Guyana Times - Thursday, November 9, 2023

Guyana, China strengthen cultural ties through Zhejiang Wu opera performance P14

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

THE BEACON OF TRUTH

Issue No. 5548

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2023

Guyana capable of producing wheat, servicing regional market with grains – Pres Ali Page 3

PRICE $100 VAT INCLUDED

WHAT'S INSIDE:

Motorcyclist dies after P10 riding into turning lorry Registration of e-bikes extended to P9 December 29 …no more excuses, cost for registration is $750 – AG

$103M Parika Stelling P11 upgrades to be completed in 1 month

…as NAMILCO opens US$8M mixing plant at Agricola

Guyana in talks with Barbados to slash shipping costs …as transshipment costs from Trinidad to Guyana reach new heights Page 7

Inaugural Diwali Jalsa sets stage for cultural tourism Pages 12 & 13

Border Patrol Bill to be tabled soon – AG Page 2

Over $1B in drugs unearthed at Upper Berbice River …gun, ammo found at NA house Page 10

Woman critical after stabbed by man on P10 public road Barber accused of setting man on fire charged for attempted P8 murder

Man acquitted of killing Linden businessman P8

2 NEWS

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2023 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Border Patrol Bill to be tabled soon – AG I

n light of Venezuela’s heightened aggression regarding Guyana’s territory of Essequibo, Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister Anil Nandlall, SC, has underscored the need, now more than ever, for local Border Patrol legislation to be in place.

Speaking during his weekly programme, Issues in the News, Nandlall explained that the Border Patrol Bill was drafted months ago, way before Venezuela announced its planned referendum which seeks to annex Guyana’s Essequibo region.

According to the AG, this bill is intended to create a framework for officers to be appointed and identify who will perform specific functions in relation to protecting, monitoring, guarding and patrolling the country’s borders.

“The Border Patrol Bill is to create a body of persons who will specifically be responsible for border patrol and border protection and border monitoring… This bill was drafted even before this referendum and before the heightened provocative actions of Venezuela.

I believe the bill has now assumed power among the people importance. So, this is one of the bills that we will be taking to the National Assembly very shortly,” he stated.

This piece of legislation, when enacted, will give effect to the establishment of a Border Patrol Unit. The creation of such a unit was first mentioned by President Dr Irfaan Ali, during his inaugural address to the Parliament in February 2021.

With the aim of strength-

Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister Anil Nandlall, SC

ening the country’s security, the Commander-inChief of the Armed Forces had indicated, “We’ll also be strengthening our ability to secure our borders with the establishment of a Border Patrol Unit.”

AG Nandlall explained during his programme on Tuesday evening that this unit would work in tandem with and be an addition to existing capabilities in both the Guyana Defence Force and the Guyana Police Force.

“It's an additional mechanism to bolster our ability and capacity to protect our territorial integrity, in particular, in the areas of our vast borders. This is a bill, a law, that should have been, that should have been enacted a long time now,” he contended.

Given the porous nature of Guyana’s borders, the Legal Affairs Minister highlighted the difficulties to monitor and patrol these locations.

“Our borders are very, very long and very, very hard [and] difficult to mon-

itor and to patrol. So, hopefully, the Border Patrol Bill will provide the necessary human resource and other things necessary to ensure that we have adequate eyes and ears on the borders of our country,” the Attorney General stated.

Vigorously defend

Only, last week, President Ali, in his message to commemorate the 58th anniversary of the GDF, reassured of Government’s support towards the armed forces as he pressed the need to vigorously defend the country against threats from neighbouring Venezuela.

“Guyana has always aspired to, and remains unwaveringly committed to, peace and the peaceful resolution of disputes. However, no one should misconstrue this commitment as a sign of weakness. We stand resolute in our determination to vigorously defend our country and its people, safeguarding our territorial integrity and sovereignty. In the face of extant challenges, we stand united, steadfast and

unyielding in ensuring the safety and well-being of our nation and its citizens,” the President said.

The Head of State pointed out that the GDF remained central to the nation’s comprehensive defence strategy, which he noted was meticulously crafted to protect Guyana’s territorial integrity and sovereignty. “When summoned, you have never wavered in executing your duties with the utmost professionalism and efficiency. I want to assure you all of Guyana stands beside you,” the Commanderin-Chief pledged.

Last month, the Venezuelan National Electoral Council published a list of five questions that it plans to put before the Venezuelan people in a referendum set for December 3, 2023. The referendum will seek the Venezuelan people’s approval to, among other things, annex Essequibo and create a Venezuelan state. This particular question (#5) also seeks the citizens’ approval for Venezuela granting citizenship and identity cards to residents of Essequibo.

ICJ’s intervention

The Guyana Government has since sought the International Court of Justice (ICJ) intervention to prevent Venezuela from taking action through its planned referendum to annex Guyana’s Essequibo region.

Guyana approached the World Court in March 2018 seeking a final and binding judgement to reinforce that the 1899 Arbitral Award remains valid and binding on all parties as well as legal affirmation that Guyana’s

Essequibo region, which contains much of the country’s natural resources, belongs to Guyana. The matter is still pending before the ICJ. One of the questions from the referendum that Guyana is seeking an order against, is the very first one, which asks the Venezuelan people to reject the boundary between the two countries that was set in the 1899 Arbitral Award – following a process of arbitration.

Guyana is also seeking the court’s intervention against question three, which asks the Venezuelan people not to recognise the ICJ’s jurisdiction, even though the court had thrown out Venezuela’s previous attempt to get the court not to accept jurisdiction over the case.

Finally, the court’s intervention is being sought to prevent question five.

According to the ICJ, Guyana is also seeking an order from the court that “Venezuela shall not take any actions that are intended to prepare or allow the exercise of sovereignty or de facto control over any territory that was awarded to British Guiana in the 1899 Arbitral Award” and further that “Venezuela shall refrain from any action which might aggravate or extend the dispute before the Court or make it more difficult to resolve”.

The World Court has set Tuesday, November 14, 2023 for a special sitting to hear Guyana’s request regarding Venezuela’s planned referendum.

Meanwhile, the Guyana Government on Monday passed a motion in the National Assembly, de-

nouncing Venezuela’s effort to threaten Guyana and by extension, the region’s peace and security, as well as Venezuela’s illegal referendum on annexing Essequibo. The motion was approved unanimously by the Government and Opposition sides during a special sitting.

Support

Over the past few weeks, Guyana has been informing regional and international partners of Venezuela’s planned referendum, which has been criticised by the United States, the Caribbean Community (Caricom) and the Organisation of American States (OAS) as well as several other nations in the region, including Brazil. There is a consensus that Venezuela’s referendum threatens the peace, security, and stability of the region.

Former Venezuelan Ambassador to Guyana, Sadio Garavini di Turno, in an opinion piece published last week, bashed the Nicolás Maduro Government over the planned referendum, saying the exercise was not only harmful and useless but was a distraction from the ongoing socioeconomic crisis in the Spanishspeaking nation.

Turno, an advisor to the current Opposition in Venezuela, urged the Caracas Government to prepare itself to defend the country’s case before the ICJ. The Guyana Government has already declared its commitment to resolving the longstanding border controversy with Venezuela through the legal process at the World Court. (G8)

NEWS

3

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2023 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

BRIDGE OPENINGS

BRIDGE The Demerara OPENINGS Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Thursday, November 9 – 02:00h-03:30h and Friday, November 10 – 02:30h-04:00h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Thursday, November 9 – 14:10h-15:40h and Friday, November 10 – 14:45h-16:15h.

FERRY SCHEDULE

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

WEATHER TODAY There will be thundery showers during the day.

Expect clear skies at night. Temperatures should range between 24 degrees Celsius and 32 degrees Celsius.

Winds: Easterly to East North-Easterly between 2.23 metres and 4.47 metres.

High Tide: 14:07h reaching a maximum height of 2.4 metres.

Low Tide: 07:39h and 20:01h reaching minimum heights of 0.90 metre and 0.80 metre.

Guyana capable of producing wheat, servicing regional market with grains – Pres Ali …as NAMILCO opens US$8M mixing plant at Agricola

O

n the occasion of the National Milling Company of Guyana (NAMILCO) opening a new mixing plant at its operational base at Agricola, East Bank Demerara, President Dr Irfaan Ali has challenged the private sector to re-engineer its business model to fit in with the Government’s plans to make Guyana a net producer and exporter of wheat and other grains.

On Wednesday, President Ali, who was on hand to give the feature address at the opening of this mixing plant, spoke of the potential for Guyana to tap into the regional demand for grains. He said: “When you look at our import for corn and soya as an input for feed production, you’re talking about a market of about US$30 million.

When we look at our import for wheat, it’s about US$23 million. That is why we’re now moving to the position of being

its food production and bring down the Caribbean’s food import bill.

Boost capacity

According to NAMILCO’s Managing Director Roopnarine Sukhai, the mixing plant facility would al-

President Dr Irfaan Ali during his tour of the new facility

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2023

LOTTERY NUMBERS J

02

04 17

19

20

25

22

FREE TICKET

Bonus Ball

DAILY MILLIONS

16 21 23

07 12 LUCKY 3

9

6

1

9

Afternoon Draw

3

5

Evening Draw

DRAW DE LINE

01

05

08

02

11

14 17 20

18

SUPER

PAY DAY

PAY DAY

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2023

01 05 11 16 17 1

13

4

12 16 18 20

0

6 Afternoon Draw

FP Afternoon Draw

0

9 Evening Draw

2X Evening Draw

955

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

COMMODITIES Indicators

US$

Crude Oil

$79.74/barrel

+0.25

Rough Rice London Sugar

$294.30/ton $749.00/ton

-0.34 0.00

Live Spot Gold Bid/Ask Low/High Change

Change %

USD Per Ounce $1948.30 $1947.00 -1.50

$1949.30 $1969.30 -0.08%

our own producer of corn and soya.

“Now, this brings a business opportunity for you,” President Ali explained. “If Guyana now becomes the prime destination for our own production of corn and soya, supplemented by corn and soya from Brazil, then we can have a major facility here that then drives up into the Caricom market. And if you add DR (Dominican Republic), then that’s a very big market in terms of feed.”

President Ali noted that this may require NAMILCO to do some re-engineering of its logistics in order to position itself to be able to service the Caribbean market. According to the President, Guyana has the potential to produce wheat, with wheat trials having already been completed.

“We’ve progressed so far.

So far, we’ve concluded that wheat can successfully be grown in Guyana; now we have to upscale testing and production. What the result has shown so far is that wheat can be successfully grown,” the President said.

“Now, wheat successfully grown competitively is another part of the equation we must address our mind to. But the policy framework of the Government is to ensure that we can produce as much of the raw material here. Which would require an adjustment in your business model.”

The project is a US$8 million investment, and will see individual types of wheat being milled and stored in silos.

It is expected to play a major role in Guyana’s drive to boost

low the company to boost its capacity to store wheat and flour.

“The primary components of the mixing plant include a massive mix capable of 20,000 kilograms of flour per hour, state-of-the-art ingredient feeders for the added, and flour silos (in which) we can store 700 metric tons of flour.

This additional flour-storage

capacity can assist us in providing flour in the event of an extended downtime,” he explained.

US companies partnering

NAMILCO is a subsidiary of United States-based Seaboard Corporation, and newly accredited US Ambassador to Guyana, Nicole Theriot, was on hand during the commissioning.

Praising the President Aliled Government’s efforts to achieve food security, Theriot also noted the significance of the event as an example of US companies partnering with Guyanese.

“The partnership is an impressive example of how US companies can work with Guyanese to strengthen and diversify the economy, and promote food security in Guyana and region, and create well-paying, high-quality jobs for Americans and Guyanese alike,” Ambassador Theriot said.

NAMILCO only last year received the Guyana National Bureau of Standards’ (GNBS) certification for two of its products. The company can

now use the GNBS-approved “Made in Guyana” certification mark on the packaging of its Thunderbolt wheat flour in 1kg, 2kg, 10kg, 22.5kg, 45kg sizes, and its Maid Marian self-rising flour in 1kg and 2kg sizes.

This certification mark has added to NAMILCO’s already existing ISO 9001 Certification, which was granted by SGS, the world’s leading testing, inspection and certification company.

The “Made in Guyana” certification mark is a prestigious mark which was unveiled by First Lady Arya Ali at the GNBS’ National Quality Awards Ceremony in October 2021. It is a registered mark that aims to provide recognition to locally manufactured products on the local and international markets, and is a signature of quality for authentic Guyanese products. Among the requirements to become certified are that manufacturers are required to use at least 60 per cent raw materials from Guyana, and to employ 70% Guyanese staff.

(G3)

4

guyanatimesgy.com

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2023

Views

Editor: Tusika Martin News Hotline: 231-8063Editorial: 231-0544, 223-7230, 223-7231, 225-7761 Marketing: 231-8064Accounts: 225-6707 Mailing address: Queens Atlantic Industrial Estate Industrial Site, Ruimveldt, Georgetown Email: news@guyanatimesgy.com, marketing@guyanatimesgy.com

Enforcing Intoxicating Liquor Licensing (Amendment) Bill

I

n August last year, the much-needed legislation to deal with the sale of alcohol to minors and designated drivers was passed in the National Assembly.

The Intoxicating Liquor Licensing (Amendment) Bill 2022 was long overdue, and, more importantly, consequences for the sale of alcohol to minors are long overdue.

As it now stands, the law now requires liquor stores to verify the age of patrons prior to entry into the establishment, and, importantly, stipulates harsher penalties for holder/ holders of a liquor licence who employs/employ a minor to supply, sell, or assist in the sale of alcohol. This carries a fine ranging from $500,000 to $1 million.

However, more importantly, the sale of alcohol to a designated driver would also be prohibited. Over the years, the issue of alcohol and the massive damaging effects it is having on individuals and communities have again been brought to the fore. There have been a number of deadly accidents countrywide, most of which were as a result of alcohol consumption. Persons all of whom could have been working and assisting their families and perhaps helping in the development of their communities and country as a whole are now dead. This is in addition to the dozens of other persons who had lost their lives earlier in the year because of some form of recklessness committed by drivers, or, in some cases, carelessness by pedestrians themselves.

