Guyana Times - Wednesday December 16, 2020

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THE BEACON OF TRUTH

Issue No. 4501

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2020

Oil & gas, national issues discussed with former Presidents – Ali Page 3

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WHAT'S INSIDE:

Former Finance Minister new GRA Chairman P7 …Ramesh Persaud to head NIS board

Berbice labourer dies in motorcycle P7 collision

…open invitation extended to Granger …meetings to be held every 3 months

Mismanagement, bad policies by APNU/ AFC deteriorated forestry industry – GFC …workers finally receive 2018 bonus Unconscious girl in swamp

Page 9

Mother confesses to beating 2 killed in Linden 6-year-old with wood Page 2

…tells Police she thought her daughter died

Highway crash

WCB teens' murder

Page 16

Page 19

Argentine expert requests series of documents to determine whether assistance can be offered

…Benn agrees to provide autopsy video, facilitate meeting with pathologist

Guyana should be ready for P16 COVID-19 vaccine by mid-January – Health Minister …30 new COVID-19 cases recorded

Omai finds highgrade gold in abandoned pit

…to launch drilling campaign early next year

P18

Teacher appeals 3-year jail sentence for sexual assault P8 of girl

Repairs to GPL’s damaged submarine cable begin P19

2 NEWS

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Unconscious girl in swamp

Mother confesses to beating 6-year-old with wood …tells Police she thought her daughter died

T

he mother of the sixyear-old girl found unconscious in a swamp at East Canje on Sunday has confessed to beating the child with a piece of wood.

The 25-year-old woman admitted that after beating the child with the wood, she left her in a swamp near their home.

Relatives on Tuesday evening confirmed that the child, identified as Shania, has regained consciousness and has even asked for cookies as she recovers.

The child was found on Sunday in a swampy area near her Goed Bananen Land, East Canje, Berbice home and her mother was

The area where the unconscious child was found

taken into custody. Initially, the mother of two had professed her innocence but as Police continued to interrogate her, she broke down and admitted that she was angry that the child had soiled her clothing while playing in the yard.

In her confession on Tuesday morning, the woman told Police that she had asked her daughter to remain in the yard and not to get her clothes messy since she was dressed to go out with her father, who has visitation rights on Sundays.

She claimed that when she noticed the child playing outside the yard, she picked up the piece of wood and

went after the girl.

“She don’t hear, so I just clap two lash pon she,” the woman said in a shocking revelation.

She also revealed that she was scared because she thought her daughter was dead after she fell from the blow to the back of her head.

The woman said that she did not tell anyone what had occurred.

However, neighbours have since alleged that on several instances, the child received beatings at the hands of her mother.

Meanwhile, the mother remains in Police custody as the investigation continues.

(Andrew Carmichael)

NEWS

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WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

BRIDGE OPENINGS OPENINGS BRIDGE

The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Wednesday, December 16 – 04:00h – 05:30h and Thursday, December 17 – 04:30h – 06:00h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Wednesday, December 16 – 05:25h – 06:55h and Thursday, December 17 – 06:10h – 07:40h.

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WEATHER TODAY

Light rain showers will prevail during the day. There will be partly cloudy conditions at night. Temperatures should range between 22 degrees Celsius and 29 degrees Celsius.

Winds: South-Easterly to East South-Easterly to Easterly to East North-Easterly to NorthEasterly to North North-Easterly to Northerly between 1.34 metres and 3.12 metres.

High Tide: 17:36h reaching a maximum height of 2.75 metres.

Low Tide: 11:10h and 23:41h reaching minimum heights of 0.64 metre and 0.48 metre.

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Oil & gas, national issues discussed with former Presidents – Ali …open invitation extended to Granger …meetings to be held every 3 months

A

ssuring that Tuesday’s meeting with three of the four former Presidents of Guyana is not a one-off initiative, President Dr Irfaan Ali has said that he will hold discussions with his predecessors on a quarterly basis.

The meeting, which was held at State House, saw former Presidents Bharrat Jagdeo, Donald Ramotar and Samuel Hinds joining President Ali for a working lunch. The lunch was expected to facilitate discussions on a framework for how the former Presidents can continue to contribute to nation-building.

President Ali informed the media afterwards that not only would the engagement be held every quarter, but there were fruitful discussions on a number of issues including Guyana’s developing oil and gas sector, local content, job creation and national sovereignty.

“This is not a one-off engagement; this is an engagement that will occur once every quarter. And it's focused at a very strategic level. Some of the areas that are of key concern to us nationally, that we engaged on and shared ideas on are issues surrounding our border security, our sovereignty. Issues of the environment.

We see the environment as part of our national development strategy,” the Head of State said.

He added that the Government has the Low Carbon Development Strategy as a framework. “We covered issues of climate change and mitigation. Oil and gas sector, we looked at the sector holistically, generating ideas and discussing strategies that would ensure strong local content and participation and ensuring our human resource base is geared towards the opportunities,” Ali also said.

Achieving national unity and making the Racial Hostilities Act even more robust with stronger penalties were also on the agenda. He noted that they also discussed strengthening governance and making it more accountable.

Reform

Another issue discussed by the President and his predecessors was national security and strategies for enhancing

this. There were also discussions and the sharing of ideas on constitutional and electoral reform.

“Not only ideas but also how the various former Presidents saw the issues of constitutional reform, how it should be undertaken. What came out as a consensus is that it should be a people-driven process, not a backroom type of process. The people must play an integral role in the reform.”

“Electoral reform was another area that was discussed and placed on the agenda.

How do we strengthen our electoral system? Looking at having external support and our legislation from penalties, clear definitions of the systems.”

Conspicuously absent from the meeting was former President David Granger.

While Granger himself has been silent, his People’s National Congress (PNC) party had issued a statement a few days ago rejecting the invitation. The PNCR statement indicated that there was not enough explanation as to

President Irfaan Ali and his predecessors in discussion at State House on Tuesday

the purpose of the meeting nor an agenda for review before the engagement.

On the absence of Granger, the Head of State expressed the hope that the former President would understand the necessity of attending the meeting and being part of the discussions. He promised that Granger would again be invited when the group meets in the first quarter of next year.

“We made it clear that all the former Presidents will be invited. We’re hoping that former President Granger would understand the necessity in attending this meeting and being part of this. It’s a national effort, ensuring that we harness the ideas of our former Presidents who are still available to us.”

President Ali assumed office as Guyana’s 9th Executive President in August following five months of electoral and political deadlock following the March 2, 2020 General and Regional Elections.

The former Granger-led APNU/AFC Administration had refused to concede defeat at the March 2 polls and demit office. In fact, even after a National Recount confirmed the People’s Progressive Party/Civic electoral victory, the coalition continued with its delay tactics by moving to the courts.

It took mounting international and local pressure for the new People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Government to be finally sworn in to office on August 2, 2020.

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guyanatimesgy.com

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2020

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

Prioritising children

I

n the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, governments around the world have mobilised billions of dollars to save their economies. But the UN agency responsible for the protection of children’s rights around the world - UNICEF - has warned that there is another impending and devastating loss if we do not act: a lost generation of children.

According to UNICEF, progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals is “slipping backwards”, and children continue to pay the steepest price. The agency warned that without coordinated, global action to prevent, mitigate and respond to the effects of the pandemic, “the consequences for children now, and for the future of our shared humanity, will be severe”.

On this basis, UNICEF has proposed a six-point plan which laid out in detail a set of practical and concrete actions to reunite the world around a common cause in order to meet the targets of the Sustainable Development Goals. The organisation has urged decision makers to start by listening to children and young people, and including them in decision-making, since “it is they – especially girls, children facing poverty, exclusion, or violence, those with disabilities, children affected or displaced by humanitarian crisis, and children without parental care – who will live with the impact of this pandemic for decades to come”.

Among the measures in a six-point plan is for governments to take steps to ensure that all children learn, including by closing the digital divide. According to UNICEF, at their peak, nationwide school closures disrupted the learning of 91 per cent of students worldwide. Some 463 million young people were not able to access remote learning during school shutdowns. As if that were not enough, the organisation warned that previous shutdowns demonstrate that children who are out of school for extended periods, especially girls, are less likely to return.

Governments are called upon to prioritise the reopening of schools in a safe manner; increase education funding; and ensure equal access to quality, violence-free education, so every child learns. Countries are also urged to guarantee access to health and nutrition services, and make vaccines affordable and available to every child.

Additionally, the UNICEF has called for countries to support and protect the mental health of children and young people, and bring an end to abuse, gender-based violence, and neglect in childhood. According to UNICEF, the world is waking up to the extent – and lasting impacts – of child abuse and neglect. But the COVID-19 crisis has only exacerbated violence, exploitation and abuse, as children are cut off from key support services while simultaneously suffering the additional stress placed on families in turmoil.

Countries are also urged to increase access to clean water, sanitation and hygiene, and address environmental degradation and climate change. As correctly pointed out by UNICEF, unreliable access to safe water due to changes in climate limits people’s ability to practise life-saving hygiene measures like handwashing.

The necessary investments are needed in climate-resilient water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) services in homes, schools, hospitals and public spaces, to make communities better prepared for future pandemics and other shocks.

Further, according to UNICEF, the economic crisis caused by COVID-19 threatens to hit children the hardest, with the number of children living below their national poverty lines expected to soar by 140 million by the end of the year. Economic crises are often followed by cuts to government spending, including on programmes for children. According to UNICEF, if the world repeats this pattern in the wake of COVID-19, poverty and deprivation among children would continue to rise, even after the immediate crisis has waned. An inclusive recovery plan is imperative to prevent countless more children from reaching levels of poverty unseen for many years.

Countries are also being urged to redouble efforts to protect and support children and their families living through conflict, disaster and displacement. According to UNICEF, even before the pandemic, 2020 was set to see more people than ever in need of humanitarian assistance. COVID-19 has compounded the vulnerabilities of migrant, displaced, and refugee children, as well as those living in crisis-affected countries. And whether the result of active conflict or new pandemic restrictions, it is becoming harder to reach the most vulnerable children with essential and life-saving services.

