Guyana Times - Wednesday, November 3, 2021

P5

Massy opens $162M supermarket at Ruimveldt Nationwide coverage from the best news team in Guyana guyanatimesgy.com

Issue No. 4820

THE BEACON OF TRUTH WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2021

Guyana must be paid for maintaining standing forest – Pres Ali to int’l community

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WHAT'S INSIDE:

UG launches Inclusivity, P5 Diversity, Equity Policy Unit Woman caught attempting to smuggle ganja in soap into P12 prison

P12 GOGEC, Canadian High Commissioner discuss trade, investment

Page 7 President Dr Irfaan Ali engaging the Prince of Wales, His Royal Highness, Prince Charles and Commonwealth SG Patricia Scotland in Glasgow on Tuesday

"Unrealistic" local content recommendations can shut down oil industry – VP

Thieves posing as GPL workers attempt to rob EBD housewife

Page 8

P14

Guyana pledges 70% reduction of carbon emissions by 2030 at COP26

Pedal cyclist killed in P15 Vryheid’s Lust accident

Guyana woos UAE APNU/AFC pledges support for Govt's company to invest in local hotel, resorts vaccine drive in …as potential exists for investment

COVID-19 death from August only now being recorded P14

Page 3

…as President Ali tells world leaders decisive actions needed COVID-19 vaccination Page 2

meeting with GCCI

in agriculture, mining

Page 9

…47.9% adults fully vaccinated

2 NEWS

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

COVID-19 vaccination

APNU/AFC pledges support for Govt’s vaccine drive in meeting with GCCI O pposition Leader Joseph Harmon has pledged to support Government’s COVID-19 vaccination drive that is being rolled out across the country.

He made this commitment during a meeting between representatives of A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) and the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce & Industry Limited (GCCI) on Tuesday.

A statement from the

GCCI explained that the meeting was held to discuss the Opposition Leader office’s support for the National Vaccination Drive.

The Private Sector body pointed out that the COVID-19 pandemic has caused devastation globally, impacting the public health of citizens in an unprecedented fashion, and having deleterious effects on livelihoods and economic welfare.

The GCCI said it recognises the importance of citi-

zens being inoculated against the novel coronavirus, and acknowledges vaccination as the best method of preserving life and restoring some degree of normalcy in daily life.

“It is with this in mind that the Chamber of Commerce requested a meeting with the Honourable Leader of the Opposition with the intention of a commitment from him to using his good office to encourage Guyanese citizens to be vaccinated against the novel coronavirus. In the

GCCI officials meeting with representatives of the APNU/AFC Opposition

meeting, the GCCI was encouraged to hear Mr. Harmon pledge his support for the National Vaccination Drive,” GCCI said in the statement.

According to the GCCI, the Chamber looks forward to seeing Harmon using his office to publicly encourage, and promote through deliberate action, vaccination of Guyanese citizens.

The APNU/AFC Opposition has been critical of Government’s COVID-19 vaccination campaign, which was launched back in February. In fact, back in

223-7230-1 (Ext 55)

June, Harmon had come under fire after questioning the authenticity of the Russianmade Sputnik V vaccine – the same jab that he took.

However, he subsequently reversed his position, saying that he was only concerned about the handling of the vaccines by the third-party source from whom Guyana sourced the jab.

The Guyana Government had sourced the Sputnik V vaccines through the United Arab Emirates (UAE), after reaching a stumbling block with major manufacturers on procuring the jabs.

In addition to Sputnik V, Guyana is also using AstraZeneca, Sinopharm, Johnson and Johnson, and Pfizer as part of its vaccination campaign.

To date, some 383,013 persons, or 74.7 per cent of the adult population, have received their first dose of one of the vaccines, and approximately 47.9 per cent, or some 245,942 persons who are 18 years and older, are fully immunised.

As it relates to children, approximately 27,498 first doses have been administered to the 12-to-17-year age group. Of that amount, some 18,385 persons, or 25.2 per cent of that targeted age cohort, are fully vaccinated. (G8)

NEWS

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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

BRIDGE OPENINGS OPENINGS BRIDGE

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

Wednesday, Nov 3 – 02:30h – 04:00h and Thursday, Nov 4 – 03:00h – 04:30h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Wednesday, Nov 3 – 15:15h – 16:45h and Thursday, Nov 4 – 15:50h – 17:20h.

Guyana pledges 70% reduction of carbon emissions by 2030 at COP26 …as President Ali tells world leaders decisive actions needed

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 partly cloudy skies at night. Temperatures should range between 21 degrees Celsius and 31 degrees Celsius.

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

High Tide: 15:28h reaching a maximum height of 2.83 metres.

World leaders gathered in Glasgow, Scotland, for COP26

Low Tide: 09:02h and 21:25h reaching minimum heights of 0.48 metre and 0.34 metre.

President Irfaan Ali at COP26 in Scotland

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COMMODITIES Indicators

US$

Change %

Crude Oil

$84.72/barrel

Rough Rice

$239.18/ton

-0.09

London Sugar

$509.20/ton

-0.39

Live Spot Gold

+0.01

USD Per Ounce

Bid/Ask

$1790.00

$1791.00

Low/High Change

$1780.70 -3.50

$1797.30 -0.20%

n keeping with his position to set realistic and achievable targets, President Dr Irfaan Ali on Tuesday announced that Guyana will be aiming to reduce its carbon emissions by 70 per cent in 2030 through a progressively cleaner energy mix.

He made this declaration during his presentation at the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) in Glasgow, Scotland, on Tuesday morning.

Addressing world leaders, President Ali pointed out that the fate of civilisation rests on the outcome of COP26. He noted that climate change has presented leaders with an ultimatum to either take immediate and drastic action or be subjected to a global disaster.

“Indifference and inaction will be costly. Already, we are far behind in limiting temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius. The coming decade, therefore, must be the decade of decisive action,” he stated.

To this end, the Head of State outlined that Guyana has already started playing its part in addressing the climate crisis and will continue to do so.

“We will decouple economic growth and emissions through a progressively cleaner energy mix, with the aim of reducing our carbon emissions by 70 per cent by 2030. We will invest in low carbon opportunities for jobs, ecosystem services and social inclusion through an expanded Low Carbon Development Strategy,” the Guyanese leader posited.

Only last week, President Ali launched Guyana’s renewed Low Carbon Development Strategy – LCDS 2030, which will drive the country’s energy transition using a mix of renewable sources. Already,

Cabinet has approved the construction of the Amaila Falls Hydropower Project (AFHP), which will add 165 megawatts of clean power to the national grid.

Forests

Meanwhile, the Guyanese Head of State went on to emphasise to world leaders the importance of sustaining forests. He noted that Guyana has already undertaken efforts to maintain its forests – which is almost the size of England and Scotland com-

bined, storing 20 gigatons of carbon – as a global asset.

“We will work with local communities in conserving, protecting and sustainably managing our forests, biodiversity and freshwater supplies,” he pointed out.

Given the powerful arsenal that forests possess, President Ali underscored its key role in the global fight against the climate crisis and advocated for benefits to ensure their sustenance.

“Forest-rich countries must be provided with the incentives necessary to keep their forests intact and to reduce deforestation and forest degradation. Mindful that deforestation contributes 16 per cent to annual global emissions and in recognition of the ecosystem and climate services provided by forests, it is imperative that we finalise the rules for carbon

markets and REDD+ so as to properly value tropical forests and the climate services which they provide,” the Guyanese leader stressed.

Honouring ambitions

However, even as Guyana outlines its pledges to the existential global fight, the Head of State posited that this commitment must be shared and upheld by everyone, especially the developed countries which contribute more to the climate crisis.

“We must set more ambitious goals to reduce emissions, and we must honour, to the letter, those ambitions. All countries have an obligation to act but the world’s foremost polluters have a greater duty to institute steeper emission cuts,” Ali charged.

TURN TO PAGE 7

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guyanatimesgy.com

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2021

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

Fatalities and lawlessness on roadways

O

ver several days, there have been numerous road fatalities, and others were injured in separate accidents, all involving motorcycles. The number of road fatalities has left numerous families in mourning, even as concern is being expressed over the reasons for these accidents, and more so the lawlessness on our roadways.

In many of the cases, the Police have stated that a common theme appears to be the unnecessary taking of risk, speeding, and alcohol.

The sudden and shocking death of someone close, especially as a result of an accident, can never be easy. The ensuing excruciating pain and mental trauma that are inflicted on surviving relatives can be unbearable.

In a fleeting moment, families are plunged into sadness and despair, having received the dreadful news that an accident took the life of someone dear to them. That’s the painful result, and often its real and lingering impact may be hidden from the spotlight of the media.

The reality is that people, including those who survive an accident, suffer in unimaginable ways. The recent spate of accidents even prompted some to ask the question of how many more? One interpretation from that simple question speaks to whether lessons are being learnt from accidents over time. In other words, how many more have to die before better care is taken while using the roadways?

Given what has taken place since the year started, one could not be faulted for concluding that the results of the accidents may not have inspired more responsible behaviour.

However, judging from sentiments expressed on social media, it appears that more cognisance has seemingly been brought to the mindsets of many.

While that is extremely heartening, there is uncertainty as to whether the mindsets of the regular errant drivers have been impacted, or have they not learnt anything from what were obviously painful experiences of others? Judging from what continues to take place on the roadways, it seems clear that many drivers haven’t learnt from, or are clearly refusing to even be bothered by, the harrowing fatal accidents.

On a daily basis, many drivers use the roadways in a very reckless manner, thereby endangering occupants and other road users — the least themselves. It becomes painful even to see how they manoeuvre, seemingly without an iota of care for others. Again, it brings into question the role of law enforcement to try and curb such irresponsible behaviour, especially since some traffic violations do occur in the presence of the Police.

Even if the Police were to offer an excuse, inexcusable as it may be, there is none that can be offered for not using the public CCTV cameras to take action against the errant drivers.

Many of these cameras are strategically placed at some intersections where traffic lights are mounted and in other areas. Very often, persons generally using the cameras from their cellphones would snap and post a picture of a traffic violation.

It begs another question: if members of the public can take the time and effort to highlight daily traffic violations, and from which the Police sometimes intervene, why can’t the Police themselves use the CCTV cameras in a sustained effort to make defaulters face the law?

In addition, the suggestion for undercover cops to pose as passengers is repeated. That would help to authenticate, if nothing else is working, reports of violations of speeding, reckless driving, and overloading, among other violations.

Importantly, the Police must holistically demonstrate that sense of commitment to genuinely collaborate with members of the public to collectively tackle the situation.

President Dr Irfaan Ali being interviewed by the United Kingdom’s Channel 4 News at the Scottish Event Campus (SEC) in Glasgow on Tuesday, where he spoke extensively about Guyana’s expanded Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) that was launched last week (Office of the President photo)

Health Ministry must develop a “Patients/ Family Bill of Rights” Dear Editor, The recent story of the tragic death of 24-yearold Devi Samaroo and her newborn at the New Amsterdam Hospital in Region Six (East BerbiceCorentyne) warrants an intense and urgent investigation. As if the two deaths were not bad enough, the stories coming from the family regarding the shoddiest treatment, the hospital staff’s refusal to give information on the whereabouts of mother and her baby, refusal to disclose the names of the doctors/ nurses, poor treatment of the mother’s dead body do not constitute a shining moment for the New Amsterdam Hospital, where several mothers and babies have died over the years. It’s an indictment of our primitive public health systems.

Recently, the Minister of Health has been talking about “smart” hospitals.

It does not appear that Port Mourant Hospital, which Ms Samaroo first visited, is “smart,” nor does it seem that the New Amsterdam Hospital is

“smart.”

In the days of old, mothers gave birth at home, and the people did not die the way New Amsterdam Hospital has a high mortality rate; so why are we going to a hospital that has medical personnel and facilities and you don’t come out alive? It did not appear that the pregnancy was difficult or problematic, so when your loved one dies, it is unexpected, shocking and traumatic.

The Ministry must investigate, and deal with the family’s claims. This family must get justice, as well as the others that have lost loved ones!

Autopsies later said that the baby girl died as a result of a hole in her heart, and the mother died from shock and blood clot in the lungs. So, if the baby has a hole in the heart, was that not detected during the prenatal visits? If the mother died from shock and blood clot in the lungs, when did that happen? Was that detected when she went to the Port Mourant Hospital?

Who were

the attending doctor(s) and nurses? The way the parents were kept in the dark and were denied information, the family’s claim they were not allowed to be present at the autopsy, all seem suspicious. Why? Is it not a usual practice to have a family member present?

Was that an attempt at a cover up?

