Guyana Times -Wednesday, July 26, 2023

US Army General visits

Guyana for Exercise Tradewinds 2023

Smooth sailing as DHB

closes

for repairs

Missing Soesdyke man was murdered – autopsy

– works ahead of schedule as new Span 9 aligned – incident free amid ramped-up Police presence

Crackdown on drugs, unlicensed drivers at Stabroek Market bus parks underway – Benn

Govt moves to establish Hemp Authority Board 30 affected after Covent Garden fire

DR delegation explores investment opportunities in Guyana

– 2 buildings completely gutted, another partially damaged – GPL was recently called to address electrical issue

Appeal Court upholds CJ's decision to overturn Parliamentary Secretaries’ appointments

US$190M Lindento-Mabura Road will pave way to further explore, develop hinterland – Govt

Guyanese student studying in India selected for UNESCO forum in Saudi Arabia

Missing Soesdyke man was murdered – autopsy

An autopsy performed on the remains of Barry Outar, a 56-year-old resident of Sand Road, Soesdyke, East Bank Demerara, has proved that he was strangled to death.

The body of Outar, who went missing last Tuesday,

was found on a farm three days later in a state of decomposition. The post-mortem performed by Government Pathologist Dr. Nehaul Singh determined that Outar died as a result of asphyxiation due to compression injuries to the neck. Following receipt of

the results of the autopsy, the Police are now treating the case as a homicide.

However, when contacted, one of Outar’s nephews related that his uncle was found hanging from a rope attached to a tree. “He was normal, and his tongue was not out of his mouth as would often be seen when someone hang themselves…his neck was not broken, so, from what we were told, he might have been murdered and tied onto the tree to let it look as if he committed suicide.”

The nephew added that, days prior to his death, Outar had been involved in a heated altercation with a teenager who has since gone missing.

“Since we find my uncle, the 19-year-old did not show up for work, and he was not seen since,” this nephew has said.

The nephew added that the Police have questioned

several persons, but no one was arrested. The family is now preparing for the funeral.

It was reported that Outar had lived alone, and had gone missing after leaving his home to work on a poultry farm. His family became aware of his disappearance after he did not show up for work, and as such, initiated a search for him. Unfortunately, their efforts on Wednesday and Thursday were unsuccessful. However, on Friday morning, his lifeless body was found not far from his workplace (Toucan Industries).

Following the discovery of his body, Outar’s family members have said they suspect foul play in his death, due to the marks of violence seen on the body. Meanwhile, they have called on the Police to fully investigate the matter, so that the perpetrator can be brought to justice.

Dead: Barry Outar

BRIDGE OPENINGS

The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Monday, July 24 from 23:59h until Thursday, July 27, at 23:59h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Wednesday, July 26 –09:30h-11:00h and Thursday, July 27 – 10:45h-12:15h.

FERRY SCHEDULE

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

WEATHER TODAY

Thundery showers and sunshine are expected during the day. Clear skies and thundery showers are expected at night. Temperatures should range between 23 degrees Celsius and 31 degrees Celsius.

Winds: East North-Easterly to East South-Easterly between 0.89 metre and 4.02 metres.

High Tide: 10:22h and 22:46h reaching maximum heights of 2.28 metres and 2.31 metres respectively.

Low Tide: 16:15h reaching a minimum height of 0.97 metre.

Smooth sailing as DHB closes for repairs

By Rupa SeenaRaine

Commuters traversing the Demerara River on Tuesday experienced smooth sailing as the 24-hour water taxi operation and a well-oiled system prevented any glitches from occurring as commuters were being transported to their destinations.

The Demerara Harbour Bridge was officially closed for three days on Monday evening to facilitate the replacement of Retractor Span 9 and to effect other critical works on the aged structure, and there is a possibility that those tasks would be completed before the Thursday deadline.

Public Works Minister Juan Edghill was accompanied by MARAD Director General Stephen Thomas as an inspection was carried out at all facilities which were activated for crossings.

All hands were on deck as 78 passenger boats navigated across three routes along the river: Wales to Grove on the East Bank of Demerara (EBD); the eastern and western ends of the Demerara

sons per hour across. One of the boats carries about 30 to 32, and it takes about 10 minutes per crossing, if you do the math. There is no need for panic. Nobody will have long waits. There is no unnecessary buildup of traffic. We’ve been on this since 05:30h this morning, ensuring that we have everything.” Commuters were seeming-

“We’ve had favourable tide in terms of the calmness of the water. The contractor as well as the General Manager of the Harbour Bridge took advantage and did some works that were scheduled for 06:00h at 04:30h. This gives an advan-

in October 2022 when the Panama-registered oil tanker MV Tradewind Passion crashed into the bridge and rendered it inoperable for several days. The incident was said to be one of the most serious collisions endured by the

LOTTERY NUMBERS

Harbour Bridge; and the permanent Vreed-en-Hoop to Stabroek Market crossing. Water taxis were transferred from the Essequibo route to support this massive effort at the two secondary locations.

Minister Edghill, who was at the Stabroek Stelling, told Guyana Times, “We have the capacity right now to move between 5,000 and 7,000 per-

ly pleased with the systems in place. Many were surprised at the short waiting time to board a water taxi and the orderly exit strategies.

Replacement

After a prompt closure at midnight to commence the replacement works, authorities utilized the tide to their advantage in getting ahead of the scheduled works.

tage, because that has worked well,” Edghill noted.

The new $1.2 billion Span 9 was fabricated by a local company, Industrial Fabrications Inc (InFab), and was completed a few months ago. Repairs had to be done to this section of the DHB following extensive damage sustained

44-year-old metal structure. However, cracks and breakages were evident on the Bridge even before that incident.

“It became worse and more pronounced after the accident,” Edghill told the media.

Throughout Tuesday, the

TURN TO PAGE 5

– works ahead of schedule as new Span 9 aligned – incident free amid ramped-up Police presence

Works on the bridge entail removing the old retractor span and replacing it with a spanking new structure

Persons utilising the speedboat service on Tuesday

Minister within the Ministry of Public Works, Deodat Indar inspecting the works at the DHB

Editor: Tusika Martin

News Hotline: 231-8063Editorial: 231-0544, 223-7230, 223-7231, 225-7761

Marketing: 231-8064Accounts: 225-6707

Mailing address: Queens Atlantic Industrial Estate Industrial Site, Ruimveldt, Georgetown

Email: news@guyanatimesgy.com, marketing@guyanatimesgy.com

Enforcing tobacco legislation

Every year, more than eight million people die from tobacco use - about 15 per cent of all deaths per year - according to the World Health Organization (WHO). More than seven million of those deaths are the result of direct tobacco use, while around 1.2 million are the result of non-smokers being exposed to second-hand smoke. Nearly half of all children breathe air polluted by tobacco smoke, and 65,000 children die each year owing to illnesses related to second-hand smoke.

Another sobering fact is that tobacco kills up to half of its users. Seventy per cent of fatalities occur in less developed and emerging nations. In excess of 40 per cent of all tobacco-related deaths are from lung diseases like cancer, chronic respiratory diseases, and tuberculosis.

The tobacco epidemic is one of the biggest public health threats the world has ever faced, the WHO has stated. “All forms of tobacco are harmful, and there is no safe level of exposure to tobacco. Cigarette smoking is the most common form of tobacco use worldwide. Other tobacco products include waterpipe tobacco; various smokeless tobacco products, including e-cigarettes, cigars, cigarillos, roll-your-own tobacco, and pipe tobacco”. Many are misled into believing that e-cigarettes are not as harmful as the traditional cigarettes, but experts have warned that they are equally damaging, as they raise blood pressure, thus increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease.

“More than 80 per cent of tobacco users worldwide live in low- and middle-income countries, where the burden of tobacco-related illness and death is heaviest,” the WHO noted. “The economic costs of tobacco use are substantial, and include significant health care-costs for treating the diseases caused by tobacco use – as well as the lost human capital that results from tobacco-attributable morbidity and mortality.

Tobacco use also contributes to poverty by diverting household spending from basic needs such as food and shelter to tobacco.”

Here, in Guyana, over 70 per cent of all deaths are caused by non-communicable diseases (NCDs), some of which - we all know - are strongly related to tobacco use. Over 15 per cent of the adult population currently smoke; and, more worryingly, the results of a Global Youth Tobacco Survey conducted in 2015 revealed that 14.8 per cent of adolescents aged between 13 and 15 years also use tobacco.

Countries, including Guyana, must take stock of what is happening, and continue to work diligently with international health partners to increase action to protect people from exposure to tobacco use. Too many people are dying senselessly, and urgent action must be taken, as these are deaths which can be avoided.

The WHO’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) is an international public health treaty and a guiding framework for the global fight against the tobacco epidemic. Guyana has been a party to the FCTC since 2005. The FCTC requires countries to apply a series of policies and measures aimed at reducing the global tobacco epidemic.

In July 2017, Guyana took the bold step of passing the National Tobacco Act. This legislation follows several of the Articles of the WHO Convention, and mandates the adoption and implementation of a series of tobacco control policies that make it one of the most complete tobacco control laws. These include: 100 per cent smoke-free environments in all indoor public spaces, indoor work spaces, public transportation and specified outdoor spaces, to protect people from exposure to tobacco smoke; a ban on all forms of advertising, promotion and sponsorship of tobacco products; health warnings featured on 60 per cent of tobacco product packaging, including images. It also includes a ban on the sale of tobacco products to and by minors; prohibition on vending machines’ sales; and a ban on the manufacture and sale of toys and candies and any other goods in the form of tobacco products.

Having the necessary legislation in place is a good starting point, but there are many other challenges which health authorities must address if Guyana is to really reduce the number of persons dying or becoming ill owing to tobacco use or exposure. These challenges relate to monitoring and compliance, and enforcement of the legislation to ensure that the population is protected from the dangers of tobacco use. Much of the success will be based on the quality of enforcement mechanisms in place. So, the question is: How have we been doing on that front?