We are indeed convinced that the efforts being made by law enforcement and other authorities to reduce the alarming rate of road accidents are not achieving the desired results. This year will go down as yet another year when Guyana experienced some of its most horrific road accidents, resulting in loss of lives and injuries to countless others. We are very much concerned about the number of persons losing their lives on our roadways. Too many families have been broken as a result of losing loved ones due to road accidents, most of which could have been avoided.

The reasons for the high rates of road accidents are well known, and there is no need to rehash them here, except to say that while there are various factors which impact on road safety, there is little doubt that the single most important one, in a general sense, is enforcement of the traffic laws. The Government has enacted the relevant legislation in relation to driving under the influence, loud music in vehicles, overloading, speeding, etc, but if the laws are not adequately implemented, they become useless. It would be interesting to find out how many of the drivers who are stopped for breaking a traffic law/s are actually charged and brought before the courts. It should also be mentioned here that, in some cases, Police Officers themselves are engaged in breaking the traffic rules; for example, by speeding or driving under the influence, and hence are the source of some of the accidents we currently experience.

While it is not our intention to paint the entire Police Force with the same brush, as there are many professional and honest officers within the Force, we are convinced that unless what is perceived as the endemic corruption in the organisation — and the traffic section in particular — is addressed in a systematic way, we will not achieve the desired results.

We had also made the point before that Guyanese need to move away from the culture of disregard and irresponsibility in relation to using the roadways.

For a small country such as ours, we cannot afford to continue along this path. We support the Intoxicating Liquor Licensing (Amendment) Bill 2022, which seeks to bring the full force of the law upon those who are reckless in the use and sale of alcohol.

First Lady Arya Ali lighting a diya at the opening ceremony of the “One Guyana” Diwali Jalsa at Skeldon Recreational Park, Corentyne, Berbice, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne). Also in photo are President Dr Irfaan Ali, First Son Zayd, Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh, and Public Service Minister Sonia Parag (Office of the First Lady photo)

Partner violence deeply rooted in obsession

By Dr Raulston Nembhard

V

ery few Jamaicans would contest the view that the social fabric of the Jamaican society is being torn immeasurably.

One of the most worrying aspects of modern Jamaican life is the extent to which social relationships have become so dysfunctional as to pose a great threat to peace and tranquillity in the society for a long time to come.

A clear manifestation of this social dysfunction is the extent to which violence in inter-party relationships is becoming a problem. This is, of course, not anything new, but today they seem to have taken on a new urgency, as disputes between parties often lead to the violent death of the people involved.

Allied to this is the very worrying development of the hitman culture in which people take the law into their own hands and decide the guilt or innocence of those with whom they have a dispute. It should be cause for alarm how easy it is for people to make these decisions and the apparent ease with how they are executed by the hirelings. There is no pause, no second look at such decisions by both the 'employer' and 'employee' of these hits.

What seems clear is that life has become very cheap.

There is no moral compunction to deter someone bent on getting revenge. With the society awash with guns of all descriptions, the work of the hitman has become easier. All that is needed is the will to carry out the act, once monetary compensation has been determined.

After that, the life of the hapless victim is not worth as much as that of a dog on which the perpetrator of

this kind of violence would not waste a bullet.

As Howard Mitchell more than inferred in his acceptance speech during his inauguration in the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica Hall of Fame, the society is going towards a social abyss from which there may be no return.

A prominent manifestation of the social dysfunction that abound is the sinister and macabre nature of partner violence in recent years. When it comes to our romantic relationships, we do not seem to manage these too well. The "Beachy Stout" murder trial has brought into sharp and shocking relief elements of the anatomy of the dysfunctions that persist in many of these relationships involving young adults. If a woman who is in a relationship with a man goes missing for two days, there is immediate worry that she will not turn up alive.

I am appalled at the number of cases of women who have been beaten or killed by their significant other.

Some simply just go missing, not to return. Statistics bear out that women are largely the aggrieved parties here. We do not hear of cases in which men go missing or are killed as a result of their love relationships going sour. This is not to say that women do not exact physical violence on the men in their lives, but the preponderant evidence, scientific or anecdotal, point to men as the perpetrators in these atrocities.

One of the things I have noticed over the years as a family therapist is that some men are yet to understand that a woman has a brain and that she has sovereignty over her own body.

There is a tendency to objectify women on the basis of

the purported pleasure they can provide, not on her competence and accomplishments as a person. There may be something deeply buried in the male's primitive psyche that makes him look at a female in these terms.

The vagina becomes the all-consuming passion.

Thus, when a woman says no to a sexual advance, she is not to be taken seriously. There is a tendency to persist, especially if one is under the influence of a mind-altering substance such as alcohol. Many men are yet to understand that when she says no to a sexual advance, she often means that and that you do not have access to her body.

To take what you desire by force, or by some screwed interpretation of a biblical text, simply is not on. And, whether you are married to the woman or not is immaterial. Any sex taken by force, without her consent, whether married or unmarried, fits the legal definition of rape.

The reason many women do not press charges is that they feel ashamed, a shame which they should not bear, but which she knows she will be subjected to by a society yet to come to terms with this revolting behaviour. Some may remain silent and bear the indignity because of their dependence on a man or the fear that, if they leave, they may not be able to get into another relationship. The fact you are married to a person does not make that person your property.

I have also found in my practice that many men do not know how to treat with the assertive or accomplished woman. Many men prefer the acquiescent, submissive, and dependent woman. The moment

she tries to move out of an ambit of dependency, the self-absorbed man begins to feel that she has interest in someone else. Her loyalty is questioned and she must be put back in her place.

The moment she resists and shows any independence, which she must, violence often becomes the tool to enforce submission. If this is kept up for too long, love grows cold, and you cannot force a man or a woman to love you. Neither can love be bought. Love must be contingent upon a free exercise of choice fuelled by how the person feels about you and, importantly, about himself or herself. Beating a woman who is fearful into submission may get her compliance, but it will never take away from her the deep sense of her autonomy which will quietly resist you with all the fibre she possesses.

A lot of the violence against women in romantic relationships is due to pernicious jealousy, real or imagined. This is often rooted in a desire to protect one's territory, which when explored is the sexual territory which the man believes belongs to him exclusively. The woman may also feel this about her partner. Pernicious jealousy cuts both ways, but the real danger of this is that it can lead to paranoia of the worst kind, which can result in harm to others. It is a serious problem as old as man himself, but is not one without remedy by those who are willing to find it.

(Jamaica Observer) (Dr Raulston Nembhard is a priest, social commentator, and author of the books Finding Peace in the Midst of Life's Storms; The Selfesteem Guide to a Better Life and Beyond Petulance: Republican Politics and the Future of America)

guyanatimesgy.com

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2023

5

News

Guyana to average more than 30% annual growth over 7-year period – Finance Minister …says more int’l firms interested in making Guyana regional base G uyana’s real economic growth is expected to average in excess of 30 per cent annually over the next seven years and according to Finance Minister, Dr Ashni Singh, the country’s growth projections are inspiring international companies to make it the hub for their regional operations.

The Finance Minister made this revelation during the recent official opening of the local office of accounting firm PricewaterhouseCooper (PwC). He pointed out that already, Guyana has consistently recorded over 40 per cent growth in recent years.

“We have recorded real economic growth of more than 40 per cent over the last three years. And we’re projected to record real economic growth of more than 20 per cent, on average, over the next four years.”

“Taken together, those

Finance Minister, Dr Ashni Singh

developments imply that the Guyanese economy would have and will be growing, by an average of more than 30 per cent annually over a seven-year period,” the Finance Minister explained.

Moreover, Dr Singh recounted conversations he

Deeds Registry, Land Court Registry must improve customer service

Dear Editor, I withheld penning these few lines for a long time, hoping that the Deeds Registry and the Land Court Registry would get their act together and improve their customer service. That’s certainly not forthcoming, and I can no longer withstand the pressure of my experience nudging me to bring this to the attention of your readers.

Editor, in interest of the preservation of psychological stability of members of the public, I hope to initiate positive changes at those agencies through this publication. I am, first and foremost, a member of the public, but I am also an attorney-at-law. In my professional capacity in particular, I had numerous interactions with the Court Registries in Guyana, especially the ones located in Georgetown.

Let, me give credit where it’s due. I applaud the customer service of the Land and Commercial Registries.

The members of staff seem to appreciate that they are dealing with members of the public, regardless of who they may be. They appear to understand that while they are ‘experts’ of the system in which they are employed, the members of the public are ‘novices’, and depend on their expertise and

guidance.

Those members of staff are cordial and patient.

Whether they are fatigued, hungry, or not in a good mood, they have somehow harnessed the skill of camouflage.

However, over time, I have concluded that the Deeds Registry and the Land Court Registry have not received that memo, because they are quite the opposite. One can immediately suffer from stress, hypertension, and psychological trauma when interfacing with those agencies. This shabby service to the public must end now. It is unbearable, and no effort must be spared to correct it forthwith. I believe that the memo or standard operating procedures guiding the Land and Commercial Registries must be immediately implemented at the Deed Registry and the Land Court Registry.

They must act with professionalism and serve the public well to avoid continuous psychological shakiness they often inflict on their customers.

Yours sincerely, Excellence Dazzell (Mrs.) Attorney-at-Law

has had with international companies on the trajectory that Guyana is taking and moreover, they have expressed enough faith in Guyana to look to make the country their regional base of operations.

“A number of those companies have said to us they anticipate their Guyana operations becoming a hub for their regional operations, given the production trajectory and the anticipated scaling up of their own operations in Guyana, as a result of the expansion of demand in Guyana,” he said.

With a projected growth rate of 37.2 per cent for 2023, Guyana is already expected to continue its trend this year of outpacing every other Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) country when it comes to economic growth.

Earlier this year, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), in its World Economic Outlook, had noted that of the other LAC countries, St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) at 6.0 per cent has the next highest growth projection for this year.

But while SVG’s growth is expected to fall next year to 5.0 per cent, Guyana’s is expected to increase to 45.3 per cent. The report states, however, that by 2028 Guyana’s economic growth will drop to 3.3 per cent.

Meanwhile, other LAC countries that will record single-digit economic growth this year include Panama at 5.0 per cent, neighbouring Venezuela at 5.0 per cent, Dominica at 4.9 per cent, St Kitts and Nevis at 4.5 per cent and the Dominican Republic at 4.2 per cent.

Guyana has already recorded a whopping 59.5 per cent real economic growth in the first half of 2023,

driven not only by the oil and gas sector, but also the non-oil economy which has been growing for successive years.

This was disclosed in the Finance Ministry’s Half Year Report, which presents statistics on Guyana’s economic performance for the first half of the year.

The non-oil economy, according to the report, grew by 12.3 per cent. And, this growth trend is expected to continue.

The report further disaggregates the growth by sectors. For instance, the gold mining and quarrying sector is estimated to have grown by 89.9 per cent in the first half of the year.

The report explains that this increase outweighed

the decline observed in the gold mining and bauxite mining subsectors.

Meanwhile, the agriculture, forestry and fishing sectors are estimated to have expanded by 7.6 per cent in the first half of the year. This was driven by growth in all subsectors – namely other crops, rice growing, livestock, fishing, forestry, and sugar.

When it comes to the oil and gas sector, this has been a major contributor to Guyana’s economic growth. Another oil and gas project – the Payara development – is expected to start up by this year end, targeting an estimated resource base of about 600 million oil-equivalent barrels. (G3)

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2023

06:00 06:30 07:00 08:00 08:30 09:30 10:00 11:30 12:00 12:05 13:35 14:00 14:30 15:00 16:00 16:30 17:00 18:00 19:00 20:00 20:30 21:00 22:00 23:00 23:30 00:00

(Sign on) Inspiration Time Cartoons Evening News (RB) Stay Woke Guy's Grocery Games BBC Travel Show Stop Suffering Divorce Court News Break Movie - Three Wise Men and a Baby (2022) Wheel of Fortune Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir S5 E8 The Tom and Jerry Show S2 E10 From the Pavilion Sydney to the Max S1 E13 Austin & Ally S2 E23 The Young & The Restless CNN The Evening News Stop Suffering Stand-up Comedy One Piece (2023) E3 Grey's Anatomy S4 E14 Ballers S2 E8 Kim's Convenience S4 E9 Sign off

6

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2023

Foundation ◄

Page

Test Questions

BY WALT WHITMAN CONTINUED FROM WEDNESDAY

4 The earth expanding right hand and left hand, The picture alive, every part in its best light, The music falling in where it is wanted, and stopping where it is not wanted, The cheerful voice of the public road, the gay fresh sentiment of the road.

T

his easy sparkler firework craft idea is a great way for children to re-enact and play make-believe firework celebrations.

You’ll need

Coloured cellophane sheets Tin foil Jumbo straws Sticky tape Scissors

Instructions

Start by cutting a sheet of tin foil to the same size as the cellophane. Choose two colours of cellophane and sandwich the tin foil between them. Next, fold the 3 layers in half or nearly in half lengthways. If you fold it nearly in half that gives different lengths of tassels in the finished firework craft. If you chose to fold the sheets in half, it will mean that all the tassel lengths are all the same. Next, from the open end, cut strips towards the fold being careful not to actually cut through the fold itself. Continue cutting strips all along the length of the sheets of cellophane and foil. Wrap the cut cellophane and foil tightly around the end of a straw using sticky tape every now and again to secure it. Continue rolling un-

til all of the cellophane and foil is tightly wrapped and stuck around the end of the straw.

Gently open out all the individual layered strips to give a wonderful pom-pom like head to your homemade firework sparkler toy. Children will love the gentle crackling sound that the tin foil makes when they shake and whizz-pop their toy sparklers around, it helps make them seem quite real!

(Adapted from kidscraftroom.com)

O highway I travel, do you say to me Do not leave me?

Do you say Venture not—if you leave me you are lost?

Do you say I am already prepared, I am wellbeaten and undenied, adhere to me?

O public road, I say back I am not afraid to leave you, yet I love you, You express me better than I can express myself, You shall be more to me than my poem.

I think heroic deeds were all conceiv’d in the open air, and all free poems also, I think I could stop here myself and do miracles, I think whatever I shall meet on the road I shall like, and whoever beholds me shall like me, I think whoever I see must be happy.

5 From this hour I ordain myself loos’d of limits and imaginary lines, Going where I list, my own master total and absolute, Listening to others, considering well what they say, Pausing, searching, receiving, contemplating, Gently,but with undeniable will, divesting myself of the holds that would hold me.

