Guyana Times - Thursday April 21, 2022

GPF signs MoA with BIT to empower young people P15

Nationwide coverage from the best news team in Guyana guyanatimesgy.com

Page 12

THE BEACON OF TRUTH

Issue No. 4985

THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2022

Govt to rent prefab houses during CPL, use revenues to finance housing project for poor families – Pres Ali

...as International Building Expo 2022 is launched

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WHAT'S INSIDE:

ECD woman dies after P17 setting self, home on fire Kwakwani P10 fire leaves businessman counting losses

President appoints Major General (Ret’d) Joe Singh to chair NRF Board Page 3

– Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, Ramesh Dookhoo, David Lammy & Dunstan Barrow appointed Directors

M&CC dismantles unregulated P14 stalls in Stabroek Market area – vendors were given prior notice to remove

Major General (Retired) Joe Singh

Private Sector nominee Ramesh Dookhoo

Parliamentary nominee Dunstan Barrow

Current Permanent Representative to UN, Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett

UK Member of Parliament, David Lammy

Craig youth charged Finance Page 11 Page of murder of 15 Minister tells 19-year-old girlfriend

US EXIM Bank of financing opportunities in Guyana

…discussions also held with World Bank

Private charge filed against lawyer for alleged racist slurs to Policewoman – DPP still to advise Police on charges See story on page 8

Teen stabbed P17 during brawl with fishermen Guyana’s per capita GDP now at US$9000 P7 – VP Jagdeo …says country will use economic boom to transform economy

Murder accused acquitted of husband’s P8 murder

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THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

NEWS

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THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

BRIDGE OPENINGS OPENINGS BRIDGE

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

Thursday, April 21 – 10:00h-11:00h and 22:00h-23:30h and Friday, April 22 – 22:30h-00:00h. and 22:00h-23:30h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Thursday, April 21 – 07:10h-08:40h and Friday, April 22 – 08:20h-09:50h.

President appoints Major General (Ret’d) Joe Singh to chair NRF Board – Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, Ramesh Dookhoo, David Lammy & Dunstan Barrow appointed Directors

FERRY SCHEDULE

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

WEATHER TODAY

Sunshine and lightly cloudy skies are expected during the day, with drizzle and partly cloudy skies at night. Temperatures should range between 23 degrees Celsius and 30 degrees Celsius.

Winds: Northerly to East North-Easterly between 2.23 metres and 4.91 metres.

High Tide: 07:31h and 20:12h reaching maximum heights of 2.60 metres and 2.35 metres.

Low Tide: 13:40h reaching a minimum height of 0.63 metre.

Parliamentary nominee Dunstan Barrow Major General (Retired) Joe Singh

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COMMODITIES Indicators

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Crude Oil

$108.10/barrel

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$290.70/ton

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$1938.90 -4.60

$1959.50 -0.23%

n keeping with his powers under the Natural Resource Fund (NRF) Act 2021, President Dr Irfaan Ali has appointed five persons to the NRF Board, including Major General (Retired) Joe Singh, who will chair the Board.

The announcement was made on Wednesday that President Ali had appointed Major General Singh; a United Kingdom Member of Parliament (MP) with Guyanese roots, David Lammy and Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, who currently serves as Guyana’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations.

Also appointed were the National Assembly nominee, Barrow, a former bauxite industry official and former MP for the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) and Dookhoo, a longstanding executive of the Private Sector Commission (PSC), who was nominated by the body.

It was explained that Major General Singh had been appointed as the Chairman of the Board of

Private Sector nominee Ramesh Dookhoo

UK Member of Parliament, David Lammy

Directors and he, along with the others, was expected to take their Oaths of Office shortly.

In a brief interview with Guyana Times, Dookhoo said that he was honoured to have been called upon to take up the mantle as a Director on the Board. He also assured that he would, at all times, act in accordance with the law and the purposes of the Fund.

“I think the NRF fund

is extremely important.

I’m very honoured to have been chosen by the Private Sector, right across Guyana, as well as the acceptance by the Government of Guyana.

My intention, as always, is to serve in the best interest of all Guyana.

“And to ensure that the board moves in the direction for which it was intended, that is sticking with the laws and the legislation that empower the Board and to ensure that Guyana gets the best that is possible out of the petroleum funds,” Dookhoo said.

Meanwhile, Major General Singh declined to comment when contacted.

Section 3 (1) of the NRF Act 2021, Act No 19 of 2021, which was assented to by President Ali on December 30, 2021, establishes the NRF to manage the natural resource wealth of Guyana for the present and future benefit of the people in an effective and efficient manner and in accordance with the principles of good governance, transparency, accountability, and international best practices, including the Santiago

Current Permanent Representative to UN, Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett

Principles.

Section 5 (1) of the Act provides for a Board of Directors of the Fund comprising not less than three and not more than five members, who shall be appointed by the President, inclusive of a Chairperson.

In accordance with Section 5 (2), these Directors are to be selected from persons who have wide experience in legal, financial, business, or administrative matters, one of whom shall be nominated by the National Assembly and one of whom shall be a representative of the Private Sector.

Nominations

During the 46th sitting of the National Assembly on April 13, a motion was unanimously passed approving Barrow, who was nominated by the Standing Committee on Appointments of the National Assembly, as a Director of the Board of Directors of the NRF. TURN TO PAGE 7

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THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2022

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

Long Life for All

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mmunisation is estimated to save 2–3 million lives every year; yet, too many people still do not have access to these life-saving tools. Globally, an estimated 23 million children under the age of one year did not receive basic vaccines, which is the highest number since 2009, according to the World Health Organization.

World Immunisation Week, celebrated from April 24th30th each year, aims to promote vaccines as a way to protect people against diseases. Immunisation saves millions of lives every year, and is one of the most successful and costeffective health interventions.

These observances, the WHO emphasises, aims to highlight the collective action needed to ensure that every person is protected from vaccine-preventable diseases.

This year’s theme: “Long Life for All”, aims to unify people around the idea that vaccines make it possible for us to follow our dreams, protect our loved ones, and live a long, healthy life.

It has been 20 years since Vaccination Week was began in the Americas, and 45 years since EPI (Immunisation Programme) started in Guyana.

According to the WHO, this year’s campaign comes at an especially critical time, as the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted essential health services, including routine immunization, setting back progress by more than a decade.

This, according to WHO, has unfortunately led to millions of people still missing out on the life-saving benefits of vaccines, making it urgent to catch up and reach those who have been missed.

As World Immunisation Week approaches, here in Guyana, there is a desperate plea for persons, more so teenagers, to take their COVID-19 jabs.

Guyana’s Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony has reported that over the weekend there was zero vaccination uptake, while expressing concern over the low numbers.

As at Wednesday, local vaccination statistics show that 439,306 persons, or 85.6 per cent of the adult population, have received the first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, while 338,438 persons, or 66 per cent of the adult population, are inoculated with two doses.

For the 12-to-17 age group, 34,435 persons, or 47.2 per cent, have received a first jab, while 25,194 persons, or 34.5 per cent, have received two doses. The low uptake by school-aged children is also cause for concern, especially as the date for school reopening nears.

To quote the Health Minister on this low figure by schoolaged children: “There is a lot more work to be done with this age group. Unfortunately, we have been seeing about 100 to 200 vaccinations per day. That includes both first and second doses. That’s pretty low, and these numbers have been stagnant for quite a while. I’m hoping that with school reopening shortly, that more parents would give permission for their child to get vaccinated.”

Globally with respect to general vaccination, despite a coordinated effort to boost coverage rates over the past decade, the WHO has stated that over 19.5 million infants still do not have access to vaccines that protect against life-threatening yet easily preventable diseases, such as diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (whooping cough), hepatitis B, measles, mumps, rubella, polio, and rotavirus.

In Guyana’s context, health care workers have been recognised for their tireless efforts in conducting community outreaches to meet the general vaccination targets.

The WHO and its partners hope to improve vaccination rates in the developing world through targets set by the Global Vaccine Action Plan (GVAP). The primary goal of this Vaccination Week’s global initiatives, therefore, is to increase vaccination coverage by raising awareness of the importance of immunisation among parents and caregivers, health care professionals, policy and decision-makers, and the media.

We therefore urge that Guyanese take their jabs, as, for centuries, vaccines have kept people healthy, and according to the WHO, this has been from the very first vaccine developed to protect against smallpox to the newest vaccines used to prevent severe cases of COVID-19.

Ahead of The Queen’s 96th Birthday today, Royal Windsor Horse Show has released a new photograph of Her Majesty with two of her fell ponies, Bybeck Katie and Bybeck Nightingale. Taken last month on the grounds of Windsor Castle, the photo is the fourth in a series of photos released by the Royal Windsor Horse Show, following images that celebrated the Golden Jubilee, the Platinum Jubilee, and Her Majesty’s 90th Birthday. The Queen has attended every single Royal Windsor Horse Show, which was first staged in 1943

APNU/AFC ‘ducking’ for cover Dear Editor, What a hypocritical posture! I am reading in the dailies that “PAC will be unable to scrutinize government spending before Elections,” all because of the “… slow pace of work (and) quorum change; a disservice to citizens…”

This veneer just will not work. The people of Guyana are now being fully informed on what took place during the erstwhile period of governance when the APNU+AFC was in charge. And guess what?

They are trying to create diversions. Let me quickly go to a spontaneous revest, and I cannot be too detailed nor exhaustive, as space and time are limited.

We are all aware that, according to one of the Auditor General’s reports, a contractor was awarded a $2.363 million contract for rehabilitation works to a teachers’ living quarters in the Supenaam area, Region Two, but officials of the region overpaid the contractor some $114,000 without verification that the project works were actually completed.

Then look at what happened with the Forensic Laboratory, and it is along the same line. Some five years ago, even though the Audit Office of Guyana did recommend legal action against a contractor who

reneged on his contract to deliver equipment for the Forensic Laboratory, nothing was ever done. This came to light back in June last year, when, during a sitting of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), an issue flagged by Auditor General Deodat Sharma in his 2016 Report exposed a terrible financial misdemeanour.

This was where the Ministry of Public Security signed with an overseas supplier, who was contracted to procure $21.9 million worth of equipment for the Forensic Laboratory at Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown.

However, that supplier was paid $9.974 million in 2017, but only supplied $3.191 million in forensic laboratory materials. This left materials with a value of $6.783 million not delivered.

These two cases are the kinds of embarrassing things APNU/AFC are trying to dodge.

I personally am baffled that Chairman of the Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee (PAC), Jermaine Figueira, feels “…convinced that citizens are receiving a disservice now that a stronger possibility exists for further stymieing the work of the PAC.” That is like a ‘come-on-giveme-a-break’ moment. The

new configuration for the PAC is all about more efficient and timely work.

Guyanese must know what is happening behind closed doors. So far, the track record is abysmal for APNU/AFC, and more is set to follow in terms of their well-denigrated tenure between 2015-2020, with almost half that time being quite illegal.

As we all know, the “PAC’s quorum was recently changed from three persons to five, and has specific rules as to who must be present from both the Government and Opposition sides of the House to make any meeting of the PAC a valid one.” What is wrong with this, if we are talking ‘best practices?’ How will this kind of configuration stymie promptness?

He, Figueira is seeking cover, saying “…he believes that given the slow pace of the Committee’s work, and now this new requirement, the oversight body will be unable to scrutinise Government’s spending before the holding of the next general elections.”

My question is: “Did he want scrutiny for APNU/ AFC prior to the last Elections?” At least we are getting that now, and so far, it is bad for the APNU/ AFC. Indeed, as he said,

“Government is currently spending millions and billions of dollars unchecked…but we are only on the 2017, 2018 and 2019 audited accounts.” But the time will come for all this spending to be examined.

We just cannot leave gaps, the APNU/AFCs, to be left or postponed, and jump ahead. Continuity is the name of the game.

Let me quickly ask the PAC Chair if, at any time, meetings were cancelled or postponed because of some ‘funny’ piece of tactics by the members on the side of the Government.

For reminders, I point out to him that just the other day, the Audit Office of Guyana (AOG), via the annual Auditor General’s Reports, red-flagged more than 500 breaches of various laws between the years 2015 and 2018, most of which occurred while the former A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Government was in power.

I remind our readers that mismanagement and the lack of accountability are what are being exposed, and will continue to be exposed, as examination of the era of the APNU/AFC, 2015 to 2020, at the PAC continues.

Yours truly, H Singh

guyanatimesgy.com

THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2022

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

has the father who Police handling of DV cases Why brutalised his daughter

Dear Editor, Recently, we have been navigating and supporting a victim of domestic violence through the process of reporting and following up on the matter. We are now convinced that the system that exists, while excellent; if, as a victim, you don’t have that support network, your only choice will be to stay in the abusive relationship, endure the abuse, and prepare yourself for death.

A matter pertaining to domestic violence (physical abuse) was reported to a Police station on the East Coast in January 2022. A file was prepared and sent to the DPP for advice in February.

Mind you, because of who the perpetrator is, calls were made to the highest office of the Guyana Police Force, just to ensure the matter was not another one accumulating dust in someone’s office. Firstly, we thought there was a zero-tolerance policy for domestic violence, and that the Police would investigate and prepare a file, and that the abuser would be placed before the courts.

We weren’t aware that a file had to be sent to the DPP for advice.

The file came back, and according to the fiat, there was insufficient evidence to prosecute. Not sure what

happened here.

The Act states that “domestic violence offence” means a prescribed offence committed by a person against another person with whom the person is associated, or a relevant child; and a prescribed offence is murder or attempted murder, manslaughter, and the use or threatened use of any other violence or physical or emotional injury. The Act is clear.

The victim was able to obtain a protection order, and the perpetrator breached it, and here again, a file is being prepared to be sent to the DPP for advice. Violating a protection order can lead to a punishment. Whatever happened to perpetrators being held responsible for their behaviours, and acts that constitute a criminal offence must be dealt with accordingly? He physically abused his wife of their children.

And we ask why women stay in abusive relationships? This process is why women stay. The victim feels the abuser is being given special treatment by the Police. He is allowed to do what he wants to do to her, and in the process, both she and their children are suffering.

She understands “why women stay and die”, she complained about Police of-

ficers’ arrogant attitudes towards her. One officer asked her “if she expected him (abuser) to be locked up right away because he breached a protection order?” We are talking about someone who is a licensed firearm holder, someone who is a member of a uniformed force, someone who feels he is above the law.

The woman feels that, based on the way the officers had treated her, she wasn’t supposed to do anything, just sit and wait to be killed.

Well, we expected better from the members of the Guyana Police Force.

Resources are being expended on training Police officers on the Domestic Violence Act and human rights violations, so that they can advise complainants, and help them.

We were elated when we first accompanied the victim to the Police station and saw an officer who was a part of the COP SQUAD 2000 training and other human rights-related training. We proudly told the victim that her matter would be dealt with professionally, and she should have no fear. She was relieved.

We recall contacting a senior officer on this matter when the victim felt that this matter, like many others before, would be swept

under the proverbial table. We were given assurance that the matter would be treated with the utmost professionalism; and we believed that officer, and still do, because not all members of the Guyana Police Force have demonstrated these negative behaviours.

However, if this is the attitude of those who are entrusted with protecting the citizens, how would domestic violence stop?

When citizens begin to lose faith in the system, it’s a serious development; let us fix the situation before it gets worse. We have faith in the Police Commissioner (Ag), the subject Minister, and our judicial system. We call on the relevant authorities to intervene. A woman must feel safe to report abuse and receive due justice, and not be fearful that, because her spouse is a member of one of the uniformed forces, she has to suffer and die at the hands of an abusive spouse.

