approval. (Reuters)

Venezuela’s monthly inflation slowed to 6.2% in October

V

enezuela’s monthly inflation in October hit 6.2 per cent, a sharp slowdown from September when prices rose 28.7 per cent according to data released on Friday by the country’s central bank.

President Nicolas Maduro’s Government has tapped the brakes on inflation with orthodox economic policies aimed at exchange-rate stabilisation, reduced public spending and tax hikes.

Year-on-year inflation stood at 155.79 per cent ac-

cording to Reuters calculations based on central bank figures, the highest in the Latin American region.

The sectors with the largest price jumps in October compared with the previous month were education services, which saw an 18.3 per cent rise, and communications, which saw a 9.6 per cent increase, according to official data.

In September, prices rose sharply as the Government disbursed more resources and the bolivar depreciated for several weeks, forc-

ing authorities to adjust spending and sell more foreign currency in cash to local banks, analysts said.

Official policy, which limits credit authorisations, has led some entrepreneurs to seek loans abroad.

High prices coupled with a de facto dollarisation in some sectors have severely widened wage gaps between public and private sector workers. The minimum wage is equivalent to about US$15 per month and has not been revised since last March. (Reuters)

he Government of Belize, in the aftermath of Hurricane Lisa, that is requesting some US$11 million dollars to meet on immediate needs and to provide basic food, household supplies and construction materials to enable the affected population to have a level of human dignity.

Earlier this week, on Wednesday, Hurricane Lisa crossed the mainland of the Caribbean Community (Caricom) country, at approximately five miles south of Belize City.

While there were no reported loss of life or major injuries, approximately 39 per cent of the population was affected with initial estimates of losses to the

housing sector amounting to approximately BZ$20 million (US$9.6 million).

Meanwhile, the Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI) has expressed willingness to support the Government and conduct damage assessments and the distribution of supplies to farmers.

For its part, the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) is on standby to provide assistance concerning the reduction of waterborne illnesses and overall disease surveillance and eradication.

Assistance is also coming from the International Federation of Red Cross that has now procured shelter kits, cleaning and hygiene kits that can assist

approximately 500 families as needed.

The Belize Red Cross said it is working closely with the National Emergency Management Organisation (NEMO) and has teams on the ground conducting assessments.

Meanwhile – the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Belize has conducted assessments and identified schools which were damaged and have tents positioned in-country for use if the need arises.

Other regional and international entities including the Caribbean Water and Wastewater Association (CWWA) and the Caricom Private Sector Organisation have pledged support to Belize as needed. (Nation News)

Police take control of Haiti fuel terminal

S

ecurity forces in Haiti say they have taken control of a major fuel depot held by criminal gangs.

The Government said fuel distribution will resume from the Varreux terminal, in the rundown Cité Soleil area, on Monday.

The gangs seized the port facility in September, blocking the delivery of imported fuel and hampering efforts to distribute food and medicines.

The terminal supplies most of the oil products in Haiti.

It has been controlled and blockaded by a coalition of powerful gangs, known as G9, for more than a month.

The blockade has forced many businesses to close and complicated the distribution of petrol and bottled drinking water, while a cholera outbreak has worsened by the week.

All of this has contributed to civil unrest across the country.

The unrest has also escalated since Prime Minister Ariel Henry announced an end to Government fuel subsidies on September 11, which sent petrol and diesel prices skyrocketing.

Amid the turmoil, Police launched an operation to take control of the fuel terminal on Wednesday.

Gunfire was heard in the area throughout the day.

A day later, a Police

source told AFP they had succeeded in taking control of the facilities and were in the process of clearing the roads.

Neither the Police nor the Government stated whether any deaths or injuries occurred.

Prime Minister Henry congratulated the Police for retaking the terminal in a statement.

The Police operation follows a recent warning from the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Voker Türk, that a “protracted, multifaceted crisis” in Haiti could descend into the country’s worst humanitarian emergency in decades. (Excerpt from BBC News)

33 Jamaican fishermen held in Colombia for illegal fishing to return home Nov 12 – Johnson Smith

D

iscussions are presently underway between Jamaican and Colombian authorities with a view to repatriating the 34 Jamaicans who were allegedly caught fishing illegally in Colombian waters, as early as next Saturday.

After raising the issue in the Senate on Friday during her contribution to the State of the Nation Debate, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Senator Kamina Johnson Smith issued a statement on Saturday where she said the talks were ongoing. She told the Senate on Friday that Jamaica had made arrangements for the fishermen to return this Saturday, November 4 but the Colombian authorities requested additional time and instead proposed November 12.

The Foreign Affairs

Minister advised that the Colombian and Jamaican Governments will conduct a joint operation to return the crew of the vessel to Jamaica, which will result in a meeting between the coast guards of both countries for the transfer of the crew, at an agreed point on the high seas.

