Guyana Times - Thursday, February 4, 2021

P12

IDB Invest approves US$4M loan for Surinamese bakery Nationwide coverage from the best news team in Guyana Issue No. 4549

THE BEACON OF TRUTH THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2021

Venezuela must respect Guyana’s sovereignty over EEZ – President ...our fishermen, mariners must be free to operate guyanatimesgy.com

Page 3

Page 3

Release of Guyanese fishermen ordered by Venezuelan President

PRICE

$80 VAT INCLUDED

WHAT'S INSIDE:

P2 Guyana records 36 new COVID-19 cases from 647 tests …cinemas need to install special filter before reopening – Minister

No permanent structures at P14 Georgetown seawall – Edghill …as Govt regularises vending

Page 7

…Govt lauds role played by Caricom, int’l community

Sod turned for $1B shopping complex at Leonora

Page 9

P8 Beharry employee dies after being hit by pressurised air

Guyana on course to avoid the Dutch disease – financial analyst P15

…amazing, transformative journey ahead for Region 3 – Ali

Father of 2 UG contractors shot dead warned of at birthday consequences celebration over delays Page 11

Page 11

P12 Helmets donated to motorcyclists in Region 10

2 NEWS

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Guyana records 36 new COVID-19 cases from 647 tests …cinemas need to install special filter before reopening – Minister

T

he Health Ministry on Wednesday reported that Guyana has recorded 36 new novel coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours from some 647 tests conducted.

According to the Ministry’s updated COVID-19 dashboard, the total number of COVID-19 cases in the country is now 7714 – 3992 males and 3722 females.

However, only 775 of these are active cases. These comprise five patients in the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and 770 in isolation – 58 in institutional isolation and the other 712 in home isolation.

Additionally, there are 12 persons in institutional quarantine.

The country’s death toll remains at 177 with the last COVID-19 fatality recorded on Sunday last when a 58-year-old female from Region Four (DemeraraMahaica) died while receiving care at a medical facility.

To date, some 6762 persons have recovered from the

life-threatening virus, with 81 more recoveries reported Wednesday.

Guyana has conducted 51,019 novel coronavirus tests thus far.

New cases

Of the 36 new cases recorded on Wednesday, one was detected in Region One (Barima-Waini); four in Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara); 22 cases in Demerara-Mahaica; two in Region Five (MahaicaBerbice); one in Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni), and six cases in Region 10 (Upper Demerara- Berbice).

The figures in the other four regions – Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), Region Six (East BerbiceCorentyne), Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni) and Region Nine (Upper EssequiboUpper Takutu) – remained the same.

During the COVID-19 update on Wednesday, Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony pointed to a recent Caribbean survey in which it showed

a comparison of persons’ finances in Guyana at the beginning of the pandemic in the Region as opposed to late last year when it had severely diminished.

“You could see now conditions have worsened for people because they didn’t had money, they didn’t have jobs – a lot of people were laid off – and these are the kinds of hidden impact that would have affected persons in Guyana.

So, we need to have a balance and that’s why we’ve been working to open work-spaces safely,” he posited.

Cinemas

In fact, only last week, health authorities granted approval for restaurants to reopen for indoor dining at 40 per cent capacity. However, calls are now being made for cinemas to also be reopened, but according to the Health Minister, this could not be done without certain conditions being met.

He explained that enclosed indoor areas such as cinemas were public health

hazards during the pandemic.

“With cinemas, we have had specific conversations with the cinema owners. We had teams that went in to access the cinemas and in the door space that they have, and that team that went in made recommendations to the cinema owners for them to install HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air) filters. This means that if somebody comes to the cinema and they have been infected and they’re asymptomatic, and they cough, then these HEPA filters will be able to clear out the viral particles,” he noted.

But according to Dr Anthony, since those recommendations were made, he was not aware that any of the cinemas have, in fact, installed these filters.

“Therefore, we’ll have to get another engagement with them to see whether or not they would be installing these [filters],” he said.

Moreover, the Health Minister went on to confirm that if they were moving to-

wards reopening of cinemas, then it would have to be conditional.

“The preference would be not to have people eat or drink, because eating or drinking would require you taking off your mask and as we known, transmission would occur once people’s noses and mouths are exposed and they are in close proximity or in an enclosed space,” he noted.

Meanwhile, Minister Anthony further explained that the reopening of restaurants for limited indoor dining was not done without research and assessments. He said the Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA) has been going around to various restau-

rants, making sure they are compliant with the COVID-19 Emergency Measures, assessing their capacity at 40 per cent and outlining the guidelines for seating.

In fact, some of the guidelines certified by the GTA include adequate spacing between tables and limited seats at each table.

The Health Minister noted that those details were worked out and random checks by persons from the task force would be done to ensure that these businesses comply with the measures that are being put in place. If this is not done, the Minister said, the task force could withdraw the entity’s licence to operate. (G8)

NEWS

3

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

BRIDGE OPENINGS OPENINGS BRIDGE

The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Thursday, February 4 – 10:00h-11:30h and Friday, February 5 – 00:30h02:00 and 10:30h-12:00h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Thursday, February 4 – 09:15h-10:45h and Friday, February 5 – 10:30h-12:00h.

Venezuela must respect Guyana’s sovereignty over EEZ – President ...our fishermen, mariners must be free to operate

FERRY SCHEDULE

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

WEATHER TODAY Light rain showers are expected in the earlymorning hours with sunny conditions for the rest of the day. Partly cloudy to clear skies are expected during the night. Temperatures should range between 21 degrees Celsius and 29 degrees Celsius.

Winds: North-Easterly to East North-Easterly between 2.23 metres and 5.36 metres.

High Tide: 09:29h and 22:05h reaching maximum heights of 2.46 metres and 2.35 metres.

Low Tide: 15:32h reaching a minimum height of 0.77 metre.

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2021

LOTTERY NUMBERS N

01

4

21

22 23 26

FREE TICKET

11 Bonus Ball

DAILY MILLIONS

01 04 10 16 18 LUCKY 3

1

8

2

9

Afternoon Draw

8

1

Evening Draw

DRAW DE LINE

04

09

15

16

17 20 21

PAY DAY

SUPER PAY DAY FRIDAY, JANUARY 29, 2021

02 03 04 05 07 13

05 08 11 16 20

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

COMMODITIES Indicators

US$

Change %

Crude Oil

$58.46/barrel

+1.71

Rough Rice

$234.594/ton

-0.27

London Sugar

$462.60/ton

-0.22

Live Spot Gold

USD Per Ounce

Bid/Ask

$1824.90

$1825.90

Low/High Change

$1822.80 -8.70

$1843.90 -0.47%

President Dr Irfaan Ali

W

ith the Venezuelan Government’s decision on Tuesday to release the two detained Guyanese fishing vessels and their crews, President Dr Irfaan Ali has called on the neighbouring country to respect Guyana’s sovereignty and leave its fishermen and mariners to operate in peace.

He made this call on the sidelines of an event on Wednesday. President Ali lauded the role played by the Caribbean Community (Caricom), who threw their support behind Guyana when Venezuela first detained the fishermen while they were operating in Guyana’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).

“We’re expecting the safe return of the vessels and crew back home. And I want to take this opportunity to thank all our international partners, Caricom Heads of Government, for adding their voices in a very strong manner on this issue.

“This was an effort. This was not an individual role.

Caricom, all the Heads of Government, I’m sure that Caricom statement must have had an impact. So, too, … all the statements from our bilateral partners and our international partners,” Ali also said.

The President was asked about the release of the fishermen, which was announced late on Tuesday evening, and in response, said that Venezuela’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Jorge Arreaza reached out to his Guyanese counterpart, Hugh Todd, to inform him that Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro had intervened to have the case against the fishermen discontinued and the men released.

Respect Guyana’s EEZ

Moving forward, President Ali urged Venezuela to respect Guyana’s EEZ and to leave fishermen and other mariners in Guyana’s waters alone. He made it clear that it would be business as usual offshore Guyana.

The President also reiterated that with the release of the fishermen, Guyana is open to discussing bilateral matters between the two countries that do not relate to the border controversy and the case currently before the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

“In the statement, we

The vessel bringing the Guyanese fishermen home about to depart Venezuela Wednesday morning

said we’re looking forward to Venezuela acting responsibly and not continue along this line, interfering with fishermen or anyone operating in our EEZ. We’re not asking for this assurance. This is our right. Our EEZ is our right.

And we will continue to facilitate economic activities in our EEZ,” President Ali said.

TURN TO PAGE 7

4

guyanatimesgy.com

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2021

Views Editor: Tusika Martin News Hotline: 231-8063 Editorial: 231-0544, 223-7230, 223-7231, 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

Our food security

D

ue to the COVID-19 pandemic affecting the Region and the world at large, the issue of agriculture and food security has not been talked about much.

However, we have always maintained that food security for the Region is as important as any other matter, and must be treated as such by Governments and other development partners.

In Guyana’s case, we have been at the forefront, over the years, in pushing for an effective agriculture and food security strategy. In December 2020, at the seventh virtual Summit of the Heads of State of Caricom and the Republic of Cuba, President Dr Irfaan Ali brought the issue of regional food security once again into the spotlight. The President used the opportunity to press the Caribbean Community (Caricom) to review the inter-regional trade mechanism and its food security in an effort to strengthen the bloc and place greater focus on an Agriculture and Food Security Strategy.

We believe that regional Heads need to place more emphasis on developing their agriculture sector and making the kind of investments necessary to ensure the Region is not only food secure, but that we produce enough to tap into export markets, so as to earn foreign exchange.

It could be recalled that in 2002, former President Bharrat Jagdeo, who at the time had lead responsibility for Agriculture in the Caricom quasi-Cabinet, had sought assistance from the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) to boost the Region’s efforts to ensure it is food secure. One year after, he proposed that the Region build on its past efforts to develop a common agricultural policy, and requested that the IICA and the FAO support the Caricom Secretariat in developing a framework for repositioning agriculture in the Region.

In underlining the problems that the agricultural sector faces in the Region, Jagdeo had stressed that in the changing global environment, the sector was neither providing for food security nor earning the foreign exchange needed to cover the Region’s growing food import bill.

In addition, at a Caricom Heads of Government Conference in Grand Anse, Grenada, Jagdeo had presented a paper titled “A Framework for the Repositioning of Caribbean Agriculture”. In that framework, he stressed the need for a regional policy and strategy aimed at strengthening food security and alleviating poverty; and in January 2005, the President’s proposal was formally dubbed the “Jagdeo Initiative”, with the theme, “Strengthening Agriculture for Sustainable Development”.

The declining role of agriculture in the Region, the continuing loss of preferential markets for the Region’s traditional products, and the rapidly-increasing extraregional food import bill are among the serious and challenging issues highlighted in the Initiative. However, while there has been much banter on the topic, it is not clear what concrete actions (if any) were taken since then to strengthen the Region’s agriculture sector and to bring it to a level envisaged in the “Jagdeo Initiative”.

Regional Governments would need to show by their actions that they are willing to go beyond the rhetoric.

Guyana has made tremendous efforts to ensure the country produces enough to meet the demands of its citizens.

As we are presently doing, other countries would need to organise themselves and their individual farming sectors, and encourage young persons to embrace new technologies to see farming and agriculture as a business.

By doing so, the Region would not only be ensuring there is enough food to satisfy the demands of people, but the surplus of what is produced could be exported.

Several years after, many of the proposals detailed in the Jagdeo Initiative are still relevant, and perhaps even more needed now, considering the changing global dynamics relative to countries producing enough to meet the needs of their populations and to satisfy export markets.

President Ali’s call for countries to develop an effective agriculture and food security strategy is another reminder of Guyana’s commitment to the issue of food security.

Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister Mohabir Anil Nandlall, SC, met with the Chairman of the American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) Zulfikar Ally and AmCham’s Economist Stephen Kissoon as well as the United States Embassy, Deputy Chief of Mission Mark Cullinane and Economic/Commercial Officer Benjamin Hulefeld to discuss issues relating to the importation of goods from the State of Florida (AG Chambers photo)

“Vaccine nationalism” echoes the disastrous mistakes made with HIV

By Deborah Gold

I

t’s been treatable for decades, yet is still rampant in the developing world. We must not let this happen with COVID Though HIV and SarsCoV-2 are very different viruses, the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted striking parallels: Governments being too slow to respond; a marked impact on minority communities and a failure to understand why; a governmental response which has veered into overpolicing and victim-blaming, rather than taking every conceivable measure to help people stay safe and healthy.

I watch with growing consternation as the world repeats the mistakes of the early response to HIV. Stories of vaccine nationalism fill the headlines, while Boris Johnson celebrates the UK having vaccinated more people than the rest of Europe combined. By the middle of January, just 25 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine had been administered across all poor countries in the world, compared with 39 million in wealthier ones.

In the mid-1990s, effective treatment for HIV, antiretroviral therapy (ART), was discovered and the trajectory of the pandemic was transformed in ways predictable and entirely unpredictable. For the first decade or so, ART saved the lives of millions of people around the globe – even those ill with latestage HIV could find them-

selves up and out of wards within weeks. Treatment science improved to such a degree that now, for many, HIV medication means as little as one pill a day with no significant side-effects.

A person living with HIV who is diagnosed in good time and has swift access to treatment can live as long as anyone else.

This frankly miraculous news should be enough to create a moral imperative for fair access to treatment worldwide. However, the speed in developing new medications was not matched by a similar speed in ensuring everyone could get access to them, with treatment out of the reach of the global poor.

A decade after ART first became available, we hit the public health version of the holy grail: the knowledge that it is as effective at preventing HIV as it is in treating it. In 2006, a group of Swiss experts first argued a contentious position that is now received wisdom: effective HIV medication means that a person soon reaches a point where the amount of the virus in their blood is so low as to be undetectable, after which they are not infectious and cannot pass it on. In the UK in 2019, the virus was undetectable in the blood of 89 per cent of all those living with HIV, and they could not pass it on.

Yet, despite the overwhelming public health good that access to HIV treatment provides, it is far from equally available worldwide. Governments

and non-governmental actors, spurred on by powerful HIV activism and the devastating impact of a pandemic, eventually ensured that cheaper generic versions of HIV medication became available to the world’s poorest countries – but not before HIV and AIDS had overwhelmed the healthcare systems of many countries in Africa.

It is a mark of shame that while HIV was a death sentence before 1996 and ever more treatable thereafter, deaths peaked in 2004-5.

Such a disaster was only possible due to deep global inequalities in healthcare.

It’s as simple as this: if we were to treat everyone across the world who has HIV, there would be no more HIV to pass on. We’ve known this for 15 years.

We’ve had the treatment, and the knowledge, but neither the international will nor the resources needed.

It was easy for international investment in HIV to fall as the epidemic fell off the front pages and out of the public eye. And the result?

In 2019, 1.7 million people acquired HIV worldwide, of whom around a million live on the continent of Africa, and 65,000 in Europe and North America combined.

All of it preventable.

The global fight against HIV has taught us how to fight a pandemic. The more HIV treatment is available, the better people’s health, the fewer people who are able to pass the virus on, and consequently the fewer people who acquire it. This is the type of virtuous circle that should inform all

public health responses, including those to COVID-19.

In the race to vaccinate the population before new vaccine-resistant variants of COVID-19 take hold, a national approach misses the way pandemics actually develop in a globalised world. The speed with which the virus spread across continents in early 2020 perfectly demonstrates this. Unless we take an international approach to vaccination, coordinating a vaccine rollout across every continent at the same rate, and pooling resources to make that possible, we are doomed to failure. We must begin to celebrate each vaccination with the same sense of success and hope, whether it takes place in the UK or any other country in the world. The alternative – in which we vaccinate the UK population while huge parts of the world remain unvaccinated – is both an unforgivable moral failure and a miscalculation which will inevitably lead to new variants of COVID-19 re-entering the UK. The framing of COVID-19 has been wrong from the very start. A pandemic is not a league table.

