Guyana Times -Wednesday, June 28, 2023

Census 2022

Increases in migrants, education levels among preliminary findings – Chief Statistician

…Bureau conducting verification, additional enumeration

By Jarryl Bryan

Increased migrant populations and more professionals in the work force than ever before are among the observations that the Bureau of Statistics has made from the preliminary findings of the 2022 census, which is currently in its penultimate stages as the Bureau conducts verifications and additional enumeration.

In an exclusive interview with this publication, Chief Statistician Errol La Cruez was asked about changes in population trends since the last census in 2012. While details from the 2022 census are still subject to change as the process of verification and enumeration is not complete, La Cruez did confirm that the census captured population increases.

This includes a general increase in population and specifically, increases in the migrant population, levels of education in the general population and number of professionals. In fact, the increase in professionals has complicated data collection, since such persons are often not at home

and are thus more likely to be missed by enumerators. When it comes to the migrants, La Cruz noted that the migrant population increase correlates with the pattern of cross-border migration that has been observed over the years.

“There is an important clarification here. And I know a lot of the migrants are persons who are coming from Venezuela, but it’s not just them. We have migrants from all over the world, particularly the persons who have migrated back from Venezuela. A lot of them are re-migrants. Of course, we are still seeing that increase in migrant pop-

ulations. And there are some regions, particularly the border regions, where you’re seeing an increase.”

“I wouldn’t want to give too much information until we properly analyse. But we are seeing some changes in terms of the composition of families and the number of children that families are having. I don’t think this is a surprise to anyone. In previous years you had larger families. Now you’re having smaller families,” La Cruez said.

Covering all bases

La Cruez, meanwhile, explained why they are doing ad-

ditional enumeration. He noted that during the first stage of the enumeration, there were persons the census would have missed. As such, they are seeking to cover them in the exercise.

“We’re now in the second stage, where we’re doing verification of the households who we were able to contact, who we would have been able to get information from. And we’re also going to be doing further enumeration, where we’re going back to those households where we were unable to meet the person, probably the head of the household.”

“The other process, the further enumeration, that’s where we’re trying to identify households and perhaps groups where we may have under covered, perhaps for different reasons. And we’re trying to reach these groups again. That process is multifaceted, just like verification is layered. And it involves… for instance yesterday we used text blasts, encouraging them if they believe they were not counted they can go on our website and submit their information,” he also said.

According to La Cruz, the

Bureau will first of all verify whether the person was indeed not counted. If this is the case, then the Bureau will itself make contact with the person. In fact, the Chief Statistician appealed to persons who may not have been counted, to reach out to the Bureau of Statistics.

He explained that the Bureau is willing to schedule a visit with persons so they can be counted at a time convenient to them. The Chief Statistician further noted the importance of everyone being counted and assured that individual information is not released by the census. Rather, information as a collective is used by Government and private sector alike to make crucial decisions on development.

“Whatever information you supply to us, you can be rest assured that it is held strictly confidential. And whatever information you supply to us, it goes a long way to ensuring there is impactful development in your community. And it is used in aggregate form across Government, private sector industries, ordinary citizens, students, use census data on a daily basis. The 2012

census was done 10-plus years ago. Today, people are still using data from that census.”

“So, it is important that you contribute to the development of our community, neighbourhoods and country, by participating in the census. The information you gave, however mundane you think it might be, goes a long way to providing insight needed by policymakers that drive policies and investments. Schools, bridges, hospitals, roads, electricity, all of these things are informed by census data. Census data is a critical part of it,” La Cruez said.

The Bureau of Statistics can be contacted at telephone numbers 227-1155, 226-0982 and 227-0835. There is still time, as La Cruez explained that the verification and enumeration exercise may take well into August to complete. (G3)

Chief Statistician Errol La Cruz

An enumerator conducting the census

BRIDGE OPENINGS

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

Wednesday, June 28 – 00:30h – 02:00h and Thursday, June 29 – 01:00h – 02:30h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Wednesday, June 28 – 11:35h – 13:05h and Thursday, June 29 – 12:45h – 14:15h.

FERRY SCHEDULE

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

WEATHER TODAY

There will be thundery showers and sunshine during the day. Expect thundery showers at night. Temperatures should range between 23 degrees Celsius and 31 degrees Celsius.

Winds: South-Easterly to Easterly between 2.23 metres and 4.02 metres.

High Tide: 12:15h reaching a maximum height of 2.27 metres.

Low Tide: 18:09h reaching a minimum height of 0.94 metre.

Time for integrated policies, action to secure food & nutrition – Pres Ali tells CELAC

Giving the Latin American and Caribbean countries a wake-up call on Tuesday, President Dr Irfaan Ali shared the grim reality that the current framework to achieve food security and nutrition is not working, as he called for a re-engineering of current policies.

The Guyanese leader addressed the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States’ (CELAC) high-level Ministers of Agriculture meeting at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC), calling for an action plan to come out of this engagement.

Between 2019 and 2021, the number of hungry people increased by 13.2 million in the Region. Severe food insecurity in Latin America and the Caribbean was higher than the global average. The Region also had the highest cost attached for a healthy diet.

Fearing it will disrupt

their business arrangements, Ali pointed out that distributors are also finding it easier to import ‘all junk from outside’ into the Region.

“So, we have a supply problem. We have an eating problem. We have a system problem but now we have an economic problem. Because

the model we’re using to feed the people in our Region has resulted in the highest cost for a healthy diet. Something is wrong.”

“The existing framework is not working! Whatever we’re doing in this moment has given the people of our Region the highest cost for a healthy

diet,” he highlighted. Ali told regional leaders that producing more food and integrating food security objectives while reducing poverty and inequality, remains the key to ensuring food and nutrition security in Latin America and the Caribbean.

LOTTERY NUMBERS

President Irfaan Ali with other officials at the high-level CELAC meeting on Tuesday

Editor: Tusika Martin

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

Holistic strategy for healthier lifestyles

Guyanese Head of State, President Irfaan Ali on Tuesday called for Governments to develop a “holistic strategy” for nutrition in order for citizens to eat healthier.

Speaking at the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) high-level meeting of agriculture ministers, Ali said: “Nutritional change and health changes must be built into the education system.”

Some time ago, Guyana’s Health Minister , Dr Frank Anthony had called out Guyanese on our bad eating habits, saying that in addition to consumption of alcohol and smoking cigarettes, “we eat the wrong food, and move away from fresh, healthy foods. We eat a lot of fast foods and drink a lot of sugar-sweetened beverages. These contribute to diabetes, and we have to change them. In addition, a lot of our population has moved to an inactive way of living”.

Every year, Guyana joins with regional countries as part of a unified response to promote health, and prevent and control the epidemic of non-communicable diseases, or NCDs.

The COVID-19 pandemic and its devastating impacts on individuals and communities as a whole were yet another stark reminder that both the health authorities and citizens must continue to take the issue of NCDs very seriously.

According to PAHO/WHO, people with underlying health conditions such as NCDs, including cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and cancer, have a higher risk of severe COVID-19 disease, and are more likely to die from COVID-19. Risk factors for NCDs can make people more vulnerable to becoming severely ill. For example, smokers may have reduced lung capacity, which would greatly increase their risk of serious illness.

Even before the pandemic, poor lifestyle choices, such as tobacco use, alcohol abuse, unhealthy diets, and physical inactivity, had resulted in large numbers of people falling sick and dying.

It is also believed that around 40 per cent of Guyanese are either overweight or obese, and of that number, the majority are women.

Health experts say that chronic diseases result largely from bad food choices and low levels of physical activity.

Further, NCDs come at a high cost to individuals and nation states in terms of human suffering, expensive treatment, and loss of production. It is estimated that the direct and indirect costs of treating NCDs in Guyana are over 10 per cent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

What is noteworthy is the realisation that most cases of chronic NCDs are avoidable, and it is within our individual power to prevent these diseases from affecting our lives.

So, how do we make the breakthrough when it comes to getting our citizens to adopt healthy lifestyles, considering the fact that some persons still operate with a high degree of ignorance?

To begin with, we believe that there is need for greater awareness and knowledge in the society about the dangers of chronic illnesses. On this basis, we urge that there be continuous public education and awareness campaigns across the country to address various health issues.

Research has shown that the numerous media campaigns on HIV/AIDS prevention and care, stigma and discrimination have impacted positively on attitudes and lifestyle changes; and messages in a similar fashion should be created towards addressing NCDs such as hypertension and diabetes, or dealing with overweightness and obesity.

The Government, even though it must take the lead as it relates to policy drafting and implementation, etc, cannot do it alone. The entire society must be actively involved.

It is well accepted that better health is central to human happiness and well-being. It also makes an important contribution to economic progress, as healthy populations live longer, are more productive, and save more. Everyone should, therefore, aim to live a healthy and full life, and to avoid becoming trapped by NCDs.

The principal question now is, indeed as President Ali put it to the CELAC high-level meeting of agriculture ministers, “how do we reverse our focus on nutrition [so that nutrition is not just] … for old people, or for sick people or for people after 35?”

Interest rate question and the Petroleum Bill

Dear Editor, Reference is made to a Kaieteur News editorial dated June 25th, 2023 with the caption “New oil bill proves PPP promise of Petroleum Commission just a pipe dream.” The editorial contended that the draft bill proposes to confer sweeping powers upon the Minister, representing a significant expansion of political authority over the oil and gas sector. The provisions in the bill that would enable the Minister to cede these powers to an independent Petroleum Commission are particularly troubling for some stakeholders, according to the editorial.

Editor, I respectfully submit that this editorial is somewhat misguided. To this end, it must be noted that the Petroleum Activities Bill deals exclusively with the management of petroleum activities, whereas the primary function of a Petroleum Commission is of a regulatory nature. Hence, these are two distinct functions, that should be separate from each other. As such, the Petroleum Commission ought to be governed by a separate piece of legislation.

With this in mind, the regulatory functions of the industry and the management functions are both carried out by the Ministry at this time. It is understood that when a Petroleum Commission is established, the regulatory functions

shall be transferred to the Commission.

It should be appreciated as well that, since the Petroleum Commission is intended to be an independent body, the procedure for its establishment will have to conform with procedures associated with setting up a bipartisan functioning agency. For example, it may require a minimum of a two-thirds majority of the National Assembly to approve the same, the Commissioners will have to be sanctioned by both the Government and Opposition, and other stakeholder representatives should be included.

It is wise, therefore, to ensure that the framework to manage the sector is updated with modern laws and regulations that are fully functional and operational, and then the next step would be to work on establishing the regulatory framework viz-á-viz the Petroleum Commission.

Editor, on a different note, I would like to address another issue that has to do with the interest rate question posed to the Vice President by Kaieteur News, and which was picked up by GHK Lall.

When asked, the Vice President rightfully directed the media house to raise the question with the oil companies, in this case EEPGL, since it is the oil companies that have raised the financing. But, more importantly, this is not even

a question that should be asked in the first place, because the financial statements of EEPGL and its co-venture partners are publicly available. In fact, Kaieteur News and all of the other media houses are in possession of the same, and would have published several articles relating to their 2022 financials. This means that they are in possession of the answer to the question of the cost of capital, whether it is the interest rate on the debt financing, or the return on equity (ROE/ cost of equity) for the equity capital, and/ or the weighted average cost of capital (WACC). Any trained accountant, finance professional, or economist can calculate all of the foregoing using financial statements.

So I have done these calculations, and written a few articles previously already, and I am happy to restate them here. There is a mathematical formula that can be applied to calculate the implicit interest rate on debt financing using the information reported in the notes of the financial statements. The implicit interest rate is 5.18%. See full article here by the undersigned. https:// www.guyanastandard. com/2023/04/20/i-disagreewith-calls-to-cap-interestrates-for-stabroek-blockprojects/. The formula to determine the cost of equity would be the same as return on equi-

ty (ROE), which can be calculated using the formula: Net Income/Shareholders’ Equity. Applying this formula to answer the question “What is the return on equity to EEPGL and its coventurers”, the answer is 12.5%.

Now that we have the cost of equity and the cost of debt, we can calculate the WACC, which would work out to 9.86%. Importantly to note is that the 9.86% WACC is for the Guyana market, and when compared to ExxonMobil’s global WACC, which is about 10.8%, the cost of capital for Guyana is not bad. As shown here, it is below the company’s global WACC by 0.94 percentage points. See the full financial statement analysis here by the undersigned https://www.guyanastandard.com/2023/06/04/ analysis-of-eepgl-hess-andcnoocs-2022-financial-statements/.