The call is being made for governments to increase and maintain funding for emergencies to prevent multiple, catastrophic and protracted crises, and to save children’s lives, alleviate their suffering, and preserve their dignity. It is worthwhile for countries, including Guyana, to seriously consider the six-point plan being proposed by UNICEF in order to ensure the welfare of children are given priority.

Nothing will come out of national conversation on ethnic relations Dear Editor, I read the reports in the three more popular dailies regarding the “National Conversation on Ethnic Relations”.

Stabroek News’ entire report was dedicated to what was said by attorney Nigel Hughes who spoke, I believe, as an African Guyanese.

“Kaieteur News” published points made by Mr Hughes and by Opposition Leader Joseph Harmon.

To get anything on what was said by the Indian-Guyanese representative, former MP Ravi Dev, you would have had to pick up a copy of the “Guyana Times”. The Times report included remarks made by both Messrs Dev and Hughes.

Are Guyana’s media, then, part of

the problem, rather than the solution?

I was asked to participate in that engagement and I declined.

As President of the now defunct GIHA (Guyana Indian Heritage Association), I and leaders of other ethnic/cultural groups participated in a similar, though more private, discussion sponsored by the ERC and the UN some 20 years ago.

Not a single positive thing came out of that engagement, and nothing will come out of this one either, what with the usual suspects gathered once again to go through the usual blather and superficialities that are accepted as a national conversation on race.

I have often referred to the UN Human Rights Charter which provides protection for the human

race’s various ethnicities, races, cultures, religions, etc., as my defence against the push for a one-dimensional Guyanese identity, and I am hopeful that with a UN representative on the panel, there will, at least, be recognition that Guyana’s ethnic/cultural plurality must be accepted and respected.

There is, as yet, no courage to deal with the truths and facts about Guyana’s race relations, and no political will or reason to change the status quo. From time to time, however, there seems to be a need to pretend that something is being done about this most critical issue.

Sincerely, Ryhaan Shah

Granger should have attended the summit Dear Editor, Ex-president David Granger should have accepted the President’s invitation to attend the Presidential Summit. He missed a golden opportunity to bring national healing, transform his image, and boost his favourability ratings after the failed attempt to rig the March elections.

As a political scientist, I learn that the office of the Presidency, whether in America or Guyana, or in any country, transcends any one individual, and one must respect the office and be willing to go to extraordinary measures to make the office and country better. One must not show partisanship, and must be willing to embrace all, regardless of party.

President Ali has done exactly that: he took the initiative to bring all ex-Presidents together for support and advice on building a better nation.

Regardless of party affiliation, all political leaders (presidents) must at times be willing to work or come together for the wellbeing of the nation. It is an act of patriotism, showing that one cares about country more than party and politics.

But there is hardly any reciprocity from the opposing side to Ali’s invitation, and that does not augur well for the future. Relations between Government and Opposition have been strained as a result of the publicly attempted rigging of the last election. This consultation or Presidential Summit would have narrowed resentment and bridged the gap between the two oppos-

ing sides. A lot of goodwill would have flowed from this extraordinary summit.

What was also missed was a fantastic photo opportunity that brings former and current political leaders together, a rare occurrence, a showcase for the nation on working together for national reconciliation and development.

Mr Granger could have helped to end the political acrimony and bitterness that followed the APNU+AFC defeat, and unite the nation as it goes into the holiday season. It would have been a great holiday gift to the entire population. The excuse of a lack of an agenda for declining an invitation to meet with President Ali and other ex-Presidents is described as ‘lame’, and not accepted by a large majority of the population. The population feels Mr Granger could have showed up and dictated terms, his agenda, for the gathering of ex-Presidents and current President. He could even have come with a few assistants (including Opposition Leader) and insist that they be present for and partake in the proceedings. It is doubtful President Ali and or any ex-President would have objected. It was a historic opportunity for constructive conversation and fellowship.

It would have been an opportunity to transform the bad blood politics of the country and contribute to the institutionalisation of democracy.

Generally, ex-Presidents meet at funerals, gala events, Republic or Independence days, Indian High Commission

Phagwah celebrations, special functions, banquets, swearing in ceremonies, among other events. This was a unique invitation

by President Ali to meet to discuss any issue, to offer advice to the President, to discuss policies. He values their experience, advice, and recommendations. President Ali did not invite the ex-Presidents for a partisan political discussion. He did not set an agenda. The ex-Presidents could have asked for, or set one, or suggest what they would like to discuss. Ali would have found himself in a bind to discuss it. The President left the agenda open for ‘an open discussion’ – known as ‘no holds barred’ in political science.

An incomplete discussion would have led to follow up meetings.

If President Ali had failed to meet expectations, then President Granger and other ex-Presidents would have had justification to assail him for breach.

The language of the ex-President and Opposition Leader in their responses to the invitation was not warm. It’s not good for the future. Granger finds himself the odd man out, at least in terms of popularity. Supporters of both political sides interviewed by poll workers, as well as my own personal conversations with people suggest that more than three-quarters of the public thinks Granger should have accepted the invitation. Few opposed the meeting, while some supporters of APNU prefer not to give an opinion.

Had Granger consulted with his supporters rath-

er than his party clique, he would have gotten their perspective on why he should have attended the parley. A majority of APNU supporters are in favour of the meeting.

Almost everyone praised President Ali for his initiative of parleying with ex-Presidents, saying he demonstrates class and willingness to work with opponents. Ali feels confident in meeting and working with ex-Presidents, regardless of party affiliation.

The public’s rating of President Ali’s leadership skills has been soaring ever since he was sworn in on March 2, and this initiative of a meeting makes him look even better. He inspires confidence among the population, demonstrating he has been able to get things done, and willing to work with the opposition for the betterment of the country.

The President should not give up on reaching out to ex-President Granger and Opposition Leader Joe Harmon for a national dialogue.

The ex-Presidents who accepted the invitation for the confab have won the support and admiration of the population. People see them differently now than when they were Presidents; Donald Ramotar and Sam Hinds are being praised like never before. Bharrat Jagdeo, as usual, continues to tower above the others in popularity ratings because of his charismatic leadership qualities and his vast knowledge of issues and policies.

Yours truly, Dr Vishnu Bisram

guyanatimesgy.com

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2020

5

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

Boorish excuse by Joseph Harmon

Dear Editor, The High Commissioner of Canada to Guyana, Ms. Lillian Chatterjee, recently requesting a meeting with Leader of the Opposition, Mr Joseph Harmon, to bid him farewell, but that request was turned down in the most boorish and class-

less manner for someone of his station.

It shows the class and deportment of Ms Chatterjee that, despite the fact of being physically present and totally aware of who was the mastermind behind the attempted orchestration of rigging the elections when

Mingo was doing his threecard trick of disappearing votes, she still rose above the situation and requested as a courtesy to say goodbye to the office of the Leader of the Opposition.

Were it not for the intervention of likeminded persons of the calibre

of High Commissioner Ms Chatterjee, who believes that the citizens of all countries have the right to choose their government by periodic elections via secret ballot in a multi-party system through universal and equity suffrage, we definitely would have had a

failed state with perpetually rigged elections.

I want to surmise that among the reasons why the Canadian High Commissioner Ms Chatterjee wanted to say farewell to the Leader of the Opposition was to have a last look at someone who

was capable of stealing a whole election, and fervently hope that she would never again have to encounter the likes of a similar character for the rest of her diplomatic career.

Dear Editor, This year has brought with it some of the greatest challenges we have faced in Guyana. First there were drawn-out elections that resulted from APNU/AFC leaders trying to rig the elections with the tabulation of the initial electoral votes, which had come under scrutiny by local and international observer missions, leading to a national recount brokered by a Caribbean Community high-level delegation comprised of prime ministers from the Caribbean region.

Then there was a global pandemic.

The year 2020 has been a testing year for everyone.

Lots of persons have lost loved ones to COVID-19, many have furloughed or, indeed, lost their incomes completely due to the consequences of COVID-19.

However, it would be fair to say that we are all looking forward to a fresh new year in 2021. But as we look forward to Christmas and the New Year, it is important to note that, in every situation that comes our way, there is always good to be found.

On behalf of PPP/C Administration, we want to share with you some of the good we have seen throughout this year, and our hope for Christmas and the New Year.

We can all agree that it is not the norm with all these COVID-19 precautions and people having to maintain social distance. Everything has suddenly changed from last Christmas, but if there is a will, there is a way for this Christmas. When the COVID-19 first surfaced in Guyana, it was the worst pandemic that our country had ever seen. The impact first-hand hit our health and education sectors like a ton of bricks, with our medical workers supporting frontline first responders as they worked hard to avoid the devastation that eventually impacted our ten regions.

The way that Guyanese came together during the pandemic was remarkable. There was practical on-ground support for our new PPP/C Government as they married the COVID-19 protective measures with sustainable economic development and unity for the purpose of helping all Guyanese in their time of need.

During the horrific COVID-19 that has ravaged so many countries of the world, we have all seen

the iconic Guyanese spirit in full effect. Our rural leaders have come alongside many rural families affected by COVID-19 and have been able to provide very practical support, which has been warmly welcomed by so many of our citizens in our regions.

Rural communities are resilient and tough, and yet our leaders have been embraced by these communities, leading to deep and lasting friendships.

COVID-19 has been extremely damaging to our economy, with many families and individuals having been placed under extreme financial and emotional strain.

However, even during a pandemic, a strong thread of friendship emerged as

communities found creative ways to support each other.

And the PPP/C Government Ministers have also been busy supporting locals in their communities.

Looking forward now to Christmas, I want to encourage everyone to embrace the season, and take this opportunity to connect with loved ones. Spending time with family (either in-person or online); sharing a meal with those you love, and with the less fortunate; taking time to be with friends, or by engaging in the joy of giving to one another this Christmas.

We also know that Christmas can be a time of stress, financial pressure and loneliness for some Guyanese, as many ponder where to go for finan-

cial support this Christmas.

Our Government is committed to economic development despite COVID-19, making sure that Guyanese go back to work. They want us to know that they are here for us this Christmas. The 2 weeks’ bonus given to our services’ men and women must be a blessing.

The true meaning of Christmas is found in the birth of Jesus. Jesus brought into the world a hope for a better tomorrow, a hope that no matter what we have done or where we have been, we are loved. A hope that nothing can separate us from Jesus’s love.