I inhale great draughts of space, The east and the west are mine, and the north and the south are mine.

I am larger, better than I thought, I did not know I held so much goodness.

All seems beautiful to me, I can repeat over to men and women You have done such good to me I would do the same to you, I will recruit for myself and you as I go, I will scatter myself among men and women as I go, I will toss a new gladness and roughness among them, Whoever denies me it shall not trouble me, Whoever accepts me he or she shall be blessed and shall bless me.

To be continued

WORD SEARCH

NEWS

7

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2023 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Guyana in talks with Barbados to slash shipping costs …as transshipment costs from Trinidad to Guyana reach new heights

T

alks have advanced with Barbados to establish a special port facility as a workaround against rising transshipment costs being experienced when shipping containers from Trinidad to Guyana. This is according to President Dr Irfaan Ali. President Ali made this announcement during the commissioning of a new US$8 million facility, where he revealed that complaints have been received over hurdles to shipping goods from Trinidad to Guyana.

“This morning, some members of the private sector told me that there’s now a major problem with transshipment from Trinidad to Guyana. That most of the containers have to be offloaded at Trinidad and transshipped to Guyana.

And the transshipment cost from Trinidad to Guyana has increased tremendously,” President Ali said.

Even though this complaint was only just received, President Ali said that his government has been able to advance talks

with the Barbadians in order to find a solution. That solution, according to him, will involve a special port being set up in Bridgetown, Barbados, from where the containers could be shipped.

“So, we now – I’m working with Barbados now to say to the Barbadians, ‘listen, let’s see how maybe Barbados can give us a special area, on their port, where we have all the containers there’.

“And we have a more efficient transshipment plan

from Barbados to Guyana, with the two countries at the Government level entering into an arrangement. And that discussion is very far advanced. We’re making a lot of progress on that,” President Ali informed the crowd.

Regional transport policy

President Ali has been vocal about the need for a transport policy in the Region. As far back as 2021, while addressing a Regional Sub-Committee on the Caricom Single Market

and Economy (CSME), he had informed them that the Lead Head on Transport has been engaged with a view to developing specific recommendations to incentivise Private Sector interest and partnership in transport and logistics, in order to better serve the agri-food systems agenda.

The President had explained that the Ministerial Taskforce had recognised transport and logistics as integral to the effective implementation of the Caricom agri-food systems

agenda. According to him, there were options being explored.

As recently as last month, during the AfriCaribbean Trade and Investment Forum at the Guyana Marriott Hotel, President Dr Ali had urged the regional Private Sector to form consortiums and take full advantage of the access to financing in order to solve the Region’s maritime transportation woes.

As much as US$3 billion in funding is expected to be made available to the Caribbean by the African Export-Import Bank.

The President urged the Caribbean Private Sector not to waste the opportunity to form consortiums aimed at tackling longstanding regional maritime transport problems.

Ali pointed out that not only would his People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Government and other Caribbean Governments support the regional Private Sector’s efforts to address this issue, but they also have sup-

port from the African EXIM Bank to tap into.

“I would consider it a severe missed opportunity by the regional Private Sector, if they cannot form a consortium and use this opportunity that EXIM Bank is offering, to end our regional transport failure. And I speak specifically about our maritime transport infrastructure.”

“We can plant and grow as much as we want. We can do agro-processing, manufacturing, and industrial development. We can reengineer the supply chain. But we have to move things. We have to move things throughout the Region,” President Ali had said.

In 2022, some US$1.5 billion was made available to Caricom Member States by the African EXIM Bank, as part of efforts to foster closer ties between the two regions. This figure is expected to increase to US$3 billion, once the remaining Caricom Member States ratify a partnership agreement with the bank. (G3)

8 NEWS Barber accused of setting man on fire charged with attempted murder K ‘tis the season…

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2023 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

hamalnarine Jaggernauth, a 24-year-old barber of Unity Village, East Coast Demerara, appeared on Wednesday before Sparendaam Magistrate Rochelle Liverpool charged with the offence of attempting to commit murder.

He was not required to plead to the indictable charge, which alleged that he attempted to kill 22-yearold Rayad Mohamed on Monday, November 6, con-

Remanded: Khamalnarine Jaggernauth

trary to Section 103(c) of the Criminal Law (Offences) Act, Chapter 8:01.

He has been remanded to prison, and the case will continue on November 28.

This charge stemmed from an incident that took place on Monday at Unity, ECD, wherein Jaggernauth allegedly inflicted grievous bodily harm on Mohamed after reportedly accusing him of robbing his brother on November 5.

According to reports,

Mohamed was approached by the barber and two other males who were with him. They reportedly beat Mohamed and lit him on fire.

When Police ranks arrived on the scene, they observed the virtual complainant lying in front of Jaggernauth's barber shop with what appeared to be burn marks on his body. As such, Jaggernauth was arrested. (G1)

Man acquitted of killing Linden businessman

J

ohn Caesar, a 40-yearold former resident of East Ruimveldt, Georgetown, has been found not guilty of the murder of businessman Romel Edison Gomes, aka “Eddy”, of Linden, Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice), which was allegedly committed on March 12, 2018 in the county of Demerara.

Currently serving jail time for attempted murder and drug trafficking, John Caesar had been on trial before Justice Jo-Ann Barlow and a mixed 12-member jury for this murder; but after deliberating for a little over two hours, the panel returned with a unanimous not-guilty verdict on Tuesday.

According to reports, Gomes, a former national footballer and father of one, of Lot 53 Wismar Housing Scheme, Linden, was mur-

A post-mortem examination had later given his cause of death as gunshot wound to the head. Following an investigation, Caesar was arrested and charged with the murder.

Life sentence

Dead: Romel Edison Gomes

John Caesar

dered reportedly by one of two persons who had last been seen at his home. The late 32-year-old businessman had allegedly been heard arguing with one of the men prior to his demise; and it was reported that, during the argument, a loud explosion had been heard, and the suspects had fled the scene in Gomes’s motor car –

PVV 2057 – which had been parked in front of his shop.

Gomes’s body had been discovered in a pool of blood with his hands bound, and he had been gagged with a bandana. His body had reportedly borne a gunshot wound to his right temple, a small laceration on top of his head, and another lacerated wound to the neck.

In 2018, Caesar and Marissa George were each handed respective life and 15-year sentences for the attempted murder and robbery of businesswoman Dhanwantie Phulchand, which had occurred in an attack at her Rishma Collection store in the City Mall in Georgetown on July 4, 2009.

Caesar had also been sentenced to life for the violent robbery in which US$2,000, GY$100,000, and other items were taken, while George was given a 10-year sentence for the crime.

Caesar would not be considered eligible for parole until he has served 35 years.

Justice Sandil Kissoon had imposed the jail terms on these convicts, and they were to be served concurrently.

According to the initial reports, the pair had entered the woman’s store at around 17:00 hours on the day in question and demanded money and other valuables. When she declined their demands, they had started to hit and chop her about the body.

Drug trafficking

Then last year, Caesar was sentenced to four years’ imprisonment and fined $2.5M after pleading guilty to trafficking nearly seven pounds of marijuana into the Mazaruni Prison.

On March 10, 2022, prison officials had observed Caesar walking around the prison with a five-gallon bottle in his hand. They called out to him, but he ignored them and continued walking.

A prison rank caught up with him and enquired about the contents of the bottle he was carrying, and he told them that it was water. The prison officer collected the bottle and escorted Caesar to an office, where the bottle was opened in his presence and found to contain a quantity of marijuana, three cellular phones, three cellphone chargers, 20 packs of cigarettes, and an earpiece. (G1)

T

…of lights

he Americans have just kicked off their “Daylight Saving Time” routine - summarized by their doggerel, “Spring forward; fall backwards” - which reminds them that, in Fall (autumn), they turn their clocks backwards one hour. What it’s all about is - as winter approaches and the nights get increasingly longer - they kid themselves that by “losing” an hour in the morning, which they pick up in the afternoon, they get more work done!! Well, that is THEIR ritual, just as other cultures originating in the northern hemisphere thousands of years ago have theirs to deal with the lengthening darkness.

In Europe, the “Pagans” would burn logs – “yule logs” to mark this day!! It wasn’t too long before the propitiating lights to remove the physical “darkness” became metaphorical pleas to remove the “darkness” from human affairs. On what we now call the “winter solstice” - which falls this year on Dec 21 - the nights would start to get longer, and the deal was sealed!!

After they converted to Christianity, the Church leaders just couldn’t get them to stop with the burning of the Yule logs, and so decided to join then by stipulating that Jesus was born on this day - to remove darkness and bring light into the world. And “Christmas was born”!!

That custom with the fir trees came from the German pagans, who’d put them up to show they’d survived the lengthening nights!!

The Jews had Hanukah, while in India, they started burning bonfires when the darkness increased - in hope that the powers that be would take the cue and made it decrease!! And lo and behold, it actually seemed to work – and the festival of Diwali was born!! Excepting they lit small fires in earthen “diyas”!!

Over time, specific events occurring around that time, which actually removed major negativity, were also commemorated as justification for the practice. Diwali became the festival celebrating the “victory of light over darkness – good over bad”.

For the Indians arriving from North India as indentured servants, they’d connected Diwali with the return of Sri Ram to his home with his wife Mother Sita, who’d been abducted by a lusting King Ravan. Ram defeated him in battle, and maybe this has a lesson for us today as we confront Mad Maduro and Venezuela, who wanna snatch two-thirds of our national territory!! In addition to SYMBOLICALLY celebrating “good over evil”, we ought to take an example from Sri Ram. Realizing that Ravan was very powerful, Sri Ram cultivated allies who amassed an army that could take on - and take out - Ravan and his army. Now’s the time to winnow out fair-weather friends!!

A hint to Beneba mek Kwashiba tek notice!! …for rattling sabres??

As your Eyewitness scans the headlines on his world news feed, it appears that rather than entering a season of joy, we’re gonna be mired in a season of weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth. Over in Europe, if our supposedly “advanced” and “civilized” erstwhile ruling colonials are wrecking their economies to battle the Ruskies to the last Ukrainian, what can we expect from the hoi polloi countries in the rest of the globe??

In Africa, we’ve had four coups in three years, as four ex-French colonies purportedly try to remove their neocolonial yokes. Trouble is, the rescuers seem bent on their own aggrandizement than anything else. Then, of course, there’re the Israelis reprising their God’s commandment about the Canaanite with Palestinians: “You shall conquer them and utterly destroy them. You shall make no covenant with them nor show mercy to them. Nor shall you make marriages with them. You shall not give your daughter to their son, nor take their daughter for your son.”

Bleak, eh?? …for new PNC leadership?

As your Eyewitness surveyed the PNC Opposition MPs, that line from Julius Caesar flashed into his mind: “methinks yon Cassius has a lean and hungry look”. We know THAT didn’t end too well for leader Caesar!!

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

9

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2023 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Registration of e-bikes extended to December 29 …no more excuses, cost for registration is $750 – AG

A

uthorities have put on hold the enforcement of the new laws that seek to regulate the use of electric bikes on Guyana’s roadways by allowing persons more time to register their bikes.

Back in May, the National Assembly passed the Motor Vehicles and Road Traffic (Amendment) Bill 2023 that now allows for e-bikes to be licensed as well as places an age restriction on those who use this mode of transportation.

Following the passage of the new law, the Guyana

cuses now for e-bike owners and users.

“The complaint was that they didn't have sufficient time and notification that we are going to amend the law to require the registration of these electric cycles.

We heeded that public cry and that public outcry and we ask the Guyana Revenue Authority and the Guyana Police Force to stand down in terms of enforcing the provisions of that amendment of the Road Traffic Act. “We asked them to do so for six months. Well, that

sons across the country to ensure they comply with the deadline and register their e-bikes.

“You can get the registration done at any GRA office countrywide. In areas where there are no GRA offices, GRA has promised to set up places where the registration will be done and I'm told that those places are up and running.

“The cost for registration is minimal, just $750.

So, cost can’t be part of your complaint anymore… But you have to be registered if you wish to use the pub-

Revenue Authority (GRA) commenced registration of electric cycles on July 4, 2023 and this process was initially scheduled to run for three months before the regulation is enforced.

However, the GRA has since announced the extension of the registration period which has effectively pushed back enforcement of the new law.

According to Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister Anil Nandlall, SC, there should not be any ex-

period is now coming to an end. It means that after the deadline of December 29, 2023, the law will be enforced and persons who have failed to register their e-motorcycles over the past six months will have to face the consequences of violating the law,” Nandlall posited.

The Attorney General went on to note that Government has been very reasonable with the rollout of this new law. On this note, he pleaded with per-

lic roadway by [an electric bike]...So, I hope that we will have compliance because if we don't have compliance, we will have problems,” the AG asserted.

The need for regulations to govern the use of electric cycles on Guyana’s roadways was fuelled by the increase in accidents, some fatal, involving users of this mode of transportation.

One such accident occurred on February 17, 2023 in which Bibi Sophia Mohammed, a 17-year-old

resident of Nonpareil, East Coast Demerara(ECD), died after her electric bike collided with a truck on the Coldingen Public Road, ECD. At the time of the accident, Mohammed was the pillion rider while her 16-year-old sister, who was injured, was piloting the bike.

Consequently, the amendments to the Motor Vehicles and Road Traffic Act Chap 51:02 brought electric cycles under the same legislative regime as motorcycles. This means that the provisions of the Principal Act that governs the registration and use of motorcycles will now be applicable to electric cycles,

Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister Anil Nandlall, SC

including age restrictions.

Presently, an individual must be 16 years of age or older before he/she can apply for a provisional motorcycle licence and 17 years or older for a provisional motorcycle and car licence.

An applicant needs to be 18

years of age or older for a car, van and motorcycle licence.

Section 33 (2) of the Motor Vehicles and Road Traffic Act allows persons who are 16 years to drive motorcycles. As such, the regularisation of electric bikes in Guyana will prohibit persons under the age of 16 from using this type of transportation.