She disclosed that on October 19, her Ministry was informed by the JDF that a Jamaican fishing vessel, registered under the name Hope-On, had been detained in Colombian waters by the Colombian authorities.

Johnson Smith said that on October 20 the Ministry enlisted the assistance of Jamaica’s Embassy in Bogota to ascertain details of the incident, to commence the requisite verification of the Jamaican nationality of the crew, and to deter-

Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Senator Kamina Johnson Smith

mine their needs. She said the Colombian reported that 6430 kilograms of parrot fish were found in the vessel and that a total of 41 persons were on board. (Excerpt from Jamaica Observer)

guyanatimesgy.com

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2022

35

Around the World

OILNEWS OIL NEWS US oil refiners to keep running at breakneck speeds in 4th quarter

U

S oil refiners this quarter will run their plants at breakneck rates, near or above 90 per cent of capacity, as tight fuel supplies spur high profits and operating rates, according to company forecasts and analysts surveyed

by Reuters.

The refining industry has minted huge profits this year on buoyant demand for gasoline, diesel and jet fuel. Fourthquarter outlooks should keep earnings high even as gasoline consumption slips during the winter.

Largest US refiner Marathon Petroleum Corp aims to operate its system at 93 per cent of combined oil processing capacity, a cooler pace as it completes maintenance work at some plants. It ran at 98 per cent of capacity last quarter.

Second-largest Valero Energy plans to run at between 91 per cent and 95 per cent of capacity this quarter, while LyondellBasell Industries targets an above 90 per cent rate, and Phillips 66 projects a low-to-mid 90 per cent run rate, according to figures released by the companies.

Sixth-largest US refiner PBF Energy has not disclosed its plan. On Oct 25, finance chief Erik Young said the company had the cash and borrowing power to "operate our refining system at elevated utilisation rates."

PBF restarted units idled during the pandemic at its Paulsboro, NJ, plant to produce more diesel and jet fuel, with the company's refineries running at a record-high 980,000 barrels per day last quarter, Young said.

Overall, refiners are forecasting production will remain close to third quarter levels, which averaged 92.75 per cent, said Matthew Blair, refining analyst at researcher Tudor Pickering & Holt. If refiners overall hold their production flat "that would be really strong,” Blair said.

The plans reflect robust demand for diesel and jet fuel with US inventories below the five-year average, said John Paisie, president of energy consultancy and researcher Stratas Advisors.

Diesel stocks in particular “are well below typical levels and are running at some 20 per cent below the seasonal average,” Paisie said. He expects utilisation in the US "will continue to be relatively high and will average around 90 per cent in 4Q.” (Reuters)

US hospital flu cases hit 10-year high as vaccinations fall

U

S influenza hospital admissions have hit the highest rate in a decade as vaccinations sag, US officials say.

They said adults have received five million fewer influenza jabs this year compared with the same time last year.

Health experts are worried a so-called tripledemic of flu, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and coronavirus could swamp hospitals this winter.

At least 730 people have died of flu this year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

While older people are the most vulnerable age group, at least four children are among the dead.

CDC data shows there have been at least 1.6 million flu cases overall and some 13,000 people have been taken to hospital.

This season's severity has not been matched at this

point in the year since the H1N1 swine flu pandemic hit the US in 2009.

Flu season in the US typically peaks in December and January but has surged early and rapidly this year.

Health officials said the coronavirus pandemic had sharply curbed the spread of flu and other respiratory viruses, So many young children are now encountering them for the first time, but may have little to no immunity, said the officials.

The early arrival of flu season has been compounded by a rise in COVID hospital admissions, fuelled by the spread of different Omicron subvariants.

It has also coincided with a country-wide surge in RSV, a cold-like infection that is estimated to claim more than 14,000 lives annually in the US, mostly among older Americans. (Excerpt from BBC News)

From Russia with cash: Georgia booms as Russians flee Putin's war

A

s war chokes Europe, a small nation wedged beneath Russia is enjoying an unexpected economic boom.

Georgia is on course to become one of the world's fastest-growing economies this year following a dramatic influx of more than 100,000 Russians since Moscow's invasion of Ukraine and Vladimir Putin's mobilisation drive to drum up war recruits.

As much of the globe teeters towards recession, this country of 3.7 million people bordering the Black Sea is expected to record a vigorous 10 per cent growth in economic output for 2022 amid a consumption-led boom, according to international institutions.

A man carrying a bag on his head as he travelled from Russia across the border to Georgia at the Zemo Larsi/Verkhny Lars station, Georgia, September 26, 2022

That would see the modest USUS$19 billion economy, well known in the region for its mountains, forests and wine valleys, outpace supercharged emerging markets such as

Vietnam and oil exporters such as Kuwait buoyed by high crude prices.

