Guyana Times Epaper - Wednesday, October 5, 2022

BRIDGE OPENINGS

The

Wednesday,

The

Wednesday,

FERRY SCHEDULE

WEATHER TODAY

Guyana seeking investors for 30,000-barrel-per-day oil refinery

help country

self-sufficient in energy

Go-Invest

Having already re ceived significant interest from pri vate entities regarding the establishment of an oil re finery in the country, the Guyana Government plans to soon launch Expressions of Interest (EOI) for the set ting up of such a facility on local shores.

“We’re looking at the launch of an Expression of Interest for a 30,000-barrel refinery. This Expression of Interest will be launched soon,” President Dr Irfaan Ali announced on Tuesday during an event at the Office of the President.

The Ali-led government has indicated its willingness to support the establishment of a small refinery, which Vice President Dr Bharrat Jagdeo has said can make a huge difference in the coun try’s energy security.

This point was empha sised by Chief Investment Officer Dr Peter Ramsaroop who noted that the specif ics of the project will become available when the EOIs are submitted by potential in vestors.

“If you just study what is happening in the world to day with Ukraine and the war and Russia and how fuel prices have gone up, I think it’s very important for Guyana to look at how it can sustain itself long-term and I think the refinery is just one more step in us looking at our needs in the near fu ture,” he explained.

“The EOI will most like ly request companies to send in their requirements, what do they need, what they be lieve the numbers should be and then government will make that decision on what we would be willing to licence for a refinery,” Dr Ramsaroop added.

Noting that there is no fixed location in mind for the refinery, the Go-Invest CEO said “I think the administra tion is looking at areas like Berbice.” He noted too that the refinery will most likely be a modular one.

It was reported in August of this year that a US$200 million oil refinery and in tegrated petrochemical manufacturing complex, which will employ 750 per sons during its construction and 300 permanent work ers, is being planned by a United States (US) inves tor, Chemtech Limited, for

the East Bank of Demerara (EBD).

According to Chemtech in its project summa ry, they have already re ceived no-objection letters from the Guyana Office for Investment (GO-Invest) and the Region Four Regional Democratic Council (RDC) for the project which has a proposed site on 492 acres of land at Plantation York.

The company had de tailed that the oil refinery will take between 24 and 30 months to construct, while the integrated complex will take between 18 and 24. The project, it assured, would not need natural gas but would utilise products already made from natural gas, such as methanol and urea.

Vice President Dr Bharrat Jagdeo had previ ously explained that the gov ernment favours the estab lishment of a small refinery, over a much larger opera tion, to process the country’s crude for local consumption in order to ensure the coun try’s energy security in the future.

“Having a small refinery here could make a big differ ence for energy security be

cause if we have, for exam ple, hurricanes or any other disaster [in the region] and we can’t get our supply of gas or kerosene or anything else, then having a local re finery – a small one – can make a big difference for na tional energy security,” the Vice President had posited during a press conference in August.

Self-Sufficiency

Meanwhile, Guyana has been working aggressively towards become a self-suf ficient State, with strong economies outside of oil and gas.

The impacts of the Russia/Ukraine war on the global supply chain have also prompted the country to explore the cultivation of wheat for the first time – a trial which has so far proven successful.

The first trial was done on a small scale at the Burma Rice Research Station in Region Five (MahaicaBerbice), followed by an open field trial at Paramakatoi in Region Eight (PotaroSiparuni).

Moreover, President Ali said that as his government

pushes to build a diversified economy, more EOIs will be launched.

The Go-Invest Head in dicated that some of these will be focused on eco-tour ism. “We’re looking for large developers to look at the high-end eco-tourism. [The President] announced the joint product between Barbados and Guyana: The Sand, The Beach, and The Jungle. We have British Airways flying now to Guyana next year, will bring a whole new set of investors and visitors to Guyana, so we have to look at that.”

Dr Ramsaroop also spoke about opportunities in the areas of sports and enter tainment. “We may see some interest in that from many new investors.”

President Ali has said his government intends to de velop Guyana as a premier destination for sports tour ism, with the country being able to attract immense in ternational participation in sectors such as horse-racing and motor racing. Efforts are also being made for Guyana to become a venue for events organised by the World Boxing Council. (G11)

Chief Investment Officer Dr Peter Ramsaroop

President Dr Irfaan Ali

V iews

Editor: Tusika Martin News Hotline: 231-8063 Editorial: 231-0544, 223-7230, 223-7231, 225-7761 Marketing: 231-8064 Accounts: 225-6707

Mailing address: Queens Atlantic Investment Estate Industrial Site, Ruimveldt, Georgetown Email: news@guyanatimesgy.com, marketing@guyanatimesgy.com

World Teacher’s Day

E

very October 5 since 1994, the world is exhorted by the United Nations – specifically UNESCO — to observe “International Teacher’s Day”.

The body declared: “World Teacher’s Day aims to focus on ‘appreciating, assessing and improving the educators of the world’, and to provide an opportunity to consider issues related to teachers and teaching.”

As is practised around the world, teachers in Guyana are held to a very high standard by both students and society. But Guyana is perhaps one of the few countries in the world where documented standards for teachers are yet to be implemented. Some time ago, we had touched on this issue, and had made a strong call for the authorities here to take all the necessary steps to have these standards drafted and implemented forthwith.

It could be recalled that, in March 2014, the Ministry of Education had begun a series of public consultations with teachers and other stakeholders across the country, and even overseas, to craft a model professional standards policy document for teachers. Its main aim was to get feedback from those involved in the profession, and from the general public, on how teachers could raise the bar in terms of the way they function, their own self-development, and that of the profession.

It is the present Education Minister, Priya Manickchand, who in 2014 had told the media that a report containing stakeholders’ recommendations was being prepared, but after the PPP/C Government came out of office in 2015, no one had given any indication since then as to what is the reason for stalling the process. It doesn’t matter that there was a change in Government and now again another change in Government, this is a policy direction that had been taken by most sister Caricom countries. And in the interest of the teaching profession, it is necessary that Guyana follows suit.

In some Caricom countries, there are efforts made to ensure that teachers abide by the set standards, and when it is found that there are certain breaches in the system, the necessary remedial actions are taken.

There is also need for Guyana to align its teacher education standards with that of the region, as Caricom seeks to harmonise teaching standards throughout member states in the region.

Professional standards for teachers are necessary, as they set expectations for achieving desired educational outcomes. These standards are not intended as a tool for punitive action; rather, they reflect professional consensus of what is desirable in the supervision, leadership, and delivery of education. They also provide a framework that permits professionals to engage in self-assessment.

Like in other professions, such as law and medicine, professional standards for teachers offer the professional community specifications against which the people who ‘mould’ the nation’s children are able to set goals for personal development and progress in the profession. The standards are multi-dimensional and give cognisance to the key props for learning to take place, namely: (a) a motivated and willing learner; (b) effective teaching and learning, and (c) an enabling environment.

We had stated before that, once implemented, the standards would serve as a tool to monitor and evaluate teachers’ performances in the classroom, knowledge of the subject(s) they teach, techniques used, level of commitment to the learners in their care, and effective management of diversity to promote inclusiveness in the learning process. The standards would also help teachers sharpen their professional skills and help them interact with parents and the community.

Previously, we had suggested that, as part of establishing professional standards for teachers, there be teacher career policies and programmes aimed at stimulating the profession; the provision of incentives to attract the best prospective candidates; established entry-level professional standards; and certification and licensing in accordance with established professional standards.

We must get on with the business of standardising, professionalizing, and making rules for the teaching profession. Any delay would be detrimental, and would only serve to stagnate the entire process. It is therefore hoped that the current administration would restart the work which was started in 2014, to have the document finalised and implemented soon. We believe that these standards are long overdue.

How could organisers be so insensitive to Hindus?

Dear Editor, Attention is drawn to a public announcement of a Diwali night fete by A1 Nightclub. It was purport edly co-sponsored by Banks DIH, which has publicly dis sociated itself from the event, stating that its name was used without permission.

Mr Ramesh Dookhoo, a company director of Banks DIH, has said the compa ny would in no way be asso ciated with such an activity. He added that the company is respectful of all faiths and religious organisations, notes that the company’s share holders are of all religious denominations, and has said the company respects peo ples’ faiths and religious practices.

This concert is sacrile gious, hurts the sentiments of Hindus and other de cent-minded people, and should be cancelled. Banks DIH has said it does not en gage in, or support, activi ties that are sensitive to, or disrespectful of, religions or other activities. We ap plaud Banks DIH for the po sition it has taken on the fete. Organisations and business es should not use religious events to promote certain events.

