Guyana Times - Wednesday, March 15, 2023

Corentyne fisherfolk call for Govt to do more as rental of fishing licences soar to US$5000 Agri Ministry receives $150M in equipment from IDB to boost extension services

Linden taxi driver nabbed with 64lbs ganja in car during Police roadblock

Region 3 allottees identify house lots P14

Protests sparked after Fort Wellington teacher attacked, beaten by students, relative

Teachers from the Fort Wellington Secondary School took to the street on Tuesday following an incident whereby a teacher was reportedly attacked and assaulted.

Calling for the violence against teachers to stop, educators from the Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice) institution held placards and protested in front of the school.

This stemmed from a recent altercation where Marlon Daniels – a teach-

er of Fort Wellington Secondary – sent a student to the Head Teacher’s office for disrespectful behaviour. The student left after hurling threatening language. Sometime later, while Daniels was at a nearby printery, the student reportedly returned with a relative. Together with other students, they physically attacked the teacher. As a result, he received injuries on his body.

One placard read,

“Student violence against teachers has become a norm and that’s not okay!” Others wrote “teachers are no longer safe in schools” and “there is no discipline in schools anymore”.

One teacher condemned the attack as she questioned the rights of teachers and the systems in place to protect against such incidents.

“We need disciple back in the schools. Teachers cannot control these children anymore. They don’t listen to teachers and there is very little that we can do to control them. There is no order in the classrooms and it is not because the teachers are not trying.”

She added, “We are trying but the children are very indiscipline… All the rights go to the children. What can we do? Are we supposed to be beaten on the road? We are professionals and we are imparting knowledge on the nation’s future. Is this how they treat us? It is unacceptable.”

Meanwhile, another on

the protest lines pointed out that no action was yet taken against the perpetrator.

“What we have seen over the course of the last several hours is that no action taken in terms of the perpetrators being charged for wounding our teacher who was on duty at the time when the incident occurred. Secondly, nobody from the Department came to speak with the teachers,” he expressed.

Commenting on the matter, Education Minister Priya Manickchand shared that she spoke with the affected teacher, offering full support with the expectation that the Guyana Police Force would act swiftly.

“As soon as I had heard, I spoke to teacher Marlon Daniels of the Fort Wellington Secondary School to find out what had happened. Upon learning of the details, I offered my and the Ministry’s full support. There can be no reason as to why students or their relatives would beat a teacher.

I expect the Guyana Police

Force to act swiftly,” the Minister relayed.

In recent months, numerous cases of students or a relative attacking or abusing teachers have been reported. The Education Ministry had condemned such acts, labelling them as reprehensible and ghastly.

According to the Ministry, schools are considered safe spaces and any act of violence is deemed totally unacceptable.

The Ministry had said it would take all appropriate actions to ensure that all teachers continue to work in a safe and secure environment. Such actions, it noted, include prohibiting violent parents or guardians from having access to school premises, and transferring any learner whose parents commit acts of violence on teachers or any other sanction deemed necessary, while encouraging the Police or any other institution or authority to take whatever action the law prescribes.

...Police expected to act swiftly – Min Manickchand

Teachers lined the streets calling for the violence against them to stop

The injured teacher, Marlon Daniels

BRIDGE OPENINGS

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

Wednesday, Mar 15 – 10:30h11:15h & 23:30h – 01:00h and Thursday, Mar 16 – No retraction.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Wednesday, Mar 15 – 09:40h – 11:10h and Thursday, Mar 16 – 11:25h – 12:55h.

FERRY SCHEDULE

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

WEATHER TODAY

There will be sunshine during the day. Expect clear skies at night. Temperatures should range between 21 degrees Celsius and 29 degrees Celsius.

Winds: North-Easterly between 2.68 metres and 5.36 metres.

High Tide: 09:59h and 23:04h reaching maximum heights of 2.26 metres and 2.08 metres.

Low Tide: 16:20h reaching a minimum height of 0.96 metre.

Govt releases draft model PSAs for

deep,

shallow oil blocks

– proposes to overhaul 1986 Petroleum Act

– all 14 blocks up for auction have received bids

In keeping with their often-repeated commitment to govern the oil and gas sector in full transparency, the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) has released the new, draft model Production Sharing Agreements (PSAs) for both deep and shallow oil blocks that will serve as the blueprint for all future agreements.

According to the Ministry of Natural Resources in a statement accompanying the release of the model contracts, the terms contained in the agreements were arrived at after intense research and analysis by both the Ministry’s internal team and external consultants.

“The process involved a comprehensive assessment of the current petroleum agreement and the identification of best practices relevant to every contractual aspect of a modern agreement grounded in the Guyana context,” the Ministry explained.

According to the Ministry, the release of the PSAs signals the Government’s intent to govern the industry while guided by industry standards and best practices. They further noted that work will be done to overhaul the existing Petroleum Act, which dates back to 1986.

“At the core, these are

LOTTERY NUMBERS

aimed at maximising the socio-economic benefits for our nation without disincentivising foreign investors in the sector. The Government of Guyana remains committed to a new era of oil and gas development, characterised by a competitive and favourable investment climate.”

“To ensure new investments are governed by a

comprehensive framework of international best practices, the model Petroleum Agreements will be followed by an overhaul of the 1986 Petroleum Act and Regulations,” the Ministry further explained.

Terms

The new PSAs for both

the deep and shallow blocks contain much of the terms the Government had previously hinted at. Under the new conditions, Guyana stands to benefit from as high as US$20 million signature bonuses for the deepwater blocks and US$10 million for the shallow-water blocks.

A perusal of the agreements shows that the royalty rate has been increased from the meagre two per cent the former A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Government agreed to in 2016, to a fixed rate of 10 per cent in both deep and shallow blocks.

Additionally, the model PSAs also include the retention of the 50-50 profit-sharing after cost recovery. According to the draft agreements, the cost recovery ceiling (the limit to which the oil company can recover cost oil) has been lowered to 65 per cent, from the previous 75 per cent.

Oil companies, including the contractor, affiliated companies, subcontractors, and individuals, will also be subject to the Income Tax Act and Corporation Tax Act. This means they will have to file returns, among other things and pay a 10 per cent corporate tax when instituted.

TURN TO PAGE 23

Map of the 14 blocks up for auction. Also highlighted are previous areas where oil was discovered

Editor: Tusika Martin

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Treating our Earth with care

The 18th century “European Enlightenment” was supposed to have ushered in a new age: when man’s activities would be guided by reason and rationality, as opposed to the “superstitions” prevailing before. Unfortunately, while leading to great progress in most areas of learning and the production of new goods for our consumption, it also led to the most destructive wars in the history of mankind, and to the creation of weapons which can literally destroy all life on Earth overnight.

By the 20th century, however, another threat to life on Earth was conceded, after the evidence accumulating since the previous century finally became incontrovertible: pollution and poisoning of the land and waters by the effluents from the industrial production and use of the same goods that were supposed to deliver the good life to all mankind.

The USA by then had clawed its way to become the most “advanced” country in the world, and it was therefore not surprising that it had produced the most pollutants and become the most polluted country. By 1970, exactly one century after the Industrial Revolution” was accepted to have been launched, an American senator started a campaign for “Earth Day” to be commemorated annually on April 21, to publicise the need to reduce pollution of the Earth.

At that time, fertilisers being leached and industrial wastes being dumped into rivers were seen as the most potent polluters. The US and other developed countries have since done much to reverse that trend.

On the other hand, the Third World, in its quest to become First World, has now not only picked up the slack in the production of pollutants, but has surged past the polluters previously mentioned. In addition, it has been discovered that pollution of the Earth had been much more insidious and pervasive.

The burning of petroleum and other fossil fuels, such as coal, all produce the gas carbon dioxide, which accumulates in the atmosphere and acts to prevent radiant energy impinging on the earth from the sun from escaping into space. As such, with the onset of progress in the production of goods by the Industrial Revolution, its carbon dioxide waste was leading to the steady and inexorable warming of the atmosphere. This, in turn, unleashed all kinds of deleterious effects, such as a change in weather patterns and raised sea levels, caused by ever faster melting ice caps.

While “global warming” was fought by many, especially by those that benefited from the production of fossil fuels, the UN made a fin de siècle warning that we could not afford to go beyond a 2C rise from the temperature of the 19th century. This would push global warming beyond its tipping point, with its concomitant climate change that could lead to an even more rapid rise in sea level, crop failures, and the collapse of coral reefs and invaluable ecosystems. According to the report, the world can only continue to emit carbon for roughly another 23 years at current levels, before it will have a more than two-thirds chance of going over the 2C limit.

This year’s Earth Day theme is “Invest in Our Planet”, which is a continuation of the 2022 theme. The previous one, “Ending plastic pollution”, highlighted yet another facet of our unwitting destruction of the Earth’s delicate ecosystem that permits life as we know it.

The production of plastic – a completely new substance never produced in the billions of years of Earth’s existence — was seen as a wonder of the Industrial Revolution. Today, its use is ubiquitous, but so is its disposal; and since it is not “biodegradable”, it is now seen as a pollutant from several angles.

In Guyana, we are all aware of its effects in clogging up canals and causing massive flooding on our coasts. But a new threat has been revealed: the amount of plastic in the oceans will soon exceed that of marine life, and pose a threat to the latter’s survival.

Maybe the old “superstitious” belief of regarding and treating Earth as our “mother” should be revived.

Urgent attention is needed in the way we handle the vehicular traffic on our roadways

Dear Editor, I applaud the Ministry of Public Works on the massive undertaking they have embarked upon; that is: the upgrade as well as the modernisation of our roadways and their associated infrastructural works. However, at the same time, I would like to see an improvement in the use of the very same roadways.

I say this in light of the many traffic accidents that have occurred in recent times. There has been a turn for the worse in some of the most horrific traffic accidents, as road users are killing other people while immolating themselves as they barge into stationary objects. This reckless "road hog" behaviour has to stop now, or else we shall be a nation where lawlessness abounds, and where death and destruction stalk our roadways at every turn.

I do not want to live in a country where constant fear surrounds me as I drive on our roadways. I want to live in a society where drivers drive responsibly; which means that they drive for the safety and convenience of themselves, as well as with the safety and convenience of other road users in mind. That is the society I am looking forward to.

Having said that, I would like the Ministry of

Home Affairs, in conjunction with the Guyana Police Force, to take note of the following:

1. Speeding is a major issue where vehicular homicides are concerned. Such persons caught in the act should be immediately dealt with, and speedsters should be stopped and issued speeding tickets. A database should be made, and consulted regularly to ascertain whether this is a first-time offender or a repeat offender. From recent occurrences, there seems to be a great number of persons who are on the repeat offenders’ list. Such persons ought to be prevented from driving on our roads permanently. We cannot wait for an accident - many fatal - to happen, then throw up our hands and cry, but deal with them immediately!

2. There are drivers who are in the habit of being inebriated when they get behind the wheel of a motor vehicle. This is reckless behaviour, and must be done away with in the most condign way: revoking their licences!

Even more distressing is the fact that there are drivers out there who drive under the influence of mind-altering drugs, substances that impair their mental state, causing them - as we usually say - to be "high as a kite." Those road

users have to be removed from our roadways immediately!

3. Thirdly, those having poor driving skills or no driving skills at all. this lawlessness is known to have been a major cause of road accidents. To date, nothing has been done to correct it.

I am calling on the responsible bodies to address this problem urgently. There should be the establishment of a Department of Motor Vehicles, one that deals with all driving particulars, such as testing as well as authorising the licensing of persons. This would go a far way in arresting the problem of persons being on our roads

with bogus documentation, who in most cases go on to commit vehicular homicides. Not being a "certified driver" means that you are definitely a candidate in a recipe for disaster. We can ill afford such maladies at this juncture of our development.

As Guyana moves into the modern world of vehicular highway usage, there must be a commensurate upgrade to modern and acceptable standards. I have highlighted the main ones here, and I hope the governmental agencies involved take keen note of this.

Respectfully,

Neil Adams

Not in my name!!!

