Guyana Times - Thursday, August 11, 2022

GPF recruits lobby for full decentralisation of training colleges P13 …say training expenses unaffordable

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

Issue No. 5097

THE BEACON OF TRUTH THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2022

British Airways to begin Guyana flights in 2023 …reflects growing confidence globally in Guyana as Page 2

tourism, economic hub – British High Commissioner

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$100 VAT INCLUDED

WHAT'S INSIDE: Execution P10 attempt leaves 2 men nursing 8 gunshot wounds

Suspension of 8 APNU/AFC MPs

Attempts to stay suspension denied again by P8 Court

Page 15

Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo on Wednesday met with some workers in the sugar industry, inclusive of private cane farmers, to discuss issues affecting them and the industry. The meeting was to fulfill a commitment he made over the weekend during his engagement with residents at Uitvlugt and Patentia, West Bank Demerara

Over 10,000 yet to collect “Because We Care” cash grant – Education Minister GTI gets President Ali commits to more scholarships as 5 new $6.2M in land land surveyors sworn-in surveying equipment from FAO …20 scholarships being offered Page 14

Page 3

Page 7

…to set up land surveying institution

Father, daughter found guilty of beating fisherman to death …neighbour freed

See story on page 11

Over 3kg ganja found stashed in Mazaruni P12 Prison

Berbice businessman’s death

Manslaughter P9 charge withdrawn, suspect now slapped with murder charge

Cocaine, stolen gun found during Police raids P13

2 NEWS

THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

British Airways to begin Guyana flights in 2023 …reflects growing confidence globally in Guyana as tourism, economic hub – British High Commissioner

B

ritish Airways will commence operations from the United Kingdom to Guyana in 2023 but tickets are expected to go on sale from this week.

British Airways joins several other airlines that provide air travel out of Guyana.

This announcement was made on Wednesday by Public Works Minister Juan Edghill.

“We gathered today [and] announced the successful completion of negotiations and today, [the] 10th of August, tickets for Guyana and for London via British Airways goes on sale,” the Minister said at a press conference, adding “British is the new carrier to enter the Guyana market starting today (Wednesday).”

The service will begin flying with in the first quarter of 2023.

“Today’s announcement and start of selling is to ensure adequate lead time and a proper rollout of this service,” the Minister noted.

He stated that they anticipate twice weekly service to Guyana and return from the airline, which will be using a Boeing 777 that will use 200ER equipment.

“ER meaning Extended Range with capacity for the carriage of fuel and this air-

craft will have a capacity of 332 passengers. That puts into perspective exactly why we did not accept the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) the way it was being envisage and constructed when we came into Government because such an equipment, the triple seven 200ER would not have been able to operate out of CJIA because the boarding bridges would not have been able to accommodate that.”

He noted that with the extensions that “we were able to get China Harbour to put in place at their cost which will accommodate the code D and code E type aircraft we can now accommodate these huge white body carriers bringing 332 passengers on board at a time,” Edghill explained.

He stated that this is a

“game changer” in the market as it now doubles the amount that is carried by other aircraft at the CJIA. The cost of fights is also expected to be cheaper due to the size of the aircraft that will be plying this route.

Flights will be done in transit with St Lucia, which according to Edghill, will also open new opportunities for St Lucia as well.

“These flights will be coming through St Lucia and that means that were opening up really a new market a part from British airways bringing in European visitors or tourists, the fact that the flight will be coming in and out through St Lucia, it gives St Lucia a direct link with Guyana and that could also bring in a lot of people from the eastern Caribbean into Guyana directly,” he said.

CEO of the CJIA, Ramesh Ghir; Minister Within the Public Works Ministry, Deodat Indar; Tourism, Industry and Commerce Minister Oneidge Walrond, British High Commissioner Jane Miller and Public Works Minister Juan Edghill at the press conference on Wednesday

New opportunities

Meanwhile, the British High Commissioner to Guyana, Jane Miller stated that this opens new opportunities that will strengthen the Guyana and UK relations.

“It reflects a growing confidence globally in Guyana both in its tourism as an economic hub for the Latin American and the Caribbean, so it thinks with that new confidence people like British Airways are coming in seeing huge opportunities,” she explained.

She added that this will give an opportunity to the people of the UK to experience Guyana’s rich biodiversity and tourist attractions.

“This is the most amazing tourist destination and so many people don’t know about it, going out into the black rivers and seeing the waterfalls and seeing the amazing biodiversity, the Rupununi, so I think it’s an incredible tourist destination and for sport and so many other things,” the High Commissioner said.

Meanwhile, Tourism Industry and Commerce

Minister Oneidge Walrond further highlighted that the new airline provider to Guyana will now grant better access to the diaspora in the UK which surpasses 30,000 people.

“This means a lot for tourism, British Airways is coveted and one of the premier airlines and the fact that we have many people, our diaspora is over 30,000 living in the UK and they have been able to get direct access to Guyana.

“Our diaspora contributes to large part of our tourism market as well,” she added.

NEWS

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THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

BRIDGE OPENINGS OPENINGS BRIDGE

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

Thursday, Aug 11 – 02:30h – 04:00h and Friday, Aug 12 – 03:30h – 05:00h.

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WEATHER TODAY

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High Tide: 16:20h reaching a maximum height of 2.57 metres.

Low Tide: 09:50h and 22:08h reaching minimum heights of 0.53 metre and 0.64 metre.

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 10, 2022

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COMMODITIES Indicators

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$1787.40 -1.50

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President Ali commits to more scholarships as 5 new land surveyors sworn-in …to set up land surveying institution

W

ith Guyana embarking on massive developments across the country, the country’s need for land surveyors will increase and President Dr Irfaan Ali has committed to ensuring that there is scope for academic growth within this critical field.

“In terms of your academic progression, definitely, we will be examining the opportunities out there and then we will set aside, annually, a number of scholarships that suit your field,” the Head of State declared at the swearing-in ceremony of five new land surveyors at State House on Wednesday.

This commitment was in response to a plea from the Commissioner of Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission (GL&SC), Enrique Monize, who pointed out that the sector is losing its professionals due to the limited means for surveyors to advance themselves academically.

“There is really and truly no higher education in land surveying in the country and for us to achieve higher education, we have to go to London… or probably, I think UWI (University of the West Indies) is offering some courses right now.

I would like to encourage the Government to look into the sponsorship of surveying students because we are using them to other fields because they can't go forward… because there is no higher education,” the GL&SC Head stated.

In fact, he disclosed that in Government’s GOAL Scholarship Programme, there is only one programme relating to surveying – Land Economy – and most of the staff of the Commission have already signed up for it.

Monize went on to state that with the developments Guyana is currently undergoing, the Lands and Surveys Commission is in much need of specialist land surveyors, especially in areas such as geodesy, geographic information system (GIS), hydrographic engineering surveys, among others.

To this end, he encouraged the five newly swornin surveyors to ensure they pursue higher education.

As it is, Guyana currently has about 75 land surveyors registered in the country but only about 40 to 50 of them are actively operating right now.

This includes surveyors in other State agencies and Ministries.

In comparison to other countries in the region such as Trinidad and Jamaica, the GL&SC Head contended that Guyana’s

President Dr Irfaan Ali with the five newly sworn-in land surveyors

surveying capacity is inadequate.

“Our landmass is much more than those countries and we are seeing a phenomenal increase in development projects such as roads, housing schemes, hotels, agriculture project, D&I (drainage and irrigation) projects, and much more. Land surveyors are usually the first person on the land as they are responsible for providing the cadastral, topographic and other engineering data that guides the execution of projects.”

“We, as surveyors and mapping specialists, must

be prepared to ensure that we can deliver quality surveying service to support the development of this country… I see surveyors being busy for a long time to come. So, gentlemen, be prepared to work hard in a very fast-paced environment,” Monize stated.

Land surveying institution

Meanwhile, in an effort to address the capacity gap in the local surveying field, President Ali on Wednesday outlined a series of initiatives that Government will be putting in place.

This includes the establishment of a land surveying institution that will not only cater to building local capacity but also serve the wider Caribbean and Latin American region.

“Our vision is to create a land surveying institution in this country that will provide services for the entire Caribbean and Latin America. We must be in a position in three years to have such a skill base that we can be tendering in every other jurisdiction to provide surveying work,” he posited.

TURN TO PAGE 5

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THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 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

Access to mental health care

T

he Mental Health Protection and Promotion Bill which was passed this week will now make mental health services more accessible to Guyanese.

As part of the Bill the Government is now required to give mental health patients access to care.

In his presentation on the Bill, Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony had said that local statistics show that 15-20 per cent of Guyanese have a form mental health illness - mild, severe, acute.

This newspaper has had several editorials where it was pointed out that much discussion has been had locally about the mental health of citizens. While in many instances the topic was categorised as ‘taboo’ in many cultures, it came to fore as the COVID-19 pandemic took centre stage all around the world. It is well-known that the pandemic has taken a severe toll on the mental well-being of persons all over the world.

For example, the initial challenges of dealing with the lockdown measures, the fear of being infected with the virus or having to deal with the death of a loved one have caused tremendous stress and anxiety on many. All of this is added to the economic pressures that are brought on due to persons not being able to go out and work to support themselves and families.

Due to the lack of resources, many countries are unable to mount the kind of response that is needed to address the mental health challenges of their populations or many are forced to scale back the level of response needed due to other areas competing for scarce resources.

As Hamlet had stated in his writings, “I have of late – but wherefore I know not – lost all my mirth, forgone all custom of exercise; and, indeed, it goes so heavily with my disposition that this goodly frame, the earth, seems to me a sterile promontory…”

Depression is part of the human condition and Hamlet’s description of its symptoms matches those in a modern medical textbook. The categorisation has become more precise, the treatments more advanced, but the illness is still badly understood and its consequences often hidden.

Depression remains if not a source of shame, then at least bewilderment to those who suffer from it and those around them. Yet it is on the increase, neurotic disorders affecting one in six adults at some point in their lives. Society, and medical science, needs a better response.

Back in 2010, UK Journalist and the Guardian’s head of special projects, who led a team of Journalists investigating international trends and issues, Mark Rice-Oxley wrote powerfully of his “decline from unremarkable working dad of three to stranded depressive sitting on the floor doing simple jigsaws”.

His shock was not just at the crushing effect of a condition that seemed to come from nowhere, but the confusion about how to overcome it.

The truth is medical advances have controlled many diseases, but depression in its different forms is either becoming more common or being detected more often – and perhaps both. Pharmaceutical treatments, while restricted in their effectiveness, are being used much more widely.

However, part of the challenge is defining what it is to be depressed. The term has such a wide common meaning that it can be used to cover anything from passing grief to long-term illness. The Royal College of Psychiatrists lists typical symptoms: feeling utterly tired; feeling useless, inadequate and hopeless; and feeling unhappy most of the time among them. But there can be no medical exactitude to an illness experienced in different degrees and different ways by different people – only that you know it when it comes.

The human mind is the most extraordinary and least understood part of the body, the source of joy and creativity.

It can also, as Hamlet knew, create the horror of depression: “This brave o’erhanging firmament, this majestical roof fretted with golden fire, why, it appears no other thing to me than a foul and pestilent congregation of vapours.”

Vice President Dr Bharrat Jagdeo chatting with some farmers from Den Amstel, West Coast Demerara on Wednesday at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre. The engagement was to fulfill a commitment made during meetings held over the weekend at Uitvlugt and Patentia (Office of the Vice President photo)

Serena Williams’s retirement is no fairytale – it’s a heartbreaking choice between family and career

By Megan Maurice

R

etirement from sport rarely plays out the way it is depicted in movies. We picture an athlete finishing with a win against the odds, having achieved everything they wanted out of the sport, and moving happily into the next phase of their life.

In reality, very few athletes finish with a win. No matter how hard they wish for it, they walk away having lost a final, or without making a final at all. And all too often, retirement is forced – through injury or non-selection – and the athlete is left with a niggling feeling that they left unfinished business behind.

In most people’s eyes, Serena Williams falls more into the Hollywood fantasy category. She holds the Open-era record of 23 Grand Slam titles; she has four Olympic gold medals; and her childhood has been memorialised in the 2021 film King Richard. She has been outspoken and unapologetically herself, she has inspired people across the world. If she wins the US Open next month, she even has a shot at the complete fairytale ending – bowing out with a win on the biggest stage.

Except that in Williams’s mind, it would not be a fairytale. She does not feel the way many athletes do when they retire after a long career – physically and emotionally ravaged by years in the often-brutal world of elite sport. Despite all her achievements, her full trophy cabinet, the millions she

has inspired, Williams is likely to walk away feeling like she has unfinished business – whether or not she wins that final tournament.

She is making a choice that women all over the world make every day: family or career? The 40-year-old has been upfront about her wish to have a second child.

After the complications that nearly killed her following the birth of her first child Olympia, having another child is not a simple or straightforward matter, and after long consideration, she has made the understandable decision to not attempt to balance professional tennis and pregnancy this time around.

In her farewell to tennis, published in Vogue on Tuesday, Williams cut straight to the point about the unfairness of her decision.

“Believe me, I never wanted to have to choose between tennis and a family,” she said. “I don’t think it’s fair. If I were a guy, I wouldn’t be writing this, because I’d be out there playing and winning while my wife was doing the physi-

cal labour of expanding our family.”

While it is a problem that is overwhelmingly prevalent in women’s sport, it is certainly not an issue that is limited to sport. It is noticeable in sport because of its public visibility and because it is a physically demanding job. Only last month, the former Queensland Firebirds netballer Romelda AikenGeorge claimed she was not offered a contract for next season because the club deemed it “too risky” (The club unequivocally denies that she was not offered a contract because she is pregnant).

But even in the world of office jobs, which involve train commutes rather than training sessions, very similar sacrifices are being made. More women than men are taking part-time roles to avoid putting their children in full-time childcare for financial reasons, or simply because they feel guilty. They are asking for more flexibility to do school pick-ups. They are deciding not to put themselves forward for that promotion, or take that opportunity to

travel, because the burden of organising childcare to accommodate those increased demands on their time is too much.