"On the economic side, Georgia is doing very well," Vakhtang Butskhrikidze, CEO of the country's larg-

est bank TBC, told Reuters in an interview at its Tbilisi headquarters.

"There's some kind of boom," he added. "All industries are doing very well from micros up to corporates. I can't think of any industry which this year has problems."

At least 112,000 Russians have emigrated to Georgia this year, border-crossing statistics show. A first large wave of 43,000 arrived after Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb 24 and Putin moved to quash opposition to the war at home, according to the Georgia Government, with a second wave coming after Putin announced the nationwide mobilisation drive in late September.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

Nearly 1000 migrants stranded on board NGO ships as storm hits

More than 500 people are on board the Geo Barents as a storm hits the Mediterranean Sea [Candida Lobes/AP Photo]

T

hree charity-run vessels in the Mediterranean Sea are awaiting permission to disembark in Italy or Malta, as those on board need urgent assistance amid dwindling supplies and worsening weather conditions.

The vessels operated by Doctors Without Borders (Medecins Sans Frontieres, or MSF), SOS Mediterranee and SOS Humanity, have been at sea for more than a week, carrying nearly 1000 people in total.

Italy’s new right-wing

Government has acknowledged the receipt of their requests to disembark but has stopped short of greenlighting their entrance into port.

“The latest request was made yesterday evening but we received no response,” Riccardo Gatti, MSF team leader on board the Geo Barents, told Al Jazeera via video message.

Similar requests forwarded to the Maltese Government have gone unacknowledged.

Gatti said on Saturday the Geo Barents had entered Italian waters to find shelter from an incoming storm, carrying 572 people on board, including an 11-month-old and three pregnant women.

MSF media adviser Candida Lobes said water was being rationed and

food supplies were also dwindling. Due to overcrowding, respiratory and skin infections were also spreading.

“The situation is simply unacceptable,” Lobes said.

According to the United Nations refugee agency, coastal states such as Italy and Malta are obligated to accept people from rescue ships “as soon as practicable” and governments should cooperate to provide a place of safety for survivors.

“It is frankly absurd that the Italian and Maltese governments have not yet offered them a place of safety,” Matteo De Bellis, a researcher on asylum and migration at Amnesty International, told Al Jazeera. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Twitter launches US$8 monthly subscription with blue checkmark

T

witter Inc on Saturday launched a subscription service for its social media platform for US$8 a month that includes the blue checkmark "verified" badge, offering an updated version on Apple’s App Store.

In an update to Apple iOS devices, Twitter said those who "sign up now" can receive the sought-after blue checkmark next to their user names, "just like the celebrities, companies and politicians you already follow."

A blue check mark next to a person's user name means Twitter has confirmed that the account be-

longs to the person or company claiming it.

According to the iOS notification, other benefits in the update include "half the ads", the ability to post longer videos to Twitter and priority ranking for

quality content.

Twitter's new boss Elon Musk flagged the new service earlier this week in his push to monetise the social media network and make it less reliant on ads.

Twitter is currently free

for most users.

Twitter's update said the new service with verification will be available in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom.

"As soon as we confirm it’s working well in the initial set of countries and we have the translation work done, it will roll out worldwide," Musk said in a tweet on Saturday.

However, according to a tweet from Twitter's early stage products executive Esther Crawford on Saturday, the new Twitter Blue service is available but has not yet gone live.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

36

guyanatimesgy.com

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2022

ARIES (March 21April 19)

Be careful not to sign up for too much. Your high energy will flag if you are too accommodating. Pace yourself, put a plan in place and pay attention to detail. Take pride in your work.

Put in overtime if necesTAURUS sary.

Trying to please some(April 20one in a position of power will May 20) pay off. Getting along, pitching in and participating will all be necessary.

Don’t get worked up over GEMINI (MAY 28- something you have no control over. Go about your business, do June 20)

your own thing and ignore anyone trying to mess with you. Put your time and energy into something that matters.

Go over contracts, investCANCER ments and liabilities and see (June 21how you can make some positive July 22) adjustments. Obtaining the freedom to live life your way comes at a price. Work hard and reap the rewards.

LEO (July 23Aug. 22)

VIRGO

(Aug. 23Sept. 22)

Dilbert LIBRA (Sept. 23Oct. 23)

SCORPIO (Oct. 24Nov. 22)

Peanuts

Sign up for something that will help you advance. Picking up new skills will put you in a positive frame of mind.

Raise your standards and set long-term goals. Protect your health.

Choose something you like to do and include people who make you laugh. A fun time will put you in the right frame of mind to consider new beginnings or projects you want to pursue.

Confusing emotions will surface. Sorting out your differences with a friend or relative will help you adjust to the demands being put on you by others. Discipline and devotion will be key.

Take the time to check on someone who needs your assistance. A good deed will lead to an unexpected reward. Take on a unique project or try doing things differently. You’ll discover a hidden talent.