Dear Editor,

For the record, I wish to register my unadulterated consternation at the recent dangerous remarks spewed by the WPA leadership, words which were openly supported by PNC leader Aubrey Norton at a rally held in Buxton.

In particular, permit me to voice my total condemnation of the absolutely racist and treasonous statements emanating from Tacuma Ogunseye (which were apparent -

ly supported by the PNC leadership present at the said rally).

We need to understand that these individuals are of a dying breed. These men and their pungent emanations have never more exemplified what it means to be a fossil. That is the truth. To put it simply, the Working People’s Alliance fails to exist in 2023, now the Worst Possible Alternative has come to the fore.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 5

Sand is being loaded onto a barge at Sand Hill along the Demerara River (Michael Charles photo)

CRG condemns the call for an insurrection! A call to arms instead of farms

Dear Editor,

The recent news in the press of those inviting an uprising within our beautiful and peaceful land is indicative of a reckless act undertaken by cowards who lack the capacity to resolve their problems peacefully.

We, as a nation, must be cautious not to embrace violence within our Guyanese Family. The dispute over the Essequibo is yet to be resolved, and as we all know, when there is inner fighting, the ex -

ternal enemy will see it as an opportunity to attack. There is sufficient wealth for all to prosper. We must discard those leaders whose greed for wealth and power will bring bloodshed.

The horrors of the Wismar Massacre must never be repeated within our peaceful land. The healing has yet to occur, and the teaching of that horrific event has yet to be taught within our schools. We must teach each generation the history of our

people, so that the mistakes of the past are not repeated.

The Chambers of the Attorney General must take swift action to end the call for violence within our land. Those who would put at risk the security of our nation and encourage others to disregard the rule of law must face the consequences of their actions. Domestic terrorism is on the rise, and those responsible must face the full extent of the law.

Our nation will pros -

per if peace is maintained, but if there is civil war, many hardships will return to our country. Parliament is the chosen venue for discussion, debate, and the resolution of our disputes. If effectively used, many disagreements will be resolved.

With utmost concern, Jamil Changlee Chairman, The Cooperative Republicans of Guyana

Region 10 Chairman should be condemned for his action

Dear Editor, The Region 10 Chairman should be condemned for his action on Sunday, 7th May, 2023, during the Linden Mashramani celebrations. No one is above the law, and the Police must not allow this type of lawlessness to continue. The Regional Chairman should, and must, be charged for obstructing the flow of traffic, and refusing to obey instructions given to him by a senior rank of the Guyana Police Force to remove the vehicle which he was driving, which he parked across the roadway.

This type of behaviour must not, and should not, be condoned. What example is he showing to our young people in this Region? People of this nature should not, and must not, be allowed to manage and lead our people. This type of action demonstrated by the Regional Chairman would deter potential investors in our town and Region, because they would continue to look at Linden as a high-risk area for investment. I highly condemn his action, and all decent and right-thinking people of

Linden should do the same. Poor political decisions by members of the major Opposition party have set back the development of Linden and Region 10 in the past, and I urge the people of this very important Region, especially Linden, not to allow this to recur.

We need to change the landscape of Linden and Region 10, and I urge you to help us to do so.

I want to also take this opportunity to express my dissatisfaction at the poor management of the Linden municipality pertaining to

Not in my name...

Does one really need to ask who in their right mind would advocate an armed uprising aimed at targeting certain sections of the Guyanese populace? Indeed, as a young person too, it is absolutely pathetic to witness so-called leaders using their platforms to serve as emissaries of hate. I have absolutely no doubt that the prehistoric gentlemen wanted to 1: incite new waves of Slo Fyaah Moh Fyaah, and 2: use their venom to frighten Guyanese from exercising the franchise in the upcoming LGEs.

This must be the “silly season”, as they call it. But let me say that the young people are watching and listening, and we will not shrink into cowardice. We, the youth, will use our voices to rise up and make our voices heard!

Ogunseye, Hinds, and others of their ilk will be reduced to a mere footnote in the annals of history.

MAKE NO MISTAKE:

You don’t think these divisive statements were planned? When last has the WPA done or said anything relevant? In fact, how many of them are still around? All 5 or 6 of them? The annual Walter Rodney Symposium is around the corner, and Patricia Rodney’s abandonment of the remaining WPA speaks volumes as to how irrelevant they are. Like a parasite, these individuals need attention to survive.

The onus is on us, young people, to confront racism and prejudice in whatever shape or form it manifests itself; be it against Indians, Africans, or the Indigenous.

Further, during the Crime Wave era, when I was but a mere tot, it was well documented that Ogunseye once celebrated to his comrades the news of the Camp Street prison escapees’ “uprising”, which culminated in murders against mostly Indo-Guyanese. However,

his old comrade, the late Andaiye, famously retorted and said, “Not in My Name”.

Brothers and sisters, the foes of the past may now prop themselves up as the “heroes” of today. One former Prime Minister, once feared, now masquer -

poor disposal of garbage; potholes; illegal structures being erected all over the town, with no action being taken; no proper town planning. This situation must change, and you, the people of Linden, can make the change, and you have the golden opportunity to change it, come June 12th 2023, when we go to the polls for Local Government Elections.

Sincerely,

Andrew Forsythe PPP Regional Coordinator –Region 10

FROM PAGE 4

ades as an “Elder”. But in the face of this all, we must remember those indelible words as we continue to work towards a prosperous, united Guyana.

“Not In My Name”.

Regards, Nikhil

Sankar

Dear Editor,

Following five months of attempted electoral fraud, and intense – though flimsy--judicial litigation, the PNC-led Gov’t failed in a most heinous attempt to usurp power. Now part of the cabal that emptied the treasury in its sojourn as Guyana’s Gov’t has resumed its thirst for power.

In the WPA’s recent public meetings at Mocha, Golden Grove and Den Amstel, and in the narrative adopted by some of its longstanding head- hunters: like David Hinds, Tacuma Ogunseye, and Deon Abrams, is a call to uproot the democratically elected PPP Govt by the armed services, which exhibit a huge preponderance of AfroGuyanese.

The call to arms seems to be spearheaded by Tacuma Ogunseye -- whose real name is Colin Young, and who once labelled the five criminals in the notorious 2001 jailbreak as freedom fighters, and further embellished the murderous East Coast carnage (20012005, the nucleus of which was in Buxton) as an African Liberation Movement!

History is replete with examples of failed coups, as, for such power grabs to succeed, the people in the country must generally support the new leaders. However, on almost any such usurping of power, the new regime served as a mere replica of its predecessor, with ensuing civil war. If democracy were the driving force of these WPA point men, then their energies should have been directed at the PNC

dictatorship that ravaged and impoverished Guyana for 28 brutal years. On the issue of kith & kin, it is relevant to indicate that Sub-Saharan Africa is home to many of the world’s longest-ruling heads of state. Some postcolonial leaders in the 1960s and 1970s sought to become “president for life,” with several managing to remain in power for three or more terms. By the turn of the twenty-first century, the trend of entrenched leadership had spread across the region, spurring corruption, instability, societal fractures, and economic stagnation.

In 2017, Angolan President Jose Eduardo dos Santos stepped down after 38 years in office, and Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe was forced from office after 37 years by a military coup.

Two years later, Sudan’s Omar al-Bashir was ousted after three decades in power. In 2021, Chad’s Idriss Deby, who also ruled for 30 years, died following a battlefield clash with rebels. One can only imagine that if Forbes Burnham had not met his Maker in 1985, he probably would still be the champion of power today… for 60 years!

In conclusion, those who are inciting others to arms could be better off inspiring these very people to farms. It is relevant to quote the old Swahili saying: When elephants fight, it is the grass that gets trampled.

Sincerely,

Leyland Chitlall Roopnaraine

NGSA Math Questions

Fast-tracking EU-Guyana business chamber on agenda as top EU official to visit –

to discuss trade, bilateral & multilateral cooperation

Bilateral political agendas, trade relations, and the setting up of a European Union-Guyana Chamber of Commerce are among the issues on the agenda this week when the Deputy Secretary General of the European External Action Service visits the country for the first time.

According to a statement from the European Union High Commission, Helena König, who is the Deputy Secretary General of the European External Action Service, will be in Guyana from March 15-17.

During her visit, the official will meet with President Dr Irfaan Ali and members of the Cabinet where discussions will focus on the EU-Guyana bilateral relationship. König will also interact with civil society and visit one of the projects being executed under the EUfunded Spotlight Initiative.

Importantly, she will also be fast-tracking the set-up of a fully-fledged EU-Guyana Chamber of Commerce. Guyana already has Chambers of Commerce with the United States of America (USA), Canada, and the United Kingdom (UK).

Other issues on the agenda include cooperation in multilateral forums and preparations for the EU-CELAC (Community of Latin American and Caribbean States) summit in July. König’s arrival in Guyana is a continuation of a visit to Barbados and St Vincent. After she leaves Guyana, she will end her Caribbean tour with a visit to Suriname.

The EU and Guyana have a fruitful committed relationship that has evolved and matured over the years. But only recently, non-resident French Ambassador to Guyana Nicolas de Lacoste had emphasised the need for Guyana to be “better known” in the European region.

Speaking exclusively with Guyana Times during his recent visit to the country, the Ambassador – who is based in Suriname – explained that in order for more French companies to bring their businesses to Guyana, the booming South American country must better promote itself in Europe.

“Guyana must be better known in France…in Europe…It’s probably eas-

ier to speak about Guyana in front of an audience of American enterprises, Canadian enterprises, and UK enterprises because Guyana is well-known in these countries. We have this deficit of knowledge in France about Guyana,” the French Ambassador had explained.

Meanwhile, in November last year, European Ambassador to Guyana, Rene van Nes revealed that works are progressing on the establishment of an EU-Guyana Chamber of Commerce.

“I want to have a chamber that provides quality support both to European countries that want to come here and Guyanese companies that have an interest in

working with the EU,” the Ambassador had noted.

“Guyana is one of the most exciting places to be and to do business in and I will pass that message loud and clear to…to everyone in Europe who still has not gotten that message,” the diplomat had further highlighted.

A pressing issue for Guyana in its relations with Europe is the setting up of a

local Schengen visa processing office. For some time, concern has been expressed that visas for Guyanese to travel to the EU still have to be processed in Suriname.

Former EU Ambassador to Guyana, Ponz Canto had told this publication last year that the request for an office in Guyana to process visa requests to Europe, is a reasonable one and is, in fact, being addressed by the

EU. He had cautioned, however, that the granting of Schengen visas is subject to individual member countries, not to the EU as a whole. As such, he noted that the EU doesn’t have the power to grant the visas. Ponz Canto had also expressed the hope that visa-free travel can be facilitated at some point in the future.

Deputy Secretary General of the European External Action Service, Helena König

Fisherman gets 6 months, $30K fine for cocaine possession

weekend, was on Monday slapped with a six-month sentence and a $30,000 fine.

He appeared before Magistrate Esther Sam at the Charity Magistrate’s Court where the charge of possession of narcotics for the purpose of trafficking was read to him. He pleaded guilty and as such the jail sentence was imposed.

…of Police excesses

Stories of Police excesses just won’t go away, will they??

Charged: Lookman Hayat

Twenty-four-year-old

Lookman Hayat, a fisherman of Good Hope, Essequibo Coast, who was busted with seven grams of cocaine at the Anna Regina car park over the

It was reported that Police were on mobile patrol in the vicinity of the Anna Regina Car Park, Essequibo Coast, when they observed four men walking. Upon seeing the Police, the men began acting in a suspicious manner.

As such, the Police exited their vehicle and carried out a search on the men, during which several pieces of cocaine were found in the left-side pocket of one of the male’s trousers.

The man was told of the

offence committed and cautioned in accordance with the Judge’s rules, to which he replied “it’s my own, I buy it from a shop”.

The ranks said the man was further questioned about the location of the shop, but he refused to reveal any information and as

such, he was arrested, and the ranks then took possession of the illegal drug.