With that said, I do hope that we can now put the interest rate question to rest, and if KN wishes, it can have an accountant of its choice calculate the numbers for its publisher.

And finally, on the Petroleum Bill, it might be useful to note that the undersigned submitted feedback to the Ministry on Monday, June 26th, 2023, well before the two weeks’ deadline.

Yours sincerely, Joel

Bhagwandin

President Dr Irfaan Ali interacting with students, along with teachers, from the Leonora Primary School, West Coast Demerara, who toured State House on Tuesday (President Dr Irfaan Ali's FB page photo)

Dear Editor,

The statement by Chinese Premier Li Quang, during the annual World Economic Forum, for all nations to "enable each other's success", is a great reminder of the importance of working together in cooperation, and the benefits of an interconnected global economy.

Dr Searwar was a doctor of great fame and honour A step forward

of today, without favour to a particular political philosophy, will allow for increased cooperation and opportunities for growth.

Peaceful coexistence is our best path forward, and we must avoid controversy on the world stage.

As a nation, we must also find our path to national and regional cooperation, in order to quickly realize our full potential.

Continuing to live amicably with the great powers

Environmental stewardship is where our strength continues to be rooted, and this is where we must remain sincere advocates for sustainable development and global economic cooperation. The Guiana Shield is becoming more important as the

world continues to experience extreme weather conditions and more adverse events as a result of climate change. Our future hinges on this fundamental shift, and we must never lose sight of the fact that all of our economic development can be lost due to severe climate change.

The responsibility is within our hands, and our stewardship of this aspect of the earth's ecosystem must remain a top priority as we move forward. The interconnected global economy has already shown its

vulnerability, and has given an indication of the value of predictable and mild weather events.

The time will come when global leaders will be willing to pay a fair price for the services of the Guiana Shield. It is our duty to ensure that the value of the Guiana Shield remains top of mind at the United Nations and in our interactions with the United Nations Security Council.

Sincerely,

Jamil Changlee

Time for integrated policies, action...

Interconnected

President Ali expressed that food security and nutrition cannot be addressed as a standalone policy articulation and formulation, since it is interlinked to climate change, education, health, security and sustainable development.

“We need to start ensuring that the world understands that agriculture is about food production; food production is about nutrition; food production and nutrition is about good health; and good health and food production is about national prosperity. National prosperity is about national security,” he examined.

The idea is if children are educated, they can become the custodians of better eating habits and thereby, create a healthier population. But countries also need create a space for youths and women in agriculture.

“CELAC, as a Region, must launch an aggressive programme that seeks to involve young people and women, especially under the circumstances where statistics is showing that our hunger rate is increasing and also, our nutritional value rate is decreasing.”

Taking example from challenges coming out of the Russia-Ukraine war and COVID-19, the President questioned how countries can ensure security of the Region against future disasters.

Policies

The unique opportunity is created, Ali said, to highlight all the deficiencies in the trade system in the Region and allow people to benefit from lower cost for food, better nutrition and food security.

He asked, “How do we treat investment within the CELAC family? How do we get a common policy decision that we may remove corporate tax from any investment in agriculture within the CELAC Region?

What are the types of policies you will recommend at the end of this conference that are so comprehensive that we must think of adopting them throughout the Region? What is the signal we want to send to our development partners?”

Ali directed that the time is long gone to rehash problems; rather, he asked for solutions and policies to be crafted.

In Caricom’s 25 per cent by 2025 plan to slash the food import bill, financing, trade barriers, women and youth involvement, transportation, financing, logistics, climate and resilience is covered. While building capacity, the countries have also turned to Brazil to enter the supply chain.

“We’re not here to dwell on the problems. You are here as policymakers to craft policies in a regional setting by learning from each other, so that we can learn to unlearn,” the President reminded the Regional Ministers.

Through the 25 by 2025 plan, Caricom has seen a turnaround with significant interest and investment in food production. For the first time in decades, there has been a major shift in

FROM PAGE 3

action at the policy level which has attracted attention globally and created a space for dialogue.

Meanwhile, Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha zeroed in that the Caribbean remains vulnerable to the effects of climate change and extreme weather events, mounting pressures on food production and the distribution system.

He urged, “We can chart the transformative path forward for our country to systems. By collaborating and sharing our experiences and knowledge, we can effectively tap on the pressing issues impacting on our agricultural sectors. Our discussion here today has the potential to create lasting impacts that will benefit our nation for generations to come.”

Dear Editor,

It is with sorrow, sadness and sympathy that we received the news of the passing of Dr. Honnett Searwar: physician, surgeon, obstetrician/gynecologist of St. Joseph Mercy Hospital, who had given in excess of 55 years of dedicated, devoted, professional service of great skill, charm, and patience to and with his patients. He did not speak much.

Dr. Searwar delivered nearly all of my children, Mahendra Kissoon being the first, delivered on June 30th 1968. He became fond of a fragrant friend of my brother Bharat, now deceased. He was known privately for his raucous sense, and took great delight in the company of that brother. He was a man of many parts in the realm of the medical profession: administrator, lecturer, educator, and mentor of many doctors and young nurses.

He was so selfless in his service, so punctual in the

call at the hospital, that he frowned on the behaviour pattern of new professionals within the profession. He complained of a lackadaisical behaviour of nurses on punctuality and several other shortcomings, which in his view did not aid in the healing process of patients.

His dedication and professionalism were recognized by the Government and people of Guyana in his being awarded the Golden Arrow of Achievement (AA) honour.

We will miss this doctor of great fame and honour, simplicity, charm and austerity. He was a noble and faithful devotee of the Lord and the Catholic Church. May his soul rest in peace.

Eternal rest give to the soul of Honnett Searwar, oh Lord, and let perpetual light shine on him. May he rest in peace. Amen.

Sincerely,

JT Kissoon

Page Foundation

Proportions and cross-multiplying

A proportion is a problem that contains two ratios that are equal. In a proportion problem, one of the numerators or one of the denominators is not known. The method for finding the missing numerator or denominator is called cross-multiplying.

Example

A recipe calls for 5 tablespoons of nuts in order to make nutty pancakes for 10 people. How many tablespoons of nuts do you need to make nutty pancakes for 18 people?

Step 1: Express a proportion problem that uses two ratios:

Let’s use t (for tablespoons) for the number we do not know:

Step 2: Remove the words:

Step 3: To cross-multiply, you must set up an equation. An equation is a mathematical statement that two things are equal.

Step 4: On one side of the equal sign, write the first numerator x the second denominator: 5 x 18

Step 5: On the other side of the equal sign, write the multiplication of the first denominator x the second numerator: 5 x 18 = 10 x t

Step 6: Multiply the side that does not have the unknown number: 90 = 10 x t

Step 7: Look at the side that has both a known number and the unknown quantity. Divide both sides of the equation by the known number. (In this equation, that number is 10). You need 9 tablespoons of nuts to make nutty pancakes for 20 people.

Remember:

When you divide both sides of an equation by the same number, the expressions on both sides remain equal.

Exercises: Solve for X

By TrisTan Tzara

TranslaTed By HeaTHer Green

then the clouds rolled in young is the night that is to say a cellophane softness ensued which blew across the sky like wisps of straw their firearms—a job well done young is the night and when the circus tent begins to blaze beneath the eyes speak no more of the delicate acrobat young is the night that is to say the blind snails sniffing in pairs went off to fields in search of worthless graves forgotten in the bones of forgetting that is to say wasn’t it only the pride of the night that mattered to the charcoal silences to the forests traveled the spurs of thorns that is to say that douse against the tree the roads’ monotony young is the night stuff chimneys of ships with roads hands over hands open flames braid the universe of eyes young is the night hammered with firebrands words cloud the face in ash once the somersault sun ceases to know itself dragged kicking and screaming short horses you’ve become roads and so along whole horizons armed with new zoologies tender waters are reborn in spasms of stone thoughts the circus winnowing the grimaces of memory

WORD SEARCH

Corentyne bridge contract to be awarded by October 2023

…CHEC, China Railway Engineering among 5 bidders

The Corentyne bridge contract that will connect Guyana and Suriname, is expected to be awarded by October 2023, following the brokering of an agreement at a high-level meeting between officials from the two countries and the pre-qualification of five bidders, most of them Chinese companies.

A joint statement was released from the two sides on Tuesday. In it, it was explained that five bidders – most from China – have been pre-qualified for the project. These companies include China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC) and China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC). Ballast Nedam Infra Suriname BV, the lone non-Chinese company, was also prequalified.

Meanwhile, China Railway Construction Corporation International Ltd (CRCCI), China Railway Construction Caribbean Co Ltd (CRCCCL), and China Railway Construction Bridge Engineering Bureau Group Co Ltd

(CRBG) teamed up to bid as a consortium. They were also prequalified.

Additionally, the remaining companies who were prequalified are China Overseas Engineering Group Co Ltd (COVEC), China Railway Eryuan Engineering Group Co Ltd (CREEC), and China Railway First Group (CRRG), who also bid as a consortium.

The statement also confirmed the impending visit of Surinamese Minister of Public Works, Dr Riad Nurmohamed, from June 28-29, 2023. While in Guyana, he will at-

tend a second High-Level Decision Makers (HLDM) Meeting.

“This meeting heralds the culmination of the consultancy assignment that was awarded to WSP Caribbean in May 2022 for the feasibility study and detailed designs for the construction of a bridge over the Corentyne River.”

“The HLDM Meeting is a milestone activity of the consultancy where the key experts from WSP Caribbean will present the main findings and key considerations and field questions from the Guyana and Suriname delegations. The first HLDM Meeting was held in Suriname from February 27-28, 2023,” the statement also said.

It was further explained that while in Guyana, Dr Nurmohamed will meet with Guyana’s Minister of Public Works, Juan Edghill to discuss matters relating to the construction of the Corentyne River Bridge. So far, tender documents were issued to the five prequalified contractors on May 9, 2023, which will

close on August 1, 2023.

The bridge will be built according to the DesignBuild-Finance-OperateMaintain model (DBFOM). This means that whichever company is contracted to build the bridge will be responsible for its design, construction, financing, operation, and maintenance. It will also be constructed via a Public Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement.

The bridge is one of the first agreements between President Dr Irfaan Ali and Suriname’s President Chandrikapersad Santokhi, with both heads

previously underscoring the critical role the bridge across the Corentyne River would play in advancing cooperation, creating more opportunities for development for both countries.

Last year, Minister Edghill was in Suriname to sign a ceremonial agreement between the two countries to kickstart plans for the massive project. The Surinamese Public Works Minister has positioned that with this important infrastructure in place, both countries will benefit from a tremendous spinoff as it opens South America.

President Ali had disclosed that the financial proposal for the new bridge across the Corentyne River would be out by the end of January, thus paving the way for the tendering process and then the construction stage.

Back in May of 2022, a US$2 million contract was signed in Paramaribo for several preliminary studies and research to be conducted on the Corentyne bridge by WSP Caribbean. The Expressions of Interest (EoIs) were also simultaneously launched.

Surinamese Minister of Public Works, Dr Riad Nurmohamed

An artist’s impression of the Corentyne bridge

Corentyne bridge contract to...

Six international companies/ consortiums – five from China and one Dutch company from The Netherlands – had submitted bids for the construction of the Corentyne River bridge. The bids were opened at the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) in Georgetown back in

August. The high-span Corentyne River bridge will run approximately 3.1 kilometres, connecting Moleson Creek in Guyana to South Drain in Suriname with a landing on Long Island in the Corentyne River, where a commercial hub and tourist destination will be established. That

FROM PAGE 7

free zone will see major infrastructural development such as hotels, recreational parks, entertainment spots, tourist attractions, malls, and farmers’ markets.

Running from Moleson Creek to Long Island, the bridge will be a low-level structure, approximately one kilometre long; with a 2200-metre (2.2 km) road across Long Island and a high bridge, spanning 2100 metres (2.1 km) thereafter.

At the high end of the bridge, which will facilitate marine traffic, it will cater for 40,000 to 45,000 DWT (deadweight tonnage) capacity featuring a vertical (height) clearance of 43 metres and a horizonal (width) clearance of about 100 metres. (G3)

…no confession

Raphael Trotman has given his side of the story on the Exxon oil contract in a just-released book. Seems the reason he gave away the store – and all of us inside!! – was his fearing the “Hezekiah Effect” from the billions of barrels of oil he knew had been found? You don’t remember what’s the Hezekiah Effect, dear reader? Shame on you!! Weren’t you paying attention when the pastor was carrying on after you’d been dragged to church by your God-fearing mother? Or were you playing footsies with that girl on your left?? Either way, you should punish yourself with a “time out” for your transgression! Your (virtuous) Eyewitness will refresh your memory about Trotman’s rationale that he feels excuses the dirty he did!!

