Guyana Times - Tuesday, July 11, 2023

Ashton Chase, OE, SC, passes away

Legal luminary Senior Counsel Ashton Chase, OE, passed away on Monday night.

In a statement, President Dr Irfaan Ali paid tribute to the Guyanese stalwart, “I have learnt with great sadness of the passing of Mr Ashton Chase, SC. His death represents an incalculable loss to our nation. His name and contributions will forever be etched in our country’s political, labour and legal history. He made an exceptional contribution to Guyana’s nationalist struggle and political history and was the last surviving member of the Political Affairs Committee [the fore-runner to the People’s Progressive Party] established in

$84M in contracts signed for new BIT training centres in

1946. He was among our finest legal minds and was a pillar of our country’s early trade union activism, authoring the most authoritative work on our trade union history. I extend my deepest condolences to his bereaved family.”

PPP General Secretary Bharrat Jagdeo also expressed sincere condolences on behalf of himself and the Party, to the family and friends of Chase, the last of the party’s founder members.

“Our country owes an eternal debt of gratitude to this outstanding son of the soil. Guyana has lost an amazing human being,” the Vice President said.

More details in Wednesday’s edition.

Duo charged for murder of Berbice labourer

2 sex offenders to be sentenced on Thursday

8 homeless after fire guts Berbice houses

First Lady cautions against destruction of newlybeautified parks

against perpetrators

TUESDAY, JULY 11, 2023 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

“Dream Realised” Housing Drive 2023 800 low, moderate-income house lots distributed along ECD ...Govt trying to acquire additional lands to meet housing demand – Min Croal

The Housing Ministry on Monday opened up 800 house lots for allocation on the East Coast of Demerara (ECD) as it launched the second edition of the “Dream Realised” Housing Drive for 2023.

The lots were allocated along Good Hope and Two Friends Village to low and moderate-income earners. After spending hundreds of millions of dollars to develop the lots, the Ministry opened them for as low as $100,000.

When the areas are fully developed, there will be spaces for worship, an entertainment centre, two playgrounds, and 12 Government buildings that will feature health centres and other services. Industrial and commercial activities are also being catered for to spark job creation.

Chief Executive Officer of the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA), Sherwyn Greaves shared that these new allottees will be benefitting from

a prime area since a new commercial zone is in the pipeline for Enmore.

Due to the many new opportunities which are opening, Greaves added that be-

8 homeless after fire guts Berbice houses

According to the mother, she recently quit her security job and just kept her factory work. She said the three-bedroom house was fully furnished.

Meanwhile, Khandai, who lived in the lower flat of the second building, explained that neighbours were shouting for her husband indicating that there was a fire.

“When I peep out, the whole kitchen inside was fire.”

ing on the East Coast of Demerara poses a great advantage.

“You will not be in the back of anything. You will be in the front of that allocation and that new village that is coming. Added to that, in Enmore, by the end of this year and early next year, there will be a massive commercial industrial area set aside there similar to the one in Eccles. That is also an opportunity for job creation.”

He added, “We are not here to make a profit. We are here to help the citizens of Guyana. If it has to put us in a deficit, that is fine… At the end of the day, it is for our citizens to be able to fulfil that dream of owning their own homes. That is our mandate.”

purchase a property, whether it is at market value or at a subsidised cost…We don’t believe in keeping people in bondage or having you pay rent for the rest of your life and we can achieve empowerment through homeownership and land ownership. You would have heard the Opposition talk about things like rent subsidy for low-income earners. That is not something that we believe can benefit people in the long run. We believe that will keep people in poverty,” Minister Rodrigues stated during her address.

In 2022, $10.9 billion was expended for housing development on the East Coast of Demerara. Another $10.2 billion has been allocated in the Ministry’s expenditure for other infrastructural projects this year and includes road networks, culverts, bridges, water distribution, and the electrical network.

Meanwhile, due to the increasing demand for house lots and land for industrial activities, Housing and Water Minister Collin Croal told the gathering that the Central Housing and Planning Authority is seeking to acquire additional lands to meet the demand.

ing that the resources required to develop the lands are much more costly when compared to developing lots individually.

“And simply because we have to keep going inwards, as we keep going inwards, we keep going closer to the conservancies and as we keep going closer to the conservancies, the preparatory work requires much more when compared to when we are closer out on the mainland. So that is one of the reasons you will see we have an increase cost when doing these communities.”

He related that some $36 billion in contracts were awarded in the past months for the development of new housing areas and schemes.

He nevertheless, reiterated that there continue to be unscrupulous activities in relation to house lot sales, and persons continue to fall prey. He called for support from the public in prosecuting those culpable.

He noted that some persons have backed away when it comes to providing statements, which does not help in erasing such issues within the system.

Empty lands

Eight persons are homeless after a fire destroyed two houses at Second Street, Murphy Dam, Rosignol, West Bank Berbice, Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice) on Monday.

The fire reportedly started at Lot 157 and quickly spread to Lot 150 situated next door. Both houses were completely destroyed without anything being salvaged.

In the first house, 37-yearold Seelochano Deonarain and her family, including her eight-year-old son and two teenage daughters, were rendered homeless along with Hafeeza Khandai, called “Kavita”, and her husband, Devendra Ramcharitar and their one-year-old baby from the other house.

According to Deonarain, she had just finished preparing dinner, turned off the stove, and gone to the washroom when the fire occurred. At the time, her daughters were watching television and her husband was not at home.

“My big daughter, she get up and was helping me wash the dishes. All I hear is something go ‘boom’. My daughter tells me that the stove was on fire. I don’t know what went wrong, but the kids full

a pot of water and throw it, but they couldn’t put out the fire,” she explained.

As she rushed into the kitchen, the kitchen was engulfed. “All I could have do was grab the two gas bottles and scream for the kids.”

Deonarain said after ensuring that the gas bottles and her children were safe, she went back into the burning building in an attempt to save some household items.

“I don’t know if I passed out or what... My big daughter come back into the house to save me. She say ‘Mummy, get out of there’. She woke me up and brought me out and when we came out, she think that her little brother is still in there and she went in back and when she go in back, she passed out and I don’t know what happened,” Deonarain related. Reports are that a neighbour went into the burning building and rescued the teenager.

“We lost everything. We don’t have anything. I struggled as a single parent to provide for the three. I recently took someone and he moved in with us so that we can have a home. My two jobs was just paying my rent and bill and just providing food,” Deonarain said in tears.

She said that while her husband was focusing on the burning building next door, the fire had already spread to her house. “I was barefoot and I had to run on the mesh, because he leave me and tell me run. He pushed me at the back where and tell me to run. I run with baby in my hand.”

She said her husband returned to the house and was able to grab some documents before running out onto the dam.

“Everything destroyed. My house was fully furnished.”

She said she could give an estimate as to the damages, but noted that on the upper flat where her grandmother who is currently overseas lived, there were items worth millions of dollars.

According to Khandai, she has no idea where she and the rest of her family will be staying.

Meanwhile, one unit from the Onverwagt Fire Station, one from the New Amsterdam Fire Station in Region Six (East BerbiceCorentyne) and one from the Blairmont Estate responded to the distress call and were able to prevent the blaze from spreading to a third building.

The families could be contacted on 612-0190 (Khandai) and 628-6460 (Deonarain) if anyone wants to assist.

(Andrew Carmichael)

The intention of Government through its robust housing initiative endeavours is to assist Guyanese with home and land ownership, enabling persons to transcend the poverty lines and towards financial freedom. This was posited by Minister within the Ministry of Housing, Susan Rodrigues.

“We know it is a struggle for everyone to be able to

He added that in some regions, lands have been identified to facilitate further expansion of existing housing areas, but in other regions, there is still a search to acquire new lands.

“The work continues for us to acquire new lands, in this year alone, our focus will be on Regions 1, 3, 4, 6 and a portion in 5. Areas in Region 10 and 7 have already been identified, so those will be our focus regions,” Croal said.

He further added that it is not an easy task to find additional lands for housing in some areas, explain-

Another issue that the Ministry will be addressing is persons who have been allocated lands but have failed to start construction. Minister Croal said a ‘fair bit’ of such cases exist in the housing schemes.

“We will be addressing that in our next period of focus because, at the end of the day, there are some desperate persons out there who are going through the system and are awaiting and need to move on. It puts at a disadvantage, you who are in that category for somebody who would have gone through the right process.” (Rupa Seenaraine)

A member of the GDF selects his house lot in the presence of Minister Susan Rodrigues

Seelochano Deonarain and her children

BRIDGE OPENINGS

The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Tuesday, July 11 – 23:30h – 01:00h and Wednesday, July 12 – No retraction.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Tuesday, July 11 – 11:10h – 12:40h and Wednesday, July 12 – 12:30h – 14:00h

FERRY SCHEDULE

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

WEATHER TODAY

There will be thundery showers and sunshine during the day. Expect clear skies at night. Temperatures should range between 22 degrees Celsius and 32 degrees Celsius.

Winds: South-Easterly to East North-Easterly between 2.68 metres and 5.36 metres.

High Tide: 11:16h and 23:40h reaching maximum heights of 2.28 metres and 2.33 metres.

Low Tide: 17:09h reaching a minimum height of 0.95 metre.

Guyana leads way in Caribbean as largest recipient of Foreign Direct Investment

By virtue of its oil and gas investments, Guyana is leading the Caribbean as the country with the largest number of Foreign Direct Investments (FDI). Guyana’s natural resources sector, in fact, accounted for 99 per cent of FDI inflows for 2022.

This is according to the annual report Foreign Direct Investment in Latin America and the Caribbean 2023 released by the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC).

According to the report, Guyana’s FDI inflows totalled US$4.389 billion – the highest in the Caribbean. It is a similar result to the record inflows in 2021. All in all, Guyana played a critical role in the overall 55.2 per cent rise in FDI in the Caribbean – a historic rise.

“The performance is due, once again, to foreign investors’ interest in the country’s hydrocarbon sector. Hence, the natural resources sector accounted for 99 per cent of FDI inflows into the country in 2022, although inflows into the sector were 2 per cent lower than in 2021. Manufacturers (which represent 1 per cent of the total) also recorded a drop, of 9 per cent,” the report said.

LOTTERY NUMBERS

“The change in FDI inflows in the Caribbean was positive, driven (also) by higher levels of investment in the Dominican Republic, which despite the greatest increase ranked second as a recipient country after Guyana, while investment fell in countries in the

Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS).”

According to the report, the rise in FDI project announcements in Latin America and the Caribbean was mainly a result of a higher number of projects in Guyana, Mexico, Brazil, and Panama. In Guyana’s case and the Caribbean in general, companies from the United States were responsible for a significant chunk of these investments.

“Growth in announced investments in Guyana put the country in third place among the countries with the highest value announcements. This position is a result of hydrocarbon production in the country, which has led to announcements of large investments,” the ECLAC report said.

“The United States remained in the leading position, with a share of 38% of the total (a rise of 186% in 2021). The most noteworthy projects originating from the United States include oil extraction projects in Guyana and automotive industry projects in Mexico.”

The report noted that six investment projects in Guyana were announced in 2022, including an oil exploration project announced by

the United States company ExxonMobil for US$10 billion. In giving an idea of the size of these projects with respect to Guyana’s economy, ECLAC pointed out that in 2021 Guyana had a Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of US$6.8 billion and a population of 800,000.