Williams’s words about her choice speak deeply to many women balancing these multiple lives.

“I definitely don’t want to be pregnant again as an athlete,” she said. “I need to be two feet into tennis or two feet out.”

It is something that many women have dreamt about – the opportunity to be fully invested in our careers while we are at work and fully invested in our families outside of it. But these lives bleed into each other, and feeling forced to make a choice is heartbreaking. Sometimes it seems as if we are trying to be too many different people at once.

Williams’s retirement – and the fact that she has been so open about resenting that she must make this choice – are stark reminders that even in 2022, women’s time is often not our own.

When one of the most successful women in the world is forced to choose between her family and her career, when it is a choice she does not want to make, it is troubling to stop and consider what that means for the progress we have made.

“I’m going to miss that version of me, that girl who played tennis,” Williams said at the end of her farewell. It is a simple sentiment, but one that rings true. So many of us women have versions of ourselves buried deep inside that we miss every day. (The Guardian)

guyanatimesgy.com

THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2022

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News

Houses at Great Diamond on track to be completed for Cricket Carnival …all proceeds from renting to assist low-income homeowners

C

onstruction for a number of two-bedroom low-income homes at Great Diamond, East Bank Demerara, which will be used to accommodate visitors of the inaugural Cricket Carnival is moving apace.

Minister within the Housing and Water Ministry Susan Rodrigues and Head of the Guyana Police Force Special Branch, Errol Watts inspected the site on Wednesday to discuss security measures for the area.

“The Police are here to ensure that the sites are well secured and so that visitors who are coming

here will feel safe in occupying one of these houses during that time,” the Minister is quoted as saying in a release from the Central Housing and Planning Authority.

Each two-bedroom home spans (20 ft) in width and 30 ft in length or a total of six hundred square feet (600 sq ft). It also includes living, dining and kitchen quarters.

President Ali commits to...

FROM PAGE 3

GL&SC Commissioner Enrique Monize (front middle) and Education Minister Priya Manickchand, along with other officials, at Wednesday’s swearing-in ceremony for the new land surveyors

According to the Head of State, Government will use the revenues from the oil and gas sector to position the country in a way that it invests in the right technology, trained human resources and get all the necessary certificates in order to compete regionally.

However, stressing the important role land surveyors have to play in supporting the country’s infrastructural development, the President underscored the importance of changing the traditional way of operation in the surveying sector. He explained that this begins at the training level by enhancing the programme to address the deficiencies.

To this end, he disclosed that the Education Ministry will be working with the GL&SC to establish a new programme for students to take to bolster their basic understanding of surveying before sitting the examination.

Students are trained at the Government Technical Institute (GTI) for land surveying.

“So, before we embark on the examination of students in the future, there are three things I want to

suggest that must be put in place from the next programme. We must have the Ministry of Education working with you on the development of three manuals specifically to your industry – a mathematics manual, a manual on writing skills and language, and a manual on geography or our national landscape… We cannot become only reliant on technology. It is important that we have basic fundamental knowledge inherent to our own CPU about the geographic landscape in which we hope to serve,” the Head of State underscored.

According to President Ali, this could help the surveying training programme to have a higher pass rate – something which has been consistently low over the years.

The five surveyors who took the oath of office on Wednesday were administered their examination in December 2021. Of the 31 candidates who sat the exam, only a mere five were successful.

These are: Elijah Persaud, Marc Nicholson, Royston Washington, Tedwin Roach and Terron Roberts.

Last year, 17 new land

surveyors including four females were sworn-in.

(G8)

An aerial view of construction ongoing on the low-income houses

All proceeds gathered from renting the units will be used as down payments to assist low-income earners, who will subsequently be allocated the units.

Rodrigues highlighted that the low-income homes are strategically positioned to the benefit of both Carnival goers, as well as the beneficiaries of the Ministry’s housing programme, since they are bordered by the Eccles to Great Diamond Four-lane Highway on the north; the new Eccles to Great Diamond Interlink Road on the west and the East Bank Public Road towards the east.

“From the moment that this highway is completed and commissioned the value of these properties will skyrocket, improving their net worth and ensur-

ing that the President’s vision of equitable distribution and equal opportunity for all income earners [is achieved],” said the Minister, who also inspected works at the highway during the visit.

Additionally, the housing project fosters economic growth through the provision of employment opportunities for skilled and unskilled workers.

Contracts for the homes were awarded to 25 contractors and approximately 1000 persons are currently employed under the project.

The homes are at various stages of completion; however, all units are expected to be completed in

time for the event.

Cricket Carnival is slated for September 16 to October 2, 2022. It is being spearheaded by the Tourism, Industry and Commerce Ministry and the Ministry of Culture Youth and Sport; and coincides with the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) semi-finals which will be held on September 2728, 2022 and finals on September 30, 2022.

Director of Projects at the Central Housing and Planning Authority Omar Narine, Deputy Director of Projects Intakab Indarjeet and other senior technical staff were also present at Wednesday’s inspection.

Thursday, August 11, 2022

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THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2022

Page

Foundation ◄

Decimal place value and rounding Sometimes you will be asked to round a number with a decimal to the nearest whole number. You need to look at the number on the right side of the decimal point.

If that number is less than five, keep the whole number as it is. If that number is 5 or greater, add 1 to the whole number.

In other exercises, you might need to round a decimal to the nearest tenth, the nearest hundredth, or the nearest thousandth. Always look at the number to the right of the place you are rounding to. For example, if you are rounding to tenths, look at the hundredths place. If the number you look at is less than 5, keep the original number, but only to the place you need. If that number is 5 or greater, add 1 to the number in the tenths place.

Example: Round 32.612 to a whole number Step 1: Look at the number to the immediate right of the decimal point: 6 Step 2: Ask yourself: Is that number 5 or greater?

It is.

Step 3: Add 1 to the whole number: 32 + 1 = 33

Example: Round 32.612 to the nearest hundredth Step 1: Look at the place to the right of the hundredth place. (It will be the number in the thousandths place.)

Step 2: Ask yourself: Is that number 5 or greater?

It is not.

Step 3: Keep the original number, but only to the place you need: 32.61

Exercises:

Round to the nearest whole number: 1) 34.050 2) 2.897 3) 67.900 4) 110.125 Round to the nearest tenth: 5) 34.050 6) 2.897 7) 67.900 8) 110.125

Round to the nearest hundredth: 9) 34.050 10) 2.897 11) 67.900 12) 110.125 Round to the nearest thousandth: 13) 34.050 14) 2.897 15) 67.900 16) 110.125

CONTINUED FROM WEDNESDAY

“I think,” answered the bean, “that as we have so fortunately escaped death, we should keep together like good companions, and lest a new mischance should overtake us here, we should go away together, and repair to a foreign country.”

The proposition pleased the two others, and they set out on their way together. Soon, however, they came to a little brook, and as there was no bridge or foot-plank, they did not know how they were to get over it. The straw hit on a good idea, and said: “I will lay myself straight across, and then

By The Brothers Grimm you can walk over on me as on a bridge.” The straw therefore stretched itself from one bank to the other, and the coal, who was of an impetuous disposition, tripped quite boldly on to the newly-built bridge. But when she had reached the middle, and heard the water rushing beneath her, she was after all, afraid, and stood still, and ventured no farther. The straw, however, began to burn, broke in two pieces, and fell into the stream.

The coal slipped after her, hissed when she got into the water, and breathed her last. The bean, who

had prudently stayed behind on the shore, could not but laugh at the event, was unable to stop, and laughed so heartily that she burst.

It would have been all over with her, likewise, if, by good fortune, a tailor who was travelling in search of work, had not sat down to rest by the brook. As he had a compassionate heart he pulled out his needle and thread, and sewed her together. The bean thanked him most prettily, but as the tailor used black thread, all beans since then have a black seam.

The End

WORD SEARCH

7 GTI gets $6.2M in land surveying equipment from FAO NEWS

THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

…20 scholarships being offered

I

The land surveying equipment donated to GTI by the FAO

n order to assist Guyana to boost its land surveying capacity, the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) has donated over US$30,000 in surveying equipment to the Government Technical Institute (GTI).

The several pieces of surveying equipment were handed over on Wednesday following the swearing-in ceremony of five new land surveyors at State House.

Land surveyors are trained through a programme offered at the GTI. This donation is part of the Sustainable Land Management and Development Project being implemented by the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission (GL&SC) in partnership with the FAO and funded by Guyana's Redd+ Investment Fund.

FAO Country Representative in Guyana, Dr Gillian Smith, said that the organisation is committed to continuously supporting the country’s development agenda, particularly as it relates to land management. In fact,

she posited that it is due to the drive of local agencies such as the GL&SC that the FAO has made the donation.

“We know that the work that the project is doing is only a very, very small part of the bigger, comprehensive and more ambitious land management agenda and work of the Government. But under the vision of GL&SC and the Government, this project is doing its part to support updated base maps for several administrative regions. Support is being provided in the modernising efforts that are being made for land administration and lease management systems and processes, land surveying and cadastral systems, among other areas,” Dr Smith stated.

Produced experts

The FAO official went on to laud the Guyana Government for prioritising human capacity building.

“Guyana recognises the critical contribution that this makes to sustainable development in gener-

al, and particularly how it complements all of the infrastructure investment that is being done here.

Specifically, here, human resource capacity is vital, as we have heard, in achieving land management and sustainable land development,” she noted.

In fact, Dr Smith further acknowledged the fact that over the years, GTI has produced experts in land surveying, many of whom are now leaders in the field. To this end, in addition to the surveying equipment, the FAO official also announced that this project is also offering scholarships to 20 new students in the academic year commencing in September.

These scholarship students will be doing a field attachment with the GL&SC and this will allow them a chance to underpin the theoretical foundations that they will receive with practical experience that is extremely vital.

Another component of this project is work being done to address patterns of land degradation and identifying and prioritising

FAO Country Representative Dr Gillian Smith handing over the land surveying equipment to a GTI official in the presence of Education Minister Priya Manickchand, President Dr Irfaan Ali, and GL&SC Head, Enrique Monize, on Wednesday at State House

land restoration practices that will then be scaled up. According to the FAO Representative, this can directly support the targets of Guyana’s Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) to restore up to 200,000 hectares of land by 2030.

Importance of practical skills

M e a n w h i l e , Education Minister Priya Manickchand expressed gratitude to the FAO for its donation to GTI, as she emphasised the importance of developing practical skills during training programmes such as land surveying.

“We are fully aware that academic and the traditional academia and subjects that we've pursued remain important. But we are very aware of how necessary it is to upskill more, many, or even all of the members of our population and you're going to see a renewed roll-

out of how we treat with TVET (technical and vocational education and training) even from the primary level in our country,” she posited.

Manickchand noted that the aim is to ensure that every student exiting high school is competent in at least one TVET area.

Further recognising the need for more land surveyors in Guyana and the fact that the GTI is the only institution that offers such qualifications, the Education Minister assured more will be done to support this field.

In fact, Manickchand stated that this is already happening with Government placing intensified attention and matching investment on TVET institutions across the country.

“It's important that the people we produce at the Ministry, we produce from the institutions of the

Ministry understand their role in building out this ‘One Guyana’ where unity and love and harmony is our goal to reach. And there are going to be new responsibilities in this new Guyana that is more aware of the harms of the bad work and who are more aware of the goodness that comes from good work. There's going to be more responsibilities placed on every public professional coming out,” the Education Minister noted.

She went on to say to the five newly sworn-in land surveyors that “…I urge you, in this time, to resolve that you’re going to go forward doing sworn land surveying work even as you earn the big bucks that could come with it, because big bucks do come from it; that you resolve that you will commit to serving with integrity and honest so that your name must never be a name that people associate with scampishness.” (G8)

8 NEWS

THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Suspension of 8 APNU/AFC MPs…

Attempt to stay suspension again denied by Court …AG to ask court to throw out challenge to Privileges Committee’s decision

Haunted by…

I

Opposition Chief Whip Christopher Jones

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Annette Ferguson

Maureen Philadelphia

Tabitha Sarabo-Halley

ttorney General Anil Nandlall, SC, intends to file a motion requesting that the High Court dismiss the case filed by eight APNU/AFC Members of Parliament (MPs) challenging a decision by the Parliamentary Committee of Privileges to suspend them

dismissal of the suspended MPs’ case, and another challenging the court’s jurisdiction to hear the matter.

The Opposition MPs are seeking against Nandlall, House Speaker Manzoor Nadir, and Clerk of the National Assembly Sherlock Isaacs an interim order sus-

Ganesh Mahipaul

Vinceroy Jordan

Natasha Singh-Lewis

Sherod Duncan

application by Attorney-atLaw Sase Gunraj to have the House Speaker removed as the second-named respondent.

Like Nandlall, the House Speaker also intends to dispute the court’s jurisdiction to hear the matter.

Oral arguments in the substantive matter are set for hearing on November 1.

The eight suspended MPs are being represented by Attorney-at-law Selwyn Pieters, Senior

ly, recommending the suspension of these eight Opposition MPs for violating Standing Orders and established customs and practices regarding acceptable behaviour of Parliamentarians.

According to the Committee’s report, its recommendations were based on video recordings, statements by staff of the Parliament Office and the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC), eyewitness accounts by other Members

Attorney General Anil Nandlall, SC

from attending the National Assembly.

Opposition Chief Whip Christopher Jones, Ganesh Mahipaul, Sherod Duncan, Natasha SinghLewis, Annette Ferguson, Vinceroy Jordan, Tabitha Sarabo-Halley and Maureen Philadelphia were officially suspended last month for participating in the infamous grabbing of the Speaker’s Mace — the most significant symbol in the National Assembly – and for disrupting the sitting of the National Assembly on December 29, 2021.

Among other things, the Parliamentary Committee of Privileges found that the behaviour of these Members of Parliament during the sitting had violated Standing Orders and established customs and practices regarding acceptable behaviour of Parliamentarians.