Vaccinating the population quicker than other countries should not be a source of pride. It is instead evidence of a global failure to grasp the very nature of a pandemic – a stupendously short-sighted act of collective self-harm. Let us not regret this failure in a generation. It is not quite too late to change course. (The Guardian)

guyanatimesgy.com

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2021

5

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

Welcoming CSEC/CAPE results 2020 the forensic audit at M&CC

Dear Editor, Hats off to the Minister of Local Government and Regional Development for ordering a forensic audit at the Georgetown Municipality!

Citizens will have to hold their breaths as they await those findings.

Unsurprisingly, the Mayor is requesting, as a prerequisite to the commencement of this badly-needed exercise, to receive “terms of reference of the audit”, clearly a tactic intended to delay, distract and divert attention.

Well, here are a few TORs I would like to suggest. First, I would like the auditors to find out what the Council’s Internal Auditor and the Internal Audit Department were doing for the last seven years. Why have the Council’s books not been prepared for auditing during this prolonged period? This is in addition to the Council creating a Special Audit Committee - all nothing but complete waste of time and money.

A human resource audit should be done to enquire into their discriminatory and well-known ‘friends and family’ hiring process, pure nepotism, cronyism, and favouritism at its highest, which have taken place over the years at City Hall.

Then there is their “too many Chiefs and not enough Braves,” extremely top heavy staff structure; the arbitrary placement of some persons to the top of the salary scales in ‘extreme featherbedding’; the rapid promotion of some and the stagnation of others, leading to supercession; the non-payment of deductions made from employees’ incomes to the National Insurance Scheme, the Guyana Revenue Authority, and to credit unions, which is not only a complete violation of the laws of Guyana,

but an appalling injustice to their workers, who can get no benefits or healthcare.

The auditors should examine the notorious parking meter fiasco, which was illegally set up and implemented for a while, until pressure was brought to bear by civil society.

They should also look at the unlawful waiver of interest on property rates, which the Council has no authority to grant, but rather can only give some discounts in specially prescribed circumstances.

They should also enquire into why the Council is failing to serve demand notices on property owners, a requirement by law.

Another TOR of the audit should be to look at the illegal leasing and sale of municipal reserves all around the city, in places such as alongside the Lamaha Canal water conservancy, on the southern extremity of Mandela Avenue adjacent to Aubrey Barker Road, and in Industrial Site at Ruimveldt.

The TOR of the audit should include the examination of the Council’s procurement processes, and the consistent failure to ensure that the procurement of goods, services and execution of works were conducted in a fair, equitable, transparent, competitive, and cost-effective manner, according to law and such policy guidelines provided by the Procurement Act and regulations.

And the TOR should have the auditors look for payroll fraud and phantom employees, asset misappropriation, skimming, expense reimbursement, and misuse of municipal vehicles and other assets.

To the Auditors, I say: “Here’s a four-leaf clover”.

Sincerely, Shanta Singh

Is the city’s garbage collection again in crisis?

Dear Editor, It would appear that the contracts for the private garbage collectors were not renewed, or at least one private contract was not renewed for all areas they once served (Cevon’s, which served the Cummingsburg area, have indicated they were not awarded the contract for this area).

The other private contractor has been sidelined.

So, now the City has new garbage collecting arrange-

ments, and has changed the collection days without notifying residents.

So, garbage put out on Wednesday will not be collected in some areas until another day. In the meantime, dogs, cats, rats, junkies and other elements are having a field day with the garbage.

Could ineptitude be any greater?

Sincerely, Shamshun Mohamed

Dear Editor, We, the undersigned, reside in and around the Greater Toronto area, and are quite concerned with the delay in the results of the 2020 CSEC/ CAPE exams in Guyana.

Our interest in education and democracy in our country of birth goes back many years. We can probably start from our childhood days, but 1992 is a significant time, as it marked the year democracy returned to Guyana and a groundswell of goodwill and support from overseas Guyanese found expression for their homeland in many ways.

One lasting endeavour were the countless efforts aimed at providing the system with money, materials and manpower to the learning institutions there. This was fully appreciated by parents, teachers, and students, always with the active cooperation and guidance of then Minister Dale Bisnauth.

Beneficiaries included the Ministry of Education, University of Guyana, and hundreds of schools some of us attended as children, mostly in the country areas where no organised alumni existed.

Geoff Da Silva, Harry Hergash and Jerome Khan

are only a few names among the hundreds who were actively involved, and can testify to this fact. Even our late friend Randy Depoo - who was then attached to the US Embassy here, and who, before his passing, initiated the bold petition asking the USA to impose personal sanctions against the 2020 election riggers, participated.

Some even took the magnanimous step of adopting their schools, and continue to assist even today. Anthony Trevor Subryan, who was recently recognised for his work by the Guyana Consulate, personally donated computers with a lab to the children of Bath Settlement, at an event where the Minister of Education was present.

We were dragged back into action after the last elections, and either initiated or joined thousands of others all over the globe supporting the foreign diplomats and other friends of democracy in insisting on fair and transparent election results, a process that took five long months.

A recent letter by Swami Aksharananda (SN January 29) has now raised our concerns for the children, who, with the sacrifice of teachers and parents, braved

COVID-19 to prepare for, and write, their exams; the results of which have not yet been declared by the Ministry. We are not aware of the difficulties facing the Ministry, but surely, any further delays would be prejudicial to the students, whose future plans may have to be put on hold for an uncertain period of time.

Among our group are persons who have a personal interest in these matters, as they support the students there by way of financial and other material means, and await their results to arrange admittance to universities or colleges etc. not just in Guyana, but abroad.

These students may not be old enough to vote, and may not have a union to speak for them; and those who should, including their parents, seem to prefer to be silent, even though so much is at stake.

They do have access to the internet however, and are quite savvy with Facebook and other means to reach friends and supporters across the seas; but, hopefully, their results will be forthcoming soon.

Some may prefer to see the wealth of the country in oil and gas, sugar, gold etc; but we know that the future is an educated population

now sitting in the classrooms.

The principles of democracy cannot claim to be effective in a country struggling with varied standards of justice, unless an educated populace has the ability to make intelligent and informed choices about who will govern them.

Any further delay in declaring the results would constitute unfairness to students, their parents, teachers, and overseas guardians and sponsors who assisted them.

Finally, the country still looking for skills and educated persons would be inflicting harm on itself.

We look forward to a public explanation by the investigators, and an early resolution of this issue.

We thank Swami Aksharananda for bringing this matter to the public’s attention, and pledge our continued support to SVN for the excellent results consistently produced by this private Hindu school.

Yours truly, Ramnarine Sahadeo; Omesh Sharma; C Persaud; N Singh; R Sukhoo; T Mangal; V Teekah; N Persaud; M Sookdeo, and other concerned Guyanese

Regional Councillors earn $10,000 stipend/salary Dear Editor, I would like to bring to the attention of the newly-appointed Honourable Minister of Local Government that the compensation of regional councillors is $10,000.

Regional councillors are the second-tier managers/ leaders within the 10 administrative regions of Guyana.

I would like to remind you of a promise made by the then Government regarding the increase in stipends for all regional councillors, dating back to July 31st and August 4th, 2015 respectively. I firmly believe that this is the right

I

direction to take, but the past Government failed to honour its promise.

I know that you, as now the sitting Minister, mean well and would gladly support such an outline with respect to my proposition. I propose that stipend/salary be pegged at $70,000 minimum.

Further, I would like to stress that, as the Government arm of the State, it is prudent that regional councillors should be treated as valued servants, hence there should be an increase in councillors’ stipends to that of a livable wage, to address to-

f you tell your son, when you are actually at home, to reply on the phone saying ‘father is not at home’, you are sowing a poisonous seed, which will become a huge tree. Parents set bad examples uttering falsehood, scandalising others, gambling, drinking, behaving violently, inflicting injury, becoming addicted to night-clubs, movies and drinking parties, and quarrelling at home after arriving home past midnight. How can children, used to such low sights and sounds, learn to become bright, fresh fragrant flowers of the Sanatana Garden of India? Many such parents do not allow their children to join the Bal Vikas Classes, or to attend bhajans and satsangs. They say that religion and God are only for idlers or old senile people, and that the path will lead them on to sanyas (mendicancy), which is a calamity to be avoided! They reverse the very values of life. Parents must correct themselves before they try to correct their children. (Divine Discourse, Jan 6, 1975)

Shri Sathya Sai Baba Organisation

day’s cost of living.

There are some other identified areas that should be considered also as a comprehensive package for all regional councillors.

(1) Duty Free - Every 3 years.

(2) Health Insurance $50,000 (3) Phone Allowance $5000 (4) Entertainment

Allowance $10,000 (5) Annual Training (6) Professional Training (7) Regional Retreats This would allow the councillors to have a sense of pride and commitment to their work and services, to the region’s advancement and development as a whole.

Yours respectfully, Ivan Bentham

6

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2021

Page

Foundation ◄

Æsop’s Fables

FOR CHILDREN

Wednesday's Answers (1) Calculate 31/2 - 12/7 Step 1: First change the mixed numbers into improper fractions: 7/2 - 9/7

(ii) Write your answer to part (iv) in metres. r = 5.4864 metres A = 94.515 m2

Step 2: Change the fractions with unlike denominators to fractions with a common denominator. The lowest common multiple of 2 and 7 is 14. In this case 2 x 7 = 14. So, 7/2 - 9/7 = 49/14 - 18/14 Step 3: Subtract the fractions: (49-18)/14 = 31/14 Step 4: If the answer is an improper fraction, reduce: 31/14 = 2 3/14 Write your answer to part (i) as a decimal to 3 decimal places.

Answer: 2. 214 (iii) Calculate √9 + 33 .

Answer: √9 + 33 = 3 + (3x3) = 12

Calculate the radius and area of the circle below.

Diameter = radius x 2 r = 18ft Area of a circle = π r² Π = 3.14, so A = 3.14 x (18x18) = 1017. 36 ft squared

2) A bakery sold bread for $300 a loaf. It costs $200 to make a loaf of bread. Did the bakery make a profit or a loss? If it now costs the bakery twice as much to make the bread, at what price would it have to sell the bread to break even?

SP = $300 CP = $200 Profit = SP – CP = $100 CP x 2 = $400 The break-even point occurs when SP = CP So, a loaf of bread should be sold at $400 to break even

T

he soil (dust) on Mars contains iron, one of the elements found in nature. People have used iron to make things like tools and weapons for more than 3000 years.

Astronomers believe that Mars once had liquid water and it has a tiny amount of oxygen. When iron mixes with water and oxygen, it produces iron oxide, or rust. Rust is reddish brown in colour. That’s where Mars gets its name, the Red Planet, because its soil is full of iron turned to rust.

Supplies • Water • Small tray filled with 1-2 cups of light-coloured sand • Rusty nail or other rusty object (be careful when handling rusty objects) • Pens, pencils • Crayons and/or coloured pencils • 1-2 plain steel wool pads

(do NOT use soap pads or stainless steel pads) Let's get started!

Pull the steel wool apart and place it in the container of sand (which represents the soil

on Mars) and mix the sand and steel wool.

Pour a little water into the container. The sand and the steel wool should be very

damp, but there shouldn't be a layer of water in the container.

Observe the sand over three days and record what you see each day, in words and pictures.

Create two "controls" for the experiment: (1) an extra tray filled with sand and steel wool, but NO water; and (2) an extra tray filled with sand and enough water to moisten the sand, but NO steel wool. Compare the controls with the first container to observe the difference that water and steel wool make in creating the rusty soil.

On days 2 and 3, add a bit of water to the tray and control #2 to keep the sand from drying out.

What happened during the experiment?

Did the sand turn red? Why? Compare the soil to the rusty nail. What else rusts?

(Adapted from startwithabook. org)

A

fly sat on the axle-tree of a chariot, and addressing the draught-mule said, "How slow you are!

Why do you not go faster?

See if I do not prick your neck with my sting."

The draught-mule replied, "I do not heed your threats; I only care for him who sits above you, and who quickens my pace with his whip, or holds me back with the reins. Away, therefore, with your insolence, for I know well when to go fast, and when to go slow."

WORD SEARCH

NEWS

7

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Release of Guyanese fishermen ordered by Venezuelan President …Govt lauds role played by Caricom, int’l community

T

he release of the two Guyanese fishing vessels and their 12 crew members that were detained by Venezuela some two weeks ago was done on the orders of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro himself.

This is according to Guyana’s Foreign Affairs Ministry, which sent out a statement on Wednesday in which it confirmed that the men have been released and the legal proceedings against them discontinued.

“The Foreign Minister of Venezuela, His Excellency Jorge Arreaza confirmed to Foreign Minister Honourable Hugh Hilton Todd that all legal proceedings had been discontinued at the request of His Excellency, Nicolás Maduro. The vessels are expected to set sail for Guyana on February 3, 2021.”

Guyana and a number

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro

of countries had condemned Venezuela’s actions and urged the Spanish-speaking country to release the fishermen. In the statement, the Ministry lauded the role played by the international community in supporting Guyana.

“The Government of Guyana appreciates the efforts of the Heads of Government of the

Caribbean Community and of the wider international community in securing the release of the crew and vessels. His Excellency, President Irfaan Ali was tireless in his efforts to ensure the safe and speedy return of the crew to their families,” the Ministry said.

“The Government of Guyana wishes to underscore the value of mutual respect in the relations between the Cooperative Republic of Guyana and the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela,” the statement also said.

Meanwhile, the Venezuelan Foreign Ministry released a statement of its own, in which it attributed the release of the men to the intermediation of specific Caribbean Community (Caricom) countries like Antigua and Barbuda, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Trinidad and Tobago

Fishermen, mariners must...

On January 21, the two Guyanese-registered fishing vessels and 12-man crew were operating off the coast of Waini Point in Guyana’s EEZ when they were intercepted by the Venezuelan naval vessel, Commandante Hugo Chavez GC 24, which was illegally traversing Guyana’s waters.

The Venezuelans boarded the vessels and the captains were instructed to chart a course to Port Guiria where they were detained and are being kept to this day. The crew of one of the ships, the Lady Nayera, include Captain Richard Ramnarine and his crew members Ramlakan Kamal, Nick Raghubar, Javin Boston, Michael Domingo and Joel Joseph.

The other ship, the

Sea Wolf, was captained by Captain Toney Garraway, while the crew members include Errol Gardener, Orland Roberts, Christopher Shaw, Shirvin Oneil and Randy Henry.

The men were subsequently brought before a Venezuelan court, after which reports had emerged that they could be kept in custody for some 45 days pending an investigation.

However, Guyana and a number of countries had condemned Venezuela’s actions and urged the Spanishspeaking country to release the fishermen. Last week, the OAS Permanent Council met to discuss, among other things, the tensions between Guyana and Venezuela.

During the Permanent

FROM PAGE 3

Council’s virtual meeting, Guyana’s Permanent Representative to the OAS Riyad Insanally informed the Council about the recent actions of Venezuela. A number of countries on the Council took a firm stance against Venezuela, including the United States (US), Canada, Trinidad, Brazil, Antigua and Barbuda and Belize.

The Permanent Council is one of the two main political bodies of the OAS, the other being the General Assembly. The Permanent Council keeps vigilance over the maintenance of friendly relations among the member states and, for that purpose, effectively assists them in the peaceful settlement of their disputes. (G3)

“The Venezuelan Government wishes to recognise that this measure of grace, motu proprio, constitutes a genuine initiative in favour of peace, responding to the sincerest interest that the Caribbean remains a Peace Zone, As Well as to the intermediation of the Governments of Antigua and Barbuda, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Trinidad and Tobago, in benefit of the stability of the Region and the good co-existence as neighbours,” the Venezuelans said.

