Guyana Times - Tuesday, January 30, 2024

Children’s 2024 Mashramani competition kicks off P14 …private schools now participating in national events

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

Issue No. 5627

THE BEACON OF TRUTH TUESDAY, JANUARY 30, 2024

Local Content Act

Local Content Secretariat thorough on due diligence for applications amid “fronting” – Min Bharrat

PRICE $100 VAT INCLUDED

WHAT'S INSIDE: Guyana Energy Conference and Supply Chain Expo

Local Private P12 Sector called to step up game, seek partnerships

Page 3

Several businesses destroyed as fire guts 3 buildings at Corriverton

NA man nabbed with over $6.5M worth of ganja

P10

Duo convicted of killing Rose Hall grocer P8

Page 13

Bauxite industry workforce reduced by nearly 50% under APNU/AFC – President Ali …industry showed staggering growth of 1.8% between 2015 & 2019

Guns, ammo, drugs found in Agricola P10

…2024 figures now project 60% growth Page 9

Restorative justice GCCI calls for US begins will change way reimposing overhaul of justice is dispensed sanctions on Venezuela “substandard in Amerindian functioning” Guyana communities Stock Exchange – Min Sukhai

P18

Page 7

Page 2

EBD river dam squatters now home owners

Page 11

“I feel more better that I come off the dam” – new homeowner

Teachers should not be intimidated or bullied by GTU – Labour Minister on planned strike P13

2 NEWS

TUESDAY, JANUARY 30, 2024 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Restorative justice will change way justice is dispensed in Amerindian communities – Min Sukhai

Amerindian Affairs Pauline Sukhai Amerindian leaders, prison officers, probation officers, and other officials participating in a two-day training on restorative justice (PC: Mohabir Anil Nandlall, SC, MP/Facebook/January 29, 2024)

A

lthough there have been, and there still are, issues with the administration of justice in Amerindian communities, Amerindian Affairs Minister Pauline Sukhai is optimistic that these issues would be resolved as a result of the inclusion of restorative justice in the judicial system.

During her speech on Monday, at commencement of this restorative justice training for toshaos, prison officers, probation officers, and other officials at the Guyana Police Force (GPF) Officers Mess in Georgetown, she expressed this belief.

Restorative justice, as described by the Canadian judicial system, is “an approach to justice that seeks to repair harm by providing an opportunity for those harmed and those who take responsibility for the harm to communicate about and address their needs in the aftermath of a crime.”

Parliament has recently enacted Restorative Justice legislation as a measure to overcome prison overcrowding by reducing pre-trial detention, reducing recidivism, and increasing the use of alternative sentencing, among other things.

With the passage of the Act came establishment

of a Restorative Justice Centre at 341 East Street, South Cummingsburg, Georgetown.

Accessing the legal system

Sukhai noted that it can be challenging for Indigenous people to access the legal system, because there are no courthouses in some areas. But, she said, Government has made attempts to create courts of law in a number of interior regions.

Though this might not seem significant to others, she reasoned, it is important for people who might have found themselves in conflict with the law; be-

Minister

cause, with the opening of new courts across the country, their day in court is now far more accessible.

Rather than relying solely on incarceration, she explained, the modern approach of alternative sentencing seeks to provide a wider range of options for offenders, to rehabilitate them and reduce recidivism rates.

“And our Government continues to address this matter. The Restorative Justice Bill was tabled and passed to allow courts to make orders outside of the usual punitive orders; thereby bringing to bear that alternative approach,” she said.

According to Sukhai,

sentencing for persons found guilty of petty offences does not always mean a trip to prison, since courts are now ordering offenders to do community service.

She pointed out that this practice is widespread in other nations, and community involvement in advancing restorative justice is crucial in Guyana, since, frequently, people in the community look forward to seeing offenders go to jail.

“While it is not fully entrenched in the psyche of villagers, villages, and communities, this will happen.

It is happening in our country already. So, restorative justice, while not a new concept, now has an identity in our laws, and the correct application is what we have to monitor,” she explained.

The Amerindian Affairs Minister conveyed gratitude for introducing this concept to Indigenous leaders, as these leaders must address several offences under the Amerindian Act.

Minor offences

Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister Anil Nandlall, SC, explained that the concept of restorative justice is limited to certain minor offences that can be handled in the community and provide direct

Attorney General Anil Nandlall, SC, making a point during his presentation

rehabilitative intervention. Accordingly, crimes like robbery, manslaughter, murder, sexual offenses, offences against minors, and other severe crimes are not covered by restorative justice.

He emphasised that the strategy can succeed only with community members' cooperation, and asked for their help to ensure the programme's success. Thanks to funding from the InterAmerican Development Bank (IDB) for the Support for the Criminal Justice System Project, the Government of Guyana has been strengthening its capacity for restorative justice. (G1)

NEWS

3

TUESDAY, JANUARY 30, 2024 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Local Content Act

BRIDGE OPENINGS

BRIDGE The Demerara OPENINGS Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Tuesday, January 30 – 04:00h-05:30h and Wednesday, January 31 – 04:00h-05:30h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Tuesday, January 30 – 06:50h-08:20h and Wednesday, January 31 – 07:20h-08:50h.

FERRY SCHEDULE

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

WEATHER TODAY Thundery to light rain showers are expected throughout the day. Clear to partly cloudy skies are expected at night. Temperatures should range between 23 degrees Celsius and 30 degrees Celsius.

Winds: East North-Easterly to East South-Easterly between 1.78 metres and 4.47 metres.

High Tide: 07:14h and 19:32h reaching a maximum height of 2.50 metres.

Low Tide: 13:05h reaching a minimum height of 0.70 metre.

SATURDAY, JANUARY 27, 2024

LOTTERY NUMBERS I

07

09 14

19

24 28

11

FREE TICKET

Bonus Ball

MONDAY, JANUARY 29, 2024 DAILY MILLIONS

22 23 25

02 08 LUCKY 3

4

0

5

9

Afternoon Draw

6

3

Evening Draw

DRAW DE LINE

01

03

06 09

02

10 11 19

18

SUPER

PAY DAY

PAY DAY

FRIDAY, JANUARY 26, 2024

03 04 11 13 16

03 07 11 12 16

1

13

9

5 Afternoon Draw

FP Afternoon Draw

3

0 Evening Draw

FP Evening Draw

955

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

COMMODITIES Indicators

US$

Change %

Crude Oil

$82.60/barrel

+0.24

Rough Rice London Sugar

$322.56/ton $661.30/ton

+0.11 0.00

Live Spot Gold

USD Per Ounce

Bid/Ask Low/High

$2032.20 $2020.10

$2033.20 $2038.40

Change

-0.60

-0.03%

Local Content Secretariat thorough on due diligence for applications amid “fronting” – Min Bharrat

T

o ensure that only Guyanese companies benefit from the 40 stipulated areas under the Local Content Act, and amid prior cases of “fronting”, proper due diligence is being taken to scrutinise applications tendered to the Local Content Secretariat.

This has been the position taken by Natural Resources Minister Vickram Bharrat in responding to complaints by stakeholders that their certificates are taking longer to process.

While engaging media operatives on Monday, he posited, “We know that there are a few loopholes that people took advantage of in the past. One such issue is economic rent, or rent in a citizen or Guyanese basically fronting for companies. These are things that we have to strengthen on what qualifies you to be a citizen of Guyana,” he explained.

“Sometimes, people complain that Local Content Secretariat is taking a bit longer to process their certificate. It is a real complaint, and it's mainly because some people are trying to front for other companies. So, we have to ensure that we go further in our due diligence…

That’s why maybe there's a delay in the issuance of certificates in some cases,” he added.

Government has already identified some ‘grey areas’ since the framework was created, and they are on the cards to be strengthened.

A major issue was fronting – a practice also called ‘rent-a-citizen’ whereby foreign companies employ Guyanese and/or Guyanese businesses in order to bypass the provisions of the Local Content Act, including the stipulation that only companies that are 51 per cent owned by a Guyanese can benefit from the 40 carved out service areas. The Act defines beneficial ownership as owning 51 per cent of the company.

Also, a local company is expected to have Guyanese in at least 75 per cent of executive and senior management positions, and at least 90 per cent in non-managerial and other positions.

Bharrat pointed out that it is a practice seen around the world, where contractors seek to benefit from such opportunities; but, at the same time, Government is resolute in ensuring that Guyanese benefit from these opportunities.

He explained, “The whole purpose of the Act was to ensure that we bring benefits to the people of the Guyana. We have seen countries where there

Natural Resources Minister Vickram Bharrat

is oil and gas but the citizens don't truly benefit from it. It is the operators, the contractors and subcontractors, and we know the needs of the oil and gas sector. When a contractor or an operator comes to your country, they have suppliers that follow them to your country. It's a norm around the world. It is not something that is new to Guyana.”

In December 2021, the National Assembly passed the Local Content Act which outlines 40 different service areas that oil and gas companies and their subcontractors must procure from Guyanese and Guyaneseowned companies. These include 90 per cent of office space rental and accommodation services; 90 per cent of janitorial services, laundry and catering services; 95 per cent pest control services; 100 per cent local in-

surance services; 75 per cent local supply of food; and 90 per cent local accounting services.

The Local Content Act mandates penalties such as fines ranging from $5 million to $50 million for oil and gas companies and their sub-contractors who fail to meet the minimum targets of the legislation, as well as those who are in breach of the Act. The Natural Resources Ministry is currently gearing up for its sensitization workshop, as mandated under the Local Content Act, which is expected to gauge the country’s capacity to supply the oil industry, and further, influence amendments to the current framework.

The minister told reporters that, at some point in time, amendments would be made to the Local Content legislation as the country’s capacity develops.

Amendments

He said, “We will, at some point in time, have to make some updates from amendments to the Local Content legislation, as we would have promised in the past when we were doing consultation to draft the bill… I will not tie myself to timeline as to when we will complete it, but what we are going to start just after the budget is the local content sensitization workshop throughout the entire country, and that is a requirement in the legislation.”

One of the reasons for

this workshop – which is a collaborative effort between the Ministry, the operator and contractors - is to ensure that people understand truly what is local content, and how they can benefit.

While it is not a consultative aspect for the amendment, Minister Bharrat outlined, it will be instrumental in measuring the capacity which exists in the country.

“This is the local content sensitization workshop, but it will help us and put us in a better position to understand the capacity that exists within a country. When we drafted that Bill in 2021, to be quite honest, we didn’t have a true sense of the capacity in the private sector. Right now, the private sector is working with a number of organizations to do a true assessment of our capacity.”

It has been acknowledged that, since 2021, the country’s capacity has significantly expanded, and so has production.

“So, we have to be real about our capacity in-country. A lot has changed from 2021 to now. This workshop, by going around the country and by listening to people, I think it will put us, as Government, in a better position to truly assess what has changed from 2021 in terms of capacity to offer goods and services to the oil and gas companies,” the Natural Resources Minister expressed. (G12)

4

guyanatimesgy.com

TUESDAY, JANUARY 30, 2024

Views

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

Public health hazard N ew York City last week designated social media as a public health hazard, as a result of the impact it has had on youth mental health.

To quote NYC Mayor Eric Adams in his annual State of the City address, “Companies like TikTok, YouTube, Facebook are fuelling a mental health crisis by designing their platforms with addictive and dangerous features…Just as the [US] Surgeon General did with tobacco and guns, we are treating social media like other public health hazards, and it must stop.”

This has resulted in the New York City Health Commission issuing a health advisory on social media, which outlined, among other things, the deteriorating state of youth mental health in the city, while offering guidance on encouraging healthy social media use.

According to research in NYC, the Washington Post stated that: between 2011 and 2021, rates of high schoolers in the city experiencing hopelessness increased by more than 42 per cent, and rates of suicidal ideation increased by more than 34 per cent.

NYC is now the first major city in the United States to take such a major step.

Social media is a world within a world, and for those who were born in the 21st Century, technology is only but a natural phenomenon. Cell phones, iPods and video games are practically inevitable for teens and young adults. Along with these technologies come social media networking, which is part of the daily routine for many. Social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter and MySpace, Instagram and TikTok have millions of visitors daily.

Facebook alone has over 1 billion users, which makes it the most popular social network website on planet Earth. Research conducted by Facebook shows that 50 per cent of its users are active users, who log on daily and spend over two billion minutes per month on the site. There is no doubt that social media and social networking are here to stay; however, added to these ‘natural’ luxuries are risks and dangers.

As we have said before: that, like driving, the users of social media should be cognisant of the five Cs – caution, care, common sense, courtesy and consideration – as many of the things posted can arise in the future to haunt thrones and depraved behaviour.

Here, in Guyana, while the scenario has been slightly different from NYC, it has been observed overtime that a number of young people misuse the platform by posting about relationships and jobs, share pornography, and, in many cases, they use it to bully others. Common sense – one of the 5 Cs – would inform that such information is personal, and should not be posted on a social network, as such behaviours can stymie their personal growth.

In addition, recently, young adults and activists used the platforms to attack officials and the general public. While the information posted can cause harm to those who are being targeted, the account holders should, at some point in time, be held accountable. These, however, come with consequences.

Interestingly, many young persons do not take into account or acknowledge the dangers of such postings on social networking sites, since to them all the social sites seem innocent.

Recent research has shown one of the greatest impacts of social networking is on the social skills of people. According to a BBC report, while, on the one hand, social networking sites seem to bring people together and connected; on the other hand, it creates social isolation. Research has shown that older generations of networkers learnt how to communicate and interact long before networking was even a thought, but many of the younger generations do not interact socially.

According to the report, social networking has created a serious breach in the ability of young people to communicate and interact with each other.

It is clear there is evidence suggesting that social networking can be risky to a dangerous extent, but it is an area that cannot be ignored, as it is the driving force of the world today. Like the many pleasures of life, social networking can be beneficial in moderation; however, unfortunately, moderation and the social media world do not coincide in society.

As such, all one can hope for is that our youth and young adults have a deeper understanding and be conscious of the effects of social media and its impact on the lives of others.

Students performing at the 2024 Children's Mashramani Competition, held at the National Cultural Center on Monday. The Georgetown Education Department launched its competition on Monday. Mashramani 2024 is being celebrated under the theme "Celebrating Our Peoples and Our Prosperity" (Education Ministry photo)

Rehabilitation during remand

By Dr Jason McKay

I

have often struggled with the duality of my roles as a Policeman and a social scientist. This is largely because I have been involved in law enforcement for far longer; my training as a social scientist began in 2007.

However, I have been focusing on fighting crime in various roles as far back as 1989, before my entry into the Force. So, you can see why I tend to sound more like a cop, despite my time spent pursuing my more recent passion.

Late last year, I had the experience of being witness to an act of absolute hooliganism on the morning after Boxing Day. I was on duty, and working at the Jamworld Entertainment Complex in Portmore, St Catherine. I was there because of a concert that occurred in my Police division. I was one of a large contingent of Police officers working to maintain law and order.