Ensuring the protection of a country’s population is no easy task, but the wellbeing of citizens is of prime importance.

Glen Lall’s populism wouldn’t deliver the goods

Dear Editor,

I have followed with interest the commentary by Kaieteur News publisher Mr. Glenn Lall. I stated before that Mr. Lall is a talented ‘stage performer’. I am, however, concerned that his ideas have become too Bolivarian to be credible. By this I mean that Glen Lall’s political ideology is a replica of the failed ideology and policies of Hugo Chavez of Venezuela. Chavez was an economic and political/ ideological populist, and Mr. Lall’s performances very much resemble those of Colonel Chavez.

Populism has three primary features. First, populism is based on the politics of mobilization rather than the politics of aggregation. Mobilization is driven by a so-called charismatic leader who tells the masses that the elites cannot represent their interests. This person calls on the masses to believe that he (or she) has special insights and superior knowledge about economics, politics, and everything else in public life. This so-called charismatic leader claims to represent ‘the people’ against the elites in Government and business, and against foreign investors. He often assumes the air of a saviour of biblical proportions.

Secondly, populists usually promise the world to the middle class, and especially to the poor. Hugo Chavez, for instance, promised to double the

wages of the working class (which he did upon taking office). I do not know if Glen Lall has promised to double wages, but his populist ideology is totally lined up with doing so. Within years, as in the case of Venezuela, the wages become meaningless due to inflation, mismanagement, and because of even more promises laced with unsustainable Government giveaways.

Thirdly, populists like Chavez engage in aggressive attacks on foreign capital. Mr. Lall is now the most noted anti-foreign investor/ investment advocate, not only in Guyana, but in the entire Global South. The foreign investor is painted as an economic devil bent on carrying the most unspeakable crimes against citizens. Demonic images of immense suffering are conjured up by the populist, who then simultaneously casts himself as the Blessed One who has descended to save the nation.

Here is a quote from an article on Mr. Lall’s position on foreign investors in Guyana: “In his latest commentary, Lall articulated the distressing reality that each passing day sees Guyanese being “raped and robbed” of their natural treasures”. “Raped and robbed”! What could be eviler than that?

Hugo Chavez had chased out the foreign investors both through institutional means (meaning Government policies),

and through his hateful rhetoric against foreign investors. Words matter. Between 2000 and 2002, $US15 billion dollars in private capital fled Venezuela. What the Guyanese people should know is that although Venezuela has twenty-seven times more proven oil reserves than Guyana, (and 34 times more the population), it has less foreign direct investment than we do. In fact, in 2021 there was net capital outflow from Venezuela to the tune of RB -761,333,000.

Mr. Lall’s anti-foreign capital position is more extreme than that of President Maduro. The Venezuelans do admit foreign investments from China. Not so for Glen Lall, who is against Chinese economic activity in Guyana. The following was reported in yesterday’s Kaieteur News – “[t] he thought of witnessing hundreds of Chinese individuals shipping out pontoons laden with resources while the nation’s citizens struggle to secure a proper meal stirs a righteous indignation in Lall’s soul.”

Populism is a popular thing with those who do not know better. Who won’t want their wages to be doubled or tripled in a day? Yet, too many of the world’s poor fall for this voodoo economics. Make no mistake that wages should go up. Economic inequality is real, and workers have the right to pursue their economic interests

with the greatest intensity and resolve. What is not in their best interest, however, is to listen to promises that sound too good to be true. They usually are.

If you do not trust my interpretation of populism, then please avail yourself of a definition provided in the Washington Post by A.M. Rondón.

“The recipe for populism is universal. Find a wound common to many, find someone to blame for it, and make up a good story to tell. Mix it all together. Tell the wounded you know how they feel. That you found the bad guys. Label them: the minorities, the politicians, the businesspeople. Caricature them. As vermin, evil masterminds, haters and losers, you name it. Then paint yourself as the saviour. Capture the people’s imagination. Forget about policies and plans, just enrapture them with a tale. One that starts with anger and ends with vengeance. A vengeance they can participate in” (A.M. Rondón, Washington Post, 1/27/2017).

In a follow-up article, I will explain how populism as a political strategy works. This is a debate that must be had, and I hope Mr. Glen Lall will engage in it for the betterment of the country. In the meantime, I must say that Glen Lall’s populism won’t deliver the goods.

Sincerely, Dr

Randolph Persaud

President Dr Irfaan Ali arrived in China on Tuesday for a one-week State visit. During the visit, the Guyanese Head of State will meet with China’s President, Xi Jinping and other Government officials. Members of Guyana’s business community are also in China and will participate in a number of sessions with major Chinese companies

Conversation Tree-to-Dennis Street project Edghill warns of possible contract termination amid slow works

Public Works Minister

Juan Edghill on Tuesday conducted a site inspection of the ongoing works on the $1.8 billion project to widen the road corridor from Conversation Tree to Dennis Street in Georgetown.

Guyanese company S Jagmohan Construction and General Supplies Inc and Trinidadian-owned Kalco Guyana Limited were awarded the contract. But Edghill says Kalco is significantly behind schedule.

“Both contractors need to up their game. This project needs to be finished by the contractual obligated time, November 5. Jagmohan seems to be making progress; Kalco is practically making no progress. From the engineers’

advice, 65 per cent of the contract time has elapsed and only 25 per cent of the work has been completed,” the Public Works Minister related.

As such, he has ordered that a representative of Kalco Guyana Limited meet with him on Monday, “…for us to be able to determine if this project continuing with them or we terminating. The project engineer will serve immediately letters of poor performance and non-performance”.

Minister Edghill has also requested a meeting with the community liaison officer attached to the project, indicating that these duties were also not being fulfilled. He explained that this officer was supposed to be engaging with

the community to address their concerns regarding the project.

Works on the project entails the construction of a four-lane carriageway from the East Coast Highway to Delhi Street.

It also includes a double-lane carriageway on the reserve west of Delhi Street for northbound traffic and would also see the implementation of concrete revetments between the East Coast Demerara Highway and Railway Embankment, and concrete drains on both sides of the proposed roadway between the Railway Embankment and Delhi Street.

The construction of two large concrete bridges to establish a connection to Dennis Street is also part of the project.

During the project launch last year, Edghill had emphasised that it formed part of the Government’s plan to provide alternative routes to

persons entering and leaving Georgetown.

The project was split into two lots: Lot 8 A of the project is being executed by S Jagmohan Construction

Smooth sailing as DHB closes...

The new span, which was sitting in close proximity to the bridge, was set into place and aligned. Some 80 deck plates are to be welded on the surface of the new span, the high span, and on other sections of the structure.

General Manager of the DHB, Wayne Watson, detailed, “The current activity is the merger of the two spans –the Span 10 and the new Span 9 – and alignment, followed by decking and the installation of the ramp and other controls or devices.”

He added that the overall work does not just include this replacement. In fact, $85 million was injected into upgrading the high span, and another $60 million was injected for internal works at several spans. The Bridge Management has utilized the closure to facilitate other maintenance works which would have required closure at a later time.

Meanwhile, Minister Edghill has also hinted that the work might be finished ahead of the deadline.

“We had a visit to the bridge, where we checked on the works going on there. It is quite satisfactory. Everybody

should be in anticipation and putting good thoughts out, we may be able to open ahead of time. But definitely, this weekend the bridge will be operational.”

Incident-free

The Maritime Administration Department (MARAD) has employed an additional 30 monitors to tem-

on board to lend support with adequate presence. Deputy Commissioner 'Operations', Ravindradat Budhram;

made to assisting women with babies, pregnant mothers, senior citizens, and people who are travelling from overseas

FROM PAGE 3

“Basically, it means we must have a seamless flow of traffic, full safety, no overcharging of fares, and orderliness. I am pleased to announce that everything has moved to plan, and we have several vessels in operation.

“Now, we have a good, solid structure at Wales and at Grove. The feedback has been positive. We put a lot of work into it. I am hopeful that it would continue,” he added.

Thousands of people use the water taxi system ev-

and General Supplies Inc to the tune of $$1,066, 358,738, while Lot 8 B was awarded to Trinidadian company Kalco Guyana Inc to the tune of $830,293,458.

ery day. It is the fastest way to move between Regions Three (Essequibo IslandsWest Demerara) and Four (Demerara-Mahaica), and is a daily routine for those travelling for work, school, or other activities.

Commuters are being reminded to wear a life jacket securely when crossing the river, and to immediately report any incident or infraction to the Maritime Safety Department through the monitors at each location.

porarily deal with increased foot traffic. On the ground, the Guyana Police Force was

Assistant Commissioner and Head of Special Branch, Errol Watts; Assistant Commissioner and Regional Division Commander Four (A), Simon McBean, were among the officers joining Coordinator of the Maritime Emergency Operations, John Flores, for inspections at the Stabroek Market.

From reports, there were no incidents or robbery.

“There have been no incidents of injury, robbery, or anybody being hassled. Special attention is being

with their suitcases. Systems are in place, and it is moving smoothly. We are extremely grateful for that,” Minister Edghill declared.

MARAD, in a notice, has assured commuters that the additional services are in place to ease potential congestion at Vreed-en-Hoop. The areas are lit, secured, and monitored by law enforcement. The service will run on a 24-hour basis, and the fare remains at $100.

MARAD Director General Stephen Thomas has said,

The new Span 9 being set into place

Public Works Minister Juan Edghill boarding a water taxi to visit the areas of operation

Page Foundation

Customary Units of Length

BY RUDYARD KIPLING

(‘Brother Square-Toes’—Rewards and Fairies)

Exercises: Convert

1) 8.25 feet is how many inches?

2) 4 miles equals how many inches?

3) 20 inches is how many yards?

4) 45 inches in how many feet?