“In this sense, the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela takes this opportunity to reiterate to the Government of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana its willingness to settle any dispute always in adherence to respect and the principles of international law,” the statement added.

On January 21, the two Guyana-registered fishing vessels, Lady Nayera and Sea Wolf, and their crews were operating off the coast of Waini Point in Guyana’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) when they were intercepted by the Venezuelan naval vessel Commandante Hugo Chávez GC 24, which was illegally traversing Guyana’s waters.

The Venezuelans boarded the vessels and the Captains were instructed to chart a course to Port Guiria

Foreign Affairs Minister Hugh Todd during a virtual meeting with his Venezuelan counterpart, Jorge Arreaza

where they were detained.

The Lady Nayera crew comprised Captain Richard Ramnarine, Ramlakan Kamal, Nick Raghubar, Javin Boston, Michael Domingo, and Joel Joseph.

The other ship, the Sea Wolf, was captained by Captain Toney Garraway, while the crew members included Errol Gardener, Orland Roberts, Christopher Shaw, Shirvin Oneil, and Randy Henry.

The men were subsequently brought before a Venezuelan court, and reports emerged that they could be kept in custody for some 45 days pending an investigation. However, Venezuela came under immense diplomatic pressure over the past weeks to release the men.

Last week, the Permanent Council of the Organisation of American States (OAS) met to discuss, among other things, the tensions between Guyana and Venezuela. At the meet-

ing, a number of countries on the Council took a firm stance against Venezuela, including the United States, Canada, Trinidad, Brazil, Antigua and Barbuda, and Belize.

The Permanent Council is one of the two main political bodies of the OAS, with the other being the General Assembly. The Permanent Council keeps vigilance over the maintenance of friendly relations among the member states and, for that purpose, effectively assists them in the peaceful settlement of their disputes.

Caricom and the OAS issued statements in which they urged Venezuela to release the men and cease its acts of aggression against Guyana. Statements also came from the new Joe Biden Administration in Washington, in the form of acting US State Department Assistant Secretary Julie Chung. French Ambassador to Guyana, Antoine Joly also spoke on the issue. (G3)

8 NEWS

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Beharry employee dies after being hit by pressurised air

A

32-year-old supervisor at the Beharry Manufacturing company died on Tuesday in a freak accident at his workplace on Mandela Avenue, Georgetown.

It was reported that Mark Gomes, of Long Pond, Sisters Village, West Bank Demerara (WBD), was at work around 17:50h on Tuesday supervising the transfer of flour to a silo from a pressurised tank that was mounted on a truck.

During the process, the pressurised tank started to make whistling sounds, which prompted the man to climb onto the back of the truck to investigate. It was then one of the hoses that were connected to the tank and the silo disconnected, causing the pressurised air to hit the man in the face.

As a result, he fell to the ground and was subsequently motionless.

Gomes was picked up and taken to a private city hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival. The body is presently at the Memorial Gardens Funeral Homes awaiting a post-mortem examination. Police are reviewing Closed Circuit TV (CCTV) footage

Dead: Mark Gomes

of the incident as investigations continue.

Meanwhile, the Labour Ministry has since launched an investigation into the fatal workplace incident.

On its official media page, the Ministry said, “ “Mr Roydon Croal, Senior Occupational Safety and Health Officer of the Occupational Safety and

Health Department of the Ministry of Labour, commenced investigations into the circumstances of the accident on Tuesday evening, and investigations are continuing.”

The Ministry also noted that Labour Minister Joseph Hamilton was deeply saddened by the fatality, and offered condolences to the family and colleagues of Gomes.

Only on Monday, Royston Souvenir, a worker attached to Gaico Construction and General Services Inc, was killed in an accident while on duty at the Guyana Shore Base Inc (GYSBI).

Reports indicate that the accident occurred around 12:30h when Souvenir was struck by an excavator that was in operation. He was reportedly standing behind the excavator at the time.

Souvenir was struck in his chest and abdomen. He was reportedly taken to the St Joseph Mercy Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

An investigation was also carried out by the Labour Ministry at the scene where the incident occurred, and a report is pending. (G9)

Backing down…

G

…or message sent? uyanese woke up to the good news that our 12 fishermen and their 2 boats were released by Venezuela. If all went well, they should be back in Guyana by now. We have a host of reasons to be jubilant, but right up there on top is: we showed that, by and large, we are united as a people. We showed Maduro and his coterie of allies in his armed forces - here his navy - that we weren’t intimidated by his bluff and bluster. As we mentioned yesterday, there are a few misguided souls in the PNC and its camp followers who provided sustenance for Maduro’s propaganda machinery. We hope they’ve learnt that guarding Guyana’s territorial integrity is bigger than individual ambitions and egos.

But there’s now a danger that, with the detained Guyanese back, folks may think everything is now hunkydory. Nothing could be further from the truth!! All we have to do is simply remember that, after 60+years of massive propaganda, it’s now become an article of faith for Venezuelans of all stripes (political, cultural, ethnic, social or economic) that Essequibo is theirs! It is part of their Constitution, their schoolbooks, their maps and, most importantly, part of the repertoire of all politicians to whip up support for their political survival and ambitions.

So, Maduro has merely just blinked - because of the support we received from so many important players in the international arena. As we’d suggested last week, it was likely that he (like Granger here) figured that Biden would pivot away from Trump’s hard line against his illegal regime. He now knows (hopefully, also like Granger) that the US national interest demands free and fair elections - which he can’t afford to allow, but only that would produce a government with the legitimacy to tackle the intractable problems facing Venezuela, which threatens hemispheric security.

As such, he would most likely not repeat such a reckless gamble in the near term, but we can bet our bottom dollar he’ll continue with his efforts to destabilise us; or even intensify them as the ICJ homes in on the Border Controversy in our favour.

One of the weapons at his disposal is the “refugees” streaming over the Cuyuni River into Region 1. As we’ve already discovered to our cost, criminal gangs like the Venezuelan “Sindicatos” have infiltrated the refugees, and are wreaking havoc against Guyanese along the border.

In the longer term, we have to be concerned about the number of Venezuelan refugees impacting the political control of a Region with a mere population of 27,000.

Strengthening our diplomatic services to lobby the international community against the continuing Venezuelan threat must be a top priority.

Good luck, Sam! …from economic dogma As the COVID-19 pandemic deals some heavy body blows to the economic system - which had collapsed in 2008, with none of the extant economic theories predicting it - economists are under extreme pressure to propose a sustainable path to recovery. This dilemma is most pertinent to us in Guyana, with our oil revenues promising “salvation”. Lord Keynes, whose theories helped extricate us from the 1930s Great Depression, offered some advice for our leaders. “Practical men who believe themselves to be quite exempt from any intellectual influence are usually the slaves of some defunct economist.”

So, who might be some of these new economists to rise to the challenges of the 21st century? One who’s creating some buzz is Kate Haworth, who came out with “Donut Economics: Seven Ways to Think Like a 21stCentury Economist” a few years back. Your Eyewitness will expand on some of her ideas.

The Dutch have already adopted the model for Amsterdam.

As we know, they’ve already tackled rising seas! …from local challenges Your Eyewitness noted that Barbados’s gift to the world, Rihanna, just weighed in on India’s farmers’ protests.

How come she didn’t listen to uncle Allan Fenty and PM Mia Mottley on the PNC’s threat to Caribbean democracy?

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

NEWS

9

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Sod turned for $1B shopping complex at Leonora …amazing, transformative journey ahead for Region 3 – Ali

T

he construction of a state-of-the-art $1 billion shopping complex is slated to be the “apple” of the West Demerara region, which is already pegged for massive transformation in the coming years.

On Wednesday, the sod was turned for the construction of West Central Mall at Leonora, West Coast Demerara. The more than one acre land was formerly the Guyana Sugar Corporation’s (GuySuCo’s) Senior Staff Compound.

In addition to a shopping mall, the facility will also have a gym, business centre, movie theatre, conference hall, fine-dining restaurant and bar, supermarket, arcade, food court, and adequate parking facility.

The US$5 million ($1 billion) project is being developed by Hemraj Albert and his family. It is expected to generate approximately 325 direct and indirect jobs when fully operational, which is in the next two years, as construction is expected to last 24 months.

Having acquired the land two years ago, the Albert family from Meten-Meer-Zorg, WCD, pondered on various ideas regarding how to contribute to the development of Region Three (Essequibo Islands- West Demerara), and settled on the shopping complex – the first to be established in that region.

An artist’s impression of West Central Mall

Achieving vision

Albert, who was in the retail business before founding Global Commercial Import and Transport, expressed delight at his visions now coming to fruition.

“Now I’m very happy that today is the commencement of this project. The hard work and dedication to my business over the past 30 years has led me to achieving this vision – West Central Mall,” he posted.

The businessman said he is looking forward to the support of not only the Government and regional administration as he embarks on this project, but also the support of the people in the region, who stand to benefit the most from the facility.

“I’m sure that this mall will bring some comfort and joy to the consumers, as we are going to ensure the highest quality of service,” Albert promised.

Transformative journey

Meanwhile, the businessman was lauded by President Dr Irfaan Ali, who attended the sod-turning ceremony in the community he grew up in, for investing in the development of the region, and the country by extension.

“We have a responsibility as Guyanese to promote the development of Guyana. I am not asking anyone to promote the development of a government or a political party. We have a responsibility as patriots, as Guyanese, to positively position the country every opportunity we have the chance to do so,” the President stated.

According to the Head of State, his Government is supportive of the private sector’s drive to lead the country’s growth and development. He noted that Government would fulfill its role in facilitating this drive.

President Ali further pointed out that with a growing population, Region Three

is pegged for a massive housing drive, hence facilities such as the shopping mall would be needed. He added that investments such as these would also pave the way for other investments in other areas.

“Key to the development of this region is our infrastructure. Having transformative infrastructure that would lead to the opening up of new lands, transformative infrastructure that is linked to the opening up of new industries, transformative infrastructure that is link to the expansion of agriculture, that is linked to the creation of industrial estates, and this is what will take place in this region.

A region that is traditionally known as an agricultural region would soon be diversi-

fied in such a way that Region Three will become the energy capital for Guyana,” he noted.

This, according to Ali, would be as a result of the gas-to- shore pipeline which would land at Wales, West Bank Demerara – an initiative that is already attracting private investments from the oil and gas sector in the region, which is expected to create thousands of jobs and open up opportunities for small and medium-size businesses.

On the infrastructure front, Government is currently working on the alignment of a new four-lane highway from West Bank Demerara to East Bank Essequibo. This new road would connect directly to the new Demerara River bridge – another major project that will added to the region’s transformation.

President Ali went on to outline that there are interests in the region’s hotel and hospitality sector. He added that a new commercial bank branch and a massive medium-to-upper-class scale housing community is also slated for West Demerara.

“We have an amazing journey ahead in this region.

We have a transformative journey ahead, and I’m con-

fident that your investment would bear fruit. I want to encourage the rest of the private sector to seek out the opportunities, and to be aggressive…

The time has come for us to look beyond our traditional view of businesses in this country, individually-owned or family-owned, and to see how we can form consortiums and collectives to go after the larger scale-type of opportunities,” President Ali charged.

Against this backdrop, President Ali posited that he welcomes constructive criticisms and ideas to change the business environment and improve the systems of government, but, in the same breath, he cautioned persons against criticising the country to the extent of harming the investment climate in order to achieve narrow political gains.

Meanwhile, Chief Executive Officer of GOInvest, Dr Peter Ramsaroop, along with Region Three Chairman Ishan Ayube and Chairman of the Region Three Chamber of Commerce all lauded the Albert family for undertaking this project that would not only transform the economy and landscape of the region, but would provide jobs for residents there. (G8)

10 NEWS

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Emergency budget was needed to safeguard functioning of country – AG tells High Court …Court to refuse request over budget allocations to constitutional agencies

A

ttorney General Anil Nandlall, SC, is asking the High Court to refuse a declaration sought by APNU/AFC Parliamentarian David Patterson, that consideration and approval of budget proposals for constitutional agencies by the National Assembly on September 1, 2020 were done contrary to Section 80 B (2) of the Fiscal Management and Accountability Act (FMAA).

Patterson, current Chairman of the Public

Attorney General Anil Nandlall

Accounts Committee (PAC), who formerly served as Public Infrastructure Minister under the previous APNU/AFC Government, has complained that the proposals were not made available to his party before September 01, 2020, and a breach of the Act was thus committed.

However, Nandlall, in an Affidavit in Defence, has contended that there is no issue in controversy, and as such, he is asking the court to refuse the orders and dec-

larations being sought by Patterson, “since it would serve no useful purpose.” In fact, the Attorney General is contending that failure to circulate the budget proposals for 23 constitutional agencies is justified by the doctrine of necessity.

Constitutional crisis

Nandlall has submitted that Guyana was plunged into a constitutional crisis when APNU/AFC refused to give up office after being defeated by a no-confidence

APNU/AFC parliamentarian David Patterson

health and safety, and to provide much-needed resources and services.

While the Court has jurisdiction, as guardian of the Constitution, to interrogate the actions of the Government, Nandlall is arguing, the intention of Parliament cannot be questioned or inquired into by the courts, unless it were purely against the constitutional ethos or spirit.

The Attorney General advanced that in the absence of a budget during the elections period, Guyana’s economy and productive sectors continued to plummet, and the effective functioning of the State as a whole became almost impossible.

COVID-19 global pandemic

motion, and the protracted March 2020 elections had placed the country on a trajectory of constitutional default.

Against this backdrop, he said, there was an absolute necessity to safeguard the continuation of the effective functioning of the country, and there was no

other course of action reasonably available to the PPP/C Government than the passing of an emergency budget.

According to Nandlall, in passing the emergency Budget, the Government did not impair the just rights of citizens under the Constitution, but rather sought to safeguard their

Fueling that, he noted, was the fatal COVID-19 global pandemic, which brought with it a heightened demand for healthcare services, and brought the economy to a grinding halt.

In context of the unprecedented events in Guyana’s constitutional history, and the extenuating circumstances, the Attorney General contends, Patterson’s claim is academic, since the budget was an emergency budget, the monies were expended, and the life of that budget expired since December 2020.

TURN TO PAGE 14

NEWS

11

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2021|| GUYANATIMESGY.COM

UG contractors warned of consequences over delays E

ducation Minister Priya Manickhand on Wednesday led a team around the University of Guyana’s Turkeyen Campus, on which three building projects are ongoing. During her tour, the Minister warned the contractors that delays in completion of the projects would not be acceptable, and works

tion.

The three projects, valued at almost $500M, would see the following structures being constructed on the UG Turkeyen Campus (i): a pump house that would alleviate the constant flooding experienced on the campus when it rains. This project should have been completed during the first half of 2020.

should have been completed in 2020.

While speaking to the contractors, Minister Manickchand expressed disappointment at the non-completion of the projects. She told representatives of the respective contracting companies that delays in completion of these projects would not be tolerated by the

Construction currently ongoing on the University of Guyana’s Turkeyen Campus

Education Minister Priya Manickchand meeting with the contractors at UG on Wednesday

must be finished within the agreed contractual timeline or they would face the possibility of contract termina-

(ii): a modern three-storey bursary building; and (iii): rehabilitation of the sewage system. These projects also

Education Ministry or the Government of Guyana. She explained that the works have to be completed within

the agreed timeframe, since the projects were budgeted for.

“All these projects are at a 10% (completion), and (they) should have been completed by now. We are expressing great displeasure at that, and we are sending a warning to contractors.

This is a complete failure on the part of the contractors; it is unacceptable, reprehensible and a breach of contract”, the Minister of Education said.

Father of 2 shot dead at birthday celebration

Dead: Osafo Pollard

A

five-year-old and a three-year-old have lost their father, while the man’s unborn child will never know him after the 29-year-old man was shot dead at a birthday celebration in North East La Penitence, Georgetown.