Hayat was then escorted to the Anna Regina Police Station, where the cocaine was weighed in his presence and amounted to seven grams.

Problem is, when the tree’s been bent since it was a sapling, it’s almost impossible to straighten it without some serious breaking and remaking! And this is even truer when it was deliberately bent by its creators – the colonial state – to keep us, natives, in subjection. Let’s not forget that when the Sugar Barons contemplated the emancipation of the Africans they’d enslaved, they didn’t just fear they wouldn’t show up for work the morning after – they were terrified they’d show up with pitchforks!!

So, the moment slavery was abolished in 1838, the Guyana Police Force (GPF) was launched with an emphasis on the word “FORCE”!! Nothing like the smiling, cherubic Bobbies of London with batons – but weapon-wielding Bajans deployed under white officers to nip any trouble in the bud!! Ever wondered why our Police Stations are near historic black villages??

Anyhow, the powers that be soon discovered the freed slaves didn’t want to cause any trouble – so the guns were turned on the Indian indentures with those (very sharp) cutlasses in their hands!!

They started shooting them in 1872, and didn’t stop until the Enmore executions of 1948 – when Cheddi swore to avenge the cane-cutter victims. Well, on March 13, 1913 – was it because of the constellation of all those “3s”? –3-3-‘13”?? – there was the biggest massacre by the Police. And the reason?? Just that the sugar workers protested the manager reneging on his promise that if the workers delivered the sugar target, they’d get 4 days paid vacation. When the workers decided to stay at home, the Police marched a Maxim Gun through the Rose Hall settlements –just to intimidate them!!

This only further enraged the workers. So, the Planters called in their Police Hit Man – one Inspector General Rienzy, who’d previously turned Police guns on striking workers, with five fatalities at Non Pareil in 1896. There were seven killed at Friends in 1903 – and now a decade later, in 1913, at Rose Hall, fifty-six sugar workers were shot by the Police – THIRTEEN fatally!! But your Eyewitness suspects it’s a sign of the times that there wasn’t any commemoration in the press.

Just because Rose Hall isn’t “grinding”, must we forget those whose blood was spilled into our soil in the long struggle to kick out the Imperialists who’s oppressed us all?? Lots of folks want to forget that – in the words of Martin Carter – we’ve all come from the Nigger Yard!! But in addition to remembering them with at least a wreath at the monument that was created in their honour, we should start a root-and-branch reform of the Guyana Police Force.

How long has it been?? Too long!!

…in banking

While it may sound esoteric to us who work in the fields, factories, and other jobs that use our labour, let’s not forget it’s money that makes the world go around. That’s what we work for, don’t we?? But in this modern world, the “developed” countries make more money ON money than we make from ALL our production. And your Eyewitness ain’t just talking about us in the boons – but the entire Third World.

So, when he mentioned that US SVB bankruptcy that happened last week – right after it was given a clean bill of health by its accounting firm – you gotta now wonder if we have another Enron (remember them??) on our hands!! But where were the US banking regulators?? Defanged by Trump?? Anyhow, this could be worse, because of the interconnectedness of the global economy. In the casino economy frenzy that’s already started, the Fed’s gonna have to relook at its tight monetary policy.

Lesson for Guyana is: we gotta strengthen the regulators at the BoG.

…on elections-rigging

To give the Elections Riggers - and any potential riggers - a condign lesson – EIGHT of the 2020 riggers were hauled before the courts. But the case is now adjourned to Apr 18!!

The wheels of justice gotta speed up!!

The cocaine that was found in Hayat’s possession

Region 3 allottees identify house lots

More house lot allottees have been given access to their lots as infrastructural works are progressing in schemes across the country.

Earlier on Tuesday, the first batch of soon-to-be residents of Meten-MeerZorg Phase One, West Coast Demerara (WCD), was guided by surveyors

of the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) on a land identification exercise. For one allottee, Zenol Aguilar, being able to finally see her land is a defining moment as she gears up to start construction. She related that while the wait for access to the house lot was a little lengthy, it was all worth it since there is

not much preparation to be done before construction.

“I’m happy and excited to be able to start this process,” Aguilar expressed. Meanwhile, as works continue in the scheme on the other lots, persons who have been allocated will be called in to identify their respective lots.

At Meten-Meer-Zorg, some $967 million is being

spent on infrastructural works, where 665 lots have been allocated. The first phase of infrastructural works includes access roads, bridges, and drainage works.

Meanwhile, the first 100 low-income homes are already underway in Leonora, Region Three. The 20 x 30 (625 square feet) two-bedroom flat

units will be constructed at a cost of $5.5 million each.

As the region remains poised for massive developments, other large-scale infrastructural projects, such as the $11 billion four-lane Schoonord to Crane four-lane highway, will open up opportunities for residential and commercial development.

So far, the Government has allocated over 20,000 house lots over the past two years countrywide. In robustly developing new areas and schemes, the Housing and Water Ministry and the CH&PA are on track to fulfil the manifesto promise of 50,000 house lots in five years.

The area being developed as persons identify their plots

Linden taxi driver nabbed with 64lbs ganja in car during Police roadblock

Toyota Premio motor car bearing registration number PAC 1266 was stopped.

At the time, the car was being driven by Linden Solomon, of Blueberry Hill, Linden, who was informed by ranks that they would like to conduct a search on the said motor vehicle and he complied.

Upon doing so, one black plastic bag containing three large transparent parcels, one black plastic bag with four large transparent parcels, and one grey duffle bag containing 3 large transparent parcels - all containing ganja - were found.

As such, the suspect was told of the offence committed after which he was arrested and taken to the Timehri Police Station where the cannabis was weighed and amounted to 64lbs.

CCAC launches consumer protection awareness drive with bumper sticker initiative

The Competition and Consumer Affairs Commission (CCAC) will launch a consumer protection awareness drive in the Stabroek Market area today and will also participate in a webinar hosted by the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) as part of the Commission’s activities in observance of World Consumer Rights Day (WCRD) 2023.

The objective of the bumper/vehicle sticker initiative is to use the commuter system to bring awareness to consumers across Guyana on their rights under the Consumer Affairs Act of 2011.

A56-year-old taxi driver is now in Police custody after he was busted with 64lbs of cannabis during a roadblock on Monday along the SoesdykeLinden Highway.

According to information received, on the day in question at about 6:30h, a party of Police was conducting a roadblock exercise in the vicinity of the Highway Patrol Base during which a silver

He was subsequently escorted to the Regional Police Divisional Headquarters 4B for further investigations to be carried out.

Vehicle and minibus owners, in particular, will be encouraged to partner with the Commission to display the stickers, which will carry messages focused on consumers’ right to refund, warranties, contracts, and the illegal practice of no refund.

The event commences at 13:00h up until 17:00h. During the event, consumers will have the opportunity to interact with person-

nel from the Commission on the broader aspect of the Consumer Affairs Act and to win CCAC-branded merchandise.

The Commission on Saturday last kicked off the observance with a public walk under the theme for WCRD 2023, “Empowering

Consumers Through Clean Energy Transitions.”

The walk was supported by consumers from a wide mix of sectors and communities. The bumper sticker initiative will be taken to the 10 administrative regions. The Department of Consumer Affairs and the Guyana National Bureau of Standards will also participate in the bumper sticker launch.

The ganja that was found in the car

Some of the messages on the stickers

BOSAI operator, equipment found under some 100ft overburden

and the BOSAI Minerals Search and Rescue Team located the area, where it was suggested that Hercules and the equipment were buried.

Home Affairs Minister

Robeson Benn was on the scene on Tuesday and he is said to be pivotal in the discovery of both the missing operator and the bulldozer. He also met with the family of the man, BOSAI’s General Manager, and Police Commander Hugh Winter at the worksite.

Guyana Times understands that following the discovery, relatives of the dead man were summoned

to an urgent meeting with the company. In addition, from all indications, the

After four days of search and excavation at the BOSAI Minerals site in Linden, Region 10, the body of Neptrid Hercules and the equipment that he was operating were finally discovered under an estimated 100 feet of overburden.

Hercules was consumed by quicksand on Saturday at the site after working with the company for over four decades. His body was found in the East Montgomery Mine area, the same location he was working when the tragedy struck.

The Home Affairs Ministry stated that a collaborative effort between the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC)

man’s body was already in a state of decomposition.

On Monday, Prime

Minister, (ret’d) Brigadier Mark Phillips; Public Works Minister Juan Edghill and Natural Resources Minister

Vickram Bharrat visited the site and spoke with family members who were waiting for word.

Edghill said an active investigation was ongoing at the Labour Ministry with multi-agency collaboration to make headway.

Public Relations Officer at BOSAI, Sherry Domer informed that the incident occurred at about 04:00h on Saturday. Hercules was operating a bulldozer. The operator and the equipment were observed missing. It was reported Hercules and the dozer fell into a pit and were covered. A search and rescue team was deployed and the family was immediately informed and brought

to the site.

Manual probing using steel rods was done in a bid to locate the machinery. Two hydraulic excavators were sent to remove overburden along with metal detectors. Due to risks of secondary movement on Saturday night, the search team ceased its pursuit.

GGMC personnel arrived on the site with a highly-advanced magnetic device on Sunday, which detected strong indication of metal mass some 15 metres below the surface. The company was advised to use excavators to remove debris, which continued on Monday morning. The search continued until Tuesday, when Hercules’ body was found. Currently, all operations at the mines are suspended. (G-12)

Spotted: a part of the bulldozer was finally uncovered on Tuesday during search efforts

Minister Robeson Benn assisting at the site to locate Hercules

The body being removed from the site (Info10 photo)

BOSAI operator Neptrid Hercules

Agri Ministry receives $150M in equipment from IDB to boost extension services

Solórzano-Salazar in her remarks, noted that the partnership between the Government of Guyana and the IDB in strengthening agricultural extension services will bring multiple benefits to small and medium-scale farmers.

“Extension services are known to greatly increase the productivity and income to low-income farmers… especially in terms of distance, transportation and having access to markets,” she said.

The Agriculture Ministry on Tuesday received equipment to the tune of $150 million through its Sustainable Agriculture Development Programme (SADP) with funding from the InterAmerican Development Bank (IDB).

223-7230-1 (Ext 55)

The equipment will strengthen the Ministry’s extension services to small and medium-scale farmers in Regions Two to Six and 10.

During the simple ceremony at the Ministry’s headquarters, subject Minister Zulfikar Mustapha noted

that extension officers have a critical role to play in the development of Guyana’s agriculture sector.

“If we are to satisfy the needs of our people and if we are to contribute meaningfully to meeting Caricom’s 25 by 2025 food import bill reduction, then our extension officers have that critical role to play. They have to give that kind of guidance that ensures our farmers implement best practices and impart the requisite knowledge that will increase production,” the Minister said.

However, IDB Representative Lorena

The assets included six 4×4 pick-up type vehicles, six all-terrain vehicles, six outboard boats and engines, and 24 off-road motorcycles, which were procured through funding under the Ministry’s Agriculture Sector Development Unit.

The equipment will be allocated to various agencies such as the National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI) and the Guyana Livestock Development Authority (GLDA) targeting farmers in far-flung areas where access is usually an issue.

In addition, the Agriculture Ministry recently hosted its first extension service training ex-

Some of the vehicles that were handed over

ercise in keeping with the Government’s plan of revamping extension services and improving farmers’ productive capacity, which will contribute significantly to Guyana’s food security agenda.

The Director General of the Agriculture Ministry, Madanlall Ramraj, Permanent Secretary Delma Nedd, and other staff of the Ministry and IDB were also in attendance.

IDB Representative Lorena Solórzano-Salazar hands over keys of vehicles to Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha in the presence of other officials

GPHC continues making headway in minimally invasive surgery

The Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) has once again advanced its provision of surgical care by performing firstof-a-kind minimally invasive laparoscopic surgeries. Historically, most abdominal surgeries have been done using a long incision (cut) on the abdomen.

Over the last decades in developed countries, especially, many of these surgeries have been done laparoscopically, otherwise known as keyhole surgery. This involves the use of three or four small (1cm) incisions through which the surgical instruments are placed to perform the surgery as the surgeon sees the operative field via a video monitor.