The show, which was going well until about 6:00am, took a turn when three deejays participated in a ‘sound clash’. For those who are not familiar with this type of activity, it is engaging in a competition of lyrics to a rhythm.

Without warning, two of the performers began hitting each other, which resulted in both tumbling off the stage.

The entourage of both groups got involved, and a brawl broke out.

Police personnel on the ground had to intervene. We were ordered by the com-

mander of the division, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Christopher Phillips, who was on the ground, to immediately arrest everyone, including the artistes, involved in the brawl. It was brought under control before innocent people were hurt.

Like any other person who breaks the law, those involved in the brawl were arrested, handcuffed, and removed to a lock-up. This, based on their conduct, was where they belonged.

For many years, I was the resident security consultant at Caymanas Park racetrack in the days when hooliganism was more popular and acceptable than it is now.

In the 90s, it felt as if I was mobbed more often than I ate hot meals. I therefore have no tolerance for this type of conduct.

So, I moved the men to the station, placed the offenders behind bars, and began the process of charging them.

During this exercise, I was told by SSP Phillips to bring the two artistes to his office.

I complied, and had a seat in the office with them and the commander. What I saw after that was probably the best mix of social science and law enforcement that I have ever seen. The commander, who had just ordered their arrest, rather than letting them hear some choice words, began counselling the artistes.

He pointed out several unfavourable outcomes of their behaviour. This included the danger to public safety, the damage to their reputations,

and the opportunity they lost to show the world their best.

As I silently observed the interaction, I saw the young men morph from hooligan back to human. They expressed their genuine regret, and I believed them.

However, despite their contrition, they were charged, and had to face the court for the offences they committed.

This was important, because without consequences for disgraceful conduct, you never truly learn.

The counselling session I observed gave me an idea. In our lock-ups, we warehouse thousands of young men who are awaiting trial for years at a time. I firmly believe they are all criminals. They may or may not be guilty of the crimes they are charged with, but innocent men don’t end up in Police lock-ups for years because they are denied bail. The Jamaican judiciary is justice-centred, not victim-centred, and bail is given liberally.

Most of those charged will not be convicted; that’s just the reality because of the inability of the State to police our slums to a point at which people who live there are safe.

Witnesses rarely want to risk their lives or their families’ lives for justice to be served.

It’s regrettable, but understandable.

I say this to show that the criminals are coming right back out, and they’re coming to hurt, kill, and rob; but, this time, they will have wider groups of allies with which to collaborate. They are also

less human than they were when they went into those hot, stinking cages some years before to be treated like animals. There is very little we can do to stop them coming out. We have the fairest justice system in the world.

If witnesses don’t turn up, or falter in their evidence, then the killers are going to be freed. it’s that simple.

We can, however, use our training and begin the process of rehabilitation prior to their convictions. This is against the accepted norms of any penal system in the world, but we are not normal.

We are a country engaged in a constant loop of killing since 1993. We need to be using extreme methods to achieve behaviour modification of the sub-group we call ‘remanded’.

We will not change everyone, but we will reach some.

They have been in hell for years. They may, or may not, be malleable. One thing for sure is that they can’t be too busy to participate.

Releasing them without attempting to rehabilitate them means we are either reckless or we don’t really believe in rehabilitation.

The remanded are either your future convicted or your future offender. They are not your future law-abiding citizen.

We either need to try to effect radical change in their behaviour, or we need to make drastic changes to our laws that make their release in the short to medium term impossible. (Jamaica Observer)

guyanatimesgy.com

TUESDAY, JANUARY 30, 2024

5

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

Environmentalist crusade based on personal beliefs, hysteria, fear-mongering Dear Editor, What’s in the $2B Exxon oil spill guarantee that the courts need to see, and why?

At first thought, it seems ridiculous that the EPA would not present the court with the document, but as one digs deeper into the issue, it becomes clear that the court has no business examining the document, and has to take the word of the EPA that A: it exists, and B: it is adequate for oil spill exigencies. Let me expound.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was established under the Environmental Protection Act 1996: An act to provide for the management, conservation, protection, and improvement of the environment; the prevention or control of pollution; the assessment of the impact of economic development on the environment; the sustainable use of natural resources; and for matters incidental thereto or connected therewith. (emphasis mine).

The agency is autonomous (like the Judiciary), and is regulatory with the authority to grant or not grant permits for developmental projects that would impact the envi-

ronment. The EPA is staffed with experts in various fields, who examine projects carefully to ensure a balance is maintained between economic development and the protection of the environment.

The Judiciary has neither the expertise nor authority to usurp the functions of the EPA, and has already overreached by ordering a US$2B guarantee without supporting documentation, studies, or reasoning. ExxonMobil and the EPA made informed decisions that US$600M was more than adequate to clean up three simultaneous spills in Guyana’s waters, based on the size of wellheads, pressures in the wells, spill capping capabilities and equipment available (and subscribed) in the region. All of this knowledge was spurned by arguments based on layman hysteria and fears drummed up by references to the Deepwater Horizon incident.

This illogical court order has cost Guyanese millions of USD, as the cost of the additional insurance is now part of ‘cost oil’, which brings me to the actual guarantee document and its contents.

The Guarantee document is a combination of costs, that of subscription to wellhead capping stack systems in the event of a spill which makes capping stacks, their transportation to the site, and specialist spill crews for cap installation and cleanup available within seven days of an incident, and insurance costs, a premium that is negotiated in confidence between the operator (Exxon) and the Insurance company, both of whom have experts and access to information that allows full risk assessment to both parties. Given that the risk assessment called for US$600M and Exxon was ordered to purchase additional (and unnecessary) coverage, the premium paid will be a closely guarded secret, its revelation has implications for Exxon, the Insurer, and Guyana, all of which lose negotiating power in the future if those premium rates become public knowledge.

Should the court succeed in its demand to see the document, it begs the question of who competently assesses it.

Is the court going to employ an oil spill actuary in this ex-

Sensational Shamar Joseph

Dear Editor, There are cricket memories in my mind that I will never ever forget; some of those I have witnessed in person, some I have seen on television, and some I listened to on the radio.

However, none can compare to what I saw on television in the early hours of Sunday, January 28, 2024.

I had the privilege of seeing my hero Alvin Kallicharran make his first Test century on debut at Bourda against New Zealand in 1972. Earlier in that same series, I was absolutely blown away by Sir George Lawrence Rowe making 214 and 100 unbeaten on his Test debut at Sabina Park in Jamaica. In 1977, I listened keenly to the radio as Colin Everton Croft destroyed Pakistan on Test debut with devastating fast bowling to claim 8 wickets for 29 runs. A certain Barbadian by the name of Joel Garner also made his debut in that Test match, and the two of them went on to accompany Andy Roberts and Michael Holding to form the most feared pace quartet in cricket history.

Curtly Ambrose’s devastating 7 wickets for 1 run at the WACA against Australia in 1993 was special, just as his 6 wickets for 24 runs in Trinidad to help bowl out England for 46 runs in the 1993-1994 series. And no one can forget how he partnered Courtney Walsh to stun South Africa in 1991

at Bridgetown, Barbados during the latter’s return to Test cricket, and snatched victory from the jaws of defeat.

Then the best fast bowler that ever lived, Malcolm Marshall, demolished England at Headingly with a broken thumb and his left wrist in cast. They referred to him as the “one arm bandit”; and Tony Cozier agreed with me when I said that the best display of fast bowling ever seen was at Bourda in 1991, when Marshall bowled Border a few runs short of 50, after a stubborn partnership with Geoff Marsh.

But what I saw in the early hours of Sunday morning, during the day-and-night Test match played with the pink ball at the GABBA in Brisbane Australia, between a young West Indies team verses Australia, the World’s #1 Test team, will forever be etched in my memory and be regarded as the best ever performance by a West Indian fast bowler.

Shamar Joseph, in only his second Test match, with a damaged toe and in obvious pain, bowled 11.5 overs and literally obliterated the Australian batting with figures of 7 wickets for 59 runs; and essentially ended a 27year drought of West Indies winning a Test match in Australia. The result was that West Indies successfully defended 216 runs and won by 8 runs, which shocked the Australian public and the entire cricketing world.

After that Starc toe cruncher in the first innings, like most individuals, I had written Joseph off, and had little or no hope of West Indies successfully defending that total. But, like a true warrior, Shamar Joseph demonstrated tremendous grit, determination, self-belief and testicular fortitude, and used his young but experienced cricketing brain to do the impossible.

When I saw him for the first time in the 2023 CPL at Providence, I was impressed with his action, among other things, but felt that he needed a few seasons to be ready for the big time. I am glad that I was wrong, and I look forward to the day when I will be sitting in the stands of the Shamar Joseph Cricket Stadium at Palmyra, Berbice to see him destroy teams for the West Indies.

Yours truly, Eric Whaul

ercise? Would the lawyers for the EPA and Exxon agree that the court’s actuary is competent?

Our judges had previous difficulties with basic mathematics that did not engender my confidence. Further, what, if any, corrective action could be ordered by the court without usurping the function of

the EPA. It is an exercise in futility at best, ego and judicial overreach at worst.

The EPA Act specifies what documents should be made public by the agency; it does so with good forethought by the framers.

Editor, this entire environmentalist crusade against Guyana’s oil production is

based on personal beliefs, hysteria, and fear-mongering; absent are facts and reality.

Given the prevailing winds, I would rather see urgent changes to legislation that further clarify and solidify the autonomy of the EPA. Sincerely, Robin Singh

On the Jagdeo Doctrine of 2023 – a reply Dear Editor, Sometimes I truly wonder why people write letters to the editor. I say this because, only days ago, I read and re-read Vishnu Bisram’s “Doctrine needs explanation”, but could find no socially useful purpose to the lengthy diatribe. I do not want to get into a personal spat here, but I frankly must respond to multiple elementary errors contained in the said letter.

Allow me to recap what I argued in the original article, “The Jagdeo Doctrine of 2023”, which is the subject of responses from Bisram, and before that Andre Brandli.

I wrote that, on two occasions in 2023, the General Secretary of the PPP publicly declared that the party would fight all attempts to divide Guyana along racial lines. I specifically noted General Secretary Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo had publicly acknowledged that the PPP had not done enough in the past to reach out to Afro-Guyanese, and that this must, and will, change.

I labelled the declarations “The Jagdeo Doctrine of 2023” (Demerara Waves, 12/31/2023).

Knowing fully and well that the concept of doctrine might not be familiar to the general public, I wrote the following – “A doctrine is a coherent set of ideas, principles, norms, and expectations that frames the ways in which (in this case) a political party thinks about things, about its fundamental values and commitments, and about its core objectives, about its conduct, both public and private.”

I took full cognizance of the progressive history of the PPP, and noted “[t] he older PPP had powerful ideological commitments, most of it anchored in anti-colonialism and economic egalitarianism. The latter often took the language of socialism.”

Given the above, I do not know why an explanation is needed; or, worse yet, what must be explained. One argument by Bisram is that ‘doctrine’ is reserved for foreign affairs. This is a vacuous claim. There are legal doctrines (caveat emptor); constitutional doctrines (separation of powers, developed by Montesquieu and embedded in the US and other constitutions); philosophical doctrines (doctrine of necessity); military doctrines (nuclear deterrence and counterinsurgency doctrine); and, inter alia, the Public Trust doctrine, which has been around since 1299,

is also widely used in the structuration of global environmental governance.

A strange, or more accurately a neo-colonial, idea in the letter under consideration is that the Global South (I prefer Third World) has never produced a doctrine! If Dr. Bisram were abreast with the literature in international relations, he would know that postcolonial scholars have long ago destroyed that idea. On that score, I recommend the work of my colleague, Professor Amitav Acharya.

Please note that the New International Economic Order was not developed by Jagan. The NIEO came out of the NonAligned Movement. It was first articulated in 1973.

Cheddi Jagan’s work is the New Global Human Order (1994).

Sincerely, Dr Randy Persaud

TUESDAY, JANUARY 30, 2024

06:00 (Sign on) Inspiration Time 06:30 Cartoons 08:00 Stay Woke 08:30 Guy's Grocery Games 09:30 BBC Travel Show 10:00 Stop Suffering 11:00 Paternity Court 11:30 Divorce Court 12:00 News Break 12:05 Movie - Legacy Peak (2022) 13:35 Wheel of Fortune 14:00 The Loud House S1 E8 14:30 The Tom and Jerry Show S4 E11 15:00 Indian Soaps 16:00 Drake & Josh S1 E4 16:30 Victorious S1 E9 17:00 The Young & The Restless 18:00 CNN 18:30 Teaching the Truth in Love 19:00 The Evening News 20:00 Stop Suffering 20:30 Stand-up Comedy 21:00 Dynasty S4 E14 22:00 Blacklist S8 E14 23:00 Squid Game: The Challenge E7 00:00 Sign off

6

TUESDAY, JANUARY 30, 2024

Foundation ◄

Page

PROPORTIONS AND CROSS-MULTIPLYING A proportion is a problem that contains two ratios that are equal. In a proportion problem, one of the numerators or one of the denominators is not known. The method for finding the missing numerator or denominator is called cross-multiplying.

Example: A recipe calls for 5 tablespoons of nuts in order to make nutty pancakes for 10 people. How many tablespoons of nuts do you need to make nutty pancakes for 18 people?

Step 1: Express a proportion problem that uses two ratios: 5 tablespoons/10 persons = unknown number of tablespoons/ 18 persons Step 2: Remove the words: Let’s use t (for tablespoons) for the number we do not know:

Step 3: To cross-multiply, you must set up an equation. An equation is a mathematical statement that two things are equal.

Step 4: On one side of the equal sign, write the first numerator x the second denominator: 5 x 18 = Step 5: On the other side of the equal sign, write the multiplication of the first denominator x the second numerator: 5 x 18 = 10 x t

by Wilson Harris

CONTINUED FROM YESTERDAY

Where Arian Island rests and moves again where the lonely thief of glory is chained

Step 6: Multiply the side that does not have the unknown number: 90 = 10 x t

to muse upon dustless fabric of the sky,

Step 7: Look at the side that has both a known number and the unknown quantity. Divide both sides of the equation by the known number. (In this equation, that number is 10). You need 9 tablespoons of nuts to make nutty pancakes for 20 people.

on these dark green waters

dark waters and fading visions of men.

Where vision is not enough full of reflected light full of music like strange lisping tongues of delight faraway upon the swift chaotic crumbling pause

Remember When you divide both sides of an equation by the same number, the expressions on both sides remain equal.

of each distant island in the waters of earth, each distant island where the lonely dreamer abandons the world and salutes the world with longing echo for a voice of his insufficient muse of men and boats,

Exercises: Solve for t 1) 4 x 8 = 16 x t 2) 12 x 10 = 2 x t 3) 7 x 5 = 10 x t

4) 20 x 2 = 5 x t 5) 6 x 6 = 9 x t

his cloudlike muse of strange elusive forms of the world whose wide arms beckon him on and seek him with a gift or a curse and a dreamlike constancy.