Dead is Osafo Pollard, a taxi driver, of West La Penitence, Georgetown. The shooting occurred about 22:30h at Lot YY 21 North

East La Penitence.

According to reports, Pollard was at a birthday celebration in the area which had about 40 persons. Police said that some time during the celebration, persons heard a loud explosion similar to a gunshot. Immediately after, they were seen screaming and running from the scene.

Pollard was seen lying on the ground with a wound to his head. He was subsequently picked up and taken to Georgetown Public Hospital, where he died while receiving medical treatment.

His body is at the hospital’s mortuary, awaiting a post-mortem examination.

Meanwhile, when Police arrived on the scene, one .32 spent shell and one warhead were found. Several persons were questioned, and investigators are currently reviewing Closed Circuit TV (CCTV) cameras in the area

The house where the shooting occurred at North East La Penitence, Georgetown

for clues to what occurred.

When contacted, relatives were tight-lipped

about the incident. Police have since launched an investigation. (G9)

Manickchand has said that once these works are not completed within the specified timeframe, contracts would be terminated. She further noted that when contractors bid for the projects, they should have considered the factors that would cause delays.

“There can be no excuses.

You have to get it done within the time agreed, and this (delay) stops today. Do what you say you will do”.

In adding, she said there should be no complaints from contractors about finances, since all three contractors had received advance payments.

Minister Manickchand has said that, going forward, the UG Project Implementation Unit (PIU) and the Ministry of Education’s Department of Engineering would be overlooking the work of contractors to ensure they meet their timelines for completion.

The pump station is now set to be completed at the end of March 2021, while the new bursary building is set for a May 2021 completion and the rehabilitation of the sewage system is set to be completed in November 2021.

The contractors award-

ed the projects are: S and K Construction and Consultancy Services, who will be constructing the Human Resources and Bursary Building; R Kissoon Construction Services, who will be building the pump house; and S. Jagmohan Hardware Supplies and Construction Services, who will be constructing the sewerage system.

During the meeting with the Minister, the contractors revealed that although the contracts were awarded in 2019, there have been some hiccups that led to delays.

“There were certain preconstruction pre-requisites in terms of technical specs back and forth, in allowing us to go ahead to precure materials, and we have gone past that…they have given us a startup date in which we are working with,” the project engineer of S. Jagmohan Construction Services said.

Manickhand was accompanied by Vice-Chancellor of the University of Guyana, Professor Paloma MohamedMartin; Permanent Secretary of the Education Ministry, Alfred King; and Head of the MoE Buildings Unit, Ron Eastman.

State capital projects for UG are generally executed by the Education Ministry.

12 NEWS

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

IDB Invest approves US$4M Helmets donated to loan for Surinamese bakery motorcyclists in Region 10

I

An artist’s impression of the Fernandes Guyana Enterprise’s head office

DB Invest, a member of the IDB Group, has approved a US$4 million loan for an eight-year tenor to Fernandes Guyana Enterprise (FGE), a subsidiary of the Fernandes Group.

The transaction supports the Fernandes Group’s growth strategy outside of Suriname by financing an increase in FGE’s current bakery production and distribution capacity in Guyana.

A statement from the company on Wednesday said this would lead to higher and more efficient local production of bread products, which are an essential part of the Guyanese diet, and the in-

troduction of new, healthier products, “while taking advantage of the projected higher spending, additional customer base, and new consumption trends in the local market.”

The financing, the company has said, also contributes to mitigating the economic and social effects of the COVID-19 crisis by protecting food security, promoting new and more specialised employment, and strengthening market linkages in Guyana.

“FGE will almost double the number of local suppliers and distributors reached.

IDB Invest will play an im-

portant role by providing the company the long-term financing required, currently scarce in the local market,” the company said.

The Fernandes Guyana Enterprise’s head office will be located along the East Bank of Demerara.

Moreover, through this transaction, IDB Invest will support Fernandes Guyana implementing environmental and social best practices that are aligned with international standards.

The Fernandes Group, a family business with more than 1,200 employees, is one of Suriname's largest economic groups.

These Police Officers are fitting motorcyclists with helmets in Region 10

M

ore than 70 helmets have been donated to motorcyclists and pedal cyclists in need of same in Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice) through an initiative by Home Affairs Minister Robeson Benn.

This is the second phase of that initiative, which is being undertaken through the regional Police Division.

The initiative, aimed at protecting motorcyclists who are utilising their motorcy-

cles without helmets, continued at Wismar, Linden on Tuesday evening.

The first distribution exercise had seen 30 motorcycle helmets, 20 reflective vests, 20 bicycle lights, 24 batteries and 20 bicycle helmets being donated to those in need.

In this phase, over 40 helmets have been handed over. According to Regional Division Commander Superintendent Hugh Winter, the recipients were

elated to receive the “quality” helmets in the most recent donations.

While Wisroc and other areas at Wismar were targeted on Tuesday, the distribution exercise continued at Amelia’s Ward and other areas on the Mackenzie shore on Wednesday. Riverine communities, including Aroaima, Ituni and Kwakwani, also benefited from the initiative on Wednesday. The exercise is also slated to be undertaken at Mabura. (G13)

NEWS

13

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Appeal Court reserves ruling in case seeking to overturn order freeing Bisram W

as a High Court Judge wrong to quash a directive by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Shalimar Ali-Hack, SC, to a magistrate for Guyana-born US businessman Marcus Bisram to be committed to stand trial for the 2016 murder of Berbice carpenter Faiyaz Narinedatt?

This is the question three Guyana Court of Appeal judges will answer when they deliver their decision in an appeal filed by the DPP, in which she is asking that an order granted by High Court Judge Simone MorrisRamlall quashing as unlawful her directive for committal be overturned.

The judge’s order essentially sets Bisram free and prohibits the DPP from bringing a murder indictment against him in the High Court.

On Wednesday, Chancellor of the Judiciary, Justice Yonette CummingsEdwards, and Justices of Appeal Dawn Gregory and Rishi Persaud concluded hearing arguments in the matter, which spanned close to three hours. During the hearing, both AliHack and Bisram’s lawyer Arudranauth Gossai elaborated on their written submissions, which were previously filed with the court.

The Court of Appeal has reserved its decision in the case.

DPP’s contention

During the virtual hearing, the DPP maintained that her directive for Bisram to be committed to stand trial was lawfully made, and

Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Shalimar Ali-Hack, SC

the court should, as such, nullify the erroneous decision of Justice MorrisRamlall.

In support of her contention, the DPP relied on Section 72 (2) (i) and (ii) (a) and (b) of the Criminal Law (Procedure) Act, which states that whenever there is a discharge of an accused person, the DPP may request the depositions and direct the Magistrate to reopen the case and commit the accused for trial, if the DPP believes there is sufficient evidence for a trial.

For his part, Gossai argued that a prima facie case was not made out against his client. In his arguments, he relied on the ruling of Justice Morris-Ramlall in judicial review proceedings filed on behalf of Bisram, challenging the DPP’s directive for committal.

In that ruling, Justice Morris-Ramlall held that, “The evidence is insufficient; or, in other words, it is not of the quality that a reasonable jury properly direct-

ed could safely convict on it.

The state or extent of the evidence is a relevant factor that should have been taken into account by the DPP in arriving at her decisions.”

Justice Morris-Ramlall noted that, after reviewing the depositions, the evidence of Chaman Chunilall was the body and soul of the prosecution’s case against Bisram, and there was no other evidence, direct or circumstantial, linking him to the crime.

“At the close of the case for the prosecution, the evidence of Chunilall was totally discredited and rendered manifestly unreliable. This is the kind of case that required the Magistrate to be particularly concerned about credibility, as the evidence of Chunilall is, to my mind, worthless,” the judge underscored.

Against this backdrop, she noted that a sufficient case had not been made out against Bisram to put him on trial for the capital offence.

The DPP is, however, contending that the decision of Justice Morris-Ramlall is clearly against the weight of the evidence. She argues that the evidence is sufficient, and any reasonable jury, if properly directed, can safely convict. According to the DPP, the evidence of Chunilall was admissible evidence, and the issue that arises is the issue of credibility, which was raised by the High Court judge as an issue for a jury to determine after proper directions.

But Bisram’s lawyer is of the view that the DPP’s directive for committal

amounts to judicial interference, given the provision at Article 122 A of the Constitution of Guyana.

According to Gossai, the directive from the DPP to the Magistrate, to commit Bisram to stand trial, offends the separation of powers’ doctrine. He argues that the determination of whether a prima facie case was made out is a judicial process that has to be determined by the presiding Magistrate.

Strike down

In a cross-appeal, Gossai is urging the court to strike down the offending parts/ provisions/words of Section 72 of the Criminal Law (Procedure) Act, since they are unconstitutional and infringe on Articles 122 (a) and

Marcus Bisram

144 (1) of the Constitution and the doctrine of the separation of powers.

Media reports are that Narinedatt had gone to a party Bisram was hosting.

Bisram had reportedly fol-

lowed him to the back of the yard and had made sexual advances to him. Narinedatt had reportedly rejected Bisram’s advances by slapping and chucking him.

It is alleged that Bisram had then directed his friends to kill Narinedatt.

According to reports, several men had beaten Narinedatt and dumped his body on the roadway at Number 70 Village, Corentyne, Berbice.

It is reported that they had then driven over his body to make it appear like he was a victim of a vehicular accident.

Five other men: Orlando Dickie, Radesh Motie, Diodath Datt, Harri Paul Parsram, and Niran Yacoob, are currently awaiting trial at the High Court for Narinedatt’s murder. (G1)

Linden duo slapped with armed robbery charges

J

unior Sears and Lassell Punch Lamumba, both of Linden, Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice), were remanded to prison by Magistrate Wanda Fortune on Wednesday when they appeared at the Linden Magistrate’s Court on charges of robbery under arms and attempt to commit a felony.

It is alleged that the duo robbed Kemuel Chester of a ZTE android cellular phone valued $21,000 and $5000 in cash at Half Mile, Wismar, Linden on January 25, 2021.

Junior Sears

Lassell Punch Lamumba

They were also charged jointly with attempt to commit a felony, to wit robbery under arms against another Virtual Complainant (VC)

Shadrach Ramsey. Bail was refused for both defendants and the case was adjourned until February 12 for report and fixture. (G13)

14 NEWS

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

No permanent structures at Georgetown seawall – Edghill …as Govt regularises vending

He noted that the seawall is the Government’s reserve, and therefore all must enjoy an equal space.

He stated, too, that no permanent structure should be erected at the area. In one instance, the Minister made reference to a permanent structure currently erected at the seawall, saying erections like those could be allowed only if there is a special event; and must be removed after the session.

Edghill explained that there is a ‘no objection’ letter provided by the Board, which lasts for three months and can be extended. That document falls within a particular context with clearly defined rules.

“Every person who is in violation of those rules must

The Georgetown seawall (Visit Guyana Photo)

P

ublic Works Minister Juan Edghill on Wednesday said that, going forward, vendors at the Georgetown seawall are authorised to sell 15 feet off the main access road only at a specific zone on the southern side of the location.

The minister made this

announcement during an engagement with the vendors at the Umana Yana on High Street Kingston, Georgetown.

According to a Department of Public Information report, Edghill has said that the stern action taken by the Ministry

through the Sea Defence Board is not intended to hamper people’s ability to earn a living, but to bring order and perspective to the “increasing situation of lawlessness” at the seawall.

“By that we mean we will not take bread out of people’s mouths, we will not put people out of jobs, we will not seek to put hardships on people; but equally, we will not be taken advantage of by people doing what they want, when they want, how they want, to the detriment of others. We want your family to be able to live, but you got to do this in a framework that allows…other Guyanese enjoying the freedoms and the blessings of that seawall and waterfront, and the nice fresh air,” the Minister is quoted as saying.

Edghill pointed out that he has to represent policy direction and ensure everyone complies with the law.

Public Works Minister Juan Edghill

receive a notice of violation before the end of the week, and a demand for corrective action. We have to get order back in place!” he said, adding that if there is no compliance with the instructions

outlined, then the Board would be forced to take action.

He also highlighted several interventions made by the PPP/C Government to revamp the infrastructure there to create an enjoyable atmosphere.

“We have expended monies to ensure the good lighting, the repairs [to] the Band Stand; ensure we have even steps for the elderly to get up and no one gets injured.

But it would appear that the more investment we make and the more initiatives are rolled out, more reckless and lawless some people are becoming; so, we have to bring that to an end,” he said.

Those efforts, the minister said, would not be in vain.

Verdict looms for accused in 2007 killing at Mahdia

S

tate Prosecutors on Wednesday closed their case against 50-year-old Alvin Calder, who is presently on trial at the High Court in Suddie, Essequibo Coast, Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) for killing a man at White Water Landing, Mahdia, Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni) almost 14 years ago.

Calder is on trial before Justice Gino Persaud and a 12-member jury.

Although he was initially charged with murder, Calder was indicted by State Prosecutor Lisa Cave for manslaughter. According to the charge, on April 12, 2007, at White Water Landing, Potaro, Essequibo, Calder, formerly of Great Diamond, East Bank Demerara (EBD), unlawfully killed Joseph Willy, called “Jeff-man”.

Alvin Calder

Upon his arraignment before the Judge, Calder pleaded not guilty. Justice Persaud will sum up the evidence in the matter and put

it to the jury for deliberation on a verdict next Tuesday.

Media reports are that Calder was only apprehended in 2016, nine years after he allegedly killed the man.

It was reported that the men were involved in a drug deal that went bad. Moreover, Willy had allegedly owed the accused $150,000 for goods he had taken from his shop and had refused to pay him despite several requests.

According to reports, on the day in question, Calder saw a relative of the now dead man and confronted her over the monies he owed.

After Willy learnt of the confrontation, he reportedly approached Calder armed with a cutlass. At that point, it was reported that Calder shot him twice, and then made good his escape. (G1)

Emergency budget was needed...

According to Nandlall, the Fiscal Management and Accountability (Amendment) Bill, Bill No. 1/2021 published on January 27, 2021, was read in the National Assembly for the first time on January 28, 2021, and the Senior Minister in the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance, Ashni Singh, shall move the second reading of the Bill on February 04, 2021.

This Bill seeks, among other things, to amend section 80B of the Principal Act by deleting subsections (1) to (4). In the circumstances, Nandlall submits, the court should not adjudicate in matters where there is no live controversy between the parties.

“In this case, the budget was passed and carried in the National Assembly and the Appropriation Bill was made law.”

Having regards to the foregoing, the Attorney General submits, Patterson’s application is an affront to the overrid-

ing objectives of the Civil Procedure Rules 2016, because the point is now academic and moot and will not occur again, having regard to Bill No 1/2021.

Bad in law But Patterson maintains that lack of compliance with the process for consideration and approval of budget proposals for constitutional agencies renders the consideration and/or approval of the 2020 budget bad in law, null, and of no legal effect.

Patterson is also hoping that the court would grant him a declaration that the budget and/or proposal of the Audit Office ought to have been submitted to Parliament by the Chairperson of the PAC before approval and consideration by the National Assembly, in keeping with the FMAA. He also is arguing that no expenditure of any sum of money can lawfully occur except in accordance with the Constitution and terms approved by Parliament,

FROM PAGE 10

inclusive of the FMAA. He therefore submits that, “The purported approval of the Budget proposals of constitutional agencies is in breach” of the FMAA, and are therefore without legal validity.

Having regard to the circumstances, Patterson is also asking the High Court to order the Finance Minister or Minister performing those functions, the Financial Secretary, their servants, agents or whosoever from making or causing any disbursement to be made of any sums in favour of constitutional agencies “purportedly” approved by the National Assembly on September 1, 2020.