Take a pass if the informaSAGITTARIUS tion you receive appears to be (Nov. 23invalid. Rely on your intuition Dec. 21)

to choose what’s best for you.

Don’t let a physical attraction lead to a bad decision.

CAPRICORN Control your emotions, look at the logistics of a situation (Dec. 22and the people involved, and Jan. 19) do your best to support positive action. Using force will backfire. Don’t risk your reputation.

Calvin and Hobbes

Steer clear of demanding

AQUARIUS people and changes that don’t (Jan. 20fit your plans. Think outside the Feb. 19) box, and you’ll devise a solution

that will allow you to get things done your way without interference.

PISCES (Feb. 20Mar. 20)

Pay attention to what a friend, relative or neighbor is doing. An interesting investment will pay off. A slight adjustment to an idea or plan will lead to success. Romance is featured.

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2022

37

2022 ICC T20I World Cup…

Nervy England defeat Sri Lanka for place in semi-finals – Australia now knocked out

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hanks to a four-wicket win over Sri Lanka, England are through to the semifinals of the T20 World Cup, and Australia has been knocked out in the process.

It was an anxiety-riddled chase in the final match in Group 1, despite a target of 142 looking well within reach after openers Jos Buttler and Alex Hales posted 75 for the first wicket inside eight overs.

A series of unforced errors saw six wickets fall in the space of 65 deliveries for the addition of just 54.

Bowlers Wanindu Hasaranga, Dhananjaya de Silva and Lahiru Kumara split those dismissals evenly between them, and, for a moment, an upset looked well and truly on the cards. But Ben Stokes - as ever - saw England over the line with 42 from 36, which contained only two fours, although he constantly worked the scoreboard and Sri Lanka's outfielders, before Chris Woakes's cut for four confirmed England’s victory with two balls left.

Stokes came in at #3, after Dawid Malan injured his groin fielding, and showed typical poise under immense pressure.

The contest was far closer than it should have been, England having fought back strongly to limit Sri Lanka to a modest total, after opener Pathum Nissanka (67 off 45) had got them off to a flyer.

Australia, now officially

Ben Stokes and Alex Hales played key parts in England's win

done as defending champions, are left to wonder what might have been, having relinquished the opportunity to surpass England's net run rate with their own modest win over Afghanistan on Friday.

But for Nissanka's blitz, which had Sri Lanka at 65 for 1 after seven overs, there was little around him as England's collective attack served up cutters and slower deliveries that were responding well to a worn surface at the SCG. Adil Rashid's 1 for 16 from his four overs led the retort, though Mark Wood collected the more eye-catching figures of 3 for 26, two of them coming in the 20th over, which also featured a run out, as Sri Lanka crept to 141 for 8 - the lowest total posted first at this ground in the competition. England also

became the first to win at the SCG when chasing.

Buttler's charges now head to Adelaide for their semifinal.

They will play whoever finishes first in Group 2, which culminates on Sunday.

Stokes again Make no mistake, there was always going to be a space for Stokes, even if the pre-

Adil Rashid got rid of Pathum Nissanka just when he was looking to accelerate

more - was a reminder of his unparalleled worth to England.

He hit only two fours, picking up the majority of his runs with his feet, as that problematic left knee worked more overtime.

He is still yet to register a fifty in T20Is, and this score was only the third time he has passed 40 in 35 innings, not that he or his

format, the fear was that the shoulder injury that has limited his usual zip off the pitch was cutting into his incisiveness. Of course, the reality may be closer to the fact that batters are more watchful against him, willing to play his overs out before making hay at the other end.

Here, he wedded both sides: stopping Sri Lanka in their tracks - he did not concede a boundary in his four overs - and dismissing Nissanka. Had he failed at either task, things would have ended very differently. As it happens, he now has 90 T20I wickets - the joint most for an Englishman, level with Chris Jordan.

Change of pace In a tournament in which those topping the speed gun have stolen the headlines, here

was a fixture that rewarded shifting down a few gears. The spinners were always likely to shine on this used pitch, but the quicks got in on the act with variations of their own.

England's attack sussed this halfway through, and by the halfway stage, pace-off deliveries were going at 4.87 runs per over, while pace-on checked in at 8.46. The most notable element of this in the second innings came in the 18th over, when Sri Lanka's own speedster Lahiru Kumara bowled six balls - almost entirely reserved and into the pitch - that yielded just two runs and the wicket of Sam Curran, leaving England needing more than a run a ball for the last two overs.

(ESPNCricinfo)

SCOREBOARD

Mark Wood was outstanding after going for plenty in his first over

Pathum Nissanka celebrating his fifty

tournament conversations over whether he is in England's best T20 team were merited.

In many ways, it is his bowling that has been as close to a revelation as you can get for a multifaceted cricketer admired the world over; and yet again he opened up, finishing with 1 for 24 from three overs.