So, this Christmas, let me encourage every Guyanese

to focus on the true meaning of Christmas, and enjoy the festive season as we come together with our families and friends. Christmas will always remain a time of reflection for most people, and also a time for caring and sharing.

Yours sincerely, Reggie Bhagwandin

If there is a will, there is a way for this Christmas

COMMODITIES Indicators Crude Oil Rough Rice London Sugar

US$ $50.76/barrel $221.90/ton $390.30/ton

Live Spot Gold

Change % +0.93 +0.02 -1.39

USD Per Ounce

Bid/Ask

$1851.70

$1852.70

Low/High Change

$1835.90 -2.10

$1855.90 -0.11%

Sincerely, David Adams

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WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2020

Page

Foundation ◄ Polygons cont’d

Two polygons are congruent if their shapes and sizes are the same. The sides and the angles in one polygon must exactly match the sides and the angles in the other.

Congruent polygons do not have to face in the same direction. The best way to find out if two polygons are congruent is to measure the sides and the angles in both.

1) 4) 7) 10)

Square Heptagon Trapezium Acute triangle

What you need: 2 plastic 1-litre bottles Scissors String Craft supplies (optional) Instructions: Cut the bottoms off your plastic bottles (This is a job for grown-ups unless you are an older kid).

Either tape the bottles together, end to end, or slip one end inside the other, which is what we did. This will be the base of your inertia zoom ball.

Optional: Decorate your zoom ball.

Thread two lengths of string through the inertia zoom ball. Make these quite long at first, so you can experiment with the effect that shortening the strings may have on the reaction of the ball.

How to operate the zoom ball: You need two people.

Each person takes a hold of one end of each string and pulls them taut.

First, hold the strings together and move the ball to one end. The person

Æsop’s Fables

FOR CHILDREN

Exercises: Identify the congruent polygons

Tuesday’s answers 2) Equilateral triangle 5) Right-angled triangle 8) Pentagon 11) Rectangle

3) 6) 9) 12)

Parallelogram Isosceles triangle Rhombus Hexagon

closest to the ball snaps the strings apart and the ball zooms toward the opposite end! The receiver then snaps his string ends open as his partner closes his hands to zoom it back.

Tip: Hold on tight! As long as either partner doesn’t let go, you can get some super zooming action.

Tip: A fast-moving plastic bottle can hurt when it bumps against your hands! Wear gloves.

Tip: Experiment with longer or shorter strings. Talk about the difference!

What’s the science?

As the strings push apart, the ball reacts by zooming down the strings. The ball’s motion can be halted in several ways: bumping against the hands of the receiver (ouch!), losing momentum when a string goes slack when it is accidentally dropped (as you know, we love learning about science through failure), or, if the reaction of the snapped strings was not strong enough, the ball loses speed as it enters the “straight string zone”.

(Excerpt from whatdowedoallday.com)

A

boy, stung by a nettle, ran home crying, to get his mother to blow on the hurt and kiss it.

“Son,” said the boy’s mother, when she had comforted him, “the next time you come near a nettle, grasp it firmly, and it will be as soft as silk.”

WORD SEARCH

NEWS

7

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Former Finance Minister Berbice labourer dies in motorcycle collision new GRA Chairman

…Ramesh Persaud to head NIS Board

Former PSC Chairman Ramesh Persaud will now chair the NIS Board

S

aisnarine Kowlessar, who served as Finance Minister between 1999 and 2006, has been appointed to chair the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) Board as more board appointments were made by the Government.

The announcement was made by Finance Minister, Dr Ashni Singh. Kowlessar, who also has a long-standing academic career lecturing at the University of Guyana, will serve alongside Bank of Guyana Governor, Dr Gobind Ganga.

Other appointments to the new GRA Board include Finance Ministry official Sonya Roopnauth, Sukrishnalall Pasha, Lennox Benjamin and GRA Commissioner General Godfrey Statia as an ex-offi-

cio member.

Meanwhile, Minister Singh also announced the appointment of former Private Sector Commission (PSC) Chairman Ramesh Persaud as the new Chairman of the National Insurance Scheme (NIS) Board.

Persaud, who is currently the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Institute of Private Enterprise Development (IPED), also serves as a member of the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) Board.

The other members of that Board who will be serving during his tenure are NIS General Manager Holly Greaves, who is serving in an ex-officio capacity. Also on the Board are Government Members of Parliament (MPs) Faizal Jaffarally, Seepaul Narine and Yvonne Pearson, as well as Accountant Maurice Solomon, Satanand Gopie, Kathleen Jason and former MP Gillian Burton-Persaud.

The new GRA Board will be tasked with overseeing policy and the multitude of tax measures that the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) Government passed in the emergency 2020 Budget back in September.

These measures included rolling back the imposition of Value Added Tax (VAT)

New GRA Chairman Saisnarine Kowlessar

and duties on mining equipment. Other equipment normally used in agriculture also had VAT removed. VAT was also removed from exports, cellphones, medical supplies, and building and construction materials, as well as pesticides and agricultural chemicals. The Government also rolled back VAT on electricity and water; a measure that ensured everyone could benefit from VAT reductions.

Corporate tax was also removed from private health care and education, thereby clearing the way for foreign and local institutions to invest in Guyana. The Government also rolled back the restriction on the importation of used vehicles older than eight years, which will allow thousands to own their own vehicles. (G3)

A

The two motorcycles that were involved in the accident

60-year-old man lost his life in an accident, which saw a motorcycle crashing into another along the Cumberland Public Road, East Canje, Berbice, Region Six (East BerbiceCorentyne), on Tuesday.

Dead is Clifton Sukhoo called “John” of Lot 70 New Street Cumberland, East Canje.

Reports are that Sukhoo had just left a motorcycle repair shop and was on the Cumberland Public Road turning into New Street when he was hit by a CBR proceeding in the same direction.

According to the police, the motorcycle, bearing registration plate CG 5056 (Suzuki 500 cc), owned and driven by a 35-year-old of East Canefield East Canje was proceeding south along the eastern drive lane of the said road while motorcycle CH 8875 (Jialing 110 cc), owned and driven by Sukhoo, was proceeding in

Dead: Clifton Sukhoo, called “John”

the same direction.

Police said that it is alleged that the rider of CH 8875 stopped at the centre of the road and was in the process of turning west when the front of motorcycle CG 5056 collided with the rear of CH 8875.

As a result of the collision, both cyclists fell onto the road’s surface. They were both picked up in an unconscious state and rushed to the New Amsterdam Hospital. Sukhoo was pronounced dead on arrival and the rider of the other motor-

cycle was admitted a patient at the hospital.

Meanwhile, eyewitnesses said that Sukhoo was thrown several feet from the point of impact while the Suzuki 500 rider, who they identified as a secondary school teacher, fell onto the road.

At the dead man’s home, family members expressed anger at the way the accident occurred and called for justice.

“We don’t want him to [go] on $200,000 bail or $50,000 bail. He wrong to my brother. He try to overtake and come in my brother lane and hit him and pitch him about 40-feet. I want justice for my brother because my brother only lost a son who hung himself three months ago,” Mahadeo Jattan, brother of the dead man told this publication.

Sukhoo is the second of his siblings who have died as a result of a road accident.

(Andrew Carmichael)

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WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Teacher appeals 3-year jail sentence for sexual assault of girl

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azir Khan, who was a teacher attached to a prominent private school, is challenging the three-year jail sentence he is facing for sexual assault of an underage girl.

According to court documents seen by this publication, Khan – through his lawyer Dexter Todd – is contending that he was wrongfully convicted for the offence and is asking for an early hearing of the appeal.

Khan had initially denied the charge which alleged that on March 9, 2019, he engaged in sexual activi-

ty with a child under the age of 16, thereby abusing a position of trust.

According to the facts of the case, Khan braced his penis next to the young girl and squeezed her breasts and butt. He had been on trial for the offence before Magistrate Leron Daly at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.

He was found guilty of the offence and jailed for three years and ordered to pay a fine of $1 million.

However, the lawyer – in the appeal – is contending that the Magistrate showed unconstrained human emo-

Wazir Khan, the teacher who was jailed for sexual assault

tions with the victim’s evidence, which created an unfair trial for Khan.

The lawyer also contended that the Magistrate made an error of law when she considered that there was a “strong suspicion” that Khan may well have committed the offence. This suspicion, the lawyer said, could not justify upholding a conviction in all the circumstances of the present case.

Attorney Todd has approached the High Court seeking bail for Khan pending his appeal. The case is scheduled to be called on Friday, December 18.

Toxic...

L

…political suggestion ike those morbid folks who’re drawn to scenes of gruesome accidents, your Eyewitness tuned in to Day 2 (or should it be “Round 2?) of the ERC/UN/ UG’s “Conversation on Ethnic Relations”. He figured that at least the ERC could provide him with some diversion, after getting their $256 million 2020 Budget. This time, the technical folks they hired (was there an open bid?) seemed to’ve gotten their act together, and there wasn’t the interminable wait of Day 1. Progress, your Eyewitness hoped.

First out of the box was former PPPC Minister of Education and a host of other portfolios, Henry Jeffrey.

The fella was more animated that any of the times your Eyewitness had ever seen him - and this included several late-night sessions at Seeta’s Bar!! He threw off the drawl he usually affected and spent his entire ten minutes ranting about the waste of time it was to hold competitive elections! He was almost foaming at the mouth! Yeah, you could have elections, but at the end, there should be no winners in his “Shared Government” model. According to him, there’d be a Cabinet wherein the Presidency would be rotated between the leaders of all the parties - here the PPP and PNC - EVERY YEAR!!

His model was Switzerland, where things work like clockwork!

To your Eyewitness, this sounded suspiciously like the time after Hamilton Green was tossed out of the PNC, and ran for the Mayor of G/town against the PNC and PPP’s candidates with his “Good and Green” Party. When, with no outright winner, the PPP was persuaded to agree on a rotation of the mayorship every year between the three parties. They started out with Ranwell Jordan of the PNC, and after his turn came Hamilton Green. This being Guyana, where things didn’t work like clockwork - and in fact where the landmark Stabroek Clock hadn’t worked for years! - Green refused to vacate his seat for the PPP’s candidate!! He was Mayor for the next 20 years!!