When a victim feels that, because of the abuser’s job and his responsibilities, he will fight her like an enemy, it tells a story. Please don’t let this woman and mother be another domestic violence statistic.

Regards, Trustees, Sunshine Foundation

Guyanese teens are important Dear Editor, The reason I think every teenager should be built stronger is that we need a stronger and more secure tomorrow for all our young Guyanese. I recommend every Guyanese teen be part of a volunteer group, because we need to build stronger leaders in society.

To begin to build an individual, we need our young people to have tighter schedules and fewer distractors (Social medias,

television etc.). Whatever negativity or downfall teens are facing in Guyana, joining a volunteer group is a great way to bring more light to an individual and their situation.

Let’s build our younger Guyanese by sharing light and love, and by giving more together, because the feeling one gets inside is priceless. Some volunteer groups that are recommended for our Guyanese teens to join are: volunteering at a

religious organisation, joining up with Global Shapers Community, Habitat for Humanity Guyana, and Red Cross

Society; these are all great non-profit organisations.

Yours sincerely, Serena Cummings

already been forgotten?

Dear Editor, It is nothing but a shame that we are not still up in arms over the injustice that the young women of our society face each and every day. Their cries of abuse only trend for so long, before they are easily forgotten within the blink of an eye. Then all that remains are memes and gifs of an unfortunate event, that happens quite literally every day to hundreds of thousands of young women, and men as well.

We have all watched with our own two eyes how a young woman was beaten and battered, kicked and broken; and we have seen a family standing together to defend it: It was her fault. She said things she shouldn’t have. It was done out of love. He only wanted to protect her from the decisions she was making. A son who watched it all happen in front of his own eyes continues to worship the man who abused his sister -- the sister he did nothing to help or protect. She deserved this fate. She deserved to be objectified, ridiculed and hurt. Why? Young women like me have asked “Why?” over and over again. Then we heard the answers, the answers from the people that hurt her: she dressed a certain type of way; she was

friends with a certain type of people; she didn’t respect the rules of my house; she was turning out to be wayward; she was disrespectful; she deserved it.

The worst of it was that all we have seen was a glimpse of physical abuse, we haven’t heard the words he told her; the verbal abuse that broke a young woman, that killed her self-esteem, her self-worth.

I understand the feeling of never being good enough, the want of validation from a father, a parent, someone who is supposed to love and protect. We have seen pictures and videos of a happy family - a family who cares, proud to show their love to the world - picture perfect, as they say. They do not see that there are days when the highs are sky-high, and the lows hit below the surface.

Abuse can be paralleled with depression. We can’t always see it, we don’t always know it’s there, but when we see the consequences, there is only one question: Why couldn’t we stop this before it got so far? We can’t, because we sit and we justify; we enable the monsters among us, and in the long run, we hurt ourselves as a society.

Sincerely, YD

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THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2022

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Foundation ◄

By David Rubadiri From the west Clouds come hurrying with the wind Turning sharply Here and there Like a plague of locusts Whirling, Tossing up things on its tail Like a madman chasing nothing.

Pregnant clouds Ride stately on its back, Gathering to perch on hills Like sinister dark wings; The wind whistles by And trees bend to let it pass.

In this fun and easy science experiment, we are going to head to the kitchen and learn if a lemon can make electricity.

Materials: Lemon Two pieces of copper wire Knife Large paper clip Galvanometer Instructions: Roll and squeeze the lemon to loosen the pulp inside.

Have an adult use the knife to cut two small slits in the lemon about one inch apart.

Wrap an end of a piece of the copper wire around the paper clip. You may have to remove some of the insulation to expose the bare copper wire.

Push the paper clip into one of the slits in the lemon.

Now take the other piece of copper wire and insert a bare end of the wire into the other slit in the lemon.

Attach the free ends of the two wires to the terminals on the galvanometer.

Watch the meter to see if the needle moves.

How it works: The lemon contains citric acid which acts as an electrolyte.

An electrolyte is a solution that conducts electricity. This citric acid also reacts with the paperclip as loosens electrons.

These electrons move through the electrolyte toward the copper wire as an electric current that can be detected by the galvanometer.

Make this a science project: Substitute the paperclip with nails, screws, or other small metal items. Test different fruits and vegetables to see if an electric current can be detected. Test the lemon at different temperatures to see if it effects the reading on the galvanometer. (sciencefun. org)

In the village Screams of delighted children, Toss and turn In the din of the whirling wind, Women, Babies clinging on their backs Dart about In and out Madly; The wind whistles by Whilst trees bend to let it pass.

Clothes wave like tattered flags Flying off To expose dangling breasts As jagged blinding flashes Rumble, tremble and crack Amidst the smell of fired smoke And the pelting march of the storm.

Summary

In the poem, we see the threat of an incoming thunderstorm to an African village. The power of this storm is emphasised with the statement that the wind forces the trees to bend as it whistles by. The theme of the poem is nature, or man vs nature, and the mood is one of impending doom and terror.

Analyse the following lines:

"Clouds come hurrying with the wind, Turning sharply, Here and there" "Like a plague of locusts"

“I am always doing that which I can not do, in order that I may learn how to do it” – Pablo Picasso

"Tossing up things on its tail" "Gathering to perch on hills, like sinister dark wings;" "The wind whistles by, and trees bend to let it pass."

WORD SEARCH

NEWS

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THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Guyana’s per capita GDP now at US$9000 – VP Jagdeo …says country will use economic boom to transform economy

G

uyana’s per capita Gross Domestic Product (GDP) has reached US$9000, a feat indicative of a growing economy, but was nevertheless a struggle to accomplish, according to Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo.

Jagdeo commented on the per capita GDP while participating in a policy dialogue as part of the 2022 Bloomberg NEF New York Summit. Questions were raised about whether Guyana’s pursuit of oil and gas exploration conflicts with the country’s own pledge to reduce carbon emissions by 70 per cent made during COP26.

“My own position is that globally, at this point in time - and this has been pointed out by everyone - the pace of introduction of renewables can’t outstrip the growth in demand. And so, for the conceivable future, once there’s a demand for fossil fuel, we want to be part of that energy mix,” Jagdeo explained.

“We want to be part of that supply. And if anyone

should be part of that supply, it should be countries in Africa, small countries like Guyana and Suriname.

Because our per capita GDP is now US$9000. With a struggle, we got it there. In the United States, it’s over US$70,000. We more need these resources than anyone else, to transform our economy,” Jagdeo explained.

While the former A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Government had set a target of 100 per cent renewable energy for Guyana by 2025, the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Government has subsequently revised this target to a more realistic one of 70 per cent reduction of carbon emissions by 2030.

“We don’t believe we’re betraying a net zero goal if we develop these resources.

So, coming back to the point about Guyana, our forests is a huge carbon sink. The target in 2016 was for energy,” Jagdeo said. “Now, the Government at that time came into office and an-

Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo

nounced a 100 per cent renewable energy target by 2025. No country in the world has achieved that. It was almost a fairytale target. And the fact is they never had a single project in place to achieve that.”

Per capita GDP is a metric used in finance to measure the economic output per person. It is calculated by dividing the GDP of the country in question by its total population.

The World Bank had recently estimated Guyana’s 2023 projected economic growth rate at over 34 per cent, only months after it released one of its publications that contained the economic projections of Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) countries.

According to their semi-annual report for the LAC, called ‘Consolidating the recovery; seizing green growth opportunities’, which

President appoints Major General ...

Then, last month, it was revealed that the PSC had named Dookhoo, a longstanding member, as its nominee to the Board. It had been reported in other sections of the media that Dookhoo was selected over the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) Director Richard Rambarran.

Guyana, with US oil giant ExxonMobil as the oper-

ator, began producing oil on December 20, 2019, in the Stabroek Block. The first-ever payment of US$54.9 million for an oil lift was received in February 2020.

Exxon Country Manager Alastair Routledge has said that the Guyana Government has already received over US$600 million in direct revenue from Exxon’s operations offshore Guyana. This,

he had said, will grow quickly as a result of high oil prices and the recent start-up of the Liza Phase 2 project.

Since Exxon found crude in commercial quantities offshore in 2015, there have been 28 oil finds to date in the Stabroek Block and an estimated recoverable resource of over 10 billion oil-equivalent barrels.

The company is current-

was released this month, the World Bank projects that Guyana would register a GDP growth rate of 34.3 per cent in 2023.

This rate of growth is actually the most in the LAC region, and the only one in double figures. The second highest growth rate projected for next year is St. Vincent and the Grenadines, at 7.3 per cent.

When it comes to the forecast for 2022, the World Bank in its report projects a growth rate of 47.9 per cent for Guyana. In this case, only Barbados, with a projected growth rate of 11.2 per cent for 2022, crosses over into double figures.

In the World Bank’s “Global Economic Prospects” report from January 2022, it was projected that Guyana would register growth of some 25 per cent for 2023.

This was an improvement on the previously predicted 23 per cent.

The World Bank also projected economic growth of 49.7 per cent in 2022. This economic growth projection

is the only one within the LAC to cross into double figures, once again highlighting the importance of oil exploration to the economy.

The oil-rich Stabroek Block is 6.6 million acres (26,800 square kilometres).

Exxon, through subsidiary Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL), is the operator, and holds 45 per cent interest in the Block. Hess Guyana Exploration Ltd holds 30 per cent interest, and CNOOC Petroleum Guyana Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of CNOOC Limited, holds the remaining 25 per cent interest.

So far, ExxonMobil’s ongoing offshore exploration in Guyana has discovered a recoverable resource of more than 10 billion oil-equivalent barrels, after spending more than US$600 million in direct revenue that went to the Guyana Government from its operations offshore Guyana. The company anticipates up to 10 projects on the Stabroek Block to develop this resource. (G3)

FROM PAGE 3

ly undertaking four production projects – Liza 1, Liza 2, Payara, and Yellowtail in the oil-rich block. Production capacity is currently at 120,000 barrels per day (bpd) with the Liza Destiny Floating Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel in operation.

Meanwhile, production only recently started in the Liza 2 development, which

is said to produce even lighter crude than Liza 1. It is also estimated that when the Yellowtail development project comes on stream, production will climb to 810,000 bpd by 2027. The US oil major anticipates at least six FPSOs producing one million bpd by 2030.

Stabroek Block is 6.6 million acres (26,800 square kilometres). Exxon, through

its local affiliate Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Ltd (EEPGL), is the operator and holds 45 per cent interest in the Block. Hess Guyana Exploration Ltd holds 30 per cent interest and CNOOC Petroleum Guyana Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of CNOOC Limited, holds the remaining 25 per cent interest.

8 NEWS

THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Private charge filed against lawyer for alleged racist slurs to Policewoman – DPP still to advise Police on charges

Attorney-at-Law Nirvan Singh (left) appearing at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts

en their efforts to ensure that my upbringing would produce in me a person of the highest moral, ethical, and professional conduct”.

Addressing his alleged attack on Bollers, he said that while he waits for the matter to be properly determined in court, he would strive to remain respectful and faithful to his values, to serve his clients from all walks of life with professionalism, and to use every opportunity to be of service or support to his fellow citizens, regardless of race, class, or creed.

ttorney-at-Law Nirvan Singh was on Wednesday slapped with a private criminal charge for which he appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan in that Georgetown Magistrate’s court.

The charge states that on March 20, 2022, at Middle and Cummings Streets, Georgetown, by means of words spoken by him in a public place, he willfully excited and or attempted to excite racial hostility and illwill against Woman Police Constable Shawnette Bollers on the ground of her race as an Afro-Guyanese, by using words directed to her and published by him.

Bollers alleges that Singh referred to her by the following phrases: “black monkey”, “monkey”, and “black people have no purpose in life”. This, she contends, is contrary to the Racial Hostility Act. After denying the charge, the lawyer was granted $100,000 bail, and was ordered not to make contact with, or cause anyone to make contact with, the Policewoman.

Singh’s next court date is May 18. He was represented

by Attorneys-at-Law George

The Policewoman has since filed a $150 million lawsuit against Singh. She argues that the words uttered by attorney Singh, in their natural and ordinary meaning, were understood to mean that she was not a human being, and by extension not worthy of recognition for her humanity or human dignity; was not a human being, but rather an animal; that her race was not worthy of respect; that her race is synonymous with, or akin to, monkeys of the black skin colour; that she is not professional, and not an individual worthy of respect, visibility, and human identity.

Bollers submitted that as a result of the slanderous statements, her reputation has been subjected to ridicule, and has been lowered in the estimation of right-thinking persons in society.

In support of her case, she said, she would rely on the fact that attorney Singh has failed to respond to her lawyer’s letter for an apology.

In a pre-action protocol letter to attorney Singh, Bollers’s lawyer wrote: “It is not my place to determine the truth of these allegations, that fo-

A

Thomas and Damien Da Silva, while Attorney-at-Law Eusi Anderson appeared for Bollers.

In a recent letter to the editor, Singh, the son of former Chancellor of the Judiciary Justice (retired) Carl Singh, refuted the allegations levelled against him by Bollers.

Bollers alleges that, on the day in question, she was performing duties at Justice Singh’s Middle and Cummings Streets, Georgetown home when his son approached her and chased her out of the property, forcing her to abandon her post and duties. The Policewoman complained that in chasing her, the lawyer spoke to her in an “aggressive and loud manner”, while hurling several racist remarks at her. She said the tirade lasted for about 14 minutes, after which she left the scene and walked a couple of miles to another location in Georgetown in the dark of night alone.

But Singh has denied the allegations, stating, “I wish to say that the racist conduct of which I am accused in no way reflects my philosophy or personal values. More importantly, it would be an indictment on my parents and elders, giv-

Lawsuit

Rising profile...

O

Attorney-at-Law Nirvan Singh

rum is a court of law. If, however, there is truth in one iota of them, I caution that speaking to brown and black people in that form was last appropriate about 400 years ago, and certainly not in the Decade of African People. That any person who speaks to a brown person in that manner in 2022, especially in your esteemed office, is both out of time by 400 years and out of place in an era where race is no longer a bastion of insult”.

The young lawyer’s alleged conduct, which has been the subject of media reports, has been met with condemnation from a wide cross-section, including the People’s National Congress Reform (PNC/R)— the largest party in the APNU-AFC Coalition.

The party has called on the Bar Association of Guyana to publicly condemn the attorney’s conduct, as well as to impose fitting sanctions.

Guyana Times understands that the Police have conducted investigations into the allegations levelled against the lawyer, and a file has been forwarded to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for advice.

Murder accused acquitted of husband’s murder

A

lexis Turpin has been acquitted of the murder of her reputed husband Sherwin Johnson, which was allegedly committed on July 2, 2016.

Turpin had been on trial for this murder before Justice Jo-Ann Barlow and a jury in the Demerara High Court, but She walked out of the High Court a free woman on Wednesday after Justice Barlow upheld a no-case submission made on her behalf by Attorney-at-Law Damien Da Silva.

This was Turpin’s second trial for the capital offence. At her first trial, in 2021, she was jointly indicted with her lover, 39-year-old Sterfon Barlow, for the murder of Johnson.

However, following deliberations, the jury had been unable to arrive at a verdict, and the two accused persons were further remanded to prison, pending another trial.

However, in March 2021, Barlow pleaded guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter when he appeared before Justice Brassington Reynolds at the Demerara High Court,

Freed: Alexis Turpin

and was sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment for the crime.