According to statistics, 11 persons have been killed and 14 injured using e-bikes during the period 2021 up until May of this year. In 2022 alone, there were seven electric bike-related road fatalities recorded in Guyana. (G8)

10 NEWS

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2023 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Woman critical after stabbed Over $1B in drugs unearthed at Upper Berbice River by man on public road

J

asoda Gocool of Herstelling Sea Dam, East Bank Demerara is now in critical condition at the Georgetown Public Hospital after being attacked and stabbed multiple times on the Herstelling Public Road by an identifiable man, who later fled the scene.

The incident occurred on Tuesday at about 06:00h, as the 26-year-old victim was heading out of a street with a female friend. The identifiable male, dressed in all black clothing, approached her from behind, hugged her, and inflicted several stab wounds about her body before making good his es-

…gun, ammo found at NA house

cape in a white car.

The victim was picked up by public-spirited citizens and taken to the Diamond Diagnostic Center, where she was attended to by a doctor before being transferred to the Georgetown Public

Hospital, where she underwent emergency surgery for several stab wounds to her upper chest, back and left hand.

Her condition is listed as critical, and investigations are continuing to apprehend the suspect. (G12)

Motorcyclist dies after riding into turning lorry A nother accident on the East Coast Demerara roadway has claimed the life of 32-year-old Curtly Christopher Cambridge of Aubrey Barker Road, South Ruimveldt, Georgetown.

He is alleged to have ridden his motorcycle into the path of a lorry on the railway embankment at Triumph, East Coast Demerara on Wednesday at about 1:15h.

At time of the accident, motor lorry GAB 8067, owned by Build Smart Construction, was being driven by a 25-year-old male resident of Diamond, East Bank Demerara.

He told investigators that he was proceeding west along the embank-

ment road, and was in the process of turning north into Agriculture Road when he saw Cambridge on motorcycle CK 1975, proceeding east along the northern side of the road at a fast rate. As a result, the now dead man drove into the back of the lorry as it was turning.

The motorcyclist sustained head injuries as

a result of the collision, and medical personnel in an ambulance service that was summoned pronounced him dead at the scene of the accident.

A breathalyzer test conducted on the lorry driver detected no trace of alcohol in his system. He, however, remains in custody as investigations continue. (G12)

The gun, ammo and drugs found in New Amsterdam

A

Joint Services’ operation involving the Guyana Police Force and the Guyana Defence Force on Wednesday unearthed over a billion dollars’ worth of marijuana in an area along the Upper Berbice River.

According to the Police, 30 pounds of cannabis seeds, and 10 acres with approximately 58,000 cannabis sativa plants ranging in height from three inches to 10 feet were discovered in this operation.

Reports are that ranks were acting on information received when they went to an area in the Upper Berbice River, where they destroyed the cannabis sativa plants, two makeshift camps, and a number of farming tools.

The estimated value of the cannabis sativa destroyed is $1,247,388,320 (approximately $1.3B), the Police have said.

Gun, ammo

In a separate bust following an intel-led operation in New Amsterdam, Berbice, Police found a shotgun, several rounds of ammunition, and 98 pounds of marijuana.

Police in a statement said that during the operation, ranks seized an unlicensed 12-guage shotgun; 125 twelve-gauge cartridges; 19 rounds of .32 ammunition; 49 rounds of Geco .30mm carbine ammunition; 41 rounds of 9mm ammunition, and $58,000; along with 98 pounds of marijuana.

Five adults and a 17-year-old teen have been arrested in this operation.

The drugs and camp being destroyed in the Upper Berbice River

NEWS

11

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2023 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

$103M Parika Stelling upgrades to be completed in 1 month

Minister Juan Edghill speaking with a representative of the company

Materials on site to complete works at the Parika Stelling

R

ehabilitation of the Parika Stelling in Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara), a contract which has been awarded to the tune of $103 million, is set for completion in four weeks’ time.

Public Works Minister Juan Edghill on Wednesday visited the worksite of contractor Gryphon Engineering Incorporated and was given an update on the scope of works.

Materials and a large quantity of lumber have already been mobilized to kickstart the upgrade.

Gryphon Engineering was awarded the contract

to rehabilitate the Parika Stelling on November 6, 2023.

Several wharves and stellings are being upgraded this year, making them fit to accommodate vessels and increased traffic.

Specifically, $2.5 billion was earmarked for advancing works at Kingston goods wharf and the Kumaka, Morawhanna and Port Kaituma stellings.

The new wharves are being constructed at the Barima loading area to service residents of Port Kaituma and surrounding communities. The wharf at Kumaka is being relocated in an effort to miti-

gate the heavy traffic that obtains at the market, and the Morawhanna stelling is to be upgraded, as it caters only to passengers and small cargo.

Construction of the Port Kaituma Wharf in Region One (Barima-Waini) is expected to be completed before the busy Christmas season. The $1.4B project is set to be concluded in December 2023, but Minister Edghill has urged the contractor to aim for completion by November, to ensure the facility is ready to facilitate passengers in peak season.

In October, works on the Leguan Stelling were stalled for a prolonged period, and

Police destroy 200 marijuana plants at Onderneeming backlands

Ranks destroying the marijuana plants

A

drug-eradication exercise undertaken by the Police on Tuesday has led to the discovery and destruction of at

least 200 marijuana plants at Onderneeming backlands on the Essequibo Coast in Region Two (PomeroonSupenaam).

Ranks of the Guyana Police Force acted on information received, which led to the discovery of a plot of land measuring 40 feet by 50 feet on which were growing about 200 plants, suspected to be marijuana, ranging in height from two feet to three feet. A makeshift tent was also found, as were water cans and rakes.

The area was marked by its location, and was photographed, while the marijuana plants, cans, and tent were destroyed by fire.

Seven sample plants were extracted for testing by crime scene ranks.

The estimated weight of the plants destroyed has been given as approximately 220 kg. No arrest was made, but Police are continuing their investigation.

(G12)

the Public Works Ministry had read the Riot Act to the contractor, saying that penalties would be instituted against the contractor for not fulfilling their contractual obligations despite efforts to meet their demands.

Upgrades to the Leguan Stelling should have been completed since 2019 under

the former A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) administration. Instead, the project was inherited by the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) Government.

It has been reported that the contractor was making claims for additional payments throughout the

contract, and that has been hampering progress. This is despite the contractor receiving almost $200 million upfront, roughly half of the contracted sum. The Ministry said efforts were made to accommodate the contractor’s additional demands, and 10 variation orders were issued. (G12)

12 NEWS

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 20

Inaugural Diwali Jalsa sets T

he first-ever “One Guyana” Diwali Jalsa was opened at the Skeldon Recreational Park, Region Six (East BerbiceCorentyne), on Tuesday evening, setting the tone for a massive celebration of Diwali this weekend.

As President Irfaan Ali and First Lady Arya Ali joined Cabinet Ministers to kickstart the festivities, he dubbed this new initiative one that would not only bring people together, but would serve as both a tourism product and one that brings the diaspora back to Guyana.

“This celebration will be one that will continue in the coming years. It will be one that we continue to invest more and more, so that families in the diaspora can plan their activities around this period, to be here in Berbice to celebrate this rich spiritual experience,” the President underscored.

Diwali is widely regarded as “the Festival of Lights” as homes are decorated with many brightly-lit diyas, and as the celebration nears, President Ali has called on Guyanese to reflect inwardly and shine their individual brightness.

“It allows us that scope through which we can understand each other better. Today, we live in a world that is marked with immense darkness, to the extent that many avoid looking at the news these days. Under such circumstances, as a nation, we must re-energize ourselves, brighten our individual light to create a collective brightness that will make the changes that are positive for our country,” the President said.

The Head of State, speaking on the uniqueness of the Guyanese community, and how people from all walks of life are brought together

during national festivitie “This period of enligh richness of who we are the closeness that we br bration of such a great fe “Today, we are contin tradition of many who ca It goes beyond the li to the foundation, the v through which we celeb things we want to do as is to celebrate together, and the only way we ca community life to every brated.

Ali underscored that ty today is benefitting f development that Gover

Scores of persons showed up at the Diwali Jalsa event at Skeldon (phot

NEWS

023 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

President Irfaan Ali and First Lady Arya Ali joined Cabinet Ministers Ashni Singh, Sonia Parag and Oneidge Walrond to light a ceremonial diya

s stage for cultural tourism

es, said: htenment will add to the as a people; will add to ring ourselves to in celeestival. nuing off the very great ame before us. ighting of diyas; it goes value system, principles brate Diwali. One of the s a country, as a people, , acknowledge together, an do this is if we bring ything we do,” he adum-

t every single communifrom the prosperity and rnment is investing in.

13

However, one key aspect is the ‘human prosperity’ side of the coin.

“That human prosperity allows us to be thankful, respectful, true to our conscience, satisfied. That does not come from monetary investment; that comes from individual, family and collective action through which we become each other’s keeper and support each other,” the Guyanese leader told attendees.

Tourism, Industry and Commerce Minister Oneidge Walrond described the spectacular initiative as a ‘compelling’ tourism product.

She explained, “Visitors want to come and immerse themselves in our traditions, our art, our food, our culture. They will want to immerse and embrace this experience. The diaspora comes back, and this is the type of thing they relish in…It is a profound and compelling tour-

ism product. This intangible and cohesive product that we have was articulated when he [Ali] became President under the umbrella of ‘One Guyana’.”

The evening was also graced by the presence of Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh, who linked the presence of inner light to the eradication of ignorance, weakness and evil.

“It is imperative that we not only light diyas and lamps and beautiful motorcades, but it is important that we light the inner light. We cannot claim to celebrate such an important fixture in the Hindu calendar and only celebrate it by lighting superficial lights,” he declared.

Diwali Jalsa is a prelude to the grand observance on Sunday. The private sector has pledged to support the 26 temples involved in this initiative with a donation of $100,000 to each. (G12)

tos taken from President Irfaan Ali's and First Lady Arya Ali's Facebook pages)

14 NEWS

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2023 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Guyana, China strengthen cultural ties through Zhejiang Wu Opera performance

Ambassador Guo Haiyan joined Ministers Frank Anthony, Charles Ramson jr, Robeson Benn, Susan Rodrigues and Hugh Todd, along with the performers

T

he Culture, Youth and Sport Ministry and the Embassy of the People's Republic of China collaborated to host a mesmerizing Zhejiang Wu Opera performance on Tuesday evening, cementing cultural ties between the two countries.

The captivating performance, held at the National Cultural Centre, was presented by the renowned Zhejiang Wu Opera Research Centre, and served as a vibrant platform to promote Guyana-China cultural exchanges and foster cordial relations.

Chinese Ambassador

Guo Haiyan relayed that Guyana is the fiftieth country the opera has visited to display their exuberant talent pieces.

“Cultural exchanges are very important part China-Guyana relations…

The Chinese culture is very rich and colourful. For example, there are over 300 local operas in China, of which the Zhejiang Wu Opera is an outstanding representative, and have visited many countries. Last week, they were in Mexico, participating in an international art festival,

The Zhejiang Wu Opera team coming alive on stage

and that was a great success,” the diplomat said in her remarks.

Culture, Youth and Sport Minister Charles Ramson took the opportunity to speak on the distinguished history which both countries have shared.

He indicated that culture has been one area in which

Guyana and China celebrated 50 years of bilateral relations last year. In July, the two nations vowed to build a closer community with a shared future when Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Guyanese President Dr Irfaan Ali in Chengdu, capital city of southwest China’s Sichuan

ment together, so as to build a closer China-Guyana community with a shared future.

Stressing that China is encouraging Chinese enterprises to invest in Guyana, President Xi said the two sides should expand mutually beneficial cooperation in the fields of energy, mining, finance, agriculture and

Guyana has been seeking to collaborate with the Chinese.

Ramson told the audience, “We’re very excited about the fact that this has actually happened, and it happened quickly…We also look forward to deepening our relationship with the Government and People of China.”

Province.

President Xi has hailed the two countries’ enduring bilateral friendship, stressing that China and Guyana should be good friends who trust each other and rely on each other. He has also called on the two sides to share opportunities, tackle challenges, seek cooperation, and promote develop-

fisheries, and infrastructure construction; and cultivate new growth areas such as new energy and green development.

The Chinese President further urged efforts to improve cooperation in people-to-people exchanges, so as to consolidate the foundation of friendship between the two countries. (G3)

NEWS

15

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2023 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Decade-old wrongful dismissal lawsuit

CCJ orders NBS to pay Maurice Arjoon $59M in pension, $1.6M in leave pay & passage …reserves ruling on severance entitlement

T

he decision of retired High Court Justice Brassington Reynolds: that Maurice Arjoon was wrongfully dismissed from his role as Chief Executive Officer of the New Building Society (NBS), and that he was entitled to recoup all benefits lost as a result of that decision, has been upheld by the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) in an order dated October 23, 2023.

The country’s highest court also overturned the Court of Appeal's ruling of September 16, 2022: which stated that Arjoon was not eligible for pension payments to the tune of $59,033,281.

Arjoon's entitlement to severance compensation remains unresolved, as the regional court has reserved its decision on the issue. It has, however, ordered the NBS

to pay Arjoon $1,602,459, which represents his leave pay and passage assistance for the years 2006 and 2007.

The NBS, Trust Company (Guyana) Ltd., Executor of the estate of Ahmad Khan, Seepaul Narine, and Nizam Mohamed (the respondents) have also been ordered to pay standard costs to Arjoon.

Demand letter

In a letter to the NBS and Trust Company (Guyana) Limited, Arjoon's legal team, headed by Senior Counsel Edward Luckhoo, has since demanded that the money be paid immediately, and has threatened to levy on the assets of the NBS. They have, in the letter, asked that the money be deposited into their client’s bank account. Arjoon’s law-

by Justice Reynolds; the balance of $20,249,801 which was awarded to him as severance was, however, stayed

by Justice of Appeal Rishi Persaud. However, Arjoon found himself defending his lawsuit after NBS moved to the Court of Appeal to quash Justice Reynolds’s decision.

Court of Appeal

Maurice Arjoon

yers have informed the bank that he is willing to visit NBS to execute any documents necessary to facilitate the payment of his pension into his bank account.

The NBS has been reminded by Luckhoo that the CCJ is Guyana’s final court, and that failing to pay Ajoon's pension and other amounts on time would be

considered willful defiance of the court's orders.