Hezekiah, you see, was an early King of Judah who scrupulously followed the Lord’s 10 Commandments. All of them!! What a guy!! He was so favoured that the greybearded fella in the sky once killed off 180,000 Assyrians who were his enemies!! And no! The commandment “thou shalt not kill” doesn’t apply to Him on high!! And it’s not genocide when He does the mass killing. Hezekiah even held off the dastardly Babylonians - who were the rising superpower of the day.

But one day Hezekiah fell ill - because he hadn’t gotten married!! - and accepted a get-well gift from the Babylonians. But in a fit of bonhomie, he “showed all of his treasures, all the silver and gold, and everything in his arsenal”!! That was it!! The prophet Isaiah said to Hezekiah, ‘Hear the word of the Lord: “Behold, the days are coming when all that is in your house, and what your fathers have accumulated until this day, shall be carried to Babylon; nothing shall be left". And lo and behold, a century or so later, Judah was conquered and the people were taken into slavery into Babylon!!

All (you understand, don’t you, dear reader?) because Hezekiah showed off his wealth. And that’s what Trotman -- a God-fearing man, according to his book -- reprising the role of Hezekiah, was warning us against!! That rising Empire to the West, Venezuela, has long had its eyes on our territory of Essequibo, innit? So, he didn’t want to take too much from Exxon to tempt the Venezuelans more!! But we’d taken the Venezuelans to the World Court.

As a lawyer, he knew fighting battles in the World Court ain’t cheap. And that’s why he’d even hidden that $18M bonus - to pay those lawyers! So, while some are crowing they forced the prophet Trotman to reveal our wealth –don’t they care that in 100 years we’ll be dragged off to Caracas in Bolivarian captivity!!

By the Rivers of Orinoco we’ll weep for Guyana!!

…of lawlessness

Guyana gotta be the only country on planet Earth where this nonsense of breaking the laws is encouraged by a major political party. But maybe it’s because that party – the PNC – has given up on getting back into power, and so it’s a case of Burnham’s “back-to- back, belly-to-belly; Ah doan give a damn, Ah done dead a’ready!!” ?? Your Eyewitness, of course, is talking about the Oppositionencouraged stand-off between Government workers and vendors occupying the reserve at Plaisance Embankment Rd!!

So, we’re gonna have some new PNC Mayor – if the tussle between the Opposition Leader and his Executive is ever settled! - throwing himself under some truck?? Since there ain’t no mud for female vendors to throw themselves into!! But enough is enough…the Government owns these reserves, and can evict those who encroach at will – especially when it’s for the public good. Here it is the widening of the Embankment Highway!

Some will say there wasn’t enough notice. Fat lot of good THAT did at Mocha!!

…no mo

Did you know that Guyanese are the fifth largest ethnic group in New York City?? Well, if you didn’t know, then the fact that Diwali was just declared a school holiday there should send a signal.

Mahdia tragedy

Major General (Retired) Joe Singh to lead CoI

Major General (retired) Joseph Singh will be leading the Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into the Mahdia tragedy, which was promised by President Dr Irfaan Ali last month.

Government is currently finalising the Terms of Reference (ToR) for the Inquiry. In fact, the Guyanese Head of State told media operatives on Tuesday that he is slated to meet with the team later this week to finalise the probe.

“I have a meeting before the end of this week with the team. I can tell you I have identified Major General (retired), Joe Singh to lead that team. I have a meeting with him before the end of this week,” Ali indicated.

Singh has served as Chief-of-Staff of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF), Presidential Advisor and Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM). He is the current chairperson of the Natural Resource Fund (NRF).

Engagements are also scheduled with family members of the victims, which the President noted will ventilate outstanding issues.

“I’m also having a meeting with the family members of the Mahdia fire to discuss some outstanding issues that we are in discourse with the family with.”

The May 21 inferno killed 19 female students between the ages of 12 and 17, and a five-year-old boy who was the son of the dorm parents.

Days after the horrific

incident, the Guyana Police Force (GPF) disclosed that the fire was allegedly started by a 15-year-old student, who also lived at the dorm, after her cellular phone was taken away by the dorm’s mother and a teacher.

The fire was allegedly set in the bathroom area of the dormitory. According to the surviving female students, they were asleep, and were awakened by screams. Upon checking, they saw fire and smoke in the bathroom area, which quickly spread in the building, causing several students to receive burns to their bodies and suffer smoke inhalation, while several managed to escape.

Several of the injured students were air-dashed to the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPHC) for treatment.

On May 27, another 13-year-old girl was flown to the Northwell Health Burn Care Centre in New York to be administered advanced medical care. She is recovering well but has a long road to recovery.

The facility housed about 59 students from the com-

was a great journey for me” – outgoing MACORP CEO

munities of Karisparu, El Paso, Micobie and Chenapau. Information from the Guyana Fire Service indicated that 14 youths died at the scene of the fire, while five died at Mahdia District Hospital.

The teen suspect has since appeared at the Diamond/Golden Grove Magistrates’ Courts, and was not required to plead to the murder charges. Magistrate Sunil Scarce had ordered that she be held at a juvenile holding centre until July 4, when the matters will be called for disclosure of statements.

The girls who perished in the fire are: Sherana Daniels, Subrina John, Belnisa Evans, Loreen Evans, Bibi Rita Fiona Jeffrey, Lisa Roberts, Tracil Thomas, Delecia Edwards, Lorita Williams, Natalie Bellarmine, Arianna Edwards, Cleoma Simon, Martha Dandrade, Mary Dandrade, Omerfia Edwin, Nickleen Robinson, Sherlyn Bellarmine, Eulander Carter and Andrea Roberts.

Adanye Jerome, the fiveyear-old son of the dorm mother, was also among those who passed.

Apart from the CoI, President Ali had announced that the victims’ families would be compensated by the State and offered short-, medium- and long-term support. For three months, mental health teams were asked to work in the communities while plans were in the pipeline to establish a strong mental health team permanently.

Having served in the position of Chief Executive Officer of the Machinery Corporation of Guyana (MACORP Guyana) for several years, Guillermo Escarraga will be moving on, effective this month-end.

This publication understands that Escarraga has been promoted to Senior Vice President of Product Support within the MACORP Group.

On Saturday last, the Lusignan Golf Club (LGC) hosted a farewell ceremony in Escarraga’s honour, and LGC Secretary Chet Bowling made the following remarks.

“For the last ten years, Guillermo and MACORP, under his leadership and guidance and love for golf, has ensured that MACORP has continued to sponsor golf tournaments, provide monetary

Golf Tournament each year.”

and in-kind support to maintain the grounds of our golf club. They have also maintained our sign, put up signs indicating key information at each hole, and (have been) host to the annual MACORP

Bowling also noted that, on a personal level, Escarraga shared a love and passion for the sport. He went on to relay that Escarraga has made a great contribution to the game of golf at the LGC, and gave his word that even in his absence, MACORP will continue to host the annual tournaments.

Stating his position, Escarraga said, “I was fortunate to have the chance to learn the game of golf in Guyana. It was a great journey for me. Golf is now part of my life, just like Guyana, and I will always be grateful for the time I spent here. I will miss the course and all the players I played with. We had some keen competition over the years. The Saturday tournament is what I will miss the most, good days bad days, it was all a rewarding experience full of memories. The Lusignan club members are outstanding individuals from whom I learned a lot.”

“It

Outgoing CEO, Guillermo Escarraga

Major General (Retired) Joseph Singh

Digitising health records

New law provides up to $100M in penalties for leaking confidential info

Laying the foundation for the eventual implementation of electronic health records in Guyana, the Data Protection Bill is set to be presented in the National Assembly soon.

Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony on Tuesday, during the launch of the newest Family Health Manual, shared that this data confidentiality Bill is one of several pieces of legislation that the Health

Ministry is currently working on creating and implementing to enhance healthcare delivery across the country.

“We have just completed work on legislation dealing with data confidentiality. This will be laid in Parliament very shortly because the Ministry is moving to introduce electronic health records and if [we’re] going to do this then people's information must be kept confidential,”

Dr Anthony said.

The Data Protection Bill intends on protecting the privacy of individuals and regulating the collection, keeping, processing, use and dissemination or personal data.

The Minister disclosed that this Bill, once it comes into operation, will have stiff fines starting from $20 million and going up to $100 million if persons are found in breach of data confidentiality.

The electronic health records system, upon which the data protection legislation lays the foundation, aims to assign each patient with a unique identifier so that their records can be easily accessed within healthcare facilities across the country.

Minister Anthony added that in about a month, the Ministry will also be putting out a call for proposals from various vendors to develop this system.

Meanwhile, he noted that the Cabinet is also in the process of passing another piece of legislation dealing with radiation, a first of its kind for the country.

“We have different types of equipment that we use in the medical setting and we need to regulate radiation. This [Bill] is going to pass

soon,” Anthony said.

Additionally, the Health Ministry is looking to install new legislation dealing with public health.

“We have old public health ordinances that are totally outdated. So, we are writing new legislation to deal with public health,” Dr Anthony said. “It’s going to be an omnibus legislation meaning that it will cover every aspect of public health. It will affect various sectors and we’ve been working with those sectors.”

He added that as of now, there are nine chapters in the draft Bill. In July, the Health Ministry will be collaborating with the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) to conclude this piece of legislation.

Guidelines

In addition to building out the public health infrastructure in the country, the Health Ministry is also looking to update its guidelines.

Last year, the Ministry’s Chronic Diseases Unit in collaboration with the Pan American Health Organisation/World Health Organisation (PAHO/WHO) launched its first HEARTS technical package to better assist healthcare professionals with the prevention and early detection of cardiovascular diseases within primary healthcare.

Thus far, this programme is being facilitated in 100 health centres and deals with using more effective medication and encouraging patients to modify their behaviour.

Plans to expand this programme and introduce it in more health centres is currently underway.

Next month, the Ministry also intends on launching new guidelines to better care for patients with diabetes.

“We’ve just concluded those guidelines. They’ve gone through a review with a number of persons within the Ministry,” Anthony said.

“We are pivoting from using glucometers to now using HbA1c to check people’s blood sugar. We feel that is more accurate,” he added.

Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony

Family of 3 lost in jungle rescued by GDF

Family of missing boat captain suspects something “fishy” in his disappearance

The mysterious disappearance of 61-yearold boat captain Carl Subratie of Thomas Point, Mazaruni River is causing his family to grow increasingly suspicious that something “fishy” might have happened to him. It has been close to two weeks since this boat captain went missing without the detection of even a trace of the boat in which he had left home.

His daughter Sameena Sabratie, when contacted on Tuesday, expressed her concerns and described the situation as “fishy”, while adding that there are many unanswered questions regarding what had really transpired. The woman pointed out that in cases of drowning, a person’s body typically floats to the surface within three days. Additionally, she said, if the boat had been involved in an accident, there would likely be debris or rem-

Missing: Carl Subratie

nants indicating such an event. She related that the lack of any evidence has led her to believe that someone may have kidnapped her father.

“Something doesn’t sound right, because, when a person drowns, their body floats after three days; and if his boat was crashed or something, we would have found pieces from it. I believe somebody took him, because this doesn’t sound

right”, she said.

In their efforts to locate Subratie, family members are continuing their search with the assistance of a Police officer. However, these searches have yielded no success so far.

“The Police told us on Monday that they will send three Police officers on Tuesday to join the search,” the worried daughter stated.

The father of two went

missing one day before Father’s Day, and has since not been heard from or seen. The family became aware of his disappearance only a few days later, when they attempted to contact him without success. As such, a brother, upon investigation, revealed that the now missing man had dropped off a few passengers in an interior location.

Persons confirmed that almost immediately after dropping off the passengers, he left for home. After days had elapsed and he did not return, a Police report was made, and an investigation was launched with the hope of finding the missing man.

Meanwhile, after 11 days without success in locating Subratie, his daughter is appealing to the public to assist the family in finding him. Anyone with useful information is asked to please contact Sameena by telephone at 695-7155.

Afamily of three persons from Region Seven (CuyuniMazaruni), who had reportedly gone missing, was located via a search-and-rescue mission undertaken by the 31 Special Forces Squadron of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) on Saturday.

Jerine George, 68, Cenoriza George, 19, and her two-year-old son Vel George had last been seen on Wednesday, when they set off on foot from Phillipai to Chinoweing. After some time had elapsed and there was no sign of this family, concerned residents reported that the three family members were missing.