When their challenge came up for a second time on Wednesday before Justice Damone Younge, the Attorney General was granted leave to file two applications; one requesting the

pending any decision, resolution, or other determination made by the National Assembly to suspend them.

They are requesting another interim order allowing them to perform their duties until they have been afforded the right to be heard before the Parliamentary Sessional Select Committee of Privileges, pending the hearing and determination of their case.

Further, they are seeking, among other things, a declaration that the report of the Parliamentary Committee of Privileges is unconstitutional, null, void, and of no legal effect; and that their suspension is a breach of the principles of natural justice, because their rights, as guaranteed under Article 144 (8) of the Constitution of Guyana, have been infringed.

The request of these Members of Parliament for the interim orders were again denied at Wednesday’s virtual hearing. Strict timelines were given to the parties to file other legal documents, which include an

High Court Judge Damone Younge

Counsel Roysdale Forde, and Attorney Khemraj Ramjattan, the latter two being Opposition MPs.

Suspension

The Committee of Privileges was tasked with considering a Privilege Motion which stated that the eight Opposition Members, in attempting to prevent the second and third readings of the Natural Resource Fund (NRF) Bill, No. 20 of 2021, had conducted themselves in a gross, disorderly, contumacious and disrespectful manner, and had repeatedly ignored the authority of the National Assembly and that of the Speaker, thereby committing contempt and breaches of privileges.

Following investigations, the Parliamentary Committee of Privileges delivered its report in mid-Ju-

of the National Assembly, media reporters, and the public, both locally and internationally.

Additionally, each of these Opposition Members had been written to and asked to “show cause” why sanctions should not be meted out to them. Their responses were received and considered by the Committee.

Armed with those responses, the Committee “found that the named MPs were in violation of the Standing Orders and established Customs and Practices regarding acceptable behaviour of Members in the Assembly.” It therefore determined that the appropriate sanction available for the National Assembly to impose is suspension from service in the House.

TURN TO PAGE 15

…Dutchmen??

n Guyana, we all know about feared Dutchmen, don’t we?? Their ghosts hover about their old plantations that’s become our housing areas…waiting to pounce on the unwary. But their reputation exceeds their actual (mis)deeds, doesn’t it?? Has anyone actually been KILLED by one of these amorphous Dutchmen – except perchance from heart attacks brought on by fright?? Didn’t think so!!

But, for the record, your Eyewitness still don’t take no chances!! You never know!!!

However, the fear of the Dutchmen of yore seems to’ve been replaced by another (related??) bogeyman – the dreaded “Dutch Disease”!! And no, it’s not related to Monkeypox, or COVID, or any of these other diseases sweeping the planet. This one’s the dark cloud we’re now told might just overwhelm whatever silver linings we may stumble over in our quest to strike it rich!! Seems that after languishing in the economic doldrums of post-war Europe, which was getting richer by leaps and bounds, the Dutch struck gas off their coast.

Now everyone (not unreasonably) thought that was a good thing. But something strange happened on the way to enjoying the good life they’d enjoyed back in the day when they transported and exploited African slaves on their plantations here and elsewhere for free. As foreign exchange flowed in from their gas exports, their currency – the guilder – increased in value!! That’s a good thing, no?? Well, no!! It INCREASES the price of the OTHER goods you export, and as exports decrease, manufacturing falls, wage demands rise, and more folks have to fall back on providing services. The entire economy becomes distorted – all because of the resource discovery and exploitation!!

That’s why it’s also called the “Resource Curse”. But when you think about it, ANY large, sustained influx of foreign funds could start this domino effect – and it does!! Even large inflows of aid have been shown to be a culprit!! So, let’s look into this accusation by the Opposition Finance Czar Jordan, that we’re ALREADY in the throes of a full-blown attack of Dutch Disease. Right off the bat, we gotta acknowledge that we’ve struck oil and started earning (comparatively) massive amounts of foreign currency from the sale of our 14.5% of the oil profits.

But has our Guyana dollar appreciated in value?? Not the last time your Eyewitness looked – this morning!!

That’s been stuck in the low $200s to US$1 for years!!

But the Opposition points to the drop in exports of our traditional goods – rice, sugar and forest products. But none of this has anything to do with an appreciated Guyana dollar – but everything to do with excessive rainfall and other production problems!! And for sure, our wages haven’t ballooned!!! While we’re diversifying!!

Gwan da side, Chicken Little!! …constitutional changes Step by step, the PPP Government’s inching towards “constitutional change” - as promised in its winning manifesto. And which the Opposition’s demanding: to be GUARANTEED a share of the Government, or else!!

But hold it!! - wasn’t “constitutional change” also on the APNU/AFC manifesto in 2015 - which led them to pip the PPP and slide into office?? Whatever happened to that promise?? Blowin’ in the wind??

Nah…buried in the mud!! With great fanfare, right after the elections, the coalition had established a Steering Committee on Constitutional Reform, headed

by Nigel Hughes. With a welter of talent on constitutions, like Haslyn Parris and Bryn Pollard, they held hearings, took submissions across the country, and, pretty much on schedule – even though Parris passed away – submitted their recommendations to PM Moses Nagamootoo in Sept 2016.

And that’s where it languished until, after much pressure from Civil Society, it was revealed by Nagamootoo that he’d invited the UNDP, which came, inquired, and made recommendations in 2017.

Yet nothing ever came out of it!! …equity for Indigenous women This year, the theme for International Day for Indigenous Peoples was “the role of indigenous women in the preservation and transmission of traditional knowledge.”

And all that was done was parade them in grass skirts.

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, AUGUST 11, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

“We are not authorising any Berbice businessman’s death increase of fares” – Edghill Manslaughter charge withdrawn, to transportation operators suspect now slapped with murder charge

T

T

he proposal by public transportation operations who have been lobbying for an increase in fares has been rejected by Public Works Minister Juan Edghill.

During a press conference on Wednesday, Minister Edghill expressly declared that the Government does not support the increase that is being proposed by the public transportation operators.

“We have made it very clear: we are not authorising any increase of fares,” he said.

Most recently, some water taxi operators called for an increase in the regular fares, but Minister Edghill noted that the rise in cost of living is not only affecting persons who ply their trade in public transportation, but every single citizen. He also reiterated that a number of measures are being undertaken by the Government to cushion the effects of rising prices of fuel and other commodities.

“The man who is operating the boat, that would like to get an increase of fare, the Government of Guyana is subsidising his electrici-

ty just like how we are subsidising the electricity of the person who is travelling. What do I mean by that? The President has announced that, because of the increase in fuels, GPL cannot charge you an increase in light bill, the Government is paying part of your light bill to prevent you from having an increased light bill,” the Minister has said.

He added, “The Government is paying part of your water bill, to stop GWI from charging you more for water…and if the Government is subsidising the consumer and the operator, how could the operator say, ‘Pay me more, because I have a high cost of living’?

So, whether it’s minibuses, taxis, speed boats, we have said, ‘No, you could only get

more if the people want to pay more, but we have advised the people you have no right paying more’.”

Further, the Minister noted that it is not an opportune time for an increase, and he urged operators of public transportation to be sensitive about what is going on, not only in Guyana, but globally.

“It is not an opportune time; we have to be sensitive (and) we have to be our brother’s keeper. What is happening in our world is not just a Guyana problem, or a speed boat problem, or a minibus problem; it’s a global problem, and we have to be sensitive and we have to be responsive in these matters. So, at this particular time, the answer to increases is, ‘No’.”

he prosecution on Wednesday withdrew the manslaughter charge which was instituted against Dave Singh last week and has now charged the 23-year-old man with murder.

Singh is accused of killing 53-year-old Vickram Seubarran, who was found with a knife stuck in his back on August 1.

At the New Amsterdam Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday, the prosecutor, Pheona Morrison, told the court that the new murder charge was instituted following further advice from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).

Magistrate Renita Singh told the accused who appeared virtually that while manslaughter is a bailable offence, murder is not, and as such, he was remanded to prison. The case will continue on September 13.

Singh was on Friday last granted bail in the sum of $750,000 on the unlawful killing charge.

The 23-year-old labourer had reportedly confessed to killing Seubarran after he was arrested by the Police one day after the businessman’s body was found.

Upon his arrest, the suspect told investigators that he and the victim had shared an intimate relationship and he frequented the man’s home.

Remanded: Dave Singh

He confessed that on July 31, 2022, the victim had invited him to his home, and they had consumed alcohol and engaged in sexual intercourse.

Further, he stated that as he was leaving, he and the victim had an argument and a scuffle ensued.

He told detectives that he went into the kitchen, took a

Dead: Vickram Seubarran

knife, and stabbed the victim three times, after which he left the house.

Following his confession, he was taken back to the scene, where he pointed detectives to the area where he had disposed of the handle of the murder weapon. The area was searched, but the handle was not recovered. (G4)

10 NEWS Man found not Execution attempt leaves 2 men nursing 8 gunshot wounds guilty on 6 counts of rape against teen T L THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

wo men were shot at Melanie, East Coast Demerara (ECD), on Tuesday evening by gunmen who opened fire shortly after exiting a vehicle.

Injured are 27-year-old Ryan Joseph and 29-yearold Bimal Veersammy.

Reports are that at about 20:30h, Joseph and

Veersammy along with a third person were ‘liming’ in front of a residence when two men who were armed with a small handgun exited a motor car, approached the men and opened fire on them.

According to the Police, the gunmen were in a silver Bluebird motor car, which

had a HD series number plate. They approached the victims from a western direction on the Melanie Public Road heading east.

The motor car then turned around a short distance from where the victims were sitting, before stopping in front of the victims. Two masked men then exited the back seat of the car and immediately opened fire on the victims, causing them to attempt to escape.

Joseph received five gunshot injuries to his right hand, one to his left leg, to

his left hand, and one to his abdomen. Veersammy, on the other hand, received gunshot injuries to his right hand, elbow, and left leg above the knee, while the third male escaped unharmed.

After the shooting, the two masked shooters re-entered the waiting motor car and it drove west heading to Georgetown. The two victims were rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital where they were admitted as patients.

Police have since launched an investigation.

inton Davidson, the 35-year-old man who was on trial for raping a teen girl, was found not guilty by a jury when his trial ended at the Demerara Sexual Offences Court.

Before Justice Simone Morris-Ramlall, Davidson faced six counts of sexual activity with a child family member.

He was accused of raping the 14-year-old girl on six occasions between 2012 and 2013 at Norton Street, Lodge, Georgetown.

Following deliberations on Wednesday, the mixed 12-member jury returned a unanimous not guilty verdict on each of the six counts.

Accordingly, Davidson, who was represented by Attorney-at-Law Dexter Todd, was discharged by the presiding Judge, who informed him that he was free to go. The case was prosecuted by three State Counsel, namely, Cicelia Corbin, Caressa Henry, and Paneeta Persaud.

According to reports,

Freed: Linton Davidson

the girl and Davidson are known to each other. On the day in question, the girl was left in his care by her mother. It was alleged that during that time, Davidson raped her.

The young girl confided in her mother about what transpired and a Police report was made.

Davidson was first charged with the offence in 2020. He had been out on bail pending the hearing and determination of his trial at the High Court. (G1)

11 Father, daughter found guilty of beating fisherman to death NEWS

THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

…neighbour freed

Guilty: Surendra Sukhdeo and his daughter Mandy Sukhdeo

Killed: Shereffudeen Nazamudeen

I

nitially indicted for the capital offence of murder over the beating to death of 22-year-old fisherman Shereffudeen Nazamudeen, Surendra Sukhdeo and his daughter Mandy Sukhdeo have been found guilty of the lesser count of manslaughter.

Their co-accused, Rean Ghani, who is also their neighbour, was found not guilty of both murder and manslaughter when the jurors delivered their verdicts on Wednesday.

Freed: Rean Ghani

In relation to Surendra Sukhdeo and his daughter, the jury found them unanimously not guilty of murder but returned a 10-2 guilty verdict for the lesser count, finding that they unlawfully killed Nazamudeen called “Sheriff” on February 14, 2017, at Ruby, East Bank Essequibo (EBE).

In light of the verdicts, the father and daughter were

further remanded to prison pending a sentencing hearing which is scheduled for September 8.

The trio was represented by a legal team led by Attorneyat-Law Nigel Hughes, while State Counsel Latifah Elliot, Marisa Edwards, and Simran Gajraj were the prosecutors.

The two Sukhdeos and their neighbour were first tried for the fisherman’s mur-

der in 2021. But with the jury unable to reach verdicts, they were further remanded to prison pending a retrial.

They resided in the Ruby community along with the now dead fisherman.

At the time of this alleged killing, Mandy Sukhdeo had been a Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara) Alliance for Change (AFC) Councillor, and her father, a Good Hope/ Hydronie Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC)

A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) Councillor.

It was reported that Mandy Sukhdeo had claimed that she had been confronted by Nazamudeen, who had snatched her bag and attempted to escape.

She had reportedly raised an alarm, and residents in the neighbourhood had pursued Nazamudeen. Reports are that he was caught in the ruins of a house.

According to reports, he was tied up and beaten.

Following the beating, the man had suffered severe injuries to his body, and had been taken to the Leonora Cottage Hospital, where he subsequently succumbed.

Three pieces of wood, suspected to be the murder weapons, were recovered from the scene by detectives. The woman and her father were immediately arrested, while Ghani was apprehended the following day, after he was allegedly implicated by neighbours.

(G1)

12 NEWS

THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Over 3kg ganja found Probe into noise nuisance stashed in Mazaruni Prison report leads to ganja bust

A

quantity of marijuana was found stashed away in an area near the Mazaruni Prison kitchen by a team of prison officers who were conducting a cleaning exercise.

Reports are that on Tuesday at about 13:10h, the officers stumbled upon a white salt bag hidden behind

the western side of the kitchen.

Upon investigating, they realised that the bag contained several bleach bottles and a quantity of leaves, stems and seeds suspected to be cannabis.