Apart from seeking an order prohibiting them from including the purported budget appropriations for constitutional agencies in the estimates of the Public Sector under the FMAA pursuant to the purported approval by the House, he wants any further or other order the court deems just as well as costs. (G1)

NEWS

15

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Guyana on course to avoid the Dutch disease — financial analyst

W

ith the recent news that Guyana recorded an increase in non-traditional exports for 2020, one financial analyst believes that the Government of Guyana is well on the way to steering the economy away from a dependence on oil and gas, and from the dreaded Dutch disease.

During an interview with this publication, Financial Analyst Joel Bhagwandin expressed the view that the Government is taking the necessary steps to avoid the Dutch disease. It was only Tuesday that the Guyana Marketing Corporation (GMC) announced that US$12 million in non-traditional goods were exported in 2020.

Bhagwandin, who operates his own consultancy firm, noted that this augurs well for keeping the economy from being overly reliant on oil and gas. According to him, “The Government is on the right path, doing all the right things to avoid that socalled Dutch disease.”

It was pointed out by

Financial analyst Joel Bhagwandin

the Financial Analyst that from the time Guyana received its first oil payment in the Natural Resources Fund to now, not a cent has been touched. That money is presently being banked at the US Federal Reserve. According to him, the Government’s restraint is commendable.

“Dutch disease means when a country relies heavily on one sector and you neglect others. We came out of a period of Dutch disease over the past five years.

Oil will not last forever.

If you also notice that the Government hadn’t spent a cent from the oil resources, that is sitting in the feds,” Bhagwandin said.

“That is also good, because it’s a good signal on the part of the Government that they are serious about avoiding the Dutch disease, that they have a great grasp and appreciation for how the economy works.”

In a statement to the press on Tuesday, GMC had highlighted that the increase in non-traditional agricultural exports was achieved in spite of the COVID-19 pandemic. The increase encompasses commodities such as coconut water, pepper sauce, achar, sauces, cassava cassareep, and preserved fruits.

In 2020, a total of 9907 metric tonnes of non-traditional agricultural commodities, valued at $2.5 billion or US$12 million, were exported from Guyana. This increase is due to a 20 per cent (8217 metric tonnes) and 44 per cent (419 metric tonnes) increase in the export of dried coconuts and

coconut water respectively.

Further, in 2020, Guyana recorded a 110 per cent (2194 metric tonnes) increase in regional exports of non-traditional agricultural commodities. The major regional export destinations in 2020 were Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, Suriname, and Antigua. Of the total non-traditional agricultural exports, 99 per cent (9805 metric tonnes) was shipped via sea, representing a 14 per cent increase when compared to the year 2019.

Guyana’s sugar industry is another agriculture sector, albeit a traditional one. When it comes to the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo), Bhagwandin is of the view that the Government is doing the right thing in trying to resuscitate a corporation that it said was “left for dead” under the previous government.

The Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union had announced last month that, as at December 13, 2020, over 87,000 tonnes of

A table showing last year’s exports of non-traditional crops

sugar were produced, a far cry from GuySuCo’s pre2015 production levels.

“To resuscitate GuySuCo, they have engaged the Indian Government.

GuySuCo needs a lot of work, and it will need a lot of capital. Can the enterprise be feasible? Yes, because, globally, sugar is not dead. The global sugar in-

dustry is still a vibrant industry, but it has evolved.

“So we have to do the best to resuscitate our industry to an extent where it has evolved in line with the global industry. We need to look at a model to make it an efficient and profitable venture,” the analyst said.

(G3)

Judge, jury hear how Berbice road trip turned deadly in 2017

T

he prosecution called four civilian witnesses to testify on day two on the West Berbice murder trial which opened the February session of the Berbice Assizes. The session is being presided over

by Justice Simone MorrisRamlall.

On trial is 32-year-old Rawl Bernard, also called “Charles Telford” and “Redman”. He is indicted for the murder of 47-year-old Sylvan Lennox Stoll, called “Bowfoot”, of Herstelling, East Bank Demerara, which was committed between August 13 and 14, 2017.

Bernard, of La Parfaite Harmonie, West Bank

She said she was sitting in the conductor’s seat of the minibus when Stoll and the accused had an altercation, during which Bernard dealt Stoll three cuffs to his neck.

The woman told the court that she could not see if the accused had anything in his hand at that time.

“Bowfoot told him to rest himself, he is violating whole night. Bowfoot slapped him two times and the accused pushed his head to the side and gave him three cuffs to his neck, and then both of them ran in different directions,” the witness told the judge and jury.

She said she saw someone by the name of Daniel

Demerara, is being represented by attorney-at-law Chandra Sohan.

The State’s case is being presented by Attorneyat-law Tuana Hardy. The Prosecution is relying on Tammy Marks as one of its chief witnesses. She told the court that she, along with both the accused and the now deceased man, along with others, had gone to Berbice for a horse racing event, but by the time they got there it was over, and they went to a barbecue instead.

Pereira bringing Stoll back to the bus moments later, and he had a T-shirt wrapped around his neck.

She said that the shirt was removed and Stoll collapsed.

According to the witness, after the injured man was taken to the hospital, they went to the Police Station to make a report. While at the Police Station, she said, the accused was seen walking past and was arrested.

Meanwhile, Daniel Pereira said the accused had hit Tammy Marks on her buttocks and he had

was blood, and then he stopped bleeding.

In his testimony, Horatio said that, on their way to Berbice, while at Plaisance Village, East Coast Demerara, the accused and the now-deceased had had an argument.

He also related that when the accused was ar-

Murder accused: Rawl Bernard, also called “Charles Telford” and “Redman”

spoken with him about the incident.

He said he later received several complaints about the behaviour of the accused at the barbecue.

Under cross-examination, the witness said the now dead man did not indicate to him who had inflected the injuries on him.

Nevertheless, when they were in the yard of the Police Station, they saw Bernard passing, and he appeared to be walking to get back to Georgetown.

Pereira disclosed that it was he who had driven the bus from Georgetown to Berbice, and both Bernard and Stoll had been occupants of the vehicle. It is the same bus, he told the court, in which he had placed Stoll and rushed him to the hospital.

Meanwhile, Adelye Horatio, another witness, told the court that at the hospital, when the doctors removed the t-shirt from around Stoll's neck, there

rested outside of the Police Station, he had a knife with him.

Meanwhile, Government Pathologist Dr Vivekanand Bridgemohan gave the cause of death as shock and haemorrhage due to stab wound.

The pathologist explained that there was an incise wound to the neck

measuring three centimetres and the wound went to the left lung, which caused it to collapse.

The trial continues today.

Meanwhile, as the Assizes opened, there are 103 cases listed to be heard during the February session. (G4)

16 NEWS Govt will not allow actions Region 10 residents not adhering of Opposition to obstruct to COVID-19 guidelines - RHO agenda –Teixeira THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

…calls out Opposition for “unacceptable” behaviour in National Assembly

Parliamentary Affairs and Governance Minister Gail Teixeira

P

arliamentary Affairs and Governance Minister Gail Teixeira has described the behaviour of the main Opposition in the National Assembly as “smoke and mirrors.” Teixeira said the Members of Parliament (MPs) have failed to present facts to support their arguments, and have resorted to personal attacks on members of the Government.

The Minister addressed the matter during DPI’s television programme “The Progress Report” on Wednesday.

“The vitriol and what I keep calling the smoke and mirrors’ attacks. What are you there for? You are not there because of your good looks. You are not there because you are young or old.

You are there because you came on a party’s list. Your party won so many seats, and your party selected you to do the work.

“You are there to represent the people the best way you know how, which means you have homework to do. If you are talking about a Bill, go and do your homework and represent to the best that you know how for the people,” the Minister said.

Teixeira noted that she has been am MP since 1992, and while there have been many heated debates, personal attacks are unacceptable. She added that while the parties may have different views on a matter, the precedent is to have a negotiation.

“I have been in Parliament where people have said, ‘I do not like what your Government is doing, but on this issue, we will support’, or, ‘On this issue, if you amend it this way, we will support’; more of a negotiating style. That is not what is happening now. You are trying to have discussions on issues and it is smoke and mirrors. It is like a magician.

You throw up smoke and mirrors so you are deflecting all over the place, but you are not dealing with the real issue,” the Minister said.

The Minister highlighted that at the last sitting of the National Assembly, the Opposition brought a motion to have custodial sentencing removed from the possession of marijuana. However, instead of dealing with the matter at hand, they began accusing the Government of drug trafficking.

The Minister described it as ridiculous, adding that there are certain things in the National Assembly that you do not do. She noted that the Opposition carries as much responsibility as the Government side to behave in a constructive manner.

“It is unfortunate for the country, because some of the issues that we can reach agreement on, that have never been controversial; issues like child rights and different social legislation, that have not been ones that we could not stand together, these stand the risk of suddenly becoming this battlefield, where you have no proper arguments, but you are having these accusations on people’s lives.”

Nevertheless, Minister Teixeira said, the Government would not allow the actions of the Opposition to obstruct its agenda in the National Assembly.

Thursday is the next sitting.

Region 5 Education Department continues community outreaches

Senior Schools’ Welfare Officer Gloria Davidson-James (third from left) and Education Officer Samantha Phagu-Singh (second from right) engaging children during the outreach exercise on Tuesday

T

he Schools’ Welfare section of the Education Department of Region Five (Mahaica– Berbice) has embarked on another community outreach in the region by visiting the Lichfield and Seafield communities on the West Coast of Berbice.

The purpose of the exercise, according to a Department of Public Information report, has been to ensure that all school-age children have access to curriculum guides, besides providing psychosocial support and guidance to the stu-

dents and their parents, and distributing school materials and worksheets to those who did not uplift same from their school.

During the visit, the team from the Welfare Department urged parents to encourage their children and school-age relatives to remain engaged, despite being away from school physically due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

As a result of yesterday’s intervention, two children with special education needs, who were not in the

formal school system, will now be integrated and engaged.

The visit was spearheaded by Senior Schools’ Welfare Officer Gloria Davidson-James, who was accompanied by Education Officer Samantha PhaguSingh, Literacy Coordinator Adel White, Schools’ Welfare Officer Roxan La Rose and Child Protection Officer Moore. The team from the Education Department was assisted by two Police officers attached to the Weldaad Police Station.

RHO Dr Gregory Harris meeting with staff of the One Mile Health Centre

R

egion 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice) has recorded 581 confirmed COVID-19 cases, according to statistics from the Regional Health Department as at February 3, 2021. So far, 2051 persons have been tested within the region, which currently has a total of 28 active cases and nine related deaths. There have been 547 recoveries within the Region so far.

Regional Health Officer (RHO) Dr Gregory Harris has said the greatest concern presently is having persons adhere to COVID-19 guidelines and restrictions which are in place.

“We continue to educate persons. The biggest thing is getting the support from the general public to adhere to the guidelines. The guide-

lines are there, so persons have to follow the guidelines. But we continue to engage and educate the general public,” Dr Harris has said.

He said the Health Department continues to engage the public by means of sensitisation exercises done through initiatives like radio programmes, walkabouts and on social media.

According to the region’s statistics, three persons are currently hospitalised in institutional quarantine, while two are hospitalised in institutional isolation and one of those persons is from outside the Region. Meanwhile, 26 are in home isolation.

A total of 81 tests have been conducted so far this week.

The RHO and members

of the Regional Democratic Council’s (RDC’s) Health Department also met with staff of the One Mile Health Centre in Linden, following concerns arising after a staff member attached to the institution tested positive for COVID-19.

In a letter dated Friday January 29, 2021, Regional Chairman Deron Adams had expressed concern over the health and welfare of the staff at the healthcare facility who may have been exposed. The letter was addressed to Dr Harris and copied to Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony and Regional Executive Officer Dwight John. Dr Harris has since indicated that all workers attached to the Health Centre were tested and the facility sprayed and sanitised. (G13)

capital Georgetown was the seat of the Secretariat for the Caribbean Community (Caricom).

Guyana has traditionally had close ties with China.

Foreign Minister Hugh Todd said what was being set up was a trade and investment office in Georgetown to “create space” for the Private Sector in Taiwan and Guyana to do business.

“Guyana is not recognising Taiwan as an independent state. Guyana is not establishing diplomatic relations with Taipei,” he said.

The US Embassy in Guyana said it applauded the agreement.

“Deepening ties between Guyana and Taiwan will advance their shared goals of prosperity and security,” it said in a statement.

“Closer ties with Taiwan will advance cooperation and development in Guyana on the basis of shared democratic values, transparency, and mutual respect.”

Taiwan only has formal diplomatic relations with 14 countries, with Paraguay its sole remaining ally in South America.

The United States has been angered by China slowly taking away Taiwan’s support in the Region.

In 2018, the United States attacked El Salvador’s decision to ditch diplomatic ties with Taiwan in favour of China, saying the change was of grave concern to Washington and warning that China was offering economic inducements to seek domination.

(Reuters)

Taiwan opens local office

T

aiwan has opened a representative office in Guyana, the island’s Foreign Ministry said on Thursday, drawing praise from the United States which has worried about deepening Chinese influence in Latin America.

Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry said it had signed an agreement with Guyana’s Government on January 11 to open a Taiwan Office.

The Ministry said the office had begun initial operations on January 15, noting that Guyana was a country with rich mining and oil resources and its

NEWS

17

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Biden team sees no contact ‘anytime Home is not a safe space for women – PAHO Director soon’ with Venezuela’s Maduro

L

U

S President Joe Biden’s administration said Wednesday it had no plans to open direct contacts with Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro, who has called for improved relations after Donald Trump’s efforts to topple him.

“We certainly don’t expect any contact with Maduro anytime soon,” State Department spokesman Ned Price told reporters, calling the leftist leader a “dictator.”

Price said that Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris would continue Trump’s policy of recognizing opposition leader Juan Guaido as the interim president.

Guaido rooted his legitimacy in his election by the opposition-led National Assembly -- before December 2020 elections won by Maduro’s forces in polls widely seen internationally as rigged.

“The overriding goal of the Biden-Harris administration is to support a peaceful, democratic transition in Venezuela through free and fair presidential and parliamentary elections and to help the Venezuelan people rebuild their lives and country,” Price said.

“Maduro is a dictator.

His repression, corruption and mismanagement have generated one of the most dire humanitarian crises this hemisphere has seen.”

Maduro after Biden’s inauguration said he wanted to forge a “new path” with

US President Joe Biden

the United States after Trump’s defeat.

The firebrand leader called for a relationship based on “mutual respect, dialogue, communication and understanding.”

Trump in January 2019 declared that Maduro was illegitimate and had to go, with more than 50 other nations including most of Europe and Latin America agreeing that Guaido was the rightful interim president.

But despite an intense sanctions campaign by Trump, Maduro remains in power and enjoys continued support from the military as well as Russia, China and Cuba.

In one shift from Trump, Price confirmed that the Biden administration would let the roughly 200,000 Venezuelans in the United States stay.

Price said that Biden in-

tended to declare so-called “Temporary Protected Status” for Venezuelans -which shields them from deportation and gives them the right to work in the United States.

Trump, despite his bellicose language against Maduro including hints he was ready to use military force, refused to extend protected status to Venezuelans, part of his anti-immigration agenda.

But some political pundits say that Trump nevertheless succeeded politically by making inroads within the Venezuelan-American community, helping him win the crucial state of Florida.

More than five million Venezuelans have fled in recent years as they escape a crumbling economy in which food and medicine staples have become unattainable for many. (AFP)

eave no woman behind!

That is the message from the Director of the Pan American Health Organization Dr Carissa Etienne who added that more Government intervention is needed to prevent rising violence against women during COVID 19 lockdowns.

Information suggests that growing amidst the COVID- 19 crisis and the subsequent lockdown measures are domestic and gender-based violence.

During a press conference on Tuesday, Etienne said the pandemic related stresses are worsening situations women already face.