Where his marriage with actual freedom, his broken unity in heaven is the daring chaotic moving bridge of living form in the waters of space so wide and so broken with the fever of the sun's fury and desire. for this remote coupling of a stranger lust.

WORD SEARCH

NEWS

7

TUESDAY, JANUARY 30, 2024 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

GCCI calls for overhaul of “substandard functioning” Guyana Stock Exchange

T

GCCI President Kester Hutson

he Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) has called for an overhaul of the Guyana Stock Exchange (GSE), after highlighting the negatives of current operations and its effect on the business community.

With access to financing being a leading hurdle for many businesses in Guyana, GCCI said, GSE has a significant role to play in facilitating a transparent and efficient marketplace for companies to raise capital, invest, and grow.

In a statement, the

Chamber noted the lack of necessary infrastructure, technological advancements, and regulatory framework at the GSE, which compromise the financial health of businesses, restrict their ability to attract investment, and ultimately hamper their growth potential.

“The GCCI has been on public record, on multiple occasions, championing the reform of the capital markets and the stock exchange in Guyana…The substandard functioning GSE is also resulting in the sale of stocks in breach of a company’s by-laws is

also most worrying. With Guyana being on a revolutionary growth trajectory it is imperative that the GSE be rehabilitated to keep pace with the rapid growth and development taking place all across the nation.

The GCCI therefore calls on the Guyana Association of Securities Companies and Intermediaries Inc, and Guyana Securities Council (GSC) to prioritise the modernization of GSE infrastructure, with a focus on the incorporation of technologically advanced best practices,” the statement read on Monday.

A stock market allows owners of stocks and shares to dispose of them at a fair price. It allows new investors to buy them at a fair price, and it allows companies to sell new shares to finance the growth of their business.

The Guyana Association of Securities Companies is the local stock exchange that organises and supervises the stock market in Guyana.

Guyana is now welcoming the digital era of doing business. In fact, just last year, the GCCI signalled

that Guyanese businesses are ready to tap into the digital and e-commerce landscape.

On Friday last, during his contribution to the 2024 Budget Debate, Opposition

“The few brokers that allow citizens to purchase stocks are concentrated in Georgetown, and they are hindered by a stock market that only trades once a week,” he noted. “These

Leader Aubrey Norton had called for the rollout of comprehensive financial literacy programmes and the development of the local stock exchange market.

brokers should similarly benefit from tax concessions for establishing more branches across Guyana, but also be encouraged to develop financial prod-

ucts that serve the investing needs of average Guyanese.”

It is against this backdrop that the Opposition Leader emphasised the need for financial literacy programmes. “Citizens must also be educated about the benefits of investing, planning ahead for expected life expenses, and the general advantages of making use of the financial system. This must be introduced at the high school level, but also at the University of Guyana and other higher learning institutions, through a deliberate Government outreach programme,” he said.

He expressed, “the US Federal Reserve highlights that 58 per cent of Americans own stock, often through varied financial products; whereas, sadly, many Guyanese are not even aware that Guyana has a stock exchange.” (G12)

8 NEWS

TUESDAY, JANUARY 30, 2024 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Duo convicted of killing Rose Hall Town grocer Closing off… …the budget process

Y Justice Sandil Kissoon

Murdered: Lomenzo Johnny

S

atram Kushlay and Bilall McLennon, both in their 30s, now await sentencing after a jury on Monday found them guilty of the murder of 49-year-old Lomenzo Johnny, a grocer of Rose Hall Town in Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne),

Convicted killer: Bilall McLennon

Convicted killer: Satram Kushlay

which was committed on February 27, 2020.

Following hours of deliberation at the High Court in Berbice, the jury returned with its verdict, convicting these defendants of the capital offence.

Justice Sandil Kissoon,

who presided over the trial, has deferred sentencing to February 20, following the presentation of probation and other social impact reports.

Attorneys-at-Law Kevin Morgan and Alaira Murphy-Goodman had

represented the convicted men, while State Counsel Muntaz Ali had presented the case for the prosecution.

Johnny, called “Sham”, who operated a grocery store located in the yard where he lived, was murdered during the course or furtherance of a robbery.

His body was discovered in a yard with a building under construction located some 400 metres from his home. His feet were bound together with a shoelace; the sweater he was seen wearing the evening before was found a few feet away from his body; and a pair of scissors and a piece of wood were also found near the body. There was a wound to his back and bruises to his hand, while his head and face appeared to be swollen.

When Police went to Johnny’s home, they found the front door unlocked.

The inside of the house had been ransacked, and a safe and other items had reportedly been removed from the building.

Investigators subsequently received information about the whereabouts of the safe, which contained an undisclosed amount of cash.

The main suspect in Johnny’s murder, Daniel McLennon, is yet to be tried. And Gopaul Ramgobin and Navendra Narine have been charged with accessory after the fact. It is alleged that they received, comforted, relieved, maintained, harboured, and assisted Kushlay and McLennon, knowing they had murdered Johnny.(G1)

our Eyewitness is still trying to wrap his head around the TRILLION DOLLARS we’re spending in this year’s budget. He learnt (from Siri) that if we simply counted from 1 to 1 trillion, it’d take 31,709 YEARS to complete the job!! Imagine that!! Well, good thing the Government’s spending in huge chunks on those infrastructure projects and such like, innit?? Or else our Parliamentarians might’ve been locked away for a looooong time!!

After months of preparation, consultation and debate, the budget process will finally be completed this week - when the House transmutes into a “Committee of Supply” to consider each line of spending under the various categories. So, for example, in Health, the cost to build each of those hospitals promised will have to be individually approved. This is the last opportunity for the Opposition to get their licks in and ensure we’re getting the bang for those TRILLION bucks!! As you can imagine, it’s one tedious process – comparable to watching grass grow!! Grown men and women will be struggling to keep their eyes open – and very few would make it to the end!! Ahhh…the sacrifices that gotta be made to enjoy all those perks - starting with the bunjal duck curry on the Parliamentary menu – and continuing outside with throwing their weight around as “Parliamentarians”!!

And then, of course, will come the real spending, as the projects get executed – or not. Take, for example, that Cemetery Road that was supposed to be expanded from two lanes to four lanes as an approved line item in the 2022 Budget. The $484M contract was awarded to one “Avinash Contracting and Scrap Metal Inc”, and was supposed to be completed last July. The Opposition was on the job when there were no signs of completion by then, and asked the subject minister in the National Assembly what was going on??

His answer perfectly illustrated the challenges that can intervene between the cup and the lip on projects.

Seems no one had catered for the jumbies who inhabit the cemetery and woulda been disturbed by all the digging and concrete mixing etc!! The contractor complained that his men couldn’t work with all the various and sundry seizures etc these jumbies could inflict on the unwary!! But what bothered your Eyewitness was the Opposition didn’t point out to the Government that if they were gonna work in cemeteries, they should’ve arranged with the religious experts in jaaray, obeah and exorcism to do their thing!!

As it stands, the road still hasn’t been completed, and it’s all because the Opposition didn’t do their job!!

This should remind all that since the gas pipes from Vreed-en-Hoop to Wales pass through several old Dutch plantations, were the proper libations poured?? …or opening war?

Looks like ever since the Big Guy appeared from behind that Burning Bush and promised the Israelites their “Promised Land”, there’s been nothing but strife and fighting in those parts. And we’re talking about something that supposedly happened thousands of years ago!! Well, looks like the strife and fighting are about to be expanded much bigger than simply the genocide(?) of two million or so Palestinians by the Israelis, who’re still fighting over land.

We know there was always the danger of the spark spreading to nearby hot-spots that have been in turmoil for the past decades. Houthis, for example, had started bombing Israeli-linked ships in solidarity with the Palestinians, and the US and Britain bombed their positions in Yemen. But now, with a drone attack on a US base in Jordan near Syria killing three Americans and wounding dozens, the US will now have to respond.

Trouble is, they’re linking the attacks to Iran – which can quickly acquire nuclear weapons. Are we on the verge of WWIII?? …handshakes?

Your Eyewitness feels the Leader of the Opposition (LoO) should issue a definitive Declaration on the PNC’s policy on shaking hands with PPP members in general – and Pres Ali in particular. And suppose Pressie initiates the handshake??

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

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

NEWS

9

TUESDAY, JANUARY 30, 2024 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Bauxite industry workforce reduced by nearly 50% under APNU/AFC – President Ali …industry showed staggering growth of 1.8% between 2015 & 2019 …2024 figures now project 60% growth

T

he workforce in the bauxite industry had been reduced by almost 50 percent under the David Granger-led APNU/ AFC Administration between 2015-2020.

This is according to President Dr Irfaan Ali; who, on Monday evening, during a live broadcast, said that in 2014 -- the last full year of PPP/C Government, before the APNU/AFC administration had taken over -- there were over 1,200 persons employed in the sector; but in 2020, after five years of APNU/AFC Government, that number had declined to just over 600, due to mismanagement of the sector and the closure of RUSAL operations.

President Ali, who was joined on the live broadcast

by Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh, said additionally that, during the period 2015-2019, the sector had grown by an average of only 1.8 per cent. “…this was as a result of bad policies, mismanagement, highhanded approach, the iron fist approach that is associated with the APNU/ AFC Government,” the Head of State said.

Under the PPP/C Government, the sector is projected to grow in 2024 by

President Dr Irfaan Ali and Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh

Incorporated, the firm was force to suspend its entire operations in Guyana, and dismissed over 300 workers.

The company had initially announced its decision to terminate 142 workers as a result of difficulties, after Government ended its duty-free arrangement for its fuel. In March 2019, after a series of protests by various stakeholders against the bauxite company following an industrial dispute, the then Natural Resources Minister Raphael Trotman had said the APNU/AFC Government was geared to take action against the company, even if it means having the company shut down its operations in Guyana.

File photo: Natural Resources Minister Raphael Trotman during a tour of the bauxite operations in Linden, Region 10 on March 2, 2019

nearly 60 per cent, as investment in the sector expands under this Government, the President said.

“This year, this very sec-

tor: that we left functioning; that we came back into office and met on its knees, on decline, collapsing, about to close…we don’t look at polit-

ical opportunity, we look at opportunity to serve the people and build our country; so, what did we do? We encouraged investment, we laid out a policy framework that sought to reignite confidence in the sector despite COVID, despite increase in shipping cost, despite sanctions on the main operator. We didn’t abandon; instead, we are projecting the sector to grow by 60 percent, because investment in the sector is now expanding,” Ali said.

Meanwhile, Dr Singh said the claim that APNU/AFC has often made: that they have a special relationship with the people of Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice), is simply not supported by their actions, if one were to look at the entire economy history of Guyana.

In February 2020, following much controversy surrounding the Russian-owned Bauxite Company of Guyana

File photo: Representatives of RUSAL (left) during the meeting with the then Social Protection Minister Amna Ally and then Junior Minister Keith Scott in 2020 to discuss difficulties the company was facing

“What I can say is that I have ordered the GGMC (Guyana Geology and Mines Commission) to conduct a technical and legal assessment of all of RUSAL’s operations. I am hoping that I can get that report for presentation to His Excellency (President David Granger) and other Ministers on Tuesday. And we are looking at all of the legal and other consequences; either them closing or we closing them.

We just can’t have the status quo continue as is,” Troman had said, as was reported in the local media on March 2, 2019.

He was at the time on a tour of the bauxite operations in Linden, Region 10.

10 NEWS NA man nabbed 22-year-old remanded with over $6.5M on robbery charge worth of ganja N TUESDAY, JANUARY 30, 2024 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

athaniel Martin, a 22-year-old resident of Middle Road, La Penitence, Georgetown, is alleged to have robbed Richard Balchan of a Samsung Galaxy phone valued at $35,000 and of cash valued at $5,000 in an incident that occurred at Brickdam, Georgetown on January 26, 2024 while Martin was in the company of others.

Appearing without legal representation on Monday before Magistrate Clive Nurse in that Georgetown magistrate’s court, Martin denied the accusation, and asserted that he was not the robber, but had seen another person robbing Balchan.

That person, he said, had “pushed” Balchan against a bus, and had taken away his phone and cash before making good his escape on foot. And despite him telling the Police what he had seen, Martin claimed, he was nonetheless detained and charged.

The Police prosecutor,

R

anks of the Customs AntiNarcotics Unit have nabbed a male resident of New Amsterdam with over 21.8kgs of marijuana during an operation conducted at a house in Hummingbird Street, Festival City, South Ruimveldt, Georgetown last Friday.

Reports are that the CANU operation netted a quantity of leaves, seeds and stems suspected to be marijuana; and a further search of the premises revealed six bulky plastic parcels containing a quantity of leaves, seeds and stems hidden in three barrels in the yard.

The 35-year-old Berbice resident, of Lot 3 King Street in New Amsterdam, was arrested on the premises. He claimed to be a labourer there, but 13 grams of cannabis were found on his person. He was escorted to CANU Headquarters with all the cannabis discovered, which was weighed and amounted to 21.8kgs. This amount of marijuana has an estimated street value of $6,540,000.

Investigations are ongoing.

Robbery accused Nathaniel Martin

however, strongly objected to Martin's release on bail, pointing out that the virtual complainant had positively identified him, and that the offence is a grave one. Moreover, the

prosecutor said, the stolen phone was recovered.

Accordingly, Martin was remanded to prison, and is expected to make his next court appearance on February 27. (G1)

Guns, ammo, drugs found in Agricola The cannabis that was found during the CANU bust in Hummingbird Street, Festival City, South Ruimveldt, Georgetown

The guns that were found by CANU

T

wo guns, along with matching ammunition and marijuana, were found by ranks of the Customs AntiNarcotics Unit at Agricola on Monday.

According to CANU, officers were conducting an operation between Third and Fourth streets in Agricola, East Bank Demerara when they stumbled upon one .45 ACP pistol with nine matching rounds, a 12-gauge shotgun with one cartridge, and a quantity of leaves, seeds and stems suspected to be marijuana.

The find was taken

The cannabis found during the operation

to CANU Headquarters, where the narcotic was weighed and amounted to

162 grams.

An investigation been launched.

has

NEWS

11

TUESDAY, JANUARY 30, 2024 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

EBD river dam squatters now homeowners

“I feel more better that I come off the dam” – new homeowner

A family receiving the key to their new home

S

ome 30 low-income families who had previously been residing in makeshift dwellings on dams along the East Bank adjacent to the Demerara river have now

had their living conditions improved with the provision of core homes situated at Great Diamond, East Bank Demerara.

square feet, and include a kitchen, living area and restroom facilities, with concrete blocks for the outer walls and floors, basic doors, and electrical wiring, among other amenities.

The structures are designed to meet basic standards of a family, and include additional space for affordable expansion.

Housing and Planning Authority’s (CH&PA’s) Projects Department.

In brief remarks at this handing over exercise, Minister Croal explained that the beneficiaries had

been pre-approved by the Housing Ministry based on their monthly incomes, and efforts to relocation more squatters are still ongoing.

certificate; so, it means that they could apply to GPL and have their current connected immediately. So, there is access for electricity here. In fact, if you notice, it’s welllit, and so they will be able to move in immediately.