The Bartica Police Station was contacted and the cannabis was handed over, which,

P

The ganja that was found

The ganja that was found at the Mazaruni Prison

when weighed, amounted to 3067 grams.

No arrest was made but investigations are in progress.

Only a month ago a quantity of marijuana and several other prohibited items were found during a search at Mazaruni Prison.

Reports are that a six-hour search was conducted at the

prison by ranks of the Bartica Police Station in collaboration with prison officers at the correctional facility.

While searching the upper dormitory, a black plastic bag was found hidden in the ceiling of the structure. Upon further examination, a quantity of ganja was unearthed.

The marijuana was taken to the Bartica Police Station and when weighed, amounted to 1580 grams (1.508kg).

In addition, five Blu phones, two Samsung phones, one Vodafone phone, two Alcatel phones, two ZTE phones, three Digicel phones, one LG phone, and one Hyundai phone – a total of 17 phones – and 17 batteries were found. (G9)

olice ranks stationed at Kwakwani, Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice), who were responding to a noise nuisance report ended up making a ganja bust in the community.

Reports are that at about 04:00h, the ranks went to Lamp Island, Kwakwani Water Front, Upper Berbice River.

However, while there they observed motor car HD 673, with two occupants driving away upon seeing them.

This led to ranks giving chase and the driver of the motor car drove into a nearby trench, causing the vehicle to come to a halt.

As a result, a search

was conducted on the vehicle and two transparent parcels containing a quantity of compressed leaves, seeds and stems suspected to be Cannabis sativa were found in the trunk of the car.

Both the driver and the passenger were told of the offence committed, but both pointed fingers at each other.

They were taken to the Kwakwani Police Station and then to the Mackenzie Police Station where the suspected narcotic was weight in their presence and amounted to 25 pounds.

The two remain in custody, pending charges.

NEWS

13

THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

GPF recruits lobby for full decentralisation of training colleges …say training expenses unaffordable

N

ew recruits of the Guyana Police Force have called for the decentralisation of the training college into all regions across the country. This call came after some of the recruits would have expressed difficulties in affording their travelling expenses coupled with the items that are required for training.

Currently, there are three Police Training Colleges in Guyana. Apart from the Felix Austin Police College at Eve Leary,

Georgetown, the other two are Felix Austin Police College B which is located in Adventure, Berbice, and Richard Faikall Police College in Essequibo Coast, Region Two (PomeroonSupenaam).

Just recently a number of recruits would have expressed that their dreams of joining the Guyana Police Force were affected after they were unable to afford the list of items that was provided by the Force for its training.

As such, Deputy Commissioner of Police (ag) Calvin Brutus in social media post on Wednesday, said that the GPF would have reached out to persons outside of Georgetown, to discuss the challenges associated with travelling to the city. “… the challenges associated with travelling to Georgetown have not gone unnoticed by the Force administration,” he said.

The Guyana Police Force had previously provided a

Cocaine, stolen gun found during Police raids

The cocaine which was found during the raid

P

olice raids around the city and its immediate environs have led to the discovery of a gun along with a quantity of cocaine.

Police of Regional Division 4A conducted raid exercises at Stabroek, Georgetown, where a search was conducted on a white Axio motor car, PAB 6262, and a 38-year-old man of South Cummings Lodge, East Coast Demerara, and a 29-year-old man of Joseph Pollydore Street, Lodge, were arrested for attempted murder. Another exercise was also conducted at Bourda Street, Georgetown, where a 29-year-old male was searched and one ciga-

The gun that was recovered

rette pack was found in his pants crotch, which contained a quantity of whitish rock-like substance suspected to be cocaine. He was escorted to the Alberttown Police Station where the suspected narcotics were weighed in his presence and amounted to 3.9 grams. He was placed into custody, pending charges.

Meanwhile, acting on information received, Police ranks on Wednesday between 14:20h and 15:20h carried out a raid at Plum Park, Sophia.

Several persons were searched including a

27-year-old man of South Sophia, who was questioned and admitted that he and another male had stolen a shotgun from a security guard on July 31, 2022, at Aubrey Barker Road, South Ruimveldt.

He then led ranks to a ball field at Plum Park where the shotgun was found. The firearm is the property of CMC Security Service which was allegedly stolen from a security guard while he was on duty in South Ruimveldt on the July 31, 2022. The suspect is in custody assisting with further investigations.

Deputy Commissioner of Police Calvin Brutus speaking with some of the recruits

list to new recruits on the items they would need going into the training school.

In this light, the Deputy Commissioner said he is aware that there are many of the recruits that would be coming for their first job, and may not have ready access to finance.

“This, therefore, would remove that burden and make the process more simplified as many have opted out of the training because of the instances where they could not find those items.

Now, those items will be provided to the recruits by the Police Force,” he explained.

Another relief measure to those entering the Force is a collaboration between the GPF, Home Affairs Ministry and Health Ministry to fasttrack the medical that applicants are required to have as part of the application process.

“I communicated to the applicants that it is the view

of the Guyana Police Force that we should try as far as applicable to have new recruits train at the Police Training School closest to where they live. This is to facilitate easy access to recruits by their families who may want to check on their welfare while they are in training.”

Brutus further added that recruits can, however, indicate if they wish to have their training at a specific training school and where applicable, those requests would be granted.

The Police Training College facilitates a number of training programmes for Police ranks and civilians.

The recruit’s initial training is conducted over an average period of six months, and recruits are taught various programmes which include human rights, anger management, communication, computer training, self-defence, English, Spanish,

first aid, and basic policing in the different stages.

They are also required to attend the mortuary and court to witness cases and participate in a live firing exercise at the Timehri Rifle Range. At the completion of their training, a gradation parade is kept for the ranks who would be equipped with basic knowledge to work in any department in the Guyana Police Force.

This is the first recruitment exercise for the Police Force since 2019 due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic which has caused the Force to cancel its recruitment initiatives.

While this would have affected numbers, the Police Force had said that it was using this time to examine and implement a system that will boost the quality of individuals being allowed to enter the law enforcement entity. (G9)

14 NEWS

THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Over 10,000 yet to collect “Because We Care” cash grant – Education Minister O

ver 10,000 “Because We Care” cash grants and uniform allowances were not uplifted during the recently concluded four-day distribution exercise and Education Minister Priya Manickchand has reassured that systems will be put in place to ensure that those beneficiaries get their monies before the reopening of the new school term.

“We have a second phase coming up. We have to give some space between the first and second [phases] because the reason people couldn’t make it is either they’re out of the country or they’re sick or they’re in the interior or something. So, if we do it two days after the initial [distribution exercise] it won’t make any sense for them and it won’t be effective for what we want it to be, which is to give people the opportunity to come and access this grant,” she ex-

plained during an interview with Guyana Times.

To this end, the Education Minister disclosed a date will be announced in two weeks’ time for a one-day distribution exercise across the country.

“That day will be for persons who are legitimately on the register, were attending schools but whose parents could not make it to come and pick up the grant [previously],” she noted.

A d d i t i o n a l l y , Manickchand revealed that this phase will also be used to resolve certain queries that were set aside to resolve. This includes instances where students had made transfers, mostly between public and private schools, but their names were not included on the list of registered beneficiaries.

According to the Education Minister, where these queries check out, those children will get the

opportunity to uplift their cash grants during the oneday distribution exercise.

The Education Ministry rolled out the disbursement of the “Because We Care” cash grants on August 2 and wrapped up the exercise four days later on August 5.

Manickchand lauded the process, telling this newspaper, when questioned, that it was carried out largely without any major discrepancies. In fact, she disclosed that thus far only two envelopes are unaccounted for.

“In two instances, we couldn’t account for two envelopes… that is, two out of one hundred and eighty-something so I think that is remarkable. The people are assuming that what happened is the envelopes stuck onto each other and perhaps we give [two] to one person. But in that whole process, two envelopes missing is really something to celebrate,” she posited.

Education Minister Priya Manickchand

Moreover, the Minister also disclosed that there were a couple of instances where persons, who are not entitled, attempted to uplift the grants. The Police were called in and dealt with those matters.

She went to remind that the entire distribution process was audited by the Auditor General’s Office.

“I’m very pleased that not only were we able to give the grant but we were able to show that Guyana, our Guyana, is able to conduct processes like this clean and smooth and transparent…”

“We’ve seen some small

things we can do to make it even smoother for next year. But if you look at public commentary, unsolicited by the Ministry; just people offering their views on the process, you’ll see that people said it’s very smooth, very efficient and very easy,” the Minister asserted.

Under the “Because We Care” initiative, each child in the public and private school system receives $30,000 – $25,000 as the cash grant and $5000 as an allowance for school uniform.

The Government initial-

ly aimed to target a total of 193,679 students through this exercise, which is estimated to be at a cost of over $5.8 billion.

Last week, Minister Manickchand had urged parents to ensure that they use the money to prepare their children for the upcoming new school term.

Meanwhile, the Education Ministry earlier this week had disclosed that more than 5000 persons were assisted through its “Because We Care” cash grant helpline which was put in place to ensure the smooth flow of the distribution.

The helpline, which addressed concerns and provided the necessary information surrounding the cash grant, was set up before the commencement of the distribution exercise.

It has received and processed more than 3500 calls and 4000 WhatsApp messages.

“The helpline was instrumental in the smooth administration of the distribution exercise,” the MoE noted. (G8)

15

THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

VP meets with sugar workers, private cane farmers

Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo on Wednesday met with some workers in the sugar industry, inclusive of private cane farmers, to discuss issues affecting them and the industry. The meeting was to fulfill a commitment he made over the weekend during his engagement with residents at Uitvlugt and Patentia, West Bank Demerara

Attempts to stay suspension denied...

‘Unaware’

Notwithstanding, the APNU/AFC Parliamentarians, in legal documents seen by this publication, contend that they are “unaware of any act of ours on the day in question falling in the category of gross disorderly conduct, contempt, and breaches of privileges, and that to the best of our recollection, on the day in question, our posture was no different from all other Members of Parliament who were present…”

According to them, they had specifically requested that the Committee of Privileges identify to them the Standing Orders or privileges they had supposedly violated, as this was essential if they were to effectively exercise the opportunity to show cause.

They complained that at no time were they invited to appear before the Committee of Privileges to be allowed a hearing, nor were they told what action of theirs had violated established customs and practices regarding acceptable behaviour of MPs. The Parliamentarians have argued that the report of the Committee of

A tug-of-war between APNU/AFC MPs and Parliament staff after the Opposition Parliamentarians stole the Mace from Speaker Manzoor Nadir in December 2021

Privileges would be a published record that would forever inevitably affect their character and reputation.

They argued that any suspension would further hinder them from representing the people who elected them to sit in the National Assembly, and would also prevent Mahipaul from functioning as a member of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC).

They contend, inter alia, that “any suspension will deprive (them) of their full salaries and of the opportunity to be representatives of the National Assembly and

people of Guyana at national, regional, and international forums.”

Further, they submitted that their likely suspension is part and parcel of an unconstitutional scheme and/or device by the Government to utilise its majority in the National Assembly to silence and to reduce the numbers of sitting Parliamentary Opposition Members of Parliament.

No salaries, allowances

The Clerk of the National Assembly has since written the Members of Parliament,

informing them that during the period of their suspension, they would not be paid salaries and allowances, and would not be entitled to some of the other benefits enjoyed by other Members of the House.

The Privileges Committee recommended that Jones, Mahipaul, Duncan and Singh-Lewis be each suspended for four consecutive sittings for attempting to prevent the second and third readings of the NRF Bill, and for conducting themselves in a gross, disorderly, contumacious and disrespectful

manner, and repeatedly ignoring the authority of the Assembly and that of the Speaker, thereby committing contempt and breaches of privileges.

A recommendation was also been made for MPs Ferguson and Jordan to each be suspended for six consecutive sittings for a similar offence. However, their suspension was higher, since the Committee concurred that they had committed “serious violations which were severe and egregious by unauthorisedly removing the Parliamentary Mace from its rightful position in a disorderly fashion, causing damage to the Mace, and injuring and assaulting a staff of the Parliament Office while attempting to remove the Mace from the Chamber”.

And a similar recommendation of suspension for six consecutive sittings has been made against SaraboHalley, whose violations were found to be “severe and egregious with regard to unauthorisedly entering the communication control room of the ACCC and destroying several pieces of audio-visual equipment, being public property”.

MP Philadelphia is also

FROM PAGE 8

facing a suspension recommendation of six consecutive sittings over her severe and egregious violations, whereby she “verbally assaulted a staff of the Parliament Office within the precincts of the National Assembly”.

The Privileges Committee is chaired by the House Speaker, and its members comprise both Government and Opposition MPs. Representing Government are: Prime Minister Brigadier (ret’d) Mark Phillips; Attorney General Anil Nandlall, SC; Parliamentary Affairs and Governance Minister Gail Teixeira; Culture, Youth and Sport Minister Charles Ramson; and Attorney-atLaw Sanjeev Datadin.

On the side of the APNU/AFC Opposition are: Khemraj Ramjattan; Roysdale Forde, SC; Geeta Chandan-Edmond, and David A Patterson.

It is understood that the Opposition Members did not participate in the last three of five Committee meetings.

Hence, the other members, including the Chairman, went ahead and concluded the report with the recommendations for the suspension of the eight Opposition MPs. (G1)

16 NEWS UN, Canadian High Commission partner to host St Cuthbert’s Mission/Pakuri village cultural exchange THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

In the front row from L – R: Toshao of St Cuthbert’s Mission/Pakuri village, Timothy Andrews; UN Resident Coordinator Dr Gillian Smith; Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly, Lenox Shuman; Amerindian Affairs Minister Pauline Sukhai; High Commissioner of Canada, Mark Berman; Chairman of the National Toshaos Council, Derrick John, and other villagers

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n the occasion of the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, the United Nations Guyana and the High Commission of Canada partnered with the Village Council of St Cuthbert’s Mission/Pakuri village to sponsor the Indigenous Drive/Cultural Exchange 2022.