High Court trial

After a lengthy trial, Arjoon was, in July 2017, awarded $79,282,801 in outstanding payments and benefits by now-retired High Court Judge Brassington Reynolds, some six years after he had filed a wrongful dismissal lawsuit against his former employer, arguing that he was wrongfully dismissed and that the institution had withheld pension and other benefits that were lawfully due to him.

After a successful levy on the assets of the NBS to satisfy the judgement, Arjoon was able to clear a cheque for $59,033,281, representing pension payments. This sum was part of the more than $79 million awarded

In the end, the Court of Appeal allowed the NBS appeal only on the issue of Arjoon’s pension entitlement, and dismissed all of its other grounds of appeal.

As a result, his pension benefits were significantly reduced, from $59,033,281 to $18,817,432 — which was subjected to any indebtedness to NBS. In computing the new sum, Chancellor of the Judiciary (ag) Justice Yonette CummingsEdwards, explained that the court considered the relevant provisions of the Termination of Employment and Severance Pay Act. The NBS was ordered to pay Arjoon $800,000 in court costs.

Later, Arjoon filed an appeal with the CCJ, challenging the Court of Appeal's ruling. Arjoon’s appeal and the financial institution’s cross-appeal were heard by CCJ President Adrian Saunders and CCJ Judges Maureen RajnauthLee, Denys Barrow, Andrew Burgess, and Peter Jamadar on October 10. The appeal was allowed and the cross-appeal was dismissed.

Senior Counsel Stephen Fraser represented NBS in the CCJ.

Background

Arjoon was fired from his position in connection with a magistrate’s court matter wherein he and the mortgage lending institution’s former Operations and Assistant Mortgage Managers were accused of conspiracy to defraud the NBS of nearly $70 million.

The matter was eventually dismissed, and Arjoon and the others took the financial institution to court in 2011. The NBS had contended that an unauthorised withdrawal of nearly $70

The New Building Society at Avenue of the Republic in Georgetown

million had been made from an account that its client Bibi Shamina Khan held.

The NBS’s issue with the withdrawal was that it was made through a Power of Attorney, and the company had implicated Arjoon for misconduct.

An investigation had claimed that the fraud was committed in 2006, and the three men were all fired the next year, after it had allegedly been determined that they were at fault for dereliction of duty, negligence, and/or serious/gross misconduct.

However, Justice

Reynolds, in relying on case law, found that NBS did not provide substantial evidence to prove that Arjoon committed gross or serious misconduct which warranted his dismissal. As such, the Judge held that it was unfair for Arjoon to be dismissed when the bank had no systems in place to prove that he was guilty of any wrongdoing.

According to the Judge, during the trial, NBS, inter alia, admitted that it had poor systemic procedures of adequate checks and balances for detecting gross or serious misconduct such as the

allegations levelled against Arjoon, and those systems were only put in place after the charges.

Justice Reynolds noted that a "Peter pay for Paul and Paul pay for all" approach could not be applied when making such decisions.

Late Ombudsman Justice Winston Moore had found that Arjoon and the NBS’s former managers had suffered grave injustice, as there was insufficient evidence to suggest that they were guilty, and moreso to successfully prosecute them.

(G1)

16 NEWS

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2023 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

NA Market vendors meet Mayor over street vending

V

The meeting with vendors in the Council’s chambers on Wednesday

endors attached to the New Amsterdam Municipal Market raised several concerns on Wednesday with Mayor Wainwright McIntosh over illegal vending and certain businesses being allowed to operate in close proximity to the market.

Commercial activity in the New Amsterdam market has been dwindling for several years. This, according to vendors, has

forced many of them to move outside the market to ply their trade.

However, many of those who remain inside the marketplace are saying the reduced business is a result of street vending, arguing that people now opt to shop on the street instead of going into the market.

Those who are vending outside the market have said that it is the “big”

businesses that have been allowed to set up in close proximity to the municipal market as well as the numerous supermarkets established in the town and nearby communities that are slowing down business for market vendors.

They also say that mobile vending is also heavily impacting activity within the New Amsterdam Market as almost anything which is available in the

A section of the New Amsterdam Market

market can be purchased from mobile vendors right outside homes.

Wednesday’s meeting, which was organised

by Mayor McIntosh, gave market vendors an opportunity to raise their concerns.

McIntosh said he wanted to work with all stakeholders while noting that many of the market vendors do not live within the township.

Vendors also expressed concern over the closing hours of the market and asked for it to be opened until 17:00h.

However. Market Clerk Mark Haynes quoting from the law which speaks specifically about the New Amsterdam Market, said the opening hours are from 06:30h to 16:00h and on Sundays and holidays up to 09:00h.

One of the vendors, Ravanie Persaud said, “when they (shoppers) do come into the market, they say that they would normally buy from the trucks which come right to their homes. Persons on wheels are affecting the market.

That is why we are asking for a little leniency with the time. Certain customers do want to come, but they are leaving work at 4:00 and 4:30 pm.”

Andre Millington, another of the market vendors, who now plies his trade outside the market, argued that vendors should take into consideration the impact other businesses and supermarkets are having on the market in defending his position.

He noted that a supermarket situated opposite the New Amsterdam Market sells vegetables and another one situated next to the municipal market also sells vegetables and other items which are sold in the market.

“Why are people complaining that it is the couple [vendors] who are mak-

ing a living from selling outside [that are affecting sales]? We have no impact on their business in the market,” he said, noting that the bylaws of the town speak about certain aspects of business in the vicinity of the market.

“We outside there finding it rough too, the people are passing us and going into the supermarket and pass back,” the confectionery seller said.

“Somebody has to study the impact of these big businesses on the market and come to a conclusion and plan the way forward. The Council is the best body to do that, they will be in a good position to make informed decisions,” Millington said.

However, Jenny Indar, who sells inside the market, called for those selling on the road shoulders to be removed.

100 feet away

Meanwhile, Deputy Mayor Kirk Fraser pointed out to the gathering that according to the law, certain businesses should not be allowed to operate close to the municipal market.

“It should be 100 feet away. I think what we need to do is to look at the licences that these people received from GRA [the Guyana Revenue Authority] and see what they are permitted to sell and those that they are not permitted to sell, then we will have to take the necessary actions in order to ensure that the small man gets what he is required to get,” Fraser said.

He stated that the market vendors were at a disadvantage.

“The vendors need to be protected by the bylaws of the town,” the Deputy Mayor said.

He also pointed out that the laws are there which speak about supermarkets being opened on Sundays.

“We will probably have to look at that to ensure

that there is enforcement in the town when it comes to business and the house that they are expected to operate,” Fraser added.

Another vendor, Omo Adams said people have more choices. The utterance was in relation to persons choosing to make purchases from the supermarket.

“The crowds will never be back in the market.

There are supermarkets all over. When the market closes up at 4:00, the supermarkets close up at 9:00,” he added.

Some vendors also expressed concern over what they claim is the high rental being charged by the Council.

Adams compared the fees being charged for a spot to vend in the New Amsterdam Market with those of the Rose Hall Town Market.

“I go and sell at the Rose Hall Market on some days and pay $240 to sell and when I come to the New Amsterdam Market I have to pay $1000.”

Meanwhile, vendors also complained of some of their colleagues indiscriminately dumping their waste in the market and called for better policing of the facility by the Constabulary department.

Vendors also spoke of animals getting into the market at night and eating fruits and vegetables, stray dogs sleeping on their stalls and the droppings of pigeons living in the ceiling staining clothes and footwear.

Vagrants being allowed to enter the market also poses a threat to vendors. The mayor was told of several instances when such persons have gone into the market and armed themselves with vendors' knives and created havoc. The New Amsterdam Mayor has committed to have all those issues addressed. (G4)

NEWS

17

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2023 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Agri Minister assures farmers of adequate water supply for new rice crop

I

n a bid to support the upcoming rice crop, Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha met with farmers at the Regional Democratic Council's boardroom, Anna Regina, Region Two (PomeroonSupenaam.)

The purpose of the meeting was to provide an update on the system that will be put in place to facilitate water intake in rice fields for smooth sowing for the farmers.

Mustapha highlighted the challenges posed by the prolonged dry season and emphasised the need for effective measures to ensure

Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha speaking to farmers at the RDC boardroom

that all farmers can benefit from available water resources to sustain their crops. By implementing the necessary systems, the Ministry aims to support and provide equal opportunities for all farmers to access the water they need for their crops, he said.

Further, he added that he was very satisfied that all four pumps at the pump station were in operation.

He expressed confidence that within five days, water levels would increase so that there was sufficient water to meet the needs of the farmers. This timely assurance comes as the

sowing period commences in a few weeks, and stakeholders work to ensure that farmers have the necessary resources to sow their paddy for the new rice crop.

"While travelling I saw that most of the lands are preserve and farmers are waiting for water elevation.

Within the few days we are hoping to have the water system raise substantially, because farmers are pumping water approximately 215, 400 gallons per minute," the Minister added.

Additionally, in recognising the importance of collaboration, Mustapha emphasised the involve-

US busts prostitution ring that counted politicians, tech execs, lawyers as clients

U

S Prosecutors on Wednesday charged three people with running a highend brothel network out of apartment complexes in greater Boston and northern Virginia whose customers included elected officials, tech and pharmaceutical executives, lawyers, professors and military officers.

Federal Prosecutors in Boston did not identify any of the "wealthy and well-connected clientele" that they say paid up to US$600 per hour for sexual encounters with predominantly Asian women who were being exploited through sex trafficking.

Acting US Attorney Josh Levy announced charges against the brothels' alleged operators: Han Lee, 41, and Junmyung Lee, 30, of Massachusetts and James Lee, 68, of California.

Levy said the probe was "just getting started" and that investigators were gathering more evidence after executing search warrants at locations in Massachusetts, Virginia and California

on Wednesday. The US Government meanwhile seized the domains for two websites tied to the prostitution ring, authorities said.

"We're committed to working closely with our federal, state and local partners to hold accountable the people who both ran this ring and the people who fuelled the demand for this ring," Levy said at a press conference.

The three defendants, who are not related, were all arrested on Wednesday

and charged with conspiring to coerce and entice women to travel to engage in illegal sexual activity.

Defence lawyers for the trio either did not respond to requests for comment or could not be immediately identified.

According to charging documents, the defendants, led by Han Lee, used high-end apartment complexes as brothels in Cambridge and Watertown, Massachusetts, and Fairfax and Tysons, Virginia.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

Dawa Pump Station

ment of farmers and other stakeholders in forming a management committee.

He noted that the committee would play a crucial role in monitoring the water situation and ensuring that resources are readily available. He also committed to supporting farmers within the Pomeroon to Supenaam Region, by providing them with access to an adequate water supply.

Meanwhile, farmer Joe

Rampersaud told Guyana Times that he was very happy that the Agriculture Ministry has acted promptly on the water system. He added that the water would allow him to sow his crops and ensure his livelihood.

“I’m very happy that we have received generous support from the Government; it's definitely a relief for us as farmers to have access to water during the dry season. Thank you to the

Ministry of Agriculture, ” another farmer said.

Additionally, the Minister after engaging farmers at the RDC boardroom, visited the Dawa Pump Station, located at Tapakuma Lake, Region Two, where he assessed the flow of water.

The Dawa pumping station was designed to provide irrigation water from the Tapakuma River to supplement water in the Tapakuma Lake/ Conservancy to irrigate rice lands along the Essequibo Coast from Somerset & Berks in the north to Zorg En Vlygt in the south.

Also attending the meeting and visit were representatives from the Water Users’ Associations (WUAs); regional officials; and regional security officials to monitor the situation and ensure effective water management within the cultivation areas. (G14)

18

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2023

guyanatimesgy.com

Regional

“They are terrorists” – Dominican Republic warns Holness urges J’cans to stop of provocation as Haitians extending ‘grace’ to criminals stage protest along border

P

rime Minister Andrew Holness, while condemning the murder of primary school pupils Justin Perry and Nahcoliva Smith, who were brutally gunned down while on their way home from school in a taxi, in Salt Spring, St James, on Monday, is urging Jamaicans to stop extending “grace” to criminals.

“This country needs to stop sending mixed signals to criminals. They’re not going to return any grace you give them; they are not reasonable people. They are terrorists and they must be treated as such,” Holness said during a post-Cabinet press briefing Wednesday morning.

The Prime Minister also announced a State of Emergency (SoE) for the

Prime Minister Andrew Holness (Photo: Facebook @ AndrewHolnessJM)

parish.

"This is not an ordinary crime. This is the worst of the worst…I am not here this morning to stir up the nation for vengeance….

Today we are going to respond not with vengeance… but to use the law with blunt

force on them,” he added, calling the shooting an act of terrorism.

The Prime minister went on to say that criminals do not respect “your human rights, they don’t respect your dignity and they don’t have no concern, none whatsoever for your safety and security”.

At the same time, Commissioner of Police, Major General Antony Anderson revealed that the shooter used an assault rifle to commit the crime.

Anderson said when he, along with other Government officials, visited the Salt Spring community on Tuesday, Nahcoliva and Justin’s parents were inconsolable.

(Excerpt from Jamaica Observer)

T

he Dominican Republic has confirmed that a group of Haitians entered the country on Tuesday to protest against the patrols carried out by the Dominican army since the closure of the border between the two countries in September. ”The Dominican Government considers this action as a provocation, with the aim of generating a conflict with unpredictable consequences which will only worsen relations between the two countries. We demand that the [Haitian] authorities immediately end to this type of violation,” the Government said in a statement said adding “we

warn that our Government will fulfill the constitutional mandate to preserve Dominican territorial sovereignty,” a statement said.

The Government said the protest took place around Pyramid 13 located on the border line which divides the two countries.

“A group of Haitian nationals entered Dominican territory to obstruct the automobile patrol carried out by the Army of the Dominican Republic on the road on the west side of the intelligent peripheral fence in this border area.

This action appears to be due to an apparent misunderstanding on the part of Haitian citizens regard-

ing the boundaries of the borders that separate the two countries,” said the Dominican Republic government. ”To establish the current border between the Dominican Republic and Haiti, 311 serially numbered cement pyramids were placed, beginning in the north, at the mouth of the Dajabón or Massacre River, and ending at the mouth of the Pedernales River, South,” the statement said, adding that “all these pyramids are marked with the number, the country where they are located and the year 1929,” the Government added.