The Ministry must develop a “Patients/ Family Bill of Rights”, going forward. Hospitals and their personnel must be held accountable for unprofessional behaviour, medical negligence and malfeasance, neglect of duty, etc. Public hospitals

must care about their customer service and their image. The public must not think that public hospitals are inefficient, incompetent, and associated with mediocrity in service, including “hoggish” staff.

These public institutions cannot afford to fail, because the masses who cannot afford private services depend on them.

Social media is abuzz with criticisms of our health services.

What happened to Devi Samaroo and her baby is simply unacceptable!

Dear Editor, The report of two bogus persons posing as meter readers to an unsuspecting housewife in their attempt to commit a felony highlights the need to ask persons to produce identification before allowing them on our premises.

This advisory has been repeated by service

companies at length, but still residents are not cognisant of the dangers, and are too trusting.

We need to be alert at all times. Good work by the public-spirited citizens who assisted in the capture of the culprits.

Sincerely, Dr Jerry Jailall

Ask for identification

Sincerely, Shamshun Mohamed

5 Massy opens $162M supermarket at Ruimveldt M NEWS

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

assy Stores on Tuesday opened another supermarket located at Ruimveldt, Georgetown, as the company seeks to respond to the growing demand for its services.

With a total of 15 employees, the $162 million investment is Massy Stores’ third opening for 2021.

In opening remarks, General Manager Robert Singh stated that the rapid expansion is the organisation’s way of responding to the request of its customers. “…because you the customer requested it. Because you the shopper deserves it.

You the customer asked for a better shopping experience and so you the shopper deserves the best shopping experience,” Singh expressed.

The General Manager

went on to state that, “Massy Stores is now on a mission.

A mission to deliver a bestin-class retail experience in Guyana”.

The store has a number of local produce, meat, prepared meals and baked goods, a wide variety of product lines from globally recognised brands, and various options such as gluten free and vegan products.

In addition to this, the store also has a MoneyGram and Sure Pay outlet, along with a pharmacy, all of which are located within the store.

Moreover, customers will benefit from loyalty rewards, while teachers are expected to benefit from special discounts.

“We have a robust and exciting loyalty programme that continuously rewards

Massy Stores’ new supermarket located at Ruimveldt, Georgetown

our shoppers. Bonus rewards are there every time you shop… this reward programme is applicable and transferrable within all our

retail centres. We’ve also incorporated a special discount fort our teachers. Our teachers will be benefitting from a special discount ev-

ery time they shop at any Massy supermarket,” Singh further revealed.

Massy Stores Guyana launched its first ever

“Massy Stores Mini Supermarket” at their D3 Starlight Square Montrose, East Coast Demerara (ECD) location back in May this year and a second mini supermarket valued at $138 million in Vreed-en-Hoop, West Coast Demerara (WCD) in Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara) in September, as the company seeks to expand its services and products across the country.

Its larger locations are at Providence, East Bank Demerara (EBD), and Turkeyen in the MovieTowne compound which were opened in 2016 and 2019, respectively.

The new Ruimvedlt location is the fifth supermarket to be opened in Guyana.

UG launches Inclusivity, Diversity, Equity Policy Unit …persons with disabilities to be equally included

T

he University of Guyana on Tuesday launched its Inclusivity, Diversity, and Equity Policy Unit. The purpose of the policy is to frame the University’s approach to inclusive education and to provide guidelines to implement its principles and practices on all its campuses.

The Unit will see to the accommodation of all individuals within the university community and others who engage with it, regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, creed, sex, age, marital status, national origin, impairment/disability, political belief or affiliation, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, genetic information, and socioeconomic status.

Speaking during the launch, Vice Chancellor of the University, Dr Paloma Mohamed stated that the pandemic drove the University online, which had some major effects on the general student population.

“A number of students suddenly began to report cases of extreme distress in handling the change of medium of instruction,” Dr Mohamed recalled.

To this end, she noted that this call was not ignored, highlighting that even with all that the University was dealing with at the time, “we still found the time to check one-on-one with them to figure out what exactly the problems were”.

This, she informed, birthed the question of a disabilities policy. However, she noted that upon having discussions with the team led by Assistant Dean within the Faculty of Education & Humanities, Dr Lidon Lashley, that was tasked with creating the policy, it was decided that the policy would be an inclusive policy due its scope and the fact that its focus is way beyond that of a person with physical challenges.

“We had to find ways to support these students and staffs who were fac-

ing challenges… as COVID wore on, we began to realise there were several other widespread problems so, psychological vulnerabilities as well as learner typical issues,” Professor Mohamed explained.

“We are not [just] talking… we’re into making sure our research is also robust and the policies based on this research are also robust. We are also implementing as quickly as we possibly can. We not only had the policy move through the various University of Guyana bureaucratic steps that we have to take… we have put in place the inclusion unit to ensure that the policy is not only enforced but also that our students have the ability to progress, they have people who can help them to navigate the system.”

Persons with disabilities

Mohamed went on to reveal that a meeting with the Human Services and Social Security Minister Dr Vindhya Persaud subsequently after she had taken up office as Minister was centred around supporting persons with disabilities. The Professor noted that the policy, in a general sphere, focuses on creating that support system.

To this end, Dr Persaud lauded the policy stating that “it could not have come at a more timely point” when Guyana, like the rest of the world, “is looking towards recovery from adjustment to from the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact”.

She highlighted that during her discussions with Professor Mohamed, she expressed that she not only wished to see persons living with disabilities be included, but be equally included in events of opportunities being presented to those persons can be utilised.

The Minister went on to state that, “…persons would normally consider, I believe, in the University, in Guyana, in a way in which transcends all of the differences to focus

on persons living with disabilities through this policy is an admirable one.”

Unit

The creation the Unit is said to have utilised some nine months before being approved back in June of this year.

The team members that worked on creating the policy were Co-Chair, Dr Roslin Khan; Co-Chair, Faculty of Education and Humanities Dean, Dr Lidon Lashley; Faculty of Education and Humanities Assistant Dean, Dr Mellissa Ifill; Deputy ViceChancellor, Institutional Advancement, Dr C Nigel Gravesande; Registrar, Dr Paulette Henry; Faculty of Social Sciences Dean, Pamela Rose; University of Guyana Berbice Campus Assistant Director, Dr Jacqueline Murray; Institute of Distance and Continuing Education Director, Debbie Hopkinson; Faculty of Social Sciences Lecturer and Coordinator, Master’s in Social Work Leann Kendall; Faculty of Social Sciences Assistant Dean, and University of Guyana Medical Officer Dr Melisha Hanif.

Dr Lashley, in giving an overview of the policy informed that, “The University of Guyana’s inclusivity, diversity and equity policy is firstly, a dynamic policy. It is not a policy that is written and everything is cast in stone. This means that this policy will continue to evolve with our student population, with the composition of our staff, with the needs of our country, and with the needs of the wider stakeholders who are interested in supporting inclusion within the university community.”

To this end, he pointed out that the policy in itself emphasises the University of Guyana’s triple A approach to inclusion. That is, awareness, access, and accommodation.

Moreover, he explained that “From the conception of the inclusion unit, the task of, and action of representing

Human Services and Social Security Minister, Dr Vindhya Persaud

University of Guyana Vice Chancellor, Dr Paloma Mohamed

Faculty of Education and Humanities Assistant Dean, Dr Lidon Lashley

Guyana’s multicultural multifaceted characteristics, and to represent inclusion and inclusivity at this core was started in the conception of the unit.

“It represents Guyana’s ethnicity, in terms of the ethnicity in the country, in terms of having a rep from each ethnicity, in terms of having persons who are abled, disabled in society, so that the policy itself reflects that which is in practice, that which can be improved in practice, and that which we need to further strengthen in our country, in our university, and in our society as a whole as we aim to utilise all the resources in Guyana, both human and otherwise, to enhance our overall development.”

Some of the objectives outlined in the policy are: students with disabilities occupy the same space(s) as individuals without disabilities and they engage as equals; cultures, policies, and practices eliminate exclusion, reduce discrimination, and remove barriers to learning and participation so that the University responds to diversity in ways that value everyone equally; marginalisation and discrimination based on abilities, background, religion, culture, race, gender, socioeconomic status, and impairments are discouraged. Student-centred pedagogies are adopted to ensure high-quality learning for all regardless of diversities, abilities, background, religion, culture, race, gender, socio-

economic status, and impairments, each lecturer is guided to uphold the practice expectations of inclusivity in every course, and forms of access and support giv-

en to staff and students are not limited to those based on abilities, background, religion, culture, race, gender, socioeconomic status, and impairments.

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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2021

Page

Foundation

R

angoli (or mandala) is an art form in which patterns are created on the floor using materials such as coloured rice, dry flour, coloured sand, or flower petals.

Rangoli is usually made to decorate the home on festivals like Diwali and other special occasions.

This easy paper plate rangoli craft is a great way to involve young children in Diwali decoration traditions.

May this Diwali fill your home with happiness, joy, and prosperity!

Materials Paper plate Pumpkin seeds Black paint Chalk markers Pom-poms Glue Instructions 1. Wash and dry the pumpkin seeds.

2. Paint the seeds black using acrylic or watercolours.

3. Make the patterns on the dyed seed using colourful chalk markers.

4. Draw four circles on the paper plate as shown and glue the decorated pumpkin seeds around those circle as shown in the pictures.

5. Finish it by gluing colourful pom-poms around the paper plates. (thejoyofsharing.com

By Anonymous There was a young lady of Lynn, Who was so uncommonly thin That when she essayed To drink lemonade She slipped through the straw and fell in.

Source: The Random House Book of Poetry for Children (1983)

WORD SEARCH

NEWS

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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Guyana must be paid for maintaining standing forest — Pres Ali to int’l community

President Irfaan Ali engaging Prince Charles and Commonwealth SG Patricia Scotland in Glasgow

O

n the sidelines of the COP26 climate summit in Scotland, President Dr Irfaan Ali continued his bilateral engagements by discussing Guyana’s efforts to preserve its vast forest cover as a global asset and using it to earn revenues to develop the country and its people.

Guyana was among some 110 countries around the world to sign a pledge to end and reverse deforestation by 2030 – one of the first major deal to come out of the environment conference thus far.

A whopping US$19.2 billion in both private and public funds have been injected into supporting this commitment.

During an interview with United Kingdom’s Channel 4 News at the Scottish Event Campus (SEC) in Glasgow on Tuesday, President Ali explained that deforestation is not a concern for Guyana as more than 90 per cent of Guyana’s forest cover remains intact, storing over 20 gigatons of carbon.

Instead, he pointed out that the country’s focus will be preserving its forest as a global asset and receiving compensation or payment from the international community.

“In Guyana, we had one of the largest per capita carbon credit arrangements with Norway where we got more than US$200 million for our standing forests as a tool in storing carbon. So, the carbon market is there. So, we expect that the developed world, the international community and even the Private Sector [pay us]. It must be a trade-

able commodity,” he told the Channel 4 News reporter.

Guyana’s total forest cover of some 18.4 million hectares hold carbon in high density of up to 350 tons/hectare. This amounts to approximately 6638 tons/person, which is the second-highest forest carbon stock per capita of any country on earth.

Even with oil and gas we will still be a net carbon sink producer and we will still be keeping our commitment to keeping our forest as a global asset.

The Ali-led Administration has maintained that even with the ongoing oil exploration, and more specifically production activities in the Stabroek Block offshore which has a reserve of more than 10 billion barrels of “light sweet crude” oil, Guyana will still remain a net-zero carbon emitter.

Matter of trust

Moreover, President Ali was asked during the interview about Guyana’s confidence in its neighbour, Brazil, which has cut down large stretches of the Amazon rainforest and is now also a signatory to the Glasgow deforestation pledge.

“This is a matter of trust and we are all part of the Amazonia… One of the problems that Brazil had to face is expanding agriculture and the clearing of lands for agriculture space. So, I believe that once the commitment is there and once we find innovative ways of sustaining livelihoods of those who depend on the lands and those communities

“In Guyana, we had one of the largest per capita carbon credit arrangements with Norway where we got more than US$200 million for our standing forests as a tool in storing carbon. So, the carbon market is there. So, we expect that the developed world, the international community and even the Private Sector [pay us]. It must be a tradeable commodity” – President Ali that are associated with forests then, [the pledge] is viable and it can be achieved.

“But we have to answer the question, how are we going to sustain their livelihoods? How are we going to diversify what they are doing to give them options and that is where valuing standing forests, and having a payment system and structure for standing forests is important,” the Guyanese leader underscored.

Meeting with Prince Charles

Meanwhile, President Ali on Tuesday also met with the Prince of Wales, His Royal Highness Prince Charles at the Scottish Event Campus (SEC) in Glasgow, Scotland.