Materials:

Plastic film canister with lid

Water

Alka-Seltzer tablet

Tray or flat bottom container

Safety glasses

5) 3.5 yards is how many feet?

6) 8.6 yards is how many inches?

7) 7.25 miles in how many yards?

8) 800 yards is how many miles?

Step away and watch. Your Film Canister Rocket should launch in a few seconds.

How it works:

If you can keep your head when all about you Are losing theirs and blaming it on you, If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you, But make allowance for their doubting too; If you can wait and not be tired by waiting, Or being lied about, don’t deal in lies, Or being hated, don’t give way to hating, And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise: If you can dream—and not make dreams your master; If you can think—and not make thoughts your aim; If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster And treat those two impostors just the same; If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools, Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken, And stoop and build ’em up with worn-out tools: If you can make one heap of all your winnings And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss, And lose, and start again at your beginnings And never breathe a word about your loss; If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew To serve your turn long after they are gone, And so hold on when there is nothing in you Except the Will which says to them: ‘Hold on!’

Instructions:

Fill the film canister about one-third of the way full with water.

Make sure you are wearing your safety glasses.

Break one Alka-Seltzer tablet in half.

Drop the half of the Alka-Seltzer tablet in the water and quickly put the lid on the film canister.

While still moving quickly, flip your Film Canister Rocket over and set it on its lid in the tray.

The water dissolves the Alka-Seltzer tablet causing carbon dioxide gas to be released. The gas creates pressure in the film canister and will eventually create enough pressure that your Film Canister Rocket will launch.

Make this a science project:

Try different amounts of Alka-Selzer to see if it causes the Film Canister Rocket to launch higher or quicker. Try different liquids other than water. Try hot and cold water. (sciencefun.org)

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue, Or walk with Kings—nor lose the common touch, If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you, If all men count with you, but none too much; If you can fill the unforgiving minute With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run, Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it, And—which is more—you’ll be a Man, my son!

WORD SEARCH

Govt moves to establish Hemp Authority Board

– hunt on for CEO, as applicants to soon be shortlisted

The People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) Government is continuing its work towards forming an Industrial Hemp Regulatory Authority with the hunt currently on for a Chief Executive Officer (CEO), and Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha is expected to soon approach Cabinet with nominees for the Board.

The Industrial Hemp Regulatory Authority will oversee Guyana’s hemp industry, in keeping with the Industrial Hemp Bill 2022. In an interview with Guyana Times, Minister Mustapha confirmed that he is in receipt of nominees from state agencies for the board of directors, which will in turn oversee the authority.

“I wrote to the various agencies. There are a number of agencies that have to form the Board; representatives from Health, Home Affairs, the Forensic Laboratory and so. So I wrote them. I now have the recommended persons. I have to put those names together and take it to Cabinet.

“In the meantime, I’ve put out an advertisement for the position of CEO for the board. I received a number of applications. I will shortlist shortly, when I get back to Guyana,” Minister Mustapha added.

Meanwhile, Minister Mustapha revealed that there are already several farmers waiting to cultivate hemp. In almost one

year since the passage of the Industrial Hemp Bill 2022, they have formed themselves into associations.

According to the Minister, the Government has big plans for this sector, with land already identified.

“There are a number of farmers, a number of persons who would have formed associations; but we have to wait until the regulatory authority comes into being, because that’s the body that will be responsible.

Two regions have already been identified: Region Six and Region Ten, but you know the Vice President would have said we will look at Skeldon too, to take some land there and give small holding farmers to do hemp cultivation. Those are things in the pipeline,” the Minister further detailed.

Hemp is a multibillion-dollar industry that can lend to the production of hundreds of items. Some uses for hemp include rope, textiles, clothing, shoes, food, paper, bioplastics, insulation, and biofuel. It is rich in protein, unsaturated fats, fibre, minerals, and vi-

tamins. Hemp protects the brain, boosts heart health, reduces inflammation, improves skin conditions, and relieves rheumatoid arthritis.

Hemp seeds are known to be particularly rich in healthy fats, including omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids which are known for improving heart health by reducing cholesterol, blood pressure, and triglycerides.

While hemp does contain tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), advocates have argued that this is in very low amounts, below 0.3 per cent, which is too low to be psychoactive. In Guyana, the THC level needs to be below 0.3 per cent for it to be considered legal.

A person shall now cultivate or manufacture hemp or hemp-related products; or conduct research or any other activity related to industrial hemp without a licence issued by the authority under the Act. In the case of a violation, a person is liable on summary conviction to a fine of $500,000 or imprisonment for one year.

The framework states, “The Board shall consider the impact on public health, safety, security, commerce, and agriculture, and need for the orderly development of the sector, including exclusivity, when considering an application for the issuance of a licence under this Act.”

After the licence is granted, a person is not allowed to plant any seed or plant, or harvest any cannabis plant before a sample of the seed or plant is analyzed by an analyst to ascertain whether it confirms to the allowed THC concentration.

President Dr. Irfaan Ali had said that the Government would be moving in the direction of the value-added aspect that the hemp industry has to offer. He had said that the industry is not only about hemp production, but having processing and value-added fa-

cilities here in Guyana.

Meanwhile, Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo had said last year that with the potential employment that hemp can generate, the Government wants “to tar-

get Region 10 and Region Six – the workers who were laid off in Berbice, the sugar belt, and Region 10 where you have employment to start, and license people to grow that.”

Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha

Example of a hemp cultivation

Scholarships available for courses at GSA

The Government is offering scholarships at the Guyana School of Agriculture (GSA) for persons who wish to pursue academic studies.

Scholarships are available for diplomas in Agriculture, Animal Health and Veterinary Public Health for the years 2023 to 2024. These scholarships will enable persons to acquire knowledge in various careers such as extension officer and agronomist.

Additionally, employment is almost guaranteed since the country’s agriculture sector is greatly developing and there is demand in the industry.

Agriculture is a crucial economic booster for a country,

and so with intelligent graduates in this industry, it will add to Guyana’s evolvement. More than 1000 persons have benefited from scholarships in this sector, contrib-

uting to the nation’s advancement.

To be eligible for the scholarships, persons must first gain admission to the Guyana School of Agriculture, while

Let’s be real… …on

oil

current students must have passed all completed courses. They must also have a valid Guyana passport.

The closing date for applications is August 20, 2023.

The Government has made our country’s policy on oil production crystal clear from the beginning: we’re gonna pump the black gold as fast (and furious!!) as is possible!! Drill, baby, drill!! And why not?? As last week’s decision by the rich G20 countries reminded us, they’re gonna keep on using fossil fuel for decades into the future. That’s the fact, Jack – don’t let anyone tell you differently!! Can you remember all the grand promises they’ve made at the TWENTY-SEVENTH COPS since 1992??? Well, in case you forgot, not a SINGLE one of them was fulfilled by the biggest transgressors. And that’s the way the (oil) cookie’s gonna continue to crumble, buddy!!

And somebody’s gonna be supplying that market, no matter who sez what!! So, what should we do with our 13 billion barrels of oil?? Leave our oil under the Atlantic to let others make windfall profits – while we suck salt and remain a poverty-stricken country where half our population lives on less than $1000 daily??

Which is barely enough to buy a veggie fried rice, but no sweet drink to wash it down!! Ah…what the heck!! Your Eyewitness just doesn’t get the kind of thinking that demands we sacrifice our first chance to live in dignity after four hundred years of slavery and indentureship. During that time, the countries we wanna be like used THEIR fossil fuels and - more to the point - ours – to attain luxurious lifestyles!! We were like kids with our noses pressed on shop windows looking in at their ostentatious debauchery.

Do these woke folks who wanna halt our oil production really believe the countries that did the most damage to bring on global warming have the responsibility to make it right?? Or even stop their own oil production?? Why hasn’t any of them stepped up to the crease to make us that offer we just can’t refuse - for the lost “opportunity cost” being proposed?? The problem with these “oil leavers” is they aren’t living that life of barely hanging onto their sanity by their fingernails. And that’s so even though they have a word for that condition – precarity!! This just allows them to ignore us, who experience it by ignoring the wages of “poverty”, which is a slow, lingering death.

What the “oil leavers” should be doing is pursuing the suggestion by Global Witness that the circumstances surrounding the oil contract gotta be investigated. Have you ever wondered why there’s been that studied silence on that suggestion?? They’ve let the fella who signed away our birthright get away with murder – even though he wrote a book exposing the contradictions of the PNC’s official line

…on Cricket

You don’t have to be reminded, dear reader, that your Eyewitness wears his cricket mania on his sleeves. “What do they know of cricket that only cricket knows?” asked CLR James. For us West Indians, we know its influence goes way “beyond the boundary”, and indeed permeates our very soul. Your Eyewitness is skeptical of the loyalty of anyone who claims to be” West Indian” but isn’t besotted by cricket. In all its glorious contradictions!

We gotta thank the rain gods for the second Test with India being drawn…and while there was no grand turnaround, at least we weren’t grossly humiliated. Interestingly, the biggest story was off, and not on, the cricket field. And this was about our wicketkeeper Da Silva’s mother giving Kohli a hug and congratulating him on his century after a drought. It shows our West Indian love for the game, which makes us appreciate its glory even when it’s the opponent earning it!

Wish the PLAYERS could rally around the West Indies! …on accusations

The departed ex-GT Mayor gave a disquisition on local leadership by claiming alleged failures of the VP. Being a Pandit, your Eyewitness knows, he’s not a Christian; but surely, in his scriptures, there’s an equivalent homily about taking the mote out of one’s eye??!!

Students of the GSA

US$190M Linden-to-Mabura Road will pave way to further explore, develop hinterland– Govt

With the current US$190 million Linden to Mabura Road currently under construction, the value of the project was on Tuesday reinforced by the Natural Resources Ministry, which noted the crucial role it will play in further exploring and developing the hinterland.