Batting, however, was where the real question remained, and it took until England were in the doldrums in Sydney to truly appreciate how valuable he is. Yes, his best spot is as an opener, but the way he gauged the conditions around him both the tangible challenge of the pitch and intangible stress of having to be the saviour once

team-mates would care.

If Malan's injury is as is feared, a batting replacement will have to be drafted in, and there is no guarantee Stokes would reprise his first-drop role in the semi-final. Whatever position he comes in at, there can be no doubt England's best XI is one with him in it.

Rashid dulls with class Four games played, 16 overs bowled, and finally a wicket. It has been a peculiar tournament for Rashid, one which has seen the legspinner operate as a dampener rather than a disruptor.

Even though the former is a role of immense value in this

Sri Lanka (20 ovs maximum) Pathum Nissanka c sub (CJ Jordan) b Rashid 67 Kusal Mendis †c Livingstone b Woakes 18 Dhananjaya de Silva c Stokes b Curran 9 Charith Asalanka c Malan b Stokes 8 Bhanuka Rajapaksa c Curran b Wood 22 Dasun Shanaka (c) c †Buttler b Wood 3 Wanindu Hasaranga de Silva run out (†Buttler/Wood) 9 Chamika Karunaratne c Hales b Wood 0 Maheesh Theekshana not out 0 Extras (lb 3, w 2) 5 TOTAL 20 Ov (RR: 7.05) 141/8 Did not bat: Kasun Rajitha, Lahiru Kumara Fall of wickets: 1-39 (Kusal Mendis, 3.6 ov), 2-72 (Dhananjaya de Silva, 8.2 ov), 3-84 (Charith Asalanka, 10.4 ov), 4-118 (Pathum Nissanka, 15.3 ov), 5-127 (Dasun Shanaka, 17.5 ov), 6-140 (Bhanuka Rajapaksa, 19.2 ov), 7-141 (Wanindu Hasaranga de Silva, 19.5 ov), 8-141 (Chamika Karunaratne, 19.6 ov) BOWLING O-M-R-W Ben Stokes 3-0-24-1 Chris Woakes 3-0-24-1 Mark Wood 3-0-26-3

Sam Curran Adil Rashid Liam Livingstone Moeen Ali

4-0-27-1 4-0-16-1 2-0-16-0 1-0-5-0

England (T: 142 runs from 20 ovs) Jos Buttler (c)†c Karunaratne b PWH de Silva 28 Alex Hales c & b PWH de Silva 47 Ben Stokes not out 42 Harry Brook c & b DM de Silva 4 Liam Livingstone c DM de Silva b Kumara 4 Moeen Ali c Shanaka b DM de Silva 1 Sam Curran c Rajitha b Kumara 6 Chris Woakes not out 5 Extras (lb 3, nb 1, w 3) 7 TOTAL 19.4 Ov (RR: 7.32) 144/6 Did not bat: Dawid Malan, Mark Wood, Adil Rashid Fall of wickets: 1-75 (Jos Buttler, 7.2 ov), 2-82 (Alex Hales, 9.1 ov), 3-93 (Harry Brook, 10.6 ov), 4-106 (Liam Livingstone, 13.1 ov), 5-111 (Moeen Ali, 14.3 ov), 6-129 (Sam Curran, 17.6 ov) BOWLING O-M-R-W Maheesh Theekshana 4-0-22-0 Kasun Rajitha 3-0-40-0 Lahiru Kumara 3.4-0-24-2 Wanindu Hasarangade Silva 4-0-23-2 Dhananjaya de Silva 4-0-24-2 Charith Asalanka 1-0-8-0

38

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2022

Guyoil/Tradewind Tankers Football League…

$500,000 on the line in today’s clash between CWSS, Golden Grove

T

he stage is set for today’s ultimate showdown in the Guyoil/ Tradewind Tankers Football tournament, wherein Christianburg Wismar Secondary School (CWSS) and Golden Grove Secondary clash for a chance to clinch a $500,000 grand prize.

Golden Grove Secondary are thus far unbeaten in this tournament, but two drawn results mean they would need a victory against Christianburg Wismar to win it all. However, since falling to North Ruimveldt Multilateral, the Linden out-

An unbeatable force is expected to oppose an unstoppable force during the ultimate match of the Guyoil/ Tradewind Tankers league today

fit had been faultless, making for an entertaining final on the line.

Tournament Organizer Troy Mendonca, who has a similar assessment of the situation, has predicted a ‘pulsating’ finale to this tournament.

“It is such a pleasing thing for my colleague to say ‘a final’ in a league competition, and that speaks volumes to how competitive the competition was; and very rare you have the least game of leagues determining the winner of the league, and that in itself - like I said - speaks volumes of this com-

petition,” Mendonca shared during an engagement on Thursday last.