Secretary General of the Commonwealth, Baroness Patricia Scotland was also present at the meeting.

Discussions during the brief meeting centred on Guyana’s drive to maintain its forests. Prince Charles was also updated on the recent launch of Guyana’s expanded Low Carbon Development Strategy – LCDS 2030, which

Guyana pledges 70%...

In fact, the Head of State indicated that while Guyana recently became an oil producer, the country fully supports the removal of subsidies from fossil fuel production and advocates for a strong global carbon price.

Moreover, the President added that “climate change affects us all – rich, poor, developed and developing States – but its effects are more severe on the poorest and most vulnerable – especially Small Island Developing States and low-lying coastal States. For us it is a question of survival. We can use this summit to change the present trajectory.”

Against this backdrop, the Guyanese leader threw the country’s support behind the position of the Caribbean Community (Caricom) and is aligned with the Alliance for Small Island States (AOSIS), the Community of Latin America and Caribbean States (CELAC), the Leticia Pact, the DHAKA-Glasgow Declaration and the Glasgow Leaders’ Declaration on Forest and Land Use, among others.

He further highlighted that immediate action is needed to ensure the pledge of US$100 billion per annum, made one decade ago, to support climate action is met. He

President Irfaan Ali meeting with UK Minister for European Neighbourhood and the Americas (Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office) Wendy Morton on the sidelines of COP26

FROM PAGE 3

warned that dishonouring these pledges is a recipe for disaster.

“We are at a historic moment in our civilisation.

History must not judge us as having only counted our losses. It must instead herald our efforts to confront one of our planet’s greatest threats – climate change… Let future generations say, when it mattered the most, we made a difference,” the Guyanese Head of State implored.

To this end, President Ali reiterated that Guyana is prepared to work with international community for collective action. (G8)

will drive the county’s energy transition using a mix of clean and renewable sources.

President Ali also thanked the Prince of Wales for his support for forest conservation at a global level.

Prince Charles was named a patron of the Iwokrama International Centre for Rainforest Conservation and Development in 2000 after visiting Guyana and the Iwokrama Forest in the Essequibo.

Also on Tuesday, President Ali held bilateral discussions with the United Kingdom’s Minister for European Neighbourhood

and the Americas (Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office), Wendy Morton, at the Scottish Event Campus, where he outlined Guyana’s climate change plans and concerns.

The Guyanese Head of State also informed Morton, who is the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, of Guyana’s expanded Low Carbon Development Strategy that was launched last week for national consultation.

He emphasised the value of the country’s standing forests and his Government’s quest to enhance the livelihoods of its citizens with new opportunities.

President Ali further highlighted the current woes faced

by Small Island Developing States (SIDS); he lobbied for a multidimensional vulnerability index (MVI) fund and for developing countries to not only fulfil their current pledges but also state how they intend to do so.

The President underscored the climate emergency and the need to function as a collective unit. With that in mind, he also spoke of the de-

sire by many to restructure existing loans to help countries not only get back on their feet but to satisfy commitments to climate change.

Only Monday, the InterAmerican Development Bank (IDB) launched a plan of action to fully align operations with the Paris Agreement by 2023. This initiative will help 26 borrowing member countries including Guyana to meet their own commitments to combat climate change.

During his presentation to the COP26 climate summit President Ali pledged, among other things, to reduce carbon emissions by 70 per cent by 2030.

Nevertheless, the Guyanese leader and the UK Minister also discussed the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the need to reprioritise finances to deal with issues such as education regression.

In turn, Morton enquired about Guyana’s plan regarding its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and said she was interested in improving trade relations between the two countries.

8 NEWS

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

“Unrealistic” local content recommendations can shut down oil industry – VP

G

uyana’s local content legislation will be fashioned to include a significant Guyanesebased workforce in the petroleum industry, but unrealistic recommendations for the document can cause the industry to collapse.

Vice President, Dr Bharrat Jagdeo outlined on Monday that since the draft Local Content Policy has been publicised for consultation, a plethora of recommendations have been recorded. However, some of these are “unrealistic”, given the country is yet to build local capacity.

“I have seen here a lot of our people put down several things and some are totally unrealistic. You’d shut down the industry if you go into those. But there are some areas that we have made it clear from before that are 100 per cent carved out for Guyanese,” said Jagdeo.

Transportation, space rental, local logistics, security, janitorial services and food supplies are among the areas which 100 per cent locals will be involved. This,

Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo

he outlined, would allow for hundreds of millions of dollars into the Guyanese economy.

Moving forward, the Vice President said the country will eventually build human resources to service other domains, providing employment in the fabrication and engineering services. But to ensure consistent production, some foreigners would have to be employed.

“Leaving out the fabrication and engineering services which we’d have to work, we have to see that we have realistic goals there because we’re still putting together the skills and stuff in these areas and you can’t slow down the industry.

These are critical areas for us that by law, would allow much more to flow.”

Jagdeo pointed to the creation of a national train-

ing institute next year, which will aim to train some 1000 persons per year.

Government is looking now to train 600 to 700 welders in a short-term certification programme to support the oil sector.

Since Guyana has agreed to use Ghanaian expertise to set up a strong architecture for the sector’s management, the former Head of State said their local content document is very “attractive”.

“In Ghana’s case, it’s 51 per cent ownership by a Ghanian person, 80 per cent of management and 100 per cent of unskilled labour.

That is how they define a local company. It’s very attractive from what I see,” he added.

After assuming office in August last year, President Irfaan Ali established a High-Level Local Content Panel to review policy initiatives on local content in the petroleum sector and provide guidance for the development of Guyana’s Local Content Policy and Legislation.

The panel, chaired by Shyam Nokta, compiled and submitted the Local Content Report. Also on the panel were Carl Greenidge, Carvil Duncan, Anthony Paul, Kevin Ramnarine and the Natural Resources Ministry’s Legal Officer Sasha Rajkumar-Budhan.

The end product was a list of recommendations, and subsequently a draft Local Content Policy that the Government had released in February of this year.

The stakeholders’ consultation on Guyana’s draft Local Content Policy for its petroleum sector started in February, and President Dr Ali himself opened the discussion, from which authorities were expected to receive feedback and comments for the finalisation of the critical document.

Approximately 140 stakeholders were engaged by the panel on the compilation of the report. The report outlines several recommendations to improve the country’s policies and legislation.

Among the key objectives of the Local Content Policy are: to enhance the skills and competencies of Guyanese citizens; promote maximum use of Guyanese in the petroleum sector workforce; maximise the use of locally sourced goods and services in the petroleum sector; enhance the capacity of Guyanese businesses and supply chains to become internationally competitive; enhance and make worldclass the training, technology, innovation and research and development base of Guyana, just to scratch the surface. (G12)

Who’s afraid…

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…of the Chinese? ot the Guyana Govt, for sure!! There’s been a lot of scare stories about the Chinese coming in with their wads of (American) cash to inveigle us poor and huddled masses to WILLINGLY enter into a new colonial arrangement. We forget that, in the first go-around, we also invited them in willingly - whether in India or Africa.

Anyhow, the Chinese have made no secret of their ambitions - they’re working on their “Middle Kingdom”, to pip the US as the TOP GUN within a few decades. Their trillion-dollar Belt & Road Initiative (BRI) is their main strategic investment outside of their military build-up. The World Bank (controlled by the US) had been saying for decades that developing countries needed to invest in their infrastructure bridges, highways, ports etc - to get their economies moving upwards. But they weren’t proving the loans!!

So up comes the Chinese with the $3.3 TRILLION they have in American dollars to dangle in front of us. What are we to do?? Look at a gift horse in the mouth? Well, maybe we should - and who’s to say that the Ali administration isn’t?? After all, just like the rest of us, they must’ve read about several projects across the world where countries went in over their heads - like in Sri Lanka with that Port - and the lender, China, had to take over the project. Isn’t that what all lending institutions do? Didn’t we go bankrupt under Burnham in the seventies when he borrowed and he couldn’t pay and had to be bailed out??

This isn’t rocket science…and it has nothing to do with the Chinese. If you’re gonna borrow for a project, you better ensure your cash flow will be there to service the loan as per its terms. When Ghana got into trouble financially after they struck oil, it was because they floated bonds that they couldn’t service when their oil production wasn’t up to projections. Now we've been dealing with the Chinese deep pockets for decades - think Skeldon and CJIA. With the China Railway and the “Build, Own, Operate and Transfer (BOOT) arrangement on Amalia Falls Hydro (AFHEP), they’re taking all the risks and they’re guaranteeing that we’ll get electricity at US$0.07737 per kWh - one quarter of what we’re paying now! It’s up to them to ensure they make back their investment when it’s time to transfer the plant to us!! As for China State Construction Engineering Corporation (CSCEC) and their Design, Finance and Build (DFB) model for the US $256M new DHB, we just have to remember the Govt will be taking that over and paying back the investment.

And the crossing fees will have to cover the amortisation costs!

…of free and fair elections Some people and institutions are unfortunately so stuck in the past that they refuse to look around to appreciate that the world has changed, and they are, in effect, tilting at windmills. The PNC falls in this category in Guyana. When Burnham launched the PNC, the PPP of Jagan not only had a large plurality of its ethnic supporters, but they were distributed more evenly across the country, so that they would win any FPTP elections.

The system was changed to PR to suit the PNC’s demographics, Burnham got into power, and then rigged elections to neutralise the PPP’s numerical advantage.

But all of that is long gone!! The PNC won a free and fair elections in 2015!! And it did so by forming a political vehicle that appealed outside its constituency. In 2020, the PPP won because of PNC’s missteps and it also appealed for crossover votes.

Yet the present lot of wannabe PNC leaders are still ignoring the crossovers that were alienated by Granger’s ineptitude.

Go figure!!

…of COVAX vaccine PM Modi of India personally wrote an OP ED boasting about his government vaccinating ONE BILLION CITIZENS against the COVID 19 virus!!

Most of the vaccines were their own COVAX version which Guyana just approved.

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

9 Guyana woos UAE company to invest in local hotel, resorts NEWS

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

…as potential exists for investment in agriculture, mining

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ollowing last month’s successful engagements in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Guyana continues to pursue potential investors from the Middle East.

On Tuesday, Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh facilitated a virtual follow-up meeting between Managing Director of the Al Habtoor Group LLC located in Abu Dhabi, Mr. Maan Halabi, and Tourism, Industry and Commerce Minister, Oneidge Walrond, along with Guyanese private sector representatives.

The meeting took place in the Boardroom of the Ministry of Finance and formed part of a series of meetings hosted by Dr. Singh recently as a follow-up to meetings first held in Dubai during a visit by President Irfaan Ali and a team of Government Ministers for the Dubai 2020 Exposition.

During that visit to Dubai, the Al Habtoor Group had expressed interest in expanding its global footprint in the tourism properties market.

As such, the Finance

Ministry said on Tuesday that the Guyana Government continues to court the group into taking up available investment opportunities in the hotel and resort industry here or partnering with local private sector investors to expand the industry.

“Today’s meeting allowed for the discussion of investment opportunities in these areas,” the missive from the ministry detailed.

Dr Singh indicated to the company officials that there is a wide range of opportunities for the Group to invest in Guyana, particularly in the tourism sector.

These include greenfield investments in new flagship hotel projects, partnerships with existing investors currently developing hotel projects, and establishment of large-scale nature-based tourist resorts.

He further outlined that the tourism sector is poised for rapid expansion in Guyana and is therefore attractive to international investors like the Al Habtoor Group which already has a global footprint of premium flagship hotels worldwide.

Guyana’s Ministers and Private Sector representatives engaging UAE-based Al Habtoor Group in a follow-up meeting on Tuesday

“The tourism industry in Guyana even before the COVID-19 period had started to gain international acclaim recognition especially for eco-tourism.

With the advent of the oil and gas sector and that attention, we also began seeing increased interest with just visitors and businesses for the oil and gas sector so one of the good problems that we have so far in Guyana is that we have the need for good quality rooms,” Minister Walrond

explained to Halabi.

She further noted that within a month of Government being in office, expressions of interest were sent out for internationally-branded hotels to be built in the country since one of Guyana’s premier hotels-the Marriott- is cur-

rently fully booked out until January 2022.

Noting that there has already been sod-turning for a number of new additional hotels, with two having taken place close to the Timehri International Airport, the Tourism Minister added that Government will soon

send out expressions of interest for luxury-branded eco-tourism facilities within the eco-tourism industry as it hopes to have at least 2000 hotel rooms available for visitors to the country.

Meanwhile, former President of the Guyana Tourism and Hospitality Association of Guyana (THAG), Mitra Ramkumar, said during the virtual engagement that he believes the tourism industry in Guyana had already taken off even before the advent of oil and gas. He added too that this country can learn much from the UAE on how its tourism industry can be a spin-off from the oil and gas sector especially since Guyana has pristine rainforests, a diversity of people, beauty and nature as well as vast lands for development and investment and as such, further investment can catapult its success.