In a statement, the Ministry noted that the road will usher in dramatic improvement in transport and logistics when it comes to the hinterland. Considering the fact that most of Guyana’s preoil natural resources are located in the hinterland, this will be a massive boost to Guyana’s economy.

“One of the primary advantages of this road is the drastic improvement it offers to logistics in the hinterland. Transporting goods and resources between Linden and Mabura continues to be a laborious and costly process. With the road's completion, it will allow for the efficient movement of goods, making it easier for businesses to operate, reducing transportation costs and promoting economic growth in the hinterland region,” the Ministry said.

“Further to this, the improved logistics will also facilitate the exploration and development of our natural resources in the hinterland. The availability of a reliable transportation corridor enhances the accessibility of mining and forestry operations, contributing to increased economic opportunities in these industries while ensuring sustainable resource management practices.”

There is also the tourism aspect of the road. The People’s Progressive Party/

Civic (PPP/C) Government has ambitious plans to leverage Guyana’s oil and gas status on the world stage into tangible gains for the tourism sector. Not only will the Linden to Mabura Road play a key role in this, but it will also connect communities.

“The road also plays a pivotal role in enhancing tourism in the region. Guyana’s unique hinterland biodiversity can now be more easily explored by tourists and researchers, providing a potential boost to ecotourism and supporting the preservation of our rich natural heritage. Beyond its economic significance, the Linden to Mabura Road significantly impacts the lives of residents and other commuters.

“The road provides crucial connectivity to communities that were previously isolated, fostering social integration and improving access to essential services such as healthcare, education, and other public amenities. Access to these services can lead to a better quality of life and increased opportunities for education and skill development,” the Ministry further said.

There is also the increased safety and security within the hinterland that the road will bring, as it will allow for quicker response times in emergencies and facilitate the movement of law enforcement personnel and emergency services. This will translate to safer communities for residents and visitors alike.

“It is for the foregoing benefits, amongst others, that the Ministry reaffirms its conviction that the Linden to Mabura Road project is a vital and beneficial project. The Government remains committed to furthering infrastruc-

ture projects that promote sustainable growth and development across our nation,” the Ministry added.

Traversing sections of the Linden to Lethem Road has been a nightmare for heavily laden lorries, with many toppling off the roadway. The bridges are even worse. Some vehicle operators would have to align the boards before attempting to cross. They do not always make it over safely.

The US$190 million con-

tract for the road was signed in May 2022 with Brazilian company Construtora Queiroz Galvao SA for the construction of the 121-kilometre road. The project is being funded by the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) via a US$112 million loan, a grant to the tune of £50 million (US$66 million) from the United Kingdom under the Caribbean Infrastructure Partnership Fund (CIPF), and an input of US$12 million from the Guyana Government.

This is the largest grant Guyana has ever received from the Government of the UK.

With a 7.2-meter-wide carriageway, the Linden-toMabura Road is expected to feature a cycle and pedestrian lane measuring 2 metres wide, along with 10 bus stops outfitted with ramps for persons with disabilities. Additionally, a number of bridges and culverts along the way will be replaced, and some 123 lights would be installed. In its com-

mitment to this project, the Dr Irfaan Ali-led Administration had set aside some $3.19 billion in the 2022 budget for the construction of 32 bridges between Kurupukari and Lethem along the Linden-toLethem trail.

This leg of the project is expected to last for three years. However, according to the contractual agreement, some 10 kilometres of the road should be completed by September this year.

... will also play pivotal role in enhancing tourism

WEDNESDAY, JULY

2023 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

30 affected after Covent Garden fire

–

2 buildings completely gutted, another partially damaged – GPL was recently called to address electrical issue

ATuesday afternoon fire, suspected to be electrical in origin, has completely gutted two buildings and left one partially damaged at Covent Garden, East Bank Demerara (EBD), thus resulting in about 30 persons being displaced.

The fire reportedly started at Lot 99 2nd Street, Covent Garden and quickly spread

that the GPL technicians who worked on the box had advised them to turn off the main switch, and they had promised to return.

It is not clear if the family had turned on the main switch, thus causing the explosion on Tuesday.

“They had a problem with the fuse box, and GPL came to do some work on the box,

without being able to save any of their valuable belongings.

“I was at home, this is my mother’s house, I heard somebody saying a house is burning at the front here, but I didn’t take it for nothing. But my friend came and holler for me and tell me that my mother’s house was burning down. When I came, the house was

to the house at Lot 100, and then onto another close by.

The two-storey building where the fire started had been occupied by a family of nine. According to a relative of those occupants, Davi (only name given), the family had called Guyana Power and Light (GPL) to report a problem with the fuse box on Monday. She explained

and they spent about 15 minutes. They told her to take off the main switch, which is what caused the fire. She said she was sitting and she heard an explosion from the fuse box, and before she knew it, the house was on fire,” the relative explained.

The family, however, had little time to react, only managing to evacuate the house

burnt flat and the other house was on fire”, she added.

“…she couldn’t save anything… and we had a lot of valuables there, my brother’s stuff, my mother, my sister, nephew, niece, all their valuables destroyed”.

Over at the Lot 100 property, four persons had occupied the home. The property at Lot 98 had a total of 17

occupants. That building suffered water and fire damage, making it inhabitable.

Guyana Times also spoke to the owner of the property at Lot 100, Richard Ramlochand, who expressed his hurt at the loss he suffered.

“I feel so sad, because this house was a present from my parents. I grew up here, and I am 61, so you know how long this property is here. The building alone is about 10 million dollars, and besides that, the people who are living here, they suffered losses too”, he said.

No injuries were reported, and an investigation into the cause of the fire is being conducted by the Guyana Fire Service (GFS). (G-9)

The fire destroyed the house at Lot 99

The home at Lot 98 was partially burnt

The fire destroyed the house at Lot 100

Crackdown on drugs, unlicensed drivers at Stabroek Market bus parks underway – Benn – cars obstructing flow in GT to be clamped, towed

Home Affairs Minister Robeson Benn has signalled the need for an overhaul of the public transportation system in Guyana, particularly at the Stabroek Market and surrounding bus parks.

On Monday he highlighted the challenges associated with congestion and drugs in these areas, which require urgent attention. Moreover, the issue of public drivers who transport people under the influence or while smoking has been identified as a major problem.

“We have to speak with the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) and the Georgetown Mayor and City Council (GM&CC) with respect to congestion, selling liquor at these places, the issue of selling drugs. 24/7 drugs are being sold at Stabroek Market and all of these other places. We have to continue the crackdown on public transportation operators who drink or smoke and drive people in a minibus or taxi,” Minister Benn outlined.

Going forward, the Ministry will also be focusing on unlicensed taxi drivers and the issue of adequate resources to reduce waiting times for transportation during peak hours. According to the Minister, children should not be exposed to such an environment.

Currently, during the afternoon hours, persons are seen waiting for significant periods of time for their respective transportation.

“They have to be licensed properly, and show properly their reasons for being an operator of public transport. I hold the view that the public transportation sector does not have the capacity to move people quickly out of the minibus parks in the afternoon. We have to make an intervention to have large busses to move people, particularly school children, who should not be in the area of Stabroek Market and oth-

er places after school.”

This move, Benn noted, comes amid the mass development which is taking place across the country, and warrants improvement in the transportation sector. This change in culture must be accomplished soon, he said.

“Bad use of the infrastructure, blocking of the roads, just stopping and blocking the lanes, are all issues which I have to deal with,” the Minister voiced.

A request was made for 300-wheel clamps to be made

available for errant drivers who restrict the free flow of traffic in Georgetown.

“We want them clamped and towed,” he said.

Another bugbear that has attracted numerous complaints from road users is the flashing lights on unauthorized vehicles – another issue that will be dealt with.

“You don’t know which direction they’re going, and you’re simply confused when you’re stuck with this truck coming with all the kinds of flashing lights, which are not allowed by the conventions. Of course, we have other lights and noises in vehicles, which have to be dealt with.

All of that leads to an environment that is dysfunctional, dangerous and deadly.”

Moving forward, the subject Minister spoke on the need to strengthen the integrity of traffic officers to rise above current practices which are not in keeping with the Guyana Police Force’s rulebook. (G-12)

Home Affairs Minister Robeson Benn

Several bus parks operate in close proximity to the Stabroek Market

Experiment Housing Scheme residents expected to sign AoS by September

– $612M infrastructural works ongoing at Balthyock

Residents who were allocated house lots within the Experiment Housing Scheme, Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice) can expect to commence signing their Agreements of Sale (AoS) by September.

This was according to Housing and Water Minister Collin Croal during a site visit to the Experiment and Blairmont (Balthyock) Housing Schemes, as part of a Region Five outreach on Friday last.

Croal noted that the first phase of infrastructure within Experiment was complete, thereby giving allottees access to their lands.

The infrastructural work included the construction of access roads, culverts, and drainage networks for more than 500 house lots.

During this visit, Minister Croal also met with individuals squatting at Bath and resolved to relocate them to the

a new water treatment plant, which would benefit approximately 17,000 residents in the region, from Number Seven Village to Kingelly.

The Housing Ministry has been working to improve the distribution of clean, treated water across the country.

More specifically, efforts to increase treated water coverage along the coastland have been progressing, with the

existing treatment facilities.

The treatment facility at Bath is expected to have the capacity for expansion, eventually giving access to at least 24,000 people.

Given the significance of the plant, three households within the area have already made the move to Experiment, and Minister Croal assured that the Guyana Water Inc (GWI) would provide the nec-

essary resources this week to relocate the remaining seven families.

Additionally, essential water services will be made available to the scheme in the new week, enhancing living conditions.

Meanwhile, at the Balthyock Housing Scheme, the $612 million in infrastructural works are being executed by three contractors.

While flooding initially caused some delays, the contractors are now pushing to complete the works by the end of October.

