Guyana Times - Tuesday 18, 2023

E’bo fisherman dies as house goes up in flames

See Page 9

Sophia man critically wounded during confrontation over horse

After awaiting trial for 6 years Man gets time served for wedding house killing

Miner killed by falling tree branch

TUESDAY, JULY 18, 2023 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

BRIDGE OPENINGS

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

Tuesday, July 18 – 03:55h – 05:25h and Wednesday, July 19 – 04:15h – 05:45h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Tuesday, July 18 – 17:00h

– 18:30h and Wednesday, July 19 – 05:15h – 06:45h.

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 and sunshine during the day. Expect clear skies and thundery showers at night. Temperatures should range between 23 degrees Celsius and 30 degrees Celsius.

Winds: East North-Easterly to East South-Easterly between 2.23 metres and 3.57 metres.

High Tide: 17:06h reaching a maximum height of 2.37 metres.

Low Tide: 10:40h and 22:51h reaching minimum heights of 0.72 metre and 0.83 metre.

EU-CELAC Summit

Food security, climate change & energy on agenda …as EU seeks to revitalise Latin American, Caribbean ties

LOTTERY NUMBERS

By Jarryl Bryan

During a packed day one of the European Union-Community of Latin American and Caribbean States’ (EUCELAC) Summit, President Dr Irfaan Ali met with French President Emmanuel Macron and other leaders, even as he laid out his expectations that the summit will address food and climate security, as well as other areas.

This is the first time in eight years leaders from the European Union and Latin America have met.

On day one of the summit, which is being held in Brussels, Belgium, President Ali and French President Macron met and had brief discussions. President Ali also joined fellow CELAC leaders during meetings with other Heads of State and European Union politicians.

The summit will last from July 17 to 18, and according to President Ali, he expects climate, energy and food security to be of high priority. The President also called for an inclusive approach when it comes to involving stakeholders.

“There are three important issues facing the world today. That is climate security, energy security and food security. So, I expect the summit to focus heavily on these three areas, in ensuring that we find the right balance on these three critical global issues,” President Ali said, when approached for an interview by the media in Brussels.

“One in which we don’t lock stakeholders out, but one in which we can have all the stakeholders on the energy front, the climate front and the food security front, together. So that we can find solutions to the financing gap. And we can find solutions to the problems that are affecting people and bridge the gap of inequality.”

At one point there had been reports that

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky would attend the summit. When asked by the media for a comment on the Russian conflict with Ukraine, President Ali reiterated Guyana’s official position on the war.

“Our view is that we must live in a peaceful world. And one in which every citizen must enjoy the

and reparations.

“Hopefully, this summit will arrive at mutually satisfactory conclusions on a bundle of compelling issues touching and concerning, among other things, inclusive, sustainable development, hunger and food security, a meaningful reform of the global financial architecture in accord with the central thrust of the

they can reach a satisfactory outcome. According to Gonsalves, the people they represent expect them to work “maturely and constructively” to make a positive difference.

Guyana’s advocacy

President Ali has been vocal at the level of CELAC, in calling for a revamp of, among other things, the current framework to achieve food security and nutrition, urging a re-engineering of current policies.

As recently as last month, the President addressed a CELAC high-level Ministers of Agriculture meeting at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC), calling for an action plan to come out of this engagement.

right of sovereignty, territorial integrity and one in which they build their lives in peace,” President Ali said.

President Ali was also among the CELAC Heads of State who participated in a business roundtable on Monday. The EU-LAC Business Round Table was co-organised with the InterAmerican Development Bank and the Development Bank of Latin America. President Ali also participated in the CARIFORUMEuropean Union High-Level meeting during the summit.

Summit agenda

Meanwhile, Prime Minister of St Vincent and the Grenadines Ralph Gonsalves also serves as the co-chair of the European Council and Pro Tempore President of CELAC. During opening day, Gonsalves urged that longstanding issues affecting CELAC members be meaningfully addressed during the summit, including climate financing

Bridgetown initiative.”

“Renewable energy, ramped up ambitions and actions on climate change mitigation and adaptation. Tangible delivery to commitments on climate financing and loss and damage funding for vulnerable countries. Public health and pandemics. Education, science and technologies… reparative justice for native genocide and the enslavement of African bodies.”

Gonsalves also expressed hope that the “cessation of unilateral coercive economic sanctions” against some CELAC countries could be addressed during the summit. Also mentioned by Gonsalves was the “weaponising of the banking and financial system” and the “unlawful interference in the internal affairs of countries.”

While the Prime Minister acknowledged that these topics are likely to generate differing views and even some controversies, he was optimistic that as a group

Between 2019 and 2021, the number of hungry people increased by 13.2 million in the Region. Severe food insecurity in Latin America and the Caribbean was higher than the global average. The Region also had the highest cost attached for a healthy diet.

Ali had pointed out that distributors are also finding it easier to import ‘all junk from outside’ into the Region.

“So, we have a supply problem. We have an eating problem. We have a system problem but now we have an economic problem. Because the model we’re using to feed the people in our Region has resulted in the highest cost for a healthy diet. Something is wrong.”

“The existing framework is not working! Whatever we’re doing in this moment has given the people of our Region the highest cost for a healthy diet,” President Ali had highlighted.

Ali had also told regional leaders that producing more food and integrating food security objectives while reducing poverty and inequality, remains the key to ensuring food and nutrition security in Latin America and the Caribbean. (G3)

President Dr Irfaan Ali and French President Emmanuel Macron

EU-CELAC leaders at the European Union-Community of Latin American and Caribbean States Summit

Editor: Tusika Martin

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Supporting young people in STEM

The success of the STEM Guyana team over the years is yet another example of what our young people could achieve once they are provided with the necessary opportunities. Years of success of the team have now led to the expansion of the programme across Guyana as was announced by President Dr Irfaan Ali some time ago.

The way the Guyana team has performed over the years has shown what can be done once persons are able to band together and more importantly, represent their country well at such a high-level competition.

The success of Guyana’s team over the past four years is a perfect example of Guyanese ingenuity and creativity. It shows that in spite of the many challenges at home and the sometimes-negative perceptions persons usually have of Guyanese, our young people can still rise to the challenge and be counted among some of the leaders in the various fields. For Guyana, over the years, to compete against over 160 countries, which have much experience in the field, is a tremendous achievement and has served as a motivation to others who have an interest in the so-called STEM subjects –Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics.

Certainly, the investments made over the years in improving performances in STEM subjects are beginning to show results.

The importance of focusing on STEM education could never be overemphasised due to their importance to national development. Our leaders, from both past and current administrations, have recognised the need to create more opportunities for our young people to further their studies in STEM subjects.

Every student who has a desire to further their studies in STEM subjects should be afforded the opportunity to do so. We feel that once the necessary facilities are provided, such as labs etc, more young people will be drawn to these areas of study.

Additionally, more students should be encouraged to focus on STEM subjects to advance their chances in the job market. This is necessary as it will help them to become innovative. It will also help them to be equipped with the necessary skills to contribute to national development. Some persons see STEM as “hard subjects”. When one looks at the number of students graduating from the university, it is evident that more students are gravitating to the social sciences. However, if this trend continues, we would continue to see graduates coming out of the university for whom the job market would be severely limited.

While there is need for qualified persons in the arts and humanities and other fields, there is also a need for experts in science and technology; hence, more attention should be provided to encourage children who are gifted in science and technology to explore their passions. In essence, considering the national needs of the country, STEM is seen as sustainable. If students undertake STEM subjects, they can be assured of job opportunities, not only here in Guyana, but in many other countries.

The excellent performance of the STEM Guyana team over the years should be celebrated.

We support the call by the team for Government support and commend President Dr Irfaan Ali for listing to the youths and committing to expanding the programme countrywide and his pledge, “We will support you.”

Grandparents, a link between generations

B y L ee L a R amdeen

My friend rang me recently for some advice. Her brother has moved into their grandmother’s home with his family and moved her into a small room attached to the house; leaving her isolated. Are we human beings becoming more individualistic, more selfish?

Lisa Marie Bobby, a life coach, reminds us that: “Emotional intelligence exists on a spectrum, and some individuals are higher in emotional intelligence than others. One symptom of low emotional intelligence is the tendency to be self-absorbed, or exclusively concerned about what you’re thinking, feeling, needing and wanting, instead of the thoughts, feelings, needs and desires of others.”

Let’s “check” ourselves. Consider the characteristics of selfish and selfless people. We are called to LOVE, and love is not selfish. Kendra Cherry, a psychosocial rehabilitation specialist, tells us that: “Self-absorption doesn’t allow you to grow as a person. It can also deprive you of healthy relationships that promote emotional well-being.”

In 2021, Pope Francis instituted World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly, since, he believes,

grandparents are often forgotten. He says, they “are the link between generations, passing on the experience of life and faith to the young”. The Day is to be held on the fourth Sunday in July, close to the feast of Jesus’ grandparents, Saints Joachim and Anne. The third celebration takes place on Sunday, July 23.

In his message for the third celebration, he laments how often grandparents and the elderly are tragically pushed aside. He says: “Let us honour them, neither depriving ourselves of their company nor depriving them of ours. May we never allow the elderly to be cast aside!” He urges us to never forget or abandon them: “Their presence in families and communities is a precious one, for it reminds us that we share the same heritage and are part of a people committed to preserving its roots ... The church, as well as society, need them, for they entrust to the present the past that is needed to build the future.”

Since World Youth Day will take place in Lisbon, Portugal, from August 1-6, Pope Francis stresses how maintaining quality connections with the older generations has priceless value for the young. “The Lord trusts that young

people, through their relationships with the elderly, will realise that they are called to cultivate memory and recognise the beauty of being part of a much larger history.”

Intergenerational dialogue is critical if we are to share stories with the younger generation. I am thankful to my cousin Trevene Nicome and other members of the Nicome family who are preparing for the fourth Nicome Family Reunion in Brooklyn, New York, on Saturday, July 22. The first three gatherings were held in Trinidad in 2011, 2013, and 2016. These events provide a wonderful opportunity for us to celebrate our rich heritage and legacy with the younger generation and strengthen family bonds, My maternal grandmother, Enid Nicome, migrated to Trinidad from Venezuela around 1915. She died before I was born. I knew her sister, Emelda, a most generous woman, who lived in Arima, and her brother, Leo, and his family, through our many visits to his and Aunt Clara’s house in Palo Seco. Those were wonderful visits. It was the only time I got up close to ducks and, indeed, to tasting duck meat. Aunt Clara always treated us to this dish when we visited. The Nicome family is

large. Many of them live in Sangre Grande, Palo Seco, and the USA.

Robert Henry Fitzgerald Manning, my maternal grandfather, came to T&T from Barbados with his two brothers. He won a lottery and purchased cocoa plantations in Sangre Grande, property in Richmond Street, etc. He raised my mother when her mother died. He died when I was about four years old.

I knew my paternal grandparents, Nanan and Poolbassia Ramdeen. They lived in Sangre Chiquito. I have written about them in the past. Nanan is the grandson of Madaree and Oozerun Dial, who arrived in T&T on the ship, the Edith Moore , on December 6, 1858, and were sent to Mt Plaisir Estate, Cunupia, to work as indentured labourers. Their six children prospered, becoming cocoa plantation owners when cocoa was “King”. Poolbassia’s Guyasingh family, like all those listed above, continue to contribute much to our society/world. Remember the Chinese proverb: “To forget one’s ancestors is to be a brook without a source, a tree without a root.”

Let’s build/maintain relationships with our grandparents/the elderly, and thank God for their lives. (T&T Guardian)

Kingston seawall beautification: A section of the Kingston seawall which is currently undergoing major rehabilitative and enhancement works through First Lady Arya Ali's National Beautification Project (Office of the First Lady photo)

Tribute to Sir Lloyd Erskine Sandiford, KA, PC

Dear Editor, The Guyanese public and its politicians have had hot and cold relationships with Barbados Prime Ministers over the years but none of the seven former PMs, save the Rt Excellent Errol Walton Barrow, have been as consistently popular with Guyanese as have Sandiford and Stuart. Perhaps that popularity was due as much to their mannerisms as to their interest in Guyana.

Sandiford wore many hats after first entering politics as a member of Errol Barrow’s party (DLP). He has been a Senator and his subsequent assignments included that of Minister of Education and Deputy PM in 1986 but he retained an abiding interest in education throughout. He taught economics and Caribbean politics at Barbados Community College for several years and was a very passionate advocate for things educational. He was also committed to the ‘Caribbean project’ in its widest sense as evidenced in his participation to the Grand Anse Declaration, for example. Those persons familiar with Barbadian politics and its history will also associate him with the eponymous Conference Centre and for which initiative he took a great deal of flack. It is an appropriate and fitting monument to a man who though he contributed much. He was quiet, tenacious and scholarly.

Lloyd Erskine Sandiford rose to the pinnacle of his country’s political structure during what turned out to be one of the most trying, if not tumultuous, decades in the Caribbean’s post-war history. That epoch witnessed the demise of some of the Region’s most wellknown, and controversial figures including Walter Rodney 1980, Maurice Bishop of Grenada in 1983, Burnham of Guyana in 1985, and Errol Barrow in 1987. It was the latter event which catapulted the then Deputy PM Sandiford into the post of Prime Minister of Barbados, a position he held for over seven years. He earned that preferment in what were trying times not only for the Caribbean as a whole but for Barbados and the Region’s Ministers of Finance.