Future of oil

According to ECLAC, the type of projects announced in Guyana in 2022 indicate that the country’s hydrocarbon sector will continue to receive large investments in the coming years. In fact, Guyana is one of six countries that accounted for US$7.2 billion in FDI from global sources.

“It is possible to identify FDI entering the hydrocarbons sector in six of the Region’s countries (Brazil, Colombia, Guyana, Mexico, the Plurinational State of Bolivia, and Trinidad and Tobago) Between 2000 and 2022, these six countries absorbed an annual average of US$7.214 billion channelled to the sector,” ECLAC said.

As the world’s fastest-growing super basin in recent years, Guyana is estimated to have potential resources in excess of 25 billion barrels offshore. In the oil-rich Stabroek Block alone, which is operated by ExxonMobil and its co-venturers, there are nearly 11 billion barrels of oil equivalent.

To date, there have been some 35 discoveries in the Stabroek Block, where production activities have been ongoing since 2015, and a total of 40 oil finds for all blocks being explored offshore in Guyana.

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

Currently, Liza phase 1 and phase 2 developments in the Stabroek Block are operating at a combined gross production capacity of more than 360,000 barrels of oil per day (bpd) using the Liza Destiny and Liza Unity floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) vessels, respectively.

– received US$4.3B in 2022, 99% from oil alone

Editor: Tusika Martin

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Collaborative approach

There are many social ills affecting Guyanese society, especially the younger segment of the population; and programmes and support services to help address these issues could never be enough. For example, the use of illegal drugs and alcohol; crime; suicide; and domestic and other forms of violence are having a huge negative impact on communities across Guyana. And now, more than ever, there is a need for a genuine collaborative approach, with inclusive planning and coordination, where volunteerism is a key element, to help find practical and lasting solutions to these many ills.

We are well aware that sometimes young people feel there is no end or solution to the problems they are facing, and hence they turn to various forms of anti-social behaviours, thereby creating more challenges for an already burdened society.

While the Government must play a crucial role in designing the relevant policies and putting in place the necessary legislative framework and other support mechanisms aimed at addressing these issues, this burden must also be shared by various actors within the society, such as religious groups, Non-Governmental Organisations (NGO), etc; since such problems affect everyone. For example, there is hardly any family in Guyana which was never touched directly or indirectly by suicide. Experts have pointed to the fact that about 90 per cent of people who die by suicide had some sort of mental illness at the time of their death.

Many people die by suicide, because depression is triggered by several negative life experiences, and the suffering person does not receive effective treatment or support. In many communities across the country, persons are crying out for attention; they need guidance, or simply someone to speak with; many want to find a way out of their misery. However, sometimes accessing that source of help is very difficult.

At present, there are quite a few NGOs, faith-based organisations, etc, offering such support services, but there is a need for more to get involved. Those who are already on board should be commended for the work they are doing. Such work is invaluable and must be supported and encouraged. A few new organisations are also coming on board, and some are expanding the services offered.

The role of the Private Sector should also never be underestimated. There is a need for funding for many crucial programmes aimed at creating better opportunities for young persons, and businesses should step up to the challenge. Such programmes, once effectively implemented, would see our children and young people become well-equipped with the necessary skills to develop themselves, and in turn, contribute to the overall development of the country as a whole.

Former Caricom Secretary General, Ambassador Irwin LaRocque had, some time ago, said the majority of victims as well as perpetrators of crimes reported by the Police are young males 18 to 35 years old. This is surely reason to be concerned, as right away one would begin to worry about the kind of future these persons would have, and the contributions they would make to their societies, if any at all.

Certainly, there is a great need for intervention in order to combat the challenges facing young people. In order to prepare young people for workplace success, job training programmes need to go beyond technical instruction and also teach “life skills” such as communication, reliability, and teamwork. This push to teach youths life skills has been validated by employers who have consistently reported that, above all, they want to hire employees who possess workplace-ready skills such as communication, teamwork, motivation, and responsibility. Technical skills, they say, can be learned on the job.

We believe that if our young people are to move from the less mature and irresponsible ways of thinking and acting to making more mature and responsible judgments and engaging in activities that are the hallmark of a socially-productive adulthood, certain support systems must be provided.

"Debate about a debate"

Dear Editor, Reference is made to Elson Low referring to a debate between myself and him organised by the student society and economics students of the University of Guyana, held on July 5th, 2023, and which was livestreamed on social media.

In typical APNU/PNC style, my opponent declared self-victory in the same manner his political party declared victory at the 2020 General and Regional Elections and more recently, the Local Government Elections.

My opponent’s main argument that dominated his presentation was on poverty?referencing an old report that states Guyana’s poverty level is 43%. When I pointed out that according to the latest labour force report by the Bureau of Statistics (2021-Q3), Guyana’s labour force participation rate of 49% is among the lowest in the world, my opponent questioned the credibility of the report. Effectively, I sought to illustrate the correlation between the non-participation of half of the working-age population in the labour force?to the perceived level of poverty. This means that 51% of the working-age population are not interested in being part of the labour force for whatever reason. From this data, it is reasonable to extrapolate that in half of the total number of households (approximately 250,000),

one person is the breadwinner (average number of persons per household is three) per household despite having at least two persons per household of working age. Conversely, in the other half of the total households, at least two persons are generating household income.

The global average labour force participation rate is about 60%. Notably, low-income countries’ participation rate averaged 70% according to a recent study by the International Labour Organisation (ILO). This explains why countries such as Canada, the United States of America and Singapore were built by immigrants. The country with the highest labour force participation rate in the world (historically) is China with a rate of 80% in the 1980s which is now down to 70%.

It is for this reason that the Government of Guyana, in confronting the skills shortage in the labour market, is seeking to integrate more women into the labour force. Thus, the labour market constraints that the country is currently experiencing are not on account of a shortage of human resources, per se, it is on account of a shortage of skills coupled with the lowest labour force participation rate.

Moreover, my opponent failed to recognise that the level of poverty in Guyana was much higher, almost

100% when his political party was in Government in the pre-1992 era that pushed the country into bankruptcy. And those very policies he and his political party continues to advocate, are the very policies that are not sustainable?and that will push the economy into bankruptcy, if implemented, once again. With this in mind, the fact is that under the stewardship of the current Government, extreme poverty has been eradicated and more than half of the population lifted out of poverty over the last three decades.

In my presentation, I argued that Guyana’s development path is a journey that began three decades ago under the current Government and that development is not an overnight process. In so doing, I highlighted Guyana’s economic history, how the economy evolved, and some of the key developmental challenges and needs. In this regard, reference was made to the 1996 National Development Strategy (NDS), which was not prepared by a United Nations intern, but, by over 200 Guyanese stakeholders, including the political Opposition.

Guyana was once a central command State where more than 80% of the productive sectors were controlled by the State. In the post-1992 era, Guyana transitioned from a central command and bankrupt State

to a mixed-economic system with more predominant features of a free market economy. Guyana’s debt-toGDP stood at over 900% at one point in time. During this period, Guyana recorded the highest inflation rate of 89.7% in 1989, the highest interest rate (prime lending rate for the period) of 37.5% in 1989, negative growth rates were recorded in 1988-1990, the exchange rate devalued from G$4.25/ US$1 in 1985 to G$27/ US$1 in 1989, G$112/US$1 in 1990, G$138/US$1 in 1994, G$178/US$1 in 1999, G$200/US$1 by 2004. Despite all of the inherent development challenges which I pointed out, by 2014, Guyana achieved macroeconomic stability from a bankrupt State in 1992 with the following macroeconomic outcomes: Real GDP stood at US$4B from US$200M, Per capita income moved to US$5000 from less than US$300, Net International Reserve stood at US$652M from US$15M, Exchange rate stabled at G$208.5/US$1, Prime lending rate (weighted average) down to 11% from 37.5%, Debt-to-GDP Ratio down to 40% from a high of 900%, GDP growth rate of 4%, and Inflation rate 1.2% down from 89.7%.

In the savannahs of Aishalton, Deep South Rupununi stands this rock formation. The profile gives the appearance of a woman and is known as the Granny Rock. Legend has it that this is the sister of Shiriri, another peak in the South Rupununi (A Path to Travel photo)

The oil curse hoax

Dear Editor, There have been a few articles in a particular media which is vociferously and aggressively peddling the view that the dreaded ‘oil curse’ is already upon us.

One writer is of the opinion that the rate of development of Guyana’s infrastructure is way behind the rapid pace of development of the oil sector and this is a recipe for the ‘oil curse’. But on the other hand, he condemned borrowing funds to finance the very same infrastructural and transformative development which are vital. Therefore, the question is: what is the solution to this problem?

Do we reduce the production of oil whilst we await the accumulation of funds in the unpredictable distant future? I think not. The Vice

President has explained ad nauseam that there is a limited window available for oil exploration and Guyana must take advantage of this now rather than later. He added that companies are finding it harder to attract investments into fossil fuel projects. Oil in the ground has no benefit for Guyana and the loans which are accessed are linked to the transformative developments not only to the oil sector but the other sectors as well.

The foundations which are essential and indispensable must be laid down so that Guyanese will eventually reap the benefits from our oil. No sector is left behind. It is not an overnight process and a deep understanding is necessary. Like all other investments, there

is a waiting period and there is no shortcut to this. Some feel that this cold hard oil money should immediately be in the pockets of all Guyanese and some are advocating a US$5000 handout. But the Government has already implemented numerous micro and macro-economic policies to ensure that everyone benefits from the oil revenue.

The humongous increase in our budgetary allocations to affect these policies are the direct result of the oil money. One cannot expect that everyone will get everything according to their expectations by the stroke of a magic wand.

It is no secret that all the sectors across Guyana are progressing at an extremely fast rate and this is not about infrastructure

"Debate about a...

Guyana is projected to experience sustained double-digit growth over the next decade with continued oil production and exploration. The Government is pursuing an expansive economic diversification and transformative development agenda. The medium-term focus areas are an investment in public infrastructure sector, agriculture/agro-business/agro-processing, and transforming the energy landscape with cheaper and more reliable energy supply. Other key focus areas include education, health and digitising the IT infrastructure of the

public sector to aid in improved efficiency in delivering public service.

More important to note, is that the projected earnings from the oil and gas resources are modest when juxtaposed with the massive development needs of the country, and the need for climate-resilient development within the Low Carbon Development framework. It is important to note that macroeconomic stability, high investors’ confidence?and from a global perspective, perceived low-to-moderate political risk?are the hallmarks of achieving the transformational develop -

ment that the Government is advancing.

Unfortunately, my opponent demonstrated the shallowness of his and by extension his political party’s thinking where public policy administration and economic stewardship of the country are concerned. Especially given the portfolio he holds as Economic Advisor to the Leader of the Opposition and considering that the Leader of the Opposition has no formal training in economics or finance.

Yours respectfully,

Joel Bhagwandin

only. For instance, the agriculture sector is already being transformed to make Guyana self-sufficient in food production by 2025. These transformative developments are already bearing fruits in all the sub-sectors within the Ministry of Agriculture. There is sustainable growth throughout this sector and the rural communities are being uplifted on an almost daily basis.

The rate of this development is unprecedented. All of these are taking place in

addition to undoing all the destructions which the coalition brought in this sector. It cost tens of billions to right the wrongs which the coalition wilfully perpetrated against agriculture. Moreover, the former coalition Government should accept this fact and apologise to the people who suffered immensely, for instance, the sugar workers. Today, the Rose Hall Estate which had merited a Medal of Service but was callously and unconscionably closed by the coalition is on the verge of

reopening.