And that’s the point, isn’t it? Does anyone out there believe that if a man like Granger - or Harmon or any of their candidates - were given the Presidency, they’d give it up?? If you said yes, then your Eyewitness has a bridge across the Essequibo River to sell! Cheap! Granger lost the last elections…he knew he’d lost the night of March 2 from his SOPs, yet he was willing to try to rig in front of the entire world.

And that’s the problem with all these “shared government” pie-in-the-sky spiels for Guyana, isn’t it?

Once the PNC get their hands on power - even for a day - there’s no way they’re getting out! …economic models As the world starts to see a light at the end of the tunnel out of the COVID-19 pandemic (hope it’s not the light of an oncoming train!) with the US launching their vaccination programme, most have missed a seismic change in the world economy. We’ve all been forewarned that China would be overtaking the US as the largest economy in the world. But the change isn’t that COVID has accelerated that inevitability – it’s that the Chinese economic model might just overthrow the West’s new-liberal capitalist path!

Unlike the failure of State capitalism here under Burnham, the Communist Chinese have shown that it’s their secret weapon. In late 2013, Pres. Xi vowed to give market forces a “decisive role.” but these have floundered and the state had to step in. The marketreform camp is all but gone, and state firms, with unlimited access to the state credit spigot - unlike the private sector - are poised for expansion.

Will some of the clients of China’s B&R now follow their economic model? …challenge With no vaccines for us till January at best, we can’t afford to have our usual Christmas revelry. We’ve to act like everybody we come into contact with has COVID. It’s survival time, baby!

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

NEWS

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WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Mismanagement, bad policies by APNU/AFC deteriorated forestry industry – GFC …workers finally receive 2018 bonus

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he Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC) has indicated that it will commence payment of the 2018 bonus due to staff after it was withheld by the previous A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance for Change (APNU/AFC) Administration.

According to the Natural Resources Ministry, the payment of the bonus is as a result of the first engagement with Minister Vickram Bharrat back in August when he took office.

Over the past four years, the Guyana Forestry Commission under the previous Administration became bankrupt and unable to pay basic salaries and other operational expenses. This was further complicated by poor decisions of the previous Board of Directors which placed additional financial burdens on the administrative and management operations of the Commission.

A statement from the GFC on Tuesday said that the mismanagement not only affected staff of the GFC, but resulted in the rapid deterioration of logging roads which were maintained by large scale investors who exited the industry due to bad policies under the David Granger-led Administration.

It added that with the oversight of the Natural Resources Minister and the management team of the GFC, efforts are being made for the Commission to become financially viable and self-sustaining in the short, medium and long term.

As such, the Commission’s short-term strategy to increase revenue and minimise expenditure is proving successful at improving its financial status and making the GFC once again self- sus-

tainable.

Back in August, the Irfaan Ali-led Government had approved $350 million to support the Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC) after it was left bankrupt by the APNU/AFC. At that time, the Government had stated that the money was to pay salaries to staff and utility services, in an effort to bail out the Commission.

Additionally, the Government had said that workers were not paid their $25,000 bonus in 2018, which was announced and not honoured by the APNU/ AFC Government.

“Hence, the current Government is committed to paying this outstanding bonus to all eligible staff before the end of 2020,” the Government related in a previous statement.

After taking office, Parliamentary Affairs and Governance Minister Gail Teixeira confirmed that the GFC is in a state of bankruptcy. The Minister related that when the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) had demitted office in 2015, the Commission had over $4 billion in its coffers.

Now, the agency does not even have sufficient funds to pay salaries. This is topped with high debts.

During Bharrat’s first engagement at the Ministry in August, he was informed that the Commission was unable to pay salaries for July to its staff and more so, millions of dollars were owed to utility companies. In response, Bharrat had suggested major restructuring at the various agencies to ensure that they function in a more effective manner.

Guyana has an area of 214,970 km2, of which nearly seventy-five per cent is

covered with natural vegetation. Of this area, approximately four-fifths is classified as State Forests under the jurisdiction of the GFC. The deficit balance came as a surprise, given that the 2019 Mid-Year Report had shown that the sector was one of the few economic success stories. The report had said that the forestry subsector was estimated to have grown at the half-year.

This growth had encompassed the production of timber, including logs, round wood, primary lumber, split wood and fuelwood.

According to the report, the production of these commodities rose by 7.8 per cent above the level achieved at the end of June 2018.

“This pushed growth in the sector to 8.5 per cent in the first half of 2019. The improvements to interior roads

in the latter half of 2018 saw community loggers, particularly in Region 10, realising higher production levels in the first quarter of 2019.

Production continued to surge, driven by small-scale concessions and community forestry operators,” the report had indicated.

“At the end of the first half, log production grew by

6.8 per cent, mainly on account of the increased extraction of greenheart logs to meet local demand. On the other hand, weaker international demand for round wood resulted in a contraction of this category in the second quarter, which resulted in a 2.6 per cent decline relative to the previous half-year,” the re-

port added.

According to the document, primary lumber producers recorded gains of 32.4 per cent in the first half, which was attributed to them capitalising on local demand for construction.

The report also projected a positive outlook for the remainder of the year for the sector. (G2)

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f COVID-19 has halted your large Christmas gathering, there are still ways to celebrate.

As coronavirus cases rise, health experts recommend people skip holiday travel due to the possibility of spreading the disease.

This year, it’s safest to stay home and spend Christmas with people who live with you, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

But that doesn’t mean

your family has to scrap gift exchanges and other seasonal traditions, experts say. Here are some alternate ways to celebrate.

Online gift-giving

Have a family movie night

Stay at home and have a movie night with family members. “Home Alone I and II” are a must, we say.

By staying at home, you can

enjoy a nice, safe Christmas without shopping and partying as you usually do and still have fun.

For people who want scaled-back festivities, the CDC recommends using the Internet to help coordinate gift giving.

To start planning, health experts suggest people avoid crowded stores and instead buy gifts online. Shoppers may

want to check if companies can send holiday trinkets directly to their relatives, according to Emerson Hospital in Massachusetts.

“Exchange gifts with loved ones via mail or contactless drop-offs — bonus points if you purchase items from small, independ e n t businesses,” the University of Pennsylvania Health System said on its blog.

After gifts arrive, relatives who don’t live in the same household can still see their loved one’s reactions.

The CDC suggests families can hold virtual calls to open presents together.

to the CDC. Missing your favourite Christmas tunes?

Another tip is to organise a virtual singing and dancing session.

Other video chat ideas from the CDC include calls to show off holiday dishes.

The holidays may be a good time to experiment with new recipes and make treats that safely can be delivered to others, according to the University of Pennsylvania Health System.

Getting outside

While at home, other activities can add cheer to the holiday season, experts say.

One idea is for families to put up holiday decorations and take festive pho-

There are opportunities to celebrate the season outside the home, too.

Experts say another option is to walk or drive around to check out holiday lights.

Before going to in-person religious services, volunteer opportunities and Santa visits, the CDC rec-

tos around the house. It’s also possible to make home decor and other Christmas crafts while on a video call with loved ones, according

ommends people consider safety precautions to help reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19. (Adapted from Miami Herald)

Putting up decorations

NEWS

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WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Ramsammy’s Ruminations President Irfaan Ali is already earning his title – the People's President

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or four months, ever since the new President was sworn in, almost on a daily basis, the new government has been announcing a new initiative to support and improve the lives of citizens. While the Government must build infrastructure, create jobs, bring in investment, it is imperative the new Government recognizes that people are hurting. For five years, the country's Government created hardships for the people.

Because of the previous Government's stubbornness, they stagnated the country since December 21, 2018 when the No-Confidence Motion was passed, and then they unconscionably held the country hostage between March 3 and August 2. All the while, in the midst of the previous Government trying to thief the elections, COVID-19 Dr Leslie Ramsammy was spreading all across Guyana. Now our people are paying the price. But our new President and his Government have rekindled hope.

President Irfaan Ali is quickly earning a reputation as the People's President. Cheddi Jagan was the People's President.

Bharrat Jagdeo earned that title, and is still the People's President.

Today, Irfaan Ali is already following in the footsteps of his illustrious predecessors, not in any way trying to fit in their shoes, but crafting his own legacy. The youthful President has been travelling around the country, meeting and discoursing with his people, helping them resolve issues that plague their lives. But he is not only upfront and up-close with his people, not only listening to their problems, not only helping them find solutions, he is ensuring that the Government becomes more responsive to the social welfare and economic needs of the people.

Already, President Ali has travelled to most of the regions in Guyana. He is not just showing up to commission something. In just four months, he has travelled to more places in Guyana than the previous aloof President did in five years. Already, he has met more Guyanese, and personally engaged them more than the previous President did in five years. More ordinary Guyanese have met personally with President Ali in the last four months than those that had met the previous President in five years. All one has to do is look at President Ali listening to people tell their stories, talk of their woes. He does not hurry them up. He patiently listens to them, as if their stories are the most important things for him.

That is what a People's President looks like, how he behaves. He is not only their President, he is their friend, their brother.

But every day also, the President is rolling out policies and initiatives that empower people. This week, President Ali announced more support for vulnerable families reeling under the pressure of COVID-19. The President has announced that, through the Ministry of Human Services, the Government would provide a childcare subsidy for essential workers. The subsidy would support those essential workers who are parents of children seven years old or under. Among the workers who would benefit are frontline health workers, members of the Guyana Police Force, Fire Service, human services workers, domestic workers, security firm workers, and supermarket employees. The childcare subsidy is part of a menu of support programme the Government has been implementing since it took office in August 2020.

Even as this new subsidy programme is introduced, the Government's $25,000 cash grant for households is being rolled out across the country. Simultaneously, the school supplies voucher programme is being rolled out in schools nationwide. The Government has continued the programme President Ali started before he was sworn in - distribution of food hampers to needy families.

President Ali had previously announced a bonus amounting to two weeks’ salary for public sector health workers and for members of the disciplined services.

But these measures are not the only ones the Government has rolled out since August as it tried to help people combat the burdens placed on them by the COVID-19 crisis. The Government has coordinated a support programme with the banks. Customers with mortgage have been granted a moratorium on their mortgage payments - they do not have to pay their monthly mortgage payments this year, and they will not be penalised for late payments. Customers who utilise ATM services are not surcharged. In spite of their having sustained losses, these banks have also agreed to provide short-term, low interest loans to businesses which have been especially affected by COVID-19.