TURN TO PAGE 18

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GOGEC, Canadian High Commissioner discuss trade, investment ments with associations in the Newfoundland, Canada with the aim of engaging other Canadian business.

Both parties also agreed

to work together to increase potential partnerships through future trade missions.

GOGEC has requested

assistance for its Training Centre, and the High Commissioner visited the facilities and responded positively, the release noted.

Woman caught attempting to smuggle ganja in soap into prison

From left: Vice President of GOGEC, Luanna Persaud; Canadian High Commissioner Mark Berman, President of GOGEC, Manniram Prashad and GOGEC Director Desmond Sears

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resident of the Guyana Oil and Gas Energy Chamber (GOGEC), Manniram Prashad, has met with Canadian High Commissioner Mark Berman at the GOGEC Office to discuss several matters of trade and investment.

The High Commissioner was accompanied by Mr

Jake Thomas, Senior Trade Commissioner, while the GOGEC team included Vice President Luanna Persaud and Directors Desmond Sears and Joel Bhagwandin.

In a release, GOGEC has said that Guyana will be on the agenda when trade missions resume visiting the region.

The areas discussed in-

cluded the strengthening of ties between the Private Sectors of Canada and Guyana, and ideas to assist GOGEC with training through future collaborations.

The High Commission of Canada and GOGEC, the release said, will work together to widen the scope of existing partnership agree-

The salt soap and ganja that were found in the woman’s possession

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our days after a woman tried to sneak a quantity of marijuana into the Lusignan Prison in deodorants, another woman was arrested on Monday for attempting the same act.

The Police have said that at about 12:39h at the Lusignan Prisons, ECD, a 20-year-old female of Cummings Park, Sophia, Greater Georgetown was arrested after the items she tried to take into the prison for an inmate were found to contain drugs.

In a report, it was revealed that when the woman arrived at the prison, a search was conducted on a

bag she was carrying, and it was found to contain a quantity of blue soap. Upon examining the soap, eight plastic parcels with leaves, seeds and stems suspected to be cannabis were found.

The suspect was told of the allegation, cautioned and arrested, before being escorted along with the narcotics to the Vigilance Police Station, ECD. The narcotics, when weighed, amounted to 22 grams. The suspect remains in custody assisting the Police with their investigations.

On Thursday last, a 25-year-old woman of Archer

Street, Vergenoegen, East Bank Essequibo was arrested after she tried to sneak a quantity of ganja into the Lusignan Prison.

It was reported that the woman, who had gone to the prison to drop off some items, presented a black plastic bag to the Police rank, and a search conducted on the said bag found three deodorants. Upon further checking, a quantity of leaves, seeds and stems suspected to be cannabis were found hidden at the bottom of the deodorant bottles.

The woman was told of the offence, cautioned, and arrested. (G9)

NEWS

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Drastic decline in COVID-19 deaths, infections, hospitalisations – Health Minister …active cases drop to 2673

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ollowing the alarming surge reported within recent weeks, infections and deaths related to the novel coronavirus have been on the decline as the situation countrywide seems to be stabilising.

Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony informed during Tuesday’s COVID-19 update that there are now 2673 active cases throughout the ten administrative regions, representing a significant drop.

“We have noticed a trend

where there has been a decline in cases across the country…The regions I would consider that we have hotspots are really in Region Three, Region Four. We also have in Region Eight and Region 10,” he outlined.

In Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara), there are cases in Tuschen (55), La Parfaite Harmonie (50), Klein Pouderoyen (50), Parika (59), Crane (46), Zeelugt (42), Cornelia Ida (40), Vreed-en-Hoop (38) and

Hague (33).

Over in Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica), infections are dominant at Diamond (49), Grove (42), Herstelling (24), Sophia (41), Kitty (34), Campbellville (33), Cummings Lodge (21), Enterprise (18), Mon Repos (15), Triumph (15) and Lusignan (16).

In Region Eight (PotaroSiparuni), hotspots are Mahdia (32); while the data shows Wismar (56), Amelia’s Ward (37) and Mackenzie (17) in Region 10 (Upper

Cyclist who made sudden turn without signalling injured in Berbice accident

A

pensioner, who was operating an electric bicycle, was on Monday afternoon struck down by a motor car after he allegedly made a sudden turn without signalling whilst traversing along the Canefield Public Road, East Canje, Berbice, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne).

Injured is 68-yearold Ishmael Swidding of Canefield, Berbice.

Police said at around 13:00h, the pensioner was proceeding north on the western driving lane while a motor car, driven by a

25-year-old resident of Adelphi Village, East Canje, Berbice, was proceeding in the same direction, behind the electric bike.

Reports are that the biker navigated to turn east, without using his turning signal, but suddenly changed his direction and swerved west instead.

As a result, the car collided with the bike which caused the rider to fall onto the roadway where he received injuries to his head and body.

He was picked up in an unconscious state by the driver of the car and pub-

lic-spirited citizens who transported him to the New Amsterdam Public Hospital where he was referred him to the Georgetown Public Hospital. Swidding is currently a patient at the medical institution.

The motor vehicle and the electric bike were lodged at the Central Police Station.

Further, a breathalyser test was conducted on the driver and the reading returned as 0 per cent.

A notice of intended prosecution was served on the driver as the investigation continues.

Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony

Demerara-Berbice).

There is also a sweeping decline in hospitalised cases, where 60 persons are in hospitals across the country, inclusive of 35 in the Infectious Disease facility.

Some 14 persons are also in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).

“This is a drastic change from what we had a couple weeks ago, when we were seeing 120 cases at Ocean View…We have also had up to 38 persons in the ICU. That has come down.

Despite this, of the 60 cases that we have, we have three mothers who are COVID positive. They’re at the GPHC so that’s something that we have to monitor because we’re still seeing a lot of pregnant women who are coming in with COVID,” the Health Minister explained.

Now, the Ministry can also focus on reducing the mortality rate from the virus, which current stands at 12.2 per cent.

“With a decrease in hospitalisation for severe cases,

we are also noticing that the death rates are going down and that’s also a very important sign. The mortality rate right now is 12.2 person to every 10,000 persons in the population. Hopefully, in the next couple of weeks, we’ll see this number go down further,” Dr Anthony shared.

In September, when the country was in the midst of its third wave of the pandemic, the Health Minister had said that infections were driven primarily by the Delta variant.

While the Guyana Government has not officially confirmed the presence of the Delta variant in the country, it was explained that officials are operating with the assumption that it had spread to local shores, given the increasing number of cases and hospitalisations, especially among the younger age groups.

In terms of COVID-19 medications, the Ministry has been using Remdesivir for treatment along with dexamethasone. These supplies are in stock and no instances of expiry has occurred thus far.

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COVID-19 death from August only now being recorded …47.9% adults fully vaccinated

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COVID-19 fatality, which occurred since August 26, has now been added to Guyana’s death toll, thus increasing it to 926.

According to the Health Ministry, the person is an 84-year-old female from Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice) who was unvaccinated.

The Ministry further explained the reason for this late announcement, noting that “the surveillance unit has now carried out data reconciliation and hence this death is now being reported.”

Meanwhile, there was an increase of 62 cases detected within the course of one day – raising the total confirmed positives to 35,719.

There are 14 patients in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), 62 in institutional isolation, 2499 in home isolation and three in institutional quarantine.

Throughout the pandemic, 356,822 individuals were tested – of which 16,885 males and 18,834 females were positive. The recoveries stand at 32,218.

A regional breakdown of new cases showed seven persons testing positive in Region One (BarimaWaini), one in Region Three (Essequibo IslandsWest Demerara), 18 in Region Four (DemeraraMahaica), 13 in Region Five (Demerara-Mahaica), 12 in Region Six (East BerbiceCorentyne), one in Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni), and four in Region 10

(Upper Demerara-Berbice).

Cases in Regions Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni) and Nine (Upper TakutuUpper Essequibo) remain unchanged.

Adult vaccination rates are 383,013 or 74.7 per cent for first dose, with 245,942 or 47.9 per cent for second doses, according to Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony.

Second dose coverage for adults shows 41.2 per cent for Region One, 39.9 per cent in Region Two, 45.6 per cent in Region Three, 54.7 per cent in Region Four, 48.6 per cent in Region Five, 47.9 per cent in Region Six, 43.2 per cent in Region Seven, 32.6 per cent in Region Eight, 52 per cent in Region Nine and 18.7 per cent in Region 10.

GUYANA COVID-19 DASHBOARD NOVEMBER 2, 2021 UPDATE

NUMBER OF NEW CASES

62

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN INSTITUTIONAL ISOLATION

62

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN HOME ISOLATION

2499

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN COVID-19 ICU

14

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN INSTITUTIONAL QUARANTINE

3

TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES BY GENDER (FEMALES)

18,834

TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES BY GENDER (MALES)

16,885

TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES IN GUYANA SINCE 2020

35,719

NUMBER OF RECOVERED CASES

32,218

TOTAL 1st DOSE VACCINATED

383,013

FULLY IMMUNISED

245,935

TOTAL NUMBER OF DEATHS

926

DISTRIBUTION OF TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES SINCE MARCH 2020 REGION 1

1623

REGION 2

1444

REGION 3

4838

REGION 4

16,965

REGION 5

1296

REGION 6

2671

REGION 7

1744

REGION 8

592

REGION 9

2445

REGION 10

2097

HERE IS HOW YOU CAN BE SAFE DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC Wear a face mask.

Keep a physical distance of at least 6 feet.

Wash your hands or use handsanitizer If you have any symptoms, call the COVID-19 Hotline.

GET MEDICAL ADVICE ON COVID-19 FROM MOH 24/7 HOTLINE NUMBERS: 2311166; 226 7480; 624 6674; 624 2819; 624 3067 OR 180/181.

For children, 27,498 first doses have been administered with 18,385 second doses. This means 25.2 per cent of children are completely vaccinated with the Pfizer shot.

In order to reach herd immunity, the country needs to immunise at least 85 per cent of its population

with both doses.

If anyone is displaying any of the symptoms associated with COVID-19 or needs any additional information, they are asked to contact the COVID-19 Hotline 231-1166, 226-7480 or 624-6674 immediately or visit www.health.gov.gy.

All Guyanese are re-

minded to observe the protocols of the COVID-19 emergency measures which emphasise the need for correct and consistent use of a face mask when leaving your home; the importance of maintaining the six feet physical distance from others; and the need for good hand hygiene.

Thieves posing as GPL workers attempt to rob EBD housewife …arrested, charged

T

wo alleged thieves who were posing as workers of the Guyana Power and Light Inc (GPL) were on Monday arrested, and are expected to be charged today after they attempted to rob a 56-year-old housewife of Covent Garden, East Bank Demerara (EBD).

The suspects have been identified by Police as Jose Frazer, 25, a porter of Bagotstown, EBD, and 20-year-old Jaleel Thomas of Cinema Street, Diamond, EBD. Guyana Times understands that at around 12:00h on the day in question, the woman was in her yard washing clothes when the perpetrators approached and told her they were from GPL and that they wanted to read the meter.

The woman allowed the perpetrators to enter her yard, pointed them in the direction of the meter, and continued washing her clothes.

The woman told investigators that whilst she was continuing her chores, she suddenly felt someone grab her, demanded that she hand over all her money and began forcing her up the stairs into her house.

Arrested: Jose Frazer

Arrested: Jaleel Thomas

This caused her to scream and shout “thief”. As a result, the perpetrators let go of the woman and walked out of the yard.

Shortly after, public-spirited citizens went to the woman’s aid and she pointed to the two perpetrators who were walking towards the public road.

With the assistance of a Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) officer and a Police Constable of Providence Police Station Traffic Department, along with public-spirited citizens, the 25-year-old porter was apprehended.

Quick response by Police

ranks also resulted in the apprehension of the second perpetrator who was found hiding in the store room of an apartment complex which is located in the area.

They were both escorted to the Golden Grove Police Station where they were placed into custody pending charges.

A notice released on Tuesday by the Police noted that the duo is expected to make their court appearance today. It was also noted that one of the suspects is being grilled in connection with another robbery.

Investigations are ongoing.

NEWS

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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2021| GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Pedal cyclist killed in Vryheid’s Lust accident A 27-year-old pedal cyclist of Better Hope North, East Coast Demerara (ECD), lost his life in an accident along the Vryheid’s Lust Public Road, ECD. The accident occurred on Monday at around 22:00h and involved motor car PAB 1884 driven by a 24-year-old resident of Cottage Village, West Coast Berbice (WCB); motor car PYY 82 driven by a 22-year-old of Cummings Lodge, ECD; and the pedal cyclist who was identified as Ramesh Jaikaram of Thyman Street, Better Hope North.