Not only the agriculture sector, but all the other sectors (health, education, fishing, forestry, mining), provide strong and irrefutable evidence that the ‘oil curse’ is just a hoax meant to ignite mischief and strife against the PPP/C Government. Economic growth and development are taking place in all the sectors, none is neglected.

Yours sincerely, Haseef Yusuf

Honouring our fallen heroes while keeping a close watch

on subversive elements

Dear Editor,

Quite recently, the Guyana Police Force held a commemorative rally to pay tribute to those heroes of the Force who have fallen in the line of duty. In fact, we as a nation pay tribute to those of our Police officers who have paid the ultimate price in keeping our country a safe place to live in. We treasure their contribution to our society in maintaining peace and civility. While we remember our fallen servicemen, at the same time we will not forget the past struggles we had to face, against those who do not want a peaceful and progressive society to blossom in this part of the globe. I make mention of those who support violence and all forms of subversive

Guyana leads way in Caribbean as...

– the fourth development – is slated for 2025 with a production capacity of some 250,000 bpd. Both these development projects have been approved by the Guyana Government.

Uaru is the fifth development and is expected to come online at the end of 2026 with a gross production capacity of approximately 250,000 bpd with the first oil anticipated at the end of 2026. The development plan for Uaru was

FROM PAGE 3

submitted for Government approval in November 2022 and it has also received project approval.

ExxonMobil has said it anticipates at least six projects offshore Guyana will be online by 2027. They are meanwhile seeking project approval for their sixth oil development in Guyana’s waters, approaching the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for environmental authorization for its Whiptail Project. (G-3)

activities. I call to remembrance the violent attack on the Office of the President by armed thugs.

This was an attack meant to overthrow the democratically elected Government of the day. It took quick action for the GPF to put down that insurrection. Now, in that fiasco, it is interesting to note that support for the armed thugs came from Opposition forces at that time, while castigating the Police for bringing an end to the violence.

The Opposition called them "revolutionaries," an endearment that is still used today. Fast forward to the 2002 jailbreak and the way the murderers were idolised in some quarters. Fineman and his gang went on a murderous rampage through our country, kill-

ing 26 policemen as they went on the mayhem. In the streets, Opposition supporters openly chanted "Kill the Police" with not a word of condemnation coming from those in the political divide. This is the past that we have come from, a past of chaos and confusion with the GPF bearing the brunt of the assault, all because they kept the peace, while not willing that our society disintegrates into a violent convulsion. Today we live in tranquillity, thanks to our lawmen, it is a peace that we treasure and hold dear to our hearts; it is a peace that was well fought for and one that we would like to maintain. Let us live in peace!

Respectfully, Neil Adams

The third development in the Stabroek Block –Payara – is on track to come online by the end of 2023 with a gross production capacity of approximately 220,000 bpd. While this may be the gross production capacity, it is ex-

pected that the startup will see a much smaller number of oil barrels being produced. For instance, when Liza phase two started in 2022, it was producing significantly less than its current production.

Meanwhile Yellowtail

The Foreign Direct Investment in Latin America and the Caribbean 2023 report

Page Foundation

Example

Problem: x – 17 = 51. Find x

Can you add 17 to the left side of the equation to leave x by itself? You can do that, but you also have to add 17 to the right side of the equation.

Step 1: Add the same number to both sides of the equation. x = 51 + 17

Step 2: Add 51 + 17 = 68. So x = 68

Problem: y + 10 = 22. Find y

This time, you can subtract 10 from the left side of the equation to leave y by itself? But you also have to subtract 10 from the right side of the equation, too.

Step 1: Subtract the same number to both sides of the equation. y = 22 – 10

Step 2: Subtract 22 – 10 = 12. So y = 12

BY SIR WALTER RALEIGH

Materials:

Paper clips

Paper Magnets Scissors

Cardboard

Tape Cups

Optional: other construction/craft materials such as wooden craft sticks, glue, pipe cleaners, etc.

Single-stream recycling programmes allow us to mix all of our recyclables – like paper, plastics, and metals – in a single container. These containers are collected by trucks and transported to Materials

Recovery Facilities (MRFs). These facilities use a variety of machinery, combined with some manual sorting by humans, to separate all the different materials For example, large magnets can pull ferrous metals (like tin cans) away from the rest of the waste. Puffs of air can blow lighter materials upward while heavier materials fall down. Sieves allow small objects to fall through the holes while larger objects keep going. So, given the infornation above, use your imagination to create a recycling-sorting machine.

Exercises: Solve

1) x + 6 = 14

2) y – 1 = 10

3) 28 = x + 24

4) 8m + 20 = 28

5) 8 – n = 0 6)

+ 5 = 13 7)

– 6 = m

Prais’d be Diana’s fair and harmless light; Prais’d be the dews wherewith she moists the ground; Prais’d be her beams, the glory of the night; Prais’d be her power by which all powers abound. Prais’d be her nymphs with whom she decks the woods, Prais’d be her knights in whom true honour lives; Prais’d be that force by which she moves the floods; Let that Diana shine which all these gives. In heaven queen she is among the spheres; In aye she mistress-like makes all things pure; Eternity in her oft change she bears; She beauty is; by her the fair endure. Time wears her not: she doth his chariot guide; Mortality below her orb is plac’d; By her the virtue of the stars down slide; In her is virtue’s perfect image cast. A knowledge pure it is her worth to know: With Circes let them dwell that think not so.

WORD SEARCH

spent by APNU/AFC on Dantzig sea defence in 2019 yet to be accounted for at National Assembly

the first place. Section 43 of the Fiscal Management and Accountability Act 2003 requires all unspent balances to be refunded to the Consolidated Fund at the end of the fiscal year.

October to December being presented. There wasn’t any supplementary financial paper for 2019. It may have been an oversight. But it should have been done,” Teixeira explained.

Despite the former A Partnership for National Unity/ Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Government spending $179.3 million on sea defence breaches in 2019 at Dantzig, Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice), this expenditure is yet to be accounted for at the level of the National Assembly.

During Monday’s sitting of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), the Agriculture Ministry was put under the microscope. In his 2019 report, Auditor General Deodat Sharma found that two cheques totalling $179.3 million were paid in 2019 to the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA).

The Auditor General had found that the Agriculture Ministry breached the law by withdrawing this sum in

It was pointed out by the Auditor General in his report that the Ministry breached the Act by withdrawing this significant sum on December 31, 2019. But further probing by PAC member and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Gail Teixeira revealed that no supplementary paper was ever brought to the National Assembly to cover this sum.

Permanent Secretary of the Agriculture Ministry, Delma Nedd admitted that while it was a contingency expense, a financial paper was never brought to the National Assembly to cover it. She explained that it was considered an emergency. However, Teixeira explained that based on the laws, a supplementary financial paper must still be brought to the National Assembly after the fact.

“Therefore, there’s a mistake, there’s a gap. Because it meant that the supplementary financial paper should have come in 2020 to cover it. Whether contingency or consolidated, it has to go to Parliament as an SFP. Whether a year later, six months later, or whatever. There was no budget

for 2020 (under the APNU/ AFC Government). It, therefore, had to be backdated,” Teixeira said.

However, Opposition Member of Parliament (PM) and PAC member Ganesh Mahipaul pointed out that after the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) took office, it passed a budget in September 2020 and supplementary financial papers in December of the same year. But Teixeira noted that none of those financial papers covered expenditures for 2019.

“Except the money was spent from January to August and then October to December. So, there were two documents. One is to cover the expenditures that had already taken place without Parliament approval with Parliament backstamping it in September and then

Supporting documents

At this point, Mahipaul referenced the one/twelfth rule, which allows the Minister of Finance to draw from the Contingency Fund in the event of an emergency. He said that after the Government changed, the necessary documents should have come from the Ministry to Parliament whenever it reconvened.

But Teixeira pointed to the lack of paperwork for much of the money spent during APNU/AFC’s last year in office. She also noted that after the PPP/C Government came to power in August 2020, they prepared and brought supplemental papers for expenditures they were given supporting documents. The expenditures at Dantzig seem not to have been one of them.

“Mahipaul, I’m not willing to play your games. The point is, that 2019 was the last budget to be passed. And the Constitution says the budget should be passed by the end of March annually. In this case, it was an aberration because it wasn’t passed until October 2020.

Whatever documents were available between January and September, were provided to the Government and laid,” the PPP Chief Whip related.

“In some ways, there was an omission by somebody in terms of their submissions, to include this Contingency Fund extraction in December 2019… I’m not willing to play games like the Government changed and we should have put it in. We didn’t even have half the paperwork for January to August in line,” Teixeira added.

Meanwhile, Mahipaul proposed that now that it has come up before the PAC, the current PPP/C Government should bring the supplementary paper to the National Assembly. The Permanent Secretary for her part was given a two-week deadline

to submit various items to the PAC, including an asset register for the NDIA.

The former APNU/AFC Government was brought down by a No-Confidence Motion in December 2018, at which point elections should have been held within five months. Instead, APNU/ AFC continued to govern the country and passed a $300.7 billion budget in 2019, while trying simultaneously to overturn the No-Confidence decision.

Even after losing the March 2020 General and Regional elections, however, APNU/AFC remained in power for a further five months in a futile attempt to sway the results. It was only in August 2020, after former President David Granger finally left office, that President Dr Irfaan Ali succeeded him. (G-3)

PAC hears

$179M

– no supplementary paper brought by former Govt

PAC Member and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Gail Teixeira

PAC Member and MP Ganesh Mahipaul

Example of flooding at Dantzig, Region 5, in 2019

Duo charged for murder of Berbice labourer Removing… …ghettoes

Two men accused of murdering a Kilcoy, Corentyne labourer were on Monday charged and remanded to prison when they appeared at the New Amsterdam Magistrate’s Court.

Vishal Deonarine, 33, called “Gabar”, and Vishal Vickram

Ramsammy, 23, called “Max”, both of Kilcoy Squatting Area, Corentyne are alleged to have murdered Leon Aswell Kum at Kilcoy Squatting Area, between July 4 and July 5.

They appeared before Magistrate Peter Hugh and were not required to plead to the indictable charge.

The prosecution told the court that the file was incomplete as they were awaiting the postmortem report and also an analyst report on the blood samples.

According to the prosecution, the Police have 10 witnesses and two caution statements along with six video interviews, and as such, asked for two weeks to put the file together.

The duo was remanded until July 26, and the matter was transferred to the Albion Magistrate’s Court.

On Wednesday last, the body of Kum was discovered in his home at Kilcoy. Residents reportedly saw two men exiting the area shortly before the discovery was made.

Reports are that the two accused and the now-dead man had a misunderstanding over cocaine, which led to a scuffle.

Guyana Times understands that one of the accused had held down Kum while the other used a knife and stabbed him in the neck. They then fled the scene, but were later arrested.

Your Eyewitness was pleased to read about the improvements being made in Albouystown – which has long been one of our more notorious ghettoes. The other was Tiger Bay which seemed to’ve deteriorated out of existence as slow gentrification ate away at its southern border. The inimitable Mighty Sparrow had made the latter famous when he immortalised it in his calypso, “BG War”. This was immediately following our Black Friday of Feb 16, 1962, when the PNC burnt down half of Georgetown in their opening salvo to remove the PPP Government. With some still beating war drums, his take is quite relevant: “Well they drop a hydrogen bomb in B.G./ Lord have mercy, they drop a hydrogen bomb in B.G./ Lord have mercy, Riot in town mama/ Ah hear the whole place on fire, From Kitty to the waterfront all that/ Burn down flat, flat, flat.”