The times were the outcome of the intensification of globalisation and world trade. With the globalisation came the rapid transmission and spread of unfavourable economic trends and shocks among states. Not surprisingly, concerns about growth, income disparities within and among states and growing levels of poverty and marginalisation in the Region, abounded. The OECS as a whole, except Dominica, managed to avoid this turmoil. Elsewhere in the Region, however, major econom-

ic reforms in the guise of structural adjustment programmes overseen or imposed by the Bretton Woods (BW) institutions had to be undertaken in order to secure support to correct internal and external economic imbalances arising from slow or inadequate responses to significant external changes. The Bretton Woods recommendations included trade reforms intended to open-up economies to the winds of international competition. The consequences were particularly severe for Guyana, indeed such severity was arguably not experienced by any other IMF member states until the 2008 crisis struck the PIIGS (Portugal, Italy, Ireland Greece and Spain].

I mention all this in the context of PM Sandiford because he came to the office of PM and Minister of Finance of Barbados (1991-1993 following Dr Richie Haynes) against the foregoing background of demands for fiscal restraint) across the Region. The governments of T&T and Jamaica embraced the Bretton Woods structural adjustment programmes. Guyana initially sought to avoid these programmes by implementing its own self-crafted programme, intended to establish a track record and attract resources for a Resource Mobilisation Mission which was to follow 1987. That effort preceded Guyana’s Economic Recovery Programme (ERP) and a Social Impact Amelioration Programme (SIMAP) to help absorb the adverse effects of the measures and the devaluation of the Guyana dollar on the poor in particular. Guyana did not have enough fiscal or foreign exchange space to manage the measures without sizeable external assistance especially because of the implications of debt overhang and inadequate Paris Club and related rescheduling arrangements.

I also mention this experience because Guyana was at the time having to mobilise Caribbean and other support for its efforts to secure breathing space for those measures of adjustment, having resisted the excesses of the BW programmes, which the then government felt were not only economically harsh but deliberately intended to be politically damaging to the government critical of the Bretton Woods approach and their masters, the OECD states. We sought and eventually secured regional support in calling for better and more appropriate financial assistance as well as more relevant conditionalities. As PM of Barbados, Sandiford joined the Caribbean Ministers who constituted the regional ‘team’ that collaborated in formulating a Caribbean approach to the treatment of Guyana. They

would often share their draft speeches and make suggestions for improvement. Sandiford was a valued member of that team of Caricom Ministers most of whom were PMs holding the portfolio of Finance.

In dealing with its own economic and financial challenges Barbados, under PM Sandiford was able to hold a line somewhat different from that of T&T, Jamaica. Like Guyana initially, it attempted to address its economic internal and external disequilibria by implementing its own adjustment package which were of necessity severe though not as severe as Guyana’s. Although the economy initially appeared to be improving in response to those measures, (reducing expenditures, increasing revenues and prices - decreases in capital investment, wage and employment freezes in the public sector and decreases in PE expenditures) the turnaround was not sufficient. Additional measures called for by the BW institutions and resisted by the Sandiford administration included the devaluation of the Barbados dollar. In the face of severe pressures in this regard the Sandiford government preferring instead to pursue tighter fiscal measures, a position which was strongly supported by a significant segment of the populace. However, unemployment levels remained stubbornly high at an estimated 25% of the labour force. Sandiford was criticised in the process for being stubborn and authoritarian. There were persistent calls for him to resign. His popularity suffered and the party lost the 1994 general elections he called as a result of a no-confidence motion and the defection of MPs from his party.

When subsequently asked about his approach to that crisis, Sandiford is reported to have said to Jamaican journalist, Cliff Hughes, that ‘the price I paid was small compared to the good that came to the country’. In a sense

this mirrored the views of Hugh Desmond Hoyte, his Guyanese counterpart and friend who had also perished at the polls two years earlier as a result of putting national interest before that of Party. Sandiford is widely remembered and admired for that position and his resoluteness in the face of adversity and criticisms.

Throughout all of this, Lloyd Sandiford remained a most thoughtful and warm person. For the reasons relating to the coincidence of our responsibility for Finance we had the opportunity to meet and exchange thoughts of the challenges. During the period 19871992 when we both held the MoF portfolios I had cause to consult him very many times as regards interventions on behalf of Guyana and formulation of common Caribbean positions. He maintained the same calm and easy demeanour in the course of discussions with his officers as well as with other Heads such as Sonny Mitchell, Eugenia Charles and John Compton in particular. He was ever attentive and respectful.

He also maintained a strong involvement in Caricom and the drive to the Single Market and Economy and was PM of Barbados when the Grand Anse Declaration was signed in 1989. He was an ardent advocate of economic cooperation in the Region and beyond. He played a very prominent role in bringing international conferences to the Region amongst which was that which led to the Barbados Plan of Action. The now dormant Association of Caribbean Community Parliamentarians (ACCP) was partly his handiwork and owed its establishment to his government.

Moreover, he was not afraid to speak his mind on behalf of either Barbados or the Region. His criticism of US foreign trade policy and its harmful effects on Caricom trade was noted by the New York Times, for example.

I have a special reason

to keep a warm spot for the former PM because he was in the chair when Caribbean Heads approved the slate of regional candidates who were to be supported for international posts including that of the Secretary General of the ACP Group of States. He was still there when Guyana’s then President sought to rescind that decision and to replace me as the Region’s candidate. The resistance of Caricom’s Ministers of Finance, with whom I had previous had the privilege of working was led by the Caricom Chairman, PM Sandiford. In this regard, the Region then created ACP history by taking the unusual step of nominating a candidate on behalf of the entire Region as opposed to the country, Guyana, for which the candidate was the national.

Lady Angelita Sandiford has been very friendly and well-informed companion of the former PM. I have had the privilege of speaking with her several times over the years. Just as her spouse’s warmth never flagged so too her kindness and warmth remained unflagging. I know from those conversations how much they valued the assignment to China as Barbados’ Ambassador. The Sandifords were clearly proud to have been afforded the opportunity to be so preferred by his successor, a great piece of diplomacy by the than Government. They enjoyed showcasing Barbados’ industry, its achievements and novelty

in the circumstances. Sandiford was also an author. He published several serious and interesting contributions among them, a book on politics and society in Barbados which a reviewer described as ‘an excellent historical and contemporary analysis’ and ‘a must read’. Among his contributions to serious analysis is an introductory text on economics. He also published an autobiographical note entitled, ‘Fighting for the Just Society’ and would be proud to be remembered as a fighter for that goal. I can only agree that in that context the ascription would be apt. Most interestingly, he also wrote poetry amongst which is an intriguing piece entitled, ‘When she leaves you.’ I have not yet had the privilege of perusing that contribution but have resolved to find it to both learn the object of the message and the remedy. Maybe his autobiography has some clues.

Lloyd Erskine Sandiford has lived a fruitful life. He was a notable statesman, politician and author as well as a remarkable son of the Region. I join his colleagues, friends and citizens of Barbados in extending sincere condolences to Lady Angelita, their three children, the extended Sandiford family members and their relatives.

Sincerely,

Carl B. Greenidge Former 2nd Vice President of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana

TUESDAY, JULY 18, 2023

Factors

Factors are the numbers we can multiply together to get another number. The two numbers multiplied together give the product. Some numbers may have more than two factors.

Making a weather journal

Journalling gives you the opportunity to use drawing and writing together to show your observations, document discoveries, pose questions, note ideas, and learn to see and hear more. Keeping a weather journal is a great way to get outdoors to explore and record your responses to and reflections about science and the natural world — and keep track of what you’re learning. Get started on your journals with information that will help you keep track of what you wonder, identify weather phenomena, and list some of the words they’ll need to record their observations.

Supplies

• Blank spiral notebook or sketchbook (or fold 10 sheets of paper in half and staple along the fold to create a booklet)

• Weather Wonders weather log (optional)

• Writing tools

• Drawing materials

Your journals can look however you want them to look! You can freely draw, write, or add photographs. It can be a place to brainstorm, keep notes and vocabulary words, make lists, sketch, or write poems. It is your place to write and draw observations, thoughts, questions, and ideas, and, you will have a chance to make all kinds of observations and explore things that grab your curiosity.

The diagrams below shows the factors of 12. Each pair of numbers can be multiplied to give the product 12. One and the number itself are always factors of the number.

Scientists keep notes and journals of their observations, data, and experiments. Writers keep journals of their observations and feelings about people and places.

Use this Weather Log template:

Date:

Time:

Location:

Temperature: __________________________________________________________

Sky (description): __________________________________________________________

Wind (description): __________________________________________________________

Wind direction: __________________________________________________________

Wind speed: __________________________________________________________

Atmospheric pressure: __________________________________________________________

Humidity: __________________________________________________________

Precipitation type: (at data collection time): _______________________________________

Precipitation amount (in last 24 hours): _______________________________________

In your journal, you can use sentence starters

I see ...

I hear ...

I wonder ...

I was surprised by ...

I feel ...

Today's weather was…

Today's weather made me feel …

This drawing shows today's weather …

Now, that you know all of this information, go forth and put together a journal that is uniquely you!

List the factors of the numbers 1-20

(Adapted from startwithabook.org)

Lines Composed a Few Miles above Tintern Abbey, On Revisiting the Banks of the Wye during a Tour. July 13, 1798 Part II

By William WordsWorth

If this

Be but a vain belief, yet, oh! how oft—

In darkness and amid the many shapes

Of joyless daylight; when the fretful stir Unprofitable, and the fever of the world, Have hung upon the beatings of my heart— How oft, in spirit, have I turned to thee, O sylvan Wye! thou wanderer thro' the woods, How often has my spirit turned to thee!

And now, with gleams of half-extinguished thought,

With many recognitions dim and faint, And somewhat of a sad perplexity, The picture of the mind revives again: While here I stand, not only with the sense

Of present pleasure, but with pleasing thoughts

That in this moment there is life and food

For future years. And so I dare to hope,

Though changed, no doubt, from what I was when first

I came among these hills; when like a roe

I bounded o'er the mountains, by the sides

Of the deep rivers, and the lonely streams,

Wherever nature led: more like a man

Flying from something that he dreads, than one

Who sought the thing he loved. For nature then

(The coarser pleasures of my boyish days

And their glad animal movements all gone by)

To me was all in all.—I cannot paint

What then I was. The sounding cataract

Haunted me like a passion: the tall rock,

The mountain, and the deep and gloomy wood, Their colours and their forms, were then to me An appetite; a feeling and a love, That had no need of a remoter charm, By thought supplied, nor any interest

Unborrowed from the eye.—That time is past, And all its aching joys are now no more, And all its dizzy raptures. Not for this Faint I, nor mourn nor murmur; other gifts Have followed; for such loss, I would believe, Abundant recompense. For I have learned

To look on nature, not as in the hour

Of thoughtless youth; but hearing oftentimes The still sad music of humanity, Nor harsh nor grating, though of ample power To chasten and subdue.—And I have felt A presence that disturbs me with the joy

Of elevated thoughts; a sense sublime

Of something far more deeply interfused, Whose dwelling is the light of setting suns, And the round ocean and the living air, And the blue sky, and in the mind of man: A motion and a spirit, that impels

All thinking things, all objects of all thought, And rolls through all things. Therefore am I still A lover of the meadows and the woods And mountains; and of all that we behold From this green earth; of all the mighty world Of eye, and ear,—both what they half create, And what perceive; well pleased to recognise In nature and the language of the sense

The anchor of my purest thoughts, the nurse, The guide, the guardian of my heart, and soul

Of all my moral being.

WORD SEARCH

Guyana making progress on development goals – Ashni Singh tells UN

…stresses need for int’l community to make financing available

Guyana on Monday conducted its Voluntary National Review (VNR) of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), a process which saw Finance Minister, Dr Ashni Singh updating the United Nations on the progress Guyana is making towards bettering the lives of Guyanese.

During the presentation of the VNR, which was done at the UN’s High Level Political Forum on sustainable development, the Finance Minister committed that in addition to the way Guyana has woven national development into successive budgets, more work will be done to improve essential infrastructure and public services.

“However, the scale of investments needed is costly, especially given Guyana’s geography and the population distribution which contributes to the complexity and cost of reaching more remote communities,” Dr Singh said.

“Thus, these actions will be complemented by Government’s deliberate advocacy for increased volumes of affordable financing to fund the critical initiatives essential to meeting Agenda 2030. Recent geopolitical shocks have reminded us that food security and energy and climate security are core to ensuring national, regional and even global resilience.”

The Finance Minister

used the occasion to push for affordable financing for Guyana, noting that this means a redoubled global commitment. Notwithstanding these financial constraints, however, he made it clear that Guyana has made progress on the SDGs.

According to Dr Singh, the COVID-19 pandemic contributed to disrupting the progress that countries, including Guyana, were making towards achieving their Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

“Notwithstanding, Guyana persevered and still made considerable progress towards the achievement of the goals. Our video presentation showcased some of the gains Guyana has made under Goals Six, Seven, Nine, 11 and 17,” he said.