She said, “The ongoing stay at home measures coupled with the economic strains are increasing the risk of domestic violence, for too many women, home is not a safe space.” Just last year here at home, approximately 29 women were killed in domestic violence situations.

Etienne said reduced access to services have worsened the struggles women face. “Many women have been forced to leave their jobs to care for their families, impacting both their income and wellbeing,’’ she added.

As she noted the devastation caused by the resurgence of the pandemic in the region, Etienne said countries needed to do more to safeguard women whom she deemed critical in combating the virus.

She said, “This starts

Myanmar coup: UN chief Guterres calls for failure of military takeover

U

N Secretary General António Guterres has urged the world community to make sure Monday’s coup in Myanmar fails.

The reversal of elections is “unacceptable”, he said, and coup leaders must be made to understand this is no way to rule the country.

The UN Security Council is discussing a possible statement, but China is expected to block any form of words which condemns the coup.

Elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi was detained when the army seized power.

Police in Myanmar - also known as Burma - later filed several charges against Ms Suu Kyi, who has been remanded in custody until 15 February.

Neither Ms Suu Kyi nor deposed President Win Myint have been heard from since the takeover.

The coup, led by armed forces chief Min Aung Hlaing, has seen the installation of an 11-member junta.

The military, which has declared a year-long state of emergency, sought to justify its action by alleging fraud

in last November’s elections, which Ms Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD) won decisively.

There have been reports that the military has ordered Facebook to be blocked, on the grounds that the social media platform was “disturbing the restoration of stability”.

On Thursday users said they were not able to access it. A Facebook page set up to co-ordinate opposition to the coup has had tens of thousands of likes.

The UN secretary general called for constitutional order to be re-established in Myanmar. He said he hoped there would be unity in the Security Council on the matter.

“We’ll do everything we can to mobilise all the key actors of the international community to put enough pressure on Myanmar to make sure that this coup fails,” he said.

“It’s absolutely unacceptable to reverse the result of the elections and the will of the people.

“I hope that it’ll be possible to make the military in Myanmar understand that

Dr Carissa Etienne

with women and girls accessing health care services especially during the crisis, this includes gender violence hotlines and sexual and reproductive health services which are essential services, by leveraging tele-health and leaning on community health workers and making health care available outside hospital settings health systems can ensure women get the care that they deserve.”

The PAHO Director also called for women to play a greater role in shaping policies aimed at rebuilding economies from the global crisis, “by employing women in the pandemic planning and placing them at the very center of the recovery, women are some of our most powerful leaders, sci-

entists, and communicators and we need their help.”

Meanwhile, asked about the impact of the Oxford Astrazeneca vaccine given reports of a lower than expected efficacy rate as well as the emergence of new variants of the virus, Etienne said while more assessment is needed people should still get vaccinated, “variants have thus far been detected in ten countries of the Americas but with low frequency, this might change in a few weeks or months but this is not strange as mutations are really very common in coronaviruses so this is why we are pleading with nationals and the general public to intensify efforts to reduce the spread of the virus.” (T&T Guardian)

Jamaica Exotic Flavours, Essences to be privatised

C

Education, Youth and Information Minister Fayval Williams UN Secretary General António Guterres

this is not the way to rule the country and this is not the way to move forward.”

Western countries have condemned the coup unreservedly, but efforts at the Security Council to reach a common position failed as China dissented. China is one of five permanent members with a right of veto in the council.

Beijing has long played a role of protecting the country from international scrutiny, and has warned since the coup that sanctions or international pressure will only make things worse.

Alongside Russia, it has repeatedly protected Myanmar from criticism at the UN over the military crackdown on the Muslim minority Rohingya population. It has been reported that Myanmar’s civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi is being held at her residence in the capital, Nay Pyi Taw. She faces charges which include breaching import and export laws, and possession of unlawful communication devices. The accusations are contained in a police document - called a First Initial Report - submitted to a court.

(BBC)

abinet has given approval for the privatisation of Jamaica Exotic Flavours and Essences (JEFE) Company Limited, including the sale of the asset, the involuntary wind-up and any other legal options available for winding up.

JEFE is located in St Andrew, and is part of the fruit and vegetable processing industry.

Education Youth and Information Minister Fayval Williams provided details of the privatisation at a PostCabinet Press Briefing held at Jamaica House today.

“The mandate of the JEFE was to utilise Jamaica’s primary agricultural products and appropriate technology, to extract high levels of flavour compounds for sale to the international market,” the minister explained.

“The company had not been operating commercially and had ceased related activities since 2012. It had also not been adding value to the operation of the Government of Jamaica.

Goodwill and value of the brand of the company were… $25 million,” Williams informed. (Jamaica Observer)

18

guyanatimesgy.com

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2021

Regional

Continued increase in COVID cases Mexican Police Officers arrested over migrant killings and deaths in LatAm – PAHO

T

W

hile coronavirus infections are finally decreasing in the United States and Canada after weeks of unrelenting rise, cases and deaths continue to increase in Latin American countries, the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) said on Wednesday.

“Last week, over 1.8 million people in the Americas became sick with COVID-19 and more than 47,000 died as a result,” PAHO Director Carissa Etienne said in a briefing.

In Mexico, cases are still rising, particularly in states that drew tourism in the holiday season, such as Guerrero, Quintana Roo, Nayarit and Baja California del Sur. Across the Caribbean, most nations are seeing a reprieve in COVID-19 infections, but larger islands like the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Puerto Rico, and Cuba continue to see rising numbers of new infections, the Organisation said.

In South America, Colombia reported the high-

While coronavirus infections are finally decreasing in the United States and Canada after weeks of unrelenting rise, cases and deaths continue to increase in Latin American countries, the Pan American Health Organisation said on Wednesday [Juan Karita/ AP photo]

est incidence of cases relative to its population over the past week, followed by Brazil, where the city of Manaus has been grappling with a surge in cases and deaths, driven up by a new Amazon variant of the virus.

“Nearly every country in South America has reported a rise in COVID-19 infections over the last week,” Etienne said, and “Colombia continues to report the high-

est incidence in cases, followed by Brazil, which is still seeing exponential increases in both cases and deaths in the city of Manaus.”

Officials also said the new Brazil variant, as well as two others first identified in the United Kingdom and South Africa, have spread to 20 countries in the Americas, though their frequency is still limited. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Brazil’s Bolsonaro booed as he lays out priorities to Congress

O

pposition lawmakers booed Brazil’s rightwing President Jair Bolsonaro on Wednesday as he addressed a joint session of Congress to lay out his legislative priorities for the year.

Bolsonaro, who is facing criticism for his handling of the world’s second-deadliest COVID-19 outbreak, said his Government had earmarked enough funds to vaccinate Brazilians and the country would immediately acquire vaccines approved by its regulators.

Privatisation of State companies, central bank independence, and administra-

tive and tax reform were priorities of his Government, he told Congress.

Bolsonaro also included in his priorities a planned “federative pact” reform bill that aims to revamp the financing ties between federal and local governments.

His agenda stands a good chance of passage after his allies took control of Congress on Monday in elections for the Speakers of both chambers.

But as he began his address, opponents heckled the President. He replied: “See you in 2022,” in reference to next year’s presidential election when he plans to seek a

second term.

Arthur Lira, newly-elected Speaker for the Lower House and member of the right-wing Progressive Party, said the country needed emergency measures to assist Brazilians hit by the pandemic, while observing fiscal responsibility in Government spending.

Stipends paid last year to Brazilians who lost their livelihoods in the pandemic boosted Bolsonaro’s popularity, but cost the Treasury more than 322 billion reais (US$60 billion), a burden that has pushed Government finances farther into the red.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

welve Police Officers have been arrested in northern Mexico for their alleged connection to the killing of a group of migrants last month.

The bodies of 19 people were found in a burntout vehicle near the US border in Tamaulipas state on January 22.

Most of the victims are believed to have been Central American migrants.

Investigators think they were killed as part of a turf war between criminal gangs over control of migrant smuggling routes in the area.

Tamaulipas State Attorney General Irving Barrios Mojica said the Officers would be charged with murder and abuse of power.

Sixteen of the victims were male and one female.

Two of the bodies were so

Most of the victims are believed to be from Comitancillo, where relatives have been given DNA tests

badly burned, their sex could not be established.

DNA tests have so far shown that two were Mexican nationals and two were Guatemalan.

Prosecutors are investigating whether the two Mexicans may have been involved in smuggling the rest of the group to the US. The two Guatemalans so

far identified were 22-yearold football player Marvin Tomás and Élfego Roliberto Miranda Díaz. Both were from the town of Comitancillo in Guatemala.

The remaining victims are also thought to have been from Guatemala. Forensic tests suggest they were shot before being set alight.

(Excerpt from BBC News)

Haiti opens debate on proposed constitutional changes – reports

H

aiti has unveiled multiple proposed changes to overhaul its Constitution, the Associated Press has reported.

Officials plan to present the changes to voters starting this week for an upcoming referendum amid growing unrest.

“The public meetings are scheduled to be held across Haiti for the next three weeks, ahead of the April 25 constitutional referendum, which would be the first one held in more than 30 years.

“One of the biggest changes is an omission in the draft issued by an independent commission tasked

with creating the constitutional changes that have generated heated debates.

Haiti’s current Constitution bars Presidents from serving two consecutive terms,

but the draft only states that a President cannot serve for more than two terms; it says nothing about whether they can be served consecutively.”

Exemption now needed to leave T&T

Guaidó: Maduro refuses to access US-held funds to buy vaccines

V

enezuelan Opposition Leader Juan Guaidó said on Wednesday that Venezuelan funds controlled by the United States Treasury Department could be used to pay for coronavirus vaccines, but that President Nicolás Maduro’s Government is refusing to cooperate.

The Government has not accepted an implementation plan laid out by the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) that would enable Venezuela to join the COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access Facility (COVAX) programme, and has not fulfilled a prior deal regarding distribution of

COVID-19 tests.

“The [problem] is not the funds, that’s the dictatorship’s propaganda to try to excuse itself and point fingers and confuse the whole world,” Guaidó told a press conference.

“If we are willing, and the regime is not, the funds cannot be transferred.”

Venezuela’s Information Ministry and the US Treasury did not immediately reply to requests for comment.

Ciro Ugarte, PAHO’s director of health emergencies, told another press conference on Wednesday that Maduro had “announced his interest in obtaining access to vac-

cines via the COVAX mechanism, as well as from other sources, and the Guaidó group has also expressed that intention”.

The US in 2019 recognised Guaidó as Venezuela’s legitimate president and created a sanctions package against the Maduro Government that included the seizure of nearly US$350 million held in US accounts.

Parts of those funds were used last year to obtain test kits and personal protective equipment for medical workers, following an agreement between Venezuelan officials and Opposition Leaders, Guaidó said. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Caribbean Airlines aircraft at the Piarco International Airport back in March 2020

Y

ou now need an exemption from the National Security Ministry if you want to be able to leave Trinidad and Tobago on a Caribbean Airlines plane.

In a release issued on Tuesday, CAL advised that effective immediately, “all persons departing the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago must adhere to the new online exemption process implemented by the Ministry of National Security, Government of the

Republic of Trinidad and Tobago.”

“Prior to their date of travel, persons wishing to depart Trinidad and Tobago for any international or regional destination, must apply for a travel exemption via the website https://services.mns.gov.tt/travelexemption,” CAL stated.

CAL stated that customers were reminded that their exemption approvals were applied against the respective passports submitted on their exemption re-

quest forms, and they must present the same travel documents used with the request forms at check-in.

“Passengers may obtain online exemptions up to the time of check-in,” CAL stated.

Caribbean Airlines also encouraged all passengers to verify the entry requirements and other important travel information for their intended destination using the Caribbean Airlines Sherpa Tool.

(Trinidad Guardian)

guyanatimesgy.com

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2021

19

Around the World

OILNEWS OIL NEWS US oil exports soar to record high at Louisiana Port

C

rude oil exports from the only deep-water port in the United States, Louisiana Offshore Oil Port, doubled in January from December to a record high, driven by robust demand from Asian refiners, Bloomberg reported on Wednesday, quoting vessel-tracking data it had compiled.

Louisiana Offshore Oil Port (LOOP), the only US port capable of handling and fully loading supertankers with two million barrels of oil each, saw a total of eight tankers depart for India, China, and South Korea in January.

Those tankers, most of them supertankers, shipped a total of 15 million barrels of oil from the Louisiana oil export terminal last month –double the volume exported from the port in December and a record-high for the terminal, according to the data compiled by Bloomberg.

The US crude oil exports are benefiting from the recovery of oil demand in Asia, as well as from reductions of term supplies to some Asian customers by the biggest Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) producers Saudi Arabia and Iraq.

Saudi Arabia has reportedly announced reductions in crude oil volumes to be supplied to at least nine clients in Asia and Europe for February. The cuts are made for shipments under long-term contracts and concern Aramco’s heavier grades.

Iraq, OPEC’s second-largest producer behind Saudi Arabia, has also reportedly reduced – quite unexpectedly -0- its term supplies for 2021 to several major Indian refiners by 10-20 per cent.

At the same time, the major oil importers in Asia are estimated to have boosted their imports by 7.5 per cent month over month in January to 26.14 million barrels per day (bpd), according to tanker-tracking and port data compiled by Refinitiv and cited by Reuters.

Chinese oil imports are estimated to have jumped by 33 per cent to around 12 million bpd, up from just nine million bpd in December, Refinitiv data showed.

India is also boosting imports, with official Government data showing that crude oil imports increased by 9.5 per cent in December 2020, while crude oil throughput rose by 0.9 per cent compared to December 2019, just before the start of the pandemic. (Oilprice.com)

EU rebuffs UK demand to soften Northern Ireland Brexit trade terms

Britain's Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Michael Gove speaking at the House of Commons in London, Britain, October 19, 2020

T

he European Union on Wednesday rebuffed a British demand to extend a grace period for checks on goods going from Britain to Northern Ireland, saying the post-Brexit trade treaty gave London enough tools to solve the problems.

But it agreed to “work intensively” with Britain to resolve difficulties that have already impeded deliveries of goods, notably food, from other parts of the United Kingdom and caused shortages in supermarkets, even with a grace period still in force.

The dispute, which stems from Britain’s exit from the EU’s orbit on January 1,

threatens to reopen a rift that bedevilled years of Brexit talks, and further strain relations between the EU and its former member.

British Minister Michael Gove sent a terse letter to European Commission Vice President Maros Sefcovic, demanding that grace periods for the transport of food from Britain to Northern Ireland be extended from a few months to at least two years.

Then, after a video call with Gove, Sefcovic told Irish RTE television that, under the terms of the post-Brexit trade deal signed in December, it was for Britain to resolve the problems. (Excerpt from Reuters)

West increases pressure on Myanmar generals as charges filed against Suu Kyi

T

he United Nations said it would mobilise international pressure to ensure the failure of Monday’s military coup in Myanmar, as Myanmar Police filed charges against ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi for illegally importing communications equipment.

Nobel Peace laureate Suu Kyi was detained on Monday, along with other civilian politicians. She is being held under house arrest in the capital, Naypyidaw, according to an official from her party.

A Police request to a court detailing the accusations against Suu Kyi, 75, said six walkie-talkie

Myanmar's National League for Democracy Party leader Aung San Suu Kyi looks on during a news conference at her home in Yangon, November 5, 2015

radios had been found in a search of her home in Naypyidaw. The radios were imported illegally and used without permission, it said.

The document reviewed

on Wednesday requested Suu Kyi’s detention “in order to question witnesses, request evidence, and seek legal counsel after questioning the defendant”.

A separate document showed Police filed charges against ousted President Win Myint for violating protocols to stop the spread of the coronavirus during campaigning for an election last November.

Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD) won that election in a landslide, but the military, headed by Army Chief General Min Aung Hlaing, claimed the vote was marred by fraud and

justified its seizure of power on those grounds.

The electoral commission had said the vote was fair.