In the last month, the President initiated a special economic enterprise programme for vulnerable women. More than 200 women have registered with the Ministry of Human Services to sew cloth masks. Many of these women have suffered from domestic violence, many are single parents. The Government has procured 183,000 cloth masks that are now being distributed to children in schools. In the next week, the Government will procure 50,000 more of these masks, and in the next several months, the Government will procure another 150,000 masks from these women. These women are not only on the frontline fighting COVID-19, they are earning a living because their President cares for them. By the end of this specific cloth mask initiative, in a few weeks’ time, the women would have earned more than $60 million because the People's President is constantly looking for ways to help the most vulnerable in our country.

Corriverton Town Council treasurer sent on leave …striking workers return to work

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ollowing a number of concerns raised by striking workers of the Corriverton Town Council, the Town Council’s treasurer was sent on leave – a move which has convinced the aggrieved employees to return to work.

Last week, workers at the Corriverton municipality went on strike calling for better working conditions and improved wages and salaries.

The workers claimed that they are being paid below the minimum wage.

One of the employees contended that the workers have been earning less since the pandemic hit Guyana in March of this year.

The employee related that she is currently being paid $9301 weekly which represents less than half of what she previously earned.

General Secretary of the Guyana Labour Union Carvil Duncan said he penned a letter to the municipality seeking to have several issues resolved and the municipality refused to respond, forcing the Union to take industrial action.

On Monday, Mayor Winston Roberts refuted those allegations, saying that the municipality did respond to the Union.

“He did not say that we sent a reply to him. What we did was that we posted it by

mail and registered it. We have the stub to prove that we sent a registered letter to him,” Roberts said.

The Union had sent the letter dated November 30, and the municipality said it responded on December 1.

The Mayor said that the Union listed fourteen is-

sues affecting workers. When asked what those issues were, Mayor Roberts refused to divulge details, but noted that the two sides are still locked in negotiations. He noted that by today the municipality will be in a better position to provide more details on the matter. (G4)

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WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Guyana should be ready for COVID-19 vaccine by mid-January – Health Minister …30 new COVID-19 cases recorded

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everal countries across the world have already begun rolling out vaccines for the dreaded COVID-19, and Guyana is not going to be left behind according to Minister of Health, Dr Frank Anthony.

The Minister, during his daily COVID-19 brief, related that Guyana is in the process of currently creating the space and acquiring equipment to make it ready to receive vaccines by mid-January 2021.

“We have to increase the physical space to store the vaccines and we have started that process. We have done the evaluation; our engineers have gone out to each of these sites in the regions and based on that we are now planning some expansion. We are hoping that by mid-January a lot of this physical space would be created. We are going to do some tendering for these

projects by this week/next week so that we can have the physical space ready,” Dr Anthony related.

He noted that on December 11 the United States’ Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted approval to Pfizer for the rolling out of its COVID-19 vaccines – shortly after it was granted approval for distribution in the United Kingdom. The other competitor – Moderna is expected to be granted approval when its documentation comes up for review by the FDA on December 21.

The Health Minister added that with vaccines on the horizon, all the doom and gloom of the past nine months can now be overshadowed by the ray of hope they bring.

“In terms of our preparation here, we have started to prepare our cold chain system and the cold chain is

vaccines you would have to keep them at a certain temperature, generally most vaccines that we been using would be between 2 and 8 degree Celsius and so we are accustomed to a system that operates within this range,” he said.

He noted that while there are several vaccine storage facilities in Guyana, the public health system does not have the facilities to store vaccines below -20 degree Celsius.

“This current system that we have in place is not going to be enough. We need extra space for COVID-19 vaccines and some of the COVID-19 vaccines coming out on the market they have special temperature requirements. So, for example with the Pfizer vaccine you have to store them at minus 70 degrees Celsius and for the Moderna vaccines it is at minus 20 (degrees Celsius)

so while we do have some freezers in the public health system that runs at minus 20, we don’t have any minus 70 freezers,” he related.

“We have also identified a number of suppliers for freezers. So, we are going out to get some of the minus 70 degrees freezers and some minus 20 freezers as well and this would complement the existing cold chain that we have and so by doing this we are expanding the range of our existing cold chain so we would be able to get any vaccines whether it is minus 70 to 2 which covers the range of vaccines being talked about,” Dr Anthony added.

However, he noted that a lot of the countries are going after the minus 70 degrees Celsius freezers so there is an anticipated shortage.

He added that they are also looking at procuring cold storage trucks to transport

the vaccines to the various regions for distribution.

New cases

On Tuesday, Guyana recorded 30 new cases, which takes the total confirmed positive cases to date to 5973. Of this amount, 5144 persons have recovered. In

the daily dashboard update it was noted that nine persons are in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), 43 in institutional isolation, 621 in home isolation, and 17 in institutional quarantine.

Some 34,498 persons have been tested for the virus to date. (G2)

2 killed in Linden Highway crash

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wo missionaries were on Tuesday evening killed in a two-vehicle crash on the LindenSoesdyke Highway.

Dead are Cornelis Rozema, 75, and Bernice Rozema, 79, of Hararuni Village.

While details are sketchy, reports are the accident occurred at about 20:00h as the couple was heading home. This publication was told that Cornelis Rozema, who was the driver of the motor car, allegedly ended up in the path of a truck. The couple died on the spot.

Dead: Cornelis Rozema

Dead: Bernice Rozema

This newspaper was told that the couple, of the Netherlands, moved

to Guyana some years ago. (More details in our December 17th edition)

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News

GuySuCo commits to rehiring 5000 workers as sugar estates reopen

…honours 95 workers for over 4 decades of service

A section of the gathering at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre

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oting that some 700 workers have already been rehired as Government forges ahead with its plans to revitalise the sugar industry, Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha has clapped back at naysayers as he made it clear that the PPP/C Administration is committed to rehiring 5000 sugar workers who were dismissed under the former APNU/AFC Administration.

This commitment was made at the award ceremony held for Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) workers who dedicated their services for more than 40 years.

Some 7000 sugar workers were thrown on the breadline under the APNU/ AFC Administration when it had closed the Wales, Enmore, Rose Hall and Skeldon Estates.

During the election campaign trail, the PPP/C promised to reopen those estates.

And, since the PPP/C Administration assumed office in August of this year, they have been putting systems in place to achieve just this. Already, over 700 persons have been rehired.

The Agriculture Minister recommitted to ensuring 5000 persons are rehired.

“Our Government is cognisant of the fact that many livelihoods and communities are dependent on this industry. We are aware that the entire community are built around sugar. We heard your cry when hope seemed lost, when there was no work and loss of income… that is why the reopening of these estates is important…. more than 5000 sugar workers will be rehired,” the Minister said.

Notwithstanding, Minister Mustapha explained that as the estates reopen, the Guyana Sugar Corporation will have to look at new and innovative ways to stay profitable.

This, he said, includes diversifying and tapping into new markets “We in the Government will encourage GuySuCo to continue to pursue product diversification.

For GuySuCo to survive we cannot continue to produce raw brown sugar, we have to ensure that we produce value-added product,” he said.

Charged: Parmanan Rambarran, called “Flushing”

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labourer of Triumph, East Coast Demerara, was on Tuesday remanded to prison when he appeared at the Sparendaam Magistrate’s

A GuySuCo staff receiving an award for his dedicated service for more than 40 years to the company

around from today onwards with your heads held high and confident as leaders in your own right, because

Meanwhile, Chief Executive Officer of GuySuCo, Sasenarine Singh at the said event declared that GuySuCo workers are the heart of the country’s sugar industry.

On Tuesday, a total of 95 workers were recognised for their 40-plus years of service to the sugar company.

The 95 sugar workers, who hail from the Albion, Blairmont and Uitvlugt Estates and GuySuCo’s Head Office, were awarded during a ceremony held

Dead: Christopher Findlay

at the family property.

Pastor Findlay said he immediately rushed to the scene where he discovered that his brother was dead.

The case was adjourned to January 2.

it was you who persevered under the odds when some tried to close this industry down,” he said.

Omai finds high-grade gold in abandoned pit

…to launch drilling campaign early next year

Workers heart of sugar industry

Labourer remanded for murder of Triumph man Court slapped with a murder charge, Parmanan Rambarran, called “Flushing” was charged for the murder of 50-year-old Christopher Findlay of Triumph, East Coast Demerara (ECD).

It is alleged that the 29-year-old chopped Findlay to death on December 11.

Reports are that Findlay, a father of seven and grandfather of five, and the accused were involved in a scuffle on December 10.

However, the next day the labourer showed up at the man’s house and began to chop him about the body.

The dead man’s older brother, Pastor Patrick Findlay, had told this publication that at around midday on December 11, he received a call from someone in the area informing him that the suspect was beating his brother, who lived alone

on Tuesday at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre.

CEO of GuySuCo Sasenarine Singh, while addressing the workers, noted that without their contributions, the country’s sugar industry could not have been where it is today.

“I found gold. GuySuCo’s gold is its people, and I can emphatically declare today that GuySuCo’s greatest assets is its people. Not its machinery, not its equipment, but you the people,” he said.

He further expressed gratitude to the workers for their time of service, noting that they are the heart of the sugar industry.

“You are the heart and soul of the sugar industry, and I want every worker in the sugar belt to walk

Omai Gold Mines

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mai Gold Mines Limited (OGML), which returned to the Wenot and Fennell pits at the Region Seven (CuyuniMazaruni) site earlier this year after leaving Guyana in 2015, will soon be pressing forward with a 5000-metre drilling programme after finding gold 150 metres below the depth at which the pit was previously mined.

The promising findings emanated from assays done on untested cores from a 2012 drilling programme that was preserved by the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC).

According to a statement from the company, the results from the pits indicate high-grade gold.

“The assay results from the first two of these holes, 12WED11 and 12WED13, which were never logged or sampled, indicate that highgrade mineralisation extends below the Wenot Pit and there is expansion potential of gold mineralisation to new sedimentary targets,” Omai announced.