“Overall, we’ve improved

data collection within these goals for tracking progress and the achievements reflected are as a result of deliberate policy and programme intervention that are focused on accelerating development to ensure gains are made for all Guyanese.”

According to Singh, the Government has invested in infrastructure to deliver water to over 30,000 residents in the hinterland. As such, the proportion of the hinterland with access to safe water has gone from 33.8 per cent in 2019 to 75 per cent as of the end of 2022.

“Additionally, in order to ensure the affordability to the most vulnerable, we have removed the water tariff from the first 10 cubic meters of water per month consumed by 28,000 senior citizens. Removed value added tax on water charges

and reduced water tariffs across the board, thereby benefitting over 175,000 customers.”

“Under Goal Seven, affordable and clean energy, significant investments in solar farms and hydropower have advanced. In addition, work has started on 300 MW of new power generation capability, harnessing Guyana’s newfound gas resources.”

He informed the UN that this will allow for a 50 per cent reduction in electricity costs to the population by 2025. The Minister further told the forum of investments in the 165-MW Amaila Falls Hydropower

Project, as well as a new solar home energy programme to reach the remotest areas and, in particular, energy poor communities.

This latter project, according to Dr Singh, will benefit over 245 communities or 30,000 households in Guyana’s hinterland.

“In line with Goal Nine, industry, innovation and infrastructure, heightened focus is being placed on ramping up investments in infrastructure to address the large infrastructure gap, with the aim of improving connectivity for our citizens across the country,” Singh said.

“New and expanded transport networks including new highways, bridges and ocean-going vessels have already increased capacity for movement of people and cargo. Additionally, business incubators and business outsourcing have seen greater employment of women, over recent years.”

When it comes to Goal 11, which deals with sustainable cities and communities, Dr Singh spoke

of the Government’s accelerated drive to distribute 50,000 house lots by 2025. He said that within recent years, over 24,000 house lots have been distributed, primarily to low- and middle-income households.

“In addition, a young professionals housing programme has increased access to housing solutions for Guyana’s youth. And notably in 2022, 45 per cent of all house lot allocations were to female headed households, up from 42 per cent in 2021. We’ve also implemented several measures to reduce the cost of homeownership, especially for first-time homeowners,” the Finance Minister added.

Only last year December, the Government of Guyana (GOG) and the United Nations (UN) System hosted a Joint National Steering Committee (JNSC) meeting as part of an ongoing collaboration to advance the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in Guyana. (G3)

Finance Minister, Dr Ashni Singh addressing the UN High-Level Political Forum

Man gets time served for wedding house killing

Court on Monday where his sentencing hearing was held, George expressed that he was sorry for taking a life and begged for clemency.

“I am very sorry for whatever happened on that day.

I am begging for mercy. I am a changed person,” said the convict who appeared in court via Zoom.

Keeping mum… …on

oil?

Imprisoned for almost seven years awaiting trial for murder, Solomon George is now a free man after Justice Priya SewnarineBeharry sentenced him to time served, stating that his time on remand amounts to a sentence for manslaughter to which he pleaded guilty.

George, formerly of Lot 109 Murphy Street, Good

Intent, West Bank Demerara (WBD), who was initially indicted for the capital offence of murder over the death of tractor operator Arnold Rampersaud Rattan, pleaded guilty to the lesser offence at his arraignment last month.

The 43-year-old man died on August 8, 2016.

At the Demerara High

His lawyer, Teriq Mohammed, asked the court to consider the following when passing sentence: his client’s early guilty plea, his prior unblemished criminal record, and that he had been taking steps in prison to rehabilitate himself by attending various classes and the prison’s church.

“He has thrown himself at the mercy of this court and has asked you to be lenient with him.”

For her part, the State prosecutor highlighted the serious nature and preva-

lence of the offence; and that a dangerous weapon, a knife, was used in the commissioning of the crime.

In her sentencing remarks, the Judge told George that when he committed the crime, he was of a mature age to appreciate the consequences of his actions. Among the aggravating factors considered by the Judge was that George was under the influence of alcohol.

In arriving at an appropriate sentence for the felon, Justice Sewnarine-Beharry commenced at a base of 15 years from which a third’s (five years) deduction was made for his early guilty plea, leaving 10 years. George has spent almost seven calendar years which is equivalent to 10 prison years on remand. In the circumstances, he was released on time served.

A prison year is believed to be eight months long.

It has been reported that at about 23:30h on August 8, 2016, during the “Kangan” (day after the wedding) celebration at Rattan’s home at Sisters Village, WBD, the father of two asked Solomon to leave the premises since he began to misbehave.

However, when Solomon refused to leave, Rattan opted to push him out of the yard. It was at this point that Solomon stabbed him in the left side of his body with a sharp object.

Neighbours recalled seeing Rattan drop to his knees while Solomon fled the scene but he was subsequently caught by villagers who gave chase. The injured man was rushed to the West Demerara Regional Hospital (WDRH), where he died while receiving treatment.

Both Rattan and George were intoxicated.

It was Rattan who was the aggressor, court documents revealed. (G1)

Your Eyewitness perused the book Trotman wrote on how he “re-negotiated” the oil contract with Exxon seven years ago. That’s what the man said: “renegotiated”!! But yours truly is wondering why the issue hasn’t gained traction among the chatterati of civil society – demanding that Trotman “fess up”. All the fella revealed - in one of the most disingenuous statements in the annals of cover-ups – was he’d “doubled” the royalty rate from that the PPP had signed back in 1999.

What he glossed over was that his “doubling” meant Guyana would be getting a measly 2% of revenues – in an industry where the average royalty’s 7-10%!!! The PPP had agreed to 1% at a time when no one knew if there was oil under that part of the ocean. So they had to bend over backwards to attract a credible operator like Exxon. Trotman, on the other hand, was “re-negotiating” at a time when that contract had expired – and IT WAS CONFIRMED Exxon had struck a world-class oil field!! Exxon could’ve been taken to the cleaners!

Then there was the lack of “ring fencing” – which simply means that in deducting expenses for determining profits, each well should’ve been considered on its own. Imagine being allowed to deduct 75% of the costs FROM EVEN NEW WELLS BEING DRILLED AND NEW FPSOS BEING BUILT!! At this rate – since there’s no incentive for Exxon to ease up spending – we’ll never ever get more than the 14.5% profit Trotman agreed to!!

So was there ANY reason proffered in Trotman’s book that made ANY sense?? Well, he said he was TOLD to sign along the dotted line!! Now, if he was simply following orders to sign away our birthright, how can he say he “RENEGOTIATED” the contract?? Doesn’t “renegotiate” mean he had to’ve engaged in some sort of haggling with the Exxon folks across the table??

Maybe Guyanese will one day find out what really happened during those “re-negotiations” – but not from Trotty’s book. But as a caution, he should note that recently Angola’s Supreme Court ordered the “preventive” seizure of assets worth about US$1 billion held by Isabel dos Santos, the former President of Angola’s daughter!! Was it part of remembering “Nassau”!!

Guyanese have to wake up and smell the bush rum. This Eyewitness has insisted it was the DUTY of the Exxon executives to do whatever it took – within the law – to deliver more profits for their shareholders. Their trail of lawsuits and fines from Alaska to Zanzibar shows Exxon pushes the envelope on whoever’s the law. Unfortunately, Guyana’s represented by Trotman who’s more concerned about Exxon than Guyana.

Pick sense from nonsense: if Trotman REVEALED the 2% royalty…what’s unrevealed?!!

…on Chinese outrages

One of the under-remarked occurrences that’s increasing in our dear mud-land is about the robberies, murders, and other attacks on Chinese restaurants and their owners. With the rise of China as a global power, there was an expected parallel increase in Chinese businessmen and construction/ project personnel. But whether spontaneously or as official policy – following in the former’s wake – there have been other Chinese migrants who’ve gravitated in retailing and restaurants.

They’re everywhere in Guyana. With their immigrant drive for economic advancement and willingness to use the factors of production – labour and time – they have in abundance; they’ve become targets for nightime robberies. These Chinese business owners are considered soft targets by the criminals and there isn’t a week that goes by that another “incident” isn’t reported.

One option to protect the Chinese businesses might be the formation of “triads” to both protect and hustle the businesses. Do Guyanese really want to go down this road?? Have the public any idea of how dangerous triads are??

…protection

Well, the PNC did relaunch the People’s Militia as an “army reserve”. 400+ men and women trained right to defend we, the Guyanese people. But after the government changed your Eyewitness hasn’t been hearing about them?? He feels unprotected.

After awaiting trial for 6 years

Dead: Arnold Rampersaud Rattan

Freed: Solomon George

High Court Judge Priya Sewnarine-Beharry

3000-tonne silos, drying tower for corn & soya to be operational by September …will commence operations in time for next harvest

Guyana’s corn and soya bean industry will receive a further boost as three silos with a combined capacity to store 9000 tonnes of grain and a drying tower, are on track for start-up by September of this year.

The three silos, each with the capacity to store 3000 tonnes of grain and an 80-tonne per hour drying tower, are currently being constructed at Tacama Landing on the Berbice river. The facilities are intended to support the corn and soya being cultivated at a farm in the Tacama Savannah in Region 10 (Upper DemeraraBerbice).

On his social media page, President Dr Irfaan Ali announced that testing and a virtual tour of the facility was done on Monday. Further, it was announced that the facility will be operational by the next harvest in September of this year.

During his most recent press conference, President Ali had spoken of the Government’s investments in high value crops, including corn and soya. He also pointed to the Government’s 150 per cent increase in budgetary allocations to agriculture that took it from $13.3 billion to $33.2 billion.

“We’re bridging the production gap, ramping up production in crops such as rice and sugar, expanding the corn and soya production, high value crops, the shade house initiative wheat trials,

expansion of the livestock industry, swine, beef, poultry, black belly sheep, fisheries, establishment of shrimp farms and cage culture farming.”

“These are all new areas that are emerging in the modern agriculture infrastructure landscape, to support sustainability and resilience in food production,”

President Ali further explained during the opening statement of his press conference.

The soya bean is being cultivated by a consortium that includes Guyana Stockfeed Limited, Edun Farms and Bounty Farm Limited. Other investors are Royal Chicken, SBM Wood, Dubulay Ranch, and the Brazilian-owned N F Agriculture.

The large-scale trial cultivation of corn and soya bean was announced by the Government in 2021. In the feed industry, Guyana imports close to US$30 million in products annually. The aim is to not just attain self-sufficiency but establish the country as a net exporter of soya.

The key stakeholders in the massive corn and soya bean project include the Government, farmers, and the private companies. The

Government has played a crucial role in supporting the growth of the industry, with a commitment of over $1.2 billion to infrastructural development in the Tacama area.

Last year, the Government improved access to the area by constructing 40 kilometres of road, with the remaining seven kilometres scheduled to be completed in 2023. Additionally, the Government invested in the drying and storage facility for the corn and soya, establishing the first such facility in the country.

In 2021, the Government started the trial of 125 acres of corn and soya bean, which showed major success. Previously, Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha had said that the intention was to continuously increase production to cover at least 25,000 acres by 2025. The Minister had expressed the

belief that the aim of becoming self-sufficient by 2025 was ambitious, but with the continued support of the Government and the private sector, it was achievable.

The Government’s investment in infrastructure and facilities is expected to significantly increase the yields and profits of farmers, and boost the country’s economy. Minister Mustapha has already announced his Ministry’s plans to start cultivating corn and soya bean in Moco Moco village, North Rupununi.

The Ministry is also assessing the capacity in other regions, with the aim of taking the project there in the future. Meanwhile, the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) Government has provided farmers with subsidies and training programmes to help increase their yields and improve their livelihoods.

Top view of the three silos. When completed, they will have a combined capacity to store 9000 tonnes of grain

Deadly Mahdia fire

Families of 20 children who died to get $5M each

The families of the 20 children who died in the devastating Mahdia dormitory fire in Region Eight (PotaroSiparuni) in May will be receiving $5 million each from the Guyana Government as part of financial support.

A statement from the Legal Affairs Ministry on Monday positioned that from the beginning, the Government made it abundantly clear that it would offer every type of assistance possible and necessary to support the victims and families of the tragic Mahdia Secondary School Dormitory fire.

It comes on the heels of President Dr Irfaan Ali pledging full compensation to the aggrieved families when he engaged family members after the fire.

In the Agreement, Government pledged to continue to offer such support as may be necessary to the victims and their families. Given that public monies are being expended, and recognising that these expenditures will have to be transparently accounted for, the

agreements were reduced into writing.

A Commission of Inquiry (CoI) will soon be established to probe the events of the deadly fire.

“Thus far, all the affected families engaged have signed agreements. Needless to say, a full report of all monies expended in respect of this tragedy will be made public in due course, as the process is a continuing one. The Commission of Inquiry (CoI) as promised by

His Excellency the President will be established, and that Commission of Inquiry will, if it considers necessary, review all the facts and circumstances relating to the event, in accordance with its Terms of Reference,” the statement indicated.

Thus far, medical treatment has been offered both locally and overseas, all transportation to and from Region Eight (PotaroSiparuni) to Georgetown and accommodation in the

city were provided, all funeral and related expenses have been paid, and all personal items destroyed in the fire have been purchased and delivered. Psychosocial assistance, including counselling, has also been provided.