According to reports, Turpin and Johnson had parented a child, and had lived together at Chapel Street, Lodge, Georgetown. It had been reported that Johnson arrived home on July 2, 2016 and found Turpin in bed with Barlow, a mason. The heated argument that ensued between the parties escalated into a fight, during which Turpin and Barlow reportedly dealt Johnson several stabs

about his body with a knife.

They also reportedly lashed him with pieces of wood and a crowbar.

Following the beating, Johnson was hospitalised for several weeks at the Georgetown Public Hospital.

However, after he succumbed, the charge against the duo was upgraded to murder.

During an interview with a probation officer, Barlow disclosed that Turpin would invite him to her home at nights.

He revealed that on the day in question, he visited her during the day, but her reputed husband Johnson was at home.

According to Barlow, an argument broke out between Turpin and Johnson, during which Johnson hit Turpin.

Barlow told the probation officer that as a result of Johnson hitting Turpin, he hollered at him. He said Johnson ran out of the house, tripped, and hit his head on the concrete stairway. He said that when Johnson got up, he armed himself with pieces of wood, attacked him, and a fight broke out between them.

The probation officer said

Jailed: Sterfon Barlow

that residents in Barlow’s neighbourhood described him as being very helpful and caring, and were shocked at his involvement in this crime.

Prison officials, according to the probation officer, described him as a very quiet inmate, who attended anger management classes.

Meanwhile, family members of the late Sherwin Johnson have said their loved one had been a hardworking man who had supported his five children.

…with the US ne of the dailies reported that a little bird (a “source”, it’s called!) whispered into its ears that US Secretary of State Blinken’s gonna be dropping by in June. Now, that’s a big deal, no matter how you slice or dice it. A US Secty of State’s so high up their Govt’s totem pole that they’re practically in the clouds! If the tip pans out, this’ll be only the second Secty of State to drop by; the first being big Mike Pompeo, who came to signal the PNC riggers that the US won’t be turning a blind eye to their shenanigans – unlike in the Burnham days.

But even with Guyana then getting the attention of several US Presidents - from JFK to Reagan, - no Secty of State came down. And two in two years? What’s going on? Back then, we’d become the cynosure of America’s eyes because of the Cold War and their strategic interest in keeping out the Ruskies from this hemisphere. Since we were in their backyard - made “official” with their “Monroe Doctrine” they felt Jagan’s flirtation with Moscow was “eye pass”!!

But the Cold War’s been over since 1989, so what’s the new strategic interest?? Well, while most folks saw the Cold War as “ideologically” based…that was just the stalking horse for the economic interests at stake!! And this is the bottom line whenever the US is involved in any situation around the world. The business of America is business, and they’ll always defend it to the wire!! And Exxon’s stake in our Stabroek block is as big a business as you’d want!! Until, of course, Venezuela - with its largest oil preserves in the world - is brought back into the fold!!

The fact that the US is testing Russia via Ukraine, and that has led to energy concerns - not to mention inflationary pressures - just adds to the mix of interests.

So, after Blinken just tried to read the Riot Act to India’s Foreign Minister (and was sharply reproved) for not voting in the UN to censure Russia’s invasion, are we going to get some of that medicine?? After all, we recently abstained on kicking out Russia from the UN Human Rights body!

Your Eyewitness doesn’t think so, since our vote’s inconsequential in the grand scheme of things. If it were linked to any Government’s anti-Exxon sentiment - as some are pushing for - that’d be a horse of a different colour!!

And certainly NOT a white horse!! And it’s for this reason that Norton was well advised not to jump on that particular bandwagon! Chavez kicked out the oil majors, and look where that got him - and his country!!

So, let’s thank the PPP, and roll out the red carpet for Blinken!! …of social media If there were any doubts about the importance of social media - hiding under a rock!!? - in our world, it should be removed with Elon Musk’s US$43 BILLION offer for Twitter!!

The eccentric Musk - the Howard Hughes of our age! - who made his fortune with electric-car pioneer Tesla - insists he wants to “democratize” social media. A not-too-subtle dig at Zuckerberg’s Facebook/WhatsApp empire that has been criticised for trying to put a brake on free speech.

All your Eyewitness knows is that a bunch of billionaires are getting more and more control of our lives. For what it’s worth, Musk has shown himself to be much more opinionated that any of his (billionaire) peers as to “how the world should work”. In the meantime, the present Board of Twitter has created a “poison pill” to prevent Musk’s takeover. Without getting too much in the details, it has created a situation that would destroy the company if Musk goes forward.

This war’s being fought with stock options!! …of “Made in Guyana” Your Eyewitness salutes Fibre Tech for becoming the first local company to kick off our “Made in Guyana” branding.

They’ve been a pioneer in bathroom and kitchen fixtures of the highest quality for decades.

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

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

NEWS

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THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

New PAC quorum…

Change allows for “bipartisan interrogation”, instead of “unilateral interrogation” – AG

Attorney General & Legal Affairs Minister Anil Nandlall, SC

A

ttorney General and Legal Affairs Minister Anil Nandlall, SC, has defended Government’s move to change the quorum of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), saying it is not an attack on accountability, but it rather enhances it.

Last week, the National Assembly passed a motion that sought to assert Government’s presence at the PAC meetings by making it mandatory for both sides to be present in order for a quorum to be established before any decision is made. As such, the quorum was increased from three Members of Parliament from either side to now five MPs from both sides.

However, there have been criticisms that this change would stymie the work of the PAC and would facilitate a lack of transparency, but according to AG

Nandlall, this change would bring greater accountability and scrutiny to the work of the PAC instead.

“I reject the call of those in the public domain, who argue that the increase of the quorum from three to five in the Public Accounts Committee constitutes an attack on accountability.

In my view, it enhances accountability; it brings greater participation, it brings greater scrutiny, it allows for bipartisan interrogation, instead of unilateral interrogation.

“I believe the larger the number…of people’s representatives being assembled together would mean better representation by the people, because that is what the Parliament is – representing the people. So, if you have five Parliamentarians, you have greater and wider representation of the public’s interests and of the

people’s interests,” the AG stated during his weekly programme, Issues In The News.

As it is, the PAC comprises nine members – five Government MPs and four Opposition MPs, with the Chairman also being an Opposition Member. The Committee’s primary function is to scrutinise the state’s expenditures over specified periods.

But Nandlall disclosed that A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNNU/AFC) Opposition has been taking advantage of this pre-existing quorum.

“What we found happening was because the Committee was scrutinising the APNU/AFC years in office – 2016 and 2017 – three Opposition Members of that Committee can come together and make a quorum and start the meeting if the Government people are late, and proceed to rush

through accounts relating to the years that the APNU/ AFC was in Government.

Now, how is that good for accountability?” the Legal Affairs Minister questioned.

On this note, AG Nandlall explained that the change was made to give equity and balance to the quorum: that is, the Opposition Chairperson along with two Opposition MPs and two Government MPs will now make up the quorum of the Committee.

“A five-member Committee scrutinising a document, would that not

be better than a three-member Committee scrutinising the document? Would there not be greater eyes? Would there not be greater bipartisanship? Will there not be greater equity and parity?

Would there not be greater number in terms of participation?” he queried.

“I don’t understand how some commentators in the press have interpreted this move as an assault on accountability. I thought it was an augmentation of accountability,” Nandlall contended.

The motion, which

amended Standing Order 82 to change the quorum of the PAC, was brought by Government Chief Whip, Parliamentary Affairs and Governance Minister Gail Teixeira.

During the debates before the passage last Wednesday, Minister Teixeira explained that this step was being taken to ensure that no decision is made by the PAC unless all members are present.

She also clarified that this change will in no way delay the work of the Committee. (G8)

10 NEWS

THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Kwakwani fire leaves businessman counting losses

The building fully engulfed

A

fire suspected to be electrical in origin has completely de-

The aftermath of the fire

stroyed a workers’ living quarters and a storeroom of a Kwakwani businessman

on Wednesday.

Based on reports received, the fire started at

about 11:30h, following a series of power outages in the area. The businessman, Insham Ali Bacchus, is counting his losses, which are estimated to be in the millions.

According to an eyewitness, a small fire started on a transformer, and subsequently, the workers’ living quarters and storeroom went up in flames.

The Kwakwani Utilities Incorporated was immediately contacted to disconnect the power.

The Fire Service was also immediately summoned, but eyewitnesses say firefighters arrived at the scene an hour later, with a water supply that lasted for less than one minute.

In the meantime, a bucket brigade was formed by public-spirited citizens and workers, and it resulted in

A resident dousing the fire from an adjacent building

the fire being doused and ultimately saving Bacchus’s home – a flat concrete structure adjacent to the building that was destroyed by the inferno.

Bacchus is in the business of logging, and at the

time of the fire, the storeroom had several generators, outboard engines, and over 15 chainsaws.

An investigation has been launched into the circumstances that caused the devastating fire.

NEWS

11

THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Finance Minister tells US EXIM Bank of financing opportunities in Guyana …discussions also held with World Bank

The session focused on priorities of the Caribbean, and how the World Bank can support economic recovery and resilience.

According to another missive from the Finance Ministry, “The meeting allowed Caribbean Governors to hear directly from the Management of the World Bank on their approach to regional issues, in particular issues of recovery from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, vulnerability to economic and climate shocks, as well as strengthening debt sustainability.”

The World Bank’s Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) Semi-Annual Report

Finance Minister, Dr Ashni Singh with President & Chair of US EXIM Bank, Reta Jo Lewis

S

enior Minister with responsibility for Finance, Dr Ashni Singh, on Wednesday participated in a series of high-level meetings in the United States, including with the Head of that country’s Export-Import (EXIM) Bank, during which the discussion centred on a wide range of opportunities in Guyana that the financial institution can support.

In addition to the President and Chair of EXIM Bank of the United States, Reta Jo Lewis, several Vice Presidents and senior officials of the Bank in Washington, DC also attended the meeting.

It was noted that with Guyana now being an oil producer and exporter, the country has access to new opportunities and potential resources that can accelerate its transformation.

Moreover, the country has also seen significant interest from international investors in oil and gas as well as in other productive sectors.

According to the Finance Ministry, Dr Singh expressed his appreciation to the Bank for the interest shown, and reiterated that Guyana values its relationship with the United States of America, and more particularly with institutions like the EXIM Bank.

“The officials discussed opportunities with regards to financing for both public and Private Sector projects, with particular interest in the infrastructure, agriculture, tourism, climate services, digitization and ICT, as well as the non-oil extractive sectors,” a missive from the Ministry has detailed.

Both teams have expressed a willingness to conduct further meetings with the aim of fostering closer

collaboration between the EXIM Bank and the Guyana Government, as well as the Private Sector organisations and companies of both countries.

The United States is a key development partner of Guyana’s, demonstrated through its strong economic ties in the area of trade and official development assistance, and linked through a large Guyanese diaspora in the US. Wednesday’s meeting provided another opportunity to promote economic ties as Guyana continues to build and strengthen cooperation with the US. The Export-Import Bank of the United States is the official export credit agency of the United States federal Government. Operating as a wholly owned federal Government corporation, the Bank “assists in financing and facilitating U.S. exports of goods and services”.

Minister Singh is currently attending a series of meetings in Washington on the occasion of International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank Spring and Annual Meetings, and is accompanied by Deputy Chief of Mission of Guyana’s Embassy in Washington DC, Zulfikar Ally.

The Spring Meetings’ events are being held from April 18 to 24, 2022.

World Bank meeting

In fact, Dr Singh on Tuesday also held discussions with the Managing Director of the World Bank, Axel van Trotsenburg.

The Finance Minister was joined by Governors of the Caribbean Region for the meeting, which was held under the theme “Road to Recovery: Tools for Building Back Better in the Caribbean”.

Dr Ashni Singh joined other regional representatives to meet with Managing Director of the World Bank, Axel Van Trotsenburg

for 2022 reported the average growth for constituency countries – excluding St Kitts & Nevis and Antigua

and Barbuda – as six per cent in 2021. When this figure was adjusted to remove Guyana’s 19.9 per cent

growth, the average growth for constituency countries was estimated at 4.3 per cent.

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12 NEWS Govt to rent prefab homes during CPL, use revenues to finance housing project for poor families – Pres Ali THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

…as International Building Expo 2022 is launched

President Dr Irfaan Ali

T

he Government of Guyana is looking at an innovative model to lift Guyanese out of poverty by capitalising on the extensive revenues that will be earned during the upcoming Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) tournament later this year.

This was announced by President Dr Irfaan Ali on Wednesday evening at the launch of the International Building Expo 2022, which is slated for July 22-24 at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence, East

Bank Demerara under the theme: “A new frontier for building a One Guyana".

According to the Head of State, the Expo is among a series of international events that Guyana will be hosting this year that will bring heavy traffic into the country including preliminary matches during the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) tournament and for the first time in the decade-long tournament, the semi-finals and final.

President Ali disclosed that since this announce-

ment was made less than a month ago, there has been a tremendous and overwhelming response not only in Guyana but abroad. In fact, with the Government launching “Cricket Carnival” – a string of celebratory and high-quality entertainment activities over a two-week period, many hotel rooms have already been booked for that period.

As a result, the Ali-led Administration has come up with an innovative model to not only expand the country’s accommodation capacity but to also uplift its most vulnerable and poverty-stricken people.

“We are looking at a way in which we can marry cricket with uplifting people out of poverty. So, we are setting aside land to build 300 prefab homes. The prefab homes will be used during cricket to host people [for them] to rent, and the revenue from that rental will go as a down payment to the banks for the poorest persons,” the President disclosed.

Expressing his confi-

dence that Government will be able to get this done, Ali posited that this 10 to 15 per cent down payment that will be made to the banks with monies earned from the rental of these prefab homes will go a long way to benefit those who will qualify for the programme in becoming homeowners.

“The type of houses we are working out is about 15 to 20 thousand dollars per month. That is the type of innovation we are talking about and we are having discussions about. These are the things that can really change the face of the country,” the Head of State posited.

Another initiative Government is undertaking is establishing a bedand-breakfast type of accommodation to offset the impending traffic and provide additional accommodation as well as meals during the tournament that will run from August to September. The Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA) is spearheading this initiative and is creating a registry of persons and businesses that will offer this service.

Inspections are expected to be done as part of the process to certify these bed-andbreakfast operations.

Guyana is currently undergoing a building boom, including several projects that are already underway for the construction of some internationally-branded hotels in Guyana, with others in the pipeline.

According to President Ali, the upcoming International Building Expo will be the best platform to bring together contractors, potential investors, and ma-

Layout design of the International Building Expo 2022, which will be held at the National Stadium from July 22 to 24

terial suppliers in one space to explore similar and other opportunities to further develop the country.

“Building Expo gives one the opportunity to understand the transformational changes in the country in the context of infrastructure and construction. I will if you’re not part of Building Expo, you’re missing out on a huge opportunity that will put you in contact with tens of thousands of people.

There is nothing in a marketing budget that Building Expo won’t give you and give you faster,” he stated.

Moreover, the Head of State challenged participants in the upcoming exhibition to be innovative in the design of their booths and to make use of technology.

He posited that the building and construction sector cut across all others; hence, it is important to be more interactive and dynamic.

“The development of our country and understanding the development of our country can be done through this Building Expo. It is an opportunity to basically narrate the future through planning and through positioning… That is why the other sectors must be involved,”

the President stressed.

Meanwhile, both Housing Minister Collin Croal and Minister within the Housing Ministry, Susan Rodrigues have encouraged stakeholders, both here and abroad, to participate in the upcoming International Building Expo.