And we’ll be working with them on their relocation,” Minister Croal explained.

Croal explained that the beneficiaries would receive their land titles upon their completing payment for the structures.

“The proximity for here is very prime, because it’s very close to the four-lane in both directions, and very close to the roundabout. So, the land value itself, once handed over today, it may be double or triple immediately,” the minister added.

During an interview with Guyana Times, Gulcharan Hansraj, the first person to open the door to his new home, shared that he had resided in Covent Garden since 1996, and had had little hope of ever owning a property. In this regard, the 41-year-old chicken farmer expressed gratitude to the Government and the Ministry for assisting squatters with acquiring land.

“I feel more better that I come off the dam and come in a better place now. From

jor accomplishment for the family. Unable to hide her excitement, Gafoor emphasized that the days of no water and electricity are now gone.

“You know, it kind of hard there; sometime you don’t get no water and light, but I have solar I use, and I must say thanks to the Ministry of Housing for this, for the help…Well, I will do an opening for the house, because I am a Hindu, so an opening will bless the home; and then after I’ll move in,” Gafoor explained.

Laing Avenue distribution

Meanwhile, 60 families residing along Laing Avenue in West Ruimveldt have also been provided with housing rehabilitation grants on Monday afternoon. This

would provide informal settlers with four main housing options, among which are the existing turn-key (move-in ready) housing units; the area at Great Diamond outfitted with the necessary infrastructure works; land allocations at other schemes; and the Venezuelan immigrants, who would be assisted with building through the Men on Mission (MOM) initiative.

The Ministry has, since 2021, been engaging with approximately 291 squatters on the sea dams at Herstelling, Farm, Covent Garden, Prospect, Diamond, Grove, and Friendship.

About 50 per cent of the settlers have already received land allocations in housing schemes.

Some of the houses in which the new homeowners were living prior to the allocation from the Housing Ministry

Each home has been constructed to the tune of $5.2 million, and the new homeowners would be required to pay a monthly mortgage of $25,000.

The two-bedroom core homes are no less than 600

Housing and Water Minister Collin Croal on Monday presented the new homeowners with their keys in the presence of Community Development Director Gladwin Charles and engineers of the Central

He disclosed that the Ministry would continue to work with the new home owners to ensure the moving process is smooth.

“All of these persons here, obviously today they will be issued their electrical

the time the Government and the whole team come in, they doing a good job here,” Hansraj said.

Beneficiary Indranie Gafoor, who lived with her family along the sea dam at Grove, said this is a ma-

is another initiative spearheaded by the Housing Ministry to ensure the living conditions of Guyanese persons are improved.

The relocation and resettlement programme under the Housing Ministry

The sea dams are zero-tolerance squatting zones, as occupation hinders access and drainage works, posing flood risks and threatening the safety of residents.

12 NEWS

TUESDAY, JANUARY 30, 2024 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Guyana Energy Conference and Supply Chain Expo…

Local Private Sector called on to step up game, seek partnerships T

he upcoming Guyana Energy Conference and Supply Chain Expo will place spotlight on the grand scale of opportunities available for investment in the country’s blossoming economy, to which the local Private Sector has been urged to step up their game and seek partnerships.

The third edition of the exposition is slated for February 19-22, 2024 under the theme: Fuelling Transformation and Modernization.

During a media briefing on Monday, Natural Resources Minister Vickram Bharrat recognised that Guyana is one of two hotspots for investment globally, but it has an advantage over Namibia in Africa, which is now moving towards production.

By February, Guyana will be producing a massive 600,000 barrels of oil per day, and with increased production comes increased opportunities, and with this ramped-up generation comes a new wave of economic openings.

“At the last energy conference, we were 380,000 to 390,000 barrels per day. A lot has happened from the last conference to this one, and increase in production definitely spells opportunities; opportunities throughout the value chain, opportunities for Private Sector and the provision of goods and services.”

Consequently, the

Ministers stressed that it is important for the local Private Sector to use this platform as one to engage, network, and build partnerships. Local businesses were also versed that after the Local Content Act was finalised, several joint ventures have been created, and new investors are seeking partnerships, since schedule One of the frameworks can be amended at any time.

“Even though our Schedule One in the Local Content Legislation is limited to 40 carved out services, today it might be very different. What we have noticed is that almost every single investor coming to invest is now looking for a local partner, regardless if the service is in Schedule One or not.

They're still looking for a local partner, because that schedule can be amended at any point in time…At any point in time, we can add services to that schedule, we can increase targets to the existing schedule. So, investors coming to Guyana fully aware of that, and because of that Act, fact we have seen massive development in our local Private Sector,” the Minister explained.

Further reiterating that Guyana’s buildout is not only focused on oil and gas, Bharrat relayed Government’s intention to attract investments in all sectors, and in so doing, there will be room for ev-

(from left to right) GO-Invest CEO Dr Peter Ramsaroop, Minister Vickram Bharrat, and the Guyana Energy Conference CEO Kurt Baboolall

eryone to participate. The oil and gas industry is being seen as a medium to energize other sectors, where resources can be funnelled to create a robust and sustainable economy.

“We don't want to be seen as an oil-based economy, even though some people may look at us as a new kid on the block in terms of production. We want to showcase, and we want to bring in investment in all sectors. We are not going to make the same mistake like many countries by revenue as soon as we start flowing.”

Additionally, Chief Executive Officer of the Guyana Office for Investment (GO-Invest), Dr Peter Ramsaroop, sounded the call for local businesses to take advantage of the budding opportunities, but in doing so, they must step up their game.

Some 200 exhibitors are expected for this year, spanning 21 countries.

He expounded, “When you think of Guyana as a powerhouse, and you look at the type of visitors that will be in our country, I would advise our local Private Sector to really take the advantage.

These folks are here looking to make money, and we don't have a problem with that, but our Private Sector needs to understand that they have to step up their game. Look for the right partnership, participate, and demonstrate our capacity and capability.”

Attention is already set on the larger investment from 2025 to 2030, and how the economy can be diversified, Ramsaroop added.

The GO-Invest Head pointed out, “If you think of these folks coming in the country looking at oil and gas, realizing we've got the best silica sand in the world, we can be building the solar panels. Bauxite can go to aluminium, or we can have a gold refinery.

These sounded far-fetched five years ago, but now they’re becoming a reality.”

Meanwhile, Private Sector Commission (PSC) Chairman Komal Singh has already asserted their readiness to participate fully, noting that just over the last two years, billions have been invested by private stakeholders.

Singh reported, “The Private Sector is very excited to be part of it, and we want to emphasize the importance of when you here to work with our Private Sector, to work with businesses locally. We want to create that platform where we can collaborate and create partnerships with companies that have the right technical expertise, the capital to support these investments.”

Thus far, some 19 different sectors are participating, with a focus on growth, sustainability and diversification. To ensure a balance in these industries would

mean that traditional sectors need to keep up with the pace of development.

The conference will touch on shaping the future of energy; trends and best practices; the oil and gas value chain; emerging technologies to shape the energy landscape; building resilient supply chains in the face of disasters; and collaboration strategies for emerging economies, among other things.

Chief Executive Officer Kurt Baboolall outlined, “The theme connects the other industries, because without infrastructure, how can persons move their products along the roadway? We look at agriculture, farm-to-market roads, so the energy sector does not operate within a silo, and there is a correlation for other sectors here.

If they cannot corelate in terms of progess or increase, then you will see the energy sector stifling.

Several high-level officials are slated to attend, namely: Prime Minister of Qatar, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani; former Colombian President Ivan Duque; Dominican Republic President Luis Abinader; Surinamese President Chandrikapersad Santokhi; Bahamian Prime Minister Philip Edward Davis; Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley; and Caricom Secretary-General Dr Carla Barnett.

NEWS

13

TUESDAY, JANUARY 30, 2024 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Several businesses destroyed as fire guts 3 buildings at Corriverton

A

fire that erupted on Monday morning in the heart of the commercial district of the township of Corriverton in Region Six (East BerbiceCorentyne) has destroyed three buildings and sent several businesses up in flames.

A hotel, restaurant, sports bar, and upholstery business were all casualties of this inferno, which reportedly had its genesis at Mahin and Sons Upholstery Shop at Lot 'P' Corriverton.

Mahendra Persaud of Number 75 Village, Upper Corentyne, Berbice is owner/operator of this upholstery shop.

This fire, which started at about 09:00h on Monday, reportedly consumed the two-storey wooden structure of Mahin and Sons within minutes, before

housed several businesses.

A section of the mall was destroyed before firefighters could get the blaze under control.

Mahindra Persaud, who

spreading to the Ritz Hotel and Restaurant, and then moving on to a mall that

operated Mahin and Sons Upholstery, said he was at work when he saw smoke

The fire at Corriverton, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) on Monday

emanating from a room in his building. According to the 54-year-old Persaud, upon seeing the smoke, he had initially thought that someone was burning garbage, but as it intensified, he decided to check. At the time, he was attending to a lone customer in his business place.

I see the smoke coming out from a room that I get, and when I go and open the door, I see fire, he declared.

The man said he tried to extinguish the fire in that early stage, but suffered burns to his feet in the process.

I lock back the door and tell the man to help me take out my machine and put it outside. I managed to pull out the machine and what else I could get, but I couldn t get plenty, because is a wood building and it catch quick, he said.

Within minutes, he said, the fire had spread through-

Teachers should not be intimidated or bullied by GTU – Labour Minister on planned strike

L

abour Minister Joseph Hamilton told the Department of Public Information (DPI) on Monday that the Labour Ministry has been informed that a strike organised by the Guyana Teachers’ Union (GTU) has been planned from February 5 to 16, 2024.

He said scare tactics being employed by the GTU include threatening to fire teachers and blocking their promotions if they fail to participate in the strike.

Minister Hamilton has iterated that the GTU lacks any authoritative stance to do so.

“Do not allow the Guyana Teachers’ Union and its executives to threaten you or intimidate you.

They cannot, and they are in no position to, cause you to lose your job [or] to cause you not to be promoted,” he assured.

Labour Minister Joseph Hamilton

The minister has said that any strike called by the GTU would be deemed illegal by the Labour Ministry.

“I, as Minister of Labour, am duty bound to protect everyone who would have been intimidated and/ or bullied by the Teachers’

Union to join an illegitimate and illegal strike,” he emphasised.

Additionally, the Labour Minister has emphasised that it is important for all teachers to understand that participating in the strike may have implications.

out his business place, which he had been renting for 13 years. He pointed out that a compressor, leatherette, and rolls of sponge which he had purchased to do upholstery were destroyed in the fire.

I had people chairs that I was supposed to deliver on Friday. All burn! I collect advance from people for their work, and all burn up!

I collected $100,000 from some people at Number 66 to do their chair, and the money and the chair all burned up, he disclosed.

Persaud said the fire also destroyed a power generator which he used whenever there was a power outage.

I would have see a next place to rent, but I am studying the things that I had for people that burn. I had a man car-top he bring till from Georgetown a new model car. That is what I studying, because he can

t buy back that, Persaud said as he broke down in tears.

According to Persaud, three persons who worked with him are now jobless.

He estimates his losses at $4M. Meanwhile, the huge flames having destroyed Persaud's business place, spread to the three-storey concrete edifice that is the Ritz Hotel, Restaurant and Sports Bar, once a popular entertainment establishment situated at 171 Springlands.

The owner of Ritz business establishment, 62-year-old Kamaldai Ootra, called Rita , explained that she was on the lower flat of the building when her granddaughter informed her that she was seeing thick smoke next door, and she immediately moved to investigate.

I see the smoke coming out from the old build-

ing! Black! Black! It had already started to accumulate in my room, because I had the windows open. The fire spread and come to my building from the ceiling. I know if the fire people had reached here on time, my building would have saved, she declared.

The Fire Department has said it received a call about a fire at 9:34h, and a water tender from the Corriverton Fire Station was dispatched with support in the form of a water tender hastening on its way from Rose Hall Town.

According to the Fire Department, the first appliance arrived on the scene at 9:39h, and firefighters discovered one building destroyed and another fully engulfed in flames and smoke.

The cause of the fire is still being investigated.

(G4)

14 NEWS

TUESDAY, JANUARY 30, 2024 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Children’s 2024 Mashramani competition kicks off …private schools now participating in national events

T

Students participating in Mashramani competition

he ambience in the National Cultural Center on Monday was one of exhilaration as the Education Department

is being celebrated under the theme "Celebrating Our Peoples and Our Prosperity.”

The Mashramani com-

took part in dance performances showcasing Guyana’s cultural, ethnic and religious backgrounds in the five to seven age cat-

in Georgetown launched its Children's Mashramani Competition 2024.

This year, Mashramani

petition, which is carried out in different stages and age groups, peaked its charts as several schools

egory.

The aim of this competition is to give school-aged children the opportunity

Students engrossed in the event

to celebrate Guyana’s republic anniversary in the performing arts. Divided into three categories - fantasy, children play and religious beliefs - three schools emerged as the first-place winners; namely, St Margaret’s Primary, Westfield Prep and St Pius Primary.

It was a well-made decision by judges Chenille Bowen, Tamisha Bayley, Shirley Iniss, Linda

Griffith, Tamika Sealey and Vivienne Daniel, as each triumphant school depicted their respective categories to the fullest of their means in their performances.

Meanwhile, Principal Education Officer Emmanuel Bridgewater expressed gratitude for the Education Ministry’s new accomplishments. He expressed, “As of now we are happy to announce that pri-

vate schools in Georgetown are now participating in the Mashramani competitions, and almost all of our public schools are participating.”

The competition would conclude on Friday, and, over the next five days, students from schools across Georgetown would be competing in various areas, such as dance, physical display, calypso, and poetry.

NEWS

15

TUESDAY, JANUARY 30, 2024 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Guyana secures bronze at 2024 Caribbean STEM Olympiads

Temidara Oyedotun, a finalist in the Level I Math Olympiad

T

“QC’s Mc²” finalists in the Level I Math Olympiad, consisting of Angel Henry, Samara Munro and Ariel Mohanlall of Queen’s College

ejasvarun Kandavel of Queen’s College picked up a bronze medal at the Caribbean STEM Olympiads (CSO).

The Caribbean STEM Olympiads hosted by the Caribbean Science Foundation (CSF) just recently concluded, marking it the second annual Caribbean STEM Olympiads (CSO) to be held, the prestigious virtual event showcased talents from young minds in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM).

The Math Olympiad event, which was held between January 17 to 21, challenged participants with a range of topics, spanning consumer arithmetic to vector calculus,

in an engaging Jeopardystyle format. The Computer Coding Olympiad required contestants to develop innovative apps, games, and websites aimed at addressing key challenges faced by Caribbean communities.

Individuals and teams from educational institutions and clubs across the Caribbean had the opportunity to participate in the Math Olympiad, Computer Coding Olympiad, and Robotics Olympiad at three different age levels.