According to Omai, visible gold was found in the first hole, with the assay finding 29.19 grams per ton (g/t) of milled ore. According to Omai, there is gold at least 150 metres below the

Wenot Pit, with no signs of any decrease. And according to Chief Executive Officer of Omai Gold Mines, Mario Stifano, the results are promising considering their plans for a 5000-metre drill campaign next year.

“We are very pleased that the results from these two holes confirm that high-grade gold continues beyond the limits of the Wenot shear and the Wenot Pit to the south within the sedimentary package, and that mineralisation from the Wenot Pit continues at least 150 metres below the depth of the historical pit that was mined. These results support our planned initial 5000-metre drill programme beginning in the new year,” he was quoted as saying.

Under its former management, Cambior, the Omai Gold Mine historically produced 3.7 million ounces of gold from the Fennell and Wenot open pits. But experts have posited that this has hardly scratched the surface and that Omai is far from mined out.

In an interview with this publication back in October, Omai’s Vice President of Exploration, Dr Dennis LaPoint had expressed the view that Cambior would

have continued its work on the Fennell and Wenot pits and churned out millions of ounces of gold, were it not for their financial difficulties.

“I’ll give you the example from the Roosevelt mine in Suriname, where I worked.

When they put that in production, they had a resource of about 2 million ounces.

And with this drilling, they increased it to about 10 million ounces. Hopefully, we can do the same here. But we have to have the drill results to support that. The drilling Cambior did was very focused on developing the two pits.”

“But they didn’t have the resources to expand those resources outside of what you see they mined. So, we have to come in and expand those resources. So, the concept people have that they’re mined out, is not true. It’s not mined out. It’s just that at the time, with the gold price, they could not afford to expand the operations. Nowadays with the gold price, we can do that,” LaPoint had said.

It was only last month that Omai Gold Mines, which is aiming to reclaim its place as Guyana’s top gold producer, had announced the impending resumption of trading on the Toronto Stock Exchange following the recent reverse takeover of Avalon Investment Holdings.

The company also got a new Board of Directors, including Stifano, Denis Clement, Adam Spencer and Paul Fornazzari; Executive Director and Founder Harvey McKenzie; Chief Financial Officer and Secretary Denis LaPoint; Vice President of Exploration, Jason Brewster and Vice President of Operations, Nadine Miller.

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News

WCB teens’ murder

Argentine expert requests series of documents to determine whether assistance can be offered …Benn agrees to provide autopsy video, facilitate meeting with pathologist

By Lakhram Bhagirat

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resident of the Argentine Team of Forensic Anthropology (Equipo Argentino de Antropologia ForensicaEAAF) Dr Luis Fondebrider on Tuesday met with Home Affairs Minister Robeson Benn and Police investigators where he requested a series of documents to determine whether his team would be in a position to offer assistance in the investigation of the murders of the West Coast Berbice (WCB) teens.

On September 6, 2020, the badly mutilated bodies of cousins Isaiah and Joel Henry were found in the backlands at West Coast Berbice after they had left their Number Three Village home to pick coconuts but did not return home. Then, on September 9, 2020, 17-yearold Haresh Singh was found murdered at the Number Three Village backlands in what was dubbed a retaliatory killing.

Dr Fondebrider arrived in Guyana on Saturday and met with the Singh and Henry

families where he explained the scope of his organisation and how they may or may not be able to assist. He also visited the crime scenes where he gathered preliminary information.

On Tuesday, the forensic expert held a discussion at the Cathedral of Immaculate Conception on Brickdam in Georgetown where he appraised persons of the work of the EAAF and the role they play as one of the foremost forensic teams in the world.

Following his presentation, during an interaction with the local media, Dr Fondebrider related that during his meeting with Minister Benn and the police he would have requested in excess of 20 pieces of documentation which would form the basis of his report. He noted that if provided with the documents, he would be in a position to indicate whether it is viable for his team to come to Guyana and provide additional assistance to the Guyanese authorities.

He noted that this visit was one that is preliminary in nature since he is leaving

today.

“I hope we can offer assistance to the Guyanese Government and the investigation because we have been working in many, many years doing this kind of job…I would be more than happy to cooperate and to review the case and work together with Guyanese scholars as well as to start a programme of training together with the Argentine Government through the Argentine Ambassador who is here with me,” he added.

Dr Fondebrider explained that a crime scene in the case of the teens would take at least one day or more to fully comb while the autopsy on each body would be a minimum of four to six hours following the Minnesota protocol which was established by the United Nations in the investigation of such crimes.

Commitment

Meanwhile, Home Affairs Minister Benn told Guyana Times on Tuesday night that they would be furnishing the expert team with the videos of the autopsies and have

“Mayor and City Council needs to do their job” – Edghill

A vendor shows Public Works Minister Juan Edghill one of the clogged drains

P

ublic Works Minister, Juan Edghill on Tuesday called on the Georgetown Mayor and City Council to fulfil its duties to taxpayers. His call for the M&CC to stop neglecting its duties came after ven-

dors complained bitterly of the perils of flooding, clogged drains and a broken valve which results in wastage of water and also contributes to flooding.

In response, Edghill instructed the Special Projects

Unit with the Public Works Ministry to intervene and conduct the maintenance works.

“Mayor and City Council needs to do their job. They are collecting revenue and are not functioning as they should, especially in the markets.

What are they doing with taxpayers’ money? We are doing Albouystown and other projects already on their behalf presently,” the Minister is quoted as saying in a press release from the Ministry.

Edghill also conducted a visit to the Transport and Harbour’s wharf in Water Street, Georgetown, where he urged the ground staff to enforce the wearing of masks and social distancing. He also inspected a new generator ready to sail to Region One (Barima-Waini).

agreed to facilitate a meeting between Dr Fondebrider and Government Pathologist, Dr Nehaul Singh.

However, Dr Singh is in the Rupununi, Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) as of Tuesday.

“We are happy to work on general issues with the Argentine experts. We are pursuing the investigations diligently and working with security agents beyond the region. We don’t want to create more confusion, to allow the situation to deteriorate further,” the Minister said.

He added that the team informed the Argentine expert that if investigators need more assistance then they would consult with them.

EAAF, since its foundation in 1984, has worked in 55 countries. It is involved with the case regarding the disappearance of 43 students in Mexico, currently attracting much international attention.

EAAF is made up of 70 members with qualifications in different scientific fields, such as anthropology, archaeology, medicine, criminalistics, information technology, biology, and genetics.

They work at the different offices that the institution has in Argentina (Buenos Aires, Córdoba, Tucumán) as well as in New York, Mexico, and South Africa.

Its financing sources are typically European and North American foundations, some European states, and, since 2005, the Argentine state.

The Caricom Regional Security Service (RSS) team already visited Guyana to assist the police with the investigation. The team made recommendations for more investigation but overall expressed their confidence in the ability of the Guyana Police Force to solve the case.

The five-member team, which was led by an Assistant Commissioner of Police and comprised officials from countries within the Regional

Dr Luis Fondebrider interacting with Minister of Governance Gail Teixeira on Tuesday

Investigative Management Systems (RIMS), was in Guyana for one week and departed on October 6. The team has since completed its report and handed it over to the Guyana Police Force (GPF).

The bodies of the Henry teens were found in clumps of bushes and partially covered in mud after relatives went in search of them on September 6.

Post-mortem examinations conducted revealed that the teenagers died from haemorrhage and shock. In the case of 16-year-old Isaiah, he sustained a severed spine between the second and third vertebrae and a number of chop wounds to his head.

The body of 19-year-old Joel had a total of 18 wounds.

He, too, suffered a severed spine between the first and second vertebrae. It is believed that after sustaining wounds to the head, he fell to the ground and then got the wound that severed his spine.

The murders sparked protest action along the West Coast Berbice corridor, with persons blocking the roads and burning debris while calling for justice.

The situation escalated as protesters blocked traffic along the WCB roadway while robbing, beating and extorting innocent commuters. Millions of dollars were

also lost as vehicles went up in flames.

As the unrest continued, 17-year-old Haresh Singh of Number Three Village, West Coast Berbice (WCB), was found dead hours after he had left home on his motorcycle to attend his family’s farm in the backdam.

It was reported that the sound of Haresh’s motorcycle stopped along the dam and shortly after, his family members saw a fire blazing on the dam. Suspicious that it was the motorcycle, relatives went to investigate and discovered the motionless body of the teenager and the torched motorbike.

The teen was bleeding through his nose and had wounds to his head, ears, neck and hands. According to the family, there was also an “X” on his neck. They then rushed the 17-year-old to the New Amsterdam Hospital, but he succumbed on the way.

Initially, it was suspected that Singh’s murder was in retaliation for the deaths of Isaiah and Joel since one of his close relatives were among those arrested after the cousins’ murder.

Meanwhile, Police had established that 16-year-old Isaiah and 19-year-old Joel Henry were not murdered in the location where their bodies were discovered.

spections with the repairs expected to be completed on or before Christmas.

In an earlier statement last month, GPL stated that the risk of short-term outages had increased as the two systems are operating without the 69 kV interconnection.

It said the risks would be further addressed with the implementation of GPL’s medium-term plans which include the installation of an additional 10MW of generating capacity by December

15.

Meanwhile, the company said it will be providing emergency services to customers through its Transmission and Distribution emergency crews, contractors and 24hour call centre staff, who are available to effect emergency services where necessary. Additionally, GPL mobilised Rapid Response Teams to address fault reports. The company is also encouraging customers to report all localised faults to its call centre on 226-2600.

Repairs to GPL’s damaged submarine cable begin

T

he Guyana Power and Light (GPL) will on Monday commence remedial work on its damaged 69-Kilovolt (kV) submarine cable across the Demerara River.

The cable, which links the Vreed-en-Hoop and Kingston substations, was damaged late last month by a vessel’s anchor. The Department of Public Information reported that the power company said Saturday that technicians carried out preliminary in-

20

guyanatimesgy.com

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2020

Around the World

COVID-19 cases skyrocket in Brazil with no vaccination start date

R

afael da Silva, 56, a hospital security guard, had been battling with COVID-19 symptoms for just more than a week when they began to intensify. But when his family rushed him to hospital, he was sent home.

“All the doctor did was offer him treatment as if it were a cold,” his son, Rafael da Silva Jr told Al Jazeera.