Guyana Times understands that motor car PAB 1884 was proceeding west along the northern side of Vryheid’s Lust Public Road

The cars that were involved in the accident

at an alleged fast rate of speed, as the traffic light

was showing green in his path.

Whilst proceeding through the light, the driv-

er said he saw the pedal cyclist standing in the centre waiting to cross and as he was about to pass the said pedal cyclist, the man rode south, into the path of his vehicle.

Upon seeing this, the driver said he swerved south to avoid an impact but despite his efforts, the right-side rear of motor car PAB 1884 collided with the pedal cyclist.

As a result of the impact, the pedal cyclist fell to the surface of the roadway where he received injuries.

Meanwhile, it is alleged by the driver of the other vehicle that he was proceeding south behind motor car PAB 1884 in the southern driving lane of the said road when he saw the said

motor car swerve south and collide with the pedal cyclist.

Upon seeing this, the driver said he too swerved south to avoid hitting the said car and pedal cyclist.

The injured pedal cyclist was picked up and conveyed to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) where he was seen and examined by a doctor on duty and pronounced dead on arrival.

A breathalyser test was carried out on the driver of motor car PAB 1884 and the driver of PYY 82 which gave a reading and print out of 0.00 per cent, respectively.

Both drivers were placed into custody pending investigations.

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Over 300 persons benefit from CIOG’s medical outreach in Linden

Ramsammy’s Ruminations

Guyana’s new LCDS – a realistic strategy towards zero fossil fuel

W

Food, clothing and health care products’ distribution

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he Central Islamic Organization of Guyana (CIOG) on Sunday hosted a medical outreach at Maria Elizabeth/Three Friends Mine Community Centre, Linden (Upper Demerara-Upper Berbice).

Over 300 residents were said to have benefited from a number of services that were offered.

The outreach was made possible through collabo-

rative efforts from a number of organisations; namely: Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) and Regional Democratic Council (RDC) of Maria Elizabeth/ Three Friends Mine, Linden, the Guyana Cancer Foundation, Guyana Medical Relief, Guyana Cancer Society, National Blood Transfusion Services, National Aids Program Secretariat, Dauntless Professional

Glucose, blood pressure testing and general check-ups

Therapeutic Bodyworks, Diaspora Auxilium, U.S Embassy Guyana, Civil Affairs Team, Military Information Support Team, and SEWA International.

The services offered by the team at the medical outreach were blood pressure and glucose testing, HIV and STD testing, blood donation drive, general medical checkups, massage therapy, first aid

training, and the dispensation of medication that catered for daily aliments.

These services were performed by several doctors, nurses, and other personnel who offered voluntary service to the humanitarian outreach.

In addition to the medical services offered, the residents were given a wide range of packages that catered for their daily needs, inclusive of food items, clothing, children’s pampers, footwear, hair and skin care products, face masks, sanitizers, disinfectant wipes, liquid hand soap, mosquito nets, and walking aids that catered for the elderly and disabled.

Guyana woos UAE...

FROM PAGE 9

The Al Habtoor Group is one of the UAE’s most respected and successful businesses that provides engineering and construction services but also operates in the hospitality, automotive, real estate, education and publishing sectors with vast investments in tourism.

Only last Friday, Minister Singh hosted another meeting between Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Dubai Multi Commodities Centre (DMCC), Ahmed Bin Sulayem, and his team and Guyana’s Ministers of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha; Natural Resources, Vickram Bharrat and Minister Walrond, along with other private sector key stakeholders within the Agriculture and Gold and Diamond mining sectors in Guyana.

At that meeting, the teams indicated to the DMCC that Guyana has the capacity for the large-scale production of many agricultural commodities such as soya bean, ginger, corn, rice, coconuts, eddoes, cassava and plantains which can be exported to Dubai. It was emphasized that with Dubai being a major global commodity trading hub, Guyana stands to gain access to wider markets for its products. Meanwhile, other investment opportunities were noted, such as those in the forestry and mining sectors.

Upon hearing about these investment opportunities, DMCC then expressed interest in learning more about Guyana’s agricultural and mining potential including commodities such as coffee, cocoa and rare earth minerals. The Guyanese representatives from both the public and private sectors thereby noted that now is the opportune time for Guyana’s abundant resources to be transformed into wealth for the prosperity of all citizens. (G8)

orld leaders are gathered in Scotland to recommit to zero emission of greenhouse gas (GHG). One important strategic goal towards zero emission is the reduction and elimination of fossil fuel. Guyana, under an Irfaan Ali-led PPP Government, has set a realistic goal towards this objective – 70% reduction of fossil fuel by 2027, with a 50% reduction by 2025.

Guyana, under a David Granger-led APNU/AFC Government, had set a more ambitious goal in 2015, promising zero fossil fuel use by 2025. With three years to go and no realistic chance of meeting our Nationally Determined Commitments (NDCs), the Guyana Government went to the Scotland meeting with a new NDC – an incremental reduction towards 100% elimination of fossil fuel-based energy. Guyana’s 2025 and 2027 targets of 50% and 70% Dr Leslie Ramsammy reduction of fossil fuel for energy generation are to be achieved through an energy mixture of gas-based energy, hydroelectricity, solar power and wind energy.

By 2027, Guyana should be generating about 600MW energy.

In addition to the approximately 150 MW that would be from the existing fossil fuel generating plants, new energy will come from gas, hydroelectric plants and solar energy. When the gas-to-shore project is completed, Guyana will be able to generate 300MW energy. This will reduce cost of generation by at least 50%, and enable Guyana to reduce fossil fuel dependency by 50% by 2025.

There are naysayers who argue that the gas-to-shore project is a white elephant and that it is not feasible. Ironically, these are the same people who argue that the present fossil fuel-based energy generation is too costly, and is not appropriate for a world which is in a fight for its future because it is threatened by global warming, largely driven by fossil fuel. But, for us in Guyana, we are used to these naysayers. Once upon a time, they had argued that the Marriot, the Berbice River Bridge, the National Sports Stadium, the Athletics Track, the Olympic Swimming Pool would be white elephants. Many of these naysayers are now addicted to the Marriot.

While gas-to-shore is expected by 2025, Guyana expects a 165 MW hydroelectricity plant at Amaila to come on stream by 2027.

Together, gas-to-shore and Amaila will add 465 MWs to the national grid. Amaila should have already been part of the national grid. But the same people who said Guyana would eliminate fossil fuel use by 2025 also scuppered the Amaila project in 2015. Under the PPP Government, the roads leading to Amaila were already constructed.

But by 2016, the Amaila Project was officially placed on the backburner, essentially abandoned by Granger and APNU/AFC. When Amaila comes on stream by 2025, cost of electricity would be further reduced.

In addition to Amaila, several small-scale hydroelectricity plants are being established, such as Kato and Moco-Moco. It is insane that APNU/AFC promised zero fossil fuel use by 2025 and at the same time abandoned the project that would have given them a chance to meaningfully dent fossil fuel use. Instead, because of added fossil fuel plants, our carbon footprint from fossil fuel to generate energy increased.

Guyana is also adding to the energy mix by a renewed effort to consolidate solar power. Several solar farm hubs are being created to bring energy to communities that are off-grid. These communities will receive energy from solar farms. But individual families will also benefit from solar panels provided by the PPP Government.

In addition, Government buildings will also use solar power. For example, the CJIA will have a solar farm to generate about 3MW energy. Government buildings like hospitals, health centres and schools will complement their energy needs with solar power.

As Guyana presents a new NDC at COP 26, it is not another clueless promise, not another promise based on ignorant rhetoric.

Present Irfaan Ali launched the new and improved LCDS before he went off to Scotland. It is no coincidence that President Ali is seen hobnobbing with President Biden of the USA, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada, Prime Minister Boris Johnson of the UK, Prime Minister Modi of India, with Caricom leaders and with leaders of Africa and Latin America. Guyana has regained international respect because the country is not relying on leaders who make wild, incoherent and clueless promises. Guyana’s young President is a must-meet leader. His and the PPP’s detractors have already cooed that Irfaan Ali is a must-meet leader because of OIL and GAS. But the truth is that, in addition to Guyana fast becoming an OIL giant, Guyana’s respect from mighty countries is derived from our leaders and our Government having realistic social justice plans.

The new LCDS is a well-drawn-out plan to establish Guyana as a truly green economy with a rich carbon credit. But Guyana is not merely looking at the energy mix to improve its carbon credit status, Guyana is determined to reduce greenhouse gas emission resulting from agriculture. As the Minister of Agriculture has asserted, Guyana wants to develop its blue economy, with water-based agriculture increasing Guyana’s fish and other sea and fresh water resources.

This is why Guyana is gaining respect abroad – Guyana’s words and rhetoric are matched with visionary and practical plans. It is why Guyana will succeed as one of the leaders in eliminating fossil fuel as a major energy source.

guyanatimesgy.com

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2021

19

Regional

PM Rowley: T&T feeling EU foreign policy chief blasts Nicaragua’s Ortega ahead of vote effects of climate change A

Critics have denounced Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega for a government crackdown on Opposition Leaders and presidential hopefuls that began in June [Maynor Valenzuela/Reuters file photo]

T

he European Union’s foreign policy chief has blasted Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega as a “dictator” who is overseeing “fake” elections, as the vote on Sunday comes after a months-long crackdown on Opposition Leaders and presidential hopefuls.

Josep Borrell on Tuesday described the electoral process in the Central American nation as “fake”, adding that it only aimed to “keep the dictator [Ortega] in power”.

“Mr Ortega has occupied himself imprisoning all the

political contenders who have presented themselves to run in these elections and we cannot expect that this process will yield a result we can consider legitimate,” Borrell told reporters from Peru’s capital, Lima.

Borrell, who is on a tour of Latin America, added that “the situation in Nicaragua is one of the most serious in the Americas at the moment”.

The comments come amid rising criticism of Ortega’s handling of the November 7 elections, in which the long-

time leader is seeking a controversial fourth consecutive term in office.

Some 40 Opposition figures – among them seven presidential hopefuls – have been detained since June in what rights groups and international observers have decried as a campaign aiming to guarantee Ortega’s re-election. Some have been charged with treason or money laundering.

The Nicaraguan Government has defended its actions, saying “usurpers” backed by the United States were seeking to topple Ortega.

But critics say the charges have been trumped up and designed to sideline them from running in the election. Many other activists have been forced into exile in Costa Rica.

Cristina Chamorro, 67, who was widely seen as a favourite to defeat Ortega, was detained on June 2 as part of an alleged money laundering investigation. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Mexico's National Guard kills Cuban migrant, wounds 4 others as caravan advances

A

Cuban migrant was shot dead by the Mexican National Guard and four others were wounded after the vehicle they were in did not stop when ordered to do so, Mexican authorities said on Tuesday.

The shooting occurred early on Sunday in the southern state of Chiapas, in an area where a caravan of migrants was heading towards the US border. About 3000 people set off on foot last month from the city of Tapachula on the Guatemalan border.

Many have rejected visas offered by Mexico, saying they

distrust the authorities.

Mexico's Human Rights Commission (CNDH) said it had opened an investigation into the shooting, which it said apparently took place when a vehicle ferrying migrants did not adhere to National Guard troops' requests to stop.

"Elements of the National Guard attacked a group of foreigners with firearms, causing the death of a person of Cuban origin and injuring four more foreigners," CNDH said in a statement late on Monday.

The National Guard confirmed in a statement that a

person had been killed and four injured in the shooting.

It said the pick-up truck on a dirt road failed to stop despite audio and visual signals requesting the driver to so do.

"Contrary to the instructions, the driver tried to ram elements of the National Guard," the National Guard said in a statement, adding that the driver of the truck has been detained.

The National Guard said the incident occurred after three cars earlier evaded a security checkpoint, triggering a search. (Excerpt from Reuters)

s an economy largely based on oil and gas and petrochemicals, Trinidad and Tobago is transitioning, over reasonable and manageable time, to net zero and has set very ambitious targets aimed at diversifying, Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley said in his statement at the COP26 World Leaders Summit in Edinburgh, Scotland, on Tuesday.

He said his country, a small island developing state, is already experiencing the effects of climate change.

"Loss and damage are already clear in the aggressive erosion of our coastline and the bleaching of

our coral reefs. Tackling loss and damage must remain a critical and core issue of any global climate action framework," he said.

"We are increasingly concerned about our ability to address this issue given the well-known difficulty in accessing financing for such projects. We need funds like the Green Climate Fund to establish specific streams for loss and damage finance to ensure that this is prioritised in the same way as mitigation and adaptation.