In fact, Minister Croal noted, “This Expo provides rich opportunities for homebuilders, contractors, private Sector and other stakeholders as well as local and international investors…

Be assured that our team at the Ministry of Housing and Water will do all that we can to ensure that your investment in this Expo is worth the while.”

The International Building Expo 2022 is being supported by Private Sector agencies, including the Private Sector Commission (PSC) and the American Chamber of Guyana (AmCham).

Persons and companies interested in participating in the Expo are encouraged to register early and benefit from perks such as first preference in the booth allocations as well as advertising on the Building Expo website.

Female Police ranks urged to be more professional, empathetic when handling DV, GBV reports

Home Affairs Minister Robeson Benn addressing the female Police ranks on Tuesday

F

emale ranks within the various Police divisions have been urged to practise the right attitude and empathise when handling reports of

domestic violence (dv) and gender based-violence, especially when dealing with the victims.

This has been promulgated by Home Affairs Minister

Robeson Benn and acting Police Commissioner Clifton Hicken on Tuesday during a meeting at the Officers’ Training Centre on Camp Road, Georgetown.

TURN TO PAGE 15

NEWS

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THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2022| GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Loss of correspondent banking will pose serious threats to the Region – PM ...throws Guyana’s support behind annual US-Caribbean Banking Forum

P

rime Minister Brigadier (ret’d) Mark Phillips on Wednesday stated that the loss of correspondent banking and increase of the unbanked, and disruption of the flow of remittance will pose serious threats to the economic and social stability of the Caribbean.

The Prime Minister was at the time addressing a Caribbean Financial Access roundtable discussion in Bridgetown, Barbados. He joined several Caricom leaders at the meeting, and they all voted unanimously to launch an annual US-

Prime Minister. Brigadier (Retired) Mark Phillips at the Caribbean Financial Access roundtable discussion in Bridgetown, Barbados on Wednesday

Farmers urged to prepare for disaster, as torrential downpours expected in 2 weeks’ time

An aerial view of flooded parts of the country. Photos were released by the Civil Defence Commission in June 2021

By Amar Persaud

R

eferring to the 2021 countrywide floods that wiped out farms and resulted in millions of dollars in losses, the Hydrometeorological Office is again urging farmers to prepare themselves to encounter torrential downpours which are expected in two weeks’ time.

During an exclusive interview with Guyana Times on Wednesday, Chief Hydrometeorological Officer Dr Garvin Cummings explained that the current wave of good weather would soon come to an end.

“We really want the Guyanese, I suppose from a hydromet perspective, to really get into the habit of preparing for the rainy season, and therefore there are some activities you would want to have completed before the rainy season commences,” he explained.

“Where there is planning around the rainfall season… when the eventual impact comes, you’re prepared, so you have activities that you can then do that (are) impacted by the rainy season,

Chief Hydrometeorological Officer, Dr Garvin Cummings

but in fact might be supported by the amount of rainfall that you have,” the weather expert added.

He explained, “at the end of April, for example, if you’re a rice farmer, you want to finish your harvesting by that time, have your paddies dried and all of that; you don’t want to find yourself having to harvest crops in the May/June rains.”

He noted that these wetter-than-usual conditions are expected to bring some level of flooding, but not as

severe as last year’s unprecedented flooding.

“The current forecast is projecting to be slightly wetter-than-usual conditions… the May-June period typically always brings the threat or the risk of flooding…it is no different for this year. At this stage, we’re not in a position to say that it will be as devastating as last year; but certainly, at this stage, we can say there will be the chances of flooding…especially so because we’re having wetter-than-usual conditions this year,” he explained.

Reflecting on the 2021 flooding, he explained that it was mostly driven by a number of tropical waves coming in Guyana’s direction.

“So, last May/June, we had excessive amounts of rainfall. In fact, it was a normal rainfall season driven by a number of tropical waves coming within the Guyanese territory… you had a series of tropical waves. As I described it back then, it was like a conveyer belt of tropical waves that’s coming across Guyana and bringing continuous rainfall,” he explained.

TURN TO PAGE 15

Caribbean Banking Forum roundtable meeting.

“Madam Chair, the loss of correspondent banking and the increase of the unbanked is a security challenge to the Caribbean, and I’m happy that we’re discussing this and we have arrived at a position where we will have this annual roundtable to deal with the challenges.

It will be an opportunity for us to share ideas and cooperate as we move forward,” he said.

The Prime Minister add-

ed that Guyana is particularly interested in increasing correspondent banking, more so because the oil and gas economy will “propel us towards becoming an international financial centre”.

Correspondent banking facilitates country-to-country services, and acts as an intermediary to facilitate wire transfers, conduct business transactions, accept deposits, and gather documents on behalf of other banks.

Guyana’s participation in the one-day roundtable discussion on de-risking and correspondent banking came at a request from the Prime Minister of the Republic of Barbados, the Honourable Mia Mottley.

In a missive to His Excellency President Irfaan Ali, Prime Minister Mottley indicated the importance of Guyana’s participation.

“This encounter will provide the ideal opportunity for us to engage with major players in the financial services industry in order to find solutions for these intractable issues”, she said, adding that Guyana’s “presence will definitely be very instrumental

and important in addressing the myriad of problems associated with these issues”.

Prime Minister Phillips met with Prime Minister Mottley and Chairwoman of the House Financial Services Committee, US Congresswoman Maxine Waters, on Tuesday.

He is also expected to take part in a meeting with the Caricom Heads of Government and a Special US Envoy led by US State Representative Waters this evening.

The other regional leaders at the event include the President of Suriname, H.E Chandrikapersad Santokhi; the Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, Dr Keith Rowley; the Prime Minister of Belize, John Antonio Briceño; the Prime Minister of Dominica, Roosevelt Skerrit; the Prime Minister of Grenada, Dr Keith Mitchell; the Prime Minister of St Lucia, Philip Pierre; and the Premier of the Cayman Islands, Wayne Panton, along with ministerial representatives from Jamaica and St Vincent and the Grenadines.

14 NEWS

THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

M&CC dismantle unregulated stalls in Stabroek Market area – vendors were given prior notice to remove

Town Clerk (ag) Candace Nelson

U

nauthorised stalls within the perimeter of the Stabroek Market area were on Wednesday destroyed and removed by the Mayor and Councillors of the City of Georgetown (M&CC), after vendors failed to comply with a notice issued about a week ago to have the fixed structures removed in order to facilitate a cleanup exercise.

Guyana Times understands that the street vendors were advised to utilise temporary stalls, such as carts affixed with wheels that are easily movable, but many operators had already

established fixed structures.

On site during this exercise was Town Clerk (ag) Candace Nelson, who explained that the vendors were asked to remove just for a day to accommodate a clean-up exercise around the area, but they did not comply.

“It is a one-day exercise for now, where we will be cleaning the Stabroek Market and its surrounding environs. We will be removing garbage, cleaning the drains… we have the Ministry of Public Works will be coming in to assist in marking the road…”, she said.

She added that the exer-

cise will be extended from the central Stabroek area to Water Street and other environs.

It was only last week that the Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall, called on the Georgetown Mayor and City Council (M&CC) to address the issue of street vending throughout the city, or central Government would intervene. He reminded that encumbering public reserves, inclusive of road shoulders, embankments, pedestrian walkways, Government reserves and State reserves, is a criminal offence.

Nandlall had also highlighted that street vending not only hinders traffic and business operations, but produces garbage, which has become a monumental problem.

“So, while the Government is expending a tremendous amount of time and resources in trying to clean the city and its environs, a venture that the City Council has publicly refused to join hands on, they exacerbate the problem by licensing to create these public nuisances. We simply cannot continue in this way,” Nandlall contended.

Only in December, the Shamdas Kirpalani store secured from the High Court an order which instructed the Town Clerk to prohibit pavement vending in front of the business’s Lot 107

Authorities breaking down stalls in the Stabroek Market area

Regent Street, Lacytown, Georgetown location.

Then in February 2022, Demerara High Court

Justice Jo-Ann Barlow ordered the City Engineer to take all necessary steps to remove all encumbranc-

es from in front of the Collections Boutique and Gift Centre at Lot 27 Water Street, Georgetown.

Finance Minister tells...

Increased vaccination programmes and the reopening of economies were identified as the reason for this rebound in economic activity seen in these countries.

In March of this year, the Ministry of Finance met with a high-level World Bank team led by Country Director for the Caribbean, Lilia Burunciuc, and new Resident Representative of the Bank, Dilletta Doretti.

That meeting served as an opportunity for dialogue on the Guyana Government’s economic objectives and priorities, and potential opportunities for World Bank support through its assistance and lending programmes.

Key priorities that were discussed included Guyana’s Low Carbon Development Agenda, human capital development, and opportunities for partnership between the Government and the financial institution in other areas in line with its expanding and evolving capacity.

The Bank has been supporting several projects over the years through a number of loans and grants, including a US$20 million loan for the Guyana Petroleum Governance and Management Project to support the enhancement of legal and institutional frameworks and the strengthening of the capacity of key institutions to manage the oil and gas sector in Guyana.

Additionally, the Bank loaned US$6 million to Guyana under the Guyana Payments System Project to improve Guyana’s national payments system, while another US$13.3 million was loaned for the Guyana Education Sector Improvement Project to improve student learning outcomes through reform of curriculum and teaching practices, US$37.9M under the Flood Risk Management Project and US$12.5 million towards the COVID-19 Emergency Response

Project.

Further, the Bank also provided a US$7 million grant to this country towards the Guyana Education Sector Programme Project, for the improvement and learning conditions at the nursery level in select areas, the increased use of technology-assisted learning at the primary level in select areas, and to improve functionality of the education management information system nationally.

The Spring Meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the Boards of Governors of the World Bank Group bring together Central Bankers, Ministers of Finance and Development, Private Sector executives, representatives from civil society organisations, and academics to discuss issues of global concern, including the world economic outlook, poverty eradication, economic development, and aid effectiveness. (G8)

Farmers urged to prepare...

Dr Cummings said that, over the years, Guyana has not necessarily seen an increase in rainfall, but has been experiencing “high-intensity, short-duration rainfall”.

“So, it’s a lot of rain falling in a very short space of time, which means that the drainage system does not have the capacity to remove that amount of rainfall in such a short space of time. The coast, for example, is designed to take off two inches to two and a half inches of rainfall, but if you’re having in a day, you’re having eight inches of

rainfall and you couple that with spring tide, then it becomes extremely difficult to remove that amount of water,” he highlighted.

Earlier on Wednesday, the Hydromet Office hosted a National Climate Outlook Forum, which saw the sharing of information in anticipation of the upcoming MayJune rainy season.

“So, this is a key part of our communication strategy: being able to bring people together and being able to communicate with them, so that they have the information to prepare for the upcoming rainy season,” Dr

FROM PAGE 11

FROM PAGE 13

Cummings said.

On June 9, 2021, President Dr Irfaan Ali had declared flooding in the country a level two disaster.

All ten administrative regions across the country had experienced flooding, with Regions Ten, Seven, Six, Five, and Two being considered the most impacted areas.

Last month, Vice President Dr Bharrat Jagdeo led a national consultation with stakeholders to develop strategic flood protection measures in light of the 2021 flooding.

15 GPF signs MoA with BIT to empower young people T NEWS

THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

he Guyana Police Force (GPF) and the Board of Industrial Training of the Ministry of Labour have signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) which would see the Force and the Ministry partnering to administer training and aid in the re-skilling of persons in communities across Guyana, as well as expanding other training opportunities for retired Police personnel.

The signing of the documents was done in the Ministry of Labour’s Boardroom in Brickdam by Labour Minister

Joseph Hamilton; Police Commissioner (ag) Clifton Hicken; Deputy Commissioner ‘Administration’ (ag.)

Calvin Brutus; and CEO of the Board of Industrial Training, Richard Maughn.

The MoA will see the creation of a more transparent and sustained way to deliver training opportunities that would empower youths and aid in their positive transformation. As a result, the Police Force would be key stakeholder to identify communities in consultation with parents/guardians.

“The fact that the Police

Female Police ranks...

In his address to the female ranks, Minister Benn highlighted the purpose of the engagement by stating, “This conversation is not simply as a knee-jerk reaction to what has been occurring in the society in respect of the safety of women and children, but more particularly how we want to see our Police Force develop.

The workplace has to be safe for women,” Minister Benn declared.

He noted that issues of sexual harassment and domestic violence are “troubling, and a danger not only to women in the Police Force, but also to the society and communities at large”.

Benn pointed out that a sore issue of domestic violence cases is that they are often not being taken seriously by Police ranks at stations.

“We have a far way to go and a long way from where we should be in terms of the respect for women, and in respect to the issue of domestic violence,” Minister Benn asserted.

Further, he elaborated that “We have a recurrent situation, where the women complain that they go to the Police stations and they are turned away, and that even women Police officers fall in with perhaps the agenda of the men; and perhaps they don’t want things to work, they don’t want to get involved because it may be a family or a friend.”

Minister Benn appealed to the female officers to be hands-on and more empathetic when dealing with such reports, while urging that they should be champions in such matters.

“That’s why you’re here.

I had the feeling that the women Police officers themselves really should be the champions in this matter; that if a woman or girl or a child is being treated im-

are closer to communities, we will want the Police to point us to communities in an effort to develop young people, so that the Board of Industrial Training can intervene to have positive outcomes in those communities.

I don’t know of any other entity that is closer to the communities and people with social issues like the Police Force,” Minister Hamilton has posited.

Commissioner Hicken, in his remarks at the signing ceremony, said the Police Force is fully committed to engaging and partnering with communities across FROM PAGE 12

Acting Police Commissioner Clifton Hicken

properly against what the Standing Orders require, that it helps that the women Police step up and say, ‘No, that is not the way it should be done’, and Policewomen should offer protection and support.”

Speaking on the need for a change in the culture of policing, Minister Benn said, “We would like to have a new policing culture, a more diverse Police Force which represents all our cultures, religions, peoples, and ethnicities in the Guyana Police Force.”

He acknowledged that changes would not happen overnight, “but step by step, day by day, month by month, year by year, improvements can be made.”

Acting Police Commissioner Clifton Hicken noted that the Police Force recognises that domestic violence and gender-based violence are topical issues, and partnering with other organisations is necessary in order to fight these issues.

Further, the Top Cop reminded the ranks that despite the Force’s zero-tolerance policy, there is still a high level of deviation whenever reports are made at the stations.

“You’re all female ranks, and you’re supposed to be

championing domestic violence, because most of the reports coming in, the victims are females. But instead of that, you’re exhibiting unprofessional behaviour and trying to settle matters,” Commissioner Hicken charged. He issued a stern warning that indiscipline and unprofessionalism would not be condoned.

Since ascending to the apex of the Force, Hicken has focused his and his Executive Leadership Team’s attention on improving the professionalism and integrity of members of the Force. This is evident from the Top Cop’s series of engagements over the past weeks, wherein he initiated separate meetings with all the commanders, subdivisional officers, sergeants and inspectors in an effort to share his vision of building a more cohesive and structured organisation.

Also attending Tuesday’s meeting were Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Mae Thomas; Deputy Commissioner ‘Operations’, Ravindradat Budhram; Force Training Officer, Superintendent Keithon King; and Head of the Strategic Management Dept. at the Ministry, Samantha Wickham.

Deputy Commissioner ‘Administration’ (ag) Calvin Brutus signing the MoA on behalf of the Guyana Police Force in the presence of acting Police Commissioner Clifton Hicken and Labour Minister Joseph Hamilton

Guyana, especially when it comes to youth development and empowerment.

“Now that I am at the helm of the Force, all ranks will be tasked with rebuilding and strengthening that commitment with the communities,” Hicken declared.