Then the Master gave his take: “I ain’t care if the whole of B.G. burn down; I ain’t care if all of Bookers burn down/ But they will be putting me out meh way, If they tackle Tiger Bay/ And burn down the hotel, Where all meh WAHBEENS does stay!!” Tiger Bay was then a hive of urban slum life, with dozens of “hotels” – pronounced “hut-tel” – with rentals by the hour for the working girls dubbed “wahbeens”!! “They lock up over a thousand people; Well that was trouble/ They send for Policemen in the country

To bring unity; But Police and all afraid/ Stand up and they watching stores get raid; Walk in the store take everything/ And when you done set fire to the building… .A woman walk in a store on Main Street/ Slippers on she feet/ Dirty petticoat, long time straw hat; And she smelling worse than that!/ But she walk out like a lady; High heels, glasses, jewelry/ The straw hat she had on wearing before/ She take matches and she burn it inside the store!”

“They send for soldiers quite up in England; With big confusion/ They bring down warships with cannon like peas, To shoot Guyanese/ But Burnham said all right now, I’m the only man to stop this row/ He give we the signal and that’s the case, Now we have peace and quiet in the place.” This, of course, was Sparrow’s sly dig at Burnham, who’d replied, “He who calls off the dog owns the dog” to the request of the Governor to quell the riots.

Everybody and their uncle – including Sparrow – knew that the CIA which had facilitated the urban elements that supported Burnham – was behind the mayhem. No one could say the PPP had “infiltrators” like the riots that followed the 1997 elections!!

Will someone sing a kaiso for Albouystown??

…cultural resistance?

Talking about the “wahbeens” of Tiger Bay, reminds your Eyewitness of one of the unique features of our early urban landscape in what was dubbed the “slums”. While many have focused on the poverty, crime and pickpockets of Albouystown -- which most are more familiar with than Tiger Bay, one historian explained its ethos thusly: “in the decades after emancipation, one of the ways in which the Afro creole resisted complete cultural domination was that in defiance of the Victorian social norms of modesty, dignity, orderliness, productivity and decorum, they exhibited counter values of gregariousness, bravado, loudness, ribaldry, rowdiness, aggression and even coarse vulgarity.

“This manifested itself was in the practice of ‘cussing’ and ‘buseing’ which he contended was a manifestation of their poverty and deprivation. …It was the women of the ghettos like Tiger Bay for whom this yard culture provided the means to resist white cultural dominance and to fight back against social injustice and racial discrimination.”

Ghettoes were also bastions of cultural resistance!!

…salient facts

The Police Force held a wreath-laying ceremony to honour “67 fallen heroes between 1913 and 2023”. Shouldn’t we mention that one third of them – twentytwo – were murdered in just two years, 2002/2003 in the slow fyaah, mo’ fyaah strategy?!

Georgetown alone grabs half of top 1% at NGSA

Some 15,273 students wrote the NGSA on May 3 and 4, 2023. Of this number, 287 were Spanishspeaking students. It is the first year special material was provided to cater to these students.

In terms of performance, some 3742 students scored in the first quartile, that is zero to 25 per cent. Another 3743 students scored within the second quartile of 25 to 50 per cent. In the third quartile, 3741 students scored between 50 and 70 per cent. In the fourth quartile, that is 75 to 100 per cent, 3741 students were in this bracket.

The overall pass rate for Mathematics was 39.87 per cent when compared to 34.77 per cent in 2022 – a significant improvement with upward mobility in candidates securing a perfect score.

from last year’s 46.45 per cent. More candidates obtained full marks than in the last few years. Zero scores and full scores have been reversed positively in significant proportions.

Meanwhile, English recorded a pass rate of 64.47 per cent. Last year, the pass rate was 64.75 per cent. The trend of candidates scoring zero remained relatively flat. There was a 469 per cent increase over 2022 in students scoring full marks in English. For Social Studies, there was a 0.3 per cent decrease in the performance over 2022 results, standing at 58.57 per cent. More candidates also scored full marks.

The statistics reflect that 57.4 per cent of NGSA students who secured places at Queen’s College, The Bishops’ High School, St Stanislaus College, St Rose’s High School, and St Joseph High School were from public schools.

Education Minister Priya Manickchand had commented that there is a low number of trained teachers in the hinterland, which creates a gap in the performance of students.

Students from Georgetown have again dominated the charts at the National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) 2023, with 95 of them landing in the top one per cent.

Based on the analysis of the results, this figure represented 50.2 per cent of students. Georgetown is considered Education District 11, and is calculated separately from Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica).

However, Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica) scooped up 17.9 per cent with 34 students, while Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara) ranked third at 16.4 per cent with 31 students making this bracket.

Some 10 students from Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice) accounted for 5.2 per cent of the top one per cent while Region Six (East BerbiceCorentyne) accounted for

3.7 per cent, with seven students.

Both Regions Five (Mahaica-Berbice) and Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) saw six students which accounted for 3.7 per cent of the top one per cent of performers.

No students from Regions One (BarimaWaini), Seven (CuyuniMazaruni), Eight (PotaroSiparuni) and Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) came in the top 1 per cent at the 2023 NGSA.

The Science pass rate was 55.11 per cent this year - an upward trend

Out of the 868 candidates who were awarded a place at a national school following the National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA), 499 of them were from the public school system.

“The performance of the hinterland continues to not measure up to the performance on the coast. While we are seeing better, we have not been able to catch the gap there for a variety of reasons. The hinterland has the lowest number of trained teachers. While they are doing amazing work across the country, we see a direct correlation between trained teachers and the results,” she was quoted saying.

Some of the top NGSA students for 2023

| GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Saffon St fire completely extinguished – GFS – cause of fire being investigated

After a fire destroyed a supermarket and damaged other buildings on Saffon Street in Georgetown due to the large quantity of combustibles at the fire scene, the Guyana Fire Service (GFS) reported that the fire is fully extinguished.

On Monday, a statement indicated that the fire has been extinguished. There was a significant amount of cloth and other flammable materials at the scene. The Chinese supermarket, which stood on Saffon and Sussex Streets has been completely destroyed.

“Firefighters and officers spent the entire

weekend combing the debris to ensure the fire stopped burning completely. The building of origin housed a large quantity of cloth and other combustible materials that took some time to identify and control. However, the tireless efforts of our ranks resulted in the fire being extinguished and the area being safe for vehicular and foot traffic,” the Fire Service stated.

As of Monday, streets that were cordoned off to facilitate firefighting were reopened. Nevertheless, the Fire Service stated that investigations are ongoing to determine what caused the fire.

The devastating fire reportedly started at about 02:26h on Saturday.

Responding to the scene were six water tenders, one hydraulic platform, one fire boat, and a hose layer from the Central, Alberttown, Campbellville, West Ruimveldt, Eccles, and Fire Service Headquarters.

As firefighters braved the heat and smoke to quell the inferno, they also managed to rescue five Chinese nationals who were trapped in the basement of the building. Three of them were treated for smoke inhalation, along with one of the firefighters.

Within an hour, it was reported that the supermarket was completely destroyed. According to eyewitnesses, the upper flat was the first to collapse while the second was completely destroyed.

At least two other wooden buildings along

Saffon Street towards James Street were also burnt.

Firefighters managed to prevent the fire from spreading to the market and nearby buildings located to the south and east of the building of origin. Hours after, pockets of fire

were still active. A wooden part of the building reignited but was swiftly brought under control. The fire caused massive damage across the block, destroying millions of dollars in goods and other articles.

The aftermath of the Saffon Street fire

Govt to make available 25,000 acres of land to cultivate rice in support of poultry industry – Pres Ali

He also noted that the storage capacity also needs to be expanded in order to accommodate increased production. President Ali announced too that Suriname is committing to Caricom, 75,000 acres of land for the production of grains and he believes Guyana can join in on that and supply the Region.

“Let’s form ourselves into a consortium and go after the 75,000 acres of land also for the production of grains. But in this case, we’ll be producing that grain for the regional market.”

timillion-dollar sector. Asserting that there is no scarcity of chicken, the Vice President also highlighted that Guyana produces an impressive 140 million pounds of poultry annually.

He emphasised that the thriving poultry industry currently sustains around 18,000 individuals who derive their livelihoods from its robust production. Moreover, he revealed that Guyana has one of the world’s highest chicken consumption rates, surpassing even the United States.

The Guyana

Government, in committing to expanding the poultry industry throughout the country, has planned to open up some 25,000 acres of land for farmers to grow rice to support the poultry industry.

This was revealed by President Dr Irfaan Ali during a symposium with poultry farmers on Friday where he spoke about some of the Government’s plans for the poultry industry.

“We’re willing to examine the opening up of 25,000 acres of land and

have farmers participate [in] the growing of rice as an input. So, you have another cross centre and possible revenue centre for farmers in the poultry industry,” Ali noted.

The Head of State further noted that from 2020 to date, the cost of rice as

an input to feed has increased by 100 per cent while the cost of soya has increased by 65 per cent and the cost of corn has increased by 55 per cent.

“By 2025 or 2026 I think we would be self-sufficient with corn and soya, once what we’re seeing as

approves US$76.2M to upgrade

The Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) has approved a US$76.2 million loan to the Government of Guyana (GOG) for the Guyana Water Supply Improvement Project under which the water supply systems serving five coastal communities will undergo major upgrades.

The infrastructure development initiative involves the construction of five water treatment plants, complete with storage tanks, and the installation of transmission mains and water meters to vastly improve the quality and reliability of the water supply to Bush Lot, Tain to No 50 Village in Berbice; Walton Hall to Charity on the Essequibo Coast and Wakenaam and Leguan Islands.

Nearly 15,000 households in these communities will benefit from the interventions.

CDB’s Vice President of Operations, Isaac Solomon stated “Improving access to safe, reliable, and sustainable water and sanitation is an area of high priority identified for support from the CDB to propel holistic development which

will enhance quality of life, improve health and safety and ensure greater well-being among citizens across the Region.”

“The Guyana Water Supply Improvement Project is also in alignment with Guyana’s development priorities which include stimulating future growth through clean energy and sustainable activities, and several Sustainable Development Goals including those relating to improving access to clean water and sanitation, and the promotion of healthy communities and good health and wellbeing,” he added.

The five benefitting communities are currently supplied by wells that have no water treatment facilities. Also, the water supply is currently subject to disruption due to pump failures, line breakages, and flooding of the water supply infrastructure.

The initiative is one of the first to be carried out under CDB’s Guyana Country Engagement Strategy (2023-2025). The project will support the GOG’s efforts to increase the percentage of persons having access to treat-

ed water to 90 per cent by 2025. At present, although 96 per cent of the population has access to potable water, only 53% of the supply meets the aesthetic standard of the World Health Organisation due to the high iron content.

CDB’s Environmental and Social Impact Assessment indicated that an increase in the availability and accessibility of improved water will address several of the challenges that residential and commercial water users in the earmarked communities currently experience such as the need to purchase drinking water, and the extended time necessary to clean domestic items or hardware affected by the use of the untreated water which is currently supplied.