Further, there must be an equitable balance between public finance for mitigation and adaptation."

Belize grilled on brown sugar 'impropriety' claims at CCJ

W

ith the regional market for brown sugar very competitive, if trade tariffs are properly applied, they will drive prices down. That's the contention of a Central American producer.

But Belize has accused Trinidad and Tobago of failing to apply the Common External Tariff (CET) tax on brown sugar imported from outside the Region from November 2018 to June 2020.

Over two days, the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) is hearing a complaint by Belize claiming T&T breached the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas by failing to apply the CET of 40 per cent on imports of brown sugar from Guatemala and Honduras.

The CET is a single tariff rate agreed to by all members of Caricom on imports

Presiding over the matter are CCJ President, Justice Adrian Saunders

of a product from outside the Caribbean Community.

Goods imported from third countries are subject to the duties listed in the CET, but goods imported from Caricom countries, certified to be of Caricom origin, do not generally at-

E

species.

The new reserve will be divided into two equal areas. In one, fishing will be totally banned, while in the other only fishing without so-called long lines will be allowed.

Created from volcanoes, the Galapagos Islands harbour wildlife that inspired Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution and his landmark scientific work, On the Origin of Species .

The area is home to giant tortoises, marine iguanas, penguins, sea lions, and the magnificent frigatebird, among other species.

Today, however, the area’s marine life is threatened by climate change, illegal fishing and other challenges.

A massive Chinese fishing fleet operating near the area, for example, gained global attention last year over concerns about the potential impact on marine wildlife.

“Today is a day that will remain in the history,” the Ecuadorian President said on Monday from international climate change talks in Glasgow, Scotland, where he announced the new protected area.

(Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

tract these import duties.

They enjoy duty-free status.

Belize also included St Kitts and Nevis in its lawsuit. However, in January, those two countries settled the trade dispute over brown sugar, according to reports.

The Central American country has alleged that because of the treaty violation, Belize Sugar Industries Ltd (BSI) and Santander Sugar were losing sales to these countries.

It was also alleged that the Caricom Secretariat had failed to ensure T&T imposed the CET. Belize is seeking a ruling from the CCJ that requires the full application of the 40 per cent CET on brown sugar imported from non-Caricom sources.

(Excerpt from Trinidad Newsday)

Mottley presses climate change agenda in interview with Amanpour

Ecuador to expand marine reserve B around legendary Galapagos

cuador’s President has announced plans to expand the marine-protected area around the Galapagos Islands, known for some of the planet’s most exotic animals.

The Galapagos Marine Reserve is already one of the largest in the world, at 133,000 square kilometres, but it will be expanded to include an additional 60,000 sq km, President Guillermo Lasso said on Monday.

The expansion will add the Cocos Ridge, which extends towards Costa Rica and is a feeding and migration area for endangered

Dr Rowley said the announcement from the United States that it would double its climate finance support was particularly inspiring.

"This is the type of bold action all donor countries need to consider in the weeks ahead. The mobilisation of private finance will also be critical for securing the urgently-needed investment, particularly for the transformation of our energy sectors," he said.

The Prime Minister also detailed T&T's plans to reduce emissions and build climate resilience.

(Excerpt from Trinidad Guardian)

arbados has one of the smallest carbon footprints in the world, but it is one of many countries on the front line of climate change.

It is now a ‘code red’, and the major polluters need to sit up and address the problem – which may not affect their populations for another 15 to 20 years.

This was the view expressed by Prime Minister Mia Mottley in an interview with CNN’s Christiane Amanpour at the United Nations Climate Change Conference COP26 now on in Glasgow, Scotland.

Mottley said it was seen in the problems Barbados was experiencing with a lack of water, drought-like conditions and the encroachment of sea water into the ground

Prime Minister Mia Mottley

water supply. Marine life was disappearing from coral reefs, sargassum seaweed on the east coasts caused by rising temperatures was threatening the tourism industry and there was an increase in the frequency and

intensity of hurricanes and flooding.

She cited Hurricane Elsa, the first Barbados experienced in 66 years and the freak storm with 46,000 lightning strikes in 90 minutes.

“The problem is the people who need to make the decisions are kicking the can down the road and they believe that they can because they are not seeing us.

They see themselves; and for them, they don’t reach that period of peril probably for another 15-20 years,” Mottley told Amanpour.

She said it was four degrees to go for Shanghai and Miami to be eradicated, but it was 1.5 and two for Barbados and other countries. (Excerpt from Nation News)

20

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2021

guyanatimesgy.com

Around the World

Nations make new pledges to cut methane, save forests at climate summit L eaders at the COP26 global climate conference pledged on Tuesday to stop deforestation by the end of the decade and cut emissions of the potent greenhouse gas methane to help slow climate change.

On the second day of the two-week summit in Glasgow, Scotland, wealthy nations took some overdue actions to provide long-promised finan-

cial help for the developing countries worst hit by global warming.

The United Nations conference aims to keep alive a receding target of capping temperatures at 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial levels, to avert still greater damage than has already been caused by greenhouse gases.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, host of the

event attended by almost 200 countries, said he welcomed the latest steps but urged caution.

"We must take care to guard against false hope and not to think in any way that the job is done, because it is not. There is still a very long way to go," he told a news conference.

More than 100 countries joined a US- and EUled effort to cut emissions of methane 30 per cent by

2030 from 2020 levels, potentially a step in stemming the overheating of the planet.

US President Joe Biden chided Chinese President Xi Jinping for his decision not to attend in person.

China said Xi had not been given an opportunity to deliver a video address, and had to send a written response instead. Xi offered no additional pledges.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

Ethiopia declares nationwide state of emergency

E

thiopia’s Cabinet has declared a nationwide state of emergency effective immediately and authorities in Addis Ababa told citizens to prepare to defend the capital, as fighters from the northern region of Tigray threatened to march towards the city.

“The state of emergency is aimed to protect civilians from atrocities being committed by the terrorist TPLF group in several parts of the country,” state-affiliated Fana Broadcasting reported on Tuesday, referring to the Tigray People’s Liberation Front, which has been fighting the federal government for a year.

The six-month state of emergency allows, among other things, for roadblocks to be established, transport services to be disrupted, curfews to be imposed and for the military to take over in certain areas. Anyone suspected of having links with “terrorist” groups could also be detained without a court warrant, while any citizen who has reached the age of military service could be called to fight.

“Our country is facing a grave danger to its existence, sovereignty and unity. And we can’t dispel this danger through the usual law enforcement systems and procedures,”

Ethiopia's Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed sent troops into Tigray in November 2020 [Tiksa Negeri/Reuters]

Justice Minister Gedion Timothewos told a state media briefing.

He said anyone violating

the emergency would face three to 10 years in prison, for offences such as providing financial, material or moral support to “terrorist groups”.

The move came after the Tigrayan fighters said they had captured the strategic towns of Dessie and Kombolcha in the neighbouring Amhara region in recent days, and also indicated they might advance further south, on Addis Ababa.

The government said soldiers were still battling for control for the two key towns, some 400km (250 miles) from the capital.

(Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

More than 20 killed in attack on Kabul military hospital

A Taliban fighter is taken to hospital after being injured in one of the blasts

M

ore than 20 people have been killed and at least 16 injured in a gun and bomb assault on a military hospital in the Afghan capital Kabul.

Attackers targeted the

400-bed Sardar Daud Khan hospital starting with two massive explosions outside the building, officials said.

Gunmen then broke into the hospital grounds, witnesses said.

No one has yet claimed

responsibility, but the Taliban have blamed the Islamic State affiliate IS-K for the attack.

Photographs and video footage from Kabul showed a plume of smoke over the area and recorded the sounds of gunfire. A doctor in the building told the AFP news agency he had been sent to seek shelter in a safe room during the attack and could hear guns being fired.

The Taliban spokesman, Bilal Karimi, told the BBC that fighters from IS-K had entered the compound after detonating the first explosion at the entrance gate.

Karimi said Taliban fighters shot and killed four IS-K attackers and captured one alive.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid meanwhile told Reuters news agency that Taliban special forces dropped by helicopter had stopped the attackers from entering the hospital itself, killing them at the entrance or in the building's courtyard. All the assailants were killed in 15 minutes, he said.

The attack is the latest to hit Afghanistan since the Taliban seized control in August, after the US withdrew its last troops from the country.

IS-K, which stands for Islamic State Khorasan, has claimed responsibility for a number of attacks targeting civilians and Taliban fighters. (Excerpt from BBC News)

Auschwitz tattoo stamp auction in Jerusalem sparks fury

T

he head of Israel's Holocaust memorial has criticised plans by a Jerusalem auctioneer to sell tools used to tattoo inmates at the Auschwitz death camp.

The set of stamps made from needles is "the most shocking Holocaust item", Tzolmans auction house says on its online auction page.

The Nazis branded prisoners with numbers and letters on their arms, and survivors still bear them

decades on.

The auctioneer, Meir Tzolman, said the sale was meant to "increase awareness".

"I am the last to underestimate or diminish the value of the Holocaust," the Times of Israel quoted him as telling Army Radio.

"I want to make sure that the item gets into the right hands and does not disappear from the pages of history."

The lot consists of 14 stamps and an instruction

booklet from the manufacturer, Aesculap.

According to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, prisoners were originally tattooed with stamps consisting of interchangeable needles arranged in the shape of numbers, which were punched onto inmates' skin and ink rubbed into the wound.

The tattoo was permanent and such markings have become one of the grimmest symbols of the Nazi Holocaust, in

which some 6 million Jews were systematically murdered by Adolf Hitler's regime across Europe during World War Two. According to the auction house, the set for sale is one of only three known to exist. It says one is held at the Military Medical Museum in St Petersburg, Russia, and the other at the Auschwitz Museum, which has memorialised the site of the camp in what was then Nazi-occupied Poland.

(Excerpt from BBC News)

OILNEWS OIL NEWS Oil mixed in choppy trade before US inventories, OPEC+ meeting

O

il traded below US$85 a barrel on Tuesday, but remained close to a three-year high in choppy trade ahead of weekly US supply reports expected to show a rise in crude inventories as traders also looked toward Thursday's OPEC+ meeting.

Analysts in a Reuters poll expected weekly US crude inventory data to show a rise of 1.6 million barrels. Industry group the American Petroleum Institute releases the first of this week's two supply reports at 2030 GMT. US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude settled down 14 cents, or 0.2 per cent, to US$83.91. Earlier it had dropped more than US$1 a barrel. Brent crude settled up 1 cent at US$84.72 a barrel, having traded negative for much of the session.

"There's a little bit of uncertainty about OPEC and that's holding the market back," said Phil Flynn, an analyst at Price Futures Group in Chicago. "But we are still in a strong uptrend."

Brent's price has surged more than 60 per cent in 2021. It hit a three-year high of US$86.70 last week as global demand has recovered and the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and allies led by Russia, or OPEC+, have been slow to unwind record output cuts.

Consuming countries have pressured OPEC+ to do more to cool the market. But at Thursday's meeting, the alliance is expected to stick to its plan for gradual, monthly production increases of 400,000 barrels per day.

Oil prices gained support from a Reuters survey on Monday that found the October increase in OPEC's output undershot the planned rise due to involuntary outages in some producers.

"We anticipate the relatively neutral trading will continue until we have more definition from OPEC on December production plans," Anthony Headrick, energy market analyst at commodity brokerage CHS Hedging in St Paul, Minnesota, said.

In a sign that high prices are encouraging more supply elsewhere, BP said on Tuesday it will ramp up investments in onshore US shale oil and gas business to US$1.5 billion in 2022 from US$1 billion this year. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Polish abortion law protests over woman's hospital death

P

rotests have taken place in several Polish cities after a family's lawyer linked the death of a 30-year-old woman to tighter abortion laws.

The woman died on September 22 but it has just been highlighted by her family's lawyer, Jolanta Budzowska.

Abortion is now permitted only in cases of rape or incest or when pregnancy threatens a mother's health or life.

The hospital has said its decisions were based on concern for the health of the mother and foetus.

However, the family's lawyer argued that the tighter restrictions meant that doctors waited too long to act. There were silent protests against the near-total abortion ban in Krakow, Warsaw and Gdansk on Monday, a public holiday in predominantly Roman Catholic Poland.

The woman was in her 22nd week of pregnancy when she was taken to hospital in Pszczyna, a small southern town near Katowice, not far from near the Czech border.

Her foetus lacked amniotic fluid and, according to a tweet from Budzowska, doctors had waited for the foetus to die.

The mother reportedly sent a text saying her fever was rising and she was worried about going into septic shock, which then led to her death. She leaves a husband and daughter.