The Top Cop said Police must be professional in serving communities, hence partnership should be embraced to bridge the gap with members of the public.

“With the MoA, a structured relationship will be in place to prepare the youths with various skill sets, which will help to make them more marketable in the field of work,” he said.

He said it will also add value to the communities, as those trained can use their knowledge and skills-set to help develop and change the stigma attached to their communities.

Hicken also disclosed that the Force has established a Community Relations Department, which will work hand-inhand with all the Police Commanders to address requests made by the regions to collaborate with the Labour Ministry, to engage youths and have more activities that can facilitate youth involvement.

Also present at the signing ceremony were:

Force Training Officer, Superintendent Keithon King; Head of the Strategic Planning Unit, Assistant Superintendent Nicola Kendall; Head of the Community Relations Department, Senior Superintendent Crystal Robinson; Police Legal Advisor Mandel Moore; Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Labour, Bishram Kuppen; Senior Technical Officers at the Labour Ministry, Bevon Shepherd and Leon Greaves; Human Resources Officer at the Ministry, Melinda Kelly; and Senior Finance Officer at the Ministry, Saskia Eastman.

Craig youth charged of murder of 19-year-old girlfriend

Dead: Shenese Walks

A

21-year-old man was on Wednesday arraigned for the murder of his 19-year-old girlfriend, whom he allegedly stabbed to death.

Appearing before Principal Magistrate Judy Latchman at the Diamond/ Golden Grove Magistrates’ Courts, Joel Spooner of Craig, East Bank Demerara (EBD) was not required to

plead to the indictment, which stated that between April 12 and 13, 2022 at Craig, EBD, he murdered Shenese Walks, the mother of a one-year-old boy. The murder accused is due for another court appearance next month.

It has been reported that the late Shenese Walks, formerly of Linden, Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice), was found dead at her boyfriend’s home with a knife stuck in her neck.

Reports are that the couple, who had lived together, had had a misunderstanding at around 15:30h on April 12. Spooner told the Police that, during the argument, Walks, a teacher, armed herself with a knife, and as he attempted to snatch it from her, she was stabbed in the neck.

Police have said the suspect claimed that he became afraid, so he secured the house and went away, leaving his injured girlfriend inside. However, at around 08:00h the following day, Spooner contacted his broth-

Remanded: Murder accused Joel Spooner

er and told him what had transpired, and his brother and aunt escorted him to the Grove Police Station, where he was handed over to the Police.

When Police ranks visited the scene, they observed the teacher lying on her back, beside a bed, with a knife stuck to her left side neck.

16 NEWS

THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Citizens urged to get immunised before COVID vaccines expire – active cases now at 85 after 9 new infections

A

ssuring that there are adequate COVID-19 vaccines, health authorities are worried that with the current low uptake, the drugs may have to be thrown out, due to the short expiry dates on many.

To this end, Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony is urging persons to get vaccinated before the doses currently in stock expire and have to be discarded, resulting in significant wastage.

During Wednesday’s COVID-19 update, he assured that the country has an adequate supply of Sinopharm, AstraZeneca, Johnson and Johnson (J&J), and Pfizer

vaccines. Dr Anthony explained that while the Sinopharm vaccines would expire in 2023, the others are due to expire much sooner.

“Many of the other vaccines have relatively short dates, so that’s something that we have to be constantly vigilant of, to make sure that we’re minimising loss due to expiry,” he contended.

Dr Anthony further emphasised that the country would experience significant losses if people continue to reject the vaccines. He assured, nonetheless, that if the vaccines expire and have to be thrown out, the country has arrangements in place to se-

cure more vaccines.

“We have several sources where we can access vaccines. We are still a part of the COVAX arrangements, and many countries have been kind enough to donate vaccines to us… we have been working with countries to get vaccines in Guyana within a timely manner,” the Minister has said.

Additionally, Dr Anthony reassured that there is adequate vaccine storage centrally and regionally across the country.

“We have adequate COVID-19 vaccines. We have adequate storage. You would recall that when we were pre-

50% of children with disabilities in Region 5 are autistic – SEN official

GUYANA COVID-19 DASHBOARD APRIL 20, 2022 UPDATE

NUMBER OF NEW CASES

9

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN INSTITUTIONAL ISOLATION

8

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

77 0

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN INSTITUTIONAL QUARANTINE

18

TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES BY GENDER (FEMALES)

34,214

TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES BY GENDER (MALES)

29,175

TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES IN GUYANA SINCE 2020

63,389

NUMBER OF RECOVERED CASES

62,076

TOTAL 1st DOSE VACCINATED FULLY IMMUNISED

REGION 1

2519

REGION 2

2492

REGION 3

8059

REGION 4

31,357

REGION 5

2380

REGION 6

5779

REGION 7

2423

REGION 8

887

REGION 9

4022

REGION 10

3471

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

439,027 338,089

TOTAL NUMBER OF DEATHS

DISTRIBUTION OF TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES SINCE MARCH 2020

1228

Keep a physical distance of at least 6 feet.

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

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

Education Officer with responsibility for SEN in Region Five (MahaicaBerbice), Akeshia Benjamin

E

very April Guyana joins the rest of the world in observing World Autism Month during which emphasis is placed on providing opportunities to increase the understanding and acceptance of people living with autism.

Autism is a developmental disorder of variable severity that is characterised by difficulty in social interaction and communication and by restricted or repetitive patterns of thought and behaviour.

However, Education Officer with responsibility for Special Education Needs (SEN) in Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice), Akeshia Benjamin related that 50 per cent of children living with disabilities in that Region are on the autism spectrum.

In Region Five, more than half of the 70 children who have been diagnosed with a disability are also diagnosed with autism.

On Wednesday, the Region Five Education Department SEN hosted an autism acceptance symposium for parents

Some of the participants at the seminar

who have special needs children, other parents and teachers, at the Number 8 Primary School, West Coast Berbice.

The objective of the event was to advocate for better support for persons with autism through alliance building and public awareness.

Benjamin related that many people were not aware of some of the challenges that persons with this disorder face, adding that it was hoped through such programmes it would pave the way for the SEN unit. This will assist to advance SEN work in the delivery of the services offered to children, and provide an avenue for teachers, parents, and members of the public to be sensitised to autism as a category of disabilities many are faced with.

“I think that the goal of this activity is pertinent and it coincides with our theme: “celebrating our differences through awareness, through acceptance and support for persons with disabilities – especially autism”,” Benjamin explained.

She said the month was

generally used to embrace students, children, or even adults who have autism spectrum disorders. The department, she noted, objectively embraces this as part of advocacy in its commitment to continually and actively improve the quality of education for children who have special educational needs and disabilities.

“We see it as challenges that persons are faced with, and support mechanisms, services, coping strategies and activities as well as material that can be used to support our children with autism as well as adults are needed,” the Education Officer said.

Meanwhile, the region is expected to get a school bus for those on the SEN programme.

Benjamin said this would be greatly appreciated because on many occasions the attendance rate was poor owing to a lack of adequate transportation to get the children to and from school.

Systems are also being put in place for a building to be constructed in the region to house a special education school.

paring for these vaccines, we spent a lot of money to develop storage capacity for these vaccines. The vaccines vary in the temperature you ought to keep them, so some of them require refrigeration at minus 70°C. At the time when we were looking for the vaccines, we did not have that capacity, but we built that capacity,” the Health Minister explained.

Guyana commenced its COVID-19 vaccination campaign in February 2021, and has since administered some 439,306 persons, or 85.6 per cent of the adult population, with a first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, while 338,438 persons, or 66 per cent of those 18 years and older, are fully vaccinated.

For the 12-to-17 age group, some 34,435 persons, or 47.2 per cent of that demographic, have received the first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, while 25,194 persons, or 34.5 per cent of that demographic, have received both doses of a COVID-19 vaccine.

Moreover, a total of 61,042 COVID-19 booster shots have been administered.

New cases

Meanwhile, new statistics released by the Health Ministry on Wednesday

showed that nine new COVID-19 cases have been detected within a 24-hour period. With this development, confirmed cases in the country are now at 63,389. Of this, however, only 85 are currently active cases, including eight persons in institutional isolation and the other 77 persons in home isolation.

There are currently, eight persons hospitalised with the virus across the country, but none of them is in the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Another 18 persons are also in institutional quarantine.

The COVID-19 death toll in Guyana remains at 1228, while some 62,076 persons have recovered after contracting the life-threatening disease; that is, 22 more recoveries than the figure reported the previous day.

Meanwhile, since the outbreak of the novel coronavirus in Guyana over two years ago, a total of 586,801 tests have been conducted countrywide, and of this, some 29,175 males and 34,214 females were found to be positive. Of the nine new cases recorded on Wednesday, seven were from Region Four (DemeraraMahaica) and the remaining two cases were from Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo). There was no

new case in any of the other eight regions across the country within the reporting 24hour period.

This declining trend in COVID-19 cases has resulted in the Guyana Government last month removing most restrictions as the country moves to recover from the pandemic and return to normalcy. But while mandates such as masking in public and social distancing are no longer in place, health authorities are still encouraging persons to get vaccinated; and for those who are so qualified, to get their booster shots in order to add a layer of protection against the virus.

According to the World Health Organization’s (WHO’s) recent figures, some 504,079,039 confirmed cases were reported globally, along with 6,204,155 deaths.

In the Region of the Americas; that is, Latin America and the Caribbean, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases has increased to 152,099,658, while the death toll in the region has gone up to 2,715,829.

As it relates to vaccination against COVID-19, WHO also reported that a total of 11,324,805,837 doses have been administered worldwide.

NEWS

17

THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Do not be afraid to take loans – experts urge small businesses R

ecognising that access to capital is a major challenge in the start-up and early operations of small businesses, experts have advised these categories of entrepreneurs not to be afraid to take loans, noting that there are several options available locally.

However, before a small business decides to apply for a loan, its operation is critically assessed to determine the exact uses of the finances, and whether those would impact the success of the venture.

These points were highlighted by Felecia BoyleBazard, a representative of Executive Business Solutions Guyana Inc, who was participating in a panel discussion organised as part of the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce & Industry’s (GCCI’s) National Small Business Week.

During the discussion, it was pointed out that in order for small businesses to even be considered for a loan at a commercial bank, a number of documents and

paperwork are needed to be submitted – a tedious and bureaucratic process.

“Yes, I feel you, and I hear that it takes a lot to get all this paperwork…But even before…you figure that you want a loan, figure out where you stand as a company, what you are going to do with this loan, and how it’s going to increase revenues for you… So, I really encourage you to think about the bigger picture and where your business stands,” she advised.

Eusi Evelyn, who represented Green State Oil and Gas Services, recognised that many small enterprises are afraid to take loans – an attitude which he insists they must rid themselves of.

“Don’t be afraid of loans… with good financial management, you are more likely to tap into bank loans that you can use to buy equipment to support your business in the future,” he reasoned.

It was emphasised that outside of commercial banks, there are, through the Small Business Bureau (SBB), many financing op-

ceived higher risk of failure, and the lack of adequate collateral.

Tips for financial management

tions available to small businesses.

SBB’s Shamane Headley said these include investors, grants, loans and bootstrapping. “…the small business development grants. We also have the small business development loans and the sponsorship,” she said.

“Generally, the sponsorship is available for persons who are interested in marketing or promoting their businesses and cannot access the grants or the loan at the time,” she explained.

“But in addition to that,

ECD woman dies after setting self, home on fire

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51-year-old woman is now dead after reportedly setting herself and her home at Bachelor’s Adventure, East Coast Demerara (ECD) on fire on Wednesday.

The dead woman is 51-year-old Nichola Jacobs, a former employee of Bakewell Bakery.

What has led Jacobs to commit this act remains sketchy, but according to information gathered, the mother of nine was reportedly having relationship issues.

A family member told Guyana Times that the woman might have locked herself in the house and set it on fire. The late Nichola Jacobs had reportedly left her martial home about five years ago, and had been having a relationship with another man up to the time of her demise.

On Tuesday, the woman had visited her legally married husband’s home and had taken her identification card and $8000, and asked him to keep them.

The family member said

Dead: Nicola Jacobs

the woman’s husband had questioned her about the relationship she was having with her lover, but she had left without responding.

“She went and live with this other man, and he [the legal husband] kept telling her to come home, but she did not go”, they said.

This publication was further informed that Jacobs’s lover was younger than her, and that he wanted to

end the relationship, which might have caused her to commit the act.

While this is just mere speculation, the family is hoping that Police investigations would ascertain what might have led to the woman’s demise.

Meanwhile, a statement from the Guyana Police Force (GPF) revealed that the woman had last been seen alive at around 11:00h on Wednesday. Police, however, said that based on their investigations, the deceased woman had lived alone in the house.

Following reports of the fire, a tender from the Melanie Fire Service was deployed to the scene, and it put out the fire. The Fire Service said that based on their investigations, the building was not affixed with electricity.

The woman’s partially charred remains were later found among the debris.

The woman’s remains were escorted to the Memorial Gardens Funeral Home to await a post mortem. An investigation is underway.

the loans are always available through the SBB. Currently, the grants available are within Gy$200,000, and all these are available for all business sectors locally; but we should let persons know that it is not accessible by Public Servants,” she added.

“However small business loans are available at the maximum of Gy$30M… it’s available to all business sectors, and the benefits include 6% interest rate and a collateral guarantee between 40% to 70% from the Small Business Bureau. So, once you’re a registered client of the SBB, you can choose either of these financial options through the SBB,” Headley emphasised.

A 2018 Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) Report had documented that most businesses in Guyana are small- and medium-sized (SME), they operate in a less-than-auspicious business climate, and their failure rate is high.

The IDB Report noted that two of the reasons that financial intermediaries are reluctant to grant credit to SMEs are the per-

Meanwhile, in sharing tips for financial management, Evelyn explained that small businesses should acquaint themselves with the concept of bookkeeping, making accurate projections, creating financial statements, and accessing business financing. He stated that poor financial management can lead to challenges in staying on top of bills, securing financing, managing a budget, and controlling debt.

“Creating a budget is the first place to start with your financial management practice. A budget is a list of all your monthly/yearly expenses organised by categories…a cash flow projection is used to see if projected cash receipts will be sufficient to cover projected cash disbursement,” Evelyn advised.

He also explained that book-keeping leads to better business decisions regarding financing, taxes, owners’ withdrawal, and retirement.

“It also helps you to make decisions on planning, inventory, and setting prices…also, determining whether you have sufficient cash flow to sustain operations… It will also help to provide to banks and investors the financial reporting they need to loan money or invest in the business,” he added.

Financial software

In order to stay in the game, small businesses were also encouraged to see the benefits of investing in

financial software.

This point was explained

by Marlon George from Guyana Payroll Solutions Inc, who was another panellist.

George noted that utilising financial software is important because it enhances a business’s professional image, brings awareness of business performance, is efficient and responsive, and gives the ability to organise and plan.

“The developers continuously update these applications, and so you benefit from enhanced security.

They think about all the accounting in the backend, and how these things should work,” George explained.

He advised that when selecting financial software, businesses should research the reviews, sign up for demos, ask questions, and make sure the interface is easy to navigate.

Change with the times

In December 2021, President Dr Irfaan Ali had challenged small and family-owned businesses to change their approach, so that they can get a larger chunk of benefits during this transformational period.

“Yes, the family businesses are good, but times are changing, circumstances are changing, and if ten small businesses can come together and take away 35% or 30% share in that market, aren’t they better off?