According to a release on Monday from the Caribbean Science Foundation, the challenges tackled by teams in the 2024 Olympiads included geohazards and climate change, inter and intra country transportation, public health, non-com-

municable diseases, crime, and money movement and financial education. The Robotics Olympiad tasked applicants with building innovative robots from kits at Level I, and complex robots starting from scratch with a set of random parts at Level III. A total of 131 students from 11 Caribbean countries registered for the event, with 39 teams (83 students) advancing to the finals.

Amidst fierce competition, standout performances were recognized with medals and cash prizes. Jamaica led the medal count with eight medals, followed by Antigua and Barbuda with six, Belize with four, and Barbados and Saint Lucia

with three and two medals respectively. However, the highlight of the games was Guyana’s, Tejasvarun Kandavel who brought home a bronze medal in the Level I Computer Coding Olympiad.

Tejasvarun Kandavel, a talented student from Queen's College, impressed the judges with his video game “Adventuring Climate Change," which aimed to raise awareness about climate change.

Guyana also achieved two finalist positions in the Olympiads, as 12-yearold Temidara Oyedotun from School of the Nations competed in the Level I Math Olympiad and the team "QC’s Mc²", consisting of Angel Henry, Samara Munro, and Ariel Mohanlall from Queen’s College Guyana, participated in the Level I Math Olympiad.

Meanwhile, the Interim Executive Director of the CSF, Professor Cardinal Warde, acknowledged the event's, expressing his optimism for the future of STEM in the region. "The

Guyana’s Tejasvarun Kandavel, bronze medal

STEM outlook for the Region is very positive.

This year, we raised the bar a little higher, and I was impressed by the performance of the medalists.”

To further support robotics and coding efforts, the CSF will offer coaching sessions starting in April 2024, aiding teams in their preparation for the 2025 Robotics and Computer Coding Olympiads,” he noted.

Additionally, participants also shared their thoughts and appreciation for the event. Tejasvarun Kandavel expressed gratitude to the CSF for the opportunity to participate and receive feedback on his project. Similarly, Temidara Oyedotun applauded the supportive atmosphere of the competition and highlighted her enthusiasm to continue participating in future STEM Olympiads.

The "QC’s Mc²" team expressed gratitude for the

invaluable learning experience and personal growth they gained through this exhilarating competition.

Most notable mention went to the platinum medalist team, "Team PCC Pi-rates," from Trinidad and Tobago, they thanked the CSF for providing a platform that fostered analytical and critical thinking skills.

The Caribbean Science Foundation stated that the successful execution of the Caribbean STEM Olympiads was made possible by the generous support of institutional sponsors including CIBC, Emera Caribbean, Peloton International, Trident Insurance, and TAG software. The CSF, a regional non-profit NGO, aims to stimulate technology-based entrepreneurship and promote STEM education reform to drive the development and diversification of the Caribbean economies.

Iwokrama wins tourism awards T he Iwokrama International Centre for Rain Forest Conservation and Development (Iwokrama) has received two awards at the Visit Rupununi awards ceremony held at Lethem on Saturday last.

In a statement on Monday, Iwokrama said it is grateful for this recognition by Visit Rupununi for Best Lodge 2023 (Iwokrama River Lodge) and Best Cook 2023 (Iwokrama’s Chef Colin Browne).

The Centre has been serving guests for almost 25 years, and these awards are testament to the hard work, commitment and dedication of Iwokrama’s staff, almost all of whom come from the surrounding local Indigenous communities. Over the years,

Best Lodge and Best Cook (Colin Browne) for Iwokrama River Lodge awards

Iwokrama has built capacity in many residents of the North Rupununi area in various tourism and other related disciplines.

Tourism training includes tour guiding, rangering, drivers and boat captains, hospitality and food and beverage, among others.

Colin Browne is a professionally trained chef

who has served Iwokrama for almost 17 years, and is known for his culinary skills throughout the region and country. The tourism team has been led by veteran Tourism Manager Michael Patterson for almost eight years, and he is also a highly trained Iwokrama Ranger.

Iwokrama has also been

Chef Colin Browne with Operations Manager Rohanie Roopnarine

helping to develop community tourism operations, both on the coast and in

the hinterland, through support from ExxonMobil Foundation and other do-

nors.

To support the tourism thrust by the Government of Guyana through the Low Carbon Development Strategy, the Centre will be investing in more accommodation facilities and new products in 2024 and beyond. Already, new tours for fishing and hiking have been launched in 2023 with the support of the Guyana Tourism Authority, and a biking tour is currently in development. The Centre also plans to roll out a health and wellness facility, including a yoga Centre.

The Centre achieved Good Travel Seal Certification for its tourism operations in 2023, and recently retained international certification for its sustainable forestry operations.

16 NEWS

TUESDAY, JANUARY 30, 2024 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

75 years of human rights: Barbados honours human rights defenders

Members of Government and the diplomatic corps join together after the moment of silence honouring the human rights defenders along with Maria Marshall, one of the human rights defenders honoured in the evening (Photo: RCO/Java Sealy)

Canadian High Commissioner Lilian Chatterjee delivering opening remarks at her official residence, moments before honouring three human rights defenders, to an audience of international and Local Government attendees, and members of civil society (Photo: RCO/Java Sealy)

n the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Barbados joined a global chorus in celebrating the heroes who tirelessly champion the cause of humanity. In a joint event hosted by the United Nations, the Canadian High Commission, and the Government of Barbados, local and international representatives came together to honour three remarkable individuals who embody the spirit of the Declaration: Maria Marshall, UNICEF Youth Advocate for the Environment, has been a vocal advocate for climate justice, urging world leaders to listen to the voic-

"We recognize and support their work," she affirmed, acknowledging the risks they face and calling for their voices to be heard.

"Human rights are at the core of Canada's engagement around the world, and we will always stand up for them."

Minister of Labour, Social Partnership Relations and the Third Sector, the Hon. Colin E. Jordan, M.P. emphasized the crucial need to safeguard everyone's rights, stating, "Every person deserves dignity," and pledging the government's unwavering commitment to "ensuring that discrimination has no place in

O

es of young people most affected by the climate crisis; Ranako Bailey, Youth & Gender Activist, fights for gender equality rights and the empowerment of young people, challenging inequalities and fostering inclusivity within her community; Kerry Ann Ifill, Women & Disability Rights Activist, advocates for the full inclusion of persons with disabilities and champions the rights of women, particularly those living with disabilities.

Didier Trebucq, UN Resident Coordinator, hailed the Declaration as a "lighthouse" that has illuminated the path towards sustainable development,

stressing, "Without it, our understanding of human equality might not have been enshrined in laws around the world."

He linked the spirit of the Declaration to the UN's "leaving no one behind" motto, highlighting the urgency of inclusive progress.

He further emphasised that "behind every social change… there has always been a person or a group of persons 'fighting the fight,' putting themselves and their lives on the line."

Canadian High Commissioner Lilian Chatterjee, underscored the vital role of human rights defenders in promoting equality and equity.

this country." As a poignant symbol of hope for a brighter future, the event concluded with a one-minute candlelight vigil, reminding everyone of the ongoing struggle for a world where human rights are respected and protected for all.

The Barbados commemoration exemplifies the global spirit of the anniversary, urging both individual and collective action towards a more just and equitable world. As Minister Jordan aptly stated, "The responsibility of upholding human rights rests with all of us.

Let us all, in our everyday activities and interactions, practice fairness and kind-

ness, and together, ensure that the principles of the Declaration remain relevant and attainable for generations to come."

In the face of ongoing challenges, the stories of these passionate advocates and the collective call for action offer a beacon of hope, reminding us that the fight for human rights is a continuous journey worth embarking on together. By practicing equality and equity in our everyday lives, we can honor the legacy of the Declaration and contribute to building a world where everyone has the opportunity to thrive. (caribbean.un.org/en)

T&T commuters spend one month of life in traffic every year, ECLAC study shows A

ground-breaking study by ECLAC Caribbean reveals the direct economic cost of traffic in Trinidad and Tobago at $2.26 Billion.

The direct economic cost of traffic in Trinidad and Tobago is an estimated TT$2.26 billion per year or 1.37 per cent of GDP; with the average commuter spending an average 793 hours, cumulatively 33 days – one month of the year in traffic delays. These are two of the main findings of the study Assessment of the economic costs of vehicle traffic congestion in the Caribbean – A case study of Trinidad and Tobago, produced by the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and

the Caribbean (ECLAC) Subregional Headquarters for the Caribbean.

Over the period June to September 2023, data was collected, using online field surveys, in which respondents answered questions on their traffic congestion experience in Trinidad and Tobago. A key assumption which underpinned the method is that commuters (both drivers and passengers) are best able to estimate the amount of time spent in traffic during their daily movements. Most respondents (56 per cent female and 44 per cent male), reported that they commuted at least three times per week in self-driven private vehicles (81 per cent), carrying no passengers.

The problem of vehicu-

lar traffic has been studied worldwide, and has significant economic, social and environmental effects. In the European Union, traffic-related loss amounts to some 1.4 per cent (200 billion Euros) of GDP. In the USA, traffic triggers an annual loss of 0.7 per cent of GDP or some US $151 million. Before the publication of this research, no studies have estimated the economic impact of traffic congestion at the national level in the English-speaking Caribbean.

This study found that the average time delays for weekday periods ranged from a low of 3 minutes at night, to a high of 58 minutes during the late afternoon period.

On weekdays, traffic delays from 4am – 9am averaged 52

minutes. The average weekly time lost per worker in Trinidad and Tobago was estimated to be 793 hours, approximately 16 hours each work week. The research used hourly wage rates partitioned across the total labour participation rate for 2021 to calculate the estimated TT $2.236 billion lost opportunity cost.

The problem of traffic congestion has become a major challenge among Caribbean small island developing states (SIDS), especially in the context of the subregion’s growing urbanisation and increasing levels of motorisation over the past three decades. The study notes that the road network in T&T evolved in the manner typical of SIDS, with limited

land resources, economies of scale and hilly topography limiting options for expanding road infrastructure. The study notes that population growth and urban expansion outpaced the development of road networks; additionally, the high per capita car ownership of 0.5 vehicles per person is contributing to the intense traffic congestion and long commutes. Vehicle sales in T&T continue to trend upwards. Between 2010-2019, there was an addition of approximately 15,000 new vehicles per year. While vehicle stock numbers have continuously risen, over the last four decades, road network infrastructure has a rough increase of only 0.5 per cent per year.

The study makes policy

recommendations for consideration over the short to medium term, including, continuing efforts to strengthen public transportation services, including strategies to make public transportation more accessible, safe and attractive to commuters; enhancing the role of paratransit or auxiliary service providers; increased telecommuting to reduce the need for physical commuting, especially among professional workers; further investment in a school bus service, which could mitigate school-generated tragic congestion; and application of better spatial planning and traffic management tools when planning for annual and or seasonal events. (caribbean.un.org/ en)

NEWS

17

TUESDAY, JANUARY 30, 2024 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

3 US soldiers killed in Jordan attack named T

he US government has released the names of three troops killed by an enemy drone attack in Jordan on Sunday.

Sgt William Jerome Rivers, 46, Specialist Kennedy Ladon Sanders, 24 and Specialist Breonna Alexsondria Moffett, 23 were killed when a drone hit their housing unit.

The US has blamed Iranian-backed groups for the attack and the Pentagon said it carried the "footprints" of Hezbollah.

The Pentagon also reiterated the US does not want a war with Iran.

Sergeant William Jerome Rivers, 46; Specialist Kennedy Ladon Sanders, 24; and Specialist Breonna Alexsondria Moffett, 23

Qatar PM says good progress in Gaza truce, captives' negotiations

Q

atar s prime minister has said good progress was made during a meeting between intelligence officials from Egypt, Israel and the United States over the weekend to discuss a possible deal to secure a truce in the Israel-Hamas war and the release of captives held by Palestinian groups in Gaza.

Spy chiefs from the three countries, which have been leading negotiations on agreements to pause fighting since the start of the war on October 7, met over the weekend in the French capital Paris.

The sides discussed a potential deal that would include a phased truce that would see women and children released first and humanitarian aid entering the besieged Gaza Strip, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim al Thani confirmed on Monday.

We are hoping to relay this proposal to Hamas and to get them to a place where they engage positively and constructively in the process, the prime minister said during an event hosted by the Atlantic Council in Washington, DC, the US. Qatar s prime minister also said that Hamas had de-

A deal was discussed including a phased truce that would see women and children released first and aid entering the besieged Gaza Strip, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim al Thani confirmed on Monday [Screengrab/Al Jazeera]

manded a permanent ceasefire as a precondition to enter negotiations.

I believe we moved from that place to a place that potentially might lead to a ceasefire permanently in the future, he said.

Al Thani said that talks are in a much better place than where we were a few weeks ago .

Around 240 people were taken hostage by Hamas on October 7 after the group s fighters launched a surprise attack from Gaza on southern Israel, killing at least 1,139

people, according to Israeli figures.

Israel responded with a devastating bombardment and ground invasion of Gaza, killing more than 26,600 people, according to Palestinian health officials.

Qatar and the US led negotiations of a previous weeklong truce in late November that saw more than 100 captives released by Palestinian groups in Gaza and more than 200 Palestinians held in Israeli prisons released in exchange. (Excerpted from Al Jazeera)

"We don't seek war, but we will take action, and respond to attacks on our forces," said Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh.

CBS News, the BBC's US partner, said it was told by a US official that the drone used in the attack appeared to be Iranianmade.

The official indicated it was a "type of Shahed drone," which is a one-way attack drone Iran has been providing to Russia.

Iran has denied US and British accusations that it supported militant groups blamed for the strike.

The Pentagon said the three soldiers killed on Sunday morning came from an army reserve unit based in Fort Moore, in the state of Georgia.

Lt Gen Jody Daniels, Chief of Army Reserve and Commanding General US Army Reserve Command, paid tribute to the fallen soldiers.

"On behalf of the Army Reserve, I share in the sorrow felt by their friends, family, and loved ones.

Their service and sacrifice

will not be forgotten, and we are committed to supporting those left behind in the wake of this tragedy", said Gen Daniels.

The drone attack took place in Rukban, north-eastern Jordan, near the Syrian border. The base was later named by US officials as Tower 22.

More than 40 military personnel were injured when the unmanned aerial system hit the container housing unit they were in on Sunday morning.

Features of an air defence system were turned off at Tower 22 at the time of the attack, US officials told CBS News, because the enemy drone arrived at the same time as a returning US drone.

They added that troops at the air base were still in their sleeping quarters when the drone struck with little to no warning.

Iran has denied playing a part in supporting groups suspected of being responsible for the strike.

Nasser Kanaani, Iran's foreign ministry spokesman, said it was "not involved in the decision making of resistance groups" in how they chose to "defend Palestinians or their own countries".

Iran's Intelligence Minister Esmail Khatib said that regional armed groups aligned with Iran respond to "American aggressors" at their own discretion.