In addition to the time and money savings projected, the intervention will be particularly beneficial to persons living in low-income households, and women and girls, who typically have primary responsibility for water-related chores.

The project, which will be implemented over three years, is scheduled to start in March 2024.

the results continue, we will be self-sufficient and, in a position, to supply the Region,” President Ali noted.

According to statistics by Report Linker, Guyana’s poultry meat production is projected to reach 47,000 metric tons by 2026, up from 42,000 metric tons in 2021. This translates to an average year-on-year growth rate of 1.8 per cent.

Earlier this year, Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo declared that Guyana’s poultry industry has blossomed into a mul -

“Guyanese consume 140 pounds of chicken annually. That is one of the highest consumption rates in the world. We eat a substantial amount of chicken in this country. So, I was astonished when I discovered that we consume nearly double the per capita chicken consumption in the US. This applies to men, women, and children,” the VP emphasised.

President Dr Irfaan Ali

Rice harvesting in Essequibo

CDB

Guyana’s water supply systems

to benefit 15,000 households

First Lady cautions against destruction of newly-beautified parks

…says laws provide for charges against perpetrators

the world indicate that there are health benefits associated with having green spaces. Cities with a greater number of public parks, for instance, record lower rates of diabetes and obesity.

Similarly, there are a number of social and environmental benefits associated with having safe green public spaces; including improved social relationships, a strengthened sense of community, and increased environmental awareness.

“These were some of the considerations which led to the implementation of the National Beautification Project by my office in

2020. As many of you already know, the National Beautification Project aims to safeguard the scenic qualities of Guyana, while creating a more social and environmentally-friendly society. Scenic revitalisation can both motivate and accelerate community renewal and reinvestment which ultimately leads to community development.”

Within the last eight months, two parks have been developed and handed over to the residents of La Jalousie on the West Coast of Demerara (WCD), and New Amsterdam, Berbice. Three other parks are cur-

rently being developed: one at Diamond/Grove on the East Bank of Demerara (EBD), one at Tuschen on the East Bank Essequibo, and another at Corriverton, Berbice.

Additionally, Kingston Seawall is undergoing enhancement works which will transform it into a major hub for commercial and cultural activities.

“Stymieing and undermining these efforts, however, is the lack of support from some patrons who frequent these facilities and fail to comply with established rules and regulations,” she lamented.

First Lady Arya Ali has raised concerns over the destruction of public property at recreational facilities, which were revamped under her beautification project, warning that Guyana’s laws provide for penalties against such lawbreakers.

A statement from the First Lady indicated that she received several reports and photographic evidence of destruction of property at some of these recreational facilities. Lanterns, tables, chairs, and other decorative structures which cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, and have either been

donated by kind-hearted citizens or purchased with taxpayers’ money, have been maliciously damaged at several parks.

In this light, she cautioned, “I take this time to remind the perpetrators that the laws of Guyana provide for persons to be charged with damaging public or private property under the Administration of Justice Bill. Similarly, penalties exist for litterbugs including businesses.”

It was highlighted that there are constant reports of patrons improperly disposing of their waste at these facilities, despite the fact that

there are adequate garbage receptacles. Vendors who ply their trade in or around these spaces are also guilty of improperly disposing of their waste, which pose health and environmental risks.

“As we use and enjoy these public facilities, I ask that we take the time to appreciate the work that has gone into developing them, and the importance of ensuring that others can benefit equally.”

According to Ali, safe public spaces including parks are essential for human and community development. Studies conducted across

13 graduate from Republic Bank’s Youth Link Apprenticeship Programme

The Caribbean Community (Caricom) has extended congratulations to the Government and people of The Bahamas on the country’s 50th Anniversary of Independence, which was celebrated on Monday.

The Bahamas and Caricom this year share Golden Jubilee celebrations.

“On behalf of the Caribbean Community (Caricom), I extend heartfelt congratulations to the Government and People of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas on your 50th Anniversary of Independence, being celebrated under the theme,

“One Nation. Our Legacy. Our Future,” the regional bloc’s Secretary General, Dr Carla Barnett stated in a release to the press.

She added that this was truly a special year for The Bahamas and the Caribbean Community, as they celebrate twin Golden Jubilees and acknowledge the many achievements, challenges overcome, and milestones reached over the past 50 years.

“Since Independence in 1973, The Bahamas has experienced remarkable economic and social growth, becoming a beacon of progress in the Caribbean Region. Prime Minister, the People of The Bahamas have consistently shown resilience in overcoming challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic and the horrific destruction wrought by Hurricane Dorian, while maintaining a steady path towards economic growth.”

Further, Dr Barnett added that the country’s democratic, political, and socio-economic achievements and record of strong engagement on the international stage contribute to the Community’s collective efforts to achieve effective and equitable global solutions

for Small Island Developing States.

In addition, she stated that under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Philip Davis, the Region has benefited from The Bahamas’ leadership and focused engagement on the Community’s most pressing priorities, in particular, the crisis in Haiti.

“I am pleased, on behalf of the Community, to extend best wishes for the continued development, prosperity, and well-being of the Bahamian people on this 50th Anniversary of Independence,” the SG noted.

Republic Bank (Guyana) Limited on Friday held a ceremony in honour of the 13 young men and women who completed a seven-month training programme, marking the Bank’s 12th annual Youth Link Apprenticeship Programme. The ceremony was held at the Marriott Hotel.

Each apprentice received a Caribbean Vocational Qualification Banking Operations Level 1 certificate approved by the Council for Human and Social Development of the Caribbean Community (Caricom) through the Council for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (CTVET). With this qualification, they will be eligible for jobs within the Caricom Region.

During the programme, each apprentice was also continually evaluated on performance in several areas. This was facilitated by a team of Republic Bank (Guyana) Limited Assessors, trained by the CTVET and

the Bank's Learning and Talent Development Centre.

The apprentices were attached to various branches across the Bank’s network from November 2022 to June 2023, and were trained and provided with the tools that would assist them in their integration into the world of work.

Having received knowledge in several areas of banking operations, they were each tasked with preparing a business proposal for review and were also exposed to public speaking by participating in the effective presentation component.

Further, the apprentices engaged in a community outreach initiative at the Ptolemy Reid Rehabilitation Centre in Georgetown where they were exposed to an interactive session on first aid facilitated by the Guyana Red Cross Society.

Through a field trip, the youths enjoyed a day of fun with a guided Essequibo River tour, with stops at Fort Island, Bartica, Bara Cara Falls, and the Sloth

Island Resort. This allowed for an appreciation of Guyana’s natural beauty and relaxation after hard work.

To continually encourage high-level performances, special awards were also presented to the apprentices for various areas such as Best All-Rounder, Best Business Proposal, Most Effective Presentation, Most Disciplined Apprentice, Most Improved Apprentice, and Most Congenial Apprentice.

The Youth Link Apprenticeship Programme was first introduced in Guyana in 2008 primarily to bridge the gap between the end of the participants’ school life and the start of their careers.

Republic Bank (Guyana) Limited has reaffirmed its commitment to the development of the youths in Guyana, and said it would continue to inspire, motivate and instil proper work values and ethics in those who enter the programme.

The play park at New Amsterdam that was recently beautified

Special performance awardees

Caricom congratulates The Bahamas on its 50th Independence anniversary

Bahamian Prime Minister Philip Davis

Caricom’s SG, Dr Carla Barnett

$84M in contracts signed for new BIT training centres in Berbice

Guyanese not only have the knowledge and skills but are also certified.

“We have to do this building, and even the training rooms and so, to the CVQ standard. It’s useless we build a training facility that is just another training facility, we have to build a training facility that is at the level of the Caribbean Vocational Standard,” the Minister pointed out.

Moreover, he noted that though the centres are being constructed for use by the BIT, they will house the Ministry’s Labour offices within the region.

2 sex offenders to be sentenced on Thursday

Back in 2021, Samuels was charged with stealing 66 COVID-19 vaccination cards from the Health Ministry, Brickdam, Georgetown, where he had worked as a driver.

However, the charge was dismissed against him the following year for want of prosecution.

The prosecution had contended that between August 22 and August 23,

In an effort to decentralise its services and ensure citizens from all across the country are afforded equal opportunities, the Board of Industrial Training (BIT) is moving to open two new training centres in Corriverton and New Amsterdam, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne).

The New Amsterdam centre will be constructed by NK Enterprise Inc to the tune of $44.8 million and the Corriverton training centre will be constructed by Perba Trading and Construction at an investment of $39.9 million.

Speaking at the contract signing ceremony, Labour

Minister Joseph Hamilton noted that the training facilities will be constructed at Caribbean Vocational Qualifications (CVQ) standards.

In his charge to the contractors and consultants, Minister Joseph Hamilton stressed that efforts are being made to ensure

Complaint filed against Senior Counsel at Legal Practitioners Committee

“The building is being built for the Board of Industrial Training. Labour will have offices there but it’s not a Labour office. It is a training building but we’ll have Labour offices to facilitate work that we do in the region,” Hamilton added.

Meanwhile, in a bid to ensure more persons benefit from training through the Board of Industrial Training, plans are afoot to refurbish several buildings across the country. These include areas like Bartica, Mahaica, Lethem, and Annai.

Facing imprisonment for life, two men convicted of engaging in sex acts with underage girls will be sentenced on Thursday by Demerara High Court Judge Navindra Singh.

In the first case, Mark Samuels, 33, who is last known to be residing in Georgetown was found guilty by a jury of sexually penetrating a 13-year-old girl on January 27, 2021.

The prosecution said Samuels touched the girl inappropriately and raped her even though she tried to fight him off. After the ordeal, the girl confided in her mother, who in turn filed a report with the Police.

Samuels was subsequently arrested and charged with the crime.

2021, a female nurse discovered that the lock on the cupboard in which the vaccination cards were stored was broken. Upon checking, she noticed that the items were missing and alerted her supervisor, who lodged a report at the Brickdam Police Station.

TURN TO PAGE 18

Acomplaint has been filed against Senior Counsel Murseline Bacchus at the Legal Practitioners Committee (LPC). While the Guyana Times is not privy to the nature of the complaint, a notice in the media by the Registrar of the Supreme Court of Judicature said that the complaint was filed by Yadram Bopaul of Lot 9 Betsy Ground, East Canje, Berbice, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne).

According to the notice, Bopaul is required to attend the Court of Appeal, Kingston, Georgetown today, Tuesday, July 11 at 14:00h in relation to his complaint against the lawyer. If he fails to attend the hearing, the matter will be determined in his absence.

The LPC was established under the Legal Practitioners (Amendment) Act and is a body in charge of hearing and determining complaints made against Attorneys-at-Law.

Bacchus was elevated to silk in January 2020

by former President David Granger. A statement from the then Ministry of the Presidency then had stated that the long-standing lawyer was conferred with the title because of his high-quality service to the legal profession and knowledge of the law.

On March 16, 2022, acting Chancellor of the Judiciary Justice Yonette Cummings-Edwards reconstituted the LPC with the following attorneys: Robin Stoby, SC; Rafiq Khan, SC; Andrew Pollard, SC; Rajendra Poonai, SC; Carole Boston, SC; Teni Housty; Horatio Edmondson; Onassis Granville; Kim Kyte-Thomas; Mandisa Breedy; Tracy Gibson; Lyndon Amsterdam; Dionne McCammon, Konyo Sandiford, Nikhil Ramkarran and Kashir Khan.