Local residents had initially organized a search party to locate the missing family, but their efforts proved unsuccessful. Consequently, the 31 Special Forces Squadron undertook this search-and-rescue operation.

The Special Forces patrol was transported to an area called Chi Chi via the GDF Skyvan aircraft, and after three hours of intensive searching, they successfully located the family.

Following the rescue, the GDF medics assessed the family’s condition and confirmed that they were in good health.

The three-member family that was rescued by GDF ranks

President Dr Irfaan Ali on Tuesday assured that he would respect the outcome of the investigation into sexual assault allegations levelled against Local Government Minister Nigel Dharamlall.

When the matter wraps up, the Head of State has said, decisions will be made on the way forward.

It was reminded that the current allegations are being handled independently through entities separate of the Executive.

“As President, I have no choice but to stand behind the decisions of the

institutions. The institutions are independent of the Executive. It’s not a matter of standing behind, it is a

matter of respecting whatever outcome is there,” Ali uttered on the sidelines of an event at the Arthur Chung Conference Center.

After the Guyana Police Force (GPF) had completed its investigations last week, the file was sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions, Shalimar AliHack, for advice on whether charges should be laid.

The President has posited that the system should be allowed to work, and when that work is completed, decisions would be taken.

“I am very strong on peo-

– President

ple’s rights and women and children; there is no compromise with that. I made it very clear from the inception that there is a procedure that has to be followed, and we have to trust our system. That system has commenced with the investigation. I am not involved with that. The Minister proceeded on leave to allow that system to work. When the system completes its work, then subsequent decisions will be made,” the President has said.

Answering the query whether the Minister would be asked to resign if he is charged, the President indicated that he does not want to ‘assume anything’.

“I have always worked in the interest of this country and the people of this country…At that point, we will address that. As President, I have to deal fairly with what is before me. What is before me now is that the Minister proceeded on leave to allow that. Beyond that, decisions will have to be made, but I can’t assume what will be done,” he explained.

Since last week, Dharamlall proceeded on administrative leave to allow the sexual assault allegations to be investigated. The allegations, which

first surfaced on social media and involved a 16-yearold child, have attracted the attention of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) and the Child Care and Protection Agency (CC&PA).

The Police Force confirmed that an investigation was launched, and, in fact, the sitting Minister presented himself at the Brickdam Police Station in the company of his lawyer, where he was arrested and placed on $1,000,000 bail.

Dharamlall has retained the services of Hughes Fields & Stoby to represent him. All the allegations have been denied, Attorneyat-Law Nigel Hughes has indicated.

Not intimidated

On Tuesday, as members of the Opposition political parties mounted protests in front of its office, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) issued a statement stating that it will not be intimidat-

ed. “The DPP's Office will not be intimidated by these individuals, who profess to want justice in a criminal matter even while a Police file is being given due legal attention.”

The statement from the DPP’s Office added that the Police file in question is only one of thousands of Police files which the DPP's Office receives from all stations in all administrative regions of Guyana for legal attention.

“Files for persons in custody are given priority. We strongly urge the general public to desist from politicizing an alleged criminal offence. It is indeed one of national interest, and therefore all statements/ evidence must be considered before legal advice is given to the Guyana Police Force,” the statement read.

The DPP's Office concluded that it would continue to carry out its constitutional functions in an impartial manner. (G12)

“There is no compromise”

on rights of women, children …says will “respect” outcome of Dharamlall rape probe …will not be intimidated by Opposition-led protests – DPP

Local Government and Regional Development Minister Nigel Dharamlall

DPP Shalimar Ali-Hack, SC

President Dr Irfaan Ali

New family manual to better address men, elderly health

Aiming to provide universal healthcare to all Guyanese, the Health Ministry on Tuesday released its newest edition of the Family Health Manual with updated policies and regulations to guide healthcare workers in providing the most optimal care.

During the manual’s launch at the Health Ministry’s Boardroom in Brickdam, Primary Healthcare Services Director, Dr Ertenisa Hamilton provided an overview of the document, noting that it covers healthcare provision for everyone across their lifespan

“[This manual] looks at every age group along their life course. It takes into consideration the impact of the socio-economic determinants of health, environmental factors and patient safety. And

of course, we tried as much as possible to look at some of our key populations that are considered to still be vulnerable, which are Indigenous women and the migrant population,” Dr Hamilton said.

She clarified that this manual does not just look at health just from the perspec-

tive of making sure no one gets sick, but more so from a wellness perspective in which practicing healthy habits on a daily basis is encouraged.

In addition to wellness, Dr Hamilton noted that other key concepts included in the manual consider health for the family, equity, gender, universal health coverage and community participation.

With previous editions focusing more on women and children’s health, the Ministry also placed additional attention on men and elderly health in this new manual.

Other new additions include nutrition, rehabilitation, non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and domestic violence.

“We use evidence-based principles and practices that ensure that the document is updated. And it’s giving a

Wanted bulletin issued for Lusignan Prison escapee

Ronaldo Parris, 23, who escaped from the Lusignan Prison on the East Coast of Demerara more than one week ago, remains at large, but the Guyana Police Force has issued a wanted bullet for his arrest.

Parris made his daring escape in the wee hours of Tuesday, June 20, and an immediate manhunt was triggered by members of the Joint Services. Parris, who was housed in Unit 4 of the prison, alongside mentally-ill individuals, managed to utilise a sink as a makeshift ladder to climb out of the holding unit. From there he scaled the eastern fence of the prison compound and made good his escape.

The escape of Ronaldo Parris, who was serving sentences for two counts of armed robbery prior to his escape, has raised serious alarm within the prison system. Although no official report regarding the escape was released by the Guyana Prison Service, an official statement was issued one week later, declaring Parris as wanted for his escape from the facility.

The public has duly been warned about the

criminal offense of aiding and abetting an escapee, and has been urged to contact 911 with any information regarding Parris's whereabouts. Parris’s escape marks the second such incident to have occurred at the Lusignan Prison within the past year. In February 2022, 19-yearold Kavin Singh managed to flee while awaiting proceedings at the institution's virtual court compound.

Foot-cuffed at the time, Singh was granted permission to use the washroom unsupervised, leading to his disappearance. Swift action was taken, and Singh was recaptured one day later in Good Hope, ECD.

good overview of what happens not just within the context of our country, but practices that would’ve been proven in other parts of the world,” Dr Hamilton said.

The Family Health Manual uses the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Three as a guiding principle as it relates to good health and well-being.

It also considers and works in adherence to the national legislation including Guyana’s Constitution that deems health a fundamental human right as well as the Medical Termination Act, the Public Health (School Children) Immunisation Act, the Sexual and Reproductive Health Policy and the Vision 2020 and beyond.

The manual is intended to be utilised by every healthcare worker along the spectrum of the healthcare system alongside essential policy-

makers, and is not to be used in isolation but with the package of essential health services.

Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony shared that this manual comes at a timely juncture as the Ministry is developing its infrastructure and delivery of services.

“The Ministry is undergoing a lot of transformation

and we need to upgrade a lot of the things that we’re doing to make sure it fits with the direction in which the Ministry is going. So, what you’re seeing here is us trying to put the science that we know to make sure that we can cover this whole life course that Dr Hamilton spoke about,” Dr Anthony said.

Encouraging all healthcare professionals to use this manual, he added that this will help them to better intervene at critical points to lead to better life outcomes.

“Many of these concepts that we have [in the manual] have been tested before. They have worked in other countries, they’re the best practices in other countries so we know that they’re working. But we need to move quickly from piloting [programmes] to get [to a larger] scale. I think this manual would allow us to do that,” the Health Minister said.

Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony

Primary Healthcare Services Director, Dr Ertenisa Hamilton

USAID launches “Water for All” Pitch Competition for Caribbean States

US$50,000 up for grabs

Guyanese entrepreneurs are encouraged to submit their game-changing innovations focused on the water sector as the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Eastern and Southern Caribbean office launched its “Water for All” Pitch Competition.

This competition seeks to recognise and reward exceptional enterprises from both youth innovators and mid-stage businesses, driv-

ing transformative solutions for the future of water usage.

By showcasing promising innovations and practices, this opportunity will amplify the private sector’s role in water solutions and strategically connect them to advanced support systems that will ultimately support the scaling up of their innovations for the benefit of all.

This would enable the testing of ideas to identify what works and catalyse follow-on investments and

bring attention to proven solutions for greater scale.

Entrants from any category of organisation or institution domiciled in the eligible countries–inclusive of Guyana–are welcome to apply.

This includes but is not limited to, for-profit organisations, not-for-profit organisations, foundations, educational, industrial, and academic institutions, and civic groups, though public sector and Government entities, excluding universi- ties, are not eligible.

Eligible entrepreneurs must have an existing innovation or prototype, pitches must provide solutions for water resilience and sustainability, and ideas must be driven or amplified by technology.

The main focus areas of the competition are resilience–where water technological solutions are developed for increased resilience to the climate in areas such as floods and droughts; health–solutions in areas such as pollution reduction and environmental degradation; efficiency–waste-

water technology solutions that increase efficiency and enable water reuse thereby promoting communities to access new resources; and equity–water technologies that promote access to clean water for remote communities and/or improve the quality of water services.

Up to five finalists will be shortlisted to participate in an in-person pitch in Barbados with a total of US$50,000 to be won.

The Grand Prize winner will win a US$25,000 investment in their pitch. The first and second runners-up will cart off US$15,000 and

US$5000 investments, respectively.

The other three finalists will receive non-financial support in the form of business development, market assessment, public relations and communications, technical expertise, and travel services in order to accelerate and facilitate the continuing development of their pitches.

The Water for All Pitch competition will be open for applications through July 14, 2023, and entries must be submitted in English through the website: https:// www.waterislife2023.com.

Ramsammy’s Ruminations

LGE 2023 – PPP thanks supporters, pnc grabs at straws as it exhales

There could be no denying -- no matter what standard is used -- that, politically, the PPP achieved a landscapechanging victory in LGE 2023.

Not only did the PPP win 67 of the Local Government areas, but the LGE 2023 results also raise alarming questions relating to the PNC’s existence as a major political party. The PNC could not put up a candidate for 57% (346 of the 610) constituencies.

They not only forfeited fully 25 LAAs out of the 80, but they also failed to participate fully in 36 others where they failed to place a candidate in one or more of the available constituencies. They will not control an LAA in six regions – Regions 1, 2, 3, 7, 8 and 9 -- and excepting for a small LAA in Region 5 (Hamlet/Chance),the PPP will have councillors sitting in 79 of the 80 LAAs; the PNC, on the other hand, will have no councillor sitting in 29 (36%) LAAs. Moreover, the PPP won at least one constituency in 76 of the LAAs. In contrast, the PNC won at least one constituency in just 39 of the LAAs.

This past week saw PPP leaders attending thank you meetings in Regions 1, 3, 4, and 10. Presumably, such thank-you meetings will continue, as the PPP thanks its supporters in all ten regions. The PPP has good reasons to thank its supporters, both traditional supporters and those who newly have joined the PPP train. The PPP, without a shadow of a doubt, had a resounding victory, and has inspired a kind of massive support that is consequential for the political landscape for a long time to come.

LGE 2023 is the first time since the 1953 general elections -- which were based on adult suffrage, allowing every adult, no matter what their social and economic status was, to vote -that our country showed any meaningful dent in ideological and ethnic-based voting. Between 1999 and 2011, President Bharrat Jagdeo pursued a style of governance that inherently challenged ethnic-based voting in Guyana, believing it can be reversed. Now President Ali is carrying the mantle, and finally, in LGE 2023, there is unequivocal evidence that their confidence is justified.

The PPP is not merely celebrating a victory, which under any circumstance is massive, it is taking time to go back to the people, bringing them together in political gatherings that reflect Guyana. The thank you gatherings are deliberate, to establish this point – the PPP has succeeded in bringing the country together as ONE GUYANA. The gatherings are intended to show Guyana and the world that, for the first time since 1953, the PPP has again succeeded in inspiring a national movement that brings people together around issues, and not ideology or ethnic-based politics.

The PNC gathered a few vehicles with music and waving flags as they conducted a few fleeting motorcades in New Amsterdam, on the East Coast of Demerara, in Georgetown, and in Linden days after LGE 2023. While looking comical and confusing to most Guyanese, the motorcade made sense. They had no reason to celebrate. Their internal politics and quarrel right now reflect the fact that LGE 2023 was a terrible and era-changing defeat. The political fallout for the PNC will make news for months and years to come.