US President Joe Biden said the US "will hold all those responsible to account at a time and in a manner of our choosing".

The US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin said he and Mr Biden would take "all necessary actions" following the at-

tack on American forces.

Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh said the attack was carried out by an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-backed militia and had the "footprints" of Lebanese group Hezbollah.

The Islamic Resistance in Iraq has claimed it was behind the attack.

The umbrella group emerged in late 2023 and is comprised of several Iranaffiliated militias operating in Iraq. It has claimed other attacks against US forces in recent weeks.

In a statement, the group said it had targeted three US bases in Syria - identifying them as Shaddadi, Tanf and Rukban. However, Rukban is on the Jordanian side of the border with Syria. The group also said it targeted an Israeli oil facility in the Mediterranean.

It is the first time that a strike has killed US troops in the region since the start of the war in Gaza, triggered by Hamas's 7 October attack on Israel.

There have been other attacks on US bases in the region, but before Sunday there were no fatalities, according to the US military.

Officials said that US sites in Iraq and Syria had been attacked at least 165 times since 17 October.

Last month, the US carried out airstrikes against Iran-affiliated groups after three US servicemembers were injured, one critically, in a drone attack on a base in northern Iraq.

Earlier in January, one retaliatory US strike in Baghdad killed a militia leader accused of being behind attacks on US personnel. (BBC)

Neuralink implants brain chip in 1st human, Musk says

US disabled Chinese hacking E network targeting critical infrastructure, sources say

T

he US Government in recent months launched an operation to fight a pervasive Chinese hacking operation that successfully compromised thousands of Internet-connected devices, according to two Western security officials and one person familiar with the matter.

The Justice Department and Federal Bureau of Investigation sought and received legal authorisation to remotely disable aspects of the Chinese hacking campaign, the sources told Reuters.

The Biden Administration

has increasingly focused on hacking, not only for fear nation states may try to disrupt the US election in November, but because ransomware wreaked havoc on Corporate America in 2023.

The hacking group at the centre of recent activity, Volt Typhoon, has especially alarmed intelligence officials who say it is part of a larger effort to compromise Western critical infrastructure, including naval ports, Internet Service Providers and utilities.

While the Volt Typhoon

campaign initially came to light in May 2023, the hackers expanded the scope of their operations late last year and changed some of their techniques, according to three people familiar with the matter.

The widespread nature of the hacks led to a series of meetings between the White House and private technology industry, including several telecommunications and cloud commuting companies, where the US Government asked for assistance in tracking the activity.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

lon Musk, Neuralink's billionaire founder, said on Monday the first human patient received an implant from the brainchip startup on Sunday and is recovering well.

"Initial results show promising neuron spike detection," Musk said in a post, on social media platform X. The US Food and Drug Administration had given the company clearance last year to conduct its first trial to test its implant on humans.

The first product from Neuralink would be called Telepathy, Musk said in a separate post on X. The startup's PRIME Study is a trial for its wireless brain-computer

interface to evaluate the safety of the implant and surgical robot.

The study will assess the functionality of the interface, which enables people with quadriplegia or paralysis of all four limbs to control devices with their thoughts, according

to the company's website.

Neuralink opened the study trial for recruitment last September.

The startup did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for further details.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

18

TUESDAY, JANUARY 30, 2024

guyanatimesgy.com

Regional

Bolsonaro's son caught Days ahead of price rises, Cuba sounds political rallying cry up in spying probe

C

P

olice in Brazil have raided a number of properties linked to Carlos Bolsonaro, one of the sons of former President Jair Bolsonaro.

The search is part of an investigation into allegations that political enemies of President Bolsonaro were spied on illegally by the Brazilian intelligence service during his time in office.

Carlos Bolsonaro often attacked his father's critics on social media.

He has in the past been accused of spreading fake news, which he denies.

Neither Carlos Bolsonaro nor his father have so far commented on this latest raid.

The scandal first broke on Thursday when Brazil's Supreme Court unsealed documents in which the country's intelligence agency Abin was accused of carrying out surveillance on key political and judicial figures critical of the former President.

Among the alleged targets of the illegal eavesdropping were three Supreme

Carlos Bolsonaro is seen behind his father Jair Bolsonaro in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, September 29, 2022 (Reuters)

Court Justices and a Speaker of Brazil's Lower House of Congress.

Police searched the home and offices of Alexandre Ramagem -- the former Head of Abin and a close ally of Jair Bolsonaro -- on Thursday.

But the investigation moved much closer to the former President on Monday when officers arrived at a beach house where Jair Bolsonaro was staying with his sons.

The former leader was reportedly on a fishing trip with his sons when Police

arrived at the property in Angra dos Reis.

This latest probe adds to the legal problems of Jair Bolsonaro, who has been banned from running for office for eight years after casting unfounded doubts on Brazil's electronic voting system.

Now police are investigating whether Abin may have been illegally used during Bolsonaro's presidency to collect information on people who were perceived to be critical of the President. (Excerpt from Reuters)

US begins reimposing sanctions on Venezuela

T

he United States on Monday began reinstating sanctions on Venezuela and a Biden Administration source said a roll-back of restrictions on the oil industry could be allowed to expire, after the South American country's top court upheld a ban blocking the candidacy of the leading Opposition hopeful in presidential elections.

The United States had granted sanctions relief for Venezuela in October in recognition of a deal for elections this year.

But that relief was conditioned on President Nicolas Maduro's Government freeing certain Oppositionlinked and American prisoners and making progress toward removing bans on a number of Opposition figures.

Though Venezuela in December carried out a prisoner swap, the Maduro-allied Supreme Court on Friday kept in place a ban on Opposition candidate Maria Corina Machado, upholding prior findings that she had supported the sanctions, was involved in corruption, and lost money associated with Venezuela's foreign assets.

Several Opposition members were arrested the

uban President Miguel Diaz-Canel and top officials on Monday tried to reassure the country price rises and tax hikes were necessary, days ahead of an expected five-fold increase in the price of gasoline, but said more explanation may be needed.

Cuba in late December announced a series of measures, including hikes in the prices of fuel and public transport, aimed at narrowing a yawning deficit. Critics

have described the increases as inflationary, ill-timed, and lacking incentives for domestic production.

Political leaders had to prepare themselves for a national debate as the measures take hold, Diaz-Canel said, according to a summary of a recent Council of Ministers' meeting published on Monday by the President's office.

"We may find ourselves ... with workers' groups, with the party core, who will not understand and we need

to explain it to them well," Diaz-Canel said in a sixpage summary of the meeting, which called on the communist-run Government to confront any deviations from the "spirit" of Fidel Castro's 1959 revolution.

Cubans, already weary from years of shortages, high prices, and long lines at the gas pump and even for basic food items like bread and chicken, braced for even more pain as the February hikes loom. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Newspaper refuses to remove published photo of President Santokhi

T

he de Ware Tijd newspaper says it will not comply with a demand by President Chandrikapersad Santokhi to remove from its website, the photo on the cover of a book by a Dutch entrepreneur Gerard van den Bergh, alleging corruption at the highest level in Suriname.

Santokhi , through his Attorney, Gerold Sewcharan, has already sent a writ to the publisher and a bookstore demanding that the book titled “Corruption at the Highest Level,” be immediately withdraw from the market.

In the book, the Dutch businessman discusses doing business in the Dutch-speaking Caribbean Community (Caricom) country. The cover of the book features a photo of President Santokhi; Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries Minister

Parmanand Sewdien and entrepreneur Vijay Kirpalani.

In refusing to remove the photo from its website, the newspaper said it views Santokhi’s demand as being tantamount to censorship.

Santokhi, through the bailiff’s writ, has ordered the publisher of the newspaper to “immediately remove the image from its newspaper and from DWTonline, to keep it removed and not to distribute or help distribute it in any way”.

Other local and foreign media that have also published the image have so far not received a notice to remove the photo.

“We see nothing wrong with publishing the cover of the book. We have not commented on the content of what was written or on any allegations against the Head of State. We see this

far-reaching step as an attempt at censorship. The photo remains and legally the matter will also be investigated by us,” said Terence Oosterwolde, the Deputy Editor of the newspaper.

Last Thursday, Sewcharan, ordered Vaco bookstore to withdraw the book from sale and to stop advertising it, with Santokhi saying that he did not give permission for the use of the photo and that it was a violation of his right to the protection of his moral integrity, good name and honour as well as his reputation as President.

He argued that this was also harmful to Suriname’s image and that the photo and the contents of the book together draw a link between the President and corruption.

(Excerpt from Trinidad Guardian)

Ishwar Galbaransingh dies

B

Venezuelan Opposition Presidential candidate Maria Corina Machado addressing the media, after a court upheld a ban preventing her from holding office, in Caracas, Venezuela, January 29, 2024 (Reuters/Leonardo Fernandez Viloria)

same day.

In a first reinstatement of sanctions, the Treasury Department said on Monday evening any US entities conducting transactions with Venezuelan State-owned gold mining firm Minerven will have until February 13 to wind them down.

The move came hours after a Biden Administration official had said the Treasury licence that broadly restored dealings with Venezuela's oil industry would be allowed to expire on April 18 if Machado

and other Opposition figures were not allowed to run.

"Unless Maduro and his representatives in Venezuela are able to get back on track, specifically with regard to allowing all presidential candidates to compete in this year's election, we will not be in a position to renew General Licence 44, which provides relief to Venezuela's oil and gas sector when it comes up for renewal in April," the White House official said on condition of anonymity.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

usinessman Ishwar Galbaransingh has died.

On January 29, a message from his wife Cheryl said he “passed away peacefully today after a four-year fight with cancer.

“You all know him as a fighter, but the battle ended today.”

His death was also confirmed by one of his former Attorneys.

Galbaransingh has been fighting to clear his name for over two decades in what was considered the biggest and longest corruption trial in Trinidad and Tobago’s history after he and several others, including former Ministers and the late former Prime Minister Basdeo Panday faced allegations of corruption, bid-rigging, kickbacks, bid inflation, political interference, and fraud arising from the plagued $1.6 billion Piarco

Businessman Ishwar Galbaransingh

International Airport expansion project back in 1996.

Panday died on January 1.

In 2023, Galbaransingh said the corruption cases had destroyed his family and took a toll on him.

His comments came after Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Roger Gaspard, SC, discontinued one of the corruption cases

against him, Panday, Oma Panday and former Minister Carlos John.

There were three remaining cases against him. At the time, he said he expected the DPP to discontinue those cases as well since “there was never any evidence of any wrongdoing in the airport project.”

He maintained it was a politically-based persecution of him and the others for the past 18 years.

In total, there were four related cases, none of which have gone to trial.

The Privy Council had held that a complaint by the accused, including Galbaransingh, charged in Piarco I of apparent bias against then Chief Magistrate Sherman McNicolls was sufficient to strike down their committal to stand trial before a judge and jury. (Excerpt from Trinidad Guardian)

guyanatimesgy.com

TUESDAY, JANUARY 30, 2024

19

Around The World

Israel charges back into Gaza OILNEWS OIL NEWS City, US vows 'all necessary actions' after troops killed

Oil drops I as demand concerns counter supply jitters

O

il prices fell more than a dollar a barrel on Monday as China's ailing property sector sparked demand worries, causing traders to reassess the supply risk premium from escalating tensions in the Middle East.

Brent crude futures fell US$1.15, or 1.4 per cent, to settle at US$82.40 a barrel, while West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures dropped by US$1.23, or 1.6 per cent, at US$76.78 per barrel.

Both contracts settled lower for the first time in four sessions as attention shifted to demand concerns in China, where a real estate crisis deepened with a Hong Kong court ordering the liquidation of property giant China Evergrande Group.

The deepening real estate crisis is a blow to investor confidence in the top oil importer's economy, with earlier data showing slower-than-expected activity.

"The situation in China is the biggest headwind to the whole market; that is why the market keeps backing off from the war risk premium," said John Kilduff, partner at Again Capital LLC. Both benchmarks had gained about 1.5 per cent early in Monday trade, with Brent prices touching their highest since early November after a fuel tanker was hit by a missile in the Red Sea and US troops were attacked in Jordan near the Syrian border. The events mark a major escalation of tensions that have engulfed the Middle East.

However, following the news from China, some market participants questioned how much the risk premium should be as oil supplies have not yet been directly affected by the Middle East crisis.

"Currently we are seeing a premium of around US$10 a barrel when it should really just be US3 or US$4 based on true petroleum demand fundamentals," said Gary Cunningham, director at energy advisory firm Tradition Energy.

Meanwhile, lingering high interest rates were also in focus after European Central Bank policymakers were unable to reach a consensus on Monday over when interest rates should be cut.

Russia, meanwhile, is likely to cut exports of naphtha, a petrochemical feedstock, by between 127,500 and 136,000 barrels per day -- about a third of its total exports -- after fires disrupted operations at Baltic and Black Sea refineries, according to traders and LSEG ship-tracking data.

Another Russian oil facility came under attack on Monday, with Russian authorities indicating they had thwarted a drone attack on the Slavneft-YANOS refinery in the city of Yaroslavl.

US crude oil and distillates inventories were expected to have reduced last week while gasoline stocks were seen rising, according to a preliminary Reuters poll.

The American Petroleum Institute will publish its US stockpiles data today around 16:30h. Official data from the Energy Information Administration is due on Wednesday at 10:30h ET. (Reuters)

srael launched an assault on Gaza's biggest city, weeks after pulling back from it, while Washington vowed on Monday to take "all necessary actions" to defend its troops after a deadly attack in Jordan, the first US military deaths in the Middle East since the Gaza war began.

A day after three US service members in Jordan were killed and at least 34 wounded in what Washington called a drone attack by Iran-backed militants, President Joe Biden's Administration was under pressure to respond firmly without triggering a wider war.

"The President and I will not tolerate attacks on US forces and we will take all necessary actions to defend the US and our troops," Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin said on Monday at the Pentagon.

White House National Security spokesman John Kirby said: "We don't want a wider war with Iran. We don't want a wider war in the region, but we got to do what we have to do."

Iran has denied any role.

Biden has previously ordered retaliatory attacks on Iran-backed groups, but has so far stopped short of hitting Iran directly.

"Have no doubt -- we will hold all those responsible to account at a time and in a manner of our choosing," Biden said on Sunday.

In northern Gaza, residents said air strikes on Monday on neighbourhoods across Gaza City, the enclave's biggest city, killed and wounded many people.

While Israeli tanks shelled eastern areas of the city, naval vessels fired at beachfront areas in the west, they said.

Hamas, for its part, fired its first volley of rockets for weeks into Israeli cities, proving that the militant group running Gaza still had the capability to launch them after nearly four months of war.

Meanwhile, more countries have halted funding to the largest UN agency operating in Gaza, as the crisis deepens over the alleged role of some staff in the October 7 Hamas attacks on Israel.

Japan and Austria said they were suspending payments to the UN agency

Palestinians fleeing Khan Younis due to the Israeli ground operation move towards Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, January 29 (Reuters/Mohammed Salem photo)

for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA. The US, UK, Germany, and Italy are also among those who have suspended funding.