(Excerpt from CMC)

Imbert: Suspension of T&T Suriname hopes to strike debt deal with China by mid-December – Minister currency in Jamaica is no crisis

T

S

uriname hopes to strike a deal with China by mid-December over rescheduling interest payments on its debt beyond 2024, its Foreign Minister, Albert Ramdin told Reuters on Wednesday, the final piece in a push to restructure its international debt.

The country wants to ensure interest payments do not balloon going forward after Suriname became the second country to default on its sovereign debt in the aftermath of the COVID pandemic in 2020, after Zambia.

Suriname and China have taken bilateral debt negotiations on rolling over the current agreement beyond the end of next year as far as they can and are close to a deal, Ramdin said in an interview in Beijing, adding that it was important the terms aligned with what Suriname had agreed with other creditors.

"At the technical lev-

el, (the Chinese side) has reached the 'maximum', based on what the rules and procedures of the EXIM bank allow, which is why I am here: to convince them it's time to take this to the next level and see what can be done," Ramdin said.

"I think anything beyond that would require a policy decision at a higher level, somebody needs to take the loss," he added, but did not say whose decision that was

on the Chinese side.

Suriname owes Chinese creditors around US$540 million, according to the Suriname Debt Management Office, of which close to US$130 million is in arrears. The terms of the loans do not include any concessions, Ramdin said, meaning that China cannot seize any of its assets should the country continue to struggle with repayments.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

rinidad and Tobago Finance Minister Colm Imbert said a decision by the Bank of Jamaica (BoJ) to temporarily suspend exchange of T&T dollars is no currency crisis.

In a statement on November 3, the BoJ announced the temporary suspension would take effect from Monday.

The BoJ said it was owing to a review of the existing arrangement for the repatriation of T&T dollars.

The suspension will remain in effect until further notice.

The bank advised people seeking to exchange T&T dollars to take note of the development and plan their currency exchange accordingly.

In a further statement on Monday, the BoJ said the temporary suspension was owing to the fact that the

Finance Minister Colm Imbert (Angelo Marcelle photo)

T&T Central Bank "to which this currency is repatriated, has suspended arrangement for the repatriation of TT dollars until further advised".

The BOJ promised to advise of any further developments.

In a tweet on Wednesday, Imbert said, "The BoJ has temporarily suspended ac-

ceptance of TT dollars to review its arrangement with our CBTT (Central Bank of TT). The amount traded in TT dollars in Jamaica equals only US$4000 per month.

He added that one daily newspaper describing this small sum as evidence of a currency crisis was irresponsible.

In a second tweet on this matter, Imbert said, "All this drama over such a small amount of forex (foreign exchange), making a mountain out of a molehill, creating anxiety for no reason."

In separate statements on Monday, the Greater San Fernando Chamber of Commerce, TT Chamber of Industry and Commerce and the Confederation of Regional Business Confederations called for clarity on this matter.

(Excerpt from T&T Newsday)

Brazil thwarts domestic attack by Honduras seizes nearly half ton Hezbollah cell with Israeli help of fentanyl in 1st opioid bust I

H

onduran Police discovered nearly half a metric ton of the synthetic drug fentanyl hidden in a shipping container, officials said on Wednesday, in the first such seizure of the opioid in the Central American country.

Security Minister Gustavo Sanchez said in a social media post that the record haul of 493 kilograms (1087 pounds) of fentanyl came on a ship that originated in Britain and arrived at the Cortes port, due north of the industrial city of San Pedro Sula, on Honduras'

Atlantic Coast.

"It's enough to flood Central America," Sanchez wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Police are investigating whether Honduras was the ship's final destination, or if it was only meant to be a stop on its way elsewhere, according to officials.

Honduras has for years been a transit point for cocaine trafficked from South American nations, including Colombia and Bolivia, en route to the United States, but its role in the fentanyl trade is poorly understood.

Former President Juan Orlando Hernandez is awaiting trial in the United States on cocaine trafficking charges following his extradition last year, in a case that Prosecutors said shows how the Honduran Government had been closely involved in the drug trade.

The seized fentanyl was packed into dozens of sealed brown cardboard boxes, according to Police photos that also showed anti-narcotic officers wearing hazardous material suits and gas masks.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

srael's spy agency Mossad worked with Brazilian security services and other international agencies to foil an attack on Jews in Brazil planned by the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said on Wednesday.

Brazil's Federal Police said in a statement they arrested two persons, who they did not name, on terrorism charges in São Paulo. They also carried out search and seizure warrants in São Paulo, Brasilia and Minas Gerais states.

Mossad thanked

Brazilian security services for their role in helping to thwart the attack.

"The Brazilian security services, together with the Mossad and ... additional international security and enforcement agencies, have foiled a terrorist attack in Brazil, which had been planned by the Hezbollah terrorist organisation, directed and financed by the Iranian regime," it said.

Mossad said the "terrorist cell ... was operated by Hezbollah in order to carry out an attack on Israeli and Jewish targets in Brazil".

Hezbollah, an Iranbacked group in Lebanon, could not immediately

be reached for comment.

Neither could the Iranian Government.

Brazil has relatively little history of domestic extremism.

In 2017, eight Brazilian men with ties to Islamic State were jailed for planning attacks during the 2016 Rio Olympics after a tip-off from the US FBI. The Federal Police operation comes amid rising global security concerns in the wake of the October 7 attack by Hamas on southern Israel and subsequent bombardment of the Gaza Strip by the Israeli military. (Excerpt from Reuters)

guyanatimesgy.com

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2023

19

Around The World

Israeli, Hamas fighters in close OILNEWS OIL NEWS combat in Gaza City as civilians flee UK dishes out more sanctions on Russia’s oil, gold players

T

he United Kingdom sanctioned on Wednesday another 29 individuals and entities that are supporting Russia’s oil and gold sectors, adding to the list of 1800 individuals and entities that have already been sanctioned by the UK. The list of sanctioned entities includes Russia’s largest gold refiner as well as Russian oligarchs and third-country enablers that the UK has said are helping to fuel Russia’s war efforts in Ukraine. Also finding itself on the list of newly-sanctioned entities is a United Arab Emirates (UAE)-based network responsible for funnelling US$300 million in gold revenues to Russia, which includes gold trader Paloma Precious DMCC and Howard Jon Baker.

Gold producers Nord Gold PLC and Highland Gold Mining Limited also landed themselves on the UK’s list.

For oil-related entities, Paramount Energy & Commodities DMCC made the list, standing accused of deceptive shipping practices and opaque ownership structures.

“Sanctions continue to deal a heavy blow to the Kremlin’s war economy, to date depriving Putin of over US$400 billion to fund his illegal invasion of Ukraine. But we must keep tightening the screws on Moscow. Today’s sanctions will hit those who have provided succour to Putin by helping him to lessen the impact of our sanctions on Russian gold and oil – two critical sources of revenue for the Russian war machine. As we root out and close down these circumvention avenues, we’ll continue to box Putin in and make sure his faltering war effort in Ukraine ends in failure,” UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said in a Wednesday press release.

While Western alliances have sought to restrict Russia’s oil and gas revenues as a means for funding its war efforts in Ukraine, the country’s oil and gas revenues increased in October, more than doubling from September to US$17.6 billion due to a cyclical surge in the profit-based tax. (Oilprice.com)

I

sraeli forces and Hamas militants appeared to be battling at close range in Gaza City as thousands of civilians fled south on Wednesday to avoid being trapped in the heart of the conflict.

The Israeli military said its troops had advanced into the heart of Gaza City, Hamas' main bastion and the biggest city in the seaside enclave, while the Islamist group said its fighters had inflicted heavy losses.

Hamas' armed wing on Wednesday released a video that appeared to show intense street battles alongside bombed-out buildings in Gaza City.

Israeli tanks have met heavy resistance from Hamas fighters using underground tunnels to stage ambushes, according to sourc-

Smoke rises in the northern Gaza Strip following an Israeli airstrike, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, as seen from southern Israel, November 8, 2023 (Reuters/Ammar Awa photo)

es with Iran-backed Hamas and the separate Islamic Jihad militant group.

Israel struck Gaza in response to a cross-border Hamas raid on southern Israel on October 7 in which

gunmen killed 1400 people, mostly civilians, and took about 240 hostages, according to Israeli tallies.

Palestinian officials said 10,569 people had been killed as of Wednesday, 40

per cent of them children.

Israel says 33 of its soldiers have been killed.

One clip from the Hamas video released on Wednesday showed fighters running past piles of debris and stopping to fire shoulder-propelled missiles at Israeli tanks. Another showed them shooting rifles from perches behind buildings and dumpsters. Reuters was not able to authenticate the footage.

Chief Israeli military spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said on Wednesday combat engineers were using explosive devices to destroy Hamas' tunnel network that stretches for hundreds of kilometres (miles) beneath Gaza.

The military said it had destroyed 130 tunnel shafts so far.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

Russia strikes civilian ship in Black Sea port of Odesa – Ukraine A t least one person has been killed after a Russian missile struck a civilian ship entering the Ukrainian Black Sea port of Odesa, Ukrainian officials say.

According to the southern defence forces, the Liberian-flagged vessel was struck by an anti-radar missile.

A 43-year-old harbour pilot died, while three Filipino crewmembers and a port worker have been injured.

There was no immediate comment from Russia on the incident.

According to Odesa's Regional Prosecutor's Office, which is investigating, the attack was launched at 16:45 local time (14:45 GMT) on Wednesday. The ship was reportedly moored at the time it was struck.

One of the injured workers was hospitalised.

Ukrainian Infrastructure Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov said on social me-

dia that the ship was supposed to be transporting iron ore to China.

Vessels entering and leaving the port of Odesa have been at risk of Russian attack since Moscow pulled out of a deal earlier this year that allowed for the safe export of Ukrainian grain.

Ukraine has since opened a temporary corridor to allow vessels to come and go from its ports.

The Russian Defence Ministry said it regards all

cargo ships in the Black Sea bound for Ukraine as potential military targets.

According to Kubrakov, Wednesday's attack is the 21st targeted assault on port infrastructure since Russia withdrew from the deal in July.

At least eight people were wounded and a historic museum was damaged on Sunday during Russian airstrikes on Odesa, Ukrainian officials said.

President Biden's son and brother subpoenaed in impeachment probe Heavy fighting flares in historic Ethiopian town

F

C

ongressional Republicans have issued legal summons to several members of the Biden family in an escalation of their impeachment inquiry into the President.

The House Oversight Committee subpoenaed Biden's son Hunter, his brother James, and Biden family associate Rob Walker.

It is also requesting transcribed interviews with five others.

The White House accused Republicans of "abusing their power to conduct a smear campaign".

House Republicans opened their impeachment inquiry in September, saying they had uncovered evidence of President Biden's knowledge of and role in his family members' domestic and foreign business dealings.

But at the Oversight Committee's first hearing that month, witnesses and even Republicans on the panel said more evidence was needed to determine if the President had committed any impeachable offences.

In a statement on

House Republicans are summoning President Joe Biden's son Hunter to talk about the family's finances

Wednesday, the House Oversight Committee said it had obtained financial records that showed Biden family members allegedly set up more than 20 shell companies during Joe Biden's vice presidency in order to hide payments they received from overseas.

The committee further charged that the Biden family, its associates, and its companies had received more than US$24 million from foreign nations, including some viewed as US adversaries.

(BBC News)

ighting has erupted in the historic Ethiopian town of Lalibela, as Government forces and local militia have clashed, residents told the BBC. Lalibela is home to 13th Century churches that are registered as Unesco world heritage sites.

Fano, a militia in the surrounding Amhara region, has been battling the army since it was ordered to disband.

Government spokesperson Legesse Tulu has disputed reports of violence in the city, according to Reuters news agency.

But witnesses told the BBC that fighting was intense and a plane due to land at the airport on Wednesday morning failed to do so.

The Amhara region around Lalibela has been a battleground between the Fano militia and the military for several months.

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's Government im-

Many people fear the Unesco heritage site will be damaged in the fighting

posed a six-month state of emergency in early August to try to stop the clashes.

This allowed the government to regain control of major towns and cities, including Lalibela which had been seized by Fano.

Federal Government forces and the militia group were allies in the fight against Tigrayan forces from northern

Ethiopia, who launched a rebellion in 2020.

The conflict ended with the signing of a peace accord last year between the federal government and Tigrayan forces.

Tension then arose between Fano and federal authorities when the Government attempted to integrate the group into the military.

Forces in Amhara say the federal government's decision will prevent the region from providing armed resistance to any future threat.

The Ethiopia Human Rights Commission found that 3000 persons have fled their homes since the start of the conflict.

(BBC News)

20

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2023

guyanatimesgy.com

DAILY HOROSCOPES

ARCHIE

(March 21-April 19)

Define what you want to do next, and consider the work involved that will position you for success. How you approach your goals will make a difference. Prepare to be at the top of your game.

Keep tabs on what everyone else is doing, and be prepared to pick up the slack. Call the shots, make the moves and secure your position. It's time to put yourself first.

PICKLES

(April 20-May 20) Surround yourself with people who share your beliefs and enjoy the same pastimes as you. Refuse to get swept into someone else's dream. Feel good about yourself and your accomplishments.

(May 21-June 20) Take better care of yourself and your surroundings. Don't let laziness damage your relationships. The more you do for others, the better you will feel about yourself.

PEANUTS (June 21-July 22)

Pay attention to friends, relatives and what's important to you. Take care of your emotional and physical well-being, and sort through any matters that need attention.

(July 23-Aug. 22) Get moving and don't look back. You have plenty to gain by staying on top of your game and doing your best. Your attention to detail will help you outmaneuver anyone trying to challenge you.

CALVIN AND HOBBES (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)

(Sept. 23-Oct. 23)

SUDOKU

Take care of yourself. Spend more time on what matters and prepare for what you want to do next. Refuse to let anyone take advantage of your kindness and desire to help. Make romance a priority.

It's up to you to bring about change.

Look at the possibilities, and you'll devise a way to make your dream a reality.

Embrace the future and seek out people who are heading down a similar path.

(Oct. 24-Nov. 22) Make your entrance and light up the room. Refuse to let anyone overshadow you. You can create opportunities to increase your profile and others' awareness of what you can contribute.

(Nov. 23-Dec. 21) Don't let anyone put you in a vulnerable position. Choose your words wisely and refuse to let emotional meddling distract you. A change at home will result in an opportunity.