Laparoscopic surgery is proven superior to open surgery as it results in less post-operative pains, better

cosmetic look and finish, and faster return to normal activities. Commonly, patients can walk without pain six hours after surgery. With laparoscopic intervention, there are also less risks of hernia formation along with numerous other benefits. Suffice to state, laparoscopic surgery has replaced open surgery as the standard in many hospitals in the developed world and the more developed islands in the Caribbean.

The GPHC, in keeping with its aim to provide healthcare that is comparable with that of the developed world to its patients, has been progressively advancing surgical care by introducing more laparoscopic techniques. While basic laparoscopic surgeries have been performed for several years, the hospital has increasingly been doing more

technically and financially by Dr Navindranauth Rambaran, Director of Medical and Professional Services (DMPS) and Robbie Rambaran, Chief Executive Officer (CEO).

While many surgeries including bariatric (weight loss) surgery, and gastrostomies were done previously, the GPHC recently completed a right hemicolectomy for a patient with colon cancer in his right colon. This was removed by laparoscopic surgery which was done through four small incisions. Although a similar procedure was done privately several years ago, this was the first time it was done at GPHC by an entire team of Guyanese surgeons.

The patient, who was happy to be the first one at GPHC to have this surgery done via this new method had the following to say: "I

would say that the experience was above my expectations given that it was my first time undergoing a surgery and being admitted to the hospital. Although it was all new to me and the obvious nervousness was there, the surgery itself in my opinion was gentle with the inherent aftermath of a surgery which was all still very bearable and tolerable."

The surgical team included Dr H Ramcharran, Dr D Ramnarine, Dr N Rambaran, Dr B Hussain and Dr J Bhudial. Moving forward, the GPHC intends to provide laparoscopic surgeries for most conditions requiring surgical interventions, in keeping with the institution’s goal to develop a centre of excellence in minimal invasive surgery and provide the best surgical care to the people of Guyana.

advanced laparoscopic surgeries. This has been fuelled by the return of a trained

Advanced Laparoscopic Surgeon, Dr Hemraj Ramcharran, supported

The surgery was done by Advanced Laparoscopic Surgeons Dr Hemraj Ramcharran (second from left) and Dr Jagnanand Ramnarine (right). Assisting were Dr Drohinath Singh (left), Dr Bibi Hussain (third from left) and Dr Dianne Narine (second from right)

Fmr CCJ Judge Desiree Bernard conferred with Honorary Doctor of Law

– Attorney Melinda Janki also honoured by CLA

The Women & Gender Equality Commission congratulates Justice Desiree Bernard, a retired member of the Caribbean Court of Justice on having been conferred an honorary Doctor of Laws by the University of Guyana.

Justice Bernard has during her career been a champion of women’s rights. She served as both rapporteur (1982-1984) and Chair (19851989) of the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women during her member-

ship, which ran from 1982 to 1998.

For her exceptional contribution to the improvement of the status of women and to the development and practice of law, Justice Bernard has received yet another award.

The Commission also wishes to add our congratulations to Attorney-at-Law Melinda Janki on the recent award she received from the Commonwealth Lawyers Association (CLA) and LexisNexis Rule of Law Foundation.

She is the recipient of the 6th Commonwealth Law Conference Rule of Law Award 2023 which recognises the outstanding contribution of an individual or organisation to furthering the rule of law.

Janki assisted the Commission with its legislative review and made several recommendations to improve the status of women. She is a passionate advocate for the environment and the rule of law.

Former CCJ Judge Desiree Bernard

Attorney-at-Law Melinda Janki

Ramsammy’s Ruminations

Those calls for racial violence in our country

If one were to audit a list of challenges that have contributed to Guyana’s underdevelopment since 1950, for each decade since then, ethnic and racial polarisation would rank at the top or near to the top of all the lists, no matter who was compiling the list. It is definitely not the only reason for our underdevelopment; however, it is one of the major factors. It is in this context that it is appalling that there is so much silence surrounding the recent spate of calls for racial violence in our country. At a WPA meeting in Mocha, we heard the unmistakable call for racial violence. At a meeting in Buxton, organised by the WPA and including speakers from the PNC, there was an open, blatant and brazen call for racial violence. Rightfully, there have been rejections and demands for apology from some sections of the country, but the overall reaction in the country has been mostly timid and muted. There are times in every nation’s history when citizens speak with one voice. During 9/11, the people of the US stood as one and spoke as one. There are many examples of divided countries putting aside their daily differences and chronic divisive issues to speak with one voice. The recent call for racial violence and an uprising supported by the armed forces of Guyana, for Afro-Guyanese Police and soldiers to turn their guns on other citizens for one purpose only – install an Afro-centric Government to replace a duly-elected government – is reprehensible and illegal. Rightfully, some have rejected the demand from the WPA meeting; but, overall, there has been a nonchalant response. There are some whose voices are loud every day about one issue after another. Nothing has been too small or trivial to silence them. In no way whatsoever is the WPA’s call for armed violence to replace elections a small, trivial thing. The call was made in contravention of the laws of Guyana. It is pure sedition, but for those who routinely exercise their right to speak, this matter has not garnered any attention from them. Had such a call come, however, from the PPP, rest assured that these voices would have been the leading ones.

The Leader of the Opposition and the PNC spoke at the WPA meeting. This is how far down the political ladder the PNC has come under Aubrey Norton – he now depends on the WPA, with only a handful of members and supporters, to provide him an opportunity to address a public meeting. As revealed in Mocha and South Georgetown, the PNC by itself cannot mobilise a crowd for Norton to address. Norton was present when the incendiary words were spoken. Norton did not refute the words. Indeed, the odious words were spoken as part of the call for a Day of Resistance. He took time to distance the PNC from the WPA’s call for boycotting the Local Government Elections, but insisted the PNC would support the Day of Resistance. This was his opportunity to distance himself and his party from the call for Afro-Guyanese, led by Afro-Guyanese Police and soldiers, to turn their guns against innocent citizens in order to install an Afro-Guyanese illegal Government. Despite the widespread circulation of the video from the meeting, Norton has remained silent. The PNC has remained silent.

A few of the handful of Indo-Guyanese who are PNC MPs and who are in the PNC executive in a cosmetic way have voiced their rejection of the call for racial violence. But they also sought to defend those persons who uttered the words. In their rejection of the call, they expressed understanding, and claimed that the call was not made out of maliciousness and ulterior motives, but the call came only after the extreme provocation of the WPA members by the PPP Government. This is obnoxious. A call for armed violence by any group against any group is wrong, and cannot be justified or excused. The only PNC members who spoke out against the call for violence were those who must campaign for the PNC in Indo-Guyanese communities, who were merely concerned about the reaction they would get from those communities.

The expression of understanding and being sympathetic to those who call for violence exposed the hypocrisy and deceit of those PNC members.

The GHRA, who mostly were silent for the entire period when David Granger started the process of rigging the elections by the illegal appointment of Judge Patterson to be the GECOM Chair, and then when he tried to derail the No-Confidence Motion, and throughout the shameful five-month period when the PNC-led Government worked with GECOM to rig the March 2, 2020 elections’ results, suddenly now have a voice for every and all matters. Their anti-PPP posture is very evident. During a time when the rejection of calls for racial violence should be the top issue in our country, the GHRA has come out swinging against a contract to provide all Guyanese with an electronic card they can use for all financial and civil transactions. Most countries in the world have this already. Guyana is catching up with the rest of the world. The GHRA, which is largely silent on the WPA’s call for violence in the presence of the PNC’s leader, is more interested in why the Government signed a contract without widespread consultation with the people.

But where is the Page One comment from KN and Stabroek News? The Stabroek News, to its credit, did an editorial. But, instead of an unequivocal rejection, it also seems to think that the guilty ones were provoked. Too many are guilty of silence on a matter that is an existential threat to our development as a nation.

Dr Leslie Ramsammy

STEAM Fair will allow students to improve communication skills, self-confidence – Education Officer

...as Region 4 Fair opens

The Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica)

Department of Education on Tuesday opened its Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics (STEAM) Fair at Hope Secondary School, East Coast Demerara (ECD).

and new innovative, scientific, and creative approaches to providing modern solutions to modern problems.

Regional Chairman Daniel Seeram said that in partnership with the Education Ministry, the Regional Democratic Council has placed the improvement

agriculture science, environmental science, home economics, visual art, mathematics, and information technology categories.

She added that the upper secondary students (Grades Nine to 11) will participate in the same categories as lower secondary along with biology, chemistry, physics, and industrial technology.

According to Singh,

based on entries received, 140 projects will be showcased at the STEAM Fair. She added that a competent panel of judges will be led by retired Head Teacher of LBI Secondary School, Nardeo Persaud.

Education Officer within the Department of Education, Faith Gulliver during her remarks, posited that the Fair is an oppor-

tunity for students to showcase their innovative and creative ideas through projects created by them with the assistance of teachers to find solutions and solve problems that exist within their surroundings.

She said that the structure of the Fair will allow students to improve their communication skills which will lead to greater self-con-

fidence. She urged students to use the opportunity to think about ways STEAM can improve their educational experience in the classroom. Joe-Gulliver encouraged teachers to work with their students to ensure that STEAM is mastered and that their problem-solving skills are harnessed and improved to be exhibited in the classroom.

Deputy Chief Education Officer (Technical) Dr Ritesh Tularam at the opening ceremony delivered the feature address during which he stated the STEAM Fair, which is being hosted in each Education District, is a carefully integrated activity that is well positioned in the Ministry of Education’s Strategic Plan.

He said that at the events, persons will witness the hardworking, committed and dutiful students within the region, demonstrating their ingenious ideas and leadership potential represented in the many projects and solutions on display.

Dr Tularam further ex-

of education delivery and education infrastructure as priority areas.

He said that STEAM is very crucial in solving many of the modern problems and challenges that exist. He said that by equipping students with the necessary education and resources, modern solutions can be developed.

Coordinator of the Region’s Science Fair, Education Officer (Primary), Praniva Singh said that a total of 111 nursery, primary and secondary schools are participating in the event.

She explained that the nursery schools will participate in the mathematics and

plained that Guyana is at the cusp of significant transformation and development in the many emerging and evolving sectors. He said that with the participation of the schools, networks, and partnerships can be developed among schools, teachers, and students to generate larger

science village while the primary schools in the mathematics, science, craft and environmental science categories.

The lower secondary students (Grades Seven to Nine), will participate in the social and behavioural science, integrated science,

Some of the exhibits at Region Four’s STEAM Fair

Regional Chairman Daniel Seeram

Education Officer within the Department of Education, Faith Gulliver

Coordinator of the region’s Science Fair, Education Officer (Primary), Praniva Singh

Project launched to boost tourism services in Essequibo, Bartica

The Tourism and Hospitality Association of Guyana (THAG), with the support of the Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA) and representatives from the consulting firm Target Euro has launched the Discover Essequibo Circuit Development Project with stakeholders from the Essequibo Coast and Bartica areas.

The first phase of this project focused extensively on product development, which sought to assess the region’s current product and service offerings while ex-

ploring opportunities for new products and visitor flows.

Stakeholder engagement meetings were held in both Anna Regina and Bartica, highlighting critical areas of this project, including the purpose of the circuit, how it will function, the challenges currently faced, and what strategies will be implemented to address these challenges.

In addition, during the travels to Bartica, the team was joined by representatives from Compete Caribbean, a multi-donor private sector development programme. As

this project continues, the team’s priority next steps will include follow-up field assessments, the development of new products, training sessions, and enhancing the governance structure to lead the functioning of the tourism clusters.

The Tourism and Hospitality Association of Guyana (THAG) is a not-forprofit association that serves and represents Guyana’s tourism and hospitality sector. Membership is made up of every spectrum of tourism’s private sector. The Guyana Tourism Authority

(GTA) is a semi-autonomous governmental organisation responsible for developing and promoting sustainable tourism in Guyana through collaboration with sister agencies and the tourism private sector in order to maximise local socio-economic and conservation outcomes and improve the travellers’ experience.