UNRWA has told the BBC it is "extremely desperate" and that "the humanitarian needs in Gaza are growing by the hour".

The agency has sacked several of its staff over allegations they were involved on October 7, when Hamas gunmen infiltrated Israel, killing about 1300 people -mainly civilians -- and taking about 250 others back to Gaza as hostages.

More than 26,000 people - mostly women and children - have been killed in Gaza since Israel launched a major military operation in response, the territory's Hamas-run Health Ministry says. Another 1.7 million people have fled their homes, with many of them sheltering at UNRWA facilities.

According to a report in the New York Times, an Israeli intelligence dossier alleges that nearly 200 UNRWA workers are Hamas or Islamic Jihad operatives, without providing detailed evidence. (Excerpt from Reuters and BBC News)

World Court to rule on jurisdiction in Russia-Ukraine genocide case

T

he United Nations' highest court will rule on Friday whether it will hear a case in which Ukraine has accused Russia of violating international law by saying its invasion was launched to stop an alleged genocide.

Ukraine brought the case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), also known as the World Court, days after Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered tens of thousands

of troops into Ukraine on February 24, 2022.

In hearings in September, lawyers for Moscow urged Judges to throw out the case, saying Kyiv's legal arguments were flawed. The ICJ on Monday said a ruling on Russia's objections to the court's jurisdiction would be handed down on Friday.

Kyiv says Russia is breaching the 1948 Genocide Convention by saying the invasion was

justified to stop an alleged genocide of Russian speakers in eastern Ukraine.

Ukraine says there was no risk of genocide in eastern Ukraine, where it had been fighting Russianbacked forces since 2014.

Moscow has said Ukraine is using the case as a roundabout way to get a ruling on the overall legality of Russia's military action.

The same court on Friday ordered Israel to

take action to prevent acts of genocide as it wages war against Hamas militants in Gaza, and do more to help civilians. It stopped short of calling for an immediate ceasefire as requested by South Africa.

The court did not rule on the core of the case -- whether genocide has occurred in Gaza. But it recognised the right of Palestinians in Gaza to be protected from acts of genocide. (Excerpt from Reuters)

South Africa’s ANC suspends former President Jacob Zuma

S

outh Africa’s ruling African National Congress (ANC) has suspended former President Jacob Zuma, weeks after he backed another party ahead of this year’s General Election.

“Zuma and others whose conduct is in conflict with our values and principles will find themselves outside the African National Congress,” ANC Secretary General Fikile Mbalula said on Monday.

The decision, which was widely expected, will be seen as a further sign of disunity in the movement ahead of the General Election, in which

the long-dominant ANC is expected to lose ground.

Zuma was the fourth president of democratic South Africa, serving from 2009 to 2018, but was forced from office under a cloud of corruption allegations, and he has become estranged from the party he once led.

In December, he declared he would campaign for a new party, uMkhonto We Sizwe (MK) or Spear of the Nation, named after the ANC’s former armed wing during the anti-apartheid struggle.

Mbalula said that in addition to suspending Zuma, the ANC could complain to the electoral court to get the

Former South African President Jacob Zuma speaking to supporters after appearing at the High Court in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa [File: Rogan Ward/Reuters]

new party deregistered and mount a trademark chal-

lenge to recapture the name.

(Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

20

TUESDAY, JANUARY 30, 2024

guyanatimesgy.com

DAILY HOROSCOPES

ARCHIE

Backtrack to understand a situation better. Put anger aside when dealing with people who can influence your future. Listen to others and offer reasonable and factual responses. Be mindful.

(March 21-April 19) Learn from your mistakes, and you’ll gain support. Consider the costs involved before you begin something. Don’t trust others to relay valid information. Go directly to the source for facts.

PICKLES (April 20-May 20)

You can wheel and deal, but you must recognize what’s at stake. When in doubt, take a pass, regroup and start again. Don’t take an unnecessary risk or go into debt for a frivolous reason.

(May 21-June 20) Develop a plan that works for you.

Don’t feel obligated to follow the crowd or make decisions to please someone else. Do what works for you, and you’ll find a comfortable path forward.

PEANUTS (June 21-July 22)

Simple, affordable plans will bring excellent results that please the people who rely on your judgment. Financial discipline and hard work will set an inspiring example.

(July 23-Aug. 22) Get out, stretch your legs, take a deep breath and start something meaningful. Don’t feel you must overspend to impress someone. It’s your choice to adjust what you don’t like.

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

(Sept. 23-Oct. 23)

SUDOKU

Don’t overdo it when moderation is the best way forward. Get a second opinion if you don’t like what you hear.

Gathering information will help you get what you want. Abandon a lofty proposal.

Rely on those you trust to point you in the best direction. Talks will lead to positive change and incredible opportunities. Use your imagination and determination to make changes.

(Oct. 24-Nov. 22) Study the logistics of any situation you face. Don’t let anyone interfere or push you toward something that benefits them more than you. Finish what you start and do what’s best for you.

(Nov. 23-Dec. 21) Don’t allow anyone to take advantage of you. Implement a domestic change to lower your overhead. Use common sense and say no to temptation. Make fitness and finances your priorities.

SOLUTION FOR LAST PUBLISHED PUZZLE

(Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Listen to common sense and focus on cutbacks that make life more manageable. Take the initiative, and you’ll come up with workable solutions. Use your voice and experience to prosper.

(Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Collaborate with like-minded individuals who feed your creative mind, and you’ll discover a lucrative way to use your skills. Team up with someone who brings out your best.

(Feb. 20-March 20)

TUESDAY, JANUARY 30, 2024

21

Pitamber, Joshi shine at the Midway National U14 tournament

S

achin Pitamber and Aditi Joshi both of Queen’s College excelled at the National Under-14 championships held at Queen’s College on Saturday.

Pitamber secured 6.5 points out of a possible seven to capture the top spot in the Open division, while in the Girls’ division, Joshi won all her games to earn an impressive seven points to take first place.

Taking second and third place respectively in the Under14 Open wee the Zhang brothers, Nicholas and Alexander, also of Queen’s College.

Winner of the Girls' Under 12 Kataleya Sam, who advanced to the Under-14 tournament, held her own to earn the second position. Saura Ruplall won the third spot; she also medaled in the Under-12 girls’ tournament.

The Guyana Chess Federation (GCF) gave acknowledgements to the Best

Sachin Pitamber, winner of the National U14 Open Chess Tournament

Aditi Joshi, winner of the National U14 Girls' Chess Championship

Open U12 player Aquilani Swaminadha and Best Girls' U12 player Kataleya Sam, Best Open U10 player Vir Narine and Best Girls' U10 Player Saura Ruplall.

The tournament concluded with a short prizegiving ceremony courtesy of Midway Specialty Care Center; winners in each division received trophies and medals for their

outstanding performances.

The Federation thanked the organisers and committee members for their invaluable efforts in supervising the season of tournaments.

The Chess Federation also thanked the management of Queen’s College for providing the use of the tournament venue.

The GCF also wished to express thanks to the Midway Specialty Care Centre for its kind support towards the development of junior chess in Guyana. The Federation looks forward to a continued partnership in the future.

West Indies to play Sri Lanka and Australia …as fixtures confirmed for Super Six stage of U19 Men’s World Cup 2024

Ravens and Kwakwani Untouchables dominate play-offs W

ith the group stage done on Sunday, 12 teams remain in contention for the International Cricket Council (ICC) U19 Men's World Cup 2024 as the tournament enters the Super Six phase.

A

s the playoff round of the One Guyana Basketball League continued at the National Gymnasium on Saturday, January 27, Ravens and Kwakwani Untouchables emerged victorious and surged with two wins up in the best-of-three series.

The Ravens managed their second win in the playoff round against Pacesetters despite Pacesetters having a commanding lead in the first quarter when the scoreline read 16-11. The Ravens managed to force a comeback dominating the second quarter, scoring 13 points to elevate their score to 24 while limiting the Pacesetters to 8 points for a total of 24 points.

In the third quarter, a fight ensued, with the Ravens managing to continue the game as they pounced on the Pacesetters' defence to score 23 points for 47 points in total, while the Pacesetters were forced to slow down offensively, scoring 16 points for a total of 40.

Ravens secured their victory in the final quarter, when they scored 15 points for an overall score of 62 points; while the

Qualified teams

The Kwakwani Untouchables

Pacesetters, continuing to put up a fight, scored 12 points for their overall total of 52.

With their feisty play, the Kwakwani Untouchables once again proved victorious as they annihilated the Black Mambas to go up with a win. The Kwakwani outfit started out on top as they led the first quarter of the game,.

The second quarter proved beneficial to Kwakwani, as they treated spectators to a glimpse of Linden basketball. The tournament favourites

found the net consistently, scoring 31 points while they managed to calm the Mambas, who failed to put the ball through the net consistently, and ended up scoring 23 points.

The third quarter was also dominated by the Kwakwani outfit, with 26 points while the Mambas scored 21s.

Kwakwani went on to secure the win in the final quarter by scoring 25 points for a total of 104 at the end of the game, while the Mambas scored 20 points for a total of 76.

The Super Six will involve the top three sides from each of the round-robin groups, with teams progressing from Groups A and D comprising one Group, and those from B and C the other.

Crucially, each team carry forward the points and NRR they earned against fellow Super Six qualifying teams.

The six teams to make it from Groups A and D are India, Bangladesh, Ireland, Pakistan, New Zealand, and Nepal.

South Africa, England, West Indies, Australia, Sri Lanka, and Zimbabwe progress from Groups B and C. USA, Afghanistan, Namibia and Scotland – the four teams who didn't make the second stage of the tournament – will contest in playoffs for the last four places.

Super Six format

The teams will play two matches in the Super Six stage against their opponents from the corresponding group who finished in a different position in their group.

That means India (toppers of Group A) will face off against

West Indies U19s started their super six with a contest against Sri Lanka today

New Zealand (second position in Group D), and Nepal (third position in Group D).

The top two sides from the two Super Six groups will then progress to the semi-final stage.

The two semi-finals are scheduled to be held on February 6 and 8. The final is set to take place on February 11, with all three knockout games set to take place in Benoni.

Below are the complete fixtures of the Super Six Stage:

January 30

India v New Zealand in Bloemfontein Sri Lanka v West Indies in Kimberley Pakistan v Ireland in Potchefstroom

January 31

Nepal v Bangladesh

in Bloemfontein Australia v England in Kimberley Zimbabwe v South Africa in Potchefstroom

February 2

India v Nepal in Bloemfontein West Indies v Australia in Kimberley South Africa v Sri Lanka in Potchefstroom

February 3

Pakistan v Bangladesh in Benoni New Zealand v Ireland in Bloemfontein England v Zimbabwe in Potchefstroom The West Indies will begin the Super Six third in group two with two points thanks to their group stage win over England, trailing Sri Lanka (2) and Australia (4).

22

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

TUESDAY, JANUARY 30, 2024

NSC/EBFA/Ralph Green U11 League…

Friendship upset Kick Start; Swan, Fruta and Santos through T

he semi-final die has been cast for the 2022 edition of the National Sports Commission (NSC)/East Bank Football Association (EBFA)/Ralph Green Under-11 League following four breathtaking quarter-final match-ups on Saturday at the Agricola Ground.

While Fruta Conquerors scored all the goals in their 6-1 triumph over Eagles FC of Stewartville, West Demerara, the upset of the day was Friendship All Stars’ 1-0 win over the previously-undefeated Kick Start Academy of Den Amstel.

Qualifying as the second-best team from Group A, behind winners Santos, the East Banks lads knew that the task of holding off Group B winners Den Amstel would have been a tough one, but they showed up on the day and delivered the knock-out punch to the unsuspecting

Swan FC and Vengy FC during their quarter-final match at the Agricola Ground on Saturday Dane Vancooten (right) and Dontey Kowlessar of Fruta Conquerors FC

West Demerara team.

In their three wins, Kick Start Academy scored well over 10 goals, more than doubling Friendship’s four in their three matches. But on Saturday, goals dried up for Kick Start Academy owing to some solid defending by the Friendship team.

When it seemed like the game was heading to kicks from the penalty mark, Shameer Azeem had other ideas, and his shot just outside the goal area on the left side squeezed into the back of the nets to the shock of the Den Amstel-based team, but to the delight of the

Friendship players. The winning goal came in the 29th minute.

It was a tough day at the office for the West Demerarabased teams, as neither of them was able to advance.

Pouderoyen went down to Santos FC 0-2 with goals either side of play from Aaron Vasconcellos and Malachi Alleyne.

The Linden-Soesdyke

Highway-based Swan FC continued their unbeaten run with another impressive win, turning back the challenge of Vengy FC, 5-0. Eleon James and Stephon Singh scored a double apiece, with the other off the boots of Kevon Charles.

Fruta Conquerors, riding on a five-for from the dominant Dane Vancooten, brushed aside Eagles FC of

Stewartville, 6-1, the other was scored by Dontey Kowlessar; Eagles' lone response was an own goal, which was scored by Vancooten.

Teams are now focused on the task of winning their respective semi-final matches, which will be contested on Saturday at the Agricola Ground. This is the first time that an entire age-group tournament is being played at this venue, and the community is very grateful for the opportunity afforded them.

CLASSIFIED ADS ACCOMMODATIONS

Joseph lands PSL deal with Peshawar Zalmi

Aracari Hotel, West Bank Demerara (Versailles – between Harbour Bridge and Vreed-enHoop) – Air Conditioned Comfort.

Amenities include TV, Restaurant, Bar, Swimming Pool, Gym. Free Parking, Free WiFi. Spend 7 nights and get 1 Free. Rates from $65 US. Breakfast included. Long term rates available. Phone : 264-29469. www.aracariresort.com

Breeding programme is the answer?

PANDITH SHIVA Tell you past, present, future, Relationship, Business, Health, Financial, Court Case, Marriage Issues, Sexual problem, Specialist Bring Back Loved one, Remove negative Energy, Evil Spirits, Black Magic. Removal, etc. Located Georgetown, Guyana. Call now : +592 632 9090.

W

est Indies fast bowler Shamar Joseph's match-winning spell against Australia at the Gabba on Sunday has helped him land a deal in the Pakistan Super League (PSL), with Peshawar Zalmi signing him up.

He is expected to join the franchise at the start, and remain with them for the entirety of the tournament.

While Joseph was announced by Zalmi as a partial replacement for England fast bowler Gus Atkinson, ESPNcricinfo understands he will remain with Zalmi for

cial media that Joseph would replace him.