Members of the public who want to lodge complaints against practicing members of the Bar can do so with the LPC at the Court of Appeal’s Registry.

Murseline Bacchus, SC

The contract signing for the new training centres

Mark Samuels

Justice Navindra Singh

GlobalTT launches “Good Times, Good Vibes” vacation campaign

Global Tours and Travel has announced the launch of its exclusive summer travel and vacation packages for 2023 under the theme “Good Times, Good Vibes”.

Global Tours and Travel was established to support Guyana’s rapid economic growth and its newfound attraction as an investment destination along with its accessibility to regional markets, as a result of the transformational agenda being pursued by President Dr Irfaan Ali, and which has created a need for reliable and efficient travel logistics entities to be set up in Guyana.

GlobalTT Chief Operating Officer, Tyler Orderson indicated that the intention of the company is to revolutionise the way Guyanese explore the world. He said they are offering comprehensive travel services, including airport transfers, airline bookings and ticketing, executive lounge access at airports, ground transportation, auto rentals, a wide range of accommodations (lodges, hotels, and resorts), tours, and various tourism-related activities.

Additionally, he indicated that they specialise in cruises and event travel, such as destination weddings, honeymoon holidays, carnival celebrations, and festival packages. Orderson said their dedicated team has been working feverishly since their inauguration six months ago, partnering with renowned brands in the airline industry, with leading hotel chains, and formed alliances with top car rental companies. Additionally, he

said they have been collaborating with tourism management authorities worldwide to curate unforgettable itineraries and journeys of a lifetime for travellers from Guyana. Orderson advised that their commitment is to take care of all the details so that their clients can fully immerse themselves in their travel experiences.

GlobalTT Executive Director Professor Aubrey Mendonca announced that his company is inviting Guyanese to relax, recharge, refresh, and embrace the joys of travel this summer and beyond.

According to him, they are offering a diverse selection of unique destinations that cater to various preferences and budvgets. Mendonca said that whether it is a budget-conscious family seeking a summer vacation or a busy executive in need of a romantic escape with their spouse, they have the perfect packages in their sum-

mer vacation campaign for 2023 which aims to ignite inspiration, encourage a fresh perspective, and guarantee that their clients will cherish and share their travel adventures for years to come.

Director - Caribbean

Leisure Travel at GlobalTT, Pedro Pablo Martínez Azcuy said when a person chooses a GlobalTT vacation, they choose experience, passion, and perfection. Azcuy indicated that their Caribbean destinations, which include Barbados, Cuba, Jamaica, and Saint Lucia, each have a captivating story to tell, enriched with history, traditions, and breathtaking landscapes. Once a person experiences one of their Caribbean destinations, Azcuy opined, they will undoubtedly crave to explore them all—endless beaches, lush rainforests, majestic volcanic peaks, swaying palm trees, and the mesmerising multi-hued seas.

Azcuy indicated that

moreover, they are thrilled to present a special vacation package to the Republic of Cuba this summer, under the “Good Times, Good Vibes" theme. Cuba is more than just cigars and vintage cars; he said, pointing to it being a vibrant blend of history, culture, and cuisine. He said vacationers from Guyana will be able to immerse themselves in the pivotal role Che Guevara played in the revolution, dance the night away to salsa music at Trinidad's famous Casa de la Musica, relish the tranquil beauty of Soroa, and wander through the pastel-hued streets of Havana. They will be encouraged not to forget to indulge in Cuba's other specialties, including its world-renowned rum, delightful coffee, and exquisite honey.

GlobalTT’s Cuba vacation packages will cater to all tastes and preferences. For those seeking amazing all-inclusive resorts, they

Each child to undertake sports, music, foreign languages – Min Manickchand

Sweeping changes are to be made to the education system in Guyana in order to produce well-rounded students, Education Minister Priya Manickchand has announced.

Speaking during a recent event, the Minister stated that the efforts have been set in motion to ensure that every child in the secondary school system is exposed to at least one foreign language, a musical instrument, a sport, and a Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) subject.

This will not be limited to national schools or those on the coastland, but every school in the country. By doing this, she explained that they are catering to the needs and interests of the new generation.

Minister Manickchand

disclosed, “It’s not going to be just the traditional academic subjects. We’re trying to make sure that we cater to the different needs of the country and the different interests that children have. So, we are tweaking our own offerings.”

“All of the high schools across our country, we’re going to insist that each child participates in at least one sport, one musical instrument, one foreign language, a TVET subject and leave with a strong sense of volunteerism.”

The Ministry is endeavouring to apply this policy in the near future. This means authorities will have to scout the schools to determine what activities can be accommodated based on available facilities. For example, large outdoor areas will be needed for certain sports.

“These are not services that we are limiting to the Georgetown schools or the national schools. Whichever school you got, our commitment to you is that the service will be the same and our monitoring from the Education Departments in

will be recommended to Cayo Coco, Cayo Guillermo, or Cayo Santa Maria. Varadero offers world-class golfing and exceptional restaurants nestled along pristine beaches. Nature enthusiasts and

eco-adventurers will find Holguín to be an ideal destination. Exploring top cities in Cuba, like Havana, will unveil the country's rich history and architectural wonders.

Guyana represented at ASE Scientific Sessions

For the first time, Guyana was represented by a locally trained and registered Cardiac Sonographer, Ramona Chanderballi, at the American Society of Echocardiography (ASE) Scientific Sessions held in National Harbour, Maryland, USA.

The ASE Scientific Sessions is the premier event for bringing together Echo enthusiasts from over 45 countries for educational and networking opportunities. ASE is an organisation of professionals working to advance cardiovascular ultrasound and improve lives through excellence in education, research, innovation, advocacy, and service to the profession and the public.

Chanderballi is the first locally-trained cardiac sonographer to be internationally licensed by Cardiovascular Credentialing International (CCI). She won the Cardiovascular Credentialing International (CCI) Aaron S White Education grant in 2019 as an echocardiography student which funded her attending the conference in 2019 in Portland, Oregon, USA.

and network, but to also reinvigorate our work ethic and our bedside care for our patients. I’m also grateful to Dr Rosh Khan of ACE Consulting Group for playing a significant role in making this possible."

According to President of ACE Consulting Group, Dr Rosh Khan, “Ms Chanderballi has shown that both compassion and competence are key ingredients to success. We are proud of her pioneering work and stand ready to support her future endeavours.”

the country will apply to effectively make sure all those services reach you,” Manickchand added.

Added to this is the rollout of a new literacy programme across the education system from the new academic year. This has been introduced in order to prevent school dropout and cultivate stronger academic performance, having noticed that literacy is integrally linked to a child’s educational advancement.

“The literacy programme that is going to be nationally applied across all levels – nursery, primary and secondary – will start in September. We believe that once we’re able to change the way children read and comprehend, we are going to be able to change whether they want to stay in school, and how they perform.”

"Attending ASE 2023 is not just an important milestone for me personally this year but it also redefines Guyana's commitment towards having the best healthcare has to offer to our Guyanese people. I see these conferences as opportunities for us to not just learn

During the conference, Chanderballi had the opportunity to meaningfully connect with major conference participants like GE Healthcare, Siemens Healthineers, Philips, Abbott, Mayo Clinic, Children’s Hospital Colorado, European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging, and many others.

2 sex offenders to...

The other case involves 56-year-old Wesley Bazil, called “Tappy”, who was found guilty of the offences of rape of a child under 16, and sexual activity with a child under 16. His victim is a 15-year-old girl.

In December 2020, Bazil touched the girl inappropriately. The following month, he raped her. Her parents only found out that she had been sexually abused after her mother came across text messages between her and a friend on her cellphone. A report was filed with the Police, and Bazil was arrested and prosecuted.

Following the jury’s verdicts, Bazil attempted suicide

FROM PAGE 15

by harming himself with a razor blade.

Swift intervention by the court marshals; however, prevented him from fatally injuring himself; he, nonetheless, lost consciousness and collapsed. He was immediately rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital, where he was kept under Police guard. Both cases were prosecuted by State Counsels Nafeeza Baig, Tiffini Lyken, and Praneta Seeraj. Bazil was represented by Attorney-atLaw Euclin Gomes.

To speak with a professional counsellor, please contact the Suicide Prevention Hotline on 223-0001, 2230009, 600-7896, or 623-4444.

Pedro Pablo Martínez Azcuy – GlobalTT’s Director of Caribbean Leisure Travel (extreme right) in discussion with officials of the Gaviota Tourism Group in Havana Cuba

Education Minister Priya Manickchand

Locally-trained and registered Cardiac Sonographer Miss Ramona Chanderballi

OIL NEWS

Oil market to tighten with China demand and OPEC+ cuts, says IEA

Oil demand from China and developing countries, combined with OPEC+ supply cuts, is likely to keep the market tight in the second half of the year despite a sluggish global economy, the head of the International Energy Agency (IEA) said on Monday.

"Even in sluggish economic growth, China and other developing countries' demand is strong," IEA chief Fatih Birol told Reuters.

"Taken together with the production cuts coming from key producing countries, we still believe that we may see tightness in the market in the second half of this year."

The Paris-based energy watchdog said last month the top oil importer's demand rebound after lifting COVID-19 restrictions was robust, and that countries outside the OECD group of developed nations would make up 90% of demand growth this year.

Still, the world's number two economy has registered some lacklustre economic data in recent weeks, with factory gate prices falling at the fastest pace in more than seven years in June, according to figures released on Monday.

Meanwhile Saudi Arabia will extend its 1 million barrel per day (bpd) output cut into August, and Russia will cut crude exports by 500,000 bpd.

The two countries are key producers in the OPEC+ bloc.

OPEC - the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries - listed an even stronger than previously expected economic rebound in China as a potential upside factor for the market in its monthly oil report in June. (Reuters)

Spain coast guard rescues 86 people during search for missing migrant boat

The Spanish coast guard has rescued 86 people from a migrant boat that went missing more than a week ago.

The vessel is said to have been 70 nautical miles (130km) south-west of the Canary Islands, and was carrying people from sub-Saharan Africa.

The coast guard was assisted by a container ship. Both vessels are now heading towards Gran Canaria island.

Two similar boats carrying dozens more people are said to be still missing. There are few details about them.

Walking Borders, a migrant aid group, told the BBC that one had about 65 people on board, the other up to 60.

They are thought to have left Senegal on June 23 - four days before the larger vessel. This one sailed from Kafountine, a coastal town in Senegal that is roughly 1700km

Around The World

Ukraine claims advance in east and south, gains near Bakhmut

Ukraine said on Monday its troops were advancing in the east and south of the country, and signalled they were tightening the noose around Russian troops occupying the eastern city of Bakhmut.

Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Maliar said Kyiv's troops had taken back 10.2 square km (3.9 sq miles) of territory in the south and four sq km in the east in the past week of a counteroffensive against Russian forces.

Ukraine's forces had also taken control of the main commanding heights around Bakhmut and established fire control over entrances and exits to the shattered city, she said on the Telegram messaging app.

The Ukrainian military said its troops had now re-

taken 169 sq km on the southern front, and 24 sq km around Bakhmut since the counteroffensive began early last month.

"All of us, we want to do it faster because every day means new losses of Ukrainians. We are advancing. We are not stuck," President Volodymyr Zelenskiy told US television network ABC ahead of a NATO summit in Lithuania on Tuesday and Wednesday.