The makeup of the PNC will forever change, but its DNA will keep it in the cesspit for a long time, until enough new DNA is injected to change its racially-based politics and its deep obsession with rigged elections.

Despite the motorcades in the so-called celebration, they never said thank you to those who voted for them, in spite of them having to hold their noses in so doing. In several press engagements, the PNC leadership still has not said thank you to those who bucked the trend and still voted for them. The motorcade was really the PNC exhaling, a deep breath of relief. It had reconciled itself to the possibility that New Amsterdam would be lost. Indeed, it now knows that this was its last hurrah in New Amsterdam; that only a miracle would save New Amsterdam; and that, in the 2025 general elections, New Amsterdam is likely to vote PPP. The meek motorcade that lasted a few minutes in New Amsterdam merely was the PNC exhaling relief that it barely held on.

But it had prepared itself for a more severe licking in Georgetown and Linden. Motorcade or not, the PNC knows that the PPP achieved massive inroads in its previously impregnable enclaves in Georgetown and in Linden. LGE 2023 confirmed the penetration the PPP achieved in these communities, where previously the PNC had to do very little to shut out the PPP in elections. That the PPP almost double its seats and voters in Georgetown in LGE 2023 compared to LGE 2018 is testimony to the massive gains. This includes flipping the seats presently occupied by the sitting PNC mayor and deputy mayor.

The same scenario is seen in Linden, where the PPP doubled the number of seats from one to two, and obtained a more-than 500% increase in votes. Indeed, the PPP came close to winning two constituencies, including barely losing out to the PNC veteran Vanessa Kissoon. The PPP also came close to winning Kwakwani.

This devastating defeat for the PNC in LGE 2023 will forever change the political landscape of Guyana.

GPF committed to improving delivery of justice to citizens – Top Cop

Recognising the existing flaws within the criminal justice system, acting Police Commissioner Clifton Hicken has affirmed the Guyana Police Force's (GPF’s) role in delivering justice to citizens in a timely manner.

Hicken made this statement during his feature address at the Restorative Justice Awareness training held at the Officers' Training Centre on Camp Street, Georgetown on Tuesday. In his address, Hicken highlighted the crucial role of restorative justice in transforming society's perception and approach to crime within the criminal justice system. He emphasized that restorative justice aims to heal the harm caused by criminal offenses with the involvement of all stakeholders, including victims, offenders, and the community.

"Today, justice is dimensional, accounting for distributive justice, which determines who gets what; procedural justice, determining how fairly people are treated; redistributive justice, based on punishment of wrongdoing; and restorative justice, which speaks to restoring relationships," he explained.

Further, he expressed that the effectiveness of restorative justice has been proven, as it aids in reshaping offenders and providing support for complainants.

Hicken also emphasised the importance of offenders taking responsibility for their actions, making amends; and providing opportunities for victims to express their experiences, seek closure, and actively participate in the resolution process. While acknowledging

that the justice system has failed some individuals, Hicken stressed the need for authorities to make every effort to bring about change.

"Clearly our criminal justice system has failed a few, and has assisted many. As our nation is challenged with overcrowding of minor offenses, the overreliance of the criminal justice system on custodial sentencing has overused pretrial detention, causing congestion in the court system and difficulty in reintegrating victims and offenders back into the community," he declared.

To address these issues, Hicken pledged that the Guyana Police Force would contribute to the improvement of the justice system.

As part of these efforts, the Restorative Justice Centre pilot program was officially launched in April. The initiative aims to reduce over -

crowding in prisons nationwide by embracing the concept of restorative justice.

Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Mohabir Anil Nandlall, during the launch, also expressed support for restorative justice. He lauded Guyana for being a leading example in adopting restorative justice, and stated, "The punitive and restitutive methods of punishment are not aiding in reducing the crime rate. It is in this context that restorative justice presents itself as a feasible and progressive alternative."

Nandlall is encouraging students of the University of Guyana, particularly those from the social sciences faculty, to conduct studies on restorative methods in order to address crime and contribute to the ongoing transformation of the justice system.

(G-9)

Dr Leslie Ramsammy

GPO employee among 4 charged for ‘romance’ scam

…as 8 Guyanese women conned

Four persons were on Monday charged with 21 counts of conspiracy to commit a felony and three counts of forgery.

This was after eight Guyanese women, who had a long-distance relationship with a male Caucasian, were allegedly conned $804,000.

The four, Khadijah Long, unemployed of Lot 28-26 Central Amelia’s Ward, Mackenzie, Linden; Wayne Halley, 27, a driver of Lot 194 First Street Mocha, East Bank Demerara; Kevon Mc Bean, 43, a postal clerk attached to the Guyana Post Office Corporation and of Lot 42 Amelia’s Ward, Linden, along with Matthew Ejike Nwackukwu, 36, a Nigerian of Lot 96 Duncan Street, Kitty, Georgetown, appeared at the Linden Magistrate’s Court before Principle Magistrate Rondel Weaver on Monday, where the charges were read to them.

They were charged by the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) with multiple charges.

Long was charged with one count of conspiracy to commit a felony and placed on $50,000 bail.

Halley was charged with 10 counts of conspiracy to commit a felony and placed on $300,000 bail.

Mc Bean was charged with three counts of forgery and placed on $100,000 bail while Nwackukwu was also charged with 10 counts of conspiracy to commit a felony and remanded to prison.

They all pleaded not guilty to the charges and will have to return to court on July 27.

According to SOCU, eight females were befriended by a male Caucasian on WhatsApp, where they established a “so called” long-distance relationship and communicated regularly via social media. During their conversations, the male Caucasian told them that he would be sending to Guyana, packages containing items such as cologne, bags, watches, chains and US currency. Thereafter they received

Charged: Wayne Halley

WhatsApp messages from a delivery agent of the Delta Courier Service, who informed them that the packages were in transit in their Chicago Office, USA.

They were then allegedly asked to send cash to Khadijah Long, Wayne Halley and Matthew Ejike Nwackukwu to facilitate the delivery of the packages. Subsequently, the victims sent a total of $804,000 to Long, Halley and Nwackukwu but they never received any package.

Kevon Mc Bean was con-

Charged: Kevon Mc Bean

tacted by Halley, who asked her to assist in processing transactions at the McKenzie Post Office, Linden, and she agreed.

SOCU is alleging that be-

Charged: Mathew Ejike Nwackukwu

tween June 24, 2022, and July 14, 2022, she colluded with the said Halley and forged the signatures of recipients on several Guyana Post Office Corporation Inland

Charged: Khadijah Long

conducted.

Magistrate puts Warner's extradition on hold, slams ex-AG

Former FIFA vice president Jack Warner will be allowed to take his latest legal challenge to the High Court in his battle against extradition to the US to face a multiplicity of corruption-related charges.

In a ruling on Monday, Chief Magistrate Maria Busby Earle-Caddle said the seven questions Warner had raised were legally grounded and had merit.

She was also critical of the actions of the State, and those of the US.

Warner is now challenging the constitutionality of an alleged agreement former attorney general Faris Al-Rawi signed with the US in 2015 before he signed off on the authority for the chief magistrate to go ahed with extradi-

tion proceedings for Warner.

Warner’s argument relates to the arrangement between the US and TT for extradition and the speciality principle which, by law, provides that a person who is extradited can be prosecuted or sentenced in the requesting state only in relation to the offences for which extradition was granted, and not for any other crime allegedly committed before the extradition took place.

Earle-Caddle said the actions of the then attorney general (AG) lacked consistency.

She said the agreement should be in writing to ensure the requirements of the Extradition Act were adhered to, and only then can the AG sign the certificate to

move forward with the extradition.

Al-Rawi, in his authority to proceed, certified there was an arrangement with the US.

Former FIFA Vice President Jack Warner

Money Order and collected the cash. The matters were subsequently reported to SOCU and investigations

Landmark Plea "Bargaining" Bill to soon be tabled in National Assembly

…will provide for plea deals between suspects, prosecution

ABill that will revolutionise the legal landscape and allow for defendants in criminal cases to make plea deals with State prosecutors, has been drafted and will soon make its way to Cabinet and eventually, the floor of the National Assembly.

According to a statement from the Legal Affairs Ministry, the Bill seeks to repeal the Criminal Procedure (Plea Bargaining and Plea Agreement) Act Cap 10:09. It is designed not only to ensure proper sentencing for offenders, but to expedite criminal proceedings and hopefully, reduce the court backlog.

“The Bill seeks to provide for the establishment of a system of plea discussion and plea agreements in criminal proceedings. Its primary intent is to provide the opportunity for prosecutors and accused persons to meet under specific circumstances and negotiate a settlement acceptable to the principles of justice,” the Ministry of Legal Affairs said.

“This will inevitably save judicial time, reduce the backlog of criminal cases, reduce the prison population

on remand while at the same time ensuring that accused persons face penalties proportionate to the crimes committed.”

Back in April 2023, Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister Anil Nandlall had solicited submissions on the draft Criminal Procedure (Plea Discussion and Plea Agreement) Bill from the Chambers of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) and the Office of the Police Legal Advisor.

Meanwhile, submissions were also invited from the Guyana Bar Association, the Berbice Bar Association, and the Law Reform Commission. It was further noted that the Bill will soon be taken to Cabinet and thence to be laid in the National Assembly.

A perusal of the Bill shows that Clause 5 provides

Magistrate puts Warner's ....

"There appears to be colossal misrepresentation on behalf of the team by AG and the requesting state (the US)."

Warner’s latest legal challenge was prompted by a freedom of information request for the alleged special arrangement. He received a response from the Office of the AG saying a search of its Central Authority's records had not uncovered a written version of the arrangements.

Earle-Caddle said Warner’s application was not frivolous or vexatious, and referred Warner’s questions to the High Court for its immediate attention.

She further questioned, "How does one certify something that is possibly nonexistent? Is this the new norm where this is a flagrant disregard for what is right? Is this the presumption of regularity that ordinary citizens must now accept? A regularity of whatever is expedient? Surely not a rubber-stamping inimical to the protections guaranteed by our legislation and Constitution.”

She emphasised that the law was clear, as the extradition process involved the liberty of citizens.

"The end result of extradition is the deprivation of a person's liberty and subjection to a foreign jurisdiction.

It is of paramount importance that any process which supports taking away that freedom must adhere strictly to the legal requirements."

She said entering into an

for a plea deal to be negotiated before charges are laid. Meanwhile, Clause 6 of the Bill mandates that the DPP’s written permission must be obtained before a prosecutor can enter into a plea discussion or a plea deal concluded. Clause 7 also prohibits any improper inducements to encourage the accused to enter plea discussions.

Meanwhile, the Bill is clear that a plea deal cannot be entered into with someone who does not have a lawyer, unless that person has been advised about his constitutional rights, including the right to legal representation.

According to Part Two of the Bill, “A prosecutor shall not initiate a plea discussion with a suspect who is not represented by an attorney-at-law unless; (a) the prosecutor has informed the

suspect; (i) of his or her right to be represented by an attorney-at-law during plea discussions; (ii) of his or her right to protection against self-incrimination; (iii) of his or her right to be presumed innocent; (iv) of his or her right to remain silent; and (v) that he or she may elect to have a third party of his or her choice present during the plea discussions.”

The Bill also sets out the procedure of filing a plea agreement, while Clause 25 states that a plea agreement is not binding on the court. In case the Judge or Magistrate accepts a plea agreement, the accused will be requested to plead to the charge.

“Clause 29 of the Bill provides that the Director of Public Prosecutions may appeal to the Court of Appeal where a court has rejected a plea agreement. Clause 30 of the Bill provides the grounds upon which an accused may withdraw from a plea agreement.”

“Clause 31 of the Bill provides the grounds upon which the Director of Public Prosecutions may seek the leave of the Court of Appeal to have a plea agreement, a

conviction or a sentence set aside. Clause 32 of the Bill provides for the extension of time for filing a notice of appeal,” the Bill’s explanatory memorandum states.

Clause 33 of the Bill meanwhile explains that the evidence of certain matters in a plea agreement, which is later withdrawn, shall not be admissible against the accused who entered into the plea agreement or was a party to a plea discussion.

“Clause 34 of the Bill empowers a court to order that the records of plea discussions or a plea agreement be sealed, in the interest of jus-

tice and requires the court to give reasons for the order. Clause 35 of the Bill empowers the Minister to amend the Schedule by Order and Clause 36 of the Bill empowers the Minister to make regulations. Clause 37 of the Bill provides for the repeal of the Criminal Procedure (Plea Bargaining and Plea Agreement) Act, Cap 10:09. Clause 38 of the Bill saves any actions, proceedings and decisions in respect of plea discussions or plea agreements commenced or taken under the repealed Act, upon the commencement of this Act.” (G3)

agreement was intended to protect those rights.