The Indigenous Drive is an initiative which aims to promote Indigenous culture, making it more visible and integrated in everyday life.

Toshao for St Cuthbert’s Mission/Pakuri village, Timothy Andrews noted that most persons in Georgetown only experience Indigenous culture when they visit interior communities. However, through the Indigenous Drive, the residents of St Cuthbert’s Mission/Pakuri village brought the community to Georgetown as a way to directly integrate Indigenous culture in the heart of the city.

“Seeing an Amerindian person dressed in their native wear in the heart of

Georgetown should not be a surprise [on] a regular business day,” Toshao Andrews stated. “This drive was to shift perceptions and increase awareness of Indigenous culture,” he is quoted as saying in a release from the Canadian High Commission in Georgetown.

Through the Indigenous Drive, more than 50 villagers from St Cuthbert’s Mission/ Pakuri village and the surrounding communities, travelled to Georgetown on Tuesday for the cultural exchange. The villagers came dressed in their traditional and cultural wear and the team also included dancers and other performers who engaged in cultural displays.

The drive included engagements with several partners to identify opportunities for collaborations to make Indigenous culture more visible in the capital. Minister of Amerindian Affairs, Pauline Sukhai and Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly, Lennox Shuman, accompanied the team throughout the day as they met with

partners and toured the city in their cultural wear.

As a part of the drive, the more than 50-member-strong team, including Toshao Andrews, Minister Sukhai and Deputy Speaker Shuman, participated in cultural programme at the High Commission of Canada.

Recently, the High Commission through the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives, had partnered with the Mainstay Whayaka village to fund a project aimed at providing training on climate smart agriculture and tourism to stimulate economic activity in the village.

The High Commission is also working with the Guyana Marine Conservation Society to support a farming project in the Smiths Creek and Hosororro Indigenous communities to develop the local pepper production industry and agro-processing.

Toshao Andrews indicated that in addition to this support from Canada, his community wanted to partner with the High Commission to focus on the advancement

of Indigenous culture.

In response, High Commissioner Berman reiterated that Canada is committed to advancing the interests of Indigenous peoples.

“We look forward to facilitating more collaborations of this nature in the preservation of the richness of the Indigenous culture,” the High Commissioner said.

“Cultural exchanges, like this one, are an especially distinctive vehicle for sharing Indigenous people’s expression, uniqueness and experiences and we are profoundly grateful to share this cultural exchange with you.

“Indigenous peoples have been the custodians of a vault of knowledge on the environment, arts, foods, medicines and traditions, to name a few, that we must preserve as we focus on a pathway to learning, respect and reconciliation,” he added.

High Commissioner Berman also used the visit from the community as an opportunity to make a donation of Canadian animated Indigenous children’s books to the village.

Minister Pauline Sukhai in her remarks focused on

Toshao of St Cuthbert’s Mission/Pakuri village, Timothy Andrews, with Canadian High Commissioner Mark Berman

the theme for this year’s International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, and highlighted the importance of women in transferring tradition knowledge, stressing the need for more women in leadership and decision making. Sukhai went on to acknowledge the difficulties that Indigenous youth experience with retaining their culture, especially when living away from Indigenous villages. She was therefore very proud to support the initiative from Pakuri village to bring their culture to Georgetown.

“There are a lot of influences which prevents Indigenous youth in coastal areas from identifying with their culture but Indigenous youth in the hinterland are significantly closer to their

culture and language,” the Minister noted.

Sukhai went on to share how women, including teachers, have been instrumental in the Hinterland communities in passing on languages and culture and ensuring that the young people know their traditions.

She emphasised the Government’s commitment to empowering Indigenous women, recognising their role in national and community efforts to preserve Indigenous languages and culture.

In addition to the programme at the High Commission, the entire team visited the United Nations (UN) Office in Georgetown, where the group interacted with UN Heads of agencies and staff.

NEWS

17

THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

“Cage Culture” trial to begin Guyanese to benefit from better access to in September – Mustapha mental health services G

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he recently passed Mental Health Protection and Promotion Bill will make mental health services more accessible to persons in all regions of Guyana.

Minister, Dr Frank Anthony said enshrined in the law is a series of rights for mental health patients, including access to care.

“One of the things the Ministry will be doing and have started to do is to ensure that mental health care is incorporated into our primary health care system, by doing that, more people in remote locations and so forth will now have access to mental health care,” Dr Anthony said, adding that treatment and care will be provided “closer to home”, with institutionalisation a consideration only when “absolutely necessary”.

Even in such cases, the Minister said there will be continuous assessments of patients to have them released once their conditions have improved.

“So that they can go back home and get the kinds of treatment that social interaction with other people and so forth, that has been found to be more beneficial to those patients,” Dr Anthony is quoted

by DPI as saying.

The Health Minister also noted that despite psychiatrists not visiting the interior locations, persons in these areas will still access care.

Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony

“If the doctor or a health care worker feels that there is someone with a mental health illness and needs consultation, then through telemedicine, we will be able to offer a psychiatrist consultation using the telemedicine platform,” Dr Anthony said.

Anthony said the most recent statistics show that 1520 per cent of the Guyanese population have some form of mental health illness, be it mild, severe, or acute. There are another 150 different conditions that can be classified as mental health illnesses.

With this in mind, there has been growth in the number of psychiatrists in the country, with provisions to train more doctors who wish to specialise in this field.

“A decade ago, we probably had about 2 psychiatrists in Guyana, now we have about 14 psychiatrists, so we have made some amount of prog-

ress and we have a post-grad programme where we can teach doctors who are interested in psychiatry, specialise them in that area,” the Health Minister said.

There will also be increased public education activities on mental health, to avoid discrimination against those affected.

“There are different segments of the population that we need to do more work with, I think once we are able to do that, we will see a turnaround, we will see a change in people’s attitude. This is not new work, there were lots of stigma that was attached to HIV and we have been relentless in working with the public in some of these things and we have seen a change in attitude.”

The Mental Health Protection and Promotion Bill 2022 was passed in the National Assembly on August 8, 2022.

T&T Central Bank authorises 1st company to issue electronic money

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he Central Bank of T&T has today issued a provisional registration to PayWise Limited as an electronic money (e-money) issuer.

"E-money can be broadly defined as an electronic store of monetary value on a technological device (including mobile phones) that may be widely used for making payments to entities other than the e-money issuer.

E-money can be used for payment transactions with or without bank accounts," the Central bank stated in a release today.

The provisional registration authorises PayWise to issue e-money in T&T from September 1, 2022.

"Under the terms of the provisional registration, PayWise will be allowed to enlist new customers in a controlled environment

monitored by the Central Bank. PayWise is a company incorporated in Trinidad and Tobago in 2013, and was registered as a payment service provider since 2019 by the Central Bank," it stated.

"PayWise will be the first company, apart from banks and non-bank financial institutions, authorized

to issue e-money domestically. For further information please see the E-Money Issuer Order (2020) which can be accessed, along with other background material, via the Central Bank’s website at: https://www.central-bank.org.tt/fintech," the Central Bank stated. (T&T Guardian)

uyana will soon be one step closer to boosting its aquaculture sector with the commencement of its “Cage Culture” initiative expected to start sometime in October of this year.

This was disclosed

by Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha, who said that the first set of marine cages should be arriving in Guyana before the end of September.

“We purchased four marine cages from a company in Brazil to commence the trial of our marine cage initiative. Once those cages arrive, we will begin almost immediately with the trial. It will take about six or seven weeks to assess the progress made with the trial but given the research done on the project and the training that our officers received from the Chinese Government, I am very optimistic that this trial will be very successful and that we will be able to move forward and have more persons come on board,” Mustapha said.

Mustapha further stated that two areas in Region

Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha

Two had been earmarked with three species of fish being identified for the trial.

“So, we’ve identified two areas in Region Two to do the trials. Capoey and Lake Mainstay. We’ve also identified Tambaqui, Mullet, and Tilapia for the initial phase of the project given the demand for these species and the high prices they attract.

As I mentioned before, our officers received some amount of virtual training back in June that was organised by the Chinese Embassy and we are looking to have another round of training sometime next year. When the cages arrive

and are installed, we’ll have some physical training done by the supplier and then go straight into the trials,” the Minister is quoted as saying in a release from the Agriculture Ministry.

Upon assuming office, the Government had announced that it was exploring the possibility of introducing cage culture given the impact climate change was having on the global fisheries sector.

President Dr Irfaan Ali had said his Government is moving ahead with the rollout of a number of innovative solutions, to ensure the livelihood of fisherfolk is maintained.

Trump declines to answer questions in NY Attorney General investigation

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ormer US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday he declined to answer questions during an appearance before New York state's attorney general in a civil investigation into his family's business practices, citing his constitutional right against self-incrimination.

Trump, his son Donald Trump Jr. and daughter Ivanka Trump had fought unsuccessfully to avoid appearing for testimony in state Attorney General Letitia James's probe into whether the Trump Organization inflated real estate values to obtain favorable loans and understated asset values to get tax breaks.

"I declined to answer the questions under the rights and privileges afforded to every citizen under the United States Constitution," Trump said in a statement issued roughly an hour after he arrived in a motorcade at the attorney general's office in lower Manhattan for the deposition behind closed doors.

The Constitution's Fifth Amendment protects against self-incrimination. Trump's decision not to answer questions still could carry con-

Former US President Donald Trump

sequences. Should the investigation lead to a trial, jurors could take his silence into account. Politically, it also could give adversaries ammunition about whether Trump has something to hide as he mulls another presidential run in 2024.

James has said her investigation has uncovered significant evidence that the Trump Organization, which manages hotels, golf courses and other real estate, gave banks and tax authorities misleading financial information to obtain benefits.

Trump left her office about six hours after arriving, suggesting he faced questioning for much of the day. In a social media post after the deposition, Trump

called it a "very professional meeting," while boasting about his company.

A spokesperson for the New York attorney general's office said in a statement that James participated in the deposition and confirmed that Trump invoked his Fifth Amendment rights.

"Attorney General James will pursue the facts and the law wherever they may lead," the spokesperson added. "Our investigation continues."

Trump, a Republican, in his statement again denied wrongdoing and sought to portray the investigation

by James, a Democrat, as part of a years-long vendetta against him by her and others including the news media. (Excerpt from Reuters)

18

THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2022

guyanatimesgy.com

Regional

Cuba tames its largest fire, fuel Sick again, Argentine's economy eats depot locals begin to return away at nation's mental health – study

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M

assive clouds of steam rose from Cuba's largest fuel depot in Matanzas on Wednesday as firefighters, helicopters and boats poured water and foam on the smouldering remains of the largest fire in the island's history.

Black charcoal covered with white ash remained red hot after the flames died down. One firefighter was confirmed dead, and 14 were unaccounted for since blast on Saturday, according to authorities.

The depot is part of the Matanzas Super Tanker Port, the largest for receiving crude oil and fuel imports. Cuban heavy crude, as well as fuel oil and diesel stored in Matanzas in 10 huge tanks, are mainly used to generate electricity on the island.

Lightning struck one fuel storage tank on Friday evening. A fire spread to a second by Sunday and engulfed the four-tank area on Monday, sparking huge ex-

A firefighter working on the zone where fuel storage tanks exploded near Cuba's super tanker port in Matanzas, Cuba, August 9, 2022

plosions, despite efforts by local firefighters supported

by Mexican and Venezuelan reinforcements, equipment and supplies.

Some local residents who evacuated to the homes of friends and family returned on Wednesday despite Government admonishments to stay put.

Authorities have said they are anxious to reach deep into the disaster zone to retrieve the remains of 14 first responders caught near the second tank that exploded. Another firefighter died

and five remain in critical condition.

The fire dealt a blow to Cuba's ability to store and move local and imported crude around the island.

The Communist-run country, under heavy US sanctions, is all but bankrupt. Frequent blackouts and shortages of gasoline and other commodities already had created a tense situation with scattered local protests following last summer's historic unrest in July. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Brazil farming leader blasts former President Lula's re-election bid

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he head of Brazil's powerful farm lobby declared the country had no room for the return of a President who had been jailed for corruption, Joao Martins said at a National Confederation of Agriculture (CNA) conference on Wednesday.

Though he did not mention former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva by name, Martins was clearly referring to the leftist leader who is the front-runner ahead of the October elections.

Lula is a former metalworking union leader and Workers Party founder who was convicted in 2017 of cor-

ruption for receiving bribes during his two presidential terms. He was jailed for a year and a half until the convictions were annulled.

Far-right incumbent President Jair Bolsonaro was also in attendance at the conference. He is seeking re-election with strong support from the farm sector.

"You have signalled very clearly that there is no more room in this country for a corrupt and incompetent team, and much less the return of a candidate who was prosecuted and arrested as a thief," Martins told the audience to a round of applause.

Lula is trying to attract farm sector allies to his pres-

idential campaign, looking to split his rival's base.

Agribusiness made big strides under Lula's 20032010 Government, but Bolsonaro has struck a powerful connection with rural interests, vowing to push the farming frontier deeper into the Amazon rainforest and deny Indigenous people land claims.

In contrast, Lula has promised to reduce deforestation in Brazil within four years, which scientists say will slow climate change, bringing his rhetoric in line with greener thinking in Latin America's leftist circles. (Excerpt from Reuters)

rgentines mired in their country's latest economic meltdown are experiencing a growing sense of hopelessness, according to a landmark mental health study that points to boom times for at least one profession: psychologists.

Beset by soaring inflation that depresses livelihoods as the peso currency steadily declines, the dysfunctional economy is wreaking havoc on the population's state of mind as well as its wallets.

That's the conclusion of a survey by Buenos Aires University's (UBA) applied psychology department, which found that upwards of 85 per cent of 1700 re-

spondents think the present crisis has made them less hopeful for the future, with half describing the change as significant or drastic.

Blessed with rich natural resources, the South American country has nevertheless lurched from one crisis to another for much of its 200-plus years since independence, progressively helping fuel demand for mental health care, which is generally accessible through public hospitals.