The takeover has cut short Myanmar’s long transition to democracy and drawn strong condemnation from Western countries, the G7, and the United Nations.

“We will do everything we can to mobilise all the key actors and international community to put enough pressure on Myanmar to make sure that this coup fails,” UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said during an interview broadcast by The Washington Post on Wednesday. (Excerpt from Reuters)

COVAX sets out plan for global distribution of 337 million vaccines

T

he COVAX initiative for equitable global access to COVID-19 vaccines has published its first distribution list, planning enough doses for dozens of countries to immunise more than three per cent of their populations by mid-year.

The release of the “interim distribution forecast” on Wednesday came amid concerns over whether lower-income countries will be left out of the immunisation race dominated by rich nations – a problem COVAX, which is led by the United Nations-backed

vaccine alliance Gavi; the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) and the World Health Organisation (WHO), was set up to resolve.

The list broke down for the first time how the programme’s initial 337.2 million doses will be distributed, in line with a target “to protect the most vulnerable groups such as health care workers” in the first half of the year.

First deliveries are expected in late February, with some 145 countries set to receive enough doses

to immunise 3.3 per cent of their population by mid2021.

Countries will receive doses in proportion to population size, with the most going to India (97.2 million); Pakistan (17.2 million); Nigeria (16 million); Indonesia (13.7 million); Bangladesh (12.8 million) and Brazil (10.6 million).

Wealthy self-financing countries were on the list in addition to lower-income nations, including South Korea (2.6 million doses); Canada (1.9 million) and New Zealand (250,000).

The distribution list includes 240 million doses of the AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine, licensed to the Serum Institute of India (SII); 96 million doses of AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine; and 1.2 million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.

The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is the only one so far to have received emergency use approval from the WHO. Evaluation is under way for the AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine. Both require two injected doses. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

COVID-19: UK “past this peak”, but infections still “alarmingly high”

T

Prof Chris Whitty: "Vaccines are going to protect in three different ways"

he United Kingdom is "past the peak" of the current wave of the pandemic, but infection rates are still high, England's chief medical officer says.

Professor Chris Whitty said the number of cases, hospitalisations, and deaths were on a "downward slope" but that did not mean there would not be another peak.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson praised the "colossal" effort to vaccinate 10 million people, including 90 per cent of those aged over 75.

But the NHS was still under "huge pressure", the Prime Minister said.

Speaking at a Downing Street briefing, Prof Whitty said while the number of people in hospital with Covid-19 had reduced "quite noticeably", it was still above that of the first peak in April 2020.

"So this is still a very major problem, but it is

one that is heading the right way," he said.

Prof Whitty said infection rates were "coming down, but they are still incredibly high".

If the rate was to increase again "from the very high levels we are at the moment, the NHS will get back into trouble extraordinarily fast", he added.

(Excerpt from BBC News)

Farmers' protest: Rihanna tweet angers Indian Government

I

ndia has accused "foreign individuals" and celebrities of "sensationalism" after a tweet by pop superstar Rihanna, extending support to protesting farmers, drew global attention.

Hours after the singer's tweet, teenage climate activist Greta Thunberg and the US Vice President's niece Meena Harris also tweeted support for the farmers.

Their widely shared

tweets went viral, garnering thousands of responses.

Farmers have been protesting at Delhi's borders against new farm laws.

In a statement on Wednesday, India's External Affairs Ministry said Parliament had passed "reformist legislation relating to the agricultural sector" after a full debate and discussion.

"The temptation of sensationalist social media hashtags and comments, es-

pecially when resorted to by celebrities and others, is neither accurate nor responsible," it added.

Rihanna's tweet on Tuesday linked to a news story about the Internet blockade at the protest sites.

India suspended mobile Internet services in three areas around the capital, Delhi, where tens of thousands of farmers are camping to protest against the new laws. (Excerpt from Reuters)

20

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2021

guyanatimesgy.com

ARCHIE

ARIES

(March 21April 19)

TAURUS (April 20May 20)

DILBERT

GEMINI (May 21June 20)

Play by the rules. Don’t mess around when dealing with institutions or bureaucratic organizations. You have plenty to gain if you are honest and do your very best.

Lay out your plans and see who responds to them. Don’t waste time on those who procrastinate or downplay what you are trying to do. Stay focused and intent on making the most of what you have.

LEO (July 23Aug. 22)

Sit tight. Don’t make complicated or risky changes. Know what and who you are up against. Don’t let your restlessness lead to a mistake. The right opportunity will come along.

VIRGO (Aug. 23Sept. 22)

SUDOKU

Cut your losses and move along.

Recognize when you’ve run out of gas, and you’ll figure out the best way to salvage what you can and proceed.

What’s best for you is most important at present.

CANCER (June 21July 22)

PEANUTS

CALVIN AND HOBBES

Check out what’s available and affordable. How you manage your money will be important. Don’t give in to temptation. Treat a meaningful relationship with respect.

Look over your options, gather information and put your plans in place. An unusual partnership will interest you, but before you sign up for something unfamiliar, do a little research.

LIBRA (Sept. 23Oct. 23)

Take care of unfinished business, put the past behind you and consider what your options are. Handle an unexpected loss carefully. Don’t jump to conclusions or lose out on what’s rightfully yours.

SCORPIO

Control your emotions. An unexpected turn of events will leave you in a quandary. Look over your options, take charge and get things done. If you remain calm, you will come through with flying colors.

(Oct. 24Nov. 22)

Refuse to let anyone inSAGITTARIUS terfere with your plans.

(Nov. 23Keep your money and posDec. 21) sessions in a safe place.

Reveal nothing, and you’ll have nothing to fear. Being a good listener will pay off.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22Jan. 19) YESTERDAY'S WORD -- GRENADE

SOLUTION FOR LAST PUBLISHED PUZZLE AQUARIUS (Jan. 20Feb. 19)

PISCES (Feb. 20March 20)

Put more time and effort into the important relationships in your life. Clear up matters that have been lingering on for too long. Focus on building a peaceful environment.

Listen and observe, but don’t get involved in disruptive situations. Uncertainty will prevail if you are evasive or stretch the truth. Live up to your promises. Strive to maintain good relationships.

You’ll gain support. Be sure to give accurate information. Crunch the numbers and proceed with caution. It’s easier to do things right the first time than to pay the price later.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2021

21

"Why degrade or constantly criticise West Indies cricket?"

By Brandon Corlette

A

ny individual who has been following West Indies cricket would be familiar with the constant criticisms being levelled against WI cricket by the legendary Sir Andy Roberts.

Sir Andy has recently described West Indies Test captain Jason Holder as a good cricketer, but a “lost” captain.

During the most recent Mason and Guest Radio programme, Holder responded to those criticisms, and described those legendary

players who are more than often critical of West Indies cricket as “hard to approach”.

Holder also admitted that the West Indies have not performed well compared to the glory days when the legendary players dominated.

"My disappointment with people like (Sir) Andy Roberts, I respect them (for) what they contributed to the game, but as former players who (had) done so well, I am sure they have positive contributions to make to West Indies cricket, but why go on these platforms

and constantly criticise and degrade the product of West Indies cricket?" he asked.

"I feel the former legends’ comments on West Indies cricket, 99% of the time (are) negative; and when (there) is an opportunity for them to give encouragement or congratulate players, (it) is like they are trying to pick their teeth to find the words. It's like a hard thing to do. As a society in the Caribbean, we find it so easy to criticise, and we always know the problem, but when asked the solution, it's mind-

boggling; (these) people always struggle to find the solutions," Holder declared.

Further, Holder said: "Everyone is entitled to their opinion, and the legends - whom I respect for their contribution - I think they can do a lot more (in) opening up that relationship with players. Lots of players frown upon speaking to the legends because they are not approachable.”

Describing the New Zealand series as disappointing, Holder has said he is open to sitting down with Sir Andy and having

ATP Cup tennis tournament…

Germany beat Canada after Alexander Zverev win

a conversation.

"We know we are not the greatest side, but it would warm my heart to have a conversation with Andy Roberts; but it's often him being critical of the current crop. Pick up the phone and offer that support! I think they (legends) need to do a lot better to build the relationship with current players, and I think they have a lot to offer to West Indies cricket," Holder has declared.

And Kenny Benjamin, a former West Indies player, has somewhat endorsed Holder’s comments by saying that Sir Andy Roberts is too critical.

Benjamin believes the legends are not the answers to the

problem.

"We need the younger minds who understand the root cause of why we cannot produce Test players. But the legends can be used as mentors around the Caribbean. We need to overhaul the whole system, we need to look at structure," is Benjamin’s position.

While many cricket pundits and administrators are calling for the legends to play a more integral role in West Indies cricket, the current players are hoping that their relationship with the legends could be improved.

– Italy, Russia reach semi-finals

A

lexander Zverev won his first match of the year as Germany beat Canada 2-1 in their ATP Cup group tie.

The 23-year-old, runner-up to Dominic Thiem in September's US Open final, settled the tie with a 6-7 (5-7), 6-3, 7-6 (7-4) win over Denis Shapovalov, after JanLennard Struff beat Milos Raonic.

Zverev said having his older brother Mischa as team captain had helped.

"All the players enjoy having him as captain, and it's just great to have him here," he said.

Germany, who later lost the doubles rubber against Canada, will face Novak Djokovic's Serbia

on Thursday for a place in the semi-finals.

Italy beat France 2-1 to reach the last four, and were later joined by Russia, who claimed a 2-1 win over Japan.

Fabio Fognini gave Italy an early lead with a 6-1, 7-6 (7-2) win over Benoit Paire.

Matteo Berrettini, who beat US Open champion Thiem on Monday, then brushed aside Gael Monfils 6-4, 6-2 to clinch victory in the tie, before there was a French consolation win in the doubles.

"It's a great team, great guys.

We are enjoying on-court, but off-court as well," Berrettini said.

"I think when you're playing for your country, for your team, it's something special."

Russia's Andrey Rublev, who had a dominant 2020, beat Japan's Yoshihito Nishioka in just 65 minutes. ATP Finals champion Daniil Medvedev then backed up his team-mate with a 6-2, 6-4 win

over former world number four Kei Nishikori, before the Japanese won the doubles match.

The ATP Cup is one of six events being held at Melbourne Park this week to allow players to prepare for the Australian Open, which begins on 8 February. (BBC Sport)

Serena Williams sparkles at star-studded Melbourne Park

S

erena Williams roared into the quarter-finals of the Yarra Valley Classic with a 6-1 6-4 victory over Tsvetana Pironkova on a star-studded day of action in Australia.

The 23-time grand slam champion was in fine form at Melbourne Park, where the biggest names in women’s tennis were competing across multiple tournaments, as she sealed a straight-sets’ triumph to continue her preparations for a shot at an eighth Australian Open title.

In so doing, the 39-yearold extended her headto-head record over the Bulgarian to 6-0, and was delighted to get the job done.

“It’s definitely nice to get another win,” the American

Serena Williams

said during her on-court interview. “She’s clearly a great player, so it wasn’t easy, but it was good to come through.”

Speaking at her media conference, Williams added: “Last time it was an incredible three-set match, so today I was like, ‘All right, let’s really

try and focus and learn to do better than last time’.”

World number one Ash Barty had a less straightforward path to the last eight, requiring three sets to see off Marie Bouzkova.

The home hope ultimately prevailed 6-0, 4-6, 6-3, with second seed and reigning Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin also taken the distance in a 5-7, 7-5, 6-2 win over Jessica Pegula, as Nadia Podoroska dug deep to down Petra Kvitova 5-7, 6-1, 7-6 (97).

With Barty now set to face Shelby Rogers, Danielle Collins awaits Williams, having impressively defeated third seed Karolina Pliskova 7-6 (7-5), 7-6 (7-3), while

Garbine Muguruza overcame Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-1 6-2 to set up a meeting with Kenin.

In the Gippsland Trophy, the top three seeds all dodged upsets, with two-time grand slam winner Simona Halep, 2019 Australian Open victor Naomi Osaka, and 2018 Tour Finals champion Elina Svitolina safely navigating through the last 16.

Fifth-seeded Briton Johanna Konta failed to convert two match points, as she succumbed to a 4-6, 7-6 (12-10), 7-6 (7-4) defeat to Irina-Camelia Begu.

Meanwhile, at the Grampians Trophy, there were wins for Anett Kontaveit, Jennifer Brady and Angelique Kerber. (Sportsmax)

No global calendar for World Rugby until at least 2024

A

ny move to a global Test calendar and a new competition that brings together the hemispheres will not happen before 2024, says World Rugby.

Officials want one annual schedule for Tests, to create a more meaningful and profitable competition format. However, a proposal to get rid of July internationals and create an extended autumn window has been dismissed.

World Rugby says “strong progress” has been made on a parallel plan to refine the women’s calendar.

Currently, there are three Test windows when clubs are required to release players for international duty. However, the timing of those windows differs slightly between the hemispheres.

While northern hemisphere nations traditionally tour in the south in July, and vice-versa in November, the Six Nations

is played in February and March, and the Rugby Championship takes place from August to October.

Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend was one of those to support extending the autumn international fixture list - a measure that happened this year because of coronavirus disruption - at the expense of the July fixtures.

However, World Rugby has concluded that “retaining the existing July and November windows delivers the optimal environment for any new competition to be implemented from a player welfare, union and professional league financial, broadcasters and fans’ perspective”.

Rugby Football Union chief executive Bill Sweeney, who is part of a six-person group working on the calendar, had said in June that he had hoped a new global schedule could be launched for the 2020-21 season. (BBC.COM)

22

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2021

WI vs Bangladesh, 1st Test…

Warrican’s three-for steadies Windies …but Bangladesh fight back in final session W but the slow nature of the pitch meant there wasn’t enough sting in them. Given those conditions, Iqbal would be disappointed with himself: he was on 9 when a Roach delivery came in from around-the-wicket angle and found the gap between bat and pad to clatter into the stumps.

Like the two openers, Najmul Hossain Shanto opened his account with a boundary off Roach. Islam and he batted calmly and added 43 for the second wicket, before a misunderstanding led to Shanto’s run-out. Islam worked Kyle Mayers towards the right of fine leg and called for two, but Shanto hesitated before taking off. Roach fired in the throw to wicketkeeper Joshua Da Silva, who relayed it to the bowler to catch Shanto well short.

West Indies made further inroads in the second session, as Warrican picked up the wickets of Mominul Haque and Islam in a passage of play wherein both teams looked happy to play defensive cricket.

The West Indies bowlers were much tighter with their lines and lengths after lunch.

They also deployed in-out fields, which meant that on the rare occasions when the bowlers presented scoring opportunities, the Bangladesh batsmen couldn’t really cash in.

Except for the one Mayers’ over, when the bowler lost his Liton Das scored some length and gave quick runs in the last hour away two easy boundaries, to hurt the West Indians

est Indies bowlers did well to keep Bangladesh in check for the most part of the opening day of the first Test in Chattogram, before the home side wrested back some control in the final session.

After being 140 for 4 at tea, Bangladesh added another 102 for the loss of one more wicket in the evening, to finish the day on 242 for 5, the unbroken sixthwicket stand between Shakib Al Hasan and Liton Das being worth 49.

Left-arm spinner Jomel Warrican was the most successful bowler for the West Indies, picking up three wickets.

The day started with Kemar Roach and Shannon Gabriel struggling to get their lengths right, and erring consistently on the fuller side, after Bangladesh opted to bat on a placid pitch.

The first ball of the match, a half-volley from Roach, was driven through the covers for four

by Shadman Islam. Two overs later, Roach presented a similar opportunity to Tamim Iqbal, and the batsman didn’t miss out.

The lack of assistance from the pitch meant West Indies were a bit conservative with their field placements too; Gabriel got a couple to bounce a bit,

the runs didn’t come easy for the hosts. Their approach of not trying to rotate the strike enough also didn’t help.