Croal was accompanied by Member of Parliament Faizal Jaffarally; Regional Chairman Vickchand Ramphal; Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) Director of Community Development, Gladwin Charles and engi-

neers.

During the Region Five outreach, the team also inspected the $2 billion infrastructural works being done at Shieldstown Housing Development, with Croal urging contractors to take advantage of the current dry season to expedite the project and ensure allottees gain swift access to their lands. (Pooja Rambaran)

Housing and Water Minister Collin Croal conducting site inspections at Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice) housing schemes

Work underway at Region Five housing scheme

Ongoing work

DR delegation explores investment opportunities in Guyana

Officials from the Dominican Republic are in Guyana to explore additional areas for investment and collaboration between the two countries.

Foreign Secretary Robert Persaud met with the DR team at Ramphal House, the Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Ministry, on Tuesday, and reaffirmed the Government’s dedication to fostering greater collaboration with the Dominican Republic.

“This is a historical moment, and we want

to make full use in bringing our people together and looking at the vast opportunities that exist for cooperation, both in the Government-toGovernment aspect and in the Private Sector,” he said.

The DR team consists of Vice Minister of Economic Affairs and International Cooperation (Ministry of Foreign Affairs),

Hugo Francisco Rivera Fernández; Vice Minister of Internal Commerce (Ministry of Industry and Commerce), Ramón Pérez Peralta; Economic Advisor to the President, Pablo Portes; Coordinator of the Presidential Initiative for Food and Energy Security with Guyana, Tulio Rodriguez; Advisor to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ariel Gautreaux; Advisor to the Vice Ministry of Economic Affairs (Ministry of Foreign Affairs), Gia Forastieri; Director to the Northwest region (Ministry of Agriculture),

Julio César Estevez; and Director of Rice and Corn (Ministry of Agriculture), Cristino Durán.

The visit of this delegation is expected to set the stage for President Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali’s upcoming visit to that country.

Meanwhile, Vice Minister Fernández outlined the commitment of the Dominican Republic Government to strengthening ties with Guyana in a number of areas in forging a sustainable partnership. “We have complementary economies, and

we look forward to working together for the future,” he stated.

The delegation has a robust two-day agenda that sees engagements with a number of agencies in advancing fruitful discussion for strengthened collaboration.

President Ali is set to lead a high-level team of Government and Private Sector representatives and officials to the Dominican Republic from August 8–9, 2023.

In June, His Excellency Luis Abinader, President of the Dominican Republic, paid a visit to Guyana, and engaged in discussions with President Ali focused on enhancing bilateral relations, signalling a commitment to pursue greater collaboration in areas of energy, agriculture, tourism, trade, ICT, infrastructure, and industry.

The DR President’s visit to Guyana also saw the signing of bilateral agreements on political consultation, air services, and energy cooperation. Guyana and the Dominican Republic established bilateral ties in October 1970.

Foreign Secretary Robert Persaud met with a delegation from the Dominican Republic at Ramphal House on Tuesday

US Army General visits Guyana for Exercise Tradewinds 2023

- to hold talks on defence partnership between US, Guyana & Caricom

US Army General Laura Richardson, commander of US Southern Command (USSOUTHCOM), is set to return to Guyana from July 25 to 27. During her visit, she aims to hold discussions with the Guyana Defence Force (GDF), US Embassy, and Caribbean Community (Caricom) leaders regarding the defence partnership between the United States and Guyana, and their collaboration with Caricom partners.

The timing coincides with Guyana hosting Exercise Tradewinds, a multinational exercise focused on enhancing security capabilities in the Caribbean region. That exercise aims to strengthen partnerships among participating defence and public security forces, promote international cooperation, and uphold human rights.

During her sojourn, General Richardson would be meeting with key figures such as Chief of Staff of the GDF, Brigadier Omar Khan; Caricom Secretary General

Dr. Carla Barnett, and US Ambassador Sarah-Ann Lynch. She will also observe Tradewinds events and participate in the closing ceremony of the exercise, which is set for Thursday at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC).

Earlier, in June, General Richardson had a meeting with Brigadier Khan during the Caribbean

Nations Security Conference in Montego Bay, Jamaica. The conference brought together Caribbean leaders to address climate change and cyber defence matters.

The relationship between the US and Guyana is marked by a longstanding security partnership. SOUTHCOM and the GDF have worked closely together on various initiatives, including disaster preparedness, humanitarian assistance, maritime security, human rights, professional development, promoting the integration of women in peace, defence and public security missions, and countering transnational criminal organizations.

Meanwhile, Guyana has again hosted Exercise Tradewinds, which saw over 1500 security force personnel from 20 nations participating.

Since its establishment in 1984, the Tradewinds Exercise, organised by the US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), has symbolised unity and collaboration

in the face of security challenges.

General Richardson visited Guyana in August last year and met with

President Dr Irfaan Ali and key Government representatives, along with defence leaders. During that time, she received a painting ti-

tled 'In Flight', featuring a harpy eagle over Kaieteur Falls. It was done by local artist Dillon Craig.

Guyanese student studying in India selected for UNESCO forum in Saudi Arabia

Guyanese student Tejyas Dasa Singh, studying at the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT Bombay) in Mumbai under the ICCR (Indian Council for Cultural Relations) Scholarship for his master’s in Engineering Degree, has been selected for a fully-funded UNESCO World Heritage Young Professionals Forum. This event will be hosted by the Ministry of Culture in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia between September 2 and 13, 2023.

Singh, an MTech student, has been working for the last year on heritage conservation and preservation via consolidative treat-

ments, compatibility, and performance of these treatments on various types of heritage construction materials, such as fired clay brick and stone samples. His work could guide decision-makers in charge of preserving structures, more

so heritage structures, and those who wish to use consolidants to make proper selection of consolidative treatments based on the severity of deterioration, property of the materials, and what is required.

US Army General Laura Richardson

Tejyas Singh with his IIT Bombay supervisor

Dr Anthony calls for increased digitalisation of health sector

- as PAHO, IDB celebrate 5-year collaboration…

As the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and the InterAmerican Development Bank (IBD) on Monday celebrated five years of collaboration on information systems and digital health in the Americas, Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony urged the continued use of digital tools to advance healthcare delivery in the country.

“At our core, we believe that digital health tools and platforms have immense potential to benefit the public. By optimising these resources, we can improve our chances of achieving sustainable development goals,” Dr. Anthony said in a social media post.

“Therefore, we urge developmental partners to prioritise digital health as a key agenda item for development,” he said.

Guyana has been working alongside PAHO and IDB to increase the role of technology within the healthcare system by investing in telemedicine sites and moving towards an electronic health record system. While it may be a few years before the digitisation of patients’ health records comes to fruition, several telemedicine sites

have already been introduced into remote communities within Regions One (Barima-Waini), Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni), Eight (Potaro-Siparuni) and Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo). These sites aim to bridge the gap between the hinterland and the coastland by allowing medical personnel in the hinterland to get real-time assistance from those working in Georgetown.

In addition to a computer connected to the internet via satellite technology, they typically include a digital stethoscope, a pulse oximeter, an infrared thermometer, a blood pressure monitor, mobile ultrasonography, exam cameras and other equipment.

“Earlier this year, an Indigenous man from a village near Gunns [in Region Nine] fell critically ill. The community health worker reached out to the doctors at Georgetown Public Hospital, who conducted a remote examination and diagnosed that the patient had sepsis with a suspected kidney stone,” Dr Anthony stated.

As the patient required urgent hospitalisation, he was airlifted to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), Dr. Anthony not-

ed.

“Thanks to digital tools, this individual was able to receive timely medical attention without having to travel 100km for several days to reach the nearest hospital by foot,” Anthony referenced.

“Investing in Connected Health, which includes health information, health informatics, wearable medical devices, software as a medical device, personalized medicine, mobile health, and telemedicine or telehealth, presents an opportunity to achieve universal health coverage and to provide health for all.”

PAHO/IDB

During an event on Monday in commemoration of PAHO and IDB’s multiyear collaboration, IDB President Ilan Goldfajn further highlighted the importance of this growing partnership.

“The population of the Americas wants better public services, and health is one of them,” Goldfajn said, according to a PAHO press release. “The agenda we are building together has elements of what we believe are priorities, including regional integration, data efficiency, digitalisation, and addressing inequality,” he said.

The PAHO/IDB part-

Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony

Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) President Ilan Goldfajn

nership has reportedly developed over 40 strategic actions to ensure the digital transformation of the health sector and three regional policies: a Plan of Action for the Strengthening of Information Systems for Health; a Regional Roadmap for the Digital Transformation of the Health Sector; and a policy on the application of data science in public health using artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies.

Appeal Court upholds CJ's decision to overturn Parliamentary Secretaries’ appointments

correct to follow precedent

The Court of Appeal on Tuesday upheld the High Court’s decision to annul the appointments of Vickash Ramkissoon and Sarah Browne, noting that while there are merits to the appellants’ arguments, the High Court was correct to follow the precedent set by former Chief Justice the late Ian Chang.

The appointments of Ramkissoon and Browne as Parliamentary Secretaries to the Ministries of Amerindian Affairs and Agriculture respectively were challenged in the High Court in 2020 by Opposition Chief Whip Christopher Jones.

He had contended that Browne and Ramkissoon cannot be appointed as non-elected parliamentarians since they were named on the List of Candidates presented by the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) for the March 2, 2020 General and Regional Elections.

Jones’s case was first upheld by acting Chief Justice (CJ) Roxane George in 2021, and on Tuesday, Court of Appeal Judge Dawn Gregory affirmed George’s ruling. In dismissing the appeal, Gregory

ruled that Browne and Ramkissoon are not lawful members of the National Assembly, since they were on the Candidate List.