According to pre-pandemic data from the World Health Organisation, Argentina had 222 psychologists per 100,000 residents, compared with 49 in France and 30 in the United States.

"The constant cycle of crisis has filled up so many doctor's offices," said Gustavo Gonzalez, head of the UBA's applied psychology department.

"Things are bad, and in some ways, worse in terms of mental health."

Nearly 90 per cent said they thought their economic circumstances would worsen over the next year.

President Alberto Fernandez has sought to stop the economic rot with measures including giving his latest Economy Minister, Sergio Massa, expanded powers over trade, industrial and agricultural policy. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Venezuela seeks to re-establish military relations with Colombia, says Minister

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enezuela will seek to re-establish its military ties with neighbour Colombia, the country's Defence Minister said on Tuesday, after years of conflictive relations between the two nations.

Venezuelan General Vladimir Padrino said he had received instructions from President Nicolas Maduro to contact Colombian Defence Minister Ivan Velasquez in order to "re-establish their military relations," according to the Venezuelan Defence Ministry's Twitter account.

Colombia's Defence Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The two countries are in the process of repairing diplomatic relations, after Caracas fully broke them off in 2019, following a US-backed attempt by the Venezuelan opposition to move humanitarian aid into the country from Colombia, which Caracas regarded as aggression from Bogota.

A 2021 audit from the US Agency for International

Venezuela's Defence Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez addressing the media at the Miraflores Palace in Caracas, Venezuela, February 11, 2022

Development (USAID) found the former US Trump Administration's aid effort was not planned in alignment with humanitarian principles.

On July 28, Colombia's new Government and Venezuela announced they would appoint ambassadors to the two countries' capitals after years without diplomatic relations and will work to boost security along their shared border.

Colombia and Venezuela

share a 2219-kilometer land border with dozens of irregular crossings and activities such as fuel and food smuggling, as well as drug trafficking.

Previously, Colombian and Venezuelan officials have traded blame for the lack of security.

Colombia's newly appointed leftist President Gustavo Petro, however, has already announced his willingness to re-establish and normalise border crossings.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

An influx of people fleeing Nicaragua saw asylum requests in Costa Rica reach a record 60,000 last year, but migration officials believe this could climb to 80,000 in 2022.

Requests for asylum surged late last year after Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega won a fourth consecutive term in office.

Critics have accused his Administration of political repression and human rights abuses in the wake of a wave of anti-government protests in 2018.

"We are preparing a plan in response to our in-

ability to handle this extreme number of requests," Luna said, noting the asylum requests would take nine years to process through normal channels.

Costa Rica, one of the most affluent and stable countries in Central America, has called for support from the international community.

Nicaraguan migrants make up some 90 per cent of applications for refugee status in Costa Rica, and represent 11.5 per cent of Costa Rica's 5.2 million inhabitants, according to Chaves. (Reuters)

Chile rethinks mine safety after worker Costa Rica prepares plan to regularise status deaths and expanding sinkhole of 200,000 mostly Nicaraguan migrants

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hile is taking another look at health in safety in its mines after two workers died on a mining construction project in July and a giant sinkhole more recently opened up near a copper mine.

Chile President Gabriel Boric said on Wednesday he wants to ratify an International Labour Organisation (ILO) convention on health and safety in mines. The rules were issued in 1995 and first adopted by Botswana, Finland, Spain and Sweden. Brazil adopted the rules, known as convention 176, in 2006 and Peru in 2008.

Trade associations and

legislators have requested Government support for convention 176, which includes guarantees for workers, while requiring the state to adopt certain legislative standards.

"Although accident rates have decreased in the last 10 years, we still have a lot to do," Boric said during a speech commemorating Chile's Miner Day. The President said that there were 20 accidental deaths in the mining industry last year and wants to reach a goal of zero.

In July, two workers died in separate accidents at different construction projects for state-owned Codelco, the world's larg-

est copper producer.

Chile's mining regulator Sernageomin found "deficiencies" in both cases, noting that the deaths could have been prevented, bringing attention to compliance with industry safety standards in Chile, the world's No 1 copper producer.

Ratifying the convention would mean stricter safety measures, more Government oversight and allow workers to file lawsuits to the ILO. Boric also mentioned the recent sinkhole that occurred near a copper mine in northern Chile that is still being investigated.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

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osta Rica is readying a plan to regularise the status of some 200,000 migrants, largely from the Central American country's northern neighbour Nicaragua, authorities told Reuters on Wednesday.

The plan aims to formally include the migrants in the jobs market and healthcare system, Costa Rica's migration head Marlen Luna told Reuters.

Costa Rican officials are still studying how to implement the plan, which will require a final nod from President Rodrigo Chaves.

guyanatimesgy.com

THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2022

19

Around the World

OILNEWS OIL NEWS Global physical oil market weakens as recession jitters mount

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hysical oil prices around the world have begun to sag alongside futures, reflecting less alarm over Russian-led supply disruptions along with heightened worries about a possible global economic slowdown.

"The market is very bearish at this moment. No one is in a hurry to buy," a Singapore-based trader said.

Lower-than-usual US gasoline demand during peak summer driving season and contracting factory activity in China indicate that high prices cut consumption in the world's top oil consumers, analysts and traders said. That is a stark contrast from last month, when physical market activity suggested buyers were more worried about securing supplies.

The market for prompt oil supplies has slowed, traders told Reuters, with offers slumping for West African, North Sea, Mediterranean and Middle East crudes.

Prices rose in the spring on fears Russia's invasion of Ukraine and Western sanctions would take millions of barrels off the market. That has not occurred, as Russian crude shipments are slightly above levels seen prior to the February invasion.

"The market is coming off hard," one physical crude trader said.

In West Africa, crude prices have dropped since hitting all-time highs in July. Offers for light, sweet Nigerian oil slipped US$1.50 a barrel and comparable Ghanaian crude by up to US$5 a barrel as European buying eased and refining margins dipped.

Spot premiums for Oman crude hit their lowest level in over a month and Dubai is at its lowest since late May. North Sea Forties also plumbed depths last seen in nearly three months while Azeri BTC crude oil hit levels not seen since the end of last year.

Chinese state refiners and South Korean refiners may buy as prices become attractive, but weak margins on lower demand has reduced their purchasing power.

In Asia, spot premiums for US grades have halved with WTI Midland now trading around US$7-US$8 per barrel over Dubai. Cheaper US grades are pressuring locally preferred crudes with Murban trading about US$7.80 above Dubai quotes compared to US$12 above last month.

There are still some scattered indications of strong demand. Refining margins for distillates worldwide remain relatively robust, and there has been eager demand for discounted Russian oil in some Asian markets.

Russian exports as of Aug 9 were 400,000 barrels per day, more than immediately before its Feb 24 invasion of Ukraine, according to JP Morgan data.

"Russian supplies are going to stay around for at least the near future, and the idea of a price super-cycle is now very unlikely," said a second physical crude trader.

Crude futures hit US$140 in March but have retreated well below US$100 a barrel with US futures around US$92 and Brent around US$97.

US gasoline demand is about 5 per cent lower on a four-week average since summer driving season began, based on data from the US Energy Information Administration (EIA).

Backwardation - the premium at which futures are traded in later months - for both Brent and US oil has dropped from record highs in March to its narrowest since April. That implies prompt supply is less tight.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

G7 urges Russia to return control of nuclear plant to Ukraine

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he Foreign Ministers of the Group of Seven (G7) economic powers have called on Moscow to immediately return Ukraine’s embattled Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant to full Ukrainian control amid growing fears of a potential disaster.

“Ukrainian personnel responsible for the operation of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant must be able to carry out their duties without threats or pressure,” the statement issued on Wednesday said. “It is Russia’s continued domination of the nuclear power plant that endangers the region.”

The plant, which is near the southern city of Enerhodar and is Europe’s biggest, has been shelled several times and

A serviceman with a Russian flag on his uniform standing guard near the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine

was partially damaged last weekend. However, the critical infrastructure is said to remain intact.

Russia and Ukraine blame each other for the attacks. The accusations cannot be independently verified.

Sierra Leone imposes nationwide curfew amid deadly anti-Government protests

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t least two Police officers and one civilian died after a day of anti-Government protests in Sierra Leone's capital, Freetown, staff at the city's main mortuary said on Wednesday.

Sierra Leone's Government previously said there had been deaths, but did not say how many, as protesters threw rocks and burned tyres in the streets out of frustration at worsening economic hardship and other issues.

The West African country, which has been struggling with rising inflation and a fuel crisis, imposed a nationwide curfew from 3 pm local time (1500 GMT) in a bid to stem the violence.

"As a Government, we

have the responsibility to protect every citizen of Sierra Leone. What happened today was unfortunate and will be fully investigated," said President Julius Maada Bio on Twitter.

In addition to the three bodies at the mortuary, a Reuters reporter saw another civilian body on a street in eastern Freetown.

"People are upset about the country's justice system which is sickening, daily price rises and economic hardship," said Daniel Alpha Kamara, a university student.

The violence started at around 10:30 am local time, he said, when he saw clouds of tear gas rising up outside his dormitory room.

South Africa sex crime: “Hitting rock bottom” – drought, Authorities charge heat drain Spanish reservoirs 7 over gang rape

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flock of sheep shelter from the midday sun under the gothic arches of a medieval bridge flooded in 1956 to create the Cijara reservoir in central Spain, but now fully exposed as the reservoir is 84 per cent empty after a severe drought.

In Andalusia, one of Europe's hottest and driest regions, paddle-boats and waterslides lie abandoned on the cracked bed of Vinuela reservoir, remnants of a rental business gone with the water, now at a critical level of 13 per cent.

A nearby restaurant fears a similar fate.

"The situation is quite dramatic in the sense that it's been several years without rain and we're hitting rock bottom," said owner Francisco Bazaga, 52. "If it doesn't rain, unless they find some alternative water supply, the fu-

ture is very, very dark."

A prolonged dry spell and extreme heat made July the hottest month in Spain since at least 1961. Spanish reservoirs are at just 40 per cent of capacity on average in early August, well below the tenyear average of around 60 per cent, official data shows.

Climate change has left parts of the Iberian peninsula at their driest in 1200 years, and winter rains are expected to diminish further, a study published last month by the Nature Geoscience journal showed.

The dry, hot weather is likely to continue into the autumn, Spain's meteorological service AEMET said in a recent report, putting further strain on Europe's largest network of dammed reservoirs with a holding capacity of 5.6 billion cubic metres.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

On Russia’s initiative, the United Nations Security Council is to address the shelling on Thursday in New York.

The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, is set to brief the council.

The G7 Foreign Ministers warned that Russia’s actions significantly increase the risk of a nuclear incident and put the people of Ukraine, neighbouring states and the world at risk.

They stressed “the importance of allowing IAEA experts to be sent to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant to address nuclear safety and security concerns and measures”.

Separately on Wednesday, Kyiv accused Russia of exploiting its position at the nuclear power plant to target the nearby town Marhanets in a rocket attack that killed at least 13 people and left many others seriously wounded. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

S

outh African authorities have charged seven men with 32 counts of rape after a mass assault at an abandoned mine near Johannesburg.

A group of eight women were attacked while filming a music video at the mine near the town of Krugersdorp last month.

Officials say they are illegal miners who dig for gold in disused shafts.

The men were among more than 60 suspects who appeared in court on immigration and firearms charges.

All are believed to be illegal migrants to South Africa.

However, they are now expected to be tried separately because of the severity of their offences.

The suspects were identified by the women during a Police line-up after the attacks.

But officers say the num-

ber of people charged could rise as DNA tests are concluded, as many of the men involved were wearing balaclavas when they attacked the crew which concealed their identities.

One of the victims told the BBC the women were seeking "justice for all the girls that went through this…for the countless number of women who've been raped in this country".

Outside the court, protesters from civil society groups and several political parties gathered to demand that the men are denied bail.

The assaults sparked outrage in South Africa and has seen some urge authorities to do more to tackle a spate of violence against women.

The country has one of the world's highest rate of rapes and sexual assaults, yet the conviction rate remains low.

(Excerpt from BBC News)

Regional political and economic bloc ECOWAS said it condemned the violence and called in a Twitter post for "all to obey law and order and for the perpetrators of the violence to be identified and brought before the law."

Discontent has been boil-

ing over for a number of reasons, including a perceived lack of Government support for ordinary people who are struggling, said Augustine Sorie-Sengbe Marrah, a constitutional lawyer and governance activist. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Langya: New virus infects 35 people in eastern China

The Langya virus has mostly been detected in shrews

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cientists are tracking a new, animal-derived virus in eastern China that has infected at least several dozen people.

The novel Langya henipavirus (LayV) was found in 35 patients in the Shandong and Henan provinces. Many had symptoms such as fever, fatigue and a cough.

They are thought to have contracted the virus from animals. There is no evidence so far LayV can transmit among humans.

Researchers detected the virus predominantly in shrews.

The discovery was highlighted in a letter written by researchers from China, Singapore and Australia and published in the New England Journal of Medicine this month.

One of the researchers, Wang Linfa from the DukeNUS Medical School in Singapore, told China's staterun Global Times that the cases of LayV found so far have

not been fatal or very serious, so there is "no need to panic".

However, Wang said, there is still a need to be alert as many viruses that exist in nature have unpredictable results when they infect humans.

The scientists said LayV was found in 27 per cent of shrews tested, suggesting the mole-like mammals may be "natural reservoirs" for the virus. About 5 per cent of dogs and 2 per cent of goats also tested positive for it.

LayV is a type of henipavirus, a category of zoonotic viruses which can jump from animals to humans.

The US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention said scientists estimate that three out of every four new or emerging infectious diseases in people come from animals.

The United Nations had previously warned the world will see more of such diseases with increased exploitation of wildlife and climate change.