There is a better competitive advantage… Sometimes individually we are satisfied with a small share… but it’s not about being satisfied with a small share, it is missing out on opportunities,” he had said.

Teen stabbed during brawl with fishermen N ineteen-year-old Suresh Balroop of Mosquito Hall, Mahaica, ECD has been hospitalised after being stabbed in the chest by a fisherman on Tuesday evening at the Unity foreshore, Mahaica, East Coast Demerara (ECD).

Based on reports received, the incident took place at about 21:15h at the Unity Seawall, and the suspects involved are a 41-yearold fisherman and a 33-year-

old male, both of Unity, Mahaica, E.C.D. The Police have said that the teenager and the suspects had had a previous misunderstanding, and on the day in question, the suspects and other family members were at the Unity Seawall when the teenager reportedly attacked them with a cutlass, dealing the 41-year-old suspect one blow to his back.

This results in a scuf-

fle among the men, during which the teenager was stabbed to his right-side chest. He was taken to the Mahaicony Cottage Hospital, where he was treated before being transferred to the Georgetown Public Hospital.

The injured teen has been admitted to the Georgetown medical facility, while the two perpetrators have been arrested and are assisting with investigations.

18

guyanatimesgy.com

THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2022

Regional

Plane crashes onto busy Jamaican PM hints at Haitian street, killing at least 6 possible importation of skilled

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small plane crashed onto a busy street in the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince on Wednesday, killing at least six people including the pilot, officials said.

The plane took off from the Port-au-Prince airport at 15:44h ET (1944 GMT) on route to the Haitian city of Jacmel, the Haitian civil aviation authority said, adding the plane suffered

engine failure and sent a distress alert at 16:04h.

“I extend my sympathies to the families of the victims, who have been just plunged into the greatest desolation by this new tragedy,” Prime Minister Ariel Henry wrote on Twitter, without specifying the number of dead or wounded.

Jude Edouard Pierre, Mayor of the commune of Carrefour where the plane

crashed, said six people had died. A Government source said the pilot died after being taken to a hospital.

Videos circulating on WhatsApp showed the broken wreckage of a plane in the middle of a road along with what appeared to be the bodies of victims of the crash. Reuters was unable to independently verify the origin of the videos.

(Reuters)

Nicaragua shuts down more than 2 dozen NGOs critical of Ortega

N

icaragua’s Parliament, controlled by allies of President Daniel Ortega, on Wednesday shut down 25 Non-Governmental Organisations in a move slammed by the Opposition as a further attack on civil society.

The organisations, many of which have publicly criticised the Government, were closed

by Congress with 74 votes in favour and 15 abstentions.

Lawmakers argued the NGOs had violated Nicaraguan laws and failed to disclose financial accounts.

Most of the NGOs work on human rights issues and carry out social and cultural work.

Authorities of the Central American country have shut down 163 NGOs since mass protests against Ortega’s Government in 2018 sparked a political crisis. Nicaragua’s Congress has also moved in recent months to curb the independence of universities.

Ortega, one of the leaders of the Sandinista rebellion that toppled former dictator Anastasio Somoza in

workers due to local shortage

J

amaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness has hinted at the possibility of importing labour to satisfy demand if enough trained workers are not available locally.

“We have placed HEART on alert… that we are going to have to find these people, put them in a streamline mechanism to get them trained and provide them very quickly. If we don’t do that, then there can be no complaint if we have to import labour into the country. And we are seeing an increase in request for labour, particularly skilled labour, in the country,” the Prime Minister stated.

Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness

He was speaking at the official ground-breaking ceremony for the construction of a 700-room hotel by RIU in Trelawny on Wednesday.

“Now put yourself in my shoe, I want the de-

velopment, how am I going to get it done?” added Holness. “Well, I am going to train the workers, that takes time, but in the interim I can’t stop the developments.” (Jamaica Observer)

Brazil meat exporters face hurdles shipping product via COVID-hit Shanghai -lobby group

A woman watches a televised speech of Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega, in Managua, Nicaragua, March 23, 2022

1979, was sworn into office for his fourth consecutive term as President in January, two months after winning an election dismissed by the United States and other Western nations as fraudulent.

The assets of these groups will pass into the hands of the State, according to the legislative decision, as has happened in previous cases.

“There is no will from the Government to have organisations (...) documenting vio-

lations of human rights,” said Marcos Carmona, who heads the Permanent Commission on Human Rights, one of the organisations affected by the measure.

Coen Foundation, the social arm of a powerful business group in Central America, and the foundation of the writer and former Vice President of Nicaragua, Sergio Ramirez, currently in exile, were among the NGOs closed. (Excerpt from Reuters)

B

razil’s ABPA, a lobby group representing large pork and chicken processors like JBS SA and BRF SA, said on Wednesday its member companies are facing difficulties shipping products through the Port of Shanghai.

The statement, sent in response to a question from Reuters about the effects of the COVID lockdown in the Chinese city, said cargoes are being redirected to other ports, such as Yantian.

“There are no reports

of suspension of sales,” the statement said, referring to rumours about potential contract cancellations. “At the same time, ABPA member companies hope that the situation in Shanghai will soon return to normal.”

Strict lockdown measures after a COVID-19 outbreak began in March, affecting 25 million Shanghai residents, hampering businesses and the circulation of goods.

After the lockdown was imposed, containers of fro-

zen food began backing up at the port, with inspections for incoming meat halted.

Shanghai is the main point of entry for Brazilian meat imports to mainland China, which is Brazil’s top trade partner.

Last week, Reuters reported at least one shipping line operator had stopped sending Brazilian meat to Shanghai, instead offering clients the alternative of sending cargo to Xingang and Ningbo.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

Blinken seeks cooperation on Fuel-price protest affects school turnout migration at Panama summit

T

he protests headed by leader of the United National Congress (UNC) Opposition Kamla Persad-Bissessar at nearly 30 points across the country on Tuesday affected the number of students who turned out on the day schools physically reopened.

Speaking to Newsday by phone on Tuesday, General Secretary of the Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha (SDMS), Vijay Maharaj and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Catholic Education Board of Management (CEBM), Sharon Mangroo both said the turnouts at their schools were affected by the protest, with some parents choosing to keep their children home to avoid the anticipated traffic.

Maharaj said 85 per cent of students at the SDMS’s 43 primary schools and 80 per cent of its five secondary schools turned out on Tuesday.

“Parents were a little sceptical because of the

U

General secretary of the Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha (SDMS) Vijay Maharaj

traffic and striking. They decided to wait a day or two to send their kids out.”

But he said even though there was some fear that the protests would lead to the traffic, that did not happen and the transition into the physical environment was relatively smooth.

Maharaj also said SDMS schools began orientation with first and second year students last week Wednesday to acclimatise

them to their new environment.

Mangroo also said the protests affected turnout at Catholic schools. At the time of Newsday’s phone call on Tuesday afternoon, she had received feedback from 21 of its schools.

“Some parents are waiting to see what happened. I would wait until the end of the week before we settle.”

(Excerpt from Trinidad Newsday)

S Secretary of State, Antony Blinken on Wednesday called for more regional cooperation to help communities strained by inflows of refugees and migrants, as he sought to rally Western Hemisphere nations to tackle record migration.

Addressing Foreign Ministers from more than 20 nations on Wednesday at a hotel outside of Panama City, Blinken said more people were “on the move, forcibly displaced from their homes” than at any time since World War Two. r “The only lasting, sustainable response to irregular migration is to tackle its root causes, but that takes time, and in the meantime many cities and towns simply don’t have the resources they need to provide for their own citizens, much less meet the needs of migrants,” Blinken said.

Record numbers of migrants attempted to cross into the United States from Mexico in Joe Biden’s first year in office, piling political pressure on the Democratic President.

US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken

Other countries in the Region have taken in migrants from countries like Venezuela, Cuba, and Haiti.

Biden has pledged to address the “root causes” that drive those migrants to leave their homes, securing Private Sector investments in Central America worth over US$1.2 billion and hoping to strike a migration compact at the Ninth Summit of the Americas in Los Angeles in June.

Blinken and US Secretary of Homeland Security, Alejandro Mayorkas met with Panamanian officials on

Tuesday and signed an agreement detailing commitments to improve management of migration between the two countries and increase access to legal pathways to immigration.

That agreement came after Panama, Mexico and Costa Rica established visa requirements that make it more difficult for Venezuelans and Cubans to transit through their countries toward US territory, and after a similar agreement reached between the United States and Costa Rica last month.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

guyanatimesgy.com

THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2022

19

Around the World

OILNEWS OIL NEWS Oil settles mixed on Russia supply, demand concerns

O

il settled nearly unchanged on Wednesday as broader concerns about economic growth and oil demand stagnation weighed against tightening supplies.

Brent crude futures fell 45 cents, or 0.4 per cent, to settle at US$106.80 a barrel.

The front-month West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures contract, which expired on Wednesday, rose 19 cents to settle at US$102.75, unchanged.

Oil prices have been supported by a tighter supply outlook after sanctions against Russia – the world's second-largest oil exporter and a key European supplier – over its invasion of Ukraine, which Moscow calls a "special operation".

"With the Ukraine war escalating, the likelihood of an extended duration of the conflict increases and the potential loss of Russian supply to the market lifts," Jim Ritterbusch, President of Ritterbusch and Associates in Galena, Illinois.

The market was also supported by a Government report indicating US crude stockpiles fell by eight million barrels last week due to a surge in exports to a more than a two-year high, Energy Information Administration data showed.

However, both benchmarks fell about five per cent on Tuesday after the International Monetary Fund cut its global growth forecast by almost a full percentage point, citing the economic impact of Russia's war in Ukraine and warning that inflation had become a "clear and present danger" for many countries.

"Weakening growth and mounting inflationary pressure can only mean one thing: the spectre of stagflation is hanging over the global economy," said PM analyst Stephen Greenock.

Continuing coronavirus lockdowns in China also have hurt demand in the world's top crude importer and are weighing on prices.

The European Commission is working to speed up availability of alternative energy supplies to try to cut the cost of banning Russian oil and persuade Germany and other reluctant European Union nations to accept the measure, an EU source told Reuters.

Meanwhile, various outages added to concerns about supply. Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) member Libya has been forced to shut in 550,000 barrels per day of output because of a wave of blockades on major oilfields and export terminals, the country's National Oil Corporation (NOC) said.

OPEC and its allies, known collectively as OPEC+, produced 1.45 million barrels per day (bpd) below its production target in March as Russian output began to decline after sanctions imposed by the West, a report from the producer alliance showed. (Reuters)

G20 members condemn Russia's war in Ukraine, after Yellen and others stage walkout

T

op officials from Britain, the United States, and Canada walked out on Russia's representatives at a Group of 20 meeting on Wednesday and many members spoke to condemn Moscow's war in Ukraine, exposing deep divisions in the bloc of major economies.

Indonesian Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati, who chaired the meeting of G20 finance officials in Washington, acknowledged the body faced unprecedented challenges, but called for cooperation to overcome headwinds slowing global growth.

"This is an extraordinary situation," Indrawati told reporters after the daylong meeting. "It's not business as usual, a very dynamic and challenging one."

The G20 includes Western countries that have accused Moscow of war crimes in Ukraine, as well as China, India, Indonesia and South Africa which have not joined Western-led sanctions

against Russia over the conflict.

Indrawati said many countries spoke out against the war at the meeting, although she did not identify them.

"In order for us to be able to recover together ... we need more and even stronger cooperation," Indrawati told a briefing. "The G20 is still ... the premier forum for all of us to be able to dis-

cuss and talk about all the issues."

US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen told attendees she strongly disapproved of a senior Russian official's presence at the meeting before she walked out, two sources told Reuters.

She was joined by Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey, Canadian Finance

Russia tests nuclear-capable missile that Putin calls world's best

I

n a show of strength two months into its assault on Ukraine, Russia testlaunched a new nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missile which President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday would make Moscow's enemies stop and think.

Putin was shown on TV being told by the military that the long-awaited Sarmat missile had been test-launched for the first time from Plesetsk in northwest Russia and hit targets in the Kamchatka peninsula, nearly 6000 km (3700

Macron, Le Pen clash on Russia, EU in angry TV debate

F

rench President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday accused his far-right rival Marine Le Pen of being in thrall to Russian President Vladimir Putin over a years-old Russian bank loan to her party during a fiery TV debate ahead of Sunday's election.

While he also charged Le Pen with harbouring an undiminished desire to pull France out of the European Union (EU), she struck back with a pledge to put money back in the pockets of millions of French made poorer during his five-year presidency.

The debate – their only one of the campaign – was peppered with appeals of "don't interrupt me" and accusations the other was not up to the job of leading France, a veto-wielding United Nations Security Council member and

Local residents walk past an apartment building destroyed during Ukraine-Russia conflict in the southern port city of Mariupol, which a leading Russian ally says will fall today

Minister Chrystia Freeland, and European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde.

Ukrainian officials, in Washington seeking billions of dollars of additional funding, also walked out of the meeting, a source familiar with the meeting said.

Russian Deputy Finance Minister Timur Maksimov represented Moscow in person, while Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov and Russia's Central Bank Governor joined virtually, a second source said.

Over five million Ukrainians have fled abroad since Russia invaded on February 24, the biggest attack on a European state since 1945.

Meanwhile, Russian forces said they will seize the Mariupol steel plant that is the last main stronghold of resistance in the besieged city on Thursday after Ukraine proposed talks on evacuating troops and civilians there.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

miles) away.

The test of the Sarmat, under development for years, did not surprise the West, but came at a moment of extreme geopolitical tension.

Russia has yet to capture any major cities since it sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine on February y 24.

Ukraine's Defence Ministry was not immediately avail-

able for comment.

"The new complex has the highest tactical and technical characteristics and is capable of overcoming all modern means of anti-missile defence. It has no analogues in the world and won't have for a long time to come," Putin said.

"This truly unique weapon will strengthen the combat

potential of our armed forces, reliably ensure Russia's security from external threats and provide food for thought for those who, in the heat of frenzied aggressive rhetoric, try to threaten our country."

Announcing the invasion eight weeks ago, Putin made a pointed reference to Russia's nuclear forces and warned the West that any attempt to get in its way "will lead you to such consequences that you have never encountered in your history."

Days later, he ordered Russia's nuclear forces to be put on high alert. "The prospect of nuclear conflict, once unthinkable, is now back within the realm of possibility," United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres said last month. (Excerpt from Reuters)

COVID: Woman caught virus twice within record 20 days A woman walks past official campaign posters of French presidential election candidates Marine le Pen, leader of French far-right National Rally (Rassemblement National) party, and French President Emmanuel Macron, displayed on an official billboard in Paris, France, April 19, 2022

Europe's second-largest economy.

"Stop mixing everything up," a combative Macron told Le Pen during one heated exchange about France's debt, which like others has swollen due to pandemic support measures.

"Don't lecture me," responded Le Pen, who avoided the pitfalls of a previous encounter

in 2017, when her presidential bid unravelled as she mixed up her notes and lost her footing.

For Le Pen, who lags Macron in voter surveys by as much as 56-44, the debate was a chance to persuade voters she has the stature to be President and that they should not fear seeing the far-right in power.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

A

31-year-old healthcare worker caught COVID twice within 20 days – the shortest-known gap between infections, Spanish researchers have claimed.

Tests show the woman was infected with two different variants – Delta in late December and then Omicron in January.

This shows that even if you have had COVID before, you can still be infected again even if fully vaccinated, the researchers say.

Reinfections in the UK require 90 days between positive tests.

Based on that definition, health officials say nearly 900,000 people have potentially been infected twice with COVID up to the start of April.