Having considered all the arguments, Justice Gregory noted that despite the merits of the appellants’ arguments, the meaning of elected member in article 232 of the Constitution of Guyana has been pronounced upon before, such as in the case of Trotman vs Attorney General.

Justice Gregory further noted that the Chief Justice

acted in law and the principle of Stare Decisis by following the precedent set in Attorney General vs Morian, which was first decided by the late Chief Justice Ian Chang in 2016, and whose decision was later affirmed by the Court of Appeal.

In 2015, PPP/C member Dennis Morian had filed a constitutional motion against then Attorney General Basil Williams, SC, challenging the legality of the appointments of former A Partnership for

National Unity/Alliance for Change (APNU/AFC)

Technocrat Ministers Keith Scott and Winston Felix. Felix, who was at the time the Minister of Citizenship, and Scott the Minister with responsibility for Labour, were candidates on the APNU/AFC’s List of Candidates for the 2015 General and Regional Elections.

AG vs Morian AG vs Morian is a case that saw the late former Chief Justice Chang overturning the appointments of APNU technocrat Ministers Keith Scott and Winston Felix in 2016. Since they had both been on the APNU/AFC List of Candidates for the 2015 elections, Chang had ruled that they were unlawfully occupying their seats. Then-Attorney General Basil Williams had appealed Justice Chang’s decision to the Court of Appeal, but had lost.

According to Justice Gregory, the court affirms the High Court’s consistent interpretation of an elected Member of Parliament, which is taken to mean members who were extracted from the List of Candidates. It therefore must be determined if the Parliamentary Secretaries fall under the other category of persons qualified to be elected.

Justice Gregory pointed out that the Morian case lays out the qualifications for someone to be elected, which is also specified in Article 53 of the Constitution. She further noted that Chief Justice Chang had ruled that someone qualified to be elected refers to someone who had not contested the election and had met the requirements of Article 53.

Justice Gregory affirmed that the definition of qualified to be elected was intended to refer to persons who had never faced the electorate. According to her, neither Browne nor Ramkissoon fits this bill, since they were candidates on the PPP/C Candidate List but were also not extracted from the List of Candidates to be elected

Members of Parliament.

And noting the importance of Article 186 of the Constitution to the case, Justice Gregory affirmed that the Chief Justice did not misconstrue the article in her 2021 ruling. The Court of Appeal therefore ruled that the appointments of the Parliamentary Secretaries were unlawful, and awarded costs.

Applying the reasoning in the Attorney General vs Morian, Chief Justice George, in April 2021, had held, inter alia, that Browne and Ramkissoon’s appointments violated Articles 113, 186, and 103 (3) of the Constitution.

She had ruled that they cannot be appointed as non-elected Members of Parliament (MPs), since they were named on the List of Candidates presented by the PPP/C.

Attorney General Anil Nandlall, SC, then appealed Justice George’s decision to the Appeal Court, arguing, among other things, that her findings were erroneous and misconceived in law.

Nandlall had submitted that historically, in Guyana, Parliamentary Secretaries

were appointed from among members of the National Assembly, and the category of persons who may be appointed as Parliamentary Secretaries was expanded in the 1980 Constitution to include persons who were qualified to be elected.

In fact, he reminded that in the Ninth Parliament, Pauline Sukhai, now Amerindian Affairs Minister, whose name appeared on the List of Candidates for the PPP/C, was appointed a Parliamentary Secretary to assist the Tourism Minister as a non-elected member of the National Assembly, without any objection for the duration of that Parliament.

He had also reminded that during the Tenth Parliament, Joseph Hamilton, now Labour Minister, whose name did not appear on the List of Candidates for PPP/C or any other List of Candidates, was appointed a Parliamentary Secretary as a non-elected member without any objection for the duration of that Parliament.

Having regard to these circumstances, Nandlall had argued that the appeal against the Chief Justice’s ruling is not only grounded in merit, but raises fundamental issues of interpretation of the Constitution, as well as issues integral to Guyana’s parliamentary and constitutional democracy.

In the extant appeal, Nandlall was represented by Trinidad and Tobago (T&T) Senior Counsel Douglas Mendes, while Senior Counsel Roysdale Forde had appeared for the Opposition Chief Whip.

- says appeal had some merit, but High Court

Parliamentary Secretaries Sarah Brown and Vickash Ramkissoon when they took their oaths of office

Opposition Chief Whip Christopher Jones

Attorney General Anil Nandlall, SC

Court of Appeal Judge Dawn Gregory

Former Chief Justice, the late Ian Chang

Ramsammy’s Ruminations

GUYANA REAFFIRMS ITS PURSUIT OF A NON-ALIGNED FOREIGN AFFAIRS POLICY

President Irfaan Ali spoke eloquently and movingly at the recent LAC-EU meeting in France. His address to the leaders from the LAC and EU countries expressed Guyana’s gratitude to Cuba for standing with Guyana through thick and thin. Under the PPP, Guyana has not only mouthedoff on a nonaligned policy, but our policies and actions have shown that our country will be friends with countries that are on the so-called left and right.

Guyana has strong relations with North American and European countries, and with countries in Africa, Asia, the Middle East and across the Americas. While there are hostilities between Israel and some Middle East countries, Guyana enjoys strong friendly relations with both Israel and all the Middle East countries. We have equally strong relations with Cuba, China and America. Guyana’s foreign policy is not based on other countries’ friends and foes.

While our relationship with America has never been stronger and more based on mutual respect, we have not weakened in any way our bonds with Cuba. With an even stronger relationship with America, Guyana has not refrained from insisting that America ends its economic and political embargo against Cuba. In November 2022 at the UN, for the 30th successive year, Guyana voted with 186 other countries for America to halt the embargo. America and Israel were the only countries that voted against the resolution to end the embargo. Brazil and Ukraine abstained.

To be fair, America’s relationship with Guyana also has not been based on who our friends are. America has not coerced Guyana to abandon its bonds with Cuba. Indeed, in America itself, almost 60% of its citizens believe the time has come to end the embargo.

President Ali spoke directly to leaders and citizens of the EU and LAC, reminding them that Cuba has been there for countries when COVID-19 began its onslaught and killing spree around the world. When doctors, nurses, and health workers from many countries were afraid in the early days, when there were lockdowns and people could not travel, Cuban doctors and nurses came to the rescue of many countries. Guyana was one of the countries where Cuban doctors and nurses came to help.

Cuba did not ask for payment; Cuba only wanted to know if we needed help, and without bureaucratic hold-ups, they sent their own transportation doctors and nurses to our country. COVID-19 was not the first time, nor would it be the last time. We cannot forget that in many countries, particularly Africa, when HIV and AIDS were in the early days, when medicines were not available and AIDS was a death sentence, it was the Cuban doctors and nurses that provided much-needed help. In an expression of profound and extreme gratitude, President Ali reminded the world.

For more than sixty years now, Cuban doctors, nurses, and other first responders have been deployed into some of the most horrifying calamities in recent history. Earthquakes in Indonesia, Pakistan, Haiti, Turkey/ Cyprus; a cholera outbreak in Haiti, and the Ebola epidemic in West Africa, where they continue to gain admiration and international plaudits for their hazardous frontline work. In 2020, when hopelessness prevailed around the world as COVID-19 left a trail of corpses everywhere with an era-shaping catastrophe, Cuban doctors and nurses were on the ground once again in many countries, only this time in less common locations, such as Europe. In the midst of a catastrophe in Italy in early 2020, with dead bodies accumulating in Lombardy, 39 Cuban doctors arrived to provide care for COVID-19 patients.

Almost two years ago, President Lopez Obrador of Mexico expressed similar sentiments when he acknowledged Cuba’s humanitarian support to Mexico, the latest of which was Cuba’s support for Mexico’s COVID-19 response.

Many years earlier, President Nelson Mandela spoke of Africa’s gratitude to Cuba. President Ali was not timid in letting the world know that Guyana cherishes our bond with Cuba.

There are actually hundreds of thousands of doctors from developing countries that have been trained in Cuba or trained by Cuban specialists in medical schools around the world. In 1989, when Guyana’s School of Medicine was commissioned, it was the Cubans who made it possible. There are still more than a hundred Cuban doctors and nurses providing health-care to our people as part of the Cuban brigade.

The embargo is unfair. It is costing the Cuban economy about $US6B per year, or about $US15M per day. For more than sixty years, Cuba has endured this debilitating embargo. President Barak Obama realized that the embargo is punishing the Cuban people and had not provided an incentive for the Government to introduce reforms. President Trump reversed some ease in the embargo President Obama introduced. President Biden has preserved much of the hardening of the embargo introduced by President Trump.

As much as Guyana is on a trajectory to strengthen further our relationships with countries like America, Canada, Britain, the EU, Brazil, Israel, and other countries that have voted against removing the embargo, or have abstained over time, Guyana is not afraid to stand firm that Cuba must be free from the embargo.

Guyana, as it has with all our diplomatic relationships, has based its position on principle. Not only has Guyana been continuing to build its bonds with Cuba, but our President is also willing to speak out on behalf of our friends in that island country. We mean it when we say we are a non-aligned country. It is why our President can publicly insist we stand with Cuba. It is also why we can say definitively that we oppose the war in Ukraine.

Over 230 educators benefit from inclusive education, learning disabilities training

More than 230 teachers and education partners have benefited from an inclusive education and learning disabilities training programme hosted by Project Inc.

The educators were drawn from Regions Four (Demerara-Mahaica), Six (East Berbice-Corentyne), and Ten (Upper DemeraraBerbice)

Project Inc, or Inclusive Education Project, is funded by the United States (US) Department of State through the Alumni Engagement Innovation Fund (AEIF), and aims to equip relevant stakeholders with the necessary skills to identify and respond to learning disabilities.

The two-day workshop was designed by a team of alumni from the US Embassy's Youth Ambassadors’ Programme.