(Excerpt from BBC News)

20

THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2022

guyanatimesgy.com

DAILY HOROSCOPES

ARCHIE

Use your skills to get ahead. Align yourself with someone who recognizes your strengths and can contribute to what you are trying to achieve. Romance and self-improvement are favored.

(March 21-April 19) If you let someone railroad you into something you haven’t thought through, you’ll find it difficult to accommodate your desires. Don’t give away personal plans. Be a leader, not a follower.

DILBERT

(April 20-May 20) Use your internal radar to figure out what others are thinking. Staying ahead of the competition is mandatory. Listen and observe what others do, and you’ll devise an efficient alternative.

(May 21-June 20)

PEANUTS (June 21-July 22)

Pitch in and you’ll gain trust and support from someone who can help you advance. A change of plans will unfold if you explain options to those you need to help you complete what you want to achieve.

Take pride in what you do, and refuse to let other people’s negativity slow you down. Stretch your mind to include new and exciting ways to use your intelligence and skills to make your dreams come true.

(July 23-Aug. 22)

CALVIN AND HOBBES

(Aug. 23-Sept. 22)

Changing how you network or socialize will offer the mental stimulation you crave. Consider what brings you joy, and expand your interests to include activities that contribute to health and happiness.

Give your space a face-lift and focus on taking pride in who you are and what you have to offer. Spend time with people who are interested in making a difference. Accommodate those in need.

(Sept. 23-Oct. 23) Learn your lessons and apply your accumulated information to deal with difficult people and situations. Leave nothing to someone who uses anger or force to control outcomes. Believe in yourself.

SUDOKU (Oct. 24-Nov. 22)

Keep in sync with what’s current.

Respond quickly and let your actions speak for you. Don’t hesitate to invest more time and money in yourself. A personal or financial gain is within reach.

(Nov. 23-Dec. 21) A change of scenery will give you a unique perspective. Exhaust your resources to ensure you get what you want. You don’t need to overdo it to win; stick to basics and your budget.

SOLUTION FOR LAST PUBLISHED PUZZLE

(Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Let observation guide you. Pay attention to your health and physical needs.

Strive to look and feel your best, and provide an upbeat presentation once you set your sights on specific goals.

(Jan. 20-Feb. 19)

(Feb. 20-March 20)

A change in how you do things will lead to an exciting proposal. Combine what matters to you with how you earn your living, and you’ll find a path that makes you feel passionate and progressive.

THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2022

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

21

HERITAGE GAMES ARE BACK WITH A BANG! …after 3-year hiatus due to pandemic Action set for October 7-9 at Everest Cricket Ground in G/t

T

he Everest Cricket Club ground at the confluence of Camp Road and Carifesta Avenue in Georgetown will again be the venue for the highly anticipated Ministry of Indigenous Peoples Affairs’ Heritage Games.

After a three-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many from all across Guyana would be participating in these Games, set for staging from October 7-9, 2022 in celebration of Amerindian Heritage Month.

This event has quickly become a yearly tradition for all those who have ever witnessed the Heritage Games. As per tradition, all of the Games’ events will be held at the Everest ground, except the swimming events, which are usually held at the National Aquatic Centre at Liliendaal, East Coast Demerara.

There will be three days of power-packed activities which would showcase preliminary matches in cricket, football, volleyball, archery and swimming on Friday and Saturday, October 7th and 8th respectively, paving the way for the finals to be staged on Sunday, October 9. Activities are scheduled to commence at 08:00 hrs daily.

The Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs is expecting that more than 600 sportsmen and women hailing from Indigenous villages across Guyana’s 10 administrative regions would be competing in the Games, and several cash prizes and trophies would be up for the taking.

Seeking to retain their crowns in 2022 will be Pariuma and Kako in female and male football, and Regions 1 and 7 in male and

Football action would be highly anticipated

female volleyball. In cricket, the female winners were Moruca in Region 1, and runners-up Swan in Region 4. The winners for the males were Mahdia in Region 8, and the runners-up were Region 1.

In volleyball, the female winners were Moruca in Region 1, with the MVP being Annalisa

Vincent; and the Runners-up were the Kanaimas of Region 4. For the males, the winners were Bartica in Region 7, with the MVP being Breyon Burnett, and the runnersup were Mainstay in Region 2.

For archery, the winners were Cadet Female U12 - Marisha Melville 1st, Aliya Melville 2nd, Anjalie Adams 3rd, Cadet Male

The ladies in action in the 2019 edition

U12 - Ravedo Kanhai 1st, Robeno Kanhai 2nd, Stephon Pearson 3rd, Youth Male U13 -17 - McLee George 1st & Bert Paul 2nd, Youth Female U13-17 - Sarah Fredericks 1st, Serena Clenkian 2nd, Beyonce Dundas 3rd.

Adult Female Ausilda Paulin 1st, Rushell Dundas 2nd, Brenette Gordon 3rd; and Adult Male -

Alex Pearson 1st, Jude Edwin 2nd, Aubrey DeSouza 3rd.

In addition to the headline sports, the weekend’s activities would offer a number of novelty sports, such as: piwari-drinking, hot tuma pot-eating, firewood bursting competition, lime-andspoon race, and other traditional novelty games.

BCB’s soon-to-be-launched Schools Cricket Programme…

US Businessman Lochan Samkarran is first to donate

T

he proactive Berbice Cricket Board (BCB), under the leadership of its President Hilbert Foster, last Tuesday received a massive donation of cricket balls and uniforms from overseas-based Berbician Lochan Samkarran -a very successful businessman in the United States of America, who is very pleased with the current development of cricket in Berbice and wants major participation in its continuation.

This donation has been made towards the BCB’s soonto-be-launched Schools Cricket Programme, and it has been realised after a discussion between Samkarran and Foster.

After these two personalities had had intense discussion, it was decided that assistance would be provided to all 23 schools in Regions Five and Six, West and East Berbice respectively. Thus, each school would collect 15

BCB President Hilbert Foster and some junior cricketers posing with the cricket uniforms and balls

pairs of white school uniforms and two boxes of cricket balls, and would benefit from receipt of some cricket gear, including

bats and batting gloves, among other items.

Among the schools to benefit are Tagore Secondary,

Line Path Secondary, Central Corentyne Secondary, Lower Corentyne Secondary, J.C Chandisingh Secondary, Canje Secondary, New Amsterdam Secondary, Berbice High School, Rosignol Secondary and Bush Lot Secondary.

Foster has said that distribution of the gear and uniforms forms part of a comprehensive programme for all schools, and a countywide coaching programme is to be launched soon. Within the next two months, the BCB would also be unveiling another coaching project for more than 100 of the county’s primary schools, while plans are been finalised to host a year-long Kiddies Cricket Academy for 100 children between the ages of eight and 11 years old. The Kiddies Academy would involve weekly training and coaching for the most promising kids over a

44th FIDE Chess Olympiad, Chennai, India…

Guyana’s performance the most impressive in recent years

Open Team at the 44th Chess Olympiad

T

he 44th FIDE Chess Olympiad, conducted in Chennai, India, finally came to an end on August 9th, after seeing participation of the largest-ever number of players in this biennial event.

Guyana’s women’s team, led by 14-year-old women’s champion Pooja Lam, defeated four teams: Laos, Central African Republic, Timor-Leste and Libya, and drew with Oman to raise their international ranking 16 places up, from #136 to #120 in the world.

Twelve-year-old Anaya Lall, a player with a hearing impairment, was most impressive in the final round against Libya, defeating WFM Khuloud El Flow, a player rated 1836. This is the highestrated opponent young Anaya has ever defeated, and it has earned her her first FIDE rating.

Jessica Callender drew her final match with WFM Khadija Elfelo, a player rated 1875, while Pooja Lam and Sasha Shariff also defeated their Libyan opponents, Alrais and Albudwi respectively. The team finished

third in the ‘Group E’ category, a feat considered a triumph.

The women’s team was captained by Slovenian GM Georg Mohr, and its top players Jessica Callender and Sasha Shariff finished on 5.5 points each from 10 games. Pooja Lam and Anaya Lall finished on 3 points each, while Nellisha Johnson earned 1.5 points.

Guyana’s Open team has improved in ranking from #152 to #148, having recorded wins against Seychelles, Gabon, Brunei Darussalam and Burundi. Captained by Davion Mars, Guyana’s Open Team is now ranked fifth among the Caribbean’s chess teams.

The Open team lost the final round of the tournament 2.5– 1.5 to Haiti. FM Anthony Drayton won against Jude Guillaume, while CM Taffin Khan drew with his Haitian counterpart FM Marckens Jean Louis.

FM Anthony Drayton has recorded the most wins for the Guyana men’s (Open) team, finishing on 5.5 points after playing 9 rounds. CM Taffin Khan, with 4.5 points from 11 games, was the next most successful Guyana man, while Loris Nathoo

and Ethan Lee both scored 3 points, and Roberto Neto scored 2.5 points for Guyana.

Both the Open and Women’s teams finished on 18.5 points.

It was an all-round successful tournament for the Guyana Chess Olympiad team, with increased ratings’ points for players, improved rankings, and two new Conditional WCMs in Shariff and Callender. The Olympiad Team and delegation are expected to arrive home on August 11th.

The Board of Directors of the Guyana Chess Federation wishes to thank and congratulate the team for its excellent performances, and takes this opportunity to extend gratitude to all those individuals who contributed to the success of the trip.

Special thanks are extended to the Government of Guyana and to all our local sponsors who made this event possible, as well as to FIDE and the AICF Organising Committee.

The GCF has said it very greatly appreciates all the support and assistance it received towards its chess players.

12-month period.

The BCB is also working to get sponsorship for the temporary employment of at least 20 parttime coaches across the four sub-associations, to work with the kids and primary school

W

orld champion ShellyAnn Fraser-Pryce scorched the track with the fastest time over 100 metres this year at the Monaco Diamond League meeting on Wednesday, winning the race in 10.62 seconds to comfortably beat Shericka Jackson and Marie-Josee Ta Lou. Fresh from a fifth world title in Eugene, Oregon last month, Fraser-Pryce has produced blistering performances to clock 10.66 at the Silesia Diamond League event on Saturday and 10.67 at the Hungarian Grand Prix two days later.

She was even quicker in ideal conditions at Monaco’s Stade Louis II to easily break the 10.70 barrier for the sixth time in a stellar season, while Jackson (10.71) and Ta Lou (10.72) also ran personal best times in an absorbing race.

“I did what I needed to, and we had fun and let the clock do the talking… To be able to run 10.60 consistently means a lot; it’s remarkable. It’s hard to keep up the speed at this high level,” the 35-year-old Fraser-Pryce has said.

“I’m in my late thirties, and I feel I have more to give. I look forward to (doing) my personal best (10.60) during the rest of the season, and run fast… Now we break, and then we come again.

I’m not sure about Lausanne (on Aug. 26) yet”.

Noah Lyles won his second 200m race of the Diamond League season, breaking his own meet record of 2018 with a superb effort of 19.48. Erriyon Knighton (19.84) and Michael Norman (19.95) ensured a podium sweep

students. Foster has expressed confidence that a deal would be cemented in the next few weeks for the coaches to start working in what he considers the most ambitious cricket development programme in Guyana.

for the United States.

Double Olympic and World 1500m champion Faith Kipyegon came agonisingly close to shattering Genzebe Dibaba’s world record of 3:50.07 set in 2015 when she crossed the finish line in 3:50.37 to settle for a Kenyan national record.

“I’ve been chasing the time for quite some time, but I’m happy with the personal best,” said Kipyegon, whose effort was the second fastest time over the distance. “It seems I didn’t give all, but I tried hard.

“I knew this was the best place to get the world record, but I’m so disappointed I lost it in the last metres. I hope for the best next time…I was ready for it today. I’m heading home now, and want to get a good Diamond League final in Zurich.”

Watched on by world recordholder Sydney McLaughlin in the stands, Jamaican Rushell Clayton defeated Commonwealth champion Janieve Russell in the women’s 400m hurdles to finish ahead of her compatriot with a personal best of 53.33 seconds.

Shaunae Miller-Uibo of the Bahamas eased to victory in the women’s 400m race in 49.28, the fourth time the world champion has gone under 50 seconds this season.

Briton Jake Wightman, who had stunned Jakob Ingebrigtsen in the men’s 1,500m at the Worlds last month, continued his winning form in the 1,000m event by posting 2:13.88 minutes -- the fastest time by anyone over the distance in six years. (Reuters)

22

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2022

GHB shortlists national Under-21 Men’s Hockey Squad of the national men’s programme, Robert Fernandes, several key members of the squad have been training with the senior national squad since February of this year, in preparation for the CAC Games scheduled for June/July of 2023.

“We have been working with some of these players for the past six months in the senior national programme. However, I enjoy the challenge associat-

T

he Guyana Hockey Board (GHB) has shortlisted a squad of 38 under-21 men to begin preparing to participate in the Pan American Junior Championships, scheduled for Barbados from April 10th to 18th, 2023.

As part of those preparations, a team of 18 players would be selected to travel to Barbados from December 7-12, 2022 to play a series of matches against Caribbean sides. The team will be prepared by a trio of experienced former national players who have turned

Robert Fernandes.

According to Head Coach

Crawford, Christopher Bethel, Daniel Woolford, David Massiah, Donnel Alleyne, Frederico Cush, Jabari Lovell, Jamal Gaskin, Javid Hussain, Joshua Bento, Keeland Cummings, Leroy Geer, Lucas Sargeant, Luis Adams, Nandalall Persaud, Naresh Mohadeo, Nkrumah Hutson, Nkosi Saul, Oshazay Savory, Quinn Tobin, Robert Marcus, Samuel Woodroffe, Seth Jeffrey, Shakeem Fausette, Shaquon Favorite, Simeon Moore, Stephen Ramkhelawan, Stephon Ramkhelawan, Tahrea Garnett, Theodore Thierens, Vladimir Woodroffe, Warren Williams, Yonnick Norton and Yusuf Brandt.