It is difficult to pin down an exact number, because only whole genome sequencing can confirm the infections are caused by different strains, and very few positive tests go through this process.

The Spaniard did not develop any symptoms after her first positive PCR test, but less than three weeks later she developed a cough and fever which

prompted her to take another test.

When the tests were analysed further, they showed the patient had been infected by two different strains of coronavirus.

In a presentation at the European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, study author Dr Gemma Recio said the case highlighted that Omicron can "evade the previous immunity acquired either from a natural infection with other variants or from vaccines".

(Excerpt from BBC News)

20

THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2022

guyanatimesgy.com

DAILY HOROSCOPES

ARCHIE

(March 21-April 19)

Keep your beliefs, plans and personal life secret. Don't cause disruption or allow others to play with your feelings. Stick to your schedule, and work diligently toward your goal. Get things done.

Refuse to let stubbornness stop you from reaching your goal. A physical improvement will give you the incentive to share your intentions and feelings.

Romance is featured.

DILBERT

(April 20-May 20) Look at the logistics before investing or purchasing something of value.

Summon outside opinions to verify the authenticity of the information. Don't pay for someone's mistake.

(May 21-June 20)

PEANUTS (June 21-July 22)

Follow through with your plans.

Timing is everything, and knowing what you want and moving forward without hesitation will bring you to a place that makes you happy. Romance and self-improvement are favored.

Don't put your reputation, money or health at risk. Be intelligent and disciplined, and put yourself in a suitable position. Stabilize your life instead of jeopardizing your reputation or status.

(July 23-Aug. 22) Use experience, knowledge and insight to outmaneuver anyone who gets in your way. Actions speak louder than words and will help you reach the winner's circle. Romance is favored

CALVIN AND HOBBES

(Aug. 23-Sept. 22) If you put pressure on someone, expect the same in return. Consider what you want to accomplish, and take a disciplined approach. Set a budget, and follow guidelines that encourage flexibility.

(Sept. 23-Oct. 23) Stand tall and push your way forward. Embrace novel ideas and people heading in the same direction as you.

Focus on partnerships, peace and love, and you will find a place of comfort.

SUDOKU (Oct. 24-Nov. 22)

Take the time to get your facts straight and make decisions that are suitable. Patience and walking away from people and situations trying to entice you will pay off.

(Nov. 23-Dec. 21) Trust your instincts and your ability to get things done your way. Your actions will draw attention and bring you the accolades you desire. Personal gain is heading your way. Romance is encouraged.

LAST PUBLISHED WORD-- QUAINTLY

SOLUTION FOR LAST PUBLISHED PUZZLE

(Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Keep plugging away at your longterm goal, and you will make progress.

Ignore temptation, and avoid being swept into someone else's dream. Live life your way, and you'll have no regrets.

(Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Speak up, make changes and follow your heart. Invest in your ideas.

Personal improvement is doable, and happiness will thrive if you are true to yourself and live life your way.

(Feb. 20-March 20)

THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2022

21

IPL 2022…

Delhi Capitals demolish Punjab Kings – through all-star bowling, big Warner-Shaw stand T

he Delhi Capitals players had spent the last four days inside their hotel rooms, unsure if they would get to play this match.

They even had a change of venue to facilitate the match, but not until about an hour before the game did they have the go-ahead to go to the ground, especially with a sixth member, Tim Seifert, testing positive for COVID-19 on the day.

From the moment they were uncaged, almost everything went right: they won the toss, bowled Punjab Kings out for 115, and chased it down in 10.3 overs, to earn some extra time off before they went back into their rooms.

Punjab Kings, who have now lost more tosses than any side this IPL, stayed true to their aggressive approach, but didn't have the depth to match their opponents, especially with Odean Smith dropped for a specialist bowler, Nathan Ellis. Wickets kept falling - two each to Lalit Yadav, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel and Khaleel Ahmed - on what Axar called a sticky surface, although it didn't look too sticky when the Capitals batters ended the chase in a hurry.

Kuldeep Yadav was among the wickets with 2-24

Agarwal gets off to a flier Mayank Agarwal, who missed the last game with injury, came back, but that didn't make any difference to Kings' luck at the toss. Asked to bat first, Agarwal started off with intent. Staying beside the line of the

ball, he hit three boundaries in three overs, before picking one off into the leg side. It was the last ball of the third over, as Shardul Thakur tried to cramp him for room.

Kings were 27 for no loss in three overs, with traditionally more expensive powerplay overs to come.

A wicket an over times four Rishabh Pant played match-ups by bowling Lalit to Shikhar Dhawan, and got a wicket immediately, although not conceivably in a planned manner. This was a long hop down the leg side, Dhawan tried to help it along to fine leg, but just didn't get there in time, and Pant took a special catch off the face of the bat.

In the next over, Agarwal, trying to stay beside the line, ended up playing on to Mustafizur Rahman. This wasn't going to slow Kings down in the last over of the powerplay. Liam Livingstone tried to take Axar down, but missed wildly, and got stumped.

In the next over, Jonny Bairstow nailed a flat pull off Khaleel, but found long leg with precision. Four wickets gone for 21 runs.

A new bunch of four Jitesh Sharma and Shahrukh Khan stemmed the fall of wickets; Jitesh even managed a strike rate of about 140, but their partnership ended at 31. Jitesh tried to sweep one of the most difficult bowlers to sweep - Axar - and paid the price with an lbw.

In the one match that Kings didn't play Smith, they found themselves five down with the best part of eight overs to go.

Kuldeep then went through Kagiso Rabada and Ellis in the 14th over, Rabada with the wrong'un and Ellis with the conventional wristspin. When Shahrukh edged a Khaleel offcutter through to Pant in the next over, the last hope of a fighting total disappeared.

The last two wickets added 23, but not at a pace that would bother Capitals.

Shaw, Warner romp home The target was never going to test the Capitals batters, but they were not going to stroll to it. Teams are aware how important net run-rate can be. Not that Prithvi Shaw needs any extra motivation to go from ball one, but David Warner, too, could play much more freely than he does, as the experienced batter in the side.

Not surprisingly, it began with Shaw, first off an inside edge to a big inswinger from Vaibhav Arora, then more deliberately.

Once Warner started going after Rabada, it was almost a hit-off between the two.

If Warner hit two fours off Arora, Shaw responded with a six.

Warner raised three fours off Rabada in the fourth. It took them to fifty in 3.3 overs, the fastest this season and the fifth-highest 3.3-over score in the history of the IPL. Capitals ended the powerplay with 81, the highest for any Delhi-based team in the IPL. This was the highest percentage of a

Project cricket gear for young and promising cricketers in Guyana…

Berbician Devendra Mahadeo gets a bat

N

ineteen-year-old Devendra Mahadeo of #19 Kendall’s Union, Lower East Coast Berbice is the latest player to benefit from the project Cricket gear for young and promising cricketers in Guyana.

He has received one cricket bat, compliments of Romash Munna, a former executive of the Berbice Cricket Board and a Berbice first division cricketer.

This is the second time that Munna is making a contribution to this project.

The bat was handed over to Rudolph Baker who was in Fort Lauderdale, Florida representing Regal Masters in the 2022 edition of the Florida Cup. Baker said thanks on behalf of Mahadeo and wished him well.

Munna has said that he is please to contribute to this noble idea, which would surely help to produce more cricketers and strengthen Guyana and West Indies cricket. He added that while much more has to be done to keep young people off the streets and away from crime and drugs, he sees sports as a major way of doing so.

This initiative is jointly owned

by Anil Beharry of Guyana and Kishan Das of the USA. Total

cricket related items collected so far: $130,000 cash, two trophies, eleven cricket boots, sixteen pairs of batting pads, seventeen bats, ten pairs of batting gloves, nineteen thigh pads, one wicketkeeping pad, one arm guard, five cricket bags, and one helmet. In addition to the above, $600,000 worth in gear was donated by Sheik Mohamed, former national wicket keeper/batsman.

To date, thirty-three young players from all three counties of Guyana have benefited from a junior gear bag, two trophies, nine bats, nine pairs of cricket shoes, six pairs of batting pads and seven pairs of batting gloves.

In addition, the Rose Hall Estate Cricket Club has benefited from a pair of stumps and bails, and two clubs in the Pomeroon area have benefited from two used bats.

Pomeroon, Leguan and Wakenam Cricket Committees, Cotton Tree Die Hard and Rose Hall CCCC have each also received one box of red cricket balls.

Cricket related items, used or new, will be distributed free of cost to young and promising cricketers in Guyana. Skills, discipline and education are important characteristics of the recipients. Talent spotting is

being done across the country, and club leaders will also assist to identify talent.

The owners of this initiative have said: “We take this opportunity to thank Javed and Imran of West Indian Sports Complex, Option Group of USA, Hilbert Foster, Bish Panday of P and P Insurance Brokers, Sean Devers, Trevis Simon, Årïêl J. Tïlkú, Aaron Beharry, Leanna Bachan and Imran Saccoor, Devon Ramnauth, Teddy Singh, Romash Munna, Ravi Etwaroo, Ravin Harkishun, Surendra Harkishun, Allan Mangru, Vishal Mahabir, Sherman Austin, Huburn Evans, Rajendra Sadeo, Ramesh Sunich of Trophy Stall, Sheik Mohamed of Star Sports Awards and Trophies, Ajay Gainda of Cricket Equipment Guyana, Peter Ramkissoon, Rabindranath Saywack, Roshan Gaffoor, Ameer Rahaman, Denesh Chandrapaul and Dr Cecil Beharry.

“Thanks to the media for the role they are playing in promoting this venture.

Distribution will continue”.

Anyone interested in contributing to the initiative can contact Anil Beharry on 6236875, or Kishan Das on 1-718664-0896.

Prithvi Shaw supported with 41 off 20 balls

100-plus target shaved off inside the powerplay in all IPL matches.

The powerplay failed to dim their intent.

While Shaw fell for 41 off 20, trying to hit Rahul Chahar for a six in the seventh over, Warner went on to add to his record of fiftyplus scores in the IPL. (Cricinfo)

SCOREBOARD PUNJAB KINGS INNINGS (20 overs maximum) Mayank Agarwal (c) b Mustafizur Rahman 24 Shikhar Dhawan c †Pant b Lalit Yadav 9 Jonny Bairstow c Mustafizur Rahman b Ahmed 9 Liam Livingstone st †Pant b Patel 2 Jitesh Sharma †lbw b Patel 32 M Shahrukh Khan c †Pant b Ahmed 12 Kagiso Rabada b Kuldeep Yadav 2 Nathan Ellis b Kuldeep Yadav 0 Rahul Chahar c Powell b Lalit Yadav 12 Arshdeep Singh run out (†Pant) 9 Vaibhav Arora not out 2 Extras (lb 1, w 1) 2 TOTAL 20 Ov (RR: 5.75) 115 Fall of wickets: 1-33 (Shikhar Dhawan, 3.4 ov), 2-35 (Mayank Agarwal, 4.3 ov), 3-46 (Liam Livingstone, 5.3 ov), 4-54 (Jonny Bairstow, 6.4 ov), 5-85 (Jitesh Sharma, 12.1 ov), 6-90 (Kagiso Rabada, 13.4 ov), 7-90 (Nathan Ellis, 13.6 ov), 8-92 (M Shahrukh Khan, 14.3 ov), 9-108 (Rahul Chahar, 17.4 ov), 10-115 (Arshdeep Singh, 19.6 ov)

BOWLING Shardul Thakur Khaleel Ahmed Lalit Yadav Mustafizur Rahman Axar Patel Kuldeep Yadav

O-M-R-W 2-0-20-0 4-0-21-2 2-0-11-2 4-0-28-1 4-0-10-2 4-0-24-2

DELHI CAPITALS INNINGS (Target: 116 runs from 20 overs) Prithvi Shaw c Ellis b Chahar 41 David Warner not out 60 Sarfaraz Khan not out 12 Extras (w 6) 6 TOTAL 10.3 Ov (RR: 11.33) 119/1 Did not bat: Rishabh Pant (c)†, Rovman Powell, Lalit Yadav, Shardul Thakur, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Mustafizur Rahman, Khaleel Ahmed Fall of wickets: 1-83 (Prithvi Shaw, 6.3 ov) BOWLING O-M-R-W Vaibhav Arora 2-0-31-0 Kagiso Rabada 3-0-35-0 Arshdeep Singh 1-0-17-0 Nathan Ellis 2-0-15-0 Rahul Chahar 2.3-0-21-1

CCMC President David Mohammed delighted with Canada Over-60 championship win

P

resident of the Cricket Canada Masters Council (CCMC), David Mohammed, is delighted with the Over-60 Canadian team having emerged champion at the recently concluded four-team 45over tournament in Houston, USA. Masters Cricket USA held the event, and Canada defeated USA by 52 runs, thanks to an impressive unbeaten 102 from middleorder batsman Mukesh Narula.

Canada took first strike at the invitation of USA, and rattled up a respectable 2655 from 45 overs, while USA responded with 213 all out in the 42nd over.

Mohammed has said the over-60 guys showed a lot of commitment to their game, and deserved to be the winners at this inaugural tournament.

According to Mohammed, who led the Canadian Over50 side, Narula batted superbly, and to register a century in the final was even more remarkable.

“I must congratulate Narula and the Canada Over60 team for making us proud; they played well to the end,” Mohammed declared.

Apart from Narula’s outstanding batting display, Rohan Jayasekera hit 52, while Farrukh Kirmani chipped in with 46 not out, and 39 came from Allan DeSouza.

Seamer Dashrath Sarkhe claimed two wickets for 34 runs from his allotted nine overs bowling for the hosts.

When USA batted, Munzar Butt scored a fighting 54, while Dharmendra Patel and Wayne Copelall made 31 and 30 respectively.

Krishna Ramnarine took three wickets for 30 runs off 8.3 overs to spearhead the bowling attack for the Canadians. DeSouza proved his all-round capability by snatching two for 35 off eight overs, while Kirmani, Guyanese Bertram Narain, Narula and Wilson Seenathsingh each captured a wicket.

The other two teams that took part in the competition were West Indies and the hosts fielding a second side. USA topped the points table by the conclusion of the preliminary round, with three victories from as many matches; while Canada came in second with two wins, and West Indies had only one victory. USA second X1 failed

to win an encounter.

Mohammed also informed that the Canada Over-60 team would start preparing soon for a World Cup series to be staged in early September in Australia.

He is also expressing confidence that Canada can make an impression there too. He mentioned that with the team triumphing at this Houston tournament, the members are more equipped to compete harder on the big stage.

A large number of topnation cricketing teams are expected to participate in this tournament, including Australia, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, England, USA, West Indies and India.

Meanwhile, Mohammed reckoned that the Over-50 team was not fully prepared for its category, in which USA beat West Indies by 50 runs in the final to win the Over50 division. Four teams also took part in that tournament.

Mohammed feels the guys lacked turf practice, and that was a huge disadvantage to them.

According to Mohammed, CCMC would continue to work assiduously to prepare itself for the future tournaments.

22 Bruster’s Real Ice Cream and QualiTea Café Junior Golf Program off to a fantastic start at the Lusignan Golf Club THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2022

…Haynes emerges victorious

S

aturday afternoon was the launch of free junior golf at Guyana's famous Lusignan Golf Club.

The sponsors began by donating an assortment of kids’ golf clubs, bags, and gloves to the Lusignan Golf Club. This generous donation of equipment was handed over to the club so that kids would be able to play free of charge. Any child 15 years of age and under would have access to play golf, but a parent or guardian must first call the club manager at 220-5660 to arrange an appropriate time slot.