The Ministry added, “The Government pledges to continue to offer support and assistance in various ways to enable the families to continue to cope with, and recover from, this hor-

rendous tragedy. In this regard, many family members requested cash which they could use to make purchases that would enhance their ability to continue to provide for their families. In response to these requests, Government offered each family financial assistance, and the families were requested to sign an agreement having received independent legal advice.”

The Government’s pledge to continue to of-

fer assistance to the victims and their families in no way affects the mandate of this intended CoI, Attorney General Anil Nandlall also sought to clarify.

“The Government hopes that the wishes and welfare of the victims of this tragedy are neither exploited nor politicised, and expects that this issue will be accorded the solemnity and dignity which it rightly deserves.”

In the early hours of May 22, the fire had already ripped through the Mahdia school dormitory after being maliciously set by a 15-yearold student.

The fire was allegedly set in the bathroom area of the dormitory. According to the surviving female students, they were asleep and were awakened by screams. Upon checking, they saw fire/ smoke in the bathroom area, which quickly spread in the building.

While 19 students and the five-year-old son of the dorm mother perished, others also suffered injuries and smoke inhalation while several managed to escape.

(G12)

Sherana Daniels was the 20th Mahdia fire victim

Mahdia fire

Teen seeking treatment in US undergoing skin grafting

Almost two months ago, one of the teenage victims of the tragic Mahdia dormitory fire was flown to the United States of America to undergo treatment.

Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony informed on Monday that after successes in her treatment, she should return to Guyana by August.

Speaking with the media, the Health Minister updated that the young girl underwent skin grafting procedures owing to the extent of her injuries. She is currently under the care of highly-skilled medical professionals at the Northwell Health Burn Care Center in New York. The institution has been recognised among the top burn centres globally.

“They have been grafting the skin and putting it on the place that was burnt. We expect that she would be discharged very soon and she

should be able to come back home maybe sometime next month,” he explained.

It was on May 27 when the critically injured teen was picked up by the Global Rescue Ambulance via the Air Ambulance at Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) and taken to the Northwell facility – which has waived all costs for medical care.

She was among several others who were admitted to the Georgetown Public Hospital on May 22 following the fire at dormitory which shook the nation. While at the GPHC, she underwent two surgeries, and her condition, though critical, improved steadily.

Director of the Regional Burn Center at Northwell Health's Staten Island University Hospital (SIUH), Dr Michael Cooper had indicated when she was medevacked, “The patient

suffered second and third degree burns to about 40 per cent of her body…These injuries require skin graft surgery and 24/7 management.”

The death toll from the Mahdia fire, Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni) is 19 female students from the dormitory and a five-year-old boy. Several persons also suffered from burn injuries and smoke inhalation but were discharged.

At that time, Northwell

Health's Center for Global Health (CGH) had also been working directly with the Health Ministry and GPHC to provide support through its crisis telemedicine platform.

At the time of the blaze, the facility housed 59 students from the communities of Karisparu, El Paso, Micobie and Chenapau. The Guyana Fire Service confirmed that 14 children died in the inferno while five died

at Mahdia District Hospital.

The fire claimed the lives of Subrina John, Belnisa Evans, Loreen Evans, Bibi Rita Fiona Jeffrey, Lisa Roberts, Tracil Thomas, Delecia Edwards, Lorita Williams, Natalie Bellarmine, Arianna Edwards, Cleoma Simon, Martha Dandrade, Mary Dandrade, Omerfia Edwin, Nickleen Robinson, Sherlyn Bellarmine, Eulander Carter, Andrea Roberts, Sherana Daniels and Adanye Jerome, the son of the dorm mother.

It was set maliciously set by a 15-year-old student, who has since been charged with 20 counts of murder.

Psychiatrists, child psychologists, counsellors and social workers make up the teams that were dispatched to Mahdia.

These teams were asked to work in Mahdia and surrounding villages over three months, while plans to establish a strong mental health team permanently will be implemented. (G12)

accommodation

Moving closer in the direction of creating a world-class healthcare system with proper infrastructure, the Guyana Government will be injecting $100 million for every administrative region to address staffing accommodation across the sector.

This was announced by Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony on Monday during the Regional Health Officer’s Meeting – organised to foster a collaborative approach between the administration and its healthcare partners to effectively deliver healthcare across the regions of Guyana.

He outlined that over the last two years, each region would have received $100 million to address infrastructure and other shortfalls. This is separate from the regional budgetary allocation.

“You got $100 million last year. You got another $100 million this year. And we are going to give you another $100 million so that we can look at improving accommodation for staffing across these different regions. Over the last two years, we have been investing in making sure there are better conditions for the patients coming to us and the staff who have been working with us,” he told the RHOs.

Attention has revolved around primary healthcare, where consultants from the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) would have analysed the system and recommended 216 areas of intervention. To do this, he recognised that infrastructure, human resources and equipment deficit were important aspects to be revamped.

“We recognise that for health posts, that the population size might be smaller. But nevertheless, because they’re geographically spread across the regions, it might be important that we focus there as well. Now, if we're thinking about offering these 216 interventions, a number of things we'll have to look at, whether we have infrastructure in place at the various health centres to be able to offer these services,” Dr Anthony outlined.

Anthony

Targets

Government intends to bolster the primary healthcare programme in such a way that patients can be treated at health posts, rather than being referred to hospitals for most illnesses.

The Health Ministry has targeted leishmaniasis, chagas, leprosy, filaria and soil-transmitted helminths for elimination. But HIV, malaria, and tuberculosis are also under watch. In the case of HIV, strides have been made in making self-testing available, PREP drugs and expanded services. However, such services must not operate in isolation and people must not be lost after diagnosis.

He emphasised that primary care physicians must be equipped to treat such patients.

Dr Anthony noted, “For HIV, it means we have to upfront some resources which we have been doing…A couple of years ago, HIV treatment used to be a very specialised area. As we move forward, this must be incorporated in whatever we’re doing. So, we can’t keep it vertically. We can’t separate it out. We should have this service more widely available and all primary care physicians must know how to treat this.”

There are under 500 cases of TB in Guyana but malaria still poses a challenge in mining communities along Regions One (Barima-Waini), Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni), Eight (Potaro-Siparuni) and Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo).

The Mahdia patient arriving in New York back in May (Northwell Health photo)

…to return home next month

$100M for each region to address health sector’s staffing

Health Minister, Dr Frank

TUESDAY,

JULY 18, 2023 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

President Dr Irfaan Ali participated in the CARIFORUM-European Union High-Level meeting in Brussels, Belgium (Office of the President photos)

Corentyne River bridge

Govt mulls extension for submission of financial proposals

With a timeline of October 2023 for the official contract signing for a bridge over the Corentyne River linking Guyana and Suriname, the governments of both countries are considering extending the deadline for bidders to submit financial proposals for the project. This was revealed by Public Works Minister Juan Edghill during a recent episode of The Guyana Dialogue.

The Minister clarified that even if an extension is given, the governments will not go past their deadline to have a contract in place, which is set to October.

“Over this last couple of days, we have received correspondence through engagement with Suriname, and some of the bidders… have been requesting an extension of time for the submission of their financial proposals. However, we have set a time, which is October of this year, to have a contract in place. And even with the granting of the extension of time, our agreement is that we’re not moving past October for the getting of a contract in place,” the Minister explained.

According to Edghill, just a few weeks ago when the Public Works Minister of Suriname, Dr Riad

Nurmohamed was visiting Guyana, they had both received a final report from the consultancy firm, Trinidad-based WSP Caribbean concerning the studies for the project.

“The work for that is apace. As a matter of fact, we had five companies that were technically qualified to build this bridge. Just a couple of weeks ago the Minister of Public Works in Suriname came to Guyana where we received a final report from WSP, which is the consultancy firm that was engaged to provide the governments with the kind of information that we need to ensure that when we get a proposal, we can properly evaluate it. They did some of the feasibilities, geotechnical studies, and the rest of it,” Edghill shared.

He noted too that this project is being undertaken according to the DesignBuild-Finance-OperateMaintain model (DBFOM), adding that both the Government of Guyana and the Government of Suriname have expressed their commitment to getting this project completed.

This means that whichever company is contracted to build the bridge will be responsible for its design, construction, financing, operation, and maintenance. It will also be constructed via a Public Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement.

The bridge is one of the first agreements between President Irfaan Ali and Suriname’s President Chandrikapersad Santokhi, with both Heads

previously underscoring the critical role the bridge across the Corentyne River would play in advancing cooperation, creating more opportunities for development for both countries.

Last year, Edghill was in Suriname to sign a ceremonial agreement between the two countries to kickstart plans for the massive project. The Surinamese Public Works Minister has positioned that with this important infrastructure in place, both countries will

benefit from a tremendous spinoff as it opens South America.

Back in May of 2022, a US$2 million contract was signed in Paramaribo for several preliminary studies and research to be conducted on the Corentyne bridge by WSP Caribbean. The Expressions of Interest (EoIs) were also simultaneously launched. Six international companies –five Chinese firms and one Dutch company from The Netherlands – had submitted bids for the construction of the Corentyne River bridge.

The high-span Corentyne River bridge will run approximately 3.1 kilometres, connecting Moleson Creek in Guyana to South Drain in Suriname with a landing on Long Island in the Corentyne River, where a commercial hub and tourist destination will be established. That free zone will see major infrastructural development such as hotels, recreational parks,

entertainment spots, tourist attractions, malls, and farmers’ markets.

Running from Moleson Creek to Long Island, the bridge will be a low-level structure, approximately one kilometre long; with a 2200-metre (2.2 km) road across Long Island and a high bridge, spanning 2100 metres (2.1 km) thereafter.

At the high end of the bridge, which will facilitate marine traffic, it will cater for 40,000 to 45,000 DWT (deadweight tonnage) capacity featuring a vertical (height) clearance of 43 metres and a horizonal (width) clearance of about 100 metres.

Meanwhile, upon completion, the bridge will not only link the two neighbouring countries but also open up access to greater economic opportunities beyond them into French Guyana, and through the road network being developed into Brazil, and eventually further into South America.

Businessman appeals felonious wounding conviction

APlantain Walk, Blairmont, West Bank Berbice (WBB) businessman, who had been found guilty of felonious wounding and sentenced to nine years’ imprisonment, has filed an appeal.

Dwayne Morgan, 44, was convicted in 2017 in connection with chopping his neighbour Randholl Bissondat, called “Katcha” of Lot B 18 Bath Settlement, West Coast Berbice (WCB). Morgan, who was ini-

tially indicted for attempt to commit murder, was instead convicted of the lesser offence of felonious wounding by a jury before Justice Jo Ann Barlow.

According to reports, on Tuesday, February 17, 2015, at Bath, WCB, the two businessmen were involved in an altercation during which Bissondat received several chops.

He was reportedly chopped to the head, left hand, and other parts of his

body. Following a Preliminary Inquiry (PI) at the Blairmont Magistrate’s Court, the presiding Magistrate ruled that sufficient evidence had been led by the prosecution to put Morgan on trial for the crime. And accordingly, he was committed to stand trial at the Berbice Criminal Assizes.

Arguments in Morgan’s appeal will begin tomorrow at 09:30h at the Court of Appeal. (G1)

Man jailed for 18 months after escaping from Police custody

Aman, who was in Police custody pending a probe into a break and larceny allegation against him, was sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment after he pleaded guilty to escaping from custody.

It is alleged that on July 8, while being held at the Ruimveldt Police Station, Georgetown, for a pending charge of break and enter and larceny, Tishawn McKenzie escaped from custody.

He pleaded guilty after the charge was read to him by Senior Magistrate Leron Daly at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts last week Friday.

In narrating the facts, the Police prosecutor told the court that McKenzie was taken into custody for allegedly breaking into his tenant’s home and also sexually assaulting the same

tenant.

His neighbour had also reported to the Police that he had broken into his house.

As such, McKenzie was arrested and taken to the aforementioned Police Station, and while in the lock-ups, he opened the padlock and made good his escape. He was subsequently recaptured.

In relation to the break and enter charge, he pleaded not guilty.

Particulars of that charge state that between June 20 and July 6, at Laing Avenue, West Ruimveldt, Georgetown, McKenzie broke and entered his tenant’s home and stole a cooking gas cylinder valued at $12,000, a gas stove valued at $25,000 and one fan valued at $9000.

In his address to the court, the Police prosecutor objected to McKenzie being

Tishawn McKenzie

granted bail on the ground that there is an active investigation into a sexual assault report against him.

This objection was upheld by the presiding Magistrate and he was refused bail and remanded to prison until August 28. (G1)

Proposed design of the Corentyne River bridge

GBTI launches “Dream Big” housing loans promotion

GBTI on Monday launched its home loan promotion and one lucky customer will drive home with a brandnew Toyota Raize SUV at the end of the promotion.

The campaign “Dream Big – We’ll Take Care of The Rest” was launched at the I Love Guyana park in Kingston, Georgetown, under the theme “Bank on Your Dreams”.

GBTI’s Marketing Manager, Pernell Cummings, said the campaign is for anyone looking for finance to buy, build or complete their new home or for persons wishing to renovate or improve their home.