After deteriorating for four days, he was again taken to a COVID-19 hospital with shortness of breath and put on oxygen. The doctors said da Silva Sr should be on a ventilator.

“But there are no intensive care beds left,” his son said. “They are trying to find

Medical workers assist COVID-19 patients at a field hospital in Belem, Para state, Brazil on December 3, 2020 [Tarso Sarraf/AFP file photo]

a bed in the only field hospital in the city, but they’re all full.”

Da Silva is one of the hundreds of patients in Rio de Janeiro in desperate need of an intensive care bed as health officials warn the

medical system is on the verge of collapse.

Long queues for intensive care beds are forming outside public healthcare systems across Rio de Janeiro with wait times of more than 15 days for some COVID-19

patients.

Even in the private healthcare centres, 98 per cent of the COVID-19 intensive care beds had been occupied for two consecutive weeks, said the Association of Private Hospitals of Rio state. The number jumped from 81 per cent to 98 per cent during the first week of December.

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has been at odds with health officials over how to respond to the pandemic.

Bolsonaro has consistently downplayed the novel coronavirus as a “little flu” and said on Thursday Brazil was at the “tail end of the pandemic”. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Cuba rejects US report on diplomats’ health incidents

C

uba on Tuesday rejected a US Government report concluding that directed radio frequency was the most plausible explanation for mysterious ailments suffered by US diplomats in Havana and elsewhere, calling it more “very unlikely” hypothesis than “demonstrated fact”.

Between 2016 and 2018, dozens of US Embassy staff, largely in Cuba, reported symptoms that included hearing loss, vertigo, head-

aches and fatigue, a pattern consistent with mild traumatic brain injury that came to be known as the “Havana syndrome”.

Canada has said more than a dozen of its embassy staff and relatives stationed in Havana experienced similar symptoms.

The Administration of US President Donald Trump said the diplomats were attacked by some sort of secret weapon. Cuba has repeatedly said there is no evidence for that and denied any in-

volvement.

The Cuban Academy of Sciences said on Tuesday the report by the US National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, commissioned by the US State Department and published on December 6, gives no scientific evidence of the existence of radio frequency waves.

“Cuba’s Academy of Sciences disagrees with the final conclusion regarding the causes of the ailments,” the Academy said in a state-

ment read to Journalists by its President Luis Velazquez.

Velazquez, who did not take any questions at the news briefing in Havana, said the “investigation about these health ailments has suffered from a lack of fluid communication between US and Cuban scientists”.

US officials say off the record they cannot cooperate with Cuba on such a sensitive investigation where its Communist Government has a strong interest in the outcome. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Hungary bans same-sex couples from adopting children

T

he Hungarian Parliament has passed a law effectively banning same-sex couples from adopting children.

The legislation put forward by Prime Minister Viktor Orban's right-wing Government says only married couples can adopt, with some exceptions for single relatives of the child.

Same-sex marriage is illegal in Hungary, but adoption has been possible if one partner applies on their own.

One rights group called the new laws "a dark day for human rights".

Orban has made sweeping changes to the

Hungarian Constitution since coming to power in 2010.

An amendment also approved on Tuesday defines family as "based on marriage and the parent-child relation. The mother is a woman, the father a man".

Same-sex couples will now be unable to adopt, even if one of them applies as a single person.

"The main rule is that only married couples can adopt a child, that is, a man and a woman who are married," Justice Minister Judit Varga said.

Single people will now require special approval from the Government to adopt.

Prime Minister Viktor Orban has championed anti-immigration and socially conservative policies

Parents must raise their children in a conservative spirit, the Constitution now states.

"Hungary defends the

right of children to identify with their birth gender and ensures their upbringing based on our nation's constitutional identity and values based on our Christian culture," it says.

The Government said the changes are needed as "new ideological processes in the West" have made it necessary to "protect children against possible ideological or biological interference".

In May, Hungary's Parliament approved a law that banned transgender people from changing the sex observed at birth on their official documents.

(Excerpt from BBC News)

US election: Top Trump ally breaks silence to congratulate Biden

A

top member of US President Donald Trump's Republican Party, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, has congratulated Joe Biden on winning the presidential election last month.

Senator McConnell spoke after the electoral college formally confirmed Biden's victory over Trump.

The Democrat won 306 electoral college votes to Trump's 232.

President Trump still refuses to concede, making

unsubstantiated claims of widespread fraud.

Relations with the Senate, currently controlled by the Republicans, will be crucial to Biden's presidency.

On Tuesday, he travels to Georgia to campaign for the Democrats in next month's Senate run-off elections. Two seats will be decided on January 5 and could decide whether or not his party takes control of the chamber. Democrats already control the House of Representatives.

Formal confirmation of his victory prompted several international leaders finally to come forward with their congratulations, including Russian President Vladimir Putin.

President Trump does not appear to be changing his stance. Tweeting on Tuesday, he said without offering evidence that "tremendous evidence" of voter fraud was "pouring in".

While Democrats control the House, in the Senate McConnell's party has 52 of

the 100 seats. But this could change in January when the two separate run-offs are held in Georgia.

If the Democrats win both seats, the Senate will be evenly divided - but it will still be a win for the Democrats. US vice-presidents have the power to cast tie-breaking votes in the Senate, meaning that with VicePresident-elect Kamala Harris on board, Democrats would effectively control both chambers.

(Excerpt from BBC News)

OILNEWS OIL NEWS Oil rises, as investors focus on vaccine rollout, brush off recovery concerns

O

il prices rose on Tuesday as investors focused on the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines, looking past tightening lockdowns in Europe and forecasts for a slower-than-expected recovery in fuel demand.

Brent crude settled at US$50.76 a barrel, rising 47 cents, or 0.9 per cent.

US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude settled at US$47.62 a barrel, gaining 1.3 per cent, or 63 cents.

The United States began vaccinating people on Monday as the country’s COVID-19 death toll crossed the 300,000 mark.

Britain and Canada have also begun to administer shots.

“The crude market continues to seize upon the future outlook of the post-pandemic period, which could be as soon as next summer,” said John Kilduff, partner at Again Capital in New York.

Crude oil throughput rose by 3.2 per cent year-over-year in China in November, a record. That helped investor sentiment about coming increases in fuel demand, said Phil Flynn, senior analyst at Price Futures Group in Chicago. China has been one of the rare countries where oil demand has fully recovered from earlier this year.

“People would assume that the oil demand surge is right around the corner,” Flynn said.

Still, the International Energy Agency said on Tuesday any impact of vaccines on demand is still several months away, while OPEC said on Monday oil demand will rise more slowly than expected.

Brent hit US$51.06 on Dec 10, highest since March, supported by vaccine approvals, even as the infection rate has surged in most regions worldwide.

London stepped up pandemic rules requiring bars and restaurants to close, Italy is considering more stringent steps over Christmas, and Germany is likely to be under lockdown until early 2021.

The latest snapshots of US oil supplies are expected to show gasoline and distillate stocks rising and crude inventories falling.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

Ukraine says dozens of Police hurt in clashes with lockdown protesters

O

ne police officer was knocked unconscious and 40 others received chemical eye burns from gas on Tuesday in clashes between Police and thousands of people protesting a Government lockdown to fight the coronavirus, the Interior Ministry said.

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s Government has announced a tight national lockdown starting in January to fight the spread of COVID-19, in the wake of a recent spike in cases.

At a rally of entrepreneurs and representatives of small businesses on Kyiv’s Independence Square, clashes between helmeted riot police and demonstrators erupted after the protesters tried to set up tents.

“One policeman was hit on the head - and he lost consciousness. Another 40 re-

ceived chemical eye burns,” the Interior Ministry said in a statement.

Three police officers were hospitalised after being attacked by a group of drunk men, Police said in a separate statement.

More than 900,000 people have contracted the novel coronavirus in Ukraine.

The new lockdown measures, which include the closure of schools, cafes, restaurants, gyms and entertainment centres and a ban on mass gatherings, will be in force from Jan 8 to 24.

The Government last month introduced a lockdown at weekends, closing or restricting most businesses except those involved in essential services such as grocery shops, pharmacies, hospitals and transportation. It lifted the restrictions on Dec 2. (Excerpt from Reuters)

guyanatimesgy.com

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2020

21

ARCHIE

ARIES (March 21April 19)

What you want to do and what you are supposed to do will be in conflict. Stop stressing out and start working hard. Get your responsibilities out of the way early. Romance is favored.

If you focus on success, TAURUS you will be happy with the (April 20results. Invest more time, May 20) effort and money in learning, honing your skills and making your dreams come true. Embrace change.

DILBERT

GEMINI (May 21June 20)

CANCER (June 21July 22)

PEANUTS

LEO (July 23Aug. 22)

VIRGO (Aug. 23Sept. 22)

CALVIN AND HOBBES

LIBRA (Sept. 23Oct. 23)

SCORPIO

SUDOKU

(Oct. 24Nov. 22)

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23Dec. 21)

Talk matters through to get good results. A partnership looks promising, but it will require honesty from the start. Fess up to anything that has the potential to become a problem.

A financial change will take you by surprise. Be wary of anyone asking personal questions or wanting access to sensitive information. A partnership will take an exciting turn.

You will thrive in settings that require physical endurance and competition. Be honest with yourself regarding what you can do, and plan your strategy to fit your ability. Don’t worry about others’ actions.

Refuse to let personal problems drag you down.

Your success will depend on how much you are willing to put in to reach your goal.

Strive for perfection and embrace new possibilities.

Listen to your heart, fulfill your dreams and let go of what is no longer working for you. Problems at home will leave you feeling torn between what you want and how to go about getting your way.

Stop laboring over what’s holding you back, put your ducks in a row and make a move. You know what’s best for you and what you have to do to reach your objective.

More initiative may be required.

Be careful when dealing with joint ventures or shared expenses. Keeping things equal will help you avoid tension and get things done on time. Keep a reasonable schedule.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22Jan. 19)

Keep busy and keep the peace. Channel your energy into something concrete. If you are smart and goal-oriented, success will come your way. You must work hard to be reasonable.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20Feb. 19)

Keep an open mind and listen to what others say, but don’t let anyone meddle in your affairs. Work hard to uphold your beliefs and help a cause that matters to you.