The Government is laying the groundwork for Guyana, which averaged 300,000 visitors before COVID-19 struck, to eventually reach 500,000 annual visitors by 2025. This was explained by Prime

Minister, Brigadier (retired) Mark Phillips at the end of 2022.

The Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA) has announced a 96.9 per cent increase in visitor arrival in the country as of July 2022 when compared to the same period in 2021, pointing to a successful recovery postCOVID.

In keeping with the Government of Guyana’s progressive approach to managing the COVID-19 pandemic, the country has since been fully reopened while maintaining all the neces-

sary public health measures to ensure absolute safety. In its year-end report, the entity shared that this return to normalcy has had a significantly positive impact on the tourism sector.

As of July 2022, the total visitor arrival figure stood at 156,428. This reflects a 96.98 percent increase compared to the same period in 2021. The projected visitor arrivals figure for the entire 2022 is 291,241 compared to 2021’s 158,347. This is above the global recovery rate of 65 percent, the GTA added. (G12)

Efforts under the Discover Essequibo Circuit Development Project taking shape

Govt releases draft model PSAs for deep...

“The expatriate employee of the contractor, affiliate companies and the subcontractor shall be liable to pay personal income tax in Guyana on income earned in Guyana. Guyana (represented herein by the Minister) shall cause the proper authorities to issue appropriate tax certificates to expatriate employees when required,” the agreements state.

Schedule

The Government meanwhile revealed that it will be amending the bid round

schedule. Previously, the Government had been aiming to keep the competitive bidding round open until April 14, 2023, after which evaluations and negotiations would follow.

The Government had set a timeline for awards in May 2023. However, this will now be extended. The Government also revealed that all 14 blocks have received Expressions of Interest (EoI) from bidders.

“The indicative Guyana 2022 Licensing Round Schedule will be updated at www.petroleum.gov.

gy/guyana-offshore-licensing-round-2022 and www. nre.gov.gy which will reflect the new timeline for the publication of the finalised Terms and Guidelines, model Petroleum Agreement and process of bidding — all adjusted to facilitate maximum participation from global interest.”

“Official Expressions of Interest (EoI) have been received for all fourteen blocks for tender of the Guyana 2022 Licensing Round, demonstrating global interest in Guyana’s shallow and deepwater offshore acre-

age,” the Ministry further explained.

Last year, Guyana received a ranking of 10th among the oil and gas jurisdictions in the world for competitiveness in exploration and production by internationally respected business intelligence firm IHS Markit.

The Guyana Government

launched the current oil block auction in December 2022, putting 14 areas offshore up for grabs – 11 in the shallow area and three in the deep-sea area. Natural Resources Minister Vickram Bharrat had previously disclosed that more than 20 renowned oil and gas companies have indicated their interest in buying oil blocks,

and have already submitted bids.

He had also indicated that given the overwhelming interest in the auction, the Government is mulling an extension of the April deadline for submissions of bids. The sizes of the 14 oil blocks on auction range from 1000 to 3000 square kilometres (sq.km).

Parliamentary Opposition meets high-profile visiting US officials

– discusses good governance & democracy

The parliamentary Opposition has met with two visiting United States (US) officials from the Office of the US Vice President and from the State Department, during which good governance and democracy were among the issues discussed.

In a statement, it was explained that Opposition Leader Aubrey Norton led a delegation of Opposition Members of Parliament (MPs) to meet Joe Salazar, Special Advisor to the Vice President for the Western Hemisphere, and Michael Taylor, Deputy Director of the State Department’s Office of Caribbean Affairs WHA/ CAR, on Monday.

The meeting, which took place on Monday, was hosted by US Ambassador to Guyana Sarah-Ann Lynch at the US Embassy in Georgetown.

Also in attendance were Shadow Minister of Foreign Affairs Amanza Walton Desir, Opposition Chief Whip Christopher Jones, Leader of the Alliance for Change Khemraj Ramjattan, and MP David Patterson.

“The parties discussed areas of mutual interest and concern including regional security, food and international cooperation within the Americas, the critical role of good governance in functioning democracies, and the importance of a well-managed and functioning legislature,” the Opposition said in a statement.

On Monday, President Dr Irfaan Ali, accompanied by a high-level Cabinet team, had also met with the visiting US officials at State House, where energy and food security and the transformative Low Carbon Development

Strategy (LCDS) were among the topics on the agenda.

It was explained that during the meeting, the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) Government’s commitment to democracy was among the topics discussed. Meanwhile, a follow-up meeting is expected at a subsequent date, to discuss PACC 2030 - an initiative launched by Vice President Harris last year to improve cooperation between the US and Caribbean countries.

The US delegation also included US Ambassador to Guyana, Sarah-Ann Lynch; Deputy Chief of Mission, Adrienne Galanek and Chief of the Political and Economic Department of the US Embassy, Brian Hall.

In June 2022, Vice President Harris launched PACC 2030 and since then the United States has

been working with Caribbean nations to develop wide-ranging, long-term energy security and climate resilience solutions.

Guyana, FAO partner to improve emergency response to zoonotic diseases

The Guyana Livestock Development Authority (GLDA) and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) have commenced a three-day simulation exercise on High Pathogenicity Avian Influenza (HPAI) to improve Guyana’s emergency response capacity to zoonotic diseases.

The intense discussions which got underway Monday morning at Rayne Inn, Rahaman’s Park, East Bank Public Road, will generate observations and suggestions on the strengths and weaknesses of preparation during a field exercise.

HPAI is a disease that requires a rapid response as it is highly contagious and often fatal to chickens.

GLDA’s Chief Executive Officer (ag), Dr Dwight Walrond underscored that simulation forums are a part of the entity’s annual work programme since Guyana constantly tests its preparedness against exotic diseases.

The GLDA, Dr Walrond added, has always been dedicated to ensuring the prevention and reduction in the spread of zoonotic diseases, while guaranteeing Guyana’s food security.

For context, these diseases, also referred to as zoonoses, result from microorganisms that transfer from animals to humans.

“Some of the outcomes which we will be expecting… for us at GLDA [is] the increase in trade and to improve on transparency with respect to the animal health sector, that is one of the key areas for us. And when I speak of trade, I’m speaking to local and international trade,” the CEO disclosed.

Importantly, he anticipates that the disease preparedness manual would be updated following the exercise, to ensure there is a

stronger working document.

Meanwhile, FAO Representative, Dr Gillian Smith believes that as Guyana continues to make tremendous progress as part of its ambitious agenda, it is important for emergency plans to be implemented.

To this end, Dr Smith commended the undertaking and stated, “when we plan ahead of time… for emergencies, we have a better opportunity to be able to emerge from that at least with our heads high and with the capacity to keep moving forward. We have the opportunity to ensure that we don’t lose the momentum that we have gained.”

The FAO has been working with the Ministries of Agriculture and Health on an important one-health capacity to strengthen Guyana’s veterinary service. This undertaking consists of three main parts.

“The last part of this project is what we are doing here today, the focus is on zoonotic disease prioritisation… so we are very happy to be doing that. You will know better than I…the impact that avian influenza can have on Guyana, on the economy of Guyana, on the progress that Guyana is making.”

Additionally, the interactive session forms part of the Government’s push to establish an ardent health policy, aimed at harmonising and advancing the nation’s food chain towards achieving international food standards, among other things.

Attending the forum were representatives of the Ministry of Health, the University of Guyana, the Guyana Defence Force, private stakeholders, and several agencies within the ambit of the Agriculture Ministry. The exercise is scheduled to end on March 16.

US Ambassador to Guyana, Sarah-Ann Lynch (fourth left); Opposition Leader Aubrey Norton (centre) with Special Advisor to the US VP, Joe Salazar (6th left) and Deputy Director for the State Department’s Office of Caribbean Affairs, Michael Taylor

Corentyne fisherfolk call for Govt to do more as rental of fishing licences soar to US$5000

Persons who operate in the fishing industry along the Corentyne are calling on the Guyanese Government to apply more pressure on its Surinamese counterpart to ensure that they are directly issued with fishing licences.

Currently, authorities in Nickerie only issue those licences to business persons in the Dutch speaking country claiming to be fishermen. However, with the Corentyne River being considered Surinamese territory, the licences are needed even to go into the Atlantic.

The renewed call comes as those businessmen are asking for an additional 200 percent markup on the already 500 per cent they have been demanding to rent the licences to Guyanese fisherfolk.

Authorities in Nickerie, Suriname, issue licences to fish in its waters for SR$2500 which is US$70.37. Under the current system, they can only be issued to Surinamese who must own a boat and have been paying taxes in that country.

In Nickerie, some persons secure dozens of licences which they have been renting to Guyanese for US$3000 annually.

About 150 such licences are rented but the demand now surpasses 250. This has led to many local fisherfolk offering as much as US$4000 for permission to use the licence to operate. With this new trend, some of the holders are demanding US$4500 and as much as US$5000.

Local fishers say some Guyanese fishers have been making offers of up to US$4500 to the middlemen in Suriname for the rental of the licences.

This has led to corruption where some licences are being rented to two persons. In some cases, both vessels owned by different persons must carry the same name which is to be engraved on the boat according to Suriname regulations.

In order for the licences to be issued, the Guyanese boat owners would have to allow the licence holder to present the boat to authorities in the Dutch-speaking country as their own to have it registered.

President Dr Irfaan Ali has previously expressed that his Government is not happy with the way fisher-

folk are currently treated.

Following the high-level meeting in Guyana in August 2021, between Guyana’s Head of State President Ali and Surinamese Head of State President Chandrikapersad Santokhi, the two leaders issued a joint press statement indicating that the age-old issue of licences for Guyanese fisherfolk to operate in Suriname’s territorial waters would be addressed.

To date, the issue is yet to be addressed, with Surinamese officials failing to honour their commitment.

The renewed call by the local fisherfolk for more to be done comes as the price for deep water fish continues to soar.

On Tuesday snapper was being sold at $700 per pound from the fishing boat and in the markets at $1000 per pound.

Fisherfolk related that with the current arrangement, the boats must be logged in Suriname waters and the catch must be taken to Suriname for sale and can only come to Guyana if there is no available market there.

Fisherfolk told this publication that the 1980 agreement between the two countries stated that the Dutch-speaking country must issue 50 licences directly to Guyanese fisherfolk but this was stopped in 2003.

The Dutch-speaking country argued that under their Constitution, they cannot licence non-nationals to operate in their waters.

The current unofficial ar-

rangement sees those who have been able to rent licences having to have their boats remain in Suriname and also purchase ice and fuel there. Millions of dol-

lars in the sale of fuel in the upper Corentyne are being lost monthly. Additionally, a not significantly lesser amount in the sale of ice is also being lost.

Already this year, authorities in Nickerie have issued forty licences to operate in its waters - all of which have been rented to Guyanese fisherfolk. It is expected that more will be issued in the coming month as boats are inspected and registered in Suriname.

Local fisherfolk say the Government must do more, pointing out that Guyana has been inking trade agreements with many Caribbean countries but is not able to get its neighbour to work with the local fishers. In fact, now revenue is being taken away from them.

Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha told Guyana Times that to date, the impasse on the issuance of the fishing licences still exists, despite a number of bilateral talks on the matter between Guyana and Suriname.

Mustapha said he plans to soon engage Guyana’s

Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Hugh Todd, to “deal with the matter and look at a way forward”.

The Agriculture Minister indicated that this is particularly important since “some fisherfolks are saying they have to pay increased fees now to their counterparts in Suriname.”

Guyana’s Vice President, Bharrat Jagdeo, is on record saying that the Guyana Government has suspicions about why the Santokhi-led Administration is not honouring its pledges.

“The only thing that we can commit to is keeping the pressure up,” Jagdeo told the fisherfolk in April, adding that the issue is a priority for the Guyana Government. According to him, Guyana’s Government is aware of the reason for the Santokhi-led Administration not acting on its promises.