Diwali, popularly known as the Festival of Light, in one of the most sacred occa sions on the Hindu Calendar. Many non-Hindus also par take in the celebration and its religious observance.

Diwali symbolises the spiritual victory of light over darkness, good over evil, and knowledge over ignorance.

Performatively, Hindus wel come the Divine Mother Goddess Lakshmi - the con sort of Lord Vishnu and the bestower of wealth and pros perity - into their homes on Divali night, to pay obeisance to Her through Puja. Lord Ganesha, the remover of ob stacles, is also worshipped on Divali night. During this pe riod, Hindus fast, and avoid liquor and flesh and fetes. It is a very auspicious occasion, and it is not different from any observed by Muslims and Christians. Would they stage a fete on Eid or Good Friday? Why would the organizers of this fete want to desecrate the Hindu festival and disre spect those who observe it?

Non-Hindu friends his torically tend to join Hindus during this festival, tak ing in the beautifully illumi nated lights and traditional lamps, as well as feasting on sumptuous vegetarian dish es, including an assortment of delicious sweets. Fetes were historically avoided by non-Hindus out of respect for the large Hindu community. These facts are well known to all Guyanese.

As such, we, the under signed, hold that it is not only sacrilegious, but an in sult to all Hindus and others who observe Diwali that the A1 Nightclub and Recreation Center in Soesdyke, EBD, would blatantly advertise a “Divali Night Lime” and announce a “Banks Happy Hour” without consulting the company. In our multi-reli gious society, such activities can only be interpreted as a form of disrespect and vio

lence against Hindus. How could the organisers be so insensitive to Hindus, and display such contempt and disrespect for the Hindu com munity? Nothing short of an apology is warranted.

We demand that this dis respectful activity be called off at once, and that the Nightclub issue an apolo gy to the Hindu Community of Guyana. Failing that, we urge the public to boycott the event. Mr Ramesh Dookhoo of Banks DIH has said his company has distanced itself from the event.

We also urge other organ isations and individuals to desist from using the name of this sacred festival or Parb for reasons other than its in tended Dharmic purposes.

Yours truly, Dr Vishnu Bisram, Dr Baytoram Ramharack, Pandita Dr Indrani Rampersad, Dr Somdat Mahabir, Dr Ramesh Gampat, Dr Dhanpaul Narine, Anita Ramharack, Dr Kumar Mahabir, Hanoman Doolarchand, Ravi Dev, Nalini Mahabir, Nanda Sahadeo, Swami Aksharananda, Veda Nath Mohabir, Balram Rambrich, Parbatie Bisram, Ashook Ramsaran, Jai Lall, Ram Sahadeo, and others

Office-holders need some time-off too

Dear Editor,

The anti-partying posi tion taken by some critics against the Head of State during the recent Cricket Carnival festivities has strands of resemblance of a partying Prime Minister in another part of the globe (Finland) not so long ago, and the ensuing backlash.

Of course, in the latter case, the incumbent ad mitted to behaviour not in keeping with her stat ure.

So, it appears that of fice-holders and leaders should not ‘free-up’ and ‘let their hair down’ in en

joyment mode or gay aban don, else it be viewed as “antics” and unpresiden tial’.

The highest office of the land carries responsibili ty and decorum, and once the incumbent conducts self in keeping with the image and expectations of the office, there should be no ridiculing or belittling of the office-holder simply for taking time off for some relaxation and enjoyment.

Guyana Police Force Band during the Ceremonial Opening of the October session of the Demerara Criminal Assizes. The band was part of the parade which commenced at the Brickdam Police Station and turned into Croal Street, then into South Road (Guyana Police Force photo)

NIS must drastically improve services to contributors – Finance Minister to management

On the occasion of the National Insurance Scheme’s (NIS) 53rd Anniversary, Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh read the riot act to the agency and impressed on them the need for them to drastically im prove their services for every participant.

There have been success es in the scheme’s operations, which Dr Singh drew refer ence to with one such suc cess being the reduction of 14,000 pending claims that the Government inherited in 2020. Since then, over 12,000 claims have been addressed.

But notwithstanding the progress made, Singh noted that much more remains to be done and that NIS needs to further improve its services and to ensure that employ ees receive their yearly state ments of contribution.

In fact, Dr Singh added that every single contribu tor should be receiving these statements yearly. He also sounded a warning to employ ers that fail to hand over NIS deductions to the scheme, noting that this is a criminal matter, while urging them to treat the concerns of pension ers and contributors with the alacrity they deserve.

“Because the NIS was conceived then (in 1969) as it remains today the preem inent national institution to provide for those who are un able to work, for medical in surance and for the sick and the elderly and to provide for those who exit employment.”

“This is the institution in which you are today's cohort managing and so when a pen sioner comes into an NIS of fice, we have a longstanding obligation to serve them in a particular manner driven by the high ideals of public ser vice,” he reiterated.

The reduction of the NIS backlog was a priority of the Government when it as sumed office in 2020, as well as addressing the complaints that were received from con tributors to the Scheme. It is because of this backlog that the Government at Cabinet level, undertook a series of nationwide outreach sessions

to take NIS services to con tributors.

A total of 12 sessions were held in Regions Two, Three, Four, Five, Six and 10, with over 1500 persons across the country benefitting from these sessions. In fact, many of them received their Old Age Pension after waiting for a number of years. According to the Finance Minister, the untimely waiting for pen sions is something that must be stamped out.

“Everyone has a legiti mate expectation to get their pension on time and to get ev ery single one of them. And you have to put yourself in their shoes. When you get to 60, you think you want to hear any excuse about some body can’t find some file?

Go to Camp Street, go to Hadfield Street, come back to Brickdam. They got their re

cords in Rose Hall?”

“You are 60 years old. There are people who face that every day. They go Rose Hall, they say their thing at New Amsterdam. They go New Amsterdam, they say you gotta check Camp Street. You go Camp Street, they say no they don’t deal with that, go Brickdam. None of us in this room would find it ac ceptable to be treated in that manner. And we must not treat anyone in that manner.”

According to the Finance Minister, there are well es tablished protocols to esca late matters. If the clerk can not handle the matter, then it is to be referred to the manag er. He noted that if the local office manager cannot resolve it, then it is to be referred to the area manager and, in that instance, if the matter is still not resolved, then a report

must be done and presented to the General Manager.

“If the General Manager does not have the authority, she escalates it to the Board of Directors. If it is an extremely peculiar matter that cannot be resolved by the Board of Directors, it will end up with a Board of Appeal or National Insurance Commissioner or in a rare case, for my consid eration,” he said.

Dr Singh noted that while the NIS officers might un derstand the technicalities and the rules, all the pub lic wants to know is when

they’re getting their pensions.

According to the Minister, the Government “expects a rapid improvement in the quality of service provided by the NIS.”

Meanwhile, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the NIS, Ramesh Persaud also speaking at the event encour aged staff to continue to work diligently as “the work done

today would impact someone in the next fifty years”.

He also alluded to the Strategic Plan to be imple mented by the NIS which will address several areas includ ing repairing the public per ception of NIS, increasing its operational efficiency and dealing with backlogged cas es and appeals.-

…tells staff “…when you get to 60, you think you want to hear any excuse…?” – Min Singh

“Everyone has a legitimate expectation to get their pension on time and to get every single one of them. And you have to put yourself in their shoes. When you get to 60, you think you want to hear any excuse about somebody can’t find some file? Go to Camp Street, go to Hadfield Street, come back to Brickdam. They got their records in Rose Hall?”

From left: NIS Chairman Ramesh Dookhoo, Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh and NIS General Manager Holly Greaves

Page Foundation

Triangles

A 2-dimensional figure with 3 sides is a triangle. A triangle has 3 angles that always add up to 180o. This is one way you can classify triangles.

A triangle with only acute angles – angles less than 90o – is called an acute triangle. A triangle with one right angle is called a right-angled triangle or right triangle. A triangle with one obtuse angle is called an obtuse triangle

Music

connects us in vari

ous and surprising ways. Music connects us to each other when we sing or play together. And in many ways, mu sic connects our minds and bodies. Music makes us move and dance. Scientists have also experimented to see if music can improve mem ory and moods.

We can conduct our own ex periments. And we can even look at whether animals relate to our music and/or use their own to communicate and connect.

Questions to guide our explo rations, ask yourselves and fami ly members:

• How do we feel when we sing or make music together?

• How can music help us com municate?

• Why does music make us dance together?