Meanwhile, Business Development Manager, Rawattie Mohandeo said

“Our Dream Big housing campaign aims to provide you with exceptional value and unprecedented advantages in your pursuit of homeownership. We recognise that a home is more than just a physical space; it is a place of comfort, and a foundation for families to thrive.”

GBTI in a statement said it understands the importance of affordability,

hence its carefully thoughtout mortgage ceilings, competitive interest rates and low down-payment that are geared to match your budget in catering for the various sizes and preferences of houses, ensuring that there is something for every aspiring homeowner.

“Imagine owning a home for $9M and paying only $40,000 monthly, at an interest rate as low as 3.8%. Isn’t that great news? We understand that buying a

home is a significant life decision. It is a step towards building a better future for yourself and your loved ones. That is why our dedicated sales team across our branches is ready to walk you through every step of the way, by providing guidance and support to get you there,” Mohandeo said.

“Today (Monday), as we launch this housing campaign for the second time around, we are confident that with our expertise and

Accused in rape of girl, 15, freed by jury

Aman, who had been on trial for raping a 15-year-old girl, walked out of the High Court in Essequibo a free man last Friday after the jury returned a not-guilty verdict in his favour.

Before the presiding Judge, Mohan Heriman, 34, had been on trial for the offence of rape of a child under the age of 16 which the indictment disclosed happened in September 2022.

He was indicted on four counts.

In presenting the prosecution’s case, State

Counsel Taneisha Saygon said during the month in question, the virtual complainant (VC) and Heriman met up at a house after talking to each other via the phone for a while. There, Heriman allegedly raped the girl.

After the girl’s mother found out about her relations with the older man, she made a report to the Police which led to Heriman being arrested and charged.

Heriman’s lawyer, George Thomas, however, argued that this was a case of mistaken identification.

He argued that his client was not the man who raped the girl.

In so doing, Thomas pointed out that the girl provided the Police with another man’s name and that his client has no association with this individual.

Following hours of deliberations, the 12-member mixed panel returned with its verdict, finding Heriman not guilty of statutory rape. The Judge thereafter informed him that he was free to go.

The trial proceedings were heard in-camera. (G1)

$100M for each region to address...

Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination among the younger population has been low – a step that can help reduce cervical cancer rates in the country. With plans to offer three checkups in a child’s school life, at the nursery, primary and secondary levels, respectively, attention will be paid on hiking vaccine stats.

“Right now, the numbers are very low and we need to increase the uptake of HPV vaccination. Why is this necessary? It is neces-

sary because when we look at our cervical cancer rates among women, it is the second most prominent cancer…So this is something that we have to pay attention to. We can prevent cervical cancer from happening if we have a wider coverage of HPV vaccination.”

By the end of the month, 19 telemedicine sites will also come on stream. Many diagnoses have been made in remote communities following the introduction of this service.

your ambition, we can turn your dreams into reality.”

This prize, she said, represents the bank’s gratitude and appreciation for its customers’ trust in GBTI as their financial partner.

Giovanni Browne, the winner of last year’s Drive Home promotion, shared his story of winning a Toyota Raize from GBTI. He said last year around this time he was house loan hunting and settled at GBTI; he did not only get his new home, but he also won a brand-new Toyota SUV.

The bank’s revised rates are 3.8% up to $9M; 5.50% for loans between $9M and $20M; 6% for persons acquiring the young professionals’ homes for $20M to $25M and 6.99% for loans $25M and above.

Customers are required to contribute as little as 5% of the project cost and have up to 30 years to repay.

FROM PAGE 12

The senior health official disclosed, “We are hoping that through this service we will be able to improve the quality of service that you're offering. Already what we’re seeing is that there might be patients who are really sick but the community health worker in that specific area might not identify how sick they were. But when they were having the exchange with the doctors, the doctors were able then to make a proper diagnosis.”

(G12)

The GBTI CEO James Foster, BDU Manager Rawattie Mohandeo and other team members at the launch of the GBTI's "Dream Big" housing promotion

E’bo fisherman dies as house goes up in flames

to find a job and as such, this caused him to become even more depressed.

According to Police reports, the fire broke out at the Lot 4 Paradise, Essequibo Coast, Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) house at about 21:30h.

The fisherman lived alone in the one-flat concrete house measuring 20 feet by 15 feet. His sister, 41-year-old Somattie Persaud, lives in the same yard and was able to recount was transpired.

Terry Persaud Lall, 38, of Paradise on the Essequibo Coast, perished on Sunday night after a fire started by him, partially consumed his dwellings.

Reports are that the fisherman was allegedly suffering from depression after he and his wife sepa-

rated.

This publication understands that things took a turn for the worse when he was summoned to pay child support for his two children.

The now dead man’s mother told this publication that her son struggled

She claimed that around 13:00h on Sunday, her brother left his home and went to Lake Mainstay. He returned at about 19:00h and entered his house, seemingly under the influence of alcohol at the time.

The woman claimed that later in the night, she was at her home when she saw a fire emanating from her brother's house. As a

result, the Fire Service and the Police were summoned to the scene.

The region's Fire Department went into action and extinguished the fire, but by then, the western half of the house was completely destroyed. Burnt human remains were seen among the debris, suspected to be that of Lall.

The human remains were removed and escorted to the Suddie Public Hospital Mortuary, awaiting a PME. Investigations are continuing continue.

(If you are feeling de-

pressed and having suicidal thoughts, please contact the Suicide Prevention Hotline at 600-7896, 6234444, 223-0001, or 2230009 for help and support)

NA Prison inmates graduate from yoga programme

As part of International Day of Yoga 2022 & 2023, the High Commission of India and Namaste Yoga Studio in collaboration with the New Amsterdam Prison facilitated a yoga programme for female prisoners. These sessions were conducted by the founder of Namaste Yoga Studio and Yoga instructor, Agnela Patil.

Since the commencement in June 2022, the third graduation ceremony was held on Friday, for inmates on their successful completion of the

yoga programme. During the ceremony, Patil said that she has seen notable changes in

inmates: she saw people who are confident, more disciplined and prepared to embrace a

positive mindset. She also noted that all the graduands should be proud of themselves that they started and completed a journey that was geared at empowering them to better control themselves mentally and to be physically healthy — which are absolutely necessary for personal growth and to become meaningful contributors to society.

The High Commission of India and Patil had held the first session on June 21, 2022, with the prison inmates. At the time, India’s High Commissioner to Guyana, Dr KJ Srinivasa, had spoken on the benefits to one’s mental and physical well-being and the efforts that are being made to make yoga popular among the prison population.

“Yoga is the art and sci-

ence of well-being, which is a traditional practice from India. Over the years, efforts have been made to share yoga with people globally since it is good for not only your mental well-being, but also physical well-being. It helps also in

your spiritual upliftment,” he had said, adding that “Yoga is a game changer. Becoming the best version of one self, achieving balance between body and mind, embracing peace and harmony and working together for the better of humanity are among the central themes of yoga. Yoga could also become your game changer once you practice what you have learnt in earnest.”

The High Commission of India and Namaste Yoga Studio in a release said on Monday that it will continue to work with New Amsterdam Prison and other public and private entities of Guyana to promote the holistic art of yoga.

Sophia man critically wounded during confrontation over horse

A42-year-old medical student was seriously injured on Sunday night, after an argument broke out with his neighbour over a horse at Sophia, Georgetown.

The Guyana Police Force on Monday said Kim Near of C Field Sophia, Georgetown, has since been admitted a patient at the Georgetown Public Hospital in critical condition.

Reports are that the incident occurred at about

22:06h. Near and the suspect are known to each other since they are neighbours. Investigations have revealed that the suspect displayed a constant habit of tying his horse in front of the Near's residence.

On the said date, the neighbour was seen tying his horse in front of Near’s home and was cautioned to desist from doing so. This annoyed the suspect and led to a confrontation between the two men on the C Field Sophia Main Road.

During the altercation, the victim received injuries to his left-side chest and head, inflicted by the suspect who later made good his escape in an unknown direction.

The victim was later taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation where he was admitted. Checks were made for the suspect at his residence, but he was not located.

Police are on the hunt for him as investigations continue. (G12)

The partially destroyed dwelling where the remains were found

Terry Persaud Lall

The house on fire on Sunday

Photography competition launched: “Guyana Through Your Eyes”

The EMC Foundation and GTT on Monday launched the “Guyana through Your Eyes” photography competition at the GTT Head Office.

The competition aims to showcase Guyana’s rich biodiversity, celebrate the country’s cultural heritage, and provide a platform to raise awareness of environmental issues.

It also seeks to encourage a better understanding of the complexity of the natural environment, encourage people to build a

personal connection with nature and advocate for its protection.

According to EMC Programme Manager Stella Madete, “The EMC

Foundation is happy to partner with GTT to showcase Guyana’s cultural and natural heritage through the universal language of photography. Pictures bring

T&T citizenship for boy returned from ISIS

After seven years, a minor who returned from formerly ISIScontrolled Syria has been granted T&T citizenship. It means he can now access education and healthcare.

It was a bittersweet moment for the boy’s mother, Crystal Peters. She told the Sunday Guardian she feels somewhat betrayed that Government is advancing a policy to integrate migrants into the primary school education system by September when she had to home school her son for years.

“These are things I always talk up against. The question I have to ask is if you could do it now, what was the problem before? You are talking about innocent children being denied an education,” she said.

Peters vented her feelings on Friday, one day after Foreign and Caricom Affairs Minister Dr Amery Browne announced plans to educate the migrant children. She said she fought for her eight-year-old son Jason (not his real name), who was born in Syria, to get an education in T&T but was faced with so many obstacles, it broke her spirit.

Peters admitted that she broke down in tears at her Maloney home on Thursday when Browne made the announcement during a humanitarian breakfast series. Her tears were mixed with anger, hurt and disappointment because she had struggled for months to get Jason the education he rightly deserved.

Born in Syria in 2015, Jason was repatriated with his mother and sister from Turkey seven years ago. At that time, he was just one year old.

Jason’s father claimed he was going to Turkey to play professional football but ended up in Syria for seven months.

Peters was denied documents for Jason, a former Syrian refugee and, in turn, access to education since they returned.

Between 2013 and 2016,

at least 130 T&T nationals travelled to Islamic State (ISIS) controlled territories in the Middle East— the most people per capita in the Western hemisphere according to Human Rights Watch.

“I felt so hurt because as a citizen of Trinidad, I could not even get my son into a school here because I had no form of documentation for him. Now to hear the children of these migrants will soon be afforded an education it’s painful. I became emotional. I don’t want people to feel that I have something against the migrants’ children. That is far from the truth because I believe that all children deserve the right to an education and should be treated fairly. But this was not the case. It was like a slap in my face when you look at it,” said Peters.

She said the authorities in Syria never gave her a birth certificate for Jason.

“Jason is capable of doing Standard One work,” Peters said with pride, adding that her son is “very smart.”

“He can’t read full sentences. He is now identifying one word at a time,” she said.

Peters said she was taken by surprise last month when her attorney Criston J Williams informed her that the Ministry of National Security had granted Jason his T&T citizenship.

“Girl, you talking to me

nature to life in ways many are unable to witness or experience. For most people, seeing is believing, and photos can help them connect with the world and nature and encourage them to care about its preservation.”

The competition will run until July 31, 2023, and is open to persons of all ages.

Professional and amateur photographers across Guyana are invited to submit their aspirational, vibrant, and captivating photography.

GTT Senior Manager

of Public Relations and Corporate Communications, Jasmin Harris added that “GTT is proud to partner with the EMC Foundation to shine a spotlight on environmental stories through the eyes of talented photographers. This competition is a wonderful opportunity to raise awareness of Guyana’s environment and the importance of contributing to its protection.”

The competition features four categories: Landscape, Flora and Fauna, Guyanese Cultural Heritage, and

Climate Adaptation. A panel of judges comprising a stellar line-up of Guyanese photographers and artists will review the submissions and select the winning photos.

The top 20 images will be displayed at an EMC Foundation-hosted exhibition and awards ceremony at Castellani House in Georgetown on August 19, 2023, World Photography Day.

To learn more and enter the competition, visit https://shorturl.at/yCFZ4

Miner killed by falling tree branch

and my pores raising. Girl, I cried, you know. Why all the fight down? I went through hell and back. After eight years you decide to pass the document. And you granted him citizenship as a minor. So, when my son reaches the age of 18, he would have to fight up again.”

Peters said she was asked to pick up the document at Williams’ office on a particular day but when she arrived in Port-of-Spain her feet buckled.

“I never reach. I went back home. It take me a week to muster the strength to go to my lawyer. Is like I still can’t believe it after waiting so long,” she said.

Jason’s father was killed in Syria seven years ago.

“They bombed him down using a drone,” Peters recalled.

Last month, she visited a school in her community to enrol her son but had a change of heart.

“I watched the behaviour of the children. I don’t think he could fight up there. It would be too much for him.”

She hopes he can start school in September and is still looking around for a place.

Last week, she enrolled Jason in a summer camp in Maloney. It was his first opportunity to interact with children but the third day of the camp, he was sent home for being rude and banned from participating in an excursion.

Peters admitted that her son has a problem socialising and mingling with other kids.