He added, “Over the past seven weeks, these two teams that are sitting here with us today have demonstrated a level of consistency and development, from day one to day six. And so I said that to sat that, come Sunday, we expect a pulsating final between Golden Grove Secondary from the East Coast, and Christianburg Wismar, from Linden.”

The respective team captains have displayed an eagerness to take the top spot in the league. Golden Grove’s

Kellon Croal has expressed, “Through the past weeks, we have worked hard, and I’m so happy that we reach to the finals; and we’re going to put in our best and come out with a victory on Sunday.”

“It has been a very thrilling experience since this competition has started, and we hope to come out on top this Sunday and take the victory back home to Linden,” CWSS’ Devon Gilbert has said.

Among the talents to look out for at the Ministry of Education (MoE) Ground today will be CWSS’ Khristian Louis and Kelvin Hintzen,

who have been formidable for their team at the front.

Demoll Warner, with quite a few goals under his belt, has been a force in the midfield, and Golden Grove’s goalkeeper Emanuel Lewis would do well to look out for Warner’s calculated longrange shots.

However, another young man with similar liking for the long-range strikes is Golden Grove’s Kellon Croal, who has been consistent for his team in the midfield. With support for Kelvin Richardson, who has shown numerous glimpses of exceptional talent with the ball,

Golden Grove look capable of upsetting the Milo 2022 Champions today.

The Guyoil final is slated for a 6pm kickoff, with a contest between Cummings Lodge and President’s College scheduled for 3pm.

While the winners walk away with $500,000, the team placing second would reap $300,000; third place team collects $200,000, and fourth place pockets $100,000. The prizes would be given in kind, and not cash.

The Guyoil/Tradewind Tankers Tournament is also supported by MVP Sports.

(Jemima Holmes)

Muscles on show in 6th Fitness Expo today W ith this particular competition last being held in 2019, the 6th annual Guyana Fitness Games and Expo is taking over the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall (CASH) today, and fitness enthusiasts from across Guyana and further afield would now have opportunity to showcase their skills.

priced at Gy$1000. GTT, Genesis Fitness Gym, Guyoil, Lucozade, iCool, Pollo Tropical, TechPro, Trophy Stall and St. Joseph Mercy Hospital are among the event’s long line of sponsors.

The event will feature both Scaled and RX athletes, and according to Organizer Jordana Ramsay-Gonsalves, athletes are eager to participate. Speaking exclusively with Guyana Times Sport, Ramsay- Gonsalves shared her excitement at the event’s return and the eagerness of athletes to get on board.

“We are excited about it because it seems all the fitness fanatics were working out during COVID; we know they were really going at it hard during that period.

So, we’re excited to see all the people that came in to register, we didn’t expect such a big turnout, such a big volume of participants for this year,” she disclosed.

She detailed what fans can expect when the ac-

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A glimpse of what to expect at today’s Fitness Games

tion commences at 1pm.

“We have the reigning champion Delice Adonis, and she’s teaming up with Keisha Abrigo, who is the powerlifting champion.

So, those two are teaming up, and we have Genesis’ own Semonica Duke and Tenica Archer, they’re another powerhouse team.

Then we have a team coming from Suriname,” Ramsay-Gonsalves enlightened about the Women’s RX team that will feature seasoned ath-

letes.

Turning her attention to the male competition, she divulged, “For the male RX teams, we have our very own Omici and Kellon from Linden.

Since Dillon Mahadeo has left, we have them teaming up, and they’re a really big powerhouse team, as well as Anis and Mark, they’re coming back. So, we’re looking forward to those team competing.”

Tickets for entry into the Sports Hall are

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SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2022

39

Shepherd stars again as Guyana defeat CCC – Imlach, Johnson hit half-centuries in CG United Super50 tournament L

ed by another strong bowling effort from Romario Shepherd, Guyana Harpy Eagles have defeated the Combined Campuses and Colleges (CCC) team by five wickets in the CG United Super50 tournament, played at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in the Republic of Trinidad & Tobago.

Shepherd’s 4-19 restricted CCC to 206 all out, and halfcenturies from Leon Johnson and Tevin Imlach helped to propel the Harpy Eagles to 207-5, scored in 42.5 overs.

In the chase, Harpy Eagles lost Anthony Bramble (13) and Tagenarine Chanderpaul (15), while the left-handed Shimron Hetmyer struck two boundaries before being out for nine, after being caught in the deep off a short ball from seamer Mickail Powell.

Leon Johnson and Tevin Imlach then rebuilt the innings in adding 80 runs together. Johnson reached his half-century, but departed soon after for 51 from 68 balls, after edging one to the keeper off Matthew Forde. He struck six fours in his innings.