Since all angles in a triangle add up to 180o, a triangle can have at most only one right angle or one obtuse angle. Can you figure out why? Ask your self: How many degrees are in two right angles? What is the smallest num ber of degrees that two obtuse angles could total?

Exercises: Identify: Determine if the triangle is acute, right or obtuse.

• Can music make us feel bet ter? Remember or learn more?

• Can we connect with ani

mals through music? Do an imals use their own “music” to connect with each other? (Excerpt from startwithabook.org)

How Partlet died and was buried, and how Chanticleer died

By The BroThers Grimm

Guyana “ready to play on any stage” as GO-Invest becomes ISO-certified

The Guyana Office for Investment (GOInvest) – which serves as a primary con tact for investors to liaise with Government agencies throughout their investment process – is now internation ally certified in accordance with ISO standards.

During a simple ceremo ny on Tuesday at his Shiv Chanderpaul Drive Office in Georgetown to mark this achievement, President Dr Irfaan Ali expressed that the ISO 9001 certification demonstrates the agency’s commitment to delivering world-class services.

“It demonstrates that we are committed to deliver ing world-class service in a world-class environment with world-class standards, worldclass guidelines and subject ing ourselves to world-class audits because to maintain the ISO certification, it re quires that the organisation and everything we do with in the organisation, operates at all time with a high level,” the Head of State stated.

He also noted that this de velopment ultimately speaks to the Government’s commit ment to issues of transparen cy and accountability.

“For the agency itself to be willing to subject itself to the audits to get the certi fication, tells you about the dynamism, tells you about openness, it speaks to trans parency, it speaks about our desire to build systems that follow structure, and struc tures that follow standards, and standards that follow guidelines. All of these are important parameters in the whole conversation of trans parency and accountability… that is why the IMF report spoke about improvement

in the overall architecture of the country in advancing and promoting transparency and accountability,” President Ali outlined.

Moreover, he noted that the ISO certification adds tremendous value to the “Guyana brand”.

“This is what we want, demonstrating to the world that we are ready to play at any stage and we’re ready to not only play on any stage but we are ready to stand by the standards that the world re quires,” he emphasised.

According to President Ali, the move by GO-Invest to become ISO certified aligns with his Government’s vision of building strong governance systems.

“When we assumed office, we committed to building a Government and a gover nance system that is efficient, reliable, one that responds to the needs of people and one that is nimble,” he explained.

“For a Government sys tem to be nimble, it has to be both rigid in regulation but flexible in the environ ment in which it operates. To achieve both of this, it is important that a set of stan dards that are internation ally recognised form the ba

sis on which we operate as a Government,” President Ali added.

The Guyanese Head of State went on to emphasise the importance of invest ments in an economy, noting that “if investment dries up, then economic growth will not thrive”.

In this regard, he not ed that GO-Invest, over the last two years, has done a re markable job at attracting in vestors to the country.

Moreover, he said there has been great integration of the relationship between GOInvest and other agencies like the Ministry of Finance, the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) and the Ministry of Tourism, Industry and Commerce.

“It is this collective effort in advancing Government’s policy of creating an enabling environment for private sec tor investment, for capital formation, that has caused tremendous impetuous and energy in investment portfo lio of our country,” President Ali expressed.

For his part, Chief Executive Officer of GOInvest, Dr Peter Ramsaroop acknowledged that the jour ney to become ISO certified

was inspired by President Ali and his desire to see better standards across Government agencies.

“In doing so, we fol lowed the ISO guidelines over the last two years,” Dr Ramsaroop told members of the media.

Importantly, he noted that “this is not an achieve

ment that stops.”

“It requires us to contin ue to improve, improve de ficiencies that we may have and to deliver better service to our nation and to the in ternational community,” Dr Ramsaroop pointed out.

Asked about the cost of the undertaking, the GOInvest Head expressed that

“the cost is more of our time cost…the audit was minimal, a few hundreds of thousands in terms of getting the audit agencies to send their inspec tors in…the significant cost is really us putting the time and effort in ensuring our docu mentation is in place and our delivery of service meets cus tomer expectation.” (G11)

Miners, boat captain charged for rape of Venezuelan woman

Three men - two min ers and a boat captain - have found them selves before the court af ter they allegedly raped a 32-year-old Venezuelan woman.

Ryan Hendro, a 24-yearold miner of Sheet Anchor, Berbice; Aubrey Garraway; a 22-year-old miner of Second Avenue, Bartica; and Kevin Pollard called

"Chiney", a 29-year-old boat captain of Itaballi Landing were on Monday charged with the offense of rape.

The men are accused of raping the 32-year-old wom an on September 26, 2022 at Second Avenue, Bartica (Cuyuni-Mazaruni).

The trio was charged separately for the crime.

On Monday, they appeared before Magistrate Crystal

Lambert at the Bartica Magistrate’s Court where the charge was read to them. They were not re quired to plea to the indict able charge.

Hendro and Pollard were placed on $300,000 bail, while Garraway called 'Denzel Chance' was further remanded to prison.

The matter was ad journed to October 21. (G9)

Remanded: Aubrey Garraway Charged: Kevin Pollard Charged: Ryan Hendro

GTI student’s murder Wanted bulletin issued for former murder accused

The

Guyana Police Force has issued a want ed bulletin for Keron Taylor of Lot 83 Adelaide Street, Charlestown, Georgetown in connection with the murder of 19-yearold Rawle Samuel Grannum of Pouderoyen, West Bank Demerara (WBD).

Grannum was an Electrical Installation Level 2 student at Government Technical Institute (GTI) and was attacked and brutal ly beaten by a group of men in the vicinity of Stabroek Square, Georgetown. He suc cumbed to his injuries three days later.

Based on reports gath ered, the incident occurred on Friday while Grannum was in the company of a friend at the route 45 minibus park. It is believed that the young man was a victim of mistak en identity.

Marcia Grannum, an aunt of the dead teen told a section

of the media that her family is yet to ascertain what may have led to the fatal beating.

The relative stated that based on information they would have received, there was a fight involving sever al students at GTI a while back, and as such, the sus pects might have mistaken her nephew as the person who was involved in the fight.

She stated that her neph ew was never part of the fight

and he was not someone who would get into trouble. Up until press time on Tuesday, the police have not released any information in connec tion with the incident.

Taylor is no stranger to the law. In fact, in October 2020, he was freed after spend ing five years on remand for the murder of Senassie Lewis who was gunned down at a bar in Albouystown, Georgetown in 2015.

He was accused of mur dering Lewis on September 4, 2015, in front of the Ghetto Flex nightspot in Albouystown, Georgetown. During his trial, he main tained his innocence and was eventually freed by Justice Navindra Singh, who upheld a no-case submission made by Defence Counsel Nigel Hughes.

At the commencement of the trial, the main witness, who was identified as Troy Abrams, conveyed to Justice Singh that he could not re member what took place on the day of the murder.

This, however, prompt ed Hughes to make a no-case submission.

The Police Force is ask ing anyone who has informa tion about the whereabouts of Taylor please contact them on 225 – 6940, 225-8196, 226 – 7476, 225 – 2317, 227 – 1149, or the nearest police station. (G9)

Movin’ on… with Elections Petition

Over in Kenya, a land with some forty-odd tribes (some VERY odd!!), they have our electoral problems in spades, since they gotta contend with seven times the combinations and permutations of matters that can be manipulated to fix the results!! Like us, free and fair elections were returned in 1992, and since then, they’ve gone through all the trauma of violence and resort to the courts etc, like us. But, to their credit, their interventions in the running of elections, like with Elections Commissions, Boundaries Commission and electronic voting - but mostly the law that elections petitions must be decided in FIFTEEN days - have served to bring peace, if not tranquility there.

WE should take some lessons from the Kenyan elections’ playbook!! Cause here we are, more than two years after the five months it took to get our elections’ results to effect a change of Government, the Opposition’s still insisting that the PPP is an “illegal-installed-cabal” – repeated so frequently it’s now practically ONE word!! Now, we have also, like Kenya, recourse to the Courts when there are disagreements on elections’ results. But with us – even though this delay can precipitate the actual breakdown of the state, since the legitimacy of its governors is rejected –these petitions seem to drop into a legal black hole.

The one the PNC filed in the 1997 elections wasn’t decided until 2001, by which time it was a moot point, since the PNC had battered the PPP into giving up two years of their term, and elections had been scheduled for that year!! In 2015, the PPP filed a petition after the results showed that the APNU/AFC coalition had won, but that was never heard until matters were overtaken by the 2020 elections, which had its own drama, that went to the CCJ several times!! And after the 2020 elections, which the losing APNU/AFC stoutly maintain that they wuz robbed, they filed not one, but TWO elections’ petitions.