“He was away from children for so long he can’t socialise very well, or he may not even know how to interact with children. That is an issue I have observed. My heart is bleeding a lot for him because I see where he is trying to fit in.

“My son is trying to be a child but what happened over the years has affected him in so many ways. As a mother, I know he has been facing a tough life,” she said. (T&T Guardian)

Police in Regional Division One (Barima-Waini) have launched an investigation into the death of an unidentified man of Amerindian descent, who died after a falling tree branch hit him.

Reports are that the unidentified man was killed at 42 Miles Backdam, North West District, on Monday.

Police said enquiries revealed that the now deceased man was employed with a dredging operation owned by a 34-year-old businesswoman residing at Falls Top, NWD, and they were establishing a mining operation at 42 Miles Backdam.

According to another employee at the operation, at about 08:30h on Monday morning, he, along with his

co-worker, were clearing an area to set up a camp when a limb broke from a tree, fell and hit the now deceased man in his chest, causing him to receive injuries.

The eyewitness told Police that he sought assistance from his boss, who placed the man in a car and escorted him to Port Kaituma District Hospital, where he was pronounced

dead on arrival by a doctor. The Police were informed, and detectives examined the deceased's body and observed abrasions to the chest area.

The body was photographed and placed in the Port Kaituma District Hospital's Mortuary for identification and a post-mortem examination. An investigation has been launched.

Regional Argentina’s yuan lifeline sign of brinksmanship between China, US

There were a lot of thumbs-up signs from Argentine Economy Minister Sergio Massa on a recent trip to Beijing.

The packed agenda for one of the most influential politicians in Argentina was another sign of the times.

Massa, who recently announced his bid for president in this year’s election, met with a wide slate of Government and business leaders, securing US$3.05 billion from Chinese institutions to finance railways, power lines, lithium projects and renewable energy in Argentina. He also made inroads in bolstering Argentine exports like poultry and corn to help feed a growing Chinese middle class.

But perhaps the announcement of most consequence came around the currency swap line between the two countries – a yuan lifeline, so to speak, to the beleaguered Latin American economy, which is seeking more financial room to manoeuvre.

In April, China and Argentina announced the swap line had been activated, enabling Argentina to use the equivalent of $1.04 billion

in yuan to pay for Chinese imports in May. Then in June during Massa’s China trip, that line was extended to up to US$18 billion over the next three years. The Central Bank of Argentina said this increased the amount available for use from about US$5 billion to almost US$10 billion.

Last month, Argentina took another step towards strengthening its ties to the yuan, making part of a $2.7 billion debt payment to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in the Chinese currency. The Central Bank of Argentina also announced

El Salvador arrests more than 100 Colombians in financial scheme

Salvadoran police arrested more than a hundred Colombians for their alleged involvement in operating a microfinancing scheme that laundered money from drug running and gang activities, security officials said on Monday.

The criminal group reportedly made loans, using funds obtained illegally, to individuals and small businesses with 20 per cent interest, according to the officials.

The Government of President Nayib Bukele has taken a hard line on gangs since last year, jailing around 70,000 suspects in a mass dragnet which has also led to a sharp reduction in violent

crime.

The anti-gang push, denounced by many rights groups, has nonetheless given Bukele sky-high approval ratings ahead of his re-election bid early next year.

Attorney General Rodolfo Delgado told reporters at a press conference that when victims of the financial scheme could not repay, the group would intimidate them into giving over their bank account information, which he said they used to move money abroad.

Some US$20 million in money linked to drug trafficking gangs is estimated to have been sent to Colombia since 2021 under the scheme, added

Delgado.

"Colombians are our brothers," Bukele wrote in a Monday post on Twitter. "However, these people will have to face Salvadoran justice."

Colombia's Foreign Ministry said it was in talks with its embassy and consulate in El Salvador over the arrests, but did not offer further comment on the accusations facing the Colombian nationals.

Three Salvadorans, a Guatemalan and an Argentine were also arrested in the sting, according to a breakdown of nationalities provided by the president's office.

(Reuters)

in June that Argentines are now able to open savings and checking accounts in yuan.

The move carries important significance for Argentina, which has been looking for ways to safeguard its dwindling US dollar reserves and has found in China a willing partner.

But it also speaks to broader geopolitical interests for China as it tries to establish itself as a lender of last resort while a debate around the primacy of the dollar as international currency grows.

(Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

PNM: UNC still misleading public on 'inheritance tax'

The People’s National Movement (PNM) has slammed what it described as continuing efforts by the Opposition United National Congress (UNC) to mislead the public about Government plans to introduce a 25 per cent inheritance tax.

In a statement on Monday, the Party's women's league said the UNC had published an advertisement in a daily newspaper claiming this tax was in effect.

The league said the UNC continues to mislead the public on this matter, despite statements from Finance

Minister Colm Imbert and Housing Minister Camille Robinson-Regis that the Government has implemented no such tax.

"Contrary to the UNC's misleading claims, the PNM Government has been committed to implementing tax reforms that benefit the citizens of TT."

The league said, "Over the years and most recently in the last budget, we have introduced several tax breaks that provide tangible relief and stimulate economic growth across various sectors.

These included personal income tax allowance, value added tax (VAT) reg -

Venezuelan families seek answers over migrants missing at sea

The families of Venezuelan migrants lost in the Caribbean sea are demanding their Government investigate the disappearance of their loved ones after years of stasis.

At least 150 people have gone missing in connection with a series of vessels which have sunk between Venezuela's north coast and islands in the Caribbean since 2015, according to the United Nations' International Organisation for Migration.

istration threshold and the renewable energy/ business rebate for agriculture, housing and village improvement subsidy, manufacturing tax credit and energy investment tax credit.

The league said it is clear Government "remains committed to ensuring a fair and conducive tax environment that supports economic growth and benefits all citizens".

It called on Opposition Leader Kamla PersadBissessar and the UNC "to refrain from spreading false information. (Excerpt from Trinidad and Tobago Guardian)

Jamaican Senator

Recently-appointed Government Senator

Abka Fitz-Henley is calling for an amendment to the Sexual Offences Act to prescribe a mandatory life sentence for people found guilty of raping a child, regardless of whether they plead guilty to the offence.

"This isn't an emotive call. The view has been expressed by an eminent political practitioner in Jamaica that the law is a tool of social engineering. That being the case,

as stewards of this tool of societal manoeuvre, the message we must send to child rapists is: Enough is enough, zero tolerance," Fitz-Henley told the Jamaica Observer.

He contrasted a case in Guyana last week and recent events in Jamaica as he called for stronger penalties for those who violate the trust of children.

"I note that recently in Guyana, a man, Wesley Brazil, who raped a 15-yearold child, was sentenced to

life imprisonment without possibility of parole. He made headlines because he attempted to use a razor blade to take his life in the courtroom. Contrast that to recent events in Jamaica where Davian Bryan, who abducted and raped two children — ages nine and 13 — was sentenced to 23 years imprisonment with the possibility of parole after the expiration of 16 years," noted Fitz-Henley.

(Excerpt from Jamaica Observer)

Of the at least 7.3 million Venezuelans who have fled economic and social crisis in their homeland, at least 100,000 have travelled via sea to island neighbours like Trinidad and Tobago, Aruba and Curaçao, according to the UN.

"We ask for speed, four years have passed (...) the investigation isn't being carried out," said Jhonny Romero, president of a family advocacy group for the missing 150 migrants, as he

Children play

Salina' area from where Maroly Bastardo, an eight-month pregnant woman, along with her children, her husband's sister, uncle and father, boarded a smuggler's boat and disappeared in the Caribbean Sea during an attempt to cross from Venezuela to Trinidad and Tobago, in Guiria, Venezuela, May 24, 2019 (Reuters/Ivan Alvarado)

and other families protested outside the prosecutor's office in Caracas in June.

Just one body has been found from the nine sunken vessels from the cases represented by the group, said Romero, whose 27-years-old son Jhonny de Jesus went missing along with 32 others as they attempted to reach

Curaçao in 2019.

Sea travel is one of the deadliest options for desperate migrants searching for new opportunities the world over, with thousands drowned each year between Africa and Europe via routes, including the Atlantic ocean and Mediterranean sea.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

Pension reform for St Vincent and the Grenadines

St Vincent and the Grenadines Finance Minister Camillo Gonsalves has warned that reform to the pension and benefit structure of the National Insurance Services (NIS) can begin as early as next year.

Gonsalves was briefing lawmakers on the finding of the 11th actuarial review of the National Insurance Services (NIS) and an independent analysis of the actuarial review, conducted by the World Bank’s Reserve Advisory and Management Partnership (RAMP).

The Finance Minister told Parliament that according to the report, NIS reserves are projected to be depleted by 2034 if reform was not undertaken and as such “the intention of the Government is to

implement NIS and pension reform beginning in budget year 2024”.

These changes, he said, would allow the social security agency to be able to continue providing its essential services to the people of St Vincent and the Grenadines, “thereby avoiding last minute draconian changes or fiscally imprudent government interventions”.

The 11th actuarial review made 11 specific recommendations for the financial viability of the NIS which includes an increase in the contribution rate to at least 15 per cent — up from 10 per cent — progressively over the next 10 years and making NIS registration and payment contributions mandatory for all self-employed and informal sector workers.

The actuarial reviews also suggest considering a number of options to reduce longterm old age pension costs, including consideration of continuing the increase of the pensionable age until age 67 by the year 2032.

The review also suggests reducing the maximum old age pension replacement rate from 60 per cent to 55 per cent, meaning that rather than receiving 60 per cent of their salary, pensioners would receive 55 per cent.

It also recommends that the NIS discourages “the take up of early retirement pensions through adjusted benefit calculations or making the pension formula more progressive. That is, instituting a slightly lower pension rate for those at higher income levels”. (CMC)

Buenos Aires has been looking for ways to safeguard its dwindling dollar reserves and has found a willing partner in China

on the shore of 'La

“No mercy for child rapists” –

Around The World OIL NEWS

Oil dips over 1.5% on demand fears after weak Chinese data

Oil dropped by more than 1.5% on Monday after weaker than expected Chinese economic growth raised doubts over the strength of demand in the world's second biggest oil consumer, and a partial restart of halted Libyan output also pressured prices.

China's gross domestic product (GDP) grew 6.3% yearon-year in the second quarter, compared with analyst forecasts of 7.3%, as its post-pandemic recovery lost momentum.

"The GDP came in below expectations, so will do little to ease concerns over the Chinese economy," said Warren Patterson, ING's head of commodities research.

Brent crude settled down US$1.37 or 1.7%, at US$78.50 a barrel and US West Texas Intermediate crude closed US$1.27, or 1.7%, lower at US$74.15 on a second straight day of losses for both contracts.

Hedge fund buying has slowed as a result of ideas that demand could have been overstated after the weak numbers from China, said Dennis Kissler, senior vice president of trading at BOK Financial.

Oil briefly rose after a Reuters news alert on Saudi Arabia extending a voluntary output cut. The alert was subsequently withdrawn because it repeated news published on June 4.

Oil also came under pressure on Monday from the resumption of output at two of three Libyan fields shut last week. Output had been halted by a protest against the abduction of a former finance minister.

Meanwhile, Russian oil exports from western ports are set to fall by 100,000-200,000 barrels per day (bpd) next month, a sign that Moscow is making good on a pledge for supply cuts in tandem with Saudi Arabia, two sources said on Friday.

US shale oil production is also set to fall to nearly 9.40 million bpd in August, which would be the first monthly decline since December 2022, data from the Energy Information Administration showed on Monday. (Reuters)

Apartment building collapses in Cairo killing at least 12 persons

Afive-storey apartment building has collapsed in the Egyptian capital of Cairo, leaving at least 12 people dead, as rescuers at the scene searched through the rubble.

The state-run MENA news agency reported that rescue teams recovered at least 12 bodies from under the rubble of the building on Monday in Cairo’s neighbourhood of Hadaeq el-Qubbah, roughly 3.2km (2 miles) from the city’s centre.

Four survivors were also taken to hospital and authorities evacuated a neighbouring apartment building, MENA said.

Cairo’s Deputy Governor, Hossam Fawzi, said 12 people were killed and that efforts continued to find two missing people.

State newspaper AlAhram said 13 people were killed.

It was not immediately clear what caused the collapse of the building. Following an initial inves-

Putin: Russian Defence Ministry preparing response to bridge attack

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Monday his Defence Ministry was preparing proposals for a response to an overnight attack that damaged the road bridge linking Crimea to southern Russia, for which he blamed Ukraine.

At the end of a televised video meeting with national and regional officials to assess the consequences of the attack, Putin called it a cruel and senseless act, as he said the bridge "has not been used for military transportation for a long time".

Russian authorities had said a couple driving over the bridge to go on holiday in Crimea had been killed, and their 14-yearold daughter had been injured.

Kyiv did not officially claim responsibility, but Ukrainian media said Ukrainian security services had deployed maritime drones against the bridge.

The attack was similar to one in October, implicitly claimed by Ukraine, that put both the road and rail bridges out of action for a time. After two such incidents in his war with Ukraine, Putin demanded "concrete" proposals to ensure the security of the bridge, a prestige project that he instigated after Russia seized and then unilaterally annexed the peninsula on the Black Sea from Ukraine in 2014.