A cautious Imlach then reached his fifty, while Sherfane

Romario Shepherd

Rutherford came and dominated with his 25-ball 37. Rutherford was attempting to clear long-off, but found the fielder.

Harpy Eagles nevertheless finished with a comfortable win, ending on 207-5 in 42.5 overs.

Imlach ended on 63, striking six fours, while Kevin Sinclair ended unbeaten on eight.

Guyana Harpy Eagles won the toss and opted to bowl first.

CCC lost Kirstan Kallicharan, who

failed to score and was removed early when he was bowled by a beauty from Clinton Pestano.

Zavier Barton, who made seven, was removed by Shepherd. On the other end, Demario Richards played some delightful shots in his 36, but he eventually retired hurt.

Debutant Navin Didaisee and skipper Denesh Ramdin added 46 runs together, taking CCC to 114-3 in 27.3 overs. Wickets

then fell at regular intervals, and after Bidaisee was dismissed

by Gudakesh Motie for 30, and Ramdin departed for 38, the CCC innings went downhill.

The lower-middle order failed to put up a resistance as the Harpy Eagles displayed their experience.

Shepherd ended with 4-19 in 7.3 overs, showing yet again his class and consistency, while Kevin Sinclair had 2-48 in 10 overs.

Pestano, Motie and Veerasammy Permaul each took a wicket.

Guyana Harpy Eagles will be in action on Monday November 7 against Windward Islands Volcanoes from 14:00h at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy.

Meanwhile, in the other fixtures, West Indies Academy stunned Jamaica Scorpions by 12 runs at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, while Trinidad and Tobago Red Force defeated Windward Islands by seven wickets at Queen’s Park Oval.

Brief Scores of other fixtures Windward Islands Volcanoes 189 all out (47). Kaveem Hodge 39, Tevyn Walcott 36. Yannic Cariah 3-34 (10), Terrance Hinds 2-39 (7). T&T Red Force 195-3 (43). Joshua Da Silva 66, Nicholas

Pooran 36 not out. Kaveen Hodge 1-25 (10).

WI Academy: 182 all out in 44.5 overs. Kevin Wickham 46.

Kevlon Anderson 33. Dennis Bulli 4-32. Scorpions: 170 all out in 39.4 overs. Rovman Powell 42,

Brandon King 28, McCarthy 28.

Joshua James 3-22, Ashmead Nedd 3-33.

The tournament will continue today, Sunday November 6, in Antigua, where Leeward Islands will play Barbados Pride.

SCOREBOARD

Combined Campuses and Colleges Batting Demario Richards retired not out 36 Kirstan Kallicharan b Pestano 0 Zavier Burton c Bramble b Shepherd 7 Navin Bidaisee c sub b Permaul 30 Denesh Ramdin c & b Moti-Kanhai 38 Odain McCatty c Permaul b Shepherd 16 Matthew Forde c & b Sinclair 12 Amari Goodridge b Shepherd 14 Romario Greaves c Hetmyer b Sinclair 7 Abhijai Mansingh c Imlach b Shepherd 9 Michail Powell not out 2 Total (10 wickets, 48.3) (35 extras) 206 FOW: 5/1 (2.3) Kirstan Kallicharan 28/2 (7.5) Zavier Burton 114/3 (27.3) Navin Bidaisee 137/4 (32.1) Denesh Ramdin 163/5 (39.2) Odain McCatty 170/6 (41.1) Matthew Forde 190/7 (45.3) Romario Greaves 194/8 (46.4) Amari Goodridge 206/9 (48.3) Abhijai Mansingh Bowling Clinton Pestano 7-1-30-1 Romario Shepherd 7.3-1-19-4

Kevin Sinclair 10-0-48-2 Veerasammy Permaul (10-0-43-1) Gudakesh Motie 10-1-35-1 Sherfane Rutherford 4-0-22-0 Guyana Batting Anthony Bramble c Ramdin b Powell 13 Tagenarine Chanderpaul c Burton b Greaves 15 Shimron Hetmyer c Bidaisee b Powell 9 Tevin Imlach not out 63 Leon Johnson c Ramdin b Forde 51 Sherfane Rutherford c Forde b Goodgride 37 Kevin SInclair not out 8 Total (4 wickets, 40.4) (11 extras) FOW: 18/1 (3.1) Anthony Bramble 33/2 (5.4) Shimron Hetmyer 1556/3 (15.1) Chanderpaul 136/4 (33.1) Leon Johnson 199-5 (42.1) Rutherford Bowling Matthew Forde 8-1-21-1 Michail Powell 6-0-37-2 Romario Greaves 10-1-46-1 Amari Goodridge 7.5-2-27-1 Abhijai Mansingh 8-0-51-0 Zavier Burton 3-0-21-0

15th MACORP Invitational golf tourney…

Yunes cops MACORP Golf Championship …Mangal, Roy and Sabi Dhori medal as well

Avinash Persaud won best gross

Winner of the 10-18 flight and overall winner, Miguel Yunes Story and photos by Timothy Jaikarran

T

he 15th MACORP Invitational golf tournament teed off at the Lusignan Golf Club from 12:00 hrs on Saturday, and some of the nation’s best golfers took to the course.