The first one - based on their allegations that the dead and emigrated had voted for the PPP - was thrown out by the Courts for the extraordinary reason that the APNU/ AFC lawyers didn’t serve their leader Granger within the stipulated time!! The law, like the Lord - seems to work in mysterious ways!! That decision was appealed, and is before the CCJ, where one Justice snarkily remarked on our Courts’ foot-dragging on elections’ petitions!!

The fate of the second petition – which claims the order for a Recount was illegal - was thrown out by the High Court, but the APNU/AFC’s move to the Appeal Court was in limbo, because both they and APNU/AFC left it there!! Yet, the APNU/AFC kept up the drumbeats that the petition would vindicate them!!

Go figure!!

…to cane farmers

In order to deliver some justice to Guyanese who’ve been damaged by the various plagues that have befallen us recently – COVID-19, floods, PNC depredations etc –the PPP Govt just doled out $44M in relief grants to 294 private cane farmers in Region Three. Now, we know that when the PNC shuttered Wales, some 40% of the cane supplied to that estate was from private farmers. And even though the PNC Government had promised to construct an all-weather road to transport their cane to Uitvlugt, that was never satisfactorily done.

So, your Eyewitness wonders what this mere $150,000 per farmer - while better than nothing – would do. But there’s an even greater injustice that needs to be rectified: when the four estates were shuttered, there were 4700 workers directly hired by GuySuCo who each received their gratuity and grant. But what happened to the 2300 workers who’d been hired by the private cane farmers? Who’s looking after them?? If you prick them, do they not bleed?

…with Hetmyer

Something’s definitely amiss with Hetmyer. There’s no question he’s a tremendous cricketing talent, but that doesn’t mean he’s not challenged, like the rest of us.

There’s too much at stake for the GAW and WI Cricket team to leave him unattended.

Wanted: Keron Taylor

Dead: Rawle Samuel Grannum

ECD man arrested after Police unearth drugs, ammo in home

A46-year-old East Coast Demerara (ECD) was arrested by Police after a quantity of drugs and ammunition was found in his house.

On Saturday last be tween 13:00h and 15:30:h police arrested the man at Coldingen, East Coast Demerara (ECD).

Information revealed that a party of Police ranks conducted a cordonand-search exercise in the Vigilance Station District, where the home of the 46-year-old suspect was searched.

During the search, a transparent plastic bag was

found in the kitchen area, which contained several zip-lock bags with leaves, seeds, and stems of canna bis.

A further search was car ried out by the police ranks in the bedroom where two 12-gauge cartridges were found in a chest of drawers.

Police said that the man has since denied ownership of the items.

He was then escorted to the Vigilance Police Station

where the cannabis was counted and found to be 41 parcels which amounted to 42.2 grams.

Investigations are ongo ing

Just three days ago, two men, a 36-year-old taxi driver, and a 28-yearold fisherman were arrest ed after they were nabbed with 17 grams of marijuana stashed in the gas tank of a vehicle.

According to a release from Police Headquarters, ranks were conducting a mobile patrol at Better Hope north, East Coast Demerara (ECD), and the officers saw a burgundy

motorcar with the number plate PXX 8447 parked on the western side of an ac cess road.

The two men were seat ed inside the vehicle.

Both the taxi driver and the passenger were acting in a suspicious manner, po lice said. As such, a search was conducted on both per sons. Nothing illegal was found.

Subsequently, a search was conducted on the mo torcar, and a black plastic bag containing a transpar ent bag with leaves, seeds, and stems of cannabis was found in the vehicle’s gas tank compartment. (G9)

The ganja and ammo that were found in Vigilance

Govt single windows helping to improve ease of doing business – GCCI President

Whilemore remains to be done with Government’s aim of improving the ease of do ing business in Guyana, the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) President, Timothy Tucker, on Tuesday acknowl edged and lauded the steps that have already been taken in the single window system.

The GCCI President was the first speaker in the lineup for the Guyana Basin Summit, which started at the Pegasus hotel on Tuesday. He spoke about the business climate in Guyana and some of the challenges business es face, such as lack of in ter-agency cooperation.

Tucker said that these steps include the single win dow system that would allow investors to conduct their business and lodge docu ments for various agencies, through one entry point. He also spoke about Information and Communications

Technology (ICT) and its im portance.

“Even though we look at the lack of interagen cy cooperation in the Government sector as an issue, Government is rap idly dealing with that is sue with various single win dows that they’re creating for permits, for revenue au thority and other agencies of

the Government is working clearly, daily, and hard to get sorted out so that business in Guyana can move, smooth ly.”

“We realise that Guyana is one of the fastest growing economies in the world and that private sector growth is important. So, with that in mind, ICT is very import ant and of course you will see

many new technology com panies and that, by itself, is an opportunity for you as an investor to invest in ICT,” the GCCI President said.

He noted that projects such as the gas-to-shore pipeline and the industrial zone planned at Wales, show Government’s commitment to solve the problem plagu ing business and production in Guyana. This is a project that he noted will slash the energy costs and allow for more production.

“Cost, quality and reli ability of electricity is a major issue in Guyana. Cost of elec tricity in Guyana is the third highest in the hemisphere. But like everything else in this country, Guyana’s pri vate sector is working close ly with the Government to resolve the issues as we find them.”

“We clearly see that the Government has project ed that by the end of 2024, cost of electricity in Guyana

should be reduced by 50 per cent with our gas to power project. With that, it shows commitment by both pri vate sector and Government to solve the issues of doing business in Guyana,” Tucker said.

Tucker went on to cham pion the opportunities for investment in Guyana, not ing the growth taking place in ICT, agriculture and oth er areas. The Guyana Basin Summit will last for three days and is expected to at tract thousands of visitors and delegates from across the world.

The Ease of Doing Business Index is one of the most comprehensive stud ies done by the World Bank, in which it looks at key in dicators such as registering, compliance, taxation, obtain ing loans and similar factors such as administrative pro cedures. It also looks at legal measures such as protection and settlements.

In its last report, the World Bank ranked Guyana 134 out of 190 countries in its Doing Business Report for 2020 as it relates to the ease of doing business. However, the Government has been embarking on setting up a single window system.

Earlier this year, Foreign Secretary Robert Persaud had reassured investors that Government is working on the single window system as a mechanism to enhance the ease of doing and setting up businesses in the country.

“What we’ve done, and which the President [Dr Irfaan Ali] has put a lot of emphasis, is in the issue of a single-window system –whereby, for instance, if you want to set up a business and need a number of per mits or whatever paperwork is required, you go to a sin gle-window arrangement. So, a lot of effort is being put into that,” Persaud had stat ed. (G3)

GCCI President, Timothy Tucker

Bagotstown shopkeeper denies forging money

A55-year-old shopkeep

er of Bagotstown, East Bank Demerara (EBD), was arrested on Sunday by ranks of the Mocha/Herstelling Police Outpost and later charged for the offence of forgery.

While Police did not re lease any details on the inci dent, Guyana Times was in formed that the man, Mark Carmichael, was charged on Tuesday with the offence of possession of a forged curren cy note.

This charge was con trary to Section 271 of the

Criminal Law (Offences) Act, Chapter 8:01. It was re ported that the incident oc curred on Sunday at National Stadium, Providence, East Bank Demerara.

He appeared at the Diamond/Golden Grove Magistrates’ Court be fore Principal Magistrate Judy Latchman, where the charge was read to him, the Administrative Justice Act (AJA) applied and he pleaded not guilty.

He was released on $20,000 bail and the case was adjourned to October 14. (G9)

Lusignan resident busted with cocaine

A29-year-old man is now in Police custody after he was busted with a quantity of cocaine at his home on Sunday.

A report from Police in Regional Division 4C stated that ranks acting on infor mation received on Sunday at about 17:00h, proceeded to Lusignan Pasture, East Coast Demerara (ECD), where they spoke with 29-year-old Anil Sugrim called “Peacock”, an unemployed resident of Lusignan Pasture.

During the confrontation, Police said Sugrim consented to a request from the ranks to carry out a search on his per son.

During the search, sev

eral zip-lock bags containing rock-like substances suspect ed to be cocaine were discov ered in his right-side front pocket.

He was told of the offence of possession of narcotics for the purpose of trafficking,

cautioned, and arrested.

He was then escorted to the Vigilance Police Station where the cocaine was weighed in his presence. It amounted to 2.5 grams.