That reduced the contest to a battle of attrition, in which Haque was the first to blink.

The Bangladesh captain skipped down the pitch against Rahkeem Cornwall and Warrican, only to miscue the shots over midon. The next time he tried to do it, against Warrican, the ball dipped, Haque failed to keep his attempted whip down, and John Campbell held on to a juggling catch at short midwicket.

Islam brought up a measured half-century before falling to Warrican in the penultimate over before tea. The batsman went for the sweep, only to miss and be struck in front of middle and leg. He had a chat with his partner, Mushfiqur Rahim, about whether to review or not, but decided against it. Had Islam reviewed it, the decision would have been overturned, as replays showed the ball was spinning past the leg stump.

At that point, Bangladesh were placed precariously on 134 for 4. That, however, didn’t deter Rahim and Shakib from batting positively in the final session. The first four overs after tea produced 20 runs as the two experienced batsmen hit four boundaries. They didn’t hesitate in taking quick singles either, and suddenly West Indies were just looking to plug the flow of runs.

With the ball getting soft, West Indies opened up the field and the singles were available easily. But Shakib and Rahim were alert to quick singles as well. When Kraigg Brathwaite brought himself on, Rahim

Residential Land for Sale at Eccles Public Road. 0.1205 Acre/5,248 Sq Ft. Price: $150 mil. Negotiable. Serious enquires only. Call – 233-2152

LEARN TO DRIVE

PUPPIES FOR SALE Jomel Warrican picked up three of the five wickets to fall

was his usual adventurous self, going deep in the crease to manufacture the desired length, and even scooping him to the fine-leg boundary.

Shakib and Rahim had added 59 for the fifth wicket when Warrican dismissed Rahim against the run of play. Having moved to 38, Rahim looked to defend Warrican, only to edge to first slip, where Cornwall took a low catch.

Mix Breed Puppies For sale Contact : 253-3114/692-0126

SERVICE Das could have been on his way back soon after, but debutant Nkrumah Bonner failed to latch on to a sharp chance at forward short leg off Cornwall.

That was on the last ball of the 80th over, and West Indies opted for the new ball straightaway.

That worked in Bangladesh’s favour, though, as they took 40 runs from the last ten overs of the day, with Das scoring 32 of them. (ESPNcricinfo)

Solutions to All problems such as – Domestic, Job, Relationships such as: Marriage, Love Relations.

Removal of blockages and Bad Luck. Call for Appointment – 592 696 8222. Address: Georgetown or Vreed-en-Hoop.

TAXI SERVICE GR Taxi 227-1982, 225-7878 219-5000, 227-2100 Wanted: Contract Cars Tel: 614-6202

SCOREBOARD

BANGLADESH 1ST INNINGS Shadman Islam lbw b Warrican 59 Tamim Iqbal b Roach 9 Najmul Hossain Shanto run out (Roach/†Da Silva/Mayers) 25 Mominul Haque (c) c Campbell b Warrican 26 Mushfiqur Rahim c Cornwall b Warrican 38 Shakib Al Hasan not out 39 Liton Das † not out 34 Extras (b 2, lb 2, nb 3, w 5) 12 TOTAL (90 Ov, RR: 2.68) 242/5 Yet to bat: Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Nayeem Hasan, Taijul

Islam, Mustafizur Rahman Fall of wickets: 1-23 (Tamim Iqbal, 4.3 ov), 2-66 (Najmul Hossain Shanto, 23.1 ov), 3-119 (Mominul Haque, 50.5 ov), 4-134 (Shadman Islam, 56.2 ov), 5-193 (Mushfiqur Rahim, 74.2 ov) BOWLING O-M-R-W Kemar Roach 16-5-44-1 Shannon Gabriel 17-3-51-0 Rahkeem Cornwall 22-1-56-0 Kyle Mayers 7-2-16-0 24-5-58-3 Jomel Warrican Kraigg Brathwaite 4-0-13-0

2237230-1

(Ext 55)

NOW!

– Fred VanVleet makes history for Raptors

T

LAND FOR SALE

Shalom Enterprise Driving School 2 Croal Street, Stabroek You can also obtain an International Driving Permit covering over 134 Countries.Contact us: 227-3835 / 627-6155. WhatsApp: 619-0106.

Join us on FaceBook.

ROUNDUP

he Brooklyn Nets’ stars have delivered in a win over the Los Angeles Clippers, while Fred VanVleet has made history for the Toronto Raptors.

Thwe “Big Three” of the Nets – Kevin Durant, James Harden and Kyrie Irving – led Brooklyn past the Clippers with a score of 124-120 in the NBA on Tuesday. Harden posted a tripledouble of 23 points, 14 assists and 11 rebounds, while Irving had a gamehigh 39 points, and Durant finished with 28.

With his 50th career triple-double, Harden became the eighth player in NBA history to achieve that mark, joining Oscar Robertson (181), Russell Westbrook (151), Magic Johnson (138), Jason Kidd (107), LeBron James (95), Wilt Chamberlain (78) and Larry Bird (59).

The Nets improved to 14-9 with

CLASSIFIED ADS

victory over a Clippers (16-6) side also expected to contend come season’s end.

Clippers star Kawhi Leonard had 33 points and Paul George chipped in with 26.

Fred VanVleet dominated with a record-breaking 54 points in the Raptors’ 123-108 win over the Orlando Magic. The guard has broken DeMar DeRozan’s franchise record of 52 points in a game. VanVleet was 17-of-23 from the field and 11-of-14 from three-point range, while adding three rebounds, three steals and three blocks.

He became the first player in NBA history to have 50-plus points, 10plus three-pointers made, three-plus blocks, and three-plus steals in a game, as per Stats Perform. He also is the first guard with 50-plus points, three-plus blocks, and three-plus steals in a game since Michael Jordan in April 1987.

Curry magic not enough, Sabonis stars Stephen Curry made seven threepointers and had 38 points and 11 rebounds, but the Golden State Warriors went down to the Boston Celtics 111-107.

Jayson Tatum led the Celtics with 27 points and nine rebounds.

Domantas Sabonis’s double-double of 32 points and 13 rebounds saw the Indiana Pacers past the Memphis Grizzlies 134-116.

Damian Lillard finished with 32 points as the Portland Trail Blazers beat the Washington Wizards 132121. Bradley Beal had 37 points for the Wizards.

Griffin below his best Blake Griffin struggled from the field, shooting four-of-13 for 11 points

in 29 minutes in the Detroit Pistons’ 117-105 loss to the Utah Jazz.

Melo moves Carmelo Anthony posted 21 points off the bench in the Trail Blazers’ win.

He has moved up to 13th on the alltime scoring list.

Tuesday’s results Toronto Raptors: 123; Orlando Magic: 108 Brooklyn Nets: 124; Los Angeles Clippers: 120 Indiana Pacers: 134; Memphis Grizzlies: 116 Portland Trail Blazers: 132; Washington Wizards: 121 Boston Celtics: 111; Golden State Warriors: 107 Utah Jazz: 117; Detroit Pistons: 105 (Sportsmax)

223-7230-1 (Ext 55)

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2021

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

23

Panko Steel Fabrication launches Panko Fabrication launches firstSteel golf tournament for 2021 on February 7 first– commences golf tournament for 2021 first golf tournament for 2021 on pause, but event u a l ly meas u r e s were put in place

By Timothy Jaikarran

A

fter months of fans waiting and longing for the game of golf, they have finally got what they wanted, as Panko Steel Fabrication has launched the first golf tournament for 2021 at the Crown Mining Supplies Building located on Dennis Street, Campbellville.

This tournament will be held on Sunday February 7 at the Lusignan Golf Club, and will commence at 09:00hrs. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, many sporting disciplines were put

as match play. It is also known by other names, including 2-Person Best Ball and Four Ball (or "fourball," which this format is commonly called when it is played as match play in the famous Ryder Cup).

Giving her remarks, GM of Panko Steel, Sandy Ramsundar, Sandy Ramsundar General Manager of Panko Steel Fabrication, and things began said, "Our compato improve some- ny has been in fabwhat, hence the launching rication for some of the long-awaited tourna- years. We have ment. fabricated places Opening the meeting such as Giftland at the brief press confer- and Gafoors, to ence, Club Captain Patrick name a few. We Prashad laid out the format have decided to of the game. He noted that sponsor this tournathe format is called “pair ment because Mr Panko 9-hole better ball”, two golf- has been involved in ers play as a team, but each golf at a young age. He plays his or her own ball moved up the ranks, throughout. On each hole, growing up from a caddy the two golfers on a team to the golfer he is today. compare scores. The lower He also wanted to sponof the two scores - the better sor this tournament as ball - counts as the team's he wanted to give back score partner tee off. to the community, and Better ball can be also spread awareness." played as stroke play or President of the Lusignan

“I was eager to perform well for Guyana,” says Trevon Griffith

– believes CWI/local boards should explore use of COVID-19 vaccines

G

uyana Jaguars opener Trevon Griffith has been ruled out of the upcoming CG Insurance Regional Super50 Cup in Antigua & Barbuda after testing positive for COVID-19 on January 24.

He has been replaced by Kemol Savory.

The 29-year-old lefthander has said he was eager to perform well for the Guyana Jaguars in the Super50 tournament. “I was eager to get there and do well for Guyana. I was disappointed, but it is part of the reality of life; but I have to move forward,” Griffith said on Tuesday’s Mason and Guest Radio programme.

Asked about the COVID-19 vaccine, Griffith said it is something good, and should be explored or looked into. “If the West Indies Board or local boards look into it, I don’t see why the contracted players should refuse this, as we look to eliminate this COVID-19. Personally, I would take the vaccine.”

Griffith disclosed that, once the vaccine is in Guyana, he is aiming to see how it goes.

An asymptomatic patient, Griffith has been in

home quarantine since he returned a positive test. He revealed that he would be out of quarantine next Monday, and he would take another test.

“It’s frustrating (to be at home like this), but it’s part of life, and you have to be mentally strong,” Griffith explained. “I am following the necessary guidelines to get my body on track, but I was really surprised at the positive test.”

Having played for the Jamaica S c o r p i o n s Griffith was eager to perform in previous well for Guyana Jaguars seasons, the vegan cricketer has said no other individual close to him has tested positive, with the exception of a close female friend.

Regarded as one of the fittest players in the Caribbean, Griffith played 35 List A matches and has five half-centuries and two fifties in his 21 first-class matches. (Brandon Corlette)

Golf Club,

P u r Persaud, praised Panko,

Club Captain Patrick Prashad

as he noted the businessman started his career as a builder, hence the choice of location for the press conference.

Persaud related that he is extremely grateful to Panko and GM Sandy Ramsundar for generously starting this year with the launch of the first golf tournament of 2021.

"Six prizes will be donated, as this is a charitable event and the winners will be rewarded and a charity of their choice.

Prizes will be given from first to fifth. We encourage other companies to come on board, and we

President of the Lusignan Golf Club, Pur Persaud would like to note that this

tournament is a COVIDconscious game.

We have been given permission from the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport.

We wish to thank Panko, and wish them well, and hope for a successful tournament. All are welcome, and as it is, we anticipate 50 persons will be participating. We welcome everyone to come see what the game of golf is about,” Persaud declared.

The prizes that will be given to the charities of the winner’s choice are as follows: first place $40,000, second place $30,000 and third place $20,000.

Guyana Jaguars secure services of Performance Analyst

T

he Guyana Jaguars’ management has taken another substantial step in the development of the players with the hiring of Dinesh Mahabir as Performance Analyst for the 2021 CWI CG Insurance Super 50 Cup. This most recent addition to the Guyana Jaguars’ management team is an indication of CGI resilience in ensuring that the Guyana Jaguars have what they need to enhance player performance and team success on a consistent and progressive basis.

The decision to employ Dinesh Mahabir for the CG Regional Super 50 Cup has been derived from CGI’s interest and the importance placed on player-and-team review process, which has contributed significantly to holistic assessment and analysis. Such an approach has once again borne fruit, with CGI strategically providing an additional financial stimulus to the team in form of expertise, in an effort to give the Guyana Jaguars every chance at success from a management perspective.

This decision allows the Guyana Jaguars to benefit from expertise that would assist the players to analyse and approach their game from a slightly different perspective.

The hiring of Dinesh Mahabir is fitting, since he was the performance analyst on the West Indies U19 team which won the ICC Youth World Cup in Bangladesh in 2016, and he

has contributed significantly to player development, with his latest intervention being the hosting of an Online Introductory Cricket Analytic exercise in the latter part of January 2021.

Mahabir is a Cricket Australia High Performance Coach. He began his career as a Performance Analyst with his assignment to the West Indies Women’s team, and later performed similar roles with West Indies A and developmental teams, inclusive of the West Indies Emerging Players team.

The directors of CGI strongly believe that this investment would help to reaffirm the Guyana Jaguars as perhaps the strongest team in the region, an argument that can be strengthened with the lifting of the 2021 CWI CG Insurance Super 50 Cup title by the Guyana Jaguars.

The Guyana Jaguars will begin their quest to uplift the 2021 CG Insurance Super 50 Cup on Monday 8th February, 2021 against Barbados Pride in a day/ night match beginning from 1330 hours at the Coolidge Cricket Ground (CCG) in Antigua.

The Jaguars would then have other day/night encounters at the same venue against Leeward Islands Hurricanes, Jamaica Scorpions

and Trinidad Red Force on respective dates of Friday 12th February, Sunday 14th February, and Saturday 20th February, before playing their final preliminary match against Windward Volcanoes in a day match encounter from 0900 hours on Monday 22nd February.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2021

WI vs Bangladesh, 1st Test…

Warrican’s three -for steadies Windies

…but Bangladesh fight back in final session Page 22

Page 23

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

BCB benefits from million-dollar Hetmyer Trust Fund

– as Shimron and Nirvani Hetmyer deliver as promised

M

r and Mrs Hetmyer have fulfilled their commitment to the development of Berbice Cricket by presenting the Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) with a cheque for one million dollars.

The funds are for the historic Shimron/Nirvani Hetmyer Berbice Cricket Board Cricket Trust Fund, which is scheduled to be launched next month.

Over the last two years, the Hetmyers have been very supportive of BCB President Hilbert Foster’s efforts to transform cricket in the Ancient County to the highest of levels. Of these funds, $700,000 would be used to provide cricket balls for clubs across Berbice; $200,000 would be used for a University of Guyana student scholarship, and $100,000 would be used for the BCB Inter-County’s “most valuable player” award for four tournaments in 2021.

Additionally, from 2022, the Trust Fund would stand

Public Relations Officer Naidu hands over sponsorship to BCB Secretary Angela Haniff

the cost of two students from the Berbice High School (the school Shimron attended) writing the Caribbean Secondary Examination Certificate (CSEC) exams.

According to the BCB, the Hetmyers have been very generous to the BCB under the presidency of Hilbert Foster, and have already committed to sponsoring three tournaments at the cost of $500,000.

The Trust Fund would be launched on March 14.

The Berbice Cricket

Board would like to extend profound gratitude to the Hetmyers for their massive investment in Berbice Cricket; and Foster and the BCB have been urging every Berbician to support Shimron Hetmyer in his cricketing career.

Shimron Hetmyer is currently in Antigua for the CG Insurance Regional Super50, where he is performing duty as Guyana Jaguars vice-captain. The entire BCB wish Shimron Hetmyer all the best in the upcoming tournament.

Panko Steel Fabrication launches first golf tournament for 2021

GUYANA TIMES - www.guyanatimesgy.com, email: news@guyanatimesgy.com, NEWS HOTLINE: 231-8063 EDITORIAL: 223-7230, 223-7231, 231-0544, 225-7761 SPORT: sport@guyanatimesgy.com SALES AND MARKETING: 231-8064 - marketing@guyanatimesgy.com - PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY GUYANA TIMES INC.