Earle-Caddle said the burden was on the US to ensure that the speciality agreement was in place, and its absence may result in a breach of a citizen's rights.

Warner argued that in his case there was none, and the Chief Magistrate said she was inclined to agree. She said there appeared to be uncertainty that the arrangement existed.

Earle-Caddle maintained it was the statutory duty of the Attorney General to ensure the protection of citizens' rights.

"There must be a written copy of the arrangement in existence." She said a diplomatic note was "surreptitiously" included by the State in its response to Warner’s application to give an ex-post-facto (after the fact) assurance that the speciality requirement will be observed if Warner is sent to the US to face the charges there.

She said this February 28, 2023, note did not negate the absence of an arrangement that should have been prepared in 2015, but lent credence to the apparent non-existence of the arrangement.

"A written arrangement is required along with the authority to proceed."

She also said Warner’s latest challenge bore no similarity to his previous one, nor was it an abuse of the court’s process. (Excerpted from T&T Newsday)

Attorney General Anil Nandlall, SC

Regional Brazil aims to pass offshore wind, green hydrogen laws by year end – energy minister says

Brazil aims to pass a regulatory framework for offshore wind and green hydrogen by the end of this year, the country's Energy Minister told Reuters on Tuesday, as Latin America's largest nation seeks to unlock new sectors to power its energy transition.

Leftist President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has staked his international reputation on overhauling Brazil's environmental credentials, which took a beating under his farright predecessor, former

President Jair Bolsonaro. Lula and his advisers have embraced the transition to a green economy as a focus of their State-driven development policies.

As part of those efforts, Energy Minister Alexandre Silveira highlighted an upcoming auction for transmission lines to transport solar and onshore wind energy from the country's northeast to power stations down south. With a floor of 16 billion reais, the auction could unlock 200 billion reais ($41.79 billion) in investments, he said.

Currently, Brazil has no legislation in place to regulate offshore wind and green hydrogen. In early January, Brazil's Government issued a decree that opened space for the development of offshore wind power generation in the country. Some companies, such as Shell and Equinor, have shown interest.

"We believe that by the end of the year we will have a safe regulatory framework for offshore plants to present to the world," Silveira said, explaining

ICC to continue investigation of human rights abuses in Venezuela

Brazil's Mines and Energy Minister, Alexandre

his Ministry also hoped to have regulation in place for green hydrogen projects over the same time frame.

"Green hydrogen is a real possibility for us to greatly expand our position in clean and renewable energy," he said. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Barbados Government committed to

maintaining ecosystems

Barbados and other vulnerable States now fighting for access to more affordable climate financing should not do so while forgetting the importance of protecting their unique ecosystems.

Limya Eltayeb,

the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Resident Representative, MultiCountry Office For Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean, offered this advice on Monday as Minister of Environment and

National Beautification, Green and Blue Economy, Adrian Forde, restated Government’s commitment to maintaining Barbados’ biodiversity. This included the implementation of a marine spatial plan for the coun -

try, which Forde said was progressing.

The two officials were speaking at Hilton Barbados Resort during the opening of the Caribbean Biodiversity and Financing Conference. (Nation News)

The International Criminal Court (ICC) has ruled that its prosecutors can resume an investigation into alleged human rights abuses in the South American country of Venezuela.

The court’s decision came after the investigation into torture, extrajudicial killings and other abuses was suspended at Venezuela’s request in April 2022, to allow the country to conduct its own probe.

But in a statement on Tuesday, the ICC concluded that Venezuela had fallen short in its investigation of Government officials.

“The Chamber concluded that, whilst Venezuela is taking some investigative steps, its domestic criminal proceedings do not sufficiently mirror the scope of the prosecution’s intended investigation,” the court said in a press release.

It noted “periods of unexplained investigative inactivity” in Venezuela’s

probe, as well as failures to sufficiently address questions of persecution and crimes of a sexual nature.

The court also included concerns that the Venezuelan investigation focused primarily on “lower-level perpetrators”, rather than the senior-level officials ICC Prosecutors had hoped to scrutinise.

Tuesday’s announcement was welcomed by Human Rights Watch, an international human rights monitoring group.

“With today’s decision, ICC Judges have greenlighted the only credible pathway to justice for the victims of abuses by [Venezuelan President] Nicolás Maduro’s Government,” Juanita Goebertus, the group’s Americas director, said in a statement.

“The decision confirms that Venezuela is not acting to bring justice for the crimes likely to be within the ICC’s investigation. Impunity remains the norm.” (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Silveira

Around The World OIL NEWS

Kramatorsk: Russian missile strike hits restaurants in Ukrainian city

Oil prices drop over 2% on interest rate hike worries

Oil prices slumped over 2% on Tuesday on signals that central banks may not be done with interest rate hikes, while investors awaited data that could shed light on US fuel consumption during the peak summer driving season.

Brent crude futures settled down US$1.92, or 2.6%, at US$72.26 a barrel. US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) futures dropped US$1.67, or 2.4%, to US$67.70.

Both contracts are trading broadly within a US$10 range traced since early May. Oanda analyst Craig Erlam said prices were mainly at the mercy of “the ever-changing expectations for interest rates”.

European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde said on Tuesday that stubbornly high inflation will require the bank to avoid declaring an end to rate hikes. Higher interest rates can weigh on economic activity and oil demand.

“Despite concerns for the slowing economy in Europe, they are going to put the pedal to the metal with interest rates and that puts pressure to the downside,” said Phil Flynn, an analyst at Price Futures Group.

In the United States, US consumer confidence increased in June to the highest level in nearly 1-1/2 years amid renewed labor market optimism.

But the upbeat data suggested the Federal Reserve will likely have to continue raising interest rates to slow demand in the overall economy. The US central bank, which has raised its policy rate by 500 basis points since March 2022, signalled this month that two additional rate hikes were warranted this year.

US inventory data from the American Petroleum Institute industry group is expected at 4:30 pm EDT, followed by Government data on Wednesday. A Reuters poll indicated that US inventories probably fell in the week to June 23.

Brent’s six-month backwardation - a price structure whereby sooner-loading contracts trade above later-loading ones - reached its lowest since December and barely positive, indicating shrinking concern about supply crunches.

For the two-month spread, the market is in shallow contango, the opposite price structure, indicating that traders are factoring in a slightly oversupplied market.

The market, meanwhile, has shrugged off the aborted mutiny by mercenary group Wagner in Russia at the weekend, with Russian oil loadings having remained on schedule.

“The latest geopolitical flare-up quickly pales into insignificance compared to persistent macroeconomic considerations,” said PVM’s Tamas Varga.

This is the case despite Saudi Arabia’s pledge to reduce output from July.

Much depends on whether Chinese oil demand picks up in the second half, with Premier Li Qiang saying that China will take steps to invigorate markets but providing no details. (Reuters)

Russian missiles have hit the centre of Kramatorsk in eastern Ukraine, killing three people and injuring many more, Ukrainian officials say.

A restaurant and shopping area were hit in Tuesday’s strike on the city, which is under Ukrainian control but close to Russianoccupied parts of Ukraine.

People may be trapped under the rubble and a rescue operation is under way.

An eyewitness told the BBC he saw “dead people, people screaming, people crying, huge chaos”.

A teenager is among those who were killed, according to Ukrainian Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko.

Kramatorsk has been hit by shelling from Russian forces many times since the start of the invasion last February - including in April 2022 when more than 50 people died following a missile strike on the city’s railway station

Belgian freelance journalist Arnaud De Decker told BBC Newshour he was at the popular Ria Lounge restaurant just minutes before it was hit.

“There’s still people un-

derneath the rubble because it’s a big restaurant,” he said.

“Now I can hear people screaming underneath the rubble as rescuers are trying to save them.”

He estimated up to 80 staff members and customers were on the restaurant premises at the time of the strike, so feared the casualty number could be “severe”. Officials say at least 40 people were injured, including a child and three foreigners.

A rescue operation is currently under way in the city centre, with security agencies assisting emergency services at the scene and evacuating victims.

Local authorities say the area had a high concentration of civilians when the missiles hit.

It comes as President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine’s counter-offensive was advancing on all fronts.

(Excerpt from BBC News)

UN peacekeeping mission in Mali set to end on June 30

Adecade-long United Nations peacekeeping mission in Mali is set to end on June 30, diplomats said on Tuesday, ahead of a Security Council vote on a draft resolutionseen by Reuters - that will give the 13,000-strong operation six months to withdraw.

The planned end of the MINUSMA mission follows years of tensions between the UN and Mali’s military junta that came to a head this month when Mali Foreign Minister Abdoulaye Diop asked the force to leave “without delay”.

It would mean an abrupt halt to an operation that has been hobbled by Government restrictions since Mali teamed up with Russia’s Wagner mercenary group in 2021. The UN mission is credited with playing a vital role in protecting civilians against

US health alert over malaria cases in Florida and Texas

Florida and Texas are seeing some locally acquired cases of malaria - the first spread of the mosquito-transmitted disease inside the US in 20 years, officials warn in a health alert.

Active surveillance for more cases is continuing, the Centres for Disease Control says. The risk of catching malaria in the US remains extremely low, it says.

All five patientsfour in Florida, one

in Texas - have now had treatment.

Malaria is caused by being bitten by an infected mosquito.

People cannot catch it from each other.

But the insects catch it from infected people - and the cycle continues.

It is common in large areas of Africa, Asia and Central and South America but not the US.

However,

Anopheles mosquitoes, found throughout many parts of the US, can transmit malaria, if they have

fed on an infected person.

The risk is higher in areas where: the climate means insects survive during most of the year; travellers from malaria-endemic areas are found.

Infected people can suffer fever, sweats and chills.

Malaria is an emergency and must be treated quickly with drugs to kill the parasite that causes the infection.

Using insect repellent and covering up can help protect

against mosquito bites.

The CDC says it is working with the Florida and Texas health departments and those recently diagnosed and treated “are improving”. US doctors are being advised to consider malaria in any person with an unexplained fever, regardless of international travel history, particularly if they have visited or live in the affected areas of Florida or Texas.

(Excerpt from BBC News)

an Islamist insurgency that has killed thousands.

Some experts fear the security situation could worsen when the mission departs, leaving Mali’s under-equipped army alone with about 1000 Wagner fighters to combat militants who control swaths of territory in the desert north and centre.

Under the draft text, MINUSMA would have until Dec 31 to undertake an “orderly and safe” withdrawal, which the Security Council would review by Oct 30. The council could then, if needed, “consider a revised timeline in discussion with Mali.”

Its operations would be pared down to providing security to UN personnel, facilities and convoys. MINUSMA would provide medical evacuations to UN staff.

But the draft text would also authorise MINUSMA, until the end of the year

and - when and where possible - in consultation with Malian authorities, “to respond to imminent threats of violence to civilians and contribute to the safe civilian-led delivery of humanitarian assistance in its immediate vicinity.” (Excerpt from Reuters)

UN peacekeepers stand guard in the northern town of Kouroume, Mali, May 13, 2015. Kourome is 18 km (11 miles) south of Timbuktu

DAILY HOROSCOPES

Avoid negative situations. Do research, verify facts and protect against illness or injury. Stick to your game plan, and take care of yourself first. Don’t let anger take the reins.

(March 21-April 19)

Review your routine and schedule and make needed adjustments. By eliminating what isn’t necessary in your life, you’ll be able to pay more attention to what’s important.

(April 20-May 20)

Address money matters. Spend money only on what you need. A minimalist attitude will help you get your finances in order. Declutter your space and sell off what you no longer want.

(May 21-June 20)

PEANUTS

(June 21-July 22)

CALVIN AND HOBBES

(July 23-Aug. 22)

Concentrate on what’s important to you. Refuse to let anyone sidetrack you or sabotage your effort. Be part of the solution, not part of the problem. Don’t make unnecessary changes.

Don’t let what others do ruin your day. Look inward and pursue what makes you happy. Taking care of yourself and striving to live a healthy, stressfree lifestyle are in your best interest.

Go after what you want, make necessary changes and make your dreams come true. Envision the possibilities. Dedication and hard work will help you gain respect and reach your goal.

(Aug. 23-Sept. 22)

Be a good Samaritan. Your input will make a difference. Distance yourself from people who would let you do all the work, and reach out to help those who appreciate your kindness.