"We would all love to see the counteroffensive accomplished in a shorter period of time. But there is reality. Today, the initiative is on our side."

Reuters could not verify the situation on the battlefield, and Russia has not acknowledged the Ukrainian gains. Moscow says fighting has been heavy since the

counteroffensive began but still holds swathes of territory in eastern and southern Ukraine following its full-scale invasion on Feb 24, 2022.

Pro-Moscow Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov

has said one of his units is deployed in the Bakhmut area. Russian reports in recent days had suggested that Kadyrov, whose forces have been active since the start of the war, was ill or injured or "on holiday". (Reuters)

China kindergarten attack kills 6, sparks safety worries

A25-year-old man was suspected of attacking a kindergarten in China's Guangdong province on Monday, killing six people and injuring one, triggering an outpouring of concern about violence against children at school.

Media reported the attack in Lianjiang county in the southern province was a stabbing. The suspect, with the surname Wu and from Lianjiang, had been detained, Police said, adding they were investigating.

Some media reported that both adults and children were

among the victims. While violent crime is rare in China due to strict gun laws and tight security, incidents of stabbings at pre-schools over the past few years have raised concerns about school safety.

The latest news sparked emotive debate on the Weibo social media platform. By 1:50 pm (0550 GMT) it was the top-trending discussion, with 290 million views.

Some social media users called for the suspect to face the death penalty.

"It's outrageous to do this to children who have no power at all. How many families will

be destroyed by this ... I support the death penalty," one Weibo user said.

Another user questioned security at schools, especially after similar previous attacks.

from Tenerife, according Walking Borders.

The group earlier estimated that the larger vessel had 200 people on board - including many childrenwhen it left Kafountine on June 27, heading for the Canary Islands.

Those rescued include 80 men and six women. It is not clear whether all those who had been on board have been rescued.

The news comes just weeks after an overcrowded trawler sank off the Greek coast, in one of the worst Mediterranean migrant shipwrecks.

At least 78 people were confirmed drowned, but the UN reported that up to 500 were still missing.

The voyage from West Africa to the Canary Islands is among the most dangerous routes for migrants. They usually sail in dugout fishing boats that are easily tossed by powerful Atlantic currents.

(Excerpt from BBC News)

Icelandic volcano erupts near capital

Avolcano has erupted on the Reykjanes peninsula in southwest Iceland, near the capital Reykjavik, following intense earthquake activity in the area, the country's Meteorological Office (IMO) said on Monday.

"At the moment, it's a very small eruption," said Matthew Roberts of the service and research division at the IMO. He added there was no direct imminent hazard to people in the region.

Traffic at Reykjavik's international Keflavik airport was not disrupted, the airport said on its website.

Experts from the IMO will assess where exactly the lava is emerging and how the eruption evolves over the coming hours.

It was confirmed at 1640 GMT, the IMO said. Images and livestreams by local news outlets MBL and RUV showed lava and smoke emanating from a fissure in the ground on the side of the Fagradalsfjall mountain.

Reykjanes Peninsula is a volcanic and seismic hotspot southwest of the capital Reykjavik. In March 2021, lava fountains erupted spectacularly from a 500-750 metres long fissure in the ground in the Fagradalsfjall volcanic system.

Volcanic activity in the area continued for six months that year, prompting thousands of Icelanders and tourists to visit the scene. In August 2022, a three-week eruption happened in the same area.

The system, which is around 6 kilometres (3.7 miles) wide and 19 kilometres long, had remained inactive for more than 6000 years prior to those two eruptions.

Unlike the eruption in 2010 of the Eyjafjallajökull volcano, which halted approximately 100,000 flights and forced hundreds of Icelanders from their homes, this eruption is not expected to spew much into the atmosphere.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

In August last year, three people were killed and six wounded in a stabbing at a kindergarten in the southern province of Jiangxi.

In 2021, a man killed two children and wounded 16 at a kindergarten in the southwestern region of Guangxi. Attacks on children have also thrown a spotlight on mental health, which often goes under the radar due to cultural stigma attached to mental illnesses. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Johannesburg residents stunned by once-ina-decade snowfall

Residents of South Africa's biggest city Johannesburg were stunned by the first snowfall in over a decade on Monday, with some children seeing snow for the first time.

While parts of South Africa regularly receive snowfall over the southern hemisphere winter months around June to August, Johannesburg last saw snow in August 2012.

After getting her picture taken on Nelson Mandela Square in the financial district, Jennifer Banda told Reuters that she was pregnant the last time it snowed.

"Eleven years down the line, it's exciting that we have snow," she said.

South of the city in

Brackenhurst, a Reuters photographer saw children making snowballs and snow angels in a school's grounds. But for others, like delivery driver Chenjerai Murape whose motorbike would not start, the snow made life difficult.

"I'm trying to warm the engine so that it can start ... otherwise I will kick the bike all day," he said.

The South African Weather Service has issued warnings because of the cold front that has struck Gauteng province, which contains Johannesburg and the capital Pretoria.

Snow was also seen on Monday in the coal belt in Mpumalanga province, where many of struggling utility Eskom's power stations are located. (Reuters)

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy delivers remarks after a meeting with Czech President Petr Pavel, at Prague Castle in Prague, Czech Republic, July 6, 2023

DAILY HOROSCOPES

Express yourself, ask questions and sign up for something within your budget that puts a smile on your face. Choose what’s best for you. Romance is favored.

(March 21-April 19)

Be open-minded and considerate. Focus on something that benefits you instead of trying to convince others to share your beliefs. Give everyone the same freedom you wish for yourself.

(April 20-May 20)

Determine what you want to pursue. Someone will try to stand in your way if you are too vocal about your plans. Use intelligence, put in the effort and keep moving.

(May 21-June 20)

PEANUTS

(June 21-July 22)

CALVIN AND HOBBES

(July 23-Aug. 22)

Don’t let your emotions stand in your way. Evaluate each situation before you say something you’ll regret. Honesty and integrity will attract people who work just as hard as you do.

Unnecessary change and overspending will get you into trouble. Don’t make a move that can jeopardize your income. Nothing is as it appears, and until you get what you want in writing, sit tight.

Having an open mind will help you grasp information that will bring about unexpected positive change. Your commitment to what and whom you love will play a role in your success.

(Aug. 23-Sept. 22)

Keep your finances, health and legal matters to yourself. Trusting others with personal information will make you vulnerable. A strict rule regarding spending will be necessary.

(Sept. 23-Oct. 23)

You’ll attract solid and stable people. Be receptive to information given to you, but don’t alter your life to benefit someone else. A physical risk will result in injury or illness.

(Oct. 24-Nov. 22)

Put pressure on yourself to get things done. Don’t believe everything you hear. Don’t hesitate to call the shots. Emotional matters will escalate if trust issues arise.

(Nov. 23-Dec. 21)

SOLUTION FOR LAST PUBLISHED PUZZLE

(Dec. 22-Jan. 19)

Fixing up your surroundings will lift your spirits and prompt you to host a gathering. Limit your spending, but don’t scrimp on items that encourage personal growth.

Keep your options open. Discussing your future with someone in a position of power will make you rethink how best to move forward. A lesson that encourages wealth will take you in a new direction.

(Jan. 20-Feb. 19)

A crash course in money management will get you moving in a lucrative direction. Knowing where every penny goes will help you tighten your purse strings to save for something meaningful.

(Feb. 20-March 20)

CWI Rising Stars Male U-19 tournament...

Ramdoo, Jaggesar and company lead T&T to 6wicket win over Guyana

Trinidad and Tobago completed a solid six-wicket win over Guyana thanks to a strong showing from their top order, as the Cricket West Indies (CWI) Rising Stars Under-19 tournament progressed in St Vincent.

It was a competitive game between the two sides who have been arch-rivals over the years. Guyana again had an upside-down batting performance with Thaddeus Lovell (33) leading the way. Shamar

Yearwood (29); Rivaldo Phillips (20) and Rampertab Ramnauth (16) also gathered some runs, while Mavendra Dindyal (18) capped off the batting.

Trinidad and Tobago bowlers were slightly efficient as Andrew Rambarran starred with 4-27 while Joshua Davi, who was shipped in with Ronilister Pereira, chipped in with stingy figures of 3-8.

In reply, the twin-island republic’s Justin Jaggesar (31), Kyle Ramdoo (37) and

Rajeev Ramnath (21) led the run chase, but the rain stalled action with T&T needing just 11 runs.

On the bowling side, Guyana’s Jeremy Sandia was consistent for yet another game, grabbing 2-35 from his 10 overs, but not much could come from Guyana’s star bowling line-up.

Guyana will play Windwards in their final match of the Super50 leg of the tournament on Wednesday, July 12 at Park Hill.

NAMILCO Under-17 football: Dynamics FC clinch East Coast title

Guyana U-19 rugby team touch down in Jamaica

The Guyana

Under-19 rugby team have arrived safely in Jamaica, ahead of the Rugby Americas North (RAN) Under-19 tournament.

Bermuda at 10:00h before taking on Jamaica at 16:00h.

The team have been training under the wisdom of veteran coach Laurence “Larry” Adonis.

The East Demerara Football Association (EDFA)-National Milling Company (NAMILCO) Thunderbolt

‘Flour Power’ Under-17 football tournament has concluded with the Dwain Jacobs-coached Dynamics FC side being crowned champions following seven exciting rounds of play.

It was a thrilling finale and when the curtains fell, Dynamics (18 points) were neck and neck with Buxton Stars FC (18 points). However, Dynamics FC's superior goal difference of 20 goals trumped Buxton Stars’ eight.

Jacobs, a former Golden Jaguars forward and local star striker and the Head Coach of Dynamics FC, shared with the media that he was extremely proud of his troops. He posited that even if they

had not won, he would have still been happy be cause of the fight his team showed throughout the tournament while main taining their discipline and exemplary conduct.

Jacobs revealed that he was excited by the poten tial of the team going for ward, and stated that this was just the beginning of Dynamics FC’s dominance in football not only in the EDFA but nationwide.

Melanie FC finished third in the tournament with 14 points while Haslington were fourth with 12 points followed by Mahaica in fifth place with seven points, BV/Triumph sixth with six points, Ann’s Grove seventh with four and Victoria Kings at the bottom of the table with three points. Please see the full league points standings be low.

The 27-member team, managed by Sherlock Sam, departed Guyana last evening. Guyana have been placed in Pool B with Jamaica and Bermuda. Guyana’s campaign starts on Wednesday when the ruggers lock horns with

The squad consist of: Dakari Martindale (Captain); Nihil Carter (Vice Captain); Dwayne Wallace; Ian Softley; Videl Narine; Tayshawn Leitch; Gavin McPherson; David Massiah; Anton Bernard; Sylvester Fraser; Elisha

Crawford; Nelson Moe; Omarion Leitch; Ephraim McLennan; Shaquan Adams; Theon Mars; Chad Barker; Daniel Dehnert; Samuel Bellamy; Teon Luke; Renison Branch; Traville Weeks and Dinari Bentinck. The management team consists of Sherlock Sam (Manager); Troy Yhip (Assistant Manager); Dr Patrick Lindo (Team Doctor) and Laurence Adonis (Coach).