The suspect is slated to be charged soon. (G9)

The cocaine that was found in Lusignan, ECD

Charged: Mark Carmichael

Ramsammy’s Ruminations

Philomena Sahoye-Shury: a woman of worth, a genuine Guyanese heroine

They fired her in 2015. In 2011, they firebombed her home. In 1995, she was supposed to be mayor of Georgetown, but they conspired to prevent her from being sworn-in as Mayor. In the 1960s and 1970s, they jailed her many times. But “Fireball” Philomena Sahoye-Shury stood tall, unbowed and untamed. She was a warrior for the working-class people for almost 80 years of her life.

On October 2, just a few days before her 92nd birthday, Phiomena Sahoye-Shury passed away quietly at her home. Although Philo was ailing for some time now, it was unwelcome news for many of us who knew her. While some of us have lost a cherished comrade, our country has lost a woman of genuine worth, a genuine Guyanese heroine. One thing is certain for those of us who, in the last six months, had had opportunity to speak to her: she had not lost her vitality and her abiding interest in the vulnerable and working-class people of Guyana. She lived for, and died with, the working class on her mind.

Calling her in recent times to discuss her health was always an exercise in futility, as she inevitably diverted the discourse to those whose welfare she had championed all her life.

Philo could not be intimidated - the reason many called her a woman of steel. When I was a boy, while she and her colleagues were in our backyard, a group of Police officers approached to arrest her. She insisted that they first must eat something, and then she would go with them. She showed no fear, she smiled through it all. Eventually, the Police took her away, but they did not take her to the Albion Police Station, which was about a half-mile away, rather, they took her to the Reliance Police Station in Canje. Being locked up and whisked away to mystery Police stations were regular things for Philo. Not long after that, she was arrested and sent to Sibley Hall.

For women, other than Janet Jagan, Philo was jailed the most times for her political struggles in Guyana.

We shared a longstanding relationship that dated back to my boyhood days. Philo was a young trade unionist in those days, gorgeous and dignified. She worked alongside Harry Lall, Victor Downer, Pandit Ramlall and Pandit Mahadeo, and with several of my uncles and older cousins, moving from one sugar estate to another, organising the sugar workers in the days when GAWU was agitating for recognition.

In those early years, in the early 1960s, Bookers, the sugar lords, continued to treat sugar workers as peasants and indentured labourers. On many occasions, Harry Lall, Philomena and Victor Downer had come into the Albion area to hold meetings. Cheddi and Janet Jagan and Ashton Chase spoke at many of these meetings. At the time, Bookers had completely bought out the recognised union, the MPCA, which was led by Richard Ishmael. After the PPP was thrown out of office in 1964, the Burnham-led PNC Government sought to consolidate the MPCA as the trade union representing the workers, and the work of Philo and her colleagues intensified in the sugar belt. In Berbice, where a Police team was always on hand to arrest Philo, she was a fixture, with people eagerly awaiting to hear the person they called the “Fireball”.

Harry Lall was a good speaker on the platform, as was Victor Downer from Canje. People adored Cheddi spoke and hanged on every word he spoke. But Philo generated a special kind of oratory that excited people. Once it was announced that the “Fireball” was scheduled to speak, people flocked to hear.

Our home was where the GAWU team gathered before all public meetings, the place where the leaders would have their private meetings. She engaged us in long discussions about social justice, and why there was a dire need for the MPCA to be replaced. She lit up as she spoke about the inhumane working conditions that the thenMPCA colluded with Bookers to continue in the sugar industry. The downtrodden always had a special place in her heart.

After studying and working in America, when I returned to Guyana, we met again at Freedom House in 1991. It was the first time I had seen her after more than twenty years. She was the same dignified, stately woman, and the same “Fireball” I had known in my boyhood days. There was no reason for her to remember me, but once I reminded her who I was, she began a long journey of reminiscing, reminding me about my mom’s roti and stew fish. Philo had not lost her passion for the struggle; she had not lost sight of those she had dedicated her life’s journey to help: the vulnerable, the poor, the women and children.

From 1997 and up to the 2011 elections, we shared the public platform many times. Each time she spoke, I was awed by the continued passion and vigour that she brought to the public platform. After 1992, she became an MP, and we served also in Parliament for many years together. In Parliament, her speeches were of the same oratory that she had on the public platform, always well-prepared, almost as if choreographed. She had also become the National Director of Community Development, a role she used to promote women in small enterprises and to build vocational capacity among women’s groups across Guyana.

Rest in peace, Philo. Your time on earth has made a difference.

200 persons benefit from CIOG’s WCB medical outreach

Some 200 persons liv ing at Shieldstown Village, West Coast Berbice, and surround ing communities benefit ed from a collaborative medical outreach organ ised by the Central Islamic Organisation of Guyana (CIOG).

At the outreach, which was hosted on Sunday, per sons were able to access a range of services includ

ing blood pressure, glucose, HIV and STI testing, den tal services, COVID-19 vac cination along with booster shots. With medical advice from general and special ty doctors who were on the team, provision of over-thecounter and prescription medication were issued. The medical team was able to provide care to elder ly, children and different ly-abled persons.

In a release on Wednesday, CIOG said that in addition to the med ical services provided at the Shieldstown Masjid, the recipients were issued with items that catered for their daily needs inclusive of hand sanitisers, disinfec tant wipes, bath soaps, face masks, clothing, adult and children’s diapers among other items.

The outreach was done

by CIOG in collaboration with Shieldstown Masjid, and supported by National Blood Transfusion Services, the Health Ministry, Region Five COVID-19 Vaccination and Dentistry Team, Region Five Regional Health Office, Number 7 Village Health Centre, SEWA International, Lincoln American University and Mike’s Pharmacy.

Dr Leslie Ramsammy

News

Logger wanted for murder arrested during drug bust

Aman who was wanted for a murder in 2010, was arrested on a drug-related charge and then charged for the killing.

Thirty-year-old Orin Esmond Bristol was arrested on Sunday during an intelli gence-led operation and was allegedly found with a quanti ty of suspected marijuana.

Following his arrest, it was discovered that Bristol, called “Esmond La Fleur” or “Orin Adams”, was wanted in con nection with a 2010 murder of Cleveland Hetemeyer called “Waterdog”.

The logger of Smythfield, New Amsterdam, Berbice, was charged with murder on Tuesday which alleged that on April 4, 2010, at Sliver Bally, Gutter Creek, Canje River, Berbice, he killed Hetemeyer. He appeared on

Wednesday at the New Amsterdam Magistrate's Court before Magistrate Rentia Singh.

He was remanded and will have to return to court on October 10.

In April 2011, Police ar rested his cousin, Rickford La Fleur, also known as “Rickford Orlando Williams” at a Corentyne River with two kilograms of cocaine.

Following that arrest, Police said he was wanted on a joint charge with his cous in, Esmond Bristol, for the un lawful killing of Hetemeyer.

It had been reported that the cousins were evad ing Police since the shooting death of Hetemeyer in 2010.

It is alleged that the cous ins, armed with guns, shot

the victim to his abdomen, his chest and right arm, and es caped in his boat, leaving him to die.

Hetemeyer, 26, a log ger of Angoy’s Avenue, New Amsterdam, was shot during an alleged robbery at Sliver Bally, Gutter Creek, some 90 miles up the Canje River, Berbice.

He along with three others were at the logging concession when they were allegedly ap proached by the two cousins, who were armed, and they de

manded their boat and engine. Hetemeyer reportedly refused and was shot while the others ran away. The cousins then escaped with the boat and en gine.

It had been reported that the men pointed a gun at Hetemeyer while accusing him of taking items belong ing to them but while he re futed their claim, he was shot in the leg. After being shot, Hetemeyer ran towards the boat, which was moored along side the river at the time. The

men pursued him and ordered that he get up, and while he complied and surrendered, he was shot to the abdomen.

Meanwhile, Rickford La Fleur, who escaped from the New Amsterdam Prison along with three others in 2011, had fled to neighbouring Suriname and was arrested there and served a four-year sentence in the Dutch-speaking territory for robbery under arms.

He has been committed to stand trial in the High Court.

(G4)

2 charged for robbing Peters Hall woman

Twenty-year-old

Alkleyon McCollin along with his al leged accomplice, Kareem Sancho, appeared in court on Tuesday after they were slapped with a joint charge of armed robbery.

Police said Sancho, 19, is a shopkeeper of Victoria Street Plaisance, East Coast Demerara (ECD), while McCollin, a construc tion worker, is from Ramus Street, Plaisance, ECD.