On Saturday, the kids arrived just after the conclusion of the morning Bruster's and QualiTea Café Cup Annual Golf Classic. A meal was offered to all attendees, followed by coaching

sessions from the Lusignan golfers and caddies, who were pleased to lend support to the 50 kids participating in competition.

After about an hour of practice, in which the kids were free to hit hundreds of practice shots, the competition commenced.

All kids between the ages of 6 and 15 were entered into the Drive, Chip and Putt competition. The competitors were grouped by age, and began by chipping the golf ball to the flag on the putting surface. The kids then went on to the putting green to compete in the second and final leg of the competition. After two exciting rounds of competition, all the points were tallied, and awards were given to the top 12-point earners.

Shane Haynes was the

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

leading points getter with a total of 345 points, winning the overall cup along with the first-place medal in his category. All other winners received medals. * Gold Medalists: 1st Shane, Haynes; 2nd, DeMarco Dalgetti; 3rd, Darren Todd; and 4th, Angel London * Silver Medalist: 1st, Chris Lillah; 2nd, Seth DeSilva; 3rd, Jalon Eastman; and 4th, Treyon Gordon * Bronze Medalist: 1st, Akira Bazilio; 2nd, Eva Bowling; 3rd, Nickette King; and 4th Tanya Taylor.

Kids of all ages, from as far away as Hopetown in West Berbice and Linden in Upper Demerara, and from Georgetown and around the Lusignan area attended the tournament. This was an

Road to Redemption: World title route at stake …Ramson Jr calls for support

P

anama’s Orlando Penalba will take on Guyana’s Elton Dharry for the WBC Super Flyweight International title, while Dexter ‘The Kid’ Marques makes a claim for the WBC Flyweight International Silver against Gilberto Pedroza, also of Panama.

The Panamanian boxers arrived in Guyana earlier this week, and paid a visit to Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Charles Ramson Jr., on Tuesday afternoon.

The Minister not only expressed his support for Saturday’s event, but words were once again traded by the Panamanians and their Guyanese opponents.

Assessing the fight card, Sport Minister Charles Ramson Jr., during a courtesy call on Tuesday afternoon, marveled at the fact that Guyana is right up there with some of the best talents in the world. As such, he is calling

Sport Minister Charles Ramson Jr and DoS Steve Ninvalle displaying the title belts, surrounded by pugilists Elton Dharry, Dexter Marques, Orlando Penalba, Gilberto Pedroza and GBBC President Peter Abdool

urge, “We also want Guyanese people to understand that this is really how we can grow all of the sports that we’re in; it comes with support, public support, always. It’s not only about Government support or Association support, or business support, it’s about just general support.”

Road to Redemption, set for a 6pm start on April 23, is said to be a play at resuscitating the professional boxing craze in the Caribbean.

This was divulged by GBBC President Peter Abdool, who spoke of the WBC’s persistence in making the titles available.

Abdool shared, “The WBC actually has been with us since Day 1. As you know, I’m

on the Board of Governors of the WBC, and it is very important to try to resuscitate Caribbean boxing, and they’ve been behind us and helped us in every possible way to try to get back to where we need to be.

It has not been an easy fight to get, because, in the first instance, the International title; there was actually a standing champion that was not defending his title. We were able to impress upon the WBC that the time arrived where it was necessary to do something about it. They actually stripped this gentleman in order to facilitate this fight,” the GBBC President said.

Speaking on the importance of the Road to Redemption and what is at stake for the challengers, Abdool divulged the progression for the pugilists who will raise the belts.

“The international belt will keep you in touching distance of the World title. So, of the four gentlemen sitting in this room, it’s going to create a tremendous opportunity for two of them,” Abdool said.

Aside from Dharry and Marques, other Guyanese such as Laured Stewart, James Moore, Imran ‘Magic’ Khan and James Walcott will be on show on Saturday.

The winners’ row

discipline where players must police themselves.

There is no referee walking behind a player to make a foul call. The players call penalties on themselves.

This is a great foundational lesson we hope to imprint in the psyche of our next generation of golfers and leaders.

In addition to learning this great game, the kids will also learn the value of the honour system, which polices all golfers” George explained.

The competition was run

by LGC Club Secretary Chet Bowling, who had a big hand in the successful running of the competition. Bowling spoke on behalf of the executive committee in expressing thanks to the sponsors for their commitment to youth development and corporate social responsibility. He also thanked all the attendees and volunteers, including caddies and players who assisted the parents and kids.

Livestream coverage for Under-15 Inter-County tournament

T

Elton Dharry and Orlando Penalba size up each other

for support.

“It gives us a good opportunity to see the folks who are at the top of their games contest and compete; and knowing that Guyana is at that level too, it shows that we’ve got a lot of talent, and we want to give Guyana the opportunity to keep advancing that talent,” the Sport Minister commented.

Ramson Jr. went on to

afternoon of learning and fun competition, complemented with ice cream and other treats provided by the co-sponsors, QualiTea Café and Bruster's Real Ice Cream. The sponsors, in partnership with the Lusignan Golf Club (LGC), have committed to having Easter Saturdays as the day for the annual kids’ golf Fun Day and Drive, Chip and Putt competition.

With the inaugural kids’ fun afternoon being such a smashing success, the groups are encouraged, and have already begun, to plan road trips to Hopetown Berbice and Linden for later in the summer. The goal is to provide golf equipment to kids in some of the far away areas, to enable them to practice the game and learn valuable life lessons in the process, as explained by Bruster's Guyana Director Paton George, who currently serves as the VP of the LGC. “Golf is…the only sport

he Guyana Cricket Board (GCB), in collaboration with Dave West Indies Imports and Exports, will commence the Under-15 Inter-County Tournament 2022 on Friday April 22, 2022. The first- round matches will be played at the Imam Bacchus Ground in Essequibo and at the Number 69 ground in Berbice respectively.

The playing of matches at various venues across the

that comes with the responsibility of representing teams.”

President Singh went on to remark that another priority choice of the GCB’s 5-year strategy plan is to provide livestream of Inter-County matches. He said “this allows our players and proud sponsors to be further marketed within and outside of Guyana. The live and recorded videos will give players and coaches additional op-

released, and representative teams will be released prior to the first round. However, the first-round match, Essequibo versus Demerara, at Imam Bacchus will have livestream coverage on the link https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=KRyqBgNIj3k

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Flashback! A glimpse of the under-15 action pre-pandemic

country, as against restricting matches to Demerara, is a priority choice of the GCB. President Bissoondyal Singh pointed out that it is critical that we expose players from an early age to varying conditions. He said, “by playing matches across the country, players will need to assess and adapt to the different pitch conditions in real time – within the context of a match.

Further, travelling across the country gives players more opportunities to grow as a team, to negotiate challenges that arise due to the dynamics of the team, and to display the ambassador qualities

portunity to assess players’ strengths and weaknesses, and to strategically plan for their development.”

The GCB/Dave West Indies Imports and Exports Under-15 Inter-County Tournament 2022 will have live stream and commentary for each round, beginning with livestreaming at Imam Bacchus in round one, Albion Community Centre ground in round two, Everest Cricket Club ground in round three, and Georgetown Cricket Club ground, Bourda for the finals on Friday April 29, 2022.

The full fixtures will be

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23

Kieron Pollard retires from international cricket

W

est Indies limitedovers captain Kieron Pollard has retired from international cricket. He has announced the decision on social media on Wednesday, a day before his IPL franchise Mumbai Indians' game against Chennai Super Kings.

"After careful deliberation, I've today decided to retire from international cricket," Pollard wrote on Instagram. "As is the case of many young persons, it was a dream of mine to represent the West Indies team from the time I was a boy of 10 years, and I'm proud to have represented West Indies cricket for over 15 years in both the T20I and ODI forms of the game.

"I can still vividly remember making my international debut in 2007 under the leadership of my childhood hero, Brian Lara.

Wearing those maroon colours and playing alongside such greats has been a privilege that

Kieron Pollard smashed six sixes in 2021 against Sri Lanka

I never took lightly, giving my heart and soul in every facet of the game - whether bowling, batting or fielding."

Pollard went on to call captaining West Indies "the highest honour bestowed" on him, and said that he led with "passion, openness, courage, and everything I could ever possibly give, both on and off the field, without ever compromising

my principles and integrity."

Pollard played 123 ODIs from 2007 to 2022, scoring 2706 runs at an average of 26.01, with three centuries, and took 55 wickets along the way too.

In 101 T20Is, he scored 1569 runs, while striking at 135.14 with a high score of 75 not out.

He never played a Test for West Indies, and was one of many white-ball specialists for West

Indies for more than a decade.

He has played the secondmost men's international games (224) without playing a Test, after David Miller.

He was, however, left out of the ODI team in December 2014, ahead of a series in South Africa. His axing - along with that of Darren Sammy and Dwayne Bravo - came soon after West Indies had pulled out of their tour of India with an ODI, a T20I and three Tests still remaining, following a dispute between Cricket West Indies and the Players' Association over payment structures.

Pollard returned to international cricket in June 2016, and was then made captain for ODIs and T20Is in 2019. He went on to lead them to series wins against Afghanistan in India, Ireland at home, Sri Lanka both at home and away in T20Is, and against England at home earlier this year in T20Is.

Pollard celebrating a series win over England

Overall, he led West Indies in 61 matches in the two formats, of which they won 25 and lost 31.

Pollard was also part of the West Indies side that won the T20 World Cup in 2012 in Sri Lanka. He once hit Sri Lanka spinner Akila Dananjaya for six sixes in an over - in a T20I last year - becoming only the third batter to do so in international

cricket, after Herschelle Gibbs and Yuvraj Singh, both in 2007.

Pollard is the only West Indies cricketer to have played 100 T20Is, and he struck the second-most sixes (234) for them in international cricket, after Chris Gayle's 552.

Pollard is currently in India, playing the IPL for five-time campions Mumbai Indians.

(Cricinfo)

WDFA bounce back Easter tourney

Pouderoyen clip Eagles’ wings to claim top trophy

P

ouderoyen Football Club (PFC) emerged as the champions of the West Demerara Football Association (WDFA) Easter bounce back tournament, which ended on Easter Sunday night at the Leonora Track and Field Centre Football Ground.

Coming up against the number one side in the Association, the

Pouderoyen lads prevailed 3-2 in an exciting final to lift the Trophy Stall-donated winners’ trophy. There were no cash prizes as the newlyelected WDFA Executive, led by Trevor Williams and Secretary Adrian Giddings, decided to pull off the tournament to give clubs the chance to get back into competitive mode.

Scoring for Pouderoyen

were Dwain St Kitts in the 10th minute, Chidi Matthews in the 40th minute, and Telelen Adolph, one minute later. Eagles got their goals from Nashawn Livan in the 20th minute and Daniel Clark in the 60th minute.

The other teams that competed were Uitvlugt Warriors, Bell West, Crane Rovers, and Wales.

NSC plugs $2M into Green Machine …will spring into action on Saturday

G

uyana’s rugby team have landed in The Bahamas where they will stake a claim for spots in major international tournaments, commencing this weekend.

Rugby Americas North (RAN) Sevens Championship in The Bahamas, which is expecting participation from 15 men’s teams and six women’s teams, is set to run off this weekend, from April 23 to April 24, 2022.

Earlier this week, the Guyana Rugby Football Union (GRFU) announced a 13-man squad for the event, which included: Jamal Angus, Godfrey Broomes, Tyrese Prescod, Avery Corbin, Michael Barrow, Michael Edwards, Lancelot Adonis, Owen Adonis, Peabo Hamilton, Rickford Cummings, Lionel Holder, Vallon Adams, and Matthew Talbot.

In addition, the Green Machine has opted to employ the services of nontravelling reserves, which include Joshua Griffith, David Garnette, Adrian Hall, and Dwayne Schroeder.

Prior to the team’s departure, it was revealed that the Green Machine had received the timely assistance of the National Sports Commission (NSC), to the tune of $2 million.

The presentation was made by Director of Sport (DoS), Steve Ninvalle at his

DoS Steve Ninvalle handing over the NSC’s donation to GRFU’s Ryan Dey in the presence of Coach Theodore Henry

Middle Street, Georgetown office and on the receiving end was the team’s Manager and GRFU President Ryan Dey and Head Coach Theodore Henry.

This weekend, Guyana’s fixtures will comprise an opening contest with Curaçao on Saturday, mid-morning.

Later in the afternoon, Guyana will battle old rivals Jamaica, after which they will take on The Bahamas on Saturday evening.

The weekend tournament

will act as a qualification tournament for the Commonwealth Games, to be held from July 28 to August 8. The male team that finish on top will represent RAN at the Games in Birmingham, England.

Additionally, the top two men’s teams and a female team will gain qualification to the Rugby World Cup Sevens, billed for September 9-11, 2022, in Cape Town, South Africa.

WDFA Bounce Back champions Pouderoyen Football Club seen with Association President Trevor Williams (second right) and Second Vice President Christine Schmidt (right) following the presentation

THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2022

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

Page 23

Page 23

NSC plugs $2M into Green Machine

…will spring into action on Saturday

Sir Andy Roberts, Roland Butcher to commence BCB visit today

Page 22

L

egendary West Indies fast-bowler Sir Andy Roberts and former England cricketer Roland Butcher will commence their Berbice visit today, Thursday April 21. The duo will visit the Rose Hall Canje Community Centre Ground from 11:00h, before visiting the West Berbice area from 14:00h.

The visit of Sir Andy is a continuation of the BCB countywide coaching programme, with special emphasis being placed from the under-13 to under-19 levels.

BCB President Hilbert Foster had earlier stated that the main objective of the massive and well-organised coaching programme is to identify the most promising players in the county and make sure that they have all the opportunities to develop.

Over the last four years, thousands of youths have benefited from intense training by the BCB panel of coaches headed by Level Three Coach Winston Smith. Special emphasis has been placed on batting, physical fitness, mental preparation, fast bowling, fielding, wicket keeping, off-spin, legspin and left-hand or orthodox spin.

Additionally, the BCB created history when it published its coaching manual for youth

Roland Butcher

Sir Andy Roberts

players and a youth information booklet. Since 2022, the BCB has hosted a series of very successful coaching clinics with former players Clyde Butts, Sheik Mohamed, Sean Devers, Reon King, Nolan McKenzie and the legendary Sir Curtly Ambrose.

Foster was contacted by a close friend of Sir Andy, and he readily agreed to the visit, which is scheduled to take place between the 20th and 24th of April.

Widely considered as an encyclopedia on the game, Sir Andy is expected to have one-onone meetings along with group sessions with Berbice top junior and senior players. He would be assisted by a battery of local coaches, including Winston Smith, Travis Hardcourt, Leslie Solomon, Delbert Hicks, Julian Moore, and Balram Samaroo.

Roberts, fondly known as the “Hitman”, played 47 Test matches between 1974 and 1983. He took 202 wickets at an average of 25.6 and an economy rate of 2.67. He played in three World Cup Finals, winning in 1975 and 1979.

At the same time, the Barbados-born Butcher, who was the first person of African descent to play for England, would be conducting a batting clinic for about 40 of Berbice’s finest. Butcher, a close family friend of the BCB President, offered his services to the Board after saying he was very impressed by the high standards of its work.

Butcher played three Test matches and three One-Day Internationals for England, while scoring over 17,000 runs at the First-Class and 50-overs levels overall.

Bruster’s Real Ice Cream and QualiTea Café Junior Golf Program off to a fantastic start at the Lusignan Golf Club …Haynes emerges victorious

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