Guyana’s Under-19 team suffered another loss

Dynamics FC, champions of the EDFA NAMILCO Under-17 league

Guyana’s U-19 rugby team

Bush Lot United Sports Club receives massive BCB investment

4th club to collect bowling machine

The ongoing cricket development programme of the proactive Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) continued on Sunday when BCB President Hilbert Foster, accompanied by Region Five Vice Chairman Rion Peters, visited the Bush Lot United Sports Club to hand over a bowling machine to the club.

The machine was obtained with sponsorship from VC Peters and would be a major boost to youth players in the West Berbice area.

Under the presidency of Foster, the Board has launched an aggressive cricket development project to unearth new cricketing talent and also to assist clubs in fulfilling their mandates to youths. The BCB would also this week hand over a batting cage to the club whose membership includes promising Berbice Youth Players Tulsiram Ramcharran and Justin Doobay.

Foster took the opportunity to donate a complete wicketkeeping set to the club. The BCB President congratulated the management of the club on the outstanding work they were doing and stated that his administration was

determined to assist as much as possible. The BCB investment to the club which was worth over $600,000 was part of that commitment to make a positive impact at the youth level.

Foster expressed thanks to Peters for his sponsorship

and hailed his support for cricket in the area. Earlier in the year, the popular politician had made a contribution to the BCB Tape-ball gears project for schools in the West Berbice area.

Twelve schools including Rosignol, Bush Lot,

National Schools Basketball Festival

Latchmansingh and Fort Wellington received bats and tape balls .Latchmansingh

Primary went on to emerge as champions of the BCB inter-primary tape-ball competition. Foster urged the club to take proper care of the items and to use them

for the intended purpose. He cautioned the Bush Lot ex ecutives that they must invest heavily in youths if they wanted the club to survive in the future and urged them to allow more youths to play at the Second-Division level.

Over the years, the BCB has assisted clubs in Berbice with pitch covers, cricket gear, water pitchers, groundsmen rain coats, bicycles, catching cribs, grass cutters, coaching equipment, educational materials, coaching manual, cricket balls, youth information booklets among others in a comprehensive development programme. The BCB since 2018 has also hosted cricket at all levels for juniors and seniors while a total of 20 cricket coaches are employed with the support of the Local Government Ministry. Foster committed himself to assisting more in the future and called on the club to remain focused.

Vice Chairman Peters stated that he was very pleased to be associated with the BCB as he was very impressed with the development of the game in the county. He pledged his continued assistance as he was

Kwakwani and Marian secure championships

Defending champions Kwakwani Secondary lived up to their reputation, defeating Queen’s College with the scorecard reading 7829 in the final of the Boys’ U-14 Championship of the National Schools Basketball Festival at the National Gymnasium.

Kwakwani’s Simeon Sinclair, with an MVP performance, helped his team secure the title In the U-14 match-up against Queen’s College, netting 24 points and 8 rebounds supported by his teammate Teijer Conway who did not miss out on the action, to swish the ball into the net for 12 points and 12 rebounds.

Queen’s College’s Jared Boucher swished 15 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists, but it was not enough to carry his team over the line so they settled for second

place.

Marian Academy powered their way to the U-16 Boys' title against powerhouse Queen’s College with a commanding 82-60 performance.

Tournament MVP Jaden Simon dazzled the crowd with his shooting ability to score 28 points with 30 rebounds and 6 assists, giving Marian the edge.

Marion Fiedtkou performed exceptionally, scoring a game-high 31 points while Kaden Khan contributed 15 points and 4 rebounds.

Queen’s College put in an exceptional performance, but fell short. Owen Hooper led the scoring with 21 points and 10 rebounds followed by Francois Mayers with 18 points and 11 rebounds and Ezekiel Griffith with 11 points and 9 rebounds.

Foster in encouraging the club in playing youths as an investment in the future.

Bush Lot United Club

President Rajiv Kishun expressed thanks to the Cricket Board and Peters for the donation of the bowling machine. He also expressed his delight in the development of the game in Berbice. The wicketkeeping gear were donated by former national player Sheik Mohamed while the batting cage’s sponsor was contractor Peter Lewis.

or 6237805.

Vacancy for a house cleaner at a private house in Herstelling EBD. One female between the ages of 35 – 45 years, from the hours of 9 am – 3 pm, 6 days per week. Days and hours are negotiable. Kindly contact 592-673-5300.

Region Five Vice Chairman Rion Peters hands over the bowling machine to Bush Lot United Club President Rajiv Kishun

Champions of the Boys’ U-16 Division, Marian Academy

Champions of the Boys’ U-14 Division, Kwakwani Secondary

32 star-studded teams confirmed for "One Guyana" T10 Tapeball Blast

The registration process for participation in the inaugural Kares One Guyana T10 Tapeball Blast is completed, tournament organiser FL Sport confirmed.

The leading 32 teams from across the country have inked their commitment to the historic two-day tournament, which goes down on July 29 and July 30 in Georgetown, under the patronage of President Dr Irfaan Ali.

The 10-over-a-side tournament will be played in a straight knockout format with matches on the opening

He also thanked Banks DIH, through GT Beer for fuelling the weekend; Star Party Rentals; Avinash Contracting and Scrap Metal Inc; ENet; Regal Stationery and Computer Centre; V-Net Communications; Trophy Stall; Premier Insurance; USA Cricket Zone; Beacon Café; Continental Transport; the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport; National Sports Commission; RS53 RestoBar and Lounge; Jacobs Jewelry & Pawn Shop; First Change Builder Inc; Impressions Inc and Sicko Mode.

Blairmont Blazers are among the teams confirmed

President Ali congratulates Emanuel Archibal after CAC gold

day at the Guyana Defence Force Ground, Police Sports Club Ground, and Queen’s College Ground, while the semi-finals and grand final will be on July 30 at the Everest Cricket Club Ground.

To progress to the championship match, a team must win three matches on day one and their semi-final on day two. They will then qualify to compete for the first prize of $1 million cash and the specially-crafted One Guyana Trophy.

According to the CoDirector of the tournament, John Ramsingh, “Initially, we wanted 16 teams, but the demand and interest were enormous, and we had to expand to 32 [teams]. These teams are from all across the country, a true testament to our intention of bringing teams together from all over Guyana.”

He further stated, “From the squads submitted, it promises to be exhilarating action at its best, and we hope all teams follow the rules and exercise discipline. We know this tournament is in its infancy stages and will grow with more corporate support in the future. Additionally, the support of His Excellency, Dr Irfaan Ali has been pivotal, since he accepted to be the tournament’s patron and has displayed his commitment to sport."

Ramsingh also expressed immense gratitude for the support of Kares Engineering, who quickly committed to being the title sponsor and Mohamed’s Enterprise, who funded the first-place prize and is also offsetting the transportation cost for team Moruca.

The first-ever champions will pocket $1 million, while the losing finalist will collect $300,000. The two losing semi-finalists will walk away with $100,000 each. There will also be prizes for outstanding individual performances.

Additionally, there will be a celebrity match before the championship match where the winning side will be rewarded $200,000 that will be donated to a charity of their choice.

The celebrity match will feature President Ali, former national and international cricketers, entertainers, sponsors, media members, athletes, former and current Ministers, and other influential persons in Guyana.

The Co-Director remind ed that it was not only play ers who will walk away with their pockets filled as there will be numerous instant prizes for the fans who par ticipate in cricket novelty ac tivities while the children will be pampered with free rides, games and treats in the Banks DIH Fun Zone.

Participating teams are: Avery Lounge, Tarmac Titans, Movements Family, Guyana Power and Light, The United Crew, Village Rams, V-Net Vipers, Ariel XI, Eccles All Stars, East Coast Express, Eastsyde, Central All-Stars, MS 13 XI, Laluni, Team Corruption, Housing and Water One Guyana, Young Steppaz, Moruca XI, Continental Transport, Spartan Strikers, Storm Chasers, Diamond Gunners, PB General Contractors, Name Brand, CJIA XI, Big B’s Blairmont Blazers, Avinash All-Stars, Hero Riders,

President Dr Irfaan Ali met with Guyana’s first 100m Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games gold medallist Emanuel Archibald.

Archibald, who is also a national sprint and long jump champion, clocked a time of 10.24 seconds to win gold and Guyana’s lone

medal at the just-concluded Games in El Salvador.

President Ali congratulated Archibald and pledged his unwavering support to help him continue his professional development.

Archibald was accompanied by his father, Emmanuel Archibald Sr.

Inter-county U-17: Van Lange slams

158 as Demerara dominate Essequibo

Jonathan Van Lange slammed a destructive 158 to lead Demerara to a crushing win against Essequibo in the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) Intercounty U-17 tournament.

Playing at Everest, Demerara won by 202 runs, after posting 272-9 in their allotted 50 overs.

Demerara opener Vikash Wilkson made 34 and Nityanand Mathura made 25. It was Van Lange who destroyed the Essequibo bowl-

The

Stage of Champions: Darius Ramsammy dominate

ing with his 85-ball 158. He slammed 17 sixes and four fours in his stunning knock.

Gulcharran Chulai claimed 3-11 in 10 overs, including five maidens, in the middle of the carnage. Shaaziff Mohamed and Royden Morris had two wickets each.

In reply, Essequibo made 70 all out in 32.2 overs. Govin Persaud top-scored with 17 as four Demerara bowlers claimed two wickets each. Van Lange returned with the ball to claim 2-5 in five overs.

The fifth stage of the champions body lift event commenced at The Ramada Princess Hotel on Sunday, showcasing international bodybuilders from Trinidad, Barbados, Suriname, and local Guyanese.

Barbadian Lewis Sameynaseed, despite his nerves, did not let the pressure get to him and emerged victorious in the Under-164 lbs category against local bodybuilder Selwyn Grojan, who attained second place followed by Joel Caldera and Seon Budham in that order.

Darius Ramsammy undoubtedly dazzled the crowd to be victorious in the Under-176 lbs category over Grenadian Primus Fayad, followed by Surinamese Andrew Hyacinth.

Local Guyanese Emmerson Campbell with support from the audience emerged in first place in the Men’s Physique Category with a remarkable performance over neighbouring country Suriname’s Raycal Komolcange. Grenadian Odel Cato came in third followed by Trinidadian Richard Jacob. Romelton Siland did not live up to expectations and placed fifth.

The 177 lbs and over

category was the most ex citing event, with the crowd supporting the various powerlifters, with Suriname’s powerlifter Anthony Nekry securing first. Guyanese Julio Sinclair missed the first position by one step, securing second while Guyanese Nicholas Albert, Trinidadian Barry Capilah, and Grenadian Cahriton Miller followed in third, fourth, and fifth respectively.

The Bikini Category had the most shocking results with the crowd shocked by favourite Hannah Rampersaud falling to fourth followed by fellow Guyanese Christina Ramsammy. The scores came down to one point being the decider with Surinamese Cherel Meyer securing first place with local Melita Anderson settling for second.

In the highly-anticipated category of the event, Men’s Overall, Ramsammy once again dominated the stage with his elegant muscles and poses securing first place and the cash prize of $500,000 . Anthony Neky settled for second place with a cash prize of $250,000 and Lewis Sameynassed third with the cash prize of $150,000.

Stage of Champions’ Men’s Overall winner Darius Ramsammy

Ministry of Human Services and Social Security, Bartica Bulls, Team Upsetters, and Region Three Police.

More information can be found on the One Guyana T10 Tapeball Blast Facebook page.

final is to be played at Everest

President Dr Irfaan Ali and Emanuel Archibald