(Sept. 23-Oct. 23)

Keep your eye on your money and possessions. Use your ingenuity, and you’ll find new ways to lower your overhead and bring in more cash. Protect your reputation. Make your home your refuge.

(Oct. 24-Nov. 22)

Look closely at your associates before you share information. Once you determine peoples’ intentions, you’ll know what to do and whom to trust. A problem at home will be due to misinformation.

(Nov. 23-Dec. 21)

SOLUTION FOR LAST PUBLISHED PUZZLE

(Dec. 22-Jan. 19)

Your input will make a difference and encourage you to make adjustments. Embrace change. Honest communication will help seal a deal. You’ll discover a valuable concept if you are flexible.

Listen to what someone tells you, and you’ll figure out how to use the information to your advantage. Don’t make a change because someone else does. Honesty is the best policy.

(Jan. 20-Feb. 19)

When in doubt, ask an expert. Financial assistance will get you on the right track and help you lower your overhead. Stability will lead to peace of mind and opportunity.

(Feb. 20-March 20)

GBBFF’s Stage of Champions returns for fifth edition on July 9th

2023 ODI World Cup schedule revealed

The 2023 men’s ODI World Cup will begin on October 5 in Ahmedabad, and matches will be held across ten venues. The event will culminate in the final being held in Ahmedabad on November 19. The semi-finals will be held in Mumbai and Kolkata on November 15 and 16.

with a rematch between the 2019 finalists - New Zealand taking on England - while hosts India open their campaign against Australia on October 8 in Chennai.

October 2.

Bodybuilding action returns on July 9 with hosting of the fifth ‘Stage of Champions’ at the Ramada

Princess Hotel at Providence, East Bank Demerara.

This competition will see chiselled athletes from the

Hard Work & Determination is key to success

- Kaieteur Attack Racing Club

…Team dominates in the National Championship 2023

homeland Guyana competing against their counterparts from Trinidad and Tobago, Suriname, Antigua and Barbuda, Jamaica, St. Martin, Grenada, and many other Caribbean countries in body-building, physique and bikini contests.

The first-place winner of the body-building segment would receive $500,000, the secondplace winner would receive $350,000 and the third-place winner would receive $250,000.

The organizer of the event, Videsh Sukram, has expressed hope for a packed audience, and is urging spectators to come out and support.

“We expect at least 400 spectators. We have so far guaranteed 350 tickets already sold, so come out and support,” Sukram is urging.

The 45 league matches and the three knockouts will be played in Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Dharamsala, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Lucknow, Mumbai and Pune over a span of 46 days. The two semi-finals and the final will all have reserve days. There are six-day league matches in the tournament, which will start at 10:30am IST. All other matches will be day-night games starting at 2:00pm IST.

The ICC has confirmed that if India should qualify for the semi-finals, that game will be held in Mumbai, unless their opposition is Pakistan, in which case the game will be played in Kolkata.

India then play Afghanistan in Delhi on October 11; Pakistan in Ahmedabad on October 15; Bangladesh in Pune on October 19; New Zealand in Dharamsala on October 22; England in Lucknow on October 29; a qualifier in Mumbai on November 2;

An exorbitant amount of training has resulted in outstanding performance for all the Kaieteur Attack Racing Club cyclists. We want to congratulate all the club members for their hard work. Abigail Jeffrey finished 3rd in the Women’s National Road Race Championship and placed 3rd in the time trial. Tandecia Noel placed 4th in the female time trial.

In the junior category, Ajani Cutting finished 2nd in the National Road Race Championship and time trial while Sebastian Nathan placed 3rd in the National Road Race Championship and time trial.

In the elite category

time trial championship Arjune Sookai placed 3rd while Kevin Seaton placed 6th. For the master’s national championship, Alexis Mendes placed 2nd while Quincy Ridley finished 3rd in this category. In the elite national championship, Quincy Ridley finished 3rd, Romello Crawford 5th and Arjune Sookai placed 7th. Additionally, Quincy Ridley placed 1st in the nationals’ masters time trial. The Club sought to thank the following sponsors for their continuous support: Colors Boutique, Anchor Cement, Rays Auto Sales, Montecci, Professional Keyshop and Sherwayne Williams Paint

Reigning Mr. Guyana, Darius Ramsammy, has underscored the importance of the return of the Stage of Champions. He shared, “Stage of Champions has been missing from Guyana now due to the pandemic, and now that it is back, they’re setting to make a statement in the Caribbean, not only by producing the best athletes that we have to offer here in Guyana, we’re inviting every single one from the Caribbean who thinks they have what it takes to stand up on the Stage of Champions and become the champions and best bodybuilder at this moment and put on a show.”

Tickets for the event are priced at $3000, and are being sold at Fitness Express, Unity Gym and Unity Taxi Service.

This event is sponsored by Prem’s Electrical, Masterpiece Rentals, Fitness Express, Camille’s Academy, Master Inc., Clear Waters, Unity Cabs, Lift Gym, West Indies Sports Complex, Outdoor Pet Store, Electronica, Twins and Space Gym.

The long-awaited and muchdelayed World Cup schedule was finally released by the ICC and BCCI at an event in Mumbai on Tuesday, just 100 days before the start of the tournament. In comparison, the fixtures for the 2019 World Cup in England and Wales and the 2015 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand were released more than 12 months in advance.

The format will be the same as it was in 2019, with ten teams playing each other once in the league phase, and the top four qualifying for the semi-finals. India qualified for the event as hosts, while Afghanistan, Australia, England, Bangladesh, New Zealand, Pakistan, and South Africa made it by finishing in the top eight of the 20202023 World Cup Super League. The remaining two teams will be identified at the ongoing World Cup qualifiers in Zimbabwe, which is being contested by Sri Lanka, West Indies, Ireland, Nepal, Netherlands, Oman, Scotland, UAE, USA and Zimbabwe.

Before the tournament begins, the teams will play warm-ups in Hyderabad, Thiruvananthapuram and Guwahati between September 29 and October 3.

India will be playing at nine of the ten venues in the league stage, while Pakistan would play in five.

The 2023 World Cup begins

South Africa in Kolkata on November 5; and another qualifier in Bengaluru on November 11, which is the penultimate day of the league stage.

India would travel the most among the ten teams, playing at nine of the ten venues during the league phase. Their warmup games are against England in Guwahati on September 30, and against a qualifier in Thiruvananthapuram on October 3.

While most other teams play their nine league matches across most of the ten venues - Australia, for example, are playing at eight venuesPakistan are playing in only five cities: Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai and Kolkata. The league phase concludes on November 12, with England playing Pakistan in Kolkata, and Australia taking on Bangladesh in Pune.

After the tournament opener against England, New Zealand play three matches in the south of India - against a qualifier in Hyderabad on October 9, Bangladesh in Chennai on October 14, and Afghanistan in Chennai on October 18 - before travelling far north to play two matches in Dharamsala, against India on October 22 and Australia on October 28. Their last three league matches are against South Africa in Pune on November 1; Pakistan in Bengaluru on November 4; and the other qualifier in Bengaluru on November 9. New Zealand’s warm-up games are against Pakistan in Hyderabad on September 29 and South Africa in Thiruvananthapuram on

South Africa begin their campaign in the north of India, playing a qualifier in Delhi on October 8, and then playing Australia in Lucknow on October 13, and the other qualifier in Dharamsala on October 17. They then travel west to Mumbai to play England on October 21 and Bangladesh on October 24, after which they head south to take on Pakistan in Chennai on October 27. Their last three league games are against New Zealand in Pune (western India) on November 1, against India in Kolkata (eastern India) on November 5, and against Afghanistan in Ahmedabad (western India) on November 10. South Africa’s first warm-up game is against Afghanistan in Thiruvananthapuram on September 29, before playing New Zealand at the same venue on October 2.

Bangladesh’s World Cup starts with two games in Dharamsala - against Afghanistan on October 7 and England on October 10. They then play New Zealand in Bangalore on October 14, India in Pune on October 19, South Africa in Mumbai on October 24, before heading east to Kolkata to play a qualifier on October 28 and Pakistan on October 31. Their last two league games are against the other qualifier in Delhi on November 6, and against Australia in Pune on November 12. Bangladesh’s warm-ups are in Guwahati, against a qualifier on September 29 and England on October 2.

At their third successive World Cup, Afghanistan start against Bangladesh in Dharamsala on October 7, and stay on in north India to play India and England in Delhi on October 11 and 14, then go south to play New Zealand and Pakistan in Chennai on October 18 and 23, before travelling to Pune to play a qualifier on October 30. Their last three league games are against the other qualifier in Lucknow on November 3, Australia in Mumbai on November 7, and South Africa in Ahmedabad on November 10. Afghanistan’s warm-ups are against South Africa in Thiruvananthapuram on September 29 and a qualifier on October 3 in Guwahati.

(ESPNCricinfo)

Team Kaieteur riders Alex Mendes and Kwamie Ridley dominated the masters category

Some of the powerlifters posing with sponsors and organizers of the event

The coveted World Cup Trophy

GTA’s “One Guyana” Open tourney commences on June

Approximately $2 million in cash prizes will be up for grabs over the next two weeks when the Guyana Tennis Association (GTA) serves off its inaugural “One Guyana” Open tournament at 15:00hrs on Friday, June 30, at the recently recommissioned and refurbished courts of the National Racquet Centre on Woolford Avenue, Georgetown.

Describing itself as “incredibly excited” to host this tournament, the GTA

Century 21 supports National U16 Rapid Chess Tournament

also revealed that the country’s best players and a few former champions are making a comeback during this highly anticipated event.

This tournament will feature four categories, namely: Men’s Open Singles, Ladies’ Open Singles, Men’s 35 Singles, and Men’s 45 singles. This will be the first competition to be hosted on the new courts.

Right after the customary opening ceremony on Friday, the main draw play will serve off.

Matches will be played from Monday through Friday between 15:30hrs and 18:30hrs, and on weekends from 14:00hrs to 18:30hrs. Best-of-three sets is the format for all categories. This two-week-long competition is sponsored by the National Sports Commission (NSC) and the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport (MCYS), in collaboration with the GTA.

The GTA has said it continues to be appreciative of the Government’s support,

RHTY&SC cricket teams to host two tournaments in July

Tropical Shipping is official shipper for Guyana Motor Racing

The highly-anticipated National Under-16 Rapid Chess Tournament returns on Monday, July 3rd at Marian Academy.

The championship event is sponsored by Century 21 Guyana, a recently established international real estate company in Guyana.

Players un der the age of 16 have until 5pm on Sunday, July 2nd to register in either the Open or Girls categories. Trophies will be awarded at the end of the one-day event for the top three players as well as for the best U8, best U10, and best U12 players in each category.

Seven rounds of gameplay begin at 9am sharp. Each match will be played under a time control of 20 minutes per player, with a 5-second increment after each move.

This tournament promises to be the most intense and impressive yet, fuelled by the momentum of the booming “chess in schools” programme. The passion and dedication exhibited by the younger generation of chess enthusiasts promises exciting competition. Returning to defend their coveted titles are the reigning male and female 2022 Under-16 champions, Kyle Couchman and Italy Ton-Chung.

Queen’s College student Couchman remains one of the most active chess players across youth and open tournaments, having copped the Under-14 Rapid Tournament title just a few months ago.

St. Stanislaus College student TonChung also ranks among the strongest Under-16 female players, having demonstrated consistent prowess over the years. This tournament will also serve as a platform for the selection of some players for the upcoming CAC Youth Chess Festival to be held in Trinidad in August. Players from the entire Caribbean region are attracted to this festival.

Registration is free for members of the Guyana Chess Federation. Children who are not registered with the Federation but still wish to compete can pay a fee of $2000 via MMG. Online registration is required for the tournament. Inquiries can be made at #707-4529 for more information.

The Guyana Chess Federation would like to thank Marian Academy for their unwavering support in providing the venue for the tournament, and to extend heartfelt gratitude to Century 21 Guyana, the generous sponsor of this event. Their support has paved the way for the further advancement of youth chess in Guyana.

Cricketteams of the Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club (RHTY&SC) would, for one month, beginning from July 17th, be hosting their annual Grade Six Summer Camp and the 34th edition of the club’s Annual Cricket Academy, as this very vibrant club continues its youth development programmes. The club has secured sponsorship for both events, with Republic Bank renewing their support for the Grade Six Summer Camp for the 14th successive year, and the cricket academy being supported by longtime sponsors Bakewell and the Guyana Beverage Company.