They were arrested on Saturday by Police of Providence Police Station, Criminal Investigation Department, and charged for the offence of robbery under arms.

This is contrary to Section 222 (c) of the Criminal Law

(Offences) Act, Chapter 8:01.

The robbery was allegedly committed on Stephenie Ali on Saturday at Old Road, Peters Hall, EBD.

On Wednesday, the two men appeared at the Diamond/Golden Grove Magistrate’s Court before

Principal Magistrate Judy Latchman, where the charge was read to them. The Administrative Justice Act (AJA) was applied and they pleaded not guilty. They were each released on $50,000 bail and the case was adjourned to October 21. (G9)

Orin Esmond Bristol, called “Esmond La Fleur” and “Orin Adams”

Alkleyon McCollin and Kareem Sancho: charged for robbery

Guyana needs to attract, retain critical skills – IOGP Director

…says this will be key to country’s developmental trajectory

The importance of Guyana retaining and attracting skills, while halting the brain drain, was on Tuesday un derscored at the Guyana Basin Summit (GBS) as an important strategy to en sure the country develops its full potential during its oil and gas boom.

According to Executive Director for the International Association of Oil and Gas Producers (IOGP), Iman Hill, Guyana

“According to the UN in 2019, this country had one of the highest immigration rates in the world, with an estimated 30,000 people leaving each year and only half of the population living in country,” Hill said.

She noted that Guyana therefore has an opportuni ty, to build development and retention strategies to pre vent the brain drain, while also facilitating stronger ties with the Guyanese di aspora.

Leadership Forum, had re lated that his Government is working on a holistic im migration policy to sup port Guyana’s current de velopment trajectory. This, he had said, is because the country has found itself in a position where there is a net loss of labour.

“I had a meeting on Friday with the contractors, and they’re all behind sched ule now because they can’t find labour. They can’t find workers, and this is a major

will work along with the country’s local team to ex amine the issue and provide an analysis that will be used to form a policy.

“We need people bad ly and we need them now, and with the type of infra structure that we’re invest ing in, the type of health care service we’re investing, the type of education ser vices that we’re investing in, guess what? Those services, when they’re fully built out in five years to 10 years, will require people to consume the service.”

Further, President Ali stated that regional integra tion is a fundamental pillar of Guyana’s economic devel opment. He explained that Caricom has “enormous” economic potential and that Guyana is willing to pro vide a platform through which investors can realise such. He also mentioned up coming events to facilitate this, including the coun try’s hosting of the Region’s Agriculture Investment Forum in May.

The Head of State had said that one of the most powerful tools that Guyana has produced is its hu man resources. He had also

said that school curricu lums have to change to re flect the dynamism of the new path that the country is on. According to President Ali, Guyanese must prepare themselves for the impend ing opportunities.

“People who are brilliant, people who understand is sues and people who are able to not only help Guyana but to go all over the world and shine. We’re not talking

today only about preparing our young people for the oil and gas sector.”

“We want every single primary school student to have elementary training in coding and software devel opment. By the time you get up to secondary school, you must be doing serious work on becoming specialised or becoming specialists in soft ware creation and develop ment.” (G3)

is in a good position to lever age its growing oil and gas industry to attract the best minds from its own people.

“Guyana’s recent oil dis coveries have the poten tial over the next decade to transform the country from one of the poorest in the western hemisphere to one of the most prosperous, but it will be key to retain, de velop and attract critical skills.”

“To serve as an opportu nity for investment, coach ing or to return home. The relationship between Guyana and the diaspora is a unique one, in terms of the large size and the high lev el of education of that dias pora, notwithstanding the majority of Guyana’s popu lation is young.”

Earlier this year, President Dr Irfaan Ali, during the Global Business

problem that we’re going to be faced with. Some may say it’s a good problem to have, but it’s a very troubling problem. So, we are working now on a holistic immigra tion policy, not only for the diaspora but understanding critically what the demand will be in three years, five years and ten years.”

The President added that a leading expert has been hired in the area that

Berbice mother confesses to forcing 4-year-old to drink poison

Two days after it was reported that a 4-year-old had con sumed a poisonous sub stance that she had found while playing in the yard, Police have secured a confes sion from the mother, who has admitted to forcing the child to drink the poison.

Police had stated that the child, Tinesha Shamshundar of Number 50 Village Corentyne, is in a critical state at the New Amsterdam Hospital.

However, the toddler's 23-year-old mother had ini tially told Police that she had collected the weedicide

from her mother-in-law to spray the yard, and she had secured it in her goat pen.

She claimed that the child was playing in the yard, and had subsequently told her that she had opened the bottle and drunk the substance contained there in. Both the mother and fa ther were reportedly arrest ed.

During interrogation, the woman told detectives that her husband had re turned home under the in fluence of alcohol, and an argument had broken out between them, and it had later turned physical.

The husband, on the oth er hand, related that his wife had threatened to consume poison and feed it to their only child. The child was rushed to the Port Mourant Hospital but due to her condition, she was subse quently transferred to New Amsterdam Public Hospital.

Upon receiving this in formation, she was again grilled by the Police and eventually confessed to forc ing the 4-year-old to drink the substance.

Both parents remain in custody while doctors are monitoring the child’s condition.

IOGP Executive Director Iman Hill

A section of the attendees at the Guyana Basin Summit

HOROSCOPES

Observe what others are doing and how it will benefit your community, and you’ll devise an efficient plan. If you fo cus on helping others, you’ll gain allies. Structure your plans carefully.

21-April 19)

Be sure you can deliver on your prom ises before you commit. An intelligent but innovative plan will get you where you want to go. New beginnings will spark your imagination and offer hope.

(April 20-May

SUDOKU

21-June 20)

You’ll need to be intensely focused to get ahead professionally. Spare no ex pense when it comes to getting what you want. Rely on yourself to avoid disap pointment. Make plans with a loved one.

Experience and imagination will help you find a way to get what you want. Put your energy where it counts, and a posi tive change at home will put your mind at ease. Scout for bargains.

(June 21-July 22) (July 23-Aug. 22)

Don’t bend to someone’s pressure. Stand your ground and make a differ ence. A pick-me-up will boost your ego. Update your appearance and nurture meaningful relationships.

Discuss what you want and how you plan to move forward, and you’ll be able to set up changes to suit your needs. Making a lifestyle adjustment will lead to better days ahead.

(Aug. 23-Sept. 22)

Put your best foot forward and charm everyone you encounter. A positive atti tude will get you further than will com plaints or criticism. Look at what’s pos sible and keep a positive attitude.

(Sept. 23-Oct. 23)

Don’t take anything for granted or expect others to live up to their words. Be prepared to do things yourself and to take the credit you deserve. Don’t over spend or risk your health.

(Oct. 24-Nov. 22) (Nov. 23-Dec. 21)

You have more going for you than you realize. Pull out all the stops and move full speed ahead. Discuss your in tentions and make a change that gives you the freedom to pursue your dream.

An unusual change to how you han dle money or earn your living is appar ent. Be smart and formulate a plan that has long-term financial benefits. Protect your health and well-being.

(Dec. 22-Jan. 19)

Don’t let what others do or say get you down. Consider what will make you happy, and put your energy toward im proving your home and relationships. Assess your finances. Romance is appar ent.

(Jan. 20-Feb.

Hang on to your secrets, be a good lis tener and find out where you stand be fore you reveal your intentions. Use your skills to make improvements. A finan cial gain is apparent.

(Feb. 20-March

SA vs India, T20I series: Game 3 of 3…

Rossouw smashes 48-ball ton as South Africa finish series with victory

Rilee

Rossouw smashed his maiden T20I cen tury as South Africa posted their fourth-high est total in the format, and India batted and crumbled with full freedom in a mas sive chase of 228.

That liberty was owed as much to their recent ly-adopted risky approach with the bat as perhaps to the fact that the series had already been sealed two days back. As a result, India tasted their first defeat in the last 17 chases in T20Is at home.

Rossouw cracked 100* - a score he reached off 48 balls - and added 90 free-flowing runs for the sec ond wicket with Quinton de Kock. That partnership came off just eight overs, and included seven fours and six sixes, most of which were hit in the arc between deep midwicket and fine leg.

De Kock hit 68 from 43 deliveries, setting the tone for the mountain of a score by flicking Mohammed Siraj for four and six in the second over.

In turn, India went hard as well, despite losing Rohit Sharma for a duck to the second ball of the in nings. They lost four wick ets after only seven overs, yet had posted 78, with ex actly as many fours and six es as Rossouw and de Kock had smashed during their stand. But, in the end, the total proved far too big and out of their reach.