Fishing vessels

Regional Trini jailed in Iraq for ISIS links to be deported home

ATrinidadian woman who was jailed in Iraq for her affiliation to the Islamic State (ISIS), the terrorist group which has caused havoc in some countries for years, is set to be deported home after serving her sentence in July.

Guardian Media has been reliably informed that Sabirah Khadijah Waheed, who is currently serving a six-year sentence at the prison, is expected to be released in July and will be immediately deported, along with at least four children in her care.

News of her incarceration came to light after a social media video showing a boy in an Iraqi prison surfaced this week. The boy was seen behind bars and being fed in what appeared

to be a cell block.

Guardian Media was reliably told that the boy’s mother is Trinidadian and his father a Guyanese national, who left the Caribbean

to join the Islamic State around 2012.

His parents entered Iraq via Turkey. However, sources confirmed that the boy’s mother was killed and his

Latin American tech startups scramble after SVB collapse

father is unaccounted for and possibly dead, so he has been in Waheed’s custody as they are both in the same prison.

The boy, who was born in Iraq, is one of the deceased woman’s children in Waheed’s care. Waheed has two children of her own, one of them born in T&T and the other in Iraq.

Guardian Media has been reliably informed that travel documents have already been requested by Iraqi officials for Waheed and the children to be deported to T&T through the UK.

In Iraq, there are reportedly four Trini women and seven children, three born in Trinidad and four in Iraq. (Excerpt from Trinidad Guardian)

Tech startups in Latin America are struggling to find banking alternatives after the sudden crash of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB), one of the few banks that offered much-needed dollar accounts and catered to the specific needs of the sector.

"This touched (almost all) venture-backed companies in Latin America," said Brian Requarth, the Mexico City-based co-founder of startup platform Latitud.

Local startups now have few alternatives for a banking partner in the wake of SVB's collapse, Requarth said. Over the weekend, US regulators announced an emergency plan allowing depositors of Santa Clara, California-based SVB to access their funds.

In 2022, more than 1300 startups in Latin America raked in an estimated US$28.17 billion in funding, according to the Association for Private

Capital Investment in Latin America.

Vicente Garrido, the co-founder of Mexican rental property startup Roddo, told Reuters he still was not sure whether the company would make payroll this week.

"We had all of our capital there, in the US," Garrido said. "In Mexico, we held just a fifth of what we spend in a month."

Startups in the region often relied on SVB as one of the few banks that offered them US dollar accounts, a requirement from venture firms providing capital in greenbacks.

Startups would open SVB accounts using what Requarth called a "Cayman sandwich", using holding companies in the Cayman Islands and limited liability companies (LLCs) in the US state of Delaware to avoid a taxation double whammy if the firm was ever sold.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

Inflation in Argentina surges past 100% in historic spike

Inflation in the South American country of Argentina has risen past

100 per cent for the first time since 1991, according to the Government’s latest consumer price index.

The National Institute of Statistics and Census (INDEC) released its February report on Tuesday, pinpointing Argentina’s annual inflation at 102.5 per cent as the country continues to suffer from one of its worst economic crises in decades.

In February alone, inflation rose 6.6 per cent, with food and beverages identified as the category of items most affected. INDEC credited the 9.8-per cent increase in food costs to steep prices for meat, dairy, and egg products.

The latest inflationary jump arrives as Argentina contends with a historic drought, its worst in near-

ly 60 years, and wildfires in areas like the northern Corrientes province.

The country is a leading exporter of soybeans, alongside the United States and Brazil, as well as other agricultural products like corn, wheat, and other grains.

But with crops failing in Argentina’s fertile grasslands, known as the Pampas, industry experts have slashed the country’s expected agricultural yields to levels not seen since the turn of the century. High temperatures, believed to be sparked by climate change, have beleaguered the country since May 2022.

Argentina has the second largest economy in South America. But for much of the last century, its market has been notoriously volatile, with a debt crisis in the 1980s spurring chronic hyperinflation throughout that decade.

(Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

A screen grab from a social media video showing a boy of Trini parentage in an Iraqi prison

A woman shops at a butcher’s counter in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where inflation has left meat prices particularly high [Mariana Nedelcu/Reuters]

Around the World OIL NEWS

US military drone crashes into Black Sea after Russian intercept

Oil falls to 3-month low on inflation worries, US bank shutdowns

Oil prices dropped over 4% to a three-month low on Tuesday after a US inflation report and the recent US bank failures sparked fears of a fresh financial crisis that could reduce future oil demand.

Brent futures fell US$3.32, or 4.1%, to settle at US$77.45 a barrel, while US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude fell US$3.47, or 4.6%, to settle at US$71.33.

They were the lowest closes for both benchmarks since Dec 9 and their biggest one-day percentage declines since early January. In addition, both contracts fell into technically oversold territory for the first time in weeks.

Shockwaves from Silicon Valley Bank’s collapse triggered big moves in bank shares as investors fretted over the financial health of some lenders, in spite of assurances from US President Joe Biden and other global policymakers.

“The market is either anticipating a recession in the future or it could be that one or more funds had to raise cash and reduce the risk on their books because they are concerned about liquidity after the bank failures,” said Phil Flynn, an analyst at Price Futures Group. He has not heard of any fund in trouble.

US consumer prices increased solidly in February as Americans faced persistently higher costs for rents and food, posing a dilemma for the US Federal Reserve whose fight against inflation has been complicated by the collapse of two regional banks.

“Crude prices are falling after a mostly in-line inflation report sealed the deal for at least one more Fed rate hike,” said Edward Moya, senior market analyst at data and analytics firm OANDA.

Data showed the US Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose 0.4% in February from 0.5% in January. That slight slowdown in consumer price growth prompted investors to price in a smaller rate hike by the Fed in March.

The Fed is now seen raising its benchmark rate by just a quarter of a percentage point next week, down from a previously expected 50-basis points, and delivering another hike of the same size in May. The Fed’s next twoday meeting starts next Tuesday.

“The Fed’s tightening work is not done just yet and the chances are growing that they will send the economy into a mild recession, and risks remain that it could be a severe one,” OANDA’s Moya said.

The US central bank uses higher interest rates to curb inflation. But those higher rates increase consumer borrowing costs, which can slow the economy and reduce demand for oil.

Tuesday’s crude price decline also came ahead of US data expected to show energy firms added about 1.2 million barrels of oil to crude stockpiles during the week ended March 10.

Limiting crude’s price decline - at least earlier in the day - was a monthly report from the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) projecting higher oil demand in China, the world’s biggest oil importer, in 2023.

Chinese consumers, unshackled from COVID-19 restrictions, are returning to hotels, restaurants and some shops, but they are choosy about what they buy, disappointing hopes for an immediate post-pandemic splurge.

OPEC, however, left unchanged its forecast for world oil demand to increase by 2.32 million barrels per day, or 2.3%, in 2023. (Reuters)

AUS military MQ-9 surveillance drone crashed into the Black Sea on Tuesday after being intercepted by Russian fighter jets, in the first such incident since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine over a year ago.

The Pentagon said that one of the Russian Su-27 jets struck the propeller of the drone, making it inoperable, while Russia’s Defence Ministry blamed “sharp manoeuvring” of the unmanned

drone for the crash and said that its jets did not come into contact with it.

NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander Europe, US Army General Christopher Cavoli, briefed NATO allies about the incident, which was roundly condemned by the White House and the Pentagon -- which warned of the risk of escalation. The State Department said it was summoning Russia’s ambassador over the incident.

Two Russian Su-27 jets carried out what the US military described as a reckless intercept of the American spy drone before one of them collided with it at 7:03 am (0603 GMT).

Several times before the collision, the Russian fighter jets dumped fuel on the MQ-9 -- possibly trying to blind or damage it -and flew in front of the unmanned drone in unsafe manoeuvres, the US military said.

While the United States is not sailing warships in the Black Sea, it has routinely been flying surveillance aircraft in and around the area.

The US military said the incident followed a pattern of dangerous behaviour by Russian pilots operating near aircraft flown by the US and its allies, including over the Black Sea, which lies between Europe and Asia and is bordered by countries including Russia and Ukraine.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

Meta lay-offs: Facebook owner to cut 10,000 staff

Meta, which owns Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, has announced plans to cut 10,000 jobs.

It will be the second wave of mass redundancies from the tech giant, which laid off 11,000 employees last November.

Meta chief executive Mark Zuckerberg said the cuts - part of a “year of efficiency” - would be “tough”

In addition to the 10,000 jobs cut, 5000 vacancies at the firm will be left unfilled, he told staff.

In a memo, Zuckerberg told employees he believed the company had suffered “a humbling wake-up call” in 2022 when it experienced a dramatic slowdown in revenue.

Meta previously an-

nounced that in the three months to December 2022, earnings were down 4% yearon-year - though it still managed to make a profit of more than $23bn over the course of 2022.

Zuckerberg cited higher interest rates in the US, global geopolitical instability and increased regulation as some of the factors affecting Meta, and contributing to the slowdown.

“I think we should prepare ourselves for the possibility that this new economic reality will continue for many years,” he said.

The latest job cuts come as companies, including Google and Amazon, have been grappling with how to balance cost-cutting measures with the need to remain competitive.

At the start of this year, Amazon announced it planned to close more than 18,000 jobs because of “the uncertain economy” and rapid hiring during the pandemic, while Google’s parent company Alphabet made

12,000 cuts.

According to layoffs.fyi, which tracks job losses in the tech sector, there have been more than 128,000 job cuts in the tech industry so far in 2023. (Excerpt from BBC News)

Imran Khan: Clashes as Pakistan Police try to arrest Opposition Leader

Supporters of Pakistan’s main Opposition Leader Imran Khan have clashed with Police outside his home as officers try to arrest him.

Police fired tear gas shells to disperse the supporters, who threw stones and bricks.

There is a tense situation outside the compound, in the city of Lahore, as Police try to force their way in.

He is facing allegations he sold state gifts while in office. He says the case is politically motivated.

Police have made previ-

ous attempts to arrest him, but Khan, 70, told the BBC he thought they were determined to put him behind bars this time.

“I’m mentally prepared that I’m going to be spending my night in a cell,” he said. “I don’t know how many nights,

Lebanon’s currency value plunges to 100,000 against US dollar

The Lebanese pound has sunk to a historic low against the US dollar on the country’s parallel market, the latest sombre milestone in an economic meltdown that has plunged much of the population into poverty.

The Lebanese pound, officially pegged at 15,000 to the dollar, was trading at 100,000 against the greenback, dealers said on Tuesday – a dizzying plunge from 1507 before the economic crisis hit in 2019.

The currency’s market value was at about 60,000 to

the dollar in late January.

Despite the gravity of the crisis, the political elite, which has been widely blamed for the country’s financial collapse, has failed to check the currency’s free fall.

Since last year, the country has had no President and only a caretaker Government, amid persistent deadlock between rival alliances in Parliament.

Lebanese banks that have long imposed draconian withdrawal restrictions –essentially locking depositors out of their life savings – were closed on Tuesday as

they resumed an open-ended strike.

The strike began early last month to protest against what the Association of Banks in Lebanon described as “arbitrary” judicial measures against lenders after depositors filed lawsuits to retrieve savings.

In response to the lawsuits, some judges sought to seize the funds of bank directors or board members or to force lenders to pay out customers’ dollar deposits in pounds at the old 1507 exchange rate. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

but I’m all prepared for that.”

The former Prime Minister appeared in front of what he said were tear gas cannisters, which he said had been fired into his property.

He said the authorities were trying to arrest him to stop his party from taking part in forthcoming elections. But he added: “Whether I am in jail or not they will not be able to stop my party winning.”

Government Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb said the move had nothing to do with elections and Police were only complying with court orders to arrest him in corruption cases.

Khan’s supporters are also holding protests in other cities.

He was ousted as Prime Minister last April but has kept up pressure on his successor Shehbaz Sharif with demonstrations and speeches calling for elections due later this year to be held early. (Excerpt from BBC News)

Meta chief executive Mark Zuckerberg announced the plans in a memo to staff

DAILY HOROSCOPES

Put more emphasis on how you look and feel. Embrace trends and pursue knowledge and experience to help you stay ahead of any competitor. Romance should be a priority.