Torginol Paints announced as “Official Paint of Hero CPL”

A look at the Guyana Under-21 team during their last outing at the 2016 Junior Pan American Games in Canada

coaches: John Abrahams, Marisha Rodrigues, and

always a fresh set of players who have little to no international experience.

“This squad has tremendous depth to complement the exceptional talents of players like Samuel Woodroffe, Shaquan Favorite, and Shakeem Fausette. I believe we have the ingredients needed to prepare a quality team, and I’m grateful to have John and Marisha on board to share their knowledge and expertise,” Fernandes has said.

The national Junior Men’s Squad reads: Darious Alleyne (GK), Raoul Whittaker (GK), Shane Cruickshank (GK), Baraka Garnett, Christoph

ed with preparing junior teams, because it’s almost

Winfield Braithwaite School Boys and Juniors rescheduled …Ninvalle stresses importance of tournament

GBA President Steve Ninvalle

T

he Winfield Braithwaite Caribbean School Boys and Juniors boxing tournament which was scheduled for next weekend (August 19th to 21st) has been rescheduled.

This disclosure has been made by President of the Guyana Boxing Association (GBA), Steve Ninvalle.

In an invited comment, Ninvalle confirmed that the tournament has been postponed by one week so as to allow travelling teams more time to meet Guyana’s COVID-19 entry requirements.

He informed, “We had to push it back by one week because we are trying to make sure that the overseas participants can meet Guyana’s COVID-19 entry requirements. We have confirmation from Trinidad, the Bahamas and St. Lucia, and we expect Saint Maarten and Grenada also to be a part.”

This tournament will now

take place over the weekend of August 26th to 28th at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall (CASH) on Homestretch Avenue.

Embracing the opportunity to update on other aspects of the eagerly-awaited Youth tournament, Ninvalle revealed what the regional competition would look like.

“Trinidad and Tobago are slated to send the largest overseas contingent. They have nine, and they will be followed by the Bahamas.

Once we get all the COVID-19 entry requirements met, we are off to have a very good tournament, for want of better words. It is a much-needed international competition for the Caribbean,” Ninvalle disclosed.

He added, “It is one of the most (important), if not the most important, competition that the Caribbean will have, simply because of the fact that it is tailored, points to, and is aimed at, developing

the nursery of the sport. The nursery, of course, is your most important (repository).”

Although having had to reschedule the tournament, the GBA has stuck to its initial schedule in getting the local team ready for the competition. Last month, the GBA announced the names of 30 youth boxers who have been shortlisted to go into training, and should they impress, they would be handed the opportunity to represent Guyana at the regional tournament.

Those boxers hail from the following gyms: Forgotten Youth Foundation (FYF), Pace and Power, Rose Hall Jammers (RHJ), Vergenoegen, and Young Achievers, which were among some of the standout gyms during this year’s biweekly Pepsi/Mike Parris Under-16 Boxing tournaments.

On this topic, Ninvalle said, “The coaching staff will soon select the national team which will go into encampment. It is a very exciting time, regardless of how many overseas participants we get.”

The coaching staff comprises Francisco Roldan, who has been handpicked to work with the team; Clifton Moore, Gregory Cort, Lennox Daniels and Sebert Blake.

Ninvalle has been keen to underscore the importance of the tournament, and how it stands to benefit the nursery of boxing across the Caribbean.

“The Caribbean had no way of assessing where its nursery was. We (the Caribbean) didn’t have any U-16, school boy or junior tournaments. So, what was happening was that all of our Caribbean countries were having their nurseries operate in silos, individually, and there was no way of assessing where each country was as it relates to another nation,” the GBA President reflected.

He added this about the importance of the Winfield Braithwaite tournament, “We are pushing ahead with it regardless, because Guyana sees the nursery of our sport of boxing as very important.

That opinion is shared by one of our closest partners in Trinidad and Tobago, and (by) several others. Mr. Cecil Forde (President of the T&T Boxing Association), Mr. David Christopher (President of the St Lucia Boxing Association), Vincent Strachan (President of the Bahamas Boxing Association) and several other presidents in the Caribbean understand this.

We cannot afford to let this die, or we would be doing a great disservice to the sport and those who elected us.”

The Winfield Braithwaite School Boys and Juniors tournament was first hosted in 2016, and Guyana has won it every year, up until a COVID-19-related hiatus in 2020 and 2021.

T

he Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) has confirmed Torginol Paints as the tournament’s Official Paint for the next three years.

Torginol Paints will be working with Hero CPL to bring colour to the Biggest Party in Sport, with the company supporting the tournament with pitch markings across the region.

Torginol will also bring colour to the fans with face-painting for supporters at the group games and finals in Guyana.

Torginol Paints, based in Guyana, has cemented its position as one of the premier paint manufacturers across the region.

Torginol Paints’ CEO, Rakesh Puri, has expressed his company’s enthusiasm for the partnership: “We’re pleased to be sponsoring the CPL, the league that has become the second most watched twenty20 tournament worldwide. Cricket is a huge part of life in Guyana and the Caribbean, and we’re honoured to be a part of the CPL, which brings together fans from all over the world.”

Jamie Stewart, Hero CPL Commercial Director, has said: “Hero CPL is all about colour, from our vibrant logo and graph-

ics featuring the colours of Carnival, to the bright pigments of fan-filled stadiums around the region, and deep blues of the Caribbean Sea. We are delighted to welcome the colours of Torginol to the CPL family as we celebrate the 10th year of world cricket’s most colourful event.”

The 2022 Hero CPL will take place from 31 August to 30 September. The tournament will be played across four countries, with games in St Kitts & Nevis, Saint Lucia, Trinidad & Tobago, and Guyana. (CPLT20)

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THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2022

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

New Zealand vs WI, T20I Series: Game 1 of 3…

23

All-round NZ overcome late scare to secure 13-run win D espite an entertaining 58-run partnership from 26 balls between Romario Shepherd and Odean Smith, New Zealand took a 1-0 lead in the three-match T20 Series on Wednesday, after defeating the West Indies by 13 runs at Sabina Park in Kingston.

Chasing 186 for victory, West Indies slumped to yet another seemingly inevitable defeat, characterised by poor shot-making and reckless play.

The West Indies had slumped to 49-4 in the seventh over, with Kyle Mayers (1), Nicholas Pooran (15), Devon Thomas (1) and Shimron Hetmyer (2) all back in the hutch. Jason Holder and Rovman Powell tried to accelerate the scoring, but were out for 25 and 18 respectively, as the West Indies were reduced to 1147, needing 72 runs from the final 32 balls.

Holder’s dismissal brought together Shepherd and Smith, whose partnership brought the West Indies within 13 runs of an unlikely victory. Shepherd hit three sixes and a four in his 16-ball 31, while Smith made 27 from just 14 balls, with four fours and a six.

However, the task proved too great, and the West Indies innings was closed at 172-7.

Mitchell Santer was the best of the New Zealand bowlers, taking 3-19 from his four overs.

After the visitors were invited to take the first strike, Martin Guptill and Devon Conway shared in an opening stand of 62 at almost eight runs an over. It took a spec-

Shamarh Brooks was the top-scorer for West Indies with 42

tacular piece of fielding from Shimron Hetmyer to break the partnership in the eighth over, when Guptill cut Odean Smith up and over deep point, only to see the

Guyanese snatch the ball out of the air just as it was about to clear the boundary.

Smith removed Conway next ball, caught down the leg side by wicketkeeper Devon Thomas for a 29-ball 43, which included four fours and two sixes.

Glen Phillips went for 17, caught at short fine leg off Holder, and Daryl Mitchell was dismissed by Obed McCoy as the West Indies tried to fight back, having New Zealand at 144-4 in the 17th over.

At the other end, Kane Williamson bludgeoned the bowling, making 47 from just 33 balls before he became Smith’s third victim with New Zealand at 149-5 in the 18th.

The next 15 balls proved costly, especially the last six bowled by Jason Holder, who was plundered for 23 runs that pushed New Zealand to 185-5. James Neesham's 33 from 15 balls, with three fours and two sixes at the death, was instrumental in getting New Zealand to their winning total.

Smith ended with 3-32.

(Sportsmax)

Kane Williamson top-scored with 47

SCOREBOARD NEW ZEALAND INNINGS (20 overs maximum) Martin Guptill c Hetmyer b Smith 16 Devon Conway †c †Thomas b Smith 43 Kane Williamson (c) c Walsh b Smith 47 Glenn Phillips c Mayers b Holder 17 Daryl Mitchell c †Thomas b McCoy 16 James Neesham not out 33 Mitchell Santner not out 4 Extras (w 9) 9 TOTAL 20 Ov (RR: 9.25) 185/5 Did not bat: Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Lockie Ferguson, Trent Boult Fall of wickets: 1-62 (Martin Guptill, 7.3 ov), 2-62 (Devon Conway, 7.4 ov), 3-98 (Glenn Phillips, 11.6 ov), 4-144 (Daryl Mitchell, 16.3 ov), 5-149 (Kane Williamson, 17.3 ov) BOWLING O-M-R-W Kyle Mayers 1-0-8-0 Jason Holder 4-0-42-1 Obed McCoy 4-0-39-1 Romario Shepherd 3-0-35-0 Hayden Walsh 4-0-29-0 Odean Smith 4-0-32-3

Odean Smith bagged 3-32 and scored 27 off 12, while Romario Shepherd (left) blasted 31 off 16 balls

WEST INDIES INNINGS (Target: 186 runs from 20 overs) Kyle Mayers lbw b Southee 1 Shamarh Brooks c Mitchell b Santner 42 Nicholas Pooran (c) c Phillips b Santner 15 Devon Thomas † c Sodhi b Ferguson 1 Shimron Hetmyer c Neesham b Santner 2 Jason Holder c Phillips b Boult 25 Rovman Powell c Neesham b Sodhi 18 Romario Shepherd not out 31 Odean Smith not out 27 Extras (lb 4, w 6) 10 TOTAL 20 Ov (RR: 8.60) 172/7 Did not bat: Hayden Walsh, Obed McCoy Fall of wickets: 1-14 (Kyle Mayers, 1.4 ov), 2-39 (Nicholas Pooran, 4.1 ov), 3-41 (Devon Thomas, 5.1 ov), 4-49 (Shimron Hetmyer, 6.5 ov), 5-79 (Shamarh Brooks, 11.4 ov), 6-107 (Rovman Powell, 14.4 ov), 7-114 (Jason Holder, 15.4 ov) BOWLING O-M-R-W Trent Boult 4-0-36-1 Tim Southee 4-0-46-1 Mitchell Santner 4-0-19-3 Lockie Ferguson 4-0-33-1 Ish Sodhi 4-0-34-1

GMR&SC readies for international drag racing next Sunday

GMR&SC President Mahendra Boodhoo

T

he second fastest 1JZ car in the world is set to take to the track in Guyana when the Guyana Motor Racing and Sports Club (GMR&SC) hosts its International Drag Racing Championships next Sunday.

That event is anticipated to set alight the South Dakota Circuit at Timehri,

GMR&SC Vice President Mohamed Shiraz Roshandin

EBD, as some of the best competitors and fastest cars from Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago descend on Guyana to battle the locals, with Team Mohamed’s facing their biggest threats yet.

During a press briefing at the GT Motorsports Hall on Tuesday evening, GMR&SC Vice-President Mohamed Shiraz Roshandin gave

an idea of what to expect come August 21 when he divulged: “We have cars from Trinidad, Suriname and drivers coming out from the USA. These cars will be very high-powered cars, coming here to compete against our local drivers. The event will see over 100 cars participating.”

Roshandin informed, “So

far, for our last few events, we’ve been having more than expected competitors there.”

Among the provisions being made for the upcoming drag races are safety measures to keep excited fans off the track. President Mahendra Boodhoo outlined those measures while revealing that the GMR&SC is

expecting a crowd of 20,000.

“We’re expecting a huge crowd turnout, and we’re prepared for it. But with that in mind, safety is our number 1 priority, so we have designated areas where we will have spectators with all the facilities: washroom facilities and everything to accommodate 20,000 spectators there,” the GMR&SC President related.

“We’re prepared for that,” Boodhoo continued, while sharing that safety competitor cars and equipment are also on the front burner.

Registration for the drag races will close on Wednesday August 17th, after which the GMR&SC would decide whether to have qualifying events on both Saturday and Sunday.

In addition, Boodhoo announced a new rule the

Club will be undertaking for qualifying. The GMR&SC President explained, “The track prep has already started, and every team is actually trying to go to see which lane will be faster. And we have established protocols now that the fastest time in the qualifying gets to choose their lane. So, every team now is preparing (on) the track, to see which lane they can run the fastest, cause the fastest time gets to choose their lane.”

In more exciting action expected for next Sunday’s races, reports indicate that the South Dakota track may see the return of ‘Kong’, a 1998 Supra now owned by the Hopkinson family (Secure Innovations and Concepts Inc. Principle).

‘Kong’ was previously owned by the late Deryck ‘Mad Dog’ Jaisingh.

THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2022

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

New Zealand vs WI, T20I Series: Game 1 of 3…

All-round NZ overcome late scare to secure 13-run win Page 23

It has been rumoured that ‘Kong’ will be returning to the track next weekend

GMR&SC readies for international drag racing Page next Sunday 23

Mitchell Santner bowled 3-19

HERITAGE GAMES ARE BACK WITH A BANG!

…after 3-year hiatus due to pandemic

Flashback! A glimpse of the Caribbean School Boys and Juniors action in 2019

Archery would be one of the main highlights

Page 21

Winfield Braithwaite School Boys and Page 22 Juniors rescheduled

Action set for October 7-9 at Everest Cricket Ground in G/t …Ninvalle stresses importance of tournament GUYANA TIMES - www.guyanatimesgy.com, email: news@guyanatimesgy.com, NEWS HOTLINE: 231-8063 EDITORIAL: 223-7230, 223-7231, 231-0544, 225-7761 SPORT: sport@guyanatimesgy.com SALES AND MARKETING: 231-8064 - marketing@guyanatimesgy.com - PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY GUYANA TIMES INC.