Haider Ali (Islamabad United); Johnson Charles (Multan Sultans) and Bhanuka Rajapaksa (Lahore Qalandars) were among the other players brought in by PSL sides in the supplementary and replacement draft for the ninth season. The draft, organised to replace several players unavailable due to scheduling clashes or injuries, took place over a conference call, according to a statement released by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).

partially unavailable, with leftarm spinner Zahid Mahmood, while opener Bismillah Khan fills in for Sri Lanka all-rounder Wanindu Hasaranga for Quetta Gladiators. Meanwhile, Sultans also brought in

seam-bowling all-rounder Mohammad Shahzad as a supplementary pick, while Islamabad signed West Indies left-arm fast bowler Obed McCoy. The PSL starts on February

17 at the Gaddafi Stadium, and runs till March 18, with the final at the National Stadium in Karachi. Qalandars are the defending champions, having won the title the previous two editions. (ESPNcricinfo)

...as horse racing legislation looms

Vishnu Astrology Center +592 632 9943. Past, present & future. Spiritual healing & Black magic. Specialist in bringing back love & Any Business, Health, Marriage, Domestic problems.

Lottery numbers & More. Expert in life time protection. Call or WhatsApp +592 632 9943, Georgetown, Guyana.

Pandit Mohan Expert in Bring back loved one, Ex Lover, Relationship, Financial problems, Marriage problems. Health any kind of problems he will solve & give the Guarantee results. Call or WhatsApp +592 692 1009 – Georgetown.

Horse owners will embark on a breeding programme in Guyana

R

Shamar Joseph was impressive in the Test series in Australia

the entirety of the tournament -- even after Atkinson joins.

Atkinson is currently with the England Test squad in India for the five-match series that runs till March 11, ensuring his unavailability for all but the playoff games.

The announcement to sign Joseph didn't come at the replacement and supplementary draft, which took place earlier on Monday. At the time, Zalmi announced they had replaced Afghan legspinner Noor Ahmed, also unavailable, with Atkinson for the whole tournament. But Atkinson's current engagement with the national side in India would have rendered that impossible, and Zalmi later announced on so-

Rashid Khan, who withdrew from this year's PSL as he manages his return from a back injury, was not replaced, with Qalandars opting to reserve their pick. This allows the franchise to potentially hold on to Rashid's services, with Qalandars retaining him in the silver category on the understanding that he could be retained for 2025. But Dan Lawrence, partially unavailable to the franchise, has also not been replaced, with Qalandars reserving their pick. Islamabad, similarly, did not replace Tom Curran, who was ruled out of the league with a knee injury.

Karachi Kings have replaced Kieron Pollard, who is

ASTROLOGY

ecognising that a breeding industry is the future for horse racing's smooth continuance in Guyana, promoters of the sport have embarked on a development programme to establish a breeding programme that will provide the future stars.

They have started an ambitious programme with the purchase of 21 horses from the recently-concluded Mixed Winter Sale held at Ocala, Florida, USA, while an additional four horses were bought from Trinidad. This vision of the industry's promoters was born out of the need to sustain a constant supply of stock in trade.

These horses are scheduled to be shipped to Guyana next month.

The promoters' spokesperson advised, “History is a great teacher, and we have

to respect and learn from it.

Trinidad is the main supplier of horses to Guyana; they are now experiencing a ‘frightening’ decline in their breeding industry and their horse racing population. We are on the same pathway as Trinidad in terms of enjoying an oil boom.

Trinidad, a twin-island state with Tobago, once showcased the most competitive races staged at their four race tracks. Inter-island horse racing rivalry with Barbados, Jamaica, and Guyana, for several decades, piqued the interest of the country and horsemen. That is only a memory now. The oil-rich Trinidad was seen as the USA of the Caribbean at that time. Now, Guyana is seen as the Caribbean Dubai because of our oil revenue. So, we have to prepare a proper foundation to sustain our racing industry, and this could only

be done with proper studies, planning foresight. “ He revealed, "This programme will create new opportunities for breeders. As Guyana is the fastest-developing country in the world right now, the horse racing is growing. And the Government has recognised this, and the Act to govern the sport will be tabled in Parliament shortly for the sport to be regulated. We have to prepare for change in the sport. Hence, the reason why we need a breeding industry to facilitate the demand for horses. We believe that we are now on the right track, and we have to get everyone aboard."

Last year, more than 30 horses, comprising mares and broodmares in utero (in foal), were bought from Trinidad by Fazal Habibulla to kick off the breeding industry.

ENTERTAINMENT Swimming Pool Family Fun & Picnic – Crystal Clear Pool.

Kids and Adult Sections. Very Safe. Aracari Resort: West Bank Demerara (Versailles, Vreeden-Hoop) – Every Weekend, DJ Music. Groups and Excursions welcome – Phone 264-2946-9.

Sunday ALL YOU CAN EAT BUFFET 11 AM – 3 PM. Adults $3,000 Kids $1,000.

TO RENT Business Opportunity: Restaurant for Rent – West Bank Demerara, (at Aracari Resort, Versailles – between Harbour Bridge and Vreedn-Hoop). Turn key Business.

Covid-19 Reduced Capacity 60; Furnished and equipped.

Phone 264-2946; 626-5290.

VACANCY VACANCY FOR HOTEL MANAGER – Aracari Resort. Must be mature and experienced.

Contact 592-264-2946 or 592-628-8619.

Send CV to manager@aracariresort.com.

23 Painkillers, heart, and a race back to the hotel: How Shamar Joseph won West Indies the 2nd Test D GUYANATIMESGY.COM

TUESDAY, JANUARY 30, 2024

ebut Test series don't come much better than the one enjoyed by Shamar Joseph.

Even if the sum of the 24-year-old Guyanese rookie's achievements had been to be named Player of the Series after bowling his team to a famously unexpected victory at the Gabba, it would have marked a dream start to his Test career.

But the way in which he did it is how genuine legends are created.

Lying awake in bed at 3am, his toe throbbing and "in terrible pain" after being crushed by a vicious Mitch Starc bouncer earlier that night, even Joseph didn't think he'd be able to play a role other than cheerleader on day four.

"I wasn't expecting to play, so I came in my training kit to just watch on," Joseph said.

"At 11:30 [West Indies team Doctor Denis] Byam told me I need you at the ground.

"I said, to be fair I'm not feeling well, but I will just come and support the guys.

"So the skipper come up to me this morning and said, '[Are] you ready? You're starting this morning.'"

That led to another problem.

"I was in the dressing room [with] my shoes on, my boxers and my hat, just waiting for my clothes to come, because I knew that my skipper needed me out here," Joseph said amidst much laughter.

It's a hilarious aside to a stunning tale.

Joseph was, first, pressed into wearing substitute fielder Zachary McCaskie's kit while someone urgently went back to the hotel to get his.

Denied entry to the field until he had McCaskie's number and name taped up, Joseph eventually took to the field.

Soon after being reunited with his own playing shirt,

hamar Joseph said he hoped that legends such as Brian Lara were proud

Joseph was thrown the ball.

At the end of an 11.5over spell, split only by a delayed dinner break, Joseph was wheeling away in pure ecstasy after castling Josh Hazlewood's off stump to hand the West Indies a first victory on Australian soil in 27 years.

"Special" Joseph shows incredible heart

"From speaking to him, I knew he was special," West Indies skipper Kraigg Brathwaite said.

"He was just confident. He always has that self-belief.

Joseph has pledged his future to the West Indies Test team

an injury on his toe. I mean, that's just heart."

A bold and prophetic claim from a man who only made his

Joseph has helped the West Indies believe in themselves

"I think the pain was just off then," Joseph said with a grin.

"After getting that last wicket I didn't feel anything., It was just pure joy."

He's a star.

"Today was a prime example.

"He told me, 'I'm not putting down this ball until the last wicket falls'.

"This was a guy who had

First-Class debut for Guyana in February last year.

"I can't explain it, to be fair," Joseph said, having limped into the press conference with his Player-of-theMatch medal around his neck

GMR&SC Dakota 100 Endurance Series kicks off exciting racing season

T

he Guyana Motor Racing and Sports Club (GMR&SC) witnessed a thrilling start to the racing season with the first round of the Dakota 100 Endurance Series on Sunday last.

A packed grid of a record 35 cars took on the challenging 1.6-mile circuit. With 24 cars finishing

Matthew Vieira in action

the race, it was filled with remarkable performances and fierce competition.

Vishok Persaud, piloting his KTM X-Bow GT4, emerged as the star of the day. Persaud not only claimed the overall victory, but also reset his previous lap record, completing 100 laps in a stunning time of 2 hours, 35 minutes, and 27.591 seconds, with a record-breaking lap time of 1 minute and 22.421 seconds.

The competition was fierce throughout the field, with standout performances from Shiraz Roshandin, who completed 98 laps, and strong contenders Adrian Fernandes and Anand Ramchand, with 98 and 96 laps, respectively, all in the hunt for the overall win.

In the class categories, 16-year-old Anthony Evelyn took home the victory in the 1500cc class, completing an impressive 91 laps.

Roshandin dominated the 1600cc class with 98 laps, while Richard Hamid showcased his prowess in the 2000cc class, Vishok Persaud s KTM X-Bow GT4 completing 85 laps for a well-deserved win.

Persaud once again astonishing 1 minute and proved his mettle by taking 20.712 seconds.

The first round of the victory in the Unlimited Dakota 100 class, cementing his status GMR&SC Endurance Series set the as a serious competitor.

Not to be overshad- bar high for the rest of the owed, the motorcycle race season, promising an exsaw its own excitement. hilarating racing season Matthew Vieira completed filled with heart-pounding 12 laps and set a new bike action. endurance lap record -- an

and the Richie Benaud medal for Player of the Series firmly clasped in his grip.

"Having people that believe in you, that gave me a lot of confidence.

"When I met the Captain — we met on this tour — having a captain like this, that doesn't know much about you, just from watching you play First-Class cricket but you still know that he believes in you.

"I say, 'just give me the ball. I'm not coming off.'

"Even if he want me to come off, I wouldn't come off.

"I just want to make him proud, I think I did make him proud and happy. I will always stick by his side. and he believed in me.

"He said, 'just keep going, just keep going,' Alzarri [Joseph] came to me and said the same thing: 'Take that pain and get a wicket'.

"So I said I'd do it for him and the team."

Putting the pain aside, Joseph tore through the Australian top order.

His 7-68, the product of his relentless line and length and genuine pace — he was clocked at 149kph towards the end of his spell — drove the West Indies to victory.

His joyous celebrations following every wicket though were the heartbeat that helped infuse the tourists with the belief they needed to secure their biggest result in a generation.

"Going out there, to pick up eight wickets, to just get 154 runs against a great team like Australia, that's amazing," Joseph said.

"Bowling with Alzarri Joseph and Kemar Roach, I don't want any other better feelings than support like this."

West Indies must push on

Prior to the series, few gave the tourists any hope of being competitive. With seven uncapped players and several big names left at home, the West Indies were, frankly, disrespected.

Brathwaite called out former Australian Test player Rod Hogg for saying the tourists were "pathetic and hopeless" during the post-match presentation, adding fuel to a fire that still burns bright for Test cricket in the Caribbean despite fears to the contrary.

"He expressed himself how he felt about us as a group, so we just wanted to let him know that we heard him," Brathwaite said.

"Playing Test cricket is never an easy thing to do … but if you have a guy disrespecting West Indies and West Indies cricket and us as players, it's hurtful.

"So, for us to come and do it, it was great. [But] We just won one Test match. "This is a new beginning for us, we now have work to do.

"I believe we have the talent and it shows the world that we are going to be competitive and win Test matches, but we need more Test cricket.

"What we have to do now, we have to go back home and we have to keep the same mentality towards preparation.

"Be examples. Be leaders. Don't get success and then [be] slacking off.

"The key for us is never to slack off, and to have heart.

"We did well, but this is just one Test win. We have a number of Test matches remaining this year, so it now begins. This time type of attitude, It has to continue. We can't be slacking off."

Some of that work is to play more Test cricket, but another will be to maintain Joseph's focus on the long-form game while he is doubtlessly besieged by the pitfalls of the franchise short-form game.

"It's a balance," Brathwaite said.

"Alzarri Joseph, he's in [the Indian Premier League] IPL, he has a lot of heart for Test cricket, and he wants to be here.

"Once you have the love for this game, this hard Test cricket, once you have the right balance, that's key."

Joseph's response though, had Brian Lara clapping in the back of the room.

"This was my dream, to play Test cricket for the West Indies," he said.

"There will be times that T20 will come around … [but] I will always be available to play for the West Indies, no matter how much money it takes.

"I will always be here to play Test cricket."

It is a sentence that is as much music to our ears as his emphatic celebrations. (ABC Sport- Australia)

TUESDAY, JANUARY 30, 2024

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

Pg 23

How Shamar Joseph won West Indies the 2nd Test "He’s been so amazing in my career" – Shamar Joseph discusses President Ali’s role in his success O

ver the past 48 hours, the name Shamar Joseph and his heroics in Brisbane have overtaken headlines around the world.

The 24-year-old Guyanese fast bowler, while nursing a toe injury, pulled off a stunner at The Gabba in Australia on Sunday, to lift West Indies to their first Test win Down Under in 27 years.

Shamar’s story of leaving his job as a security guard to pursue his passion for cricket a little under two years ago has also captivated the masses and it is only now -when the dust has settled somewhat, that the young bowling sensation has been able to share more about his journey and the people who got him to where he is now.

One such person is none other than Guyana's Head of State, Dr Irfaan Ali, who, Joseph related in a recent interview with Newsroom’s Akeem Greene, has played a major role in his progression over the past year.

As previously reported in a Guyana Times article back in 2023, Joseph got his big break being selected for the Guyana Harpy Eagles team for the 2023 Regional Four-Day Championships. Thereafter, Joseph got another call-up, this time for the Guyana Amazon Warriors (GAW) team, as a replacement for an injured Keemo Paul in their 2023 Caribbean Premier League (CPL) championship run.

Quizzed about the GAW call-up in particular, the right-arm quick related that it was a major opportunity, in which the President played a role.

“I think that’s a big opportunity for me. Dr Irfaan Ali, he’s the one that, you know, get me into that position. I think Prasana, the analyst for Guyana team, Rayon Griffith, all these men got me into this position and I want to shout out to them, especially Dr Irfaan Ali,” Joseph shared from his hotel room in Australia.

The fast bowler, who hails from Baracara, continued, “He’s been so amazing in my career, from CPL to Super50. You know, he’s been there supporting me, reaching out.

I would have never thought that the President of Guyana would actually reach out to a local person, but he sees ability and success moving forward and he wanted to help; he did that for me and this is where I am today.”

“So, I just want to shout out this message for him: I really appreciate everything that you do for me, Doc; you know I appreciate it, with every moment. Tears come to my eyes knowing that I’m here in Australia and doing well. I know that must make you proud, very, very proud,” Joseph added in his heartfelt message to the President of Guyana.

The fast bowler is expected to return to the Land of Many Waters, this week, Joseph and his family at State House during CPL 2023. In where he will get some recovery from his toe injury before heading to the Pakistan photo, President Ali greets Joseph's partner, Trishana Super League (PSL), where he secured a spot on the Peshawar Zalmi team.

President Dr Irfaan Ali and Shamar Joseph share a light moment during a brunch at State House during last year’s CPL season

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