“I am particularly pleased to see the varied topics of discussion, from dyslexia to inclusion in the classroom, to ensure that our education partners have broader perspectives that can foster inclusion in the classroom and make accom-

Guyanese student studying ...

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In June 2023, Singh’s paper, currently under review with a reputable journal, was recognised and accepted by the IABSE International Conference in New Delhi for a presentation in September 2023. Now it has been selected for the UNESCO Forum.

Singh has conveyed that he will be proudly representing Guyana at the forum, and will be giving a presentation on Guyana’s own local natural heritage: the Kaieteur National Park, which he believes deserves to be a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the future.

During a telephone interaction with the High Commissioner of India to Guyana, Dr. K.J Srinivasa, he expressed gratitude to the High Commission, IIT Bombay and ICCR, for the opportunity to study and conduct research at one of the world’s most prestigious institutions, and for the recognition of his achievement by IIT Bombay and the UNESCO Forum.

High Commissioner Srinivasa congratulated the Guyanese student, and urged him to keep the Guyana flag flying high, and also to represent the land of his ancestors –India - at the Forum.

modations for students with learning disabilities,” said Public Affairs Officer at the US Embassy in Guyana, Kelly McCray, posted on a social media platform.

Through these training sessions, nursery, primary and secondary level teachers engaged education and disabilities specialists in conversations related to specific learning disabilities, educational reform, inclusive education, and oral and written communication disorders.

According to an earlier social media statement, Project Inc noted that these sessions seek to emphasize the need for inclusive teaching strategies, an integrat-

ed teaching approach, and ways of identifying and managing students with learning disabilities while fostering inclusivity in the classroom.

The most recent session, this past weekend in Linden, was facilitated by Occupational Therapist Erica Canterbury; facilitator Simone Proffitt; Special Education Needs (SEN) Officer

Gale Layne-Blue, and mental health expert Dr. Indhira Harry.

Project Inc’s overarching goal is to ensure equi-

table opportunities for all students to learn, contribute and participate in all aspects of their school life.

Dr Leslie Ramsammy

Project Inc training Linden teachers in inclusive education

Berbice NDC, contractors clash over removal of sand for Palmyra, other projects

The Corentyne Highway was temporarily blocked on Tuesday as contractors protested a decision to stop them from removing sand from Number 58 Village for developmental works at Palmyra.

A new sports stadium and several housing projects comprising about 700 houses, in addition to a gated community, hotels and a hospital are among the developments set for Palmyra.

According to President Dr Irfaan Ali, about $10 billion will be spent to push the community’s transformation in 2023. The developmental project also includes the construction of a call centre and a business centre for persons living with disabilities (PWD), which are nearing completion.

The five-year project will also see the development of a Deep Water harbour and the possibility of an oil refinery.

However, Tuesday’s standoff climaxed after the

contractors were told that they would have to cease digging sand from the area until they comply with all of the requirements to grant them permission.

About two months ago, contractors started to remove sand from an area adjacent to the newly-built $1 billion farm-to-market road at number 58 Village Corentyne. Sand was reportedly being extracted from very close to the road shoulders, and this prompted the intervention of the Number 52-63

Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC).

The NDC reportedly instructed the contractors not to remove sand within 30 feet of the road shoulders, while at the same time expressing concerns over damages caused to the road as a result of the weight of the lorries.

Extraction was temporarily stopped about three weeks ago, and then the NDC gave the green light to go ahead.

Anirudh Ramcharitar of A. Ramcharitar & Son Construction Firm explained that the NDC officials visited the site at Number 58 Village and contractors were told that they cannot traverse along the all-weather farm-to-market road.

“They pinpointed what we have to do and to leave so much from the road shoulder. Put a tube at the entrance where we are coming out from, and let us go ahead with our work. We did that,” he said.

However, things changed on Monday. “Yesterday again they (NDC) come in and stopped us. They said it is because of the road issue. They arrange for a meeting this morning at the NDC. We went there at 8 O’clock and no one was there. We waited until 9:30 and no one turned up. We came to the site and they were here and they say that the engineer has to check the road. Now there is a different story with Geology and Mines Commission… This is private property and now we can’t fetch no sand. They stopped the whole process,” Ramcharitar disclosed.

Reports are that the NDC and others have expressed concern over the craters which are being left.

The extracting of sand from Number 58 Village, Corentyne has been put on hold following the intervention of Public Works Ministry engineer Amin Hollingsworth after he visited the site on Tuesday. According to Ramcharitar, he purchased the land adjacent to the road and therefore has the right to remove the sand on this property. He stated that between three to seven feet of the top layer is sand, which he was removing when he was stopped.

However, activist Gobin Harbhajan, who had initially put forward the proposal for the road to be built all the way to the Canje River, to open new lands for farming, says the purpose of establishing the road is being defeated when the sand is removed.

He argues that the land can no longer be used for farming, or even residential purposes, since its value has been depreciated to a point that only a landfill site can be established there.

Harbhajan believes contractors can source sand from other locations.

“This road here was to be used to get out paddy and other produce, and the weight now on the road with these trucks with sand is about 40 tonnes. This road will break away pretty soon. Yes, the contractors have Government contracts, but at the end of the day, there

are other places that they can get sand from,” he said while referring to the villages of Alness and Bush Lot.

“Everybody is looking for easy access because of the all-weather road,” he added.

Sections of the road have begun to deteriorate, but the contractor told the media that he had made arrangements with the NDC to repair the road, once they had completed extracting the sand.

Chairman of the Number 52-63 NDC, Hemraj Ghansham, says there are concerns over the damage being caused to the road. He stated that he had instructed contractors on more than one occasion to visit the NDC so that proper arrangements can be put in place.

He explained that contractors will have to get permission from Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) as well as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and will be required to pay a royalty to the GGMC on sand extracted if permission is granted.

The NDC also has the authority to request a royalty, which is currently not being paid. Ghansham added that he is in receipt of numerous complaints from residents over damage being done along the road surface, and would have also visited to inspect.

“This has been the third time I am asking these truck drivers to seek the relevant permission from the NDC before they do their digging and using our infrastructure, our road. None of the

contractors have come in to the NDC. I asked them on many occasions to come in for a discussion on the way forward, because whenever someone is coming to an NDC area to do digging and extraction, they must report to the NDC first.”

Ghansham related that upon inspecting the road, it is evident that some damage has been done to the road surface. Further, he stated that the engineer will have to assess the damage, and noted that from his assessment, based of the depth the contractors have dug, the road will cave in in the future.

Meanwhile, there has been a shortage in the acquisition of reef or red sand used in road construction in Region Six. This is as a result of the massive road rehabilitation and construction work taking place across the region.

Contracts for over 300 roads were awarded to contractors for road works in Region Six in 2022, and a further fifty were awarded for the first half of 2023. Additionally, the Corentyne Highway is to be widened and resurfaced, which will see more than fifty miles of road network being built, further impacting the already short supply of reef sand.

One contractor has been extracting sand from the bottom of the Corentyne River, which has little impact on the environment but significantly alters the cost for sand upwards, and will ultimately carry us the cost for road construction if that avenue is explored.

(Andrew Carmichael)

Sand being stockpiled at Palmyra for developmental works

The holes that are left after sand is removed

52-63 NDC Chairman, Hemraj Ghansham

BFA Senior Men’s League… Beacons, Rising Stars pick up win

Former champions

Beacons FC registered an emphatic 6-0 triumph over bottom team Lazio on Monday, July 24 to move within a point of cup holders Rivers View, at the top of the nine-team Senior Men's League (SML) points table of the Bartica Football Association.

Clint Kellman opened the scoring in the 32nd minute and Whitney Welcome doubled the lead three minutes later. Thirteen minutes into the second half, Kellman netted again to increase the advantage to 3-0. A five-minute three-goal blitz initiated by Jermaine Christian in the 65th minute ended a humbling night for Lazio. Also getting on the score sheet were Oswin Joseph in the 69th minute and Shameer Mentore 60 seconds later.

It was the third win from five matches and helped Beacons to 11 points and second place, overtaking Potaro Strikers by one point. For Lazio, it was the third loss as they remain at the bottom of

the table with a solitary point after four outings.

The other game was highlighted by Ian Gomes, whose hat-trick singlehandedly disposed of Wolves United. Gomes found the target in the 32nd, 55th and 57th minutes to secure a second victory for Rising Stars, who moved to eight points and remain in fourth position after six games.

Wolves, who took the

Bronny stable, out of ICU following cardiac arrest

Bronny James, the eldest son of Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James, suffered cardiac arrest Monday at the University of Southern California (USC) and is in stable condition.

"Yesterday while practising Bronny James suffered a cardiac arrest," a James family spokesperson said in a statement. "Medical staff was able to treat Bronny and take him to the hospital. He is now in stable condition and no longer in ICU. We ask for respect and privacy for the James family and we will update media when there is more information.

"LeBron and Savannah wish to publicly send their deepest thanks and appreciation to the USC medical and athletic staff for their incredible work and dedication to the safety of their athletes."

Center.

When reached by ESPN, USC Athletics declined to comment on the situation citing student privacy concerns.

Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin, who has resumed his career after suffering cardiac arrest during a "Monday Night Football" game last season, posted his support for James on social media Tuesday.

James, 18, is entering his freshman year at USC and is ranked 20th in the 2023 ESPN 100 rankings. He is the sixth-rated point guard in the class of 2023.

It is the second straight year the Trojans programme has had a player suffer cardiac arrest.

was preparing to leave next week for an exhibition tour in Croatia and Greece.

Per National

lead of the game in the second minute thanks to Ivelaw Ramsdeen, have played one game less and were left on three points in sixth place.

Another double-header is slated for tonight at the Bartica Community Centre Ground, where Potaro Strikers meet Mil Ballers at 19:00h (7 pm), followed by AK Galaxy against Agatash United at 21:00h (9 pm).