SOLUTION FOR LAST PUBLISHED PUZZLE

PISCES (Feb. 20March 20)

Look at your objective and map out a realistic, affordable plan. Don’t let a last-minute change lead to uncertainty. Consider what’s best for you and head in that direction.

22

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2020

Strategy, training key to success in South American 10K race

– say winners Sheama Tyrell & Winston Missigher

F

or South American 10K winners Sheama Tyrell and Winston Missigher, excruciating training and a good race strategy was the key to their success at Sunday’s road race.

19-year-old Sheama Tyrell had been antici-

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pating her victorious moment for quite some time, and although she does not consider this as one of her best races, she is satisfied with what she was able to achieve.

“It wasn’t my best, but I tried. It was a little bit fatiguing, but it (the result)

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Sheama Tyrell crossing the finish line

Winston Missigher taking the lead from Cleveland Thomas

was satisfying. I feel super proud of myself, especially since it’s a step (up) for me personally. I feel really proud of myself,” Tyrell declared.

Asked about her training, the young Lindener described the gruelling routine that prepared her to take down one of her biggest rivals.

“Hectic! Long, long fatiguing morning runs; afternoon training, it’s been very, very pressing, but worth it,” she shared.

Asked about the moment she overtook Claudrice McKoy to take the lead in the race, the teenager declared, “I wasn’t worried, because I know my training

and how I was training. I know that I was going to win because of how I strategise myself; I know myself.”

The male victor Winston Missigher revealed that he had planned his race strategy according to his opponent’s tendencies. While acknowledging Cleveland Thomas’s talent, he shared just how he managed to pull off a win.

“I didn’t have a strategy, but it was a very fast race.

Fish (Cleveland) ran very well, all the athletes ran very well. I know Fish is strong right about now, but I know I had to hold him off

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and bring him down to the end of the race,” Missigher shared.

“That was my plan in the race,” he disclosed. “I knew it would come down to the end between me and him. All I know, I just had to hold him off and outsprint him to the end, ‘cause I know he don’t have any speed on me right now.

But he’s very strong, ‘cause he training all the time, and he’s a very good distance athlete.” (Jemima Holmes)

Names don't matter, your donation does…

N

HVN chapter member Kimberly Jaikarran

Christmas, especially after a tough year filled with stress, anxiety and uncertainty,” Dr Ipinniwa has said.

And to top it all off, you get an hour of free golf, including a lesson for beginners, when you drop off your donation at the Golf Academy, Scouts Association Ground, Woolford Avenue; or you can call 617-2722/681-5890 to find out how you can help, or

become a volunteer.

This event was put together by Kimberly Jaikarran and other members of the Guyana Chapter of the HVN, which is part of a global network of Christian social and development experts, practitioners, and students committed to delivering psychosocial solutions to indigent children and families in Guyana.

"This year, we wanted to do something on a larger scale, and found a willing partner in Mr Hussain, President of the Guyana Golf Association and Nexgen Golf Academy, who has donated the use of their facility for the collection of the foodstuff, along with giving every donor a chance to play golf for free!" Kimberly Jaikarran, who complements her medical studies with volunteering, has said.

As part of their first year of operation in Guyana, members of the HVN Guyana Chapter visited the Amerindian Hostel in Georgetown and distributed clothes, plates, cups, other utensils, beverages, toiletries, snacks and drinks.

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PUPPIES FOR SALE Mix Breed Puppies For sale Contact : 253-3114/692-0126

SPIRITUALITY

GGA and NexGen to partner with HVN Guyana Chapter to send “Portions to Orphans”

ext Friday and Saturday, December 18th and 19th, the Humanitarian Volunteer Network (HVN) Guyana Chapter would be teaming up with the Guyana Golf Association and Nexgen Golf Academy to send “Portions to Orphans” this Christmas.

“Portions to Orphans” is part of a global outreach programme designed to make the holidays brighter for thousands of orphans who otherwise would experience a bleak Christmas.

Dr Dolapo Ipinniwa, a medical doctor who heads the HVN Guyana Chapter, has said: "This allows us all to make a difference to those who are desperately in need of our help. We look forward to seeing all those who care about orphans out at the Academy this weekend."

The activity would last from 3pm to 6pm on Friday December 18th, and from 10am to 4pm on Saturday December 19th.

“We're asking for contributions of unopened cans or packages of foodstuff that would make the faces of dozens of orphans light up this

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Dr Dolapo Ipinniwa Association under Hussain's leadership has been active in creating events to promote the sport and assist worthy causes. Hussain has said, "Our central location in the heart of Georgetown, due to the partnerships with Scouts Association of Guyana and the Guyana Teachers Union, allows us to pull off such activities. Our facility is perfect for all ages and events, ranging from charities to weddings on the green in open

air."

He added that now they are able to provide food and beverage along with golf in an open-air, COVID-compliant manner, the Academy has been given a great opportunity to promote the game to new players.

Information on how a person can learn the game or host an event there is available on the Nexgen Golf Academy Facebook page, or by calling 645-0944.

223-7230-1 (Ext 55)

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2020

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

23

CWI and BCB agree in principle to tour in January 2021 ing receipt of a detailed report from the pre-tour visit to Bangladesh by CWI Director and Member of the CWI and ICC MAC, Dr Mansingh and Security

T

The Test series would run from February 3 to 15

he Board of Directors of Cricket West Indies (CWI) has approved in principle the tour to Bangladesh,

subject to finalisation of the medical and logistical details within the tour’s Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).

This approval in principle was made following a recommendation from the CWI Medical Advisory Committee (MAC) follow-

The revised draft tour schedule is: January 10: West Indies arrive

togram

January 18: One-Day warm-up match, BKSP, Savar

January 28-31: Four-Day warmup, M.A. Aziz Stadium, Chattogram

January 20: 1st ODI, SBNCS, Dhaka January 22: 2nd ODI, SBNCS, Dhaka January 25: 3rd ODI, ZACS, Chat-

February 3-7: 1st Test Match, ZACS, Chattogram February 11-15: 2nd Test Match, SBNCS, Dhaka

Manager Paul Slowe.

CWI will continue discussions with the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) and the West Indies Players’ Association

(WIPA) to fine-tune the various arrangements in order to ensure the health and safety of the players and team management unit. (Windies Cricket)

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2020

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

guyanatimesgy.com

GFF, Argentine Ambassador and Pegasus Hotel pay tribute to Maradona – lifesize exhibit unveiled on December 14 in Georgetown

Ambassador Felipe Gardella and GFF President Wayne Forde unveiling the tribute to Diego Maradona

T

GFF President Wayne Forde presenting a personalised replica of the Golden Jaguars shirt to Ambassador Gardella

he Guyana Football Federation (GFF) has partnered with the Argentine Embassy and Pegasus Hotel to pay tribute to Argentine football legend Diego Maradona, who recently passed away. A life-size image of the maestro is being exhibited in the hotel’s foyer for one week.

Argentine Ambassador Felipe Alejandro Gardella officially unveiled the tribute at the 2020 GFF Ordinary Congress on Saturday at the Pegasus Hotel. Delegates observed a minute’s silence in memory of one of the game’s finest players, who died on 25th November at age 60.

“I am very grate-

ful for the invitation from the Guyana Football Federation to the Argentine Embassy, and for the tribute to Diego Armanda Maradona,” Ambassador Gardella said.

“Football continues, but it has lost an irreplaceable artist. Diego was a product of the humble neighbourhood in which he was

born, but if soccer is universal, Maradona is also.

He was a player who, to his natural ability, knew how to add a huge heart to never give up and lead his team,” he said. “He was a great captain, a driving force, a great inspiration to everyone who played in his team. And he was excessive, in the game and in life. Rest in peace, dear captain.”

GFF President Wayne Forde presented Ambassador Gardella with a personalised Guyana men’s Senior National Team jersey and Federation pendant at the Congress – the first attended by an Argentine Government official.

“We were honoured to host Ambassador Gardella at our Congress, and to have the opportunity to

honour Diego Maradona’s memory in this way. We encourage football fans to have a photo taken with the portrait in celebration of his life and remarkable achievements on the pitch,” GFF President Wayne Forde said. “We would like to thank the Embassy and Pegasus Hotel for helping us to bring this idea to life.”

KMTC Boxing Day Meet called off – Kennard optimistic about hosting meet in March 2021

By Timothy Jaikarran

T

he Kennard Memorial Turf Club’s annual Boxing Day Meet has been called off because the National COVID-19 Task Force has not granted permission for the event to be run off.

Many horse-racing fans have been left disappointed because this event has become a yearly tradition that lights up the race track at Bush Lot Farm, Corentyne, and attracts many persons from all of the administrative regions of the country.

This event is now another casualty of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in Guyana.

In an interview with Guyana Times Sport, President of the Kennard Memorial Turf Club, Justice (retd) Cecil Kennard, disclosed how deeply saddened

President of the KMTC, Retired Justice Cecil Kennard

he has been made because the popular event would not be held this year.

“We are calling off the event as we were not given permission to host this event. However, we hope that come next year, if things ease down, we can host another horse meet. We apologise to our supporters and our sponsors, as calling this off was beyond our call. Once the permission is given to us to run off (the meet) next year, we are hoping to run off the first event

Part of the action in 2019

in March, the second in May, August, and then Boxing Day of 2021, once everything softens,” Justice (retd) Kennard revealed.

He disclosed that he is

hopeful for favourable results (from the COVID-19 Task Force) come 2021, and was adamant that people need to be more conscious of how

deadly COVID-19 is and so take the necessary precautions by wearing a mask and practising social distancing.

He also cautioned that

if people do not follow the COVID-19 guidelines, the cases are bound to escalate and horse racing may never return in 2021.

Kennard iterated that he plays his part in the fight against the deadly pandemic by encouraging his jockeys, staff etc, to take the necessary precautions, yet keep their horses in a state of preparedness, as once permission is eventually granted, the horses can be race ready.

He has given the media permission to broadcast impending events. “Yes, we at the club are open to that idea. We have the people capable of dealing with this form of communication, but I just want to stress on the fact that we should all observe these guidelines, and I am very optimistic that by next year we can run off.” Kennard said.

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