Redemption

After failing to score a single run in the first two matches of the series, Rossouw got going only on the fourth ball he faced in

Indore. Here, too, he started with three dots, before mak ing up rapidly. By the end of the ninth over, he was on 30 off 15 balls, after going after Siraj, Umesh Yadav and R Ashwin. He flicked, pulled, swiped and hoicked to his liking, with neither the full er lengths nor the shorter ones bothering him.

A lot of luck went Rossouw’s way too: first, when on 24, he slog-swept Ashwin, only for the ball to pop out of Siraj’s hands for six over fine leg. At the oth er end, de Kock made up for taking his time in the sec ond T20I in Guwahati, his innings of 69 from 48 balls making the difference be tween the sides then. He

again as, off the final ball of the 11th over, the short boundary came into play

The partnership end ed when de Kock was runout at the beginning of the 13th over. India had held back their left-arm spinner Axar Patel until 13 overs with two left-hand batters going gung-ho at the crease, and Rossouw just proved India’s fears right by slog ging Axar’s third ball for six, to reach his fifty off 27 balls.

When Rossouw then pulled Harshal Patel in the 15th over, the ball just went over a leaping Umesh at fine leg. In the next over, he even bisected long-on and deep midwicket as Deepak Chahar attempted a york er. The last three overs fetched 50 runs for South Africa, including Tristan Stubbs’s cameo of 23 and David Miller’s final-over on slaught.

iment in the chase by pro moting the finisher Dinesh Karthik to #4. He declared his intentions first ball by pulling Wayne Parnell for four to deep midwicket. Next over, Rishabh Pantwho had opened alongside Rohit - hit Kagiso Rabada for four.

The early boundaries gave India hope, and the full house at the Holkar Stadium had something to cheer after the home bowl ers had been carted around earlier. And

with only 25 on the board after four overs, Pant went 4, 6, 4, 6 off Lungi Ngidi, be fore Stubbs’s brilliant catch at cover-point sent him back for 27 off 14 balls.

attempt to be too creative, he was bowled while trying to reverse scoop the spinner two balls later.

An innings of 46 from 21 deliveries had come to an end, and with that slid India’s hopes. They had brought in only one batter in Iyer despite both Rahul and Kohli being rested. As a result, their allrounders were slotted for as early as #6, with Axar followed by the likes of Harshal, Ashwin and Chahar.

Onewin and one draw were recorded when competition in the Upper Demerara Football Association’s leg of the GFF/ NAMILCO Thunderbolt Flour Power Under-17 Intra Association League contin ued at the Mackenzie Sports Club Ground this past week end.

In Sunday’s lone clash, Golden Stars battled back from one goal down to earn an equal share of the points against Amelia’s Ward

raced to his fifty off 33 balls by pulling Umesh over fine leg.

The first ten overs had raised 96, as the part nership kept racing along. Rossouw rode his fortune

when the ball flew off the top half of the bat and went just beyond deep point. Just four balls later, India reviewed a potential leg-before chance off Ashwin, but even that re turned not out.

Miller crashed three six es off Chahar as the visitors hit 24 off the final over, with their total boosted up to 227.

Incessant swing

Having lost Rohit and Shreyas Iyer cheaply, at 4 for 2 after the first ten balls, the hosts decided to exper

India were three down after five overs, with anoth er 183 to get at a required run rate of over 12. That’s when Karthik brought his finishing skills into play, at tacking Parnell for 6, 4, 6 in the final over of the power play.

As if that were not enough, he deposited Keshav Maharaj for consecutive six es in the next over. But in an

In the eighth over, Suryakumar swung a six of his own in typical style, shuffling across to a goodlength ball and flinging the ball over short fine leg; but when Stubbs grabbed anoth er fantastic catch just two balls later, India were 86 for 5 after eight overs.

Lower-order batters Harshal, Chahar and Umesh entertained with 17, 31 and 20* respectively, but India folded with nine balls left.

South Africa had ob tained a consolation win to end the series’ scoreline at 2-1. (Cricinfo)

United, which had taken the lead through a D. Warner 27th-minute strike.

The lads from the Ward were able to defend that advantage deep down into the final half, and were al most certain to pull off the win when Golden Stars’ K. James was able to nudge one past the Amelia’s Ward goal keeper with just three min utes to full time.

At the same venue on Saturday, Milerock took full points from Capitol FC in

romping to a 2-1 win. Aaron Murray handed Milerock the lead in the 9th minute, but that advantage was can celled in the 18th minute when Capitol FC’s Omarion Ramsammy rocked the nets.

Milerock was intent on restoring their advan tage, and while it took some time, they succeeded in the 68th minute, thanks to a Rodensio Tudor goal.

Matches are set to con tinue this weekend at the same venue.

Aaron Murray and Rodensio Tudor of Milerock FC

Omarion Ramsammy of Capitol FC

Rilee Rossouw saying a silent prayer after reaching his maiden T20I ton

The

Mixed fortunes for Badminton team on first game day

G

uyana’s Badminton team started the country’s campaign for medals at the 2022 South American Games in Asuncion, Paraguay with a bang on Tuesday, picking up four wins and two loss es across three categories of play.

Guyana, having fielded the 4-member Badminton team of Akili Haynes, Priyanna and Narayan Ramdhani, and coach Naeem Haque, sprang into action on Tuesday morning when the first sport fea turing Guyanese athletes took flight at the Games.

While each member of the team contested the sin gles’ events, the Ramdhani siblings also teamed up for the mixed doubles events.

In the women’s singles arena, Priyanna was pit

ted against Rosa Karin Quilodran Riquelme of Chile, whom she defeated in two straight sets 21-19 and 21-12. Later in the day, Priyanna opposed Aruba’s

Leyenne Schairer and also won that game 21-19, 2112. Her next women’s sin gles match would pit her against Peru’s Fernanda Saponara Rivva.

Her sibling Narayan took on Colombia’s Daniel Borja Aleans in the first round of the men’s singles, during the morning ses sion, and easily outpointed

him 21-15, 21-15.

In his ensuing match, Narayan battled Nicholas Ezequiel Oliva of Argentina but, un nately, lost that encounter 21-10, 21-14.

Akili Haynes fought valiantly during his en counter with Diego Emilio Zambrano Solano of Ecuador. His first outing on the court was an excit ing three-set battle that saw Zambrano taking the first set 10-21, and Haynes fighting back to win the second set 21-12. Haynes played well in the third set, but eventually lost it 19-21.

In the mixed doubles cat egory, the Ramdhani siblings pulled off a two-set victory over Venezuela’s Barrios and Ortiz. It was a proverbial

Haynes and Ramdhani are set to contest the men’s doubles against a duo from Paraguay, and Ramdhani would later join forces with his sister to contest the mixed doubles’ cate gory against a pair from Ecuador, at 12.20pm local time.

The South American Games, which commenced on October 1st, will run un til October 15th. Guyana is being represented by 16 athletes who specialise in four sporting disciplines. (Jemima Holmes)

Pee-Wee Football tournament locked and loaded for Saturday

The Courts’ PeeWee Boys Under-11 Football tourna ment is set to commence this weekend, Saturday, October 8th, at the Ministry of Education (MoE) Ground on Carifesta Avenue in Georgetown with lots being at stake for young footbal lers.

During yesterday’s team briefing exercise, the youngsters were so in formed, and were encour aged to ‘work hard’.

Twenty-four prima ry school teams from both

Courts’ Cristel Van Sluytman

the public and private sec tors would, over the next 7 weeks, be contesting this tournament, which is seen as an introductory tourna ment to hone and develop skills among the younger generation.

St. Agnes Primary was the last school to emerge champions of this tourna ment, in 2019. And now, with the first post-pan demic game set to be con tested when the whistle is blown on Saturday, Courts Brand Manager Cristel Van Sluytman has revealed that

Guyana participate in first ever Esport competition

Guyana has tak en part in its first ever Esport inter national competition with Hemchandra Persaud rep resenting Guyana in the Esport Championships being held at the South American Games in Asuncion, Paraguay.

The game played was Efootball 2023, produced by Konami. It should be not ed that, in Guyana, most players play FIFA efoot ball, which is produced by EA Sports, but the rest of

the South Americas play the Konami efootball. The difference in algorithms in the different versions of the game was a challenge, but also a great experience for Guyana’s first international Esport player.