Ukraine has vowed to take Crimea back, along with all the territory that Russia has seized since

launching a full-scale invasion of Ukraine - which Moscow calls a "special military operation" - in February 2022.

Deputy Prime Minister Marat Khusnullin told the video conference that there

was no damage to the pylons of the 19-km (12-mile) bridge, but that a span carrying traffic in one direction had been completely destroyed and would have to be rebuilt. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Heatwaves: World reels from wildfires, floods as US and China discuss climate crisis

Asia, Europe and much of the United States baked under extreme heat on Monday as global temperatures soared toward alarming highs and US leaders sought to reignite climate diplomacy with China.

The US was scorched by record-setting heat in the West and South, lashed with flood-triggering rain in the Northeast, and choked by wildfire smoke in the Midwest.

A heat dome parked over

the western US pushed the temperature in California's Death Valley desert to 128 Fahrenheit (53 Celsius) on Sunday, and kept daily highs in Phoenix on track to exceed 110 degrees F (43 C) through the week. That would break a previous streak of 18 straight days above 110, according to forecasters.

With scientists saying the target of keeping global warming within 1.5 degrees Celsius of pre-industrial levels is moving beyond

Australia baffled as unidentified mystery object washes up on beach

tigation, Egypt’s Public Prosecutor said the collapse was likely caused by one of the ground floor residents who removed a number of walls during earlier maintenance work. The male resident was arrested and is being questioned, it said.

Egypt’s Ministry of Social Solidarity said it would give 60,000 Egyptian pounds (US$1939) to the families of the victims killed in the incident.

The Ministry also said it would deliver aid to the injured and was monitoring the damage to nearby properties.

Police forces cordoned off the area as rescue teams combed through the rubble in search of possible survivors, according to local reports.

Building collapses are common in Egypt, where shoddy construction and a lack of maintenance are widespread in poor city neighbourhoods and rural areas. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Police have been baffled by a mysterious "unidentified" dome that washed up on a West Australian beach.

The giant metal object was found by locals at Green Head beach, about 250km (155 miles) north of Perth.

State and federal authorities are investigating the item, which is not currently believed to be from a commercial aircraft.

It is being treated as hazardous, and Police have requested people keep a safe distance.

"We want to reassure the community that we are actively engaged in a collaborative effort with various State and Federal agencies to determine the object's origin and nature," Police said in a statement.

These include the military and Australia's space agency.

Green Head beach residents said the cylinder was about 2.5m wide and between 2.5m and 3m long,

Australia's public broadcaster reported.

Aviation expert Geoffrey Thomas said the item was possibly a fuel tank from a rocket that had fallen into the Indian Ocean at some stage in the past 12 months.

The Australian Space Agency said it was possible the giant cylinder could have fallen from a "foreign space launch vehicle" and it would liaise with other international agencies.

If it is a fuel cylinder, experts believe it might be from an Indian rocket and could contain toxic materials.

It is hoped a serial or catalogue number will confirm whether or not this is the case.

There was some speculation the cylinder may have been a part of MH370 - a plane that went missing off the west Australian coast in 2014 with 239 passengers on board - but Thomas said there was "no chance".

(Excerpt from BBC News)

reach, evidence of the crisis was apparent across the world.

A remote town in China's arid northwest, Sanbao, registered a national record of 52.2 Celsius (126 Fahrenheit). Wildfires in Europe raged ahead of a second heat wave in two weeks that was set to send temperatures as high as 48C.

Italy's health ministry on Monday issued red weather alerts - signalling a possible health threat for anyone exposed to the heat

- for 20 of the country's 27 main cities today, with the number expected to rise to 23 on Wednesday.

France's public health agency said the current stretch of hot weather would probably hospitalise or kill "many" people, as heat waves have done almost every summer since 2015. The World Meteorological Organization said the extreme heat and rainfall was expected to extend into August. (Excerpt from Reuters)

"Massive" search on for children swept away by Pennsylvania floods

Pennsylvania rescue crews are searching for two missing children after flash flooding killed their mother and four others over the weekend.

The race-against-time search continued on Monday in suburban Philadelphia for the nine-month-old Conrad Sheils and his two-year-old sister, Matilda.

Their mother, 32-year-old Katie Seley, was killed in the flood, Police said.

The South Carolina family were driving to a barbecue when their car was swept away.

Their father, a four-yearold boy and their grandmother survived the floods.

A statement released on behalf of the family said: "Their loving father, Jim Sheils, and their entire family would like to thank everyone for their prayers and support."

Upper Makefield Fire Chief Tim Brewer told a news conference on Monday that more than 100 crew

members and drones would scour the area for the missing children in a "massive undertaking".

He said: "As they tried to escape the fierce flood waters, dad took his four-yearold son while the mother and grandmother grabbed the two additional children, ages nine months and two years.

"Miraculously, dad and his son got out safely, however, the grandmother, the mother and the two children were swept away by the flood waters. And we have recovered the mother and she is one of the deceased."

The grandmother was rescued and treated for injuries at a local hospital.

Along with Ms Seley, four other people were killed in Saturday's flooding. Their names have not been released.

Nearly a dozen cars were trapped by flash floods on Saturday afternoon as Houghs Creek swelled into a fast-moving river. (Excerpt from BBC News)

Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a televised meeting with officials to assess the consequences of an attack on the Crimean Bridge in Moscow, Russia, July 17, 2023

DAILY HOROSCOPES

Let your actions inspire others. Get involved in an event that makes you feel passionate about a cause and hopeful about the future. Mix business with pleasure.

PICKLES

(March 21-April 19)

Reevaluate matters as you go, and you’ll make better decisions. Concentrate on what’s necessary instead of taking on too much and falling short of your goal. Timing and expertise will be essential.

(April 20-May 20)

PEANUTS

(May 21-June 20)

Mingle with people who share your interests. The information you pick up will help you rethink how you want to move forward. Change only what benefits you. Don’t take a risk with your health or assets.

Place more faith in yourself and what you can do to make a difference. How you navigate your way through conversations and responsibilities will inspire others.

(June 21-July 22)

CALVIN AND HOBBES

(July 23-Aug. 22)

Overstepping your boundaries will result in backlash. Live up to your promises, and you’ll reach your expectations. Handle money, health and contracts with discipline and a no-nonsense attitude.

Take control before situations get blown out of proportion. Exaggeration will lead to confusion and disappointment. Size up situations, do your research and make adjustments. Be responsible.

(Aug. 23-Sept. 22)

You’re in a favorable position. Embrace opportunities that come your way. Set up an interview or start something new, and you’ll head down a unique path. Enjoy spending time with loved ones.

(Sept. 23-Oct. 23)

Don’t force your will on others or succumb to temptation or indulgent behavior. Be true to yourself and to those you want to remain in your life. Protect your position, reputation and health.

(Oct. 24-Nov. 22)

Stay calm, relaxed and collected, and you’ll make headway. Don’t take the bait if someone tries to coerce you into an argument. Stick to the facts and practice restraint.

(Nov. 23-Dec. 21)

SOLUTION FOR LAST PUBLISHED PUZZLE

(Dec. 22-Jan. 19)

Make domestic changes that lower your overhead and encourage you to initiate a strict budget. A partnership looks promising if you divide responsibilities equally. Make your intentions clear.

Talks will lead to trouble, and false information will cause emotional setbacks and disrupt your plans. A straightforward approach will help you deal with a mistake. Romance is favored.

(Jan. 20-Feb. 19)

Try something exciting. A creative outlet will spark your interest and encourage you to take the plunge and start a new adventure. Find out how to turn what you enjoy doing into a profitable endeavor.

(Feb. 20-March 20)

Lionel Messi: Inter Miami unveil Argentina forward to sold-out crowd

New signing Lionel Messi has been officially presented to cheering crowds at Inter Miami's DRV PNK Stadium.

A sold-out crowd of about 20,000 waited through downpours and lightning to see the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner given a number 10 shirt. In a brief address in Spanish, Messi, 36, thanked supporters and said he had the "same desire" he always has. The World Cup-winning Argentina forward joins the Major League Soccer (MLS) club on a deal until the end of 2025.

He will be reunited with defensive midfielder Sergio Busquets – with whom he played at Barcelona – who has also signed for Miami until 2025. Busquets, too, was formally unveiled during Sunday night's event. Messi entered the pitch via a huge catwalk and was introduced as "America's number 10, the world's best number 10".

Messi is Barcelona's record scorer with 672 goals and won 10 La Liga titles, four Champions Leagues, and seven Spanish Cups.

Seven-time Super Bowl winner Tom Brady and four-time NBA champion Stephen Curry also welcomed him to the United States in video messages.

"I really want to start

training, to compete," Messi said. "I have the same desire that I always had to compete, to want to win, to help the club continue to grow.

"I am very happy to have chosen to come to play in this city with my family, to choose this project and I have no doubt that we are going to enjoy it a lot. We are going to have a good time and very good things are going to happen."

Don Garber, commissioner of Major League Soccer, said someone of Messi's status choosing to play in the league was a "transformational moment", and he hoped the signing would "shout to the world

that this is a soccer nation".

Garber added: "It's been so many years of developing this league into becoming a player on the global stage, so it's a very momentous night for us."

The DRV PNK Stadium in Fort Lauderdale is Inter Miami's temporary stadium and has a capacity of 18,000, making it the joint-smallest in MLS along with San Jose Earthquakes' PayPal Park in California. A temporary grandstand has been erected to allow more fans into the ground. Messi left French champions Paris StGermain at the end of the 2022-23 season after scoring 32 goals in 75 games across a two-year spell.

He turned down lucrative offers from other countries to play in the US – and this is the first time he will play for a non-European club.

Inter Miami co-owner David Beckham hailed Messi's signing as a "dream come true".

"Leo, we are so proud that you have chosen our club for the next stage in your career," he said.

Inter Miami's primary owner, American billionaire Jorge Mas, called Messi "the best player ever to don boots". Messi is expected to be available to play for Miami against LIGA MX side Cruz Azul on July 21 in their opening match of the

Anderson recalled for 4th Ashes Test

England have recalled James Anderson in place of Ollie Robinson for the must-win fourth Ashes Test against Australia at Old Trafford.

Anderson, 40, comes in on his home ground after being rested for the third Test victory at Headingley. Robinson struggled with back spasms in Leeds, but was considered fit to play in Manchester.

Australia lead the series 2-1, so England must win to have a chance of regaining the Ashes.

England team: Ben Duckett; Zak Crawley; Moeen Ali; Joe Root; Harry Brook; Ben Stokes (Captain); Jonny Bairstow (wicketkeeper); Chris Woakes; Mark Wood; Stuart Broad and James Anderson.

Ali has been confirmed to bat at number three after being promoted up the

order for the second innings of the dramatic three-wicket win at Headingley.

Harry Brook, who batted at three in the first innings of that match, remains in the number-five position where he scored a match-winning 75 in the second innings.

Anderson, England's alltime leading wicket-taker, struggled in the first two Tests of the series, both of which England lost.

After returning from a groin injury suffered playing for Lancashire, he managed only three wickets against the Australians on unresponsive surfaces at Edgbaston and Lord's.

Anderson now returns for what could be his last Test at Old Trafford, hoping to break a run that has seen him not play in a win against Australia since 2015.

Indeed, England have

Leagues Cup. He reunites with his former Barca and Argentina boss Gerardo Martino after the 60-year-old was appointed manager in June following the sacking of Phil Neville.

Inter Miami fans who could not get a ticket to the event, which was dubbed “The Unveil”, waited for Messi after the show to try to catch a glimpse of the Argentina legend.

The arrival of Messi in the US has been met with feverish anticipation by the fans of Inter Miami, who only started playing in the Eastern Conference of the MLS in 2020. "This is a dream come true for anybody to have the best player in the world at their home team," said one supporter. "I'm dreaming right now."

Another fan said that while she did know and care about the club, it was Argentina legend Messi who was the main attraction.

"[Messi] is everything," she said. "The emotion that he caused us when he won

the World Cup is indescribable. This means everything to us."

The ownership were also praised by fans for their commitment to bringing a huge signing to the south Florida side.

"They have been making promises and keeping promises," said a fan. "They promised world-class soccer and they have been able to provide it. They have been able to deliver.

"We are grateful that Messi has been able to choose Miami. A lot of naysayers and a lot of doubters, but Miami was able to make it happen."

In June, reports said Messi was offered a deal by Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal worth US$1.5 billion over three years. With him opting to join Inter Miami instead, one fan felt Messi's signing could take football in America "to the next level". He said: "Much like when Pele joined the New York Cosmos [in 1975], same thing. Bring him up."

(BBC Sport)

Peters appointed new Director of GFF competitions

The Guyana Football Federation (GFF) is pleased to announce the appointment of Troy Peters as its Director of Competitions with effect from July 17, 2023.

not beaten Australia on this ground since 1981 – the visitors retained the Ashes with victory in Manchester four years ago.

The weather could play an important role across the week. The forecast is mixed for the Test and England were forced to train indoors on Monday morning.

Australia are yet to name their team, with questions surrounding under-pressure opener David Warner and their all-rounder's position. Warner made 66 in the first innings of the second Test, but was out for four and one at Headingley, twice dismissed by old nemesis Stuart Broad.