Protesters blamed last year's abortion law, which outlawed terminations in cases of foetal defects.

In its statement, the hospital was adamant that the doctors and midwives did all they could and all decisions were based out of concern for mother and foetus. (Excerpt from BBC News)

guyanatimesgy.com

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2021

21

ARCHIE

ARIES (March 21April 19)

TAURUS

DILBERT

(April 20May 20)

GEMINI (May 21June 20)

CANCER (June 21July 22)

PEANUTS

LEO (July 23Aug. 22)

VIRGO (Aug. 23Sept. 22)

CALVIN AND HOBBES

LIBRA (Sept. 23Oct. 23)

SUDOKU

SCORPIO (Oct. 24Nov. 22)

You are ready to settle into something that excites you. Take the plunge and do whatever is necessary to ensure you dazzle everyone you encounter with your skills, intelligence and fortitude.

Pay attention to your relationships with others.

Overreacting or being stubborn will not help you get your way. If you want to make some real changes, use incentives, charm and compliments.

You'll receive valuable information. Use what you know to bring about positive professional changes. Trust and believe in yourself.

Don't worry about pleasing everyone.

Your actions will have a bigger and better impact than your words. Take a disciplined approach to how you handle finances, medical issues and contractual offers. Prove your worth.

You may not relish change, but you will turn it to your advantage if you act wisely. Choose your words with care, speak the truth and follow your heart; you'll feel good about what you accomplish.

Don't overspend on entertainment or things you don't need. Pay attention to what someone wants and don't make promises you cannot keep. A direct approach is your best bet.

Look at what you can do and stop fretting over what's not available to you. Use your time and knowledge wisely and make the most out of whatever situation you face.

Focus on giving it your best.

You know the drill, so get moving. Mulling over what's left undone will leave you feeling despondent. Stop procrastinating and put what's holding you back behind you.

Eliminate frustration.

Emotional matters will SAGITTARIUS affect work and personal (Nov. 23responsibilities.

Be realistic Dec. 21) regarding what you can handle and who you can count on for assistance. Ask someone who owes you a favor to help.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22Jan. 19)

SOLUTION FOR LAST PUBLISHED PUZZLE AQUARIUS (Jan. 20Feb. 19)

Know when to reach out for expert advice and when to rely on your own common sense. Taking on the impossible will negatively affect your health and well-being.

Use your time wisely.

Don't make a snap decision when it comes to financial matters. Bide your time until you come across an investment or plan that fits into your lifestyle and objectives.

Talk to experts, old friends and those you have enjoyed (Feb. 20working alongside, and you March 20) will gain insight into what not to do regarding financial and legal matters. Flirting will get you in trouble.

PISCES

22

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2021

Walsh grateful for Campbelle’s return to the squad …expects Grimmond to perform to the best of her abilities

T

he West Indies Women are set to tour Pakistan for three (3) ODIs from 8 to 14 November. The ODIs are scheduled to be played at the National Stadium in Karachi.

The Windies Women last toured Pakistan in 2019, when they won their T 2 0 series 2-1, and

Deandra Dottin was the standout with the bat, scoring 158 runs at an average of 79.

In a media engagement, Head Coach Courtney Walsh has said he is particularly happy with the presence of Shemaine Campbelle in the line-up, as he welcomed her back into the fold. Walsh relayed that he is confident in the women in maroon as they aim to book their spot and secure one of three qualifying places for the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup in New Zealand in February 2022.

Further, h e reiterated that the team is not going to take anything for granted, but once they play the type of cricket they know they can play, their players will perform.

In terms of

Shemaine Campbelle

I

t was a fast-bowling day at Abu Dhabi, and that eventually made it a big win for South Africa, who overhauled 85 with six wickets in hand despite their own top order struggling against Taskin Ahmed and Shoriful Islam in the powerplay.

South Africa's bowlers got first use of the pitch after Temba Bavuma had won the toss, and both Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje finished with career-best figures as they took six wickets between them to help bowl Bangladesh out for 84.

The total was small enough,

West Indies Women’s Head Coach, Courtney Walsh

the preparation leading up into the series, and the role Sheneta Grimmond will play in the team, Walsh said, “It’s early to say. We have roles for everyone. We would like to play everyone and give everyone a chance to play as much as possible. As you know, we will be involved with the qualifiers, so we don’t go to the qualifiers with everyone short of match practice if ever called upon.

“She did well in the last game. That would have given her a lot of confidence, and we are expecting her to build from that and perform to the best of her abilities, once selected to play.”

In terms of preparation,

Walsh feels that the team has had good preparation, and once the team has good practice, they will be in good stead. He also added that going to play in Pakistan is twofold, and it is very important from a cricketing point of view, and it will give the ladies much added practice.

With Staphanie Taylor back in the fray, Walsh is confident there will be changes in the batting lineup, and he said he would be looking for the best combination that would win, because the more games they win, the easier it would become for them to get through to the qualifiers, that being the main objective.

“We will be looking at

that South Africa's falling to 33 for 3 at the end of their powerplay didn't become a big enough hurdle for Bangladesh to cause an upset; in the end, Bavuma's team took the two points and created a two-point gap between themselves and Australia, who are placed third with a game in hand.

got as far as 36 balls with careful cricket, before falling to Tabraiz Shamsi. From there on, it was an endeavour to get to 20 overs of batting, Mahedi Hasan the only one showing any resolve during that phase.

Ultimately, Bangladesh got as far as Nortje's last over - the 19th over of the innings - where Nasum Ahmed became the fourth batter to fall for a duck by knocking his own leg stump with his bat.

Rabada finds his powerplay mojo Before this match had begun, Rabada had taken 39 wickets in T20s in the UAE, but only four of them had come in the powerplay.

On Tuesday, he managed to

SCOREBOARD BANGLADESH INNINGS (20 OVERS MAXIMUM) Mohammad Naim c Hendricks b Rabada 9 Liton Das † lbw b Shamsi 24 Soumya Sarkar lbw b Rabada 0 Mushfiqur Rahim c Hendricks b Rabada 0 Mahmudullah (c) c Markram b Nortje 3 Afif Hossain b Pretorius 0 Shamim Hossain c Maharaj b Shamsi 11 Mahedi Hasan c & b Nortje 27 Taskin Ahmed run out (Bavuma) 3 Nasum Ahmed hit wicket b Nortje 0 Shoriful Islam not out 0 Extras(lb 1, nb 2, w 4) 7 TOTAL (18.2 Ov, RR: 4.58) 84 1-22 (Mohammad Naim, 3.5 ov), 2-22 (Soumya Sarkar, 3.6 ov), 3-24 (Mushfiqur Rahim, 5.3 ov), 4-34 (Mahmudullah, 7.6 ov), 5-34 (Afif Hossain, 8.1 ov), 6-45 (Liton Das, 11.3 ov), 7-64 (Shamim Hossain, 15.2 ov), 8-77 (Taskin Ahmed, 17.2 ov), 9-84 (Mahedi Hasan, 18.1 ov), 1084 (Nasum Ahmed, 18.2 ov) BOWLING Keshav Maharaj Kagiso Rabada

O-M-R-W 4-0-23-0 4-0-20-3

Anrich Nortje Dwaine Pretorius Tabraiz Shamsi

3.2-0-8-3 3-0-11-1 4-0-21-2

SOUTH AFRICA INNINGS (TARGET: 85 RUNS FROM 20 OVERS) Quinton de Kock † b Mahedi Hasan 16 Reeza Hendricks lbw b Taskin Ahmed 4 Rassie van der Dussen c Shoriful Islam b Nasum Ahmed 22 Aiden Markram c Mohammad Naim b Taskin Ahmed 0 Temba Bavuma (c) not out 31 David Miller not out 5 Extras (b 4, lb 1, w 3) 8 TOTAL (13.3 Ov, RR: 6.37) 86/4 Did not bat: Dwaine Pretorius, Kagiso Rabada, Keshav Maharaj, Anrich Nortje, Tabraiz Shamsi Fall of wickets: 1-6 (Reeza Hendricks, 0.6 ov), 2-28 (Quinton de Kock, 4.5 ov), 3-33 (Aiden Markram, 5.5 ov), 4-80 (Rassie van der Dussen, 12.6 ov) BOWLING Taskin Ahmed Shoriful Islam Mahedi Hasan Nasum Ahmed Soumya Sarkar

O-M-R-W 4-0-18-2 4-0-15-0 2.3-0-19-1 2-0-22-1 1-0-7-0

the bowling, and doing somethings in Pakistan to fine-tune it. Once we get to Zimbabwe, the bowling selection we will have to look at will be best selected for the suited condition. I cannot say what the changes will be, but I can say that there will be changes in both the batting and bowling. We have not started well in the first ten overs, so it is something we are going to be looking at to try and get better starts in that aspect of the game. At the beginning, we don’t get the starts we want to dominate or control the game, and because of that, we don’t close the game as we want to.”

Heading into the qualifiers, Walsh believes the Windies Women’s last chance at rolling the dice will be when they take on Pakistan, as it is a series they don’t want to lose.

Nevertheless, he was mindful of the fact that it gives them the opportunity to look at the bowling and the batting as best as they can, and to win the series.

The West Indies Women arrived in Pakistan on 1 November, and will travel directly to Zimbabwe after

Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje each picked up three wickets

break that trend with the new ball, grabbing three wickets inside the powerplay, and was on a hat-trick at one stage to rattle Bangladesh early on.

It was a harder, greener, surface than usual at Abu Dhabi, and the ball swung till late in the innings. Dwaine Pretorius, the other exponent of the swing in the match, was not as devastating as during Rabada's first spell.

The banana-bend inswinger to catch Soumya Sarkar lbw first ball was a salute to a mode of dismissal that is natural for Rabada in Test cricket, but one which has been hard to find in this format in this part of the world.

That lbw wicket followed Mohammad Naim's first attempt at a big shot, when he holed out at midwicket, and that was then followed by Mushfiqur Rahim playing out the hat-trick ball and the ball after. Then he copped a rising, short-of-a-length ball on the shoulder of his bat and was

taken at gully. And Bangladesh bagged their second duck of a powerplay they finished three wickets down.

No recovery More ducks were to follow, but South Africa had to make sure they didn't allow Bangladesh's best remaining batters - Liton Das and Mahmudullah - to stage a recovery. Nortje put his hand up for that task, and slipped in a fast, steep bouncer that was headed for Mahmudullah's face, thus forcing him to fend as far as Aiden Markram at point.

Bangladesh were 34 for 4 in eight overs at that stage.

That a recovery wasn't coming became clear off the very next ball, when No 6, Afif Hossain, stepped out and had an ungainly swing across the line against Pretorius. It was his first and last ball at the crease, the wickets split and Bangladesh were half their side down.

Liton, in an unfamiliar role of trying to bat through the innings,

One last shot It was Bangladesh's third time being bowled out under 100 in T20s this year, and there seemed no real chance of them getting anything out of this game at the midway stage.

South Africa looked good to solidify their No. 2 standing, but fast bowlers Taskin and Shoriful managed to do a tiny favour for Australia by not allowing South Africa the chance to significantly increase their net run-rate.

While South Africa's pacers made use of the swing on offer, Bangladesh's fast bowlers relied on seam movement to make life difficult for the top order. Reeza Hendricks's dismissal in the first over was a precursor, Taskin getting the ball to nip back in to trap him in front of the stumps.

Shoriful finished with no wicket, but his 15 runs in four overs held the other end up even as Taskin continued cutting through the midriffs of South Africa's batters with skid and movement inwards. Off the few deliveries that didn't come back in with the angle, he managed to get Markram to edge to first slip, bat hanging away from the body shortly after Mahedi had straightened one past Quinton de Kock's back foot punch to hit his middle stump.

Sheneta Grimmond

the ODI Series for the ICC Women’s World Cup Qualifier 2021, to be played from 21 November to 5 December.

Along with Pakistan, they will be one of ten teams aiming to secure one of three qualifying places for the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup in New Zealand in February 2022.

At 33 for 3 in six overs, South Africa had to ensure no more of their thin line-up would be exposed, and Bavuma and Rassie van der Dussen gave them a 47run stand that did exactly that.

Mahmudullah used up his fast bowlers inside ten overs, and with South Africa becoming increasingly comfortable against the spinners, that fast bowling display was about the only silver lining for his men, who now have no points on the board after four matches, and are officially knocked out of qualification contention, alongside Sri Lanka.

(ESPNcricinfo)

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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2021

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

G

uyana’s female under-17 football team, the Junior Lady Jags, and staff of the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) are reeling with pride following the team’s qualification for the CONCACAF Under-17 Women’s Championships.