SOLUTION FOR LAST PUBLISHED PUZZLE

(Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Pay attention to your needs and satisfy your soul. Keep your money, possessions, personal papers and passwords protected. Listen carefully and factcheck everything.

(Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Take the high road and don't look back. Use your skills to reach your destination of choice, and others will support your plan. A financial change looks promising.

(Feb. 20-March 20)

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2023

21

ICC World Cup 2023: England vs the Netherlands…

England's Champions Trophy hopes – thanks to Stokes’s special kept alive B en Stokes' maiden World Cup century dragged England from the brink of another ignominious display and ultimately to victory over Netherlands, keeping their Champions Trophy qualification hopes intact.

His 129-run stand for the seventh wicket with Chris Woakes lifted England from 192 for 6 to 339 for 9 in Pune -after they had lost five wickets for 59 runs in the space of 15 overs -- and handed the 2019 champions just their second win of this edition with one game remaining.

England have become accustomed to watching Stokes produce definitive performances for his side, but having travelled to India injured and only been available from their fourth match onwards, his influence could only spread so far. After respective innings of 5, 43, 0 and 64, his 108 against Netherlands came too late, England's chances of reaching the semi-finals long gone and their pride poleaxed, although it did help their bid to qualify for the 2025 Champions Trophy. With the top eight sides going through, the 160-run win with 12.4 overs to spare pulled England off the foot of the table, their net run rate rising from a dire -1.504 to -0.885 and putting them ahead of

Teja Nidamanuru counter-attacked after Netherlands lost half of their players

Bangladesh into seventh place.

England had started well, winning the toss and easing to 39 without loss off the first four overs. But then the scoring dried up and Jonny Bairstow departed for just 15, top-edging an Aryun Dutt delivery high into the air for short backward square to pocket.

Nevertheless, England were 70 for 1 after 10 overs, their highest powerplay score of the

Dawid Malan did cut a dejected figure after he was run out for a 74-ball 87

SCOREBOARD England (50 ovs maximum) Jonny Bairstow c van Meekeren b Dutt 15 17 Dawid Malan run out (†Edwards/van Beek) 87 Joe Root b van Beek 28 Ben Stokes c Engelbrecht b van Beek 108 Harry Brook c Ackermann b de Leede 11 Jos Buttler (c)†c Nidamanuru b van Meekeren 5 Moeen Ali c de Leede b Dutt 4 Chris Woakes c †Edwards b de Leede 51 David Willey c Engelbrecht b de Leede 6 Gus Atkinson not out 2 Adil Rashid not out 1 Extras (nb 1, w 20) 21 TOTAL 50 Ov (RR: 6.78) 339/9 Fall of wickets: 1-48 (Jonny Bairstow, 6.6 ov), 2-133 (Joe Root, 20.2 ov), 3-139 (Dawid Malan, 21.6 ov), 4-164 (Harry Brook, 26.5 ov), 5-178 (Jos Buttler, 30.1 ov), 6-192 (Moeen Ali, 35.2 ov), 7-321 (Chris Woakes, 48.4 ov), 8-327 (David Willey, 48.6 ov), 9-334 (Ben Stokes, 49.4 ov) • BOWLING O-M-R-W Aryan Dutt 10-0-67-2 Logan van Beek 10-0-88-2 Paul van Meekeren 10-0-57-1 Bas de Leede 10-0-74-3

Roelof van der Merwe Colin Ackermann

3-0-22-0 7-0-31-0

Netherlands (T: 340 runs from 50 ovs) Wesley Barresi run out (Woakes/Ali) 37 Max O’Dowd c Ali b Woakes 5 Colin Ackermann c †Buttler b Willey 0 Sybrand Engelbrecht c Woakes b Willey 33 Scott Edwards (c)† c Malan b Ali 38 Bas de Leede b Rashid 10 Teja Nidamanuru not out 41 Logan van Beek c Malan b Rashid 2 Roelof van der Merwe c Rashid b Ali 0 Aryan Dutt b Rashid 1 Paul van Meekeren st †Buttler b Ali 4 Extras (lb 4, w 4) 8 TOTAL 37.2 Ov (RR: 4.79) 179 Fall of wickets: 1-12 (Max O’Dowd, 4.5 ov), 2-13 (Colin Ackermann, 5.4 ov), 3-68 (Wesley Barresi, 17.3 ov), 4-90 (Sybrand Engelbrecht, 22.4 ov), 5-104 (Bas de Leede, 25.3 ov), 6-163 (Scott Edwards, 33.5 ov), 7-166 (Logan van Beek, 34.5 ov), 8-167 (Roelof van der Merwe, 35.4 ov), 9-174 (Aryan Dutt, 36.4 ov), 10179 (Paul van Meekeren, 37.2 ov) • BOWLING O-M-R-W Chris Woakes 7-0-19-1 David Willey 7-2-19-2 Gus Atkinson 7-0-41-0 Moeen Ali 8.2-0-42-3 Adil Rashid 8-0-54-3

tournament, with Dawid Malan looking the business, as he has done in isolation from his team-mates at this tournament. He sped to a halfcentury off just 36 balls, took to Roelof van der Merwe by clubbing sixes over square leg and 79m over midwicket. But he was run out 13 shy of his ton when he chanced the arm of Logan van Beek at cover point (and ultimately some slick glovework by Scott Edwards) before being sent back

by Stokes and finding himself millimetres short of his ground.

Joe Root had already fallen, continuing his poor run with the bat in ugly fashion. He was nutmegged while attempting a reverse scoop off van Beek, and so followed a steady procession of wickets that has become all too familiar in this side's hapless title defence.

Harry Brook, called up for an out-of-touch Liam Livingstone, perished cheaply, caught by Colin Ackermann running in from deep square leg off Bas de Leede. Jos Buttler's batting woes deepened when he spooned Paul van Meekeren straight to mid-off, throwing his head back and flipping his bat in the air as he failed to hide the frustrations of a tournament that has yielded him just 111 runs at an average of 13.87. And Moeen Ali went just as tamely, holing out to de Leede at long-off to give Dutt his second wicket.

After Dutt missed a difficult diving chance at fine leg to remove Stokes on 41, the batter raised his fifty with a six over deep midwicket off de Leede. Dutt conceded 24 runs off his last over, the 45th, with 22 of those going to Stokes. A four and a six either side of the pitch, then a no-ball-height full toss dispatched over the fence at backward square leg, and another maximum pounded over long-on bookended an unsuccessful Netherlands review for lbw when UltraEdge

showed a faint murmur as the ball passed the under-edge of Stokes's bat, then gloves when he was on 68.

Wayward bowling set in for Netherlands with a rash of wides from van Beek in the next over, which went for 14 as England closed in on a 300-plus total. They got there quickly too, Stokes moving into the 90s with yet another six, down the ground off de Leede, followed by fours for himself and Woakes, as Netherlands conceded 55 runs in three overs.

Stokes brought up his century with a reverse sweep off van Meekeren, then Woakes reached fifty with a six and four off de Leede, who had him caught behind next ball to end their union.

But by then England had truly wrested back command of the match, and when van Beek had Stokes caught at long-off two balls before the innings ended, Netherlands had a mountain to climb.

All up, England thrashed 124 runs from the last 10 overs. Then Woakes and David Willey made early breakthroughs when Max O'Dowd and Colin Ackermann fell in quick succession as Netherlands lurched to 13 for 2 inside the first six overs of their pursuit. At the end of the 10-over powerplay, Netherlands' prospects had scarcely improved at 23 for 3, with Wes Barresi creeping to 11 off 38 balls.

It was by no means a flawless display in the field by England though. They burned a review for caught behind off Barresi in the first over, and Barresi was put down at slip by Root next ball, before surviving another chance on 32 when Gus Atkinson failed to make a return catch stick.

Sybrand Engelbrecht was on 16 when Root appealed for a catch at midwicket, only to be adjudged not out when the TV umpire couldn't settle on conclusive evidence that the ball hadn't touched the turf, prompting Root to bury his face in his cap and save viewers from getting the clearest picture of his thoughts on the matter.

Barresi was run out for 37, Netherlands' tenth such dismissal at this World Cup, to end a 55-run stand with Engelbrecht, and Willey claimed his second wicket when Engelbrecht picked out Woakes at mid-on.

But Willey also put down Teja Nidamanuru at mid-on off the bowling of Atkinson, and the batter went on to forge a 59-run partnership

from 50 balls with captain Ed wa rd s b e f o r e Moeen Ali had Edwards caught by Malan for 38, Moeen's first wicket of the tournament.

Netherlands ended up losing their last five wickets for 16 runs in 21 balls, and with those, their hopes of securing an all-important Champions Trophy berth took a hit. In theory, they can still make it, with the bottom four teams -

M

Ben Stokes going big

England, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Netherlands - all locked on four points each, but they face the toughest task with their final match against undefeated hosts India and a net run rate which is inferior to their rivals.

(ESPNCricinfo)

Bruno Fernandes thought he had given United victory before the late drama

anchester United's faltering season suffered another significant blow as Marcus Rashford's red card contributed to a dramatic qualification-damaging Champions League defeat by FC Copenhagen.

In a wild and wonderful contest in the Danish capital, United showed guile and grit for periods, and twice looked to have claimed a crucial win, before succumbing late on to a goal from 17-year-old substitute Roony Bardghji.

They were cruising midway through the first half, thanks to Rasmus Hojlund's double against his hometown club: both close-range finishes from a striker knowing exactly where he needed to be, and when.

But the game turned in the 42nd minute when referee Donatas Rumsas was called to the pitchside monitor to rule on a late tackle by Rashford to the ankle of Elias Jelert, and responded by showing the forward a red card.

With 13 min-

utes added, largely as a result of an injury to United defender Jonny Evans and a medical emergency in the crowd, the home side took advantage through Mohamed Elyounoussi's finish and a Diogo Goncalves penalty awarded for a handball by Harry Maguire.

United defied their numerical disadvantage to hold the home side at bay, before again claiming the lead through Bruno Fernandes' penalty awarded via VAR for a handball by Lukas Lerager.

But the home side were not to be denied. Lerager made amends and drew them level with a back-post header, before Bardghji hammered home after United failed to clear.

While United are down, they are not yet out, although they do now sit bottom of Group A, and face a game at Galatasaray - where they have never won - before hosting the already-qualified Bayern Munich.

(BBC Sport)

22

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2023

McIntosh praises transformation of GFF’s NTC H

ead of One Concacaf and Caribbean Projects, Howard McIntosh, on Monday said he is satisfied with the ongoing progress in converting the Guyana Football Federation’s (GFF’s) National Training Centre (NTC) into a

cutting-edge facility that all footballers can take pride in when playing.

The visiting One Concacaf official was given a tour of the location at Providence, East Bank Demerara by GFF President Wayne Forde on November 6.

BCB, UG to unveil Berbice Cricket Wall of Fame next week

S

…2nd edition of coaching manual to be launched

ince the Hilbert Fosterled administration of the BCB was elected in 2018, the Berbice Cricket Board has undertaken a wide range of developmental programmes/ projects to lift the standard of the game and to honour heroes of the county.

The BCB would next week successfully launch another major project: the Berbice Cricket Wall of Fame, at the Tain Campus. The project is one of several that were agreed on earlier this year, when a BCB delegation led by Foster met a University of Guyana team headed by Vice Chancellor Dr. Paloma Mohamed.

The Wall of Fame would include the county’s twenty Test cricketers and eleven others, male and female, who played ODI and 20/20 at various levels.

The Test players on the Wall would be John Trim, Ivan Madray, Rohan Kanhai, Basil Butcher, Roy Fredricks, Alvin Kallicharran, Sew Shivnarain, Leonard Baichan, Clayton Lambert, Mahendra Nagamootoo, Narsingh Deonarine, Sewnarine Chattergoon, Devindra Bishoo, Brandon Bess, Veerasammy Permaul, Candacy Atkins, Assad Fudadin, Shimron Hetmyer, Gudakesh Motie and Joseph Solomon. The others are Romario Shepherd, Milton Pydana, Royston Crandon, Kevin Sinclair, Tremayne Smartt, Shemaine Campbell, Erva Giddings, Sheneta Grimmond, Shabika Gajnabi, Subrine Munroe and Ashmini Munisar.

Each of the thirty-one inductees would have their own 17’ x 12’ frame with their photograph and cricket record.

The Wall of Fame would be situated within the Berbice Campus of the University. Foster noted that the BCB/UG Wall of Fame would be a historic project and would be a fitting tribute to the heroes of Berbice Cricket. The BCB, he stated, is determined that all of its heroes are honoured in a special way, and to make sure that the younger generation of cricketers are aware of the rich tradition and history that they have to uphold.

Foster also expressed delight that the University of Guyana has agreed to honour the legendary Rohan Kanhai with an honorary doctorate as part of its 60th anniversary. Kanhai represented the West Indies in 79 Test matches, and scored 6227 runs, among which are 16 centuries. He also led Guyana to regional glory in 1973 by lifting the Shell Shield Trophy, and

BCB President Hilbert Foster

was the first East Indian to be appointed captain of the West Indies Test Team.

The BCB extends congrats to Kanhai, who has been named by the BCB in 2018 as Berbice greatest ever cricketer.

Meanwhile the BCB, with the support of the University, would also be launching the second edition of its historic coaching Manual at the same ceremony. The 32-page manual represents the hard work of the BCB executives along with a panel of dedicated cricket coaches, including the late Michael Hyles, Winston Smith, Julian Moore, Balram Samaroo, Leslie Solomon and Travis Hardcourt.

The Manual was edited by BCB President Hilbert Foster and Asst Secretary Balram Samaroo.

The main objective is to assist youths to improve their game at home. The coaching manual covers intense training in the arts of batting, wicket-keeping, fast bowling, spin bowling (off spin, leg spin, left arm orthodox), physical fitness and fielding. The reader of the manual would be taught how to play a wide range of shots, including the forward defense, straight drive, cover drive, on drive, pull shot, sweep shot and the back foot defense.

Special emphasis is placed on assisting bowlers to better themselves with the grip, run up, gather, release and follow through. The manual would be distributed free of cost to all youth cricketers and cricket clubs in the county. Some copies of the manual would also be donated to other county boards, if requested.