Cameron Green missed the Leeds Test through injury, with his replacement Mitchell Marsh set to remain in the side after scoring a century at Headingley. (BBC Sport)

Peters is a seasoned corporate communications professional with a wealth of experience in communications, sports, management and administration, having had exposure to areas such as media management, sports administration, public relations, journalism, and event management.

Peters is a graduate of the Institute of Commercial Management (London) and the Caribbean Publishing and Broadcasting Association.

In the appointment of Director of Competitions, Peters will be responsible for overseeing all GFF competitions and tournaments. His role includes working with key stakeholders within the GFF Regional Association Football Administration, private football promotion organisations and coordinating the implementation of the GFF-Ministry of Education (MoE) nationwide FIFA Football for School (F4S) Competition programme

Troy Peters

for nursery, primary and secondary schools. Peters will also be responsible for communicating with officials, referees, Coaches and Clubs regarding their expectations, during and post competitions.

He will also ensure a participative and collaborative style of management to foster teamwork, monitor the compliance of all GFF competition rules and regulations, and act in the role of Club Licensing Manager of the GFF.

“Troy brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to this very important role and I would like to assure him of our complete support and wish him every success.” said GFF President Wayne Forde.

Lionel Messi is Barcelona's record scorer with 672 goals and won 10 La Liga titles, four Champions Leagues, and seven Spanish Cups

James Anderson (left) will be playing in his 182nd Test

Kevin Sinclair replaces Reifer in West Indies Test squad

The Cricket West Indies (CWI) senior men’s selection panel on Monday announced the squad for the second Cycle Pure Agarbathi Test Match powered by YES BANK against India.

The panel named 13 squad members and two travelling reserve players for the match which will be played at Queen’s Park Oval in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad from July 20-24.

Kevin Sinclair, the offspinning all-rounder, has replaced Raymon Reifer in the squad. Reifer will, however, travel to Trinidad as cover in case of injury. Sinclair was among the leading players in the West Indies Championship four-day First-Class competition earlier this year. He also played a significant role with bat and ball in the recent West Indies A Team series win in Bangladesh.

Overall, he has so far played 18 First-Class matches with 54 wickets, including three five-wicket hauls at an average of 23.98 each. With the bat he has scored 756 runs

at an average of 29, including six half-centuries.

The upcoming second Cycle Pure Agarbathi Test match powered by YES BANK will be historic – marking the 100th Test match between West Indies and India, since the two teams first met at the Feroz

windiescricket.com – where they will be able to download tickets securely to their mobile device, or print out their ticket to present for scanning at the entrance point.

Full Squad

Kraigg Brathwaite (Captain)

Jermaine Blackwood (Vice Captain)

Alick Athanaze

Tagenarine Chanderpaul

Rahkeem Cornwall

Joshua Da Silva

Shannon Gabriel

Jason Holder

Alzarri Joseph

Kirk McKenzie

Kemar Roach

Kevin Sinclair

Jomel Warrican

Travelling Reserves:

Tevin Imlach

Akeem Jordan

Full Match Schedule –Cycle Pure Agarbathi Test Series powered by YES BANK

July 12-16: 1st Cycle Pure

Agarbathi Test

powered by YES BANK, Windsor Park, Dominica – India won by an innings and 141 runs

July 20-24: 2nd Cycle

Pure Agarbathi Test powered by YES BANK, Queen’s Park Oval, Trinidad • start at 10am local time (9am

Jamaica/7:30pm India)

Kwakwani Secondary dominate National Basketball Championships

Kwakwani Secondary managed to dominate the National Schools Basketball Festival (NSBF) to secure both the Girls and Boys U-18 championships against President’s College at the National Gymnasium on June 16, 2023.

Kwakwani Secondary Girls secured their fifth Girls’ title, starting off the final game with a flow to lead the game before the first timeout with a score of 10-0 against President’s College.

Shah Kotla in Delhi in 1948.

Play starts daily at 10:00am (9am Jamaica/7:30pm India).

Fans can purchase tickets in their preferred viewing locations from the Windies Tickets service, presented by Mastercard, at tickets.

Regional U-19: Ramsammy shows fight with half-century, but Guyana lose to Barbados

Barbados defeated Guyana U-19 by 80 runs on the third and final day. Barbados posted 3029 declared in their first innings, while Guyana U-19 made 183 all out in 57.4 overs. A second time around, Barbados scored a brisk 154-4 declared in 21.5 overs, and Guyana, chasing 271, were bowled out for 191 in 54.4 overs.

President's College managed to minimise Kwakwani’s lead before the end of the first period with a score of 14-8.

President's College continued to show their class in the second period to further decrease Kwakwani’s lead to four points with the scoreboard reading 19-15.

The girls from Kwakwani did not let the pressure get to them and dominated the game in the penultimate period 29-22.

rebounds, and 9 steals.

President’s College’s Akeelah Campbell amused the crowd with 13 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 steals along with Krizel Wells with 7 points and 4 rebounds and Chrisleyann Richards with 5 points and 4 steals, but they were not enough to carry their team over the line.

Kwakwani Girls carried home numerous awards, with

continued their form in the tournament to lead the first quarter of the final with a score of 20-15.

Despite missing major buckets, Kwakwani kept their composure to extend their lead in the second quarter 37-29.

Kwakwani went on to show President's College the reason they advanced to the final showcasing their fantastic ballhandling skills to lead the game 51-37 in the penultimate round of the game. They then secured their seventh trophy against President’s College in the fourth quarter to win the game 71-69.

Kwakwani Boys showcased their dribbling and ball-handling skills, with Kelon Phillips scoring 32 points and 5 rebounds and Kasim English, 27 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 steals.

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Berbice and Guyana

youth batsman Zeynul

Ramsammy displayed grit and determination in his 71 from 116 balls against Barbados in round one of the Cricket West Indies (CWI) Regional U-19 three-day tournament.

Playing in St Vincent,

Ramsammy, batting at number six, scored 76 from 116 balls, an innings laced with nine fours and one six. The next best score for Guyana was 19, with fast bowler Isai Thorne scoring 19 from nine balls in yet another poor Guyana batting effort.

Guyana will play Windward Islands on Thursday, July 20 in the second round.

Kwakwani went on to secure the win in the fourth period with spectacular buckets, winning the game 3731.

Kwakwani Secondary’s Sherel Leacock penetrated the opponents’ defence to score 14 points with 9 rebounds and 6 steals followed by Deandra Hodge with 13 points and 4 rebounds and Malia Samuels with 6 points, 4 assists, 8

Malia

Samuels copping the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award for the Girls and Leshana Mohamed (KK) getting the Best Scorer title. Samuels (KK) added to her tally of awards, conquering Best Defence title followed by Sherel Leacock(KK) attaining the Most Assists award.

Kwakwani Secondary Boys

President’s College made history with the first tripledouble in NSBF finals, with Ezekiel Saul not missing out on the scoresheet scoring 16 points, 14 rebounds, and 10 steals followed by the phenomenal Alwin DeFreitas with 14 points and 15 rebounds, and Judah Ferreira contributing 19 points.

Kwakwani ‘s Kasim English went on to win the MVP award, with his teammate Kelon Phillips attaining the best scorer title. Alfin Joseph of St Stanislaus’s College attained the best defence award and Linden Technical Institute’s Jamol Semple secured the most assists of the tournament.

Zeynul Ramsammy

The Kwakwani Boys’ U-18 champion team

The Kwakwani Girls’ U-18 champion team

Raymon Reifer

Kevin Sinclair

Kevin Sinclair Academy bowls off at Everest

– Academy to be developed countrywide

B y B randon C orlette

The year 2023 has certainly been the year of Kevin Sinclair, on and off the cricket field. The West Indies all-rounder has now launched his cricket academy for Demerara cricketers at the Everest Cricket Club.

Sinclair, with the help of the business community, will aim to host this academy throughout Guyana, in all three counties by the end of the year.

“This initiative comes from a dream. I always

want to give back, because I came through the system where I went to an acad -

KFC Elite League 5 heads into last lap

emy in Rose Hall Town. I just felt that once I establish myself and play international cricket, and attain a certain status, I can be able to give back to the youths,” Sinclair said.

…following exciting weekend

“Looking at where West Indies cricket is at the moment, we have to start from the grassroot level, and I strongly believe in that. Hence, I pushed for this. I really want to thank Safraz of V-Net and all the other sponsors that came on board, and helped me boost this initiative.

“To Coach Nedd, I want to thank him for answering me promptly. This is basically giving the youngsters the opportunity to learn something new and learn from the experi -

enced Coaches.

“I will do this in all three of the counties. I will try my best to get this rolled out in all three of the counties before the year out. With my cricketing schedule, I do not want to be doing that alone, I want to focus on my cricket. This will be the foun -

dation for the youngsters, to learn about cricket at a young age,” Sinclair said.

On the opening day, Coach Garvin Nedd, Coach Antony Adams, and Coach Esuan Crandon conducted the sessions. The Academy, which commenced on July 17, will conclude on July 19. This academy caters for cricketers under the age of 17 and bowls off at 09:00h to 13:00h daily.

The sponsors for the Sinclair Academy are Jacobs Jewellery and Pawn Shop, Star Rentals, Suri Trading, Genuine Auto Spares and Tools, A Ally & Sons, and Flawless Dentals.

The fifth edition of the Guyana Football Federation’s Elite League is currently heating up, as it enters the final rounds.

It was an action-packed weekend at the GFF’s National Training Centre (NTC), Providence, East Bank Demerara, as double-headers were contested on both days.

On Saturday night, Fruta Conquerors FC got back to winning ways, after edging Buxton United FC 1-0. After deadlocked scores at the half, Fruta Conquerors’ Dwayne Jones found the back of the net, securing the game-winning goal in the 66th minute.

Following that matchup, Santos FC met a hungry Den Amstel FC, in the second game of the night. Shane Jones netted the opener in the sixth minute, followed by the Den Amstel equaliser off the boots of Dontee McAulay in the 21st minute.

At that point, Den Amstel looked good enough to hold Santos off, but their intensity began to fade away. A little before the half-time whistle sounded, Darren Niles made it a 2-1 game in Santos’ favour in the 40th minute.

The scoreline remained fixed on 2-1 for much of the second half, but Santos were able to sneak in two late goals to seal their victory 4-1. A successful penal-

ty conversion on the part of Bevo Marks brought up their third goal in the 88th minute, while Osafo Simpson added the fourth in the 90th+1.

On Sunday, an exciting encounter between Ann’s Grove United and Victoria Kings FC saw the former narrowly getting past their East Coast Demerara neighbours, on the account of a late goal.

Ann’s Grove’s Shemar Beckles added his name to the scoresheet first in the 13th minute; however, nine minutes later, Victoria Kings’ Inceford Charles levelled the scores with a strike in the 22nd.

The scores remained locked for much of the remainder of the game. When it got down to additional time, Ann’s Grove’s Yohance Francis, who had been knocking at the door for a while, found the back of the net in the 90th+3 to seal the game winner.

A scoring fest was up next when the Guyana Police Force (GPF) FC came up against a hapless Milerock FC in Sunday’s second game.

Junior Redmond was

the first to beat the keeper in the 13th minute and went on to complete his triple in the 39th and 80th minutes. The tournament’s highest goal-scorer, Nicholas McArthur also showed up to the party with a hat-trick in the 31st, 54th and 76th minutes.

A penalty opportunity was awarded to the Policemen and was expertly converted in the 87th minute for Police’s seventh goal. Police’s Dorwin George added the cher- ry on top in the 90th+ 2 for the 8-0 win. Thus far, Milerock FC, Buxton United FC, and Victoria Kings FC have completed their nine games in this year’s edition of the league. Action is set to continue this week at the same venue.

Malteenoes Cricket Academy launched

– Sport Minister urges youngsters to stay disciplined

More than 60 young aspiring cricketers were present as the Malteenoes Cricket Academy bowled off on Monday morning with the aim to teach young enthusiasts the sport of cricket and its laws.

Former national cricketer Steven Jacobs urged the youngsters to enjoy themselves and spoke of the benefits of friendships in cricket.

“This is a jam-packed programme and I urge all of you to make sure that you listen and pay attention to

every single thing that will be taught, because it is very important. I was once sitting where you are with a lot of expectations, high hope, and high passion, and I think it is important that when you come to these academies, you enjoy every single moment and meet a lot of new friends and cherish them because they will be lifelong friends,” Jacobs said.

Culture, Youth and Sport Minister Charles Ramson Jr went on to reiterate to the youngsters to pay attention as things acquired would help them become all-round individuals.

“Over the next two weeks, you will be learning a number of things that all of the people who are connected to the academy there are going to teach you, but in order for you to benefit from that, you have to learn it, so they can attempt to teach you, but you have to learn it and the first step to achieve it is to pay attention,” he said.

The Academy will run for two weeks with sessions from Monday to Saturday starting from 09:00h and 15:00h, catering for children between the ages of eight and 18. (Omar McKenzie)

Culture, Youth and Sport Minister Charles Ramson Jr

Former national cricketer Steven Jacobs

Some of the sponsors and cricketers at the launching ceremony at Everest on Monday morning

Kevin Sinclair sharing his knowledge with some young cricketers at Everest (Brandon Corlette photos)