Results: Best of 3, first round: Guyana lost to Ecuador 0-3 and 0-5. Second round, Guyana lost to Uruguay 0-4 and 0-1.

Esport has also been added to the list of sports for the 2023 PanAmerican Games in Santiago, Chile.

Courts would personally fund additional prizes for the tournament winners, and she is encouraging each student to put their best foot forward.

“This year, Courts would have celebrated 29 years of business in Guyana, and activities (such) as this we would always support, be cause it brings greater val ue to the community, as in our taglines: ‘bringing value home’,” Van Sluytman said in her initial remarks.

She later informed, “As a reward at the end of the tour nament, Courts is also going to give tablets to each play er of the winning team. That is how we’re going to be sup porting the education sector.”

In brief remarks, Petra Organization Co-Director Troy Mendonca had similar motivational words for the young ballers: “We, at Petra and Courts Guyana Inc, will be using this tournament as a platform for you to come together on Saturdays and

The

Guyana’s Badminton team started their campaign for medals in the South American Games on Tuesday

Hemchandra Persaud

This photo is showing, from left: Pan American Sports President Neeivin Illic, Hemchandra Persaud, Shoaib Juman-Yassin (Manager) and K.A. Juman-Yassin (President of the Guyana Olympic Association)

Courts’ Cristel VanSluytman and Petra’s Troy Mendonca and Nareeza Latif took a photo opportunity with students who would contest the upcoming Pee Wee U11 tournament

Petra’s Troy Mendonca

Pres. Ali reveals developmental plans for sports

According to President Dr. Irfaan Ali, the Government of Guyana (GoG) is eyeing the continuous development of various sectors in the coun try, among which are the sports and sports tourism sectors.

This has been revealed by the Head of State at the Office of the President on Tuesday afternoon as the Guyana Office for Investment (GO Invest) received their ISO Certification.

“We are also working in the next few weeks to design an annual programme to po sition Guyana as a premier destination for entertain ment and sports tourism in the Region,” President Ali shared after congratulating organizers of the recently concluded Cricket Carnival event.

The President also di vulged some of the plans in the pipeline for the devel opment and showcasing of Guyana’s potential in sport.

President Dr Irfaan Ali

WI vs Aus T20I series: Game 1 of 2…

He said, “We’re working on modifying our horseracing, to make it a premier re gional event attracting in ternational participation… working in the motor rac ing industry. I’ve already asked a team to reach out to the World Boxing Council to see how we can become a venue for World Boxing Council events. It is not an easy road, but it is a vision that we’re pursuing to position Guyana beyond oil and gas.”

President Ali has exud ed confidence in being able to fulfill the plans he has de tailed, because of Guyana’s oil wealth, which he de scribed as a tool for develop ment of all sectors, including sport.

“I’ve said it before: that what oil and gas does is give us the revenue to build the infrastructure to support the advancement and broaden ing of the economy, and that is what we’re targeting,” President Ali explained.

Brooks to play vital role as Hetmyer’s replacement, says Pooran

Pooran also spoke about the ability of Shamarh Brooks, whom he touted as experienced, as he has been in the West Indies setup, and while he is replacing Hetmyer, Pooran is confident that Brooks would have a vital role to play.

Speaking on the team, Pooran explained that there has been a lot of cricket for the year, and there are two groups: the guys that got knocked out of the CPL first and had a three-to-four-day period on Australian soil, and those that finished the tourna ment late, having arrived a day before the tournament.

The West Indies will today lock horns with Australia from 5:00hrs in the first of two T20 International match es before they play in the Men’s T20I World Cup tournament in Australia.

West Indies white ball captain Nicholas Pooran is likely banking on the ex perience gained in play ing in the Big Bash league in Australia as the men in

marron look to start things off on a positive note.

In a press interview, he was asked about his memories playing at the Carrara Stadium, and Pooran said, “It is my second time. I absolute ly love my experience in the Big Bash playing for Melbourne; so, I will al ways remember that.”

Addressing the issue of Shimron Hetmyer being

dropped from the squad, Pooran said, “To be hon est, that is not my focus at the moment. Decisions have been made, and there are consequences for your action. At the moment, I just want us to focus on our goals and how we will go about achieving (them). Obviously, we planned with him, but lately he is not here, and we have to plan differently now.”

“It is difficult, it is a challenge, but at the end of the day we are profession als. At the same time, our main focus is World Cup qualifiers first. We have an opportunity to play against Australia, and we need to be smart as well. Our number one priori ty is to win, but have our players fresh and ready for when the qualifiers start,” Pooran shared.

He also related that while he is impressed with his batting, he was not able to score as many runs as he would have liked in the last series. However, he is feeling good, and has

promised to do what is re quired of the team.

He clarified that he has been working hard, and will use the Australia series to do well and not put pressure on himself.

While the West Indies team contains a few play ers with World Cup expe rience, most of the team would be having their first World Cup experience this year. According to Pooran, that issue has already been addressed, and while the Windies would be

starting from the bottom, they have been given roles and responsibilities, and the camp is very happy.

“This entire year we have been through our ups and downs. We’ve been all over the world, we’ve been losing cricket games, we have been winning games, and we have been perform ing as a group. Sometimes the results don’t show that, but we have stuck together and we are here and we are here to fight again,” Pooran has posited.

Businessman Raywan Sedatt throws in his support

The

latest person to come on board with support for the proj ect “Cricket gear for young and promising cricketers in Guyana” is Businessman Raywan Sedatt, aka Roger, owner of R. Sedatt and Son Lumber and Block Making Business at Lot 47 Palmyra Village, East Canje Berbice.

Sedatt has contributed two cricket bats to this ini tiative, jointly being promul gated by Kishan Das of the USA and Anil Beharry, a former Berbice Inter-County all-rounder. At a simple ceremony held recently, Sedatt presented the bats to Beharry in the presence of Mukesh Appiah, who is vis iting from the USA.

“I am delighted to be part of this successful ven ture”, Sedatt has said. Beharry, in response, was very thankful for the sup port.

Total cricket relat ed items collected so far: $250,000 cash, two trophies, twelve cricket boots, nine teen pairs of batting pads, twenty-three bats, fifteen pairs of batting gloves, nine teen thigh pads, one pair of wicket-keeping pads, two arm guards, six cricket bags and three helmets.

In addition to the above, $600,000 worth in gear was donated by Sheik Mohamed, former national wicketkeeper /batsman.

To date, forty young players from all three coun ties of Guyana have al ready benefitted from the receipt of three junior gear bags, two trophies, two arm guards, fifteen bats, one box of cricket balls, three hel mets, twelve pairs of crick et shoes, ten pairs of bat ting pads, one bat rubber and twelve pairs of batting gloves.

In addition, two clubs in the Pomeroon area have benefitted from the receipt of two used bats. Pomeroon, Leguan and Wakenaam Cricket Committees and Cotton

mittee also received one box of red cricket balls each, while the RHCCCC has re ceived two boxes of such balls, fifteen white cricket shirts, one pair of junior bat ting pads, one pair of wick

etkeeping gloves and a set of stumps and bails.

The Essequibo Cricket Board, and now the Town of Lethem, have also received from this project.

Cricket-related items, used or new, are distrib uted free of cost to young and promising cricketers in Guyana. Skills, discipline and education are important characteristics of the recip ients. Talent spotting is be ing done across the country, and club leaders also assist to identify same. Progressive and well managed clubs will also benefit.

We take this oppor tunity to thank Javed and Imran of West Indian Sports Complex, Option Group of USA, Hilbert Foster, Bish Panday of P and P Insurance Brokers, Sean Devers, TrevisSimon, Årïêl J. Tïlkú, Aaron Beharry, Leanna Bachan and Imran Saccoor, Devon

Ramnauth, Teddy Singh, Romash Munna, Ravi Etwaroo, Kelvin Brijlall, Ravin Harkishun, Surendra Harkishun, Allan Mangru, Dennis Mangru, Vishal Mahabir, Sherman Austin, Huburn Evans, Rajendra Sadeo, Ramesh Sunich of Trophy Stall, Sheik Mohamed of Star Sports Awards and Trophies and Ajay Gainda of Cricket Equipment Guyana, Gajanand Singh, Peter Ramkissoon, Rabindranath Saywack, Roshan Gaffoor, Ameer Rahaman, Chin Singh, Denesh Chandrapaul, Dr Cecil Beharry, Davo Naraine of UK and Latch Mohabir and family, the owners of this initiative have said.

Distribution will con tinue. Anyone interested in contributing to this project can contact Anil Beharry on 623-6875 or Kishan Das on 1 718-664-0896.