Bishops’ basketball team depart Guyana for US training camp

Los Angeles Fire Department confirmed through a spokesperson that they responded to a medical emergency involving "an adult male" at 21:26h Monday and sent paramedics to the Galen

Center Vincent Iwuchukwu, one of the top incoming freshmen in college basketball last season, suffered cardiac arrest on July 1, 2022, and was hospitalised for a few days. He returned to play for USC in January, appearing in 14 games.

James was set to begin his collegiate career overseas as USC men's basketball

Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) rules, USC was granted 10 extra practice days to prepare for the exhibition tour that will include a series of matchups in Athens and Mykonos, Greece, and Dubrovnik, Croatia. (ESPN)

The Bishops’ High School (BHS) basketball team on Tuesday left Guyana for the famed DT Elite Basketball Training and Cultural Exposure Camp in Washington, DC, USA.

According to information obtained, the camp offers

not only the opportunity to improve the students' basketball abilities, but also encourage their social development and create awareness of their full potential, both on and off the court.

The camp will run from July 27 to August 6, and the BHS players will be in-

volved in daily training sessions from 09:00h to 12:00h (9:00 am to 12:00 pm).

The lessons will be painstakingly-crafted and planned with the express objective of sharpening their basketball prowess to new heights, according to the statement.

Hat-trick hero for Rising Stars, Ian Gomes

The Bishops’ High School basketball team

Mohamed’s Enterprise sponsors $1M 1st prize for Kares One Guyana T10

Mohamed’s Enterprise has continued its overwhelming support for sport in Guyana by funding the $1 million first prize for the inaugural Kares One Guyana T10 set for July 29 and July 30 in Georgetown.

The benevolence was extended to cover the transportation cost of the Moruca team, who will compete in the tournament. Managing Director at Mohamed’s Enterprise, Azruddin Mohamed, indicated he was happy to be part of the tournament that he believes would spark immense grassroots involvement in cricket.

The organising group – FL Sport – expressed immense thanks to Mohamed for his support, noting that he was one of the first to quickly pledge tangible support to give youths a massive platform to express their talent.

More so, President Dr Irfaan Ali, the tournament’s patron, recently recommitted his support for the tourney, noting it was an event that would bring many people together from various communities under the “One Guyana” banner.

This year, the tournament has 32 teams, who have come from all regions except Region Nine.

Several active and former national players will feature for their teams over the two-

day extravaganza. Preliminary matches will be staged at the Police Sports Club, the Guyana Defence Force, and Queen’s College Grounds; YMCA and Transport Sports Club, while the finals will be held at the Everest Cricket Ground on July 30.

The first-ever champions will pocket $1 million, while the losing finalist will collect $300,000.

GFF pleased with pace of D’Urban Park work

…facility to be used for grassroots programme soon

The Guyana Football Federation’s proposed National Technical Centre at D’Urban Park, Georgetown is close to completing the first phase of the project after overcoming hurdles.

The first phase of the massive undertaking was to have half of the land cleared, levelled and sand filled for use.

ple months and years,” he said.

In short-term plans for the facility, Forde divulged that the first way in which they would be utilising the land is for a summer grassroots programme for children.

The two losing semi-finalists will walk away with $100,000 each. There will also be prizes for outstanding individual performances.

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

Admission is free to all venues.

“The land was low, there was a lot of flooding taking place and we saw the need to do this phase of the work. The other reason why we’re doing this, is because we know many of the kids – boys and girls – from the community – Hadfield, D’Urban Street, Wortmanville community, they don’t have access to good, safe spaces for playing football,” GFF President Wayne Forde said about the project.

Forde went on to address the stumbling block that the contractors, McGregor’s Real Estate Development, faced in attempting to complete the project in the initial onemonth timeline.

Forde revealed, “The main factor that contributed to the delay is not the rain, but the availability of sand. The demand, as we would have noticed from traversing the East Bank, sand trucks are literal-

ly hauling sand 24 hours a day and that’s because of the massive amount of projects being undertak-

“One of the first football activities that we plan to have out here is the grassroots summer programme that is going to be announced on Friday. So, we’re hoping that, at the D’Urban Park facility, we’ll

en by the Government of Guyana.”

“So, they were challenged in accessing sand.”

Nonetheless, the GFF boss expressed satisfaction at the pace of the D’Urban Park works.

“This phase of the project is costing the GFF $23.6M and we anticipate that, all things going well, by next year we will pursue the sand filling of the second half of the facility here. This is all in preparation for the work that will take place in the next cou-

mark out a nice little space and equip it with the goals and all the other facilities we need to have, so the young boys and girls can come out here, whether it’s two, three days a week and introduce themselves to football,” Forde disclosed.

This phase of the project is being funded by the One CONCACAF Fund. The GFF acquired the 7.3acre plot of land, on which it intends to construct an 8000-12,000 capacity football stadium on a 50-year lease. (Jemima Holmes)

Noel misses out at World Aquatics Championships

Guyana’s Raekwon

Noel produced two stellar first-place finishes at the World Aquatics Championships in Japan, but his outstanding performances were not quick enough to advance him to the next round of competition.

Noel won the Men's 400m freestyle in 4:05.70, only missing his national record

of 4:03.57 established at the CARIFTA Games.

Noel achieved a new national record in the 200m butterfly with a winning time of 2:05.65, breaking his previous mark of 2:05.85 set during the CARIFTA Games.

The spotlight is now on Guyana's other two contenders in Japan – Aleka Persaud and Leon Seaton Jr, who are yet to compete at the Games.

Azruddin Mohamed collects his tournament jersey from CoDirector of the tournament, Akeem Greene

GFF President Wayne Forde

GFF President Wayne Forde in conversation with GFF First VP Bruce Lovell and McGregor’s representatives Tinisha Benn and Lisa Neils at the D’Urban Park facility

Raekwon Noel

Love and commitment to their favourite Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League (CPL) team shone brightly on Tuesday morning, as hundreds of Guyana Amazon

GAW fans rush box office for CPL 2023 tickets

20:00h on Monday night, left their homes to ensure they were first in line to get their hands on physical tickets for this year’s Biggest Party in Sport.

For the Guyana Amazon Warriors games, Green Stand tickets are priced at $6000, Red Stand at $5500, Orange Stand $3500 and grass mound $2500. All of the Warriors’ home games will begin at 19:00h on game

Individual patrons are being allowed to purchase 10 tickets per game.

Meanwhile, the first fans to get their hands on tickets were a group from Berbice, namely Balram, Shaleeza, Ryan and Chelsea, who revealed that they left home at 8pm on Monday and began lining up in Georgetown at 12am.

“Well, we leave home 8pm last night and we reach here at 10 o’clock, we nap outside in the car and 12 o’clock we start lining up. We didn’t really sleep, we were to see if anybody coming and line up before us. Yes, very much excited,” Balram shared.

“It looks like it’s a little, but it’s a lot,” Shaleeza added.

Another Berbician fan noted that she left the Ancient County at 02:00am on Tuesday.

“I actually came from

“Very satisfying,” Richie Doodnauth said about being able to secure his tickets, “I came here at 3 o’clock in the morning to just reach here on time. I’m a big Amazon Warriors fans and I’m really looking forward to this.

Another fan, Bishwa Dharamraj, who was among the first to grab tickets, expressed his confidence in the local franchise.

Dharamraj said, “I excited I get all 10 tickets for all the games for me and my family and my friends them. I’m hoping we get good games from the Amazon Warriors this year. I hope we win this year, Amazon all the way.

year, we got to capture it because everybody on the lookout for that part,” Dharamraj further stated.

The box office will be operated from 09:00h to 16:30h on weekdays and from 09:00h to 13:00h on Saturdays. The office will be closed on Sundays.

In addition, the GAW Merchandise Store, housed in the same building, has also been opened for business.

Warriors (GAW) fans queued up outside the Camp Street, Georgetown box office awaiting their opportunity to get their hands on tickets.

GAW fans, as early as

day. For the day games at the National Stadium, featuring neutral teams, only Green Stand tickets are available for purchase and have been priced at $2000.

Berbice and I left home at 2 this morning. I actually meet here about 5 to 4, so, since then I was in the line, lining up for this ticket,” she related to Guyana Times Sport.

The fan added, “Yes, it was worth it and I actually got my tickets and I’m excited. I’m excited and I do hope the Amazon Warriors win this year. I don’t have a favourite, but I’m hoping [Shimron] Hetmyer perform this year and make us proud.”

Another fan was quite excited, knowing that he would be able to see his favourite player on show.

As you can see, I got all my tickets here. Very, very excited, I’m a big supporter of the Amazon Warriors.”

“Believe it or not my favourite person in the team is [Rahmanullah] Gurbaz, I just want to see him bat, that’s all. The first game that he played was last year against St Lucia Kings, he performed well and I hope he can do that again this season,” Doodnauth went on to share.

“I leave home since 3:30 and I park over there, ma and my son.

“We’re improving, we’re improving. We always go near to the finals but this

The Guyana leg of this year’s RBL CPL season bowls off on Wednesday, September 13, with a clash between the home team and the defending champions Jamaica Tallawahs.

On Thursday, September 14, GAW will take on the St Lucia Kings.

The Amazon Warriors will be back in action on Saturday, September 16, in a much-anticipated clash with the Trinbago Knight Riders.

Earlier on that day, the St Kitts and Nevis Patriots will oppose the Jamaica Tallawahs from 10:00h.

The game next day (Sunday, September 17) at Providence, also bowling off at 10:00h, will see the St Lucia Kings and Jamaica Tallawahs locking horns. Later that night, GAW will come up against the Barbados Royals.

These games will be followed by the knockouts and finals in Guyana, which are scheduled for September 19, 20, 22 and 24. Tickets for those games have not been made available as yet.

Scenes from the GAW box office at Camp Street where fans queued up for tickets on Tuesday morning

Excited GAW fans show off their tickets for the RBL CPL 2023