RHTY&SC

Secretary Hilbert Foster has said the Grade Six Summer Camp would be held at the Rose Hall Town Primary School, and would cater for a total of 100 students who recently wrote the Grade Six exams. The main objective is to assist primary school students to make a successful transition to secondary school. The students would be taught four subjects in the camp, and would be exposed to important topics that would prepare them for secondary school life.

Each student attending the camp would receive a school bag along with educational materials. The best student would also receive an electric bike, while four other students would each receive a bicycle as a prize.

The 34th Cricket Academy would cater for 120 youth cricketers between the ages of eight and 19 years, and would be held at the Area H Ground from 9am to 1pm daily. A panel of cricket coaches headed by Winston Smith would conduct the two weeks of the academy. Foster explained that the club would be working along with the Guyana Police Force B Division to attract interested youths from across Region Six. Entrance to the acade-

my is free, and snacks would be provided daily, while the RHTY&SC would provide all cricket gear and educational materials.

The youth cricketers would be involved in several lectures on a wide range of topics, including drug abuse, history of the game, rules of cricket, personal manners, table etiquette, and public speaking. The top cricketer of the academy would carry home a gold medallion worth a hundred thousand dollars, while another twelve would each receive a collection of gifts, including designer clothing, personal care hampers, cycles and household items.

Like the Grade Six Summer Camp, each participant would take home a school bag with educational materials.

The cricket academy has, since 1990, been the foundation of the club’s success, which include winning 100 titles at all levels and providing a total of 120 players for Berbice, Guyana and West Indies. Among the players who passed through the academy are Esaun Crandon, Assad Fudadin, Royston Crandon, Kelvon Anderson, Kevin Sinclair, Askay Homraj, Dominic Rikhi, Shemaine Campbelle, Sheneta Grimmond, Junior Sinclair, Erva Giddings and Slyus Tyndall.

Foster would like to encourage all youths to register as early as possible, as there are only a few remaining spots available.

Non-club members after the completion of the academy would be given the opportunity to join Guyana’s leading youth and sports organisation once they satisfy the strict discipline criteria.

The two events: summer camp and cricket academy, would be organised by the Farfan and Mendes Under-15, Poonai Pharmacy Under-13, Bakewell Under-17, Pepsi Under-10, Metro Females, and NAMILCO Thunderbolt Flour First Division teams.

Tropical Shipping, a leading transportation and logistics solutions provider, has proudly announced its partnership with the Guyana Motor Racing (GMR&SC), as the official shipping company for international events.

This collaboration, which marks an important milestone in enhancing the growth and development of motorsports in Guyana, would see Tropical Shipping facilitating the seamless transportation of racing cars from the Caribbean to Guyana for high-profile motor-racing events.

With its extensive network, state-of-the-art facilities, and commitment to exceptional service, Tropical Shipping ensures a reliable and efficient shipping experience for all involved parties.

Guyana Motor Racing, renowned for organizing thrilling motorsport events, hosts international competitions that attract drivers, teams and spectators from across the world. By partnering with Tropical Shipping, the organization aims to further elevate the stature of its events, fostering increased participation and global recognition.

“We are happy to have Tropical Shipping as the official shipping company for Guyana Motor Racing. We recognize the significance of motorsports in Guyana, and will continue to grow our international events by providing secure and timely transportation for race cars.

Tropical Shipping’s extensive experience in the shipping industry and our commitment to competitors’ satisfaction ensure we exceed all involved parties’ expectations.” Mahendra Boodhoo, GMR&SC President, has said.

The partnership between Tropical Shipping and Guyana Motor Racing exemplifies the shared vision of promoting excellence in motorsports, and creating opportunities for drivers and teams to showcase their talent internationally. By streamlining the shipping process, this collaboration enables the smooth

execution of events, allowing participants to focus on delivering unforgettable performances.

Executives of the GMR&SC standing alongside the Tropical Shipping team

GTA Men’s 2022 yearend Champion Donnie Anderson is set to compete

8-time doubles and singles Champion Afruica Gentle will return to competition as it shows a steadfast dedication to the continued development of tennis in Guyana.

RHTY&SC Secretary, Hilbert Foster

Shemaine Campbelle

Mr Samsair of Century 21 handing over the cheque to GCF Secretary, Mrs Marcia Lee

Kyle Couchman

Italy Ton-Chung

Guyana’s successful Special Olympics team was, in the wee hours of yesterday morning, met with a grand reception at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA), Timehri, upon their return from the games in Berlin, Germany.

The welcoming team was headed by Director of Sport (DoS), Steve Ninvalle. An Indigenous dancing quartet and a Tassa Troupe provided a festive hero’s welcome to the five-member Olympics contingent, which comprised Head of Delegation, Wilton Spencer; Athletes Rachel Mortley, Stephanie Ramotar and Daniel Samsundar; and Coach Lavern Lee-Alleyne.

Guyana's participation in the 16th edition of the Special Olympics World Games, which were held for the first time in Berlin, Germany from June 17th-25th, resulted in Guyana receiving five medals in the discipline of Bocce.

The team returned to these local shores with one gold accolade in the female

singles segment, three silver medals in the female doubles division, and a bronze award in the male singles section.

Approximately 7000 athletes and 3000 coaches from 190 nations participated in the prestigious event, which featured 26 disciplines.

Director of Sports, Steve Ninvalle praised the group on behalf of President Irfaan Ali; Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport Charles Ramson Jr, and the Government of Guyana, for their momentous accomplishments in representing their nation.

According to Ninvalle, this achievement highlights what can be achieved when unwavering commitment supersedes prevailing challenges. He noted that support will emanate and be forthcoming from the relevant sports entities in an effort to build on this noteworthy success.

Ninvalle disclosed that while he has never played the sport of Bocce, the resulting triumphs of the team have afforded the discipline mainstream aspiration.

He further revealed that a formal meeting between the Olympic team and Minister Ramson Jr would ensue, and that all matters relating to the development of the sport can and will be ventilated in an effort to move the discipline forward.

“To the team, heartfelt congratulations”, Ninvalle concluded.

On the other hand, Head of the Delegation, Wilton Spencer, thanked the wel-

Leonora, Woodley Park win big in Regional kick-offs

The return of the Digicel Schools’ Football Championships was met with much anticipa tion, as several secondary schools churned out im pressive performances when the tournament kicked off in Regions 3 and 5 on Monday af ternoon.

On the West Coast of Demerara, Leonora Secondary thumped Parika Secondary 110. Tromayne Hercules was the feature marksman, netting a helmet trick in the 5th, 10th, 29th and 50th minutes, while Jual Doria registered three in the 12th, 15th and 43rd. Reuel Carroll (40th), Keon Grant (48th) scored once each, while Dfinidy Miggins netted a brace in the 20th and 51st minutes for this impressive victory.

The following game saw Patentia Secondary getting past West Demerara Secondary in a 3-1 affair. Devon Forde netted a hat trick in the 11th, 31st and 36th minutes to account for all of Patentia’s goals.

In Region 5, Woodley Park Secondary schooled Ash Education Trust 8-2. While Terrance Lewis led the charge for Woodley Park with a hat trick in the 7th, 47th and 49th, both Winston Hartman (40th, 48th) and Niron Thom (56th, 58th) found the back of the net twice to bring their tally to 8, accompanied by an Ash Education own goal in the 34th.

In reply, Joshua Doris netted Ash Education’s two in the 30th and 33rd minutes.

Region 5’s second game on Monday afternoon

they faced No.8 Secondary. Zion Fordyce beat the goal-keeper in the 25th and 68th, while his teammate Nehum Rigby also scored twice in the 35th and 47th for Rosignol’s 4.

Shane Apple and Neiderth Angus were the challengers for No. 8, scoring in the 13th and 59th respectively.

A solitary game in the Region 4-East Coast division on Monday saw Bygeval Secondary needling Lancaster Secondary. The solitary goal of the game came when Elijah Somerset found the back of the net in the 57th.

The Digicel Schools’ Championships regional competition is set to continue today in Regions 3 and 5, in addition to the continuation of the East Coast and East Bank Demerara divisions.

On the West Coast of

Vergenoegen Secondary and L’Aventure Secondary do battle at 14:30hrs and 16:00hrs respectively at Leonora.

For the East Coast Division, Bladen Hall Multilateral and L.B.I Secondary will take on different opponents at Buxton Ground, which were decided in games played on Tuesday afternoon.

For the East Bank games, Covent Garden will lock horns with Houston Secondary at 16:00hrs, and Alphine Academy and Friendship Secondary will go at it from 14:30hrs, both at the Ministry of Education Ground (MoE).

In Region 5, Fraser’s Educational Institution and Fort Wellington will go toe- totoe from 14:30hrs, while Bush Lot Secondary would face a yet to be determined opponent from 16:00hrs, both at

coming committee for the unexpected but overwhelming and appreciative reception, noting that the team worked assiduously to be able to compete at a “world-class activity”, despite being only afforded a preparatory phase of seven months.

According to Spencer, though the team was unable to train on the requisite surface for the discipline, a reality that was only afforded upon arrival in Berlin, he is

very satisfied with the performance of the group.

He explained, “Even though better could have been done, we made a few mistakes which cost us a few more gold medals, but nevertheless, we rallied through and returned to Guyana with one gold, three silvers, and a bronze.”

Spencer further declared that the Special Olympics team has never departed local shores to compete at this

On the heels of two crushing losses and their ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 chances being in jeopardy, West Indies Captain Shai Hope has shared just how disappointing recent events have been for the team. This is especially considering the flack that the team has been receiving over the past few days on social media and in social circles.

“That’s completely understandable,” Captain Hope responded to a journalist’s inquiry about the social media frenzy that the West Indies’ failure has caused.

Hope responded, “But one thing I can guarantee is that you guys can never be as deflated as us. I’m sure that the pain is even more severe here in the dressing room, but the only thing I can ask for you guys is to continue supporting us. We’re certainly trying to put our best out there, regardless of what’s happening. The results won’t always go our way, but we definitely need to find ways to turn it around quickly. We have a huge legacy behind us, we know that, but we have to create our own legacy as well, make sure that what ever we do, that we ing the people of the proudly.”

Quizzed on the rale and the over emotions in the dressing room, Hope revealed that it is important to keep spirits high head ing into the Super Six qualifiers this Saturday.

Hope divulged, “It’s certainly going to be a lot of pain and hurt in the dressing room, but we know that there’s still always a chance for us to move to the next step. So, we’re always talking about communicating amongst each oth The main thing right now is to get the guys uplifted as possible to make sure we get the best result going into the next

level and return empty-handed. He affirmed that not only financial support is required, but facilities that are conducive to the development of this sporting fraternity.

Meanwhile, the soft-spoken athletic trio of Rachel Mortley, Stephanie Ramotar and Daniel Samsundar stated that the event was an amazing experience, and that they are elated to have represented their country and secured silverware.

- Hope

game.”

Asked to pinpoint where it went wrong for the Men in Maroon, the ODI Captain indicated that it can be a combination of occurrences.

“That’s a tough one in a sense, because the unfortunate reality is, as a team, we didn’t get the opportunity to come together a lot sooner. But again, that’s the reality of the situation, but we have to focus on what we can control, and that’s the performances that we have on the field. We can control our fielding, we can control our attitude, and I don’t think that’s up to par. We definitely need to take a strong look at that, especially going forward, cause we know that the catches let us down in these games.”

Hope articulated need for a change in attitude. “We need to be very honest with ourselves and understand that our attitude going into these next few games has to turn around,” he said.

The West Indies are heading into the Super Six stage of the World Cup qualifiers with no

“You guys can never be as deflated as us”

Scotland.

West Indies ODI Captain, Shai Hope

Action thus far in the Digicel Championships (File photos)

Director of Sport (DoS) Steve Ninvalle (2nd from right) posing with the Guyana Special Olympics contingent following their return on Tuesday morning at the CJIA

Team members as they reached the Arrival Lounge at the CJIA

The full squads for the Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League (CPL) and Massy Women’s Caribbean Premier League (WCPL) will be revealed during the Draft Show, which will be broadcast on the tournament’s Facebook and YouTube pages at 10:30am Eastern Caribbean Time on Friday, 30 June.

During the show, the drafted players as well as the overseas signings for both

CPL Draft scheduled for Friday, June 30

CPL’s Facebook and YouTube – Worldwide

Star Sports – India

Fancode - India

SportsMax – Pan Caribbean

TV6 – Trinidad & Tobago

Willow – USA

BT Sport – UK

Sky Sports – New Zealand

Teams are set to reveal their completed 2023 rosters at the CPL Draft Show this Friday