(March 21-April 19)

Push your plans forward and gather knowledge, experience and skills to ensure you can go the distance. Decide who to trust, and work to get things done. Maintain focus and don't waste your energy.

(April 20-May 20)

PEANUTS

(May 21-June 20)

Don't believe everything you hear. Someone will color the facts to suit their needs. Do your research and drum up opportunities rather than wait for someone else to step in and take charge.

Pay attention to how you present yourself. Set the trends instead of following someone else. Let your creative imagination lead the way. If you believe in yourself, so will everyone else.

(June 21-July 22)

CALVIN AND HOBBES

(July 23-Aug. 22)

Update your look and set the stage for what you want to do next. Be open to suggestions, educational pursuits and new beginnings. Take an active role in helping others or expanding your horizons.

Take guesswork out of the equation when dealing with domestic issues and relationships. Be direct, ask questions and look for common ground to benefit everyone in your household.

(Aug. 23-Sept. 22)

Work from home and you'll get more done. Don't let trivial matters get to you or escalate into massive problems. Keeping the peace is in your best interest.

(Sept. 23-Oct. 23)

Your intense nature will help you bring about change. Go over the costs involved, and you'll find a way to make your plans affordable. Change how you handle partnerships and shared expenses.

(Oct. 24-Nov. 22)

Observation will help you gain leverage over someone trying to talk you into something questionable. Understanding your options will help you figure out a better solution.

(Nov. 23-Dec. 21)

SOLUTION FOR LAST PUBLISHED PUZZLE

(Dec. 22-Jan. 19)

Pay attention and show compassion, but don't let anyone take advantage of your kindness and generosity. Make changes at home that are conducive to living life your way.

Take a moment to refresh your memory and remember what's important. Don't feel obligated to make a move based on others' decisions. Sit tight till something better comes along.

(Jan. 20-Feb. 19)

Uncertainty will surface if you let your emotions take control. Offer practical solutions to reverse negativity when dealing with peers or loved ones. Stick to the facts.

(Feb. 20-March 20)

2023 National Archery Outdoor Championships…

Persaud, Salim, Mangra, Duncan win big

Archery

Guyana recently hosted their 2023 National Archery Outdoor Championships at the Guyana National Stadium at Providence, East Bank Demerara. A total of 27 competitors shot in the Ranking Rounds on Day 1, Saturday, and in the Eliminations and Match-play Rounds on Day 2, Sunday.

In the Match-play Eliminations leading up to the Finals on day 2, Guyana’s top archers in the Men, U18 Men, Women and U18 Women categories battled for the gold, silver and bronze medals in both the Barebow and Recurve divisions.

Beginning with the Barebow Division, Vishal Manbode won 6-0 against Fabian Ramdatt to face Jeewanram Persaud, while Sean Duncan won 6-0 against Alex Mangla to face Nicholas Hing. Hing won 6-0 over Courtley Rodrigues to face Duncan, father & son Afzal and Saeed Karim faced each other, with the younger Saeed Karim winning 6-0 to face Mohammad Zamaluddin. And Mehandra Chatargum also took a 6-0 win over Faraad Gani to face Anand Mangra.

In the semi-finals, Jeewanram Persaud won 6-0 over Vishal Manbode, while Sean Duncan won 7-3 over Hing, Zamaluddin won 6-0 over Karim, and Mangra won 6-0 over Chatargum.

In the finals, Mangra beat Duncan for the Bronze, while Persaud emerged victorious with Gold over Zamaluddin’s Silver.

The Women Barebow saw Bibi Saleema Salim win against Karin Toppin 6-0. Salim then beat Theresa Jaikishun 6-0 to go through to the Final, as Roshini Boodhoo took 6-0 over Julie Ann Williams and went through to the finals also.

Jaikishun and Williams then battled for the Bronze medal, with Williams emerging the winner for Bronze, and Salim taking the Gold over Boodhoo’s Silver.

In the Barebow Men Under-18 category, Saifullah Gani won 6-0 against Nicholas Sookdeo and went through to the semi- final, while Lucas Chung edged out Luzigue Stanley 6-5 to go through to the finals against Christian Craigen.

Gani and Stanley shot for the Bronze, with Stanley emerging winner, as Craigen and Chung fought for the coveted Gold. The Gold eventually went to Craigen, and Chung settled for the Silver.

The Men’s Recurve was fast-paced, as Anand Mangra eliminated Nicholas Hing early, as did Vishal Manbode against Saeed Karim, Sean Duncan against Farad Gani, and Jeewanram Persaud against Fabian Ramdatt. The semi-finals saw Mangra advance to the final after defeating Manbode 7-1, and Persaud pushing past

Duncan 6-2. Manbode and Duncan shot for Bronze, with Manbode emerging the winner, and Mangra edging out Persaud 6-2 for the Gold, with Persaud settling for the silver.

In the Recurve Men

U18, Christian Craigen advanced to the final by de-

feating Nicholas Sookdeo 6-0, while Lucas Chung had the same 6-0 score against Saifullah Gani. Sookdeo then won against Gani 6-0 for the Bronze, while Craigen claimed Gold against Chung in the final match.

The Recurve Women was the last match of the day, and Shereeda Yusuf won 6-2

against Bibi Saleema Salim.

Yusuf then faced Samira Duncan, with Duncan winning 6-0, and Roshini Boodhoo conceding to Theresa Jaikishun’s 6-2, leaving Boodhoo and Yusuf to battle for the Bronze, which Boodhoo eventually claimed.

It was then Duncan and

Jaikishun’s turn to each try to get the gold. Duncan held her ground, eventually leaving Jaikishun to settle for the Silver.

In the Women U18 Barebow and U18 Recurve matches, Malaika Bynoe was unchallenged in her category, and was awarded Gold in both divisions.

At the Presentation Ceremony after the event, President of Archery Guyana, Mrs. Vidushi PersaudMcKinnon, thanked the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport; Minister Charles Ramson Jnr; the National Sports Commission, and Director of Sport, Mr. Steve Ninvalle, for their usual kind support and for the use of the wonderful facility for the hosting of this national event. She went on to thank all the participants for attending over the 2 days.

The Board of Directors wishes to convey its profuse thanks to the National Archery Judges for their professional work over the weekend. Special thanks to Chairman of Judges, Mr. Ryan McKinnon; Director of Shooting, Mr Mohammed Gamal Khan; Target and Line Judges Mr. Robert Singh and Mr. Nicholas Hing.

Elegant Cabs. 24hrs service. Princess and Cemetery Road, Lodge. Tel. #: 231-1494/226-4277/ 231-1454/625-6600. WANTED One night security Guard in Georgetown Vicinity. Contact 6122125 ONE HANDY MAN WANTED, GEORGETOWN VICINITY. CONTACT 612-2125 Caption: Evin Lewis and Rashid Khan were

Participants, judges and executives of Archery Guyana took time out for a group photo

All Saints Primary crowned Champions of inaugural Republic Bank ‘Five for Fun’

All Saints Primary have been crowned the National Champions of the 2023 edition of the Republic Bank Five for Fun cricket programme, after close, intense and competitive encounters with rival county finalists St Lawrence Primary from Essequibo, and Enterprise Primary from Demerara.

The three schools took to the playing field of the Police Force Sports Club Ground in Georgetown on Friday, March 10, to compete in the Republic Bank Five for Fun Cricket National Festival finals in front of their school mates, family members, well-wishers and stakeholders.

Among those present were: the Honourable Charles Ramson, Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport; representatives of the Ministry of Education; Mr. Stephen Grell, Managing Director of Republic Bank (Guyana) Limited; Mr. Bissoondyal Singh, Director of CWI and President of the Guyana Cricket Board; Dr. Ritesh Tularam, Deputy Chief Education Officer; Mr. Deleep Singh, Director of Cricket West Indies and Executive Member of the Guyana Cricket Board; Ms. Denise Hobbs, General Manager, Operations, Republic Bank (Guyana) Limited; Mrs. Jonelle Dummett,

Manager, Marketing & Communications, Republic Bank (Guyana) Limited; and Mr. Kurt Braithwaite, acting Administrator of the Unit of Allied Arts.

Also present were several former Guyana and West Indies players: Clyde Butts, Colin Stuart, Reon King, Leon Johnson and Steven Jacobs, who attended the finals to witness the action and support the junior cricket spectacle.

The Republic Bank’s “Five for Fun” programme, created by Republic Bank and Cricket West Indies, was launched in Guyana in 2022. “Five for Fun” is a new cricket format designed around the principles of fun, inclusion and equality, and is part of Cricket West Indies’ Future Stars Programme to drive grassroots participation and create a pathway to international cricket.

The three teams competed in a round-robin format, playing 2 games, with each game consisting of 10 overs, with each team batting for 5 overs. The overall champions were determined by the highest run score of their two combined matches. Based on the two matches played by each school, All Saints Primary emerged the champions with a combined total run score of 180, as St. Lawrence Primary and Enterprise Primary scored

178 and 171 respectively.

A formal closing ceremony and awards presentation followed the conclusion of the matches, which ensured that all players received programme participation certificates in addition to medals and trophies for first, second and third places.

Managing Director of Republic Bank (Guyana) Limited, Stephen Grell, commented: “Republic Bank is very aware that cricket flows through our veins as Caribbean people, and is indigenous to our West Indian culture, especially here in Guyana. We are quite proud to be a part of this growing grassroots cricket initiative, which has generated much interest over the past weeks and months, as we’ve witnessed passion, dedica-

tion and determination from over 1,000 boys and girls from 75 primary schools across Guyana’s three counties. This is a clear indication of the magnitude of the Five For Fun programme, which seeks to drive participation with inclusivity and equality.”

Grell continued: “We are particularly proud of the regional partnership between Republic Bank and Cricket West Indies, in collaboration with the Guyana Cricket Board, the Ministry of Education, and the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport, who have all come together to ensure that the first Republic Bank Five For Fun in Guyana was executed to highest of standards. From the cricket skills on display here today, it is obvious that

the teams have been well prepared and trained, leading me to give a heartfelt thanks to all our coaches, teachers and parents across the country, who have made this cricket concept a reality through your participation and commitment.

“As the 2023 Republic Bank Five for Fun programme has excelled and exceeded our expectations, we look forward to the 2024 edition to be bigger and better, to positively impact the sport and the development of our children. This has truly been a big win for Guyana and the game of cricket!”

CWI Director and GCB President, Bissoondyal Singh, said: “This is indeed an important and positive restart to foundation cricket in Guyana, with exception-

GBF ‘Reds’ Perreira Big 4 Basketball… Tappin helps Linden’s Victory Valley past

Vibert Benjamin chipped in with 10.

Victory Valley Royals upturned a first-quarter lead to bounce back and romp past Colts 77-70 when the two clubs battled it out in the Guyana Basketball Federation-planned ‘Reds’ Perreira Big 4 final, which was played on Saturday night at the Burnham Court.

Royals, the top Linden club, was down after the end of the first quarter 1316, but, spearheaded by young Yannick Tappin, in a feisty contest took the lead when the first half ended 34-32 to secure the initiative.

They outscored Colts in the final quarter 21-17, winning 77-70, and copping the $300,000 first prize and the winners’ trophy, compliments of Roy Spooner’s IT-based transportation services, LehWeRide.