The BCB would also be unveiling a new billboard in front of the historic Port Mourant Cricket Ground. It features the photos of all of its Test cricketers.

The billboard is sponsored by the Guyana Brewery Inc. A total of one hundred young cricketers are also expected to receive millions of dollars’ worth of cricket gear shortly, as the BCB expands its youth developmental programme.

“It’s great to come here and see more progress, and I’m happy to know that the lights will be up quite soon. I see renovation work taking place with the artificial pitch, and again it’s just the type of steady progress that has been happening and continues to happen with President Forde and his administration and with Guyana football,” McIntosh said.

United States-based company Musco Sport Lighting and local sub-contractor Cummings Electrical firm are currently installing FIFA-approved floodlights at the NTC. The FIFA Forward lighting project, which was approved in May, encompasses the production, transportation, installation, and testing of the lighting system. These lights, scheduled for commissioning in December, will enhance the overall football experience for both players and fans at Guyana's premier football venue.

Further, with the support of Concacaf, the GFF will soon initiate the construction of seating on the western and southern sides of the field, as well as the conversion of designated rooms into dressing rooms.

“Every single time I come to Guyana, I’m so impressed with the progress in terms of

GFF President Wayne Forde and One CONCACAF Head Howard McIntosh taking in the transformation ongoing at Durban Park

infrastructure,” McIntosh added.

The facility tour took place while the Golden Jaguars and Under-17 Women’s National Team were in training for their upcoming international matches.

Earlier this month, GFF President Forde unveiled the final blueprint for the FIFA Forward U.S $1.1M facility, which encompasses a top-notch football pitch, contemporary office spaces, accommodation, state-of-the-art media facilities, and fan stands.

The design was done by architectural firm SRKN, and will be phased out over a threeyear period.

Following the tour with McIntosh, GFF President Forde shared that the floodlights would be installed in time for testing and the official switchon in December.

He further revealed that Season Six of the KFC Elite League will take place on a wellilluminated pitch at the NTC. “What is most encouraging is that there is ongoing work.

I have every reason to believe that we’re going to meet the established targets. I know for sure that season six of the KFC Elite League will be played here under high quality floodlights, and I believe the visibility the players will experience on the

BCB cricket season 2023…

Republic Bank powers inter-secondary school tournament in Region 6

FIFA+ platform will have a huge impact in terms of opening up opportunities for them,” the GFF top official said.

With the lights in place, the GFF will have the capability to host and broadcast international matches for all national teams and local leagues, including the KFC Elite League, Women's League Division One, and Regional Association Leagues, on the FIFA+ digital platform.

The centre was formally inaugurated in 2019, with the initial phase encompassing installing the artificial turf and the construction of the main building. The second phase will focus on constructing stands and installing lighting. Upon completion, the NTC will mark a significant milestone for the football community as the first official home of football.

Under the leadership of the Forde administration, the GFF has been actively driving the development of football facilities that can be used by footballers throughout Guyana.

CLASSIFIED ADS ASTROLOGY Pandith Mohan can read past, present and future specialist bring back loved ones within days, love, health, business, family problems etc. Located Georgetown Guyana call or whatsapp 692-1009.

Vishnu Astrology Center, I can read and give you solutions for your problems and get results immediately. Remove Black magic, evil spirit etc. Located Georgetown and Berbice call or whatsapp 632-9943

Republic Bank staff member Suresh Dhanai handing over sponsorship to BCB Secretary Angela Haniff in the presence of fellow staff members and Leslie Solomon

T

he Berbice Cricket Board continues to attract sponsorship for its packed cricket season, and on Monday last, Republic Bank came on board as the official sponsor of a Region Six inter secondary school cricket competition.

Official launch of the tournament took place at the Bank’s New Amsterdam branch, and was attended by BCB Secretary Angela Haniff and Chairman of the Competition Committee, Leslie Solomon.

Solomon said the tournament forms part of the BCB’s development programme, and would assist the board to view potential talent at the school level. A total of 17 schools would participate in the tournament on a knockout basis.

Solomon noted that intersecondary school tournaments have been held in each of the sub-associations: West Berbice, New Amsterdam/Canje, Lower Corentyne, and Upper Corentyne. The tournament would be 25 overs per side.

The BCB has already assisted all secondary schools in the county with 15 pairs of white uniforms in a multi-million-dollar investment. schools have also received donations of cricket balls and gear from the proactive

board.

Schools that would be participating in the BCB/ Republic Bank tournament are Line Path, Skeldon High, Tagore Memorial, Black Bush, Manchester, Winifred Gaskin, Corentyne Comprehensive, Port Mourant, JC Chandisingh, Lower Corentyne, Canje Secondary, Berbice High, Vryman’s Erven, Berbice Educational Institute, New Amsterdam Secondary, and Tutorial Academy.

The final of the tournament will be played at the Rose Hall Canje Community Centre ground. Players are to be under 19 years old, born on or after the 15th of September 2004; and Solomon has said that there must be a registered student of the school with a 75% attendance rate. Schools which have nonregistered players would not be allowed to participate in the tournament.

Solomon expressed gratitude to the management of the bank, especially Branch Manager Imran Saccoor, for their support, and reassured them that the tournament would be well organized.

BCB President Hilbert Foster noted that the tournament would be another tournament in the county that includes

under-11, under-13, under-15, under-17, under-19, under-23, primary secondary, female, second division, and first division.

Foster noted that, over the next month, several projects would be completed. They include the test players billboard in Port Mourant; the opening of the Berbice Cricket Wall of Fame at the University of Guyana, Tain campus; publication of the second edition of the BCB coaching manual; while a total of 100 youth cricketers are expected to benefit from donation of cricket gear. 20 clubs with youth teams would also benefit from $2 million worth of coaching equipment to assist them to properly prepare youths for the future.

The BCB presently has 20 cricket coaches working across the country under the Government of Guyana’s 10-day work programme.

Republic Bank Branch Manager in New Amsterdam, Imran Saccoor, noted that the bank is delighted to support Berbice cricket, and would continue to do so. He congratulated the BCB on its outstanding work, and expressed confidence in the success of the tournament.

Pandith Raghu Ram “for every problem there are solutions“.

Know about your life and adjust your life, are there any problems I will give solutions now etc. Located Guyana call or whatsapp 657-2022

TO RENT Business Opportunity: Restaurant for Rent – West Bank Demerara (at Aracari Resort, Versailles – between Harbor Bridge and Vreed-en-Hoop).

Turn key Business. Furnished and equipped. Phone 264-2946, 626-5290.

ACCOMMODATIONS Aracari Hotel, West Bank Demerara (Versailles – between Harbor Bridge and Vreeden-Hoop) – Air Conditioned Comfort. Amenities include TV, Restaurant, Bar, Swimming Pool, Gym. Free parking, Free WIFI. Spend 7 nights and get 1 Free.

Breakfast included. Long term rates available. Packages and getaways available. Phone: 2642946-9. www.aracariresort.com.

ENTERTAINMENT Swimming Pool Family Fun & Buffet – Crystal Clear Pool. Kids and Adult Sections. Very Safe. All you can eat Buffet Sunday Adults $3,000, Kids $1,000 11 AM – 3 PM over 12 options to choose from. Aracari Resort: West Bank Demerara (Versailles, Vreeden-Hoop)- Every Weekend. DJ Music. Groups and Excursions welcome – Phone 264-2946-9.

WANTED One Night watchman Call 612-2125

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2023

23

Batting collapse sees Eagles bow out of Super50

G

Gudakesh Motie took 3-20 (CWI photo)

uyana Harpy Eagles’ batting let them down in the CG United Regional Super50 match against Trinidad and Tobago Red Force, and they were ultimately defeated by six

wickets in the semifinal yesterday.

Asked to bat at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy, Eagles crashed to a paltry 105 all out in 34.3 overs, their lowest total of the tournament. Test opener

Tagenarine Chanderpaul was left in a position of despair after Terrance Hinds made early inroads in the top order, leaving Eagles at 25 for four.

The wicket of Shimron Hetmyer was taken courtesy of a brilliant one-handed return catch by Hinds, who ended with a career-best 4-15.

Confusion between the wickets resulted in Chanderpaul being run out for 22 from 43 balls.

He struck three boundaries during his vigil before leaving the Eagles at 49 for six.

A late surge from Sherfane Rutherford propped up Eagles into triple figures. He smashed one six and three fours during his 52-ball 30. No other batsman reached double figures, but extras contributed 11.

Yannic Cariah supported Hinds with 2-14. Sunil Narine and Akeal Hosein each picked up one wicket.

Red Force continued their undefeated run as they coasted to 107 for four

Girls’ U11 Pee-Wee tournament returns with MVP Sports' backing

T

Ian Ramdeo of MVP Sports

he Petra-organized Girls Under-11 Pee-Wee Football tournament will make a grand return next Saturday, with renowned sporting goods store MVP Sports as the title sponsor.

Mere weeks after watching their male counterparts in action, female primary school students will have the same opportunity to display their skills on the pitch at the Ministry of Education (MoE) Ground.

The revelation was made on Wednesday afternoon at the entity’s Giftland Mall, East Coast Demerara (ECD) location, where it was also disclosed that approximately 20 schools from Regions 3, 4, 6, 7 and 10 will compete.

Co-Director of Petra, Troy Mendonca, while sharing the truncated schedule of this year’s tournament, related that the tournament will be an exciting one.

“MVP Sports’ Girls Under-11, we anticipate to start next week Saturday, which is the 18th of November, but due to our constraints in time, we hope to compete on the 9th of December, which means that

Darren Bravo scored 53 not out (CWI photo)

in 27.4 overs. Former captain Veerasammy Permaul made the early breakthrough for Eagles, removing Tion Webster for 10 with the score on 25.

However, a 58-run partnership for the second wicket between Darren

Bravo and Kjorn Ottley almost sealed Guyana’s fate.

Bravo continued with his dream run to finish at 53 not out. His 70-ball innings featured eight impeccable boundaries, while Ottley stroked five boundaries before being giv-

en leg-before-wicket to Gudakesh Motie for a 59ball 35.

Motie removed Nicholas Pooran and Jason Mohammed in the same over, but by then it was all but over, as he ended with 3-20.

Petra Co-Director Troy Mendonca

we have 4 playing days, with exception for the final day, we plan to host each team two games per day. Of course, we will schedule the games in a manner that will allow them to rest and play their second game,” Mendonca explained.

The Petra Co-Director went on to state, “We anticipate a very exciting tournament, as you see with the boys. We even had situations where some of the girls wanted to be part of the boys’ team. So, I can assure you this tournament will be of a high standard, and we wish everyone well.”

On the other hand, proprietor of MVP Sports, Ian Ramdeo, explained why the company is always eager to support, especially female football. Ramdeo related, “As one of the few sports stores in Guyana, we feel that it is part of our mandate to help support this area, and over the years, we’ve partnered with Petra in particular because of their programmes which target youth and which target development football, and we’re very happy to be part on their ongoing programmes, not only in this one but previous tournaments they’ve

held and future tournaments that they will hold.

“And we are especially happy to be a part of the Girls Football, and we hope to continue to be a part of it. I think this is the 7th year; we’re looking forward to many more years of this tournament,” Ramdeo further shared.

Schools teams in the MVP Sports’ U11 tournament will vie for a $150,000 grand prize, while second place receives $100,000. Third and fourth place will cart off $75,000 and $50,000; all for a school project of their choice.

St. Aloysius Primary, All Saints Primary, Den Amstel Primary, Genesis Primary, Leonora Primary, Potaro Primary, St. John the Baptist, Friendship Primary, Soesdyke Primary, One Mile Primary, Marian Academy, Colaaco Primary, F.E. Pollard Primary, St. Gabriel’s Primary, North Georgetown, St. Pius Primary, St. Margaret’s Primary, Tucville Primary, Smith Memorial, St. Stephen’s Primary, Redeemer Primary and West Ruimveldt Primary are among the schools earmarked for this year’s Girls U11 competition.

T

he new track record set by Team Mohamed’s Biker James Westmoreland during the qualifier of the Super Stock/ Super Sport Bikes over the weekend has been nullified, according to the Guyana Motor Racing and Sports Club (GMR&SC).

The revelation about the 1:15.798s new record was made on Wednesday following a video review.

Below is the full statement from the GMRSC: “On Saturday 4th November 2023, during the course of the qualifying session of the Super Stock Bikes class, competitor #3, James Westmoreland, riding for Team Mohamed's, showed a lap time of 1:15.798 on the timing screens. At the end of the day's qualifying session, this time was recognized as a new overall track record.

However, during the course of the next 24 hours, video surfaced showing that competitor #3 went straight through a run off road instead

James Westmoreland in action for Team Mohamed’s

of going through the sequence of corners according to the official track layout.

Subsequently, marshals positioned at several marshal posts in the vicinity of where the run off area is located confirmed that the rider did indeed go straight through the run off area. One of these marshals was able to visually identify the individual who recorded the video and subsequently made contact with them.

In order to further examine and verify the video evidence, the owner of the video recording was invited to present the video on the mobile phone with which it was recorded. The video was examined and verified in the presence of the GMR&SC president, Mahendra Boodhoo, the Chief Time Keeper, Chief Scrutineer, the marshal who witnessed and identified the author of the video, a representative of competitor #3 of Team Mohamed's and other GMR&SC executive members.

The time the video was recorded, coincides with the time of the lap in question being recorded less than a minute later. All parties involved and present accepted that this was sufficient evidence to invalidate the lap time.

As a result, the overall track record awarded to competitor #3, James Westmoreland, has now been rescinded. The previous track record of 1:16.271 set by competitor #58, Mark Vieira in a Radical SR3 at the International Race of Champions held on Sunday 22nd November 2022 is now officially reinstated.

It must be noted that, according to the evidence presented and the account of several corner marshals, competitor #3 was unable to enter the corner in a safe manner, and had no choice but to go straight through the run off area. It has been determined that the cutting of the corner was NOT done in a deliberate manner.”

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2023

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

Pg 23

Pg 23

MVP Sports’ Proprietor Ian Ramdeo making a presentation to Petra’s Co-Director Troy Mendonca

Pg 22

BCB, UG to unveil Girls’ U11 Pee-Wee Berbice Cricket Wall tournament returns of Fame next week with MVP Sports' backing …2nd edition of coaching manual to be launched 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.