Competition was keen, and every participant was seemingly determined to emerge overall winner.

However, the tournament ended with Miguel Yunes as overall winner, while Mike Mangal, Roy and Sabi Dhori

The winners row

Winner of the Men’s 0-9 flight, Mike Mangal

all won their respective categories.

The results for the day were as follows:

Overall Score 0-36

1. Miguel Yunes HC 18, Gross 84, Net 66 - Net 2. Avinash Persaud Gross 75

Men’s 0-9 Flight

1. Mike Mangal HC 8, Gross 77, Net 79 2. Richard Haniff HC 9, Gross 80, Net 71 3. Rackesh Harry HC 15,

Gross 88, Net 73

Men’s 10-18

1. Miguel Yunes HC 18, Gross 84, Net 66 2. Lakermam Ramsundar HC 14, Gross 85, Net 72 3. Videsh Persaud HC 15, Gross 88, Net 73

Men’s 19-28

1. Roy Dhori HC 20, Gross 88, Net 66 2. Miguel Oviedo HC 21, Gross 92, Net 71 3. Chet Bowling HC 28, Gross 99, Net 71

Winner of the 19-28 flight, Roy Dhori

Ladies’ 0-36

1. Sabi Dhori HC 35, Gross 105, Net 70 2. Eureka Giddings HC 24, Gross 104, Net 77 3. Shanella London HC 8, Gross 89, Net 81 1. Longest Drive: Max Persaud 2. Nearest to Pin: Brian Hackett In a statement, club Secretary Chet Bowling said, “Working with an organization like MACORP, an or-

Winner of the ladies 0-36 flight, Sabi Dhori

ganization that recognizes (its) corporate social responsibility and executes it with excellence, the condition of this ground is a big part to MACORP, donating time and machinery. So, MACORP, continue what you are doing, and today your efforts have borne fruit. So, definitely, we see the results of your effort.”

Also sharing his bit was MACORP Service and Technology Manager Oswin Lynch, who noted that MACORP is grateful to all the participants, as a great

number of players turned out despite the adverse weather. He also congratulated the LGC for hosting a successful day’s event.

Fifteen years ago, MACORP began its collaboration with the Lusignan Golf Club, and has since continuously supported the club. MACORP is known for its support of community service projects and sports in Guyana. MACORP is the only authorised dealer of Caterpillar products in Guyana.

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

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2022

guyanatimesgy.com

H

i s

Excellency President Dr Irfaan Ali has this week hosted a contingent of football stakeholders, led

by GFF President Wayne Forde, to discuss the inauguration of an end-of-year nationwide football tournament titled the “One Guyana President’s Cup”.

This event will be an inter-ward competition organized across all 10 Administrative Regions of Guyana, and will be conducted in two phases, with the first being an intra-regional straight knockout playoff, followed by a national inter-regional round-robin championship.

Ten regional teams, comprising 25 of each region’s best footballers, along with a five-member technical staff, would contest the inter-regional round-robin championship. The One Guyana President’s Cup is schedule to kick off on Sunday, November 13, with the

grand final taking place on January 1st, 2023.

Commenting on his Government's involvement, President Ali stated: "My Government wants to see more young people participating in sport, along with leaders across every region working together, and I believe this competition provides a platform for this to take place. Football has the power to bring people together, and this is the first in a series of initiatives in which Government plans to work with the GFF to support their ambition to make the game more accessible”.

The GFF contingent at the meeting also included members of the GFF Council, Golden Jaguars Head Coach Mr Jamaal Shabazz, along with sev-

A look at the engagement between President Dr Irfaan Ali and football stakeholders and players

eral active national footballers.

Accompanying President Ali, were the Senior Minister within the Office of the President, with Responsibility for Finance, Dr Ashni Singh; the Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Mr

Charles Ransom Jr; Director of Projects at the Office of the President, Mrs Marcia Nadir-Sharma; Chair of the National Sports Commission, Mr Kashif Muhammad, and Chair of the Board of Directors of the Guyana

Tourism Authority, Mr Aubrey Major.

GFF President Wayne Forde has said, "The tournament will kick off in the various regions in one week, and we really appreciate the efforts of the Government of Guyana

and President Irfaan's support in this initiative.”

He added that the tournament also “provides our coaching staff with an additional opportunity to scout players to add to the national team pool”.

Page 39

The President’s Cup Trophy that will be up for grabs on January 1, 2023

Shepherd stars again as Guyana defeat CCC – Imlach, Johnson hit half-centuries in CG United Super50 tournament

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