Tappin, later named the Most Valuable Player, scored 20 points to engineer the win, as Orlan Glasgow top scored with 22, Harold Adams 12, and

For the Colts, Shelroy Thomas netted 22 points, Shane Webster 18, and Quacey Short 13. Making the presentation was CEO of LehWeRide, Mr. Roy Spooner, who handed the $300,000 cheque to coach Junior Rodney of Royals, and the Champions Trophy was collected by Royals’ captain Yannick Tappin. GBF Vice President Rawle Toney presented the runner-up trophy to the Colts team. The supporting game was won by Eagles, who got the better of Mambas 63-61, as Sherlon Gillis top scored with 24 points

and Denzel Ross with 18. For the Mambas, Samuel Thompson scored 15 points and Coel Winter scored 11. President of the GBF, Michael Singh, received

al participation numbers and stakeholder collaboration and assurance, which fits into the local and regional strategic cricket pathway development to ensure player progression. With over 1100 youth cricketers involved – both boys and girls, supported by over 45 committed coaches and coordinating staff, almost 1600 coaching sessions completed, and over 390 soft ball cricket matches contested, leading up to this important moment that is the Republic Bank ‘Five for Fun’ Cricket National Festival Finals – we are extremely proud, as CWI and the GCB, on what has been collectively accomplished in collaboration with our local private and Government stakeholders, to reignite and support cricket in our primary schools across Guyana.

“CWI & GCB stand committed to this important grassroots programme in Guyana, and will work with all stakeholders to review and improve the programme, ensuring its expansion in 2024, and sustainability well into the future.”

The formal closing ceremony and awards presentation segment of the Republic Bank Five for Fun Cricket National Festival Finals was moderated by Mr. John Ramsingh, journalist and cricket enthusiast.

Colts in final

on behalf of the governing body two boxes of whistles, two copies of Joseph ‘Reds’ Perreira’s ‘Living My Dreams’ autobiography, and a disc containing

pictures of basketball from 1961 to 1963 from the former GBF President and former sports adviser to the Minister of Sports during the 1970s.

DCB Inter-Association U19 tournament… Ariel Enterprise, Trophy Stall, Ramchand Auto, Cricket Equipment Inc are sponsors

TheDemerara Cricket Board has secured sponsorship for its Inter-Association Under-19 50-Over Cricket Tournament, expected to commence shortly. The sponsors of this tournament are Ariel Enterprise of Lot 143 Regent Street, Georgetown; Trophy Stall of Bourda Market and its branches across the country; Ramchand Auto Spares of Lot 51 Sheriff and Duncan Streets, Georgetown; and Cricket Equipment Guyana., Bel Air Gas Station, Bel Air, Georgetown.

A ceremony was recently held at the LBI Cricket Facility, where Ariel Persaud of Ariel Enterprise handed over a cheque to the marketing manager of DCB, Anil Beharry. Persaud stated that his company and the others are delighted to assist with developing young cricketers in Demerara. He added that it’s a pleasure for them to be part of this tournament, and promised their continued support to Demerara Cricket Board.

Beharry was very grateful for the sponsorship, and promised a high-quality tournament that is expected to be

very competitive. He called on other sponsors to come on board and support this noble game of cricket to bring back glory to cricket in Demerara at the inter- county level. Top under-19 players in Demerara will participate in this tournament, which the selectors will use to select the county’s team to participate in the upcoming InterCounty Championship.

The five Associations, namely: Georgetown, East Bank, Upper Demerara, East Coast, and West Demerara, will play each other in a round-robin format.

Ariel Enterprise, Trophy Stall, Ramchand Auto Spares and Cricket Equipment Inc are all sponsors of the DCB U19 tournament

…St. Lawrence Primary (East Bank Essequibo) take second place; Enterprise Primary (East Coast Demerara) secure third spot

2nd place winners collecting trophy from Hon. Minister Charles Ramson

Roy Spooner, at left, handing over the cheque for $300,000 to Victory Valley Royals coach Junior Rodney, as players celebrate

Former GBF President Joseph ‘Reds’ Perreira presenting whistles, disc and books to current GBF President, Michael Singh

Chase to replace McCoy in Windies T20I squad vs South Africa

The West Indies Senior Men’s Selection Panel on Tuesday named Roston Chase as the replacement for Obed McCoy in the 15-member squad for the T20 International Series (T20I) against South Africa, starting on 25 March.

McCoy was named in the original squad subject to medical clearance, but has been ruled out of the upcoming series due to a knee injury.

Lead Selector, The Most Hon. Dr Desmond Haynes, said: “Roston gets an opportunity in the upcoming series, as we see him being a versatile player who can be called upon at any stage in the game. We want to wish Obed the best with his rehabilitation programme, and hope to see him back in West Indies colours soon.”

The three-match T20I

Series bowls off on Saturday 25 March at SuperSports Park in Centurion. The second match will be at the same venue the following day, while the third match will be at the Wanderers

in Johannesburg on Tuesday, 28 March.

The T20I Series is preceded by a three-match One-Day International (ODI) Series. The first two matches will be at Buffalo Park in East

London on Thursday 16 and Saturday 18 March, with the final contest on Tuesday 21 March at JB Marks Oval, Potchefstroom.

T20I SQUAD

Rovman Powell

(Captain)

Kyle Mayers (Vice Captain)

Shamarh Brooks

Yannic Cariah

Johnson Charles

Roston Chase

Sheldon Cottrell

Jason Holder

Akeal Hosein

Alzarri Joseph

Brandon King

Nicholas Pooran

Raymon Reifer

Romario Shepherd

Odean Smith

West Indies white ball match schedule in South Africa

Thursday, 16 March:

‘Bushman’ supports Kishan Silas ahead of GCB U15 Inter-County

(NGOs).

After facing Berbice today, Silas and his GCB XI team will play Essequibo tomorrow, followed by a mouth-watering encounter with Demerara.

Matches will be played at Enmore, Everest, and the Georgetown Cricket Club Ground (GCC). First-ball time is 9:30am at each venue. Live streaming for these matches will be available on the GCB Facebook page.

A GCB release stated

that this year’s tournament is expected to be very competitive, with most of the players from last year returning because of the eligibility age implemented by Cricket West Indies for all age group tournaments in 2023.

Silas, like the other players, will be looking for a place on the Guyana team that’s set to compete in the Regional U15 tournament slated to commence on April 2 in Antigua and Barbuda.

Broomes lead Panthers to another Rugby 12s victory

Businessman and sports enthusiast Dexter ‘Bushman’ Garnett will be backing youth batting sensation Kishan Silas during the Guyana Cricket Board’s (GCB’s) U15 Inter-County Super50 tournament, which bowled off on Tuesday.

Silas was named on the GCB XI, and will be in action against Berbice at the Everest Ground, and Garnett, through his Bushman Pawnshop and Money Lending business, will be offering $1,000 to Silas for every run scored in the Inter-County Championship.

Silas enjoyed an exceptional outing at the crease for Georgetown during the Demerara Cricket Board’s (DCB’s) Inter-Association U15 tournaments. The nifty right-handed batter had several top-scoring innings while playing a pivotal role in seeing his side over the line in many matches. The Charlestown Secondary School student is patient at the wicket, and can score in “bunches” whenever he’s asked.

“He’s a promising player, and I like seeing youths

excelling at something they love and are good at, especially those that need as much support as possible to keep them in the sport,” Garnett has said.

According to the businessman, his support will go towards the Charlestown resident’s purchasing of equipment and cricket gear, and to assist in his travel to train and for matches.

“I didn’t just want to give him the money, but put it as an incentive to motivate him to do well for the team. In other words, I wanted him to work for it, and know that through hard work he’s going to be rewarded,” Garnett has said.

He added, “This support is to also ensure that young Silas stays the course in the sport, and be a role model for youths in the Charlestown community, and to show that sport can be used to elevate their lives.”

Garnett is known for his support of many budding talents in the disciplines of basketball, football and tennis, while also assisting several non-governmental organisations

Witnessed by a smattering of boisterous fans, the Guyana Rugby Football Union (GRFU) pressed on with the 12s version of the game on Sunday last, and it resulted in Godfrey Broomes commandeering the Panthers Club to an exhilarating victory over the Guyana Defence Force (GDF).

As the two titans on the local rugby scene met, the Panthers proved too hot to handle for the lawmen.

Panthers’ Godrey Broomes had the first try and conversion for his team, and later went on to dominate; ending the game with two tries and five conversions.

The GDF staged a come-

1st ODI at Buffalo Park, East London (day/night)

Saturday, 18 March: 2nd ODI at Buffalo Park, East London (day/night)

1st T20Is at SuperSport Park, Centurion

Sunday, 26 March: 2nd T20I at SuperSport Park, Centurion

back with two tries immediately after. While Leon Cole, Jamal Darrel, Avery Corbin and Akeno James completed one try each, coupled with two conversions from Kevin Wills, it was not enough to pressure the Panthers.

The Panthers, on the other hand, had two tries from D’Arcy Durant and conversions from Delroy Fordyce, Kareem Fisher and Makayah Smith.

Eventually, Panthers went on to win the encounter 45-26.

The fairly new 12s version of the game was introduced by the GRFU back in February. The Rugby 12s team usually consists of 6 forwards and 6 backs.

Tuesday, 21 March: 3rd ODI at JB Marks Oval, Potchefstroom

Saturday, 25 March:

Tuesday, 28 March: 3rd T20I at Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg (night)

G/town, East Coast continue dominance of Tiger Rentals League

The Guyana Football Federation’s (GFF’s) National Training Center (NTC) at Providence, East Bank Demerara was treated to scintillating under-13 football action on Saturday last, as Georgetown, East Coast and East Bank secured their places in the winners’ circle in the Tiger Rentals-sponsored Development League.

The Georgetown Academy Training Center (ATC) drew first blood with a 2-1 victory over Bartica ATC. While Justin Tempow and Jashawn Haynes found the back of the net for Georgetown in the 12th and 40th minutes, Riley Tracey scored Bartica’s consolation goal in the 20th minute of the encounter.

East Bank ATC cruised to a 3-0 victory over West Berbice ATC in the following game. Emmanuel Francois, Michael Correa and Jaden Joshua were the marksmen for East Bank in the 48th, 50th and 58th minutes.

A lone strike from East Coast’s Mark Glasgow in the 58th minute of the following encounter was the deciding factor in the contest be-

tween East Coast and Upper Demerara ATCS. Meanwhile, West Demerara and East Berbice ATCs played to a 1-all draw. While Keon Grant found the back of the net for West Demerara, Xavier Andrews did the same for East Berbice.

The matches were watched by GFF President Wayne Forde, GFF Fitness Coach Wilson Toledo, cheerful parents, players and teammates.

The GFF-Tiger Rentals’ Under-13 InterAssociation Development Football League kicked off in January, and features young players from clubs and Academy Training Centres (ATC) in Guyana.

The tournament was specifically designed to develop young players’ football knowledge, and to ensure that they have a national platform to showcase their skills on the pitch.

The ATC aspect of the League is scheduled to resume on Saturday, March 25th, with the intra-association leg of the League set to resume this Saturday, March 18th.

Godfrey Broomes (white) outrunning the pack for a try

A scene from the Tiger Rentals’ U13 tournament on Saturday last

Dexter ‘Bushman’ Garnett Kishan Silas

Roston Chase will replace Obed McCoy in the T20I squad

Obed McCoy is out of the squad with a knee injury

All Saints Primary crowned Champions of inaugural Republic Bank ‘Five for Fun’

GOA election postponed

Tempers flared at Olympic House at Liliendaal on Tuesday evening, when members of the Guyana Olympic Association (GOA) met for the Electoral General Meeting (EGM).

Almost instantaneously, upon the meeting’s commencement at exactly 5pm, the authenticity of a letter purportedly signed by GOA General Secretary Hector Edwards, regarding the voting eligibility of several members of the GOA, was questioned.

Current GOA

President, K A JumanYassin, shared with members, “Hector did not sign the letter or authorise it. He had not changed his position, and my contention is the fact that he did not sign that letter, it is not valid, as it is not signed or authorised by the Secretary- General. That is in breach of our constitution. As a result of that, this election to proceed cannot now proceed.”

Members of the GOA went around the room voicing their opinions on the way forward, which result-

ed in a unanimous decision to postpone the EGM.

The decision was eventually taken to have Assistant General Secretary Deion Nurse sign document on the behalf of the General Secretary, a decision that made way for the postponement of the EGM.

The EGM is now likely to be held one week from today.

A complete report on the GOA’s EGM will be published in tomorrow’s edition of Guyana Times Sport.