In reacting to Guyana’s 6-0 victory over Turks and Caicos on Monday, which sealed their Championship spot, GFF Technical Director Ian Greenwood credited the Federation’s continuous efforts to develop the sport holistically.

“This back-to-back qualification to the U17 championships is another watershed moment for the country, signalling to the powerhouses of CONCACAF that Guyana has arrived,” Greenwood began.

He added, “Since the relaunch of the women’s programme in 2017, we have seen rapid growth and historical achievements in women’s national team performances as a result of concerted building.

This success is no accident; it is clear evidence that the GFF’s National Football Philosophy and robust Youth Development Strategy (are) producing top class performers and coaches.”

This is the second time this team has qualified, but it

Guyana’s U17 girls have qualified for next year’s CONCACAF Women’s Under-17 Championships

will be the first time the team actually gets to play in the Championships, after the event was cancelled in 2020.

The Guyanese girls qualified for the Championships for the first time in its 13-year history back in 2019, but as the coronavirus pandemic hit the world, CONCACAF moved to postpone the event, which was scheduled for play from April 18 to May 3. The event was later cancelled.

The under-17 team and support staff are now eyeing

the January 22-February 6 event with eagerness, as they hope to make a great showing on the regional stage.

According to a GFF missive, Greenwood cited the coronavirus pandemic as a major roadblock in preparation.

However, one aspect that worked to the Federation’s advantage was their Talent Identification programme, which sourced several talented players from Guyana’s hinterland region; one of whom scored Guyana’s first goal in the

just concluded qualification tournament.

Greenwood said, “We have made a significant investment into scouting and recruiting players from our hinterland communities, and we are all aware of the high cost of internal travel to places like Kamarang, Waramadong, and Orealla.

“After the identification of players, we invested heavily in bringing the players out for the entire preparation period, covering accommodation,

“They’re doing very well” Ince says of squash team’s preparation for Junior Pan Am

T

he Guyana Squash Association (GSA) revealed two weeks ago that a playoff tournament has been staged to scout a team for the Junior Pan American Games.

From that competition, the top two players were given the opportunity to represent Guyana at the Games, while another player, who is overseas, was selected on merit.

As such, the squash team, comprising Shomari Wiltshire, Michael Alphonso and Samuel Ince-Carvalhal, is in full preparation mode with less than a month to go before the competition. Twothirds of the Squash team are preparing locally, with longserving Squash Coach Carl Ince.

Looking back, the coach opined that the playoffs brought out the best in the local players. “They had the play and they got the chance to play in a league, and that exposed them to a lot of different types of players, which is what they needed. I think the playoffs made them train harder,” the coach said.

He went on to explain, “If you’re told that you’re in the team, you’re going to Pan Am, you wouldn’t train as hard as knowing you’ve got to prove you’re better than the next person. So, I think the playoff was wonderful, it was well done.”

Thus far, Ince says,

preparation has been going well, and he remains optimistic about what the boys can produce in Cali, Colombia, based on the hard work they’ve been doing.

“So far, preparation is going very well. After COVID, we thought that, well, the time to prepare was so short, but then we have to realise that the other people have the same problem, right? But, so far, it’s been going very well; the boys are playing very, very, hard, they’ve worked hard, we’ve got some camps, and I think they will represent themselves very well,” Ince reported.

Owing to the long layoff due to the coronavirus pandemic, the coach disclosed, the boys had a bit of rust, but that ‘rust’ was remedied by pitting the boys

against older competitors -a factor that should prepare them well for the Junior Pan Am’s Under-22 age limit.

The coach revealed, “We noticed that they were a bit ‘rusty’, and knowing that it takes ‘X’ amount of time to actually get back after being off so long, we did quick assessment and got things underway; and luckily for them, they had the senior players to compete with, to bring them up, because normally it would be under19s they would face, but now it’s gone to under-23.

“So, all we can expect is for them to play well, represent the country, and I think they’ll do that very well,” he added with optimism.

When quizzed about his expectations, Ince shared that all he is looking forward

to is for the trio to go out and represent Guyana well, since he has no doubts that they are the best group of juniors in the Caribbean region.

“Having done so well in the Caribbean, it was good for them. And they deserved it, because I don’t think any team in the Caribbean right now - any junior team - can beat these boys. They’re doing very well,” he said.

On his expectation, he added, “As I said before, they’re not competing against under-19s, as they would normally, and the under-23, some of them are professionals. But they have to go there and play their best, and that will be good enough for us.

“As long as they represent themselves well and they don’t go there and say, ‘Oh, these boys are a lot older than us or better than us’.

They just go in there and fight, I truly believe they will.”

Wiltshire, Ince-Carvalhal and Alphonso join 8 other Guyanese athletes across 4 other disciplines who are preparing for the November 25 - December 5 Games.

Those athletes are: swimmer Aleka Persaud, boxers Alesha Jackman, Travis Inverary and Patrick Harvey, badminton players Priyanna Ramdhani and Akili Haynes, and table tennis players Miguel Wong and Jonathan Van Lange.

(Jemima Holmes)

meals and transportation,” he added.

Looking ahead, the GFF Technical Director highlighted that greater investment is needed in order for the Federation to meet the needs of the team.

“For this group of players to continue to grow and build ahead of the upcoming CONCACAF Championships in January 2022, we need real investment and support from the Government of Guyana and our key stakeholders, to maintain team cohesion by ensuring our hinterlandbased players are provided with the resources to continue to train with the squad at the GFF National Training Centre,” Greenwood stated.

“The future is bright for the Lady Jags programme, and the best is certainly still to come.

The U17 qualification provides another massive boost to the overall programme, and we hope this success will catch the imagination of the general public in Guyana and inspire another generation of young girls to get involved in football,” the TD concluded.

Meanwhile, former member of the Lady Jags, and now Head Coach of the under-17 team, Akilah Castello, is filled with pride at her team’s

23

GFF Technical Director, Ian Greenwood

performance. “I’m very proud of the girls and what they have achieved in qualifying for the CONCACAF Championships,” she shared.

“They worked hard at all times, showed a great attitude in training, and followed the game plans. I want to thank the excellent support and leadership of the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) Technical Director Ian Greenwood, the International Support Group, and the GFF Executive Committee,” she said. “There is still a lot of work to be done to prepare the girls for the championships early in 2022,” she concluded.

Also echoing Greenwood’s call for added investment from corporate Guyana was Director of GFF Women’s Programmes, Paul Beresford. “We need investment and support from the Government of Guyana to allow us to perform in the championships,” he said.

“This was an extremely challenging campaign, and both players and staff exceeded all of my expectations. We will start the process of preparing for the next round immediately, and we look forward for the continued development of this group,” Beresford added.

CPSCL supports cancer victim Fiona Ali

CPSCL members Munir and Shaban, respectively second and third from the right, along with organizer Elaine Pooja and singer Anil Singh (at left)

T

he Canada Premier Softball Cricket League (CPSCL) has made a financial donation to cancer victim Fiona Ali, who is battling with stage-four cancer.

The presentation was made on Saturday evening at the Kalypso Hut Restaurant in Mississauga, where a dinner and dance was held to raise funds for this 32-year-old female from Windsor Forest, West Coast Demerara in Guyana.

Events Manager of the CPSCL, Canada-based Guyanese Munir Bashir, and Treasurer Shabana Bashir were on hand to do the presenting of the cash.

Organiser of the event, Elaine Pooja, in her brief remarks, thanked the League for the donation. She

informed that Fiona would be happy with this monetary donation, and would fight hard to win the battle against the disease.

Fiona is currently in Miami, undergoing chemotherapy.

Munir Bashir has said that the CPSCL is more than delighted to contribute to a worthy cause, and has extended best wishes to Fiona. Munir further stated that the league, which was formed two years ago, will support any endeavour or venture of this importance.

Munir also thanked the League’s president, Patrick Singh, for his supportive role as well. Singh is also a Canadabased Guyanese.

At the night’s proceedings, several singers came out to show their support, including the prominent Anil Singh.

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2021

Minister Education Dr Priya Manickchand

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

Education Ministry receives 50 additional tennis tables from the People’s Republic of China

T

he Ministry of Education has received the second tranche of 50 tables for tennis from the People’s Republic of China through its Embassy here in Guyana.

This gift is aimed at promoting the sport of table tennis in schools.

The equipment was handed over today at the National Centre for Education Resource Development (NCERD).

Education Minister Priya Manickchand has said the world has moved past dividing sport and academia.

She said the Ministry of Education is working hard to incorporate sport and what used to be considered extracurricular activities into the academic curriculum, because the benefits have been tremendous.

Minister Manickchand said the 50 tennis tables and complimentary racquets and balls will go to 50 schools, and the Ministry would ensure that the hinterland high schools and primary tops are the first beneficiaries, since they are often left behind.

She said the donation

would bring tremendous benefits to students who are going to be exposed to the game. She said, “I could see us welcoming this very much in the school sector, and it becoming something that is hugely enjoyable to the thousands of children who will be exposed. So, we want to thank the Government and people of China, and commit to the ongoing prevail-

Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to Guyana, Guo Haiyan (second left), and GTTA President Godfrey Munroe, who signed the agreement aimed at promoting the sport in schools, are flanked by Director of Sport Steve Ninvalle and another official

ing friendship that we have between the countries.

“We believe that this kind of friendship, that manifests itself in the real transfer of skills, transfer of knowledge, is one that bodes well not only for the two countries, but for the wider community as a world.”

President of the Guyana Table Tennis Association, Godfrey Munroe, said the handing over was significant and symbolic for the development of sports, and as it relates to sports development in the education sector.

He said the donation is a testimony to the bond and friendship, respect and collaboration between the Government of China and the Government of Guyana.

He said the journey to today’s proceedings began with many meetings between the GTTA and the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China.

According to the GTTA

President, with today’s presentation, opportunities for coaches to visit China to learn of their methodologies and to get to train, as well as opportunities for players from China to visit Guyana and train with our players, would be possible, and would provide support for the building of a home for the development of the sport in Guyana, a process which he said is currently ongoing.

“We believe that this project is significant in the context that it provides a framework and key pillars for the development of the sport, grounded in the education sector, because the education sector, as we know, has a large target audience of students whom we, as an association, rely on for talent identification and development,” Munroe added.

Munroe said development of the sport through the education sector would see the participation of students between the ages of six and 18 years old in all the education districts across Guyana.

“We will utilise our certified coaches, who will visit schools on a resident or cluster basis. They will engage and orient our students in training and in competition, among other developmental pathways.

The programme will be supplemented with training for teachers at the targeted schools, to engage them in a 12-hour programme which

will ensure that they become competent, at least to provide fundamental training for the students,” Munroe explained.

Today’s ceremony is the first official event that the Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to Guyana, Guo Haiyan, attended since presenting her letters of credence to President Dr Irfaan Ali. She said the initiative between the Embassy, the Ministry of Education and the GTTA began in 2019 to promote table tennis in primary and secondary schools in Guyana.

She said that, at that time, 50 sets of table tennis equipment were donated to 50 primary and secondary schools covering the 10 regions, and this year, an additional 50 sets are being donated.

She said, “I believe that the equipment can inspire the students to have a stronger interest in table tennis, and playing table tennis

can become one of their best memories in teenage years.”

The ambassador said she hopes the peoples of China and Guyana continue to use table tennis and other sports as a medium to enhance exchanges, mutual learning and mutual understanding, and to carry a friendship between China and Guyana for generations.

During today’s event, an agreement was signed between the GTTA, the Ministry of Education, and the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China to promote the sport in schools, provide additional equipment, and establish training and exchange programmes for coaches and players.

(MoE)

despite losing the first set (11-6) Britton returned with vigour to win the other four sets 11-8, 11-6, 118, 11-6. With his confidence riding high, he would now have to prepare for his second matchup of the day.

In round two Britton faced off against Rodrigo Ali VIGO IZAGUIRRE of Peru. The encounter was a definite thriller as Britton took early command of the first set winning 11-6. But, Rodgrigo

bounced back and stole the second set 11-8, the talented Britton persisted and won the next two sets 11-8 and 11-6 to lead 3-1.

Rodrigo then copped another win 11-7 to slightly increase his margin of a win, with the game at 3-2. Britton dug deep and brought his “A” game winning set six 11-8 to pocket his second win of the day.

Britton is a a former Caribbean Under-21 and men’s singles champion, 2019 Caribbean championships men’s singles bronze medallist and Guyana Under-21 and men’s singles silver medallist.

Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to Guyana, Guo Haiyan

S

hemar Britton commenced his journey in the Ecuador Open which is apart of the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) World Contender Series. He defeated both his opponents with ease in game one and two.

In game one he battled against Ignacio P a u l Cedeno Ponce of Ecuador winning 4-1,

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